Spike rubbed his hands together as he looked around the room. Everything was just as he wanted it. He had a plate of snacks, scattered dice, the character sheets and figures, including his secret one. He chuckled softly as he gazed on it, holding it such that the drawing did not face the camera. "He'll love it." He tucked the figure away, lest the surprise be ruined.
Twilight had gone off at the behest of the map, leaving him to enjoy a game night. "And no substitute hijinks this time." He put his hands on his hips. Not that he hadn't enjoyed running a game for a dozen or so foals, but still, it was tiring. He turned his eyes to a window where the sun was just setting. "And... it's game time!" He did a little dance in place just before a knock came from the front door.
"Coming!" he shouted, short legs pumping furiously to close the distance. He jumped for the door, grabbed the handle and hopped away, revealing a smiling Big Mac behind it. "Hey! Everything's all ready for our guy's night."
"Ayup." Big Mac strode in and kicked the door shut behind him. "Evenin'." He looked left and right conspiratorially. "She gone?"
"All clear." He gave a thumbs up to emphasize.
Big Mac rose up on two legs and so their dance began, welcoming the festivities to come.
Chuckling, Spike made his way into the game room. "Alright alright, so, last we left off, we were just getting to Chadwick, right?"
"Ayup." He tilted his head as he hopped up onto his seat. "Reckon they'll know 'bout the squizzard?"
"Well, they were attacked by it, so they'll know something, right?" Spike took his place and clapped his hands together. "Let's find out!"
Garbuncle and Sir McBiggun rolled up the steep incline towards the Keep of Chadwick. Flags flew with the national crest on display. "Halt, who goes there!" came a cry from atop the ramparts just above the road that led into the keep proper. "Identify yourself and your business."
McBiggun frowned. "Now that ain't how we normally welcome guests, and ah ain't even a guest."
"McBiggun?" The gate guard leaned over the side to get a better look. "Sir! Welcome home! Just give us a moment. Raise the gate! Raise it now!"
The sounds of activity rose from behind the gate before it shuddered and began to rise, dust falling from it with its slow ascent. The moment it was high enough to permit a pony through, one slipped beneath it and hurried towards the wagon. "Sir! I mean, m'lord." He bowed before McBiggun.
McBiggun's frown deepened at the display. "Ah ain't a lord yet. Tell us what happened?" He hopped down off the card and waved at it. "We got supplies that need bringin' to their rightful owner."
Garbuncle hopped clear, allowing the cart to be led away.
"Sir, your father's been taken by the Squid Wizard, likely to be added to his skeleton armies!"
McBiggun blinked. "Skeleton armies?"
"Oh, yes, quite fearsome beasts." The pony bobbed his head fiercely. "Worst part is they take our fallen and make more of them. It's a losing battle! With your father's, uh... inavailability, that makes you the Lord, m'lord."
Garbuncle clapped his claws together. "A necromantic squizzard? Does this get any worse?"
Lord McBiggun clopped a hoof down. "Be that as it may, until we know for sure, ah'll stick with Sir McBiggun. Now, where did that varmint go runnin' off ta? We'll show 'em a thin' or two and get pa back!"
"W-well before we get carried away, we should celebrate your return." He leaned in towards McBiggun. "If not for your sake, it will be a great boost for everyone else to know that the ruling family isn't entirely absent. A lift in harsh times is sometimes essential to keep things running smoothly."
Sir McBiggun stepped towards the gates. "Alright then, fer their sake." He tapped his chin as he went. "Say, do we have a magic staff mah friend could use? He's a mighty fine wizard himself."
The returning heroes were welcomed with hopeful faces and muted cheers. There was clearly a cloud of discouragement over the keep, though the sight of one of their ruling family was perking them up. As news began to spread, more and more ponies began to crowd around, excitedly asking what Sir McBiggun would do to save them.
McBiggun lifted a hoof for silence. "Ah mean to find that Squid Wizard. We're gonna teach him a lesson or three, get my father back, and that'll be that." He brought down the hoof for emphasis as if slamming last page shut on a book. "Any questions?"
As it turned out, there were many questions. The crowd was a chaotic mess of ponies trying to get in their few words among the crowd. The pony that hed led them that far waved his forehooves widely. "Order, order! We will be having a banquet tonight to celebrate the return of Sir McBiggun. We will have time there to discuss our plans for the future."
Though the crowd muttered softly in disappointment, they dispersed as they were bid to do. A new pony, a mare, rushed up to Garbuncle. "Sir, you needed a staff? Come with me, please. We'll have one fitted for you."
Garbuncle blinked at that. "Custom made? Well, uh, thanks." He went off with the mare, waving back at McBiggun. "See you at the banquet!"
McBiggun had his own problems to deal with. He started with getting a tally of how many soldiers were left. He ordered them to be assembled, but only about twenty ponies stood in two even lines at the end of it. "Well, where's the rest?"
One of the ponies coughed into a hoof softly. "Um, we're all here, M'lord."
McBiggun said something unfit for reproduction as he turned away a moment. Over his shoulder, he spoke, "Things may look bad, and they are." He turned back to them. "That jus' makes it more important that we stick by our duties. People are countin' on us." He thrust a hoof towards a passing common mare. "If we don't do our parts, she could be hurt, or killed, or even worse than that. You know how terrible our foe is. We haveta stand strong." He clapped his hooves together on the ground, staking a firm stance. "For Chadwick!"
"For Chadwick!" roared the crowd in unison, all giving sharp salutes at their commanding officer.
The one that had spoke before leaned forward a little. "Your orders, Sir?"
"Fer now, keep a sharp eye. Ya see somethin', ya give a mighty shout. Never investigate alone. We can't afford to lose more good ponies."
Sounds of agreement rippled through the crowd before they began dispersing back to their various posts to keep an eye on the keep and protect it from further attack.
McBiggun turned and marched for the central part of the keep. "Ah want a full accountin' ah what happened durin' the last attack," he commanded, but there was no reply from the quiet halls. Everyone was busy preparing for the banquet, or standing guard, with little in the middle. With a great sigh he walked to the dining hall. He looked left and right to the chairs at the end of the great table that sat there. Normally those were the places for his mother and father. "Ah'll rescue you, jus' wait." He went to his father's chair and tapped it with a hoof. "This is still yers." Circling the table, he hopped up into his mother's chair and sank into position.
Spike tilted his head. "I didn't say anything about your mom."
Big Mac blinked, then put a hoof to his face. "Ah just, shoot. Guess ah'm used to that. Well, uh, if we can rescue one parent, ah'll call it good." He tapped at the table with a hoof. "Ah'm surprised. Ah thought ya wanted to 'skip to the good stuff'. We ain't doin' nothin' very flashy."
"Oh, don't you worry." Spike grinned widely. "This isn't nothing. So, later that evening..."
The dining hall was filled with ponies, mostly those of the aristocracy, though the one remaining captain of the guard was present, as well as a few ponies dressed so well they were likely merchants. Most eyes were on Sir McBiggun, raising their goblets in toast after toast. Spirits were high and they spoke grandly of McBiggun's plans to rescue their lost Lord.
"We can't afford to send the guard with you," admitted the captain of the guard, his ears down. "If I could, I would go with you, Sir. I would gladly throw myself into battle if it means His Lordship could be returned to us, safely!"
"Yer loyalty and bravery is not bein' questioned none, ah promise." Sir McBiggun dipped his head at the captain. "You keep the ponies here safe. Me and mah..." That's when he noticed that Garbuncle was not there. "Hey, where's Garbuncle?"
Confused faces looked left and right. One pony lifted her shoulders. "I haven't seen the dragon since he was at your side."
The doors to the dining hall burst open, admitting the pony that had originally updated them on the going ons. "He's in jail, just as you should be, Traitor!" He leveled a hoof at Sir Mcbiggun.
McBiggun sprang to his feet. "What's the meanin' of this?!"
"Is it not obvious? The mewling whelp of our dear Lord runs away from home, only to return just as his, much superior, father is laid low?" He circled the table slowly, his eyes not on McBiggun's, but instead sweeping over the table. He was speaking to everyone else. "A mighty convenient turn of things for one to ascend in power without the troublesome wait."
McBiggun growled with fury. "You better take that back! Ah would never hurt mah father!"
"So you claim! Is it then coincidence that the enemy knew precisely when to attack." He reared up behind the captain's chair, leaning over him. "Is it just chance that they knew what direction to approach from? I posit not! Someone told them. Someone with the most to gain by what has happened." He slowly turned, finally meeting McBiggun's eyes. "Very 'noble' of you, refusing the title of Lord, or is that just a ruse to make your inevitable taking of the throne seem more just?"
Big Mac jumped at Spike, knocking him from his chair. "Ah didn't hurt my father none and you know it! Take it back!"
"Woah woah woah," squeaked Spike in a panic. "It's just a game, just a game, I promise." He warded his face in case of any attacks incoming, shivering with fear.
Big Mac realized what he was doing and slumped back on his haunches. "Oh... Ah... sorry..."
Spike gathered himself back to his feet. "It's, uh, cool man. Do you need a break? I didn't mean to get you this worked up."
Big Mac took a slow and deep breath. "Yeah, a drink. Sorry again." He rose and strode off for the kitchen to get that refreshment.
When he returned, Spike had retaken his seat. The dragon gave a friendly wave at him. "Feeling better?" Big Mac nodded. "Good. Really, sorry, didn't mean to push a, uh, button. Say, uh, so... how did..."
"Ain't the time," cut off Big Mac as he hopped up into his seat. "So, where were we?"
"Right, so..."
The mood of the crowd was becoming quite dark. Most didn't want to believe those words, but they rang too true. Reflections of their own darkest wishes and ambitions, what if it were true? Could they just assume they were nothing but a lie?
The captain hopped down from his chair. "Sir McBiggun, will you... willingly enter arrest while we properly investigate this and put this terrible idea to rest?"
Sir McBiggun didn't want to hurt any of the ponies present, or the keep he loved. He dipped his head low. "Ya know ah didn't do it."
He was led away to the dungeons, where a familiar face sat there waiting for him. It was Garbuncle. They escorted Sir McBiggun to the same cell and released him inside.
It seemed our heroes would have to break out of jail or otherwise win their freedom.