//------------------------------// // Hunted // Story: The Dragon that Would be Pony // by The Dragon Warlock //------------------------------// Inside the throne room of the castle in the Everfree Forest, Lord Sandro was sitting on his throne and smirking to himself. "Sparky" was on his way now to rescue the others and grinned with delight that his plan was nearly finished. He suddenly heard galloping and looked to see a gray unicorn guard hurrying towards him. He bowed before the hooded stallion before speaking a word. "You may rise guard." Lord Sandro stated. He watched the guard get up. "What do you have to report soldier?" "My lord...I mean no offense, but some of us are worried." The gray stallion said in a fearful tone. "Perhaps I can motivate you and the others into acting like the soldiers you are meant to be." Lord Sandro said in a threatening tone. "Please Lord Sandro, we're just worried about Sparky. He'll probably find us and take us all down." "I know Sparky is on his way and he's most likely well aware of where we are." Lord Sandro said coolly. "I've been getting reports that some of our spies were seen headed into the Everfree Forest." "Then what will we do my lord? We've all heard how tough he is and how he nearly killed Jordan. Maybe he's the one who killed Captain Sanderson as well. He'll tear us all apart." "Still your tongue soldier, or else I cut it off and make you eat it." The guard shook in terror and nodded before Lord Sandro continued. "I know what he's capable of and how he could easily send us all to Tartarus. I assure...you..." The hooded stallion stopped talking for a minute to think. A sinister smile formed upon his face 'Yes...why didn't I think of this sooner? I know how to make sure Sparky doesn't put up a fight.' Lord Sandro rose up from out of his throne and looked at the guard. "Listen to me, I'm going to go make a deal with somepony. He'll make sure that Sparky will fall to us. While I am gone, finish setting up the ritual circle and position our troops to guard the castle." The guard saluted and gave a stern look. "It shall be done my lord." Lord Sandro said nothing and merely smiled to himself. His horn glowed a black aura and a flash went out. The flash soon died out and the hooded stallion was gone. A bright flash of white light surrounded the streets of Ponyville for a few seconds before dying out. Spike and Princess Celestia appeared in the middle of the Ponyville Market Square and were met with a sight that startled them. Royal guards were galloping through the streets while barking orders at one another. Some guards were talking to the residents of Ponyville and others were marching towards the entrances of the town with spears at the ready. "Princess, what's going on?" Spike asked. "It seems the whole town has fallen into chaos Spike." The white alicorn stated. "That message Lord Sandro sent out earlier must've made General Craig scramble the guards to defend the town. We must get to his tent at once to plan your journey into the Everfree Forest." Spike nodded and followed Princess Celestia through the rain slicked streets of Ponyville. The purple pegasus looked around to see more guards yelling out orders. Several citizens had looks of panic on them as the guards tried to escort them back to their homes. The guards seemed to be oblivious to the presence of Princess Celestia, which surprised Spike considering she was sticking out like a sore hoof in the crowd. Spike made sure not to run into any guards or get in their way and just trotted closely next to Princess Celestia. He continued to follow the Ruler of Equestria until he saw a large white tent with golden yellow stripes running through it. He entered the tent with Princess Celestia to see the room had three lit lanterns on the ceiling. The back of the room had a large table with scrolls and quills across it with two chairs facing it. Spike looked behind the desk to see that it wasn't General Craig behind the table. It was a white stallion unicorn wearing a purple colored Royal Guard armor. His blue eyes were narrowed and had a stern expression on his face. He had a short dark blue mane with a teal streak going through it. The white stallion looked up and noticed Princess Celestia. He got up from his chair and went over to the white alicorn. He bowed before her and looked up still having a stern look on him. "Princess Celestia." The stallion said rising up. "It's an honor to see you again. I just wish it was under better circumstances." The white alicorn smiled a little and said, "Captain Shining Armor, it's a pleasure to see you here in Ponyville. What are you doing here anyway? You weren't sent here to guard the town originally." "I received a message about what was going on by General Craig and he wanted me here to help secure the town." Shining Armor's face twisted into a solemn look. "It seems I was too late though. I heard about this Lord Sandro and about how he has taken Twiley and her friends." "It wasn't your fault captain." Princess Celestia reassured him. "We've all been fooled by this Lord Sandro." Shining Armor gave out a sigh and had an anguished look on him. "I know, but I really should've been there for Twiley. If it wasn't for that assignment of settling the border dispute between Equestria and the Dragon Empire, then this wouldn't have happened." "Captain Armor, this isn't the time or place to be beating yourself up for this. We need to speak to General Craig now about the situation." "I'm afraid he's not here your highness. He followed Lieutenant Cody to the outskirts of town where they seemed to have found a horrific sight. It seems there is a pile of corpses that have been thrown into a ditch." "Any idea who they may be?" "We already know who they are. All the bodies there are royal guards that have been murdered." Princess Celestia had a solemn look on her. "That would explain where the real guards were then. We'll let their families know later." Shining Armor looked to Princess Celestia's right and saw Spike trying to hide himself from the white stallion. "Pardon me your highness, but who's that pony with you?" Spike attempted to hide again, but Princess Celestia stepped to the side to expose him. Spike looked up and saw Shining Armor looking at him suspiciously. The white stallion's stare penetrated him and felt daggers being shot at him. "Um...hi I'm Sparky." Spike said with a forced smile. Shining Armor's eyes narrowed into a cold glare. His horn glowed and surrounded Spike in a purple aura. The purple pegasus was levitated off the ground and was brought face to face with an angry looking Shining Armor. "So you're Sparky huh?" The white stallion asked coldly. "You're the one Lord Sandro mentioned in his message. How do you know him?" "W-wait you're wrong!" Spike said in a panic. "I don't know him at all!" "We'll see about that. I'm going to take you in for questioning about your connection with Lord Sandro." "Captain, that's enough out of you." Princess Celestia said in a stern tone. "He is in no way in league with Lord Sandro. He's actually a close friend of Twilight." Shining Armor looked at Spike who was shaking a little nervously. He set him down and released the aura around him before looking at Princess Celestia. "How's he a friend of Twiley? I've heard of her friends, but I've never heard of him. I didn't know my sister was secretly dating him." Spike's face blushed a deep crimson. "N-no that's not it! It just that well...um..." Spike tried to find some excuse to not reveal himself. "That's because his name isn't Sparky." Princess Celestia interjected. "This is Twilight's own friend and assistant Spike." Shining Armor looked at Spike in confusion and saw him give a sheepish smile. He looked back at the white alicorn. "Your highness, I mean no hard feelings, but he doesn't look anything like Twiley's assistant. He's a dragon, not a pegasus." "I know it's hard to accept it, but it's true. This is Spike, but he is a pony for now." Shining Armor looked back at Spike. "Prove it then. I want to hear proof that you are my sister's assistant." Spike thought of something to help him convince Shining Armor he was Twilight's assistant. His mind buzzed with thought and tried to think of a memory that would prove him right. After a few minutes, a memory hit him like a brick in the face. "Um...remember when Twilight brought me home to show me to you and your parents?" The purple pegasus asked. "I accidentally chewed up your favorite toy spear and you were pretty angry at me." Shining Armor's expression softened and gave a small smile. "It is you then. I remember that day as well and how upset I was. Twilight explained you were teething and apologized to me for not bringing some teething rings with her." "Heh heh yeah...um sorry about that." "Hey it's no big deal now. It was a rather old toy that I just refused to get rid of. So tell me, how did you go from a little dragon to a fully grown pegasus?" "It's a long story Captain Armor and it's not the time to be telling it." Princess Celestia said before Spike could say anything. "We need to focus on getting Spike to the disciples' hidden base. I must get back to Canterlot soon to prepare the city for an assault from them." "It's all under control your highness." Shining Armor said. "Princess Luna and Princess Cadence are well aware of what's happening. They are keeping the castle and city under heavy security." "I see then, well I'll be thanking my sister and your special somepony later. I already have an idea where the disciples are hiding." "I believe I know where they are as well your highness. I've been getting reports of ponies running into the Everfree Forest. The only thing in there of value is the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters." "That's where they most likely are Captain Armor. We'll have to send in Spike here into the forest by himself sadly." "I remember hearing Lord Sandro saying something about if you helped he'd kill Twiley and her friends. I don't want to lose her or any of her friends because of me or you princess. I just wish I could help out Spike so he...can..." Shining Armor stopped talking and silence filled the room. A glint shone in his eyes and he grinned victoriously. "I think I know what I can do." "What are you talking about?" Spike asked. "Lord Sandro said if Princess Celestia helped me, he would kill Twilight and the others." Shining Armor looked at the purple pegasus and waved a hoof. "He didn't say anything about me though." He went over to Spike and stared at him. "I need you to keep your eyes open for a few seconds." "W-what are you going to do?" Spike asked nervously. "Just stay calm and trust me." Shining Armor's horn glowed and a beam of magic hit Spike's eyes. "Nocte visionem" The white stallion said. Spike felt his eyes burn a little and struggled to keep them open. His vision seemed to go from being completely blind for one second to having perfect vision again the next. His sight became distorted to the point where everything became a big blur. After a few minutes, the magic beam stopped and Spike closed his eyes. He opened them up again after a couple of seconds to see his vision was back to normal and Princess Celestia was standing next to Shining Armor. "What did you do?" The purple pegasus asked. "You'll see Spike." Shining Armor said. He looked up at the lanterns and used his magic to put them out, encasing the tent in darkness. Spike looked around expecting blackness around him, but instead he could see everything clearly around the room. He looked up to see all four lanterns were put out and jumped a little. "Holy guacamole, this is amazing. I can see everything, but yet the lights are out." Shining Armor laughed a little. "That's because I used a night vision spell on your eyes Spike. Since you're going out to the Everfree Forest you'll need it. The spell only works for three days, but that should be enough to get Twiley and her friends back home." "So how do I get to the castle?" Shining Armor used his magic to light up the lanterns again. He then looked at a large brown chest to his left. His horn glowed and the chest opened up to reveal a large scroll. He opened it and placed it on the table he was sitting at. The white stallion ushered Spike to come over. The purple pegasus looked upon a large map that had trees and a castle in the middle of the map. "Alright Spike, listen up." Shining Armor said. "You're going to enter the southern entrance of the Everfree Forest. It's the quickest route to the castle and the one with the least amount of obstacles. The path is still treacherous, but for the most part it's a straight path to the castle. You just need to avoid anypony who is guarding the castle." "How can I sneak in?" "I'll be giving you a survivor's backpack. It'll have a map of the Everfree Forest, some rations, a little medical kit, and a canteen full of water." Shining Armor's horn glowed again and from the chest came a fairly decent sized saddlebag. He placed the bag on Spike's back and strapped it on him. "Thanks Shining Armor." Spike said and then looked at Princess Celestia. "Well...I guess I need to get going huh?" "Spike, I know you're afraid, but I know you can do this." Princess Celestia said with a warm smile. "If the worse is to come, then I'll send my forces to go in and rescue you and the others." Spike gave a small smile and said, "Alright Princess...thanks." He looked at Shining Armor who looked a little uneasy. "Hey...I'll bring back Twilight soon and her friends. Twilight's not just a friend to me, she's the closest thing to a family I've ever had." Shining Armor gave a smile and handed him a scroll. "Alright then Spike, head towards the eastern entrance of Ponyville and give the guards this scroll. It'll give you permission to leave town to the entrance of the Everfree Forest. The entrance to the forest is not far from the eastern entrance." Spike gave a nod and walked out of the tent, leaving Shining Armor and Princess Celestia by themselves. "Don't worry Captain, he'll make it through." Princess Celestia said in a reassuring voice. "After all, he is an Element of Harmony." The white stallion looked at the white alicorn with a confused look on him. "Wait...he's an Element of Harmony? Pardon me your highness, but how is he...?" The white alicorn chuckled a little. "It's a long story Captain, but I think you need to understand what's happening. You see..." Spike made his way towards the gates of the eastern entrance of Ponyville. He was confronted by a group of royal guards who were looking at him with glares. Spike explained that Shining Armor sent him to leave town and handed the guard the scroll. He read the scroll for a few seconds before giving a firm nod and letting Spike past through. The purple pegasus trotted out of town and made his way towards the Everfree Forest. As the purple pegasus approached the dark forest, he felt a sinister presence in it that sent chills running down his spine. He looked upon the entrance of the forest to see the path was clear, but only because of the night vision spell he had. Spike gulped a little and made his way into the forest. As soon as Spike entered the forest, he heard a howling noise that made him jump. He looked behind to see that the entrance was gone. The purple pegasus was confused by this and went to pull the map out of the saddlebag. All of a sudden, a black flash of light appeared right in front of Spike. The flash made Spike stumble back and shield himself. The flash died after a few seconds and Spike looked to see a pony in a black robe and hood covering his face. "You certainly wasted no time in coming here." The pony said. "I'll give you credit for showing that at least you care for your friends." Spike's eyes narrowed into a glare. "You're Lord Sandro aren't you?" He asked bitterly. "Yes I am...and you shall soon address me as master when I'm done with you." "Where are Twilight and the others!?" Spike said feeling anger boil up. "Tell me now!" "Be patience Sparky, I have them safely in my castle. I just wanted to stop on by and tell you something." "Well what is it?" "We're going to play a game." The hooded stallion said in a mocking tone. "The name of the game is Cat and Mouse. It's simple really, all you have to do is avoid the 'Cat' and make your way to my hideout." "What!? I'm not going to do that!" Spike shouted incredulously. "I don't have time to play a game!" "You have no choice in the matter." Lord Sandro said. "Remember, I have your friends and I can easily kill them. You don't want their blood on your hooves do you?" Spike flinched a little and could've sworn he saw Lord Sandro giving a wicked smile at him. Spike slowly nodded and said, "Fine...so who's this 'Cat' then? Is it another one of your guards?" "Oh dear boy, I'm afraid you're quite mistaken. I've made a deal with a pony to help me out. I have a certain pony who wants to settle something with you." Spike raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "Who are you talking about?" Lord Sandro smiled. "You're about to find out." He stepped back and his horn glowed. "Rise...rise...tenebris ad servum meum ut serviant mihi." Spike heard a whispering noise that got louder until right in front of Lord Sandro a blinding orange flash blinded him. Spike rubbed his eyes to clear his vision and see what happened. As his vision cleared up, Spike saw something that made him cry out in terror and jump back. In front of Spike was a dark brown unicorn stallion with his mane and tail both on fire. His body was cut up and showing flesh and bones all over. his horn was cracked all over and seemed to be glowing orange. His eyes were gone, but instead replaced by large flames burning in them. The pony let out a booming demonic roar that made Spike step back a few feet. "Sparky, I want you to meet Captain Sanderson. I'm sure you two have already met, but he really was eager to see you again." "But...but...but how?" Spike asked with terror in his voice. "I...he...I um...he was...he was...killed." "Oh, I forgot to tell you. That pony I made a deal with was actually the gatekeeper of Tartarus. In exchange for a sacrifice, I was allowed to bring Captain Sanderson back to the world of the living for a short amount of time." The brown stallion started moving towards Spike, but was stopped by Lord Sandro's hoof. "Patience there Captain, let me explain the rules of our game. Sparky here is going to go to my castle, but he must avoid being caught by Captain Sanderson here. If you can make it to my castle grounds before the good captain here catches you, then you win Sparky. However, if Captain Sanderson catches you, he'll use his magic to capture you and bring you to me." "Why go through all this though?" Spike asked. "You're right there and you can easily catch me." "Oh...you'll see very soon Sparky. Now there is a time limit to all this." Lord Sandro looked at Captain Sanderson. "You'll have until midnight to capture him captain. If you fail it's back to Tartarus with you. Be forewarned as well, if you break the contract I made, then the gatekeeper will ensure you will know the true meaning of suffering and pain." "As you wish my Lord." The brown stallion said in a contorted demonic voice. "Good...oh and to make it even more of a challenge." Lord Sandro's horn glowed and ripped the saddlebag off Spike. "We can't have any cheaters now can we?" The saddlebag was engulfed in flames and burnt to ashes. He looked back at Sparky with a sinister smile. "Good luck everypony." He laughed and with a flash he was gone once more. Captain Sanderson looked at Sparky with a demonic smile. "At last we're going to settle this." He moved towards Spike and watched him step back. "There is no escape this time around. Nopony is here to help you out...and there will be nopony to get in the way. I'll make you suffer for what you have done to me." Spike looked around in a panic to see what to do. He saw on the ground the burnt ashes of his saddlebag, but saw something still intact, the canteen. He quickly picked up the canteen and threw it at Captain Sanderson. The container busted upon impact and covered the brown stallion in water. He roared in anger as the flames in his eyes died down. Spike took this chance to dart past him and make his way along the pathway. The purple pegasus galloped as fast as he could through the forest. 'If I just stay on this path, I'll be at the castle in no time.' He thought to himself as he continued to gallop. All of a sudden, a bright flash appeared in front of Spike. He screeched to a halt and looked to see Captain Sanderson in front of him with the flames in his eyes burning brightly. Spike saw the brown stallion's horn glowed a green color and prepared himself to dodge the spell. The purple pegasus was taken aback as Captain Sanderson suddenly shot out a large green ball that was shooting sparks of lightning at him. He quickly jumped to the side to avoid it, but as he did the ball of energy exploded and sent Spike flying through the air. He crashed into a tree and felt his entire body throb in pain. "I know you can hear me Sparky!" Captain Sanderson boomed. "I want you to see what I am capable of doing now!" Spike slowly got up and rubbed his head. He took a step forward, but nearly fell down again. The purple pegasus regained his bearings and looked to see something that made his jaw drop and his eyes widen as big as dinner plates. Spike was standing in front of a large crater that he was only inches from and looked to see it was as large as the bedroom in the library. The purple pegasus turned around and ran into the Everfree Forest. A sinister laughter rung out through the forest. "Oh, there's no use in running Sparky." Captain Sanderson said in a mocking tone. "I may be blind, but my senses have heightened to the point where I can hear you from a good distance away." He looked around and saw blackness, but he listened carefully to the sounds of hooves galloping. His vision saw a pony galloping and he grinned. "Gotcha!" Spike looked back to see another ball of green energy being shot at him. He pushed himself to pick up the pace. The energy ball exploded again, sending Spike flying through the forest and landed in a small clearing of dirt. He slowly got up again and looked around for Captain Sanderson in a panic. He could hear the sounds of animals making noises as the forest was rocked by the explosions, but he couldn't see the brown stallion in the forest. Despite the night vision spell, Spike couldn't see where Captain Sanderson was hiding. "There is nothing for you now Sparky, but a slow and painful death." Captain Sanderson boomed. "I can hear where you are and you will never escape from me. Don't delay the inevitable any further and surrender yourself to me." Spike looked around in panic and could hear the galloping of a pony. He decided to run off again into the forest despite what he was told. Spike felt the cool night air rush past him as he rushed through the forest. The only thing on his mind now was just survival. He knew the farther he went into the forest, the farther away he got from the castle. He didn't care though, he needed to find a way to defeat Captain Sanderson. The purple pegasus heard the rushing of water and hurried towards the source. He came into a clearing of the forest and was met by a large cliff with a waterfall. There were some jagged rocks along the base of the waterfall and a few around the riverbed. Spike saw the river was pretty wide, but saw land across it. He decided to slowly make his way across the river and to the other side. The purple pegasus slowly trotted into the water and felt the water push him down the river as he was splashed with it. He thanked Celestia that the water was only deep enough to reach his knee caps. He looked around to see if Captain Sanderson was nearby and prayed he wasn't anywhere near him. His hopes were immediately crushed as he looked behind to see the brown stallion gallop out of the woods. Spike held back a yelp and tried to hurry out of the raging river. He looked back at Sanderson and noticed something odd with him, he was just looking around with a glare on his face. The purple pegasus stopped trotting and looked in amazement that the brown stallion wasn't trying to take him down. "Where did he go?" Spike heard Captain Sanderson over the river. "I heard him gallop here, but I can't tell where he is now. It doesn't help that the sound of this waterfall is throwing me off." Spike couldn't believe his luck. Captain Sanderson couldn't hear him. He tried to figure out why this was happening, but felt the river push him down. The purple pegasus took this chance to make his way across the river slowly. Suddenly, he saw a green glow and looked to see a ball of energy a couple feet to his left. The ball exploded and sent water and rocks raining down. "Come on out Sparky!" Captain Sanderson barked. "I know you're around here somewhere! If I have to tear this river apart until I hit you, then so be it!" The brown stallion shot out another ball of green energy that narrowly missed Spike by a few inches. Spike panicked and began to gallop across the rive. As he hurried across, the purple pegasus heard several more explosions around him. He accidentally tripped on a rock on the river and stumbled a little. He quickly regained his bearings and reached the other side without incident. He smiled to himself and began to make his way back into the forest. All of a sudden, he kicked a rather large stone across the ground. Spike's stomach twisted and looked to see a ball of energy headed towards him. "Holy guacamole!" He shouted and took off. Spike looked behind, but saw he had wings and got an idea. His wings spread out and began to flap them until he took off into the air. He started to fly faster as he went into the Everfree Forest. He heard the energy ball explode behind him and let out a sigh of relief. The relief quickly turned to panic as Spike suddenly felt a gust of wind throw him off balance and started flying erratically. The purple pegasus tried to avoid the trees around him, but there were too many of them and ended up crashing into one on his right side. Spike felt his body protest in pain and cringed as he fell to the ground. He tried to move his wings, but cried out in anguish every time he moved his right one. The purple pegasus looked to see that his wing was tangled up and broken. Spike heard the galloping of hooves and knew it was Captain Sanderson coming. He looked around for some place to hide himself and saw a small cave right near him. The purple pegasus crawled his way to the cave and entered it. He turned around and saw Captain Sanderson appear right in front of the entrance to the cave. The brown stallion looked around for a few minutes. Spike felt his heartbeat increase with fear and tried to stay calm. His efforts were rewarded as Captain Sanderson moved away from the cave and looked around the other parts of the forest. A bird started cawing out nearby as Spike tried to get a better view of Captain Sanderson. He saw the brown stallion looking at nearby tree and shot a bolt of lightning from his horn. The bird's cawing died out and a loud thump was heard. The forest fell into silence with the exception of a few crickets chirping in the distance. "You can't hide from me forever Sparky." Captain Sanderson said. "You're only delaying the inevitable. Nopony crosses the Sanderson family and gets away with it. I'll make sure that you join Markus and Princess Celestia as you three are sent to Tartarus." 'Oh man, what do I do?' Spike thought to himself. 'He's going to find me eventually. How can I fight somepony who's already a zombie?' Spike heard the cawing of another bird. "Damn these birds! They're really messing me up!" Captain Sanderson shouted in anger. Spike felt something click in his head as he suddenly realized something. He thought back to the waterfall incident and then the birds and realized something. Captain Sanderson's hearing was messed up by loud noises. The purple pegasus got an idea and grabbed a large rock from his right. He threw the rock across the forest and heard it impact against a hollow log. He watched Captain Sanderson take notice of the noise and charged after the source. The purple pegasus crawled out of the cave and took off into the forest. He only made it a couple of feet before he suddenly lost his footing and fell down a steep dirt hill. Spike felt his body roll around in the dirt and desperately tried to find something to stop himself. The purple pegasus grabbed a branch sticking out of the dirt, but it snapped immediately and continued to fall. Spike eventually felt himself stop and opened his eyes slowly to see he was at the foot of the hill. He got up very slowly and stumbled as he tried to figure out where to go. He saw in the distance a twisted tree that had windows on it and a large red door. Spike knew immediately that it was Zecora's hut since he would go with Twilight to help collect some herbs with her. He quickly ran over to knock on the door, but a sudden realization hit him. He remembered that Twilight told him Zecora was going to deal with some family issues in the Zebra Lands and wouldn't be back for a while. He placed his hoof on the door and unknowingly opened the door to the hut. Spike fell through the entrance and saw the various masks lined against the wall. A giant black pot sat in the middle of the floor. A bookshelf was just to his right as well as a bed with a thin gray blanket across it. He saw the potion ingredients to his left that had bottles of liquids inside them. Spike saw a scroll in the bookshelf and went over to grab it. He unfurled it on a table near the pot and smiled as he read it. It was a map of the Everfree Forest. The purple pegasus saw the map had many paths throughout the forest and saw one in particular that made him grin. He saw the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters with directions on how to get to it from the hut. All he had to do was go behind the hut and be sure to stay along the path right behind it. He let out a cry for joy, but quickly covered his mouth. An orange flash suddenly appeared at the doorway. Spike saw it was Captain Sanderson with his eyes and mane burning brightly with anger. The purple pegasus stepped back as he tried to think of something to do. Captain Sanderson's horn glowed and encased Spike in an orange aura. He was picked up and thrown against the potion ingredients. The bottles rattled violently and shattered as they fell to the ground and spilled their contents. The brown stallion glared at Spike. "My patience with you is very thin now. You've made a foal out of me for the last time with your so called distractions. It's time to..." A sizzling noise suddenly caught Captain Sanderson off guard. "What's that noise?" An explosion suddenly rang out in the hut. Spike and Captain Sanderson were sent flying in opposite directions. Spike crashed through a window and landed outside the hut. He got up and heard the frustrated roars of Captain Sanderson from inside the hut as more explosions went off. He noticed that he was behind the hut and turned to see a path nearby. He quickly galloped down the path as fast as his legs could go. Spike grinned as he whizzed down the path to the castle and saw the thickness of the trees slowly disappear. The purple pegasus came across a clearing and saw nothing but mist amongst it and a cliff at first. He looked around to see a large black stone bridge nearby. He began to gallop towards the bridge, but felt himself not going anywhere. He looked around to see he was glowing an orange aura again and was slammed to the ground. Spike howled in pain and struggled to get up. He saw a shadow cast upon him in the moonlight and saw Captain Sanderson. The brown stallion's body was almost covered in flames and looked beside himself. "I will make you suffer the ultimate punishment." He said in a dark demonic tone. His horn glowed a green aura and saw Spike's eyes widen with fear. "Nopony...and I mean nopony gets away from Captain Alexander Sanderson!" Spike closed his eyes and knew his fate was sealed. He felt no pain though and nothing seemed to happen to him. He slowly opened one eye and saw Captain Sanderson's horn wasn't glowing. The brown unicorn attempted to get a spark of magic out, but there was nothing. "What's going on here!?" Captain Sanderson demanded. "Why can't I use my magic to kill you!?" "You have violated the contract Sanderson." A deep demonic voice echoed throughout the forest. "You were told to only capture Sparky, not kill him. Your contract and soul is now forfeit for your actions." "You can't be serious!" He bellowed. "He's one of the very few who got away from me! I will not let him live for his actions!" "You leave me no choice then." "What are you going to do!? Kill me!? I'm already dead!" Captain Sanderson had an insane smile on his face. "Wrong...you're true suffering awaits you." The ground shook violently and the trees began to rustle or fall over. An explosion suddenly rang out from the ground. Spike and Captain Sanderson were sent into the air for a few seconds before crashing on the ground. The purple pegasus opened his eyes to see a giant red hoof sticking out of the ground and flames surrounding the hole his hoof was in. The hoof grabbed Captain Sanderson and wrestled to stop his squirming. The brown stallion cursed and yelled as the hoof dragged him into the hole and underground. The screams died out as Sanderson was pulled into the ground. The last thing Spike saw was his hoof waving from the ground. The flames around the hole died out as another explosion rang out. The screams of many ponies echoed throughout the forest. Spike got up slowly to check the hole and saw it was smoldering, but the ground was very warm to the touch. "I guess Twilight was wrong." The purple pegasus said. "Zombie ponies do exist." He turned towards the stone bridge and gulped a little. He began to trot his way across the bridge before something else stopped him. A bright flash of light shone for a few seconds as Captain Sanderson stumbled around. The brown stallion looked around and saw nothing but darkness around him. A light then came on and he looked around feverishly. He looked at his body and saw to his surprise he could see again, but his body was still the same zombie like look. "Sanderson, It seems you have failed to hold your end of the bargain" A demonic voice said. Captain Sanderson recognized it as the same voice as before. "Since you chose to disobey what you were told, you'll suffer for your actions." "What are you going to do?" Captain Sanderson asked in a smug voice. "I've already been denied my chance to get vengeance on behalf of my family. There's nothing else you can do to me." "Oh, I think I can." A loud crack echoed throughout the area. Captain Sanderson started to hear whispers faintly at first, but it slowly got louder with each passing second. He heared moaning and grunts echo everywhere. The brown stallion jumped a little as he saw many ponies surround him. They all had flesh and bone showing all over their bodies. Some were wearing rusty looking armor while some didn't. Others had either an eye missing or both of them were out. Captain Sanderson looked around and felt beads of sweat flow down him. "I've heard about what your family did in the past Sanderson." The voice said. "They relished in hunting down and killing ponies for your so called queen's following. Some of them you can probably recognize since you killed them with your own hooves. There is one that has been waiting to see you again." Captain Sanderson's eyes widened as he saw a unicorn stallion with a burnt yellow mane and tail approach him. The unicorn's body was black, but parts of his body were burnt red. His left blue eye was missing and had a flame burning in it. The brown stallion couldn't believe who he was looking at. "J-Jordan?" Captain Sanderson asked in a tiny voice. "Is...is that you?" "Welcome back captain." Jordan responded in a demonic tone and smiled. "We've all been waiting for you, especially me." "But...but I didn't kill him!" The brown stallion protested. "He begged you to help him and save him." The voice boomed. "He's been loyal to you for a long time. You betrayed him by bringing him in for execution and that makes you an accomplice in murdering him." Jordan and the other ponies surrounded Captain Sanderson and moved towards him. The brown stallion tried to use his magic, but nothing came out. He felt around for his horn and realized it was gone. The demonic ponies closed in on Captain Sanderson and grabbed various parts of his body. "No! You can't do this to me! No!" The brown stallion screamed out and had a look of panic on him. The ponies dragged Captain Sanderson away as he continued to cry out for mercy. "Look at it this way Sanderson." The voice echoed. "At least I gave you your eyes back, so you can see what they'll do to you." A high demonic laughter shook the area and died out after a couple of seconds. Captain Sanderson felt himself be strapped to something. He looked to see he was clamped to a table. He saw around him ponies holding various knives and weapons surround him. Jordan came out and brought out a rusty looking scalpel. The brown stallion cried out in fear and pain as the ponies he once tortured and used began their eternal torment. Spike felt like he just walked around Ponyville five times as he finally crossed the bridge. The mist cleared a little and he looked up to see the castle. The purple pegasus' jaw dropped as he saw a tall Gothic looking castle with no torches around the castle. The entire castle was shrouded in complete blackness, making it look like it was nothing but a shadow that bathed in the moonlight. Spike looked to see in front of him a giant set of double dark brown doors. As he took a step forward to the doors, they opened up slowly and creaked as they did. Spike jumped a little and looked around as his heartbeat started to increase. He took a deep breath and went through the doors. As Spike entered the castle, the doors slammed shut behind him. He could've sworn he heard somepony snicker sinisterly. The purple pegasus looked ahead and saw nothing but some blue fire lit torches lined on the walls. There was a dark blue roll of carpet on the floor. A few sturdy dark brown doors and small windows that let in moonlight lined the hallway. He slowly started to trot his way through the castle, cautious towards any potential danger. He made his way towards a two way intersection and heard hoofsteps approaching him. He turned around and tried to open one of the doors, but it was locked. He placed himself against the wall and hoped that the guard would miss him. The purple pegasus saw a green unicorn in dark blue armor at the middle of the intersection. The guard's horn glowed as it pointed a beam of light at the floor. He turned his head and pointed the light down where Spike was. Spike held his breath as the beacon of light came within inches of him. He watched the guard turn around and headed back into the direction he came from. Spike took this chance to make his way back to the intersection. He looked to the left to see the guard was trotting away and then to the right. He noticed the other way was deserted and decided to take that route before the guard returned. He carefully navigated his way across the castle and made sure to avoid anymore guards. He noticed that the further he went into the castle, the less guards there were patrolling. It eventually reached the point where Spike ran into no guards and the castle was silent except for the crackling of fire and his hoofsteps. He trotted his way across the castle when he suddenly came across a gate that was blocking his way. Spike was baffled and though that maybe he made a wrong turn, but he turned to the right to see another large set of double dark brown doors. The purple pegasus placed his hoof on the door and opened it slowly. The door creaked loudly and echoed throughout the castle for what seemed to be for hours until Spike could get in. He stepped through the doors and heard them slam shut again. The purple pegasus' eyes went pitch black all of a sudden and looked around nervously. His night vision spell went out for some reason and couldn't see anything in front of him. Spike took a step forward and saw a row of torches that had blue flames in them light up on both sides. He gulped a little and saw something floating in front of him, a large stone sphere with a jewel emblem on it. Spike cautiously approached it and placed a hoof on it, but then it disappeared. A series of torches lit up the room and windows opened up to allow the moonlight to pour into the room. Spike looked around to see he was in what looked like a throne room. He saw around him a seemingly endless crowd of ponies in royal blue armor carrying spears and swords. A slow clapping of hooves caught Spike's attention and looked to see from behind the throne was Lord Sandro clapping his hooves. "Well played there Sparky." The hooded stallion said. "It seems Captain Sanderson's pride finally got the best of him and sealed his fate. I figured not even my right hoof could take you down considering your actions." "I made it here before midnight!" Spike shouted. "Now let my friends go!" You cheated your way to my castle." Lord Sandro spat. "When I first saw you, I saw a bright glint in your eyes. I knew somepony must've placed a night vision spell on you. Thanks to the anti-magic barrier here, it removed that spell from you." "Hey, you brought in some zombie pony who used some magic that could've killed me!" Spike yelled. "Captain Sanderson was cheating as well!" Lord Sandro said nothing for a few minutes and gritted his teeth. "I did notice him using that spell, but I never knew he could do that. I suppose you do have a point since he broke his contract." "So where are my friends!?" Spike demanded. "They're right behind me Sparky." Lord Sandro pointed a hoof behind him. "It seems they got bored waiting to be rescued and are taking a nap." Spike looked around the throne and saw something that made his stomach twist up. There were seven stone slabs, each one having Spike's friends floating above them with a black aura around each of them. Six of the slabs were circled around another slab of stone. Twilight was on the far left, then Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy on the far right. In the middle of the slab though there was one pony that made Spike's eyes widen, it was Rarity. She was floating like the others and had a black aura around her. All six ponies had their Elements of Harmony floating near them and had their eyes closed, but they were narrowed. There was one spare slab of stone next to Fluttershy where the same stone sphere floated nearby. The purple pegasus felt a burning anger course through his blood and body. He looked at Lord Sandro and felt his body shaking with rage. "Give me my friends right now." He said in a threatening tone. "You're going to pay for what you did to them." "Then by all means strike me down then." Lord Sandro said nonchalantly. "I'm not going to defend myself from you." Spike snorted a little and scrapped his hoof across the ground. He began to charge towards him, but felt a surge of pain hit him. The purple pegasus fell to the ground and his body felt paralyzed. He tried to move, but the bruises and cuts he got made his body ache with anguish. Lord Sandro let out a cold laugh. "It seems your little run in with Captain Sanderson has left you quite worn out." Spike's eyes widened and said, "Then...this whole time with fighting Captain Sanderson was a...?" "Yes, it was all a trick." The hooded stallion stated. "I knew of how powerful you were and what you could do to me, so I had to take some precautions. It doesn't matter if you beat Captain Sanderson or not. I just needed to wear you down physically." His horn glowed and levitated Spike off the ground. The purple pegasus saw him give a wicked smile from under the hood. "Do you have any last words before your suffering begins?" Spike felt dazed by all that's happened. "Who...who are you?" He asked in an exhausted voice. Lord Sandro smiled and said, "Well as I said before, I'm a stallion of my word. If it means that much to you, then I guess there should be no more secrets. Besides, everypony will soon learn the face of the new King of Equestria as I rule with Nightmare Moon." He placed his right hoof on the hood and pulled it back. Spike felt like a bucket of cold water spilled on him. His jaw dropped from the sight of the pony in front of him. "You!?" He asked in disbelief. "Me." The once hooded stallion said with a sinister smile.