Dream's End

by zaleacon

Chapter II - Introduction 3

Dream’s End
~ Chapter II – Introduction 3 ~
Spike’s Dream ~ The Volcanic Isle

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The first thing Twilight noticed upon entering Drake’s chamber was the large desk in the center. It was riddled with dozens of papers, some of which were just strewn about randomly and some of which were placed in neat piles. A tall, white, rectangular flowerpot with the words “DO NOT TOUCH” labeled on it sat on one of the corners, from which no less than ten rolled-up papers stuck out. Based on the wrinkles and that many of them were discolored, they appeared to be very old.

Drake himself – or, at least, the creature Twilight presumed was Drake – leaned over the desk, a quill between his claws. Oddly enough, he only seemed to have four claws on one hand, even though he had five on the other. The smallest claw on his left hand just seemed to be missing.

He had clearly been writing something not long ago, based on the black ink that stained his white scales, but stopped to look up as the door swung open.

Drake turned his yellow eyes up from the desk. “Ah, Rex,” he said, calmly, “do you need something?” His eyes slowly passed over Twilight and Luna, and he blinked. “Who are these?”

“They’re why I’m here, Drake,” Rex said. “Firebrand and I found these two while we were off patrolling the beach. We thought they could be two of the Ice Queen’s soldiers, so we took them here to get your opinion.”

“Is that so?” Drake stood up from his desk. “And where is Firebrand, now?”

“Infirmary,” Rex said. When Drake raised an eyebrow, he added, “He cut his foot pretty badly out when we came back through the caves. Stepped on something sharp.”

Drake nodded. “I see. Well, let’s hope the damage isn’t too severe. He is our current field commander, after all…” He looked back over at Twilight and Luna. “Is there anyone else still patrolling the beach?”

“Yes. Jade and Orin should still be out there. I was going to head back after I made sure these two were clean.”

“I see,” Drake repeated. There was a momentary pause as he carefully scrutinized Twilight and Luna. “Tell me something,” he said, still not turning back to Rex. “What made you think they were the Ice Queen’s soldiers?”

“Nothing,” Rex said. “Honestly, the only reason Firebrand and I even took them in was because they were a pair of ponies wandering the beach – alicorns, at that.” He paused for a moment. “On closer inspection, however, we came to the realization they are most likely neutral at least.”

“And why do you think that?” Drake asked, turning back to Rex.

“These two ponies… uh…” Rex paused, placing a claw on his chin. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we ever caught your names.”

Twilight nodded, hoping now would be a good time to speak. “I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

“And I’m Luna,” Luna added.

Rex looked over at them for a moment before turning back to Drake. “Yes, Twilight and Luna do not have any telltale signs of being the Ice Queen’s soldiers. As you can probably tell, neither’s transparent, both are alicorns instead of the unicorns the Ice Queen favors, and – and this is what shocked Firebrand and I most of all – they hadn’t even heard of the Azure Peninsula.”

Drake sat down again, slowly. “Alright, then,” he said. “So if these two didn’t come from the place every pony on this isle came from, where are they from?”

Silence gripped the room as Twilight looked over her options. Rex had very clearly told her and Luna to be completely honest with Drake, but she was starting to question whether or not that would be a good idea, given the whole “traveled from another world” thing. Could she find another excuse? Maybe the two of them had traveled from another island. Yes, that could work.

Just as she was about to say that, however, Luna said, “We came through the door in the cave.”

If Drake and Rex had been calm up until that point, that completely changed as soon as Luna spoke. Their eyes practically bugged out of their skulls at the mention of the door in the cave. Well, Rex’s did, at least; Drake seemed more casually surprised than anything else.

After about a full minute of silence, Rex whispered, “You mean that cave outside the base? The one with the purple door?”

“That’s the one,” Luna said. Twilight could not help but be surprised by how bold Luna seemed about the whole situation.

“The door outside the cave…” Drake murmured. “You remember that prophecy, right?”

He reached into the large flowerpot and began rooting around for papers. After a moment, he pulled one of them free and opened it slowly.

Drake cleared his throat. “’On the day when everything falls, creatures shall step through the door of flames. Rescuing the one held captive by lust, their presence will bring about an end to the wretched war of ice and fire, once more granting peace to the volcanic isle.’”

“I didn’t think it was true,” Rex murmured. “But if they truly came through that door, then that means…”

“That means that these two creatures are the saviors we have been waiting for,” Drake finished. He shook his head. “And to think that you two nearly had them both killed!”

Rex flushed. “Yeah…” he groaned. “Firebrand is going to have a hard time believing this one…”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “So you’re trusting us based on a prophecy?” she asked. Granted, she had seen far, far too many prophecies turn out to be true – Nightmare Moon’s, for example –, but it was still a bit unbelievable how quickly the dragons were willing to believe them.

Drake, however, shook his head. “Yes and no. On one hand, it’s likely that you two are the saviors we’ve been searching for. However, I can’t be completely sure. Even if you did both wander through that door, it could mean nothing if that is not the actual door of flames.” He shrugged. “All things considered, I’ve no reason to believe you two are the Ice Queen’s soldiers – so why is it, then, that you came to this isle?”

“We’re looking for somep– someone,” Twilight said, hastily correcting herself. “He’s a friend of mine, but he disappeared a while ago. We thought we’d try looking behind that door, but we haven’t had any luck so far.”

“And this friend of yours… Does he have a name?” There was an odd glint in Drake’s eyes, although Twilight could not quite place it.

Twilight nodded. “Yes. His name’s Spike.”

If Luna’s earlier statement had shocked the two dragons, Twilight’s had completely paralyzed their brains. Rex stepped back and placed a hand on the wall for support as his face went white. Drake fell back in his chair, placing his claws over his mouth.

Twilight, meanwhile, was just confused.

It took more than a minute for either of the two dragons to regain their composure. “Twilight, was it?” Drake asked, slowly.

“Uh… y-yes?”

“Do you understand the ramifications of what you just said?”

Twilight shook her head, slowly.

“This ‘Spike’ you’re looking for… I’m afraid I have bad news for you.” Drake sighed. “Commander Spike was kidnapped three years ago.”

Twilight felt her brain implode as those words left Drake’s mouth. Commander Spike? Kidnapped? Her mind was a blur of words and pure, abject confusion. How could it not be? But underneath it all, there was a pure, primal fear that ate away at her.

Spike had been kidnapped.

“Tell me,” she said at last, trying not to hyperventilate. “Tell me everything.”

Drake stared at her for just a moment before nodding. “Very well.” He stepped back over to the flowerpot, replacing the current paper and looking through it for a new one. As he did, he said, “This island was peaceful, once. There was no war between flame and frost. The Ice Queen and her citizens lived on the Azure Peninsula for many years, whilst we lived on Mt. Endeavorest – that massive volcano nearby.

“Our peoples spoke often. Our commander and ruler, Spike, and their ruler, the Ice Queen, were very close friends. A trade system had been established, and we lived our lives with no fear of war or hate.” Drake paused. “That is, until three years ago.”

“What happened?” Luna asked.

Rex spoke first. “The Ice Queen invaded,” he said simply. “She sent a series of troops to a small village near the base of Mt. Endeavorest.”

“My home,” Drake said quietly. “Her soldiers were merciless – they ripped us to pieces, destroying everything until the entire village was either dead or destroyed. I was the only one left.” He lifted up his left hand. “I was able to kill most of them, but I lost my claw in the process.”

Twilight shuddered. Drake had killed before? Well, of course he had, her mind rationalized. They’d been at war, after all.

Even so, that still did not erase the unease in her stomach. And had all of this actually happened, or was it just some sort of backstory Spike had written up for his dream? Either way, she could hardly look at Drake the same way with that sort of revelation.

Drake continued, “I managed to get away and find the main dragon settlement, but not before it was too late to help the commander.”

“Commander Spike had gone off to meet with the Ice Queen,” Rex said. “During that time, she brainwashed him into loving her and made him her king.” He grit his teeth. “Her soldiers arrived the next day. It was by sheer luck that Drake was able to get to us and warn us to evacuate in time.”

Again, Twilight shuddered. She could just imagine what would have happened had Drake not gotten there in time. If some of the Ice Queen’s soldiers could tear down a village, she did not want to think about what her entire army could do to a town.

But even that could not dilute the pure, blood-boiling rage she felt in the pit of her stomach. Spike, her number one assistant, her friend, her brother, had been transformed into the consort of a vicious, bloodthirsty murderer. Twilight felt like she was going to vomit at the thought.

“We escaped, obviously,” Drake said. “But after we left, the Ice Queen decided on one final insult. You know that palace outside?”

Luna nodded. “You speak of that massive structure over the volcano, yes?”

“Exactly.” Drake pulled a piece of paper out of the flowerpot. “That’s the Ice Queen’s palace, built over what was once our home, built over what we once owned. She stole it away from us. Our leader, our home…”

“Everything,” Rex said, looking away. “We lost everything.”

Drake pressed his four-clawed hand against the table, a slow smile forcing its way over his face. “And now we take it back.” He placed the paper on the desk, unfurling it slowly. “Do you see this?”

Twilight and Luna stepped over, looking at the paper. It displayed a surprisingly detailed drawing of a heart-shaped jewel that looked almost identical to the Crystal Heart. The only noticeable difference was its coloration, which was semi-transparent and light blue.

“What is it?” Twilight asked, curiously.

“The source of the Ice Queen’s power,” Drake answered. “It’s called the Heart of Ice. This jewel is where everything of hers comes from – her soldiers, her palace, and her immortality.” He paused, giving that a moment to sink in. “If we can get our claws on this jewel, we win the war. Her magic will disappear completely.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Luna slowly asked.

Drake nodded. “I’m willing to make a proposal. You two wish to save Commander Spike, right?” When they nodded, he continued, “You can’t do that without this jewel. Her spell on him is too powerful to undo by conventional means.”

“So what’s this proposal?” Twilight asked.

“Fulfill the prophecy,” Drake said. “Help us secure the Heart of Ice. With this jewel, we will be able to completely dissipate the Ice Queen’s troops and free Commander Spike from her control. Both our goals will be fulfilled, and we’ll finally be able to return peace to the isle.”

“And how can we help you?” Luna asked. “We’re hardly in a position to fight; we lost much of our magic on the way in here.”

“Is that so?” Drake looked down at Twilight. More accurately, he looked down at Last, which she still held in her hooves.

Actually, now that she thought about it, how had it not gotten wet at all while they were travelling through the back entrance? It was not as though she had held it over her head or anything. Was it just immune to any sort of damage? That could be an interesting thing to look into in the future, but now was hardly the time.

Her anger was still flaring.

“Tell me something,” Drake said. “What is the best kind of spy?”

“The kind that is least likely to be detected,” Twilight answered. “The kind that sticks out the least.”

“Exactly.” Drake stood up again. “Now tell me this: What kind of creature is most likely to stay hidden in a palace filled with ponies? Not dragons, surely.”

Rex looked over at Drake. “You want them to act as spies? I suppose it could work, but what if they’re caught?”

“What if they are, Rex?” Drake said, tapping his claws on the table idly. “It would hardly hurt us any. If we can’t get the Heart of Ice, we’ve no chance of the stopping the Ice Queen. She can just continue to make more and more soldiers and fortify her base. We can’t break in with conventional means, but a pony could just waltz through the front door.”

“Surely it’s not so simple,” Luna said. “I doubt such an important gem would have lax security.”

“Not to mention,” Rex added, “that if they get caught in there, it’s not as though they can easily escape. Most of the windows are barricaded.”

Drake nodded. “It’s a risk, yes. But if they can secure the Heart of Ice, the war will be over. They can be reunited with Commander Spike, whom I’ve no doubt would love to see his old friends again. It will be difficult and dangerous, but the result should be worth it.”

Twilight and Luna shared a glance. “Can we discuss this privately?” Twilight asked. “I want to make sure we’re both on board before we do anything this dangerous.”

Drake waved his claws. “By all means. If you want, you two can go out into the hallway and discuss this on your own. Rex and I will wait in here for your return.”

Twilight and Luna thanked him, stepped out into the hallway, and closed the door behind them. They looked at each other for a moment, clearly thinking the same thing.

“Looks like we’ve found Spike’s Disparity,” Twilight said.

Luna nodded. “The Ice Queen seems almost perfect for the role. Powerful? Actively detrimental to Spike’s well-being? She ticks off all the boxes.”

“Yeah. If that’s the case, we need to get the Heart of Ice. If that’s the only way we can stop Spike’s Disparity, then we’ll have to go along with Drake’s plan.”

“Agreed. I don’t like the idea of putting ourselves too much in harm’s way, but that seems to be our only option. Even if we get the Ice Queen to wake Spike up, that is no guarantee her enchantment over him will fade.”

Twilight paused for a moment. “So we’re going, then?”

“Yes,” Luna agreed. “We must head to the Ice Queen’s palace, force her to awaken Spike, steal the Heart of Ice, and get it back to the Draconic Rebellion.” She stopped for a moment before shaking her head. “Quite a bit of work for one dream…”

“I wish we had Rainbow Dash,” Twilight murmured. “She could get to the Ice Queen’s palace in seconds. Probably finish this whole adventure, too. Or Pinkie Pie. Knowing her, she’d just pull the Heart of Ice out of her mane.”

“But we chose Spike first,” Luna reminded her, “so we’ll have to make do with what we have.”

Twilight flinched a bit at that. Curse her overprotective tendencies. As much as she would have hated it, it would have been best to take the pragmatic choice first. Oh, well. They could rescue Rainbow Dash next.

“Right,” she murmured. “Mediocre, highly specialized magic, my terrible flight abilities, and an extremely vague idea of what we’re doing.” Fantastic.

“It’s better than nothing,” Luna replied. “At least we have magic at all. Not to mention, you being able to cool or heat air seems like it would be incredibly valuable in a place like, say, an ice palace or a volcano.”

Twilight shrugged. “I can’t deny that.”

“See?” Luna asked. “Now, let’s go and tell Drake that we accept his offer. I’m sure he’ll be quite glad about it.”

Wordlessly, Twilight turned around and opened the steel door leading into Drake’s chamber again. She stepped inside first, Luna following close behind.

Drake, who had clearly been talking to Rex, looked over as the door opened. “Ah, you’re back,” he said. “Have you come to a conclusion?”

“Yes,” Twilight said. After a moment’s pause, she said, “We decided that we’re going to help you take the Heart of Ice.”

Drake’s smile could not have gotten any bigger. “You will? Excellent!” He seemed genuinely excited by the prospect, not that Twilight could blame him; she would have been ecstatic as well, were she in his position.

“So you’ll help us?” Rex asked. He looked pleased, but seemed more shocked than anything. “After Firebrand and I basically threatened to kill you both, you’re willing to help us?”

“Of course,” Luna said. “We could hardly leave any creature to suffer like this – not to mention that it is very important to our interests.”

Drake pulled out his quill and began frantically writing something on the paper in front of him. “Good, good! Let’s see… For the best results, we’ll leave tomorrow at noon. Will Firebrand be ready by then?”

“Hopefully,” Rex said. “He probably won’t be able to fight very well, but he should be able to at least lead the troops.”

Drake nodded. “That’s good enough.” He turned back to Twilight and Luna and placed a map of the island on the desk, pointing out each area as he went along. “We’ll lead an army to face them on the Burning Plains – that is, the area between this beach and Mt. Endeavorest. You two will stay near the back until the fighting begins. At that point, you will break off and take this route.” He ran his finger along a rocky side path that ran towards the volcano. “If any of her troops stop you along the way, tell them that you are fleeing us. They should be willing to take you back to the palace. Otherwise, you will need to enter the conventional way.”

Drake pointed at the Burning Plains. “Approximately three hours after you leave, our troops will retreat back to base. The trek to the area of attack will take roughly three more hours, while the distance from there to the Ice Queen’s palace should be a mere hour or so. Thus, you should reach the front gate at about four o’clock. The troops will make it back here at about nine.”

Drake sat up from the map, looking satisfied. “Do you understand all that?”

Luna nodded. “Yes, it seems fairly straightforward. Getting the Heart of Ice will likely be no easy feat, however.”

“I’m sure you can manage it.” Drake looked between Twilight and Luna. “If anyone can do it, it’s the ones in the prophecy.”

He turned to Rex. “Rex, you’ll stay behind. I want you to keep patrolling the area and make sure the Ice Queen isn’t going to try anything funny. If she sends any of her soldiers here directly, you know what to do.”

Rex nodded. “I understand.”

“Perfect.” Drake stood up. “Twilight, Luna. What I’m asking of you is not easy by any means. If anything, it may prove to be the most dangerous task I’ve asked anyone to perform. That being said, I’ve no doubt you can pull it off.”

“We won’t fail you,” Twilight said. They could not. Not if they wanted to rescue Spike from his inner demons.

Drake nodded. “In that case, feel free to make use of the sleeping quarters tonight. I’ll have the cafeteria prepare food for you two – food for tonight and rations for tomorrow.”

Twilight blinked. Come to think of it, how long had it been since she’d last eaten? Did she even need to eat? And was she liable to cause problems by sleeping while technically already sleeping? Her inner scientist was screaming for explanations.

“Rex, see them to their quarters. Make sure they’re comfortable.”

Rex nodded. “Right. I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes,” Drake said, leaning back in his chair as Rex led Twilight and Luna out. “Tomorrow will be the day the war ends.”

Author's Note:

This was a very exposition-heavy chapter, though it was necessary to give a better idea of what's actually going on behind the scenes, especially regarding the Ice Queen and why it is so necessary to fight her.

So yeah, compared to Twilight's dream, Spike's is much longer. We'll actually be getting into the journey portion of it next time, at which point it should actually go by rather quickly. There will also be a heavier focus on Twilight and Luna than on the dragons over the next several chapters, but they will still be important. Also, I'm pretty sure most of you can guess just who the Ice Queen is by this point.

Comments

[Magic Song]

Also, I'm pretty sure most of you can guess just who the Ice Queen is by this point.

Elsa?