The Light of the four

by hoodedfigurine

Chapter Six - We go East

"Urghhh," Spike groaned, close to retching and his head pounding, Twister Travel as Discord had named it was not by any-ponies standard an ideal way to travel, Spike couldn't understand where Discord came up with these "fun" ways to travel.

Dragging his face from the ground, strangely with an audible pop Spike glanced at his new surroundings. He didn't know what to expect, but from how Discord made them out to be so important and fundamental to all life, albeit unknowingly, the tunnels were rather basic. Circular in shape, jagged rocks and tuffs of grassy-roots occasionally protruded from the tunnels dirt walls, intriguing though was the occasional wisps of light embedded in the tunnel walls zooming around in all directions giving off a weak glow wherever they flew. "Spose we are underground," Spike thought. Casting aside his dizziness and getting to his claws Spike dusted off his scales clearing the mud from him, he let out a sigh after noticing the remains of Discords redecoration attempts on the castle. "Discord! I held the throne room close to my heart and you just ransacked it, was it even remotely necessary? We could of you know flown down," Spike said displeased with Discord.

"Why yes, my dear Spike," Discord professed appearing from the darkness, "You wouldn't think I would do something like that as a joke do you? You know not everything needs to be remade in my image," Discord hovered nearby, his arms raised and legs folded mimicking a taken aback pose.

Spike glared at Discord clearly unimpressed by his claim.

"Really though, to gain access to the tunnels you need one ancient, that would be mwah, and that ancient needs to exhibit his element in the vicinity of an entrance, as such here we are, that mess was our ticket in," Discord explained, now leaning against Applejack's toppled throne sticking out of the dirt.

"You could of toned it down a little!" Spike argued back, "Oh what's the use, might as well be talking to a brick wall."

"Goodness no, simple parlor tricks won't get us in, you need to show some real effort to open those doors," Discord pointed up at the now closing hole in the ground above them, "You wouldn't want one of my kind to accidentally open up one of the tunnels, say beneath Canterlot mountain hmm? Yes, I thought not, in fact, I remember how silly it was when we first stumbled upon the tunnels, not something easily forgotten! "Discord snickered to himself.

"You see, Luna had enchanted her mane, similar to how she had it when you met her, jealous Celestia tried putting the rainbow in her own fusha mane with varying results! Luna teased her sister and refused to tell her how to enchant her mane, antics got out of hand, sigh they were silly fillies back then," Discord blabbered on reminiscent.

"Get to the point Discord," Spike interjected.

Glaring at Spike annoyed at the interruption, Discord continued, "As I was saying, they kept raising and setting each-others celestial bodies, Luna took it to far and ended up eclipsing the sun, in the resulting twilight there was a nearby explosion, we went to investigate and found one of the tunnels opening, end of story, happy?"

Before Spike could reply the two of them were plunged into to darkness with a loud boom as the mechanics above them were silenced, they were now trapped, entombed in the damp tunnels. Spikes serpent eyes closed to slits adjusting to the new found darkness, he tried to make out Discord who was merely a few feet away but with next to no light even his heightened senses couldn't pick the draconequus out, being alone in the dark with the embodiment of chaos was not on Spike's bucket list.

"Well then, since you've already ruined the better part of it," Spike said grabbing some of the nearby debris embedded in the ground, "Might as well make use of it," taking a deep breath Spike ignited the wooden beam in his claw with his own unique brand of dragon flame, held aloft the torch bathed the walls of the tunnel in bright green light, illuminating the passage before the pair.

"You know I could just click my fingers and bamn! Light," Discord huffed, brushing the smoke from his now slightly singed mane.

"You could, but didn't you just moments ago, with an unnecessary amount of drama tell me how magic is running out, shouldn't you be saving your magic for times of need?" Spike quipped, "Speaking of which," Spike blew softly on the torch in his hand, the colour faded to a warm yellow, the green scattered to the winds.

"Now that is interesting, where did you learn to do that?" Discord quizzed Spike, "Most of the other dragons I've known are more shall we say limited than you Spike."

"Control comes with patience, focus and a lot of research, something Twilight taught me after I accidentally sent the entire libraries collection of, ahem, adult literature to Luna during the middle of the night court," Spike divulged, his scales did nothing to hide the deep shade of red draped across his face, "Only the most powerful or learned
of dragons can maintain flames without magic, I am of the latter."

Expecting some poor joke, Spike looked towards Discord, only to find a ball of draconequus laughing hysterically at him, patiently Spike waited Discord out.

"How have I only just heard of this now!" Discord continued rolling on the tunnel floor, "Look on her face when she realized what she was reading, I can just picture it now! Wait, just imagine if it was Celestia! All prim and proper! That's even better!"

"Discord!" Spike yelled irate, "We have a mission that we need to get done, stop laughing!"

Eventually Discord calmed down, "Oh my dear Spike I haven't had a laugh like that for well over twenty-five years, Pinkie would be proud! But you are right we do have a world to save, may I?" Discord gestured to the torch, "Unless you want to navigate?"

Spike handed the torch to Discord and stood to the side allowing Discord to pick the path.

"Thank you," Discord said taking the torch, still chuckling, "Now, which way to go?" Discord examined each of the paths, staggering numerous times between each one, a couple of times appearing to make up his mind only to rush off in some other direction.

"Discord, a heading?" Spike asked calmly, rolling his eyes at the spectacle.

"Hmm that would be, in a general," Discord paused, "That way direction." Discord was pointing at the passage to the right of Spike.

"East, you spent twenty five years plotting a passage due east?" Spike scoffed sarcastically.

"Hey these tunnels can be just as chaotic as me, it just so happens they lined up perfectly for our journey which is another reason why I made contact when I did, don't knock it, you will be glad later on that I'm with you," Discord responded, feigning offence.

"You mean they move?" Spike asked, looking around wearily at the walls.

"Did I say that? Come come Spike now is the time for adventure, two best buds against the world," Discord dragged Spike to his side making some sort of strange gesture with the torch in his free hand. "Now how about a marching song?" Whistling some long forgotten tune Discord released Spike and headed off east into the darkness.

"The things I put up with Twilight," With no other option Spike sighed and quickly pursued Discord down the tunnel.

After what seemed like an eternity of nothing but plodding along in the dirt to Discords stories and the occasional wisp of light, the pair came to a opening in the tunnel.

"This can't be right," Discord exclaimed confusion written across his face, "This shouldn't be here."

"Well you did say they were chaotic Discord, but that being said look at the walls, they're stone they weren't stone before," Spike ran his claw across the surface of the walls feeling repeated indentations in the walls, "These were mined, I thought you said the tunnels were enchanted against intruders."

"They were, I had a hand in it myself, only very powerful magic can break the locks, we all agreed only an ancient may open them and only in dire need," Discord scratched the walls as if to gain information from them, "Fiddling with the flows of magic was not to be taking lightly, the punishment for such an act without an exceptional reason was imprisonment in stone to be enforced by all the other ancients, even I stayed away from them in my reign knowing the damage they could cause."

"So who then?" Spike asked.

"Either a very powerful being or another ancient, I cannot say, I hope for every ponies sake it was the latter," Discord warned grimly, "Be on your guard me may not be alone,"

Spike nodded as he followed discord into the cavern. The ceiling rose to great height within the cavern, it was expertly molded with periodically placed enclaves spread evenly, adorned with numerous tools for some unknown skill with bright multicoloured crystals lighting the way, it was beautiful as if it were the handwork of some god, staring at it Spike felt small, such devotion to the work done here gave off an unsettling feel to the cavern almost imposing but they had press on.

"Look," Discord motioned, pointing at and orange glow moving quickly, embedded in the walls, "The elemental flows of magic, they have been getting more frequent as we've been travelling."

"That's raw magic flowing? I've been meaning to ask what they were, but now you've mentioned it, they are increasing numbers," Spike agreed, "Most of them are orange or blue though, does that mean anything?"

"Yes it does, the flavor of orange magic is that of skill and craftsmanship, the balance between the strength and rage of red and the delicate beauty of yellow, and that of blue is of calm and collective mind signaling deep thought or intelligence, I'm surprised Twilight didn't teach you this," Discord affirmed to Spike, "Whatever has taken residence down here clearly is interested in invention and crafting," Discord looked back at Spike thoughtfully, "I believe I know what we have stumbled into."

"Yes? Where are we?" Spike queried hanging on Discords words.

"Based on how long we have been travelling, above us should be the abandoned subterranean city of Sirius," Discord speculated, "Its the canines Spike, only they would be so interested in invention this far from Canterlot."

"Hmm the Canines remained neutral in the aftermath, they mostly kept to themselves, I do not know what to expect from them or indeed what fate they have met," Spike informed, "They provided mechanical expertise in the war, but mostly just for grain we supplied them, I cannot be sure of a warm welcome."

"Well encase it slipped your mind Spike, neither of us are ponies, we could deny any dealings with either side," Discord proposed appearing uninterested while curling his goatee.

"Twenty-five years Discord, It was a good plan but trust me they will know who I am, either way we have been traveling for far too long, I don't know about you but I'm knackered, I say we rest, did your route give places to stop and feed?" Spike proposed exhaustion setting in, he didn't know how long they had been traveling, it didn't matter that they were underground, since the cataclysm telling the time was difficult anyway.

"One of those enclaves seems stable enough for resting, I drained most of the magic out of these regions in my exile, the tunnels shouldn't be shifting anytime soon," Discord gleeful exclaimed pointing at the highest and largest enclave, "Up there will give us the most cover, in case visitors decide to come along, as to food I can survive on magic, for now, unfortunately I cannot say the same for you, however the dogs are famed for their gems perhaps we might find a mine when we continue?"

Spike nodded in agreement to tired to argue, spreading his wings and eyeing up his destination he felt a weight on his shoulders, "Discord can't you fly yourself up there?" Huffed Spike

"Well sorry you don't want to help a old friend, was it not you who said save magic, you don't really think my small wings can carry my figure without magic do you?" Discord exclaimed dramatically pointing to himself flailing his wings hopelessly.

"Get on," muttered Spike seeing through Discords charade as he took wing to the top of the cavern.

The enclave itself was surprisingly homely and large enough for them both to stretch out, the tools strewn around suggested recent work but the patterned tapestry and mat suggested more, neither of them would call it a home but more of a office albeit an abandoned one due to the dust settled on every surface. Not as comforting as Canterlot palace Spike thought but he preferred it that way, if he was being honest the cave he found above the highest spires in Canterlot is where he would of lived out most of his days if his office didn't call for his attention all the time. Settling down Spike took out a quill, composing a letter about to his brother detailing his "adventure" as Discord put it calmed his mind, stuck underground with chaos itself could give anyone cabin fever.

"Sleep well Discord," Spike mumbled to the figure lying on the ceiling while setting his letter aflame, resting his head against the hard stone walls hoping for silence.

"You may mistrust me and I can understand why, but they were my friends too, I miss them as well, those twenty-five years spent alone where harder then the thousands I spent in stone," Discord tone was solemn, "I meant what I said when I said I was sorry, you think me as a manipulative snake playing emotions like strings, I cannot give you reason to trust me but every so often in my long years I have something more to my purpose, more to fight for then just choas." The awkward silence was too obvious as Discord waited for a reply, but it seemed none would come this sleep. "I understand, just ask yourself is it better to be born good? Or is it more to overcome your chaotic evil nature through great personal sacrifice?"

Spike was caught of guard by Discord's deep disclosure, nevertheless the question hung in the air occupying all thought, Spike wanted to trust him but Discord had not given any personal reason too, Spike had heard him out but owed him nothing more. "He is the only one to come out with any plan to fix the planet", a voice echoed round Spikes mind, "If you don't believe him why are you here?", the voice spoke up again but this time it was drowned out by the call of sleep in the land of unchecked dreams.

"For whatever its worth, goodnight Spike," Discord mulled as he too turned to Luna's domain in search of answers.

Comments

[Eonflare]

You got that last line from Skyrim didn't you?

[hoodedfigurine]

5291293 words from another wise old dragon might sway Spikes mind, no?

[Nerfyy]

pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaase update :(((