The Origin Chronicles Vol. 1

by SmokeShadow95

Ch.15 Return of a Hero

Spike woke up groggily. He moaned and grunted. His eyes slowly opened. He looked around. He didn't know where he was. He turned his head to look around. Sharp pain coursed through his chest. What happened to him? Why did he hurt so much? As he moved about slowly he sensed another in the room with him. All he could make out were shapes and some colors. A pony appeared in his vision. At first he could not clearly make out who it was. He saw a dark silhouette with flowing hair. Was that a crown he saw?

“Luna,” Spike said weakly.

“I am here, Spike,” Luna said happily.

Luna was happy. This was the happiest day she had had in over a month. She nearly flew through the ceiling because she was so happy. Ever since Spike was healed Luna had barely left his side. It still took another week for his body to heal itself enough for him to wake up a little more. Luna stayed with him all the while. Twilight was there almost as much as she was. She was so happy at that moment. Although, she could see that Spike was still not all together. She let him rest up a bit while she zoomed through the castle gathering up every pony and telling them the good news. Spike was awake! In just a short while, all of them were in there with her. Spike had managed to sit up. He was very confused.

“What happened to me,” He asked.

“What is the last thing you remember,” Twilight asked.

“I was fighting the Black Colts,” Spike said, “I just got the last one. The dark pocket was going away, and then. . . nothing. That's it. Why? What happened?”

“You were pretty badly injured right after that,” Twilight said, “You were in the castle, asleep, for over a month. You didn't wake up at all.”

“But then how am I awake now,” Spike asked.

All the ponies in the room looked away or down or at each other. There was an uncomfortable awkwardness in the room after Spike asked the question. Finally, Luna looked at him and answered.

“Smoke Shadow saved you,” She said, “But he is gone now. Forever.”

Spike took the news pretty hard. Luna explained to him exactly what had happened. She told him of how Shadow gave Spike the last light of his soul. That is what healed him. Spike did not cry, though. He put his chin to his chest and a hand over his scar.

“Smoke Shadow has given me the last gift he can,” Spike said seriously, “And I will use it to defeat Galeek and honor him. That is how the dragons of the past did it. That is how he would want me to it.”

The next few days were full for Spike. He rested a lot and regained his strength. He ate everything he could find. His hunger was near insatiable seeing as how he hadn't eaten a good meal in over a close to two months. He spent some of the time talking with Luna and Celestia and Twilight about plans to defeat Galeek. Spike had an an idea of where he was. All the time he was asleep he was tormented with nightmares and visions sent by Galeek. But he fought back hard. In all that time Spike found out a lot. He would have to take that and use it to defeat Galeek. Now was the time.

After many more days in bed he was finally able to leave the room. He immediately went back to training his magic. He was a little rusty after his two month sabbatical. Often time ponies would come out to watch him. He didn't mind it. He just made sure to put up some protective barriers so no pony got hurt. He often found the scar from the ooze hurting. One thing about the scar that he found interesting was the fact that it remained black. The darkness was gone from him and Shadow's last light healed him, but that scar was black. He did not mind. To him it was a reminder of all that he was fighting to stop.

It did not take long for him to get back into fighting shape. That was good because Galeek was rising. Everypony and Spike was called to a meeting by Celestia. She had news. All of them assembled in the throne room instead of the meeting room. Celestia brought up a magic map of Equestria and started the briefing.

“Galeek is rising,” She said, “Very soon he will be here. We have to be prepared. Therefore, I have assigned each of you task which needs to be carried out as fast as pony possible.”

Celestia's horn flashed for a second and small symbols for them all appeared on the map magically. They all got one. Even Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, and the rest of the girls. Celestia spread them out over the map and explained.

“Twilight, you will be returning to Ponyville with Applejack,” Celestia said, “Once there, you must reinforce the town. That means making sure there is plenty of food and water. There must be a shelter where ponies can go in case of an attack by Black Colts or Black Dragons. Do you all understand what has to be done?”

“Yes Princess,” The two answered at the same time.

“Next, Rarity and Pinkie Pie will be traveling to Crystal Empire to assist Cadance,” Celestia said, “Your jobs there will be the same as Twilight's in Ponyville. Food, water, and shelter. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” They both said confidently.

“Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy will be going to Cloudsdale,” Celestia said, “Since Cloudsdale is least likely to be attacked their role will be mainly support and reconnaissance. Can you both handle that?”

“Absolutely,” Rainbow said.

“Yes, I-i believe so,” Fluttershy said.

“Good. Both me and Luna will remain here in Canterlot,” Celestia said, “We will help fortify the city against attacks. Since Galeek's minions attacked here heavily once, it is likely that another attempt will be made.”

“Especially since you two will be here,” Spike added, “Don't forget, it was an Alicorn that originally defeated Galeek. He knows about you two, Luna and Celestia.”

“What about Cadance,” Twilight asked worriedly, “And me?”

“Cadance will be greatly warned when Rarity and Pinkie get to the Crystal Empire,” Spike said, “And Galeek does not know about you yet, but he will in time. His ooze spreads everywhere.”

“Good,” Celestia said, “Does everypony know their roles and what they are expected to do?”

“Umm, one thing is unclear,” Rarity spoke up, “What exactly will Spike be doing throughout all this?”

“I am going to do the same as I did before,” Spike said with a sly smile, “I will travel from princess to princess helping out in any way I can.”

“Oh, good,” Rarity said, “In that case, I have something for you. Better now, than wait to be rudely interrupted by one of those icky Black Colts.”

Rarity produces a box from under the table. She must have put it there before the meeting. Funny, Spike did not remember seeing any box before. Whatever. Rarity sets the box on the table gently. It was a rather ornate box. A shiny gold color with a silver ribbon tied around it. She slides it over to Spike and beckons him to open it. He cuts the ribbon with one claw and slowly removes the lid. What he found inside was what he expected to find. It was a gift from Rarity. Inside the box was a coat. It was not like the other coat he had gotten from her. That one was exquisite, but this one was beyond any words Spike could think of. He holds it out in front of him and examines it. It was beautiful. A very nice black fabric. It was thinner than he expected, but still had a good weight to it. A nice green colored the trim. On the back it held a surprise. Instead of the PAD like last time it had a different lettering. An immaculate white letter 'S' decorated the back of the coat. He smiled as he slipped it on. It felt nice and smooth and soft as it slid over his scales. It was a very comfortable and breathable material. He closed the front over his chest and body, leaving the bottom open for his legs and tail. Spike closed his eyes for a moment as he enjoyed the small pleasure the coat gave him. Small things. Best thing in life are the small things. Without realizing it he covered the coat in a wave of green flames. At first Rarity was astonished. Then she watched as the coat itself absorbed the flames into each stitch and every fold.

“It is now enchanted,” Spike said, “It can take anything I can and more. Thank you Rarity. This means more to me than you realize.”

Twilight walked up to him and gently place her horn on his coat. Her horn flashed and a wave of purple light pulsed over him. She lifted her horn and smiled. They all knew what she had done. Now Spike's coat was double enchanted and double protected him. She smiled as she took her place once more.

“Alright,” Celestia said officially, “You all have your assignments. You should get going right away. Spike, where would you like to start first?”

“Ponyville,” Spike said, “It is the smallest of all places, so it will need extra protection. I can do my work there quickly and then I plan to move on to Cloudsdale. I have some ideas for the Pegasus ponies there.”

Spike drifted back into thought as they all separated. He followed behind them as they exited the room and headed back to their own rooms. There was packing to be done and other such things. Spike was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Celestia calling to him. By the time he notice she was practically right on top of him.

“Spike,” She said, “Before your injury, you were going to tell me something. What was it?”

Spike remembered back to that day. It was not an easy thing for him to do. Most of his memories of that day all led him to grasping at his chest. But he did remember the moment Celestia was talking about. He was going to tell her about her mother. He wondered if he still should. At this time it could prove to be a distraction that could have been avoided. But she did deserve to know.

“Do you remember the story I told, of how dragons originally lost the magic they had,” Spike asked, “And the First Alicorn who defeated the dragon king that went mad?”

“Yes. I remember, but what does that have to do with anything,” Celestia asked.

“The story is true,” Spike said quickly, “That Alicorn was your mother, Star Ethereal.”

Celestia did not respond. She did not do anything. Spike decided to leave her to her thoughts. He promptly turned and left the corridor. This was news that she needed to hear. However, Spike could not have picked any moment that could be considered the 'right moment'. There was no such thing for this kind of news. At least it was done now, and soon he would be gone from this place.

In just a matter of hours he would be back home again. He was only able to stay there for a little while before. And now there was a looming threat. He knew what he had to do and was focused on that. And so started the preparations for war.

Ponyville

Spike arrived in Ponyville with Twilight and Applejack. Immediately, they all set about doing what they could to prepare. Twilight had already delegated jobs for each of them. She always was the most organized pony Spike knew.

Applejack's job was simple. She would work with the Cakes to make and store as much food as they could. Wasn't much of a job for Applejack. She was used to working the orchard. The Cakes would get a small portion of her apples to use in their food. The rest would be stored for future needs. It was a small and simple job, but crucial.

Twilight's first objective was to meet with the Mayor and organize a town meeting where she could inform the entire town of what has been happening and what was going to happen in the town. She did not tell everything, but just enough to ensure the cooperation of all the ponies in town. From there she helped in town with whatever she could. Meanwhile, Spike was off doing his job.

Spike ran for the Everfree Forest as soon as his feet touched Ponyville ground. He was assigned the most important job of all. A job that he would actually need Zecora's help with. Applejack was handling the food, Twilight was handling the town preparations, and Spike was working on the last part. Shelter. Twilight and Applejack both looked at him as if he were crazy when he proposed his idea. A shelter in the Everfree Forest. Who would have thought of that? No pony would have, because it is crazy. So crazy it was perfect.

He arrived at Zecora's house to find it empty. She was not there. The whole place seemed like a mess. It looked like a small tornado tore through there. Spike knew what that looked like. He often created them. He gently stepped about. His every step was careful. No sign of Zecora. Until the front door opened.

“What are you doing in my home,” She said surprised, “Leave now or I will do more than just moan.”

“Calm down, Zecora,” Spike said, “It is just me, Spike the Dragon.”

“Oh, Spike, you are better,” Zecora said with relief, “Twilight said you were injured in her last letter. Nothing worked to help you, not any spell. She must have found something. You are standing here, alive and well.”

“Yeah, something,” Spike said to no one, “Anyway, I came here to ask for help when I found this mess. What happened here?”

“Oh, nothing. Just a potion gone awry,” Zecora said with a grin, “No more of that black ooze will I try. I use just a few drops, and the roof of my home nearly pops.”

“I could have told you that,” Spike said, “That stuff is extremely dangerous.”

Spike opened the front of his coat and pulled the side back. He flinched as his claws grazed the wound. Zecora gazed upon the jagged scar with disbelief. She knew not how Spike survived such an injury, and she did not ask. She could tell in Spike's eyes it was not a happy story of his revival. She looked back at Spike and changed the subject.

“You mention you needed my help before,” She said, “I know you, Spike. What plans do you have in store?”

“You know the Everfree Forest better than anypony. Do you know of a place where a shelter could be built that could hold the entire town?”

“One place I do know of, but it is very dangerous. Going there with other ponies would prove quite perilous,” Zecora replied.

“Show me. I might be able to help with that,” Spike said confidently.

Zecora took him along the same path that took them to the old castle. At what seemed like a random spot she stopped and turned. She took a small vial out of her bag and sprayed the bushes. Vines and leaves started to shake. The bushes quivered and parted. Before Spike's eyes lay a path. Hidden and forgotten from all except for Zecora. She knew almost all the secrets of the Forest. Spike followed her through the bushes quickly. They fell back into place behind him. The path was hidden again. Even with all he knew about dragon magic this place still held wonders that he would never understand.

He followed Zecora for about fifteen more minutes. It took that long because they had to continually deal with the dangers of the Forest. Carnivorous plants, hungry creatures, hidden drops and falls, and many others. Each of which Spike was able to handle, with or without magic. Zecora praised him on how deftly he handled himself now. It was not that long ago he was just a small baby dragon that ran from danger. Now he was a big, powerful dragon that faced danger head on. Spike smiled, and he even blushed a little. Before much longer they arrived at the spot Zecora mentioned.

It was enormous. A small cave system set into the side of a small mountain. Even the trees went higher than the tip. The tip was flat and wide. The caves looked like they went deep underground. There was probably a large underground cavern that connected all the caves. It was the perfect place. But Spike could see why Zecora said it was so dangerous. The plants here grew wilder than he expected, and bigger. They were meaner and more viscous than the parts of the Forest he knew. That was problematic, but an easy fix. He just had to find the source. Also easy.

Spike walked a few paces ahead of Zecora. He held out his hands with his palm facing the canopy. He breathed a small flame into his open hands. It stayed and formed a wisp that circled around his claws. He closed his claws tight and the wisp separated into many smaller versions of itself. Zecora watched in awe. She had never seen magic like this. Spike intensely looked at the wisps and past them. He watched the vines and plants fiercely.

“Incinerate,” He whispered with a hiss.

In a quick blur of motion Spike flipped his hand. His palm faced the ground and the wisps zipped from his claws. The embedded themselves in the vines and plants that covered the area. Everything they passed through burned and shriveled from the inside out. They moved outward and scorched everything in their path. Soon, Spike was standing at the epicenter of field of scorched earth.

“It was a harsh, but necessary end,” Zecora said, “Such sacrifices must be made for a friend.”

The two of them followed the trail of the flame wisps. Into the caves and mountain they went. The wisps did their job well. There was not a living plant to be seen. All that was there was black, burnt remains. Now that that was settled Spike could start moving a few ponies here. They would help set it up for when the time did come for evacuating the town. And Spike believed the time would come.

He left Zecora as she went back to her home. She would help out as best she could, marking a safe trail that the ponies could use. One that wouldn't expose them to the dangers of the Everfree Forest. Spike went to grab Applejack. One of the main things they would need is food and she was in charge of that. He found her at the Cake's bakery, dropping off another cart full of apples.

“Applejack, glad I found you here,” Spike said, “Need to talk to you.”

“What is it, sugarcube,” She said with an unusual cheer in her voice.

“I found a shelter. It is in the Everfree Forest. It is perfect. I want to start moving a few ponies there now, so they can get things set up for when the attack comes. I would like you to be the first.” Spike said.

“You mean 'if' the attack comes, right, Spike,” Applejack asked nervously.

“Yeah, right,” Spike said, “Are you in, or what?”

“Sure am,” Applejack exclaimed.

“Great. Head to Zecora's. She can show you the way,” Spike said, “And grab a few more ponies to take with you.”

“You got it, partner,” Applejack said.

Great. It was all coming into place now. The next thing Spike had to do was talk to Twilight. She was running this whole preparation. She had to know of Spike's progress. He found her near the edge of town. She had been almost as busy as Spike. A large grouping of guards had been stationed along the outskirts of town. Twilight was talking to the one who seemed to be in charge. Spike got there just as he was walking off. Twilight seemed stressed. She saw Spike and asked for a report on his progress. She was all too happy to hear that a shelter big enough had been found, and that some ponies were already headed there to help set it up. That seemed to relieve some of the stress, but not much.

“You okay, Twilight,” Spike asked.

“No, Spike, I am not okay,” She responded, “These guards are all a mix and match from Cadance and Luna and Celestia. They were sent to help, but they are just getting on my nerves. They won't let me build a wall. Can you believe that? They won't let me build a wall to protect Ponyville from the Black Colts. Can you believe that?!”

She really was stressed. She had a tendency to ramble on when stressed. He had seen it before. Spike wondered about these guards. They won't let her build a wall. She could easily use her magic to do it. So why won't they let her? It would help Ponyville. It couldn't hurt.

“Why won't they let you build a wall,” Spike asked.

“I don't know,” Twilight exclaimed, “Something about lines of sight and being targeted on the wall. Apparently, being without a wall makes us look less threatening. Like that really matters!”

Now Spike got it, and he even had an idea. He told Twilight he would try talking to them. She wished him luck with more than a hint of sarcasm in her voice. But that was okay. He wasn't even sure if his idea would work. It all depended on how many Pegasus guards there were.

He got outside and spotted the commander pony. He was ordering some of the guards to different posts around Ponyville. He seemed decent enough. Spike walked up to him and got his attention.

“What do you want,” The pony said hurriedly.

“Hi. My name's Spike and I-”

“You must be that dragon that goes around with magic, causing trouble and making a mess,” The pony said.

“I don't cause trouble, I fix it,” Spike said.

“You attract trouble,” The pony said, “And I don't need that here, so run along and go magic something else.”

“Why won't you let Twilight build a wall,” Spike asked bluntly.

“So that is why you're here,” The pony said, “The Princess sent you. Well let me tell you. Any wall that gets built makes us the first target. No wall means we survive. I don't expect you or the Princess to understand that.”

Spike could see that there was no getting through to this pony. Not with words anyway. Good thing Spike didn't always need words to get things done. He simply nodded to the pony and walked away. He went to the edge of town. He past the the line of guards. He heard them whispering about him as he passed. It seems they wanted a show of magic. It would be rude to say no.

Spike stopped in his tracks and stomped his foot into the ground with his last step. He moved into a kneeling position and dug his claws into the dirt. He waited a moment and lifted up with all his might. With one grunt he raised a wall. It was not a very big wall, but it was enough. There were places for guards to stand on top of the wall. They could keep watch from a better vantage point. Small sections of wall began springing up all around Ponyville. But he wasn't done yet.

For his next act Spike thrust his claws skyward. On what was a sunny day he brought forth a blanket of clouds. They stopped above Spike and moved down to him. He waved his hands and the clouds took shape. It was another wall, but one made of clouds. It looked just like the ones on the ground, except more white and poofy. Spike smiled at his work. He could hear the exclamations from the guards behind him. They started moving toward the walls and Spike smiled even more. And then it was gone.

“What in Equestria is going on here,” Said a familiar voice, “I said no walls! I leave for five minutes and now walls are springing up out of the ground. Who did this?”

“I did,” Spike said strongly.

“Oh, you did,” The pony said.

“Yes. Now the guards can better watch and protect Ponyville. They can see Black Colts coming form farther away and they have better vantage points to fight them. If walls make us a target, so be it. At least we will fight instead of hide,” Spike said.

Spike could tell his words struck a nerve. This pony was not used to being talked back to. He did not like it. But before he could respond with anything another familiar voice cut through the air and the tension.

“He's right,” Twilight said, “I don't know why I let you undermine me. I am a Princess! And Spike is right. Those walls are essential, and we will have to fight anyway. We might as well be prepared.”

“What are you saying Princess,” The pony asked.

“It is quite simple,” Twilight stated politely, “You will remain in Ponyville until the threat has been dealt with.”

The commander pony breathed a small sigh of relief.

“But you're fired,” Twilight finished quickly.

“What?! Why?!,” The pony asked.

“You have no respect for me or my crown,” Twilight said, “I cannot trust you. Therefore, you are fired and may reside in Ponyville until it safe for you to return home. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” The pony said.

That was awesome. Twilight stood up for herself and what she believed to be right. She praised Spike for building the walls anyway. They were magnificent. Even a few of the citizens of Ponyville flew up to the could wall and helped out. There were not as many Pegasus guards as Spike had hoped, but it would do.

Later that day, Spike and Twilight went to check on the shelter. Zecora had finished safety marking a trail with the help of young Apple Bloom. Applejack must have brought her. They all waked to the shelter together. A lot had changed. All the black, scorched remains of the plants had been wiped away, leaving just the rock and dirt beneath. Applejack had already set up a few food stands. Big Mac was clearing rocks out of the caves. They all stopped working when the others showed up. It was getting late, so they decided to call it a night. They would sleep there for the night. The Everfree Forest was much to dangerous to travel at night. Even along the safe trail. Spike showed Apple Bloom how to start a fire. Applejack got some food. They all ate and slept peacefully. Almost all.

Spike shook in his sleep. It was the same cold that overtook him whenever Galeek was around. It was strong and nothing could stop it. The nightmares started up again when he woke up from his month long slumber. He gently placed a claw over his black scar whenever he thought about it. Every night a new nightmare. Every night worse than the last. But that night was different. He was not as alone as he believed.

This nightmare he was in was one of the worst he had ever had. Each of the girls was there. Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and all the rest. But they were not the same friends he knew. They had been oozed. They were bigger and stronger. They stared at Spike with lifeless black eyes while ooze drooled from their mouths. When Spike ran they chased him. They tried to cover him with the ooze, but he would not let that happen. He couldn't. He knew this was not real, but it felt more real than the life he was living sometimes. Such was the power of Galeek.
Every night was like this in some sense. Galeek was constantly finding new ways to torment his every sleeping hour. And so Spike ran. He ran fast and far from the ponies he called friends. He ran as they tried to ensnare him his own pit of ooze. They almost did this time.

One stumble. One misstep. That was all it took. A ball of black ooze flew through the air and encased Spike's left foot. He was anchored. Stuck. Doomed. More ooze followed. His other foot was soon encased with the left. Then it was his hands and his tail. His chest was covered as well. The girls surrounded him. They looked down at him as he struggled to free himself. But he could not. This was the end for him. HE did not know what was going to happen to him. This was a just a nightmare after all.
As they all began to laugh and drool Spike saw something that he had not seen before. It was light. He had seen light before, but it was empty and lifeless, just like the ponies eyes. But this light was not. This was different. Spike watched this bright, beautiful light float around and encircle the girls. The light slowly got brighter and brighter and until they moved on. The light did not fade. It did not disappear. It lingered and floated over to Spike and brightened the ooze that held him. He stood again and turned back the light. That bright, beautiful, ethereal light that saved him. More showed up. Small lights and big lights that came from all over the dark corners of the nightmare and came together in front of him. A pony. They formed a pony, much the same way stars form constellations. The beauty of the lights easily portrayed a beautiful mare.

“Who are you,” Spike asked.

“You know that already young dragon, Spike,” The mare said.

“How do you know my name,” Spike asked.

“I have been watching you,” The mare said, “Much like Galeek. I have been trying to contact you for some time, but this was the first time I was able to get through.”

“You have been watching me,” Spike said, “Why? I don't understand. Who are you?”

“You know who I am,” The mare said again, “You have become close friends with one of my daughters.”

Spike thought about this. It didn't make sense. Who was this friend? At first he didn't have the answer. When it dawned on him he nearly passed out.

“Star Ethereal,” Spike said in awe, “The First Alicorn that defeated the Dark Dragon King, Galeek all those eons ago. How?”

“Very good, Spike. I am indeed Star Ethereal,” The mare said, “A part of my essence was trapped in here with Galeek when he cursed me. He found out and trapped me deep within the ooze with him.”

“Then you know what he's trying to do,” Spike exclaimed, “You can stop him again. You can save Equestria again, and meet your daughters.”

“No, Spike, I cannot,” Star said, “Only a part of my essence remains here. Much like the last of what Smoke Shadow gave to you. You must fight and defeat him.”

“Me?! How can I defeat him,” Spike asked fearfuly, “I can't even get close to him without getting chills.”

“That cold is fear, Spike. It rolls off Galeek as easily as he breaths,” Star said.

The Star constellation moved closer to Spike. At first he was defensive and backed away. This was still a nightmare. This could just be a new form of torment sent by Galeek. She stopped a few paces away and looked at Spike. Even though her eyes were just stars and empty space Spike got a sense of peace from them. This was not Galeek. This really was the last remnants of Star Ethereal. He reached out a hand when he realized this. As his hand made contact a flash of light erupted from the stars that made her. Spike looked away, but kept his hand there. When he looked back there was nothing but an ethereal stardust shimmering in the air. Her body was gone, but she still had one thing left to say.

“You have both pony and dragon magic,” She said, “You always have. That is your greatest strength against him. Farewell, Spike.”

Spike woke up with a start. Eyes wide, heart racing, breathing heavy. He looked around him. That's right. He was no longer in the nightmare. It was still dark out, but he knew that the sunrise was coming. He laid back down and calmed himself. Was what he saw- what he felt- really real? Did he really speak to Star Ethereal? He stayed up thinking about it until morning came.

The other ponies all woke up, one by one. Spike was full of energy that morning. He couldn't explain it. And neither could any of the others. By mid morning they had all eaten breakfast and Spike was eager to get something done. Anything, he just wanted to do something.

“What's up with you, Spike,” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, you seem a right bit different this here mornin',” Applejack agreed.

“Yeah, right,” Apple Bloom said, “It's almost like you got a shine to your scales today, or something.”

“Careful now, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said playfully, “Or else you gonna start sounding like Rarity.”

“Why Spike, is it just me or do your scales have an extra shimmer in this morning light,” Apple Bloom said with a laugh.

It really was a good impression of Rarity. The only one better was Sweetie Belle, but they were sisters so that didn't count. They all got a good laugh as Apple Bloom impersonated Rarity for the rest of the morning. That mostly included complaining about working and getting Big Mac to do her work for her. A truly great impression. All that was missing was a fancy dress.

Spike did wonder about Twilight's question though. He pulled out the Night Calling Mirror. They were right. Something did seem different about him. He couldn't tell what. His scales did seem to have an unusual shine to them. He had what seemed like boundless energy at hand. He was in a very good mood. It seemed like everything was better today. Yet, he wasn't quite sure why.

Later on, they continued with the clean up of the cave shelter. This was the last item on the agenda. After this Spike would be leaving again. He still wasn't sure where he was going to go next. He told Celestia Cloudsdale, but he was not sure now. He would have to figure it out soon. The work was almost done. By the end of the day the whole place seemed almost homey. More ponies had showed up. A few more even decided to stay until the threat was gone and dealt with. Spike said his goodbyes to the ponies and headed out. It was not a big celebration, or even a big deal. Word just got around that it was time he moved on to help some of the others. And that is exactly what he did. He decided to head back to a familiar place.

The Crystal Empire

The train ride their was uneventful to say the least. Spike was half expecting something to happen. Every time he was in the Crystal Empire and there was a train, something happened. But not this time. He was glad. It allowed him to go over some of the plans that he had drawn out. He would have to see the state of the defenses there before referring to these plans, though. For all he knew everything was already in the best shape it could be. He would just have to see for himself.

His arrival was not as big as he had thought it was going to be. It was just Cadance and Shining Armor with a small group of guards. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were also there, standing right next to the Princess and her husband. That was all of them. No pony else was there. That suited Spike just fine. They all walked back to the Crystal Palace together.

“I must say, Spike, I am glad to see you again,” Cadance said.

“As am I,” Rarity said, “But why ever did you choose to come to the Crystal Empire? Wouldn't Cloudsdale be a better place for your particular services?”

“I am familiar with this place,” Spike said, “I figured I could stay a short while and get all my work done quickly. Then I could move on to Cloudsdale.”

“You gotta find a way to walk on clouds first,” Pinkie Pie said, “Unless you can already! Can you?! I've never met a dragon that could walk on clouds. That would be so cool! And you have to, anyway. Can't fight the big, dark baddy if you are a pancake on the ground.”

“Thanks for the support, Pinkie,” Spike said.

“As for the reason you came,” Cadance said officially, “All of the defenses of the city and the rest of the Crystal Empire are all set and being put into place as we speak. Would you like to see?”

“I would. It will be nice to see some old friends again,” Spike replied.

“Very well. You know your way around. Maybe you could introduce Pinkie Pie and Rarity to some of those friends,” Shining Armor said, “Cadance and I have other things to attend to.”

He left with Cadance and went back to the Crystal Palace. Their work was never done. Such was the life of a Princess and her husband. Shining Armor did have a point, however. Spike did now his way around, and it would be nice to spend some time with Rarity and Pinkie Pie. So he showed them around the city and visited old friends. All the while talking and observing the defenses. Before they knew it lunch time had arrived. Rarity insisted on going to this nice cafe she knew. He didn't object and Pinkie Pie would eat anything, so they followed her. They were almost there when Spike was blindsided. He heard it coming, but had no time to react. He was on his back on the ground before he knew what hit him. It took him a moment to realize he did know what him.

“Haha, Gotcha, Spike,” A young filly said.

She climbed off Spike and let him sit up. He dusted himself off and looked over at his attacker. She caught him by surprise. Not an easy thing to do. He was more surprised to see her here than anything else. But he was glad to see he nonetheless.

“Flake Frost,” He said surprised, “What are you doing here?”

“Waitin' til next harvest season,” Flake said cheerily, “With all the money that we got now the whole family decided to come on up to the big city.”

“I take it you know this young filly, Spike,” Rarity said inquisitively.

“Oh, sorry. This is Flake Frost,” Spike stated, “Flake, meet Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Two of my friends from Ponyville. Girls, Flake saved my life once.”

“AHHH! That is so cool,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed loudly, “So you are a friend of Spike's? Me too! Do you think we could be friends? What is you favorite color? What kind of things do you like to do? What is your favorite kind of cake?”

“Uhh, yes. Okay. Ice blue. Magic, snowball fights, and playing in the snow. Chocolate,” Flake replied blankly.

“Then it's settled. We are officially friends,” Pinkie said.

She pulled a box out of nowhere and set it on the ground. Oh no. Spike knew what that was. He still had the dozen or so that she had given him. This was going to be loud, bright, noisy and messy. Spike watched as Pinkie's hoof went for the string connected to the box. It was like slow motion. He reached out for Rarity and Flake. It was of no use. Pinkie Pie was to fast. She had done it. The box exploded into a mix and mash of streamers, balloons, small fireworks and confetti. The colored party favors filled the air and blanketed the ponies and Spike within seconds.

“Huh. I was expecting something messier,” Spike said to himself.

He removed the colored paper from his face and looked around. This stuff was everywhere. Rarity was already removing the paper from her own body. She was covered head to toe. Pinkie Pie was just laughing and rolling around in it. As for Flake, she was nowhere to be found.

“That was so awesome,” She shouted.

The sound was muffled. Spike scrambled around to try and find her. He didn't get far when another explosion of confetti and streamers sent even more of it all over the place. As it all settled over Spike, again, he saw Flake standing at the epicenter. She had a huge grin on her face and looked happier than Spike had ever seen her. She ran up to Pinkie Pie and looked up at her with amazement.

“That was so cool! Can we do it again,” She asked eagerly.

“Sure can, little filly. I packed a whole mess of these Pinkie Boxes,” Pinkie said.

“Hold on just one minute,” Rarity said, “If you want to set off another one of those infernal Pinkie Boxes, well then you can go somewhere else and do. This will take forever to get out of my mane.”

“How 'bout we get lunch first. I'm starvin',” Flake said.

They could all agree on that. Food was the top priority. They sat down and ate lunch. Flake joined them. It was nice to catch up with her. Apparently, the new farm was going nicely. With Cadance's help the repairs went by quickly and smoothly. The Frosts had a few workers tending the fields. They were making sure the new ice would come in good next harvest season. For now, her and the rest of the Frosts were in the city, enjoying the vacation.

After that, they split up. Rarity wanted to go and visit the little shop that Spike told her about. The same shop where he got his bigger coat made. She was intrigued about their work. It was almost as good as hers. Almost, but not quite. Pinkie Pie went with Flake to meet the rest of her family. She didn't have anything else to do. They were going to go and see more of the city while they were out. Spike had a feeling those two spending time together would be trouble, but he trusted Pinkie Pie. As for him, he went the one pony who knew the defenses best. It was time he got down to business.

Spike met with Shining Armor in the war room. He could tell it was very rarely used. It looked like they were the first ones to step in there in over a thousand years. The place gave Spike the chills. Shining Armor was going over some plans with a group of senior guard ponies. He dismissed them to do their duties and talked to Spike.

“Spike, it is good to see you,” He said, “What are you doing here? I told you the defenses were all good.”

“I know you did, but I would like to see for myself,” Spike said, “I guess I am a bit paranoid about it.”

“That's okay. After everything that you have been through I would be too,” Shining Armor said, “And you are the closest thing we have to an expert on the Black Colts.”

That was true. Shining Armor showed Spike over to a scroll sitting on the table. It was a map of the Crystal Empire. Very old by the look of it. R.C. Keeper must have found it and brought it up. There were several small figurines set on it. Spike had seen them before. The same ones were used by Celestia during her debriefing.

“We have walls set up all over the Empire,” Shining Armor said, “We have guards posted at every one of them. There are two Unicorn guards for every one Pegasus or Earth Pony. Their magic can combat the Colts better than anything else we have. We have them training for light and heat spells, just like you said last time you were here.”

“Great,” Spike said, “There is one thing you could try, though. I just did it at Ponyville. With some help, I could create battlements and walls made of clouds. They would come down from the sky, giving your Pegasus guards a much better view of any incoming threat.”

“That is a great idea,” Shining Armor replied happily, “But why would you need help? Can't you use your dragon magic?”

“I could,” Spike said, “But the Crystal Empire is much bigger than Ponyville. It would take me weeks to do it all myself. Plus, I don't even know if I can walk on clouds with or without my magic. I would need some Pegasus assistance. And I know just the Pegasus to help.”

“But Rainbow Dash is in Cloudsdale. How will you get there in time,” Shining Armor asked.

“I don't know that yet,” Spike admitted.

Both of them went silent for a moment. They were deep in thoughts for only a few moments when they were interrupted. The doors to the war room burst open. Cadance walked in and she looked stressed.

“Shining Armor,” She said, “The ponies in the city are getting worked up. Many of them are asking about the shelters. I don't know what to tell them, That, and there is some pony going around exploding boxes full of confetti and streamers and balloons.”

Now that Spike looked, he could see that Cadance had a few streamers caught in her mane and tail. She must have been caught in the blast of one of Pinkie's party boxes. Spike glanced over at Shining Armor. He saw it too. They both had to try to not laugh at the thought of Princess Cadance being the victim of a Pinkie Pie Party Prank. Spike had to do something to change the subject.

“You said something about shelter,” Spike said.

“Yes, Spike, I did,” Cadance said, “Luna filled me in on your little hideaway here in my palace. I was able to find four more such places since you left for Ponyville.”

“Five? That won't hold the entire population of the city,” Spike said.

“I know. And the citizens are figuring it out as well,” Cadance said stressed, “I don't know what to tell them.”

“Hey, Spike, I have an idea,” Shining Armor said, “Could you possibly make a shelter of clouds? All the Pegasus ponies could stay there while the rest go to the shelters here at the palace.”

“Yeah, maybe. But that would take even more of my time. I still need help,” Spike said.

Cadance was confused as to what they were talking about. She knew nothing of cloud shelters and ideas of Spike's. She asked and they filled her in. It was a risky and time consuming plan, but it could work. She even had a way for Spike to get to Cloudsdale post haste.

Cadance led them up to a higher floor in the Crystal Palace. It was much higher than Spike had ever been before. When they reached their destination Cadance showed Spike a true thing of beauty. It was a chariot. One of the old ones from before the Crystal Empire vanished for a thousand years. Two Pegasus ponies were in the process of harnessing to the front of the chariot. Well, it would seem that Spike would get to Cloudsdale with speed after all.

“These are two of my fastest and strongest fliers,” Cadance said, “They may not be as fast as Rainbow Dash, but they will get you to Cloudsdale as fast as they possibly can.”

“Thank you very much,” Spike said.

“But he will not be traveling alone,” Rarity said with her usual sass.

She walked in from the doorway with Pinkie Pie and Flake behind her. The guards must have let her in and showed her the way there. Cadance was a little shocked to see them. Rarity was showing off her usual attitude. Pinkie Pie was hopping behind, and she was slightly covered in confetti and streamers. She must have been caught in the blast of one of those boxes, Cadance thought. Flake was just following behind, wide eyed, and also covered in ribbons and streamers.

“We will be accompanying Spike on his trip to Cloudsdale,” Rarity said.

“All of you,” Cadance questioned.

“Not Flake,” Spike said, “She will stay here.”

“What,” Flake exclaimed, “But why?”

“You have never been outside the Crystal Empire, Flake. You have never been to Cloudsdale. I can't watch over you all the time on your first visit,” Spike said.

“Not to mention that only Pegasus ponies can walk in Cloudsdale,” Pinkie added, “Everypony else just steps on the clouds and falls through. Down, and down, and down, and down, and down-.”

“I think she gets it Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said.

“Young Flake, I might actually need some assistance while Spike is away,” Cadance said with a smile, “Would you like to help me?”

The smile returned to Flake's face. She grinned as big grin and rushed over to stand next to the Princess. Spike and Rarity and Pinkie Pie climbed aboard the chariot. The two Pegasus gathered all their strength and took off. Spike smiled as he rode off with his friends.

“By the way, I was able to grab this before we departed,” Rarity said to Spike.

She reached behind her and pulled his backpack out. He took it from her and slung it over a shoulder. She smiled and he smiled. Pinkie Pie never stopped smiling. Everything was going good. They were off to see more of their friends.

Cloudsdale

By flying chariot the trip to Cloudsdale did not take that long. Spike was able to spend a little more time with Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Rarity did most of the talking. Spike mostly listened. Pinkie spent most of the time trying to catch passing clouds in a jar. After a while they could see the city of Cloudsdale on the horizon. It was always a wonder to see the city. But not this time.

As they flew closer and closer to the city they saw it unfolding. An attack. Black Colts and three Black Dragons. Just great. Spike looked forward and tried to make out any detail he could. He didn't see Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy. He didn't know if that was good or bad. What he could see was large amounts of Colts attacking anypony and anything they could. Spike gestured Rarity and Pinkie Pie behind him. He opened his arms wide and raised his head. As they rode forward Rarity and Pinkie and the flying Pegasus watched. A darkness began to follow from behind them. It came forward with a hum and a crackle. But they did not fear. This was a good darkness. The white puffy clouds turned dark and stormy. Small jolts of electricity ran through them. Spike still held his hands out. One jolt jumped from the clouds to Spike's claws. He did not move. Then another one hit, and another. He was collecting them. These jolts of electricity massed on his scales as he focused. Several small jolts hit him, and they were followed by a few large and powerful bolts of lightning. After he had enough he pulled his arms down and thrust his claws forward. Without a word a warning his claws let out bolts of lightning. They were so bright and powerful that the chariot was almost turned over and dumped out. All ponies present watched as they lightning arced through the sky and moved towards Cloudsdale. It struck one of the Black Dragons right in the side. The lightning coursed through it. It roared and cried out. Many Colts and the other Dragons looked over. All the saw was the Dragon falling as it turned to dust and debris. Spike smiled. One down, two to go, and many Black Colts.

When they got close enough to the city to be seen by everypony a welcoming party was sent out to greet them. It held some familiar faces. Mainly it was just the Wonderbolts. They were always the ones called on in times of emergency. Their leader, Spitfire, came out to greet Spike. Three of the Wonderbolts followed behind her.

“Alright, which one of you threw that lightning bolt? You know, the one that nearly fried me,” She asked grumpily.

“Whoa whoa whoa,” Rainbow Dash said quickly, “Spike was only trying to help, and he did take down a Black Dragon.”

“Dash? Where did you come from? And where did you go during the attack? You were there one second and gone the next. We needed your help,” Spitfire said.

“You have no idea what it means to hear you say that. You really don't,” Dash replied, “But I had to go and find Fluttershy.”

“It doesn't matter now,” Spitfire stated, “And did you say something about 'Spike' just now?”

Rainbow Dash flew over to Spike's side and tapped her hoof to his shoulder a few times. He bashfully raised a hand and waved slightly. The other Wonderbolts whispered and gossiped back and forth at the sight of Spike. Spitfire managed to keep her composure, even though she was a huge fan as well. She flew up to Spike and looked in his eyes. She didn't say anything.

“You got what it takes,” She asked after a moment.

“Well, I did just bring down a Black Dragon with some lightning,” Spike said.

“Not good enough,” She said flatly.

Before she knew it, Spike had moved Spitfire out his way. She was roughly pushed off to the side. She quickly righted herself as she was trained to do. She turned to yell at Spike, but did not get the chance. Before she could say anything, he was gone. He had pushed her out of the way and ran up the front of the chariot. One foot after the other until he was almost on top of the Pegasus ponies flying it. One jump was all it took. One magically infused leap across the clouds. All eyes followed Spike's descent to see where he was landing. It all made sense to Spitfire after that. A Black Dragon was attempting to sneak and attack from below. But Spike saw it, somehow, and was dealing with it. He landed on the Dragon with a tremendous hit. That alone sent the Dragon into a frenzy as it tried to correct itself mid flight. Spike landed with both feet on the nose. He dug his claws in so he wouldn't fall. In the same motion his arms came down. His fists were together. They struck the head with such a force that the Dragon nearly fell from the sky then and there. He leaned in on the frenzying Dragon after his last attack. He took a deep breath and roared right into the ears. But it was more than that. The roar was loud and deafening. He used it as cover to ready himself for another jump. He released his grip on the Dragon and launched himself backwards off the Dragon's face. But he didn't have enough to get all the way back to the chariot. He reached out for a cloud and found one. His claws, his tail, and any other part of him passed right through. Well, now he knew. He could not walk on clouds. Rainbow Dash zoomed in and caught him. She rushed him back to the chariot and dumped him in.

“You are a lot heavier than you look,” She said with a huff.

Spike did not say anything in response. He shot his tail straight up towards the clouds. They were still dark and stormy from his spell, but many had receded. All he needed was a jolt. And he got it. A few small jolts jumped from the clouds to the tip of his tail. He scrambled to his feet as the charge moved through his scales. He thrust his hand out toward the dazed Dragon. The small charge left him and arced over to that area. That small charge set off the charged air that he had already set up. The Black Dragon stood no chance. It turned to dust and debris as it fell to the ground far below. Spike smiled and turned back to Spitfire. Her jaw was hanging open and her eyes were wide.

“Is that good enough,” He asked sarcastically.

With two out of the three Black Dragons defeated the rest of the ooze minions scattered and ran. Spike was officially led in by Spitfire and the Wonderbolts. He wasn't hailed as a big hero or anything. To them he just assisted in the defense of Cloudsdale, nothing more. He didn't mind. Unfortunately, since he could not walk on the clouds he was confined to the chariot. Rarity was able to remedy that situation. Twilight shared the spell that allowed the girls to walk on clouds before with her. She cast it on Spike and Pinkie and herself. Both her and Pinkie stepped out like it was nothing. Spike was a little more cautious. He didn't even know if Rarity's spell would work on him, seeing as how he was a dragon with dragon magic. Rarity had pony magic. The two did not really mix well, or at all usually. He cautiously stepped out, but left a hand firmly braced on the chariot. His foot met cloud and nothing happened. It was like walking on solid ground. He put his other foot down and released his iron grip on he chariot. Awesome. He was walking on clouds. Now it was time to get down to business.

He walked through Cloudsdale with Rainbow Dash and Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash was being her usual self. She was showing off her hometown, braggin about all the cool things she had done there. There was not as much damage to the city as Spike had thought there would be. The Pegasus ponies here must have put up a bigger fight than he thought. Cool. As they were walking they stopped to help a few ponies with repairs. Throughout all of this Spike could not help but wonder where Fluttershy was. Dash had said she went to find her, but left out the part about where she was. Answers came to Spike in a most unlikeable way.

“Rainbow Dash,” A pony cried out, “Rainbow Dash.”

The voice was coming from somewhere close by. A pony rounded a nearby corner in a hurry and nearly slammed right into Pinkie Pie. Her Pinkie Sense warned her, however, and she was able to step out of the way. The pony took no notice of his fall as he sprung back up. He also took no notice of the ponies around him.

“Rainbow Dash. Gotta find Rainbow Dash,” He said blankly.

“Hey pal, you found her,” Dash said, “What do you want, an autograph?”

“You're Rainbow Dash,” The pony asked.

“Last time I checked, yeah,” Dash said sarcastically, “Do you know any other pony as awesome as I am?”

“I was sent by Spitfire,” The pony said, “About your friend Fluttershy.”

“What about her? Last time I saw her was when I left her at my place,” Dash responded.

“She volunteered to help with the cleanup efforts. She was helping injured ponies get to the hospital. The last building she was in. . . changed.”

“Changed? Changed how? All the buildings here are made of clouds. How can they change,” Dash asked.

“The ooze,” Spike said, “The ooze infected the clouds and now they turned against the ponies. Am I right?”

“Y-yeah. How did you know,” The pony asked nervously.

“I have a personal history with ooze. I know how it works,” Spike replied.

Spike said nothing more. He just looked up at Rainbow Dash. She was hovering just above him. She looked down at him. Their eyes met with an intensity that could almost be felt coming off them. Without a word they were off. Dash out in front leading Spike to the where Fluttershy was. She could see the building from the air. Spike ran behind her on the ground. Pinkie Pie was left behind with the pony that delivered the news.

“Did you know that was Spike the Dragon,” She asked in her usual cheer, “He is like uber famous. He goes around fighting the big, bad ooze and bigger, badder Black Colts and stuff. Doesn't that sound like fun?”

The pony turned to her with a look of confusion, shock, awe, disbelief, and he was just plain freaked out. He slowly backed away from the strange pink pony. He watched in wonder as she hopped down the street after her friends with a smile on her face. Strange ponies here in Cloudsdale, he thought. Need to lay off the cider.

Spike arrived at the building just seconds after Rainbow Dash. It was not a very big building. A simple, two story building that housed a few ponies and their families. Most had gotten out. Fluttershy was helping the last of them when the building changed. Both Dash and Spike found Spitfire right away. She was talking with several of the Wonderbolts, trying to figure out what to do next.

“Hey, what's going on here,” Dash asked.

“A few volunteers entered the building to help some injured ponies out,” Spitfire reported, “That Fluttershy was one of them. I knew she was your friend so I sent a pony to find you. I was hoping that he would be with you, as well. Guess I was right.”

“I have never seen anything like this before,” Spike said, “I don't know what you want me to do here.”

“Something! Anything! We have tried our best, but nothing we try works,” Spitfire exclaimed, “And now two of my Wonderbolts are in there as well.”

Spike turned away and delved deep into thought. He pondered the situation. The whole building was changed. The whole building was made of clouds. This was new to him. He could easily destroy the ooze, but that would destroy the clouds also. If the injured ponies in there could not fly, then he would do more harm than good. He knew the ooze didn't like fire, or heat. The light bothered it. Extreme cold was also a possibility. Each option came with its own set of pros and cons. He knew there was not going to be a perfect solution so he would have to think this one through carefully. The more he thought the more he blocked out the world around him. It was only Dash's voice that brought his mind back to the real world.

“Hey, Spike, you're wearing a groove through the clouds. You got an idea or something,” She asked.

“Or something,” Spike said, “I have a few things we can try, but no guarantees any of them will work.”

“Great. What's up first,” Dash asked enthusiastically.

“Heat. Fire to be more specific,” Spike said, “Stay far behind me.”

He stepped up close to the building. He gestured all the ponies back behind him. Collectively, they moved two hoofsteps back. That was not going to be enough. He waved them back farther. Another hoofstep and a half was all they moved. Alright. That was far enough to prevent any serious injury. They would move farther once he started. He turned back to the building and took a deep breath in. In the next instant the building was engulfed in a shower and green flames. Once Spike was out of breath he grasped the flame with his magic. He caught his breath and started swirling the flames. He created a small tornado with the flames as they circled around the building. After a few moments he stopped and dissipated the flames. Through the smoke the building could be seen. It was smoking and sizzling in a few spots, but otherwise undamaged.

“Great. That didn't do anything,” Dash said loudly, “Now what?”

“Cold. Extreme cold,” Spike said intensely.

He took a few breaths. He calmed his breathing down and focused. Cold was his weakest element, but he had to try. He learned a lot about ice and cold from spending time on the ice farm with Flake. He moved up and placed a hand on the side of the building. He concentrated for mere seconds before driving his claws deep into the ooze. As soon as he did a layer of frost spread out. The frost moved like a wave that swept over everything. The more the frost spread the more Spike had to concentrate. The frost soon receded a little. It was replaced by a small layer of ice. Spike's claws were encased in ice, and it also spread out to the ooze. He had to focus and concentrate even more to keep the ice from climbing up his arm and encasing him completely. It was as if the ooze could sense this. It sent out a few tendrils of ooze to attack him. He couldn't move. Any movement, no matter how small, would shatter his focus, and the ice. He tried to put up a barrier. One tendril bounced off, but the next broke through. It pierced the clouds next to him, missing him by mere inches. It retracted and they all poised for another lunge. Spike knew he could not take a hit like that now. But he didn't have to. As the tendrils came down he was hit from the side by something else. He landed back a few paces as the tendril pierced the clouds where he was standing. A moment more and he would have been skewered.

“What is wrong with you? Why didn't you jump back,” Dash asked.

“I was stuck. And it wasn't even working,” Spike said.

“Okay. What's next,” Dash asked.

“I don't know. I tried heat and cold and nothing happened,” Spike said.

“Well, you can't just leave Fluttershy in there,” Dash said.

“I know,” Spike shouted.

“Then do something,” Dash shouted back.

Spike quickly jumped up and glared at the building. He crossed the distance between him and it in just a few strides. He didn't even stop as he raised his fist. A hum and a crackle sounded off from him. Jolts of electricity arced from scale to scale as his fist moved through the air. He half yelled, half roared as his fist met collided with the ooze. The lightning shot from him as the booming sounds of thunder deafened the area around them.

Silence filled the next few moments. It was an awkward and uncomfortable silence that came before something big happened. Spike stood before the ooze. He had struck out of anger and rage. He was trained not to let emotions get the better of him, but it happened anyway. His head hung low as he breathed slowly to try and steady his racing heart. He stared at the ground. The clouds beneath were the only things he could see. And then something else came into view. A small, dark piece of something entered his field of vision. Spike looked puzzled. Another piece fell, bigger than the last. It looked like a shard of something. He picked his head up and gazed at the ooze. It seemed different somehow. Before it seemed alive almost, like you could feel the evil rolling off of it. Now, it just seemed still, like the calm before the storm. Only, there was no storm. Spike reached out to touch the ooze. Before his claws made it to the ooze it broke. A gigantic sheet of ooze shattered into countless shards and fell to the clouds below. Spike jumped back to avoid the shard rain. A couple of ponies rushed over and opened the clouds beneath the shards, allowing them to fall to the ground far below Cloudsdale. As they did this Rainbow Dash dashed through the now exposed wall, leaving a rather large hole in her wake. She was gone for a few moments and then emerged again. She had Flutteshy in tow. She dropped her off next to Spike and then flew back in. Pony by pony she raced in and out with all the injured ponies that were trapped inside. Five in all, not including Fluttershy. Once they were all out Dash returned to Spike and Fluttershy.

“You okay, Fluttershy,” She asked with concern.

“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy replied, “At first, it was really scary, but then I saw this bright light that came over the whole place. Then a smaller light after that. I don't know why, but I wasn't afraid of the light. And then a big boom went off and the whole wall was gone. Next thing I know you're there, Rainbow Dash, and I am out here. Thank you very much.”

“As much as I would like to take credit for that, I can't,” Dash replied, “The light came from Spike. He used his magic to save you.”

“Oh, it doesn't matter who it was,” Fluttershy said, “All that matters is that all the ponies are safe. But thank you too, Spike.”

Spike blushed a little and Fluttershy giggled. She knew how nervous he got in situations like these, even when they involved close friends. The last thing they heard before walking off was Spitfire. She was saying something about dropping it. Apparently, she was going to drop the entire building out of Cloudsdale. Drastic, but necessary. As Spike walked away with his friends he thought about how he destroyed the ooze just moments earlier. He wasn't quite sure how he did it. He struck out of anger. Did that have something to do with it? He wasn't sure. But now that all his friends were with him he did not think on it long. He just enjoyed the time he had with them.

They stayed for the rest of the day and helped with the cleaning up of Cloudsdale. They were guests of the Wonderbolts that evening, for all their help battling the ooze and helping the pony citizens. A small party was to be held to celebrate driving back the Black Colts. But what was to be a small party, was not going to be so. Pinkie Pie entered party mode and made the whole thing a grand celebration. No pony really cared. It was kind of nice to see Pinkie Pie spreading her laughter and good cheer. All ponies everywhere needed some right now. There was plenty to go around as long as Pinkie Pie was there. They stayed the night that night. Tomorrow, they would all head back to the Crystal Palace. It was clear to Spike that Cloudsdale defenses were in tip top shape from the moment he arrived. So there was no reason to stay any longer.

The Crystal Empire

Spike, Rarity, and Pinkie all climbed aboard the chariot the next day. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy would be flying close by. Instead of the two Pegasus ponies that flew the previous day, there were two Wonderbolts flying the chariot.

“They will get you back faster than those other two ponies,” Spitfire said, “Least I could after you helped out so much.”

“Thank you,” Spike said, “And be ready. When the big hit comes, everypony is gonna need your help.”

“We are always ready,” Spitfire said with due confidence.

The chariot took off like a rocket, and almost sent Fluttershy reeling back. Spike grabbed her quick and pulled her into the chariot. She looked up to see him looking down at her. She blushed and moved over to Rarity. Everypony knew that Fluttershy was not a long distance speed flier. Spike would not ask her to do that. They were indeed going faster than the previous day. Spike now understood more why Rainbow Dash had such a fascination with the Wonderbolts. They were going to get back to the Crystal Palace in no time.

It took nearly half the day to reach the Crystal Palace. Spike spent the time telling Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy his plans. Seeing as how they were both Pegasus ponies they could manipulate clouds. They were the perfect ponies for the job. Rainbow dash was excited and enthusiastic about the idea of having a bunker in the clouds. Rarity even volunteered to stay up there and put the cloud walking spell on any ponies who needed it. Perfect. Fluttershy was a little nervous at first. Spike was able to encourage her enough to give it her best try. That was all he could ask.

By the time they got back to the Palace they could see a few guard walls in the clouds had already been started. Nice. Rarity directed the Wonderbolts to the same part of the palace that they had originally left from. They all disembarked the chariot and landed. Cadance walked in soon after they arrived. A young filly followed close behind.

“I didn't realize you had a filly,” Fluttershy said, “Who is the cute little one there?”

“What,” Cadance said, shocked.

“Oh no! I didn't mean it like that,” Fluttershy said, embarrassed, “I'm sorry! I was just wondering why you have a filly following you around. Sorry, again!”

“That's okay, Fluttershy,” Cadance said, “This is actually a friend of Spike's. Her name is Flake Frost, She is a very gifted Unicorn.”

“Aww, she is so adorable,” Fluttershy said.

“Calm down, Fluttershy,” Dash said, “We have a job to do here. Remember?”

“Oh, right. Sorry,” Fluttershy responded.

“So, where are we starting on this cloud forming thingy,” Dash asked.

“Split up. Dash, you take some ponies up above the city and form two shelters up in the clouds. They will hold the ponies the shelters on the ground cannot. That is first priority. Understand,” Spike stated matter of fact.

“Sure do,” Dash said.

“Good,” Spike said, “Fluttershy, Flake and I will head out to Flake's hometown. It's on the very borders of the Crystal Empire. Less ponies. We will work our way in and meet in the middle. Okay?”

“Very good, Spike,” Cadance said, “I will remain her to assist Rainbow Dash with whatever she needs. Although, I do not think she will be needing it.”

“Guess I'm headin' back home then,” Flake said, “Yep. I guess it's 'bout time I left the city anyways. Startin' to lose my ice senses.”

A silence went among the ponies present. Mostly the girls. Flake didn't realize what she said, or how strange it sounded. A few blank, confused glances were traded among the girls.

“Did I forget to mention that Flake is an ice farmer,” Spike asked.

All the girls exclaimed the oohs and ahs like they knew what Spike was talking about. They all had their jobs and they split up. Dash immediately shot out the nearest window and headed up for the clouds. Cadance and Rarity rounded up some more ponied to help her. Good thing it was a very cloudy day.

Spike and Flake left Fluttershy. They headed down the train station. Cadance had this train specially ordered to take them right to Flake's home town. The three of them boarded and settled in it would take about an hour to get their.

They arrived to grand greeting. Word must have been sent ahead of them. The whole town almost had gathered by the train platform to welcome Flake back home. When Spike disembarked with her the cheer got even louder. Fluttershy wouldn't even come out until the cheers subsided. When she did finally make it off the train Flake announced her as friend and she got some cheers as well. Spike had Flake gather up the whole town so he could tell them what was going on. That's when he realized that building a shelter of clouds for the few ponies that were here would not be the practical thing to do. He thought fast and remembered the last time he was here. The clouds would still be used. Just not the extent that he had originally planned.

“You all remember the Black Colts that attacked. I am trying to prepare everypony, everywhere for another attack if it comes. That means shelter, food, and defenses. For you ponies here, that is easy. Flake can show you all to the caves where we drove of the ice imps. There is plenty of room to hold all of you. Spend the next few days preparing as much food as possible and start storing it in those caves. Make sure it can last you all a while,” Spike said.

“But what about defense,” A pony asked, “We are not exactly fighters here.”

“You don't have to be,” Spike said, “Because you already have all the defense you need. Many of you are around it every day.”

“The ice,” Flake exclaimed loudly.

“Yes. The ice,” Spike said, “If we can somehow put up lines of ice spires they can defend for us.”

All the ponies took the next few moments to think about it. Spike had just given them a lot of information to process. It was doable, but still a lot of work. Spike took this time to talk to Fluttershy. She was even more shy and nervous in front of crowds than he was. He encouraged her to try and talk. She said the only pony she could probably talk to was Flake. Spike could work with that. He looked over at Flake. She was talking with some of the town ponies, answering some questions. Just one last thing, and then he would get to her.

“One last thing,” Spike said, “This pony next to me is my friend Fluttershy. She will be coordinating the cloud forming. I need any Pegasus ponies here to help her. Guards will be coming. They will need a place to stand watch. Flake will be assisting her.”

Flake heard this an went along with it, for a second. When she fully heard and comprehended what Spike had said, she stopped. Her eyes shot open and she looked over at Spike. He was looking right at her. Before she could say a single word, Spike was already casting his spell. It was a variation of the same spell that ponies used to walk on clouds. Flake closed her eyes tightly. She could feel herself being raised in the air slightly. It was weird though. She could still feel something solid under her feet. She opened her eyes and saw that she was indeed standing on a cloud.

“There you go,” Spike said, “Your own personal cloud. You think where you want it to go and it goes there. It won't last all day, though, so come back down when you feel it start to dissipate. Fluttershy can take you up whenever your ready.”

Spike turned to the crowd. They were all beginning to disperse. He said lastly that he would be helping out in a general manner. The briefing ended and everypony set out to do their jobs. Fluttershy and Flake headed up and into the clouds. Flake was freaking out on her little cloud. Spike couldn't help but laugh a little. And the work started.

The next few days went by quickly. Everypony did their jobs, and did them well. The general store manager pony was very helpful. He let the town use his cart to transport the food supplies to the cave outside town. He had to show the ponies the way there. The cave itself was just as Spike remembered it. Some of them already knew because they were the ones that got all the things the ice imps stole out. He did say Flake would do it, but she had her head in the clouds at the moment. The cave was spacious and could easily hold all the ponies as well as enough food to last them until next harvest season.

Over the next few days, the ponies loaded more and more supplies into the cave. Fluttershy and Flake formed the clouds into a few long stretches that went around the town. Everything was done and ready in just a week. Spike got Flake from the clouds himself the last time. She liked her experience up there, but she preferred her hooves firmly on the icy ground. After all work was done and goodbyes said, Spike went back to the Crystal Palace. Flake stayed behind with her family. He took a long look at the town as the train got farther and farther away. The cloud defenses were put together nicely. They would really help, even if they were smaller than normal. Now he had to make sure the ones at the palace were up to standard.

He arrived back at the Crystal Palace later that evening. He was amazed at the sight before him. Guard ponies were everywhere. Many were boarding the train. They were headed out to more of the towns on the outer borders. Spike overheard some ponies talking. Cadance had sent out groups of Pegasus ponies to all the towns. They all followed Rainbow Dashes instructions and shaped the clouds accordingly. Nothing, however, could compare to what Dash had done. It was like a sight from legend. The entirety of the sky was blocked out by massive cloud formations. Two enormous round, bubble like shapes could be made out against the white overlay. All around them and the rest of the city many smaller clouds could be seen. These clouds were much smaller than the bubble shelters, yet much larger than the post Fluttershy had set up in Flake's hometown. These were for the guards to stand watch. More Pegasus than Spike had ever seen in one place were flying about, moving from cloud to cloud. He could see that there were also many ponies using the cloud walking spell. It was almost like another city up there. Rainbow Dash saw him gawking at the clouds and flew up to him.

“So, what do you think? Pretty awesome, right,” She asked.

“Wow. You did all this in just a week,” Spike asked.

“You kidding me,” Dash replied, “This only took me a few days, and then a few more, but it was totally less than a week.”

“Awesome,” Spike said, “Can you round up the others and meet me back here? We're going back to Ponyville.”

Spike himself was a little stunned by his outburst. He had a sudden urge to leave and get back to Ponyville. He couldn't explain it. Rainbow Dash did not seem to notice. She accepted the task and flew off to collect the other Ponyville ponies. Within a half hour they were all on the train back. Spike was silent in his seat. It just now struck him about what was in his future. Galeek was coming, and he had to stop him. Could he even stop him? What would it take? He gazed over the girls gathered there. They were all talking and joking amongst themselves. It was probably going to be the last time any laughter was heard for a while, from anypony. Spike cringed a little. His ooze scar was acting up. It was close now. The return of Galeek. It was all coming together now, and Spike had no idea what he was going to do.

Comments

[Aura Zero]

This chapter took a while to read. Still good regardless.

Same issues, different chapter.

[Love able chaos]

Wait what do you mean "what are you going to do?" Spike well that's easy, you're going to Drake up and kick some ass like you always do, and be back in time for gemcupcakes.