After leaving Ponyville for good, Spike and his companions went to travel across Equestria to Los Pegasus. As they kept moving along, he couldn't stop thinking about what Twilight said to him. The words that she said to him stung him like a bee. It hurt him really hard that he could never face Twilight or her friends. He knew that he messed up a lot of things in the past, but nothing could ever lay a finger on the fact that he was banished over a mishap with the statue. He felt more miserable about it and it just agonized him even more.

"Well, this is where we stop!" Trixie said.

"Here?" Spike asked.

"We're halfway towards Los Pegasus, but we need to rest if we wanna make it any further." Trixie said.

"We know, but wouldn't it be easier to rest over in that cave over there?" Starlight asked, pointing towards a cave.

"Wouldn't be a bad idea. We're pretty much sheltered away from the creatures out there." Trixie said.

"Should we go in there?" Spike asked.

"Why not?" Trixie said as she pulled her cart.

The three made their way towards the cave as they took shelter from the outside. After setting up camp, they brought out whatever firewood that Trixie had and started making dinner.

"So tell me Spike. How'd you blow it with Twilight this time?" Trixie asked.

"Trixie!" Starlight shouted.

"What? I was just asking a question." Trixie whined.

"But could you at least be a little sensitive about it? He's-"

"It's okay, Starlight. Trixie was just asking a question." Spike said, albeit passively.

Starlight calmed down a little bit as Spike explained his situation. After explaining for about five minutes, Trixie was in utter disbelief about what she just heard.

"Wow. All that over a statue..." Trixie said.

He gave her a small nod as Starlight looked at the meal. Then she said,

"Looks like dinner's ready."

After eating their meal of roasted corn, they immediately turned in and went to bed. After eating their meal of roasted corn, they immediately turned in and went to bed. Four hours later, Spike was shaking in his bed from the trauma that he endured from being expelled by Twilight and her friends.

"What makes you think that you're one of us?" Twilight asked menacingly.

"Yeah! Why don't you go back to your little dragon friends, you crybaby!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"Why not give him a pie to the face? That should get the point across." Pinkie said with a wicked smile.

"What a good idea, Pinkie." Applejack said.

"No, not good enough darling. Why not have everypony else humiliate him in my personal outfits?" Rarity said.

"And have him get beat up by the animals?" Fluttershy asked, filled with malice.

They all nodded at each other and slowly approached Spike. But before they could approach him, there was suddenly this dark mist that appeared out of nowhere and wrapped itself around the mane six. The screams of agony and sorrow echoed as the black mist dropped them, leaving their body parts on the ground as it faced Spike.

"Join me..." the mist called.

"Huh?" Spike asked.

"Join me..." the mist called again.

Spike froze upon hearing that from the mist.

"J-Join you?? I don't even-"

"Join me..."

The mist slowly approached Spike as he tried to back away from the mist. After tripping on something, the mist took the opportunity and enveloped him, causing him to wake up as he screamed for help. He shot out of bed as quick as a bottle rocket and was sweating from what he has experience in his dream. Just then, he noticed Starlight Glimmer.

"Are you okay, Spike?" Starlight asked.

Spike looked around at his surroundings and then turned towards Starlight.

"Yeah. Guess it was just a bad dream or something." Spike replied.

"You were shaking wildly in your bed. What happened in your dream?"

"I dunno, but-"

"Could you two keep it down!? I'm trying to sleep!" Trixie shouted.

They both looked at Trixie and gave a slight chuckle.

"I think we should head to bed." Starlight said.

"Yeah. But if you don't mind, I'm gonna go and explore the cave. To see if I can find any gems to help me nod off." Spike said.

"I'm not sure. It looks awfully dark in that cave."

Spike grabbed a piece of wood and blew a flame on it.

"Don't worry. With this torch, I can tell where I'm gonna go."

"I dunno..."

"Trust me, Starlight. If I get lost, I'll shout for you."

"Well, it is a deep cave..."

After deeply considering about this idea, Starlight said,

"Okay. But no more that one hour. If you're gone for more than that, I'm coming in after you. Do you get me?"

"I'm not gonna leave the cave, Starlight. Sheesh..." Spike said as he went for a walk.

After his little banter with Starlight, he left the camp to go spelunking. Moving around through the cave, he found all sorts of gems and crystals as he moved around, consuming all almost every jewel that he came across. As he kept moving around, he saw one specific in the center of the cavern.

"Huh?"

He moved forward to see what it is. Upon a closer look, he saw what appeared to be a malachite crystal in the shape of a heart. It was brimming and glowing with beauty as he laid his eyes upon it. Just then, he remembered something.

"Isn't this the same shape of that one jewel I gave to Rarity on my birthday?" Spike wondered.

Suddenly, he started hearing voices in his head as he looked at the crystal.

"Wha-? Who's there?" Spike asked as he turned around.

He looked around the cavern, but saw that nopony was there, making him even more nervous.

"Starlight?" Spike called out.

He didn't hear her voice.

"Trixie?" he called again.

The voices grew louder and sharper as he started to sweat from the pressure around him.

"Who is this? If you come any closer, I'll melt your face off!" Spike warned.

As frantically as he did, he spun around nervously and moved around in different directions, trying to regain his composure. It was in vain as the noises grew high-pitched and fierce, trying to find out who this creature is. Just then, he stopped. He turned around and eyed the malachite crystal.

"Come here..." the voice called.

Spike's eyes widened as he moved towards the malachite crystal. With every step he took, the sense of isolation and worry has grown. No matter what he tried to do, he could not take his gaze away from it.

“Closer…” the voice called again.

Upon coming closer, the malachite crystal started to glow brighter with the effect of hypnotism taking over Spike.

"Grab me..." the voice said.

Not wasting any time, he grabbed the crystal. Just then, black mist started coming out of the malachite crystal. Spike snapped out of his trance and started to back away from the crystal.

"Who are you?! What do you want from me!?" Spike shouted.

"Freedom!" a now warped voiced shouted.

Suddenly, the malachite crystal started to levitate from its place and homed itself into Spike's chest. Upon impact, Spike got off the ground and started to feel something in his chest. The next thing that happened, he started puking. But instead of blood for some odd reason, it was black ooze.

"What happened to me?" Spike nervously asked.

Just then, he started to feel the mist envelope his body. The corrosion within his body now started to twist and rearrange his body as the mist went into his mouth.

"N-NO!" Spike shouted while struggling to get the ooze off.

He choked as the mist started to corrupt him. This strange sensation starts to appear when his fangs suddenly grow sharper, his claws looking like razor blades, the tip of his tail taking the appearance of a spearhead, and his spikes now looking more pointier than ever before as he screamed in agony.

"HELP ME!!!! HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!" Spike yelled as tears poured out of his eyes.

His pleas for help all proved to be in vain as the darkness completely shrouded him. Upon feeling the corruption taking over him, he fell on all fours with his eyes now shrouded in white.

"RAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"