The Origin Chronicles Vol. 1

by SmokeShadow95

Ch.4 Train of Terror

Spike was seated near the front of the train. Not the best spot for his situation, but the best spot for a royal guest. He like the perks, but sometimes they just got in they way of his secrets. He did not like having secrets. He was starting to regret having not told Twilight about the real reason behind his “official” position as a Princess Assistance Dragon. He reached into his backpack to find the books Celestia had given him. He already knew the one he wanted to read first. It was about a young dragon that save his land from a terrible darkness using lost magic. As he pulled the book out his backpack fell over and the contents spilled all over the floor. A nice mare sitting in the seat across the aisle from him helped him collect his things. She noticed his jacket and immediately recognized him.

“Are you Spike,” She asked, “That dragon that goes around helping Princess's all over Equestria?”

“Yeah,” Spike said shyly, “That's me. How did you know?”

“Puh-lease,” The mare says, “Everypony knows about you, but where are my manners? My name is Sally Silvertongue and I am a journalist from the Crystal Empire. I would love to do a story on you, Spike. I won't take 'No' for an answer.”

“Well,” Spike said, “I'm sorry, but I can't. I have really only helped one Princess since I became the PAD. You should wait until I have more of a story to tell before telling my story.”

“Oh my,” Sally said with shock, “You are right! And they call me 'Silvertongue'.

Well since you are on this train you must be on your merry way to the Crystal Empire and then the Crystal palace to see the Crystal Princess herself and visit all the crystal ponies and see all the crystal goods we make.”

Spike was utterly stunned. He had no idea any pony could use the word crystal so many times in one sentence and still be sane afterward. He finished collecting his stuff. He was distracted by Sally's constant nagging and questioning. He just picked up his book and started reading.

He tried his hardest to just block out Sally's voice, but she would just not stop talking. Until she did. Spike looked up from behind the pages of his book. She had fallen asleep. He saw this as the perfect opportunity. He collected his things and headed for the back of the train. It was quieter and less crowded back there. It was much more to his liking. He found the back cabin to be empty and took one of the empty seats and sprawled out on it. He opened his book again. He had barely gotten to read any of it thanks to Sally. He had to put more energy into ignoring her than he did into reading. This was his chance. Not a moment later he was fast asleep, drooling onto floor and everything. His sleep was a pleasant one, at first.

He found himself back in Ponyville, again, but this time it was not dark and empty and scary. It was bright and sunny and everyone was there. But they were not all dark eyed and creepy. They were there normal selves. Everypony was smiling and happy. Spike was back. It was as if he had been gone for a very long time. But now he was back and there was praise everywhere. Pinkie Pie had thrown a party so big and extravagant that Spike wondered how she did it all herself. But it didn't matter. A party is a party. And for a while he was happy and blissful. Even Luna was there. That just made Spike happier. He was dancing with her for the longest time when things started to change. It started with the ground beneath them shaking, just like in Luna's nightmare. Everypony looked scared. The sky turned dark as black clouds obscured the sky and blocked the light. Ponyville emptied as each pony ran to find safety anywhere they could. Only Spike and Luna remained. Them and two others. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were also there. Why did these two stay? Especially Fluttershy. She was the most scared pony Spike knew. Why did she not run? He was more worried with Pinkie Pie. She was silent at the moment. Silent and Pinkie almost never went together, and when they did it was not good. Before spike could ask what was wrong he got his answer. The two ponies looked back at him. Just like all the other nightmares their eyes were dark, almost black this time. The same black ooze drooled out of their mouths.

“Oh, hi there, Spike,” Fluttershy said, “Good to see you.”

She seemed as polite and kind as ever, but it was hollow. There was no meaning behind her words. It was like she was reading from a script. Spike could see through it easily.

“Yep,” Pinkie said, “Very good to see you.”

“But not so good to see her,” Fluttershy said.

“No, no,” Pinkie added, “Not good at all.”

Spike pivoted around to see Luna. She was sitting a few paces back with her head down. She was staring at the ground. Spike slowly moved closer to her. As soon as he got within reach her head snapped up.

“Help me, Spike,” She said.

But it was not her voice. It was another voice. He knew he knew the voice from somewhere. Whose was it?

“Please, Spike,” The voice said, “I need your help. I am big trouble here. There are things going down here. I need help. Puh-lease.”

The voice was chatty and annoying. That was his first clue. The second came with her begging for help. Sally Silvertongue. How did she get into his dream? Or his nightmare now? That is when he noticed the shadows looming over him. He turned to see both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy lurking right behind him. They were bigger than before. And both of them opened their mouths wide. In an instant they lunged at him. He woke just as their jaws were closing in on him. He woke to Sally standing over him. Great. Just what he wanted to wake up to.

Sally did look genuinely concerned though. No, it was more than that. She was frightened. What happened while he was asleep.

“Puh-lease, Spike,” She begged, “I need your help. I am in big trouble here.”

“What happened,” Spike asked.

“Well, after I woke up and found that you had left I was forced to find someone else to talk to because you had left without saying goodbye or anything and even though I wanted to keep talking to you about your time at the Royal Castle I ended up talking to this nice crystal colt in the seat in front of yours. At first he was uninterested in talking and then I started bragging about how I knew Spike, the Princess Assistance Dragon and then he got really interested and wanted to know where you were. When I told him that I didn't know where you were he got all angry and demanded to know where you were. I told him again that I didn't know and he got more angry. I have never seen a pony get so angry. And what came next I will never forget. He changed. He got bigger and his coat got darker and his eyes turned black and he began drooling this really nasty black goo and when he again asked for you I told him I would find you and ran off. Then I found you back here sleeping and then I woke you up and you know the rest. I just told you.”

Whoa. Sally Silvertongue had again blown Spike away. She just said all that without taking a single breath. The only other pony he knew who could talk that much without breathing was Pinkie Pie, and he didn't even understand her at all. Again, whoa. Spike stood there speechless for a few moments. He had to process all the information that Sally had just given him in the last few seconds. It was a lot of information. Most of it was useless, but he still had to sort through it all. He finally managed to regain a little of the sanity he had left and respond to Sally.

“So there is an angry colt drooling black ooze after me,” He asked her.

“Yep,” She said, “How exciting! Does this happen to you often?”

Spike immediately went for his backpack and retrieved his Night Calling Mirror. Sally oohed and ahhed over it and tried to touch it. Spike actually had to breath a line of fire to keep her back. She seemed unaffected by it. He took the few second it gave him and called into the mirror.

“The night calls you, Smoke Shadow,” He said into the mirror.

Smoke Shadow appeared in the dark surface of the mirror. Spike was glad to see that his mirror worked. It was still a strange new magic to him and he loved watching it work. He quickly explained what was going on to Smoke Shadow. The pony on the train was like the one from his and Luna's nightmares. It was hard to talk to Shadow, though with Sally looking over his shoulder the entire time.

“OOH! What is that little mirror? It is beautiful. Where can I get one? Is that a dragon in the mirror? How neat! Who is he? Does he come in every mirror? What are you doing? Aren't you going to do something about the colt that's after you?”

Both Shadow and Spike had had enough with her and her constant talking. Shadow had the solution. This was going to be Spike's first actual lesson in dragon magic. Shadow instructed Sally to sit down and remain still, as hard as that might be for her. Spike place a claw on her head and focused his mind. A hard thing to do with her talking nonstop.

“Oooh, what are you doing? Your hand feels weird. Why do I have to sit down? I have so much energy. I don't know if I can sit down for long. You look like your trying really hard to do something. Oh my! Is my talking distracting you? Do you want me to stop? Because I can stop if you want me to? I should stop talking.”

“Slumber,” Spike said with authority.

Sally's constant talking was quickly silenced, and with a single word. Spike was amazed. He stared at his hand for a moment. Now he was the one excited.

“I did it Shadow! I actually did it,” He said excitedly.

“Don't get too excited, young blood,” Shadow told him, “That was just a basic level spell. You could master it by the end of the day at the latest.”

Spike's confidence was high for a moment, and then it was gone entirely.

“Then what am I supposed to do about the angry colt oozing black ooze that is after me?!”

“I am not sure on that one,” Shadow said, “The only advice I can give you is that he is a crystal pony. They usually have stronger bodies than most other ponies, but weaker minds. You will have to out think him.”

“That's it,” Spike said with worry, “That is all the advice you can give me.”

“Sorry, young blood, but this is new to me too,” Shadow said, “I will do some research and meet you in the Crystal Empire. I have faith in you.”

“The night releases you, Smoke Shadow,” Spike said reluctantly.

He moved Sally's still heavily asleep body over to one of the seats. She would be fine there, and out of the way. He opened the door of the back cabin he was in. He found that every pony that was on the train had collected in the back. Sally neglected to mention that. Spike was not surprised. As the door opened every pair of eyes were on him. Spike heard one of the ponies call his name and then a frenzy started. Apparently, Sally had promised that Spike was going to save them all. Great. That pony was just one pile of bad luck. Before he could resist Spike was whisked up and carried through the crowd of ponies to the front. There he was greeted by the conductor. If he was back here then who was driving the train?

“You Spike,” He asked calmly.

“Y-yes,” Spike answered.

“Then get up there and deal with that Black Colt,” The conductor said, “He's a spitting black ooze everywhere and a ruining my nice train. And he downright scares the jeepers outta me.”

All the other ponies nodded in agreement to that statement. How was he supposed to beat the Black Colt when he scared the jeepers of him to? But he had to. He was after Spike and Spike would never let anyone else get hurt on his behalf. So he opened the door to the next cabin. Empty. All the ponies must have gone to the very back two cabins. A few of them followed Spike as he ventured further into the cabin. A splat of ooze on the door window nearly sent Spike back into his empty cabin. Then he remembered that Sally was there and kept going.

Spike opened the door separating the two cabins just enough to see inside. The Black Colt had his back turned to the door. He was just spitting black ooze everywhere. All the windows and doors were covered. Interesting. Spike gestured for the other ponies to stay back. They backed up a few paces and that was all. Spike slowly and quietly slipped into the other cabin. After a few seconds he came bursting back through and slammed the door shut. He was splattered with black ooze from head to toe. The ponies backed up even more once he came back through. They thought he had turned on them for a second. Spike wiped his face and flung some of the ooze onto the floor. Something interesting happened. It began to bubble up and evaporate. In a moments time it was gone completely. This gave Spike an idea. He put a little more ooze on the floor and lit it on fire with his fire breath. It was gone in an instant and created a bright flash at the same time. That is when it hit him. The Black Colt was covering the windows with this ooze to create darkness in the cabin. Spike knew what he had to do.

He walked back through the door with more confidence than the last time. The ponies all gathered around the windows to see him in action. The Black Colt was waiting for him. He reared his head back and spit a massive glob of ooze at Spike. He was able to dodge it.

“Is that the best you can do,” Spike taunted, “My turn.”

Spike took a deep breath and breath a powerful line of green flames down the middle of the train cabin. The Black Colt leaped back and began oozing the flames to die them down. That gave Spike the time he needed. He flamed the ooze all along the windows and doors. The ooze came alight with a flashing brightness that blinded The Black Colt. He was backed up into the very end of the cabin as he tried his best to hide from the light. It was starting to pour in from the windows now as the ooze burned away. Spike leaped up into the luggage compartments above the seats and began to push the luggage off. After it all fell he began to throw it at The Black Colt. One piece after another. With his hooves up he was able to block many of the bags, but one made it through. A small, but surprisingly heavy bag that slipped between his hooves and hit him square between the eyes. That had to hurt.

As the light came pouring in through the windows the rest of the ooze began to clear up and evaporate. Sally finally woke up from her magic induced nap and came to the cabin where the fight had taken place. She saw Spike picking up a small bag and raced up to him with a smile on her face.

“Spike,” She said cheerfully, “You found my typewriter. Oh my! What were you doing with it? Why was it on the floor? Did I miss something? It seems as if I missed something? What happened?”

“The other ponies can tell you all about it,” Spike said.

So Sally Silvertongue went around asking all the ponies what happened. They could not believe she had fallen asleep during the whole thing. Spike returned to the back room and to his mirror. He called Smoke Shadow back and told him the good news. He relayed every last detail about the ordeal.

“I am very proud of you, Spike,” Shadow said.

That was the first time he had called him by his name. It was always young blood before. Spike was very excited by this. Maybe this meant Shadow trusted him more and would train him with advanced spells. Maybe. Spike was about to release Smoke Shadow from the call when Sally burst in. Spike quickly stashed the mirror behind his back. He did not want anyone knowing about it and with Sally all of Equestria would know about by the end of the week.

“OH MY!!!,” She screamed, “Why did you not tell me you saved not only the train, but all of the ponies on board? That Black Colt fellow has been locked up in one of the empty cabins until we get to the Crystal Empire. You are a hero, Spike!”

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Spike said bashfully.

“Can I ask you some questions about the whole ordeal? I would love to get an inside scoop.”

“Okay, sure,” Spike agreed, “Why don't you wait up front by our original seats and I will be right there.”

Sally was gone so fast Spike was sure she teleported from here to there. That was a close one. Shadow agreed. Spike would have to be more careful about when and where he used the mirror from now on. But he still defeated The Black Colt and nothing could bring his spirits down after that. But now he had to go up front and answer all of Sally's questions. So he made sure to get up there as slowly as he could, which was not hard seeing as how every pony along the way wanted to stop and say thank you for saving their life. By the time he got to his seat in the front he the train was almost to the Crystal Empire. But there was still time for a couple of questions. A couple of questions couldn't hurt. And so he answered a couple of questions until the train pulled into the Crystal Empire train station where he said goodbye to Sally and ran off towards the Crystal Palace. He took nothing with him but his backpack. That was all he needed at the moment. He was finally here. The Crystal Palace.

Comments

[Aura Zero]

Here we go! A little taste of Spike's new magic! Pretty cool how he is able to put somepony to sleep like that. Also smart thinking on dealing with the dark pony.

Can't wait to see what else he will learn. A few grammar mistakes, but still good. Reading on!

[Love able chaos]

Nice chapter got to see Spike save the day with some smart thinking.