//------------------------------// // Chapter 96 - A New Mission // Story: Quest For Harmony // by destinedjagold //------------------------------// Spike wiped his forehead, as if there were any sweat for him to wipe off. He has been hiking for hours now. He stopped momentarily as he stared at the very steep and narrow pathway along the tall mountains of the Frozen North. He sighed, knowing that it'll take him quite a while to reach his destination. But no. He shook his head. He needed to do this. Jay needed him, and to help him, he shall. Spike, after reading the letter once again, stared worriedly at the pony statue standing near the window. Slowly, he turned to the other window, where a black portal was quietly swirling. He then stared at the letter on his claws once again, not minding the four curious ponies who were approaching him. “Well,” Shining Armor asked as soon as he and the three crusaders reached the table, “what does it say?” After a few seconds of hesitation, Spike spoke up. “Jay's in trouble...” He was going to add more to what he was saying when Scootaloo cut in. “Who the heck is Jay?” “Oh, uh...” Spike stared at the statue of the earth pony by the window. “That's Gold's name back in his world.” “Huh?” Sweetie Belle arched an eyebrow as she and the others turned their gazes on the pony statue. “So like...there's actually another world aside from our own?” Shining Armor was the first to bring his attention back to the purple dragon who was already standing on the table. “You said that he's in trouble. What kind of trouble?” The crusaders returned their gazes at the dragon while Spike read the contents again in the letter. “I don't really understand some parts of this letter but, it was sent by his brother.” He scratched his scaly head before continuing, “I mean, at first, I thought this letter was from him, 'cause the sensation was familiar, while oddly foreign as well, and—” “We get it,” Scootaloo groaned, “move on!” “Right right, sorry...” Spike flashed them a small apologetic smile before returning his eyes back on the contents of the scroll. “Well, according to his brother, there's this Sombra guy from the Crystal Empire—” “Crystal Empire?” Shining Armor whispered to himself. “—who suddenly appeared in their world and started spreading this dark mist of some sort, and apparently, Jay was caught with it. Kronz, Jay's brother, as what he wrote here, said something about him accessing this kompooter-thing so he could send me this letter, asking for help.” Spike stopped, and took a moment to catch his breath. As he panted, he brought his claw to tighten his scarf around his neck. Glancing behind him, he saw three equine figures who were a few meters behind, doing their best to catch up. Their capes and long scarfs blew with the strong wind. “Hm...” Shining brought a hoof on his chin, thinking. In doing so, he unceremoniously caught the attention of Spike and the three crusaders. He locked his gaze on the floor as he spoke. “You said...or at least, from the letter, it said that—” he turned his attention to Spike, but he paused after noticing that all those present's attention were on him. “—t-that this Sombra-guy came from the Crystal Empire, right?” “Yeah,” Spike nodded while searching for it in the letter, and successfully finding it. “That's what this Kronz fellow said.” “Hm... And...he appeared in their world. How?” Shining Armor asked, making Spike to read the whole letter again. Sighing, Spike shook his head slightly. “Nothing. Maybe he didn't know. But...maybe the portals?” Shining Armor nodded. “The team of pegasi ponies who were sent there had reported that they have seen a few portals there.” Shining Armor nodded. “It's probably the reason why nopony where there in the first place. Hm... This needs further investigation...” “Wait wait! Hold up!” Apple Bloom spoke, turning to Spike. “Ah feel like there's more to the letter than just that. Ah mean, his bro's asking fer help. What can we do tah help?” Her two comrades nodded in agreement before settling their gazes on the purple dragon. “Well...” Spike said as he returned his gaze on the letter. “...it says here that the only way we could defeat Sombra is with the ancient crystal artifact known as the Crystal Heart,” he took a breath before continuing, “which is located on the very top of the Crystal Castle.” “Are we there yet!?” Scootaloo asked as she and her two friends reached the purple dragon. The pegasus mare turned to her earth pony friend who just finished tightening her saddlebag once again. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes as she pointed towards a direction with a hoof. Following her hoof, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo saw a grand sea of tall mountains that spreads east and west from their current location. Snow and air were a bit strong, summoning thick icy fog that almost covered the mountains, yet in the north, two or three mountains away from them was a vast plain white land, stretching as far as their eyes could see. In the middle of the vast snowy desert stood an empire like they have never seen before. Tall structures that seemed to be made out of pure blue ice. Small structures that seemed to look like ordinary houses are the more dominant, which seemed to be made of blue crystalized ice as well. These structures formed a huge circle, and on the very center was a tall castle that glittered from the faintest of light. Scootaloo let out an awed whistle. “Are you sure that you want to go there now?” Shining Armor asked, following Spike who walked out of the castle, and into the castle ground. “We could wait for Twilight to come back.” Spike stopped and turned around to face him. He shook his head, determined to start his quest of helping his brother. “I can't wait that long... Just please,” he eyed him, “call a carriage or something!” Shining Armor scratched his head. He's been trying to reason with the purple dragon while the two of them were still walking down the stairs, but now, he's convinced that he couldn't stop him. Sighing in defeat, Shining Armor called a commanding officer of the pegasi, who was training a few of the pegasi ponies in the castle's ground. “Wait up!” Sweetie Belle called as she and her two friends came out from the open castle doors. The three skidded to a stop in front of the purple dragon. “We're coming with you!” “What?” Spike stared at them with confusion. “But...why?” Scootaloo took a breath and stood straight. “Hey, he's a cool pony, or alien, whatever. Anyway, as cool as he is, he's in trouble, and he needs a cool pony to save his flank! If aliens do have flank...that is...” she shook her head, temporarily debating in her head. “Well,” Apple Bloom spoke, “he helped my sister a lot. Ah guess Ah'm just returning the favor?” She shrugged. “Uh...” Spike then turned to Sweetie Belle. “What about you, Sweetie Belle?” The unicorn smiled awkwardly. “Well, I don't really have a reason why I'd want to help him.” She shrugged. “I dunno. I got nothing better to do, anyway. And uh...” she glanced behind her shoulder, “I don't wanna talk to Rarity, or be near or around her for that matter...” she shivered, not from the cold. Spike, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo arched their eyebrows at her. “Okay,” Shining Armor said, who stopped before them. “The carriage could only carry you on the base of the Frozen North. Pegasi scouts reported that a violent snowstorm suddenly appeared in the northern mountains, making air-travel dangerous.” He smiled, but frowned after seeing the determined looks on the three other ponies aside from Spike. His ears drooped. “Uh...you three aren't going with Spike, are you?” Their toothy grins was an answer enough to make Shining Armor sigh in utter defeat. He'd rather be having an adventure just like this one, but instead, he's bound in the castle under his sister's place, and what is worse, he's a mare. “Well,” Scootaloo cracked her neck and began walking onward. “It's not going to come close if we're just going to stare at it, right?” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom soon followed, while Spike simply stood, thinking if that was the Crystal Empire. It looked more like frozen than be made out of crystals, he thought. Then again, if it were made out of crystals, he wondered if he could eat them... “Hey Spike!” Sweetie Belle's voice echoed, making the dragon bring himself out of his thoughts. “Are you frozen back there!?” “Uh...coming!” Spike shouted back as he ran towards them. He'll worry about it later.