Spike felt as though he was falling. No… He was drifting downward, as if he was sinking towards the bottom of a deep, deep lake. Maybe even an ocean…
Yes, it was an ocean. He felt as though he was sinking towards the bottom of a deep, deep ocean. There was no feeling of water pressing at him from all sides, trying to crush him into a scaly and dragony paste.
He moved his left arm slightly and felt something like water move around it. His body started moving to the right as his arm remained outwards. He moved the appendage back to its original position, then moved his right arm in the opposite direction, until his was moving in the same direction as earlier.
He soon realized that he had his eyes closed the entire time, and tried to open them only to find that they would open to narrow slits instead of the full open that he wanted. All that he saw through the slits was a dark oceanic blue.
He continued falling for a period of time, not even caring that he hadn’t drowned yet or that his eyes didn’t sting from any possible sea salt, which he soon passed off as his draconic eyes being water-resistant. He felt himself twisting slightly as he was falling, going into corkscrew-like turns.
Spike then started to think. No, muse. Yes, Spike started to muse. He mused about anything that came to the forefront of his mind. His friends, his family—his known family at least—even his life. Then, out of the dark oceanic blue, a thought crept forward like Pinkie Pie coming out of a book Spike was about to put on the proper shelf.
Is all of this for real, or not? Spike’s eyes widened at the sudden thought, and then they narrowed as he mused on the topic.
Of course this is all real. He argued with himself.
Then where is this? Where are we?
Spike didn't reply, as he did not have an answer.
He continued sinking for a period of time, the entire time he mused about where he was, and why he was sinking. He soon felt as though he would be falling forever, never to stop, and he was powerless to doing anything about it. He took a deep breath and leaned his head back.
He got the reaction he wanted. He started moving to an upright position, or at least what he assumed was upright. In the water, very few land or air bound species could tell which way was up and which way was down when they were completely submerged.
He noticed that he began to fall at a faster rate. He continued to fall at a steadily increasing speed and he soon started to grow bored of falling. The foot that was lower than the other soon hit something solid.
I’ve hit the bottom of the abyss. Spike thought as the other foot hit the surface.
He looked down and saw absolutely nothing, not even the dark oceanic blue that he had seen for what felt like forever. Just complete and utter black. He looked up and saw that the dark oceanic blue had been entirely replaced with the same black. He looked around and took a single step forward.
There was a sudden explosion of white and grey that blinded his vision and forced him to cover his eyes. He heard the sound of wings flapping. Sure enough, he looked up and saw doves and cardinals and blue jays and nightingales flying away. That’s when he noticed what he was standing on.
It looked like a circular stained glass window with Princess Celestia taking up a good majority of the center.
Spike looked around the window… No, the platform. Yes, Spike looked around the platform, taking in what he could. He looked over the edge, and saw nothing more than black. He gulped slightly and took a few careful steps away from the edge.
So much to do, Spike jumped at the sudden voice. But, he didn't hear anything. He suddenly realized that he was hearing it in his head.
So little time... Take your time... Don’t be afraid…
“Afraid of what?” Spike recoiled at the loudness of his voice when compared to the silence he had experienced for who knows how long.
The door is still shut…
“What door?” Spike asked while looking around, as if trying to find the source of the voice.
A foggy beam of light appeared in the center of the platform, over the cutie marks.
Walk forward, can you do it?
Spike scoffed and walked towards the light. As he neared it, it disappeared. He heard a sound from behind him and turned around rapidly. The foggy beam was near the edge. A stone platform with a simple six pointed crown was carved on the front. There was a flash of light and a white shield with Princess Celestia’s cutie mark in the center appeared.
Power sleeps within you…
He heard something to the right and turned to find a second beam and a second stone platform with a six pointed crown carved on the front. There was another flash of light and a short staff with a diamond on the head that looked a lot like Rarity’s cutie mark appeared.
If you give it form…
There was a third sound to the right and he found the process had repeated, this time with a sword that had an orange hilt and an apple crest near the blade appear in a flash of light.
It will give you strength. Choose well.
Spike didn't even think about it as he went for the sword. He grabbed it in his hands and heard the voice speak again.
The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction… Is this the power you seek?
“Yes.” Spike replied immediately.
The sword disappeared in a flash of light.
Your path is set. Now, what will you give up in exchange?
Spike looked at the other two objects and thought for a second. He eventually picked the shield. He held the shield in his hands.
The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all… You give this power?
Spike blanched at the description of the shield.
“No.” He said quickly.
Very well…
Spike hopped off the platform and walked over to the staff. He held the hilt in his right hand while he rubbed the head of the staff with his left.
The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin… You give up this power?
“Y-yes.” Spike stammered.
The staff disappeared in flash of light.
You’ve chosen the power of the warrior. You’ve given up the power of the mystic. Is this the form you choose?
“Yes.” Spike answered.
Suddenly, the platform tilted, forcing him to hop off the one he was standing on. The entire stained glass window then cracked and shattered, causing him to fall with the shards. He soon noticed a sky blue window nearing him, with a singing Fluttershy in the center and pictures of her friends surrounding her head and her animal friends surrounding the outside.
Spike landed near the edge and looked around. The sword suddenly appeared in his hand, he swung it to his side as the voice spoke.
You’ve gained the ability to fight. Now, try to attack.
Spike gave a swipe of the blade and ended in an almost instinctual stance, ready for the next attack.
All right! You’ve got it. Use this power to save yourself and others.
Spike glanced to the left and saw something like a shadow on the ground, except there was no body to cast it.
“What is that thing?” Spike mumbled to himself.
There will be times you have to fight.
The shadow suddenly grew and became three-dimensional. It was a purple-black and had beady yellow eyes and two crooked antennae sticking out of its head. Two more appeared behind it.
Keep your light burning strong.
They suddenly leaped at him, with two more forming further away. Spike ducked under the first two strikes, and was lucky enough to block the third, but he was suddenly hit from behind, launching him forward and sending him rolling across the platform, stopping just under Fluttershy’s chin. All five of the creatures were in the air, attempting to land on him.
Spike suddenly tossed the sword upward, hitting one of them. As both of them fell, he ran and jumped to grab his sword. He grabbed its hilt and turned while in midair and hit two others that were nearby, stunning them. He then parried an attack from the other two and countered an attack from the first one, sending it reeling and falling onto its haunches. Spike didn't let it get back up as he swiped at the creature’s chest. When the blade connected, the creature disappeared in a poof of black smoke. The others that were trying to surround him suddenly backed off as if in shock, then faded from existence in the same manner as they had appeared.
He took a few deep breaths to calm his rapid heartbeat. He didn’t get a chance to rest for long as the voice spoke once more.
Behind you!
Spike didn't even think as he did a back flip and struck another shadowy creature three times in rapid succession, making it disappear in the same way the other one had. When he landed he immediately dove and rolled to the left, just barely avoiding a swipe of another of the creature’s claws. He struck a third one in the stomach, launching it over the edge and into the seemingly endless black. He quickly finished off the other one.
He noticed a fourth disappear, but it left behind some kind of black, moving residue. It suddenly covered the entire platform and he was taken along for the ride.
Spike found himself flailing his limbs wildly while on his back. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He found himself near the edge of a third platform, this one was purple and had Twilight in the center. He looked up and saw the same foggy beam of light from earlier form. He followed it to see a semi-translucent door.
Wait… The door!
Spike ran forward towards the door, only to find that he couldn’t open it. He heard something behind him and saw a chest near the edge of the platform. He opened it by tapping the top twice with the sword. The chest disappeared in a flash of light.
With a grumble of not getting anything, Spike turned around to see a large crate in the center of the platform. Spike found himself pushing it then hitting it with the sword until it smashed to pieces, not even questioning as those pieces disappeared. He heard something near the door and turned to find that the frame of it was solid.
He turned around completely to see a barrel to the left of him. Once again, he found himself picking up the barrel, and then tossing it, just to destroy it. He turned back to the door to find that the whole thing had become solid. He walked up to it and found it opening by itself, to find blinding white light beyond. He shielded his eyes, and only once it was gone completely did he remove his hands from in front of his face.
He found himself in Ponyville town square, with Applejack leaning against her market stall in front of him, Rainbow Dash snoozing on a cloud to his rear right, and Pinkie Pie eating entire stashes worth of cupcakes to his rear left.
Hold on. The door won’t open just yet. First, tell me a little about yourself.
Applejack suddenly asked, “What’s mos’ importan’ to ya?”
Spike blinked once and asked, “What?”
He heard the cyan pegasus from behind exclaim with a bored tone, “Come on, just answer the question, we ain’t got all day!”
Spike rolled his eyes and thought about it for a few seconds before answering, “Family.”
Applejack gave him a knowing look and said, “Ah agree completely sugarcube.”
He about to answer when she suddenly disappeared in a flash of light. With a blink, Spike turned to the right and walked up to Rainbow Dash, only to find her snoring lightly.
With a snort, Spike poked her in the side. Surprisingly, she woke up automatically, but with a long yawn and sleepy eyes.
“What do ya want outta life?” She asked while rubbing her left eye.
Without missing a beat, Spike answered, “To be happy.”
She suddenly looked at him with a serious face and said, “To be happy… eh.” She shrugged and said, “Meh, to each their own.”
She lay back down on the cloud and was quickly snoring again, where she then disappeared the same way as Applejack. Spike blinked a few times before walking over to Pinkie Pie, who was still busy eating a multitude of cupcakes.
“Hold on,” She said with a full mouth, which she swallowed all at once. She had a serious gleam in her eye as she asked, “What are you afraid of most?”
Spike was about to answer with being different, but thought about it for a few seconds. He was a dragon, destined to live for over a century. The only thing he could call family wasn’t going to live for more than maybe fifty or so years. After that, the only thing he would have for ties to them were memories.
With a deep breath and set mindset, Spike answered, “Getting old.”
Pinkie Pie looked at him in confusion before asking, “Getting old? Is that really so scary? I mean, just think of how many parties you could have?!”
With a gasp, she ran straight for Sugar Cube Corner, the flash of light missing her by a few inches. She hopped once and exclaimed, “Can’t catch me!”
After many hops and attempts later, the flash of light finally managed to get her, even with her Pinkie Sense. Spike couldn't help but chuckle. Even in a dream, Pinkie Pie was still Pinkie Pie.
Sigh… You want to be with your family. You want to be happy. You're afraid of getting old. Your adventure begins at dawn. As long as the sun is shining, your adventure should be a pleasant one.
The day you open the door is both far off and very near.
There was another flash of light, and Spike found himself on an earthen colored platform. He walked forward until he neared the far edge. He heard something behind him and found himself surrounded by the creatures from earlier, at least nine of them.
Spike jumped and struck one of the few that jumped twice and threw his sword at it, making it disappear in a poof of smoke. He rolled forward and jumped in one smooth motion to avoid four different attacks, grabbed his sword, and blocked a series of blows from the creatures, deciding to go on the defensive.
In a few minutes all of them except for two were gone, and these two shook a little before leaping at once. Spike, feeling brave from he recent victories, jumped to join them, striking them both and making them disappear in the same manner.
He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, resting for a few minutes. The foggy beam of light appeared again, and it started at the middle of the platform then made its way to and over the edge of the platform, where it transformed into a stained glass pane. Many others soon formed, leading towards another platform. Running up the make shift stairs, he soon found himself on a hot pink platform with a hopping Pinkie Pie in the center. There, the foggy beam was stationed, as if in waiting. As he walked towards it, he heard the voice speak again.
The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes…
Spike turned around to find his shadow had become long and narrow… and three-dimensional. He gave out a gasp as it become insanely huge, with a heart-shaped hole in it’s chest, the head spikes had become pointed, and it had yellow eyes like the other creatures.
But don’t be afraid.
Spike didn’t listen as he ran for the edge and nearly fell off.
And don’t forget…
Spike turned around and readied his sword for the upcoming battle. The shadow version of Spike lowered its hand, brought it high into the sky, and then suddenly smashed it into the ground a ways away from Spike, darkness pooling around it, with those creatures from earlier appearing from the pool. Without hesitating, Spike attacked the creatures until they were all gone, and the hand returned back to Shadow Spike’s side.
Shadow Spike got onto its knees and brought both arms over its chest. Spike could hear and see something forming in the hole. Shadow Spike lurched back and jerked forwards and some strange white orbs with darkness trailing behind it spread outwards, one of them targeting Spike, who managed to deflect it. This went on for a few seconds before Shadow Spike got back up and did the same thing as before.
This time Spike was prepared, he jumped onto the hand and ran up the arm, towards the head while striking the arm as he did so. He jabbed the sword into Shadow Spike’s eye, all the way to the hilt. He pulled it out and landed on the platform.
The sword disappeared from his hands. Spike looked at his now empty hand and jumped back once, before falling onto his rump. A pool of darkness began to form around him, but he didn’t notice as he was too busy being glared at by the giant shadow-him.
--But don’t be afraid.
Spike’s legs were soon covered by the darkness.
You hold the mightiest weapon of all.
Spike tried to crawl away but his arms were covered in the darkness as well.
So don't forget:
Spike laid on his back and his entire body was covered by darkness, making him black out…
But he still heard the voice…
You are the one, who will open the door…