Chapter Five
The two combatants stared at each other for a good long while, neither one daring to make the first move. Twilight's head was lowered just enough so that her horn's tip was pointed at Zecora's face, her eyes scanning about for any sign of attack. The zebra, on the other hoof, was like a stone wall, rigid and unmoving in the wind. And at the very opposite end of all this was Spike, who had decided to busy himself with chewing the bars of his all-natural cage. Alas, even teeth capable of grinding gemstones were not enough to overcome the enchantment responsible for his predicament.
The muscles in Twilight's legs tightened, her body buckling to the ground in preparation to strike. Zecora's right forehoof pawed at the earth, her poise remaining as unmoving as ever. The sun continued its journey down the horizon, bathing the entire forest in a veil of hazy light and twisted shadows. The phoenix cooed from its perch, its eyes never once leaving the battlefield. The only sound either equine could hear was the rustling of the leaves in the wind, branches scrapping against each other like a bow against a cello's strings.
It was right as the sounds reached an unintentional adagio that Twilight's horn lit up like a Hearth's Warming Eve tree. A small ball of purple energy collected itself at the sharpened tip of the exposed bone, its power bending in and around itself like the tides into a whirlpool. Zecora raised an eyebrow, but otherwise made no effort to step aside. The bolt fired...
Perfect, Twilight thought to herself as the projectile sped towards its target, her eyes already closed in triumph. A knockout spell won't hurt her too much, but it should leave her unconscious for the rest of the trip back to Canterlot. With both of Corona's minions in custody, Princess Luna should have no trouble sending her back to the Sun. My crimes shall be forgiven, and Trixie will finally see how much I...
That was as far as her mind got before she heard a small popping sound, not unlike a balloon meeting its end at the tip of a sewing needle. Her eyes widened as she saw what remained of the projectile twinkle into the ether against a rock. As for Zecora, she had simply vanished...
Twilight's jaw dropped. “What?! B-But that's impossible! Zebras don't have horns! There's no way they can wink out!”
“Many secrets of magic you indeed know.”
A small tremor of fear spread through Twilight's body.
“But your common sense is far too low.”
The voice seemed to come from every direction at once. Every tree branch, bush, and blade of grass whistled those words, assaulting Twilight's senses not unlike a fireworks display to a newborn foal. Her heart skipped a beat or two as she frantically spun about, desperate to find something she could use to orient herself. “Show yourself! Come out and face me, pony to pony!”
“I am not a pony, Miss Twilight. And I most enjoy watching your plight. For a pony so young and rash, your advantages fade in a flash.”
“We don't need to do this, Zecora.” Twilight grimaced. “I just need to take Spike to Princess Luna, that's all.”
“And do you think I would allow such a thing?” A small laugh echoed through the canopy, accompanied by a rustling of leaves. “Do you not know the wrath she would bring? She abandoned her sister, banished her away...”
“Corona betrayed us!” Twilight's head began to ache. “Princess Luna saved us from her tyranny! How can you support a monster like that?”
“Because it is the Sun that must rule the day.”
“That...makes no sense.” Twilight felt like her entire skull was about to explode. “And what about Spike? He's just a baby. Why would the Tyrant Sun...want...him?!”
“He was my companion, my student, and my friend. But the True Queen he continues to offend. He refuses to serve her as he rightfully should, and she punishes him for his insolent mood. But he is her servant, and so he shall be until upon Equestria's throne alone sits she.”
“Sits...she...I...” Twilight groaned. “I...will...”
That was when the buildup finally released. The energy Twilight had been pouring into her horn exploded in a vast shield of purple energy, pushing outwards from her until it covered thirty yards in any direction. Spike shuddered as the magic poured over him, but there was no effect; it just moved on like he was passing through air. The same, however, could not be said for a rather large, equine-shaped object; the moment the spell made contact with the hiding Zecora, she was sent tumbling all the way back down to the ground, landing in a black-and-white heap on the forest floor.
After a few seconds, the magic dissipated, leaving an exhausted Twilight, a surprised Spike, and a flustered Zecora somewhere in the woods. The only sound that could be heard in any direction was that of the phoenix landing back on its perch, cooing in relief at not being plastered onto a mountainside somewhere.
Spike brought his head up to the bramble bars. “Wh-What happened?”
“A shield spell, something my brother taught me.” Twilight took in a gulp of air, then exhaled. “It's a lot easier contracting it than it is pushing it out.”
“Th-Then where's Z?”
Twilight's eyes narrowed, her ears rotating forward. In the distance, she could make out the faint sound of branches being snapped, of hooves pounding against dirt, and the heavy snorts of physical exertion. The unicorn's front left hoof began pawing away at the ground, her hind legs buckling as she prepared for the upcoming strike.
Finally, from the briars and brambles and bushes where a rabbit couldn't go emerged Zecora. Despite the incredible distance she must have been flung, she showed no sign of injury, nor any intention of ceasing her charge. The zebra's speed only increased as she laid eyes on her waiting opponent and helpless target. Within moments, she was so close she could feel the breath coming from Twilight's nostrils.
At least, that's what she would have felt had Twilight been standing there.
Zecora gradually backpedaled, managing to stop herself just short of Spike's cage. The moment her mental faculties had managed to reorient themselves, she began to cast her head from side to side, frantically searching for her enemy. It was a fruitless endeavor; there were no bushes trampled, treetops parted, or grass blades displaced barring those from earlier in the struggle. Wherever Sparkle had gone, she had left only a few tingling specks of light to mark her passing.
That was when Zecora felt a tingling sensation. A purple glow popped into existence around the zebra, followed by the striped one's hooves losing contact with the ground.
“GET OVER HERE!”
She let out a brief yelp – it would later be debated if it was one of shock or a resignation to her fate – as the telekinetic field pulled her towards her master. To be precise, it pulled her towards the very large tree that happened to be sitting between the zebra and Twilight. Zecora slammed into the old-growth wood side first, grunting in pain as the magic subsided and she collapsed to the ground.
“Well, that was easy,” Twilight said as she walked out from behind her barrier tree. “I was more into studying the theories and philosophies of magic, but it never hurts to know how to hold your ground in a fight. Now, let's get ready to meet Princess Luna.”
Zecora grumbled and turned her eyes upward. “You are quite skilled, my little pony. But the princess you serve is quite the phony.”
Twilight's eyes narrowed. “No more of this. I am tired, hungry, cold, and almost got killed by vines. The three of us are going to Canterlot. I will turn you and Spike over to Princess Luna. With both Corona's dragon and her most loyal servant locked away, she will have no choice but to clear the charges against me.”
“You are quite delusional if that is what you believe.” Zecora grinned. “How can you turn in somepony that you cannot see?”
The zebra quickly raised and stamped her right hoof against the ground. There was the sound of something bursting upon the impact, followed by an explosive cloud of smoke that obscured every inch of the area. Twilight coughed as the dark cloud filled her lungs and burned at her eyes, and was barely able to even stumble out of the area of effect; she only knew of her success whens he felt her left hind leg bump into Spike's cage. When the smoke dissipated, the zebra was gone.
Twilight let out a few more loud coughs, which were enough to dislodge the last remnants of smoke from her body. Despite the lingering pain in her retinas, she smirked. “Really? You're going with that trick again?”
“I admit that the advantage belongs with you.” The zebra's voice echoed from one tree to the next, seemingly without any point of origin. “But do not think I have done all I can do. Immense power and knowledge do you possess, but talent alone will not guarantee success.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, doing her best to ignore the lingering fear in her heart and slight pulling sensation on her back half. “Of course it won't. Talent is just somepony's innate affinity towards a particular subject or field. It's useless without diligent study and plenty of practice.” Her horn began to glow for a few seconds, which was followed by a quick burst of light as she teleported from next to the cage to a spot a few feet away. “Do you think any unicorn can just teleport? Of course not. It's one of the most difficult spells anypony can master; not even the vaunted 'Element of Magic' knows how to do it. And that's just the tip of the...”
That was when Twilight felt something very big and very heavy slam into the side of her head. She barely had time to wince before behind propelled sideways several yards from the impact of Zecora's staff. Even after inertia had finally stopped carrying her ever forward, Twilight's world was a spinning vortex of colors and sounds. The offending stick itself sat on the ground for but a few moments more before its master leaped back to earth. “A lesson a silly unicorn like you must learn is that a lack of focus is your greatest concern.”
Twilight began to struggle back to her hooves, a task made no easier by how her head was still spinning. She had barely balanced herself on all fours when she saw a brown vial tumble to the ground and explode barely six inches away, releasing a cloud of green fumes. Unlike the smoke that had covered Zecora's escape, however, these particular vapors zeroed in on Twilight's respiratory system, filling her lungs and causing the unicorn to gag and choke. Her mind struggled to turn its focus onto any spell she could use to escape, but the pain was so intense that it was impossible to form enough of a coherent thought for any sort of magic to be used.
There was, however, one thing she could make out: Zecora's laugh. “You and Trixie share one thing: an ego fit for a king.”
At the sound of that name, Twilight's nostrils involuntarily flared. Her eyes burned as her vision blurred and twisted about, until she was not quite sure which side of the planet was right-side up. “We're nothing alike! Trixie is a fraud! Nopony with her ineptitude could have gained the Element of-”
“The Elements are not awarded by simple skill.” Zecora's voice was farther away; Twilight's head turned instinctively to the treetops. “They belong only to those with a strong will. Thousands of years past, they were within the Sisters' grasp. Now they have found new Bearers to call their hosts, and will not just give up the ghost.”
By now, the gas had dissipated enough for Twilight to get at least some bearing, even if she still couldn't see the infernal zebra. “You sound like you're happy this happened. Aren't you supposed to be, you know, helping your boss burn Equestria to the ground and all that?”
“Such lies keep you foals in line, or Luna's reign would be in decline. The True Queen of Equestria shall retake her throne, and the Elements will again be her own!” Twilight bristled; she seemed to have struck a nerve. “Now return that dragon, and we shall forget your folly. Do not, and they shall never find your body.”
Twilight backpedaled a few steps, shaking the last of the disorientation out of her skull as she did so. It was now obvious that Zecora's voice was coming from above; what wasn't obvious was where. The trees were so thick in this part of the woods that the branches practically overlapped into a net of foliage. “Why do you even want Spike? He's a baby dragon, not some unstoppable killing machine! Why are you so set on getting him back?”
“He once provided a valuable service to our queen, although I admit that his record is far from clean. With her magic, she can make him change into a monster of infinite rage. And when the Queen is feeling stressed, into the lava she-”
Twilight's eyes widened. “Wait, what?”
“A dragon's scales are resistant to heat, so for relief, he is what she seeks.”
“You mean she...dumps him in lava whenever she's feeling a little overworked?!”
Twilight felt something jump in her chest. She wasn't quite sure what it was, and would not know for some time after, but it was both terrible and comforting at the same time. “Th-That's monstrous! What kind of pony would do something like that to a child? No wonder he was trying to...”
“He is my servant, even if he does not believe it so.” Zecora's voice deepened. “And back to our master's lair he must go. He shall find no peace in Canterlot. Do you think Luna would just drop her plot?”
Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Zecora, I don't know why you're so...obsessed with destroying pony kind, but Luna is not plotting to keep Equestria enslaved. She is a fair ruler, and whatever Spike might be an accomplice in, she will not allow a child to be tortured or killed just to satisfy some scheme that only exists in your sun-worshiping head. How you zebras can live with yourselves while praying to the most evil pony to ever exist just-”
Twilight Sparkle had exactly three seconds to regret her decisions before a black-and-white mass slammed into her with the force of a rolling boulder. The blow was enough to send Twilight spinning and bouncing backwards, finally coming to rest against a large boulder. Despite the pain, she forced her eyes open and turned...just in time for Zecora to buck her right in the side against the rock. The strike was accompanied by the sound of something breaking, and followed by the unicorn coughing up blood and collapsing in a heap. The last thing she saw before slipping into semi-unconsciousness was the zebra staring down at her, eyes burning red, steam bellowing from her nostrils, and mane frazzled and split.
“You had your chance to aid our noble cause!” shouted the zebra. “Now suffer the fate of a mere clod!”
The zebra lifted her hooves. Twilight's body tensed as much as it could...
“Z, STOP!”
Zecora froze in mid-rear as Spike darted between her and the downed Twilight. She turned to the empty cage, slowly lowered herself back to a normal standing position, and finally returned her shocked gaze to the escaped prisoner.
Once he was certain he wasn't going to be thrown back in a cage or box, Spike continued. “She's had enough, Z. There's no way she can get me back to Canterlot now. Don't you think she's had enough?”
Zecora tilted her head. “Perhaps I was too eager to teach her a lesson. My anger at closed-mindedness is hard to lessen. But she is still our enemy, and must be stopped. If not, she can make sure our dreams are popped!”
“That's exactly the point!” Spike shook his head in a mixture of frustration and exhaustion. “Why are we doing this? Don't you see that this Queen of yours is nuts? She wants sunny days that last a week just so everyone can say how pretty her sun is! She wants every single thing on Earth kissing the ground she walks on just because she controls a big ball in the sky! All of these monsters and...and things she's recruiting...can you really say you're okay with this?”
Zecora's eyes closed slightly, but not enough to hide her pupils turning away from the dragon.
“Come on, Z. We can go back to how things used to be. Just the two of us together, a zebra and her dragon, exploring the world and finding our way through it. No mad dictators throwing me into lava pits or making you beat up ponies. Please...”
The first answer was silence, which was only broken by the rustling of grass in the wind. The second was a mournful sigh from Zecora. The third was the word that left her mouth. “No.”
Spike's eyes widened. “Wh-What? But...why?”
“There is more at play than you can understand, my little friend. The Tyrant Sun is a pony we must not offend. Her rule must be made absolute, so that not even Luna may refute. She is indeed reckless in her displays of power, but if we fail, the consequences shall be quite dour.”
The dragon shook his head, both in disbelief and in terror of what was happening next. “B-But you can let me go, right? I'm no use to anypony...”
“You know too much, my little Spike.” Zecora slammed a hoof on the ground, creating a cloud of black smoke; when it cleared, a small vial of yellow liquid was sitting in her now-raised hoof. “Now it is time we took a h-”
Her rhyme dropped away, however, as she saw a pair of purple forelegs wrap themselves around a dragon before both they and Spike (plus the pony the legs were attached to) disappeared in a flash of blinding purple light.
---
Nopony truly knows what happens when a unicorn teleports. The methods and techniques are well-understood, of course; you channel magic until you have enough to transmit yourself to whatever location you have in mind. For those who had shown any ability to perform these spells, there were countless training courses relating to how to focus your energy, how not to exhaust yourself, and most importantly of all, how not to end up with your body on both sides of a wall or bursting out of another pony.
There was also something about never using the spell when there was a good chance of lightning, but nopony would be foolish enough to try and perform such a difficult trip under those circumstances.
So yes, ponies knew how you teleport. The mystery, though, was what happened to your physical form during the process. The level of concentration required for phasing even ten meters were so intense that most ponies had to keep their eyes firmly closed, and Twilight was thinking considerably farther. Not to mention that her hooves were wrapped around a non-pony, and that she was not in the best of shape for such a trip...
Stupid, stupid, stupid! I could have di-
She opened her eyes.
Wait...I made it!
Sure enough, Twilight was now in the middle of a grassy field, with only a dirt path to break up the monotony on all sides. In the distance, she could make out Trottingham, home of some of the best medical care outside of Canterlot. She had studied plenty of medical textbooks, of course, but she wasn't crazy enough to perform surgery on her own body, especially when just concentrating long enough to sustain any type of magic was a pain.
Having surmised that she had survived to whinny another day, the mare slowly rolled onto her belly and pushed with all four hooves. As she did so, little pops of pain ran up and down her joints, and before long the ordeal was too much. Twilight let out a gasp and collapsed, stopping just short of the ground only because of a pair of tiny claws intercepted her barrel.
Claws?
Twilight looked down just as Spike looked up, and their eyes finally met. The dragon's body was covered in scorch marks, but he was otherwise uninjured, which was a far cry better than what the unicorn could claim. Through her own pain, Twilight sighed. “Spike, are you okay? I'm sorry about the burns. I knew that teleporting while holding someone could be bad if you didn't adjust for their presence, but...”
“It's fine, Twilight,” said Spike. “Dragons are fireproof. And besides, I've got really thick scales! How do you think I've survived all those trips into the lava?”
There was a brief moment of silence, followed by a forced giggle from both parties. “I see your point,” Twilight groaned. “But how did...?”
“I get out of the cage?” Spike laughed. “Well, I saw you getting ready to teleport when you were up against my cage. Part of your tail slipped in, and...well, I just grabbed it and popped out with you. I wanted to escape, but then I saw what happened, and...”
Twilight sighed and opened her mouth, but paused as another wave of agony poured through her veins and refused to let go. Spike's grip tightened as more of Twilight's weight pushed against his little arms. “What's wrong?”
“Think your friend...broke a few...” She grimaced. “Things.”
Spike gasped. “I'm so sorry! I never thought she'd...”
The dragon stopped, grabbed his right arm, and looked down at a spot on the ground. There was not much of a point in lying now. “Actually, I knew she was going to do this. She'd do anything for that crazy Alicorn. I'm never going to get my friend back.” He sighed. “And...now I guess I'm going to be her sister's prisoner, too.”
In spite of the pain still coursing through her equine form, Twilight managed to let out a sigh and seat herself on her hindquarters. The dragon she had fought so hard for was standing in front of her, too broken by the day's events to affect another escape. His cute little head was filled to the brim with valuable information on Corona's activities, and even though he wasn't her top general or anything, he was still valuable enough for her to use as leverage. She just needed to take him to Canterlot, turn him in, and finally be a free mare again.
Alas, there was something else digging at her core, something she had been trying to deny ever since this whole mess started. “Spike...what do you want to do?”
The dragon's eyes widened in surprise. “Huh?”
Twilight sighed. “All this time, I've been thinking about what I wanted. When I looked at you, I saw my opportunity to save myself. But it was more than that. I wanted to prove I was a hero, every bit as good as the world thinks Lulamoon is.”
She shook her head. This was getting harder and harder to admit. “The truth is, I'm not. I really am a crazy mare that thought kidnapping a child would be the best way to make things right. There really isn't anything I can do or say at this point to justify that. After hearing what Corona was doing, I...” She sighed. “I'm sorry you lost your friend to her, Spike. I admit that I don't know the first thing about friendship, but...I couldn't imagine how you feel right now.”
Spike shrugged. “Yeah, you're right.”
Fortunately, Twilight decided to ignore that half-insult. “You never answered my question. What do you want to do, Spike?”
The dragon was quiet for a moment. Letting go of the pony (who thankfully had recovered enough to remain standing), he sat himself on a small rock along the dirt path. “Well...I really don't know. I've had my fill of ponies for a while, especially Alicorns. Z's obviously not an option anymore. I can't really go anywhere in Equestria without somepony wanting to throw me in jail. I just wish someone would give me a hint or...”
That tender moment of existentialism was interrupted by a thunderous roar from the heavens above. Both pony and dragon turned upwards in anticipation of a counterattack from Corona, but instead saw something far more terrifying. A flight of dragons soared overhead, the very clouds buckling and crumbling against the heavy beats of their wings and fiery breath. Twilight could feel her heart shivering and bladder threatening to quit, but Spike's eyes were now the size of dinner plates. “Th-That's the Great Dragon Migration!”
“I know!” shouted Twilight. “It's weird, though. There's not supposed to be another one for another year or so. Then again, ponies don't know a lot about dragons.”
“Maybe that is what I should do!” Spike said, his voice tinged with excitement. “I've never been around dragons before! I can learn from them, find out who I am and what I should do. Why, I can feel mother nature taking over even as we...”
There was a thud, followed immediately by the ground shaking. Twilight and Spike spun around to find a massive silver dragon staring at the two, although its eyes seemed to shift more towards the quivering mass of purple scales. The beast did not utter so much as a word, but only lowered its tail and motioned its head towards it.
“It looks like it wants to give you a ride, Spike,” said Twilight. “Go on.”
“R-Really?” The dragon gulped as he turned back to Twilight. “But you look pretty hurt. Shouldn't I help you first?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, Spike, I'll be fine. I've made it this long on my own, and besides, I know a couple of doctors near here. I'll be fixed up in record time.” She motioned her head towards the dragon. “This, however, is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. You can learn so much about who you are and where you're from. In all honesty...I kind of envy you.”
Spike opened his mouth to retort, but the impatient roar of the waiting dragon brought an end to such protestations. With a final smile and thanks, he climbed onto the silver tail. The massive beast was in the air within moments, Twilight barely managing to remain upright against the velocity of its wingpower, and the carrier was just another spot in the flight a few seconds later. She waited until she was certain the dragon wasn't coming back before collapsing in a heap. Spike didn't need to see her wallowing in agony, especially after what had happened a few minutes prior.
After an entire day of pursuing her prey, being pursued back, and fighting for her future, she had nothing to show for it but some busted bones, a departing dragon, and some very harsh truths. The last thing to go through her mind as she winked to Trottingham hospital was simple, but it was also the end of her existence.
It was all my fault.
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- Froborr · 22k words · 146 5 · 3.4k views
- RK_Striker_JK_5 · 18k words · 161 14 · 3.6k views
- DagaYemar · 28k words · 196 8 · 5.1k views
- InsertAuthorHere · 27k words · 211 4 · 4.9k views
- GrassAndClouds2 · 25k words · 120 4 · 21k views
- GrassAndClouds2 · 12k words · 172 3 · 4.4k views
- InsertAuthorHere · 6k words · 187 9 · 3.7k views
- Fizzy Orange · 8.9k words · 262 3 · 6.6k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.192 seconds
Total duration
1,079 users online
2,063,421 hits today, 2,782,760 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
OK, it seems that insulting Corona is a major sore spot for Zecora. Twilight makes some very good points about Corona and such there though, despite Zecora's points on her focus and the like. Glad to see that Spike's got a chance at a better life now. Merry Christmas! First comment!
Haven't read the chapter yet, but...
Thanks for the Christmas gift, IAH. It is much appreciated.
weknowgifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/i-understood-that-reference.gif
I too have played Mortal Kombat and so got this reference too. It might interest you to know that I typically played as Sub-Zero, though, while my brother usually played as Scorpion. And beat me. A lot. He's much better at video games than I am, except StarFox 64.
Wow Zecora plays hardcore. *scribbles notes for Mild West story that he plans to eventually get to maybe if he ever again has free time*
Nah, you had help. And fortunately due to anachronistic order, we know that in the end everything works out just fine for you.
Anyway, once again: thanks, IAH. This was a great thing to log into on Christmas and see (It's Christmas where I am, anyway, if only just past 2 AM), and I've definitely been looking forward to this for awhile. You didn't disappoint.
Merry Christmas!
I was just about to shuffle off to bed, when my phone dropped me an alert. Almost didn't even bother checking it, figured anything could wait until morning. So very, very glad I did check though. This chapter made for a nice thrilling climax, not just for the vividly described action, but also for the charged emotions that accompanied it.
Great work!
So, he goes off to find his place amongst his species and she gets just a little bit more tired with running. Also, Z is being as cryptic as ever about the Great Big Disaster that needs a Great Big Idiot to stop it.
Hmmm. I wonder if the Twilight of Season Two wishes that she'd had the sense to ask this Spike to stay with her instead of going off with his species. I also wonder if, when Celestia fully comes to her senses, she's going to ask pointed questions about his fate to a certain bone-dead stupid zebra.
Finally that stupid migration can be good for something!
Great fight scene there, and good job on the rhyming thing! Writing for Zecora is the WORSE >< why did they have to make her rhyme all the time?!
Congrats on finishing the story IAH!
For all the defending a tyrant, and the claiming that Spike is Corona's servant, and attacking him and trying to retrieve him... this is where she crossed the line. Did she say this because she's always in character for being Corona's servant... or... because she means that that's all Spike was, to her?
Anyway, glad to see the ending came, eventually. Spike goes off with dragons, and maybe learns they're just as bad as ponies. Or maybe not! Perhaps we shall see.
Wow. What an incredible ending! I love this. Seriously, your Zecora is such a badass.
Thanks for the gift, IAH! Happy holidays.
Great
Great end to this. Nice fight scene and Zecora rhyming. I want to toss her off a cliff. :D
Ah, so that's where Spike went.
That many dragons would be a bit of a trick for even Corona to tackle.
Good to see the horsewords!
Zecora is a very interesting villain here. I wish she had more of a presence in Lunaverse Cannon.
I knew that Zecora believes that what she does is right, but she tries to kill a neutralized opponent. Religion poisons everything.
Yay, it updated!
for you!
And completed!
And its awesome!
Good to see an excellent conclusion to this "forgotten" LV story
Congrats IAH, you done good!!!
5430845
Religion doesn't poison everything. ZEALOTRY poisons everything.
There's a wide gulf between your average Muslim who follows the nonviolent precepts of their religion and the dipshit zealot who joins a terrorist cell because 72 virgins.
This is the same gulf that separates your average Christian and a member of Westboro Baptist Church.
Not sure I really like the take on Zecora in this chapter, personally. She's always been loyal to Corona in an "ends justify the means" sort of way, yeah, but none of the other stories where she's featured a prominent role gave me the idea that she thinks Luna's a tyrant who has to be deposed. Just that Celestia being in power is going to be necessary at some point in the near future.
And regarding her treatment of Spike, the levels she took in Jerkass here shot up into the Disgaea range. I don't blame him one bit for deciding to be done with any species with hooves, at least for a while. It was very heartwarming to see Twilight sympathizing with him and choosing to help him be free, though. I loved that part.
I was listening to some music while reading this miraculously updated fanfic, but decided to come back later to I could focus on the simply stellar fight scene. And what a treat! Toward the middle, I was...a-braid...that Spike would give himself up to Zecora to save the crazy unicorn. Thaaaaaannnnnnk goodness that wasn't the case. Sadly, Spikey-Wikey has bowed out of this ponytail for the time being; it would have been quite heartening to see Luna spend time with him just to convince him that he's safe with her.
Even worse, there is now a com-pleat tag to contend with. Much as I LOVE that you finally got around to adding it, IT'S JUST TOO SOOOOOON! This is the only Lunaverse fic I will ever give a split-end about, let alone like. I 'do hope you decide to continue fleshing out Spike's presence in this world.
Wow, this was something...
I don't know what to think for a moment. I think I will probably have more to say about it on the live read and time to think about it as a whole and what it means to the Lunaverse.
Nice to see this brought to a finish, but... uh... "buckling". You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Zecora showing up, admitting to Spike's running away as well as his employment conditions, not to mention clearing up the misconceptions surrounding the Elements...
I remember that somewhere during the longest night that Zecora had the power of prophecy. Freeing Spike through perceived failure, sating the more Equicidal tendencies of the Tyrant Sun...
Something tells me that Zecora is the true Mastermind of this series.
Glad someone ended this story. I actually missed it had been renewed by a different Author. Glad I decided to reread all the stories.
Where are chapters 1 to 3?
6891949
Here.
6892046
Thanks.
I think i have finally had enough time to reflect and come to understand what i think about this story. It was pretty dang good and fun. Giving us a way to see inside of what twilight was thinking and to see the inner cworking of Spike as a character. It was also a great way to explore his relationship with Zecora. I think my only fault with it as a whole is that it needed a member of the mane cast to help tie it all together. but, that is a minor nitpick. the rest was well done.
Here is the first chapter of the live read.
I don't think you could get any more vague than that!
That Great Dragon Migration is WAY too convenient. And Spike is from now on out of the game?
I am pretty disappointed with this story, I must say. But better bad end then none at all, I suppose.