Irreplaceable

by La Barata

Chapter 20% Cooler

The combatants continued to battle it out, not even aware of the horrible repercussions of what had just happened, completely and totally oblivious to the absolute horror of their friends, who, not too far away, stared at the furrow the twisted chunk of timber hurled by their fight had created. The gash in the forest floor stretched at least a dozen meters... right through where the Element of Kindness had stood not moments before.

        As a whole, the group just stood and stared, utter shock and disbelief stamped across their features as they tried to comprehend exactly what they had just seen. Slowly, they approached the spot where their friend had been standing as the tree crashed to earth. Not a pony dared to speak, as if it would somehow make it real. As they stared, their attention was drawn by a rustling in some nearby bushes. Almost in a trance, the ponies turned to the bushes just in time to see two heads emerge, manes moderately disheveled and full of twigs, leaves and other detritus. The first was Fluttershy’s, wearing a similar shellshocked look to her friends. The second-

“DASHIE!”

        In an instant, both ponies found themselves dragged from the bushes and hugged mightily by their overjoyed companions, Fluttershy emitting a series of rather adorable squeaks as she was tightly hugged by each of the companions in turn as Pinkie turned her attentions elsewhere

“Hey guys, miss m- Oof! Come on, Pinkie, you’re gonna break something!” Rainbow Dash laughed, halfheartedly trying to pull free from the pink party pony’s pulverizing embrace. “I missed you, too...”

        Their brief but joyous reunion was interrupted by the arrival of another large chunk of debris, upon whose arrival they collectively decided it wiser to find some semblance of cover. Backing away from the fight, the group moved back into the forest, finding cover behind a rather large boulder.

“Ah’m sure glad to see ya safe, ‘Shy... We thought we’d lost ya....” Quickly burying her tears of joy, Applejack quickly scrubbed at her eyes before continuing. “An’ it’s sure good ta see you, sugarcube.” She turned to Rainbow, giving her a quick hug and an affectionate nuzzle. “But... What’re ya doin’ here? Didn’t Zecora say ya’d be outta commission fer a while longer’n that?” Dash grinned, flexing her wings.

“Come on, it’s gonna take more than one measly dragon to keep The Dash down!” She struck a heroic pose, before returning the nuzzle. “Zecora’s on her way, she’s got some sorta potion that’s keeping me going. It’s not permanent, though, and I need to keep taking it or I’m gonna be in a world of hurt. I’m taking a bit of a risk even being here, but there was no way I was gonna leave my friends hanging!” Turning to Fluttershy, she idly scratched at the back of her head, looking a bit sheepish. “Sorry I tackled you like that, Fluttershy.... I didn’t have a choice, I needed to ge- Oof!” Rainbow was suddenly cut off by a second hug, just as tight as the one Pinkie had given her, this one offered up by Fluttershy, of all ponies.

“.....Thank you, Rainbow.... You... You’re always looking out for me...” She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting against the oncoming tears, only to find a hoof on her chin, tilting it up to meet her savior’s smiling face.

“You’re one of my best friends, Fluttershy. I’ll ALWAYS be there for you. Just like you’re always there for me whenever I need you.”

They stayed like that for a moment, just looking at one another, before being joined by their other friends in a large group hug. However, not one of them failed to notice what was missing from their hug. “So..... Anypony wanna explain to me why Twilight’s trying to kill Spike?”

Spikes wing cut through the air, absentmindedly knocking away another of Twilights attacks. Proving to be nothing more than a distraction Spike was knocked back as he was hit hard in  his exposed stomach. Recovering quick spike was back on his hind legs, facing his small purple opponent. It seemed as though both had the same thought on their mind. That this battle had gone on long enough and it was time to end it. Mustering all the power he could Spike let loose a
surge of green flame unlike any flame he had ever breathed before in his life. The heat alone from this flame was enough to turn plant life within distance to ash and make the rocks glow a intense light. Acting quick Twilight summoned forth every ounce of magic she could draw from herself and released it through her horn. She used no attack or spell, merely the sheer raw power of pure magic. The untamed magic caused strange things to happen, rocks sprouted legs and walked away, plant life erupted from from the ground and explode leaving behind a shower of petals. Trees began to grow taller and the very air around the power seemed to warp as the raw magic affected it. The two powers, fire and magic, met together in a powerful explosion of the most basic elements of the equestrian world. The epicenter of the blast was a constant loop of life and death as Twilight’s magic created at random and Spike fire destroyed without prejudice. This was the moment their entire battle had been leading up to.

        “....So that’s the story....” Rarity trailed off as she finished filling Rainbow Dash in on everything she’d missed. Rainbow, on her part, simply sat and listened, lost in deep thought as she mulled over everything her friends had told her.

        “We gotta find some way ta calm ‘em both down, or...”

        “Or there won’t be a Spike to calm down...” Rainbow sighed. “.......Hm.” She paused, tilting her head slightly as an idea entered her head. “......We need to make them remember how much they love each other, how much we love them... And what the real problem here is.... I... I think....” She grinned a bit, letting out a bit of a chuckle. “....I wonder....” She looked to the rest of her friends, a slow smile spreading across her face. “...When I was bedridden in Zecora’s hut I had a lot of time to think. Mostly it was about all of us and how my life has changed since we all met. But I also though a lot about Spike, all the pranks we pulled together... how he always seemed to break the tension just in a nick of time.” the blue make chuckles and shakes her head “that dargon... hes a pretty cool kid.” Dash took in her friends one at a time. She knew what needed to be done because she had spent a long time thinking. Mostly about what she would say to Spike when she saw him again. “When was the last time we all spent time together? The last time we all sat down with one another and truly enjoyed one another’s company, as best friends?” They were quiet, each sitting there as they pondered Dash’s question. Several seconds passed before Fluttershy raised her head and began to sing softly.

        “At the gala, in the garden, I'm going to see them all; All the creatures, I'll befriend them at the gala... All the birdies and the critters, they will love me, big and small; We'll become good friends forever, right here at the Gala....” Eyes lighting up in recognition and realization, each took it in turn to raise their voices in song, joining together as friends, each taking it in turn to place their hoof in the center, a physical symbol of their connection.

        Fluttershy’s gentle voice, even bolstered as it was by her desperate need to save her friends, failed to carry over the sounds of conflict, but that didn’t stop her from continuing to sing with all her heart, even as the battle raged before them. The two participants continued their fight, entirely oblivious to their friends’ attempts to reach them. Blazing magic and scorching flame had entirely decimated the clearing, and the pure heat from their fight was radiating outward, so much so that those watching could feel the heat on their faces, almost as if they were sitting within inches of a roaring campfire. Twilight was an absolute mess, sweating profusely, mane simultaneously matted to her head and dry as dead grass, the moisture soaking her head and body evaporating as fast as it appeared. Her sweat, as it seemed, was the only thing that prevented the unicorn’s mane and tail, shortly followed by her coat, burst into flame.  Even though she was more than capable of creating a shield to stave off the heat, she had absolutely no intention of wasting even a drop of power on anything other than the utter destruction of her foe.

        “At the gala, I will sell them all my appletastic treats! Hungry ponies, they will buy them: Caramel apples, apple sweets! And I’ll earn a lot of money for the Apple family!” Applejack’s hoof joined Fluttershy’s as Rarity lifted her head and began to sing, followed by Rainbow and Pinkie Pie.

        Applejack’s tune carried much better than Fluttershy’s had, her strong, clear voice and her wistful song managing to permeate the din of battle and reach her friends’ ears. To almost anypony watching, there would have been absolutely no discernible difference whatsoever, but to the two princesses, there was far more going on than met the eye. The battle still continued, there was no doubt about that, but the unique magical fluctuations they felt told a different story. The heat, too, had receded for just that moment, not long enough for most ponies to notice it, but it was confirmation enough for them. With a look of confirmation to one another, silent consent as to what it was they had felt, slow smiles began to spread across their faces. Concentrating harder, they began to unravel the spell they were forming, and began to channel the power into a new spell, a spell they immediately cast on the other ponies in their group: an amplification spell, allowing their voices to be heard over the clamour.

        “At the gala, all the royals, they will meet fair Rarity! They will see I’m just as regal at the gala! I will find him, my prince charming, and how gallant he will be! And he’ll treat me like a lady, Tonight at the Gala!”

        The heat in the air decreased dramatically, both the intensity of Twilight’s magical power and Spike’s dragon flame seeming to flicker and fade somewhat. However, even though their power had started to fade, neither of the combatants seemed to take any notice. As they continued to fight, they slowly got closer to one another, each raining blows and blasts upon the other from a closer distance than ever before. As they got closer and closer, Twilight’s mane burst into flame from the heat in the air, and Spike’s body began to bend and warp from the exposure to the raw magical power.

        “Been dreaming, I’ve been waiting, to fly with those great ponies! The Wonderbolts, their daring tricks: Spinning ‘round and having kicks! Perform for crowds of thousands, they’ll shower us with diamonds! The Wonderbolts will see me, right here at the gala!”

        Mere feet apart, they continued to fight, but almost halfheartedly. Blows lacked heart, and magical attacks would barely sting. Nevertheless, the heat in the clearing had become so great that Twilight’s coat, mane and tail had burst into flame, scorching her body and leaving her covered in third degree burns. Spike, in comparison, had already suffered a horrific break in his left wing, the bone folding almost double, and the spines along his back had been bent into ludicrous shapes. Slowly but surely, the flames and magic began to die down.

        “I’m here at the Grand Gala, for it is the best party, but the only thing it’s missing is a pony named Pinkie! For I am the best at parties, all the ponies will agree; Ponies playing, ponies dancing, with me at the Grand Gala!”

        Finally, the magic dissipated and the flames winked out; Twilight and Spike had entirely stopped their fight. Casting her gaze brokenly between her friends and Spike, she slowly began to sing, hoarsely and nearly in tears.
“W-we will talk all about magic, and what I’ve l-learned and seen.... It is going to be s-so s-special, as she t-takes time just for me.....”

As she finished, she looked up towards him, small, violet eyes meeting giant green ones. Gently raising a hoof, she extended it towards her oldest and dearest friend, who met it with a gentle claw, massive scaly fingers completely engulfing the hoof as he held it with utmost care as pony and dragon truly saw each other for the first time in far too long.

“...We...  we all had such plans for that night... We each knew exactly what we wanted.... but we didn’t know what we needed. We needed each other, our friends... You were the only one who didn’t lose sight of that... and it couldn’t have been our Best Night Ever without you....” She gently brought the massive claw closer to her face, giving it an affectionate nuzzle. “We let our own desires get in the way of what was really important... and we all but forgot about you that night... until you fixed it for us... Just like I almost forgot about you when Owlysius came.... I... I’m sorry... I’m so sorry...” Taking the clawed hand in both legs, she hugged it tightly as she could manage.

Spike sat, extending a second massive hand and gently scooping up his friend, lifting her to his chest and gently cradling her in his arms like a newborn foal.  and gently cradled her in his large arms. He looked down at her, the first pony he ever knew, the first he ever loved. The most important pony in his life. He simply sat, hunched in the clearing, and stared, watching his beloved Twilight cry, tears of his own soon forming, falling to the ground with the bubbling hiss of boiling water. He remembered that night. He remembered their excitement, their glee... He remembered how happy they had been to get the tickets, and the sacrifice Twilight had been willing to make in order to be the best friend possible. He remembered the carriage ride, the anticipation in the air almost palpable. The song... He remembered the song, the song his friends had sung, each of them pouring out their hearts to the world, sharing their hopes and dreams. Even though he had been a little upset that yes, they had forgotten him, but in the end, they came back. They came back, and together in that little donut shop, they had created one of his most cherished memories. Sitting together, eating donuts and laughing with beloved friends. A sad smile spread across his colossal face. Such a simple thing, a few hours spent together, such a small memory... and yet, it outshone most every other moment in his mind.

As he sat with his Twilight, he remembered. He focused on that memory, that time of raw joy and love, of laughter and camaraderie. Slowly, the tortuous influence in the back of his mind began to shrivel and fade, love and laughter outshining hatred and wrath. Slowly, his head began to truly clear for the first time in a long, long time. No longer was he the twisted monster forged only for combat... He was-

“Spike!” Almost against his will, he tore his eyes from his Twilight, turning his head to address the cyan pegasus floating mere inches from his head. Rainbow Dash... Spike was never one for boasting, really, always feeling that it worked against what the pony was trying to achieve, making them look needy and attention starved as opposed to as cool as they insisted they were... But Rainbow Dash was different. Sure, she talked big, and sure, she was full of herself... But she could back it up. And yes... He always felt that she really was maybe as awesome as she styled herself to be.
They stared at one another, pegasus and dragon, for a long moment. Dash wore a grim expression, looking as though she was fully prepared to buck him in the face. All at once, though, her expression softened, and she hugged his snout. “Thank you, Spike.”

His Rainbow hugging his snout, and his Twilight in his arms, he was almost beyond reaching when he felt a pressure against his foot. Looking down, he discovered that Pinkie Pie, his Pinkie Pie, had climbed onto the scaly foot and wrapped her forelegs as far, no, farther around his ankle than physically possible. “Thanks, Spike...”

        He looked down at her now, the pink bundle of energy hugging him the stillest he’d ever seen her. Normally, the party pony was always thinking about a thousand things at once, but now... Now, her thoughts were focused on the same thing that her friends’ were. He couldn’t help but let out a rueful chuckle, remembering his first encounter with his Pinkie. It was back when they had first arrived in Ponyville; the first pony they’d seen, he had encouraged Twilight to go and talk with her. Of course, she ended up gasping as if she’d seen a ghost and running off slightly faster than the eye could follow, but it was the thought that counted. She had run off to prepare their welcoming party. He smiled fondly down at her, remembering all the joy and laughter that she had shared with him over the time he’d known her.

So enraptured was he with the ponies that he almost missed the gentle hooves on his neck and the soft voice in his ear. “Thank you...” In the corner of his eye, he could see his Fluttershy snuggled into his neck as best she could manage. That pony... Always so quiet, so reserved... But the two had always had a special connection. When he and Twilight first met her, she was so quiet, so afraid... But just the sight of Spike had managed to draw her out of her shell. He smiled a little wider, blinking away a boiling tear lest it scald one of them. Now that he thought about it... She truly was the first one (aside from Twilight, of course) to take a true interest in his life. He’d spent close to an hour that day, telling her his life story as she followed behind, listening attentively. Always so kind.... It WAS her element, after all...

Much more firm than his Fluttershy’s gentle embrace, he looked down to see his Applejack, who had taken a perch similar to his Pinkie’s, hugging his opposite leg. “It’s darn good ta see ya again, sugarcube... The REAL you...” Spike closed his eyes, fond memories of their first meeting again washing over him. It wasn’t just her he’d met, he chuckled to himself a little, it had been her entire extended family. So many ponies... and so much food. He could still remember just how much pie Twilight had eaten. Her warm hospitality, her genuine joy upon meeting her new friends... he’d never be able to forget her, even if he’d tried.

As a sixth pair of forelegs embraced him, the breath caught in his throat. Looking up at him, hugging his midriff as best she was able, was the most beautiful pony he had ever known. He’d thought that from the moment he saw her, really; He’d been absolutely enamoured with her from the moment he’d walked into town hall that day and seen her, busily at work selecting the perfect decorations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Even beneath her beauty, though, was a reason for him to love her as deeply as he did. Under the veneer of perfection lay a heart just as generous as loving as any he had ever encountered. From the moment she had met them, she had been a wonderful friend and a sweet, caring pony. The very first thing she had done upon meeting them was set aside her work and help Twilight to fix her mane, so recently ruined by Rainbow Dash’s antics. Not only that, she had insisted on helping fit her for a new outfit. Over time, Spike realized, he had done his best to win her heart, but he hadn’t done the most important thing he could’ve... He hadn’t really been himself. All thoughts of his failings, or of most anything else, really, were immediately washed away as his Rarity spoke. “Thank you... my Spikey Wikey...” She leaned into him, resting her head against his bulk.

        And so they sat, the seven friends, reunited at last. Spike sat there, his ponies hugging him as best they could, and he paused a moment, realization playing across his features. His ponies... He had been calling them his ponies... And they were. They were his ponies. A dragon’s natural instinct is to surround himself with treasure, and, as it turned out, that’s exactly what he’d done. He had them, now... His wonderful ponies. His wonderful, kind, honest, loyal, fun, generous, magical ponies... they were with him once again. He held them all close to him, never wanting to let them go... but, as he sat there, a thought crossed his consciousness. His ponies... HIS ponies. The great white dragon had thought to harm HIS PONIES. How dare he. HOW DARE HE! A kernel of white hot rage began to brew once more, deep in his belly, but this time... This time it was focused on the one who deserved it. The one who had DARED to wish harm upon his ponies, who had led him to try and harm them. As he gently placed his Twilight down, delicately removing his Rainbow Dash, his Fluttershy, his Applejack, his Rarity and his Pinkie Pie, rage threatened to engulf him once more. Throwing back his head once more, he let loose a colossal roar, accompanied by a burst of flame.

Hundreds of thousands of miles away, the ancient, towering dragon once again found himself in his homeland, snow crunching beneath his claws as he strode forth from the great portal. To once more feel the snow underclaw, to feel that crisp, clean air as it blew over his scales... The true exhilaration of it! He grinned, his smile spreading wide, his mouth opening slightly in a low chuckle that grew to a loud, insane cackle as he spread his wings and arms wide, throwing back his head to the frozen heavens.

He was home.

After so long he was free. He was home, and he was free. He could start over, now. He could begin again where he left off. Realistically, he knew that there were places he would need to start over, and there were contacts to make, cities to learn, all sorts of changes.... It didn’t matter, though. He was back. Nothing could stop him this time... Nothing.

He stood in the snow, shivering, as he looked upon his frozen paradise. He shifted from foot to foot as he plotted, an unconscious attempt to keep warm. “By Tartarus is it cold here... I haven’t felt this cold since-” He froze, eyes widening in horror. He didn’t just feel the cold... he was cold. COLD cold. Cold like he had been back in the land of ponies, huddled by a fire in a meager attempt to stave off winter’s chill. He was a beast of ice, capable of withstanding near absolute zero with no discomfort, but yet... Shaking his head in fury, he retreated through the portal. As he bathed himself in his flame in an attempt to warm himself once more, he ruminated on what was going on. He looked at himself once more. The massive size, the brilliant, snow-white plates. Was he not the beast of the northlands? Was he not- Another realization caused him to freeze in place.

Fire. He was breathing fire. “No... No, no no... This isn’t right... Why can’t I-” With a start, he jerked his head upright, looking out towards the forest. Although he could not hear the roar rip through the trees, nor could he see the column of flame that accompanied it, he once more felt an icy grip wrap around his heart. This time, though, it was not the doing of the northland snows... It was fear.

All at once, he had felt the mental chains connecting him to the young madling’s mind shatter like glass, severing their connection. This, however, was not what struck terror into the conqueror’s very soul.

Over the years, he had controlled hundreds, if not thousands of madlings. He had felt their rage and hatred, and he had revelled in it. This time, however... It was different. He had felt a rage so raw and so pure that it dwarfed the combined fury of a thousand mindless beasts... A rage directed solely towards him.