Prologue

"When the tales of old become legend, and heroes are forgotten, then the end of time is nigh upon us. The life we live each day is a lie if there is not a purpose. That purpose is what drives us, what holds us together in our time of need, the very foundation of what life is all about.

"For years I have dreamed of a life outside of my father's control, where ponies and dragons could live together in peace, without the constant threat of betrayal. It is his purpose that drives me to thwart him each day I live, it is his purpose that spreads like a virus among my fellow brothers and sisters. A cancer that can only be eradicated in the hearts of the youth.

"Once, when the eve of war was upon us, I asked the sister of the moon what her thoughts were regarding the dawn. To this she said nothing, bit inclined her head towards her stars. A tale was told that day, it told of the day I was to die, of how I would save the love of my life. Instead of tears, I simply smiled and said, 'I understand'.

"This war I knew was going to be brought to our sons and daughters, no matter how hard I tried to stop it. In death I have been able to keep my sons from finding out the truth about their legacy, about the war that is standing upon the tip of a sword..."

---

Wind tore through the open cobblestone courtyard of the recently built Canterlot High School in the early morning hours, cooling any who walked by to the very bone. Leaves were starting to turn to their natural colors of golden yellow and orange, indicating that Summer was well over. Fall was right around the corner, and it was not going to be ignored.

Ponies chatted as they walked through the courtyard, not paying attention to anything aside from the latest text on their phones or listening to their friends. Many talked about what they had done over the Summer; seeing a movie or two, going out with their boyfriend or girlfriend, hanging with family, going to the mall, playing games, or just practicing their instruments. Not a single pony dared to ask what one drake had done over the Summer. Instead, a small group decided that it was time for the first beating of the school year.

A constant throbbing pounded against his head, making him wonder if it was instead a jock, thinking that his head was a basketball and was dribbling it down the court. High pitched whining from some ambulance, fire engine, or police car cut through the massive pounding, if only for a moment, as whatever it was drove by the school. All around him, through what little he could see past his bloodied vision, various ponies gathered, either laughing at him or kicking him in some vital spot on his torso as they walked by.

Pain assailed his body from the various fractures on his left leg; the bone near the ankle jutting out slightly, helping add to the giant pool of blood that was beneath him. Another, deep fracture was in his upper leg, right near the hip. A laceration going down to the bone, from a knife that one of the group members had been wielding, drew forth large spurts of dragon-pony blood. Along his left arm were a few nicks where he had been able to fight them off, if only a little, and a large gash across his forehead, right under where his mane touched his scaled head.

Gritting his teeth together tightly, near the point of shattering, he still groaned loudly as he set the protruding bone back into his leg. Laying back, he allowed the pain to surge through his body for a moment more. An inaudible scream escaped him. He felt a wave of nausea rocket his shaking body. Afraid of convulsing, the drake turned to his side as a small spittle of bile escaped his lips.

Looking back up at the sky, he could not help but ask 'What did I do to deserve this?' He knew why they did what they did. He knew that he was different from eveypony else, not only because of being a dragon, but because of who his mother was. Only three of his friends knew anything about him; where he was from, who he really was.

Feeling some pony kick his leg made him groan once more as he tried to see who it was. It was difficult to see beyond the blood that glazed his eyes over, and he eventually gave up the search. Instead, he ripped the sleeve off of his untouched arm and tied it around where the bone had been protruding, covering it up slightly.

Gathering up the blood that was inside of his mouth from the small lacerations to the inside of his cheeks, he spat out a huge glob of spit and blood mixed together. He smiled when he saw the look of disgust that the ponies around gave him.

Keeping his smile, he rose onto his good knee, failing to catch the look of worry from a pair of golden yellow eyes watching him from afar. They vanished quickly as the owner of the eyes went on a frantic search for something that only he knew in his mind would help the drake.

The drake took no heed of the pain that was coursing through his left leg. Instead, he focused on making his way into the school and escaping the courtyard of ponies around him.

Still managing to keep his smile, even though it was forced, he progressed on. He was determined to let the ponies know that they could do whatever they wanted to him, and he was never going to give up, no matter what the cost.

Fully rising to his feet, he had to rely on letting his wings stretching out, flapping them lightly so as to balance himself out and keep his left foot from touching the ground. Without so much as a grimace to his features, he made his way towards the main hall of the school, paying no mind to the ponies that spit at him as they passed. Many were grossed out however after seeing the trail of blood that he was leaving behind. A select few wondered how he was able to stand, let alone walk with the amount that he was losing.

Tensions rose as he entered the main wing of the school. Canterlot High may have been a small school a few years ago when his older, adoptive brother had graduated, but now it was much larger. Ponies packed into the main wing like sardines in a can, with barely any room to breath, let alone walk.

The drake felt his mind beginning to haze over, his eyes becoming heavy as the amount of blood loss was finally taking its toll on him.

Without even thinking, he clung to the wall of the hall as more blood escaped his lips, falling off in long dripping strings, looking almost like a slow falling crimson paste. Glancing back, he had to stifle a laugh as a few of the ponies passing him looked both disgusted, yet happy to see him in such a broken state. Many of the ponies simply looked away from him as though he were a hydra. Ignoring the lingering glares of pure hatred that were directed at him, he turned to make his way towards his first class of the day.

The classroom was relatively easy to find, being the only one in the secondary wing of PDH, or Pony-Dragon History. As was expected, the hallway was empty as he stumbled down it, having to lean against the lockers for support. It was forbidden to open your wings indoors, and he had to accommodate. It felt good to to lean against the lockers instead of straining his wings though. He sighed in relief as he came to the end of the hall, where the classroom labeled PDH-13 awaited with an open door. Beside of the open door was a small plaque that read, 'Mr. Disharmony: Dragon History II'.

Entering the room, the drake found that it was unearthly quiet, with the lights dimmed to the point that he thought they were nonexistent. Twenty-seven old metallic desks were spread out before the large oak one in the front where the teacher sat. Twenty-five were arrayed in rows of five by columns of five, each one looked to be set a perfect space apart. With the two extra set aside next to his desk, for bad students he presumed.

On either side of the room were various maps of Equestria, of various cities, and even a lone map of the Dragon Capitol of Ulênmore. Awestruck, he made a mental note to ask the teacher where he had gotten such a rare map this far into the Pony Kingdom.

Blood continued to drip from various locations on his body, creating a rather large puddle that he keenly became aware of in a matter of seconds. Looking towards the back of the class, he spotted a few desks that were more secluded from the view of the rest of the class.

Stumbling as he walked, he made his way over to the desks that he had spotted and sat down in a chair, letting a sigh of relief wash over him as the weight was taken off of his injured leg. Another wave of nausea rocketed his body, threatening to make him lose what little breakfast he did have for once. Feeling lightheaded, he allowed himself to lean back in the seat, closing his eyes. He could feel unconsciousness gripping at him, begging him to follow its warming touch.

Spike... Spike...

Reaching into the bag that he had brought in, the drake found a thin strip of cloth that he knew too well was used for biting down on when he was in pain or angry. He pulled over a chair from the desk beside him. Biting down hard on the cloth, he ripped off his remaining sleeve and used it to tie up his broken leg. Low growls escaped him as he felt a tight stinging sensation while he tied the cloth tight, racking his body for all the pain that he could withstand.

He gasped. Letting the cloth slip through his teeth, he felt a sense of weightlessness overcome him. He could not fight it. His eyes closed as his body fell backwards. With a loud crash, the chair struck the floor while his head came into contact with it. He felt all of his pain melt away as he gave into the desire of sleep. He was unaware of the pool of blood that was starting to grow around him.

Spike... Spike... Now is not your time... Go back... Go... Back... Go...

The drake's eyes shot open as he heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming towards the room. The pounding grew rapid when he heard somepony gasp, at the trail of blood he assumed. Unable to move from where he was, he just closed his eyes as he swallowed more blood, feeling himself wanting to let go again. He became slightly aware of the pool of blood that he was lying in, coating his clothes in the crimson liquid.

Silence encompassed the room. His ears focused solely on the sound of the increasing pounding of the footsteps as they drew nearer. Closing his eyes, he allowed his nose to pick up whatever scents he could find. Lavender was the most prominent, mashed with the strong odor of freshly printed books and the unmistakable nose biting stench of crushed pine needles. Weakly, he reached out towards the direction of the scent. His voice was raspy as he spoke, "Twi..." Coughing, he spit up more blood as his body began to convulse, feeling his lunch starting to come up.

Tear assailed his eyes as he thought about the pain that he was feeling. No pony could withstand what he was feeling, especially on the inside. Blood continued to seep from his wounds, as well as drool down the sides of his lips. He felt lost, alone, unwanted, and was happy to embrace eternal darkness if it meant that the pain would go away.

Lavender fur flashed before what he could see past his bloodied eyes as her voice was almost to the point of shrieking at him as she shouted, "Spike! Spike! What in the name of Celestia happened to you?!"

Coughing even more, he only managed to wiggle a finger before his head smacked down against the polished marble floor again. He could feel a weight atop him, he could feel her speaking to him, but he was unable to hear her words.

Freshly picked delicious red apples covered with early morning dew, interlaced with the heavenly aroma of freshly cut cedar fused with dried mud wormed its way into his nose soon after, making him look over towards the door. An orange blur was all that he saw move before there was another presence beside him. "What in tarnation happen'd to ya Spike?"

He felt a weight beneath him, this one managing to pick him up and lean him against her knees as she untucked her shirt and began to wipe away the blood from his head. "Spike! Spike! Listen ta me! Ya ain't leavin' us yet there sugar cube! Hang on!" He could feel a hand pressing against his head. "Ryder! Ryder! Twilight, find Ryder!" In a flash, the lavender mare had vanished from the room, unable to make any sound as she did so.

His nose caught the tail of a new scent. This was one he would never confuse with any other. Sweet vanilla, laced with a combination of honey and ground cherries, could only belong to one mare. The vanilla was her natural scent, while the honey and cherry combination was her expensive perfume that she bought special from Canterlot.

Her voice was able to cut straight through his haze like an arrow, "Spikey! Spikey! Noo!"

He felt his body shift from one set of knees to another, this new pair feeling softer, warmer, more caring.

Through what little of his vision he could make sense of, he saw a silvery-white arm wrapped around him, with his head pressed into a soft chest. He was now sitting up almost straight, though he was being rocked back and forth in her caring arms. "Spike. Shhh. Save your energy, just let us help you." Her voice was soothing, almost like that of an angel's cast down from the heavens above. It made him want to fall asleep. Closing his eyes, he allowed her rocking to drift him off to sleep.

Would the world find itself in a better state if I went away? Would the pain that they feel go away if I died? Would it be worth it to leave my baby brother, my sister, and my best friend, or even my other friends? Could I put them through that? Could I just let myself go, just let death take me?

Spike... It's not time... You must carry on... I am depending on you... Equestria... Is Depending... Go on... Wake now... Go...

Spike shook himself as he opened his eyes. He was surprised when he opened them to see not only his sister with him, but his best friend as well as his closest friend. Though raspy, he managed to say, "Rare, Twi, AJ..." His voice faded as he began to cough up more blood, feeling his nausea returning to him.

Fatigue gripped at him heavily. He fought to keep his eyes open. His head felt like it had been split in two while his throat was drenched with blood. He could feel his broken leg shift as he was caressed.

Feeling a lone tear slide down her cheek, the silvery-white mare brushed away the drake's tears with her thumb before she just stared at him. Seeing him in such a state; his left leg wrapped around in a tourniquet; fastened from the metal legs of a desk, his right forearm with the other sleeve of his shirt wrapped around it, blood staining it, and with nopony aside from the three mares seeming to care one bit. It was unbearable to see. Knowing though that at least they cared enough to try and help him, even if it was cleaning the blood off of him, was enough to put a slight smile on her lips. Leaning over slightly, she pleadingly whispered, "Spike. You can't leave us, we...we love you too much."

She leaned in to place a kiss against his forehead, her tears softly trickling down his scaled cheeks. Still rocking him, she looked back to the lavender mare that was beside her, "Where is Ryder Twilight!? Where is he!?" Her voice cracked. Twilight could see that the silvery-white mare was more distraught than she was, but she had no idea why.

Unable to hold back the tears that were escaping from her eyes, the mare looked down in defeat. In a low voice, she said, "I-I couldn't find him... He was last seen running away from where this", she gestured towards the drake in the silvery-white mare's arms, "happened. I tried to find him but he's... gone. I'm sorry..."

"No! No! That's not like Ryder!" Pressing her head against the drake, she continued to cry, allowing her true emotions start to emerge, but still keeping some in check. "He, he can't leave us. We love you too much Spike, you can't leave us."

Tasting the warm, metallic liquid that was his blood from the lacerations on his lips, he tried to lick the wounds clean as he chanced a brief glance at the mare before him. Bile from some unknown source coated his teeth, yet tasting the blood made him want to vomit for the first time in his life. Unable to stop himself, he turned away from the three mares just as a mixture of what little breakfast he had along with the blood that was inside of his mouth spewed all over the floor, leaving a large smelling puddle that would make any sane pony flee from the room.

The three mares did nothing of the sort. In fact, the orange mare simply pulled out a bandanna from her back pocket and tied it around her mouth and nose so that she could breath even with the smell, the other two mares quickly followed her lead, and soon they were steadily coming closer to the drake once more.

Tears, though light, fell from their eyes as they looked at their friend in such a ruined state, wishing to Celestia that those who tortured the drake would finally leave him alone, if not then they wished that somepony would try to help him. The silvery-white mare thought that her sister's girlfriend could possibly lend a hand, seeing as how she was hailed as a hero because of the incident with Queen Chrysalis, but she did not want to involve the young fillies. She was unable to form any words with the ramble that her mind had taken. Each time that she began to think about something other than the drake, a new chord was strung on her heart.

Although she was afraid to say it out loud, she was never afraid to admit to herself that she had fallen in love with the drake many years ago, but just like now, she was unable to say anything to him about her feelings. Fear of losing his friendship always hung first in her mind, and she would rather die than be away from him. Her heart longed for him, but her mind told her that if he felt anything for her, that he would have said something by now.

Sometimes she hated the fact that she loved him. It drove her insane to see all of the other couples walking around, holding hands, telling jokes, laughing, and being with their own special somepony. This never deterred her completely however, and she always clung to the hope that one day they would be together.

Spike could not help but let a few more tears fall from his eyes. He could sense that she was broken, that somewhere deep down, she was hurting. This was one of the many of the things that he never wanted her to feel. "I-I-It's n-not your f-f-f-faul..."

"Shhh Spike. Save your energy. Just rest." Silence encompassed the room as the mare simply listened to the steady sobs coming from all of those in the room. Unable to take anymore, she screamed out, "Ryder! Where the hell are you?! Ryder!"

Coughing, Spike looked away from the mare and towards the ceiling. The loss of blood was finally starting to take its toll on him. His will to fight began to slip away from his fingertips. It became a contest of strength to even so much as hold his eyes open, let alone keep breathing. With each breath of air he felt his chest getting heavier. His lungs began to expand beyond their intended reach. Labored breathing was all that he could manage anymore, making the three mares cry even harder. "Ryder! Where are you! Ryder!"

No gurgling came from the drake's lips any longer. A small trickle of blood still escaped the corners of his mouth, but he was still. Although he was still breathing, he was very weak. His eyes were barely open, his heart beating slower and slower, his vision failing him, and his life passing on. "Help! Somepony! Any pony!"

Twilight looked away from her brother. She could not bare to witness his torment any longer. She wanted his pain to end, she wanted it to be done, but most of all, she wanted him to be happy, and well. "Rarity, it's no use. Nopony is going to come." She hung her head in shame as her words sunk in. Realizing that she had already given up on her brother, Twilight said nothing.

Rarity glanced around her to see if there was anything that she could do to help. She had never felt more helpless in all of her life, but she knew there must be something that she could do. Chancing a glance towards Applejack, she smiled slightly. "Applejack, quick. I need you to pick up Spike."

"Uh Rare. Are ya alright sugar cube?"

"I am perfectly fine Applejack. I need your shirt."

Applejack looked at the mare with a look of both worry and concern, "Are ya sure yer alright there Rare?"

"Applejack!" Sighing, she tried to subdue her anger for the moment. "Please, just trust me. We have to hurry, otherwise Spike is not going to make it."

"Ah understand that sugar cube, but what in tarnation do ya need my shirt fer?"

"I need it for..."

Thumping from something heavy echoed down the hallway. It sounded as though something metallic was being slapped against the metal lockers that lined the hall. The heavy thud of boots accompanied the metallic echo. The swishing of a tail brushing rapidly against the floor grew louder as whatever or whoever was making the noise drew closer.

Turning the final corner into the PDH hall, a stallion with emerald green fur and black stripes throughout made his way down towards the classroom. His dark sapphire blue hair with streaks of jet black in it bounced as he raced into the room. His golden yellow eyes took one look at his brother and he too felt tears in his eyes. Seeing that the drake had his eyes closed, the stallion slid over to his brother as he took him swiftly from Rarity, who had a look of both happiness, and anger.

Holding the drake's head against his chest, the stallion held him with his free hand while his other hand gripped the small metal pipe tighter. "Spike, I am so sorry. But you know I have to do this. Ethna, Ethna. Borka eslin'da."

Still holding his older brother close, the stallion said, "Athornän desĉhkna islen toiyaran svhèn." A swirling mist escaped his nasal passage as he slowly breathed out. The mist turned from a pure snow white to a light baby blue sapphire, swirling all around his brother, but never leaving him. "Rarity, I need you to hold his chest." Passing him over to Rarity, he had her hold the drake by his shoulders so that he could work on the leg. "Synthian corra." The mist ceased its flow from his nose, but continued to swirl beneath the drake.

Spike's eyes opened slightly. He chanced another glance at the mare who was holding him, this time letting it linger sense she was no longer looking at him for the moment. Majestic sapphire eyes watched with interest at what the emerald stallion was doing. Using his hands to push and pull the mist while at the same time realigning the drake's leg and snapping it back into place. His face was stern, emotionless even as he worked.

Spike could not help but let a light sigh escape his lips as he favored the mare with his own emerald eyes. "Bêltor nächk." His voice was very faint, but had started to regain some of its fight back. Ryder could not help but let a sly grin cross his lips as he glanced at the silvery-white mare out of the corner of his eyes. A pregnant silence hung heavy in the room as all eyes turned towards the two brothers. They watched as Spike spit more blood from his mouth into the floor, following it was the heat from the air around them.

Fire emerged from the drake's mouth, swirling around in a circle before him. It looked as if a steady stream of flame was running into a barrier and turning back on itself. It amazed the three mares, as they had never seen him do anything like it before. The stallion however seemed to know exactly what to do. Releasing the pipe, and his brother, the stallion placed his hands on either side of the orb. "Slavikna, estra ilsnoran. Thurmok floura galida durl, jêckmal. Storan!"

Breaking apart his hands, the stallion guided the fire with his fingertips. The sphere broke apart into two serpent like trails, each one seeming to tinge with its own hue of life. Two orange eyes glowed on either side of where the head would be, which was near the stallion's palms, while razor sharp flamed teeth began to take shape. Taking shallow, steady breaths, the stallion placed his hands against his brother's legs, the serpents following.

The first serpent slithered its way up his leg to the base, wrapping its body around the leg like a string of lights around a porch column during Hearth's Warming. The second serpent followed the first, although it filled in the gaps between the first. Together, their bodies merged into one. It was as if a breath of fresh air had passed over the group, for all at once they released the breath that they had been unknowingly holding.

The air grew warmer as the flames began a slow circle around one another. The bright orange flame lapped at the hem of his jeans, yet there was no burning.

Rarity's eyes watched in amazement as the fire began to spin around his leg faster than a tornado. Twilight herself could feel the energy that the fire was draining from the very air around them. She smiled slightly however when she saw the drake's leg starting to heal over, the tissue reconnecting, the bone setting back into place.

With most of the wounds now starting to heal, there was one last thing to do. "Sven." The flames died down to a low light, where they broke apart back into the two serpents. This time however they had wings, and flew around the room joyously. Thrice they flew around the room at speeds that would make even Rainbow Dash's jaw drop. At the end of the third arc they came crashing back together into the raging orb inferno that they were before. The flame was different though it seemed. Instead of taking energy, it seemed to be giving back life, more towards the drake than anywhere else. Instead of it being the normal color of orange or red, it was now a bright green flame.

Placing one end of the pipe into the ball of fire, the stallion allowed it a few seconds until it was burning white, which turned to a bright cherry red when he pulled it away. Looking to his older brother, he said, "May the fire of thy own spirit cleanse thy wound... Hush now Spike, dad will take care of you." Spike simply groaned in response.

Rarity watched with interest at what Ryder was doing. She was fascinated, just as Applejack and Twilight were, as to how Ryder could possibly control fire just as easily as a dragon could. None of them said anything however so that he could concentrate on the task at hand. Rarity could not tear her eyes away from the drake's own closed ones. Now and again she could see them shifting lightly beneath their protective lids, each time with a grimace following.

Her heart melted as she gazed upon the sight of the drake that she loved so much. Knowing what he went through everyday was a burden to her, a curse. She knew what was going on, what was happening to him, but yet she did not know who was doing it, nor did she have the power to stop them. She felt useless when compared to what say Applejack or Twilight could do. Still, she wanted to try. "Applejack." Anger was prominent in her voice as she spoke. "Do you know who keeps doing this to Spike!"

Applejack chanced a glance towards Twilight, who was too busy trying to help Spike by holding one of his bloody hands firmly in her own. Tears were cascading down her face, landing on the drake's shirt. "Ah really can't say Rare." Applejack was never a fool, she always knew what happened in school, just like her best friend Rainbow Dash did. She hated to lie to her friend, but she had sworn to never say a word unless Spike said that she could. Biting her tongue, she averted the gaze of the silvery-white mare in favor of the drake's now cauterized wounds.

Twilight gritted her teeth in anger as she looked up from Spike's healing body. "His name, is Thunderlane." Rarity looked at Twilight with remorse, knowing fully well how much that seeing the drake like this hurt her. The name 'Thunderlane' struck a chord in her memory, but for some odd reason, she could not explain why.

"Twilight, who exactly is this Thunderlane? I think that I should pay him a 'friendly' visit." Low growling began to fill the room. It started to turn into a snarl as both Rarity and Twilight looked back at the drake. His right eye was open, gazing at Rarity with a sort of protectiveness that she had seen in him only once before. It sent a shiver down her spine as she remembered the incident quite well. "Spike?"

Though he could not speak, his gaze towards her spoke a hundred words to both Twilight and Ryder, who knew the drake better than anyone else did. Ryder looked towards Twilight, then to Rarity. "Rarity," his voice was low, "that really is a bad idea. Thunderlane never runs alone, and he always fights dirty. You would get hurt, and Spike wouldn't like that too much." Twilight could see that Ryder was trying to hold back his tongue so that Spike could tell Rarity about his feelings when he was ready. "I don't know if you remember it too well, but that incident in the back alleyway of Derek's? You know, where you were almost raped?"

Rarity took a moment. Her mind recalled the name of the event, and she shivered when she remembered hearing the stallion's voice, but she still could not recall Thunderlane in any way.

"Rare. Don't fret none 'bout it. Ah can take care of it."

Rarity was unconvinced. She still felt that there was more that she could do. "I can't accept that." Tears started to fall from her eyes again, landing on the barely conscious drake's forehead. "I-I am g-g-g-guilty of knowing his pain. We all know what he goes through on a daily basis, and yet none of us do anything. I can't sit by anymore. I feel so helpless, so weak, so unworthy..." Her voice faded off into silence as she looked down and saw Spike with tears in his own eye.

"Please... Don't... Cry... Rar-r-r-rit-ty-y-y..." His voice was raspy. "You d-d-don't... need... to... cry..." With what strength he had left in his body, he reached up with his hand to brush against her cheek. He used his thumb to wipe away her tears. "For... Me..." With that, his eyes closed and his hand fell. A mixture of dragon-pony streaked down her cheek, but she paid it no mind. Seizing the chance, she took his blood coated hand within her own, not caring that the warm crimson liquid was staining her majestic silvery-white coat.

"Spike..." Rarity grew worried as she saw his chest slow to a snails pace. "Spike..." Her voice grew shaky as she looked up to Ryder. "Ryder... Is he..." She was unable to finish as she looked back down to Spike's almost lifeless body.

Reaching a hand over, the stallion felt for his pulse, smiling when he found it. "No, he's just fine. His pulse is very slow though. He needs to get to the hospital, and he needs blood." Ryder sighed as he chose his next words carefully, "The problem with both he and I... is that our skin is too tough to break through with a needle. What we have to do... is actually drink the b-blood... to put it into our systems."

Applejack chanced a glance towards Ryder, then to Twilight. "Ah could, uh, give him the blood. It ain't no trouble really."

"Thank you Applejack, but I am afraid that I don't have anything here to help with that. Unless you got a knife, then..." His eyes fell to the metal pipe that was in his hand. "On second thought, I may have an idea."

Rarity looked down towards Spike's hand. She felt his razor sharp talons pressing into her soft, fleshy, furred palm. Letting a sly grin come to her lips, she slid his hand out, taking care to avoid the eyes of any of the three ponies around her. Pressing her lips against his forehead, she let her touch linger before she pulled away. Putting her lips next to his ear, she whispered, "For you Spikey."

Aligning his talon with the prominent vain in her left forearm, she pressed down. The talon slipped into her flesh as easily as a knife through butter. A scream escaped her lips as she felt the pain surge through her body. Her eyes slammed shut as she tried to hold back the fresh tears that threatened to escape her as she drove the talon deeper into her arm.

After what seemed like an eternity of forced torture, she felt the talon touch her bone. She felt nauseated, light headed even as the blood began to build up beneath the talon, the hard appendage being the only thing keeping the blood from escaping. Letting the grin return to her lips, the silvery-white mare brought her arm over towards Spike's snout. To the surprise of everypony present, the mare slipped the talon out as fast as she could, having to bite her tongue to keep from screaming again. The tears from before resurfaced and began to cascade down her cheeks.

Before any pony present could even think to stop her, the mare slipped the fingers of her free hand into his mouth. She looked to Ryder for help when she could not pry his jaw apart. The emerald stallion held his tongue as he did what she wanted. All held their breath as she lowered her bleeding arm in between his open fangs. A steady stream of blood began to slither down his gullet, past his teeth and tongue, which slowly wrapped itself around her arm.

Rarity said nothing as she watched his tongue slither around her furry arm, continuously coating the wound with his smelly, acidic saliva. It tickled at times as the tips of his long forked tongue brushed against the flesh beneath the fur. She knew that this was probably the most vile thing that she had even done in front of her friends, but with Spike, this did not even come close.

"I-I'll call mom. L-Let her know what happened." Silence, "T-T-Twilight, would you c-call an ambulance p-please?" Ryder was just like the other two ponies, awestruck at seeing Rarity in her current state . Her normally curly hair was mated flat against her face from the sweat that was cascading down her body. Blood coated the left side of her face where the drake's hand had been, the streak running down her neck from the tears that fell from her eyes. What amazed them the most however was seeing Spike's forked tongue slithering all over her arm where the blood was dripping down from in a greater volume now, and instead of trying to be 'cooth', she was actually smiling about it.

"Rare, are ya alright?" The silvery-white mare raised her head to look into the eyes of one of her best friends, only to see an honest amount of care for the mare.

"I am fine Applejack. I'm just worried about Spike." Her gaze fell back down to the drake in her lap, seeing that his tongue had stopped playing with her flesh and was just eagerly awaiting the blood that it was taking in. Rarity had not noticed that Applejack was now the one holding the drake's mouth open.

Off in the distance she could hear the sound of sirens, steadily getting louder. "T-T-Thank y-y-y-you R-R-Rar..." The silvery-white mare watched as the drake's mouth closed, his lips remaining around the wound as he began to suckle her arm like a newborn drake.

Knowing that what she was about to say was in vain, she felt compelled to do so anyway. "Spike, there is something that I n-need to tell you. I-I-I l-l-l-love y-you." Twilight and Applejack both looked at Rarity with a mixture of confusion and happiness. "I have always l-l-loved you, I just could never work up the courage to tell you, until now, when it might be too late. You c-can't leave us Spikey-Wikey. You can't leave me. Please, stay. Life without you, is... is worthless..." She began to feel faint.

Her body was unprepared for the amount of blood loss that she was suffering due to the incision that she had made with Spike's talon. She felt faint, her head feeling like it was swimming in a sea of unease. She felt her heart starting to beat faster, trying to pump out more blood. The world around her began to spin, as she felt her breakfast starting to resurface. "Spike... I... l-l-lov..."

---

"Rarity!" Hearing her name sounded like a blur in a dark cave, where all sounds simply faded away. Her eyes closed as her body began to fall over, with her arm still firmly between the drake's lips. "Rarity!"

"Spike... Spike..." A soothing, serene voice called out to him. It was as if an angel from some far away land had been blessed with the gift of song. Each letter of his name sounded like a musical note when it erupted from the abyss around him. "Spike..."

Darkness enveloped him, shrouding him in its icy cold black abyss. No light could be seen, aside from the faint glimmer of emerald green flames that escaped his nose every now and again. Each breath that he took felt as though it was going to be his last. The only thought on his mind, was what a fool he had been. 'All this time, I have loved Rarity, and never told her how I felt. That old saying, "It is better to have loved and to have lost than never to have loved at all", its holds true even now. I have loved, but I have never lost. I was a c... coward.'

That final word echoed all around him, almost as if it was his mind yelling it back at him in full force. Tears fell from his eyes as he placed his hands over his ears, trying in vain to block out the echo. "Shut up." He yelled into the abyss, with only silence in return. "I'm sorry! Is that what you want me to say?! I am sorry!" A loud roar escaped his maw, with it was a firey inferno which raged on before him.

"Calm thy temper mine son." Spike closed his jaw upon hearing the sweet, deep sound of a voice that was always enticing to his ears, yet also very familiar.

In a whisper, he said, "Father?"

All around him countless stars began to illuminate the abyss, tearing away the veil of shadow that was over him, only to be replaced by beauty. Below him, an angelic rainbow path began to take shape, the ends dropping off like a waterfall as the rainbow expanded out. On either side of the path, large ornate statues began to take shape from a silver mist.

The first statue was of a large ferocious dragon. His scales seemed to stand on edge as smoke billowed out from his nostrils, the flames dancing behind his clenched teeth. Pure hatred was smothering his eyes, while his body resembled a serpent in shape; with the head centered perfectly while the body wound its way behind him, his tail flapping eagerly on end, and his long whiskers ready to wrap around his prey. "Yuzin, Guardian of Fire."

Behind the stature emerged a lone drake, his scales the most flawless shade of dark amethyst, with an elegantly curved silver underbelly. The drake was garbed in a robe made of fox fur and leather, dyed an elegant golden yellow with purple trim. Around his neck was a ruby, cut into the shape of a heart, bound with a golden chain. Behind his ear was a solid silver feather, with a golden tip and dripping with ink. "It's good to see you again Spike." His smile was genuine, as his golden yellow eyes bore into those of the amethyst drake standing before the statue.

"Father?" Spike dropped to his knees as he looked at the older drake. His voice failed him as he gazed upon his father, fully alive, and smiling at him. "Is, is it really you?"

"As much as I hate to see you like this, yes." His smile faded for a brief moment as he gazed at the rainbow path. "I fear the coming of a new age." He whispered to himself. A smile was once again upon his lips as he looked back at his son. "Yuzin was a wise Guardian, but he was also easily angered."

Spike rose as the older drake came to stand before him, bowing before he pulled his son in close to him, holding him tightly. "I love you son."

"I love you too father." Spike could not stop his tears as he finally held his father close. Never before had he ever been able to do this before, let alone see him. It was not the same as the previous years, but he could care less. He was actually able to hold his father in his arms, to feel his scales rubbing against his own, and able to finally see the love that he had. "I miss you so much, so does mom."

"I know, and I am sorry." Pulling away, he kept his hands on his son's shoulders as he spoke, "Unfortunately we were not brought together under a better time, although I wish it were so." Sighing, he let go of his son as he began to walk down the rainbow path. "Follow me son, we have much to talk about in so short of time."

Spike obeyed what his father said, and followed. "Tell me Spike, does the wind howl at the moon, or does the tree groan for the hunter? Does the moon await the sun during the night, or does the sun await the rising tides during the day? Does the butterfly really amount to anything significant, or does it just wither away like a pest?"

Spike was confused as to what his father was saying, but he held his tongue. "Your mother used to say such things. During the war, she would always ask me, "Why does your father persist in a venture that even he can't afford to lose?" I would always say, "If the mind worked alike, then there would no one be." She never understood what I meant, until the war was over..." His voice faded as they stopped before a swirling mist of silver.

Rising from the mist, was another ornate statue. This one was of another dragon. This dragon sat with his legs crossed, his head bowed, and his two forefingers between his eyes, pressed against his temple. A skirt of wind billowed behind him, flapping his cloak about. "Ruien, Guardian of Wind." Spike was amazed at how calm, and serene the dragon looked. "One of the fairest, most generous, and kindest of our race, aside from you my son. Ruien was an inspiration to all dragons. It was through him that we were able to peacefully communicate with ponies. He showed us that there was more to life than just greed, war, pillaging."

The older drake placed a hand against the statue before continuing on with Spike in toll. "There once was a time when my father loved me, when he loved ponies, when he was not so dead set o his plans. I'll never know what made him change, but I wish that it had never happened." Spike watched as his father looked around at the stars for a while before he spoke. "The stars mean many things to different races. For dragons, it represents the lives of our ancestors. To the ponies, they are glorious spectacles from which their Princess drew beauty for the night. For the gryphons, it means the change of time, the recording off old, but not of their own family.

"They are not all wrong Spike. But, what if each one was part of the truth? What if together, the races could discover what they truly are?"

"But, that would mean that dragons, gryphons, and ponies would have to live together."

"Exactly! Imagine, a world where no race has to live in fear of the other, but instead, only evil people, evil things."

The older drake whirled around to face his son as a giant swirl of turquoise whisked away, only to reveal a turquoise colored crystal in its wake. On it was a pony, standing tall and proud with water swishing around him. His mane flew with the current of the water while his eyes gazed out over the horizon. "Cyan, Guardian of Water." Spike looked at the pony with wide eyes as his father's words sunk in.

"Cyan was the first and only pony to be gifted with the ability to harness the power of any element. His legend told of when he was a young colt, his saved his family from timberwolves and a band of dragon thieves by talking with the river, and garnering safe passage beyond the dreaded White Tail falls. Cyan is the smartest, and most loyal of all the guardians. His place is not as a leader, but rather for the people. He belonged to everyone, and no one belonged to him."

The older drake lead the way to the end of the rainbow path.

The path dead ended into a huge Colosseum, which stood well over eight hundred feet tall. Each pillar looked to be made of solid marble, while coiling around each one were vines. Blooming from the vines were glorious flowers that made the Colosseum feel more of like a shrine to a hero.

In the middle of the Colosseum was a marble statue, the final one that the younger amethyst drake would see. It was of a dragon, who towered well over seventeen feet in height. He was garbed in a flowing robe that was less thick that what his father was wearing. Around his waist was strapped a two-handed great sword, while underneath of the drake's robe was armor fit for a king. Boulders of earth were on either side of his armor clad legs.

"Earin, Guardian of Earth." There was a pause as a low howling began to whisk about the Colosseum. "Earin is the most important of all of the Guardians. It was Earin who ended the great war long ago between the three races, and united them into one. It was well before your mother's time, before my grandfather's even. Earin is what we perceive as Valor, Honor, Integrity, Leadership. Earin was the greatest, most powerful, and most inspirational out of all the Guardians."

The older drake sighed as he looked away from the statue and towards his son. "Sadly our time together is coming to an end my son. There is a greater force at work here than either of us could hope to contend with by ourselves." He said the last part quietly, more to himself than his son. Retaining his smile as his gaze fell upon his son once more, he said, "Fret not mine son. I have a sort of, parting gift for the time being."

Placing a hand on his son's shoulder, the drake made sure that the younger drake was staring into his eyes. "I know of the love you have for her, and if I know, then 'he' knows as well. Listen to mine words very carefully Spike. Love can define us, it can make us, it can break us, it can make us do crazy things." He chuckled as a fond memory passed in his mind. "But what really matters in love, is that you let it speak to you, let it guide you. Those that you love will always be with you, maybe not in body, but in your heart they will remain strong forever. Spike, never, never give up on what you love, or those you love. You never know what you are missing until it's too late. Tell her how you feel. As you said before, 'It is better to have loved and to have lost than never to have loved at all.'"

Spike returned his father's warming smile with one of his own. Tear still falling from his eyes. "My time here is no more, but remember what I said Spike. The ones you love, will always be alive, strong in your heart."

Spike pulled his father into a tight hug, refusing to let him go. "I love you dad." Before his father could respond, he vanished. In a cloud of vapor, his body simply washed away with the wind, leaving Spike alone in the middle of the Colosseum. Or so he thought.

Standing beside of the statue of Earin was a majestic snow white dragoness, two silver lines running down either side of her perfectly curved figure. She was garbed in a simple white dress, with a beautiful crown of flowers atop her head. When she spoke, it was like the most wonderful notes of music ever played. "Spike, finally you have come to me. I have been waiting for our chance meeting for a long time."

Slowly turning to look at the dragoness, said drake wiped away his tears before he fully faced her. "Who are you?"

Her giggles sounded sweeter than the tink of gems clattering together. "My, an answer kind of guy. I like that." She giggled again. His face began to turn a deep shade of crimson. "My name is Glitter if you must know. As for my being here, that is real question hmm?"

Spike nodded. "I suppose that what I am about to tell you is of no use, considering when you wake that your mind will lock this information away somewhere not even you can access it, but here goes."

The dragoness took a deep breath before she began, "I am what they call a fox, cunning, yet swift. I am nowhere, but yet I am everywhere. The future is what I see, but the past makes me feel all giddy to watch, while the present remains untouched. To see all, to know all, is a burden. What makes this easy? What makes things seem so lazy? It is by chance that we met on this of all days young Spike, when the moons align to celebrate the memory of our hero Earin?"

Silence hung in the air as the wind began to howl more ferociously than before. "A warning you would due well to heed I must deliver. Love is but a rugged rose, with thorns that hurt and weave, yet corrupt. 'He' will use all power to exterminate you. 'His' will is mightier than any throne can hope to quell. 'His' thirst is insatiable. Spike, this warning is for you alone, and when the time comes, you will remember it. Never give up. When all seems lost, when you feel that you should quit, don't. Rarity would want you to go on. She would want you to fight, to thwart 'him' every chance you got."

"Wait, how do you know Rarity? Or how do you know me, and who is 'he'?"

"Spike, I know much more about you than you do yourself. You have a strong heart, you have courage. You have the makings of greatness. Never before have I seen any creature with such power to shape their future as I have seen with you. Impossible to see your future is young Spike, but not lost." A warm smile touched her lips as she, like his father, turned into a cloud of vapor before being carried away by the wind. Leaving Spike truly alone now.

Looking away from Earin, he pondered what had been said to him by both his father and the snow white dragoness Glitter. Behind him the statue shifted its form quietly, taking a brand new shape.

When Spike raised his eyes to look at the statue again, he was both awestruck, and shocked nearly out of his life as he beheld what the statue now was. Instead of Earin, the mighty Earth Guardian, there was Spike, standing with Rarity by his side. Together they were garbed in armor, with swords across their backs as they gazed out over the horizon, their hands close together with their fingers intertwined. Glitter's serene voice whispered softly in his ears, "Spike, Guardian of Life..."