Hearts of Class IV: The Looming Night

by ImAPonyXY

Chapter Two

Paper Angels

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Spike sat silently in the living room upon a soft leather lounge and listened to the soft crackling of the nearby fire. He peacefully read a rough-bound book that looked as though it had seen better days of which was labelled "The Essence of Magic". It outlined a basic understanding of how the Unicorns of Equestria harness and control magic both megre and powerful, which he had been tasked to read for his Advanced Magical Studies class.

Across from him sat the little young unicorn that blessed his presence and merely hummed a soft tune to herself. She was there for nothing else but to keep Spike company as she had nothing more to do. She smiled and ceased her humming to glare softly into the emerald eyes of her significant other as she admired the second chance she had been granted. She loved him and his company - moments of tranquility like this were rare ones to be remembered and cherished.

"What ya reading?" Sweetie asked cutely and emphasized the 'ya' to grab his attention.

Spike looked up from the illustrated pages and riddling paraphrases with nothing more than a smile, "Something that I'm sure would interest you a lot," he answered and began to read out a sentence, "A unicorn's magical ability comes not from their talents, but from their knowledge - Limitless power is at the hands of every proud unicorn if enough patience is given."

"What does that mean?" Sweetie asked in confusion and raised and eyebrow as not a single word had made any sense to her but she figured that she try to make some meaning out of that gibberish, "Are you saying that I can use powerful magic?"

"Yes.... Well if you have enough time to actually study it. It doesn't actually give a specific amount of time or how much you need to study, it just states that you need to be patient."

"So... is it hard?"

"I guess so."

"How hard?"

"I don't know, I haven't gotten that far into the book. But I suppose it's really hard."

"That sucks," Sweetie pouted.

Spike smirked and put the book down to cuddle his dear, "You want to learn more magic don't you?"

She nodded eagerly and Spike merely chuckled in reply, "All you needed to do was ask me, I could surely get Twilight to teach you a thing or two when she's not busy."

"I know. I thought of doing that but she's headmistress now."

"So?"

"She's always going to be busy."

"Not always. She found suitable times to speak to me and help me with my studies. Surely she could find time to help you."

"But won't she have a lot of appointments and meetings and other things to go to?"

"She's headmistress Sweetie, she makes the appointments. I'm sure she could work around her own scheduling."

"So what should I do? Talk to her or something?" she asked intently. Suddenly putting a great amount of interest into this topic. She had wanted to increase her abilities as a unicorn for quite some me now - and now that she was finally getting the opportunity too she wasn't going to let this pass.

The mere idea of being a much more capable unicorn, especially at her age, excited her to the point of pure enthusiasm - And when she was enthusiastic she was also equally cute. A trait of which Spike cherished dearly about her and tried to provoke out of her whenever he could.

"Exactly. Just talk to her. Or you know, I could do it for you," he suggested, "That is if you don't feel right directly asking her."

"What will I say?"

"You've got days to figure something out.

"But what if she declines me?" Sweetie asked nervously, feeling the sweat build up.

"She won't," he replied simply.

"And how do you know?" Sweetie asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "Do you know something I don't?"

Spike shook his head and chuckled to himself, "No Sweetie. I don't. But I do know that she won't just say no to you because that's not like Twilight to turn something like that down. I willing to bet that she'll jump on the opportunity to train you."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Even still, I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't."

Spike sighed and stood up and walked over to Sweetie Belle before sitting next to her and holding her close, "I'm not going to tell you what you should and shouldn't do, but you should always try if your interested enough." he smiled and kissed her cheek, "It's your choice to make in the end, but I think you would benefit greatly from this."

The pure-white unicorn nodded and smiled gleefully, "So I just got up to Twilight and ask her?"

"Yes,"

"Okay. I can do that."

After that, there was no more conversation. Just silence. Peaceful silence. They sat in each others grasps and enjoyed the very company of one another. The two warmed each other more than what any fire could and their loving embrace sighted only the most loyal of courtships. Though of course they had only officially been back together for two days they acted as though nothing had ever happened. This could either be one of two things, good... or catastrophically bad.

Over the next few days, the two guards, Sheela and Buzz followed their orders and kept Spike and Sweetie hidden away in the forest in order to stop any advanced by The Black Apple Gang. Every day they risked their lives but with every passing moon they managed to thin the enemy down and by the weeks end the number of them had diminished down to a reasonable number.

In the dead of night ending the final day of the week, Sheela burst into the rooms of Spike and Sweetie holding a lantern and bloodied sword, "Spike, Sweetie. We're leaving," she announced, "Back your things and meet me at the cart in an hour. We don't have a lot of time."

And before the two teens could even ask her what was going on Sheela had left leaving them to do only what they were told. Packing any belongings the had brought with them and leaving the shack they had called home for little over a week. Just as they did when they were first coming here they placed their bags in the back of the cart and climbed in with the guards.

"So do we get to go back to school now? Or what?" Sweetie asked with her sentence ending with a prolonged yawn.

"Yes," Sheela, responded gleefully, "We've been granted a great opportunity to get back. Buzz says that the woods have gone quiet and that there is no sign of any remainder Black Apple Gang members left. We would be fools if we didn't take up on this."

"Finally. We get to be somewhere that isn't dirty," Sweetie Belle exclaimed and held onto the side railings of the cart as it started to to move and travel along the gravel and dirt that combined to become a path.

They small group of four traveled slowly in the dead of night and quietly to not disturb the dark. The creatures around them were asleep and the mere owls presented no threat to them. What kept the guards cautious though was just how still the night really was. It was peaceful, too peaceful and both Sheela and Buzz knew that. They weren't alone and soon they would have company. The city of Canterlot arose of the horizon but it wasn't close enough and soon the cart came to a driving stop.

"Why have you stopped," Spike asked curiously. Yet he recieved no answer as the two guards just merely looked at each other and nodded, both drawing out their weapons and staring menacingly into the forest.

"You draw them out and I'll kill any who are stupid enough to charge," Sheela ordered and hopped out of the safety of the cart and took up a defensive position just off to the side. In front of them was a fall of trees that bordered the forest and behind them was the beautiful plains of grass that marked the kingdom of Equestria from any other. Both landscaped separated by the dirt road that was to be the battle ground.

"Should I use fire?" he asked with a sinister smirk lining his face.

"Use what you think is best," she answered, not wanting to waste any more time. If they were hiding there then they could ambush at any second.

"I'll use fire then," and without second thought Buzz readied his crossbow with a smouldering arrow. He was prepared to give them an ash-caked death of agony. Then, without further hesitation he fired and the arrow set the fauna ablaze

"Heh. That'll smoke ya out!" he grimaced and prepared yet another arrow.

As the trees and shrubbery only meters away from the car began to crackle and split from the very heat Sweetie Belle and Spike hid in the safety of the cart and covered their eyes and ears from the imminent sounds of torture that would follow.

It didn't take long but soon the tormented screams of the gang members began to fill the air as they too went up in flames. It was a gruesome sight and only a few were psychotic enough to try and charge the cart. Only to be stopped by Sheela who had a habit of slicing their heads clean off. "Heh, I gotta start keeping score," she said proudly and carved her sword through the abdomen of her final foe. However it wasn't the fact that they came charging out that was so horrifying, but they did it while still on fire and this sort of determination both scared and saddened Sheela. She couldn't help but feel sorry for them. "Maybe if you'd joined our side you could have been loyal soldier," she muttered under her breath and paid her respects to the fallen before her. She may have enjoyed ending the threat but killing to a harsh toll on her. She did what she must to survive and to protect others but she didn't always like it. After all, only a beast kills without feeling.

"Sheela!" shouted Buzz, "Get back in the cart!" he held the cart still long enough for her to climb into the back as she stared at the burnt bodies which lined the ash caked corner of forest.

"I hope nobody notices that..." Sheela said slowly between coughs as she tried catching her breath.

"I'm sure the captain will scold us later one. But for now we're getting outta here. If that isn't the last of them then there isn't many more that's for sure," stated Buzz.

"How do you know?"

"They're not an army Sheela, I'm surprised they had this many people to begin with. But a majority of them are dead now."

"Yeah I guess you're right," she sighed and nodded and turned around to face the two teenagers riding with them.

Sweetie Belle tried to hide her gaze from the fire as she dared not witness the horrifying event unfold. The screams were enough for her to nearly throw-up. Yet Spike toughened up and held her close, stroking her hair and looked at the two guards.

"You kids okay?" Sheela asked.

Spike nodded, "A little shaken but we're good,"

She sighed and looked at Sweetie, "I'm sorry if we scared you. That was kind of brutal wasn't it...?"

Sweetie nodded.

"You shouldn't have seen any of that... no... we shouldn't have done any of that."

"You burnt them alive."

"Would they have shown any mercy to us. They probably would have tortured us and kept us an inch from death just so they could do it again," she said and held her chin up, "It had to be done."

"That doesn't mean it was right!" she yelled.

Sheela's eyes widened and she flinched back. The memories of the burning and screaming corpses trampling through the shrubbery flooded her mind and the thought that she had to put them down only salted the wound, "You're right," she said, "I know. They were bad people but they deserved better."

"Hey! You guys done back there? What's done is done," shouted Buzz, "now simmer down will ya, we're almost there."

Author's Note:

I am so sorry that this took literally four weeks to write. I've been preoccupied with school and the study of my mid-year examinations. I just haven't had the time to properly sit down and write a good section of the chapter.

So after long last here you go. I hope it meets your standards and put a comment below if you have an suggestions or questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

Comments

[Franky]

sweetie belle she has to realize it had to be done. plus i remember one of the member was about to kill her if spike didn't show up. I hope She'll realize that sooner or later as in self defense in my opinion

[Flash gordon]