//------------------------------// // Made in Equestria // Story: Mr. Smokes // by Deep //------------------------------// Twilight was kidnapped, as were the rest of my friends. The Royal Guard didn’t know who was responsible, only that they had received a note stating that my friends were being held in the caves at the bottom of Canterlot Mountain, much deeper than the one I’d used to sneak into the castle. The note also had a warning, that I had to come alone. If there was any sign that I was bringing someone with me, or that someone was waiting to help me, Twilight and the others would be killed immediately.  My heart sank when I read the note, deeper than it ever had. Flooded by a flurry of emotion, I prepared myself to do whatever it took to rescue my friends. The note stated that I had to arrive in the caves by midnight at the latest, and so I began my journey that evening, after a long period of contemplation where I visualized the worst-case scenario. Just the thought of Twilight and the others being killed--because of my powerlessness to save them--was unbearable. It made me want to kill myself, and I swore that was what I’d do if I failed.  I entered the mountain through the cave I’d used to sneak into the palace, except I took a different path, one that led down into the depths of the mountain. The path was a maze, one that only a few even knew about. This maze had been used in the past as a royal shelter from invaders, and Twilight and I had been briefed on it by Celestia and Luna as a place to hide if things ever seemed hopeless. I was surprised that the kidnapper knew about this path, let alone how to navigate it. Anyone who dared to enter without clear knowledge of where to go would most likely be lost for weeks, long enough for them to die of dehydration.  I made my way through the labyrinth alone, with no weapon or shield to defend myself with. The only thing I had for protection was a magical tracker that was sending my location to the Royal Guards who were stationed in the palace. I had told them how to navigate the maze, and so they were ready to rush in to save me if need be. And if it came to the worst, they were in a position to avenge my friends and I. Since they knew the path, it would only take them thirty minutes at most to reach the bottom of the mountain. I had doubts about my ability to survive that long if the kidnappers were too powerful for me to deal with, but it was better than nothing.  As I made my way deeper into the mountain’s core, the tunnel grew darker, blinding me with darkness. There was nothing for me to ignite, so I lightly blew out my fire breath to illuminate the tunnel. Exhaling for as long as I could, I kept my eyes and ears ready for trouble. I could hear footsteps in the distance, but they didn’t sound like they belonged to a pony. I had no idea what I was walking into, but for my friends, I was ready for anything. A glowing purple forcefield stood ahead. I threw a rock at it, to see if the stone would be reflected. The rock went straight through the forcefield, and so I stepped through it. I didn’t notice anything after walking through it, at least until I checked on my tracker. The device had been short-circuited somehow by the forcefield, meaning that I was truly alone. There would be no reinforcements to come and save me, no one to avenge me if I failed.  At first, I began to tremble, but it wasn’t long until the fear made me stand tall and feel exhilarated. The goosebumps made me feel alive, more than I ever had before. For the first time, my friends’ lives were entirely in my hands, and there was no greater responsibility than that. For the first time in my life, I truly felt like a knight, like a protector. I was no longer the powerless child who had let Rarity get kidnapped by Diamond Dogs. No, I was an emperor, and the protector of all I held dear. I swore to myself that after killing the kidnappers, I would personally send my friends to the new homes I had built for them. This situation had confirmed it for me, that their security was more important than their freedom. Hopefully after this, they would understand that too.  I continued through the long cave until the sounds of footsteps grew closer. I blew a jet of fire at the source of the noise, but my flames only hit rock. However, in my peripheral vision, I could see something crawling on the cave wall. It looked like a bat, but with the legs of a spider. Using its long, insect-like legs, it crawled onto the roof of the cave, right on top of me. I froze, waiting for the creature to make its next move.  That was when I saw them, the rest of the creatures. There were dozens of them all around me, all squirming around like a mass of meaty, furry insects. Frozen, I kept exhaling for as long as possible, but it was only a matter of seconds before I ran out of air. When my gentle fire breath ended, so did the cave’s only source of light. Darkness engulfed me, and I could feel them--those creatures--crawl over me, right over my eyes. I stayed still, hoping they would crawl over me and nothing more. Their legs pricked at my scales as they crawled over my body, but they never attacked. My heart pounding against my chest, I took my first step forward. Still no attack.  Beginning to hyperventilate, I ran forward, and the creatures fell off me. But my sprint only lasted a few seconds, until my foot hit what I assumed was a sharp rock on the cave floor. I could feel that I was bleeding, but any sense of worry I had over the cut disappeared when deafening hissing began to echo throughout the cave.  I sprinted forward, leaving a small trail of blood behind me. It only took the creatures a second to follow the trail and bite into my cut. I used all my might to kick them off my foot, but they were attracted to my cut like a magnet with its polar opposite. I blew a jet of fire at them, turning the ones on my feet into ash, but a dozen more jumped on to continue chomping on my torn flesh and sipping on my dripping blood. With only one course of action left, I let out my claws and began ripping them to pieces. One by one, I slashed them in two. It took a minute for the attack to cease, and what few creatures remained fled.  As I caught my breath and tended to my injury, I noticed that there was a light shining from ahead. The source of the light looked to be only a minute’s walk away. Filled with hope, the pain radiating from my foot faded away, and I ran toward the light. When I reached the end of the tunnel, that was when I saw them. Twilight and the other Element bearers were trapped in a purple forcefield, except this one looked thicker, like it was an impenetrable wall. The forcefield was in what looked to be a bunker room, and on the other end was Fleur De Lis.  Fleur’s face was scarred with dark burns, and her once beautiful mane was gone. The murderous look in her eye was unlike any I’d seen, and I knew only one person who could match it: Myself.  “You came alone, I presume?” she said, shaking with anger just from the sight of me. I nodded. “And I take it you’re alone too?” She nodded back, growing a smirk. “Your friends are all the company I need. You have no idea how much pleasure I will take from killing you in front of them. And then seeing their fear as I kill them one by one. I’ll save your precious Twilight for last.”  I grew a smirk of my own. “As much fun as you think you’ll have, it’s nothing compared to how good it felt to kill your beloved Fancypants.” She let out a growl.  “Don’t be mad,” I continued. “You’re about to join him soon.” Getting into a fighting stance, I showed my off claws, which were still dripping with the blood and guts of the creatures. “Think of this as me doing you a favor. After all, I would hate to keep you two separated.”  Fleur let out a laugh. “And I would hate to keep you all separated. You have been so busy these last few months building your little empire, that you forgot the most important rule of all. Everypony dies and can be killed. It does not matter if you are a beggar, or the Princess of Friendship. One tiny bit of poison is all it takes, or in this case…” She powered up her horn with a light pink aura, and my friends began to pound their hooves against the forcefield and grab their throats. “Suffocation. It works quite well for prolonging the suffering. I do wonder which one of them will beg the most. I wonder if I could get one of them to kill the others, just for the chance at survival. What do you think, Spike? Who do you think will crack first?” Gritting my sharp teeth, I let out a vicious growl. I shifted my gaze to Twilight, and I could see the fear in her eyes. There was no sliver of hope within her like there was when she was fighting other villains. It began to sink in that everything was truly up to me. “And just so you know, killing me won’t save them. In fact, it may be the very thing that ends them.” I turned my attention back to Fleur and gave her a glare. “You see, the spell I cast is a special one. As soon as my heart stops, the spell will become irreversible, and all your friends will suffocate. Twilight would be the only one capable of breaking through my forcefield, but thanks to your actions, she is too weak at the moment to be any threat. Also, if I were to get arrested, I would simply make the spell irreversible then as well. Either way, your friends are done. You never showed my Fancypants any mercy, so consider this justice.” Letting out another growl, I fired up my brain to think of a way out of this. I couldn’t hear through the forcefield, so Twilight had no way to tell me a plan, meaning I had to come up with one by myself. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t think of anything. Why was I so stupid? All I needed was one moment of genius. Just this one moment. Why couldn’t my brain give that to me? Why was I always the weak link?  Fleur let out a loud laugh. “You really don’t get it, do you? You’re seriously trying to think of a way out of this? Let me make this simple for you, they’re dead. To be quite frank, you can kill me whenever you like. Now that my beloved is gone, there is no purpose for me to live. I’m sure you, of all ponies, can relate to that. “No. There’s always a way,” I told myself. “That’s what Twilight taught me.”  “And look where she is now. At my mercy, too full of pride to beg, but too scared of death to accept what is coming. But I will say one thing about her, at least she’s not a coward. From the second I saw you, I knew everything about you. You’re a coward, and mask it with your ambition and need to protect. Deep down, you just hate yourself. Even if you could save your friends, you’d just find another reason to loathe your existence.” I stood petrified, trying my hardest to think of something… anything.  “You know what’s the best part about all this,” Fleur said. “That you thought this whole act would protect them. That being ruler would allow you to keep them in a box, so that nopony else could play with them. Did you really think that was how it would go down? As soon as you become emperor, your precious Twilight became target number-one. And no amount of protection could have kept her away from me. Even if it took years to get my revenge, I would have it eventually. There would always be that one crack you overlooked. That one meal that wasn’t checked properly. That one pony who I could bribe to slit her throat while she slept. So, please, do tell me when to end this, your majesty. I’m waiting.” As Fleur’s words sank in, I began to agree with them. Ever since I had begun my rise to the top, my friends had been put in more danger than ever. And now, because of me, they were going to… “In case it has not sunk in yet.” Fleur powered up her horn again, and my friends collapsed to the ground from suffocation. As they choked, gasping for air, they pounded against the forcefield with all their might, but it was futile. I stared on as they cried out for me to save them, but all I could do was watch. “I’m sorry,” I mouthed to them, knowing nothing else to say. Trembling as the weight of my loss sank in, I threw myself to the floor and bowed at Fleur’s hooves. “Please, please don’t take them away. I’ll give you whatever you want. You want revenge? Kill me. Suffocate me. I don’t care what you do to me, just please let them go.” “Anything?” “Yes, anything. Name your price.” “Give me the title of ruler.” “Done.” “And you shall be my slave, for life.” “Done. Whatever else you want, just name it.” “Hmmm…” Fleur pondered for a moment. “Sorry. What I want, more than anything in this wide, wide world, is to see you suffer. And the best way to do that…” She turned to my friends, grinning as their faces turned blue. “Don’t be too sad. It’s like you said, you shall be joining them soon.” As my friends dropped unconscious, moments away from death, my instincts kicked in. Without thinking, I tore open my chest using my claws, spilling blood all over the floor and Fleur De Lis. She was taken aback and gasped in horror. “Of all the ways to end one’s life,” she said. I grew a grin of my own. “Not just my life.” Within seconds, hissing echoed throughout the bunker, and a swarm of the cave creatures flooded the room. They began to devour me bit by bit, but they also descended upon Fleur, attracted to the scent of my blood all over her. She screamed as they ate her, starting at her burns. Gritting through the pain, I jumped toward her and used what little strength I had left to snap her horn in half. When her horn broke, the forcefield vanished, and my friends quickly regained consciousness.  I don’t exactly remember what happened next, as the creatures were beginning to bite into me. What little I do remember was of Twilight running toward me, and of me giving her a smile. If this was to be my last moment on earth, I wanted it to be one of gratitude. I wanted her to know that even in the face of death, my friendship with her mattered more than anything.  I was ready for death, proud of the dragon I had become.  ……………………………. I survived, but to be honest, a part of me wished I hadn’t. Now that I was alive, it meant I had to confront all the ponies I’d hurt, and the destruction I’d caused. And somehow, as impossible as it was, I had to make up for all that suffering. It took me a few months to recover from my wounds. During that time, as I underwent constant medical supervision at the hospital, Twilight took back control of Equestria and managed to stabilize the situation. Using data I gave her about my organization, she and the Council of Friendship were able to put a stop to the sugarcube trade, with the exception of some dealers who showed up every now and then. She was able to find those who were corrupt in the Royal Guard and police, jail them, and use the honorable ones who were left to destroy all remnants of my gang. All ponies who were loyal to me were purged from the government. I am not going to pretend that everything was fixed during those months, but she definitely laid a path forward, one that gave the entire kingdom hope. She really was the princess we needed, and I was proud to stand by her side once again, fulfilling whatever role she gave me. Assuming she decided I was still worthy of a role, that was.  During those months, Twilight was the only one in the group who visited me. I wasn’t shocked that the others wanted nothing to do with me, and to be honest, I deserved this. Even during Twilight’s visits, she was icy, and could barely look me in the eye. Still, I appreciated the time she spent with me.  When my hospitalization was over, she brought me to the palace, where she led me toward the back of the building. It was eerily quiet, and there were no maids, servants or guards anywhere to be seen. The entire palace was empty other than the two of us.  “You’ll have to be punished. I’m sure you know that,” Twilight said, hiding her glare by facing away from me.  I hung my head. “Of course.” I didn’t want to imagine the pain she must have been feeling. After everything I’d done, everything I’d threatened to do, for her to even talk to me, it showed how devoted to the magic of friendship she truly was. “How are Mom and Dad?” “Heartbroken, but that’s just the way it is.” Her tone was so cold. A part of me wanted to tell her to just let out all her anger instead of holding it in as she was doing. But I kept my mouth shut. It was for the best. “Everypony’s families have been freed, and they are doing their best to recover. I trust that you’ll keep your distance from them, especially from Apple Bloom and the other fillies?” I nodded.  Twilight didn’t speak again until a minute later, when we were in the dark back-end of the palace, near the entrance to the dungeons. “Please, continue forward. I’ll stay close behind.” Hearing Twilight talk to me so formally stung, but at least I still got to hear her voice. I walked ahead of her, leading myself down to the shadowy dungeons. As she walked close behind me, I thought back to everything I’d done, and made peace with my jail sentence, however long it would be. And that is where my story ends, with me on my way to my happily ever after. It sounds weird, doesn’t it? Calling a jail sentence happily ever after. For all I know, my sentence could be for life. But the way I see it, I was finally able to make myself proud, and I still had a friend in Twilight. And so I continue walking deeper into the dungeon, with my last remaining friend so close to me that I can feel her warm breath hit the back of my neck. It’s comforting.  There is a locked cage door in front of us, and Twilight uses her magic to open it. Huh, her purple magic is the same color as the forcefield that was in the cave, and the one that had trapped her and the rest of the group. That’s weird, how didn’t I notice that before? I’ve lived with her for so long, you would think that I’d have the color of her magical aura memorized. “Keep walking,” she says.  As I continue down the dark path, into parts of the castle not even I recognize, I think back to those caves, and my confrontation with Fleur De Lis. Fleur’s aura was light pink, so she couldn’t have made those forcefields. Which makes sense, since it takes a strong unicorn to make something like that. A strong unicorn like… “Faster, Spike.” Wait, there’s no way that Twilight had been the one who’d made those forcefields. After all, she was the one who was being suffocated. If I hadn’t saved her, she would’ve died. It’s not like she had anypony else to rely on, like… like Starlight. Or Discord.  And where has Discord been this whole time? There’s no way he would’ve let Fluttershy die in those caves. My heart begins to race, and it’s like the whole world is spinning. I have to be going crazy to think that Twilight would tell Fleur De Lis to nearly kill her and her friends, even if Starlight or Discord had been there somewhere to save them. What would she gain from that? But then I think back to those caves, and how the confrontation with Fleur De Lis had gotten me to get injured and turn back on the path I had been on. How had Fleur De Lis even known about those caves? The only ones who knew they existed were me… and Twilight.  “Take a left into that room at the end.” Twilight’s voice is trembling, like she’s holding back tears.  I begin to tremble too. “Twi, I don’t want to go to that room.” “It’s coming up soon, Spike.” “Twilight, please, I don’t want--” “Turn, now.” I turn into the room. It’s not a dungeon at all. It’s a crematory, with bright blue, magical flames hot enough to melt anypony, even a… “Twilight, please.” I’m crying. I don’t care how pathetic it is. I don’t care if her mind is made up. I’m not ready. I’m not ready. Not like this. Not when I thought I would finally be able to make things right. Not by her. I freeze, and Twilight stops right behind me, so close to me that I can feel her cold breath. I can hear her powering up her horn.  “I’m sorry, Spike.”