Blazing Dragon

by Zanem-Ji

Ressurection

Sparks gasped to inhale a mouthful of air as she snapped into an upright position. Her vision was blurred and she jerked her head around in an attempt to orient herself in the dimly lit room. What was she laying on? She pawed at the cool metal surface that was on either side of her, and cringed at the sight of the various tools that surrounded her. Had she fallen asleep on a table? How did she even get here?

She slid her body off the table, her legs nearly buckling over her own weight. She took a couple deep breaths and hesitant steps, and trudged towards the only door in the room. She started to reach up for the doorknob, but stopped when she heard yelling on the other side.

“I told you the base of the neck and the left ventricle for 15 seconds! Why didn’t you use it?!”

She recognized it to be Twilight. She waited for a response from whoever she was speaking to.

“You haven’t even done the damn spell on her yourself!” she heard Rarity scream. “Why would I risk killing her?!”

“You told her to do what?!” Dash boomed. “The fuck is your problem, Twilight?!”

“Her heart wouldn’t have been stopped for too long!” Twilight explained. “Her Element would’ve restarted it before attempting to heal the rest of her body!”

“It still would’ve killed her!! PERIOD!!”

“It probably would’ve stopped me from doing this…” she heard Fluttershy state softly.

There were a few seconds of silence on the other side of door.

“Ya can’t blame yerself, Shy. Ya had no idea what the hell was goin’ on.” Applejack attempted to comfort her.

“I know I’m dangerous!” Fluttershy shouted in a bitter tone. “That’s why I agreed to Twilight’s experiment!”

“Y-you…you what?” Dash questioned in disbelief.

Sparks frowned as she heard Fluttershy let out a heartbreaking sob. What had the Pegasus done that was so wrong?

“It’s Rarity and I’s fault, for failing.” Twilight stated bluntly.

“Excuse me?!” Rarity shouted indignantly.

There was the sound of a small fight breaking out. Sparks jumped back as she heard something metallic collide with the door.

“HEY, C’MERE! KNOCK IT OFF!!” Applejack shouted. “BREAK IT UP!!”

“Rarity, please stop!” Pinkie pleaded.

There were a few more sounds of a struggle before it died down.

“Get ahold of yerselves!” Applejack admonished. “Enough is enough!”

“Its never enough!” Dash spat. “We’re doing this for someone who wouldn’t hesitate to kill us right now if he had the opportunity to do so!”

“Shut your fucking mouth!” Twilight roared. “He’s still my brother!”

Heavy silence filled the other room once more.

“After all that’s happened…I sit here and wonder why the hell none of you have tried to kill me off…how were you able to forgive me? Why does everyone have to suffer for my crimes?” she heard Twilights voice start to crack. “I am haunted by the atrocities I’ve committed…but I will commit many more if it means I end this cycle…” there was a pause, “Rarity…despite the outcome of this situation…I have faith in my skills and yours. You know that while the spell is an extreme one, I’d never cause further irreparable damage to Fluttershy. I wouldn’t do that to any of you.”

There was more silence, before it was followed by the soft tapping of hooves on a hard floor.

“I…I know. But now, we’ve lost Bright Spark because of our mistake…” Rarity softly replied.

Sparks ears perked up. What was she talking about? She was fine. Tired, a bit cold, and definitely confused, but fine nonetheless. She pushed open the door,

“I’m alright, Master Rarity. See?”

All eyes turned to her. Jaws either dropped, or hooves flew up to pitifully mask their surprise. Sparks frowned in confusion,

“What?”

Rarity stared at her for a few moments more with horrified shock etched into her features. The snow colored Unicorn snapped her head in Twilight’s direction,

“What did you do?”

Twilight’s expression didn’t change. It hadn’t since Sparks entered. Her eyes flicked across the smaller Unicorn’s form,

“I did what I had to do.”

Applejack leered at Twilight, “Twilight, ya didn’t. Not again.”

Sparks eyes bounced back and forth between the mares, “What’s going on?”

“I’ve infused your corpse with Eventide crystals.” Twilight replied, as if she were speaking about the weather.

“My corpse?”

She felt the memories flood her mind. She had went on a mission led by Fluttershy and Rarity. They were attacked by a pack of mutated creatures. A Griffin had nearly killed her. Fluttershy had lost control of herself.

Twilight appeared.

Crystal Manipulation spell.

Her throat being torn asunder.

Her mother embracing her.

Sparks shook her head. This wasn’t possible. How could she be dead? She was standing right here. She placed a hoof to her throat, and flinched at the feeling of a crystalline, yet fleshy thick scar. She looked up at her mentor,

“Master Rarity, may I please see?”

Rarity didn’t answer, letting her gaze drop to the ground. The others followed, with only Dash keeping her gaze on Sparks.

“No one’s gonna do it, huh?” Dash questioned. She looked at Twilight, “You’re the reason she’s like this, why don’t you give her a mirror?”

Twilight shot her a glare, “Shut up, Rainbow Dash.”

“Fine.” Dash focused back on the smaller Unicorn. “C’mere, Sparky.”

Sparks immediately obeyed, following Dash to her workstation. The former Wonderbolt grabbed a thin sheet of metal and held it up in front of her. Sparks gasped as she took in her new, twisted form. Her fur was a far paler shade of turquoise, lacking the sheen of life. Lavender crystals jutted across her body, none of them longer than a few inches. Small patches of crystalline scales covered the massive scar, its sheer size being a blatant testament of her demise. There were splotches of dried and crusted blood splattered over her neck and face. It coated her mane, and stained her teeth. Her eyes widened as she looked at them in her reflection. They were glazed over, enlarged pupils circled by the rings of amethyst and emerald irises, and a thin band of dead blood running across the whites of her eyes. Another tell-tale sign she was no longer alive. Sparks spun around, her glare settling on Twilight. Damned be to her former title and current status,

“What did you do to me?!”

Twilight dropped the act of a war-hardened pony, slightly returning to her far younger self. “I infused you with Eventide Crystals. They’re…of my own creation. When I was the ruler of Equestria, I made them give off light, heat, and the capability to communicate with the public. But…what makes the Eventide Crystals unique, is that they’re alive. My element, The Element of Magic, has made them alive. And, when I, um…”

“Went batshit crazy.” Pinkie stated bluntly, though she lacked maliciousness behind it.

Twilight flicked Pinkie a look of irritation before continuing, “When I held the throne, I used the crystals to create…monsters…from them. Or, I could infuse a recently deceased animal with the crystals, and control them.”

Sparks looked back at her reflection, “So…am I just one of your puppets now?”

Twilight quickly shook her head, “No! No, I’m not a mad tyrant anymore, Bright Spark. You are in complete control of yourself. I’ve simply giving you the means to continue living.”

Sparks placed a hoof to the side of her neck.

No pulse.

She looked over at Applejack, “Can you please touch me?”

“Pardon?”

“Please? I need to see something.”

Applejack sighed and trotted closer. She placed a hoof on her shoulder and shivered,

“Yer freezing.”

Sparks closed her eyes and placed a hoof on her chest. No heartbeat either. She opened her eyes and looked back over at Twilight.

“I’ve just realized that I haven’t even been breathing since I woke up. I’m dead, Miss Twilight. You haven’t given me the means to live. You’ve simply tethered my soul to my corpse!”

“Bright Spark-”

Sparks wouldn’t let her finish. She broke into a gallop, fleeing past the group and out the door. She continued to gallop, ignoring the gasp of shocked soldiers who had seen her death firsthand. It wasn’t until she finally made it outside that she stopped and plopped down on her haunches. She wanted to cry, but her lifeless body couldn’t even produce tears to be shed. She heard a set of hooves trotting softly up to her. She looked over at the direction of it,

“It’s…Dee, right?”

The Vampony nodded, “Yes. And you’re Bright Spark, daughter of the great Star Blast.” She half bowed, “It’s nice to formally introduce myself to you.”

Sparks smiled, standing to return the gesture. “And you’re the Apprentice of Miss Fluttershy. The honor is mine as well.” She outstretched a hoof to shake, “And Sparks works just fine.”

Dee met the hoof with one of her own, before sitting and placing her other hoof on Sparks’ shoulder, “You’re cold…so it’s true. You really are dead.”

Sparks sighed, “I’m afraid so…”

Dee smiled, “Its alright. So am I.”

Sparks’ dull eyes widened, “What??”

Dee sat up straight, and under the light of multiple nearby Eventide crystals, Sparks was able to see the massive scar that splotched Dee’s chest. “You’re not the only one who’s had the ‘pleasure’ of dying in battle to Fluttershy.” She stated in a half-hearted sarcastic tone. “She ripped my heart out and chucked it a good 50 hooves away from me. Miss Twilight infused my heart with an Eventide crystal before putting it back where it belonged. It allows my heart to continue to pump blood. The only ones who know is the other Fallen…and now you.” she looked into her eyes, “Listen…Master Fluttershy really is a sweet mare. I hope you’re aware that she really is devastated at what she’s done to you. And please, understand that it wasn’t her fault. The Elements of Harmony…it does things to them. Things that no creature currently alive could ever begin to understand. And Miss Twilight…she’s really not as bad as you may think she is. She truly wants to help everyone.”

“Dead Moon?” a voice called out to her. They both looked over to see Twilight approaching them. Dee rose to her hooves,

“Yes, Miss Twilight? Is there something you need my assistance with?”

Twilight focused on Dee, “I just need a moment with Bright Spark.”

Dee nodded, “Of course, Miss Twilight.”

The Vampony quickly trotted off, leaving the two Unicorns alone. Twilight looked down at Sparks,

“Bright Spark, I’m sorry…for the emotional turmoil you’re experiencing right now. I understand your pain…truly, I do…”

Sparks leered at her, “How could you understand? You turned me into a zombie!”

Twilight frowned, “Do you still remember your parents?”

“Every detail of them…down to the way Mom snorted when she held in a laugh, or the way Dad’s eyes sparkled whenever he got excited.”

“How about your friends?”

“Yes. Every friend I’ve met, traveled with, and lost…”

Do you remember the joys and sorrows in your life?”

Sparks nodded lightly. Twilight tilted Sparks’ chin up so that she was looking at her,

“Look at me, Bright Spark. Really look at me.”

Sparks focused on her eyes. They were glazed over, blown pupils surrounded by a ring of dull purple. She too, had bands of blood streaked across her eyes, though they were far thicker than Sparks.

She too, held the eyes of the dead.

Twilight nodded, confirming her assumption.

“How? When?”

“I’ve been dead for 37 years. Suicide.”

“Who performed the necromancy spell to bring you back? Master Rarity?”

Twilight shook her head, “Rarity has something I lost decades ago; morals when it comes to the use of magic. She will never willingly turn to the dark arts, like I have.” Twilight looked over at the barren, dusty landscape, “When I was…corrupted, my body produced its own Eventide crystals to ensure its survival. One day, I could no longer handle the mental torment that came with the atrocities I committed, and I…I hung myself.”

“I’m…I’m so sorry…”

“Its alright. It was so long ago…” Twilight replied. “Anyway, I felt myself slip away…and then…I was back. But I was no longer breathing, and I realized I did not feel cold. I hung there for a few hours, even ‘fell asleep’ for a few hours, out of sheer boredom. Fluttershy was the one that found me, and I had to explain to my friends what had happened to me.”

Sparks bit her lip, before hesitantly reaching out to touch Twilight. Her coat was soft, and slightly warm.

“You said you were cold when you died. But…you’re actually kind of warm. How is that so?”

“Even after all this time, there’s no definitive answer that I can give you.” a small, barely noticeable smile tugged at Twilight’s lips, “But…I’d like to think that the love of my friends keeps me warm.”

Sparks giggled, “I like the sound of that…”

They gave each other friendly smiles, but the heartfelt moment was cut short when Pinkie bounded up to them,

“Twilight, we got a problem!”

“What is it?”

Pinkie started nervously trotting in place, “Its big! Super-duper big!”

“What is it, Pinkie?!”

“It’s Spike! There’s a message, a-and a crystal, the griffin-” Pinkie shook her head to get her thoughts in order.

“SPIKE’S FOUND US!! He’s sending a horde of his Hellions here!”