Holy shit, this was one doozy of a chapter, but I enjoyed writing it immensely. This is by far the longest chapter I've written in this story so far, so enjoy the epicness!
Be warned, though; there's a fair amount of graphic violence in this chapter. Tread with caution.
Now I shall crawl back into my hole where you can't pursue me with your torches and pitchforks.
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Chapter Sixteen: The Second Battle of Ponyville
King Sombra failed to suppress a smirk as he thought about his impending conquest. The plans had been made; it was time for the invasion. The dragons had been split up into three different groups as part of a massive three-pronged attack. Bjoräl and his pack, as well as a sizeable group of Obsidian Earth ponies, would accompany Moragon's dragonflight to assist in the conquest of Stalliongrad, one of Equestria's most well-defended cities, with the majority of its citizens being Earth ponies. Meanwhile, Vartûl's dragonflight would be accompanied by a large force of Obsidian pegasi and Windigos and would lay siege to Cloudsdale, the unofficial capital city of the pegasi. And finally, Dalconir's dragonflight would, with the help of a substantial detachment of Obsidian pegasi and Karzakathûl's sons, descend upon Canterlot itself and finish the task that Karzakathûl had failed; slay the princesses.
But this was not the Dark King's only plan. He had one more move to make in his grand scheme. He allowed his hatred to fill his body and soul as he remembered the accursed dragon hatchling that had been instrumental in his second defeat. Word was that the dragon lived in Ponyville along with the rest of the Element Bearers. It was unlikely that he had joined in the war effort, on account of him being little more than a baby, despite his troublesome actions. It was time to finish burning Ponyville to ashes, and he had just the plan for that.
Sombra approached the corrupted Crystal Heart, his grin widening as he tapped into its magnificent powers. He could feel his inner power surge to amounts even he had never thought possible. He felt like a god. With this power at his disposal, even Discord would fall before his dark might should the chaotic spirit foolishly decide to confront him. Sombra's eyes glowed even brighter, his red pupils vanishing as the power of darkness took hold, his fanged grin never leaving his face.
The Crystal Heart had the ability to reflect its essence across all of Equestria, whether that be hope and love, or hatred and fear. Soon a blood-red aurora emerged from the tallest spire of the Crystal Palace, streaking towards the fertile lands of Equestria.
Sombra would show the world what true horrors lay in store for all those who would defy him.
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Outside the Rockjaw Diamond Dog caverns…
Rarity looked at the multitude of holes that marred the surface of the ground and unleashed a shuddering breath, silently cursing Luna for forcing her into this before mentally slapping herself for thinking so negatively of her beloved monarch. You can do this, Rarity, she reassured herself. You've dealt with them before, you can do it again.
She regarded the traveling armor she carried that had been issued to every unicorn recruit when out in the field. It was a simple chainmail hauberk underneath a vest with protective spells weaved into its fibers, much less comfortable than her prized dresses, but it would give her an air of formality and a do-not-tick-off-this-pony attitude amongst the Diamond Dogs. There was a small dagger hidden in her vest she could use in a pinch, but she hoped it would not come to that.
Rarity trotted up to one of the holes with all the confidence she could muster. She must have been lucky, because a sentry immediately crawled out of the hole and leveled his crude spear at her. "Who goes there?" the hulking, armored mutt growled.
Rarity glowered at the weapon pointed at her chest and glared at the Diamond Dog intensely. "Somepony that you should not be pointing that spear at," she spoke firmly. "I come on behalf of Princess Luna, and I am here to see your Alpha, Rover."
The guard growled. "Why do you come here, pony? What business do you have with he who leads our pack?"
Rarity frowned. "It concerns the Rültvek tribe. Does that answer your question?"
The guard's jaw nearly dropped at the mention of his pack's oldest nemesis. "How do you know of those pup-takers?" he demanded.
"I am here to discuss that with Alpha Rover, not a sentry," Rarity snapped. "Now take me to him at once."
The guard grunted, seeming to think it over before he finally relented, lifting his spear. "Very well. Follow me. Do not get lost."
Rarity said nothing in reply as she followed the Diamond Dog down the hole, biting back her usual remarks about the dirt as he led her through the tunnels towards the main chamber. Once they entered it, Rarity could not help but smirk at the fond memories of this place. Her last visit had been an unexpected, initially-unwanted, but ultimately profitable experience. And as she heard all activity in the chamber abruptly stop, she realized that they hadn't forgotten either.
Dozens of Diamond Dogs had been busy at work, tunneling through the dirt, gathering gems, piling them on carts, and hauling said carts away, before they saw the one pony they had never wanted to see again strutting boldly back into their mines as if she owned the place. She then spotted a familiar trio loping towards them, anger and no small amount of fear on their faces.
"What…is that pony…DOING HERE?!" Alpha Rover screeched, pointing at her.
"She said she wished to…" the guard began before Rarity cut him off.
"Thank you kindly, good sir, but I can take it from here," she interrupted, never taking her eyes off the Dogs that had brazenly kidnapped her almost a year ago. "How…lovely to see you three again."
Rover glared back at the unicorn, restraining the urge to impulsively cover his ears at the very sight of her. "Why did you come back?" Rover growled. "You weren't supposed to come back!"
Rarity laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You think I'm here by choice, Rover?! I'm flattered, but no. I had no intention of returning to this Tartarus pit. But duty calls, and the Princesses of Equestria need your help."
This was most certainly not what Rover or his Betas had been expecting.
"Explain," the large Beta, Fido, demanded, a hint of curiosity seeping into his tone.
"Equestria is at war, Mister Rover," Rarity began, speaking loud enough that her voice carried throughout the chamber. "You live on Equestrian soil, under the protection of our princesses. But they can no longer guarantee that protection without your help. A powerful enemy seeks to conquer our lands, and we need every ally we can get to halt the invasion, which is certain to come soon."
It took several moments for Rover to find his voice again, and he harshly whispered, "You're asking us…to die for you? Give me one good reason why we should join a fight that isn't ours!"
Rarity matched the Alpha's glare. "Because this is your fight too. Your enemies, the Rültveks, have joined forces with our enemy, King Sombra, who has promised them your lands in exchange for their services."
There were loud gasps, growls, and whimpers echoing throughout the chamber at the mention of the hated Rültveks. Rover and his cohorts went deathly silent, shock evident on their faces. "That means…that we really haven't seen the last of Bjoräl, after all," Spot, the smaller Beta, murmured, shivering.
"Bjoräl?" Rarity repeated.
She was surprised by the dark look that crossed Rover's face as memories overtook him. "Before we moved to Equestria, we were invaded by the Rültveks. They were seeking slaves for their own mines. We fought back. It was a terrible battle, and many a Dog on both sides fell that day. The Rültveks were led by their leader, the vilest and cruelest of their entire tribe…Bjoräl the Defiler. Against his might…we were helpless. My father, our previous Alpha, was slain by him. Beheaded, and cast at my feet. I will never forget that day. I will never forget his face."
Rarity put a shocked hoof to her mouth. "My goodness! How horrible!"
Rover's bitter scowl deepened, Fido and Spot stepping back to give their leader some space. "Many of our pups were taken that day. Killed or enslaved, we did not know. We fled, defeated and leaderless. Satisfied with their victory, they did not pursue us. We fled to Equestria, where we found a richer mine to rebuild our home. We had hoped we would be out of Bjoräl's reach."
Whatever feelings Rarity had held towards these creatures instantly melted away as she realized what horrors they had endured in the past. "I-I'm so terribly sorry your pack endured that," Rarity tentatively spoke.
Rover waved his paw dismissively. "Save it. Pitying us is even worse than your whining."
Rarity bit her lip and held her tongue as Rover continued. "We have no choice then. We delayed as long as we could, but it seems the pup-takers will not rest until we are all enslaved…or worse. I won't let the Defiler's mutts take my packmates' pups again." Finally Rover turned away from his guest and addressed his entire pack, which had since all congregated in the main chamber. His gravelly, high-pitched voice, surprisingly, carried a stern tone that Rarity had not expected capable of him. As he spoke, Rarity could see a number of females amongst them, as well as wide-eyed pups that regarded her and their leader with wide, curious eyes. "My pack-mates, today is a grim day. After many years of living in safety, the Rültveks have once more brought war to our doorstep!" Those who had not heard this news already gasped and yipped in shock and fear. The horrors of their last battle with their hated enemy were still fresh on the older Dogs' minds. "They have joined with Equestria's enemies, who have promised them our mines and wealth! I was charged with your protection the day I became Alpha, and I will not fail as my father did! Bjoräl will not take our pups again! Rockjaws…prepare for war!"
Now it was Rarity's turn to shield her ears from the noise of hundreds of Diamond Dogs howling in unison.
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Outskirts of Ponyville…
Melvekar lay on a large hill overlooking the town, staring silently at the horizon. His thoughts were of his son, and the look in the hatchling's eyes when he revealed himself.
Melvekar suddenly shook his head, snorting lightly as a puff of smoke escaped his nostrils. No, Spike didn't deserve to be called a hatchling anymore. He was at least eighteen now, which was the adult age of a pony. Had he possessed a hoard of his own, he would be quite a bit larger than he was now, and he would have his wings.
A sudden voice abruptly stirred him from his thoughts. "Um…D-Dad?"
The Evening Shadow smiled as he heard the voice of his son behind him. The Great Wyrm craned his neck over his shoulder to see Spike tentatively walking up to him, unsure of himself. "Hello, Spike," Melvekar greeted.
"I-I'm sorry a-about earlier," Spike stammered. "I-I just needed to think…"
"I will not fault you for trying to come to terms with the news I gave you, my son," Melvekar replied.
"Why, though?" Spike asked. "You said it was against the law for you to take care of me. Why is that? What happened to Mom?"
The older dragon sighed. "In the Dragon Kingdom, tradition is law. And there are a number of reasons why male dragons cannot look after eggs. Firstly, the male dragons are the ones that get called out for whatever summons the king issues, while the females stay home with the eggs. Secondly, it is the male that primarily defends the nest from any threats, in order to keep their mates and chicks from harm. Thirdly, a male dragon is not nearly as adept at nesting an egg as the female. The king felt that you would be better off with the Equestrians, despite how little they knew of our kind, and so you were given to them."
Spike sat down by his father, basking in the large dragon's shadow. "What happened to my mom? Why couldn't she take care of me?"
Melvekar heaved a melancholy sigh. He had long feared this question, but he knew that when he finally met his offspring, he would want to know the truth. "You were still an egg, your mother's only egg. I had been summoned by the king to attend the Council on a meeting to discuss an incident with Karzakathûl menacing the Zebras in Zebrica."
"Karzakathûl?" Spike repeated.
"The dragon that attacked Canterlot and was felled by your caretaker and the last of the draconequui, Discord," Melvekar explained. "He had always been a thorn in the kingdom's side, as he was openly rebellious towards the king and commanded a lot of fear and respect amongst other dragons. The rebel members of the Council have implied a number of times that they would have preferred him as king. Anyways, I had left for the royal summit, and your mother stayed behind to look after your egg. While I was gone, a hydra stumbled into our cave, looking for a meal." Melvekar forced himself not to look into the eyes of his son as dreadful realization began to dawn on him. "When I returned, I found the hydra dead, and your mother mortally wounded." A sad smile appeared on Melvekar's face. "She was not a fighter by any stretch of the imagination. But when that hydra threatened your egg, she fought tooth and claw to protect you. It was a hell of a fight, too; all of the hydra's heads had been torn or bitten off. Her last words…her last words to me were, 'Our child's name will be Spike. Keep him safe. I wish I could have seen him hatch.'"
Melvekar looked down to see that his son was fighting back tears. "My mom…s-she's…?" Spike stuttered.
Melvekar only nodded. Spike spent a few minutes silently crying as he realized he would never know his mother before he finally recovered somewhat. "Can…c-can you tell me about her?"
"What would you like to know?" Melvekar asked.
"Everything."
Melvekar smiled. "Her name was Sekkati the Frost-Scaled. She was as white as fresh snow, her eyes blue like ice, but her heart was warm and gentle. I met her sixty-four years ago in the capital city of Drakehold, and I loved her from the moment we met. She was quiet and reserved, but not meek. She was sharp of tongue and even sharper of wit when roused. She had always wanted to bear hatchlings, and felt no disappointment when she laid only one egg. She did not have a hoard of silver and gold, or even jewels. You were her hoard, my son. I can see that you have inherited Sekkati's kindness, and the Equestrians have nurtured it within you. Your mother would be proud of you."
Spike's eyes lit up. "W-would she…?"
Melvekar nodded. "While you may still be small, it is only because you have not discovered a hoard you truly value yet."
Spike looked down. "The last time I had a hoard…I nearly destroyed Ponyville."
The older dragon fought back a smirk. "Ah, so you experienced the Greed Growth, then."
Spike looked up at his father. "Why did I grow up like that?"
"Well…it's a difficult concept to understand," Melvekar replied. "Even we are not entirely sure why our bodies do that. But it can be disastrous if not contained. That's why the Kingdom has an ages-old policy dictating how large a dragon's individual hoard can be based on age, in order to allow them to mature naturally both mentally and physically. It seems you had no such restrictions. At least the Equestrians did a good job containing it their own way."
"Does…does that mean I have to have a hoard in order to grow?" Spike asked.
"Yes," Melvekar replied. "But bear in mind that a hoard does not necessarily equate treasure. It is what matters most to you in this world. When you understand what your true hoard is, you will grow to your proper size."
Spike opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by another voice.
"Spike! Spike!" Sweetie Belle called out between pants, having run all the way up the hill.
Spike and Melvekar turned to look at her. "What is it, Sweetie?" Spike asked.
"Rarity's back!" Sweetie Belle explained. "And she wants to see you!"
Spike's eyes widened before he scrambled to his feet and ran after her towards Ponyville. Shaking his head in amusement, Melvekar rose to his feet and followed behind at a leisurely pace.
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"Rarity! RARITY!"
Rarity smiled as she saw a familiar baby dragon running over to her, arms outstretched. She was nearly bowled over by the force of Spike's hug. "Rarity, I'm so glad to see you're doing okay! What are you doing here? Is Twilight okay?"
Rarity chuckled lightly at the questions Spike bombarded her with. "I'm glad to see you're doing alright too, Spikey-Wikey."
"Spikey-Wikey?"
Rarity gasped in shock as she noticed the large dragon loping towards them, a smirk adorning his reptilian face. Spike broke away from Rarity's embrace and glared indignantly at the older drake. "Yeah, it's my nickname! So what?"
Rarity glanced at the two dragons. "Spike, do you know this gentle, uh…drake?"
Spike took a moment to straighten himself out and finally said, "Rarity, I want you to meet my dad, Melvekar."
Rarity's jaw promptly hit the floor. "Y-your WHAT?"
Spike laughed in spite of himself. "Yeah, I know. I was pretty shocked too. But Dad explained everything to me, about why he gave my egg to Princess Celestia and all that. He's also here to guard Ponyville."
Rarity smiled. "I'm happy for you, Spike."
Spike scratched his head in curiosity. "So why are you here? I thought you and Twilight were off in the army."
"We're still undergoing boot camp, dear," Rarity explained. "So far, Rainbow Dash is the only one out of the six of us who's seen action. Anyways, I was sent on a mission by Princess Luna to recruit the Diamond Dogs to our cause."
Spike frowned. "She sent you back to them?"
"She wouldn't have if she didn't know I could handle them," Rarity replied. "And they said yes, by the way. King Sombra recruited a rival tribe of theirs that committed heinous actions against them in the past, and they want to protect their families."
Spike slowly nodded, respecting that logic. But before he could open his mouth to reply, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Everyone else soon noticed too and looked up towards the sky. A blood red aurora was streaking through the sky towards Ponyville. Dread clutched at Spike's heart. "Isn't…isn't that coming from the direction of the Crystal Empire?"
Rarity paled as her eyes widened in horror. "Spike, hide where it's safe!"
"But…"
"Spike, do as she says!" Melvekar snarled, glaring towards the aurora as it split in two, one trail heading towards the Everfree Forest and the other continuing towards the town. "You are too small to face whatever this is for now!"
Spike knew their words were true, but they stung all the same. Unwillingly, Spike ran towards the library, looking over his shoulders to see the aurora sink into the Ponyville Cemetery. He stopped dead as he saw what happened next.
The ground shifted beneath each headstone, as though something were trying to dig its way out of each grave. No…those can't be… Spike thought in dread.
With numerous explosions of earth, Spike's worst fears were confirmed. The dead that had been buried there had come back to life, moaning and groaning as they crawled their way out of the ground. Spike wasted no time in running inside the library and hastily locking the door. Safe for now, Spike ran up the stairs to the balcony and saw what was going on.
Screams of terror and anguish rent the air as many of the ponies recognized loved ones that had once looked upon them with loving eyes, but now with a soulless, hungry gaze. Spike's hands shook with rage. There was no doubt in his mind that King Sombra was responsible for this horror. Knowing that there was nothing he could do, he watched Rarity and Melvekar recoil in shock at the zombie ponies before readying for a fight. "Please be safe," he whispered. "I don't want to lose either of you."
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Rarity's heart clenched as she saw several familiar faces amongst the undead horde slowly making their way towards her. Most agonizing of all was Derpy Hooves, who had just begun showing signs of decay, shuffling towards her horrified daughters. Rarity knew she had to act.
Sparkler desperately shielded her little sister from the abomination wearing their mother's guise. "M-Mommy?" Dinky whimpered, gazing at her zombified mother in confusion and horror.
"Mom?" Sparkler stammered fearfully, backing away with each step Derpy took. "M-Mom, it's us! D-don't you recognize your daughters? Y-y-your s-special muffins?"
Her words fell on deaf ears, and Sparkler realized that this was not their mother, but a mindless monster that had cruelly taken her place. Derpy's eyes were still misaligned even in death, and they gazed emptily into the eyes of her prey. With an eldritch groan, Derpy's mouth opened wide, her yellowed teeth ready to bite greedily into the flesh of her children like the muffins she had so enjoyed in life.
And she lunged.
Both unicorns screamed.
"NO!"
Suddenly the zombie pegasus was blind-sided by a fiery beam of energy, eliciting a blood-curdling screech as her body disintegrated into ashes. Sparkler covered her sister's eyes, watching the final demise of her loving mother with stricken, sorrowful eyes. She looked over at her savior, and saw Rarity staring at Derpy's remains, tears flowing down her face at what she had done.
It was only thanks to the adrenaline that Rarity willed herself not to faint, along with the weeks of training she had undergone. "Sparkler, dear," she spoke with a shaky voice. "Get Dinky out of here, where it's safe."
Sparkler held Dinky close. "Thank you," she whispered before ushering her charge away from the horde, followed by the other townsponies, which were mostly mares and fillies.
Rarity then turned her attention towards the swarm of zomponies, even as Melvekar unleashed a deafening roar and ignited a great many of the creatures with his fiery breath.
But whatever power King Sombra had sent against them was not finished. Suddenly a horde of monsters emerged from the Everfree Forest, ranging from manticores and chimeras to timberwolves and cockatrices. There was even a hydra amongst them. And all of them had green eyes with mist trailing out of them, a tell-tale sign of King Sombra's influence.
Rarity regarded the monstrous army of zombies and beasts arrayed before her and Melvekar with horror and dread. Even Melvekar looked uncertain. "Mother Faust help us all," Rarity breathed.
"We must give the civilians enough time to escape," Melvekar spoke.
Rarity gulped. He knew they weren't going to survive this fight. But they were determined to hold out for as long as they could.
Rarity began firing magical blasts of fire, ice, and anything else she could think of into the horde of undead while Melvekar drew the attention of the Everfree monsters. Rarity's breath caught in her throat as she spied two more familiar individuals amongst the crowd. "Forgive me, Applejack," Rarity whimpered as she destroyed the walking corpses of her best friend's deceased parents.
Melvekar tore apart a large cockatrice with one swipe of his large claws, using his tail to bash a chimera across its tiger face. A trio of Timberwolves closed in on him, but these he burned to cinders in seconds. The chimera he had struck before recovered and leapt onto his back, digging its massive fangs into his body hard enough to pierce the scales. The Evening Shadow bellowed as he shook the chimera off his back and ripped out its throat before it could get back up. And then the hydra was upon him, its many heads weaving about and snapping at him. Melvekar snarled and breathed flames at the multi-headed creature, forcing it back. Immediately a manticore lunged at his face, but the skilled dragon swatted it aside with one mighty hand, sending it crashing into an approaching chimera.
Suddenly the dragon saw a group of timberwolves break off from the main group, loping menacingly towards Rarity, who was desperately fending off the zombie horde, and it was clear her magic was starting to run low. "Lady Rarity, look out!" Melvekar roared.
Spike watched all this from the balcony of the library, and when he saw his father and the pony he loved about to be overrun by the sheer numbers of their enemy, he felt something stir deep within his chest. It wasn't like the fire that gathered in his stomach. No, this warmth spread through his whole body, as if filling him with an unknown strength. Mine, he thought angrily to himself. They're mine. Those monsters won't touch my family and friends!
And then the epiphany finally struck. THEY WON'T TOUCH MY HOARD!
As he brazenly leapt off the balcony towards the hard ground below, he barely felt his body begin to grow. His seething rage blinded him to the wings that grew from his back, with membranes green as his spinal ridges. All that was on his mind was protecting Rarity and his father from the beasts that dared try to take them away from him.
Rarity already felt fatigued from holding off the zombies, and she knew that she barely had enough in her just to deal with the approaching timberwolves. No matter which enemy she focused on, the others would finish her off.
This was it. This was where she was going to die.
Rarity panted as she drew her dagger from its sheath. She was a proper lady. She knew the inner workings of high class society. She knew what dresses she should wear to each occasion. She conducted herself with grace and dignity. And by Celestia, she was going to go down fighting like a proper lady too.
Melvekar struggled with fending off the hydra, several manticores and chimeras, and the rest of the timberwolves on his own, and the great dragon knew he could not help her.
Suddenly an enraged roar echoed throughout the battlefield. The timberwolves surrounding Rarity looked up just in time to see emerald flames descend upon them. The entire pack burned away in an instant, and Rarity had to cover her face to shield herself from the heat. When she opened her eyes, she gasped at her protector, who stood between her and the zombie horde.
"Spike?!"
Spike, now the appropriate size of a teenage dragon, looked over his shoulder at her. "Rarity, get out of here!" he commanded.
Rarity took a moment to clear her head before she shook it fervently. "Not going to happen, Spike! I have no intention of shirking my duty to Princesses and country."
Spike sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise. "Just stay close to me and save your strength!"
Rarity nodded resolutely and held up her dagger. "Shall we dance, my little Spikey-Wikey?"
Spike grinned and bowed grandly. "We shall."
Melvekar took a moment to smile at this new development before turning his attention back to the horrendously persistent hydra. Spike and Rarity worked together to whittle down the zombies' numbers, with Spike burning them with his fire breath and Rarity impaling their heads with her dagger. And when a chimera decided to turn its attention towards them, Spike blocked its path to Rarity and snarled. "You want her, you'll have to get through me first!"
Rarity gasped in alarm. Despite Spike's new size and strength, there was no way he could take on a fully-grown chimera. The monster's three heads, one a sabertooth tiger, another that of a fanged goat, and a snake's head on its tail, all glared menacingly at the adolescent drake, who, despite the fear clutching at his chest, was not about to step aside. "You won't touch her! She's my hoard! MINE!"
Rarity about fell over from this. She knew he had a crush on her, but for him to declare that she was so dear to his heart that she was his true hoard was almost too much for her to take. And the fact that he was willing to defend her from a monster that could easily kill him meant a lot more to her than even she would initially realize.
The chimera roared and lunged. With milliseconds to react, Spike did the first thing that came to his mind; he shoved Rarity out of the way right before the hulking monster pinned him against the ground, digging its sharp claws into his arms. Spike let out a cry of pain and anger before be breathed a stream of fire right into the chimera's face. However, the beast's grip on him would not relent, and as soon as his fire gave out, the chimera leaned towards Spike to bite into his jugular.
Rarity, despite her fatigue, would not stand idly by. "NO!" she screamed, firing beam after beam of energy at the chimera, ignoring the strain beginning to claw at her very life force. "YOU! WON'T! HURT! MY! SPIKEY! WIKEY!"
Her brazen attack succeeded in forcing the monster to release Spike, but now its attention was drawn to her. And she was about ready to drop right then and there. As her head began swimming, she could vaguely hear Spike's voice screaming her name desperately, helpless to stop the rampaging beast as it closed in on her. Her strength finally failed her, and she toppled to the ground, exhausted and very nearly dead. Her eyes closed as it loomed over her body, and she knew no more.
Spike's heart stopped as Rarity fell to the ground, unmoving, as the chimera prepared to devour her. "RARITY! NO!" he cried, struggling to rise to his feet, but he knew he wouldn't be able to save her in time. "NOOOO!"
And then a spear abruptly flew over his head and buried itself in the monster's back. The chimera let out a dreadful death screech before toppling on its side. "W-wha…?" Spike stammered, looking over his shoulders.
Rover, Alpha of the Rockjaw Diamond Dogs, garbed in heavy leather and chainmail armor and a woolen cloak, gave him a grim nod. Behind him, hundreds of fully armored Diamond Dogs brandishing spears, maces, swords, and axes sprang from the forest, unleashing their wrath upon the remaining monsters. A manticore that had been about to sting Melvekar suddenly felt a sword cut clean through its tail, severing the poisonous barb. It howled in agony before it was silenced by a dozen spears. The Dogs ripped through the remaining zombies with brutal efficiency, eliminating the entire horde within minutes. The Everfree monsters, however, put up far more of a fight as the battle began to spread around the rest of the town square. As Diamond Dogs ferociously did battle with the creatures, using their brute strength and superior numbers to overwhelm them, Melvekar faced off with the damned hydra. As the monster's four heads regarded him with evil intent, Melvekar just flashed a hateful smile. "I've wanted to kill a hydra for a very long time," he declared before grappling with the enraged beast.
While he held two of the heads in place, the free ones immediately began biting into his shoulders, trying to tear through his thick scales. About time I took a page out of Arkazari's book, he remarked to himself before beating his wings against the air.
This gave him the extra leverage needed to push the hydra onto its back, the impact shaking the very ground. Melvekar wasted no time in viciously biting a gaping hole in the hydra's chest, a terrible screech of agony issuing from all four heads at once. And then Melvekar dug his claws through the wound, and the screeches abruptly stopped as the mighty dragon ripped out the monster's bloody heart. The hydra went limp, and Melvekar stared down at his fallen foe before casting its heart aside and turning back towards the rest of the battle, which was starting to come to a close. It was a marvel, really. In a single moment, the tables had turned dramatically against the enemy, and victory, and survival, was at hand.
All too soon, the last cockatrice fell, and the battlefield stilled. Melvekar took a moment to observe the damage. Fires had sprouted everywhere, some bodies still burning, the smell of charred flesh and spilled blood thick in the air. The bodies of monsters, zomponies, and a few Diamond Dogs were strewn throughout the town square, many with spears sticking out of them.
Spike took no heed of any of this as he rushed to the fallen Rarity's side and held her limp body in his arms. "Rarity?" he cried, shaking her. "Rarity, wake up!"
Her eyes did not open. Her body was still. Tears welled up in Spike's eyes. "Don't die on me, Rarity. Please…you can't die on me. Twilight needs you! Applejack needs you! All of your friends need you! Sweetie needs you! And Celestia help me, I need you too! You have to hold on, Rare…Please don't go…I love you!"
But there was no response. Rarity lay limp in Spike's arms. "Rare…?" Spike tried one last time.
When she still had not responded, Spike knew in his heart what it meant. Quiet sobs escaped his throat as he held Rarity's limp form to his chest, crying into her fur. Rover quietly walked up from behind, silent as the grave. Despite his past experiences with this pony, seeing her apparently dead in Spike's arms clutched at his heart in a way he had not anticipated. Spike ignored him, crying into the chest of his beloved.
"Uhnn…I…I…love you too…Spike…"
Spike's head shot up and looked into Rarity's face, not daring to hope that what he had heard was real. And yet it was. Her eyes were open barely a fraction, but the smile on her face was not the rictus grin of the dead, but the gentle, kind one she had always sported. And then she slipped back out of consciousness. But even so, it was clear to Spike; she was alive. His tears of sorrow became tears of joy as he held her close, not wanting to ever let go again. He felt the ground shake at his father's approach, and he turned his head and flashed Melvekar and Rover a relieved smile. "She's alive," he spoke.
"I'll warrant she's exhausted, though," Melvekar surmised. "She nearly drained herself of all her magic, down to her very life force to save you, Spike. She'll need a lot of rest before she recovers. Where does she live?"
Spike slowly stood, cradling his beloved in his arms. "I know where it is. I'll take care of her."
Melvekar and Rover watched Spike gently carry Rarity over to Carousel Boutique, where he was received by her frantic parents and sister. Thankfully, he assured them that she was alright and just needed to rest for a while. Melvekar looked down at the Diamond Dog Alpha. "I'll leave the town in your hands for a little while. I must go to Canterlot and report what happened here to the Princesses. I will return shortly."
Rover just nodded his head in reply. As soon as the Evening Shadow spread out his wings and took to the sky, Rover turned to his soldiers. "Dogs! Get these bodies out of here! Salvage what meat you can from the monsters, burn what's left, and work with the ponies to rebury their dead!"
XXXXXX
Canterlot Castle, Throne Room…
Luna chanced a glance at her sister's unoccupied throne as she read through the various military and economic reports. Celestia was recovering more and more with each passing day, and it would not be long before she sat at Luna's side once again. With a pang, she realized that she now felt somewhat like what her sister had when she had had to rule Equestria alone for a thousand years. She shook her head to clear those morbid thoughts from her mind, for she refused to dwell on those dark times. Discord was busy at work setting up various wards around the castle and city (and more than a few times teamed up with Pinkie Pie to prank a few unsuspecting ponies, just to keep up morale) in order to better defend it against heavy attack. Thestrals and Day Guards patrolled the city and castle ceaselessly, while Chrysalis and her Changelings were drinking love potions to regain some of their strength. And finally, King Vladezrâdi and his Royal Guard rested in the various caves pock-marking the Canterlot Mountains, for dragons normally spent a week wide awake and then rested for an entire day afterwards.
As Luna was wondering whether Rarity had succeeded with her mission, a guard suddenly burst into the Throne Room, rushing up to the princess. "Your Majesty! I have dire news!"
Luna hurriedly set her papers aside and straightened in her seat. "Speak," she commanded.
"The invasion has begun, milady," the guard somberly explained. "Cloudsdale, Ponyville, and Stalliongrad are all under attack by King Sombra's forces, and another force is heading our way!"