//------------------------------//
// Shadowang's Brood 
// Story: Of Dragons, Drakos, and Ponies 
// by newHelm 
//------------------------------//

	Spike stood with his arms crossed, glaring at the two ancient beings before him.

Celestia glared back, her lips pursed. "No Spike, I am not kidding."

Spike flung his arms up and yelled. "No! By all that I am no! Never! Will not! I would die first! Garble must die for his actions so this never happens again!"

The elder dragon gave a low rumble. "It avoids blood on all sides, is vengeance so consuming that you can not see reason?"

"Yes! Blood has already been spilt! My heart removed and torn apart! The mare I love is on the verge of death and my drakos, who were becoming open to peace now scream war again!"

"They are the spawn of Shadowfang, it is in their nature to war."

"No, I am a spawn of Shadowfang. They, are just the product of their environment. When the dragons banished the drakos to the desert, they became tough. Now the dragons fear their own creation."

"We did not create the drakos as they are. Shadowfang is the one to deserve credit for that."

"They banished the servant class because of the actions of one. Most drakos still have anger over that. Do the dragons still have fear and fury over Shadowfang?"

The elder huffed. "You make a valid point young one."

Spike's anger grew. "That's just one point of my subjects. Not only was the attack done in mutual ally borders, but one of said ally's citizens was caught in the cross hairs and now lays dying."

Celestia nodded. "Point again, but that one for me. She was an Equestrian ambassador, attacked in Equestria. Thus the responsibility falls upon us to take action."

"Yes but you relinquished responsible to us for a decision of this matter. She was an ambassador to my lands and in her time there had gained the loyalty of all drakos. If it was me in that bed, she could stop war from coming, but I can't because it's her. We vowed to protect her with our lives, I failed."

The elder dragon spoke softly. "So it is vengeance you seek, or redemption?"

Spike's scales darkened. "Vengeance, and a message. The drakos are to be feared, and what's more, our friends are protected. We let no insult or harm to pass by unnoticed."

Celestia sighed. "Is there a way to do that without bloodshed?"

Spike shook his head as his colour returned. "No, I'm afraid we can't find a way. The dragons have already decided on war without the elder. They may even attack Equestria. They have to learn now, before war destroys us all."

The elder huffed. "They would not dare to attack our friend Celestia and her ponies."

As if to contradict him, an explosion went off at the castle and several dragons roared fire into the air.

Spike looked sad as he turned to the elder. "Fear and anger creates monsters with no mercy. I have lost my mercy."




Rarity stared wide eyed as fighting and a massacre happened in the streets of Canterlot. Ponies ran to her as fire licked at their heels. Horror filled her very being.

Sombra danced between corpses. "Ah, look at all of this beauty. Death and destruction, a favorite of mine."

Nightmare shook her head. "Look at this fool. Have a little elegance and grace. The less ponies living, the less slaves we have."

Rarity turned to them both. "You make me sick! Help me to my body, I need to fix this!"

Sombra smirked. "Are you sure. In death you miss this, and what comes next is by far worst."

"I must help my friends! I can not abandon anyone, no matter the cost!"

They both bowed to her. "As you wish Queen."

Her eyes shot open and she looked around the hospital room. Nurses ran by and the building shook but she did not care. She ripped tubes and wires out and stood on shaky hooves. She had to get outside.




Spike ran through the streets, machete in hand. He looked over his shoulder, making sure the big green dragon was still after him.

The dragon was smart enough not to get too close, and stayed to the air just far enough to breath his flames on Spike. He failed to notice the red drakos spring a close by tree.

Red Claw reared back his arm and thrust his sword through the dragon's eye. He jumped as the dragon fell and landed next to his king. "Sir, all pony guards are rounding up survivers and moving them to the garden. It seems many of the dragons have evacuated to that location too. What do you make of it?"

Spike pushed Red Claw away as he jumped onto a pony as flames engulfed the two. Red Claw pulled a spear from his holster on his back and threw it into the dragon's wing joint, grounding it as several pony and drakos guards pounced upon it.

Spike helped the pony up. "Go to the garden for safety." He then turned to Red Claw. "It's a small insurgency in the dragon numbers. A last ditch effort, it won't work. They have to know they will lose, I'm more concerned about the innocent involved. We need to wrap this up fast. Have all drakos go on the hunt. Every dragon in this city must be found and if hostile, eliminated. The ones not involved must be placed in the garden and secured in case one wants to act victim."

"Sir." Red Claw saluted, but paused before leaving. "You're right sir, they must know this won't work. Maybe it's a distraction?"

"Just what I was thinking, and I may know what for. Orders still the same, go, I'll handle this."

As Red Claw left, Spike looked up at the castle. His scales darkened.

A drakos fell in front of him, and without looking, he picked up the dead soldier's sword. He blew purple flames on the blade, which disappeared before coming back, through the mouth of the dragon who killed his drakos.

"Death to those who kill what we hold dear."




Rarity wobbled to the entrance of the hospital, and stopped in her tracks as she saw a sight she could not comprehend. Discord stood before her, arms crossed and completely serious. "And where are you going dear Rarity?"

She shook her head. "What does it matter. I must help!"

He pinched his nose. "It's too late for that, you have been tainted. You could have saved all of us, now if you try, you doom us all."

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"It means that if you love Spike, Fluttershy, any of your friends and family. You will disappear so that Spike can never find you. I know about Sombra and Nightmare. Their plan is you."

"What?" She stared into black behind him. "How?"

"You've become Nightmare Rarity again, her power courses through you even now. With a spell from Sombra, the more you are around Spike, the same will happen to him."

She closed her eyes and felt her power, the Nightmare power she now had. Tears streamed her eyes. "No."

"I'm sorry."

"What do I do?"

"I'll take you to my brother. He will keep you safe my dear. As safe as he can be at least."

She looked up at his stoic stare. Her lips trembling. "Can he fix me?"

She could have imagined it, but a tear seemed to fall from his eye. "Nothing short of the full power of an elder god can save you, and none of them will ever help."

"If I do stay, what will happen?"

"Shadowfang's soul will consume Spike's as he takes his body."

Rarity wiped her eyes as steel entered her. "Let's go."




Spike stood in front of the castle's main hall doors. He kicked the doors down and growled at Garble, his father and two of their personal guards. None of them were big dragons, Garble being about his height, the other three just about two heads taller. They were by far out matched.

Garble sneered. "Well if it isn't the little lizard king. How are you little lizard?"

Spike growled back. "Good, now I can kill you legitimately."

Garble rolled his eyes and snapped at the guards. They pounced at Spike.

Spike rolled to the side, slashing deep into the back of one, before throwing his machete into the chest of the other.

"I want this personal, no weapon."

Garble panicked a moment before anger filled him. "I'm an actual dragon, not a poor imitation! What can you do?"

In a flash, Spike had his claws wrapped around the dragon's throat. "I fought in a war and lived. I killed many, what's one more?" His scales black now, two grey wings sprang from Spike's back, his ebony antlers shone, his eyes turned green as purple magic trailed from them. His grip grew stronger as every part of his grew sharper and more angular. "I will kill you, because of Rarity, the drakos, the dead ponies out there, for me. Because my world will be better and safer without you."

He felt the bone in the dragon's neck pop, and released the body. He turned to the brown dragon, now a head shorter then him. "Now it's your turn."

The brown dragon shook violently, fear, all he knew. "Please no! I'll fix this! I'll fix it, please spare me Shadowfang!"

Spike laughed. "I will, and you will fix this. You can trust me on that."