Blood Ties

by bestponydash

Phoenix Pony

The mane six eagerly followed Celestia to the archive section of the canterlot library. The princess stopped in front of an old and dusty section labeled "IBM Admissions," and began rummaging through the dusty records. Twilight squinted at the bookcase, "I.B.M.? What is that?"

"The Institution of Bright MInds," Luna answered, "It was meant to serve as a center of invention, problem solving, and complex thought for those gifted ponies whom we believed could make a difference in Equestria." She gazed at the many binders, notebooks, and records on display; forgotten. "Our parents had created it for the upper class and when my sister and I came into our positions, opened it to the public. Of course there was a very strict admission process."

Celestia raised her brow, having found the folder she sought, "We found it difficult to manage all the problems of the country by ourselves. So, we figured that the best and brightest Equestria had to offer would help move things in the right direction." She flipped through the profiles until she came upon the subject in question. Celestia turned the folder over to Twilight and the rest of the mane six.

Twilight gazed upon the red unicorn she had met only moments ago. "Corona Blaze," she read aloud, "Wait a minute...how...this application is hundreds of years old."

The sisters looked at one another, "Corona Blaze came from a relatively poor family, some of whom had died due to disease," Celestia explained, "When he entered the institution, he sought to create new medicines and prolong the average pony's lifespan."

"But?" Twilight assumingly added.

"But," Luna continued, "his research quickly shifted into using magic to become immortal. He was particularly interested in uncovering the secret of my sister and I's prolonged lives."

"When Luna and I refused to share our gift with him, he turned to experimentation. It only got worse from there: studies into mind control and manipulation; trying to force the body to stop aging. Eventually, it resulted in pony test subjects and casualties."

"After that, we were forced to banish him with punishment of imprisonment or death on his return. We stripped him of his resources and funding and he swore his revenge."

"When word got out about this, the institution lost support and eventually had to be shut down."

Luna looked to her sister, "We thought that was the end of it...but it seems Corona did succeed in finding a way to make himself live forever. And now he is using Spike and Lennox to exact his vengeance upon us."

Twilight read through the rest of the profile. She squinted, "This date..." her eyes shifted back and forth in thought. "Spike called him Phoenix Pony, why?"

Celestia answered, "When he failed to get any secrets out of us, he searched for other creatures that may hold the formula to immortality. Eventually, his sights set on the phoenix; continuously being reborn through fire and ash, never truly dying."

"So he found a way to implement this cycle himself." Twilight's mind began to sing with theories and explanations to the still unanswered questions surrounding the situation, but she had nothing concrete. "What else do we need to know about him?"

"He is a very skilled unicorn, not in the ways of battle, like Lennox, but in the art of alteration and illusion. Do not underestimate him."

Again, Twilight's inner monologue proposed ideas as she looked down with a hoof to her chin. When she was done, she turned to her friends, who were standing behind her, hearing all of this as well. "Now we know what we're up against."

"Don't worry, Twi, we've faced worse than these guys and won no problem," Dash spiritedly said.

Twilight nodded with a smile, "Okay, gather around." And so they did, and Twilight raised her horn. "Where is this outpost where two mountains meet?"

"It has been quite some time, but as I recall it was not too far from the southern border. You all should not have too much trouble finding it," Luna answered.

Twilight took a deep breath, "Alright, then we're headed to the southern border of the dragon lands to pick up Spike's trail. When we find him, we'll try one last time to talk with Lennox and Corona. If that doesn't work..."

"We blast the lot of them to stone," Rarity concluded.

The six nodded to each other and Twilight lit her horn, "I'm coming, Spike," she said softly. And in a great poof of magical smoke they disappeared from the castle.

---

When Spike reappeared, he found himself in the middle of a jagged field of stone brightly lit by the full moon in the night sky. The ground was littered with large cracks, chunks of discarded rock, and stains burnt black; even for the dragon lands, this place seemed barren. As he breathed, Spike could smell the rotten dust in the air. "This is where many a battle took place, where ponies and dragons alike fell by the dozens."

Spike knew that war was not a pleasant or simple affair by any means, but he had to wonder, "Why are you showing this to me? If you want to turn me to your side why not just make some place up to look like Celestia had done something terrible there?"

Lennox stared out onto the field and took a deep breath, "Because I am not trying to trick you. I am only showing you the truth. Besides, this is where Celestia did something terrible." Spike squinted with questions and Lennox closed his eyes. "After the war between the dragons and ponies broke out, I was called back to serve in the army itself. I fought many battles here on this very field, among my brothers and sisters." Spike's ears dropped a bit. "Many of my friends died before my eyes, in my hooves. Yet I kept fighting because I believed that our two species could someday see that it was all just a misunderstanding. I thought that everything would eventually go back to normal...But one day I watched my best friend fall in battle. I had known him for years; we were very close, like family, and i could not save him. I could not stop the war before it was too late."

Spike could not help but feel sorry for the pony. Perhaps, he thought, he was not as simple as Spike hoped. "What happened?" he asked.

Lennox cleared his throat, "That friend...was a dragon. I killed him myself."

Spike jumped back, "What?! Why?"

Lennox looked to Spike with watery eyes and a creased brow, "Because I am a pony, not a dragon, and we were at war! I was forced to choose between my personal feelings and the safety of my country. I chose my country, I chose to follow Celestia. And when the battle was over, and I was broken, I went to Celestia's room and that is when I found your egg. Luna and I suffered through a brutal war and after everything I had done: blindly following her orders because I thought it was for the good of the country, Celestia said nothing but 'It is to secure our future'. I just wanted some justification, some reason for killing my friend, but there was none. The war, everything, it was all pointless. Celestia wanted power, and was merciless in acquiring it."

Spike took a few steps back and gazed out at the field once more. The area suddenly had a different feel to it, a heavier feel. He began to imagine the battle that took place; the dragons and ponies clashing into one another. Fire, magic, falling feathers, rocks thrown through the air; Spike saw it all in his mind and his heart quivered. "I...I'm sorry."

Lennox cleared his face of the moisture and regained his posture, "Don't be, it is no use. Now, there is only one thing to do."

Then, Corona Blaze approached the two. "Enough of this wondering about. We need to start planning our attack. Take us to the outpost."

Lennox ended his lamentation and his mind began to fill with questions, questions he probably should have asked some time ago. "Tell me again; what is your stock in all of this? Why do you seek the fall of Celestia?"

Corona grew irritated, "Is it not enough that we share the same goal? Enemy of my enemy and all that."

Lennox grew more suspicious and took a few steps toward him, "It is not enough. Tell me who you are."

Corona growled and reluctantly answered, "I was originally called Corona Blaze. Celestia humiliated me for trying to do nothing but further our race. I sought to heal the sick, make ponies...better than we were. And for that, I was banished from my home! The princess was afraid of what I could do; she thought I would try to take her authority. I've sworn vengeance ever since."

Lennox raised a brow in thought, but eventually nodded his head slowly at the strange unicorn. "Very well," he said, "Come close, then, and I will take us." As the red unicorn did this, Lennox turned his back and pulled Spike closer to him. "I don't trust him," he whispered, "He's hiding something; keep an eye open." Corona came close and the three of them soon became engulfed by Lennox's teleportation bubble; in an instant, they were gone and the field was empty once again.

Author's Note:

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Comments

[DARKPHANTOM13]

At least Lennox knows something is up with Corona.

[manacar]

Lennox is stuiped if all she wanted was power than why did so not try to conquer the dragon lands instead of just wanting the one egg