The Past:
After what felt like forever, Benga and his troupe had finally arrived back in Abyssinia. He made sure to get the injured to the medics, and as he left the medical center, he looked around to make sure nobody was watching him as he ducked into a back alley. He pulled out a communicator and contacted a mysterious female figure.
“What happened out there?” The figure asked.
“We got attacked by a flock of harpies. Some of my men died, others were injured. Didn’t want to risk it.” Benga responded.
“Not a bad idea. But now it’ll be that much harder to find where they went.” The figure responded, a sense of urgency laced into her tone.
“Not to worry. I set a tracer on them. Now all I need to do is catch up to them.”
The Present:
The group had been traveling all day, deciding to head back to the Dragon Lands to return the egg they had retrieved.
“One down, and uh, however many more to go.” Garble stated as he tried and failed to recall how many dragon eggs had been stolen.
“Wow. That was really something. You sure you didn’t hurt yourself?” Smolder quipped sarcastically.
“Yeah hahaha, very funny Smolder. No, my memory is just a bit selective right now.”
“More like all the time.” Smolder retorted, which got a laugh out of the rest of the group. Garble simply scoffed before starting to chuckle himself. He had to admit, his sister got him good.
“You guys are fun. Got any good stories to pass the time?” Autumn Blaze asked excitedly.
“Well, there was this one time when-“ Ember suddenly stopped what she was saying as she listened closely for something.
“What’s wrong?” Spike asked. Ember didn’t answer at first, until she turned around to look towards the direction they came from.
“Whoever’s been following us, you can come out now.” At that moment, two hooded figures that emerged from behind a set of rocks.
“Who are you?” Ember asked as everyone was now on guard. One of them removed their hood and revealed a familiar face.
“A friend.” Benga responded, eliciting shocked gasps from the group.
“Benga!? What’s going on?” Spike asked.
“I promise I’ll explain eventually, but right now there isn’t time. Our employer wants to see you.” Benga responded.
“You don’t say.” Ember said with a raised eyebrow.
“We don’t have all day here Benga. Let’s get a move on!” Benga’s companion called to them. He also removed his hood and the group saw a gruff looking parrot with black and white feathers and yellowish orange eyes.
“Alright Athos, we’re going.” Benga called back. “Suppose we should get moving.” He was about to start walking away when noticed the Kirin that were with them.
“Oh, my apologies. We haven’t been formally introduced. My name is Benga.” He said with a polite wave.
“I’m Spring Leaf, and this is Autumn Blaze.” Spring Leaf introduced the both of them, with Autumn Blaze giving a big smile.
“Gotta say, it’s rare to see Kirin out this far.” Benga said as they started to walk towards their destination. Spring Leaf stopped for a moment and let out a heavy sigh.
“We’re actually looking for our leader, Rain Shine. She was taken by an evil pony named Opaline, and we’ve been traveling with these four in order to get her back.” Spring Leaf explained.
“She also stole a clutch of dragon eggs from the Dragon Lands.” Spike added.
“Well I’m sure that my employer will be more than willing to help you.” Benga responded.
“That reminds me, who is this mysterious ‘employer’ of yours? You’ve been awfully vague about it.” Smolder asked as she raised an eyebrow.
“Remember what we talked about Benga. No more than necessary.” Athos told him.
“What’s the deal with that guy?” Ember whispered to Benga.
“Athos is a good friend, and reliable in a pinch. But he also tends to be a bit… paranoid.”
The group walked for a few more moments, making their way through a small pocket of woodlands before they finally arrived at an empty clearing.
“I thought you said you had a vessel nearby. There’s nothing here.” Garble said as they all looked around the clearing.
“Oh right. I almost forgot.” Benga said. He held out a hand, which shimmered with magical energy. After a moment, a magical field dissipated and revealed a vessel that resembled a scaled down version of an airship. The whole group looked upon it in awe.
“I definitely need to get one of those.” Autumn Blaze said as her eyes went wide with excitement.
“What is it?” Smolder asked curiously.
“It’s a skiff. Essentially a small airship meant for only a few passengers.” Benga explained.
“How do you even have something like this?” Spike asked.
“It comes courtesy of our employer. They made sure to spare no expense.” Benga replied.
“Let’s move. They’re waiting for us.” Athos said.
“You’re always in such a rush Athos. You need to learn to slow down every now and then.” Benga grilled him sarcastically.
“If we went at your leisurely pace, we’d never get anything done.” Athos responded matter of factly. Benga put a hand over his heart in fake horror.
“You wound me Athos!” He said dramatically, eliciting chuckles from the group as they boarded the skiff. Athos simply rolled his eyes and started up the skiff, ascending slowly into the air.
“Oh right, I almost forgot.” Benga remembered as he reapplied the magical field.
“A cloaking spell?” Spike asked quizzically.
“That’s right. It’s useful, especially now with all these monsters roaming around.” Benga said as he looked out on the horizon.
“So where exactly are we going?” Ember asked. Benga was about to answer before Athos shot him a suspicious look and shook his head.
“Let’s just say, you’ll know soon enough.”
They flew for some time, simply making idle chatter as the time rolled by, and after a while they all noticed how it had started to get colder. They looked out and saw that it had started to turn from woodlands and forests into a snowy landscape, which was only getting more intense as their journey progressed.
“It’s getting hard to see out here Benga. Are you sure you know where we’re going?” Garble asked.
“Trust me. It’s safe where we’re going.” Benga responded back. Athos steered the skiff forward and the group all braced for impact. They pierced through a magical barrier and suddenly there was no snowstorm raging around them. As they opened their eyes, they saw a calm and tranquil landscape, the temperature perfect and crystalline buildings lining the streets. It was then that the realization hit all of them as to where they were.
“It can’t be. It’s…” Spike trailed off as he took it all in.
“That’s right. The Crystal Empire.” Benga finished. Spike couldn’t believe that it was still standing after everything that had happened. Not only that, it appeared to be thriving. As Athos landed the skiff at a nearby port, they could see that there was someone waiting for them.
“Looks like our welcome party’s here.” Athos stated plainly. They all disembarked from the skiff, and their welcome party stepped forward.
“Well well, as I live and breathe. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” Spike’s jaw dropped as he saw who it was. “Well, sore eye in my case.”
“Capper!? Is that you?” Spike asked in shock.
“Might look a little different but yeah, it’s me alright.” Capper responded as he flashed a confident grin. Spike got a good look at him and saw that he had changed slightly; his fur had lost a bit of its vibrancy and his coat looked a little tattered. But most notably, he wore an eyepatch over his left eye. Spike approached him and pulled him into a firm hug, each of them giving each other a pat on the back.
“Seriously though, it really is good to see you. The higher ups around here have been looking for you guys for a long time.” Capper stated.
“Oh, I don’t think I’ve introduced you. Capper, meet Ember, Garble, Smolder, Spring Leaf, and Autumn Blaze.” Spike said as he introduced his entire group.
“We’ve met a few times when I had to journey to Abyssinia for conferences. Good to see you again Capper.” Ember said as she gave a brief wave.
“You too, Dragon Lord Ember.” Capper said as he gave a slight bow. They all started to walk towards the Crystal Castle as they continued to converse. Capper struck up a conversation with Autumn Blaze, and the two of them really seemed to hit it off. They continued their idle conversations until they eventually reached the Crystal Castle, making their way through the halls until they eventually stood right outside the throne room.
“So, this ‘employer’ of yours is just beyond this door I’m guessing? Bird boy over there was pretty reluctant to say anything about it.” Smolder asked as Athos shot her a sideways glance.
“Oh trust me, it’s someone you’re all quite familiar with.” Benga stated as Capper pushed open the doors to the throne room. Inside, Spike noticed how it was mostly the same as it had always been. Though what he wasn’t prepared for was who he saw inside. Engaged in conversation with a couple of crystal ponies, Spike saw Princesses Luna and Cadence.
“P-Princess Luna? Cadence?” He couldn’t believe his eyes. All this time, he thought they had been lost. He felt his emotions welling up inside of him as he approached the two alicorns.
“It’s good to see you again Spike.” Luna said with a smile. Spike wrapped them both up in a hug, with both of them returning it in equal measure.
“How? I don’t even know how it’s possible.” Spike said as he tried to collect himself. He pulled away from the group hug and got a look at both of them; true to their alicorn nature, they hadn’t aged a day, still looking the same as they always had.
“We definitely have a lot to catch up on Spike. But first, I think there’s somepony else who would be very surprised to see you again. Speaking of which, I think that’s her.” Cadence said as she heard the sound of the doors opening once more and a voice calling for her.
“Hey mom, I was looking over the plans for the new scouting party and I was thinking that…” The voice trailed off as everyone in the room turned to see who had just entered. Spike’s eyes went wide with shock as he saw who it was; before them stood Flurry Heart, now a full grown alicorn whose eyes also went wide with shock as she saw that there were a bunch of new faces but her eyes zeroed in on the purple dragon. They both approached moved slowly, each of them trying to find the words to say.
“Big Brother?” Flurry Heart finally choked out as her eyes started to well up with tears.
“Hey kiddo. It’s been a long time hasn’t it?” Spike asked back. Flurry Heart rushed toward him and gave him a big hug, the tears now flowing freely.
“It’s you, Big Brother. You’re really here.” She said quietly as she sobbed into his shoulder.
“That’s right kiddo. I’m here.” Spike said back as he closed his eyes and held her tighter, the tears now flowing freely down his face as well. Everyone in the room took in the heartwarming moment, with some of them wiping away their own tears that were forming. Ember in particular tried to play it cool, and Garble just put an arm around her and smiled. Once everything had settled down, Spike and company relayed what they knew of the situation, such as the theft of the dragon eggs and the kidnapping of Rain Shine.
“That’s why we were wondering if you knew anything about Opaline’s past or motives.” Spike concluded.
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t have any knowledge of this Opaline.” Luna said as she thought it over.
“It’s certainly a surprise to see another alicorn though. And one so malicious too.” Cadence added.
“What about Princess Celestia? I’m sure if anyone knows stuff like that, it’s her right?” Smolder asked. The atmosphere of the room suddenly felt heavier as none of them answered right away.
“There’s a bit of a problem with that. Princess Celestia has been missing for some time.” Benga answered.
“What do you mean missing?” Garble asked.
“Just as it sounds. My sister had initially helped evacuate Canterlot, and helped get us set up here. But one day, she said that she was going to investigate a potential lead, and she simply vanished. We haven’t heard from her since.” Luna explained, the pain in her eyes clearly evident.
“There’s gotta be something about Opaline somewhere. She can’t just be a ghost.” Spike said. Everyone in the room thought it over for a few moments, trying desperately to find some kind of answer to their conundrum.
“Mount Metazoa.” Flurry Heart finally piped up. “Their archives are the most complete collection of information I know of. If anywhere has records about Opaline, it’s there.”
“Then that’s where we’re going.” Spike concluded.
“It’s getting rather late. Why not take a load off for tonight, and you can set out first thing in the morning?” Cadence suggested. Looking out the windows of the Crystal Castle, they could see that the last little bit of daylight had fully given way to night, and the toll of the day was finally setting in for them. They hadn’t rested since escaping the Thri-Kreen hive after all.
“Think we’ll take you up on that Princess. I’m still sore from that fight earlier.” Garble said as he stretched his back out.
“Well then, let’s adjourn for tonight, and continue this in the morning.” Luna said. As everyone started to disband for the evening, Flurry Heart managed to catch Spike as he was leaving.
“So, that was a lot wasn’t it?” She asked him.
“You bet. Today’s been pretty eventful.” Spike answered with a smile. “It’s really great to see all of you. And to know that not everyone was gone after the fall.”
A silence hung in the air for a moment after that, but Flurry Heart perked up as she remembered something.
“Follow me. I wanna show you something.” She said as she nudged him in the side. He chuckled as he followed her through the halls of the castle. They eventually reached a room that had a chest off in the corner that Flurry Heart ran over to and started to rummage through.
“Mom found this a while back.” She said as she pulled out what looked to be a photograph. “I knew deep down that you were still out there somewhere, and I promised myself I’d give this to you once I found you.” She handed it over to him and he saw that it was a picture of him sitting at a table with a large cake in front of him. He was surrounded by all of his friends and there was confetti in the air, as Pinkie Pie had just set off her party cannon as the picture was taken. Immediately on his right side was Twilight, who had a big smile on her face, and on his left side was Sweetie Belle, who had her front legs wrapped around his neck and was in the process of planting a kiss on his cheek. Spike smiled as he remembered that day.
“It was my birthday. Sweetie Belle had spent practically the entire week getting everything ready. I remember that she said it had to be ‘the best birthday for the best boyfriend.’ He recalled.
“You really liked her didn’t you?” Flurry Heart asked. Spike smiled again as he recalled all the memories he had made with Sweetie Belle. Different dates, planning events for each other, and the times where they simply enjoyed each other’s company.
“Yeah. She was really special to me. I’m glad you gave me this. Thanks kiddo.” Spike said as he gave Flurry Heart a pat on the head.
“You’re welcome. I’m just glad you’re back Big Brother.” She said as she gave him a quick hug.
“Me too. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna hit the hay. Seems like we’re gonna have a pretty eventful day tomorrow.” Spike said as he headed out for the night. When he made it to his room, he took one last look at that photograph Flurry Heart gave him before tucking it away somewhere safe. He plopped down on the bed and immediately passed out, the events of the day finally drawing him into a deep slumber.
The Dream:
Spike found himself in a dream once more, though this one seemed a bit calmer. He still felt a sense of unease though, as if it was the calm before the storm. His shadow self materialized next to him once again.
“Why is it that I can’t go one night without seeing you?” Spike asked, clearly not thrilled with the presence of his shadow self.
“You already know the answer to that one.” Shadow Spike stated cryptically.
“Great. More vague statements.” Spike said as he rolled his eyes. He looked around and saw that he was in the throne room of Canterlot Castle. Looking out the large window behind the throne, he could practically see all of Equestria, though he could tell something didn’t feel right.
“You found some of your old friends. Such a heartwarming reunion. But it won’t be long before your fear causes you to do something reckless.” Shadow Spike taunted.
“Really? This again?” Spike asked in an annoyed tone.
“I told you before, I’m on the inside. I know the truth.” Shadow Spike continued.
“The truth about what?” Spike snapped, growing even more irritated with this exchange.
“That you’re obsession with Opaline is driven by a desire for vengeance. Not to set the world right or whatever naive sense of justice you claim to cling to. She caused Equestria to fall apart, and you want her to suffer for it.” Shadow Spike taunted once more.
“That’s not true.” Spike shot back, though his shadow self’s words did plant seeds of doubt within him. Shadow Spike simply scoffed.
“We’ll see if you still feel the same when the time comes.”
Real World:
Dawn soon came and the Crystal Empire slowly awakened with it. In his room, Spike was thinking over his dream from the previous night. He tried to convince himself that he was doing this for the right reasons, though he always felt that small bit of doubt in the back of his mind. Was this pursuit for the right reasons? Spike admitted that he felt no small amount of anger towards Opaline for the damage she caused, though he also felt shame in himself for not being there when Twilight needed him.
Would she be able to forgive me?
Suddenly, there was a knock at his door as he heard a familiar voice on the other side.
“Big Brother? The others are heading out soon and were wondering where you were.” Flurry Heart called from the other side of the door. Spike got up and went to open the door.
“Sorry about that. Guess I overslept again.” Spike responded as he scratched the back of his head, clearly trying to play it off. But Flurry Heart wasn’t buying it.
“Are you alright? You look tired.” She asked in a concerned tone as they made their way towards the castle entrance.
“Yeah I’m fine. It’s nothing to worry about.” He responded as he gave her a reassuring smile. She accepted his answer for now, though she knew that something wasn’t right with him. They eventually reached the castle entrance, where the others were waiting for him.
“Finally. Seems like this is becoming a habit with you.” Smolder said as she crossed her arms.
“Yeah yeah, my bad.” Spike said back halfheartedly.
“It has been a pretty rough couple of days. It’s only natural it would happen from time to time.”Spring Leaf reminded them.
“Yeah, fair enough.” Smolder conceded as her expression softened.
“Well, shall we?” Benga asked.
“Lead the way.” Ember responded. Spike turned back to Flurry Heart one last time.
“Guess you’re heading out then?” She asked.
“Yeah. But don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it.” Spike answered as he gave her one last pat on the head before he left to join the others. As Flurry Heart watched him leave, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something going on with him, though she couldn’t tell what it was. Back with the group, they all boarded the skiff from the previous day and set sail to Mount Metazoa. As the journey progressed, the various members of the group engaged in idle conversation and activities to pass the time, with Autumn Blaze and Benga engaging in a rather amusing game of charades. As the rest of them erupted into laughter as Benga once again guessed wrong, Smolder noticed that Spike was standing at the front of the vessel looking out onto the horizon and went to stand next to him.
“Spike?” She asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder. He jumped at her touch, having been lost in deep thought.
“Oh, hey Smolder.” Spike said back, clearly getting a bearing on his surroundings again.
“Are you okay? You seem kinda out of it today.” Smolder asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Spike answered, though at this point he wondered if he was trying to convince everyone else or himself.
“Have you been having more of those dreams?” Smolder asked as she leaned against the railing. Spike closed his eyes and took a deep breath before sighing and opening his eyes.
“More or less. But we’ve got a job to do. Can’t have everycreature worrying about me.”
“You don’t have to hide it you know. Ever since the fall, things have been tough for all of us, so we should be here for each other, now more than ever.” Smolder said as they both looked out over the horizon.
“Yeah. You’re right. Thanks Smolder.” Spike said as he gave her a smile. She gave a smile of her own before they saw that the skiff was surrounded by a thick fog.
“It’s getting harder to see! We might have to see if we can land it somewhere!” Athos called as he tried to navigate the skiff through the dense fog. Suddenly, the skiff shook violently as something caught the hull and they started to feel themselves being pulled down.
“Hang on!” Athos yelled as he tried his best to steer them away from any danger. They eventually crashed onto a cliffside and slid to a halt.
“Everyone alright?” Ember asked as she slowly rose to her feet.
“I’m all for excitement, but I’d definitely prefer not to do that again.” Benga groaned as he just lay on his back for a moment. Spring Leaf took a look off the cliff and saw that they had landed on one of the smaller islands in the area.
“It looks like the main archives are just across the way there.” She said as she pointed it out. As they exited the skiff, the dragons also looked out over the cliff and saw what Spring Leaf was referring to. There was quite a large gap between the island they were on and the island that contained the main archives, though with their flight they could clear it easily.
“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Garble asked with a grin as he took flight.
“You ready Spring Leaf?” Smolder asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Spring Leaf responded nervously. She still wasn’t used to the idea of flight, though she found herself being scooped up by Smolder and taking flight before she could think anymore about it.
“You coming Autumn?” Spike asked.
“I think I’ll stay back and help get the skiff repaired. We’re gonna need it to get back out of here.” Autumn Blaze responded.
“We should sync our communicators to stay in contact.” Athos said. Spike pulled out his communicator and they all synced up together.
“That should do it. Be careful out there.” Benga said to them.
“Right. Shall we?” Spike said as he turned to Ember. She gave him an affirming nod as they both took off to catch up with their companions. The fog was still quite thick, though they managed to make it to the other side and catch up to their companions with relatively little trouble. As they landed, they saw that the others were just staring ahead, looks of shock on their faces.
“What’s wrong?” Ember asked. She looked and saw the main archives of Mount Metazoa, though its appearance had changed slightly since her visit during the Convocation of Creatures. The building had fallen somewhat into disrepair, the walls and windows having been broken down and smashed in with giant crystals and jagged rocks protruding through. As they stepped inside the main foyer, they saw what appeared to be webs strung along the ceiling and walls.
“Those aren’t cobwebs, are they?” Spring Leaf asked nervously as her eyes darted around the room. They all knew the answer to that, as the atmosphere suddenly felt much more dangerous than they were anticipating. Spike turned to Spring Leaf to give the answer they all knew deep down.
“No they aren’t. It looks like Mount Metazoa is infested with spiders.”