Ghost Of Equestria

Twilight and the others were moving as quickly as they could back to the Crystal Empire. They had gotten words from their guards that Spike was there and requesting their support, what he meant by that was any pony’s guess. They knew it must be about King Sombra but they were unsure what about the tyrannical King He could want, the information was all they had even before the invasion which was not a lot, there were no journals or memoirs that could tell them anything about King Sombra but Cadance suspected that Sombra most likely burnt it all to ashes in case somepony were to try to dig up his past.

It made sense that it would be that way, King Sombra is one of the few villains that Twilight feels genuine fear over. She cannot fully comprehend what the evil King does in battles that she’s had with him, and she wanted it to remain that way.

She feared him more than anything else. The fear was nagging her every day when she woke up in the early hours of the morning and look out the balcony to see the grey sky that was clouding the entirety of Equestria and beyond. The fear nagged at her when she walked down the crystal streets of the empire and the nagged at her when she was going to sleep. She could never get rid of the feeling, it was always there.

But then Spike or The Ghost as he calls himself came and saved the Cutie Mark Crusaders and liberated Yakyakistan. It shocked Twilight because of the brutality he showed when he killed the Umbrum guards and the fact that he had killed creatures even if it was for a good reason.

But she was wondering where he had been for an entire year. Where had he gone? Why did he come back? It wasn’t that Twilight was angry that Spike had disappeared, she was just worried over the fact that maybe Spike had been killed by the Umbrum soldiers but she had also hoped that maybe he got to safety in a foreign land. But she was also worried that he was back in Equestria, the nation was almost gone, the only thing that remained was Canterlot Castle that was still standing and had not been burnt. There were Umbrum war camps everywhere, soldiers marching and preparing for anypony who might escape. They would use their bodies as archery practice which disgusted Twilight to no end.

She was walking beside Princess Luna who looked over the horizons with eagle sharp eyes. On the older mares coat was black armour that covered her chest, stomach, head, and hooves. The chest plate had the cutie mark of Luna. The mare had complete faith in Spike and believed he would achieve his goal, whatever that was.

“Luna?” Twilight whispered so the others wouldn’t hear who was discussing the best approach in speaking to Spike. The older mare turned to her with questioning eyes and looked back to the horizon after giving a nod. “Do you know why Spike would come back?”

Luna tensed ever so slightly, not anticipating that question. She very well knew the answer, if anything, she was the only one of the Princess’ that knew because she was the one most skilled when it came to prophecies. Sometimes when a pony dreams, they can see the future, not always, but sometimes. Luna knew that Spike and Pipsqueak were destined to defeat King Sombra and was the reason no pony intervened in their work.

She sighed and said in a whisper: “Yes, I do know why he came back but you won’t like the reason why he did.”

Twilight looked at her with confused eyes but urged the Princess to continue. The snd path they were walking was quite cold in the parts they were walking. Since it was the Crystal Empire they were walking to, it only became colder and colder. There were no trees in sight and there were tall and scary mountains.

Luna sighed. “Over a thousand years ago before I turned into Nightmare Moon, There was a prophecy that spoke of a dragon and colt that would work together to defeat evil with allies from all races. They would fight together, liberating towns and cities until it was time for the final battle, they would win the battle, and the one who vanquishes this evil would be known as The Ghost Of Equestria, with this title, any pony or creature would be seen as a legend afterward and would always be remembered. Spike is descendent of a pony named Jin Sakai who is the first Ghost but is known in Hoofshima for his legendary tale. Jin Sakai defied his uncle when it came to the creatures of Hoofshima and went down a so-called ‘darker path’ and saved every creature the best he could. But there was a Mongol who escaped to Equestria so he and his wife, Yuna, fled right after him. Why the Mongol was that important was because he could take over the army and retake Hoofshima and then invade Neighpan with ease. Centuries went by and the descendants came and went but when Spike was adopted into the royal family, he became blood adopted so he is, by all means, my blood nephew. With this blood in his veins, he became the full heir to the Sakai fortune and the only one worthy of the title: The Ghost.”

Twilight looked at Luna in shock. Spike was blood adopted?! She never knew, Spike had never said or done anything to suggest something like that. Blood magic was a neutral area that is neither good nor bad but many ponies and other creatures do not use blood magic unless if it’s for very specific things or traditions be it cultural or family-wise. She did not like the fact that this was kept from her but she understood why Princess Celestia did not want to go into full detail about any of this.

“I understand that it’s a lot to take in, but try to understand from my sister’s point of view,” Luna said, gazing at Twilight as they were walking—running.

Twilight looked at her a little bit confused and then realized that she must have had the look where she seems accusing. She blushed.

“No, no, Princess, I completely understand,” Twilight said, clearing up the invisible clouds that seemed to have stormed around them. “It just feels weird to hear that a ruler of a kingdom uses something that is considered neutral, when it comes to blood, on a child and a dragon no less.”

Luna thought about it and realized that Twilight was right, blood had been used on her nephew to be fully considered a part of the family, changing his very own genes. He seemed happy nonetheless so she would not dive too much into it.

“Well, he seems rather happy,” Luna murmured.

Twilight nodded.

*

Spike was inside of the rooms that had the best view of the palace. Since he was ‘Spike The Brave And Glorious’, he needed to have the best of the best. Spike did not complain because he certainly enjoyed the beautiful view of the balcony. There were bowls of fruit that had been left uneaten because he wasn’t hungry.

But the Crystal butlers insisted that he had some gems, which he happily took.

He was writing a few letters to Pipsqueak to make sure that his friend is prepared for the battles ahead. He knew that he couldn’t fight alone, he needed allies and he knew to a full certainty that Pipsqueak was trustworthy.

Spike felt himself relax as he wrote the letter, he had forgotten what it was like to just sit down and relax without a care in the world. The chair he was sitting on was just like everything in the Crystal Empire: made of crystals along with the table that was pushed up against the right wall where he had the amazing view where he could get inspiration.

He wrote uninterrupted by anypony or creature for three hours, enjoying the quietness and just writing on the parchment that he would send to Pipsqueak. His right claw scrambled away with the words on the parchment filling out for each second that passed.

After another fifteen minutes, that is when there was a knock on the door. Spike looked up, surprised that it was already time for either lunch or dinner. “Come in,” he said with a kind voice.

The butler opened the door and he felt his entire body shake uncontrollably. There before him, stood his mother, aunt, main five, Cadance and Shining Armor. He did what any reasonable person would do, he walked up and bowed to them. The awkwardness of the whole situation skyrocketed and nopony knew what to do or say.

Luna took initiative.

“Spike nephew, is that really you?” Luna asked, her voice hopeful. She had not seen him in so long and hoped for dear life that this was him and not some creature who dressed up like him as a possible changeling.

Spike looked at her, he had put on his mask and he pulled it down, showing his true face. All at once, they rushed to him, engulfing him in a large hug for not having seen each other in so long. They crushed him with their hug but they could feel his muscles, surprising all of them. Twilight was the one who was the tensest when she felt his muscles, it didn’t feel real to her. There was no way he had trained for an entire year and then just returned to defeat King Sombra. It was then and there that Twilight knew, she would have to prevent him from killing another creature.

“Spike,” Celestia said, her voice stern and her eyes flickering from all the emotions she was feeling inside of her body. “Where have you been mister?! You just disappeared one day without explanation! There was no note, no letter, nothing to suggest that you were either dead or alive!”

Her voice by the end was almost booming withheld back anger and worry that she carried for several months, her mane almost was set aflame from the rage she felt with her son for just running off and doing Faust knows what. Her eyes drilled into Spike’s emerald green eyes, but the purple dragon looked at her calmly, his eyes not showing that she had any effect on him which made her a little bit angry but then surprised.

“I was walking down a street a year ago and I met a stallion that told me he knew who I was, he told me we were related by blood and started telling me of a prophecy—”

“Wait, Wait, Wait!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, trying to hide her laughter. “A stallion said you were blood-related?!” She burst out laughing. “Hate to break it to you Spike, but you are a dragon if you remember?”

Everypony had noticed how Spike had taken this and was surprised to see that he waited patiently—like he was bored—and allowed Rainbow Dash to laugh and sort of make fun of him. That did not go unnoticed by Celestia who was silently fuming at the rainbow maned mare, wishing she could say that Spike was blood adopted.

“Yes, Rainbow, I very much remember but only you have never asked who else adopted me by blood,” Spike said, emphasizing the last word with a sense of authority. Rainbow Dash and the others looked at him in confusion except for Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. “I was adopted by a pony through blood so I have a pony form that I can turn into whenever I need to but I have always preferred my dragon form because that is what I always will be.”

The way he said it made it sound like he did not like it, but the words coming out of his mouth held no malice or anger.

“But Rainbow Dash, I must say this; a Kirin — which is half-pony half-dragon — who has an interest with dragons and have a child with a dragon, that child will be more dragon-like and if that continues, they will then become pureblood dragons again,” Spike lectured. The others were caught by surprise at this and Rainbow Dash looked stunned. “So, in theory, most creatures in Equestria and beyond is related to each other in one way or another, creature-wise.”

Spike glanced at Twilight and saw that the mare’s head was spinning with possibilities — he would have to find out what — and there was a look of disbelief written across her face and he could understand, he truly could. When you only see differences despite having friendship, no pony or other proud creature would ever stop and think about their origin, where their race came from, and how. It’s also not easy because Discord did destroy all records so anything that is written in modern time is only speculation unless if they were secretly as old as Celestia or Luna who knew Equestria’s entire history. Spike knew that Twilight wanted to question it but not because he was a dragon but question how it was possible, there were almost no records of Kirins and the only reason Spike knew what they were was that his ancestor told him about them and showed a drawn prostate of what they looked like he was to ever run into them.
He had indeed seen the Kirins but they were in full armour and were the most brutal ones there were in the King Sombra army. Their strengths came from them having unicorn horns and dragon blood running through their veins.

Spike was about to speak again when Cadance interrupted;

“Spike, I am happy to see you alive and well, but why did you return?” Her voice held pain from being reminded about what happened, the day everything changed for the abhorrently worse.

Spike sighed, he knew that they would not like what he had to say about it.

“There was a prophecy about how a samurai would return, a samurai that was once feared by an Empire that was believed to be undefeatable. The night during the invasion, the Samurai of Hoofshima gathered at Komoda beach where nearly the entire samurai empire fell before the Mongols, but one samurai did not die — they still say to this day that he is a spirit who came back to life to guide the blade of Jin Sakai who is my ancestor. He met a woman named Yuna who was a thief who taught him that sometimes being silent as a thief is the only way. Yuna then spread the legend about how Jin came back from the grave to slaughter the Mongols, and his legend grew to the point where even the mainland Neighpan knew of the legend. The children and creatures of Hoofshima had a beacon of hope, somepony who would fight back with any means necessary. After my ancestor defeated the Mongols, he and Yuna chased after a Mongol that could potentially restore the Mongolian army in Hoofshima and invade Neighpan. They reached Equestria and executed him and they lived here ever since, but the legend of The Ghost lives on and many creatures pray for him to protect them, interestingly enough, they say that he watches over Tsushima for eternity. And now, after so many years, The Ghost needed to return, and I became what my ancestor was.”

The ponies in the room looked at Spike, stunned that the dragon that they used to know was gone and replaced by a different dragon that spoke as if he knew what he was to expect.

Cadance did not look happy when she heard that. She did not blame anypony — no pony was at fault except King Sombra — but the way Spike had said everything was like he was saying a final goodbye and that scared her. She did not want to lose him when he had just returned from Hoofshima from where she presumed he had been.

The others, namely Luna had accepted it. A prophecy is a prophecy and there is nothing they can do to change it. Even if they could, it would be like traveling back in time to stop certain events from happening — leading the world into disarray when they return to their timeline which would have completely changed.

Celestia, only looked at her son and saw how mature he had become, but if that was from free will or if he had to become mature she did not want to know despite her being his mother. She knew that it was torment between yes and no so it would be impossible to tell which one Spike would be affirming too.

Spike glanced to Twilight and saw how she was in a frenzied state, but this was the one he had feared the most. She wasn’t running around like a crazy mare, she was just looking into nothingness and her eyes gave nothing away.

That would not be for long, however, when Twilight decided to voice her thought to Spike which shocked everypony in the room.

“Spike, I am truly sorry, but I can’t allow you to go back out there from the safety of the Crystal Empire walls. You were gone for an entire year — we did not know if you were alive or not — and now, a year later you show up in armour and tell us about prophecy, I am sorry Spike, but I will have to put my hoof down on this one.”

Everypony looked at Twilight with mixed emotions; Spike had a look or understanding but he would not obey her, he had a job to do and he needed to fulfill it. The older alicorns looked at Twilight with wide eyes, gaped-mouthed in pure shock. She was essentially telling Spike that he should not leave this very room because he could be in danger. Twilight’s friends suffered a conflict within themselves. They understood Twilight’s reasoning but at the same time from all the time they had spent together, it felt unfair to Spike when they only had gotten the quick version as they knew that they did not have the time.

Luna looked at Twilight intently before saying; “I think not, Twilight Sparkle, Spike just told us about a prophecy that he needs to deal with and that is not good since it’s his destiny but you are making it worse by saying that he cannot go outside. I am sorry Twilight, but this is a matter that I will not tolerate.”

“Come, Spike, I would like to speak to you,” She spoke with a regal voice that carried over to the other ponies in the room and knew that she did not want to be disturbed. Spike gave a glance around the room with his family in it and before Twilight could stop him and retaliate verbally, he was gone with Luna.