//------------------------------// // 2. Strange Meeting // Story: Broken Record // by Crosis //------------------------------// 2. Strange Meeting Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned William Butler Yeats: The Second Coming ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Excellent. He’s arrived safely. Should be making contact any minute.” “Are you sure this was a good idea?” “Oh come now, this again? We already decided that he was the best choice; essential to the timeline, but with-” “I understand that! What I don’t is why you chose to place him right in their bedroom, in the middle of the night! How do you expect he’ll react when he wakes up? How do you think THEY’LL react when he wakes up?!” “What would you have preferred? Some deserted alleyway? The Everfree forest?” “And why not? At least then his arrival wouldn’t risk causing a panic!” “I’m sorry to break it to you, but that’s not quite how it works. For a chronoshift this massive, you need a focal point, not some random place. To transport him safely, I had to choose a standing holistic wave front found in the memory of a living being. The signature of his past self was the obvious choice.” “But are you sure that-” “Don’t worry so much. Spike’s always had a good head on his shoulders. He might be a tad bewildered at first, but things will work out fine.” “I don’t know…” “Trust me. What’s the worst that could happen?” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The second she had called him, Spike had leapt out of his basket and scampered over to Twilight. Grasping hold of her neck, he buried his face into her mane. A single foreleg reached out to pull him closer, soft whispers from Twilight relaxing his shivering body. Twilight, however, was anything but relaxed. To be honest, she was downright terrified. When Spike first screamed, she thought it nothing more than a simple nightmare, probably that dream about zombies again. It wasn’t until she heard him kicking and struggling that she grew worried. She’d originally intended to just levitate him into bed with her, but something told her that she needed to see what was happening. Of all the horrible possibilities she’d dismissed, nothing prepared her for the sight of a stranger leaning over Spike’s basket, smothering her baby dragon while she watched. A thousand horrible thoughts passed through her mind. Burglary, dragon-napping, murder… She shook her head to banish the thoughts. Right now she needed to focus on what was important: getting her and Spike safely out of the house. A quick glance told her that this would be easier said than done. The obvious exit was the front door, but their uninvited guest was lying directly in front of it. A closer look, however, told her that he might not be that daunting of an obstacle. At the moment, he looked to be completely unaware of their presence. Instead, he was dazedly staring at his hooves and mane. She looked closer, taking note of how much spaced existed between the stallion and the door. Even with his limbs splayed out there looked to be adequate room for her and Spike to inch around him, assuming they were pressed flat to the wall. She tried to envision their escape; Spike on her back as she snuck around the intruder, flung open the door, and raced into the safety of the night. Instead, she imagined one of the stallion’s legs darting out as quick as lightning, tripping and sending her crashing to the floor, Spike falling from her back and rolling to a stop. He would be too far for her to reach, and she would only be able to watch in horror as a raised hoof came down and… No. Even if it was the quickest means of egress, she was not going to risk herself or Spike by getting within reach of that… thing. There had to be another way out! Biting her lip, Twilight’s eyes flicked to the windows. No good. The thought of turning her back for even a moment was undesirable, the amount of time it would take to open one, lift or levitate Spike to the sill and then climb up herself was out of the question. Her eyes flicked to the staircase behind them. It was clear and easily reached, but the second level was a dead-end. If the stallion pursued, they would be trapped, left with only a sheer drop from the balcony as a means of escape. For a moment she considered a teleportation spell, but immediately disregarded it. She needed a great deal more practice before she could confidently transport a passenger. If she tried now… she didn’t know what would happen. Spike could end up being lost on the way, or even left behind! A chill ran down her spine at the thought of escaping alone, of leaving her baby dragon at the mercy of a potentially crazed intruder. Twilight held Spike closer, mind racing as she ran out of options. There was no way out that didn’t put one or both of them at risk! She swallowed nervously, wishing that the princess was here… Wait, the princess! That was it! Directing her attention to Spike’s writing desk, she carefully, CAREFULLY lifted a quill and a single scroll into the air. Taking note of the stallion’s line of sight, she maneuvered them low to the ground, then slowly pulled them in. Inch by inch, their last hope drifted closer. Almost… almost… “AAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!” The stallion began to scream, an earsplitting calliope screech that echoed through the small room and nearly deafened the student and her assistant. Twilight shrank back in fright, watching in horrified fascination as the pegasus pony began to roll and flail about on the floor. His hooves writhed and strained, looking as if he was trying to stretch, pull, and even detach his legs from their sockets. Corded muscle stood out on his neck as his head twisted in all directions, his eyes frantically sweeping over his body. Trying to calm herself, Twilight ignored the continuing screams and once again lifted the items from the ground. When they finally settled at her hooves, she lifted a leg and nudged Spike gently. “Spike,” she whispered. Her only response was a muffled whimper as he buried his face deeper into her coat, claws pressed to his ears to try and drown out the screams. “Spike, please. I need you to look at me.” His face lifted, and she risked a glance down to see his nervous eyes staring up at her. “You have to send a letter to the princess. Right now.” She gestured to the quill at his feet. “A letter,” he asked. “But, but what about,” he pointed fearfully at the stallion, who had ceased screaming but was still thrashing about in a panic. “Sho… shouldn’t we get out of here first?” “That’s why we need to send this letter. If we tell Celestia what’s going on, I know she’ll come and help us.” Understanding lit up the dragon’s eyes, and he quickly unrolled the parchment. “What should it say?” “Just the important things,” she said hurriedly. “Strange pony in the house, not safe, need help!” Forgoing a response, the young dragon set quill to paper, scribbling as fast as his little claws could go. Twilight could only wait, her gaze nervously set on the stallion. His movements were beginning to slow, and she found herself praying that the quiet scratching of the quill would fail to catch his attention. The second ticked by, only scrapes against paper and the quick, shallow breathing of their guest to break the silence. Finally, Spike pulled the quill away and glanced to Twilight for confirmation. She nodded quickly, and he rolled up the parchment and lifted it to his mouth. A short inhalation, a burst of green flame, and the letter was on its way. Twilight sighed in relief, only to freeze as a sound came from ahead. Hooves against stone. She looked up to see the pegasus walking unsteadily towards them, an almost crazed gleam in his eyes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ He screamed. Screamed until his throat went hoarse, his mouth ran dry and his lungs seemed ready to burst. That was about all he could do; his brain had just about shut down, mired in terrified, uncomprehending panic. His legs swung wildly in his desperation to escape from this new form. The feel of his body was strange, alien, and frightening. From the warm fur to the useless, hair covered tail to the horrible lack of fingers, there was no remaining trace of what he once was except his purple coat and green mane, and those seemed more of a mocking reminder than a comfort. His screams finally tapered off, and he gulped in quick, shuddering breaths that bordered on hyperventilation. His mind had regained a small measure of clarity, though the only thoughts that raced through his head were babbling denials. ‘This can’t be happening… this can’t be happening… this can’t be happening…’ A sudden, almost giddy sense of hope flooded through him. Maybe it wasn’t happening! Maybe this wasn’t real at all! He was probably still sleeping, yes, that was it! Nothing but a simple dream that had somehow morphed into a frighteningly lucid nightmare. He just had to snap himself out of it! Buoyed by this sudden burst of confidence, he drew back a hoof and drove it full force into the side of his muzzle. His head snapped to the side from the force of the blow, pain blooming across his face. He blinked tears from his eyes, coughed, tasted blood. The pain had settled into numbness by the time his hoof raised again, this time to gently press against his injured jaw. He hadn’t dreamt that punch. It had hurt, still hurt. He wasn’t dreaming after all. His hoof traveled lower, first running across his throat, then down to prod gently against a shoulder. It all felt real enough, but he couldn’t, wouldn’t believe that he was really stuck like this. The room suddenly lit up with a green burst of light. He looked to the side and watched as a scroll burnt into ash and floated into the air. Staring at the young dragon, his heart clenched with longing and nostalgia. THAT was what he should look like, what he truly was. He just didn’t know how he changed in the first place, let alone how to get back. It was only when his gaze drifted to the pony standing beside the dragon that an idea formed in his mind. Of course, Twilight! Why hadn’t he thought of it before? She was the greatest and smartest unicorn in the world; she’d probably know how to fix him! And if she didn’t, well, they’d research and study and find the answer, no matter what it took. That was what best friends did for each other. He clambered to his hooves, still clumsy and off-balance. He began to walk towards them carefully, not wanting to fall a second time. He had barely taken his third step when Twilight’s head lifted to face him. Fear and hostility shone in her eyes, and he subconsciously took a step back. Her horn was glowing, the magical energy pointed at him warningly. “Not another step closer,” she hissed in a tone that had never before been directed at him. “Alright,” he said. “I won’t move; just… just calm down, okay?” “Don’t tell me to calm down! I don’t how you got in here, or what you want, but I want you out of our home right now!” “Please, Twilight! I know you don’t recognize me, but just hear-” “How do you know my name,” she interrupted. “Have you been spying on us? Stalking?” “No, nothing like that! It’s me, Spike! You know, your number-one assistant?” He could see that she was about to protest, so he continued rapidly. “I know what it looks like, but it really is me, I somehow turned into, well, this,” he gestured wildly to his pony body. Her expression softened for a moment, and it looked as though she was seriously considering his story. Then her eyes shifted to the dragon beside her, and the glare returned full-force. “Alright, let’s say I believe you. Let’s pretend that somehow, you are Spike, MY Spike, inexplicably ponified overnight.” She brought a hoof to her chin, feigning confusion. “I suppose transformation spells might exist that could be responsible for this situation. But even then, there’s something very bizarre that you’ll need to explain. If you really are Spike, then who is this?” She placed a hoof against the younger Spike’s arm. To this, the pegasus had no answer. Twilight nodded, as if the matter was closed. “Even if a change of shape could be rationalized, there is no logical explanation for there being two of you! Conclusively, one of you has to be an imposter, and you’ll have to excuse me if I trust the one I know and recognize.” “I… I don’t know how there’s two of him. I mean me! I mean us! All I know is that I had this weird dream where the whole world was going crazy, then there was this old stallion talking to somepony I couldn’t see, then I got sucked through a window, and there were these yellow eyes that…” He vaguely realized that he was ranting like a maniac, and that he was slowly advancing on the frightened pair. He also noticed that Twilight had once again pulled his younger self protectively behind her, and that the unicorn’s body was beginning to tense, unconsciously preparing for fight or flight. “Listen to me,” Twilight pleaded. “You’re confused, and you aren’t who you think you are. You need help, but we can’t give it to you!” “Yes, you can! You have to believe me,” Spike yelled. “If you’ll just trust me for a second, I can prove it to you!” Had he been thinking clearly, he might have recognized the warning signs from his oldest and dearest friend. If he had only calmed down, backed off, things might have been different. Instead, he took another step forward. Twilight’s horn lit up with a flash; she turned her head to the right and squeezed her eyes shut. “Stay… BACK!” Grabbing the first item in range, she swung her neck and flung it directly at him. Spike threw himself to the floor, narrowly avoiding the heavy wooden bookstand that sailed over his back and smashed to pieces against the wall. He scrambled to his hooves, staring in shock at the pony before him. Twilight was breathing heavily, her horn alight with unreleased power. The fear was plain on her face, but there was ferocity there as well. It was the violent desperation of an animal backed into a corner, and it was directed squarely at him. “Wait, stop!” He raised his forelegs in surrender, hoping to somehow placate her before she caved in his skull. “Come on, Twi, please!” “DON’T CALL ME THAT,” she screamed. To his left, a heavy brass candlestick rose into the air and was fired as straight and fast as an arrow. This time the pegasus flung himself to the side to avoid impalement, while the candlestick shattered the window behind him and vanished into the night. Spike’s mind was racing. She wasn’t just trying to scare him off, she was trying to kill him! He leapt to his hooves just as Twilight launched a third salvo, and he found himself barraged by a storm of smaller objects. Quills whizzed by his face, an inkstand glanced off his forehead, and one of his eyes was nearly swollen shut by a particularly heavy paperweight. With no better option, Spike dashed straight at Twilight. At first she stepped back in fright, but then determination shone in her eyes and her horn flared as she charged her magic once again. He leapt forward before she could release the spell, catching the unicorn in a tackle and sending both ponies crashing to the floor. If she was winded by the impact, Twilight didn’t show it. She kicked and struck at Spike, fighting to knock the larger pony off of her. Knowing that he would most likely end up blasted into next week if she escaped, Spike fought to hold her down. This was much easier said than done, as Twilight was thrashing like a rabid Diamond Dog. Hoping to at least spare himself from getting a hoof to the gut, Spike bent his legs and straddled the purple unicorn. Her eyes widened and she tried to pull back, but he had already clamped his hind-legs over her own, trapping and holding them in place. Twilight’s face reddened, though out of embarrassment or rage he didn’t know. “Get off of me,” Twilight snarled. Managing to pull one of her forelegs out from under him, she swung full-force at his head. Spike managed to catch the hoof a few inches from his face. Reluctant to let her knock out his teeth, he grasped both of her forelegs and pinned them to the floor over her head. Twilight struggled, tried to twist or wrench free, but he was stronger. The unicorn wrestled and bucked and strained. Spike simply held her immobile, putting as little pressure on her legs as he could manage. Gradually, her movements slowed, her legs stilling beneath him. Twilight rested her head against the floor, drawing in deep panting breaths. Spike breathed a sigh of relief. “Man, glad that’s over! So, you cooled down enough yet? Or do you wanna throw a bookcase at me?” The unicorn only turned further away and shut her eyes. Spike frowned in concern. Dipping his head, he nudged the side of her face. “Twi? Are you alri-” Her head whipped around in a flash, horn already glowing. Spike leaned away instantly, snapping his head back just in time to watch a bolt of pure magic go screaming an inch over his nose. As an explosion came from behind him, Twilight’s horn began to spark again. Spike’s frustration hit a crescendo. He still didn’t know what was going on or what had happened to him, and this was definitely the last thing he needed! Why wouldn’t she listen to him? He was just going to have to MAKE her listen… Fast as lightning, he lifted one of his hooves away from Twilight’s forelegs, using his left leg to hold down both of her limbs. His right hoof he pressed against Twilight’s muzzle. Before she could react, he slammed her face back against the floor. Twilight cried out in pain, her spell dissipating into nothingness. Her struggles resumed, but Spike pushed down harder, no longer concerned with how much pressure he was exerting. “Just. Relax,” he ordered. “Please… please let go,” she whimpered. “You’re hurting me!” Spike shook his head. “I’ll let you up, but not until you’ve…” His words cut off as a quartet of needles plunged into either side of his neck. He recoiled, more from shock than actual pain, and dimly noticed the added weight on his back, the feel of arms and scales against his coat, and the sensation of legs kicking against his wings. ‘Must be Spike,’ he thought, and then the young dragon’s hands clenched, the claws driving in further, and it suddenly felt as though a band of fire had been wrapped around his neck. The pegasus wrenched back his head and screamed in agony. Thin rivulets of blood flowed down his neck, staining the purple fur as he attempted to dislodge his attacker. Desperately, he lifted his hoof from Twilight’s face and swung it back over his shoulder, trying in vain to knock the dragon from his back. In response, the younger Spike pressed himself flat and tightened his grip, releasing another bloody spray from the stallion’s neck. Spike’s head felt as though it was growing heavier; a dull sluggishness seemed to swelling up from the base of his skull. His mane and coat were slick with blood, but he was barely aware of anything besides the hot, piercing feel of the claws in his neck. Caring about nothing else, he drove his hoof back again and again. From the corner of his eye he saw Twilight lifting her head, saw the panic in her expression and the first signs of a bruise on the side of her face. She yelled something, the words and meaning swallowed up by the dreadful pounding in his ears. It must have been some plea or warning to his younger self, for the dragon shouted back, his tiny body still latched to Spike’s neck like some scaly parasite. But that grip was beginning to loosen. A plan started to form through the electric current of pain that blanketed his mind. Back in Ponyville, back when he was still a dragon, he remembered a contest between Applejack and Rainbow Dash. One of the events had forced him to ride each of the girls, trying to keep his balance as they did their best to send him flying. He inwardly chuckled at the memory. It hadn’t taken more than a few seconds for each of them to launch him sky high. Maybe now… he could do the same. Just buck the little bastard right off! ‘Except that back then you didn’t have your claws halfway into their necks for support,’ a cynical part of his mind whispered. ‘And they weren’t busy holding down Twilight. You’re out of your league here, Spike old boy.’ He ignored it and braced himself. Planting his free hoof on the floor, he braced, and then jerked his upper body violently to the left. Spike’s passenger gave a startled yelp as his small body whiplashed to the side, the claws on his left hand pulling free. The remaining claws dug in harder, but Spike grinned fiercely and jerked again to the right. This time he didn’t give the dragon a chance to recover, but immediately reversed direction. He thrashed back and forth, sometimes repeating his movements to keep his younger self off-balance. Finally, his work paid off, and he felt the remaining claws slip out one by one. Almost… Almost… Now! He lowered himself down until Twilight’s muzzle almost met his own. He could see her mouth open in surprise, and then she was looking over his shoulder. “Spike! Get off of him, he’s going to-” Spike reared up, putting every ounce of force he could muster into throwing back his shoulders. For a brief moment, the dragon’s weight moved with him, but then he felt claws sliding across his bloody coat and the weight vanished. There was a brief, strangled cry that was drowned out by the crash and splinter of wood, followed by a dull thud. “Spike!” Twilight screamed. “Are you alright? SPIKE!” “He’ll be fine.” The mare’s tired body exploded into renewed struggles, forcing Spike to once again fight to hold her down. He might have had the advantage in strength, but Twilight was now running on pure adrenaline. He could feel his foreleg being slowly pushed up by her hooves, and he clapped his left hoof down atop it to force them back to the floor. He gasped for air, sweat beading on his face from the effort of restraining her. “LET ME GO,” she shrieked into his face. “Spike’s hurt! He needs help! Needs me!” She kicked up with both her hind legs, momentarily lifting his body into the air. “Let me help him, damn you!” “Haven’t you listened?” Spike growled. “I’m not letting you up until you,” one of her hooves slipped out of his hold, and he quickly pulled it back and pressed down hard against her forelegs, earning another pained yelp. “Calm down!” It was as though a switch had been flipped. All the resistance left her as Twilight’s body went limp against the floor. He felt her muscles relaxing, looked to make sure that her limbs were still held captive under his own, and then he heard it. It was her voice, that same familiar tone that had dictated letters and praised and scolded and comforted him for as long as he could remember, but it had never once sounded like this. This was a broken and defeated whisper that barely escaped the unicorn’s lips. “Alright. I’ll… I’ll stop fighting. I promise. I’ll do whatever you want.” He looked to see tears streaking down Twilight’s face, her beautiful eyes wide and fearful. Afraid… of HIM. She tried to speak again, but her words broke down into sobs, and she began to weep. Spike felt like a block of ice had fallen into his stomach. Everything faded out. The pain in his neck, the fear and bewilderment at his situation, nothing seemed to matter except the look on Twilight’s face. She choked back a sob, and whispered one final plea. “Please… just don’t hurt us anymore…” Those words cut deeper than if his younger self’s claws had dug into his heart. His mind swirled emotions: guilt, disgust, shame, regret. His eyes swept up Twilight’s disheveled form to the bruise covering her face, then to her forelegs that were cut and chafed from his hooves. He pulled away as if he’d been burned, instead resting a hoof on either side of the unicorn’s shoulders. ‘What have I done,’ he asked himself. To think, the most important pony in the world to him, and look at what he had done to her. And what about… He didn’t want to look, in fact he dreaded the very thought of it. But something made him turn his head, and when he saw his younger self, his stomach gave a violent lurch. The dragon was sprawled lifelessly on the floor, half of his body covered in the broken pieces of a table that lay around him. It must have broken under him when he was thrown off the stallion’s back. A line of blood trickled from a ragged gash on his forehead, and one of his arms was twisted underneath him. A splintered chunk of wood protruded from the underside of one knee. His breaths were short and shallow. “Oh,” he said. “Oh, no. No, please goddess, no!” His head spun, and his hooves gave out beneath him. He slumped forward onto Twilight, too stunned to even think straight. “I’m sorry,” he whispered into the unicorn’s ear. “I didn’t mean… I would never… I’m so sorry…” He looked into her teary eyes as his own began to water. He tried to project every bit of his remorse and disgrace through his gaze. It might’ve been his imagination, mere wishful thinking or delusion, but he was sure that for an instant he saw recognition in the unicorn’s eyes, as if she saw past his unfamiliar voice and body. Her mouth opened, she began to speak. And then the door swung open with a thundering bang, and Spike found himself lifted into the air by an unseen force. He hung there for a minute, trying to twist in midair to identify this new arrival, and then from the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a shimmering multi-hued mane. Suddenly the invisible presence around him thickened, tightened, gripped him so hard his bones ached. Then he was thrown across the room at subsonic speeds, hurtling into a bookcase with a resounding crash. There was a great flare of pain, the snap of bones, and then his vision turned white as the world swam out of focus. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Celestia was startled awake by a flash of light and the sharp crack of displaced air. Sitting up on her haunches, she blinked the sleep from her eyes as a scroll materialized from thin air. Celestia merely watched as the scroll fell to the mattress, her sleep-fogged mind still trying to process what she was looking at. Realization finally set in, and the princess felt a throb of annoyance as she looked down at the letter. One of the first lessons she had hammered into both Twilight and Spike’s heads was a rule on what times were appropriate to send her messages. Three in the morning was not one of them. She debated tossing the message onto her nightstand and leaving it for the morning. Chances were it was some studious revelation which Twilight had felt was too important to wait. Or maybe Spike ate too many amethysts before bed and was feeling ill. Whatever it was, it could surely wait another four hours. She levitated the scroll off her mattress and placed it to the side. With a quick yawn, she settled back against her pillow, eager to return to a much-deserved rest. A few minutes passed, and gradually a nagging feeling crept into her thoughts. Whether it was curiosity or concern, it would not let her fall asleep until she had examined the message. Sitting back up, she pulled the scroll over, and that was when she noticed something strange. The letter had been rolled up quite sloppily, as if Spike had been in a great hurry when he sent it. Some might not find this odd, but the unicorn and dragon were infamous for their meticulousness and attention to detail. Whatever matter the scroll addressed, it had to be serious. Intrigued, Celestia unrolled the parchment and quickly looked over the text. Immediately she knew something was wrong. Spike’s normally flawless handwriting was barely legible; the letters were scrawled with hard and careless strokes that left tears and spots of ink on the parchment. She read hurriedly, pulse beginning to race as she reached the letter’s end. How much time had she wasted since the letter was sent? What could have happened to Twilight and Spike while she sat here? She had to help them! Tossing the scroll away, she leapt from her bed and rushed into the hall. The three dozing pegasus guards snapped to alertness at her approach, one of them giving a nervous salute. “Princess! We didn’t expect you to, that is, we were just…” “Enough!” She commanded sharply. “My students are in danger. Come with me, now.” The guards could only nod and follow as Celestia galloped down the hallway. Heading for the first available window, the alicorn flew out into the night, praying that she wasn’t too late. The flight to their dorm was among the tensest times in Celestia’s long life. She had no idea what she might find when she reached them, but she could imagine, and what she imagined was in no way reassuring. The building finally came into view. Not willing to waste another moment, she tucked her wings and fell into a dive. She landed hard, but paid no mind to the aching in her legs as she ran for the door. Slamming it open, she caught sight of an unfamiliar pony and immediately levitated him into the air. At that point, she thought that perhaps she had made a very awkward mistake. While pulling him into the air, Celestia noticed that the stallion had been laying atop Twilight, straddling her, to be more precise. At the sight of his damp mane and sweat-covered body, a furious blush settled over her face. Spike’s letter had mentioned a strange pony in the house, screaming and making weird noises, and then thrashing around for reasons the dragon couldn’t understand. It was beginning to look as if this was all a grave misunderstanding. Feeling thoroughly embarrassed, Celestia decided that it might be best if Spike spent the remainder of the night with her instead of Twilight. In the morning, she would explain the situation… and give him “The Talk.” Looking back at Twilight and the stallion, she prepared to apologize for disrupting their private moment, and maybe give Twilight a quick lecture on the availability of hotel rooms. That was when she noticed the blood. At first glance she failed to notice it against the pegasus pony’s dark purple coat, but now she could see the glistening sanguine trails that ran down his neck. She tracked a single drop as it flowed down his chest, then a leg, then fell and landed on Twilight’s cheek. A cheek that was marred by a large and painful-looking bruise. Celestia stepped back, her mouth wide with horror. Her gaze swept over the room, the pieces falling into place. A broken window with a shattered bookstand beside it. Twilight lying on the floor, tears in her eyes. A bruise on her face, as though she’d been struck by a hoof. Cuts and scrapes on her forelegs, as though they’d been pinned to the floor. And then, worst of all, the sight of Spike’s motionless body half-buried under the remnants of a table. Celestia was seeing red. A cold surge of anger bled into her thoughts as her eyes shot back to the stallion gripped in her magic. She didn’t know who he was, or where he came from, and frankly, she didn’t care in the slightest. But he hurt her two most precious subjects, and he was going to regret it. Taking a firmer hold, she launched him into the far wall, taking a dark satisfaction in the sound of his body’s impact. Looking back to her stunned guards, she nodded in the stallion’s direction. “Watch him,” she ordered. They hastily complied, and Celestia slowly approached Twilight, nuzzling the uninjured side of her student’s face. “Twilight,” she asked gently. “Are you alright?” The unicorn opened her eyes, relief visible through the tears. “Princess, you came.” “Of course I did,” Celestia assured her. “I will always look after you both. Are you badly hurt?” Her eyes drifted down to the bruise. Twilight shook her head. “It’s not as serious as it looks. I’m more worried about…” her eyes widened and she scrambled to her hooves. Racing between the alicorn’s legs, she headed for the broken table and the still form beneath it. “Spike,” she called worriedly. Horn glowing, she pulled him out of the wreckage and embraced him. “Wake up,” she pleaded. “Please wake up!” Celestia approached slowly, trying to diagnose Spike’s injuries, or at least the external ones. Numerous small cuts across the dragon’s face and chest and a superficial gash on his forehead were the least troubling wounds, though she was unable to tell if he had suffered any serious head trauma. It also looked as though his arm had been broken, and the shard of wood piercing his leg was her most immediate concern. Resolving to get him treated as soon as possible, Celestia called on her magic and began lifting Spike into the air, only to have Twilight pull him back to the floor. The unicorn refused to loosen her grip, keeping Spike locked in her forelegs. “Don’t worry my faithful student, Spike will be fine.” Twilight didn’t reply, so the princess continued. “Once we’re back at the castle, I promise to treat you both immediately.” Twilight gave no sign of even hearing Celestia’s words. She only rocked Spike back and forth, quietly begging him to awaken. The princess bit her lip. They were both in terrible shape; she needed to get them out of here, now. Levitating them both safely onto her back, she motioned a guard over. “Return to the castle at once. Summon a doctor, any that you can reach and have them immediately sent to my chambers. Tell them that the matter is most urgent.” The pegasus nodded and headed out the door. With a sigh, Celestia turned back to her other guards. The ponies stood on either side of the half-conscious stallion, their bodies poised for action. “I am taking my students back to the castle. Aside from the doctors, I will accept no interruptions until I am sure they are well.” Her eyes flicked to the pegasus, and she frowned. Take him away,” she ordered. “Dress his wounds, but make no arrest or questioning until I have spoken with him myself.” “Yes, ma’am.” With a final glance at her passengers, Celestia moved towards the door. She spread her wings and prepared to take flight when a voice rang out from inside. “WAIT!” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Spike fought to stay awake. He could hear nothing but a shrill ringing in his ears and the thrum of blood pounding in his skull. He tried to lift his head, but his neck buckled under the weight. He looked around, but the world was clouded and shadowed. There was movement; shapes approached on either side, and he could see a radiant white blur in the distance ahead. He felt bile rise in his throat, choked it back, and tried to will his eyes to focus. The seconds ticked by, and the world gradually slid back into clarity. Members of the royal guard surrounded him, their posture tense and wary. He met one of their eyes, and was shocked by the cold disdain he saw within. They were looking at him like he was some kind of criminal, or monster. He averted his eyes from that stare, and what he saw made his heart sink. Princess Celestia was standing over Twilight, who in turn was cradling the broken body of his younger self. It made him sick to see the blood, the bruises, the tears, and know that he was responsible for it all. He wanted to apologize, to rush over and beg for forgiveness, but it felt like his body had turned to stone, and he could barely raise a hoof. Dropping his head to the floor, he wished for this nightmare to end. “I am taking my students back to the castle. Aside from the doctors, I will accept no interruptions until I am sure they are well.” He raised his head wearily at the sound of the alicorn’s voice. Celestia was speaking to the guards, but her scornful gaze was focused squarely upon him. “Take him away. Dress his wounds, but make no arrest or questioning until I have spoken with him myself.” The guards assented, and the princess turned back to the door. A sense of desperation filled the pegasus as she prepared to depart. This might be his last, his only chance to make things right! If he could somehow convince Celestia of who he was, then maybe she would know what had happened! Maybe she could somehow fix things! He knew that it was a poor gamble after everything that had happened, but he had to try. Pushing himself up on his forelegs, he gulped in a breath and yelled. “WAIT!” Celestia turned around with a start, surprise visible on her face. When she noticed who spoke, the scowl returned. “Cele… Princess,” Spike said weakly. “Please, don’t go. I need-” “I will deal with you soon enough,” the alicorn nearly snarled. “But at the moment, I have much more important matters to attend.” She turned back to the door. Spike tried to stand, but a sharp bolt of pain shot through his hind-legs and he collapsed to the floor. They must have been broken when she threw him. The guards moved to his side, each of them lifting a foreleg and draping it over their shoulders. “Let’s get him out of here,” one said. “After what he did, I’ll feel a lot better when we get him into a cell.” A cell… Spike knew what that meant. He was going to be imprisoned, most likely punished further. His chances of convincing Twilight or Celestia to help him would be effectively zero. With no better option, he struck out. Yanking his foreleg away, he kneed the guard in the chin, sending the pony stumbling back with a cry of pain. Unprepared to bare the stallion’s weight alone, the second guard fell, dragging Spike to the floor. Momentarily freed, Spike began dragging himself across the floor with his forelegs, hoping to reach Celestia before she departed. The princess had turned back at her guard’s shouts, and a gasp escaped her lips as she saw Spike inching closer. “Please… hear me out…” Her eyes narrowed, and a brilliant light grew around her horn. Her wings lifted protectively around the dragon and pony on her back, and he could see that she would not hesitate if she deemed him a threat. He didn’t care. He knew she could make everything better if she just believed him. She had to know who he was, she just had to! He dragged himself closer, ignoring the pain as the nerves in his legs screamed. “Stay back. You have done enough harm already,” she said. “I will not allow you to do more.” “…Didn’t… mean to,” he choked out. “Know… what it looks like. Must… seem impossible.” He could hear hoofsteps behind him, had to be the guards. He had no time left. “Don’t know how, but it’s me, I swear it is,” he tried to pull himself forwards, but felt his right leg give out, and he slumped onto the floor. He looked up into Celestia’s eyes. “I know… I look like a pony… but I’m really-” There was a flash of motion to his right, and then a white hoof smashed into his face hard enough to knock him onto his side. There was a brief moment of pain, but then he was falling into a cool and welcoming darkness. Celestia’s face faded from his vision, and then a sound echoed up from the black. It was a deep amused chuckle, one that seemed familiar, a voice that he knew but couldn’t place. Two golden eyes flared in the depths, and Spike knew no more. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ And that's it for chapter two! Hope everyone enjoys.