Chapter 5:
Rarity stood there silently, absorbing what she had just heard, her mind consuming the words that had came from Rainbow’s mouth.
“Wha-....what?” Rarity stumbled.
Dash ran to Rarity, hugging her for support, “It was horrible, me and Spike were on our way back here...and....oh Celestia.”
“Slow down Rainbow. Tell me exactly what happened.”
Rainbow took a deep breath. Her heart rate slowed and she began to relax, but only a little. Dash then looked Rarity in the eyes with a look of sympathy. “Alright, here it goes...”
Flashback:
Dash and Spike walked quickly to the boutique. The sun had already set and the dusk winds blew dirt around their ankles.
Rainbow Dash was going on about herself while Spike listened half heartedly,“...so then I flew around Cloudsdale and beat my old record! I could tell all the other pegasus thought I was so amazing and...”
Spike looked up sharply, “Do you hear that?” he said. Just then, a large and blunt object hit Dash over the head, knocking her to the floor.
A hoarse voice could be heard over her, “What do we do with this one?” it said.
“Leave her be, she’ll tell the others and lead them to us,” another low voice laughed. The sound of footsteps drifted into Rainbow’s ears.
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes just in time to see four dragons escaping into the forest with an unconscious Spike beneath one of their arms before darkness took her again. As she stood up, her legs began to shake and her head pulsed with pain and throbbed horribly. As she shook off the pain, she jumped up and realized what was going on.
“I need to find Rarity!” she exclaimed, blasting off in the direction of Rarity’s boutique.
Flashback Over:
Throughout the story, Rarity was silent and still, her eyes wide and empty. The warmth that had filled her in the past days was again lost and out of her reach.
“We have to go back for him...” she whispered.
Rainbow Dash grabbed Rarity and shook her, trying to bring her to her senses. “NO! Rarity! That’s just what they want you to do!” she yelled. “We have to find Twilight and the others and make sure they are safe first!”
Rarity shook off Dash, unphased by her words. Rarity brushed passed Rainbow as she quickly shot to the door, running outside and towards the Everfree Forest. But she was pulled to the floor, being clotheslined by one of Dash’s hooves.
“Are you nuts!? You were almost killed by just one of those things. What make you think you can take on four at the same time!?” Dash yelled at her delusional friend.
“I have to try Rainbow Dash! He means the world to me! If I don’t make it, at least I died trying to save the one I love!” Rarity sobbed. She then knocked Dash off of her and sprinted through an opening in the forest before Dash could stop her again. Just as she disappeared from sight, Dash flew to gather the rest of her friends.
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Spike lifted his head slowly, taking in his surroundings. The long scar on his body was searing with pain.
“Wakey wakey sleepy head...”
Spike would have recognized that voice anywhere. Garble stood in front of Spike, one armed and fearsome as ever. Spike tried to lunged at him, but Snap and another dragon had him pinned by both arms. All Spike could do was look towards Garble and growl and menacingly as he could.
“Oh please,” Garble laughed, kicking Spike in the face, breaking his nose. Blood slowly poured from Spike’s nose and mouth. “I told you this wasn’t over Spikey Wikey, I told you I’d come back for you.” Garble sneered, “And after you, were going to burn your precious Ponyville to the ground, along with all your precious ponies.” The dragons cheered and yelled.
“I’ll die before that happens,” Spike said loudly.
Garble stared down at Spike before grabbing his face with his remaining arm. “Oh no...you won’t...because you’re going to watch it all. After you’ve seen the deaths of your town and friends because of your failure, then maybe I will be generous enough to kill you...”
Spike’s head dropped after Garble let it go. It hung there motionlessly, a mixture of blood and tears dripping onto the dark dirt.
“You’re wrong...” Spike’s voice came out from under his head.
Garble turned back towards Spike, eyeing him. “What did you say...?”
Spike pushed against the dragons holding him, but it was no use, he could not escape. “I said you’re are wrong...Those ponies...My Friends...they are a lot stronger than you think...a lot stronger than you...”
Garble and the rest of the dragons laughed, “You know Spike, you annoying blister on my side, you’re a bigger dumbass than I thought.” Gable raised his clawed hand, “In fact, maybe...maybe I’ll just kill you right now. The suspense is killing me...” Garble’s claws shot down toward Spike, aiming straight to his face as Grable laughed, “Or maybe its killing you!”
The shining black claws were a foot from Spikes head.
“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
The other dragons turned to see Rarity charging at Garble. She lunged in the path of his attack, shielding Spike and earning herself three large gashes across her body. Miraculously, she still stood and stared at Garble.
“I’m not going to lose him again...” Rarity said loudly. The cuts on her were glowing blue and so were her eyes. “I’m not going to sit back and watch my friends suffer!” Rarity stepped toward Garble, her eyes glowing brighter and brighter blue. She winced from the pain in her side but kept walking.
Garble backing up slowly at the sight of Rarity’s glowing body looked at her cautiously. “How are you...? Why...?”
Rarity was now charging at Garble. “Why!?! Because he’s my friend! He’s more than a friend! And sometimes we make sacrifices for the benefits of our friends!” Rarity jumped, her glowing form inches from Garble, “Because that is the true form of generosity!”
As Rarity’s horn made contact with Garble, a blue shockwave rang out, blowing away the other dragons, incapacitating them. But Garble was the leader of the teenage dragons for a reason. His legs held their ground and he grabbed Rarity with his arm, moving her closer to his jaw. Rarity’s body began to turn to its normal color and blood started to shoot out from her massive wounds as she lost consciousness.
Garble was about to bite her neck in half, if it wasn’t for Spike, who was directly above him, hands spread and claws ready. Garble tossed Rarity’s lifeless body to the side and rolled to dodge Spike’s overhead assault.
Just as Garble stood up and regained his balance, Spike was ready facing him in a fighting stance. Garble stood up straight and smirked at his opponent. Garble only had one arm, but his strenght and fighting skill outweighed Spike’s by far.
“You think you can win this? I’ll toss you around just like we just did to your little friend there,” he snarled.
“I’m not going to let you lay a claw on her.” Spike growled.
Spike lunged towards Garble at incredible speed, aiming for his weak side, and slammed his shoulder into Garble’s gut, tackling him to the ground. Spike then got on top of Garble and beat his fists into the red dragons face.
Garble’s head slammed into the ground repeatedly before he grabbed Spike’s throat and flipped them over. Garble dropped his knee into Spikes chest, making his tender injury area swell with more pain. Spike them clawed at Garble’s own chest, but Grable pulled away just in time to only get grazed.
As Spike wheeled around, Garble’s fist slammed into his face, breaking the bones in his snout even more. Blood spurted out making more small puddles in the dirt as Spike fell on all fours. Garble walked up behind and wrapped around Spikes waist. As he did so, he did a backwards bridge and rammed Spike’s head into the dirt, making his body flop on top of itself.
Ten feet from the ferocious fighters laid Rarity’s body. At this sight, Spike kicked his legs up and stood on his feet swaying lightly. Garble stood up, dazed and exhausted. Spike punched at Garble quickly as Garble tried as best as he could to block the attacks. Spike’s tail whipped around and knocked Garble onto the ground.
“You will never win Spike...there will be others...” Garble’s voice was broken, just as his fighting spirit was.
Spike turned away from the crimson dragon and picked up Rarity, “And I will always be here to stop them.”
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After Twilight and the others arrived, Celestia had committed Garble to the Tartarus prison for the foulest creatures of Equestria. Twilight, Rainbow and Fluttershy had accompanied the royal guards to exile the other dragons that had followed Garble back to the dragon lands. Pinkie Pie was back to her usual self, bouncing and partying about Rarity’s boutique, setting up the “Get well soon” party. Applejack stood over Spike and Rarity in the Ponyville hospital, keeping them company while they recovered.
“...haha yeah, I just hope Rarity still likes me even with this messed up snout!” Spike laughed. Rarity snickered lowly in her bed.
Applejack patted Spike on the chest lightly, “Now Spike, the doctor said ya’ll will be back ta your usual face in no time a’tall.”
The three of them joked around that evening, enjoying the time they had together, something they are very grateful for.
At last, the doctor came back into the room, “It seems the two of you will be fine, but you will definitely need to stay here and recuperate, you’ve both been through a lot.
Spike and Rarity shared a long glance.
“Oh! I almost forgot!” Spike said. Spike looked at the doctor, who handed Spike something. “The day I got back here the doctor’s been holding on to it for me,” Spike’s arms slowly extended towards Rarity, and as his palm opened, she saw a beautiful red fire ruby. “I’ve got no use for it anyways, the doctor said I need to eat healthier gems,” Spike chuckled.
Rarity’s hoof brushed over it slowly, she looked back up at Spike.
“Oh no it’s fine, you can have it...” Spike said, “It’s the least I can do to pay your back for saving my life.” Spike laughed.
Rarity picked up the gem and looked into Spike’s lively green eyes. Her fire had come back to shield her from the coldness of the world.
“You really are full of hope aren’t you...” Rarity whispered.
Spike’s resolution to protect the ones he loved was easier to see in him, then brazen across his chest.