Applejack was laid out on her bed after her brother had found her passed out in the barn from her cider binge. Seeing her the way she was, he was determined to make sure she wasn't going to be near any more cider—even during Cider Season. When Big Mac had brought her inside the house Granny Smith and Applebloom were around her like flies to a sandwich; they wanted to know if she was okay. He told them yes and that she just needed rest. He brought her over to her room and left, leaving the door ajar. The next morning Applejack awoke feeling like her head was being bucked by herself. Now she knew what a tree must've felt like.

"Ooh," she groaned out, trying to steady herself as she walked down the stairs to the kitchen and seeing the family already at breakfast.

"Morning Applejack," Applebloom said quietly, but to her big sister it sounded like she was yelling it to her in the shout her friends used when they were crusading.

Applejack cringed. "Gosh darn it, sis! Not so loud."

Applebloom just looked away from her and down at her food while her sister went to get some food. The others guessed with how much Big Mac told her she drank the other day, she would be liable to eat all the food, as well as clean out the pantry. Getting her food and going to the table everypony looked at her with worry. She looked back and them. "What?" she asked, taking a bite of her food, and savoring it while hoping she didn't throw up?

"Just making sure you're okay," Granny Smith said.

"Aside from my head feeling like my apple trees during harvesting, I'm fine."

"Don't do that again," said Granny Smith.

"As long as I can get some food in me, I think I can keep myself away from the cider for a long time."

For them, the Apple family was skeptical about Applejack not being able to go cold turkey on the cider—they just had to wait and see if she was really able to give it up after her short depression she had about Spike. Each of them could hardly believe it when they heard it; Twilight was always faithful to Spike, and never meant to harm him. Now since they heard him being held prisoner in her home/library, they didn't know what was going to happen.

Fluttershy moved through Ponyville, her saddlebag filled with food for her animals. She listened to the ponies gossip about the dome around the library; most of the fillies were upset about it being up and wanted it taken down because they wanted their books, and Ponyville only had one library; they even tried to see if it was harmless… they found that out the hard way and ended up crying and in pain. Many of the parents scolded their little ones for going near it, and they knew it was bad, but they said they wanted to know if it could be taken down.

Nopony knew if it could. All they could do was wait and see if it disappears—and if it did they would storm into the library and make Twilight answer why she would want to hurt other ponies. Fluttershy decided to ignore the large dome and went back to her house—at least there she would be safe. Hopefully, Twilight wouldn't come to her cottage.

Inside her library, Twilight had come over the top of the stairs and saw the lump that was her number one assistant, Spike, in his bed fast asleep. She stared at him for a moment, then tears started to come to her eyes and she wiped them. On top of her back was her saddle bag with a present inside for him—it was to show that she still loved him and hoped he could forgive her. If he did, then he could be alongside her with her Master as they watched as their empire expands across Equestria.

Twilight looked at the sleeping lump and gently took the cover off with her magic, seeing him sleep peacefully; a sight that made her heart melt for him and a spear go through her chest for what she did. She didn't mean for it…it was an accident

Slowly she went up the basket and saw that he was stretching from the nap he had taken, as it was the only thing he could do. At least Twilight was left him food—it just wasn't the kind he was hoping for, but he didn't want to starve so he ate it; and Twilight hoped he saved a little room for dessert. With what she had, he couldn't be able to resist. "Spike," she said softly, alerting the baby dragon.

Spike froze on the spot and slowly turned his body to face the purple unicorn. Seeing her now he saw how she had changed: her coat was a dark purple, her eyes glowed green with purple wisplike smoke coming out with her irises red, and even her horn was red and curved. What was happening to her? What happened to the pony he knew and loved since she hatched him from his egg at her entrance exam?

Twilight could see he was scared of her, but she didn't want to do anything that would cause him fear. She just wanted him back with her like it used to be. She took a step forward, he took one back with fear in his eyes. "Stop it…" he said in a low, scared voice, "don't hurt me anymore. I'll be good, I promise. I'll be a good boy."

Seeing how he was, Twilight went up to him, saying, "Spike please, I know what I did with you back at the castle was wrong—I wasn't thinking straight—and I want to make up for it. I want to make things better between us and hope you can forgive me."

"What happened to you?" he asked. "Why are you different?"

Twilight paused for a moment, before she it clicked in her that he was talking about her appearance and said, "It's from learning dark magic and—"

"Dark magic?" Spike yelled out. "But that's the kind of magic King Sombra uses, why are you using it?"

"So I can become stronger and help my Master take back his Empire."

Hearing what Twilight was telling him, made him fearful that she had sided with a dark unicorn who had enslaved an empire at one point…and now had gotten a hold of Twilight, made her his apprentice, and is going to take back what was his and Twilight would take over for him when his time in Equestria had ended. "Twilight, you don't sound right. King Sombra tricked you, and he made you turn against the others…even me! He's just using you to get what he wants and when he does, he'll toss you aside once the Crystal Empire is his."

Twilight shook her head. "Spike, my Master would never do that. He promised me that I would never be alone, that I would never have to fear failure like that poor excuse of a mentor did for me. She only saw me as a tool, an attack dog to go and do her bidding, and she just sits on her flank all day without a care in the world while my friends and I have to do all the work! On the day of the wedding, she never tried to apologize for the Queen Chrysalis fooling everypony. And when I tried to get them to see the truth," she pointed a hoof at him, "you left with them!"

"I know I did, but what else was I supposed to do?"

"You could've stayed with me. You always said you were going to be loyal to me no matter what."

"I was scared. I didn't know what they were going to say if I had stayed with you."

After the brief outburst, her face calmed. "But now I have something to ask you, Spike…would you come with me?" She held out her hoof with a kind expression on her face, an evil twinkle in her eyes that he could see. He was hesitant. He didn't want to do it and let everypony see him as a traitor. "I can't."

Looking at Twilight's face he expected her to get angry and lash out at him like before, but she didn't; instead she just laughed and said, "Such a shame," and she opened her saddlebag and pulled out some small black crystals toward her loyal friend, "and here I was going to give you these as a piece offering for forgiveness."

He looked at them and saw that they were shaped just like the gems he always had a hunger for, with these though, he probably thought that they tasted just as good. Twilight saw him eyeing the crystals and levitated one of them into his mouth. Coming out of his stupor, he rolled it around in his mouth savoring the taste, and then chewed and swallowed

After having the sample, Spike looked at her. "So good…" he moaned, feeling his need to have another one as he reached out for the rest but Twilight held them away. "Twilight, please…"

"Does this mean you forgive me, Spike? Can you forget about what I did to you, and come with me—be loyal to me like you always said you would?"

"Yes, of course. I wouldn't want anypony else as a mother, not even Trixie… only you. I know that you didn't mean to do what you did to me and I forgive you."

She smiled. "That's a good boy," she said patting him affectionately on the head before giving him the rest of the crystals, which he hastily took and started to munch on. She saw this and continued to smile.

"Savor their taste, Spike," Twilight told him, "and there's a lot more where that came from. So many crystals for you to enjoy you would never go hungry."

At the thought of that, it just made Spike's mouth water as he ate the crystals he was given. As he ate, the image of the others came into head, mostly Rarity's face; it started to fizzle before it faded from his memory and Spike's eyes changed—his irises became cat-like with the same look of dark magic as Twilight's. She saw this and looked at him. "Feel better?"

"Twilight… More…" he said, wanting more of the crystals he had eaten, not being able to get the taste out of his mouth; they were so good. Twilight smiled at this—Spike was now with her like it always had been. Now she didn't have to worry about being lonely; she had her Master and her loyal assistant with her. Twilight gently caressed his head and brought him close for a hug, which he returned. "Once the Empire is taken back, Spike, you can have all the crystals you want."

"But what's going to happen until then?"

She smiled at him again, "How would you like to help me?"

The black smoke that was around the teal colored dome was King Sombra, and he grinned in satisfaction seeing the infection of his broken horn continues to do its work, slowly turning the Crystal Empire back to the way it was. Soon, he thought to himself as the barrier around his kingdom was beginning to weaken—and when it did, he knew Cadance would just make another… he wanted her to so that she would be too weak to do it anymore. Then he would strike. King Sombra didn't know that things were already becoming bad inside the Empire; Cadance still hadn't forgiven her husband, even going for as to throw her wedding ring in his face and say she wanted nothing to do with him.

His was marriage was a disaster; the Crystal Empire was about to be reclaimed by an evil tyrant; and he also worried about his sister and if he could make amends with his wife. Cadance, on the other hand, was still bitter about what her husband had done when they had the wedding. "What kind of pig-headed stallion puts his pride before his family?" she said to herself.

Sure, she was still bitter about what she had told him but she knew she couldn't hold a grudge against him—she wasn't that type of pony—but didn't know of how to forgive him. It was hard for her. Maybe I just need some time to cool off she thought to herself as she went and looked outside the window and saw the barrier fizzle away, the black smoke pouring into the Empire.

Without her husband to hold her up she knew she had to do it alone. She knew it was going to be hard; she was so exhausted and hungry. This last time might make her drop to the floor and not wake up. Focusing her magic, her horn illuminated as she lifted her head high; outside the barrier was forming again, but faded away halfway on completion. King Sombra saw this and knew now was the right time.

Now was his time to rule again, with his apprentice by his side.

Shining Armor could only watch in horror as the darkness began to swallow up the kingdom, the Empire returning back to the way it was under his reign.

Night came once again on Equestria. Twilight was finished working on dark magic, a symbol etched into the library floor giving off dark energy as Twilight concentrated on it, beads of sweat coming off her face. Though she peaked out for a mere second at the results of her work (and went back to concentrating), it was broken by the sound of a voice.

Twilight…

She stopped her work and saw a shadow forming beside her; Spike saw this as well. Both of them bowed before him before looking back up at him. His eyes held a look of surprise to find this puny reptile beside his apprentice, but soon noticed the change in his eyes as well as his slightly taller and less chubby look. Twilight saw this and spoke, "Master, Spike now wishes to be at my side again like before. He will help rule alongside me."

Sombra looked over at the slightly-muscled form and let out a small chuckle. "And I shall allow it. Be ready, the barrier is gone and now you will be able to come back home."

The thought of living in the Empire with all those luscious crystals made Spike's mouth water. Even though he wanted to say something, he held it and only listened as the two conversed with one another. As they talked, Spike knew he made the right choice. He would never leave her side.

When the conversation was over King Sombra vanished and the two stood alone. Twilight looked down at her number-one assistant. "Spike, I think it's time for us to go."

The small dragon could only nod, eager to get to his new home and start gorging his self on crystals.

Another chapter for you, and I hope you like it; and I hope you were able to spot the FMA reference I put into it. With me being a major otaku, expect more references like that one. Also, I feel myself getting burned out from this story—because I feel like I'm moving the pace too fast—so it will be on hiatus for a while so I can catch up on my reading. Thank you very much for the reviews as well as liking, not just this story, but me as well. Keep giving me the great support, you guys. Until then, with my allergies come headaches, so I'm glad I'll be taking some time away. Until next time!