//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Rizen // by Madgod Vatuu //------------------------------// “F-E-A-R has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise.’ The choice is yours.” — Zig Ziglar The carriage landed on the floor as Spike took one look at the temple. A simple glance revealed the temple had more visible damage then before. Though the state of the temple itself was the least pressing matter to the dragon right now. In truth, Spike was more nervous than before. Beyond simply the situation, he’d never traveled with the princesses without Twilight by his side. Having her around helped make things feel more familiar and safe, things he desperately needed right now. As they arrived in the temple the guardians were active, even patrolling their surroundings. On some level it made Spike almost feel like it was a prison rather than a temple with the security, which only put him more on edge. Spike felt a soft touch grazing onto his shoulders. Looking up he sees Princess Luna giving him a comforting smile which calmed him down somewhat. “Do not worry dear Spike, No harm will come to you.” Spike returned the smile unaware that below them in Ponyville Twilight noticed the chariot in the sky. “Where are the princesses going?” Twilight muttered until she spotted a small creature matching Spike’s colors in the chariot with them. Her eyes widened with the first thing she did as gallop to their locations hoping that Spike was there. Spike enter the temple again while trying to avoid the guardian’s attention, which wasn’t easy given how alert they seemed to be. Again, situation was doing little to help his practically fraid nerves as they continued to enter the temple. As they descended deeper, Spike had his sword out but his paws were shaking, afraid of actually fighting. After all, Spike had never really done any kind of combat, usually deferring to Twilight and her friends to do most of the physical stuff, to say nothing of having little idea how to use this new and odd body he was in. The idea of getting into a fight was something he desperately was hoping to avoid. As the group continued inward, Celestia’s eyebrows rose seeing the temple had their torches lit. Even the floors seem to have some wet spots, possibly rain passed by the last time they were here. “Sister that wasn’t there before.” Luna asked while Spike gulped. “Somepony is here. And they aren’t pony.” Celestia stated seeing some prints on the floor, however they were not hooves. Spike, curious, looked down seeing some trail, and the marks in question were similar to his boots. And the implication of what that meant wasn’t lost on him. Celestia’s own eyes widened, realizing the same thing, namely other Kobolds had arrived. Sadly before either she or her sister could act on this new information, a loud thud coming from the floor below. Some of the floors were cracked able to see inside. All three of them stayed quiet as they saw a bipedal creature observing the room they were in. Checking the shelves and bookcases. They couldn’t see a lot but were able to make out that he wore some sort of uniform. “Is that a kobold?” Spike whispered, while noticing something eye-catching on the creature’s arm.“He has some sort of symbol on his arm. It looks like a claw.” Celestia’s eyes widened as she stumbles back. Her sudden jolt resulted in her back hoof striking a nearby stone that bounced against the floor, loudly enough to get the kobold’s attention, who quickly raised his weapon to attack. “Take flight!” Luna shouted at Celestia as she grabbed Spike. Spike's weight caught her completely off guard. She hadn't expected him to be so heavy, and her cheeks even puffed out in surprise as clothes added to his weight drastically.. The kobold aimed on top of him pulling the trigger hearing a loud boom came out of the room. Spike screamed, covering his ears. Unfamiliar with the weapon, he was startled by the deafening noise it produced. It was the loudest sound he had ever heard. “Stay away from that weapon! Stay airborne and let’s get out of here!” Celestia ordered Luna who nodded in agreement. Before long the Kobold burst from the floor and into the air revealing himself. The creature stood around five feet, significantly smaller than a dragon yet faster then one. “Helheim ekess sia wistui!" He shouted in a unknown language. He open his palm from his paw as a small energy of magic appears. “Luna!” Celestia shouted as the Kobold blasted Luna, who barely managed to raise a shield around herself before being pushed into the nearby wall. Spike screamed as they were sent flying through several walls and multiple rooms. Shield shattering as they burst through the last wall before crashing to the floor. Luna grunted as she got up, only to wince and limp raising her injured foreleg. “Princess Luna! Are yo-” Spike paused seeing the blood dripping from her mouth. “Young Spike! You must leave now!” Spike started to panic as he dropped his sword. “N-no! I can’t leave you here!” Spike frantically tried to help the princess while Celestia did her best to keep the Kobold distracted. Luna panted loudly, unable to think clearly. That blast the kobold produced was fast not require a charge time. She also realized that the claw symbol looked too familiar. While Spike led Luna to what looked like a living quarters. “We can hide here.” Before Spike thought he was safe the walls crumbled as the kobold approached them while dragging an unconscious Celestia. “Princess Celestia!” “Sister!” The kobold threw her to the floor as he approached Spike. “Young Spike run! Run!” She lit her horn as she cast a spell, at Spike who barely was able to react. Wait, Princess, what are you-…." His sentence was abruptly cut off as his body vanished in a flash of light, teleporting him away. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ As the light faded, Spike found himself in a different part of the temple, his sentence finally completing, "-Doing." He quickly realized he was no longer in the presence of Luna. Filled with regret and tears streaming down his face, Spike instantly began to run forward. He understood that the guardians must have heard the noises and were likely headed here soon. Despite not wanting to leave the Princesses behind, he knew he couldn't do much for them on his own. The weight of his helplessness weighed heavily on him. “Gotta get help! Gotta get help!” Spike shouted seeing the entrance. His legs kept moving until they halted.Before him was Twilight, the sight caused Spike freeze. “S-Spike?” Twilight stuttered in surprise, off put by his drastic change in appearance. “What happened to you?” Spike eyes widened as a bright light rose above the both of them. The kobold appeared as it raised its fist. "Spike!?" With newfound courage, Spike moved swiftly, managing to grab Twilight just in time. However, the kobold's powerful fist struck the floor, creating a tremendous force that caused a large hole to form. Both Spike and Twilight screamed in terror as they plummeted deeper into the temple, descending into darkness that consumed them entirely. ____________________________________________________________________________ Groaning, Spike and Twilight slowly regained their bearings, their surroundings filled with large piles of debris from the collapsed floor. Despite the chaotic scene, Twilight paid little attention to the debris, immediately rushing over to check on Spike, her concern for him taking precedence. She carefully checked over him, able to properly take in his new appearance. "Alright, Spike, what exactly happened to you?" Twilight asked, noticing Spike's attempt to avoid her gaze. "Spike, please look at me," Twilight pleaded, her voice tinged with sadness. Spike clenched his fist, gathering the courage to meet her gaze directly. As he mustered the strength to look at her, Twilight's eyes widened with surprise as she approached him. “Spike, why do you look so different and why were the princesses keeping this a secret.” As Twilight mentioned the Princesses, Spike's prepared response faded away, and a sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. His expression turned from confusion to concern as he remembered a crucial detail that had slipped his mind. He knew there was something important he had to share, but the words seemed to escape him in that moment. “Twilight! The monster who attacked us attacked the princesses! They were really hurt!” "What! Are you serious!? Spike, we have to g-" Before Twilight could finish, the rubble around them began to move, causing both of them to jump in fear. Thinking quickly, Twilight pointed towards a nearby exit. "Okay, first, we find someplace safe, then we can talk about what's going on." Spike nodded, and the pair quickly took off, the sounds of rumbling debris and the loud roars of the kobold echoing behind them. As they ran, Spike's panic intensified when he realized he no longer had his sword. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, knowing he had most likely dropped it during the initial encounter with the princesses. "Don't stop! Keep moving!" Spike cried out in fear, each loud bang from the pursuing monster getting closer. He understood that he had no way to properly defend himself now, and the situation grew more dire with every passing moment. He relied on Twilight's guidance as they raced towards safety, hoping they could find a place to regroup and strategize before facing the relentless threat. ____________________________________________________________________________10 hours ago In a barely lit office, a dark figure with red eyes sat on his chair. He begins to sign some paperwork while glancing at a feminine creature who was sitting down with her legs crossed. She wore a gray trench coat while holding wooden weapon, similar to the pipe crossbow. “I’m glad to see you arrived, Sapphire, and quite quickly it seems. Doesn’t it typically take you a couple months to get here?” The female, whose name was Sapphire, just chuckled. "Ah, w'at can I say? I'm 'ere for business. And also, I was promised zat my involvement 'ere will clear my watchlist, right, darling?" The soldier nodded as he handed her a crystal. “That crystal will lead you to the objective. A traitor named Mutig discovered a certain artifact. Find him and eliminate him.” Sapphire took the crystal without question, though eyed it with a little caution. "Ahh, zat's it? I would 'ave thought zat you would come up wiz somet'ing more dangereux." Her complaint only resulted in a sigh from the one at the desk. “I told you that you don’t ask questions. If you fail this objective you will be on the watchlist for life. That enough incentive for you?” Sapphire gulped, both from the threat, and by how calmly her companion had said it. "Ah-ah, I understand. I promise ze mission will be completed." The stranger at the temple eyed her with a hint of impatience. “You’d better. Though just to make sure, I will have one of our finest scouts follow you. And you had better not try anything as you won’t know that they are there.” Unlike the first threat, Sapphire seemed to take this one more in stride, chuckling as she tilted her hat up covering one of her eyes. Her visible eye begins to glow from excitement. "Don't worry. I will make sure zis is completed, my reputation depends on zis, darling."