Crossing the Lineby MarineMarksmanChaptersChapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter OneIt was just your average night. The stars were shining, the moon hovered brightly in the night sky above, and there was a cool, pleasant breeze wafting through Ponyville. Twilight was out on the library's top balcony, enjoying the night sky, when she heard a loud crash from downstairs, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. Quite peeved, Twilight got up from her prone position and made her way downstairs, to find one of the library's many bookcases knocked over, its contents spilled all over the floor, and Spike sitting there, rubbing his head. The sight was enough to make her left eye start to twitch in anger. "Spike! What happened!?" Twilight demanded angrily. Spike looked over to where Twilight's voice came from. When their eyes met, a expression of horror spread across the young dragons face. "W-well I-I was j-just-" Spike began to stammer out, but noticed Twilight holding up her hoof, signaling him to stop talking. "You need to be more careful, Spike. Now clean up this mess!" Twilight ordered. Normally, Spike would eagerly follow said order, but he did have something to tell her something first. "Wait Twilight! The bookcase wasn't-" "Quick making excuses and get to work!" Twilight bellowed, completely ignoring what Spike was trying to say. Spike visibly shrunk at her outburst and turned around, muttering words of compliance as he started to pick up the books that were strewn about the place. Satisfied with the dragons compliance, Twilight made her way back up to her room. "Don't even get to say a single thing..." Spike muttered as he picked up a particularly dusty tome. Spike examined it for a few seconds, before blowing the dust off. Before he even had time to realize his mistake, Spike noticed that he suddenly needed to sneeze. He tried to angle the sneeze away from the tome he was carrying, but it was too late. The moment he sneezed, a gout of green flames shot out of his nose, instantly incinerating the tome in his claws. "Uh oh..." Spike said to himself, before the fire alarm went off and the sprinkler system activated, spraying water all over the library. It wasn't even a few minutes after getting back to the balcony when Twilight heard the fire alarm going off. "Oh what now?" Twilight asked nopony in particular as she got up from the floor and made her way downstairs. The sight she saw shook her to the core. The room was now half flooded due to the emergency sprinkler system, the bookcases were soaked with water, and Spike was running around frantically, trying to fix the damage some way or another. "SPIKE THE DRAGON, FRONT AND CENTER!" Twilight shouted at the top of her lungs, causing Spike to fall over into the water. He then felt himself get picked up by Twilight's telekinesis and found himself floating in front of her, before she dropped him in the water in front of her. "What happened?!" Twilight demanded, looking like she was about to lose her sanity. "I sneezed." Spike answered. "What the heck Spike?! I thought I told you to dust those cases!" Twilight shouted. "You know, you don't need to shout..." Spike muttered. "Why don't you ever listen, Spike?!" Twilight demanded, "if you just dusted the bookcases like I told you to, this wouldn't of happened." "What do you think I was doing when that bookcase fell on me?!" Spike shouted at Twilight. "Don't take that tone with-" "No! Shut up! I'm done! All I ever do is work all day to please you, to make you happy, and all you do is bitch, moan, and yell at me. Is a simple thank you enough?!" Spike demanded. "I don't ask a lot of you Spike." Twilight pointed out. "Don't ask a lot of me? Don't ask a lot of me?! Twilight, I'm like nine! Yet, you have me working like I'm Cinderella! I never get a break around here, and you won't even lift a hoof to help me! You say I'm your number one assistant, but personally, I feel like I'm your number one slave..." Spike said. "But-" Twilight began to protest. "Don't but me! You're too much of a mule to see what you do to me. Ever since I got appointed as your assistant, you treated me like dirt. I remember every little thing you have done to me. Don't you think there was a reason beyond jealousy I ran away that one time? Speaking of that one time, I've noticed Owlowiscious hasn't really done much recently, which makes me have to do even more work!" "Don't start-" "And it doesn't even seem like you care about my safety. You didn't even bother to ask if I was okay earlier. Nope, the books are more important than your 'number one assistant'. And that's not the first time either. I remember that when you hit me a door that one time, you acted like I was goofing around. And then when I fell from a ladder getting your stupid fairy tail book, you didn't even bother to check on me." By now, Twilight felt like she about to have an aneurysm. "I had to save-" "Twilight, you are an immature, selfish, lazy, pathetic excuse for a pony. How Celestia deemed you fit to care for me in the first place in beyond me. And I've put up with it for long enough. You want this mess cleaned? Then get off your lazy flank and clean it up yourself!" Spike shouted, before stomping out of the house. Twilight stood there in shock, absorbing everything that Spike had just said. First, she felt absolutely livid. Then, she had a realization. "He's right..." Twilight muttered, looking down at her hooves, "Dear Celestia, he's right. I treat him like he's no better than dirt..." "No better than a slave... " Twilight muttered. The mare collapsed to the ground, weighted down by her sorrow as tears rolled down her cheek. Heavy sobs choked her as she cried. She hadn't lost an assistant. She had lost a son. Chapter TwoSpike walked through the Ponyville market, his feet dragging behind him as he hung his head down low. He honestly had no idea what to do now. He was cold, slightly hungry, and, most of all, afraid. Perhaps he made the wrong decision. Perhaps he should go back and apologize... No. That mare is nothing but trouble. Being homeless with no where to go would be a better fate than being that crazy unicorns slave for eternity. Still... he needed a plan. Maybe he could get the princess to help him out... no... she'd probably just call up Twilight, babble on about the magic of friendship, and send him back with her, where he'd continue to serve as her number one slave. The other Elements of Harmony were out of the question as well... and returning to his own kind likely wouldn't work out so well. Maybe- "Spike? Is that you?" an elegant voice that gave the young dragon butterflies in his stomach asked. Spike glanced around for the source of the voice, spotting the mare of his dreams approaching him. "O-oh... hello Rarity." he greeted. "Spike, what on Equestria are you doing out here so late?" she asked, "Does Twilight know you're out? Please tell me she didn't send you out looking for quills in the middle of the night again." "No... it's not like that. Me and Twilight had a fight." The mares eyes lit up with realization. "Oh, I see." The dragon smiled awkwardly at the alabaster mare. "You have a good night, Rarity." he said, turning away from the mare and continuing his aimless walk. "Wait! Spike?" she asked, walking up to the young dragon. He glanced over his shoulder at her and signaled her to continue. "I believe you should stay at the boutique tonight. You know, to think things through. I'm sure Sweetie Belle would enjoy the company." "I don't know..." the dragon began to protest, only to find himself lifted off the ground by a light blue magical aura. "Pish posh! I insist you stay the night." she said, carrying the purple dragon behind her as she continued her walk. Sweetie Belle stood a top of tall stool, balanced delicately on a single hindhoof. Her goal was in her sight, a jar of cookies sitting on top of the fridge just barely out of her reach. She wished dearly that she knew how to use telekinesis well enough to not drop and shatter the jar as she leaned forward, reaching for the jar. A little more... A little more... The front door opened, causing Sweetie Belle to jump and lose her balance. The stool tipped over and the filly crashed on the floor. She rubbed her head, fighting off the pain as she looked up, spotting Rarity standing over her. "Sweetie Belle, what are you doing?" she asked. "Umm..." her mind pulled a blank as she tried desperately to come up with some sort of excuse. Rarity rolled her eyes, levitating the dragon she was carrying in front of her and dropping him beside her. "You and your shenanigans... you can't force a cutie mark, darling... anyways... do me a favor and look after Spike. I need to go out and finish my walk." "Oh... um... okay, Rarity." the filly responded, internally breathing a sigh of relief. Rarity flashed her a grateful smile, before turning to Spike. She was about to say something, but hesitated, and decided to just smile at him before she turned away and walked back outside, leaving the two alone in the boutique. Sweetie Belle grinned cheekily to herself before turning to her new companion. "Hungry?" she asked. A loud grumble from Spike's stomach answered the question for her. "There's a jar on top of fridge that I can't reach filled with Pinkie Pie's chocolate chip cookies. Think you can reach it?" she inquired. Spike glanced up at the cookie jar on top of the fridge and examined the height. "Yeah... I think I can." he responded. The dragon placed the tipped over stool upright and leaned it against the fridge. He quickly scaled the stool and stood on tip toes, reaching for the cookie jar. "Be careful..." the filly below warned. Spike's forked tongue stuck out of his mouth as his fingertips rubbed along the sides of the jar. Satisfied he had a good grip, he carefully lifted the jar off the fridge. Sweetie Belle stood up and hindhooves, reaching up at the dragon. Spike lowered the cookie jar into her hooves, which she accepted and hugged to her chest, before he climbed down off the stool. A smug, satisfied smile spread the young dragons face at his accomplishment. Sweetie Belle popped the top off of the jar and clumsily tried to levitate a cookie out of the jar. On her first try, her magic faltered and the cookie fell back into the jar. On the second try, however, she successfully managed to levitate a cookie out of the jar, before taking a bite out of it. "Thanks, Spike." she said gratefully through a full mouth. "No problem." he responded, reaching into the cookie jar and pulling out a treat for himself. The two sat there together, eating their sweets in complete silence. "Spike... can I ask you a question...?" Sweetie Belle asked cautiously. "Sure. Why not?" Spike answered, knowing full what she was going to ask. "Why did Rarity bring you here?" she asked. The young dragon bit his tongue as he hesitated to answer. After a few moment, he decided to stow it and answer. "Me and Twilight got in a fight. And... well... I decided to run away." "Why though? She seems... nice." Sweetie Belle said with a forced smile, remembered the one incident when she turned her and her friends, along with the rest of Ponyville against each other over a doll just because she needed a lesson in friendship. Spike shook his head. "She can be... but really, I can't stand living with her. She just uses me for slave labor and sending mail. I mean, who does that to a kid? Force them to work all day long. Shouldn't I be in school or something? Or spending time with you guys? The only time I get a break is when I sleep and when she goes off to save Equestria. And after all I do for her, she treats me like dirt. She puts more value in her friendship letters and her books than she does in my life." "Oh..." was all the unicorn filly could say. "So you'd prefer living on the streets to going back to live with Twilight?" Spike nodded. Sweetie Belle remained silent for a few moments, unsure of what to say next. Suddenly, a large smile crossed her face as she struck gold. "You could stay with me!" she said. The young dragon smiled. "Thanks... but I'm sure Twilight would come by and drag me back because she can't cook for herself." A small giggle escaped from the filly. "Do you want to go watch a movie or something, Spike?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Okay, that sounds nice." he responded. As Rarity approached the Golden Oaks library door, she became aware of the sound of low sobbing on the other side. She went to knock on the door, but found that the door was, in fact, slightly ajar. "Twilight...?" the alabaster unicorn inquired as she pushed the door open. The door opened to reveal a broken Twilight Sparkle, lying on a damp floor, sobbing lightly. As Rarity started to walk towards her, the purple unicorn became aware of the other presence in the room. "R-rarity?" she managed to ask. "Shhhh..." Rarity cooed softly, magicking up a handkerchief and wiping away the mares tears. A small, grateful smile showed up on Twilight's face. "Thank you..." "It's nothing, darling. Generosity is my element, after all. Mind telling me what happened?" Rarity asked. "I-I had Spike dust off the book cases... but he knocked over one of the bookcases. So I told to clean it up, and... I guess there was some dust, and when he sneezed, he ended up burning one of the oldest books in the library... which then activated the sprinkler system... so I came down and yelled at him for it, and he yelled back, and stormed out. Rarity... it's all my fault, I should have-" "Shhhhhh... relax... these things happen." Rarity said softly. "No! It's all my fault, Rarity. He told me how I treat him like a slave... and you know what... he's right. All I have him do is work, work, work... and now he's gone... he's not just an assistant, he's the closest thing to a son I'll likely ever have. And I messed it up..." Twilight said, slapping herself in the forehead repeatedly. "Twilight! Get a hold of yourself!" Rarity ordered, "this behavior is most unbecoming of the princesses protege. Spike is just going through a rebellious phase. Certainly, you could lay off the chores... a lot, maybe put him in school and let him have a life, but darling... really... it's not over. You can fix things." Twilight took Rarity's handkerchief and wiped away her fresh tears. "You really think so?" "I know so... Sweetie Belle tried to run away to live with Applejack and Applebloom after we had a petty squabble, but I managed to fix it and we're closer than ever." the alabaster unicorn said, helping Twilight off the floor. "Yeah... I guess you're right... thanks, Rarity." she said, wrapping hooves around her friend and embracing her, a gesture she happily returned. "It's not a problem, darling." Twilight's friend assured her. "Wait... I need to find him first... dear Celestia, how could I let him go? He's not even ten yet, and he's out on the streets. He's probably alone and afraid and-" "Calm down, Twilight. I ran into him on my walk and I brought him to my boutique. Come with me, you can talk with him there." Rarity said. Spike and Sweetie Belle lay side by side on the fillies bed, watching Batmane Begins intently on the television. The young dragon heard the front door downstairs open and close, and heard two sets of hoofsteps walk inside. Curious, he sat up and crawled over the filly and made his way out of the room. He slowly made his way downstairs and spotted both Rarity and Twilight sitting on a couch. They noticed the young dragon standing at the bottom of the stairs. "S-spike, I-I'm-" "Don't even bother. I was just leaving." Spike said, making his way towards the exit. "Wait! Spike, please!? At least hear me out..." Twilight begged. The young dragon turned around and faced the mare. "You have five minutes." The purple unicorn nodded. "Spike... I-I'm sorry... okay? For everything. I've treated you like a servant for years, instead of actually giving you the childhood you deserve. I promise that I'll cut down on your tasks. I'll even enroll you in Ponyville's school. Please... just give me another chance, I'm begging you. I'm so sorry, Spike..." Spike considered this for a few seconds. "Listen... I'll tell you my decision tomorrow... okay? I need to clear my head... it's been a long night." "Okay.. I understand." Twilight said, a small smile crossing her lips. After a moments hesitation, the young dragon walked up to her and gave her a small hug, before fleeing back upstairs. After he was gone, Rarity turned to her friend. "Are you going to be alright, darling?" she asked. "I think I'll live... this has been a long night... but it needed to happen. No child should have to live like Spike has... it's time for that to change." "I'm proud of you, Twilight." Rarity said, patting her friend on the back. "Do you want to stay here tonight?" "I don't want to intrude... but that'd be nice." the purple unicorn said. Rarity nodded. "I'll go set up the guest bed. Why don't you take a bath and clear your head?" "Thanks Rarity, I think I'll do just that." Twilight said with a grateful smile. It was nice to have such good friends. Author's Note Two alternate endings will be released shortly. Chapter ThreeSpike walked down a long, broken road, surrounded by nothing but vast desert. His feet hurt, he was hungry, tired, and thirsty. The heat was unbearable, which was surprising for a dragon that could easily withstand temperatures of up to five hundred degrees. All Spike knew was that he needs to keep moving, walking down this boulevard of broken dreams. Each step felt like the dragon had just ran a marathon, but it didn't stop him. He literally couldn't stop. His body cried for rest, and he tried to comply, but his legs just kept on moving. After an eternity of aimless walking, the dragon found himself at a crossroads. He looked to the right, and saw Ponyville in the distance, it's residents milling about. Fillies played, ponies were shopping, just a typical day in Ponyville. He glanced to the left, and saw the Everfree Forest and the mountains beyond where he'd regularly help Rarity dig up gems for her works. Life in the Everfree didn't seem like a good option but... something deep down in him told him it wouldn't be bad either, that it was a more natural environment for him. Spike scratched his chin in thought, and suddenly realized that he was once again in control of his body. He wanted to go to Ponyville, but something in him also wanted to go to the Everfree. The young dragon sat down on the ground, which was rapidly cooling. "Why was I brought here...?" he asked himself. "To make a decision." somepony answered for him. Spike looked behind him and spotted the princess of the night approaching him. "Princess Luna?" he asked, perplexed. "What are you doing here?" "I am the princess of my night. It is my job to watch over my little ponies and serve as a guardian in your dreams." she responded, "it has come to my attention that you have come into conflict with my sister's protege and your guardian. And now, you find yourself at a crossroads." "Yeah... I noticed..." Spike commented. He rounded on the princess. "What do you think I should do?" "It is not my place to say. It's your journey, not mine. I can only guide you." she said. "That's the problem, princess. Part of me wants to go back to Twilight and give her another chance... but another part is saying I shouldn't risk it, and I should live like a dragon should." "You must follow your heart, Spike." Luna said. "That doesn't help much..." the young dragon stated. "My job is to act as a guardian, young Spike. As I said, I can only guide you. It's not my duty to choose what you do with your life." the princess said. The princess took a seat beside the dragon, wrapping a wing around him for comfort. The two sat there in complete silence for what seemed like forever. Finally, the dragon rose off the ground. He had made his decision, and started walking in the direction he chose. "Good luck, Spike. I hope you made the right choice." Luna said. "Yeah... me too..." he said to himself. There was a blinding white light... and then there was nothing. Spike's eyelids slowly fluttered open, being blinded momentarily by the sunlight flooding in through a nearby window. He glanced to the clock hanging on the wall opposite from him. It was seven past eight. The young dragon lifted the covers off himself and slowly made his way out of bed, doing his best not to wake up the sleeping filly beside him. Upon exiting Sweetie Belle's bedroom, his nose was assaulted by the smell of eggs and hash browns. He quickly made his way downstairs and found Twilight and Rarity sitting at a table, slowly working away at a plate of hash browns, eggs, and various vegetables. "Good morning, Spike." Rarity greeted as she noticed the young dragon. "Good morning." he responded. The dragon walked up to the table and sat at the spot obviously made for him, as he sincerely doubted Sweetie Belle partook in the eating in gems. The trio sat in silence, slowly eating away at their breakfasts. Finally, they finished their breakfasts, and Spike rose from the table, collecting their dishes and stacking them in the sink as the mares made their way into the living room. After scrubbing off the remaining food particles off the dishes, the young dragon joined the two mares in the living room. "Spike... have you made your decision...?" Twilight asked cautiously. "Yes." he responded plainly. "Then, what have you decided to do?" Rarity inquired. Spike sighed. "Twilight... I know you're sorry... but I don't think I can trust that you won't go back to your old habits. I know you... you can be unpredictable. So... I've decided to leave... but that's not why I have decided to leave... at least, not the whole reason." The unicorn appeared greatly dismayed by this news, evidenced by the tears forming at the corners of her eyes and her flattened ears, but she was also interested in what else he had to say. "Go on..." "I'm a dragon, Twilight. Not a pony... this isn't how I'm supposed to live. Not being your servant. Not going to school like your normal foal. Remember when I went on a hoarding streak, and I basically destroyed the town?" Spike asked. Both Twilight and Rarity nodded. "...it's only a matter of time before that happens again. Somepony can get hurt next time... maybe killed... my heart is telling me I need to be where I belong, in the Everfree, living like other dragons. Do you understand?" "Yes, Spike, I do." Spike nodded, rising from his seat. He made his way over to Twilight, and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. "I'm so sorry, Twilight..." "It's okay Spike... it's okay..." The two separated after what seemed like forever. Spike lingered for a moment, before stepping away. "I'll... I'll go get my stuff. Good bye, Twilight." he said solemnly. "Good bye, Spike..." she responded. Spike turned and started walking towards the front door. As he opened it, he paused and turned around. He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated and turned around, continuing on his way. The mare watched him go, walking out of the boutique and slowly closing the door shut behind him. Once he was gone, a river flowed forth as Twilight broke down, her tears from a mixture of happiness and sorrow. Rarity reached over and patted her friend's back softly in an attempt to comfort her. "Shhh... shhhh... don't worry, darling..." "Everything's going to be okay." It was late at night by the time Twilight got home. She walked through the house, scanning for any signs of her number one assistant. As she walked up the stairs leading to their living quarters, she heard a noise coming from her room. A smile spread across her face as she raced up the stairs and flung her bedroom door open. "Spike?!" she called out. "Who?" was the response she received. Twilight blinked and turned on the lights, spotting Owlowiscious standing on the balcony. He stared at her, it's head cocked to the side in confusion. "Sorry Owlowiscious... I thought you were someone else." "Who." he responded softly. Twilight glanced around the room as she walked over to where Spike's bed was. It was still there, but everything else was no where to be seen. Spike was long gone, a fact that made her heart ache. It was a long day, so Twilight decided that it might just be for the best to go to bed. As she climbed into bed and hid herself among the covers, she glanced over to her nightstand, where a picture of her and Spike were supposed to be. It was gone, however, there was a piece of paper in it's usual spot. Confused, she picked up the piece of paper with her telekinesis and held it up to her face. "Dear Twilight," she read aloud, "I hope you don't mind, but I decided to bring a little something to remember us with. I know you have other photos of us lying around, and I'm sure you have a copy of this lying somewhere knowing you." "Love... Spike..." The river flowed once more as new tears rolled down Twilight's face. She cried, and cried, until she eventually fell asleep. Spike examined the mouth of the cave. It had been hours since he left Ponyville and entered the Everfree Forest. Though he was afraid that he would come under attack as soon as he entered the forest... but strangely, everything let him be. He even came across a manticore, and it simply walked past him like he wasn't there. Eventually, after hours of searching, he found a cave suitable for a dragon near where he and Rarity would dig for gems. "Hello?!" he shouted into the cave entrance. Only an echo responded. A good sign. If it was occupied, he would have likely been answered by a loud roar and a torrent of flames. The young dragon slowly crept forward, his eyes adjusting to the darkness quickly. He eventually reached the end of the cave. It was empty. This was going to be his home for decades, maybe centuries, until he grew too big for it, or his hoard grew too large to store here. "It's better than nothing..." he commented. Spike placed down his bag and opened it. He brought every single gem he could get his hands on, as well as a few personal items and a blanket. He picked up a particularly large gem and took a bite out of it. He chewed, swallowed, and finished it off, before grabbing his blanket and the picture he brought along. He sat down, examining the photo. His thumb rubbed across Twilight's face. Something tickled his cheeks, and something dripped down onto the glass covering the photo. He put his claw to his cheek, and realized that he was crying. He sighed and wiped away his tears, leaning against the boulder behind him, closing his eyes. His eyes shot open as he realized the boulder was rolling away from him. He sat up and turned around, seeing that there was now a tunnel where the boulder once sat. He stood up and entered the tunnel. He noticed that unlit torches hung from the walls. With a deep breath, the young dragon breathed out a wall of flame, lighting up the torches along the passageway. Curiously, he followed the torches down the tunnel. Eventually, he spotted a dim light at the end of the tunnel. His heart skipped a beat when he reached the end of the tunnel. The tunnel opened up into a much larger cavern, with a large hole on the roof that a large dragon could easily fly through. Lining the walls of the cavern was a fortune worth of gold and gems, long abandoned by whatever had left it here. It was an abandoned dragons den. Spike thanked Celestia for his luck. He hadn't been a free dragon for not even a day, and he had found a horde that would put most dragon's hoards to shame. "I-It's... all mine..." Author's Note Though I planned to just end this on two alternate endings... I must admit, I genuinely enjoyed finishing this. Even though an alternate ending will be written, this is the official ending on this story. Why? Because this isn't over. Chapter FourSpike walked down a long, broken road, surrounded by nothing but vast desert. His feet hurt, he was hungry, tired, and thirsty. The heat was unbearable, which was surprising for a dragon that could easily withstand temperatures of up to five hundred degrees. All Spike knew was that he needs to keep moving, walking down this boulevard of broken dreams. Each step felt like the dragon had just ran a marathon, but it didn't stop him. He literally couldn't stop. His body cried for rest, and he tried to comply, but his legs just kept on moving. After an eternity of aimless walking, the dragon found himself at a crossroads. He looked to the right, and saw Ponyville in the distance, it's residents milling about. Fillies played, ponies were shopping, just a typical day in Ponyville. He glanced to the left, and saw the Everfree Forest and the mountains beyond where he'd regularly help Rarity dig up gems for her works. Life in the Everfree didn't seem like a good option but... something deep down in him told him it wouldn't be bad either, that it was a more natural environment for him. Spike scratched his chin in thought, and suddenly realized that he was once again in control of his body. He wanted to go to Ponyville, but something in him also wanted to go to the Everfree. The young dragon sat down on the ground, which was rapidly cooling. "Why was I brought here...?" he asked himself. "To make a decision." somepony answered for him. Spike looked behind him and spotted the princess of the night approaching him. "Princess Luna?" he asked, perplexed. "What are you doing here?" "I am the princess of my night. It is my job to watch over my little ponies and serve as a guardian in your dreams." she responded, "it has come to my attention that you have come into conflict with my sister's protege and your guardian. And now, you find yourself at a crossroads." "Yeah... I noticed..." Spike commented. He rounded on the princess. "What do you think I should do?" "It is not my place to say. It's your journey, not mine. I can only guide you." she said. "That's the problem, princess. Part of me wants to go back to Twilight and give her another chance... but another part is saying I shouldn't risk it, and I should live like a dragon should." "You must follow your heart, Spike." Luna said. "That doesn't help much..." the young dragon stated. "My job is to act as a guardian, young Spike. As I said, I can only guide you. It's not my duty to choose what you do with your life." the princess said. The princess took a seat beside the dragon, wrapping a wing around him for comfort. The two sat there in complete silence for what seemed like forever. Finally, the dragon rose off the ground. He had made his decision, and started walking in the direction he chose. "Good luck, Spike. I hope you made the right choice." Luna said. "Yeah... so do I..." he said to himself. There was a blinding white light... and then there was nothing. Spike's eyelids slowly fluttered open, being blinded momentarily by the sunlight flooding in through a nearby window. He glanced to the clock hanging on the wall opposite from him. It was seven past eight. The young dragon lifted the covers off himself and slowly made his way out of bed, doing his best not to wake up the sleeping filly beside him. Upon exiting Sweetie Belle's bedroom, his nose was assaulted by the smell of eggs and hash browns. He quickly made his way downstairs and found Twilight and Rarity sitting at a table, slowly working away at a plate of hash browns, eggs, and various vegetables. "Good morning, Spike." Rarity greeted as she noticed the young dragon. "Good morning." he responded. The dragon walked up to the table and sat at the spot obviously made for him, as he sincerely doubted Sweetie Belle partook in the eating in gems. The trio sat in silence, slowly eating away at their breakfasts. Finally, they finished their breakfasts, and Spike rose from the table, collecting their dishes and stacking them in the sink as the mares made their way into the living room. After scrubbing off the remaining food particles off the dishes, the young dragon joined the two mares in the living room. "Spike... have you made your decision...?" Twilight asked cautiously. "Yes." he responded. "Then what is it?" Rarity inquired. Spike sighed. "I'm feeling a lot of emotions at the moment. I'm kind of torn on what I should do." "However..." Twilight's ear's flattened against the sides of her head, fearing what was to come. A small smile crossed Spike's face. "I'm not sure if this is my best decision, but I think I'm going to trust you and give you another chance. Besides... I doubt you would be able to survive two days without your number one assistant." he said, his smile turning into a smirk. Twilight grinned, jumping off the couch and embracing the young dragon tightly, tears of joy streaming down her face. "Oh Spike! You won't regret doing this. I promise, I'll make you do less work. I'm going to sign you up for school tomorrow. I-" "Twilight, are you sure about that?" he asked. "Yes, I am. Whatever it is you want, I'll do it. I just want you to be happy, Spike." Spikes smirk turned into a serious look as he looked up at the purple unicorn. "Twilight... all I want is just be cared for. Not treated like a servant or slave. School and less work would be nice, but that's all I really want." "You got it, Spike." Years later... "SPIKE! WAKE UP! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!" Twilight Sparkle shouted from downstairs. The teenage dragon sat up in his bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He climbed out of bed and stood up, only to fall off balance and fall flat on his face due to his growing upper body mass. "Ouch..." Spike groaned. He heard hoofsteps racing up the stairs and looked up in time to see Twilight open the door. She looked around for him before glancing down, a bewildered look on her face. "Spike? What are you doing?!" she demanded, "we have no time for you to be messing around." "I fell..." he responded, rubbing his chin before rising onto all fours. "Oh... are you alright?" she asked. "I'm fine." he said with a smile. "Are you-" "Yes, I'm sure. I'll see you after school, Twi." he said, racing past the unicorn mare. After a short trip to the schoolhouse, Spike quickly made his way to his homeroom, making it with only a few minutes to spare. He passed by Applebloom and Scootaloo, exchanging hellos with the two mares, before taking a seat beside Sweetie Belle. "Good morning, Spike." she greeted, flashing a smile to the purple and green dragon. "Hey Sweetie Belle." Spike responded, returning her smile. Before the two could break out into conversation, their teacher entered the room. Mr. Iron Hoof, as his name suggested, was very strict and would quickly crush any resistance with an iron hoof. Though he could be pretty cool at times, Spike had to admit, he missed Ms. Cheerilee, their primary school teacher. He walked to the center to front of the classroom and stood before the class, before clearing his throat. "Class, pull out your Equestrian History and turn to page three hundred and sixty two. Today, we'll be studying the Changeling Equestria War. I'm sure you guys are aware I was an officer in the Equestrian Army during this time, so I assure you that you're getting the best education on this that you can. Lucky you." Spike reached into his desk and pulled out a large textbook labelled 'Equestrian History'. He placed it on top of his desk and quickly flipped to the page the teacher had told them to flip to. "We're going to start off with the battle for Stalliongrad, the first battle of the war and the first of many losses for our military. Why had we lost? Due to a lack of military training and experience, our soldiers were..." Spike lay his chin down on his book, not listening to the teachers lectures. When Iron Hoof discussed the military, he didn't really pay attention to anything else, so he doubted he would get in any trouble. It's not like he couldn't catch up on whatever Iron Hoof said by reading the textbook, or asking Twilight for help. The teenage dragon glanced about the room. Snails and Snips were asleep, as usual. Spike was shocked that they managed to actually not get held back. Beside them sat Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who were whispering gossip to each other. In front of them were Pip and Twist. The colt was drawing in his notebook, his art being hidden by his history book. Twist was eagerly writing down notes, as were the other ponies in front of her. Spike turned his attention to the cutie mark crusaders. Applebloom, like Twist, was writing down notes on Iron Hoof's lecture. The orange pegasus who sat beside her opted to simply listen to the lecture. The dragon turned his attention to Sweetie Belle, only to get pegged in the face with a balled up piece of paper. He blinked in surprise, before unraveling the paper. "Why aren't you paying attention?" it read in a certain white unicorns cursive writing. Spike glanced over to Sweetie Belle, who was leering at him menacingly, before scribbling down a note. "Long night. I can catch up." he wrote down, before passing it over to her. She read over it quick, she wrote down a response and passed it back. "Why's that?" it read. "You remember that one time I ran away?" "Yeah?" "Well, I-" Before Spike could finish jotting down his note, a dark grey hoof slammed down on his desk, causing the teenage dragon to jump in his seat. Shakily, he looked up and came to eye level with an enraged Iron Hoof. "Passing notes when I'm doing a lecture? You can say good bye to your afternoon, then." he said. "Awww..." both of them moaned. "Don't let me catch you doing it again," Iron Hoof warned the two of them, before returning to the front and continuing his lecture. Spike shrugged it off, deciding that he could just catch up on the sleep he missed out the previous night during detention. As the teacher droned on, the dragon's thoughts turned back to that night all those years ago. Since then, life had been pretty good to him. Twilight did everything in her power to make sure she didn't fall into old habits, trying a little too hard sometimes. It was nice being in school, even if Iron Hoof wasn't exactly the nicest pony, plus actually having ponies that weren't Twilight or her friends to be social with was something the dragon really enjoyed. ...still, every time Spike thought about that night all those years ago, he wondered what life would've been like if he had decided to run away to the Everfree. As much as the teenage dragon enjoyed the company of his friends, he constantly found himself fantasizing about acquiring a large horde and living out in the Everfree in solitude. Twilight said that it was only natural for dragons to feel this way, and not to worry about it. She also made it very, very clear that he could leave anytime he wished anytime it was brought up, much to Spike's annoyance. The dragon placed his head down on his desk as he allowed his eyes to wander once more. He looked over to the mare he had been previously exchanging notes with, who was now attempting to pay attention to Iron Hoof's history lesson. She caught Spike staring at her from the corner of her eyes, sparing him a quick, pleasant smile, before looking back up front, trying to avoid angering the teacher further. Spike looked forward as well, letting out a small, content sigh. Living life as a feral dragon in the Everfree might've been cool, but... he was really, really happy he chose to stick around. Author's Note I found this lying around collecting dust while lurking. I figured I might as well publish it since people seem to like this story for some reason. It's pretty obvious that I had more planned for this, but, since I haven't touched this story in over a year, I have no idea what I was going to write. I still have the plans for a sequel lying around. I'm not going to say whether or not I'm going to write one. Just know that if I do, it'll be surprise.
Chapter OneIt was just your average night. The stars were shining, the moon hovered brightly in the night sky above, and there was a cool, pleasant breeze wafting through Ponyville. Twilight was out on the library's top balcony, enjoying the night sky, when she heard a loud crash from downstairs, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. Quite peeved, Twilight got up from her prone position and made her way downstairs, to find one of the library's many bookcases knocked over, its contents spilled all over the floor, and Spike sitting there, rubbing his head. The sight was enough to make her left eye start to twitch in anger. "Spike! What happened!?" Twilight demanded angrily. Spike looked over to where Twilight's voice came from. When their eyes met, a expression of horror spread across the young dragons face. "W-well I-I was j-just-" Spike began to stammer out, but noticed Twilight holding up her hoof, signaling him to stop talking. "You need to be more careful, Spike. Now clean up this mess!" Twilight ordered. Normally, Spike would eagerly follow said order, but he did have something to tell her something first. "Wait Twilight! The bookcase wasn't-" "Quick making excuses and get to work!" Twilight bellowed, completely ignoring what Spike was trying to say. Spike visibly shrunk at her outburst and turned around, muttering words of compliance as he started to pick up the books that were strewn about the place. Satisfied with the dragons compliance, Twilight made her way back up to her room. "Don't even get to say a single thing..." Spike muttered as he picked up a particularly dusty tome. Spike examined it for a few seconds, before blowing the dust off. Before he even had time to realize his mistake, Spike noticed that he suddenly needed to sneeze. He tried to angle the sneeze away from the tome he was carrying, but it was too late. The moment he sneezed, a gout of green flames shot out of his nose, instantly incinerating the tome in his claws. "Uh oh..." Spike said to himself, before the fire alarm went off and the sprinkler system activated, spraying water all over the library. It wasn't even a few minutes after getting back to the balcony when Twilight heard the fire alarm going off. "Oh what now?" Twilight asked nopony in particular as she got up from the floor and made her way downstairs. The sight she saw shook her to the core. The room was now half flooded due to the emergency sprinkler system, the bookcases were soaked with water, and Spike was running around frantically, trying to fix the damage some way or another. "SPIKE THE DRAGON, FRONT AND CENTER!" Twilight shouted at the top of her lungs, causing Spike to fall over into the water. He then felt himself get picked up by Twilight's telekinesis and found himself floating in front of her, before she dropped him in the water in front of her. "What happened?!" Twilight demanded, looking like she was about to lose her sanity. "I sneezed." Spike answered. "What the heck Spike?! I thought I told you to dust those cases!" Twilight shouted. "You know, you don't need to shout..." Spike muttered. "Why don't you ever listen, Spike?!" Twilight demanded, "if you just dusted the bookcases like I told you to, this wouldn't of happened." "What do you think I was doing when that bookcase fell on me?!" Spike shouted at Twilight. "Don't take that tone with-" "No! Shut up! I'm done! All I ever do is work all day to please you, to make you happy, and all you do is bitch, moan, and yell at me. Is a simple thank you enough?!" Spike demanded. "I don't ask a lot of you Spike." Twilight pointed out. "Don't ask a lot of me? Don't ask a lot of me?! Twilight, I'm like nine! Yet, you have me working like I'm Cinderella! I never get a break around here, and you won't even lift a hoof to help me! You say I'm your number one assistant, but personally, I feel like I'm your number one slave..." Spike said. "But-" Twilight began to protest. "Don't but me! You're too much of a mule to see what you do to me. Ever since I got appointed as your assistant, you treated me like dirt. I remember every little thing you have done to me. Don't you think there was a reason beyond jealousy I ran away that one time? Speaking of that one time, I've noticed Owlowiscious hasn't really done much recently, which makes me have to do even more work!" "Don't start-" "And it doesn't even seem like you care about my safety. You didn't even bother to ask if I was okay earlier. Nope, the books are more important than your 'number one assistant'. And that's not the first time either. I remember that when you hit me a door that one time, you acted like I was goofing around. And then when I fell from a ladder getting your stupid fairy tail book, you didn't even bother to check on me." By now, Twilight felt like she about to have an aneurysm. "I had to save-" "Twilight, you are an immature, selfish, lazy, pathetic excuse for a pony. How Celestia deemed you fit to care for me in the first place in beyond me. And I've put up with it for long enough. You want this mess cleaned? Then get off your lazy flank and clean it up yourself!" Spike shouted, before stomping out of the house. Twilight stood there in shock, absorbing everything that Spike had just said. First, she felt absolutely livid. Then, she had a realization. "He's right..." Twilight muttered, looking down at her hooves, "Dear Celestia, he's right. I treat him like he's no better than dirt..." "No better than a slave... " Twilight muttered. The mare collapsed to the ground, weighted down by her sorrow as tears rolled down her cheek. Heavy sobs choked her as she cried. She hadn't lost an assistant. She had lost a son.
Chapter TwoSpike walked through the Ponyville market, his feet dragging behind him as he hung his head down low. He honestly had no idea what to do now. He was cold, slightly hungry, and, most of all, afraid. Perhaps he made the wrong decision. Perhaps he should go back and apologize... No. That mare is nothing but trouble. Being homeless with no where to go would be a better fate than being that crazy unicorns slave for eternity. Still... he needed a plan. Maybe he could get the princess to help him out... no... she'd probably just call up Twilight, babble on about the magic of friendship, and send him back with her, where he'd continue to serve as her number one slave. The other Elements of Harmony were out of the question as well... and returning to his own kind likely wouldn't work out so well. Maybe- "Spike? Is that you?" an elegant voice that gave the young dragon butterflies in his stomach asked. Spike glanced around for the source of the voice, spotting the mare of his dreams approaching him. "O-oh... hello Rarity." he greeted. "Spike, what on Equestria are you doing out here so late?" she asked, "Does Twilight know you're out? Please tell me she didn't send you out looking for quills in the middle of the night again." "No... it's not like that. Me and Twilight had a fight." The mares eyes lit up with realization. "Oh, I see." The dragon smiled awkwardly at the alabaster mare. "You have a good night, Rarity." he said, turning away from the mare and continuing his aimless walk. "Wait! Spike?" she asked, walking up to the young dragon. He glanced over his shoulder at her and signaled her to continue. "I believe you should stay at the boutique tonight. You know, to think things through. I'm sure Sweetie Belle would enjoy the company." "I don't know..." the dragon began to protest, only to find himself lifted off the ground by a light blue magical aura. "Pish posh! I insist you stay the night." she said, carrying the purple dragon behind her as she continued her walk. Sweetie Belle stood a top of tall stool, balanced delicately on a single hindhoof. Her goal was in her sight, a jar of cookies sitting on top of the fridge just barely out of her reach. She wished dearly that she knew how to use telekinesis well enough to not drop and shatter the jar as she leaned forward, reaching for the jar. A little more... A little more... The front door opened, causing Sweetie Belle to jump and lose her balance. The stool tipped over and the filly crashed on the floor. She rubbed her head, fighting off the pain as she looked up, spotting Rarity standing over her. "Sweetie Belle, what are you doing?" she asked. "Umm..." her mind pulled a blank as she tried desperately to come up with some sort of excuse. Rarity rolled her eyes, levitating the dragon she was carrying in front of her and dropping him beside her. "You and your shenanigans... you can't force a cutie mark, darling... anyways... do me a favor and look after Spike. I need to go out and finish my walk." "Oh... um... okay, Rarity." the filly responded, internally breathing a sigh of relief. Rarity flashed her a grateful smile, before turning to Spike. She was about to say something, but hesitated, and decided to just smile at him before she turned away and walked back outside, leaving the two alone in the boutique. Sweetie Belle grinned cheekily to herself before turning to her new companion. "Hungry?" she asked. A loud grumble from Spike's stomach answered the question for her. "There's a jar on top of fridge that I can't reach filled with Pinkie Pie's chocolate chip cookies. Think you can reach it?" she inquired. Spike glanced up at the cookie jar on top of the fridge and examined the height. "Yeah... I think I can." he responded. The dragon placed the tipped over stool upright and leaned it against the fridge. He quickly scaled the stool and stood on tip toes, reaching for the cookie jar. "Be careful..." the filly below warned. Spike's forked tongue stuck out of his mouth as his fingertips rubbed along the sides of the jar. Satisfied he had a good grip, he carefully lifted the jar off the fridge. Sweetie Belle stood up and hindhooves, reaching up at the dragon. Spike lowered the cookie jar into her hooves, which she accepted and hugged to her chest, before he climbed down off the stool. A smug, satisfied smile spread the young dragons face at his accomplishment. Sweetie Belle popped the top off of the jar and clumsily tried to levitate a cookie out of the jar. On her first try, her magic faltered and the cookie fell back into the jar. On the second try, however, she successfully managed to levitate a cookie out of the jar, before taking a bite out of it. "Thanks, Spike." she said gratefully through a full mouth. "No problem." he responded, reaching into the cookie jar and pulling out a treat for himself. The two sat there together, eating their sweets in complete silence. "Spike... can I ask you a question...?" Sweetie Belle asked cautiously. "Sure. Why not?" Spike answered, knowing full what she was going to ask. "Why did Rarity bring you here?" she asked. The young dragon bit his tongue as he hesitated to answer. After a few moment, he decided to stow it and answer. "Me and Twilight got in a fight. And... well... I decided to run away." "Why though? She seems... nice." Sweetie Belle said with a forced smile, remembered the one incident when she turned her and her friends, along with the rest of Ponyville against each other over a doll just because she needed a lesson in friendship. Spike shook his head. "She can be... but really, I can't stand living with her. She just uses me for slave labor and sending mail. I mean, who does that to a kid? Force them to work all day long. Shouldn't I be in school or something? Or spending time with you guys? The only time I get a break is when I sleep and when she goes off to save Equestria. And after all I do for her, she treats me like dirt. She puts more value in her friendship letters and her books than she does in my life." "Oh..." was all the unicorn filly could say. "So you'd prefer living on the streets to going back to live with Twilight?" Spike nodded. Sweetie Belle remained silent for a few moments, unsure of what to say next. Suddenly, a large smile crossed her face as she struck gold. "You could stay with me!" she said. The young dragon smiled. "Thanks... but I'm sure Twilight would come by and drag me back because she can't cook for herself." A small giggle escaped from the filly. "Do you want to go watch a movie or something, Spike?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Okay, that sounds nice." he responded. As Rarity approached the Golden Oaks library door, she became aware of the sound of low sobbing on the other side. She went to knock on the door, but found that the door was, in fact, slightly ajar. "Twilight...?" the alabaster unicorn inquired as she pushed the door open. The door opened to reveal a broken Twilight Sparkle, lying on a damp floor, sobbing lightly. As Rarity started to walk towards her, the purple unicorn became aware of the other presence in the room. "R-rarity?" she managed to ask. "Shhhh..." Rarity cooed softly, magicking up a handkerchief and wiping away the mares tears. A small, grateful smile showed up on Twilight's face. "Thank you..." "It's nothing, darling. Generosity is my element, after all. Mind telling me what happened?" Rarity asked. "I-I had Spike dust off the book cases... but he knocked over one of the bookcases. So I told to clean it up, and... I guess there was some dust, and when he sneezed, he ended up burning one of the oldest books in the library... which then activated the sprinkler system... so I came down and yelled at him for it, and he yelled back, and stormed out. Rarity... it's all my fault, I should have-" "Shhhhhh... relax... these things happen." Rarity said softly. "No! It's all my fault, Rarity. He told me how I treat him like a slave... and you know what... he's right. All I have him do is work, work, work... and now he's gone... he's not just an assistant, he's the closest thing to a son I'll likely ever have. And I messed it up..." Twilight said, slapping herself in the forehead repeatedly. "Twilight! Get a hold of yourself!" Rarity ordered, "this behavior is most unbecoming of the princesses protege. Spike is just going through a rebellious phase. Certainly, you could lay off the chores... a lot, maybe put him in school and let him have a life, but darling... really... it's not over. You can fix things." Twilight took Rarity's handkerchief and wiped away her fresh tears. "You really think so?" "I know so... Sweetie Belle tried to run away to live with Applejack and Applebloom after we had a petty squabble, but I managed to fix it and we're closer than ever." the alabaster unicorn said, helping Twilight off the floor. "Yeah... I guess you're right... thanks, Rarity." she said, wrapping hooves around her friend and embracing her, a gesture she happily returned. "It's not a problem, darling." Twilight's friend assured her. "Wait... I need to find him first... dear Celestia, how could I let him go? He's not even ten yet, and he's out on the streets. He's probably alone and afraid and-" "Calm down, Twilight. I ran into him on my walk and I brought him to my boutique. Come with me, you can talk with him there." Rarity said. Spike and Sweetie Belle lay side by side on the fillies bed, watching Batmane Begins intently on the television. The young dragon heard the front door downstairs open and close, and heard two sets of hoofsteps walk inside. Curious, he sat up and crawled over the filly and made his way out of the room. He slowly made his way downstairs and spotted both Rarity and Twilight sitting on a couch. They noticed the young dragon standing at the bottom of the stairs. "S-spike, I-I'm-" "Don't even bother. I was just leaving." Spike said, making his way towards the exit. "Wait! Spike, please!? At least hear me out..." Twilight begged. The young dragon turned around and faced the mare. "You have five minutes." The purple unicorn nodded. "Spike... I-I'm sorry... okay? For everything. I've treated you like a servant for years, instead of actually giving you the childhood you deserve. I promise that I'll cut down on your tasks. I'll even enroll you in Ponyville's school. Please... just give me another chance, I'm begging you. I'm so sorry, Spike..." Spike considered this for a few seconds. "Listen... I'll tell you my decision tomorrow... okay? I need to clear my head... it's been a long night." "Okay.. I understand." Twilight said, a small smile crossing her lips. After a moments hesitation, the young dragon walked up to her and gave her a small hug, before fleeing back upstairs. After he was gone, Rarity turned to her friend. "Are you going to be alright, darling?" she asked. "I think I'll live... this has been a long night... but it needed to happen. No child should have to live like Spike has... it's time for that to change." "I'm proud of you, Twilight." Rarity said, patting her friend on the back. "Do you want to stay here tonight?" "I don't want to intrude... but that'd be nice." the purple unicorn said. Rarity nodded. "I'll go set up the guest bed. Why don't you take a bath and clear your head?" "Thanks Rarity, I think I'll do just that." Twilight said with a grateful smile. It was nice to have such good friends. Author's Note Two alternate endings will be released shortly.
Chapter ThreeSpike walked down a long, broken road, surrounded by nothing but vast desert. His feet hurt, he was hungry, tired, and thirsty. The heat was unbearable, which was surprising for a dragon that could easily withstand temperatures of up to five hundred degrees. All Spike knew was that he needs to keep moving, walking down this boulevard of broken dreams. Each step felt like the dragon had just ran a marathon, but it didn't stop him. He literally couldn't stop. His body cried for rest, and he tried to comply, but his legs just kept on moving. After an eternity of aimless walking, the dragon found himself at a crossroads. He looked to the right, and saw Ponyville in the distance, it's residents milling about. Fillies played, ponies were shopping, just a typical day in Ponyville. He glanced to the left, and saw the Everfree Forest and the mountains beyond where he'd regularly help Rarity dig up gems for her works. Life in the Everfree didn't seem like a good option but... something deep down in him told him it wouldn't be bad either, that it was a more natural environment for him. Spike scratched his chin in thought, and suddenly realized that he was once again in control of his body. He wanted to go to Ponyville, but something in him also wanted to go to the Everfree. The young dragon sat down on the ground, which was rapidly cooling. "Why was I brought here...?" he asked himself. "To make a decision." somepony answered for him. Spike looked behind him and spotted the princess of the night approaching him. "Princess Luna?" he asked, perplexed. "What are you doing here?" "I am the princess of my night. It is my job to watch over my little ponies and serve as a guardian in your dreams." she responded, "it has come to my attention that you have come into conflict with my sister's protege and your guardian. And now, you find yourself at a crossroads." "Yeah... I noticed..." Spike commented. He rounded on the princess. "What do you think I should do?" "It is not my place to say. It's your journey, not mine. I can only guide you." she said. "That's the problem, princess. Part of me wants to go back to Twilight and give her another chance... but another part is saying I shouldn't risk it, and I should live like a dragon should." "You must follow your heart, Spike." Luna said. "That doesn't help much..." the young dragon stated. "My job is to act as a guardian, young Spike. As I said, I can only guide you. It's not my duty to choose what you do with your life." the princess said. The princess took a seat beside the dragon, wrapping a wing around him for comfort. The two sat there in complete silence for what seemed like forever. Finally, the dragon rose off the ground. He had made his decision, and started walking in the direction he chose. "Good luck, Spike. I hope you made the right choice." Luna said. "Yeah... me too..." he said to himself. There was a blinding white light... and then there was nothing. Spike's eyelids slowly fluttered open, being blinded momentarily by the sunlight flooding in through a nearby window. He glanced to the clock hanging on the wall opposite from him. It was seven past eight. The young dragon lifted the covers off himself and slowly made his way out of bed, doing his best not to wake up the sleeping filly beside him. Upon exiting Sweetie Belle's bedroom, his nose was assaulted by the smell of eggs and hash browns. He quickly made his way downstairs and found Twilight and Rarity sitting at a table, slowly working away at a plate of hash browns, eggs, and various vegetables. "Good morning, Spike." Rarity greeted as she noticed the young dragon. "Good morning." he responded. The dragon walked up to the table and sat at the spot obviously made for him, as he sincerely doubted Sweetie Belle partook in the eating in gems. The trio sat in silence, slowly eating away at their breakfasts. Finally, they finished their breakfasts, and Spike rose from the table, collecting their dishes and stacking them in the sink as the mares made their way into the living room. After scrubbing off the remaining food particles off the dishes, the young dragon joined the two mares in the living room. "Spike... have you made your decision...?" Twilight asked cautiously. "Yes." he responded plainly. "Then, what have you decided to do?" Rarity inquired. Spike sighed. "Twilight... I know you're sorry... but I don't think I can trust that you won't go back to your old habits. I know you... you can be unpredictable. So... I've decided to leave... but that's not why I have decided to leave... at least, not the whole reason." The unicorn appeared greatly dismayed by this news, evidenced by the tears forming at the corners of her eyes and her flattened ears, but she was also interested in what else he had to say. "Go on..." "I'm a dragon, Twilight. Not a pony... this isn't how I'm supposed to live. Not being your servant. Not going to school like your normal foal. Remember when I went on a hoarding streak, and I basically destroyed the town?" Spike asked. Both Twilight and Rarity nodded. "...it's only a matter of time before that happens again. Somepony can get hurt next time... maybe killed... my heart is telling me I need to be where I belong, in the Everfree, living like other dragons. Do you understand?" "Yes, Spike, I do." Spike nodded, rising from his seat. He made his way over to Twilight, and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. "I'm so sorry, Twilight..." "It's okay Spike... it's okay..." The two separated after what seemed like forever. Spike lingered for a moment, before stepping away. "I'll... I'll go get my stuff. Good bye, Twilight." he said solemnly. "Good bye, Spike..." she responded. Spike turned and started walking towards the front door. As he opened it, he paused and turned around. He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated and turned around, continuing on his way. The mare watched him go, walking out of the boutique and slowly closing the door shut behind him. Once he was gone, a river flowed forth as Twilight broke down, her tears from a mixture of happiness and sorrow. Rarity reached over and patted her friend's back softly in an attempt to comfort her. "Shhh... shhhh... don't worry, darling..." "Everything's going to be okay." It was late at night by the time Twilight got home. She walked through the house, scanning for any signs of her number one assistant. As she walked up the stairs leading to their living quarters, she heard a noise coming from her room. A smile spread across her face as she raced up the stairs and flung her bedroom door open. "Spike?!" she called out. "Who?" was the response she received. Twilight blinked and turned on the lights, spotting Owlowiscious standing on the balcony. He stared at her, it's head cocked to the side in confusion. "Sorry Owlowiscious... I thought you were someone else." "Who." he responded softly. Twilight glanced around the room as she walked over to where Spike's bed was. It was still there, but everything else was no where to be seen. Spike was long gone, a fact that made her heart ache. It was a long day, so Twilight decided that it might just be for the best to go to bed. As she climbed into bed and hid herself among the covers, she glanced over to her nightstand, where a picture of her and Spike were supposed to be. It was gone, however, there was a piece of paper in it's usual spot. Confused, she picked up the piece of paper with her telekinesis and held it up to her face. "Dear Twilight," she read aloud, "I hope you don't mind, but I decided to bring a little something to remember us with. I know you have other photos of us lying around, and I'm sure you have a copy of this lying somewhere knowing you." "Love... Spike..." The river flowed once more as new tears rolled down Twilight's face. She cried, and cried, until she eventually fell asleep. Spike examined the mouth of the cave. It had been hours since he left Ponyville and entered the Everfree Forest. Though he was afraid that he would come under attack as soon as he entered the forest... but strangely, everything let him be. He even came across a manticore, and it simply walked past him like he wasn't there. Eventually, after hours of searching, he found a cave suitable for a dragon near where he and Rarity would dig for gems. "Hello?!" he shouted into the cave entrance. Only an echo responded. A good sign. If it was occupied, he would have likely been answered by a loud roar and a torrent of flames. The young dragon slowly crept forward, his eyes adjusting to the darkness quickly. He eventually reached the end of the cave. It was empty. This was going to be his home for decades, maybe centuries, until he grew too big for it, or his hoard grew too large to store here. "It's better than nothing..." he commented. Spike placed down his bag and opened it. He brought every single gem he could get his hands on, as well as a few personal items and a blanket. He picked up a particularly large gem and took a bite out of it. He chewed, swallowed, and finished it off, before grabbing his blanket and the picture he brought along. He sat down, examining the photo. His thumb rubbed across Twilight's face. Something tickled his cheeks, and something dripped down onto the glass covering the photo. He put his claw to his cheek, and realized that he was crying. He sighed and wiped away his tears, leaning against the boulder behind him, closing his eyes. His eyes shot open as he realized the boulder was rolling away from him. He sat up and turned around, seeing that there was now a tunnel where the boulder once sat. He stood up and entered the tunnel. He noticed that unlit torches hung from the walls. With a deep breath, the young dragon breathed out a wall of flame, lighting up the torches along the passageway. Curiously, he followed the torches down the tunnel. Eventually, he spotted a dim light at the end of the tunnel. His heart skipped a beat when he reached the end of the tunnel. The tunnel opened up into a much larger cavern, with a large hole on the roof that a large dragon could easily fly through. Lining the walls of the cavern was a fortune worth of gold and gems, long abandoned by whatever had left it here. It was an abandoned dragons den. Spike thanked Celestia for his luck. He hadn't been a free dragon for not even a day, and he had found a horde that would put most dragon's hoards to shame. "I-It's... all mine..." Author's Note Though I planned to just end this on two alternate endings... I must admit, I genuinely enjoyed finishing this. Even though an alternate ending will be written, this is the official ending on this story. Why? Because this isn't over.
Chapter FourSpike walked down a long, broken road, surrounded by nothing but vast desert. His feet hurt, he was hungry, tired, and thirsty. The heat was unbearable, which was surprising for a dragon that could easily withstand temperatures of up to five hundred degrees. All Spike knew was that he needs to keep moving, walking down this boulevard of broken dreams. Each step felt like the dragon had just ran a marathon, but it didn't stop him. He literally couldn't stop. His body cried for rest, and he tried to comply, but his legs just kept on moving. After an eternity of aimless walking, the dragon found himself at a crossroads. He looked to the right, and saw Ponyville in the distance, it's residents milling about. Fillies played, ponies were shopping, just a typical day in Ponyville. He glanced to the left, and saw the Everfree Forest and the mountains beyond where he'd regularly help Rarity dig up gems for her works. Life in the Everfree didn't seem like a good option but... something deep down in him told him it wouldn't be bad either, that it was a more natural environment for him. Spike scratched his chin in thought, and suddenly realized that he was once again in control of his body. He wanted to go to Ponyville, but something in him also wanted to go to the Everfree. The young dragon sat down on the ground, which was rapidly cooling. "Why was I brought here...?" he asked himself. "To make a decision." somepony answered for him. Spike looked behind him and spotted the princess of the night approaching him. "Princess Luna?" he asked, perplexed. "What are you doing here?" "I am the princess of my night. It is my job to watch over my little ponies and serve as a guardian in your dreams." she responded, "it has come to my attention that you have come into conflict with my sister's protege and your guardian. And now, you find yourself at a crossroads." "Yeah... I noticed..." Spike commented. He rounded on the princess. "What do you think I should do?" "It is not my place to say. It's your journey, not mine. I can only guide you." she said. "That's the problem, princess. Part of me wants to go back to Twilight and give her another chance... but another part is saying I shouldn't risk it, and I should live like a dragon should." "You must follow your heart, Spike." Luna said. "That doesn't help much..." the young dragon stated. "My job is to act as a guardian, young Spike. As I said, I can only guide you. It's not my duty to choose what you do with your life." the princess said. The princess took a seat beside the dragon, wrapping a wing around him for comfort. The two sat there in complete silence for what seemed like forever. Finally, the dragon rose off the ground. He had made his decision, and started walking in the direction he chose. "Good luck, Spike. I hope you made the right choice." Luna said. "Yeah... so do I..." he said to himself. There was a blinding white light... and then there was nothing. Spike's eyelids slowly fluttered open, being blinded momentarily by the sunlight flooding in through a nearby window. He glanced to the clock hanging on the wall opposite from him. It was seven past eight. The young dragon lifted the covers off himself and slowly made his way out of bed, doing his best not to wake up the sleeping filly beside him. Upon exiting Sweetie Belle's bedroom, his nose was assaulted by the smell of eggs and hash browns. He quickly made his way downstairs and found Twilight and Rarity sitting at a table, slowly working away at a plate of hash browns, eggs, and various vegetables. "Good morning, Spike." Rarity greeted as she noticed the young dragon. "Good morning." he responded. The dragon walked up to the table and sat at the spot obviously made for him, as he sincerely doubted Sweetie Belle partook in the eating in gems. The trio sat in silence, slowly eating away at their breakfasts. Finally, they finished their breakfasts, and Spike rose from the table, collecting their dishes and stacking them in the sink as the mares made their way into the living room. After scrubbing off the remaining food particles off the dishes, the young dragon joined the two mares in the living room. "Spike... have you made your decision...?" Twilight asked cautiously. "Yes." he responded. "Then what is it?" Rarity inquired. Spike sighed. "I'm feeling a lot of emotions at the moment. I'm kind of torn on what I should do." "However..." Twilight's ear's flattened against the sides of her head, fearing what was to come. A small smile crossed Spike's face. "I'm not sure if this is my best decision, but I think I'm going to trust you and give you another chance. Besides... I doubt you would be able to survive two days without your number one assistant." he said, his smile turning into a smirk. Twilight grinned, jumping off the couch and embracing the young dragon tightly, tears of joy streaming down her face. "Oh Spike! You won't regret doing this. I promise, I'll make you do less work. I'm going to sign you up for school tomorrow. I-" "Twilight, are you sure about that?" he asked. "Yes, I am. Whatever it is you want, I'll do it. I just want you to be happy, Spike." Spikes smirk turned into a serious look as he looked up at the purple unicorn. "Twilight... all I want is just be cared for. Not treated like a servant or slave. School and less work would be nice, but that's all I really want." "You got it, Spike." Years later... "SPIKE! WAKE UP! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!" Twilight Sparkle shouted from downstairs. The teenage dragon sat up in his bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He climbed out of bed and stood up, only to fall off balance and fall flat on his face due to his growing upper body mass. "Ouch..." Spike groaned. He heard hoofsteps racing up the stairs and looked up in time to see Twilight open the door. She looked around for him before glancing down, a bewildered look on her face. "Spike? What are you doing?!" she demanded, "we have no time for you to be messing around." "I fell..." he responded, rubbing his chin before rising onto all fours. "Oh... are you alright?" she asked. "I'm fine." he said with a smile. "Are you-" "Yes, I'm sure. I'll see you after school, Twi." he said, racing past the unicorn mare. After a short trip to the schoolhouse, Spike quickly made his way to his homeroom, making it with only a few minutes to spare. He passed by Applebloom and Scootaloo, exchanging hellos with the two mares, before taking a seat beside Sweetie Belle. "Good morning, Spike." she greeted, flashing a smile to the purple and green dragon. "Hey Sweetie Belle." Spike responded, returning her smile. Before the two could break out into conversation, their teacher entered the room. Mr. Iron Hoof, as his name suggested, was very strict and would quickly crush any resistance with an iron hoof. Though he could be pretty cool at times, Spike had to admit, he missed Ms. Cheerilee, their primary school teacher. He walked to the center to front of the classroom and stood before the class, before clearing his throat. "Class, pull out your Equestrian History and turn to page three hundred and sixty two. Today, we'll be studying the Changeling Equestria War. I'm sure you guys are aware I was an officer in the Equestrian Army during this time, so I assure you that you're getting the best education on this that you can. Lucky you." Spike reached into his desk and pulled out a large textbook labelled 'Equestrian History'. He placed it on top of his desk and quickly flipped to the page the teacher had told them to flip to. "We're going to start off with the battle for Stalliongrad, the first battle of the war and the first of many losses for our military. Why had we lost? Due to a lack of military training and experience, our soldiers were..." Spike lay his chin down on his book, not listening to the teachers lectures. When Iron Hoof discussed the military, he didn't really pay attention to anything else, so he doubted he would get in any trouble. It's not like he couldn't catch up on whatever Iron Hoof said by reading the textbook, or asking Twilight for help. The teenage dragon glanced about the room. Snails and Snips were asleep, as usual. Spike was shocked that they managed to actually not get held back. Beside them sat Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who were whispering gossip to each other. In front of them were Pip and Twist. The colt was drawing in his notebook, his art being hidden by his history book. Twist was eagerly writing down notes, as were the other ponies in front of her. Spike turned his attention to the cutie mark crusaders. Applebloom, like Twist, was writing down notes on Iron Hoof's lecture. The orange pegasus who sat beside her opted to simply listen to the lecture. The dragon turned his attention to Sweetie Belle, only to get pegged in the face with a balled up piece of paper. He blinked in surprise, before unraveling the paper. "Why aren't you paying attention?" it read in a certain white unicorns cursive writing. Spike glanced over to Sweetie Belle, who was leering at him menacingly, before scribbling down a note. "Long night. I can catch up." he wrote down, before passing it over to her. She read over it quick, she wrote down a response and passed it back. "Why's that?" it read. "You remember that one time I ran away?" "Yeah?" "Well, I-" Before Spike could finish jotting down his note, a dark grey hoof slammed down on his desk, causing the teenage dragon to jump in his seat. Shakily, he looked up and came to eye level with an enraged Iron Hoof. "Passing notes when I'm doing a lecture? You can say good bye to your afternoon, then." he said. "Awww..." both of them moaned. "Don't let me catch you doing it again," Iron Hoof warned the two of them, before returning to the front and continuing his lecture. Spike shrugged it off, deciding that he could just catch up on the sleep he missed out the previous night during detention. As the teacher droned on, the dragon's thoughts turned back to that night all those years ago. Since then, life had been pretty good to him. Twilight did everything in her power to make sure she didn't fall into old habits, trying a little too hard sometimes. It was nice being in school, even if Iron Hoof wasn't exactly the nicest pony, plus actually having ponies that weren't Twilight or her friends to be social with was something the dragon really enjoyed. ...still, every time Spike thought about that night all those years ago, he wondered what life would've been like if he had decided to run away to the Everfree. As much as the teenage dragon enjoyed the company of his friends, he constantly found himself fantasizing about acquiring a large horde and living out in the Everfree in solitude. Twilight said that it was only natural for dragons to feel this way, and not to worry about it. She also made it very, very clear that he could leave anytime he wished anytime it was brought up, much to Spike's annoyance. The dragon placed his head down on his desk as he allowed his eyes to wander once more. He looked over to the mare he had been previously exchanging notes with, who was now attempting to pay attention to Iron Hoof's history lesson. She caught Spike staring at her from the corner of her eyes, sparing him a quick, pleasant smile, before looking back up front, trying to avoid angering the teacher further. Spike looked forward as well, letting out a small, content sigh. Living life as a feral dragon in the Everfree might've been cool, but... he was really, really happy he chose to stick around. Author's Note I found this lying around collecting dust while lurking. I figured I might as well publish it since people seem to like this story for some reason. It's pretty obvious that I had more planned for this, but, since I haven't touched this story in over a year, I have no idea what I was going to write. I still have the plans for a sequel lying around. I'm not going to say whether or not I'm going to write one. Just know that if I do, it'll be surprise.
