//------------------------------// // Bearer of Bad News // Story: Spike the Fairy // by PonyJoel //------------------------------// Ember is flying straight to Ponyville. She shed some tears on the way after holding in her emotions. Seeing her kin shattered in stone is horrifying by the same monster she forbade entrance from the warning issued before the Friendship Festival. "How am I going to calm Smolder when I unveil the bad news?" Ember sighs midflight. She watches many creatures associating with each other in the lands of Equestria. Shining Armor wakes up and notices he's on the floor. "What happened?" He looks around to see a Crystal Guard present. "Sir, you passed out after I informed you of your parents' arrival." Shining Armor gulps as his pupils shrink. He's unsure how his mother and father would fathom the news about Midnight Sparkle's defeat and resurrection. He would faint again. "I better grab him," The Crystal Guard grabs Shining Armor and carries him to the family room of the castle. The Unity Seven are heading to Sugarcube Corner to buy snacks for the next trip to the Treehouse of Harmony. Pinkie Pie is making cupcakes with the help of Rainbow Dash. It's a Rainbow Wonderbolt Edition, Pinkie calls it, to celebrate Rainbow Dash's promotion within the Wonderbolts. For some reason, Smolder has been feeling anxiety since waking up screaming last night. "Hey, Smolder. Why the long face?" Pinkie asks with no pun intended. Smolder looks away from Pinkie. "Okay, silent treatment. Psst," Pinkie grabs Sandbar and pulls him close. "What's wrong with your friend?" Pinkie whispers. "She woke up screaming last night and feels extremely sad. My friends and I have no clue why she's feeling like this. We're hoping to cheer her up by going to our treehouse." "Which we will be buying a few dozen of your cupcakes," Neighsay said. "Coming up!" Pinkie wastes no time stacking up how many dozens she believes they'll need. "So, besides Smolder, how are the rest of you doing?" Rainbow has frosting on her nose from helping Pinkie in the kitchen. "We're doing okay, Rainbow," Silverstream said. "Yea, we want to help Smolder recover from this sudden sadness she's going through," Gallus said. "Yona hates when a friend is sad. Yona wonders what happened in Smolder's dream." "Why not ask Princess Luna? I'm sure she'll tell you what happened within Smolder's dream," Rainbow Dash advises. "She's not available. My medallion would allow me to travel to Princess Luna but, she hasn't responded to my call. I assume she's preoccupied with her royal affairs," Neighsay replies. "Bummer," Pinkie said. "That's why we're hosting a party at the Treehouse of Harmony to cheer Smolder up," Ocellus said. "Sounds like fun," Pinkie smiles. "Need my help?" Pinkie smiles widely and has her party cannon ready. "No, thank you, Pinkie. I invited Discord to help out," Neighsay said. "Fair enough. I hope to hang out with you seven," Pinkie said. "Soon," Sandbar responds. "I got the boxes," Silverstream grabs the dozens of cupcakes. "I'll help you," Gallus grabs some. Neighsay pays fifty bits for the ten dozens of cupcakes. The Unity Seven leave Sugarcube corner. Smolder looks down and sighs heavily. Everyone else remains silent, trying to jot some ideas to uplift Smolder's sadness. Shining Armor wakes up in the family room. Twilight (Sci-Twi) and Spike arrive with Twilight Velvet and Night Light. They were talking about their progress and decisions moving forward in life. "Shining!" Twilight (Sci-Twi) trots up to her big brother. "Twily," Shining Armor smiles, then it fades seeing his parents entering the family room. "Shining, something troubling you?" Night Light asks. He's concerned, judging from Shining's reaction. "If it is about Midnight Sparkle, we know," Twilight Velvet said. "There was a movie display about Spike the Fairy's newer memories in Canterlot. We saw the climatic battles he endured ever since winning the Grand Magic Games." Shining Armor's jaw drops. He's glad that his parents are aware of Midnight Sparkle even more. Seeing the memories of Spike the Fairy and knowing what Midnight has done; it's like a huge burden off his chest. "Twilight and I are aware as well. We had a movie night with the Unity Seven, Sunset, the Dazzlings, and Discord himself two days ago," Spike explains. "Well, that's one burden lifted. Now, I have grave news." "Grave?" Twilight (Sci-Twi), Twilight Velvet, Night Light, and Spike say in unison. They are perplexed by Shining's statement. Princess Cadance enters the family room with Flurry Heart. Her heart sinks a bit, knowing they're about to hear the shocking revelation. "Midnight Sparkle is still out there running amuck. She took possession of an ancient relic, turned three creatures into stone, and shattered them." Twilight Velvet and Night Light gasps horridly. Spike and Twilight (Sci-Twi) remain calm. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor are puzzled by the calmness of Spike and Twilight (Sci-Twi). "My evil counterpart won't stay down. I guess that's something my son and I will have to tackle." "My counterpart defeated Midnight Sparkle, so I believe I can defeat her as well." "Your optimism scares me," Shining said. "It's been proven time and time again that Midnight Sparkle fails. It is heartbreaking to hear creatures shattered but, I believe there are spells to bring them back to life. I will find a way to reverse the effects of my counterpart's doing," Twilight (Sci-Twi) confidently states. "That's not the worst part, Twily. Midnight Sparkle possessed Rarity's body." Spike and Twilight (Sci-Twi) are silent. Their sudden confidence fades a bit. Spike has some nightmares of Rarity violating him, while Twilight (Sci-Twi) wants no part of Rarity anymore. The two sigh heavily. "Now, I don't know what or how to feel. Midnight Sparkle possessing Rarity.., did Rarity say yes?" Spike asks. He wants clarification that Rarity agreed to Midnight Sparkle's proposal. "No. According to Princess Celestia, Midnight Sparkle took Rarity's body by force and now holds her prisoner to her demented scheme." Spike and Twilight (Sci-Twi) sigh heavily. "I don't think I can stand up to Midnight Sparkle while she's in Rarity's body." "I don't blame you, Spike. I guess; we need to take a different approach," Twilight (Sci-Twi) sadly says. "Are there any books that can help us?" "Discord should be arriving here at any moment. Discord will fix what Midnight has done to the dragons and pony," Princess Cadance said. Flurry Heart flies into Spike's arm. "Hey, Flurry Heart," Spike rubs Flurry Heart's belly with his finger. Flurry Heart giggles. "Twilight, follow me to our library. Perhaps there are spells we can try together until Discord arrives," Princess Cadance said. "Coming," Twilight (Sci-Twi) trots up to Princess Cadance. The two gallop to the library within the Crystal Castle. The Unity Seven arrive at the Treehouse of Harmony. They see Sunset Shimmer and the Dazzlings. Gallus smiles widely, seeing Adagio again. Sonata, Aria, and Sunset notice the demeanor written on Smolder's face. They approach her. "Hey, Smolder. What's wrong?" Sunset asks. Smolder sighs and walks past her, entering the Treehouse of Harmony. "What happened with her?" "Smolder has anxiety and sadness. She woke up screaming last night. Smolder refuses to explain what happened within her dreams," Silverstream explains to her friends. "So, we thought about having the party to help uplift the sadness," Gallus said. "More like for you to kiss Adagio," Sonata teases the two while making kissy faces. "Hey! At least I have someone who loves me," Gallus makes the first move by placing his arm around Adagio's neck. "Which is true," Adagio smiles at Gallus. "Enjoy being single, Sonata," Adagio smirks which cause Sonata's jaw to drop in shock. "Ooooooh, she got you there," Neighsay and Sandbar laugh. "Yona didn't think it'll take you two this long to accept each other." "Well, I learn that there is no right time to admit love to each other. We have to make it," Gallus said with pride. "I agree. We saw how Wendy and Spike took the time to know each other and to say the three words to unify their love for each other." "We haven't heard nor seen you kiss each other," Ocellus said. "Yea," Silverstream and Sonata agree with Ocellus' statement. Gallus and Adagio stare at each other. The two muster enough to say: "I love you." Everyone else is in shock as Gallus and Adagio kiss each other. They enjoy and savor the kiss. Discord arrives with party favors. "Wow, they finally hooked up. Congrats, you two." "Thanks, Discord. Now, our friend needs support and encouragement. Smolder has been devastated since waking up from a horrid nightmare last night." "Thanks for the info, Gallus. Let's not waste any more time out here and enter. Our friend needs us," Discord leads everyone inside the Treehouse of Harmony. Ember arrives in Ponyville and looks for Smolder and her friends. She sees Starlight Glimmer with Trixie trotting to Sugarcube Corner and approaches them. "Greetings, Starlight and Trixie. Have you seen Smolder around recently?" "Hi, Empress Ember," Trixie smiles at her friend. "I have not seen Smolder. She could be inside the dorm or Treehouse of Harmony with her friends," Starlight replies. "Thanks, I'll go there," Ember takes flight to the Treehouse of Harmony. She has a feeling that the Treehouse of Harmony would be the ideal place for locating her subject. "I wonder why Ember wants to see Smolder," Starlight said. "Maybe a Dragonic event is underway, and Smolder has forgotten about it." "That's a good possibility, Trixie. I hope all is well," Starlight and Trixie enter Sugarcube Corner. Ember flies into the Everfree Forest and sees the devastation Midnight Sparkle unleashed. She's in awe of the wasteland heading towards the Castle of the Two Sisters. Smolder is drinking fruit punch while her friends set up pillow forts for a pillow war within the Treehouse of Harmony. She idly sits while contemplating her nightmare. "Smolder, c'mon, cheer up, please," Yona tries her best to help Smolder. "What happened that caused this," Discord asks. "As your teacher, you shouldn't hide anything from me. How else would I help you in the long run?" Smolder sighs; She looks up, and Discord can tell from Smolder's eyes it's not pretty. Smolder is about to speak when Ember walks into the Treehouse of Harmony, calling for Smolder's name. "Ember, what are you doing here?" Sunset turns to Empress Ember. "Where's Smolder?" Ember walks up to Sunset. "Over here," Discord shows a sign of all arrows pointing at Smolder. Smolder looks up. Judging from Ember's face, she knows it's bad news. Ember's expression is dull and sad. Ember walks up to Smolder. "Did you sense something within your dreams last night?" Ember asks. Smolder frowns but nods. "I sensed something separating within my family. I don't know why I have this feeling." "I won't sugarcoat the news I need to inform you. Midnight Sparkle has returned." "We're aware of that," Ocellus said to Ember. She's in shock. "What..?" Ember turns to every creature and sees them nodding. "The Friendship Spirit presented itself days ago to inform us about Midnight Sparkle. She has Rarity in possession," Yona said. "Yea. The Spirit believes our Friendship will bring down Midnight Sparkle. Possibly for good," Sandbar said. "Well, here's the critical part then. Midnight Sparkle attacked two dragons and a pony. She turned them to stone and shattered them. Smolder, your brother Garble is one of those dragons that shattered Garble." Smolder's eyes lit up. She's so angry; fire engulfs her body entirely. Like her brother, Smolder has Hellfire Flames burning. Everyone else gasps in horror about the dragons and pony's demise. "Discord, think you can-" Discord interrupts Ember's speech by placing his finger on her mouth. "Say no more. My magic should have no problem fixing the petrified statues of the dragons and pony. It's my clones I have problems with." "Come to the Crystal Empire to resolve the issue. Then you can resume with your festivity." "Take me there," Smolder calmly and yet demands that Discord does so. "Anyone else wants to come?" Discord asks. Every creature raises their hoof and claw, signaling they want to come. "Alright, let's go," Discord snaps his claw, teleporting everyone to the Crystal Castle. Shining Armor is in the family room explaining more to his parents about the possibility Midnight Sparkle has in mind. Twilight Velvet and Night Light shake their heads. They feel like failures in raising their daughter throughout the years. Spike is playing with Flurry Heart and showing her his newfound magic power. Twilight (Sci-Twi) and Princess Cadance are reading different books to reverse the effects of petrification magic. So far, no books they read have the type they need. It becomes frustrating. Ember, Discord, Sunset, the Dazzlings, and Unity Seven arrive in the library. Princess Cadance and Twilight (Sci-Twi) turn to their sudden arrival. Princess Cadance becomes worried about Smolder's emotions, especially when Hellfire Flames still engulf her body. "Where is my brother?" Smolder asks Princess Cadance. "Follow me," Princess Cadance leads everyone to the room where the statues are aligned. Smolder walks up to the Garble statue and sheds a tear. "If it weren't for your brother, we wouldn't be aware of Midnight Sparkle's plan of action. With our knowledge of Grogar's Bell, we believe Midnight may want to withdraw our magic to take over and restart time itself," Princess Cadance explains. "As of now, every Kingdom will bring their most prized and powerful artifacts to the Crystal Empire. When Midnight Sparkle realizes what's happened, she'll have no choice but to come to us. This time, we'll be ready for her." "She has no army to control, and we're not sure if Grogar's Bell can nullify Earth Land magic," Twilight (Sci-Twi) said. "I found a book about the history of Grogar's Bell. I've read a few chapters, and there's no indication about other sources of magic Grogar's Bell hasn't faced." Discord conjures a ton of his chaos magic and taps the petrified stone statues. Garble, Charcoal, and Rust Bucket gasp and breathe. They fall to the ground after feeling the pain from Midnight's attack. "Garble!" Smolder powers down and hugs her brother. "Smolder?" Garble hugs Smolder. "Oh, my body hurts." "How is this possible?" Charcoal rives in agony on the floor. "My magic, it's drained..." Rust Bucket can barely stand and falls flat. He's extremely weak due to Midnight Sparkle draining his strength into her body. Yona and Ocellus help him up. "Pony doesn't look so good," Yona said. "She drained my strength. I can barely walk..," Rust Bucket looks gloom. "We will help you recover," Princess Cadance reassures Rust Bucket. "Bless you, Princess," Rust Bucket gratefully expresses. "What happened?" Smolder asks her brother. "My friend and I were flying late at night and noticed Rust Bucket trapped in the snow. As newly reborn dragons with magic power and well, I felt bad for giving Spike the Fairy a hard time during the Dragon Migration, and well, getting the Scepter, I wanted to do good in honor of him. After helping the pony, Midnight Sparkle arrived in search of a powerful artifact he was guarding. My buddy and I fought and were beating Midnight Sparkle badly. However, she drained our magic from behind with her Demonic Curse. Her horn illuminated green light in the process." "One thing is clear. The Bell can't nullify Dragon Magic," Charcoal informs everyone. "What?!" Princess Cadance, Discord, Ember, Smolder, basically everyone is in shock. They are elated to hear that Grogar's Bell has a restriction. Princess Cadance and Ember feel that the Dragons united should be more than enough to defeat Midnight Sparkle. The Unity Seven still believe they must defeat Midnight Sparkle but know they won't go into the battle alone. They'll be the ones to finish Midnight Sparkle for good and be proud that Earth Land Wizards didn't come to help a second time. "Smolder, you can't face Midnight Sparkle alone. You'll need an army of friends by your side." "Don't worry, Garble. I have my army. We'll defeat Midnight Sparkle and stop her from ruining all of our lives. First," Smolder extends her claw, offering Hellfire Flames for consumption. "Hungry?" Garble eats the Hellfire Flames. Like a dragon of Earth Land, his magic power is restored. "Thanks, now I have a fire in my belly." Discord chuckles a bit, then collapses while holding his chest. His friends turn to him in extreme worry when Queen Novo arrives with the Pearl and with Princess Skystar. "Queen Novo?" Princess Cadance turns to her. "We have a serious situation that needs to be addressed," Queen Novo said, catching her breath.