Spike’s True Secret

by jw278

Chapter 5

As the girls walked in to what was once the throne room of Celestia and Luna, Spike managed to quickly find a pillar to hide behind. It was far enough back as not to be seen but just close enough for him to see and hear what was going on. As he hid, he could see the girls approaching Celestia, but he couldn't see Luna anywhere.

"Twilight, girls, thank you for coming so fast," Celestia said.

Twilight and the girls bowed before the princess of the sun and co-ruler of Equestria.

"Please my friends, there is no need to bow before me," Celestia said.

Twilight and the girls raised their heads and Twilight giggled and said, "Sorry Celestia. Old habits I guess. Your letter didn't really say much, only that you needed us. What's the emergency?

"I'm sorry to have to call on you and your friends like this again but I'm afraid there is a great threat to not only Equestria but indeed to every creature that lives on this earth and we need your help once again," Celestia answered grimly.

"Um...It's just, um... You said we but it's only you and us here," said Fluttershy barely loud enough for everypony to hear.

Celestia smiles at the timid mare and nodes her head, saying, "Yes, my little pony, I did indeed say we. For as we speak, my sister, Luna is off gathering the others that will be aiding us in this quest. As I said moments ago, this is a threat that threatens not only ponies but all that dwell on this earth."

Listening to the princess talk about how dangerous it could be caused Fluttershy to shake in fear of what was to come. Just then, she felt a wing around her and saw Rainbow smiling at her.

"Don't sweat it, Shy, we've faced off against Changelings, Nightmare Moon, Tirek and even the Storm King. There's nothing we can't do cuz we're awesome. I mean we'll probably have this done before dinner. Hehehe."

Hearing how confident her friend was made Fluttershy feel better and start to smile as Applejack couldn't help but shake her head while smiling.

"I don't know about the rest of y'all, but if you ask me, I'd say the biggest danger to this world is that ego of yours RD," she said.

"Hey! I can't help it that we're awesome," Rainbow said while giving Applejack the stink eye.

This made the girls burst out into laughter and even Celestia had a little chuckle at the antics of the girls in front of her.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, do you know what this means," PInkie Pie said. "I have to start getting a party ready for when we all save the day. I mean parties don't just happen. This is gonna take some careful planning. Hmmm, now let me think. How about we saved the world yet again party and..and..."

As Pinkie starts to get hyped up and bounce all over the place, Rarity clears her throat and says, "Yes, yes, Pinkie dear, a party would be a great idea but maybe you could turn it down a little for now and wait till later before coming up with ideas? After all it would make a nice surprise for us all later, wouldn't it?

At hearing that, Pinkie just stops in her tracks, turns around to look at Rarity with a big smile on her face and says, "Okie dokie lokie."

Twilight turns to look at Celestia with a serious look and asks, "What could be so bad that we have to gather allies to help us, Celestia? Just what is this threat exactly?"

Celestia sighs and says, "Truthfully, Twilight, I don't know."

At hearing what Celestia just said, all the mares stood and looked at her a bit worried and with confused looks on their faces. Twilight more so than any of the others.

"What do you mean, you don't know? How can you not know? You're Princess Celestia for pony's sake. One of the oldest and longest rulers in all of Equestria," Twilight said as she starts to get a bit panicky. "There's nothing you don't know."

Celestia puts a wing around Twilight and does the breathing exercise that Cadance once showed Twilight. Copying Celestia, Twilight begins to calm down and smiles at her former teacher.

"Better now little one?" Celestia askes with a smile of her own.

Twilight blushes a little as Celestia removes her wing and says, "Thank you Celestia. I guess I got kind of worked up there a bit."

"A bit? I'd say you were heading for a melt down, sugarcube," Applejack says as she tries to hold in the giggles.

At seeing Twilight go red in the face all the girls burst into fits of giggles, Twilight couldn't help but join in on the laughter.

After a few moments, the laughter stopped and Twilight once again looked at Celestia, with a look that screamed I want to know, what you meant.

"I suppose I should explain," Celestia says, while giving Twilight a warm motherly smile.

"Though I do appreciate the fact that you still believe me to be all knowing, my former student, I would hope by now you would come to understand that not even my sister and I know everything. While yes, it is true I have lived longer than all of you, there are still things out there that not even I and Luna know or understand."

"I had a vision last night. I've had visions before, as you know, but this was something else. It only lasted for a moment, but I can't forget those red eyes and that laugh. All around me there was nothing but darkness. I couldn't make out the shape of the creature, but I heard a name and that is the reason you are here."

As Celestia took a breath to keep herself calm the others looked on worried.

Spike at this point was still hiding behind the pillar, only now he was stiff with fear and a cold sweat running down his back.

"How can this be? It's imp...Impossible," he thought. "It was just a dream. It wasn't real. How could Celestia of seen the same thing? I just don't understand what's going on anymore."

Spike snapped out of his thoughts at hearing Rainbow Dash shouting out.

"You called us all here cuz you had a vision of something with red eyes and a name, that's all you can tell us? I mean I'm not one to doubt you, but to freak out over a name is a bit much don't ya think?"

"Rainbow," Twilight said while giving the blue pegasus a death stare. "That is no way to talk to the Princess. If she's called us here it must be serious."

"That's quite alright Twili..."

Celestia was cut of by a cobalt blue flash of light, everyone turned to look and standing there was Luna along with Prince Rutherford, Queen Novo, Thorax, Gilda, Ember and Garble.

"Prince Rutherford," is all anyone heard before seeing Pinkie stuck to the yaks face.

"What are you doing here? It's been ages since I've seen you." The pink mare asks while the yak peels off the pony stuck to him like gum.

"Hahaha, yak happy to see pink pony too. Yak come to help pony friends."

The others soon followed Pinkie's lead and made there way over to greet everyone, Queen Novo embarrassing Celestia in a hug of her own.

"Hey Gilda, what the hay are you doing here?" Rainbow asked as she gave her friend a wing slap.

"Hi ya, Dashy. Wish I knew. All I know is Princess Luna showed up at Griffonstone asking to speak to whoever was in charge, so since Grandpa Gruff is the eldest he ended up talking to her. The next thing I know I'm being told to go with her. All Grandpa Gruff would say is we have a promise to fulfil. Next thing I knew, we were zapping all over collecting all the others, till we got here."

Thorax gave Twilight and Rarity a hug and said, "It's the same for me. Luna showed up saying something about a promise that was made long ago and that you all needed my help. Well, I wasn't about to say no, so here I am. Where's Spike, I'd love to catch up. I haven't seen him in awhile."

"Twilight thought it best for Spike to stay in Ponyville as she said it was looking like one of those days," Rarity said while smiling at Thorax and Ember.

Ember stared at Rarity curiously for a moment, as though she wanted to ask the mare something.

"Everything ok dear? Do I have something on my face?" Rarity asked.

"Wha... What, no sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to stare," Ember replied. "It's just you seem different since the last time I saw you somehow. I don't know. Maybe it's just because I haven't seen you in awhile. Don't worry about it. It's probably just me. It's good to see you all again. Though it's a shame Spike isn't here. Would of been nice to see the little guy again."

Before Rarity had a chance to ask what she meant, Garble spoke up.

"HA! don't make me laugh. I still don't get why you brought me here to be with these prissy, namby-pamby ponies." He said folding his arms and glaring at the ponies in front of him.

"Watch what you say, Garble. I brought you with me in the hopes that you could learn a thing or two about friendship and maybe change that attitude of yours." Ember said while staring at him with a fire in her eyes that made him take a step back.

"Hmmm, yeah whatever. Like I could learn anything from them. At least I don't have to put up with that poor excuse of a pony wanna be, Sparkle-warkle. What a joke of a dragon. It makes me sick to even think we are the same species."

At this point everyone had stopped talking and heard what Garble had said. Just as Twilight, Rarity, and Ember where about to say something to the red dragon, he found himself being surrounded by a golden aura and being pinned to the floor unable to move as he saw Celestia walking towards him.

"You dare insult Spike in my presence?" Celestia said as she walked closer to him. "He who has saved an empire not once but twice. He who befriended the changelings and brought peace between us. Not to mention what he has done for all dragon kind by giving the title of dragon lord to Ember. It is thanks to him that the dragons are now being looked on as equals and peace has been achieved."

Now standing right above him, she went on, "He has stood side by side with the Elements of Harmony and faced off against some of the most powerful creatures known to this world and he did it all just to be able to help his friends. He has more strength, honor and dignity in his pinky claw than you could ever hope to have in your lifetime." She raised his head off the floor to look him in the eyes and said, "A lifetime that, if you insult The Dragon of Equestria in my presence again, will be very short and excruciatingly painful. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?"

Spike couldn't believe what he was seeing or hearing. Celestia, known throughout all of Equestria as being a peaceful mare and the first to try and settle problems with discussions, had just threatened to kill a dragon and start a war all because Garble had insulted him. What shocked him more was not a single creature there had tried to stop her. In fact, they all had looks like they were ready to stand by her side on the matter.

After being released from her aura and hearing what Celestia had just said, all Garble could do was cower in front of her like prey about to be killed. That's when Ember stood next to him and knelt to one knee.

"Princess of the Sun, on behalf of this dragon and for the sake of peace I, Ember, Lord of Dragons humbly apologize for any offence he has caused," she said. "I assure you that when we return home, I will personally see to a suitable punishment. I give you my word as Dragon Lord."

"Rise, Dragon Lord Ember. You do not need to kneel before me for we are equal," Celestia said gently. "The fact that you did so shows great respect and honor. I thank you for that. I shall leave it up to you on how to handle Garble."

Celestia bows her head to Ember and says, "I feel I should apologize myself. I tend to get a bit worked up when it comes to Spike as I've known him since the day he hatched. He is like family to me and creatures have a habit of underestimating just what he can do because of his size and the fact that he doesn't like to stand in the spotlight as it were."

Ember nodded her head in understanding and said, "Please Celestia, raise you head. Like you just said, we are equals and you do not need to bow. But yeah, I know what you mean. Little guy has a habit of surprising ya. Just when you think you got him figured out, he goes and makes you Dragon Lord."

At hearing that, Celestia and Ember start to laugh and Celestia says, "Spike does like to keep things interesting. Thats for sure."

Everyone starts to laugh while Garble sits up and folds his arms in a mood and chatter once again fills the room until Queen Nova speaks up.

"While it's great catching up with you all like this, isn't there something of an emergency that we must take care of?" She suggeted.

Ember nods her head in agreement and says, "Father told me after I became the Dragon Lord that there was only one thing I must always remember: as Dragon Lord it was my job to do what's best for all dragons. But that there was an oath made long ago before his time as leader that must be kept no matter what. Even if we were at war, this oath must be held above all else and that is the reason I'm here. I'm guessing it's the same for all of you."

Celestia, Luna, Queen Nova, Prince Rutherford, Gilda, and Thorax all nod in agreement. By this point, the girls were all confused as all they keep hearing is promises were made and oaths must be kept.

It was all to much for the rainbow-maned mare and she flew up into the air and said, "Just what is all this about keeping promises and stuff? I don't get it. What's going on?"

"Calm yourself, Rainbow Dash," Celestia said in a calm manner. "Now that Luna and the others are here, I can tell you what we know. The promises that the others are talking about were made long ago before mine and Luna's reign. Promises made by the first six rulers of these races: King Ulysses of the Yaks, the first Dragon Lord, Scintilla, Mist, Queen of the Hippogriffs, Mirage queen of the Changelings, King Grover of the Griffons and our mother, Queen Lilith of the ponies."

As Twilight was listening to Celestia, her curiosity and the thrill of learning something new got the best of her once again and she had to ask, "But what exactly was this promise? Why was it made and how is this the first time I'm learning of the fact that all these races where at one point allies?"

Celestia couldn't help but giggle at Twilight's out burst and said, "Ever the one for knowledge, my former student."

This caused Twilight to smile sheepishly and bow her head in apology for interrupting her as Celestia just smiled happily, she continued.

"The threat to this world was so bad that even if the smallest sign of his return was shown, say in a vision, the current leaders would gather here at our former castle. Thorax, I know you were unaware of this promise. The truth is it should of fallen to Chrysalis but as we could not find her and you are now the leader of the Changelings, it falls to you to uphold it. I'm sorry."

Thorax just smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, Celestia. Like you said, I'm the leader now. It's my responsibility to fulfil this promise. And besides it's only right to help a friend in need, right."

Celestia nods and smiles at him. Just as she was about to say something, Gilda cleared her throat to speak.

"Um... Look, not to burst any bubbles or anything, but in case you're all forgetting, I'm not the leader of the Griffons. We have no leader. I only came cuz Grandpa Gruff told me I had to."

Celestia nods and says, "Yes Gilda. While it is true that the Griffons have no ruler, the promise was still passed down from generation to generation. You do not need to have the title of leader to be here with us, Gruff chose to send you in his place as the representative of the Griffons and for that we thank you."

"Now on to business. The truth is me and my sister do not know what sort of threat awaits us. When Luna and I were both still young, our mother told us of this pact that was made. She said that if any sign of him at all was to show, we were to gather here and open a chamber that has long since been sealed; one that can only be opened by all six of us gathered here today. When I asked her who this creature was that posed such a threat, she told me his name and only said it once. It was the same name I heard in my vision. I believe Grogar is returning."

Hearing the name Grogar, for some reason scared Spike to the core. So much so, he had to cover his mouth with both claws to stop from screaming out in fear at just hearing the name. He just couldn't understand why the name of a creature he had never heard before would scare him so much. He managed to calm himself down by taking some deep breaths, only to hear Twilight speaking.

"Grogar. I've never heard that name before in any of the books or scrolls I've read on pony history," she said while looking to her former mentor.

"Nor would you, Twilight," said Celestia. "Luna and I had never heard of him before our mother told us of the pack when we were little. Much like yourself, I was curious and wanted to learn more about him. So I tried to find anything I could about Grogar; a book, a scroll, anything. When I couldn't, I tried asking my mother and to this day I will never forget the look of sadness on her face. It was heartbreaking. She tried to smile at me as best she could and held me in a hug and said, 'All will be revealed when the time is right. I just pray that the day the door is opened will never come to pass.' After that, I never asked her again. I didn't want to see that look of sadness on her face ever again," Celestia said as she looked down at the floor.

Luna walked over to Celestia and put a wing around her, saying, "It's ok, Tia, but now's the time to find out what lies behind the door and why this Grogar is returning."

"Your right, Luna," Celestia said as she returns the hug. "It's time we all find out just what is going on, together."

With that said, Luna and Celestia's horns light up and a doorway appears on the floor in front of them. As it opens to a staircase leading down into the dark, a row of torches light up to lead the way.

Celestia turns to everyone and says, "Follow me. The door to the chamber lies at the end of this tunnel."

As every creature starts to walk down the stairs, Ember turns to look at Garble and says, "Come on Garble. You too. I'm not letting you out of my sight. And besides if I left you up here, who knows what trouble you'd get into? Then again, I suppose if I did leave you here and anything were to happen, I'm sure Princess Celestia would be more than happy to deal with you."

Hearing what Ember just said and seeing the grin she wore was enough to make Garble scurry past her without saying a word, as they joined the others down the staircase. Spike popped his head out from round the pillar he was hiding behind, making sure that everyone had gone. He made his way over to the entrance and slowly started to descend them, making sure to stay way back as not to be seen.

"WOW! This castle has everything," said Pinkie, as she made her way down the stairs. "Secret doors, hidden passageways, slides and even an organ- it's got everything."

Hearing the pink mare made Celestia giggle and Luna said, "Yes Pinkie, this castle had a lot of the slides and such installed by our mother. She insisted that her castle be like a playground for me and my sister."

"Wait your mother's castle? I thought this was your castle." Twilight said. "Isn't that why it's called the Castle of the Two Sisters?"

Celestia shakes her head and says, "No, Twilight, although it's true that it now goes by that name, the truth is long ago this was our mother's home and as we grew up here, she wanted us to have fun and had all sorts of hidden slides and such all over the place. She always made time to play with us each day even though she was busy. In fact, Pinkie, you would of liked her a lot. She always used to say that a good laugh is good for the soul and boy did she like to play."

"Indeed," Luna said. Mother was the playful sort. She liked to see ponies laugh and smile. She said it was a gift that we were given to be able to be so free and happy, so we should play as much as our hearts allow. Although there were times I wondered if we were more mature as fillies, than she was as a full grown mare."

Celestia giggled at listening to Luna talk about their mother and said, "Yes, I would agree with you there dear sister. What mother draws on their children's faces while they sleep with an ink that wouldn't come off for over a week? A week. I mean come on, it was so embarrasing. But then again it did make a lot of ponies laugh."

"And if I recall, my sister, didn't we get all the sweets we could eat for a day as payment?" Luna asked. "In fact, now that I think about it, that maybe where your obsession for cake started."

"Wha...what? I do not have an obsession with cake," Celestia said offended. "I work very hard and I like to have a bit of cake every now and then as a reward. You believe me, right, Twilight?" Celestia asked. As she gave Twilight the puppy dog eyes.

"Oh, look we're here," said Twilight, letting out a nervous laugh and looking anywhere but at Celestia.

As everyone stood in front of the double door, six carvins could be seen on it; one of a Griffon, Dragon, Yak, Changeling, Hippogriff and in the center going over both doors was an Alicorn. Each carvin had two hoof or claw imprints.

"Now what," asked Rarity.

"Now if every creature could place your claws and hoofs into the carvins, the doors should open," said Celestia.

As everyone did as they were asked, Celestia began to walk over to the doors. She stopped and turned to look at Luna behind her and said, "Sister, I believe we were meant to do this together for we are both equal. Come, let us see what lies behind the doors together."

Luna smiled at her sister and nodded saying, "Yes, dear sister. Let's do this together."

As Luna and Celestia both place a hoof in the imprints, the eyes of the cavins began to glow red.

"I can't get my claw out," said Gilda as she started to panic.

Soon, the others faced the same problem. As the eyes got redder, none of them could break free.

"Calm yourselves, my friends. I believe this is just how the doors unlock," said Luna.

Soon after she said that, the eyes on the carvins stopped glowing and a locking mechanism could be heard. Every creature was able to move away from the carvins and were unhurt. Twilight and the others went over to them and as they did, the doors slowly started to open and a blinding white light shone out from behind the doors.

Celestia turned to look to either side of her and said, "Together, my friends. Lets go."

Comments

[Hillbe]

fret ? to worry?
fretten ?
threat ? to imply harm?
threaten?

you like?
what do you think?

that was a nice long hug in "Twilights Seven"
way too long
like your time with Zepher?

[jw278]

9584562
Thanks for the post, always nice to have comments I'll have to have a look into that when I get time lol either way I hope you are enjoying the story

[Hillbe]

9585224

[jw278]

9585665
I made those changes you pointed out, ty. hopfully it's better now lol chapter 7 should be out soon :) the good news is overall the story is now finished it's just in the editing stage, so with luck, shouldn't be to long await, thanks again for reading and taking the time to leave a comment always like to read your stuff myself