Between Father and Son
As the tunnel came to a dead end, they knew that the Dragon King’s throne room was just on the other side of the sealed entrance. Twilight Sparkle stepped forward to inspect the wall, her horn lighting the dark tunnel. She then turned around to face her friends and said, “Okay, gather around.”
Her horn brightened, creating a bright flash of white. Everyone closed their eyes to block out the light. Once they opened their eyes again, they saw the air shimmer and ripple around their bodies before fading.
“That was an insulation spell,” Twilight explained. “It keeps the area immediately surrounding our bodies at a constant temperature, protecting us from sudden changes in temperature.”
“Like if the Dragon King decides to breathe fire at us?” Applejack correctly assumed.
“Just a little precaution if things don’t go well,” Twilight explained.
“You mean we’re fireproof? Awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, looking down at her body trying to see the invisible barrier that was protecting her.
“Fire resistant,” Twilight clarified. “The spell was designed for firefighting, volcanologists, and arctic exploration, not combating dragons. I don’t know how well it’ll hold up against dragonfire, but it’ll give us some protection. So just don’t go running head first into their fire breath.”
“Uh, yeah. Sure,” Rainbow Dash muttered, who had been planning on doing exactly just that until Twilight explained why that course of action would be ill-advised.
“As soon as I open the door, he’s going to hear it,” Spike stated.
“Then we need to be ready,” Applejack said.
“I’ve got the staff,” Rainbow Dash announced, holding up the Staff of Rain.
“And I have Sunstone and Erdrick’s Amulet,” Twilight said, pulling said objects out of her bag with her telekinetic magic. She then passed the amulet to Rarity. “Here, take this. If it comes to it, Rainbow Dash will use the Staff to create rain, and I’ll use the Sunstone to make a rainbow. I’ll need you to catch the rainbow with the amulet.”
“Right,” Rarity confirmed, taking the golden talisman in her light blue aura.
“Applejack. Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie. Keep close,” Twilight told them. “We’ll need to be together to active the amulet, so be ready to act.”
“Got it!” Rainbow Dash saluted, the others making affirmative noises.
Twilight’s horn activated again and a magical dome covered the ponies. Their images blurred until vanishing completely from Spike’s view. From where Twilight once stood, he could hear her ask, “Spike, can you see us?”
“No,” he replied.
“Good. Everypony, stay under the dome while Spike talks to the Dragon King. He’ll might attack if he sees us. Besides, we’ll need the element of surprise if we need to fight.” Turning to her son, Twilight said, “Okay, Spike. If you’ll do the honors.”
The purple dragon stepped towards the sealed wall, taking in a nervous breath. He knew what once he opened the doorway, there was no going back. He’ll have to face his father and convince him to abandon his quest for vengeance, or fight him to save Equestria from his wrath. Concentrating, Spike focused on the wall and commanded, “Open.”
The wall trembled and then divided, giving way so that the dragon and the six ponies could pass through. Stepping through the threshold, they beheld the spellbinding sight of the Dragon King’s treasure hoard. Like a lake of coins and gems, the hoard completely covered the floor of the central chamber of Charlock Castle, continuing around the corners and bends of cave. Rising above the immeasurable wealth like an island was the observation platform. On the end closest to them was the dais of the Dragon King’s golden throne. Resting beside it was their objective, the Tree of Harmony.
As Spike anticipated, the dragons that were sleeping in the multiple tunnels lining the walls of the throne room awoke with a start once they heard the rumbling of the wall. Three dragons swooped in and landed before Spike and the hidden ponies, ready to confront the intruders. Spike recognized the trio as Scorn, Cobalt, and Mire. Once the dragons saw who it was, their eyes widened with surprise.
“You!” Mire snarled, clearly remembering their last encountered. The green dragon crouched in an aggressive stance, Spike bracing himself for an attack.
“Who dares intrude in my castle?” Dragon King Ryuo’s voice came from the throne.
“It’s Prince Spike, Master,” Cobalt answered.
“Leave us,” Ryuo ordered. At his command, the observing dragons withdrew into the tunnels. Cobalt and Scorn also turned to leave, but Mire remained. He kept his eyes locked with Spike’s, desiring revenge for his previous humiliation.
“Mire,” Cobalt called to his cohort. Mire knew that he was told to leave by his king, so he gave the smaller dragon one last snarl before following red and blue dragons into a tunnel.
With all the other dragons gone, Spike and his unseen comrades were alone with the Dragon King. From his throne, Ryuo called to Spike, “Come now, let us speak face to face.”
“We’re right behind you,” Rarity’s reassuring voice whispered to him, giving him the courage that he needed. Spike stepped out from the passageway that led to the dragon graveyard and onto the treasure hoard. The coins and gems tinkled and clinked as they shifted as Spike and the ponies walked over them. They circled along the edge of the throne room, drawing closer to the dais. Drawing closer, they could see the pitiful state the Tree of Harmony was in. Its blue and purple color was gone, replaced with a dull gray and black. No longer did it glow with an inner light, and the Elements of Harmony had also lost their color.
Once they passed the Tree, they could see the Dragon King sitting upon his throne, looking down at Spike. He was in his smaller, robed form, but that didn’t make him any less intimidating. Spike unfurled his wings and flew up to the platform before the throne with a quick downbeat of his wings. Landing, Spike caught a glimpse of the Sword of Erdrick at the base of the dais, but the Dragon King’s voice call his attention upwards, “Prince Spike.”
“Father,” Spike said, looking up at the seated figure. Ryuo was resting his chin on a fist as he reclined on the ornate throne, his dragon-shaped scepter leaning against an arm. Hearing Spike address him as “father” caused a fang-filled grin to appear on the Dragon King’s face.
“Welcome home, my son,” Ryuo greeted. Gesturing with a claw, he said, “This is Charlock Castle. I am pleased that you have come of your own volition. I was starting to think that I would have to collect you myself.” The grin faded, replaced by dark scowl. “Tell me, how were you able to enter undetected? How did you discover the dragon graveyard?”
“We had a map,” Spike answered, not entirely untruthful. But something he said caused the Dragon King to once again smile maliciously.
“Ah… ‘we’...” Ryuo repeated Spike’s choice of words. “So you are not alone. I knew Celestia would send someone to infiltrate my castle along with you. Tell me, where are they hiding?”
Down below the platform, the six ponies flinched, fearing that they have been discovered. Ryuo’s red eyes scanned the chamber, searching the shadows for the ponies. When he briefly made eye contact with the cloaked ponies, they felt an almost overwhelming urge to step out from under Twilight’s invisibility spell and reveal themselves to him. Once his gaze had passed by, they shuddered. Twilight knew what they had just felt was the dragon-spell.
“I came alone,” Spike tried to cover for his friends, Ryuo’s gaze returning to him. “It’s just you and me.”
“Do not lie to me!” the Dragon King roared, grabbing his scepter and striking the dais with its base. “Do you think I could not tell if ponies had sneaked into my home like thieves in the night?!” His forked tongue flickered out from his mouth, tasting the air. He then gave Spike an accusatory glare. “You have brought assassins here to slay me while you distracted me, did you not? I can smell them.”
Seeing her husband in trouble, Rarity decided to act. Using her magic, she passed Erdrick's Amulet to Applejack, the Earth Pony looking down at the golden seal on her hoof with confusion. Looking back at Rarity, she saw her starting to leave the safety of the invisibility dome.
“Rarity, no!” Applejack urgently whispered. Rainbow Dash tried to pull the fashionista back, but she shook off her friend’s hooves. When they tried to reach for her again, Twilight spread her wings, blocking them. The Alicorn understood what she was doing; the Dragon King had ordered Spike to come to Charlock with his family. By doing this, Rarity could placate the Dragon King while allowing the others to remain hidden.
Stepping out from under the dome, Rarity called up to the platform, “I’m here!”
Looking back down, Ryuo was pleasantly surprised to see his daughter-in-law. Spike jumped down and landed by his wife, whispering to her, “What are you doing? What about the plan?”
“It’s alright. Just take me up,” she told him calmly. Trusting her, he lifted her up in his arms and flew back to the dais, setting down at the base of the steps. Looking up to the Dragon King, she greeted, “Your Majesty.”
“Princess Rarity, how nice it is to regain your company. I was quite distressed when Mire told me of your escape,” he told her. “However, someone is missing. Where is my granddaughter? I told her to accompany Prince Spike here as well.”
“Leave her out of this. This is just between us,” Spike said defensively.
“We just want to talk,” Rarity calmly told him.
“The time for that has passed,” Ryuo growled. “I have seen for myself the injustices committed against my subjects and have liberated them. Once I have collected Princess Amethyst, I shall finally unleash my vengeance upon all of Equestria!”
“But you were deceived! It’s that sorcerer! He’s behind all of this!” Rarity revealed. “He gave you the report to spur your anger! He was pulling the strings behind Mayor Skinflint! He’s using you for his own means!”
“Then he and I have no bargain!” Ryuo vowed in his anger. Rising from his throne, he continued his rant, “He and his followers shall die along with the rest of your kind! Too long have I been plagued by your wretched race! The sorcerer shall die! Your kin shall die! Luna shall die! And above all, Celestia will die! Oh, I ache to burn her out of existence, to drive her accursed face out of my memory forever!”
“I won’t let you hurt anyone!” Spike shouted up at his father.
“Do not attempt to defy me! Blood or not, I will not let you stand between me and my vengeance! You and your wife can either stand with me or stay out of the way whilst I deal with the vermin!” Dragon King Ryuo descended the steps of dais until he stood before his son and daughter-in-law. Though Spike stood taller than his father in his current form, the malice in Ryuo’s red eyes would be enough to make any creature to run in terror. However, Spike had to stand firm. He and the others came for the Tree of Harmony, and they were determined not to leave without it. “What say you? Will you stand with me?”
Meeting his father’s stare, Spike answered, “No.”
“Thou art a fool!” The Dragon King raised his staff, Spike and Rarity flinching in anticipation of an attack. Instead of attacking them, Ryuo pointed his staff down at the spot where their friends were hiding. Red electricity crackled from the mouth of the staff’s wooden dragon head as a spell formed. Seeing this, the five ponies gave a startled cry as they leapt out of the way as a bolt of crimson lightning launched out of the scepter. Coins and gems were sent flying and a loud peal of thunder rocked the cavern as the ponies ducked for cover. Realizing they were no longer hidden by Twilight’s spell, they looked up to see the Archwyrm glaring hatefully down at them. “I knew there were others. I think I shall start with them.”
Ryuo charged another spell but heard a roar and looked to see Spike pouncing at him. The Dragon King raised a glowing claw and pushed Spike back with a wave of telekinetic magic. Distracted by his son’s attack, a prismatic blur shot at him and struck him across his jaw. Snarling, he looked up to where the blur had gone to see Rainbow Dash hovering above him, the Staff of Rain in her hooves. She brought the staff over her head, the carved lightning bolts glowing yellow, and then swung it at the Dragon King. Holding up his own staff, a barrier of red sparks countered the lightning generated by the Staff of Rain. Ryuo took a breath and spat a ball of red dragonfire at the Pegasus. Rainbow Dash looped around the fireball, evading the attack.
A beam of magenta magic stuck him across his back, causing him to bend over from the force of the assault. He discovered his new attacker was Twilight Sparkle. She swirled around, trying to zap from all angles. Twirling his staff, he blocked the zaps with it as the Twilight kept on shooting them. Rainbow Dash sped in again with a hind leg outstretched in a diving kick. The blow struck him again across the jaw, but he countered by spinning around and smacking her with his tail. Rainbow Dash hit the stone floor hard and tried to raise herself up only to be pushed back down by the weight of his foot. She struggled to free herself, but the Dragon King opened his mouth.
As the flames began to build in the back of Ryuo’s throat, Twilight landed on the platform between Spike and Rarity and the Dragon King. Her horn glowing, she readied another spell. Twilight launched another beam while Ryuo breathed his dragonfire at her instead of Rainbow Dash. The spell collided with the fire, causing an explosion. The force pushed Twilight back and knocked Ryuo off balance, allowing Rainbow Dash to squirm herself free.
His attention back on the Alicorn, he raised his scepter at Twilight and shot red lightning at her while she launched a magenta beam of light from her horn. The spells met midair and crackled as they pushed against one another. Twilight grunted as she strained to maintain the attack. Ryuo grinned viciously from seeing the Alicorn struggle. It took two Alicorns to best him before, but now there was only one.
Groaning as Rarity helped him back up, Spike saw his pony mother confronting his dragon father, and she was losing ground. Behind the Dragon King, he saw the Sword of Erdrick sticking out from the platform. Coming to Twilight Sparkle’s aid, Spike jumped forward and roared. From his mouth, he emitted magical shockwave. It was a spell Aurum had taught him, and the same one Ryuo had used against him during their first encounter. Focused on Twilight, Ryuo didn’t have time to react. Green sparks of electricity covered the Dragon King’s body, causing him to cringe as the binding spell limited his mobility. Though it wouldn’t hold him for long, it did break his concentration, causing him to stop his torrent of red lightning and allowing Twilight’s spell to make contact. The beam struck him against the chest, sending the robed dragon sliding backwards over the edge of the platform.
Ryuo landed on his treasure hoard, snarling with frustration. Standing up, he noticed two more ponies that were standing before him: the pink one and the yellow one. He took a breath, ready to incinerate them, but a lasso tightened around his neck, throwing off his aim. The fireball stuck the base of the elevated platform, and he looked back to see the orange one pulling on the rope. Grabbing the rope, he pulled on it, whipping Applejack off her hooves and dragging across the piles of treasure.
Applejack came to a stop in front of Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, the two helping her up. Looking back to the Dragon King, they saw him preparing to shot red lightning at them. Applejack push her friends back and stood her ground. Bracing herself, she was ready to take the blow for her friends. She heard the crackle of lightning, but the pain never came.
Opening her eyes, she that they were standing on the platform alongside Spike, Rarity, and Twilight. The Alicorn’s horn was still glowing, indicating that she had just cast a spell. With their instantaneous transportation, Applejack figured it must had been a teleportation spell.
Spike darted forward and grabbed the orichalcum sword by the hilt. The blade sliced through the stone with no resistance as he pulled it out of the platform. As he held the sword in his claw, the Dragon King flew up and landed back on the platform in front of Spike. Seeing his son holding the sword, Ryuo glowered at him and raised his scepter. Spike swung the blade and sliced through the head of the staff, sending splinters and bloodstones flying in an explosion of magic.
Backing away from the brilliant flash, Ryuo looked to the ruined scepter in his claw. Throwing the useless stick away, he seethed at Spike. The younger dragon was pointing the blade at him, his pony friends behind him.
“Surrender. I have the sword,” Spike proclaimed. The six ponies smirked triumphantly, believing the fight to be over.
Ryuo’s rage became amusement as he sneered, “Do you believe that you have won?”
“Well, duh! Your magic wand is broken, and we have a sword that can cut through anything,” Rainbow Dash stated as she hovered over the others. The King of Dragons didn’t look intimidated or concerned. Instead of surrendering, he waved a claw. In a flash of fiery magic, another dragon staff materialized, identical to the one Spike had shattered. Ryuo relished the surprised look on their faces.
“You seem surprised. This scepter is but a symbol of my authority as the Archwyrm, not the source of my power,” he mocked, waving the staff in front of them. The ponies' surprise faded into determination, and Spike rose up on his hind legs.
“Give us back the Tree of Harmony,” Spike demanded.
“You mean… THIS?!” Suddenly spinning around, the Dragon King shot a blast of red lightning at the crystalline tree, causing the ponies and Spike to gasp in shock. The lightning struck the Tree, cracks rapidly spreading across its surface from the point of impact. A harsh, red light shone from the cracks before the Tree of Harmony exploded into a myriad of tiny shards. The heroes of Equestria watched in helpless horror as the pieces of the Tree sparkled in the air before twinkling down on the treasure-covered floor of the chamber. A larger piece landed on the platform, ringing as it bounced on the stone. Once it came to a stop, they saw it was a six-pointed star. Tears filled Twilight Sparkle’s eyes as she looked down at what remained of her Element of Magic; a gray, lifeless rock that was cracked in a thousand places.
“No no no…” Twilight cried as she ran forward and scooped up the broken remains of the Element. The safety of the world depended on the Tree of Harmony. Without it, chaos would reign and a new age of darkness would began.
“Have no remorse. It had died awhile ago,” Ryuo relentlessly mocked her sorrow. Twilight looked up at him with tear-filled eyes to see the cruel smile upon his face. “What good is a jewel ceases to sparkle?”
“You… You…” Twilight trembled with rage, unable to form the words. Her horn started to glow intensely, the air rippling around it. With a shout, she unleashed a powerful beam of magic at the Dragon King. “Monster!”
The Dragon King raised his scepter to counter the attack, but the speed and intensity of the attack was too great to stop. The draconic despot was sent hurtling into the stone steps of the dais, shattering through them and causing the golden throne perched on top of it to come crashing down on him. Twilight panted and sweated from the strain of unleashing such an attack, but then ran to the crumbling edge where the dais once stood. The others joined her in looking down at the rubble. Somewhere underneath the collapsed masonry, the Dragon King was buried.
“Is he…” Fluttershy began to ask but stopped herself. Spike sighed, filled with regret. He didn’t wish for his father to die, but Equestria had to be protected. He was planning on destroying everything and everyone. But even now that he was dead, the fate of Equestria was left uncertain. What would they do without the Tree of Harmony? How would the world survive without its protective power?
“Spike, I’m so sorry,” Twilight earnestly apologized. She was shaken, both from overexertion and the thought of taking a life. “I… I just reacted. I didn’t mean to… to kill him.”
“I thought that I could get through to him. Make him listen to reason,” Spike lamented. Closing his eyes, he sighed, “I guess there was no other way.”
“I thought so, too,” Rarity told him as she placed a hoof on his claw. “I saw something inside of him when he spoke of Xia. He had a heart once. It’s a shame that it had to come to this.”
“C’mon, y’all. Let’s go home,” Applejack suggested, calling her friends away from the grisly scene.
After taking one last second to look at the golden throne atop of the pile of stones, they turned away and started to walk down the length of the platform. They didn’t make it more than a few paces before they heard a sound. Before they could question what it was, Pinkie’s tail began to twitch. Reacting, she jumped back pulling Applejack, who was in the lead, with her in time to avoid being crushed by the Dragon King’s golden throne. Realizing that it had been tossed onto the platform, they turned back to see the horned figure of the Dragon King rising from the rubble. He dusted himself off, unfazed by Twilight’s attack and having his throne dropped on him.
“No way,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed in disbelief. Twilight and Spike were both relieved and terrified at the same time. Twilight hadn’t killed Spike’s father like they feared, but now the Dragon King had murder in his eyes, murder that was meant for all of them. Like a fiery whirlpool, a vortex of magic enclosed around the furious Dragon King.
“We should run now,” Twilight suggested. As they turned and fled down the platform, a fiery column plumed behind them, reaching to the roof of the cavern. The magical tornado dispersed with the flap of mighty wings, revealing the Dragon King’s titanic true form. The colossal, dark purple dragon rose on his hind legs and roared, the deafening noise rocking the hollow magma chamber.
Ryuo dropped back down onto all fours and unleashed a blast of red dragonfire at the seven running along the elevated platform, not caring if Spike and Rarity were in trajectory of the flames. All restraint had been replace with unbridled rage. If they perished, then so be it. At least he still had another heir, Princess Amethyst.
Looking back as they ran, Twilight saw that the billowing flames were quickly gaining on them. In mere moments, they would be consumed. Thinking of a solution, she ordered, “Jump!”
Following her lead, they leapt off of the side of the platform and landed on the treasure below. Ducking for cover under the ledge of the platform, the ponies winced as the flames passed overhead. The air around their bodies shimmered as the insulation spell shielded them from the searing heat, though it was still unbearable.
“Too hot! Too hot!” Pinkie Pie screamed under the roar of the flames. It felt like standing in front of an opened oven at the highest setting. Fluttershy whimpered in fear and discomfort. Applejack pulled her hat down over her face, protecting it from the heat. Spike then dove over his friends, covering them with his fireproof wings.
The flames ceased, but then came the thunderous footsteps of the Dragon King as he started to crawl the length of the throne room towards them. They could also hear him take in another deep breath in preparation for another blast. Under the safety of Spike’s spread wings, Twilight Sparkle thought of the next step of her escape plan. She saw a large opening in the roof of the cave, realizing that it was the main conduit of the volcano. Knowing that more dragons would be awaiting them if they took another other exit, it was their only way out. She turned to Rainbow Dash and saw that she still had the Staff of Rain. “Everypony, get on Spike! Prepare to fly when I say so! Rainbow Dash, I need you to make clouds!”
Not questioning the Alicorn, the Pegasus swirled the staff above her. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity climbed onto Spike’s back while Fluttershy prepared to take flight. As the red light appeared again in the back of Ryuo’s throat, dark storm clouds generated above his head. In his determination to exterminate his enemies, he didn’t notice the brewing, indoor storm. He craned his massive head over the side of the platform, the ponies and Spike looking up at him in fear. As he opened his mouth to finish them, a sudden downpour caught him by surprise. The flames rising from the sides of his maw made contact with the torrent of rain, the clashing temperatures instantly creating a dense cloud of steam. Shaking his head, he roared in frustration as his view was blocked by the thick vapors.
“Now!” Twilight shouted once she saw that the Dragon King was distracted. The fliers took off and climbed towards the clouds covering the ceiling. As Twilight predicted, the heat created by the flames were pushing the clouds up through the opening. Flying into the clouds, they used it as a means to cover their escape.
Once the steam cleared, Ryuo searched about for his targets. He scanned one end of the cavern to the other, checking each nook and cranny of the expansive chamber. When he didn’t see them, he thought that they could have used an invisibility spell again. Nostrils flaring as he sniffed, he discovered that their scents led upward. Looking up in the rain, he saw the clouds rising up through the volcano’s chimney. Roaring, he climbed into the opening in pursuit. It was too narrow for him to fly through, so he dug his claws into the sides of the chimney and pulled himself up.
Hearing a rhythmic booming, everyone looked down to see two red lights through the cloud. It didn’t take them long to realize that they were the glowing eyes of the Dragon King. Like two infernal spotlights, the eyes searched for them in through the cloud. Seeing that they were being chased, Twilight looked up to see the moon in the distance. They were near the throat of the volcano, but if the Dragon King breathed fire now, they would have no place to go.
“Hurry!” Twilight shouted, urging Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Spike to flap their wings faster. Approaching the top, the clouds billowed out of the top of the volcano. Exiting through the caldera, they saw the night sky above them. On the highest peak of the volcano stood the ominous ruins of a castle. Recalling the information Midnight had uncovered, this was the former headquarters of the Demon Sorcerer, Zoma.
Hearing an all too familiar rumble, Spike and the ponies looked back down in the crater to see Ryuo about to breath more dragonfire at them once. Looking back at the remains of the castle, Twilight shouted, “Into the ruins! Hide!”
Diving behind crumbling walls, pillars, and statues of horned demons, the six ponies and one dragon watched as red dragonfire erupted from within the volcano. At the base of the volcano, the army of dragons looked up when the night sky lit up with a red flash. Across the straight at Tantegel Castle, Dragon Lord Ember and the Fillydelphian dragons awoke to see the burst of flame, thinking that the extinct volcano had somehow became active again.
Rising from the depths of Charlock, Ryuo looked about summit. They were near; he could taste them. Stalking towards the dark ruins of Zoma’s castle, a low growl escaped his throat. He was actually beginning to enjoy the hunt. He gripped the broken battlements and towers of the castle with his immense claws as he scanned for any sign of movement within the multiple floors of the castle.
Applejack and Fluttershy were hiding underneath the remains of the grand stairwell of the castle’s hall. When they saw a huge eye peer the hole knocked into the wall, Applejack pulled Fluttershy further back into the shadows, trying to make themselves less noticeable as possible. Trembling, Fluttershy held onto Applejack while the farmer ran a comforting hoof through her mane. Even when the eye moved on, they didn’t relax. It could be back at any moment.
The eye moved to another hole in the wall that opened up to a long corridor. Statues of the Demon Sorcerer lined both sides of the hallway, a moth-eaten carpet running down the center. Hiding behind one of the statues, Pinkie Pie was standing on her hind legs, mimicking the statue’s pose to better blend in. Even though it was unnecessary, she even adopted the statutes’ grotesque expressions. Once Rainbow Dash, who was hiding behind the statue’s base, looked up at Pinkie Pie, she rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Twilight Sparkle and Rarity were actually directly underneath the Dragon King. They had taken cover in the castle’s outer wall. They feared they had been discovered when his left claw grabbed onto the wall, collapsing part of it. Spike could see them from his place inside the castle’s west tower. He also saw an opportunity to strike back. Ryuo was wide open for an attack, his chest exposed. Spike looked to the sword in his claw. Reluctance filled him for a moment, but he convinced himself that this was the only way. His father wouldn’t listen to him, and he was determined to kill them all. It was either save his friends and himself or allow his father to destroy Equestria!
Steeling himself, Spike took deep breaths and then sprung from his hiding place with a tremendous yell. Ryuo snapped his head down to see his son flying underneath him, Spike’s friends also peeking out from their hiding places once they heard his war cry. Before the Dragon King could react, Spike hurled the Sword of Erdrick at his golden underbelly with all of his draconic strength. The orichalcum blade soared through the air like an arrow and struck the Dragon King right over his heart.
Ryuo’s red eyes widened with shock and staggered away from the castle, looking down at his chest. Even Spike’s friends looked on in disbelief. Ryuo panted in horror, waiting for his inevitable demise. A moment passed, but the Dragon King remained standing. Dread started to fill Spike; something was wrong.
The Dragon King blinked, still staring at his own chest, and then began to chuckle. It grew louder until it became thunderous laughter. Spike and his pony companions gaped in horror once they saw the hilt of the sword sticking out of a plated underbelly scale of the Dragon King. The blade could slice through anything, easily piercing the thick scale, but the crossguard couldn’t. It actually had stopped the blade from continuing onward into the chest of its intended target, inadvertently saving him. The attack had been no more than a pinprick!
“That was it? To think, I once feared the blade!” Ryuo mockingly laughed. He looked down at Spike, who was still stunned from the failed attack. Spike was then hit by an arctic wind, the sudden cold causing him to flinch and fall out of the air. The insulation spell shimmered around him but began to fade as the onslaught continued, weakening the spell by continued exposure. Spike tried to shield himself, but his body was being blanketed by a sheet of ice. Shivering, Spike looked up to see his father was using ice breath on him. In a few moments, he would be frozen in place.
“Spike, no!” Rarity cried as she watched her beloved disappear under a layer of ice and snow. Once the Dragon King was finished, there was an iceberg resting in the middle of the castle courtyard. Within it, Spike’s silhouette could be seen locked inside.
Ignoring the danger, Rarity, Twilight, and the others rushed to their dragon, placing their hooves against the ice trapping him. The clouds above them continued to rain, thunder rumbling periodically. By this point, their battle had gained an audience. The crowd was divided into two groups: those who supported the Dragon King and those that had rooted for Spike. Scorn, Cobalt, Mire, and their cohorts watch on with pride. Yet another enemy had fallen to their king’s might. Ember, Mina, and the rest of the peaceful dragons were aghast once they saw their friend buried in ice.
“Pity him not. He shall live,” a remorseless voice said from above the ponies, the six of the them turning around to see the Archwyrm gloating. “Instead, pity yourselves, for now you all shall die!”
Horrified, they watched as the Dragon King took in another breath, building his inner fire once more. But before he could incinerate them, a green light emitted from the iceberg, catching the Dragon King’s attention. Halting his attack, he gazed down to see Spike’s frozen form being backlit by the light. There was a loud crack as the ice fractured in multiple places, releasing steam into the air. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy gasped with renewed hope as they backed away from the breaking ice. Even the Dragon King seemed surprised.
The top of the iceberg exploded as Spike shot into the air, spinning as his body was covered with his own green dragonfire. Twilight's insulation spell had bought him time. Before it gave out and Spike had been completely consumed by the ice breath, he had used his fire breath and manipulated it to form a protective layer around himself. Rising into the air, he dispelled the fire from his body as he fully extended his wings. He was eye level with his father, Ryuo’s shock transitioning back to anger as his son rose to challenge him once more.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled as father and son faced off. Hearing the thunder, Spike gazed briefly down at the hilt embedded in his father’s chest, an idea coming to him. Dragon King Ryuo raised his right claw and pulled it back, ready to swat Spike right out of the sky. As the Dragon King lurched forward, Spike reached out with his magic to the storm clouds above him. Directing a bolt of lightning, he guided the electricity down to himself, channeling it with his magic through one claw and redirecting it with the other. Amplifying with it his dragon magic, a powerful bolt of green lightning shot out of Spike’s outstretched claw with an earsplitting boom and struck the pommel of the Sword of Erdrick, the sword serving as a lightning rod.
The Dragon King roared in agony as the electricity coursed through his body, the blade allowing it to bypass his natural defenses and enter directly into his heart. After Spike canceled the spell, he panted from exhaustion and watched as his father staggered back. As the electricity ceased to course through his body, the red glow of Ryuo's eyes faded and became a lifeless gray. He fell onto his back, crashing into the summit of the volcano. The ground shook from the impact, knocking over the ponies. When Spike landed beside them, his legs trembled and collapsed from underneath him.
Seeing that the Alpha Dragon had been vanquished, the army of dragons scattered, flying away as fast as they could from the one that defeated their king. Ember and her dragons watched speechlessly, not knowing how to react. As Spike caught his breath, the ponies stood back up and looked to see the Dragon King lying unmoving upon his back. His maw was agape and smoke rose from the hilt of the sword stuck in his chest. He wasn’t breathing and his eyes were closed.
“You did it,” Twilight marveled. “I can’t believe actually you did it.”
“Me… neither…” Spike panted. Though relieved that Equestria would be now be spared from his father’s wrath, the guilt returned. He remembered the look on Xia’s face when they told her that they were willing fight her husband. Perhaps, like Rarity, she believed that he could have been reasoned with. Yet, they were forced to take the violent path just like the time Queen Chrysalis had kidnapped their children.
Looking to the Sunstone Twilight was carrying, he realized they didn’t even have the chance to use the Powers of Harmony upon his father. What would have happened if they did? It seemed like the Elements had a different effect every time they were used. They turned Discord to stone, banished Nightmare Moon to the moon, and later removed her and Sunset Shimmer’s dark powers. Never had they actually taken a life. While they did imprison Discord and Nightmare Moon, they were instrumental in reforming the Spirit of Chaos, freeing Luna from her possession, and helping Sunset change her ways.
That’s the Power of Harmony, Spike thought. It brings us together, not separate us. It heals, not harm.
A sense of clarity came upon Spike, and he now knew what he must do. If they Elements of Harmony had the power to change hearts and save lives, maybe a portion of their power could save another. Spike only hoped it wasn’t too late.
“Mom, quick, use the Sunstone!” Spike desperately told her.
“Huh? What for?” Twilight asked, surprised by his request.
“Please, just trust me on this!”
Hesitantly, Twilight did as he asked and held the Sunstone aloft with her magic. A golden beam of sunlight shone like a beacon, piercing the clouds above. When the light and the rain came together, it created a halo of all colors surrounding the beam. The equines and the dragons beheld the dazzling display, admiring its radiant beauty.
“Who has the amulet?” Spike asked in a hurry.
“Uh… Ah do!” Applejack replied, remembering the golden seal and pulling it out.
“Catch the light!”
“Darling, what are you doing?” Rarity asked, questioning the purpose.
“We have to use it on him,” Spike explained, much to their confusion.
“What for? You already beat him,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.
“But not like this,” he told her adamantly. “We have to travel a higher path.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Are you suggesting we save him?!” the Wonderbolt incredulously asked. “I know he’s your father and all, but he was trying to kill us!”
“She’s right. What’s to stop him from doin’ it again?” Applejack agreed with Rainbow Dash.
“I don’t know, but it can’t end like this,” he pleaded. The others looked hesitant, but he begged, “Please, help me.”
The Elements Harmony looked to each other, silently trying to come to a consensus. They had risked their lives trying to defeat the Dragon King and weren’t looking forward to putting themselves back into that sort of danger again. However, they knew in their hearts that Spike was right; they stood for peace, not violence.
“Okay, Spike,” Twilight softly said to him. “Formation, girls.”
Applejack approached Spike and gave him the Amulet. “You should do it, sugarcube.”
He nodded and stepped closer to Twilight and the Sunstone as the six circled around it. Holding the amulet over the beam of prismatic light, the diamond in the center of the golden wreath absorbed it until it too glowed with the colors of the rainbow. Taking Erdrick’s Amulet out of the beam of light, Spike stood on his hind legs and held it over his head. The Element Bearers closed their eyes and concentrated. Their bodies began to glow with the colors of their respective Element: magenta for Twilight Sparkle, orange for Applejack, pink for Fluttershy, blue for Pinkie Pie, purple for Rarity, and red for Rainbow Dash. The light of the glowing diamond grew brighter until a rainbow flew out of it, arching through the air and landing on the Dragon King’s chest.
The rainbow shone on the Dragon King for a moment before a white flash filled everyone’s sight. Once it cleared, all had returned to normal. The Sunstone had stopped shining its light, the clouds created by the Staff of Rain had vanished, and the diamond set in Erdrick’s Amulet no longer glowed. They watched the Dragon King and waited for something to happen.
After another moment had passed, there came the sudden sound of gasping as Ryuo drew in a breath. He kept taking in deep, labored breaths before starting to cough. Raising a trembling claw, he placed it on his rising chest and held it over his heart. The ponies were amazed; the Powers of Harmony had resuscitated the Dragon King! Spike then flew and landed on his father’s chest. Feeling something landing on him, he struggled to raise his head to see Spike standing on him.
“...You… You… bested… me?” Dragon King Ryuo strained to say. It was hard to tell if he was angry, afraid, shocked, or impressed.
“That’s right. I, Prince Spike, have bested you in combat,” Spike confirmed, speaking boldly to make sure his father understood him correctly. Seeing the Sword of Erdrick before him, Spike grabbed its hilt. He didn’t remove but held on. “Do you yield?” Hearing this, Ryuo glared at Spike, but the younger of the two purple dragons didn’t relent. “Do you yield, or should we go for round two?”
The Elements of Harmony watched on with bated breath. After fighting to save his life, would Spike really be willing to fight his own father again? Could he go through with finishing the weakened Dragon King this time? Even Ryuo seemed to doubt Spike, narrowing his eyes as he tried to deduce if he was bluffing or not. It was humiliating to lose to two pony princesses, but to his own son that wasn’t yet fully grown? Death sounded preferable at the moment.
Defeated, Dragon King Ryuo finally conceded, “I… yield.”
“Good. Now, swear to me! On your Noble Dragon Code, swear to me that you’ll call off your war with Equestria!” Spike demanded. This earned him a hateful glare, but Spike didn’t back down. Instead, he held tight to the sword.
“I swear,” Ryuo reluctantly vowed.
“You swear what? I want to hear you say the words, ‘I will no longer threaten or rob from Equestria or its inhabitants’.”
Ryuo snarled, the act causing his chest some discomfort, but repeated, “I will no longer threaten nor steal from Equestria or her inhabitants. Are you now satisfied?”
“Not yet,” Spike told him. “Now swear you’ll end your feud with the Princesses.”
“Never,” Ryuo spat. Even though Spike tightened his grip on the sword, Ryuo would not give in to this demand. “I will forever hate Celestia for what she has done. No force in this world or any other will change that.”
Spike contemplated this and then released his hold on the hilt. “You’re right. The only one who can is you.”
Spike leapt from his father’s chest and rejoined his friends. As he watched him walk away, many emotions filled Ryuo’s heart. He was outraged for his son’s betrayal. He hated the ponies for turning his son against him. Looking to Dragon Lord Ember and the refugees, he felt humiliated from having them witnessing his defeat. He felt rage once he realized his “loyal” subjects had fled, abandoning their king. He felt jealousy once he saw the loathsome ponies clamber about Spike, hugging him and congratulating him. They weren’t Spike’s real family, he was! Spike belonged to him!
Beneath it all, he felt a pain in his heart, and it wasn’t from the lightning. Spike had chosen these insects over him. His heir, his only son, had forsaken him. The miserable equines accepted him as one of their own, and he accepted them as his “true” family. Ryuo had indeed lost, and not just the battle, but what he treasured above all else. He watched his son walk out of his life and felt as though Xia had died all over again.
“So what do we do now?” Fluttershy asked. “What will happen without the Tree of Harmony?”
Twilight thought about this and looked to the Amulet. After pondering for a moment, she believed she had an answer, “The Tree may be gone, but its power remains. Otherwise, we wouldn’t been able to use it to revive the Dragon King. It's just like when Nightmare Moon shattered the Elements. The physical vessels were broken, but their spirits endured.”
“But what about the Everfree Forest? It’ll continue to grow wild without it and who knows what else will happen,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.
“We’re just going to have to have faith. As long as we hold those virtues in our hearts, the Elements will never fade,” Twilight said, encouraging them all. “But right now, we need to head back. We still need to deal with that sorcerer and his followers.”
“But what about them?” Pinkie Pie asked, pointing towards Ember and Mina’s group.
Walking up to Mina, Twilight said, “Will you come back with us? Now that we know who’s behind all of this, we can prove your innocence.”
Mina looked to her fellow dragons, who all shared the same crestfallen look, and said sadly, “I don’t think we can ever go back. Not now anyway. Too many bridges have been burnt, metaphorically speaking.”
“But that wasn’t your fault,” Spike tried to convince them. “You have nothing to fear. The Princesses will clear up everything. Everything will go back to normal.”
“Back to normal,” Mina repeated with a cynical smile. “Normal for us is discrimination, and that’s all we have to go back to. They were so eager to turn against us.” Spike was about to say something else to quell her doubts, but she continued, “Maybe later, we can try again. But for now, we need time for old wounds to heal.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll look after them,” Ember reassured them. Spike and the Element Bearers didn’t want to leave them behind but knew that they couldn’t convince them.
With Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie climbing onto Spike’s back, the seven prepared for the flight home. Spike took one last look at his father and saw the mournful look on the elder dragon’s face. Unable to bear the sight of his son leaving with the ponies, Ryuo gave into despair and slunk back down the caldera of the volcano to his lair, dragging his broken body across the ground like a lowly lizard. However, he would not find comfort in his treasure hoard. He believed he never would again.
Turning towards the northwest, the triumphant heroes of Equestria flew home. They flew across the dragon lands and over the Celestial Sea. By the time they reached Equestrian soil, Celestia had just raised the sun. Their flight took them over the Hayseed Swamp and the frontier town of Appleloosa. All that separated them from home was the Everfree Forest. They couldn’t wait to see the smiling faces of their families, to embrace them, and to tell them of their victory. However, as they passed over the enchanted forest, they saw black smoke rising from the direction of Ponyville. Their hearts filled with panic, they doubled their speed and landed on the outskirts of town. All they saw was devastation.
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Thus ends the Dragon Quest 1 arc. The story is about 2/3 done. Now the Children of Harmony's quest begins.
Well, nopony did say that all of Equestria was gonna be saved. Spike may have saved Equestria for the time being, but it seems that it was at a horrendous cost--his home of Ponyville. And I thought Ryuo realizing that Spike left him was heartwrenching in it's own might...
I really hope that this wasn't the last of Dragon King Ryuo, though...sometimes it just takes more time than originally planned for him to finally see that he was wrong. And I personally hope that in his lament, 1/he doesn't kill himself, that would be cowardly and selfish similar to a toddler with a temper tantrum; and 2/he can remember his times with Xia and realize that Xia was on to something when she suddenly passed, which is that dragons and ponies can coexist in harmony, and even though his son bested him in combat, it's the fact that his son swore to side with the ponies that would give him a wake up call. Otherwise he should just lay with his damned hoard and die alone.
Good character. I like how the dragon are staying, because how they was treated. Keep it up.
Oh, wow! I just realized I've working on this story for over a year! I better pick up the pace! Anyway, I thought of a way to use a certain character from Season Six in this story. Who could it be? You'll just have to wait and see
!
Anywho, I have names and designs in mind for Fluttershy's twins, but I'm interested in what you think. What would you named her and Big Mac's foals?
7619088 Sky Strike for a boy and Golden Apple for a girl.
7693166
Hmm... Golden Apple. I kind of like it! I may consider using it.
7693232 Thanks! What do you think of Sky Strike or maybe Sky Stream would be better?
7693238
I was planning on giving the twins both "Apple" names considering I named Fluttershy's eldest "Posey." I don't want to give too much away, but the colt is an Earth Pony and the filly is a Pegasus.
7693275 In that case, maybe Apple Slice for a boy?
It's been said so many times, but I want to emphathize that Ryuo wants to destroy Equestria just to show that Dragons are superior to Ponies...
...think about that.
I guess that he probably wants to turn Equestria into the BadLands, with scorched earth, and burned rotting skeletons as far as the eye can see...
And he doesn't realize that if he succeeded in his revenge, he's killed the only blood family left (meaning he killed Spike, Rarity, and Amethyst as well as pretty much 90% of ponykind--there is never ever a 100% extermination; in a post apocalypic world, there are always stragglers that survived because of chance), and that he's pretty much ruling dirt. Way to go, Ryuo. You really showed those ponies.
That was sarcasm, if you didn't get it.
Which is why I felt weird after the chapter. I felt sorry for him at a time where I'm supposed to completely hate his guts and kinda wish that Spike actually slayed Ryuo. Sort of a homage to Chrysalis' fate at the hands of Spike. In essence Spike made sure that that particular Queen would never be a threat to Equestria ever again. But in another view of it, if Spike slayed Ryuo, sure he saved Equestria from the Dragon King's wrath, but what's to see that most of Ponyville, if not all of Equestria would see Spike as a monster in his own right, and probably even more so that he killed his own father? It would be a noble thing in the long runs, but most ponies would still see Spike in the same way the looked at him after Chrysalis--fearful, untrusting, cold hearted--alone. Spike could become the one creature that he fears the most--someone that is feared. There's a pretty good possibility that if it went that way, Spike would eventually be like Aurum--dying alone, no friend, family, or Allies because they would be fearful of what he can do in a rage.
I get that I'm probalby made the same comment roughly a month ago, but re-reading it just showed how I felt it when it was first released and it even gavalnized how I felt about it. All I can say about this going forward is that Ryuo is able to understand what his wife and son were stressing and that he sincerely takes a second look at it and himself. Ryuo doesn't need to die alone because he's considered a bad guy. Sure, he's stubborn as hell, but he knows that he has family now, and before he has to take that BIG SLEEP that all dragons eventually don't wake up from, I will hope that he's able to reconcile with Spike and his family, similar to what Aurum and Fiora Rosa returned to her original home to make amends with her ailing and dying father and to repair the rift between her and her father over Rosa's love for a dragon.
7693275 Is the next chapter almost done?
7725528
Sorry, life caught up with me. I've been busy pet sitting for my sister while she was out of town. Once she gets back, I'll have time to write again. The good news is that I'm already about 70% done writing it.