Malice Burned
Spike felt his heart sting after Luna teleported him to Ponyville with the elements and he was forced to face what he had caused with his betrayal. Ponyville was burning with parts of it floating upside down or spinning or reflected like a mirror. Spike sucked in the flames to ensure they wouldn’t hurt anypony but then started to cough in pain as the flames changed to water and he began to choke.
“Who dares to change my chaos?! Oh, if it isn’t my broken puppet. You look a bit choked up at seeing me but here let me help you with that.” Discord pushed on Spike’s stomach, causing him to throw up all the water and hold his aching stomach.
“D-Discord… you said that you would leave them alone… that they would be safe…”
“Oh please I told you what you needed to hear and I don’t think that Ponyville has ever been in a better state!” Spike growled and jumped at him only for Discord to vanish and surround him in mirrors that all showed Discord. “I see you are back to what you were before I found you, though to be honest, it’s not much of an improvement.”
“I’m through with your lies and with you! You turned me into a weapon against my friends and used my sadness against me. I was stupid to believe that none of them loved me and to put my trust in you but I’m going to fix this and help them beat you!” Spike punched one of the mirrors but it didn’t break and instead hurt his hand.
“Help them beat me? You are the reason this happened and seeing that this was the place that you centered your hate I decided to destroy it first and turn it into my own personal playground of chaos and disharmony. I did only want the princesses and Canterlot at first but you showed me memories of this small insignificant town being more so the cornerstone of harmony than Canterlot. So I wanted to see it ruined and rebuilt every day just to destroy it all over again…”
“You’re a monster…”
“No Spike, I’m the way things are meant to be but I did leave your precious library alone. After all, everypony deserves a fighting chance, it was more than the princesses gave me and more than what you gave them.” Discord’s images turned into the girls as they all blamed him for their states and the state of their home. Spike took several steps away from them and held his head while shaking it.
“N-no! This isn’t real! They should blame me… they should hate me but in my heart, I know that they wouldn’t. I know this isn’t them!!” Spike blew fire into the ground at his feet and destroyed all the mirrors around him at once. He huffed before seeing the library and running towards it only for Owlicious to fly down and angrily block his path. “Wha- Owlicious! Move out of the way! I need to see Twilight!” The owl shook his head and Spike relaxed seeing that the bird was only trying to protect their friend. “I know I hurt her and… I can’t imagine how she feels but I’m begging you to let me try and fix this… Let me get back the Twilight we both know and love. Please trust me Owlicious, one assistant to another…” The bird flew and stared at Spike intently before hooing and landing on his head. “Thanks… I’ll owe you one.”
Walking into the darkened library, Spike called for Twilight but didn’t find her where he expected. She wasn’t nose deep in a book trying to save Equestria but he did find her upstairs with the covers over her shivering body, which had lost its color and turned grey. “Has she been like this ever since she got back?”
“Hooo…” The sad hoo was enough and Spike threw the blanket off the mare as she held herself more and looked up.
“Oh, you again… are you just gonna yell at me again like the others did? If you hate me so much why don’t you just get away from me!!” Spike took a step back as he watched the mare tear up and hide her face back in her pillow. “Everyone else left me… why wouldn’t you…” She felt a claw gently grab her chin and moved it towards him, forcing her to look into his eyes.
“Because leaving you was the reason this happened… I let my anger take me and I ended up hurting the ponies that gave me so much joy… I hurt the one that I promised to myself to protect…” Twilight wiped her face and looked down.
“It’s too late Spike… even if I believed you the others were corrupted to the core. They blamed me and our friendship for hurting them, for getting them involved with the elements in the first place.”
“Twilight… I’ve been living with you all here for over a year now and seen you six stand and fight for what you believe against monsters, evil witches, Diamond Dogs, and even against each other to teach each other how to be better friends. You were the one that lit that spark in them and made me believe in the good of all ponykind. You gave me life all those years ago and I always believed that I was nothing but a freak that never would find a place to call home but I think now that thing that made me feel different became the best parts of me. Those parts are from you. I found my place in this world, wherever you are.” He hugged the mare and Twilight took in his words before slowly hugging him back and nuzzling the dragon, a bit of her color returning.
“But my friends, I need them back.”
“The Twilight Sparkle we know and love would never quit when her friends need her and I know that you’ll find a way to get them back. After all, hero stuff is your speciality right?” Twilight giggled and looked at a picture that she kept next to her bed that showed her and her friends in a big hug. “So what are you gonna do?”
“I’m going to bring them back by reminding them who they are and why we’re the best team in Equestria!” Spike and Owlicious cheered their friend as her color fully returned, but then Spike remembered something.
“Twi, I need you to do this part on your own for now. Luna told me to return to her once the elements were back for she had a plan surrounding Discord and said she understood something about him.”
“Okay Spike, just stay safe and I’ll get the other girls ready.” Spike nodded and gave her the rest of the elements before putting the crown on her head and watched it shimmer with power again and the two separated with Owlicious going with Spike to Canterlot. Twilight took a deep breath before galloping her way to Sweet Apple Acres.
. . .
The farm was a centerpiece for ponyville, showing the strength of family and the promise of fulfillment that only came with an honest day’s work but now the farm had fallen to chaos with the barn turned into a hotel and the apples turned into baseballs. The entire Apple family seemed to have been affected by the chaos, except for one small filly. Applebloom tried her best to remind her family of their ideals but all ignored her as she wondered who could help when Twilight came up.
“T-Twilight! You ain’t lost ya colors! That means ya can get ma family back!”
“Applebloom? You’re still you! Something must have kept you safe from Discord’s craziness when the elements lost their powers.”
“Ah had been with the other crusaders at that time. Maybe that’s it?”
“It must have been the friendship you three share. You three have been going on adventures with us and have just as strong as a bond that Discord must not have been able to break it. I’m getting off track, take me to Applejack!” Applebloom saluted and led her to the one place that had been left alone by Discord at the insistence of Applebloom. The small memorial that the Apple family had made in honor of The three siblings parents. Applejack was sitting there with her hat on the ground and sniffling as she kept questioning why their parents hadn’t returned and why they left in the first place.
“She’s been like that since she got back… please help her…”
“I’ll do what I can but I’m gonna need your help.” The two walked to the depressed pony.
“Ah know why ya here… Ah can’t help ya Twilight. Ah’m not the element of honesty like Ah thought Ah was... what good is the truth if it only hurts ya!? My ma and pa… Ah tried to make em proud by living ma life the way Ah thought that they would want, with honest work and caring love for ma family. If what Spike said was true… if they never really loved us then who am Ah?”
“You’re the girl that has protected Ponyville from rampaging cattle and has a heart that has always stayed faithful and strong no matter what trouble we faced! You were the first pony that I put my trust in because I saw the honesty in your eyes.”
“B-but ma parents…”
“Ma and pa would never want to see ya like this! Applejack… please ah need you to hear me and remember.” Twilight made her horn glow and touched Applejack’s head as Applebloom’s words caused memories to show. “Remember when Ah was smaller and Diamond Tiara teased me for our parents not showing up for school on parent day? Ah cried myself to sleep that night, wishing Ah had any memories of them… but the next day ya, Big Mac, and Granny all showed up with pictures of them and told us stories of how much they loved us and how they journeyed across Equestria for the farm. Ya scared that they didn’t love us? That they ran off? If ya believe that garbage than it’s ya who forgot them! Ya who forgot what that hat means!”
Applebloom’s shouts awoke something in Applejack as she remembered her parents leaving on their last voyage, kissing and holding the young foal before giving her to granny. Telling Big Mac to stay strong for the family and that he was so much like his father. They comforted the young Applejack and her father smiled at her, giving her his hat and telling her to hold that until they see each other again and for her to always stay true to herself. Applejack’s colors returned as she cried and held her sister and friend, taking the element of honesty from Twilight and putting her hat back on.
“Thank ya for remindin me who Ah am. Who they raised me to be.” Twilight smiled and bowed her head at the memorial before going back to her friend and heading for Carousel Boutique.
. . .
The two found Sweetie Belle at the door as she was knocking and trying to get into her home but Rarity had locked her out and blocked the door. Applejack bucked the door open, destroying the rather lame attempt at a barricade. “What in apple’s name did that girl think this was gonna protect her from?”
“I-I think me… she called me a greedy filly who tried to steal what was hers… My sister would never say that to me! She is the most lovely mare in Ponyville! You two have to help me…”
“That’s why we’re here Sweetie, we may need you to help us remind her of who she is.” Sweetie nodded, ready to help her sister in any way. They opened the door and saw Rarity was protecting all her items and growled at the three.
“I see you two betrayed me also! You’re helping her take everything from me!”
“Sugarcube ya not makin a lick of sense, this is ya sister! She loves ya!”
“She is trying to take my life from me! I won’t let anypony ever take what is mine!!” Applejack hugged Sweetie Belle as the filly teared up at the sight of her sister like this, so full of bitterness towards her. Twilight frowned and walked towards her friend, tossing her items away.
“You aren’t the Rarity we know! She would never become something as cruel as you! Please Rarity, think about who you are and why you’re here. “
“W-why we’re here…” Sweetie Belle blinked and walked up to her sister with Twilight, the unicorn making her horn glow with her memory spell as Rarity was trying to protect her stuff and glared at Sweetie Belle. Sweetie jumped and hugged her sister as Twilight touched Rarity’s head with her horn. “Please Rarity… you are all I’ve ever wanted to be and what I’m scared that I’ll never thought be able to live up to. D-do you remember the day we left home?” Rarity saw a younger and more naive Rarity as she was all packed up and hugging her parents as she was preparing to leave home and seek her dream of becoming a fashion designer. Her first destination was planned to be Canterlot and she had a bit of pride and ego that believed that she deserved to be among the nobles of the city.
“Well I’ll return as soon as I can, is Sweetie still mad?” Her parents looked up at the room where their younger daughter had locked herself away. She worshipped Rarity and would follow her sister to the ends of the world but now that sister was leaving her alone. “Poor dear… I know how hard this must be for her… not many friends and you two are always so busy… She’ll be starting school soon and for the first time I won’t be there…” Her parents went to go check on their youngest while Rarity wiped her eyes and looked down as she heard sobbing from her bag and opened it to find her sister hiding and looking up at her with big pleading eyes. Rarity’s heart shattered at the sight and realized as she took her sister out that she didn’t really want to do this all by herself. She wanted to give back to the world and make things that would make the darkest day full of beauty and life but she was missing the thing she loved most in the world.
“R-Rarity?”
“Silly filly… you would never let me leave you and that is why I love you.” She hugged her sister and nuzzled her while tearing up a bit. “Fine… you win. You can come with me and we’ll live our dreams the way we were meant to. Together.” Sweetie thanked her sister and sobbed as Rarity smiled and couldn’t be happier. Before taking the train out of town she replaced her ticket to Canterlot and instead got two cheaper tickets for the small town called Ponyville.
. . .
“Sis you came here for me and was willing to put your dreams on hold because I was selfish, but you taught me something that day… you taught me that generosity and love is worth more than all the gems in the world. I want that sister back… I want to find my purpose and make that sister proud… I want to see her smile at me again…” Sweetie Belle cried and hugged Rarity tighter before feeling her hug back and looked up to see her colors had returned.
“I suppose I have been the silly one this time… I’m sorry for that Sweetie Belle, now let me make things right and after that we’ll spend a day together. Just the two of us.” The two sister hugged and cried while Twilight and Applejack smiled and gave Rarity her necklace.
. . .
Fluttershy’s house was left alone by the chaos around but had an aura of anger and brutality around it that kept the animals at bay but all were all against leaving for the one that cared for them all once was inside. The three ponies steeled themselves as they pushed into the small cottage and found Fluttershy angrily throwing things around her house in a rage. The only other being that remained close to Fluttershy was Angel Bunny who was her partner and best animal friend, but even he was fearful of what she had become. Twilight had heard from Spike’s ranting that Angel was a creature of Tartarus and was mean to him but seeing the bunny now all she felt was pity as the one pony he loved in the world had turned into a monster.
“Fluttershy darling, stop this ruffian business and come join your friends! Look at what you’ve done to your simple but gorgeous house!”
“And those critters you love so much! You push em away with all your cruel acts but they still love you enough to stay here!”
“Pfff, who needs them!? Not me! I’m perfectly fine being here alone and if they stay then their the stupid ones! I don’t need you judging me when I’m finally not the weak one! When I’m finally who I am meant to be! Take this witch!”
“Wrong Fluttershy! You need us more than ever if that’s what you believe! We’re gonna save you!” Fluttershy glared at the three and grabbed a vase, throwing the water that was in it at Twilight before she dodged and it hit Rarity, who shrieked and glared at the smirking pegasus through her wet mane and she dragged her hoof on the hoof against the ground before rushing and tackling her. The two began to fight with Applejack grabbing her rope from under her hat and jumping into the brawl while Twilight blinked. “You could have just used magic Rarity… oh well.” Twilight jumped in also and together the three tied up Fluttershy who was cursing at them through the rope around her muzzle.
“Yeah who’s the witch now!? Darling you are really gonna need to wash your mouth after this.” Twilight went to put the memory spell on her when Angel came out from his hiding place and began to speak to her in his language while she remembered the first day the two met.
Fluttershy was young and had snuck away from Cloudsdale early before Rainbow Dash would wake and start worrying about her. She had recently traveled to the surface and her best friend was still a bit afraid of it, saying that she preferred the sky. Fluttershy couldn’t help herself though, when she was down here with the animals it was like she had never felt fear. She was happy and strong because there were smaller creatures that all looked up to her. She would spend the morning exploring and writing in her diary of all the animals she would meet and their names. Days were spent getting to know them and how to treat the hurt ones that would start to appear before the young filly. This day, however, she found no small critters that were coming out to meet her and she found that many were hiding and motioning for her to run away.
“Oh dear… you poor little sweethearts must have seen something super scary to be hiding like this… I won’t let you stay scared like this, I’ll find this creature and set it straight.” The animals shook their heads in fear for their friend but none had the courage to go with her and Fluttershy walked alone. She ignored the animals’ signs to stay away and ended up at a cave where a deep growling was heard and several broken twigs were at the entrance. The growl caused the timid pegasus to lose her nerve and hide behind her mane but then she remembered Rainbow Dash, all her courage and determination. This was to save her friends yes, but maybe a small part of her came here to prove to herself that she is worthy of being friends with someone so different, She wanted to prove that she could be more than the scared victim, this time she would not back down.
Fluttershy gathered her nerves and tiptoed into the cave. It was damp and old with the smell of something like a wet forest inside. She heard the growling slowly get louder but there was now also a squeaking noise accompanying it. She arrived at a chamber in the deepest parts and found there was a timberwolf there and he had just cornered a tiny hurt bunny. The bunny was defiant and brave but far too weak to put up much of a fight in his state. As the wolf opened his mouth to eat the little one, a rock hit it in the side of its face and both turned to see Fluttershy there barely able to keep it together.
“H-h-hey you b-big bully!! W-why don’t you pick on s-s-somepony your size!!” The bunny stared at his savior in awe and wonder as she stood up to the wolf and it switched it’s target and went after her but she flew and used her wings to stay just out of reach. She would dodge and yell at the creature to stop but it refused and continued it’s hunting of her. Fluttershy apologized profusely as she started using the environment to start dropping boulders on the wolf. The little bunny watched as she fought the wolf and the cave was slowly becoming unstable. As Fluttershy was flying, some of the ceiling hit her wing and sent her tumbling to the ground. The wolf jumped at her only for the tiny bunny to jump between them and start pulling at the twigs around its eyes. The wolf howled in pain and anger before tearing the bunny off itself and throwing him at the cave wall where he crumbled. Fluttershy cried as she saw the bunny that tried to save her fall and felt a great anger grow deep in her heart as she glared at the wolf.
“That’s enough!! How dare you hurt that poor defenseless creature!! I’ll make you pay for that!!” Fluttershy rushed at the wolf in a frenzy and lifted an enormous boulder before smashing it into the timberwolf’s head and she huffed as the cave shook and began to cave in. The beast tried again to strike but the glare that Fluttershy gave it made it feel as though ice had replaced it’s limbs and it was frozen by fear. She grabbed the bunny and galloped out of the cave as it collapsed and the two sighed before looking at each other and began to laugh. The bunny jumped and cuddled the filly as the two became friends there and would only become closer as Fluttershy named him Angel and the two became partners.
. . .
Fluttershy teared up as her memories returned and her colors restored with her holding her partner animal and smiled at him. “Thank you Angel, for not leaving me…” The bunny smiled and hugged her as he whistled and other animals all rushed in to hug the mare they loved like a mother. The three mares smiled and gave Fluttershy her necklace as the element of kindness had returned.
. . .
The four were hoping to find Rainbow Dash as they all believed that it would take all of them to go against Pinkie Pie but when the pegasus was nowhere to be seen, they all went to Sugarcube Corner. The entire store was splattered with sweets and ingredients as Pinkie was angrily baking but was only getting angrier as she found herself unable to make anything anymore. When the others arrived Pinkie glared at them.
“I knew something was wrong when I couldn’t bake! It must be like some kind of super pinkie sense telling me when my ex-friends are nearby!” The four could tell it was a lie, Pinkie knew the limits of her body and wouldn’t have a sense for something like that.
“Pinkie… please come to your senses, Discord played a rotten trick on all of us and turned us into things we aren’t.” Before Fluttershy could keep talking, Pinkie walked up to her with a glare.
“Well what makes you think you know what I am?! None of you made the effort to really get to know me! Tell me where I was born or what my twin’s name is! You can’t because you never cared to talk to me about me!” Twilight walked up and matched the glare with a calm and slightly sad stare of her own.
“We didn’t but we all never really questioned that… I have a brother you all don’t know about, his name is Shining Armor.
“I have a younger brother… his name is Zephyr Breeze.”
“Ah have an aunt and uncle Orange, They’re a very Rarity type of pony up in Manehattan.”
“I have- wait what do you mean Rarity type!?”
“The point Pinkie is that we all still have things to learn about each other.”
“I don’t care about any of you, now leave me alone!!”
“Pinkamena Diane Pie! That is enough of that.” The four turned to see the Cakes coming and Pinkie actually showed a bit of resistance as she looked at them. “These are your best friends and they came to return you to what you used to be.”
“W-why would I want to go back to that other Pinkie?! So they can laugh at me and call me a freak!? No thank you!” Mr. Cake walked to the mare and put a hoof on her shoulder.
“You know what I thought when you first came to Ponyville? I thought that you were the strangest pony in Equestria but also the most funny and talented ones I ever met.” Mrs. Cake put her hoof on Pinkie’s other shoulder as the girl stared at them with sadness in her eyes.
“So I am a freak…”
“Sweetheart, you’re better than a freak, you’re a Cake! Look at the friends you keep, no normal pony could keep up with such a strange group but you do it all with a smile on your face and a joke to share. We did think you were strange but I saw in you something, you came up to us and asked if we had any food left over as you had no bits and was hungry. We took you in and fed you one of our family pies and the three of us shared the night talking and getting to know you.”
“No pony, other than my sweet as cupcakes wife here, ever had a smile like yours that could brighten a room with no trouble. You made us laugh and gave us both a feeling that led us to where we are now.” Both hugged the sobbing pony as she held them.
“You gave us the feeling of true parenthood and we asked you if you wanted to stay here. Your smile and the hug we shared made us both work twice as hard as we wanted to be the perfect guardians to you and eventually we became so close that we taught you all our secrets and recipes. You became the daughter we never had and we can’t begin to tell you how proud we are of the mare you became and we know that you’ll one day spread joy and laughter across all of Equestria. We are asking you Pinkie, look deep down in your heart and tell us who you think you are.” Pinkie looked up at them and wiped the tears off her face. Twilight was about to start her memory spell with she jumped as something fell on her head and blocked her vision, causing her to scream and panic. Gummy had jumped on Twilight and painlessly bit on her head and Pinkie watched as a small smile tugged at her face and then she collapsed in a fit of laughs.
“O-oh Gummy!! You’re a ninja!” Pinkie smiled and, as her friends tried to get Gummy off Twilight, turned back to the Cakes who were smiling back at her. “I am Pinkie Pie! The element of laughter and child of the Pie and Cake families.” The three hugged and Pinkie looked at her still grey fur before pulling out a crayon and drawing the pink colors back on herself.
“How did she…”
“Don’t question it honey, just be happy she’s back.”
. . .
The last pony to find was Rainbow Dash, the traitor of the group who had abandoned them first. They searched all of Ponyville but she wasn’t there.
“We checked the town, her home, Cloudsdale, everywhere! Where is Dash?!”
“T-Twilight!! Sis!” We found Rainbow! She’s at the CMC Clubhouse!” Sweetie Belle and Applebloom shouted as they led the group and found that she was indeed in the house while holding a confused and slightly irritated Scootaloo.
“Dash it’s been hours! Let me go already! What’s up with you?” The confident and usually calm pegasus was now grey and seemed almost afraid of letting go of Scootaloo.
“W-what if I’m not fast enough… Cloudsdale needs me, you need me, Ponyville needed me, my friends needed me but I’m just not fast enough to protect them all so I chose to put my loyalty to you. Just like how you have always stayed loyal to me.”
“But Rainbow Dash, we’re talking about the good of Equestria, our home!! One small flightless pegasus can’t stand in the way of all that besides I can see how this is making you, you’re not staying loyal to yourself here…” The others all walked into the clubhouse, blocking the door and windows to make sure she couldn’t escape while Twilight and the other two members of the CMC walked up to Dash as she held onto Scootaloo more.
“I see you’re trying to take her from me, trying to hurt her with your spells and plans to save Equestria or whatever. Leave us alone Twilight! It was your plan in the first place that started all of this!”
“No Rainbow, we’re here to turn you back to what you are and I know I should have been smarter and deduced that Discord had a trick but I was worried and wanted to get back Spike before he could get in danger, I bet you know that feeling.” Rainbow looked away and Twilight gently moved Rainbow’s arms from Scootaloo and smiled at her before using her spell. “Scootaloo you known Dash longer than me, tell her something that will bring back the one that we know and love.” Scootaloo looked at Dash and thought back to the day that they met and she smiled.
“H-hey Rainbow… do you remember the day we first met? I bet you don’t because I never gave you my name that day. I had just gotten away from my aunts because there were rumors of two talented pegasuses coming to town and I thought it was my parents coming to pick me up but then I heard it was two girls. I arrived just to see a crowd was watching you flying and taking out all the clouds in the sky in ten seconds flat! You ended up taking in all the cheers and tried to do you sonic rainboom but only ended up crashing in a cart full of art supplies, painting the ponies around, including Scootaloo who was now blue with a reddish mane. Rainbow apologized and paid for the cart before going off to practice her tricks. Scootaloo felt something deep down while she watched the girl and followed her out of town.
She watched Rainbow train for hours while hiding in a bush and tried to catch a conversation she had with a yellow pegasus that had a pink mane. She watched her the two leave and Scootaloo decided to try something just as awesome as one of Dash’s tricks and built a rickety ramp before zooming at it with all her speed, getting sent high into the sky and smiling when she looked down only to find that ramp had been destroyed. “W-what!? NO!” her eyes widened in fear and she was about to scream for help as gravity began to take her down. “Help!!”
“What’s up kid? Why the yelling? I think you got some pretty sweet air.” Scootaloo’s eyes looked up to see Rainbow was falling also while laying on her back like she was on a bed.
“I-I-I can’t fly…” Scootaloo looked down in shame before Rainbow put a hoof under her chin and made her look up again.
“And you still did this stunt? Wow, you’re like a younger me crazy and reckless, I love it! Better hold on squirt because I’m about to show you what it means to be on cloud nine!” She didn’t even have the time to question that before she was grabbed and Rainbow raced off. Scootaloo screamed as she had never moved so fast, Rainbow laughed and would show off a bit by throwing the filly into the air and catching her just before the ground. Her mane was now blown in a strange style that Scootaloo found that she enjoyed. She told her to hold on as they spun and resembled a cyclone of color. Scootaloo had her eyes closed tight as she felt the air began to slow down and opened them to see the two were far up in the air and the sun had begun to set. Rainbow moved the filly onto her back carefully so she could fly easier. “Pretty huh?”
“Totally awesome… thank you for this…” Rainbow waved away the praise.
“No need for that, just me being me. I’m not a very girly type of pony and I know that but even I can take things slow sometimes. It feels nice to know you’re not the only pony like you. Come on, let me take you back to town.” Dash dropped the filly off in the town center and stopped her before she left. “Hey, squirt! Stay loyal to that crazy part of you that told you to do that stunt, it will get you places and hopefully, it will get you farther than it ever has me. I’m Rainbow Dash it was nice flying with you when those wings get working come and race me sometime!” Scootaloo smiled watching her fly away and made a promise to herself then.
“I promise to do that Dash… and I’ll win!”
. . .
Rainbow Dash stared at the filly in a daze as she hugged her and cried. “You’re everything I ever wanted to be! You’re not afraid of anything or anyone! You told me to stay loyal to that crazy part of myself and I have!”
“Yeah, she sure has. Remember when she took us ziplining on a flaming cord!?”
“Or that one time we tried to get our cutie marks in mine car racing?” Applebloom and Sweetie whispered and shivered at the memories as their sisters shushed them while listening to Scootaloo’s speech.
“I want that awesome Rainbow Dash back, the one that is crazy fast, fearless, awesome and insane!! I want-”
“Heh, shut up and hug me sis… I’m back.” Rainbow smiled down at her with her colors restored and her loyalty in herself returned. “I’m sorry for causing this… but it’s time to make this right. Twilight?” Twilight nodded and gave her the necklace as the mane six were reunited and looked out of the house.
“Time to save the world!”
. . .
Spike and Luna stood outside of Canterlot Castle at a large ball of swirling dark energy. Luna’s mane was disheveled and she seemed to be trying to catch her breath. “I-it is ready.”
“So say that DIscord does have this other thing in him, this ball will contain it?”
“Being like Discord or alicorns, being of extreme power are usually much stronger in physical strength than in mental fortitude. You, mortals, are lucky in that sense, in a fight, you believe that you could die and it forces your mind to prepare for the possibility but for us, it’s so hard to accept that any kind of fear or hate can cause our powers to become manipulated and corrupt our bodies and minds. My feelings of hate and loneliness caused the creation of Nightmare Moon, my sister’s responsibilities and fear of her own power once turned her into the demon Daybreaker, and now Discord is under the influence of his own demon which must have been born out of resentment for his imprisonment and for having to watch ponies leave in peace for so long while he was forgotten. I call his demon Malice.
“So this ball can capture Malice and kill it?”
“No… this ball is made of my own power and is an entrance to the dream realm but I must stay here to keep it stable or Malice would run unchallenged in the dream realm and no pony would ever have a peaceful sleep again.”
“So what must we do?”
“I need you to enter it and end Malice while I hold it together, time in there works differently as a second for us is a minute for you.”
“You think I could actually fight that thing?!”
“You have no choice! Once the elements of harmony hit Discord, his Malice will be released and sucked into the ball. With my sister in her state, you are the only one I trust to go in and fight.”
“The only one… I’ll do it. I started this and I’ll be the one that fixes it.” Spike looked at his mechanical arm as it beeped for a new cartridge and Spike pulled out Celestia’s, Luna’s, and Twilight’s before forcing all three into the slot. He screamed as his arm and body took in the magic and caused his body to change to absorb more of the power.
“Spike!! You are a dragon, your body wants to grow to disperse more of the power! You must focus on what you want to protect, use the greed of protection instead of want! Focus!” He heard her words as he fell to his knees and took several deep breaths through the pain before focusing on those he loves and how this Malice was going to steal them from him if he failed here. They believed in him and now he needed to believe in himself. Spike’s eyes opened as his body grew two more sets of sharper spikes burst from his back and went down his arms. His tail grew longer and had a sharper end that whipped and sliced through the air. The frills on the sides of his head became covered in flames and then it faded to show they were longer and sharper now, resembling flames. His scales were thicker and glistened in the sun as he stood and felt a new sensation in his gut, he looked up and a blast of electricity came from his mouth. They turned to see a bright light emerging from Ponyville and he looked at Luna. “I’ll come back, I promise.” Luna nodded and prepared herself as Spike flew into the ball and a rainbow formed in Ponyville, striking down.
. . .
The dragon was in awe of the world he found himself in, it was dark but calming darkness where bubbles of light and life were everywhere like stars in the night sky. “Beautiful aren’t they? It’s sickening not a single nightmare can be found.” Spike sighed and turned to see a thin dragon standing there with grey and black scales and black eyes that had glowing red irises. Two sharp horns on its head and a jawful of razor sharp teeth.
“Malice… what is that form? I thought you would be more creative like Discord.”
“I am anger and malice incarnate, there is no fun or chaos in me. I am focused and since I am a part of his true self this is the form I was created in.”
“His true self?”
“He doesn’t even remember what he used to be, He is the last of his kind and yet he can’t remember them. They used to live in the plains of chaos until the day that Discord opened the way to this world. The poor fool was young and very much different than what you see now. He is a draconequus, a fusion of pony and dragon. In a way, he is just like you but far stronger. After he opened the portals and chaos entered the minds of the locals, a war started against his kind and he fought to fix his mistake but it seemed like fate was against him. He found a way to get them all home but he in order to finish the spell and close the portal he had to stay behind and leave all that he had ever known and at that moment, an attack was ordered on them. Discord finished his task and was now alone, surrounded by the bodies of his those unlucky enough to not have escaped in time. His guilt and anger at himself caused him to lock his memories away and become the one you know him as now.
“Why tell me all this?”
“Because you are about to die, at least have peace in knowing that after this your friends are going to join you.” Spike frowned and prepared to fight, jumping at the dragon who snarled and met his attack. The two clawed and slashed at each other, cutting through their scales and causing bleeding. Spike rolled back and blasted a torrent of fire at Malice who only met it with black flames of his own. “You can’t beat me runt!” Spike glared and screamed as a lightning bolt erupted from his mouth and sent the dragon back while he rushed forward and headbutted him, spinning quickly and slashing his tail against Malice’s face. He aimed his metal arm at him and used Celestia’s magic to blast him back.
Running off pure adrenaline, he continued his assault with several punches to the chest while using the spikes on his arms as blades. He landed punch after punch while using his flames and electricity to counter the other dragon’s attacks. Spike jumped and landed a knee to Malice’s chin before he grabbed his head and smashed it into the ground. He unloaded all of Luna’s magic right into the back of Malice’s head. Spike huffed as he looked at his downed foe and then heard laughter as Malice smirked and snapped his fingers, causing all the damage to vanish.
“W-what…” He was caught off guard as Malice slashed his across his right eye and grabbed his throat and lifted him, blasting him in the chest with an explosion of black fire. Spike was sent flying back and coughed before several swift kicks to his jaw and chest came out of the smoke that was still coming off his body and surrounded him. He forced himself to stand and threw several punches at the growing darkness around him only to miss and then his fist be grabbed as if it was nothing. Malice sneered at him before slowly flicking him in the head, dozens of claw marks and a deep gash in the center of his chest appeared as if the darkness itself was cutting into him. He screamed in pain and smashed his metal fist into the ground, Twilight’s power blasting away the darkness but now he had reverted back to his regular form and was cut and bleeding from the wounds all around his body.
“I am a god boy, you are nothing compared to me and your pitiful attacks are insignificant. Do you finally understand? Your princess sent you here on a suicide mission, even in your wildest dreams you could never win this fight.”
“My wildest… dreams…” Spike coughed a bit seeing red was mixed in the saliva. Luna didn’t sent him here to die, she trusted him with the one place she watched over and had faith in him to come out victorious. He cleared the vision of his one good eye and stood in defiance of the god-like being in front of him. He laughed before striking at the dragon, over and over again he fell and stood. Time became lost to the two as the cycle continued endlessly.
“Why don’t you just stay down! Be like every other worthless mortal and just die! You think that you’re some kind of hero Spike? Well I know the real you and I know you’re not.” Spike’s body twitched before he dug his claws into the ground and got back to his feet before huffing and closing his eyes as he remembered Luna’s words.
“Dreams are wishes the heart makes”
‘He’s right but… What do I wish? What is my dream in this place? Why am I here?’ Slowly figures appeared beside Spike, surprising Malice as he now was facing five of the element bearers. “Applejack, strong and taught me the importance of staying true to myself. Rarity, beautiful and determined showed me how the character of oneself is far more important than looks or wealth. Fluttershy gave me kindness and showed no fear to who I was even if I feared myself and what I might become she was a calm in the storm. Rainbow told me once that I should be more confident because I was a pretty cool dragon. She made me actually accept the dragon half of my heart in more ways than one and made me wonder if I could use them for good. Pinkie made me smile and laugh with her antics and I guess I learned from her to take things as they come and live and let live.” Malice took a step back as he continued and more and more beings appeared, all those that he had met in his journey and he formed a connection with were appearing. He had had enough of this and attacked the dragon only for the figures to attack as one and keep him at bay. Even when he would kill one of the figures it would return at Spike’s side and attack again. The princesses themselves rushing to attack and fight back Malice.
“Ember! My sister, she came back for me and never stopped loving me making me become proud to be a dragon, proud to be her brother, proud to be myself! She believes in me and I won’t let her down!” Ember appeared standing in front of Spike, his primary guard.
“And finally the one that filled my heart with fire, the one that destroyed our work and returned her friends back from your grip. She gives me hope and showed that even if our bodies are weak, even if we get broken, our spirits are indomitable! They are unstoppable! You can beat me, break me, kill me, but you will never destroy me! As long as my spirit burns bright then I’ll keep standing and never give up on the world that she loves so much. My dreams are not weak they are strong! Those that I love are the real heroes and for them, I’ll become all that they would need and now they need a hero. You think that you know me and maybe you do know the real me but here, right now, I know what I am. I am her, I hold hope in my hands and I am not afraid of you!!!” The image of Twilight appeared behind Spike, she was wearing her crown and had wings. Malice stared in shock as she opened her blinding white eyes and Spike did the same, showing the same power.
The young dragon sent all of his dream friends to attack the dragon and raised his one real claw as Twilight’s horn glowed and both sent an enormous blast of energy at him. Malice was caught in the blast and felt bits of his body being destroyed as Spike slowly began to walk closer, the blast getting stronger as he did so. “N-NO! I-I will not fall to the likes of you!!!” He was about to fly out of the blast when he felt a weight pull him down and he looked down to see gold chains were keeping him there. A snicker drew his attention to a floating figure nearby, Discord watched with glee as his hate and anger was destroyed. “Y-You!! You need me, you will never be free!”
“You’re wrong, I never needed you and now I can fix what was broken all those ages ago. Your time is done, I can finally be free. It’s been fun playing with you but it’s game over.” Malice screamed as Spike reached him and shouted as he stabbed his claw right into the dragon’s chest, flooding him with the light and his body exploded into light and sparkles. “Eww I think I breathed that in. Well looks like the light show is over, I must say Spike. You put on a good show.” The drake didn’t speak as the light faded and he fell, only for Discord to catch him. “Today an evil with defeated but only I can fix this and fully destroy the last part of him that lives in me. I feared what would come next but seeing your faith showed me something and for the barest of moments I wished I was mortal…”
. . .
Discord came out of the ball of energy with Spike, tossing him to Luna as she collapsed after the power drain. The world had been returned to normal and Discord cleaned his claws while counting down, once he hit zero, Celestia walked out with her colors restored.
“Princess…”
“Discord… how did you escape from my student?”
“I didn’t, as the elements turned me to stone I felt my mind clear for the first time in centuries… I knew my malice had been taken and with your heroes facing me, the only other one you had was the dragon. I asked Twilight to let me go to help him.”
“And she just believed you? I find that hard to believe.”
“No, you did teach her well but I asked her to have faith in me and in her little scaly friend or he could die. She asked the country one if I was lying and she said no and they let me go with I entered your dear little sister’s trap.”
“I see… thank you.”
“...I am… sorry for what I was all those years ago. I never thought that all my tricks and fun were causing such despair for the ponies around me. I thought they would enjoy the fun of the unknown that chaos brings.”
“I apologize as well… we attacked you with not even trying to talk first. I never truly gave thought to trying to reason with you but I took your nature as you trying to be cruel. I was young and foolish… I actually find myself wanting a bit of that chaos some rare days.” Discord felt a bit of his resentment vanish as the princess took her sister and Spike. “Perhaps… you can be allowed to stay as long as you stay either here or in Ponyville. Trying to show you how to use that chaos for some good.”
“Oh please, I am completely rehabilitated from that simple apology.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll understand if I don’t take you at your word.” Discord pretended to be hurt and then smirked as he waved his hand. Celestia’s mane had been shaded black and purple with a purple spiked collar hanging around her neck. He laughed and disappeared from the castle as he heard the scream and first of many death threats.
. . .
Far in the depths of space, a cosmic being with no form or essence opened its eyes and which were black voids with dozens of stars. The universe itself seemed to warp and compress until a tiny, deerlike foal was created and the being looked up and towards the direction of the earth, reaching out with her little hoof as she spoke to herself.
“Not too much longer now my love… let those ponies and dragon have their triumphs for soon their world and the one beyond will be mine and there will be no miracle in the universe that can save them… their souls will burn and their weak pathetic light will finally dim. Let them bring all their love, hope, and friendship for when it all dies only then will they be allowed to. I will not be forgotten.”
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REALLY good job on the wrap-up to the first arc of Season Two of your story (as well as the first arc in general). The action, exchanges, characterizations and future chapter/arc set-ups are all well done in all the right places. I'm just sorry I took a while to get around to responding. Nothing to blame except self-admitted laziness. Anyway, splendid work on Discord's "Malice" side (particularly the final [for now] showdown) as well as Luna helping Spike get back to normal (and Spike helping the girls get back to normal in turn). And, yeah, really loved that chat at the end between Celestia and Discord and that lead-off to a future major adventure at the very end.
9745789
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yeah after looking back on the beings of power like the princesses I saw that their fears and feels at the very least have the potential to create alternate versions of themselves so I applied that to DIscord and made Malice. I planned to actually make it Celestia at the end that would help Spike but changed to Luna to show two things, Luna has grown since her time as Nightmare Moon and the time that Spike met her, she is no longer losing hope and able to inspire others. Celestia is strong but has never truly lost a battle and when she sees her kingdom destroyed and someone she trusted being the cause it ruined her hope and heart. The backstories were fun and gave me a chance to really use the girls to their strengths. Discord and Celestia are back and all is well mostly. The award ceremony does happen as it did in the show except that Spike isn't there for it and doesn't accept a medal because he feels guilty. Finally the ending, That is my endgame. That villain will be the one that threatens this and the human world and cause the two sets of heroes to collide, basically facing her is gonna be the last story in this series as far as I planned.
And just like that a new challenger appears.
9748551
Yep, one that has seen and watched the girls, Spike, the princesses, and even Starswirl. Her sight has even reached the human world and with her awakening, a reckoning is coming for our heroes and both worlds will be threatened by a goddess of death. Heh sounds cool huh?
9748754
Yeah It does so now if you will excuse me I have to go ward my house.
9770119
The second cover art will have regular spike just taller so the story Spike's size is more or less a bit between canon and Ember height. I wasn't clear enough on the height and never gave it much thought till recently but yeah it's more how you imagine him to be from the story. I see him as taller than the show but not yet Ember's height more like Smolder's. Thank you for reading through and I hope you are enjoying the story! Next chapter will be actually the first time a chapter doesn't have Spike in it but lots of things will be set in motion.