Fellowsongby Touch the SkyChaptersPrologue: The Old HermitChapter 1: The StrangerChapter 2: We Go TogetherPrologue: The Old HermitKakarana the grey dragon lay in half-sleep in the back of her cave, too fatigued to move. Her bright orange eyes watched the stars cross the sky as her mighty body wasted and grew colder every minute. She knew she would die if she did not warm herself soon; but she welcomed this revelation, since she had puzzled the previous night as to why it was taking so long, and had felt for the first time a fear of the unknown void beyond the actual moment of dying. But now she felt too tired even to worry, so she closed her eyes and composed herself to sing the song all Singers must sing at the end to release their wild spirits. Kakarana's lips didn't stir. No sound emanated from her aged body. But in her head, she sang: Years of my life, spread wings in the past And fly with the minute which shall be my last Let me go, far away, into the dark And find my lost loves who call to me, hark! The song was so familiar in her fading mind; growing fainter now, but then she heard a new sound; hoofbeats in her lonely cave. And suddenly, through the fog of her own dying, Kakarana heard a voice. And it was an unpleasantly familiar one. "Oh come now, Tumbler, 'tis only a cave!" Not him! cried Kakarana within her now clearing mind. Not the jolly one! Now, death, now, please, come quickly- It was too late; though her body was cold and her amber eyes shut tight, still her stubborn spark of life lingered deep inside, and so the one who called himself Tumbler found her, and cried out in glee. "Kakarana, my dear companion, I have found you at last!" Go away. But Tumbler could not hear her, and chattered on oblivious. "You don't look at all healthy." I'm almost dead, you clod. "Never mind, I'll soon have you up and smiling, hm?" I might smile if you went outside and threw yourself down the mountain. "That's the spirit old girl! You can do it- my, you're very cold! I'll just have to light a fire." Kakarana groaned as the warmth seeped into her great, wrecked body, pulling her even further away from the coolness of death. Her spark of life ignited into a tiny flame and her eyes opened. "Welcome back to this wonderful world!" A pale blue pony with a dark green mane and yellow eyes stood a few feet away, his eyes sparkling with firelight and humour. Kakarana didn't speak. She allowed her large, orange eyes to stare all of her contempt and outrage at this small, annoying pony. "No need to thank me." said the pony cheerfully, turning away to stoke the fire. "Just seeing you awake and well is my reward." What a silly smiling clod this pony is. thought Kakarana, turning away in disgust. ******************************************************************** Over the next few days, and very much against her will, Kakarana recovered. "Thank you, Tumbler." she rasped bitterly. "Thanks to you, my life, which has no purpose or prospect of happiness, will continue for a time longer." "Oh, no, Kakarana." Tumbler chided. "Your life does have a purpose. You must train the youngling." "What youngling?" Kakarana knew well enough. The youngling who would succeed her; her rival and friend, the one who had taken her power by natural succession; Kakarana envied him for his youth, his power; but loved him like the child she had never had. Suddenly she longed to see him just once before the end. "His name is Spike." "And what must I train this youngling to do?" "Carry out his new duties." "And why must I do this?" "Because," said Tumbler sincerely, "you are the best of the Singers." Kakarana couldn't help smiling at that. "The best, and the worst. That I am. What of it?" "So you're to train him. You'll see, it will all be right in the end." Kakarana fixed him with a stern glance. "In the end, we're all dead." Chapter 1: The StrangerSpike woke up and for a few seconds, he was back in the library with Twilight, and they were going out to the pet picnic with their friends this afternoon, and the sun was shining through the windows- No. Spike shook his head; such times were long gone. Twilight was gone. The sun was gone. Sweetie Belle's head popped around the door. "Spike, are you okay?" She was a teenager now, but her flank was bare; one of the first signs of the unrest in Equestria after the collapse of society had been the disappearance of every single cutie mark. Spike could only just recall the time when there had been a heart with a microphone emblazoned on Sweetie's flanks. Sweetie Belle was the only one left of her trio of friends; Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash had gone out in a blaze of glory together rescuing Fluttershy from a huge, chaotic timberwolf, and Applebloom had been one of the first to be overcome by the darkness swarming the land. Spike had lost friends too; Rainbow Dash and Applejack as well as Twilight, but most of Ponyville's residents had fallen to the darkness or been killed by others who had. But now it seemed that the ponies who had been overcome had left the area, and so Ponyville lay quiet and almost deserted. Spike pulled himself out of the bed; this was one of the only houses which remained undamaged; after Big Mac's rampage through town it was a wonder even this building had survived. Now he lived there with Sweetie Belle, Rarity (now a bit of a recluse since the traumatic experience of watching her boutique burn to the ground with Applejack trapped inside) Fluttershy (a nervous wreck who constantly blamed herself for Rainbow and Scootaloo's deaths) and Pinkie, who was the only thing keeping them all from collapsing into depression. Spike went over to the window, imagining for just a moment that he could open the curtains and feel the warmth of the sun fall on his face, but as always it was dark; the land had fallen into what could be called eternal night after Celestia and Luna had been assassinated, but not even a single star lit the black sky. Well, there was one, but Spike didn't like to think about that one, because it was Twilight. The purple alicorn had cast a spell from one of her obscure spell books. The spell was supposed to give hope- but neither Twilight or Spike had expected that Twilight would become a star as a result of the spell. Spike just felt he had to believe that one day the spell could be reversed and Twilight would be restored to them. Sweetie Belle watched his musings patiently, and then as he turned back to her said, "There's a stranger in town." ******************************************************************************************** Spike peered around the ruin of a market stall to look at the cloaked and hooded stranger. He could see from the blue hooves that this was a pony, and one not possessed by the darkness, too, since all those possessed took on a monochrome tone. But just as he was about to make his presence known, the stranger began to sing. But this was not a song of words. This song was pure sound- the sound of nature, of life, and Spike felt his heart quiver in response. What a strange song, he thought. As if they had heard his thought, the stranger stopped singing instantly and turned to look straight at the spot where Spike crouched hidden. "Come on out. I know you're there!" came a stallion's voice. Spike stood up, wondering how the stranger had known he was there. "I heard you thinking," said the stranger offhandedly. "All Singers with even a little training can do it. Anyhow, I came here to seek the 'assistant of the princess', the one known as Spike. Do you know where he is?" "That's me." said Spike steadily; he did not trust this stranger and his supposed mind-reading abilities. "You do not trust me? Very well, I shall introduce myself. I am Tumbler, a Singer pony from the west, and I have come to take you north, where the Singers are gathering in preparation for singing the Fellowsong." So saying, Tumbler shook his hood away to show his face. He was a middle-aged earth pony stallion, with no cutie mark, as Spike expected. But all of the things he had been saying... Tumbler's yellow eyes softened. "I can see you are confused. Maybe we could go somewhere less open, so that I can explain further?" Spike led Tumbler back to the house, and as they entered, Pinkie sprung out exuberantly. "Ooh! A new pony! We should throw a party!" Spike expected Tumbler to react with bewilderment and shock at Pinkie's manner, but instead the blue pony grasped her hoof and shook hooves with her. "My dear mare, that sounds splendid, but I'm afraid there is no time. I must be leaving by the time the sun sinks this evening, and Spike and I have much to discuss before then." Pinkie deflated a little, but then perked up again. "Well, I can still find some cake and we can have a meal before you go!" Tumbler thanked her just as Fluttershy and Rarity came downstairs together. Fluttershy squeaked and retreated back upstairs at the sight of Tumbler, while Rarity just looked at him, no spark of curiosity in her dull eyes. Tumbler politely dipped his head and greeted the white unicorn, but Rarity just muttered a reply before walking out of the door without a second glance at any of them. Sweetie emerged from the kitchen and looked with surprise at Tumbler and Spike, but Spike shook his head slightly, beseeching her not to ask questions. Tumbler greeted Sweetie and introduced himself, and then he and Spike went upstairs to Spike's room to talk. Tumbler began almost as soon as the door closed. "As I said before, the Singers are gathering in the north. Dragons, zebras, ponies, griffins- Singers are born to all coherent species in Equestria." "But what are Singers?" asked Spike. "They have the song within them- you heard me singing the Lifesong earlier, I presume. The Singers maintain harmony in the world with their songs." Spike snorted derisively. "Not been doing a good job of it then, have you?" Tumbler suddenly looked serious. "None of us anticipated the speed at which the darkness would consume Equestria. But all of us know that the end is coming. For you see- the darkness is a physical thing. It dwells wherever there is disharmony and unrest, and the sheer quantity of chaos caused by the assassination of the princesses has allowed it to spread and prosper until it could begin to manipulate ponies with its power, allowing it to create an army of invulnerable killing machines. Even now, the possessed are trekking from the furthest reaches of the land to Canterlot, where the unrest has its heart. From there, the army will soon march, destroying everything in its path." Spike took this all in, even though it filled him with despair. "So what can be done?" Tumbler frowned. "Our only hope is to restore harmony. The Singers have a sole purpose should this kind of situation arise, as it has once before, many years ago, before the time of Discord's reign. The singing of the Fellowsong will destroy the darkness and cleanse the land." "So how is the darkness here now, if it was destroyed all those years ago?" "The problem with the universal balance is that harmony cannot exist without chaos. There is always harmony and always chaos, and where there is chaos there is the darkness. The darkness is wiped out for less than a fraction of a second after the singing of the Fellowsong- then it begins to grow once more within the chaos." Spike nodded. "So what does this have to do with me?" Tumbler locked eyes with him. "You are very special- a descendant of the ancient dragon Singer, Elronian. He was the first ever Singer, and decreed that a descendant of his should always be present at the singing of the Fellowsong." Spike was beginning to catch on. "So I have to be there when the song is sung?" "More than that." came he reply. "You must sing yourself into oblivion with the rest of the Singers; make the ultimate sacrifice to restore harmony." Chapter 2: We Go TogetherSweetie Belle watched as Spike came back downstairs, the stranger- Tumbler- following on. Sweetie read an emotion in Spike she did not recognise; it was part fear, part determination, part sadness. Sweetie decided that she disliked this emotion immediately. She trotted over to Spike, but right then Pinkie appeared from nowhere with a cake in her hooves. "Surprise!" she yelled. Tumbler barely flinched, but Spike was instantly snapped out of his reverie. Tumbler smiled and accepted the piece of cake Pinkie proffered him with gratitude, eating politely and slowly, but Sweetie could clearly see his hunger and desperation, suddenly apparent in the harsh lines of his body and face. She absently took the piece of cake Pinkie was holding out, but placed it on the table without eating it, and saw Tumbler's gaze alight upon it. She felt his eyes on her, a silent question, and flicked an ear in compliance. Tumbler seized the cake, eating more hurriedly than he had the first slice as if Sweetie might change her mind. "Spike?" she said questioningly as Tumbler accepted a third slice from Pinkie. "Are you okay?" The dragon didn't answer; just fixed his eyes on the mountains in the far north. Sweetie persisted. "Spike. Spike." No response. She sighed and said sweetly, "Spikey Wikey?" Spike jolted and looked around. "Rarity?" Spotting Sweetie, however, he looked scandalised and even... disappointed? Sweetie's heart sank; she knew he'd always had a soft spot for her sister, but Rarity had done nothing in the last ten years but ignore him, so Sweetie had dared to hope he might pay a little more attention to her instead. Apparently not. Rarity chose that moment to walk in, and shuffled through the kitchen with her eyes fixed on the floor, stopping only to quietly refuse the cake Pinkie offered to her before heading back upstairs. She had been refusing food a lot recently, Sweetie realised, and as a result the once lustrous unicorn was now gaunt and thin. A moment later, they heard a door slam and a bolt slide across. Sweetie ceased dwelling on her sister, however, when she realised that Spike was still looking at her. She turned back to him. "Spike. Are you okay? What has Tumbler said to you?" Spike seemed about to reply when Tumbler, wiping the last traces of cream from his lips, sidled over and said, "Well, Spike, are you ready to leave? The sun is far from setting, of course, but the sooner we can get to the mountains the better. Your teacher is waiting for you there; I only hope she has not decided to die on us when I have finally found you." Sweetie felt stunned. Spike was leaving with this strange pony after only an hour of knowing him? How could Spike just leave them on the word of some travelling loner? For all Spike knew this pony was a twisted murderer, reeling Spike in with a web of lies so that he could slaughter the dragon or take him to Canterlot to serve the darkness. No, she thought. Where Spike goes, I go. We'll protect each other like we have all these years. We go together. She only realised she had been talking aloud when she saw Spike staring at her and Tumbler shaking his head. "I'm afraid you can't go," the blue pony said grimly. "This journey is dangerous enough as it is without having to worry about another member of the group." "No. She's right." Spike said determinedly. "We go together. All of us." Tumbler threw his hooves up into the air in despair. "Spike, you don't understand! The darkness is much more likely to notice a group of six than a pair! We might be attacked- would you take them along, just to see them all die or be overcome?" Spike looked stubborn. "I won't leave them." Tumbler looked desperate. "There is little food left anywhere. I have not eaten more than three times in the week it took me to get here. There would not be enough food sources on our journey to feed us all." Fluttershy came cautiously downstairs then, lured by the smell of cake, and snatched a slice, with a squeaked word of thanks to Pinkie, before vanishing back upstairs. Sweetie, seeing this, knew Fluttershy would never agree to leave the house, and neither would Rarity, since her room seemed to have become her private, safe territory, and she would not suffer anypony in there "Spike," she said hesitantly, "I don't think Fluttershy or Rarity would cope very well out there- it might be best if they stayed here." Spike looked pained. "But they wouldn't be able to cope alone here, either. Rarity hasn't been eating, and Fluttershy never comes downstairs except for food- and if there isn't anypony here to feed them or make them eat, they'll both die." His voice was anguished. "Well then, I'll just have to stay and feed them." This was Pinkie, hopping up and down on the spot quite amiably. "Are you sure?" asked Spike dubiously. "Of course! I'll make sure they both eat plenty while you're away." "Um, okay then." said Spike. "Wait. What about..." interrupted Tumbler, angling his ears towards Sweetie Belle. "I don't see any reason why Sweetie can't accompany us, unless she doesn't want to." said Spike coolly. Tumbler saw he was beaten. "Well then, we'd better be going." Spike and Sweetie Belle said their goodbyes and left with Tumbler, walking through town in silence. Tumbler drew ahead, and Sweetie nudged Spike, who looked downcast. "Cheer up! You'll see them again soon!" Spike looked at her and Sweetie didn't like the misery in his eyes, so she changed the subject. "So why exactly are we going to the mountains, anyway? Ooof!" This last exclamation was because she had bumped into Tumbler, who had stopped on the outskirts of town. He turned to them. "Now, since you insisted we bring Sweetie, we will be slowed considerably if we continue on foot. So-" Both Sweetie and Spike had opened their mouths to protest his statement, but listened in surprise as he continued, "I have decided it would be much more appropriate if we flew." Spike looked bemused. "Uh, Tumbler, none of us have wings." Tumbler scoffed. "A Singer needs no wings to fly." So saying, he rose a few inches into the air and hovered above them. Spike looked amazed. "How-" "Stand on this." Tumbler indicated a tree stump, black and dead. Spike obeyed. "You want me to fly from here?" the dragon asked, bemused. "Fly? How can you fly? You said yourself you have no wings." "But you said-" "No wings, no flying. Not difficult, is it." "But you just said-" "No more talk of flying. All you need to do is take one step off the stump towards me. Just one step. Off you go." Spike took one step off the stump and landed on the dry ground. "No! Did I say fall off? I said take one step." Tumbler looked serious, but humour sparkled in his yellow eyes. "But how do I stop myself falling?" Spike was angry now as well as bemused. The same way you stop yourself picking something up. You choose not to. You fell because you expected you would fall. Back on the stump, take one step, and wait there." "How?" Tumbler's face suddenly dropped. His brow furrowed. "Never ask how. There are many singers, including your teacher, who would punish you for such a question. How doesn't matter. Just do as I say." Sweetie jumped to Spike's defence. "If he doesn't know how, how is he supposed to do what you say?" Tumbler, still hovering, just looked to Spike, who promptly stepped off the stump again. He fell, as before, and Tumbler sighed. "Perhaps I am teaching you wrong. Kakarana, your teacher, will probably teach you better when we get to the mountains. As it is, it seems we must continue on foot." Spike and Tumbler walked away, but Sweetie paused to climb up on the stump. She took a step forward, and fell. But just for a fraction of a second, as she reached the point where she began to fall, she felt what it would be like not to fall. It was a strange sensation. Sweetie shook her head, and cantered away to join Spike and Tumbler, leaving Ponyville and the stump behind.
Prologue: The Old HermitKakarana the grey dragon lay in half-sleep in the back of her cave, too fatigued to move. Her bright orange eyes watched the stars cross the sky as her mighty body wasted and grew colder every minute. She knew she would die if she did not warm herself soon; but she welcomed this revelation, since she had puzzled the previous night as to why it was taking so long, and had felt for the first time a fear of the unknown void beyond the actual moment of dying. But now she felt too tired even to worry, so she closed her eyes and composed herself to sing the song all Singers must sing at the end to release their wild spirits. Kakarana's lips didn't stir. No sound emanated from her aged body. But in her head, she sang: Years of my life, spread wings in the past And fly with the minute which shall be my last Let me go, far away, into the dark And find my lost loves who call to me, hark! The song was so familiar in her fading mind; growing fainter now, but then she heard a new sound; hoofbeats in her lonely cave. And suddenly, through the fog of her own dying, Kakarana heard a voice. And it was an unpleasantly familiar one. "Oh come now, Tumbler, 'tis only a cave!" Not him! cried Kakarana within her now clearing mind. Not the jolly one! Now, death, now, please, come quickly- It was too late; though her body was cold and her amber eyes shut tight, still her stubborn spark of life lingered deep inside, and so the one who called himself Tumbler found her, and cried out in glee. "Kakarana, my dear companion, I have found you at last!" Go away. But Tumbler could not hear her, and chattered on oblivious. "You don't look at all healthy." I'm almost dead, you clod. "Never mind, I'll soon have you up and smiling, hm?" I might smile if you went outside and threw yourself down the mountain. "That's the spirit old girl! You can do it- my, you're very cold! I'll just have to light a fire." Kakarana groaned as the warmth seeped into her great, wrecked body, pulling her even further away from the coolness of death. Her spark of life ignited into a tiny flame and her eyes opened. "Welcome back to this wonderful world!" A pale blue pony with a dark green mane and yellow eyes stood a few feet away, his eyes sparkling with firelight and humour. Kakarana didn't speak. She allowed her large, orange eyes to stare all of her contempt and outrage at this small, annoying pony. "No need to thank me." said the pony cheerfully, turning away to stoke the fire. "Just seeing you awake and well is my reward." What a silly smiling clod this pony is. thought Kakarana, turning away in disgust. ******************************************************************** Over the next few days, and very much against her will, Kakarana recovered. "Thank you, Tumbler." she rasped bitterly. "Thanks to you, my life, which has no purpose or prospect of happiness, will continue for a time longer." "Oh, no, Kakarana." Tumbler chided. "Your life does have a purpose. You must train the youngling." "What youngling?" Kakarana knew well enough. The youngling who would succeed her; her rival and friend, the one who had taken her power by natural succession; Kakarana envied him for his youth, his power; but loved him like the child she had never had. Suddenly she longed to see him just once before the end. "His name is Spike." "And what must I train this youngling to do?" "Carry out his new duties." "And why must I do this?" "Because," said Tumbler sincerely, "you are the best of the Singers." Kakarana couldn't help smiling at that. "The best, and the worst. That I am. What of it?" "So you're to train him. You'll see, it will all be right in the end." Kakarana fixed him with a stern glance. "In the end, we're all dead."
Chapter 1: The StrangerSpike woke up and for a few seconds, he was back in the library with Twilight, and they were going out to the pet picnic with their friends this afternoon, and the sun was shining through the windows- No. Spike shook his head; such times were long gone. Twilight was gone. The sun was gone. Sweetie Belle's head popped around the door. "Spike, are you okay?" She was a teenager now, but her flank was bare; one of the first signs of the unrest in Equestria after the collapse of society had been the disappearance of every single cutie mark. Spike could only just recall the time when there had been a heart with a microphone emblazoned on Sweetie's flanks. Sweetie Belle was the only one left of her trio of friends; Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash had gone out in a blaze of glory together rescuing Fluttershy from a huge, chaotic timberwolf, and Applebloom had been one of the first to be overcome by the darkness swarming the land. Spike had lost friends too; Rainbow Dash and Applejack as well as Twilight, but most of Ponyville's residents had fallen to the darkness or been killed by others who had. But now it seemed that the ponies who had been overcome had left the area, and so Ponyville lay quiet and almost deserted. Spike pulled himself out of the bed; this was one of the only houses which remained undamaged; after Big Mac's rampage through town it was a wonder even this building had survived. Now he lived there with Sweetie Belle, Rarity (now a bit of a recluse since the traumatic experience of watching her boutique burn to the ground with Applejack trapped inside) Fluttershy (a nervous wreck who constantly blamed herself for Rainbow and Scootaloo's deaths) and Pinkie, who was the only thing keeping them all from collapsing into depression. Spike went over to the window, imagining for just a moment that he could open the curtains and feel the warmth of the sun fall on his face, but as always it was dark; the land had fallen into what could be called eternal night after Celestia and Luna had been assassinated, but not even a single star lit the black sky. Well, there was one, but Spike didn't like to think about that one, because it was Twilight. The purple alicorn had cast a spell from one of her obscure spell books. The spell was supposed to give hope- but neither Twilight or Spike had expected that Twilight would become a star as a result of the spell. Spike just felt he had to believe that one day the spell could be reversed and Twilight would be restored to them. Sweetie Belle watched his musings patiently, and then as he turned back to her said, "There's a stranger in town." ******************************************************************************************** Spike peered around the ruin of a market stall to look at the cloaked and hooded stranger. He could see from the blue hooves that this was a pony, and one not possessed by the darkness, too, since all those possessed took on a monochrome tone. But just as he was about to make his presence known, the stranger began to sing. But this was not a song of words. This song was pure sound- the sound of nature, of life, and Spike felt his heart quiver in response. What a strange song, he thought. As if they had heard his thought, the stranger stopped singing instantly and turned to look straight at the spot where Spike crouched hidden. "Come on out. I know you're there!" came a stallion's voice. Spike stood up, wondering how the stranger had known he was there. "I heard you thinking," said the stranger offhandedly. "All Singers with even a little training can do it. Anyhow, I came here to seek the 'assistant of the princess', the one known as Spike. Do you know where he is?" "That's me." said Spike steadily; he did not trust this stranger and his supposed mind-reading abilities. "You do not trust me? Very well, I shall introduce myself. I am Tumbler, a Singer pony from the west, and I have come to take you north, where the Singers are gathering in preparation for singing the Fellowsong." So saying, Tumbler shook his hood away to show his face. He was a middle-aged earth pony stallion, with no cutie mark, as Spike expected. But all of the things he had been saying... Tumbler's yellow eyes softened. "I can see you are confused. Maybe we could go somewhere less open, so that I can explain further?" Spike led Tumbler back to the house, and as they entered, Pinkie sprung out exuberantly. "Ooh! A new pony! We should throw a party!" Spike expected Tumbler to react with bewilderment and shock at Pinkie's manner, but instead the blue pony grasped her hoof and shook hooves with her. "My dear mare, that sounds splendid, but I'm afraid there is no time. I must be leaving by the time the sun sinks this evening, and Spike and I have much to discuss before then." Pinkie deflated a little, but then perked up again. "Well, I can still find some cake and we can have a meal before you go!" Tumbler thanked her just as Fluttershy and Rarity came downstairs together. Fluttershy squeaked and retreated back upstairs at the sight of Tumbler, while Rarity just looked at him, no spark of curiosity in her dull eyes. Tumbler politely dipped his head and greeted the white unicorn, but Rarity just muttered a reply before walking out of the door without a second glance at any of them. Sweetie emerged from the kitchen and looked with surprise at Tumbler and Spike, but Spike shook his head slightly, beseeching her not to ask questions. Tumbler greeted Sweetie and introduced himself, and then he and Spike went upstairs to Spike's room to talk. Tumbler began almost as soon as the door closed. "As I said before, the Singers are gathering in the north. Dragons, zebras, ponies, griffins- Singers are born to all coherent species in Equestria." "But what are Singers?" asked Spike. "They have the song within them- you heard me singing the Lifesong earlier, I presume. The Singers maintain harmony in the world with their songs." Spike snorted derisively. "Not been doing a good job of it then, have you?" Tumbler suddenly looked serious. "None of us anticipated the speed at which the darkness would consume Equestria. But all of us know that the end is coming. For you see- the darkness is a physical thing. It dwells wherever there is disharmony and unrest, and the sheer quantity of chaos caused by the assassination of the princesses has allowed it to spread and prosper until it could begin to manipulate ponies with its power, allowing it to create an army of invulnerable killing machines. Even now, the possessed are trekking from the furthest reaches of the land to Canterlot, where the unrest has its heart. From there, the army will soon march, destroying everything in its path." Spike took this all in, even though it filled him with despair. "So what can be done?" Tumbler frowned. "Our only hope is to restore harmony. The Singers have a sole purpose should this kind of situation arise, as it has once before, many years ago, before the time of Discord's reign. The singing of the Fellowsong will destroy the darkness and cleanse the land." "So how is the darkness here now, if it was destroyed all those years ago?" "The problem with the universal balance is that harmony cannot exist without chaos. There is always harmony and always chaos, and where there is chaos there is the darkness. The darkness is wiped out for less than a fraction of a second after the singing of the Fellowsong- then it begins to grow once more within the chaos." Spike nodded. "So what does this have to do with me?" Tumbler locked eyes with him. "You are very special- a descendant of the ancient dragon Singer, Elronian. He was the first ever Singer, and decreed that a descendant of his should always be present at the singing of the Fellowsong." Spike was beginning to catch on. "So I have to be there when the song is sung?" "More than that." came he reply. "You must sing yourself into oblivion with the rest of the Singers; make the ultimate sacrifice to restore harmony."
Chapter 2: We Go TogetherSweetie Belle watched as Spike came back downstairs, the stranger- Tumbler- following on. Sweetie read an emotion in Spike she did not recognise; it was part fear, part determination, part sadness. Sweetie decided that she disliked this emotion immediately. She trotted over to Spike, but right then Pinkie appeared from nowhere with a cake in her hooves. "Surprise!" she yelled. Tumbler barely flinched, but Spike was instantly snapped out of his reverie. Tumbler smiled and accepted the piece of cake Pinkie proffered him with gratitude, eating politely and slowly, but Sweetie could clearly see his hunger and desperation, suddenly apparent in the harsh lines of his body and face. She absently took the piece of cake Pinkie was holding out, but placed it on the table without eating it, and saw Tumbler's gaze alight upon it. She felt his eyes on her, a silent question, and flicked an ear in compliance. Tumbler seized the cake, eating more hurriedly than he had the first slice as if Sweetie might change her mind. "Spike?" she said questioningly as Tumbler accepted a third slice from Pinkie. "Are you okay?" The dragon didn't answer; just fixed his eyes on the mountains in the far north. Sweetie persisted. "Spike. Spike." No response. She sighed and said sweetly, "Spikey Wikey?" Spike jolted and looked around. "Rarity?" Spotting Sweetie, however, he looked scandalised and even... disappointed? Sweetie's heart sank; she knew he'd always had a soft spot for her sister, but Rarity had done nothing in the last ten years but ignore him, so Sweetie had dared to hope he might pay a little more attention to her instead. Apparently not. Rarity chose that moment to walk in, and shuffled through the kitchen with her eyes fixed on the floor, stopping only to quietly refuse the cake Pinkie offered to her before heading back upstairs. She had been refusing food a lot recently, Sweetie realised, and as a result the once lustrous unicorn was now gaunt and thin. A moment later, they heard a door slam and a bolt slide across. Sweetie ceased dwelling on her sister, however, when she realised that Spike was still looking at her. She turned back to him. "Spike. Are you okay? What has Tumbler said to you?" Spike seemed about to reply when Tumbler, wiping the last traces of cream from his lips, sidled over and said, "Well, Spike, are you ready to leave? The sun is far from setting, of course, but the sooner we can get to the mountains the better. Your teacher is waiting for you there; I only hope she has not decided to die on us when I have finally found you." Sweetie felt stunned. Spike was leaving with this strange pony after only an hour of knowing him? How could Spike just leave them on the word of some travelling loner? For all Spike knew this pony was a twisted murderer, reeling Spike in with a web of lies so that he could slaughter the dragon or take him to Canterlot to serve the darkness. No, she thought. Where Spike goes, I go. We'll protect each other like we have all these years. We go together. She only realised she had been talking aloud when she saw Spike staring at her and Tumbler shaking his head. "I'm afraid you can't go," the blue pony said grimly. "This journey is dangerous enough as it is without having to worry about another member of the group." "No. She's right." Spike said determinedly. "We go together. All of us." Tumbler threw his hooves up into the air in despair. "Spike, you don't understand! The darkness is much more likely to notice a group of six than a pair! We might be attacked- would you take them along, just to see them all die or be overcome?" Spike looked stubborn. "I won't leave them." Tumbler looked desperate. "There is little food left anywhere. I have not eaten more than three times in the week it took me to get here. There would not be enough food sources on our journey to feed us all." Fluttershy came cautiously downstairs then, lured by the smell of cake, and snatched a slice, with a squeaked word of thanks to Pinkie, before vanishing back upstairs. Sweetie, seeing this, knew Fluttershy would never agree to leave the house, and neither would Rarity, since her room seemed to have become her private, safe territory, and she would not suffer anypony in there "Spike," she said hesitantly, "I don't think Fluttershy or Rarity would cope very well out there- it might be best if they stayed here." Spike looked pained. "But they wouldn't be able to cope alone here, either. Rarity hasn't been eating, and Fluttershy never comes downstairs except for food- and if there isn't anypony here to feed them or make them eat, they'll both die." His voice was anguished. "Well then, I'll just have to stay and feed them." This was Pinkie, hopping up and down on the spot quite amiably. "Are you sure?" asked Spike dubiously. "Of course! I'll make sure they both eat plenty while you're away." "Um, okay then." said Spike. "Wait. What about..." interrupted Tumbler, angling his ears towards Sweetie Belle. "I don't see any reason why Sweetie can't accompany us, unless she doesn't want to." said Spike coolly. Tumbler saw he was beaten. "Well then, we'd better be going." Spike and Sweetie Belle said their goodbyes and left with Tumbler, walking through town in silence. Tumbler drew ahead, and Sweetie nudged Spike, who looked downcast. "Cheer up! You'll see them again soon!" Spike looked at her and Sweetie didn't like the misery in his eyes, so she changed the subject. "So why exactly are we going to the mountains, anyway? Ooof!" This last exclamation was because she had bumped into Tumbler, who had stopped on the outskirts of town. He turned to them. "Now, since you insisted we bring Sweetie, we will be slowed considerably if we continue on foot. So-" Both Sweetie and Spike had opened their mouths to protest his statement, but listened in surprise as he continued, "I have decided it would be much more appropriate if we flew." Spike looked bemused. "Uh, Tumbler, none of us have wings." Tumbler scoffed. "A Singer needs no wings to fly." So saying, he rose a few inches into the air and hovered above them. Spike looked amazed. "How-" "Stand on this." Tumbler indicated a tree stump, black and dead. Spike obeyed. "You want me to fly from here?" the dragon asked, bemused. "Fly? How can you fly? You said yourself you have no wings." "But you said-" "No wings, no flying. Not difficult, is it." "But you just said-" "No more talk of flying. All you need to do is take one step off the stump towards me. Just one step. Off you go." Spike took one step off the stump and landed on the dry ground. "No! Did I say fall off? I said take one step." Tumbler looked serious, but humour sparkled in his yellow eyes. "But how do I stop myself falling?" Spike was angry now as well as bemused. The same way you stop yourself picking something up. You choose not to. You fell because you expected you would fall. Back on the stump, take one step, and wait there." "How?" Tumbler's face suddenly dropped. His brow furrowed. "Never ask how. There are many singers, including your teacher, who would punish you for such a question. How doesn't matter. Just do as I say." Sweetie jumped to Spike's defence. "If he doesn't know how, how is he supposed to do what you say?" Tumbler, still hovering, just looked to Spike, who promptly stepped off the stump again. He fell, as before, and Tumbler sighed. "Perhaps I am teaching you wrong. Kakarana, your teacher, will probably teach you better when we get to the mountains. As it is, it seems we must continue on foot." Spike and Tumbler walked away, but Sweetie paused to climb up on the stump. She took a step forward, and fell. But just for a fraction of a second, as she reached the point where she began to fall, she felt what it would be like not to fall. It was a strange sensation. Sweetie shook her head, and cantered away to join Spike and Tumbler, leaving Ponyville and the stump behind.
