Spike's policy is: "Never go into battle without a plan."
Thus, he had a plan.
It was a stupid plan, but it was a plan nevertheless.
Okay, it was more of a semi-thought through idea he came up with while desperate. And by "semi-thought through", he meant "not at all". And it wasn't so much an "idea" as it was a "yet-to-be-proven hypothesis-though-since-there's-no-time-might-as-well-call-it-an-idea-because-I've-got-nothing-better".
"In retrospect, maybe 'fighting fire with fire' might not have been the the brightest thing to do," Spike muttered as he dodged another rock wave. His eyes were trained on his opponent from the start of the battle, analyzing every detail with the utmost concentration.
Observation number one, their opponent was either really stupid or just plain gullible.
"What the buck is that?!" Spike shouted, pointing to something behind the red dragon. Magister swiveled his head to look, and received a double blitz courtesy of the Princesses that caused his head to bash painfully against the wall.
Observation number two, his attacks were predictable and easy to avoid.
Infernal Magister recovered quickly, ignoring pain in favor of anger. He breathed several bursts of fire into the air, but failed to burn anything. Turning his focus to the young dragon, he inhaled and prepared another salvo. Spike merely pointed up and predictably, Magister looked up. Seeing nothing, he lowered his head only to find that the other dragon had vanished. Instead, there was a trail of small fires that lead to-
He roared as searing pain erupted from his left side, a pain he had associated with enflamed claws raking his scales. His tail smashed against the ground, but the purple pest had already escaped.
Observation number three - and this one frustrated Spike to no end - Infernal Magister certainly lived up to the first half of his name from the way he was taking their best attacks and coming out unscathed.
Princess Celestia fired an ultra concentrated blast of magic that struck Magister clean on his back, but he just shrugged it off and attempted to swat down Luna, who was forced to abandon her own attack in order to barrel roll safely out of harm's way.
Spike did not want to set part of himself on fire, but he really didn't have much of a choice.
Immature claws and fangs were could not do anything against a fully matured dragon's scales. Striking moves would cause immense recoil, as his sprained tail and Apple Bloom's pained gait clearly demonstrated. Their greatest asset, the Princesses' magic, was next to useless.
Not really that moralizing, huh?
Mana was practically radiating from the flames Magister was spewing, which meant that (1) it really wasn't efficient and (2) it must be extremely powerful.
Considering that Magister had no reservations about slinging fire everywhere, Spike doubted that they could simply just wait for him to burn himself out. His mana level is enough to rival - or possibly surpass - that of both Celestia and Luna, after all. By Spike's estimates, if one were to convert that into this kind of fire, it would be enough to burn half of Equestria.
Without option number one, that left number two.
Even Magister was careful to not let the flames get near him, as his area was the only part of the room not burning. That meant that not even he was immune to his own fire. Spike bet everything on that hypothesis when he ignited his claws, and it paid off.
Still, even with the numerous steaming wounds that were now littered all over Infernal Magister, he seemed more mad than hurt.
He's becoming more destructive, Spike noted dryly. I pity mother's interior decorator. And her architect too, the way things are going.
The throne room was not even a room any more. Burning spires of rock protruded from several places. Not a single patch of ground that was in front of Infernal Magister was even. The small fires from before evolved into a roaring wall of fire that surrounded the battleground. All of the windows were shattered or broken in some way; and while they could see the outside, something was preventing them from leaving.
And the only things that haven't been burnt yet are the area behind Infernal Magister, Infernal Magister himself, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Apple Bloom. Everything else was either completely charred or in the process of getting there.
Spike winced as he remembered his current situation. My forelimbs feel like they're on fire... Wow, that's a horrible pun. I would faceclaw, but my claws are on fire right now.
Somewhere, somepony groaned.
Tough crowd.
Spike ducked under another stream of fire and rush forward to deliver a rising slash at Magister's exposed stomach, leaving a large gash that was burnt closed immediately after it was cut, but still enough to cause Magister to cry out in pain.
"Critical hit!"
"Spike, fall back now!"
The young dragon felt a familiar feeling encompass him as he was magically yanked into the air. He heard Apple Bloom exclaim as she was most likely lifted up in the same manner, but before either of them could ask, they were pulled further into the air. There was a loud roar and a torrent of flames flooded the ground, creating a raging inferno below.
Spike shivered.
Not a single scrap of land was visible. Had they were still down there, it would've been over in that instant.
The air around Infernal Magister had changed. Before, while he was still angry, there was still a sense that he was toying around with them. Now, though...
There was a look in his eyes that clearly meant "no mercy".
The violet light had become harsh, almost painful to look at. For a second, Spike felt an entirely different presence fill the room. Something wicked and malicious. Something... evil.
"We need to defeat him soon," Celestia's voice brought Spike out of his thoughts. Judging from her expression, he wasn't the only one that felt it. A golden aura flared around her horn, matching the one that currently enveloped him.
"Verily. Thou art exhausted and canst hide such a fact from us, for we are in the same condition," Luna replied coolly, but the fact that she had somewhat reverted to her old speaking patterns spoke volumes. For her to do so meant that she was extremely stressed, and with their current opponent it's to be expected.
Spike withdrew into himself as the sisters attempted to come up with a plan of attack.
In a breath, he had detached himself from the physical world and retreated into the crevices of his mind.
A void.
Completely empty.
Filled with nothingness...
And a strange violet light?
What the?
His eyes were closed, so how could he still see anything?
Unless... This isn't seeing; it's sensing! That means... magic?
"Open up your senses," Spike mumbled, catching the attention of the three mares. Celestia and Luna looked at him curiously, while Apple Bloom just sighed.
"He's gonna do something stupid again," she told the alicorns. "Just you wait."
Spike's awareness soon spread out over the immediate vicinity. He could feel the entities that were Celestia and Luna, as well as the spell they were using to levitate him and Apple Bloom. He could feel the flames beneath him, angry and a little confused. He could feel a strange cube-shaped object that seemed to pulse at irregular intervals with wild and erratic mana.
Oddly, that mana felt rather familiar. And almost comforting, in a sense.
He homed in on the towering mass that was Infernal Magister. Amazingly, despite his earlier outburst, his mana has barely diminished at all.
Wait... no, rather than having an absurd amount to begin with, it's almost like something was constantly supplying him with mana. Why hadn't I noticed that before?
Something felt very odd here, but he couldn't get an exact read. And he knew the reason why.
I'm going to have to do something really idiotic aren't I?
"I knew it!"
"Huh?" Apple Bloom's exclamation brought Spike back to his normal senses. She was pointing an accusing hoof at him while the two Princesses looked on worriedly. Even Magister was watching them curiously, though his previous anger was still apparent.
Spike briefly wondered if his friend somehow gained the power to read minds, since her timing with his conclusion was far too coincidental. The fact that he was simply obvious never occurred to him.
"You have that expression on again!"
"Because I have an idea?"
"A dumb and dangerous one!"
"... I really can't deny the 'dangerous' part and even I need to admit that it's stupid on so many levels, but was adding those really necessary?"
Apple Bloom chose to answer despite the obvious rhetorical question. "Yeah. It was."
Spike ignored her and turned to his mother. "About my idea... I need you to drop me. Right now."
"... I'm sorry Spike, but do you mind repeating that? I do not think I heard you right."
"Release the psychokinesis spell."
Celestia's eye twitched. "... Excuse me?"
He sighed. This isn't going to get me anywhere soon. Plan B it is then.
"So when did you want to meet my marefriend? Our wedding's coming up soon and she's really nice and all, but she's a bit too shy to introduce herself to you. That's why I told her that I'd bring you back myself. Besides, I was worried about her making the trip here, you know, with the foal due in a few months."
Silence.
Apple Bloom and Celestia stared at him with their eyes wide and mouths gaping open, too stunned to speak. Luna was snickering into her hoof, but neither of the two noticed. Spike, on the other hoof, already had his eyes closed and mentally counted down.
In five, four, three...
"WHAT?!"
Huh, bold-faced, italicized, and underlined. I can't see it, but I can definitely hear it.
The entire room shook violently from the outburst, which made Infernal Magister's roars seem like gentle purring. Said dragon was nearly blown back himself. Any remaining glass was shattered and for a moment it seemed like the ceiling would collapse on them.
Spike felt the magic keeping him up fizzle out.
He's learned many, many things from being around Twilight for so long. Consequential rudimentary spell cancellation just so happened to be one of them.
The concept is amazingly simple. In order to disrupt a continuous spell, all that's needed is something to create a break in the caster's concentration. However, it's much more difficult to perform in practice. Some ponies have trained themselves to maintain active movement during spell casting or disciplined their bodies to withstand whatever might be thrown their way. And nopony in their right mind would dare to challenge a unicorn, let alone an alicorn, to a mind game.
Although, a certain somedragon did specialize in mental attacks.
Dense as he was, he wasn't entirely naive about those types of things (he did live in a library with tons of reference books; some even possessed rather detailed illustrations). And even he wasn't idiotic enough to not notice that his mother can be more than a tad overprotective of him. While he did feel slightly guilty for taking advantage of that, he was only half-lying anyway.
No time to linger on that thought as Spike fell. He only had a few seconds before he would be plunged into the fires below, but he wasn't worried. And it wasn't like he could afford to waste any time.
"Open up your senses..."
It's right there...! Well, that is disappointingly obvious, but that just makes it easier for me.
He was less than a second away from being fatally burned, when an opaque, pale blue platform materialized beneath his claws. There was a faint prickling in the back of his mind, but he just brushed it off as due to his near encounter with being incinerated.
"Thank you, Aunt Luna."
"Thou art most welcome."
Princess Luna had apparently placed a (comically) shocked Apple Bloom on a twitching and equally bewildered Celestia - who, fortunately, still maintained her flight. After making sure that neither of them would fall any time soon, Luna had created a disk from her magic for Spike to stand on.
"We assume that thy has found a way to finish this?"
"Aye."
"Then thou hast our full support."
"Gramercy," replied Spike. "If thou would be so kind as to direct us-err, I mean... Would you mind maneuvering this scaffold and get me close?"
"We dost not mind. Whither to?"
"His weak point: his front horn."
"Are thou certain?"
"Yeah. It's as plain as the horn on his snout."
"..."
Somewhere, somepony was playing a trombone.
"Note to self: don't quit day jobs."
"We must concur with thee."
"Fine. Let's go!"
The glow around Luna's horn pulsed once before Spike zoomed forward. Infernal Magister opened his mouth to reveal a steadily growing, pulsating orange orb. In response, Spike sank his claws into the platform and braced himself.
Fully charged, Magister unleashed an incandescent beam of what could've passed as concentrated magma directly at Spike.
His stomach lurched as he felt himself spiral around the ray of molten material. He was not touching it, but he was close enough to feel the radiated heat. It was so hot that his enflamed claws felt cool in comparison. Had he any sort of fur at all, there was no doubt that it would've been singed off.
Luna skillfully navigated him past the laser-like attack and had managed to close enough distance so that Spike was within range. Unfortunately, it just wasn't his range.
He gulped. "Is it just me, or has Magister, as well as the entire room, suddenly gotten bigger?"
There was no answer, not that he expected one in the first place. But he did not remember the initial distance to be that far, or the ceiling that high, or that Magister towering that much over him (especially now that he was sort-of flying).
Spike? Dost thy hear us?
"Princess Luna? How are you speaking into my head?"
It does not matter right now. We needed to inform thee that we do not have enough power to maintain this spell for much longer. The long battle before thy arrival has greatly sapped both sister's and our strength.
"Truth be told, I'm already reaching my limit too. My claws are going to burn up completely in a minute or two and the pain combined with my previous injuries is unbearable."
There is still a little more to go. Focus all of thine remaining might on this next, and last, attack. We will ensure that thou will reach.
"I know you will. You have my complete trust in you."
Many thanks for thine words, Spike. We will do our best to not disappoint. Now, prepare thyself!
Spike took a deep breath. He reached deep within him, calling on his inner fire. Just because he couldn't use it doesn't mean that it was gone. The connection was muddled and something was preventing him from summoning the flames themselves, but it wasn't the blaze that he needed.
Burn.
He channeled its nature throughout his body, feeling warm waves wash over him. Even though it had not been that long, it felt like he had reconnected with an old friend.
Burn...
His temperature spiked. He was dimly aware of himself moving and something big rushing past, but he paid it no heed.
Burn...!
Fire burns. Fire consumes all. Fire does not discriminate. Fire reduces everything to ashes. Fire leaves nothing in its wake.
Burn!
Yet, despite its destructive nature, fire is also life. It is the warmth that courses through our bodies. It is the force that drives us to go beyond our limit. It exists in many forms, coexisting with us and keeping the world alive.
BURN!
Spike poured every ounce of mana into... something. He couldn't tell what it was, only that it felt pleasantly warm and at the same time searing hot. His body screamed at him to stop, to cease this immediately, but his instinct propelled him to continue.
BURN!
He didn't think. He only felt.
And he felt fire.
Spike's eyes opened.
He was right in front of Infernal Magister, but something was different: Magister seemed almost... afraid?
The platform started vanishing.
Time seemed to slow.
Spike jumped forward with all his might. He brought his claws in front of him in an X-shape (curiously, the fires were now a deep emerald rather than the standard orange).
"This ends now!"
He slashed with both claws, shearing through the horn and landing atop the ridge just above Magister's eyes.
"No hard feelings."
The horn snapped off. Violet flames engulfed the severed spike in midair, reducing it to ashes before it could so much as reach the ground.
Infernal Magister gave one last, fading roar before toppling forward. It took Spike all he had to hang on as the dragon fell into the sea of flames. Fortunately for the both of them, the fires finally faded, leaving behind a charred and scorched mess of what once was a formerly majestic throne room.
Spike jumped off the unconscious dragon with shaky legs. The sound of wingbeats alerted him to the arrival of Luna and Celestia, the latter looking extremely dismayed while carrying a still frozen Apple Bloom on her back.
He quickly turned to them with urgency, startling the sisters.
"Is there a doctor in the castle?"
Celestia nodded slowly.
"Good. I definitely need one right now."
It was at that point that Spike blacked out.