Ghost Of Equestria

The roads Spike and Big Mac was taking very peaceful but the occasional Umbra guards were walking or keeping lookout while two others interrogated their prisoner. The dirt path had many prints from different creatures, showing that the path had been walked many times before.

The conversation that Spike and Big Mac had before was burned into Spike’s mind. Big Mac had not told his family and disappeared one day out of nowhere never to be heard or seen from again. At least by ponies that knew him.

This internally confused Spike. Big Mac was not somepony who would just abandon family in a time like this, not when war and famine were right around the corner. Spike tried to come up with rational reasons as to why Big Mac would do something like this. But Spike remembered something his ancestor had told him that Khotun Khan had said to Spike’s other ancestor:

“War can bring out who we truly are.”

But the chances that Big mac would betray his family like that was non-existent and yet, Big Mac had still done it. Perhaps the war had changed his friend to the point where his true self had come out and left his family in the Crystal Empire.

The peaceful walk was not so peaceful, emotion-wise. Spike came up with thousands of different scenarios where his family would be angry with him and tell him to never show his face around the empire ever again. He clutched his katana with his left claw and felt sheath brush against a bit of his armour.

The emotions he was feeling were things he had always been afraid of facing when he would meet his family again. It had been raging ever since he reached Hoofshima with his ancestor and started his training. There wasn’t a day where he didn’t think about them and what he would be fighting for. They were constantly on his mind but not in a good way, it was like a plague that refused to go away even with the right mindset. But everything that one does in life, there will always be consequences that will respond to the actions one makes. Whether that is good or bad can vary from situation to situation.

Spike started shaking his head furiously with every ounce he had in him, trying to blur the guilt he was feeling but it wouldn’t go away. Big Mac glanced towards him with a look of confusion while Spike was still shaking his head. The air became thick, it became hard to swallow and breathe and Spike stopped out of the blue and looked towards Big mac as if he just noticed he was there.

Big mac grew nervous and backed away from Spike like he was being cornered by a predator that was hungry but was not doing it to ease the hunger. The predator was doing it because it was fun to do…

Spike pulled out his katana and started slashing away at Big Mac for seemingly no reason, the red-coated stallion evaded as much as he could but he knew that despite him being good, Spike could undoubtedly kill him with a single sweep.

Spike couldn’t believe it. How could he have been so stupid!? The signs were clear. Big Mac’s family were indeed alive but he had a feeling that Big Mac had done something very wrong to them, something that could be considered cowardly.

“Big Mac,” Spike said. “Did you kill somepony recently, somepony who was innocent?” Spike had a feeling that it sounded like something so out of the blue that it was ridiculous but he had to be sure. He could not allow his former friend to murder innocents and get away with it.

Big Mac stared at Spike long and hard, his hooves ready to hit the dragon who was looking at him with a calculating gaze and waiting for the answer to his question. His breathing slowed and his mane was pulled by the wind.

“Yes,” He answered. “I have killed ponies and other creatures knowing that they were innocent.” His tone said it all, he did not hold remorse or feel any remorse.

*

In the Crystal Empire, Discord was floating around and thinking about ways to help Spike and his very small army. The Crystal Ponies all to one million percent believed that Spike The Brave And Glorious was The Ghost.

Floating into the market, Discord saw some creatures running around and looked happy but whether that was real or fake happiness, Discord didn’t know. He did not want to disturb the creatures’ privacy so he left them be.

He remembered when his friend left for Hoofshima to train to become the legendary Ghost and the Crystal Ponies and the other creatures who had fled from King Sombra’s wrath demanded to know where he was, well, mostly the Crystal Ponies for the simple fact that he is their hero.

Some creatures believed that Spike had been killed by King Sombra which made the Crystal Ponies ready for war. Discord believes to this day that the Crystal Ponies are overqualified guards that could easily commit a coup to any kingdom and win without trying.

But when a creature saved the Cutiemark crusaders, and them telling about Spike, the Crystal Ponies’ hope flashed up again and even started up a temple of worship of sorts. It was pretty funny in Discord’s case while the main six and the princess’ were too shocked to even care.

When Yakyakistan was freed from their occupation, The hope in the other creatures’ eyes was clear. They finally had some creature to look up to, some creature who showed no fear to the enemy which the princess’ had been doing which Discord was all too willing to admit.

Discord could stop it all with a snap, on either his lion paw or eagle one, but he could not stop the prophecy, if he did, then Equestria was doomed for the rest of their entire existence. In the end, if that were to happen, then he could simply travel back in time but it would still end up being the exact same:
Spike needing to kill King Sombra

*

He did not know how to react when he heard the confession leave his friends mouth. He could not be serious, could he? He knew that Big Mac was strong physically but mentally, he is not strong enough to kill a pony or any other creature for that matter. Even if he did, he would feel remorse for what he did, but Big Mac was just standing there, hooves on the ground, face blank from emotion and waiting to hear Spike’s response.

It wasn’t possible that his friend had turned so cold-hearted. There was just …

Spike sighed. He had to face it: the war had changed Big Mac, showing who he truly was. If the war hadn’t happened, then Spike, Big Mac, and Discord would play their game and have fun every Friday.

But times had changed. They could never return to the happy days when they were innocent and foolish. It was time for them to grow up. Spike knew what he had to do but he prayed to the Gods that he was doing the right decision.

Spike glanced at Big mac’s sword and noticed that it was now in his mouth, ready for battle. The purple dragon sighed and waited for the right moment to commit the duel. The air around them thickened and the leaves from the trees, what was left of it, swished along with the wind making Spike believe that his ancestors’ father, Kazumasa Sakai, was his other ancestor. He had the support of his ancestors, he would make them proud. He grabbed his katana and then …

The fight began.

Big Mac ran towards him with the sword, swinging towards Spike’s throat which the purple dragon easily evaded by jumping to the left. While doing so, Spike tried to stab Big Mac but the red stallion was a lot quicker and blocked the attack like he wasn’t even trying very hard. Spike believed that he was trying to make him angry, it was smart.

Spike swung towards Big Mac’s throat but missed because Big Mac managed to swing the sword to his left arm. There was armour there, but it was close that it didn’t cut through it with the might and force that Big Mac put into the swing. Spike started to really get into it the “zone”, his face morphed into one of neutrality, he did not enjoy doing this, but he had no choice. He could not let his emotions get in the way because he was fighting an old friend.

Spike swung again at Big Mac’s head but the red-coated stallion had quicker reflexes and swung at the purple dragon. Spike blocked it with angry force and made Big Mac temporarily dizzy which made Spike angry because he had the perfect opportunity to kill him. Spike made a split-second decision and swung towards Big Mac’s head, hoping that he could see him in the next life.

But to his surprise, Big Mac blocked it. The red stallion had only been dizzy for a little while which made him recover quicker and be able to stop the katana that was swinging towards his throat. He glared at Spike and felt rage fill his veins as he looked at the friend he had before the invasion. They may have once loved each other like brothers, but the war had split them, they did not know each other anymore.

Spike felt some anger and sadness, his friend had been corrupted by the war that was raging around them like water hitting stones endlessly. There was nothing he could do either, Big Mac was too far gone from the war and unfulfilling anger that was manifesting on his like his red coat.

The purple dragon circled him, but there was something on his face that told him that he did not want to do it. But he was trained to, his ancestor had been the one to kill his friend Ryuzo when he betrayed Hoofshima by siding with the Mongols. Spike could do it, he had to, there was no other way.

“It didn’t have to be this way, Big Mac,” Spike said. Truth be told, he didn’t. He had too many memories of the good old times. At least Discord was incorruptible due to the chaotic magic that he so very much used for pranks and making ponies angry.

Big Mac did not respond for a very long time, their swords hitting each other, both equally strong opponents. “You know as well as I, that nothing would have stopped this confrontation.” One thing that Spike had not noticed until now was that Big mac was speaking normally.

‘Probably something forced by the citizens by the tyrannical king,’ Spike thought.

But Big Mac did have a point. The confrontation would have happened either way even if they didn’t want to. It was inevitable, and here they were, fighting for their lives to see which one will walk out alive.

They continued to fight with their sword letting out small sparks every time the two metals hit each other. Their breath was unease and their eyes locked onto each other, both seeing hesitance in each hit that was attempted from both sides. Spike on the other hand could not allow his emotions to get in the way of saving Equestria. But then again, his ancestor Jin Sakai did fight with emotions after the fall at Komoda beach. Spike started fighting with more violence in his swings, catching Big Mac off guard and the red stallion tried to compensate it with even more violent swings of the sword he was using. Spike started to feel worried because Big Mac was not giving up and he was looking as though he was having fun. Like those times when Spike, Big Mac, and Discord would have their game night.

Suddenly, when Spike thought that the battle would continue for ages, he saw an opening and took it. He flung his katana towards Big Mac’s heart and the apple farmer looked shocked. But the last emotion that was on his face was one of pain, pain from being stabbed by a very sharp katana, and pain because one of his best friends did it. Spike felt some tears in his eyes as he saw his friend who had been so troubled at the war that he became a mercenary.

“Meet me in the next life, my friend,” Spike said and cleaned his blade from his friends’ blood. He buried his friend under the dirt and made a little bulge over with some sticks and cloth for flags to show where he buried Big Mac in case Granny Smith wanted him moved.

*

Spike was walking slowly in the direction of the Crystal Empire, sad and angry. He shouldn’t have to kill one of his best friends but because of King Sombra, it left him no choice and that is what makes him so angry. He had no choice in the end because Big Mac would have continued doing his ways until someone killed him. Spike did not want his friend remembered as a murderer and a criminal, he simply wanted everypony to remember him as the stallion who worked at the orchard in Ponyville.

His katana felt strange after what happened in the battle that he had with Big Mac, it was like it did not feel right in his grip, like, it did not belong to him. Spike wanted to see it as a way of Big Mac speaking to him in the katana. Maybe his soul was now free from the sins he committed? He would never know until he was dead.

The sky was as dark and grey, as it had been the second Spike, came back from Hoofshima. But the difference with this kind of greyness was that it wasn’t pleasant that would make some ponies enjoy it. This one promised vengeance and pain. One that makes anypony want to stay inside all day until it passes.

The dirt road he was walking on felt muddy and wet. It must have rained without Spike noticing. Not that he was complaining since his mind had been preoccupied with fighting his friend. He glanced from the left to the right and saw some houses here and there that were widespread in hopes of King Sombra not noticing. But knowing the King correctly: he most likely had.

A few minutes pass and Spike was getting closer to the Crystal Empire. How he knew this was because the air was getting colder and his teeth were almost crackling. Luckily, his training included being able to stand very harsh cold winters, so he could survive living in the coldest part of Yakyakistan if he wanted to settle down up there.

He had thought about it also, settling down in Yakyakistan did not sound like a bad idea. The yaks up there seemed very friendly after he saved them from the occupation. It also wouldn’t surprise him if he would get to live there without a problem, but he did not want to use the yaks that way. He’d be more than happy to simply be there with them and live his life. Allowing the legend he no doubts will make for himself, die away with the wind.

A few hours later, he was approaching the Crystal Empire more clearly, the outlines of the kingdom became visible, the crystal colours that glimmered all over the place were not as lively as they had once been before the invasion. But it was no surprise, the invasion had shaken everypony and other creatures from different kingdoms had fled from King Sombra’s tyrannical ruling, but not many were able to make the journey or were killed without hesitation from the soldiers.

It made his blood boil thinking about the innocent children and families who had been slaughtered just for the sake of power. It disgusted him to no end, knowing that some ponies could even think like that, consider it! It’s sick and twisted in so many ways.

When Spike got closer, he saw through his mask that Crystal Guards were patrolling and were looking in his direction the ones who were watching the terrains and over the horizons for any survivors or enemies making their way. Spike wouldn’t blame them if they thought he was an enemy, he was dressed like a soldier, acted like one, and probably looked terrifying. He smiled a little, happy that they had good eyesight in case there were enemies around.

When he got closer, he noticed that a few guards were making their way towards him and he felt a little happy, he had no problem giving up his katana and other weapons so they could trust him but as soon as they see his face and check to see so he is not an Umbrum changeling they would most likely hail him. This time, Spike would not stop it, he knew that they needed something to believe in, something that could give them hope.

When he was close enough to the guards, he was ordered to stop about ten feet from them and to drop his sword and mask. He did so without a problem and he noticed the shocked expression on the Crystal Guards’ faces. To them, it was almost impossible that their legend would return when the war was still raging with King Sombra soldiers occupying every territory there is in their world.

“S—Spike The Brave And Glorious?!” The guards said in shock, their eyes as wide as saucers, their hooves wobbling from the mere sight of him. They had heard the stories from the other guards but they could not believe it, now they saw him right in front of them. There were three guards in total that was looking at him with hope in their eyes.

“In the flesh,” He said. He gave them a gentle smile before he spoke again. “But right now, they call me The Ghost.”

*

Spike was led back to the empire with praises being sung by the three guards who were praising him for his heroic deeds. They did not even mention the brutality he had shown when he was fighting the Umbrum, they just spoke about his greatness.

When Spike had been led through the empire, many ponies and creatures caught a glimpse of him, and the yaks that had traveled to the Crystal Empire immediately recognized him the second they lay eyes on him. They were singing him praises and saying how much of a hero he was to all of Equestria and Yakyakistan. It was nice for Spike to know that he gave a real impact on them but at the same time, he felt like he was replacing other brave heroes who fought for their own freedom. He did not want to do that, he wanted all of them to remember other heroes who fought for their sake and died for their freedom.

Spike and the guards reached the palace and were led through the hallways that had hundreds of guards on watch, making sure that nopony or creature infiltrated the castle unnoticed. Before the liberation of Yakyakistan, the Crystal Empire had been the last line of defense, the last Kingdom that hadn’t succumbed to King Sombra’s tyrannical ways. The kingdom that ponies and other creatures dreamed of fleeing to, be behind those safe barriers of the empire where the rulers of Equestria were.

But now, there was a new hero that was among them, a hero that trained for an entire year to help them vanquish the evil King Sombra that were plaguing their lands like an infection that never goes away despite cleaning the wounds. The hero walks among them, smiling at the children to let them know that they will not have to be afraid anymore, letting every creature from Equestria and beyond know that there was one who was fighting back …

The Ghost