Chapter 6 - In Which Spike Gets Fired And Fired At
SPLASH!
The lake. They had been appeared over a lake.
After the addition of an unexpected passenger destabilized the spell, they were violently thrown off course. And of all places they could've been teleported to, it had been to a lake.
Spike hastily swam to the surface and reluctantly looked around. He sighed in relief.
Luckily, it doesn't seem like I teleported in on a mare bathing again. And, even more fortunately, Trixie isn't around this time either. We may be sort-of friends now, but she still packs a mean slap.
More than once, Spike had suspected that incident to be one of Princess Luna's pranks. She did seem amused when he told her about his less-than-stellar encounter with the traveling magician, especially when he mentioned that he needed to call Twilight to fix him up because the hoofmark was starting to look permanent.
The margin for error for the Lunar Expresss is considerably smaller than the original, even with possible unforeseen circumstances, since the moon was being used as a medium. If that were the case, then how the buck did I end up near Vanhoover?!
This time though, it seems like he was blown aside to the lake just outside the citadel's walls.
Eh, could have been worse. With my luck, I was expecting being thrown down the waterfall, again.
Spike sighed. "I wonder who's the idiot that disturbed the magic sequence and where he or she are now, if they aren't stuck on the moon or something."
He heard chirping above him and, lo and behold, Peewee was fluttering around impatiently. He let out another chirp that Spike bet meant, "You probably shouldn't have said that."
He heard somepony else surface beside him, just outside his range of vision. He felt a chill up his spine that didn't come from the cold water.
What would be a fitting thing to say here? Such misfo-OUCH!
"Hello, Apple Bloom," Spike winced. "So glad of you to join me."
The said mare glared, which she dropped a second later in favor of a tired expression. "Did you really think that I would let you go off into a situation that gives even the Princesses trouble? Alone and exhausted to boot? We're friends Spike. How many times do I need to remind you that it's alright for you to lean on us from time to time?"
Spike said nothing. He just started swimming to shore where Peewee was already waiting. Apple Bloom sighed and followed him.
No matter what she said, he would take on the entire world on his back if he could. While that could be seen as sort-of admirable, he took it to an unhealthy level. If somepony asked him for help, he'd do it however reluctant he might be. Even if they didn't ask, he'd still do it anyways. To make matters worse, he refused all forms of assistance unless it was forced onto him.
She's already lost count of how many times he's collapsed of sleep deprivation alone, not counting the times from malnutrition, exhaustion, and personal injury.
"One of these days that idiot is gonna kill himself," she muttered. "That'll be the day when I ain't around."
When she got to the shore, Spike was staring at the gate. From out here, the three of them could hear the sounds of chaos in the capital city and see the smoke from the probable carnage. The drawbridge was destroyed, but there was enough debris to serve as stepping stones.
"AB, there's still time to use the Lunar Express to return to Ponyville you know," Spike reminded her. In response, Apple Bloom ran to the remains of the bridge and hopped across. Peewee didn't even need to be told; he just flew through the gate.
Spike sighed.
With friends like these, I'll end up getting gray scales way before I turn ten thousand...
He frowned before running after them. There was a huge if in that sentence, and the last thing he needs right now is a distraction.
...
Canterlot had seen better days.
That was the thought that ran through Spike's mind when he saw what had become of his old hometown.
Not a single building was unharmed. If it wasn't close to ruins, then it was either on its way or set ablaze with a strange fire. The citizens were being chased through the streets by Twisted Timbers, though it seems like a some of them had barricaded themselves inside Pony Joe's (which, Spike noted with relief, had suffered considerably less damage). Guards were being thrown left and right by a regiment of Clunkers lead by a less shabby looking golem carrying around a staff and wearing a tribal headdress made of rock.
Spike had to resist the urge to run where somepony needed help, which seemed to be everywhere at the moment. The three of them needed to get to the castle as soon as possible and get the Princesses. They have a better skill set for dealing with this kind of situation.
That didn't mean that he couldn't do anything on their way there.
"Peewee! Flame charge the pack to the right before circling back! AB, duck and buck left!" Spike yelled, rolling into the nearest Clunker and using his claws to rip out a chunk of its shoulder, revealing a shiny blue sphere. "Guards! These guys instinctively protect their energy cores! Take it out and they're finished! Look for the one place they avoid taking damage at all costs!"
He rammed into another Timberwolf and sent it skidding a fair distance.
Spike panted. Even if they took the most direct route to the castle, it's still a very long trip considering how many times they had to stop to fight. His firebreath refused to work for some reason (though it would've been useless anyway, he thought bitterly), so he was forced to resort to pure melee combat - an area he did not particularly excel in. He knew his way around a brawl, but that was his limit.
Apple Bloom grunted as she bashed two Twisted Timbers' heads together. Just like him, she was really feeling the effects from earlier. She has her limits too. Peewee's flames actually flickered and died for a second before the young bird reignited himself.
This is getting us nowhere... Spike ground his fangs in frustration. Time to switch it up then!
It was a straight path to the castle, but littered with enemies and clutter. Spike took a deep breath and lowered his head.
"AB! Peewee!" His friends stopped in their fights. He lowered his head far enough that they could see his smirk. "Keep up if you can."
With that, he charged.
It was at a speed that went far beyond reckless, considering what he was currently running towards. He felt magically reinforced wood, stones, blasts of magic, and the even familiar armor that the guards wore relentlessly batter his body. Shrapnel attempted to pierce his scales. His claws dug deeply into the ground for traction, leaving a trail of deep gashes.
A single second.
That's how long he managed to clear a path through the anarchy. It was for that one second after he went past that the way was clear. After it the area returned to its state of pandemonium. But it was a road regardless.
Apple Bloom did not waste the opportunity he granted.
She matched him step for step, traveling down the trail he was blazing - a rather fitting phrase with the trail of fire Peewee was leaving behind as he streaked by. Nothing would stop her. Nothing could.
By the time they reached the castle walls, Spike was covered in bruises and bleeding in multiple areas. His scales did well in mostly protecting him from the impacts, but they did little to nothing about the force. One of his eyes was forced closed by a heavy flow of blood trailing down from the top of his head. Shards and splinters were wedged in with his scales. He wheezed for breath, only to hack up more blood.
All in all, it was a wonder that he was still standing.
He didn't have the luxury of time to rest and wonder why this is the one area that seemed to be isolated from the turmoil because his magic detection system drove him to dive just as a ray of light struck the spot he was just at.
That wasn't a regular magic blast, Spike noted. High-level stuff too. Judging from the marks it left and the distortions in the mana, it's definitely heat related. Evaporation through molecular acceleration, maybe? Regardless, it's not something I'd want to find out firsthand.
"Hey! What was that for you jerks?!" Apple Bloom shouted at the walls. "We're tryin' to help over here! If you're gonna shoot at us, at least don't hide like yellow-bellied varmints and face us like real ponies! Or are you part chicken on your mother's side?!"
Buck my life...
Spike clamped a claw over his companion's muzzle before she busted the really insulting stuff. He'd heard her curse before; what she was yelling now was foalsplay compared to what she could really do. She struggled against him, but he kept his grip firm; he'd rather not get vaporized at the moment, or at all actually.
He had pulled her back just in time to witness several beams of magic hit the ground in front of them. This just made Apple Bloom even more enraged as she struggled even harder to break free from Spike's grasp. He clenched his fangs.
No gems this time to dull the pain either.
Spike bit back a scream of pain. He needed to drag Apple Bloom away from there as soon as possible. For his sake as much as hers.
...
Apple Bloom continued to grumble the entire way as Spike lead her somewhere. Peewee was flying nearby, concerned about the slight trail of blood the dragon was dripping, but he hadn't said anything about it himself so Peewee wasn't that worried. The fledgling phoenix thought that Spike was probably so focused on devising some sort of ingenious plan to get past the deadly rays that he couldn't afford to pay attention to the pain.
In truth, Spike was gnashing his teeth together and doing his utmost best to stop himself from whimpering.
The trio continued until they reached the mountain the citadel was build on the side of and entered a moderately-sized niche that was all-but invisible unless you already knew that it was there. A couple of small outcroppings completely hid them from view from both the castle and the city.
"Y'know Spike, if you were some other pony, then this would be the part where I beat you senseless," commented Apple Bloom.
Spike ignored the thinly-veiled warning and cleared his throat. With a clear and imposing voice she wasn't aware he was capable of, he stated, "Thou shall heed our command. Open is the path to the keep, so sayeth the Drake Prince. Relinquish thy gate!"
He said it in a low volume, almost a whisper, yet it held an amazing amount of authority. Just as Spike finished, the outline of a door appeared appeared in front of him and the stone within its boundaries silently sunk into the ground, revealing a tall passageway.
Apple Bloom groaned. "Another underground passageway?"
"Not quite. It's a secret underground passageway that's also our ticket in."
"How do you know about it then if it's 'secret'?"
"Rudimentary, my dear Apple Bloom; its a rule that every castle, mansion, or other lavish estate needs to have secret passages littered all around the premises."
"Why is that anyways?"
"Dunno. I guess they got bored or something."
"Alright I guess. Before we go though," Apple Bloom snickered, "'so sayeth the Drake Prince'?"
"It was either that or 'Luna PWNS Celestia, foals!', but somepony wasn't entirely too keen on that for the password," Spike shrugged. "Besides, it changes depending on who's asking for entry." The spell also has a detector, so it's absolutely necessary for the subject to say it his/herself of their own volition otherwise the defense system'll activate... who am I explaining this to inside my head?
Unlike before, this one was wide enough for the two of them to walk side-by-side rather comfortably - well, as comfortably as they can get when both of them were tired beyond measure and one was beaten to a pulp not that long ago. Also, this time there was some kind of natural lighting, so Peewee didn't need to light the way.
They continued at a downward slope until they reached a simple spiral staicase that wrapped around the walls and went all the way to until the ceiling. Spike climbed onto the first step and made sure to skip the second. Curiously, Apple Bloom placed a hoof on it and recoiled when a sharp metal blade shot up from the floor.
"Wait there AB!" Apple Bloom looked up and was surprised to find Spike already near the top. "I'll disable the traps first!" There was a clunk! and the blade retracted.
Cautiously, she put her hoof on the step again and was relieved when nothing happened. With much trepidation, Apple Bloom crawled up the stairs at an agonizingly slow rate.
Spike would've laughed at how comical the brash and bold Apple Bloom looked right now, but he wasn't suicidal. He did, however, need to do something about his wounds.
"Hey Peewee, c'mere for a second..."
By the time the mare had managed to reach the top, Spike was a bit more blackened than she remembered him being and smoking slightly in a few places, but he had stopped bleeding at least.
He placed his claws onto the wall and twisted. Something was unlocked. A trapdoor on the roof slid aside, revealing the night sky. Spike climbed out first, keeping close to the ground. He motioned for his friends to do the same.
"This is... the castle gardens?" Apple Bloom whispered. Spike nodded. They were currently in one of the corners of the main garden, hidden in one of shadowed corners. A small row of shrubs was the only thing that separated them from the main path.
Peewee hopped up onto Spike's back, causing the dragon to wince slightly. No, he could still do this. It's not like he hasn't done this hundreds of times before.
"Seems like most of the guards are concentrated near the main door, but there are bound to be some patrolling other areas, so follow me exactly. And I mean exactly. Stay quiet and wait for my signal."
Without waiting for a response, Spike slid towards the bushes and crept along them. Despite his purple scales (which were more black and red by this point), he blended in almost seamlessly with the shadows. He was so silent that if she wasn't watching him herself, Apple Bloom would've never guessed that he was there.
You're always full of surprises aren't you? Apple Bloom chuckled, and promptly received an intense but silent shushing.
...
Spike was operating on pure instinct. He couldn't explain it, but there were things that were simply just hardwired into his brain. Mostly out of habit.
He already lost count of how many times he had snuck into the castle, but he can confidently proclaim that nopony could move around Canterlot unnoticed better than he could.
Feel the wind; move with it. Shadows aren't always reliable. Moving objects are easier to notice than immobile ones. Heights can make effective hiding places. There is always a blind spot, so look out for those while watching your own.
And last but not least, hallway closets are golden sanctuaries.
That last one is kind of hard to remember when you've crammed a teenage dragon, teenage mare, and fledgling phoenix into one that's full of hats and barely large enough for one pony.
"Spike, that better have been your tail!" hissed Apple Bloom.
"It is." Spike deadpanned. "What else would it be?"
"... You really are an idiot."
"Yep."
Apple Bloom suppressed the urge to scream in frustration. Peewee poked his head out from a nest composed of baseball caps. That red one with the white half-circle on the back shelf looked rather nice nice...
Spike concentrated intently with his head pressed against the door (he didn't need to, but present circumstances forced him to adopt an uncomfortable position as opposed to an awkward one). The armor the guards in the palace wore were all enchanted for better durability and easier to maintain. Thanks to that, Spike could accurately detect them if he focuses and tunes out the background magic.
I don't know if I'm relieved or irritated that mother and Aunt Luna still haven't hired more competent guards. My options are far more limited since Apple Bloom and Peewee are with me, and we're rushing this time too...
Huh... I wonder if I should start pranking them again...
Spike's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of a large commotion.
"What the-?" He concentrated and was slightly surprised to sense all of the guards rushing towards the main entrance.
BAM! CRASH!
An impact shook the entire castle, followed by something big breaking. Before either of them could say anything, a scream echoed throughout the palace.
A very familiar scream.
The closet door flew from its hinges and loudly crashed into the opposite wall as Spike and Apple Bloom dashed out, forgoing any and all attempts at stealth. They sprinted to the entrance hall, passing a few guards but not caring.
When they got there, an enormous breach was made in the front wall. Debris and armored ponies were strewn about everywhere. Several of them were smoking and groaning in pain, but at least they were alive. What was more worrisome were the quiet ones. The ones not on the ground, who probably just arrived same as Spike and Apple Bloom, immediately rushed to the aid of the fallen. Traces of fierce flames were scattered about, with a few embers still burning.
The path of destruction lead to the throne room. The doors were missing, but the doorway was covered by a strange darkness which prevented anypony from seeing inside. Two pillars of violet fire rose from the sides.
"As if that doesn't just shout boss battle," Spike muttered under his breath.
"Real subtle," sighed Apple Bloom at the same time.
This drew the attention of every guard in the room who wasn't preoccupied. Spike shoved Apple Bloom to the side before leaping the other way just as half a dozen rays of magic blasted the spot they were just standing. The young dragon barely managed to get his guard up just as a pegasus knocked him to the ground and started relentlessly raining blows upon him.
With a grunt, Spike caught the guard by his armor using his tail and promptly threw him off. The dragon rose to his feet and sidestepped another magic blast. He then blocked a punch and headbutted the guard behind the hoof. The helmet did not help in the slightest, as Spike could see it and the poor pony's eyes vibrating from the impact.
Immediately afterwards, Spike remembered his own injuries and fell to the ground, clutching his head in pain.
One of the guards tried to take advantage of that, but he was quickly tackled by a red and yellow blur. Before he could recover, two hooves smashed into his helmet and caused crumple to the ground in an unglorified heap.
"The next one of you that tries to hurt my friend over here ain't gonna walk away with a simple headache this time," Apple Bloom warned/threatened.
Some of the guards growled. One of them, a tan unicorn with a brown mane that had blackened ends, stepped forward and pointed an accusing hoof at Spike. "That monster over there is the cause of this! Him and his wretched kind are a blight to this world! How could you call him your friend?! Or are you just his bit-"
The surly guard was silenced by a punch from a pony wearing the signature armor of Princess Luna's royal guard.
He was an entirely black pegasus, though his coat was slightly lighter. His Cutie Mark was a white stylized outline of a bird riding air currents. Compared to the other guards, even in their current state, he was appeared almost mangy; as if he had just walked in off the streets and put on the armor. In addition, while he was probably around ten years older than the two of them, he was still way below the average age for a royal guard member (not counting that Flash guy they saw back in the town trying to help fend off the invasion).
Spike groaned as he tried to get up, only for the pegasus to support him so he wouldn't fall again. "Thanks Jett. If you didn't stop that fool, Apple Bloom might've killed him."
"No problem," the pony, Jett, shrugged nonchalantly. "I might not care much about him, but he's still a coworker."
"He owes you bits doesn't he?"
"Terrible poker face, but very easy to trick into a game," Jett smirked. He motioned towards the darkened door. "You might want to get going. Some of us already tried going through, but we just ended up back here. Figure you might have a better shot considering what came through here and put up that barrier in the first place."
"But-"
"Stop there," interrupted Jett. "Believe me, I would love nothing more than to go in there myself, but I know when I need to step aside." Even as he said this, he had a bitter expression on his face. He shook his head and slapped Spike on the back. "We'll take care of the mess here, including these guys. It's great to see you again bud. After this, I'll treat you to Pony Joe's so we can catch up. In the meantime, try not to die."
With one last chuckle, Jett went to join a group of similarly dressed guards mixed with gold armored ponies. They saluted. The rest glared daggers at them, but busied themselves with treating the wounds of the injured.
Spike ignored the dirty looks sent his way and focused on getting to the entrance of the throne room. Even when he was right in front of it, he still could not see or hear anything. Experimentally, he stetched one claw into the shade and was mildly surprised when it vanished. He could still feel it and move it, he just couldn't see it.
Maybe it was due to being partly in contact with the screen, but Spike could faintly sense three very impressive magical signatures inside. Two of them were familiar to him, but the unknown one seemed to be just as strong as them. Perhaps even stronger. It was also wrapped in some kind of strange force that gave off some seriously bad vibes.
Dimly, he noted himself telling Apple Bloom to stay back as he felt his spines bristle in anticipation.
Not from fear. Not from pain. Not from anxiety.
Pure, unfiltered excitement.
It wasn't from the idea of facing off against a strong opponent - he'd rather avoid getting stomped into the ground, thank you very much. No, it was from the thrill of discovering something that was previously unknown to him.
Spike retracted his claw. Why does it feel like I'm forgetting something?
"I'm disappointed you forgot that I ain't the type to step aside even when I should."
Oh, right. That.
He grunted as somepony none too gently shoved him into the darkness.
...
When Spike and Apple Bloom emerged on the other side, their first thought was: It's hot.
The throne room was a shadow of its former grandeur. Raging fires that showed no sign of ceasing burned in multiple places around the room. Many of the stained glass mosaics were shattered beyond recognition. A road of flame took the place of the long carpet.
At the far end of the hall was humongous fire-breathing lizard that was trying to swat two figures that flew around it and blasted it with magic. One was of the purest white and possessed a flowing mane that appeared to be made from a spectrum of light. The other was a pale midnight blue with a light-blue colored mane and tail, which sometimes flickered into a flowing pattern reminiscent of the starry night sky.
"Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!"
It seems like neither of them heard the two's astonished shouts. Not that they could blame them.
Their opponent was an colossal dragon. It was just a bit short of the size of the Synthesizer golem, but it was by no means less imposing. Its main scales were a red-orange while its underbelly was yellow. Two rows of flame-like fins ran down the length of its back to its tail, which the end of seemed to be alight. Its wings were folded, but that did nothing to hide their size or weathered state. A pair of twisted orange horns sprouted from both sides of its head while a third, swordlike horn was located just above its nose. Its body was very muscular and covered with charred patches, but it didn't seem to be too bothered by them. Large spikes jutted out from its shoulders.
However, what stood out most was its eyes. They were glowing with a harsh violet light that was all-too familiar to Spike and Apple Bloom.
When Celestia blasted him with magic, it just shrugged the attack off and roared with enough force to send the Princesses reeling through the air.
The were sent back to the entrance, barely managing to correct their flight paths moments before a collision. It was then that they noticed the new arrivals.
"Spike!" Celestia cried out. Luna just gave him a look to which he nodded. That seemed to explain everything for her, so she turned back to the present danger, though it seemed to be content with waiting smugly at the other end.
"Why are you... two here?" Celestia asked rather hesitantly, taking note of Apple Bloom's presence. Normally she would have been overjoyed when her adopted son paid a visit, especially if she was worried about not having heard from him in days - to the point of almost accidentally causing an eclipse - but it was hardly a good time right now with the current situation.
However, that was the least of Celestia's worries.
And to think that he even brought home a mare! Celestia's mind instantly flooded with all sorts of possibilities of the trouble a somewhat magically altered teenage dragon could get into with a perfectly healthy teenage mare, especially if it was enough for him to stop all contact for close to a week. Oh dear mother of... me? I really must consult with Luna about that. Now, where was I? Ah, yes...
Anything but that! I may be several millenia old, but I'm not ready to be a grandmother! And he is far from mature enough to start a family of his own! Or worse, what if he leaves and forgets about his mother? Too preoccupied with his new wife and foal to pay dear old Grandma Celestia a visit? Augh! Bad thoughts, bad thoughts, bad thoughts!
Ignoring his mother's mental meltdown (something the teacher and the student seemed to share), Spike grunted, "Simplified version? Stars; emergency call; letters; dragons; Twilight; kidnapped. Explain later. Fight now!"
With a battle cry that made him sound way more confident that he was, Spike charged towards the red dragon before any of the mares could react.
The red dragon grinned and roared again, though this time it almost sounded like it was... laughing?
In a deep voice, which officially classified him as male, he shouted, "This time it's a dragonling they sent to fight? You are brave, but quick to throw away your own life!"
He smashed the ground with his claw, sending a rising wave of rock towards the approaching dragon. Spike didn't even blink as he rode the wave to its crest and jumped, catapulting himself close to the ceiling. At this height, Spike noticed that the dragon seemed to be guarding some kind of transparent box behind the throne. He caught a glimpse of something pink within, but he didn't have enough time to ponder this as he used his wings to angle a dive towards his foe.
Just like with the golem, Spike spun and slammed his tail against the other dragon's head, earning a resounding crack in return. The added force of his momentum greatly increased the effectiveness of the move, though it also caused him to sprain his tail from the recoil.
This actually caused the red dragon to stagger briefly, and by the time he recovered, Spike had retreated a fair distance away. The red dragon rolled his jaw once before letting out another roaring laugh.
"That wasn't half bad!" he proclaimed after he finished laughing. "What is your name dragonling?"
"Give me your name and I'll give you mine!" Spike shouted back. "The public needs to know whose overgrown tail I'm going to whup!"
The red dragon's previous good mood vanished. "You've got guts dragonling, but you need to KNOW YOUR PLACE!"
He roared again, only this time a torrential stream of orange fire erupted from his maw. In no time, Spike was completely engulfed by the flames and disappeared from sight. The red dragon halted the torrent, but the fire continued to blaze.
"Feh, I've gone and done it again," the red dragon grumbled. "Pity, I could've toyed with him a bit longer. However, you should take pride in landing a hit against me. I shall tell tales of the dragonling that-"
"Shut up."
Two blurs, one black and one white, collided against the red dragon's throat. His eyes widened and started hacking violently.
Celestia was - for lack of a better word - furious. She looked ready bring down the sun and smash and/or melt something into oblivion. Repeatedly.
Luna was in a similar state, though hers was more of cold fury that chilled you to your core. Forget being sent to the moon; try being sent to a moon in another galaxy entirely.
The sisters of sun and moon flew back as the red dragon swiped at their location. He overextended, disrupting his balance, and the sisters rammed against his remaining foreleg to shatter his balance entirely. He toppled face-first to the ground before he knew what hit him.
"Now!"
From behind the pyre, another pony rushed around and leapt onto the red dragon's head. She bucked him right between his eyes with enough force to dent the scales covering it. He went cross-eyed from the blow and didn't notice the pony had already jumped off and was already out of claw's reach.
Dazed and confused as he was, he did not fail to notice the figure that emerged from the midst of his pillar of flame and run towards him.
Dazed and confused as he was, he could not do anything about the figure that emerged from the midst of his pillar of flame and was running towards him.
A figure of purple and green... and orange?
Blistering pain erupting from his snout near the base of his horn was enough to jar him back to his senses and he howled in pain as he reared up on his hind legs.
He recognized this feeling. It was fire. But not just any fire either.
It was his fire.
Even dragon scales did not stand a chance against it, and the sensation along his snout told him of either a single large gash or multiple small gashes that pierced through his scales and raked the flesh underneath. The wound did not bleed however, as it seemed to have been cauterized the instant after it was made.
That impudent dragonling! Was he somehow enchanted or completely fireproof? Did he have a magical barrier protecting him as well? How had he managed to turn his fire against him?
His questions ceased the moment he glared down at Spike.
Spike was staring defiantly at his much larger opponent, no worse for wear other than the fact that his tail was slightly bent at an odd angle and his scales were now closer to black than their original purple. The two alicorns and that one earth pony continued to send concerned glances in his direction.
The reason behind their concern was most likely the orange blaze that enveloped his forelegs, further darkening his scales.
The red dragon growled, but there was a hint of respect in it.
"Dragonling, I do not care about how you managed to escape my initial attack. You are aware that my flame is far different from that of other dragons, yes? That it will continue to burn until not even the bones of your claws are left?"
Spike grimaced, but his gaze did not falter.
The red dragon's eyes glowed even brighter. In a voice that was not his own, he spoke, "You are most interesting, very different from most other dragons your age. You show much promise; not much, but enough to break even with the effort it would be required to train you. Join with us, submit your mind to the control and break free from the restraints that have stifled your true potential!"
"Dude, that's creepy," replied Spike. "More importantly, what kind of imbecile lamebrain would sign up with you after all you guys have done to his friends, family, and their homes? You are the ones behind the attacks here and on Ponyville, right? And even..." Spike adopted a bitter expression before he resumed his glaring. "Of course, I refuse."
"Very well. You have chosen your fate, and thus can only blame so when your entire being is reduced to ashes!" The light faded from his eyes as the red dragon roared once again.
"Prepare to be incinerated you cretinous whelps! I am the wielder of the Scathing Flame That Melts All! Nothing can withstand my firebreath! The area becomes torrid from my presence alone!"
"That's from all the hot air you spew out!" Apple Bloom shouted.
"Impudent little-!"
"Why do all bad guys need to uselessly monologue about how powerful they are?" Spike sighed as he shrugged his shoulders, careful not to let the fire on his claws touch him. "It's not like it make a difference if we know all the unnecessary titles and things you're proud about that doesn't divulge any information on any weaknesses and/or flaws of your abilities, skills, and/or plans. And since you wouldn't willingly tell us that in the first place unless you were a completely dimwitted dolt, then why don't you just shut up and get on with the boss battle?"
The red dragon roared. "If you wish to seek an earlier grave, then so be it! Destruction through an all-consuming fire! I am INFERNAL MAGISTER! You who have invoked my wrath shall taste your ashes!"
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Perfection in a cup
Another great chapter, I hope Spike learns some fire attacks soon and looks like Applebloom is going to need Celestia's help getting through Spike's thick skull.
So many video game nods. I love it!