Dragonbourne

1 month later

One year....it had been one full year since Spike had left Ponyville, and many had gone on with their lives.....as did he. He looked at the very edge of Ponyville after passing through the deadly Everfree, as a mean's of cover for him to come back. He had to use his Dragonbourne form to keep the supernatural wildlife of the Everfree to try to tear him apart. Chrysalis had stayed behind in Lioness City near the edge to the opposite side of the Everfree that Spike journeyed into when it was just him, and Draco. Finally he was home, and he hid his Dragonbourne form with the same size disguise he was wearing....his body being green with purple scales.

Spike didn't have to morph into a smaller version of his disguise, after all a lot can happen in one year. His sword was the same, but looked completely lifeless. Spike journeyed into Ponyville, as everypony seemed suprised to see him. Many of his old friend's waved, and he bumped into Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash who welcomed him back normally. They had question's from the made up cover stories Twilight gave him, and he thankfully made up his own answers that were almost the truth with a few changes to it.

Spike eventually asked where Twilight Sparkle was to suprise her, and they told him that she was in her bigger library that she had these past few months. Spike guessed that she had expanded the building which made sense considering his absence. Spike journeyed to the library which Twilight Sparkle was in. "Ugh, no, no, no....GRRRRR!!!!!!" Twilight growled, trying to find a way for her new organization to work. She had many book's held by her magic, as she was trying to find the right book to go in order. "AHA.....GOTCHA"

She said ecstatically before figuring it out, as she organized the book's she had in her magical grasp into the shelves they needed to go. "Ok check, now let's see what's next" She said to herself, until a knock on the door, getting her attention. "Huh, that's weird....Pinkie Pie told me there were no parties today, who could that be?" She asked herself before opening the door, revealing her number one assistant who she hadn't seen for a year.

"Hi Twily" Spike smiled, as Twilight Sparkle's face was filled with shock for a moment, as she reached her hand out, and touched Spike's face to confirm that this wasn't a dream. Her face turned from shock to joy.

"SPIKE!!!!!!!" She squealed, as she wrapped him in a very big, and tight bear hug, as Spike groaned.

"T-Twilight.....Twilight....too.....hard" He choked, as she squeezed him continously before separating from the hug, allowing Spike to breath.

"It's been a fully year Spike, why haven't you sent me any letter's?" Twilight asked, as Spike chuckled.

"Sorry, I got carried away with being the Dragonbourne, and with how tough thing's were. I was going to send you a letter, but my next job involved me coming back home....so I'd thought I'd suprise you" Spike smiled, as Twilight Sparkle immedietly closed the door, and locked it, while closing all the blind's.

"There, now you don't have to hide your form, but while you transform, I'll pour you some coffee, and we can talk. Twilight Sparkle smiled, as a grin also appeared across Spike's face.

"I'd like that Twily" He beamed happily, as she quickly went to a dining room in the expanded library with Spike changing into his Dragonbourne form.

*****
"I'm glad to see you again Spike, although I don't see why that sword handle is speaking" Twilight explained, sipping a cup of coffee, as Spike sat across from her in his Dragonbourne form.

"He mostly help's when he want's to, but recently he's been keeping to himself. I've asked him a few times why he does that, but he told me he functions better, as my weapon. The more powerful I get, the more alive he get's, and I'm starting to think he might be right" Spike told her, as Twilight Sparkle looked at him confused.

"I thought you unlocked all your power's when you first got your Dragonbourne form" Twilight Sparkle said with curiosity, as Spike shrugged.

"That's what I thought too, but apparently I only awakened my new body, and the power's that came with it, in order to unlock new power's I had to find special Dragon gem's that fuse with my body to unlock these abilities." Spike explained, as Twilight sipped her coffee, but looked at him with extreme interest.

"How do I know you have unlocked new abilities?" Twilight asked, as Spike got out of his chair, and turned around, allowing her to see the tiny symbol's embedded onto his back.

"These symbols should intake the abilities I have on my back, one symbol per each" Spike explained before sitting down again.

"I hope you've been careful battling those Demon Dragon's these past 4 months" Twilight Sparkle told him, as Spike chuckled sheepishly.

"Yeah....I've tried to do that, but my battles with these demon dragons have been super tough.....in my last battle I completely passed out after killing all of them from the powerful hit's I received. If it weren't for the tribe of Zebra's, and Kirin's I would have been gone for more than 1 whole year" He told her, as Twilight Sparkle let out a sad sigh.

"Spike.....why can't I tell anyone else about this....or you?" Twilight Sparkle asked, as Spike sighed.

"You know why Twilight.....if everyone here knew that I was The Dragonbourne they might be crazy enough to try to kill me, or worse these Demon dragon's will think that they know something, and use their power to hurt someone. If I have to sacrifice my identity to a friend that I care for very much for them to live, then only that friend will know my secret" Spike told her, but then let out a sad sigh.

"It really isn't easy keeping a secret this big....is it?" Twilight Sparkle asked, as Spike sighed.

"No....even after these past few month's I've been wanting to tell Rarity, but know it isn't for the best.....speaking of which, how is she anyway, I haven't see her at all today?" Spike asked, as Twilight Sparkle stopped drinking her coffee, and looked down before speaking.

"Spike.....I really am glad that your back so that you can help me with this" Twilight told him in a worried voice. Spike could already sense something was wrong, as he got up with the urge to grip his sword, and unsheath it's blade, from instinct when trouble came. He looked Twilight Sparkle dead in the eye's, and spoke in a cold tone that almost made Twilight Sparkle shiver with fear.

"Twilight.....How.....is......Rarity?" Spike asked, as Twilight Sparkle sighed before speaking.

"It started about a two, and a half month's ago. Rarity, and Fancy Pant's had gotten married, and they both were going on their honeymoon. A few days after Rarity came back early from the honeymoon, completely devastated. Her mane was a mess, she was a crying mess, most of the luggage she had brought with her was all gone except one suitcase, and she had removed her wedding ring. When we asked what had happened, she told us to leave her alone, and then ran into The Boutique, and cried. Pinkie Pie tried having her do fashion again, but she hasn't sold a dress ever since....."

Twilight Sparkle breathed before continuing. "....to make matter's worse, her client friend's haven't even come to worry about their business, or Rarity herself, I don't know what's going on with her, but perhap's she'll listen to you" She explained to Spike, who was not only taken aback by what had happened. He thought that when he'd leave, she'd be able to move on with Fancy Pant's, but now judging by the description Twilight told him, he had to see her right away. Spike stopped gripping his sword, as he turned off his Dragonbourne form, and looked at her.

"Is Rarity's Botique still in the same location as it was a year ago?" Spike asked, as Twilight Sparkle looked at him with curiosity before a look of relief was on her face.

"Yes it is, don't worry I'll save this coffee for another time, but if you do have to leave, be sure to come back, and say goodbye" Twilight Sparkle told him, as Spike smiled.

"Don't worry, when it's all said, and done.....I'm coming home for good, and staying with my friend's" Spike smiled, as he went outside with his sword still on his back.

*****
Spike finally arrived at the Carousel Botique, as he looked at the place. Their were part's of it that were mostly tidy, but he also realized how painful the building itself looked, compared to the cheery happiness that he had seen a year ago. Spike sighed sadly, as he didn't know what he was doing here....how much he hadn't seen her in a long time. Compared of his life, as a Dragonbourne, and his time with Chrysalis....a part of him still had feeling's for her, and he felt them re-surface after being buried for so long.

Spike did his best not to focus on those feeling's, because right now he had to help his best friend. He lifted his claw's up to the door, and knocked gently, yet loud enough for her to hear. "Go away" A sniffled, and broken voice replied. Spike already could tell it was Rarity's voice, but her charming tone sounded destroyed. She definitely needed him, and he wasn't going away that easily. Spike knocked on the door again. "GO AWAY....I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYONE!!!!!!!!" Rarity cried, with the sound of her sob's filling the Boutique.

"Even if it isn't your best friend?" Spike asked in his normal voice. Spike heard the sound of somepony rushing to the door, before the door opened, and Rarity jumped into his arm's, as she broke down crying. "There, there.....it's okay Rarity, I'm here.....I'm here, tell me what's wrong?" Spike asked, as Rarity soon calmed down, and wiped away her tear's before she looked up at him, seeing that he had grown up into an adult Dragon.

"S-Spikey....i-is.....*sniffle*...is that really you?" Rarity asked, as Spike gave her a warm, caring smile.

"Yes, it's me Rarity....I'm here, tell me what's wrong?" Spike asked, as Rarity looked at him before speaking.

"I will, but can you do me a favor, and have some tea with me?" Rarity asked, as Spike looked at the mare, and smiled.

"Sure" He told her, as both of them went inside. Spike looked at how much the Boutqiue had changed. It had expanded a little, but what surprised him was that she didn't have any of her mannequin's, or any dress fabric, or her dresses done for her to work on. The place was filled with furniture, tissue boxes, a dining table, and even a TV, plus the red depressing couch she had when something awful happened. Ok, now I'm getting even more concerned if this were any other mare this would be nice, but for Rarity this mean's something is seriously up.

Spike thought to himself, as Rarity went over to the dining room, and went to the cupboard's. "Sit down Spikey, I'll make sure I get some tea" Rarity told him, as she made some tea for them to have, and poured both of them a cup, and sat down across from him, as both of them sipped their tea. Rarity seemed to almost forget about what she was going to talk to him about, as she stared at the young drake who not only was surprisingly grown for a full year, but he didn't try to flirt, look uneasy from her company, or even once bring up her rejection of him.

He's so different, and so grown up, he hasn't spoken a word since we began this Rarity thought to herself, as Spike set the tea aside, and looked at Rarity. "Your friend's seem very concerned for you, and I think it's time you explained to me what's going on with you?" Spike asked, as Rarity sighed. She turned around, and adjusted her dress, showing off a very nasty scar that Spike knew she didn't have on her. Spike looked at her in shock, as he spoke. "Where did you get that!?!?!?!?" He asked, a certain anger in his voice. Rarity sighed again, before explaining the heartbroken story.

"It was suppose to be the most happiest day's of my life, Fancy Pant's was so charming, handsome, and for a long time I thought I would be happy with my prince. After our engagement, and both our wedding we both ventured off to our honeymoon, and it would be the best night of our lives. I thought he would finally show me the true night of my life, and make me his, but on our first night....he wasn't in the mood, for four night's I wanted for us to be one, and each night he refused. On the fifth morning I had gone shopping for more dresses, and I had come back to a horrifying truth......" Rarity breathed before continuing.

"....I learned that he had destroyed my entire business, and my design. All of my stuff, my money, my dresses, my entire lifes work, he had stolen from me in our marriage, and left me with nothing. When I reached out to my colleagues of the other Boutiques, Fancy Pant's had already bought them, and used them for his uses, and they didn't help me. I used the little money I had to go home, and forget about the entire thing, even removing my ring, and crushing it completely. I thought he was my prince....but he used me, he used me all along, and in the end, Fancy Pant's gave me this scar from that."

Rarity explained trying to hold back the tear's, but failing to do so. "I couldn't be seen in public, or be able to do anything, I'm ruined Spike, I can barely even afford the rent to keep me fed, and warm"

Rarity cried, as Spike went over, and hugged her. "Don't worry Rarity, I'll find away to help you, but I promise......" Spike soothed her in his embrace, but before he finished his next word's his eyes opened, one of them being the exact same blank blood red that was in the shadow's eyes in the dream he had about a month ago when he was passed out, as he spoke in a demonic tone that Rarity thankfully didn't notice, as he finished his sentence. "......Fancy Pant's won't hurt you anymore" Spike growled, before his eye's, and voice went back to normal.

Spike helped wiped her tear's away, as she looked at him with a relieved smile. "Thank's Spikey it's so glad to see you come home" Rarity said warmly, as Spike smiled.

"Well I stopped by to make sure you were doing ok, and to help you if you want me to stay for a few more minutes...I can" Spike told her, as Rarity looked at him with a desperation in her eyes.

"Please....stay with me" She told him, as Spike nodded.

"I will" He told her, as both of them went back to their tea. Spike looked at her seeing her look at him, not even curious of what was going on. She doesn't have a clue Spike thought to herself, about what had happened this past year.

Rarity looked at Spike before speaking.
"Spikey, how exactly did you get such a grown up body in a year, I'm suprised your still not the young little dragon that you were" Rarity said charmingly, as Spike almost slammed the tea cup onto the table creating a loud boom which almost startled Rarity. Spike let out a cold snarl, but then his tone, and body softened when he spoke .

"Thing's change Rares....when it came to my body I had to be given a choice, a choice that made me who I am today, and ever since then I've gotten use to said decision....not that I mind" Spike said with a soft, yet mixed tone. This left Rarity almost completely confused.
Well that's oddly cryptic, since when was my Spikey Wikey, so.....different, or is it just me? Rarity thought to herself, as she looked at him with a smile, and spoke.

"Oh don't be so naive darling, you were so cute, as a rather young dragon" Rarity smiled, as Spike drank his tea before saying something that really caught her off guard.

"I'll have to admit that I was adorable, but I was also weak, I could not protect the friend's I have made....but now I do" Spike explained, as Rarity was more than taken back by this.

What the fuck? He almost sound's like a villain, how can you change so much in just one year, your more than just acting different, you sound completely off Rarity's thought's told her, as the mare tried to shake the unevenness from her mind, but it continued to bother her. Rarity looked at Spike, and studied his expression when he sipped his tea. He was hiding something, and he wasn't telling her what it was. She looked at him like an inspector, and began to look at him with extreme interest. Spike noticed this, and gave her a questioning look.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Spike asked, as Rarity looked at his body suspiciously before noticing the sword he carried.

"That's a very nice sword Spikey, tell me where exactly did you find such a nice weapon?" She asked, pretending to be interested when she was trying to prod for answer's.

"I'd like to say it found me, but I got this sword about a while go, and during my travels I mostly had it for show, or survival against dragon predator's" Spike explained, as Rarity got back in her seat before speaking.

"Can I hold it?" Rarity asked, as Spike looked at her hesitantly before speaking.

"Yeah, although usually I wouldn't recommend holding it, but if you really want to you can" He smiled, unsheathing the sword, and handing it to her, while hiding a sly smirk.

"Wow...it look's so ni......WAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Rarity squealed, as the huge sword immediately weighed her to the ground, and she hit it with a loud thud, as she managed to lift up the sword, while growling angrily. "It's.....so....heavy" Rarity growled, having trouble with the sword, as Spike put his tea aside.

"Allow me" He grinned, as he grabbed the sword, and easily got it out with one hand which she watched suprised, as the feeling of the immense heavy weight of it earlier should have given him some struggle, but he wielded the weapon like it was nothing, as he put the weapon in his sheath on his back.
When I have the sword, it's so heavy I can barely lift it, even though he's slightly taller than me, and a bit more muscular he should have some struggle using that sword, or should appear stronger, but he doesn't....it's light in his touch. It must be a magical sword, but why would he not say it is?

Rarity thought, as she watched Spike before she noticed something that got her by suprise. "S-Spike.....y-your bleeding!" She said in shock, as Spike checked his own body where one of his old wound's not only re-opened, but somehow visible despite not being in his Dragonbourne form.

"It's nothing....I just need a first aid kit, or if your willing you can patch me up" Spike toke her, as Rarity immedietly darted toward him, and spoke.

"I might be able to check, but I think I have a first-aid kit somewhere, let me go get it" Rarity said with haste, as she rushed in the bathroom trying to look for it. Draco appeared, and looked at him, quietly whispering.

"I've been hearing this conversation the whole time, and if she does care enough....you should tell her" Draco whispered, as Spike looked at him before speaking in a shocked whisper.

"ARE YOU CRAZY, DO YOU REALLY THINK I CAN MAKE HER LIFE BETTER IF I TOLD HER I WAS A FUCKING DEMON!?!?!?!?!? Not only that, but she'll make sure she get's involved if I did tell her" Spike whispered, as Draco looked at him, speaking softly.

"Her life is almost completely destroyed here, what can the Demon dragon's take that hasn't already been taken?" Draco asked, as Spike was about to reply, but sighed deeply.

"I'd rather not get her involved in this, just let me keep our secret from her." Spike whispered to him, as Draco reverted back to a normal sword handle, as Rarity came rushing in with the medical kit in hand. She managed to get one of Spike's opened wound, shut which allowed it to heal properly, as the wound vanished. Rarity had enough, as she looked at Spike with a slight hint of irritation in her voice.

"Ok, Spike.....I've had enough....." She growled, as Spike looked at her confused.

"Had enough of what?" Spike asked, as Rarity spoke.

"Not only have you gotten a bigger body that shouldn't have grown for a year, but you've also been acting very off lately, AND your were just bleeding from wound's that DO NOT LOOK NORMAL, so please tell me what the hell is......" Rarity froze in position, as time itself crawled to a halt, as Spike's superspeed kicked in, as he entered his Dragonbourne form for a minute.

"You have no idea what's going on......I'm a DEMON BITCH.......RRRRGGGHHHH, I really, really, really want to tell you....how I feel about this, how I still feel about you.....but I can't, I would never forgive myself if you got hurt becasue of who I am" Spike told her, as he then went back to his normal position, and turned back into his disguised form before letting his super speed fade off.

".....going on with you" Rarity finished mid-sentence, as Spike let out a long deep sigh.

"I'm sorry Rarity....if I could tell you about this I would....but I just can't" Spike told her, as Rarity looked at him with a betrayed look.

"Why can't you tell me, Spikey, I thought we we're best friend's" Rarity said in a worried tone, as Spike went over to her, held her hand's, and looked her in the eyes.

"We are Rarity, it's just....when I left Equestria for the year....so much changed about my life, and how I viewed life. It feel's like I'm battling my own inner Demon's, everyday felt like I was fighting for my own survival, and so much transpired." Spike explained, as Rarity looked down at her feet before looking up at him, as she spoke.

"Spike....could you....sleep with me tonight....to keep me company?" Rarity asked, as Spike couldn't believe he'd hear those word's being asked to him, as he nodded.

"If it help's.....then I'll stay" Spike answered, as Rarity felt a little more excited, and thankful for his company.

*****
In Rarity's bed chamber's both Rarity, and Spike would get close to each other, as both of them were fast asleep. Spike may have been asleep, but something deep in Spike's mind was wide awake. Spike got up, as his body went from his disguised form to a form of a dark shadow that was similar to one in his dream. The being in his head looked like a hooded human assassin with blank blood red eyes, and a very wide demonic smile on his face. He looked taller than an average human, but he didn't have any wing's.

The Shadow being walked out of Rarity's Boutique, and into the night.