The Legend of Spike: Krazoa Island

Chapters

The Galleon
The Test of Observation
ThornTail Hollow
Spike's Master
Saving the Prince
Growing Wings
Garunda Te
Volcano Force Point Temple
The Test of Combat
The Queen CloudRunner
CloudRunner Fortress
The LightFoot Tribe
The Test of Fear
The Walled City
The Test of Strength
Dragon Rock
Dueling Dragons
The Test of Knowledge
Spike's Adversary
Homecoming
The Wedding
Camping on Ice Mountain
DarkIce Mines
The RedEye Tribe

The Galleon

The rain fell and lightning illuminated the night sky, revealing the figure of a Unicorn riding on the back of a strange creature. The Unicorn had a pristine alabaster coat and meticulously styled violet mane that took her forever to prepare. She squinted her sapphire eyes and furrowed her brow as she fretted over the rain that was ruining her coiffure. With one hoof, she vainly attempted to shield herself from the downpour and held onto her ride with her other.

The creature that the mare was riding on was something she had never expected to see. It resembled a large orange bird with a protruding beak and a long crest extending from the back of its head. Unlike a bird, its body was covered in scales instead of feathers and its wings resembled that of a bat. When she first encountered the strange being, she thought it was some sort of dragon. In fact, many of the ponies in Fillydelphia had thought so too. She thought back to the time she met her strange companion early that morning.

A few days ago, the white Unicorn and her friends had scattered across the Kingdom of Equestria in search of one who was dear to them. When they split up, she traveled east from their home in Ponyville. In hopes of finding information about her missing friend, she entered into a dinner located near the harbor. Before she could ask anypony about her friend, she noticed the owner of the dinner, a gruff looking stallion, arguing with the large orange creature.

“I’m not telling you again,” the stallion said angrily. “Dragons are not welcomed here!”

“A um dek u thuwed. A um u SceitHiddoh,” the supposed “dragon” argued back in a strange language.

“I don’t know what you said, but I don’t like your tone!” The owner then shoved the foreigner towards to door. “Your kind isn’t welcomed here!”

“Rik A…” the winged stranger started to say but was shoved again in the chest by the obnoxious pony. Looking around the dinner for help, he saw the harsh eyes of the customers glaring at him. Seeing that there was no way for him to win this fight, he turned and left through the door and the slightly overweight owner of the dinner smirked smugly as the other ponies cheered for him.

“Can you believe it? Two dragons in two days?” the stallion said to a waitress. “What is Equestria coming to if those dangerous monsters can freely walk the streets amongst us ponies?”

The white mare gawked at the scene, appalled by the despicable behavior of the ponies before her. In her righteous fury, she marched towards the gray Earth Pony with a balding brown mane.

“What you did, sir, was one of the utmost disgraceful acts of in-hospitality I have ever witnessed,” she berated the stallion.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” he asked, surprised at the mare’s agitation.

“What gives you the right to treat others in such a manner?” she questioned.

“Didn’t you see him? He was a dragon.”

“And what does that have anything to do with it? What does it matter if anyone is a pony, a griffon, or a dragon? Everyone deserves to be treated with courtesy and respect!”

“You can’t tell me who I can and cannot let into my dinner,” the stallion growled in response. “If you don’t like how I run things here, then you can leave!”

“That is exactly what I plan to do.” She huffed, calming herself down. “But first, tell me what you meant by ‘two dragons in two days.’ Was there another dragon here yesterday?”

“Yeah, that’s what I meant,” the owner sneered. A flicker of hope ignited in her and she started to become excited.

“Was he purple with green spines?”

“Yeah, he was. Now get out.”

“Where did he go? Which way was he headed?” she asked fervently.

“I told you to get out. Beat it or I’ll toss you out of here,” he threatened. The sound of a slap was heard and the white mare left the dinner, leaving the gray Earth Pony with a red hoof print across his face. She walked down the path towards the harbor and saw the orange “dragon” talking to a few ponies on a ship.

“Excuse me sir,” she called out to him. He turned his head in her direction and then flew over to her with his scaly wings. “I want to apologize to you for what just happened back there.”

“Te dek nehho ureic ak,” he responded in his native language.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Oh… I mean, don’t worry about it,” he translated. “I’m sorry, I keep forget you ponies don’t speak my language.”

“And what language is that?”

“It’s Saurian, the Language of the Dinosaurs.”

“Dinosaurs,” she marveled as she looked him over, realizing he wasn’t a dragon at all. Now that she got a good look at him, he did look like one of those fossils she once saw in a museum as a filly. She tried to remember what his species was called, but their names were hard for her to remember. Perhaps it was “Pterodactyl” or something like that. She would bet her scholarly friend, Twilight Sparkle, could immediate tell what he was. “But I thought dinosaurs were extinct. Oh! Forgive me, I didn’t mean to offend you!”

“That’s okay,” he dismissed while laughing. “No, not all of us. I come from Krazoa Island; a land rich in magic and a place where us prehistoric tribes have taken refuge throughout the ages.”

“That’s incredible! But what are you doing here in Equestria?”

“I’m looking for help,” he explained. “Something has happened to Krazoa Island. For some reason, it’s falling apart! Since not all of the tribes get along, our leaders haven’t been able to come up with a solution. A few of us have left Krazoa Island seeking help. We’ve even offered a reward for anyone that can help us.”

“Oh my, that is quite the ordeal!”

“Yes, that’s why I came here. I was hoping to meet up with a group of mercenaries that I had heard had agreed to help us, but apparently they have already left.”

“You don’t mean Pepper’s crew, do you?” one of the sailors that the prehistoric flyer had been talking to called out.

“Probably. Do you know if they already left for Krazoa Island?”

“I think so. They did take off in their airship and flew in that direction yesterday,” the sailor answered. “They also had a new crew member; a purple dragon.”

“That’s Spike!” the mare cried. “Oh please, sir. Will you take me there? I need to find him!”

“Sorry ma’am, but we’re not headed that way.”

“But this is important! He has been framed for a crime he didn’t commit and I need to bring him home!”

“I can take you there,” the pterosaur offered. “That is, if you don’t mind riding on my back.”

“Oh, thank you!” She pulled out a piece of paper, wrote a letter explaining the situation, and gave it to the sailor. “Can you please send this letter to Canterlot? It’s important that the Princesses receive it.”

“No problem ma’am.”

“Well then, shall we be off?” she said to the orange pterosaur.

“Yes. I’m Kyte of the CloudRunner Tribe,” he introduced himself as he lowered himself so that she can get on.

“My name is Rarity. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Lightning crackled across the sky again, snapping Rarity out of her thoughts and back to reality. In the distance, she could barely make out the silhouette of a land mass through the storm.

“Kyte, what is that?” Rarity asked the CloudRunner.

“Those are the mountains of Krazoa Island. We’re almost there,” he announced.

“Thank goodness. I don’t know how much longer I can stand all this rain,” she whined, concerned about her ruined hairstyle.

“Well, you’re not the one who has been flying all day carrying a pony on their back,” he retorted.

“Are you saying I’m heavy?” she asked, slightly offended.

“No, but it’s not easy to fly this far with someone on their back.”

Rarity then placed on hoof on the necklace she was wearing. It was a heart shaped fire ruby that her special somedragon, Spike, had given to her years ago. He had originally planned on eating it as a birthday present to himself but gave it to her instead when he saw how much she admired it. After she realized how much she cared for him after he had disappeared to a parallel world, she confessed her feelings for him when he returned and started to wear the necklace more often as a symbol of their love. Just recently, a fiendish monster rose from its grave and started to attack the citizens of Ponyville. A bunch of bigoted inspectors accused Spike of the foul deed and he had to flee from their persecution. Now that Spike had slain the monster and his innocence has been proven, she along with the other Bearers of the Elements of Harmony was on a mission to bring the dragon home.

Suddenly, a light shone in the distance.

“What was that?” Rarity asked.

“That was a distress flare!” the CloudRunner answered.

“A distress flare? Then we better see if we can offer our assistance!” They then heard a popping sound in the distance that sounded similar to distant thunder.

“Whoa!” Kyte exclaimed as he swerved to evade a projectile that came out of nowhere. The sudden motion rattled Rarity and she held onto Kyte’s back for dear life. Cautiously peering into the darkness, she saw another silhouette flying in the night sky. From it, there was a flash of fire and what she then realized was a cannonball whizzed pass them in the air. Another shot was fired and a cannonball came too close for comfort and the CloudRunner again had to swerve quickly out of the way. When Kyte dodge the shot, it caused Rarity to lurch forward, and when she jerked back her hoof hit her necklace, sending it plummeting to the world below.

“My necklace!” she called as her precious piece of jewelry quickly disappeared from of sight. Though it pained her to lose her necklace, she had to focus on the current situation. Looking back up, she saw the large dark object come into view and saw it was an airship. Not only was it an airship, it appeared to be a pirate ship!

“It’s the Diamond Dogs!” Kyte shouted.

“The Diamond Dogs? But what are they doing here and how did they get access to such technology?” Rarity remembered her encounter with the bipedal canines; they were brutish and dimwitted. They only cared for treasure and certainly were not capable of building airships.

“They came to Krazoa Island a few months ago with their leader, the evil General Scar, and demanded that the dinosaurs make them the ruling tribe, but we rejected them. They later returned with weapons that were more advanced than anything we have on Krazoa Island and started to attack the tribes. They’re the reason why the island is falling apart!”

Another cannonball was launched and they had to evade it again. The Unicorn mare realized that she had to do something about it.

“We have got to stop them before they shoot us out of the sky!” she urgently declared. “Kyte, can you get me close to those cannons? I can take them out with my magic.”

“Hang on!” he shouted back as he sped towards the galleon. As he did a flyby across the port side of the ship, Rarity’s horn glowed blue with magic and the cannons on the left side were encased in a matching blue aura. When they fired again, the magic aura plugged up the cannons, causing them to misfire and explode. Kyte then flew to the starboard side and Rarity also encased those cannons with her magic. The Diamond Dogs, not learning from their mistake, fired again at the CloudRunner and the Unicorn. Again, the cannons exploded, leaving the galleon without its weapons.

“To the stern, we need to slow it down!” Rarity called to Kyte. He complied and circled around to the back of the ship. They saw the massive spinning propeller and Rarity used her magic on it. She groaned as she strained to hold the propeller in place with her magic, and the massive propeller’s gears screeched in protest. Eventually, Rarity released her grip and saw that her efforts had caused the propeller to become unstable and spun much slower than it did before. “Kyte, land on the bow. I want to investigate.”

The CloudRunner landed on the crippled ship and Rarity carefully slid off his back. She looked around, but didn’t see any of the crew. The pair looked to each other, both of them being on edge.

“I can take it from here,” she told him.

“Are you sure? These Diamond Dogs are dangerous,” he cautioned.

“Trust me; I have dealt with them before. I know how to deal with their sort,” she boasted, but then took a more serious tone. “But be sure to fly close to the ship just in case.”

Kyte nodded and flew off, leaving her alone on the deck. Rarity carefully made her way to the cabin towards the stern. Smoke rose from the side of the ship where the cannons had exploded and she could hear a chirping sound. Just outside the cabin door was a bird cage with a baby CloudRunner sitting sadly inside it. When it saw the violet maned Unicorn approaching it, it looked up to her with pleading eyes.

“Oh, you poor dear,” she said pityingly to the captive infant. “Let me get you out of there.”

“Fcoujo xocf mo! Wok mo eik ev xoho!” the baby cried desperately, flapping its wings in distress.

“Sshhh!” she tried to hush the CloudRunner as she started to climb the stairs to the cabin. “Somepony might…”

Just as she was saying those words, the door burst open and Rarity jumped back down the stairs. Looming in the door-frame was a tall figure. It was certainly a Diamond Dog, but he looked much more refined than the rest of his kind. He ran out of the cabin and jump down the stairs, landing in front of the Unicorn. He had black fur with cropped ears and a tan underbelly. His snout was pointed and he had a scar running down the left side of his face and over his eye. Like the other Diamond Dogs, he wore armor, but like the others, it wasn’t shoulder pads and helmets meant for sports. His breastplate was made of red leather with spiked shoulder pads and his helmet had two curved horns on it. A stylized “S” was on his breastplate and a talisman of what appeared to be a red fang or claw hung from around his neck.

“General Scar,” the Doberman Diamond Dog presented himself. “Ruler, tyrant, and dictator of Krazoa Island. What brings you to my island?”

“I’m not here to fight you,” Rarity cautiously told the towering Doberman, noting that his left paw had been replaced by two claw-like hooks. “I’m only here to find someone and because a distress call.”

The armored dog chuckled sinisterly before saying, “A distressed call? This whole island is in distress.” He turned and walked back up the stairs.

“The CloudRunner told me about you,” Rarity called up to him, causing him to turn around and look down at her. Her eyes narrowed in recognition of who he was and said, “The evil General.”

“My girl, I’m not evil,” he laughed at her as though it was a silly notion. “I rule over the many dinosaur tribes. You see, I must control this island with fear.” He turned to the bird cage that was hung by the cabin door and shoved it with his hooked hand, causing the infant CloudRunner to squawk in peril. “Otherwise, the tribes always try to fight against me.”

Seeing the infant being terrorized, Rarity charged up the stairs to come to the baby’s rescue. She shot a blast of blue magic at him, but his real paw and the talisman glowed violet and green and he deflected her attack. Seeing that he possessed magic stunned her, and he took advantage of her surprise and grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground. She now understood that he was far crueler, ruthless, and smarter than rest of his kind. His grip tightened and Rarity gasped for air.

“You dare to challenge me?” he snarled in her face, baring his teeth at the frightened mare. He then dragged her across the floor, her legs kicking in attempt to break free, as he made his way to the railing of the ship. He lifted her up and shouted, “No one can defeat General Scar!”

Rarity screamed as the Doberman threw her overboard. He laughed as he relished in the demise of the pony. When he looked over the edge to watch her fall to her doom, she flew in front on him, riding on the back of Kyte.

“Bad luck, General,” she mocked him. “Better luck next time!”

As Kyte flew away from the galleon, she could hear Scar swear, “This isn’t over!”

“Let’s find the source of that distress signal. Somepony…er…someone out there needs help!”

“Yes, and by the looks of it, his ship was coming from Krazoa Place!” Kyte explained. “We’ve got to hurry. Who knows what those dogs have done! Hold on tight, miss.”

Rarity did as Kyte told to her to do as he flapped his wings faster. As they headed off towards this “Krazoa Place,” Rarity couldn’t help but think of what that brute could have done to the ones who had fired the flare. He tried to kill her, and if he was willing to kill her, then he would be willing to kill others as well! This didn’t make sense to her. Though the Diamond Dogs were uncouth ruffians, they were not murders. Then why was this one so evil? Instinctively, she placed a hoof to her necklace to find it was gone. She then remembered that she had lost it and felt her heart sink. It also reminded her that Spike was out there somewhere. She closed her eyes and sighed with regret. She then looked back up and saw a building resting on top a mountain in the distance.

The Test of Observation

Rarity and her companion, Kyte the CloudRunner, had arrived at a large stone building with large tower in the center. She could see the structure was supported by pillars and the walls were decorated with stain glass windows. Above her, there were balconies and spires that were supported by buttresses. It was an enchanting and awe inspiring sight, however, there was an eerie sense of the unknown that lingered over the palace. Rarity could feel that there was some sort of otherworldly power that inhabited the building and that it was watching her. Pressing through her unnerved feelings, the unicorn dismounted Kyte.

“This is Krazoa Palace,” the CloudRunner announced. “This is the dinosaurs’ most sacred place.” That explained that mysterious force that Rarity felt and she nodded in understanding, but she still approached the temple cautiously as Kyte walked beside her. They were on a platform that overlooked the island, but the view was obstructed by the rain and the night sky. They noticed that some of the pillars were knocked over and they could smell smoke.

Rarity’s mane was completely soaked by now. It was normally styled with a gentle curl, but now it was straight and dripping wet. She brushed away some strands of clumped together violet hair out of her eyes and sighed with disappointment.

The pair froze when they heard the sound of someone talking. They could tell by their voice that they weren’t dinosaurs and they took cover behind a fallen pillar. Rarity and Kyte slowly peered over the rubble and saw a band of Diamond Dogs standing in front of an entrance they had made by blowing a hole into the exterior wall of the palace. Rarity was outraged that these brutes would dare deface such a magnificently constructed piece of architecture, but held her tongue for the moment.

“We need to get pass them,” Rarity whispered.

Kyte nodded and said, “If you go inside, be very careful.” He spread his wings and appeared to be ready to take flight.

“What are you doing?! They’ll see you!”

“I know. I’m going to cause a distraction. When they chase after me…”

“Kyte, please…” Rarity tried to stop him with a pleading voice.

“You’ll be clear to enter. Since they indeed attacked the palace that means the defense systems have been activated. You have to be careful. Oh, and be sure to steer clear of the sentries.”

“Kyte, please no,” she tried to beg, but it was too late. The pterosaur took off and flew in front of the bipedal dogs and started cawing at them.

“Xoo, oei jmocco mikkj!” he taunted in his native language. “Semo udt wok mo!”

The dogs yipped in surprise when the CloudRunner swooped in front of them, but started to growl and bark as they chased him as he took off, leading them away from their makeshift entrance. Rarity didn’t have time to worry about her new friend and so she galloped to the hole in the wall. As she ran, she thought about what Kyte had told her. She wondered what kind of security system had been activated and what where the sentries.

The mare with violet mane reached the hole and carefully peered in side. She saw a corridor that lead to a chamber in one direction and a dead end in the other. With obviously one way to go, she headed to the chamber. The Unicorn was grateful for the torches that lined the walls of the palace, otherwise it would have been pitch black inside and she would have been forced to use her horn to illuminate the way. That would have been risky, for a glowing horn in the dark would have received a lot of unwanted attention. She walked slowly so that her hooves wouldn’t clop and give her away.

She reached the chamber and peaked around the corner. To her shock, she saw something large lying on the tiled floor. It had a large quadruped body that was covered in dark orange and brown pebble like scales and its head was adorned with a frill that resembled a shield. It wore bracers on its legs, armor on its back, and its frill was covered with a metal reinforcement. It had two long horns that extended forward over its eyes and a smaller third horn over its beak like mouth. Rarity was not a dinosaur enthusiast, but she did recognize such a famous dinosaur; it was a triceratops!

Knowing that it wasn’t an enemy, Rarity rushed to its side. The Unicorn gasped and covered her mouth with a hoof when she saw the wounds on the fallen dinosaur. There were large gashes and bruises from where the Diamond Dogs had attacked it with their weapons. Rarity extended a shaking hoof to the dinosaur’s neck and felt for a pulse. Her eyes filled with sympathetic tears as she discovered that it was too late. She sadly looked over the fallen dinosaur and realized that he must have died defending the palace.

She didn’t have time to mourn for the brave warrior as she heard something coming down the hall. At first, she feared it was the Diamond Dogs, but then noticed it was a whirling sound. She hid behind the triceratops’ large body and saw what looked like a floating octopus go pass the entrance of the chamber. It was mechanical and its golden head had a design that matched the texture of the pattern on the palace’s walls. It had long arms that were made of interconnected plates, ending with blades. The thing glowed blue with magic and Rarity understood that this must have been one of the sentries that Kyte had warned her about.

Not noticing the Unicorn, the sentry continued on its way down the corridor. Rarity decided it was best to move on before it came back. The chamber she was in had an archway that lead to another corridor, but one of the support columns had collapsed and blocked the way. Rarity used her magic and moved the debris out of the way. She gasped when she saw what awaited her. Lining the walls of the hallway were jets that would shoot out bursts of fire.

“This must be the palace’s defense system,” Rarity said to herself and then moaned. First she was soaking wet and now she was going to be burnt to a crisp! This was like something straight out of a Daring Do novel. “Wait a moment…that’s it! What would Daring do in a moment like this?”

The Unicorn carefully watched the jets of fire. They would only burst for a few seconds and then wait for a few more before activating again. There was plenty space for a pony, but probably not for a dinosaur, in between the jets. This was going to be easy. Rarity approached the first jet, waited for it to go off, and then moved to the next one. She repeated to process until she safely made it to the other side of the chamber. Other than feeling the extreme heat coming from the roaring flames, Rarity was perfectly safe.

In the next chamber, she found a sealed door. Rarity tried to push against it, but it didn’t budge. She stepped back and noticed the door was segmented into four different sections and that it must have slid together. She also noticed the door had a symbol of what resembled a diamond with six arms branching off it. Each arm ended with a circle and the lower three points where longer than the top three. A complicated door like this must have a way off activating it. Rarity looked around the room and noticed a large raised section on the floor. Taking a closer look, Rarity discovered it was a pressure pad. Standing on the switch, her weight caused it to lower and the pieces of the door slid away, revealing a large chamber. Before Rarity could enter the next room, the door sealed shut once more when she stepped off the plate. Understanding how the door worked, she looked around for something to weigh down the switch and found a post with a basin of fire. Using her magic, she moved the post over so that it rested on the plate, allowing her to continue.

Rarity entered the room and nearly cried out in despair when she found three more bodies of fallen triceratopses. She closed her eyes and looked away from the tragic scene.

How could they do this? she asked herself. She opened her eyes and looked to each of the fallen warriors. They were trying to defend their home and those monsters murdered them. What kind of fiend is Scar?

A cough caught the Unicorn’s attention and she noticed that one of the dinosaurs was still breathing. She rushed to its side and placed a hoof on its massive foot. The triceratops opened an eye and looked up at the mare that was looking down it with a sorrowful expression.

“N-Nxe uho oei?” it asked while coughing.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t understand you, sir,” Rarity apologized. “My name is Rarity. I’m here to help.”

“A pony?” the dinosaur asked, switching to her language and coughing as he talked. “Then, you’re not… with those... dogs?”

“Of course not, I came with here with a CloudRunner. What has happened here?”

“They attacked the palace, trying to steal… the power of the… the Krazoa. The Krazoa… need your help… They are dying…”

“Was it you that sent the distress signal?” The triceratops weakly nodded his head to answer her question.

“When we were attacked, I signaled for help,” he explained. He closed his eyes with a pained expression as he recounted what happened. “We were massacred.”

“But you’re dinosaurs! How can they pose a threat to you?”

“It was their leader, General Scar. With his magic, he was able to provide his army with weapons and technology that overwhelmed us.” Rarity recalled her encounter with the overgrown Doberman on his airship and the red talisman he had around his neck. Diamond Dogs didn’t have magic like Unicorns, Alicorns, and perhaps even zebras did, but whatever his charm was, it gave him his own magic.

“But what were you doing here?”

“The King EarthWalker sent us to protect this sacred palace…” he explained. Apparently, his tribe was called the EarthWalkers, just like the flying pterosaur who had brought her there was called a CloudRunner. “Home of the Krazoa.” The EartherWalker motioned his head to a statue on the wall and Rarity saw it depicted a tall figure wearing a robe with a rounded headdress and a long bearded chin. The statues eyes where made of sapphires with a third one in the center of its forehead. “The Krazoa are peace spirits… powerful being who bring life to our island. Without the spirits, our island is dead.”

“Is there something I can do?” Rarity generously offered, wanting to help this unfortunate island under attack.

“My girl, only the pure of heart can take the tests,” he told her as he pointed to another door marked with the same six armed symbol that was on the other door. It opened and there was a yellow glow coming from side. “Enter the Krazoa Shrine. Once inside, complete the spirit’s test and await your reward.”

Curious, Rarity left the EarthWalker’s side and headed towards the room with the yellow light. Inside it, she could see a circular platform carved with strange symbols and a circle over it on the ceiling with matching symbols. The yellow light seemed to be emitting from these matching circles.

“If you succeed, then return here to me…” he continued. He coughed again, causing Rarity look back over her shoulder at him. “I’m not going anywhere…”

After giving him one last sympathetic look, the alabaster Unicorn headed into the room and cautiously looked at the glowing platform. She gingerly placed one hoof on the altar, but nothing happened. She then stepped up on the platform and waited for something to happen. For a moment, she thought nothing would happened, but then she felt a warmth envelope her. The two circles grew brighter and light filled the shrine as Rarity felt the magic enter her. Her body glowed yellow and orange and then vanished.

In a similarly designed shrine elsewhere, a yellow and orange light materialized and a Unicorn appeared within it. Rarity looked around and discovered that she was in another location. She saw the archway had statues of those Krazoa Spirits on either side and figured that this was the Krazoa Shrine. Not wasting any time, she headed into the shrine. It looked very much like Krazoa Palace, with the same titled floor, pillars, and torches on the walls. As she walked down the hallway, she stopped suddenly when three jets of flames burst from the floor! She yelped in fright and leaped back.

Apparently, this place is also booby-trapped, she thought to herself, unamused. She looked at the floor to see if there were any more fire jets. To her relief, there wasn’t. To her dismay, there was one of those floating sentries! The mechanical octopus started to spin, stretching out its bladed arms and becoming a flying buzz saw. Rarity backed away nervously and looked around for away pass the thankfully slow moving sentry. Unfortunately, there wasn’t and the only other way she could go was the way she came. The thing drew closer and Rarity came up with a plan. Just as the sentry approached her, she ran under the spinning blades and passed the sentry. She laughed at her success, but stopped when she founded the way was blocked by a gate.

“How am I…?” she started to ask out loud until she heard the whirling sound of the sentry coming from behind her. She spun around and saw that the machine that was glowing with blue magic now had her cornered. Even though fighting wasn’t her thing and didn’t know many offensive spells, she was out of options. She charged her horn and shot a light blue bolt a magic at the sentry. The magic struck the machine, causing it to shudder and to lose its magical glow. Having its power source disrupted, the machine collapsed to the floor in a heap of mechanical parts.

“Oh, well that was easy,” Rarity exclaimed, a little surprised that her magic could defeat it ease. She then grimly thought, If I could defeat it this easily, then Scar could as well. I guess the sentries weren’t designed to combat magical threats. That’s probably why the EarthWalkers were sent to defend the palace.

Behind her, Rarity could hear the clanking sound of the gate being raised. She continued through the gate and around a corner where she saw another sentry. Using her magic, she blasted it before it noticed her. With that threat out of the way, she noticed another gate at the end of the corridor and an ethereal purple light shining through the grate. Also, there was a pressure plate before her and jets that shot out fire just like that one hallway in the palace. Acting on a hunch, she stepped on the plate, and the gate opened, but slowly it started to descend. Understanding what she must do, she made her way down the corridor, making sure to avoid the fire jets, and made to the gate before it closed.

If only Rainbow Dash could see me now, she proudly thought as enter the room. On the opposite side of the room was a round mirror that hung from the wall that rippled like water. As strange as this was, it was nothing compared to the figure before the mare. It was blue, but translucent and glowed with a purple light. Rarity was mesmerized by its beautiful glow and she noticed it looked just like the statues she saw earlier. It had an ape like face, a long chin, a circular headdress, and long tendrils that flowed behind it. This spectral head was floating between six giant urns that rested on the six pointed symbol Rarity had noticed on the palace doors.

“Welcome to the test of observation,” a voice radiated from the pulsating purple light. The voice echoed and seemed to be laired, as though many whispering voices were speaking at once. “Watch closely where I hide. If you can find me, then I will be yours to return to Krazoa Palace. Do you accept?”

“Yes, let us begin,” Rarity told the spirit. In a flash of purple, the spirit entered one of the urns. The urns started to spin, first clockwise, then counterclockwise, and then clockwise again. They speed up, would crisscross, and shuffle around. It reminded Rarity of a game that swindlers would play on the streets. With the amount of spinning, crisscrossing, and changes of direction, it would be easy to lose sight of the target. When the urns stopped, Rarity smirked, walked forward, and tapped on the side of an urn. The urn glowed purple with magic and the unicorn knew she was victorious. It was hardly a challenge for her, for she had one of the most discerning eyes in all of Equestria and paid a great amount of attention to detail.

The spirit then emerged from the rippling mirror and floated towards Rarity. It lingered in front of her for a moment, and then it lunged at her! She gasped as the spirit entered into her, causing her to float backwards with its momentum. Her body glowed purple and she hovered in the air for a few seconds before slowly landing on her hooves. She looked at herself, and nothing seemed to be out of place. However, she could feel a power inside her, and if she could see her own eyes, she would discover that they were glowing purple.

Well done, a voice said within her head. I will remain in your body until you release me in Krazoa Palace. As soon as the spirit within had said this, the yellow teleporting magic once again enveloped her and she was taken back to the palace. She stepped out of the altar room and saw the same EarthWalker was indeed still there. She ran to his side and he feebly looked up at her. He smiled when he saw her glowing purple eyes, which signified her success.

“The shrines keep the spirits safe from harm…” the EarthWalker wheezed, running out of time and trying to explain as much as he could before his time came. “…but their powers are useless. Only when the spirit has been released… back into the palace… can it be used to stop this war.” He then mustered the last of his strength, rolled over, and pointed to a platform behind him. “…There.”

When he rolled over, Rarity got a good look at a large slash on his chest and cried out, “Oh, your chest! I must do something to help you!”

“Forget about me… just go…”

“But…” she tried to protest.

“Please… for Krazoa Island… you must go…”

She didn’t want to leave to mortally wounded soldier, but she nodded and left as a few tears leaked from her eyes. She stood on the platform and it rose up to an entrance of a narrow tunnel. Unlike the lower part of the palace, this corridor had dark blue tiles and brilliant white overhead lights instead of warm gold tiles with torches. She came to a t-junction. To the left as a large open chamber that appeared to be the heart of the palace, but to the right was a smaller shrine. On the wall of shrine was a Krazoa face statue with pillars on either side. On the pillars were torches with green flames. Rarity could feel the spirit drawing her in that direction, so she followed it.

She came to a glowing white circular altar before the statue and felt something pulling away from here as she stood on it. It had knocked the wind out of her and her legs gave out beneath her. She groaned with discomfort and she raised herself up with her front legs. She leaned her head back, stuck her chest forward, and groaned one more time as the Krazoa Spirit phased through her chest and floated into the statue that resembled it on the wall. She fell back down and panted. Looking back up, she saw the statue shake and then open its eyes and mouth. A purplish white light emitted as a beam from the glowing eyes and gaping mouth and headed down the corridor to the central chamber at the other end.

Unbeknownst to Rarity, someone was hiding behind one of the pillars beside her. Whoever it was had watched her released the spirit and now emerged from their hiding place in the shadows. Rarity strained as she rose back to her hooves, recovering from the ordeal. She looked at the beam of light, but then she heard something behind her and turned around. The Unicorn’s eyes widen with terrible recognition and gasped, “It’s you!”

The figure rushed her and forced her into the beam of light. She screamed as she was carried away by the force of the beam and entered the central room of the palace. Her body was encased in a crystal and the platform beneath it raised up pass the multiple levels and balconies of the round chamber until it reached the roof. On the roof was an apparatus with gyros rotating around the crystal and spinning apertures that held the crystal in place with that same beam of purplish magic. Rarity opened her eyes, blinked a few times, and looked side to side. All that she could see was the raining night sky and the Krazoa Spirit she had released that was circling the crystal that she was now trapped in.

ThornTail Hollow

Next morning on a small rocky island off the coast of Krazoa Island, a rugged ship named Great Fox rested on the shore. The sounds of a hammer and a wrench in use could be heard. On the bridge, an older gray Earth Pony was sitting at his station, looking over a stack of maps. His mane was white and he wore glasses over his red eyes. He wore a trench coat that nearly covered his cutie mark of a rolled up map. As he tried to study his maps, he kept looking up every time he heard the hammering coming from the engine room. The blaring rock ‘n roll music coming from the jukebox wasn’t helping either. He groaned a bit in annoyance and tried to focus.

Down in the engine room, the hammering and tinkering finally stopped and a lime green Unicorn with blue eyes stepped back to observe his work. He was wearing a purple choker and had a cutie mark of an oil slick. He wiped his hooves of grease and took off his ball cap that had the word “Slippy” written on it to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He placed his cap back on his yellow mane and turned to the light brown unicorn behind him.

“That should be it, boss. All fixed,” the lime green Unicorn said in a way too high pitched voice.

The other Unicorn looked up and down the engine inspecting the repairs. He had a gray buzzed mane and blue eyes. His cutie mark was a medal and he wore a red officer cap. Satisfied with the mechanic’s work, he said, “Alright then, let’s get her back in the air.”

They returned to the bridge where the navigator and their new recruit were located. The newest member to the mercenary team known as “Star Fox” was a purple dragon in his late teens with green spines running down his back. The scales on his underbelly and his ear frills matched his spines. At his feet was a backpack that contained a few supplies, mainly some bits and a few gems. The captain went to his station and pressed a button and pulled a few levers. The engines roared and the vessel shook.

“Well done, Slippy,” the captain congratulated the lime green mechanic. “We’re back in business.” He pressed a few more buttons and pulled more levers and the ship took to the air. He then took the helm and steered the airship in the direction of the larger island. “Alright boys, we’re two days behind, so we need to catch up. We don’t want someone else collecting the reward before we do.”

As the Great Fox headed to Krazoa Island, its crew noticed that pieces of the island had broken off it and started to orbit around it like planets around a star. There were four large landmasses that resembled floating islands and the rest were no more than a circling ring of debris. These floating rocks would make flying to Krazoa Island a challenge.

Back on the bridge, the navigator, who was named Peppy, was nearly at his limit. He looked up from his maps once more with an irritated scowl and looked over to the dragon and Slippy, who were enjoying the loud music.

“Hey Spike,” Peppy called to the dragon, shouting over the music. “Isn’t this music getting on your nerves? I’m trying to work on my maps!”

“Okay old-timer,” the dragon said back to the Earth Pony, acknowledging his request, and turned to the mechanic. “Turn it down Slippy.”

“Blah blah blah,” the mechanic muttered disgruntled and tossed a wrench behind him. The wrench banged against the jukebox and the music abruptly died.

“Hey!” Spike gripped. He asked Slippy to turn it down, not to break the thing! Besides, he liked that song.

“Alright, knock it off!” Captain Pepper ordered the two. “We’ll reach the island soon enough, so it’s time for briefing.” Peppy, Slippy, and Spike tuned in their chairs to face the light brown stallion. Spike shifted in his chair uncomfortably. His back was sore and a twinge of pain would course through his body. Almost a week ago, Spike faced the revived King of Vampires, Dracula. Though he managed to defeat the monster, he was framed for the vampire’s crimes and had to flee Ponyville. The battle was brutal and Spike was thrashed. Most of his injuries had recovered, but his back was still giving him problem. Ever since Dracula slammed him into the wall of the ancient Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters, he would have fits of pain.

“We are approaching Krazoa Island,” Captain Pepper continued. “An ancient land between Equestria and the homeland of the zebras.” His horn glowed yellow and an image of the island appeared in the center of the bridge, detailing the island and the floating landmasses. “As you can see from this image and by looking out the window, chunks of the island have been torn from its surface. It’s our job to get them back.”

“And what exactly are we to do about it?” asked Slippy, overwhelmed by the weight of the situation. “I mean, how do we stop an island from falling apart?”

“I’m not certain yet,” Pepper admitted. “The message we’ve received didn’t have too many details about what’s really going on. But, it does explain that if Krazoa Island explodes, it could affect the entire world! The only lead we have is that we must locate the queen of the EarthWalker dinosaur tribe.”

“Dinosaurs!?” Spike perked up at this bit of information. As a child, he was fascinated by the prehistoric beasts. They had always sparked his imagination and he felt to kinship with them, for dinosaurs and dragons were thought to be distant relatives. “There’s real living, breathing dinosaurs there?”

“Yes, as far as I know,” the captain confirmed. “The island is supposed to be home to many tribes of surviving dinosaurs. The two ruling tribes are the EarthWalkers, who we know as ceratopids, and the CloudRunners, the pterosaurs. As I was saying, it was the Queen EarthWalker that sent out the message. Maybe she can help us further.”

“Wow, triceratops and pterosaurs,” Spike marveled at the mention of those two famous types of prehistoric animals. Though pterosaurs weren’t technically dinosaurs, he wasn’t going to complain. “I wonder what other types of dinosaurs are there.”

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Pepper reassured. “But first, we have to navigate through the floating rocks.”

“Alright Captain, let’s do it!” Spike cheered. Peppy saluted and Slippy hooted with enthusiasm as everyone manned their stations. The airship headed straight for the island and entered the ring of floating debris.

“Be careful Captain,” Peppy warned Pepper as the ship approached the first of the rocks. Thankfully, the rocks seemed to be moving at a slow pace.

“I know what I’m doing,” the light brown Unicorn told the gray Earth Pony as he steered the ship. The Great Fox smoothly glided around a large boulder and started to effortlessly weave in between the rocks. “See, this is foalsplay.”

“Yes, but it’s that attitude that causes accidents,” the spectacled stallion reminded. “Treat every mission, no matter how easy it may seem, with great care. You never know what might happen.”

“Calm down old friend. I’ve got everything under control.” Just as Pepper had said those words, the airship suddenly shook and the crew nearly lost their balance.

“See, I told you!” Peppy chided.

“That wasn’t a rock,” the captain said as he peered out front windshield. “Somepony fired at us! Look!” He pointed out the window and they all looked out to see another airship floating amid the floating boulders. Pepper tossed Spike a spyglass and ordered, “Spike, find out who they are! Also find out how badly we’ve been hit!”

The dragon ran out on to the deck and saw that a piece of the railing had been broken away from the enemy’s attack. He extended the spyglass and used it, along with his enhanced draconic eyesight, to get a better look at the other ship. It was a smaller patrol boat and on board, Spike could see the crew was bipedal dogs and they were loading their cannon for another assault.

“Diamond Dogs?” Spike said as he recognized the canine crew and then ran back to the bridge. “We’ve been lightly grazed by the first shot, but they’re preparing for another.”

“Did you see who they were?” the captain asked as he made evasive maneuvers, using the cover of the floating rocks to escape the enemy’s range.

“They’re Diamond Dogs,” Spike reported to everyone’s surprise.

“But Diamond Dogs aren’t this aggressive,” Peppy replied. He was proven wrong when a cannonball shattered a nearby rock.

“Can we fight back?” Spike asked.

“Yes we can,” Pepper answered. “Slippy, you and Spike prepare the cannons. I’ll try to outrun them. If they continue to follow us, return fire.”

“Aye aye sir! Come on Spike!” The two younger team members ran below deck to where the cannons and ammunition was stored. Since their ship was being attacked from the rear, Slippy and Spike loaded the rear facing cannons. They looked out at the pursuing ship and waited for the right moment. Floating rocks would obscure their sight of the ship, and it would weave in and out of their line of fire. The Diamond Dogs’ ship fired another shot, but it sailed just an inch off its mark and missed the Star Fox team’s vessel. The rocks no longer blocked Spike’s view, for the ships had just exited the ring of floating island pieces, and the dragon had a clear shot. He breathed a small spark of green flame and the cannon boomed as its projectile went speeding at the pursuing ship. It struck the hull and entered the engine room, crippling the enemy vessel and causing it to retreat.

“Way to go Spike,” Slippy squeaked as they watched the other ship fly away. The two gunners noticed that Great Fox was slowing down and descending. “I guess we’re landing. Come on, we better head back to the bridge.”

When the pair had returned to the bridge, the ship was already preparing to land in a lush valley that had a river running through it and ruined remains of ancient buildings. A herd of large quadruped creatures were grazing on flowers by the river. They had scaly bodies that were shades of brown and tan and beaky mouths like the EarthWalkers, but instead of horns and a frill to protect them, they had bony plates running down their backs and spikes on their tails. Sitting by the waterfall that fed the river was a large horse statue that moved about like a living creature. The inhabitants of the valley heard a noise and looked up to see the strange sight of a metal ship coming out of the sky and landing in the middle of their valley. The dinosaurs looked at the ship for a moment and then went back to grazing, uninterested.

The Star Fox mercenary team disembarked and gathered outside their ship on the green grass. Spike looked around and was enchanted by the beautiful paradise where he had arrived. There were tropical palm trees, ferns, giant red mushrooms, decorative ruins, and to top it all off, dinosaurs! Spike stared at the dinosaurs and identified them as to be some sort of ankylosaur. It was a little disillusioning to see one of Spike’s childhood fantasies grazing like a cow on Applejack’s farm, but he was still in awe of seeing a real life dinosaur.

“Great shooting Spike,” complimented Captain Pepper. The brown stallion wearing the officer cap smirked and teased, “For a moment, I thought we weren’t going to make it.”

“Very funny sir,” Spike dryly said as he rolled his eyes.

“I know. Now, on to business.” Pepper pulled out his mission report. “According to the information we have and the map, we’ve land in ThornTail Hollow, where the Queen EarthWalker is said to be located. Remember, we have to find her so that she can give us more information. In the meantime, we’ll try to talking to those ThornTail guys.” Pepper motioned his head over to the ankylosaurs, identifying them to Spike as the ThornTail tribe. “Apparently, some of the more educated dinosaurs can speak Equestrian, but they have their own language. Slippy, I want you to see if you can find a translator or a dictionary of some kind.”

“Okay, I’m on it,” the squeaky voice mechanic responded as he headed off to carry out his assignment.

“Peppy, I want you to look around and see if there is a place where you can get a better map of Krazoa Island.”

“Yes sir.” The older stallion also headed off.

“Okay Captain, but what about weapons?” Spike asked. “Shouldn’t we be armed with those Diamond Dogs out there?”

“It’s always the same with you young guys; shoot first, ask questions later,” Pepper sighed. “This mission is about saving the island, not blowing it up. It requires a different tactic. Try using your head.” At this, the buzz cut unicorn laughed at his own joke.

“Yeah yeah, very funny sir,” Spike muttered sarcastically.

“Besides, you’re a dragon. You’re armed enough as it is. Since Slippy is off finding a translator, I’ll take a look at the damage on the ship. In the meantime, I want you to scout around and see if you can find where the Queen EarthWalker is.”

Receiving an assignment, Spike headed off to explore the valley. He noticed that there were dirt roads that lead to different paths out of the valley; one north and one south. On the side of the path, the purple dragon noticed one of the giant red mushrooms. Wanting to take a closer look, Spike walked towards the mushroom. Spike had no idea a mushroom could grow so large. It was just as tall as he was. As he approached the giant fungus, it started to shake and a cloud of red spores surrounded it. Spike choked and gagged as he quickly backed away from the red mushroom.

As Spike continued to cough, he heard a low voice laugh, “Better stay away from them. They make nasty clouds when you go near them.” Spike turned around and saw a ThornTail standing by a ring of palm trees.

“You speak Equestrian?” Spike stated more than asked, relieved to be able to communicate with the native. The ankylosaur nodded and then stared at something on the ground in the center of the ring of trees.

“Warp Stone talks like that, so some learn to talk like him,” the ThornTail explained, its eyes not leaving the object on the ground.

“What are you looking at?” Spike asked as he walked up beside the dinosaur to see what it was so interested in.

“A shiny red stone. Many shiny stones grow on trees, but none of them look like that.”

“What do you mean ‘grow on trees?’ Stones don’t …,” Spike started to say, but then looked around and saw that the valley had shorter trees with gems, instead of fruit, hanging from them. As Spike panned around in awe, he noticed that some tress had green gems, while others had red, yellow, or blue. Spike thought he had died and gone to Heaven. Money, or food if you’re a dragon, literally grew on trees here.

“Yes, never seen a shiny stone that shape,” the ThornTail commented, snapping Spike out of his awe induced daze and wiped the drool from his mouth. When the dragon looked down to see what the dinosaur was talking about, his heart nearly stopped. His jaw dropped and his eyes widen at what he saw. Lying amidst the white and blue flowers was a gold necklace set with a large fire ruby in the shape of a heart; the same necklace Spike had given to the mare he loved years ago. He reached down and picked up the necklace in a trembling claw, proving that it was real and not some hallucination.

“Rarity,” the dragon whispered the name of the Unicorn.

“Yes friend, very rare,” the ThornTail added, misunderstanding what the shocked dragon meant, but Spike wasn’t listening. Rarity was here on Krazoa Island, but how? The ThornTail spoke again and asked, “Why are you here, friend?”

“Huh? Uh, we…that is, my team is here to fix your island,” Spike explained and then looked back at Rarity’s necklace. It would have to wait for now, so he placed in his backpack for now. “I need to find the Queen EarthWalker. Do you where she is?”

The large ThornTail nodded and directed Spike over to a stone building with a small wall in front of it. Spike ran down the trail towards the building and passed the small stone wall into a grassy courtyard. The entrance of the structure was sealed shut by a large slab. Before he could try to figure a way inside, the ground slightly trembled and four Diamond Dogs popped out of the ground, surrounding Spike.

“No one can enter,” one dog growled.

“We guard this place,” another said.

“I’m looking for the Queen EarthWalker,” Spike declared.

“No queen here,” the third dog lied.

“Yes, she not lock inside and we can’t get in,” the fourth dog foolishly confessed. His three fellow dogs gave him exasperated looks and face palmed. “What?”

“Never mind, get the dragon!” the first barked and they all jumped in the air in attempt to dog pile on Spike. The dragon jumped backwards out of the way and the four dogs collided, banging their football helmets together. Shaking their heads, the Diamond Dogs got back up and charged Spike, growling and barking. It is a foolish thing to run in the direction of a dragon’s mouth. What these four mutts forgot is that dragons were infamous for the incredibly hot substance that is produced by their breath. They were quickly reminded when a pillar of green flames burst on the ground before them. The four dogs yipped and jumped back to avoid the blaze. While they were distracted, Spike sprung at the nearest dog, grabbed him by his club like tail, swung him around and knocked the other three over. The four dogs looked up at the dragon standing over them and then ran for the hills when he set the tips of their tails on fire.

Spike smirked in triumph. When he first faced Diamond Dogs, he was still small and was easily outmatched. But he remembered the air battle on the way to ThornTail Hollow. Peppy was right; Diamond Dogs weren’t usually this aggressive. Like dragons, they were greedy and territorial, but they never would invade another race’s land. How could they cause an island to fall apart? What was Rarity’s necklace doing there? Was she in danger, and did the Diamond Dogs have something to do with it? Something was definitely wrong here on Krazoa Island.

Spike looked back at the giant sealed entrance and noticed a glowing red tile over the doorway. It stuck out like a sore claw and must have something to do with opening the sealed door, but what exactly?

As Spike was studying the glowing red panel, another wave pain struck his back. He hissed in pain and his knees buckled. He dropped to all fours and panted, recovering from the sudden pain. Unlike his other wounds from his battle with Dracula, his back was getting worse. Even though the pain had already passed, his limbs shook as he got back up.

The young dragon then smelt something traveling on the breeze; a familiar scent. He sniffed the air a few times, following the scent, and looked north. Down the path, there was large building on the other side of the river and a smaller rounder building beside it. Between the two was the mouth of a cave. Whatever the scent was, it was coming from the cave. Spike wasn’t sure why, but something inside him wanted to see what was in that cave. He ignored the sealed door for now, crossed the river, passed between the two buildings, and stood at the mouth of the cave. It was dark inside, but he could see due to his draconic eyesight. He looked back over his shoulder at the Hollow. He had a job to do and the Queen EarthWalker was just on the other side of a door. However, his curiosity won and he entered the cave.

Spike's Master

Spike could hear the echo of water dripping from stalactites as he ventured further into the cave. He could smell the scent in the air coming from down the dark tunnel that led the young dragon beneath the hills that surrounded ThornTail Hollow. The scent was becoming sweeter and Spike’s mouth began to water, yet there was still something else mixed in with the smell. It smelled familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his claw on it.

The tunnel was dark, but Spike could still see where he was going. He knew he was getting close because the sweet, delicious smell was getting stronger. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose, filling his nostrils with the wonderful aroma. He should have kept his eyes opened, that way he would had seen the sudden drop.

Spike let out a yell of terror as he fell for a couple of seconds and then grunted in pain at a sudden impact with something hard. He tried to raise himself up, but whatever it was that he had landed on was unstable and he tumbled down to the floor of a cavern. A little sore, he groaned as he rose to his knees after he had come to a stop. He then heard a tinkling sound and looked down to see his claws were resting on rubies, sapphire, emeralds, and much more. His bright green eyes widen with awe and looked up to see that had landed on top and then rolled down a towering pile of gems and gold. Looking around, he saw that he was now resting in the middle of a large subterranean chamber that was filled with even more mounds of treasure. He walked further into the chamber, admiring the piles of treasure as he went. The wonderful smell of gems was everywhere, and what little light radiated into the cave caused them to glitter and reflect a spectrum of colors on the cavern’s walls.

Forget about the reward, I’d take this as my payment, Spike thought to himself as he eyed the sea of wealth with desire, imagining what it must taste like. I haven’t seen this much treasure since… oh no…

The last time Spike had seen treasure gathered together like this in a cave was the time he had run away from home when he thought that Owliscious had replaced him as Twilight Sparkle’s number one assistant. He had entered the Everfree Forest and found a cave that was filled with gems and started eating them. He should have known better, but he was thinking with his stomach instead of his head. Gems didn’t just pile themselves together and he had quickly discovered who had; an angry green dragon. He suddenly recognized the other familiar scent he had smelled. Since he was raised by ponies, he was unfamiliar with the smell of dragons. He had only encountered his own kind a couple of times, and no one really notices their own smell.

It felt as though the very concept of fear had come to life and sucker punched Spike right in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He had to get out of there that instant. Judging by the size of the hoard, the dragon who owned it must have been fully grown while he was barely considered a teenager by dragon standards.

Spike looked up to the fissure in the rock on the roof of the cavern and thought, Maybe if I can climb up the wall and reach the hole, I can get out of here before… There was a low rumble and the chamber was filled with the sounds of gold coins and gems clattering together as something massive began to stir. Oh horseapples.

The small dragon watched in horror as the piles of treasure rose up and down as an angry sea as something burrowed beneath it. Gold and gems cascaded down the like miniature avalanches as the mounds of treasure where disturbed. From the shifting hoard, Spike saw large golden scales breach the surface like a shark fin announcing the presence of the formidable predator. From the way the hoard was moving, Spike knew that the owner was circling him, again very much like shark.

Just as quickly as it begun, the waves of treasure became still with only the sound of a few stray coins or gems tinkling in the distance. Spike’s heart raced and he panted as adrenaline rushed through his veins. Everything was silent and still. Spike slowly circled around, looking in every direction for the smallest sign of movement. There was a sudden rush of air and Spike could feel a steaming cloud of vapor on his back. Trying to control his nervous shaking, Spike turned around to see a giant pair of nostrils stick out from underneath the piles of coins and jewels with smoke and steam coming from them. Two green eyes that were each bigger than he was opened and looked directly at Spike. Treasure fell from a head that was larger than a house as it rose up out of the hoard. A colossal dragon was now staring down at the accidental intruder.

“Who are you?” a powerful voice asked, causing the cavern walls to vibrate. Spike couldn’t speak. He could only stare up slack jawed at the unbelievably huge dragon. Its scales were a burnt gold that were black and cracked at the edges. Its underbelly was covered with large, plate like scales that were a lighter shade of yellow but also were darkened along the edges. Adorning its head were two thick, twisted, golden horns and a row of golden spines that ran from its neck to its tail. Its eyes glowed like a green furnace.

“Who are you?” the enormous dragon asked again a little bit louder. Spike flinched at the sound, but then found his voice.

“I-I’m S-Spike,” the young adventurer answered stuttering. “I-I’m here with a mercenary team called…”

“Mercenaries? So, you are here to steal my treasure!” the larger dragon accused, his angry voice shaking the cavern. Spike wouldn’t be surprised if all of ThornTail Hollow had felt it. The angry gold dragon rose up on his forelegs, revealing to Spike that he was large as an Ursa Major. He had heard that dragons never stopped growing throughout their lives, but he never imaged that his kind could reach such sizes as the dragon that towered over him. “If you think you can steal from me, my little thief, you are a fool.”

“I’m not a thief!” Spike denied. “We’re here to stop Krazoa Island from falling apart!”

The golden dragon narrowed his eyes judgingly and lowered his head down to the small, purple dragon. “What do you mean ‘falling apart’?”

“Pieces of the island have been ripped the surfaced and are now circling around the island in the air!” Spike explained. “We’re here because the Queen EarthWalker sent out a distress message.”

The gold dragon continued to stare at Spike with his piercing eyes as he thought about what he had said. He then lowered himself down into a more relaxed position and hummed as he made a decision. “Hhmmm…Very well, I believe you. But what are you doing in my cave and how did you find it?”

“I could smell something coming from inside the cave from ThornTail Hollow,” Spike started to explain. “It turned out it was your treasure. I fell in from that hole in the roof over there.”

“Ah yes,” the gold dragon said as he glanced at the fissure. “That is a new addition. That part of the roof collapsed when those dogs started making all that racket up there a few weeks ago. I did not realize it connected to a cave up there.”

“I’m sorry to intrude in your lair,” Spike apologized, causing the larger dragon to look from the hole and back down at him. “But I was trying to find the Queen EarthWalker. She’s locked in a building back there and I don’t know how to get in. All that I could see was a red tile glowing over the door.”

The gold dragon was silent. He looked down at Spike with a curious look, as though the purple, teenaged dragon was the strangest thing he had ever seen. After a moment of awkward silence, he finally asked, “Why do you care?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Dragons only care for themselves and their hoards,” the older dragon stated, and Spike noticed his tone was softer. “So why do you care so much about others?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do. When someone needs help, you do what you can to help them. That’s what my friends and family taught me.”

“Friends…Family,” the older dragon mused, once again studying Spike. “Dragons live solitary lives.”

“Not me,” Spike declared. “I was raised by ponies and I have lived with them all of my life.” Or at least until now, he sadly thought, remembering how he was wanted for murders he was framed for.

“Ponies…So that explains it,” the older dragon said, understanding his “guest” better. “That also explains your smell.”

“My smell?” Spike asked confused and then lifted up an arm to smell himself, but didn’t notice anything.

“You have lived among ponies so long, you do not even notice it,” the older dragon said with a chuckle. “It has been ages since I had last smelled a pony, no wonder why I almost did not recognize it. Yet…” The golden colossus paused to sniff the air and drew closer to Spike, following a scent. “…Something in your bag smells strongly of pony...” He sniffed a few more times. “Unicorn…Mare, from what I can tell.”

“Oh, you probably smell this,” Spike said as he pulled out Rarity’s necklace. The older dragon looked mildly surprised as he saw the large red jewel set in the gold necklace.

“Is that a fire ruby?” the gold dragon asked impressed. “Those are quite rare, but taste oh so good.”

“Yes, it belongs to the mare I love,” Spike explained, looking down at the fire ruby with concern in his eyes.

“The mare you…love?” the dark gold dragon repeated quietly, sounding surprised. Spike expected the older dragon to either laugh at the notion of a pony and dragon being in love or to roar in disgust at it. However, he didn’t. Instead, the older dragon looked down at the younger dragon with a strange pensive look in his eye. He looked off to the side and Spike could tell the elder dragon was deep in thought, remembering something.

“Who is she?” the older dragon finally asked again, still with the far off expression on his face.

“Her name is Rarity, the most generous, most compassionate, most beautiful mare, both inside and out, in all of Equestria. I don’t know why, but she’s somewhere on this island. I just found the necklace I gave to her years ago on the ground outside. She would never leave something that means so much to her like this just lying around. And with those Diamond Dogs running around…I just don’t know what’s going on. But what do I do? The island is falling apart, maybe even going to explode, and we’re the only ones who can do anything about it! But what?!... Ack!”

Spike doubled over in pain as another wave of pain pulsed from his back. The gold dragon, who had been listening with a sentimental look on his face, raised a brow and looked at the younger dragon who was gasping for air. “What is the matter?”

“My back…it hurts…” Spike groaned. The older dragon then smiled and waited for Spike to catch his breath and to stand back up again.

“I know what is happening,” the gold dragon said with a smirk.

“Yeah, I got hurt in fight about a week ago and my back’s been killing me ever since,” Spike said has he rolled his shoulders and stretched the muscles in his back, trying to relieve the tension.

“Oh, it is not that,” the older dragon chuckled.

“Then what is it?” Spike asked, looking up to the gigantic gold dragon with confusion.

“You really do not know, do you?” Spike shook his head and older dragon shook his head in disapproval, “You have lived among ponies for so long that you know next to nothing about your own kind. Someone will have to teach you.” A thoughtful look came upon the dark gold dragon and then he rose up on all four of his feet, filling the large cavern with his massive body, and declared, “So be it. Listen well, Spike the Purple. From this moment, I shall be your master and you shall be my apprentice. I will teach you what it means to be a dragon. You will learn how to master your abilities and to use your power to become an unstoppable force and save this island. Do you accept?”

“Y-yes! Of course!” Spike excitedly answered.

“Yes master!” the gold dragon loudly corrected him.

“Yes master!” Spike repeated.

“Good. Now, your first lesson shall be your easiest one; mastering the power of fire,” Spike’s master announced. “Fire is what is most closely associated with us wyrms.”

“Worms?” Spike asked, thinking the older dragon was talking about the slimly things found in the ground.

“No, wyrms,” the mentor corrected. “Wyrms is the ancient name of our kind. Now as I was saying, fire is what wy-dragons are most famous for. Even the smallest hatchlings have the ability to breathe dragonfire. Spike, have you noticed that your fire was different from any other fire?”

“Yes…I mean, yes master,” Spike answered. “It’s green and I can send and receive messages from Princess Celestia with it.”

“It is also hotter than any other fire, but do you know why?”

“No master,” Spike said shaking his head.

“It is because dragonfire is just one of the ways us dragons manifest our magic.”

“Magic?” Spike asked, astounded by the revelation.

“Yes, but our magic is unlike pony magic,” the gold dragon explained. “Earth Pony and Pegasi magic is more latent than Unicorn magic. They use it when they are in direct contact with their element.”

“You mean how Earth Ponies are stronger and more in tune with nature and how Pegasi control the weather?” Spike asked.

“Correct,” the teacher confirmed. “Unicorn magic is more apparent. Every Unicorn has telekinetic magic and learns spells regarding their special talents, but can learn more with practice. Dragon magic is different. It is not as apparent, nor do many dragons bother to study it, but when mastered, it is a raging wildfire compared to a torch. Unicorns may have more skill, but we have raw, overwhelming power.”

“But master, what does have to do with fire or saving Krazoa Island?”

“Patience,” the older dragon told his pupil. “Do you remember the red tile over the sealed door? It is protected by magic. Krazoa Island is rich with magic and magic seals like those are abundant. By using your dragonfire, you can activate the tile and unlock the seal with the magic within your flames. Since time is of the essence, you must go now and complete your mission. Open the seal and speak with the Queen of the EarthWalker Tribe.”

“But master, I have some questions,” Spike told his mentor. “Why is my back hurting? What else do I need to learn? When is my next lesson? What…”

The gold dragon cut Spike off with a raise of his huge claw. “Continue with your mission. I shall contact you when it is time for your next lesson. Now go.”

Spike bowed his head in respect and headed back to the wall of the cavern. He scaled the wall of the cave with his sharp claws and reached the opening in the roof. Spike was about to climb out of the fissure and back to the tunnel above, but he looked back to the large dragon and asked, “One more question; what’s your name?”

“For now, I am Master and that is all you need to know. Now go,” the gold dragon urged Spike. Though he wasn’t satisfied with the response the Master gave him, Spike accepted that it was all he was going to get for now. He climbed up the hole and headed out of the tunnel that led back to ThornTail Hollow.

Once outside, Spike headed back across the river than ran through the valley and headed towards the building where the Queen EarthWalker was sealed behind a large stone door. Right in front of the stone building, the rest of the Star Fox team was waiting for him.

“Ah Spike,” Captain Pepper said as he saw the purple dragon approaching. “There you are. I was able to patch up the ship. Luckily, there was hardly any damage. Slippy here was able talk to some of the locals. Fortunately, many of them speak Equestrian.”

“And Peppy was able to find a dictionary when he bought maps of the island,” Slippy said in his high pitched voice.

“That lizard sure did like to haggle,” the gray earth pony huffed. “He kept saying ‘that’s too low!’ And on top of all it, the currency on the island is scarabs!”

“Scarabs?” Spike asked in disbelief. “You mean that large beetle like bugs?”

“That’s exactly what I meant!”

“At least he was willing to exchange our bits for bugs,” Pepper said with a shrug. “I hope they don’t plan of paying us bugs. Regardless, we have maps now and Slippy can translate for us if we need to.”

“Reading through this book, it seems simple enough,” the lime green Unicorn commented as he flipped through the book with his blue colored magic.

“Okay, how about you? Did you find the queen?” the brown Unicorn asked Spike.

“Yes, she right behind this door,” the dragon answered. The three ponies were taken by surprise and looked at the door beside them.

“You’re kidding me,” Peppy said.

“How are we going to get it open?” Pepper asked as he looked up at the massive stone slab that sealed the entrance shut.

“Maybe I can find a…” Slippy started to analyze, but Spike cut him off by shooting a green fireball at the red panel over the doorway. When the fireball struck the glowing tile, it changed from red to green and the stone slab began to shake. The heavy stone door rose up and the Star Fox team could see a path that led down into the building.

“How did you know how to do that?” Peppy asked in amazement.

“Lucky guess?” Spike shrugged, not sure if he should tell them about his master. “I mean, the glowing red panel seemed kind of obvious.”

His team seemed to accept that explanation and the Captain said, “Alright, let’s see if anyone’s home.”

Saving the Prince

"Is anybody there?” Captain Pepper called out as the team descended into an underground chamber that was previously sealed behind a stone slab. Inside, there were torches that lit the security bunker. Lying on the floor was an EarthWalker with a purple frill and golden bracelets. Spike was initially excited to see a ceratopid, but then noticed that her eyes were closed and she looked as though she was in pain. Seeing that the Queen EarthWalker was in distress, the three ponies and the young dragon rushed to her side.

“Are you okay?” Spike asked as he knelt down beside her. Peppy and Slippy began to examine her for injuries and for any clues concerning her condition. “My name Spike, and this Captain Pepper, Peppy, and Slippy,” he introduced his team, gesturing to each mercenary as he named them.

“You must be the Queen EarthWalker,” the light brown Unicorn addressed the queen. The female dinosaur began to mutter in her native tongue. Her voice came in as a pained whisper and she couldn’t even open her eyes.

“Uhh… Your Majesty…” Spike tried to interrupt since they couldn’t understand her. Apparently she was so ill that she couldn’t concentrate enough to speak Equestrian. Spike tried to get a word in, but she kept on whispering in the dinosaur language. He then gave up trying and rested his chin in his hand as he waited for her to finish.

Among the queen’s delirious ramblings were the words, “Fhadso Khasbo… Taumedt Tewj… Aso Meidkuad…”

Spike, Pepper, and Peppy stared blankly at her before the captain looked over to the mechanic and asked, “Did you get any of that Slippy?”

“Just a second,” the bright green Unicorn said as he was looking through the Dinosaur to Equestrian Dictionary. “Uh… okay, I think I’ve got it. We’ve got to go the ice mountain and rescue her son, the Prince Tricky.”

Hearing the name of the prince, Spike raised an amused brow while smirking and said, “Nice name.” I hope he isn’t the Great and Powerful Tricky. “Okay lady, we’ll bring your son back to you. Can you give us some directions?”

Again, the queen said a few words in the dinosaur language, including the phrase, “… Nuhf Jkedo…” Again, the team looked to Slippy for the translation.

“We’ve got to talk to that big stone pony. She called him a ‘Warp Stone’.”

“That’s all I need to know,” Pepper announced. “Spike will be back soon Queen. Don’t worry.”

Pepper then turned and started to head back out of the bunker with the rest of his team in tow. As they walked, Spike ran up to walk beside the stallion wearing the red cap. “What did you mean that ‘I’ll be back soon’? I’m going by myself?”

“That’s right,” Pepper confirmed. “Don’t forget, that’s why I hired you. Peppy’s too old for adventuring and Slippy isn’t a combatant. I would go with you, but my injuries wouldn’t allow me too. That’s why we’re a team. I’m the pilot, Peppy navigates, Slippy is the mechanic, and Mac Cloud was our adventurer. Well, that is until he retired.”

“Great, so I’m going up an ‘ice mountain’ all by myself,” the dragon grumbled, not pleased at all with the situation.

“Don’t worry,” Slippy tried to encourage him. “You can do it. Besides, you won’t be completely alone.” The green pony then pulled out a bracelet with a glowing blue stone set in it. “You’ll have this communication stone. We’ll be able to talk to you at any time.”

“Gee, thanks,” Spike sarcastically said as he placed the bracelet on his left wrist. The team was now standing in the valley by the river, looking upstream at the large stone pony up by the top of the waterfall. “Now we have to go and talk to this ‘Warp Stone’ guy.”

“I’ve been talking to the natives, and they said that he won’t cooperate unless he’s given an offering,” Peppy explained to them.

“What kind of offering?” the captain asked the white maned earth pony.

“A gift of some kind,” the navigator responded. “Apparently, hardly anyone uses him for warping anymore and he gets very lonely. The only way to cheer him up is to bring him a present.”

“Alright, I guess I’ll take care of it,” Spike said to Peppy. “Give me the money bag. You said there was a store nearby. Maybe I’ll find something for the big guy.”

“In the meantime, we’ll stay with the queen,” Captain Pepper told the dragon as he passed him the bag filled with scarabs. “We may not be fighters, but someone needs to be there if the Diamond Dogs come back.”

After a brief farewell, Spike separated from the group and headed to the large building across the river as the others headed back to stand guard over the Queen EarthWalker’s shelter. When the purple dragon crossed the river, he found an opening that led into the building. It was a dark tunnel, but there was a warm light coming from around the corner. When Spike rounded the corner, he saw a curtain in a doorway and moved it aside as he entered the store. It was a round room lined with torches and it had smaller rooms branching off of it with curtains separating them from the lobby. As he walked into the lobby, Spike was greeted by a strange looking dinosaur. It wore a purple cloak and it had bright green scales. Its face looked like a predatory dinosaur, but he couldn’t identify it. The strangest part was that it had no legs, just two arms, and it was floating in the air.

“Welcome to my store. Feel free to look at many wonderful items within these walls,” whatever it was greeted Spike in an excellent Equestrian. It was useful for a trader on an island to be able to speak many languages. It waved a claw behind itself to the other rooms, “I have food, special goods, and many maps. And if you like to play games, then enter the ‘Scarab Room’, yes.” It then pointed behind Spike and bluntly said, “Oh, and that’s the exit.”

“Uh, okay. Thanks,” Spike said, briefly looking back over his shoulder, unsure what to make of this weird thing before him.

“Now, if you find something you like, we’ll discuss a price. Is that clear?”

“Well…” Spike started to speak, but then was cut off.

“Good! Now, hurry and choose something, or get out!” the shopkeeper rudely pressured the customer.

“Okay okay, fine,” Spike complied. “I was looking for something to give to the Warp Stone.”

“Ah yes, follow me,” the floating creature beckoned the young adventurer to follow him into one of the adjacent rooms. Inside, there were tables with various knickknacks and oddities: a red ball, a lantern, a strange rabbit-like animal, and a stone tablet which the storekeeper led Spike to. “Ah, here it is; rock candy.”

Spike almost face palmed when he saw the tablet was carved to look like a giant piece of candy, but relented when he figured that a giant stone pony must like giant stone candies. “Okay, I’ll take it.”

“You pay ten scarabs,” the storekeeper told Spike.

“Ten? For a rock?” Spike asked, astounded by the price. “Five scarabs should be more than enough for a rock…um…a piece of candy.”

“No, that’s too low! Eight scarabs,” haggled the storekeeper.

“Six.” Spike smirked, seeing that the storekeeper was flexible with the prices.

“I don’t need business from cheapskates! Seven scarabs or get out!”

“Deal,” Spike said with triumph and forked up the seven scurrying bugs to the floating dinosaur. He then picked up the rock and carried it under his arm out of the store. Once back outside, Spike headed up the trail that led to the top of the waterfall. At the top of the hill, there was a wall that enclosed the Warp Stone’s spring with a sleeping ThornTail just outside the gate. Spike guessed that he was supposed to be the guard. Seeing that the guard wasn’t going to be a problem, he walk right inside the archway and saw that the Warp Stone was sitting on an island in the middle of a pool of water that fed the waterfall. The Warp Stone was a large statue, about the size of Cerberus, but was just the torso, forelegs, and the head of a pony. Where its hind legs should have been was a base that anchored the statue to the island on which it sat. The Warp Stone had a collar and a cap decorated with jade set in it.

Spike made his way around the spring and crossed a bridge that led to the Warp Stone’s tiny island, passing by a cave where a mother ThornTail had taken residence with her clutch of eggs. When the dragon had approached the giant stone pony, it didn’t seem to notice that it had a visitor.

“Nobody ever brings me gifts anymore,” the living statue whined in a heavy Shetland accent.

“Hey big guy!” Spike called up to the Warp Stone. It looked down and saw a purple dragon waving the rock candy before it. “I’ve got a present for you!”

“Ah, A lovely sweetie!” the statue excitedly said as it popped the stone tablet into its large mouth. It savored the flavor for a moment then remembered that it had a visitor, most likely having need for its services. It cleared its rocky throat and put on its “Mighty Warp Stone” persona. “Who dares to bother the mighty Warp Stone?! A thousand years I’ve been left alone to rest! What do you want?!”

A thousand years? Why is it always a thousand years? First Nightmare Moon, then the Crystal Empire, and now this guy. Was it just a popular year or something? Spike wondered to himself, before answering. He wasn’t intimidated by the giant’s booming Shetland voice, because he could tell it was putting on an overly dramatic act for the effect. “Um… Well, can you help us?”

Maintaining its “I’m so powerful and important that I can’t be bother by the likes of you” image, it bellowed with laughter and said, “Help you?! No!”

“But you’re a Warp Stone. You’re supposed to help!”

“Ah, right,” the statue conceded, dropping the over the top act. “Sorry, it’s just that it’s been so long since I’ve had my last customer.”

“A thousand years, right?”

“Actually, nine-hundred ninety-one,” the Warp Stone confessed. “But a thousand years sounds more dramatic.”

Spike rolled his eyes and slightly shook his head. Getting back to the present matter, he asked, “I need to get to Ice Mountain, can you send me there?”

“Ice Mountain? That’s over in SnowHorn Wastes,” the statue said as it pointed to the northwest. Spike followed the Warp Stone’s hoof and saw a large snow-capped mountain. “Alright then, little dragon, if you want to go to Ice Mountain, climb up onto my hoof and I’ll warp you there.” The Warp Stone reached down with a large stone hoof and Spike climbed onto it. The Warp Stone raised him up and asked, “Are you ready to warp?”

“I’m ready as I’ll ever be, I guess,” Spike shrugged. As soon as Spike had said those words, a blue light surrounded the dragon. He then found himself floating in what resembled outer space. As he flailed his arms uselessly around in a vain attempt to balance himself in the weightless dark void, he could see tiny lights dancing around him. His body felt as though something was spinning him around and dragging him through the ether. The dancing lights he had at first mistaken for stars suddenly grew in intensity and once again obscured his vision in a blinding flash.

The blue light faded and Spike could see again. The first thing he noticed was the cold. His breath came out as a fog and Spike shivered from suddenly going from a warm tropical environment to wintry cold one. He looked around and saw that he was in a cave standing on a circular altar that was glowing with blue light. Seeing daylight coming from the mouth the cave, Spike headed towards it and stepped out of the cave. He found himself near the summit of Ice Mountain. To the southeast, he could see the lush green valley that was ThornTail Hollow in the distance. Just to the east, Spike could see a shorter mountain with a crater on its top. Seeing smoke rising from it, the dragon figured it must be a volcano.

Before he could do anymore sightseeing, Spike heard the roar of an engine and he jumped back into the cave to hide. Peering up to the sky from the cover of the cave, he saw a Diamond Dog airship approaching overhead. It lowered to a clearing not too far from the cave, and Spike saw a hatch open on the ship. Two Diamond Dogs walked out of the ship, dragging a small EarthWalker behind them. Seeing the small dinosaur, Spike realized he just found Prince Tricky. The prince tried to break free from the dogs’ grasp, but couldn’t escape their paws.

The EarthWalker’s captors became annoyed by the dinosaur’s struggling, so they threw him down into the snow and one of them smacked the prince with their club. Spike growled in anger when he saw the Diamond Dog assault the defenseless child. The prince whimpered and the Diamond Dogs continued to drag him across the snow to a base that the dogs had set up on the mountain. Spike sprung from his hiding spot and followed them to their bunker. Inside, he could hear the dogs tormenting the poor dinosaur.

“You know what our boss wants,” one of the dogs said to the prince.

“Tells us where they are!” the other ordered. All the small ceratopid could do was to cower in fear. When he didn’t speak, one of the dogs struck him across the face with his club.

“Talk!” the angry dog bark. Spike couldn’t stand it anymore and rushed in to stop them.

“Xocf mo…” the prince whimpered as the dragon ran up behind the dogs.

“Hey dog breath, pick on someone your own size!” Spike challenged the Diamond Dogs. The two thugs quickly turned around in surprised when they heard the dragon.

“What do you want?” one the dogs asked, both surprised and angered to have been interrupted in his interrogation.

“I am Spike, member of the Star Fox team,” the dragon declared, not intimidated by the brutes for he knew he could easily take them on. While Spike was announcing who he was, the prince took advantage of the distraction to sneak pass the dogs and out of the cave. “I’ve come to bring the prince… back to his… home?” Spike noticed the EarthWalker sneaking away, losing focus on the two Diamond Dogs in front of him. Also noticing that their prisoner was running away, one of the dogs knocked the distracted Spike over with his club. Spike groaned as he got back up just to be knocked back down by the other dog as both of the dogs jumped on magic powered snowmobiles to chase after the escapee. “Hey, wait!”

There was a third snowmobile still in the bunker and Spike hopped on it. Activating the magic crystal that powered the vehicle, Spike sped out of the base and down the mountain in pursuit of the prince and his pursuers. As he rode down the slope of Ice Mountain, he could see the fire and exhaust coming from the dogs’ snowmobiles up ahead. Spike pressed on the accelerator, trying to catch up with them.

As Spike caught up to the dogs, he tried to pass them on the outside. However, the dogs took notice and one of them shoved Spike’s vehicle with their own, knocking the dragon off balance. Spike fell back behind and saw that a dog was about to drop something behind him. Sensing danger, Spike swerved his snowmobile out of the way just in time to avoid the explosion of a bomb. As they approached a bunch of trees, the dog threw another bomb at a tree, causing it to fall over right as the Diamond Dogs passed by it. To avoid crashing into the fallen tree, Spike made a sharp left turn and was now riding along a ridge that overlooked the wooded area.

From his elevated route, he could see that the dogs had been slowed down by the trees, giving Spike the opportunity to speed ahead of them along the ridge. As the woods ended, Spike rode down the ridge and back onto the trail with the Diamond Dogs far behind him. Spike laughed as he looked over shoulder at the frustrated dogs, but then gasped when he looked forward again. His snowmobile was headed for a cliff and he was going too fast to stop in time! The vehicle and the dragon went sailing over the edge and Spike shouted as gravity and momentum took over his body.

Meanwhile at the bottom of the cliff, the young EarthWalker prince watched as a teenaged dragon splashed into a pool of steaming water and his ride crashed on the other side. The dragon gasped as he surfaced the water, which to his surprise and relief was warm. He swam to the edge of the water and looked up when he heard the sound of snowmobiles. The Diamond Dogs stopped at the top of the cliff and growled in anger down at the dragon and the dinosaur, shaking their fisted paws at them. The dogs sped away and Spike relaxed knowing that they have given up, or at least would have to find another way down.

“Oei uhe cisbo kxuk nuj u xek jfhadw eh oei neict ro vheqod ro den,” the young dinosaur laughed.

Spike raised his claws in confusion and asked, “What?”

“Oei uhe cisbo kxuk nuj u xek jfhadw eh oei neict ro vheqod ro den,” the dinosaur repeated.

“I-I can’t understand you!” Spike explained.

“I said ‘you’re lucky that was a hot spring or you’d be frozen by now’,” the EarthWalker translated and then laughed again at the dragon.

“Why you little…” Spike seethed and raised an angry fist when he realized that the dinosaur was laughing at him.

“Hey, I wouldn’t if I were you!” the prince cautioned as he backed away from the irritated dragon. “My dad is a King EarthWalker and he’ll bash you up!”

Spike immediately calmed down when he realized that the prince was unaware of the situation. He took a knee in front of the child and explained with a sympathetic tone, “I don’t think he’ll do any bashing. He’s been captured. That’s why I’ve been sent to rescue you.”

“He’s been captured!” the child repeated, shocked by the dreadful news.

“That’s right,” Spike confirmed as he stood back up. “It was your mother that sent me to find you.”

“Is she okay?” the prince asked, fearing the worst. Spike looked down at the prince’s troubled face and thought of what to tell him.

“She’ll be just fine,” Spike reassured the worried child. “But we need to get you home.” Spike looked over at the snowmobile he had commandeered from the Diamond Dogs. Unfortunately, it was demolished during the crash. “Looks like we’re walking. Do you know how to get to ThornTail Hollow from here?” The dinosaur looked around the environment, finding his bearings, and then nodded in confirmation. “Good, then lead the way.”

The dragon followed the EarthWalker away from the hot spring and down a trail that would lead them down the mountain. Spike shivered from once again going from being somewhere warm to somewhere cold. He looked up to sky and noticed that Celestia’s sun was headed towards the western horizon. That meant it would be getting colder soon. Spike hoped they could get down the mountain or at least find some shelter before nightfall.

Growing Wings

Spike awoke when he felt the tickle of snowflakes landing on his nose. The dragon cracked open an eye and looked about. Celestia’s sun was rising to the east and the fire he had made to keep him and Tricky warm was starting to dwindle. The young dinosaur was still asleep so Spike went over and gently shook him.

“Tricky,” Spike said to the prince as he roused him.

“Hhmmm… What?” Tricky mumbled as he looked about, still half asleep. “What’s going on?”

“Where heading out, that’s what,” the dragon answered.

“Already?” Tricky asked as he stretched. He yawned and blinkingly looked up to the sun. “But it’s so early. Can’t we sleep in a little longer?”

Spike smirked a bit. On any other day, Spike would agree with him. When he was Tricky’s age, he would sleep in all the time, that is, as much as Twilight would allow him to. Though the thought of snoozing for a little bit longer was tempting, he had a job to do. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get you home.”

“Yeah yeah, alright.” Tricky rose to his four feet and Spike picked up his backpack and threw it across his shoulder. “But can’t we at least get some breakfast? I’m starving!”

Spike’s stomached growled at the mention of food. He did have some gems in his bag and there were the gems that grew on those stalks that he saw in ThornTail Hollow, but he doubted that the EarthWalker would be interested in eating those. Since his little companion was a ceratopid, he figured he would be an herbivore.

“Well, what do EarthWalker’s eat?” Spike asked as looked around for some vegetation. “Kind of slim pickings with anything green around here. Everything is covered in snow.”

“Maybe we can find some Grubtubs,” Tricky suggested. “They’re my favorite!”

“What are Grubtubs?”

“They’re big blue mushrooms. They grow just about everywhere on Krazoa Island.”

“Well, let’s see if we can find some on the way.” Spike started to follow the path along side of the river that led away from the frozen pond and Tricky followed after him. As they went over the hill, they saw a snow covered valley with evergreen trees that had icicles hanging from their branches. A few long blades of brown grass stuck through the snow and the river flowed from a waterfall and ran through the valley. There also a large wall that enclosed a portion of the valley. Judging from its crude design and the fact that he and Tricky just spent a night in a Diamond Dog campsite, Spike guessed that this was one of their outposts. Spike could near low trumpeting sound that sounded like an elephant coming from inside the Diamond Dog fort. “What was that?”

“That was a SnowHorn,” Tricky identified the sound. “They’re the tribe that lives up here in the Wastes.”

Spike remembered that the Warp Stone had told him that Ice Mountain was located in the SnowHorn Wastes. Seeing that the area was covered in snow, there was an elephant sound, and this was an island inhabited by prehistoric animals, Spike figured that the SnowHorn Tribe must be Wooly Mammoths.

“It looks like they’ve run afoul of your canine captors.”

“What are we going to do Spike?” the young EarthWalker asked, looking up to the dragon.

“The first thing we’re going to do is get you home to your mother,” Spike told him. “Then maybe she’ll be able to come up with a plan. Now, you said that there was a path that leads back to the Hollow.”

“Oh yeah, it’s down there to the south.” Tricky led Spike down the hill and towards the mountain that separated ThornTail Hollow from SnowHorn Wastes. They saw a cave that led underground, but there was an overweight bulldog Diamond Dog in front of it. The bulldog was sitting in the middle of the opening, leaning on the spear it was carrying for support as it slept on duty. Its floppy jowls flapped as it snored like an engine and drool dripped from its mouth. “Uh-oh, there’s a guard. What are we going to do?”

The sound of Tricky’s comment woke the dog and it snorted as it snapped back to consciousness. It mumbled drowsily and looked about in a daze. In its sleep filled eyes, it saw a blurry purple figure standing next to a shorter orange figure. It blinked a couple times to clear its eyes and sat there a moment as its brain processed what it was seeing. When it realized that there were two intruders right in front of it, the bulldog barked in surprised and fumbled about with it spear as it tried to stand up. However, its arms wavered and its legs strained as it tried to lift its large round body off the ground. It fell back down on its rump and it tried fruitlessly again to raise itself help. The overweight guard panted from overexertion and soon abandoned that tactic and thought about sounding the alarm, but its panting prevented it from howling. The chubby bulldog then gave up interest and waved an uncaring paw at them as though to say, “Whatever.” Spike and Tricky looked at each, back to the guard, and to each other again in amused disbelief. They scoffed a bit and then walked up to the portly dog.

“Are you okay there?” Spike asked the heavily panting Diamond Dog. “You look like you’re out of breath.”

“None of your business,” it muttered between pants.

“So, you’re not going to try and stop us?”

“Meh, you not worth it,” it dismissed. Spike suppressed a laugh, but couldn’t help but to smile.

“So… Will you let us by?” Tricky asked hopefully.

“You pay me gems to pass,” the dog demanded. Off to the side, Spike could see one of those stalks that grew gems he saw in ThornTail Hollow.

“Um… sure, no problem,” Spike said as he walked over, plucked the red gem off the stalk, and handed it over to the dog.

The bulldog inspected the gem and said, “You pass, but don’t tell boss.”

“Oh sure, it’ll be our little secret,” Spike told the dog patronizingly. With some effort, dog slowly scooted on his rump to move out of the way and allowed Spike and Tricky to enter the underground tunnel.

“Well, that was easy,” Spike whispered to Tricky as they passed by the dog, who was admiring the gem that it could have gotten for itself. Spike wasn’t complaining though. It wasn’t his gem that he had to give up.

Once inside the cave, the duo could hear the sound of dripping water and the high pitched squeaks of bats. There was an opening that led to a corridor that went further into the mountain. As they followed the corridor, Spike noticed that it wasn’t a natural tunnel. The corridor’s walls and ceiling were carved and squared off. Spike’s suspicions were confirmed when he and Tricky rounded a corner and saw a canal of water. The water was flowing into the tunnel from vents in the walls and was flowing in the direction of ThornTail Hollow. Spike then realized that this was an aqueduct that supplied the Hollow with water from Ice Mountain. If that was the case, they were about to take a rather cold dip.

“Can you swim Tricky?” Spike asked.

“Yeah, of course I can,” he confirmed.

“Good, because we’re going to have to swim our way to the Hollow.” Spike went first and dove in. The dragon’s body instantly reacted to the freezing water and was paralyzed by the sensation. He paddled about, trying to get accustomed to the temperature, all the while his teeth were chattering. Tricky laughed at wide eyed expression of shock on Spike’s face. “Oh, y-you t-think t-t-this is f-f-funny?! Come on in, y-your n-next!”

It was Tricky’s turn to look nervous. He looked at the ice cold water and gulped. He mentally braced himself and jumped in. Unfortunately, all that mental preparation wasn’t enough to prepare him for the shock of the cold. Spike would be laughing if he wasn’t preoccupied shivering. The EarthWalker’s preferred swimming style was the dog paddle, sticking his head out of the water as he flailed his front feet about. It wasn’t the most graceful of styles, but it managed to keep Tricky afloat long enough for him to follow Spike down the aqueduct.

They followed the water until it started to flow through a grated vent at the end of the aqueduct. They hopped out onto a platform on the side that lead up another corridor, from which they could see daylight shining in. As they got out the water, Spike wiped off as much water as he could while Tricky shook like a dog. As they were drying off, Tricky spotted a circle of large blue and white mushrooms growing off to the side of the corridor.

“Grubtubs!” the young dinosaur excitedly yelled as he sprinted towards the fungi. To Spike’s surprise, the mushrooms took notice of the incoming dinosaur and started hopping away!

“Well, there goes something you don’t see every day,” Spike said to himself. As Spike was about to take another step, an intense wave of pain ran through his back. It was so strong that it forced Spike to take a knee. His vision blurred from the pain and Spike held his breath reflexively as he waited for it to pass. Tricky was bounding about happily as he chased after his breakfast. He caught one of the leaping mushrooms in his mouth and playfully shook it about like a dog with a chew toy. He gobbled it up and went after another one. As caught his second mushroom, he took notice of Spike’s predicament.

He swallowed the wiggling blue mushroom that he had in his mouth and asked, “Your back again?”

“Yeah…” Tricky went over to the remaining Grubtubs, caught a white one, and brought it over to the afflicted dragon.

“Here, try a white one. They taste nasty, but they’re supposed to make you feel better. My mom gives them to me when I’m not feeling well.” Spike took one look at the wiggling fungus and grimaced.

“No thanks,” Spike declined as he stood back up. The pain hadn’t completely faded, but they couldn’t stop now. “But I think your mother might need one. Let’s bring this one with us along with the others.”

Tricky herded up the remaining white Grubtubs and placed them in Spike’s bag before heading towards the exit. When they reached the top of the tunnel, they could see the Hollow from below them and the building where Spike had met the Queen EarthWalker. They wasted no time and ran down to it. As they reached the building Tricky rushed urgently inside with Spike limping behind him. The purple dragon held onto the wall with one claw to steady himself as he walked down into the bunker. Once inside, he was greeted by his teammates.

“Good job Spike. You’ve successfully rescued the Prince,” congratulated Captain Pepper. When he noticed Spike’s condition, he asked, “Are you alright there Spike? Are you injured?”

Spike shook his head and was about to explain when another wave hit him. He growled in discomfort and braced himself against the wall, his claws digging into the rock.

“Whoa! Spike, what’s wrong?!” Slippy asked. As the other three members of Star Fox huddled around the dragon with concern, Spike noticed that Tricky was kneeling beside his mother, who wasn’t looking too good herself.

“Here… give these to her,” Spike strained as he tossed his bag with the healing mushrooms inside it to Tricky and then headed back outside.

“Wait Spike, what’s going on? What’s in the bag?” Peppy asked.

“I’m growing wings,” Spike said without turning around.

“Wings? How did this come about?” the navigator asked.

“No time… Tricky will explain… I’ll be back…”

“Do you need some help?” the Captain asked.

“Do you want one of us to come with you?” Slippy offered.

“No… Need to be alone… for this…” Spike made his way across the valley towards the old golden dragon’s lair. The time between each wave was getter shorter and Spike could feel something stretching inside his back just below the surface of his scaly skin. As he entered the cave, another wave of agony hit him and he arched his back. He could feel something tearing and he roared in pain. The exertions from the stretching caused his legs to give out from underneath him and he feel to the cave’s floor. He crawled with trembling arms towards the fissure. His arms gave out and he rolled down the hole into his master’s domain. He landed on the pile of treasure, alerting the massive gold dragon of his presence. The ancient dragon took one look at Spike and knew what was happening.

“I will not lie to you,” Spike’s master said as picked up the smaller dragon and carried him further into the lair. “This will be the most painful thing you have ever experienced.”

Spike thrashed about uncontrollably in the giant claw, moaning and screaming. He barely noticed that his master had spoken to him or that he was being placed in a small grotto adjacent to the chamber filled with treasure. The ripping pain over his shoulder blades was so consuming that it blocked out the rest of the world. Spike’s thinking process had stopped and was now running solely on instinct. He was an animal, an animal that was in pain and didn’t know why. He reached out and stabbed the ground with his claws. His back started to bulge on the sides as something was trying to push its way out.

Spike raked the grotto’s floor with his claws, leaving deep gouges in the stone, and roared angrily. Some invisible enemy was hurting him and he wanted to fight back. His tormentor attacked again, causing him to howl. In retaliation, he sent a torrent of emerald flames into the air. Again it attack and Spike answered by slamming his fists into the grotto’s wall, causing the cavern to vibrate from the impact. He then started to rip away at the wall in a blind fury, sending chucks of rock everywhere.

Then it hit him. A huge spasm of pain locked his body into place as he arched his back. He stood there, still gripping the grotto’s wall, and threw his back but couldn’t scream because of his body was so clenched up. Like a coiled up spring, something in his back was struggling under the strain and was demanding to be released. Its demands were met and two wings shot out fully extended through the flesh of Spike’s back, sending a spray of blood and a clear fluid onto the grotto’s floor and walls.

It was a mixture of pain and relief. Though the wings bursting out of his back did hurt, the pressure had been relieved and it felt oh so good. Spike’s body trembled as it tried to recover from such an ordeal and he slowly turned his shaking head to look over his shoulder. Behind him, he could see two purple wings with a green membrane connecting them to his body. Tears of pain and relief fell from his eyes and he let out a small laugh as he gave his new wings a little flap. Suddenly, his muscles went limp and his eyes rolled back into his head as he fell unconscious to the floor.

During the entire spectacle, the old dragon had been watching over his apprentice. Once he saw that it was over and Spike had stop trashing about, he picked up the exhausted purple dragon and placed him a pool of water that was in the grotto. He scooped up a clawful of the cool water and poured it on Spike’s new wings and back. The water washed always the blood and other fluids that stained his scales.

Once Spike’s back was cleansed of the bodily fluids, the gold dragon could see the torn skin outlining the wings. The gold dragon took in a breath and started to make a deep rumbling sound in his throat. He extended his neck towards Spike and opened his mouth. Instead of fire, a soft but warm orange light was exhaled. Spike’s weary body was bathed in the light and he started to glow orange. As the orange light enveloped Spike, the torn skin on his back started mend and fresh scales covered the raw flesh until his wings seamlessly connected to his back. There were a few pieces of dead skin still hanging on here and there, but they will eventually flake off with time.

Once the healing magic had done its purpose, the master dragon ceased the spell and the orange glow that covered Spike faded. The dark gold dragon sat back and watched the younger dragon while he rested and recovered. The ancient wyrm smirked as he felt a sense of nostalgia as memories of the time he grew his own wings filled his head.

*****

“Can’t this thing going any faster?” Rainbow Dash griped as she sat with her forelegs grumpily crossed. She was traveling in a hot air balloon over the eastern sea along with her friends Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle. “It’ll gonna take us forever to get there! I still don’t see why I can’t go ahead and fly there myself.”

“Now Rainbow,” Applejack said to sky blue Pegasus. “You may be the fastest flier in Equestria, but it’s a long way to this here ‘Krazoa Island’ place.”

“Is that so AJ?” the mare with multicolored mare asked as she rose to her hooves. “You think I can’t to do it? Ha! I bet I could fly there and back without breaking a sweat!”

“Ah’m not sayin’ anythin’,” the farmer tried to calm her competitive friend. “All Ah meant was that we should stick together. Is that right Twilight?”

She turned to the lavender Alicorn, but she wasn’t listening. She was too busy staring off towards the horizon with a look of concern, distracted by her own thoughts.

“Twilight?” Applejack asked again and then placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“Hm?” Twilight looked over to Applejack when she realized that she was being spoken to.

“You okay there sugar cube?”

“Oh, yes I’m fine,” she answered as she looked back over the side of the balloon. “I’m just worried about Spike.”

“We all are,” Fluttershy reassured her.

“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie added, who had previously had been excitedly bouncing up and down as she enjoyed view of the sea from their balloon. “But just imagine how great it will be when we see him again! When we meet up with Rarity and find Spike, we’ll have a great big group hug and we can throw an amazing welcome home party for him once we get back! Ooh, we can even invite the dinosaurs that live on the island! That is, the ones that don’t eat meat. I mean, it’ll be kinda hard to have a party when half of the guests are trying to eat the other half.”

Twilight couldn’t help but to smile and slightly chuckle at Pinkie’s boundless optimism. It was infectious and she was glad to have a good friend who could brighten even the gloomiest of days. However, Twilight couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Call it a mother’s instinct, but she felt like something big happened to Spike and she wasn’t there for him. Whatever it was, she hoped that he was alright.

Garunda Te

Inside the lair of the golden dragon, Spike stirred in his sleep. He moaned as he raised himself up and wearily opened his eyes. His head felt as though it just took a blow from Applejack’s apple tree bucking hind legs. He placed a claw to his aching head as his spinning vision came back into focus. Once he could see clearly again, he stood up on his feet and looked around. He noticed that he was in a small chamber within his master’s lair. In the back of the grotto, water dripped from the ceiling to a pool of water. He also noticed that the cavern’s floor and walls were marked with deep scratches. Judging by the size and shape of the marks, Spike realized that they were his claw marks. Stunned, Spike looked down at his claws as he realized that it was him that did this.

“I did this?” he quietly asked himself as he starred at his claws. He was shocked. It had looked like some feral animal was unleashed and thrashed about uncontrollably, destroying everything in its path.

“Yes, you did,” the deep voice of his master answered. Suddenly remembering where he was, the smaller purple dragon turned to face the massive gold dragon. The master dragon chuckled as he looked down at his apprentice. “It was quite the display. Ah, I remember when I grew wings. I nearly leveled half a forest.”

Looking at the mess he made, he understood why his master recommended that he be alone during the process of growing wings. Had he been anywhere else, other creatures would have been in danger. He was an uncontrollable animal when it happened. Then he thought of what could have happen if he was back home in Ponyville when he grew wings. He friends would have been at his side comforting him while he was in pain, but then he would become violent and lash out at everypony, not distinguishing friend from foe. He would have woken to find the mares he loved lying dead around him, and it would have been his fault.

“Something troubles you?” the gold dragon asked.

“I could have killed them,” Spike whispered. The master didn’t need an explanation to what he was referring to. Knowing what he did about his protégé, he understood he was speaking about his surrogate family of ponies.

“You do not know that,” the master told him.

“But I…” Spike started to argue.

“Silence, your master is speaking,” the older dragon ordered and Spike lowered his head submissively as he listened to his mentor. “It is pointless to dwell on what could have been. You cannot know how your friends would have reacted. For all you know, they could have been able to subdue you till the deed was done.” Spike had to agree with this. Twilight and the girls have saved Equestria many times and faced many horrifying monsters. They had faced manticores, Timberwolves, hydras, an Ursa Minor, Cragodiles, and even Cerberus; surely they could have handled one teenaged dragon.

“Sorry master. You’re right.”

“Of course I am. There is no time to fret over what could have been when you could be testing your new wings.”

When the older dragon mentioned the wings, Spike looked back over shoulder to find that he had indeed grown wings. They were still small compared to the wings on other dragons. He remembered the wings of Garble and his fellow teenage dragon cohorts were bigger than his, and they were tiny compared to the wingspan of an adult dragon’s.

Wanting to test them out, Spike spread his new wings and gave them an experimental flap. To his surprise, they were stronger than they look. When the wings flapped down, he felt a force push him up. He tried it again and felt the same thing. He started to flap his wings up and down multiple times in succession and was thrilled when he started to rise off the ground. Spike laughed excitedly as he looked down and saw that there were a few feet of air between him and the ground.

“I’m flying! I’m flying!” Spike cheered, hardly believing that he was currently hovering in the air. He wavered a bit and Spike had to regain his balance. Feeling adventurous, Spike decided to see how much he could do. He flapped harder and harder, and he rose higher and higher. He looked down and laughed as he rose over the pile of treasure. He then felt a bump on his head as he reached the roof of the cave. “Yow!” He clasped his head with a claw and gingerly rubbed the spot. He then realized he stopped flapping his wings and fell back down to the ground. “Oof!” he grunted as he came in for a rough landing. The cavern rumbled as Spike’s master chuckled at his inexperienced antics.

“Give it time,” the wise dragon laughed. “You will grow into them soon enough and will become a better flier with practice. You actually did well with your first attempt.”

“Thank you, master.” Spike looked back and admired his new wings. They had purple scales with a green membrane to match the rest of his body. He could feel the burn from the little practice he just did. He remembered how Twilight was so awkward when she became an Alicorn. It took her forever to get used to having wings. For him, it felt natural. Like the Pegasi, dragons were born to fly. I can’t wait to show the guys… wait a moment! “Oh my gosh! How long was I out?!”

“A few hours,” his master answered.

“Only a few hours?” Spike asked surprised.

“Normally, it would take a few days or so to recover, but I sped up the process with my magic.”

“Thank you, master.” Spike was amazed by the power that his master possessed, a power that someday he will also have.

“You are welcome,” the dark gold dragon responded with a nod of the head.

“Excuse me, master,” Spike said as he returned the polite gesture. “But I have a mission to finish.”

“Yes, go now. I will contact you later.” Being dismissed, Spike used his new wings to fly out of the fissure in the ceiling. When he exited the cave, he saw that the sky had become overcast and it was starting to rain. He ran back to the bunker where he had left Tricky and the others. When he arrived, he noticed the Queen EarthWalker was awake and looking much better.

“Hey look, Spike’s back,” Slippy announced in his high pitched voiced. “And he has wings!”

“Welcome back,” Captain Pepper greeted.

“Wow, look at you!” Tricky was in awe that his new friend now had wings.

“You’re okay now, right?” Peppy asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Spike reassured the gray Earth Pony. “I see the Queen is doing better as well.”

“Thanks to the white Grubtubs we found,” Tricky added.

“Thank you, Spike,” the adult ceratopid said in a grateful voice. “Thank you for saving my son and for saving me.”

“Okay, okay. Enough with the thanks, you’re making me blush,” Spike said as he rubbed the back of his head embarrassed. “Now we need some help from you.”

“Can you explain to us the situation?” Captain Pepper asked.

“This is all the work of General Scar,” explained the EarthWalker with a gold and ruby decorated frill. “As I understand it, he is the new ruler of the Diamond Dogs. They want to take over our island because it is abundant with gems.”

“You mean those stalks that grow gems right?” Spike asked for clarification.

“Indeed. With treasure so accessible, they wouldn’t have to dig for jewels anymore. We would be willing to negotiate harvesting rights, but their greed has consumed them. They don’t want just some of the gems, they want them all.”

“Why don’t they just take some stalks back to Equestria and grow some themselves?” Slippy asked.

“The gem stalks can only grow here on Krazoa Island,” the Queen explained. “They feed off the magic of the island to produce the gems.”

“So they decided to invade,” Captain Pepper concluded.

The Queen nodded and said, “Scar has tried to take over our island in the past, but we have always been able to stop his attacks. But this time he has somehow become stronger and defeated our army at the Krazoa Palace.

“Right, a bad guy. But how did the island get in such a mess?” Spike asked.

“Within the Krazoa Palace, he broke the seals of the Force Point Temples.”

“Force Point Temples?” the team collectively asked.

“This island is rich with a magical force,” the Queen continued to explain. “A force so strong that is continuously pushing our island apart. To stop this, four SpellStones were placed within the Force Point Temples. With the seals broken, Scar entered the temples and removed the SpellStones. With nothing to hold back the magic force the island was torn apart!”

“Why would Scar steal the SpellStones?” Slippy asked.

“They are four large gems, each representing one of the four elements. To the Diamond Dogs, they are just most treasure to hoard. However, I can’t help but to think that there’s something else at work here. General Scar is more intelligent that the others and he seems to crave power more than gems. Maybe he desires to harness the power of the island for himself.”

“Okay, the bad guy takes the SpellStones, your island falls apart, and I have to find the Spell Stones, and take them back to the Force Point Temples. Got it,” Spike recapped his mission.

“See Mom, I told you he was good,” Tricky said to his mother.

“My son will remain with you,” the Queen decreed. “For only a dinosaur of noble birth can breathe life into the Spell Stones.”

Tricky held his head up high smugly, feeling oh so important that he had such an important part to play in the mission. However, the Star Fox team wasn’t too keen on having the Prince going on such a dangerous mission.

“What?! Uh… That’s okay, but don’t you think he’s a bit young?” Captain Pepper protested. “I mean, it’s going to very dangerous. Loads of bad guys…”

“Fighting…” Peppy added.

“Death…” Slippy also added.

“He knows the island well,” the Queen said in her son’s defense. “And I’m sure Spike has seen how resourceful he can be.”

“Yeah…Sure,” Spike said, unsure how to respond to that statement.

“Come on, Spike. We’ll make a great team!” Tricky cheered. Spike smirked a little, admiring the young dinosaur’s enthusiasm. It reminded him of how he was when he was just a kid.

“Okay, but if you mess up just once, I’ll send you straight back to mommy,” Spike teased.

“Okay yeah, yeah,” Tricky said as he rolled his eyes.

“Are you sure about this?” the Captain asked, still having doubts about the plan. “Isn’t there anyone else that can go with Spike? Isn’t there any remaining EarthWalker soldiers?”

“Unfortunately, no,” the Queen responded with a heavy heart. “The troops that have been sent to Krazoa Place fell in battle and our remaining forces are trapped in our homeland of the Walled City, which is now circling the island in the air. I’m afraid you’re out of options.”

“No reinforcements,” the brown Unicorn muttered. “But that’s okay, we’re Star Fox. We get the job done no matter what.”

“Good,” the Queen said moving on. “Now, our spies have indicated that Scar was last seen in DarkIce Mines in the SnowHorn Wastes. I know the SnowHorn Chieftain well, Garunda Te.” Queen smiled and shook her head at the thought of her friend. “A silly fellow, but he can guide you to the SpellStone.”

“But, Your Majesty, the Diamond Dogs have taken SnowHorn Wastes!” Spike announced.

“It’s true!” Tricky confirmed. A look of shock appeared on the Queen’s face, but then it became one of sorrow and concern.

“You must go back to the SnowHorn Wastes and find him,” she urged. “It is our only hope.”

“Got it,” Spike said and then started to head off towards the exit.

“And Spike,” she called after him, causing the dragon to pause. “I think you might need this.” She moved her front leg to the side to reveal a key. “The Diamond Dogs dropped it when they attacked me. Maybe it will come in use somewhere.”

“Okay, wish us luck. Come on, Tricky,” Spike said as he picked up the key and ran out the bunker into the light rain.

“Wait for me!” the young EarthWalker called out as he ran after Spike. The dragon and his new partner ran north through the Hollow towards the aqueduct that used to return the valley. On the way, the ThornTail that Spike had met when he first arrived waved to them.

“Good luck, young dragon,” the ankylosaur cheered. Spike didn’t have time to stop, but he waved back as he passed by.

After taking the underground passage through the mountain and swimming through the ice cold water, Spike and Tricky were back in the Wastes. The fat bulldog guard was still sitting by the entrance of the tunnel and he was sleeping on the job again. Spike and Tricky ignored the guard, and headed towards the fort that the dogs had constructed. Snow was falling from the clouds that covered the island. The purple dragon observed the crudely built wall, checking to see if there were guards on patrol. For the moment, there didn’t seem to be any. Spike thought about of flying over the wall, but he didn’t want to risk being seen by any Diamond Dogs that might be on the other side of the wall of rock and compacted snow. Besides, his wings were still a little worn out from the flying he had done earlier. With enough force, he probably could just knock a part of the wall down and walk in, but that will draw too much attention to them.

He then noticed that there was a gate. He and Tricky looked through the crossed bars and they could see a few torches inside along with a simple shelter. In the distance, he could see a few large creatures with shaggy brown hair and long tusks. When Spike noticed their trunks, his suspicions about the SnowHorns being Wooly Mammoths were confirmed.

“Hey Spike, look!” Spike looked over to Tricky and saw that he was pointing to a lock on the gate. Curious, Spike pulled out the key that the Queen had given him and tried it on the lock. The key slid into place and Spike gave it a turn. It turns out the key was useful after all, and Spike heard a click as the gate was unlocked. The dragon opened the gate quietly, making sure it didn’t make any noise, and the two sneaked inside.

They carefully made their way into fort, looking around for guards as they crept towards the SnowHorns. The pachyderms noticed the approaching dragon and realized that he was there to help them when they saw that he was accompanied by Prince Tricky. Spike put a claw to his pursed lips to tell them to be quiet. The SnowHorns nodded in understanding and looked around to keep a lookout for their captors. Spike saw that they were shackled and pulled out the key again. One by one, he removed the shackles from each of their large ankles and they stood up.

“Is everyone alright?” Spike whispered.

“Yes, we’re fine,” one of them answered.

“Where is Garunda Te?” Spike asked.

“They’ve got him trapped over there in a pit,” another SnowHorn told him and pointed with his trunk.

“Alright, you guys get out of here. We’ll rescue him.” The SnowHorns trumpeted and charged through the wall, busting a large hole in it. Spike face palmed and muttered, “I meant quietly sneak out. Never mind, come on! We’ve got to hurry, someone will have heard that!”

Spike and Tricky ran up to where the other SnowHorn indicated and found a sheet of ice covering a large hole in the ground. There was a crack in the ice and a trunk was sticking out. Through the crack, Spike and Tricky could see the face of a SnowHorn.

“Are you okay?” Tricky called down to the imprisoned mammoth.

“The Diamond Dogs have starved me and imprisoned me in this infernal cave,” the older sounding mammoth answered in a raspy voice. “If you can bring me some frost weeds, I’ll be strong enough to get myself out.”

“What are frost weeds?” Spike asked.

“They grow in trees like the one over there,” the SnowHorn said as he pointed to a nearby tree with his trunk. In the tree, Spike could see a cluster of bristly plants hanging from the branches.

“Hey, who break our wall?!” they heard the sound of an angry Diamond Dog yelling. Spike and Tricky saw a group of five dogs gathering around the broken wall. The returning dogs then noticed that their prisoners were gone and that intruders were standing in the middle of their fort. They howled and raised their clubs as they rushed towards the dragon and the dinosaur.

“Tricky, you get the frost weeds. I’ll hold them off!” While the EarthWalker ran towards the frost weed tree, Spike ran to meet his opponents head on. The dogs barked and growl as they prepared to swing their clubs. Spike smirked and kicked off the ground as he flapped his wings hard. Though his wings were tired, the stunt worked and Spike launched himself over the incoming dogs. The dogs yelped in confusion as their swings missed and they fell off balanced to the ground as the dragon flipped over their heads and landed behind them. Spike reached backwards over his head, grabbed the nearest dog behind him by the shoulders, lifted him over his head, and then slammed him helmet first into the snow in front of him. The dog moaned unconsciously as his cohorts spun around in time to see Spike’s foot flying towards their faces as he did roundhouse kick.

As Spike pounded the dogs, Tricky charged the tree. Using his head to ram the base of the trunk, he knocked loose the frost weeds. He then used his horned beaklike mouth to gather the weeds that had fallen from the tree together and roll them towards the ice. The SnowHorn’s trunk grabbed the ball of bristles and pulled it through the crack in the ice. Tricky could hear the mammoth munching on the weeds followed by a satisfied burp. With a loud trumpeting call, the mammoth smashed through the sheet of ice and charge up the ramp that led down into the cave. The freed SnowHorn stomped his feet and thrashed his tusks about while trumpeting loudly. The Diamond Dogs that were still conscious after the beating they received from Spike grabbed their fellow dogs and ran out of the fort.

“Humph, good riddance,” the SnowHorn said as he watched the cowards flee before turning to his rescuers. “Ah, the young prince. Who is this with you?”

“This is my friend, Spike,” Tricky introduced his partner. “My mother sent us to find you.”

“Well, I am Garunda Te, Chieftain of the SnowHorn Tribe and Guardian of the SpellStone of Earth.”

“We’re looking for a SpellStone.”

“A SpellStone?” Garunda Te thoughtfully asked. “It is my duty as Guardian to protect the land from which a SpellStone is forged. General Scar took the SpellStone and discovered that I was a Guardian. He gave me an ultimatum; allow him to take the SpellStone back to the sacred land or he will destroy my tribe. I could not risk the safety of the entire island, so I refused to help. My daughter did not think this way, and so, to save the tribe, she allowed him to enter the mines. Scar did not destroy my tribe, he enslaved them instead.” With sorrow and pain, Garunda Te lowered his head. “My daughter dishonored me… You must search for the SpellStone of Earth in DarkIce Mines, which now floats above the island, and return it to the Volcano Force Point Temple. Only then will the SpellStone’s power be returned.”

“Alright sir, you can count on us,” Spike told the Chieftain. He then turned to his partner and said, “Come Tricky, we need to head to the mines.”

“Spike, do you and your friends have away to get up to the mines?” the dinosaur asked as he ran alongside Spike.

The dragon smirked and asked, “Have you ever ridden in an airship before?”

Volcano Force Point Temple

As the Great Fox landed back at ThornTail Hollow, the Star Fox Team disembarked the airship and headed to the Queen EarthWalker’s shelter. Once inside the underground bunker, they found the Queen waiting for them. Spike reached into his backpack and pulled out the large green gem.

“I see you have found the SpellStone of Earth,” she remarked as she gazed upon the magical stone that Spike held in his claws. “Now you must take it to one of the two Force Point Temples.”

“Where are the Force Point Temples?” Captain Pepper asked.

“There are two; one to the north and one to the south,” the Queen explained. “Each temple requires that its respective SpellStones are placed inside.”

“Which stone goes where?” Slippy asked.

“The four SpellStones represent the elements of earth, water, fire, and air. The elements of earth and fire belong in the Volcano Force Point Temple to the north and the elements of water and air belong in the Ocean Force Point Temple to the south.”

“Right, since I have the SpellStone of Earth, I need to head north then,” Spike summarized. “Come on Tricky, there’s no time to waste.”

“Oh Spike,” the Queen called after them. “The path that leads to the Volcano Force Point Temple will take you through Moon Mountain Pass, a strange and eerie land. Many dangers will await you there. Be careful.”

After receiving the warning, Spike and Tricky headed north through the Hollow until they came to a trail that led into the mountains. Before Spike and Tricky could head up the trail, the communication stone glowed gold as Spike’s master started to hail him. Spike looked at the glowing stone on his wrist and then back to Tricky.

“Hey Tricky, why don’t we take a lunch break before we go? I’m pretty hungry,” Spike said as an excuse.

“Yeah, me too,” the young dinosaur agreed.

“Here, go buy yourself something special at the store. Meet me back here when you’re ready,” Spike told the dinosaur as he tossed him the scarab bag. Tricky picked up the bag in his mouth and ran excitedly to the store. Now that Spike was alone, he headed to his master’s cave which was located between the trail and the aqueduct. He entered the cave and went down the crack that led into the gold dragon’s lair.

“You have recovered the first SpellStone,” the master stated. “Well done.”

“Thank you Master,” Spike replied. The older dragon turned his head to the large scrying stone that rested in the pile of treasure nearby. It looked like the crystal ball that Pinkie Pie would use when she would predict the future as “Madame Pinkie.” However, this one was larger and glowed white with a myriad of colors swirling within.

“I must say that I am impressed by how quickly you are mastering your new wings.”

“I’m still breaking them in, but they’re coming in handy.”

“I watched as you defeated the Galdon,” the Master told Spike. “I am proud of you. You have slain a creature that the SnowHorn have feared for ages. Many have fallen in attempts to slay it.”

“You could have stopped it, right?” Spike asked. The colossal nodded his massive head in confirmation. “Why didn’t you?”

“Are you questioning me whelp?” the dark gold dragon slightly growled, his green eyes flashing at hint of anger.

“No Master,” Spike clarified. “I was just wondering. You’re so powerful and could squash him with one claw.”

“That I could, but it was not my problem,” the Master coldly responded. “The Galdon posed no threat to me or my hoard.”

“But he was a threat to the SnowHorns. You could have helped them,” Spike argued. The master glared down at him, not approving of his tone.

“Do not question me,” he darkly snarled. “Until now, I had no reason to help them. Why should have I done anything for them?”

“Because you could have saved many lives,” Spike protested. The elder dragon glared down at the younger dragon. He then smirked when he remembered that he was speaking to a dragon who grew up around ponies. Their sentimental values and morals have certainly rubbed off on him.

“You truly think like a pony,” the gold dragon chuckled. “You are selflessly helping the inhabitants of this island when other wyrms would care less.”

“Then why are you helping me?” Spike demanded, irritated by the older dragon’s attitude. “If dragons like you only care about themselves, then why are you helping me?”

Spike’s Master sat in silence as looked he down at the little dragon that was standing up to him. He remembered the fire ruby that Spike was carrying, the one that belonged to the mare. Spike was willing to do anything for her for he truly loved her. It was strange for a dragon to love someone more than them self. It reminded him of something from long ago. Love; that was an emotion that the old dragon had not felt since…

“It matters not,” the elder dragon said. “All that matters is that I am. Go and return the SpellStone to the temple.”

The older dragon shifted his large body and turned his back on Spike. The purple dragon looked at his elder, wondering about his motives, and then flew out of the cave. Once Spike was gone, the older dragon reached into one of the mounds of gold and jewels and pulled out a tapestry. It would be considered large by pony standards, but it neatly fitted in the dragon’s palm. It was ancient, created thousands of years ago, from a time before Celestia and Luna. He stared at the embroidered images on the fabric, each one telling their own story. However, the ancient wyrm only focused on one. It was the image of two ponies, a prince and a Unicorn princess, staring into one another’s eyes. With one claw, he gently caressed the image of the mare. The dragon then closed his claw around the tapestry as he closed his eyes with a remorseful look upon his face.

*****

Tricky ran into the store beneath ThornTail Hollow. Once inside, he saw something unusual; the strange floating shopkeeper was arguing with a bunch of multicolored ponies. Tricky had seen ponies before. Trade ships that traveled between Equestria and the zebra homeland would rarely stop by the island to do some business here. However, most ponies were too intimidated by the island’s inhabitants to do so.

“Listen, all I want is this map,” a lavender mare said in a frustrated voice. “And I’m not paying more than seven bits for it.”

“No, that’s too low. Ten scarabs,” the shopkeeper tried demanded. The lavender mare groaned in annoyance.

“Ooh ooh! How much for this lantern?” an excitable pink mare asked the hooded shopkeeper.

“Put that down!” the shopkeeper shouted in his high pitched raspy voice. “You don’t have enough scarabs!”

“Now who the hay uses bugs for money?” an orange one wearing a hat asked.

“Eew, that sounds weird,” a light blue pony that floated in the air commented.

“Hey! Put that bafomdad back!” the store keeper shouted at a yellow mare holding a rabbit like animal.

“Aw, but he’s so cute,” she cooed as she and the little critter snuggled. Before he could say anything else, there was a crash and a bunch of green firefly went flying around the store.

“My fireflies!” the shop keeper shrieked.

“Oops, sorry,” the pink pony sheepishly apologized as she stood by a knocked over bug cage.

“I’ve got it,” the blue mare announced as she started to fly after the escaped bugs.

“Um, excuse me,” Tricky said to the shop keeper while giving him some scarabs. “Can I get some candied Grubtubs?”

“They’re in the back,” the hooded dinosaur told Tricky as he tried to deal with the mares. After picking up a few of the sweetened mushrooms, the EarthWalker headed back out of the store. As he left, he took one last look at the five ponies. The blue and orange managed to round up the escaped fireflies, the pink one was playing with a red ball that was on display, the yellow mare was petting the bafomdads, and the lavender one was still arguing over the price of the maps with the store keeper.

Huh, they kinda look like the ponies Spike told me about, Tricky thought. He then shrugged and headed out the store, overlooking the obvious. Oh well.

Tricky found Spike sitting by the start of the trail with a pensive look on face as he munched on a topaz. The Prince EarthWalker thought about asking what was the matter, but he decided it was best to leave the dragon be. Instead, he sat down and at the mushrooms he had bought from the store.

“Are you ready?” Spike asked as soon as they had finished their meal.

“Ready,” Tricky enthusiastically answered. They then headed up the trail towards Moon Mountain Pass. As they traveled along the path, they noticed the terrain started to change. It went from being green and lush to gray and rocky. This was to be expected when going up a mountain trail, but something felt off. As they came to an area filled with chasms, Spike stopped to look around. He could see a haze floating down in the depths of the canyons. Geysers would emit green vapor into sky. The rocks were dotted with craters. Weird fungi that glowed pink and white grew along the edge of the trail. The rocks started to take on a bluish shade. It felt like they had stepped onto another world. It reminded Spike of the time when the Nightmare Forces had possessed Rarity and he had to go with his friends to the moon to save her.

“This place reminds me of the moon,” Spike said to Tricky.

“Well it is called Moon Mountain Pass,” his companion reminded him. “But I have to admit, I’ve never been here before. My parents say it’s too dangerous.”

“No kidding,” Spike snidely remarked as he watched a geyser erupt. In the distance, there was a wooden building. From the outpost, a large gray Diamond Dog was watching the approaching pair through a spyglass. He wore a gray vest and a studded collar which signified that he was one the Diamond Dogs leaders. This was Fido, and he was a beta dog along with Spot. Well, now he was gamma dog ever since their alpha, Rover, became the beta dog to General Scar, the new alpha. Next to Fido was one of the guard dogs. The lesser Diamond Dogs was snoring and had his feet propped up on the railing.

“Wake up!” Fido ordered as he smacked the sleeping dog upside of the head. The other dog jolted awake and looked about in confusion. “Somebody coming.”

The dog looked out in the distance and saw Spike and Tricky heading towards the outpost. He then howled to sound the alarm. Other dogs joined in with the howling and soon the entire canyon was filled with the sound.

“It sounds like they know we’re here,” Spike muttered. He could see a pack of dogs running downhill from the outpost in their direction. They’ll be there in a matter of seconds. Spike cracked his knuckles and prepared for combat. As the pack drew closer, he noticed that another of the dogs that kidnapped Rarity was leading the pack. It was the larger one, Fido. Spike smirked, ready for the rematch. “Stay back Tricky.”

Fido was the first one to reach Spike. He raised his large gorilla-like arms and tried to smash Spike. The dragon grabbed them by the wrists as they came down. Spike was surprised by how strong this dog was, but not as surprised as Fido by how much stronger the dragon had become. The two stood in a stalemate, both of their arms shaking as they pushed against each other. Just as Spike was starting overcome Fido and pushed him back, two dogs blindsided him and tackled him to the ground. As Spike wrestled with the dogs, two more started to beat at him with their clubs.

“Hold him,” Fido barked. The four dogs held Spike up, two restraining each arm. Spike took in a breath, ready to breathe fire, but a fifth dog came from behind him and clamped his mouth shut. Spike shook his head in attempt to shake off the dog, but he held on fast. Fido chuckled sinisterly and then punched Spike in the stomach. The dragon groaned through his shut mouth as Fido pounded him. As the large dog took his time in beating Spike, Tricky came out of his hiding place and ran up behind Fido. With his beak-like mouth, he clamped down on the dog’s club-like tail. Fido’s eyes bulged and then he let out a howl of pain. Fido turned around and glared at Tricky. He reached down and picked the EarthWalker by his frill.

Using the distraction, Spike used his spaded tail and smacked the dog that was covering his mouth right between in the legs. The dog immediately let go to fall to his knees while singing soprano. Now that his mouth was freed, Spike unleashed his dragonfire and the four dogs that were holding his arms jump to get out of the way of the blazing heat.

“Why you little…” Fido growled at the small dinosaur.

“Hey!” the large gray dog heard Spike yell to him. To turned just in time to see a purple fist before his vision flashed red as Spike punched him in the face. Fido dropped Tricky to cover his sore face while howling in pain. Spike grabbed Fido by the vest, spun him around, and threw him at the five other Diamond Dogs. The flying dog slammed into his pack and they all went crashing down to the ground. The six dogs moaned unconsciously as Spike and Tricky stood over them.

“Thanks for help back there,” Spike said to Tricky.

“Hey, that’s what partners are for, right?” the dinosaur responded. Spike smiled down at his little friend and then they both continued up the trail towards the volcano. On the other side of the outpost, they could see a doorway with a tiled hallway leading inside. On either side of the doorway was a pillar with a torch on it. Looking up, they could see smoke rising from the mountain that loomed overhead. Pretty sure that this was the temple they were looking for, Spike and Tricky headed inside.

The hallway led around a few corners. Each dark corridor had fire braziers on the wall, lighting the rooms with a flickering orange light and caused the shadows to dance. The hallways led to a long room that a stone bridge that went over a pool of magma. Spike and Tricky crossed the stone bridge to the other side and exited through a door that was a start of tunnel. The tunnel led to a cave made out of dark red rock that must have been a magma chamber at one point. On the other side of the cave, there was opening where orange light poured in. Once they stepped outside of the cave, the two adventures found themselves standing on a platform overlooking a lake of magma. Spike looked up and could see the walls of the volcano rising up to the circular mouth of the crater above them. On the other side of the crater was large stone building supported by pillars and decorated by large fire braziers. An arching bridge connected the platform to the temple and Spike and Tricky started to cross it.

Keeping with the theme of the temple, torches lined the railing of the bridge. In the center of the bridge, Spike and Tricky came to a circular grated gate. Before the gate was a round altar that was glowing with a yellow light. On the altar, there was a symbol in the tear-like shape of the SpellStone. Spike pulled out the green gemstone to compare it the symbol. As he held it over the glowing altar, electricity started to crackle around the SpellStone.

“Whoa!” Spike and Tricky exclaimed. The dragon nearly dropped the stone in surprise as the sparks arched between the green gem and the symbol. As quickly as it began, the electricity stopped and the circular gate started moved. It spun around, revealing an opening that allowed the two to enter the temple. Spike and Tricky gave each other unsure looks before passing through the gate.

As they crossed the bridge to reach the temple, Spike noticed two statues on either side of the temple’s main door. The statues had long simian faces with bearded chins and round headdresses. In the center of their foreheads was a gem. Spike tilted his head as he studied them curiously, but then returned his attention to the door. Again, there was a symbol of the SpellStone. Holding up the green stone again, electricity arched from it and into the symbol to open the door. The tall stone doors slid open and Spike entered the main hall of the Volcano Force Point Temple. The pillars that supported this room had torches that had blue flames. At the end of the main small, they came to a circular room with more of those statues. At the base of each statue was a torch that held an unnaturally red flame. Spike looked around, but didn’t see another door.

“So, what now?” Spike asked and looked about.

“There’s an inscription on the wall,” Tricky pointed out. They both went to the plaque, but Spike couldn’t read Saurian.

“What does it say?”

“It says, ‘Only he who dims the flames of the Krazoa may pass’,” the dinosaur translated for the dragon. Spike looked up at the six statues.

So that’s a Krazoa, he thought as he looked at the strange beings.

“But how are we going to put out the flames?” Tricky asked. “You start fires, not put them out.”

As soon as Tricky asked the question, Spike’s communication stone glowed gold again. Spike looked around and saw stairs leading up to a terrace that went around the perimeter of the statue room and the main hall.

“Tricky, stay here. I’m going to check something out,” Spike told the dinosaur.

“Okay.” Spike walked up the stairs and stepped on to the terrace of the main hall. Once he was out of an earshot of Tricky, he looked back at the communication stone.

“Hello?” Spike whispered to the stone.

“Spike,” he heard the voice of his master say to him. There was an awkward silence and Spike remembered their conversation from earlier.

“Look Master, I’m sorry,” Spike apologized. “I should have been more respectful towards you. I really am thankful for you helping me.”

After pondering in silence for a moment, the master finally said, “Do not apologize. You… you were right.”

“Master, I…” Spike started, unsure what to say.

“Never mind that now,” the master interjected. “What matters is your mission. In order to move on, you must learn your next lesson; mastering the power of ice.”

“Ice?”

“Yes, it is a talent that only a few wyrms bother to master. Fire is easy and natural for a dragon to master. It comes from a dragon’s raging emotions. To breathe ice, you must first control those emotions; anger, greed, fear, determination, courage, passion, desire. All of these things add fuel to the flame. Only by clearing your mind and suppressing your emotions can you breathe ice. It is same as breathing fire, but you must not be feeling anything while you do so. Since most wyrms allow their passion to control them, only a few have mastered it.”

The golden glow faded and the stone returned to normal blue color. Now that Spike had received his instructions, it was time to apply it. He returned to statue room where Tricky was waiting for him.

“Got any ideas?” Tricky asked.

“Just one,” Spike answered as he stood before one of the red flames. Okay Spike. You can do this. Don’t think about anything. Be calm, cool, and relaxed. Spike took deep steady breaths and closed his eyes. He pushed away any concerns he had to the side and exhaled. A bluish-white mist exhaled from his mouth and extinguished the magical flame. Spike opened his eyes to see that the brazier was covered with frost and steam rose from where the fire used to be. “I did it. I did it!”

“Wow! That was cool! I didn’t know you could do that!” Tricky exclaimed. Spike was excited that he learned a new ability, but then remembered the lesson.

“Okay, calm down. Calm down,” he told himself, suppressing his emotions again. He went to the next flame and repeated the process. Once all six flames were put out, a grate in the center of the floor pulled away and a platform rose up from the hole in the floor. Spike and Tricky stepped on the platform and it took them down to tunnel that was supported by stone arches. Glowing yellow stained glass windows lined the tunnel’s walls in between each arch. At the end of the tunnel was a large round door which Spike rolled away. Inside was a round chamber with a circular walkway suspended over another magma pit. As they entered the room, Spike’s communication stone glowed a bright blue and Peppy’s head appeared over it.

“Hi Spike,” the white maned Earth Pony greeted. “I’ve been studying the ancient records of the island and you might be interested to hear this.”

“Go ahead Peppy,” Spike said to the navigator.

“This temple has been built over a Force Point,” Peppy continued. “A point where pure magical energy is forced up from deep below the island. This energy is so powerful that it continually attempts to pull the island apart. To stop this, ancient beings know as ‘the Krazoa’ placed two SpellStones inside the temple to absorb the energy. When General Scar removed the SpellStones, the island began to fall apart. By returning the SpellStones back to the temple, you’ll bring the island together once more. Peppy out.”

The image of the older stallion faded and Spike looked back to the circular walkway. On one end was a red altar and a green one on the other end. He figured that since the SpellStone of Earth was green, it belong on the green altar. He walked onto the walkway and walked around to the green altar. In the center of round green platform was the symbol of the SpellStone. Spike placed the SpellStone of Earth over the altar, but nothing seemed to happen. All the other altars were glowing, but this one wasn’t. He then remembered something that the Queen EarthWalker had told him; only a dinosaur of noble birth could breathe life into the SpellStones.

“Tricky, come here for a moment,” Spike called to his partner. The dinosaur carefully made his way across the suspended platform to the altar. As soon as the young dinosaur touched the altar, it started to glow green and sparks connected the SpellStone to the altar. Then Spike felt a surge of energy envelope him similar to the magic of the Warp Stone’s magic. There was a flash of light and Spike found himself in another chamber along with Tricky and the SpellStone. The room was like a larger version of the statue room with six large Krazoa statues acting as pillars. They were standing on a platform that was suspended over a large chasm. From the dark abyss, a swirling vortex of magic rose like a tornado through the center of platform, passing through a hollow pillar like smoke through a chimney. Since this was the source of the magical energy, then the chamber had to be far beneath the island.

On the sides of the central pillar were four frames for the SpellStone. One of the frames had a green border. Putting two and two together, Spike inserted the SpellStone of Earth into its spot. The green gem glowed as it absorbed the magic from the vortex. It wasn’t enough to stop the flow of energy, but at it decreased by one-fourth. After the SpellStone was in place, there was another flash of green transporting magic and Spike and Tricky found themselves back in front of the Volcano Force Point Temple.

“Alright! One down,” Tricky cheered.

“And three to go,” Spike concluded. As the two walked back out into Moon Mountain Pass, they heard a voice traveling on the wind.

“Help me… Help me…” the voice whispered. The dragon and the dinosaur stopped and looked around for the source of the voice, but they couldn’t see anyone.

“Can you hear that?” Spike asked Tricky.

“Please help me…” the voice continued to plead. It sounded very familiar. It sounded like…

“Rarity!” Spike exclaimed, recognizing the voice of the mare he loved. Then a translucent figure appeared before them. It wore a red robe with a gold trimming. It had a broad collar and wore a headdress. It had a golden mask-like face with white glowing gems for eyes and another one in the center of its forehead.

“A Krazoa!” Tricky gasped in awe.

“Do you wish to accept our test?” the spirit questioned Spike.

“What is it talking about? What test?” the dragon asked.

“Help me… Help me…” Rarity’s voice echoed.

“I was released when she completed my test,” the spirit explained. “But she is now in great danger and for her to survive, you must continue what she has started and collect the remaining Krazoa Spirits for only the pure of heart can enter our shrines.”

“We can’t just stop now to help this stranger,” Tricky protested. “The island is falling apart!”

“Please…” Rarity’s voice sob. “Please… help me…”

“But she does sound like she’s in big trouble,” the Prince relented.

“Find the remaining five Krazoa shrines,” instructed the spirit as it motioned towards a narrow passage in the canyon wall. “Complete the test within each and bring the spirits to Krazoa Palace.”

“The Warp Stone can get you there!” Tricky told Spike.

“When all spirits are returned, she will be saved. She is depending on you… for her life,” the spirit emphasized before vanishing, leaving Spike and Tricky alone in the canyon.

“I guess we better help her,” Tricky commented.

“Hold on Rarity, I’m coming,” Spike promised.

The Test of Combat

As Spike and Tricky made their way through the narrow passage, the sky darkened as the sun started to set. The rays of the sun illuminated the vapors that rose from the craters, painting the sky in shades of green, blue, and purple. Combined with the alien terrain of Moon Mountain Pass, it made it seem as though they were on a different world.

“How far do you think is this shrine?” the yellow and purple dinosaur griped.

“I’m not sure Tricky,” Spike answered as he brushed aside the strange glowing fungi that were blocking his path. Like Tricky, the dragon was starting to become agitated. The walls of the passage where close together and the path constantly twisted and turned. The trail was rough and uneven. All of these factors combined created a feeling of claustrophobia, but if it was the only way to save Rarity, Spike was willing to endure it.

Mercifully, the crevasse led to a more open area of the canyon and the pair took a breath of relief as they exited. Looking around, Spike could see more craters and geysers spouting out green gas. Up ahead, there was a yellow glow coming from on top of a rise. Spike noticed that it was coming from a cave.

“I think we found it Tricky,” he said to his partner as he started to walk towards it. As he walked across the clearing, the dragon stepped in one of the craters and he felt something moving inside of it. Spike was thrown on to his back as a creature sprung out of the hole. It had a large bloated head and broad mouth. Its two arms ended with crab claws and it croaked angrily from being stepped on. “Oops. Pardon me, sir.”

The creature grumbled and went back down into its hole. Taking extra care to avoid repeating the same mistake, Spike navigated around the craters and headed up the rise to the cave. As they reached the top, they saw the cave was actually a shrine complete with tiled walls and torches. The yellow glow was coming from an altar similar to the ones that Spike and Tricky found in the Volcano Force Point Temple. As they entered the shrine, the Krazoa Spirit appeared before them again.

“Are you ready to accept our test?” the ethereal being asked.

“We’re ready!” the young EarthWalker excitedly declared.

“Only one may enter at a time,” the Krazoa told Tricky.

“Then let me go,” Spike volunteered.

“But Spike!” Tricky started to protest. “I wanna come too! I can help you!”

“That is the law of the tests,” the spirit explained.

“Stay here Tricky,” Spike told the dinosaur. Tricky looked up to him worriedly. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

“Be careful Spike,” Tricky urged as he reluctantly relented.

“Step on the altar and you will be transported to the Krazoa Shrine,” the spirit instructed. “Once inside, find the spirit within and complete its test.”

The Krazoa then vanished and Spike stepped onto the altar. Yellow light surrounded the purple dragon and he vanished in a flash. Spike blinked his eyes and found himself in a room that contained pillars and statues of the Krazoa Spirits. Spike has experienced teleporting many times before. Growing up with Twilight Sparkle often meant that he was involved with her spells. Teleporting didn’t hurt, but it could be disorienting. You’re in one place one moment and you’re somewhere else in another. It could make your head spin if you weren’t prepared for it.

Between the two statues was a doorway that led to the rest of the shrine. The corridors of the shrine were bathed blue by the light of the magical flames of the torches. The halls were filled with clear pools of water. As Spike walked across a walkway over the water, he saw something floating up ahead. It looked like a mechanical jellyfish that glowed blue with magic. Spike looked at it with interest, not knowing that this thing was a sentry. He started to approach it to get a better look, but then it noticed him. It started spinning and raised its bladed tentacles. Spike cautiously stepped away from the flying buzz saw, but it continued to advance. He realized that he was going have to fight this thing in order to move on and so he took a breath and shot out a ball of green flames. The fireball disrupted the sentry’s enchantment and it collapsed to the floor in a metallic clank. Spike stepped over the mechanical parts and walked through the next threshold.

This corridor had a deep trench instead of pools of water. In intervals on the bridge that span over the pit were grates that would shoot of jets of fire every few seconds. Spike shrugged and walked across the walkway not minding the fire at all. Once on the other side, he briefly looked back to give an amused snort.

“Well, that was easy,” he commented before turning around to see a gate blocking his path. He could see a blue and purple glow through the crossed bars. He grabbed the grate and tried to lift it, but it wouldn’t budge. He looked around for a keyhole or a switch of some kind, but there wasn’t one. He took a step back to get a better look at the gate. He looked all about the gate for a hint on how to open it to no avail. He turned around and sat down on the edge of the pit as he thought about what to do next. While thinking, he so happened to look up and saw a red panel on the ceiling. It resembled the panel that was over the Queen EarthWalker’s bunker in ThornTail Hollow. Remembering that fire activates these panels, Spike shot another fireball at the red tile on the ceiling. On impact, the panel turned green and Spike could hear the gears of the gate clanking as it lifted up.

Waiting inside the room was a transparent blue figure. It looked like the Krazoa that Spike and Tricky had met back in Moon Mountain Pass. Tendrils flowed from behind its mask-like face and it pulsated with purple light as it floated in the air. Surrounding the being were six massive statues of warriors. On their chests was the six pointed symbol of the Krazoa and each wore a mask that resembled the spirits.

“Welcome to the test of combat,” the Krazoa greeted in a voice that sounded like many people whispering at once. “Prove your worth in combat by defeating all of your opponents. If you succeed, I will become yours to return to Krazoa Palace. Do you accept?”

“Yes,” the dragon answered.

“Then let us begin,” the Spirit said as it sank into the floor. On the tiled floor was the symbol of the Krazoa and there was a warrior statue on each of the points. The center of the crest glowed with the spirit’s light. Then the light flowed from center, down the six points, and entered the six stone giants. The eyes and crests of the statues lit up and the stone warriors started to shake. The six statues sprung to life and took a combative stance.

Spike circled around, trying to keep an eye on all of his opponents at once. When the Krazoa had mention that he would be fighting something, he had a feeling that the statues weren’t there just for decoration. His suspicions were confirmed and now he was surrounded by twelve foot tall hulking giants. He then heard the heavy footsteps of a giant rushing up behind him. He quickly turned around and jumped out of the way as the warrior punched the floor where the dragon was previously standing with its stone fist. As Spike jumped out of the way of one giant, he had to immediately dodge the swinging fist of another statue. He had to quickly roll away as the giant brought its foot down in attempt to squash him. The room trembled from the impact.

These guys aren’t holding back, Spike thought as he saw the hole in the floor that could’ve been him. From the corner of his eye, he happened to glimpse another warrior swinging at him. The distraction nearly cost him dearly. A split second later and he would have been clobbered. He sprung backwards, just missing the blow by an inch. In retaliation, Spike shot a jet of flame at the statue. However, the statue was unaffected by the fire. Spike took a deeper breath and then unleashed a longer stream of green flames. The giant then raised its hands to block the torrent of fire. Spike could see that the giant’s stone hands were starting to glow red from the intense heat of the dragonfire. As the giant was backing off, another giant smacked Spike in the side.

The blow sent the dragon flying into another statue, which gripped Spike in a tight hold. Spike pushed with all of his might against the stone warrior’s arms to prevent it from squeezing the life out of him. He grunted and gritted his fangs as he tried to free himself, but the giant that was almost twice Spike’s height refused to let him go. His strength started to wane and he could feel the pressure starting to increase. On Spike’s straining left arm, the communication stone began to glow with a golden light.

“Get out of there Spike. Break free!” coached the voice of his master.

“I… can’t…” Spike strained. “He’s… too… strong…”

“Are you a dragon or not?” his master shouted. “Dragons are renowned and feared for their strength and might. Dig deep within and summon your inner strength. Release the beast!”

Spike heeded his master’s words and concentrated. Within his mind, he summoned memories of the time he succumbed to the greed growth when he was still just a kid. He had grown to a massive size and nearly destroyed Ponyville. He remembered feeling unstoppable. He could take what he wanted and nothing could stop him, not even the Wonderbolts. He could break through walls and smash through buildings. The power was intoxicating and he wanted it again! A fire lit within Spike and his vertical pupils became razor thin slits.

“Let… me…” Spike growled as he clenched the stone giant’s arms his claws. With a roar of fury, he ripped off the statue’s arms! “GO!

The armless statue stumbled backwards then collapsed as Spike huffed with rage, still holding the giant’s arms. As the other five warriors approached Spike, he ran forward and swung one of the severed stone arms at the nearest one’s head. The stone fist smacked the statue’s head with a loud crack, reducing both to rubble. The headless giant fell to the ground and Spike jumped into the air while raising the remaining arm above his head. He swung the arm down as he came down into another giant, crushing it. Spike bellowed as he tackled the next giant around is legs, raised it over his head, and drove its head into the ground.

Not knowing fear, the last two statues advanced towards Spike. The teenaged dragon didn’t waste time either. He sprung at the face of one giant and started to claw away. A dragon’s claws were made for digging up gems so he made quick work of that statue. Growling wildly, Spike faced the last warrior. Spike took a deep breath and blasted the giant with a giant green fireball in the chest. The force of blast was enough to shatter the giant.

Spike stood in the middle of the arena panting. He looked around at his fallen adversaries as his adrenaline rush started to wear off. His eyes return to normal and his legs wobbled. His strength left him and he fell to his knees. He gasped for air as he held himself up with his shaking arms. He looked back up to the crumbled remains of the statues.

“Did I really do all of this?” he asked himself.

“Indeed,” a voice answered. Spike looked up and saw the Krazoa Spirit emerging from a mirror on the wall that rippled like a pool of water. It floated down until it was eye level with the exhausted dragon. The two stared at each other until the spirit rushed forward into Spike. As though caught in a magical breeze, the young dragon was carried up into the air and gently floated back down. He could feel the presence of the Krazoa Spirit inside of him filling him with strength. The shock from unleashing his wild side faded as the peace spirit soothed him. Well done, young warrior. I will remain in your body until you release me back in Krazoa Palace.

After receiving the Krazoa Spirit, the yellow light of the transporting magic took Spike back to Moon Mountain Pass where Tricky was waiting for him.

“Did you find the spirit?” the dinosaur expectantly asked.

“Yeah, I did,” he confirmed. However, his thoughts were still on the battle with the six statues. He had completely demolished them. His draconic nature had given him strength, but he had to be careful. He had to learn to control this side of him or he could really hurt someone. Sure, he had faced and slain other monsters before, but he didn’t want to risk becoming one himself. At least these were just statues.

“Cool! Your eyes are glowing purple!” Tricky exclaimed, bringing Spike out of his thoughts.

“What, really?” Spike asked surprised. His normally green eyes shone with the power of the Krazoa.

“Yeah, it looks neat.”

“I’ve got to check that out later, but we’ve got to get this spirit back to Krazoa Palace,” Spike told his companion. “Come on, let’s head back to the Hollow and speak to the Warp Stone.”

Spike and Tricky headed back south from Moon Mountain Pass through the trail that led through the mountains. When they reached ThornTail Hollow, the sun had completely set and the moon was on the rise. As they headed to regroup with the others, Spike stopped to look at his reflection in the river. As Tricky had said, his eyes were indeed glowing purple. When they met up with the Queen and the rest of Star Fox, Spike explained to them the situation.

“The Krazoa huh?” Peppy mused. “Those are the beings that made the SpellStones in the first place.”

“I guess the best plan of act is to also find all six of these Krazoa Spirits along with the SpellStones,” Captain Pepper added.

“But where are the other Krazoa Spirits?” Slippy asked the Queen EarthWalker.

“I do not know for certain,” she admitted. “But I am sure they will reveal themselves to Spike as he continues on his search for the SpellStones.”

“Okay, but before I do that, I’d better return this spirit to the palace,” Spike told them. He and Tricky then went up the hill to the Warp Stone’s fountain.

“Ah, so the little hero returns,” the giant stone pony said in his heavy Shetland accent. “And I see he has found the young prince as well. Tell me, what can I do for you now?”

“We need to get to Krazoa Palace,” the purple dragon told the Warp Stone.

“Oh, I see,” the big guy said when he noticed Spike’s glowing eyes. “Well, I hop on my hoof and I’ll send you to Krazoa Palace.”

“Alright.” Spike climbed onto the outstretched hoof and was about to help Tricky up until the Krazoa Spirit within him spoke to him.

Only the chosen champion may complete this task, the spirit said in Spike’s head.

“Um, sorry Tricky,” Spike apologized to his little partner. “But the Krazoa wants me to do this by myself. I guess this is still part of the test.”

The dinosaur looked disappointed, but said, “I understand, but I’m still going with you to get the other SpellStones!”

“You got it,” Spike reassured.

“Just hurry back. In the meantime, I’m going to get some rest before we head out again.” After Tricky headed back down the hill to his mother, the Warp Stone held Spike up on its hoof. In a flash of the Warp Stone’s blue magic, Spike was teleported through time and space to an isolated part of the island. When the blue flash faded, Spike was standing before a large palace perched high up in the mountains. Rain fell from the night sky and lightning flashed.

“So this is Krazoa Palace,” Spike said as he stepped off the blue altar onto a bridge that led to the palace. Torches lit the way to a large porch supported by towering pillars. Stained glass window decorated the walls of the building’s exterior. He could see more of those sentries patrolling the palace on the balconies above him.

As he walked underneath the porch, he saw the main door of the palace. When he opened the doors, he found a pitch black room. Thankfully, he could navigate through it with his draconic eyesight. At the end of the dark room, he found a doorway that led down a hallway. As he made his way down the corridor, Spike stepped on a tile that depressed into the floor. He instantly thought of booby traps and there was a flash of light before he could take cover. He clenched his eyes shut and prepared for the worst. He heard the roar of a fire and he opened his eyes in surprise. Vents on the walls were shooting jets of flame at him, but his fireproof body just shrugged it off. He laughed in relief and continued onwards.

He came to a room that was lit with torches and there was a door marked with the crest of the Krazoa. As Spike was about open the door, it started to open by itself and two Diamond Dogs walked in. They looked around, not seeing the dragon that was clinging to the ceiling, and then went back to their patrol. Spike landed back down on the floor, careful to not alert the dogs to his presence. He then silently sneaked up behind the two guard dogs and smacked their heads together. They fell to the ground out cold and Spike dragged them into room, hiding them behind a statue of a Krazoa.

With those two out of commission, Spike saw a lift that would take him to the central hub of the palace. The central tower of the palace had dark blue tiles and was lit by white light coming from the ceiling unlike the various wings of palace. They had a warm brown and gold color and were lit by torches. In the central hub, there were multiple layers of balconies that wrapped around the rotunda. Each floor had doorways that led to the various wings of the palace. Jutting out from the balconies were platforms with large fans that blew powerful currents of air upward. Spike stepped on one of these are lifts and it started to raise him up to the next level. Taking advantage of the current, Spike flapped his wings and shot straight to the top level.

Air lifts, neat, Spike thought as he looked down from the top level at the floors beneath him. He then looked around the top floor for any sign on where to go next. He saw another airlift in the wall not too from where he was standing. Well, I should start at the top and work my way down from there.

He stepped into the air elevator and rode the current up. He flew out of a chute and landed on the roof of the palace. The rain continued to fall as he looked around the roof. There was a large elevated platform in the center with a rotating mechanism on it. Overlooking the platform was a giant Krazoa statue. The mechanism held a giant crystal inside of it, suspended in the air by a beam of purplish magical energy. Below the crystal was a spinning aperture and there were gyros spinning above it. Spike walked up the ramp to get a better look at the crystal and gasped at what he saw.

Inside the crystal was Rarity. She hung motionless inside with her hooves pressed against the walls of her clear prison. Her mane was still wet from the night she was trapped inside it and her eyes were closed. With the serene look upon her face, she seemed as though she was in a peaceful sleep.

“Rarity!” Spike cried as he ran up to the Unicorn. He pounded his fists against its crystal, but the magical force supporting it deflected the flows, sending reverberating waves of energy across the surface. He continued to pound against the force field, but wasn’t getting anywhere. “Hold on, I’ll get you out of there!”

You cannot break the barrier, the Krazoa Spirit inside his head told him. Only when all six of us have been returned to the palace will it be lowered.

“But I can’t just leave her like this!” Spike argued.

“Fear not,” said another Krazoa Spirit as it floated around the crystal. Spike recognized it as the one that he had met in Moon Mountain Pass. “She is in suspended animation. She is quite safe for now. I am using my power to protect her, but my protection will not last forever. With each Krazoa Spirit you bring back here, the protection spell will be maintained until you find all six.”

Spike looked from the spirit back to the sleeping Rarity. He placed a claw on the crystal and it softly rippled at his touch. She was so close, yet so far from his reach.

“How do I release the spirit?” he asked, not taking his eyes off of the beautiful white mare.

“There are sanctuaries located throughout the palace,” the Krazoa explain. “Once you find a Krazoa, you will have to take it back to its proper one.”

The shrine that I belong to is located at the base of this platform, the second spirit said.

“Yeah, okay,” Spike barely acknowledged, still staring at Rarity. He longed to be with her. He realized that she must have come looking for him after he had fled the mob in Ponyville. His fears had come true and the ponies of Equestria had branded him as a monster. He was innocent of the crime which he was accused of, but that didn’t matter to them. He imagined that his friends would have stood up for him. The mare in front of him was proof of that. She’s so beautiful. She could have any stallion in all of Equestria, but she chose to be with me. She chose to stand up for me and tried to find me. I promise Rarity, I will save you. I will save this island and find all of the Krazoa Spirits. I will get you out of there. He smirked when he saw her wet mane. Her mane kind of looks nice like that. She should wear it like that more often.

“Peppy here,” the voice of the navigator called from the communication stone. Spike nearly jumped out of his scales at the sudden noise and looked over to see Peppy’s floating head. “What are you doing Spike? Release the spirit and get out of there. Peppy out.”

“Okay okay, I’m going!” Spike growled, upset that the moment he was having was interrupted. He started to walk back down the ramp, but stopped to look back at Rarity. He hated to have to leave her, but he had to in order to save her. He sighed in disappointment and headed down to the shrine at the base of the platform. A statue of a Krazoa stuck out from a rippling mirror and Spike knelt before it on a white altar. A sudden tightness gripped his chest as he felt something pulling away from him. He took in a few gasps of air and then arched his back. He groaned as the blue Krazoa Spirit left his body and entered the shrine. The statue shook a little and then its eyes glowed white. From the depths of the palace the second spirit rose up to join the first in circling Rarity’s crystal. The statue’s mouth then opened to release a blue beam of magic that surrounded Spike and transported him back to the Warp Stone.

*****

As Rarity dreamt during her enchanted sleep, she saw imagines of her friends and home. She saw her place of business, Carousel Boutique. Her fluffy white cat, Opalescence purred contently as Rarity was busy making another masterpiece. She saw Pinkie Pie happily baking cupcakes at Sugar Cube Corner. Applejack was harvesting apples at Sweet Apple Acres. Fluttershy was having a tea party with her woodland friends. Rainbow Dash was practicing her Wonderbolt routine high up in the clouds. Twilight Sparkle was humming as she scribbled down some notes as she studied in Golden Oaks Library. Sweetie Belle and her friends, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, were laughing as they played in the park. Then she saw her Spikey Wikey. The gentledragon took her by the hoof and gave it a kiss.

Then she could feel his presence. He was near her. She could hear his voice calling out to her. She wanted so desperately to answer him, but couldn’t say anything. Then it felt as though he was almost touching her. For a moment, she felt connected to him.

“I will save you,” he promised her.

The Queen CloudRunner

“Well that was a waste of time,” Rainbow Dash grumbled as she sat by a campfire. The group of five mares had traveled to SnowHorn Wastes and spoke to the leader there named Garunda Te. When they asked him if he had seen Spike, he told them that the dragon had gone to DarkIce Mines in search of something called a SpellStone. When they arrived at the floating mine, they found out that Spike had already left.

“Yeah, it’s like, ‘Thank you ponies, but your Spike is in another castle’,” Pinkie Pie remarked, causing her friends to give her an odd look.

“Well, at least they were neighborly enough to invite us to stay for the night,” pointed out Applejack, causing the other ponies to nod in agreement. Belena Te, the Chieftain’s daughter, had offered them a spare hut in the work camp. Since it was getting dark outside and starting to snow, they graciously accepted the invitation. As they sat around the fire, Twilight Sparkle was going through records and maps she had finally managed to barter from the stingy store keeper back in ThornTail Hollow. It was quite the chore to translate them from Saurian to Equestrian, but the Alicorn enjoyed the challenge.

“I wouldn’t say that it was a waste. We’ve gathered a lot of information. From what we’ve learned from the SnowHorns and from what I have deciphered so far, there are four SpellStones,” Twilight said as she continued to look over the scrolls. “It’s quite fascinating. Apparently, these SpellStones regulate the output of the flow of magical energy coming from deep within the island.”

“And Spike has already found the SpellStone that the Diamond Dogs hid here,” Rainbow Dash added. “He’s doing the job that Spitfire wanted me to do. I say we hurry up and find the other three stones before those mercenaries do.”

“Focus Rainbow Dash,” scolded Twilight. “We’re here to find Spike and Rarity, not for the money.”

“Yeah yeah, I know,” the blue Pegasus brushed off. “But it wouldn’t hurt to get something for our effort on the side. Besides, we will be saving an island.”

“I suppose…” Twilight conceded. “But our main goal is finding our friends. We’ve just missed Spike and we have no clue on where’s Rarity.”

“So what do you suggest Twi?” Applejack asked the lavender mare. Twilight tapped her chin with her hoof as she thought.

“If Spike is looking for the SpellStones, then there are three places that he could be headed,” Twilight said as she pointed to the map as the other four ponies gathered around her. “The CloudRunner Fortress, the Walled City, and Dragon Rock. Belena also told us that they have an airship, which means that they’ll be traveling a lot faster than our balloon.”

“Whoa, hold up there sugar cube,” the orange farm pony interjected. “Are you ‘bout to suggest what Ah think you’re gonna suggest?”

“I’m afraid so Applejack; we have to split-up,” Twilight confirmed. “I know it’s dangerous, but it’s our best option. Since Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and I have wings, we’ll fly to the three floating islands. Applejack, you and Pinkie Pie will take the balloon back to ThornTail Hollow. It seems to be the crossroads of the island. There will be a good chance that Spike will pass by there at some point.”

“But what if we run into those Diamond Dogs?” Fluttershy nervously asked. “They mean business and I’m not much of a fighter.”

“I know. That’s why you’ll just be looking for Spike or his team. That goes for everypony,” Twilight announced seriously. “Since we’ll be divided, we’re going to be outnumbered and they won’t be holding back. If there’s trouble, don’t go looking for a fight.” She then looked pointedly at the Pegasus with the multicolored mane. “Right, Rainbow Dash?”

“Understood ma’am” the daredevil Pegasus saluted.

“Good, now who’s going to go where?”

“I’ll take Dragon Rock,” Rainbow Dash volunteered. “It sounds like the most dangerous one, so it’s best that I go there.”

Twilight nodded in approval and then turned to Fluttershy. “That leaves CloudRunner Fortress and the Walled City. Which one do you prefer?”

“Um… well. I guess CloudRunner sounds nice… I guess,” the yellow Pegasus said unsure.

“Good, then I’ll take the Walled City,” Twilight announced. “Now, we should all get some sleep. We’ll head out first thing tomorrow morning. If we don’t find Spike after three days, we’ll meet back in ThornTail Hollow.”

*****

The next morning, Spike and Tricky were taking the road south from ThornTail Hollow to Cape Claw. Tricky’s mother had told Spike that the Ocean Force Point Temple was located somewhere on the beach and he wanted to check it out for future reference. The path led through a wooded area and Spike could hear birds chirping in the trees. The path was covered in leaves that were shades of red and gold. Blue flowers grew along the side of the road and vines grew up the stone walls of ancient abandoned buildings.

“Not bad,” Spike said as he took in the scenery. It reminded him of Whitetail Woods back home in Equestria.

“Yeah, the LightFoot Tribe is said to live in these woods,” Tricky told him. “They keep to themselves and don’t really like outsiders.”

Spike panned around, looking through the trees in hopes to catch a glimpse of these elusive dinosaurs. However, the only thing he saw was a few falling leaves and a bird fluttering by. “Alright, let’s keep moving.”

As they passed by the ruined buildings, they could hear the sounds of waves in the distance. That meant that they must be getting near the beach. The road went from the quiet woods to a sandy trail that went up a rocky hill. Blocking the opening of the trail was the same portly bulldog from SnowHorn Wastes.

“Hey, I remember you,” Spike said to the heavy guard, recognizing him as the guard that they bribed to let them pass. “What are you doing here?”

“Transferred,” answered the bulldog, drool dripping down from his jowls. “Too cold up in mountains. And boss says no point being there anymore.”

“Well, can you let us by?” Tricky asked. “We want to go to the beach.”

“Uh-uh,” the dog denied as he shook his head, sending drool flying. A big glob of saliva smack Spike right in the face. He groaned in irritation and wiped off the drool. “I remember what happen last time. You broke our fort.”

“I have more gems,” Spike tempted as he pulled an amethyst from his bag. “I’ll give you this lovely amethyst if you let us by.”

“Amethyst and a ruby,” the dog haggled.

“Okay okay, an amethyst and a ruby,” Spike said as he handed over the purple and red gems. A huge grin formed of the dog’s floppy jowls and he waddled out of the way.

“You pass, but don’t tell boss.” As Spike and Tricky made it to the top of the hill, they were met with a stunning view of the beach. Down the hill were white sands, tropical palm trees, and waves gently rolling onto the shore. A waterfall flowed over a cliff into the sea, its waters sparkling in the sunlight. It would be an ideal location for a tropical get away. Down in the water, Spike could see a huge dinosaur with a long neck and tail, but a small head, wading in the water. Spike recognized it as a sauropod, possibly an Apatosaurus.

“Boy, I could live here,” Spike commented as he and Tricky walked down the trail to the beach. Cape Claw was a small u-shaped inlet with cliffs surrounding a sandy beach. In the center of the rocky wall that wrapped around the bay was a large stone building carved to resemble a Krazoa Spirit.

Then Spike noticed something that stood out. The stone building that must be the Ocean Force Point Temple must be ancient, yet there were wooden scaffolding and platforms near it that looked new. To confirm what his was thinking, Spike saw a Diamond Dog walking on the scaffolding. It looked around and then went back inside a wooden shack.

“Figures. The Diamond Dogs have an outpost here too,” Spike snorted as he pointed out a group of wooden buildings. Spike then looked over to the sauropod. “Hey Tricky, what kind of dinosaur is that?”

“That’s a HighTop,” Tricky identified the huge dinosaur.

“Come on; let’s see if we can talk to him.” The two ran along the shore in direction of the HighTop. Craning their necks, Spike and Tricky looked up at the towering dinosaur. “Excuse us.” The long necked dinosaur heard something calling to it. It looked around, but didn’t see anyone. “Down here.”

“Well, hello there,” the HighTop greeted when it looked down and saw the dragon and the EarthWalker standing at its feet. “Fine day to be at the beach, isn’t it? I love coming here for vacations. Warm sun, cool water, and it’s a great place to dig for gold. Well, it used to be until those dogs came and started making a mess of things. They even have someone locked up in cage over there.” Spike and Tricky looked at each other when they heard this and then bolted for the Diamond Dog outpost. “Hey, where are you going? Well… It was nice talking to you.”

The two made their way around the beach to the wooden shacks on the western side of the inlet. Being careful to not be seen by any patrolling guards, Spike and Tricky sneaked in between the buildings. Spike peaked inside a window and saw a Diamond Dog curled up on the floor asleep. The purple dragon was thankful that they weren’t the best nor the brightest guards around. Moving on, they came across a building from which they heard sobbing coming from inside. The voice wasn’t that of a Diamond Dog, so Spike took a peak through the door and saw a cell. Inside the cell was a pterosaur. It had orange scales and wore a golden cap and a blue vestment. Spike had noticed that the inhabitants of the island wore clothing such as bracelets and necklaces. Those of a higher position wore more elaborate decorations. Judging by the prisoner’s regalia, this must be someone of great importance.

“Tricky, keep a look out while I go inside,” Spike whispered. He then crept into the building and walked to the cell’s door. He didn’t see any keys lying about anywhere, but the cell shouldn’t be that difficult for him to bust. He grabbed the door by its bars and pulled. The hinges groaned from the strain and eventually gave. Spike and the CloudRunner looked around to see if the sound had alerted any of the dogs. When none came, they gave a sigh of relief and Spike quietly placed the door aside. When Tricky saw the dragon exiting the building, he made his way out of the outpost with Spike and the freed pterosaur following him. Once they were clear of the buildings, Tricky turned around and saw who it was that Spike had freed.

“Whoa!” Tricky exclaimed as he quickly backed away and hid behind Spike. “A CloudRunner! Shoo! Shoo! Go away, CloudRunner, get away!”

Spike stared at the Prince with an incredulous look and then back to CloudRunner. “Have you two met?”

“He is an EarthWalker,” said the CloudRunner in a dignified voice as she held up her head, insulted by the young EarthWalker’s bad manners. She turned and took a few steps along the beach. “I am a CloudRunner. Our tribes do not see eye to eye. His father has probably been saying bad things about me.”

Great, bigotry even exists here, Spike sarcastically thought. “How did you end up locked up back there?”

“General Scar, of course,” she replied as she looked back over her shoulder at her rescuer. “You see, I am the Queen of the CloudRunner Tribe and also the guardian of the SpellStone of Water. After he stole the SpellStones, he had me imprisoned.”

“That guy needs to be taught a lesson,” Spike said as he pounded his fist into his other claw. “Where is he now?”

“He is currently occupying the CloudRunner Fortress,” she told him as she looked to the southwestern sky. She then turned to look at Spike with a desperate look. “I must return there to help my tribe.”

“I’m going to need that SpellStone to save the island, so it looks like you’ll have company,” Spike explained. The Queen CloudRunner gave him a thankful smile as Spike tapped the communication stone of his wrist. “Captain Pepper, we have to head up to the CloudRunner Fortress. Can you pick us up at Cape Claw? We’re with the Queen CloudRunner and she can lead us there.”

“Affirmative,” Captain Pepper’s floating head confirmed from the communication stone. “We will see you in a few minutes. Pepper out.”

“Wait a minute!” Tricky shouted. “There’s no way I’m going up to her fortress.”

Spike looked down at his partner and rolled his eyes. “Okay, you can sit this one out. You can wait with the others on the ship.”

In a matter of a few minutes, the Great Fox was flying in the air following the Queen CloudRunner. When it took off from ThornTail Hollow and headed south to pick up Spike and Tricky, the three ponies inside didn’t notice the purple hot air balloon headed from SnowHorn Wastes to the north. As the vessel approached the floating island, they noticed a bowl shaped valley with step walls. Inside was a lake with a palace built over it. It had domed roofs supported by tall pillars. They also spotted the Diamond Dogs’ airships docked in the lake.

The Great Fox landed on a platform decorated with a jade crest of a CloudRunner. Planted along the bridge to the fortress where cherry trees that were covered in white and pink blossoms. Spike took one last look at Tricky to see if he would change his mind, but the young dinosaur stubbornly sat on his rump. Spike walked onto the platform as the Queen swooped down and landed on one of the large bronze statues of CloudRunners that stood on either side of the bridge.

“This is CloudRunner Fortress,” she announced from her perch. “I’ll fly ahead and check if it’s safe. Meet me inside.”

She flapped her wings and took off towards the white and teal palace. At the end of the bridge was a bronze gate which Spike quietly opened. He knew he could take the Diamond Dogs in a fight, but he wanted the element of surprise on his side, especially if their leader was here. On the other side of the gate was a tall spiral staircase that led up to the palace. He bypassed the stairs and flew up to the top. As he landed, he heard the cry of the Queen coming from an archway that led to a courtyard. By the sound of it, she was in trouble!

“Oh no, the Queen!” Spike said to himself as he ran to the archway. As he made it to the courtyard, he hid behind the archway and peeked around the corner. He could see six Diamond Dogs circled around a figure lying on the ground. He recognized Spot, Fido, and their superior, Rover. He was taller than Spot but shorter than Fido, and he wore a red vest instead of gray to show his higher status. At their feet was the Queen with two lesser dogs pinning her wings down. Towering over them all was a Doberman Diamond Dog that stood an imposing seven feet tall. He wore red leather armor with spiked shoulder pads and a horned helmet. His fur was black and his left paw had been replaced with two hooks that resembled claws. With his remaining paw, he fiddled with a red talisman that looked like a claw or a fang. When Spike saw the “S” on his breastplate and scar over his left eye, Spike knew that he had to be the General.

“I know it was the dragon that set you free,” Scar spoke loudly to the Queen with his back to her. “Now where is he?”

“I do not know what you’re talking about,” she lied in an effort to cover for Spike. By the sound of the strain in her voice, they must have beaten her. In a rage, Scar yelled as he knocked over the two dogs that were holding her down and grabbed her by throat.

“You will tell me!” he roared as he held the CloudRunner over his head. He brought her beaky face closer to his and snarled, “Where can I find the dragon?”

“He will find you,” she chocked as he gripped her throat tighter. “And he will destroy you!”

He growled but then closed his eyes with a calm look upon his face. He released his grip and she fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for air. He then raised his paw as a sign to his underlings, and they started to strike her with their clubs. She shrieked and cried out in pain as they mercilessly attacked her.

“Stop!” a voice called from behind them, causing General Scar to look over his shoulder to see Spike running out from his hiding place. “It’s over Scar.” Spike squatted down in a fighting pose and flexed his sharp claws. “Leave the Queen alone.”

“Enough. Take her away,” the alpha dog ordered as he turned to face the teenaged dragon. The five dogs stopped beating the Queen and dragged her off into the palace. Scar smiled sinisterly at Spike, baring his teeth at him. “So you are the dragon that has been interfering with my plans. How nice of you to pay us a visit. Why don’t I show you some of our hospitality?”

The General snapped and two Diamond Dogs approached Spike, one on each side. When they tried rushing him, Spike kicked one in the face and quickly wheeled around to elbow the other in the gut. Just as he was about to knock them out, a swirled bolt of black, purple, and green magic struck the dragon in the chest, knocking him off balance. Surprised by the sudden magic attack, Spike looked back to the General and saw that the red talisman around his neck and his outstretched paw were enveloped in the aura of the dark magic.

Magic? But how? Spike wondered to himself. Scar then shot another magic blast at him, and he crossed his arms to shield himself. The force of the attack pushed Spike back, giving time for more Diamond Dogs to show up and tackle Spike. As he tried to throw them off, one of them raised their club and brought it down on the back of Spike’s head. The blow rendered the dragon unconscious and the dogs dragged his body way.

*****

Fluttershy floated down and landed by an old rickety airship that was resting on a platform in front of the CloudRunner Fortress. The rusty hull of the ship said Great Fox and the soft yellow Pegasus noticed that it bore the seal of the Kingdom of Equestria. Apprehensively, she crept on board the ship and headed to the bridge.

“Hello?” she cautiously said to the door. “Is somepony there?” She squealed in surprise and backed away as the door opened to reveal a gruff looking brown Unicorn wearing a red officer’s cap. He was surprised to see such a timid looking pony way out here on Krazoa Island. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you, but I’m looking for my friends. One is a white Unicorn with a violet mane and a cutie mark of three light blue gems. And the other is a purple dragon with and green spines.”

The brown stallion blinked in surprise and was joined by two more ponies and a small dinosaur. The older Earth Pony wearing glasses and long coat finally said, “I’m sorry, but who are you?”

“Oh, um… I’m Fluttershy,” she nervously introduced herself. When she saw the yellow and purple young EarthWalker, she gasped and rushed up to him. “Oh, what an adorable little dinosaur!”

“Adorable?” Tricky repeated, blushing a bit.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Tricky, Prince of the EarthWalker Tribe,” he proudly introduced himself.

“Hi Tricky, I’m Fluttershy. Have you seen my friends, Rarity and Spike?”

“Spike? You mean my pal, Spike the dragon? Yeah, I have.”

“Oh, really? That’s wonderful!” she happily cheered. “Where is he?”

“He’s in there,” a green Unicorn with a way too high pitched voice pointed to the fortress behind her.

CloudRunner Fortress

Spike awoke with a killer headache. He sat up and placed a claw to his sore head. He then gasped as he remembered what had happened. He looked around and found himself locked in a cell surround by think stone walls. He then noticed that he wasn’t wearing his backpack anymore.

“My bag!” he gasped. He figured that they must have taken it from him before they threw him in the cell. It made his blood boil to think of some dog rummaging through it. Not only did it have bits and gems in it, but the fire ruby necklace that belong to Rarity. He stood up and was about to bust down the cell’s metal door, but then stopped himself when his communication stone glowed gold.

“It seems as though you are in trouble again,” Spike’s master said through the stone.

“I’ve got this,” Spike claimed.

“While I am certain that you can easily break down the door and thrash any dog that you come across, you have to consider the hostages,” the voice told him. “Not only are you a prisoner, but the entire CloudRunner Tribe as well. They might use them to get to you.”

“What do you suggest, Master?” Spike asked.

“Deception and illusion,” the master answered. “First, you need to free the prisoners to eliminate that factor. Then you will be free to face Scar. To do this, you must learn your next lesson; the dragon-spell. One of a wyrm’s innate abilities is to influence the minds of others. Once again, only a few learn to master this technique, but every dragon subconsciously uses it to a minor degree. Though it will take time for you to master this art, I am certain that you can use it to fool these simple minded creatures long enough to sneak out of the dungeons.”

“How do I use it?”

“It is a matter of willpower,” the master explained. “If you concentrate hard enough, you can influence the thoughts and actions of others. You can use your words to plant your suggestions in their minds. The more they listen to you, the more your words will sink into their heads. However, you can really influence them if you make eye contact. A master of the dragon-spell can compel all those who met their gaze to do their bidding.”

The stone’s glow faded and Spike was alone once more in his cell. It was time to bust out of there, but he would have to go about it quietly. Bashing against the metal door would make too much noise, so that option was out. Spike looked at the stone wall and thought about clawing his way free. As he thought, a demure voice whispered from the other side of the door.

“Hello? Spike, are you in there?” the familiar sounding voice asked.

“Fluttershy?” Spike could hardly believe what he was seeing as the gentle mare’s teal eyes appeared on the other side of the door’s barred window. “Fluttershy!”

“Oh, thank goodness I found you,” she exclaimed.

“I… But… How…” Spike stammered, being at a complete loss for words. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you, of course,” she told him.

“Yeah… But… Never mind, we’ll discuss that later. How did you get in here? How did you get pass the guards?”

“I flew in through an open window into a storage room that’s next to your cell,” she explained. “I met your friends outside and they told me that you went inside this fortress looking for a SpellStone.”

“Fluttershy, listen to me, it’s not safe here,” he cautioned her. “The Diamond Dogs have taken over the place and enslaved the tribe that lives here. If they catch you, they’ll lock you up too!”

“I know, but I had to help you.” She smiled at him, causing the dragon to smile back. She may be a scaredy pony most of the time, but she always pulled through when her friends were in trouble.

“Listen Fluttershy, I need to get out of here and save the CloudRunners. Keep a lookout as I dig myself out of here. You said there was a storage room, which way is it?”

“It’s right on the other side of that wall,” she said as she pointed to a wall in Spike’s cell. She then flew out of sight and into the adjacent room. Spike heard the sound of her lightly tapping on the other side of the cell’s wall. He went to the wall and clawed away at the stone. When the dust cleared, he saw Fluttershy standing by the window she had mentioned. She coughed lightly as the dust cleared and then smiled as tears of joy filled her eyes. Spike opened his arms and his good friend embraced him in a warm hug. After hugging for a good minute, she looked up at him and said, “I’m so happy you’re safe.”

“I’m glad to see you too Fluttershy, but what are you doing here?” he asked as they ended the hug.

“Everypony is looking for you,” she explained.

“Yeah, I bet,” he muttered. “After those investigators pinned the blame for the murders on me, I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole Equestrian Army was after me.”

“Oh no, you’re not wanted for murder,” she clarified, causing him to raise a brow in confusion. “By the time you left to fight Dracula, Twilight had already proven that you were innocent. Everypony has been trying to find you to bring you home. The rest of the girls are already searching the rest of the island for you.”

“You mean… I ran away for nothing?” Spike felt as though he was kicked in stomach.

“It wasn’t your fault,” the pink maned pony reassured him. “It was all the doing of those mean investigators. You should have seen how upset Princess Celestia was with them. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen her reprimand an entire town before.”

Despite her words, Spike felt as though the entire situation could have been avoided if he had just trust in his friends to pull through for him. Now, Rarity was sealed inside a crystalline prison because she came looking for him. However, he still had a job to do. “We can worry about it later. Right now, the CloudRunners… no, all of Krazoa Island needs my help. Go and find the others. I’m going after the SpellStone.”

“I’m coming with you,” Fluttershy declared. Spike gave her doubtful look. “You’ll need my help. I know it’s going to be dangerous, but there are dinosaurs here that need my help.”

“Okay Fluttershy, but promise me you’ll run if things start to look bad.”

“I promise.”

“Okay then, stay close to me,” he instructed as he turned to head out of the storage room.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, causing Spike to jump and quickly turn back around to see what was wrong.

“What?! What is it?!” he urgently asked.

“Y-you… you have wings!” she said, admiring the two wings sprouting out of his back. Spike smirked and eased up.

“Yeah, but that’s not all. I’ve learned some new tricks. Now, keep quiet and follow me,” he instructed. The yellow mare nodded and followed after him. Just down the hall from the cell and the storage room was a long room filled with overgrown birdcages. Inside them were sorrowful looking pterosaurs and one bipedal dinosaur with a hard dome on his head. Spike recognized it as a pachycephalosaurus. At the end of the room was a Diamond Dog asleep at a desk, a panel of levers and switches behind it. On the desk was Spike’s bag.

“There’s a guard,” Fluttershy whispered. “What how are we going to free them without waking him up?”

Might as well give the dragon-spell a try, Spike thought. “I’ve got an idea. Get ready to run if it doesn’t work.” Spike tiptoed to the desk of the sleeping guard. In his mind, he focused on the dog in front of him. Okay, focus. I am a Diamond Dog. I am a Diamond Dog. I am a Diamond Dog.

Fluttershy held her hooves to her mouth in fearful anticipation as she watched Spike approach the snoring guard. Spike cleared his throat and the dog snorted then mumbled as it groggily opened its eyes. Fluttershy didn’t have the nerve to watch and covered her eyes. Through the dog’s still bleary vision, he saw a figure standing in front of him. As he made eye contact with the figure, his vision cleared and saw another Diamond Dog standing in front of the desk. The guard figured that his shift was over and his replacement came to relieve him of his duty.

“You take over,” dog said as it stood up and started to leave. “Keep eye on prisoner. Me go for break.”

Once the Diamond Dog had left, Fluttershy ran up to the dragon. “What happened? Why did he just walk pass you?”

“That, my friend, is one of my new tricks,” Spike cryptically answered as he pulled the switches and released the captive CloudRunners. He then grabbed his bag and gave a sigh of relief when he saw that everything was still there.

“Thank you for freeing us,” said the pachycephalosaurus.

“No problem. But now, we have to find the Queen. As long as Scar has her, it would be unwise to move against him.”

“My name is Gradabug of the BoneHead Tribe,” the pachycephalosaurus introduced himself. “I work here as an architect. After they locked you up, they imprisoned the Queen in her own royal chamber as an example to the rest of the tribe.”

“Thanks for the information.” Spike then turned to the CloudRunners. “Stay out of sight, but be prepared. Once we save her, it will be the time to drive the dogs from the fortress.”

The CloudRunners nodded in agreement and flew out to prepare for battle. Spike and Fluttershy then left the dungeon and went down a corridor that led to stairwell. They flew up it and exited to the main plaza of the palace. It had a grass courtyard, cherry trees, pools of water, and a platform. There was a second level balcony that overlooked the courtyard.

“Up there,” Spike said as he pointed up to the balcony. Fluttershy followed as he flew up to the second level. Spike looked around to check if they had been spotted and saw that at the end of the courtyard was the tallest part of the fortress. The Queen’s chambers must have been in there. At either end of the balcony that surrounded the courtyard were hallways that would lead them to the other side of the building, where they hoped to find an entrance to the Queen’s chamber.

They ran down the nearest hallway and came to a balcony that overlooked the lake. More important, they saw the door that led inside and up to the third floor. As they reached the top of the stairs, Spike and Fluttershy saw the Queen with a collar around her neck, chaining her to her own royal perch. A bridge went over another courtyard to the platform on which the perch sat. Two Diamond Dogs were standing guard by the captive Queen. When they saw the dragon and the pony, they raised their clubs and charged. Spike stood protectively in front of Fluttershy and took a deep breath. As the dogs reached them, they were met with an arctic gust of wind. The dogs froze in their tracks as Spike used his frost breath to encase them in a layer of ice. Spike smirked as he tapped the ice on one of the dog’s nose. The only thing that they could move was their eyes and they watch helplessly as Spike and Fluttershy made their way to the Queen. Spike took a hold of the chain and used his breath to freeze it as well. With a well placed strike, it shattered and the Queen CloudRunner was freed.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?” Spike asked. He could see that she was covered with bruises and she limped as she walked.

“Oh my goodness, you’re hurt!” Fluttershy exclaimed sympathetically.

“Forget about me! My children, they have my children!” The Queen coughed and Fluttershy allowed her to lean against her for support. “Please, you must find them!”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness, we’ll find them,” Spike promised. The Queen rested on her throne and Spike and Fluttershy ran out the royal chamber. From the balcony outside of the courtyard, they heard a chirping sound coming from the lower level. Running to the railing, they saw four Diamond Dogs carrying small cages, each containing a baby CloudRunner, heading to an airship docked on the lake. “I’ll cut them off!”

They swooped down from the balcony and flew to the enemy vessel. As Fluttershy hovered behind them, Spike flew in front of the dogs and landed before them. The dogs yipped in surprise as Spike spat green fire at the ground in front of them. The dogs turned to run back to the fortress, but they came face to face with “the Stare.”

“Drop those cages!” Fluttershy ordered. The dogs tucked tail and placed the four birdcages on the ground before the Pegasus. “You ought to be ashamed of yourselves! Now, let those poor children go this instant!” The dogs obeyed and the four babies fluttered out of their prisons. “Now, you four are going to sit there and think about what you’ve done!” For such a little pony, Fluttershy can be scary when she used “the Stare.” The dogs whined and hung their heads in shame as they sat on the dock. Fluttershy then turned to the four baby CloudRunners that floated around her and smiled. “Come along little ones, your mother is waiting for you.”

As they returned to the throne room with the children, they saw that the entire tribe had gathered around in the courtyard. The four babies chirped happily as they flew to the Queen. The mother CloudRunner flew up and circled about in the air with her children. When they came back down, the children landed on four golden levers that adorned the pavilion that covered the royal perch.

“Thank you for saving my children,” Queen said as she landed on a fifth lever. As she pushed it down, a door behind the throne slid open. “Scar has hidden the SpellStone inside the treasure rooms beneath the fortress. Find it, Spike, and return it to the Force Point Temple. Our island is in your claws. Now, we will drive these intruders from our home.”

At her command, the CloudRunners took flight and spread out to cleanse their domain. Spike and Fluttershy went through the door and down the stairs to the treasury. The stone chamber was lit by torches and Spike could see gold coins glittering on the floor in piles. Along the walls were golden statues of CloudRunners. He felt his natural draconic urges starting to kick in and began to drool at the sight.

All this gold would make a nice hoard, he thought. Maybe just a clawful… Wait, no! What am I thinking! He shook his head to clear it of the greedy thoughts and continued to make his way further into the lower chambers of the palace. The SpellStone should stick out from among the gold coins. A gemstone of that size would be hard to miss. As they went deeper into the treasury, they came across a dark chamber.

“It’s so dark, I can’t see,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Here, hold my claw,” he said as he took her by the hoof and led her through the darkness. As Spike navigated around broken pillars and piles of treasure, Fluttershy would occasionally stumble over an obstacle. Eventually, they saw a light coming from a chamber up ahead and heard voices echoing off of the stone walls. When they entered the torch lit room, they saw General Scar giving orders to Rover and Fido was holding a large blue gem.

“Scar!” Spike shouted as he approached the towering Doberman. The General turned around to see a purple dragon followed by a yellow pony. Spike started to breathe green flames and Scar backed away, raising his arm in attempt to shield himself from the heat. He looked to the side and saw Spot standing beside him. He picked the small brown dog and held him up in front of him as a shield. Spot squirmed about and Scar turned to the other two dogs.

“Get the SpellStone out of here!” he barked. Rover and Fido ran with the SpellStone down a tunnel and Scar threw Spot at Spike. The dragon dodged the flailing dog and Spot landed in a pile of gold. Spike glared at Scar, whose talisman started to glow with dark magic.

“Huh?!” Spike exclaimed in confusion as the General began to fade from sight. Scar laughed and vanished as he used an invisibility spell to make his escape.

“Spike, the SpellStone!” Fluttershy pointed down the tunnel that Rover and Fido had gone through. Scar would have to wait for another time. The dragon and the Pegasus ran down the tunnel and saw the two higher ranking Diamond Dogs ahead of them. They were about to jump out a hole in the wall that led outside when Spike tackled Fido, causing him to fumble the SpellStone. It went sliding across the stone floor towards Fluttershy, who picked it up. It was rather heavy for her and she struggled to remain airborne.

“Give that back, pony!” Rover demanded as he rushed towards Fluttershy.

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness,” she said frantically as she tried to get away from him by flying over him. However, the weight of the stone started to weigh her down and she started to descend. Rover grabbed her by her long pink tail and yanked her out of the air, causing her to drop the stone. Rover gloated as he picked up the blue gem.

“Hey, dog breath!” the red vested canine heard the dragon call out to him. “Catch!” Rover looked just in time to see the shocked look on Fido’s face as the larger dog sailed through the air and crashed into him. The two dogs went tumbling onto the ground and Spike helped Fluttershy up. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, thank you” she said as stood back up. Spike went over and picked up the SpellStone of Water. The two Diamond Dogs groaned and sat back up, wavering as they held a paw to their heads. Spike then squatted down in front of them with the stone underneath one arm.

“Leave,” he forcefully commanded, glaring into their eyes as he used the dragon-spell. They then jumped out of the hole onto a docked airship just underneath the fortress and prepared to take off.

“Wait for me!” Spot cried as he came running around the corner. He jumped out the hole and the airship flew away.

As the last of the Diamond Dog fleet flew away from the CloudRunner Fortress, Spike walked with Fluttershy back to the Great Fox as the tribe escorted them.

“Well done, Spike,” Gradabug congratulated. “You now have the SpellStone of Water.”

“And with Scar gone, my tribe can start to rebuild their lives,” the Queen CloudRunner added. She then humbly bowed to the purple dragon. “I am forever grateful.” Spike and Fluttershy returned the bow.

“Don’t forget, as soon as you get back to surface, you need to return the SpellStone to the Ocean Force Point Temple,” the BoneHead reminded. As Spike and Fluttershy headed towards the airship, the CloudRunners raised their wings in a salute as they passed by.

“Now we can meet back with the others,” Fluttershy stated as they joined the crew on the command deck of the ship. “Oh, they’ll be so excited to see you. We should pick up Pinkie Pie and Applejack, they’re down in ThornTail Hollow. And Twilight will want to see you right away!”

“As much as I would love that, we should return the SpellStone first,” Spike said as he sat down in his chair, Tricky excitedly sitting beside him. “Captain, can you drop me and Tricky off back at Cape Claw? We’ll meet you guys back at the Hollow once we’ve returned the SpellStone.”

“Affirmative,” the brown stallion confirmed as he took the helm. The engines rumbled as the airship rose from the lake and headed east back to Krazoa Island.

The LightFoot Tribe

The Great Fox descended from the sky and landed on the beach of Cape Claw. Tricky ran down the ramp as Spike walked behind him. In his backpack was the SpellStone of Water.

“Okay Fluttershy,” Spike said as he turned to the Pegasus that was looking down at him from the airship. “We’re going to drop the SpellStone back at the temple and then we’ll head back to ThornTail Hollow. Be sure to tell Pinkie Pie and Applejack that you’ve found me and that I’ll see them soon.”

“Please be careful and hurry back,” she pleaded as the airship started to take off once more and head back north to ThornTail Hollow. As the ship flew away, Fluttershy looked down at Spike with a sorrowful expression. She had just found her dear friend again and she didn’t want to leave him so soon. Spike felt the same, but he had a job to do. He watched as the vessel disappeared over the rise of the cliff.

“Alright Tricky, let’s hurry and return the stone,” he said to his dinosaur companion as he started to head to the Ocean Force Point Temple.

“So what was it like in the CloudRunner Fortress?” the yellow and purple EarthWalker asked.

“If you had come with me, you would have seen for yourself,” Spike responded.

“I told you, I wasn’t going near one of those nasty overgrown bats.”

“Honestly, you shouldn’t be so prejudice against them,” Spike scolded his partner.

“But Spike,” Tricky protested. “The EarthWalkers and the CloudRunners have always been rivals!”

“Well, your tribes are going to have to work together if you want to stop Scar. That’s how he took over the island in the first place. The tribes were too busy fighting amongst themselves to anything to stop him. ‘Divide and conquer,’ as my mother would say.”

As they were talking, they heard a commotion coming from the Diamond Dog outpost up ahead. Spike saw a figure running across the beach from the wooden buildings with two angry Diamond Dogs in pursuit. As the figure came closer, Spike noticed it was a bipedal dinosaur with a thin build and a long stiff tail. On each foot, there was a sickle shaped claw and a row of feathers adorned the top of its head. Spike recognized it as a dromaeosaur, or better known as a raptor. In one clawed hand, it carried a spear and a large gem in the other. It was orange and it glowed like fire.

The dromaeosaur spun around and waved its spear to keep the dogs at bay. The two dogs started to flank the dinosaur and it kept looking back and forth between the two. Spike decided to even the odds and ran to help the dromaeosaur. The Diamond Dogs weren’t expecting Spike, so they were caught off guard when the dragon rammed into one of them. The dog was knocked down to the sand and Spike whirled around to roundhouse kick the other before it recovered from the shock. Once both dogs saw who it was that had attacked them, they fled back to the outpost. Spike laughed at the retreating dogs and turned to speak to the dromaeosaur only to have a spearhead shoved right in front of his face.

“Hey, you stay away you stinking dragon or me smash you good!” the dinosaur threatened in an odd accent. He wore a bronze collar and matching armbands. His scales were orange with red stripes running down his back. His face and limbs were painted with blue tribal symbols.

“What?!” Spike couldn’t believe how ungrateful this guy was. “But I just saved you!”

“Me trust no one!” the dromaeosaur claimed, possessively holding the orange gem close to his body. “Dogs say I steal their things, but they stinking liars!”

They were interrupted when they heard a distant noise and then a cannonball crashed into a tree nearby. Spike, Tricky, and the dromaeosaur yelled in surprised and jumped away from the blasted tree and looked to the source of the noise, realizing it was cannon fire. Back at the outpost, Spike could see the two dogs had pulled out a cannon and were preparing for another shot! The raptor nearly dropped the orange gem that it was carrying and then saw that the cannon was pointed at him. He looked down at the gem and then screamed as he tossed it to Spike. The dogs then pointed the cannon towards the dragon. Spike’s eyes widened and he tossed the gem back to the raptor.

“Me get out of this place!” he tossed the gem back to Spike and then sprinted away. “Adios!”

Spike shook his head in disbelief and then ran to get out of the range of the cannon. Sand was kicked up as another cannonball crashed into the beach where Spike and Tricky had been standing. They made their way to the stone building at the north end of the inlet. The front of the building was shaped like a Krazoa Spirit. Its eyes were the windows and its gaping mouth was the door. Inside was a large foyer. The ceiling was supported by large pillars, torches hung on the walls, and there was a sealed door on the other side of the room. On either side of the sealed door was a statue of a Krazoa with its mouth opened. Sunlight shone through the windows and fell on the basins inside the statues’ mouths. Spike held up the orange gem and hummed curiously as he studied it. It seemed to be the exact size and shape as the Krazoa’s opened mouth. Testing out his theory, Spike placed the gem in the basin and stepped back. The sunlight caused the orange gem radiate a bright light as though it was on fire.

“That must be a fire gem,” Tricky told Spike. “They’re supposed to glow like fire when light hits them.”

“They must be the key to open the door to the temple,” Spike guessed.

“But the other one is missing,” Tricky pointed out as he stood by the other statue.

“That dinosaur said that he got it from the Diamond Dogs,” Spike said, remembering what the rude dromaeosaur told him. “What was he anyway?”

“That was a LightFoot.”

“So that is what they look like,” Spike said to himself. They had passed through their home in the woods when they first came to Cape Claw. “Anyways, we need to find the other one and I have a feeling that I know where it is.”

“You don’t mean…”

“The outpost,” they said in unison.

Spike and Tricky stood just outside of the Diamond Dogs’ beach-side camp. It was only a couple hours earlier that morning when they were last there and saved the Queen CloudRunner. Tricky crept behind Spike as they moved in between buildings. They took cover behind a building when they heard a few dogs coming. The Diamond Dogs looked around, but didn’t see the two adventurers sneaking behind them. Ever since the LightFoot had robbed them and the CloudRunner had escaped, they’ve been on the alert. Spike quickly knocked out the two dogs by the good old “knock their heads together technique,” and he and Tricky moved on. They didn’t know how many dogs were stationed here, so they remained as quiet as possible as they check each building for the gem.

“Spike, over here,” Tricky whispered as he peaked into a building. When Spike looked inside himself, he saw three Diamond Dogs guarding the fire gem. To Tricky’s surprise, Spike opened the door and walked in. “Spike, what are you doing?!”

The dogs perked up when they saw the dragon and two of them raised their clubs to attack while the third grabbed the gem. One of the dogs swung their club at Spike, but the dragon caught them by their wrist and kicked the dog in the stomach. Spike pried the club from the falling dog’s paw and used it bash the second dog against its helmet. Seeing the other two dogs knocked out on the ground, the third dog backed away with the fire gem.

“Do you know who I am?” Spike asked the dog while starring into eyes, activating the dragon-spell. The third dog nodded his head in the affirmative. “Have you an idea how many anonymous Diamond Dogs I’ve beaten to a pulp since I’ve arrived on this island?” The dog nervously nodded again. “And look at you, you haven’t got a nametag.” Spike pointed at the dog’s standard issued armor that only consisted of sport equipment. The Diamond Dog self-consciously looked down at nametagless armor as Spike chuckled as he spoke. “General Scar has his own custom made monogrammed armor, but not you. You’ve got no chance. Why don’t you just give me the stone and then fall down?”

Under the influence of the dragon-spell, the Diamond Dog handed the fire gem over to the dragon and then quietly laid face first onto the ground. Tricky was laughing his head off all the way back to the temple, where Spike placed the fire gem in the second statue. When the sunlight from the window illuminated the gem, the sealed door slid open.

After passing through a corridor lit by blue magical torches, Spike and Tricky came to an open-air sandy area. There were streams of fresh water flowing over the rocky walls to form pools of clear water along the side a trail that led to the temple. Two parallel rows of palm trees and tall pillars with fire braziers on top of them lined the sandy path. The temple was supported by pillars made from enchanted water and the stone walls were decorated with blue stained glass windows. Walking up the stairs to the door, Spike noticed the door to the temple was a circular gate with an altar in front of it just like the bridge that led to the Volcano Force Point Temple. Also like the other temple, the glowing blue altar had an image of a SpellStone engraved on it.

Spike pulled the SpellStone of Water out of his bag and sparks shot of it, activating the gate. It spun around to reveal the entrance and Spike and Tricky went inside the Ocean Force Point Temple. They walked down a staircase that led them to the main foyer of the temple. More water pillars lined the foyer and Spike could see a hallway at the other end. The hall had large panels on the floor in a six by four pattern and there was space between the rows. Sparks of electricity crackled from the plates, revealing the booby trap. To confirm it, Spike pulled a bit from his bag and flicked it down the hall. When the coin landed on a panel, the hall was filled crackling bolts of electricity. If someone stepped on the wrong plate, they’ll be electrocuted to death.

“Hey Spike, check this out,” Tricky called to him. Spike turned around to see the dinosaur looking at the wall on the other side of the foyer. It too was decorated by tiles arranged in a six by four pattern. The tiles were navy blue, but Spike noticed that each row had a tile that had a white border.

“One, four, one, four, three, three,” Spike recited the pattern. The dragon then headed to the first panel. He stopped and looked back to Tricky. “Let me go first.”

“Are you sure this will work?” Tricky asked, cringing with nervous anticipation.

“Only one way to find out,” Spike responded as he raised a foot over the left most panel of the first row. He closed his eyes and bit his lip as he brought his foot down on the panel. When nothing happened, he opened an eye and looked around. He then sighed with relief and headed to the next row. This time, he stepped on the right most panel. Again, the dragon didn’t get shocked. “Alright, I’ve got it. Follow me and step where I step.”

With Tricky behind him, he went across the left most panel of the third row, the right most panel of the fourth, and then straight across the fifth and sixth rows over the panels one from the right. On the other side, there was a pool of water with a narrow walkway rose up to platform. On the platform was a door that slid open as they approached it.

On the other side of the door was a round room with a pool of water in the middle. They exited through an arched hallway to the right and came to a room that was filled with water. The only thing in it was a tall pillar in the center. They swam to the next arched hallway to the right and came to a shrine that contained statues of the six Krazoa Spirits. The statues rested on platforms overlooking the room, and water flowed out of their mouths like fountains. Below the fountains was a round platform with six empty urns resting on it. Spike looked to the right and saw that the next hallway was blocked by a round slab. Looking back at the urns, Spike saw that the fountains of waters were pouring onto the spaces in between the urns. The dragon grabbed the side of the platform and gave it a push. He turned the heavy wheel until the urns were directly under the fountains. The water filled the urns, causing the platform to sink into the floor. Like a giant key, the platform unlocked the giant round door and it rolled away.

In the fourth room, they found a staircase that to a terrace that ran along the inside of the four rooms, connecting them. Following the balcony, they passed through the statue room and back the chamber that was filled with water. Once there, they saw that the pillar in the center was in fact a platform with two unlit altars on it; one blue and the other yellow. Walking across a stone bridge that connected the balcony to the platform, Spike pulled out the SpellStone again. He guessed that the blue altar must be for the SpellStone of Water just as the green altar was for the SpellStone of Earth in the other temple.

“Come here Tricky,” Spike said to his partner as he held the SpellStone over the altar. “Only you can activate the portal to the Force Point.”

Tricky nodded and stepped onto the blue altar, causing it to glow. Magical sparks from the blue gem activated the altar and a blue glow of magic transported Spike and Tricky deep beneath the island. Once again, they reappeared on the platform over the abyss. They could see that the green SpellStone was still in its place, doing its job to help restrain the flow of the vortex of magical energy that rose up from the planet. Spike placed the SpellStone of Water in the blue framed slot in the central pillar and the gem glowed. With two of the four SpellStones in place, the vortex of swirling magic was now reduced to half of its maximum output. Once they had returned the SpellStone of Water to its proper place, the dragon and the dinosaur were transported back outside the Ocean Force Point Temple.

“Yeah yeah! We’re halfway there!” Tricky cheered.

“Let’s head back to the Hollow,” Spike suggested. “My friends are waiting for me. Oh, I can’t wait to see them again!”

“And we can get directions to the next SpellStone too!” Tricky added. Spike tapped the communication stone on his wrist and it glowed blue.

“Spike here. We’ve returned the second SpellStone and we’re on our way back.”

Slippy’s head appeared and started to say, “That’s great news, Spike. We’ll…”

“Is that Spike?! Ooh! Ooh! Let me talk to him! Let me talk to him!” an excited voice interrupted and Pinkie’s head replaced Slippy’s over the communication stone. “Spike!”

“Hey Pinkie,” Spike laughed, amused by her antics and overjoyed to see another one of his friends.

“Fluttershy told me that you’ve been running around saving dinosaurs! That sounds so exciting! We’ve also been running around trying to find you! First, we went up north to see some wooly mammoths, but they don’t call themselves wooly mammoths. Instead, they call themselves SnowHorns. Isn’t that the coolest thing ever? Get it; the ‘coolest?’ All of the dinosaurs here have cool names like that. There’s the EarthWalkers, the ThornTails, the…”

“Alright, he gets it Pinkie,” Applejack’s voice said to cut off the barrage of words coming from the hyperactive pony’s mouth.

“Oh yeah, that’s right. Applejack’s here too. Say ‘hi’ Applejack!” Pinkie’s head vanished and Applejack’s took its place.

“Now how does this here do-hickey work?” she asked, looking around with a confused look. “Ah can see Spike, but can he hear or see me?”

“Yes, I can Applejack,” Spike answered, chuckling.

“Well, howdy there Spike,” the farm pony greeted. “Ah’m glad to see that you’re alright.”

“My turn again!” Pinkie declared.

“Now hold your horses. Ah’m talkin’ here!” Applejack said as she looked to an off screen Pinkie Pie.

“But I want to use it again.”

“Pinkie, let go. Just wait your turn!”

As the two fought over the communication stone, Spike and Tricky laughed. “Alright, I’ll see you when we get back. Spike out.” He tapped the stone, deactivating it.

Excited to see his friends, Spike, with Tricky following him, ran along the road that led through the woods south of ThornTail Hollow. As they hurried, they heard the sound of something whimpering. Up ahead, they saw a small dinosaur in the middle of the road. Approaching it, Spike saw that it was a baby LightFoot. The poor little thing was trembling as tears ran down its cheeks.

“Hey there, little fella,” Spike friendly said to the small raptor as he took a knee in front of it.

“Oh… I don’t like this, Spike,” Tricky said uncomfortably as he looked around. The Prince EarthWalker heard the sound of rustling leaves and looked up at the trees. Up in the trees, a bunch of LightFoot warriors were hiding among the red and gold leaves. “Spike, look out! It's a trap!"

Tricky’s warning came too late, for six grown dromaeosaurs jumped out of the tree and landed on the dragon. As Spike came to, he saw the blurred image of orange and red bodies in front of him. He tried to move, but found that his body couldn’t move.

“That’s the one,” one of the figures told another. Spike’s vision cleared and he saw the LightFoot that he had encountered on the beach. “That’s the stinking beast that took my treasure!”

“What happened?” Spike groaned. He then saw that he was tied up to a totem pole. “Untie me right now!”

“I am Chief LightFoot and we don’t like thieves,” the other dromaeosaur with a raspy voice hissed as he brought his face close to Spike’s. Unlike the others, his scales were yellow with red stripes and his crest had more feathers. His armlets, crown, and collar were silver and he his tribal patterns were green.

“Thief?” Spike exclaimed, insulted by the claim. What are you talking about?”

“You take our treasure and give it to the stinky dogs!” the Chief accused. As the Chief spoke, Spike saw Tricky tied up on the ground with a gag in his mouth.

“Yeah, tell him Chief!” cheered the other LightFoot. “Kill the stinking dragon!”

“I didn’t take your treasure! You gave it to me!” Spike shouted.

“Let me show you what we do to thieves!” The Chief stepped back and his warriors came forward carrying their spears.

“Boy, you made a big mistake,” Spike growled. He flexed his arms, stretching the ropes until they snapped from the strain. He took a breath and started to breathe green fire in the air over the LightFoot warriors’ heads. The warriors dropped their spears and covered the feathers on their heads. The dragon then shot little flames at their feet, making them dance to avoid getting burned.

“Ah! Ah! Ah!” the Chief screamed as he hopped about. “Stop! Stop! Look, I’ll untie your friend. Just please stop!” He went over and undid the knots on Tricky’s ropes. After releasing the EarthWalker, the Chief and his tribe fled from the totem pole.

“Tricky, are you okay?” Spike asked as untied the gag around the dinosaur’s mouth.

“Blah! Yeah, I’m okay,” he said as he spat out the gag. When Spike stood back up, he took a look at his environment. The totem pole stood atop of a large mound that appeared to be some sort of sacred ground for the LightFoot Tribe. Around the mound was a misty swamp with moss covered trees rising out of the water. In the trees were huts that had bridges running between them. In the water were reeds and large lily pads.

“Come on, I want to give those LightFoots… er… LightFeet… whatever they are… a piece of my mind!” Spike growled as he headed towards the village. In the center of the trees was a large gazebo with a little bridge leading up to it. As Spike and Tricky approached the pavilion, they could see the Chief was reclining on a throne surrounded by guards. To the Chief’s left was a huge muscular LightFoot with brown scales and black stripes. Spike determinedly marched up to the throne, but was blocked when two guards crossed their spears in front of him.

“Aw, not you again!” gripped the Chief as he sat with his legs hanging over an arm of the throne. The crowned LightFoot waved his claw as though he was trying to shoo the dragon away. “We know you didn’t take our treasure, just go away!” Spike knocked with the spears blocking his way with impatient grunt. The Chief frowned and sat up straight in his throne. “So, you looking for Krazoa Spirits, eh?”

“Yes, I am,” Spike answered, surprised that the dinosaur knew about his quest.

“So, maybe I’ll help, eh?” the Chief with a sly grin. “You see, we keep a secret. Under our village is a mighty chamber. Some say it was built by the Krazoa. It started whispering when you came by. Do you want to see for yourself, maybe?”

“Duh, stupid question,” remarked Tricky. Spike looked back and grinned a bit. The small EarthWalker reminded Spike of how he was when he was younger. “Of course we want to see that!”

“Not so fast!” the Chief interjected. “Only if you complete the LightFoot tests can you enter.”

The LightFoot Tribe then looked to each other and started chuckling. Whatever these test were, Spike had a feeling that they wouldn’t be easy judging by their laughing.

“Well, uh…” Spike hesitated.

“They’re laughing at you, Spike. You’ve gotta do it now,” Tricky tried to coax him into accepting.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” Spike declared.

“Very well. There are two tests. The first is the Tracking Test,” the Chief explained. “There are four totems with CloudRunners on top. Activate all of them within two and half minutes.”

“Ha! That’ll be easy,” Spike claimed as he spread his wings. “I’ll just fly over and…”

“Not so fast!” the Chief stopped him. “If you do test, then you must do it as a LightFoot. No wings. Your test begins… now!”

Spike was disgruntled from being forbidden to use his wings, but he hurried out of the Chief’s gazebo. He found the first CloudRunner totem right off the bat. It was just a stone’s throw away from the gazebo. Spike climbed up to a tree hut and crossed the bridge to a round platform where the totem pole stood. He pulled the lever on the back and the wooden CloudRunner’s wings extended. From the platform, Spike spotted the next totem pole off in the trees just outside the village. Spike dove off the platform and swam to the totem. The third totem was on a small island in the middle of the swamp. Spike hopped across stepping stones to reach it. The last totem overlooked the village on a large rock that stuck out of the water. Spike quickly climbed up the rock and threw the last switch.

As Spike crossed the bridge back to the throne room, the Chief laughed and said, “Well done, Spike. You have completed the Tracking Test. Very good. Now, follow me.” Spike looked to Tricky and they shrugged to each other. They followed the tribe outside to a totem pole that had long arms sticking out of it. In front of the totem was a pit. The LightFoots excitedly chattered as they surrounded the totem to watch the challenge. The Chief laughed again and turned to Spike, “Let’s see how strong you are.”

The burly brown LightFoot unfolded its arms and punched another LightFoot in the face, knocking it out. The huge dromaeosaur must have been eight feet tall! His biceps were large and his chest was broad. He stood in front of Spike, and grinned down at the dragon. Spike’s jaw dropped a little as he gazed up at the massive LightFoot and looked to the Chief, who gestured to an arm of the totem.

The huge dinosaur took his place on the left arm and Spike took his place on the right. The Chief gave the signal to start just as Spike took his place, catching him off guard. The large LightFoot pushed against his end and the totem spun into the purple dragon. The totem’s wooden arm smacked into Spike’s chest, knocking the air out of him. The rotating totem dragged Spike closer to the edge and the watching tribe cheered.

“Pathetic,” the Chief gloated as he saw Spike teeter on the edge of the pit. However, Spike planted his feet on the ground and pushed back. The tribe gasped and the large LightFoot exclaimed in confusion when the totem stopped dead in it tracks.

“My turn,” Spike said with a smirk. He used his draconic strength and shoved against his end of the totem. The arms started to spin in the opposite direction and the big LightFoot yelled as he landed in the pit with a thud. The other raptors jumped up and down as they cheered.

“Incredible, Spike. No one has ever beaten MuscleFoot before,” the Chief congratulated as he clapped his claws slowly, impressed by the teenaged dragon’s strength. Spike grinned and nodded his head as he raised a claw triumphantly in the air. The Chief then beckoned Spike and Tricky to follow him back to the sacred mound. “Well done, Spike. You are now honorary member of tribe.” The Chief of the LightFoots stood before the cobbled wall of the mound and rolled away a round slab that was blocking an opening. “I do not know what you’ll find inside, but if you really are chosen one of Krazoa, then they will guide you.”

“Thank you Chief,” Spike said as he was about to head inside.

“One more thing,” the Chief stopped him. “I am sorry for trouble that tribe caused you. Good luck, friend.”

Spike smiled in appreciation and then went inside the mound. There was a circular platform that went around another totem pole and a ladder that went down to it. Since Tricky couldn’t enter the Krazoa Shrines and he couldn’t climb ladders, being a quadruped, he waited atop the platform as Spike climbed down. As he reached the bottom of the inside of the mound, he saw yellow light coming from a tunnel that led to a small underground shrine. Sure enough, there was a warp altar waiting for the dragon. He stood on the glowing altar and he was teleported away to face the next Krazoa test.

The Test of Fear

The yellow light of the teleporting magic faded and Spike found himself in the familiar setting of a Krazoa Shrine. Stepping off of the glowing round altar, Spike walked between two statues of Krazoa Spirits through a doorway. He was feeling rather sure of himself, because he had already easily conquered one other Krazoa Shrine and passed its test.

The first corridor that Spike came across had the standard trap of fire jets lining the walls. On the other end of the hall was a gate blocking the exit. A pressure plate laid at Spike’s feet and the dragon pressed down it with his scaly foot. Spike could hear gears clanking and the gate lifted as the switch was pressed down. Spike took a few steps then heard a rumbling sound. He looked back and saw the plate rising back up from the ground. Then Spike heard the gears of the gate starting to grind again and the gate started to slowly lower. Spike sprinted through the flames and walked under the gate before it closed. If he wasn’t a dragon, that puzzle would have been difficult to solve. Anyone else would have to carefully time the bursts of fire and then make it through the chamber before the gate closed again.

“Not bad, but you’ll have to do better than that,” Spike said to the unseen architect of the shrine. The next corridor had another gate on the other end, but the switch for the door laid at the bottom a long trench that ran the entire length of the room. Spike climbed down a ladder to the switch and stood before it. He prepared to run as soon as he would activate the gate. If this was anything like the previous room, he expected some trap to be activated as soon as he stepped on the plate. He ran forward, pressed the switch, and then started to flap his wings to get fly out of the pit. As he started to rise out of the trench, rushing streams water poured from vents in the ceiling onto the dragon’s back. The impact sent Spike crashing back down into the trench and he struggled to stand underneath the powerful flow of the water. Unable to flap his wings under the torrent of water, Spike trudged through the trench as it began to fill with water. As Spike waded to the ladder on the other side of the trap, he panted as he was slowed down by the rising water and by the fountains that were constantly trying to push him down.

Coughing up water, Spike climbed out of the trench and saw that the gate was closing. He rolled across the floor under the gate and into the next corridor. Spike stood up and shook off some of the water. He then found himself at the bottom of a ramp that led up to the next gate. At the bottom of the ramp was the switch.

“Well played, but let’s see if this one is better.” The dragon stepped on the switch and the gate started to rise. Spike ran up the ramp, but then tripped and fell face first onto it as the ground beneath his feet started to move. The slope of the ramp was a giant conveyor belt that led back to the bottom. Spike stood back up and was about to run when something hard hit him on the head. He winced in pain and muttered as he looked up at the ceiling. Instead of water, the ceiling was dumping rocks on our purple protagonist. Running uphill on a moving ramp, Spike shielded his head with his arms as he was bombarded with falling stones. Rocks pelted his back and wings while he tried to swat away as many as he could as he ran. After making his way up the ramp while tripping over some of the rocks, Spike made it to the top where he saw that the gate was almost closed. He ran and slid under the falling gate. Once on the other side, he quickly pulled his tail out from under the gate before it could crush it.

“Welcome to the Test of Fear,” announced the ethereal voice of a Krazoa Spirit. Spike looked up and saw the floating blue spirit in the center of the chamber. He raised himself off the floor, dusted himself off, and approached the spirit that pulsated with a purple light. Looking around, Spike didn’t see anything else in the room; no sign of any stone warriors to fight. “You must stand and face your deepest fears. If you succeed, I will become yours to return to the Krazoa Palace. Do you accept?”

“Yes,” Spike answered the mask-like spirit with floating tendrils flowing behind it.

“Then let us begin.” The Krazoa unexpectedly rushed towards Spike and entered his body. Spike’s body was carried by the force of the spirit and he floated above the floor for a second. Landing back down, he looked around in confusion.

“Was that… it?” Spike asked. He could feel the spirit within him like last time. He waited for a moment for something to happen, but nothing did. “Well, that was anticlimactic.”

Suddenly, the room around Spike vanished, leaving him in a black void. Realizing that this must be the test, Spike took a defensive stance and cautiously panned around. In the distance, a light appeared and Spike walked towards it. As he drew closer to it, the light grew until Spike realized it was the sun. As it rose, its light revealed that Spike was standing on a hill that overlooked Ponyville. However, the village looked different from when Spike last saw it a week ago. Observing it carefully, Spike could his that there were more buildings than he remembered. The town was a little larger and the newer buildings were made from brick and stone unlike the older thatched roofed cottages. That is when Spike realized what he was seeing.

“No,” he whispered to himself with dread.

“What’s the matter darling?” a voice asked from behind him. He turned around to see that Rarity was standing behind him. With her were Twilight Sparkle and the rest of their friends.

“Please, not this again,” Spike pleaded with the Krazoa Spirit. He knew where he was and what was about to happen. Unable to look away and unable to do anything to prevent it, he watched as the six mares that he loved began to lose the luster in their coats. Rainbow Dash’s wings became arthritic and she landed when they longer could keep her airborne. Applejacks joints became wobbly and her face wrinkled until she resembled an orange version of Granny Smith. Pinkie Pie’s joyful bouncing slowed until it ceased altogether. Fluttershy’s long veil-like mane became white and Rarity’s elegantly styled mane faded from a rich violet to a smoky purple.

“I feel rather tired,” Twilight Sparkle stated and started lay her aged body onto the grass of the hill. The others nodded and yawned in agreement as they too lay down. Spike knew what was going to happened next and watched helplessly as his friends crumbled into dust. From the places where they had been laying, six tombstone rose from the ground. Each of the headstones bore the cutie mark and names of their respective pony. Spike clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in anger as tears ran down from his green eyes.

“I know that I’m going to outlive my friends! Why must I be keep getting reminded of it?!” Spike screamed to the heavens. Ever since his adventure in Trotina, Spike would have reoccurring nightmares of what he had seen when he faced the Trials of the Elements of Harmony in the parallel world. The trial that haunted him the most was the Trial of Laughter. In it, he was shown a vision of the future where he was already grown and everypony was afraid of him. What hurt him the most was to see the graves of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

Spike fell to his knees and gripped the ground with his claws. As sorrowful tears fell from his eyes, he heard cruel laughter. He snapped his head up to see that he was no longer on the hill overlooking Ponyville but on the roof of Krazoa Palace. Rarity still floated unconscious in her crystal prison and a dark figure stepped from behind it. Spike stood back onto his feet as he saw General Scar stand between him and Rarity.

“How sad,” the General mocked as he ran a finger of his one paw along Rarity’s crystal. “Such a lovely mare and there is nothing you can do to save her.”

“Get away from her!” Spike demanded and started to charge towards the towering Diamond Dog.

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Scar threatened. Spike halted when he heard the noise of muffled cries and rattling chains coming from behind him. Turning around, Spike gasped when he saw his friends bound and gagged on the floor while Diamond Dogs held their chains. Twilight was trying to shake off a Diamond Dog who was gripping her horn to prevent her from using magic. Applejack tried kicking her hind legs and Rainbow Dash tried flapping her wings, but to no avail. Fluttershy sobbed through her gag and Pinkie Pie was wrapped up in so much extra chains to prevent her from escaping that only her eyes and tufts of her poofy mane could be seen.

“No!” the dragon cried in despair.

“Yes,” Scar gloated evilly. Spike turned around to face the dictator again. “Do you now see? It’s futile to oppose me. No one can defeat General Scar!”

“I will!” Spike defiantly declared. “I’ll find all of the SpellStones and stop you!”

The General laughed and black, purple, and green magic swirled around the talisman that hung from his neck. “Stop me? You can’t stop me just as you can’t stop time.” As Scar spoke, a black cloud formed behind him that grew larger as he continued to talk. “Your friends will grow old and die long before you do, but that hardly matters anymore! I promise you this dragon; you will never recover the remaining SpellStones! My forces will conquer this island and enslave its inhabitants! You will watch as your friends die!”

As the storm of black clouds raged behind him, General Scar laughed manically as his eyes glowed green and red and a purple aura flowed from them. Spike clasped the side of his head with claws as knelt down on the ground.

“No! This is just a vision! This isn’t real!” He told himself as he shook his head. Scar continued to laugh and Spike covered his ear frills to block out the awful sound. “This isn’t real! This isn’t real!” As he repeated those words, the dragon felt a surge of strength welling up inside of him. He opened his eyes, stood up proudly, and faced the illusionary General Scar. “This isn’t real.” Mirage stopped laughing and glared at the dragon. “I will stop you. I will find all of the SpellStones and Krazoa Spirits. I will rescue Rarity and the rest of this island. I may lose all of my friends someday, but that day… is not this day!”

In a flash of yellow light, Spike founding his in the chamber underneath LightFoot Village. He blinked and looked around. He saw Tricky was waiting for him atop of the balcony and he heavily sighed.

Well done, the voice of the Krazoa Spirit said in his head. I will remain in your body until you return me to Krazoa Palace.

“Spike! How was it?” Tricky asked as the dragon climbed up the ladder. “What was this test?”

“The Test of Fear,” answered Spike as he reached the top.

“Ooh, what was it like?” Tricky asked, intrigued by the idea.

“It was just a cheap trick,” he told the ceratopid, his eyes glowing purple from the Krazoa Spirit within him. “An illusion made just to throw me off, and nothing more.” The answer was hardly satisfactory for the dinosaur, but the dragon smiled and said, “Come on, the others are waiting for us.”

As the two return to ThornTail Hollow from the southern road, they could see the Great Fox sitting in front of the Queen EarthWalker’s bunker. Spike could hardly contain his excitement as he ran across the valley. He entered the shelter and saw the rest of the Star Fox Team standing beside a yellow, a pink, and an orange pony.

“Spike!” the three mares exclaimed when they saw him walking down into the bunker. Pinkie Pie bolted like lightning and crashed into Spike, wrapping her forelegs around his waist in a bone crushing embrace. Spike coughed from the tight hug and staggered backwards as he nearly was knocked over from the pink party pony’s affectionate assault.

“Oh my gosh I’m so happy to finally see you again even though we talked over that magical glowing blue stone thing that the other pony has but that was earlier today and when you didn’t show up I started to get super worried that you wouldn’t show up even though you said you were but then you did and now everything is okay because now we’re going to meet back up with Twilight and Rainbow and then we’ll can all go find Rarity together and then we can all go home and have great big ‘Welcome Home’ party for you!” Pinkie Pie rapidly said in one breath.

“Um, Pinkie? Do you think you could maybe let go of Spike?” Fluttershy requested. “I don’t think his face is supposed to be blue.”

“Huh?” Pinkie looked up and saw that the scales on Spike face had taken on a bluish tint from the lack of oxygen. She released her grip and sheepishly smiled as Spike gasped for air. “Oops, sorry Spike. I guess I got carried away. I’m just so glad to see you.”

“I’m glad to see you again too, Pinkie,” Spike said as he regained his breath.

“Well look at that,” Applejack said as she walked up to Spike. “You really did grow wings, and here Ah was thinkin’ Fluttershy was pullin’ my leg.”

“Yeah, it’s a recent development,” he nonchalantly stated as he looked back at his wings and gave them a flap. The farm pony stood up on her hind legs and wrapped her forelegs around his neck.

“It’s good to see you, partner,” she told him as she gave him a warm hug. Spike smiled and wrapped his arms around Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy as they joined them in the hug. After the four friends ended the group hug, Applejack gave Spike a curious look. “Any reason to why your eyes are glowin’ purple?”

Spike filled them in on his mission to that point. He explained that he has already returned two SpellStone and that he has found Rarity. He told them that she was captured in her attempt to recover the Krazoa Spirits and that he must finish what she had started in order to free her.

“Oh my goodness,” Fluttershy exclaimed after she had heard that Rarity was imprisoned in a giant crystal.

“Well then, if you’re goin’ to this ‘Krazoa Palace’ to rescue Rarity, then we’re comin’ with you,” Applejack declared.

“I’m sorry Applejack, but only I’m allowed to go,” he apologized.

“No buts. Rarity is our friend, so we’re goin’ too,” she argued.

“I know Applejack, but it’s the Law of the Test,” he explained. “The Krazoa want me to do this alone. Don’t worry; I’ll be back in a few minutes. Once I get back, we can go get Twilight and Rainbow Dash.”

“Well, Ah don’t like it, but go and do what you gotta do,” Applejack conceded. The three mare reluctantly watched Spike as he left. The dragon ran up the hill and asked the Warp Stone to transport him back to Krazoa Palace. The stone pony lifted Spike up onto his hoof and sent him on his way in a flash of blue magic.

When Spike rematerialized on the platform outside the palace, he found that it was still raining over the Krazoa Palace. He looked up to the top of the structure where Rarity was located. He spread his wings and took off towards the roof. He landed on the platform with the rotating mechanism. In the crystal in the center, Rarity was in the same place as she was when he had last seen her. The two released Krazoa Spirits circled around the crystal and Spike place his claw on the force field, causing it to ripple.

*****

Rarity was dreaming of the day she and Spike went gem hunting. The pop star, Sapphire Shores, had made a large order that required a lot of jewels and she simply didn’t have enough to complete it. When the Diamond Dogs attacked, Spike bravely tired to hold them off so that she could get away. However, he was much smaller back then and she was taken down to their underground lair. Even though she had eventually resolved the situation herself, she later learned that Spike had rallied their friends together to attempt a rescue mission.

She then dreamed of his first birthday in Ponyville since he had moved there from Canterlot with Twilight Sparkle. He had obtained a rare fire ruby to be his birthday meal for himself, but when he saw how much she admired it, he generously gave it to her. She then made it into a necklace, which has since become a symbol of their relationship. When Spike became a greed-fueled monster, what stopped him was seeing her wearing the heart-shaped necklace. It reminded him of his selfless act and brought him back to his senses.

As she continued to sleep under the enchantment, she once again felt her beloved’s presence. It excited the Unicorn and she tried to reach out to him. He was so close that she felt as though she could reach out and touch him. To her disappointment, she couldn’t seem to find him in the darkness.

Spike, I am here! Rarity called out to void of the dream world. I am here!

*****

Spike, you must continue on your quest, urged the Krazoa. Taking one last look at the white Unicorn, Spike removed his claw from the crystal and started to walk off the platform with a longing sigh. The sanctuary that I belong to is located on the second level of the palace.

Spike found an airlift shaft and floated down into the central hub of the palace. Spike looked over the edge of the balcony and spotted a chamber with a white altar inside it. He flew down and landed before the shrine and saw the image of the Krazoa face on a rippling mirror. He was about to step onto the altar when he heard someone approaching. He turned to see that a patrolling Diamond Dog had spotted him and was rushing in to attack. Not in the mood for a fight, Spike focused and casted the dragon-spell. When the dog saw the penetrating eyes of the dragon, he froze in his tracks.

“Go away,” Spike ordered the feeble minded dog. The dog turned about face and marched off under the influence of the dragon-spell. With the distraction taken care of, he stepped on the altar and the uncomfortable sensation of the spirit leaving his body forced him to his knees. He groaned as it worked its way out of him and it entered the shrine. Spike gasped and started to pant once it was over. The statue’s eyes glowed white and the third Krazoa Spirit joined the other two in circling the crystal. Spike was then returned to ThornTail Hollow by the Krazoa’s teleporting magic. As Spike hurried across the grassy valley to rejoin his friends, the communication stone on his wrist activated and glowed with a golden light.

“Spike, report to my lair,” summoned the voice of his master.

“But Master, I…” Spike started to say.

“It is time for your next lesson,” the master continued. “The sooner you finish, the sooner you can join your friends.”

Spike looked to the bunker that was so close then across the river to where his master’s lair was located. Reluctantly, the purple dragon headed away from his friends and went between the ancient stone buildings to the entrance of the cave. Once inside, he found the enormous dark gold dragon waiting for him.

“So, you have recovered to SpellStones and three of the Krazoa have been returned to the palace. You are also mastering the techniques that I have taught you very well,” complimented the elder dragon.

“Thank you, Master.”

“For your next lesson, you must incorporate everything that you have learned,” the colossal dragon lectured. “For it is time for you to unlock your magic potential and to become a dragon mage just like me. Command of the dragonfire is but a small step into the development of dragon magic. Every wyrm is born with. You already know how to send items long distances with it. That was your introduction to magic. When you learned how to command the power of ice, you had to learn control. When I taught you how to consciously use the dragon-spell, you had learned focus and the strength of willpower. These are the keys on how to use magic; knowledge, concentration, strength, and willpower.

“Remember, dragon magic is different from pony magic and only a few dragons ever bother or even know how to master it. It may not be as refined or precise as Unicorn magic, but it is far more powerful. To compare the two is to say Unicorns use a key and a lock to open a door while dragons simply break it down.”

“But how do I learn how to use magic?” Spike asked. The elder dragon mage looked down at his apprentice and grinned while his eyes burned like a green furnace.

“Like this,” the gold dragon said before opening mouth to unleash a wave of rippling orange energy. The orange shockwave enveloped Spike and he began to be weighed down as though each limb weighed a ton. Spike fell onto the pile of treasure, unable to move. “I have placed a paralysis spell on you. Remember your lessons. Use your magic to break the spell and then you may leave.”

Spike tried to open his mouth to shout in protest, but he was frozen stiff. It was though he had entered a staring contest against a cockatrice and had been turned to stone. No matter how much he tried to move his muscles, he remained as stiff as a statue.

Okay Spike, you can do this, he thought to himself as he laid face first in a pile of gold coins and jewels. Let’s see, what have I learned? He said that magic requires knowledge. Okay, I know I can do magic. I’ve been using it all of my life. There’s also concentration. Seems simple enough. How many times have I seen Mom focusing before she practiced her spells? Okay, I’m frozen and I want to be unfrozen. I’ve just have to focus on the spell and use my strength and willpower to break it.

In his mind’s eye, Spike could see the spell casted on him as thick golden chains. He used his desire for freedom as the fuel for his inner fire. He then reached out with his mental claws and grabbed the chains that held him captive. He pulled at them, but they wouldn’t break. Instead of giving up, he kept feeding the fire with more determination and continued to pull at the chains. Either he or the chains would give first and he wasn’t going to break so easily. With a mental roar of fury, he pulled the chains apart and they snapped at their links.

Spike’s internal struggle then carried over into reality as the purple dragon gave a primal yell and trashed his limbs about. He panted as he looked around the cave. He then looked down at his arms and flexed them, glad to have the use of them once more.

“Congratulations.”Spike looked up behind him to see his master’s approving smile. “You are now a dragon mage, Spike the Purple.”

Spike stood up and bowed to his master. The older dragon nodded his head in return, giving his permission to leave. Spike left the cave and returned to the Queen EarthWalker’s shelter, where his friends were waiting for him.

“I’m back!” Spike announced as he walked into the shelter.

“Great! Now we can continue on our mission to find the SpellStones!” Tricky cheered.

“He’s right, where can we find the next guardian?” Spike asked the Queen EarthWalker.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news. Tricky’s father is the Guardian of the SpellStone of Fire and he is imprisoned up in the Walled City,” the Queen explained.

“That’s where Twilight went when we split up to go looking for you,” Pinkie Pie added.

“Then I’m afraid she is also in grave danger!” the Queen told them.

“What do you mean?” Captain Pepper asked.

“The Walled City is the EarthWalker’s homeland. We built our city in that location because it borders the territory of the RedEye Tribe! For years our tribe has been able to keep them at bay and prevent them from spreading throughout Krazoa Island. When General Scar attacked, he released the RedEyes and imprisoned our tribe! With the island falling apart, our forces are trapped up there with those monsters!”

“We got to get up there and help Dad!” Tricky exclaimed.

“Alright, everyone to the ship!” Captain Pepper announced. The six ponies, the dragon, and the young dinosaur ran to the Great Fox and it took off towards the northeast, heading to the Walled City. Spike knew his mother, Twilight Sparkle, was somewhere up there searching for him. Apparently, a dangerous tribe of dinosaurs called the RedEye awaited for him once he got there.

The Walled City

The Great Fox soared through the air as the western sky was painted orange by the setting sun. From the command deck, the floating isle that was the Walled City could be seen to the northeast. The smaller chunks of Krazoa Island obscured the way to the EarthWalker Tribe’s homeland as the raw magical force of the island suspended them in the air in a maelstrom of debris.

As Captain Pepper steered the airship, Peppy went over the maps that detailed the schematics of the city while Applejack looked over his shoulder with interest. Pinkie Pie and Slippy became fast friends when the pink Earth Pony shared with the green Unicorn information about her inventions. He was particularly interested in Pinkie’s pedal-powered flying machine. Fluttershy was sitting by Tricky, asking the Prince all sorts of questions about the different types of dinosaurs.

Spike stood staring out the window at the approaching Walled City. As he watched the flying bits of rock pass by the ship, he thought about what he had seen in the Test of Fear. No matter how he tried to forget about his vision of the future and move on, it always seemed to keep rearing its ugly head again and again. The sad truth was that he knew it was his fate to outlive his friends. That’s why he’s determined to make the most of the precious time that he had with them now so that he could always cherish and remember the good times during the sad and lonely ones. That is also why he must rescue this island. Once all of the SpellStones were recovered and the Krazoa Spirits returned to their palace, he could finally go home and be with his family.

“We’re approaching the Walled City,” the brown stallion at the helm announced.

“Ooh really, where?” Pinkie asked as she and the rest of the crew stood by Spike and looked down at the floating city.

“I see some buildings down there,” reported Peppy as he looked through his telescope. “There is also a moat surrounding the city. Just outside the city is a pass that leads into a valley with a dense jungle in it.”

“That’s the RedEyes’ territory!” Tricky told the navigator.

“On the other side of the city is a clearing. We can land there,” the gray earth pony told Pepper. The pilot flew the ship to the western region of the floating piece of land and landed in the spot that Peppy had mentioned. Once the ship had come to a complete stop, Spike, Tricky, and the mares started to leave the ship.

“Wait a moment,” Peppy called to them, causing them to turn their heads. “I didn’t see any Diamond Dog airships as we flew over. From what Tricky’s mother has told us, it sounds to me that the Diamond Dogs released the RedEye Tribe and then split. Whatever these things are, they sound dangerous.”

“What kind of dinosaur do you think they are?” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“I’m not sure,” the white maned stallion admitted.

“Tricky, kind of dinosaur are the RedEye?” Spike asked his dinosaur companion.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Tricky responded, not understanding the question. “They’re RedEyes.”

“I mean what species are they? Like you’re a ceratopid, the CloudRunners are pterosaurs, the ThornTails are ankylosaurs,” Spike clarified.

“I don’t know what any of those words mean,” Tricky told them as he shook his head. “Us EarthWalkers are EarthWalkers, or how we say it, ‘OuhkxNucboh.’ Those are your names for our tribes.”

“Then what do these RedEye guys look like?” asked Applejack.

“I’ve actually never seen one before,” Tricky confessed embarrassed. “All I know is that they’re big, nasty, and have a bunch of sharp teeth.”

“That could be any of the many types of theropods,” Spike said in mild frustration.

“A what now?” Applejack wasn’t as keen as Spike was on dinosaur information. She could recognize some of the more popular ones, but she was completely lost when Spike had listed off the names of the types of dinosaurs earlier.

“Carnivores,” Spike translated.

“Oh,” the blond maned mare stated, understanding the seriousness of the situation. “Well, it doesn’t matter what they are. What matters is that Twilight is out there with those things runnin’ around. We better find her as soon as we can and then move on from there.”

Everyone agreed and ran down the ramp of the ship. The Walled City rested in the center of a valley like ThornTail Hollow did. However, the Hollow was more of a grassland while the Walled City was a jungle. In the distance, Spike could see the moat surrounding the city. The buildings were step pyramids, just like the ones from some of the Daring Do novels. In the fading light of the setting sun, the skyline was a dark silhouette against the dusky sky.

As the group of five made their way from the ship, they walked along the edge of the valley. So far, there was no sign of Twilight Sparkle or any EarthWalkers. At least they didn’t see anything that could pass for a RedEye.

“Where do you suppose Twilight could be?” Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t know. Hopefully, she isn’t too far away,” Applejack replied.

“Psst!” they heard a voice trying to get their attention. They looked around, but couldn’t find the source of the voice. “Up here!” the voice urgently whispered to them. They looked up the wall of the valley and saw the lavender Alicorn up on a ledge, frantically waving a hoof at them with a stressed look on her face. “Get up here, quickly!” At the bottom of the cliff was a narrow winding path that went up to the ledge. They climbed up the trail as fast as they could to the top, where they met up with Twilight Sparkle.

As they reached the top, they noticed that the Alicorn had set up a camp for herself on the overlook. With her was a small group of EarthWalker soldiers. They had orange and brown pebble-like scales and they wore metal reinforcements on their shield-like frills. They wore plated armor on their backs and greaves on their legs. Since these were adults, they had the two long horns that the younger Tricky lacked. They noticed that this small band of soldiers were wounded and had their injuries bounded.

When Spike reached the top of the step trail, he came face to face with the pony who had raised him from the day she hatched his egg. When Twilight Sparkle saw that her friends had been accompanied by her son, her eyes widen and she uttered a small gasp.

“Hey there, Twilight,” Spike said to her before finding himself in a tight hug. Twilight was standing on her rear hooves as she wrapped her forelegs around his neck and cried tears of joy into his shoulder. Spike returned the hug and patted her back as she continued to cry. “It’s okay, Mom, it’s okay. I’m alright.”

“I know,” she sniffed as she let him go and wiped her eyes. “I’m just so relieved to that you’re safe. I was so worried. Ever since you went missing, I haven’t been able to rest.”

“I’m sorry for making you worry so much,” Spike apologized.

“Don’t worry about that now,” she told him. “Come, everypo… er, everyone... have a seat.”

As Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Tricky, and Spike joined Twilight around the campfire, they filled her in on what has transpired. Spike told her how he and Tricky were on a mission to find the SpellStones and return them to the Force Point Temples. He told her how Rarity was trapped atop of Krazoa Palace and that he must find all of the Krazoa in order to free her. During all of this, she couldn’t help but to notice the two wings sticking out of his back.

“Why don’t you tell me about how you grew your wings?” the Alicorn princess requested.

“Yeah, tell us all about it!” Pinkie Pie encouraged. “I want to hear all about. To be honest, I’ve always wanted to be a Pegasus and have wings of my very own.”

Everyone looked at the curly maned earth pony with mild surprise and Spike said to her, “Really?”

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to fly; to be able to soar in the sky and float among the clouds. You can go anywhere you want, whenever you want, and not be bound to the ground. To be able to fly is to be completely free. What’s why I understand why Dashie loves it so much.”

“Wow Pinkie, that was profound,” Twilight complimented.

“Meh, I do have my moments,” Pinkie shrugged.

“I’ve always wanted to be an Earth Pony,” Fluttershy stated. “If I was an Earth Pony, then I could be even more in tune with nature.”

“Maybe you and Pinkie should switch places,” Spike joked, causing everyone to laugh.

“Well, Ah’m happy with who Ah am,” declared Applejack proudly. “Ah prefer to keep mah hooves on the ground and Ah love doin’ what Ah do. To me, there’s nothin’ more statsifin’ or more rewardin’ than to look at Sweet Apple Acres and know that Ah put so much hard work into helpin’ makin’ it what it is.”

“When I first grew these two, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of them,” Twilight said as she ruffled her wings a bit. “I was both excited and scared. The thought of being able to fly was exhilarating and it felt incredible when I first took flight, but then I remembered that I had no idea how to control them.”

Everyone laughed and Spike chuckled, “I remember that. It was during your coronation. You just took off and kept on going. Luckily, everypony thought it was part of the show.” They laughed hard at the memory and Twilight blushed a little with embarrassment.

“I was halfway back to Ponyville before somepony realized that something was wrong and I wasn’t coming back. Rainbow Dash had to fly up and help me land.” Twilight then turned to Spike. “But my wings magically appeared when the Elements of Harmony transformed me into an Alicorn. How did you grow wings? Did they slowly grow out your back or did they just spontaneously appear?”

“It was gradual,” the dragon explained, his face hardening a little. “Ever since I fought with Dracula, a pain started to run through my back every so often. The intensity of the pain increased everyday and it started to happen more often until they came out.”

“Oh my, did it hurt?” Fluttershy asked with concern as they all listened intently, also concerned.

“It was agony,” Spike told them in a serious tone. “I’ll skip the gory details, but let’s just say that it wasn’t pretty when my wings had to break through the skin.”

“You mean, your wings actually had to rip through the flesh of your back?” Pinkie asked in shock. Spike nodded and Fluttershy gasped and Applejack winced at the thought.

“Yeah, Spike had to go off to be by himself when it happened,” Tricky told the mares. “I guess he didn’t want anyone to see the mess.”

“Not only that, but a dragon becomes uncontrollable when they grow their wings,” Spike told them. “The pain is so great that their natural instincts take over and they attack everything around them, enraged and confused from the pain. You should’ve seen what happened to the cave I was in.”

Hearing what her teenaged dragon had to endure, Twilight Sparkle scooted closer to him, wrapped a wing around him, and comfortingly nuzzled against him. Her dragon son had been in pain and she wasn’t there to comfort him. She also missed a monumental event in his development and missed the opportunity to watch him grow wings and fly for the first time. It was the same as a parent not seeing their child take their first steps or hear their first words.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, Spike,” Twilight said to him.

“We all are,” Applejack added as Pinkie and Fluttershy nodded in agreement.

“Don’t be sorry, at least we’re all here now. Well, except for Rainbow Dash and Rarity,” Spike said to the four mares.

“I guess you’re right,” Twilight said and then looked over to the EarthWalker soldiers at their camp. “When we’d split up in order to find you, I flew here. I ran into a group of wounded dinosaurs and helped them to safety. I was able to treat their injuries and we should be safe up here. The cliff is over twenty feet high and the path is too steep and narrow for the RedEyes to climb.”

“I’ve been wondering, what is a RedEye?” Spike asked. In the distance, a terrifying roar sounded from the darkness of the night. Everyone stood up in alert, and looked over the ledge to the darkened jungle city. Even the weary EarthWalkers looked up from their campfire. They couldn’t see anything but they heard some trees shaking as something big moved pass them and birds squawking in fear as they took flight.

“What the hay was that?!” Applejack asked.

“That was a RedEye,” Twilight told her as she joined them by the edge of the cliff. She headed back and sat by the fire again. Once the initial shock wore off, her friends rejoined her. They sat in silence for a moment before Tricky spoke.

“Were you able to find my dad, the King?” Tricky asked the Alicorn, fearing for his father’s safety.

“I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen him,” Twilight answered, shaking her head. “From what the others have told me, many EarthWalkers are trapped within the buildings and those that managed to escape are taking shelter on the edge of the valley just like we are.”

“Oh,” Tricky said in disappointment, looking at his feet.

“Don’t worry, young prince,” one of the soldiers called over from their camp. “The King is safe for now, but we must do something soon. Our supplies are dwindling and time is running out.”

“But what are we going to do?” one of the more seriously injured soldiers lamented. “If we had an army, we could drive those beasts back into the jungle and seal the entrance again. But our troops have been scattered and many of us are unable to fight anymore.”

“We going to need a plan,” Twilight said thoughtfully. “First, we should find the King EarthWalker. Maybe he can help us further.” Tricky yawned and everyone looked up to the night sky to the moon, seeing how late it was. “We should get some sleep. We’re going to have to be awake and alert tomorrow.”

As everyone settled in for the night, Twilight pulled out a few scrolls from her saddlebags. Spike looked over her shoulder and saw that she was going over the map and the history of the city.

“Whatcha doing?” Spike asked.

“I’m not tired yet,” she told him. “Besides, I want to memorize the layout of the city before we go looking for the King. I don’t want us to get lost with those things running around. From what I can tell, there’s an underground chamber underneath the royal palace; the large pyramid directly in the center of the city. Funny, there also appears to be large dungeon beneath the palace. What’s interesting is the architecture of the buildings of the island. Many of them seem abandoned and in ruins.”

“I know what you mean. I’ve seen them all over the place.”

“I believe that the tribes of dinosaurs were influenced by pony explorers long ago. Many of the designs are from the Early Classical Era. This city, for an example, resembles the design of the ruins of the Tenochtitlan Basin.”

“And the Warp Stone is obviously carved to resemble a pony and it speaks with a Shetland accent.”

“Not only that, but the EarthWalkers seem to worship the sun and moon. Look here,” Twilight pointed to the map. “There are two temples outside the city, one on each side of the canal. The one to the north is labeled as ‘the Temple of the Sun.’ and the one to the south is ‘the Temple of the Moon.’ I wonder if the EarthWalkers know of Luna and Celestia.” When Twilight mentioned her mentor, she remembered what the solar princess had revealed to her before she and her friends left for Krazoa Island. She smiled and rested her hoof on Spike’s claw. “Spike, there is something that I need to tell you.”

“And what’s that?”

“The night we received the letter from Rarity explaining that she had followed your trail here, Princess Celestia told me something important about the day you hatched,” she began. Spike’s ear frills immediately perked up and he looked at her, anxiously waiting to hear what she had to say. “As you know, I thought I was about to blow my entrance exam until Rainbow Dash’s sonic rainboom startled me and caused me to unleash a surge of magic that hatched your egg. We also know now that the entrance exam was just aptitude test to gauge the abilities of new students and that the real purpose of the test was Celestia was trying to find me, the Bearer of the Element of Magic. What I didn’t know was that your egg was a dud.”

“…What,” Spike uttered, shocked by the revelation.

“Your egg was never supposed to hatch,” Twilight elaborated. “Ponies had discovered it abandoned in a cave. All the other eggs in the clutch had hatched, but yours didn’t and the dragoness who’d laid it left it behind. The explorers brought it back to Celestia and she knew that who could ever cause the egg to hatch would be the Bearer of the Element of Magic. The egg had the necessary genetic material, but there was no life in it. My magic sparked life into the egg, formed a baby dragon inside of it, nurtured the embryo, and then hatched it. My magic, my very life force, runs through your veins.”

“You mean that I…” Spike couldn’t finish the sentence. He was too shocked and too emotional to say the words.

“Yes, you really are my son. I am just as much your mother as the dragoness who laid your egg,” she told him. He wrapped his arms around her and she did the same.

“You were always my mother,” he whispered to her. “Family is so much more than blood. You were there for me as far back as I can remember. You raised me, taken care of him, taught me, gave me a home, and most importantly, loved me.”

“I know,” she told her son as she continued to hold him. “But now I can add ‘giving life to you’ to the list.”

They laughed together and then heard sniffling. The Alicorn and the dragon looked over and saw Fluttershy and Pinkie wiping happy tears from their eyes while Applejack smiled approvingly at them.

“That is so sweet,” Pinkie Pie sniffled.

“Heh heh… sorry if we woke you,” Twilight sheepishly apologized, as she rubbed the back her head embarrassed.

“Not at all, we’re happy for you and Spike,” reassured Fluttershy.

“And Ah agree with Spike,” added Applejack. “Family is so much more than who y’all are related to. To me, all of you are part of mah family.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said to her friends. They then all went to sleep to prepare for the challenges that awaited them tomorrow. Spike lay back on the ground resting his claws behind his head and looked up to the starry sky. Tricky was gently snoring, having slept through the entire conversation. Twilight and the others were curled up on sleeping mats that they had brought with them. Spike smiled as he watched them sleep and was about to fall asleep himself, but then heard the rustling of leaves. He could see some trees shaking in the distance and knew that a RedEye was lurking out there. He relaxed with the knowledge that they were safe on the ledge, but knew that they would have to go down there among the RedEyes in only a few hours.

The Test of Strength

General Scar’s Galleon circled above the floating piece of island known as Dragon Rock. The overgrown Doberman sat in his chair, fiddling with the red talisman around his neck as he stared at the large yellow stone that lay on the table before him. There was a knock at the cabin door and he looked up from the stone.

“Enter!” The door opened and Scar’s lieutenants, Rover, Fido, and Spot, stepped inside the cabin. The three subordinate Diamond Dogs shuffled their feet, rubbed the back of their necks, stared at the ground, and did anything else to prolong delivering the bad news to their boss. “Well… Speak!”

The three flinched, but Rover finally spoke, “Um, well… you see…”

“The dragon got the red gem!” Spot blurted out then covered his mouth. General Scar pounded his fist onto the air of his chair and rose with a snarl. The three cowered in fear as the Doberman raised his fisted paw and knocked them to the floor. When he raised his hooked paw, they cowered and tried to shield themselves. However, Scar tempered his anger and turned around. When nothing happened, the other dogs tentatively looked back to the alpha dog and saw him staring out the window with his arms behind his back.

Ever since Scar took over the pack, things had been different. Before, the Diamond Dogs stuck to their holes and only cared for the gems they dug up. For the most part, they didn’t bother anybody. Sure, there was that one time they came up with the plan to enslave a baby dragon, but that didn’t turn out so well. They ended up kidnapping a Unicorn for her ability to locate gems, but she wasn’t worth the trouble. When Scar came, he spoke of a place where gem grew on trees and that they could have them all if they just followed him, but they never imagined that they would be going to war with the inhabitants of the island. The Diamond Dogs may have been greedy, but they had never killed for treasure before. At first, the Diamond Dogs were hesitant to follow the newcomer and Rover didn’t want to relinquish his position as the alpha dog. When Scar pulled out his red claw-like talisman and used it to torture Rover until he submitted, the rest of the pack followed in suit.

“I would have thought nothing could get pass the RedEye Tribe,” Scar said calmly to them.

“You’re not mad?” Rover cautiously asked.

“But he’s got three of the magic gems and we only have one,” Fido pointed out.

“An inconvenience, but in the long run, it doesn’t matter,” Scar told them as he looked over his shoulder. “They may hold most of the cards, but I still have the trump card.”

“Uh… what’s a trump card?” Fido asked, scratching his head.

“This is.” The General pointed to the yellow SpellStone on the table. “As long as we have the SpellStone of Air, the island will continue to fall apart. Our plan remains intact; if the dinosaur tribes want the SpellStone back, they will have to surrender the island to me. If they don’t…” Scar then grinned sinisterly. “There won’t be a Krazoa Island anymore.”

“But boss, if there is no island, then we won’t get the gems,” Spot said to the towering Doberman.

“You idiot, the dinosaurs won’t risk the safety of their island,” Scar berated the smaller brown Diamond Dog. “They’ll have to give into my demands sooner or later. And once they do, we’ll enslave all of them and force them to harvest the gems for us!”

General Scar laughed maniacally and the other three canines nervously laughed along with him. There was another knock at the door and Spot opened it to let a Diamond Dog grunt in.

“Boss, he is here,” the dog reported as he saluted.

General Scar grinned at the news and then said to the dog, “It’s about time. Let him in.”

The dog stepped aside and a tall figure came through the doorway. The lesser dogs gazed up in a mixture of awe and intimidation when they saw who it was. The figure stood a foot taller than General Scar, who stood taller than the average Diamond Dog at seven feet, and looked just as cruel. The two towering beings stared at each other, Scar with his green eyes and the stranger with his yellow eyes.

“So what’s this about?” the mysterious figure asked holding up a piece of parchment. Since the EarthWalkers had called in for reinforcements, Scar decided he should do the same.

“I have a job for you,” Scar started to explain. “You see, I’m trying to take over this island and to do that I took the four magical stones that hold the island together. The dinosaurs that live here have hired a team of mercenaries to try and stop me.”

“Uh-huh, that’s nice. But what does that have to do with me?” Scar’s guest impatiently asked.

“Due to the incompetence of some of my dogs,” Scar said as he cast an angry scowl at Rover, Fido, and Spot. “They have managed to steal back three of the stones, freed the prisoners, and helped the dinosaurs reclaim the lands I have conquered.”

“Sounds like you’re not too good at your job there, General,” the stranger mocked, causing the Doberman to growl. “But again, what does that have to do with me?”

“I want you to guard the last stone,” Scar told him, pointing to the yellow gem on the table.

“That’s it?” the guest said with a raise of his brow.

“Yes, that’s it. As long as I have this stone, I am still in control. Without it, the island is doomed. I have moved the majority of my forces to this miserable piece of rock to insure that they don’t get the last SpellStone.”

“Why not just take it far away from the island?”

“Because I need it close enough to return it to the temple that it belongs to once my demands are met and I am ruler of Krazoa Island.”

“Fair enough, but what about my payment?” General Scar opened a chest and pulled out a bag. He tossed the bag onto the table next to the SpellStone of Air and a few gems spilled out from it. The stranger picked up the bag of gems and the few that had fallen out and sorted through them. In it was an assortment of emeralds, diamonds, sapphires, rubies, sapphires, and other precious stones.

“This is it?” he asked, glaring down at the small fortune worth of jewels. He clutched the bag in a fist and held it up to Scar’s face. “This is chump change! Your letter said you’ll pay with more gems than I can imagine! Believe me; I can imagine more than a bagful!”

“That’s just for the trouble of coming all the way to listen to the offer,” Scar told him. “Once I have complete control of the island, I’ll have access to all of its resources. I will be able to pay you a mountain of gems if you want.”

“Ha, that’s if you win!” the stranger snorted. “You’re offering me something you don’t even have your one grimy little paw on yet! Remember this; whether you win or lose, I’m expecting to get paid!”

General Scar bared his teeth and snarled as his talisman was surrounded by the aura of dark magic, but his guest stood his ground and snarled back. Usually, Scar could intimidate anyone with the threat of his dark magic. Even the EarthWalkers were no match for the power of the talisman, but this guy wasn’t backing down. General Scar then smirked and the talisman returned to normal.

“Did I mention the bonus?” the Doberman asked.

“What bonus?” the stranger asked back.

“The particular mercenary that’s been a thorn in my side is a dragon.”

“A dragon?”

“Yes, a purple teenaged dragon with green spines. I am told his name is Spike. If you wait here long enough, you may get the chance to kill him.”

Intrigued by the offer, the stranger grinned and said, “Alright, I’m in.”

After the mysterious figure had left, Scar walked onto the deck of his Galleon and observed the barren wasteland below him. The dinosaurs were desperately trying to take back this piece of the island from the Diamond Dogs because, even though Dragon Rock was desolate, it was the sacred land where the SpellStone of Air was forged.

From the railing of his Airship, Scar could see a rainbow streak flying back and forth between the airships. Something was down there giving the dinosaurs air support, but it matter little to the General. Even though he had told his own mercenary and it was what he promised the other Diamond Dogs, Scar wanted something else from the island than the gems. There was a power here, a power that could make him unstoppable and it dwelt within Krazoa Palace. If he was able harness that power for himself, then not only would he rule Krazoa Island, but he could conquer Equestria as well!

As he reveled in his own dark ambition, the Galleon flew away from Dragon Rock and headed back to Krazoa Palace.

*****

Spike and Tricky led the ponies through the trail north of ThornTail Hollow to the Volcano Force Point Temple. On the way, Twilight was fascinated by the unique terrain of Moon Mountain Pass, but it gave Applejack and Fluttershy the creeps. Applejack gave a look of disgust at the glowing pink and white fungi. Every time a geyser would erupt green gas, Fluttershy would squeal in surprise. Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to mind it. When one of the bloated creatures popped its head out its crater, she would giggle at it and imitate its face while making exaggerated sounds. Unamused, it hid back into its hole. When they reached the temple, Spike opened the gates of the temple using the SpellStone of Fire and led them inside.

“This place is amazing,” Twilight said as she looked up at the pillars of the main hall of the temple. “The architecture of the temple is unlike anything else on the rest of the island. While I can see the influence of Equestrian culture in the other structures, this place has its own unique style.”

“That’s because it’s said that the Krazoa themselves built this place along with the other temple and Krazoa Palace,” Tricky explained as they entered the chamber with the six Krazoa statues. Taking the lift down to the central chamber of the temple, they walked onto the circular walkway that was suspended over the heart of the volcano. They gathered around the red altar that was meant for the SpellStone of Fire as Spike held the large gem over it and Tricky activated the portal. In a flash of red teleporting magic, the six of them were taken to the Force Point far beneath the surface of the island.

“Those must be the Krazoa,” Twilight said as she looked at the six large statues on the wall.

“They look all mystically,” Pinkie said, titling her head curiously as she looked up at one of the mask-like faces.

“They’re the ones who made the SpellStones to hold back the magical force that tries to push our island apart,” Tricky explained, motioning to the swirling vortex of raw magical energy.

“They must be mighty powerful to do all that,” Applejack commented.

“I’ve read that the Krazoa protect the island and support the growth of life on it,” Twilight claimed.

“All this reminds me of the Tree of Harmony and the Elements,” Fluttershy said.

“The Tree of Harmony?” Tricky asked.

“It is the source of peace and harmony in Equestria and we are the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony that it provides,” the Alicorn told the Prince.

“Oh yeah, I remember. Spike’s told me how you use them to save the world.”

“Speakin’ of returnin’ things, isn’t that where the SpellStone goes?” Applejack asked as she pointed to the pillar that was the focal point of the magical force. Spike pulled out the SpellStone of Fire and placed it in the red framed slot next to the SpellStones of Earth and Water. The SpellStone glowed red as it absorbed the flow of the magical energy and the vortex decreased in size until it was a fourth of its original size. The red light appeared again and they were taken back outside the temple.

“Now we’ve found three of the SpellStones and two of the Krazoa Spirits,” Spike announced as they walked down the trail from Moon Mountain Pass to ThornTail Hollow.

“Don’t forget about the one Rarity found!” Pinkie Pie reminded as she hopped along.

“Three of the Krazoa Spirits,” Spike corrected himself.

“So, are we going to look for the next SpellStone first or try to find another Krazoa?” Fluttershy asked.

“Where are the Krazoa hidin’?” Applejack asked. This caused Twilight Sparkle to pause and think.

“Hhmmm…” She hummed as she tapped a hoof to her chin. She then gasped excitedly as she remembered something and pulled out her maps. She flipped through the maps, scanning their contents until she found what she was looking for. “Aha! I knew I recognized that symbol! Look here. See that six pointed image? I saw it all throughout the Volcano Force Point Temple. It must be the crest of the Krazoa Spirits.”

“But this is a map of SnowHorn Wastes,” Spike exclaimed as he recognized the landmarks on the map. “That’s not far from here.”

“I bet that there’s a Krazoa Spirit there,” Twilight proudly declared, tapping the map.

“Maybe Garunda Te might know where it is,” Tricky suggested.

“Alright then, sounds like we’re headed back to SnowHorn Wastes!” Applejack cheered. Taking the northeastern path through the aqueduct, the six made their way to the snowy home of the mammoths. As Spike, Twilight, and Fluttershy flew over the cold water of the tunnel, Spike carried Tricky and Twilight used her magic to telekinetically lift Applejack. Though Twilight offered to also transport Pinkie Pie, the Earth Pony pulled a yellow inner tube with pink polka dots and floated across the icy water.

“Burr, that was cold!” she enthusiastically said as she shook the water off her coat. Ignoring her antics, they continued out the tunnel and into the snow covered valley. They could see the SnowHorns clearing the valley of the remains of the Diamond Dog fort.

“Garunda!” Spike called to the Chieftain as they ran up to him.

“Ah, I see you’ve found each other,” the mammoth leader happily noted.

“Yes, and we also returned three of the SpellStones,” Spike told him.

“That’s great to hear. Well done, my friend.” A look of regret then formed on Garunda’s face. “Did you by chance happen to find my daughter?”

“We did,” Twilight answered. “She’s safe. She can’t wait to see you again and to help you lead the tribe once more.”

The news brought grateful tears to the old mammoth’s eyes and it softened his prideful heart. “Oh, I’m so happy she’s safe. Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

“Actually, there is. We’re looking for Krazoa Spirits and we understand there’s a shrine nearby,” Spike said to him.

“Ah yes, follow me.” The SnowHorn led them up to the waterfall that flowed into the valley. On the other side of the stream was a short trail that took them to a cave hidden in the mountains. Inside the cave was a glowing yellow altar.

“Be careful, Spike,” Twilight urged the dragon as he stepped onto the circular altar. He looked back and nodded to her before he was whisked away by its magic.

Spike reappeared in a Krazoa Shrine and stepped off the altar. He foot slipped and he landed on the floor with a thud. To his surprise, he found that the floor of the shrine was made of ice. Wobbling a bit as he rose, Spike stood back up and made his way across the frozen corridor. The first chamber he came to had a narrow winding bridge made of ice spanning over a pit. Anyone that tried to walk across it would have a hard time not slipping of the bridge. Bypassing the bridge, he flew over the chasm to the other side.

The next chamber had a pool of water with a series of fire jets over the surface. Sticking a claw into the water, he found it was freezing. Apparently, the challenge of this trap was to swim under the surface of the freezing water to avoid getting burned by the fire. Normally, someone trying to complete the Krazoa’s tests would rather risk hypothermia than face incineration, but Spike was a dragon. He would take the fire any day over the cold. He flew through the flames and landed on the other side of the pool.

In the final corridor, there were those floating sentries that were present in the other shrines and Krazoa Palace. Spike easily defeated them by shooting green fireballs at them, disrupting their magic. With all obstacles out of his way, the purple dragon walked to the chamber at the end of the hall, where a glowing purple and blue Krazoa Spirit was waiting for him. The ethereal entity floated over a large stone carving of the Krazoa crest that rest in the middle of the room. Connected to each end of the six pointed crest was a large stone cylinder and there was one of the stone statues from the Test of Combat standing by one of the points. Spike then noticed the crest was unaligned with the one on the tiled floor.

“Welcome to the Test of Strength,” the Krazoa greeted in its otherworldly voice. “Use your strength to push the crest against your opponent until it returns to its proper place. If you succeed, I will become yours to return to the Krazoa Palace. Do you accept?”

“Yes,” he answered the spirit.

“Then take your place.” The Krazoa then sank into the center of the crest and its blue light spread through an arm of the device until it entered the statue. Its eyes and crest lit up and it leaned against a stone cylinder, ready to push back when Spike did. The dragon took his place and started to rotate the crest counterclockwise. Sure enough, the stone giant pushed the crest clockwise.

“Okay, time to see how strong I am,” Spike said to himself, gritting his teeth as he pushed against his end of the stone crest. Summoning his draconic strength, Spike shoved against his end and he heard the sound of stone scrapping against stone. On the other end of the crest, the giant statue was being dragged by the spinning arm, its feet scrapping against the floor as it tried to regain its footing.

The crest rotated counterclockwise until it matched the symbol on the floor and locked into place. The lights on the statue fade and it slumped over as the Krazoa Spirit left it. The Krazoa then emerge from the rippling mirror on the wall and entered Spike’s body. He felt the familiar floating sensation as the spirit entering his body lifted him off the ground.

Well done. I will remain in your body until you release me back in Krazoa Palace. With the Krazoa Spirit recovered, Spike was transported back to SnowHorn Wastes.

“Did you find it?” Tricky asked as he saw Spike emerge from the cave. Spike pointed to his glowing purple eyes to answer his question. “Yeah, four down two to go!”

“Alright, we’re one step closer to saving Rarity,” Twilight announced. They then headed back to ThornTail Hollow and waited by the Warp Stone as Spike went on to Krazoa Palace. Once Spike arrived at the palace, he found it was still raining.

Is it always like this? he wondered to himself as he flew to the roof of the building. He made it a point to check on Rarity every time he visited Krazoa Palace. Even though he knew she was safe inside the crystal protected by the three Krazoa Spirits circling it, he had to see for himself. Whenever he would touch the magic barrier surrounding the white Unicorn, he felt connected to her. As he looked at her peacefully sleeping face, he said to her, “Soon, Rarity, soon. I’m almost there.”

He then headed down the ramp off the platform and went inside the building. As he went to find the sanctuary to release the next spirit, it guided him to the second floor of the rotunda. There he found two torches on the wall with an empty space between them. Spike tapped on the stone wall, trying to find a secret switch or something to reveal the sanctuary. However, it seemed to be nothing but a stone wall. When he tapped against the wall between the torches, he felt something strange. It didn’t feel solid like stone, but it did resist him and the image of the bricks wavered when he touched it.

It must be some sort of illusion, Spike thought. He then placed a claw on the magic barrier and focused on the enchantment creating the image. Releasing a surge of dragon magic, Spike dispelled the illusion and the magic barrier retreated. On the other side of fake wall were a white altar and the image of a Krazoa. This was the part Spike hated. The spirit left his body when he stepped onto the altar, causing him to groan with discomfort. Once it was out of him and back into its sanctuary, the statue’s eyes glowed and the fourth Krazoa Spirit joined its brethren in circling Rarity’s crystal. As before, the Krazoa then returned Spike to ThornTail Hollow.

*****

Spike had come to see her again and Rarity was thrilled. When he would reach out to her, she tried to reach back. In her dream world, she could feel the power of the Krazoa strengthening every time she felt Spike’s presence. She realized that Spike was continuing what she had started and was returning the spirits to the palace.

You can do it, Spike! she cheered her hero on through the void. I believe in you!

She then felt something else approaching. It was far away, but it was drawing closer to Krazoa Place. In the dream world, it was represented as a black mass, like a dark storm cloud. Purple and green thunderbolts shot out the cloud of dark magic. As it came closer, Rarity could make out a figure in the darkness.

It’s you! she angrily shouted at the one who had imprisoned her there in the first place. The entity in the darkness laughed and the sound echoed throughout the void.

Dragon Rock

In a flash of blue transporting magic, Spike reappeared on the Warp Stone’s hoof. Waiting beside the giant stone pony were his friends. While the dragon was gone, they had been conversing with the Warp Stone. The scholarly Twilight Sparkle was most interested in learning all that she could about the magic he possessed and his history.

“Spike, my boy,” the Warp Stone said to the purple dragon as he placed him back on the ground. “Three SpellStones down and only one to go. You seem to be getting the hang of this! Now then, it’s time for you and your friends to go to Dragon Rock, your toughest challenge yet.”

“D-d-dragon Rock!” Fluttershy stammered upon hearing the name.

“Relax, Fluttershy, I’m sure there’s no actually dragons there,” Twilight reassured her friend with the phobia of the fire breathing creatures. Despite the Alicorn’s reassurance, the Pegasus trembled at the thought of encountering a fully grown dragon.

“Well, it can’t be worse than the RedEyes,” Spike replied. “So where do we find the Guardian of the SpellStone of Air?”

“He’s closer than you realize,” the Warp Stone said as he turned on his base and pointed down to the valley.

“You mean he’s a ThornTail?” Spike asked in surprise.

“But they’re so meek and peaceful,” stated Fluttershy.

“Yeah, who would’ve thought one of those laid-back easygoin’ fellars was a Guardian?” Applejack rhetorically asked.

“He who has no voice has plenty to say,” the Warp Stone quoted an old Saurian proverb.

“Kinda like Big Macintosh,” Pinkie Pie quipped. They then headed down the hill to ThornTail Hollow in search of the last SpellStone Guardian. They looked around the grassy valley and could see the ankylosaurids grazing on grass, moss, and other vegetation. With all of them having unassuming looks on their beaked faces, none of them really stood out as the “Guardian” type. Spike recalled how all the other Guardians were the leaders of their tribes. Garunda Te was the Chieftain of the SnowHorns, the Queen of CloudRunners was one, and Tricky’s father was the King of the EarthWalkers. So far, none of the ThornTails they saw wore any regalia or fancy jewelry to set them apart from the rest. They split up and started asking each one if they knew anything. The response they received was either a shake of the head in the negative or a mumbled “No,” as they continued to chew their food.

Frustrated, Spike stopped and looked around the valley. His friends were still asking the tribe if they knew who the Guardian was, but were getting nowhere. There must be one ThornTail that knew something or had something useful to say. As Spike paced around, he nearly bumped into one of the giant red mushrooms. It started to shake and it produced a noxious cloud of red spores. Spike remembered encountering one of them when he had first arrived on the island and stepped away from it. He then remembered the ThornTail that warned him about the red mushrooms. He was the same one that had found Rarity’s fire ruby necklace and would wish him luck as he ran by.

Spike then looked around for that particular dinosaur. He seemed to be a more knowledgeable and talkative ThornTail. Maybe he could be of some help. He spotted the ThornTail off by himself near a cluster of palm trees and ran up to him.

“Excuse me,” Spike called out to him as he approached the ankylosaur.

“It’s you,” the independent ThornTail said as he spotted Spike. “How’s your journey?”

“It’s going well, but I need to talk to you.”

“Hhmm?”

“I’m looking for the Guardian of the SpellStone of Air and I have a feeling I know who that is,” Spike said while giving the dinosaur knowing smirk. The ThornTail’s eyes lifted in surprise and looked up from the shrub it was eating. His brow then furrowed and he looked back down in shame.

“Oh, you’ve figured it out then?” the Guardian of the SpellStone of Air replied.

“You’re the only one from your tribe that seems to have a clue about anything that’s going on and you’re the only one that actually opens their mouth to say more than one word at a time.”

“I don’t deserve to be a Guardian after what happened,” the ThornTail lamented. “I too attempted to save our island, but I failed.”

“Tell me, what happened?” Spike urged him to continue.

“I led a group of dinosaurs against General Scar. We knew he was taking the SpellStones back the sacred lands, so we headed to Dragon Rock. He heard of our plan before we could act and launched a full-scale offensive against us. We never stood a chance. I managed to escape, by the others couldn’t retreat in time and were trapped when Dragon Rock separated from the surface. Some of them are my good friends. They are probably still there trying to fight the dogs off. I’m a coward for running away. I should be there helping them fight.”

“You said it yourself, you were outmatched,” Spike tried to ease his guilt.

“Outmatched or not, I shouldn’t have given up so easily. If Scar wins, then we all are doomed.” The Guardian looked pleading up to Spike. “Please, help my friends.”

“Don’t worry, I will,” the dragon promised. He then noticed his friends had walked up during their conversation. They gave the saddened dinosaur sympathetic looks, but decided it was best not to say anything.

They then rushed to the Great Fox and it took off from ThornTail Hollow. The airship headed southeast to the floating island known as Dragon Rock. From their view, they could see it was barren and had a rocky terrain. The rocks had a rusty red color and they rose up in jagged spires that made the location look even more inhospitable.

The ship dodged the floating chucks of rock that circled Krazoa Island like a maelstrom. As they passed some of larger boulders, they saw the Diamond Dogs’ fleet of airships hovering over the surface. Apparently, General Scar had stationed the majority of his forces there to prevent them from getting the last SpellStone.

“It looks like there are a half of a dozen enemy airships down there,” Peppy observed.

“Can this thing take them all on?” Applejack asked Captain Pepper.

“That’s a negative,” the brown Unicorn answered. “Their ships may be old and outdated, but so is ours.”

“We need to take them out before we head down to the surface,” Twilight declared.

“I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but they outnumber us six to one,” the Captain pointed out.

“Not exactly, don’t forget you have a dragon and an Alicorn on your side,” the princess smirked. “If you can draw their fire, Spike and I can disable their cannons.”

“Wait, look!” Slippy pointed out the window and they all saw that smoke was coming out of the enemy airships. Peppy pulled out his telescope and took a closer look.

“Well, look at that,” the spectacled navigator stated. “It looks like they’re having some technical difficulties down there. Some of the engines have been damaged.”

“But how?” Slippy asked. “The dinosaurs are melee fighters. They don’t have any anti-aircraft weaponry.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight answered with an amused shake of her head. “When we separated, she came here. I bet she was the one who crippled their aircraft.”

“Did she also take out their cannons?” Pepper asked the gray earth pony.

“No sir. They appear to be intact,” Peppy reported.

“At least we can out maneuver them. Here’s the plan; I’ll steer the Great Fox in front of them and we’ll fire a shot to get their attention. Once they start coming after us, the Princess and Spike will then fly in behind them and take out their cannons.”

“Here. Before you go, take this with you,” Slippy said to Twilight as he placed a communication stone around her left foreleg. “That way we can keep in touch during the battle.”

“Thank you,” she said to him as she walked out of the command deck.

After the briefing, Twilight Sparkle and Spike went out onto the deck of the ship as it approached the first Diamond Dog airship. Down below, Slippy armed a cannon and waited for Pepper’s signal. When the Captain told the green mechanic to fire, Slippy shot a cannonball that sailed over to the nearest ship and struck its hull. The dogs on-board sprung to attention and scrambled to arm their own cannons.

That was Twilight and Spike’s cue. They leapt off the edge of the ship and started to fly around the fleet of airships. The lavender Alicorn went to the right while Spike went to the left. As they circled around the ships, the Diamond Dogs took noticed of them and started to fire at them as well. Since the dogs weren’t the brightest of creatures, their aim was off because they kept firing where the two had been instead of leading their targets. However, it was still quite hazardous due to the amount of cannons firing.

“Do a barrel roll!” Peppy said over the glowing communication stone.

“(Press Z or R twice)!” Pinkie Pie shouted from behind him, earning her weird looks from everyone else on the ship. “What? That always works in video games.”

Taking Peppy’s advice, Spike rotated his body as he flew and spun as he rolled around in the sky in a spiral pattern. The trick worked and the Diamond Dogs’ aim was thrown completely off. Spike and Twilight met back up behind the rear ship

“Good job, Spike. Though, that looked like a combination of both a barrel roll and an aileron roll,” Twilight told Spike as they hovered in the air. When Spike gave her a confused look, she shrugged and said, “Rainbow Dash has been teaching me flying maneuvers ever since I gained wings.”

They then started to get to work on taking out the cannons of the ship. Flying along the port side of the ship, Twilight used her magenta magic to zap the gunners off their post while Spike landed on the deck and tossed the cannons overboard. Spike then went over to the starboard side and took care of those cannons as Twilight covered him.

After that ship had been disarmed, they moved on to the other ships. They repeated the process of Twilight providing air support as Spike threw the cannons down to the island below. Whenever they would come across a ship that had its cannons sticking out of the sides of the ship, Twilight would telekinetically pull them out of the hull. Spike would cling to the side of the ships and use his draconic strength to rip the cannons out through the hulls, leaving the gunner dogs cowering in fear.

By the time they had finished disarming all of the ships, the Diamond Dogs had started to retreat. They started to fly back to Krazoa Island with black smoke coming out of the damaged engines

“Yeah, alright!” Spike cheered as he watched the vessels limp away.

“Great job you two,” congratulated Captain Pepper over the communication stone. “Now, head back to the ship. We’re preparing to land.”

“Here, thanks for the communication stone,” Twilight as she gave the device back to Slippy when she landed back onto the deck. The Great Fox touched down in the middle of the barren landscape. When Spike and his friends headed off the ship, they saw that Dragon Rock wasn’t as desolate as they thought. While the ground was hard and dry, there were trees with black trunks and purple and orange leaves. There were strange pod-like plants that had steam rising out them. In the distance, they saw smoke rising from a shorter volcano. From the way its walls were cracked open along both sides of the volcano, making it look like a maw full of sharp fangs, and from the smoke rising up from it, it looked like a great fire breathing monster sticking its head out of the ground. It even had an impression in its side that looked like an eye socket.

“I guess that must be Dragon Rock,” Spike said as he looked at the landmark.

“And look right next to it,” Twilight pointed out. Built into the side of the volcano was a fort. Unlike the other Diamond Dog bases, this one looked sturdy. It was surrounded by a high thick wall and there were cannon turrets mounted on the towers.

“Look out!” Tricky cried. Everyone jumped back as the trees shook as something approached them. Everyone took a combative stance and prepared to take on any Diamond Dog that might happen to be coming right at them. Spike clenched his fists, Applejack got ready to buck, and Twilight’s horn glowed with magic. To their surprise, an EarthWalker came through the trees. The gawked at the Triceratops for a second but then relaxed when they realized he was on their side.

“I thought I heard voices,” the dinosaur soldier said to them and then noticed Tricky. “Prince Tricky?! What are you doing in this dangerous place?!”

“We’re here to find the SpellStone!” the Prince EarthWalker explained.

“The SpellStone? Those mutts have it locked up in that fortress of theirs. My comrades and I came here to try and get it back, but we failed.”

“Yeah, we know. Your ThornTail friend told us all about it,” Spike told him.

“I am pleased to hear of his safety, but many of the others were not so fortunate. Many of us were wounded. Others…” the soldier grimly replied and they understood what he meant.

“That’s awful,” Fluttershy exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes. Applejack took off her hat in respect of the fallen and even Pinkie Pie’s smile turned into a frown.

“Come, I’ll take you to our camp.” They followed the EarthWalker to a nearby camp that was hidden from the dogs by a thick cluster of trees. There, they saw a bunch of wounded EarthWalkers. Fluttershy immediately sprung to their side and helped to clean and bind their injuries. “As you can see, we’re in a rough shape. They kept on bombing the forest from their airship trying to find us. We thought we were goners until a flying blue pony came and sabotaged their airships.”

“So it was Rainbow Dash who damaged their engines,” Twilight stated, confirming her earlier suspicions.

“Where is she now?” Applejack asked, not seeing her Wonderbolt friend among the EarthWalkers.

“I’m right here,” the heard a voice coming through the trees. They turned their heads to see the sky blue mare with the multicolored mane walking into the camp, walking only on three legs. Her right foreleg was tucked up against her body and it had a scrape running down it.

“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy gasped and then rushed to her side in order to treat her friend’s wound.

“Forget about it, Fluttershy. It’s just a scratch,” she told the yellow mare. She then addressed the rest of the group. “I did some reconnaissance, but I couldn’t find Spike anywhere. However, I did see that the Diamond Dogs have some prisoners locked up over there. What about you guys, did you find any clue on where Spike is?”

“Um, Dash,” Twilight said to her.

“What?” she asked, not noticing the purple dragon that was standing off to the side. Twilight pointed a hoof and Rainbow Dash followed it to see Spike smiling at her. She stared at him, looked him up and down, and then finally said, “Holy horseapples, you’ve got wings!”

The group gathered together and laughed as they formed a group hug. Of course, Rainbow Dash had a million questions for everyone. Fluttershy explained to her that she found Spike in CloudRunner Fortress, Spike told her how his wings grew in, and Twilight Sparkle told her that they have already reclaimed three of the SpellStones. Spike also told her that he had found Rarity and that he needed to find the Krazoa Spirits in order to save her.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get that SpellStone!” Rainbow Dash excitedly shouted.

“But how are we going to get inside the base?” one of the wounded soldiers asked. “They’ll see us coming.”

“Maybe they’ll see you guys, but we’re small enough to sneak inside,” she explained. “Besides, you guys aren’t going anywhere. You’re in no condition to fight.”

“She’s right,” Twilight said in support of Rainbow Dash’s claim. “You should stay here and rest. We’ll take care of it.”

“Um, I think I should stay here too,” Fluttershy announced. “I still need to finish taking care of their injuries. Um, if that’s okay with you.”

“Okay, Fluttershy. You can do that while we go,” Twilight said with a nod before turning back to Rainbow Dash. “Lead the way, Rainbow Dash.”

They trekked through the bristly forest until they came to a rock formation that ran along the wasteland’s floor to the fort. The rocks provided cover so that they were able to sneak up to the base of the fort’s wall unseen. Along the side of the fort, they found a crack between it and the volcano large enough to squeeze inside. Once they breached the wall, they saw that the dogs had tunneled into the volcano and had made its caverns their base.

“Which one do you think has the SpellStone?” Tricky whispered to Rainbow Dash.

“I don’t know. I couldn’t find it,” she answered.

“Then where are the prisoners?” Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash motioned to a large walled off cavern across the courtyard.

“But how are we going to get over there without being seen?” Tricky asked.

“Leave that to me,” Twilight declared. Her horned glowed with a magenta aura and a dome of magic surrounded them. “An invisibility spell. Now they won’t be able to see us, but be quiet and stay inside the dome.”

The five huddled around Twilight and walked with her as she carefully made her way to the prison at a steady pace. The Diamond Dogs scurried back and forth across the fort as the carried crates and boxes. Twilight would pause to let them by without them entering the circle and navigated around them. When they reached the prison’s door, they saw a guard sitting in front of it. After looking around to make sure no other dog was watching, Spike stuck his head out of the bubble and activated the dragon-spell.

“Open the door,” Spike commanded the guard. It nodded its head and unlocked the barred door.

“These are not the ponies you’re looking for,” Pinkie said as she also poked her head out of the bubble and waved a hoof in front of the dog before Applejack pulled her back by her tail.

“These are not the ponies I’m looking for,” the guard repeated to everyone’s surprise. Spike rolled his eyes and conked the guard on top of its helmet, knocking it out. Spike then propped up the dog to make it look like it was asleep.

Inside the large chamber, they saw a HighTop standing between four posts. Chains led down from the posts to the shackles around its neck. Off to the side was a tunnel with cells and cages. A giant bird cage with a CloudRunner hung from the roof of the tunnel. Twilight’s horn stopped glowing and the invisibility dome vanished. When the CloudRunner saw the four ponies, the dragon, and the dinosaur, he cawed and flapped his wings.

“Let me out of here!” he begged.

“Sshh, keep it down,” Spike told him as they ran over to the caged pterosaur. He saw a lever on the wall and pulled it down. The latch on top of cage released and the cage dropped from the ceiling. They cringed and ran up to the CloudRunner. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Thanks for helping me out,” the freed CloudRunner said to them as he shook off the broken pieces of the cage and stretched his wings. “Wait, ponies and a dragon? Hey, aren’t you friends of Rarity?”

When the CloudRunner asked them the question, they gave each other surprised looks and Spike asked, “How do you know Rarity?”

“My name’s Kyte. I helped her get onto General Scar’s Galleon,” he explained. “When we went to Krazoa Palace, I was captured by the Diamond Dogs. I’ve been stuck here ever since.”

“We need to find the SpellStone of Air,” Twilight explained to Kyte. “Do you know where they have hidden it?”

“My guess is that they’ve taken it deep with the caves, but this place is crawling with dogs. You’ll need a distraction.”

“I can help you there,” the chained up HighTop offered in his deep voice. “If you release me, I can bust out of this place and you can get it while they chase after me.”

“Are you sure?” Applejack asked. “Ah mean, it’ll be dangerous.”

“Don’t worry about me,” he told them. “I’ve been wanting to pay them back for a while now.”

They looked together with unsure glances, but then Twilight used her magic to undo the shackles around the large dinosaur’s neck. He sighed with relief as he rubbed his sore neck against a pillar.

“Ah, that feels so much better,” he said. “Come on, let’s bust out of here!”

“Woohoo! Jailbreak!” Pinkie Pie cheered in excitement.

On the perimeter wall of the base, some Diamond Dogs were on patrol. They looked across the rocky plains in search of the dinosaur soldiers. As they marched, they felt a tremor. Confused, they halted and looked around. They felt another thud that caused them to shake. More dogs ran barking out the tunnels in the volcano and into the courtyard, ready for an attack. When another tremor hit, they realized it was not coming from outside the wall, but from inside the base. A large crack appeared on the prison’s wall with another quake, and then the HighTop came bursting through it with a loud bellow! The dogs yipped in alarm and scattered as large pieces of the prison’s wall were showered across the courtyard. They jumped out of the way as the massive sauropod charged out of his holding cell while Pinkie Pie rode atop his back.

“All of your base are belong to us!” she cried as she shook her front hooves in the air for dramatic emphasis. The Diamond Dogs on the fort’s wall were sent flying as the HighTop broke through it, demolishing the cannon towers in the process. With their turrets destroyed and their large prisoner chasing after them, the Diamond Dogs fled from the base. Once the Diamond Dogs had flown away in an airship, Pinkie Pie slid down the tail of HighTop while cheering, “Yabba dabba doo!”

Rainbow Dash laughed and wrapped a hoof around her pink friend’s shoulders. “Ha ha! Pinkie, that was so radical!”

“Thanks for releasing us,” Kyte said as he hovered beside the HighTop.

“You’re welcome. You can find your friends in the trees over there,” Twilight told them. They thanked them again and then headed off to rejoin the other soldiers. Fluttershy then floated down and landed beside the group.

“Good gracious, what happened here?” she asked when she saw what remained of the wall. “I heard a loud noise coming from the base and though something terrible must have happened to all of you.”

“We’re fine, sugar cube,” Applejack eased her worries.

“You just missed a totally awesome escape,” Rainbow Dash told her.

“Now that the base has been cleared, we can go find that SpellStone,” Twilight announced. They looked up at the network of tunnels and tried to figure out which one to take. As they searched the rooms of the base, they came across stockpiles of weapons and cannon ammunition. In other rooms, they found crates of food and supplies. They even found some gems that the Diamond Dogs have already collected from the island, but no SpellStone.

When they reached the highest level of the base, they found a tunnel that went deep into the volcano. On the walls were torches to light the way. As they searched the rooms as went further down the tunnel, they felt it was getting hotter. At the end of the chamber, there was a larger room with desks, maps, tables, and tunnels leading to the other parts of the base. By the look of it, it was the command room of the base. General Scar must have used it to plan out his strategies when he was here. On the table in the middle of the room was a large yellow stone.

“There it is!” Tricky exclaimed. They all gathered around the table and Spike picked up the SpellStone of Air.

“Aw yeah!” Rainbow Dash cheered.

“This means we can finally put the island back together again!” Tricky announced.

“Let’s get it back to the Force Point Temple where it belongs,” Twilight said to everyone else. Spike placed the SpellStone under his arm and started to follow his friends out of the room. As Spike was about to leave, a large figure emerged from one of the tunnels and walked up behind him.

“Huh?” Spike felt something on his shoulder and looked back to see a large clawed hand grasping it. The claw spun him around and a fist collided against Spike’s jaw. The blow knocked the purple dragon down, sending the SpellStone of Air spinning across the floor. Spike rubbed his sore jaw, but as he looked up to see who his assailant was, they grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him into the wall. The impact caused Spike the crash through it and land in the crater of the volcano. Spike shook his head and looked over the ledge that he landed on to see the boiling magma below.

“Spike!” Twilight shouted as she and the others ran back down the tunnel to help him when they heard the noise. A wall of orange flames blocked the doorway of the war room, separating them from Spike and his attacker. Spike rolled over onto his back and saw a figure standing in the hole in the wall that he had made. Spike eyes widen and his mouth opened in disbelief. It was someone he hadn’t seen in years and wasn’t too anxious to meet again.

“Garble.”

Dueling Dragons

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” A larger teenaged dragon stood over Spike, sneering down at him as the purple dragon lay on the ledge inside the volcano. He had dark red scales with ear frills of a matching color. The plated scales of his underbelly were a pale gold and the webbing of his wings was amber. The webbed spines of his crest that ran down his head were orange as were the spikes that ran down his back and tail to the spade at the tip. From his mouth, large fangs protruded from his top jaw.

“What are you doing here?” Spike asked Garble. The red dragon snorted black smoke from his nostrils and stepped onto the ledge. When Spike had joined the dragon migration years ago to discover what it meant to be a dragon, he encountered Garble and his gang of roughhousing teenagers. At first, Spike wanted to prove that he was one of them, but then stood up to them when they threatened to smash a phoenix egg. That had made the red dragon angry. In his own words, no one said no to him. Luckily, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash had secretly followed Spike to make sure he didn’t get hurt. When the dragons threatened to harm Spike, the ponies came to his aid. Though they were willing to fight to defend the baby dragon, Spike made a wise decision and led the retreat.

“Some dog named Scar is paying me to keep this away from the dinosaurs.” Garble held up the yellow SpellStone in his claw.

“Hey, give that back!” As Spike tried to stand up, Garble brought his clawed foot down onto Spike’s torso, pinning him to the ground. The stomp of the foot onto his chest forced the air out of Spike’s lungs and he grunted and coughed as he slammed back down. Even though Spike had grown since they had last met, so had Garble. It wasn’t as drastic of a change as Spike’s. Over the past few years, the purple and green dragon had doubled in height while Garble only grew about a foot. However, Spike’s limbs were still lanky since he was still in the early years of being a teenaged dragon and Garble was already long pass the point Spike was at now when they had met the first time. The red dragon was two feet taller than Spike and his muscles were much more developed.

“When he told me you were the one causing him so much trouble, I couldn’t believe it,” Garble told Spike as he continued to press down with his foot. “How could the dragon that acted more like a pony possibly be a problem?”

“Get away from him!” Garble turned his head and saw five ponies with a small Triceratops running up behind him. He recognized the light purplish one with the pink stripe in her hair and the bluish one with rainbow hair. Seeing the five little ponies and the baby dinosaur trying to act tough was too much for him and he nearly doubled over laughing.

“Oh, what’s this? Spike, did your namby pamby pony pals come along because you were too scared to leave home by yourself?” Garble mocked as he looked back down at the dragon under his foot.

“We came because we’re his family! Now, get away from my son!” Twilight yelled at the red and orange dragon, her horn glowing.

“Yeah, leave him alone, you bully!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she hopped beside the angry Alicorn mother. This only caused Garble to laugh harder.

“Your son?!” Garble managed to say in between laughs. “Oh man, Spike. I also knew you were pathetic, but this brings it to a whole new level.”

“How dare you?!” Fluttershy shouted as she flew up into Garble’s face. She had been intimidated by the red teenager, but when she saw her friend was in trouble, she pushed aside her fear of dragons for the time being. Garble was taken aback when the little yellow pony started to fly in front of him and stared at him with her soul piercing eyes. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself! What gives you the right to…”

Whack!

“Fluttershy!” the group of on looking ponies cried when they saw the red dragon smack their friend with the back of his fist, sending her crashing onto the floor before them. They ran to her side and were relieved to see that she was okay. However, she was knocked senseless and there was a red mark across the side of her face. Tears of pain ran down her cheeks as she whimpered.

“That does it!” Rainbow Dash declared as she was about to charge the dragon that had hurt her friend, but before she or any of the others could do anything, Spike grabbed a hold of Garble’s foot by the toes and heel and twisted it. Garble let out a yell of surprise as he tripped and felled onto the ledge beside Spike. The purple dragon rolled onto the red one and slugged him across the snout. Before he could punch him again, Garble grabbed the flying fist and tried to push Spike off of him. As the two wrestle on the ledge, their trashing caused the ground beneath them to crack. The ledge crumbled and the two dragons fell to the magma below.

As they fell, Spike saw the SpellStone of Air falling beside him and reached for it. However, Garble punched Spike while he was distracted and grabbed the yellow gem for himself. He flapped his wings and stopped himself before he could take a lava bath. He grinned triumphantly at the stone in his claw and then looked back down to Spike. To his surprise, the purple dragon was flying up to him.

“Well look at you. Little Spike finally got his wings,” Garble stated, almost impressed with the younger dragon.

“Give that back, Garble!” Spike demanded as he flew up to the red dragon’s level.

“No, I don’t think I will,” sneered Garble. “In fact, I think I’ll keep it for myself. Once Scar gets what he wants and pays me, I’ll take this and the other three stones.”

“Don’t you know that this island will fall apart without the SpellStones?!” Spike asked in disbelief at the other dragon callousness. “Everyone here will die!”

“Yeah, so?” Garble said in complete apathy. Spike growled in anger then shot a green ball of dragonfire at Garble’s face. Since dragons are fireproof, the attack didn’t burn him, but the impact did knock his head back. Garble snarled in fury at Spike, but then smirked. “Okay, Spike. If you want it, come and get it.”

The red scaled teenaged dragon flew down a magma filled tunnel and Spike pursued after him. Garble would turn around midflight and mockingly wave the SpellStone at Spike. He would also shoot orange balls of dragonfire, knocking him back. The purple dragon growled in frustration and flapped his wings harder. However, Garble’s amber wings were more developed than Spike’s green wings. Each one were about as long as he was tall and Garble could remain airborne with a slow steady beat while Spike had to continuously flap to keep up.

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash ran to the broken ledge, ready to fly after the dragons, but backed up when they felt the intense heat coming from the magma chamber. As they turned their heads away from the inferno, Twilight said, “It’s too hot! We can’t fly in this heat!”

“Then what are we supposed to do?” Dash asked. “We can’t let Spike fight that guy by himself!”

Spike could feel the burn in his wings and he landed on a rock protruding from the tunnel’s wall. Exhausted, he panted in a desperate effort to catch his breath.

“What’s the matter, Spike? Tired already?” Spike looked up to the dragon that was hovering in the air above him, mocking him. “You know, this stone looks rather tasty. I might just eat it instead.”

Garble opened his maw and brought the SpellStone up to it as though he was about to take a big bite out of it. He then heard the sound of rocks crumbling and looked down to see that Spike had ripped the rock ledge from the wall of the tunnel. With a yell, Spike lobbed the boulder at Garble and it smacked into the red dragon. Garble grunted from the impact and dropped the SpellStone. Spike swooped down and caught it before it splashed into the molten rock. The boulder had sandwiched Garble into the tunnel’s wall, putting the dragon between a rock and a hard place. Garble snarled and pushed the boulder off of him and roared at Spike. He kicked off from the wall and chased after the dragon that had the SpellStone.

Spike was still tired from flapping his wings so hard, but the furious Garble was gaining on him. He flew around sharp turns, under stone arches, and around lava following into the river of magma in attempt to lose his pursuer, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t shake him. Looking ahead, he saw a low hanging arch. As he flew under the arch, he pounded against it with a fist, cracking it with his draconic strength. When Garble flew under the arch, Spike shot a fireball at it and caused it to collapse on him. The falling rocks trapped Garble underneath them, and he yelled in shock as they dragged him down into the magma

He looked behind him to see if the trap work, but couldn’t spot Garble anywhere. He turned around and flew backwards as he tried to locate him. Believing he gave Garble the slip, he hurried down the tunnel to the main magma chamber. Back at the ledge near the top, he saw his friends.

“I’ve got the SpellStone!” he called up to him. “Let’s hurry and get out of here before… whoa!”

As he was about to land on the platform, Garble had burst from the magma and shot up the volcano to grab Spike by his tail. Dripping with lava, he yanked the purple dragon down, causing Spike to throw the SpellStone of Air upwards. As it fell back down, Twilight caught it with her magic and looked down the throat of the volcano. “Spike!”

Garble dragged Spike by his tail as he flew down to the magma. He then threw Spike downwards, causing him to crash onto a rock island. As Spike tried to get back up, Garble dropped right on top of him.

“So, you want to play rough, do you?” he growled at the purple dragon he was standing on. He stepped off of him, grabbed his head, and slammed it into the rock.

“Just so you know,” he whispered into Spike’s ear frill. “After I kill you, I’ll take care of your ‘family’ as well, starting with your so-called ‘mother.’”

Hearing this, Spike’s pupil became narrow slits. With a roar of fury, he spun around and slashed Garble across the snout. The red dragon roar in pain and grasped his snout with his claws, blood dripping between his fingers. Garble turned his head and snarled at Spike, his pupils also razor thin slits. This was no longer a fight between two opponents, but a clash between two feral beasts.

Spike sped towards Garble and tackled him. He flew across the magma chamber with the red dragon and rammed him into the wall, causing a tremor. After hitting the wall, Garble raised his fists and brought them down onto Spike’s back. Spike landed on a ledge and Garble came down with a punch to the face.

Spike spat blood onto the platform and stood back up. Garble whirled around and whipped his spaded tail at Spike’s side. Spike caught the tail under his arm and used Garble’s momentum to spin him around and slam him into the wall. Spike then pinned his body against Garble’s and started punching him in the back. Garble roared and flared his wings, knocking Spike off of him. The red dragon spun around and whacked Spike across the face with his wings.

Disoriented, Spike stumbled a bit, giving Garble the opening to grab Spike from behind. He wrapped his strong arms around Spike’s chest, lifted him off the ground, and started to squeeze. Spike kicked his feet in the air and tried to break free of Garble’s grip, but couldn’t escape.

His vision started to go dark from the lack of air. Desperate, Spike opened his mouth and chomped down on one of Garble’s forearms. The red dragon roared in agony and relinquished his grip on Spike. The smaller dragon reached up, grabbed the larger one by the neck, and tossed him over his shoulder into the ground. Roaring with hatred, Spike pounced onto the other dragon.

From the ledge above them, Twilight and the others watched in horror as the two dragons slash, bite, and pounded into each other. They knew that Spike and faced many dangers and terrifying monsters when he was in Trotina. They knew he had slain Dracula not too long ago, but they never actually seen him in combat before. Twilight Sparkle watched as the son she raised from the time she hatched his egg slash and bite into another creature. Applejack watched as the little guy she once knew be replaced by a battle harden warrior. Pinkie Pie watched as the happy little dragon that used to laugh and smile roar and snarl with hatred. Rainbow Dash watched as her snarky and witty little buddy become filled with anger and rage. Fluttershy watched as the sweet innocent baby became what she feared most. They all watched and saw Spike for what he really was; a dragon.

Spike and Garble locked claws and tried to out-muscle each other. Spike tried to hold his ground, but the other dragon was much larger and stronger than he was. His arms wavered and he slid across the rocky ground, Garble bearing down on him. No matter how much he had grown, Garble was still physically superior than he was. His draconic strength and rage wouldn’t be enough to save him. He would have to outwit the larger dragon.

As Garble was starting to overpower him, Spike kicked Garble on the inside of his knee, buckling it. This caused Garble’s grip to loosen and Spike took advantage of it. He grabbed a wrist with both claws, pivoted around, and threw Garble head first into the ground. While Garble raised himself onto his knees, Spike came from behind him and lock his head in a sleeper hold. Spike pulled his arm closer to his body with his other claw, cutting of Garble’s air supply. The kneeling red dragon flailed his arm and his eyes started to roll back into his head. Soon, the flailing slowed and Spike kicked Garble in the back, sending him into the magma.

Spike seethed in hatred as he marched towards Garble. He wanted to tear him apart for what he had done. He had threatened to smash a defenseless phoenix egg all those years ago. Just now, he tried to kill him. He wanted to steal the SpellStones, dooming everyone on the island. He also threatened to kill his friends. He threatened to kill Twilight, Spike’s mother. This monster desired to die.

As he raised his claws to rip into the barely conscious Garble, he happened to catch something from the corner of his eye. He looked up and saw multicolored figures looking down at him. His pupils returned to normal as he looked at the horrified looks on his friends’ faces. He then looked at his raised claw and saw the blood on it. He then looked down at Garble, who was groaning as he floated in the magma.

No, not like this, he told himself. He concentrated as he summoned his dragon magic and then took a deep breath. Garble awoke when he felt something cold blow against his face. He opened his eyes and saw that Spike was cooling the magma with his frost breath and using his dragon magic to form the hardening magma into a rocky prison around his body. When he was finished, only Garble’s head stuck out of the rock. Garble may have been bigger and stronger, but Spike had a master to train him.

“Hey! Let me out of here!” Garble shouted as he struggled to break free.

“That will hold you for awhile,” Spike said as he stood over him. “Don’t worry; the rock should melt in a few hours.”

“You’re just going to leave me?” Garble asked in disbelief. To answer him, Spike turned his back on him and started to walk away. “Coward! If you were a real dragon, you would finish me off!”

“No Garble, I am a real dragon.” Spike stopped and looked over his shoulder. “I’m just not like you.”

Spike took off and landed on the platform which his friends were standing on. When he touched down, they backed off to give him space. He took a step forward and Fluttershy flinched as though she was about to take another step back. Spike looked at each of their faces and saw a mixture of worry and, to his dismay, fear. He then looked down in shame and saw the state his body was in. He was covered in scratches and bite marks. His face felt swollen and fatigue started to overcome him.

His knees began to wobble and he fell to his knees. He heard the clip clop of hooves and looked up to see the face of Twilight Sparkle right in front of his. She looked into his green eyes and offered him a sad smile. The others joined her and the all nuzzled against him. Twilight then put herself under his right arm and then the others joined her in supporting him. He then realized they weren’t afraid of him, they were afraid for him. He then looked at his friends and gave them all a grateful smile, and not just for lifting him up. They had just seen the worst side of him and yet they still remained his family. He finally succumbed to his injuries and passed out. They then carried him out of Dragon Rock and back to the Great Fox.

When Spike awoke, he was on the airship heading back to Krazoa Island. He felt a warmth covering his body that was accompanied by a magenta glow. He looked over and saw Twilight Sparkle sitting beside him. She was using her magic to heal his injuries. Fluttershy was sitting next to her with a bowl of water and some washcloths. He looked down at his scales and saw that they were clean. Apparently, Fluttershy had cleansed the blood from the battle from him while he was unconscious. He then saw the red mark on the yellow mare’s face and remember how Garbled had hit her.

“Are you okay?” he asked with concern, pointing to the mark.

“I’m fine, really” she reassured him while trying to hide the mark from his view with her long pink mane. She picked up the bowl and soiled rags and took them away.

“Are you okay is the better question,” Twilight said to him.

“Yes, I am. Thank you.” He then sat up, but Twilight placed a hoof on his chest.

“You should rest,” she told him. “The sun has just set and you need to recover your strength.”

Spike laid back down without any argument. Twilight gave his forehead a kiss and then went to talk with the rest of the team. He looked over and saw the SpellStone of Air. He had done it; he recovered all four of the SpellStones. Krazoa Island was saved. Now all that remained was finding the remaining Krazoa Spirits and free Rarity from her prison.

The Test of Knowledge

It was still in the early hours of the morning when Spike awoke. He was still on the Great Fox and he could see Twilight and the others asleep on the floor of the command deck. Spike stood up and went to the window. As he walked, his muscles ached from the battle yesterday. Though Twilight had healed his wounds, he would be sore for awhile. Outside, he could see the sun rising over Cape Claw. They had landed right outside of the Ocean Force Point Temple. Spike went over and picked up his backpack. He groaned as he the muscles in his shoulder and back throbbed as he bent over to pick it up.

“Spike?” He turned around to see Twilight raising her head and blinking sleepily at him. She yawned and stood up. “What time is it?”

“Sunrise,” he told her as he placed the SpellStone of Air his bag. Twilight rubbed the sleep from her eyes and they proceeded to rouse the others. Applejack awoke with no problem. Living on a farm meant waking up at the crack of dawn was the norm. Rainbow Dash and Tricky were a little more difficult to get up. Even though she had to wake up early for Wonderbolts training, she didn’t have to like it.

“Come on, Tricky. Time to get up,” Spike said to his dinosaur companion.

“I don’t wanna get up,” the youngster complained, still in dreamland.

“The sooner we return the SpellStone, the sooner you can see your dad again.” This got the EarthWalker’s attention and he sprang onto his four feet.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” he cheered. As they walked off the airship, they stopped to take in the view. The sun hadn’t made it over the rise of the inlet’s walls yet, but they could see the shimmering reflection of the yellow sun on the sea to the south. It was calm and the only thing they could hear was the gentle sound of the waves washing up on the shore and the song of morning birds.

“Well ain’t that a purdy sight?” Applejack stated as she looked out over the beach.

“It’s so lovely,” Fluttershy agreed. Spike looked over to eastern bank of the inlet saw that the Diamond Dogs had cleared out. General Scar’s plot had been foiled. The SpellStones had been recovered, the tribes of dinosaurs had been freed, and the Diamond Dogs have been driven from tribes’ lands.

“If you think that’s something, wait until you see the Ocean Force Point Temple.” Spike was right; the seaside temple was a sight to behold. From the magic pillars made from enchanted water on the outside to the décor of the interior, the ponies were spellbound by the beautiful sanctuary. They admired the stained glass windows, the blue and aqua tiles, clear pools of water, and pillars.

Spike and Tricky led them across the electrified floor tiles, showing them the correct combination. The ponies followed them along the correct path, but Rainbow Dash just flew over it. Once inside the inner sanctum of the temple, they swam across the pools of water and walked down the halls to the stairs that took them up to the terrace. After they had looped back around to the second chamber, they walked across the bridge to the central platform and stood around the yellow altar. Using the yellow SpellStone and Tricky’s status of a royal dinosaur, they warped to the Force Point.

They stood around the central platform and Spike pulled out the final SpellStone. They all held their breath in anticipation as the SpellStone of Air was slid into place in the yellow framed slot on the pillar. The gem glowed yellow as it absorbed the remainder of the vortex of magical energy rising from the abyss. With the SpellStones of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air in their proper places, the powerful surge of energy was held back and no longer was ripping the island apart.

“Yeah!” Spike cheered and they all laughed in victory.

“We did it, Spike!” Tricky exclaimed as he excitedly hopped up and down on the platform.

“Guys, guys!” Spike called to the Star Fox Team using his communication stone. “Are you seeing this? Mission complete!”

They all waited… and nothing happened. They all looked around confused. They had expected to feel something or at least hear something. Surely giant pieces of earth landing back down on the surface would make some sort of sound.

“This that it? Did it work?” Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered in the air.

“What’s going on?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Are they broken or something?”

“We’ve placed all of the SpellStones where they belong. That should have worked,” Twilight Sparkle said to them.

Peppy’s head then appeared over the communication stone. “There must be more to it. Maybe we should speak with the Queen EarthWalker again.”

“Oh, come on. Let’s get back to the Hollow,” Spike said with disappointment. When they flew back to ThornTail Hollow, they were greeted by the orange and purple Triceratops Queen. Since the Diamond Dogs were no longer a threat, she had emerged from her security bunker and was standing outside with the ThornTail Guardian.

“Spike, something is not right,” the Queen said to the purple dragon when the group exited the airship. “The Walled City has not yet returned to the island. My husband is still stuck up there. You did return all the SpellStones.”

“Of course, but… wait!” Spike suddenly remembered an important detail. “The Krazoa! They must have something to do with it!”

“You’re right,” the Queen agreed. “Maybe they are needed to put the island back together again.”

“We need to find the remaining Krazoa,” Twilight declared and then pulled out her maps. Her purple eyes scanned over the scrolls in a hurry, then came to a stop when she noticed something. “Hey, take a look at this!” They all huddled around her and saw that she was pointing to the blueprints of the royal palace in the Walled City. On top of the step pyramid was a room. The blueprints didn’t reveal any details about it unlike the rest of pyramid, but it was marked with the six pointed mark of the Krazoa.

“That must be a Krazoa Shrine,” Spike said when he saw the symbol.

“Indeed it is,” the Queen confirmed. “I don’t know too much about it, but perhaps the King might.”

“Yeah, let’s go see Dad!” Tricky said, anxious to see his father again. Just as they were about to board the airship again, Spike noticed his communication stone was glowing gold again. He hesitated and looked back in the direction of his master’s cave. “Come on, Spike! I want to see my dad again!”

“Hurry up, Spike. Let’s go,” Rainbow Dash called from the ship.

“Just a second, I’ll be right back,” he said as he started to head in the other direction.

“Where do you think he’s going?” Twilight asked the others.

“When you gotta go, you gotta go,” Pinkie Pie shrugged, thinking Spike had to use the little dragons’ room.

“Well, just hurry up so we can go!” Twilight called after Spike as he ran across the valley. The purple dragon entered the cave to the north and climbed down the fissure to the lair of the dark gold dragon. In its massive claw was a tapestry. When he heard the tinkling of gold and gems being shifted as Spike landed on a pile of treasure, the master dragon looked at his student with his glowing green eyes.

“You have done well, Spike the Purple,” the elder dragon complimented as he looked back at the tapestry that he was holding. “You have utilized the lessons that I have taught you and defeated a dragon older and stronger than yourself. You have also recovered the last of the SpellStones. I am proud of you.”

“What’s that?” Spike asked, pointing to the tapestry. The master laid it before Spike so that he could see the image of a stallion prince facing a unicorn princess with hearts in their eyes. The image looked familiar to the teenaged dragon and he tried to recall where he had seen it before. “I know that picture. It’s the story of Hearts and Hooves Day.”

“What do you know of that event?” the master tested the knowledge of his pupil.

“I know it got started because of a love potion that was more of a love poison.” Spike then chuckled as he remembered a certain Hearts and Hooves Day. “One year, some friends of mine made it and tried to hook up their teacher with one of their brothers. It was a mess.”

“I would imagine so,” the gold dragon agreed. “Go on.”

“Um, let me think. The love potion was made by some prince and gave it to a princess he liked. They became so lost in each other’s eyes, they couldn’t do their jobs.”

“Do you know anything else?”

“Uh… Oh, the poison wears off if they don’t see each other for an hour.”

“I meant about the princess and the prince,” the master clarified.

“Only there was something about a dragon, their kingdoms falling apart, and chaos was everywhere, but I don’t know what happened to the prince and princess. I guess everything turned out okay and they lived happily ever after.”

“No, they did not,” the old dragon corrected Spike. “I know, because I was there. You may know that before the reign of Celestia and Luna, the three tribes of ponies lived in their own nations and had uneasy truce between them.”

“I know this one. This is the Hearth Warming Story,” Spike said. “It wasn’t until Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead untied their tribes to form one kingdom, Equestria.”

“That is correct, but this was before then,” the master explained. “Long before the unification of the ponies, a prince of the Pegasus Nation met a princess of the Unicorn Kingdom during one of the meeting of the three clans. Her coat was like red velvet, her mane was like golden strains of sunlight, her eyes sparkled like flawless emeralds, and her cutie mark was of a red rose.” The aged wyrm had a faraway look in his eyes and smiled dreamily as his recalled the nostalgic memories. “Her name was Princess Fiore Rossa, or Rose to her friends.

“When the Pegasus Prince saw her, he became infatuated and tried to woo her. She was repulse by his attempt and not because of the strained relationships between the two clans. She saw through him and could see only lust in his heart for he only cared for her beauty. She spurned his affections and returned to her kingdom. He vowed that she would be his and concocted a potion to make her fall madly in love with him. He took a tuft of cloud, the glow of a rainbow, and stirred it with one of his feathers.

“He then went to the palace of the Unicorns in a feign attempt to apologize and offered to share a drink with her. They both drink the potion, but his plan backfired. He too was affected by the potion and they both lost their senses and forgot about everything else but each other. For days, they continued to stare into the eyes of one another. When the prince failed to return to his palace, the Pegasi believed that the Unicorns had taken their prince prisoner and declared war.

“As the two clans fought, the prince and princess were too distracted to care about the conflict around them or resolve it. They did not even notice when a young dragon came to lay siege upon the castle. The dragon snatched up Rose and flew away with her to his lair, planning to hold her for ransom and then eat her anyway after they had paid him. To the irritation of the dragon, the Princess thrashed about uncontrollably for an hour, crying out, not in terror, but for the prince. She did not even realize that she had been kidnapped or noticed the dragon.

“After an hour had passed, the enchantment wore off and she came to her senses, much to the relief of the dragon.” The master dragon then chuckled a bit. “He did not know how much more he could take her insufferable cries. Once she realized where she was and what was happening, she pleaded for mercy from the dragon. The dragon was confused by her sudden change of behavior and asked her why she was no longer pining for her ‘beloved’ prince. She told him that she had no idea what he was talking about nor remembered how she came to be in his lair. She also claimed she wanted nothing to do with the horrid prince.

“The dragon was amused by the situation and began to discover that he enjoyed the company of the princess. Since she was now herself again, he found that she was very polite and friendly for somepony that was a hostage. Her compassionate personality and charitable nature soften the heart of the dragon and he lost all desire to harm her. Rose even came to find herself warming up to the dragon and they became friends.

“Meanwhile, the war continued and the prince also came to his senses. When he found himself in the dungeons of the Unicorn palace, he accused them of kidnapping him and the Unicorn King accused him of sending the dragon to kidnap his daughter. The Unicorn King then sent his knights, led by the elder brother of the princess, to rescue the princess from the lair of dragon. When they had arrived, they were shock to find Rose unharmed, laughing and conversing pleasantly with the dragon. Though he wanted her to stay, she had to return to her kingdom and resolve the conflict.

“She explained to the angry Pegasi what had happened and what the prince had done. The prince had shamed himself before his clan and they removed him from the throne. The commander of the Pegasi army took over and their nation fell under martial law for generations until the three tribes united.

“Even though things returned to normal for the Unicorn Kingdom, Princess Rose began to miss her new friend. She would sneak out of the castle to go visit him. The dragon would be elated to see her again and would welcome her to his home. As time went on, they fell in love and, to the shock of the Unicorns, the princess conceived a child with the dragon. Enraged, the king disowned his daughter and vowed to slay the dragon. Rather than to see her family and her love fight each other, she convinced the dragon to run away with her and their unborn child. Though heartbroken for having to leave her family behind her, she and her dragon shared a happy life together.”

The old dragon with golden scales grew silent as he finished the full story of what really happened during the first Hearts and Hooves Day. Spike looked at the stitched profile of Princess Fiore Rossa on the tapestry and asked, “You’re the dragon from the story, aren’t you?”

“Yes Spike, I am,” the master somberly answered.

“But that was thousands of years ago.”

“And only a few of them were spent with her,” the gold dragon told Spike. “But I would not trade them for all the treasure in the world.”

“What happened to her?” Spike asked, though he felt he already knew the answer.

“The same thing that happens to all mortals; time took its toll,” the wyrm responded. “She grew older and older until her time came.”

“And what of your child?”

“He was the most precious thing to us. He was a child that the world has rarely ever seen; a child that was both Unicorn and dragon.”

“A kirin,” Spike whispered and his master nodded in confirmation. Just the other week, he went out to dinner with Rarity. During the date, his marefriend told him that she discovered that dragons could reproduce with just about any creature due to their magical nature, though it was very rare. Even though it was still hard to do, unicorns had a better chance since they also had a strong connection to magic.

“You once asked me why I was helping you,” the old dragon said to Spike. “When I first met you, I sensed something within you that I had not felt myself in ages; love. Your love for Rarity reminded me of my love for Rose. Though she is long gone, I know she would have wanted me to help you. Spike the Purple; I am no longer your master. You have learned everything I have to teach you. Go now and save the one you love.”

“Thank you for everything you have done for me,” Spike said with a humble bow and then started to fly out of the lair.

“Spike, one more thing,” the gold dragon called after him. Spike stopped at the fissure and looked back. “You also asked me what my name was. Aurum; my name is Aurum.”

“Goodbye, Aurum,” Spike bid the ancient wyrm farewell.

“Goodbye, Spike.”

The Great Fox soar through the sky as it headed back to the Wall City. Spike sat silently and thought about the tale his former teacher had shared with him. The others noticed his quiet demeanor and wondered what had happened while he was gone.

When the airship had landed, the EarthWalkers had gathered to greet their rescuers. They bellowed in applause as they marched down the streets of the city towards the royal palace. Waiting for them at them base of the stairs was the King Earthwalker.

“My friends, on behalf of Krazoa Island, I thank you for returning the SpellStones to their rightful place,” the King declared to them.

“For what good it did,” Spike said sarcastically. “If you didn’t notice, you’re still stuck up here on this floating rock.”

“By removing the SpellStones, Scar caused our island to fall apart. Returning the stones has stopped the flow of magic energy,” the King explained.

“But we need to put the island back together somehow,” Rainbow Dash told the King.

“The maps we have show that there is a Krazoa Shrine atop of the palace,” Twilight explained

“The Queen said that you might know something about it,” Pinkie Pie relayed what the Queen EarthWalker had told them.

“Hhmm… it seems as though the power of the Krazoa is needed to return our floating lands back to the surface,” King surmised.

“Seems like we both have our reasons for finding the last of the spirits,” Spike said, referring to his mission to save Rarity.

“Go to the top of the palace,” the King instructed as he stood aside of the stairs of the pyramid. “There, you will find a Krazoa Shrine.”

“Okay, I’ll go and get. I’ll be back soon,” he said as he ran up the stairs.

“In the mean time, how about a tour of the city?” the King offered the group of five mares and three stallions.

“Oh, yes please,” Twilight eagerly accepted. “I’ve wanted to learn more about your temples of the sun and moon.”

As Tricky’s father led the ponies to the temples, Spike reached the shrine atop of the stairs and stood on the glowing yellow altar to teleport to the Krazoa Shrine. The first of the trap filled corridors the purple dragon came across had a floor switch that activated the gate on the other side. There was a chasm with powerful air currents rising out of it to form a bridge made of whirlwinds. The standard trap fire jets that shot out in intervals lined the walls. Spike could easily fly across the pit, but he wanted the experience of literally walking on air. He stepped over the side of the pit and he was lifted up by the current.

“This is so cool,” he laughed as he floated from one current to the other, not minding the flames.

The next corridor had a bridge spanning over a pit with fire bursting from grates on the bridge in intervals. Spike simply walked across the bridge through the flames to the last hall. The third corridor had another pit, but there were circular platforms rising up from it with airlifts connecting them. On the platforms were spinning fire jets. On the floor at the beginning of the hall was another pressure pad. Spike stepped on it and then flew to the other side.

Entering the final chamber, he found the Krazoa Spirit waiting for him. As far as Spike could tell, there weren’t any stone warriors waiting to fight him. Spike approached the floating spirit that had ethereal tendrils floating from the back of its mask-like form.

“Welcome to the Test of Knowledge,” greeted the blue and purple glowing being. “Correctly answer the questions I ask you. If you succeed, I will become yours to return to the Krazoa Palace. Do you accept?”

“Yes,” Spike accepted the challenge.

“Then let us begin,” the spirit started the test. “What are the two ruling tribes of Krazoa Island?”

“The EarthWalkers and the CloudRunners,” Spike answered.

“Correct. Which SpellStones are guarded by which tribe?”

“Um, let’s see…,” Spike thought aloud. “The SnowHorns guard Earth, CloudRunners guard Water, EarthWalkers guard Fire, and I guess the ThornTails guard Air.”

“Correct. Where are the Force Point Temples located?”

“Moon Mountain Pass and Cape Claw.”

“Correct. Why does the EarthWalker Tribe dwell in the Walled City?”

“To make sure the RedEyes stay in their territory.”

“Correct. What is the origin of the name ‘Dragon Rock?’?”

“Because the volcano there resembles a dragon head breathing fire.”

“Correct. Final question; what are the four sacred lands where the SpellStones were forged?”

“DarkIce Mines, CloudRunner Fortress, the Walled City, and Dragon Rock.”

“Correct. You have passed,” the Krazoa announced and then entered into Spike’s body. Well done. I will remain in your body until you release me back in Krazoa Palace.

“Okay, but now I have a question for you,” Spike said to the spirit in his head.

And what would that be? the Krazoa asked.

“Where is the final Krazoa Shrine?” Spike asked.

The voice in his head was silent for a moment but then finally spoke. The final Krazoa Shrine is located in CloudRunner Fortress, but I cannot sense of the Krazoa there.

“Huh? Then where is it?”

I sense it is at Krazoa Palace.

“You mean someone else has already released it back into the palace?” Spike excitedly asked.

No, it is there at the palace, but has not been released. I sense a darkness surrounding it. I fear it is in danger. Fly your airship just north of where Dragon Rock is supposed be located to find Krazoa Palace and recover the final Krazoa Spirit.

After returning to the Walled City, Spike flew from the pyramid and found the tour group in front of the Temple of the Sun. As the King was explaining the significance of the symbols and carvings, the ponies listened intently. Spike noticed the red pyramid was decorated with golden suns that looked very familiar.

“Hey guys, I’m back!” he called as he landed behind them.

“Oh, Spike look at this,” Twilight said as she pointed to the sun symbol. “My theory was correct; the architecture of the Walled City was influenced by ponies from the Early Classical Era. You see, that’s Princess Celestia’s cutie mark and the temple of the moon has Princess Luna’s cutie mark.”

“That’s neat and all, but we’ve gotta go!” Spike urgently told them. “I have the Krazoa Spirit and the last one is already at the palace. The spirit says the other one is in trouble!”

“Then what are we waiting for? To the ship!” ordered Captain Pepper. As they started to run towards to the ship, Spike noticed Tricky was torn between following after them and staying there with his father.

“Hold up guys,” Spike called to ponies before walking over to Tricky. “This is it, Tricky. After this, it’ll be over.”

“Yeah, I know,” the Prince said, hesitant to leave his father again.

“Say, why don’t you stay here with your father?” Spike suggested with a smile.

“Really?!” Tricky asked hopefully.

“Sure. I mean, we already returned all the SpellStones. You’ve done your part, and now it’s time for me to finish mine.”

Tricky smile then faded a little and he said, “I know you’re right, Spike. It’s just…”

“Yeah, I know. I’m gonna miss you too.” The others then came up and stood beside Spike.

“Without your help, this mission would have failed,” Captain Pepper told the Prince. “So, in honor of your bravery; Prince Tricky, EarthWalker, you are now an honorary member of the Star Fox Team.” Captain Pepper, Peppy, Slippy, and Spike saluted the young Triceratops and the five mares also saluted him.

“Dad, did you hear that?! Me, a member of Star Fox!” Tricky then looked over to the Great Fox. “Do I get my own airship?”

Everyone laughed and Spike looked back as he followed the ponies to the ship. “I’ll come to visit you soon.”

“Just don’t make it too long, okay?” Tricky called after him. As the airship headed south from the Walled City, they saw dark rain clouds over a mountain. Due the perpetual downpour, Spike knew that Krazoa Palace must be located there.

“Look at this,” Twilight said as she looked over a map. “Krazoa Palace, Moon Mountain Pass, LightFoot Village, SnowHorn Wastes, the Walled City, and CloudRunner Fortress; they form the six points of the crest of the Krazoa. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.”

“But why isn’t the last spirit in its shrine?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I guess we’re about to find out.” The ship landed on the roof of the palace and everyone headed out. On the roof, they saw a giant Krazoa statue overlooking a platform with a spinning mechanism. They ran up the ramp to the platform to see Rarity frozen inside giant crystal with the other four Krazoa Spirits circling the sleeping unicorn.

“Is she okay?” Fluttershy worriedly asked as she watched her unconscious friend.

“She will be alright as soon as I release all of the spirits,” Spike answered. “Stay with her as I go release this Krazoa.”

“Don’t you worry, Rarity,” Pinkie Pie said to the sleeping unicorn as Spike headed inside. “You’ll be out before you know it.”

The Krazoa Spirit within Spike led the dragon to the second level of the rotunda. There, Spike found a doorway that took him down a hallway to an outside balcony that overlooked the island to the west. On the opposing side of the balcony was a Krazoa Sanctuary. Spike knelt down on the glowing white altar and groaned as he released the spirit into the Krazoa Face protruding from the rippling mirror on the wall. Once the Krazoa entered the statue, its eyes glowed and mouth opened as the spirit joined the others around Rarity’s crystal.

“Well look at that,” Applejack exclaimed when she saw the fifth spirit appear. “Ah guess this means Spike’s released it.”

“Yes, but where’s the final spirit?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

Back on the balcony a few floors down, Spike stood up from the altar and started to head to the doorway that led back inside the palace. He came to a halt when Rover, Fido, and Spot walked through the doorway and blocked his path.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Spike,” the purple dragon heard a voice say to him. General Scar then landed on the balcony behind him and Spike turned around to face the Doberman. Scar’s red amulet that resembled a claw or a fang emitted a black, purple, and green aura of dark magic and a curved blade of jagged obsidian formed in the leader of the Diamond Dogs’ paw. “You may have returned the SpellStones, but the war is not over yet. Now, you must face me!”

Spike's Adversary

With a yell, General Scar leaped into the air and brought his black crystalline blade down towards the dragon. Spike flapped his wings and sprung backwards from the attack. The sword struck against the tiled floor of the balcony and the overgrown Doberman growled. Immediately, he dashed towards the dragon and tried to slash at his scaly stomach. Spike parried the swing and then another, but the dog was relentless. He then swiped at Spike’s head with the two hooks that replaced his left paw. As Spike sidestepped the hooks, he grabbed a hold of Scar’s left wrist and used the General’s momentum against him to pull him into Spike’s right fist.

Scar staggered backwards as Spike nailed him across the scarred left side of his face. He snarled in anger and raised his sword over his head. It charged with dark magic and then sliced the air in front of him to unleash a wave of black, purple, and green energy. Spike raised his crossed arms to shield himself from the bolt of energy and the attack struck him, pushing him back. Dragon’s had a natural resistance to magic, but Spike could feel the sting of the crackling energy against the back of his arms. Whatever magic Scar had obtained, it was powerful.

In retaliation, Spike took a breath and unleashed a torrent of emerald flames at his enemy. Scar’s talisman crackled with dark magic and he raised his sword to the sky. A wall of black crystals materialized from the floor in front of him and blocked the dragonfire. With another swipe of the sword, the crystal barrier shattered and the shards floated in the air. Scar laughed and thrust his sword forward. The black shards launched themselves at Spike, who rolled out of the way. He hopped back onto his feet and ran across the balcony as long spears of dark crystals were imbedded in the wall behind him.

Taking the offensive, the purple dragon leaped at the General with his claws extended. Scar held out his sword to block the attack, but Spike’s claws that were made for digging up gems combined with his draconic strength shattered the crystalline sword. As Scar staggered back from the force of the impact and from the surprise of his weapon being broken, Spike crouched down and used his wings as a boost as he sprang up in a rising uppercut. Spike’s fisted claw connected with Scar’s bottom jaw, sending the dictator flying backwards.

Scar landed on his back with a grunt. He raised himself up and rubbed his aching jaw. He then snarled at Spike as his eyes glowed green and red. A purple aura emitted from the sides of his eyes and he stood back up. His body started to raise itself up from the ground and hovered over the balcony. The red talisman around his neck continuously crackled with dark magic and a black vapor started to rise of his body like smoke. Scar then raised his paw in the air and the aura of the dark magic began to build over it.

Seeing Scar charging an attack, Spike decided to fight magic with magic. He concentrated and summoned his dragon magic. He waited as the orb of dark magic over Scar’s paw grew bigger and bigger. With a mad shout, Scar lobbed the orb at Spike. He laughed manically as the ball of evil magic sped towards the dragon. Just as the attack was about to reach Spike, he casted the spell and a translucent dome of green energy surrounded him. Scar let out a cry of confusion as his attack bounced off of the shield and then yelled in surprise as his own dark orb was reflected back at him. The attack struck the floating General and he shouted in agony as the dark energy surged through his body like a bolt of lightning.

Scar landed on his paws and knees and panted from pain and exhaustion. However, he was determined not to be defeated. He raised his head towards Spike and the dragon saw that his eyes were blazing an even brighter green and red. The dark vapor that was rising out of his body intensified until the General became a walking silhouette. The only detail Spike could see on his pitch black body was his eyes.

The walking shadow moved in a blur and rammed his shoulder into Spike with alarming speed. The attack knocked Spike over and Scar reached down to grab him by the neck. Spike gagged and chocked as Scar lifted him up with one arm. Scar glared up into Spike’s eyes with hatred and raised his hooked paw. Since Spike’s throat was being restricted, he couldn’t breathe fire in the Doberman’s face. Instead, he thought fast and whipped his spaded tail right between Scar’s legs, exploiting every male’s weak spot. The dog’s eyes bulged as a paralyzing pain seized his body and he dropped the dragon. Scar fell to his knees as he held his wounded pride.

With Scar kneeling at his feet, Spike proceeded to use his head as a punching bag. Each blow rattled the dog’s head and disoriented him. Blow after blow, Spike pummeled General Scar until he saw he was about to fall over. The dragon when grabbed the dizzy dog by the shoulders and head butted him, knocking the General’s horned helmet off his head. It clattered onto the tiled floor and rolled away. Spike then kicked Scar to the ground and watched as he groaned while holding his sore head.

“You think that you have won,” Scar growled as stood back up, staggering a bit. “But I can’t be defeated. Now, you will see the true power of the talisman. Prepare to die!”

“Stop!” a gravelly voice boomed. “Scar, you are no longer of any use to me.”

Spike, Scar, and three Diamond Dogs that were watching the fight looked around to see who had spoken. However, they didn’t see anyone else on the balcony. General Scar then addressed the mysterious voice. “Who are you? I demand you show yourself!”

The curved red talisman then floated by itself and flew off from around Scar’s neck. As it left him, the dark aura of evil magic also left Scar, returning him to normal and rendering him powerless. “I am the one you brought to Krazoa Island. When you discovered me in the frozen north, you thought I was a mere charm that granted you magic powers.”

“I don’t understand,” Scar said to floating object. To be fair, neither did Spike.

“No, I did not think you would,” the gravelly voice said contemptuously to the confused dog. “Your desire for power overwhelmed and blinded you to the truth inside. Now, give Spike what he is looking for. Give him the final Krazoa Spirit!”

“You will regret this,” Scar threatened and then groaned as the purple and blue form of a Krazoa emerged from his body. The strain from the spirit leaving his body combined with the beating he had received from Spike took its toll and the Doberman passed out. When he did, all traces of the dark magic he had once possessed vanished and the three Diamond Dogs’ eyes flashed green and red for a second. They stumbled about and held their heads as though they all had very bad headaches.

“Ow… my head…” Rover complained.

“What happened?” Spot asked. They then looked at the fallen General.

“He don’t have magic necklace anymore” Fido stated. “Does this mean we’re free?”

“I think so,” Rover replied. Spike saw that with Scar defeated, whatever spell he had used to brainwash the Diamond Dogs had apparently ended. He knew something wasn’t right about their behavior. Diamond Dogs may have been greedy, but they wouldn’t go out of their way to start a war.

“So, who is the boss now?” Spot asked to which Rover smacked him in the back of the head. “Ow!”

“I am!” Rover claimed. The Krazoa Spirit then floated pass them to Spike.

“It was in him all this time,” Spike as to himself as the Krazoa hovered before him. He then thought about the red talisman and its dark voice. “But that voice… I recognized it from somewhere.”

The Krazoa Spirit then entered into Spike and floated a bit as he was caught up in its ethereal energy. When he landed, he looked around from the talisman, but it was nowhere to be seen. What was it? How did it have those dark powers? To what end was it using Scar?

Well done, the Krazoa said inside his head. The final sanctuary is on the roof. Spike then ran through the doorway and headed back to the roof of Krazoa Palace. Once there, he saw his friends were still waiting by Rarity’s crystal prison.

“Did you find it?” Twilight Sparkle asked him.

“I did,” he confirmed. “General Scar had it, but I took care of him. It turns out the amulet he had was the one that was really in control and it was brainwashing the Diamond Dogs.”

“An amulet? What kind of amulet?” Twilight asked, troubled by this piece of information.

“It wasn’t the Alicorn Amulet, was it?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“No, but it did grant Scar magic powers and corrupted him like the Alicorn Amulet,” Spike explained.

“What did it look like?” the lavender Alicorn asked.

“It was red and it looked like a claw or a fang,” Spike answered.

“Hhmmm… That doesn’t sound like any magical amulet or charm that I ever heard of,” Twilight stated.

“And the weird part was it started talking and floated away,” Spike told them.

“Now that is weird,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “What kind of necklace talks?”

“It sounds dangerous,” Fluttershy commented. “Maybe we should try to find it before it hurts someone else.”

“It’ll have to wait. Right now Spike needs to get the last Krazoa Spirit back in its place so they can fix the island,” Applejack said to the group.

“She’s right,” Spike agreed. “The Krazoa said the sanctuary is up here somewhere.”

They spread out and searched the rooftop. They then spotted it on the base of the platform on the opposite side as the first sanctuary that Spike had used to release a Krazoa Spirit. Spike knelt down on the glowing white altar and released the spirit into it. The Krazoa statue’s eyes glow and its mouth open. From the bowels of the palace, the Krazoa Spirit rose up and joined the others in circling Rarity’s crystal.

“Woohoo, you did it Spike!” Pinkie Pie cheered as they walked up onto the platform. They watched as all six of the Krazoa Spirit started to spin around the rotating mechanism faster. Something wasn’t right. They had expected the magic barrier to be lowered and Rarity’s prison to be removed, but the Krazoa just kept on circling.

“What’s going on? You said this would save her!” Spike shouted at the Krazoa. Then one of them launched themselves into the crystal and entered Rarity’s body. The alabaster Unicorn mare inside cringed as though she was in pain. “No!”

Spike and the five ponies rushed up to the barrier and started pounding against it. Another spirit entered into Rarity and she cringed again. Spike slashed at the crystal as Twilight tried blasting it with her horn. Applejack bucked it with her hind legs and Rainbow Dash flew into it. No matter what they did, the prison wouldn’t break and two more Krazoa Spirits entered into the imprisoned unicorn. When the last two spirits entered Rarity’s body, her eyes open and they shone with a brilliant purple light. Her horn then glowed with her magic and a bright purple and blue beam of energy shot out of her horn. The powerful surge of energy struck the giant Krazoa Spirit statue that overlooked the roof of the palace and absorbed it. Rarity’s eyes stopped glowing and closed once more as she slumped against the walls of her crystalline prison. The eyes and the gem in the center of the statue’s head started to glow white.

“Rarity!” they all cried out to her.

“Wake up! Wake up!” Spike pleaded. The white mare’s eyelids fluttered and then snapped open. The gyros and the apertures of the mechanism began to spin out of control and then burst apart, sending pieces of metal flying everywhere. Everyone ducked to avoid being hit by the remains of the device and then looked back up to see that the crystal prison was vanishing. The crystal had been suspended over an opening in the roof by a purple magical beam of light, but with the barrier down, Rarity started to fall. She screamed as she fell down to the rotunda of the palace, but then felt something catch her. She opened her eyes and looked up to see that she was in the arms of a certain purple dragon.

“Spike?!” she gasped in a combination of confusion, surprise, and joy. Even more to her surprise, they were flying. Spike landed back on the roof and gently set her down. Once her hooves were safely planted on solid ground once more, she looked up at the dragon that had rescued her. They stared into each other’s eyes, not knowing what to say to one another. As she started to open her mouth to say something, a pink flash suddenly attached itself to her neck.

“Rarity! You’re okay!” Pinkie ecstatically shouted as she cried tears of joy.

“Yes, Pinkie, but do you mind? I can’t breathe!” Rarity managed to wheeze out.

“Oops, sorry,” Pinkie Pie apologized as she loosened her grip. Rarity then found herself in the middle of a group hug as Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, and even Rainbow Dash joined Pinkie in embracing the violet maned Unicorn. They all laughed and cried as they hugged. They attempt to tell her all what had happened, but it came out as an incoherent babble as they all tried to speak over each other. Amused by the confusion, Rarity giggled and then looked forward to see Spike standing there, smiling at her.

“Would you please excuse me girls?” Rarity asked and then stepped out of the group hug towards the dragon. Spike reached into his backpack and pulled out something red and gold.

“I believe you dropped this,” he said as he held a heart shaped fire ruby in his claw.

“My necklace,” she whispered. He then reached around and placed the necklace around her neck. She placed a hoof on it and then looked up at him as tears filled her sapphire eyes.

Suddenly, their reunion was cut short as they heard a rumble. They gasped and looked over to see the head of the giant Krazoa statue rise up from its body.

“I am reborn; the Mighty Krazoa God!” a gravelly voice boomed as the statue’s head looked down at them. The voice then roared in sinister laughter and Spike recognized it as the voice of the red talisman. “Kneel all those that stand before me!”

“We will never kneel to you!” Rarity defiantly shouted up at the false god. “I know who you are!”

The Krazoa head laughed again and then started to fly away.

“Hey, come back here!” Rainbow Dash called after the retreating head and spread her wings, ready to take flight.

“No, he’s mine!” Spike told the Pegasus and then took off after the one who was responsible for all the devastation done to Krazoa Island. Spike flapped his wings and started to catch up with the statue. The giant mask turned around to reveal that it was hollow on the inside. In it, there was a black cloud of dark magic. Then a large curved red horn emerged from the dark mass, followed by a gray face with glowing green and red eyes. A purple aura rose like flames from the side of its eyes and its mouth had sharp teeth.

“I have been looking forward to this day,” the giant head of a dark Unicorn stallion spoke to Spike. “To see you again, Spike the dragon.”

“Sombra!” Spike exclaimed when he recognized the evil king he had played an integral part in defeating. When Spike was still young, he had traveled with his friends to Crystal Empire to find the missing Crystal Heart. When Twilight Sparkle was caught in the evil king’s trap, she instructed him to deliver the Heart to Princess Cadance so that it could be used to stop the tyrant. The love and goodness of the Crystal Ponies powered the heart and Sombra was destroyed in a flash of purifying light. Or at least, so everyone thought.

“And now, to conquer Equestria!” Sombra then turned back around and continued to fly away.

“I’ve got to stop him!” Spike sped after the dark Unicorn and landed on the mask-like face of the Krazoa statue. Spike began to claw away at the surface and the mask tried to throw him off. The mask’s shaking knocked Spike loose and he tumbled through the air until he regained his balance.

The mouth of the Krazoa mask opened and bolts of black, green, and purple lightning shot out of it. Spike quickly dodged put of the way, but the mask pointed its gaping mouth towards him to follow him with the stream of electricity. Spike did a barrel roll and flew out of the trajectory of the attack.

Spike landed back onto the mask and started to bang against its surface. He looked up and noticed the glowing gems on the face. Spike crawled up to one of the “eyes” and started clawing away at it. Sombra’s voice shouted from the other side and even the mask’s face contorted in pain as the dragon’s claws broke away the glowing gem piece by piece. Once the first eye was destroyed, the mask violently lurched and Spike as thrown off again.

The statue’s head turned around and Sombra roared in fury at the purple dragon. The red curved horn charge with dark magic and Sombra shot more bolt of dark energy at Spike. He started to evade the bolts, but Sombra’s aim had improved now that he could see Spike. Bolt after bolt narrowly missed Spike as he darted back and forth. The dark Unicorn growled and then the dark mass behind him started to swirl like a tornado. Spike could feel the wind rushing up behind him and he started to be pulled in by the vacuum. He turned around and started flapping his wings in attempt to escape, but the wind was too strong. Sombra laughed as the dragon struggled in vain to escape, but then Spike got an idea. If Sombra really wanted him, then he could have him.

Spike turned around and flew full speed into Sombra’s face. The tyrant cried in surprise as the dragon latched onto his giant snout and bit down onto it with his diamond shattering bite force. The dark Unicorn thrashed his head side to side, trying to get the dragon off his nose.

“Hey Sombra!” Spike shouted to the unicorn, pulling his fangs out the nose. The angry stallion looked down his nose at the dragon clinging onto it. “You’ve got something in your eye!”

“Gggrraaahhhh!” Sombra screamed in agony as Spike spat a green fireball into his left eye. The mask spun around and Spike was thrown off of Sombra’s face. The mask’s left eye was cracked and no longer glowed. Testing a theory, Spike charged the right eye and slammed his fist into it. The gem fractured and broke apart from the impact. Like the left gem, the bluish white glow faded and Sombra howled in pain. Spike realized the three gems were weak spots and there was only one left.

Sombra threw the dragon off of the mask and black crystal materialized from behind the mask. Spike bolted toward the mask, avoiding the dark missiles as they were hurled at him. The crystals whizzed by as he maneuvered around them and when one of them would be head straight at him, he shatter it with a punch as it reached him. The purple dragon landed on the mask, crawled up to the gem in the center of the mask’s forehead, and started clawing away. With each swipe of the claw, the dark Unicorn on the other side of the mask yelled.

When Spike finally broke the last gem, the mask started to crack. The fractures ran all over the surface of the face of the Krazoa statue and pieces of it started to chip away until the entire mask crumbled. What remained was a storm of angry dark magic. Sombra’s face emerged from the black clouds and roared in frustration. With his good eye, the dark gray Unicorn glared at the dragon. The red horn glowed again and the dark aura gripped Spike. He struggled to free himself from the telekinetic grip, but then stopped and his eyes glowed red and green.

Spike found himself standing on a hill overlooking Ponyville…

“No!” With a burst of dragon magic, Spike dispelled the illusion and freed himself from the magical grip. “That won’t work on me any longer!”

Sombra recoiled from the surge of magic as his curse was broken. He then glared back to the dragon, but was shocked to see Spike speeding right at him. Sombra charged his horn and was about to attack, but the dragon flew pass his head and entered the shadowy mass that was his body.

Inside the heart of darkness, Spike could feel the malice and hatred coming from the self-proclaimed king. The sensation was overwhelming; it was like someone was constantly shouting threats and whispering awful things in his ear frills. Spike could also see visions of the Crystal Empire. Masses of Crystal Ponies were led by chains down the streets of the city as their conqueror looked down at them with sick satisfaction. The enslaved ponies had lost the luster of their once sparkling coats and he could feel the hopelessness and despair coming from them. Sombra relished watching their misery and reveled in his absolute power over their lives.

The disturbing images Spike was subjected to filled him with a righteous anger. This thing didn’t desire to be referred to as a pony; it was a monster. No, worse than that; this was a demon from the pits of Tartarus, and Spike was determined to send it there. The purple dragon reached out with his magic and found what he was looking for. Trapped within the darkness were six lights. Spike concentrated on the bonds that held the lights captive, reached out with his mental claws, grasped the imaginary chains, and pulled with all of his might.

Spike groaned and gritted his fangs as he pulled at the magical bonds, but Sombra’s magic was powerful and he was using the Krazoa’s magic to increase his own. However, that would not stop the dragon. He channeled his righteous anger and his determination to save the lives of everyone on Krazoa Island into his inner fire, causing it to rage like a mighty volcano. With a powerful roar, Spike shattered the chains that held the Krazoa captive and they shot out of the dark storm that was Sombra.

A blinding flash of bluish purple light shone through the dark clouds and the evil unicorn roared in agony as the escaping Krazoa Spirits tore his shadowy form asunder. The explosion of light destroyed the dark storm of magic, vaporizing every wisp of it until Sombra was no more but a bad memory.

In the epicenter of the where the explosion took place, a figure floated midair. Spike panted as he watched the six Krazoa Spirits fly away and saw that the darkness that was Sombra was no more. He then closed his eyes and his utterly spent body fell from the sky down to the world below. A magenta aura surrounded his body and he stopped falling. The Great Fox flew towards the dragon and six mares were standing on the deck of the ship. Twilight Sparkle’s horn was glowing and she lowered Spike’s body onto the ship.

“Spike, are you alright?!” a voice said to the dragon. He opened his eyes and saw the blue eyes of the mare he love looking worriedly down at him. He then saw the others standing around him. Rarity sighed with relief when she saw her special somedragon was unharmed. “Oh, thank heavens! I was so… Mmpphh!”

She let out a muffled cry of surprise as Spike reached up, placed a claw on the back of her head, and pulled her into a passionate kiss. She soon got over the surprise and returned the kiss, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. The other mare were dumbstruck and then started to blush as they watch the dragon and the unicorn share a long embrace.

“Oh my…” Fluttershy exclaimed as her face flushed red in embarrassment.

“Oh my…” Applejack repeated with an amused smirk.

“Oh my…” Twilight Sparkle said as she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Oh my..." Pinkie Pie said in a surprisingly husky voice.

“Ah yeah, way to go, Spike!” Rainbow Dash cheered. The couple broke the kiss and both parties’ faces were beat red. Spike grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head with a claw.

“Oh my, indeed…” Rarity said dreamily in a daze as she furiously fanned herself with a hoof.

Twilight then shook her head to clear her head and said, “Spike, that was amazing!”

“Yeah, it was…” Spike said with a double meaning as he grinned at Rarity, who blushed even more. They then looked up and saw the six Krazoa Spirits streaking across the sky. The glowing peace spirits swirled together in a spectacular aerial dance as they flew across the island to the four floating pieces of land. The six spirits formed a comet of light and flew into DarkIce Mines. The floating island lowered back down to the crater where it belonged and reattached to the surface. The swirling light then flew to the CloudRunner Fortress and pulled it back down. Then it reconnected the Walled City to Krazoa Island, and then finally Dragon Rock.

As they watched the island become whole again, Spike looked around to the six mares that meant everything in the world to him. He looked to his best friends, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, he looked to his mother, Twilight Sparkle, and then looked down to the mare in his arms, Rarity. He had done; he defeated an evil tyrant, saved an island, reunited with his family, and saved the mare he loved. Mission accomplished.

Homecoming

Spike, the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and the Star Fox Team walked down the street towards the royal palace in the Walled City as a crowd of dinosaurs cheered on both sided. The EarthWalkers bellowed in applause as the heroes of Krazoa Island reached the stairs at the foot of the step pyramid. Waiting for them there were the King and Queen of EarthWalker Tribe along with their son, Tricky. Standing beside them were representatives from the other tribes. The Queen CloudRunner, her children, Kyte, and even Gradabug of the BoneHead Tribe were there, looking somewhat uncomfortable being amongst their rivals, the EarthWalkers. However, they loosened up when they saw Spike approaching. Garunda Te and his daughter, Belena, were representing the SnowHorns. The Guardian ThornTail represented his tribe and the HighTop soldier they had rescued in Dragon Rock represented his. Even the Chief of the LightFoot Tribe and his bodyguard, MuscleFoot, were in attendance. When the group of heroes approached the leaders and representatives, they all bowed to each other.

“My friends,” addressed the King EarthWalker. “On behalf of all of the tribes, I thank you for saving Krazoa Island.” The crowd cheered in agreement. “As promised, here is your reward.” Two EarthWalkers carried a large chest over to them and placed on it the ground. Captain Pepper stepped forward and opened the chest to reveal…

“Scarabs,” the Captain stated as he was the squirming bugs.

“I should’ve known,” Rainbow Dash muttered under her breath.

“Oops! Sorry, wrong chest!” the King apologized. The EarthWalkers then replaced it with another chest that was filled with gold coins and gems.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Pepper said to the King EarthWalker. They then heard a noise coming overhead and looked up to see an airship descending. The Ex-General Scar was then tossed overboard and landed with a thud on the ground at their feet. The Doberman thrashed about, bounded and gagged as everyone glared down at the criminal.

“You take him,” the heard a voice coming from the airship. They looked up to see Rover and his two betas, Fido and Spot, looking down from the deck. “We go home now.”

“Go ahead, we’ll take good care of him,” the King replied. Though the dinosaurs couldn’t blame the Diamond Dogs for their actions, since they were brainwashed by Sombra’s curse, they thought it was for the best if the dogs just got out of there as soon as they could. Meanwhile, the deposed despot uttered muffled threats through his gag.

“What do y’all reckon we should do with him?” Applejack asked they looked down at Scar.

“I say we all have a go at him,” Rainbow Dash said as she pounded her hooves together.

“Now now, Rainbow Dash, we’re more civil than that,” Rarity interjected calmly. Then she shouted with an unexpected fury. “We should burn him at the stake!”

“I say we let him go,” Spike suggested to everyone’s surprise.

“Um, I don’t think that’s the best idea, Spike,” Fluttershy said to the dragon. Even the tenderhearted Pegasus was opposed to the idea of letting a dangerous criminal go.

“Darling, you know just as much as everyone here of what sort of damage this ruffian has caused,” Rarity told her boyfriend. “Do you really think it wise to let him roam free?”

“They’re right, Spike,” Twilight agreed with her friends. “He’s too dangerous to let go.”

“Yeah, not even a bajillion parties could improve this meanie pants’ attitude!” Pinkie Pie claimed.

“I just think he should meet a friend of mine. Maybe he can improve his attitude,” Spike said ominously as he grinned down at the nervous Scar, who didn’t like the look on the dragon’s face.

Scar panted as he ran through the jungle in a panicked frenzy. Behind him, thunderous footsteps caused the ground to quake and trees shook as something large pushed passed them. Rex, the RedEye that Spike had tamed with his dragon-spell, roared as he hungrily pursued after the terrified Diamond Dog.

“You can’t do this to me!” Scar yelled as he tried to get away from the Tyrannosaurus. “I am General Scar, the ruler of Krazoa Island! You will do as I say!”

No matter what the former dictator shouted to Rex, the RedEye didn’t pay heed to his prey’s demands and continued to chase him deeper into the jungle. From the wall that separated the two valleys, Spike and his friends laughed as they watched Scar flee into the RedEye Tribe’s territory.

*****

Later, they all were aboard the Great Fox as the Star Fox Team gave them and their hot air balloon a lift back to Equestria. Twilight Sparkle wrote a letter to Princess Celestia that explained that they had found Spike and what had happened. She then gave it to her son, who proceeded to send it to the Solar Princess with his dragonfire. As the ship headed back to the west, Captain Pepper counted their reward.

“We did it, Spike,” Peppy said to the dragon.

“Krazoa Island is saved,” Slippy added.

“And Sombra is defeated once again,” Twilight told them.

“You all did a great job,” Spike said to everyone. “I couldn’t have done it without all of you.”

“Don’t be so modest, Spike,” Rarity told him as she walked up and planted a kiss on his cheek. “You were amazing!”

“But I don’t understand how Sombra could have still been around,” a confused Fluttershy stated.

“Yeah, how did he come back?” Rainbow Dash asked as everyone murmured in agreement.

“I think I know how,” Twilight Sparkle announced. “It was his horn. His body was shattered when the Crystal Heart was activated, but his horn must have survived.”

“Scar then found it in the frozen north and used it to take control of the Diamond Dogs,” Spike added to the Alicorn’s explanation. “Sombra’s spirit latched onto Scar and fed off the evil in his heart.”

“But why did he want the Krazoa Spirits?” Applejack asked.

“Sombra’s body was destroyed and though his spirit dwelt within Scar, he would need a powerful source of magic to restore his body,” Twilight explained. “He must have known about the Krazoa and planted the idea of taking over the island in Scar’s head. Scar then went to the island and stole the SpellStones, causing it to fall apart. But that was all bait.”

“What do you mean, Twilight?” Pinkie asked.

“As sick and twisted as he was, Sombra was a genius,” the lavender mare continued. “When Celestia and Luna banished him in the ice, his curse caused the Crystal Empire to disappear for a thousand years. When we tried to find the Crystal Heart, Spike and I had to get pass a cursed door that showed you your worst fear. When I tried to take the Heart, I was caught in another one of his traps.

“He knew that Scar would steal the SpellStones in order to blackmail the tribes and that the island would fall apart. He also knew that the only thing that could put the island back together again were the Krazoa Spirits and anticipated that the dinosaurs would send for help.”

“Whoa, wait a moment,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “You mean to say that us going there and stopping Scar was all a part of his plan?”

“Yes,” Twilight confirmed. “And not only that. He was hoping that a Unicorn would come so that he could use their magic the channel the Krazoa into him once they all have been gathered.”

“I feel so insulted that he would dare use me as part of his wicked schemed,” Rarity huffed.

“It was also a bonus for him that Spike was the one that was collecting the spirits. It would have given him the chance to take his revenge on the dragon that had stopped him before.”

“At least we have seen the last of him,” Spike concluded.

“Well, I have finished sorting the money,” Captain Pepper announced. “As promised; Spike, you get the larger portion since you did the most work.” The brown unicorn then levitated the large chest over to Spike and the dragon saw that it contained a third of the treasure. “As for the rest, I’ve divided the remainder into nine shares; one for everypony.”

“Whoa Nelly, that’s a lot of money,” Applejack said as the Captain distributed hefty bags of money to everyone else. Fluttershy nearly fell over when she received her bag and Rarity excitedly giggled as she saw the dazzling gems inside of her bag.

“With this, we can finally pay for those repairs we need for the Great Fox,” Slippy stated.

“The old girl isn’t what she used to be,” Peppy said as looked around the retired military vessel.

As Spike marveled over his loot, the beginnings of his own hoard, he felt a pressure in his stomach. He then belched and a scroll appeared in a burst of green flames. Spike caught the scroll and saw it bore the Celestia’s crest.

“It’s from Princess Celestia,” he announced as he opened the letter. Everyone gathered around as Spike read the letter aloud.

“Dear Spike,

I am glad to hear that you are safe and I congratulate you for saving Krazoa Island. I would say that this could have all been avoided if you had just responded to letters that I had sent you in the first place, but Sombra would have possibly returned and Krazoa Island may have been destroyed if you hadn’t left. Again, I congratulate you and I am anxiously awaiting your return. I, myself, have something to give to you once you arrive in Canterlot. It is a surprise and the letter for Twilight is for her eyes only.

Your Friend,

Princess Celestia”

“Huh, what letter?” Pinkie Pie asked. Spike then burped up another letter in response. Twilight quickly picked it up with her magic and opened it. As she read the letter, a look of surprise showed on her face that then turned to one that of amusement.

“Well, well, well,” Twilight laughed as she reread the letter over and over again to make sure she had read it correctly.

“What? What is it?” Spike asked, wanting to know what the surprise was.

“Come on, Twilight, what’s it say?” Pinkie Pie asked as she bounced up and down, almost more anxious to find than Spike was.

“Nope, you’re just going to have wait,” Twilight decreed as she rolled up the letter.

“Aaawwww,” Pinkie Pie and Spike moaned disappointed as everyone else laughed at their expense.

*****

As the Great Fox landed in the sky docks of Canterlot, they were greeted by a royal procession. Two Alicorns, one white with an ethereal mane that resemble the auroras and the other midnight blue with a starry mane that resembled the night sky, awaited them on the pier as their royal guards stood at attention. A crowd of the denizens of Canterlot watched with curiosity from above the mountainside harbor at the spectacle.

“Are you sure I can’t persuade you to stay with Star Fox?” Captain Pepper asked Spike as they stood on the deck of the airship.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I’m already on a team,” Spike responded as he looked at the white mare that was nuzzling against his side. They then disembarked the ship and the royal guards saluted as they made their way down the pier. Once they reached the two Alicorn princesses, they bowed in respect. Princess Celestia then broke protocol by leaning her body into Spike and resting her head on his shoulder in a hug.

“Welcome back, Spike,” the Solar Alicorn greeted.

“Thank you, Your Highness. It’s good to be home,” he said to the tall white Alicorn as he hugged her back. He then noticed Princess Luna watching him with a gloomy smile. A couple weeks ago, Spike had saved Ponyville from Dracula, who Spike had come to learn was once the Princess of the Night’s great love from long ago. Even though he did it to save his friends, Spike felt guilty for the sorrow he had caused the dark blue Alicorn.

“Greetings Spike,” Luna said somberly as she approached the purple dragon and also gave him a hug.

“Hey there, Princess,” he greeted his friend. After they ended the hug, he looked at her sorrowful expression and started to say, “Luna, I…”

She shook her head to silence him and smiled. “I know what you are about to say. You don’t have to apologize; you did what you had to and I do not blame you. Do not mourn for me. Rejoice, for this is a happy day.”

The tall blue Alicorn then turned and left, her night guard following her back to the castle. Spike wanted to call out to her and say something to comfort her, but Celestia placed a hoof on his shoulder.

“Let her go. She still needs time to heal,” Luna’s elder sister gently said. Spike took one last look at the leaving Princess and decided to leave her be.

Spike and the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony then followed Princess Celestia away from the harbor and to the palace. Waiting for them at the castle were a bunch of ponies from Ponyville that they knew very well.

“Spike!” the dragon heard three familiar voices call out to him. From the crowd, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo emerged and ran up to him. The three teenaged mares surrounded him and asked him a bunch of questions.

“They say you went to an island filled with dinosaurs,” Apple Bloom said.

“They say you saved it from blowing up!” Sweetie Belle excitedly squeaked.

“Did ya see a T. Rex?” Scootaloo asked.

“See a T. Rex? I rode one!” Spike boosted.

“Really?! That is so cool!” the orange teenager exclaimed. Also among the familiar faces were Cheerilee, Big Macintosh, the Cakes, Derpy, Lyra, Bon Bon, Vinyl Scratch, and Mayor Mare.

“Spike, I just want you to know that I am personally sorry for those investigators leading a riot against you,” the Mayor of Ponyville addressed the dragon. “And on the behalf of all Ponyville, I welcome you home and ask for your forgiveness. And for the record, everypony that came here today stood by you.”

“Thank you, Madame Mayor,” Spike told the light brown mare. “The only one to blame is Dracula. Him and those investigators who started the mob. Speaking of which, whatever happened to them?”

“I suspended Clue Finder, Cold Case, and Gum Shoe the very day you had left,” Princess Celestia answered. A thoughtful expression then crossed her face. “Come to think of it, I don’t recall seeing them since. Oh, but doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is that we have planning to do.”

“Ooh, are we having a ‘welcome home’ party for Spike?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Of sorts,” the Princess answered with a secretive smile. “Spike, you are to be acknowledged for your actions. Now if you’ll excuse us, your friends and I have much to discuss as we prepare your surprise.”

Twilight giggled, for she knew what she was referring to. As the girls walked away down the halls of the palace, Spike couldn’t help but wonder what his surprise would be. Was it going to be another stain glass window? The girls had received special windows dedicated to their victories over Nightmare Moon and Discord. There is even a window of him delivering the Crystal Heart to Princess Cadance. However, those didn’t require the collaboration of so many ponies. They would just show up at the palace, the Princess would say a few words, they would take a bow, and the window would be unveiled.

*****

During the next couple days, Spike stayed with his grandparents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, in their home in Canterlot. Apparently, it was such a big secret that Spike couldn’t even stay in the castle to prevent him from finding out. Every time the girls would drop by to see how he was doing, they would snicker and giggle whenever he would ask them what was going on. Rarity even took his measurements to make him a new suit.

He was even surprised when his uncle, Shining Armor, came down from the Crystal Empire with Cadance and their little foal, a little light pink Alicorn toddler with a curly purple and blue mane named Flurry Heart. They too remained tight-lipped on what they knew of the surprise when Spike asked them. However, it was nice to see them again and to play with his little cousin.

When the day came, Rarity brought over Spike’s new suit. He noticed she was wearing a purple dress with a matching hat that had feathers in it. When he opened the package, he had expected to find a tux but instead found a red military uniform like the one Shining Armor wore at his wedding.

“I haven’t been recruited into the royal guard, have I?” he asked her as he held up the suit.

“Not quite, darling,” Rarity laughed. “I just wanted you to look dashing for the momentous occasion.”

“Momentous occasion? What’s going on? Everypony has been keeping me in the dark for the past few days!” he said, starting to become irritated. A kiss on the lips from the Unicorn instantly calmed him down.

“Be patient, dear. You’ll see for yourself as soon as you hurry up and get dressed,” Rarity reassured him and then headed out the door. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m needed at the palace. I’ll see you when you arrive.”

Spike put on the red suit that had a gold trim and epaulets and blue sash across the chest. The red jacket was custom tailored so that his wings stick out from the back. He looked at himself in the mirror to see how it fitted him. When saw his wings, he got an idea. He folded them up against his back and clasped the thumbs of the wings on to his shoulders, making it seem as though he was wearing a cape.

“Looking good, Spike. Looking real good,” he complimented his reflection. Once dressed, he found a carriage being pulled by white royal guard Unicorns waiting for him. As they drove him down the streets towards Canterlot Castle, Spike waved awkwardly to the ponies that had gathered to see what was going on. He could see them murmuring and whispering to each other. Whether from intrigue or in disapproval, he did not know.

When the carriage arrived at the palace, Spike was escorted up the stairs to the grand golden gates that were opened for him by the palace retainers. An honor guard led him down the red carpets down the white and navy tiled corridors to the great assembly hall of the castle where he saw the Canterlot Elite waiting for him. Trumpeters herald his arrival and choir of white mares with golden manes vocalized. As with the ponies in the streets, the nobles watched him scrutinizing gazes. Spike tugged at his collar uncomfortably from all the attention he was receiving and sweated a bit.

Among the many faces in the crowd, Spike spotted his grandparents and at least they looked proud of him. Even more important, he saw his friends standing to the side of the royalty at the end of the aisle. Applejack was wearing a blue dress with red ribbons and a stylized blue Stetson that had a red bow and white feather. Fluttershy wore a green gown and a wreath of red and white flowers on her head. Rainbow Dash wore a darker teal dress with cloud-like hems and hat with a golden feather. Pinkie Pie’s light blue dress had yellow and pink ribbons and her hat had an ice cream cone and candy on it. As she said she would be, Rarity was also there waiting for him. Her purple dress had an amethyst brooch and her hat had a plume of purple and yellow feathers.

Nearest to them, Twilight Sparkle stood by the other royals wearing her angular crown and magenta and gold dress. To her left was Princess Luna, who was wearing her purple dress that was decorated with stars and clouds and a crown adorned with a crescent moon. Princess Celestia stood at the head of the aisle and she was wearing her purple kimono that had golden swirls with a tall crown that had purple gems on the points. On the left of the Solar Princess was Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, with little Skyla between them. Cadance had her mane done up in the traditional Crystal Empire fashion and wore a light blue dress while Shining Armor wore his red uniform and blue sash, matching Spike’s. Little Flurry Heart had on a cute little pure white dress and a ring of teal beads in her mane.

“We are gathered here today in celebration of a momentous occasion,” Princess Celestia announced to the audience. “Today, we welcome the return of Spike the dragon to Equestria. Many times in the past, he has proved his bravery and loyalty to our fair country and its citizens. Just a few days ago, he returned from saving Krazoa Island to the east and he has stopped a terrible foe from returning. In light of this heroic act and due to his noble birth, I am honored to be the first to introduce you to for the first time Spike, son of Princess Twilight Sparkle and the newest Prince of Equestria!”

“…What?” Spike asked, completely taken by surprise. However, his comment wasn’t heard as the hall was filled with the deafening sound of ponies cheering. Looking around, Spike saw that almost all of the nobles were applauding in approval. Others applauded, but maintained their scrutinizing looks. A only few openly scowled, but withheld their protests out of good manners. One of them in particular was Prince Blueblood. With a toss of his golden mane, he quietly stormed out of the hall with his nose upturned.

Princess Celestia’s horn glowed with golden magic and a simple gold circlet studded with emeralds and amethysts rose from a podium behind her. While levitating the crown, Celestia, along with Luna and Twilight, approached Spike. The dragon knelt and bowed his head.

“For your valor and heroism,” Princess Luna announced.

“For your integrity and birthright,” Princess Twilight added.

“And for your compassion and loyalty, we crown thee Spike, the Dragon Prince of Equestria!” Princess Celestia finished as she placed the crown on the kneeling dragon’s head. Spike arose and turned to face the crowd of ponies. They all bowed their heads and then Spike found himself in the middle of a group hug as the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony rushed him. Though still speechless, he managed to snap out of his stupor enough to wrap his arms around his friends. As nice it was to be crowned a prince, there was one thing he wanted more: to go home.

*****

As the coronation finally came to an end, Spike was relieved to be sitting on the train headed to Ponyville. After an excitement filled adventure, Spike was very homesick. The train pulled into the station and they exited onto the platform. The mares had already gotten out of their dresses, but Spike was still wearing his crown and uniform. He knew he wouldn’t wear often, so he decided to wear it for the remainder of the day. Besides, he thought it made him look sharp and Rarity couldn’t agree more.

“That was so exciting!” Pinkie Pie cheered as they walked down the street. “But now that we’re home, I gotta throw you a ‘mega knock your socks off even though we don’t wear socks welcome back to Ponyville’ party!”

“That’s sound wonderful, dear, but perhaps tomorrow,” Rarity told her.

“Yeah, I’m pretty wiped out from all that’s happened today,” Rainbow Dash agreed and then yawned. After the coronation, there was a huge feast afterwards it was already night by the time they had arrived in Ponyville.

“And I need to go home to take care of my animal friends,” Fluttershy stated.

“Ah reckon Ah outta head home mahself,” Applejack added.

“We’ll discuss it tomorrow. Good night, girls,” Twilight said to her friends and then they bid each other good night. “I’m heading back to the castle.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you there,” Spike told his mother before turning to Rarity. “But first, I need to escort a certain lady to her home.”

Rarity blushed and Twilight giggled, “Alright Casanova, don’t stay out too late.”

As Twilight headed back to her crystalline tree palace, Spike extended an arm and Rarity wrapped a foreleg around it. As Spike walked his marefriend back to Carousel Boutique, he closed his eyes and took in the scent of Ponyville. Though it was a small country town of predominantly thatched roofed buildings and dirt roads, it was his home. He actually preferred the laid back atmosphere of the small town as opposed to the hustle and bustle of the big city. He then looked down at the suit he was wearing and straightened it.

“You look dashing, darling,” Rarity told him.

“Yeah, maybe I should wear it every day,” he joked.

“Oh, but we don’t want to have too much of a good thing, now do we?” she joked in turn.

“You looked great in that dress,” Spike complimented. “I think the last time you wore it was at Twilight’s coronation. Come to think of it, I’ve should have guessed what was going on when I saw you wearing it this morning when you delivered the suit.”

“Spike, I do apologize for not telling you what was happening, but we all agreed that it would be more memorable for you if it was a surprise.” As they talked, they came to Rarity’s home and stood outside the front door. “Thank you for escorting me home, my handsome prince.”

“It was my pleasure, milady.” Rarity leaned forward as Spike bent down to kiss her good night. As she opened the door to go inside, Spike stopped her. “Wait, I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh? What is it Spikey-Wikey?” she asked.

“While you and everypony else was running around in secret planning the coronation, I did some running around myself,” he explained. Spike then reached into his pocket and pulled something small and black. When Rarity saw it was a ring case, she gasped loudly and her eyes became the size of plates. Spike took a knee and opened the case to reveal a diamond ring.

“Rarity, will you marry me?” Spike proposed. Rarity covered her quivering lip with a hoof and her sapphire eyes filled with tears.

“YES!

**Alternate Scene**

“Wait, I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh? What is it Spikey-Wikey?” she asked.

“Rarity, will you marry me?” Spike proposed. Rarity covered her quivering lip with a hoof and her sapphire eyes filled with tears.

She tackled him to the ground, possessively clinging to her dragon while screaming, “MINE!

The Wedding

A few months later…

“Mare and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Rarity and Prince Spike…” Princess Celestia declared from the head of the altar in the chapel of Canterlot Palace. Standing before her were the bride and groom. Spike was wearing his red coronation jacket and blue sash. Rarity was dressed in a flowing white gown with a long train and her face was covered in a gossamer veil. Though she tried to contain her emotions, she was failing miserably. She would periodically sob happily and tears of joy threatened to run down her face and ruin her makeup.

Standing behind the blushing bride on the side of the altar were five bridesmaids. They were wearing the dresses that the bride herself designed for them. Pinkie Pie’s dress was light blue and pink swirled together like cotton candy and had a pattern of yellow balloons on it. Rainbow Dash was wearing a dark blue dress that had a patterns of different colored lightning bolts decorating it. Fluttershy requested a simple grass green dress that had pink butterflies lining the hem. Applejack’s green country styled dress was clasped together by an apple shaped brooch. Twilight Sparkle, both the matron of honor and the mother of the groom, wore an indigo dress that was covered in magenta stars.

On the groom’s side were his groomscolts. Standing directly behind the purple dragon was his uncle, Shining Armor, who was also wearing his red prince uniform to show he was the best stallion. Big Macintosh was fidgeting uncomfortably around in his black tux, not accustomed to wearing fancy suits like one he had on. Princy Tricky had come all the from Krazoa Island when Spike asked him to be a grooms… er… dinosaur. The EarthWalker was standing next to Donut Joe who had his usually unkempt mane slicked back. Pinkie Pie jokingly called him “Con Mane” and said he looked like a spy. Since there were five bridesmaids and only four groomscolts, Discord appeared in a flash and stood beside Shining Armor. Celestia paused the ceremony and everyone looked in confusion and surprise at the sudden appearance of the Spirit of Chaos. The draconequus was wearing a black tux, bow-tie, top hat, monocle, and a fake mustache.

“What? It’s not like Spike as too many male friends after all,” he nonchalantly shrugged as he twirled his fake mustache. Princess Celestia rolled her eyes exasperatedly and shook her head. Ignoring the interruption, she continued with the ceremony.

Many ponies had come to witness the royal wedding. In attendance were many of the ponies from Ponyville, including Rarity’s family. The more snobbish of the high class ponies from Canterlot looked down upon the small town folk as though they were a quirky and amusingly simple bunch or worse, an uncouth rabble of inferior peasants. Though not all of them were like that; Fancy Pants and his wife, Fleur Dis Lee, were Rarity’s friends and so were Hoity Toity, Sapphire Shores, and Photo Finish.

Ever since the announcement of Spike’s engagement to Rarity, there was quite the controversy amongst the inner circles of the social elite. While the ponies in smaller towns like Ponyville were more accepting, the ponies of high society were divided on their opinions. Some, like Fancy Panys and company, were very progressive and welcomed the idea of a Unicorn marrying a dragon. A few of them even found the idea rather exotic. Others couldn’t bear it. They can’t even stand the fact that a “fire breathing monster” has become a Prince of Equestria. However, Rarity and Spike paid no heed to those naysayers’ criticisms and couldn’t be happier.

“I now pronounce you mare and dragon. You may now kiss the bride,” Princess Celestia announced as the couple finished exchanging their vows. The couple faced each other and Spike lifted his bride’s veil. The light that reflected on the blissful tears in Rarity’s blue eyes caused them to truly sparkle like sapphires and then they embraced each other in a long kiss as the audience cheered. After the kiss, the newlyweds were led to a balcony that overlooked Canterlot. Below them was a crowd of ponies who had come to bear witness to the event. Spike and Rarity waved to the adoring crowd and then shared another kiss.

At dusk came the time for the reception that Rarity wouldn’t let anyone plan other than Pinkie Pie or cater other than Applejack. Vinyl Scratch was hired to be the DJ, but the music for the slow dances was performed by none other than the cellist Octavia and her orchestral band. As the couple headed for the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife, Rarity’s sister, Sweetie Belle, took the microphone.

As the teenaged mare’s angelic voice filled the air, Spike took Rarity’s hoof in his claw and she rose up on her hind legs. She placed her other white hoof on his shoulder and he supported her by placing his other claw on her waist. The alabaster Unicorn gaze up with her smoldering blue eyes into the dragon’s green ones as pleased smile formed on her lips. Spike in turn smiled back her with a cocky grin on his face. Oblivious to the world around them, they swept across the dance floor. At the moment, nothing else mattered for she was his and he was hers. They had come a long way and crossed many obstacles to reach this point, but they both agreed it was worth it.

As Spike and Rarity danced, others couples joined them. Twilight Sparkle was dancing with a Pegasus guard she had met a few years ago named Flash Sentry. It started off as a simple crush but has since developed into something more. Rainbow Dash danced with her fellow Wonderbolts member, Soarin. Ever since the mare with the mane to match her name joined the squadron of expert flyers, the two had become an item.

As Applejack watched the dancing ponies, she noticed Fluttershy off by herself sitting in the gardens with the animals. A determined look came across the orange farm pony’s freckled face; for too long has her introverted friend sat on the sidelines while others had a good time. She looked over and saw her big brother, Big Macintosh, getting a drink from the punch bowl.

“Hey, Big Mac,” she called over to the large red stallion, getting his attention. He finished his drink and walked over to his sister. “Enjoyin’ yerself?”

“Eeyup,” he answered.

“Nice weddin’, ain’t it?”

“Eeyup,” he agreed.

“Everypony should enjoy it, don’t you think?” she asked as she led him over to the gardens.

“Eeyup.”

“Good, Ah’m glad you agree. Now go over there and ask Fluttershy to dance,” she told her brother as they drew nearer to the yellow Pegasus.

“Eeyup… Wait, what?” he asked, but before he could as anything else, Applejack bumped him closer to Fluttershy. When the large stallion stumbled forward, the critters scurried off and the birds took flight.

“Oh!” Fluttershy gave a startled cry as the animal suddenly fled. When she looked back up, she saw Big Macintosh land on the grass in front of her. She sprang to her hooves and rushed over to help him up. “Oh my goodness, are you alright Big Macintosh?”

“Eeyup,” he confirmed as he brushed himself off. He looked over his shoulder to Applejack, a little cross at her for pushing him down. Applejack waved her hoof at him to urge him to turn around and face Fluttershy. He then looked back at the Pegasus mare and saw beautiful teal eyes looking up at him. He gawked for a second and then snapped out of it. “Say, would you care to dance, Miss Fluttershy?”

“Oh!” she exclaimed as he extended a hoof. Her face blushed and her wings snapped open in surprise. She stammered about with her words as she tried to make up her mind. A rabbit then hopped up and bumped her closer to the stallion. She looked down at the rabbit and the other critters, who were all motioning her to go on, and she smiled as turned back to Big Macintosh. “I would love to.”

As the dance continued, it came time for the father-daughter and the mother-son dance. Rarity danced with her father, a white Unicorn with a brown mane and mustache named Magnum. Normally, he would wear a straw hat and a blue shirt, but he wore a nice suit for his eldest daughter’s wedding. Spike danced with his mother, Twilight Sparkle.

“Spike, I’m so happy for you and Rarity,” the Alicorn told him. She started to tear up a bit as they danced. “I can’t believe my boy is married. I’m so proud of you. To think, my son and one of my best friends are now married to each other.”

“Sheesh, mom, when did you get so sentimental?” he teased her. She wiped her eyes and playfully scowled at him.

“Being a mother does that to you,” she said indignantly as she closed her eyes and held up her head. “When you have kids of your own, you’ll understand.”

“Yeah sure, whatever you say,” he laughed.

“I can imagine what my parents are thinking,” Twilight muttered as she glanced over to the blue and silvery white Unicorns sitting at a table. She then spoke in an imitation of Twilight Velvet. “Oh, your son got married before you did. I want some more grandchildren before I have some great-grandchildren.”

“So, is that a challenge? If you want a race, then you’re on!” Spike joked. They then both laughed as they finished dancing. As the slow dances ended, Pinkie Pie gave the cue to Vinyl Scratch and the music changed to a more upbeat tune.

“Let’s crank this party up to the next level!” the pink party pony cheered.

“Ah yeah! Now that’s a beat I can really move to! Come on Soarin, let’s show them how it’s done,” Rainbow Dash said as she dragged the stallion away from his apple pie and back onto the dance floor. Everypony started to dance more energetically as the fast songs pumped out of the speakers. Even the normally stoic Celestia bobbed her head along to the beat. Everypony was having a blast, except for one.

Prince Blueblood watched with a scowl on his face as a glass floated by his head. He really didn’t want to be there, but as a member of the royal family, he was expected to show up and pay his respects to the bride and groom. He tossed his head back and downed his drink.

“Another,” he ordered a serving pony as he levitated the empty glass onto the tray he was carrying. As the waiter went to fetch another drink for the stuck up prince, Prince Blueblood glared at Spike and Rarity. Standing around Prince Blueblood were a few of his social climbing cohorts.

“Why so melancholy, Prince Bloodblue?” a Unicorn asked as she sipped her own drink. He grumbled in response to the mare’s question.

“Is it because of the fact that Rarity once showed interest in you and you are now jealous that she is has married another,” a stallion asked. “Ah, the one who got away.”

“It was just a passing fancy, nothing more,” Blueblood told them. He remembered spotting her at one Grand Galloping Gala and thought she looked like somepony worthy of his time. “It turned out she was just as uncouth as her barbaric peasant friends.”

“To think she started off as a simple seamstress from a backwater town. Now she’s a princess,” snooty mare stated. “Can you imagine? Somepony from such… meager beginnings is now royalty. I mean, have you seen her family?”

“Or perhaps it is the groom that is causing you such distress?” another stallion guessed. “I couldn’t believe it when they announced that the next prince was going to be…”

“A dragon?” another mare finished for him. “I know. I can’t believe that Princess Celestia would allow such a dreadful creature to roam around free in Equestria. It should be in a cage, not getting married.”

“It’s an abomination!” Blueblood growled. “She’s a mare and he’s a monster! On top of all that, Auntie Celestia made him a prince! A dragon of all creatures! It seems like they’ll give a crown out to anypony or anything these days! First, an orphaned Pegasus becomes an Alicorn and Auntie adopts her and makes her a princess! Then she marries a Captain of the Guard and now he’s a prince! I bet he just married her for the title! And now they have a little brat that they also call a princess! Then Auntie’s prized student brown-noses her way into becoming a princess as herself! Now, they give her pet lizard she hatched a crown because he’s supposedly her son! Ha! None of them are true royalty! None of them! Not like me; I was born a prince! I’m more royal than they’ll ever be!”

“Is that so?” a cool voice said from behind the ranting prince as a tall dark figure walked up behind him. The collection of social climbers gasped and respectfully bowed when they saw who it was. However, the drunken Prince Blueblood was too enraged to recognize the voice and angrily turned his head around to yell at the fool who dared to interrupt him.

“Mind your own business!” he started to berate the figure, but then his eyes widen when he saw who it was he was addressing. “A-Auntie Luna! W-what I meant to say was…”

The midnight blue Alicorn princess gave the impudent prince a displeased look as she raised her brow when he raised his voice at her. The waiter returned with the drink, but it was caught in Luna’s magical grip before it could be delivered to white Unicorn stallion with the golden mane. She levitated the drink before her face with a scrutinizing scowl before placing it back onto the tray as she said, “I do believe the prince has had enough to drink for one night.”

“Is there anything I can get for you, Your Highness?” the waiter asked the Princess of the Night.

“Thank you, but no,” she replied. “But do make sure that no more alcohol is served to Prince Blueblood, least he makes a fool of himself.” She then narrowed her eyes. “We wouldn’t want something or somepony to ruin Prince Spike and Princess Rarity’s special day, now do we?”

“Understood, Your Highness,” the serving pony said as he bowed, understanding Princess Luna’s orders. Since it was pass sunset, she was technically the highest authority in the kingdom at the moment and he wouldn’t want to defy her. Though the last sentence she spoke was said to the waiter, Blueblood knew who Luna was really speaking to and he gulped nervously.

“Leave us,” she ordered the entourage of ponies surrounding the inebriated Blueblood, and they quickly made themselves scarce. Prince Blueblood felt incredibly small as the Alicorn looked down upon him.

“Auntie Luna, I…” he stammered.

“Be silent,” she ordered while glaring at him. “First of all, don’t call me ‘Auntie.’ You’re not a little foal. Second, you have no right to speak that way about Prince Spike or anypony else you have just insulted, including my sister. Listen well to what I am about to tell you; they are more deserving of their crowns than you will ever be. All of them have proven their worth time after time. Each of them has helped saved Equestria and countless lives. What have you ever done? The only thing it seems you are good for is wasting money from the Royal Treasury on your own frivolous pursuits. They have earned their crowns while you only have yours because of a distant relationship to my sister and me. If I hear you insult Spike or any other member of the royal family, your own family, ever again, there will be consequences. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, Aunt Luna,” Blueblood answered as cowered beneath the icy glare of the Princess of the Night.

“Good,” she stated and then turned to rejoin the party. “Now, I suggest you go home and think about what I have told you. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover how to behave like a true prince.”

After Luna left the terrified Blueblood by himself, she took a seat beside her sister. She was still agitated by the prince’s arrogance, but then saw Spike speaking to the DJ and to the band. She smirked, feeling a lot better from watching Spike pick out another slow song to dance to with his bride. Spike then led Rarity back out to the dance floor and the band started playing their instruments.

“Well, here we are,” Spike said to his wife as they waltzed. “A royal wedding, just like you have always dreamed about.”

“Royal or not, I’m just glad that it’s with you,” she told him. She looked over and saw her friends also slow dancing with a partner. Applejack had grabbed some random stallion, Pinkie was with Cheese Sandwich, and Twilight and Rainbow Dash danced with their dates. To the violet maned Unicorn’s surprise, she saw Fluttershy dancing with Big Macintosh, nuzzling against him affectionately. “I say, take a look at that.”

Spike looked over and smirked at the Pegasus and the Earth Pony. “I have a feeling Applejack had something to do with that.”

“I do believe you’re right,” she giggled in agreement. She then looked back up at Spike. “I guess sometimes all it takes is a little push, as it were, in the direction. But still, I can’t help but to amazed how things turned out. Here we are, after all these years. I still remember the day you and Twilight moved to Ponyville. Why, you were the most adorable little thing. Who would’ve thought you would grown into such a gentledragon, a handsome one I might add.”

“I fell in love with you the very moment I saw you,” he told her. “After all…

“It only takes a moment

For your eyes to meet and then

Your heart knows in a moment

You will never be alone again…”

Rarity blushed and smiled as her husband continued to sing to her:

“I held her for an instant

But my arms felt sure and strong

It only takes a moment

To be loved a whole life long...”

As they twirled the dance floor, the crowd stopped to watch them. Rainbow Dash smirked as she stood with Soarin, each wrapping a wing across one another’s shoulders. Fluttershy smiled and she rested her head on Big Macintosh’s shoulder as they watched the couple dance. Applejack nodded approvingly and Pinkie Pie’s grin couldn’t be larger. Twilight Sparkle beamed proudly at her son. Joining Spike in the song, Rarity sang:

“He held me for an instant

But his arms felt safe and strong

It only takes a moment

To be loved a whole life long…”

They stopped dancing and Spike brought Rarity closer, caressing the side of her face as he softly sang:

“And that is all

That love's about…”

Rarity pressed herself against Spike, looking lovingly up at him as she sang back:

“And we'll recall when time runs out…”

As they nuzzled against each other, they sang together:

“That it only took a moment

To be loved a whole life long…”

As they finished their duet, their lips met with a tender kiss.

Author's Note

"It Only Takes a Moment" was written by Jerry Herman and was featured in the musical "Hello, Dolly!" and the film "Wall-E."

Camping on Ice Mountain

The snow crunched beneath the dragon and the EarthWalker’s feet as they made their way down the trail. As they walked, Spike looked over to his smaller companion. Tricky resembled his mother, the Queen EarthWalker, by having orange scales with some purple on his back and on his frill. He wore bronze bracelets around all four of his ankles and a necklace to signify his status as a member of the royal family of his tribe.

Spike then remembered the communication stone that Slippy had given him before the Warp Stone had transported him to the top of Ice Mountain from ThornTail Hollow. He looked down at the blue stone on his left wrist and pondered on how to activate it. He extended a claw and tapped the blue stone to see if that would have any effect. His question was answered and stone set in the wristband started to glow a bright blue and a transparent image of Slippy’s head appeared over it.

“Slippy here,” reported the Unicorn. “I see you figured out how to work the communication stone.”

“Well, you should have given me instructions before I left,” Spike responded with a snort.

“I thought it was obvious,” the floating green head shrugged.

“Who are you talking to Spike?” the prince asked.

“A member of my team,” Spike answered.

“Who was that?” Slippy also asked.

“That’s why I called. I’ve found Prince Tricky,” Spike reported.

“That’s great! I’ll tell Captain Pepper.”

“Yeah, you do that, but tell him that it might take awhile to hike down the mountain. The Warp Stone Express doesn’t exactly offer round trip deals.”

“Oh, I see. When do you think you’ll be back?” Slippy asked. Spike looked up at the setting sun, judging the amount of daylight they had left.

“I’d say tomorrow,” Spike estimated. “We probably won’t make it very far at night in this cold. We’ll set up camp and continue in the morning.”

“Gotcha,” Slippy acknowledged.

“Anyway, how’s the queen holding up?”

“She’s still sick, but she’s stable. From what we can tell, it’s nothing serious. She’s just kind of out of it. We would give her something, but we don’t know what kind of medicine or remedies they have here and Peppy doesn’t want to risk giving her pony medicine. Who knows how dinosaurs would react to it?”

“We’ll figure something out when I get there with the prince,” Spike reassured.

“In the meantime, stay safe. With the Diamond Dogs running about, you can’t be too careful. Slippy out.” The mechanic signed off and his floating head disappeared. Spike looked up to observe his surroundings. All he could see at the moment was a stone arch spanning over a pit. Even from a distance, Spike could tell it was a magma chamber by the rising steam and how the air shimmered above the pit. As they approached the natural bridge, Spike’s suspicions were confirmed when they saw the glowing red magma below. It made sense that there would be magma vents here because there was an active volcano just next door to this mountain.

“Wow, that’s hot!” Tricky commented as a puff of stream shout out from the pit near where he was looking over the stone arch. The heat didn’t bother the dragon, in fact he wouldn’t mind taking a dip in it, but it was way too hot for the dinosaur.

“Yeah, let’s move on. Maybe we’ll find…gah!” Spike frozen in his tracks and nearly fell down as another wave of pain shot through his back.

“You okay?” Tricky asked, startled by Spike’s sudden reaction.

“Yeah… just give me a second…” Spike strained through gritted teeth. He breathed slowly in and out as the pain faded. After recuperating, Spike made his way across the bridge to where Tricky was waiting for him.

“What was that?” the concerned dinosaur asked.

“I’m not sure,” the dragon admitted. “My back’s been acting up all week. But we can’t worry about that now. Let’s move on.”

Tricky dropped the issue and ran alongside Spike as they went through a pass in the mountain. Spike wasn’t sure exactly where this trail was leading them, but Tricky seemed to know where he was going. At least the trail was taking them down the mountain. As they came to the end of the narrow pass, they saw that snow had blocked the exit

“Where does this pass lead out to?” Spike asked as he looked up at icy roadblock.

“There should be a frozen pond on the other side that leads to a river,” Tricky explained.

“I guessing that river leads south to ThornTail Hollow.”

“That’s right,” the EarthWalker explained. “But there’s a tunnel that will take us to the Hollow quicker. It’s just down by the river.”

“A shortcut,” the purple dragon summarized. “Nice. But first, we’re going to have to get pass this snow.”

“How about we dig through it?” Tricky suggested. “I love digging!”

“I’m pretty good at too. Alright, let’s get digging.” The two travelers dove in and started working away at the wall of snow. Spike used his claws to rake away clawfull after clawfull while Tricky used his stubby legs along with his horned beak-like face to burrow into the pile. With the funnel shape of his frill and head, he was like a living drill. Spike was surprised to see how effective the small dinosaur was at digging. He was almost good at it as Spike was. They made quick work of the compacted snow and were soon on the other side of the now cleared pass.

“Whew, that was a work out,” Tricky panted as they observed their handiwork.

“I didn’t know that EarthWalkers were such great diggers,” Spike stated.

“Nah, just us young ones,” the young dinosaur dismissed. “We EarthWalkers are bashers. If any bad guy shows up, we bash them up!” The dinosaur then waved his frill around enthusiastically, acting as though he was fighting an enemy. From the cleared pass, they could see the frozen pond. By the pond, there were a couple of Diamond Dogs sitting by a campfire. Tricky saw the dogs and started to charge. His little demonstration of “bashing up” bad guys had gotten himself all worked up and overly confident. As he charged, he shouted, “Let me at ‘em!”

“Wait, no! Tricky, get back here!” Spike shouted as he ran after the overzealous youngster, but it was too late. The small ceratopid rammed into the back of one of the sitting large canines. The impact caused the dog to be knocked to the ground, but it also bounced Tricky back, who sat on his haunches as his head spun. Tricky shook his head, clearing it of the stars that were dancing around it, and saw the faces of two growling dogs.

“Uuhhh… oops,” the prince sheepishly said at the glowering dogs. The bipedal dogs wearing shoulder pads and helmets raised their clubs, ready to strike the foolish dinosaur who had assaulted them. Tricky clenched his eyes shut and braced himself for the impact of the club, but it didn’t come. Tricky’s eyes snapped open when he heard the dogs grunt in pain to see that Spike had tackled the dogs before they could take a swing at the prince. The two Diamond Dogs and the dragon crashed onto the frozen pond and slid on the ice. While they slid, the dog underneath Spike was subjected to a barrage of punches to the face. The other dog tried to rise to its feet, but was having a hard time trying not to slip. When it finally did regain its footing it raised its club to hit Spike, but the dragon’s tail swept its feet from under it, sending it crashing back down onto the ice with a yelp. After Spike figured that he had beated the fight out of the dog beneath him, he got up and allowed the two to run away yipping like frighten Chihuahuas. Tricky ran up to Spike side and cheered, “Yeah! You better run! Wow that was awesome Spike!”

Tricky’s excitement was cut short when he saw Spike reprimanding scowl and the dragon shouted, “Tricky are you crazy!? Just leave the Diamond Dogs to me!”

“Okay okay, I’m sorry,” the dinosaur apologized, ashamed of himself. Spike just sighed and shook his head.

“Forget it. Just don’t go running off like that anymore.” I swear, he reminds me of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo when they were the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“I promise.”

Again, just like the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Spike thought to himself. Looking back at the sky, he noticed how dark it was becoming. “We better stop here for the night.” He then looked over and saw the small campfire the Diamond Dogs had built. “Over there.”

“This?” Tricky asked disapprovingly as they walked up to the tiny pile of smoldering twigs. “This will never keep us warm. Don’t those dogs know how to make a fire?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll take care of it,” Spike said as he went over to a fallen tree and broke off some branches. He piled the limbs together and warned, “Stand back.”

The young EarthWalker scooted back and the dragon took a breath. He then exhaled a blast of green flames which ignited the pile of branches and created a decent fire.

“Ooh, cool!” Tricky said as he admired the dragon’s talent. “It must be awesome being a dragon!”

“Yeah… sometimes…” Spike said to himself under his breath as he sat down by the fire. He remembered how the ponies in the dinner in Fillydelphia had run him out. He remembered how those investigators had pinned the blame for the legendary Dracula’s killing spree in Ponyville. He remembered all the looks he would get when he and Rarity would go out together. Rarity… He reached into his pack and pulled out the mare’s fire ruby necklace. As he stared at its faceted surface, his thoughts were filled with concern for the mare he loved. What happened to her? Where was she? Was she safe?

“What’s that?” Tricky asked, snapping Spike from his thoughts. Spike looked up from the necklace and at the dinosaur he was escorting. Spike exhaled deeply from his nose and put the fire ruby back into his bag.

“It belongs to my marefriend,” Spike answered.

“Marefriend?” Tricky repeated, unfamiliar with the Equestrian term.

“The special lady in my life,” Spike clarified.

“Oh, your girlfriend, I’ve gotcha. So, who is she?”

“Her name’s Rarity. She’s a snow white Unicorn with a mane like amethyst and eyes as clear and blue as a crystal lake,” he described her with longing smile on his face. A sad frown appeared on his face when his concerns returned. “She’s somewhere on this island.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Tricky asked sympathetically.

“Actually, it’s probably the other way around,” Spike remarked.

“Huh?”

“I’m a wanted criminal where I come from,” Spike confessed with a small laugh.

“You are? That’s so cool! Whatcha do? Whatcha you wanted for?”

“Murder,” Spike coldly answered, grimly recalling how he was falsely accused. Tricky’s eyes widen and he immediately became less thrilled about being around Spike. Seeing the dinosaur’s reaction, he quickly explained, “Don’t worry, I didn’t do it. They pinned it on me because I’m the only dragon living in a nation of ponies.”

“Oh, I see. So, what happened?” Tricky asked, easing up again.

“It’s a long story.”

“We’ve got time,” Tricky replied with a shrug. Spike nodded and began to tell his story of how the Vampire King rose from his grave to terrorize his home. As he told his tale, he explained to Tricky who his friends were. He also told him of the adventures they went on and how they saved the world many times. He even told him of his adventure in the parallel world of Trotina. As Spike finished his story, Tricky just stared at the dragon with amazement and awe. “Wow, you’re like some sort of hero or something.”

Spike chuckled and said, “Hero? Nah, I just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Are you kidding? You’re awesome! I mean, just back there you whipped those dogs like nothing. You’ve fought monsters and helped save the world!”

“I guess you really don’t think about it like that when you’re actually there. When I was in those situations, I didn’t see myself as a hero. I just did anything I could do to stay alive.”

“Well, I think you’re cool,” Tricky told the dragon and then yawned.

“It’s getting late,” Spike said when he noticed how tired the ceratopid was. “Get some sleep. We head out first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, okay then. Goodnight Spike,” Tricky yawned as he curled up by the fire.

“Goodnight Tricky,” Spike said back to the dinosaur, but he was already out like a light. Spike smiled and then reached back into his bag and pulled out Rarity’s necklace. “Goodnight… Rarity.”

As Spike put the necklace back into the bag, he noticed the communication stone on his wrist was glowing gold. Curious, the dragon looked carefully at the magical stone and tapped its surface.

“Hello Spike,” a deep voice said from the stone.

“Master?” Spike asked, recognizing the voice of the ancient dragon.

“It seems you were successful in finding the Queen EarthWalker and even managed to find her son.”

“How did you know that?”

“I have been carefully observing your journey by means of a scrying stone that I have in my lair,” the elder dragon explained. “I am also using it to communicate to you through the scrying stone that Unicorn gave you.”

“Oh, that was Slippy.”

“How is your back? Is it still afflicting you?”

“Yes master,” Spike answered. “Master, you seem to know what it is. What’s going on with my back?”

“Your wings are growing in,” explained the elder dragon.

“M-my wings!?” Spike exclaimed and then looked over to Tricky to make sure he hadn’t woken him. Tricky snorted and rolled over, but remained asleep. Spike then continued in lower tone, “My wings? I’m growing wings?”

“Indeed. From what I can tell, they will emerge soon.”

“What’s soon?” Spike asked, both shocked and excited from the news that he was going to have wings.

“There is no way to be certain, but once the growth pains begin it only takes a few days or weeks. How long are the intervals between each wave of pain?”

“It varies, perhaps around a half an hour, but no longer than an hour.”

Spike’s master was silent for a moment and then said, “It sounds as though it is almost time, maybe even tomorrow. I warn you, when the intervals are only a minute or so apart, be prepared. Growing wings is an extremely uncomfortable process. You will want to be alone when it happens.”

“Why is that?”

“Trust me; it is better for you to be alone when it happens.”

“Yes master,” the apprentice responded.

“Tomorrow you will return the EarthWalker Prince to his mother. After you do so, return to my cave and I will help you as much as I can.” With that, the stone stopped glowing gold and returned to its normal blue color. Seeing that their conversation had ended, Spike looked back to the campfire. The burning wood crackled and popped and Tricky was quietly snoring. As Spike lay down, another wave of pain shot through him causing him to arch his back and to seethe in discomfort. He lay motionless until the pain eased away and then tried to rest comfortably on his side. It was probably a good idea if he didn’t sleep on his back.

I hope they grow in tomorrow. I can’t wait to be able fly, Spike thought. Although, Master made it sound like it was really painful. I wonder what’s going to happen. The dragon then closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.

*****

Princess Celestia sat on a large cushion in her private chambers in Canterlot Palace. Outside her balcony, she could see her sister Luna’s moon glowing in the night sky. The white Alicorn with the ethereal mane that resembled the auroras sighed with a heavy heart as she reflected on the week’s events. An ancient evil had risen from its tomb and had killed some of her subjects and harmed others. To make matters worse, this evil was once her sister’s great love. The entire ordeal had left the younger sister distraught and withdrawn. Celestia had ordered her guard not to let Luna know what was happening for her own good, but soon after discovered that she found out anyway. Celestia tried to reach out to her, but Luna has been avoiding everypony.

On top of all this, Twilight Sparkle’s surrogate son, Spike the dragon, was now missing. Celestia cared for all of her subjects, but Spike held a special place in her heart. The solar princess had personally cared for his egg ever since it was discovered, alone and abandoned by the dragoness that laid it. When Twilight Sparkle hatched the egg, the young unicorn filly was given the hatchling dragon to care for. Since Celestia’s prized pupil was still just a child, she had helped her raise Spike until Twilight was old enough to care for him by herself.

There was a knock at the door and Princess Celestia responded by saying, “Come in.” One of the large double doors opened and Princess Twilight Sparkle entered. “Ah, my dear Twilight. Please, come have a seat.”

“Thank you Your Highness,” Twilight said. Even though it has been a few years since the lavender mare with the indigo mane with the pink stripe in it had become an Alicorn and a princess, she still addressed Celestia like she did when she was still her student.

“You don’t have to call me that,” Celestia said with a small smile.

“Sorry, force of habit,” Twilight said back with a small smile of her own. They then both laughed a little, having repeated this conversation many times before. The smaller Alicorn nestled up against the larger one on the cushion and they greeted each other with an affectionate nuzzle.

“I take it there is no news regarding Spike’s whereabouts,” the white Alicorn guessed. Twilight confirmed her assumption with a disappointed shake of her head. “Have faith, we will find him.”

“I can’t believe this is happening again,” Twilight lamented. “The last time something like this happened, we thought he was dead. I… I was so scared that I would never see him again. I can’t let that happen again.”

“He’s alive, I assure you,” Celestia comforted the smaller Alicorn as she placed a white hoof on top of Twilight’s lavender hoof. “I’ve been sending him letters, but he isn’t responding to them.”

“But why? Why isn’t he responding to them? He’s innocent! He can come home now!” Twilight cried, tears starting to form in her eyes. Celestia shushed her troubled friend and stroked her hoof soothingly.

“I don’t know why, but I’m sure there must be a reason.”

“Can’t Luna find him with her dream walking?” Twilight asked hopefully.

Celestia frowned sadly and answered, “I’m afraid my sister hasn’t spoken to anypony since Dracula was slain. She’s very hurt by what happened.” Twilight nodded with understanding. She had been made aware of the connection between the Vampire King and the Princess of the Night and decided not to press the issue.

“I just want him to come home,” Twilight stated as she sighed disappointed. “He means so much to me. I may not be his real mother, but I love him as my son.” Celestia then carefully eyed her former student. She pondered on whether if it was the right time or not to tell her the truth.

“Twilight, there is something I need to tell you,” Celestia carefully started. Twilight looked up at the taller mare with tears still forming in her eyes. “About Spike…”

“Yes? What about Spike?” Twilight expectantly urged her to continue. Celestia’s brow furrowed as she thought of how to form her words. She figured she might as well come out with it. She’s already started, might as well go through with it.

“Spike is your son.”

“…Huh!?” Twilight exclaimed in utter confusion.

“Spike is your real son,” Celestia repeated.

“But Celestia, I was just a filly when he was given to me as an egg. There’s no way I could be his real mother! Plus, I would have remembered laying an egg!”

“Allow me to explain,” Celestia said in attempt to calm the shocked Twilight. “Spike’s egg was never meant to hatch. It was discovered abandoned in a cave. I decided to keep it and care for it because I had a plan. Did you ever wondered why hatching a dragon egg was the entrance exam to my school?”

“I remember hearing that it was just an aptitude test to gauge new students’ abilities and that it was supposed to be impossible to pass,” Twilight recounted what she had heard.

“Yes, but I knew that someday some little pony would be able to. The reason I used Spike’s egg as an entrance exam was to find you. Yes, because the only pony who could hatch the egg was the pony was destined to bear the Element of Magic.” A look of shame and regret came to the white Alicorn’s face. “I’m sorry to say, but you becoming my personally student, you meeting your friends, and even Spike’s birth was all a part of my plan to find six ponies to wield the Element of Harmony to save Luna from Nightmare Moon. Even though I had good intentions and did it for the greater good, it doesn’t change the fact that I have manipulated all of you.” Celestia closed her eyes and bowed her head. “I am sorry.”

Twilight smiled and it was her turn to comfortingly nuzzle her fellow princess and said, “You have nothing to be sorry for. I already figured this out. If not for you, I’ve never would have such great friends or Spike. I am grateful for what you have done for us. But what does this all have to do with Spike being my real son?”

“As I said, Spike’s egg was dud. The genetic material was there, but there was no life in it. The surge of magic you unleashed during your exam breathed life into the egg and formed a perfectly healthy baby dragon. Your magic, your very essence of life, runs through his veins. You are just as much his mother as the dragoness who had laid his egg.”

“So, he really is my son,” Twilight whispered as tears of immeasurable joy ran down her face. There was a knock at the door, interrupting the tender moment. Celestia called for whoever it was to enter and a messenger pony came in carrying a letter.

“Excuses me, Your Highnesses, but an urgently has just arrived.” The messenger delivered the letter and the princesses gasped when they saw it was from Rarity.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I have found a lead on Spike’s location here in Fillydelphia. He has left with a mercenary group heading towards Krazoa Island to the east. As I understand, it is an island inhabited with dinosaurs. I have been informed by one of the inhabitants that the island is in peril. I am leaving with him to see what I can do to help and to see if I can find Spike there. Please send assistance as soon as possible.

Your faithful subject,

Rarity

After reading the letter, Princess Celestia turned to the messenger and ordered, “Send for Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy at once!”

DarkIce Mines

“This is awesome!” Tricky cheered as he looked over the railing of the Great Fox. The airship was flying northeast from ThornTail Hollow and over the Snowhorn Wastes to the piece of the island that was now floating in the sky. The ship weaved in-between the smaller chunks of floating rocks as they approached what used to be DarkIce Mines. While the smaller rocks and boulders circled Krazoa Island in the sky like a storm of earth and stone, the four landmasses that were the sacred lands from which the SpellStones were forged remained relatively in the same place. DarkIce Mines was the sacred land of the SnowHorn Tribe and somewhere on that floating island was the SpellStone of Earth and Spike had to find it somehow.

As the Great Fox flew over the large chunk of floating land, Peppy pulled out a telescope. The gray Earth Pony scanned the area in search of any signs of life and structures. Captain Pepper slowed the ship as they did a sweep of the island. Spike stood beside Tricky and they both looked down at the terrain. Like the rest of the SnowHorn Wastes, DarkIce Mines was covered with snowy mountains.

“I see a camp down there!” the navigator announced. The rest of the Star Fox team huddled around Peppy and looked down to the area he pointed out. “That will be a good place to start. There’s also a clearing not too far from it.”

“That’s all I needed to hear,” the stallion with the red officer’s cap said as he steered the ship down to the settlement. The airship made its descent over the clearing, which turned out to be an abandoned part of the mines. The ship landed on a platform that was suspend over a pit of lava. Spike and Tricky headed down the ship’s ramp and onto the platform. The dragon looked about and saw narrow rock brides connecting to the platform. The bridges were twisted and precariously spanned over the magma.

“Alright, Tricky and I will head to the camp,” Spike announced.

“Be careful, Spike,” Slippy called down from the ship.

“We’ll look after the ship,” Captain Pepper added. Spike nodded and stepped onto one of the winding carved bridges. He didn’t take two steps before a burst of steam shot out right by the dragon from the pit. Startled, Spike flinched and looked back to Tricky.

“Stay close to me,” Spike urged his partner. Tricky nodded his head quickly in agreement. As the two walked carefully across the bridge, Tricky couldn’t help but to look over the edge as they rounded each of the bridge’s many twists and turns. He could feel the rising heat and could see the glowing orange magma bellow. The yellow and purple dinosaur gulped but continued to press onward.

Spike placed one foot in front of the other as softly as he could. The bridge was rather thin at parts, and he didn’t want to test its stability. They were about twenty feet from the other side, and they started to feel relieved. With the end in sight, Spike’s confidence strengthened and he started to speed up the pace. As Tricky ran to keep up, the bridge gave out from underneath him! He started to scream, but Spike quickly grabbed him and pulled him off the bridge. Tricky landed on the snow and they both looked back down to see the fallen pieces of the bridge sink into the magma.

“That was too close!” Spike commented.

“You’re telling me,” Tricky responded. “You’re fireproof, I’m not.”

After recovering from the scare, the two saw that they were on a path that led to the camp. They followed the snowy trail out from magma chamber and around the corner of a hill to see a SnowHorn mining camp. From the cover of their hiding place, Spike and Tricky could see a few mammoth-sized huts. Chained to posts were the SnowHorns with Diamond Dogs watching over them.

They then heard the moaning of a mammoth, and they saw a bunch of Diamond Dogs pounding a SnowHorn with their clubs as it lay on the frozen ground. The dogs laughed at the SnowHorns’s moans of agony as they tormented it. One dog looked on as the others did the work. He had light brown fur and wore a gray vest and a studded collar. Spike recognized him as one of the Diamond Dogs that had kidnapped Rarity years ago. If he remembered correctly, he was one of their leaders.

“Stupid mammoth,” the short dog named Spot gloated. “This is what happens to trouble makers!”

“Hey!” The mammoth’s tormentors turned around to see a purple dragon charging towards them. “Leave him alone!”

“Who are you?” Spot demanded. “Wait… I know you. You’re that wimpy dragon that’s friends with that whining pony!”

“My name’s Spike, and I’m here for the SpellStone!” the dragon declare.

“This will be easy. I remember how we beat you before. Get him dogs!” At their superior’s command, the pack of dogs ran towards Spike, barking and growling. Spot sneered as he watched the dragon get dog piled by… well, the dogs. He started to laugh, but then gawked in confusion as he saw the pile of dogs get thrown off of the dragon.

“I’m not so wimpy anymore,” Spike smirked. He then landed an uppercut on the nearest dog’s jaw, knocking him over. Two more dogs tried to tackle him, but he evaded their attack. He grabbed both of their heads and knocked them together, causing them to see stars. Before the other dogs could join in the fight, Spike unleashed a flash of green flame into the air. Not wanting to risk getting burnt, the Diamond Dogs fled, leaving Spot behind.

“Come back here!” Spot shouted as he stomped about in anger. He then turned around to come face to chest of the now much taller dragon. Realizing that Spike wasn’t the same baby he once knew but a teenage dragon that meant business, Spot sheepishly looked up to Spike. The teenaged dragon had his arms crossed and was scowling down at the vertically challenged Diamond Dog. Every so often, he would tap a claw impatiently.

Spike held out a claw and only said one word, “Keys.” Spot pulled the key ring from his vest and dropped it onto the outstretched claw and bolted away, yipping in fear. With the keys in claw, Spike freed the SnowHorns, who had been cheering him on during the fight.

“Thank you stranger,” said the mammoth that had been assaulted as he stood back up. “I am forever in your debt.”

“You’re welcome,” Spike said back to him as Tricky ran up to them. Spike looked down and saw that the mammoth was also chained up like the others. “Hang on a second; I’ll free all of you.” Once he had unlocked all of their shackles, the SnowHorns gathered around Spike and Tricky.

“Thank you for releasing us,” a female SnowHorn said to the dragon and the others all nodded in agreement. “If you’re heading down into the mine, then please look out for Belena Te, our Chieftain’s daughter. She didn’t mean to get us into this mess by telling Scar about the SpellStone. She did what she thought was right. Please help her!”

“Okay lady, I’ll keep a look out for her,” Spike reassured. “But first, we need a way into the mine.”

“I can help you there,” said the mammoth that the dogs were attacking. “Those mutts have built a fort on the other side of the river, covering the entrance of the mine. Hop on my back, we’ll bust down those gates!”

Spike liked the attitude of this SnowHorn. Spike hopped on top of the mammoth’s shaggy back and he started to march away from the camp on towards the river as Tricky ran along side of him. They crossed over a small wooden bridge over the icy river and could see the fort on the other side. The fort was surrounded by a trench and the path led around it to large gate with double doors. As the mammoth marched forward, the branches of the evergreen trees shook with each heavy footstep, causing the snow to shake of the limbs.

“Let’s smash those gates!” the SnowHorn shouted as he lowered his head and rushed across the bridge. Spike held on tight as his ride bashed the doors with his tusks and trunk. The doors burst open and they crossed the threshold of the fort. Inside there was a barracks and a cannon mounted on a tower. The look on the Diamond Dogs’ that were stationed at fort faces was priceless. Spot had been gathering more dogs to retake the camp. While he had been briefing the dogs on his battle plan, a large SnowHorn had burst through the doors right behind him. He turned around to see Spike riding atop of the mammoth. Needless to say, he was intimidated. The mammoth trumpeted and the dogs scattered about like cockroaches in the light.

“Get to the cannon! Get the dragon! Get the mammoth!” Spot shouted over the noise of the confusion.

“The cannon!” Spike exclaimed as he saw a dog run up the tower to the arm the cannon. “Hold them off while I take him out! Tricky, take cover!”

Tricky did as he was told and hid behind the SnowHorn. The mammoth trashed his tusks about, swatting the dogs away as they advanced. Meanwhile, Spike ran across the fort to the tower. He could see that the dog was taking aim at the mammoth and he had to act fast. He flapped his wings hard and flew to the top. He reached the cannon in time to shove it so that it would be off its mark. The cannon fired and its projectile flew across the fort and smashed into another gate that led further into the mountains. Before the dog could react, Spike grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and banged his head against the cannon, knocking him out.

“Retreat! Retreat!” Spot ordered as he fled with his subordinates into the mountain pass. With the unconscious dog in claw, Spike landed at the base of the tower. He could feel the burn from using his wings too much.

“That way leads to the mine,” the SnowHorn explained as he pointed his trunk down the way the dogs had run. “You’ll want to stay close to me. The winds can be rather strong through the pass. It’s easy to get lost in there.”

“What about him?” Tricky asked as he came out from behind the mammoth. Spike looked down to the dog at his feet. “It’s too dangerous to let him run free.”

“He’s just one dog,” Spike stated. “He can’t do much now that the SnowHorns are free. But I suppose something has to be done about that cannon.” Spike took a breath and set the tower on fire. “There, now that’s out of the way, let’s head to the mine.”

Spike hopped back onto the SnowHorn and Tricky followed as the mammoth headed into the pass. Immediately the wind started to pick as soon as they entered through the gates. Spike squinted his eyes as he tried to see through the frigid wind and falling snow. Even with his draconic eyesight, Spike couldn’t see much. His vision blurred as the freezing wind caused his eyes to tear up. He rubbed his eyes, but it didn’t help much. For the most part, all he could see was a white blur. He could barely make out the images of tress and rocks. He would have trust the SnowHorn to know where he was going.

“Tricky, stay close!” Spike called over the howling blizzard. “I don’t want you to get lost!”

“I’m alright!” Tricky called back. As long as he could see the large walking mass of brown hair in front of him, he was fine. However, a pair of light brown paws came out of the blizzard and covered his mouth as they pulled him into the storm.

The mammoth was approaching the end of the pass and Spike could see the glow of two torches through the snow. As they drew closer to the lights, Spike could see the entrance of DarkIce Mines. The dragon dismounted the mammoth and looked at the opening.

“Okay Tricky, it’s time to…” Spike started to say as he looked behind, but he didn’t see the Prince EarthWalker. He franticly looked about and called out into the blizzard, “Tricky? Tricky!”

“Your friend will turn up. They usually do,” the SnowHorn tried to reassure him. However, Spike wasn’t comforted. “Before you head inside, remember to watch out for the Galdon; a horrible monster we uncovered while mining deep into the mountain. We’ve managed to trap the beast, but I don’t know if they have discovered it yet. I will stay out here and look for your friend. You go and find the SpellStone.”

“Thank you,” Spike said before running into the mine. Spike could see a large cavern illuminated by the glow of magna. He heard a rumbling noise and could see that there was a conveyor belt carrying stones to a rock crusher. Powering the machinery were giant wheels with SnowHorns inside them. Spike could see collars around their necks with chains anchoring them to the walls. To the side, he could see a staircase leading down from the overlook down to the enslaved mammoths.

“Help me!” Spike heard Tricky’s voice. Looking down from overlook, Spike could see Spot leading another Diamond Dog that was carrying a struggling Tricky to a prison cell. They threw Tricky into the cell and pulled a lever on the opposing wall, locking the dinosaur inside. “Let me out!”

Ignoring their prisoner, the two canines walked away. Once they were out of sight, Spike ran down the stairs and made his way to the cell. Along the way, Spike stopped to pull out the keys had received from Spot. He headed towards the SnowHorns in the wheels and undid the locks on their chains.

“Oh, thank you,” one of them said to their rescuer. “Give me the keys. I know where they have taken the others.”

“Good, then I’ll get the SpellStone,” Spike told them as he placed the keys on one of their trunks.

“Is anyone there?” Tricky’s voice echo through the mine. Spike ran over to the cell and could see the young ceratopid on the other side of the bars. In the back of the cell next to Tricky’s was a smaller SnowHorn who was lying in the back with facing away from Spike. “Spike, those Diamond Dogs grabbed me in the blizzard and threw me in this cell!”

“Hang on, I’ll get you out,” Spike told him as he pulled down the lever on the wall. The bars slid open and Tricky was freed. The small SnowHorn turned looked over its shoulder when it heard the doors being opened and stood up.

“Who are you?” the young female mammoth asked as Spike and Tricky entered the cell.

“I am Spike and this is the Crowned Prince of the EarthWalkers,” the dragon introduced. “We’ve been sent by the SnowHorn Chieftain to find the SpellStone. Do you know where it’s hidden?”

“My name is Belena Te. The Chieftain is my father. Did he send you to rescue me?” she asked hopefully.

“I’m sorry, Belena, but he feels that you have betrayed the beliefs of your tribe,” he told her, remembering the shamed yet heartbroken look in Garunda Te’s eyes. “We were only sent to find the SpellStone.”

“The old fool!” Belena growled. “I had to save the tribe! If it wasn’t for my father being the guardian of the SpellStone, none of this would have happened in the first place!” In an indignant rage, she trumpeted and charged into the cell’s wall, breaking through it and into an adjacent tunnel. Her ruckus caused the ceiling of the tunnel to collapse behind her. Spike and Tricky’s mouths hanged open in shock as they looked to each and then back to the tunnel.

“Belena!” Spike shouted as he ran to the cave in. “Are you there?!”

“Listen carefully,” she responded, much to Spike’s relief. “Find a way to the bottom of the mine. I’ll meet you there!”

“Why couldn’t she just break herself out in the first place?” Tricky whispered. Spike just shrugged and they headed back out of the cell. The followed the way that Spot had went and they saw a doorway that lead to a tall winding ramp that took them further down into the mine. As Spike and Tricky reached the bottom of the ramp, they met up with the other SnowHorns.

“Have you found the SpellStone?” one of them asked.

“No, but we’ve found Belena Te,” Spike told them.

“Oh good, where is she?” another asked. To answer the question, the wall behind them cracked and then Belena broke through the wall.

“I’m right here,” she told them.

“Belena!” Spike exclaimed when he saw that she was safe.

“You’ve made it.”

“Yeah, we decided to take the stairs,” Spike joked. “Now where’s that SpellStone?”

“I’m not sure, but I know Scar must have hidden it somewhere close. Look carefully. I’m sure you and your little friend can find it.”

“In the meantime, we’ll take back our land!” one of the adult SnowHorns declared, causing all the mammoths to trumpet in agreement. They stamped their large feet and charged into the next room. Spike followed after them to find a large quarry filled with conveyor belts, pillars, wheels, and other machinery. Spike could tell that this must be the heart of the mine. Since the floor of the cavern was dotted with magma pits and geysers, it also must be deep into the mountain.

The Diamond Dogs yelped as the SnowHorns swatted them off the platforms with their trunks. The dogs tried to regain control of the mine, but without their more advanced weaponry, they were outmatched by the SnowHorns’ overwhelming size and strength. During the battle, Spike located Spot in the distance. If anyone knew where the SpellStone was, it would be him. The purple dragon ran to the smaller dog and lifted him up by his collar.

“Where is the SpellStone?” he demanded. The dog struggled and kicked his feet about. “Where is it?”

“I’ll never tell you, dragon!” Spot declared. Spike frowned and then flicked on the nose. “Ow!”

“Tell me,” Spike calmly demanded.

“No!” This resulted in another flick to the nose. “Ow!”

“Tell me.”

“No… Ow! Stop that!” Spot rubbed his nose after Spike flicked it again.

“Only if you’ll tell me,” Spike told him and mockingly cheery voice and then flicked him again.

“Ow! Stop that! Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay, okay! No more! The shiny stone is through those doors!” Spot pointed to a large barricaded set of wooden doors.

“Thank you,” Spike said as he dropped Spot to the floor. The small dog stood up, rubbed his poor nose, and then sneered as he ran away.

“Good luck, dragon!” Spot snarled to himself as he and the other dogs fled from the rampaging SnowHorns. Spike and Tricky stood before the door. It had been boarded up with large planks. Using his sharp claws, Spike pried the boards off one by one until the doors were cleared. They opened the doors and headed inside a dark cavern. Belena Te saw Spike and Tricky heading into the formerly barricade door and gasped.

“No! Don’t go in there!” she tried to warn them, but they had already gone inside. The doorway led to a cavern that was devoid of any mining equipment. Aside from a few geyser and dripping stalactites, there wasn’t much in the chamber. The only thing noteworthy was a large chunk of ice sitting in the middle in the room. The duo walked up to the ice mass and they could see something green sticking out of the ice. Embedded into the ice was a green gem surrounded by a stone frame. It six sides, but it was wider at the base and taller at the top, almost like a teardrop.

“There it is!” Tricky cheered.

“Alright, stand back,” Spike warned as he prepared his fire breath. The dragon’s emerald flames flowed over the ice, causing steam to rise as the ice melt. However, the retreating ice revealed that there was chitinous hide underneath and a large clawed hand was gripping the green gem. Spike and Tricky took a step back and watched as a huge insect-like creature uncurled itself. Chunks of ice fell off its dark green exoskeleton as it stretched out. It rose higher and higher until it stood over twenty feet tall. It stood on its back four legs and held up its front two like arms. In one of them was the stone.

“He’s got the SpellStone!” Tricky shouted. The creature opened its beak-like mouth as shrieked at them and then spat out a nasty green glob at them. The two jumped out of the way and the ground sizzled as the green slime ate away at the floor. The creature, which they realized must be the Galdon roared again and then swallowed the stone.

“Well, he can keep it! Move!” Spike shouted as he pushed Tricky away from another shot of acid spit. The dragon and the dinosaur ran around the Galdon in attempt to get of its range, but it turned to follow them. It clicked the six mandibles that surrounded its mouth in fury and shot another glob of acid at them. Spike stopped in time to avoid being hit by the acid, and he and Tricky switched directions. They ran back to the door, but a large stalactite came crashing down in front of it with green acid sizzling on top of it. The Galdon had eaten the SpellStone and now had blocked their escape. They had no choice but to fight.

“What are going to do Spike?” the frightened dinosaur asked. Spike looked at the fallen stalactite and smirked.

“Tricky, I want you to distract it,” Spike ordered.

“Are you crazy?!” Tricky protested. “I’m not going near that thing!”

“Just do as I say! I’ve got a plan!” Spike shouted as he ran along the side of the room. Tricky groaned but did as he was told.

“Hey! Look at me, ya smelly giant cockroach!” Tricky goaded the Galdon while he wiggled his rump at the beast. It growled in anger and roared. It then started to build an extra large glob of acid especially made for the Prince that was mocking it. What it didn’t notice was that Spike had sneaked around it and flew up to a large stalactite. Spike clawed away at the base and then rode the falling stalactite down on to the Galdon’s head. The creature shrieked in pain and collapsed to the floor.

“Yeah, alright!” Spike cheered, but then the Galdon rose back up. It shook its head and glared down at Spike. It snapped its head forward and gobbled the young dragon up and swallowed him whole!

“Spike!” Tricky cried in despair. The Galdon snarled and started to advance towards the EarthWalker, but froze with a confused look on its ugly face. It cleared its throat and patted its chest as though it was having some indigestion.

Deep within the bowls of the beast, Spike landed in the Galdon’s stomach. He gagged in disgust as he wiped off the stomach juices from his purple scales. As he was brushing himself off, he saw something glowing nearby.

“The SpellStone!” he happily cheered as he picked it up out of a pool of smile. It was so large that Spike had to hold it in both claws. He then looked around the pulsating prison he was in and thought of a way out of there. “Alright ugly, it’s time for some heartburn!”

Meanwhile, the Galdon was stomping around clutching its chest. Smoke was rising out of its mouth and it shrieked in agony. It started heaving and then it opened its mouth to belch out green flames. It continued to gag and then it vomited out Spike onto the floor in a wave of bile. A sickening gargle could be heard coming from the Galdon and it collapsed to the floor dead.

“Spike, you’re okay!” Tricky cheered.

“And I’ve got the SpellStone!” Spike announced as he held up SpellStone of Earth in triumph. He looked back to the dead Galdon and quipped, “Looks like he bit off more than he could chew.”

Once everyone was back at the SnowHorn camp outside, the SnowHorns trumpeted in applause as the Diamond Dogs flew away in their airship. Spike walked along side Belena and Tricky with the green SpellStone secured in his backpack. Waiting for Spike and Tricky along with the freed tribe was the rest of Star Fox.

“You must forgive your father,” Spike said to the young SnowHorn as they walked. “You must work together to lead the SnowHorn Tribe against Scar instead of fighting each other.”

“I will Spike,” she said gratefully. “Because of you, my people will no longer live as slaves.”

When Spike noticed that the others were waiting for him, he quickly said, “Okay, we’ll see you soon. We’ve got to get the SpellStone back to the island.”

After that brief farewell, Spike ran after the others and board the Great Fox.

*****

“So this is Krazoa Island, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked as the five ponies got out of the purple hot air balloon. They had landed in a lush green valley near the center of the island. “Spitfire has been trying to get me out here for awhile now. I guess I finally have a reason to be here.”

“Boy howdy,” Applejack exclaimed as she hopped out of the balloon. “It sure is humid here.”

“That’s because Krazoa Island is a tropical island,” Twilight Sparkle explained.

“Okay, I say we should split-up. We can cover more ground that way,” Rainbow suggested.

“I don’t think so, not yet at least,” the Alicorn declined. “We need to gather information first.”

“Oh yeah, and where exactly do you expect to find some information?” Rainbow impatiently asked.

“How about we ask those guys over there?” Pinkie Pie optimistically asked as she pointed with her hoof. Everypony turned their heads and saw a bunch of ThornTails grazing on the vegetation by the river.

“Wow, real life dinosaurs!” Twilight marveled at the sight. Pinkie Pie started to happily bounce over to a ThornTail but Applejack pulled her back.

“Are ya nuts Pinkie?!” Applejack scolded.

“No, I’m a pony silly,” Pinkie giggled.

“You can’t go wanderin’ up to something’ big like that! It could’ve eatin’ you!”

“No it wouldn’t Applejack. It’s an ankylosaur,” Twilight explained.

“An ankylo-what-now?” the farm pony asked.

“Ankylosauria is a group of herbivorous dinosaurs of the order Ornithischia…”

“In smaller words, Princess Egghead,” Rainbow Dash teased.

“They’re plant eaters,” Twilight translated as she rolled her eyes.

“Oh, well that doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous,” Applejack countered. “Who knows what could happen if the decided to…”

“Excuse me, sir?” they heard Fluttershy say. They quickly looked over to see the yellow Pegasus talking to one of the ThornTails and their mouths dropped. “But have you seen a white unicorn with a violet mane or a purple dragon with green spines?”

“Why yes, I have,” the ThornTail politely answered, much to the other ponies’ amazement. “I saw a purple dragon head northeast to SnowHorn Wastes.”

“Oh really? Oh, thank you! Thank you very much!” Fluttershy sweetly thanked the helpful dinosaur.

“I am very glad to help,” he said back.

Fluttershy walked back to the others and said, “He says that Spike went this way.”

“B-but… How did you do that?” Twilight stammered, still in awe of what just happened.

“Oh, he looked like a nice fellow,” the shy mare tried to explain. “So I went over and asked him if he had seen Rarity or Spike. Why? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, never mind,” Twilight brushed it off. “Let’s just move on. Let’s see if we can find a map somewhere.”

The RedEye Tribe

A fog covered the valley as the sun peeked over the eastern horizon. Twilight was already awake and going over the map one more time. Applejack stretched her limbs and Fluttershy yawned as they arose. Pinkie Pie and Tricky were still snoring loudly, their limbs sprawled out and drool coming from their mouths. Applejack rekindled the smoldering campfire and prepared breakfast as Twilight woke up Pinkie and Tricky. She then went over to Spike and gently shook his shoulder.

“Spike, it’s time to wake up,” Twilight said to the sleeping dragon.

“Five more minutes…” Spike groggily moaned, still asleep. Twilight giggled, remembering how he never was a morning dragon.

“Spike,” she said a little louder, finally getting him to open his eyes. Remembering where his was and why he was there, he scrambled to his feet and looked about. All he could see down the cliff was the gray haze of the morning fog. Twilight stepped beside him and also observed the valley.

“I hope this fog clears,” Spike commented as he looked at the obscured figures of trees and buildings in the fog. “That way we’ll know where we’re going.”

“Actually, the fog might work towards our advantage,” Twilight replied. “It might provide us cover as we try to make it to the central pyramid.”

“Or it might give them the advantage.”

“Regardless, we’re going have to do it. The longer we wait, the more the island falls apart.”

After the quick breakfast that Applejack provided, the team of four ponies, the dragon, and the Prince EarthWalker climbed down the trail into the misty jungle and cautiously made their way towards the city. As nervous as he was, Tricky was in the lead. This was his home and could navigate through it with his eyes closed. However, his eyes were wide open and darting side to side as he looked through the fog for anything that might resemble a RedEye. Every time one of them would step on a branch or a bird would take flight, they all would freeze and their hearts would skip a beat. They moved in closer together and Applejack walked backwards, keeping an eye on the rear.

“Hey, Twilight,” Applejack whispered to the Alicorn she was leaning against for direction as she walked backwards. “Can’t you use your horn to light the way?”

“I would,” Twilight whispered back. “But the glow would give our position away. The RedEyes would be able to see it from a mile away.”

A loud sneeze echoed throughout the foggy jungle and everyone gasped as they froze in their tracks. They quickly snapped their heads around and all eyes were on Pinkie Pie, who had a mortified expression on her face as she covered her nose. They were too horrified to reprimand her and they frantically looked around for any sign of movement in the fog. When there appeared to be none, they all breathed heavy sighs of relief.

“Golly Pinkie, whatcha tryin’ to do, get us all killed?!” Applejack whispered harshly to the pink Earth Pony.

“I’m so sorry,” Pinkie apologized with her ears drooping.

“It’s okay Pinkie,” Fluttershy reassured while placing a hoof on her shoulder. “We know it was an accident, right Applejack?”

“Fine,” the orange mare muttered with a roll of her eyes. “But this is no time for accidents. We have to be extra careful, ya hear?” Pinkie Pie nodded in understanding.

“Come on, you guys!” Twilight whispered from the lead with Tricky and Spike. “If they did hear that, we need to be out of here before they show up.”

They pressed onward through the jungle and Pinkie Pie held a hoof to her nose the rest of the way. Through the fog, the silhouette of a stone structure appeared. When they approached it, they saw it was the railing of a bridge. Then they saw the start of the bridge that would lead them over the canal to the Walled City.

“This must be the western bridge, am I right?” Twilight asked Tricky.

“Yeah, and on the other side is home,” the young ceratopid confirmed. As they crossed the bridge, they could see the rising sun starting to shine through the fog. The light highlighted the nearby buildings, their silhouettes contrasted against the white background of the fog. The mares and the dragon marveled as they reached the end of the bridge. Through the haze, they could see the stone buildings of white stone with red or blue trimmings.

“Look at these symbols,” Twilight whispered in awe of the architectural and historical significance of the buildings. She placed a hoof on a wall of one of the EarthWalkers’ homes and looked admiring up at it.

The lavender mare’s archeological observation of the structure was interrupted when they all felt the ground mildly shaking. Twilight stepped away from the building and everyone looked around for the source of the vibrations. They noticed that the vibrations were coming in intervals with only a second or two between each one.

“Oh no,” Twilight whispered, her eyes widening as she came to a terrifying realization.

“Everyone hide! Quick!” Spike whispered urgently. The group hid in the space between the building and the city’s moat. Spike poked his head around the corner to see what it was, and then everyone else crawled underneath him to also get a look until they looked like a totem pole of heads. Since Spike was the tallest, he was at the top followed by Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Tricky was at the bottom.

A large figure appeared through the mist. It walked on two powerful legs and it stood two stories tall. Its bulky body and massive head was counterbalanced by a long thick tail. As it emerged from the mist, they could see that its pebbly scaly skin was a dark green with black stripes. Its head was wide at the base and narrowed to a rounded snout with banana sized teeth jutting out from its maw.

When they saw the beast, there was no mistaking what it was. It was a Tyrannosaurus. From nose to tail, the prehistoric predator was at least forty feet long. When Spike looked at its eyes, he saw that they were red-orange around the pupils but transitioned to a blood red towards the edges.

RedEye, Spike thought, identifying the Tyrannosaurus as the tribe that the EarthWalkers feared. The RedEye raised its head and Spike saw its nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air. After sniffing for a moment, the huge carnivore moved on. As it disappeared back into the fog, the team of adventurers emerged from their hiding spot.

“Whoa,” Tricky managed to say as he watched the shadow of the RedEye faded back into the mist.

“You said it, partner,” Applejack said, almost at a loss for words herself. “I’d hate to tangle with one of those guys.”

“Let’s find the King before another one shows up,” Twilight urged. Following the road, they made their way to the center of the city. At each intersection, they would hide behind a corner and check each way before moving on. The morning fog was starting to lift and saw the step pyramid in the distance. With their goal in sight and the cover of the fog compromised, they started to hurry down the road. It was just down the road and around the next corner.

“Hurry we’re almost…” Twilight was starting to say as she rounded the corner, but then came face to face with a RedEye. She slid on her hooves in an effort to stop herself and came to a halt before she collided into the snout of the dinosaur sleeping in the middle of the tiled road. Not expecting the abrupt stop, Spike bumped into the back of Twilight, pushing her closer to the beast. Then Applejack bumped into Spike, then Pinkie Pie into Applejack, Fluttershy into Pinkie Pie, and then Tricky into Pinkie Pie. With each collision, Twilight Sparkle was pushed closer and closer towards the dinosaur. Now a mere inch away, her purple eyes were staring straight into the nostrils of the sleeping RedEye.

“Back up, back up, back up,” she repeatedly whispered as sweat rolled down her forehead. The RedEye snorted, sending bits of snot flying out its nose onto the indigo maned mare. She shivered in disgust as they slowly backed away. As Twilight wiped the mucus from her face, they noticed a ramp leading down under the pyramid behind the sleeping giant. As they crept around the RedEye, Spike watched to make sure its red eye remained closed.

To get to the ramp, they would have to step over the tip of its tail. Tricky went first, followed by Fluttershy and Twilight. As Pinkie Pie was about to cross over, a bird fluttered down and landed on the tip of the Tyrannosaur’s nose. The sleeping dinosaur wriggled its nose and everyone gasped in horror.

“Oh no, shoo little birdie,” Fluttershy tried to convince the bird. The RedEye then sneezed and shook its head, causing the bird to fly away. The disturbance had awoken the dinosaur and it started to rise. Pinkie Pie quickly hopped over the tail, but it whipped around and knocked Applejack over. The blond pony grunted as she landed on her back and the RedEye turned its head to look down at her. It snarled and bared its monstrous teeth, wanting breakfast. Applejack stared up in fright as the theropod towered over her. It started to lunge at her, but then stepped back and roared in pain.

“Applejack, run!” Spike shouted to her, snapping her out of her fear induced trance. When the dinosaur had lunged forward to eat Applejack, Spike had run forward and breathed green flames at its massive clawed foot. The RedEye then glared down at the dragon and roared in hatred.

Taking advantage of the diversion, Applejack made for the ramp. Once she had joined the others in the safety of the underground tunnel, they looked back to Spike. The RedEye lunged at the small dragon and snapped its teeth in the spot he had been standing before he took to the air. Spike flew backwards from the angry dinosaur, but then heard a rumbling coming from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw another RedEye coming down the row of buildings. The sound of the Tyrannosaur roaring had alerted the others and they were coming in hopes to find a meal.

Spike flew straight at the second RedEye with the first still hot on his heels. Right as he approached the opening jaws of the second RedEye, he flapped his wings and flew started up. The two hungry dinosaurs ran head first into each other and they both fell to the ground, kicking their massive legs in the air. Spike landed back down and looked at the two Tyrannosaurs that were struggling to get up. He turned and ran back to the ramp, but stopped when a third came around a corner and looked down at Spike.

“Don’t move! They can’t see you if you don’t move!” Pinkie called from the tunnel.

“Pinkie, that theory has been discredited by scientists!” Twilight told her.

“Run Spike! Run like the wind!” Pinkie shouted instead. The third RedEye stomped towards Spike and he spread his wings to take off, but the tail of one the other two smacked against him as it spun around to raise itself up. Spike groaned from the impact and rolled over. He yelled in panic as he saw the top jaw and the bottom jaw of a RedEye come together around him. He stuck his claws out and place one on the roof the mouth and the other on its slimy tongue.

“Spike!” his friends cried when they saw Spike being held sideways in the dinosaur’s mouth. The dragon’s arms trembled as the unbearable pressure the RedEye’s bite force pushed against them. He gritted his teeth as he strained to force open the Tyrannosaur’s mouth. Unlike the Galdon, Spike was willing to bet that RedEyes chewed their food before they swallowed. His muscled burned from exhaustion and the teeth were starting to come down.

“Get out of there Spike!” his master ordered from the communication stone.

“He’s… too… strong…” Spike strained.

“Too strong? Have you not learned anything?!” his master chastised. Spike remembered the Test of Combat and how he used his draconic nature to unlock his strength.

“But this… is… a T. rex…” Spike argued while tried to keep the RedEye’s mouth opened.

“And you are a dragon!” his master reminded him. Hearing the elder dragon’s words, Spike tried to concentrate. He had learned how to use his determination, natural urges, and emotions as a drive for his draconic strength, but now he had to dig deeper. He needed something more, something stronger. He thought about what would happen if he were to fail there and then. He would die, his mother would lose her son, his friends would watch him be eaten in front of them, the last two SpellStones would never be recovered, General Scar would win, and the Krazoa Spirits would never be returned to their palace! He would die along with everyone else on this island! Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Tricky, the dinosaurs, and Rarity!

No! he thought as a rage burned inside him. His eyes glowed green and his pupils contacted to razor thin slits. I will not let this be!

With a roar of fury of his own, Spike pried open the jaws of the RedEye, grabbed it by its snout, and brought it crashing down into the other two. Spikes shoulders heaved up and down as he seethed with rage, watching the fallen dinosaurs trying to get back up. With each breath, green flames and smoke rose from his mouth like a furnace. He snarled with hatred and stepped forward the three RedEyes, ready to take them on.

“Spike!” a voice called to him. He snapped his head around in search of the one that would dare try to stop him. Whoever it was, they would pay too! He then saw a familiar looking lavender figure standing at the mouth of the tunnel. As he remembered that the figure was Twilight Sparkle, his eyes stopped glowing and his pupils returned to normal. He blinked a few times and looked behind him to the three RedEyes. They were starting to get back up and shake their heads to reorient themselves. “Hurry Spike!”

Spike dashed towards the ramp. He couldn’t believe that he was thinking about fighting three Tyrannosaurs at the same time. He realized that he hadn’t been thinking at all! He had let his rage to take control of his body just as it did during the Test of Combat. Only this time, it was stronger.

“Oh, thank goodness!” Twilight exclaimed as Spike joined her and the others in the tunnel.

“We were so worried,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“We thought you were a goner!” Pinkie Pie said.

“How did you manage to do that?” Applejack asked. “I know dragons are strong n’ all, but you brought that big guy down like it was nothin’.”

“It’s just a part of being a dragon, I guess,” Spike replied, still on edge from his adrenaline rush. That’s the second time I’ve nearly lost it. I’ve got to be more careful. Think. Use your head first. Spike looked around to see if everyone was unharmed and noticed that someone was missing. “Where’s Tricky?”

“I’m here!” the young EarthWalker called from down the ramp. “Come on in, there’s someone I want you to meet!”

They hurried down the tunnel and came to a room lit by red and blue magical flames. In the center of the chamber was an EarthWalker with golden greaves on his legs and gems adorning his frill. Behind him were two statues; a red Tyrannosaur decorated with the symbol of the sun and a blue Tyrannosaur with the symbol of the moon.

“Tricky, my son,” the adult EarthWalker said to Tricky.

“See, he’s okay,” Tricky happily announced.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I am the king, you know,” the King EarthWalker reassured his son. He then turned to the ponies and the dragon accompanying him. “Ah, you must be reinforcements sent from Equestria.”

“That’s right, Your Majesty. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria,” Twilight introduced herself, before turning to her friends. “This is Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike.”

“I would give you a more formal greeting, but I need your help,” the King said to them. “My tribe has been scattered and many are trapped within their own homes by those bloodthirsty RedEyes. We’ve lost many soldiers to General Scar at Krazoa Palace, so we were unprepared when the Diamond Dogs broke the barrier separating the city from the RedEye Tribe’s territory. Before we can do anything else, we must take back the city.”

“But how? What soldiers we have left are too wounded to fight,” Tricky reminded his father. “And we’re just two EarthWalkers, four ponies, and a dragon.”

“But Twilight here is an Alicorn,” Applejack pointed out. “Ah’m sure she could whip it with a spell lickety-split.”

“I’m sure I could, but don’t want to resort to violence if I don’t have to,” Twilight thoughtfully said. “What about this barrier? What if we herd them back to the jungle and I repair it with my magic.”

“Herd T. rexes?” Applejack asked incredulously. “Ah don’t know, sugar cube, but Ah don’t think even Fluttershy could tame these guys.”

The timid yellow mare shook at the thought. Sure, she was friends with a bear and even tamed Cerberus and a manticore, but these things were just as dangerous and violent as the hydra that dwelt in Froggy Bottom Bog. Plus, they reminded her of dragons.

While everyone else was trying to come up with a plan, Spike thought to himself. I could use the dragon-spell. The RedEyes don’t seem to be as intelligent as the other tribes. They’re just animals. Maybe I could do it. Spike then looked to Applejack’s saddlebag and saw her rope in it. He then remembered how the other RedEyes came when one of them roared.

“I’ve got an idea,” Spike announced. Everyone stopped talking and looked to him. “How many RedEyes are loose in the city?”

“From what I can tell, four of them have wandered from the jungle into the city,” the King told him.

“And where is the wall?”

“It’s across the eastern bridge.”

“Okay, this is the plan,” Spike started to elaborate. In a few minutes, Fluttershy was standing in an intersection between the buildings, trembling like a leaf. From the roof of a nearby building, Applejack and Spike were on the lookout for any RedEyes.

“Lunch is ready!” Pinkie Pie hollered while standing beside Spike and Applejack, banging a pot loudly. The obnoxious sound traveled through the city, echoing off the walls of the stone buildings. “Nice tasty pony! Come and get it!”

“A-are you s-sure that somepony else can’t do this?” Fluttershy stammered.

“Besides Twilight, you’re the only one with wings and she has already gone to the wall,” Applejack called down to her. The orange pony then turned to Spike. “Now, are you sure that you can do all that stuff you said you can do?”

“We’re about to find out. Look!” Spike pointed down the road to an approaching RedEye and they ducked out of sight. Applejack got her rope ready and Spike crouched by the edge of the roof. “Applejack, I’m going to need your hat.”

“Mah Stetson? Why?” she asked as she hesitantly passed her prized hat to the dragon.

“You’ll see,” he told her with the hat in his claw. As predicted, the Tyrannosaur roared and started charging towards the yellow Pegasus. It got closer and closer until it was nearly bearing down on Fluttershy.

“Now!” Pinkie shouted at the top of her lungs. Fluttershy flew up away from the RedEye, but just far enough out of reach so that it would follow her. She led it towards the building where Applejack and Spike were waiting, and the farm pony lassoed the beast’s snout. As it started to shake its head in an effort to free itself, Spike jumped on top of its tied up snout. Spike activated his dragon-spell and looked the dinosaur straight in its red eyes.

“Look at me,” Spike spoke in a soothing voice. The dinosaur’s red eyes fixed onto the dragon’s as Spike used his power to calm it. “That’s right, big guy. Calm down.”

The RedEye’s breathing slowed down as it relaxed. Soon it was standing there in the middle of the city as the purple dragon used the rope to from a bridle around its large head.

“Well Ah’ll be…” Applejack chuckled as she saw Spike mounted on the back of the dinosaur’s neck, holding the reins, and wearing her Stetson on his head. Soon enough, three more RedEyes appeared from around different corners after hearing the roar of the other Tyrannosaur. When they saw the purple dragon riding the back of its head, they roared and started to rush forward.

“Okay, Rex. Let’s get a move on,” Spike said to his ride. He kicked the side of the RedEyes neck and it roared as it started running east with the other three chasing after the dragon on its neck. Spike held onto the reins with one claw and waved Applejack’s hat above his head as he bounced up and down from the RedEye’s running. As the stampede of four Tyrannosaurs headed towards the eastern bridge, Spike whooped and hollered. “This. Is. The. Coolest. Thing. Ever!”

Twilight and Tricky were waiting atop of the broken wall just east of the Walled City when they heard a rumbling noise. Even though they knew what the plan was, their mouths dropped when they saw Spike leading a pack of RedEyes towards them. After the four dinosaurs ran through the opening in the wall, Twilight’s horn glowed magenta and returned the broken pieces of the large stone wall to their proper place. Once they were back in the jungle, Spike removed the bridle from his ride’s head.

“We got to do this again sometime,” Spike said to the Tyrannosaur who looked up to the dragon in confusion as he flew away. As Spike landed on the other side of the wall, they others ran up to meet him.

“Spike, that was…” Twilight started to say.

“Awesome!” Pinkie Pie and Tricky cheered.

“Please don’t make me do something like that again,” the still rattled Fluttershy begged.

“Here’s your rope back,” Spike said to Applejack has he returned it to her.

“Thanks. But, any reason why you needed mah hat?” she asked.

“Because it looked cool,” the dragon shrugged.

“Can Ah have it back now?”

“I dunno, I kinda like how it looks on me,” he said while still wearing the hat, causing everybody to laugh.

“Ha ha, very funny, now give it back,” Applejack demanded with a serious look on her freckled face and Spike quickly handed it back to her.

When they returned to the city, they saw EarthWalkers cautiously emerging from their homes. Once they saw that their carnivorous captors were gone, they cheered for their heroes. Waiting for them on the stairs of the royal palace was Tricky’s father.

“When done, my friends, well done,” he congratulated.

“You’re welcome,” Twilight said in return. She opened her mouth to say more, but the King interrupted her.

“And before you ask, no, I haven’t got the SpellStone,” he said to their disappointment. “But I do know where you could look. Back in the room where I was staying, is the entrance of the prison of the RedEye King.”

“The RedEye… King?!” Fluttershy asked, terrified by the idea of such a creature.

“Yes, it is the largest, meanest, evilest RedEye,” the King EathWalker explained. “Years ago, we managed to subdue the monster and imprison him in the labyrinth beneath the palace. When Scar attacked, I went to the entrance of the labyrinth to ensure they didn’t release it, but I was too late. Scar had thrown the SpellStone of Fire down there, but then closed the gate again. I guess even he feared the might of the King RedEye.”

“You mean we have to go down into a dark spooky dungeon to find it?” Pinkie Pie gasped.

“I’m afraid so,” the King confirmed. They group looked to each other and murmured nervously. When they went down into the dungeon beneath the pyramid, the King EarthWalker tapped a golden fang of the red statue and then a silver fang of the blue statue. The room quaked as the tiles of the floor lowered to reveal another ramp. Everyone gulped before proceeding down into the dungeon. Along the walls of the ramp were carvings of Tyrannosaur skulls.

Spike was leading the group down into the dungeon and then a giant stone slab dropped down from the ceiling, cutting Spike off from his friends. He gave a startled cry as the force of the giant stone door hitting the floor knocked him off his feet. He could hear the others banging on the other side of the slab.

“Spike! Spike!” he heard their muffled voices.

“I’m okay!” he shouted through the stone.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you out,” they told him. Then he heard something coming from behind him. Turning around, he was multiple passageways leading down dark corridors that were barely lit by the torches hanging from the walls. It sounded like air rushing back and forth between the tunnels. Then Spike realized it was the sound of something big breathing. The ground started to shake as whatever it was started to move. The sound of the footsteps was getting louder and from down one of the corridors, Spike saw it. It was RedEye with dark green scales and fiery stripes. The hall was about thirty feet high and this thing had to duck its head to prevent it from scraping the ceiling. Horns grew along its eyebrow ridges and in the center of its enormous head was something red and shiny. This thing that was bigger than an Ursa Minor was wearing the SpellStone of Fire like a diadem.

Seeing the dragon at the end of the hall, the King RedEye unleashed a deafening roar. Spike’s vision blurred and his teeth rattled from the noise that shook the entire building. Spike covered his ear frills in attempt to protect them, but the force of the roar continued to shake his body. The impossibly large dinosaur started walking towards Spike with its mouth opened and the dragon decided it was time to run. He ran down one of the corridors, but he could still feel the pounding footsteps of his pursuer. As soon as he made it to the end of the corridor, he came to another fork in the path. He looked behind him and saw that the King RedEye had reached the entrance of the dungeon.

Before it could turn its head to look down the tunnel, Spike had already started to run down the next one. He hid behind the corner at the end of the corridor and looked back down it. He could hear the giant Tyrannosaurus approaching and then saw its head merge at the fork of the labyrinth. It looked down both corridors, trying to figure out which way its prey went. Just when Spike had begun to think he had lost it, the behemoth sniffed at the ground. Spike then remembered reading that Tyrannosaurus had one of the greatest sense of smell of any animal. Not waiting around to see what he already knew what was going to happen, Spike ran down another corridor. He could already feel the King RedEye coming down the corridor he was just in. It had his scent and it would chase him to the ends of the world.

On the side of the corridor, Spike saw a cavity in the tunnel’s wall. It was just large enough for him to fit inside it, by not nearly large enough for the King of the RedEye Tribe to stick his head into. Spike dove into the hole and braced himself against the wall. Soon enough, the massive footsteps drew closer and he saw a large green foot stomp down in front of the hole. He could hear it sniffing the air, trying to find him. Spike covered his ear frills again as it roared in frustration. Dirt fell from the ceiling from the vibrations and then the beast moved on.

As Spike hid in the hole, he evaluated the situation that he was in. One, he was stuck in a dungeon. Two, he needed to get the SpellStone. Three, there was a giant dinosaur that wanted to eat him down in the dungeon with him. Four, said dinosaur had the SpellStone on its head. Somehow, he had to get that SpellStone and get out of there, but how to do it? He thought about using the dragon-spell again, but he didn’t know if it would work on it and frankly, he was too scared to try. Then he thought about using dragon magic. It might not be as refined as unicorn magic, but it was very powerful. If he managed to hit the King RedEye with a strong enough spell, maybe he could subdue it.

Spike left his hiding place and ran in the opposite direction that the dinosaur had gone. He took a right down the corridor and then another right to find that he had doubled back to the entrance of the maze. Then he looked down the corridor straight in front of the door and saw that the King RedEye had doubled back as well. It unleashed its powerful roar once more and started charging towards Spike. It was now or never. Spike just hoped that his idea would work.

Summoning the wild and raw power of his magic, Spike stretched forth his claws and a powerful bolt of electricity shot from his clawtips towards the King RedEye. The magical lightning struck the towering beast and it roared in pain as electricity ran through its body. It’s body shook and it trashed its head side to side, slamming into the walls of the dungeon. Dirt and rocks fell from the ceiling as the Tyrannosaur bashed against the walls and Spike released the flow of magic. Exhausted, Spike gasped and hunched over with his arms hanging at his side.

Once released of the current of electricity, the massive dinosaur collapsed to the floor with an impact that shook the prison. Regaining his breath, Spike cautiously approached the unconscious dinosaur. Once he stood in front of it, he tentatively reached out a foot and tapped the beast’s snout. When it didn’t move, Spike looked up to the red SpellStone on its forehead. He climbed up onto the massive head and reached his claws under the stone. He then pried the imbedded SpellStone off its head, sending it clattering down on the hard floor of the labyrinth. The dragon hoped off the King RedEye’s head, pick up the SpellStone of Fire, and held it up triumphantly.

As Spike put the SpellStone in his pack, he heard the King RedEye stirring behind him. He turned around in time to see dinosaur open his red eyes and lunge at the dragon. Spike flapped his wings and flipped over the gaping jaws and landed on top of the King RedEye’s head. With a yell, Spike brought both fists down onto its head, knocking the Tyrannosaur out. It slumped down back to the floor and its huge tongue lolled out of its mouth. After making sure the beast remained unconscious, Spike headed back to the door. When he arrived, he saw it lifting and Twilight on the other side. Her horn was glowing and she was straining to raise the heavy slab. Once the door was opened, she released the spell and caught her breath.

“Spike, are you alright?” she asked as the others walked up from behind her. Spike pulled the SpellStone of Fire from his bag and they marveled at it.

“Ooh, shiny,” commented Pinkie Pie.

“Where did you find it?” Twilight asked. Spike stepped aside and pointed to the snoring King RedEye down the hall. Their eyes nearly popped out of their skulls when the saw the size of the dinosaur.

“Dad, look at what we got!” Tricky called out to the King EarthWalker as they made their way to the Great Fox where he was waiting with the Star Fox Team along with the other EarthWalkers.

“Well done,” the King said when he saw the dragon carrying the red gem. “You have all made me very proud. Don’t worry son, I will stay with the city until it returns to the island. I’ll see you again soon. Now let’s waste no more time, you have a SpellStone to take to the Volcano Force Point Temple.”

“Thank you,” Spike said to the King as they boarded the airship.

“Oh, Your Highness!” Peppy exclaimed when he saw Twilight Sparkle walked onto the ship.

“Welcome aboard the Great Fox, Princess,” Captain Pepper saluted. They exchanged courtesies and the Captain introduced his crew to the Alicorn. Once everyone was inside the ship, they took off and flew back to Krazoa Island.