Distorted World

Chapters

Chapter One:Sleepless in Ponyville
Chapter Two:Absent
Chapter Three:The Search is On
Chapter Four:The Grass Isn't Always Greener
Chapter Five:The Center of it All
Chapter Six:The Magic Touch
Chapter Seven:Pegasus Protection
Chapter Eight:Discorded
Chapter Nine:Something Lost, Something Found
Chapter Ten:Pinkie Pie Style
Chapter Eleven:Art Of A Rarity
Chapter Twelve:Mending The Tear
Chapter Thirteen:Fluttering Airlines
Chapter Fourteen:Infiltrating The Fortress
Chapter Fifteen:Spike The Knight, Part One
Chapter Sixteen:Spike The Knight, Part Two
Chapter Seventeen:A Grand Finale, Part One
Chapter Eighteen:A Grand Finale, Part Two
Chapter Nineteen:A Grand Finale, Part Three
Chapter Twenty:Epilogue:Calm Before The Storm

Chapter One:Sleepless in Ponyville

Distorted World By FluttershyLover55

Chapter One: Sleepless in Ponyville

It was nighttime in Ponyville, and everypony was asleep reveling in the peace that only night could bring. Everypony except Fluttershy, that is. The yellow pegasus with a pink mane who was also the bearer of the element of kindness, was tossing and turning in her sleep. She jolted up in bed, sweating and panting.

"Oh my goodness, what a nightmare! That's the third time this week, that I've had the same dream! Just who is that masked pony in black, and why were they hurting my friends?" Fluttershy rolled over and tried to calm her thoughts down enough to go to sleep. Eventually, she settled on thinking about Rainbow Dash. For some reason she didn't quite comprehend, thinking about the cyan pegasus always calmed her and filled her with happiness. Her thoughts wrestled with each other as she tried to make sense of why that was, but was interrupted as the lull of sleep overtook her.

Fluttershy awakened several hours later, and upon seeing the sunlight cascading through her window, quickly got out of bed and trotted down the stairs to her kitchen. As she went through her morning routine of feeding the various animals she cared for and eating breakfast, she made a mental note to ask Twilight about her dream.

"I'll stop by the market to get a few ingredients for later, and maybe visit Rainbow Dash as well." said Fluttershy.

After she finished eating, she headed to the bathroom to make sure she looked presentable. The cream coated pegasus was brushing her mane, when she heard a voice seemingly from nowhere.

"Fluttershy..."

The brush that she had previously used to brush her mane was forgotten as it clattered to the floor.

"I...Is anypony there?"called Fluttershy.

She stepped out of the bathroom and looked around.

"Nopony there, that's odd."

Fluttershy was about to begin brushing her mane again, but she squeaked in surprise as she heard it again.

"Fluttershy..."

"W...What do you want?'

"Come closer..."

The terrified pegasus did as the voice said, and reluctantly moved closer to the mirror. The lights went off as the mirror grew brighter and an image, blurry at first, cleared to show a black figure against a background of books.

"Do you know who I am?" The mysterious voice continued.

"You're the pony from my dream, aren't you!"

"Why, yes I am."

"Who are you, and why were you hurting my friends? That is, um, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Unfortunately, that information is classified."

"But, um, if something bad is going to happen to my friends, shouldn't I know so that I can warn them?"

"Whether you save your friends or not, is up to you. I wouldn't worry about it though, they'll all die eventually..."

"What do you mean by that?!"

"It will all be clear in time...I must go before he finds me." The black hood was thrown back, revealing the identity of the pony as Twilight Sparkle.

"Twilight?! I..."

"There's no time! Fluttershy, you must...Aahhh! I'm losing control!!!!" There was an agonizing wail as the mare's body was wracked with pain, causing her eyes to flicker bright red as her horn fired an almost hellish light out of the mirror towards Fluttershy.

"No, stop!" begged Twilight.

The light barely missed her front left leg, reducing the mirror to mere shards of glass. She stood in shock, trying to process what had just happened. She quietly closed the door and vowed to clean the glass up later. Fluttershy wasn't given much time to think, however, as a knock was heard on the door. As she tried to collect her scattered thoughts, a familiar voice was heard from just outside the cottage.

"Yo, Fluttershy! Are you in there? We need to talk!"

At the sound of her fillyhood friend and Flight school partner's voice, the yellow mare's heart skipped a beat. She trotted over to the door and opened it, revealing a very impatient pegasus with a cyan coat and rainbow mane.

"Oh ummm...Hey Rainbow Dash..." greeted Fluttershy, blushing and looking at the ground. Despite Fluttershy's best efforts, Rainbow Dash noticed the blush occupying her best friend's cheeks, but chose not to comment on it. Rainbow Dash had obviously seen better days. Her mane was sticking up in various places, her eyes were bloodshot, and they had bags under them. Apparently, Fluttershy wan't the only one who was sleepless in Ponyville.

"We have a problem!"

Author's Note

Hey guys! I hope you enjoy, and it will get more interesting!

Chapter Two:Absent

At Sweet Apple Acres...

Applejack was bucking trees, as usual. She put all of her strength into her back legs, hitting each tree trunk with tremendous force, causing all of its apples to fall to the ground. She stopped to take a break for a moment, sweat brimming on her brow. The farm pony reached up to take off her brown stetson, but her hoof only met air. Confused, she felt for her hat, but it was gone! She gasped, wondering how she could have lost her beloved hat. Applejack wondered if her older brother might know of its whereabouts.

"Big Mac, have ya seen ma hat? I seem ta have misplaced it!" Applejack yelled, hoping that he was neaarby.

A familiar deep voice sounded from the barn as he answered, "Eeenope."

Both pegasi were sitting at Fluttershy's kitchen table.

"What's wrong, Rainbow? You look like you didn't sleep well at all!" Fluttershy
stated, worried for her friend.

"Well, I had a strange dream."

"What was it about?"

"Oh, it was stupid. I shouldn't have let myself lose sleep over it." The rainbow pegasus waved a hoof dismissively.

"Are you sure that it's nothing? You know that you can tell me anything, right?" Fluttershy assured.

Rainbow sighed, "You're right, I guess I should tell SOMEpony."

Rainbow told Fluttershy about her dream, which was the exact same one that Fluttershy had. What Rainbow said next, was the problem she had. Throughout the whole story the her voice had remained calm, but it was at this point that it became shaky.

"I went to see Twilight about my dream, but when I got there the sign read closed. I thought this was odd, since the library should have been opened by noon."

Rainbow Dash was flying at a brisk pace towards the library. She arrived, touching down just in front of the door, wings folding to her side. Greeting her, were a closed sign in the window, and no lights on inside the place.

"That's weird, did Twilight go somewhere?" She looked closer and found the door to be slightly ajar. "Why would she leave the door open? Unless..."

This whole scene was starting to seem VERY suspicious. Rainbow was coming to the conclusion that something very bad had happened here, when her ears perked up. The sound of quiet sobbing snapped her out of her thoughts. She pushed the door open gently, allowing light from outside to spill into the pitch-black room. Her heart nearly broke from the sight that awaited her. A familiar purple and green baby dragon was sitting on the floor with his back to her, crying his eyes out. The shelves were empty, and the books that were once on them, now scattered on the floor. Rainbow Dash walked over to Spike who hadn't noticed her arrival.

"Spike?" She tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around, looking at her with tired eyes, a constant river of tears running down his face. Without a word, he buried his head in her chest fur, as she patted him on the back. Rainbow Dash wasn't the sensitive type, but tried her best to console him anyway. After a few minutes, he stopped and looked up at her.

"I'm sorry Rainbow, for you know..." Spike apologized.

"For crying all over me? Aw, it's okay. Not everypony can be as tough as me!" Rainbow boasted.

The baby dragon didn't react well to this response. "Rainbow, this isn't a game. It's serious!" Spike scolded, his arms crossed.

"Right. Just what happened here, anyway? Where's Twilight?" Rainbow asked.

"That's the problem. I don't know where she is! I came downstairs a few minutes ago to find the library trashed, and this note on the floor!" Spike explained, holding up a piece of paper, "Twilight has abandoned me, I..." Spike mumbled, on the verge of tears again.

"Let me see that!" Rainbow Dash snatched the note from his claws, her fuschia eyes scanning the scrap of paper. "Dear Spike, these last few years have been the best with you as my assistant. Unfortunately, I'm tired of taking care of you. I'll be happy if I never see your face again! Good riddance, you're such a stupid dragon! Your ex-friend, Twilight Sparkle." Rainbow stood in place, stunned. She shook her head to clear it. "It'll be alright, Spike." Rainbow assured, her eyes narrowed in determination.

"How do you know?" Spike questioned, wondering how everything could be alright when his best friend and mother figure was missing. "Cause' I know that Twilight didn't write this! We both know that she would never say those things to you! Unless..."

"She was forced to!" Spike exclaimed, finally beginning to put the pieces together.

"Exactly!" Rainbow agreed, looking proud of herself, " Now I just need to find out who did it, and get her back!"

"But, what about me?" Spike asked.

"Oh yeah, I'll have to find somewhere for you to stay. Hmmm."

"I want to save her too!"

"Sorry Spike, but it's too dangerous. Trust me, this is for your own good! Stay right here, I'll go look for someone." With that Rainbow Dash flew off, note in mouth.

"And I came over here as fast as I could," Rainbow Dash finished her story. Fluttershy decided against telling Rainbow Dash about her strange encounter. Instead choosing to be shocked, as she stared at the note.

"So, she's just... absent."

Author's Note

It gets even more interesting later on, but I don't know how good this will be.

Chapter Three:The Search is On

Chapter Three: The Search is On

Rainbow Dash had taken Fluttershy to see Spike, and they were now at the library. Fluttershy was holding the baby dragon, speaking soft words in his ear. Rainbow was getting impatient, and had been pacing the floor of the library. She stopped finally, and spoke up.
" You'll take care of Spike, right?"
"Yes, of course! Don't worry about it!" Fluttershy said.
" Good. The search is on! I won't stop until I find her!" Rainbow Dash saluted, and flew off into the sky.

A few days later...
Spike had been staying at Fluttershy's cottage. It was nice, but he still missed Twilight. Fluttershy had just finished making breakfast for both of them. She placed the plates on the table, and softly called Spike. He had spaced out sitting at the table...again.
" Spike, breakfast is ready." Her sweet voice snapped him out of it.
"Huh? Oh, thanks Fluttershy."
" It's no problem at all, Spike. You're still worried about her, aren't you?" Fluttershy was concerned, as he hadn't been eating much lately.
" Yeah."
" Don't worry, I'm sure Rainbow will find her."
" I know."
Rainbow hadn't been seen for around three days or so. Fluttershy was wondering where she was now, when she heard a shout, causing her to squeak in surprise.
" Fluttershy, help!"
Fluttershy and Spike jumped out of their chairs.
" Oh, my! That sounded like Rainbow! Spike, you need to stay here, while I help her. Unless you don't want to, of course." Fluttershy offered, in her timid way. Spike shook his head.
" Sorry Fluttershy, but I'm coming with you! I couldn't live with myself if you were hurt." Fluttershy embraced the dragon in a friendly hug.
" Oh, thank you, Spike! That's so sweet of you!"
" No problem." Spike said, returning the hug.
They both rushed outside to look for their pegasus friend. The voice sounded again, this time, from the Everfree forest. Fluttershy was slightly terrified at the thought of going in there, but shook it off. She had to be brave, her friend/crush needed her. She allowed Spike to climb onto her back, then broke into a gallop, forcing the dragon to hold on. The shy pegasus ducked under branches, leaped over roots, and sidestepped rocks with the agility of Rainbow Dash herself. They rounded the corner into a clearing, where a rainbow tail could be seen disappearing into an ominous crimson portal, which was constantly swirling.
"Rainbow?" Fluttershy called, getting no response.
" I thought I saw something enter THAT...whatever it is, over there." Spike informed, extending a claw to point at the vortex.
Fluttershy trotted over to the thing in question and gazed up at it, with a sense of dread.
" What exactly do you think this is, Spike?" Fluttershy questioned, turning her head to look at the baby dragon.
" Well, it looks very similar to something I saw in one of Twilight's books. I think it's called a portal, or a vortex."
" Do you know what it's for, Spike? That is, if you don't mind telling me..." Fluttershy asked, as timid as usual.
" In theory, it's supposed to transport something or somepony to a certain place. Twilight said that it was nearly impossible for anypony to cast the spell to create one; it's pretty complex." Spike explained.
" Um...but isn't this the same thing as teleporting?"
" Actually, a portal can lead to any place or a specific point in time, so it requires skill and a ton of magic. Let's just say that whoever created this one, isn't batting in the filly leagues."
" Wow, Spike! I had no idea that you knew so much about this! You sounded just like Twilight when she gives a lecture." Fluttershy's eyes sparkled in amazement.
" Thanks, Shy'. That's what happens when you live with a genius librarian."
Fluttershy blinked in surprise, as Spike had never called her that before. The timid mare wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to save Rainbow Dash, but was nervous as to what would happen when she followed after her.
"Do you think it's safe?"
" I'm not sure where or when we'll end up if we go in there, but our friend is in trouble and I think we should help her." Spike stated.
" You're absolutely right, Spike, This is no time to be shy, I have to be brave!"
" That's my girl!" Spike cheered, giving the pegasus a thumbs up.
" Are you sure you want to do this, Spike? You can go back, if you want to." Fluttershy assured, glancing back at him.
" Are you kidding? I'm not missing out on a chance for adventure, and I want to save Twilight too!" Spike exclaimed.
" Well, okay then. I suppose we should go."
Fluttershy took a step forward in uncertainty, and then shook her head, galloping torwards the portal, before leaping into it. She didn't know where she'd end up, or if she would even be able to come back, but she forced those thoughts out of her head. What would Twilight say? She would cross that bridge when she came to it.

Author's Note

Sorrry for the wait, but I had school.

Chapter Four:The Grass Isn't Always Greener

Fluttershy and Spike stepped out of the portal as it closed behind them, shrinking until it faded out of existence completely. Both of them felt like somepony had flashed a camera in their face, as they stumbled around dazed. She shook her headm until she could see clearly, and reached a hoof out to steady Spike. The littled dragon nodded in thanks, turning to glance behind them.
" Somehow, I knew this would happen. We're trapped here." Spike sighed in frustration, " Why does this always happen to me?" Fluttershy looked confused.
" Has this happened to you before?"
" Yes, but it's a long story."
" O-Okay..."
Fluttershy was curious, but let the subject drop. Since he didn't seem to want to talk about it at the moment. Spike began walking beside the pegasus, reliving the events of his first adventure. Fluttershy looked for any sign that Rainbow Dash was nearby, but found nothing, not even a multi-colored streak in the sky. After a few minutes of silence, Spike looked up from the ground and his thoughts.
" Fluttershy, I've been thinking, and there's something I don't understand.
" Yes, Spike?"
" They say that the grass is always greener on the other side. Well, whoever came up with that saying must have been lying, because this grass isn't green at all!" Spike pointed out, referring to the grass that constantly crunched under their hooves and feet.
The strands of grass weren't leafy green like they should have been. Instead, they were a dark brown, almost burnt color.
" I think you're missing the point, Spike." Fluttershy giggled, earning a chuckle from Spike, as well.The mood quickly became serious,though, as they remembered their mission.
" I wonder where Rainbow Dash is, anyway?" Spike asked, aloud.
" I don't know, but I haven't seen her since we entered the portal." Fluttershy revealed, sounding concerned.
The duo reached a town, or what was left of one. The whole place was deserted, with most of the buildings completely destroyed, and an eerie vibe surrounded the place, unnerving Fluttershy and Spike. Over the town, the sky was blood-red, with no clouds in sight. A sign post had snapped in half, the top half reading the town's name. Spike noticed it first, and ran over to it, as Fluttershy followed closely behind. The dragon lifted up the top half of the sign, which was facedown in the dirt, but quickly dropped it with a gasp, like it had burned his hand. He backed away, accidently bumping into Fluttershy, who was right behind him. The timid pegasus picked upon his distress, and asked him what was wrong. Spike could hardly speak. It felt just like someone had decked him in the gut, effectively knocking the wind out of him.
" F-F-Fluttershy...L-Look at the sign..." Spike stammered, pointing a claw at the fallen sign piece.
Fluttershy cautiously approached the area where Spike had previously dropped the sign half, not sure why it was so important. She lifted one edge of it with her hoof, but dropped it, after glimpsing the word etched into it. She was shocked. Surely, this must be a joke or at least a dream. Fluttershy waited for somepony to jump out and laugh, admitting that it WAS a joke, but nopony did. Spike tried to make sense of what was happening.
" I...how could...this can't be...Ponyville..." He said, uttering the word as if it was cursed.
" I-Is this real?" Fluttershy whimpered. The side of her face closest to Spike was hidden by her long pink mane.
" I don't know what to believe in, anymore." Spike stated, on his knees in the dirt.
At the sight of Spike with nearly no hope left, something snapped within the normally shy and scared pegasus. She felt that she needed to be strong for Spike, he WAS just a kid, after all. Clouds had recently moved in over the town, releasing their load onto the two, now in the rain. Fluttershy trotted over to the distraught dragon, and draped a wing over him, shielding Spike from the rain. He was crying now, overwhelmed with the sense of loss of who he cared about, believing their friends for dead. She leaned down and embraced him in a hug. He accepted it, and bawled into her fur, as she did her best to comfort him.
" You can believe in me, if you want." She whispered into his ear, in her sweet soft voice.
Spike just hugged her tighter, not able to respond. After a minute, he dried his eyes, and stood up.
" I don't see how this could have happened. We were just here, and now Ponyville's in ruins!"
" It's okay, Spike. I'm sure somepony survived. We can search for them."
" Okay...thanks Fluttershy." Spike managed to form a small smile as they headed for the tree library for shelter.
" You're welcome, Spike." Fluttershy replied, hoping that the old tree was still in one piece.

Chapter Five:The Center of it All

Twilight's library seemed to be where it all started. Something had brought about the destruction of the town, and Fluttershy hoped that whatever did it wasn't still there. A spear of lightning unusually purple, arced through the sky and slammed down into the ground a few inches from Fluttershy's forelegs, startling her and Spike.

" What the..." Spike muttered, looking ap at the sky in confusion, " The lightning bolts aren't usually supposed to be that accurate...It's almost like somepony's guiding them!"

The dragon was proven correct, as a shadowy figure hidden behind the clouds, hurled more bolts at them. Spike gasped in horror, as he realized their true intended target. They were after...

" Fluttershy! Look out!" Spike yelled, tackling the shy pegasus to the ground. A few seconds more, and she would have been hit, but he had managed to save them from harm. Fluttershy peered up from behind her mane, which had covered her face when she fell, with big eyes looking up at Spike.

" Y-You...saved my life..." She whispered, her cheeks stained with red. Spike smiled lightly at the mare's shyness, and waved a claw.

" Oh, it was nothing...I'd do anything for you, Shy'." Spike acted like it was no big deal, but Fluttershy thought that it was much more than that.

" I-I don't know how to thank you..."

Spike took hold of her hoof and helped her up. She surprised even herself when she bent down and kissed him on the cheek, blushing once more. She smiled at him bashfully, and the assistant couldn't help but think she was adorable.

" It's...uh...no problem..." Spike stuttered, feeling something in his stomach, a weird feeling. He glanced at her flank with three butterflies on it. That was it, it felt like butterflies. " Fluttershy, I don't know who or why, but somepony is after you. Don't worry though, I'm here to protect you." Spike assured. He took her hoof and ran, as more lightning bolts rained down.They finally made it to the library, and closed the door behind them.

" Is it safe to be here?" Fluttershy was worried that the tree would catch fire from the lightning, but Spike assured her that Twilight had put a spell on it to protect it from such things.

This calmed her down as they rested on the couch, which was conveniently near the window, so they could wait out the storm. There was still another problem to solve, however.

" I'm getting kind of hungry..." Fluttershy admitted, her stomach rumbling in agreement. Spike nodded his head,

" Yeah..." He thought for a moment and remembered something. " I know where we could probably find something to eat!"

" Really?" Fluttershy perked up, excited at the idea of food.

" Yeah, I think Pinkie Pie mentioned storing food in Sugarcube Corner in case of a zompony apocalypse, or something like that." Spike said, rolling his eyes at the thought of the pink party pony and her random ways. Glancing at the door they had just came through, he realized they couldn't go back that way, but he remembered another way they could go. " Hey Fluttershy..." Spike started, but trailed off with one look at her.

The shy mare was sitting on the sofa, shaking silently. Spike mentally cursed himself for being so heartless. He hadn't even stopped to think about her feelings in this situation. Knowing his friend as well as he did, he could tell that she was upset and probably shivering in fear. He had to be there for her and show her that he cared. The little dragon made his way over to where she was, and embraced her. She calmed down at his touch, and ceased shaking. She hadn't been crying, but she was close. Fluttershy backed away so she could meet his gaze. Spike smiled warmly at her,

" There ya go! Don't cry, you're much prettier when you smile." The sensitive pegasus smiled back, then looked away, shyly. " As I was saying before, I know another way out of here, safe from whoever's after you." She was obviously still shaken up from the latest events.

" I don't see another way, Spike." Fluttershy spoke, not sure what he was getting at. To her surprise, he responded,

" Exactly! That's the thing, you're not supposed to be able to see it! Well, at least, not at first."

" What?" She still didn't get it.

"It's a secret passage, that Twilight and I built(mostly Twilight) for something like this! I believe her exact words were, 'In case of a zompony apocalypse, or something'." Spike explained.

" Wow, uh...that's oddly specific." Fluttershy commented.

" Yeah, well, you know Twilight. She's always prepared for everything, and I mean EVERYTHING." Spike spread his arms wide for emphasis. They both laughed for amoment, and then Spike continued, " There's a password to make it appear, and it involves some of the books in this library..." He looked side to side to make sure that nopony was listening," The password is Elements. All we have to do, is find the books with these letters on their spines in bold. Twilight enchanted the books, so that they respond to touch, and light up.. This will make the way appear."

" Oh, my..." Fluttershy responded, assuming that it would take a long time to find them. She squeaked in surprise, when the bark on the tree trunk in the center of the room pulled away from the trunk, and receded into the floor.

" Found them!" Spike announced, hopping down from the rolling ladder he had used to reach the tomes of importance, most of them too high for him to reach with his short stature.They approached the new opening where a few stone steps led deeper underground, but darkness swallowed all else.

" It looks so...dark." Fluttershy pointed out, unsure about her safety.Picking up on her hesitance, Spike offered,

" I could go first, if you want me to." She nodded, as he took the lead, and started down the steps. Spike returned after a moment, when Fluttershy didn't follow him. " What is it?"

" Um, don't we need a lantern or a map?" She asked, in confusion to what she thought would be common sense to the dragon.

" Of course not! I know these tunnels like the back of my claws, so don't worry!" He assured, waving a hand dismissively.

" But that doesn't answer my other-" The dragon was already gone, so he didn't hear her," question..." She sighed and followed after her companion, not wanting to be left behind. The bark sealed itself back into the trunk, covering the opemimg, and leaving the library quiet, once more.

Chapter Six:The Magic Touch

Torches along the stone walls lit up when passed, shedding some light on their continuous descent. Fluttershy's question of a light source was already answered without any verbal input from Spike.
" Are you sure we're going the right way?" At this point, they had reached the bottom of the stairs, and were traveling the stone floor.
" I told you that I know what I'm doing! We won't get lost, trust me!" Spike replied, trying not to sound irritated.
" O-Okay, I'll trust you..." Fluttershy was less nervous than she would have been without her dragon guide, so she tried her best to trust in his judgement.The pitter-patter and clip-clop of their feet and hooves respectively, echoed through the tunnels. " I know that these tunnels were built for a certain reason, but where do they lead?"
" These tunnels lead to every building in Ponyville, to Canterlot, and beyond. I'm actually not entirely sure where they end." Spike shrugged, nonchalantly. In front of them on the right, was a wooden door with a round iron ring handle on it. Before she could ask what the purpose of this room was, Spike answered for her. " This room holds some ancient artifacts and relics that Twilight and I have found over the years." Spike explained, yanking on the door's handle.
The long un-oiled hinges creaked as it opened, swinging wide. Fluttershy's eyes sparkled in amazement as the room's contents were revealed to her. Several wooden shelves were bolted to the walls all around the room, currently being used to hold the artifacts. There were amulets, books, pens, garments, and other various items of magical importance. None of them were labeled in any way, for some reason.
" This is nice and all, but why are we in here?" Fluttershy asked, " Isn't it dangerous?"
" No, only if you don't know what any of these are supposed to do!" Spike stated, lightly. After a moment of silence, he added, " We don't, so I suppose it IS dangerous." We're here, because I was hoping we could find something to help us on our quest."
" But, you said-" Spike put a finger to her lips, effectively shushing her.
" I know, but we'll be fine. I promise! If anything DOES happen, I'll protect you!" Spike assured, grinning at her.
She wasn't quite sure why, but her legs wobbled like jello, and she almost fell over. Something about his smile had caused her to nearly melt. At first she had liked Rainbow Dash, but now she didn't know what to think. Anypony watching the display would have realized the truth. Fluttershy had obviously fallen head-over-hooves for Spike, after he had saved her. The little dragon had a crush on her too, but was still trying to sort out his feelings on the matter. Spike reached out a hand to steady her,
" Are you okay?" He asked, clearly concerned for her well-being.
" Oh, I'm alright, Spike. You don't need to worry about me." She assured, quietly.
He nodded, and searched the shelves until he found what he was looking for. The object was in a special glass display case in the back, between a few shelves. At first glance, it simply looked like a blue stick with a star pattern on it, and several swirls circling around its base. Spike took a deep breath and blew fire from his mouth, rotating his head in a circular motion. The fire left a trail behind it, where it touched the see-through glass cover, resulting in a small hole in the shape of a circle, big enough for a hand, and light-green in color. Now that he had melted the glass, Spike reached his hand though it, and took hold of the strange stick, retracting his hand back through the hole in the glass. The dragon broke off a white string from a nearby amulet and looped it through a small hole in the stick, making it a necklace.
" You could have just lifted the case off," Fluttershy pointed out.
" I COULD have, but you have to admit that it was much cooler to do it that way." Spike reasoned. Fluttershy rolled her eyes at his response, but gasped when she got a good look at what he was holding.
" I-Is that a unicorn horn?" She whispered, in disbelief. Everypony knew that a unicorn's horn was very precious to them, just like a pegasus' wings. " How'd you get that? You didn't c-c-cuu..." She struggled to get the word out, but couldn't. Spike was shocked at the mere thought of what she was implying.
" Surely, you don't think that I could have...I wouldn't do something like that! Cutting off a unicorn's horn is ridiculous! It was taken from Starswirl the Bearded's body after he died. Apparently, nopony wanted it to fall into the wrong hands or hooves, so they gave it to Twilight for safe-keeping." Spike said, earning another confused look from Fluttershy.
" Who is Starswirl the Bearded again? I believe I've heard Twilight mention him before, but I don't remember."
" Well, he was basically the smartest and most powerful unicorn in history!" Spike revealed.
" So, why do we have his horn? I thought that a horn has no magic power unless it's attached to a unicorn? Isn't it useless?" Fluttershy questioned, not seeing its purpose.
" Normally, you'd be right. But, there's a legend that tells why this particular horn is so special. It goes like this: Starswirl was believed to be working on a device to allow non-unicorns to access and use magic to make everyday life easier. Some saw this as a good thing, but there were others who thought differently. It was one of these ponies, a jealous unicorn, who eventually did him in. The unicorn took actions to make sure that magic would stay where it belonged, which led him to kill Starswirl the Bearded. What he didn't know, however, was that the old scientist had one last trick up his sleeve. Before dying, he had transferred all of his magic from his body and mind into his horn. Nopony has ever found any research notes, or discovered if the horn really allows non-unicorns to use magic." Spike recalled.
" Wow, now I know why you wanted it. If the legend is true, it could be useful!" Fluttershy softly exclaimed.
Spike stretched and yawned. Unfortunately, this caused a chain reaction, as his fist bumped a vase. They could only look on in horror as it toppled into the item next to it, causing several others to do the same thing, like dominoes. They both breathed a sigh of relief, when it stopped at an amulet on the edge of the shelf ledge. This activated it, sending out a black shockwave that pulsed through the room and beyond.
" Um, what did that do?" Fluttershy wondered. A moan was heard outside the room, as the whole underground shook.
" I have no idea, but I think we're about to find out." Spike said, slinging the horn necklace over his head and onto his neck, " Looks like this thing might get some use, after all. Who knows? Maybe I'll have the magic touch!" The little dragon winked at Fluttershy, then stepped in front of her protectively, as the closed wooden door in front of them bent, and began to splinter. It was clear that something big was applying much force from the other side of the door.

Chapter Seven:Pegasus Protection

" Fluttershy, stay behind me! I have to protect you!" Spike ordered.

She nodded her head, and cowered behind him. At this moment, the door gave way and fell over, revealing several ponies that were gray in color, with glowing red eyes. All three of them were familiar faces. Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, were there to greet them. Fluttershy and Spike were both surprised to see their friends at the door, as all three advanced, snarling at them.

" Girls, it's us! What are you doing!?" Fluttershy shrieked, stepping to the side and barely dodging Rarity, when she lunged at her. Right now, she was being very unlady-like. Spike was fending off Applejack and Pinkie Pie at the same time, and he knew he couldn't keep them away forever. Spike formulated a plan between blows, and risked a glance at Fluttershy. The pegasus was pleading with Rarity to stop, and dodging her attacks.

"Fluttershy, they aren't our friends! Something's wrong with them! I don't want to hurt them any more than you do, but we need to do SOMETHING!"

" I know, Spike, but I don't have any ideas!" She responded, unsuccessfully dodging Rarity's next attack, getting knocked back into the wall with a loud crack!

Spike witnessed it, and was thrown to the floor by Applejack. The previous plan was for Fluttershy to fly over them and out the door was scrapped, and he was hard-pressed to think of another one. But right now, all that mattered was getting to Fluttershy. Spike jumped to his feet and pushed Aplejack and Pinkie Pie away from him, then he ran over to where she was, just in time to block one of Rarity's attacks, shielding Fluttershy who was still dazed on the floor. It was then that Spike remembered the artifact hanging at his neck. He had no idea how to use it, but he tried.

" I don't know how you work, or exactly what you do, but I wish you could buy us some time!" Spike pleaded.

The horn reacted to his words and shined brightly, then only the slow ticking of a clock could be heard in the silence that followed. Spke opened his eyes, unaware that he had closed them and before him, was a wondrous sight. The frist thing he noticed, was that everything had just...stopped. Rarity was frozen in mid-strike, and Pinkie Pie and Applejack were frozen in mid-step. He could also feel a strange warmness in his right hand, so he looked behind him at Fluttershy and blushed, realizing he was holding her hoof. He didn't remember grabbing it, but he helped her to her hooves.

" Uh, Spike, what's going on?" She asked, having recovered from the attack.

" I'm not exactly sure, but I think I just froze time," Spike reasoned, " That means that the legend is true!" He smiled widely, in excitement. She smiled back, and then blushed heavily, just now noticing that they were holding hands and hooves.

" Okay, but why are we holding hands?" "Not that I mind, of course." She added almost inaudibly, but the dragon still heard it. He voiced his opinion on the matter.

" I grabbed your hoof, because I wanted to make sure you weren't affected when I casted the spell." She pointed out that they should get going before it wore off, so they exited the room, continued down the hallway, and turned to the left at a divergence of paths. They had just found a ladder on the wall leading up to a trapdoor, when a whirring noise was heard, along with a series of rapidly approaching hoof-beats. Spike had just openedit and crawled through, Fluttershy close behind, when their attackers rounded the corner, and caught sight of them. They quickly closed the door and moved a desk on top of it, so that nopony else would be able to get through. " See? I told you that we wouldn't get lost!" Spike declared, grinning, ignoring the bangs and shouts from below.

Fluttershy couldn't help but wonder how he was able to think about something like that, at a time like this, but his happiness was contagious. Soon, they were both smiling and laughing like a pair of idiots, relieved that they had somehow survived. Spike had a feeling that this wasn't the last they would see of their so-called 'friends'. He had only completed round one of pegasus protection, and more were sure to follow.

Chapter Eight:Discorded

After taking a nap, they explored the interior of Sugarcube Corner, and found several items of value. They found some plain beige saddlebags, a freezer filled with pastries and some fruit and bread, and a mysterious lone book. Spike had completely forgotten that he brought his bag with him, and decided to put it to good use. Spike being the gentledrake that he was, insisted that he carry the things they had found, so that Fluttershy wouldn't have a hard time. She appreciated his offer, but didn't feel like it would be right for him to carry everything, so she held a few items in her newly found saddlebags.

" At least we're safe." Fluttershy commented, as they prepared to head back outside. Spike turned to her and said,

" I'm sorry, Fluttershy, but I don't think we'll be safe for a long time." By the look on his face, she knew that he was serious.

" Why not? Our, um, friends are trapped underground, and they can't get to us!"

" Maybe so, but not for long. Those tunnels lead to everywhere in town, so they could pop up anywhere!" Spike reminded, raising his voice a little.

" Oh." Fluttershy simply said, as the weight of their situation hit her all at once. She was a little hurt that he had yelled at her like that, but she knew that he wasn't mad at her, only the trouble they were in.

As they walked through town, Spike remembered the strange book in his pack. It was strange to find a book there, but he had taken it, in hopes it would prove useful. He felt for it and pulled it out, dropping the thing after reading the cover. " Evil's Triumph" was the the book's title.

" It's a good book, you know. I wrote it." A voice said, from directly behind Spike. The dragon and pegasus whirled around to face its occupant in surprise, Spike stepping in front of Fluttershy. Standing in front of them, was none other than...

" Discord! It's you!" Spike exclaimed. Fluttershy remained silent behind Spike, watching warily.

" It's been a long time, little dragon and the element of kindness. I think it's about time we had a reunion, don't you?" Spike ignored what he said, focusing more on how it was possible for him to even be here.

" You...You can't be here! We turned you to stone with the elements of harmony!" Spike recalled.

" Ah, yes. A nasty trick, but easily remedied."

" But, how then? How did you do it?"

" It's simple, really. In the mere seconds I had before you're frilly rainbow beam hit me, I teleported away and left behind a statue copy." Spike paled, as he realized the truth.

" You were just waiting for the right moment, and YOU did this!"

" Bingo! Give the dragon a prize!" He placed a hat on Spike's head, that he produced from thin air. " Back on the subject of my book, you REALLY should read it. It's rather important." The book appeared in his hands, disappearing from where Spike had dropped it.

" I don't want to read your stupid book! I just want to know why you destroyed our town!" Spike demanded.

" Oh Spike, I'm hurt! Just because I'm the nearest villain, you assume I did it! Well, in this case I DID, but that's besides the point." Discord admitted, feigning hurt from the dragon's words.

" I know it's you who took Twilight! I should have realized it sooner." Spike said, " Give her back!"

" Please Spike, you don't need to do this!" Fluttershy pleaded, wrapping a foreleg around his arm. She wasn't strong enough to hold him back for long, and he soon broke free, more than a little frustrated.

" Fluttershy, quit trying to stop me! I need to stop him!" Spike protested, charging at the draconequus.

Fluttershy was a little hurt at his outburst, " I was only trying to help..." She whispered, under her breath, worried for his safety.

The master of chaos reacted quickly, lifting Spike into the air, his hand on the kid's throat, slowly choking him. Discord looked him in the eye and spoke calmly,

" I'll tell you what, kid. You, me, and Fluttershy here," He glanced at the nervous pegasus, " are going to play a game. Do you understand?" Spike's face was red from lack of oxygen, so all he could do was nod in confirmation. " Good. Here are the terms: If you win, I'll give your precious Twilight back. If you lose, however, I get to keep you, as well. The only thing you have to do is use some riddles to save your friends and find my hideout. Good luck everypony! Everypony has to play, or the game is over." He teleported away laughing, causing Spike to fall to the ground, gasping for air.

" Oh my goodness, Spike! Are you okay?" Fluttershy ran over to his side, all of her previous hurt forgotten, only caring about his well-being. He didn't answer at first, until he regained his breath. Fluttershy was looming over him, worry present in her teal eyes, and he realized how much she cared. He got to his feet and into her eyes, wanting to make up for the way he had acted.

" You were right, Fluttershy. I should have listened to you. I'm sorry, and thank you for trying to protect me." Spike smiled, gratefully. Fluttershy gave him a gentle smile, letting him know that all was forgiven.

" I'm just glad you're alright." She said, " I was worried that something awful would happen." They shared a friendly hug, making each other feel warm inside.

" I think I figured out what's wrong with our friends." Spike mentioned, after they stopped finished their hug. Fluttershy's eyes lit up with curiousity,

" Really? You did?"

" Yep, our friends have been discorded!" Spike revealed, causing Fluttershy to gasp in horror. Spike threw the hat Discord had given him onto the ground, and stomped on it. "And it's all because of that jerk!"

" Spike, I think you should calm down. Violence has never solved anything." Fluttershy gently offered, putting a hoof on his shoulder. Spike sighed, calming down at her touch.

" You're right, there has to be another way to do this. But, I don't know what it is." Fluttershy nodded, understanding his frustration.

" That's okay. We'll figure it out together, as good friends do!" Fluttershy suggested,brightening both of their spirits considerably.

Chapter Nine:Something Lost, Something Found

Distorted World
Chapter 9-Something Lost, Something Found

The book that was lying nearby on the ground flipped open by itself, displaying a random blank page.

Fluttershy gaped at it and stated, "It's blank!"

Spike agreed. "Yeah, but Discord said it was important, so something's going on!"

Spike's theory was proven correct, as words began to appear on the page. The book was now, writing itself! Once it stopped, they both heard a 'Discordesque' voice in their heads, reciting the fresh words on the parchment.

"If you want to change someone's mind, give them something to remember the time."
They turned to each other and said in unison, "Did you hear that?" And, they both agreed that they did.

They were trying to figure out what it meant, when Spike suddenly pulled Fluttershy into an alleyway. "What was that for?" She asked.

"Shhh! Look!" Spike replied, pointing his finger at the area they had just been in.

Applejack exited a building nearby and stood outside, looking confused.

"Why is she alone?" Fluttershy wondered, "She probably, got separated from the others in the tunnels. Don't you think so, Spike? Spike?" Fluttershy turned to look at him, as he watched Applejack intently, wondering what she would do next.
He was trying to figure out what the riddle meant, and what they could do about it.

"I've got it!" Spike shouted, drawing the attention of their friend, who began to look around for its source. Before Fluttershy could ask exactly what he had gotten, he explained. "Do you remember, when Discord turned everyone into the opposite of their 'Element', and Twilight used that memory spell to change them back?"

"Yes." She answered, quietly.
"Maybe, we just have to do that again, but give them something important to unlock their forgotten memories!" Spike realized, having solved the riddle. "Tell me, Fluttershy. What's different, about Applejack? Do you notice anything missing?"

"Well, she isn't wearing her hat and she usually, wears it all the time. It's special to her, because it was her father's hat!"

"Exactly! If we can give it back to her, her memories are sure to return!" Spike said.

"Um, we're never going to be able to find it. We don't know where it is!" Fluttershy's head drooped low, with no hope in her gaze.

Spike lifted her head up with a claw and stared straight into her eyes, those beautiful eyes. The best part was that they belonged to the prettiest mare, in all of Equestria…Wait a minute, what was he thinking? He had forgotten about Rarity! He couldn't do this, because he loved Rarity, or at least, he thought so. Fluttershy was thinking something similar, but it was about how he was such a gentleman. She had the biggest crush on him, but wasn't sure what to do. She had never felt like this before, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to have a relationship.

Spike finally remembered what he was going to say, and broke the silence. "Never give up hope, Shy'. We'll find a way. Don't be afraid, because I'll be here to protect you, as long as I'm needed. Everything will be fine, I promise."

The shy mare had no idea, that those words would mean as much to her, as they did. She blushed, and looked away. "I…Thank you so much, Spike." She replied.

"No problem, Fluttershy."

The pegasus felt that something else needed to be said, as thanks. "Spike," He turned to look at her, "You know, nopony has ever been as nice to me, as you have." Only one eye peeked out, from the shade of her pink mane.

"Awww, thanks, Flutter…" He was cut off, as she quickly hugged him, holding on tightly. "…shy." He finished in surprise, but returned the gesture, happily.

A few seconds passed, then she pulled away. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me! I…"

"That's okay, Fluttershy. To be honest, I, uh, kinda liked it." He blushed, in embarrassment.

She didn't respond, but she was secretly, happy. He changed the topic back to Applejack's hat, and gained an idea. Spike wondered if his necklace could materialize or teleport things to him. He decided to try it out and concentrated on an image of Applejack, bucking trees while wearing her hat. Sure enough, Spike felt something in his hand, so he opened his eyes, to see the cowmare's Stetson in his grasp. He didn't realize that he had stolen it, from an earlier moment in time.
Fluttershy squeaked in surprise, at its sudden appearance.

"Where did THAT come from?" She asked.

Spike, however, acted like it was nothing, and replied, "Oh, you know, I teleported it!"

Before anything else was said, he dashed out into the alley that Applejack was looking in and placed the hat on her head from behind. Fluttershy trotted up to them, as Applejack whirled around. Her annoyed expression softened, the changes already taking effect. Her colors came back, and she gave them a tearful smile. It was clear to them, that she remembered what was lost to her, as she hugged them both. They returned the affection, then pulled away, after a moment.

"Ah'm so glad, y'all are okay! I thought, I'd never see y'all again! Also, Ah'm real sorry that I attacked y'all, but I wasn't in control of mah body." Applejack explained, glad to be reunited, after all this time.

Something was lost, and now, something had been found.

"It's all right, Applejack. We forgive you, and know that you didn't mean it." Fluttershy assured, smiling warmly.

Spike still had a question, to ask the farmpony. "Uh, Applejack, just how long, were we gone?"

As was her nature, Applejack answered honestly. "I reckon, it's been about two years. We all thought, y'all were dead!"

"Oh, okay." Spike said, calmly.

It took a moment for it to sink in, but then Spike and Fluttershy, unusually (for her) screamed, "WHAT!"

Chapter Ten:Pinkie Pie Style

Distorted World
Chapter 10-Pinkie Pie Style

Applejack explained that Discord had taken over, when all of the 'Elements of Harmony' weren't there to stop him. Spike and Fluttershy, then explained that they had found a portal, and were led in by Rainbow Dash.

"But, that's impossible! That couldn't have been the real Rainbow, because she was captured by Discord!"

Spike put the pieces together. "That must have been Discord, who lured us into the future, so he could take over the past! He knew that the 'Elements of Harmony' don't work, unless the gems and their rightful bearers are together!"

"I reckon so, Spike. The ones, who survived the attack, were brainwashed by him. Rarity, Pinkie, and me were lost in the tunnels, under his control. We were ordered to keep watch, and capture you two. I'm mighty glad y'all saved me, and even though you haven't gotten to the others yet, I'm sure you'll save them, too. Speaking of that, what's that doohickey around your neck, and that book you're holding?"

"This necklace allows non-unicorns to use magic, and this book is a gift from Discord to help us find him."

"Fair warning, Spike. Be careful, if you're planning to go up against Discord. That draconequs stole all of the power from the princesses, and now he's the most powerful being in all of Equestria!"

Spike and Fluttershy winced at this, but were determined to continue, anyway. Applejack decided to go check on Sweet Apple Acres, and they agreed to meet back up in the same spot as before, later.

"I guess, we should go find Pinkie Pie now." Spike said, as Fluttershy nodded.

"Okay."

The book decided to add more words to itself, as Spike observed. The voice read the newly written words, out loud.

"A good deed can go, for miles and miles. Give her something to make her smile."

"We know what that is, let's go." Spike ordered, walking off.

"Uh, Spike? We don't know where Pinkie is."

"I know, but I'm going to go check the bakery."

"Okay, I'm coming." Fluttershy agreed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inside Sugarcube Corner…

In her 'Discorded' state, Pinkie Pie's mane and tail had lost their bounce, her coat, now a shade of light pink. She had reverted back, to the very dangerous form of 'Pinkamena'. For some reason, she was still happy, in a twisted sort of way. Right now, she was thinking about what she would do to her guests. Her 'Pinkie Sense' told her that someone was coming, and she could hear them outside. In her hoof, was a large butcher knife, which gleamed in the small amount of light coming through the window. Her reflection stared back at her on its silver surface, weak and terrified. This was her, but not her, at the same time. Her good half was trapped inside her mind, forced to watch, as she did something awful.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The door swung open, as Spike started to enter. "And then I said…" He jumped back, hiding behind the door for safety. A large butcher knife was embedded up to the hilt in the wooden wall, mere inches from his head.

"What's wrong, Spike?" Fluttershy peeked around the doorframe with Spike, to see an unsettling sight.

A pink pony was approaching slowly, holding several knives and smiling devilishly. Fluttershy began to make her way over, to the crazed pony.

"No, Fluttershy! Don't do it, she'll kill you!" Spike pleaded, not wanting to lose her, too.

Fluttershy turned around to look at Spike, and said, "Don't worry, Spike. I'm just going to talk to her. I'll be fine."

In the time it had taken her to say these words, Pinkamena had picked up a frying pan. She sneaked up behind her and swiftly dealt a blow to the back of her head, effectively knocking her out. Pinkamena began to drag her body to the back storage room.

Spike wasn't sure what to do. He could leave her and save himself, or he could risk his life to save hers. He knew, in that moment, that he was madly in love with Fluttershy, not Rarity. That unicorn had lost her chance to be with him, for he had found someone who he thought, actually cared for him. He wasn't going to let her get killed by some crazy party pony. Her attention wasn't on him, so he retreated out the door, to think of a plan. Unbeknownst to him, Pinkamena HAD noticed and let him go, because he didn't seem to be a threat.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Fluttershy awoke, a bright light was shining in her face. Nothing else could be seen around her and she tried to move, but couldn't, for some reason. She looked down and whimpered in fright, for all of her limbs, including her wings, were restrained by metal clamps. Pinkamena, who had been watching silently from the darkness, stepped into the light. She was smiling widely, almost like her old self.

"Yippee! You're awake, and now we can get this party started!" She hadn't done this in a while, so she eagerly began.

Pinkamena grabbed a knife from a nearby table, which had various instruments of torture spread upon it. Her shy, soon to be victim, was sobbing openly, afraid of death. She had never even had a coltfriend, or confessed her feelings to Spike. If she somehow made it out of this, she had to make sure that he understood how she felt.
The knife was hanging over her, about to come down. All of a sudden, they both heard a weird, squeaking noise, echoing in the darkness around them.

Pinkamena stopped and stared, as a light-blue cannon with flowers on the rims of the wheels, was rolled into view by a certain dragon, who propped up his arm on it. Fluttershy's heart leapt with joy, at the sight of her crush and savior.

"Recognize this?" Spike said, referring to the 'Party Cannon'.

"Spike?! What are you doing here? You should have never come back. Nopony likes a party pooper!" Pinkamena exclaimed, in rage.

"Sorry Pinkamena, but this is one party, I HAVE to crash, 'Pinkie Pie Style'!" Spike pushed the cannon towards her and fired it, at point-blank range.

Normally, that would be fatal, but this cannon, only fired confetti and streamers. It was designed for parties on the go, and only fired harmless party favors. The blast knocked Pinkamena back against the wall where the light switch was, turning the lights on and dazing her. All that was in the room, were some boxes and supplies.

"How's about you and me, get out of here?" Spike offered, releasing Fluttershy from the clamps, so she could get off of the metal table. The dragon took hold of her hoof, and they began to run towards the door.

A voice called out to them and they turned around, to see Pinkie Pie. She had gotten off of the floor and was back to normal. Her colors were brighter, and her mane and tail were bouncy again. "I, uh, I'm sorry for…" Pinkie tried to apologize, but she couldn't bring herself to say that she had almost, killed one of her best friends. She stared at the floor, instead, scuffing a hoof along it.

"It's okay, Pinkie. We understand that you weren't yourself. I just, um, need to get out for a bit and think. I guess, we'll see you, later." Fluttershy told her, uncomfortably.

Fluttershy and Spike left the room and Pinkie heard the door close, as they exited the building. Pinkie stood there for a minute, ashamed. Fluttershy had forgiven her, but she noticed the genuine fear in her friend's eyes. She was supposed to make ponies laugh, not scare them to death. That was another thing. She would never have dreamed of harming or killing one of her friends. If she had gone through with it, she would have never forgiven herself. Pinkie Pie, who could find the good in any situation, was finding it hard to find anything good in this one.

She hoped to still be friends, but she knew that things would never be the same.

But then, she thought to herself, "Silly, Pinkie! This is just a story, it's not canon!"

All the same, Pinkie Pie had her style back.

Chapter Eleven:Art Of A Rarity

Distorted World
Chapter 11-Art Of A Rarity

"Two down, one to go!" Spike exclaimed.

"You rock, Spike, woo hoo!" Fluttershy cheered.

Spike had just saved her life, and their bond was stronger now, than ever. After stopping to snack on some pastries, they were approaching Rarity's home. They were following the latest riddle: 'To get rid of her ferocity, pay her with some generosity'. The famous 'Carousel Boutique' stood before them, remaining untouched by the attack.

Fluttershy was trying to muster up enough courage to tell him how she felt, but she was developing doubts in her mind. What if, he still liked Rarity? Would she be abandoned? She knew all about his previous crush, but she was trying to hope for the best.

Spike knocked on the door and it opened by itself. The building appeared empty, but nothing was as it seemed most of the time, in this town. Fluttershy followed the little dragon inside, oddly the lights had been left on, for some reason.

"Rarity! Rarity, are you home?" Spike called, as they searched for the sophisticated unicorn.

They found her in the back room, where she usually designed dresses. She was on a couch, reading a book.

"Um, Rarity? What are you reading, if you don't mind telling me?" Fluttershy asked, curiously.

The startled unicorn released the book from her grasp, letting it fall to the floor. "I wasn't reading anything, Darling. You must be mistaken." Rarity protested.

"Uh, okay. What happened, to your dresses?" Spike asked, since the room showed no signs that any dresses had ever been there.

"Oh, those silly things? I disposed of them, since I haven't been very inspired, lately."

Spike and Fluttershy were shocked. How could she just quit, making dresses? That was who she was, or had been! Spike remembered the riddle, and was going to try to jog her memory.

"But, Rarity! How could you get rid of those wonderful, beautiful dresses? It's who you are!" Fluttershy spoke up.

"Not anymore, Darling. I don't care about that at the moment, and it's highly likely, that I never will again. I should have realized it sooner, but now, I know better. The only thing I should be concerned with, is myself. I'm more important, than anything else in my life." Rarity proclaimed.

They knew that she could be dramatic at times, but this was getting ridiculous.

Spike wasn't going to stand for this, and he couldn't take anymore of it. "Rarity! I'm surprised at you! Look at what you've become! You know, I used to love you!" He walked over to the sewing machine in the corner of the room. "If you really don't care about that stuff anymore, then why did you hold on to THIS? As much as you might try to deny it, you still care, and that's why you couldn't throw it away!"

Rarity had no response to that, which only served as further proof that he was right.

"What ever happened to the, 'Art of the Dress'? You can't tell me, you don't remember!" Spike was trying his hardest to make a point, and get through to her.

"He's right, you're one of a kind. A genuine 'Rarity', in this world. You give and give, and never expect anything in return, or at least, you used to. I hope you aren't TOO far gone." Fluttershy said.

"Don't forget about your 'Element'. The 'Element of Generosity', it's one of your best qualities!" Spike continued.

The unicorn's eyes twinkled, as she remembered. "Spike, I…" Her colors returned, and she smiled, "Thank you, both of you, for reminding me, who I am." Rarity bent down and kissed Spike, right on the lips.

Fluttershy started to get upset, because she loved Spike, and Rarity didn't deserve him. Spike was dumbfounded, but didn't react.

"What's wrong, Spike? Isn't this, what you've always wanted?" Rarity asked, uncertainly.

He mentally argued with himself. His mind drifted to Fluttershy and he saw her leave the room, out of the corner of his eye. It made him realize something. This wasn't what he wanted, not anymore. Spike pushed Rarity away, and walked over to the door.

"But, Spike! I thought that this would make you happy?" She said, in confusion.

"It WAS what I wanted, and at one point, it would have made me happy, but not anymore. I'm sorry, Rarity, but you missed your chance. I have my eyes on another mare, now." Spike called over his shoulder, as he left the room, disappointed in Rarity.

"I hope that Fluttershy is okay. I need to make this right."

Chapter Twelve:Mending The Tear

Distorted World
Chapter 12-Mending The Tear

Fluttershy was standing outside, staring at the river that ran under a bridge through town. Her tears hit the surface, making ripples in the water.

"Fluttershy? What's going on?" Spike placed a hand on her shoulder.

She turned around and shouted at him. "Don't touch me! You two can be happy, together! It's what you've always wanted, isn't it?"

Spike was starting to figure out what this was about. She must like him back, and thought that he wanted to be with Rarity. He had to tell her how he really felt about her, if he wanted to make this right. "Fluttershy, can I tell you something?"

"Only if you 'Pinkie' promise, to tell the truth."

"Fine. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." He said, doing the appropriate gestures. "It WAS what I've always wanted." Spike admitted.

"I knew it! Just…Just go away, Spike."

"Fluttershy, you didn't let me finish! If you don't like me anymore after this, then I'll respect that, okay? I'll leave you alone."
Fluttershy only nodded, in confirmation. "I said, that it WAS what I've always wanted. As in, it used to be, not anymore. Also, it wasn't my fault, since SHE kissed me! I thought about how much we've been through together, and how scared I was when Pinkie almost killed you. I realized that I'm in love with you, Fluttershy! I know from your reaction, that you MUST feel something for me, too. I'm willing to give this a chance, if you are. That is the honest as Applejack, truth." He sighed, "Although, I know that you might not want me, since I'm a dragon, and you're well, a pony, but I think that…"

Fluttershy tackled him and happily told him, "Oh, Spike! I love you, too!"

She continuously planted kisses all over his face, as Spike laughed. "Heel Fluttershy, heel!"

Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her mane, and Spike was blushing, as well. "Does this mean, we're…" Fluttershy inquired.

Spike grinned and answered, "You bet! We're a couple!"

Fluttershy was happy and so was Spike, since neither one of them had ever had somepony to love like this, before.

"Does that mean, we can, um, you know…" The shy mare blushed again, with the thought of what she was implying.

"Uh, yeah! We can do all sorts of things, but we can take it as slow as you want. I won't force you to do anything." Spike promised.

Fluttershy's body heated up, and she felt the urge to do something she had always wanted to do to somepony, but was too shy to go through with. She inched closer to the little dragon, eyes half-lidded, seductively. Spike had no doubt, that she was naturally beautiful. They inched closer to each other, until he could feel her breath on his lips. She closed the gap, and their lips met. It was a gentle kiss that only lasted for a few seconds, but the couple was in bliss. They parted, and Fluttershy blinked at him in a daze.

"That was amazing!" Spike exclaimed, in awe.

"Yes, it was. I'm sorry, Spike. I should have asked first."

Spike wasn't expecting her to act this way. He thought that she had become more assertive, but old habits were hard to break, he supposed. "Fluttershy! When are you going to stop apologizing for every little thing? Besides, I, uh, kind of liked it." Spike admitted, "I love you, Fluttershy."

"I love you too, Spike." They held hands and hooves, as they walked away from the bridge.

The tear in their friendship had been mended, and a new relationship had been gained.

Chapter Thirteen:Fluttering Airlines

Distorted World
Chapter 13-Fluttering Airlines

After checking on Applejack, who told them where Discord's base was, they returned to town, where they could see the castle on the mountain in the distance. Another riddle appeared in the book. 'You may have found my secret base, but catching me, will be quite the chase.' They pondered how to get to the capital city of Canterlot, since it was impossible to walk to.

"Couldn't you teleport us there, using the pendant, Spike?" Fluttershy questioned.

"We could, but I'm not sure how much magic is in it, and I don't want to use it up. It would be nice to have some left over, in case, we need it." Spike explained, secretly afraid that he would get it wrong, and teleport them off of a cliff, or something.

Fluttershy thought up another solution, involving the things at her sides. "Well, um, I'm not the best flyer, but I could maybe, get us over there." She offered, flapping her wings for emphasis.

"Fluttershy, that would be great! If it's not too much trouble for you." Spike accepted.

"Oh, I don't mind. I'm just happy to help." Fluttershy used a wing to scoop him up onto her back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

All went well, as they neared the city walls, until disaster struck. The statues on the walls fired beams of energy at Fluttershy and Spike. She did her best to avoid them, but one of them struck her left wing and broke it. She yelped in pain and tried to slow their descent, but it didn't stop their fall. The ground rushed up to meet them and Fluttershy couldn't bear to look at their impending doom, so she shut her eyes.

Spike had vowed only to use the pendant in emergencies, and as far as he was concerned, this counted as one. He thought about protection, and braced for impact. A blue force field bubble surrounded them, and it bounced along the ground a few times, before dissipating. Fluttershy and Spike rolled across the ground, and ended up right in front of the castle gates.

Spike leapt to his feet, and checked on Fluttershy. She whimpered in pain, as he touched her wing. The feathers were scorched and it was broken, which was about what he had expected. Fluttershy couldn't even move it, without being in intense pain.

"Hold on, Fluttershy! I'll fix it, just give me a second." Spike tried to use the pendant's power, but it just sparked and fizzled out. "Uh-oh, uh, plan B? Hmmm, let's see what I have in here." He rummaged through his pack, in search of medical supplies.

He found some bandages, and a splint. "Brace yourself, Fluttershy, this is gonna hurt." Spike warned her, and then got to work.

He straightened her wing, and applied the splint, then wrapped it up in white bandages, to keep it in place. Fluttershy stood up, and asked how he knew how to do that. "Twilight taught me how to repair injuries, and other things about survival." Spike explained. "This isn't the first time, it's come in handy, either."

"I see. Well, thank you, Spike!" The pegasus pulled Spike into a hug, and he returned it.

"Well, I guess, that's the end of 'Fluttering Airlines'." Spike joked, glancing at her wing.

They both chuckled at his joke. He thought that her laughter was like music to his ears, and her voice was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. Not that he would be admitting that any time soon, since it was too embarrassing to say out loud.

The castle loomed above them, spires stretching into the clouds. As they gazed up at it, it seemed to hold a sense of foreboding.

They had a feeling, that their journey would end soon, whether they survived or not.

Chapter Fourteen:Infiltrating The Fortress

Distorted World
Chapter 14-Infiltrating The Fortress

Spike was busy inspecting the gate to find a way in, when Fluttershy decided to voice her thoughts.

"Spike, I-I'm scared. What's going to happen to us?" Fluttershy wondered, trying hard to be brave.

Spike turned to face her. "I'm going to be honest with you, Shy'. I don't know what will happen, and I can't guarantee that we'll make it out alive. I DO know, however, that I won't go down without a fight, and I will give my life to protect you, if it comes to that." Spike declared, determined.

Fluttershy was taken aback by his seriousness and blushed, since nopony had ever acted like they cared about her THAT much, before. "Thank you, Spike." She whispered, timidly.

A clicking noise could be heard, as the dragon fiddled with the lock on the gates, until a louder click was heard. Once the lock was picked, thanks to his claws, the gates swung open, with the push of a hand. Having infiltrated the fortress, they reached the front door, and to their surprise, it opened by itself, allowing them entry. The door slammed shut behind them, leaving them in total darkness.

Being a dragon, Spike's eyes adjusted before Fluttershy's did, and he noticed a brown object at his feet. He lightly kicked it with his foot, and it rolled along the ground for a few feet until it hit a wall, causing a 'clunk' noise to travel through the hall.

"Ahh! What was that?" Fluttershy whisper-screamed, her pupils darting in all directions, looking for the source of the noise.

"Shhh, calm down, Fluttershy. It's just me." Spike assured, as he picked up the object.

The surface of it was rough, almost wooden-like, so he assumed that it was a torch. Unbeknownst to Fluttershy, Spike had learned a few new tricks, and he was about to use one. Most ponies that have seen a dragon know that they can breathe fire, but what most of them don't realize, is that they can do much more with fire than just breathing it. Spike snapped his fingers, and a green flame appeared at his fingertips. He switched the torch to his right hand, which was aflame, and the fire raced up the wood until it reached the top of it, where it lit up the torch. Fluttershy gasped at the sudden flash of light, as the darkness shifted out of the way of the flaming object.

Spike simply stated, "That's better! How can I protect you, if I can't see you?"

"Um, how did you do that?"

"Well, long story short, I went on a journey not too long ago, and learned about some tricks that dragons can do." Spike explained.

"I see. Do you think that maybe, you could tell me about it, sometime?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy, but I'm not supposed to tell anypony about it, on orders from the Princesses. Oops! I wasn't supposed to tell you that." Spike covered his mouth, but thought about it, for a moment.

"Pretty please!" Fluttershy pleaded, batting her eyelashes at him with big eyes.

"Aw, okay. I guess, I could make an exception for my special somepony. I'll tell you, after this is all over."

"You could write a book about it." Fluttershy suggested.

"Now that I think about it, it would make an AWESOME bedtime story!" Spike admitted. It was certainly, an epic tale.

Fluttershy insisted that they hold hands, afraid of being lost. "I don't like it here." Fluttershy whispered. She had always been afraid of the dark.

"I know what you mean. I feel like I'm in one of those horror films, where somepony or something will jump out of the darkness. It doesn't feel right." Spike agreed, as the torch illuminated everything for several feet in each direction.

They had no idea how long they had been walking, or how far away from the front door, they were. It seemed like an endless maze of hallways that all looked the same. They soon arrived at a door, though, which had light spilling out from under it.

Spike reached up to turn the knob, but Fluttershy stopped him. "Don't, Spike. There might be somepony in there. Maybe, even Discord could be inside."

"Yeah, you're right, Shy'. I wonder who's in there, though?" Spike pondered.

His question was answered, as a voice could be heard inside. "No, stop! Ahh!"

"Twilight?" Spike said, incredulously.

Chapter Fifteen:Spike The Knight, Part One

Distorted World
Chapter 15-Spike The Knight, Part One

Without hesitation, Spike kicked the door open. Fluttershy and Spike were unprepared for what was inside the room. Twilight was facedown on the floor, lying in a pool of her own blood. Spike ran up to her, and felt through her bloodstained fur for a pulse. It was as he feared, there wasn't one.

The warm blood now covered his hands, as he looked up at the ceiling and screamed, "Nooooo!"

Fluttershy approached him slowly, laying a hoof on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "This isn't your fault, Spike. Are you listening?" She said, quietly.

Spike shrugged her hoof off of him, shaking his head. "It is, too! I didn't make it in time to save her!" He was no longer listening to her.

All of his friends advanced towards him. "Why would you do this, Spike? We believed in you!"

"Spike? Spike! Answer me, please!" Fluttershy called, trying her best to get his attention.

At the sound of her voice, Spike snapped out of it. "What happened?" He asked, in confusion.

"You just spaced out, staring at that door!"

The door had a black oval above it, a charm to control the door. It apparently, led to your worst nightmare.
Spike explained what he had seen to her, and she was horrified. "Oh, Spike, that's terrible! I hope that it doesn't come true!"

"Yeah, me too."

Spike jumped up and broke the gem on the door, deactivating it. When he opened the door, for real this time, a large room was inside. Spike recognized it, as the throne room where the Princesses usually were. The room was empty besides the thrones, and a pony tied up against the wall. The presence of that particular pony proved, more than anything else, that what he had seen before, from the pool of blood, to his friends was an illusion.

"Twilight! We're coming to rescue you!" Spike ran forward, faster than Fluttershy.

The pegasus noticed that Twilight's surprised look, change to panic. "Spike, look out!" Fluttershy yelled, but it was too late.

The dragon collided face-first into an electric shield. He was electrocuted and thrown backwards, landing at Fluttershy's hooves. Both Fluttershy and Twilight winced.

"I'm sorry, Spike, but I tried to warn you."

"Yeah, I know." The dragon got to his feet, unharmed.

Laughter echoed through the room, as their enemy appeared, sitting on Celestia's throne with his head propped up on his lion paw.

"The game's over, Discord! We win!" Spike declared.

"Yes, unfortunately. You cheated, though, so that means that I win, and you're mine!" Discord argued, blowing a raspberry at the two.

"Um, you weren't going to let us go, either way, were you?" Fluttershy realized.

"That is correct, Fluttershy."

"It doesn't matter anyway, because we aren't going down, without a fight!" Spike proclaimed, determined to do whatever it takes.

"Are you sure about this?" Fluttershy asked. It seemed a little risky to her.

"Don't worry about it. I promised myself that I would do whatever it takes, to protect you and save Twilight. Surely, you know how important the 'Dragon Code' is, to a dragon! But, in case I don't come back, I-I love you, Fluttershy." Spike kissed her on the lips, and she returned it.

"I love you too, Spike."

"Now, let's go somewhere where we can fight in private!" Discord said, snapping his fingers.

They blinked out of the room, leaving Fluttershy alone with Twilight.

The two mares exchanged concerned looks, not sure what to do about the situation.

Chapter Sixteen:Spike The Knight, Part Two

Distorted World
Chapter 16-Spike The Knight, Part Two

Discord and Spike appeared on the rooftop terrace of the castle. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, and it would be gone in an hour or so.

"Fair warning Spike, this is an all-out, no holds barred fight. That means that anything goes in this battle. I certainly hope, you last longer than the others who have gone up against me." Discord sighed.

"What happened to the others?" Spike wondered, not sure that he wanted to know the answer.

"What do you THINK, happened to them?" Discord answered, since it was obvious to both of them.

Spike gulped, a little scared, but he steeled himself. Any warrior knew that you couldn't afford to let emotions get in the way. You couldn't let anything break your concentration in the middle of a battle. He pushed all thoughts out of his mind, and only focused on the defeat of Discord.

The dragon charged towards him, fist forward, putting all his force into the punch. Discord simply caught his fist, and threw Spike away from him. The draconequs was blocking any attempt to attack him, so Spike stopped to rest, panting from exertion.

"You know, if this is all you've got, this is a waste of time." Discord yawned, clearly bored from the encounter. "I think, I might go terrorize your marefriend, instead." As he expected, the words had an effect on the dragon. He intended, to make him lose concentration.

"Don't you dare, touch her! If you touch a hair on her head, I'll…"

"You'll what? Stare me to death? There's nothing you, or anypony else, can do to stop me. Face it Spike. This journey of yours, was a lost cause from the start."

"I'll kill you!" Spike screamed, charging once more, at Discord.

Instead of blocking it, his fist caught on fire, and punched Spike in the face. This launched the baby dragon in the opposite direction, flying into the air, and smacking down onto the roof's surface. Spike was left lying on the roof, cut and burned badly. He had one last chance to stop him, so he used his secret weapon. Despite the pain it caused him to move, he reached into his pack, and pulled out a sword. The hilt was made from dragon scales and the blade was made from bone, with scales also covering the blade. Dragon scales were the sharpest thing known to ponies and dragons alike. This was the legendary 'Dragon's Bane', only to be wielded by the 'Chosen One' of the dragons.

Discord was drinking water from a random glass he had materialized, but he spit it out everywhere, when he noticed what the near-dead dragon was holding. He regained his composure, though, trying to hide his fear. "Ha! Is that the 'Dragon's Bane'? I don't know how you came to possess it, but you know only the chosen dragon can unlock its true power." Discord informed.

The most wondrous thing happened next, as the cuts and burns disappeared and Spike stood back up, fully healed.

"Who's the 'Chosen One'?" Spike asked, smirking at Discord's terrified expression. "Take a wild guess."

"You, it's you. But, how could…"

"How could someone like me, be the 'Chosen One'? I don't know either, but it doesn't matter, because I'm gonna take you down, either way. There's no harmony left for you, so this time, you won't be coming back."

The sword shimmered in the fading light, and Spike transformed. The scales on his body lengthened, becoming sharper, and he grew taller by a few inches, putting him at the height of an adult pony. His scales acted like body armor now, so he was ready. Discord fired a few beams of energy at him, but the sword had a mind of its own, moving to block every strike. With supreme accuracy, he thrust the sword into Discord's chest while he was unbalanced, and withdrew it. His body fell to the ground and Spike changed back to normal, except that he was still the size of a pony.

As Discord lay there, he told Spike to come closer. Spike did so, and bent down towards the dying draconequs. "Are you sure this is real? What if I'm just, a figment of your imagination?" He whispered into his ear, cryptically.

Before Spike could say anything in response, his rapidly fading foe, did something he would have never seen coming. Discord touched a finger to the dragon's head, and he began to lose consciousness. Discord disappeared, and Spike heard hoofsteps coming his way.

The last thing he saw was Fluttershy standing over him with Twilight, asking if he was all right, then everything went black.

Chapter Seventeen:A Grand Finale, Part One

Distorted World
Chapter 17-A Grand Finale, Part One

"Five more minutes, Twilight. The sun hasn't even come up, yet." Spike mumbled, half-awake. "Huh?" He bolted up in bed, now fully awake.

For some reason, he was in Fluttershy's cottage, but he couldn't figure out how he had gotten there. He looked to his side, and found Fluttershy, still asleep. Spike nearly jumped out of the covers, when he saw that they were in her bed! He calmed down, blushing as he got out of the bed. He tried to remember the events of yesterday, and saw an image of him and Discord fighting, in his head. With that thought, all the memories came rushing back.

"That's right! Discord must have teleported us, back to our world." Spike thought, "Or was that, just a dream? If only there was some kind of proof."

He paced back and forth, then noticed something around his neck. Spike looked down and saw the necklace, and that was proof that everything had been real.

Fluttershy stirred in the bed and woke up, watching Spike and looking confused. "Um, Spike, what are YOU doing here?" Fluttershy asked, "Why do I have this memory of you and me, and we…I'm sorry, it was probably just a dream." She blushed, heavily.

Spike knew how to jog her memory, and went over to the side of the bed, kissing her right on the lips. She was shocked, but then melted into it, returning the kiss. They parted for air, and Fluttershy gazed lovingly at him.

"SOME dream, huh?" Spike stated, as Fluttershy jumped out of bed, and hugged him.

"Spike, I'm so glad, you're okay!" She stepped back after a moment, noticing his enhanced stature. "Wait a minute. How did you get as tall as me?"

"Well, you know, us dragons get growth spurts, sometimes."

Fluttershy didn't know much about dragons, although she knew more than most ponies did, since she was an animal expert, so she just agreed with him. "Well, if you say so, but what do we do now?" She asked.

"I think we need to go see if Twilight is home, and warn our friends about Discord." Spike said, and they agreed to go after breakfast.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the middle of breakfast, Spike received a scroll, which landed in the bowl of salad in front of him, before he could catch it. He picked it up, and tried to clean it off the best he could, but there was a ranch dressing stain at the bottom of the parchment.

"What does it say, Spike?" Fluttershy asked, her voice muffled from the salad in her mouth.

"Let's see. 'Dear Spike, get the 'Elements of Harmony' and head to Canterlot, as soon as possible. We have much to discuss. Your benevolent ruler and teacher, Princess Celestia. P.S. Luna says hello.'"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Spike took off the necklace and put it in his backpack before they left, so nopony would see it and freak out. They made it to the Library, and knocked on the door. Ponies stared at them, as they walked by, since they hadn't been seen in town for a while.

The door was opened by Twilight, who didn't act surprised to see them. "Where WERE you, Spike? I was so worried about you!" Twilight hugged him, tightly, cutting off his air supply.

"Twilight, I can't breathe!" Spike choked out. His voice was strained.

"Heh heh, sorry." Twilight apologized, blushing.

"I stayed the night at Fluttershy's, don't you remember?" Spike was just making this up as he went along, hoping that she would buy it.

"Okay, I guess, I was reading a book and didn't hear you. Just make sure that I'm listening when you tell me something, next time." Twilight said.

"All right, fine." Spike sighed.

"We're just glad, that you made it back safely." Fluttershy told her, confused by the lavender mare's behavior.

"What do you mean? I never left!" She paused for a minute in uncertainty. "Did I? I'm sorry, my mind is a little foggy, right now."

"Excuse us, Twilight." Fluttershy and Spike stepped off to the side, where their librarian friend wouldn't hear them. "Um, Spike, what's wrong with Twilight?"

"I don't know, but it seems like she has no memory of what happened in the other world. Kinda like when we first woke up."

"Um, it seems different, somehow, if you ask me."

"Well, whatever it is, we can deal with it later. Right now, we need to tell her the reason we're here, and get the others."

"You're right, Spike."

The whispering session was over, and they returned to where Twilight was waiting.

"The real reason we're here Twilight, is because of this." Spike held up the scroll, so she could read it. Her purple eyes scanned the words, until they finished at the white stain on the bottom.

"What's this?" She asked, referring to the stain.

"Oh, uh, that's ranch dressing from the salad I ate for breakfast." Spike explained. "Boy, Rainbow is gonna have a field day with this." He thought, the idea just now occurring to him.

Twilight simply laughed, and got her saddlebags ready to leave. A few minutes passed, and she returned to the doorway. The trio headed away from the Library to gather their other friends.

"We need to find Pinkie Pie. I wonder, where she is?" Twilight questioned, more to herself than anypony else, so of course, she wasn't expecting an answer.

"Here I am!" Pinkie shouted from directly behind them, causing Twilight to take to the air. "Nice jump, Twilight! Even I can't leap that high!"

The unicorn returned to the ground from her brief flight, looking slightly annoyed. "What are you doing here, Pinkie?" She asked.

"My 'Pinkie sense' told me that somepony was talking about me! I've been here the whole time!" The pink pony seemed to notice Spike and Fluttershy for the first time, and gasped, "I've got to throw you guys, a welcome back party!"

"Not now, Pinkie, we're trying to gather all of our friends, so we can read a letter from the Princess." Spike explained.

"Okie Dokie Lokie! I'll go get them for you!" Pinkie Pie dashed off, diving into a nearby pot that was meant for a plant.

They looked inside, but it was empty.

"How did…" Twilight gasped, extremely confused.

"It's best not to think about it. Pinkie is just being Pinkie, and if you try to make sense of it, all you'll accomplish is a headache. Believe me, I've tried." Spike sighed, remembering all the times that he had tried to make sense of the party pony's crazy behavior.

She startled them all once again, when she appeared with Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash in tow.

"Not cool, Pinkie. I was taking a nap!" Rainbow complained.

"I know, but this is more important!" Pinkie argued.

"Don't you know, why you're here?" Twilight asked.

"No, Pinkie dragged us here, without an explanation! Why ARE we here?" Rainbow asked, curiously.

Twilight sighed and began to read the letter. After she was done, there was a question raised about it.

"What's that?" Rainbow wondered, pointing a hoof at the white stain on the bottom of the parchment.

"Well, I, uh, made a mess when I was eating breakfast." Spike blushed, and laughed nervously. Her reaction was pretty much what he expected.

When Rainbow saw his face, she couldn't hold it in, anymore. "Pffft, Bwahahaha!" She chortled, rolling on the ground in convulsions of uncontrollable laughter.

Everypony stared at her, as she laughed at something that only made sense to her. Pinkie began laughing and rolling on the ground next to the pegasus, not wanting to be left out.

"What the hay is so funny, Rainbow? Cause' Ah'm not seein' it." Applejack inquired, thinking this was ridiculous.

Rainbow calmed down enough to whisper in the cowmare's ear, and had her laughing with them.

"I'm going to go wait for the next train to Canterlot." Twilight told the only ones that weren't laughing, and she trotted off in the direction of the Ponyville Train Station.

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash continued to laugh in the open field, as Rarity left with Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike. Spike and Fluttershy slowed down a bit to talk.

"Do you know what they were laughing about, Spike?" Fluttershy questioned, not sure if she wanted to know.

"I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with me. I might know what it is." Spike said, glancing at the pegasus, "Are you sure, you want to know?"

Fluttershy nodded, and the dragon whispered in her ear, what he thought it meant. The image that filled her head, was one that she was extremely embarrassed to think about. She blushed like a tomato, no longer yellow, as she hid her face behind her mane. It's not like she hadn't thought about it before, but the image was too much. Spike blushed, as well.

Luckily, both of their faces had returned to their normal color, before anypony could notice at the station.

Chapter Eighteen:A Grand Finale, Part Two

Distorted World
Chapter 18-A Grand Finale, Part Two

The train ride was largely uneventful, as they chatted about anything that came to mind. Soon enough, they had arrived at the castle. The throne room was directly in front of them, with the pegasus guards on each side of the mahogany double doors that served as the entrance. Spears in hoof, they stared unblinkingly ahead, focused on something no one else could see, with their steely gaze.

"State your name and business." The pegasus on the left spoke, as he had been trained to. That exact phrase had left his lips, more times than he could count. It was almost, the only thing he ever said, besides when on break.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends. The Princess asked to see us?" The statement was said in such a way, that it was practically a question.

The next line was said almost as often, so without a thought it was uttered. "You may proceed."

"Thank you, sirs." Twilight bowed, as the guards held the doors open for her friends. They stepped through, into the grand space beyond.

The 'Princess of the Sun' was sitting on her throne, but she approached the group, as they entered the room. The shoes she always wore clicked on the marble, as she strode up to them. "It's so nice to see you, my faithful student. And, of course, your friends, as well." She said, as Twilight hugged her mentor. "Although, I wish it was under better circumstances."

"I know! Every time we see you, it's because the world is ending, or something! We never get to chill, or have a party!" Rainbow pointed out, lacking in tact, as usual. This was seriously, cutting into her training to be a Wonderbolt.

"Rainbow, don't be rude!" Twilight scolded. That just simply, wasn't how you spoke to royalty. "I'm sorry, Princess."

Princess Celestia bore an amused expression, not angered in the slightest by her comment. "It's quite all right, my student. She is correct, after all, and I'm afraid, that this time is no different."

"What do you mean? What's going on?" Twilight asked, sighing in frustration. She shouldn't have even hoped, for a friendly chat.

Princess Celestia scanned the room, before answering. "Unfortunately, Discord is back."

"What!" Five out of seven of those present exclaimed, in near unison.

Spike sighed, his suspicions proven correct. "I should have known that it wasn't over, because that fight was too easy. I don't know how to stop him, without appearing suspicious. Still, I will do what I have to do, to stop him for good. Even if I (gulp) have to sacrifice myself, in the process." Spike swore, mentally.

"However, something has been bothering me. I…you should see it for yourselves." She motioned Twilight over to a window that overlooked the Canterlot garden and hedge maze, where the stone stature prison of Discord sat. "You see, if he has escaped, then why is the statue still there?"

Twilight couldn't come up with an answer. She was just as stumped, as the princess beside her.

Fluttershy hesitated, but quietly, started to tell them what the answer was. "Um, I think I know the answer."

"You DO?" Twilight shouted, in disbelief.

The shy pegasus was slightly uncomfortable with all of them staring at her, but Spike nodded, encouraging her to continue. "The statue is still there because, the Discord that escaped, is from an alternate dimension, with a bad future."

From what Spike and Fluttershy had been able to piece together, thanks to what the draconequs told them, he had went into hiding, after narrowly escaping his stony fate. He lured Fluttershy into a portal that lead to the future, knowing that without all of the 'Elements' in one place, The Princesses would be powerless to stop him from taking their power for himself, and destroying the once bright future.

His revenge was to be enacted once he could get all of the 'Elements' under his control, their minds broken beyond repair, by the despair he had instilled in them. Although they weren't aware of everything, the truth was, that his plan hadn't gone as expected. He sent Spike back home after their battle, resetting the world, for an unknown reason. That alternate future wasn't destroyed when he left it, however, it split off from the main timeline, becoming an alternate dimension. Thanks to that, he still retained the powers he had stolen, even though the world was restored to the state it was in, before his take over.

Princess Celestia had sensed Discord's magic power, but she didn't understand how it was possible, since he was supposedly sealed away. "How do you know this, Fluttershy?" She questioned, becoming a little suspicious of her.

Only a certain few knew about the existence of other dimensions, since it was a guarded secret among the unicorns that could perform the interdimensional spell. Only a unicorn, with a high level of magical power could travel between dimensions.

Fluttershy scuffed her hoof along the floor, unwilling to say more, under Celestia's intense gaze. The dragon at her side, answered on her behalf.

"She knows, because she was there. We BOTH were." Everypony present gasped in surprise, at this revelation. The timid pegasus shot him an appreciative look, for speaking up when she didn't have the courage to. "Uh, we'll explain later, because right now, we need to stop Discord from taking over the world. He has the powers of both Princesses from his world, so we need to be careful." Spike informed, and Celestia nodded.

"As we all know, the 'Elements of Harmony' are needed to capture Discord. What you didn't know, is that there is a secret seventh 'Element', that is the most powerful of all. To discover it, a connection must be established between its bearer, and one of you. We need this to work, so that we can completely destroy Discord."

"But, how will we know who the seventh 'Element' is?" Twilight wondered.

"A spark will ignite within the heart of its bearer, similar to when you discovered the 'Element of Magic' with your friendship. You'll know when it's time, but this is a different sort of relationship, that involves more, than simply being friends."

Princess Celestia was only able to utter those words, before the castle began shaking, in the midst of an earthquake.

Chapter Nineteen:A Grand Finale, Part Three

Distorted World
Chapter 19-A Grand Finale, Part Three

Outside, ponies were running all around, in unorganized formations. Most of them, collided from time to time, resulting in bruises, but they were basically unharmed. Using magic told the eight ponies gathered, that the tremors were coming from Ponyville, so they headed for the small town. Princess Celestia teleported all of them into the center of town, where the streets were deserted, for some reason. A loud ripping noise could be heard, generating the shockwaves that were causing the earthquake.

The Princess knew what it was, as she stared into the growing void. "It's starting! He's tearing a hole between dimensions! He'll be here soon, so get ready, my little ponies." Celestia ordered.

They neared the field outside the town, where the roar was deafening, and they had to shout to be heard. From the rip, a lion paw emerged, then a griffon claw, followed by the rest of the draconequs.

"Woo! That was a tight squeeze, even for me!" Discord stretched his limbs, and shook them out. "You wouldn't believe, how cramped it is in there!" He complained, rubbing his sore feet. He seemed to remember what he had come here to do, and became serious, when he noticed Princess Celestia. "Why, good afternoon, Princess. Do you want me to bow or perhaps, curtsy?

Her gaze was cold, although, it seemed to hold a tinge of regret and sadness. "I don't need anything from you."

The creature of chaos sighed, "You've changed, Celestia. You're not who you used to be."

"I haven't changed one bit. You're the one who changed, and forced my sister and I to imprison you."

"We used to be close. Forget about the so-called, 'magic of friendship'!" Discord spat the last word out with disdain, making air quotes with his fingers.

"You got what you deserved, and it's time to end this, once and for all!" Rainbow Dash declared.

Discord turned his attention to the rainbow-colored pony. "Well said, Rainbow Dash. Your true colors shine through, just like the spectrum of an actual rainbow. But, what happens, when the colors fade away?" He produced a vacuum cleaner from nowhere, and pointed it at her, chuckling, as a swirl of colors entered the nozzle, extracted from their owner.
Rainbow wasn't rainbow anymore, now just a ghost of her former self, white as a sheet.

"Hey!" She protested, irritated, "Give those back!"

"If you say so!" Discord replied in a singsong tone, flipping the switch and reversing it, blasting Rainbow Dash in the face, creating an airbrushed effect. Although, it returned to normal, fairly quickly, so she didn't have to worry about her ruined style for long.

Twilight sighed. "Let's just get this over with."

It was then, that she remembered something very important. To use the 'Elements of Harmony', you had to have them, first. They had forgotten to get them, before leaving the castle.

"You must use the 'Elements of Harmony', girls!" Celestia told them.

"Uh, Princess, we don't have them with us!" Twilight informed, in a rather unhelpful manner.

"That's where you're wrong, my little pony. The 'Elements' are always with you, no matter where you are. As bearers of the 'Elements', you harbor the spirit of them inside you. You only need to call them to your side."

"Okay, Princess, I believe you."

All of them, except Spike, focused on the image of their elements. By sheer willpower, Twilight's tiara appeared first, the others following suite. With all the 'Elements' present, they were ready to take him down. The tiara lit up and sweat formed on Twilight's brow, as the harmony spell was performed. The rainbow linked the artifacts together, as it rocketed towards its target. Discord wasn't phased by it, however, and just batted it away, causing it to rebound off of the 'Elements' and head for a new target.

Spike jumped in front of Fluttershy, so it hit him, instead. His scales deflected some of it, which slammed into an unprepared Discord, then Fluttershy. Within a minute, the stone had covered almost all of them. Discord was the last to be encased, since he was taller.

"Oh, COME on!" He shouted, in frustration.

"We have to help them!" Rainbow yelled, showing her loyalty to her friends.

"We can't do anything to help them, Rainbow Dash. Those two are the only ones who can stop him, for they share a special connection that most of us have yet to experience. They are our only hope." Celestia explained.

"But, that means…" Twilight realized, before being interrupted.

"Yes. Spike is the missing bearer, the 'Element of Passion'. I just hope that he realizes it, before it's too late." Celestia confirmed.

"I hope that we can trust Spike to protect Fluttershy." Rarity added, worried for their safety.

"What exactly is goin' on? Isn't Discord defeated?" Applejack asked. The others had the same question.

"Normally, that would be true, but they all got blasted with the same spell. They are now trapped within their own minds, having the same dream. If they lose this internal battle, then they will perish, and Discord will be free. If they win, Discord will be vanquished for good. All we can do is wish them luck, because it all depends on them, now." Princess Celestia finished, as they watched and hoped for a victory.

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Darkness was present on all sides, leaving nothing visible. Spike was all alone, or at least, he thought he was.

"Fluttershy?" He whispered. "Doesn't hurt to try, I guess." He thought.

"I'm over here." He bumped into something, and felt along it. Whatever it was, was silky smooth, almost like fur. "Sp-Spike, get away from there!" She squeaked, in alarm.

"S-Sorry, it's kind of hard to see in here." Spike stuttered. A light filled the space, allowing him to see that he had bumped into her rump, and he blushed.

Discord stood close by, and they stared at him. "What? I just thought that I'd shed some light on this subject." He grinned, as 'badum-tsh!' was heard, despite there being no visible instruments to play it. They didn't respond, because they couldn't think of anything to say. "Aw, you guys are no fun!" Discord complained, blowing a raspberry. "Fine, let's get down to business. As you just heard at our arrival, Celestia said that only the winners are freed. So, we're going to have a battle, where anything goes. The only limit is your imagination, since we are in a dream." Discord informed, as they played rock, paper, scissors to determine the location of the fight.

Fluttershy got rock, Spike got paper, and Discord shaped his fingers into a gun, then fired it. The word 'bang' in capitals hit the dragon full force, knocking him into an invisible wall, which revealed itself to be a building, upon contact. The letters turned into smoke, and floated away.

"Hey, you cheated!" Fluttershy accused.

"True, but I warned you, that anything goes." Discord reminded.

Spike returned to her side, as a city shot up around them. "Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked, concerned about her coltfriend's well being. Even though he was technically a dragon, she saw him as no different than a pony that she loved. Just like he saw her, as no different than he was.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How do you think we can stop him?"

"Um, I'm not sure, but I think that we should hide."

"Why? Oh…" "How did I not notice that before?" Spike thought, as a giant-sized draconequs lumbered towards them, shaking the ground, as he went.

Fluttershy stood a good distance away, while Spike handled it. Discord brought a foot down to flatten him, but something held it back. Spike was growing into the large dragon form from his birthday, gaining the strength to hold the foot back, and toss Discord away. Unfortunately, the draconequs landed on a certain pegasus who happened to be standing in the way, and didn't react in time. Discord lost concentration, and shrunk back down to normal size, getting off of her in the process. The giant Spike picked up the tiny creature, and hurled him through at least, four building windows.

The dragon shrunk back down to normal, cradling the mangled and bloody body of Fluttershy, against his chest. He was overcome with grief, at the loss of the only mare he had ever truly loved. He wasn't a doctor, but he knew, that she couldn't have survived that.

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Cracks began to form on Fluttershy's statue, causing the others to worry.

"I'm afraid, we're losing her. If that statue cracks completely, it means that Fluttershy has died in the dream world." Princess Celestia stated, grimly.

They all held back tears, as the cracks continued to spread.

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Spike came to a realization in his thoughts. He loved her. He had said it before, but never fully grasped what it meant. In that moment, the 'Element of Passion' was forged, and hope was born. A bracelet appeared on the dragon's right wrist, purple in color, with a green flaming claw emblem etched into it. It shimmered, as the light reflected off of it, like dragon scales. The element around Fluttershy's neck lit up in response, and the same emblem appeared in the center of the pink butterfly gem.

"What?" Spike muttered in shock, at the discovery of his element. Fluttershy's body was still warm, but quickly bleeding out, from her broken bones and wounds. "I wonder, if it works like in the movies. After all, I will do ANYTHING to get her back." He decided, mentally.

Spike bent down and kissed her on the lips, causing her to glow brighter than her usual yellow, and a miracle happened. Spike gaped, as her injuries disappeared, her bones popping back into place, and then returning to her normal, butter yellow color. Her eyes fluttered open, focusing on Spike, as he stood over her.

"Um, what happened?" She asked, weakly, as he hugged her. Her eyes widened, but she didn't resist him, when he pulled her into another kiss. "Mmmm…What was THAT for?" She wondered. "Not that I'm complaining."

Spike grinned, from ear to ear. "I'm just glad, that you're alive!" He replied.

"Did something happen?" She got to her feet, confused.

"I can't believe, that actually worked! It's a little cliché, but I'll take it." He thought. "Oh, uh, it's nothing." He answered.

Fluttershy gasped, in surprise, when she got a good look at him. "Sp-Spike, you have a 'Cutie mark'!"

Now it was HIS turn, to be surprised. "What? Where?" He wondered, turning and looking for it.

"It's uh, on your face." She brushed the area with her hoof, causing Spike to shiver.

'Cutie marks' were magical, so the area where one appears is sensitive. The skin was softer there, than the rest of his body. He imagined a shard of glass, and used it to look at his reflection. The mark was on his left cheek, and it was the same emblem, that was on his bracelet.

"That's awesome, but I thought, that dragons couldn't get 'Cutie marks'."

"Well, normally, that's true, but the magic in your element, must have allowed it to be possible." Fluttershy reasoned. She had read a book on dragons before, as well as seen a few of them, so she knew the basics about their race.

"Huh, who knew? I was the seventh 'Element', all along!" Spike admired his element, and noticed Fluttershy's new addition to hers. "Whoa, Shy', your element has two gems on it!"

She looked at it, in awe. "So does yours!" She told him.

Spike hadn't noticed that his bracelet now had her cutie mark on it, too. "I don't know how to use my element, but we have to stop Discord!" Spike shouted, determined to end it.

The draconequs appeared beside them, with a few scratches from the throw. "Ugh, it took FOREVER to pick out all of those glass shards! I'll make you pay for that!" Discord promised, not amused.

"The only thing you'll get is an I.O.U, because that debt isn't getting paid." Spike stated, firmly.

"Whatever, you can't beat me!" Discord scoffed.

Spike and Fluttershy had no idea what they were about to do, but they were just following their hearts, and doing what felt right to them, for some reason.

"Let's do it, Fluttershy!"

"Okay!" She nodded, as they linked hands (although Fluttershy has hooves, it's easier to refer to them as hands, collectively) combining their power. The elements lit up on their own, ready to do their job.

"Passion!"

"Kindness!"

"Our elements combine to make, 'Love'! 'Fluttering Flames of Annihilation', Go!" They announced in unison, as if they had rehearsed it.

Spike's free hand became surrounded in emerald fire, as pink butterflies appeared. He shot fireballs at each butterfly, until they were all aflame, then the insects surrounded Discord in an emerald whirlwind inferno. He disappeared in the spinning blaze, screaming in agony. When it cleared, he was gone.

"Yes! We did it!" They exclaimed, in joy, high-fiving.

They were so relieved to come out alive, after such a close call. Spike gave in, and before he knew it, her lips were against his.

The dragon and pegasus continued to kiss, as the city collapsed around them, the world once again, black as night.

Chapter Twenty:Epilogue:Calm Before The Storm

Distorted World
Chapter 20-Epilogue:Calm Before The Storm

The stone fell away, as they were released from the prison of their minds. The statue of Discord had crumbled now, just a pile of rocks. Their friends shouted for joy, and they had a group hug.

"I knew you guys, could do it!" Twilight praised.

They were all relieved, to have the crisis over with.

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Back at the castle, Fluttershy and Spike prepared to tell the story of their adventure.

"I'm going to go explore the town, for something fun to do!" Pinkie began to hop away.

"Why? Don't you want to hear the story?" Spike asked her.

"Nah, I already know what happened. At this point, it would just be old news. In other words, boooring!"

"How could you possibly, know? We haven't told anypony, yet!" Spike inquired, confused.

"I was there too, silly! See? I took pictures!" She bounced around and showed them all several photos, including Spike fighting Discord.

They all rolled their eyes and laughed, as she left, being her usual self.

"So, anyway…" Spike told the story, and Fluttershy helped.

They left out the part about their relationship, since they weren't ready for anypony to know, yet.

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A week later…

It was early evening in Ponyville, the sky not yet darkened. Twilight was studying, as usual, while Spike was using the bathroom, upstairs. He skipped down the steps, into the living room. He checked himself out in the mirror, and straightened his bow tie.

"Looking good, Spike." He thought. He was dressed in a tux, for a special occasion. He had plans, for this Friday night.

Twilight looked up after hearing him go down the stairs, and noticed his snazzy, dressed up appearance. "Where are YOU going? You don't usually, dress up." She said. Considering they lived together, the unicorn knew him well. He didn't respond at first, but it dawned on her, what he might be going to do. "Are you going to see, Rarity?"

Spike looked surprised, since he had forgotten all about his previous crush on the fashionista. "What? No, I'm going on a date with Fluttershy." The dragon responded, smirking at Twilight's reaction.

"Wh-What?! When did…You know what, I don't even care, anymore." She muttered, returning to her book, in disbelief.

"There's a lot of things, you don't know about me, Twilight." Spike revealed, stepping out into the approaching night, and closing the door behind him.

For the moment, everything was fine, but all wasn't as it seemed, in their 'Distorted World'.

Completed on 2-19-14 (Book One of the 'Undestined Hero Trilogy')

Author's Note

Hey there! I'd really appreciate it, if you left a review telling me what you thought about this story. Thanks for reading! There are two more parts to this, and they are already completed, so be on the lookout for them if you want the full story!