My Brave Pony Starfleet Magic: Season V

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 3: A Dragon's Tall Tale

EPISODE THREE

Almost a week had passed since the Insecto Armada came and attacked the planet, but with the barrier shielding it, and the cleanup completed, life returned to normal.

Work continued… children went to school… life carried on; rather a way of showing that the race didn’t give in to intimidation so easily. Of course the laws of war were in effect…

Martial law was heavily enforced, prices and wages were frozen, and curfews were issued for night to keep others safe.

Though it was scary, knowing all those spaceships were up there, and some of them were visible through the naked eye, the ponies and other creatures tries not to let it get to them so heavily.

Princess Cadance especially had to keep calm. In her condition, the royal doctors told her that stress would not good for the baby or herself. She had also been stripped of her Ninja medal so she couldn’t transform, and was strictly forbidden by her doctors, and by her aunt and uncle from entering any battles.

If she wanted a healthy baby, she’d need plenty of rest, and not too much danger or anxiety.

Right now she was more excited than much else, but not as excited as Shining Armor.

“Gosh… I’m going to be a dad.” He would keep saying, and he would often stroke his wife’s swollen belly wondering if it was a boy or a girl. They wanted to be surprised, so they didn’t ask for any x-rays or ultra sounds and things like that.

“Whatever it is…” said Cadance “It’ll be so wonderful.”

Her husband smiled goofily, but then he looked a little sad “I only wish Twilight would be here to see it too. She’d have made a fine aunt.”

Cadance nodded sadly. “Fratello would have made a nice uncle… if he were here.”

Still, they knew that having this baby was nothing to be sad about, and eagerly waited for the arrival.

Elsewhere, in New Ponyville, Spike stepped out of Carousel Boutique. He sniffed the morning air and sighed happily. Not just because it was a beautiful day, but with each passing day brought him one day closer to his and Rarity’s wedding.

Rarity was off duty and was working on her wedding gown, again, and also dresses for the bridesmaids.

Spike still had his own patrol to do and headed off into town on foot, humming softly and happily, but things were about to change for him.

He saw a friendly mare walking round the corner. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him.

“Good morning.” Spike said kindly, but the mare stepped away from him as if she were frightened and said “Please don’t hurt me.” and before Spike could say anything, she had gone.

“Okay…” Spike said.

Then as he walked down the street, he saw the paper colt passing by on his rounds. He took just one look at Spike, screamed, and ran away sending all his papers scattering along the road.

“Huh? What’s his problem?”

It was the same story everywhere. Every single pony Spike ran into or came anywhere near, they all acted the same; just took one look at him and then ran away as if they had seen a ghost.

“What’s going on here?” Spike wondered. All this was starting to make feel a little uncomfortable “I think I need a donut.”

So he walked into the Donut Shop, and he had just barely taken a step in when the entire shop went silent, and everyone was staring at fearfully.

He walked past many ponies at their tables, but their eyes left him, and when he got to the shop he gazed at the owner, and before he could speak, the owner just offered him the cash register and all the money. “Here… just take. Take it all, just don’t hurt Me.” he whimpered.

Now Spike was really confused “Um, I just want a sapphire encrusted donut please…”

The shop owner was confused himself, but nervously handed him a donut and even let him have it for free. “Um… thank you…?”

As Spike left the shop, he was really starting to feel something was wrong.

“There he is!” somebody shouted, making him jump. Spike turned round and saw an angry mob of many ponies glaring at him furiously.

“Let’s get him!” and they all huddled near him.

“Whoa, whoa… what’s going on here?”

“Don’t play dumb with us!”

“We know what you did!”

“Thief!”

“Monster!”

“Arsonist!”

Spike could hardly believe all those nasty words being thrown at him, but no matter how hard he tried to explain “I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The ponies wouldn’t listen and were now looking to break him to pieces, despite know about his super powers.

Seeing now alternative and not wanting to fight his way through all the civilians. Spike spread his wings and flew upward. “See ya!”

The ponies were outraged and shouted at him, but Spike continued to fly away, but he was still very confused. “Why would they think I’m a monster? I need to see Lightning, now!”

When he got to Lightning and Starla’s place, he saw another mob of angry ponies all standing there complaining to Lightning about recent events that happened last night.

“He came and just set fire to our house.”

“He cleaned my entire jewellery store. Now I have no merchandise.”

“I tried to talk kindly with him, but he turned right around and attacked me.”

“Everyone, please, quiet down!” shouted Lightning.

“Look! There he is!” cried a pony. Everyone turned and saw Spike and they all ganged up on him.

“Give me back my jewels!”

“What jewels? I have no jewels!” protested Spike.

“Don’t lie! We all saw you! We know what you did.” said another pony. She held up a newspaper clipping that showed images of The Dragon Knight committing all those crimes and more.

“What?!” snapped Spike “This is crazy, that’s not me!”

“Liar!” shouted a pony “We all know you’re the Dragon Knight!”

“And to think, we once looked up to you!”

Lightning and Starla looked at the pictures as well, but they couldn’t believe what they saw, yet the images were very uncanny.

Other ponies turned back to face Lightning, sneering “What are you waiting for? Arrest him!”

Lightning merely crumpled up the paper and threw it away saying “No.”

“What?!”

Starla stood beside her husband saying “We know Spike very well, and he’d never do these horrible things.”

Now the ponies were really getting mad, feeling that they were in cahoots with Spike, and just letting him get away with his supposed crimes.

Lightning however began to feel he had no choice, but he softly touched Starla behind her shoulder, telling her of a plan he had.

She nodded at him, and then Lightning walked over to Spike. “I’m sorry, Spike, but I have no choice but to place you under arrest.”

“What?! But Lightning…” he stopped when he saw Lightning twitch his muzzle twice; the Starfleet secret code for “Just play along.”

Spike complied by pretending to come quietly, and both Lightning and Starla sealed him in a glass sphere and promised to take him to prison.

The pony mob began to cheer and thanked Lightning for seeing the light.

In actuality, Lightning and Starla brought Spike to Fluttershy’s cottage where she and Rhymey lived peacefully, and where no one would suspect Spike would be. He was released from his prison, but he felt very upset and frightened.

Rarity soon came over when she got the news, and was quietly told in a letter where Spike was.

“This is outrageous!” she growled “It’s preposterous. It’s… it’s… I…!!”

(0:03)

She gnashed her teeth trying to keep her cool, and it helped, but she was still very upset, but not as upset as Spike felt.

Fluttershy and Rhymey saw the paper, and they were both outraged.

“It looks exactly like you,
But I don’t believe it to be a bit true.” said Rhymey.

Fluttershy came and gave Spike a warm cup of special tea to help calm him down. “Here you go, Spike. This will make you feel better.”

Spike sighed and sipped the tea. It tasted rather bitter, but he drank the whole cup almost too quickly and choked a little. “Well, I feel a little less twitchy now.” he said.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was Rainbow Dash “Can you guys believe it…” she said, and then she held up a magazine from the Wonderbolts “They made the front page after their big show.”

Starla took her magazine “Now read this and weep.” She passed rainbow the paper.

“What?!” snapped Rainbow “This is nuts.”

“It’s a total nightmare.” said Spike “I know I didn’t do all those things, yet everyone thinks it was me.”

Fluttershy sat near Spike “I believe you, Spike.” she said.

Rarity sat next to him too. “You’re no criminal, Spike. I could never love someone like that.”

Everyone then gave her a look. “Not helping.” Starla said.

They all knew fully well Spike couldn’t have done those things. Especially seeing as his Dragon Knights could only be used to fight evil; not cause it.

“Obviously, someone is disguised as you, and trying to frame you.” said Rainbow.

“Yeah, but who’d want to do this, and why?” asked Spike.

No one had a clue.

Just then Lightning came in reading a letter he had just received, after sending word to their royal majesties to cancel the wanted order on Spike.

“Did they cancel it?” asked Starla.

Her husband looked at everyone and said “They said they believe Spike didn’t commit the crimes either…”

Hope began to shine in everyone’s faces…

“…But despite these beliefs and what we know, they say we need to get factual proof before the order can be officially canceled. Just knowing isn’t enough.”

Spike sighed “Well that’s just lovely. Meanwhile, I better get used to being public enemy number-one.”

The others felt sorry for Spike.

“I propose we set a trap,
And then confront this criminal chap.” said Rhymey

Everyone immediately jumped at the idea.

“All right… here’s what we’ll do.” said Lightning “We wait until nightfall, and then we take up secret positions around the village…”

That night, they all did just that…

Some hid along the rooftops; others were hiding in the shrubs or behind mailboxes. Spike especially kept out of sight so no one else would see him, still believing he was locked up and could not harm anyone.

The night patrols were doubled ever since the report leaked out, and officers on patrol were keeping a much sharper eye on things. The lookout towers kept their search lights going for any signs of anything strange.

Lightning did not inform the guards of their plan, as it had a better chance of success if kept secret.

The ponies were all transformed and using their visors to scout the area. They could find nothing out of the ordinary.

Lightning and Starla slunk round the streets, keeping well out of sight.

Rainbow and Fluttershy hid in a cloud and viewed the area from above. Fluttershy was a bit shaky from having to look down from such a height.

“Will you stop shaking? You’re making me nervous.” said Rainbow.

“Sorry.” peeped Fluttershy.

The rest of the gang, hid in the shrubs, which Rarity protested to. “Why is it I always get the dirty jobs?” she groaned softly.

“Shh!” Rhymey and Spike both said. Rarity pouted, but they all kept a constant vigil.

For a long while, nothing happened.

Rainbow let out a huge yawn “Would something just happen already?”

The gang still couldn’t detect anything, but suddenly…!

“Wait…” said Spike and he sniffed the air “There’s something out there… it’s getting close.”

Then the others could detect and abnormal amount of power getting near.

“This is it…” Lightning said “Keep your eyes peeled.”

Suddenly, they could see someone rather big creeping about in the shadows. It was almost too dark to see, so they switched their visors to night-vision, and what they saw really surprised them.

“It… can’t be.” cried Rarity.

“What…? What is it?” Spike asked not able to see in the dark like they could.

“It looks just the Dragon Knight,
But that obviously can’t be right.” said Rhymey.

Then the ponies tried to scan what the creature really was, but their signals got jammed, as if the creature was shielded from it.

This meant they couldn’t detect how powerful the creature was either, but regardless, they could plaining see the creature starring down the bank and it drew its sword ready to cause some serious trouble.

Lightning gave the signal, and all the ponies jumped out from their hiding spots. “Freeze!” Lightning shouted.

The creature turned round, and many of the search lights shined on it, and the alarms sounded.

Many civilians were awakened, and opened their windows to see what the matter was.

“Look!”

“It’s the Dragon Knight.”

“He was going to rob the bank.”

“I thought they arrested him already.”

Spike could hardly believe what he saw. He rubbed his eyes and pinched his cheek to be sure he wasn’t dreaming.

Other Starfleet officers came soaring in completely surrounding the area. Many of them gazed at Commander Lightning with angry faces, now realizing he never actually captured the Dragon Knight, but now was not the time for scolding.

“Identify yourself!” Lightning demanded, but the creature narrowed its eyes, and then sniffed the air, sensing that Spike was hiding in the bushes near the edge of the road.

Before anyone could react, the creature zipped past the fighters, ramming them all hard knocking them over, and made its way right to the bush.

Spike barely leapt out from hiding just in time before the creature sliced the bush to pieces with its sword.

“Whoa! Talk about a close-cut.”

All the civilians and other officers saw Spike, and barely could believe it.

“There’s two of them?!”

“Then he was telling the truth.”

“But then, who’s that?”

Spike was relieved; obviously more than enough proof had been gathered to get him off the hook, but for now he stared the imposter down, and looked ready for a fight.

“Dragon Power!”

Once he was transformed, he immediately drew his sword.

“Let’s go!” called Lightning.

“No!” shouted Spike “Let me handle this. It’s my score to settle.”

The officers protested, but Lightning silenced them and ordered them all to stay back. “Okay, Spike, you have your chance, but we’re here if you need us.”

“Be careful, my dear.” cried Rarity.

Spike nodded at her and then faced the creature down.

The two knights held their swords and paced in soft steps eyeing each other down. Then, the imposter began to speak, in a feminine voice…

“You show great courage, for one who is a disgrace.”

Spike blinked once. “So you are a girl. I could smell your pheromones.”

The girl sniggered softly “I’m impressed; you’ve developed your senses… well nearly that is. Now, show me what you’ve got.”

Spike said nothing, and the two knights clashed their swords, parrying out each other’s attacks skillfully, and dodging fatal blows.

Fluttershy could hardly watch this, and buried her face in Rhymey’s chest. Rhymey held his wife close and watched as the duel continued wondering along with the others who the imposter was, and what did she want. Most importantly, why did she set Spike up?

The knights continued to clash in their duel.

“You have skill with the blade.” said the imposter, and their blades clashed in a lock. The two knights struggled hard against the force. “That’s not all I’ve got.” Spike said, and he kicked the imposter hard in the chest sending her back a few steps.

“DRAGON FLAME-WHEEL!”

Curling himself up in a wheel of fire, Spike rushed at the imposter, but she actually blocked him with her cape, halting him dead in his tracks.

“Do you see that?!” cried Rainbow.

“She’s actually stopped Spike’s flame-wheel attack.” added Starla

Next thing anyone knew or saw, the imposter flicked Spike off her, and then took in a huge breathe. “BLACK FIRE!” and unleashed a wave of black flames that hit Spike full force and knocked him off his feet.

“SPIKE!!” Rarity shrieked.

He got back up on his feet almost at once, but was really angry now. That’s when he and the others witnessed the imposter’s armor change to a black color.

“There’s no confusing them now.” Lightning said.

“Who are you?” Spike asked.

The Black Dragon Knight snickered and hissed “For now I am just your opponent. I disguised myself as you in order to draw you out into the open, and what a surprise; you’re pathetically predictable, like a moth to the flame.”

“Excuse me?!” growled Spike.

“You are a disgrace to the species of dragons. It was time you were put in your place.”

Spike growled and rushed forth again, but the Black Dragon Knight swerved and punched him hard in his helmet, and then grabbed him by the cape and yanked him into a neck-lock.

“No, Spike!” cried Rarity.

“Lightning!” cried Starla

“Go!” shouted Lightning, and he and all the ponies rushed forth, but the Black Dragon Knight raised her sword with her one free claw and shouted “DARK LIGHTNING!” The blade of her sword, unleashed a massive swarm of powerful lightning bolts that actually struck every single pony and caused them all to crash down.

“Guys!” cried Spike.

After just that one hit, all the ponies looked as if they had been through ten hurricanes, and their suits powered down. Spike tried to struggle free, but the Black Dragon Knight held him tightly, and then whispered in his ear “…We’ll meet again.”

Then she shoved him hard to the ground, and when Spike looked back round, she had gone; vanished without a trace.

Spike angrily grunted and punched the ground. Then he powered down his armor, and ran over to help the others. The civilians came out form their houses to help out as well.

“Rarity. Are you okay?” asked Spike.

“I’m fine, my love.” she said.

Soon all the fighters were back on their feet, but never had felt such an attack in a long time. “Man, that girl, whoever she is, she sure packs a punch.” said Rainbow.

“But who is she?” asked Fluttershy.

“Whoever she is or, or why she’s here,
She is defiantly wicked, that much is clear.” said Rhymey.

Starla shook her head softly in dismay “This always happens…” she said “First one enemy appears, and then another one shows up.”

Lightning nodded and noted that the Black Dragon Knight only seemed to be interested in Spike, but as to why wasn’t fully understood yet, but at least now he all the proof he needed to help get that order on Spike’s capture lifted.

All the civilians approached Spike and offered him their most sincere apologies.

“We should have known it wasn’t you.”

“It’s awful how that evil twin tried to frame you.”

“Can you ever forgive us?”

“We’re awfully sorry.”

Spike smiled warmly and nodded.

With all the danger pretty much over, the night patrols went back to their duty, and Lightning and the others all decided to head home to bed. If there was any more trouble, they would be alerted at once.

At home, Rarity and Spike had already slipped into their new bed they shared.

Actually, instead of one giant mattress, it was actually two smaller mattresses. Rarity liked her bed extra soft, and Spike liked his a little harder, and each mattress had its own set of sheets and covers, this way each of them wouldn’t disturb one another’s comforts and Spike wouldn’t have to hear Rarity complain about the covers being uneven much.

Two beds, merged together under the four posters, it was like a shared king-sized bed, just perfect for them as they would be married soon.

Spike sat upright deep in thought for a moment.

“Are you alright?” Rarity asked.

Spike looked at her and she could see the worry in his eyes. “She’s going to come after me, that Black Dragon Knight. I’m afraid you and the others might get in trouble too.”

“Then we’ll simply have to face it together.” said Rarity.

Spike shook his head “I don’t know. You all felt it, I felt it… she’s really strong. You guys barely took that attack of hers. I don’t know why I could though.”

Rarity placed her hand on his shoulder “Even though I don’t know much of what it’s all about me, I would rather fight alongside you. You shouldn’t have to face this alone.”

Spike felt a little better and smiled at her “Thanks… and thanks for sticking by me through this whole mess.”

She smiled and moved in closer “Anything for you, Spikey-Wikey.” And she placed her lips over his.

Spike wrapped his arms round her, holding her close yet gently. How he really enjoyed moments like this with her and being lost in each kiss.

“I love you.” she whispered.

“I love you.” she whispered back.

Then they both drifted off into a quiet sleep.

(Promo)

In our next episode, Grand Ruler is starting to feel a bit irritable as he tries to maintain his cool about his past trauma.

Meanwhile, Pinsar sends down the hideous Burly Beetle to really pound the heroes into dust. How will the heroes handle this battle, and how will they gain the information they require?

Don’t miss the next exciting episode of “Starfleet Magic!”

(Next Episode: “Beetle Beating”)