In the darkness I see it approaching.
I see the wolf headed, six eyed nightmare closing in on us.
I see my friends fall one after another to it’s savage attacks.
I hear my sister, Sweetie Belle, cry as I myself fall to it.
I try to crawl to my sister, try to grab at the wolf headed monster heading towards her tiny, shivering form.
A cold, unlike anything I had ever felt before covers me.
A rumble, like the growl of the most primordial beast shakes my soul.
From the darkness behind me, a monstrosity of purple scales and black armor appears.
It’s lipless mouth opens slightly and behind it’s green mane, it’s eyes, cold green pinpoints of death shine.
It assaults the wolf headed abomination and begins butchering it alive, even as it screams in pain.
It turns it’s head to me and I see doom in it’s eyes.
Rarity awoke screaming, the image of those two all-devouring cold green eyes still deeply imprinted in her mind.
“Easy, easy” a familiar voice said.
Rarity’s head snapped to the left, but her panic quickly subsided when she saw Rainbow Dash and the rest of the eleven girls beside her.By the looks of it, they were in a large tent.
“You’re okay Rarity” Fluttershy said and quickly added “We all are”.
She didn’t even finish the sentence before a white streak of color smashed into Rarity’s chest.
Sweetie Belle cried while grabbing Rarity
“You’re awake, you’re finally awake, I was so worried about you.”
Rarity’s lip quivered and she grabbed Sweetie in a bear hug.
“Of course I am sweetheart. It would take more than that to put this fashionista down”
A small chuckle came from Vinyl.
“Ya sure, says the one who fainted”.
“Well excuse me darling, but you saw the thing that killed that wolf headed creature”.
Immediately every girl in the tent froze.
Rarity continued.
“I mean as terrifying as that wolf thing was, that green haired, armored creature was a hundred times more horrific”.
Lost in her tirade, she did not notice Rainbow repeatedly making the motions for Rarity to be quiet.
“You saw it too didn’t you, that garish black armor, that face covered in scars, that lipless mouth, and I don’t even want to remember those dead eyes. It was like looking at… What is it darling?”
Rainbow Dash was shaking her head while pointing at something behind her.
Rarity turned her head and immediately froze, close to fainting for a second time.
At the other end of the tent she saw, sitting cross-legged ,the draconian behemoth that had saved them. He no longer wore the black baroque armor, only a pair of long breeches, his torso uncovered.
A fifteen foot tall purple scaled giant, his body made of so much steel chord like muscle that it looked almost disfigured. Anywhere her eyes would fall, Rarity could see scars, cauterized gauges and a plethora of cuts. Where his insanely large arms were not covered in scars, they were covered in very intricate runic tattoos that stretched even to his fingers.
She especially noticed the enormous scar that went from beyond the upper part of his massive chest, all the way to his muscled abdomen.
Partially obscured by the shadow of the tent, sat upon impossibly wide shoulders, Rarity could see the outline of his dark-green maned head and two glowing pinpoints of stern green reptilian eyes, regarding her with cold interest.
“B…Bu…But of c…course it…I mean HE did save u…us, so we should at t…the very least t…thank him” Rarity tried to rectify her position, her voice trembling at the growing fear inside her.
The behemoth’s head tilted slightly.
“S…So” Rarity began, getting up from the cot she had been unconscious on, and did a small curtsey “I…I would like to t…thank you for your timely rescue”.
He said nothing, merely stared at her for a few more seconds only to slightly nod his head.
With an incredibly deep voice, like the sound of two boulders crushing against one another he said.
“Your side?”
“My side? What do you…” began Rarity, only to realize with a startle that her side did not hurt. It was still tender but nowhere near as bad as it had been. She was sure the wolf headed daemon’s mace had broken a few ribs, but now it was almost completely healed.
“Oh my, just how long was I unconscious?”
“Nah” started Rainbow Dash “You were out only for about two hours, it was one of his uhh…dragon people… that helped us. See, they even healed my wing” she said, pointing to her, now perfectly healed wing.
“Dar’Valak, our healer” explained the purple scaled giant.
“Then we are truly in your debt… umm…Rainbow darling to whom do we have the honor of addressing?”
Rainbow shook her head, her arms crossed before her chest.
“We asked him, but he said he’s tell us after he made sure you and Octavia would wake up”
“Octavia is awake?”
“Why yes”, said a melodic voice. Octavia stepped from behind Rainbow, her head bandaged. “The nice dragonman who helped me said it had been a severe concussion, but that I should be alright if I keep the bandages and the ointment they gave me, on for a few more days”.
“Draka” came the deep voice.
Rarity turned to the giant.
“I’m sorry?”
“Not dragonmen, we are Draka”
“Alright, alright Mr. Draka, then now that we are all awake, mind telling us who you are and why you helped us?” interjected Rainbow Dash with her characteristic brusqueness, only to stop and shrink before the behemoth stern gaze. “If…If you wouldn’t mind…of course” she added, suddenly sounding more like Fluttershy than herself.
The behemoth only stared for a few seconds, as if deciding whether to speak or not, then finally said.
“Whether I’m welcomed back in Equestria or not, I’m never going to allow anything to threaten your lives”.
He put his fists on the ground and took a deep bow.
“I am Spike, Darraor of the Legion of the Damned, Veshanesh of the Draka and former first assistant to Princes Twilight Sparkle”.
Raising himself up, he added.
“At your service and your clan’s”
None of the girls made a peep as the information slowly sunk in.
“S….S….SPIKE?” Rarity, Rainbow, Fluttershy and the CMC all yelled in unison.
What followed was a chaos of actions as Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applebloom and Scotaloo all jumped and hugged whatever part of Spike’s massive frame they could reach.
All the while Sweetie Belle immediately hid behind Rarity who, herself, simply stood there, mouth open and transfixed. She was confused. A part of her wanted to grab him and not let go like the rest of the girls, while another part wanted to get her sister as far away as possible from the creature who had almost killed her one year ago.
Spike however, said nothing and did nothing, himself confused at the sudden display of affection from the ones he felt he had betrayed so long ago.
Rainbow Dash, still trying to hug the entirety of Spike’s enormous arm, but failing miserably, realized what was happening.
“Rarity what the buck are you doing, it’s Spike”
“B…Bu…But”
“Don’t tell me it’s the way he looks, it doesn’t matter how he looks like, IT’S SPIKE” she yelled, suddenly angry. “You can’t tell me a few scars are making you so…”
Rarity suddenly became indignant
“THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WAY HE LOOKS, IT’S… it’s just…” she said, gradually lowering her, now wet, eyes.
“Oh you have got to be…IT’S BEEN A YEAR… TWILIGHT TOLD US, REMEMBER? IT WASN’T HIS FAULT, IT WAS THAT MADNESS THINGY, IT WAS…”
“Rainbow, enough”
The words were not yelled, but barely whispered, yet they carried with them an undeniable note of command. Rainbow Dash found herself unable to say another word, her full attention drawn to Spike.
“The fact of the matter is, it was my fault, my own lack of discipline. And because of my failure, I hurt Sweetie Belle and, by extension, Rarity, more than anyone” With that he begun to take the ponies off him, gently but sternly.
“Your kindness and joy at my return is…surprising…heartwarming… however, I do not deserve it”.
Once again, still sitting cross legged, he planted his fists into the ground and bowed, a look of stoic endurance on his face, towards Rarity and Sweetie Belle, who was peeking behind her sister’s back.
“Sweetie Belle, I am sorry. I am sorry for everything. I am sorry for the pain caused you, and I am sorry for making you have to see me once again. I swear it, once I am sure Equestria is safe, you will never have to countenance my presence again”.
“N…No.. NoNoNo” both Rarity and Sweetie said in unison, Sweetie herself, still shivering, emerging from behind her sister.
“You don’t have to apologize”, Sweetie added, starting to walk towards Spike “Princess Twilight explained it to me, it was not your fault, it was…”
“NO EXCUSE” Spike suddenly roared, a sound like the bellow of an angry god “THERE IS NEVER AN EXCUSE FOR HURTING THE ONES WHO HAVE SHOWN ONLY LOVE AND KINDNESS TOWARDS YOU”.
Immediately, he stopped himself, seeing the terrified looks of the ponies around him.
“Please, leave me” he added, hurt and shame for his outburst edging his voice, “I need to make ready, we leave for Canterlot in half an hour, I must return you to the others”.
Hurt and distraught, the ponies left the tent, Fluttershy sniffling a bit as she left.
Once outside the tent, Rarity suddenly burst into tears.
“Oh what have I done, after an entire year Spike’s finally returned and I treat him like a monster. He even saved our lives and I couldn’t bring myself to at the very least properly thank him”.
“Yeah, you were a cold hearted bi…”
“Rainbow Dash” Fluttershy reprimanded before Rainbow could finish “It’s not because of Rarity that Spike told us to leave, it’s obvious the poor dear won’t forgive himself”.
Rainbow Dash cocked an eyebrow.
“But it WAS NOT his fault, we all know that, we’ve all forgiven him, what do you mean he won’t forgive himself? That’s…that’s stupid”.
“Whether you have forgiven him or no, a Draka must always rectify his failures” came a strong, feminine voice.
The girls looked around and saw a tall red headed, grey-scaled female Draka near them.
“Apologies, the law of hospitality decrees that I am to introduce myself.” She took a deep bow “I am Shagga Vesha’alad, second in command to Darraor Spike Veshanesh, I did not mean to overhear, however I assume you were talking about the Darraor Spike”.
“Darraor?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“In your language, it could be translated as War Mourner. It means that he is strongest of the Legion of the Damned, and the one who leads us”.
The girls stood awe struck.
Rainbow shook her head to regain herself.
“W…Wow, he got big, strong, scary as Tartarus and became a warlord in just one year?”
Shagga slowly shook her head.
“It may have been a single year for you, however Spike has fought alongside the Legion for the past two thousand and fifty three years. We have been fighting within Ginungagap, a world beyond the constraints of time.
We have only returned now because Spike had found out that Equestria was under attack”.
“Excuse me darling?” Rarity said, eyes wide “So you’re telling us that Spike is over two thousand years old?”
“You are correct”
“And he has been fighting for the past two thousand years, and even become the leader… the Darror of this Legion you speak of?”
“You are correct, also he is Veshanesh, Mountain Father of the Draka, a title which proves that he is the strongest and most unbreakable of all Draka”.
“And that even after so much time, Spike still cares enough about us that he is willing to risk his life and the lives of his people to help us?”
At this question, Shagga cocked her head, obviously confused.
“A Draka never forgets. If you are indeed amongst the ones he considers comrades or family, Spike will defend you and die for you, if need be, until the end of time itself. Mortals, daemons or gods, he will annihilate anything that has the audacity to threaten you”.
She said all this as if it had been the most obvious thing in the world.
The ponies were dumbfounded.
Shagga looked at them for a few seconds and, seeing that they were not going to say anything else, added.
“Our Spymaster, Mika’il has informed us that your capital is under attack”.
“Wait, you mean Canterlot?” Rainbow asked.
“Yes, it is currently under siege and apparently, the two monarchs of Equestria, the ones ponies call Celestia and Luna are currently both being held as prisoners to the attackers.”
“The Princesses are captured? We have to help them.” Fluttershy said, with uncharacteristic urgency.
“Please calm yourself. The Darraor has already ordered that we are to march for Canterlot in half an hour. He is sure that there are still survivors in the Castle of Canterlot and he aims to reunite you with your kin and break the siege. We will rescue your rulers”.
Fluttershy quickly grabbed her large gauntleted hand and said.
“Thank you so much for helping us ponies”.
Slightly taken aback by such a display of gratitude, Shagga slightly smiled nonetheless.
“It is the Darraor you must thank. He has ordered we protect Equestria, and we shall do so.”
Spike stood alone in the darkness of the tent, his claws digging in the palms of his hands. He had not thought it would be so hard to see the ponies again.
Sweetie Belle had been especially hard to look upon. Spike had noticed the remnants of the scar around her throat, but whenever he would catch sight of it, he would get enraged at himself.
How could he? How could he have done such a thing to those who loved him so much?
NO.
No. Now was not the time to dwell on it. He had to stay disciplined. To focus on his duty to the ponies. He had to make sure they would be safe back in Canterlot and brake the siege.
Clarity of mind soon dominated Spike. Yes. He had a duty. He would keep the girls safe and return them to Canterlot. Twilight was sure to be there. If anyone was smart enough to organize a safe haven, it was bound to be her. He would reunite the Six and then he would butcher every daemon that had the temerity to attack his home.
With his mind still and calm, Spike began donning his armor. His last armor had been damaged too much in the previous battle and there was no time to reforge and repair it. He would have to use the great armor, the O-Yoroi that had been gifted to him when he had been awarded the title of Veshanesh.
Spike looked at the armor. He did not want to use it. It was a masterpiece of Draka craftsmanship, upon which a hundred smiths had worked on for an entire year. An especially large armor, made specifically for his massive body. Unfortunately, the way Spike fought, armors tended to be destroyed during his battles.
Nonetheless he began the ritual donning it. With each piece he could not help but admire the Nipponian Draka craftsmanship.
The “Hakama” and “Shitagi” were worn first, salamander skin, dark red pants and shirt, worn underneath the armor.
The “Dou” came next, a breastplate of interlocking black gromril steel plate scales, each steel scale, covered in baroque leering draconic faces and entire legends written in minuscule, calligraphic runescript.
Then came the “Guruwa”, the neck guard. It covered the entirety of Spike’s neck, from the nape to his throat, starting from under his chin and ending at the base of his neck. Similarly to the rest of the armor, it was covered in runescript of ancient oaths and legends.
The “Kote” followed, taloned gauntlets with leering, grotesque sculpted faces on the backs of the gauntlets and the forearm protectors.
The “Haidate” and “Suneate” covered his thighs and shins, interlocking plates of inscribed armor.
A “Kusazuri” mail skirt of gromril chainmail and plates covered his midsection, all the way to his knees.
A “Manchira” vest with and understitching of gromril ringmail covered his armoured back and bare upper arms, providing protection, while still leaving his upper arms unobstructed by plated armor.
“Sode” pauldrons of inscribed plate covered his shoulders, another neck protector covering around the back and side parts of his neck.
Black Gromril steel sabatons covered his feet and lower shins.
A “Himo” black and dark red sash surrounded his midsection.
A black, runescripted “Kabuto” helmet covered the entirety of his head and neck, two dark red horns from each side and crescent moon just above his eyes.
He covered his nose and disfigured mouth with a black lacquered gromril “Mengu” facial masque, sculpted in the form of a fanged mouth. It clicked in connection with his steel lower jaw .
Finally over it all came an “Horo” black overcoat, edged in gold and blood red and padded with gromril ringmail, completely covered in Draken Runes that drew the eye to him. It served both as an added layer of protection and also as a mystical layer that made his enemies want to attack him more. It simply made him a more appeasing target. This suited Spike’s fighting style. The more enemies attacked him, the less would attack his Legion.
Spike began flexing his massive muscles, instinctively rearranging kinks in the armor and pieces that did not sit well. He did this until the complex armor mirrored his anatomy almost perfectly, becoming as unobtrusive as a second skin.
The armor in it’s entirety weighed over four hundred kilograms, almost half a ton, but Spike’s highly developed musculature barely even registered it’s weight.
With sure, ritualistic movements he added his weapons to the “Himo” sash of his midsection.
Three wide-bladed long curving bladed were first, weapons that he had forged himself and had served him for the past two millennia.
Then he turned to the weaponstand holding three weapons he had not used in over three centuries. Weapons forged from some of the strongest enemies he had faced and killed in Ginun. He had not used these blades for such a long time, due to the fact that they gave him too many advantages. With them, he ended fights too quickly, he did not have to time enjoy the battles and it even felt as if their strength limited him, made him unable to grow in skill and strength.
Power, after all, is gained by overcoming obstacles.
But this time, it was different. He did not have time to enjoy battle, he did not have time to allow himself to grow in aptitude. He had to keep the girls that had raised him safe, and he would use every power and tool he had at his disposal to obliterate any obstacle that stood in his way.
First came “Ildezgherdi”, Dream Drinker, a long straight sword, entrapped in in a black lacquered scabbard covered in Draken Runes of suppression. Spike took it off it’s stand and drew it out of it’s scabbard. As he made a small slash, the keening wail of the cursed sword disrupted and tore at the winds of magic, even as Spike’s blood began seeping into the haft of the blade. Forged from the bones of Ildezgherdi, the Crimson Queen of Moroi Hall, and quenched in her own blood, the blade’s sound as it sliced had the power to disrupt magic and make it unstable. However, as long as one used it, the dread spirit within, drew blood and clashed wills with the wielder. A moment of weakness and the blade would drain him to an empty husk.
Second, he lifted “Karasuma “, Devil Crow, an enormous Odachi greatsword, the blade and haft,almost as long as Spike was tall, with a blade as wide as his forearm. He pulled it from the sheath and admired the crimson glint of the steel. Bloodsteel was nigh impossible to find, however Spike had found it in abundance in the stomach of Vari’Ghalka, the Crone Mother. Now, this bloodsteel blade would never break, feeding and repairing itself on the blood of enemies.
The last was an average sized katana, in a Draken Rune covered sheath. Charms, fetishes and talismans covered every inch of the heavily ornate black sheath. Spike did not unsheathe it. This was his most dangerous weapon, his masterpiece. The blade of the katana was eternally coated in the dying breath of the Elder corrupted Salamander Broodfather of the Burning Crevace. The serrated blade would create sparks in contact with any hard surface and any spark, no matter how small, would ignite the miasma that always coated it and create a flame of such intensity that it could melt iron. The only problem was that the flame would grow continuously and never die off. It was a flame that, given time, could turn an entire mountain into an eternally aflame pile of ash. This was why it was kept in the highest levels of suppression. This was why it was used rarely. This was “Tenchi Kaijin”, Heaven and Earth End in Ashes.
Fastening the three weapons to his sash, he took a small steep back.
Spike could not help but find a slight bit of irony in it all. He was one of the Legion of the Damned, and, like all Draka of the Legion, he sought an honorable death to atone for his shame. Yet all Draka, even those of the Legion, would fight to their last breath, using every tool and every ounce of strength, speed and wisdom to succeed. All Draka would fight like the possessed to achieve victory, only to forsake their own doom in the process. The sheer concept of “simply lay down and die” ran so contrary to the very nature of a Draka, that it was impossible for a Draka to even consider. It was the eternal cycle of battle, pride and sorrow.
Still, acknowledging all this, Spike knew that he was the same. He would fight until there was no more blood in his veins and no more breath in his lungs and then, he would still fight, further on, even if it meant losing his chance for glorious doom.
Twilight Sparkle paced the grand space of the Ball Room relentelessly.
She racked her brain over and over again, trying her best to think of a way to rescue the princesses. Every plan, every strategy, every tactic she had come up with had been flawed, yet still she tried. Celestia had been her mentor, her friend, almost a second mother to her, she could not simply leave her in the hands of the rotten “thing”.
Why? Why was this happening? First she had lost Spike, then three of her closest friends and now she was going to lose her mentor. She was on the very edge of despair and she knew it. She could not handle another loss.
Applejack and Pinkie Pie stood, each on a chair, trying to calm her down.
“Twi, please sugarcube, ya’ gotta calm down, ya’ won’t be able ta think of nothin’ of worth if ya’ don’t calm down”.
“Calm down, Calm down? How can I? Everypony is depending on me to rescue them, and I can’t even save what I care for most. I didn’t save Spike, I didn’t save Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow or the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and I can’t even save the Princesses”
“Twilight, please… ” started Pinkie.
“No, no, no” interrupted Twilight, as if she had not even heard her, her eyes begging to brim with tears, her hands clutching her hair. “At this rate I’ll lose all I have left, even you”.
“Twi, sugarcube, we ain’t going nowhere”.
Before anyone could say anything more, the large doors slammed open and a guard in royal armor and a bandaged head burst in.
“Princess Twilight, we need you on the ramparts” he said, a desperate look in his eyes. “Something is approaching”
“What?” she immediately did a mental scrying and, sensing that the shield was unbroken, asked him “What’s going on? The shield hasn’t been breached”.
“It’s not that, your highness. Something is climbing the cliff on the other side of the castle”.
“What the hay are ya’ talkin’ about? That’s two miles of horizontal mountainside we’re talkin’ about. Nothin’ can climb that”.
Ignoring the orange pony, the guard continued, growing more desperate by the second.
“Whatever it is, it’s almost reached the shield”.
Looking at each other, the three ponies snapped into motion, following the guard.
Granite snapped as Spike’s gauntleted hand shot through the stone. Fluttershy, Derpy and Rainbow hovered around him, while Rarity, the CMC, Octavia and Vinyl sat on his massive shoulders, holding on to whatever they could. Even with all of them, they still had room to spare. Bon Bon and Lyra sat of Shagga’s shoulders, who was a few feet behind Spike.
Further behind, climbed the rest Legion of the Damned, one hundred ninety nine Draka.
Fluttershy, hovered closer to Spike.
“Umm… Spike, you’ve been climbing non-stop for an hour now, aren’t you the least bit tired? Me and the girls could at least take the fillies, reduce the weight”.
Spike answered with a steady voice, not even breathing hard.
“No need”.
Suddenly he stopped, an arm’s length away from the shimmering sphere of protection that encompassed the Castle.
Without a word he drew Ildezgherdi and slashed the straightsword along the edge of the sphere. A long keening wail pierced the air, and a large gash appeared on the shield.
Twilight screamed and fell to her knees as the emphatic magic she had used to monitor the shield suddenly went haywire. She herd a long keening wail and suddenly felt a malicious, ancient spirit clawing at the very stuff of magic. It was alien and terrifying, yet as soon as it appeared, it was drowned out and beaten to submission by another presence, a presence a hundred times more powerful, and possessed of a determination and enduring stubbornness, unlike anything she had ever felt before.
Spike climbed through the gash and the rest of the Legion followed.
“Rainbow”
“Yeah, Spike?” she answered
“Fly towards them and tell Twilight we are coming”
“You think Twilight is there?”
“I can smell her, she is frightened”. Immediately his hand snapped forwards and caught a purple beam of energy in his palm and crushed it into nothingness.
“Whoah, why is she shooting?”
“We are still too far away, I doubt she can recognize us”.
Rainbow nodded and dashed skywards, leaving her rainbow colored streak behind her.
Rarity, holding one of the horns on his Kabuto as tightly as she could, asked.
“She is alive? Oh thank goodness. What about Applejack, or Pinkie Pie?”
“Both there” answered Spike, as he grabbed and crushed another bolt of purple energy.
Twilight fired another bolt and started to shiver, feeling it dispel again. What was worst was that it was not dispelled by a counter spell, it was crushed out of existence by sheer brute force.
Nonetheless she started mentally chanting as her horn flared, when she suddenly saw a light blue dot approaching fast. She changed her target and fired. The dot immediately avoided it and came even faster.
Twilight started chanting another spell. Whatever came, she would not allow it to hurt anypony else. The dot soon began taking form, when Twilight prepared to loose a massive blast from her horn, a concussive wave designed to shoot the dot out of the sky.
Even with her horn flaring with purple power, she recognized the light blue furred Pegasus with rainbow colored hair and tail, wearing a black tank top and worn, three quarter jeans.
Her knees gave out as Rainbow passed her and started hovering above her.
“Hey egghead” she said with a smirk “You got the wrong targets”.
She couldn’t say anything more as a pink streak of color rammed into her and tackled her into the ground.
“OHMYGOSHYOREOK OHMYGOSHYOREOK OHMYGOSHYOREOK OHMYGOSHYOREOK” said Pinkie again and again, her hair poofy once more, refusing to let go.
“Pinkie…ribs…still tender” choked Rainbow, trying and failing to scrape the pink pony off her.
Strong orange hands peeled Pinkie off.
“Well I’ll be” said Applejack holding Pinkie off the ground “I never doubted you’d make it partner”.
She offered Rainbow a hand, all the while cocking her cowboy hat forward, trying to cover her suddenly wet eyes.
“I’m glad yer’ safe…” only to be stopped, as Twilight hugged the both of them.
“Oh, thank Celestia you’re ok Rainbow”
“Hey, me too” said a bouncing Pinkie, her personality slowly coming back to normal, as she grabbed all three in a bone snapping hug.
“How did you…?”
“Long story” said Rainbow “Think I’ll let them tell you” and she pointed behind Twilight.
Twilight looked and saw two gauntleted hands appear on the edge of the parapet only to be followed by massive horned helmeted head and an impossibly wide pair of shoulders upon which stood Rarity, Octavia, Vinyl Scratch and the CMC. The gigantic armored creature continued to climb until it stood, it’s large feet on the parapet. Fluttershy flew gingerly close to him...it…whatever it was, in stark contrast to the intimidating giant.
It stepped off the parapet and went on one knee and lowered his upper body, allowing the girls to climb off his shoulders. Even squatted like that it was much taller than any of the girls and even the royal guards that had gathered around.
Two green pinpoints looked at her from the depths of the helmet as he rose his massive frame.
The girls screamed in joy and began grabbing each other, Applejack visibly crying as she held Applebloom to her chest and kissed her face and forehead repeatedly.
Only Twilight stood there, transfixed, unable to look away from the oddly familiar yet, in the same time, oddly strange green eyes of the giant.
“Who…who…are you?” she stuttered.
The giant removed his horned helmet and masque to reveal a head of purple scales, a mane of green hair and a horribly disfigured face, lacking upper lips and with a steel brace for a lower jaw.
The giant’s green eyes were edged in warmth and sorrow.
“I am back, Twilight”.
Twilight’s eyes rolled and she collapsed.
Extra Author's note:
When I described the armor and every piece, I used the proper names for the pieces that make a proper feudal samurai armor (thank you Wikipedia). Draka culture is heavily inspired by the warrior culture of feudal Japan (hence the name Nipponian style).
While Spike is fifteen feet tall, the ane six are between five feet tall (Fluttershy) and six feet tall (Applejack is the tallest obviously).