In a magicless Equestria a bitter and vengeful goddess returns from an ancient slumber in order to seize control of ponykind once again. After the fall of their home, Twilight Sparkle and her brother Spike join the Queen in hopes to bring about the g
Once, a vengeful goddess tried to wreck havoc on the ponies of Equestria for abandoning her. She unleashed an army upon those that wounded her and tricked fillies into becoming corrupted alicorns.
Her armies have long since been defeated and the alicorns are now purified, the goddess herself was forced into a slumber and the world was drained of magic as a result of her actions.
Yet now she rises again, bringing chaos with her and destroying the village of Ponyville. Two of its residents, Spike the Dragon and Twilight Sparkle, manage to escape and join the Queen's Knights in order to stop the goddess and her subjects. Editor: Ice Star Artist: Infinity Shade (Inspired by the game Stella Glow)
Four thousand years ago, there lived the Moon Goddess. The ponies of Equestria loved this goddess. However, as their civilization advanced, their dependencies on the Goddess' protection from monsters dwindled.
Angered by such a betrayal, the goddess unleashed an army of angels to destroy everypony. She also tricked five fillies by giving them a soul crystal, which tainted their bodies with her magic which turned them into alicorns.
However, a young filly stood against the Moon Goddess and her army.
The war raged for five years. In that time, the filly found the five alicorns and cleansed their impure souls. Grateful for her help, they pledged their loyalty to the filly and helped her traveled to where the Moon Goddess lived and that is where the filly used her strength to put the goddess to slumber, only to be fatally wounded in the process.
Grief-stricken with the loss of their savior, the five alicorns used their powers to absorb every last bit of magic from this world so that the Moon Goddess would never have the power to lay destruction to this world again.
With magic gone, the creatures in the world grew chaotic. Many of the ponies died of starvation and related ailments because earth ponies lost their ability to grow food rapidly. Days and Nights grew still because unicorns lost their magic to control day and night which left the realm in an enternal twilight. Weather soon grew unpredictable and fierce with the newfound absence of pegasus ability to control the weather.
Outraged, everypony turned to the purified alicorns and tried to destroy them for the misery they believed was their fault. Luckily, a great king saved the alicorns and he sent one to raise the sun, one to keep an eye on the wicked goddess and the moon, one to control the weather, another to help grow food, and the last to help him keep order throughout Equestria.
As years passed, ponies and other creatures soon accepted their magicless lives, and through generations the soul gems that transformed ponies into alicorns were passed on as well.
"Spike, where are you!" The young unicorn Twilight Sparkle called out. Her eyes gazed intently at the world around her. It wasn't that she was worried that her only brother could be in inevitable doom. No, she knew her adoptive brother was inevitable doom. Or close to it, and the fact that he was a baby dragon didn't help. She didn't know why, but dragons always seemed to get into trouble. Maybe it was genetics?
Twilight let out a sigh and gazed at the world around her.
Medium sized cabins were scattered amongst the luscious dark green meadow, dotted with creamy white and pastel yellow flowers. Uneven stone pathways connected the cabins to the town square, and a white marble statue of a filly stood in the middle. Her wings were flared out, as her sapphire eyes stared at the glowing sun.
Twilight couldn't help but smile. She always enjoyed Ponyville, especially when the sun's rays danced across the statue, creating the illusion of the filly surrounded by arcane flames of legend.
"Hi Twilight!" A filly's voice sang.
"Oh hello Scootaloo. Do you know where Spike is?" She asked.
"I saw him in the Everfree forest ge-"
"Spike you idiot!" Twilight muttered. "Um, thanks Scootaloo, by!" She exclaimed before taking off towards the looming forest beyond.
"Hmm, this looks like a good spot." Spike mumbled.
Mighty oak trees stood guard from the smaller maples, creating a small glade in the forest. In the middle a small creek bubbled and spat. In the farthest end of the grotto, stood a cluster of twisted vines, all seemingly trying to protect the plump blackberries speckled throughout.
However, as the dragon neared, a chorus of growls hummed throughout causing Spike to freeze. Suddenly, four wolves jumped out into the clearing. Their bodies were made of jagged sticks, while their eyes glowed a ghastly green.
"Um, nice Timberwolves." Spike gulped.
"Spiiike!" A familiar voice shouted.
"T-Twilight?"
Soon Twilight cantered into the grotto, her eyes sending daggers into his nervous gaze.
"Spike, you can't just wander into this forest alone! Especially during Timberwolf sea-" Her eyes shifted to the four beasts, "...oh."
"You can scold me later, but right now I could really use your help." He replied before unleashing his claws.
"Fine." Twilight sighed, stomping her hoof.
The four wolves advanced upon them. Spike quickly ran up to the closest one, and slashed four gaping streaks into its face. Causing the wolf to howl. Then, Twilight charged forward and impaled her horn into the creature's left eye. The wolf bellowed in agony, before disappearing into a pile of twigs and smoke which stung Twilight's eyes a bit, causing her to blink.
Two of the remaining Timberwolves leapt towards Spike, but he sidestepped them, causing both of the wolves to crash heads together, causing one to go unconscious, and the other clawing at the gaping hole in its' forehead.
"Now!" Twilight shouted.
Spike nodded and dug his claws into the unconscious wolf's neck, decapitating it. Then he jumped onto the other Timberwolf's back and slashed the creature's head into two.
Making sure Spike was okay, Twilight then faced the last Timberwolf and charged at it. The wolf snapped at Twilight's neck, but she lowered her head in time so her horn went straight through its mouth. She felt it slump to the ground before withdrawing her horn from its dying body.
"Heh, we make a good team, right Twilight?" Spike panted. His claws were covered in the remains of splinters and his legs were beginning to feel wobbly.
Twilight simply whipped remaining pieces of wood from her mane by shaking her head. "What were you even doing here in the first place?"
"Oh nothing, just wanted to get some blackberries." Spike replied causally while walking towards the bush.
Twilight raised an eyebrow, but helped him pick the sweet smelling fruit.
"Wow, that's a lot of blackberries!" Scootaloo exclaimed while trotting besides Spike.
Twilight and Spike were slowly making their way home, careful not to drop any of the bounty they fought so hard to get.
"Yep. And I have a feeling they're going to be delicious." Spike replied. "Oh, that reminds me; want some?"
Scootaloo nodded her head eagerly before standing up on her back legs. Then, Spike dumped some of the fruit into her awaiting forehooves.
"Thanks Spike! I can't wait to show my dad." She grinned before walking off, spilling a few berries as she stumbled.
"Speaking of which, I wonder how Mom is going to react when she sees all this." Twilight mused.
"Well, let's find out!" Spike replied before opening the door to a cabin.
Inside there were rows upon rows of books that lined the pale walls. To the right lay a small kitchen where a weathered table sat. There was also an iron stove that sat near an open window, bringing in the savory smell of baking bread, and to the left was an assortment of couches that surrounded a glass coffee table. Cream colored bedroom doors lined the halls.
"Ah, I see you two made it home," Twilight Velvet smiled as she greeted the two, "and I see you brought back some blackberries."
"Mom, Spike went into the Everfree forest, even though it's Timberwolf season!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Oh dear, looks like we both forgot." Twilight Velvet sighed. "I'm sorry if I put you through a lot of danger." She said to Spike.
"Huh?" Twilight questioned.
Spike dumped the blackberries he held into a giant green bowl on the kitchen table. "Well, since it's your birthday, we wanted to make you a special treat." He explained.
"Though, we completely forgot about the Timberwolves." Twilight Velvet blushed.
"Mom, Spike, you did this all for me? Thanks." She replied, her face growing a deep crimson. "B-but you still need to be more careful Spike! If those monsters got you I'd-"
"Yeah, I promise to be more careful." Spike smiled sheepishly.
"Oh come on you two. We have a lot of preparations to do. Spike, make the pie. Twilight, go chop the lettuce."Twilight Velvet piped up.
"Yes, Ms. Velvet." Spike replied while giving a small salute.
The old grandfather clock struck five, and the small family of three was surrounding a table which overflowed with food.
"You did a really great job with the salad Twilight." Spike stated in between mouthfuls of cheese bread and lettuce.
"Thanks! Your blackberry pie is amazing." Twilight grinned.
"Slow down you two, or you both are going to chocke." Twilight Velvet sighed.
"Oh!" Spike shouted while dropping his silverware. "I just remembered that I should probably give you your birthday present, Twilight!"
"Spike you don't have-" Twilight replied, only to find that her words were falling on deaf ears as Spike was already halfway to his room.
Ms. Velvet chuckled, " I'm sure you'll love it."
"Still, he already went through a lot of trouble just to make a pie. He didn't need to make me a gift as well."
"He has a kind heart. I'm sure he'll make somepony happy one day."
"Mom! He's only eleven!"
"I'm back!" Spike called.
The two unicorns shifted their gaze to Spike, who had his claws behind his back.
"I didn't have enough time, so I know it won't look very good but-"
"Spike, we're family, I promise I won't judge." Twilight replied.
"O-okay. Here it is." Spike held out his claws. Resting on top of them was a light purple gem in the shape of a star. Attached to it with tape was a lace of golden thread.
"Spike, I love it!" Twilight exclaimed.
"I'm glad you like it! I already had this gem on me, and I managed to save up enough money for this gold thread." Spike said.
"On you? Spike, that gem may be the only connection you have to where you came from." Twilight said with a frown.
"I know. But even as you've taken care of me for these years, I feel like this is where I belong. So, to show my appreciation, I want you to have this." Spike replied with a small smile.
"Okay then. Spike, could you please help me put it on?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
Spike grinned and hopped onto his chair. Then he placed the necklace around Twilight's neck and quickly tied a few knots to make sure it wouldn't unravel.
"It looks lovely on you." Twilight Velvet smiled, causing her daughter's cheeks to flush.
"Thanks, this is the best birthday ever!" Twilight grinned before nuzzling Spike's cheek, causing his face to turn redder than a tomato.
The sun's morning rays casted an unearthly dawn glow upon Ponyville, dewdrops still clung to the crisp grass. Barely anypony was awake, which gave Spike a chance to relax on his morning walk.
"I can't believe I'm still full," Spike mumbled to himself while rubbing his stomach and thinking of last night's meal.
A strange flash of dark blue light soon caught his eye.
Spike quickly rubbed his eyes in disbelief and looked again. He saw the light glow once more, and it was coming from inside the Everfree Forest! Hesitantly, Spike made his way inside. His throat felt dry and every part of his body screamed to run, however something about the ghastly glow seemed to call to him. It was almost hypnotic.
In the heart of the Everfree lay a crystal clear pond surrounded on all four sides by oak trees, which had lived for hundreds of years. Even as civilization evolved, this sacred spot remained unchanged by any outside forces.
If only everything could be like this,thought a mare of dark blue, her flowing mane the color of the night. She was laying on the pillow soft grass, using her magic to pick up and observe small pebbles and bugs that wandered close. The mare smiled as a slight breeze combed through her wings.
"Whoa," came Spike's voice from behind the serene mare.
She couldn't help but freeze at the sight of him. It wasn't due to fear, but rather a mix of confusion and disbelief. Her brain was telling her that she knew him, but she just couldn't place where, having been gone so long.
"What is your name, dragon?"
"S-Spike! W-what you're doing, is that magic!?" Spike gasped, his eyes glued to the floating ladybug near the stranger's chest.
"This is indeed magic...Spike," She answered before setting the bug down.
"B-but I've always been told that only alicor-" Spike then noticed the wings and his eyes grew as big as saucers.
"No way! You're an alicorn? What's your name?" He exclaimed.
"...Luna," She replied hesitantly.
"Luna, can you do that trick with your magic again? It was really cool!" Spike asked with a toothy grin.
"You don't know anything, do you?" Luna answered, causing his smile to fade. "Magic is not something to be used lightly. Like clay, I can mold it to whatever I please, but if I slip up just one bit, the end result could be devastating."
"I know that! The library had some old spell books on display." Spike informed, only to grin as question after question flowed from his mouth. "So you really are an alicorn? That's amazing! Do your wings support you? How many spells do you know? What is the sky like? Are there others like you? How do you become an-"
Luna's patience was dwindling fast. Never in her life was she bombarded with such trivial questions. Luna was about to leave, when she heard a low growl coming from the tree line.
"QUIET!" She snapped, causing Spike to leap in terror. "Monsters are upon us."
"M-monsters?"
Two pairs of golden eyes glowed from behind a tree.
"Stand back!" Luna ordered as two manticores leapt into the opening. Quickly, she stood up and her magic that seemed to be the exact color of the night sky surrounded her horn.
"W-wait, I'm helping too!" Spike replied while getting into a battle position.
"You will only hurt yourself"
"No I won't!"
Luna let out a sigh, "Take the one on the right, I will take the other one."
Spike hesitantly nodded, then the two split up and attacked the manticores.
Luna took off into the sky and blasted a turquoise beam at the monster, causing it to roar as his left side went up in smoke. However, it jumped into the pond to try and smother out the flames. When he showed his belly, Luna quickly materialized long black needles and thrust them into the manticore's stomach. The pond's water quickly turned a deep shade of scarlet.
Meanwhile, Spike was dodging left and right as the now one eyed manticore tried to inject his scorpion tail into Spike. Spike could feel his stamina dwindling, so he quickly rolled to the left and tried to slash the monster's remaining eye. However, it swiped at Spike's head with its massive claws. Spike let out a cry in pain as two razor sharp claws scraped against his side. His vision became blurry as salty tears threatened to flow from his eyes.
"Stand back." Luna warned before shooting a beam at the manticore, causing liquid black flames to engulf the beast flesh and all, until only ashes remained.
"Use this to heal your wounds." Luna ordered while summoning a small, silver container to Spike. He opened it, and found that it contained a pale cream. Quickly, Spike placed some on and let out a gasp as his wounds began to mend itself.
"How?"
"This healing ointment is made from the juices of Bee Balm, and infused with water blessed from an old alicorn." Luna explained before surrounding the container in her dark blue magic, causing it to disappear.
"You're amazing Luna! Although you defiantly don't act all snooty like the alicorns in fairy tales." Spike remarked, causing Luna's cheeks to grow a slight tinge of red.
"I...Spike, you need to leave your village," Luna replied instead.
"B-but Ponyville is a nice place," Spike said, confused by her sudden statement.
"Leave Spike," Luna repeated before taking off into the sky.
Once she was gone, Spike slowly walked to his home. A frown covered his face as he pondered what Luna's warning was about. Ponyville really was a nice place, sure the occasional monster wanders in, but nothing a small group of ponies couldn't handle. Just what was Luna hinting at?
"It's a curse!"
"How could this happen!?"
"She was just a filly!"
As Spike came into the village's square he saw a crowd forming around the great oak tree that was the old library, a sacred place that stored burnt up spells long ago that have lost their uses. It existed only to remind everypony about the sacrifices their ancestors gave in order to preserve what little magical artifacts that could be saved.
Curious as why a crowd was surrounding it, Spike headed towards the building, only to be wrapped in a familiar embrace and felt something wet rain down on the back of his head.
"Oh Spike, I was so worried when you didn't show up for breakfast and the incident with S-Scootaloo, I thought something happened to you!" Twilight sobbed.
Spike spun around and saw Twilight's eyes were red and puffy. Tears trickled from her cheeks. "I'm sorry if I worried you, I just met this mare and- wait, what happened to Scootaloo?"
Twilight bit her lip, but motioned Spike to follow her. They slowly shoved their way through the crowd, until Spike could finally see what has gotten everypony so worked up. Right by the entrance of the old library, stood Scootaloo completely turned to stone.
Spike's heart dropped. Everything seemed to slow down. "Wh-what happened to her?" He whispered. Spike's eyes brimming with tears.
"She...was found near the Everfree like this. Multiple ponies asked the local Cockatrice if he did this, but he didn't." Twilight explained while wrapping a trembling Spike in her arms. "Come on Spike...Mom is waiting for us."
When they entered the house, Twilight Velvet ran to greet them, tears of relief flowed from her eyes when she saw that Spike was alright.
"Oh Spike, I was worried as well when Twilight couldn't find you this morning but I'm glad you're both safe." Twilight Velvet said.
"Poor Scootaloo...wait, I know!" Spike piped up, "Luna, this mare I met, said that I needed to leave Ponyville. Maybe she knows what's going on! I'm going back to the forest, maybe Luna is still there!"
"Absolutely not," Twilight Velvet replied. "We are all going to stay here, in Ponyville. I thought I almost lost you once, I don't want to feel the same way twice!"
"How about we all sit around and read a good book?" Twilight suggested.
"Huh?" Spike replied, confused on how this had to do with anything.
"Well, you know that when I'm sad or angry, reading a good book always helps," she explained, causing her mom to chuckle.
"Okay." Spike said, still unsure that this would help.
Twilight clapped her front hooves together and grinned. "Great! I know just the story."
The moon's light crept along the wooden floors. The small family was asleep on the living room couches, surrounded by dirty dishes leftover from supper and a few open books. However, a certain dragon slowly opened his eyes and slipped off of his makeshift bed.
I know I'll get in trouble, but I'm sure Luna knows what happened to Scootaloo, Spike thought while creeping towards the door. He dare not breathe, and even the slightest creak of the floor nearly caused his heart to burst.
"And where do you think you're going?" Twilight whispered from her couch.
Spike slowly turned around and grinned sheepishly. "Um, the bathroom?"
"Riiight," Twilight rolled her eyes before moving on her makeshift bed, creating enough space for a filly to sleep there comfortably.
"Twilight, you don't have-"
"If you just go to sleep on your couch again, you'll just try and escape. But if you sleep next to me, I'll be able to catch you if you try this again."
Seeing no other option, Spike let out a sigh and made his way to where Twilight waited. Then he climbed onto the couch and curled up beside her chest. Spike's face turned a few shades of red as he felt Twilight's hoof bring him in closer.
"This is so awkward," Spike whispered.
"I didn't hear you complain whenever there was a thunder storm," Twilight replied.
"Th-that was different." Spike grumbled before closing his eyes.
"Goodnight Spike," She whispered before falling asleep.
"It is a shame this pond will be red for awhile. I rather liked it here." Luna sighed as she levitated the manticore's remains from the water.
She felt a soft breeze and turned around to see her comrade landing on top of the grass.
"You didn't use up all of your magic during that fight, did you?" A rainbow maned pegasus asked. Her wings were metallic and ended in a long, very sharp point at the end.
"I didn't even need to use a tenth of my magic. These manticores were fairly young after all," Luna replied.
"Are you going to do it now?" The pegasus questioned.
"We'll wait until morning, Rainbow Dash. Make sure you're ready," Luna answered.
Spike awoke to a faint blue light seeping in through the drawn curtains.
"Luna," He whispered before slipping out of the couch, causing Twilight to open her eyes. She glared at the dragon, but her gaze softened with curiousity once she saw the flicker of blue light.
"What is that?" She whispered while joining her adopted brother at the front door.
"It's Luna's magic," He explained before opening the door.
Luna stood surrounded by uncut grass that was still drenched in morning dew. As her horn was ignited, strong gusts of crisp morning air spun around her body. Luna could hear voices, though they seemed far away. One she could tell was Spike's, the other she didn't know.
They seemed to be calling her name, but their voices were muffled from the wind. Her instincts told her to listen, but she had to ignore it. Luna had a mission after all, and she would stop at nothing until it was complete.
Until Ponyville was entirely encased in stone.
"Drat, she can't hear us," Spike growled.
"Sh-she really is a-an alicorn," Twilight gasped. "Spike, what do you think she's doing?"
"I don't know, let's find out," He replied while taking a few steps towards the alicorn.
"Stop!"
Spike and Twilight gasped as a light blue pegasus landed in front of them, her metallic wings where outstretched, as if shielding Luna from the siblings.
"Lady Luna must not stop her spell, so leave," The pegasus stated.
"We just need her help!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Yeah! Just who are you anyways?" Spike piped up.
"I'm Lady Luna's solider, Rainbow Dash. Now scram before I kill you both!"
Suddenly, the sky roared and sparks of blinding blue light pummeled the ground. Spike covered his ears and Twilight fell to the ground. The light picked up mounds of dust and dirt, engulfing Ponyville into what felt like a sandstorm. Particles stung their eyes and went up their noses, and dirt got into Spike's mouth, causing him to cough and gag.
Then, once the storm cleared Ponyville was entirely encased in stone.
"Luna!" Spike coughed as drips of mud drooled out of his mouth. "But why?"
"It's working!" Rainbow Dash cheered, only to cough out a ball of sludge. "Gah, stupid dirt!"
"You and Luna are goanna pay!" Spike bellowed, light brown tears trickled down his cheeks.
"This is goanna be fun," The pegasus grinned before attacking.
...
Rainbow Dash charged towards Spike, her metal wings were straight out and ready to shred the dragon into pieces. However, once she was in range Spike laid on the ground flat as a pancake which caused Rainbow's bladelike wings to miss him entirely. Then, while Rainbow Dash tried to turn around, Spike jumped onto her back and dug his claws into her neck.
"Ahh!" Rainbow Dash screamed while trying to buck Spike off of her, "Get off of me!"
Spike's stomach churned, but he couldn't help but grin as her blood coated his claws. The blood of a pony who helped turn his beloved home into stone and everypony in it. He kept sinking his claws deeper and deeper into her neck, causing the pegasus to shriek, buck, and twist her body to escape his clutches.
"I hate you! I hate all of you!" Spike growled.
Suddenly, he felt his body being yanked off of Rainbow Dash's back and smacked onto the ground. When he looked up, the dragon saw Luna standing by her solider.
"I won't let you harm my comrades." Luna said, her voice was stiff and caused Spike's heart to freeze. "Now, let my powers turn you into stone."
Luna's horn lit up, and Spike could feel his body becoming stiffer, colder even. He tried to slash at the ground, at his feet, at anything. The dragon's feet began to turn grey, causing his heart to beat faster than a hummingbird's. Tears began to overflow, and snot leaked from his nose.
"STOP IT!" Twilight screeched before galloping towards her adopted brother's side. "Stop it!" She cried. Suddenly, the gem around her necklace glowed a soft purple, then it grew brighter and brighter until it swallowed up Spike and Twilight.
All he could see was darkness. The dragon couldn't tell what direction his body was going.
Is this death? He wondered as his body was being dragged to who knows where. Twilight, if only I was stronger I could've saved her.
"Strength? Do you want to be stronger?" A muffled, almost female voice asked.
"I..I was to be stronger. I..I want to save Twilight and Ponyville!" Spike shouted into the darkness.
"Heh, then it is yours...Spike."
Before Spike could reply, his chest began to glow a bright green. He could feel his body getting warmer and tingly. It felt, it felt oddly familiar.
"Now cleanse your friend."
Spike let out a groan and opened his eyes. When he got up, he let out a gasp. The world around him was different shades of purple, all blending together yet their colors never seemed to mix, each remaining distinct. He looked down and saw that he was standing on a golden star, and that more were in front of him, almost making a staircase. When Spike craned his neck to see the top, he found a weeping Twilight. Only, she seemed much younger.
"Where am I?" Spike mumbled.
"Her soul, cleanse her soul."
"Twilight's...soul?" He replied. "Twilight, can you hear me!"
The filly mumbled something.
"Don't worry, I'm going to get you!" Spike shouted before leaping onto the second star. His breath was becoming shallow, but he kept climbing the stairs until he reached the filly.
"Hey, Twilight, it's me." Spike whispered while crouching down next to Twilight.
"Wh-why are you here?" She asked.
"To save you from...er, yourself."
"Heh, saving me? But, what next? Our home...it's gone."
"I know this sounds cheesy, but we have each other. And if there is one alicorn, there has to be more right? I bet they can help."
"More alicorns..." Twilight mumbled, "but what if they're all like Luna?
"Wasn't that what everypony thought of when they first saw me? But I was different from other dragons, right? So there has to be at least one nice alicorn out there," Spike replied.
"You're right! Spike, let's get out of here. We need to save Ponyville."
"There's the old Twilight! Okay, let's go!"
"What in the world!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed once the blinding light dwindled. For standing there was an alicorn, and it wasn't Luna! Her coat was a vibrant purple, her wings long and elegant, and her horn was smooth and ended at a sharp point.
"Ugh, why does my body feel all tingly?" Twilight asked.
"Twilight, you-you're...!" Spike stuttered.
"The Galaxy Alicorn!" Luna gasped.
"What do we do?" Rainbow questioned.
"Kill that alicorn, but keep Spike alive."
Rainbow Dash nodded and flew into the air, then once she was over Twilight, the pegasus swooped down. Her wing's blades aiming right for the alicorn's neck. However, Twilight quickly lit up her horn, producing a medium sized lavender star, and hurled it towards the pegasus. Rainbow Dash moved to the left, letting out a yelp as the star came into contact with her wing.
"Spike, did you see that!?" Twilight grinned.
"That was amazing!" Spike complimented.
Rainbow Dash bared her teeth and tried to attack the alicorn once again. However, Spike shot out a lime green fireball at her. She tried to dodge, but the fire was too fast.
"No!" Luna shouted before quickly wrapping the rapidly falling pegasus in her magic. Then, she carefully teleported her solider to her side. Luna's heart skipped a beat as she saw her loyal comrade smoking. Her entire face had fiery red blisters and the iron was badly dented where the star came into contact.
"You can breathe fire!?" She heard Twilight say.
"No way! We both can use magic now!" Spike cheered.
I already used up too much magic already. If I try and fight them, they would overpower me in my current state, Luna thought.
"Over there!"
Luna, Spike, and Twilight all shifted their gaze to a white unicorn stallion with a flowing blond mane and tail. He wore silver armor that sparkled in the sun, and held a nasty looking spear in his forehoof.
"Luna and Rainbow Dash, by Queen Rarity's orders, you will be punished," He shouted as several other soldiers soon joined him. All wore silver armor that covered their faces.
"Goodbye," Luna replied before igniting her horn. Spike tried to reach for her, but he was too late. Just like that, both Luna and Rainbow Dash were gone.
"Bloody Tirek," The stallion muttered under his breath before turning to his comrades. "Search around! In her state, Luna couldn't have gone far."
Once his soldiers left, he cantered to where Twilight and Spike were still in shock.
"Hello, my name is Blueblood. I'm sorry about what happened. But, I need you two to come with me to Canterlot."
"C-Canterlot!?" Spike asked.
"What about everypony?" Twilight questioned.
"My comrade and his team will transport them to Canterlot in a little bit." Blueblood answered. "Now we really must go. Queen Rarity does not like to be kept waiting."
Spike peered over the edge of a golden chariot and gasped. He always heard Canterlot was big, but seeing it now, even as he was high from the ground, made his stomach churn.
The streets were overflowing with ponies as they navigated their way from tall brick and stone houses. The smell of smoke and crisp vegetables found Spike's nose. But the most amazing thing was how loud the crowd was. Even from way up high, he could heard ponies laughing, shouting, and calling to one another as clear as day.
"If you think Canterlot Square is amazing, look behind you." Blueblood piped up from the seat in front of Spike.
He turned his head, and the sight nearly caused his heart to stop. The castle was carved out of snow white granite, with its highest tower scraping against the drifting clouds. Large windows, gold, purple, and silver trimmings decorated the exterior, causing the palace to look like it came right out of a fairy tale.
As the harnessed pegasi slowly descended onto a small flat of grass, Spike could feel Twilight shaking besides him.
"This is really happening! W-we're really going to meet the queen!" Twilight grinned.
Once they landed, Blueblood climbed out of the carriage, motioning Twilight and Spike to follow suit.
"Captain Blueblood, was your trip successful?" A white unicorn stallion completely covered in golden armor asked while trotting over to greet them. He was eyeing Twilight and Spike cautiously.
"I'm afraid we were too late, Shining Armor," Blueblood replied before gesturing to his passengers, "but we did find one of the alicorns along with her..."
"Brother," Twilight interrupted before bowing to Shining Armor, "and it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Twilight, and this is Spike."
Shining bowed his head in return. "Pleasure to meet you. Now come, Queen Rarity is expecting you."
Twilight nodded and the small group made their way into the castle's walls.
The throne room was a giant, circular room with two stain glass windows that covered half of the pale walls, and a ruby red carpet that lead from the entranceway to a large silver throne with a dark purple cushion.
On the right side of the throne the window depicted a light purple unicorn filly attacking a large group of stone faced pegasi with dragonfly-like wings. The right side of the throne, the window depicted the same filly surrounded by five alicorns. They were walking on a rainbow towards an obsidian colored moon.
No, the moon was more of a coal color that day. Spike thought. But wait, why in Equestria would I know that!?
Suddenly, the doors behind them opened up. The group shifted their heads to make out a unicorn stallion wearing a crisp black tux with a vibrate purple bowtie.
"Hello Fancy Pants." Blueblood greeted with a smile.
"I see you have the alicorn." Fancy Pants replied while gazing intently at Twilight, causing her to shrink. "Queen Rarity will be coming short-" his eyes narrowed once he saw Spike, "and who is this, Captain Blueblood?"
"Twilight's brother." Blueblood answered before quickly adding, "Spike won't be any trouble."
Fancy Pants looked as if he was about to say something, only to be interrupted by a set of cantering hoofsteps.
"Bow your heads everypony, Queen Rarity is about to arrive!" Fancy Pants ordered.
"I am dreadfully sorry for making you wait." Rarity exclaimed while bowing her head. She was wearing a silky light blue dress with a neckline embodied with gold, and a small silver crown with a purple diamond shaped gem in the middle. "Oh, and you may all rise."
"Y-your Highness, you don't need to apologize!" Shining Armor replied.
"Yeah! As a queen, you should be able to show up wherever and whenever you like!" Spike piped up, only to earn a death glare from Fancy Pants.
Rarity chuckled, "You are quite the adorable dragon. What did you say your name was?"
"This child is Spike," Fancy Pants interrupted, "and Your Highness, shouldn't we get right to the point?"
"Okay," Rarity sighed before turning her attention to Twilight, "I've waited quite some time for the Galaxy Alicorn to be reborn, and because of you, we'll be able to stop Luna and her evil spell."
"H-how?" Twilight replied. "And, how did I become an alicorn?"
Rarity glanced at Blueblood, who cleared his throat, causing everypony to look at him.
"As you know, an alicorn is born when a soul crystal enters a pure soul. They have many forms, gems and shards that look like broken pieces of glass are the most common." Blueblood explained.
"Gems? Spike, you don't think that necklace you gave me had a soul crystal!?" Twilight gasped.
"I can't believe that gem I had was one! This is so cool!" Spike grinned.
"Ehem," Blueblood said, causing Twilight and Spike to quiet down. "As I was saying, there is a complex spell that requires four alicorns to cast. With this spell, we will be able to turn the statues back into the ponies they once were."
"However, we need to make sure your power is sufficient." Rarity piped up.
"How?" Twilight asked.
"Zecora, come forth!" Fancy Pants shouted.
The group fell silent as the doors opened once again, revealing a zebra with multiple golden rings around her neck, right foreleg, and another pieced through her ear. How her ear was upright, Spike would never know.
"This is Zecora, her family have served mine as shaman for many generations," Rarity explained.
Zecora spoke and her voice sent chills down Spike's spine. "I know all about you magic you see, now cast your magic so I may see what you may be."
Twilight gave a quick nod and lit her horn with a ghastly purplish glow. The room was soon drenched in the light, causing whispers throughout the group.
Twilight let out a gasp before the ghastly glow disappeared back in her horn.
"Your magic is weak," Zecora stated, causing Rarity and her subordinates to look uneasy, "but your chances don't look so bleak.
"Th-thank you. You may go." Fancy Pants stuttered while holding the door open for Zecora. She gave a quick bow and seemed to glide out of the room.
"Don't worry Your Highness, I'll work really hard on my magic." Twilight exclaimed once Zecora left.
"Thank you darling," Rarity smiled, "Now that we have the Galaxy Alicorn, Captain Blueblood will organize a small team of soldiers to find the other alicorns."
"My scout has found rumors that the Harvest Alicorn resides in Baltimare. So until further notice, we should head there first," Shining Armor explained.
"Please, let me help!" Spike piped up.
"Absolutely not! This quest is not for young children like yourself." Fancy Pants rebuked.
"This could be really dangerous. Are you sure about this, Spike?" Twilight questioned.
"I've battles timberwolves and a ma- a lot of other monsters. Plus, if Twilight is going to work hard, then so should I!" Spike explained.
"I did see the aftermath of your little fight with Luna and her comrade Rainbow Dash. That was pretty impressive to say the least." Blueblood mused, rubbing his chin with a hoof, "Come with me into one of the old mine shafts in the mountain. There's usually some monsters in there, and if you handle them with little difficulty, I'll consider your addition to the team."
"R-really!? Thank you, I promise to do my best!" Spike exclaimed.
"And meanwhile, I'll get a team to bring the stone imprisoned ponies here." Shining Armor announced.
"I'll come too! With my magic, it should be a lot easier to move them." Twilight piped up.
So the small group split up. Spike followed Blueblood to the outskirts of Canterlot, where an old mineshaft laid carved into the mountainside. While Twilight, Shining Armor, and a small group of knights flew to Ponyville to transport the citizens into Canterlot.
Water dripped from the stone grey ceiling, causing the echoing sound as it splashed onto the makeshift path that wound throughout the small mine. Shadows of spiders and bats created twisted figures on the slimy walls.
"Where are the monsters?" Spike whispered, pressing his body close to Blueblood's side for warmth.
"Any moment," Blueblood replied.
Suddenly, a hissing sound could be heard, though due to the enclosed space, Spike couldn't tell which direction it was coming from. Though the way the bats seemed to tense up didn't help his anxiety.
"W-what was that?" Spike gulped.
"A rock serpent. They like to live in mines that are home to their favorite meal, bats." Blueblood informed.
A patch of what Spike thought were rocks began to slowly move closer. He took a step back, teeth chattering as the hissing grew louder. Then, Blueblood took a few steps backwards, his piercing blue eyes never leaving the sight of the moving rocks.
"Their skin are layers of rocks, dirt, and bones. So try and aim for their underside," Blueblood whispered.
Then, the serpent lifted its head from behind a rusted mining cart. Its neon yellow eyes looking at the two. It opened its mouth in a yawn, revealing jagged fangs the color of limestone. Then, the serpent lunged at them.
Spike and Blueblood quickly dodged the attack, and Spike blew a stream of green fire at the serpent's body, causing the stallion's eyes to grow wide. However, it only seemed to make the rock serpent angry, for it spun around and tried to strike the two with its mouth.
Spike blew another jet of fire once it opened its mouth. The serpent screamed and began to thrash about, causing the mine to shake and a horde of bats tried to fly away. Then, in the confusion, Spike landed on top of the snake, its muddy and stone covered back too thick for it to notice an unwanted presence. Spike then quickly ran up the serpent's back until he reached the top of the head.
Blueblood gasped in amazement as Spike blew fire into his claws until they were red and smoking, then he thrust his claws into the serpent's eyes.
Spike gagged as he felt the serpent's eyes melting in his grasp. If only he had another set of claws to try and block the deafening screeching the rock serpent was making as it tried to buck Spike off. However, the dragon stayed firm until Blueblood unsheathed a silver sword with a sapphire color hilt, and slashed at the serpent's exposed belly. The blade cut clean through and was covered in a sickly green. Then, almost as if in slow motion, the monster's body came crashing down, jolting Spike enough to send him toppling over the rock serpent's head and skidding to a stop in front of Blueblood.
"Amazing!" Blueblood gasped while helping Spike up, "but dragon's lost the ability to breathe fire long ago. So how can you breath it?"
Spike shook his claws, flinging bits of eyeball everywhere. "I don't know. I was never able to breathe fire up until I got sucked into Twilight's soul, I think."
Spike thought he saw a glimmer of something in Blueblood's eyes, but it was quickly replaced with intrigue. "Hmm, that is...odd. But it will be a great asset to the knight squad."
"Wait, really!?" Spike gasped, his mouth beaming like a colt in a candy store.
"Yes, I was quite impressed with your technique. And the fire you posses will help us greatly." Blueblood replied, earning a hug from Spike. "Heh, well come along. We should get washed up, and I'll introduce you to our last team member."
Spike gazed at the empty training field and gasped. A sparing area, which consisted of a large square covered in dirt and sand, stood in the middle. On the right was a small wooden shack where training weapons were kept, and the left has stacks of barrels where water was left out for the dehydrated knights.
"This is amazing, but why are we here?" Spike asked as he and Blueblood made their way over to the barrels.
"Because on non training days like these, you can usually find our last member behind these barrels." Blueblood answered.
When they peered behind one, they saw a stallion with a caramel colored coat leaning against the barrel, snoring softly.
"CARAMEL!" Blueblood shouted, causing Caramel to awake with a knife quickly in his mouth. However, when he saw Blueblood and Spike, Caramel spit the blade out of his mouth and onto the grass.
"Ugh, what do ya want?" He grumbled.
"Recovering from a hangover? What happened to not drinking on the job?"
"Yeah, yeah. What do ya want? An' who's tis shrimp?"
"Our newest teammate."
"Yer kiddin'."
"Nope."
Caramel let out a long sigh and staggered from behind the barrel. "Well, call meh when ya git ta mission start'n." He began to walk away, only for Blueblood to block his path.
"I'm going to wait for Shining Armor and his team to return. Until then, I want you to show Spike to his new room." Blueblood ordered.
Spike gulped before following Caramel to a large brick building with flags of three blue diamonds hanging by the top of the building.
When inside, Spike was quickly ushered up a spiraling staircase to the second floor where pictures of poised ponies in decades of royal armor dotted the pale walls. There were snowy white floors that sparkled when sunlight from a big window
"Tis iz where we knights sleep. Follow meh."
Spike couldn't help smiling. He would get to sleep in a room that could've belonged to a famous knight! However, they soon stopped to a single door that was covered in scrapes and nicks. At first, Spike thought that this was a joke. But when Caramel opened the door and yanked Spike inside, his smile began to deflate.
"Since ah never knew 'bout any new knight, you'll haf ta sleep in tis here storage room." Caramel explained.
The room had a plain bed covered in dust, two bare bookshelves that only held cobwebs, and a small table with dust and cracks that seemed to make an otherworldly map.
"Uhh, thanks?" Spike replied.
"Eh, it'll probably look better once ya clean it." Caramel said. "Anyway, be prepared ta begin waking up early. Now ah gotta go, so rest up."
Spike cringed when Caramel slammed the door before checking the bed for bugs. When he found none, Spike curled up with a thin yellow blanket and drifted off to sleep.
Spike awoke with a yawn. He slowly slid out of his new bed and took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, today was his big day after all. Spike only hoped that Luna was the only vile alicorn out there.
Luna. Just thinking of that name sent a cold gust of wind down his spine.
Suddenly, the door opened and Twilight trotted inside. She eyed the room with a crinkled snout before giving Spike a warm smile. "Good morning Spike."
"Morning Twilight," Spike replied.
"Commander Blueblood wants us all to see him in the meeting room," Twilight explained while using her magic to make his bed and clean any dust-coated surroundings.
Spike gave a quick nod before walking out the door, Twilight still dusting behind him.
The meeting room was downstairs and in an almost hidden corner of the floor plan. A portrait of Queen Rarity sat in the middle of the room, along with a long birch wood table covered in maps. Torches dotting the corners of the room served as the only light source.
"Good morning Spike and Twilight." Commander Blueblood welcomed the wide eyed recruits. "Take a seat and we will begin our meeting."
Once they all took their seats around the table, Blueblood cleared his throat. "As Shining Armor said yesterday, we have received reports of the Harvest Alicorn in Baltimare. Our carriages will take us to the outskirts of the city where we will make camp. Shining Armor and Twilight, you will need to guard our camp while the rest of us go into the city to try and dig up clues to where this alicorn could be."
"Understood," Shining Armor replied.
"Okay," Twilight smiled.
Blueblood then shifted his gaze to Rusty and Spike, "I need you two to go into town and stock up on supplies. This is a serious mission so I want us to be fully prepared."
"Fine," Caramel sighed.
"Leave everything to us!" Spike grinned.
Commander Blueblood looked at his team one last time before giving them permission to leave.
Canterlot Square was packed full of ponies. Spike had to dodge left and right just to avoid being trampled on. Seeing this, Caramel rolled his eyes but allowed Spike to climb onto his back. Once on, they headed towards a small building drenched in pink and blue paint. A sign above the door read 'Pinkie's Sweet Tooth Bakery' in bright rainbow colors.
"This is where we get most of our food. Pinkie Pie, the owner, is a good friend of Queen Rarity so we always get a good discount from her store," Rusty explained before the duo entered the store.
The inside gave off a homey atmosphere. Small tables and chairs dotted the space and a large display case sat in the middle of the room. Spike instantly jumped off of Caramel's back and pressed his face against the cool glass. His mouth began to water as he saw chocolate cakes with creamy white frosting, chocolate chip cookies the size of a pony's hoof, and cinnamon rolls with icing dripping from the top.
"You have to try the cinnamon rolls! Granny Pie always said you can't start a morning without a cinnamon roll in your tummy!" A pink mare wearing an apron exclaimed.
Spike looked up at the mare and smiled sheepishly.
"Howdy Pinkie Pie. We'll need couple days worth of food. Got ah new mission an' everything." Caramel piped up while trotting towards the two.
"Caramel! Long time no see, just take a seat and I'll be right back!" Pinkie Pie sang before bouncing off to the kitchen.
Once she was gone, Caramel gave Spike a little shove. "Didn't ya eat breakfast?"
Spike shook his head. "I guess I was so excited about the meeting that breakfast just slipped my mind." His stomach growled a response.
Pinkie Pie came bouncing back, a wagon full of large paper bags trailing behind her.
"This should keep you all full during your mission. And your payment comes to one hundred bits."
Caramel dug a sack of bits from his saddlebag and handled it to Pinkie Pie. The mare held it for some time before smiling and trotting back into the kitchen, only to turn around and wave a quick goodbye.
"Well, how iz it?" Caramel asked.
Spike licked the sticky icing from his claws, crumbs of cinnamon pastry speckled his mouth. "Delicious. Pinkie Pie sure has a gift when it comes to food."
They were slowly making their way to a stone structure where the smell of smoke and sweat made Spike gag. Twisted metal hung from the opened roof, spelling out the words 'Apple's Weaponry.'
"Ya can bring ta wagon inside. Tey don't mind," Caramel explained before opening the door and ushering Spike inside.
The walls and floor were completely stone and three openings were carved into them. However, diamond shaped gems dotted the walls, creating different constellations that reminded Spike of when he and Twilight would stay up on the weekends and watch the stars through their mom's telescope. He clenched his claws. Luna was going to pay for what she did to his mom.
"Howdy!" A merry voice sounded before a small filly cantered out from one of the carved out openings labeled 'Work Room #1'. Her body was drenched in sweat and thick goggles covered her eyes.
"Howdy Apple Bloom. Where's yer sister? We are going on ah mission an need some light weight weapons tat travel easily."
"She's taking stock. Hold on, ah'll git her," Apple Bloom answered before skipping into the second opening labeled 'Storeroom.'
Once she left, Spike let out a sigh. "Hey Caramel, how come no pony seems fazed that I'm a dragon? Back in Ponyville, everypony freaked out before getting use to me."
"Tat was sudden," Caramel smirked.
"I know. It's just that, you would think somepony would at least give me a weird look."
"Well, tis is Canterlot. Sometimes when ah leader comes to talk politics with Queen Rarity, some ov their subjects come a wandering 'round Canterlot. So ponies here are use ta seeing dragons an griffons here," Caramel answered.
"An tey bring mighty good business." A mare with the same thick goggles on top of her forehead piped up. Her emerald eyes twinkled.
"How's business Applejack?" Caramel greeted.
"Same as always," Applejack replied, "anyways, Apple Bloom says ya need some new weapons fer tis mission ov yers?"
"Yup. An maybe ya can git something fer Spike here since his only weapon seems ta be his claws."
Spike wanted to say that he could also breath fire, but quickly bit his tongue. After all, fire breathing dragons have never been heard of. Sure these ponies seemed nice and all, but there was always that chance that once they learned the truth, Spike would be looked down upon in fear for his power. Fire was deadly after all.
Applejack scratched her chin before motioning Caramel and Spike into the storeroom.
"Woah!" Spike gasped once they entered, causing Applejack to smile.
"Eeyup! We got pretty much every kind ov weapon ya need. Just grab something off one ov ta shelves," Applejack smiled.
The storeroom was filled from wall to wall with all sorts of weapons. From knives and swords to axes and guns. There were even some that Spike had never seen before!
"Are ya more or a close or long range attacker?" Apple Bloom asked, seemingly to appear out of thin air, causing Spike to jump.
"Oh um, I'm more of a close range attacker."
"Ten follow meh," Apple Bloom smiled before trotting off, Spike right on her heels.
They soon stopped at a shelf lined with different kinds of wooden swords. All with a reddish tint to them. Spike picked up the nearest one with a thin, medium size blade. The wood was smooth to the touch and quite heavy.
"Apple Bloom, why is this sword so heavy?" Spike asked.
"Cause it's made from redwood." Apple Bloom answered. "An' since redwood is practically flame resistant, ya won't have ta worry bout it catching on fire an burning down."
"Cool!" Spike exclaimed. "It is a bit heavy, but I think I'll get use to the weight."
"Great! Take this then," Apple Bloom pointed to a sheath made from tan colored wood and had a black piece of rope attached to it. When Spike picked it up, he was surprised at how light it was. Carefully, he placed the sword in the sheath and tied the rope around his waist. Satisfied it wouldn't come loose, Spike grinned.
"I think ya found yer new weapon." Caramel whistled while he and Applejack trotted over to the two youngsters. He was caring an old apple sack on his back that was full of weapons. "Now come on Spike, Commander Blueblood doesn't like ta be kept waiting."
Once they said their goodbyes to Applejack and Apple Bloom, the two set off to the castle gate. When they got there, Spike gave the wagon to a couple of pegasi who began to pile the things in one of the carriages Spike and Twilight arrived in.
"How did your shopping trip go?" Twilight asked.
"It went great! The shop keepers are really nice and friendly."
"Spike, Twilight, are you two ready?" Commander Blueblood questioned while getting into one of the carriages.
Twilight and Spike nodded before piling into a carriage. Then, the pegasi hooked themselves up and took to the sky.
A filly wearing a tiara stood in the middle of what once was a town. Smoke blocked out the sun and it filled her lungs with that sickening scent. Ponies lay twisted and piled by the dozen. Her body was covered in blood.
She laughed and stomped on a severed leg that once belonged to a hideous pony. She laughed when she saw a colt crying out for his mommy to wake up. She laughed and laughed until her artwork was blocked by a light red stallion.
"Diamond Tiara," His deep voice was almost a whisper. But Diamond Tiara stopped laughing and looked down at the bloody ground.
"Sorry Big Mac. But I got bored and ponies were being really annoying with all their screaming." Diamond Tiara tried to explain, only to receive a glare.
"Sorry it took so long," The smoke was enveloped in a dark blue and was pushed away, creating a path for Luna and Rainbow Dash to land.
"Luna!" Diamond exclaimed while Big Mac gave a quick bow.
"It seems this town will be more blood then stone," Luna remarked, her icy voice causing Diamond Tiara's face to drain of color. "But this will be dealt with later. Now, stand close. I shall envelope this town in stone,"
Once the chariots left, Spike and his comrades began setting up camp. An elder willow tree provided Spike the perfect location for his sleeping bag.
"You're pretty far away from everypony," Shining Armor commented. The sack of weapons and a standard sleeping bag balanced on his back.
"I just don't want to accidentally wake somepony up with my snoring," Spike admitted.
Shining Armor gave a small smile before dumping his belongings onto the ground. "Well, luckily I'm a heavy sleeper."
Spike returned the smile and helped roll out Shining's sleeping bag. However, when he spotted the sack of weapons curiosity got the better of him. "Um, Shining Armor, why do you have the bag of weapons?"
"Because it is my duty as a knight and member of the Armor Family to make sure these weapons are in fine condition!" Shining answered while puffing out his chest. His light blue eyes twinkled at the mention of his family's name.
"Well, it seems like everypony is still setting up. Is there anything I can help you with before I leave?" Spike suggested.
Shining Armor scratched his chin and frowned. "Hm, there isn't nearly enough time for me to go over all these weapons with you. Tell you what, when you come back from Baltimare I'll go over what each type of weapon is called and their use. Then tomorrow morning I'll show you how to clean and inspect every weapon."
Spike gave a hesitant nod. Just thinking about his upcoming weaponry learning made his head hurt. However, Shining Armor seemed happy about teaching him the basics. Plus, he would get to know his fellow knight a bit better.
"Spike! We are heading into Baltimare!" Caramel shouted.
Spike gave a quick wave goodbye to Shining and jogged over to Blueblood and Caramel. Stopping only to give Twilight a quick hug.
"Tell me all about Baltimare when you come back, okay?" Twilight smiled.
"It's a promise," Spike replied.
The trip was a lot shorter then what Spike expected. They trotted through a small dirt path for a couple of minutes before finding themselves out of the forest and right in front of the famous coastal city.
Baltimare was a decent sized city. Stone houses were worn smooth from the salty air, and stalls selling anything like pearls to shells lined the sand-dusted streets.
Spike was instantly drawn to fisherponies chattering on the docks and bringing in ships filled with imported goods. However, before he could take a step into this grand city, a hoof reached out and quickly grabbed him.
"Remember Spike, do not under any circumstance do you talk or even mention alicorns or magic. These ponies are welcoming, but if you even hint about magic, they will turn you to the guard," Blueblood whispered, his voice sent shivers down Spike's back.
"U-understood." Spike whimpered before being released.
"Good," Caramel piped up before trotting into the city,"now tat we got tat outta ta way, lets find us ta mayor ov tis city!"
Blueblood gave a quick nod before walking into the city's square, Caramel and Spike following close behind. The smell of rotting sea life made bile rise in Spike's throat, but he quickly swallowed it.
"Ya git use ta it." Caramel whispered.
Soon the small team found themselves in front of a two story building the color of butter. Letters carved into the structure verified that this indeed was where the mayor resided. Spike opened the light wood door and ushered Blueblood and Caramel inside.
Inside there was a large oak table, pictures of Baltimare during her early days, a spiral staircase, and a few plush chairs thrown about. Behind the table was a plump unicorn with a pale blue coat. His bright orange top hat and purple suit blinded Spike for a few seconds.
"Mayor Claude, my name is Commander Blueblood and these are my fellow soldiers, Spike and Caramel," Blueblood informed.
Mayor Claude's eyes widened as big as saucers, "Th-the royal knights! It's a honor to have you at my lovely city! But um, why are you here?"
"We hear the Harvest...Alicorn is somewhere in this city, if so please tell us where she is," Blueblood answered.
Claude's eyes darkened and his brows creased. "That damn Harvest Alicorn nearly caused this city's destruction! She made it so that our food would spoil and she would use her vile magic to destroy incoming trading ships."
"Yet it looks ta me tat tis place iz running pretty well." Caramel piped up, causing Claude to grin.
"Well, I don't want to brag, but once I was elected mayor I had that vile monster exiled. Of course everypony wanted her head, but she was still a filly at the time. So banishment was the best option. Then, with her gone, everypony helped one another to rebuild our city."
"Well then, do you know where she is now?" Blueblood questioned.
Claude scratched his chin and frowned. "Hmm, a few weeks ago a few fillies said they spotted her in the forest around here. However, when I sent a few ponies to see, they came back empty."
"Thank you for your help." Blueblood responded before motioning Caramel and Spike that it was time to go.
"Ain't right." Caramel muttered under his breath, causing Spike to raise an eyebrow. After all, this city seemed to be doing quite fine under the guidance of Mayor Claude. So why did Caramel seem so tense? Spike let out a small sigh. Caramel was probably just paranoid that they were in a different city....right?
Once they got back, Blueblood filled Shining Armor and Twilight about what they found out.
"So it looks like we're dealing with another evil alicorn," Twilight mumbled.
"We'll have to keep a close eye tonight, in case she decides to pay us a visit," Shining Armor said.
"Correct. So I will keep first watch. They rest of you get your things prepared and sleep light in case we find ourselves in a fight," Blueblood announced.
Spike's stomach churned. If this Harvest Alicorn was anything like Luna, the thought made him tremble. Sure he and Twilight had magic, but they were still new to the concept and couldn't possibly battle another alicorn who probably had years to perfect her magic. If anything, Spike wasn't so sure he would sleep tonight.
Stars twinkled in the inky black sky and came together to create mythical creatures to protect the heavens. Spike gazed at the twisted constellations and carefully recreated them on the ground, the tip of his sword picking up small clouds of dirt. His eyes grew wary and twice he almost fell asleep, only to be startled by a twig snapping or the occasional owl.
Spike slowly got to his feet and stretched. Being on lookout duty wasn't quite as fun as some books led him to believe. Though, the more he thought about it, Spike was glad his shift so far was uneventful. Rarity only knows what would happen to Spike and his friends if the elusive Harvest Alicorn decided to show up.
Spike stared into the dwindling fire. The unearthly glow bathed him and his comrades in shadows that seemed to sway in tune with his very breath. Then, he heard the sound of hoofsteps. Quickly, he shifted his head in the direction of the noise. Spike's heartbeats quickened as the sound got louder and louder. Spike looked from Twilight to Blueblood who were still fast asleep. Even the snores confirmed that Shining Armor and Caramel were off in dreamland as well. Of course he could try and wake everypony up, but that would take time and judging from the hoofsteps time was something Spike was sadly beginning to lack.
Maybe it isn't the Harvest Alicorn, Spike thought hopefully to himself, but a small part of him knew that wasn't so.
He took a deep breath and gripped his sword till his knuckles turned white. Then, Spike slowly made his way towards the hoofsteps. His stomach seemingly doing flips every time he heard a twig snap or an owl's hoot.
"Hello?" A voice called out.
Spike stopped in his tracks. This voice has to belong to the Harvest Alicorn, yet the tone didn't seem threatening at all. Of course she could be faking it, yet that same small part of him told Spike that she wasn't. Call it a dragon's intuition.
"Um, hi!" Spike replied loud enough so that the Harvest Alicorn could hear him without the others being awoken by the noise.
A bush began to shake and out stepped a light amber mare with soft aqua eyes. Her horn was smaller then Twilight's and her wings were tightly pressed against her sides. The mare eyed Spike warily before taking a small step backwards.
"You're the Harvest Alicorn, right?" Spike asked while slowly lowering his sword.
"Y-yes. Please, don't kill me! I'm not in Baltimare anymore." The Harvest Alicorn begged, her pupils were shrunk and her breath quickened.
Spike slowly placed his sword back in its sheath, a tint of guilt crossed his mind. Either she was a really good actress, or something terribly wrong happened to his poor mare.
"My name's Spike, what's your name?" Spike questioned. Hoping that if she did turn out to be faking it, at least he could try to stall her until his friends woke up.
"Sunset...Sunset Shimmer." She answered. "What are you doing here, Spike?"
"To um, find the Harvest Alicorn and bring her to Queen Rarity." Spike explained.
Sunset Shimmer's eyes twinkled. "Queen Rarity!? W-why me? Oh no, its because she wants to kill me, isn't it? Please Spike, I-I don't wanna-"
"Hold it!" Spike interrupted, "Why do you think everypony is after you Sunset?"
She let out a sigh and slumped onto the ground. "You...don't know a lot about Baltimare, do you?"
Once Spike shook his head no, she took a deep breath, "You see, Baltimare doesn't have the best history with magic. With sea serpents using their powers to create huge storms in order to crash ships, unicorns having magical duels in the streets, and sirens leading ponies to their death. So, when magic disappeared from Equestria, famous story tellers in Baltimare wrote books and stories on the dangers of magic. And, through time, the ponies began to fear and despise magic so much that even the mention of it or anything related to magic stirred their hatred."
"That's awful!" Spike gasped.
Sunset Shimmer nodded her head, "I guess, though before I was granted with this..this curse, I was one of those haters. However, when I became the Harvest Alicorn, I was fairly young and didn't know how to control my newfound powers. I caused massive damage to my beloved city, and everypony wanted me dead. However, Mayor Claude was kind enough to move me here in the forest where he says I'll be the safest. All I have to do is make sure their food grows and to redirect any monsters or beasts that accidentally wander close to the city. Then, Mayor Claude said that if I do a really good job, the ponies will like me again and I can come back to Baltimare!"
"Interesting."
Spike turned around and say Commander Blueblood slowly trotting towards them. He gave Sunset and Spike a slight smile, yet his eyes were dark.
"C-commander?" Spike gasped.
"My apologize for eavesdropping, but your chatter woke me up." Blueblood said before looking at Sunset Shimmer, "I believe the mayor is hiding something. You say he was kind, yet when we talked with him, he had anything but kind words when describing you."
Sunset Stood up, a small frown plastered her face. "No, you're wrong! Mayor Claude is the only pony who comes to check on me! He gives me food, compliments me on the amazing work I'm doing, and he saved me from being executed!"
Blueblood let out a long sigh and looked up at the sky. Through the leaves he could see that dawn was slowly coming. "Spike, let us go pay Mayor Claude another visit. I have some...questions I'd like to ask." He then looked back at Sunset Shimmer and gave her a quick nod before leaving, Spike following close behind.
"Ah, so good to see you!" Mayor Claude bellowed as Commander Blueblood and Spike entered his office. "Though this is quite an early meeting. I hope your search went well."
"Yes, in fact, we had a pleasant conversation with her." Blueblood replied.
Spike saw the mayor tense up for a second before putting on a big smile. "Oh? And what did she say?"
Spike thought was Blueblood would make something up. For if Blueblood told the mayor that they knew everything, Spike could only imagine what the mayor would do to Sunset Shimmer if he knew that she unknowingly told his plan to complete strangers. However, what Blueblood said made Spike gasp.
"That you use her. Breaking her down until she'll do anything you say? Sickening." Blueblood spat. His eyes were narrow and a frown was etched into his face. Somehow, seeing Blueblood like this made Spike feel like the room got a whole lot colder.
"I only told her the truth. Everypony hates magic here, and she is the very embodiment of it. As for having her do anything I say, isn't that what we all do? As a leading commander, you get pleased when your soldiers follow your orders and punish them when they don't. Well, I'm the commander and Sunset is my soldier. There's nothing against that."
Blueblood and Claude got into a staring contest. Spike could feel the temperature dropping even more as the two stared. Then, what seemed like hours, Blueblood broke away.
"Spike, let's go." Blueblood said, his voice putting Spike on edge.
When they were outside, Spike practically had to jog in order to keep up with Blueblood.
"W-what are we gonna do?" Spike huffed.
"You are going to deliver a note to Queen Rarity asking for a background check on Mayor Claude." Blueblood replied.
Spike gave him a blank look. Sure he has magic powers, but unless Spike could somehow fly he had no idea how to deliver a letter all the way from here to Canterlot by himself.
Blueblood let out a sigh, "Your green flames leads me to believe that you are a messenger dragon. Long ago, their flames had a special ability that allowed them to teleport selective things such as paper to places of their choosing. So, ponies would use them to deliver messages quickly to one another."
"Neat!" Spike grinned, "but, if I'm the only messenger dragon that has this power, how is Queen Rarity going to send me the background check?"
Blueblood smiled and slowed to a walk. "She will most likely have a pegasus fly it over to us. Now come, we have a letter to write! "
Queen Rarity gazed at a faded map that was yellow with age. Her brow wrinkled as she circled yet another town with red ink.
"Do not worry Your Highness, Commander Blueblood and his team with stop Luna." Fancy Pants piped up while placing some scrolls into a shelf.
They were in one of the many storerooms the castle hid within its walls. However, unlike the usual rooms used to keep food cold or wealth hidden from sticky hoofed servants, this room was dedicated to maps of every land known to ponykind and scrolls upon scrolls with detailed history on every living creature. But right now, it was mostly used to document Luna's attacks in hope to find a pattern.
Rarity let out an exasperated sigh and ran a hoof through her beaded mane. "That makes five attacks, yet they're all so over the place!" She dropped the pencil in frustration and buried her face in her forehooves.
Fancy Pants trotted up to the queen and hesitantly patted her back. "Your army is doing the best they can and if what Blueblood said is true, then all the ponies encased in stone will be able to break free."
Suddenly, a green flash of light appeared in front of them, causing the unicorns to jump back and Rarity to let out a slight scream. However, when it disappeared, a neatly folded piece of paper rested on the table.
"What was that?" Rarity gasped.
Fancy Pants hesitantly trotted to the paper and carefully unfolded it and began to read the elegant font.
"What does it say?"
"Hmm, apparently Blueblood and his team ran into a bit of trouble and they need...Mayor Claude of Baltimare's...background?"
Rarity placed a hoof to her chin before getting up and trotting towards a towering cabinet and opening it. Inside were rows upon rows of neatly stacked parchment paper with faces of ponies on them. She quickly scanned through the piles before coming to a heavily written piece of paper. Quickly, she grabbed the paper and handed it off to Fancy Pants.
"Take this to the fastest flyer and have them deliver it to Blueblood's camp." Rarity ordered.
Fancy Pants gave a quick bow before heading off. Once he was gone, Rarity slouched and let out a deep breath.
"Please find the Harvest Alicorn and soon," Rarity pleaded to the scrolls and maps around her.
"...and this here is a katana which is primarily used for...Spike, are you listening?" Shining Armor asked while gently setting the sword back into a smooth bamboo sheath.
After sending out the letter to Queen Rarity, Blueblood had Caramel and Twilight keeping tabs on where Sunset Shimmer was in case the mayor decided to give her a visit. That left him, Shining Armor, and Spike to hold down their campsite until they received a reply from the queen.
"Hm? Sorry Shining, I just have a lot on my mind." Spike replied in a monotone voice.
Shining Armor let out a sigh, "If what you told us is true, then it's only natural you'd worry about this Sunset's safety. But don't worry, Commander Blueblood's plans always work. Once we get that letter, we'll go straight to Sunset Shimmer and hopefully arrest that coward of a mayor."
Spike fell onto his back and gazed up at the cloudless sky. "I know...it's just, I can't not worry about her safety. And having to stay here isn't helping."
Shining Armor stood up, his joints releasing a soft cracking noise. "Don't worry. He may not look like it, but Caramel is the best trackers I know. Plus, with his deadly knife skills and your friend's magical abilities, if this mayor did decide to hurt Sunset, well, he better watch out."
This caused Spike to give a small grin, "Yeah, I hope you're right."
"Ah see light up ahead, move it." Caramel whispered to Twilight before cantering off in the direction of a ghastly light blue glow, Twilight following close behind.
As they moved, Twilight couldn't help but get a little sweaty. This will be the first time she ever saw this elusive Harvest Alicorn, and she wanted to make a good impression. Plus, this mare was supposedly an alicorn at a very young age. Which means she must know tons of useful spells, spells that Twilight was itching to learn.
Soon the trees broke away, revealing a large grotto covered in flowers. In the middle was a small wooden shack that has grape vines snaking up and down the structure creating extravagant swirls and loops. A little off to the left was a stone well, and off to the right was the biggest garden Twilight ever saw. All sorts of veggies from carrots to corn grew in giant bundles, and fruit from velvet red apples to sunset oranges hung from about a dozen or so fruit trees, creating an overwhelming fruity scent.
"She ain't called ta Harvest Alicorn for nothing." Caramel gasped while licking his lips.
Twilight breathed in the fruity air and sighed dreamily. However, a small part of her couldn't help but be a little bit jealous. If the Harvest Alicorn can make food grow in great bundles, and Luna can raise the moon, then what was the Galaxy Alicorn expose to do? She can't control the stars since they come out along with the moon, so what was the Galaxy Alicorn's purpose? Maybe when they got back she could ask Queen Rarity, that is if Fancy Pants will allow her.
"Equestria ta Twilight, look." Caramel whispered while nudging Twilight with a bit more force then she liked. Twilight gave him a quick glare before returning her focus on the scene before them.
Sunset Shimmer was trotting towards her home, but was suddenly stopped by Mayor Claude who came through her front door. Quickly, Twilight put up a small teleportation spell and the two eavesdroppers found themselves a few hooves away from Sunset and Claude, but they were luckily taking cover behind a few bushes.
"What do you mean? Sure Blueblood was a little weird, but Spike was really nice," Sunset exclaimed.
Claude shook his head and wrapped a hoof around Sunset's shoulders. "Don't be played as a fool, my dear. Those two want to hurt our wonderful town. Not only that, but they also want to hurt you."
Sunset's eyes lowered to the ground and she began to shake. "But..Sp-Spike was so nice."
"Dragons only care about gold, my dear. They will lie and cheat their way to the top. Have you learned nothing from the history books?"
Sunset took in a shaky breath. Of course she's read Baltimare's history books numerous times. They were written by some of the most well known historians in Equestria so of course they had to be right...right?
"Okay, but what should I do?"
"Kill them."
Twilight grabbed a hold of Caramel and quickly cast another teleportation spell before the stallion could wrestle free and ram a hoof in Mayor Claude's skull.
A shining purple light pulsated from the ground before receding, leaving Twilight and an enraged Caramel on the ground.
"Twilight!" Spike rushed to his adopted sister's aid and quickly helped her up, "What happened?"
Caramel spit on the ground and kicked up some dirt. "Tat no good ass sniffer son of a-"
"Slow down Caramel, tell us what happened." Blueblood interrupted.
"Claude filled Sunset's head with lies! Now she's coming after us cause he said we're bad," Caramel explained.
"What should we do Commander?" Shining Armor asked.
However, before Blueblood could reply, the ground beneath them began to shake and open up, causing everypony to try and gallop away. Spike quickly hopped onto Twilight's back and the two took off into the sky where they saw a giant dirt cloud sweep over their camp, or what was left of it anyways.
Once the dirt settled, they saw a massive oak tree with it's branches outstretched, seemingly blocking their only known path to Baltimare. And on one of the branches was Sunset Shimmer.
"Turn back now and I won't have to harm you!" Sunset shouted while Twilight flew back to the ground to rejoin their team.
"Open yer eyes! Tat no good mayor iz using you!" Caramel exclaimed.
Sunset Shimmer flew down from her perch and landed on the ground with a thud. "No he isn't! He's just looking out for the well being of the town!"
"Only try to incapacitate her," Shining Armor piped up. "Right now her loyalty is to Mayor Claude, so trying to reason with her is fruitless."
"Okay." Everypony replied before getting into their battle stages.
Sunset Shimmer took a step back as the group slowly approached her. She knew that her magic was powerful, but took awhile to cast, and time was unfortunately not on her side today. However, as she looked at her newfound foes, she realized that only one of them had wings too. Grinning a little, Sunset Shimmer began to put her plans into action. She slowly unfurled her wings and then jumped into the air before pumping her wings, wincing a little at the strain of taking off so quickly.
She heard the ponies and dragon on the ground gasp, which earned a grin on her face. However, that grin faltered when she saw something flying mere inches from her face. When Sunset looked down, she saw a caramel colored stallion with steel bladed knives in his mouth. He made eye contact with her before throwing back his head and opening his mouth, allowing the blades to fly freely right towards her.
Sunset quickly dodged to the left before letting out a yelp as she felt a blade graze the tip of her ear. She gave the stallion a quick glare before flying into the leaves of her newly sprouted oak tree. Of course because of her coat, blending in will have little effect. However, she just needed a bit of time to cast a spell. So she closed her eyes and concentrated on her spell. Sunset's head began to ache and her hooves were starting to go numb. However, she kept going. After all, it was her job to protect Baltimare from harm.
The leaves around her began to shake as a muffled voice seemed to cry out to her. However, Sunset couldn't move nor could she open her eyes. She felt a presence, however, and the voice, no, voices were getting louder. Sunset could tell they were shouting, and she felt her body trying to be fruitlessly dragged. But her magic held her firmly in place. She wanted to grin. Once this spell was finished, whoever is with her would get the full force of her power!
Sunset Shimmer felt that her spell was complete. Smiling on the inside, she released the spell from her horn before crumpling to the ground as practically her entire supply on magic left her body. She kept her eyes closed, knowing how blinding this particular spell was. However, she sensed a strange, almost heavenly presence. And as it grew and grew, Sunset couldn't help but open her eyes to see what it was.
Twilight felt like a thousand bolts of electricity just coursed through her body. It took all her and Spike's efforts combined to absorb Sunset's spell. Twilight looked over at Spike who laid in a crumpled heap, but the rise and fall of his stomach showed that he was unconscious, but alive.
"H-how did you?" Sunset croaked, her mouth and throat feeling like sandpaper.
"Commander Blueblood said that alicorns are sensitive to magical aura. Which is why, during the old Equestrian days, their magic supply replenished faster then everypony else because their bodies absorbed magical aura quicker then them. So, I tried to redirect your flow of magic into me. However, the spell was too powerful, so Spike tried to help by channeling some of the magic into him as well." Twilight explained with a cough.
Sunset let out a long sigh and placed her head on her forelegs. "Please...don't hurt Baltimare."
Twilight limped to the fallen alicorn and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Why would you every think we'd harm Baltimare? We only came here because we need you in order to break Luna's curse."
Sunset Shimmer slowly got up. Black spots began to linger in her eyes, but she stood her ground. "You....you-" Darkness pooled her vision and Sunset collapsed in a slumbering heap. Twilight let out a small sigh before using her magic to carefully levitate Spike onto her back and Sunset a few inches in the air. Then, she trotted out into the open and descended towards the ground where her comrades awaited.
Spike slowly opened his eyes. His body felt like greenheart wood and when he tried to sit up, Spike's head felt like it was about to explode. He let out a grunt of pain and laid his head back down before closing his eyes once again.
...
Spike wandered through a lush field covered in gold flowers. The sky was...well, he couldn't make out where the sky was for his eyes only looked straight ahead, and when he did manage to catch a peek from above, all he saw was a swirling mass of darkness where currents of ebony and charcoal collided with one another like waves on a beach.
Spike felt oddly nostalgic, like he's been here before. Yet, he somehow has no memories of ever being here. He pondered his reason being here as a dream. But, when he came to a velvety red pond, a figure in front of him made him freeze.
There was a filly laying half submersed in the water. Her coat was stained a light red, though Spike could make out some white splotches the water missed. Her horn was somewhat sharp and her curly mane completely covered her face. Spike slowly walked towards her, breathing a sigh of relief once he noticed the rise and fall of her stomach. However, when he tried to reach out to her, the ground shook and crumpled, revealing demonic looking ponies with twisted dragonfly like wings and claws instead of hooves. They swarmed Spike as he tried to kick and snap at them, his mouth lit with lime green flames.
But when he killed one, two took its place. Soon, Spike could feel his body giving away as darkness covered his vision once again. ......... "Spike!"
"Ugh..."
"Spike!"
Spike opened his eyes and saw Twilight staring right at him. Her eyes were red and when he tried to get up, she gave him a giant hug.
"Please never do something like that again!" She sobbed.
"Sorry," Spike replied, tears beginning to brim his eyes, "What happened when I was out? Is Sunset okay? Where you able to get rid of that mayor?"
Twilight released her embrace and helped Spike to dry his eyes. "A few hours after we placed you in this makeshift tent, Sunset teleported away once she awoke, but luckily Caramel went chasing after her. But..." a small frown found its way onto her lips, "when Caramel reported back, he said that not only did Claude take her, but he also had these ponies in bloodied steel armor take everything from her garden and destroy her home."
Spike's claws turned into fists as he shakily stood up. "Where you able to save her?"
"Caramel found out that they took her in an old factory close to the mayor's place. However, it was swarming with the same armored ponies so Commander Blueblood said that we needed everypony to beat them-"
"How long was I out?"
"A day," Twilight answered.
"Then we need to go and sa-" Spike exclaimed while heading out of the tent, only to feel Twilight's hoof resting firmly on his shoulder.
"Spike, it's nighttime. Everypony is asleep. But don't worry, tomorrow we'll save Sunset Shimmer."
Spike let out a sigh before climbing back into the sleeping bag laid before him. Twilight nestled in the other and gave Spike a small smile before laying her head down and falling fast asleep. Spike laid his head down too, but he couldn't muster the will to fall asleep just yet. There was still that dream after all and just thinking about it made his head hurt.
Where was he? Why gold flowers? Why is it that when he thought about that place, his stomach would do flips and his claws felt clammy?
But most importantly, who was the blood stained filly he saw, and is she okay?
When the first light of dawn peeked out from behind the trees, Spike stiffly crawled out of his sleeping bag and stepped outside before shielding his eyes from the sun's rays. Once his eyes adjusted, he looked at what remained of their now ragged camp.
Most of the ground was still uprooted, creating mounds of dirt and twisted tree roots. Dangling from a branch was their weapon stash, and by a root that curved into somewhat of a 'c' shape was Blueblood, who was talking to Shining Armor, a pearl white scroll just peeking out from the commander's saddlebag. When Spike turned his head to the left, he could see Caramel throwing knives at a crudely drawn target which was attached to a tree with a spare knife.
Letting out a sigh, Spike made his way to Blueblood and Shining Armor, once Spike got within their field of vision, the two stopped talking and trotted over to Spike.
"How are you feeling?" Blueblood asked.
"Sore, but I'll be fine," Spike replied while rubbing his neck.
"Well, today's the big day, so make sure you're prepared before we leave." Shining Armor piped up while giving Spike a quick pat on the back, causing Spike to lurch forward due to the stallion's strength.
"Um, okay." Spike said, regaining his composure.
"Anyways," Blueblood exclaimed, "Shining Armor and I will be looking over the weapons to make sure they are still intact. If you need us, you know where to find us."
He then motioned for Shining Armor before the two headed towards the dangling sack.
Once they were a little ways off, Spike made his way towards Caramel who was now guzzling down a water from a silver canteen. As he walked closer, he noticed that Caramel was wearing a slim, light brown vest with empty slots on the sides. When Caramel saw Spike staring from the corner of his eye, he dropped the canteen with a plop and wiped his muzzle, stray water droplet splashed onto the ground.
"Wat can ah do fer ya?" Caramel asked while trotting over to his target that looked more like a porcupine from all the knife handles sticking out.
"I um, wanted to ask you about where they took Sunset. Exactly how guarded is that place?" Spike questioned while helping Caramel getting the knives from the tree.
Caramel placed a knife into an empty slot on his vest before placing a hoof to his chin. "Hmm...lots ov tos soldiers. But ta building iz ancient an fallin' apart. So ah noticed ah few places we can all sneak into witout being found out."
"That's good to hear." Spike exclaimed before pulling the last of the knives out and giving it to Caramel. "Oh and one more thing, what are you wearing?"
Caramel placed the last of the knives into the empty slots before giving Spike a lopsided smile. "Tis iz ah throwing knife vest. Better ten havin' ta dig through ah saddle bag fer tem."
"That's really cool. Well, I'm going to go get breakfast and see if Twilight is awake already. See you later." Spike gave Caramel a little wave before heading over to their storage container which has seen better days. The wood was dented in multiple places and the lid was so badly misshapen that it wouldn't even close all the way. Letting out a sigh, Spike plopped the lid off and grabbed an apple with purple splotches. He grimaced, but ate the apple anyways. Though, with how badly bruised it was, it fell apart in his mouth almost instantly. Spike gagged a little but managed to swallow.
"Here." A cup full of water floated next to Spike, who gratefully chugged the frigid beverage. When he was done, Spike turned around and smiled at Twilight.
"Thanks." He grinned.
"No problem. Anyways, since everypony is awake, let's get going so we can save Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Spike shouted, getting the attention of his comrades.
"Seems to me that somepony is ready." Shining Armor smirked while he, Blueblood, and Caramel trotted over to Twilight and Spike.
"I've been ready from the start," Spike corrected.
"Well, since everypony seems to be ready, Caramel lead us to Sunset." Blueblood piped up.
"Got it." Caramel said before beckoning everypony to follow him.
The warehouse was made up of brick and steel plates that were now rusted with age. On top of the roof was a strange antenna with a lime green crystal that seemed to almost pulsate. Ponies dressed in shabby armor circled the roof and iron door like sharks. The citizens eyed them warily whenever they passed, but didn't really seem all that shocked seeing them.
A nearby garbage container slowly opened, allowing Caramel to poke his head out. He quickly scanned the surrounding area before lifting his body out of the container, Caramel's hooves landing softly on the sandy alleyway. Then, Caramel helped the others out of their hiding spot. Once they were all out, Caramel glided through the back alley until they came to the back of the warehouse.
"That antenna up there is a magic cancelling device," Blueblood began to whisper, "Caramel and Twilight, you two need to destroy that device while Spike, Shining Armor, and myself try and stall Mayor Claude and his soldiers. Once you destroy the antenna, Twilight I'm going to need you to use your magic to make sure Claude doesn't escape."
"Got it." Caramel piped up while climbing onto a fallen crate and using it to clamber up onto a small ledge. There, he stood up on his hind legs and slowly edged his way to the top.
"You can count on me," Twilight replied while flapping her wings, sending up a small cloud of sand before taking off into the sky.
Once the two were gone, Shining Armor flicked his foreleg. Then, with a quiet snap, a blade that gleamed in the sunlight appeared. Spike let out a small gasp as Shining approached the wall. Then, with some searching, inserted the blade between the brick and metal sheet. With a few tried of twiddling the blade back and forth, the metal sheet gave way, revealing a medium size hole.
"Good job." Blueblood commented before entering the hole. Shining quickly placed the hidden blade back in its holder before crawling after his captain, Spike in tow.
The crawlspace was dusty and it took all of Spike's willpower not to sneeze. Not only that, but when he first entered, Spike felt a tinging sensation in his stomach. Curious, he tried to breath fire; though not even a spark came out. His eyes began to tear up from the dust and he was about to completely loose it, but luckily the crawlspace ended and Spike found himself crouching besides Blueblood. His heart racing as he took in the interior of the building.
Towering crates, like the ones they were currently hiding behind, were scattered everywhere. Above, there were catwalks where Mayor Claude's soldiers were striding across with crossbows attached to their forelegs. In the very center of the room was a rusted staircase where Claude stood out like a light in a blackout. His colorful attire a deep contrast to the greys and rust that cloaked this warehouse. Next to him though was Sunset Shimmer whose hooves were in chains. Her mane was a mess and the vibrant reds and yellows were now dull and dusty.
"What's our plan?" Spike whispered.
"Shining Armor and I will keep everypony's attention on us, allowing you to sneak around and get to Mayor Claude." Blueblood replied.
With a quick nod of understanding, they set off to put their plan into motion.
"Hey!" Shining Armor shouted as he and Blueblood stepped out from the crates, giving Spike the chance to run behind the next set of crates.
The soldiers quickly pointed their crossbows at the two. Mayor Claude looked at Blueblood up and down, a frown formed on his lips before turning into a grin.
"No backup? Honestly, I'm a bit offended." Claude sneered.
"You are under arrest for illegal weapon smuggling and emotional abuse!" Blueblood exclaimed, causing Sunset's head to perk up and Claude to gasp.
"Weapon smuggling?" Sunset asked meekly.
"How do you know that!?" Claude questioned.
Blueblood smirked while pulling out the scroll Spike saw earlier. "Queen Rarity has documents on ponies and their background history. So, as her leading commander, I simply asked her to give me your history." He unfurled the scroll and quickly scanned it, making disapproving glances at the mayor the further he went. As everypony's attention was on him, Spike left the safety of his crate and glided over behind a pile of metal and discarded fish bones. He was only a few hooves away from Sunset. Spike wanted to just save her right then and there, but without his magic he would easily be taken down by at least one of the archers.
Come on Twilight and Caramel, hurry up! Spike screamed inwardly to himself.
Twilight gazed at the aftermath of their battle and felt bile from the back of her throat. Never before has she felt so unclean before. Her horn felt like it was dipped in red paint and some of her fur was starting to clot where blood touched her coat.
On the rooftop, the once sandy platform was now covered in pools of blood where the armored ponies lied. Gaping holes covered them like swiss cheese. Their eyes were glazed over and some had their tongues sticking out, making them look like they were trying to lick their fallen blood like dogs.
Caramel ripped his knife out from the chest of a solider with a sickening crack, causing bits of bone to fly out as well as making Twilight's stomach to churn.
He quickly flicked the blood off as best he could and placed it back in his vest. "Eh, ya git use ta it after ah while. Now come on, lets destroy tis orb."
Twilight hesitantly caught up with Caramel as the two trotted towards the antenna. "B-but still. What if they had families or lives outside of this mess? Maybe Claude brainwashed them just like he did to Sunset-"
Caramel raised a hoof and Twilight immediately quieted down. "Word ov advice, alicorn. When ya kill ponies, never think tey have families. Tink ov tem as monsters an only monsters. Ten, killing iz much easier."
Twilight frowned but gave no reply. Caramel is one of the queen's most trusted knights, so he had to be right in some way. Still, a haunting thought crept into her mind. Sure Luna turned everypony into statues, but she never truly killed them. Did this make Twilight evil because she killed a few soldiers? These thought kept cycling through her mind as she tried to make some sense of what was happening. She could say it was self defense, but it was them who first started the fight. Well, Caramel was the one who made the first move. However, Twilight soon found herself following suit. Did this make Caramel evil and Twilight just an unfortunate follower like in the fairy tales?
"Twilight!" Caramel shouted, allowing Twilight to come back to the present.
"Sorry," Twilight said, her cheeks growing a tint of red.
Caramel rolled his eyes before placing a hoof on the steel base of the antenna. "Come on. Let's destroy tis sucker so we can rejoin ta commander."
So, Twilight flew up to where the crystal resided and wrapped her legs around it while Caramel began pounding the base with his back hooves. Twilight stretched out her wings to their full length before moving them back and forth in rapid succession. She could feel herself being lifted up, but only ever so slightly. However, when Caramel's hoof struck the base again, Twilight could feel something inside giving way. With another powerful down stroke, Twilight could feel the wires holding the orb breaking free. With an extra pound, the crystal broke free.
"What do I do with it now?" Twilight asked while she slowly descended.
"Just throw it away. Thing iz worthless, just look at it." Caramel answered while wiping his forehead.
Twilight landed and gazed at the crystal. There were multiple long, thin scratches that ran up from the bottom and ending in the middle. The crystal was also blotchy in some places and instead of feeling smooth, the texture was more akin to sandpaper. With a sigh, Twilight rolled the crystal to the edge of the roof before giving it a final push. It plummeted to the ground and landed with a CRASH. Ponies trotted over to the noise and soon a large crowd formed. However, when they looked up to see where it came from, the rooftops were empty.
Spike could feel his magic coursing through his body one more. With a grin, he glided over to Sunset's side.
"Come on, the antenna's broken." He whispered.
Sunset Shimmer looked at Spike, her brows in a twist. "But why are you helping me after I tried to kill you?"
"Because, we need you to help us save the world," Spike answered.
Sunset let out a small sigh and lit up her horn, gaining the attention on Mayor Claude and everypony else.
"What!" Claude screeched before Sunset disappeared in a bluish light before reappearing next to Spike.
Mayor Claude's forehead began to sweat as he slowly backed away from Sunset and Spike. "Now come on, I-I can give you bits a-and we can all say this never happened."
"We don't need yer stinkin' bits," Caramel growled, peering down on the mayor from the catwalk. A few of the soldiers pointed their crossbows at him, which only made Caramel smirk.
Claude looked up at the ceiling to discover that the skylight was gone.
"It was really easy to levitate out." Twilight exclaimed while gliding down from the catwalk to the floor beside Spike.
"Come quietly and Queen Rarity may lessen the sentence," Blueblood commanded.
Mayor Claude quickly glanced at his soldiers who were poised for battle. With a smile, he jumped behind a crate, but not before exclaiming: "Yet you are all still outnumbered."
For a split second, all was quiet. Then, the soldiers let out a hoot before firing round after round of arrows at Spike and his friends.
Sunset quickly put up a barrier made out of vines around Spike, Twilight, and herself. Then, Spike clambered onto Twilight's head and released a jet of fire which began to eat up the catwalk. Caramel grinned as the soldiers climbed over one another to escape the flames, giving him plenty of target practice as he released a flurry of knives at them.
"Don't let him escape!" Blueblood shouted while using his sword to block the oncoming arrows.
Twilight gazed at Mayor Claude who, while trying to use the fighting to his advantage, was trying to lumber away. "Spike, I'm going to throw you at him," she informed before enveloping Spike in a violet light.
"Okay," Spike replied before feeling his body being chucked right at Mayor Claude. Quickly, Spike dug his claws into Claude's back, causing him to let out a scream while trying to buck Spike off.
"Spike, catch!" Shining Armor hollered. When Spike looked up at Shining, the stallion threw him some rope before going back to tying up some of the incapacitated soldiers.
Locking his legs together, Spike hastily made a honda knot and wrapped the opening around Claude's Neck. The mayor let out a stream of curses, some of which Spike has never heard of.
"Get off of me!" Claude screeched.
Spike ignored Claude's cries and, using the last of the rope, threaded it in between Claude's forelegs before tying them together. The mayor let out a small cry before both he and Spike plummeted into the ground.
Pain exploded from Spike's snout. Tears brimmed his eyes, but he wiped them away while shakily getting up. He looked behind him and saw Claude struggling in the rope. A large bruise was starting to blossom on his forehead.
"Spike, are you okay!?" Twilight asked while she and Sunset Galloped over to Spike's aid.
"Yeah, though I'm probably going to feel a lot worst in the morning." Spike answered while scratching his head.
"Gah! Sunset, get me out of here!" Claude piped up.
Sunset Shimmer gazed at the stallion. A small smile upon her lips. "You know Mayor Claude, I use to look up to you. You were the hero of Baltimare after all. But, you're going to go away now so you don't hurt anypony else."
"You ungrateful little bi-" Claude began, only to get an armored hoof stomped right on top of his head. Causing him to black out.
"We better put a muzzle on him before he wakes up." Shining mused before gazing at Spike and Twilight, "Good job you two. Let's grab all these ponies and then we'll go back to Canterlot." He then looked at Sunset who cowered under his gaze. "Pleasure to meet you, Harvest Alicorn."
Sunset's cheeks grew a shade of red before returning a small smile. "I can't wait to help all of you save the world."
"Well, you can help by rounding these criminals up." Blueblood piped up while cantering towards the ground. "Oh and Spike, I need you to deliver a letter to Queen Rarity saying that we have acquired the Harvest Alicorn as well as several criminals." He opened his saddlebag and handed a piece of paper and a pen over to Spike who took the items.
"On it!" Spike exclaimed with a small salute before he began to write.
And so, after waiting several hours for the carriages to arrive, Spike and his comrades flew back to Canterlot. Though it was quite late when they neared the castle walls, Blueblood told the group that they would call it for the night and check in with Queen Rarity in the morning.
Once they landed, Shining Armor and several of his soldiers began to escort the captured criminals to the dungeon. However, while the rest of the group headed for the barracks, Spike felt as if somepony was missing. Turning around, he saw Sunset Shimmer staring at the castle with wide eyes.
"Yeah, the castle is enormous." Spike smiled while walking over to Sunset.
"And it's a lot more beautiful. The books clearly don't give the castle's beauty justice." She replied.
"Well, if you think the outside is pretty, just wait until you see the inside." Spike remarked.
"I can't believe I'm actually going to meet the queen tomorrow!" Sunset grinned before looking at Spike, "is she nice? Are we expose to wear something formal? Oh I knew I should've packed something..."
"Queen Rarity is very kind and you don't need to wear anything fancy." Spike chuckled, causing Sunset to blush.
"Yeah. Anyways, it's getting really late. Where are the...barracks, as they call it?" She questioned with a yawn.
"Follow me!" Spike beamed before leading Sunset towards the towering barracks.
