> Dragon Our Love 'Till the End: Zog Strikes Back
>  by The Lord Thunder
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sapphire the ice dragon smiled.  

So, this was what it felt like to be a hero. Mayor Paula Tishian had made good on her promise to throw a festival in honor of the two dragons who'd risked their lives to save the ponies of Buckington from the clutches of the Shadow Dragons. Pride swelled in Sapphire's chest as she watched the scene. All this was in Spike's and her honor.

The weather was perfect for Buckington's first annual Dragon Day, a sunny and warm afternoon. The village square had been turned into a fairground of sorts, vendors and game stands circled around ponies laughing and celebrating. Some of them carried odd-looking pastries that the ponies called "funnel cake", though Sapphire couldn't figure out why; it didn't look much like cake and it certainly wasn't funnel-shaped. Some fillies and colts trotted about wearing dragon masks that one of the vendors was selling. Others carried dragon balloons attached to strings. For the children there was a train ride modeled to look like a dragon circling the fairgrounds. The front car was the head; every once in a while it blew smoke from its nostrils with a loud whistle.
 
Spike stood beside Sapphire, his claw clutched in hers as they enjoyed the wide-eyed admiration of a group of foals sitting in front of them.
 
"Dragons are cool!" yelled one colt.
 
"I wanna be a dragon when I grow up," said another.
 
"Can you really breathe fire?" a filly asked.
 
"My friend Sunset Breeze told me the blue one has ice powers," said another filly.
 
A chorus of "oohs" and "ahs" sounded as the children stood up and moved closer, all them begging the two dragons of honor to show off their abilities.
 
Spike and Sapphire looked at each other for a moment, then they wordlessly nodded as if knowing what the other was thinking. They turned their attention back to the children.
 
Sapphire held her palms apart and facing each other. Ice swirled in the space between her palms until it formed a ball of frost. She tossed the icy globe into the air and Spike blasted it with a breath of green flame. The ice turned to water that drizzled to the ground, leaving a rainbow shining in the short-lived mist.
 
All of the fillies and colts applauded, some stamping their hooves on the ground, others giving a standing ovation for the awesome display.

“That was so cool!” a colt yelled.

A voice rang across the village, shouting “all aboard!” At this, the children in front of Spike and Sapphire screamed in excitement, running for their turn to ride the dragon-shaped train that had been set up for the festival.

Sapphire's attention shifted at another voice that rang through the fairgrounds. “Come on up, don't be shy! All you gotta do is pop a balloon and win a prize! Three darts for two bits. Everypony's a winner, step on up!”

Smiling, Sapphire tugged on Spike's arm and pointed at the game booth. “That looks like fun! Let's give it a try!”

Before Spike could answer, he found himself pulled forward by Sapphire's momentum until she stopped in front of the game stand. Taped to the back wall of the wooden booth were rows of balloons in more colors than Rainbow Dash's mane. The premise was simple: throw a dart, pop a balloon and receive whatever grade of prize was marked on a piece of paper taped to the balloon. If you were incredibly lucky you'd pop the one balloon that contained the voucher for any prize of your choice.

Looks easy enough Spike thought as he and Sapphire scanned the various prizes hanging about the booth. Then again, that's how these carnival games get you. The prizes were mostly stuffed animals, the lowest grade among them no bigger than a pingpong ball, all the way up to the grand prizes: plushies the size of a filly. One of the medium prizes was a plush heart in a soft shade of purple, with another heart stitched in the middle of it between the words “I” and “you.”

“You look like a winner!” the stallion running the game said, pointing at Spike. “Want to try for a prize for the lovely young lady next to you? All it's gonna cost you is two measly bits!”

“Okay,” Spike said, pointing at his target, “I'm gonna go for that 'I love you' heart.”

Sapphire giggled at that and hugged his arm. “Go for it.”

Spike reached into the pouch tied to his waist and put two bits on the counter. The vendor exchanged the coins for three darts. Spike took one between his claws, closed an eye to aim and let the dart fly. It stuck with a thud in the cork board between two balloons. 

“Oh, come on,” Spike yelled. “I aimed straight at it!”

“Let me try,” Sapphire said, picking up one of the darts. “Maybe I'll win the heart for you.”

A forked tongue hung lopsided from Sapphire's lips as she took careful aim and threw. Her dart stuck just above Spike's, but missed the balloon.

“This is rigged!” Spike yelled, beginning to think he'd wasted his money.

“Me next!” came a little voice from the dragons' feet. They looked down to see that Sunset Breeze, a young filly and a friend of Sapphire's, had joined them.

Smiling, Sapphire looked at Spike. He nodded his approval.

“Okay!” Sapphire said. She picked up a dart and gave it to Sunset. “Give it your best shot!”

Sunset took the dart in her teeth, flicked her head and sent it flying. It struck the balloon right in the center with a loud “pop!” 

“Great throw, Sunset!” Sapphire cheered.

The vendor removed the piece of paper taped to the knot of the balloon and read it. The smile that formed on his face signaled good news. “Well, looks like this is your lucky day! You just popped the grand prize balloon! Pick whatever prize you want, kiddo!”

“Nice going, Sunset!” Spike yelled. The plush heart beckoned for his attention. “Ok, I want that hea-”

A shrug from the game vendor cut Spike off in mid sentence. Spike followed the vendor's eyes, watching Sunset trot off carrying a teddy bear as big as she was, eyes closed and smiling.
 
"Hey, that was my money!" Spike yelled after her. "My prize!"

Sapphire giggled and gave Spike a kiss on the cheek. That brought his smile back. "Well, you tried. And look how happy Sunset is."
 
As Spike watched Sunset Breeze proudly showing off her prize to her parents, Dustin Wind and Autumn Gale, he felt a pleasant warmth in the pit of his stomach and couldn't fight the smile. After all, it was through their effort that her parents were back home. "She should be happy. She worked so hard to help us get her parents back."
 
"So," Sapphire said, "what should we do next?"
 
Spike turned around and scanned the area for something appropriate. A cotton candy booth stood in the center of the fairground. Of course, Sapphire hadn't had the opportunity to try a lot of Equestrian food, but loved the few things she'd had the chance to sample. Spike now had his mind set on treating her to another example of pony culinary ingenuity.
 
"Hey, Sapphire, you gotta see this." Spike tugged gently on her wrist.
 
"Okay, whatcha got?"
 
Spike led her to the cotton candy booth, where a mare was hoofing out paper cones filled with a puffy pink and blue substance. The mare inside the booth had a cutie mark depicting the same fluffy treat she was handing out.
 
"Hey, Spike, what is that stuff she's selling?" Sapphire watched the colt walk off and lick the puffy stuff. He looked very much like he was enjoying it. Sapphire' face suddenly brightened. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"
 
"Yeah! It's called cotton candy, and it's delicious. Want one?"
 
"Mm-hm!" Sapphire licked her lips. After eating pie at Spike's recommendation, she wasn't about to pass up anything else Spike said was good.
 
"Two cotton candy cones, please." Spike reached into the pouch tied around his waist and produced five bits, placing them on the counter. The mare smiled, scooped up the coins and gave Spike and Sapphire both a stick of the treat, which billowed several inches above their cones.
 
Sapphire gave the confection a big lick. Her eyes seemed to light up as this new sensation flooded her mouth. It had only felt fluffy for a second before it transformed into a sweet goo that flowed like a river through her taste buds. Sapphire wrapped a foreleg around Spike's neck and pulled his head close to hers.
 
"What is this magic?" she whispered.
 
"Um, it's just fluffed sugar."
 
"I've never had anything like it in my life! It's incredible!" Sapphire took another big bite and spun on her heels. "The super sweet flavor, the fluffy texture, the way it melts in your mouth! It's like two foods in one! To think I've been missing out on things like this my whole life!"

A couple more big licks removed the rest of the candy that stuck out above the cone. Once that was gone, Sapphire dug the remaining cotton candy from the inside of the cone with her claw and plopped it into her mouth. She licked her lips with a satisfied smile. “Now THAT was good!”

As Spike finished the rest of his treat, he noticed Sapphire's smile vanish as suddenly as it had appeared. Sapphire threw her empty cone into a waste basket, wrapped her arms around her torso and shivered, as if she were cold. But she was an ice dragon, and it was a warm day. It would take an extreme amount of cold to bother her. Something was wrong. Without a word as to why, Sapphire walked past the houses at the edge of the village, stopping a few yards out into the countryside where she sat down on a boulder.

Something was really wrong.
 
Spike threw his cone away and followed behind. He took a seat next to Sapphire and put his arm around her shoulder. She still had her arms wrapped around her torso. "Hey. You okay?"
 
"I-I don't know what happened.” Sapphire shook her head, gaze turned to the ground. “I just got this really bad feeling all of a sudden."
 
Was it the cotton candy? Maybe a dragon's system wasn't meant to tolerate it. No, that couldn't be it. Spike'd been eating the stuff all his life, all the way back when Twilight was still a filly and an unpleasant trip to the dentist aside, it'd never bothered him. "Do you think it's something you ate?"
 
"No, it's hard to describe. It' like a sixth sense kind of thing. I feel like something terrible is about to happen."
 
Spike kissed her cheek and pulled Sapphire closer, hugging her tighter to comfort her. "Hey, come on. It's been a week already. If they were going to retaliate they would have done it by now."
 
"I hope you're right."
 
Sapphire put an arm around Spike and rested her head on his shoulder. They sat there for a while, both savoring the moment until a tremendous shadow darkened Spike's vision and pulled him back to reality.
 
"What was that?" Spike asked. His eyes followed the direction the shadow went, but whatever it was had already moved out of his sight.
 
Whether Sapphire was too distracted to give an answer or she just didn't hear him, Spike couldn't tell. What was certain was that her face was frozen with fear.
 
Spike followed Sapphire's gaze and realized what the shadow had belonged to. Five huge, pitch-black reptilian forms with batlike wings were descending right for Buckington!
 
Zog's Shadow Dragons.

"That can't be good." Spike gnashed his teeth in dread at whatever they intended to do.
 
A sigh exploded from Sapphire's snout as she scrambled to her feet and ran toward Buckington.
 
"Sapphire, no!" Spike ran after her. "It's too dangerous!"
 
The two dragons stopped at the edge of the village, stiff with fear as they watched the scene unfold.

One of the Shadow Dragons swooped low and crashed into one of the houses, which shattered under the force of its momentum. The structure hadn't slowed its speed in the slightest.
 
Another one drew its tail back and took aim at Lucky Charm's relic shop. Ponies screamed in terror and galloped out of the way as the walls of the building exploded outward, showering the equines with bits of broken wood. Most of Lucky's relics 

A Shadow Dragon dropped from the sky and landed on the balloon game booth, completely smashing it under its massive weight just as the vendor dove to safety. The dragon turned to the booth beside it and reduced it to flying splinters with a swipe of its paw, sending the mare working the stand scurrying for cover.

The dragon train ride screeched to a halt when another Shadow Dragon landed in its path, glaring at the passengers with eyes like burning coals. The fillies and colts screamed and jumped from the ride as the dragon drew its claw back. A single swipe derailed the parts of the train that hadn't burst into splinters.

Ponies scattered in every direction, trying to get as far as possible from the Shadow Dragons; shrieking in panic as they dove for cover from flying debris. Spike ached to do something, but the hopelessness of the situation held him fast. 

Not that Spike believed anything Sapphire or he could do would even begin to slow the Shadow Dragons down. The buildings were no more to the dragons than houses made of blocks would be to a foal; destroyed and scattered as easily as if they were toys. Thick clouds of dust, kicked up from the ground by the assault, blotted out the once bright afternoon sun.

Amongst the chaos, Spike watched a spear fly through the air, thrown by a pony clad in golden royal armor; one of the two guards Celestia had stationed in Buckington to keep watch for dragon attacks. The weapon struck the dragon on its side with pinpoint accuracy, but bounced harmlessly off of its scales. The great reptile resumed its rampage as if it not even aware it had been attacked. The guard growled in frustration. He might as well had flung the spear against solid rock! 
 
Despite this, his partner took a breath of courage and galloped into throwing range. He summoned magic energy into his horn and hurled his spear with every ounce of his might. He'd found his target, but fared no better than his partner.

When there was at last nothing left in Buckington for the Shadow Dragons to destroy, they once again assumed their v-formation and disappeared across the horizon back to the Dragonlands. 

The dust had begun to settle when all the ponies who had scattered for their lives congregated in the village square. It had been a place filled with laughter and celebration. Now a hushed pall hung over Buckington, nopony able to form words for what they saw. Not one building in the village had been spared. Splintered wood, mangled steel, ruined belongings and shattered glass littered the streets.
 
As he surveyed the carnage, Spike noticed that not a single pony had been harmed, although the foals and many of the mares wept in fear and despair. The village itself lie in ruin, leaving the several dozen residents now without a place to call home. But they were alive.
 
"I don't get it," Spike said. "They just wasted this village, but they didn't hurt any of the ponies."
 
"They weren't trying to," Sapphire said. "They were sending a message. Think about it. If the ponies were their targets, they would have just coated this place with their shadow breath and been done with it."
 
"Then why this?" Spike asked, spreading his arms wide to indicate the destruction.
 
"The Shadow Dragons are probably hoping these ponies will spread the message they've just sent: don't cross us, or you'll get the same."
 
"What are we gonna do now?" Sunset Breeze's voice asked. The little filly clutched her new teddy bear tightly for comfort.
 
A murmur of pony voices, all quiet and solemn, rose from that statement.
 
"Our homes,” Dustin Wind muttered as he observed the destruction, “all gone in a instant."
 
"What about my store?" Lucky Charm asked. He pointed an old, wobbly hoof to the ruins of his shop. "My business, my livelihood! There was thousands of years worth of history in there!"
 
"It's all those two dragons' fault!" one elderly mare shouted, pointing an accusing hoof at Spike and Sapphire. "If they hadn't intervened, this wouldn't have happened!"
 
Autumn Gale noticed the hurt expressions on the dragons' faces and pushed the old mare's hoof down, brown eyes glaring crossly at her. "If they hadn't, we'd still be slaves in their fortress!" 
 
The old mare prodded Autumn Gale in the chest. "Dragons all together are no good, and you know it, Autumn! It's because of those overgrown lizards that we're in this mess in the first place."
 
"Because of EVIL dragons!” Autumn swatted the old mare's hoof back down. She moved over to take a stand by the dragon couple. “Not dragons like Spike and Sapphire. They risked their lives for us!" Autumn looked down at Sunset Breeze, whose eyes were now glossy with tears. "And they looked after my little girl while we were locked up."
 
"My town." Paula Tishian's voice was warped with a quiver, for this ruin had once been the village she governed. "The pride and joy of my life. What are we going to do now?"

“I am truly sorry, you honor.” one of the guards said. “There was nothing I could I have done to stop them.”

“Nor I,” said the other soldier. He gave his head a rueful shake. “I threw my spear with everything I had. What did Celestia expect us to do against monsters like those?
 
Spike clenched his claws, taking a few moments to swallow the anger flaring inside him. He wanted to confront Zog right now, to crush his throat. "Listen, everypony. Head for Canterlot. I'll let Princess Celestia know you're coming. I know she won't turn you away."
 
"You're not coming with us?" Autumn Gale asked.
 
"No. I've got business to take care of."
 
"What are you going to do?" Dustin Wind asked.
 
Spike fell silent, his gaze becoming lost in the direction of the Dragonlands.
 
"Spike?" Sunset asked. The little filly nudged him on the knee, looking up at him with concerned blue eyes.
 
"Don't worry about it. Just get to Canterlot. You'll be safe there."

“What's he gonna do, Miss Sapphire?” Sunset asked.

“I don't know.” Sapphire shook her head solemnly. She'd never seen Spike quite like this. 

Spike produced a scroll and a feather quill from the pouch tied to his waist. His wrist furiously scribbled a note on the parchment. Then he breathed a jet of green flame on the scroll, which transformed into a cluster of magic sparks that zipped off towards Canterlot.

The warm afternoon sun did nothing to stave the chill that hung over the ruins of Buckington as many of the ponies took one last look at their former home.

Paula Tishian stood before Spike and Sapphire, an apology in her eyes. “Please don't think this means I've lost my trust in you, or in the existence of good dragons.”

“I know,” Spike said quietly.

“When we get to Canterlot, I would like you to stop and visit. I still consider you the heroes of Buckington.”

“Don't worry,” Spike answered. “I won't forget about you. All of you.”

Autumn Gale walked up to Spike next and with no warning embraced him in a hug. Dustin Wind did the same to Sapphire. “Take care of yourself,” Autumn said.

Spike patted the auburn-haired pegasus on the back. “You, too.” 

The two ponies swapped places and Spike now found himself in the grip of Dustin Wind while Autumn hugged Sapphire. “I won't forget what you've done for us. Stay safe.” 

Lastly, Sunset Breeze, tears still in her eyes, dropped her teddy bear long enough to give each of the dragons a hug around the ankles.

With nothing left for them in this ruin, the herd of ponies gathered what belongings they could salvage and walked solemnly off for Canterlot. Once they'd all left, Spike turned and headed for the boarder between Equestria and the Dragonlands. Zog was going to pay for this.
 
"Spike!" Sapphire yelled after him. "Where are you going?"
 
Spike turned to face her. "I've had enough of this. I'm gonna put an end to it."
 
"Spike, calm down."
 
"I might be a dragon, but Equestria's always been my home, and I'm going to defend it."
 
"You promised Applejack you weren't going to fight them."
 
"If I remember right, my exact words were 'I promise I won't do anything stupid.'” Spike turned away again and felt Sapphire's grip around his arm. “Right now this doesn't seem like such a dumb idea."
 
"Spike, you're too angry. You're not-" 

Spike yanked his arm free and kept moving. Sapphire grabbed him by the wrist, and he stopped. 

"Look at me."
 
"What?" Spike snapped back around, his eyes flaring with rage.
 
"You're not thinking straight." She kept hold of his wrist and placed her other hand on his cheek. "Now, I've lost my parents. I don't have any family left. You're all I've got. I can't lose you, too." Sapphire cupped his cheeks with both her palms, caressing his face with her digits and gazing deep into his eyes for added effect. "Not you."
 
Those blue eyes had a way of making any situation seem better. Spike smiled in spite of himself and the anger in his eyes faded. His shoulders rose as he took a deep breath to compose himself, then they slumped with a beaten sigh. "Then what am I supposed to do? Zog's already taken over the Dragonlands, what's to stop him from conquering the rest of the world?"
 
"This was a direct attack. If Celestia didn't send her soldiers out last time, she will now. Let them handle it. That's what they're paid for."
 
"But the whole reason I stayed here was so I could help out in case of an attack."
 
"You have helped. By letting Celestia know what happened. After all we've been through, I think we both need time to clear our heads." Sapphire smiled at Spike. "And I know just were we can do that."

***
 
Princess Celestia sat on her throne, eyes closed in content as she sipped a mug of steaming mint tea. Things had been peaceful in the week since Spike and Sapphire had freed the ponies of Buckington from the Shadow Dragons. There'd been no reports from the detachments she'd sent to the borders, no sightings of dragons. She'd had her doubts when she opted to avoid going to war against the dragons, but now she was starting to feel she made the right choice.

A familiar green flame wafted into the room, transforming itself into a rolled up scroll of parchment. Celestia smiled. It was probably a letter from Twilight Sparkle or one of her friends.
 
"What is it?" Luna asked as Celestia's eyes scanned the letter, sipping her tea as she read.
 
Though she nearly choked on her tea, Celestia kept her face in its usual calm demeanor. A flame flickered in her eyes.
 
"What troubles you?" Luna asked, having picked up on her sister's subtle change of expression.
 
"Shadow dragons have destroyed Buckington." Celestia looked to Luna, reading her face and the question she dreaded to ask. "Nopony harmed, thankfully."
 
At that, Luna's face eased a bit. "Thank goodness."
 
Celestia turned her attention back to the letter. "The note says the ponies on their way here. Have our maids get the guest rooms cleaned and prepared; we're going to have refugees on our hooves."
 
"Yes, my sister."
 
"As soon as you're done with that, I want you to go to Griffonstone and request their aid. Then go to Minotaurappolis and see if the minotaurs will ally with us as well. We're going to need all the help we can get. Go now, We've no time to lose."
 
Luna nodded. "Of course". Luna stood on her rear legs and wrapped her fronts around Celestia's neck, hugging her tightly. "Stay safe, my sister."
 
Celestia returned her sister's embrace and rubbed her back with great affection, as if it were the last time she'd ever get to do so. "You as well."
 
After releasing Celestia, Luna took one last good look at her and galloped out of the throne room.
 
Celestia looked to the soldier standing guard on her left. "Spearhead."
 
Fittingly, the guard held a spear firmly in his hooves. "My princess?"
 
"Find general Warhorse and tell him Her Majesty requests his presence immediately."
 
Spearhead lowered his weapon and bowed. "By your orders, princess." The soldier trotted out of the throne room, wasting no time or words than necessary. 
 
"What is going on, your majesty?" asked Claymore, the soldier to her right, who carried a large broadsword as his weapon of duty.
 
"Those Shadow Dragons have left me with no recourse. As of this moment, Equestria is at war."
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Five enormous Shadow Dragons neared Zog's fortress, a jagged, rocky structure of ebony that jutted high above the walls surrounding it. As they cleared the courtyard, their forms contorted, growing sleeker and shorter until they were small enough to fly between the massive pillars lining the outer rim of the massive assembly hall one story below Zog's throne room on the top floor. This was one of the abilities they enjoyed about being Shadow Dragons; the ability to shapeshift into a smaller, bipedal form.

The assembly hall was a huge, nondescript chamber consisting only of the room itself and large stone columns arranged in a grid that held up the top floor of the fortress.

Thorn, the dragon on point, planted his feet on the ground, a look of satisfaction on his face as he pivoted to face his comrades. “Did you see the looks on those ponies' faces?”

“See them?” his brother Scorn asked. “I could practically taste their fear!”

“They ran like scalded dogs!” said one of the other dragons who had been part of the team that destroyed Buckington.

“Their screams were music to my ears,” another dragon chipped in.

“Let's go inform Zog of our victory,” the fifth dragon said. “He will be pleased.”    

Indeed, General Zog would be pleased. Thorn took comfort in that fact. Not like those poor fools who'd botched the mission to stop the ponies fleeing through the mine, which ended in the mine being destroyed. For the past week those dragons had been locked up in the dungeon underneath the fortress, and Thorn knew they'd be lucky if they ever saw daylight again. He'd never seen Zog so angry.

Thorn nodded his approval as the other dragons, aside from his brother, marched upstairs to deliver the news to their leader. Their mission was complete, and now Zog turned for the balcony overlooking the courtyard. As he did, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. A flight of very slender and shapely dragonesses were passing through the fort's airspace, their forms beautifully outlined in the evening sky. “Well, he-LLOH!”

“What is it?” Scorn asked. When Thorn stopped on the balcony and didn't give an answer, Scorn joined his brother and saw what had caught his attention. “Nice,” he whispered. “Shake that tail for me, darling.”

“Where is Emperor Zog?” a voice behind them asked.

Thorn barely noticed this, his eyes still glued to the flattering figures of the dragonesses. “I'm not sure. He's probably in his throne room.”

“I didn't ask for a 'probably.'”

“Go look,” Scorn added, throwing a wave behind his back at his distractor. “We're kinda busy, as you can see.”

There was a tremendous roar of rage, and one of the stone columns behind Thorn and Scorn exploded in a burst of dust and flying bits of rock, sending the dragons instinctively diving to their bellies for cover. Thorn twisted onto his rear end to see what had caused such a display of power.

“What the?!” Thorn managed to whisper, feeling his blood turn to ice. The sight before them held Scorn's mouth fast.

“Next time it will be your heads,” the colossal figure standing before them warned in its booming baritone. This huge dragon, if that was what it was, it certainly resembled a dragon, sent a chill up Thorn's spine the likes of which he'd never felt before. 

This dragon, pitch-black as the rest of the Shadow Dragons, had two pairs of legs folded across its massive chest for a total of not four, but six limbs. Four wings stuck out from its back. Two wedge-shaped heads, with four pupilless ruby eyes glowing on each head, stared down at the two sentries. 

“What is going on down here?!” a voice from above snarled. General Zog, the one-eyed commander of the Shadow Dragons, charged down the spiral staircase that led to his throne room. A mighty vertical scar ran through what was long ago his right eye. Cyhperus, his second in command, joined him close behind.

“Ah, general Zog,” the two-headed dragon said, both mouths speaking in unison. “I've been expecting you.”

Thorn swallowed a hard lump in his throat, thankful that Zog had taken the stranger's attention away from him and Scorn. Most Shadow Dragons in their bipedal form stood about six to six and a half feet tall. Zog was rare specimen, eight feet in his bipedal form. But the two-headed dragon towered even over Zog. Thorn guessed his height to be eleven feet, maybe even twelve. He would have hated to see this dragon's full-sized form.

Even the mighty General Zog shivered at the presence of this monster. “Who-who are you?”

“You may have heard of me. I am known as Veroth.”

“Veroth?” Zog's single eye squinted in confusion. “The Shadow Dragonlord from the ancient Dragon Wars? That was one million years ago. How can you still be alive?”

“Alive?” Veroth echoed. “I don't recall being dead, just sent on a... rather long vacation. The Prophecy never did come true, after all.”

Yes, Veroth recalled the ancient dragon prophecy: “When dragons fight dragons and darkness covers the land, hearts united shall illuminate the shadows and bring about light anew.” During the terrible Dragon Wars, various dragon clans had banded together to put an end to the Shadow Dragons' reign of terror, led by none other than Veroth himself. Dragon scholars had believed this to be the beginning of the prophecy, but no light was brought about during that destructive conflict. When the other sniveling dragons realized they had no hope against Veroth, they formed a pact with an ancient tribe of alicorns. By combining their strength, they managed to seal Veroth away in the gates of Tartarus. For one million years he dwelled there until the seal had weakened enough for him to escape.

By now, most of the dragons about the fortress had congregated in the assembly hall to check on the commotion. All of them had their sights turned towards Zog, expecting their leader to do something about this mysterious newcomer. He would not relent in front of his subordinates, but this was one of the rare times Zog had truly been afraid. 

Despite this, he took a defiant step closer to Veroth, pointing a claw at him. “This is my fortress! You don't just barge in here and give me orders!”

A massive clawed hand found its grip around Zog's neck. He felt his feet leave the ground and suddenly he was staring down at Veroth's two heads.

“No longer. It belongs to me now.” Veroth tightened his grip around Zog's throat. “Unless you object?”

Zog thrashed in Veroth's grip, kicking at the giant heads in an attempt to escape. One kick landed squarely on the throat of the left neck, but neither head even flinched at this. Zog brought his feet down with all his weight, stomping at Veroth's eyes. If this hurt Veroth in the slightest, he didn't show it as he hoisted Zog even higher above his heads.

A gurgle escaped from Zog's throat and, in that moment, he realized he was beaten. “Fine!” he managed to croak. “It's yours!”

“Thought so,” Veroth grumbled before unceremoniously dumping Zog to the floor.

The other dragons backed off at an aside glance from the two-headed dragon. Even though he had four arms, he'd only needed the use of one to make the strongest dragon in their army look like nothing.

Zog picked himself back to his feet, rubbing his throat.“Why are you even here, Veroth?” 

“I have come to correct the errors you worthless lot have made.”

“What errors?”

Veroth folded his arms across his massive chest. “You saw fit to destroy a single pony village. What did you think this was going to accomplish?"
 
“We were sending a message,” Zog replied. “Those ponies needed to be reminded the order of things.”

"Imbecile,” Veroth growled. “Your little pecking order means nothing. Do you realize that now Celestia has a legitimate excuse to declare war?"
 
Cypherus shrugged. "So what? They're just ponies."
 
 Those eight eerie eyes now pierced through Cypherus, who took a step back on instinct. "Ah, of course. How silly of me to forget. They ARE just ponies, after all." Veroth bent down and picked up a shard of stone from the pillar he destroyed. "Let's pretend that this piece of stone is a pony.” He flung it gently and it bounced off Thorn's scales. “Did that hurt?” 

Thorn tiled his head in confusion. “No.”

Zog picked up another one and flung it at Scorn. “How about that?"
 
“Mosquitoes have hit me harder!”

"How about THIS?!" With a deafening roar, Veroth drove his upper two arms through the ceiling, bringing it and the floor above crumbling down upon the other dragons. 

All was silent for a moment as the last bits of stone and rock fell and the dust settled to the floor. Movement stirred from the mound of rubble as an ebony claw pushed broken stone from the top of the pile. Zog and Cypherus emerged, dusting themselves off while the rest of the Shadow Dragons crawled out from the wreckage.

"Ponies may not come close to us in strength, but they do outnumber us, and an alicorn COULD pose a threat. As Shadow Dragons, we must not forget that ponies possess powerful emotions.” Veroth held his bottom claws apart, palms facing each other. A spherical image appeared in the space between his claws, showing ponies laughing, smiling and generally enjoying each others' company. “Theirs is a realm of cheer and friendship, which could mean trouble for us. As you know, positive energies like these weaken us.”  

The globular image between Veroth's claws turned to one of ponies crying, shivering with fear and fighting with one another. “However, if we were to turn Equestria into a land of darkness and despair, the energy we could feed off their emotions would be substantial."

“So, we're going to take over Equestria?” Scorn asked.

"Yes. We must make our move now, before Celestia has time to act. We leave for Canterlot immediately."

It was the nature of dragons to instinctively follow the strong. Thus, most of the Shadow Dragons had no complaint in crowding around Veroth, awaiting his command. Even Cypherus had now ditched Zog's side for the more powerful dragon. Only Thorn and Zog himself kept their distance from Veroth.

Veroth turned his back to Zog, adding, “You, Zog, stay here and continue your search for the item that the dragons of old hid here. When you find it, you are to report to me immediately.”

“But we've only found one of the three keystones needed to unlock it, and since we haven't been able to find it by digging, I'll need my army. If you're taking them-”

“Oh, not all of your army,” Veroth interrupted. “Don't you have a few stewing around in that little prison of yours?”

“The ones who failed to stop the ponies from escaping?” Zog sneered at the very mention of them. “They're worthless!”

“Very well.” Veroth turned to Thorn, who shuddered under the two-headed dragon's gaze. “Since you are so proud of the attack you just led, you will stay here as well.”

Scorn, having joined Veroth's side, glanced a silent apology back at his brother.

Thorn held a protesting claw out towards Scorn. “But my brother-”

A low growl from Veroth cut Thorn off in mid-sentence. He tightened his jaw, not wanting to provoke their new leader. Assessing that Thorn had no other complaints, Veroth shouted, “come!” He spread his four huge wings and flew out one of the makeshift windows of the gathering hall. The other dragons obeyed, following him out the window. Soon they disappeared over the dimming horizon.

“Well,” Zog grumbled lowly over his shoulder to Thorn. “What are you waiting for? Go release those miserable failures from the dungeon.”

“Sir!” Thorn stalled just long enough to give a salute, then retreated to the bowels of the fortress.

Zog glared out at the horizon with his one remaining eye. His once bustling fortress was all but deserted, the courtyard empty and the sentries that usually flew watch overhead gone as well, having followed  the others to Canterlot. Zog gnashed his teeth, snarling and clenching his fists. Veroth had humiliated him and single-handedly taken his entire army aside from a few incompetent fools who couldn't even stop a bunch of ponies. Now, with only this handful of dragons left, they'd have to search for those keystones themselves.

This was not how he imagined his evening starting.
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike found himself glad that Sapphire had cast a spell on him to protect him from cold.
 
Here, in the peaks of the Northern Mountains beyond the Crystal Kingdom, the fierce cold was omnipresent. Well past the timberline, no trees grew and few creatures dwelled, only those with a natural affinity for the cold. Frost trolls and snow yetis made their home here. The ice dragons, however, dominated this land of permanent winter.
 
"So this is where you're from, huh?" Spike scratched the back of his head, taking in the colorless scenery.
 
"Yes. I called this place home once. I haven't been here since the avalanche. I forgot how beautiful it is."
 
Spike bit his tongue and swallowed a snarky comment. A barren, frozen land of drifting snow where the predominant color was a white that stretched as far as the eye could see, was about the last kind of place he'd consider beautiful. But Sapphire was an ice dragon. A love of the cold was set deep in her genes and it wouldn't do to insult her homeland.
 
"What do you love most about this place?" Spike asked, trying to view this place from Sapphire's perspective.
 
"Aside from the bitter cold?" Sapphire seemed to soak in the scenery, as if searching it for an answer. "We're so high up from the rest of the world. It's so serene and isolated. I feel like the troubles of the world can't reach us up here.”

A good point, Spike realized, one he hadn't considered until Sapphire mentioned it. It was isolated for good reason; few creatures could tolerate the brutal cold this high up, and thus it was largely untouched by the modern world. The downside was there wasn't much for entertainment, unless you loved to play in the snow.

Snow! The stuff was everywhere, and it made Spike think of the things he loved to do during the winter back home. Sapphire had her back to him, still absorbed in the scenery, which gave Spike the perfect opportunity for a surprise attack. He scooped up a clawful of snow, packed it into a ball and threw it at Sapphire. It burst into a white powder against her back.

“Oh!” Sapphire snapped around and let out a malicious chuckle. “You're pretty brave, challenging an ice dragon to a snowball fight!” She held out her arms, and snow began to lift from the ground, forming a dozen snowballs that circled her.

“Oops,” Spike mumbled. His fins drooped in realization of the mistake: he didn't stand a chance.

The snowballs began to revolve around Sapphire, slowly at first and gradually picking up speed until they appeared as a white blur. "Watch carefully!" Sapphire said. "Which direction is the first strike going to come from?"
 
Sapphire flicked her right wrist. Spike, on instinct, leaned to his right, but the snowball shot from Sapphire's left side and hit Spike square in the chest.

“Ha! Tricked ya!” Sapphire teased. She flicked her left wrist this time, throwing a snowball from her right side. Again, Spike instinctively dodged in the same direction Sapphire threw her snowball, and it exploded against his torso.

“Got ya again!”

“You'll have to do better than that!” Spike taunted.

Sapphire flashed a playful smirk. “Ok, you asked for this!”

The rest of her snowballs flew towards Spike in rapid-fire fashion, pelting him on the face, against his chest, all the way down to his knees. All the while, Sapphire was forming more snowballs as backup ammunition.

Sensing defeat, Spike scrambled for cover from Sapphire's relentless assault behind a nearby boulder and dusted the snow from his body.

“Oh, come on!” he heard Sapphire yell. “Don't tell me you've had enough already!”

“I'm just getting started!” he yelled back as he scooped up and formed the biggest snowball he could handle. By the time he was done, it was the size of a basketball. Satisfied, he stood up from his cover. “Got a present for you!”

Spike took aim at Sapphire and threw the snowball he'd made. It stopped inches from her, held in place by the ice dragon's magic. She observed it for a few moments, pretending to be impressed. “That's cute. But you can have it back!”

At that, Sapphire hurled Spike's snowball back at him, and he ducked just in time for it to sail over his head. This was getting more and more unfair by the second! Spike dared a peek at Sapphire from the side of his boulder.  

“All you have to do is say the word and your suffering will end!” Sapphire taunted. 

“Never!”

"Ok, now I'm getting serious!"
 
Sapphire held her arms to the air, lifting a great mass of snow from the ground and swirling above her head like an icy hurricane. All that snow was being compressed into the center, forming a rapidly growing snowball. It grew to the size of a basketball. A few seconds later, it was as big as a hay cart, then a piano, next; a barn. Moments later, it was the size of a house!
 
"Give up yet?" Sapphire asked. She swung her hands downward, feigning to throw the huge object.
 
"Ok! You win!" Spike reeled backwards, stumbling over his own feet in his retreat and landing flat on his back. Smiling, Sapphire snapped her fingers and her enormous snowball exploded, filling the air with bits of snow that fell over the duo even as Sapphire propped herself over Spike's collapsed form. Sapphire smiled down on him and then planted a kiss right on his maw. He almost expected it to chill his lips, but felt nothing but warmth thanks to Sapphire's protection from the cold.
 
"Come on, goofball," she said. "My old home isn't far from here."
 
Sapphire led Spike a couple miles through a path in the mountain, which ended at the aptly named Frozen Spires, the jagged, ice-capped peaks of the Crystal Mountains. The home of the ice dragons where Sapphire once lived was a crescent-shaped network of caverns made of ice that glistened in the sunlight. Without the fierce cold to distract him, Spike took a moment to appreciate this place from the foot of the caves. Sapphire was right; it truly was beautiful here, and that beauty radiated in the sunlight that glimmered off the ice.
 
"Sapphire, is that you?" a deep, booming voice rang.
 
Sapphire smiled at the sound of the new voice. "Glacien!"
 
A humongous blue dragon, scales dulled with age, welcomed Sapphire with open arms. She ran to him and embraced the old dragon.
 
No, this dragon wasn't just old. He was ancient, probably much more so than Princess Celestia. Dark, aged circles surrounded his eyes and he made every movement with the slow, precise method of a weary being in his twilight years. 
 
"It's so good to see you again, Sapphire. I missed you." Glacien released Sapphire and looked her over. "Look how you've grown!" Glacien looked down at Spike, smiling. It was then Spike noticed he'd lost many of his teeth in his old age. "Could you be the famous Spike?"
 
Spike gazed up at Glacien, mouth agape in awe. "How did you know my name?"
 
"When Sapphire returned home from Equestria ten years ago, she told all of us about you."
 
"And who are you?"
 
"This is Glacien," Sapphire explained. "He's the oldest living ice dragon."
 
"How old are you, exactly?" Spike asked.
 
"I gave up counting after my 100,000th birthday." The weary old dragon scratched his head. "Or was it my 110,000th?"
 
"Glacien's always been like a grandfather to me,"

Glacien laughed a laugh that seemed to make a millennium lift from his years. “Come now, Sapphire, when you say that it makes me feel old!”

Yeah, you're only a thousand centuries old Spike quipped to himself.

“Where have you been all these years?” the old dragon asked.

Sapphire hung her head and sighed. No doubt there were painful memories surfacing. “When the avalanche happened, my parents told me to run, just before our cave was crushed. So I ran, and I just never had the nerve to come back. I went to Equestria. I wanted to learn more about ponies, and I hoped I'd see Spike again someday.”

Glacien shook his head ruefully and pulled Sapphire in close to comfort her. She clung to the old dragon, shivering. “A terrible tragedy. I am so sorry, Sapphire. If only there was something I could have done.”

“There is nothing you could have done,” Sapphire answered, her voice shaky. “It's not your fault.”

Seeing Sapphire like this lit a pang of regret in the pit of Spike's stomach. He stepped closer and rubbed Sapphire's shoulder. “I wish I could have done something, too.”

Sapphire let go of Glacien and wiped her eyes. “It's not your fault, either, Spike.” Her gaze drifted to the .left, her eyes lost in something. “It's time I stopped running from it. I'm going back to our old cave.”

“There is nothing left,” Glacien said lowly. “It'll only trigger more sad memories. But if you truly wish to go, I cannot stop you.”

“I'll be fine.”

“As you wish.” The old dragon stretched, yawned and spread his wings, cringing at a loud pop that Spike winced at as well, almost feeling it himself. “Curse it all, these old bones and joints of mine aren't what they used to be. I enjoy my daily walks, but at my age, they take their toll. I'll take my leave of you now, I must rest.”

The old dragon lumbered off to a distant cave towards the right of the network of ice caverns. Wordlessly, Sapphire wandered off to the left. Spike followed close behind until they reached the left side of the Frozen Spires. Most of the leftmost caves had been crushed inward by massive chunks of ice and rock that littered the area, a grim reminder of the power of nature. Countless tons of matter spilled by the avalanche had come to rest at the foot of the caves.

Sapphire rubbed some of the debris with her claw, her eyes distant, lost in time. “Look at all this rubble,” she mumbled. “This was the exact spot where our cave, our home was. My parents used all their power to stop the cave from collapsing, just long enough for me to escape. As soon as I did-” Sapphire dropped to her knees, clenched her eyes shut and sobbed. “Mom, dad, I'm so sorry!”

“Sapphire,” Spike said. She didn't seem to hear him.

“It's all my fault!” Sapphire squeezed a claw shut, crunching snow in her fist. “All I did was run! I didn't even try to help you keep the cave from crushing you! If I hadn't been such a coward, you might still be alive! If it weren't for me, you might have had time to get out.” 

The cold protection spell kept Spike safe from the sub-zero temperatures of the Frozen Spires, but it did nothing to stave the chill that worked its way through his body, hearing Sapphire blame herself for what happened to her parents.

“It wasn't your fault, Sapphire.”

“How would you know?” she sobbed. “You weren't there.”

Spike knelt down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. “They told you to run. You did the right thing.”

“Did I?” 

Spike wondered if she was asking him, or herself. Sapphire hugged him, buried her face in his shoulder and cried. She cried for a long time. Spike would let her cry on his shoulder as long as she needed. At last the sobbing stopped. She stood up, wiped her eyes and sniffed.

“I'm ok,” she sighed. There was a brief hint of a smile in her eyes as she looked to the towering central spire of the Frozen Spires. “Spike, there's someone I'd like you to meet.”

“Who is it?”

“Dragonlord Frost, ruler of the ice dragons. He's an old friend of my father's.”

“Alright. Lead the way.”

Sighing and sniffed one more time, Sapphire turned around and guided Spike up the icy slopes that led to Dragonlord Frost's cave.

***

It had been some time since Princess Luna had been to Griffonstone, not since she attended the welcoming ceremony of Queen Gale ten years ago. The Griffon Kingdom had existed without any official form of government for many years. It was through unanimous agreement that they needed a leader. They elected the oldest and wisest among them, a griffon named Gale, to be their new ruler. She accepted the position with pride and had done well in leading the griffons to restore their once great kingdom.

Gustwing, a young griffon who, through quick and precise decision making, a level-headed demeanor and the ability to command respect from her troops by giving respect in return, had swiftly rose through the ranks of the griffon army, all the way up to general. She was now considered the second most powerful griffon in the kingdom, only to Queen Gale herself. 

Queen Gale had been busy with a political meeting, so Princess Luna reported directly to General Gustwing in her office at Eagleclaw Base, the main headquarters of the griffon army. It was a training base as well; Luna understood that at the sight of a griffon sergeant carpet-bombing the ears of the recruits. Luna stepped through the open door of the general's office, spotted Gustwing at her desk and dropped to a knee in respect.

“At ease, your highness,” General Gustwing said. At that, Luna rose. Gustwing stood up, walked around the desk and offered a claw to Luna. “General Gustwing.”

“Princess Luna,” she replied as she accepted Gustwing's claw. The griffon clasped her hoof in a firm, confident shake. Her feathers were well-groomed and she wore an olive beret on her head. A vast array of medals were pinned to her uniform.

“It's an honor to meet you, Princess of the Night.”

“Likewise,” Luna replied. 

“What can I do for you, your highness?”

“Equestria has been attacked by dragons. One of our villages was completely destroyed. Celestia and I intend to fight back. But Our might alone is not enough to contend with them. I have come on her orders to seek your aid.”

Gustwing shook her head, giving barely any time to contemplate the matter. Though her expression didn't change, Luna thought she caught a brief glint of fear in the general's eyes at the mention of the great reptiles. "You and your sister are both out of your minds. We are not about to fight dragons."

“You disappoint me.” Luna studied Gustwing closer, looked her over, knowing that the general wouldn't miss this subtle but powerful gesture. “I'd heard better of the mighty General Gustwing.”

Gustwing held her neutral expression, but Luna noticed her chest swell with pride. “It is true, I've lead the griffon army to many victories, but you must understand that our enemies in those battles were not quite the caliber of what you intend to fight against. Changelings are one thing, but dragons are far, far out of our league.”

“You'll be well rewarded,” Luna replied, hoping this would appeal to Gustwing's more primitive instincts.

Again Gustwing shook her head. “If we provoke dragons, we won't be around long enough to make use of a reward.”

Was there no appealing to this stern-faced general? She might as well had put up a stone wall between the two of them, Luna thought. "Our country has experienced a direct attack! Will you stand by and do nothing even as the Shadow Dragons could be plotting to attack your country next?"

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it. Your ponies have experienced an awful tragedy, and you have our condolences. Under normal circumstances, I might even have agreed to ally with your forces. But dragons are no ordinary enemies. They're too powerful. I am terribly sorry, your highness, but I didn't get promoted to general by taking risks. In the interest of the Griffon Kingdom's safety, we will remain neutral."

Luna feigned a smile and locked eyes with General Gustwing. “What irony. I did not come here expecting to find a coward.”

Aside from a slight tightening of her jawline, even that did not alter Gustwing's flat expression. The change was subtle, but it was there, and Luna had noticed it, and knew she'd succeeded in piercing through Gustwing's pride.

“There's a fine line between cowardice and prudence,” Gustwing replied, her tone every so slightly more dangerous, unnoticeable to an untrained ear. Luna had heard it. The griffon snapped her talons, and two sergeants came rushing into the room. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm a very busy griffon. Sergeants, please remove Princess Luna from the facility.”

The two sergeants approached Luna, who summoned a white glow into her eyes. They hesitated, knowing what Luna was, what she was capable of and they understood the warning: do not touch me. “I can remove myself, thank you very much. If you are as helpless as you say, then I hope for your sake, general, that the dragons do not decide to attack your country next.”

A quick surge of darkness, and Princess Luna had vanished from the room. The sergeants allowed themselves a quick sigh of relief. They'd rather tangle with dragons than an alicorn.

“Your orders, general?” one of them asked.

“Return to your posts. I have work to do.”

Both the sergeants saluted simultaneously. “Ma'am! Yes, ma'am!”

After the soldiers marched out of the office, Gustwing returned to her desk and pulled out a new document.
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

All the icy slopes of the Frozen Spires led to one towering cave that overlooked the entire ice dragon settlement. As Spike had guessed, this was the lair of Dragonlord Frost, ruler of the ice dragons. The mouth of the cave led to a great hall made of bluish ice so pure and clear Spike could see his and Sapphire's reflections in the walls and floor. There were beautiful ornate designs carved into the walls, depicting Frosts' many great deeds. 

Enthroned at the far end of the room was a dragon among the largest Spike had ever seen. As expected for anyone worthy of the title Dragonlord, Frost was an imposing figure--a thick, muscular frame, sharp features and countless sharp icicle like spines running down the back of his neck with several more protruding from the tip of his tail. Frost sat straight on all fours, rigid and proud as he held his head high with an air of authority, but to Spike his blue eyes seemed almost gentle. 
 
"Welcome home, young Sapphire. It is good to see your face again," Lord Frost's baritone voice boomed, visible frosty breath coming from his massive snout as he spoke. He smiled as he looked Sapphire over. "My, how you've grown. You look just like your mother."
 
Spike saw the pain flash in Sapphire' eyes at the mention of her mother. Frost must have seen it too, for his smile vanished.
 
"I am so very sorry about your parents,” Frost said. “You know your father was as a brother to me."
 
Sapphire gave an understanding nod. "Of course, sire."
 
Lord Frost looked at Spike, regarding him silently for a moment. "I see you have brought a guest with you."
 
Spike gulped and shivered despite his protection from the cold. Lord Frost had stare Spike felt could freeze the pit of his soul. He dropped to a knee and bowed, more out of fear than respect. "I hope I'm not intruding upon your territory, your majesty."
 
Frost laughed a deep laugh that tickled the cavern with vibrations. "Worry not, young one. We are not like those barbarian dragons far below, isolated as we are. As a friend of Sapphire's you are welcome here. On a related note,” Frost shifted his gaze to Sapphire. “I'd suggest you show your friend to the temple where we once prayed, but-" 

Frost shut his eyes and shook his head ruefully. "You know as well as I do the past cannot be changed."
 
"What do you mean, 'once'?" Sapphire asked, her head tilted questioningly.
 
"The temple collapsed that day you fled from the avalanche which took your parents' lives. Didn't you notice its ruin upon your arrival?"
 
Sapphire shook her head. "No, I didn't."
 
"You should go see for yourself. Personally, it aches my heart too much to witness that ruin."
 
"Thank you for informing me, Lord," Sapphire said with a bow. "If we may, we'll take our leave."
 
"As you wish. Your friend is welcome to stay in our domain as long as he likes, so long as he behaves himself."
 
Spike placed a hand on his chest and bowed politely. "Thank you, sire."
 
Without so much as another word, Sapphire turned for the great hall that led back outside and started down it. Spike followed, struggling to keep his balance on the slippery ice floor.
 
"So what's this temple?" Spike asked, fighting to keep up with Sapphire's pace. "I didn't think dragons prayed."
 
"The ancient ice dragons built a temple out of ice in reverence to what we believe is the ice spirit that rests within this mountain. This temple was here even when Glacien's grandparents were young. Generation after generation of ice dragons prayed there for the ice spirit to keep this land frozen and suit our needs."
 
Once outside, Spike followed Sapphire across the ridge that overlooked the Frozen Spires. He was amazed at how easily Sapphire navigated the treacherous terrain, hardly upsetting the loose rocks, never losing her balance. Every few steps Spike would slip on a patch of ice or stumble across a loose rock buried under the snow.

Sapphire kept moving until she was nothing more than a small blue dot in the distance. She stopped at the peak of the ridge, giving Spike a chance to catch up. There stood the remains of what was a once great structure built from ice. Unlike much of the Frozen Spire's constructions, the ice of the collapsed temple had no sparkle or glisten, a snow-blasted shell of a ruin beaten down by years of exposure to the elements. From the looks of it, the dragons probably hadn't stepped foot in the temple since it collapsed and, as such, it had fallen into an even greater state of disrepair.
 
"Wow," Sapphire mused, her eyes lost in time. "It's really gone."
 
Spike scratched the back of his head in confusion as wind howled past his ears. If this was such a sacred place to the ice dragons, why didn't they just rebuild it, or build another one? "Can't it be rebuilt?"
 
"Probably. But we have a tradition of leaving such ancient structures as they are. If we were to alter it, we'd be disrespecting our ancestors. When something like this collapses, we see it as a marking of the passage of time."
 
To Spike, it seemed just as disrespectful to leave it in a destroyed state, but he held the comment in. Who was he to question the ice dragons' traditions? Sapphire went ahead, stepping through one of the broken walls.

The temple seemed to have consisted of only one huge room, a central chamber with massive rectangles of ice arranged in a grid on the floor, resembling the pews of a church. Spike looked skyward, dodging a broken chunk of ice on the ground as he wondered what this place looked like before it had been destroyed. A huge hole had been smashed in the ceiling, looking like a gaping mouth trying to swallow the sky.

Sapphire's eyes scanned the large central chamber, distant and silent, as if wandering around in a world only she knew or, perhaps, lost in the past. Spike could only guess at the memories that were flooding back, memories she could never relive with the temple in its ruined state.
 
"I wonder what happened here?" she wondered out loud.

The farthest wall had been destroyed nearly to the point on non-existence, revealing a staircase that had once been hidden behind a section of false wall.

“I didn't know this was here,” Sapphire said. She walked over to the top step and peered down. “I wonder where it goes?”

The stone stairway, large enough for a full grown dragon to navigate with ease, twisted deep within the mountain.

“Only one way to find out,” Spike said.

With an agreeing nod, Sapphire eased her way down the first step, side by side with Spike.

***

The booming laughter of king Taurus and his council filled the throne room of the castle of Minnetauroppolis, a laughter that pained Luna on the inside far more than it did her ringing ears. Taurus was an impossibly huge minotaur, his bulky frame towered over Luna even though he was sitting down. His great beard had been tied into multiple braids, accenting his numerous piercings. 

Luna glared at the king in contempt, turned her gaze to his council and then back to the king. "How dare you."
 
For a moment, King Taurus stopped laughing and studied Luna's glare. "Oh, wait, you're serious. Let me laugh even harder!" He slapped his knee, his bulging muscles quivering in rhythm with the thunderous laughter.
 
The council continued to laugh as well, cramming Luna's head with so much jeering noise that there was little room left in there to think. Luna gnashed her teeth and growled lowly. This was not the place to lose her self-control, she knew.

“Silence.” It was no use. The command was lost among the continued laughter. An insult to her, to Equestria. Luna's eyes glowed a pale white and she stamped her hoof so hard it sent cracks webbing across the linoleum floor.

"Silence!" Luna shouted in the Royal Canterlot Voice, a volume so great it whipped the minotaurs' hair about and blew King Taurus' crown from his head, bringing an abrupt end to their laughter. "I have come to you in faith and trust in our time of great need!” she continued in the Royal Voice. “I fail to see the humor in that! How dare you mock me and my country in this manner!”

A hushed pall fell over the throne room. None of the minotaurs wished to provoke Luna any further, knowing that even, though they were well known for their strength, even if all the minotaurs in the room fought Luna at once, they stood little chance against an alicorn.

King Taurus retrieved his crown, dusted it off and placed it back on his head before seating himself once more. "With all due apologies, your highness, dragons are a bit out of our league. We don't have any weapons that could even start to cut through their thick scales."
 
Luna glared at the king. "So you are cowards, just as the griffons."

Hardening his face, Taurus met Luna's gaze. "Now, your highness, you know that we would lend you our support in a time of war. But what you're considering is not what I'd call war. I'd call it suicide. We've got no chance, and neither do you."

“Do you doubt my power, and that of my sister?”

“Well, when you put it that way, it would seem you have everything under control,” Taurus continued, rubbing his beard in thought. “In that case, this discussion is over and done with. You ponies are on your own.”

A sigh of resignation burst from Luna's nostrils. The minotaurs were a stubborn lot; once they made up their minds, they'd hold on with their lives. She wasn't going to get them to see things her way. “Very well then, be that way. I shall take my leave.” 

Luna turned for the door, her nose high in indignation. She'd nearly exited the throne room before she stopped and cast one more glance over her shoulder at the minotaurs. “If you're as powerless as you seem to think, then you won't last long if the dragons decide to invade your country next.”

A violent shaking rocked the entire room, rattling the ancient weapons and paintings hanging on the walls. The minotaurs staggered and buckled their knees to keep from being shaken off their hooves, noticing the glow in Luna's horn just before she turned and left the room.

It would leave a final impression, Luna thought as she made her way out of the castle.
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A stone stairway, large enough for a full grown dragon to navigate with ease, twisted deep within the mountain.
 
The stairs came to a sudden end, joining with a wide hallway, the length of it so great that the end of the hall was beyond Spike's sight. The further down the dragons went, the more Spike saw signs that a great struggle had taken place here. There were claw marks gouged into the walls and globs of stone that had melted and re-hardened, looking like melted wax on the side of a candle.
 
At the end of the great hall was a large chamber, mostly empty aside from a lit candelabra resting on a table and, in front of it, a twenty foot statue of some sort of fairy-like entity, its arms stretched out and palms facing upward, as if accepting an offering.
 
"What is this place? Sapphire wondered out loud.
 
"What are you doing here?"
 
Spike and Sapphire wheeled around at the new voice, finding that a sagely-looking old female ice dragon had come up behind them. Spike looked up at her wrinkled face, noting her size and backed up a few steps.
 
"I'm sorry if I'm intruding," Sapphire said to the colossal figure. "I just saw the ruins of the temple I used to go to when I was little, and I saw the staircase. I was curious where it went."
 
"I see," the old dragon said in a raspy, almost hissing voice. She then dropped to her haunches, a less intimidating posture. "Forgive me if I startled you. My name is Crysta. I was once the keeper of the ice temple above."
 
For a moment, Sapphire regarded Crysta, probably judging whether or not she was a threat."I've never seen you before," she said, tilting her head. "I'm Sapphire."
 
"I'm Spike!" said Spike.
 
"It is nice to meet you, Sapphire and Spike. I'm not surprised you didn't know about me before. I stayed here, in my domain, much of the time."
 
"I didn't even know this place was here," Sapphire said. She twisted around, observing the room. "I'm not even sure what this place is."
 
"You stand now in the inner sanctum of the ice temple," Crysta explained. "It was intended to be hidden from prying eyes, for it once held the sacred treasure of the ice dragons."
 
"Once?" Spike echoed. "What happened?"
 
Crysta closed her weary eyes as she conjured up painful memories. "A group of dragons, scales as dark as the night, came here looking for it. When we denied them entry, they began tearing the temple apart until they found it."
 
"What was this relic were they looking for?" Sapphire asked, the flicker in her eyes showing that the pieces were starting to come together in her head. It was no coincidence, Spike knew, that the avalanche happened at the same time the dark dragons invaded. All he could do was brace himself for the inevitable explosion of anger from Sapphire once she finished putting the pieces together.

“As I said, it was the sacred treasure of the ice dragons, the Glacial Orb. Its power helped the Ice Spirit keep this mountain cold enough to suit our needs. With it gone, I'm afraid it is only a matter of time before our realm is doomed.”

Spike laughed on the inside. He'd learned a lot about science after so many years living with a unicorn whose favorite pastime was studying. It wasn't magical relics or mythical beings that kept this place cold, it was the elevation. “I doubt that, Crysta.”

“And why is that, young one?”

“It's cold here because we're so high up. It's the same with all mountains.” Spike instantly winced at the words when Sapphire elbowed him in the chest. He took a step back on instinct, fearing that Crysta might lash out in a violent scathing for trying to poke holes in her beliefs.

However, nothing about the old ice dragon changed. She barely even blinked. “That's what pony science explains,” she said, her voice calm; perfectly modulated. “Which means nothing to us dragons. Look at that statue." Crysta pointed a claw at the strange stone figure. "An effigy of the Ice Spirit. Notice how its hands are empty? We ice dragons fought valiantly to protect it from the Shadow Dragons' vile clutches, but as you can see, we have failed." Crysta hung her head, shut her eyes and shook her head in shame. "I failed. The Ice Spirit has surely forsaken us now, and the blame falls squarely on my shoulders."
 
Something within Sapphire flashed. It was like a torch shining light on an area that had always been obscured in shadow, illuminating it for the first time. The realization made her gasp. "Wait. The temple was attacked and destroyed by black dragons. Then the temple collapsing must have caused the avalanche!"
 
"No doubt," Crysta said. 
 
"Then the Shadow Dragons..." Sapphire's voice trailed off in thought.
 
Spike winced, bracing himself for an outburst. Here it comes...
 
"I know what you're thinking, and you'd do well to leave the idea alone, young one," Crysta said. "Even with our combined strength the other, younger Defenders and myself could not stop them."

Ignoring Crysta's warning, Sapphire broke into a dead sprint down the huge hallway. Crysta only hung her head and shook it sadly. “Foolish child. She means to die.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it!” Spike yelled back as he started down the hall after Sapphire, following her back up the winding staircase and through the temple's great hall. Sapphire finally stopped on the edge of the cliff. 

The view seemed to steal the breath from Spike's lungs. He thought he could see the entire world from this high up--the jagged spires and curving slopes of the mountain, Equestria's lush green plains dotted with ponds and lakes far, far below and the treetops of forests, all lit by the orange rim of the setting sun. Looking beyond the cliff just past the temple, Spike realized Crysta was right. A trail of destruction, fallen boulders and broken ice led all the way down to the base of the Frozen Spires, and Sapphire's former home was in the direct path of the devastation. 
 
"So it's true," Sapphire said, and her face hardened. Sapphire clenched her hands so tight they shook at her sides, her eyes fierce and unblinking.
 
"Sapphire, are you okay?" Spike asked. He'd never seen Sapphire so angry.
 
"It's their fault!" she screamed. "It's all their fault my parents are gone! The Shadow Dragons did this!"
 
Spike put a gentle claw on Sapphire's shoulder, hoping it would help soothe her. "Sapphire, take it easy."
 
"I'll make them pay," she growled.
 
"You said yourself there's nothing we can do."
 
"Then we'll find a way. What if we found whatever it is Zog is looking for, and use it against him?"

Spike sighed through his nose as he considered the possibilities, given the danger. Thinking about tangling with the Shadow Dragons again made his stomach twist into painful knots. Of course, he'd follow Sapphire through the gates of Tartarus. His racing thoughts rested on Ponyville. On Twilight Sparkle. Spike hadn't seen her or the rest of his friends in the week since he'd left Ponyville to stay with Sapphire, and he felt a sudden longing to see them again. A few friendly faces would certainly make him feel better.

“Let's go see Twilight,” Spike said, gripping Sapphire's hand in his own. “She's bound to have some ideas, and if not she'll find some.”

“You think so?”

Spike shrugged. “There's nopony I'd rather have by my side at a time like this. She always knows just what to do, always comes through for me.”

“Ok,” Sapphire nodded. “We'll go back to Ponyville and figure out what to do from there. We should get going. My cold protection spell will wear off soon and I won't be able to cast it again for a couple of days.”

Spike gave an understanding nod, smiling at Sapphire, quietly assuring her they'd figure something out. She returned his smile, then beat her wings and took to the air for the long descent down the mountain, with Spike following close behind.

***

The moon had begun rising in the night sky, a sight Celestia welcomed with a smile, for it meant wherever Luna was, she was safe, and probably intent on returning home soon. A sleepy yawn forced its way out of Celestia's chest. Sleep had scarcely come to her since the recent dragon activity, but there probably wasn't any harm in resting her eyes for a bit. She shut her eyes, allowing the tranquil silence of the throne room to overcome her. She'd nearly fallen asleep when her alicorn senses detected an incredible surge of power.

Celestia's eyes flew open. That dark presence she sensed... overwhelming! "Who's there? Show yourself!"
 
There was no time to wait for a response. Celestia channeled magic energy into her horn, ready to strike. She saw a small, round metal object shoot just above her head, and then, the energy in her horn sputtered out.
 
A huge cloud of black mist formed in the center of the throne room and materialized into a massive bipedal shape. Celestia thought it looked like a dragon, only it had six legs instead of four, four great wings, two heads and eight eyes that glowed red like hot coals.

"Ah, Princess Celestia. It is an honor to meet She Who Controls the Sun," the apparition said in a grating baritone voice, both heads speaking as one.
 
No matter how hard she scraped at it, no matter how much energy she tried to summon, the ring wouldn't budge, no magic glowed in her horn. No doubt it was a null-ring, powerful enough to block even her magic.

"Don't bother. That null-ring is bound to you by my power. It won't come off unless I decide it does, or my lifeforce is extinguished."

Spearhead and Claymore, the two guards flanking Celestia, drew their weapons and started their approach, stopping only at Celestia's extended foreleg warning them to stay back.

“Who are you?” Celestia demanded, cocking an eyebrow at Veroth. “Better yet, what are you?”

“I am Veroth, the Shadow Dragonlord.”

Celestia felt a cold shiver work its way up her spine. Was this the same Veroth who led the Shadow Dragons during the Dragonwars? “It cannot be. Not even you could live that long.” Indeed, the Dragonwars were ancient, even by her standards.

A wry, wicked smile appeared on Veroth's two faces. “Being put in stasis in Tartarus for a million years does tend to keep one such as myself rather preserved. Of course, given the number of creatures you've sent there, I'm sure you already know that.”

Celestia studied the strange dragon for a while longer, suddenly feeling her stomach twist into painful knots.“What are you here for?”

Spearhead spun his weapon into a ready position. “Step away from the princess!” The guard thrust his spear at the two-headed dragon. Veroth sidestepped and tore the weapon free from Spearhead's hooves and, with only his thumb, bent the steel shaft into a worthless “u” and tossed it aside.

As Spearhead backed off, Claymore charged forward and struck the monstrous form in the side. The sword clanged off Veroth's scales as if Claymore had struck solid rock, the weapon jarring and clattering to the ground. Claymore backed off as well, swallowing a hard lump in his throat.

The fools. Celestia had told them to back of for a reason. She stared at Veroth, refusing to let any fear shine in her eyes. "What do you want?" 

"Oh, come now, your highness, I just want to make a deal with you."
 
Celestia raised a wary eyebrow. "What kind of deal?"
 
"Look outside your window."
 
The sight in the sky out her window made Celestia's ears droop. She couldn't fight the gasp. Hundreds of pitch-black dragons, darker even than the night sky, loomed over Canterlot like a swarm of bats, blotting out the moon and the stars. With that many dragons, Equestria's demise would be swift and sure.
 
Veroth stood tall, both pairs of arms folded across his chest with the confident air of one who was sure there was no way he could lose. "Turn your country over to me. We can end this peacefully, your highness. That's my deal."
 
For a moment, Celestia's tongue could form no words. Without her magic there was no good way to end this. "And if I refuse?"
 
"Then we do this the hard way; we start smashing every one of your towns to pieces until you're ready to cooperate or there's nothing left, whichever comes first. Starting with your beloved Canterlot."
 
It took a few moments for the alternative to sink in Celestia's mind. The average ponies didn't stand a chance of stopping a full-scale attack, but she couldn't just hand her country over. "I... I can't do that."
 
"You, who would never any harm befall your precious subjects?” Veroth nodded towards the window, regarding his army. “My forces stand ready. All I have to do is say a single word."
 
Celestia glanced over her shoulder. Surrender her country or watch it be destroyed. What was the right choice? WAS there a right choice? The dragons had her powers nullified. She wouldn't be able to protect her subjects this time. Luna, however, hadn't returned from her mission to gather allies. Equestria still had the Princess of the Night. There was also Spike and Sapphire, who'd already beaten the Shadow Dragons once. Cadance and Shining Armor would surely lend their aid as well once they learned of the invasion, and if somehow none of them were able to defend Equestria, there was one other ace-in-the-hole Celestia could count on. 

Indeed, it was a mistake for the Shadow Dragons to underestimate Equestria. For now, she could only do her part in keeping it safe. "I have one condition. My subjects must not be harmed. No towns destroyed. Nothing like what you did to Buckington."
 
“Very well. You have my word.”

Veroth snapped his fingers and, in an instant, the windows of the throne room shattered inward in a burst of flying glass. Celestia shielded her face with her foreleg to keep the glass from getting in her eyes and, when she dared to glance around again, a dozen Shadow Dragons in their smaller bipedal forms had already surrounded her, and Veroth had seated himself on the throne of Canterlot.

“Take her to the dungeon,” he ordered. “As of this moment, this castle is under our control!”

Hanging her head, Celestia reluctantly allowed the dragons to guide her out of the throne room, broken glass crunching under their feet. They led Celestia down the royal hall, where other dragons were already standing guard. Though the Shadow Dragons had stripped her of her powers and were now preparing to lock her up in her own dungeon, Celestia knew the ponies would endure. They would find a way. They always did.

She knew, this was far from over.
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ponies of Buckington had barely made it a quarter of the way to Canterlot when the last light of day faded below the horizon. Hopes rose when they saw buildings in the distance; perhaps this village would be willing to accommodate them for the night. As they got closer, those hopes deflated. 
 
The village had been deserted, all of the buildings in some form of disrepair, many of them missing walls or their entire roofs. Thick dust caked many of the walls that were still standing.
 
"What happened here?" the pegasus Dustin Wind asked.
 
"Did the dragons do this?" Autumn Gale wondered, shivering as she remembered events that had sent them on this trek in the first place. The memory of dragons destroying her home was one she knew would stay with her for the rest of her life.
 
"Not likely," came an immediate reply from mayor Paula Tishian. "If the dragons had done this, there wouldn't even be this much left standing."
 
Jigsaw, an Earth Pony carpenter, rubbed the stubble on his chin as he inspected the outer wall of a dilapidated one story house. "The mayor's right. This wood hasn't been smashed, it's been eroded from exposure to the elements and a lack of upkeep, and look how the dust is caked onto the walls. This village has been abandoned for some time. We're looking at a ghost town."
 
A tiny gasp of fright came from Sunset Breeze as she nestled closer to her mother. First dragons and now ghosts? "There are ghosts here?"
 
Despite their predicament, Autumn couldn't help but laugh as she lifted a hoof and rubbed the top of her daughter's head. "No. A ghost town means nopony lives there anymore."
 
 "How come?" Sunset asked.
 
"That's a good question," Paula replied. "We should spread out and look for clues why this village was abandoned. We may wind up needing to stay here for the night, and I think we'll all rest easier knowing what happened. Let's meet back here in fifteen minutes."
 
Everypony nodded in agreement and broke off into groups to inspect the empty houses. Sunset Breeze followed her parents through the broken down front wall of a small one-story house. Sunset's best friend Snowberry, a little Earth filly with a white coat and green mane, stuck close by her as Sunset's parents scanned the opposite end of the room.

Inside the living room was a single couch, a coffee table in front of it and a nightstand against the far wall. An empty vase rested on the nightstand. The plant, if it once held one, had long ago wilted and decayed. A framed picture, so clouded with dust the image of the unicorn couple and their young colt could barely be seen, hung on the wall. 

Sunset took a deep breath and, with all her strength, lifted the couch up enough for Snowberry to peer underneath it. 

“See anything?” Sunset grunted.

Snowberry looked for a few more seconds, then answered, “nothing.”

Sunset let the couch dropped with a thud, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Autumn and Dustin jumped a bit at the sudden noise and wheeled around to see what had caused it. Noting the dust cloud and the coughing fillies' swift departure from the couch, they allowed themselves to relax.

Assessing the situation only confirmed what Jigsaw had concluded: the village wasn't attacked. The vase hadn't been knocked off the nightstand, the picture still hung neatly on the wall and none of the furniture had been upset. 

The ponies moved on into the kitchen and spread out to look for more clues. Dustin Wind opened up one of the cupboards above the sink, revealing that it was still full of dusty old dinner plates. A mass of messy cobwebs had been constructed in there, but revealed nothing else.

A lot of stuff left behind, he and Autumn realized. The village might not have been attacked, but the former residents had left in a real hurry.

While Snowberry checked the lower cabinets, Sunset crawled underneath the dinner table, stopping at a  familiar rectangular shape laying on the floor. It was a piece of paper, stiff and yellowed with age.

“What's this?” the filly wondered out loud.

"What is it, Sunset?" Snowberry asked.
 
"I found a note!"
 
Snowberry joined her friend under the table for a closer look. "What's it say?"

Sunset squinted close at the paper. She was only up to 4th grade language studies and between the darkness and the faded, sloppy writing, it was a struggle to form the words. "It just says, 'Parasprites. Palamino Creek. Send help."
 
Sunset crawled out from underneath the table and shook the dust out of her fur as her parents took the note to confirm what she'd read.

All the dust, the empty vase, the cobwebs and the yellow, brittle sheet of paper confirmed something else Jigsaw had mentioned: the village had been abandoned for a long time.

“Atta girl,” Dustin said, giving Sunset Breeze a gentle noogie. “Come on, the others will want to see this.”
 
***

"So this is," Lucky Charm began when the other ponies met up in the village square to share what they'd learned. Lucky quickly corrected himself, "was Palamino Creek. I'd heard the parasprites devastated this village about thirty years or so ago."
 
"If that's all that happened then we shouldn't have anything to worry about if we stay the night here," a unicorn mare said.
 
The ponies all murmured in agreement, except for Autumn Gale, who stared hard into the countryside. She was sure she could see movement in the blackness of the night sky. Something heading towards the village. A v-shaped formation of winged creatures. Geese? It couldn't be, it was too early for their migration and they lacked the telltale honking flight. A few more seconds of watching confirmed this; they were far too large to be geese, had long tails like dangling snakes and their wings weren't feathered; more batlike.
 
Autumn Gale gasped at the realization. Batlike! It could only mean one thing. "Mayor!" she yelled and pointed at the fast approaching forms. There were only five dragons in the squad that destroyed Buckington, but Autumn counted at least twenty in this flight.
 
Paula Tishian's gaze followed Autumns hoof and she too gasped in alarm."Hide!" The mayor whispered. "And stay quiet."
 
Nopony needed to find motivation. They scattered among the houses, hiding in closets that were still standing, huddled in corners where roofs were still intact, squeezing themselves into crawl spaces or under stairways. Everpony cringed and waited, daring only to breathe. The dragons passed through for what seemed like an eternity, but they finally vanished into the darkness of the horizon. Only after a few more minutes of waiting to be certain the dragons weren't going to turn back did the ponies emerge from their hiding spots and gather back in the village square.

"Whew. They're gone," somepony in the crowd said.
 
"I wonder what that was about?" Dustin Wind asked.
 
Gabby Carp, the elderly mare who had chastised Spike and Sapphire earlier that day snorted. "Probably looking for more villages to smash."
 
Autumn Gale rolled her eyes and turned to face her. "Would you stop complaining about how bad dragons are already?"
 
"I don't see those 'heroes' of yours here helping us out. Sending us to Canterlot." Gabby clicked her tongue and scoffed. "More like sending us into a trap."
 
"Sapphire and Spike? No way!" Sunset Breeze protested. "They're my friends!"
 
"I stand by what I said earlier. Spike and Sapphire are good dragons,” Autumn agreed. “They were trying to help us! They didn't know all these other dragons were going to show up."
 
"That's probably exactly what they want you to think."
 
"Did those dragons just now come after us?" Dustin Wind asked, growing impatient.
 
Gabby rolled her eyes. "Great, that's what we need. A family of dragon sympathizers."
 
"That's enough!" Paula Tishian shouted loud enough to cut through the tension, stepping between Autumn and Gabby for good measure. "This arguing is pointless. As mayor, I say we stay here for the night. It'll provide us at least some shelter, but if any of you want to continue on towards Canterlot, more power to you."
 
There were a few skeptical moans, a couple of nods, but not much else. Nopony particularly wanted to spend a night in a ghost town, but also knew their options were thin.
 
Gabby Carp huffed, scrunching her face in a scowl. “We should keep moving. In case you didn't notice, there were a lot more than just five of those dragons this time. We're sitting ducks here.”

“I'm tired,” Sunset moaned, rubbing her eyes.

“Me, too,” Snowberry added. “And hungry!”

Autumn Gale and Dustin Wind exchanged knowing glances and both nodded. “We're all tired and hungry,” Autumn said.

Jigsaw shrugged. “I'll get a fire going. We can eat a nice meal and figure out what to do in the morning.”

The village square quickly bustled with activity. Some ponies added wood to the fire and brought out what food they'd salvaged from the ruins of Buckington, others nestled in close to the bonfire and hoped silently to Celestia that this nightmare would soon be over.

None of them, not even Gabby Carp, would have guessed the nightmare was only beginning.

****
 
Applejack galloped along the road that lead to Golden Oaks Library, feeling like an apple under her own hoof with the dozens of dragons that had suddenly appeared in the sky above Ponyville. Relief washed over her when she stepped through the doorway and shut the door behind her, though her heart still thumped painfully.
 
"Applejack!" Twilight shouted, running up to give her friend a hug. "I'm glad you're safe."
 
Applejack embraced Twilight and then looked around the room. As she expected, the others were all there, even Fluttershy had somehow found the courage to venture outside with the swarms of dragons flying about. "And I'm sure glad y'all are here."
 
"Me too," Fluttershy said with a shudder. "Those dragons are everywhere."
 
"I know," Twilight said, her voice trailing off in thought. "I wonder what's going on in Canterlot right now. Hope Rarity's okay."
 
"I'm sure she is," Applejack said. "She's a might tougher than she looks. 'Sides, Celestia's close by. She won't let nothin' happen."
 
Twilight let out a nervous moan. Rarity was indeed tougher than one might think, but she was expecting her foal any time now. She needed to relax. Worrying about the dragons would do neither her nor her baby any good.
 
"I know," Twilight sighed. "It's just that she's in the final stages of pregnancy. She's not exactly at %100."
 
"What in Equestria is going on out there?" Rainbow wondered as she gazed out the window at the swarms of dragons crisscrossing around Ponyville's sky.

“Maybe they're just here to make friends and bridge the gap between ponies and dragons!” Pinkie Pie shouted, that indomitable smile pasted on her face. “We should throw them a welcoming party!” The smile vanished and Pinkie rubbed her chin as she remembered an encounter with a cranky dragon they'd had years ago. “Wait a second. Do dragons like parties? I know Spike likes parties, but he's more of a pony than a dragon, dontcha think? Maybe I should bake them something.”

“Pinkie,” Twilight said, shaking her head as Applejack facehoofed at the idea, “I don't think they're here with friendly intentions.”

Applejack swallowed a nervous knot in her throat. "I don't like it, y'all. I don't like it one stinkin' bit."
 
"I'm scared," Fluttershy added.
 
Twilight looked out the window, regarding the squadron of dragons circling Ponyville. "I don't like it, either."
 
"What should we do?" Applejack asked.
 
"We wait."
 
"Wait?" Rainbow Dash spat. "Equestria to Twilight: there are dragons everywhere, and who knows what they're up to?"
 
"I'll say it again. We wait until morning. Who knows, the dragons might be gone by then."

A breath of courage swelled within Applejack's chest; she'd long ago learned to trust Twilight's plans with confidence. “You're right, sugarcube. We'll see what happens in the morning.”

A loud clatter came from the kitchen, sending Fluttershy darting with a squeal underneath one of Twilight's reading tables, and the others charging into the kitchen, only feeling their hearts beat again when they saw the pink pony next to a pile of baking pans that had fallen from an open cabinet to the floor.

“Um, anypony know what kind of cake dragons like to eat?”

The others facehoofed again. This was going to be a long night...
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It all happened so fast.
 

They'd reached the base of the mountain when the Shadow Dragons appeared. Now Spike and Sapphire huddled together in the shelter of a shallow cave in the mountain wall, watching the dragons cross this way and that across the night sky. At first the two young dragons feared that the dark dragons had come in search of vengeance against them. Spike and Sapphire couldn't have been certain that the Shadow Dragons hadn't seen them, but if they had, they paid the two no mind.
 

It had all happened so fast Spike still couldn't believe what he was seeing. A few more minutes of watching did nothing to numb the disbelief. There weren't just five of them on a hit and run mission this time. The Shadow Dragons were out in force.
 

"Spike," Sapphire whispered, clutching her boyfriend tightly. "What's going on?"
 

The fact there was no visible resistance brought Spike a chill that had nothing to with being next to an ice dragon. "I have no idea. But Celestia needs to know about this."
 

Spike took out his quill and a piece of parchment, scribbled down what he'd seen and sent the letter on its way in a puff of flame that, for just an instant, lit the cave with a jade glow. Mere seconds had passed when Spike's stomach rumbled, forcing him to spit out another piece of parchment. His heart seemed to drop to his feet when he read it. It was the same letter he'd just sent.
 

"What the," Spike wondered out loud.


"What is it?" Sapphire asked.
 

It took a few moments for Spike to form the proper words. "I think I've just been return mailed!"
 

Sapphire peered over Spike's shoulder to get a look at the letter. "What do you mean?"
 

"The letter couldn't make it to its intended recipient. Something must be blocking my link with Celestia. Which means," Spike paused at a sudden tingling in his spine, "something bad might have happened to her."
 

Sapphire kept her eyes on the sky, regarding the scores of dragons flying about. "Can't be a coincidence, what with all the Shadow Dragons out there."
 

"That's what worries me."
 

Spike seemed to lose himself in his skyward gaze, wondering what they should do. Two teenage dragons in the middle of Equestria would stick out like a busted hoof, especially if the Shadow Dragons were looking for them, but a nagging sense of worry made Spike want to fly towards Ponyville as quickly as possible to check on his friends. Worry also pulled in the direction of Canterlot, to make sure Celestia was okay, and of course to see how Rarity was holding up with her expected foal. Spike also couldn't help but wonder what was going on in the Dragonlands now that the Shadow Dragons had occupied Equestria.
 

"Hey," Sapphire's voice came softly and she put a palm gently on Spike's arm, bringing him away from his inner three way tug-of-war. "It'll be okay. I'm sure Princess Celestia's safe."
 

Doubt gnawed at the pit of Spike's stomach. He'd never been return mailed before. Whatever had caused it had to be something serious. "I don't know. I hope you're right."
 

Sapphire kissed him in the cheek and cuddled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. From her shivering, Spike guessed she needed the comfort as much as he did. Sapphire's presence, her touch, the soft rhythm of her breathing all helped wash away the anxiety and, before Spike could stop it, he drifted asleep snuggled next to his love.


***


Princess Celestia layed down in the corner of her cell, the only one in the maximum-security room designed for the most dangerous of criminals. Celestia closely watched the Shadow Dragon assigned to guard her, studying his movements as he patrolled the room, noting the manner in which the sentry moved with brisk, confident strides; his posture tall and rigid. All of it was information she could use if she had the opportunity to escape.  


That was wishful thinking, Celestia knew. Even if she could find a way to get past the sentry without her alicorn powers, the magic seal on her cell was another matter. Her nerves still tingled from the nasty shock she received the last-and only-time she touched the door. The guard had a good laugh out of it. Veroth placed the spell to prevent an escape, and it covered the outside of the cell door as well as the ceiling, walls and floors, making it impossible for anypony to dig their way in for a rescue attempt.


While her subjects might try to bust her out, even if they managed to incapacitate the guard, her only hope was that one of them would be powerful enough to counter the spell. The only other way the spell would be reversed would be if Veroth somehow perished, and given that the other dragons were unable to physically destroy him during the Dragon Wars, Celestia knew that was beyond hope.


Celestia lifted her head to find an unusual sight. It looked like the guard was fighting to keep his eyes open. He shook his head wildly to clear out whatever he perceived had afflicted him. Yet he began to nod. His eyes glazed over, he finally gave in, closed his eyes and slumped down to the floor. A loud, rhythmic snore came from the fallen dragon. 
 

There was a brief flash of darkness and Princess Luna materialized in the room. Celestia regarded her sister for a few silent moments, then found herself unable to suppress a rueful chuckle, knowing that her sister was responsible for the dragon's sudden nap. "Locked up in my own dungeon. What irony."
 

Luna gave Celestia a look of concern. "Sister, what has happened? Dark dragons are overrunning Equestria! Why have you allowed this? And what is that ring on your horn?"
 

Celestia lifted a hoof to stifle her sister."One question at a time, please. It's a null-ring. It nullifies the wearer's magic, no matter how powerful it might be. The leader of those dragons placed it on me. They made me an offer I couldn't refuse: turn my country over to them, or watch it be destroyed."


“The fiends,” Luna growled. “Fear not, dear sister. I will get you out of here.”


“No, don't!” Celestia yelled as Luna prepared a lock picking spell. The warning went unheeded, and a burst of energy shot from the cell and struck Luna, blasting her against the wall. 


Luna rose to her feet and shook her head to clear the pain. “A magic trap,” she mused. “Clever.”


Celestia had hoped somepony powerful enough would come to her aid, and there was nopony more powerful than the Princess of the Night. If anypony could break the spell, it was her. 


“Can you dispel it?” Celestia asked.


Luna nodded. “I shall try.”


Stiffening her legs to anchor herself, Luna squeezed her eyes shut and a dark-colored energy surrounded her horn. The aura intensified as Luna gnashed her teeth, sweat beginning to form on her brow. She lowered her stance, steeling herself as the energy she gathered stole the very light from the room. When visibility returned, the magic had vanished from Luna's horn. She huffed and puffed, gazing with disbelief at the cell door.


“I cannot remove the spell. My power is not enough.” It wasn't the panting that hung Luna's mouth open, but the utter shock. All her power, and it was not enough to undo the seal. “What manner of fiend are we up against?”


“Do recall the stories our parents told us of the Dragon Wars?”


“Indeed,” Luna replied. “What of it?”


“It seems the Veroth that leads these dragons is the same Veroth that led the Shadow Dragons during the Dragon Wars.”


“My stars,” Luna whispered. Her eyes glinted with silent fear for a moment, and then her face hardened with resolve. 


“Will the Griffons or the Minotaurs lend us their aid?” Celestia asked, though she feared she already knew the answer.


Luna shook her head. “They are cowards. All of them.”


Sighing through her nose, Celestia let her gaze droop to the floor. “I see.” 


Luna glared and turned for the room's only door. “Allies or no allies, it is my duty as Princess of the Night to defend my country. I don't care of their leader is Veroth or not, I shall settle this myself.”


“No, my sister, you'll fare no better than I, and as you can see for yourself I did not fare well. You cannot let them know of your presence. If they have another null ring and use it on you, Equestria will be completely at their mercy.”


“What shall I do, then?” Luna asked, shrugging.


“You must disguise yourself. More importantly, make sure they hold true to their promise that they won't harm anypony, though I have my doubts that they will. The dragons are surely looking for you as well, and until they've found you, I doubt they'd make such a risky move.”


Luna tilted her head, raising an eyebrow.“What makes you think that?”


“Because they fear you and I, fear our powers as alicorns. They won't break their promise as long as they anticipate a reprisal from you. Which is why I know they must be searching for you, too. You cannot let them do to you what they've done to me. If that happens, there will be nopony left who can oppose them.”


“What's more important,” Celestia continued, “is that, as my sister, when I am unable to perform my duties as ruler of Equestria, control of this country is placed in your hooves.”


All that power, all that responsibility, in her hooves? Luna held her hoof to her mouth in silent wonder. What if she failed Equestria? What if she let everypony down? All eyes would be on her now, and she could already feel the weight of each of them on her shoulders. After her stint as Nightmare Moon, did she even deserve to lead Equestria?


Celestia's voice pulled Luna's thoughts back to reality. “Please, my sister. I know this must be a terrible burden on you, but you are Equestria's final hope.”


Long seconds of silence ticked by.


“Can I count on you to find a way to defeat them?” Celestia prodded.


Luna wiped the moisture from her face, shut her glistening eyes and nodded. “Of course.”  


A quick flash lit the room and Luna's form regressed into a pony of average height. Her flowing, starry mane became inconspicuous pale blue hair and her wings vanished from her body. By all accounts, she now resembled an ordinary unicorn.


The transformation was purely cosmetic, however. Celestia and Luna both knew that, unlike the last time Luna was in this form, she still had complete control over the full extent of her power. It was a disguise that would allow her to both hide from the dragons and protect her country if need be.


“How's this?” Luna asked her sister.


Celestia smiled and nodded in response, then her eyes shifted to the guard, who began to stir.


“Go!” Celestia whispered.  “I know I can count on you.”


Nodding her head in return, Luna vanished from the room in a quick flash. Once she was gone, the guard rose to his feet, cupping the side of his head in one of his hands.


“What happened?” he mumbled to himself.


“You fell asleep,” Celestia answered bitterly. “Maybe you should go tell Veroth to send a dragon more competent.”


The dragon glared at her for a few seconds. He let out a low, rumbling snort and resumed his patrol. “Smart mouth,” he grumbled.


Though Celestia had every faith in her sister, she neglected to mention her other ace-in-the-hole. It was to bestow Luna the motivation and confidence she needed to lead Equestria through this crisis. If Celestia's ace-in-the-hole did show up, the Shadow Dragons would be sorry they ever stepped foot in Equestria.


Very sorry indeed. 

> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight Sparkle woke up the next morning with the unyielding sensation that something was wrong. At least, she thought it should be morning, but when she glanced out the window she realized Ponyville was still blanketed in the darkness of night. The unicorn rubbed her eyes and then glanced at the clock on her nightstand. She gasped in shock, feeling her heart jump into her throat. The others were sleeping downstairs. They needed to know about this!

Twilight charged down the stairs so fast that she stumbled over her own hooves, going head over hooves halfway down and landed flat on her back.

“Oh my goodness,” came Fluttershy’s soft voice as she trotted over to check on her fallen friend. “Are you okay, Twilight?”

Ignoring the pain in her shanks where they’d struck the edge of the steps, Twilight righted herself to her hooves. A couple of lit candles supplied the library with the only dim, flickering light. “No, I’m not okay!” she snapped back. “Has anypony seen the time?!”

“7:00 A.M.” Applejack answered plainly.

Twilight prodded Applejack in the chest. “Right, and you’re up at the crack of dawn every day, so you of all ponies should know that the sun is supposed to be up by now!”

“Maybe Princess Celestia overslept!” Pinkie offered with a smile.

Twilight rolled her eyes. How Pinkie remained so optimistic in such a dire situation, she’d never know. “Not likely. We’ve got a crisis on our hooves. This is bad!”

The room fell silent as the other ponies considered the situation. Twilight Sparkle was well known for her obsessive-compulsive outbursts over trivial matters. This time, however, they felt her panic was justified.

“Do you think it has something to do with all those dragons?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“What else could it be?” Twilight replied.

Applejack gulped visibly. “What should we do, y’all?”

Twilight rubbed her chin, mulling it over for a few tense seconds. “We need to check on things in Canterlot, and fast. And when we need speed, we know just who to turn to.”

All eyes fell on Rainbow Dash. The pegasus reeled back in midair, her eyes darting nervously, but she still held that confident smile.

“How about it, Rainbow?” Applejack asked. “You up for a little scouting mission?”

“A-alone? With all those dragons out there?” Rainbow hesitated, not wanting to admit that seemed like a suicide mission. She descended to the floor and put a hoof to her chest in pride in order to maintain a tough facade. “I’m just the pony for the job!”

“I know we can count on you.” Twilight gave Rainbow a pat on the back.

“Good luck!” Applejack said, giving her friend a quick hug.

“Be careful,” Fluttershy added.

Pinkie Pie waved goodbye as Rainbow zipped out door. “And bring back lots of souvenirs!”

All eyes now turned to Pinkie, all gazing at her in perplexity. “What?” she retorted with a shrug. “If you go to Canterlot you HAVE to pick up souvenirs. It’s practically a rule!”

***

Rainbow Dash streaked through the sky, keeping her eyes alert for Shadow Dragons. Several flew past her, but paid her no mind. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the great reptiles weren’t going to turn around and attack. When they hadn’t, she wiped the sweat from her brow and sighed in relief. 

The last time she tangled with a dragon still stung in her memory. All it took was a scream, one simple roar from the beast to blow her backwards and slam her into a boulder. The impact had cracked it and knocked her silly. Rainbow had learned a hard lesson that day: as tough as she was, she was no match for a full grown dragon.

How do I let those ponies talk me into these things? I know I’m awesome and everything, but come on. Dragons? Being Equestria’s fastest flier sure isn’t easy sometimes. I really gotta learn how to say ‘no.’ 

Two shadow dragons streaking toward her snapped Rainbow away from her thoughts. Shouting in alarm, she dove under then and spun around, ready to fly away as fast as her wings could carry her if the the dragons changed course. But they kept going, eventually vanishing into the darkness. Rainbow’s heart thumped painfully, bringing her an embarrassing realization: Not even the great Rainbow Dash could keep her cool with two dragons barrelling down at her.

Deciding she didn’t want to spend any more time out in the open than absolutely necessary, Rainbow Dash burst off at full speed towards Canterlot and arrived at Equestria’s capital city in a matter of minutes. 

A breeze that carried a foreboding sense of darkness told Rainbow that she hadn’t yet seen the worst of things, even though the number of dragons had increased substantially. There had been groups of four or five flying over Ponyville. Now the skies of Canterlot were crowded with the great reptiles. Rainbow had counted fifty of them in the largest group, but never fewer than twenty. When she’d reached Canterlot Castle, Rainbow felt her blood run cold. There were dragons entering and exiting, flying in and out of open windows, somehow changing their massive forms to much smaller ones in order to fit through. Dozens more patrolled the sky above the palace, and still others marched along the ground. It was like watching some kind of giant hornets’ nest.

That’s not good Rainbow thought. With all those dragons in the palace and the sun not being up, they must have done something to Celestia! Twilight was right, this really is bad! Rainbow inspected the castle for a few more minutes in hopes of finding an infiltration point, but the dragons had eyes on every inch of the place. 

Rainbow Dash hovered for a bit as she considered her next course of action. Getting into the palace without being spotted would be impossible, but she didn’t want to let her friends down by returning without any positive news; still, it was better than never returning to them at all. That was one thing she could never do to her friends. Her loyalty surpassed all else, even her reputation.

Well, there’s one thing I can do, at least Rainbow told herself as she thought of a certain white unicorn. I’ll go check on Rarity while I’m here.

Rainbow looped around in midair and streaked towards Carousel Boutique’s Canterlot branch, a sense of ease washing over her as she moved farther away from the Shadow Dragon’s central hub. She landed on the front patio of the elegantly designed building and knocked on the door.

Rarity’s husband Dudley Diamonds, a sky blue stallion with a thin mustache and slicked back jet-black mane, answered the door. “Miss Rainbow Dash! It’s good to have a pleasant surprise this morning,” he greeted in his elegant Trottingham accent. “What brings you out this way?”

“Take a lucky guess.” Rainbow pointed with her nose towards the scores of dragons soaring about Canterlot.

Dudley’s eyes followed her glance. “Ah, of course. You’ve come to check on the dragon situation, no doubt. You and your friends were quite the adventurers back in the day.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow confirmed, “any idea what’s going on out there?”

“Certainly not! I haven’t the luxury of going out and about in an hour such as this; I’ve got a home, a pregnant wife and soon to be child to protect!”

“Speaking of Rarity, can I talk to her?” Rainbow asked.

“Certainly. She’ll be delighted to see you.”

Dudley led Rainbow Dash inside, where several candles had been lit as a substitute for the missing daylight. Scented candles, Rainbow guessed from the pleasant aroma about Canterlot Boutique’s display floor. She followed Dudley through a door in the back that led to a hallway, and through another door in the hall that led to Rarity’s room. The unicorn was laying on her back in her bed, a prominent bulge in the sheets indicated the soon to be foal.

Another scented candle sat on the nightstand next to Rarity’s bed, barely lighting the soft features of the unicorn’s face, but Rainbow could tell she was smiling.

Rainbow waved a hoof by way of greeting, “Hey, Rarity.”

“Rainbow Dash! Oh, it’s so good to see you.”

“Glad to see, too.”

Rarity glanced about the room, her eyes signalling she knew something was missing. “What brings you here alone? Where are the others?”

“Oh, they’re back in Ponyville. They sent me here to check on things. We’re just finding out what’s going on, trying to save Equestria, the usual stuff.”

Rarity chuckled. “Reminds me of the old days.”

Rainbow shook her head, knowing she had to put nostalgia aside for now. “Any idea what’s going on out there? Have you heard how Celestia’s doing?”

Sighing, Rarity rubbed her swollen belly. “I don’t know. Those dragons just showed up all of a sudden. I haven’t heard anything about her highness’ condition, but since the sun isn’t up-” She stopped short on words she dared not speak. Noting Rainbow’s agreeing nod, Rarity knew she didn’t need to finish.

“I know,” Rainbow agreed. “We’re all worried. I would check on Celestia myself, but that palace is locked down tighter than Fluttershy’s house on Nightmare Night. I might be fearless, but I’m not suicidal.”

“There’s no guarantee she’s in there anyway.”

Rainbow glanced nervously out the window and then back to Rarity. “Look, I’d love to stay and chat but I’m kinda pressed for time. I need to get back to the others.”

“I understand and I do appreciate you checking up on me,” Rarity answered, her voice sounding weak. “Do take care, darling.”

“Are you gonna be okay?”

Despite the obvious pain and discomfort associated with late-stage pregnancy, Rarity smiled. “Don’t worry about me, I’ve got Dudley here. Tell the others I’m fine.”

“Will do!” Rainbow promised. With that, she turned around and bolted out the door and down the hallway. “Later, Dudley!” she called without looking behind.

She wasted no time bursting to the sky and speeding back to Ponyville, her thoughts a mix of concern and regret that she was powerless to stop the dragon invasion. Rainbow didn’t look over her shoulder once during the short trip back to Ponyville; she’d feel much safer where there weren’t quite as many dragons and where she’d be under a roof to hide from their eyes. Her hooves only hit the ground when she reached Golden Oaks library and invited herself in.

There was a fifth pony in the main room, a blue unicorn with pale hair. For a moment Rainbow hadn’t recognized the newcomer with what little light the candles offered. When the unicorn turned around, a mental switch from years ago flicked in Rainbow’s head. It was Princess Luna, but Rainbow hadn’t seen Luna like this since she and her friends freed her from the corruption of Nightmare Moon.

“Princess Luna? What happened to you?”

“Greetings, Rainbow Dash,” Luna said, reading Rainbow’s look of confusion. “Fear not, this is merely a disguise.”

Rainbow tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. “A disguise from what?”

“I’m hiding from the dragons, lest they do to me what they’ve done to my sister.”

“The Princess showed up just after you left,” Twilight explained. “She told us everything.”

“Wait a minute,” Rainbow interrupted, holding up a hoof to stifle Twilight. “You mean I just risked life and limb going all the way to Canterlot, for nothing?”

“With my sister’s life potentially on the line,” Luna retorted, unblinking, her voice turning to stone, “I would hardly say it was for nothing.”

“No disrespect, of course,” Rainbow answered, then pressed her lips shut, knowing how quickly Luna could end her if she wanted to.

Luna’s chest expanded with a deep breath. The alicorn shut her eyes and, slowly, she let the breath out. “I apologize. I am under quite a bit of stress, as I am sure you can understand.”

“No prob,” Rainbow Dash said. Not that she’d expected Luna to harm her, but the Princess of the Night was still intimidating when angered. “So, how is Celestia doing?”

“The dragons have her locked up in Canterlot’s dungeon,” Luna explained. “She is unharmed, though I’m afraid they’ve stripped her of her powers.”

Rainbow sighed in relief at the news. At least Celestia was safe, for the moment anyway.

“Did you hear that?” said a shivering Fluttershy. “They've captured Celestia. We’re all doomed!”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Luna answered, her voice stern and confident. “Twilight Sparkle, I have come here in pursuit of knowledge, and this library has an abundance of it. Any books on dragons you might have, anything with any sort of information that may give us an edge against our invaders.”

Smiling and nodding, Twilight walked over to one of the bookshelves and pulled out a thick volume entitled “Dragon Genealogy.” 

Beneath that smile, anxiety welled within Twilight as her thoughts turned towards another dragon.

Spike, wherever you are, please be safe...