The Drake Six

by JNKing

Episode Twenty One: The New World Arc; Part 1

Author's Note:

Hey all,

I'm uploading this one a day early, as I'll be spending most of the next day traveling, and didn't want you guys to miss out on the adventures of Spike and his dragon friends.

Hope you enjoy. 👍

Spike had to read Twilight’s letter twice to fully comprehend.

“She’s… a princess now?!”

The letter was passed around the other members of the Drake Six - even Diamondback’s Diamond Dogs got a chance to see - but there was no denying her words:

“After a wild misadventure with an unfinished spell of Starswirl’s,” Night Fire read. “I - that is to say, Twilight - was blessed with the power of an alicorn, and given the title of Princess.”

Diamondback read over her shoulder. “Please join me and my friends and family at the Crystal Empire, where the Princesses of Equestria are convening a summit in five days to decide my duties and role in the preservation and prosperity of Equestria.” She looked up at Spike with glee. “First a Royal Wedding and now a Princess Summit? My word, Spike, being your friend just opens up all sorts of wonderful opportunities, doesn’t it?”

Spike didn’t reply, sitting down in shock. “Twilight… a princess. I mean, I knew she always had dreams of making Celestia proud, but… a princess.” He glanced over at Night Fire, though she was quick to wave him off.

“Whoa-ho, don’t think I got any answers, buddy,” she replied. “I left that life centuries ago.”

“It’s still a part of you,” Phoenix noted. “Just as it’s going to be a part of Twilight’s life.”

“We need to go see her,” Jackknife noted. “Whatever she’s becoming, she’s still Spike’s friend. That makes her our friend.”

“I imagine she’d need that kind of support,” Swift noted, looking down with a sigh. “The amount of pressure she might be under…”

Spike flinched at that thought. Once, he had been her number one assistant. Always there to aid her in her work. Now, here she was about to become a princess, and she didn’t have him.

“Yeah,” he said. “Let’s go. We should be able to reach her just before the Summit starts.”

##

He was right;

Thanks to Night Fire, Swift and Diamondback’s superb flying, the group reached the Crystal Empire right as their pony counterparts arrived by train.

Spike had to do a double take when he saw Twilight again; where once she was a quiet, bookish unicorn, now… she was still a quiet, bookish unicorn.

But one that now had wings.

“He-ey,” Jackknife praised. “Nice wings, Sparks.” He fist bumped Rainbow Dash. “Ya got a new flying buddy, partner.”

“Almost,” Rainbow Dash replied. “She’s still got to work through the whole ‘never been off the ground’ thing. But she’s getting there.”

“Thank goodness,” Fluttershy and Swift mumbled, before glancing at each other in shock.

“Jinx,” Night Fire teased.

As Fluttershy and Swift waved Night off, Spike looked to Twilight. “How are you doing?”

Twilight glanced at her wings. “Excited. Nervous,” she glanced up at the castle. “But mostly nervous. Even with wings and a crown… I’m not sure if I really ‘feel’ like a princess.”

“Well, no wonder,” Diamondback noted, brushing the top of her head. “Where is this crown?”

Rarity gasped. “You haven’t forgotten it back in Ponyville, have you, dearie?”

Before Swift or Diamondback could fly into a panic, Twilight quickly revealed the crown in her bag. “I’ve got it,” she assured them. “I just… feel a little self-conscious about wearing it.”

“You are a princess now, Twilight,” Rarity claimed. “Embrace it!”

“You won’t get used to it if you run from it,” Diamondback agreed.

“So long as ya don’t forget where ya came from,” Jackknife added. “Don’t start becoming no snob that thinks she’s too good fer her old friends.”

Spike chuckled. “Now that, I’m sure she would never do that. Right?”

Twilight smiled. “Right.”

Yet, as the group made their way into the castle, a horn fanfare greeted them.

“Her highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” one of the guards announced, drawing the attention of the princesses.

Diamondback cleared her throat importantly, causing the guard to double take.

“Oh, and, uh… and the Dragon Elements of Harmony!”

The horn fanfare wasn’t as impressive as Twilight’s - a fact Spike was certain Diamondback noticed - but the princesses didn’t give her time to complain, rushing over and greeting Twilight. Or, at least Celestia and Cadence did. Luna and Night Fire made a beeline for each other, conversing in quiet tones.

“Twilight!” Cadence laughed. “I haven’t seen you since the coronation.” She looked to Spike. “And Spike, I haven’t seen you for far longer.” She gave him a big hug, almost cracking his ribs.

“Nice to see you too, Cadence,” Spike managed to squeak out.

“It is good to see you all,” Celestia said with a smile.

“And you as well, Princess Celestia,” Diamondback greeted. “Have you used a de-aging spell. You’re more radiant than ever.”

Celestia chuckled. “You flatter me, Lady Diamondback. I’m sure you and the rest of your friends have much to discuss and share.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Jackknife noted, pulling a blushing Swift close. “When I tell you guys what Swift here was doing…”

“Hang on, guys,” Spike said. “Twilight and the Princesses have things to discuss, don’t they?”

“Indeed,” Celestia replied. “But they can wait until tomorrow.” She stepped closer to Jackknife and Swift. “I personally am quite curious about your travels. Let us catch up before bed, shall we.”

“Yes ma’am,” Jackknife agreed, pulling Swift along. “Now, as I was saying about Swift here…”

As Jackknife regaled everyone with the tale of Swift’s fight against the slavers of Kludgetown, Spike noticed Twilight hanging back with a sigh. He immediately went to her side.

“What’s wrong, Twilight?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m just… worried. Princess Cadence was given the Crystal Empire to rule over. What if, now that I’m a princess, Celestia expects me to lead a kingdom of my own?”

Spike pondered it - leading a kingdom to him sounded pretty awesome - but then a small shadow fell over them.

“I don’t think that would be a wise choice,” Phoenix noted.

Spike sighed. “Phoenix, Twilight… well… she isn’t…” He wasn’t sure how to say that she wasn’t like how Phoenix had been.

Though Phoenix seemed to understand.

“She may not be who I was,” Phoenix said. “But it doesn’t mean she won’t make mistakes.” She looked to Twilight. “Leadership is a massive responsibility, Twilight. And the more people you lead, the harder it will be.”

Spike gave Twilight a worried look, and indeed, she was turning a pale shade of green. He nudged Phoenix’s side. “Can you not make my friend sick with worry?”

“I’m only giving the truth,” Phoenix replied. “But, if it helps…” she gave Twilight a sincere smile. “Celestia wouldn’t have chosen you if she didn’t think you could handle the job, Twilight. You’ve never stopped trying to make her proud, why stop now?”

Twilight managed a faint grin of her own. “Thanks, Phoenix,” she replied, before following after the others.

Spike and Phoenix watched her go, before Phoenix looked down with a sigh. Spike noticed.

“Thanks,” he said. “I know you probably just said what she wanted to hear…”

“If I lied, I wouldn’t be a very good Element of Honesty, would I?” Phoenix noted.

“Elements can stumble,” Spike replied. “I remember when they went up against Discord. The chaos spirit managed to get Applejack lying like a regular con-artist.”

Phoenix gave a nervous swallow. “Sounds like I should try and avoid Discord.”

Spike noticed an odd inflection of fear in her voice. He pat her side. “You okay?”

Phoenix gazed down at him. “You guys gave me a second chance,” she said. “At life. At friends… at home.” She hugged him. “I don’t want to waste it.”

Spike hugged her back. “Then don’t,” he said, pulling her along. “C’mon. Let’s see what the others have been up to while we’ve been away.”

Smiling slightly, Phoenix followed after Spike as they joined their friends.

##

That night, Spike was sleeping soundly, dreaming of a massive pile of gems; Diamondback and Rarity waiting just for him…

He was jarred out of his dreams as a hoof stepped on his tail. He shot up, seeing a strange figure stumble for the door.

A glint of gold vanishing under some kind of cloak.

“Hey!” Spike yelled, but the figure bolted out the door.

“My crown!” Twilight yelled. Spike briefly turned to see Twilight staring at her nightstand. Her crown had been placed there. And technically was still there.

Except… wait! Spike saw that the crown on the nightstand had no jewels. It didn’t sparkle the same way the original had.

It all clicked as Twilight pointed to where the figure was vanishing out her door. “She’s got my crown!”

Spike surged out of bed. “Stop!” he yelled. “Thief!” As he burst out, he bellowed down the hallway. “THIEF! SOMEONE’S STEALING TWILIGHT’S CROWN!”

The rest of the Mane Six stumbled out groggily, but Night Fire was instantly out and racing after the thief.

“Aw, hell yeah!” Night Fire declared gleefully. “Finally, some action!”

“Action-hog!” Jackknife yelled, appearing out of the ground to block the figure’s way. “Ho, now, you whipper-snapper! There is no escape!”

The figure proved him wrong by teleporting, causing the cloak they were wearing to smack right into Jackknife’s face. As he ripped the cloak to shreds, the others took off after him, Twilight teleporting in front of the thief, only for the thief to dodge around her.

However, as the thief reformed from dodging Twilight, Night Fire took advantage and tackled into the thief, sending both of them tumbling into some sort of store room containing a variety of objects, including a strange mirror.

As Night Fire and the thief tumbled to the ground, Twilight’s crown flew out of the thief’s bag, bouncing right for the mirror.

Phoenix barreled through the door. “I got it!” she yelled, snatching the crown right as she stumbled into the mirror.

Spike flinched, expecting her to break the mirror, but instead… Phoenix sunk right through, almost like the surface was water.

“PHOENIX!” Spike and the other dragons yelled.

Night Fire hoisted the thief up and slammed her against the wall. “What did you do with our friend!” she snarled.

“And my crown!” Twilight added, aiming her sparking horn at the thief.

The thief managed a snide grin. “Sorry it had to be this way, Princess.” She said the word with such utter loathing that Spike backed up, ready for some sort of attack.

But instead, the thief let loose with a flash of light, teleporting out of Night Fire’s grip and over to the mirror. Before the others could stop her, she jumped through the strange portal and out of sight.

“Hey!” Night Fire yelled, but Swift stopped her from jumping through, while Diamondback did the same for Jackknife.

“Lemme go!” Jackknife yelled. “We gotta help Phi!”

“We don’t know what that mirror is!” Diamondback refuted. “Or what it did to her. We need the Princesses.”

Spike grimaced at the thought of Phoenix being left alone, but he nodded. “She’s right. The Princesses will know what this is.”

“And maybe who that was as well,” Fluttershy added.

#

They were right.

“Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia said morosely. “A former student of mine. She began her studies with me not long before Twilight. But when she did not get what she wanted as quickly as she liked, she became cruel and dishonest.” She gazed at the mirror solemnly. “I tried to help her, but she eventually decided to abandon her studies and pursue her own path.” She turned to Twilight. “One that has sadly led to her stealing your crown.”

“And replacing it with this shoddy knockoff,” Diamondback noted, holding the fake crown with a glower of disgust.

“It’s a classic thief’s move,” Night noted, taking the crown herself. “Replace it with a fake, and by the time people notice the truth, you’re long gone.”

“But I don’t understand,” Twilight said. “Where did she go?”

“And more importantly, where’d she take Phoenix?”

Celestia gazed at the mirror with trepidation. “You’ll soon know more than I do.”

“Truly,” Luna agreed. “This is no ordinary mirror; but a gateway to another world. One that opens every thirty moons.”

Swift gasped. “So, Phoenix is… in another world?”

“Indeed,” Celestia said. “One that Sunset Shimmer has seemed to make her own, rather than staying here where I could’ve found her.”

“Then our goal is clear,” Night Fire noted. “Go into this new world, find Phoenix, make sure she still has the crown, and then get back before Sunset can stop us.”

“Indeed,” Cadence agreed. “Without the Elements of Magic or Honesty, neither of your sets will be able to channel their power. Equestria - no, the entire world - will be left without one of its most important means of defense.”

“And if Sunset Shimmer manages to take the crown from Phoenix,” Luna added. “She will no doubt use it to bring harm to the inhabitants of this other realm. They will not have the power to defend themselves.”

“Then what are we waiting for,” Rainbow Dash asked. “Let’s go!”

Celestia grimaced. “I’m afraid I can’t let you go.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash demanded.

“Why?” Jackknife asked. “She’s our friend.”

“Sending all of you could upset the balance of this alternate world,” Celestia explained. “It could create havoc that will make it impossible for anyone to get the crown back.” She gazed at Twilight. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but this is something you must do alone.”

Twilight shivered. Unable to see his friend - no his big sister - so scared, Spike stepped up.

“I’m going with her at the very least,” he said. “Phoenix is my friend, and I carry the Dragon Element of Magic. One more of us can’t do that much damage.”

Celestia looked unsure, but Luna stepped up.

“We don’t have time to argue this,” she noted. “Time is of the essence. On the third day, when the moon reaches its peak, the gateway will close. And once it does, it will be another thirty moons before you will be able to use it to return.”

Spike nodded and took Twilight’s hand. “Then c’mon, Twilight,” he said. “Let’s get our friend back.”

As he and Twilight stepped through the portal, Spike set his jaw in determination.

“Hang on, Phoenix,” he said. “We’re coming for you.”

##

“Oh, you poor thing,” Fluttershy’s voice whispered.

Phoenix’s eyes opened with a groan. She was lying on some sort of grassy field, with Fluttershy…

Wait a minute. Phoenix’s eyes shot up. That was Fluttershy… and yet it wasn’t.

She stood bipedal; wearing a white tank top and a green dress skirt. One hand clutched Twilight’s crown, the other reached out to touch Phoenix’s head… and as the strange humanoid Fluttershy rubbed Phoenix’s ears, Phoenix realized she didn’t have horns.

She looked down. Her body… it… there was no way it could’ve happened…

“Don’t worry,” Fluttershy soothed. “I’ll take care of you.”

Phoenix could only stare up at the human Fluttershy in disbelief. This was beyond karmic justice.

Somehow, someway, the portal had turned Phoenix into a dog. Just like the very diamond dogs she had abused.

And though this new version of Fluttershy seemed kind, she still stood taller than Phoenix. As did several other similarly humanoid creatures. For once, she was now just as small and weak as the dogs she had once hurt.

Phoenix laughed at the irony.

Comments

[nightshroud96]

So dragons are still dogs when in the human world?
That is really disappointing..

[Comickook]

Hey there. Thanks greatly for getting this next chapter up. Really appreciate the effort going into the exchanges, characterizations, action and future chapter set-up. I really appreciate the start on this spin on Equestria Girls. Definitely liked the dragons' reactions to Twilight's ascension (and, yeah, it would be easy to visualize the Cutie Mark Crusaders giving Twilight that helpful advice to motivate her to fix the mess caused by that miscast spell (as two of the Crusaders are the little sisters of two of the Mane Six and the third is a little sister FIGURE to a third) in Spike's understandable absence (given how busy he has been with the rest of the Drake Six). And Phoenix recognizing the irony of her being a dog now was another great detail.

Quite certainly looking forward to more of this.

[JNKing]

11611229
Always happy to share.

Good idea about the Crusaders being the ones who helped Twilight in Spike's place; that makes so much sense that I want it to be mentioned in the next chapter.

Also glad you liked Phoenix's reaction. This is pretty much going to be her adventure as she tries to help Spike and Twilight with Sunset, and I'm really eager to show how Phoenix is going to learn and develop from her adventures as a dog.

Until next time. 👍

[JNKing]

11611224

So dragons are still dogs when in the human world?

Yep. Like in canon.

And it'll help my character Phoenix with her character arc.

[nightshroud96]

11611397
But its really disappointing since its saying dragons are lower beings than ponies(especially when literally every other race gets to be humans. Including literal Diamond DOGS) despite dragons are sapient too.
And the fact it really restricted Spike when he was stuck as a dog in EQG

[JNKing]

11611500
And yet Spike still figured out ways to help despite being a dog.

Phoenix will do the same.

[nightshroud96]

11611543
Still badly restricted.
And left out on what the girls get to do.
Heck, can't really properly interact with others because people will flip about talking dogs AND the "no pets allowed" usually confines him to a backpack.
His human-world counterpart suffers this worse

Still seems wrong EQG made dragons into dogs since they are sapient.
Especially when every other race gets to be humans