5.
Twilight’s voice caught in her throat as the sapphire disappeared into Spike’s mouth and shattered between his teeth. Black smoke erupted from between his teeth and swelled about his head. Flutershy yelped and jumped up, beating her wings to get away from the strange cloud, even as Rainbow Dash and Rarity disentangled themselves from each other and backed away. Spike had frozen in place. He didn’t even blink as the cloud engulfed him. In a matter of seconds he had disappeared from view, the black cloud swirling and buffeting around the space Spike had been standing in.
“Spike!” Twilight cried out and ran towards the black miasma, but Appplejack barred her way,
“Hold on Sugar! You don’t know what that stuff is, it ain’t safe!”
“But Spike is in there!” She insisted but there was no way she could past Applejack, even with blood dripping down her nose Applejack was much stronger than her. The cloud swirled faster and faster and a deep thundering growl started to emanate from within. The Ponies backed away until they were penned in against a shelf, as the cloud got bigger and bigger and the growling rumbled deeper and more threatening. As the cloud filled the room up to the roof and pair of burning red eyes, like coals burning in a hearth, appeared and glared out at the Ponies.
“Wow… he got big! Pinkie Pie squeaked. The cloud swirled like a vortex and then exploded filling the whole library with the black smoke and blinding the Ponies. Twilight held her breath and closed her eyes as the smoke buffeted her face and then she looked up when the cloud dissipated. Twilight craned her head back to look up at Spike. But it wasn’t Spike anymore. It was still a Dragon, but instead of Spike’s purple scales and green spines this Dragon had scales as black as coal, even blacker and his spines were a vivid blood red. The same colour as it’s eyes. Smoke streamed from it’s nostrils as it looked down at them. It thinned its eyes at them and then looked around the library. The horns on its head scratched deep gouges in the wood work in the roof as it turned it’s head. Then it spoke,
“At last. I thought he was never going to eat that accursed stone.” A deep growl rumbled through the Dragon’s throat, “Still not very large. I will need to time to regain my former strength.” He remembered the ponies then and looked down again. A crooked, toothed grin crawled across its face as it said, “So, you are the little dragon’s friends? We were quite the nuisance while I was waiting in there.” Despite the Dragons terrifying appearance and size his voice was sophisticated, almost gentle. But at the same time it rumbled with a tone of power and authority. Kind of like when Princess Celestia gets angry twilight thought for a split second before the Dragon’s burning red eyes bore down on her. “You,” he said gesturing at Twilight with his chin, “The little one has strong feelings about you… it would be touching if it were not so pathetic.” He snorted and then turned, bowing his head low, towards the door. With a short intake of breath the dragon reared and blew and gout of white hot flame at the door and the wall around it. The fire crashed into and for a second the wall held before the fire tore it to pieces and blew it outward into the front yard. The Ponies cried out in shoc and ducked down as splinters of burning wood flew over their heads. When Twilight looked up again the black dragon had already crawled out the hole he had created and was standing up right, stretching its back and arms, baring its long sharp talons. Twilight jumped up and ran after him,
“Wait!” she cried. The other Ponies tried to stop her but they were too tangled up with each other to move fast enough. The Dragon turned and looked down at her, “Who are you!? What have you done with Spike!?” The Dragon smirked again,
“My dear surely you are smart enough to realise that your little friend is standing right in front of you.” Twilight shook her head in disbelief, “Yes, that’s right, your little friend is now host to my great power, though I do not blame you for not knowing me by sight alone. Millennia of Death can have that effect on one’s repute.” HE turned to face her and continued, “I shall do you the honour of knowing my name: I am Dreadwing the Blackheart. King of Dragons and the rightful ruler of this world.” His voice rumbled and growled as he spoke and the ground beneath Twilight’s feet seemed to shake and tremble as he spoke. Not only that but the sky above darkened as well. Twilight could feel her insides turning cold but the black Dragon seemed disappointed. “Damn,” he spat, “That wasn’t nearly as impressive as I’d hoped. I must be weaker than I thought.” He looked down at Twilight again and sneered, “I would destroy you and your friends, but I have seen from this Dragon’s memories that you and your friends have a talent for undoing powers greater than yourselves. So, in my weakened state I don’t think it’s worth the risk.” With that Dreadwing turned his back on Twilight and spread two massive red wings from his back. With a few powerful beats, he pushed himself off the ground and soared into the air leaving Twilight standing in shock far below, “Do ot fear though, little Pony, I will see you again soon, when I return to bring this under my dominion!” He bellowed from high in the sky before turning north and swooping away. Twilight stood there, mouth agape staring after Dreadwing. She didn’t say anything until Applejack appeared by her side,
“Twilight?”
“He’s gone.” She said simply and then turned and trotted slowly back into the library. The others had finally pulled themselves apart and were waiting for her as she came in. Rainbow Dash flew over and beat her wings to float in front of her,
“Don’t worry Twilight, that bozo doesn’t scare me. He’s just a lot of hot air is all. We’ll get Spike back!” Twilight looked up at Rainbow Dash and smiled weakly. She knew that she meant well, that she was only trying to make her feel better but she knew that Dragon was more than hot air. Those eyes said it all.
“Thanks Rainbow, I…” but she didn’t know how to finish that sentence. Spike was gone. There had been nothing she could do to help him. All of her learning, all of her education and spells and she couldn’t do anything to help him. She’d been helpless. Tears welled up in her eyes and she choked back a sob. Ever since Spike had been a baby she’d looked after him, taught him valuable lessons and learned them along with him. Laughed with him, cried with him. He was such an important part of her life and she’d let that black scaled, red eyed monster fly off with his body, let him take Spike away from her. ‘Dreadwing the Blackheart’. Who was he? What was he? What had he meant by king of Dragons and what had that stone been from the very beginning? All these questions seemed so important and at the same time completely meaningless. She was at a loss. She wanted to cry, she wanted to shout she wanted to turn Dreadwing into a toad and let Zecora use him in one of her potions but most of all… she wanted all of this to be some sort of bad dream. She wanted Spike back. She realised then that her friends were looking at her waiting for her to do or say something. Like always. She was always there to give them advice to help lead them when something big came up, something important that needed dealing with. Just like Nightmare Moon. Just Like Discord. Surely this was no different. Of course not! This was the same. Something terrible had happened, another ancient evil or malevolent force had returned to the world and she had to do what she always did… deal with it. She sniffed and wiped the unshed tears out of her eyes with the back of her hoof and looked at her friends. “I need to talk to the Princess.” She made sure to say so that her friends understood that she wasn’t just guessing on what she should do. They needed to know that she knew what to do.
“Do yah think she might know something about that Dreadwing fella?” Applejack asked and Twilight nodded,
“The Princess is over a thousand years old and he said that he’d been ‘dead’ just as long. If anyone might know it would be her.”
“But Spike’s gone.” Pinkie Pie stated all her bounciness and jolliness gone from her speech. She was even only bouncing a little on the tips of her hooves, instead of up and down like a Philly on a trampoline. She was right though. Twilight and her friends had always communicated with the Princess by scrolls sent magically through Spike without him she’d have to go to the Princess in person.
“Then I’m going to Canterlot.” She said without hesitation.
“Then we’re coming with ya!” Rainbow dash said matter-of-factly. The others looked set to agree but Twilight stopped them,
“I appreciate it Rainbow, but until we know more about Dreadwing and what he wants we can’t risk leaving Ponyvile unprotected. He might come back.” Rainbow Dash nodded. At least she agreed, Twilight didn’t have it in her right now to argue. However Rarity stepped up in front of Twilight, a defiant look in her eye,
“I’m coming with you.” She stated bluntly yet elegantly, “And don’t even think of trying to tell me I can’t. I…” She paused. She looked as though she weren’t going to finish but then she plucked up the courage and continued, “I’m the one who gave Spike that sapphire. If I’d never brought it home… he’d still be here.” Twilight could see how much it pained Rarity to admit that, how much it hurt to accept that she had caused Spike’s misfortune. Twilight gave her an assuring smile and said,
“Thanks Rarity. I’d be glad to have you with me.” Twilight trotted purposefully back into the library to collect a few things. The smouldering ruins of her front wall lay scattered around her but she had no time to worry about that. Spike was in trouble and she had no time to sit around beating herself up over how useless she’d been, She had better things to do with her time and energy and finding out who exactly this so-called King of Dragons was, was top on her list.