Hope and Shadows
Chapter 21 “Rescue at Demon’s Run”
Part 1
By Steven Little
My Little Pony © Hasbro
Shining Armor crawled on his belly toward the peak of the rise he and his troops were gathering behind. This would be the first time the unicorn commander would be able to set eyes on his enemy and he knew that no mater how much intelligence on the enemy you had, nothing compared to clapping eyes on them your self. Levitating a pair of binoculars in front of him, the Prince surveyed the plain between himself and the castle. As the water dragon had informed him, there didn’t look like there was a single former soldier amongst them. Scanning his binoculars across the field he noted that indeed, the majority of them tended to stand around in small groups with the occasional straggler standing around, unsure of what to do with themselves. This caused the unicorn to smile, these guys were anything but a cohesive fighting force, something he could take advantage of in the battle.
“How’s it looking out there General?”
“It’s as we expected Onyx, they saw us coming through the forest and have mustered their forces to charge the field.” Shining told him.
Braeburn, Soarin, and Caramel crawled up the hill next to the Prince and looked toward the castle to check the opposition for themselves. Each of the fathers were apprehensive with what they saw waiting for them but each of them knew that if they were to get back their children, they would have to go through these ponies first. “What’s their air power look like?” Saorin asked.
“Several dozen pegasi, a fair number of griffons and one very large dragon.” The white unicorn told him.
“Oh, is that all, I thought this was going to be hard or something.” Soarin said sarcastically. “All joking aside, that guy looks pretty big, are you sure you can deal with him Onyx?”
The dragon grinned. “Don’t worry about me Soarin, I may be smaller than him but I’m also a lot faster and a lot more maneuverable than he is.” The dragon said, stretching the tightness from his wings. “I would ask a favor though, even if it looks like I’m going to loose the fight, I don’t want any of you ponies to interfere.”
“Why not?” Macintosh asked from the bottom of the hill. The stallion very much wanted to be on the hill with the others but he knew that his bulk could not be hidden and ultimately he would have given away their precise position to the enemy. Macintosh was content to let their advisories guess to their exact location, he knew he’d be up on that hill soon enough.
“It’s a dragon thing. I’ll be challenging Redclaw to single combat, something he can’t refuse. If you interfere in anyway, it would dishonor me. Also, little known fact, I’m fire proof and ponies are not.” The drake explained.
“Fair ‘nough.” Macintosh admitted.
Caramel slid down to the bottom of the hill and stood next to his brother-in-law. “So what the hell are we waiting for,” Carmel yelled. “Let s go out there and kick their heads in, or would you rather us make a bunch of flower crowns to toss at them as we prance by?”
Macintosh put a restraining hoof on the sand colored stallion. “Easy there Mel, there aint no call for that sort of talk, we’re all worried about our families right now.”
“I suggest you listen to your brother-in-law Caramel because they’re holding more than your daughter in there. A lot of our family members are being held prisoner and I’m going to need every able hoofed pony I have to get them all back safely,” Shining Armor told him. “Don’t make me send you away.”
As the last of the guard lined up behind the hill, Saorin noticed the daylight starting to dim in a sky devoid of clouds. Looking up he watched in silent astonishment as the moon moved to eclipse the sun. “Uhm, General Sparkle, you spent a lot of time around the Princesses, is this sort of thing normal?” He asked pointing up to the sky.
The unicorn in question was also watching the spectacle playing out overhead. “Soarin, in all the years I’ve known Princess Luna, one thing I’ve learned for certain is that subtlety is not exactly that Alicorn’s specialty. And by they way, the name is Cadenza, I took the wife’s name.”
Shining Armor and the two remaining stallions with him, slid down the hill and stood before the assembled troops. “Okay everypony, there’s the signal from the Princesses,” he said pointing up to the eclipsed sun, which by now was starting to return to normal. “That means that they’ve penetrated the castle wall and are now rushing to confront the mastermind of this fight. Our job is to keep Blueblood’s forces on the field of battle and out of their way. Day Guard, when I’m done I want your flanks up on the hill three deep and standing tall. I want the unicorns up front, ground-pounders next, and the pegasi in the back.”
The Day Guard saluted smartly. “Soarin, Macintosh, I want you to take the Lunar Corps. around the hill and attack from the side once the battle’s been joined. Braeburn, Caramel, I want you to hang back with the ground-pounders, follow their lead and you should be fine.” Prince Shining Armor looked around at the apprehensive yet resolute expressions on the faces of those in front of him. “Listen stallions, I know we’re outnumbered but what have you always been taught since you joined the ranks of the Equestrian Guard? It’s not the numbers, it’s the skill, and each and every one of you has received the best training any pony could ask for. We have the skill, we have the will, and more than anything, we have something worth fighting for. Don’t fight for me, don’t fight for the Princesses, fight for the children being held in that castle, imagine your own family behind those walls and do whatever you must to free them from that prison.”
As the two groups started to separate, Shining Armor stood next the large black drake that would soon be fighting on their behalf. “Well Onyx, I think you’re on.”
Shining Armour climbed the hill and slowly thread his way between the troops, giving each a reassuring look. Placing his helmet upon his head he finally broke through the ranks and stood proudly in front of them.
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From across the field, Bluebloods forces watched the Solar Guards line up atop the hill opposite them. Every set of eyes was riveted upon the armor-clad ponies standing tall with a resolute expression stamped on their faces. A gray earth pony shook his head at what he saw. “What a waste, what do they really hope to accomplish with such a pitiful force?”
“They expect to win Slate,” A deep voice said from above him. “And if you’re not careful I’m afraid they just might.”
“Please, Strike, what would you know about it, you’re just a mercenary.”
“Yes, I am just a mercenary and you spent a whole three weeks in guard training out of twelve so obviously you know better.” Strike Redclaw told the stallion. “Forget the fact that I’ve seen more battle than you can even imagine. Trust me, they’re up to something, they have a plan or else they would not be standing out so brazenly in the open.”
“Fine, I’ll keep an eye out but remember, Blueblood put me in charge so you’ll follow my orders, understand?” Slate told the dragon without knowing how dangerously close he was to becoming a roasted snack for the reptile.
The dragon smiled to himself at the exhibition of arrogance and pride that had just been displayed; any other time, he would have roasted the pony without a second thought but he was promised greater carnage than the simple execution of a single pony. ‘Maybe later,’ he thought to himself. ‘After my contract is fulfilled I might just swing around for a little extra fun’
Strike quickly turned back to the ponies across the field as his finely tuned senses were alerted to something other than the collected rabble around him. He strained his eyes to look beyond the ponies along the ridge and noticed the subtle movements behind them. The smile crept up along the dragons face again.
“What’s with the smile?” Slate asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough my tasty looking friend.” The dragon told him, making sure the pony got a good look at the many rows of teeth the reptile possessed. A ferocious roar broke the uneasy silence that had settled on the field.
From behind the rows of royal guards Onyx flew up and over the guards and landed midway across the field with a thunderous roar escaping his maw. Thrashing his tail about, he pounded it against the valley floor.
“This could be a worthy fight after all.” Strike said as he watched the black dragon in front of him display the traditional dragon challenge to combat.
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Spike wasn’t sure how long it had been since Sprinter had left him there but he knew it was only a matter of time before Scythe would be back to torment him further. Not looking forward to the prospect of the sadistic stallions return, Spike turned his thoughts to that which had kept him sane throughout the many hours of pain; his beautiful wife and loving children. Back in Ponyville, the snow would already be falling, Hearths Warming was only a month off and Spike imagined the faces of his family when they opened the gifts he got for them. For his lovely Rarity, he could picture her face lighting up when she unwrapped the diamond necklace with matching earrings that he personally made for her. For Garnet, he’d gotten a hoofball signed by every member of the Trottingham Tigers, his favorite hoofball team. He knew would love it and spend hours aggravating his wife, trying to find the perfect place to display it in their home.
Sweetie Belle was hard to shop for but in the end he was able to commission a very long cashmere scarf colored white, pink, and light purple. His daughter had let slip that she always wanted a long scarf to wrap Scootaloo and herself in on cold winter nights. For his newest little girl, Spike was uncertain for a while, not knowing the gender before her birth, but felt it safe to get her two small plush dolls, one, a purple dragon and the other, a white unicorn, both wrapped in a fire retardant spell just in case.
This Hearths Warming would be a special day that would live in Spike’s memory for the rest of his days. Not only would they be holding the private family celebration at the Royal Residence in the Everfree Forest but also this would be the first time in seventeen years that Spike would have all of his family and friends with him for the festivities. The celebration would be epic, he knew Applejack and Pinkie would bring enough food to sink a ship, even thought they had both been told that the palace cooking staff would have already made enough food before leaving to be with their own families. Spike knew that the celebration would go far into the night for they had much to celebrate; Apple Bloom coming home, falling in love with Garnet, and their subsequent marriage along with Scootaloo’s marriage to Sweetie Belle and Jato to Honey. Not long after that Dinky and Tootsie Flute admitted their long-standing affection for Twilight and Luna’s twins. Spike knew that a lot of the feelings that these kids held for each other had been bubbling close to the surface for some time now and he surmised that seeing Garnet and Apple Bloom hook up gave each of them just enough push to finally act upon their feelings.
“My, you seem deep in thought; perhaps you’ve finally decided to tell his majesty what he wants to know?” Scythe asked as he bolted the cell door behind him. Spike remained silent. “I thought not.”
“I have nothing to say to you or Blueblood.”
“You know, I’m not such a bad pony when you get to know me.” He told the dragon. Reaching behind him, into a set of saddlebags that Spike had not noticed before, the murderous stallion pulled forth a small bag that lightly clinked as it moved.
“Look, I even brought you something to eat.” Scythe told him as he tossed the small bag at Spike’s feet. “No tricks, no bribery, just food.”
Spike carefully picked up the bag and looked at is suspiciously. “How do I know this isn’t poisoned or cursed?” He asked, glaring at his tormentor. “Why are you doing this anyway, you don’t strike me as the ‘good cop’ type.”
Scythe laughed in spite of himself. “Oh no, you’re right, I’m bad cop to the core but it wouldn’t do me any good if you died, besides, Blueblood ordered me to keep you alive for some reason or another. Come dragon, you haven’t eaten in two days, you must be hungry; eat up, I picked out those gems especially for you.”
Spike emptied the contents of the bag into his open claw and watched as four glittering gems spilled forth; a blue diamond, a purple garnet, a yellow topaz and a small ruby, each cut into the same rough octagonal shape. The dragon felt his heart leap into his throat, he knew what these were, he knew that he held the carbuncles of four unicorns, the thing that allows them to focus their magic through their horns. Looking at the number and color of the carbuncles he held in his claw, Spike came to the horrifying conclusion as to who these carbuncles had belonged to.
“What’s the mater Spike, aren’t you hungry, I’m sure your family wouldn’t want those to go to waste.” The cruel pony mockingly told him.
The dragon sat their, staring ant the four gems cradled in his shaking claws. “No, it’s can’t be true, Blueblood would never have allowed any harm to come to them!”
Scythe couldn’t help but laugh and Spikes attempt to disprove his statement. “You stupid dragon, who do you think told me to do as I wanted with them? It seems that your wife has spurned Blueblood’s advances one two many times so he decided to make an example of them, he can’t have ponies defying him after all.” The sadistic stallion said, shrugging his shoulders.
Spike was barely listening; all he could do was stare at the gems that once belonged to his family. As he looked at each carbuncle his mind raced through the memories of each of his beloved children and devoted wife and with each memory he could feel a small part of his soul wither away and die.
“You shouldn’t be too upset, they died well if it means anything to you. Of course I wasn’t able to have as much fun as I would have liked but still, the look on your wife’s face when I told her to choose which died first was priceless.” The stallion laughed. “She wasn’t deciding fast enough so I simply started with the youngest and worked me way up. Your wife’s screams are going to be my lullaby for many a night to come.”
The demented stallion lounged on a chair in the cell, stretching his legs out. “It’s funny really, I have no idea why Blueblood has it in for you so much. I mean seriously, he could easily accomplish what he wants just by holding the others ransom, what makes you so special, who exactly are you to garner so much attention and hostility?”
Spike clutched the gems tightly in his claws trying to control his emotions so as not to allow his tormenter to see him weep. It wasn’t until Scythe’s mocking laughter reached his ears that Spike could feel his sorrow turning into something darker. The utter disregard for life, the callus way he bragged about murdering the dragon’s family, Spike’s anger went right past hatred and started the fire of a deep seeded rage in the dragon’s chest.
You want to know who I am?” He growled. “My name is Spike Ember Swift-Strike Filigree, last drake of the Swift-Strike Clan, high protector and knight of the realm, loyal servant to the true rulers of Equestria. Father to murdered children, husband to a murdered wife; and I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.”
“Oh really, and how do you plan to do that while being shackled to the wall with unbreakable chains?” Had Scythe not dodged out of the way at the last moment, the fireball that smashed into the cell door would have rent his head from his shoulders.
The stallion turned and watched in abject terror as Spike’s restraining collar fell from the dragon’s right claw and impacted the stone floor with a resounding thud. In Scythe’s mind, he knew he had just heard his own death knell. “No, it’s not possible, there’s no possible way you could have broken that collar!”
“Is that fear I hear in your voice?” The dragon asked, a small waft of smoke emanating from the corner of his mouth and curling around his eye-less socket. Previously unknown to Spike, his voice had changed due to the slow but steady growth of his body, as his chest broadened, so had his voice deepened. Where once his voice was light and filled with hope and optimism, now it echoed around his stone prison like the rumble of a distant approaching storm.
Scythe was struck speechless, he could only stand there and watch in dread as the dragon expanded, becoming a far more sinister version of it former self. The sight of the dragon’s claws lengthening and clenching, digging deep furors in the stone was enough to break Scythe from his stupor. Rushing to the still burning cell door with it’s melted hinges; he called out to any within earshot. “Guards, guards, the dragon is trying to escape,” he called out frantically. “I need help down here now!”
While Scythe cried out for his life, Spike set his mind to his freedom and the thoughts of avenging his family. Pulling swiftly on the chains that secured his front claws, he felt the shock of his bonds snapping taunt reverberate through his bones. Approaching the wall to slacken his bonds, Spike warped the chain twice around his wrists. Setting a foot against the wall, he pulled for all he was worth. Arching his back, he threw his increased bulk against his bonds, his muscles standing out like steel cable as he strained to free himself. Pulling with all his might, Spike was rewarded with crumbling grout and the sudden shift of the massive stone blocks that the anchor of his bonds were embedded in.
The sound of the shifting stone redirected Scythe’s attention back to the captive dragon. After seeing the chains anchor stone pulled an inch from the wall, the stallion made a fateful decision. ‘Blueblood be damned, I’m not gonna’ die down here!’ Grabbing the handle of his knife with his teeth, he lunged at the dragons unprotected back. Unfortunately for him, it was already to late. With one last incredible feat of raw strength, Spike ripped the stone blocks from the wall. The right block came out easier than the left and with the added energy Spike put into it, he spun to the left causing the immense brick to arc through the air, catching Scythe in the side. The stallion barely had time to register the blow before he was slammed into the far wall, the large block following quickly behind.
Spike sat there for a moment, his massive chest heaving in an effort to replace the spent air in his burning lungs. Grabbing the head of each anchor pin still embedded in the large blocks, he brought them up and slammed them forcibly to the ground, reducing the large bricks to a shower of stone shards and dust. As the dragon turned to address the next obstacle in his quest for freedom, he heard a rough cough. “You think you’ve won?” He asked weakly, coughing up blood from his punctured lung. “Even if I die, I still win. Your family is dead and no matter what you do to me I still win!”
The last few stinging barbs from the dying stallions lips was the final straw the broke whatever grip on sanity that Spike had left. Splaying his legs out the dragon faced his tormentor; reared back and let loose with a roar that could have shook the pillars of heaven themselves. Unfortunately for Scythe, it wasn’t just eardrum tearing sound that escaped the dragon’s lips but a solid pillar of fire aimed directly at him. To call dragons fire hot would be an understatement, as it is known to incinerate almost and kind of vegetation it encounters and this was no exception except for the fact that it was growing hotter. Hotter and hotter the flames grew until they became almost a beam of blinding, white-hot light bursting forth from Spikes maw. The tormented dragon piled upon his tormentor the sum of all the cumulative rage and hate felt by his whole Draconian race from the first dragons down; if his chest had been a canon, he would have burst his hot heart's shell upon the sadist’s now lifeless remains. His immediate rage spent, Spike shut off the flow of flame leaving nothing but a molten hole in the side of the castle and an Amber Steel knife half submerged in the rapidly cooling floor stones, it’s handle sticking up like a pole that had lost it’s flag.
Spike was free from his bonds and his tormentor but still blinded with rage, his senses desperately searching for his enemies. His ears perked and nostrils flared, as he smelt several stallions rushing down towards the cell, their hooves striking the stone with an almost hollow rhythm. Crashing through the door and stone entryway of his cell, the six ponies coming to investigate the commotion stopped, frozen in their tracks. Spike did not give them any amount of time to react to the monstrous sight before them. Without so much as a grunt, the dragon charged up the staircase, his claws gouged fissures into the stone in his mad rampage to quell the fire of his rage with the screams of his enemies. Up the stairs and through the hall, he pursued them, his claws silently seeking them out. Blood, bone, and gore spattered the walls, marking the path of Spikes escape. The once peaceful dragon, who's heart only had room for the love of his family and friends had been replaced with a beast of carnage, an echo of his ancestors from a time when the world was not but flesh and teeth.
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The small contingent of ponies, traveling through the catacombs bellow the ancient castles dungeons, jumped at the sudden roar that echoed it’s way through the stone passageways. “What in the world was that?” Gertrude asked, placing a comforting claw on a startled Penelope.
It almost sounded like a dragon,” Cadence suggested. “But I’ve never heard a dragon like that unless it could possibly roar and scream at the same time.”
“They can,” Emerald assured her. “And trust me, it’s not a good thing. When a dragon makes that sound, it’s almost assured that bloodshed will follow.”
“There isn’t a dragon down here is there Sprinter?” Fluttershy asked, shaking ever so slightly.
Sprinter said nothing, the color had drained from his coat and his pupils were little more then pinpricks. “Oh no, no no no no, I told him to wait!” The stallion shouted as he ran toward the source of the draconian bellow.
“Everypony, get after him before he gets too far ahead or it will take us far too long to find our way out of here.” Celestia ordered.
Hot on the hooves of the sprinting stallion, they chased him through the corridors, three left turns, two right, up a long flight of stairs and through the last door separating them from the castles dungeon proper. The scene the door opened to was something out of a nightmare, being the fastest of the group, thankfully only Luna, Celestia, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were the only mares to witness it after Sprinter barged through the door. Sprinter stood there in shocked silence taking in the corridor in front of him; every surface was covered in blood. Looking down the hall Luna saw the heads of six stallions littering the floor, the rest of their bodies laying in several pieces up and down the hall. Taking a better look at the door she held open, she noticed three unicorn horns impaled into the wooden surface, all without the rest of the unicorn.
Celestia stood in shock as she silently took in the carnage in front of her. Only once before had she witnessed such slaughter and the thought of Kirin seeing this site and the memories it might dredge up was more than she was willing to risk. Thinking quickly, Luna grabbed the stunned stallion and ushered the others back through the door while Celestia shut the door behind them.
“Tarnation,” Applejack swore softly. “What in the heck happened in there, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that much…”
“Still thy tongue Applejack!” Luna interrupted, her speech adopting a more antiquated mode. “We apologize for our outburst, We did not mean to yell at thee but what thou hath witnessed is not a topic for conversation. We ask that for the time being, thee do not share thy observations with others, it may prove deeply troubling for some in our company.”
“Uh, sure Princess.” The blond mare responded looking quickly between Fluttershy and Penlopee. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking for a moment there.”
“Do not trouble yourself,” Celestia reassured her. “Twilight, Emerald, Julian, Gertrude, I would appreciate it very much if you’d accompany us into the next room. Kirin, I’d like you and Beaufort to stay here with the others and keep an eye on them,”
“Of course your majesty.” Beaufort answered for both of them.
“Celestia?” Kirin asked, a worried and confused look upon his face.
The graceful elder alicorn nuzzled against Kirin’s cheek. “Please my darling, stay here with the others, I will explain later.”
“Does this have anything to do with, him?” The hybrid asked, an almost pained worry in his voice.
“Yes, it does. I know you are worried about this development and I wish I could say that I know how you feel but I can’t. Please try to be patient. The Kirin solemnly nodded and released the solar mare from the embrace that had snuck up on both of them.
“Come Sister we must deal with this unhappy matter before we can proceed further.” Luna remarked,
Facing the door in front of them, Luna opened it quickly and shut it just as fast as soon as the griffon, dragon and four other ponies were through. “Dear Goddess, what did this?” Gertrude asked.
The griffon’s question went unanswered but the pain in Emeralds eyes was self-evident. As they walked a little further into the room. With little warning, a bubble of soft light enveloped the small group. “As long as you stay within this field, the horror that surrounds us will not touch you.” Celestia explained, the blood on the floor quickly shifted away from the barrier as she moved forward slightly. “Sprinter, lead the way.” The disturbed stallion slow moved the head of the group, leading them down the hall towards Spike’s cell.
As the walked down the hall, Twilight did everything she could to keep from looking at the carnage around her. Pressing up against her wife, she could feel the tightness in Luna’s muscles. “Dear, are you alright, for a moment you slipped back into old Equish?”
“No Twilight, I am not alright, there is only one creature on these premises that could have caused what you see before you and I do not look forward to what is about to happen.” Luna informed her, nuzzling her wife. “No matter what happens, you must be there for Celestia, I fear she is not going to take this well.”
Going as fast as he could, he led them through the hall down and the stairs and into what remained of the dragon’s cell, Sprinter was gently pushed aside to allow entrance of the Princesses and the two others. While Celestia surveyed the damage to the room, including the molten hole in the wall leading to the plains bordering the castle, Julian inspected the sole remaining chain that held Spikes neck restraint. “I don’t believe it, this is Photofine Steel, but what’s it doing here?”
“I’m sorry Julian, what is Photofine Steele?” Gertrude asked.
“Apologies but this is something from where I come from, it’s a metal that has the peculiar property of having the reverse effect one might expect. For example, the metal will become colder the hotter the environment gets.” He explained.
Luna picked up the clasp that had held Spikes neck and flinched slightly at the sight of dragons’ blood upon it. “This is Amber Steel, or at least that’s what we refer to it as. Cold forged in the heart of a blue glacier, it’s the only known metal that can hold a dragon.”
Everyone in the room turned to Celestia as they felt the temperature in the room start to climb drastically. The Solar Diarch stood their staring at the handle of the knife embedded in the floor. With a mighty heave of her magic, the blade was yanked from the floor and was brought to her eye level. “Mr. Track, do you know to whom this dagger belonged?”
“Yes your majesty,” he said approaching her cautiously. “It was the property of Scythe, I did not know his last name.”
There was an audible gasp in the room from Twilight and Luna. “Are you telling me that psychotic lunatic was in this room alone with Spike?” Twilight demanded.
“No Princess, often times the dragon was being interrogated by Blueblood. It was only after the Prince failed to wring any information out of him that he turned Spike over to Scythe. I do not have the heart to tell you what that poor dragon endured.”
“I don’t care what you have the heart to say, what did those bastards do to my brother?!” Emerald demanded.
Sprinter hesitated and shook in fear of the angry dragoness. Twilight stepped up to the cowering stallion and placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder. “Please Sprinter, we need to know what we’re up against if we hope to save the situation. We are all Spikes family and friends and though it will most likely hurt us to hear, we need to know.”
The stallion swallowed hard but relented, nevertheless. “His first day here, they took his left eye, I heard his scream from the other side of the castle, Blueblood said he had Scythe do it because he didn’t like the look it was giving him.” Sprinter told them, his gaze firmly on the ground. “The next day, it was his right ear. When Blueblood got afraid that the dragon might die before giving him the information he wanted, he had Scythe change tactics. Each and every time Spike refused to answer his questions, he would have a single scale skinned from his hide. There is more, numerous cuts and stab wounds and probably more than I know about. When I saw him down here, not even four hours ago, he looked horrible but he was alive and determined to survive.”
Luna held Twilight tightly as the lavender alicorn sobbed. For her part, Emerald was too shocked to say anything, the only time she had heard of such brutality had been from her history books. Julian and Gertrude could only shake there heads at the thought of this sort of cold blooded torture would even be thinkable in that day and age. Celestia’s coat had become an almost blinding white and her mane had started to shift to a fiery orange color. The Amber Steel dagger flew from Celestia’s magical grip and embedded itself in the floor at Sprinters hooves. “You knew all this and did nothing?!” She questioned, her voice taking on a dark tone. “You stood by while my… while that poor creature was brutalized?!”
Both Luna and Twilight went to embrace the elder alicorn and to hold her off from shifting to her elemental state. “Calm yourself sister, this is not helping anypony.”
“You want me to be calm after they… they… Luna they tortured him!” She said, the heat leaving her as she feel to her knees in tears.
Knowing it would be a bad idea, Sprinter approached the Princesses. “I know that I am the last pony you want to hear from but you are right my Princess, Blueblood wanted to know your weakness and that of your sister and the Elements of Harmony. He knew that Spike had lived in your company for many years and that of Princess Twilight and her friends. I don’t know if Spike knew anything but he would give Blueblood nothing, even after everything he and Scythe had done to him, he would not betray you or his friends. Blue blood was constantly ranting and raving about the dragon’s defiance, he even went so far as to question that dragon mercenary he has in his employ whether he had any ideas to obtain the information he needed. I far as I know, Spike remained silent and would tell him nothing. I only wish I was half the stallion he is.”
“But then, where is the boy?” Julian asked. “There’s no way he could have broke these bonds.”
“He didn’t,” Sprinter confessed. “I removed the pin holding the maniacal around his neck and informed him that the mortar around these old bricks was crumbling and not likely to hold the restraining blocks in place. From the looks of things, Scythe pushed him too far and he escaped before he was supposed to.”
“And just what is that supposed to mean?” Twilight asked.
“I knew you were coming; your children told me. I came down here to arrange Spike’s escape but to release him before you were even in the castle would have given everything away, I told him to wait, wait until you got here. I don’t know what happened or what Scythe did to set him off but from the looks of things, I’d say Scythe and at least six of Blueblood’s followers paid the price for it. As a matter of fact, I would not be surprised if Spike was rampaging around the castle looking for Blueblood himself.”
Celestia calmly got back to her hooves and addressed the repentant stallion. “Mr. Track, rest assured that you will pay the penalty for your involvement in this affair but for now, you have my thanks for helping Spike to escape this torment.” The elder alicorn stated plainly. “I will not forget that fact when it comes time for your sentencing.”
“What are we waiting around here fore, we got ponies to rescue.” Gertrude interrupted.
“Indeed, but I do not think it would be wise to let the others see what has transpired her.” Luna remarked, her horn igniting in a dark brilliance as the gory remains staining the hall and stairs burst into intense flame, extinguishing itself a moment latter leaving nothing but black soot behind.
Climbing back up the stairs, they found the rest of their compatriots waiting behind the door to the catacombs. “Is everything okay?” Cadence asked cautiously.
“Everything is fine my niece.” Celestia reassured her. “It seems our plans have changed since apparently Spike has Rage Shifted and is rampaging around the castle.”
“Rage Shifted?” Beaufort asked?”
“It happens to dragons sometimes,” Emerald offered. “But it only happens when a dragon is angered so greatly that the loose all sense of self, at that point they are little more than an animal with only the most basic of instincts driving them.”
“In this case, I’d say Spike is out for blood and I don’t think he particularly cares whose.” Twilight told them, noticing Fluttershy cringing slightly. “So with that in mind we’re going to be splitting up.”
“Beaufort, Vinyl you’ll be coming with me so we can deal with Null Spark. That will allow the kids to use their magic again. Gertrude, Penelope, Octavia, I need to you to get to the captives, I’ll let you know how to get to them.”
“Emerald, You’ll be needed to find your brother and try to get him under control.” Luna told her. “I would try myself but I think he would respond to you better. The rest of us will make our way to Blueblood’s inner sanctum.”
“Sprinter are you sure it’s in the treasure room beneath the throne?” Twilight asked.
“Positive Princess.”
“Alright then, you all know what you have to do so let’s get to it.” Celestia commanded.
As Sprinter walked off with Gertrude, Penelope, Octavia, Vinyl, Emerald and Beaufort, Luna nuzzled her wife. “How are you holding up dearest?”
“I’m doing a little better dear, the memories aren’t hammering inside of my head anymore, it’s gotten a bit easier to handle now that were out of the catacombs.” Twilight told her as they followed closely behind the rest of the small group.