an attempt at a villian protagonist story.
Silvermane bit back a curse as the rain battered against his cloak, he and the others were growing tired and their patience was wearing equally thin, he was starting to think this rumor was nothing but just that. Tales of a great treasure had been circulating since the fall of Nightmare Moon many thought it was the remains of her reign, many thought the rumors were false until many claimed to have found it and a select few had returned with treasures for their efforts but as many as were rewarded a rhousand more had met their bloody gory ends in this dark place of avarice. Many of Equestria's citizens were concerned because the highest mortality rate was for Unicorn, Stallion, and Pegasus bloods were the highest number of creature blood fatalities that had been reported.
However Silvermane the knowledgable was set on finding the place, many whom survived told of great knowledge being held there and many spoke with reverence of the place, the artifacts and tomes they said decorated the place was amazing with architecture and art that would shock the most jaded of critics silent with a single glance at its majesty, Silvermane was hoping against all the odds Celestia herself could stack out of his favor that he could find the real treasure of this place it's knowledge and culture but he hadn't many leads to go by as many whom claimed to found it refused to give him much to go by, they kept saying they were paid for their silence however by sheer luck he'd found their pattern the method to their madness, they weren't being paid for silence they were paid to live. He realized that like many the one who came back should have met their ends at the hands of what killed the others none of them seemed the type to survive an experience like that as they were no different than the others.
The question had eluded him for a while until he looked back from a new perspective, they weren't survivors merely pieces to the puzzle messengers for whatever this thing that let them go was, had only let them go because they would speak of their encounters with the beast and each spoke of something different but each was relevant to finding it one spoke of landmarks another paths to follow another of the entrances to the caves that hid this place until finally he'd figured it out. Silver and had discovered that the only way to hide such a place was both in place sight and out of sight. A place many had ventured but were afraid to delve into, The EverFree Forest. It was smart to pick a place were nothing could be found but everything could be lost, another clue that whomever had hidden it was smarter that appeared, the problem now was simply getting to the only place that could house such wonders the EverFree mountain. They were almost there but then this storm hit making the men he'd brought with him restless or was it more restless they were a hard lot to dicipher but his contacts had told him on his word they were dependable.
Silvermane's son Whitebeard grinded his teeth as the winds wipped again battering them with more force as they struggled to regain their footing. 'The old bastard will get us killed.' It was no secret to anyone but his family that Whitebeard was a bastard, he'd done many cliche things that a bad guy was supposed to do, he never tipped, he cut in line, he stole candy from babies, and he pushed old people down the largest flight of stairs readily available to him, he was a no good bastard who deserved all that comes to him, but he was a careful bastard, like his father Whitebeard had an intelligence that was swift as the fastest wings of a Pegasus blood and as sharp as a doctors scalpel, sadly there were none as smart as the two Manticore bloods in the fields of technology, Equestria was a magic kingdom through and through and although they'd made advancement in all fields they only had technology equal to the age of steam. Their advancement in medicine was great almost to the point of twenty first century medical science but even that was found lacking, doctors were only good with a select few creature blood types.
While a Pegasus blood could have a limb reattached if the circumstances permitted but a Dragon blood wouldn't be able to get a bad cut stitched even if they could find a doctor wiling to help, luckily all Dragonbloods had Dracos to protect them or they'd surely perish. In many ways if Silvermane or Whitebeard had dedicated their lives to science many great things would have come about for even the most sinister of things can be reevaluated for good. Sadly that was not the case one sought to teach understanding and learning which while a noble cause and one to praise is not truly helpful in this regard and the other sought to be rich, Whitebeard had no love for anything other than himself so it was no wonder he'd set up his own father to die. As said before Whitebeard is a smart bastard the worst kind, he'd been planning out the details for as long as his father had begun putting the pieces together falsifying reports, crafting identities, hiring his own band of 'workers' examining them to make sure they were loyal, and finally pulling the wool over his father's eyes and that of his contacts.
It had taken Whitebeard just as long to do all this as it had taken Silvermane to put it together, it was slow work but both their fortunes were about to pay off, however despite Whitebeard's cleverness and the trust of his father, karma has a way of punishing bastard like him. "Aaaaaahhhh" Whitebeard tumbled as his shoes slipped on the mud causing him to role down the side of hill the path had taken them up. "Son!" Silvermane jumped down after him as the rest followed. He helped his son up only to notice the mostly dry part beneath their feet. "Excellent work my boy! The trees provide outstanding protection along this path, if only we knew about it sooner." The trail was easy enough to follow so Silvermane stopped to use his magic to trace it on his map. Best to have it as a frame of reference. "Now then my boy are you hurting anywhere?" Silvermane didnt see any injuries but in all his years and experiences with nasty falls he knew injuries weren't always external. "Im fine father." "You wont be in a few seconds." A small child appeared in the middle of them. "Hello my name is Spikeaverious Dreyvarten, im the second prince of the dragonic line and the ruler of the sanctum of the Draconian Empire. Commence the crushing." Everyone looked up to see a large stone falling towards them, left with no other choice they braced.
"Hm immpressive." Spike watched amused as they struggled to hold the massive stone above their heads. "This is the gate of betrayal because only the traitor among you will pass. Damn that was fast." The group looked over to see Whitebeard smiling free of the trap. "Sorry guys but the treasure is mi-ghk!" His words were cut off by a sword that pierced through his chest as the trap lifted. Spike glared at the man as he slowly bled out, serious enough that he'd never be able to follow but left him more than enough time, a few days even, to find his way out of the forest and to a doctor. "Consider yourself lucky, you have received your treasure, rewarded as a traitor deserves." Wires appeared trapping Silvermane and the others. "Now then i believe you wanted to see the sanctum right." Spike walked as the wires carried them leaving the raving traitor behind. "If you're worried about your son Silvermane i promise you he'll live the whole gory end thing is just a petty rumor." Spike paused hearing a faint cry in the distance. "Hey wait don't leave me like this!" Spike ignored him as he kept walking.
"I can do as i please Forward Charge you are in my territory." Spike kept walking as the travelers began muttering. Spike sneered in disgust as they prayed to Celestia for help. "She's always been a pain but what she did to Luna was unforgivable!" Spike calmed himself before a wave on melancholy hit him. "Sh-she must have found out about Luna's Nightmare, i can only hope those two will keep each other safe where ever they are." Spike looked up at the full moon. 'is this the first time i've seen it without you two there by my side? Maybe we'll see each other again, yeah i'd like that.' Spike kept walking as the moon became covered in shade. "Hello little one." Spike knelt down to get a closer look at the little wolf cup hidden under an uncovered root. "Where is your pack, they mist miss you." The pup squeaked. "Yes that is me." The pup let loose a long sequence of squeaks and Spike grew heavy with sympathy. "Oh, i'm sorry to hear that, I should have been there to fix things then, I'm sorry i didn't think anyone was there during the fallout." The pup squeaked again. "Thank you but i still feel its my fault. Would you like to come with me, i could raise you to great power, maybe help you restart your pack."
The pup opened its eyes and carefully padded over to Spike. "I'll take that as a yes." Spike picked her up and flipped her so she was craddled in his arms with her stomach facing him. Spike created a bottle of milk and put in her mouth. "Drink up." The pup squeaked wondering what the strange concoction was. "Its dragons nector we fed it to animals in the Dragonic empire to make sure they grew up as healthy as physically possible" Spike watched her feed on the bottle and walked back to the spot he left his 'guest'. "Now we can get going." The walk was silent for the most part a few questions here and there but they made it no problem. "Why is the storm not raging it was so horrid but minutes ago?" Spike smiled. "I told you, this is my territory." The cave entrance was in sight and the wires dissipated leaving them to walk on their own. "Here it is the sanctum, those who want to come may do so of their own will bit if you want to leave now is the time."
Seeing no one wanted to leave Spike smiled before going to the cave and pressing his hand on the barrier that surrounded his hand in golden Aura. "Its me old girl, and i brought guests." The barrier dropped and Spike opened his arm motioning towards the cave entrance. "Welcome to the Sanctum."
"Spike, Spike!" The young dragon blood opened his eyes and saw nothing. "What whats going on!" He got on his feet and fell onto his face knocking over the medical equipment beside him the heart monitor flatlined as the sensor fell off and Spike scrambled around scared. "Mother Father, Mary!" A pair of arms wrapped around him making him tense before feeling the Dracos around him. "Mary sister!" Spike turned around hugging his sister feeling her orange hair draped over her shoulder as he sobbed into it. "I cant see!"
Spike's eyes shot open and he saw the inside of his sanctum. "When will memories no longer haunt me?" He decided to venture out of his room examining all of the sanctum. "Garden is tended to, books all in place, swords forged and sharpened, guns cleaned and inspected, bullets made and inscribed, fresh grave dig and coffin prepped." Spike monotonous tasks were all accounted for, the sanctums treasures were counted and all artifacts were accounted for. "Something troubles you my liege?" Spike sighed. "Yes it does Silvermane, i had a dream, a memory of my sister Mary, she always kept me company and now even with you here, without Luna to do the same i've never felt so alone. Not to say i'm ungrateful, you've stuck with me throughout it all these last thousand years were great with you here, you stayed when the others left."
Spike sighed as his old friend rubbed his neck. "Truth be told i didn't have much to go back to, my wife left me telling me it was a wild timber wolf chase and she expected and told me to never come back." Spike smiled sardonically. "I feel ever honored to be your last resort." The bow was icing on the cake but Silvername could tell his words weren't as sarcastic as he pretended. Silvermane coughed as he tried to move his wheelchair over to Spike. "I'm afraid old friend our time grows short, even with the sanctum to sustain you do not have the longevity of a dragon blood muck less a Wyvern blood." Spike sighed as Silvermane's breath became more labored. "To think the solution i spent so long working up to prevent this is mere hours from completion, how can life be so cruel?" Spike tried not to cry as his friend began to still.
"This is nothing you did Spike, i wanted knowledge to spread to the world, though the knowledge in this place may never leave it until the time is right, you have given me the gift i sought for all my life and your companionship, you have had many friends, Luna, Cadence, Chrysalis, Starswirl the Bearded, and so many more and i am glad and proud to say, i, w-wa-was one of the-thee-" Silvermane never finished that sentence before he slumped over dead Spike sobbed closing his friends eyes. "Rest in peace, tell my sister i love her." Spike picked up the body as he walked towards the graveyard slowly as he felt his steps grow heavy. He pulled the coffin open before laying his friends body in it and closing it. "Sleep well." Spike closed the coffin and lowered it down and filling in the grave. "So many lives, so many wars, and so many fallen gods."
A ways away outside the Everfree Forest a red barn a large creature blood was at work in the fields chopping down one of the old trees. He was a tall well build stallion blood with orange hair and green eyes he wore a red plaid shirt and blue jeans with worn boots and a yellow bandana around his neck, he was fairly tall and his hair was ragged from the work, he gave one final hit and the tree fell away from the others with a crash. "Whew" Big Mackintosh smiled as he rested on the stump setting the axe down on his right. "Here." He smiled accepting the drink before doing a double take. "AppleBloom?!" Big Mackintosh was sure this was his sister but what was odd was her outfit, AppleBloom was a stallion blood like him with red hair and a pink bow and orange eyes her skin was light, at least the parts he could see of it.
Which was his problem AppleBloom was covered up more so than usual normally she wore a short sleeve shirt and overalls that stopped short of her ankles with her socks and shoes visible but she'd added something knew to the mix, bandages. Big Mac looked his sister up and down noticing something seriously wrong for the first time. 'I know i was gone a few weeks go help Red Gala in the Crystal Empire and only got bac today but this is weird.' AppleBloom's forehead her right eye and her entire right arm were covered completely along with wrappings from her left wrist to elbow. "Big brother," Big Mac raised an eyebrow, she hadn't called him that since she was little. "Could you take me to school please?" She seemed anxious so him smiled. "Eeyup." He got up stretching the kinks in his back as she grabbed his hand and lead him down the path out the field.
Applebloom squeezed his hand tighter as strangers got to close as they walked and she seemed tense as shadows of early morning still moved with the rising sun and she was sweating and shaking. 'Somethin aint right ere.' Big Mac noticed tue bandage on her left arm had come loose and he nearly swallowed his tongue seeing a long messy cut running down her arm. 'No no no no no no!' On the outside he remained calm but inside his instincts were working up a storm. "Hey!" He let out an oof as he collided with a person knocking the three down and knocking off the persons sunglasses off. "My bad." Big Mac got to his feet before helping his sister up and looking at the person as they put they're glasses on but he did notice the emerald eyes and slit pupils on the persons face and how the eyes were the same color as their hair.
"We'll talk later." The stranger slipped something into his pocket before walking away. "Whats wit that guy?" Big Mac shook his head fingering the item in his pocket. "I don know myself." The walk to school was finished fast after that and AppleBloom ran inside. "Ms. Cheerilee." Normally the two would fumble all over each other but the look on Big Mac's face dissolved the mood before it could start. "Has ma sister been actin weird lately?" Cheerilee nodded grimmly. "Finally someone else noticed AppleBloom acts fine but when i ask her about her injuries or when its time to go home she just freezes up." Big Mac nodded grimly. "I noticed, i'll keep an eye on her." Big Mac left going back to the farm still confused about the item when he saw the dragon blood he bumped into reading a book on the stump of the tree.
"you know your people seem to know next to nothing about Dragon Bloods." Spike closed the book holding it up and showing the title, DRAGON BLOODS BANES OF THE WORLD. "There was nothing but Xenophobia, self righteous bullshit, and bigotry in this thing with no concern for facts or proper grammar that's one big ego trip that never ends. Then again its an Equestrian book so that's a given." The book bursted into flames and Spike scattered the ashes. "Might i ask you a question such as what chur doin here?" Spike sighed patting his clothing and crossing his legs resting his ankle on his right knee. "This is about you sister, i'm sure you noticed the signs right, unexplained injuries and attempts to cover them, fear of the dark and strangers, anxiety, fear of going home, lack of hygiene and sleep deprivation or did you not notice those last two?"
Spike analyzed him for his response and was surprised how quickly he put it together. Spike sighed. "I have my suspicions but its not my business to interfere in however you're her brother so you're better off knowing about them" Spike stared for several seconds as Big Mac looked down thinking. "Treasure your sister big guy." He looked down sadly. "You never know when you might lose her." Big Mac looked up to see Spike was gone but there was a note left on the stump. 'That gem in your pocket is a help Beacon, it'll lead you to where i am if you ever need help, and it'll lead me to you, if you ever need me.' Big Mac sighed before placing the note in his pocket. "I need some help."
Spike ground to a stop in Canterlot sighing slowly. "Lets hope a trip outside wasn't to bad an idea." Spike left the alley he appeared in and kept walking casually. The city was nice but it was, really. "Egotistical." Spike mused that in his hundreds of thousands of years of living, in fact if he had to guess he'd say he was about 250,567 this year (making him older that Celestia and Luna), he'd never seen a city so covered in the symbol of its monarchy Celestia's sun was everywhere, on all the buildings bigger than three floors, on banners that hung all over the archways and even the stone work courtyard he stood in had in, a huge picture of her symbol. "Even fathers castle as large as it was wasn't so grand." Spike had been alive for some time before Solaris blinded him he knew of many wonders and many things before he lost his sight. He knew the castle he was raised in was no where near as grand as this.
'Our symbol may have been on the castle but it was only the castle.' Spike noted the travels of the masses and they were headed his way. Spike mused that the courtyard he was in was used for announcements as the Sun Goddess appeared on a balcony in the castle far overlooking the courtyard. "People of Canterlot, i have an announcement!" Spike tuned her out before a scent hit his nose and his heart nearly stopped. 'It can't be, but its fresh it cant be anyone else!' Spike took off his sunglasses and focussed his eyes on the balcony. "My sister, Princess of the Night Luna!" Spike expected many things, applause, silence, hushed whispers, what he did not expect was screaming. Spike turned to see the cause of the commotion only to see a little kid pointing at him screaming her little lungs out. Spike wondered what her problem was until he realized he'd taken his sunglasses off and the little girl was looking right at him.
Everyone screamed as they looked to the commotion to find out why only to see him there. "Dragon Blood!" The next few minutes were filled with terror and hysteria as the people of Canterlot ran in all directions. Spike stood there with an expression on his face that would forever be remembered as the face a person who was well in truly done with the crap this world had to offer. "You know what every time I'm to full of hope i'll look back on this moment and remember, that all is lost." Inwardly Spike was wondering something important. 'What was the point of the war to end the tyranny of Solaris and the Alicorn bloods that cost me my family, my kingdom, and all my friends if this is what i get every time i walk outside my hole in the mountain?' Then again he mused as the clamoring of heavy armor sounded in his ears from all directions.
'Probably would have never met Luna or Cadence, or really anyone i met after the war.' Spike smiled softly thinking of all the people he'd known and lost, even so he was happy he knew them. "I've had a pretty good life." A blade pressed itself to his throat but he paid it no alarm as he looked the person holding it dead in the eye. "Any last words monster?" Spike rolled his eyes before grabbing the man by his face and slamming it into the ground. "If you're still conscious, tell the princess i said hello." Spike sighed as he felt weapons shatter against his skin, his clothing would need to be replaced but that was negligible. Spike pulled out a black metallic weapon that made them paise their attacks. "What manner of weapon is that?" Spike held up the massive gun in his right hand. "This is a replication of the Hellsing Arms Combat Pistol Jackal made by Walter C. Dormez and wielded by Alucard during the great Alicorn Blood purge of Baskerville. If you don't know what that is don't worry you won't be around long enough to worry about it."
Spike pulled the trigger and watched as a guard on his right exploded into pieces. "Wow, you guys are frail, that shot didn't even need any Dracos, wait, i shot him in the foot." Spike stood there looking confusingly at the pile of flesh that used to be a person. As everyone else looked on in fear at how easily there comrade was killed. "Why did he explode?" Spike shrugged before pointing the gun at someone else, a woman this time. "Please don't use that weapon on me!" Spike groaned before putting it away. "Seriously?!" Spike facepalmed so hard it caused a shockwave that sent everyone in the courtyard flying away. "Whatever." Spike turned and left the way he came ignoring anyone or anything else that came his way. 'This was almost a complete waste of time. I didn't even get to see Luna.' Spike snapped his fingers to reconstitute the poor bastard he'd destroyed before teleporting away.
Big Mac pushed open the door to the library looking around but not seeing Twilight. "Hello." He waited for several minutes before going over to the bookshelves scouring for a book. "How the sam heck am i gonna find the right one?" The answer to his question happened when the gem in his pocket lit up making him pull it out. 'I have my suspicions.' Big Mac remembered what Spike said and followed the gems glow before it stopped at one book. "Whats wrong with my child?" Big Mac took the book before writing a note and putting it on Twilight's desk and leaving walking back to the school to pick up AppleBloom. "Wonder why the librarian wasn't home."
Twilight Sparkle sighed as the carriage stopped and they stepped out. "Follow me miss Sparkle." Twilight and her new friends all followed the guard amazed at the architecture. "This place is amazing, just imagine all the parties!" Spike rolled his eyes as he walked behind the group of six girls. 'I cant believe it was so easy to get in here.' Spike after equipping himself for a fight if the need arose decided the extra effort was worth seeing Luna again so he made it back to Canterlot and kept his ear to the ground. Apperently these six girls had used 'The Elements of Harmony' to defeat NightMare Moon and restore peace to Equestria. 'Cely always was good at getting people to believe what she wanted but that begs the question of what happened to Yoa Lang'
Spike knew he could easily kill all six of them and take these so called Elements of Harmony all before they even realized they were dead but aomething was stopping him. A few somethings actually, one was he was tired of killing the war had taken it out of him and Mary's death had stomped it flatter than paper. Two was the fact that he didn't want to kill people even puppets of Celestia for no good reason even if these so called Elements were what he thought they were and third a deep semse of longing was made in him when he saw the six of them, a sense, a feeling, to Spike they were not the thing, he felt a sense of longing but also a feeling of shame regret amd love of all things. 'Spike closed his eyes and thats when it hit him.
More accurately he listened to the world around him, he listened to Twilight's footstepps the rythum the sound it was the same. 'Margerate?!' Thats when it hit him again, he stopped and opened his eyes watching them disappear as they turned a corner. 'That's why!' Spike's opened into an angry snarl his body shaking in rage his teeth clenched and sharpened as the whites of his eyes and his pupils turned red. Dracos swelled around his body like an inferno. "You bitch."
Celestia smiled seeing her favorite student walk in the throne room. "Welcome Twilight i'm happy to see you again." Twilight smiled listening to her teacher. "Thank you Princess how-" the rest wasn't heard as a loud crash and an explosion of emerald fire bathed the room as it sent Twilight and the others flying towards the throne. "Cely i'm home!" Spike walked in through the destroyed door like he owned the place because at one point in life he had. "Hello Spikeaverious." Spike looked calm even as he stepped forward the flames behind him however did not. "I've let you get away with a number of things, The racism you spread against my kind, the stolen crafts and technology, letting you change the history records to suit you and Luna, hell even allowing Equestria to exist in the first place isn't something you made happen its something i let happen, not because it benefitted you but because i thought it would help your sister." "But this, this is a personal attack against me that I will not let go unpunished."
Spike exploded in rage creating a massive enclave of fire with his pitch black red eyed silhouette in the center. "THIS IS UNFORGIVABLE!" Spike's flames died down enough to make him visible again and he slowly allowed it to die out. "Oh thats so cute!" Spike squealed as Twilight and her new friends took out the Elements of Harmony. "Who would have thought little Cely was a grave robber! They grow up so fast." Spiel stood there bored as they did their routine which wasn't to impressive considering Spike was cataloging the multitude of ways this was stupid. 'Why don't i just shoot them?' Spike rolled his eyes as the rainbow of magical energy slammed into him hiding him from view. Twilight and the others sighed as the power left them and they collapsed. "Woowee we showed lizard lips what for!" Rarity nodded as she dusted off her dress. "Indeed we showed that beast what for!"
Pinkie Pie smiled jumping up and down. "We kicked the pants off that meanie!" Spike chuckled darkly as the dust cleared. "This is to good you not now only think you're an actual threat to me but you actually thought you could beat me with the elements of harmony. Let me give you a lesson in magical creation, lesson one is that a magician always places an enchantment on whatever he creates in order to make sure it cant hurt him." Spike looked at them angrily. "Celestia didn't find or create the Elements of Harmony, i made them thousands of years ago i also buried them thousands of years ago with the person i gave them to before they died, which brings me to my first question." Spike glared at Twilight clenching his fist and anger boiling to the surface. "Why are you wearing my Wife's crown?"
SCENE
Obviously this is an alternate universe so don't get to jostled. Spike explains a few things about this universe in the next chapter as well as takes a trip to save an old friend.