To a dragon betraying its trust no different then stealing from their hoard ~ Unknown
Twilight galloped with all her might through the crystal tree castle, weaving around several huddled ponies. She would have teleported but she needed all of her mana just to keep the shield maintained. She grunted in mild pain, stumbling a bit as a particularly heavy attack reverberated down through the shield and into her body.
I'm never teasing BBBFF about his shields again. Twilight panted as she collected herself. If she wasn't careful... She should have had the town ponies evacuated through the tunnels under the tree already but so many were too injured to move. Their only hope now was that Canterlot would notice their plight and send help.
Why Ember, why?
Twilight snapped out of her funk as a second roar echoed out. Come on legs move faster!
"Whoa whoa whoa! Twilight where are you going?"
"That roar was Spike!" Twilight snapped at Rainbow as she passed the pegasus, not even slowing down.
"Then what are we waiting for!? Let's go!"
Twilight bit back a retort as she rushed to catchup to the rainbow streak. She had fight to hold back a scream of fear as she stumbled out the doors of the castle. There on the other side of her shield was not only Ember but Spike and... Šizra!? Spike almost looked like that day when he let his greed overcome him except far, far more angry. What happened to Spike and why was Šizra here?
Time seemed to slow down as Twilight saw Šizra teleport above Spike with the sword Leafcutter floating next him, pointed down. He was going to kill her brother! But before she could do anything, Šizra slammed down stabbing Spike through the crown of his head.
"SSSPIIIKE!!!" The shield shattered as Twilight screamed, rushing to try and catch the falling now smaller Spike only to lurch backwards violently.
Confusion morphed to red hot rage as she tilted her head up to see Discord smiling down at her his lion paw firmly around her horn. "Temper, temper."
"Discord!? Let go of my horn!" Twilight roared, trying to pull her horn out of Discord's grip without any success. She needed access to her magic, she need to get to Spike. She needed to try and save him!
"As amusing as it is to watch your impression of a rapidash if I let you go you will become rapidead."
"I got this Twi!"
But Rainbow Dash did not get far before her path was blocked by Ember who swung Bloodstone Scepter so fast that she managed to take out a few feathers as Rainbow banked around the swipe. "What gives Ember?! Spike needs medical attention!" She yelled as she screeched to a halting hover as Ember swiped again nearly taking out more of her feathers.
"You will not touch Spike." Ember growled, jabbing the scepter at Rainbow.
Discord fake yawned like he bored nonchalantly examining his other paw like Rarity would her hoof. "Spike is fine... though he might have headache worst then Berry Punch the Saturday after payday."
Twilight gritted her teeth in frustration at Discord's callousness. Spike wasn't drunk he was stabbed in the head with a sword!! She needed to get to him quickly otherwise... "Rainbow Dash! Get the girls. We need the Elements."
If the threat of being put back in stone scared Discord he didn't show it as the only reaction he gave was a shrug before snapping in some plaid hoof polish. He only got to the second eagle claw by the time Rainbow Dash returned followed closely by then rest of her friends.
"Ah Fluttershy," Discord clapped happily, somehow without removing his paw from Twilight's horn. "Do you have your first aid kit?"
"Um..." Fluttershy muttered as she glanced at the first aid saddlebag she suddenly was wearing. "Yes?"
"Come, come quick." Discord beckoned her but instead of leading Fluttershy to Spike he was leading her to Šizra.
"Fluttershy, what are you doing!?"
Fluttershy froze at Rainbow's shout however before she could do anything else one of Discord's arms reach back and stretched out like rubber and gently scooped her up.
"Eep!"
"Discord!"
Twilight gritted her teeth as she watched Fluttershy and Discord tend to Šizra instead of Spike. It wasn't like she could do much more with Discord's now disconnected paw gripping her horn like it was. Worse still was Ember pacing in front of them keeping the rest of her friends from approaching.
She gasped in shock when Discord lifted Šizra up as a second Discord pulled out lengths of gauze from the first aid kit. The condition of Šizra stunned her. The phrase 'nothing but skin and bones' always made her roll her eyes when especially when Spike would use it whenever she forget to eat during a multiday research frenzy. Here, however, Šizra really looked like he had been without food for a long time which was odd as it had only been eight days since she had seem him last. If she had to hazard a guess he probably weighed the same as her and for a stallion of his size.
Then there was his forelegs. Everything from the fetlock down to his claws could be reclassified as charcoal. She had only seen burns of that degree in medical textbooks and if she remembered correctly burns that bad were always, always fatal.
Twilight screamed as she stumbled back. Ember had, without warning, stopped her pacing and roared, sending flames towards them. Discord looked up towards her and then towards Twilight and the bearers. With a huff he raised a claw and snapped. In a flash Fluttershy reappeared next to Twilight and the rest of the Bearers.
"Fluttershy!"
As her friends looked after Fluttershy Twilight renewed her struggle to get Discord's paw off of her horn.
"Dragon Lord Ember, Discord!"
Twilight yelped in surprise, falling on to her haunches. She had been so focused on her horn that she failed to notice the arrival of Princess Celestia along with a platoon of royal guards. Celestia was decked out in the same armor as before, Dawnbringer floating next to her in her yellow aura. The guards slowed to a stop a few hooves behind Twilight and the girls before spreading out in a half circle. Celestia, however, moved in front them.
"Dragon Lord Ember, Discord," Celestia repeated. "Step away from Šizra."
"No Sunbutt, we will not." Discord said without even looking at her, his prehensile tail readying to snap. The Bloodstone Scepter in Ember's claw glowing brighter.
"Discord and Dragon Lord Ember you are both making a grave misjudgment!" Celestia roared, her gaze snapping to him as her mane whipped into a fiery frenzy.
The rage that was pouring off of Celestia in waves so intense that Twilight had to step away as the heat was a bit much for her. But Discord and Ember stood resolute, showing no signs of backing down. "Hey! I can't speak for the lizard but I'm trying not to have to make a 'grave' here... I didn't take you for one to bury the still living..."
Twilight couldn't decide whether to shake her head, groan, and or facehoof at the horrible and wildly inappropriate pun.
"Ilcktul...sivitātes... Hzath...tola?" Twilight was glad she had yet to rise as she was sure she would have fallen back onto her haunch at the sound of Šizra's voice.
"Wait wait wait! He's still alive?!" Rainbow shouted, hovering a bit higher. "How!?"
"I was excepting... my parents... to greet me..."
"Šizra you're not dead... yet..."
"How... You?"
"Well... " Discord shrugged as he fumbled with some gauze in his paws. "I forgot to give my forwarding address."
Šizra stared at Discord for a moment before a he broke out a gargling laughter. "Foolish... but I'm elated..."
"ENOUGH!" Celestia bellowed her horn glow even brighter. "I don't know how you managed to escape but I will not make that mistake again! Twilight!"
Twilight nodded as she quickly brought forth the power of the Elements along the the rest of the bearers. She was not surprised to see a beam of yellow join into the swirling rainbow that rose up and then crashed down upon Šizra, Discord, and Ember but the brightness did catch her off guard. It was so painfully bright that she had to shield her closing eyes with a leg.
After the light from the spell faded away it took a few moments for her vision to return but what she saw confused her. She had expected to see a trio of petrified beings not Starlight Glimmer standing into from of said trio who where not any worse for wear. What is going on!?
"Starlight? What the hey?!" Rainbow shouted out.
But as Twilight stood there stupefied she noticed something wasn't quite right about Starlight. One, she was not breathing, two, she was glittering like she had rolled in Pinkie's glitter stash, and finally, she was floating just above the ground without the usual glow of mana. There was only one explanation that fit. "The Tree of Harmony?"
The not Starlight nodded.
"What do you want now?" Šizra grumbled, not even looking at the avatar.
Forgiveness It said, bowing towards him.
"WHAT!" Both AJ and Rainbow Dash yelled in shock.
What!? Twilight agreed, her jaw dropping. Why is the tree acting like she needs forgiveness from him!? Šizra was a remorseless murderer! He didn't care about the lives he destroyed or the hearts broken. His actions, more then any other before him, were the antithesis of what the Elements of Harmony stood for!
"I know not know what you did to the Elements, Šizra," Celestia yelled her horn once again glowing bright, "but I will not stand here idly while you destroy Equestria!"
"Des... Destroy Equestria? M-me-e?" Šizra sputtered as he struggled to wheeze past his laughter. Twilight flinched backwards pushing down the bile that was coming up as blood suddenly gushed out of Šizra mouth. "If I wanted that I would have stayed in that prison cell or given you what you had demanded of me. No. It is your willful ignorance that has doomed Equestria to ash!"
Celestia roared as she let out another beam of mana towards Šizra which Discord smacked aside the spell with a tennis racket.
"15-Love!"
"Discord!"
Discord blew a raspberry and waved a novelty size foam hoof that read 'Luna X Tia #1' on it. With a shriek of indignation Celestia rushed after Discord trying to slash at the giggle draconequus. Twilight could only facehoof. Several guards attempted to help only to find miniature Discords harnessing his usual brand of clownish weaponry.
"What do we do Twilight?" Twilight shook her head in uncertainty. She had no clue. With the Elements not working as they should they had no easy way of containing Discord and the last time they faced Šizra it took both Princesses and Discord working together to barely hold him back. And Šizra was only stopped when Celestia had found a way to talk him down. This time things were different...
Are you sure this is different?
"What?" Twilight gaped, unsure if the tree was reading her mind. The words sent shivers up and down her spine as she felt that she had heard those exact words before...
I am a map to find the lost, a salve to heal the broken, a shield to protect the innocent. I am not, a sword
"Šizra!? Šizra is far from innocent!" Twilight spat out, still trying to figure out why in Tartarus the Tree of Harmony was defending Šizra. It seem perfectly willing to admonish him before.
You misunderstand
"Wha' there tah misunderstan'? Ah can' mahbe get Cozy Glow an' Tirek but Šizra went an' stabbed Spike for no reason!" Several ponies including Rainbow and Rarity nodded in agreement with AJ.
Again you misunderstand
Twilight muttered a bit as she went over everything she knew about the current situation trying to figure out what exactly they were 'misunderstanding.' The Tree of Harmony's appearance had changed now three times... Each time it seemed to have a purpose to how it appeared. Then it hit her. 'Are you sure this is different?' those where the exact words Starlight Glimmer had said when she was doubting the approach to dealing with the Pony of Shadows. She had been right to question then. Could the Tree of Harmony be trying to tell her the same here?
She looked at the Tree of Harmony then to Šizra and finally to the crumbled body of Spike. No. Šizra was no Stygian. There was no talking to him... But... so many had died already... If there was a way she could stop before more died then she had to try something. An annoyed growl got her attention. She had almost forgotten about Ember.
"Dragon Lord Ember..." "Cktüis Zuserthators Ember..." Twilight and Šizra spoke at the same time.
"Ember don't listen to hphmmmn...." Rainbow Dash's rant was cut off by her muzzle being suddenly wrapped up by a bunch of colorful ribbons. A pink bow with tag that read Do not open until not stupid was stuck to the top of her nose. Twilight groaned as she helped Rarity get the ribbons off of Rainbow Dash.
"Cktüis Zuserthators Ember," Šizra addressed the grumbling dragoness again, "Do you know of the Missing Mountain Crater?"
"I have heard of it but..."
Twilight heart started to race. She had no idea what and where Missing Mountain Crater was but nothing good could come from listening to Šizra. "Ember please! He is not a pony you should listen to!"
She listens to him because he is the only one here that she knows that she can trust
"What?" Twilight exclaimed as she looked in disbelief at the Tree of Harmony. "But we are friends and friends tr..."
"Friends? With Dragons?" Šizra laughter rang out which soon descended once again into a fountain of blood and saliva. "With Cktüis Zuserthators Ember? By who's metric? Yours? No. No, you have never been friends."
Twilight quickly shook off her nausea. She needed to get Ember to stop listening to Šizra before he could convince her to go further down the path of hatred she was on. "Please Ember whatever happened I'm sure we can fix this..."
Somethings can not be fixed
"An' what is tha' suppose tah mean?"
"Where are the adult dragons?'"
"W-what?" Twilight sputtered, unable to follow Šizra's logic. What did knowing where the adult dragons were had to do with not being friends with Ember? If she hadn't already been exposed to his tendency to answer a question with an answer to a different unrelated, sometimes unspoken, question she would have said it was a trick question.
"Hold out the Bloodstone Scpter Cktüis Zuserthators Ember." Šizra raised a shaking foreleg and touched the Scepter with the tip of a claw. The moment he touched it the Scepter began to glow a pulsating red. "The Scepter will now show you the way Cktüis Zuserthators Ember. Gather all that remains of your dragons and lead them to Missing Mountain Crater. Have none return to these lands and show any pony the same amount of empathy and mercy you received, none."
"That's a lie!" But neither Ember or Šizra responded to Twilight's accusation and to her horror Ember was trying to give the BloodStone Scepter fully to Šizra. If he became the Dragon Lord then the dragons would be really lost. "No Ember don't..."
"I can not be a Cktüis Zuserthators young one, "Šizra said as he pushed the Bloodstone Scepter back into Ember's hands. "The Scepter contains much wisdom of old. Command it like you've done and, if able, it will give aid."
"Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola."
Twilight looked up to see the still fighting Celestia and Discord. The draconequus pulled out a massive yellow and red hammer and smashed it down upon Celestia, with what would have been amusing as any other time squeak, sending her crashing down to Equus.
"Princess!" Twilight screamed as she ran over to check on her. "Princess Celestia are you alright?"
Celestia groaned but accepted Twilight's help.
"Where are the adult dragons?" Šizra questioned again, but before Twilight could figure out a proper response he turned his attention to the solar alicorn adding, "I can forgive their ignorance. You however, Celestia?"
He huffed when Celestia said nothing. "Cktüis Zuserthators, you need to leave now. I shall delay the ponies as long as I can."
"Guards!"
"Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola." Šizra growled out.
An extremely large fly swatter appeared in a flash and smacked the guards that attempted to go after Ember, stunning them.
"Where are the adult dragons?" Šizra repeated, growling.
"I tire of your obfuscation Šizra!"
"I am not speaking a riddle Celestia Solaris!" Šizra roared. "Why would Cktüis Zuserthators Ember hold back the strongest and not use every available dragon to rain fire upon Equestria? Why use only the ones that are not only weak physically but also magically? Why are little ones rampaging to the point that death doesn't stop them!? WHERE ARE THEY CELESTIA?! WHERE ARE THE ADULT DRAGONS?!"
"Don't listen to him Princess he's just trying to..." Rainbow Dash bravado quickly faded away and she landed with a concerned look.
"Celestia?" Twilight worriedly looked at the princess. Celestia's rage which had been constant since her arrival was gone. The princess eyes were wide and her mouth was quaveringly half open. It almost looked like she was scared or horrified. How could the question 'where are the adult dragons?' cause such an reaction?
"Šizra I... I... "
Twilight nearly screamed as she stumbled back at how fast Šizra managed to move. In the space of a blink of an eye he had not only moved from where he was, some forty hooves away, but had summoned Leafcutter and was currently pressing the sword against Celestia's neck.
"SSSSpeak another wyrrrm, leassssszz." Twilight shook in terror at the demonic voice that issued out of Šizra mouth. His voice twisted around as it hissed, crackled, and echoed. "Will it be anotherrrrss one of yourrrrr falsssse pitzy speeshessss? Or is talk of anotherrrrr genozzzide of dragonsssss too much for yourrr prrrrrecioussss little prey? Betterrr masss it with alluzionssss an' falssssez until allzz the uncomfort parrrrtssss haz been waters down until it you can make it a joyoussss holiday about giving giftsssss and carolzz and kindnessssss to your fellow prey!"
Šihzra...
"Cozzzz Glow woulzz hass been conzzizerz a herrro to the ancient prey. As a 'lowly' flying sssslave prey sssshe nearly succeed in wiping out thozze barrrrbaric dragonsss in one swoo'. 'She is the pinnaclez that all prey should asssspire to.' They would sssshout. I darrre zay they may haz lifted her to exalted statussss of alpha prey. Kill dragonz an' you too can become a god! All Hail the DragonZayerrr Goddess Cozz Glow."
Šihzra!
"WHAT!?" Šizra roared back at the tree's avatar.
There is still hope
In a flash of black sparks Šizra teleported from Celestia to the avatar the sword Leafcutter now pressed up again it. A dark chuckle escaping his lips as he spat. "Hope?! For whom? The Voice is still silenced! Üatrs cktieauzušais Cktūüis ir liris! What little remains will fade and much faster then last time... All the work my parents and I wrought... In the end the alicorns got what they wanted... the utter destruction of the dragon race..."
There is still a way The avatar thrusted its head up and away, its eyes gazing towards Canterlot.
"A way? Why are...?" Suddenly Šizra's eyes widened, and his jaw opened slightly as he slowly turned his head away from the Tree's avatar and towards Canterlot then finally down to Spike's unmoving form. "You speak of... Are... Are... Are you saying...?"
Šizra's knees suddenly gave out as Leafcutter clattered the ground and disappeared in a shower of black sparks. It was so soft that Twilight almost didn't catch the whispered words that he then uttered. "A dying flame of hope flickers in the darkest hour..."
"Šizra!" Discord rushed over to the fallen Šizra and dumped out Flutterhshy's first aid kit looking the most panicked and lost Twilight had ever seen him as he rummaged trying to find something that could help him.
A destroyed paw rose towards the draconequus for a moment before falling again. "Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola... The Reliquary... of the Ancients."
"The Reliquary of... Oh! That place! Yes! If we can get you there then..."
Šizra shook his head before slowly panting out. "Three... three hundred... pony leagues... wards... wards... would kill you..."
Three hundred pony leagues? Twilight gaped and nearly sputtered nonsense. It was an older form of measurement of distance so she had to think for a moment to remember the conversion rate. Three hundred pony leagues was about the distance between Ponyville and Manehatten! That was nearly thirty hours of flight at Rainbow Dash's best speed prerainboom and far beyond the range of teleportation even for one as powerful as Discord! And the power needed for a ward that big? Even the Crystal Heart's power boosted by the Crystal Spire only manages less the ten percent of that distance.
"Then why..."
"I have not enough... lifeforce left... left to stand much le..." Šizra last word faded away unfinished as he slumped.
"Is he...?" Somepony asked, who Twilight knew not.
"He'd better be!"
"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy snapped, smacking Rainbow Dash with a wing.
"Šizra?" Discord lightly shook Šizra. "Šizra!"
Šizra's eyes slowly opened as he slurred out, "Therre iss... cirrcle offf... of ssstonesss... nnnoorth... dooo remmm... reeememberr wherrre?"
"Yes, yes I think so."
"Thennn... chaaance... Ssspiiike hasss..."
Wait, what!? Twilight was confused at the sudden shift to Spike. What did the 'Reliquary of the Ancients' or the 'circle of stones' had to do with Spike? What was Šizra planning?
"Discord, stop!" She shouted as Discord gently picked up Spike. They were going to coltnap Spike! She tried to move to get to Spike only to fall flat. Her legs were stuck to the ground by what looked like overly large slicky trap. "Let Spike go!"
"Ssspike faaate... sssseealed... buuut... wannn... want one... tooo live..."
You must go The tree spoke.
"No!" Twilight cried out as she fought to get out of Discord's trap only to fall harder into the glue. She had to rescue Spike before... "SOMEPONY DO SOMETHING!!!"
"Smooze Brand(tm) Pony Hotel paper trap. Ponies check in but they don't check out." Pinkie Pie giggled. "Do I get a mint on the pillow?"
What? Smooze? Damn it! Twilight cursed as she glanced around to see everypony in the same predicament as her. Not only were they trapped they were trapped by a substance that made spellcraft next to impossible.
"Discord!!!!" But Discord ignored her as he wrapped Spike onto Šizra's limp body with some gauze.
The tree's avatar then walked up to Twilight and lifted her head towards it with a hoof. He must go
"Spike!" Twilight flinched away from the tree's avatar as she continued to try to get to Spike.
He must go
"Discord! Šizra! I swear if..."
He must go
With a snap and several flashes of light Šizra, Spike, Discord and the Avatar of the Tree of Harmony all disappeared.
"SPIKE!!!!!" Twilight screamed, suddenly free of the trap ran to where Spike had just been before collapsing, tears falling to the ground. Spike was gone.