Chapter 39: The Far Frozen North
"The heart can get really cold if all you've know is winter." -Benjamin Alire Saenz
The train was chugging steadily northward when Spike found it. The switchbacks, which carried it down the mountain, kept it close to Canterlot while he spoke to the diarchs. It was just halfway to the horizon when he saw its smoke, billowing above the plains.
As he approached from behind, Spike realized he’d never landed on a moving platform. Since there’s no time like the present, he leaned into a dive. He flew down alongside the train until he found the girls. He waved for a moment before Pinkie saw him and pulled down the window.
“Hiya Spike, how’s it hanging?” She asked, leaning dangerously far out the window before Twilight yanked her back in. The rest gathered near the window, each listening carefully to hear Spike against the roar of the wind.
“Oh you know, just flying alongside trains. Realizing I don’t quite know how to land on it.” Spike said, popping up for a moment as a gust of wind flowed down the train.
“What’s so hard about the landing? Ah’ve seen ya do it plenty of times since ya got yer wings.” Applejack called out to him. “Jus’ pop down on the roof and clamber down.”
“It’s not that easy Applejack. Way more goes into safely landing something that is moving compared to just landing on steady ground. If he isn’t careful, Spike might misjudge and fall off. With a moving cloud it’d be no biggie, but this close to the ground, and this fast it could end very badly. That’s why you don’t see it happen more often.” Rainbow said. As if to punctuate her statement, Spike wobbled outside the train wildly. Every pony watched as he pulled up and away from the train to maintain control. Once Spike felt stable, he returned to his spot beside the train, but a bit higher this time.
“Can you help him? Show him how to land on the train?” Rarity asked. Rainbow blushed and looked away.
“Actually, I’m not that good with moving platforms.”
“You’re not that good with nonmoving ones either.” Pinkie said, pulling out a scrapbook of Rainbow’s various crashes around Ponyville.
Chalking the scrap book up to Pinkie being Pinkie, Spike said, “Then who is going to help me land? I don’t think I can fly the whole way.”
“I can’t, but there is somepony here who can.” Rainbow said, grabbing Fluttershy. “Fluttershy is the best pony I know at this kind of landing.”
“Can you help him?” Twilight asked.
“I don’t know. The train is going awfully fast. I might not be able to keep up. Then I’d fall behind and somepony would have to help me catch up, but then they would need to land too. Besides, Rainbow is exaggerating. I’m really not that good, and I’ve never landed on something moving this fast.”
“Please Fluttershy. Can you at least talk me through it? If I try without your help I might get hurt.” Spike said.
“Please.” Everypony else echo.
“Come on Shy. I know you can do this. You do too, even if you won’t admit it.” Rainbow said, smiling encouragingly.
“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked, blushing at the praise.
“Yes.” Rainbow said with conviction
“Please.” Spiked begged as a change in wind direction blew smoke from the engine right into his face.
“Okay. We need to go to the caboose.” Fluttershy said, Rainbow’s praise giving her confidence in herself.
* * * * * * * * *
Spike lined himself up with the caboose for a third time. He was following Fluttershy’s instructions closely, but she waved him off at the last moment the past two times. Fighting against the wind, Spike closed on the caboose and lined up to land. Just like the previous attempts, smoke from the engine made his eyes water. He continued down, listening careful for someone to call him off, but instead he heard the call for him to land.
“Fluttershy says you’re good. Come straight down. As your feet touch down furl your wings and hold on tight.” Twilight called, magically boosting her voice to relay Fluttershy’s instruction. Spike didn’t reply. Instead, he focused on the landing. He had been skeptical at first, but everything had worked so far.
His claws scraped the roof of the caboose and he pulled his wings in tight. He gripped the roof as the wind clawed at him. Trying to pull his wings back out. Carefully he worked backwards until he stood on the edge of the roof.
“I’m coming down, watch out.” Spike called. He waited a moment and swung his lower body down stretching to feel the floor. He was grateful for his tail. It’s longer reach found the worn wooden floor quicker than his feet, helping guide them down. Once he felt the wood under his feet, he dropped down, flexing hard to bring his body forward instead of falling over the rail and off the train.
Turning to his friends inside the caboose, Spike pulled Fluttershy into a hug. “Thank you so much. I couldn’t have done it without your help!”
Releasing her, he collapsed onto the floor. The exhaustion starting the catch up with him.
“You welcome. I’m just glad you didn’t get hurt trying to land.” Fluttershy said. “But you will probably want to stretch if you don’t want cramps.”
“Did you get what you went back to find? You were gone for a long time Spikey.” Rarity said.
“Huh? Oh yeah, yeah. I got what I needed. It just took longer than I expected to find it.” Spike said, wincing as Rainbow pulled on his wing. “What was that for?”
“Shy told you to stretch, and I’m going to help. You girls go on back. We’ll join you once this is taken care of.” Rainbow said, an evil glint in her eyes.
“I’m sure it’s really not necessary.” Spike tried to protest. Rainbow’s views of proper stretching aligned with his views on torture. Any chance he got he’d find a way to avoid them.
“Oh but it really is. A cramp could very painful, and you don’t want to be sore once we get to the Crystal Empire do you?” Fluttershy said.
“Shucks Spike, reckon you’d better listen to her.” Applejack said, heading back to their original car. “Hey Pinkie do you have any hot coco?”
“Yepperoni. I’ll pour us all some. Make sure you stretch out good. Flexibility is important.” Pinkie said, cartwheeling out behind Applejack, followed closely by Twilight
“She’s right you know. Strength is nice, but it will flexibility is also very beneficial,” Rarity whispered in his ear as she left. “Do take good care of him Rainbow.”
“No worries. He’ll be limber as they come when I’m done.” Rainbow said, closing the door behind Rarity.
“You’re all mine now.” Rainbow said placing a hoof at the base of Spike’s right wing.
“Please be gentle.” Spike pleaded as Rainbow started. The only reply of a deep throated chuckle.
* * * * * * * * *
The train was nearly empty when it pulled into the final station. After quickly disembarking, the Elements and Spike, it backed out of the station post haste. As they gathered their luggage, Spike carrying Rarity’s many bags, a figure came out of the snowy mist.
“Twilight.” The figure, a white pony with a black scarf around his neck and face, called out as it approached through the mist.
“Shining Armor.” Twilight called out, hoping it was her brother who’d come to meet them.
“Twily, you made it!” Shining Armor said, pulling the scarf down. He trotted forward and pulled Twilight into a hug.
“We’d better get moving. There are things out here we really don’t want to run into after dark.” He said as the hug finished.
“What kind of things?” Fluttershy asked as the girls exchanged nervous glances.
“Let’s just say the Empire isn’t the only thing that’s returned.” Shining said, leading the way away from the station into the snowy landscape beyond. Spike fell in at the rear, his senses tuned for any danger. This paranoia would soon prove its worth.
* * * * * * * * *
Spike skimmed over the snow swept plains, black fog of gathering behind him. His friends ran for the barrier, the small gap offering safety from whatever was chasing them. Shining Armor turned to fight the fog; instead he saw a growing purple claw reaching out for him. He grunted as it collided with him, lifting him off the ground. He felt the arm draw back. Realizing what was about to happen, he begged Spike to stop.
“No, no, no. NO! SPIIIIIKE-,” he screamed as Spike swung forward, launching him towards the gap in the shield the girls raced through.
“Twilight, catch!” Spike called out as Shining flew screaming through the air. Twilight turned around, and let out an oomph as her brother collided into her. The hole snapped shut as Shining flew through, leaving Spike on the outside.
After tossing Shining Armor, Spike pulled a one-eighty. His rear claws dug into the snow, throwing up a white cloud, as he crashed down. He released a stream of blue fire at the fog.
The black fog pulled back from the flames and the massive Spike. The dragon fire burned between them. Snow melted then refroze as ice a short distance from the arcane flames. The wind whipped falling snow in wild eddies, but the fog did not move with it. Instead it remained on the far side of the fire, its green glowing red eyes staring at him.
Spike breathed deeply, fighting to remain in control of himself. He waited for the fog to make a move. It began to coalesce into a pony, starting with Sombra’s head. Eventually, he stood there fully formed. With a flick of his head he brushed aside Spike’s fire. Spike prepared to blast him, but stopped when Sombra started to speak.
“Crystalss! Crystalss? CRYSTALSS!” He grunted, angry writ large on his face. Spike said nothing. After a moment Sombra shook his head and spoke again.
“Crystals you are not.” He rasped. He worked his jaw, like he was trying to loosen some stuck in his mouth, and began coughing. “Dragon! How?” He eventually said looking Spike over.
“Back!” Spike growled.
“How resist?!”
“Back!” Spike replied, releasing a gout of fire. Sombra shunted the fire off to the left, a blast of steam rising up.
“How can you resist it?” Sombra asked, coming to a stop just outside of Spike’s reach. “How are you able to fight his corruption. He swore no dragon would be spared. Answer me!” He roared, his magic flaring and dark crystals budding on the ground around him.
Spike struggled to think clearly. The loud pony before him was arrogant and would not burn. The greed fueled part of him wanted to launch at the smoky pony and tear it to shreds with fang and claw. The controlled side wanted to talk. This was Sombra, best case scenario he could stall him and learn something. Worst case… Well he was a powerful unicorn that had stood up to Discord and survived. Spike didn’t like his chances in a drawn out fight.
“Resist what?” Spike muttered, trying to force controlled words out against his greed.
“Resist Discord’s curse. The all consuming greed he laid upon every dragon in return for the powers he gave my mate and I.” Sombra said, pacing back and forth while taking a good look down both sides of Spike.
“No answer Traitors. No answer you.”
“Whelp, I was once and still am your elder and greater. You will answer me!” Sombra shouted. A platform of crystal grew under his feet, raising him up slightly higher than Spike.
“Burn!” Spike said as flames flew from his maw. Sombra brought up a shield of crystal allowing the flames to wash over it and around him.
When the flames ceased Sombra dropped his shield, melted crystal slagging off the front. He sat back on his haunches and sighed. “Perhaps I was wrong. It seemed you were resisting his curse, yet now you show yourself to be a dumb brute. Tell me does the name Razor Claw mean anything to you?”
Spike said nothing. He already knew everything he needed to know. Drake had shared the name and the treachery that wicked wyrm committed. He wasn’t sure he believed it then. Now, based on what the Princesses told him and the creature before him now, it seemed he’d spoken true.
Rather than reply, he growled as menacingly as he could manage. Sombra was unimpressed.
“I will show you how a dragon should sound.” He said clearing his throat and standing. After a long inhale, he roared. Spike felt it in his bones as they rattled. He wanted to run and hide. Still the roar went on.
Inside the shield it reverberated off crystal and caused the denizens to cower. Shining and the Mane Six, who had been making haste to the castle, winced and looked toward the shield, unable to see beyond it. At the castle, Princess Cadence shivered as the sound continued. She hoped help would arrive soon, fearing what she knew lurked in the wastes beyond her shield.
Outside the shield Sombra sat down. “That is how a true dragon sounds.” He said as his crystals continued to grow around him, their inky blackness drinking in what little light shone through the clouds.
“I do not understand you whelp. That is the one thing keeping you alive. I do not know how long I was in that ice. Trapped by those damnable flying unicorns which miraculously defeated Discord. The fools. I wonder how they would react if they knew the Resistance’s adoration for them was what let me in.” Sombra said, studying Spike.
“Now start answering my question. Else, I will end this charade and take my empire back sooner rather than later.”
Spike shifted uneasily. He fought to hold onto his greed in the face of Sombra’s roar and threats but felt himself shrink slightly despite himself. His rational mind raced on how to answer Sombra’s question.
“I don’t resist. I control.” Spike said. Every second he could buy would be worth it for Twilight. “I will tell all.”
“Good. Get started. We don’t have all day.” Sombra said. As he relaxed into his dark crystal chair, he drove fresh spikes of crystal from the ground at the shield. Spike moved to swipe at them but Sombra stopped him.
“Start talking or they turn on you. Have you so little faith in your ponies that you think some light pressure will defeat them?”
Spike growled impotently and held still. “Fine. It all started when I was just an egg.”
* * * * * * * * *