//------------------------------// // The Death of Spike // Story: Bloodstone // by Drag Orion //------------------------------//     “Is that them?” cried a worried Twilight as she flapped her wings to stay level in midair along with a number of Pegasus ponies.  Beside Twilight was also her former magic teacher and fellow princess, Celestia, an Alicorn with a bright white body, pink eyes and mane and tail of pinks, greens, and blues that magically danced as if a wind was endlessly blowing on it.  As the Princess of the sun, in charge of raising and lowering that bright star in the sky to start and end the day, it was quite appropriate that her Cutie Mark was a sun. Starlight Glimmer was up there too, on the other side of Twilight.  Despite being a Unicorn, her formidable magical prowess made floating in the air just as effortless as flying to her.     “Yes,” nodded Celestia, her voice far more steady than Twilight’s, but even she could not hide the look of worry on her face as the looming threat of the dragon invasion drew ever closer.  “I have seen groups of dragons flying across Equestria, with the intent to attack and raid villages, towns, and even our cities, many times in the past, but never in such vast numbers like this.  I don’t want to sugarcoat it, but I’m afraid what we are witnessing is nothing less than all our war.”     “Oh, I really wish Spike had gone into more detail about what is going on in the Dragonlands in his letter,” stated Twilight.  “I’ve got so many questions I wanna ask him, but maybe it’s best if I don’t know. I’d just end up worrying for his safety even more than I already am.”     “Spike did sound really confident in his letter,” commented Starlight.  “I doubt he would tell us to let him handle the Dragonlands if he didn’t think he could handle it.  And if it is, he’s still got one thing going for him.”     “What’s that?” wondered Twilight.     “He was raised by you,” she answered.  “And you got through to me of all Ponies when I was ready to doom all of Equestria to get my revenge on you.  You couldn’t win in a battle of magic, but you still found a way to stop me. If he’s spent enough time with you to have list making rub off on him, then I bet that out of the box thinking has too.”     “Thanks Starlight,” smiled Twilight and took a breath.  “I needed that pep talk.”     “Well, you made me the school guidance counselor, so it’s all in a day’s work,” she said, bragging a little.  Also, we really don’t have the time for you to be distracted when the Dragons will reach us any minute now.”     “I just hope we can stop them,” replied Twilight as she contemplated the situation.  “We outnumber the Dragons twenty to one, but, physically, the Dragons have a huge advantage over us with sheer brute force.  Their scales provide protection than can even resist magic to a degree and their jaws are strong enough to grind up gemstones.”     “Don’t forget their sharp claws and the fact that they can breathe fire,” added Starlight with a sigh, seeing Twilight begin to get tense again after she managed to calm her. “Also,” included Twilight.  “Large, adult Dragons can easily take on a small army on their own and a few of them seem to be among the ones headed straight for us.” “Things might look… bad,” Starlight spoke, starting to panic now too.  “But, I’m sure Celestia knows what to do. After all, for a thousand years, she’s kept Equestria safe on her own.”     “I’m afraid you presume far too much from me,” Celestia admitted.  “While it is true I have done a lot to keep everyone in Equestria safe, in all that time, there has never been an attack by Dragons even remotely close to as large as this.  Even with all our might, we might not be able to prevail.”     “And now I’m completely panicked too,” Starlight statd dryly. “It has been an unchanging fact that should the dragons ever unite in an assault like this,” the Princess of the Sun continued.  “The rest of Equestria would have little hope of fending them off even if we were to unite with the other creatures. Only the fact that they were unable to come together of their own free will to do so and that the Dragon Lord had not issued such a command in the past is why such an event had never before occurred.”     “Till now, anyway,” added Starlight.  “Whoever has taken the Bloodstone Scepter from Ember is the one behind all of this and making the Dragons attack us.  But if Spike can get the Bloodstone Scepter from them, he can stop all this, right?” “I wish I knew more about that scepter to know for sure,” said Celestia.  “If it was powerful enough to force the Dragons into attacking, I would like to hope it could also stop them, but if it truly is as almighty as that, would a Dragon like Spike be able to overcome it and even if he can, is he able to defeat those in possession of it?  I wish he could have elaborated more as well, but I fear he may not have had any more time nor knowledge than we currently possess.” “All we can do is attempt to hold off the dragons and do our best and hope that Spike can come through for us,” nodded Starlight, attempting to sound hopeful though like Twilight and Celestia, she couldn’t help look more and more worried as the dragons drew nearer. “Spike,” spoke Twilight, unable to keep her body from trembling.  She wanted to believe that all of this would turn out alright in the end, but, whenever she thought of Spike, her heart ached painfully, almost bringing her to tears.  “You will be just fine… won’t you?” Further south, in Appaloosa, Applejack and her older brother, Big Mac had hurried over by train while Rainbow Dash flew on ahead with the rest of the Wonderbolts at her side as they hurried over to help the town, already under siege by a small group of Dragons, while the greater bulk of the army continued to fly northward towards the rest of Equestria. Appaloosa was in a panic as half the town was already engulfed in flames.  The citizens who could fight remained to do all they could to stop the attack and save their home, while those who couldn’t quickly fled into the wasteland for a safe place to hide till it was over. “Alright, ya overgrown lizard,” hollered Applejack at a large green Dragon flying overhead.  It replied with a roar before exhaling fire down on her. Quickly, she ran to avoid the flames as it chased after her.  Fortunately, he ran short on breath before she did. Applejack then returned to standing her ground. “Was that the best a varmint like you can do?” she taunted the beast, making it take a large breath to attempt to barbecue her again.  With a rope tied into a lasso, she was ready for him this time. Applejack tossed the looped end at the Dragon and pulled it tight around the beast’s snout as it was about to exhale, causing the fire to erupt from it’s nostrils instead of its maw. “Ha!” she laughed like it was somehow a victory.  “How do you like them apples?” In response, the Dragon merely took to the air, taking along Applejack who still clung tightly to the rope.  By the time she thought to let go, she was already too high up and being dragged around too quickly to risk letting go. Scanning the ground below, she spotted a large red stallion with a golden mane and tail, green eyes, and a green apple half Cutie mark on his flank.  It was her brother, Big Mac. “Hey!” she called down to him. “Big Mac! A little help up here?” “Nope,” he answered as he ran for his life as a couple of teenage Dragons chased after him.  Despite being much larger and stronger than the average pony, even he was outmatched against their size and strength. Before Applejack could figure out another way back to the ground, another Dragon flew by and tore through the rope with one chomp from its razor sharp teeth, leaving Applejack to plummet straight down to the ground.  “Whoa nelly!” she cried out as she watched the ground come up to her fast and all she could manage was flailing her hooves futilely. Mere feet from the ground, however, a blur of rainbow swooped right at her, saving Applejack from a most horrible demise.  “Getting a little practice in before the next rodeo,” joked Rainbow Dash. “I’ll be happy as a hog face first in pile of slop if there will even be another rodeo after this,” she cried as she took a gander at the charred remains of Appaloosa.  Then, looking towards the apple orchard they had spent years of toiling in, that hard formerly been a completely barren land, to cultivate it, to see it blackened and ashen was a terribly painful sight to the apple farmer.  It made her think about her farm, Sweet Apple Acres and whether or not it would survive the invading Dragons and what would be left of it when she returned home. Even as Rainbow Dash returned her safely to the ground, she didn’t feel any better about what she had seen.  “I don’t have the faintest notion as to what’s made these dragons so ornery,” she stated with a mix of sadness and anger in her voice.  “But we won’t let them have their way. Not with Appaloosa, not with Ponyville, not with any part of Equestria.” “Easier said than done,” admitted Rainbow Dash as she looked around and couldn’t see any sign that they were winning.  At best, they were preventing the dragons from causing more trouble by leading them around in circles, but such tactics were only effective till they caught on to them or simply lost interest in the chase.  “But, just how are we going to do that?” “I wish I knew, Rainbow,” she admitted the green dragon from before returned its sights onto Applejack along with Rainbow Dash and a couple more dragons had come to join him.  “I really wish I knew.” Inside Twilight’s Castle, in the lowest levels, half the town was crammed in as they bunkered down there for safety.  For many, it was a scary, and nerve wracking event as babies cried and a few couldn’t stop shaking in fright. For others, it was tense and they were trying with all their might to keep calm and comfort those around them who weren’t as capable of maintaining a brave front. “Come on, everypony!” cheered Pinkie Pie as she did her best to keep everyone’s spirits high during this dire hour.  “Let’s have a hope the big scary Dragons don’t find us while we’re hiding party!” Her announcement was met with a lot of silence at best. “Perhaps it’d be best if we just did something quiet to keep our mind off of everything, instead,” suggested Rarity as she looked around.  “Fortunate for us, Twilight’s even got books stored down here. Oh, one of my favorites. How about I read us this one, ‘Shadow Spade and Case of the Dragon’s Diadem.’”  After reading that title, Rarity flipped through the pages of the book and saw the word, ‘Dragon’ was used quite a lot. With a slight chuckle, she closed the book and put it down.  “Uh, maybe not that one.” “Is everything really going to be alright?” wondered Ocellus, sitting between Yona and Silverstream. “There’s nothing to worry about,” Sandbar replied.  “Headmare Twilight, Guidance Counselor Starlight, and Princess Celestia are out there so those Dragons won’t get through and even if they did, we’re perfectly safe down here.” “Yeah,” Gallus replied sarcastically.  “Nothing keeps Dragons at bay more than crystal rock.  No, wait. They literally eat that for breakfast.” “Oh!” cried Silverstream as she hugged Ocellus tightly.  “This is just like when the Storm King attacked Mt. Aris.  I don’t ever want to go through that again!” “Y-Yona not sc-scared,” shivered the young Yak as she also hugged Ocellus tight.  “Yaks best at staying calm under fire.”     “Can you try being calm while not hugging me,” pleaded Ocellus.  “You two are squishing me.”     “Sorry,” they apologized.     “Now, now,” Fluttershy spoke to the five members of the Student Six as she hugged Angel Bunny in her arms.  He looked even less content than Ocellus did to be hugged so tightly for comfort. She had a lot of her other animal friends with her as well, all taking up refuge with the townsfolk.  “Everything will be just fine. The princesses are out there ready to keep us safe. And it’s not just Twilight and Princess Celestia, but Princess Luna and Cadence are out there helping to protect Equestria with everyone else who is able to.”     “What about your buddy, Discord?” wondered Gallus.  “Can’t he just snap his fingers and turn all the Dragons into butterflies or something else that’s harmless?”     “That wouldn’t be a very nice thing to do to the Dragons,” Fluttershy answered him.  “And Princess Celestia ordered him to stay in his Chaos Dimension for the time being.  She was worried that since he is part dragon that the Bloodstone Scepter might be able to control him as well and who knows what could happen then.”     “I wonder if Smoulder and Spike are being controlled too,” worried Silverstream.  “They were with us just the other day for a party and now this had to happen.”     “I wish I knew more about Smoulder, but Spike was the one who sent the warning of the attack,” Fluttershy explained.  “And he promised to do whatever he could to keep us safe and sound.”     “So, it is too dangerous for us to have an almighty spirit of chaos help,” summed up Gallus.  “Just because he had a Dragon leg, but it’s perfectly fine that Spike, a Dragon down the last scale on his body, is potentially our only hope.”     “Spike might be small, but when his friends need him, he’s always there to lend a claw,” smiled Fluttershy.  “I don’t think there’s a kinder Dragon in all of Equestria.”     “Well, considering that practically every other Dragon is out there ready to incinerate us,” he retorted.  “I’d have to agree with you on that, but how is that supposed to save us from those lesser kind beasts flying right towards us?”     “Ugh!” groaned Spike, knocked to the ground for the dozenth time by Garble.  His armor protected him from the brunt of the larger dragon’s strikes with his staff, but, unable to land even a single attack, of his own yet, things were not looking good for the underdragon.     “Do you give up yet?” asked Garble as he looked down at Spike, still on his back.  “You might as well since you can’t win no matter how many times you try.”     “I’m just getting warmed up,” he answered as he sat up and grabbed hi staff off the ground.     “Don’t bother bluffing,” Garble told him as he watched Spike rise to his feet once more.  “I know you well enough to see you can’t do better than this.”     “You don’t know anything about me,” argued Spike as he charged toward Garble again and swung his staff with all his might.  With one hand holding his staff, Garble blocked it and was able to easily push Spike back at the same time. Not giving up, Spike ran around to Garble’s unguarded side, aiming to strike at him there, but Spike wasn’t able to move quickly enough to attack before Garble could swing his staff and send him tumbling back over to where Ember stood and watched. “I know you aren’t stronger or faster than me,” he stated.  “Not even close. That should be plenty obvious to you as well.  Enough that you should know that you can’t win.” “I’ve got friends that are in danger,” breathed Spike as he got up again.  “And I will do anything I can to protect them!” “Oh, is this because I wouldn’t try to fight my father to keep Spark away from him?” questioned Garble annoyed.  “Well, congrats! You tried and all you accomplished was getting your tail kicked. They aren’t any safer than they were before.  Are you satisfied now?” “You just don’t get it,” cried Spike.  “It’s not about trying or even if it is possible to succeed!”  Running at Garble again, this time, as Garble attacked him, Spike jumped to avoid it.  Flapping his wings, Spike was able to gain extra height to rise up over Garble. “It’s not even about winning this fight!”  Closing his wings, Spike then dropped back to the ground over his foe, using the gravity to add extra force to his attack as he struck at Garble’s head.  Unable to guard with his staff in time, Garble used his free arm to block the strike. Then, drawing in a large breath, Garble hit Spike with a burst of flames than knocked him back.  With a swift kick, Garble knocked Spike back to where he started. “You’re right,” scoffed Garble.  “I can’t understand why anyone would act in such utter futility.  Now, just give up already! Things are back to how there were before, how they were always meant to be, with the strong on top and the weak cowering at their feet.” “I… am not… cowering,” panted Spike on his feet yet again. “How are you holding up?” asked Ember. “Sore, but my armor has protected me from getting hurt worse,” he answered. “But you aren’t getting anywhere with how you’re fighting,” pointed out Smoulder.  “You’re a tough, little dude, but even if you are going for a battle of attrition you won’t win.” “I know that and, to be perfectly honest, there isn’t any way that I can win,” Spike admitted. “Uh, but if you don’t win how are we supposed to save Equestria?” she asked him. “Just trust him,” Ember assured her.  “He has a plan.” Needing some assurance herself, Ember turned to Spike and asked him, “You do have a plan, don’t you?” “Not so much a plan as a gamble,” he replied, removing his helmet and dropping it to the ground.  “Can you help me out of the rest of this armor?” “But that’s the only thing keeping you from really getting hurt,” warned Ember, growing worried to see the small, purple dragon remove his golden-hued protection.  “If you are taking it off to be able to move faster, this won’t make much of a difference.” “I’m not worried about my speed,” he explained.  “As I said, it’s a gamble and that means some risk is involved.” “And you’re sure about this?” asked Smoulder. “I’ve earned most of my gems through bets and games of chance,” Spike said, attempting to sound bragging to instill some confidence in what he was doing.  “This is about the same thing just with much higher stakes and the odds terribly against me.” “And you’re not nervous?” wondered Ember seeing Spike had the shakes once he was only protected by his own scales. “Petrified,” he whimpered, looking on the verge of tears.  His heart was in his throat and he could barely force his body to move back towards Garble.  “I wanna turn tail and run more than anything right now, but, even in spite of my own wellbeing, I have to do this.  For you, for all my friends in Ponyville, and all the rest of Equestria… For Twilight. I have to put my life on the line for everyone.” “Spike,” Ember spoke, watching him walk forward and her eyes started to water.  “What kind of Dragon Lord am I to send him out to fight in my stead? I should be the one putting my life on the line and yet, right now, I can’t do anything.” “Maybe because he really is the strongest dragon,” replied Smoulder unable to come up with any other response than that. “What do you think you’re doing?” questioned Garble as he saw Spike approach him without his protective gear.  “Do you think I’ll hold back just because you aren’t wearing your armor now?” “Nope,” Spike shook his head as Garble removed his own helmet and tossed it to the side.  “Come at me with all you’ve got. Oh, and you don’t have to take off your armor just because I decided to.” “You know,” Garble informed his opponent.  “Before you would have lost, but at least you’d only have suffered some minor injuries.  Now, without that armor to protect you, you really could die.” “I’m perfectly aware of that,” nodded Spike as he took to the air.  “And let’s take this fight into the sky too.” Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, Garble glared up at Spike who was waiting for him, several meters off the ground.  “Ugh! Do you have a death wish or something?” “It’s just a desperate ploy,” Crag called out to Garble from atop the Throne of the Dragon Lord.  “He thinks you’d rather give up than kill him, but unlike him, you’re a real dragon. Show him that you won’t let him or anything stand in your way.” “I know that,” snapped Garble at his father.  “You don’t have to remind me.” Flying up to Spike’s elevation, Garble clenched his staff with both sets of claws.  He was shaking even more than Spike was as they glared at one another. “Last chance,” warned Garble.  “Just admit defeat and that’ll be the end of it.” “If you want it to be over so bad, you should just give up,” retorted Spike. “You are so stubborn!” roared Garble as he flew at Spike, making the first move this time and swung at Spike.  Spike blocked, but, without any ground to plant his feet, the force of the attack knocked him back. Spreading out his wings, Spike was able to catch some air and come to a stop, but Garble was already poised to strike again. Flapping his wings to soar higher and dodge, Spike wasn’t quick enough and suffered a solid hit to his side.  “Argh!” he seethed, the pain far worse than he expected it to be. “Ouch!” “Do you regret taking your armor off now?” asked Garble.  “I’ll give you a chance to put it back on.” “I’m perfectly fine as is,” Spike responded without hesitation and flew at Garble to attack. “Fine!” snapped Garble.  “If that’s what you want then if you get killed you have nobody to blame except yourself!” Garble met Spike midway in his flight and yet again they clashed with their weapons, the result no different from every other exchange, with the red dragon overpowering the small purple one and smashing him hard with another brutal swing from his staff.  On his bare scales, Spike could feel each attack that hit him and cried out in pain. Yet, despite how agonizing it was, he never backed off and kept coming at Garble, pain and injuries ignored. However, his determination only served to get him hit again and again and again, much to Garble’s chagrin. “If you think it hurts now,” stated Garble, seeing Spike’s bruised body.  “Just wait till tomorrow when you’ll really be too sore to budge an inch.” “Don’t talk like we’re already done,” groaned Spike, every part of his body in agony save his head and wings that had avoided any damage as of yet.  “I haven’t given up yet.” “Let’s see if you feel the same when you’re too sore to move for a week!” shouted Garble as he swung his staff at Spike again, this time disarming him of his staff before attacking him again.  With no means to defend himself, the young dragon attempted to turn to avoid another hit to his right arm, but allowed his same side wing to get hit instead. “Gah!” cried Spiked, unable to keep himself airborne with only one good wing.  He, instead, started to plummet face first to the ground. “Waaaah!” he screamed as he flailed about helplessly as he came hastily closer to a very painful SPLAT!  But, mere feet from hitting the ground, he came to an abrupt stop as something grabbed him from behind, Garble. “Do you seriously want to die that badly?” he barked at Spike right in his face. “I want to save my friends and I’ll risk my life if that’s what it’ll take,” he shouted right back in Garble’s. Growling, Garble threw Spike to the ground and stomped on his tail to keep him from being able to move anywhere.  “You can’t save them! You can’t beat me! Everything you are doing is pointless! Just give up before you die!” Turning his head, he looked at his father from the corner of his eye and then looked back at Spike.  “...Please.” “No,” Spike shook his head.  “It doesn’t matter if you are twice as strong as me, ten times, a hundred, or even a million.  I don’t care who it is I have to fight or whatever titles or powers they possess. If my friends are in danger I’ll keep fighting regardless of how impossible it might seem.” “Why?” he fumed.  “What’s the point of going through all this anguish for your friends?” “Because,” Spike answered, his resolve as unwavering as ever.  “I know, they would and have done the same for me and everyone else many times before.” “What’s the holdup?” called Crag.  “You got him cornered. Finish him already!” “Fine,” sighed Garble raising his staff and aiming to end their fight with one quick blow. “Garble!” cried a small voice that froze all the blood in Garble’s veins the instant he heard it.  Turning to where it came from, it was Spark, wheezing and exhausted as he trudged over. “Sp-Spark?” answered Garble. “What are you doing here?” asked Spike, turning his head to see him.  “Stay back. It’s dangerous.” “Why?” he sobbed still moving towards them.  “Why do you two have to fight? Is it because of me?  Did I do something wrong?” “N-No,” answered Garble.  “It’s not your fault at all.  I was just trying to fix things.  Make them like they used to be.” “Do you honestly believe you’ve done that?” questioned Spike.  “Were things like this before Ember became the Dragon Lord? Tell me, do you feel like you’ve fixed anything?!?” Garble looked at Spark, who looked at him through tear-soaked eyes and then down at Spike who stared up at him like with a sad, pitying gaze.  Trembling, as his own eyes started to water, the big, red dragon let out the most sorrowful roar he could muster as threw his staff to the ground and bawled his eyes out.  “N-No,” he whimpered. “This isn’t what I wanted. None of it.” “Garble!” sobbed Spark as he ran over and hugged at his  brother’s leg, tears running down his face. “It’s okay,” sniffled the older brother.  “You can stop crying. I-I’m not going to hurt him anymore.  I’m not going to hurt you anymore.” “I’m not crying cause I’m sad,” he explained, wiping the snot off his snout.  “I’m crying cause I’m happy. Happy that you’re back!” “I don’t know where I went, but I’m happy that you’re happy,” Garble said patting his little brother’s head. “I’m glad you’re both happy,” groaned Spike.  “But, do you think you could be happy while you’re not stepping on my tail?” “H-He did it,” Smoulder stated in amazement.  “Spike got through to Garble. But… how did he know that Spark would show up when he did?” “I don’t think he did,” commented Ember.  “He said this was a gamble, but against impossible odds, he won.”  She let out a sigh of relief and wiped her own tears away. “Now, we can focus on finding a way to stop this war before it begins.” “I can’t believe you are my flesh and blood,” snapped Crag, flying down from the Throne of the Dragon Lord, the chains restraining him easily broken while he wasn’t guarded.  He landed behind Garble and snatched up the Bloodstone Scepter he had tied to his back while his guard was down. “D-Dad?” sniffled Garble, turned to face him, only to get punched in the side of his jaw with all Crag’s might. “Don’t you dare call me that,” he spat.  “You! You finally had it, the Bloodstone Scepter!  For this short time, I thought you might actually have been the son I had always hoped you would be, but look at you now!  In spite of all your strength and power, you surrendered to this whelp in tears no less. You have brought me and all dragonkind nothing but shame.  I will take care of you momentarily before you have a chance to drag our honor through the mud any more than you have, but first…” He looked down at Spike, who had only just gotten Garble’s foot off his tail and had not had the chance to get up yet.  Lifting his foot onto Spike’s head, he applied enough force to keep him trapped underneath. “Ugh!” groaned Spike, kicking his legs as used his hands to try and lift Crag’s foot off of him with no success.  His efforts only served to make Crag apply even more pressure on the young Dragon’s head. “Spike!” cried Ember and Smoulder as they and the later’s friends rushed over to try and save him. “Bow to your TRUE Dragon Lord!” ordered Crag, aiming the Bloodstone Scepter at them and made all five Dragons fall to the ground to submit to him. “Ugh, not this again,” groaned Gorge as he and the others were forced to obey, or suffer being boiled alive from the inside by their own blood again.  “I thought we won.” “We did against that one,” Ax pointed out.  “But not this one.” “And this one looks a lot worse too,” added Tia. “What do we do now?” Smoulder asked Ember. “I’m not sure,” she admitted.  “Garble was bad, but Crag is by far worse.  I don’t know what any of us can do against him, Bloodstone Scepter or not.” Looking at the five Dragons bowing before him, Crag couldn’t find his smile.  “This should be the greatest moment of my life,” he spoke to Spike whose head he had pressed against the ground with his foot.  “The day that Dragons were finally given a proper leader to guide them to their true destiny. It should be, but I can’t be happy.  Not while you still live. No, Spike, you are a dangerous element to Dragonkind. I have overheard plenty of tales about you and your ‘heroics’ and have just witnessed, firsthand, what you are capable of.  My so- Garble, had obtained the greatest power a Dragon could have and yet, with nothing more than guts and determination, you bested him.” “I learned from the best,” groaned Spike, his voice slightly muffled by Crag’s sole. “You are a plague that’ll bring ruin to Dragonkind if you are not eradicated before you spread any further,” he continued.  “Since that pathetic failure couldn’t accomplish this either, once more, it falls upon me to complete.”     “Leave Spike alone!” cried Spark as he leapt onto Crag’s leg and looked up at him with the biggest pleading eyes he could muster.  “No more. Please, stop hurting everyone, dad.”     “Stay away from him, Spark,” warned Spike unable to do much while he was pinned down like that.  “He’s dangerous.”     “He’s also my father,” he pointed out.  “No matter what, he has never laid a claw on me.”     “Oh, Spark…” he said looking down at his child.  He reached down to gently pet his head, a small smile appearing on his face as he removed his foot off of Spike’s head.  Seeing all this, Spark smiled too, feeling a great relief that all the fighting was going to stop. Still smiling, Crag gently rubbed underneath Spark’s chin.  Then, he gripped at his son’s throat and lifted him up high, over his head.     “D-Daddy…” gagged Spark, struggling to breathe as his body flailed is body about.     “You were my spare, and a pathetic one at that,” he continued.  “Garble took after me and he ended up useless. You, on the other claw, did not, but I did not have any other choice save make the best of a less than ideal situation.  But now, I have the Bloodstone Scepter, I have the power, and I no longer have any need waste any more of my breath on you.” Crag tightened his grip on Spark’s throat, the young dragon helpless to do anything about it.     “Let him go!” cried Spike, getting up and leaping at Crag, only to be kicked back to the ground.  Not giving up, Spike hastily kept rushing at the monstrous dragon, desperate to get Spark out of his grasp, but at best he was able to draw his attention and prevent him from choking the young dragon’s windpipe any more than he already was.     “Sp-Spark,” trembled Garble, the sight of Spike completely ineffective against his old man only reminded him of the very same despair that had haunted him most of his life.  “It’s just like I’ve been saying. Against an enemy that strong, there’s nothing that can be done so there’s no point in even trying. But…” Despite how many times Spike was kicked to the ground, he got up to try again.  He rubbed the back of his hand against his nose, wiping away the blood that leaked from it after that last kick to his face.  “Let go of Spark,” Spike kept on saying adamantly as he lugged his battered body at the big brute once more, only to get swatted away as he leapt up to try and pry Crag’s hands off of Spark. “Why is he willing to go so far for someone else?” questioned Garble as he watched.  “Why is he risking his life when there is nothing for him to gain from it… like when he fought me… just to protect his pony friends.”     “Ugh,” groaned Spike, trying to get up again, but soreness abound, he struggled to find the strength to get up again after everything he already endured.  However, looking at Spark, his face turning purple, it was evident he didn’t have the time to rest and recover his strength.     “I am not like Garble,” Crag informed Spike.  “It doesn’t matter what the obstacle is, I will demolish it, be it a fellow dragon, my own flesh and blood, or even my own heart.  I will remove anything that might hinder me and crush it with every last ounce of strength I have!” To make his point, he didn’t even wait for Spike to even get up.  He just kicked him and watched his tumble across the ground helplessly.     “Let… my… brother… go,” demanded Garble, back on his feet as he shakily approached Crag.     “I’ll get back to you in a moment,” Crag told Garble, giving him no more than a side glance.  “For now, just sit still and shut up.”     Growling, Garble could feel the influence of the Bloodstone Scepter, forcing him to comply to his father’s words.  Crag then turned his focus back to Spark, slowly choking the life out of him. Still struggling to get up, Spike’s mind raced as he wondered how he could actually save his young friend even when he did.  All his efforts at best were stalling for time that Spark didn’t seem to have much of as he didn’t even have the strength to struggle anymore. “No!” cried Spike. “Spark!”     “Don’t worry,” promised Crag.  “You’ll be joining him shortly.” Crag then felt a clawed hand on his shoulder, tug at him, forcefully, to look behind him.  His eyes widened in surprise to see it was Garble a pained look on his face as he struggled against the orders given to him.  Making a fist with his other hand, he roared as he mustered all the pain he felt from years of living under his father’s claw to throw the hardest punch he could, right into Crag’s face.     “Let go of my brother!” he roared fiercely, his strike knocking Crag off his feet and onto the ground.  Spark was released as well, falling to the ground struggling for breath as he sobbed hysterically, tears running down his face.  Ignoring his burning scales from defying the power of the Bloodstone, Garble did his best to comfort Spark. “It’ll be okay,” promised Garble attempting to help calm him down.  “He won’t hurt you anymore. If he even tries I’ll-”     “Not a bad hit,” admitted Crag, rubbing his bruised cheek and then spat out some blood.  “That actually hurt a bit. Care to try that again?” Rising up to tower over his sons, Crag waved for Garble over, giving him his full attention now.     Afraid, but no longer willing to back down, Garble threw a punch at his father again, however, without the element of surprise, the larger dragon was able to catch it.  Garble then tried to attack with his other fist. Crag couldn’t catch this one, the Bloodstone Scepter already occupying his grasp. Instead, he took the punch to his jaw, but didn’t even budge.  Hitting his father again and again, Garble tried to knock him off his feet again, but Crag remained unflinching.     “And you go right back to disappointing me,” he told him sarcastically.  Clenching Garble’s captured fist, he brought him to his knees as he threatened to crush it with the strength of his grip alone.  “Why am I not surprised? But, if you are so insistent on being the first to perish, very well. I’ll send your brother soon after and then finally, the little cretin who caused this mess in the first place.”     “You mean me?” shouted Spike, back on his feet during the time Garble had been fighting Crag.  With his staff retrieved and in hand, he leapt at Crag swinging it with all his might. Instinctively, Crag attempted to block it with the weapon he had in his own claws, the Bloodstone Scepter.  It only took a moment for him to realize his mistake, but that was already too late as the hard metal easily broke through violet gemstones and severed the red gemstone of Dragon blood from the part Crag was still holding onto.     “NNNOOO!!!” bellowed Crag, seeing such a powerful and ancient Dragon treasure damaged before his eyes and newfound rage filled them.  Shoving Garble to the ground and tossing the useless remains of the scepter away, Crag attempted to attack Spike who swung his staff once more to fend Crag off.  The big Dragon caught it just as easily as Garble’s punch and attempting to pull it and Spike towards him, but the small, purple dragon had already let go of it and turned to run for the Bloodstone that had ended up a few meters away from them.     “He got it away from Crag,” gasped Ember, still unable to move along with the others.     “This is your chance, Spike!” cried Smoulder.  “Get it quick!”     “That is mine!” roared Crag, taking a step forward as he attempted to outrun Spike to the Bloodstone, but felt a tug on his tail, stop him in his tracks and made him fall flat on his face.  “WHAT?!?” Looking behind him, it was Garble, anchoring him in place.     “Garble?” questioned Spike, turning his head to see he had just helped him.     “J-Just focus on getting the Bloodstone,” he grunted and groaned, doing his best to hold Crag back. Anger only rising more, Crag kicked at Garble, not showing any restraint as he kept slamming his foot into his son’s face.  Garble wanted to hold on, at least till Spike had the scepter in claw, but his strength gave out before too long from the beating he was receiving.     Getting up again, he charged after Spike, his larger size helping quickly close the gap between them.  Not looking back, Spike could tell how close Crag was getting as his large body shook the ground as he charged forward.  “Almost there,” the small dragon observed, seeing the scepter mere feet from him, but Crag had gotten extremely close behind.  Diving for it, Spike could feel the shorted scepter in his claws, but only for a second as he felt claws tightly squeeze his tail before yanking him away from it.  Dangling upside down, his heart sank to his throat as he gazed at Crag, taking in a few deep breaths after all that scare.     “Now, that was a close one,” he told Spike before lifting him up and slamming his whole body onto the ground.     King Thorax was waiting in his throne room, his heart pounding in his chest as he awaited terrible, but inevitable news.  Unlike Chrysalis with her black as night coat, gnarled horn, and hole-filled body, these Changelings had embraced the ideals of sharing love, rather than stealing it from others.  As a result, they had transformed from vicious-looking predators to creatures that appeared to be a cross between beetles and deer. Their bodies had a far greater variant of colors that blended from one gradient to another. At Thorax’s side was his brother Pharynx, equally worried and couldn’t help to pace around the room due to anxiety.  While Thorax had hues of green over most of his body, the shell covering his transparent, insect-like wings were purple, matching his eyes.  Pharynx’s hue was a very dark blue with some red on his chest. He also had a purple shell to cover his wings, with his colored red while Thorax’s were purple. Those two were the largest of the Changelings, with Thorax’s size on par with Chrysalis and Pharynx just a bit shorter.  They both also had pair of orange and red antlers on their heads, respectively, unlike the rest of the pack, with Thorax’s being the larger of the two. “Sirs!  Sirs!” cried a Changeling flying over to them.  “The dragons have been spotted nearing our territory.  “They’ll be upon us in minutes.” “Are all the troops ready to intercept them?” asked Thorax as he got up and stretched. “They’ve been ready to go for a while now,” answered Pharynx.  “I did all I could to make them into capable soldiers again so we could protect ourselves.  I just didn’t think we’d be up against a swarm of Dragons as our first enemies. Isn’t the Dragon Lord a good friend of yours?” “She is,” nodded Thorax.  “And I really don’t want to believe that she’s making the Dragons go on a rampage like this.” “Whatever the reason, we have no choice but to fight back to protect ourselves,” stated Pharynx as he opened his wings to take to the sky. “Pharynx,” Thorax instructed him.  “I’m going to lead half the force to intercept them.  I want you to remain with the other half to protect the hive from any Dragons that manage to break through.” “Um, no offense, but you’ve never been the warrior type,” his brother reminded him.  “Going up against Dragons would be tough even for me. I can’t imagine you, of all creatures, fighting against a Dragon.” “Well, I did turn into a bear once to fight against Dragon Lord Ember,” Thorax admitted, surprising Pharynx.  “It ended as quickly as it began, but even at several times her size and weight I didn’t know if I could be here and the Dragons coming towards us are way larger than anything we can turn into.  Depending on the outcome of this battle, our lives could completely change again… and if we lose, then I feel that the one best suited to lead the Changelings will be you, the one who knows best how to protect us.  That’s why you have to survive this, no matter what.” “When did you get so tough-skinned?” asked Pharynx, a bit choked up upon hearing his brother able to take charge and be prepared with a worst case scenario. “I had to,” answered Thorax with a little smile.  “You wouldn’t stop making me hit myself.” “Are you certain we shouldn’t all evacuate into the sea?” questioned Commanded Skybeak of the Hippogriffs.  His coat was a pale sapphire hue while he had a mane of light and dark grays that stood up similar to a mohawk.  He had tail of similar hues to his mane. “We can avoid the conflict with the Dragons entirely, if we go where they cannot get us.” “No way are we going to do that again.  We have finally regaining our land, our pride, and our courage, after the defeat of the Storm King.  We cannot simply turn tail and run away again,” responded Queen Novo. She was a pink hippogriff with a regal, purple mane and tail that flowed like a fish’s fins in water.  Atop her head, she had a simple crown with three sparkling, blue feathers in it. “We’d never be able to return to the land again if we did and not simply out of fear of the Dragons, but the shame of abandoning all our friends to fend for themselves.  That being said, at the very least we can send all civilians beneath the waves while we defend Mt. Aris.” “All preparations have already been made,” he answered.  “We were most fortunate that the Equestrian princesses were able to give us advanced warning.  I shudder to think of how things may have gone if they attacked while we were ill prepared.” “It is another debt we owe them now,” she agreed.  “And that’s all the more reason we must survive this.” “Here they come,” informed Celestia.  “Are you two ready?” “Worried, but yes I’m ready,” nodded Twilight looking up at her horn and then back ahead of her.  The Dragons were close enough to make out the color of their scaly hides as they fast approached them. “Are you worried of the invading Dragons or casting a spell together with Princess Celestia?” questioned Starlight. “No, not that,” she replied.  “Well, okay, I am worried about all that, but I’m more worried about Spike.” “We’ve already been over this,” Starlight reminded her.  “Spike’s taking care of things on his end so we’ve gotta do our part over here.  Now, put him out of your mind. We need to focus on this spell.” “...Right,” she answered after a brief pause and the three Ponies began to work their magic, their horns all glowing together.  As the first large group of Dragons were almost upon them, a purple-hued barrier suddenly appeared in their way, blocking them from flying forward.  In response, some dragons attempted to break through it with fire and claws or weapons, if they were armed. Others attempted to try and go around it instead.  Both found their tactics thwarted as the shield held strong and went from a mere wall to a bubble the encased them all inside. “We got quite a lot of them,” stated Starlight as she continued to focus on maintaining the magic with Twilight and Celestia. “But not all of them,” added Celestia as more Dragons flew around the trapped ones and began to engage in the Pegasi who were waiting to confront them. “This’ll help keep things in our favor for a little while,” stated Twilight as they watched over the captured Dragons, observing as they all vigorously tried to break out.  In response, they repaired any damage they made as quickly as they could manage. “But we cannot keep them contained indefinitely,” stated Celestia.  “And, if the remaining Dragons cannot be driven off before these ones break free then we may be forced to retreat or risk being overwhelmed.” “Maybe Spike will have done whatever he needs to do first before we even have to consider that,” suggested Starlight with a nervous chuckle. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s worried,” Twilight said giving her friend a supportive smile. “Well, that makes three of us then,” added Celestia.  “And I’m certain everyone else is just as worried. But regardless of any fears, we will all stand together throughout this ordeal.  Each one of us is doing everything in their power to protect our home and one another.” “And I’m sure Spike is doing all he can to keep us safe as well,” agreed Starlight. “I’m sure he is,” nodded Twilight.  “Doing everything he can to keep us safe… but that’s why I’m so worried for him.” “Ugh… gah!” groaned Spike as he opened his eyes to see Crag’s feet.  Looking up, he saw the rest of him, the top half of the Bloodstone Scepter in his claws.  Turning to everyone else, they were all on the ground, helplessly bowing before their new Dragon Lord despite how badly they wanted to get up and help him.  Crag even had Garble and Spark under his command. “Well, the scepter will need to be replaced, but the Bloodstone doesn’t appear to be damaged,” stated Crag as he looked down angrily at Spike.  “I am very fortunate that your foolishness hasn’t hindered me any further.” “Why?” asked Spike weakly.  “Why do you have to do all this?  Hurt so many and, for what, for a stupid gemstone?” “This is more than a gemstone,” he spoke.  “It is the very essence of Dragonkind. It is what unites and binds us.  Without it, we’d be nothing more than greedy beasts without any order or community.  It is thanks to this that we have come as far as we have and it is the key to our destiny.” “Our destiny?” questioned Spike slowly managing to find some strength to stand up.  “A full-scale war against all of Equestria? That’s our destiny?” “Against our combined might, nothing will be able to get in our way.  This world could be all ours and, in due time, it will.” “And what of every other creature?  The Griffins, and the Hippogriffs, the Changelings and the Yaks… the Ponies, what about all of them?” wondered Spike his body aching as he breathed, his legs shaky as he tried to remain standing.  With all the pain he was feeling all over his body, it was difficult for him to even remain conscious. “What about them?” Crag asked.  “They are not Dragons so I have no concern for them beyond taking what they have, what we should have.  For them, I bear no malice or hatred. If they give me what I demand I need not get violent. Should they become an obstacle-” “Then you will remove them from your path,” finished Spike. “You are quite intelligent,” praised Crag. “I was raised well,” replied Spike.  “By Ponies.” “I suppose it’s where you gained such a warped ideology,” he added. “That is a matter of perspective,” countered Spike.  “Your views are the warped one in my opinion.” “And as a result,” he continued.  “You have been the source of all Garble’s and, by extension, my troubles for quite some time.  Even now, you oppose me and have gotten further than one would expect a runt of your stature.” “It’s hard to tell if those are compliments or insults,” commented Spike. “Oh, I have had great admiration for you, along with a seething anger that you have only managed to aggravate even further.  Not many Dragons are bold enough to cross me so much, if at all. To be perfectly honest, I wish I could have raised a son more like you.” “I am like this because of how I was raised,” retorted Spike.  “I doubt I’d be like this if I was taken under your wing. However, you still managed to have two great kids and they got that way in spite of who raised them.  Spark is caring, energetic, and the friendliest Dragon I’ve ever met. That he can be like this even while he has had to live with you is proof enough of how strong he is.  And Garble… he’s a big, dumb brute and I can clearly see how he got that way, but he hasn’t become the cruel monster you are, that you wanted him to be. He is capable of compassion for those around him, weak or strong, Dragon or not.  Every Dragon is capable of living together peacefully and sharing Equestria with every other creature that lives here. Don’t you see? The only one that wants this insane destiny is you!” “They just don’t know what is good for them!” snapped Crag.  “That’s why I have to lead them! I am the only one who is capable and deserving!” “If that was true then you wouldn’t need the Bloodstone Scepter,” Spike pointed out.  “No Dragon would follow you otherwise. A true leader wouldn’t need any kind of magic to get others to respect them.” “So long as I can accomplish what I have set out to do, how I am seen doesn’t matter to me in the slightest,” he retorted.  “When all of Dragonkind sees all they have because of me, history will see me as the greatest Dragon Lord that has ever lived.  No, even more than that, I’ll be a hero, a true one to inspire future generations. And what better way to begin my legend than to end yours.  All I need to do is utter one command and then I will sever your connection with the Bloodstone.” “That doesn’t work on me,” argued Spike defiantly. “In your current state,” he told the little dragon.  “I doubt you can resist its power.” “Stop!  You can’t do this!” cried Smoulder.  Ax, Tia, and Gorge teared up too, at a loss for words at everything they had witnessed. “Spike!” warned Ember.  “Cover your ears! Don’t listen to him.” “Spike…” sobbed Spark, terribly frightened.  Beside him, Garble just glared angrily, mostly because he still couldn’t move freely to do anything to stop this. “Die,” uttered Crag like saying such a thing was the simplest thing in the world.  The Bloodstone radiated a blindingly powerful, red glow, forcing everyone to shield their eyes, but they refused to look away.  They couldn’t, not as they saw Spike shake his head weakly in refusal before he simply collapsed onto the ground. As the light of the Bloodstone faded, everyone watched, waiting and expecting the young dragon to rise up once more like he had so many times before, but he just remained deathly still. Everyone couldn’t stop shaking, their voices lost despite their desperate desire to call out to Spike.  For several seconds, all was quiet. The one who finally did break that silence was Crag, as he let out a laugh as he celebrated his victory.  He held the Bloodstone Scepter over his head, delighted that he had finally removed such a stubborn obstacle in his way. Crag was so happy that he didn’t even notice as a small fragment of the Bloodstone broke off and crumbled away into dust.