Atlas Strongest Tournament

by Bico

Hoof of Legend: Kiss of the Dragon

Aurelia flapped weakly on cerulean wings as she hovered barely above the ground. She had been hurt badly by Scootaloo’s last attack, but she vowed that she would finish the cheating pegasus off for good. She flexed a bulging white bicep as she thought eagerly of how it would feel to crush that foalish pony between her hooves.

“You should really hurry,” a plaintive voice called to her. She looked to the side and saw that annoying little butterfly was still following her. “You’ll miss you chance to destroy your rival for good.”

She knew this strange creature was most likely a hallucination brought on by the massive head trauma she had endured, but that didn’t make its scratchy, falsetto voice any less irritating. She suspected it would drive her crazy if she weren’t apparently already qualified for a nuthouse.

“Then, of course, you can have that adorable little dragon all to yourself,” the butterfly added.

Her face went cold. What did this butterfly know about it? Well, of course, it was a product of her fevered mind, so it would know her private thoughts. “Shut up,” she said, simply.

The butterfly flew in front of her, facing her as it floated backward at her pace. Its visage was a frankly disturbing homage to asymmetry, she noted. “Oh, that’s right. You must not want to think about that right now. Especially since your mother is planning to kill him…”

“She’s not…” Aurelia started, but her words died in her throat. She really didn’t know what her mother was planning on doing with Spike. He was such a nice dragon. So kind and thoughtful toward his friends. And he thought she was cute.

“Oh, I think you know that she is,” the butterfly said with a knowing smirk. “She wants power, and he has it. She will drain him of every last bit of magic in him just like she’s doing to the alicorn, and then he will be no more.”

Aurelia worked her tongue around her mouth, finding it inexplicably dry. “My mother’s the queen. Even if that’s what she’s going to do… there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Oh?” the butterfly said, flitting above her casually. “Yes, I suppose there’s nothing to do. She’s the queen and you’re merely a princess. You wouldn’t want to… shake things up. And far be it from me to encourage anypony to sow discord in the ranks.”

Aurelia’s hallucinatory friend remained silent after that until they reached the edge of the sinkhole of the tower. The battle raged below, her transformed larval subjects fighting the tournament contestants furiously alongside some of the adult changeling troops that had joined the fray.

“Oh, look,” the butterfly piped up again as it fluttered near Aurelia’s head. “It seems Spikey-Wikey isn’t doing so well.”

Her ears turning downward, Aurelia stared at Spike, roaring and spitting out multicolored fire. “That’s… from the Master Rainbow, right? It protects him from the Darkness… both outside and inside.”

The butterfly affirmed her statement with a satisfied nod. “Oh, but look who else is here,” it said, pointing with its three left legs across the chasm.

Aurelia looked toward where he was pointing and saw a gamboge-coated and cerise- and pink-maned pegasus crawling to the opposite edge. She looked even worse than Aurelia felt.

“Her flight aura can’t even lift her up,” the butterfly informed her. “She’s used just about all her power to beat you. If you attack now, you could destroy her.”

“Yeah,” Aurelia said, looking from Scootaloo to the dragon below, whose flames were now surrounding Princess Twilight, cutting her off from the energy drain of the magic circle. He was vulnerable, now, and sure enough the changeling who was impersonating Argent was now directing his attention fully toward Spike. She looked back to Scootaloo, who now caught her eye and froze. A pained look crossed Scootaloo’s face, the realization that she wouldn’t make it in time to save Spike.

“But I can,” Aurelia whispered.

Spike felt his primal nature burbling to the surface inside him. His arms bulged with muscle as they elongated and his entire body grew. Draconic wrath warped his body into a lethal machine of destruction, and as black magic surged for him, he gave a mighty pull and broke his chains.

His roar of triumph was cut short when something collided with him from the side, sending him skidding along the ground. A scream pierced the air.

“Princess!” Argent’s clone shouted. He looked on in horror as the black magic circled Aurelia. “Dam… that wasn’t meant for you.”

Aurelia was unable to answer as the magic circle began to drain her of the Darkness she had sequestered within her, adding it to the magic already drained from Twilight. She cried out, partial transformations occurring randomly on her form to that of the tournament contestants’ body parts. As she lost control of her power, she couldn’t even keep her transformations consistent with basic anatomy, with Pinkie’s head and neck sprouting from where her right hind leg ought to be, Garble’s wing emerging from her neck, and her core taking the shape and coloration of Derpy’s ear.

Spike felt ill as he watched. He shot a murderous glare at Argent, who backed away. "Release her!" he demanded, his voice having dropped an octave lower as his body reached the size of a full grown stallion.

"Don't you think I would if I could?" Argent shot back, his voice shaking at the sight of the Darkness seeping from his scales.

Spike sneered, cracking his knuckles as he advanced slowly on Argent's clone. "Figure it out..."

“Spike!” Aurelia shouted, her voice strained from the spasms of her cancerously deformed body. “Don’t worry… about me. You need to… run…!”

The bloated mass of Aurelia’s body exploded into a black mist, being fully absorbed into the dark band of magic and leaving the changeling’s larval body prone on the ground as her magic continued to drain. “O-oh, no…” she said hoarsely. “Spike…” She coughed and retched violently, vomiting green fluid.

Spike's vision became tinged with red. "Spike smash puny unicorn!" he declared, leaping at Argent.

"Siblings, protect me!" the false Argent cried, leaping away. His fellows responded quickly, many of them throwing themselves in Spike's path.

The rage that fueled Spike's new growth allowed him to plow through the first few fighters with ease. The changeling Applejack and Gray Fang were tossed aside by pure brute strength. Not-Dashie's speed was no advantage against Spike's unhesitating savagery and while Ran Biao's flames bit through his scales, his rage only burned hotter.

As the copies piled on, Spike's progress was stymied, and then overwhelmed by the sheer number of foes. Argent chuckled to himself as he prepared a powerful offensive spell, but just before he was going to release it, a sharp pain shot through him, and his magic slipped away from him. He choked and flailed as he felt himself being lifted off the ground by the back of his neck.

Dark tentacles had sprouted from the ring of magic surrounding the prone Aurelia, and they were reaching for the surrounding changelings. One was draining Argent's clone, until his body calcified into a black husk. It was doing the same to the other imposters, snatching them off of Spike even as they fought.

As the tentacles fed, a shadowy figure leaped from the surrounding gloom and onto the trapped tournament contestants. The quiet song of sharpened metal sounded in the dark as one by one the prisoners were cut free, spilling to the ground in a cascade of dark ooze. The figure hesitated at the last, frowning as she regarded the pony within, a large hole through her partly crystallized chest. After a moment’s hesitation, she finally slashed with her kunai, releasing Rarity into her hooves.

Aurelia, meanwhile, was being covered in her own vomit, the green liquid hardening into a cocoon as she continued to be drained of her considerable power. Finally, she closed the slimy casing, and the drain of her magic slowed, but did not stop.

Chrysalis had been frozen in awestruck horror at the events unfolding even as Luna’s scythe hovered just above her jugular. Finally, she looked back at Luna. Her face was pinched in desperation and pain, but her words were caught in her throat by her pride.

Luna regarded the changeling queen. “Zipzee…” she began. She dropped her head and nickered softly. She lifted her scythe and turned her body to the side, looking away from Chrysalis.

In a blur Chrysalis was on her hooves, charging toward her daughter, her gnarled horn lowered. Her horn jabbed into the ring of blackness, the magic jolting through her body, but she was unable to get more than a few centimeters in. “Lord Erebos,” she pleaded as she pushed against the barrier. “Please don’t do this. My subjects... my daughter…”

The power of Darkness does not so easily enter the mortal world, Erebos’ voice boomed in Chrysalis’ skull. She froze, remembering the last time he uttered those words.

“It will require… sacrifice…” she said. Her face became a determined mask and her body tensed. “Alright then. Me. I sacrifice myself!” She began to pour her sickly green magic into the circle, lighting it with verdant fire. In response the ring retracted its tentacles and its sapping of Aurelia’s cocoon, now turned an opaque black, slowed and then ceased. The magic band extended itself around Chrysalis as if making a figure 8, at the same time as it began to retreat from around Aurelia until it had reconstituted itself completely around the changeling queen.

“Zipzee, no!” Luna cried as she attempted to fire at the ring of Darkness. It merely absorbed her attacks, however, forcing her to stop.

Around Spike’s prone form, a new circle began to form, runes etching themselves in the stone floor as it spread from his body. The stones buried in his flesh began to pulse and he jerked awake. His eyes were unfocused and bleary. Another pulse came and he gripped the floor with his claws, cracking the ground. His limbs began to grow, bulging with muscle as he groaned with pain.

“Curses!” Luna said as she noticed the spell taking shape. She turned to the shadowy figure standing over Rarity’s prone form. “At least tell me something is going right, Double-Oh Zero!”

“The Dark and Mysterious Lulamoon,” Trixie responded as she continued to cast her red aura over Rarity. “Is having issues!” She crinkled her nose at the barely living corpse in front of her. Rarity’s wound, thankfully, wasn’t bleeding since the cocoon had kept her body from completely converting back to flesh, but that was going to change fast. She was attempting to heal everything else that was wrong with Rarity’s body, however, including thaumic exhaustion and the alarming lack of a heart and part of her lungs, which was a rather difficult obstacle to overcome. Even with her magic amplified by the powers of Darkness that she still retained from her link with her changeling double, it was all she could do to just keep the mare’s body going.

A pained howl came from Spike, and Rarity’s eyes twitched behind her lids. “Oh, come on, you prissy unicorn,” Trixie muttered. She looked up at Spike and grimaced. “You hear your scaly friend over there, right? Something really terrible is going to happen if you don’t wake up!”

Spike roared and Rarity’s eyes flew open. She tried to gasp, only for her breaths to come out ragged and uneven. Her eyes scanned around wildly and unseeing. “Spikey? Where’s Spikey?”

“That’s more like it!” Trixie said with a smirk. She put her hooves on Rarity’s cheeks and came muzzle-to-muzzle with her. “Listen, here,” she said sternly. “You’ve got a giant hole in your chest right now and you’re going to die.”

“What?” Rarity yelped, her limbs flailing.

“No, no, it’s no big deal,” Trixie said encouragingly.

Rarity scowled. “How exactly is me dying no big deal? And why are your eyes so red?” She inhaled sharply as a thought came to her. “Is it the Alicorn Amulet? I promise, I don’t even like wheels, but how else am I going to make quality gold thread? I certainly don’t have money for a spinning frame!”

“It’s not that,” Trixie said with a huff. “Listen… never mind. I’ve been using all my magic to keep you stable, but you’re going to need to help yourself from here. That crystal form of yours is the only way you can stay alive, so I need you to cast it, now!”

“I-I can’t,” Rarity said. “I mean… it’s not just something I can do. It’s quite dangerous, actually, and it runs on the Element of Love, so…”

“Rarity!” Spike howled. He had spotted her, lying prone on the ground with a hole through her body and a wicked looking mare pinning her down, evil magic pouring from her horn. His body grew bigger than even Princess Celestia and he lunged at Trixie. “Don’t touch her!” he growled. “I’ll rip you apart.”

Tears sprang to Rarity’s eyes as she saw Spike thrashing in rage against his thaumatic restraints. “Oh, no stallion has ever threatened to viciously murder anypony for me…” she sighed. “It’s so… romantic.”

Trixie pursed her lips. “You are one messed up mare, you know that?”

Ignoring Trixie, Rarity lit her horn with amorous mystical power. “For you, Spike… I will not let my light be extinguished from this world, though it may cost me my soul. O, ‘tis truly a tragedy befitting one such as—”

“Okay, I’m pulling the plug if you don’t get on with it,” Trixie groused, her eyes on the fast approaching and even quicker growing dragon.

“Ahem.” Rarity’s spell washed over her body as she smiled acquiescently. Her body fully crystallized and she pushed Trixie away and sprang to her hooves. “It seems I’m back at full capacity, as it were,” she said. She glanced down at the hole in her chest and patted the edge experimentally. “This may prove an issue later, of course.”

“We’ll deal with that when we come to it,” Trixie said. She crouched down and angry, red magic crackled from her horn as Spike came within striking distance, his claws reaching out for her. “For now, though… it looks like we have another problem.”

Rarity scoffed and gingerly took Spike by the wrist with her crystal hooves. “Not a problem at all, Darling.” She shifted, taking Spike’s weight upon her hip and changing the direction of his momentum downward, into the ground. His now massive weight cracked the floor, and he growled in anger. “See?”

“I’m beginning to think I’ve been misjudging you,” Trixie said, cocking her eyebrow and smirking. She glanced over at her mistress, Princess Luna. “Even so, we’re probably going to want to have a little alicorn reinforcement, and Princess Twilight Sparkle is still down.”

Luna was hovering just outside the magic circle that continued to drain Queen Chrysalis. Her carapace had cracked further as the stones continued draining the black magic stored within, and with a great hiss, it completely crumbled, filling the air with dust. In the center of the dark powder that had once been her armored hide, a Breezie, larger than normal but emaciated and frail with a long unicorn horn protruding from her forehead, lay struggling for breath. "It has been more than a thousand years since I have seen you like this," Luna said. "Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to stand together against the Darkness, my friend."

"F-friend?" Fluttershy, who groggily approached the circle. "This... Breezie? Wait, is that...?"

"Will you accept my friendship?" Luna asked, and her body began to glow with power as she reached a hoof toward the barrier.

Zipzee laughed coldly. "No." She snorted, still prone on the ground.

"What?" Luna exclaimed.

"Some Element of Loyalty you were," Zipzee scoffed. "I remember what happened when we tried to fight Discord, now. You turned your flank on us. Your sister, your brother, Rodi, Arke... me. Well... now I'll be leaving you alone to deal with your dragon friend... and if you do survive that... I only hope my daughter wreaks her revenge as last of the changelings. Last... of the Breezies."

"But," Fluttershy said quietly. "There are still plenty of Breezies left."

"What?" Zipzee said flatly.

Fluttershy nodded. "Tralala and Tiddleywink helped settle the Breezie refugees in a hidden realm after Discord appeared. I think my friend Seabreeze is actually a descendant of theirs."

Zipzee's brow creased, and she let out a hollow laugh. "I see. Then it's settled. Together, it is." She smiled wryly and gave a final shudder. Her body went still, and the barrier dropped.

"Princess," Trixie said as she came to Luna's side. "I... I'm sorry, but we're going to need to take care of that dragon."

Luna's face was frozen in a calm mask. "Of course." She turned to Fluttershy. "Please gather Zipzee's remains. She should be at rest with her friends."

"Of course," Fluttershy said. "But, Princess..."

Luna looked to Spike, who was snorting black flames and eyeing them warily, particularly the crystalline Rarity. "I shall do what I can to save Spike."

Spike eyed the stones and hungrily licked his lips. "Mine!" he declared, and grabbed one of the darker stones, tossing it down his gullet.

"No!" Luna shouted. She leaped forward as Spike picked up another stone. She delivered a flying kick to his face, forcing his head to the side.

Laughing brusquely, Spike threw his head back, forcing Princess Luna back and cracking his neck at the same time. He put the second stone in his mouth and swallowed it. Black stripes were beginning to creep across his scales as he continued to grow larger ever so slowly, and he moved on to the next stone.

Rarity intervened next, smacking the bottom of Spike's hand as he scooped up a new stone. The gem flew into the air and she grasped at it, only to find Spike's other claw reaching for it. She batted that one away as well, but he was too quick on the recovery, leading to a brief struggle as the stone was juggled between the two of them. Rarity's dexterity was far superior to her primal foe's despite her lack of hands, however, and she managed to guide it back toward her, catching it between her teeth.

Spike growled and opened his mouth wide. His tongue shot out, striking the dark crystal and wrapping around it as it landed at the back of the surprised Rarity's throat. He quickly pulled it back before she could snap her teeth shut and chowed down.

"It's quite fortunate that I'm effectively emotionless in this state," Rarity commented, smacking her lips. "I'm quite sure I wouldn't know how to feel about what just happened."

Spike shrugged, and then swung his fist like a mace, batting Rarity's crystal body away before lunging for the next gem. He landed mouth first, and gulped the sweet stone right before Trixie unleashed her blood red lightning strike. A shadowy aura sprung up and deflected the attack, coating his body with yet more blackness, and he hissed and spat a fireball at her, forcing her to cease her attack and dodge, which gave him just enough time to grab the last of the Darkness-infused items.

Luna stamped her hoof in frustration. "By my sire's golden light," she swore. "With that much Darkness within him... I know not what shall befall us." The other tournament participants gathered behind her. Lao Wu and Ran Biao flanked her on the left while Rarity and Trixie, along with her operatives, Scales and Wavedancer, flanked her right. Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie, and Rainbow also formed up behind them. Scootaloo, worn and dirty, hobbled to Luna's side as well, and Luna regarded her determined face pensively.

Spike turned to the assembled group, his glowing eyes locking onto Luna's. His already tremendous body grew even more, his muscles bulging outrageously, putting even the bulkiest of biceps gathered there to shame. His spikes turned to black crystals and began to elongate and sharpen to a dangerous gleam. And his body, now pitch black with shades of very, very dark gray, was surrounded in a swirling aura of Darkness. A low growl rumbled from his throat. He grinned, and the growl became a slow and deliberate laughter.

"Things are about to get very dangerous," Luna told the contestants. "However, if we all attack at once, I believe we can pin Spike down long enough to exorcise the vile force possessing him." She glanced briefly at Scootaloo and her voice softened. "Young Scootaloo, I want you to hang back for now. You've used up nearly all your pegasus magic."

"But Princess!" Scootaloo protested.

"No 'but's, young lady," Luna said, raising her eyebrows in maternal chastisement. "We must use the powers of Light to counter this. It will be difficult with Twilight out of commission, but I think we may have a chance..." She looked to Sweetie Belle, who nodded and levitated something out of her saddlebag.

"My Fire Ruby," Rarity said, her crystal brows knitting slightly in confusion. Then realization dawned on her. "Of course. Sweetie would remember how it saved Spike last time."

"Spike's... feelings may be enough," Luna said. "Friendship can bind the other five attributes of Harmony together, but other forms of love can do the same."

Rarity took the Fire Ruby and looked over its heart-shaped, multifaceted form. She nodded and removed the gem from its mounting, placing it gingerly into the hole in her chest. "Ms. Trixie, I don't suppose...?"

"Well, I did work on a rock farm," Trixie said with a smirk. "I think I have a little trick up my sleeve." Her horn lit up with fiery red magic and a beam ripped through the air. The aura seized the crystalline materials of both the ruby and Rarity's body and fused them together, giving Rarity a bright red heart within her chest.

Luna grinned. "That should do it," she said. She turned back to Spike, who towered before them, and pointed her hoof. "Now, my little ponies and friends: charge!"

Spike, or the dark dragon that he had become, watched the approaching army and continued to chuckle. He remained unresponsive until his first opponent, the longma master Lao Wu, came within striking distance. His limbs blurred as he caught the first punch, canceling its force completely. A followup kick was also rebuffed, and Spike grabbed the sides of Lao Wu's head. Before Master Wu could react, Spike's ridged head slammed into his, and an audible crack resounded through the sunken chamber. The dragon-pony slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Rainbow nearly hesitated upon seeing Spike's quick takedown of her rival master, but she knew her speed was the best chance of getting through defenses like that. Her hooves flew at supersonic speeds, and though Spike efficiently and quickly shut down most of her attacks, a few were getting through. "I gotcha now, buddy."

"Please," a deep voice rumbled softly from Spike's mouth. He suddenly dropped all his defenses and pushed his body into Rainbow's strikes. His snout met hers and his smile widened as his eyes burned into hers. Rainbow was forced to back off, flying up and out of his range.

Garble came at Spike then, his tail swinging like a club. Spike grabbed it with his own tail and swung him over his head, giving him enough reach to swat Rainbow out of the sky before slamming Garble into the ground. Then Spike whipped his tail around once more, throwing him into Princess Scales and Wavedancer.

A flood of ponies and other creatures kept coming at Spike, and he continued to beat them down, taking some of them out with one strike, and others merely tossing out of the way to meet the next challenger. Finally, Luna broke through the pack and swung a magically enhanced hoof into Spike's jaw.

"Finally," the abysmal voice said. Spike's face twisted into a smirk as he wiped black blood from his chin. "Pain."

"There will be more where that came from," Luna said as she pressed her attack, doing her best to allow the other ponies to take potshots as she exchanged blows with her much larger opponent. "I know the beast behind this puppet. The same force that spoke through my body when I gave into my jealousy. The same who sought out the Bearer of Generosity. The corruptor of kings! Erebos!"

Erebos laughed and used Spike's body to punch at Luna. The fist was met with a silver-shod hoof, and the shockwave that resulted blew the other fighters away. "Merely pieces of my whole," he jeered. "My power is nigh limitless. You could still join me, my Mare of the Night."

Luna glowered at him. "Never!" she spat. "And dear Spike shall not join you, either. Now!"

A rope caught Spike's thick arm before he could strike Luna again, and Erebos turned his puppet back to see Applejack smirking at him with a rope between her teeth. Her body was glowing the same color as her coat. A glowing, yellow pegasus latched onto his other arm and flapped with all her might to pull it back. Pinkie Pie, also alight, curled around one of Spike's legs while a shining Rainbow Dash grabbed the other. On the places where each mare touched him, Darkness swirled away from his scales, revealing Spike’s natural mulberry coloration.

Luna blasted Spike's body with her aura, knocking him off-balance as Rarity, crystalline body coursing with the power of Generosity, leaped over her back, the Fire Ruby burning in her chest. She grabbed onto his neck and the light of Harmony emerged from her, passing through her friends and binding Erebos. "Spike," she said flatly. "You must recall your feelings, symbolized by this gift." She put a hoof to the Fire Ruby embedded in her heart. "In the same fashion as the first time you succumbed to your darker drives, you must use the light within to defeat this thing."

Spike's eyes softened as he saw the gem. "R-Rarity..." he said, his voice catching. "I... I can't..."

"You will," Rarity insisted, pulling his face closer to hers.

"I can't believe... I had you going," Erebos said, laughter echoing in his gullet. He grabbed Rainbow Dash off of his leg with his tail as he wrenched his arm away from Fluttershy. He then grabbed Applejack’s rope with his bound hand and yanked it away, deftly manipulating it to wrap around Pinkie’s neck, a noose spontaneously tying itself as if it were an extension of Erebos, and pulled her off of him, turning the party pony’s face blue as the rope cut off her air supply.

Rarity tried to leap off Erebos, but his head came forward and hit her square in her Fire Ruby heart, sending her flying. She hit the ground hard, but rolled to her hooves, seemingly unaffected by the vicious blow.

“It is as I feared,” Luna said as she intercepted Erebos’ attempt to pursue Rarity. “There is far too much Dark power for us to get through!”

Erebos’ massive fists collided with Luna’s hooves, buckling the ground beneath her. He chortled and spat black flame at her between punches, and while Luna was quick to erect a barrier, some of the fire washed over her fur, turning it as black as Nightmare Moon’s coat before fading.

“I will exorcise you from young Spike, Erebos!” Luna declared, her eyes going white. “By the Light of my father, Hyperion, Pillar of the East, I expel you! Lunar Beam!” A blast of soft, white light exploded from Luna’s horn, engulfing Erebos and bending his body back from the force. The beam cut a trench as it traveled up through the edge of the sinkhole in which they fought.

The five mares of Harmony assembled again, their bodies glowing with power as they surrounded Erebos, whose Darkness was being stripped from Spike’s massive body already.

“Spike!” Rarity called. “Please, you must listen.”

Erebos laughed. “Spike’s not here right now, foal.” He began to straighten his body against the stream of light coming from Luna’s horn, his muscles trembling from the effort.

Multicolored light bombarded Erebos from all sides, stripping yet more of Erebos’ aura from Spike’s body. Nonetheless, he continued after merely a moment’s pause. He grinned as he looked down at Luna’s strained face and taut body. “If you will not have my power,” he said, his razor sharp teeth glistening as he grinned. “You will have none at all!”

Luna gasped as a massive hand shot with lightning quickness through her beam to clasp around her horn. She flailed as she was lifted up, her Lunar Beam sputtering between Erebos’ fingers. “Unhand me, you vile—” She cried out as his fist slammed into Luna’s face. “Contumelious…” she continued woozily before being hammered by Erebos’ fist once again. “Pismire,” she muttered, her eyes crossing.

Erebos roared and swung a haymaker at Princess Luna. A loud snap resounded and Luna was airborne, crashing into the opposite wall of stone and disappearing into the resulting crater. The power of Harmony ceased. With a deep breath his black aura creeped back to Spike’s body, encasing it once more in Darkness. He chuckled and opened his hand, letting Luna’s horn fall to the floor.

“Well,” Rainbow said, her fur standing on end. “It’s been nice knowing you guys…”

Applejack scoffed. “Don’t you give up now, Sugarcube. We ain’t done, yet.”

Rarity stared expressionless at Erebos, who eyed her back with a smug satisfaction. “So even the power of love cannot free Spike? I suppose it was as weak as I feared…”

“Ohhh,” Erebos said with mock sympathy. “How sad. True love couldn’t save the day? If it makes you feel better, your Spikey-boo can’t even hear your pleas. He’s practically gone. Even if he could, what kind of response do you expect when you can’t even return those feelings?” He laughed boisterously, pointing at her and slapping his knee as if he’d just heard the greatest joke in Equestria. “You’re as passionate as a dead fish! Who would believe you loved him?”

“Umm,” Fluttershy said meekly, looking at Rarity curiously. “D-do you love Spike? I mean… we all know he’s had a crush on you so I don’t see why you wouldn’t just go ahead and fu...”

Rarity looked at Erebos stonily, ignoring Fluttershy. “You are correct, of course. My crystal form uses emotional energy, just as the Crystal Heart’s spell does. Truly it was an egregious error on my part not to realize that it needed to come from my heart...”

“So,” Erebos said, cracking his neck casually. “Who will be next?”

“Spike!” a voice called, causing everyone to turn. Standing in the midst of a swirling vortex of color, Twilight glared straight at her assistant, her eyes burning like stars. “I know exactly who will be your opponent.”

“You, Princess?” Erebos asked with a laugh. “I do believe you’ll find getting out of the Master Rainbow fragment to be as difficult as getting in.”

Twilight smirked and shifted her gaze. “Not at all. I’m talking about somepony else entirely.”

Scootaloo jerked as she saw Twilight’s glowing white eyes lock on in her direction. “M-me? But… I’m out of juice. I can’t…”

“I need you to come at me, Scootaloo,” Twilight said. “You know how to do this… just like your lightning training.”

Scootaloo inhaled sharply as she realized what Twilight was asking her. “Of… of course!” She braced herself and galloped toward Twilight, her chest burning already from the effort.

Erebos snarled and took a deep breath, smoke curling from his lips as he readied his flame. His black fireball went wide, however, as Twilight's friends converged on him. Each attempt to attack Scootaloo as she raced across the room was foiled as he was forced to fight back against the mares.

Scootaloo reached the rainbow and slammed her shoulder against it. It didn't even budge. "What's wrong with this thing?"

"Nothing," Twilight said as she knelt on the ground, still clearly exhausted. "It wants to protect me from Darkness, and there's so much out there it's not letting anything in or out." She smiled knowingly. "But I think you can convince it otherwise."

Scootaloo nodded and began to circle the barrier, her side pressed firmly against it. She could feel the energy moving against her, much like the hair-raising feeling of lightning before it struck. Extending her own weakened aura, she found a "catch" in the rainbow, peeling it off and pulling it into her.

"That's good," Twilight said. "Keep pulling that thread."

The multicolored energy filled her up, allowing her to once again take flight as she took more and more of the Light's power into herself. Finally, she was nothing but a blur trailing a rainbow tail, having completely replaced the Master Rainbow fragment. She then shot straight into the air, leaving Twilight freed from her containment.

Twilight snarled as she saw the dark dragon beating on her friends. "Good. Now you're mine until Scootaloo finishes you off." She vanished in a flash of magic. She appeared once more directly behind Erebos, her irises glowing red as her sclera took on a greenish tint and seeped purple smoke.

"What do you think you're doing?" Erebos boomed, bemusement in his voice. He roared as Twilight lunged forward and stabbed her horn into his back. "You dare?"

Twilight simply smirked as the base of her horn began to surge with Darkness, and Erebos' aura swirled into an accretion disk with the wound Twilight had inflicted upon him as its center. Her coat became washed out as she continued, and sweat began to bead on her coat. She panted heavily, but kept pulling regardless.

Meanwhile, Scootaloo slowed her climb and looked down at the buried tower in the forest below. Her spirits were high as she felt Light coursing through her, rejuvenating her flight magic. She didn't let it distract her, however, as it took all her focus to keep it contained within her. She began to dive, rainbow sparks trailing behind her.

Her prismatic aura began to swirl in front of her, creating a wheel of colors that met in a triskelion of white. She spotted Twilight keeping Erebos pinned as she stripped him of the shield protecting him. She extended her hoof and a lance sprung from it as she broke through the aura's center, aimed straight for Erebos' heart.

Below, Erebos growled as he saw the sudden rainbow explosion. "So you want my Darkness?" He said with a snarl. "Then take it!" He grunted and began to actively push his power into Twilight.

Twilight gasped at the sudden influx, bracing her hooves against it. It was to no avail, and she screamed right before she was thrown from Erebos, a ribbon of black trailing from his wound to her horn.

Scootaloo's Rainbow Jupiter Lance struck. The Light buried its tip into Erebos' flesh, and the Darkness burned from the point on Spike's chest. Scootaloo laughed with joy as she saw it creep away from her attack. Finally, the retreat slowed to a stop, with only Spike's head and back covered in Darkness.

Erebos grinned. "How sad. Even with the power of the Light and Princess Twilight's interference, you still cannot rid your friend of this tiny, last part. You're so close, too." He laughed and continued his mockery. "If only you had just a little something extra..."

"If only," indeed.

"What?" Scootaloo said.

Erebos sighed. "Youth, these days. They never listen. I said..."

"Not talking to you," Scootaloo said sharply.

"Oh! Uh…" Erebos stammered, wincing in embarrassment at his faux pas. He mouthed an apology and averted his gaze as Scootaloo continued to talk to the voice in her head.

"Wh-who's there?" Scootaloo asked, letting the howling of her continuing attack fade from her awareness.

It's me... Aurelia, the voice continued. Please, hear me out. Though we were enemies, our feelings for the drake currently subdued by this dark god are aligned, and because of that you can count me as a friend.

Scootaloo wrinkled her nose. "Is that how that works?"

It is! Aurelia insisted. But that's not important right now. While Rarity was unable to use her feelings to help Spike, I believe we may be able to.

"'We'?" Scootaloo said skeptically.

Yes, Aurelia said. And not just you and me. I have intimate knowledge of everypony's feelings for Spike. Using me as a... a network hub, if you will, I can combine and focus all the love for Spike through you. You only need to focus it into one final technique that will allow our feelings to pierce Spike's consciousness.

Scootaloo blanched. "I... I dunno... I don't even..." The blood which had so recently evacuated her cheeks rushed back in force.

Don't try to hide it, Aurelia demanded. Just do it!

Scootaloo took a deep breath and set her expression with a nod. "Okay."

"Oh, are we done?" Erebos asked, his eyes brightening as he regarded Scootaloo once more. "Good, I was hoping to continue taunting you mercilessly.

Scootaloo gasped as Aurelia's first blush of infatuation filled her mind. She felt another electric twinge as a primal attraction hit her, fiery and passionate. A soothing, nurturing love washed over then, cooling her.

Erebos snarled upon seeing Scootaloo's flushed cheeks and her eyes glistening with magic. "I know what you're planning, but it still won't be enough! My hold is too strong..."

"Let me contribute," Rarity interjected, rising to her hooves.

Erebos laughed, turning his head toward Rarity. "And what can an ice queen like you do?"

"Nothing, directly," Rarity confirmed. She touched her chest. "However, I believe there may be something else that may be of assistance." Closing her eyes, the Fire Ruby began to glow. "Yes... this jewel is magic, you see. Its heart-like shape is no accident, you see. It's most valuable property is its ability to store memories of love."

Scootaloo and Erebos both stared at her blankly.

"Normally," Rarity said. "It's simply stored in the facets, able to be viewed by the originator of the memories. In this case... allow me to share my memories with you."

Scootaloo jerked upright as she felt almost overwhelmed by the warm affection flooding into her. It was all there: attraction, nurturing, camaraderie, and even the timidity and hesitation of an uncertain crush. Over it all was a deep and abiding need to be close to Spike, to hold him, and even to...

The memories that Rarity shared with Scootaloo joined and overwhelmed all the others. Scootaloo found herself swept away by its strength and she locked eyes with Erebos, staring deep into them, and finding Spike's sleeping soul within.

"Wh-what..." Erebos started.

"Spike," Scootaloo said, her voice taking a strange timbre as she ignored the creature possessing Spike and spoke directly to his core. "Please... accept our feelings!"

Scootaloo's lips met Spike's, and her love and the love of Aurelia, Scales, and Wavedancer lit the chamber. Her body melted into his and she wrapped her hooves around him, thrilling, and feeling the minds of the mares and dragoness sharing her experience reacting the same, as he responded in kind.

It will require... sacrifice.

To be continued...