Something barrelled into Sombra before he could react. He looked to see Trixie, terrified for her life but shielding him with her cloak. She held up her hoof in a shushing gesture, pointing to another glowing rune. The earth rune, Sombra noted.
He wasn't sure what effect it was having, but the attacker didn't turn its attention to them. In fact, it was swivelling its head around like it was searching for them. Keeping hold of Rock Solid, Sombra shuffled slowly with Trixie until they were tucked into an alleyway and out of sight.
"It seems I must thank you again for my life, Trixie," he said when she whipped off the cloak.
"Well, if you're going to be an idiot and just throw yourself into danger like that, you can consider it the last time," she returned. "Luckily, this rune provides the perfect means of a quiet getaway."
She swept the cloak over herself again. The moment she did, it became the exact colour and texture of the wall behind her. She wasn't invisible but simply camouflaged, more like how a chameleon hides.
"Most impressive," he remarked.
"Yeah, well… couldn't just leave you out there, could I?" she murmured.
They held eye contact for a brief moment and Trixie managed a smile. Sombra returned it. How fortunate he was to have such exceptional companions, even after all he had done.
"Now, we had best get the captain some medical attention."
"Oh no, captain!" Another guard came hurrying up. "Is she alright?"
"Injured, but alive. We need to get her into the tunnels. How goes the evacuation?" asked Sombra.
"We've got almost everypony accounted for, but there's still a few left and that thing is coming right for us! We can't stop it, we need more time!" the guard cried. "But without the captain, I'm just… I'm not sure…"
"Good thing for you we have somepony just as good!" Trixie slapped Sombra on the back. "With the captain out of commission, your orders come from him now."
"What?!" Sombra whirled to her. "Trixie, I can't simply take command of these guards!"
"Why not? You're the closest thing to a higher authority at the moment and you've got battlefield experience. There's no way I'm going to try and tell them what to do. You're our best shot."
"Trixie, I…" He looked away. "I've already told you, I'm unfit to-"
"Oh don't give me that!" she snapped. "I just put my life on the line for you! I didn't have to, but I did! Doesn't that tell you anything? These ponies need a leader Sombra, and if I can manage to buck up and do my part, so can you!"
Sombra stared at her, frightened yet determined. He looked at the young guard, glancing worriedly between them. His ears attuned to the sounds of battle, of innocent ponies about to be caught in that metal fiend's sights. Then, he looked at his sword.
It was the only thing still left from his time as king. Specially forged from metals unique to the Frozen North and reinforced by magic. He realised he had unconsciously refrained from using it fully by the lingering shame of his past. But that was then and this was now. Now, he had a chance to give it new meaning.
"You, what is your name?" he asked the guard.
"Um, Private Witherwings, sir," she replied.
"Private, you and the guard may consider yourselves under my command. Anypony who objects may stay on escort duty for the citizens, because I need the rest of you to engage the enemy so we can get these ponies to safety. Can I count on you for that, private?"
"Y-Yes sir!"
"Excellent!" He slapped the young Pegasus on the shoulder. "Then go, gather as many as you can and bring them here. Half a dozen should do, but as many as can be spared."
She saluted and flew off to carry out his order. He looked to Trixie.
"I don't suppose you have the air rune fashioned into your cloak as well?" he asked.
"Of course." She let it glow briefly. "Gives me a little gust of wind for short bursts of flight."
"And do you have any more of those fireworks?"
"A few more in here." She took off her hat and pulled one out. "It's been enchanted to expand the interior space. It's not infinite, but I've got about twelve more in here."
"You managed to perform such a complex spell?"
"Actually, Cadence helped me with that one," she admitted. "I'm hoping to work all of this into a new version of my show, at some point."
"Then we can consider this its debut! I want you up on those rooftops and stationing fireworks to fire into the courtyard just beyond the alleyway. We'll keep the attacker's attention so you can work. When I give the command, fire them all at once! Let's see how much it can withstand."
"A plan that keeps me pretty much out of harm's way? I can get behind that." She glanced about nervously. "You'd better keep your promise from earlier."
"As you have already kept yours," he vowed. He looked to see five more guards arrive, Witherwings at their head. "This will do nicely. Now, all of you, we need to push this creature back to the courtyard and keep it there. We cannot allow it to slaughter innocents."
"But how can we stop it?!" A unicorn with a goatee was shivering. "This thing, we can't even make a dent in it! What are we supposed to do?"
"To fight! If you wish to despair, you may do so in the shelters with the others but you can leave your armour behind because you will have failed in your sworn duties." He allowed his tone to soften. "I know you are all frightened. This is, indeed, a mighty foe. But I have a plan that will remind this metal monster that so long as I, Sombra of the Crystal Empire, live and breathe that we will not allow any harm to come to Canterlot and its citizens. I am happy to do this fight alone, but together, we shall overcome! Are you with me?!"
The guards cheered. Sombra grinned and nodded to Trixie. Her cloak glowed and a gust of wind sent her skyward. Sombra drew his sword and let out a cry, charging back into the fight.
The metal creature was advancing up the street. One more turn and it would arrive at the entrance to the shelter. Sombra called forth a large shard of crystal, springing out of the ground and slamming into it. It forced it back, unbalancing it.
"You two, strike it now!" he commanded two Earth ponies.
They raised their shields and rammed into its chest with a jump. It wobbled backwards, rolling onto its side before righting itself. A good start, but it returned fire on the ponies with missiles. They ducked behind their shields, but were stuck.
"Shield spells, now! Witherwings, take your friend and work up a gale force!"
The pair of unicorns dashed to their comrades, though the goatee one had to be pushed a bit. They cast shields around their comrades while the two Pegasi soared. They beat their wings in time together, sending a strong gust that made the missiles fly off-course. They exploded either in the air or empty buildings.
Sombra charged, taking advantage of its attention being drawn. He slashed at the base, jumping over a swipe from its hand and doing the same to its arm. He was definitely leaving some scratches, but the armour was still too thick. He jumped back just as its fist slammed down where he'd stood.
It was a rare moment when Sombra missed the power his darker self granted. Unrestrained, he'd been able to conjure an entire kingdom's worth of crystal formations without much effort. Now, it took a little more out of him and he needed to wait for his stamina to restore before he could do it again. He had to save it for just the right moment.
But at least he wasn't on his own.
A magical shield protected him from a blast fired by the attacker. The two Earth ponies ran into it again, though it withstood the charge. It caught one of them before he could fall back and slammed him into the ground. Witherwings flew him out of harm's way while her fellow Pegasus kicked a storm cloud at it. He kicked it again, sending electric jolts through it. Combined fire from the unicorns sent it back again.
He caught Witherwing's eye, as she set her comrade down. She shook her head sadly and Sombra growled. Another death at the hands of this monster.
"Keep it here and keep your distance!" Sombra ordered. "Don't let it take an inch from this courtyard!"
But the attacker's arms were locking into its sides. Sombra tensed, watching for a new attack. An almighty roaring sounded from its base and it became airborne, pushed steadily into the sky by a jet of fire emerging from beneath the ring where its feet should be. It extracted its arms again, warming up more magical blasts.
Sombra growled again. This complicated matters.
"It flies now!" the goatee unicorn yelled.
"It flies n-?"
"Yes, we can see that clearly!" Sombra interrupted Witherwings. "Stop gawking at it and react to it! We can't have it moving around in the sky! You two, can you cast any elemental magic?"
"Uh, Private Ruffles, sir a-and just basic stuff, sir," replied the goatee unicorn. "You know, i-ice and such."
"That will do nicely! Witherwings, take your companion and gather some clouds! Move under it, station them near those jets of fire! Let's bring it back down to our level."
The guards exchanged looks, but confusion became realisation when they caught onto his plan. Witherwings signalled to her wing pony and soared off while Sombra directed his troops on the ground to keep its attention.
The remaining Earth pony hurled debris, the two unicorns adding to the barrage with levitation, saving their energies on the more basic spell. Sombra kept his attention on diverting and cutting down its missiles.
Quickly casting his eyes for Trixie, he glimpsed the colour of her fur. She was setting down another firework. She flashed him a grin and held up two more. Not much longer to wait now. He just had to get it back into the firing line.
He watched Witherwings and her wing pony gather the clouds, moving them towards the fire. The heat was already making them evaporate.
"It's not working, sir!" she called out. "It's too hot!"
"Then get a larger one, hurry!"
The attacker turned its attention to them and fired. They only just managed to dodge it. Sombra hurled his sword at it with a levitation spell, the blade sticking into its head. He managed to yank it back and turn the monster away from the Pegasi.
"Good one, sir!" The remaining Earth pony glanced at his shield. "I always wanted to try this!"
He angled his arm back and hurled it like it was a discus. It didn't even get six feet off the ground before it fell back to the ground with an unimpressive 'clunk'. Even the attacker paused in its assault in the pregnant pause that followed, everypony staring at the guard and the shield.
It was broken by one of the unicorns recovering his fellow's shield, who looked rightly mortified. What in the world had he been thinking?
But it brought them enough time for the Pegasi to kick another, much larger cloud under the attacker. Though it also started evaporating, there was a lot more of it. Now or never.
"Ice, now!"
Ruffles and his fellow unicorn cast the spell, turning the cloud into ice. The Pegasi swiped some others from nearby while they did, adding more to the formation of cold.
The base of the attacker sputtered, black smoke creeping out from the cracks. The ponies on the ground hurried away as it came crashing back down. It cracked the street below.
"Yeah, that did it!" Ruffles cheered and looked to Sombra. "Great plan, s-"
A magical blast caught him full on in the body. Even as he reached him and checked his smoking form, Sombra knew he wasn't getting back up again. He could feel the shock the other guards felt, knew they wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer.
"Sombra!" Trixie waved from a nearby spire, an especially large rocket next to her. "Ready!"
"Witherwings, get her down from there!" he ordered. "The rest of you, fall back! Trixie, on my signal!"
The attacker was right where he wanted it and he had enough in him for some crystal.
This time, he formed a tightly enclosed ring around it. Its movements were halted and it stopped to begin smashing it aside.
"FIRE!"
He saw several different sparks light up on the surrounding buildings, followed by a collective whizzing sound when they shot towards the ground.
The attacker buckled under the multiple brightly coloured explosions, raising its arms to protect itself. Its right arm took a particular beating, the armoured plating falling away around the joint. He glimpsed wires and flares of magical energy. Now, that looked like a weakness!
Sombra charged towards it. More missiles rained down, but his sword cut through the ones closest and they fizzled out harmlessly. He galloped up a strand of crystal that hadn't been destroyed, eyes locked on his target.
"Yes, yes! Split it wide open!" cheered Trixie from afar.
He carved the edge of his blade along the arm as he ran, taking advantage of the breaches. Metal fell away to the floor, then he bounded up in the air and raised his blade. With a mighty slash coming down, he cut away the few supports holding the arm in place and it fell to the ground with a heavy clunk.
Sombra landed deftly, sheathing his sword and turning. The attacker had been forced to pause in its assault, no doubt processing its pain, if it even felt such things.
"Sir! Everypony's inside!" called Witherwings. "Shall we press the attack?"
He was tempted to push further, to truly destroy it but decided against it. It was already beginning to recover and he wasn't going to risk their lives more than they already had.
"Fall back! Into the shelter, quickly!"
He sprinted up the street, regrouping with the remaining guards. They bolted around the corner, just as the attacker began its attack anew. Sombra waited until they were all inside, then slammed the heavy doors shut. The protective enchantments activated and the locks clanked into place.
"Trixie," he panted when he got some breath back, "I believe you should add 'magnificent' to your title with that display."
"I know! Can you believe it? We did it! We actually did it!" She danced on the spot with joy and returned his grin. "That was pretty magnificent yourself, sir."
He chuckled at her use of the title. Something heavy crashed into the door from outside and it became a frown.
"Ugh, why can't we just catch a break?" groaned Trixie.
Sombra silently agreed and drew his blade again. The pair of them stood tensed, with the remaining guards at their back, as the metal monster slammed against the door again. He hoped that Twilight was faring better.
Spike flinched whenever he heard the robot fire, gritted his teeth at Tube's laughter. He would have been here sooner, but he had to make sure the guards knew about the medical situation as quickly as possible. He'd also tried sending a message to Celestia, but his magic fire failed. That had never happened before, but it definitely meant they wouldn't be getting help anytime soon.
Figuring that Twilight would want to know about this, he was directed by others where to find her. By the time he did, he was starting to wish he'd never left her side.
"Twilight? Twilight, can you hear me? Twilight!"
She looked up, very slowly, from the body of the guard she was holding. When she did, it was like she didn't quite acknowledge he was there.
"It's my fault, Spike," she murmured. "I-If I'd reacted quicker or done something sooner, he wouldn't have… he might have…"
"Twilight, you have to snap out of it!" He grabbed her shoulders. "That thing is at the walls now and they're not gonna hold much longer! I can't get a message out to Celestia! You're the only one who can help stop it, they need you! Please!"
She stared at Spike blankly for a long, long moment. Her eyes drifted back down to the guard's body. She placed her hoof gently over his eyes and closed them, but she didn't stand up. She barely reacted to Spike's touch. Seeing her like this when she was usually so driven and determined…
Spike bared his teeth in a growl and looked up towards the wall. Though he couldn't see it, he knew what lay beyond. What was responsible for what had happened to the pony he considered a sister, to his home and to all of these other ponies like this one. And he wasn't going to stand for it any longer.
His wings flared and he soared up and over. There was some scattered resistance going on from a few pockets of guards, but the vast majority were either lying motionless or had been taken for treatment. Somepony had to do something and what better than a dragon?
"Hey! Test Tube!" he yelled, hovering behind the robot. "Leave Canterlot or I'll drag you out myself!"
"Indeed?" The robot turned, the scientist's face filling Spike's vision. "Oh yes, the dragon. Assistant to the young princess, correct? How disappointing for you."
Spike snorted black smoke. "Oh yeah? How about you come over here and I'll show you how 'disappointing' I am?"
"You speak with derision, yet I'm sincere. Dragons are proud, majestic beings and yet here you are, running around after one much lesser. You should stand with us."
"Like I'd ever side with somepony like you! I'd never turn my back on my friends!"
"Your friends? Is that what they'd have you believe that they are, to keep you on a leash?" His expression became almost sympathetic. Almost. "You, who have been taken away and raised in a place that is not your own. Barely knowing of your own kind. Do you even know where you came from? Who your parents were?"
"I…" Spike faltered for a moment, but shook his head. "No, I'm not going to let you trick me! I know who my family is!"
"Do you? Truly? You've never been looked upon with fear or even hatred? One among our number certainly has. She says she knows you, Spike and she is equally disheartened by how much you're lacking in your true potential. You might say it's something of a Blight on your life."
"What do you…?" Those words struck a chord in Spike's memory. Of bloodstained fangs, clashed with a smooth voice. "Selena?"
"Yes, quite the intruiging specimen," said Tube. "I've already helped unlock her potential, granted her improved abilities beyond what she could hope to achieve naturally. I could do the same for you, give you a world which would only tremble at your greatness. That is what we strive for! A world where those, such as us, don't need to feel like outsiders or criminals because what we want doesn't conform with the so-called norm. Look already at what I've accomplished, and just think of what could happen for you!"
Spike had to take a moment. Not to seriously consider Tube's offer, the guy was nuts. But Selena… despite everything that had happened in Transylmania, he didn't really blame her. He'd witnessed what other ponies thought of her. He'd experienced it himself. Their reasons for finding the mirror had been rather similar. If she was with these guys now…
He had to do something, help her somehow. Maybe it was a long shot, since her plan had been to use the mirror to better her hunting and killing. But if he showed her there was another way, that she could have another chance. She'd always been on her own and if Twilight had managed for Trixie, he could do the same for her.
"You can forget it, Tube!" he spat at him. "We'll beat you and make sure you never hurt anypony ever again!"
"Such short-sightedness. Very well then." The robot's laser warmed up again. "It will be an interesting experiment to see how well dragon scales withstand this."
Spike was already charging forward, under the laser's beam. He soared in a semi-circle around to its rear leg and latched onto it with its claws. They actually dug into it! He dug into one side of its leg, trying to tear off the metal plating. It was actually giving way!
"I think not!"
The robot's head swivelled. Spike saw the glare of its eye. Just as he let go, it hit him. It didn't do much more than knock him back onto the ground. The heat even felt kind of refreshing.
The giant foot coming to crush him looked considerably less inviting. He didn't have time to move, so he raised his hands and braced himself.
He buckled under the weight, but it didn't crush him. He gritted his teeth, pushing against it with all his might. His breath came out in short yells, mingling into roars. He wasn't going to let it beat him. He wasn't! He had to… had to…
"Impressive strength, dragon. But it will avail you nothing." The whirring inside the leg intensified and he could hear the grin in Tube's voice. "Let's see you stand up to this!"
He sank to one knee. He wasn't even shifting it, just delaying its movement. He let out a torrent of fire, burning the metal until it was red hot. It didn't stop it. Down on the ground now. It was just too much.
"I'm… sorry… Twilight…!"
A purple flash appeared near him and he felt hooves on his back.
"Tell me later!" A stomach churning second later, he was back in daylight and a familiar pony's hooves around him. "Oh my gosh, Spike! I'm so, so sorry! I shouldn't have-"
"Don't even start, Twi," he said at once, hugging her back. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"That's… debatable right now," she admitted. "But I'm doing a little better. You were right. We need to stop this thing and we have to do it together."
"That's the Twilight I know. Look, I already got us started!" He pointed at the leg he'd left marks in. "My handiwork, just saying."
Twilight's eyes widened. "Huh? How did you do that? It's shielded."
"Wasn't a problem for me," he shrugged. "Maybe I managed to get inside it."
"Maybe. Or…"
Spike followed her gaze. Another load of debris was falling towards the robot as it attacked the wall. It bounced or slid off its metal form, not even stopping it. Another unicorn fired a spell from the ramparts, but the shield flared and it returned fire shortly after. Spike tried not to think about whether or not the unicorn was okay.
"It only protects it from magical attacks!" she cried. "Tube must be counting on its metal plating to protect it from anything physical!"
"I mean, it's held up pretty well so far." Spike could see the various dings and small dents across its form. He looked down at his claws. "Guess it's good I keep these things well looked after."
"And have you noticed? It's mainly fired in the wake of being attacked with magic. Give me a moment…" She closed her eyes and her horn glowed briefly. Her eyes shone with light and she beamed. "Yes, I knew it! The shield not only protects it from magic, but it also absorbs and redirects the energy too! That thing is practically an everlasting battery, so long as we're using magic against it."
"But then how are we meant to stop it?"
"I'm working on something, but we need some more help. Spike, spread the word to the guards. Any unicorns, tell them to stop using spells on it. Use levitation to hurl debris if they need to, but no more casting against it. Anypony you find, tell them to regroup with me inside the Palace walls. Meet there in five, got it?"
"Got it!"
She teleported and he flew off, making for where he saw the unicorn. It turned out she managed to take cover and Spike relayed the message, along with telling her Twilight's instructions. He doubled back to the ballroom to pass it on there too and did the same to anypony else he saw before circling around to meet Twilight.
She'd managed to gather about a dozen active guards. All of them looked pretty worn and beat, but were ready to do what they had to.
"Alright, here's the plan!" she announced to them. "I'll be in the sky with anypony who can still fly. We need to draw its fire and keep it on us. I'm a prime target, so it'll be angling for me. I'll provide protection with a shield spell, along with any unicorns here. Do not attack the robot with magic, remember that! But the more we keep it attacking, the more power it uses that we're not giving it back."
"But your highness, how do we stop it?" asked another. "Nothing we're doing is even getting through!"
"Spike's claws can, so anypony who can't fly and who isn't protecting the flyers will be with him." She beckoned some Earth ponies, hefting heavy chains with grappling hooks on the end. "Use these to hold the leg in place. I wouldn't risk magic in case it triggers the shield, but this should help you really get your claws in and do some real damage."
"Name's Bulkhead, sir," a particularly buff Earth pony said. "We're right with you. You just tell us when to use force and how much!"
"Now that sounds like a plan to me!" cheered Spike. "I'm ready when you are."
"I knew you would be, number one dragon assistant. Just…" Concern was etched on her face. "Just be careful, okay?"
"Same to you. Alright everypony, let's show this thing what happens when you mess with Canterlot!"
The guards cheered. Twilight teleported them all back outside the walls, behind the robot and in cover. Allowing herself a moment to get her strength, she spread her wings and took off with the flyers, magic casters following close behind.
Spike stayed with his team, creeping up as close as they could and remaining out of sight. He watched Twilight, issuing commands and protecting those she could. She was no Rainbow Dash in terms of flying, but she didn't do too badly for somepony with only a few days practice. Her shields made up for it regardless.
The more it fired, the more Spike could see the lasers getting a little dimmer and shorter in burst each time. The unicorns were less strained using their magic to cast shields for the flyers, so was Twilight. It was working and judging by the look on his face, Tube knew it too.
"Stay still, you little…!" He made a weird noise in his throat when it fired and missed. "This is a pointless exercise, princess! You can't stop my creation!"
"That remains to be seen, Tube!" she shot back. "Maybe you should have done a few more field tests to work out the bugs!"
"There are no bugs! It's perfect, it's superior! You can't even land a single hit!"
Spike took this as his cue. He and his squad burst from their hiding place, Bulkhead and a couple more Earth ponies slinging their hooks. They latched onto parts of the leg that protruded and found purchase, digging their heels into the ground.
With a battle cry, Spike leapt and resumed his earlier work. He fixed his claws around the tear he'd made previously, pulling with renewed strength. He grinned through gritted teeth, hearing the metal tearing. Just a little more…
"What is this? No!" Tube glared through his screen. "You pests! Cease and desist at once!"
They managed to resist his initial attempt to move the robot's leg. But the second attempt was much stronger and they just couldn't keep a grip. It wrenched the leg free, but Spike clung on for dear life. He tried to get a footing, but there was nothing for him to get a fix on.
"Get off!" shrieked Tube. The leg shook violently, like Spike was an overexcited dog refusing to let go. "I said get off my leg, this instant!"
"Never!" Spike yelled.
Tube's efforts and Spike's stubbornness only caused more of the metal panel to tear. It was just a matter of which would give way first: the metal or Spike.
In the end, determined as he was, Spike couldn't hold on forever. With a final, violent swing, his claws gave out and he was launched into the sky. The world span in his vision, his stomach churning and his mouth open in a yell.
Then purple danced across his vision again, Twilight catching him in her aura. He gave her a thumbs up and he righted himself when she let him go. He looked down at the leg. The panel wasn't completely off, but the nearby guards were emboldened by his effort.
"Come on, let's wreck this thing!" bellowed Bulkhead.
He hefted a large mace and slammed it against the inside of the panel. Another jammed her spear in it, trying to use it like a lever while her comrade just pushed with his bare hooves. Shrieking metal filled the air, but though he couldn't use his laser as much, it didn't stop Tube from using the foot itself.
"Enough!" It kicked away Bulkhead and the spear guard, then crushed the poor pony using his hooves when he stumbled. "I'll not have you make a mockery of me!"
Spike and Twilight exchanged a look. Flying in formation, they banked around as Twilight teleported them. They appeared right next to the leg, charging at it full force. Spike punched while Twilight kicked and the panel was wrenched free, exposing a bunch of wires and other important looking stuff.
"Let's try this again! Spike, get right in there!"
"Way ahead of you!"
They stuck their heads right inside. Spike unleashed a torrent of flames, while Twilight let loose with magic. Inside the leg, they were inside the shield and it could do nothing to protect it. Parts snapped, broke or fell away and an ominous creaking sounded along the leg. They looked to see it wobbling.
Jumping back from the leg, they flew back into the sky and did a sharp U-turn. Twilight cast a shield around them, picking up speed as they shot back towards the leg. Spike shot a fireball, heating the inside even more and with a resounding boom, they tore right through it and out the other side.
Another teleport let them watch it unfold. The leg crumbled completely and the robot fell with an almighty crash, all the while Tube cursed and shrieked, his screen flickering.
"And that's how it's done!" Spike gave Twilight a high hoof. "Nice work, princess."
"Not bad yourself, little brother," she replied. Her triumph became clouded with regret. "I just wish that…"
He patted her on the back. "I know. But we know we can hurt this thing now, so let's see what else we can do to make him pay. See how 'superior' his creation really is."
"I can get behind that. Uh oh," she said, looking down. "Looks like we might have to do that pretty soon."
The robot still had three working legs. It was rearranging their configuration by rotating them around its body and starting to right itself. But on the plus side, Spike could see the magic shield was flickering, even though nopony was using any magic for that to be happening.
"You know, there's an old saying I like: you don't have to know how something works to try and break it."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "How is that an old saying?"
"Well, as old as I am," he shrugged. "On that note uh, I may have something to tell you about the projector back home."
"I think that's a problem for later. Right now," she said, her horn glowing, "let's see about putting that saying into practice!"
"You got it!" agreed Spike and the two siblings dove right back into the fray.