Dragon's Descent

by Compendium of Steve

Act 3 Verse 2

Act 3 Verse 2

In Harmony’s Name

Running for minutes. The calm after my little skirmish didn’t last nearly as long.

All around me the ancient forces of chaos are overtaking the city. Mythological outcasts running and flying amok, causing mayhem and cackling all the while. Dodged the stinger of a feral manticore before slicing it off, sidestepped some swooping harpies, and had to veer through a store to avoid a rock monster’s rampage. But I still kept running forward and upward with unwavering determination.

A few instances I spot the Royal Guard stepping in to fight the monstrosities. A few where it’s only civilians. No time to stop and help. Not until I get to Twilight. Until she’s safe.

Reach the top of a hill, and there I see it: Canterlot Castle. The red sky has cast much of it in shadow, giving it the ominous look of a tyrant’s lair, or even a prison. Otherwise it seems to be mostly intact, save for missing towers on the left side. Speaking of sky, there’s about a dozen flying freaks hanging around overhead, occasionally swooping down at the castle… only to get blasted away by an angry thick yellow magic beam. Another one shoots out when another bogey tries getting in too close. It’s the same beam I saw from downtown. Definitely doesn’t have the same divine radiance of Twilight’s brand, and I don’t know anyone in the Guard or on staff who can wield that kind of power. Which only leaves one candidate.

“H-hey…”

Hm? Was that a voice just now?

“Over here…”

Yep. I look around, and I see a corner of a building cracked and caved in. Embedded amid the rubble is a mass of gray, hardbodied fur wrapped around some thick limbs and one heck of a chiseled chin. There’s dried blood covering his chest and forelegs, and he looks pretty roughed up (duh), but otherwise he seems to be in one piece.

“General?”

“So you’re not a hallucination. That’s some relief,” he grunts out, partly from pain. “You always show up at the most opportune times.”

“What the hell happened to you?”

“I didn’t want to make small talk either. Well, it’s a hell of a thing. Was making rounds in the barracks when the alert came. Someone breaching the inner chambers. I came in with some troops to back up the Guard. Got up to the princess’ private study, and there’s some red four-legged minotaur freak sucking out this, this life energy or something from some guards, cuz they went down like they were doped. Stalwart Will was among them, and the princess was lying right beside that thing. So, I charged him, only he got me by the neck and… get this: he threw me out the damn building. No windows, all walls. I just woke up a few minutes ago, and it’s the Celestia-damned apocalypse. Say, we wouldn’t happen to be dead by any chance?”

“‘Fraid not, hoss.”

“Damn. Well, I know who to exact this disappointment on.” He yanks his upper limbs from the building, resting them on his dust-covered barrel. “It’ll take more than a toss from a castle to put this warhorse outta commission.”

“You probably wanna rain check that. You’re not looking so hot, and that centaur would just suck you dry.”

“Since when did you care about my looks, boy? But yeah, my legs aren’t as limber and durable these days. Need to get patched up first, or at least get some stretches done. At least you can go on ahead. That’s exactly what you were planning to do, right? Charge in there like a fool, like how I did?”

“Exactly. Only difference…” I wave out my beauty. “I’m properly equipped.”

“That you are. Just get in there and save the princess, son.”

I nod, then look to the castle. Veiled in shadow, beset by the damned. “Just hang tight, Gruff-n-Stuff. I’ll take care of this mess.” I begin walking.

“What did you just call me?”

I continue my march, passing the empty guard stations on a beeline through the courtyard. No one around, no bodies. Some mussed shrubbery, but that’s it. Get up to the main doors and kick them open.

A total disaster zone within. Columns broken, rubble lying strewn about from the gaping holes in the ceiling (so much for the outside view). Bodies all around, both pony and other, all veiled in the sinister red of the sky. Some burnt, some gashed, others seemingly untouched. A wind howls through the entry hall, carrying with it the scent of blood and charred flesh. Seems a storm's brewing.

Dead ahead, on the central stairs, I see something moving. I hurry to and up them, and I find it's Stalwart Will, struggling to pull himself down the steps. He’s deathly pale, even with the white fur. He weakly turns his head up to me, and those clouded eyes tell me he’s been drained pretty bad.

“S-Spike? Is that, you…?”

“Where's Twilight and Tirek? Back upstairs?”

“Please, Sera… make sure she's—”

“Where is Twilight, Will!? Tell me!”

“D-d-down there…”

He languidly points a hoof to the bottom landing. Looking closer, I see the bodies form a loose trail to the west hall. Probably should have followed that first.

I leave Will behind and get back to the ground floor and into the hall. It looks like the aftermath of a prolonged firefight. Sections of wall and ceiling have been gouged out, leaving ashened marks. I step over the blown apart corpse of what may have been a satyr, Diamond Dog, something. Soon I pick up the sound of magical discharge, and quicken my pace until I come to the ballroom. One of the doors has been blown to splinters, and the remaining one is hanging by a hinge and halfway open. I approach, then peek around.

Not as messy as the hall… though I can make out the upper rooms through the missing two-thirds of ceiling, and the far wall and windows have been blown out completely. And bingo-bango, standing before a calamitous backdrop is that red devil-horned son of a bitch. Looking taller and bigger from when I last saw him, arms all buffed out, his legs looking thicker, a full white tail (what’s up with everyone getting beefier on Doomsday?). His back’s turned to me, but I can see those horns of his have grown up to being nearly as tall as the rest of him. And between those horns is a yellow orb of light that expands before firing a magic beam to the skies above.

“Incessant vermin! Still they hover around to pester me, with no sense of self preservation. Have they not realized by now that only death awaits them in confronting me!”

As he’s talking loudly to himself, I scan the room a millisecond more before my eyes land on the bundle lying close to his hooves. Faded purple, mane made unkempt by duress, head upraised, but looking so tired, so fragile. Alive, but in danger.

I silently move my feet onto the checkered floor and slowly, carefully, begin to cross. Shoulders low, gaze focused on that burly freak of magic and nature. Two meters, Twilight turns her head and spots me. Our eyes meet; relief, surprise, concern going at it in those pale violet eyes.

That’s right, Twi, I’m here for you. Just keep still, no noise. It’ll be over soon. Halfway there. My sword arm’s itching. Thatta girl. Only a little longer. Just a little further and I’ll—get blasted back by a pillar of scalding yellow magic.

“Spike!!”

“That was not your pet! I have told you already, princess, that the dragon has been—”

“Yo, what’s with the harsh welcome, Tiramisu?”

Get their stunned looks as I step past the smoking remnants of the remaining door. What’s left of my shirt falls away, revealing my unscathed, rockin’ bod. Cock a cool smile at horn bro.

“Is that any way to say hi to a helpful buddy?”

“Spike!” Proper relief in her voice mixed with the fear. See some tears in her eyes.

“Sit tight, Twilight. This’ll be over soon.”

“Impossible!”

Tirek rears back before shooting off another yellow beam, but I have my sword up front and center to intercept it. That magic splits down the middle and blasts away the walls behind me, but once it stops I’m still standing there without having moved an inch. I look over my gleaming baby and give a whistle, smitten by its stainless shine.

“I tell ya, that’s one killer polish I got on my darlin’.”

Next he sticks out a meaty palm and I feel the tug of an invisible force. But there's a blink of darkness and the binding spell dissipates. Good to know that’s in working order.

“Not gonna happen. But nice try.”

All four of his cloven hooves come stomping forward, their owner looking red in the face over that bushy white goatee (Pffft-hahaha oh man he looks like such a chump).

“I know not how you got back on your feet, or what wards you have acquired, but I’ll sap the necromancy straight from your wretched bones and return you to dust!”

His yapper goes wide and starts to suck, and I feel that familiar pull. Only I smile as I watch the trail of sickish yellow glide toward him. Right down the hatch… and see his black eyes widen before breaking out into a nasty coughing fit. Serves you right, you gluttonous goat bastard.

“Bwah, so much, *cwoof*, corrupting agents! How, *kuhkah*, is that possible?”

“Say Tirek, here’s a saying that I’m rather fond of: don’t bite off more than you can chew.”

“Damn you,” he snarls, regaining some of his menacing image. “This had been your doing: set the world aflame just to get at me. Utter madness.”

“Yeah, well look at where we're standing, Goat Face.” I twirl my blade and hold it forward. “Talk time is over. Now is where you get your hands dirty.”

“Befouled serpent, I will drive you into the earth!” Tirek slams his hooves apart and snorts an angry nose flare in challenge.

“Spike, be careful!”

I look to Twilight, then back to Tirek. I nod. “It’s in the bag.”

Time suddenly slows down. A familiar warmth spreads out to my extremities. My chest is thumping both from my heart… and a fresh, invigorating power. That chaos Discord gave to me, I must’ve subconsciously tapped into it during my fight with Ty. My fatigue, my aches, my worries, smothered away. With my final target standing before me, I draw from the well completely. My head is pinging with giddiness; I’ve never felt more alive. And soon enough that towering homewrecker is gonna feel the full brunt of it.

My smile widens as everything before me brightens up. It’s time for Finale.

I rush at him and get to slashing, but my sword just cuts at an invisible shield. Tirek then breaks out a flurry of punches that I back away from until he puts out his palms to blast the floor at my feet. I spring up and land, sitting pretty atop his noggin between the horns. He growls and swipes at me, but I spring off back to the ground. I turn in time to back away from a cloud of fire breath being belched my way, which covers his own rush as he charges me with horns lowered to gore. I take hold of them and slide backwards before bringing us to a stop, then immediately twist and throw his massive horse self to the other side of the room.

He gets up quick enough, then disappears. A flash above catches my gaze, and I see him standing on part of the ruined second floor before he fires a death beam at me. I hop back from the blast zone, then pull back my arm and toss my sword upward. It flies true and sticks into the upper wall, which I translocate to to deliver a kick to that red mook in the side of his face.

He staggers back in pain and surprise, but leaps up through the ceiling. I snatch my sword and spring up into the next floor, and follow him up as he tears up to the next one. As I’m springing upward I flick my sword, send a few fireballs his way, scorch that ashened flank even more ashen. Catch him once, but he’s unshaken and keeps bounding up through the floors with me (literally) hot on his tail. We burst forth through the final ceiling and land opposite each other on the very roof of the castle. Plenty room for our final confrontation. Let’s get crazy!

Tirek charges at me and starts swinging with a pair of electric fists, but I bounce, sidestep, and bap away those grubby sparking mitts before crouching and spinning to send a reverse kick upside his head. He grunts before winding up and punching the roofing, letting off a frosty blast of subzero magic that nips my behind. I land and turn back around to see him point a finger at me and let out several concentrated beams. I deflect them as they come, and bring up my left claw to deflect the ones aimed at my exposed head before pointing and shooting off my own finger beams. His raised arms make a shield, so I shoot at his hooves, get him to dance a little (dance goaty dance!), then I swing my sword upward to tear a quick hole over him. A snap of my fingers, and the bastard is dancing from a hail of bombs!

I laugh loudly before launching at him in a hyper death spiral. He grabs my spinning sword to catch me, tearing his palm up like a bitch in the process, and starts slamming me about. I get the message and let go, flying up into the air, but after a quick adjustment I stretch out my arms and go for the horns. Once gripped I yank myself back down and headbutt his face like a cinderblock, snapping off one of those stabbers like a branch. I dump the useless horn and grab my sword and a wayward bomb while he stumbles back, then toss my ordnance at him as his back legs give out.

I land and strike a pose with the explosion behind me, yet two thick arms wrap around me and get to squeezing. The look on his face when he realizes it’s just a cackling sprite he’s trying to crush. Made even more perfect by the soaring dropkick I deliver.

It’s enough to snap that stupid nose ring off amid a spout of blood. This really pisses him off, as those yellow pupils flare up, his fists spread out, and he lets out a furious roar that causes the eruption of several fire geysers. Another snap of my fingers and just as many corks drop down to put a lid on things. Gotta watch those fire hazards, yo.

This bewilders him a moment, only to get even more riled up as he opens his mouth and yells a column of pure magical energy at me. I open my mouth to harmonize with my astounding voice, and that not only dispels his yell but also dazes him, tweety birds and all. I spring up high, then land behind him so to grab his tail and put him on a wacky wild airplane ride. Destination: that tower over yonder!

Which probably wasn't the best idea since that same tower is flying at me and hits me, hard. Stone and wood blast all around me as I'm knocked off the roof, but I air stroke and grab onto the edge, then heft myself up next to the polka band which is doing a damn fantastic job providing accompaniment. Tirek is charging in to spoil the mood with crackling electric fists, but I beat him to it by snatching an accordion and slamming the leathery bellows onto his head. I give it a few good pumps before twisting my legs into his chest, knocking him back and destroying the instrument completely (RIP in pepperonis BibleThump). I toss away the scraps and, dropping my sword, I rush at the centaur and wail on his torso with both fists in rapid ORAORAORAORA before bashing him offscreen, then fire off a grappling hook to reel him back in to deliver a bloody flying uppercut (Toasty!).

After flopping about on the roof, Tirek rights himself up and smashes the roof with his fist in frustration (what a loser). “Enough of your games!”

And I’ve had enough of seeing your face still intact, but he’s kind enough to make it and the rest of him vanish wait hold on—

I duck just as a guillotine swipe goes over my head, then spring away from a powerful hoofstomp. He pops up behind me and slams me through the roof with a double-fist slam, but I pop back up behind him to smash a toilet against the back of his shoulders. This doesn’t stop him from vanishing again and reappearing to buck me hard in the back with his hindlegs (tit for tat, Pat). I bite down on my sword as I’m tumbling along so it comes for the ride, and punching my claws into the tiling I get myself to stop. No time to catch a breath as I see Tirek’s eyes light up before some sick-nasty beams shoot out up along the roof leading up to me, which hails in a line-up of explosive fire.

I fire out from the fire and get to slashing at him, this time he’s just barely able to bring up those handy arm shields. I bring the claws of my other hand to bare as well, unleashing a whirlwind of sharp stabby death that steadily chips away his fancy magical defenses. A flash of his eyes, though, and his shields become swords that he uses to try to overpower me. Their size would cramp my style, so I fall back onto my tail and get to bouncing. Bouncy bouncy bounce away from him, then I coil my tail down hard to launch up waaaay high into the air, drawing my arm back to cleave this sucker once and for all!

Wind whistles around me during my deep strike before I bring down my blade, which Tirek manages to catch between his hands in one ludicrously quick, well-timed clap. No worries: I’ll just pick him up with my sword and slam him about like some grotesque meaty hammer! Gavel gavel all up and down the block, then leap up, power up spin, then drive us home straight down through the roof. All aboard for the ground floor, hahaha!!

After a marvelous explosion of confetti and anguish, me and Tiara rise to discover we’ve demolished an inner servants’ quarters. And even some servants… or did we? Nope they’re cowering over there. Hey guys! Still wearing those snappy uniforms, and looking dirtfree as well! You’re doing a real bang-up job. Speaking of bang-up, I think this beatdown has gone on for long enough. Let’s put this hunk of goat cheese to bed.

I twirl my trusty blade and stab it into the ground, then pull it back some yards to make a nice black indentation. Tirek wobbles himself upright, and seeing me looking my ever cool cavalier self, he growls and stomps toward me, grabbing an overturned table along the way. Oh man, he looks fuming under the blood and bruises. Gonna do a real number with that table. Coming straight for me, eyes squarely on me… completely ignoring where his hooves are clopping onto. Just a few feet from me, I snap my fingers. Dead on!

The black indent widens and from it a subway car spews upward like a massive steel Jack-in-the-Box, smacking the underside of Tirek as it launches upward with its train of fellow cars. I stab one of the cars and catch a ride up and out of the castle, high up into the sky. As my lift loses momentum, I pull back and yank myself up high, clear past the falling arc of the subway cars and well past Tirek’s stunned, battered body. I stop myself a little ways up and look down. Good, just the right spot. Now to pull back my leg for the wind-up. Have to build up that power real good for the proper finisher!

[Tap B!]

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

B B

B B B B

B B B B B B B B B B

B B B B B B B

B B B B B B B B B

B B B B B B B B

B B B B B B B B B B B B B

6100 BEATDOWN BONUS!!

“HELL-EVATOR EXPRESS KICK!!!”

I twist my whole body and send my leg right into the centaur’s torso the moment he reaches me. There’s a pause as the hit’s registered, then instantly he’s launched back into the castle, making a sizable hole down below. That had to be Platinum at least, easy. Anyway, better survey the spoils.

Some calm falling and a badass landing later, I hop on over to the hole dear Tirek left and jump on in. I land in one of the upper bathrooms, broken fixtures spraying water or giving off sparks. No Tirek. A quick looky loo and I see something of a trail leading into the adjacent room, which would be one of the guestrooms. Random crap seemingly pulled, dragged along the floor. I follow along, humming merrily to myself, until I come upon another gaping hole. Down this one, I’m back in the West Wing. Still no centaur around. However, I do pick up a fresh wave of spilt blood trailing away. I follow it, skipping and grinning along.

The scent brings me back to the ballroom entrance, and stepping through I find him at last. Limping along, his rear left leg dragging, one horn missing and the other missing its tip. I walk on in, making my steps nice and loud to announce my presence. He whips around, showing his bloodied face and beard, looking wild and desperate. Given that his right arm has Twilight in a chokehold, that's to be expected.

“D-don’t come any closer, or I’ll crush her neck! Pop her head off easily! I’m warning you, dragon!”

Twilight’s struggling weakly, gasping from having her airway constricted in that burly arm. I see her eyes watering, rolling around helplessly, often looking to me. I can only chuckle.

“Oh Teary Teary Teary… that wasn’t smart.”

My tail pulls back and plunges into the ground behind me, then spears up through Tirek’s shoulder an instant later, severing his arm completely. Twilight falls to the ground unharmed as Tirek wails and blubbers over his spurting stump, his complexion paling as red spills over his grasping fingers. I charge and tackle into the crybaby, knocking him to the ground with enough force to send us skidding to the broken edge of the wrecked room. With his head dangling over the abyss I grab his neck with one claw while raising my sword with the other, staring him down as I ready for the coup de grâce.

“Time to die, Billy Boy!”

“Please, have mercy…”

I freeze.

Something about those words, that tone, that look of pain and helpless fear. How many times I’ve heard similar pleas, seen that face, from this angle. All of them lying still, without a chance, in the dark, out of sight. Only for me to truly know.

My grip on his neck slackens, as does the tension in my sword arm… but it hardens again when I catch the clenched teeth and the spark of magic. I swing my blade down, severing the neck and sending his head flying before his death beam fires. It blasts through much of the upper castle before dissipating, registering there’s no longer something to funnel magic from. I watch the head drop unceremoniously down to the plains below, and keep staring even after it ceases being a speck.

I just stay there, knees pressed down on a warm corpse, lost to the distant sounds of calamity, but most of all to the silence within me. My legs eventually find the need to unbend, so I gently lay my sword down and get back on my feet, head bowed. I hear the subtle clopping of hooves slowly approaching from behind. Followed by that voice.

“Spike, are you alright? Is he… is he dead?”

Just stand there, contemplating those last few moments.

“Spike?”

It becomes clear.

“It’s so apparent…”

“Huh?”

“Give them an ounce of mercy, and they come for your life. That’s the kind of threat we’re facing now.”

“What do you mean?”

I look out to the plains, the crimson sky beyond. Mottled with grotesque shadows. Deathly beasts. Danger.

“It’s not safe the way it is. Leave it like this, and you forfeit your life. I’m not gonna let that happen. Not again, ever.”

“Spike—”

“I’ll make it safe for you. I’ll take out each and every one of those hideous wanton bastards before they have a chance to lay eyes on you, or even get close to you!”

“Why are you talking like this?”

“But I have to get you away from here before I can start. Faaaaar away, where none of them, or anyone, can find and harm you.”

“I-I don’t understand.”

I’m not liking that fretful doubt. I turn around, to give her my complete and undeniable assurance. She gasps, bringing a hoof to her mouth. Now she’s getting it!

“It’s simple, Twi. I’m gonna protect you, like I’ve always done. Like I should’ve done today before this asshole came around!”

“S-Spike, your eyes…!”

“It’ll work out, you’ll see. I always get the job done; I never welch on my word, no sirree. You know I’ll keep you safe no matter what, so don’t be scared, Twilight. No one’s gonna lay a finger on you eeeeever again!”

“No don’t, don’t come closer. You need to calm down.”

“Why are you afraid? I’m here, so everything’s gonna be alright. I’m all you’ll ever need. And soon, this world will be right peachy dandy, and we can live together and have fun like we always did. We’ll even have a BIG party to celebrate. That’s no lie: I WILL make it happen. And it’ll be a total BLAST! Aha, hahahahahaha-HAHAHAHAHAHAAAHHAAHAHAHA—”

My well-earned chortle halts when I notice some pale yellow glowy gas shit rising up.

“What the deuce—?”

Suddenly the breath is knocked out of me and I hunch over from an immense pressure of heat tearing up my insides. I groan, barely registering my footing giving way from the blinding sensation blasting through my brain along with some deep rumbling coursing through every fiber of my being.

---

THE USURPER WAS DESTROYED

---

You shall obtain the Essence of Harmony… and a power

that is beyond all reckoning.

It goes away in an instant, leaving me panting harshly in a kneeling position. My heart is pounding like crazy, and my head… is absolutely clear. It feels like some prickly fog just went away or something. Next thing I sense is Twilight coming up to me.

“Spike! Spike, are you okay?”

“Y-y-yeah, I’m fine.” Take a gulp to steady my nerves, then I look up to her worried face. “What happened?”

“I-I-I don’t know! Something came out of Tirek and you absorbed it and-and-and… are you truly okay, Spike?”

I remember that frightened look of hers, but it’s been replaced with genuine concern and relief. Seems whatever conniption I had is gone, or at least is no longer visible enough for her to see. I nod shakily. “Yeah, yeah. Feeling kinda, worn out. Gonna, sit down.”

I fall back and land on my rump, resting an arm on a knee to further calm myself. I notice Tirek’s body is to my left. Dunno how I got pivoted. Gods, that was some head trip, bobbing from one extreme to the next. Twilight sidles up to me.

“Spike, all those things you were saying, the way you looked and talked… what came over you?”

Yeah, so much for that break. Okay, Twi, some honesty. “Bad reaction. Down in Tartarus, I got a hefty dose of chaos magic pumped into me.” Not complete honesty, though. “I guess I got a little overwhelmed there. But whatever Tirek had must’ve balanced it out.”

“What do you mean?”

“The magic he absorbed. With him dead, it had to go somewhere. And I guess I’m the lucky candidate.”

“Oh, right. I’ve never read or encountered something like that, but it would make sense if none of it belonged to him. Although why would it get absorbed by you rather than disperse?”

“Maybe… maybe this chaos energy of mine is acting like a magnet or sponge or something, I dunno.”

This chaos stuff keeps getting to be more of a hassle. On that note, I look over to the sky and land beyond the hole in the castle. More winged horrors flying about, close and in the far distance. And somewhere Tartarus is still stomping about causing more mayhem, delivering more monsters. The end of the world, delivered by yours truly.

“It’s just awful,” Twilight laments, having caught my outbound gaze. “So much destruction, and no one able to help them.”

“It’s a tall order for sure, Twi. Even for me.” Not the best time to be cracking jokes, Spike.

“I have to find Rainbow Dash, Stonewall, whatever soldiers or guards we can find. We have to save them.”

“I saw the Guard doing a good job here in Canterlot at least, so they’re ahead of the curve there.” I feel a tingle in my left claw. Looking down to it, I notice it’s glowing. Mildly, but definitely glowing. Lifting it up slightly, I see little particles moving between my claw tips like dust motes. It then dawns on me. “Actually, there might be a better alternative.”

“Huh?”

I raise my claw up before me, and Twilight’s dull eyes widen at seeing the glow. “I absorbed all of that stolen magic, including yours.” I bend and reopen my claws, making the motes dance. “Alicorn magic: a power that can rule a nation. The kind of thing that could restore harmony in an instant if need-be. And something I should be able to give back.”

She looks to me, then to my claw, then to me again. “Are you sure?”

“I think so. It only occurred to me now, so it’s not definitive. But there has to be some way of transferring this magic if it was that easy to suck up.”

“Would you want to?”

“I have to give it back eventually. Plus I’d be lousy at using it. I only know how to use my fire attacks, and I just about lost it just from attempting chaos magic. It’s best handled by an expert. If anyone can use it properly to fix all this, it would be you.”

She shifts her head, as though hesitant, then says, “Listen Spike, something’s been worrying me. Before you came here, Tirek told me that he… killed you, before he escaped. That he left you in a, a pool of your own blood.”

Hoo boy. “Oh, that? Complete exaggeration. He just knocked me out cold. One heck of a nasty haymaker on that guy.”

“Was that it? Because he, said that he used your sword and—”

“Hey hey hey, don’t get hung up over what he said. I’m perfectly fine, see? No holes anywhere on me. I’m a tough guy to put down, if my, er, fight with Celestia was any indication.”

“Y-yeah, of course. Or when you, eh, fought me.”

“Yep, heheheh.”

No use getting bogged down in technicalities. Whatever equilibrium that extra magic has set up within me, I can feel it eroding. Gonna lose myself if we wait any longer, so there’s no time to argue or get emotional. Also no time for proper goodbyes... although…

“Hey, Twilight?”

“Yes?”

I reach forward and wrap my arms around her, nuzzling against her neck. Still as soft and comforting, even after all these years. That well of soothing assurance. The light in the darkness. Hope worth going to hell, and back, and back again to preserve.

“Spike?”

I withdraw my arms and sit back, smiling. “For the hug you gave me, before I went to Griffonstone. Just felt like repaying it.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to.” A light giggle, and maybe a blush? It’s so subdued beneath the faded colors.

“I know. But, after everything I’ve been through… I’m just happy you’re alright.”

A tender hoof rests on my shoulder, joined by angelic smile. “And the same for you, Spike.”

Just want this to go on. Just us two, looking at each other, safe and separated from the world. Nothing more… I reach up and gently move her hoof back down. One last childish thought.

“Well, let’s get this show going.”

“Would you know how to do it?”

I look to my glowing claw. “Maybe…” Hold it up before her. “Here goes.”

Deep breath, focus. Close my eyes, imagine the magic in my claw. A buzzing warmth begins to fill it; good start. Now to imagine pushing it forward, outward. Feel my claw tips warm up, followed by an intangible flowing sensation. Focus more on that, keep it steady… It’s holding. Streaming out from me at an even rate. Start to feel a prickly numbing sensation after some seconds, but I keep doing it. Serenity betakes my heart. My mind gets comfortably numb. For the first time in so very long, true peace...

Everything leading up to this moment… has been a mess. I managed to screw things far worse than when I killed Celestia and Pinkie. Despite my efforts, the Destroyer leaves another indelible mark. Still, I got to live something of a normal life up to that point, did some good to sorta make up for the harm I’ve caused. And this time around, there’s the possibility that my latest screw-ups will be undone. It just takes an injection of hope to put things right and see it through. A shame I won't be around to see if it pans out.

But, I think that's a fair enough price to pay. Wouldn’t you agree?

Inspirations

Pandora Hearts

Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom

Xenoblade Chronicles

Bloodborne

Bayonetta

Dark Souls 3

Persona 3

Undertale

Mirai Nikki

The Cat Lady

I Wanna Get Cultured 2

LISA

Mother 3

The Odyssey

The Divine Comedy

Mythology

Dead Space 2

Umineko no Naku Koro Ni

OFF

Special Thanks

Toby Fox

ZUN

Edith Hamilton

Austin Jorgensen

Hideki Kamiya

Shigesato Itoi

Shogo Sakai

Homer

Warmer

Dante

NOMA

Equestria Prevails

FromSoftware

Atlus

Jody Quine

Hirohiko Araki

Pendulum

Bossfight

Mortis Ghost

Jun Mochizuki

Yuki Kajiura

zts

ぺのれり

Monolith Soft

PresentPerfect

Stinkycheese890

Gaywizard609

Pieceofcheese87

overmind2000

Steadfast Hoof

Pyro The Faithful Reader

Distribution

FiMFiction.net

Production

Google Docs

END OF DRAGON...?

Author's Note:

...I don't think so.

Comments

[Pyro The Reader]

A great end to this tale!

[Dragon of Shadows]

great read +1 follower

[GrimmWolfDragon]

Great story to read.