Secrets Behind The Letters

The town square was filled to the brim with the town's residents. It seemed all of ponyville must have received the message about the Mayor's special announcement. The populace's usually warm and content air was absent, however.

Spike's stomach was tying itself in knots. The general feeling of uneasiness in the crowd was making him nervous. The heaviness in the air and they grey skies above only increased the tension.

As he and Rarity made their way through the crowd, whispering and speculations from the towns' residents filled their ears.

"This better be important! I had to close my shop early for this!"

" I heard a dragon has staked its territory near town! I'd bet my best horseshoe this meeting has something to do with that."

" A DRAGON! Oh, we're all going to die. I knew it, I just knew it."

" Oh, please. There's no dragon. This probably has to do with a new ordinance or something of that nature."

" It must be an important ordinance to justify an emergency town meeting like this."

Spike could feel raindrops begin to fall upon his scales. The inclement weather seemed to perfectly compliment the ominous uncertainty that was quickly spreading around them. Of course, always prepared, Rarity levitated an umbrella out of her saddlebag to shield them from the rain.

" Thanks, Rarity! I..." Spike quickly glanced around and noticed how almost all of the stallions were holding the umbrellas for the mares. He had to act likewise. " I can hold the umbrella for you, Rarity!" Spike immediately reached up and snatched the item in question.

" Oh, well, thank you, Spike. Your such a gentlecolt, er, gentledrake." He was so cute when trying to impress her, and she always admired his efforts. However, in this instance, his height, or lack thereof, had forced her to kneel down to his level to get under the umbrella, which was more than a little uncomfortable to say the least.

"Uh, darling? Maybe it would be easier if I held the umbrella for us." Her back made a rather loud crack as she stood back up, gently levitating the umbrella away from the slightly disheartened dragon. " However, I certainly appreciate your thoughtfulness. It is most becoming."

'Yes! Bonus points for Spike!' He was victorious, and he was proud of himself. "No problem, Rarity! It's my pleasure."

"Spike! Rarity!" Rainbow Dash was flying right towards the duo at top speed.

"Oh, hey Rainb- AHH!" Spike couldn't finish his sentence before he and Rarity were leveled by the rainbow-maned pegasus. "Ugh! The pain!"

" Ha-ha! Sorry, guys!" Rainbow snorted, trying to hold back laughter. " I thought I could stop in time. Guess not. You alright?" She helped her friends up off the ground and tried to reestablish the umbrella for them. By this point, however, the two of them were rather soaked, much to the dismay of a certain white unicorn.

" Yes dear, we're fine." It took an obscene amount of her self-control to refrain from sending a few more, colorful words in Rainbow's direction. One look at her now rain and dirt soaked coat and mane sent a shudder down her back. "Couldn't the weather patrol have picked a more favorable time for a rainstorm?" Her glare could slice through steel.

"Sorry guys, but we were due for some rain today. Besides, how am I supposed to know when the mayor is gonna schedule some random outdoor get-together like this. So not my fault. But don't worry, it shouldn't last too long, I think."

Rarity sighed in defeat, deciding not to argue the issue any further. "Anywho, Rainbow, do you have any idea as to what this whole situation is about? I haven't the slightest idea, and neither does anyone else it seems." She gestured towards all the ponies around them, still gossiping amongst themselves as to what was going on.

"Nope! Sorry. Although, I did see a few guards come into town earlier today, and they looked like they were from Canterlot, what with the armor and stuff they had on." Rainbow twisted her face into a pensive expression, appearing deep in thought. "Ha! I bet the mayor is in on some political scandal with the Princesses, and something went wrong and now she's in trouble! That would be so awesomely epic!"

"Yes, well, I highly doubt that, Rainbow Dash. I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why we have members of the Royal Guard visiting."

"Like...?" Rainbow was not convinced.

"Uh, well, I don't know! Maybe there's a criminal loose and they're passing through on a search. Or maybe it's something good! Perhaps Celestia herself is going to be paying us a visit and this is a meeting for her."

" Sure, whatever you say, Rarity. A political heist still sounds better to me."

The white mare just rolled her eyes in retaliation. " Of course it does."

" And just what is THAT supposed to mean?"

Spike was to the point plugging his ears, just to drown out their annoying argument. "Guys! Enough! I can't take it anymore."

The two stunned mares looked at him, surprised by the sudden outburst.

" Look, we're gonna find out what this is all about soon anyway, so there's no point in arguing about it. Geesh!"

" I apologize, Spike. You are quite right. No sense in arguing over such trivial matters. Wouldn't you agree, Rainbow Dash?"

" Pfft, I still think-" A quick kick in the side from Rarity finished that thought for her. " Yea, of course. Sorry, Spike." She gave her aggressor a vengeful look whilst rubbing her side.

" It's cool. I think the atmosphere is just getting to us all." Spike quickly glanced around himself. Between the weather and the general anxiousness of everypony, it was a negative atmosphere indeed.

After a bit more scounting, Spike spotted a particular purple unicorn in the crowd, looking very lost and awkward at that. "Hey, Twilight! Over here!"

The unicorn in question looked up with a very relieved smile on her face, and immediately ran over to join her friends.

" Hey guys! I'm so glad I finally found you. This whole town meeting situation is really weird. I'm pretty worried."

Twilight's appearance gave away just how stressed out she was. From the way she kept biting her lip, to her disheveled mane, it was blatantly obvious she was upset.

" Don't worry, Twi. It's gonna be okay," Spike said, giving his sister a quick affectionate hug.

" Thank you, Spike." Twilight warmly returned the hug before turning her attention to her two other friends that were present. " Hi, Rarity. Hi, Rainbow. How are you two doing? I'm so busy all the time it seems I never get to hang out as much as I want to anymore."

" It's alright, Twilight. Don't sweat it." Rainbow said, giving  Twilight a playful punch on the shoulder. " I've been busy, too, what with work and sleeping and stuff. I know how you feel." Her face suddenly contorted, as if she was trying to remember something, and changed just as quickly into a face of dawning comprehension. " Sorry! Gotta dash, guys! I just remembered something I have to do, like, now!" And in the blink of an eye, she was gone, leaving naught but a few blue feathers where she had just been standing.

" Umm, okay then. Moving on. Did you two have fun today?" Twilight shifted her attention to Rarity and Spike, making sure to send a discreet wink in the young dragon's direction, making his face redden almost instantaneously.

" Why yes, darling! We had a positively splendid day, before this whole mess happened that is. Spike is such a wonderful little helper, as I'm sure you already know. It's so sweet he uses what little free time he has just to help me with my work." Rarity gave him an adoring smile, making him blush even further than he already was.

" Aww, don't mention it. Helping my friends is my number one priority, after all!" Spike said, chin held high.

' Uh-huh. Sure, Spike. Whatever you say,' Twilight thought, chuckling to herself at her younger brothers' grandiose display. " Yep, that's Spike for you. Always looking for ways to help others. He's definitely grown up a lot." She was sure she would come to regret padding his ego like this, but it couldn't hurt too much to help in his romantic endeavors. He deserves it.

" Oh, you are quite right, dear. My Spikey-Wikey certainly has grown into a fine young dragon," she said while pinching his cheeks affectionately.

Spike was now beaming with a practically visible aura of pride at the compliments that he was receiving from Rarity.

" In fact, Spike and I were actually discussing some plans to possibly get away for a short while, just to take a quick break from all the stress we've been under recently." Rarity turned toward the young drake, giving him a sweet smile.

' Yay! She hasn't forgotten! Redemption is at hand! ' Spike's thoughts were fluttering now.

Rarity continued, a sly smile creeping across her lips. "And, I personally was thinking that-"

"ATTENTION EVERYPONY! MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!" Mayor Mare had finally appeared on the podium that was set in the center of the square, speaking via loud phone.

"Strike number two," Spike sighed to himself. He was beginning to come to terms with the idea that fate must have a personal vendetta against him.

"Ooh, finally. Looks like it's time to receive an explanation for all this," Rarity stated rather impatiently.

The three friends turned their attention to the Mayor. Along with the rest of the crowd, they were awaiting the apparently urgent news about to be announced.

Spike suddenly felt a strong and intense sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was the atmosphere of all the ponies around, but either way, something was wrong.

* * * * * * * * * *

After the Mayor had the full attention of everypony in the crowd, she began. " Citizens of Ponyville! I'm aware you all are wondering why this emergency meeting has been called. Well, I'm afraid there is very distressing news I have to share. Equestria is in imminent danger!"

Spike's stomach did a backflip. All around he heard gasps and whispers from the crowd. He turned his head to see Rarity and Twilight who were standing to his left. They both appeared to be experiencing a similar state of disbelief, mouths agape and and faces turning pale.

The Mayor continued. "Earlier today I was given a letter by the royal guard, commissioned by Celestia herself, to be read immediately, so I shall now read it to you." She took a moment to clear and throat and collect herself before beginning. "It says:

Dear citizens,

Equestria is in a critical state of danger. King Sombra has returned. While the details of how this happened are still being looked into, it is clear this is a far greater threat than we have seen before, and greater than we are currently prepared for. His power is great, and he brings with him a massive army.

Although it is regrettable, we of the royal guard, protectors of Celestia and Equestria, beseech help and assistance in this fight. Any and all capable volunteers are needed. If your circumstances allow, and you wish to join in protecting our home, please report to the guard being stationed in your area for further instructions.

We understand that the times ahead may be frightening, but now is the time for us all to stand together against this threat. It's the time to protect our home.

• Canterlot Royal Guard

   Captain Sky Racer

Shock.

That was the only appropriate term to describe the feelings and thoughts of everypony in present as the letter was read.

"Clearly, you all can see we have a very serious situation on our hooves." She was obviously exerting herself to keep a confident appearance, but the cracking voice and trembling knees gave away how frightened the town's leader actually was. "I will do my best to make sure all of you stay protected during the times ahead, so please don't panic. And, if any are interested in volunteering for the war as the letter mentioned, please report to City Hall. A member of the Royal Guard will be stationed there for the next 2 days. It will break my heart to see any of my citizens do something as dangerous as take up arms, it is a personal decision for everypony."

Murmurs, cries and worry ensued throughout the crowd, despite the mayor's reassurance.

Spike turned back to his friends. Twilight had a relatively calm look about her, which wasn't too surprising considering the enemies she has faced in the past. Rarity, however, was very upset. Tears were falling freely and she kept pacing back and forth. Put frankly, she looked like a nervous wreck. She hadn't even noticed she dropped her umbrella and was getting soaked by the rain. It was too much for Spike to see.

"Rarity!" Spike ran up to her and gripped her in a tight embrace, ushering her to come to her senses. He softly took her face in his two hands and pulled her gently down so they could meet eye-to-eye. "Look, everything is gonna' be alright. It will be okay. I promise." He formed a gentle smile, and brought his face slightly closer to hers, never breaking eye contact. "I'll do everything I can to make sure it's okay. You'll be safe."

Rarity put a hoof to his cheek, and gently pulled away from his hold. "Oh, Spike. Thank you so much, dear." She wiped a tear from her eye, looking affectionately at the young dragon. "But, it's not me I'm worried about. It's my family, and my friends. Sweetie Belle, my parents, the Cakes and their children, Cheerilee... all the ones that can't defend themselves. They are the ones I'm worried about, Spike. I don't know what to do!"

Spike just looked at his feet. He didn't know how to respond. Rarity and the other elements of harmony had proven multiple times they can handle themselves against danger, but what about all the others? This seemed to be a much bigger threat than before. Who was going to protect all of them?

"I... I don't know, Rarity. I don't know how to help all of them! I just... I want to, but I can't!" Tears started brimming in Spike's eyes.

"Don't worry, Spike. It's alright," Twilight said, overhearing their conversation. "You heard what the mayor said. They are getting volunteers from all over Equestria to help fight and protect us. And I'm sure Celestia and Luna are doing everything in their power to help, also. Nopony expects you to protect everypony, Spike."

"But I WANT to help everypony! I just, I feel so powerless to help my friends. I mean there are so many ponies I care about, so many friends I've made, I have to protect them. I have to do something! But, I... I don't know how!" Spike plopped to the ground, resting his head on his knees. The rain had finally let up, but the ground was still wet and muddy. Getting dirty, however, was the least of his worries at the moment.

Twilight looked over to Rarity. She was giving Spike a sympathetic, and very comforting look. It almost seemed Rarity had a deeper connection to Spike then she let out on the surface. Whether romance was a factor or not, they really did seem to care a lot about each other. It was kind of sweet almost, the idea of her two friends together.

Looking back at Spike, she noticed just how upset he looked. The somber facial expression, tears running down his cheeks- it was heartbraking. "I promise, it will be okay Spike. We'll think of something. Everypony will be safe." She gave her little brother a quick hug before turning the conversation towards Rarity.

"Alright. We need to figure something out with this whole thing. Something isn't right. I mean, why didn't Celestia contact us about this for help? She always does! It doesn't make any sense." Twilight's brain went into maximum overdrive trying to contemplate the situation at hand that she was faced with. "I just don't get it! Erg! I mean, what if the Princess herself is in trouble? Or what if this whole thing if far worse than we have imagined, and we're all doomed and-"

"Darling, relax!" Rarity put a hoof over the purple unicorn's mouth to cease her panic induced rambling. "We don't know what's going on, or why Celestia hasn't contacted us yet. But panicking won't get us anywhere, now will it?"

"Yes, your right, Rarity. I'm just a little worried and stressed right now, for obvious reasons. I hate not knowing what's going on." She let out an exasperated sigh. "I guess I'll just have to be content with being patient."

"Yes, very good, dear. It's not easy for me, either. But it is very important for us to stay calm. If not for ourselves, for the sake of others who look to us for strength."

"I understand. Thanks, Rarity. I can't believe I'm getting advice on how to stay calm from the drama queen herself." She chuckled and gave her a friend a quick smile before shifting back to a look of deep thought. "Anyhow, I think we need to discuss this situation and make plan about what to do from here. If you could, find the other girls and meet at the library in two hours for an emergency group meeting. We shall discuss the situation in further detail there."

"Alright, sounds like a delightful idea, Twilight. I'll see you in two hours then." She gave Twilight her best attempt at a cheerful smile and gave the still depressed Spike an affectionate nuzzle before walking off to round up the rest of the group.

"Okay, Spike. You ready to head back home?" Twilight looked down at the little dragon, still sitting on the ground in an apparent state of deep thought. "You've had a long day, and it seems like we're gonna have a long night, too."

"Uhh, yea. I guess so. But, hey, if you wanna head over there now, I'll catch up in just a bit." He uncurled his body from his position on the ground and stood up. "I just have something I want to do first while I'm here in town. I'll be right behind you, though."

She gave him a quizzical look, but decided not to question him. "Oh, okay, Spike. Just don't take too long, alright? I don't want to have to come looking for you later. I've had enough stress for one day." She left Spike where he was standing and started walking back home.

"Alrighty. See you in a bit, Twi."

Spike looked around himself, standing in the middle of the town square. Most of the crowd had dissipated, returning to their homes or opening their businesses up again after the days' interruption. However, the air of fear and unrest was still there in a suffocating quantities. It was on the face of everypony he saw, friends and strangers alike. It was unsettling to see, and he couldn't bear it.

'I have to do something. I have to help somehow.' Spike started thinking to himself, getting more and more upset with every thought. 'I can't let everypony suffer like this and just stand by. I have to help, somehow!'

Spike clenched his fists, a determined smile spreading across his face. He was going to protect his friends, no matter what the cost may be. He ran as quickly as he could over to city hall.

He knew what he had to do.