The Drake Six

by JNKing

Episode 67: The Really Dirty Dozen - Part Two

Author's Note:

Big thanks again to AstralFlare42 for providing Astral, Aurora and Shade. They are setting up for some epic battles ahead, and I look forward to sharing them with you guys.

Spike wondered how he looked to the others - bursting out of the forest, covered in ash and soot, with a wild, desperate look of fear in his eyes. He almost couldn’t blame the hippogriff guards watching over Jackknife for levering their spears at him.

However, his gaze was focused intently on Twilight, who had been tending to a humiliated looking Smolder and Gallus alongside Starlight, before Twilight’s lavender eyes fell on Spike.

“Spike?” Twilight asked, her eyes widening as she took in the rest of his companions. “What…?”

“Where’s the blood bender?” Jackknife insisted, glancing at Novo and Sapphire, both of whom were glaring at the group with narrowed eyes. “You seriously need to have a lead or something.”

“Oh, we got more than a lead,” Spike said, skidding to a stop before Twilight and pausing only to catch his breath.

As he recovered, Rarity stepped forward, her eyes scanning the group in concern. “Where’s Diamondback?”

The diamond dogs with Spike whimpered and shook their heads. All eyes were rapidly turning to Spike.

“Spike,” Twilight insisted. “What happened in there?”

“Evil clones,” Spike managed to gasp out. “There’s one of Jackknife, there was one of Diamondback…”

“And there’s one of me,” Phoenix added. “Before I got crippled. Back when I was…” She shook her head. “We need the Elements of Harmony.”

“You got it,” Jackknife said, trying to step forward, only for the hippogriff guards to block him.

“I don’t think so,” Novo said. “Not until I see this ‘evil clone’ for myself.”

Jackknife whirled on her. “Are you seriously going to be that stubborn,” he demanded, turning to Sapphire. “Queen Sapphire, you know me! I may be stubborn, but I’m no blood bender! You know that!”

Sapphire, for her part, looked uncertain, her eyes darting between Novo and Jack.

Spike sighed. They didn’t have time for underwater politics. “I’m sorry, Jack, but that won’t work,” he said. “Diamondback got captured. She won’t be able to wield the Element of Generosity.”

Rainbow Dash stepped up with a grin. “But we’ve got all six of our group.” She grinned at the Young Six. “Stand back, kids. Time to show you how we handled Nightmare Moon and Discord.”

“Oh joy,” Smolder drawled. “I get to watch more people fight my battles for me.”

Silver glanced at Novo, Sapphire and Jack. “Maybe we can help Jack out,” she offered. “I mean, I don’t believe he was the one in that classroom.”

A sudden crash rang out behind the group. Gallus stood up, his eyes wide. “And I definitely don’t think we’ll have a problem mistaking ‘that’ for Phoenix.”

Spike’s heart fell into his stomach. He turned around, several dogs yelping and hiding behind him, as Mean Phoenix strode up into the clearing.

“Hello, boys and girls,” Mean Phoenix greeted with a cruel grin. Her eyes locked on the dogs. “I believe you have some of my possessions.”

Spike glanced at the dogs. “T-The dogs?” he stammered.

“They ain’t yer possessions!” Jackknife snapped. “They’re living creatures!”

“They’re slaves that need to get back on their leash,” Mean Phoenix spat back.

The biggest dog - Myst - snarled. “Never!” she barked, almost rushing forward before Spike and Star held her back.

“Twi,” he hissed. “Do the thing!”

Nodding, Twilight and her friends bunched together, and glowed with the power of friendship.

Mean Phoenix just laughed. “You think the Power of Friendship is really going to save you this time?”

“Let’s find out,” Twilight replied, before together, her friends unleashed six beams of light that curled together into a swirling rainbow…

That got caught inches from Mean Phoenix’s face by a secondary beam of white light.

“What?!” Spike yelped, before a darker, red-eyed version of Twilight stepped out from behind Mean Phoenix. She was wincing and struggling to make every step, but what had to be Mean Twilight held the Friendship Beam at bay.

“No…” Spike muttered.

“Keep it up,” Twilight insisted to her friends. “And don’t worry, Spike. My magic may be powerful, but it’s not enough to keep back something like the Elements forever.”

“That’s… what you think,” Mean Twilight sneered, as more of the Mean Six came out of the forest. She then grinned as Mean Applejack stood by her side. “Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of honesty!”

Everyone’s jaw dropped as Mean Applejack suddenly glowed with power, and an orange beam shot from hers, joining Mean Twilight’s white beam as it held the Friendship beam back.

“That’s not possible!” Spike protested. “How…?”

Star gasped. “Whoever made them must have given them all the Mane Six’s memories,” she realized. “How they got the Elements in the first place.”

“Fluttershy,” Mean Twilight continued, almost like she was confirming Star’s theory, “Who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of Kindness.”

Mean Fluttershy rolled her eyes at the description, but stood tall all the same, and soon enough, a yellow beam had joined the orange and white beams.

“Stop her!” Spike yelled, turning to his friends. “Everybody! We gotta stop her!”

Jackknife knocked aside his guards spears, and was the first into the fray. “Get back, ya faker!” he roared at Rainbow Dash, only for Mean Phoenix to kick him right back into the hippogriff guards, sending all three into a pile of armor and fur.

“The only thing you’ll be stopping,” Mean Phoenix vowed. “Is breathing.”

Spike lunged forward to fight, even though he knew that he stood no chance against the beast. But then suddenly, his entire body locked up in place, as a cruel laugh sounded, and Mean Jackknife entered the fray.

“You think I’m gonna just stand by and let you have all the fun?” Mean Jackknife demanded to Mean Phoenix. “You overgrown campfire?”

Mean Phoenix turned on Mean Jackknife with a sneer, which only left her open to a flying kick from Smolder.

“Come on, guys!” Smolder yelled. “Round two on these idiots, let’s go!”

The Young Six charged roaring into the fray. Even Jackknife and the guards untangled themselves and raced forward to combat them.

But Spike noticed Novo still staying back. Sapphire, however, tugged at her.

“Novo, please,” Sapphire said. “Silver Stream’s in that mess. Jackknife’s fighting for her!”

“I…” Novo stammered, staring at Mean Phoenix as she kicked Yona aside with a snarl. “No. I’m a Queen, Sapphire. We’re both Queens. We’re not…”

“You said you would protect us!” Sapphire almost cried. “Just as we protected you from the Storm King.”

“Pinkie Pie,” Mean Twilight continued. “Who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of Laughter!” A pink beam joined the beam struggle.

“Sapphire, face facts,” Jackknife roared, leaping away from Mean Phoenix to join the trio. He glared venomously at Novo. “This royal brat was willing to stand by and let her own daughter take on mortal danger. Twice!”

Novo snarled. “Watch how you speak about me…!”

“NO!” Jackknife boomed. “I’ve spent enough time running and letting you think your way is right.” He turned to Sapphire. “Sapphire… my Queen…”

Sapphire blinked in shock as Jackknife knelt before her.

“I understand why yer afraid to fight,” he admitted. He briefly looked at Mean Jackknife as Ocellus grabbed him from behind, and the water beast struggled to throw her off. “Blood-Bending is a vile art that we never should have learned in the first place.” He gazed into Sapphire’s eyes. “But that don’t mean we need to use it. We can still battle; we can still hold our own. And we don’t need blood-bending or hippogriffs to protect ourselves.” He looked to Spike with a smile. “We can work together. Be symbiotes, not parasites.” He looked to Novo. “All of us can do better when we work together.”

“Please,” Spike asked, running to Jackknife’s side and offering his hand. “Let us work together now.”

Sapphire stared at Spike’s claw, and then looked up at the battle ahead. Star, Swift, Gallus and Smolder were flying rings around Mean Phoenix, kicking her or hitting her with blasts of fire and wind. Down below, Phoenix led the diamond dogs and the hippogriff guards in trying to tie Mean Phoenix up in ropes, but the ropes kept burning. Mean Jackknife was trying to throw them off with more blood-bending, but Ocellus had him in a stranglehold, and while Yona headbutt him in the gut, Silver Stream kept poking him in the eye with her beak, and even Sandbar was delivering kick after kick to the writhing water beast’s tail, all while the kirin Fox Fire was blasting him with flames from her nidrik form and keeping him from using his full blood bending power.

“Rarity,” Mean Twilight yelled, her voice cracking in desperation. “Who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of Generosity.”

Another white beam joined the struggle against the Friendship Beam.

Sapphire sighed, before glaring at Novo.

“Saph?” Novo asked in concern.

“My husband…” Sapphire whispered. “Gave his life for your people, Novo.” She gazed at Novo with sad eyes, before turning away. “I guess it’s now my turn.”

Jackknife gripped her shoulder. “Yer not doing this alone. Remember that.”

“Yeah,” Spike agreed. “We’re with you.”

Sapphire took a slow breath and nodded, before charging at the Mean Six, Jackknife and Spike by her side.

“Saph, no!” Novo cried out.

“Rainbow Dash!” Mean Twilight continued. “Who could not abandon her friends for her own heart’s desire…”

Mean Rainbow Dash started to move forward, but faltered as Sapphire, Jack and Spike rushed her.

Mean Phoenix launched a fireball their way… but Novo launched into it’s path.

“NOVO!” Sapphire screamed as the queen of the hippogriffs was flung over their heads.

“Don’t stop,” Spike begged. “Keep going!”

“REPRESENTSTHESPIRITOFLOYALTY!” Mean Twilight got out in a rush. And though Mean Rainbow Dash was far back from the group, a weak blue beam pulsed out from her and joined the anti-friendship beam.

But… to Spike’s delight, the beam was faltering. Falling under the more powerful and stronger Friendship Beam of his friends.

Twilight - Spike’s Twilight - smiled proudly. “You may have our memories,” she told Mean Twilight. “You may have the basic knowledge on how to wield the Elements. But you don’t have the emotional connection, do you?” She glared around at the Mean Six: at Mean Fluttershy’s sour expression, Mean Pinkie Pie’s bitter resignation, and Mean Rainbow Dash’s terror. “The Elements are truly ignited by the spark of friendship in our hearts. Not our minds!”

Spike grinned as he surged forward to scatter the Mean Six like bowling pins. “And that is why…”

“You lose!”

A kick from out of nowhere sent Spike tumbling across the grass.

“Spike!” Twilight screamed, before a yellow blur bashed hard into her group, scattering them like bowling pins.

Spike had to blink several times to comprehend what he was seeing: Star Wing stood over him, knocking Jackknife and Sapphire down with a lash from her tail. Over with the Mane Six, Swift stood over all of them…

His ice blue eyes glaring at Spike.

A chill covered Spike’s spine. “No…” He turned, as Phoenix hurled a beaten Gallus and Smolder into Phoenix, sending all three tumbling into the Academy. “NO!” He spun as Mean Jackknife managed to lift the rest of the Young Six up with blood bending, throwing them into the Academy as well. “No-no-no-no-NO!”

Spike tried to get up and make another dash at the Mean Six, but what had to be Mean Star Wing grinned at him - eyes like pond scum - and seized Jackknife and Sapphire, hurling them like twin balls and chains into Spike.

Spike felt the wall of the Academy give way behind him, and the next thing he knew, he was lying alongside the rest of his beaten friends.

“This… can’t be happening,” Spike whimpered, before Phoenix and the beaten Mane Six was tossed on top of him.

“You’re telling me!” Smolder stammered. “Beaten twice in one day!” She forced herself up. “I’m not standing for this!”

“Me neither!” Jackknife hissed. “C’mon! We ain’t done!”

But as they tried to rush back outside, a light like the sun blinded them and forced them back. Spike barely made out Mean Phoenix grinning cruelly at them, before she unleashed a fireball that looked like a second sun, hurling it right at the Academy.

As the fireball struck, the Academy shook and began to collapse, floors falling all around them.

Rarity shrieked. “I don’t want to die like this!”

Applejack desperately kicked aside some rubble that was falling towards her friends. “C’mon, y’all. We ain’t dying today!”

But as the group tried to make their way towards one of the other exits, they found their ways blocked: the north end by Mean Jackknife, the south end by Mean Star Wing, and the last end by Mean Swift Winds.

Spike wanted to kick himself. “How could I have not noticed them!”

“Save the despair,” Phoenix insisted. “There’s got to be some way out!”

At first, it didn’t seem to be the case. The exits - already guarded by their mean counterparts - were quickly buried by rubble. Mean Phoenix’s fire bathed what was still standing in flames. And as the smoke and heat reached unbreathable and unbearable levels, Spike began to fear that they had truly been out-maneuvered.

“Wait! Look!” Ocellus yelled.

Everyone turned to see an open floor grate with a mysterious crystal root sticking out of it.

“A-Are we sure that’s safe?” Fluttershy whimpered.

“It’s safe there than in here,” Smolder decided, jumping down into the grate.

With the Academy collapsing down around them, the others had no choice but to follow her down, into the hands of fate.

##

Back outside, the Really Dirty Dozen looked on in satisfaction at the burned remnants of the United Species Academy.

“Let’s see our goody-two-claw counterparts get out of that,” Mean Phoenix declared.

“I still can’t believe they fell for us,” Mean Star Wing giggled. “What a bunch of idiots!”

Mean Jackknife snorted. “So, what next?” He glanced at the beaten Novo, who was desperately crawling away. “Cuz personally…” he used his blood bending to lift Novo up and slowly turn her around. “I’m thinking of some ways we could really tick off the Hippogriff Kingdom.”

Mean Star Wing laughed. “After the abysmal showing she gave? I think you’d be doing the Hippogriff kingdom a favor by getting rid of her.”

Novo shivered in Mean Jackknife’s grip, tears of remorse and fear sliding down her cheeks.

“We should have her die to someone outside her kingdom,” Mean Phoenix noted. “Ensure that the peace between nations is broken in a way that can’t be fixed.”

“If you want to do that,” a new voice declared. “You’re going to need to sell that the Drake Six or Mane Six were responsible.”

The Really Dirty Dozen turned to find Starlight, Trixie, Discord, Astral and Aurora all standing ready, Discord in particular looking scarily livid.

“And that’s not going to happen,” Trixie declared.

“You hurt our friends,” Aurora growled, as her eyes glowed a deep blue and icicles hovered around her. “So, we’re going to let you know just how we feel.”

“And you’re fools if you think you will win,” Astral added, as his own form glowed with power. “We will expose the truth.”

“Oh-ho, forget exposing the truth,” Discord chortled, despite his eyes having slit pupils and shining red. “I’m going to make sure you suffer everything you put Fluttershy through.”

##

As the Really Dirty Dozen engaged in battle once more, Shade continued to observe from the shadows.

It was impressive, he had to admit. Part of him almost regretted writing off the clones, as they had proven themselves rather effective. “Especially Dark Spike,” he thought with a smirk. “He’s a far more ruthless tactician when compared to his counterpart.”

“Master,” Dark Spike declared, almost on cue, breaking Shade out of his thoughts. “The prisoners have been secured.”

Shade followed Mean Spike’s gaze back to Sombra, who was happily perusing the prisoners bound before him. Specifically, the black and white alicorn that he had entrapped in obsidian magic restraints.

“I remember your mother,” Sombra mused as he caressed Star Wing’s face. “Such beauty and power… all sadly wasted with pity for a sister who never cared for her.”

Star glared at him, but cast a nervous look to Swift, both versions of Diamondback, and even Cozy Glow, all of whom were similarly bound and gagged with dark magic. Both versions of Diamondback and Cozy Glow were unconscious, the rise and fall of their chests the only signs of life.

“Star, I’m so sorry,” Swift was sobbing. “I should’ve fought, I should’ve…”

“I got this, Swift, don’t worry,” Star tried to assure him.

Sombra laughed, attracting Star’s glare once more. “I had heard of your unique sense of humor, Princess Star Wing.”

“Yeah, I got jokes for days,” Star replied with a grin that didn’t reach her eyes. “Here’s one you might have heard before: what’s black, red, edgy and about to regret all his life choices?”

“Wing, please…” Swift begged, but Sombra’s chuckle drowned him out.

“Yes, some would call it foolish, sparing the lot of you,” Sombra admitted. “But I call it pragmatic.” He glanced at Mean Diamondback. “My first version of your friend did her job well, but I doubt she’ll continue to cooperate after what my Dragon Element of Honesty did to her.” He briefly glanced at Cozy Glow. “A thrall can still have its uses.” He glanced back as an explosion sounded from Ponyville. “And if your counterpart doesn’t survive the coming battle, Princess… I will need you to better subjugate your mother, your aunt, and your dragon lord lover.”

“That,” Shade noted with a roll of his eyes. “And the fact that you may have a need for Star Wing as your Queen.”

Star’s eyes widened in horror, but Sombra merely chuckled.

“Don’t look so horrified, Princess,” Sombra said. “I have many ways to earn your affection. Who knows? I may not even need a clone for what will come next.”

Star forced herself to grin. “Now who’s the funny one? Thinking I’ll break to the likes of you.”

Sombra merely grinned down at her. “We will see.”

As he focused on Star, he was unaware of Mean Diamondback opening one eye and glaring at Sombra and Shade with hate before catching Original Diamondback’s eye as well. “We will see indeed,” Original Diamondback mused quietly, as she and Mean Diamondback started carefully checking their bonds.

Comments

[Comickook]

Again, you did a really good job on the dialogue, characterizations, action and future chapter set-up. REALLY appreciated the details going into the battle between the Mane AND Drake Sixes against their clones (including the Meaningful/Ironic Echo concerning Mean Twilight and the memories, Smolder and the rest of the Young Six getting ready to make their own battle plans, Astral, Auroa, Starlight, Trixie and Discord all getting ready to confront the clones themselves (hopefully, even if we already know the five of them are going to lose, they will at least keep the evil clones busy long enough for the real McCoys to escape and rally), Sombra actually having a pragmatic reason for sparing Star and Diamondback's clone starting to wake back up.

REALLY looking forward to more of the story (ESPECIALLY Part Three) .

[JNKing]

11894703
Once again, I'm happy that you're enjoying the story.

Yeah, Astral's group are going to show off some stuff that AstralFlare42's been hoping to share in the story. It might not be enough to take out the clones for good, but it will certainly keep them busy long enough for our heroes to find the method to defeating their peers.

Though they'll want to be careful seeing them all as 'evil'; Dark/Mean Diamondback isn't going to be happy about how Dark/Mean Phoenix betrayed her. Will it be enough for her to switch sides entirely?

That'll be for Part Three to reveal.

Looking forward to sharing more soon.

Until then, thanks for reading.

[nightshroud96]

Looking forward on how Smolder be acting due to what was mentioned on the other day. And how Spike can help her

Surprised this is gonna be in 3 parts

[JNKing]

11894973
Yeah, ultimately, I couldn't fit everything that happens into just two parts; way too much is going on. I imagine there will be around four parts.

Though the third part will be where Smolder and the Young Six get some more characterization, and contribute in a big way to stopping the Really Dirty Dozen, just like how they saved the day in 'School Raze'.

[Booster Spice]

“Oh-ho, forget exposing the truth,” Discord chortled, despite his eyes having slit pupils and shining red. “I’m going to make sure you suffer everything you put Fluttershy through.”

Discords gone Alistair?

[JNKing]

11895628
Pretty much. Though it won't be perfect, considering he still doesn't have all his powers back at this point.

We'll see how he and these dark counterparts handle each other in the next chapter.