PONYVERSE

by TopWanted

Scouting Mission

Scouting Mission

---<^^>---

Mare Do-Well straightened her hat once more as she and the others left the Scouting party’s encampment. The decisions of the meeting earlier weighing heavily on her mind.

---

“Twilight Sparkle!” King Blueblood shouted in surprise. The rest of the officials began to whisper loudly amongst themselves. Mare Do-Well stayed her ground not removing her gaze from the magical representations of the delegates. Her experienced senses could tell that her companions were staring in disbelief too, well at least Rarity. Understandable since Flutterbat and Rainbow Dash had never met Twilight Sparkle and Fili-Second knew from the beginning. Still, it felt odd for Mare Do-Well to do this. Not because she was revealing her eyes but for something else.

“There is no time to explain my appearance here,” she stated, silencing the crowd. “Just know that we are all here for one purpose and that is to keep this world safe. In order to do that we must track down Spike the dragon.”

The officials all stared at her for a moment, even Maud looking to her to see what she would do next. Then Ember cleared her throat. “Miss Sparkle, I believe it is the will of this council that you and your companions do track down this dragon. However I must ask, when you find him what will you do?”

Mare Do-Well nodded her head to Maud. “I suggest you leave that decision up to the captain, ma’am.”

The officials all turned to Maud. Blueblood raised an eyebrow at her. “Well, Captain Pie? Should the need arise, will you be able to go through with what must be done?”

Maud was silent for a moment as she closed her eyes in quiet concentration. Then she slowly opened them, her gaze the same as they saw out in the forest when she killed the Black Wyrm. “Yes,” she replied emotionlessly.

Blueblood didn’t appear to doubt her. “Very well. Then I see no problem in letting the scouting party follow the trail of this dragon. Do we know where its heading within Wall Luna?”

Moondancer pulled open a scrolled report in front of her. “Actually, your grace, it appears the dragon blew past the ancillary gates of Wall Luna and headed back into Wall Cadence territory.”

“He went back?” Rarity spoke up. “Why would Spike go back?”

Mare Do-Well looked at the table as her neurons fired and she began to connect some dots. “Because he’s going home,” she muttered. Maud turned to her. “Spike is from Ponyville, correct? Then I’ll bet that’s where we find him.”

Fili-Second nodded in agreement. Surprisingly Flutterbat nodded too and flapped her wings happily.

“That settles it then,” Captain West Wind spoke up. “However, I don’t know where you mares have been but be warned. Ponyville has changed. With nopony to cultivate it the Everfree has overgrown and consumed the town. To make it there you’ll have to face more than the Black Wyrms.”

“We’re not afraid, sir!” Rainbow Dash replied with a salute. West Wind saluted back.

“Alright, everypony,” Mare Do-Well shouted, putting her lenses back on, “Let’s get going.”

---

Back outside the gate of Wall Luna the group had reunited with Applejack. The orange mare seemed eager to show them something, but the mention of the rescue party made her grow quiet. The six plus Maud and two other ponies stood on the outskirts of Wall Luna as the heavy gates closed behind them.

“No turning back,” Fili-Second spoke up with a bright smile.

Mare Do-Well watched as Maud took her place at the head of the group. Her trained ears caught the stoic mare mutter something under her breath. “I’m not going to lose her again.”

“Let’s move out, ponies!” Maud shouted. Suddenly her and the two other ponies with her shot out their metal ropes and began to swing from tree to tree. Rainbow Dash and Flutterbat followed close behind with the other four running beneath. This was going to be a long trip.

About the quarter way mark, Rarity came up next to Mare Do-Well as they galloped through the forest, both mares seeming very unfazed by the strenuous work. “If you don’t mind me asking,” she asked. “What is Spike to you? You said you knew him.”

Mare Do-Well was caught off guard by the question. She shrugged and decided it wouldn’t hurt to answer. “He’s the librarian of the Golden Oaks Library. And one of the best damn medics in the world.” She added with a smirk.

Rarity frowned. “So you’re not the librarian, Twilight?”

Mare Do-Well felt the blood rush to her face. “No!” she blurted defensively. “I mean, I was… but not anymore.”

Rarity frowned again, her eyes slightly narrowed. “I see.” She looked behind her to see Applejack trailing behind and slightly out of breath. “I think we need to slow down.”

Applejack heard her and kicked it up a notch to catch up. “Don’t… do that… on account of… me.”

“It’s alright, Applejack,” Mare Do-Well said. “I’m getting a little winded myself.”

“Naw,” Applejack panted with a smile. “That’s not… what ah meant.” In another instant she pulled back her hakama to reveal the same kind of metal device that the ponies of the scouting party used. She winked at Mare Do-Well as she pressed a button and shot a metal grappling line into the trees. The rope retracted with a quick jolt and sent her flying. “See you guys up ahead!”

“Bit of a showoff, isn’t she?” Mare Do-Well muttered playfully.

“Yup,” Rarity smiled back.

{[(SxT)]}

Spike set Suntrix down just in front of the town square. Luckily they were able to see the tall roof of the town hall poke up through the overgrowth. Suntrix fell to the ground and began to retch as the two hours of being dragged through the air finally caught up with her. She wiped her mouth and watched as Spike emerged from the beast’s back covered in goo once more. He wearily opened his eyes and jumped to the ground before the carcass he’d previously been inside of burst into flames. “I swear I’ll never get used to that,” Suntrix muttered.

“We’re here,” Spike whispered in awe. He began to turn around slowly taking the whole place in. Just as the last time she was there, Suntrix saw hundreds of dark trees and vines had snaked their way into the town and wrapped around houses and streetlights giving new meaning to the phrase “urban jungle”. “Come on, the library is this way.”

They began to walk down the overgrown street. “You can still tell which way is which?”

“How can I forget?” Spike replied wistfully. Suntrix merely sighed and rolled her eyes as she knew there was no better choice than to follow the little dragon. They walked for good while, having to weave their way through large twisted roots and avoiding dangerous snakes. They finally made it to their destination around nightfall.

Spike froze before the Ponyville Library, staring at the toll time and the Everfree had done to it. Suntrix walked up next to him and frowned. Just as before the tree that used to also serve as a house and place of business had seemingly grown taller, its holes where windows used to be had healed over and glass stuck out of the bark in odd directions. All around it mossy roots reached out of the ground and spread far out and into the town. The only thing still intact seemed to be the door. Spike seemed frozen in front of it. “You going to knock?” Suntrix asked sarcastically.

Spike placed his claw on the door and pushed, finding it stuck a little. Suntrix watched the tiny dragon struggle for a minute before she decided she’d had her fun and helped out. The two pushed hard and the door slowly crawled open, no light seeming to enter the dark insides.

“After you,” Suntrix teased. Spike didn’t seem to listen to her banter as he walked right in. Suntrix followed reluctantly again.

Spike went straight for a cupboard hidden in the dark and pulled out a candle he took a deep breath and gave it a huff as green flame spat out and ignited the wick. The insides immediately came into focus. Besides a few loose pieces of furniture or toppled books the place seemed very untouched. “It hasn’t changed at all,” Spike whispered.

“Glad to hear it,” Suntrix muttered. “Weren’t you looking for some kind of lab?”

Spike shook his head to regain his awareness and nodded. “Right.” He headed for a lone door off to the side where the kitchen was. The door opened rather easily for him and he entered. Suntrix however heard her stomach let out a loud growl as she passed the kitchen. She hesitantly approached the pantry and opened it up. Sure enough any fruits or vegetables in there were long since passed their sell by date. Suntrix gripped her stomach as it let out another growl. What the hay, she had eaten nothing but moss and bark for two weeks. A three year old banana sounded lovely.

She picked up the blackened fruit and carefully pulled the top down. A small puff of dust escaped the dead fruit, the smell of which only slightly resembling bananas. Suntrix had to hold a hoof to her mouth as her stomach threatened to overturn once more.

A loud crash sounded from downstairs and Suntrix walked to the door where the dragon had disappeared to. “Spike?” she called out hesitantly. “You there?” She couldn’t hear a response but there was the sound of voices downstairs. She hesitantly took a few steps down and saw the lab from the stairwell. Like the rest of the house it seemed mostly untouched. The only difference being that a crystal ball now lay fractured in the middle of the room with Spike running a claw through his scales. The look on his face was one of confusion, anger, and betrayal. Suntrix knew she was going to regret it but she walked downstairs. “What’s up, kid?”

Spike stopped pacing and looked at her before pointing to the crystal ball. “That… is something I didn’t want to know.”

Suntrix looked at the slightly cracked crystal ball on the floor. Something was still playing on it though with the crack it seemed to be skipping a little. Suntrix looked to Spike as if to ask if it was alright before she picked it up. The little dragon made no reply as he turned his face to the wall and began to scratch at his head in frustration while muttering under his breath.

The unicorn picked up the crystal ball and waved a hoof to rewind it. What appeared was a slightly familiar face. She could only assume this was Twilight, the mare Spike kept talking about. She stood in front of the ball in the recording, her face taking up the whole thing. Suntrix let it play out.

“Is this on?” Twilight asked no one as she stuck her whole muzzle close to the ball and tapped it. “Ah, good. Ahem.” She backed away to reveal she was in the lab and was wearing a labcoat. Her mane was frazzled as well and there were slight bags under her eyes. “Day six of observation and research on the creatures called Black Wyrms. I can’t exactly get close to any of them without risk for myself or others but from what I have analyzed from afar is that they do not exhibit either a pack or herd mentality. Normally aggressive predators of this scale will have a dominant leader of some kind but none seemed to have appeared. Side note: I’m not sure but I think they may not need to eat at all. Several observation subjects have gone days without food and don’t seem fazed. More to come.” The feed cut off and another began. “Day… thirty eight of observation and research. The more and more I watch them the more terrified I become. A manticore attacked subject 6 three days ago and managed to slash the back of its neck before another burned it to ashes. Subject 6 proceeded to expel smoke from the wound and then burst into black flames before being burned to… well nothing. There weren’t even ashes left.” She leaned in closer to the ball. Her eyes darting back and forth. “It’s as if these creatures are as ethereal as they are real. I wish I could weigh one.”

The next few entries seemed too corrupted to watch as Suntrix had to skip a few. She stopped on the next available. Twilight’s appearance had now taken a drastic turn. She was clearly overworked and slightly twitchy. “Day… one hundred and six of observation… No, no, no! More like day one of experimentation.” She giggled ominously and held aloft a small vial. “That’s right. I got something. It took every bit of magic I had but I snuck out there and got a sample of one of those things before they burned away. Oh, right! Side note: Apparently they can consume magic. Perhaps that’s why they can live for so long without nourishment.” Suntrix rolled her eyes but the mare’s face made her nervous. “But we’ll find out soon.” She shook the vial and the small piece of scale tinked against the glass.”

“Day nineteen of experimentation. I have no idea what I’m looking at. I have to keep it in a magical field just so it won’t disintegrate. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to study and it confounds me.” She lifted the vial to show to the ball. “In this scale contains the genetic traces of fifty different creatures. Dragon, griffin, manticore, diamond dog, and pony! Now anypony tries to use these essences on themselves would probably die, yet somehow all these facets are working in perfect… harmony.” She paused and frowned off to the side, rubbing her chin as if in thought. “End of report.”

“Day twenty two of experimentation.” Suntrix noticed Twilight’s manic gaze had disappeared and she seemed morose. “I’ve done what nopony thought possible, even myself. I… reverse engineered a Black Wyrm.” She lifted a small syringe with black smoky fluid. “This is it. Everything that those things are is in this needle. I’ve had to be sparing since I only made a small amount but I had enough to start trials. She gulps and moves to the side to reveal a small cage inside is a creature that seems far too large for the small coop. It turns its head to reveal a hideous array of jagged teeth and black scales. Its eyes are immediately recognizable. “By using my Element directly I was able to properly fuse the essences. This is test subject one. Previously Nick the mouse.” Twilight bit her lip and hung her head. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but I needed to know.” The creature in the cage let out a shrill howl as Twilight edged closer and began to thrash around. Twilight moved quickly but the creature escaped and began to run around until it knocked the ball off of its stand and it rolled across the floor. The last thing it showed was Twilight shooting beams of magic at the creature in hopes of knocking it out. She spied the crystal on the floor and ran to it to stop the recording.

“They’re here!” The next log was whiplash as the surroundings changed immediately. It was still in Twilight’s lab but she was out of her coat and rubbing her hooves together nervously. A large crash was heard from above as she rubbed her hooves through her frayed mane. “No, no, no, no, no, NO! I was so close. I just needed more time.” She ran off screen and came back with the syringe before turning to the crystal again. “I don’t know if Harmony can stop them. I mean, I tried everything on the sample and nothing worked. My only hope, maybe my only choice now is to change the rules.” She lifted the syringe to her neck. “Please forgive me, Spike.”

“Twilight?” the voice came from offscreen but made Twilight turn, her face pale. Spike came flying down the stairs. “What are you doing!? We need to get out of here!” He tried to take her hoof.

Twilight hesitantly pulled back and shook her head with tears. “I’m sorry, Spike.”

“What do you mean? Twilight, what’s that?” Twilight didn’t answer as the crystal ball was knocked off its pedestal and rolled off the table again. What followed was a series of shouts and the sound of a struggle before the ball rolled into frame again and it showed Twilight standing over Spike shakily pulling back the syringe she had accidentally stuck in him.

“NONONONONO!!” She cried out and threw the syringe away. “Spike? Spike!?” She tried shaking him but the baby dragon did not budge. A loud explosion could be heard from outside which drew her attention along with the sounds of screaming. With tears in her eyes Twilight hung her head and kissed Spike’s forehead. “I’m so sorry.” She edged away from the prone body and ran up the stairs.

Suntrix waited a few moments before she was sure that the recording had ended. She stopped the playback and sat back in astonishment. “Wow.”

Spike was still in the corner, now curled into a ball. He finally spoke up as he heard the crystal’s recording end. “I couldn’t remember that night. I always thought it was because I hit my head or something. Really the only thing I could remember was this place.” Suntrix walked over and hesitated before putting a hoof on his shoulder. Spike’s eyes filled with tears. “Why couldn’t she just tell me? I’m her assistant I could have helped! Then maybe things wouldn’t have… wouldn’t…”

Suntrix knew she wasn’t the best at reading facial cues or even giving pity, but nothing she had ever been through could possibly come close to what this little dragon had experienced. “I think… she felt ashamed.” Spike stopped his crying and looked up at her. “You’re friend had the weight of the world on her shoulders and she felt ashamed that she couldn’t give anypony anything for their trust.” She hung her head. “Believe me, I know a thing or two about shame.”

Spike sniffled a little before wiping his nose. Then to Suntrix surprise, he turned around and wrapped his arms around her legs in a hug. Suntrix was surprised at first but finally gave in and held the little dragon close.

/^(*vv*)^\

The group set down in a flat area for the night. Two large cliff faces sandwiched them, protecting them from the sight of the Black Wyrms. Flutterbat rested gently hanging upside down on a branch by the forest edge while her friends camped closer to the center of the area. Still, with her enhanced hearing, being a part of the conversation was not so hard.

“How much longer do you figure?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Maud poked the fire with a stick. “I wouldn’t recommend going above the tree line to find out. But judging from the rock formations I’d say another hour or so.”

“Hour? Then why don’t we just keep going?”

“One,” Mare Do-Well pointed out. “It’s already midnight. Two, the forest is ten times deadlier at night. And three, we have no idea what we’re heading into.”

“She’s right,” Applejack pointed out. “We need to prepare a strategy for when we get there, and tonight’s a good time to plan it.”

Pinkie Pie sat beside Maud, eyeing her sister wearily. “You’re… not really going to hurt Spike are you?”

Maud glanced at her before going back to the fire. “No. That’s just something I said to get those politicians off my back.”

Pinkie gave a small sigh of relief. “Oh, that’s good.”

Flutterbat was kean of many things, and her hearing was beyond reproach. Her most impressive feature allowed her to hear even a pin drop from thirty yards. And that included a mare’s heart beat when she lied. Suddenly Flutterbat opened her eyes as she heard something approach. She unfurled her wings and fell to the ground in a battle stance before hissing at the trees. “What is it?” Rarity asked.

Everypony now stood and prepared themselves. Flutterbat was at the forefront as she prepared to tackle whatever was coming. Then in a flash of red a large lion shaped creature pounced from the shadows. Flutterbat bared her fangs and charged straight in, tackling the creature out of the air.

“Manticore!” Maud shouted to her subordinates. The two ponies grabbed their sheaths and diamond tipped blades. Maud made a sign with her hooves that told everypony to begin to circle it.

Flutterbat cried out as the Manticore slashed down on her flank. Rainbow Dash was the first to retaliate. “Get off her, you jerk!” she shouted as she crashed into the beast. She helped Flutterbat back up who thanked her by giving her a friendly lick on the cheek. The manticore got to its feet again easily and roared into the sky. Maud winced.

“It’s going to give away our location,” she warned the others.

Mare Do-Well tried to nail it with her shuriken but the Manticore began to move again and dodged them. This time headed for the ponies by the fire. Maud had kept Pinkie behind her, making sure she was always in between the monster and her sister. “Dodge!” Mare Do-Well shouted at them both.

Pinkie tried to grab onto Maud to pull her away at super speed but the gray mare broke her grip and rushed forward. With a look of malice she jumped high and pointed her blades downward. The Manticore stopped in time to throw its claws up at her as she fell but her blades were too strong and cut through its paws and down its body. Blood sprayed from the Manticore’s chest as Maud drew her blades back and swept them outward to dispel the blood splatter. That didn’t help her face and clothes though. She turned around to face everypony as the monster behind her collapsed in a heap of blood and guts. “What?”

Everypony shared a weary glance, including a certain pink mare who was having doubts about her sister’s state.

{[(SxT)]}

Suntrix snored soundly in the bed upstairs while Spike decided to take the couch. By the time the two had finished their little moment it was night time. Spike decided they would head out in the morning, his goal, undecided.

However, while the two lay sleeping, another figure eased its way into the library. It made its way to the laboratory where it searched the area for something that might aid it finally coming across a discarded crystal ball. It played the recordings and watched silently. A small smile creeping over its face.

---

“Spike… Spike…” the little dragon wearily opened his eyes. That voice. It seemed so familiar. He rubbed his bleary eyes as he spotted a candle burning in the kitchen. A mare sat in a chair, her face just concealed by the shadows. “Glad you’re awake.”

Spike frowned and sat up, his chest tightening with the sound of the mare’s voice again. “What are you doing here? Who are you?”

“Oh, Spike,” the mare chuckled as she walked forward into the light, her purple coat and mane becoming visible. “I’d hoped you hadn’t forgotten me so soon.”

“Twilight?” Spike whispered in disbelief. “But that’s…”

“Impossible?” Twilight asked. “I wouldn’t say that. I’ve seen enough things in creation by now to tell you that impossible doesn’t exist.”

Spike felt something wrong. This Twilight before him felt strange. Different. “Who are you really?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t recognize me, Spike? What? No hug for your best friend?”

Spike stayed on guard for a moment before his eyes filled with tears again. “Twilight!” he ran up to her and hugged her legs. Twilight reciprocated.

“It’s good to see you too,” she smiled. “But I’m quickly getting over it.” She then pulled away and slinked her way to the couch where Spike had been sleeping. She sat and smirked at him.

“Twilight?” Spike asked cautiously as he sniffled a little.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Always the crybaby, aren’t you?” Spike was stunned at her cruel words. “What? You thought I actually liked you?” She raised a hoof and looked at it nonchalantly. “All great scientist’s need a stooge. You were nothing but an experiment to me.”

Spike’s eyes widened. “This… this is a dream, right?”

“I don’t know, is it?” Twilight smirked. “If it is it’s your dream. Are you honestly thinking such hateful things about yourself or do you just know inherently that Twilight never loved you?”

The last line cut him to the quick. Spike felt a rage boil in his gut. “Shut up.”

Twilight didn’t. “You know what the worst part of you is? You’ve been given such a gift and you don’t even use it.”

“A gift!? You call turning into a monster, that thing, a gift?”

“Yes,” Twilight replied. “All that power and being able to control it. Anypony would kill for that. Hell, if I had that I wouldn’t even have to…” She paused as she caught herself. “But I digress. We were talking about your worthlessness.”

Spike gritted his teeth and slammed his fists into the couch’s armrest. “Shut up! You’re not Twilight!”

Twilight got up from the bed and slinked around Spike wrapping a hoof around his shoulders. “That’s right, I’m not. I’m that little nagging at the back of your head that won’t stop shouting. I’m the one that knows that everypony in Ponyville’s death falls on your head.”

“No!” Spike shouted and tried to pull the mare off of him but she held on tight.

She leaned in close to his ear to whisper. “You had an entire lifetime to learn from Twilight yet you wiled away the hours producing nothing. You were the assistant to a genius! Think of the things you could have helped achieve, especially after she died. But no, you had to be like all dragons are. Greedy. Selfish. And lazy. You kick yourself for not having discovered your power then and there. If you had you could have saved them all, even her. Instead you slept and let your whole world crumble around you.”

Spike tried to cover his ears and shut his eyes. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

“So many lives lost and the only pony who could have stopped it gave it up because of you.”

Spike screamed just as he felt a sharp pinch in his back. He pulled back to see that “Twilight” had stuck a needle in his neck. She held it aloft as it was now filled with blood. Spike felt so confused yet he could already feel his transformation taking effect as smoke began to billow from his pores. “Twilight” waved the needle in front of her. “Thanks for the sample. Just need a few more things from you and we’ll be hunky dory.” Suddenly Spike felt a blast of something cold and hard hit him in the forehead. It propelled him straight into the door and shattered on impact. Spike lay on the street before struggling back up and reaching for his forehead. He felt a trickle of blood.

“Twilight” appeared at the door and smiled deviously. “I’m gonna need you to go a little wild. Threaten the one upstairs too, that would really help out. If I’m right they shouldn’t be too far away. Toodles.” She waved goodbye and in a bright flash of light disappeared.

Spike now had no control over himself. The transformation had started, and all he could feel was anger. Not a good way to start the morning. He let out a roar that grew louder as his body grew and soon echoed through the whole of Everfree.

Comments

[TopWanted]

7605690
Glad you're enjoying it. I've got a lot more planned for this series.

[Mal Masque]

Oooooo, intensity. I love it!