Grasping for Hope

by Haoryu Changer

Chapter 4

They were getting close. The heart and soul of Equestria. Canterlot City.

“Those are the dragon lands,” Spike said with a pointed finger. “We’re almost there.”

Cozy nodded.

“Hey, think we could stop for a break? I wouldn’t mind a lava bath right now.”

“Sure,” Cozy Glow said with a smile. “I don’t mind.”

It had been a couple of days since that night by the waterfall. The two of them had gotten closer than ever. They sparked conversation much more frequently and enjoyed each other’s company overall.

Now, in the dragon lands, Spike sighed as he took a dip into the lava. It was different here; very weird. Usually, there were dragons almost everywhere you would look. They would fill the sky, be perched on some rock formation, or relax in hot lava like he was. As of right now, he and Cozy were the only two here. It was uncanny compared to the last time he visited.

“Can I ask you something?” Cozy said, interrupting his thoughts. She was sitting on her haunches, looking around the place.

Spike leaned back in the pit. “Yeah, shoot.”

“I just want to add a condition to our terms.”

He turned around, resting his arms and chin at the end of the pool. “Okay.”

“Can you come back with me after we’re done saving everyone?”

After a quick second of thinking, Spike smiled and nodded. “Sure.”

Cozy looked at him with a raised brow. “Really? Just like that?”

He shrugged. “Well, yeah. Why not? I know you’re still not comfortable with Twilight or the others. And, you know,” He scratched his neck, his voice turning soft. “I know it’s probably lonely being on your own.”

Cozy opened her mouth to reply but paused for a second. Grinning, she said, “I knew you were quick.”

Spike lifted a brow along with his grin. “You think so?”

She nodded. “Like I’ve said before, Twilight wouldn’t have managed half as far without you.”

“You should give Twilight some credit.”

“I do. It’s just that you don’t get enough credit.”

Spike rolled his eyes playfully. “And I’ll return home with you if-”

“You can’t add more terms to this deal. That’s not how it works.”

“Let me finish, if you let me help work on your drinking problems.”

Cozy blinked. “Ah.” Staring down at her hooves for a second, she said, “fuck it, sure.”

“Language,” Spike said with a sly grin.

This time, Cozy was the one to roll her eyes. “Like you care what I say.”

Spike shrugged with that playful smile still on his face. “Other foals could be listening,” he said in a sing-song tone.

Cozy Glow scoffed. “And? Big deal. It’s only words.”

“Bad words.”

“That don’t hurt anyone.”

“It could be hurtful or aggressive.”

“Yeah,” Cozy grinned. “But that’s why you use it as flavor.”

Spike hummed. “I guess you’re right.”

They relaxed at the Dragon Lands for a little while, liking the change of pace. Spike showed Cozy around a little, but without being too familiar with the area himself, he was traveling blind.

Around half an hour passed before they felt satisfied enough to continue. It was the final stretch.

It wouldn’t take long to reach Ponyville, the last stop before Canterlot. Now, a bunch of scenery was familiar to Spike, flying in the places he had come across before. As such, the flight was quick for him.

For Cozy Glow, she took in the vast Equestrian lands with interest. She forgot how wonderful it was. The bright green hills of grass and blue mountains were both intimidating and made you feel safe. Soft plush clouds hovered in the sky, perfect for sleeping on, and flowing rivers and lakes that could refresh the most drained creatures. Above all, the glowing sun shone its warm orange rays all over. It was truly an art of nature.

She almost missed this place, or maybe she did. Perhaps the only thing she wished to abandon was the ponies. It was a shame she wasn’t able to live here. While she didn’t feel like the trip was shorter in her mind by any means, that was fine. Surveying the landscape was calming.

“I forgot how beautiful Equestria is,” she said.

Spike nodded. “We take it for granted. It could be a lot worse for us.”

Cozy nodded back, knowing what he was implying.

They could see it very far ahead, the first hints of Ponyville and, above that, Canterlot.

By the time they neared Ponyville, it was some hours before night.

“We should probably get some rest before anything happens,” Cozy said. “Is the Friendship Castle safe?”

“It should be,” Spike replied, looking at her.

“It’s safer somewhere else, though,” Cozy said aloud as she thought. “The Friendship School might be better.”

“Sure. Friendship School it is, then.”

“Let’s go.”

Ponyville was different from the last time Cozy was here. Much different.

As the sun started to set, the emptiness of the place was apparent. No one was walking the streets. No lights were on. No pony was selling stock. Not even a couple of foals running around and playing. It was a dead town with only the sounds of nature to accompany it.

One of the buildings that caught her eye was a cottage. She recognized that cottage being Fluttershy’s. Just then, a thought came to her head.

“Hey, are the pets all okay?”

Spike turned to her and said, “Yeah. After Fluttershy was captured, all the animals at her cottage vanished. I just assumed they were also sealed away.”

“That’s good,” Cozy said with a nod.

“Yeah,” he said with a frown before looking at the town and sighing.

She knew the view of the empty, desolate home was depressing for him. She could only guess it was hard for him to look at Ponyville in the state it was.

“There’s a beauty in everything,” she said. When Spike looked at her confused, she continued. “I read that quote once from a history book.”

She stared at the barren town; Its streets were empty, houses abandoned and degrading.

“There’s even beauty in an empty Equestria. It’s eerie, sure. Sad? Most likely. But it’s also quiet and calm. Peaceful. The laws of the world will overtake it eventually. On top of all that, it’s nice to know it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. It’ll be here when we bring everyone back.” With that, she turned and gave an encouraging smile to Spike, who grinned back at her with a nod.

Like the rest of the town, the Friendship School was as empty as the rest. It was once a shining beacon in the town for all creatures, now dark and cold like everything else. To the two, it felt like they were sneaking in after school hours. For Cozy Glow, that was something she was familiar with. They felt lucky when it seemed to be empty.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here,” she said, looking around the dark lobby.

“Yeah, it’s been ages.” Spike barely processed what she said, frowning at the current state of the school. “You know, I do like a good apocalypse comic. It’s a cool concept, but…”

Cozy Glow walked over to him, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “It won’t be like this for longer, I promise. Now let’s get a quick rest in before Canterlot.”

Spike gave her the best smile he could muster. She could tell it was forced.

They found one of the dorm rooms and chose it to be their sleeping quarters. The room was small, with a dresser, single bed, and window that held a night sky view. Outside, the crescent moon was hinting at appearing from behind some clouds.

After a quick meal, they sat on the bed together and stared silently at the window. Their backs were against some pillows they placed down, and they laid back side by side. Cozy had her head resting on Spike’s shoulder. He did not mind it in the slightest.

Before they knew it, Spike fell asleep, warmer than usual, lying near Cozy.

She smiled at him before putting him to rest on his lonesome, being as gentle as possible not to wake him up.

Though she didn’t tell Spike, she wasn’t tired at all. So, she stood up and left the room, leaving Spike snoring peacefully.

Flying through the corridors brought back some memories for her. It was a pleasant feeling, even though her time here was filled with deceit and lies.

It didn’t take much effort to find the library. Even after all this time, the path to get there was still fresh in her brain.

She scoured around, picking up some of her favorite reads from the shelves. After some nostalgia trips, she came across a familiar place.

That particular golden grate. The path to the underground. It was a major step in her plans to drain all magic.

She stared at it, her eyes soft in thought.

She remembered it like it happened last week. She left her classmates for the briefest of times; they were all gone when she returned. It confused her greatly, but they soon reappeared through that hole. They told her all about it, the naive souls.

Using that knowledge over Twilight, she gained a huge lead on her. If things had turned a bit different, she could have won.

Closing her eyes, she turned from the entrance to her downfall. She did not need such a place anymore.

Her next destination of choice was their classroom. She didn’t know if nostalgia or curiosity drove her, but she couldn’t get her mind off of it.

As soon as she entered, Cozy Glow noticed how dusty it was. Coughing a little and fanning in front of her, she lit up her horn and opened the windows. She then used the tiniest amount of magic possible to blow a wave, pushing all the dust away.

She looked around, finding it very familiar. If anyone had made any changes to the room, she didn’t notice a thing.

Walking to the front desk, she eyed the things on top of it. It was the usual professor stuff. Papers, accessories, and a potted flower.

Humming, she floated around the room, looking from top to bottom with her hooves drawn to her back. It gave her a warm feeling to look at the little details like the drawings and old projects hung up on the wall or placed in the back of the class. Although they differed from the ones her class made, it was the same concept from when she attended.

The principal’s office was next on her agenda. While she never got into trouble as a student, she’d often come here to get on Twilight’s good side every so often.

Just like the classroom, she had no idea what she was looking for here. Twilight wasn’t even the headmare anymore. It would most likely be Starlight if not one of her successors.

She did the process of removing the dust from the room again. Sure enough, Starlight’s portrait photo was sitting at the desk, showing the purple unicorn in all her glory. Right next to it was her name in gold plating. It seemed the mare got promoted from a guidance counselor. Good for her.

And on the opposite side of the desk, another framed photo caught her eye.

Cozy picked it up with her magic, bringing it closer to her face and holding it in her hooves for a better look.

She knew the photo well. It was taken after their first month of classes. All the professors and their students stood side by side in two rows, looking happy as ever.

Cozy Glow looked over the shot, recognizing every face. She pondered what all her ex-professors and classmates thought of her. It was a dumb question, sure. They hated her guts without question. She manipulated and betrayed them all. It was unforgivable for whatever reason she had, and she couldn’t blame them in the slightest for despising her.

She continued to scan the picture. However, she couldn’t find a small pink figure anywhere.

Her eyes narrowed.

She didn’t find herself in the picture, but she was sure she was there when it was taken.

But then she noticed it: the very faint linger of magic. It was clear now. She was cropped out of the photo.

Her ears drooped.

It was probably Starlight’s doing. She wanted to see the original photo. Unfortunately for Cozy Glow, it was a spell she didn’t know how to reverse.

It wasn’t a spell she needed to learn, but a sad thought came to mind. She was the reason Starlight needed to learn it. That mare probably had a heartache every time she glanced at the picture, even without her in it. Maybe that was why it was turned the other way on her desk.

---

The students and their principal looked up and stared at Cozy Glow. She had a face filled with guilt, grief, and reflection all over.

They couldn’t stand watching her like this. They wanted to shout at her in any way they could. But they all knew it was useless. She wouldn’t be able to hear.

Twilight also looked a little downcast. Cozy Glow was once her student, even if she did turn out to be faking it. Some of their time together had to be real. She couldn’t believe otherwise. She swore she would do her best to make things right once they saw each other again.

---

Cozy gave out a sad smile. At least she enjoyed her stay here. That had to count for something. She used to swear up and down that her smiles were faked, but deep down, she knew there were times they were genuine.

She took the picture out of her hold with her magic, placing it back on the desk right where it was.

With a deep sigh, she left the room and returned to the dorm.

Peeking inside, Spike was still sound asleep. Good for both of them. She appreciated Spike’s support but didn’t want any misunderstandings tonight.

Fluttering over to the bed, she rested beside him without waking him up. She wrapped a leg over his scaly body. Now, she drifted off to sleep with his draconic warmth doing wonders.

---

Canterlot Mountain stood as strong as ever, holding the powerful city as ever since it was created.

Even during the night, the city was beautiful to look at. Although all the lights were off, the white buildings still reflected the moonlight.

It was a minute’s flight away, and the two would be in dangerous territory.

Hovering high in the air, they took a gander at the city.

“Alright, let’s go through everything,” Cozy began. “We’ll get the seal to the Space Between Worlds. I’ll start the spell to drain its magic, and all we have to do is speed it up.”

“How do we do that?” Spike asked.

“We keep channeling our magic into the spell. When I originally tried to drain all of the magic from Equestria, the spell took a very long time to get going. If we use our magic and put more power into the spell, it will speed up the process. And now that it’s only a seal we’re trying to break, it won’t take that long.”

Spike nodded in understanding. His expression, however, was still uncertain. “But Nylar and Antlerius won’t just stand by and let us do that.”

“That’s why I’ll keep them busy,” Cozy said.

Spike stared at her momentarily before what she said registered in his brain. His eyes almost popped out of his head.

She was serious, her tone filled to the brim with confidence. Even now, she stared at him like everything she said was normal.

He started calm. “Cozy, Twilight couldn’t beat them. Tirek and Chrysalis couldn’t beat them. Shit—” He snapped a finger, and a letter appeared in his green fire. His voice got more erratic by the second as he showed it to her. “—even Celestia and Luna couldn’t beat them! M-maybe if we worked together, we could hold out fine, but still!”

With a gentle hoof, Cozy pushed his claw down. “Spike, you have to trust me. It’ll be fine if we follow the plan. Besides, I don’t have to defeat them. I could just hold out until the seal is broken. Then Twilight and her friends can use the power of friendship to finish the job themselves.”

“I-I guess…”

Noticing his nervousness, Cozy teleported the letter away, grabbing his claws with her hooves. She gave him a reassuring smile and said, “Deep breaths. We’ll save Equestria.”

Hearing the resolution in her voice, Spike did as recommended and took a deep breath. Looking at her in the eye, he said, “Okay.”

Cozy Glow nodded. “Let’s do this.”

Just as she tried to pull away, she stopped when he pulled on her hooves. She looked at him with a raised brow.

“I just want to do something first. Just in case.”

He leaned forward, giving her a deep kiss on the lips. The kiss wasn’t a peck but didn’t overstay its welcome either. Quick, simple, and to the point.

Releasing the stunned pink alicorn, he turned to the city and puffed out his chest with determined eyes. “Alright. Let’s do this!” he yelled, flying forth.

She giggled at his newfound enthusiasm and followed suit.

They entered the castle through an open window. It was silent. Even the slightest hoofstep would interrupt the peace. They maneuvered through the hallways, trying to be as quiet as possible, checking every corner.

“Where would they be?” Spike whispered.

“The throne room,” Cozy replied bluntly. “It’s always the throne room.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

So they headed straight there. It didn’t take long, with Spike knowing the castle inside and out.

Before long, they arrived at the giant doors right before the throne room. On the other side, they could hear some constant humming noise.

Cozy looked at Spike questionably, but Spike shrugged. As luck would have it, the doors to the throne room were already slightly open, too lazy to be closed.

They peeked inside, both standing on either side of the door.

There they were in the flesh.

Cozy took in their features. The first was a tall male deer, about the same height as Celestia. His fur was a mixture of dark greens and gold, a sigil-like pattern from his head to his legs. His hard eyes conflicted with his fur, a dark green shade not as bright as Spike. Protruding from his head were his antlers, as golden as the sun and radiating with overwhelming magic. So that was Antlerius, the Lost Judge.

The second was a majestic-looking fox: Nylar, the Rogue Spirit. Spike said they were a she. She was a ghostly grey and white mixture from the tips of her triangle ears to her soft, sharp paws. Her tail flowed behind, as if its goal was to entrance its victims. Her eyes were a gentle orange, but her slit pupils looked keen and prepared. Cozy Glow noticed something odd about her. At the tips of her paws and tail, she turned more transparent. It was like she wasn’t all there, or it was her natural look. It likely was how she got her name.

Right now, the two were talking about stuff they couldn’t hear from where they stood. While Antlerius sat still at the throne’s steps, Nylar paced around the room. Antlerius had light green magic surging through his antlers as he meditated. At first glance, they looked harmless, but Spike had already told her what they had accomplished.

Looking past them, they both saw what they were after. Sitting on the throne room like some tossed toy was a black medallion with gold linings and a red orb in the middle.

“That it?” she asked in a whisper.

Spike nodded.

Cozy stared at the two for a little longer. She wouldn’t have time to cast the spell if they were on her tail. And she didn’t want to rush in with cockiness just in case they were all that special, as Spike warned.

As Cozy Glow began to think for a moment, Spike sighed.

Turning to her, he said, “I’ll be the distraction.”

She opened her eyes wide and looked at him. “What?”

Her eyes showed her worries. Spike smirked at that. “What happened to being so confident?”

In a hushed whisper, she said sharply, “I’m confident I can take them on. I never said anything about you!” She switched to a softer and more caring tone. “I don’t want something to happen to you.”

Spike stared into her eyes. As thoughts rushed to his head, he twiddled his fingers.

Soon enough, he sighed.

“Cozy, I… I’ve been hiding some things from you. From everyone, I guess.”

Curiosity peaking at this time of hour, she raised a brow.

“You already know I have magic, but… I’m a lot more powerful than you think.”

He turned away from her, deciding the dark hallway was more interesting. “Keeping it short, I always had inherent magic since Twilight hatched my egg. But I only recently found the time and urge to train with it.”

“And Twilight doesn’t know about this?” Cozy asked.

“I didn’t want Twilight’s help. Not because I didn’t want her help exactly, but I wanted to... I don’t know, prove myself?”

Cozy frowned. She thought Spike was a pretty capable guy. He was incredible even. What did he have to prove? She guessed even younger dragons had their pride. Even as a pony, she sure had her fair share of it.

“And also, I work hard as Twilight’s assistant almost daily. That shit is a glorified workout.” He turned back to her with pleading eyes. “Just trust me, okay? Like I’m trusting you when you take over to handle them?”

Cozy bunted him in the arm with a sly smirk, saying, “Language.” Then, she stared at him with uncertainty.

She looked him over. He did look noticeably leaner. Something she hadn’t taken into account until now. She felt dumber at this realization, having been close to him for a while now.

Despite her concerns, she sighed, giving in. “Fine. Can you distract them long enough so I can take that thing and start the draining spell? I’ll take it back to the Friendship Castle, which will take me about five minutes, and I’ll come right back.”

“I’m positive,” he said, tightening his fists. “Dragons are pretty resilient.”

Cozy Glow was still uneasy about this, but she leaned away from the door and gave a firm nod.

Giving her a hopeful smile and a thumbs up, Spike took the first step toward their future.

The two powerful figures in the throne room turned their heads to the large entrance. The doors boomed as they opened, and in the middle of the frame stood a tiny purple and green dragon.

Nylar gave him a bored look, while Antlerius was indifferent to his arrival.

Spike’s little pats echoed throughout the large room. He stopped when he was at a good hearing distance. Now, the only sounds were the humming of Antlerius’ magic.

“Before I do anything,” Spike began, “I just want to know—Why?”

Nylar narrowed her eyes on him. Antlerius closed his.

“To rectify Equestria,” her voice was soothing to the ear. Very misleading. “As we see fit.”

Spike frowned. “And what do you mean by that?”

“All will be altered. It would be as if the two of us ruled Equestria instead of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Everything from the memories, even to the landscape. You could think of it as an alternate reality becoming true.”

Spike clenched his fists. “That isn’t fair to everyone else!” he yelled, “The world doesn’t need to change! All of the creatures of Equestria have led their own lives! Who are you to decide against that?”

“It’s our birthright.” Antlerius’ voice echoed throughout the throne room, brimming with authority.

He continued. “Princess Radiant betrayed our parents before she handed the throne. The rulers of Equestria were always false, and we are here to fix it. We will build a perfect world with no conflict. Everyone would be equal. The Elements of Harmony wouldn’t need to exist. The princesses of the sun and moon could rest.”

Spike had no idea what to say to that.

“It would be a utopia.”

Nylar’s body turned into a shadow as she dashed from where she stood. She stopped between Spike and Antlerius.

“Don’t underestimate him, Nylar,” Antlerius said. “I can see great levels of power deep within him. He could very well be as powerful as the Princesses.”

Nylar barred her teeth in a grin, staring into Spike’s emerald eyes. “I’d suggest you surrender yourself peacefully. I’ll make it a painless journey to the Space Between Worlds, child of dragons.”

“You’re half right,” Spike said, raising a hand and aiming a palm at her. “I’m a child and a dragon. My egg was most likely laid by one.” He frowned.

“But I was raised by ponies.”

Nylar didn’t look amused. It seemed this little pest wasn’t going to go down without resistance.

“You won’t rewrite all of the precious memories Equestria made!” Spike gritted his teeth and aimed a palm at Nylar. An emerald green magic blast came flying out of his claw in a fraction of a second.

Nylar growled, using her tail to smack the attack away like it was harmless.

She pounced forward, her body turning into a shadow, eyes aimed directly at him.

Her shadowy tail split into two. She used them to slam down on him. To her annoyance, Spike dashed into the air to dodge.

Spike took a deep breath and blew his green dragon fire at Nylar.

She was shocked for moments before splitting her tail into five almost immediately. Using them, she made a wall to block the incoming dragon breath.

Once Spike was out of breath, he chose to get some distance and flew out of the throne room. A snarling Nylar chased after him in her shadowy form.

Despite his surroundings, Antlerius was content with focusing on his spell. A tragic move on his part, as the medallion sitting on the throne was now gone.

Spike flew down a corridor as Nylar made chase. She was as fast as his flight speed on foot.

She opened her maw and fired a couple of orange magic blasts at Spike.

Spike weaved to dodge them, but they hit the ceiling after passing him.

Widening his eyes, he stopped before the ceiling caved in on him.

Nylar took her chance, grabbing him with her tail and slamming him to the ground. Keeping him pinned on the floor, she aimed the tips of her other four tails at him, orange magic beginning to charge.

Spike opened his mouth to blow a fireball in her face, knocking her back.

With his magic, Spike used a spell he saw time and time again from his best friend in the entire world, the one he calls a sister.

Teleporting right in her face, he reeled back his tight fist glowing with his green magic.

Nylar didn’t have the reaction speed to avoid getting punched through a castle wall. Falling outside from the high floors, Nylar flipped herself straight and landed in the city.

Spike flew high above her. Using both claws, he fired a giant green beam.

Using all five of her tails and mouth, Nylar fired a beam back.

The two powerful beams of light made contact, pushing against each other.

Soon, Spike’s magic was winning the struggle. Nylar widened her eyes, and her tails split into nine total. She kept his magic at bay using every single one of them. Now, the two of them were pushing each other at equal strength.

Spike stopped his attack and flew around Nylar’s incoming beam. He dodged a couple of tails aimed at him as he approached her.

With his magic, he teleported rapidly, much like he’d seen Starlight do once before. It both served as a way to confuse Nylar and dodge her tails. Spike got some hits with his magic up close as minor opportunities arrived while barely avoiding her tails.

Gritting her teeth, Nylar used a bunch of her tails at once to swing wide, covering a good amount of area around her. To her annoyance, Spike was able to teleport away.

When he appeared out of his teleport, she instantly aimed all her tails at him and fired.

Spike flew randomly to evade all the magic bullets meant for him. Even as he dodged the attacks, she still managed to hit the buildings around them, destroying the city piece by piece. It was obvious she didn’t care. Buildings were replaceable.

It was too dangerous to get close to her with how many limbs she owned. He doubted the teleporting trick would work a second time. Anyhow, he didn’t need to win. Cozy could work on freeing everyone as long as he kept her distracted.

Putting five of her nine tails together, Nylar fired a strong beam at Spike.

Raising his claws, Spike pushed against the beam when it hit him. After a couple of seconds of straining, he teleported away.

This time, he chose to appear inside an abandoned building. It was close enough that he could peek at her through a second-floor window.

From the looks of it, Nylar was getting frustrated. Good. He needed her to focus on him.

Nylar curved her tails around her. Then, she spun around, her tails creating a powerful force.

The strength of her wind blew the crippled buildings that surrounded her. Like nothing, the homes, businesses, and shops fell apart like weak plastic toys. Even the building Spike was in crumbled, and he was forced to fly out of it.

With all the buildings flattened, Spike was easily decipherable in the sky. His cover was gone, but he wasn’t nearly finished yet. He still had one advantage over her.

Back in the royal castle, Antlerius was in deep thought as he concentrated. He didn’t remember Nylar taking the medallion to seal that dragon away. It was an understandable mistake. All of her focus was on making sure he couldn’t escape. However, the boy didn’t make it sound like that was his intention.

He opened his eyes to glance at the throne. He narrowed his gaze when the royal seat was empty. The seal was gone.

He wasn’t worried. They misplaced it. He was sure that the dragon didn’t take it himself. Otherwise, he would have fled without their knowledge.

Or he divided their attention so someone else could grab it, but it was unlikely that someone who could get past them undetected existed.

Unlikely, but not impossible.

He sighed.

It irked him, despite the seal being taken not mattering either. There were very few beings that would be able to break the powerful seal. It would take many creatures trained with magic to do such a thing.

Standing up, he kept the spell concentrating. He would search around for a bit. They must have misplaced it. If not, they would question the dragon.

Now that the fight was out in the open, it was in Spike’s favor.

With Spike high in the air, the angle made it hard for Nylar to hit him with magic. He didn’t let up either, firing down at her from his position, forcing her to use her shadow step ability.

She was a sitting duck down here. Grunting, Nylar jumped into the air, and when it looked like gravity was about to do its work, she jumped again, creating a ripple in the air like water.

Spike widened his eyes as Nylar closed the distance in mere seconds. He barely managed to teleport before a tail slapped him.

He appeared on the ground, blowing a sigh of relief.

Just as Nylar spotted where he appeared, he blew his fire at her. She leaped in the air to evade him.

However, in her descent, she was wide open without wings to change her direction.

Spike took this chance, flying to her, charging magic in his palms.

Nylar opened her maw to fire at him, but Spike teleported.

She heard the spark of magic from right above her, and before she had time to react, she was blasted on her back, sending her shooting to the ground.

Spike didn’t let her have the chance to recover. Using his magic, he aimed his palms at where she landed and fired a large green beam down at her.

She couldn’t evade the attack, and it pinned her to the floor. Straining, she used all her tails to push up against the beam.

Cozy Glow reached Twilight’s castle. Before she entered through one of the higher windows, she looked up to Canterlot in worry. She couldn’t help but think about Spike. Squinting, she could make out green magic constantly being sent to the grounds of Canterlot.

Putting on a look of resolve, she returned to the castle and headed straight to the throne room. Now that she had magic flowing through her, she could start the spell without needing artifacts.

Once she got to the room with seven thrones, she placed the medallion on the Equestrian Map. Closing her eyes and calming her muscles, she concentrated and channeled magic into her horn. She reeled her head back before firing a thin line of scarlet magic at the seal.

She gave herself one last reminder that Spike would be fine. She trusted his words.

Nylar gave one big push, then leaped to the side.

Realizing Nylar got free, Spike stopped shooting his magic. She glared at him and fired multiple magic missiles from her tails and maw.

Spike took this chance of weakness, teleporting away from the oncoming magic and appearing right in front of her. Using two magic-encased palms, he blasted her point-blank.

Nylar dug her claws into the ground, ensuring the attack wouldn’t push her back. Groaning, she reached forward with one of her tails and grabbed him.

Lifting him high, she slammed him into the ground over and over.

Spike winced the first couple of slams. By the fourth, he gritted his teeth and teleported out of her grasp right before the fifth came.

Nylar used her sharp eyes, looking around for the small creature. He was nowhere to be found. There was nowhere he could hide unless he teleported far away enough to find buildings that still stood tall.

Then, she heard humming coming from right below her.

With wide eyes, she looked down and saw the kid dragon beneath her legs.

Before she could move, she got blasted high before gravity took over, making her fall into some debris.

Spike blew out a large breath. If this continued, he had a good chance to come out on top. But even if he defeated her, he still had to wait for Cozy to release everyone. For now, it would be better for him to conserve his magic and stamina.

Just as Nylar lifted some debris off her, Antlerius stepped between her and Spike. His antlers were still glowing brightly. “I’m still channeling the spell, but my help should still be enough. We’ll fight him together. We don’t need anyone else standing in our way.”

Normally, villains were a bit too cocky for Spike’s taste. They would usually be so proud of their strength, choosing to work alone with overconfidence. They would laugh at the concept of assistance. When Nylar nodded and stood next to Antlerius, he gritted his teeth.

“Dragon,” Antlerius began. “We seemed to have misplaced our seal. I don’t suppose you have any idea as to what happened to it?”

Nylar widened her eyes at that, looking at Antlerius.

Spike narrowed his eyes, choosing not to say a word. Taking a low stance, he prepped for anything about to come.

With a grunt, Antlerius gave Nylar a nod.

She let go of her shock, giving him one in return.

After that, the two of them locked their gazes on Spike.

Like they had the same mind, both villains rushed towards Spike. Nylar took the ground while Antlerius skipped to the sky like she showed off earlier.

Spike gasped and teleported away from some tails. When he reappeared, he didn’t react fast enough to dodge Antlerius, who rammed him with his antlers.

He carried Spike fast across the flattened city, his form a green ray.

Spike tried to cast another teleport, but Antlerius slammed him against the wall of a destroyed shop, pinning him against it.

Spike took a deep breath.

Antlerius narrowed his eyes, stepping aside and letting his hostage free while avoiding the fire breath.

Before Spike could do anything further, one of Nylar’s tails grabbed one of his ankles. She whipped him across the street.

“You’re as ruthless as ever. Even though he’s a child,” Antlerius said.

“In the end, he won’t remember this fight. It’ll cause no harm.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Spike tumbled a bunch as he rolled down Canterlot. Eventually, he caught himself on his feet, dragging to a halt.

However, he didn’t have time to rest before both of his opponents dashed above him to stand on top of some buildings. Together, they fired giant magic beams at him.

Putting his palms together, he fired his beam to retaliate. However, even he knew he didn’t stand a chance.

His beam struggled for a bit before it started to lose. Noticing his beam getting pushed back, he teleported away before the other two sources of magic crashed down on him.

Now, behind some debris, Spike took this chance to catch his breath and think of something.

Antlerius grunted at losing sight of the dragon. “Transmit your magic to me so the spell doesn’t stop.”

Nylar nodded, wrapping a tail around his torso.

His antlers began to glow as he charged immense magic through them. He thrashed his head to the side, creating a powerful magic force.

His strong magical wave knocked down all the debris surrounding the two, revealing that sneaky dragon.

“Where’s the seal?” Antlerius asked.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Spike replied with a frown. “But if you do find it, let me know. I would love to free all of my friends.”

Inside the Castle of Friendship, the seal to the Space Between Worlds was encased in a sparkling blue magic orb.

Cozy looked over the spell, ensuring there would be no hiccups. It was active. All they had to do was wait or speed it up using their magic. And while she wouldn’t mind doing it herself, a certain dragon needed her help.

Suddenly, the entire area shook as a large explosion occurred in Canterlot. She rushed to the nearest window and widened her eyes.

She couldn’t stay put anymore. Spike needed her now!

Charging her horn, she teleported out of the Castle of Friendship.

Spike flew straight, teleporting away from multiple magic attacks.

When he appeared again, he blew a wide wave of fire to heed them off.

Antlerius jumped backward while Nylar pounced above the fire, landing on one of the few standing buildings.

Without wasting a second, she leaped toward Spike, readying her tails for some slams.

Spike dodged a couple of them before teleporting away.

Facing both of them simultaneously, he couldn’t do anything but run at this point. His breaths were labored, and he knew his energy was close to being completely drained.

Nylar shot a quick magic beam at him. Spike shot one back with both palms.

The two beams clashed and exploded in the middle.

Cozy re-emerged in Canterlot Castle. Specifically, the throne room. Looking around, she saw nothing of Spike, Nylar, or Antlerius.

Growing worried, she charged her horn.

As her heart beat against her chest, she prepared another teleportation spell.

Spike leaped out of a building with a roll. As soon as he exited it, the structure collapsed under Nylar’s magic blast.

Twisting around, Spike slapped a blast from Antlerius away with his forearm. He promptly fired one back at Antlerius.

Nylar jumped in and defended him with her tails.

Leaping high, Antlerius threw multiple magical orbs at Spike with a wave of his antlers.

Spike swung his arms, countering Antlerius’ magic with his own.

---

As the young brave dragon fought on, various creatures watched through the large crystal that floated above them. Nervous chatter rang through the air.

Twilight and her friends were beyond anxious. They didn’t wish to watch Spike fight a losing battle but didn’t want to look away.

Discord, Tirek, and Chrysalis gave their attention to the fight. The Lord of Chaos was biting his nails while the latter two gained more respect for Spike by the second.

The Crystal Ponies and their rulers, Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor, were all distressed. Watching their savior struggle as he tried to save them once more was something none of them yearned for, much less witness themselves.

Everyone watched on in gloom. Ponies, griffons, dragons, all the same.

Celestia and Luna furrowed their eyes and frowned, wanting nothing more but to go and help Spike.

Starlight’s throat tightened. “He needs to get out of there!” she managed to say.

They all watched in despair as Spike tried to push back their massive magic beam with his own. It was futile.

Their combined beam was a direct hit, and Spike’s small body went missing in the explosion.

“SPIKE!” Twilight yelled, tears coming to her eyes.

Soon, there was a visual again. Spike’s damaged form was blasted off the city’s edge, falling to the mountain’s base. His eyes were closed.

The creatures started to shout, hoping the small but brave dragon would be okay.

The Princess of Love’s legs refused to move while her husband clenched his teeth in anger.

Celestia and Luna both stopped breathing. The sounds of everyone’s anguish filled their ears.

But then everyone saw a small blur of pink jumping off Canterlot.

---

Cozy Glow tucked her wings and descended even faster with the help of gravity. She caught up to him in seconds.

Grabbing him with her hooves, she spread her wings.

Now gliding down, she flew him to the castle, dodging magic lasers from the city. She was fast from the momentum of jumping off of the city.

It took a few seconds after she was out of their sight, but she charged a large portion of her magic and teleported to Ponyville, right next to the Castle of Friendship. Quickly, she entered one of the windows and landed in the throne room.

With her magic, she placed Spike so he sat against the wall. His body was damaged severely, with bruises covering more than healthy scales. He strained and kept his eyes shut as he groaned.

She lit up her horn and touched his forehead with the tip of it.

Spike began to glow in her red aura, and his wounds began to heal.

Once his wounds vanished, he opened his eyes to see a worried foal.

Cozy lunged forward, grabbing the yelping dragon and pulling him close. She was too scared to let go.

“Cozy…” Spike hugged her back.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said, her voice as soft as clouds.

“I’m fine. Thanks to you.”

Cozy Glow nodded in his chest before putting on an angered look. She charged her horn.

Spike knew what she was up to. He hugged her tighter, stopping Cozy Glow from teleporting. He doubted he could stop her a second time.

“Promise me that if anything happens, you’ll teleport back here or get out of there any way you can.”

Cozy leaned back from their hug, smiling at him. “I promise.”

Even though he was much past basic worry, he smiled back at her. “Be careful.”

With a nod, Cozy lit her horn. “Take a nice rest. Your good pal Cozy will take care of everything.”

“And take off that glare. You look much cuter without it.”

Cozy Glow stared at him in stunned silence for a moment. Then, she gave him one last smile and teleported away.

“He had an ally,” Antlerius said.

The two creatures gazed down at where that pink filly disappeared.

“Whoever that was must have taken the seal.”

Nylar nodded. “But it’s no matter. Even with an alicorn, it’ll take too long to gather their allies and stop your spell from completing.”

Antlerius closed his eyes, grunting as he thought deeply.

Eventually, he said, “No.”

She stared at him in confusion.

“She matched the description perfectly. That ‘Cozy Glow’ pegasus we heard about.”

Nylar widened her eyes. “It was said she absorbed the last third of the Bewitching Bell. It would explain why she has a horn. I was certain that it was Princess Flurry Heart. I thought she seemed too big.”

Antlerius nodded, looking at her. “If it is this Cozy Glow, she knows a draining spell. It was why she was imprisoned, after all. If it can drain all of the magic in Equestria, the seal won’t trouble her.”

“Your History Rewriting Spell will still be cast before then, no?”

“With that dragon forcing me to aid you, we’ve lost considerable time. We cannot leave it up to chance. We’ll find them quickly and take back the seal.”

“We defeated Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek with ease. They even had Princess Twilight Sparkle with them. Cozy Glow will be no different.”

“Agreed,” Antlerius said. “They could not have gotten far.”

The two heard a spark from behind them.

Both turning instantly, they saw Cozy Glow. Her last name was somewhat true, as her bright pink fur stood out in the middle of the grey wasteland. The wasteland that was once known as Canterlot.

They both took a look at each other before putting their focus on their new enemy.

Comments

[AllenVth]

Spike lost the momentum of the fight the moment it turned 1v2, and he was doing so good too.

Time for Cozy to take the reigns and she if she can buy enough times.
this Antlerius guy seems like the most composed & knowledgeable of the two. Only a few seconds to know it was Cozy.

[cozyloveme]

Cozy Glow,It's Showtime！！！