The Legend of Spike: Dragon Quest

by DiabloGuapo

The Truth

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna listened intently as each pony told their story in the safety of the throne room of Canterlot Castle. The lavender and gold walls and the white and navy tiled floors of the palace was a welcomed change of scenery compared to the dusty catacomb, putrid swamp, and dank warehouse each party had experienced. The soothing atmosphere helped them relax after the stress of the day, their hopes restored a little by the safe return of their friend Rarity.

As they communed, one of the Wonderbolts gave Thunderbolt an ice pack for his swollen eye.

“Thanks,” Thunderbolt said gratefully as he placed the ice pack over his eye.

“No problem, Shiner,” the mare smirked as she left the throne room to give the Royal Council their privacy.

“‘Shiner’? Oh, geez,” Thunderbolt groaned at the embarrassing nickname.

“Don’t sweat, son. We all have embarrassing nicknames,” Rainbow “Crash” Dash reassured him while snickering.

“It’s tradition to give new Wonderbolts nicknames based on something humiliating from their first day on the team,” Soarin, a.k.a. “Clipper”, explained.

Celestia gave a small smile as everyone was able to share a good laugh after the day’s events. Little moments of levity helped to maintain hope in the darkest of times. She was also pleased to hear that they were able to find the Fairy Flute and the Silver Harp and were able to use them to obtain the Erdrick’s Amulet and the Staff of Rain. However, Twilight’s report of how they were ambushed by enchanted skeletons perplexed her. It was clear that there was someone conspiring against all of Equestria, and whoever was behind this didn’t want anypony interfering.

Amethyst then recounted what happened to her over the past two days, all the while her mother held her in a comforting hug. Celestia was particularly troubled once she heard of the defection of the Equestrian dragons. If they were to go to war now that they had joined the Dragon King, all hope of uniting the two species would be lost.

“...and then they all flew away,” Amethyst concluded.

“Amethyst, I’m so sorry that you had to go through this. Had I known what was happening, I would have put a stop to it immediately,” Celestia sincerely apologized. “I can’t believe that Mayor Skinflint would do something so inexcusable such as this. Tomorrow, I leave for Fillydelphia to meet with him. After learning all what he has done, he needs to be held responsible for his actions. I would like for you to accompany me to refute any lie he may fabricate.”

“Of course, Auntie,” Amethyst accepted.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Thunderbolt confirmed as well.

“That is all fine and well, but do not forget we have yet another crisis on our hooves,” Luna reminded. “While the rest of you were gone, we sought out the source of the conspiracy.”

“What conspiracy?” Spike asked.

“It is not by chance that the Dragon King has set his eyes upon Equestria. His presence is part of some unknown scheme.”

“The scroll!” Twilight exclaimed, following the connection.

“Indeed. Whoever gave the report to Dragon King Ryuo is behind all of this chaos.”

“We have strong reason to believe that two members of the Royal Guard, Iron Shield and Chain Mail, either stole the scrolls themselves or assisted whoever did,” Celestia elaborated. “Not only that, but Narcissus has escaped his cell while they were on duty, and they are both absent without leave.”

This revelation silenced everyone temporarily. They hadn’t forgotten the disgraced prince’s part in Queen Chrysalis’s evil scheme to kidnap the Elements’ children and overthrow Equestria. It was Amethyst who spoke first, “What?! When?!”

“The day the Dragon King stole the Tree of Harmony.”

“But how?”

“I can only imagine that they shut off the magic disabling field and made their escape during the confusion of the attack,” Celestia speculated.

“So Narcissus is behind this? I should have guessed. After his first plan to take over failed, he would probably want revenge,” Thunderbolt growled, swearing to himself that he would make him pay.

“I don’t think so,” Celestia rejected the idea. “He had been in solitary confinement for a year with restricted access to visitors, and Chain Mail and Iron Shield were only recently transferred to the dungeons. That was after they had already stolen the scroll. No, somepony else is orchestrating this.”

“I believe I know who,” Rarity announced. “While I was being held at Charlock Castle, I learned…” she paused to give Spike an uneasy look. “... a great deal. I was able to talk to the Dragon King and almost reached him. I was so close to getting him to giving up his conquest on Equestria, but then this pony showed up and ruined everything!”

“Whoa whoa whoa! Hang on and back up a second! You were able to talk to the Dragon King?” Rainbow Dash interrupted.

“Well… yes,” Rarity replied. “Things were going well until he showed up. He was the one that gave the Dragon King the Scroll!”

“Who was he?” Princess Celestia asked Rarity, everyone stunned from this revelation.

“I didn’t recognize him. He was a blue Unicorn wearing a white robe and a hideous black headdress,” Rarity described the sorcerer that goaded the Dragon King into attacking Fillydelphia. “They had an agreement; he brought the Dragon King the scroll, and the Dragon King would spare him and his followers when he destroys Equestria!”

“White robe… Followers…” Applejack whispered, remembering something. “Wait a cotton-pickin’ second! Did his robe have a grinin’ bat on it?”

“Why, yes! Yes it did!”

“Cider Barrel is a part of their group! They go about spewin’ a bunch of hoowie about the end of world and how they’re gonna rebuild it after the dragons burn it down!” Applejack told them about the cult.

“The same group was there in Fillydelphia after the dragons flew over it!” Thunderbolt added. “It was them that got everypony turning against the dragons in Dragon Town!”

“Yeah, and that mare, Mayor Skinflint’s assistant, was wearing a bat pin on her jacket!” Amethyst recalled. “Maybe she’s also one of them!”

“We must investigate this,” Celestia proclaimed. “Luna, I want you to go to Manehattan and find Cider Barrel. Bring him in for questioning.”

“Yes, my sister,” Luna confirmed.

“Amethyst, Thunderbolt, would you be able to point out the mare if you saw her?”

“Most certainly,” Amethyst confirmed.

“Then we will also bring her in for questioning.”

“There’s another problem,” Amethyst said to everyone’s dismay. “The Dragon King changed the deadline from seven days to three.”

“What?!” everyone shouted collectively.

“He can’t do that! That’s cheating!” Pinkie Pie protested. “That’s cheating, right?”

Celestia sighed and said, “We were lucky that he gave us any time at all. Ryuo isn’t known for his patience. The fact he spared Fillydelphia even after seeing the poor treatment of the dragons was nothing less than a miracle.”

“He said it was gift from my grandfather. What did he mean by that?” Amethyst asked. However, it seemed no one knew the answer to her question except for Rarity and uncomfortable-looking Princess Celestia.

Twilight then looked to Rarity. She studied her friend, trying to make sense of something she had said earlier. “Rarity, you said that you were able to talk to Dragon King Ryuo, almost reaching him. How? How were you able to accomplish such a thing?”

Rarity temporarily faltered when everyone looked at her. She knew the moment had come and looked to Spike, the green eyes she loved staring into hers. He deserved to know the truth, yet she didn’t want to cause him any pain. She then turned to her daughter and said, “Amethyst, Darling, you and Thunderbolt have had a long day and will have an early start tomorrow. Why don’t the both of you go and get some rest.”

“Huh? No, I’m fine,” Thunderbolt replied.

“Come on, Thunderbolt. That’s parent-code for ‘we don’t want you to hear this’. Let’s go,” Amethyst told her friend, ushering him out of the throne room despite his protests.

With the two out of earshot, Rarity summoned all of her courage and spoke again, “After the Dragon King brought me to his castle, he placed that accursed collar on me. Since it blocked my magic and would sound an alarm if I tried to escape…”

“You got that right,” Rainbow Dash quipped, remembering the awful shrieking produced by the skull necklace.

“...the only option I had was diplomacy,” Rarity continued, ignoring her friend’s commentary. “I thought that if I learned more about Spike’s birth mother that it might help me in my situation. I learned her name was Xia. In the Dragon King’s own words, she was a gentle soul of uncommon kindness and generosity. She believed in the pact made between the Princesses and the Dragon King and wanted to improve the relations between ponies and dragons. She came to Equestria to lay her eggs, hoping that they could form friendships with us ponies.”

“Xia…” Spike repeated. He now knew the name of the dragoness that laid his egg. Though he never put too much thought into it before, it brought him a great sense relief and pride to learn that his birth mother wasn’t like other dragons; she was like him. He now felt a connection with her even though he had never met her.

While Spike was elated by this information and the others listening with interest, Princess Celestia looked nervous. In fact, she wore the same troubled expression the white Unicorn did just before she began telling her story of her captivity. Just as Rarity dreaded telling the story, Celestia dreaded what it might reveal.

“But that’s not all. I’ve learned the true reason why the Dragon King is doing all of this,” Rarity continued. She then turned to her husband, her anxiety doubling. “Spike, I have something difficult to tell you.”

“What is it?” he asked, obviously noticing her discomfort.

“The Dragon King… is your father.” The room exploded with gasps and confused chatter at this revelation.

“Say what?!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

“Oh, my goodness,” Fluttershy gasped.

“I demand a paternity test!” Pinkie Pie shouted.

“Whoa Nelly,” Applejack commented, floored by this information.

“His father…” Twilight Sparkle whispered amongst all of the yelling. She then looked to Spike as did everypony else did to see how he would react. However, he didn’t react. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t even move. He just kept on staring at her with a wide-eyed expression. He slowly opened his mouth as though he was going to say something, yet no words came out.

Seeing that her husband was literally speechless, Rarity approached him and placed a hoof to the side of his face. “Spike?”

“He… He’s my… father? No! He was lying to you! He had to be!” Spike shouted, refusing to believe it.

“No, Spike, he wasn’t.”

Spike looked into Rarity’s eyes and knew that she was being sincere. She wouldn’t lie to him, not about this. But maybe the Dragon King was a very convincing liar. He turned his long neck to look at Princess Celestia and asked, “It’s not true, right?”

“...It is true. He is your father,” the Princess confirmed solemnly.

“How long have you known?” Spike quietly asked.

She flinched at the question as though the words hurt her physically. Everyone, even Princess Luna, looked at the Princess of the Sun, waiting breathlessly for her answer. “I have always known.”

“Sister…” Luna said in a hushed tone, just as shocked as everyone else.

Celestia found the look Spike was giving her unbearable; it screamed of betrayal. When Spike learned the fate of Xia, it had shaken him but he didn’t have time to dwell upon it with the kidnapping of his wife. But now with this new information, that shock returned stronger than before. Not only was his father the same Dragon King that was threatening to destroy his home, but Celestia, the mare that helped Twilight raised him, not only knew the truth concerning his birth parents but had been keeping it from him for all of his life. Spike then moved past Rarity and headed to the throne room’s doors.

“Spike? Darling, where are you going?” Rarity asked as she and the other Element Bearers followed after him.

“Home. I need to ask Aurum a question,” he answered as he left Canterlot Castle and took off towards Ponyville. As he left the castle, he didn’t notice Thunderbolt and Amethyst eavesdropping from around the corner.

Hargon was overseeing the final preparations for the ceremony. The large cistern in front of the altar in the Temple of Malroth was now filled with the green ooze that was hauled from the reservoir beneath the tower, ethereal vapors rising from its surface. His agents from the second site had also reported that the cistern there was ready to go. Most importantly, Live Wire, Cider Barrel, and the other agents were in position. It was now only a matter of waiting for the right time to act.

Hargon… an overwhelming voice boomed in Hargon’s head.

Yes, Master Malroth, the sorcerer answered the voice.

The agents of the Forces of Light are six once more…

Not to worry, Master. They can’t stop us. I have set a trap for them in the catacombs, and the Dragon King should be burning Fillydelphia to the ground.

FOOL! the voice of Malroth boomed within Hargon’s head, the shear force of the telepathic voice causing Hargon to put a hoof to the side of his head in pain. You place too much faith in the Archwyrm! You were supposed to get him to destroy Equestria, yet he did not! You said you could rectify this error, yet his claw has been stayed again! The city still stands with only minimal damage!

But… But the contingency plans…

Have so far all failed! The trap you have set has failed, and now they have all the weapons that were used to banish Zoma back to this abyss! As for your other contingency plans, your agents had better succeed! Even with that blasted tree out of the way, I still need more destructive energy to breach the dimensional barriers!

But, Master, the ceremony is almost prepared! Your entry into this world is secured! Hargon tried to appease the dark entity. Our agents will not fail us. Our enemies will still have to deal with the Dragon King and won’t be able to interfere when we make our move.

Hear me now, mortal... All must go according to plan... I have been trap here since before time began… I will not tolerate anything or anyone getting in the way of my ascension! The Light will do anything to deny me… You know what shall be required of you if anything is to frustrate the rituals...

I promise you, my master, all of the rituals will be performed as planned, and I will get you all of the destructive energy you require.

I have waited an eternity for this… Do not fail me… With that final warning, the voice of Malroth left Hargon’s mind, leaving the sorcerer knelt trembling on the altar floor.

“My lord?” a voice asked with concern. Hargon looked up to Nightingale standing by his side, offering him a hoof. Taking her hoof, he stood back up while she supported him until he could stand on his own four hooves once more. The members of the cult had paused the preparations and looked to their leader expectantly.

“The Great Malroth grows impatient. The time for the ceremony has come,” Hargon announced to his followers.

“Hail Hargon! Praise Malroth!” the cult chanted before rushing to finish the preparations.

“Go and get Honeysuckle, and then bring Narcissus to the temple,” Hargon ordered Nightingale.

“At once, my lord,” the beige Unicorn acknowledged before leaving to carry out her orders.

Midnight was with Sworn Duty in the Castle of Friendship’s dining room when they hear the front door slam. Rising from the table, they ran down labyrinthine halls of the crystalline tree palace to the source of the noise. As the headed towards the entry hall, they heard the click clack of claws against the polished floors. Moments later, the large form of Spike rounded the corner and came face to face with the two ponies.

“Spike, you’re back!” Midnight greeted her eldest brother. However, she noticed that something was bothering him and asked, “Is something wrong? Where’s Rarity? Were you able to save her?”

“Yes,” he told her, his grumpy growl stunning her. “Where’s Aurum’s orb?”

“It’s in the study,” she told him, concerned by his dour demeanor. She watched him as he headed in the direction of the study, perplexed and worried. She looked to Sworn Duty then back to Spike, wondering if she should follow her brother or to give him space.

Upon entering the study, Spike found the golden orb that contained Aurum’s memories resting on a table. Spike walked up to the orb and tapped its surface with a claw, causing it to glow brighter. The image of a young Aurum was projected before Spike, the magical hologram smiled and bowed when it saw who it was its summoner.

“Welcome back, Spike. How may I be of service?” Aurum’s projection asked.

“The Dragon King is my father. Celestia knew along,” Spike relayed the information to his magical confidant. Hearing this, the projection’s smile faded. By gauging the hologram’s reaction and silence, Spike confirmed his suspicion. “You also knew.”

“Aurum…” the projection began to speak.

“Stop speaking as though you’re not Aurum!” Spike shouted, his anger erupting. “I know you’re not the real Aurum, but you have all of his memories. As far as I’m concerned, you are Aurum. Now, did you or did you not know that the Dragon King was my father?!”

“Very well. Yes, Spike. I did know,” the image of Aurum confirmed, no longer speaking in the third-person. “Perhaps I should explain.”

“Yes, please do,” Spike said, still riled up.

“Ever since the day you first stumbled into my cave, I had my suspicions but no evidence to support them. Curious it was for a dragon to be raised by ponies. How you were hatched by Twilight Sparkle as part as an exam to get into a school, ran by Princess Celestia no less. The mystery of where Celestia obtained your egg. It all made sense in hindsight. You were the son of Xia.”

“You knew Xia?” a surprised Spike asked.

“Of course I knew Xia. Every dragon knew of her. She was the mate of the Dragon King,” Aurum explained.

“You said that you had your suspicions from the start. What was it? How did you know?”

“Simple; you look like your parents,” Aurum causally said. Spike gawked at the illusion of his mentor for his laxed attitude concerning the matter. “You have the bearings of your mother; green eyes, frills, underbelly, and spines. Though she was pink while you are purple, the same as Ryuo.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t Celestia tell me? After all of these years, why didn’t anyone tell me?!” Spike yelled, his voice reverberating off of the vaulted ceiling of the study.

“Celestia asked me not to.”

“She what?!” Spike asked, outraged to learn that Celestia specifically asked Aurum to withhold such important information regarding his true parentage.

“Not long after you returned to Equestria, she visited me and confirmed what I had already suspected. She also asked me not to say anything concerning the matter. However, I did attempt to warn you about him before I died.”

“‘Beware the Dragon King’,” Spike quoted Aurum’s final warning. “So the whole thing about other dragons wanting your treasure was just another lie?”

“It was not a lie. My covetous rivals would have indeed tried to claim my hoard for themselves, but I admit the warning was to encourage you to avoid the Dragon King.”

“But why did you and Celestia go behind my back?!”

“I assume by now that you know of the pact made between the Dragon King and the Princesses of Equestria.” Spike nodded. “Then you already know why.”

“I’m not talking about national security! I’m talking about me!” Spike’s gaze fell to the floor, his anger becoming confusion and pain. “...Why did no one tell me?”

“Maybe you should ask her,” Aurum suggested, looking behind Spike. The purple dragon turned his head to see Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and their closest friends standing at the door. Apparently, they had followed him all the way back to Ponyville. The white Alicorn stepped forward to stand directly in front of Spike.

“Why did you never tell me?” Spike quietly asked. “I understand why you never told the Dragon King, but why not me or Twilight? Wouldn’t it be better if we knew in case he ever found out and came for me so we could be prepared?”

“Perhaps,” Celestia admitted. “But I didn’t want to hurt you. The truth of your origins was such a heavy burden and I didn’t know if you could bear it. I just wanted to protect you. I thought that the less that knew the safer everyone would be.”

Despite his frustration, Spike couldn’t refute her reasoning. How would he have turned out if he had always known that his birth mother was killed in a horrible accident caused by ponies and his father was a demented draconic despot? Would he have rejected Twilight as his mother? Would he have been resentful of Celestia? Would he, like Ryuo, have hated ponies for killing his mother and his unborn siblings? Would he have tried to return to his father and aid him in destroying all of Equestria? Would he have ever met and fallen in love with his wife, Rarity?

“Did you…” Spike’s voice hitched. “Did you ever plan on telling me?”

“Oh, Spike. Of course I did!” she reassured him. “I never intended to keep this from you. I was going to tell you after the festival. But then…”

“Then all of this happened,” Spike finished for her.

“The festival was to be a crowning moment in the unification of our two races. With ponykind and dragonkind united in harmony, it would have finally been safe to tell you.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Spike hung his head and said, “I’m sorry, Princess. It's just that it was only Twilight and me growing up. I never had a father figure in my life, and I only met Aurum when I was already an adult. To find out that I have a father and who he is... it's a lot to take in.”

“I understand.” She closed the distance between her and Spike, wrapping her white wings around his long neck in a hug. “Spike, I have always considered you as a son and have done everything in my power to insure your happiness. None of this was done with the intent to cause you distress. All I wanted was to keep you safe from your father’s wrath.”

“You are truly blessed, Spike,” Aurum spoke up. “You have three mothers that care for you deeply. Xia wanted a better life for you, and that is why she came to Equestria. Twilight Sparkle gave you life and raised you to be a noble dragon. Celestia protected you and ensured that you had a future.”

“He’s right, Spike,” Rarity agreed. “It’s because of them you turned out to be such the wonderful dragon you are.”

Overcome with emotion, Spike used his wings and fore legs to pull everypony close to him. The eight mares latched onto him affectionately while Aurum’s projection smiled at the familial love being displayed before him.

“Thanks, everypony," Spike told everyone.

"Hey! I just realized that this makes Spike a double prince!" Pinkie Pie announced as they broke the hug. Everyone looked at her curiously for a moment before she explained. "He's a Prince of Equestria and the Prince of Dragons!"

"That's why the Dragon King couldn't control you!" Twilight gasped, suddenly making the connection. "And that's probably how you were able to command that other dragon; you've inherited that ability from him!"

"Wow, to think I gave up the position of Dragon Lord to Ember just to find out I was already the Dragon Prince," Spike stated, amazed by life's ironies. "But what does that matter now? Where do we go from here?”

“He’s right. We have less than two days before the Dragon King comes back,” Applejack reminded everyone.

Celestia analyzed the situation for a moment before saying, “The situation hasn’t changed. For the sake of all Equestria, Dragon King Ryuo has to be stopped.”

“But must we really fight him?” Rarity asked hopefully. “There's some good in him, I saw it in his eyes when he spoke about Xia. I almost managed to reach him earlier and Amethyst was able to convince him not to destroy Fillydelphia today. Maybe if we just talked to him we can make peace with him.”

Celestia considered Rarity’s suggestion and answered, “If the path to peace is available, then it should be pursued, no matter how difficult it may be.”

“What if we prove that those robed low-lives are behind this?” Applejack asked.

“I fear it’s too late for that,” Luna told Applejack. “He saw his kind imprisoned by ponies. He will disregard any evidence we present to him. The only reason why he stayed his claw thus far was because of his Dragon Code. In less than two days' time, nothing will be holding him back. ”

“Ryuo is a stubborn dragon,” Aurum agreed with Luna. “Once he has set his mind on something, he cannot be deterred from it, and what he wants now is revenge. The only one who was ever able to speak some sense into him was Xia.”

“Then it’s a good thing we have her son on our side,” Spike replied. “Tomorrow, I’ll surrender to him.”

“Absolutely not!” Rarity adamantly rejected his idea.

“It’s the only option we have. He wants me more than he wants revenge. Otherwise, he would have already attacked. If I gave myself in..."

"Then you will be doing exactly what he wants," Aurum countered. "Do not underestimate him. His hatred for ponies, especially for Celestia, runs deep. He has been waiting for this opportunity for millennia."

Spike realized Aurum was right. The Dragon King even said that he intended to destroy Equestria once Spike had joined him. For all Spike knew, his father could have him locked away as he went on to destroy Equestria. Or worse, he could make Spike watch as he burned everything to the ground. "Then if I can’t get him to stop, then you’ll have to use the amulet on him.”

“If you’re going, then I’m coming as well!” Rarity declared.

“No, it’s too dangerous. You were already his prisoner once. I’m not going to let you go through that again.”

“Be reasonable, Spike. If something goes wrong and the Dragon King invades again, we’ll won’t stand a chance,” Twilight told him. “The Powers of Harmony may be powerful, but I don’t know if they will work on hundreds of dragons at once. We need to be there with you in case something happens. It’ll take all of us to use the amulet, and we’re not going to let you do this alone.”

“Yeah, Spike, don’t be silly. We’re your friends. We’re sticking with you every step of the way,” Pinkie told him.

“Will this plan work?” Luna asked her sister.

“There’s a slim chance, but I have faith in the Powers of Harmony. They will guide you,” Celestia proclaimed.

“Then count me in! Element of Loyalty, ready for duty!” Rainbow Dash saluted.

“Ah’m with ya, pardner,” Applejack said supportively.

“Me too,” Fluttershy meekly chimed in.

“If this is going to work, then we have to sneak into the Dragon Lands undetected,” Twilight announced.

“Okay, but how are we going to get all the way to the castle without being seen?” Spike asked.

“I’ve been thinking about that. I might have an idea,” Twilight confidently said with a sly smirk.

It was the midnight hour and Narcissus was being escorted to the Temple of Malroth atop of the Rhone’s east tower. Four ponies were ushering him across the bridge from the west tower to the east tower, two in front of him and two following behind him. They were wearing the cult’s white robes marked with the grinning bat symbol with the hoods covering their heads. Under the hoods, Narcissus could see that their faces were covered with featureless masks with only a horizontal slit for their eyes.

Upon entering the temple, Narcissus could see the entire cult had gathered inside, every member was wearing the same get up as the four ushers. They were chanting in a language that he couldn’t understand. Narcissus felt underdressed. He had been told he didn’t need to wear anything for the wedding, but he wished they at least could have provided him with a jacket or shirt to make him look more presentable for such an important event such as this.

Walking down the center aisle of the temple, he could see the altar at the end. Towering above it was the statue of Malroth, the colossus illuminated by the glowing green vapors that continuously rose from the vents in the floor. Resting below the platform was a large cistern of the glowing goop that was producing the mist. On the altar, he could see Hargon and a few more cloaked ponies overlooking a table that had candelabras on either end.

More importantly, he saw that Honeysuckle was standing at the base of the steps on the left side the altar. Unlike the other followers of Malroth, she was wearing a simple white dress with a wreath of white flowers in her golden mane. Though it was a humble gown for a bride, at least it looked more appropriate for a wedding. Narcissus was also caught off guard by the fact that the bride was waiting for the groom at the altar and not the other way around.

The four ushers motioned to the stairs on the right side of platform, and Narcissus walked around the large cistern to them. As he ascend the right stairs, he looked over to his left to see Honeysuckle across the pool of green ooze walking up the left stairs. Upon reaching the top of the steps, the two joined Hargon before the table.

On the center of the table, there was a gold and jade idol in the shape of Malroth coiling around a horned skull. Narcissus recognized the idol as it was similar to the device that was used to open the path in the mountains to Rhone. Narcissus guessed it must have some sort of magical properties. Also on the table was a pillow with a cloth covering what Narcissus assumed was the rings.

Now that Narcissus and Honeysuckle were standing in the center of the altar, Hargon turned and addressed the congregation, “Brothers and sisters, we have gathered here tonight to bear witness to this sacred ritual! Tonight marks the beginning of the end for the old, corrupt Royal Family! Soon, a new order shall reign!”

“Hail Hargon! Praise Malroth!” the crowd chanted.

“Prince Narcissus has joined us willingly! We have liberated him from the confines of the accursed Celestia’s dungeon, and he has promised to support our righteous cause! Now it is time for him to fulfill his promise!”

I guess this is it, Narcissus thought, standing up straighter and clearing his throat in preparation for whatever what would be asked of him. Hargon then nodded to the four ushers, and then Narcissus found himself being restrained by four holding spells. He tried moving his limbs and activating his own magic, but the combined power of the four Unicorns prevented him from moving other than a few useless wiggles. “H-Hey! What’s the meaning of this?!”

Hargon ignored him and turned back to the table. Using his magic, he levitated the pillow over to Honeysuckle and removed the cloth. Resting on the cushion was an ornate dagger shaped like a claw. The handle was made of bone and had ancient runes carved into it. Honeysuckle took the dagger in her hoof and then approached the paralyzed Narcissus.

“What do you think you’re doing?! Let me go!” the terrified stallion demanded.

“It is as I said, we need your royal blood,” Hargon explained, amused by Narcissus’ terror. “We needed the blood of somepony significant for the summoning ritual, and your relation to the Princesses make you an ideal offering to our god, Malroth. Did you really think that I would allow your line to continue? You and the rest of the Canterlot nobility have no place in the new world. Rejoice, for now your useless life now has a purpose!”

“Y-You’re crazy! You’re all crazy!”

“Hush, my ‘prince’,” Honeysuckle shushed him, grinning at him with an all too pleased smile on her face as she placed the tip of the dagger against the fur of his chest. “This is how it was meant to be.”

“We now summon Bazuzu to aid in our cause! Once he and his brothers have been summoned, the Great Malroth shall rise and cleanse the world!” Hargon announced.

“No! No, you can’t…” He protests became a bloodcurdling scream as the dagger was thrust into his heart, his blood splattering onto Honeysuckle’s face and white dress, the red contrasting against the white. When she pulled it out, Narcissus let out a few short, choking gasps as the blood flowed from the wound, his eyes fluttering before closing for good.

There were a few gasps from the audience. Some of the ponies in attendance were still new to the order and haven’t been fully indoctrinated. Most of them had only joined because they were promised safety from the invading dragons. They watched on in horror as a pony was sacrificed to a strange god before their very eyes. Fortunately, their startled cries were drowned out and unnoticed in the roar of the applauding crowd.

As the stallion’s body dangled limply in the restraining spell’s aura, the ushers turned him around and held him over the vat of glowing liquid located below the altar. Narcissus’ blood trickled from the dagger wound on his chest down into the awaiting liquid.

The theft of the Tree of Harmony and the siege on Canterlot had generated enough negative energy to create a fissure in the dimensional boundaries. The sacrilegious blood ritual sent another ripple through the void and caused the edges of the crack to chip away and widen enough for a shadowy being to slip through from the other side of the wall. After it had escaped through the now wider hole, something else peered through from the abyss, something dark, powerful, and malevolent.

As the blood mixed with the ooze, its green glow changed to red. Combining with the slime, the blood started to thicken and pulsate. The amorphous blob started to take shape, forming a skeletal structure with muscles and tendons spreading over the developing bones.

On the altar, a pleased Hargon watched as the creature grew within the vat, the ritual a success. He looked over to see the ushers drop the corpse of the once Prince of Equestria unceremoniously on the floor. One of the masked ponies standing beside Hargon removed their mask, revealing Nightingale. The beige mare walked over to Honeysuckle, smiling as she wiped the blood from the younger mare’s face.

“Here, let me clean that off for you, my daughter,” Nightingale said as she wiped off the gore. Hargon approached the mares, he too was smiling.

“How was I, Father?” Honeysuckle asked.

“You were perfect,” Hargon congratulated his daughter as he affectionately brushed her mane.

A primal screech was heard as something burst from the glowing red cistern and landed on the altar before the mad sorcerer. It resembled a large baboon with bat wings growing from its back. Red ooze dripped from its purple fur, and it heaved as it took its first breaths in the mortal world.

“Welcome, Prince Bazuzu,” Hargon greeted the ape-like demon.

“Hargon…” the demon uttered.

“We have much to do, my friend. Tomorrow, we need to collect three more ponies to be sacrificed. Once the Agents of the Light are distracted with dealing with the Archwyrm, we shall make our move.” Hearing this, Bazuzu howled in agreement, eager to summon his master to the physical plane. “You must be hungry. You’ll need to eat if you want to be prepared for tomorrow.”

Hargon waved a hoof to Narcissus' motionless form, Bazuzu drooling at the sight of fresh meat. This would be the demon’s first meal as a living creature. Screeching, the ravenous demon bared his his fangs and leapt at the body with outstretched claws.