//------------------------------// // Chapter VI: The Test // Story: Dovahkiin // by Silent_Witness //------------------------------// Chapter VI: The Test "Come on Rarity, help me!" Pinkie shouted over the wind. "I spent all of yesterday cleaning my hooves and now you want me to get them dirty again?" Rarity cried, offended. "We're fightin' for our lives out here and all you can think about are yer hooves? C'mon Rarity!" Applejack called. "Point taken!" The white unicorn then moved to help Pinkie reload her cannon. Alduin circled high overhead, unfazed by the snow and powerful gales blowing around him. It was all he could do- any time he attempted to swoop down, he was met with a barrage of Shouts, magic projectiles, and the occasional cannonball. "Hang on, almost…" Applejack growled. With all her might, she lifted a great steel ball and pushed it into the muzzle of the cannon. "There! Got it!" "Alright Applejack!" Pinkie called. "Now Rarity, don't pull that rope until I tell you!" "Mm-hmm!" Rarity nodded, a rope in her mouth. Pinkie rotated her party-cannon-turned- regular-cannon back and forth as she followed Alduin's movement across the sky. After several moments, the dragon dived toward the group once again, but before anypony could attack, Pinkie yelled "Hold on! Let him get in close!" Despite their misgivings, the others held back. Time seemed to slow as Alduin raced toward them- Pinkie waited, holding off until the exact, perfect moment… "Fire!" Rarity pulled the rope. There was an ear-shattering explosion. The steel cannonball tore its way across the sky, but the black dragon easily evaded the projectile, breaking out of his dive. "Darn it!" Applejack shouted. "Alright, I'll start loadin' it up fer the next shot!" She picked up a small cask of powder and began pouring it into the cannon. But before anypony knew what was happening, Alduin banked hard, landing with a thump that seemed to make the whole mountain shake. His eyes seemed to burn as he looked down at the cannon and its operators, unfazed by the spells that ricocheted off of his scales. "Your toy will not save you, meyye." Alduin inhaled. "Oh mah stars, get back!" Applejack shouted. She dropped the now-empty cask and galloped away from the cannon as fast as she could. Rarity and Pinkie did the same, just as the fire began to erupt from deep within Alduin's throat. The flames engulfed the cannon, igniting the powder. The cannon exploded. A rain of deadly metal shards was thrown across the mountaintop. Spike ducked behind his shield. Twilight and the Princesses shielded themselves with magic. Applejack flattened herself against the ground. They escaped from the deadly rain… but the same could not be said for Rarity and Pinkie. The others could only watch as the shards tore into their friends, throwing long ribbons of blood though the air- Spike's eyes widened in horror as he saw one of Rarity's forelegs detach from her body. The two ponies fell to the ground; Rarity's ear splitting screams filled the air as she cradled the bloody stump that was her leg, while Pinkie simply lay on the ground, her hooves pressed to her throat, unmoving and deathly silent. Alduin spread his wings and took flight. "Oh no you don't!" Luna shouted, wrapping a glowing tendril around the black dragon's body. But her effort was for naught- Alduin simply pulled her into the air as well, and she was forced to release him. As the great black dragon disappeared into the clouds, Twilight spread her wings as well, but as she tried to take off, she felt an invisible force hold her down. "Twilight, no," Celestia said. "We need to tend to the wounded." The Princess's words brought Twilight back to the situation at hand. She nodded wordlessly, before racing to the fallen party pony, completely unprepared for the sight that awaited her. Pinkie's throat, it was… gone. Not merely torn open, but completely gone. Twilight could see a line of white dots in the expose flesh- Pinkie's vertebrae. The pool of blood surrounding the pink pony was enormous, and her whole body had become as pale as the snow surrounding her. "Pinkie…" Twilight could only stare, at a complete loss about what to do- the wound was so severe, and Pinkie had lost so much blood as it was… "Don't… don't worry, okay?" she stammered. "I can fix this… I can fix it…" Pinkie's lips moved, but no sound came out. But Twilight could read the words the pink pony wanted so desperately to say. Save Rarity. Save her. Please. "But what about you?" Pinkie merely shook her head slightly. Twilight bit her lip, trying to hold in her tears. "I'll try Pinkie… I'll try." Pinkie smiled weakly up at Twilight. Then, she kicked, her face contorting into a silent cry of pain… before she fell still. Twilight bit her lip, but it did nothing to stop her tears. Her mourning was cut short however when a shrill scream broke the silence. "It's gone!" Rarity screamed "It's gone! My leg is gone!" "Just hang on Rarity!" Applejack shouted as she held down the frantic unicorn. "Just hang on and Twilight'll fix ya right up, I promise!" She looked over her shoulder. "Fluttershy help me out!" Fluttershy hurried over, but took no further action once she reached the two. "Oh… um… what should I do? Oh goodness…" Twilight galloped up to the three. "Fluttershy, keep pressure on the wound- we don't need her losing any more blood. Applejack, keep holding her down. Spike… find her leg. I'll try to fix her up as best as I can." Spike scampered off to find the unicorn's missing limb as Twilight lowered her horn, mending the damage. But without Rarity's leg, Twilight could do little, and with every moment that passed, the fashionista slipped away a little more. Twilight rested a hoof on Rarity's shoulder. "Come on Rarity, stay with us." She then looked back and called "Spike, where is that leg?" "Hold on! Hold on, I think I- oh… oh man…" Spike picked up… something out of the snow and held it up gingerly. It was twisted, gnarled, and bloody… but unmistakably a certain white unicorn's right foreleg. "Oh that's not good… that's not good…" Twilight looked up at Celestia. "Princess, you have to do something, please!" She stepped forward. "I will try." Her horn began to glow, and the severed leg was pulled from Spike's grasp. For several long moments, Spike, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Luna could only watch as Celestia worked her magic. Then, Celestia stood, and turned to face them. She shook her head. Twilight let out a shuddering breath. Spike brought a claw to his chest, feeling as though an icicle had been stabbed into his heart. Applejack whispered "No…" Fluttershy gasped. Luna looked away. "Applejack, Spike…" the Princess began, "she wished to speak with you." Her horn began to glow. "I will keep her with us for as long as I can… but I suggest you keep your conversations brief. There's no way to know when I'll lose her." Applejack stepped forward. "I… I'll go first. I'm guessin' Rarity'd want ta spend her last moments with you." She took a seat at Rarity's side. For a long while, the two spoke in hushed tones- their words were indistinct, but Spike heard the farmpony's voice waver in a way he'd never heard before. The conversation soon ended, and Applejack stood. "Go on…" she said, wiping an eye with her hoof. Spike nodded, and moved to kneel down next to Rarity. The fashionista slowly turned her head to look at him. "…Spike?" the young dragon heard her wheeze. "I'm here, Rarity." He gritted his teeth as he tried to suppress the tears. The unicorn slowly raised her remaining foreleg, pressing her hoof into his claws. "I know this is… hardly the time for a request like this…" she began, her words faint to the point of being inaudible. "…But I need you to do something for me." He gripped her hoof tightly. "Anything." "Sweetie Belle… Keep her safe. Please." He swallowed hard. "Of course." She gave him a weak smile. "Thank you. You were always such a… kind boy, Spike… have I ever told you that?" Her hoof began to slide out of Spike's claws, but he tightened his grip. "C'mon Rarity, stay with us." "…I don't think I can do that, Spike." Her breaths were faint, her chest barely rising and falling. "Rarity…" Spike's throat began to swell shut, his vision blurring. "I… before you… I just wanted to say-" "No, dear…" Rarity interrupted. "I know what you're… going to say. But sometimes… things like that are… best left unsaid." Spike couldn't speak. He could only stare down at her with tear-filled eyes, holding her hoof as though his life depended on it. Her breaths grew fainter, and fainter… and then they stopped completely. Her whole body went limp, and her hoof slipped out of Spike's claw. For a long while, the dragon knelt at Rarity's side, motionless. Then, he slowly stood up. "No… NO!" Spike tore off his helmet and threw it against the snowy ground. "I'LL KILL YOU!" he screamed to the sky. "You hear me Alduin? I'll rip out your heart if it's the last… the last thing I…" Spike fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands, and wept hysterically. Twilight embraced the young dragon, whispering gentle words for him in a (unsuccessful) attempt to calm him. Applejack pulled her hat down low so nopony could see her eyes. Fluttershy fell against Luna, weeping openly. Celestia turned away, unable to face her subjects in the wake of her failure. Thorn's leg kicked out as he snapped awake. He sat up, taking several deep breaths to bring his heart rate down to a more reasonable level. There was little point in going back to sleep- the rosy light of the dawn filtered into the small quarters he'd claimed as his own. He crawled off the bed and left the room, stepping into the Princess's path. "Good morning, Spike," she said. "Not so loud…" Thorn whispered back. He then said at a normal volume, "Princess… I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, but I know what you're planning, and… in all honesty, I don't think you should go through with it." She furrowed her brow in confusion. "How do you know… oh, right. Well, Spike has all the skills necessary to pass his test. I don't doubt that for even a second." Thorn crossed his arms. "The last time you told me that, one of my arms was almost bitten right off. I spent a whole day getting patched up by the healers, and two hundred years later, the pain still hasn't gone away." He patted his left shoulder for emphasis. "I assure you Sp- er, Thorn, every precaution will be taken to ensure that he suffers no serious harm." "I hope that's true Princess. I really do." Spike awoke to the familiar sensation of the Princess's hoof prodding his side. He fought the urge to roll over and ignore it and sat up to look at her. "Good morning, Princess," he said as she handed him his breakfast- an amethyst. "So what's the plan for today? Weapons training with Shining Armor again?" "Actually Spike, for today I was thinking we would do something different." She levitated Spike out of bed and onto her back and left the room. "You've been preparing to face Alduin for the entirety of the past week. But, you have yet to put all that you've learned to practical use." "So… what? Are you giving me some kind of test?" he asked with a mouthful of gem fragments. "Well… yes. I suppose that I am. But before we begin, there's something that I need to give you." The Princess stopped in front of a door out in the hall. Spike recognized it- beyond was the castle forge and armory. He'd passed by that door many times while ha and Twilight had still lived in the palace, but neither of them had ever been allowed inside. Celestia knocked. There were several loud clattering sounds and some grumbles before the door swung open, exposing a dark purple pony with a black mane and anvil cutie mark. "Ah, Princess, I've been expecting you." Spike recognized the accent- southern Trottingham, just like Pipsqueak. "Good morning, Hearthfire. I take it that you've finished my commission?" "Aye, Princess. Put the finishing touches on it just yesterday." Hearthfire's eyes fell on Spike. "And this must be the little warrior himself. It's good to finally meet you." "Uh, you too, Mr. Hearthfire," Spike replied uncertainly. He climbed off the Princess's back. "Well, no point in standing around. Wait here, lad- I'll get your armor." Hearthfire disappeared deeper into his workshop. Spike looked up at the Princess. "Armor? What's he talking about?" "A few days ago, I had some armor commissioned for you," Celestia replied. "Why?" The white alicorn looked down at the young dragon. "As I'm sure you're aware Spike, you're still very young- thus, the impervious set of scales that dragons are renowned for hasn't finished developing quite yet. Don't get the wrong impression though. You're still very resilient- this armor is simply meant to supplement that." Hearthfire returned, carrying a large bundle on his back. "Here you are, lad," he said. "I admit, I had to make a few guesses without your measurements, but everything should fit well enough." Spike staggered momentarily under the weight of the armor that was dropped into his arms. As he looked down at the various pieces of fabric and leather and metal in his arms, the Princess asked him, "Well? Put it on." So, Spike did. First came the cuirass, a seemingly endless spider web of leather straps and metal studs and clasps- it took some work, but Spike managed to secure it firmly to his body. Next came the gauntlets, gloves of heavy iron that made Spike fell as though he were carrying a bowling ball in each hand. Finally, he put on the helmet- it too was made of iron, with two curved horns pointing toward the ground, and a slot for his spines to pass through. Only one piece remained- a small metal plate that resembled a bowl. "What do I do with this?" "What hand do you hold a sword in?" "Uh… the right one." "Then strap that over your right shoulder." Spike strapped the pauldron over his good shoulder. "Is there another?" Hearthfire shook his head. Spike looked down at himself, flexing his fingers and rolling his shoulders- overall the armor was hot, heavy, and uncomfortable… but he wasn't about to say that out loud. "So? How is everything?" "I can't lie, Princess. I feel more than a little silly." He fiddled with one of his new, uncomfortable gauntlets. "Bear with it, Spike. You're going to need all the protection you can get, both now, and in your battle against Alduin." She brought a hoof to her chin. "Now that I think about it, I probably should have had Shining begin training you in armor as well… but I suppose it's a little late for that." She looked down to the blacksmith. "Thank you, Hearthfire. Your work is flawless as always." "Thank you kindly, Princess." "Come, Spike. We need to go to the gardens." The Princess turned and left the armory, with Spike following. She walked down the hall at a leisurely pace… but because of her long stride, Spike had to run to keep up, no small feat with his new armor weighing him down. "Hey, uh… Princess?" he huffed. "If you don't mind me asking… what exactly am I gonna… be doing for this test?" "Well Spike, I need to be perfectly blunt. There's really only one way to prepare you to fight a dragon, and that is… to have you fight a dragon." He stopped dead in his tracks. "…What?" She stopped to look back at him. "Now Spike, there's no need to worry. Every precaution has been taken to ensure that no serious harm befalls you." It took several moments for Spike to reply to the Princess's statement. "…Well this still isn't something you just drop on somepony!" "You'll be just fine, Spike. You have my word." The two reached the end of the hallway. The Princess pushed open the grand doors that led to the gardens, but as Spike followed her outside, he could see that the gardens were very different. The various statues, exotic plants, flowerboxes… all of them were gone; the only remaining feature was an oddly-shaped object covered by a heavy white sheet. But though the gardens were barren, they weren't empty. Twilight was there… and who she was with made Spike's jaw drop. "Hey there little guy," Rainbow Dash said. "You been working out?" "SPIIIIKE!" Before he knew what was happening, a pink blur tackled Spike to the ground. "Oh it's so super-duper good to see you again!" Pinkie cried. She brought her face up to his. "When you had to leave I was like-" She pouted. "But when I heard you were back I was all-" She smiled. "And then when I heard we could visit you I was like-" She made a shocked face. "And now that I can actually see you I'm like-" She made an absolutely enormous smile, her eyes sparkling. The party pony was suddenly yanked away, allowing Spike to get to his feet. "C'mon now Pinkie, lay off," Applejack said. "Let the little guy breathe." "P-Pinkie?" Spike stammered, as his eyes swept across all his friends. "Rarity? Applejack? Rainbow? What're you guys all doing here?" "They wanted to see you," Twilight replied. "Well, they wanted to see us. It has been a whole week since we've last seen each other." "It was Rainbow's idea," Applejack replied. "She heard y'all were comin' back, so she went to ask the Princess if we could see ya, and she said 'yes.'" "Where's Fluttershy?" Spike asked. "Oh she's here. Just in the library, is all. Once she heard what today's game plan was, she uh… decided to sit it out." "Is it true, dear?" Rarity asked. "Are you really going to fight another dragon today?" "What?" Twilight asked, incredulous. "You never told me that!" "Well I didn't know I was until this morning!" Spike said back. "It is indeed true, Rarity," the Princess said in reply to the fashionista's query. "In fact, that dragon is with us right now." The approached the white sheet, and pulled it away. Beneath was a very unusual creature, one which resembled a massive, winged snake much more than it resembled a dragon. The creature's body was colored a pale blue, and a strange fog rose off of it, as though it were coated in ice. Cautiously, Spike (and unbeknownst to him, the others) approached the dragon. "…What is this thing?" "This is Numinex, one of Alduin's generals from the Dragon War and one of his staunchest allies." Spike tapped on the dragon, but received no response. "What's wrong with him?" "He's in magical suspension. It was his sentence after he was brought to his home roost and made to stand trial for his crimes after the war. He was never to be released, and his roost was very reluctant to just hand him over to me, but once I mentioned you, they became much more cooperative." She paused for a moment. "Oh, before I forget, you'll need these." She summoned a shield and a sheathed sword and levitated them to Spike. Spike fastened the sheath around his waist. "So, this is who I'm fighting then?" "You aren't simply fighting Numinex, Spike. If you're to pass my test, you must fight him… and slay him." Spike's attention snapped to the Princess. "…what?" "Princess you can't be serious!" Twilight shouted. "Fighting another dragon is one thing, but killing it? That's not-" Twilight was interrupted when a bright beam that shot out of the Princess's horn and struck Numinex- slowly, the blue color began to fade as large plumes of steam began to rise from its body. "You have about thirty seconds before Numinex fully thaws. Best of luck to you, Spike." "But-" The Princess vanished- she didn't teleport, but seemed to merely fade out of existence. Spike quickly realized that Twilight and the rest of her friends had disappeared as well. Okay, okay, this isn't as bad as it seems… Spike thought to himself as he drew his sword. All I need to do is kill this thing before it kills me. Should be easy enough… Oh who am I kidding? I'm gonna die here, aren't I? All he could do was shiver as he watched the dragon slowly thaw. Twilight charged towards Spike, but ran face-first into some sort of invisible barrier. She bashed a hoof against it, but the barrier didn't yield. She looked to Celestia. "Princess this is crazy! You can't do this!" Celestia looked down to her student, but said nothing. Twilight warmed up a teleportation spell, her horn lighting up. "At least let me go out there, please! He needs me!" Celestia's horn began to glow in response, suppressing her student's spell. "I'm sorry Twilight, but I can't do that. This is something Spike must do alone." It seemed to both take too long, and happen too soon. The pale blue color finally disappeared, replaced by a bright gold. Released, the dragon dropped to the ground, breathing out a long cloud of steam. "Krah…" the dragon breathed. Cold. Spike understood the dragon's words perfectly now, when they had been completely alien to him just a few days before. The serpent's eyes fell on Spike. "Dovahkiin… dreh hi lahney ahrk su'um?" Dragonborn… how is it that you live and breathe?"Ni. Zu fent zin Alduin naal drun ok hin klov." No matter. I shall honor Alduin by bringing him your head. Spike pointed his sword at the dragon. "We'll see about that," he replied, sounding much braver than he felt. The dragon roared- displaying an impressive pair of fangs- before taking flight. Spike brought up his shield protectively as he watched the dragon circle overhead, waiting for the opportunity to strike. He wouldn't be waiting long. Numinex swooped down low, but not low enough where Spike could attack. He inhaled… but Spike was faster. "FO!" The icy blast missed its mark as the serpent merely darted out of its path. He tried again, charging up a lightning spell and unleashing it on his foe. But again, Numinex evaded the attack with almost blinding speed. Then, the serpent dived toward the ground, encircling Spike… but the young dragon had no intention of running away. Numinex reared back for a moment, before striking. Spike's heart leapt into his throat for a moment… but then he remembered his training. He readied his shield and braced himself, waiting for the right moment to strike. Then, just as Numinex was about to make contact, he bashed the dragon's face with the front of his shield. As it recoiled, he raised his sword and slashed the elder dragon across the face. Unfortunately, the dragon had mostly pulled away; the wound Spike's strike left behind was superficial at best. The dragon lunged again- Spike brought up his shield once more… but this time, he wasn't nearly fast enough. Spike recoiled as Numinex's fang dragged across his exposed shoulder, leaving a deep gouge in his wake. As the young dragon turned to face his opponent, he heard him growl "YOL… TOOR…" "FEIM!" The torrent of fire passed through Spike harmlessly. But before Spike could formulate his next move, the great serpent coiled its body around his much smaller one, and brought its face right up to his. "Zu fen fus faal miine nol hin klov, Dovahkiin." I will force the eyes from your skull, Dragonborn. Then, the serpent constricted. A loud crack met Spike's ears. "Gah! Urgh…" Pain surged through his body, but he fought it as hard as he could, concentrating. "Y… YOL!" Fire streamed from Spike's mouth, directly into the serpent's face. It roared in pain, loosening its grip… but not enough to release him. He worked his arms free, before plunging his sword deep into the dragon's side. Numinex roared again and uncoiled, dropping Spike to the ground. The young dragon staggered to his feet. He wasn't a licensed medical professional, but he was fairly sure at least one of his ribs was broken; the throbbing pain in his side was all the diagnosis he needed. As Spike struggled to breathe, the serpent glared down at him. "Zu fen aus fah tol," he growled, the ground trembling as he spoke. You will suffer for that. He lunged. Spike raised his shield, but the serpent's fang hooked behind and tore it out of his grip, landing some distance away. Numinex reared back. "W-WULD!" Spike raced out of the dragon's range, tumbling uncontrollably across the ground. The pain in his side flared, but he lucked out- he slid to a stop only a foot away from his shield. He grabbed it and rose to his feet, slowly, struggling to breathe- it felt as though a heavy stone were resting on his chest. The serpent turned toward him, rearing back as it prepared to strike. But Numinex didn't lunge at him again. Instead, he inhaled deeply, a sure sign of an impending Shout. Spike ducked behind his shield- breathing was difficult enough, and in his condition Shouting back would have been nothing less than impossible. But his small shield couldn't completely protect him from the icy blast that emanated from the serpent's mouth- his feet, the spines on his head, even the arm behind his shield were seared by the sheer cold. He dropped to his knees from the pain, curling up defensively behind his shield. It did little to protect him when Numinex slammed headfirst against his small body. The blow knocked Spike into the air and onto his back. His sword and shield were sent flying from his grip. He struggled to rise- his whole body pulsed with pain, and his lungs burned as he desperately tried to take in air. He spluttered and gasped, spitting up blood as he pushed himself off the ground. As he rose, he suddenly realized he was completely defenseless… and that there was a very angry dragon closing in on him. He tried to inhale, but in spite of his most valiant efforts, his lungs simply would not cooperate. Focusing as hard as he could, he thrust out his hand, a long stream of fire bursting forth from his palm. Numinex simply slithered through the flames, unfazed and unamused. "You have disappointed me at every turn, Dovahkiin…" Numinex said. "What would the ancients say if they could see you now- you, the most powerful dovahin the world, lying in the dirt like a worm, desperately clinging to life? It seems that Alduin's fears were… unfounded." He brought himself upright. "Hmph. No matter. It's time to put this game to an end. YOL…" Twilight could do little but watch the battle unfold, biting down on her hoof so hard it made her teeth hurt. Spike was fighting just to stay on his feet; Numinex lunged, fangs extended- Spike blocked, but the force of the blow knocked Spike off of his feet. She stepped forward, but an invisible force gripped her. She looked back; the Princess merely shook her head. So, she stayed, her body tense, ready to dash out and assist Spike at any moment. She reached her breaking point when she watched as the gold dragon slammed against Spike, knocking him to the ground and sending his sword and shield flying from his hands. The dragon advanced on Spike. Twilight tore open a hole in the barrier and stepped into the open. "Twilight wait!" she heard the Princess call, but the lavender unicorn was too focused on the events unfolding before her to notice. She braced herself, and Shouted at the top of her lungs. "FUS… RO DAH!" The shockwave easily bowled over the massive dragon. He tumbled end over end, before crashing through the garden's outer wall and falling over the edge and out of sight. Twilight galloped up to Spike, who struggled to rise to his feet. "Spike, are you okay?" "T… Twilight, what're you doing?" he spluttered. An extrasensory spell told Twilight what Spike already knew- three of his ribs were broken. And with his burns and scratches on top of that… She lifted him onto his feet, telekinetically calling his shield and sword before pushing them into his hands. "I wasn't going to just stand by and watch you die, Spike." The sound of massive beating wings drew their attention; the two turned, to watch Numinex rise up above the cliff edge. "Aan bein lo…" the serpent growled.A foul trick. "Dreh hi faas zu, Dovahkiin? Los daar wur zu nivah voth aan sahlo key?" Are you afraid of me, Dragonborn? Is this why you cower behind a lowly horse? "Hi los faal gein wo fent kos faas, Numinex!" Twilight roared- the ground trembled with every word. You're the one who should be afraid. Numinex laughed. "Ahrk wur los tol?" And why is that? "Because if you hurt even one more scale on Spike's body, I promise I will make you regret it." "Bold words, little key…" Numinex replied. "We shall see if you have the strength to make good on your promise." He dived toward them. Though hastily erected, the ward Twilight cast kept her and Spike safe from the dragon's fiery breath. As the serpent passed overhead, the unicorn pushed the young dragon back. "Spike, stay behind me. And no arguing- now really isn't the time." Spike snapped his mouth shut. Her horn glowed brightly, shooting bolt after lightning bolt at the circling dragon; her frustration mounted as Numinex effortlessly dodged each successive bolt. Finally, she caught a break- a bolt struck the serpent right at the base of his wing, sending the dragon crashing to the ground… only, Twilight hadn't fired that particular bolt. She looked back to see Spike, his arm outstretched and crackling with magical energy. The young dragon looked back at her, and shrugged, wincing in pain. "What? All you said was to stay behind you." She grumbled to herself before saying, "Just don't do anything dangerous." "Since when have I ever-" He gasped. "…done anything dangerous?" By now, Numinex had recovered from his crash. He stretched his wings as he prepared for flight, only to suddenly draw them in. With the serpent grounded, the odds had shifted towards Spike and Twilight ever so slightly. But even though he was grounded, Numinex's deadliness hadn't diminished in the slightest; in mere moments, he slithered across the garden and dived at them, fangs gleaming. The ward Twilight conjured to stop him cracked under the force of his blow- it continued to hold against the dragon's fiery breath, cracks rapidly crisscrossing its surface. "This isn't good…" Spike said. "The ward could give out at any moment." "Tell me something I don't know," Twilight growled back, her teeth gritted in concentration. Spike drew himself up, and idea forming in his head. "Twilight… as soon as he stops, drop the ward." Twilight glanced back. "What? There's no way-" "Just trust me." Twilight looked back at him, uncertain. But when the stream of fire stopped, she dismissed the ward. Numinex reared back. But Spike was faster. "FUS!" The Shout struck the serpent dead-center, forcing him back. "Twilight, now!" The unicorn began charging the most powerful lightning spell she could muster, before unleashing its fury on the stunned dragon. The bolt's aim was true, striking the dragon's vulnerable underside and leaving behind a massive black scorch mark. The dragon fell back on the ground, convulsing as small arcs of electricity crossed his body. Twilight turned around, bringing her horn up to Spike. "Alright hold still. I'll see what I can do about those burns." "Twilight there's no time for that. We need to-" "FUS… RO… DAH!" A tremendous shockwave tore itself from the serpent's throat and raced toward them, ripping up the ground in its wake. "FEIM!" Spike Shouted, his body becoming incorporeal. Twilight put up another ward in defense, but as soon as the blast made contact, it shattered into a thousand pieces. The unicorn was thrown across the garden, tumbling uncontrollably, before coming to a rest. Several moments passed… but she did not rise. "Twilight!" In spite of his injuries, Spike charged Numinex with reckless abandon. The serpent inhaled deeply. "TIID!" The world slowed to a crawl; Spike maneuvered past the wintry blast that left the serpent's throat with ease and continued his charge. Slowly, Numinex reared back, growing faster as the world returned to its normal speed. The serpent lunged- Spike braced himself and batted the elder dragon's strike away with a blow from his shield. While he was stunned, Spike climbed onto the serpent's back, just behind its head, and started slashing. Numinex roared in pain, twisting and shaking violently as he tried to break the young dragon's grip to no avail. Blood splattered against Spike's armor and scales as he hacked at the elder dragon in a blind fury. But as the blood accumulated, Spike found it harder and harder to hold on. And with one last violent twist, his grip broke, and he was thrown high into the air. The world spun, and Spike's arms pinwheeled furiously as he attempted to right himself. Below him, he could see Numinex looking up at him, jaws wide, waiting for the young dragon to descend. Slowly, Twilight rose to her feet. She was greeted to the sight of Numinex tossing Spike into the air in an uncontrollable spin. In seconds, he reached the height of his arc… and began to fall. The world seemed to slow to a crawl. Twilight didn't think. She didn't need to. In the blink of an eye, she teleported to the serpent, and blasted him with the most powerful spell she could conjure at point-blank range. Numinex turned his head towards Twilight, and away from Spike. Spike saw his opportunity, and he seized it. He readied his sword, and as soon as he came within range, he stabbed. The sword sank deep into Numinex's skull, reaching all the way up to the hilt. The dragon unceremoniously dropped to the ground, a single rattling breath escaping from his throat. For a long while, Spike merely knelt motionless atop the dragon's head. Then, he stood, slowly withdrawing his sword. Long, dark red streaks of blood ran down the blade, small drops falling from the very tip. The blood was strange- it seemed so much darker than his own. And the scent… the smell of rust grated against the back of his nose. As he stared at his reflection in the blood-soaked blade, his actions began to sink in. This dragon was dead. This dragon was dead because he killed it. He had taken the life of another living being. He felt… ill. He was snapped out of his daze when Twilight asked, "Are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you?" "No, I'm fine Twilight." Spike shook his sword, trying to get the blood off of it. But as he did so, he noticed something- white flakes, rising from beneath him. He looked down, to see Numinex's scales glow brightly before turning to ash, as if swallowed by invisible flames. Spike yelped, jumping off the burning dragon. The serpent burned away, until all that remained were bones. But as he burned, wisps of red and blue began to rise from his body and swirled through the air, towards Twilight and Spike. Suddenly, Twilight doubled over as a warmth crept over her brain. A flood of memories filled her mind- fire, screams, the taste of blood… then she saw a shadow, slicing at her, leaping high into the air, plunging its blade deep into her skull… and then nothing. Spike tossed his helmet against the ground, fell to his hands and knees, and vomited into the grass. He stayed there, shaking, his breaths ragged. "What… what was that…" he breathed. "This is what happens when two dragons fight to the death," Celestia replied. The barrier that protected her and Twilight's friends faded. "When one dragon slays another, the victor devours the soul of the defeated, gaining access to his memories, his knowledge, his skills… everything." Spike said nothing. Neither did Twilight. The Princess continued, "It occurs to me that I may have… overestimated your abilities, Spike. But it's important that you understand the sort of opposition you'll face in your fight against Alduin. Your enemy is ruthless, vicious, underhanded… he will use any means he can to defeat you. And as bad as Numinex was, I guarantee you that Alduin will be much, much worse. But for what it's worth, you- and Twilight- survived. As far as I'm concerned, you passed the test. Take what you've learned from this fight, reflect on it. It will help you in the battle to come." A long, uncomfortable silence settled for a minute or two, before Rainbow Dash broke it. "Man… Spike, do you have any idea how high that dragon threw you?" she asked. "Yer one tough customer, Spike, ya know that?" Applejack asked. "I mean look at ya- yer beaten and burned and bloody… and yer still standin'." "I agree, Applejack," Rarity began, "you've become quite the warrior since we've last seen you… though perhaps we should save the accolades until after you've seen a doctor." "Oh Spike that was super-duper awesome!" Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing excitedly. "I mean, that dragon was like 'Rrraggh!' and then you were like 'hooyah!' and then it was like 'Grraggh!' and then Twilight was like 'Fus Ro Dah!' and then…" Spike felt very uncomfortable as his friends showered him with compliments- the murder of another living being wasn't exactly something that merited praise. But he swallowed his uncomfortable feelings and smiled. "Yeah well… I did learn from the best." He doubled over, claw on his side. "Uhn… still have a lot to learn, though." Twilight put a hoof on his shoulder. "Alright Spike, we should get you to a healer. Come on." Carefully, she lifted him onto her back, and carried him into the palace. On a spire high above the garden, Thorn watched the scene unfold. He knew exactly how Spike felt at that moment, but all the same, he couldn't help but smile. "Hmm…" he muttered. "Looks like that's another one I owe you, Twilight." He massaged his aching temples and stood, stretching his stiff limbs as he prepared to climb down and join his younger counterpart. But as he stretched, he noticed something unusual. The ache in his left shoulder… was gone. Twilight winced. The rubbing alcohol made her scrapes burn like fire, but she had to sterilize the wounds before she could seal them. Spike was being tended to by the palace healers- they would have healed her as well, had she not insisted on managing her own injuries. So now here she was, tending to her injuries in a small, private washroom near the sparring hall. The lavender unicorn set down her cloth, and summoned a fresh one. She put a few drops of the disinfectant on the cloth, but as she brought it up to her face, she saw somepony over her reflection's shoulder. Twilight jumped. "P-Princess!" she stammered. "What're you doing here?" "Show me," the alicorn replied flatly. "Princess, I don't know-" "Show me." Her stern expression told Twilight she wasn't in the mood for games. Ashamed and feeling more than a little afraid, Twilight looked to the floor, her horn glowing. Slowly, her wings were revealed, standing straight up on her back. Celestia leaned in, inspecting the wings closely. "So, you really did it then… you formed a blood pact. And more importantly, you survived- the first pony to do so in nearly four hundred years." "I'm sorry!" Twilight said quickly. "I know I shouldn't have, but I only did it so I could protect Spike. Please don't be too upset!" "I'm not upset with you, Twilight." "Wait, you're not?" Twilight asked, dumbfounded. The Princess shook her head. "Of course not. I just wish you would've consulted me before making such a… radical decision." There was a momentary pause. "Let me help you with that." She levitated the cloth out of Twilight's grip, and dabbed her wounds. "So, I assume you made the pact with Spike. Is this correct?" The young alicorn nodded. "I suspected as much. Now, I don't know how much you were able to learn about the Voice before I returned you here, but there are a few things you need to know before-" "Princess?" Twilight interrupted. "Yes, Twilight?" The lavender alicorn cast her eyes to the floor. "…Don't ever do that again." Celestia furrowed her brow. "I beg your pardon?" "Don't… take Spike away from me." Twilight looked up at her teacher. "You remember the promise I made, don't you? On the day I got my cutie mark?" Her student had in fact made a lot of promises on that day, but the Princess allowed her to proceed. "I promised you… I promised myself that I would take care of Spike. That I would protect him. That since I was the one who… brought him into this world, I would be the one responsible for raising him." She cast her eyes down again. "All I want is to keep Spike safe. And that is exactly what I plan to do, even if… even if I must defy your wishes." For a long while, the small washroom was silent. Twilight stood tense, ready to brace herself against any verbal reprimand the Princess might have prepared for her. But to her surprise, the elder alicorn wrapped a foreleg around her sand pulled her close. "I wouldn't dream of keeping you away from Spike, My Little Pony. If anything, today's demonstration has shown me that he needs you now more than ever." There was a short pause before Celestia released Twilight. "Now, as I was saying, there are a few things you need to know about the voice before your battle with Alduin…" The Canterlot royal palace is home to many spires, towers, and turrets, but few are as well-known as Solaris's Tower. The tower, originally named "Dawn's Tower," was commissioned by King Solaris to commemorate the birth of his first daughter, Celestia. The tower was, and remains, the tallest structure in all of Canterlot; its height is rivaled only by Dusk's Tower, built eight years later in honor of Solaris's second daughter Luna. Following Discord's sealing, the Princesses renamed Dawn's Tower in the memory of their deceased father. The tower served as the private chambers of Princess Celestia until Nightmare Moon's banishment, and the subsequent Reclamation Wars- during that time, she moved her quarters to the ground level of the palace's Aura Wing. Although the use of its living quarters is now exclusively reserved to foreign dignitaries and other important individuals, the observation deck of Solaris's Tower is open to the public- there, ponies are offered stunning views of Canterlot and the surrounding Equestrian countryside. And the observation deck of Solaris's Tower was precisely where a certain lavender unicorn was headed this evening. Twilight panted, sweating profusely as she clopped up the long spiral staircase winding up the tower's interior. After several long minutes of climbing, she finally reached the landing that connected to the deck; grateful, she sat down to catch her breath, lightheaded. Am I really this out of shape? she wondered to herself. Sure, she didn't work out as often as she probably should have, but a staircase (even one as long as this one) shouldn't tire her out so quickly. She had no idea how Spike, who at the time barely reached up to her knee, managed to do it. There had been times when Twilight and Spike… disagreed on certain issues, even when the two had still lived in Canterlot. If their argument had grown especially heated, or Twilight had made an especially scathing comment directed toward him, Spike would scamper off and disappear to brood or mope. But Twilight soon found that he always went to the exact same place, every single time- the observation deck of Solaris's Tower. And with any luck, the deck outside the tower was exactly where she would find the young dragon now. Sure enough, as she opened the door to the outside, her eyes fell on the back of a young purple dragon, his fingers interlaced with the mesh of overlapping metal bars meant to keep ponies from falling over the edge. Most of the cuts and bruises on his body had been healed, but a few bandages now covered the few injuries the healers hadn't been able to fully mend. She approached him quietly, taking a seat next at the edge next to him. "Hey," she said. "I thought I might find you here." He didn't look at her. "I know why you're here, Twilight. And to be honest, I… I don't really wanna talk about it right now." "Spike, it's okay." She put a hoof on his shoulder. "You-" He recoiled from Twilight's touch. "No it's not! You don't know what I saw! What… what I did." "But I do, Spike. I saw it too." He looked at her for the first time, eyes wide. Then, he looked away. "…How can you even stand to look at me right now? Didn't you see what I was like? I was… a monster." She looked over at him. "Spike…" she began. For a long while, she was silent. Then, she reached back, and slammed her hoof against the side of Spike's face. The dragon stumbled back. "Augh! Uhh… Twilight, what the hell!" "Spike…" she said again, much more firmly. "…you are not a monster. Do you hear me? I don't care what anypony else tells you. You. Are. Not. A monster." "Well what else do you call a dragon that can eat someone else's soul?" Twilight merely glared at the young dragon. Spike put a claw to his jaw. "Uhn… fine, fine. But you didn't have to hit me; I just got finished with the healers, you know…" Her horn glowed for a moment, and an ice pack appeared in the air next to Spike's head. "Here. This should keep the swelling down."