This isn't you! You have to fight it! the voice screamed within the darkest corners of the Beasts mind. It shook away the thoughts that continued to grow with each passing day. The voice seemed familiar and at times he thought he could place who it belonged to. Somepony long dead.
I'm not dead you idiot, but if you keep this up we'll all be dead! the voice screamed again, louder this time.
"There it is again..." he growled, his commanders and generals looking at him in confusion. He waved them away with a claw.
"Check on the patrols. I need some time to think" he muttered, glancing over a few maps, but he did not see them. He stared off into the distance as the voice returned, and this time with friends.
Snap out of it Piper. they said together. The Beast paused for a moment. That name. It was always that name that kept tearing at the back of his mind. Who was this Piper the voices continued to call out to? It was driving him mad! He didn't have time for mindgames. He had a war to win, a kingdom to raise.
That is enough Piper, rest and know peace. a voice said softly in his mind. The beast stumbled as his vision began to blur, finally collapsing onto the clouds he stood upon and passing out.
Sunburst pushed Aqua behind her, flames burning in her eyes as she stared down the creature who held Nova.
"Let her go, NOW!" She demanded of the creature who turned toward her with a smile. Nova looked at her marefriend and daughter with tears in her eyes, which was all Sunburst needed.
"Aqua, go find Shining Armor." she said softly to the kirin.
"B...But mo..."
"GO!" she yelled, pushing the Kirin away. Aqua glanced at the pegaus, then at her mother and finally at the creature who held her. She froze as their eyes met and without realizing it had begun walking towards her.
"Aqua no!" Sunburst reached for the Kirin only to have her run into the creatures arms.
"Hello little one..." the creature said softly, embracing Aqua. Sunburst froze as the voice reached her hears, swallowing hard as her magic dissipated.
"E...Emerald?" she said, her voice cracking. The creature looked at her and smiled.
"I'm happy to know she was safe with you Sunburst. I always knew I could count on you for anything." she spoke quietly, running a claw through her daughters mane.
"B..But how? T...They said..."
"Its a long story and we don't exactly have time for me to explain. The short version is I died and Discord brought me back the same way Harmony brought back Piper. Well not the same way, his way worked the right way and hers corrupted Pipers mind. Which reminds me, we need to act before he completely loses himself." She said, letting go of Aqua and standing.
"Listen to me little one. There are going to be a lot of bad things happening soon. I want you to stay safe with your mom and mommy over there ok?" she said with a smile. Sunburst blinked in surprise, realizing the kirin was referring to her.
"Y...you know?" she managed to say.
"Yes, and stop beating yourself up over it. You thought I was dead, ponies move on, they need to. You can't hang on to someone forever."she said, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"B...but what about you momma?" the young kirin spoke up. Emerald smiled, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"I have a job to do little one. We all do, and yours is to stay safe." she turned to Nova to see her shaking.
"Emerald...I..." the alicorn blushed as Emerald pulled her close, burying her face into her scales and letting her tears free.
"We'll talk about it later Nova, right now there are things to be done. Equestria needs you. I've already checked in on Amethyst and Pip, they should be joining us in a week or so if the rescue effort goes as planned." She rubbed her temples and crossed her legs, hovering in mid-air.
"Sorry, it takes quite a bit of focus to keep myself in check these days." she mumbled, lowering herself to the ground. Nova only smiled, something she hadn't done in a long, long time. She beckoned Sunburst over with a flick of her horn and placed a wing over her as well as a wing over Emerald.
"Together, we will turn the tide of this war and bring back peace to Equestria." she said softly, laughing as Aqua pushed herself in between them. Things were finally taking a turn for the better.
Spike was silent as he followed Nox through the twists and turns of the many caverns that had become the base of the Crusaders. He dared not hope what the Alicorn had said was true but at the same time he wished with all his heart that it was.
He still remembered that day. He had only been a prisoner of the Gryphons for a year when they brought his beloved before him. Beaten, bruised, and barely alive. Her face had been unrecognizable, but he wouldn't have doubted it was her.
Her death had been made as slow as possible with the dragon restrained and forced to watch. They had broken him that day, for years he simply WAS, losing count of the days and no longer caring for life. Though they made him live, they made him survive and now that he was free he would make them pay.
He was pulled from his thoughts as Nox paused, smiling at him. Her horn lit up for a moment and she stopped herself, lowering her head before the two massive doors.
"Spike...could you...open it?" she asked sadly. He smiled, happy with her decision and gently patting her back.
"Of course Nox." he replied softly, nudging the door open. There before him, floating in mid-air within a field of concentrated magic, her horn ablaze with the powerful force and her mane curling elegantly around her face, was one Rarity Diamondheart Shrike. The drake slowly walked up to her hovering form, standing on his back legs and gently placing a claw against her cheek.
"Is this...really her?" he asked. Nox sat beside him and nodded.
"Yes, she's currently in a field of magical stasis. Its maintained her current health and age and kept her alive. when you didn't return she was...well...it wasn't pretty..."
"He'll be here any moment...him and my darling gems a..and everything will be ok." Rarity tried to convince herself.
"Rare...I wouldn't get your hopes up...maybe...maybe they..." Rainbow started, gulping as the mare spun on her with a glare that could petrify a cockatrice.
"NO! Spike would never...h..he's coming back, and he'll have my children and my sister with him. You'll see!" she huffed, staring at the entrance to the hidden caverns.
"Ain't nothin we can do fer her Rainbow...jus' give her time." Applejack said quietly, leaving with the pegasus. Soon all of her friends had left to comfort one another, leaving Rarity waiting for Spike to return. Minutes turned into hours. Hours into Days. And Days eventually gave way to months.
The mare remained in the same spot, her makeup long since ruined by tears that forced their way into the open. Her expression remained the same however as the mascara stained her cheeks, full of hope and the knowledge that the dragon would come back to her and make everything better.
She couldn't remember her last meal as her stomach ached and growled desperately. She turned her bleary gaze to the entrance once more, smiling as a figure made its way to her.
In her emaciated stupor she thought it to be Spike, stepping forward and instantly falling to the ground, out cold as her friends rushed to her side.
"RARITY!" they called out to her. She felt herself on her back, weakly raising her hoof and placing it against the figures cheek.
"I...I knew you would come back...Spike..." she said weakly before the darkness claimed her. Gathered around her, her friends began to worry as the mare held her hoof in the air, speaking to the emptiness around her before losing consciousness.
"Come on, we have to get her to Zecora." Fluttershy spoke up, lifting the unicorn onto her back, amazed and frightened by how light her friend was. With a powerful beat of her wings she took off, leaving her friends stunned by her speed and determination. She nearly crashed into Zecora as she landed, breathing heavily with Rarity's limp form clinging to her back.
The zebra said nothing, motioning to a table where Fluttershy placed the unicorn. The two looked her over, happy to discover she was still alive. Something within her seemed to be holding her on a tiny thread of life, but without food and proper rest they would lose her.
"Is there anything we can do?" she asked softly. The Doctor, who sat in a corner, reading over a few books in a language Fluttershy could not understand, stood and sighed as he closed his book.
"Without Spike here I doubt there is much we can do for her. If Twilight were here it would be a simple matter...no, not even then." He looked over the unicorn for a moment and sighed.
"There may be one thing we can do for her. I have every bit of confidence that Spike is alive, perhaps not well, but alive." He turned away from them, pulling open the tent to find three ponies eavesdropping on them.
He gave them a small smile and beckoned them inside. Nyx was silent as she and her children took a seat near Rarity. Nox propped her hooves on the table, frowning as she peeked over the top.
"Whats wrong with her?" she asked softly.
"She's suffering little one. The heart of a mare is a fragile thing, just one wrong step can have horrible consequences, even if that step is out of your control." he said quietly.
"Nyx, right now you're magic is the only thing that can save Rarity." the chestnut stallion said, keeping his gaze on the white unicorn mare. Nyx glanced at him for a moment, looking away and sighing. Shadow gently nudged her, bringing a smile to her lips. She gave a simple nod in response.
"We can nurture her back to health as she sleeps. When she has been properly restored we will need a very powerful spell from you. A way to keep her from drowning herself in her sorrow again. In short, a long, peaceful sleep. Something that should be a simple matter for The Mare of Dreams." he spoke with a knowing smile. Nyx sighed
"I can place her in a dreamstate that will keep her happy, but the longer she is in that world the more she'll believe its real." She explained.
"Then we'll have to get Spike back quickly." Fluttershy said simply, already mashing together a few herbs.
"I'll get to work on that." The Doctor said, bidding them goodbye as he left.
"You said a few monthes went by. Why did it take seven years? And why was it you who saved me?" Spike asked softly. Nox lowered her head, as if she feared the answer.
"Nox? wheres the Doc?"
"s...Spike..." Rarity's voice filled the room weakly, causing the drake to spin and stare at her with wide eyes.
"Rarity, its me, i'm here." he placed his claws on either side of her face, catching a glimpse of Rarity standing in a field, snuggled close to him with their children sleeping nearby. He gasped as Nox pulled him away.
"She's been like this for all that time Spike. She believes that world is the real world now. There's no war there, she has you, and Emerald and Amethyst in that world."
"But its all a lie...I'm right here!" he yelled. Nox nodded.
"I know Spike. If you want Rarity back, you'll have to go and get her. It wont be easy. She's been in that world for seven long years. But the family she has there isn't the same as her real family. Its based on the knowledge my mother had of you. You just have to prove you are the real Spike and you can drag her out of there." She explained. Spike closed his eyes for a moment, a smile touching his lips.
"Alright. I'll bring her back."
"Its not that simple though Spike...somepony has to maintain a strong connection between the two of you, or you'll lose yourself to the dream world. A magical connection..." she said, looking away.
"Nox...I..." he turned to Rarity for a moment and forced himself to stay calm. Here he was, where he never thought he would be again. So close to his beloved and yet so far away. And his only chance of getting back could cost the life of an unborn foal.
"Its up to you Spike...I trust you." She said quietly. The drake roared in frustration, flames billowing around him and scorching the walls. He panted heavily as he lowered his head.
"I can't do that to you Nox...I WON'T. Isn't there anypony else who can hold the connection?"
"I can do it." Melody said as she entered the room.
"M..Melody! H..How long have you..."
"All day. You should've told me you were having a foal. We'll discuss it later, right now we've got some dream-diving to do." the Unicorn spoke up, glancing up at her aunt.
"I owe her that much." she said, almost to herself.
"Melody, Spike's natural resistance to magic is going to make it extremely difficult to even cast the spell on him, let alone maintain it. Are you trying to k.." Nox gasped as Melody put a hoof over her mouth, glaring at her.
"My family and my friends come first Nox. I will not risk an innocent life when there is something I can do about it." she said through gritted teeth before turning back to Spike.
"Are you ready Uncle Spike?" she asked quietly.
"Mel...are you sure about this?"
"Of course I am. We'll make it through this."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because I haven't saved Piper yet...I can't die until I save him..." She wore a sad smile on her face as she took a seat in front of Rarity, her horn glowing dimly.
"The spell is ready."
"I'll be quick." he promised as Melody's magic enveloped him. Moments later his body collapsed and Melody grunted with the effort of holding the sudden extra weight added to the spell. Nox bit her lip as she watched, helpless.
"Melody...please just..."
"NO! I swear if you even so much as flick your horn in the wrong direction..." the unicorn threatened, her focus slipping for a moment, causing her to pour more magic to fuel the spell and maintain the bridge between Spike and Rarity.
Hurry Uncle Spike...
"Do you think this will work?"
"It has to, he can finally hear us now. We just gotta drag him out of that thing and into this realm, then we can all break free."
"In the dreamstate he is in, it will be simple for you to enter and pull him free. I think you will have the best of luck alone though Riku."
"Me? Why me?" he asked, turning to the cloaked mare.
"Because you have lived within the darkness for far longer than Sora. You know it, you control it, it is a part of you. Sora has been apart of the light, your equal counterpart in the ways of the Keyblade. But he is the light and you are the darkness. He shall remain here as a beacon for you to return to." She explained. Riku nodded, turning to his friend. Sora grinned, giving him a thumbs up.
"I'll be waiting Riku. I'm gonna need you to cover my back when we get home, Kairi's gonna kill me for this one." he said with a chuckle. Riku gave his friend a small grin to match the smile. While he was focused on the task at hand, his mind continued to swim with thoughts of finally returning to Nyx and his children. Finally he was going to go home.
"Alright Riku, the bridge is prepared, be careful not to lose yourself. There are many terrible things within the mind of the beast, but even worse resides within Piper's mind." Luna warned. Riku nodded, running into the portal the Princess had opened for him, feeling the darkness claw at him, dragging him into the deepest depths of Pipers mind.
Silence, darkness, the faint scent of rain and a hint of mildew. It was late night, or early morning. He wasn't sure. He did know that any moment he would need to take action. All he needed was the signal. A faint pinch in the back of his mind lowered the start flag and the drake went to work, pounding the floor of his cell in a seemingly random and frantic manner. The Gryphon's ignored it, assuming he was simply venting his frustrations. There was no way he could break out, especially going down, he would only found stronger cells below if he could even break through the ground he stood upon.
Though Amethyst didn't plan on getting out just yet. Unlike the cell he was held in, the ones below could only hold back the magic of a unicorn. So it was that even against the hunger building within him, against the pain of his bruised claws and the feeling of his blood dripping from them did he continue pounding away at his cell, a smile lighting up his face as he felt smooth stone against his claws.
He sat there for a moment, forcing himself not to fall into a fit of laughter. After years of constant frustration his cell had finally weakened. He dug both claws into the stone, feeling his magic slowly building, pushing every ounce of it into the small bit of stone he had managed to reach. His ears twitched at the sound of keys and panicked ranting, grinning at the Gryphons who struggled to pull open his cage and stop him.
But it was already too late. The Drake vanished in a flurry of stones and flames, leaving scorch marks across the cell. Amethyst stumbled, emptying what little was in his stomach after his body reformed itself in Pips' cell. He pushed himself forward, placing his claw against the wall.
The clamps around the earth ponies legs snapping and the pony himself flipping in the air. Landing easily on all fours. Even without his own eyes he could feel the glow that surrounded Pips' eyes, another gift from the Princess.
"Alright, now we just have to fight our way to the front door." the pony mumbled. Amethyst placed a claw on his shoulder, shaking his head.
The pony looked at him confused, realizing in an instant what he intended to do.
"Wait, Amethyst don't!" he yelled, finding his body scattered for a moment, reforming on the top floor with the drake next to him. Both of them leaning against a wall to gather themselves, both figuratively and literally.
"Where the buck did you learn that?" Pip asked, swallowing the bile that built up in his throat.
"Emy taught me...I think...it was just there in the back of my head..." the drake explained, finally pulling himself together. He felt Pips' eyes on him and smiled.
"What?"
"Y...You're claw..." he said as he caught his breath. Amethyst felt his claw and chuckled, realizing in his hurry he had replaced it with stone instead of his own scales.
"That's interesting..." he mumbled, his ear twitching and a growl building in his throat.
"They are coming, We need to move." Amethyst whispered, placing his claw against the ground which began to fade away, forming around Pip, creating a suit of armor and a hoofblade for the Earth Pony.
"With any luck they'll be waiting for us on the outside." Pip said, testing the weight of the blade. Despite Luna's blessing his body was still weak from lack of excersize, food, and water, but he would manage, he had to. The two, Dragon and Pony, looked on as Gryphon soldiers charged for them and together as brothers in arms, charged head on into the fray.
The Lunar Princess smiled as a presence entered her realm. A presence she had not felt in such a long time. Despite the form it held she still wrapped her hooves gingerly around it, pulling it close.
"I take it you were successful?" she asked.
"Yes. They didn't put up much of a fight." the darkness said quietly, slowly taking the form of her grandson Shadowflare.
"They are there now, within a group who will be hunting them down. After that it will be a simple matter of freeing them. Though...I cannot do the same for all of those trapped there..." he lowered his head and Luna smiled.
"Trapped so deep within the darkness and still with a power of love so strong...You are very much like your father."
"Father? You've spoken to him?" he asked, his eyes wide. Luna nodded silently.
"He and the one called Sora are trapped within realms even I wish to never cross again. It is tasking as it is to reach out to you, but to reach them requires much more. I cannot physically reach them as I can you. But I have found a way to help them." She looked away for a moment
"Do not take this as hope little one and do not hate me for this, but your father has Delved into the mind of The Beast to free Piper."
"H...WHAT?!" The darkness around him grew, quickly quelled as he took a slow, deliberate breath.
"So you have sent him on a suicide mission." he said quietly.
"I have done no such thing. The beast and Piper form a gate from that realm into yours. If Piper is freed..."
"Then Father and Sora can be freed...Grandmother that's...genius." he smiled, nuzzling the Alicorn.
"I will walk in the dreams of those still trapped and spread the word of an escape. I will spread the word of those who seek to help them and keep hope alive until such a time that you can free them. Now go, your friends need you."
"Thank you..." Shadowflare said, his eyes flickering open. A single flare coming from the prison was all he needed to make his move. He couldn't wait any longer. He had an army with him and he was going to do this now. There had been too much suffering already. With a wave of his hoof the changeling swarms dived into Demarescus and the battle for the Gryphon Prison began. Dinky stood beside the Alicorn as he watched the Changelings.
"Is this the right thing to do Shadow?" she asked.
"It is what needs to be done Dinky. Amethyst is in there, waiting for you. Just imagine the smile on his face when you walk through those doors." he said quietly, his wings spreading out as he took to the air, Dive-bombing into the battle, the darkness swirling around him in a mess of blades and blood as he roared. Piper wasn't the only one with a beast hiding within them.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" a young filly screamed as a claw tore through her, faces flitted in and out of existence, wearing smiles and suddenly coated in blood. A voice echoed a lone mantra of 'Its all my fault' again and again. So many faces, so many names, so much lost.
In the center of it all sat a lone pegasus colt. Watching it all with a look of determination on his face. Riku sat beside him quietly, saying nothing at first.
"I failed them. All of them." Piper said quietly, tears streaming down the young colts face.
"You never failed them Piper." Riku said just as quietly. The pegasus tilted his head to look at him.
"Everytime they needed you, you were there. There were times you could've run away and saved yourself. But instead you gave it your all." Riku reached forward to place his hand on the colts shoulder, freezing as a loud roar filled the air. Piper began to shake his head, tears stinging his eyes.
"i..its back..I..I can't..stop...it...AHHHHH!!" The colt screamed as chains flew from the surrounding Darkness, embedding themselves into his body and lifting him high in the air. a barrier forming around him. The beast slowly took form in front of Riku, keeping him from reaching Piper.
Riku chuckled as he stood, drawing his keyblade and closing his eyes. This was the most important part. Sora had carefully explained it to him time and time again, having completed his mark of mastery exam. Riku only had a crash course held by Sora and Luna, but he understood the principle of what needed to be done.
He opened his eyes once more, seeing the world around him drowned in light, meshing with the darkness. There, embedded in the Beasts chest sat a hole filled with light. A heart that couldn't possibly exist. Riku held out his keyblade as the Beast charged towards him and twisted it, a loud clicking noise echoing around them as he unlocked the seal around the heart. The Beast screeched to a halt, screaming and running about aimlessly.
Above them Piper was in the same predicament, his agonized scream mirroring that of the Beast. The light slowly consumed the Beasts form, leaving behind a small pegasus filly. She smiled up at Riku before spreading her wings and soaring into the air, hovering in front of Piper. The colt stared at her with wide eyes as she leaned towards him, leaving a light peck on his cheek. Riku smiled and gasped as the world around them shattered.
"Thank you, for teaching me how to fly...Big Brother."