//------------------------------// // Chapter Four: The Duration of the Ovation is in the Citation // Story: Vacation is Elation // by Super_Big_Mac //------------------------------// Spike was hungry, tired, and angry. But he was also determined. Before him stood a door that was only just bigger than Big Macintosh, and twice as wide. Spike grunted as he pulled it open. Spike got down on all fours and scuttled forward, being as silent as possible. Hearing laughter just around the next bend, the purple scaled dragon stopped,deciding to listen in on what was going on. "Here's to another decade of life!" "Here, here!" "Yeah! I've got so many ideas on how we can kill them, that I don't even know where to start! I mean, really! I could totally go for bringing zombies back. Remember that? Now that was fun. We should do that again soon!" "No, Blinky. Too soon. I was thinking something more... altruistic in form. A quick death for them, means that we get closer to finally opening the Vault sooner." The stallion chuckled. "But of course I understand your point. You want to have fun. You always want to have fun. Hmm..." "I say we skin 'em alive. Or make them fight each other. Or both." "Pssh, an' Tha's why Ah ain't ever gonna let ya mess wit'em wittout someone else up here, Do. Ya jus' ain't right. Killin 'em clean'll let us stretch their coats a mite bit more, an' that means-" "Ya, ya, ya. 'One less pony per us.' You say that every time, but we still have so much wall to cover before the Vault will open! And Midnight, are you even sure that you read the inscriptions correctly? I mean, don't get me wrong, Immortality at the cost of a few dozen ponies that look like me is all fine and dandy, but I'm bored! I want something exciting to happen! Hell, I'd even settle for that little ass wipe, Spades!" "Hey, now. I'd never go anywhere near a flank that badly in need of a wash." Daring Do looked around, eyebrows furrowed as she tried to find the source of the voice. "Hey, Daring. What's black and burnt and screams like a little filly?" Spike dropped down from the ceiling, landing right in front of the mare. He breathed a huge amount of flames at the pegasus. "You." Rainbow Dash looked away, even as she silently cheered the baby dragon on. Those screams could have come from her... She unconsciously tightened her grip around Scootaloo's body, burying the filly's head in her neck to drown out the cries. "Hey, now. Don't make me kick your hide, mister. Angel wouldn't like it if I had to kill something other than a copy." Fluttershy whimpered as her copy grinned maliciously at Spike. "Oh, puh-leeze! You're almost a bigger push over than Daring, Shutterdry. Besides." The dragon jumped, his body disappearing from sight. "I know how to push all of your buttons." The yellow stallion looked around, fear creeping onto his face. "Oh yeah? I- I'd like to see you try!" Fwoom! Shutterdry shrieked as a wall of flames erupted behind him. He took a step forward and found more flames in his way. Turning left and right, he found more flames. "Ha! Is that the best you've got? I-I can s-still fly!" The stallion began to slowly rise into the air, his movements jittery. "Sorry, Shutter, but you've got a date with your Angel of Mercy." A small animal fell into the flames, shrieking soundlessly as Shutter flew upwards. "Angel!" His wings locked up, and he fell into the flames,joining his pet in death. Prop and Midnight both got themselves ready for a fight. Prop grabbed a stick of TNT, and Midnight started casting water spells to extinguish the fires. "Where is tha' li'l sonuva-"slam! Prop was knocked off her hooves by a blonde-maned orange blur. Midnight turned to cast a spell before finding himself rocketing towards the ceiling surrounded in a glow of violet magic. He was barely able to pull himself out of the way of a stalactite. "Okay, sister. I do believe that it is time for you to die." Midnight teleported back to the ground, and took a stance a few feet away from his double. He was angry, confused, and dazed. She was angry, tired, and sore. They charged each other. Midnight never saw the dynamite. Twilight looked around, her vision blurred by dust and tears, her hearing nothing but an insistent whine as she looked around, trying to figure out what had happened. She was laying down near the edge of a small crater. Applejack trotted up, her mouth moving, but nothing coming out. Twilight just shook her head a little, feeling nauseous and dizzy. She laid her head down and closed her eyes, strength flagging. "C'mon, Twi! Don't fall asleep! We need your help! Twi, c'mon, please be okay!" Rarity looked over to where Applejack was fretting over Twilight's semi-conscious form. 'Ohhh, all my friends are out there, fighting, and I'm just standing here doing nothing! I- I should help, but... I- There's too much dirt, and- and all that blood!' Rarity looked around nervously for her own doppelganger. Daring, Prop, Midnight, and Shutterdry were all already gone. Pinkie and Blinky were having a very curious showdown, consisting of cakes and other confectionery treats being thrown at each other, usually resulting in acidic effects. All that was left was... her. Rarity's eyes widened as her own double finally made an appearance. Wearing a fashionable vest with quite a few different knives on it, she barely resembled the fashionista. She was also heading straight for Applejack. Rarity hesitated for a moment, wishing she could lift something as heavy as the table, before setting off at a gallop at the farm filly herself. Closing her eyes, she lowered her head to but the other alabaster unicorn out of the way. With a wet, meat sllnk, she converged on her double. When she landed, her horn was still pretty well stuck in between two ribs. Her eyes dilated as fear and shock fought inside her. Small hands gently grabbed her head and pulled her horn out slowly, before grabbing a cloth and wiping the gore off. Spike stood over the top of her, muttering to himself as he helped her through the daze he felt himself in. Pinkie Pie stumbled over, her hair as straight as the day she was born. "I killed her..." She was shaking slightly, tears welling in her eyes. Applejack pulled her into a hug, soon followed by a hollow-feeling Rarity. Dash was still curled around Scootaloo, shivers trailing up and down her spine. Spike got up and walked to the door. He sent three bursts of fire out over the canopy. After five minutes, he repeated that signal. He kept at it until Celestia arrived. Using a spell to shrink herself a little, the Regent of the Sun walked inside, her sister right behind her. There wasn't much to say. No celebration. No relief. Just deadened senses and slow reactions. The group of ponies were all levitated by the two Alicornsonce all their wounds were healed, and they were carried to the boat. Spike closed the door one last time, using his fire and tar the guards were pouring to seal the entrance. They left. Skaterate kicked at Daring Do's still form. "Get up, you ninny. You'll live." Daring Do groaned, a husky chuckle emanating from her ruined throat. "Good thing they decided to leave us here. I'll like using this place again." She laughed again as Velvety got to her hooves, the stab wound through her heart healing over. "Really, though. I'd expected something a little less from that group. They didn't seem that tough. I guess it was stupid of us to keep them together." The filly unicorn looked at her sister as she began to brush her mane into it's resplendent shape. "You think? That stupid dragon was able to escape 'cause you told us not to kill him!" The faux-farm filly helped her sister find her foreleg as the others argued. "Dumb dynamite... Fool thing to do, Props. Fool thing." "Yeah, yeah, whatever, 'Blossom. Jus' gimmie mah leg." After a few minutes of finding lost pieces or regrowing them, the group was once again standing. Not proudly, though. They looked at the wall. "Ruined. Dammit! We were so close to getting in! That stupid dragon burnt it all! THe next time a dragon comes to our island, we kill it. Ya got that?!" Nopony talked. There was nothing to say. No way to say it in a way that would cheer anyone up. Spike was worried. He'd never seen any of them like this before. The sun had finally set, and time continued. They'd been gone for less than a day, and yet it felt like forever. It was a day none of them was likely to forget, and yet... Knock, knock, knock. "Come in." "Excuse me, Princess. But, I was wondering..." "Is it about what happened on the island?" "Yes. I, uh, I was wondering if you could, I dunno, make everypony forget what happened? Take us to Canterlot and say we missed the boat, or something? I don't know, just... I can't stand to see them like this." Spike pouted. "Don't worry, Spike. I shall take your request into consideration. But be warned. There are many things in my past that I wish I could forget, but memory is one of the strongest magics used by everyone, yet understood by no one." The princess nodded. "Yes, I think that, with this, I can help. Just as they drift to sleep, I'll slip across the surface of their minds. and clean away as much as possible. It won't be much, but... it will have to do." Spike smiled, tears of relief in his eyes. "Oh, thank you, Luna! You're the best!" He hugged her foreleg, and she smiled down at him. "Don't worry, my little dragon. You'll wake up tomorrow feeling as normal as you used to. That, I can promise." Twilight yawned, looking around the small hotel room she, Spike, and Fluttershy were sharing. 'Ugh... My head hurts. I really hope I didn't drink too much last night.' She smiled as she watched the sun warm the sand on the beach below. 'I'm glad I took Celestia's advice, though. Faustralia's wonderful.' She made a quick call to room service before pouncing on Spike and tickling him like she used to when they were a lot younger. She just knew that, like the rest of the week before, today was gonna be a great day on the beach. "Hey, Daring! Another ship's pulling in to harbor!" Daring Do smiled maliciously, all traces of her burnt flesh completely gone. "Perfect." She laughed viciously.