Hoennshy

by Fenix

--- Chapter EX - Spike: Royal Decree

The air in the castle was thick with anticipation as Spike and the three Cutie Mark Crusaders made their way down the long hallway. At the end stood two massive crimson paneled doors, both of them closing off the princess’ throne room. Spike clutched his woven bag tightly, trying to let the chime of the Element necklaces calm him.

“What do you think they’re talking about in there?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“We’ll find out pretty soon,” Scootaloo replied as they reached the end of the hall, nervous chatter emanating from the other side of the doors. Some voices sounded utterly distraught while others seemed merely anxious. With a deep breath, Spike pushed open one of the doors.

The room was enormous; it looked like it could house at least hundred or more ponies without a problem. Colorful stained glass lined the walls, and ivory pillars hold up the high ceiling A large rectangular table stared at them widthwise, seating many armored ponies and others in white and blue uniforms. At the head of the table sat both Luna and Celestia. Luna’s mane flowed with solar winds as Celestia’s lay uncharacteristically flat. All eyes were on Spike and the Crusaders as they entered, leaving the room in a harrowing silence.

The dragon smiled nervously. “Uh, hello,” he said as if he had interrupted something important.

“Oh, Spike,” Celestia said with a warm tone, standing to greet the four. “I see that you received my sister’s letter. Please, we were just about to start.” She peered down at the Crusaders, then back over at Spike. “Where are Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie?”

Spike pushed the bag into his chest as his claws nearly punctured the bag from worry. If she didn’t mean the necklaces when she meant the Elements, then... “T-they aren’t here yet. Pinkie had to, uh, finish baking something! You know how she is.” A nervous laugh filled the hall. He dreaded hearing what the princesses would say when they found out that he only brought the necklaces and not Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie.

“I trust that they’ll be here soon,” Celestia added, taking a seat at the end of the table.

The dragon gulped and proceeded with the bag of Element necklaces to one of the raised chairs. He set the canvas sack down on the table, nervously squirming as all the armored and well-dressed ponies’ eyes were on him. With nowhere to sit, the Cutie Mark Crusaders reluctantly sat on the floor beside Spike and watched as Celestia raised her hoof to catch all at the guests’ attentions. Slowly, the nervous chatter turned into silence as they all turned to face her.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. You are all undoubtedly curious as to what this meeting is about, but know that you must not speak of this with anypony outside this room,” Celestia began, turning a hard stare to the ponies assembled.

The assembled ponies and one dragon nodded as Spike’s anticipation made him shift in his seat. Celestia took a deep breath and sighed, looking over at Luna before she began.

“A day ago my student, Twilight Sparkle, left the country under my sister’s direction to seek out one of Arcan Grizwald’s texts,” Celestia stated, prompting a murmur to course through the guests. She looked over to Luna, then back to the crowd. “I’ll let Luna explain the details,” she spoke dispassionately, Spike noticing the darkened circles beneath the alicorn’s eyes and languid form.

Luna stood from her seat and paced around the table. She took a deep breath. “Twilight came to me in the royal archives to look up the counter to a specific spell that she had performed. After finding the original book, we found that the counter spells had been ripped out.” A look of confusion washed over the officers as Spike watched curiously. “Another copy of the book is held within Mistral City’s walls... Even in their current state, I trust that I needn’t remind you all of the inherent danger.” The guests began talking amongst themselves as Spike looked down at the three fillies who stared back just as confused.

“Do you know what she’s talking about? Twilight’s never told me anything about that,” Spike asked, receiving only shrugged shoulders and shaking heads in response.

The stream of chatter ceased as one officer raised his voice. “Please excuse the interruption, Princess, but where is this Mistral City?” he asked, causing Luna to turn her head and shot the guard a confused looked. Celestia’s head suddenly turned to look at her sister’s with a worried and guilty face

“Where is Mistral City?” Luna repeated scornfully. “I thought officers had to finish at least primary school first.”

Spike looked nervously around at the ponies. He had never heard of Mistral City either, and, from the way the guards were looking at each other, neither had they.

“It’s the only city within Ventia’s borders. Don’t tell me you haven’t heard of Ventia either.”

A concerning silence fell in the meeting room as the princess stood awaiting an answer.

“I haven’t heard of Ventia either, Princess,” a guard stated matter-of-factly. To Spike’s surprise and Luna’s as well, the remainder of the guards and officers nodded in agreement.

Luna’s face was a mask of disbelief, turning abruptly to her sister. “Sister, what is the meaning of this? Is... Is this some kind of cruel joke!?” The room sat in stunned silence from Luna’s outburst, each pony watching Celestia to see what she would say. After a few seconds of silence, Luna’s expression began to twist into worry as Celestia sighed and lowered her head. “Sister?”

“This isn’t a joke, Luna,” the princess confirmed, further baffling her sister.

“How could they not know about Ventia? About the war?” Luna interrupted with flustered hoof stomp. “What could have happened during my imprisonment to make everypony forget? It is the most important piece of our history!” The night princess paused a moment as a dark look crossed her features. “What have you done, sister?”

“After I had you banished, I had to erase everything about that part of our history,” Celestia admitted. “The population’s fear and worry had lingered long after your transformation into Nightmare Moon. I couldn’t handle running the country alone with the possibility of war from an outside country still on their minds. During that time, I had the scholars remove all traces of Ventia and the wars from the history books.” Spike hung on every word the princess was saying, and he noticed that everyone else was as well. “Eventually, they faded into legend and hearsay before disappearing altogether. I’ve kept an eye on them just in case something were to happen, but the need to say anything to the public never arose, so it remained a secret.” Luna sat back down into her chair and faced her sister, dumbfounded.

“What do we do now?” Luna asked.

“I’m so sorry for keeping that from you, Luna. I promise I’ll never keep anything from you again.” She embraced her younger sister. “Please, finish your story. We’ll take care of the details afterward,” Celestia explained, gesturing with a hoof to their rapt audience.

“Right.” Luna turned back to the awestruck guests. “I sent Twilight and two others, Applejack, the Element of Honesty, and Rarity, the Element of Generosity, along with their necklaces to help bring back Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness. This leaves only two of the Element bearers here in Equestria.”

Spike felt a wave of nausea wash over him. Please don’t ask for Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, he begged over and over while the room erupted in nervous chatter. He slumped in his seat, clutching the bag and holding it tightly to his chest once again.

“I thought Twilight and her friends knew what Ventia was like. If I hadn’t, I never would have sent them somewhere so dangerous.” Luna lowered her head and closed her eyes. “I’m so sorry, sister.”

“D-dangerous?” Spike spoke up before clasping his mouth shut with his claws.

“Ventia was our oldest and most powerful enemy. I don’t know if they still hold onto their old grudges or if they have recovered from the second northern war, but it is best that we not take chances,” Celestia explained. “Now, Spike, when were Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash supposed to arrive? Luna and I have important strategic details to discuss with them.”

“Uh..., I… uh...” Spike stammered as all eyes fixated on him. Without another word, he slowly placed the bag on the table and opened it, letting the three necklaces unceremoniously fall out onto the table. They hit the wood with a terrible clang that echoed throughout the silent hall.

“What’s going on?” Celestia asked. “Where are Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie? Surely a cake doesn’t take so long to bake!”

“When you said that you needed the Elements, I thought you meant the necklaces,” Spike admitted. “Twilight sent them to help find Fluttershy, and I didn’t want to disappoint you. I-I’m sorry.” A roar of chatter erupted amongst the armored stallions as Celestia’s eyes shrunk to pinpoints.

“So all of the Elements of Harmony are gone...” Celestia stood and began to pace with a pained expression on her face. She turned to Luna who looked back with a nervous, gloomy face. “There will be a change of plans,” Celestia announced, walking over to a window that looked out to the north. “I want a scouting team sent out to find them by any means necessary. Ventia lays just past the northern outlands. If any harm has come upon them...” She paused for a moment and gave a sharp, anxious sigh. “We will march on them in retaliation. Choose your best, and bring them to me for details. We will not sit here and wait for Twilight and her friends to show up on their own.” The room stayed silent as the distraught alicorn delivered her declaration of war. “We will need volunteers to march across the outlands, so find any willing in your districts and get them ready for training. Luna and I will leave you to it while we speak in private.”

“Are you sure that war is really the best course of action?” one of the officers protested. “I mean no offense, your highness, but is your student worth the lives of our citizens?”

“It is not just my student, but six of our citizens are in either hostile or wholly unknown territories. Each of them holds one of the Elements of Harmony that helped repel the Ventians in the second northern war, and broke the curse on my sister only a year ago. If Ventia is able to harness or corrupt the Elements’ energies for themselves and still holds ill will against us, I’m unsure how well we could stand up to them,” Celestia explained grimly. “This isn’t about just my student anymore; it is about keeping Equestria safe.” The older princess walked over to her sister. “You are all dismissed. I expect a progress report from you all first thing in the morning.”

With the orders given, the officers and soldiers stood and marched out of the hall, each of them discussing what their princess had just declared. Spike made to leave as well, but was pulled to the floor by one of the Crusaders.

“Shh...” Scootaloo said, putting a hoof to Spike’s mouth. “Make sure you stay hidden so they can’t see you.”

“What’s going on?” Spike asked, confused.

“We need to hear what’s happenin’ to our sisters,” Apple Bloom explained as they slipped under the table and lay on their stomachs. Their ears perked to listen to what the princesses were about to say. A few minutes had passed after the last guard had left the room before Luna began to speak.

“Are you certain we must go so far? Your student isn’t a child,” the princess said, catching Spike and the fillies’ attention.

“This is now a matter of national security, sister. I know you meant well, but Twilight has never faced anything like Mistral City before,” Celestia explained, pacing back and forth along the back wall. “I told you, I’m not afraid to raise our banners against them.”

“I know. I only sent her because I knew that she could handle it. I’ve read some of the letters that she sent you... She’s stronger than you realize.” Luna said reassuringly.

“I know. I just worry about her, that’s all. It was hard enough when she moved to Ponyville, but this... this is so much worse.” The sun princess shook as she looked at her sister with tears building in her eyes.

“They have their Elements with them, so they have an ace up their sleeves if need be.” Luna walked up to her sister and nuzzled her, prompting Celestia to respond in kind. “Twilight is the embodiment of magic like you were back in the old days. She’ll be fine.”

“Thanks, Luna,” Celestia said as the two separated and walked past the table, grabbing the three necklaces on their way out of the room. The hall stood silently as Spike and the Crusaders were left alone, waiting a few moments before any of them moved.

“Let’s go before somepony finds us,” Sweetie Belle said, moving out from under the table.

“Good idea,” Scootaloo said, following suit along with Apple Bloom.

Spike crawled out and headed for the door with the others, quietly opening it and seeing Celestia and Luna disappear around a corner at the end of the long hallway.

“I just hope Twilight will be alright,” Spike said, still shaking with nerves from the meeting.

“I’m sure everypony will be jus’ fine,” Apple Bloom reassured him as they began to walk down the hallway.

“What do we do now? It’s not like we can become Cutie Mark Crusader Rescuers,” Scootaloo pouted.

“Spike,” Celestia called out, halting them immediately. She stood at the end of the hallway with the three necklaces floating magically next to her.

“Y-yes?” Spike asked, approaching the sun princess slowly.

“Luna and I require your assistance.” She looked down at the Crusaders. “You three as well.” She trotted to them, placed the Elements in their canvas bag and handed it to Spike. “If Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie aren’t around, we have to find another way to use these against Ventia if anything were to arise.”

“How can we help? Why us?”

“You three are the closest to the true Elements, more than Luna and I ever since her transformation. Spike, aside from my sister, I trust you more than anyone else right now Go down into the archives with the academy’s headmaster and find a book whose cover bears the six elements.”

“What do we do once we find it?” Spike looked up, watching Celestia loom over them with grief ridden eyes.

“Bring it to me in the observatory,” Celestia directed. “We need to force them to work with my sister and I once more.”

Comments

[Nonagon]

Normally I would call this out on being unrealistic, but then... this is in the spirit of Pokemon. "We've discovered a new country! It was right next to us the whole time!"

[Fenix]

1890321
It's not that it was discovered, it was wiped from the collective minds of the citizens of Equestria. It had always been there, but there was never any reason for any pony to leave with the Everfree Forest sitting at the edge of the northern border.

[Alchemystudent]

Both of the Spike stories feel like they are nice additions but add very little to the overall plot.