Spike P.O.V.
After learning the time and place where my friends and I were going to meet up, Kerva went off to find her friend and gather some information of her own. I went around to talk to the local street vendors about any unique or noteworthy things in the direction of where I felt the strange feeling coming from. If they are anything like the vendors in Ponyville, then they are the best people to go to for the latest gossip and rumors.
When it got close to the meeting time, I thought over the information I managed to gather. It turns out that there is an ancient ruin in that direction that has been there long before the town was founded. It hasn't been explored because of the seemingly unbreakable magic seal on the only entrance to the tomb. According to local legend, an evil necromancer was building an undead army to take over the country, but his plans were stopped by two strong, wandering warriors.
How original.
Though this story didn't have a happy ending. Though the warriors succeeded in killing the necromancer, they both met their ends within the ruin. One of them died during the battle with the necromancer and his undead army. The other managed to survive the fight, though he sustained serious injuries; however, while he had stopped to heal himself, a powerful magic seal was placed on the tomb, tragically sealing him inside. With the magical seal in place, the tomb was buried so that the remaining undead would not be able to escape. The ruin has been quiet ever since, the magic seal remaining unbroken since that day. Although, it is said that if anyone should manage to break the seal and disturb the necromancer's resting place, he and his army shall rise up and attempt to take over the land once again.
In addition to the possible danger of facing an undead army, there has also been a large group of suspicious and dangerous looking people seen around the area where the tomb is thought to be buried.
'More and more this is starting to look like a repeat of the mission in Dragontail Woods. Well, I better meet up with the others and see what they've found. From the looks of it, we are probably going to have to go in there with a plan and maybe an itchy trigger finger,' I thought.
After a few minutes of walking, it slowly dawned on me just what my friends and I were about to do...and I was perfectly fine with it. Is this the kind of life I want? Where I would go headlong into danger without some much as battle an eye?
Hell yeah I do!
It sure as hell beats staying behind at the library and doing chores all day.
Third Person P.O.V.
Meanwhile, at the Crystal Empire...
Candace, the Archangel of Love and co-ruler of the Crystal Empire, was making her way through the halls of her castle at a brisk pace. In her hand was a folder. Once she reached her destination, the former princess of Equestria opened the door to her husband's office. There, at his desk looking over some field reports, sat Shining Armor. He looked up from his paperwork and a smile appeared on his face.
"Hey Candace," he greeted cheerfully, but his attitude soon changed once he noticed her stern expression. "Is something wrong?"
"I have a special report from Seto about one of the ruins he was investigating."
"Okay, but that doesn't explain the serious look on your face," Shining points out.
"It mentions someone we both know," Candace emphasized.
It took a few seconds before her husband realized who she was hinting at. A serious look appeared on his face as he raised his hand. A mulberry colored magic aura surrounded it, and with a wave of said hand, the aura spread across the floor, celling, and walls of the room before quickly dissipating from sight. Shining had just placed both a silence spell and a seal spell on the room. No one outside would able to hear anything said from inside the room and no one would be able to enter the room without the caster's permission, so long as the seal spell remained in place. The only way to undo either spell is if the caster does so willingly, or if a stronger magical force overpowers the caster's magic.
"What is in the report?" The former Captain of the Equestria Royal Guard asked.
"According to the report, Seto was able to find one of the tombs hidden in the Dragonborn territory and already sent in a team for analysis. The tomb itself was hidden underneath an abandoned mansion that was being used as a base of sorts for a group of bandits. He also reported that half of the ruin has collapsed and it happened quite recently," Candace explained.
"While that is all interesting, and I will go over the report closely, I do have a question. What does this had to do with Spike?"
"By the time Seto and his assistants got there, the bandits had already been wiped out. When Alucard went to gather information, he learned from a woman who had been taken hostage by the bandits that the they were defeated by three kids. One of which was a Dragonborn that matches Spike's description. The Dragonborn was seen leaving town the next day with group of people, though we do not know where he is headed." The new king consort of the Crystal Empire sighed in relief at the news.
"Well, at least we know he's safe and that he is putting that sword and book of his to good use."
"I still can't believe Twilight did that to Spike," Candace mentioned as an angry look appeared on her face. Her husband shook his head in disappointment at the mention of his sister's actions.
"Twilight may be smart, but she has a habit of jumping the gun and thinking the worst."
"That is still no excuse for her actions. She didn't trust one of the few people that has been by her side since the beginning, and because of that, Spike was forced to leave his friends, family, and his home! Now Celestia, Luna, and the two of us have to keep his exile under wraps so that Equestria won't suffer any consequences for Twilight's mistake."
"I'm not excusing her of anything. She will face the fallout of her actions soon enough, if she isn't already. And I don't think she'll be able to fix it with a simple apology or a letter to the princess this time." Shining decided to get back on topic. "I'll make sure that this information gets to Celestia safely. Is there anything else I should know about?"
"There was more disturbing information in the report. There were signs that one of Sombra's acolytes was at the ruin, and it is highly likely that there are more at the other ruins in the country," Candace explained with a grim expression that was quickly shared by her husband.
Not many people outside of Celestia, Luna, and the citizens of the Crystal Empire knew about the dark acolytes of Sombra. Powerful, cruel magic users that Sombra took under his wing and taught the dark arts. They had helped Sombra banish the Crystal Empire a thousand years ago and had gone missing after his defeat at the hands of the Celestial Sisters. After his second defeat, Princess Luna secretly searched for the group with her Lunar Guard, but couldn't find a single trace of them, much to everyone's worry.
It looks like they had finally surfaced.
"As you can imagine, Alucard and Alma are very eager to track them down and take them out themselves," The Archangel of Love mentions.
"Not surprising, considering what Sombra and his students put them through," Shining replied before an important thought came to mind. "Does Spike know about the acolytes?"
Candace thought it over before answering, "No. I don't think so."
"Then this might be a problem. They might go after Spike if they learn he is in the area since he had a hand in their master's death."
"I'll make sure to tell Seto that if he or any of his assistants run into Spike, then they should warn him and his friends. Meanwhile, I will inform Celestia of the situation and warn the Dragonborn council of the Shadow Acolytes," The pink-and-yellow haired Archangel said.
"And I'll see what I can dig up about the acolytes. There might be something useful we might have missed." When his wife left the room Shinning Armor sighed as he looked out a nearby window.
"Be careful Spike, there is a storm coming and I have a feeling that it is heading your way."