Rainbow Dash was perplexed when Twilight appeared in the locker room just ten minutes before the Games started, and all but demanded they speak alone. Not seeing reason to argue, Rainbow followed Twilight into a corner of the room, away from Spike, Applejack, and Fluttershy. Alone, the lavender alicorn turned to Rainbow with a grim expression.
“I’ve lost contact with Discord,” Said Twilight. “I’m not sure where he is and he won’t respond to my summons. I’m afraid he may have been ambushed by the Creed and kidnapped.”
Under different circumstances, Rainbow Dash would have laughed at Twilight’s worries, telling her that the Spirit of Chaos wasn’t exactly easy to kidnap. But after Starlight and Bulk Biceps were both injured, losing Discord didn’t seem so implausible anymore. Besides, after Tirek and Chrysalis, Discord was shown to not be nearly as invincible as they had once believed.
“Shouldn’t we tell the others? I mean Fluttershy at least ought to know,” said Rainbow, taking a quick glance at her fellow pegasus.
Twilight shook her head. “They need to focus on the Games. I’m worried they won’t be able to perform at their best if they’re worrying about Discord on top of Starlight and Bulk Biceps.”
“You can’t be serious. Discord’s our friend.”
“I don’t like it either, but I just don’t see any other option. Besides, I could be wrong and Discord might just be keeping silent to pull some kind of prank. In that case, telling the others would make them worry about him for nothing.”
Rainbow Dash sighed but nodded slowly. Fluttershy already had a hard enough time competing with her usual stage fright, her worrying about Discord would almost guarantee defeat. “Why are you telling me then?”
“Because I need at least one pony to be ready. I have a feeling things are going to get more … dangerous, very soon. If the Creed show up, there’s a chance that I could lose my magic too or even be overpowered.”
“You really think it could come to that?”
“They got Starlight and possibly Discord. It’s no stretch to say they would go after me too. If they do, I need you to protect Spike. Understand?”
“Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said without blinking or breaking eye contact. “Spike is my teammate, my friend, and my brother. I won’t let anyone hurt him if I can help it. But if they get you and then they get me, he’ll have to fight on his own.”
“I know,” Twilight said to Rainbow Dash’s surprise. She didn’t expect Twilight to approve of potentially jeopardizing Spike. As she studied Twilight skeptically, the alicorn smiled. “As much as I wish it didn’t have to be him, I think it’s the only way. I have a plan to lure out the Creed behind it all, but I don’t have a way to beat something that can seal magic. But it’s more than that. If we want to show the world that love is stronger than hate, he’s the one who has to beat the Creed.”
Rainbow Dash was silent, unsure of what to say. Then, she smiled back and nodded. “He’ll have our support every step of the way. Mine, yours, Ponyville’s, Ember’s, Thorax’s, Lightning’s, and everypony else’s. I know it.”
Twilight gave a short, little chuckle. “Funny, isn’t it? For all my powers, I won’t be able to help if they get me. I’ve put spells on him to make him tougher, but even those can be broken. I’m sending my little Spike out there on his own. I’m terrified, but at the same time, I believe in him. Just like always.”
A horn blared and the stadium full of fans began to pour through the concrete walls.
“I have to get going,” Said Twilight. “Get out there and win it.”
As Spike stepped out into the center of the stadium once again bow and quiver in hand, he noticed some archers, casting him odd glances. Honestly, he didn’t know what they thought about him anymore. Sure, the crowd still greeted him with a warm reception, but it was a far cry from the deafening, roaring applause he received from his first entrance. He didn’t think too long about it however, instead taking a deep breath, closing his eyes, and focusing on the greater task at hand: shoot down as many disks as possible within the minute.
Every other archer took their place at the line, with the disk-shooting machines rolled up behind them. A few archers glanced back to look at the machines, but not the four highest scoring archers. Lightning and Silver knew what to expect; they’d done this many times, so there was no point in looking back at the machines, their minds preoccupied with other concerns. A few years ago, Lightning beat Silver in this contest. Neither one of them knew how this match could end. Yellow Bolt meanwhile, was obsessively grinding his teeth. He wanted to beat Spike. Whether this desire came from a healthy competitive spirit or sheer animosity, he couldn’t say. Spike all the while kept his eyes closed. His mind was focused solely on reaching that perfect instinctive state, where he could fire arrows into his targets without even thinking, a place of dreams translated into action.
A whistle shrieked. His eyes flashed open as his hand pulled three arrows from his quiver and sent all three into the first emerging discs. He fired before anyone else, but didn’t even stop to admire his speed. He was already pulling five more arrows from the quiver and shooting down discs. Nothing else existed around him. Not his friends cheering, not the dozens of clouds covering the sky, not his score, not even his own thoughts. He couldn’t even fathom a world outside his sphere of reality. He moved as if in a trance; determined, unstoppable, body and soul devoted to every little action. Like a painter lost in the stroke of a paintbrush, the bow and arrows soaked up his entire being.
Another whistle shriek. Game over. Spike blinked as everything came to an abrupt screeching halt. Thought returned to his head. He felt like he just woke up from a vivid dream. The loud sound of the crowd cheering brought him back into existence. Then came sight. A mound of discs marred by arrows lay across the field. He stared at the palm of his open hand. He made a fist, opening and closing his fingers. His sense of touch returned. He glanced up at the scoreboard.
Fourth Place: Lightning Star; 54 discs. Third Place: Silver Shine: 55 discs. Second Place: Yellow Bolt; 56 discs. First Place: Spike; 70 discs.
He stared at the score with dull acceptance. His mind was still locked in that state of hyper-awareness that he needed a moment to recognize what this score meant. It seemed so unreal. Had he actually outperformed Lightning, Yellow, and Silver? Even as the stadium applauded him, he couldn’t help wondering if he was still dreaming.
“Spike!” He turned and saw Rainbow Dash grinning from the sidelines. With that smile, it all became real to him. He was not dreaming; he won. Still, he didn’t feel too much pride or excitement. Just peaceful calm that stretched through his entire being. He didn’t make any grand gestures to celebrate his victory; just a content nod to the other archers. That calm he felt through his core lingered as he walked back to his team tent and sat down on the bench, surrounded by his friends.
“We’re going to win this,” Said Spike. They all believed it too.
“Say, Starlight?” Trixie asked the beginning of a question. “Where did you say those ponies ambushed you? The ones who put you in here?”
Starlight blinked, confused by the question. “Where did this come from all of a sudden?”
“Just curious.”
“Um, well, it was by an old Sir Knight of Trottingham statue,” Starlight explained between the events unfolding on TV. “Why?”
“I don’t know, just a thought,” said Trixie. “It’s a little strange that they met there and there have been all these ponies passing out Sir Knight pamphlets at the train station.”
Thunder Star shrugged. “Maybe they’re connected?”
“If they were,” Trixie’s eyes narrowed into a scowl, “then Trixie regrets not throttling those pamphlet-pushing ponies for hurting Starlight.”
“Just because they were handing out Sir Knight pamphlets doesn’t mean they were with the Creed,” Starlight asserted quickly, though she briefly pondered what Trixie had brought up. “What was in the pamphlets anyways?”
“Something about Sir Knight returning to Equestria,” Said Trixie. “And I don’t know, restoring peace or something?”
Thunder Star snorted and rolled her eyes. ““That’s not how Legends work. They basically give us the means to fix our own problems and it’s up to us to do so, not wait for somepony to come by and fix it for us.”
“I know,” Starlight said, still mulling over the potential connection. “Still, wouldn’t it be nice if someone could just come along and fix everything wrong in the world.”
“Yeah, but life doesn’t work like that. Heroes can inspire us and give us hope, but we have to pick up the pieces and keep moving when our lives go wrong.”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie assumes you’re speaking from personal experience.”
“Basically.”
“Grit is an important part of success,” Said Trixie. “It makes one willing to take on new challenges as they arise and see any crisis as an opportunity to learn and develop. One must learn to measure their success based on effort to avoid developing a defeatist attitude.”
“More child psychology?” Asked Thunder Star.
“Yes,” Trixie nodded, with a little pride on her face. “But it’s also just logical. The Great and Powerful Trixie admires how even though Spike is your inspiration, you’re mature enough to recognize his example is only meaningful if you pick yourself back up.”
Thunder Star smiled at Trixie with deep appreciation. On the TV, Fluttershy just finished the 100 meter dolphin kick in first place. An impressive showing for the usually withdrawn pegasus. As the athletes swapped on the field for the next event, Starlight found herself imaging how Ponyville athletes received Fluttershy returning to the tent. No doubt Rainbow Dash would tell her “great job” and try to reassure her that she did Ponyville proud. Applejack would pat her on the shoulder and say some sort of country-ism, probably making a comparison to apple farming. And Spike would just smile and tell her they were one step closer to victory. Starlight smiled at the thought. Ever since he took up archery, he seemed to find a way to inspire others. “Then again,” thought Starlight, “I guess he’s always been kind of an inspiration. Like to the Crystal Empire ponies and Thunder Star.”
“Hey,” Said Starlight without thinking, “Wouldn’t it be funny if Spike was Sir Knight?”
Trixie and Thunder Star frowned, perplexed by the random question.
“What do you mean?” Asked Trixie.
“Think about it. The Creed want a hero who will destroy all dragons in Equestria, but what if Sir Knight came back as a dragon? That would certainly put a dent in their agenda.”
Trixie nodded, following her friend’s logic. “That would indeed be quite ironic. Of course, they would obviously refuse to recognize Spike as their hero. If Sir Knight did return, why return as a dragon?”
“Well, maybe he would want to unite dragons and ponies,” Said Thunder Star, “and get us to stop hating each other. I’m no believer, but,” she smiled amused at the thought, “I think I could tolerate that kind of Sir Knight.”
“Hmm,” The blue unicorn touched her chin and nodded thoughtfully. “Trixie admits the idea is most attractive.”
“I mean all the pieces fit, right?” Said Starlight. “Spike’s a great archer like Sir Knight. He split an arrow in half, caught an arrow in midair, held his own against Lightning Star after a few months of training, and beat Silver Shine in Arrow Tag.”
“He’s definitely skilled,” Thunder Star nodded.
As another idea came into her head, Starlight’s smile widened. “And let’s not forget: he brings different species together. This has to be the first Equestria Games where this many minotaurs, changelings, and dragons showed up. They’re all drawn to him for a greater purpose, like Sir Knight’s followers.”
“And he inspires,” Said Thunder Star. “Everypony in the Crystal Empire looks up to him. He saved us from Sombra after all. He was a hero long before he took up archery, just like Sir Knight.”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie notices that Spike occupies an interesting space, physically being a dragon but having been raised by ponies, that could allow to serve as an effective mediator between our species. If Trixie recalls correctly, Sir Knight spent his childhood with donkeys, which allowed him to serve as a bridge between ponies and donkeykind.”
“Good point,” Starlight said. “I didn’t even think about that. How’d you figure out that?”
Trixie shrugged. “The Great and Powerful Trixie took a freshman first year semester course in Ambassadorship and what makes a good mediator, where she studied real-life and fictional ambassadors. For her final, she wrote an essay arguing that many great ambassadors have childhood experiences with multiple cultures and upbringings, giving them multifaceted perspectives and greater empathy.”
“Right,” Starlight once again stunned by Trixie’s ever expanding areas of skill.
Somehow, she wasn’t surprised that Trixie had such well-articulated thoughts on politics. She was mostly surprised that she was no longer surprised by her friend’s knowledge. She was also impressed how Trixie said all of this as matter-of-fact without any boasting, as though her education was nothing worth lauding over.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie also finds it remarkable how well Sir Knight’s final words could fit Spike.”
“Really?” Said Thunder Star with genuine interest. “How so?”
“In his final moments, Sir Knight said, ‘This world grows tired of me. Keep the spark of hope alive. For in time, I will return to this realm to undo the harm caused by those who would upset the peace. Perhaps not in this lifetime, but in another. Perhaps not in this body, but in another. Should the world need me, I will return with a mighty army to set things right.’ Trixie knows this is word-for-word what he said because Trixie studied literary analysis.”
“Why didn’t you go into that field?” Asked Thunder Star with mild curiosity.
“Trixie didn’t know what to do with that kind of major. Sadly, English Majors always seem to end up in the education field, and Trixie didn’t want to deal with some other pony’s brats every single day. Her mane would prematurely grey from all the stress.”
“But your mane is already naturally grey,” Said Starlight.
The blue unicorn was silent for a moment, unsure how to respond. At last she shrugged. “Trixie didn’t want her hair to become any greyer.” She frowned a moment, and narrowed her eyes in thought. “Wait a minute. ‘Greyer?’ Is that even a word?” She murmured to herself. “Would it be ‘more grey?’ I studied literature I should know this.” Deciding the word wasn’t worth the effort to think over, she waved away the thought with a dismissive shrug. “Whatever. There were other reasons I never explored literary analysis. Too many professors wanted to read the Oedipal complex into literature. Just nasty. It seemed to shock them if a student dare suggest that the son actually doesn’t feel a subconscious sexual attraction for his—.”
“Trixie,” Starlight chided. “There is a child present.”
“Sorry. Trixie never studied etiquette.”
“Maybe you should have,” mumbled Thunder under her breath, with a humorous twinkle in her eyes, rather than a mean-spirited glare.
“Be nice,” Starlight replied in a soft voice.
“As Trixie was saying, Sir Knight’s final words fit Spike quite well.“ Trixie continued unaware of the little exchange that occurred between her friends. “Sir Knight said he might not come back in his pony body, but in another.”
“Like a dragon’s body?” Said Thunder Star.
“Exactly.” Trixie nodded at the bedridden filly. “And he says he’ll return to undo harm caused by those who would upset the peace. The Creed certainly represent a danger to peace, and Spike represents many dragons struggling with such prejudice. And as for an army, Spike is friends with King Thorax, Dragon Lord Ember, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, Discord, and the Elements of Harmony. Not to mention, he has the support of the Crystal Empire and their greatest archer as well as Griffonstone and the Minotaurs. And goodness knows how many more allies he’ll have behind him when he wins the Games.”
“Wow. You know, I’m really starting to like this little theory,” Thunder Star said with a laugh. “Maybe we should publish pamphlets about it.”
“When I get my magic back, I could mass-duplicate the pamphlets,” Starlight smiled, brightened by the idea. “It could be our little thing.”
Trixie smiled after she hear Starlight say, “When I get my magic back,” happy that her friend was still optimistic. Just talking about Spike and Sir Knight seemed to fill her with life and hope.
“Perhaps we could do an interview for that TV pony who keeps interviewing Spike,” Trixie said. “Trixie believes she was in the hospital earlier, doing that interview where Spike kept cracking jokes.”
A few patients, doctors, and nurses listened to the Sir Knight theory with mild interest. Most of Baltimare was all too familiar with the extremists pushing a dragon-intolerant Sir Knight. A peaceful alternative Sir Knight was certainly appealing. As the nurses and doctors went on break or went home, many of them would share this story with their families. Rumors like these had a way of spreading like wildfire. But for now, they all went about their work, content at the thought of a Sir Knight who disavowed the Creed. The conversation between Trixie, Starlight, and Thunder Star ended abruptly as the TV became blurred with static. Thunder Star groaned and managed to wave down a nurse.
“I’m sorry,” Said the nurse. “We’re doing the best we can. Most repair ponies are out watching the Games, so they might not be available for some time. You can still listen to a radio broadcast though.” With that, she placed a radio on the counter between Starlight and Thunder Star’s bedside and left.
“Well, that’s annoying,” Said Thunder Star as she fiddled with the knobs which seemed in danger of falling right off the radio.
“Perhaps I could help,” Said Trixie. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has a minor in electrical engineering. With a proper toolbox and wiring kit, I could adjust the signal output and fix the TV.” With that, Trixie went to ask a nurse for tools.
Both Starlight and Thunder just stared at each other.
“So, feel like taking bets on what she hasn’t studied in some capacity?” Starlight asked, completely serious.
“At this point, I think no matter what we guess she’s studied it in someway.” Thunder spoke matter of factly, leaving the two to sit and wait for the magician to return.
Within minutes, she was back with a toolbox, fiddling with the TV. After a brief five minutes taking it apart, fixing some wires, and putting it back together again, she gave it a good whack with her forehoof. Just like that, the Games were back on.
“Wow, Trixie,” Said Starlight. “I never knew you were so handy.”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie is always handy,” she said proudly. “She has many fields of knowledge that provide immense benefit to society.”
The TV gave them reason to smile. Ponyville had won four more gold medals, giving them a total of fourteen medals. They were still behind Fillydelphia Team A’s twenty-one medals and Team B’s fifteen. Thirty-four more events to go, and with Bulk out, Ponyville could only compete in seventeen more events. But the trio felt optimistic, especially as Spike took to the field for the next archery event.
“Skydiving Archery,” Said the announcer. “Each archer will attempt to hit bull’s-eye on as many of the thirty floating targets as they can while free falling from twenty miles in the air. No spells to course correct arrows or teleportation allowed. Their time to shoot ends once they either pull their parachute or reach the three mile mark where their parachute activates automatically.”
After each archer received an enchanted quiver, skydiving goggles, and a parachute, the scoreboard cycled through their names, coming to rest on a Las Pegasus archer. The referees teleported the archer to a cloud high in the sky and set the targets floating in the air. Each target was stationary in the air, spaced a few feet apart, and lined in columns so they were in front of the archer as they fell. Spike kept his mind away from the competition even as it unfolded before him. He had to focus on how he would perform. Soon, the first archer came down, managing to hit bull’s-eyes on only three targets. The monitor selected the next archer and the process repeated. After five archers went through the event, Spike noticed a pattern. This contest seemed unusual and difficult for ponies, who wore expressions of apprehension before leaping off the cloud. Spike surmised fear of heights disturbed their concentration and the fear of falling crippled their performances. Even Silver Shine looked uncomfortable with the concept of jumping off a cloud, as he swallowed before taking his turn. He pulled his parachute early after hitting seven targets. On the ground, he was panting, struggling to calm himself back down.
“I get it now,” Spike thought as he watched Silver Shine taking deep breaths. “This is hard because there’s so much to keep in mind. Every archer besides me is a unicorn, so they don’t have experience with free falling like pegasi. So, they panic, miss targets, and give up too soon. Then you have to hit as many targets as possible, accounting for velocity, rate of falling, and wind. You have to remember your training, even as you’re falling faster and faster.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “This is a battle of concentration, of pure instinct. If I’m going to win this, I need to forget that I’m falling and just act.”
Lightning and Yellow tied with nine bull’s-eyes, but even they had to pull the parachute early, cutting their airtime short. “They’re not used to falling through air,” Spike thought. “Hopefully, all my times nearly falling to my demise will make this at least tolerable.” He rubbed his forehead and chuckled. “Life and death situations can teach you something. Who knew?”
When his name was called, Spike headed to the referee and let them teleport him onto the cloud. Wind billowed across his scales, chilling him to teeth chattering. He pulled down his goggles and bounced a little in place, trying to get blood into his muscles. “It’s just weather,” he reminded himself. “I’ve been in the frozen north. I can take this.” Another referee, a pegasus, standing on top the cloud and reminded Spike of the rules.
“And don’t draw your first arrow until you jump,” Said the pegasus. “Got it?” Spike nodded. “Good luck. You can go whenever you’re ready.”
He turned to the edge of the cloud and studied the target layout once again. From up here, all the ponies on the ground looked like ants, and their voices were barely audible under the blowing wind. Sweat trickled across his neck and his palm grew moist. Even after all his mental preparation, he was nervous. “Trust the parachute,” he told himself. “It will catch me when it’s ready.” A skeptical part of him resisted the comforting impulse. “What if it doesn’t? What if you fall smack to the ground?” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Even if it fails, Twilight or Rainbow Dash will catch me. I can trust them.” That thought was all the comfort he needed to reach that perfect, peaceful state of mind.
He opened his eyes and took a running leap off the cloud. Before he even began to fall, his hand pulled three arrows from the quiver and fired them, one, two, three, but by the time they left his bow, he had another six arrows in his claws. He didn’t have a second to check if he hit his targets, so he launched another volley at the next cluster of targets. He kept repeating the movements, which had grown almost as instinctive as breathing. Of course, he still questioned whether he was he doing well. He couldn’t tell when he was falling so fast and focused on moving. He didn’t give himself a second to think.
The parachute opened, cutting through Spike’s concentration as it jerked back, halting his momentum. He tried to look up at the targets, but his parachute obscured everything above him. As he descended to the ground, he heard hearty applause roaring over the wind. Spike hoped that was a good sign.
When he landed and extricated himself from the parachute, he took off his goggles, looked not at the monitor for his score but at his teammates. They were all stomping their hooves for him and cheering. Reassured by their enthusiasm, he finally looked at the scoreboard. He hit all thirty targets and scored twenty bull’s-eyes. The other archers looked at him with awe and envy. They couldn’t possibly hope to bridge this gap. Once again, the audience cheered for him with all the enthusiasm they had at the start of the Games. Spike looked up into the stands where Twilight sat beside Thorax and Ember. When he saw her proud smile, his victory became real to him. He simply gave a small bow, returned his goggles and quiver to a referee, and went back to his team’s tent.
As the spectators applauded, many now looked at him with approval. New rumors about him were spreading through the crowd. “They say he’s an absolute natural with a bow. Like it comes to him without thinking. “I heard he studied archery as a child from Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard.” “They say he learned to grab an arrow from air after a single night of practice.” “I had a cousin in Ponyville. She says he split an arrow in half with another arrow. That he was one point away from beating Lightning Star in an archery contest. Someponies called him “Dragon Ace,’ because he always hit bull’s-eye.”
“He’s good enough to be Sir Knight,” said one voice. And then another: “I thought those pamphlets about Sir Knight returning were nonsense, but maybe I was wrong. Sure looks like Sir Knight to me.” “Sir Knight as a dragon? Please.” “Why not? Sir Knight never said he couldn’t come back as a dragon.” “Twilight hatched him with her magic. There’s nothing Sir Knight about that.” “But think about it. They both grew up with a different species. Plus, Twilight was a future bearer of an element of harmony and the future princess of friendship. Wouldn’t it make sense if her magic gave us another Sir Knight?” “I don’t care who he is, but next year, I want more dragons in the Games. If just one of them can be this good, imagine how exciting it would be to get more dragons involved.” “I concur. Maybe Dragon Lord Ember could get some of her dragons to participate.” “Fillydelphia has dragons in Dragon Town. Why not register some of them?”
Not everyone was excited about these talks. A few spectators actually started leaving the stadium, while others were simply stewing in their own angered silence. Others were waiting for the moment the true Sir Knight would arrive and destroy this pretender. But some wanted to speak with the Bolt who promised them Sir Knight was on their side.
Crimson Bolt went into the abandoned house once again. He already checked with the Creed living in his temporary house to make sure that they would stand by him when the time came. Now, he was just double-checking. It was unnecessary, but he honestly didn’t want to be in that room with a tortured Discord and Iron Bolt for another hour.
As he knocked on the door, he overheard angered voices. All at once, two stallions appeared at the open door and pulled Crimson inside. He slapped away their hooves and snorted.
“A simple ‘Please come in’ would do,” he said.
“Where is Sir Knight?” Growled the taller of the two stallions. “We want to see him.”
“Sir Knight will reveal himself to his chosen followers when we seek justice,” said Crimson Bolt in a smooth, honeyed voice. His eloquence was always unfailing and persuasive, which served him well in winning the hearts of many. But these two seemed less than won over.
“Are you sure you have the right Sir Knight?”
Crimson normally wore a crowd-pleasing smile across his face, but for the first time all day, his smile dipped into a neutral expression.
“Are you questioning the return of Sir Knight? When his body failed, he sent his spirit out. After a century, his spirit returned into a vessel. Now, that vessel stands with us—”
“Yes, we know, it all sounds very interesting,” Said the shorter stallion with a dismissive wave of the hoof. “But are you sure he’s the one?”
“Could any other being defeat the powerful Starlight Glimmer?” asked Crimson. Both stallions had to acknowledge the feats as impressive even though neither of them had witnessed the pony in action. But even as they conceded with a shrug and a nod, both of them remained skeptical. “Why, earlier today Sir Knight took down the Spirit of Chaos.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. His righteous arrows overcame the power of chaos itself. What more proof do you need?”
“Well, we’d like to see him.”
“Of course you may see the beaten Discord—”
“No, not him. Sir Knight. We want to see him. To know he’s real.”
“Why do you now doubt?” Asked Crimson. “Now, when we are so close to victory?”
The two stallions shuffled, uneasily.
“Well, someponies have been saying,” said one stallion apprehensively, “That is not us, but some other ponies have said that…” His voice trailed off, as his face twisted into one of pure disgust and then apprehension. “They say that, thing they call Spike is the true Sir Knight.”
Crimson Bolt’s neutral expression dipped into a frown. Not only did he find the idea reprehensible, he realized this rumor could undo their carefully laid plans. If that upstart became Sir Knight in the eyes of the public, then they wouldn’t believe in the Sir Knight leading the Creed. This rumor had to end now before it grew any further. He shook his head and sighed through his nostrils, indicating his displeasure at the statement.
“Erase that filthy garbage from your thoughts,” Crimson growled. “Sir Knight would never return as a dragon.”
“Then how come he’s so good at archery? How’d he beat Silver Shine in Arrow Tag?”
Crimson scoffed. “He couldn’t score more than two gold medals in the first half. His luck against Silver was a fluke.” None of the other Creed knew about White Bolt’s sabotage, so it certainly seemed like his victory against Silver was just dumb luck.”
“But it’s more than archery. He has an army of followers with the changelings, dragons, the elements of harmony, and the four princesses. He was even hatched and raised by one of those princesses, so he’s like a pony and a dragon.”
“Did other dragons spread that rumor? Is it really this easy to make you doubt?” Crimson sighed. “Can you even explain why Sir Knight would return as a dragon?”
“Ponies say it’s because he’s going to unite ponies and dragons. And frankly, he’s already doing it. You just have to take a look at the audience in the Equestria Games. So, what has your Sir Knight done?”
Crimson thought quickly, trying to find some way to discredit Spike.
“When you see the true Sir Knight,” Crimson said without any outward sign of insincerity, “You will no longer doubt. His skills eclipse all others.”
“But we haven’t seen him,” Said one stallion. “Are we just supposed to take your word for it? We want proof.”
“Do you speak for all the Creed?”
“Yes, we do. We’ve spoken to others and they all agree.”
Crimson fought back a growl as he worked to maintain his composure.
“Very well. You will have your proof. When Sir Knight leads his chosen against the dragon rabble.”
“And then he will destroy the lizard? To prove he’s the real deal?”
Crimson shrugged. “He’ll destroy whatever archer who comes in first, if need be. Any archer that does not recognize our might will be broken. But that dragon can’t possibly bring his team to victory. Don’t forget, Prince Blueblood shares our beliefs. And soon, the world will understand we are the future.”
That seemed to satisfy the two stallions, though they still had doubts about the so-called leader Crimson kept propping up. Crimson left the building and took a turn around the corner. Alone at last, he released a massive breath he’d been holding and fell to his rump.
“Tartarus,” he cursed. “How’d it come to this?”
He talked a big game, but Crimson had to rely almost entirely on lies and half-truths. He couldn’t explain away Spike’s victory against Silver Shine much less his recent successes. He couldn’t even crush the rumors that Spike was the true Sir Knight. And their Sir Knight only planned to capture the dragon responsible for the Fillydelphia attacks, not fight Spike or the other archers. They didn’t beat Starlight or Discord in a fair fight; they ambushed them both, sealed their magic, and then let Iron Bolt do his work. And as for Prince Blueblood, Crimson had never even met Prince Blueblood. None of them had. Even if the prince’s words and actions aligned with the Creed’s goals, they didn’t know what he’d do once they revealed themselves, or if their plan would be too extreme even for him.
This whole plan was based on so many uncertainties. But they’d come this far, so this had to be fate. At least, Crimson hoped so. He didn’t want his children to live in a world where dragons could go crazy at any second and destroy them all. He couldn’t lose them like he lost his mom. The memory of her funeral was all too vivid and painful. No one else should have to suffer such loss. And if everything went well and nopony was severely injured, then their plan would pay off and dragons could never hurt ponies or break apart their families again.
After steeling his heart, Crimson stalked away, back to the base. He would have to tell his brothers and Sir Knight that the Creed wanted proof that their Sir Knight was the genuine article, and not Spike or any other archer. His brothers and Sir Knight would have little reservation beating Silver Shine if he won the Games and refused to join them; he abandoned the group a long time ago. But if Spike won, Crimson knew Sir Knight and Iron Bolt would be absolutely giddy in destroying him. He couldn’t care less about Lightning Star. He was fine with any of these outcomes.
“But what if it’s Yellow Bolt?” The thought stopped Crimson in his tracks. What if against all odds, Yellow Bolt won the Games? When they revealed themselves to the world, Yellow would be faced with a choice: join their ranks or side with the dragons. “He’s failed this choice once, he’ll fail it again.” Crimson already knew Yellow wouldn’t sit by and let the dragon he loved perish. White Bolt didn’t have the magic spell to fix Yellow Bolt, to make him stop loving that dragon once and for all. So, Iron Bolt would have to break him once again. And he, he would have to stand by his family’s decision, as he always had for the greater good. Anything, just to keep the family together. Crimson’s heart wrenched at the thought of beating Yellow Bolt again, at the memory of his screams and sobs as the buckles smacked his back. He couldn’t do that again. Not to his baby brother.
Crimson raced through the streets, hopeful that he could stop this outcome. It was too late to meddle in the Games again. White Bolt would never poison Yellow Bolt, unless ordered, and by now, the Royal Guard undoubtedly stepped up its security. If he wanted to save Yellow from potentially choosing between his family and his love again, Crimson had to convince Sir Knight to make their move before the Ice Archery match ended, before the scores were finalized, and before there was a clear winner.
He had the silver tongue to convince Sir Knight and his brothers that he was right, but with each step he took, his heart pounded in his chest with rising panic that every second he delayed brought them closer to that dreaded outcome. This time, he had to protect his brother.
Crimson reached the abandoned house and raced down the stairs, when a shriek from within the darkness stopped him. Iron Bolt was still having his fun with Discord. Crimson almost wished Iron would just kill Discord and put him out of his misery. But that wasn’t how Iron Bolt worked. He needed his fun from something alive, or he’d get it out of someone else, one way or another.
The red stallion just kept thinking about Yellow Bolt to keep himself strong and descended the stairs. In the flickering light, he saw White Bolt wrapping a bandage around Discord’s head and Iron Bolt in the corner, fiddling with some rope and a crooked horn. As Iron Bolt became invested in his tinkering, White Bolt looked up at Crimson, who was still horrorstricken.
“I did try to stop him,” he said lamely. “But he’s just so eager.”
Crimson shook his head and recoiled. “It’s disgusting.”
White Bolt shrugged. “It’s his own fault,” he gestured to Discord’s crumpled figure with a flick of his chin. “He shouldn’t have mouthed off to Iron Bolt or insulted Sir Knight. Besides, Iron wanted a trophy.”
“And you let him?”
“He didn’t get to take something from Starlight, so he wanted to make up for it now. Be grateful that’s all he wanted. Besides, it’s not like Discord can’t just craft a new one out of thin air.”
He glanced around the room, looking for the legendary archer. Crimson wanted to demand how their father’s gang turned Iron Bolt into such a beast. White Bolt kept his eyes far away from Iron Bolt, as if ignoring his behavior would make it disappear.
“How was your little trip?” White asked, trying to divert the conversation to something less unseemly.
Crimson remembered what he was there to do and cleared his throat. Whatever he was about to say, White Bolt interrupted with a loud groan.
“Look, don’t use your fancy words or whatever. Just tell us what’s wrong. We’re your family.”
He gave a little snort, irritated his brother would stop him from using his most powerful tool.
“Do what he says.” A voice echoed through the darkness, causing the flickering light bulb to wink rapidly. In the corner of his eye, Crimson noticed Iron Bolt had stopped moving. The dark red stallion swallowed and spoke.
“The Creed want proof we have Sir Knight on our side. They’ve noticed Spike—” as he said the name Iron Bolt let out a low, bearlike growl. Crimson took a moment to let his brother work out his anger before he continued. “As I said, the dragon and his team have been winning all gold medals in recent events. Now, everypony is saying the dragon is Sir Knight.”
A howl echoed through the room, full of malice. Words were indistinguishable from curses. After the tremors running through stopped, a voice leaked from the darkness itself.
“They believe that thing is me?” the voice rumbled through the darkness. “Absurd!”
“I know,” Said Crimson. “But they want proof. They want to see you defeat Spike, or whichever archer wins in the end in combat.”
“Oh, that was already our plan,” White Bolt said with a shrug. “Four-on-one, one-on-one, it doesn’t really matter. Our plans can still continue as is.”
“But there’s the problem,” Said Crimson. “If Spike wins the Ice Archery match and the Games, they’ll keep saying he’s the real Sir Knight. Nopony will believe us when we come forth. We should strike before then.”
“Is that right?”
“Everypony’s in place. And the stage is set for your arrival.”
“We should probably deal with the other champion archers who don’t fall in line,” said White Bolt, “That way no one else can falsely claim to be Sir Knight.”
“Don’t forget,” Crimson said, “Our brother is could—”
“All of the champion archers,” said the voice. “No exceptions.”
“But Yellow’s our brother!”
“No, he’s not.” The voice spat. “He betrayed our family. He’s dead to us.”
“Just give him a chance to come to our side. He still loves us, I know it. We all know it. Please.”
The voice was silent for a moment, contemplating the suggestion. He was undoubtedly on the verge of saying no when White Bolt spoke up.
“If he won’t, I’ll take care of him.”
Crimson’s eyes darted to White Bolt. He wanted to scream, “What are you doing?” But White Bolt gave him a sad glance that told Crimson everything. If this was the only way to get Sir Knight to accept the condition, then so be it. He was betting on Yellow Bolt’s family love to bring him back.
“Very well,” Said the voice once again. “Now then, it’s time to move. Grab your bows and quivers. And bring Discord along.” The figure stepped out of the shadows into the dim light. At that moment, the light bulb broke. White Bolt’s illumination spell quickly took over, revealing just a faint outline of the speaker before he headed up the stairs.
“Iron Bolt,” Said Crimson, “You done there?”
Iron Bolt turned around with a toothy grin spread across his face. Crimson finally saw what his brother had been working so diligently on. He now sported a necklace, with a crooked blue horn dangling from his neck. Then, Crimson noticed Discord was missing a horn.
Whenever he took up the bow, Spike slipped between reality and that dream-state of intense focus. The second half of the Games felt like watching his friends or the other athletes compete for five minutes, then picking up the bow, taking to the field, and returning to that unaware dream-state. Each time he was broken from that focus and returned to reality by the endgame horn, he found himself either tied with one or two other archers for first place or leading the pack by an incredible margin.
Each of his teammates performed flawlessly, driven by something bigger than any single one of them. Spike could’ve sworn Bulk Biceps and Starlight were with them in spirit, egging them on. And this feeling proved more overpowering than he’d realized. Somehow, they’d done the impossible. Ponyville won all gold medals. And he led them, winning first place every single archery event. Instead of pride, he felt a settling sense of peace and content.
As he walked up to the field for the Precision Archery event, the twentieth archery event today, he let his mind slip back to that state of intense focus. When he released the arrow, he almost felt one with the bolt, as if his spirit was guiding it right into the target. He awoke from his dream state, and found that his precision target-shooting tied him with Silver Shine for first place. The veteran gave him a polite bow of respect and then walked off the field. He seemed distracted by some private thoughts, but Spike didn’t know or frankly care what he was dwelling on. He returned to the tent where his friends pat his back and smiled for him, each congratulating him in turn.
“Good job, everypony,” Said Applejack. “When we win this, a round of apple cider’s on me.”
“Awesome!” Exclaimed Rainbow Dash. They all glanced at her. “I mean it’s awesome how well we’ve done, not just the cider thing.”
The field changed once again as ponies prepared for the Aerial Shot Put, the second to last event. Sadly with Bulk Biceps down, Ponyville couldn’t compete in this event.
“It all comes down to this,” Rainbow Dash thought as the athletes moved into place. “We have 402 points. Fillydelphia A has 405 points. If they place anything higher than second or third place, then it won’t matter if Spike wins the Ice Archery. They’ll still outplace us.” She tried not to let her teammates see her worried expression as she thought about this event’s possible outcomes. “Kinda funny how the event that could make or break us is the one we aren’t participating in.” She could almost see the irony in that thought. “Team A has to lose this, or we have no chance.”
As the event began, she glanced at Twilight up in the booth. She noticed a Royal Guard approach Twilight and whisper something into her ear that caused Twilight to narrow her eyes, as though she was contemplating some new information. Part of Rainbow Dash couldn’t stop thinking about what Twilight told her before this half of the Game started. If Discord was truly gone as she suspected, then an attack from the Creed seemed inevitable. The suspense was killing her, almost wishing the jerks would just show up so she could sonic-rainboom them into oblivion for messing with her friends. Her part in the Games was over. Now, she had to watch out for any of those Creed freaks.
A horn blared, and her attention returned to the competition. She turned to the scoreboard, looking for Team A’s score. Sixth Place. She sighed with relief. They could still catch up after all. However, she noticed first place was a three-way tie between Griffonstone, Team B, and the Crystal Empire. “Interesting,” she thought. “Looks like this isn’t just between us and Team A anymore. We have 402 points, Crystal Empire has 405, Team A has 406, and Team B has 403. Ten more points to a single team makes a clear winner. We can’t afford a tie.”
She looked to her side and saw Spike calmly viewing the scores. From his expression, she could tell he understood what this meant for their team and what he had to do. Even with all eyes on him, he didn’t shake or shudder. He knew what he had to do, and more importantly, he knew he could do it. It certainly helped ease her nerves, knowing he at least was confident in his own ability to win. Of course, now, she was entirely worried about the Creed doing something drastic.
As the referees set up the field for Ice Archery, Spike restrung his bow.
“All my training, all our pain,” Said Spike, “it’s all been for this moment. I won’t let you down.”
“Be careful,” Rainbow Dash said.
He looked at her with a little chuckle. “It’s just Ice Archery, Dash. I’m sure I won’t die.”
“Yeah,” she said absentmindedly, a little concerned he even brought up the concept of death.
He blinked as his expression dipped into a frown, wondering what was on her mind. “You okay?”
“Of course,” she said quickly, putting on a confident smile, “Just thinking. Now get out there and win it.”
Spike nodded and headed out onto the field. He shrugged off his concern over Rainbow’s absent-mindedness and turned his mind to the field. As he strapped his quiver over his back, he sensed tension spreading through the air, hostility. Oddly enough, it didn’t seem to come mostly from the other archers. It seemed to come from the entire stadium.
As he turned his gaze to the target, a distant thumbtack from his position, he took a deep breath and cleared his mind. He glanced over to Twilight in the distant booth above it all. She looked concerned, scanning the stadium for something before whispering something to Ember and Thorax, but the moment she saw Spike’s gaze she put on a reassuring smile. He smiled back, trying to put his uneasiness aside and just focus.
“You sense it too, right?” Silver’s voice rasped from his right side. “Something’s wrong.” Spike scowled, refusing to even turn around and look the elder in his eyes. “We’ve got eagle-eyes, you and I. We know something’s about to—”
“If you don’t mind, I’m trying to focus.”
“But don’t you feel like something’s wrong?”
“The only thing I feel is anger that you’re trying to distract me right before the contest starts so you can steal a win. I’ve seen you play dirty in Arrow Tag. I know you’re doing it right now.”
Silver said nothing further. He simply shook his head and shifted his sights onto his own target, letting Spike turn his attention into his small sphere of mind.
“At least try to be nice, Spike,” murmured Lightning Star on his left side. Spike ignored him and kept his thoughts directed on the task ahead. He found that perfect state of mind.
That peace ended when he looked up and saw a magical dome stretching over the coliseum, capturing the spectators and athletes. The late afternoon sky turned dimmer, as a second magical dome stretched over the field, capturing the athletes as well. As everyone looked around perplexed, Spike’s gaze turned up to Twilight, trapped beyond the magical field. She poured magical blasts on the shield to little effect. Rainbow Dash was already by his side, but he had no idea when she got there. He heard the flashing sound of teleportation spells, as ponies in hoods filled the field. There must have been a hundred. They all wore identical white masks with slits for their nostrils and mouth, and two circles for their eyes, which stared at the dragon archer with spite.
Spike fingered his bow, nervously. The other archers drifted together into a shivering clump. Most athletes by the tents were surrounded by other masked ponies, too scared to even venture forward, but Fluttershy and Applejack and a few others managed to make their way into the archer’s midst and took a stand beside Spike. Fleetfoot was already by her husband’s side, and every Wonderbolt was eying the masked strangers with unflinching resolve, prepared to fight if need be.
“What’s going on?” Spike asked. “What’re they doing?”
Before Rainbow Dash could even answer, a wave of light filled the outer sphere. Spike immediately looked to Twilight, concerned for her, then to Rarity and Pinkie Pie. As the intensifying light swallowed them, he screamed their names. Now, the outer sphere was nothing but a field of white, with no visible beings inside.
“What is this?” demanded Yellow. “Where’d they go?” He took aim at a masked pony. “Tell me what you did to Frost or I swear I’ll shoot every last one of you!”
“Steady, Yellow,” Silver said raising a hoof. “Don’t provoke them.”
“Still obsessed with that dragon, eh? Don’t worry. They’re just frozen in a time-freeze spell. They can see what’s unfolding, but they can’t do a thing to stop it.” A soothing voice spoke from beneath one of the hoods. The normally outspoken archer went pale, as the pony he was aiming at lowered the mask. Yellow’s lips trembled, his pupils shrunk into tiny beads as the red fur emerged from the hood. Green eyes stared as an almost warm smile greeted Yellow Bolt.
“It’s good to see you, bro. Glad to know the first thing you worry about is the dragon you said you fell in love with.”
“Crimson Bolt,” Silver growled. “So you’re the one behind all this?”
“Don’t give me too much credit, old-timer. Even I don’t have the magical power for all this.”
“Who is he?” Asked Rainbow Dash, keeping close to Spike’s side.
“Yellow Bolt’s oldest brother,” Said Spike. Fluttershy and Applejack glanced from Yellow Bolt to Crimson Bolt, trying to see the relationship.
“The cameras are still rolling,” Crimson said waving a hoof to the cameras still aimed on the field, “The whole world can see us now. And we have a little announcement to make.”
“We?” Spitfire narrowed her eyes, shifting her gaze across the field. “So, I take it you’re not the mastermind behind this farce.”
“If you’re here,” Silver said before shifting his gaze across the horde, searching for someone. His eyes narrowed in on a hooded figure standing just a few feet from Crimson. “White Bolt?”
The figure chuckled, and removed his mask revealing fur so white, eyes so grey, and a frown so grave that he could have been a phantom. “Good eyes, old-timer. After all these decades your vision is still sharp as ever.”
“White Bolt,” Yellow muttered. His entire body trembling as his eyes looked pleadingly at his brother. “Please, don’t do this.”
White Bolt’s frown deepened. “I think that’s the second time you’ve said that. It didn’t work when you were fifteen, and it won’t work now.”
“Please,” Yellow continued. “Just stop this. Twilight promised me you wouldn’t be banished. She even promised not to imprison you for life. Stop this now, before you make it worse. I don’t want them to hurt you. We can get you help if you’ll just stop this.”
White Bolt’s grim frown almost turned into a dim smile. “Still looking out for us? What a good brother you are.” A stroke of wistfulness crossed his weak smile, as a twinge of regret flashed through his eyes. “Wish we’d been good brothers too. Then maybe we’d be standing here as brothers, not potentially enemies.”
“Where’s the last one of you?” Asked Silver.
“I’ve had enough of this,” snarled Rainbow Dash. “I’m gonna sonic-rainboom you freaks into next week!”
She was about to blast forward when there was a movement amongst the horde. A broad-shouldered, titanic stallion stepped forward, practically shaking the ground with each hoof. He carried a lithe, limp figure over his back with absolute ease. Nopony could tell what it was, until Fluttershy screamed.
“Discord!!”
His body was bruised and beaten beyond recognition. His arms curled unnaturally, entire bits of fur had been scraped down to bloody flesh. There was a bandage wrapped around his head, where his face was swollen beyond recognition.
“No,” Fluttershy whimpered. “You monsters. What did you do?”
“That’s the Spirit of Chaos,” Soarin gasped. “How did they—I thought he was crazy powerful.”
Without a moment of hesitation, the massive stallion heaved the limp creature across the field. He fell to the ground with a loud crunch! Before he even started groaning, Fluttershy had already raced to his side. Everyone else stood there in total shock and horror.
Spike’s eyes rose to the massive figure. “Did you do this to him?”
He only tilted his head, reached into the folds of his hoof and pulled out a necklace. Roped through it was the tip of a blue horn. Spike looked from the horn to the beaten Discord, and realized the spirit of chaos was missing a horn.
“You’re strong, aren’t you? Tell me something,” Spike said without taking his eyes off of Discord. “A few days ago, Starlight lost her magic. She was attacked by a mob that was out to get Twilight. Were you the one who put her in the hospital?”
The cloaked figure laughed in a voice that grinded like steel scraping steel. Through his mask, stormy dark eyes with a yellow electric center swirled like a hurricane. His pupils widened with glee at the furious expression on the little dragon’s face. Before he could think, Spike sent an ice arrow directly into the stallion’s face. Taken by surprise, the stallion only had a second to duck. The arrow grazed the top of his mask and the corner of his left ear creating a thin layer of ice. He didn’t even flinch in pain or seem to notice. He just stared at Spike and coiled his haunches, ready to barrel forward and wring his little neck.
“No. Iron Bolt! Not yet,” Said White Bolt. “Remember the plan.”
The muscular stallion glared a moment longer at Spike, as though he was contemplating if he should listen or just kill the lizard here and now. Spike’s trembling hand already held five arrows. He wanted to shoot him. The hatred and bile building up in his body were insurmountable. He wanted nothing more than to put down this thug before he could hurt another friend. The only thing stopping him was Rainbow Dash putting a restraining hoof on his shoulder and Lightning Star giving him a hard stare. At last, the stallion stood up and keeping his eyes aimed on Spike walked back to his brothers.
Crimson Bolt slipped his mask back on. He felt more comfortable doing this behind a mask. He stepped forward and looked up to the cameras.
“Equestria! Hear me! For too long ponies have suffered under the claws and vengeful flames of dragons. For too long have we watched our mothers, fathers, children, and friends burn. But now, we have the power to fight back.. We have the strength to rise up and take back our world. To show the world that we will not be burned out. For now, we have legend on our side. Sir Knight has returned to lead us against dragonkind. His magic has overcome the mighty Starlight, the Spirit of Chaos himself, and even ‘Princess Twilight Sparkle.’ All who see him now, rise up. It’s time to take back our world!”
The ground before Crimson parted, revealing a corridor with a single stairway. A mighty gold arrow raced from the pit into the air, to the fullest height of the dome before shattering into golden dust.
As the horde began chanting, “You won’t burn us out!” More golden arrows burst from the earth and flew into the sky, raining a mist of gold. The mist became so thick it was almost impossible to see. The mist began to evaporate, revealing the outline of a fourth figure where the pit had opened. A cloaked unicorn with a pointed beard, dark green fur, and a purple mane streaked gray stood before the cameras. At his side, he magically held a bow that seemed to radiate sunlight. The mist parted, revealing Sir Knight in his full splendor. Masked ponies cheered and stomped their hooves across the soil.
Sir Knight raised a hoof for silence and opened his mouth to address the world.
“My children,” he said with a deep, rich voice. “I have returned to you in your time of need.”
He was about to speak again when Yellow Bolt through a trembling, disbelieving voice whispered, “You’re supposed to be dead.” All ponies turned to him. Tears welled in his disbelieving eyes, as he clenched his teeth so hard it hurt his head. “I don’t understand,” Said Yellow as the first tears raced down his cheeks. “How are you still alive, dad?”
Silver Shine looked at Sir Knight and shook his head. “When Twilight asked me for the name of your coroner, I couldn’t believe what she was implying. It seemed too odd to even think you could still be alive. And yet, here you are, Arrow Bolt.”