The Coming Storm

The Coming Storm-Part 19: Applejack and Spike

Applejack walked through Ponyville, looking for Spike.  "Spike?  Where are ya?!"  She had been looking for nearly an hour, and no-pony knew where he was.  "Oh, where could that poor lil' dragon be?"  Then, she noticed something-tracks leading into the Everfree!  And they looked like Spike's footprints!  "There!"  She quickly began to trot in the direction of the tracks, and looked around.  "Spike?!  Where are ya, lil' buddy?!"  Suddenly, she noticed something-a few more hoofprints surrounding small puddles of blood.  "Oh my...What happened here?"  She trotted towards the scene, and looked around.  Nobody there.  She trotted closer, and looked at the hoofprints before she heard a small coughing.  "Huh?  Who the-"  She turned to the direction of the coughing and gasped.  Leaned against a tree was an unconscious, beaten Spike.  She quickly trotted over to him and rubbed his head.  "Spike?"  The little dragon gave no response.  Applejack shook him a bit.  "Spike?  Wake up..."  Again, no response.  Applejack teared up a bit and hugged him.  "I'm so sorry, Spike..."  A small groan came from the dragon, and Applejack gasped.  "S-Spike?"  Spike slowly regained consciousness.  "A-Applejack?"  Applejack gasped and hugged him.  "Oh thank Celestia, you're alive!!!"  Spike winced a bit.  "Ow..."  Applejack looked at him.  "Who did this to you?!"  Spike coughed a bit more.  "Quentin is evil...He broke Tirek, Cozy Glow, Queen Chrysalis, and King Sombra out of Tartarus, and he's going to...kill Princess Celestia and Princess Luna..."  Applejack's ears fell.  "He did this to you?"  Spike nodded weakly.  Applejack growled.  "I'm gonna kill that two-faced son of a donkey!!!"  She started to trot off.  "Applejack, no!"  Spike got up, but immediately fell down.  Applejack heard this and turned around.  She walked back to him.  "You can't beat him...those four villains are gonna be around him, and they'll kill you..."  Applejack's ears fell.  "Come on, then...let's get you home, and get ya cleaned up."  She picked him up and set him on her back, and trotted back to Ponyville.  The Mane 6 had left Sweet Apple Acres, but she didn't care.  Her main concern was helping Spike.  She trotted inside and gently put Spike on her bed.  "I'll be right back!"  A bit later, Spike had been cleaned and bandaged.  "Thanks, Applejack..."  Applejack gave a small smile.  "Yer welcome, Spike.  Anythin' to help ya feel better."  Spike smiled a bit, and hugged her happily.  Applejack blushed slightly, and hugged back.  Spike suddenly gasped.  "We need to tell Twilight about Quentin!!!"  Applejack gasped as well.  "Yer right!!!"  And so, the two went to warn Twilight of her "lover's" plan.