//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: Spectral Clan 
// Story: Reclaimer 
// by SigmatheAwesome 
//------------------------------//

You'll be pleased to know I had a pleasant sleep. For a reptilian creature, Spike is quite warm. And soft.

If you're reading this, Shining, I did NOT 'sleep' with him. We just shared a bed. Besides, I'm married and he has a marefriend.

ANYWAY! 

Today was the day we were going to stop the Ponyville Civil War. Today, we are heading to the Clan headquarters and dealing with them. I'd say wish me luck, but you know why that isn't going to work.





Cadence held her laser pistol in the air, looking around the next-to-ruined town. They were still in Temple territory, and one could not be too careful.

Spike held his own pistol out, despite being on 'don't shoot immediately' terms with the Temple, Order or Peacemakers. He had his pistol out for two different reasons. One was Cadence.

"This place is a disaster zone..." Cadence noticed that some of the more recent barricades had a black or purple lightning bolt stencilled onto them, often over the symbol of a half-sun half-moon.

"That's what wars do."

Cadence kept walking around until she felt something against her hoof. She looked down and saw a teenage colt, lying there, lifeless and several holes partially clogged with clotting blood. She screamed.

Spike ran up, and upon seeing the body sighed, partially with relief and partially with sadness. "Damned Clan, sending kids head-first."

Cadence backpedalled, dropping her pistol. "Dead! Dead colt! Agh!"

"Cadence, calm down!" Spike gripped her by the shoulders. "There'll be more if you don't do something about the clan!"

Cadence's heavy breathing slowed down. "At best we could give him a proper rest."

Spike nodded, and shifted the colt into a more appropriate position. Cadence magically shut the corpse's eyelids. 

"There. Now we can go."





Cadence was still shaky after that incident, the face of the colt refusing to return from her mind. Even so, Spike had grown more cautious as they pressed on, often dropping low as a free-running pony leaped over something nearby. Eventually, the two of them reached a location Spike recognised as being close to the edge of town.

"I don't know where the Clan's HQ is. I'd ask around, but..."

"But what?"

"I'm on a bad standing with the Clan. And you... You're an alicorn."

Cadence would've berated him for simply saying she was in danger just because of her body, except she knew why.

A cluttering sound froze the two of them.

"What was...?"

"Die, freak!" A mare's voice shot out from one of the buildings, and ten or so ponies rushed out of various points, leaping over barricades and over rooftops. Then the bullets started flying.

Spike pushed Cadence behind cover as he fired a couple of shots from his weapon. Cadence pulled out her own pistol and blasted a beam at an oncoming stallion. The stallion crashed into a barricade that he was likely planning on leaping over. Spike fired several more shots before ducking behind the same barricade, replacing the spent magazine in his weapon.

"I got four. You?"

"One, stunned."

"Right. That leaves five."

Spike rolled out of cover, only to be knocked back a couple of feet. He rose slowly, checking his chest for wounds.

"So I am bullet resistant..."

Cadence leapt from her side of the cover, and fired a few beams in the direction of a young mare. The mare's magic imploded when the second beam struck her, and she fell limp.

"Got another!"

Spike grabbed a heavy weapon from the stallion that had crashed into the barricade after being stunned, and opened up a curtain of lead in the direction of the remaining ponies. Three of them dropped before the gun ran empty.

Spike rolled behind cover as a hail of bullets hit their location. Cadence ducked behind as well.

"Good news, they can't run up to us while he's shooting us."

"Bad?"

"We're pinned."

Cadence summoned up some magic. "Not quite."

"What are you-!"

Cadence leapt out of the cover, and brought up a blue forcefield in front of her. When the bullets hit her shield, there was a glowing ripple from each one. And the weight of fire obscured vision from behind the normally-transparent shield.

Spike took this opportunity to fire back, placing himself in a gap between the shield and the barricade. He managed to get the machine gunner, and as Cadence dropped her shield Spike took the other one down.

Only the sound of Cadence's magic could be heard. Spike looked around.

"That was fast."

Spike was sent flying by a large force, and smacked into a barricade a good few metres away. Cadence turned to see a hooded, masked pegasus using her wings to leap over barricades, a saddle-mounted gun to her side.

Cadence pulled out her pistol, and struck the pony with a beam of rainbow light. At the same time one of the pony's wings buckled as a solid bullet tore through it. The pony slid almost comically to Cadence's hooves.

Spike walked up, holstering his pistol. "I guess we missed one."

The pony groaned, her wounded orange wing twitching. Spike started removing the saddle off the hooded pony. Cadence pulled the hood back, the mare's purple mane spiked and long. Spike froze.

"Hang on..."

Cadence pulled the mask off and pushed the goggles up. The mare opened her eyes, and looked up slowly. Then her pupils turned to pinpricks, seething with anger.

"You freak! You shot me!" The mare wriggled around, looking for a scorch mark, then froze in pain. "Ow..."

"Hey Scoots." Spike said, only giving a glance to her as he threw the saddle aside. The gun, being poorly maintained, broke on impact.

"Spike?!"

"Scootaloo?" Cadence recognised the muzzle of the mare.

"Cadence?" Scootaloo coughed awkwardly. "Well, this'll make killing you harder..."

"Who said anything about killing me?"

"I-I have to. Spare them from Twilight's crazy stuff."

Cadence facehoofed. "No, you don't."

"But-"

"You could, I dunno, help them?"

Scootaloo paused. "I gotta tell her that."

"Right. Actually, can you help us?"

"Depends."

"I need to reach your HQ. Have a talk with your leader."

Scootaloo grimaced, probably her wing. "No can do. You'd be shot on site, even if I escorted you there."

Cadence slumped down. "Well, this is awkward."

Spike grinned. "I just had an idea."





Cadence tightened the ropes behind Scootaloo's back, binding her hooves tighter. "Now don't move too much, or I'll be forced to shoot you."

What Spike had planned was to tie up Scootaloo and pretend they were holding her hostage. Unfortunately, Scootaloo didn't like it that much. Which made the disguise more realistic.

"I hate you guys."

"We love you too." Spike said mockingly, slapping Scootaloo's rump. Scootaloo yelped and tried bucking the living daylights out of Spike, who stepped out of her range.

"Pervert! I'll kill you!"

Cadence snickered. "This is going to work so well."

And so they set off. Along the way many ponies with weapons looked up, and many ponies lowered them when Spike levelled a pistol to Scootaloo's head. Cadence had her pistol on stun as always, and aimed them at any ponies that were a little more hesitant at lowering a firearm. When there weren’t any ponies, Spike made Scootaloo feel just a little more awkward.

By the time they reached a makeshift hall, Cadence swore that Scootaloo had gone back to hating them completely. Spike might have been having a little too much fun.

Cadence pushed open the door. It creaked open on rusted hinges.

The room was large, with a sort-of throne at the end. On one side of the throne was a pink-maned pony, brandishing a huge blade, and on the other a yellow-maned pegasus who levelled a heavy weapon when they entered. And in the centre was a cloaked figure, shrouded in darkness.

Spike threw Scootaloo to the ground hard, and aimed his pistol at her head. "Don't attack, or you can say goodbye to this little filly."

Cadence shot him a look. The pink-maned pony got ready to leap at them, the pegasus cocked her weapon. But the centre figure waved them down.

"Pinkie, Derpy, stand down."

The cloaked figure rose up, and slowly made her way down the throne's stairs. 

"So, Cadence, how have you been?"

Cadence gasped when the pony stood out into a patch of light. A rainbow mane covered one eye, the other eye magenta. Cyan wings opened out.

"Rainbow Dash?"

"The one and only." Something seemed different. Her voice wasn't breaking. That could be due to age.

"Dash!" Scootaloo struggled with her bindings. "Just get 'em! Forget about-"

Spike fired a bullet. Everypony froze. Cadence noticed he had missed. Scootaloo was whimpering. Rainbow Dash was poised to fight, as were Pinkie and Derpy.

"Spike!" Cadence roared. "What the hell?!"

"Hurt the kid and you die!" Rainbow Dash yelled, voice finally breaking.

Spike looked up. "Fine. But you have to listen to Cadence."

Rainbow growled. "I was going to anyway..."

Cadence cleared her throat. "Sorry, Dash. Spike's being a little... unnecessary. Anyway, I have a few questions, and one request."

"Alright, shoot- Not literally." She said, glaring at Spike.

"Ok, first up, what exactly happened between you and Twilight?"

"She was getting a little annoying, which soon rose to a whole religious war. She thinks the Princesses are Goddesses, and I think they're closer to normal ponies."

"So, why did you form the Spectral Clan?"

"That's an easy one." She flew up and pulled aside a curtain somewhere, showing a mural. "Twilight and I were discussing, or more like at each other's throats about, the Princesses and their origins. I personally thought that they were born like us normal ponies. Twilight thinks they were born in heaven or something. I basically founded the Clan as a way of saying 'haha more ponies like my view than yours'. Unfortunately, Twilight retaliated."

Cadence could pick up a familiar smell that until then had evaded her. Reminded her of Twilight when she was little. "So what happened?"

"The Celestia Temple was formed. It's more like a cult, if you ask me. I overheard some of our prisoners saying something about sacrificing us to Celestia. Which is just stupid."

"Yeah, I mean, what sorta Goddess would want ponies killed in their name?" Spike replied, taking a step back from Scootaloo, who was struggling to move.

"Probably ancient ones." Derpy spoke out.

"Anyway, for the past few years I have been... well, hiding... in here, while I pointlessly send young ponies to their deaths." The pegasus sighed. "I wish I could go out on the field and help them, but I know that Twilight would send every last Knight, Mage and Paladin in my direction, and I can't have that inflicted on the Clan. So that's why I'm here."

Pinkie trotted up, silk-straight mane hiding one of her eyes, the opposite one of Dash's. "I've got a journal on the events, written by you, Spike. Found it one day when I was training." She hoofed it to Cadence. "Have a look when you can."

Cadence hovered it up. Spike looked over her shoulder. "So that's where it went..."

Pinkie smiled, brushing mane out of her eye. "Once this is over, I'll run a party. You're invited, obviously."

Cadence slipped the journal into her bag, only to have Spike pull it out to read it. "Thanks, Pinkie."

Derpy walked up, being incapable of flying with the monster of a machine gun she was carrying. "Will there be muffins?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Jeez, Derpy, can't you go five seconds without mentioning muffins?"

"Nope." She paused. "Oh, Princess, have you seen my daughter?"

"Maybe. What's she look like?"

"Unicorn. Purple-grey coat. Golden mane."

Cadence thought back. "Not that I can remember. If I do see her, I'll let you know."

Derpy dropped her behemoth and wrapped her forelegs around Cadence in a tight hug. "Thank you!"

"No problem." Cadence managed to croak out.

"Now, Cadence, you had a request?"

"Oh yes. I think I've stopped the Temple from fighting, so if they seem... unhostile, is that the word... don't shoot them."

"If I can manage. Anything else?"

"Oh, and a possible alliance between the Peacemakers and the Musician's Order."

Dash looked uncertain. "I'll send a negotiation team to both, but I don't expect much."

"At least try. And one final request."

Dash sighed. "Last one, ok?"

"I promise. Do you mind if we stay the night?"

"Oh." Dash brightened up. "Sure, sure."





Cadence laid down on the bed. It was decent enough. "You know what, Spike?"

"Huh?"

"I'm surprised we've managed to get a bed all these nights."

Spike chuckled. "Yeah, it is."

Silence.

"Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you really mean to act like that, back in the Hall?"

Silence.

"I did."

Silence.

"Why?"

"I wanted to make an impression on them, show them that we're tougher than them. If Scoots kept going on like that, Dash might have had those two in action."

"I doubt it."

"Why?"

Silence.

"Because she's afraid."

"Of what?"

"Probably losing everything. Scootaloo must be like a sister to her, she was almost ready to choke you to death when you shot the ground. And then she'd lose you, then I probably would be attacked for letting it happen, and it'd escalate."

"Wow. Deep."

"Yeah."

Silence.

"Can you pass me my journal?"

"Alright." Spike sat up from his own bed and tossed the journal and pen in her direction. Cadence caught it with magic, and prepared to write.





I think, tomorrow, I'll try to bring Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo back together. If nothing else, so we can leave Ponyville before everyone wipes it off the map or worse.

My first firefight was quite hectic. I am glad I came out unscathed. Next time I may not be so lucky.

But for now, I need to catch up on my sleep.

Until tomorrow.





Scootaloo slumped her head out of the window. "This really bites, y'know?"

Rainbow Dash looked up from the novel in her hooves. "What does?"

"I got stunned, had my wing shot, slapped in the flank-"

"Woah woah woah, when did that happen?"

"When they tied me up." Scootaloo turned back. "I got humiliated when nopony was around, and then I literally pissed myself when Spike shot the ground next to me. What made it worse is that you saw it..."

Rainbow snapped the book shut and sighed. "Kid, I probably would've peed myself in your situation."

"No you wouldn't!" She threw her hooves into the air. "You're Rainbow Dash, Wonderbolt-in-training and Warmaster of the Spectral Clan!"

Rainbow Dash chuckled, and ruffled her mane. "There are many things you don't know about me. I'd totally act like you did."

"But-"

"But the difference is that I'd try to keep strong instead of moping about it like it's the most important thing in Equestria." Dash stood up and stretched her wings. "Now, I've sent negotiators from the Sonic Waves MkII to each of the minor factions. With luck, they'll accept an alliance."

Scootaloo's face brightened. "It'd be awesome to have some friends."

Rainbow laughed. "You say that like you don't have friends here."

"I-I was meaning with the Clan!"

"Relax, squirt."

"I'm as tall as you." Scootaloo muttered. "But seriously, AB's with the Peacemakers. It'd be nice to be able to talk to her without being shot at."

"And I with AJ." She blushed. "And her brother, too." She giggled uncharacteristically, like a little filly with a schoolcolt crush.

Scootaloo smiled. "You like him, don't you?"

"Wha-? No, well, yeah, but- Oh shut up!" 

Scootaloo broke into laughter. "It's funny 'cos he's dating Cheerilee..."

"Gee, thanks for the dreamwreck, kid." Dash said with dripping sarcasm.

"Eh, 'was nothing." The orange pegasus said with a smirk.

"Oh, that's it, you're dead meat!" Rainbow lunged at Scootaloo and after a moment of tangling caught her in a headlock and was rubbing her hoof on the top of her skull.

A knock on the door stopped her. "Come in."

Pinkie pushed the door open. "I have the answers. Peacemakers yes, Order no."

"What? Why didn't they accept?"

"Something about, and I quote here "them having the nerve of battling us and then trying to be friends.""

"Vinyl?"

"Vinyl. Otherwise, Lyra's a little uncertain. Less so when she heard we're trying to ally with the Peacemakers."

Dash cursed under her breath. "That means they'll try and launch an offensive." She cursed, this time so everypony present could hear her.

"Oh, don't worry about that. The Peacemakers are going to help defend."

"Well, I've got an image to keep, and friendship is magic. Send a contingent... Some from all Aspects."

"Does that mean me as well?" Scootaloo inquired.

"Nah, you're wing's still bad." She tapped Scootaloo's injured wing, who flinched back in pain. "See?"

"Fine."

Rainbow turned to Pinkie. "Thanks, Pinks."

"No problemo!" Pinkie saluted, and then headed out the door.

"Well, this is going to be different..."





"Applebloom!" A sweet voice called out from the garage door.

Applebloom turned to face Fluttershy, who was dressed in armour. "Hey Fluttershy. What c'n Ah do fer ya?"

"Oh, well, we've accepted an alliance request from the Spectral Clan, and I just wanted to hear your thoughts."

Applebloom beamed, wiping sweat from her grease-stained brow. "That's wonderful news! Ah've been dyin' t' talk to Scoots fer years now."

Fluttershy stepped inside, looking around. "Are the Loaders in good condition?"

"Yep. Ah improved the hydraulics and reinforced the joints, plus added some ablative armour plates over the cockpit. Ah've also rewired the right claw controls to th' weapon arm, bolstered the hydraulic output of the left claw and modified the engine to have a sound dampener. Fer each one."

Fluttershy looked at her in confusion.

Applebloom sighed. "It can move faster and better, has more armour, it can shoot properly, the claw is stronger and the entire thing is quieter."

"How long did it take?"

"Well, Ah'm still on the last one, but that's five Loaders times five hours, plus another three fer figurin' out how to do it plus another hour fer doin' it again..."

"Twenty-nine hours." Big McIntosh said from behind a stack of hay, startling Fluttershy.

"My goodness, have you taken breaks?"

"Make that thirty hours."

Fluttershy blinked in confusion. "A day and a half working?"

"Yeah, Ah would've done it in less but AJ dragged me t' dinner this night." She turned to head back to the sixth Loader, picking up a grease-stained rag on the way.

"Haven't you slept?"

"Ah'll have a long one tonight."

Fluttershy smiled sweetly, though nopony could see it. "Ok, have a good night, you three."

"You too." Applebloom replied, head-first in engine.

After a moment of silence, she pulled her head out. "Wait a minute. 'You three'?"

A mare's giggle confirmed her answer.

"Ah. Well, back to work."





Sweetie Belle shut the cockpit's door closed. Her eyes fell on a photo of her and Spike, way back before Ponyville became Hell. It was of the two of them during a party dedicated to them being together for a year. She sighed sadly, and shut her eyes to sleep.

She was woken by a loud clanging on the hull. "Gemstone? Y'in there?"

"Ugh... What is it, Scratch?"

"Lyra wants to have a talk with you."

"Tell her to come down here, I'm stuffed."

"Training?"

"Yeah..." 

"Aight, I'll get her."

Sweetie Belle shut her eyes, releasing a long breath.

What felt like an hour later, some more clanging. "Sorry, but she said you have to come up and see her."

"Celestia damnit..." She kicked the cockpit open, and leapt down. A short walk later and she had reached Lyra's office.

"Hey there, Belle-"

"Get on with it."

"Jeez, miss Snappy..." She pointed a hoof to a map on the table. "The Spectrum Clan asked for an alliance."

"And?"

"We refused."

"Why?"

"Vinyl."

Sweetie Belle turned to Vinyl. "Why?"

"They're a buncha jerks who don't care for music, and treated us like a shock unit more than musicians."

"That's because you were shock troops." Lyra deadpanned.

"But I was there for the music."

"Its war, why did you think that'd be acceptable?" Octavia replied.

Vinyl remained silent.

Lyra pointed a mechanical finger at the table. "Now, they expect us to retaliate immediately. So that's why we're going to wait a day."

"Then why am I here?" Sweetie Belle was getting tired of this.

"Because I need to discuss plans for our attack."

"Excuse me," Octavia replied. "But why do we even need to attack? They're at enhanced strength."

"All of our Walkers are operational. In fact, we're the only faction with Walkers."

"And therefore?"

"Ok, I just need an excuse to test these babies out. That and their free-running ponies can't break their armour, so it's safer."

Octavia facehoofed. "Luna damnit, Lyra."

"So, who'll be operating the machines?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Well, there's you in Overture, Vinyl in Nero, I'll be in our newest one, Titan, Crystal is in Harmonic, Ironstorm is in Gunner and Bon Bon is in Juggernaut."

"You'll be on the field?"

"My one is special. It has four arms."

"What? Why? Are you planning on controlling it with your back hooves...?"

Lyra lifted her mechanical arms to show her.

"Oh."

Vinyl cleared her throat. "Anyway, gotta get some shut-eye."

Octavia smiled. "That's uncharacteristic of you, Vinyl."

"Well, I've gotta smash things in a bit, so I'd best catch up on sleep." She turned and briskly walked out of the room. "Later."

Sweetie Belle headed for the door, but Lyra stopped her.

"Sweetie Belle, are you ok?"

She sighed. "No, I'm not."

"Do you want to tell me?"

"Tomorrow."





Twilight flipped through a book, trying to find explanation for Celestia's Goddesshood other than 'immortal, powerful and controls the sun'. She looked up when she heard a loud thud, followed by whimpering.

"Paladin Lulamoon?"

Trixie was breathing hard from the effort of dragging a pony. "Scholar Rarity... She helped Cadence and the other Chosen escape..."

"Let me have a word with her."

"Yes." She turned and left the bright room, out into the dimly-lit hallways, and shut the doors behind her.

Twilight trotted up to Rarity, picking up the broken piece of her horn. "Jovia's got some damn good weaponry. Capable of snapping a horn in one shot." She looked at Rarity's forehead. "Now, I'm going to reattach this, and then you'll tell me everything I ask you to tell me. Deal?"

Rarity nodded weakly.

"Good." Twilight placed the horn back onto the white unicorn's head, and with a flash of lavender magic reattached it. Rarity sighed, her magika network no longer screaming in pain. She froze when Twilight grabbed the bolt in her leg. "Now, why did you free those two?"

"Because they were going to die if you left them..."

"Oh, that wasn't going to happen. You see, Genome actually survived, and now I'm working on a way to enhance ponies temporarily. I've made some... permanent changes to Genome as part of the test."

As if on cue, a hulking beige alicorn walked into the room, eyes dulled and horn brimming with magic.

"Of course, my enhancements keep the mind sharp."

"You... monster!" Rarity cried out. "You broke his mind!"

"No, it broke itself. So much conflict it snapped when it was finally freed. Now, next question. Where did they go?"

"I-I don't know-" She screamed as the bolt was twisted in her leg.

"Let me repeat myself, Rarity. Where. Did. They. Go?"

"I don't know! I just led them outside!" She broke into sobs. "Please, Twilight, don't do this..."

"You broke my trust, Rarity." Another twist of the bolt. "And you know what happens to those that break my trust. Remember Sweetie Belle? She signed a death warrant as soon as she stepped out, and the only reason she's alive is because the entire Order of the Lyre betrayed me." Another twist. "And you remember Twister?"

"Please, Twilight! Enough!"

"She was killed because she tried to take over your position." Twist. "And you said you were letting her? Do you not appreciate what I've done?" Twist. "Now, last question."

Rarity screamed as the bolt was yanked out of her leg, and pointed at her throat.

"Do you value your life?"

Rarity couldn't answer; she was in so much shock.

"I said, do you value your life?"

"Y-y-y-yes..."

"Then why did you betray me?"

"Cadence didn't deserve what she went through, not when you, her old foalsittee, were doing this!"

Twilight floated the bolt at Rarity's neck for a few more moments before pulling it back. "Do not do this again. Or I will execute you on the spot. Understand?"

Rarity's response was unnoticed under her sobbing. Twilight turned to the hulking alicorn, and picked up the bolt again. She built a crossbow out of magic, and fired the bolt directly at the chest of the hulk. It snapped on impact. She examined Genome with pinprick eyes and a manic grin plastering her muzzle.

"With the powers of the Goddesses at my command, who would even dare stop me?"