//------------------------------// // Help from the Shadows Part 1: Attack of the Nightmares(Beware of My Little Amnesia) // Story: Dragonfire 🐲 Enter The Dragon Hero 🐲 // by Phantom-Dragon //------------------------------// Spike, Scorpan, and Peewee, returned home, where they were greeted by the girls. "SPIKE!!" the girls exclaimed, all jumping on the boy, and exchanged some greetings. "Darling, we're so happy that you're still alive!" Rarity cried. Wincing slightly from his battle wounds, Spike smiled as he tries his best to return all of the girls' affections, "I've never been happier to see you girls again," he smiled, before he took notice of the bruises, scratches, and the burns inflicted on the girls. "Whoa, what happened to you girls?" He asked. "Are you alright?" "We're fine, Spike," Twilight assured, as she looked behind her. "Thanks to-huh?" Following her confused gaze, the girls looked to see nobody in the room, besides themselves, Spike, Scorpan, and Peewee. "Where'd he go?" "Who?" Spike asked. "Our mysterious savior," Twilight replied, with confusion. Scorpan, on the other hand, knew what's up. Nighttime Spike was already in his dark purple pajama pants and lighter t-shirt with asian dragons, when he was brushing his teeth. Once that task was done, Spike walked into his bedroom, changed into his puppy form, jumped on the bed, spins himself several times, before he started to settle down. SCREECH! Spike woke up with a start, as Peewee flew into the room, circled the boy turned dog for a while, before he flutters down and squatted down, next to the boy. Spike smiled, finding warmth, comfort, and familiarity with the bird, before they both went out like like bulbs. Fluttershy soon came to the room, obviously, trying to get Peewee back, when she saw the bird, sound asleep, together with his owner. The very sight pulled Fluttershy's heartstring, as she quietly left the two friends to sleep together, before hearing a few groans from Spike. Spike was once again having another dream, of Equestria. Spike finds himself inside Canterlot Castle, at night, with his whole body, blue and transparent, and covered from head to toes in dark chains, padlocks, hooks, and shackles, as he was in his previous dreams. "Where am I?" Spike asked, looking at his surroundings. "Wait a minute. I remember this place. It's home." Then, he heard the sound of hoof steps, and some night guards came walking in, with rays of lights illuminating from their horns. Spike watched as the guards walked past him, and down into another hall. "I wonder if one of them's Flare." He said, before he caught a glimpse of something glowing around the corner. Squinting his eyes, Spike gasped, "Mom!" [Fluttershys (Fluttershy Cover) II Owl City Ponified^2-By Pinkie Rose] Upon seeing the benevolent sun princess, the guards all bowed their heads in respect to the princess. Princess Celestia simply nodded her head in acknowledgement, before she continues to be on her way. Spike stood, watching in awe at his adoptive mother walking past him. She had a stoic look imprinted on her face. Spike, however, could see the look of sorrow and longing in her eyes. As Princess Celestia walked around a corner, Spike tried to follow, while dragging the chains around him. "Why am I even wearing these things?" He asked, as he struggles to follow. However, Spike hadn't gone far, when he heard a voice. "Feeling sentimental, Dragon Prince?" the voice asked. [Fluttershy's Lullaby(Creepy Version)] Spike felt himself turning cold with fear, as he slowly turns around, and stared face to face with the Shadowbolt's top boss. "Nightmare Moon," he breathed. "In your dreams," Nightmare Moon smirked, before she stomped the floor with her hoof. With that, Spike's whole dream was instantly shattered like glasses, as he falls into the endless void of darkness below. "You're quite lucky you know," the mare said. "Very few have ever escaped my Shadowbolts and lived to tell the tale." Then, appearing as a wisp of smokes, with her face visible, Nightmare Moon continued. "But then, you've always been lucky." "What are you talking about?" Spike asked. "Oh, don't try to deny it," Nightmare Moon conjured up an orb, which projected an image for Spike to see. "Did it not occur to you, how lucky you are?" Spike looked at the orb, to see many of his forgotten moments. In one memory, he was seen playing with Twilight and the girls. In the next, he was helping Sunset Shimmer, who appears to be catching a cold. In another, Spike was singing a song to a unicorn filly, causing her to smile in encouragement. The last memory he saw was when he was a toddler growing up, with Princess Celestia holding him close. "You had it all," Nightmare Moon hissed. "You've had a loving mother, a caring uncle, and you've made the best of friends, any pony could ever ask for. You were so lucky, it's just not fair!" At that point, Nightmare Moon breaks the orb, as she turns to Spike, with anger burning in her eyes. "How did you do it? How is it that the Dragonfire chose you, before you were even born? And how can you escape, with your memories gone, while my forces were forced into hiding and scattered like rats? And how is it that after ten years with you gone, the girls' feelings for you continued to grow even stronger?" "Believe me," Spike replied. "I've asked myself that question a lot, for the past few weeks." Shifting his frightened face to a determine look, Spike stood his ground. "But I do know one thing. The girls have come a long way for me, and I'm not going to let it all be in vain for them. Which means there's nothing you can do to stop it!" "Not unless I stop you first!" Nightmare Moon neighed, blasting several rays of lightning at Spike, who dodged them to the side, with some difficulties. "Foolish dragon. You can hardly jump. Your powers won't save you this time. Somnambula's curse on you did more than just give you an amnesia, you see." Spike looked at the chains that were on him, 'What? This is another part of the curse?' he thought, before he was blasted away by Nightmare Moon's thunder strike. "You cannot fight me," the mad alicorn ranted. "You cannot hurt me. But I can do all those things to you. And when I do, your powers will be mine. And Princess Celestia, and all the little ponies whom you left behind will mourn for you, each time I breathe your breath." "NOO!!" Spike shouted back, ducking his head from another of Nightmare Moon's attack. Turning around, he broke into a run. "You're gonna have to catch me first!" Nightmare Moon cackled, as she simply walked after the boy, "You can't run forever," she said, with her voice growing more eerie and more darker. "We will find you. And we will sssslay you, for your power." Spike kept on running, until he hears Fluttershy's voice, only creepier. "No, stay! Don't leave again!" Fluttershy sounded. "Fluttershy?" Spike asked, turning around, to see a gruesome image of Fluttershy. Standing before him, was Fluttershy, covered in blood, with scars running all over her body, her eyes missing, and was draped from head to toe with chains, similar to Spike's, and an iron wheel around her neck. "Is that you? My love?" Fluttershy called, limping towards Spike. "Where did you go? Please, come back!" Spike backed away, before he hears Pinkie Pie, "Come here! I want you!" she laughed maniacally. Spike turned his head, horrified to see the usually happy Pinkie Pie he knew, was once more in the form of the depressed Pinkie Pie, only like his nightmare version of Fluttershy, Pinkie too was covered in blood, with her eyes missing, iron wheel on her neck, and with the same chains. "I seeeeeeee you," Pinkie giggled maniacally, causing Spike to back away. "Bonjour!!" She shouted, jumpscaring the boy. "BWAH!!" Spike screamed, patting his chest. "GET OVER HERE!" Rainbow's voice sounded. "You thought you could get away, didn't you?" "Get away?" Spike asked, turning to see the nightmare image of Rainbow Dash. "Why-" "I have you now!" Rainbow growled, baring her teeth that have turned sharped and covered in blood. "Don't forget! I found you once, and I'll find you again!" Summoning the strength in his legs, Spike kicked Rainbow off, "I didn't ran away from you girls! Honest! I-" "What nonsense!" Applejack's voice sounded. "You dare speak of honesty? You promised me that you'd come to my family reunion, but you never made it! You promised! Do you know how much effort I put in to making you those apple treats you loved so much?" Spike looked, seeing himself surrounded by nightmare images of the little ponies, all crying out for him, pleading him for help, to stay, and questioned him angrily to why he wasn't there for them. Spike in the meantime, felt himself, all alone, trying in vain to talk some senses, while Nightmare Moon was laughing, watching in amusement at the young dragon's suffering. Fortunately, the mad mare's fun was cut short when a bright light was illuminated from Spike's eyes, causing all of her nightmare images to disperse into smokes, and forced Nightmare Moon to shield her face. "The light!" She screamed. "The light!" Soon, cracks started to appear on her wings and hooves, forcing her to retreat. "This is not over yet!" With that, the mad mare disappeared in a puff of smoke. Peewee was looking at Spike with concern, while Fluttershy continued to rub Spike's back, until he woke up with a scream. "A-Am I awake?" he panted, turning to his right and lets out a startled yelp, changing into a mix-match of his dragon and dog forms as he did so. "Oh, it's you Fluttershy." He breathed. "And you're alright." "There, there Spike," Fluttershy cooed, picking up the boy turned creature, in her hands, and gently stroked his back in comfort, while lulling him back to sleep. The Next Morning Spike, the girls, and Scorpan were in for a rude awakening, courtesy of Lyra and Bon Bon. "C'mon girls!" Bon Bon exclaimed. "We gotta burn rubber! Monsters are loose in the city!" "Okay, we're coming!" Twilight said, as she and the girls quickly changed into their pony forms. "You can explain the details on the way." "I'll help!" Spike volunteered, before he was stopped by Scorpan. "Not you, young prince," Scorpan said. "You have some special trainings at Starbucks." "Awww," Spike groaned. With that, the girls left with Lyra and Bon Bon, into Chinatown, while Spike, Scorpan, along with Peewee, left for Starbucks cafe, where they are to meet with Spike's mentor. Taking a vacant seat, the two waited, until Sunset Shimmer appeared, with a tall woman, cloaked in a dark brown hooded robe. "Spike!" Sunset greeted, before she bowed her head in respect. "And General Scorpan." "Sunset Shimmer," Scorpan returned the greeting. Peewee lets out a chirp as he flapped his wings around the girl and nuzzled his cheek closely to her's. "Good to see you two, Peewee," Sunset smiled, petting the bird. Secret Place In a brilliant flash of light, Spike, Peewee, Sunset Shimmer, and the hooded woman, appeared in secret cavern. "Oh man," Spike groaned, disoriented from the teleportation. "I don't know how you ponies can get use to that." Pulling himself together, Spike looked around the place, which appears to be a cave, with sparkling stones, and magic symbols, decorating the interior, along with some mysterious masks. Decorated on the floor, is a magic circle. "Where are we?" Spike asked. "A secret place,"the woman began, before she pulled her hood down. "Our secret place." In appearance, the woman has dark skins, a long black and white hair done up in a mohawk, silver paints that decorated her face, while framing her strong cyan eyes. For attires, the woman wears gold rings on her neck, her left arm, and as earrings, along with a traditional African dress, decorated with black and white stripes, resembling the styles of zebras, underneath her cloak. Spike looked, and noticed that the woman was barefoot. "Who are you?" Spike asked. "I am Zecora," the woman began. "A fellow enchantress, sorceress, and witch doctor of trades from Equestria." "Equestria?" Spike asked. "You're from Equestria too?" "Ah, so it appears, your mind is becoming clear," Zecora smiled. "And in the days that follows, your powers will grow." "What?" "You have to understand," Sunset explained on Zecora's behalf. "It's Zecora's way of speaking." "The words I chanted were from olden times," Zecora explained. "Something you call a nursery rhyme." "That, and it just makes her sound wise," Sunset added. "Fascinating," Spike nodded, before he remembered. "Anyway, uncle told me that I'm starting a new training with you guys. So what exactly am I training for?" "Mind Blocking," Sunset replied. "And you're going to need it, now that Nightmare Moon has looked into your dreams, and found out about your trainings with the girls and Scorpan. Though, she didn't mentioned anything about where you live, so just be fortunate the Shadowbolts haven't found out where you two live, yet." "Are you sure? How do you know about all this?" Spike asked. "And what about now? Can she look into my mind, even while I'm awake?" "Don't worry," Sunset replied, before Zecora could have the chance. "I've studied dark magics with Zecora for awhile. So we know how they work from the inside out." "And as a safety measure," Zecora began, directing Spike's attention to the symbols. "The paintings upon the walls are for safety procedures." "These markings act as a counter-spell to repel Nightmare Moon," Sunset explained. "You'll be safe in here, while we train you. But if you step outside the safety of these barrier spells, Nightmare Moon will look into your minds again, and it just might be the last she'll ever do." Sunset walked over to a hidden bookshelf, rummaging through some old books and scrolls, before she pulled out a burnt book with her symbol on it, "Used properly, the power of mind block will help you shield your mind from influence and access. In this lesson, I will attempt to penetrate your mind. You will attempt to resist," Pulling out a small red crystal, Sunset looked at Spike. "Prepare yourself!" With that, Spike took a few deep breaths, trying to ready his mind. Levitating the crystal above her head, Sunset's eyes glowed white as they fire a beam of magic at Spike's head, allowing her to enter his mind. At first, all Sunset could see was a web of dark clouds, linked together by a series of dark chains and locks. It looked that way, until she came across some memories of Spike, with his boys, the girls, and Scorpan, before she came across his recent nightmare. "Come on, Spike!" Sunset struggled. "Concentrate! Focus! Wall up your mind!" Meanwhile Twilight, Lyra, and Pinkie arrived in Chinatown, to see several houses and streets with scorch marks. "You're absolutely sure this was the work of a dragon?" Twilight asked. "From the looks of it, yes," Lyra replied. "That, and Thorax was our star witness." With that, Lyra pointed to the said boy, who was having a breakdown, while dressed in a scorched sheep costume, due to it being the Year of the Sheep at the time. "I've seen it!" Thorax panicked, while Button and Rumble carried him away. "I've seen with my own eyes! It was big! It was black! It had red eyes! And it tried to eat me! And I saw hell in its mouth!" With that, Thorax broke out into a fit of hysterical tears." Fluttershy, Rarity, and Bon Bon arrived in the Central Park Zoo, where they find utter chaos. Many animals were loose; an ostrich was running away from a hungry cheetah, a rhino was breaking down a brick wall, and to make matters worse, there were lions, tigers, and bears. "Oh my," Fluttershy whimpered, before she noticed the snow leopard, fighting off a chimera, that was cloaked in dark clouds, and the Shadowbolts's symbol on its forehead. "Mr. Snowy!" she cried, running to the snow leopard's aid. Bon Bon meanwhile leapt into battle, as she wrestled a Bugbear. Like the chimera, it too has the same cloudy coat and symbol. Rarity was left alone, to look at the chaos around her, "If Shadow Spades was here," She began. "Then without a doubt, she'd say the Shadowbolts are behind this." Just then, she hears a lion's growl. Turning her head, she was greeted by a manticore, with the same enchanted charms. Lastly, Rainbow Dash and Applejack, arrived in the Bronx, where Lyra and Bon Bon had reported a disturbance, caused by a pack of gremlins, and a griffon. The two arrived at a fish market, where the said creatures were rummaging through the contents. Like the chimera, bugbear, and manticore, previously mentioned, they too were shrouded in clouds of darkness, while bearing the symbol of the Shadowbolts on their forehead. "Alright ya varmints!" Applejack began. "Stop what y'all are doing and come quietly." "Yeah!" Rainbow barked. "So put down that pufferfish and come-OW!!" Rainbow screamed, when the griffon pelted her with the fish before it pounced on her and the two tussled. [Ram Jam-Black Betty] Soon, the gremlins all joined in as they all piled on Rainbow Dash and Applejack. "Get off of me!" Rainbow growled, struggling to get the gremlins off, changing into her pony form as she did so. "Hang on Dashie," Applejack called out, bucking a gremlin off. "I'm coming!"