Dovahkiin

Chapters

Chapter I: The World-Eater
Chapter II: The Dragonborn
Chapter III: The Way of the Voice
Chapter IV: The Pact
Chapter V: The Calm Before the Storm
Chapter VI: The Test
Chapter VII: The World-Eater
Chapter VIII: The World Beyond
Prologue: The End
Epilogue: The Shape of Things to Come

Chapter I: The World-Eater

“Can we please stick together for once this year?” Spike complained as he climbed down from Twilight’s back.

“Spike, we’ve already been over this,” the unicorn replied, smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress. “We promised to stick together before we left Ponyville. In fact, you wouldn’t let us leave until we did.”

Spike nervously adjusted his bowtie. “I know…” he began, “but I just don’t want to end up by myself again.”

An orange foreleg wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him close. “Aw shucks Spike, ya don’t hafta worry ‘bout that,” Applejack said. “We made a promise. And, considerin’ what happened last year, I think it’d be best if we stick together.”

“See Spike, you have nothing to worry about,” Twilight said. “Now, does everypony have their ticket?”

Everyone groaned, but the Princess’s protégé insisted. “Let’s see them.” Begrudgingly, everyone complied, holding up their golden tickets for her to see. Twilight smiled approvingly. “Right, now that that’s out of the way, we should talk about what we should do first.”

“Hey Twilight, where’s your ticket?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Twilight smiled again, reaching into her dress. “I have it right he-” she stopped. She couldn’t feel her ticket inside her dress. She felt all over, peered inside, and at one point stripped naked, to Rarity’s shock and horror; all the while, she looked as though she were trying to decide whether to cry or have a heart attack.

“W… W-W-Where is it?” Twilight stammered frantically, beginning to cry in earnest. Without a ticket, she wouldn’t be getting into the Grand Galloping Gala, the Princess’s personal student or not. “Okay, okay, calm down Twilight, calm down…” she said, not calming down in the slightest. “I know I put it in my pocket before I left, I had it in the carriage… everyone hold my spot- I’m gonna go retrace my steps. I’ll be back in a… I’ll be back.”

“…why don’t you just ask the Princess for another ticket?” Fluttershy suggested quietly.

“Ask for another ticket? Ask for another ticket? It’s bad enough that I lost the one she already gave me- if I ask the Princess for another, she’ll think I’m incompetent!”

“Oh, hold on, what’s this?” Rainbow Dash asked. Twilight looked- there, in her hooves, the cyan pegasus held a golden ticket… and another golden ticket.

The unicorn snatched it out of her friend’s hooves without asking. “Oh thank you Rainbow! Where did I drop it? The carriage? On the way here?”

“Nah, I nicked it from your back pocket a few minutes ago when you weren’t paying attention.” Twilight’s jaw moved, but nothing came out. “Totally worth it to see how you reacted.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity scolded, “how could you do such a thing? You scared Twilight half to death!”

“Like I said- totally worth it.”

Dovahkiin

By: Proteus-92

Chapter I: The World-Eater

Spike got up on his tiptoes, trying to see over the massive line of ponies in front of him. “And you wouldn’t let me walk because you said you wanted to get here early, Twilight.” He, Twilight, and their friends were standing in the massive line building in front of the Canterlot royal palace, eagerly awaiting their entry to this year’s Grand Galloping Gala. Everyone was dressed to their absolute best- Rarity had worked tirelessly on their outfits in the weeks preceding the Gala, both as an act of goodwill to her friends and to show off her creations to Canterlot’s elite.

“So what are we gonna do first?” Rainbow Dash asked. “See the Wonderbolts? Hit up the snack bar? See the Wonderbolts?”

“Princess Celestia told me she’d be making a speech at the start of the Gala, so we should stop by and listen to it.”

“Aw, a speech? But that’s boring! And if we listen to it, who knows how long the line to see the Wonderbolts will get?”

Pinkie Pie began, “Well if you wanna see the Wonderbolts so bad, then why don’t you wait in line by yourself?”

“Pinkie dear,” Rarity said, “we all promised that we’d stick together this year. Didn’t you listen to a word we said before leaving Ponyville?”

Pinkie gave a huge smile. “Nope!”

Just then, a royal guard approached them. “Um, Twilight Sparkle? Party of… seven?” the unicorn asked uncertainly.

"That’s us!” Pinkie said excitedly.

“I’m going to need you to step out of line and follow me please.”

“Aw what! What did we do?” Rainbow asked, incredulous.

“Nothing. The Princess asked me to escort you to the front of the line. Follow me please.”

Pinkie jumped for joy. “Woo-hoo! First in line! Let me grab my party cannon!” She started to bounce away, but was stopped when Applejack bit down on her tail.

“Oh no ya don’t!” she said through gritted teeth. “Ya know what happened last time you brought that thing here.”

Everypony in the group remembered that. Some of the palace guards still had nightmares about the “Cannon Incident,” as it came to be known, and to this day the dining hall carried the faint scent of coconut cream.

The group stepped out of line and followed the guard. As they passed, they heard the other partygoers speaking in hushed tones- some expressed awe at the ponies who passed by, while others expressed… a much less savory emotion. But after a few moments, the group was led up to the massive golden doors that led into the palace, searching their clothes for their tickets. “Oh, that won’t be necessary,” the guard said as he returned to his post. “You can go right in.”

As the group walked through the golden doors, Rainbow gave Twilight a hoof to the ribs, making the unicorn jump. “See? You had nothing to worry about. Seriously Twilight, you gotta learn how to relax, or else you’re gonna end up giving yourself a stroke.”

Even though the doors had opened only a few minutes before, the entrance hall of the palace was already packed. But the group’s attention was immediately diverted elsewhere- just a few feet away from the door waited a pure white alicorn who towered over every pony in the room. She smiled warmly at the group; Twilight couldn’t help but to run up to the alicorn and embrace her tightly.

“Twilight, my most faithful student,” the Princess said, embracing the purple unicorn in return. “It’s good to see you again. And I see that all of your friends are with you. Spike, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy… I’m glad that all of you could make it.”

“Are ya kiddin’ me? I wouldn’ta missed this for the world!” Applejack said.

“Well said, Applejack,” Rarity replied. “The elegance, the poise, the chance to mingle with high society… there’s just something magical about it all.”

“This is coming from a pony who got her heart stomped on the last time she came…” Rainbow Dash mumbled.

“Alright, now let’s really get this party started!” Pinkie called, rolling in her party cannon.

“Ah- Pinkie!” Applejack snapped. “I thought I told you to put that away!”

“Applejack’s right, dear- there will be time for that later.” Celestia smiled knowingly as Pinkie positively beamed in return; everypony else’s jaw dropped in shock. “Oh, but Pinkie, there aren’t any…” She shuddered. “…pies in that cannon, are there?”

Pinkie shook her head. “Nope!”

“Good.” Just then, a guard approached, getting up on the tips of his hooves to whisper something in her ear. She gave a small nod in reply before turning her attention back toward the Elements of Harmony. “I’m sorry My Little Ponies, but I need to go. My advisors insist that I ‘freshen up’ before making my grand entrance.” Her horn glowed briefly, before she vanished in a flash of light.

With the Princess gone, Twilight’s friends began chatting excitedly amongst themselves… with one notable exception. Twilight turned her attention to the most timid of her friends. “How are you holding up, Fluttershy?”

“Oh, I… I’m doing okay…” the pegasus replied, slowly retreating to the outer wall, hiding her face behind her mane.

Twilight draped a foreleg over her friend’s shoulders before she could slip away. “Hey don’t worry; we’ll all spend some time out in the gardens with you, Fluttershy. And, if nopony else wants to go, me and Spike will. …Well, I will at least.” Knowing Spike, he wouldn’t want to spend more than five seconds out of Rarity’s presence.

Fluttershy peered out from behind her mane. “…You’d do that for me?”

“Of course I would! We’re friends, remember?”

All of a sudden, the lights in the hall dimmed- all conversation ceased. A spotlight shone on the landing of the hall’s grand staircase. A profound silence filled the hall- the tension in the air could have been cut with a knife. Then… she appeared on the landing. She appeared in a brilliant flash of light, her mane glittering, her pure white seeming to glow of its own accord. The hall thundered with cheers, everypony stamping their hooves in applause- the cheers of one particular unicorn stood out above the others.

“Welcome,” Celestia said as she descended the steps. “Welcome, one and all, to this year’s Grand Galloping Gala.” Everypony cheered and applauded again. Twilight shivered- if gold could speak, it would surely speak in the Princess’s voice. “On this night, we bid farewell to another prosperous year for Equestria, and reflect on what we have accomplished, what we have gained… and what we have lost.” Silence settled for a brief moment. “But on this night we look not only to the past, but to the future as well. And I would like to wish you- all of you- success in all of your endeavors.” Another round of cheering and applause followed. “…Many ponies believe that it was me who first began the Grand Galloping Gala- while this is technically true, the Gala can trace its origins back to the reign of my father, King Solaris. In the early years of his reign, Solaris invited a number of dragons to Equestria, hoping to establish positive relations between…”

As everypony listened to the Princess’s speech, Spike couldn’t help but notice something… odd. Through the windows of the grand hall, he saw a glowing red circle appear in the sky- that alone would have alarmed him… but then, he saw a winged silhouette emerge from it moments later. The circle must have been incredible far away, so there was no telling just how large it, or the silhouette that emerged from it, really were. Worried, he tugged on Twilight’s dress to get her attention- when she brushed his claw away, he tugged more urgently. Eventually, frustrated by his incessant tugging, she whispered “What is it, Spike?”

“Twilight, you’ve gotta take a look out the window. Something really weird is going on out there.”

Twilight would much rather have listened to Celestia’s speech, but she humored her assistant. After looking out the window for a few moments, she said, “Spike, I don’t see any-” That’s when she saw it- a black winged silhouette crossing the night sky. Judging from the distance, it must have been absolutely huge, and its shape, it looked like… but there was no way-

There was a deafening crash. Shards of glass and splinters of wood were thrown across the room, raining over the Princess and everyone in attendance- ponies screamed, sprinting to the walls to escape the deadly rain. In the light of the hall, Twilight could finally see the silhouette for what it was- a massive dragon, its body as black as night. It landed in the center of the hall with a powerful thump that seemed to make the whole palace shake. Now that he had landed, Twilight could see the dragon’s finer details: dagger-like spines grew from seemingly every inch of his body, his eyes seemed to blaze like fire, but most curiously, wings extended from where the front legs of a dragon would have been. For a moment, the dragon was motionless. Then, he reared back, and let out a roar that echoed all across Equestria.

At once, the black dragon was surrounded by royal guards, their horns glowing and weapons drawn; however, they all gave the dragon a wide berth, fear clearly visible on their faces. But then, one unicorn guard stepped forward- Twilight noticed he was the same one who had escorted them into the palace. He bellowed “I’ll rip your heart out!” and with a fearsome war cry, he raised the sword over his head and charged the black beast, a few brave souls following.

They didn’t even get a chance to swing. The dragon reared back again and screeched, a great torrent of flames spewing from his mouth, engulfing the guards. Terrified screams filled the hall for a moment, but then there was only the sound of roaring flames before they died away. Nothing remained- not bones, not weapons, not armor, not even ash. Only the single long black scorch mark on the floor where the guards had stood proved they’d existed at all.

The remaining guards visibly took a step back.

The dragon looked left and right, scanning the crowd as though looking for somepony. Then, his eyes fell on Spike. His mouth fell open in surprise for a moment… but only for a moment. With his wings and tail, the dragon batted away the guards surrounding him and advanced on Spike. Ponies scrambled to exit his path, not daring even for a second to stand between him and his prey. Spike instinctively backed away, only to be stopped when his back met a wall. The dragon stopped less than a foot away- Spike pressed himself against the wall, as though expecting to pass through it if he pushed hard enough.

With the black dragon mere inches away, Spike could fully appreciate just how massive he really was- were he to open his mouth, the black dragon would have absolutely no trouble swallowing the baby dragon whole. For what seemed like an eternity, the dragon simply stared at Spike in silence, his burning red eyes seeming to bore into his very soul. Finally, for the first time, the black dragon spoke.

“Dovahkiin.” The entire palace seemed to tremble from the thunder of his voice. “Mu grind ahst ligrah laat.”

Spike simply stared up at the dragon in terrified silence, not comprehending a word he said.

“Dovahkiin, dreh hi ni zu rotte? Zaan!” Spike said nothing. The dragon’s jaw dropped ever so slightly. “You… you do not even know your own tongue, do you?”

Spike merely shook his head. In the corner of his eye, he could see Twilight looking at him- she was rooted on the spot, eyes wide, as though her brain was refusing to process what was happening right before her eyes.

The dragon regarded him for a few moments, before closing his eyes and shaking his head. “…You disappoint me, Dovahkiin. To think that it was foretold that I would be slain by a mere kiir… insulting.And these keyye… they have made you soft. Weak. Everything that a dovah is not. As you are now, you would pose no more threat to me than a fly.” The black dragon smiled, showing off far too many teeth for Spike’s liking. “But no matter. You will die on this day, Dovahkiin. I had hoped you would provide me some amusement… but still, I must thank you for making yourself such easy prey.” He reared back. “YOL… TOOR-”

“FUS RO DAH!” All of a sudden, a blue shockwave struck the black dragon, nearly knocking him off his feet. With a growl, the dragon turned away from Spike and toward the crowd. “Who dares?” he asked. When no one replied, he bellowed “Who dares to challenge the might of Alduin!”

“I do.” Everypony looked, to see Princess Celestia striding across the hall. Her expression was one of pure anger; ponies backed away in fear as she passed, fearing her wrath may be directed towards them should they bar her path. Without even one hint of hesitation, she walked directly up to the black dragon, bringing her face up to his much larger one. “Ah, Princess Celestia,” he said, amused. “Faal Kulaassesul. I forgot for a moment of the sos that flows through your veins. Tell me, have you always known how to use the Thu’um? Or did one of the tahrodde teach you? Or perhaps-”

“YOL!” A plume of fire burst forth from Celestia’s throat, striking the black dragon directly in the face.

Alduin didn’t even blink. “So you know a few Rotmulaag. They will not help you. You could not defeat me before- not with your hooves, not with your magic, not even with your precious Elements of Harmony, and even with the Thu’um, you will not-”

He never finished. At that moment, Celestia’s horn glowed brightly, and the black dragon disappeared in a flash of bright white light.

The alicorn took a deep breath to collect herself, and turned to face the crowd, “I must apologize,” she began, “but this year’s Grand Galloping Gala is suspended until further notice.” A clamor arose, to be silenced when the Princess raised a hoof. “Dark times have fallen upon us, I’m afraid. The Dragon Emperor Alduin has returned.”

“Alduin? Who is Alduin?” The question was asked in hushed tones all over the hall. With the dragon gone, Twilight’s friends galloped to Spike, thoroughly inspecting him despite his protests of being unharmed. Twilight herself remained rooted to the spot. Alduin… she thought to herself. Alduin… I know that name… I knowthat name…

Suddenly, doors at the side of the grand hall were thrown open, and a dark blue alicorn ran to Celestia. “Sister, what happened?” she called. “I had just finished raising the moon when I felt the palace shake!” She slid to a halt in front of her elder sister. “Are you… okay? Are you injured?”

The elder alicorn rested a hoof on her sibling’s shoulder. “I’m alright, Luna.”

“You used a Shout. You have not needed to use a Shout in centuries.”

“I had good reason to. Alduin has returned.”

Luna’s eyes widened. “…What? That… it can’t be. You must have been mistaken.”

“No. That was Alduin. I know it was.”

“By Aura… Sister, you told me what this meant. If Alduin has returned, then that means…” Luna trailed off when she realized a powerful wind was beginning to blow in the hall. But that wasn’t all- small bolts of electricity began to radiate out from the floor, near the center of the room. Everypony backed away cautiously as the wind grew stronger, as the bolts of electricity grew larger, arcing across the room. Then, a light began to shine, hanging in the air just a few feet above the floor. It was faint at first, but as the seconds passed it only grew brighter, until it shone with an intensity that could rival the sun itself. The wind howled, picking up stray items from the floor, snatching them from unsuspecting ponies and hurling them all over the hall. Stray bolts of electricity arced wildly across the hall. Ponies tried to shout to one another over the clamor, their words lost in the chaos. But the maelstrom only continued to grow stronger, until…

There was a blinding flash of light, and a great clap of thunder.

Everypony shielded their eyes from the flash of light. As it faded, they could now see that another dragon had appeared in the room, falling to his hands and knees. This dragon was much different from the black one- he was nowhere near as large, and had no wings. Instead, he had two long black horns, dark purple scales, and a long ridge of sharp green spines running down his back. Gasping, he rose to his feet- he towered over nearly every pony in the room, and came just short of matching Princess Celestia herself in height. He looked around the room, amazement on his face. “I… I did it,” he said. “I really did it! The time-travel spell worked!”

Almost immediately, the purple dragon was surrounded by guards with weapons drawn. “Stand down,” Celestia ordered- the guards complied and lowered their weapons, but continued to maintain a perimeter. She approached the new dragon.

“P…Princess? Princess Celestia?” he stammered as she approached. He ran up to her and put his hands on her muzzle. “I can’t believe it, i-it’s really you!”

She knocked his claws away with a foreleg. “If you value those claws, then I suggest you keep them to yourself.” She didn’t use the Royal Canterlot Voice. She didn’t need it- the look she gave him could have melted solid rock. “Now, who are you?”

The dragon stared at her in disbelief. “Princess, it Sp-” He caught himself, as though he suddenly realized something important. He then began again, hesitantly, “Uh, just call me… Thorn.”

Celestia simply stared at him in silence before she turned to one of the guards and said, “Captain, escort the guests out of the palace. Sister, My Little Ponies, Spike, you, come with me. There are very important matters that we need to discuss.”

“…defeat me now.” He mouthed the words, but no sound left his throat. The Kulaas was gone. Alduin looked around, but he already knew where he was- the black sky, the white sand-like substance beneath his claws… and the sphere that was the world, hanging high above him.

Of course, the moon.

Alduin growled silently. The joor had tried this just a few months before- that she would think this would be enough to defeat him twice… he wasn’t certain if she was trying to mock him, or was merely stupid. Regardless, he would make her pay for her insolence. Her and all the tahrodde that had turned on him.

With a mighty leap, the black dragon pushed himself away from the moon’s surface- he was more than strong enough to escape its pull. He drifted lazily toward the sphere hanging far above him, but his mind was elsewhere, already devising punishments for the meyye who dared defy him.

Nust pahlok fen kos bonaar, he thought to himself.

Their arrogance would be humbled.

Chapter II: The Dragonborn

Chapter II: The Dragonborn

Celestia entered one of the numerous hallways that led away from the entrance hall, with her sister, the Elements of Harmony, and the two dragons in tow. Twilight recognized the path they were on- it led to the royal library.

“Now then, Thorn…” Celestia began, “…why did you come here? Are you one of Alduin’s agents?”

“What? No!” the dragon snapped. “How dare you accuse me of being in league with such a vile…” He trailed off, before taking a deep breath. “Forgive my outburst. But I never thought somepony would ever accuse me of being in league with… him.”

“Then explain yourself.”

Thorn was silent for a moment, before saying “What I’m about to tell you is going to sound absolutely insane, but I promise you that it’s true.” He paused for a moment. “…I’m from the future, two hundred years from now, to be specific. I was… I am part of a group of survivors who fought against Alduin.” He raised a claw to his chin. “…But I don’t understand. Alduin emerged here; I saw… I mean, everything the others told me said he would.”

“You just missed him,” Celestia replied.

“Well where is he now?”

“Currently, the surface of the moon.”

“That won’t kill him.” An unusually long silence fell until Thorn continued, “…will it?”

“Unfortunately, no- I tried it once. But it will give us time to make preparations.”

“Preparations? For what?” asked Applejack.

“…W… who was that big black dragon?” Fluttershy managed to squeak out.

Celestia was silent for a few moments before responding. “Before I answer any of your questions, I need to ask all of you one of my own: what do you know about the Dragon War?”

All eyes fell on Twilight- she alone knew more about Equestria’s history than all of them combined. “The Dragon War?” she asked back. “Um, six hundred years ago, a horde of dragons invaded Equestria from the north, led by the Dragon Emperor… Alduin.” That was where she knew the name from. “Equestria and the dragons fought for seven years, but even though they were also fighting a civil war in the final years of the war, it seemed like the dragons would win. But then, the tables turned and the dragons surrendered when Celestia challenged Alduin in single combat, and managed to defeat him.”

Celestia nodded approvingly, but then said, “Unfortunately, you’re incorrect on one account, Twilight.” Twilight’s jaw dropped- in all her years of schooling, she had never, ever answered a history question wrong. “You see,” the Princess continued, “in spite of what your history books may have told you, I didn’t actually defeat Alduin. Even with all my strength, even with the Elements of Harmony, I was unable to best him.” She stopped in front of a door and pushed it open, revealing the palace library- Celestia and the others stepped inside.

“Well, if you couldn’t beat this Alduin guy, then how are we supposed to stop him?” Rainbow Dash asked as the group crossed the library.

“To put it quite simply… you can’t.” Celestia approached a bookcase, and pulled on a large tome; in response, the bookcase retracted, exposing a narrow staircase carved into a rough stone passageway. “As powerful as they are, even the Elements of Harmony have their limits.” She began to descend the staircase, with her subjects in tow. “They could not defeat Alduin… so instead, it seems they sent him forward to a time when someone could.”

“Wait, I thought ya just said-” Applejack began.

Pinkie cut her off. “All she said was that the Elements of Harmony couldn’t beat Alduin. She never said somepony else couldn’t do it.”

Celestia glanced back, stunned by Pinkie’s sudden display of insight. But after a moment, she said, “Pinkie is right- although the Elements were unable to bring down Alduin, it doesn’t mean that he’s invulnerable.”

“Er, Princess?” Rarity asked. “I know this has nothing to do with our conversation, but… where exactly are we going?”

“On the contrary, Rarity, where we’re going is actually quite relevant to our discussion.” The staircase finally came to an end, terminating on the edge of a vast cavern. Everypony (sans Luna, Celestia, and Thorn) stared up at their new surroundings in awe. “Whoa…” Rainbow Dash said. “I had no idea this was down here…”

The group suddenly realized Celestia had moved up, and scrambled to keep up. “Some centuries ago…” Celestia said, “many years before the Dragon War, Luna and I were making plans to expand the palace library by digging into Mount Canterlot. During the excavation, we found this cavern beneath the palace, but more importantly… we found this.”

This turned out to be a massive wall made from black stone. It was obvious that it wasn’t a natural formation- the smoothness of its surface, the way it curved, the intricate carvings above, the strange but measured scratches that crossed its face… everything about it indicated that somepony had crafted it with painstaking care.

“…A wall? What’s so special about a wall?” Rarity asked.

“The last archaeologist to look at this wall believed it was carved some time during the reign of Queen Aura, maybe even earlier. But its age isn’t as important as what’s written on it: a prophecy that describes the rise of a great black dragon, whose hunger will swallow the world… a dragon who shall take for himself the name ‘Alduin.’ But, it also says that one day, another dragon will be born, one whose strength exceeds any other, even Alduin’s, and that it is his destiny to slay the World-Eater and take his rightful place as the ruler of all dragons. The prophecy calls him ‘Dovahkiin.’” The whole cavern shook. “…Dragonborn.”

At the mention of this, all eyes fell on Spike. “W…What?” he asked. Then he stammered “N-No. No no no no no! There is no way that I can fight that thing. Did you see him? He was huge! He can swallow me in one bite!”

“Believe me Spike, I wish it wasn’t true either…” Celestia began. “…But it is. You are the dragon who will slay Alduin. You are the Dragonborn.”

Spike’s mouth moved, but no sound came out. So Twilight spoke for him. “Y… you can’t be serious, Princess. Spike is… well look at him!” She gestured to the baby dragon. “He’s just a baby! There’s no way he can fight Alduin!”

“It isn’t a matter of whether he can or can’t, Twilight. The fact is, if this world is to survive, Spike must defeat Alduin.”

“But Princess…” Spike was no longer focused on their conversation, however. His attention had turned back towards the wall. The gouges that crossed its surface were strange, but even though he knew he had never seen writing like this in his entire life, somehow it still felt… familiar to him. But that wasn’t all. He could hear… voices. Calling to him. Or, he thought they called to him- their words were strange, unknown to him… but, he still felt as though he’d heard them before. Mesmerized, he walked slowly to the wall, his body moving seemingly of its own accord.

“Spike? Spike dear where are you going?” Rarity asked. The young dragon showed no indication that he’d heard the fashionista at all. She approached him, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Spike?” He brushed her hoof away without stopping.

By now, Twilight’s conversation with the Princess had ceased as they watched the young dragon. “Spike, what’s the matter?” she asked, receiving no answer. She took a step toward him. “Spike, I’m-”

The Princess suddenly put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, pulling her back. “Let him go, Twilight.”

“But Princess-” she protested.

“He’ll be alright, dear. You’ll see.”

As he approached the wall, Spike blinked, then he blinked again. It was impossible, he knew, but he could have sworn that one of the words on the wall was… glowing. And the voices… they became louder with each step he took. He blinked yet again- something seemed to emerge from the word and… and it was flowing into him. He could feel his brain tingle, like when he forgot something and was trying really hard to remember it…

Suddenly, when Spike was just inches from the wall, he doubled over, clutching his head. His vision swam, and his head felt hot, as though somepony had lit a flame inside of it. Something crept across the surface of his brain, overriding his every last thought until Spike couldn’t even remember his own name. Until only one thing remained.

…Fus.

That was what the glowing word said.

Fus.

Force.

Thinking back, he realized that was one of the words Celestia had shouted at Alduin, one of the words that made that weird shockwave thing. Maybe… maybe he could do it too. So, turning around, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and shouted with all of his strength “FUS!”

The result was much more explosive than Spike could have anticipated. The… well, the force of his shout knocked him off his feet and onto his rear. A burst of blue energy left his throat, striking the others before dissipating after a few yards. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were completely bowled over by the power of Spike’s shout; the others were merely knocked off balance, stumbling for a moment before righting themselves. Only Celestia remained completely unaffected, her mane and tail thrown back by the shockwave.

Spike rose to his feet slowly, in utter shock. “What… what…” was all he could make himself say.

Celestia understood, and answered, “That… was a Shout.”

Spike and his friend simply stared at Celestia in a mixture of shock and confusion. Twilight looked up to the new dragon in their group and asked, “A Shout? What in the world is she talking about?” Thorn didn’t answer; he simply stood, his eyes closed, his fingers resting over his eyes. “Hey… are you okay?”

Finally, Thorn took notice of her. “What? Oh- yeah. Yeah I’m fine.” His claw returned to his side. “Did you ask me something?”

“Shouts. What are they?”

Thorn was silent for a moment before replying. “…All dragons have the potential to use an ability called the Thu’um- the Voice- but it can take years, centuries even to fully master it. But the Dragonborn, according to the old legends at least, has instinctive knowledge of how to use the Voice. What could take other dragons years to accomplish he can do in weeks, days even. If being called Dovahkiin by Alduin himself doesn’t convince Spike that he’s the Dragonborn, that should.”

“I’ve never heard of dragons using something like that before…”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Celestia suddenly said. “The Voice is one of the dragons’ most closely guarded secrets- in fact, even most dragons are unaware of it.” She looked at Thorn. “So, is that why you’ve come? Were you sent to teach Spike how to use the Voice?”

“Unfortunately, no. There is still a lot about the Voice I don’t completely-” Suddenly, the whole cavern shook violently- dust fell from the ceiling, and a sound of rolling thunder came to their ears. It was followed by a multitude of voices, voices that called, “DO-VAH-KIIN!”

A stunned silence fell in the cavern, until finally, Applejack collected herself enough to ask, “…What in the world was that?”

“A summons,” Celestia replied flatly. “One that would be most unwise for you to refuse, Spike. Come- we need to leave.”

“Wait, slow down…” Spike began, “Who’d be summoning me? And where are we going? And what was that thing that-”

Spike’s questioning was interrupted as the Princess began to levitate him over to her. “Spike, every moment we waste here gives Alduin one more opportunity to succeed. I promise that I’ll explain everything, but right now, we need to go.” The Princess set Spike down by her side. But as her horn began to glow again, Thorn hurried to join them. “Hold on, hold on, I’m going with you,” he said.

Celestia narrowed her eyes at the new dragon. “Really? And why should I bring you with us?”

“I’ve fought against Alduin no less than forty times in the last two hundred years, so I know every one of his strategies inside and out. You could think of me as Spike’s… strategic advisor.” Thorn crossed his arms. “And in any case, if I’m going to be any use in the fight against Alduin, I’ll need all the Voice training I can get.”

Celestia contemplated the new dragon’s words in silence for a moment. “Fair enough.” Celestia’s horn began to glow yet again, but before she, Thorn, and Spike disappeared, Twilight trotted up to her. “I’m going too.”

“Twilight no,” Thorn said. “Alduin is dangerous, more dangerous than you could possibly imagine. The safest place for you is here, away from him.”

“Who do you think you are telling me what to do?” Twilight snapped back. “Spike’s my assistant, and it’s my job to protect him no matter what. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do, even if I have to fight against a hundred Alduins.”

Thorn opened his mouth, but quickly shut it. Arguing with Twilight was a futile endeavor, especially when Spike’s- er, his safety was involved. Twilight came to the Princess’s side with no further comment. “Alright, no more delays,” Celestia said. “We really need to leave.”

“Wait,” Rainbow Dash said, “we don’t even get a chance to say goodbye?”

Celestia was silent for a moment. “…You have thirty seconds.”

Twilight and Spike hurried over to their friends, exchanging hugs and hasty goodbyes until the Princess called them back over. With her protégé, her assistant, and the newcomer at her side, her horn began to glow brightly once more. “Luna, I need you to address the crowd and tell them exactly what’s happened. I’ll be back soon to help you. Can you do that?”

“Of course, sister.”

“Thank you.” And in a brilliant flash of light, Celestia and her passengers disappeared.

Darkness. All Spike could see was darkness.

He was falling. He could feel it. He screamed for help… or, he tried to. He felt the air rush out of his lungs, but no sound came to his ears. All Spike could do was tumble into the void helplessly, end over end, screaming silently… until his feet suddenly touched solid ground. He swayed slightly before falling to his knees, eyes squeezed shut, his hands over his stomach. “Ugh…” he moaned. “I think I’m gonna be sick…”

“Oh stop it, Spike,” Twilight said, irritated. “Now isn’t the time for games.”

“Twilight, be kind,” Celestia replied. “Teleportation sickness is a real condition that most non-unicorns suffer from.”

As Celestia talked, Thorn rested a claw over his stomach, and mumbled to himself, “Nope. Still not used to it, Twilight.”

After a few deep breaths, Spike stood up straight, taking in his surroundings- the four had arrived on what seemed to be a very small, ice-covered island in the middle of the ocean. “Whoa… where are we?” He suddenly shivered, wrapping his arm around himself in a feeble attempt to warm himself. “Hah… it’s so cold…”

“I would certainly hope so, Spike,” Celestia replied. “We are near the north pole after all.”

“What are we doing all the way up here?” Twilight asked. But before Celestia could answer, another, cool female voice said, “Kulaas. We had not expected you to arrive so soon.” The source of the voice was a large, red dragon, not unlike the one that had decided to nap in the mountains outside Ponyville; she wasn’t quite as large, but still dwarfed everypony present, even the Princess.

Celestia bowed as the dragon approached. “Fortune smiled on us, old friend. The Dragonborn proved easy enough to find.”

“So this is him, then? The Dovahkiin?” The red dragon walked up to Thorn, and began inspecting him. “Hmm… he is rather young, but I sense a certain… strength within.” She nodded. “Yes… yes, he will-”

Celestia stepped forward. “Uh, no. That one isn’t the Dragonborn. He is.” She motioned to Spike.

The red dragon looked down at the Princess in shock. “But, I sensed… Oh dear…” She lowered herself down to get a better look at Spike. “…He is… young. Much younger than I hoped he would be.” She looked up at Celestia. “I am aware of what the ancients have foretold, but I sincerely doubt that they envisioned a kiir would slay the Nameless One.”

“Well child or not, he is the Dragonborn, without a doubt. Alduin himself said as much.”

“…I see.” Her eyes fell on Twilight and Thorn. “And them?”

“Friends.”

The red dragon brought herself upright. “I need a moment to convene with the others and pass on this news- I doubt they will be pleased to hear it. Krosis.” She turned, and uttered a strange word- in response, the ice in front of her split open, and she disappeared within.

A moment of silence passed before Spike asked. “Who was that?”

Celestia replied, “Yolvahdin. An ally of mine from the Dragon War, and one of the few masters of the Voice left in the world.”

“…What happened to the others?”

“Alduin killed them. It was in the final years of the Dragon War, and his lieutenants were beginning to openly rebel. So, he killed them. But he didn’t stop there- before long, he began targeting any dragon who had even moderate skill in the Voice so that none would have the strength to stand against him.”

“Princess?” Twilight asked. “You used a Shout at the palace. Why can’t you teach Spike?”

“It was part of an arrangement I and the dragons who had turned against Alduin had made at the end of the War. We realized that our victory over Alduin was only temporary, and that he would eventually return. So we agreed that upon that day, I would seek out the Dragonborn, and deliver him here for training. And in any case, who could be better to teach a dragon in the way of the Voice than another dragon?”

Yolvahdin emerged from beneath the ice. “The others have been informed,” she said. “And we shall take in the Dovahkiin as per our arrangement. In addition the other dovah…” she trailed off.

An awkward silence settled for a moment, before Thorn realized the red dragon had addressed him. “Oh! Um, I… I’m Thorn.”

Yolvahdin continued. “…In addition, the other dovah, Thorn, shall be permitted to learn the Thu’um upon request. Finally, the strunkey will be allowed to stay here as well.”

“Good, good,” Celestia said. Her horn began to glow faintly. “I must return to Equestria and prepare my people for Alduin’s return. I leave the Dragonborn in your hands.”

“I will defend him with my life. Drem kos voth hi, Kulaas.”

“And also with you, my friend.” She brought a hoof to her chest and bowed. “Lok bo.”

Yolvahdin brought a claw to her chest and bowed in turn. “Thu’um tuum.”

With the formalities out of the way, the Princess looked down at Spike and Twilight. “…ten days. That’s how much time we have until Alduin’s return.”

“W-What?” Twilight stammered. “Th-that-that’s all?”

Celestia nodded. “I hope you understand now why time is of the utmost importance now.” Her horn shone brightly now, becoming almost painful to look at. “I’ll return in four days to bring you back to the palace.” Twilight opened her mouth, but Celestia cut her off. “We don’t have the time to make Spike into a master of the Thu’um, even if we used all ten days. The most we can hope to give him is a foundation, something he can build on.”

Spike could feel his heart pound painfully in his chest as he looked up at the Princess- there was no way he could do this. He wasn’t some big hero. He couldn’t-

“Don’t look so worried, Spike,” she suddenly said, nearly making him jump. “I… I know it’s a little early to say this, but I have the utmost confidence in you.” She smiled warmly, calming his racing heart. “You can do this, Spike. You can beat Alduin. I know you can.” Celestia took one last look at her protégé’s assistant, before disappearing in a brilliant flash of light.

Yolvahdin stepped forward. “Come, I will show you where you will be staying during your time with us.” She descended once more into the ice- Spike, Twilight, and Thorn followed. “I would introduce you to my peers as well, Dovahkiin, but they are resting at the moment. You will have a chance to meet them before you begin your training tomorrow morning…”

Much later, Thorn sat on the surface of the iceberg, gazing up at the sky. Above, ethereal green and red ribbons inched their way across the sky, dimming the stars. The spectacle was nothing new to him- Thorn had seen plenty of auroras in his travels- but even now, after everything he’d seen, after everything he’d done, looking up at those lights made him feel rather… insignificant.

He couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t because of the silence, as it was with younger counterpart and Twilight- he had long since grown accustomed to the kind of silence that felt as though something were pressed directly onto your eardrums. Seeing all of his friends together- alive!- it was… he felt… well, happy was too light a word. In fact, Thorn doubted there was a word in any language anywhere that could capture exactly how he felt at that moment. It was just so much to take in all at once… too much, almost. Although his body called out for rest, Thorn’s mind needed time to digest it all.

Thorn… felt the teleportation spell before he heard it, before he saw the flash of light. It was an odd thing about magic- one could feel it working on the world, feel a spell twist its surroundings to suit its purposes before its effects became apparent. “There you are,” a voice said, a voice that he hadn’t heard in centuries until tonight. “I need to speak with you.”

He looked back over his shoulder. “Princess Celestia,” he said. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

She walked to the edge of the iceberg. “You lied to me.”

Rather than try to deny it, Thorn instantly submitted. “How did you know?”

Celestia sat on the ice next to him, and looked up at the aurorae above. “For one thing, did you honestly think that I wouldn’t know what my own prized pupil’s assistant would look like when he was all grown up?” Thorn said nothing. She looked at him. “And I know that’s only the beginning. So Spike, tell me what happened. And I want the truth this time.”

For several moments, Thorn was silent, carefully contemplating what he was about to tell the Princess. Finally, he said, “Do you remember what I said, about being part of a group of survivors? Well, that was a lie.” Thorn crossed his arms. “There aren’t any.”

Celestia may have tried to hide it, but Thorn still heard her inhale sharply. “…I suspected that might be the case. Tell me, what happened?”

“What is there to tell? Alduin happened. He killed everyone. He killed our friends, he killed Luna, he killed you! Or… he will, at least. We tried our best, but he was always one step ahead of us, picking us off one-by-one. And then, before I know it, two hundred years have passed, and it’s down to just me, Twilight… and him…”

Spike trudged down the broken stone street. It had been many, many years since he’d walked down this road- it was a lot smaller than he remembered it being. The sun dipped low in the western sky to his left, painting the sky a permanent shade of deep red- it had been hanging in that same spot in the sky, unmoving, for roughly a century now. Raising and lowering the sun was no longer necessary- there were no creatures to bask in its warmth, and few plants that survived depended on its rays.

He looked to his right- next to him walked the most beautiful unicorn in the world… not that there would be much competition nowadays. She was tall, much taller than she had once been, just slightly beating him out in height. Her horn was longer, sharper than the little nub it has once been. Her mane and tail glittered and flowed as though caught in a breeze, but even now they remained the same solid purple with a single unmoving streak of magenta as always. Her coat was still the same shade of lavender, and her cutie mark was still an unmistakable six-pointed star.

In spite of the changes she had undergone, the unicorn that walked next to him was still unmistakably Twilight Sparkle.

Before long, they came to a small hill overlooking their destination. Its many spires, once proud and mighty, were shattered, their stumps pointed into the sky like the broken teeth of some long dead animal. Spider webs of cracks lined the outer walls, overlaid by clusters of strange black vines that thrived in the eternal sunset. Its shining golds and vibrant colors had long since faded away, leaving behind only a dull, dingy grey. But battered by the passage of time as it was, the structure continued to stand, no doubt still held together by ancient magics.

“Well, there it is…” Spike began. “…the royal palace.”

Twilight came to a stop next to him, and replied, “It’s hard to believe we’re back here after all this time.”

Spike crossed his arms as he looked down at the crumbling ruin. “Who would’ve thought that Alduin would end up leading us in a big circle?” He looked over at Twilight. “You ready to do this?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Let’s get this over with.” She began to trot toward the palace, when Spike called out to her.

“Twilight, wait.”

She stopped, glancing back over her shoulder at him. “We’ve wasted enough time as it is, Spike. Let’s not waste any more.”

He approached her. “I know. But, Twilight…” He wrapped his arms around her neck. “…Just be careful, okay?”

She didn’t return the hug. “We’ll be fine.” She pulled away from his grasp. “Let’s go.”

They entered the palace grounds a few moments later. They hopped across broken stone slabs as they made their way to an arch where two grand, golden doors had once stood. They could see nothing in the impenetrable wall of darkness that lay just inside the palace. Cautiously, Twilight took a step forward.

As soon as her hoof touched the ground, a thunderous voice sounded, making the world tremble. “YOL… TOOR… SHUL!” A great torrent of fire flew forth from the darkness, but the flames were deflected harmlessly around Twilight’s ward. Her horn glowed, and a great crack sounded as a powerful bolt of lightning shot from her horn and into the darkness. In the flash of light, Spike saw him recoil as the bolt struck him. Spike braced himself, and shouted back into the darkened hall “YOL… TOOR SHUL!” A great burst of fire left his mouth…

…a split second too late. “WULD!” There was a thunderclap, and a black blur streaked out of the darkness and into the sky. Alduin’s roars echoed across the barren land as he circled overhead- Twilight fired another bolt of lightning, but the black dragon dodged the burst with ease. “VEN… MUL… RIIK!”

A thick cloud of mist settled in the courtyard. At once, he heard Twilight’s breaths become heavy and ragged. Fighting against the sudden urge to run away, he reached out to Twilight and put a reassuring claw on her shoulder. “Twilight, stay with me.” Simply saying those words was a struggle. Then, Spike drew in a deep breath, focusing on three words. He staved off the all-consuming fear just long enough to shout “LOK… VAH KOOR!” At once, the fog receded, the fear that gripped his heart receding with it, and Twilight’s ragged breaths came to a stop. They looked up, seeing Alduin circling high above the courtyard.

The world trembled as Alduin shouted; at once, dark swirling clouds filled the sky, blotting out the sun, and great flaming meteors began to fall to earth. Twilight quickly erected another ward before pulling Spike under it. The flaming stones rained down on the courtyard, pelted the palace ruins, smashed against Twilight’s ward, but the two remained unharmed. In a brief moment of safety, he stepped out from under the ward and Shouted at the black dragon. “YOL… TOOR SHUL!” He missed, but when it was safe, tried again. “FUS… RO DAH!” He missed again. “FO… KRAH DIIN!” But no matter how many times he shouted, Alduin dodged each one with ease.

He shouted again one last time before diving under the ward. “This is impossible!” he shouted over the meteor impacts. “I just can’t hit him!”

“I’ll bring him down.” Twilight’s horn glowed as the ward faded. Then, a long strand of magical energy whipped out of it and streaked through the sky, before wrapping around Alduin’s leg. He strained against the magic snare, beating his massive wings furiously in an attempt to break free of its grip. Twilight was tugged a few inches across the stone, but she dug in her hooves and held on. Then, with a powerful tug, she tore the black dragon from the sky and slammed him into the unforgiving stone of the courtyard. Before he could rise, Spike took a deep breath and shouted “FO… KRAH DIIN!”

“FEIM!” In an instant, Alduin turned a ghostly, transparent blue, and the stream of ice passed through him harmlessly. Undaunted, Spike charged the black dragon as he became corporeal once more, claws at the ready. He didn’t even leave a scratch. Alduin easily batted Spike away before taking flight once again- Twilight tried to grab him with another snare, but a quick burst of fire forced her behind another ward. The black dragon dodged several magic missiles before swooping down again, landing on one of the few intact walls that surrounded the courtyard, out of Spike’s reach. He reared back. “YOL… TOOR… SHUL!”

“FO… KRAH DIIN!” Spike shouted, just before the flames reached him. The flames and the ice met, and a powerful explosion of steam erupted forth when the two shouts met, throwing Spike back. In spite of his fresh burns, he quickly rose to his feet. The cloud of steam hadn’t dissipated- if anything, it was even thicker than before. Fear gripped at his heart again, and he fought the urge to run away with all the strength he could muster. Bracing himself, Spike shouted into the mist, “LOK… VAH KOOR!” At once, the cloud of mist rolled back. But Spike was unprepared for the sight that awaited him.

Alduin lay in wait just a few yards away. Beneath him, pinned between his claw and the earth, was Twilight.

Twilight’s horn glowed brightly as she prepared to teleport free of the dragon’s grip. But before she could cast her spell, his grip on her tightened- Spike almost retched as he heard several loud cracks, as he heard Twilight scream in pain. Indignant, but in visible agony, she fired several fireballs at the dragon holding her hostage. They barely singed his scales.

“Let her go, Alduin!” he shouted. “I’m the one you want! She has nothing to do with this!”

“Oh, but she does,” Alduin sneered. “Tell me, Dovahkiin, do you… love her?” Spike merely glared at him. “Ah, so you do. I can see it written all over your face.” He held Twilight up; at the same time, he slowly began to bring up his tail, aiming the tip directly towards her. “…And that is why you will fall to me on this day.”

It happened in the blink of an eye. A great spurt of blood flew through the air, before falling to the shattered stones below. Spike could only stare at the sight before him, his mind refusing to comprehend what his eyes told him. Finally, his mind was forced to accept what had just occurred.

Alduin had stabbed his tail through Twilight’s body. In through her back, and out through her chest.

For a moment, the black dragon continued to hold up Twilight. Then, he tossed her away.

Spike didn’t remember Shouting. He didn’t remember dashing towards the falling unicorn with blinding speed, catching her mere seconds before she hit the ground. He didn’t remember laying her on the stone ground as she gasped and spluttered, coughing up blood onto his chest and arms. He didn’t remember Alduin’s words as he turned to face the black dragon.

But he would always remember how he felt. Anger, fury, rage… none of these words could even scratch the surface of the emotion he felt at that exact moment. And he would always remember what he did next.

“WULD… NA KEST!” Spike turned into a purple streak that raced toward Alduin. As he passed, a deep gash was sliced into the great black dragon’s thick scales. “WULD!” He streaked by again, leaving another deep gash. “WULD!” He streaked by yet again; a small amount of blood spurted from Alduin’s fresh wound. “WULD! WULD! WULD WULD WULD WULD WULD WULD!” Spike darted past Alduin over and over again, stripping off his scales piece by piece. Suddenly, Spike stopped right in front of Alduin. The black dragon reared back, calling “YOL-” But Spike was too fast. He leapt onto Alduin’s chest, digging his claws into the plate that covered his heart, and pulled with all of his might.

A great and horrid tearing sound filled the air as the plate was torn from Alduin’s flesh. The black dragon fell back, clutching his chest. A strange cold wind seemed to cross the now bare section of his chest. Alduin shivered, not because of the cold, but from fear. The possibility that he could die on this day was now very real, standing before him at that exact moment, clutching a piece of him.

Spike tossed the plate away, and began to advance on Alduin. The black dragon began to drag himself away from the enraged young dragon, leaving behind a long trail of blood. He dragged himself away until his back met a wall. “Dovahkiin… no!” he pleaded. “Mercy, please, I beg you!”

“Mercy?” Spike strode up to the fallen dragon. “After everything you’ve done, after everyone you’ve killed… do you really think, that for even one second I would show you any mercy!?” Spike reached back, and with all the strength he could muster, plunged his claw deep into the black dragon’s exposed chest. Nothing could stop his relentless claws- not bone, not flesh, not organs.

He didn’t stop until he’d ripped Alduin’s heart out of his very chest.

Spike looked at the still-pulsing organ in his claw. “…Huh. I figured it would be black.”

Alduin looked up at Spike in a mix of horror and disbelief, gasping and spluttering as the life rapidly left his body. Then, his eyes rolled up, and he collapsed against the ground.

The black dragon’s heart burned away as Spike held it. The rest of Alduin’s body followed suit- flakes of ash rose into the air as flames burned his flesh, until only the bones remained. As his body burned away, wisps of blue and red rose from the dead dragon, swirling through the air towards Spike. Spike felt energy flow into him, felt the fatigue in his limbs fade, felt a pain in his head as new knowledge, new memories were placed there. Then, it was over.

Alduin, the Dragon Emperor, Bane of Kings, Terror of the North, was, at long last… dead.

Now all Spike had to do was get Twilight and…

Wait. Twilight…

Oh no.

“Twilight!” Spike sprinted to the fallen unicorn and picked her up in his arms. “Twilight, speak to me!”

Her only response came as a feeble “Guh…” A white light appeared in his claw, and he held it close to her chest. “Twilight, just hold on! I’m gonna fix you up.”

Twilight looked up at him, blearily. “Uhhn… Spike? I… I don’t think I’ll make it…” she said feebly.

“Twilight, don’t talk like that. Twilight… Twilight, look at me. You’re gonna be just fine, I promise.” But in his heart, Spike knew it was a lost cause- he didn’t know enough about magic to heal a wound this severe, and even if he did, Twilight had lost so much blood as it was…

“…Spike?” she wheezed. “Did… did we win?”

He nodded. “Yeah… we did it. We won.”

She smiled weakly at him- her eyes were already glassy. “Good. I always… knew that you… would…” She fell silent, slackening in his grip.

Spike shook her. “Twilight?” No reply. She shook her again, harder, blinking back tears. “Twilight?” Still no reply. He put his ear to her throat and listened.

He heard nothing.

“No… no, please…” He didn’t even try to hold in his tears. “No, no no no no no no NO!” He held Twilight against him, sobbing into her chest as the world went dark. From the blackness, he sobbed, “Twilight… Twilight, please… don’t go… please… please don’t leave me all alone…”

Thorn wiped his eyes, and took a deep breath. “It took me nearly a decade, but I managed to create a spell that would send me back in time to Alduin’s return. From there, I would help my past self defeat Alduin and prevent this future from ever happening.”

Celestia said nothing for a few moments. “…I hope that you were absolutely certain about doing this, Spike. Even with the Elements of Harmony, there’s no guarantee that we’ll be able to send you back to your own time.”

“It’s fine- it isn’t like I have much of a home to go back to. And besides, I’d probably do more good here than I would sitting around in the future feeling sorry for myself.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.” Celestia stood up. “But Spike? I suggest that you keep this discussion between us, for now at least.”

As she walked away, he looked back at her. “They have every right to know the truth about what’ll happen. If they ask, I will tell them.”

Her horn began to glow. “And you have every right to. But I think we should avoid putting them under any more undue stress. Things are going to be difficult enough for them as it is.”

Thorn felt a ripple, there was a flash of light… and then the Princess was gone.

Chapter III: The Way of the Voice

Chapter III: The Way of the Voice

The cloud of mist resting atop the plateau was so thick that even he couldn’t see through it. “LAAS… YAH… NIR.” The world went dark for a moment, before becoming clear again. Now, he could see shimmering red forms deep within the fog. He counted them, nine in total. He was surprised- he thought that the yellow viingkey would remain behind. But then he remembered the Elements of Harmony were most powerful when all six were brought together.

Not that it would matter. The Elements had failed to stop against him once before.

They would fail again.

He realized soon enough that one of the red forms was growing larger, heading directly toward him. Fool, he thought to himself. The fog on this plateau was natural, not conjured; there was no reason for their group to split apart. Well, no matter-if they wished to split up on their own, it would make his goal that much easier to accomplish.

At that moment, the key finally emerged from the fog. She was blue- the Element of Loyalty, if he recalled correctly. This didn’t surprise him. “Alright Alduin!” she called to him. “Let’s see what you’re made of!” Her words were no surprise to him either. She was confident, he knew.

That confidence would be the end of her.

He would see to that.

She brought her hooves up to a small golden necklace she wore. The red lightning bolt-shaped gemstone set into it began to glow brightly, before an intense red beam shot out and struck him. He didn’t even flinch. Eerie black flames rose from the spot where the beam met his scales, as they did the last time the Elements were used against him, before it faded away. He permitted himself a small chuckle. “I’m afraid your precious Element of Harmony will do you no good here,” he said. “Even your Princess, mighty as she is, could not harm me. So tell me, little key, what hope do you-”

His words were cut off when something suddenly struck his face. He stumbled back, an involuntary groan escaping his throat. The viingkey hung in the air where his head had just been. “Blah blah blah!” She crossed her forelegs over her chest. “Why do all you bad guys have to give big dramatic speeches before fighting? Just get on with it!”

It took a moment for him to piece together what had just happened: as he spoke, the viingkey charged him, and kicked him right in the face. He allowed himself a moment of laughter. This one had spirit. He liked that.

For one fleeting instant, he regretted that he would have to kill her.

“Well now, if you are in such a hurry to die, allow me to oblige you. YOL!” A plume of fire erupted from his lips, but the viingkey dodged it with ease. He smiled. It had been quite some time since a mere joor provided him with such sport. If fate was kind, perhaps she would provide him just a few minutes of entertainment.

The viingkey circled around him; but in spite of her speed, his eyes remained firmly focused on her. He Shouted again, releasing another great burst of fire, but once again, she evaded it. She banked, striking his face with a powerful kick. He snapped his jaws at her, but she fled beyond his reach. The process repeated itself for a minute or so: he would send out a burst of fire or ice, she would evade it, swoop in and strike him before fleeing beyond the reach of his jaws.

Soon, his amusement began to fade, to be replaced with irritation. This key was proving to be more trouble than he anticipated. It was time to end this little game. She banked hard in preparation for another pass.

He wouldn’t give her the chance. “YOL… TOOR… SHUL!”

The viingkey dived as the fire approached her. She avoided most of the deadly flames… but a stray plume caught the tip of her left wing, setting it alight. The rest of the wing followed suit. Though the viingkey’s speed quickly put the flames out, the damage was done- all the feathers on that wing had been incinerated.

Perfect.

She fell to the ground in an uncontrollable spiral, flapping both her functioning and non-functioning wing furiously in an attempt to stabilize herself. She struck the unforgiving rocky ground like a stone; as she landed, he saw a new joint form between the ankle and the knee of her right foreleg. She tumbled across the ground like a ragdoll, before skidding to a stop; she tried to stand, only to nearly fall on her face as her now broken leg refused to support her weight.

This was even better than he’d dared hope. With her feathers burned away she could no longer fly, and with an injury like that she couldn’t even stand. Easy prey.

He approached her, shivering ever so slightly as he saw the terror that momentarily crept onto her face. She retreated, dragging herself along the ground; her right foreleg flopped around uselessly, and her wings beat furiously as though she expected to fly if she simply flapped hard enough. She eventually came to a stop, exhausted, panting heavily. She brought her good hoof up to her necklace again- the beam she fired at him proved completely ineffective.

“I… I’m not afraid of you!” she shouted. But one needed only to look into her eyes to know she was lying.

He allowed himself to smile again. “Is that so?” He brought his face up to her much smaller body, dropping the smile in an instant. “Then I will make you afraid.”

He pulled back… then he lunged forward. The last thing he saw was her bringing up her forelegs in one last futile attempt to protect herself.

The viingkey didn’t even have a chance to cry out before she was crushed in his powerful jaws.

His ears were met with the sounds of her flesh tearing, of her bones splintering into a thousand pieces as the taste of blood filled his mouth. He could feel her kicking, felt a slight burn as she used her element’s magic against him; she still fought against him even now, in the final moments of her life. He bit down- another crunch, the viingkey seized… and then she fell limp.

“Hey, I think I can see somethin’ over here!” a voice called from somewhere in the mist. He identified it as one of the bearers of the Elements- the Element of Honesty. Soon enough, an orange key herself emerged from the mist. “Ah found ‘im!” she called, “Ah found Ald-” She stopped instantly, her eyes falling on his mouth. Or, more specifically, on the object he was holding in his mouth.

Her eyes grew wide, and her jaw fell open as her mind struggled- no, as her mind refused to comprehend the sight before her. He released the viingkey- the sound her body made when it met the ground turned even his stomach. Then, with a powerful flap of his wings, he set himself aloft, and disappeared into the fog.

Somewhere in the mist behind him, the screaming began.

One had fallen to him.

The rest would soon follow.

Thorn jolted awake, his leg kicking out slightly. He sat up, bringing a claw to his chest as he took deep breaths, trying to force his heart to slow down. A faint taste of iron still lingered in his mouth.

These nightmares were nothing new. But since he started having them, hardly a morning came where Thorn didn’t wake with a start, his heart racing at a hundred miles an hour. It was bad enough that he had to watch his friends die over and over again almost every night. What was even worse was that sometimes… it was him that did the deed. Those nightmares had started after he’d slayed Alduin; he wondered for a moment, as he often did, if perhaps this was the black dragon’s last act of vengeance against him, one final strike from beyond the grave.

He shook his head, dismissing those thoughts as his heart slowed to a reasonable pace. He sat up, looking to the other side of the room; there, Twilight slept in a bed she’d conjured up the night before. Spike slept in a small basket next to the bed. Thorn closed his eyes and massaged his temples, trying to clear his head of the memories that haunted him.

After a moment, he stood up and crossed the room, stopping when he reached the foot of the bed. Gently, he put a claw on the sleeping Twilight’s shoulder and shook her. “Twilight…” he whispered. “Twilight… you need to wake up…”

Twilight groaned and rolled over, turning his back toward him. He put his hand on her shoulder and shook her again. “Twilight, come on. Get up.”

She groaned again, but this time Twilight sat up, looking blearily at the large purple dragon. “…Spike?” she asked; the way she spoke told Thorn she wasn’t fully awake quite yet. “…what happened to you?”

His heart jumped up into his throat. “Twilight, it’s Thorn.”

She furrowed her brow. “Thorn? …Oh. Oh yeah.” She shuddered, pulled her blanket over herself protectively. “Hah… cold…”

“I know.” Thorn began to rouse Spike. “You get used to it eventually.” After living in a world with no sun, there was no cold he couldn’t endure.

After a few minutes, the combined efforts of both Twilight and Thorn brought the young dragon out of his basket, and the three made their way to the main chamber of their hosts’ icy abode. Twilight had to admit, an ice floe in the middle of the ocean near the north pole was the last place she expected to find dragons. Weren’t they more partial to warmer locations… like volcanoes?

In the center chamber, they found four dragons- Yolvahdin amongst them- sitting around a fire. When their eyes fell on one in particular, Twilight and Spike’s hearts leapt into their throats, but after a moment they calmed themselves. He may not have had the mismatched limbs or horns, but aside from that, the dragon was almost a spitting image of Discord… right down to the red eyes and goatee. The second dragon was rather odd- he seemed to consist of nothing but a horned snakelike head perched atop a long, scaled neck that rose out of a hole cut in the ice. Was he… a sea dragon? Spike had no idea that a creature like that even existed, much less that he would ever meet one. The last dragon was small, very small- not much bigger than Twilight, in fact- and resembled a large, craggy rock in both coloration and appearance.

“Dovahkiin, you have awakened,” Yolvahdin said, taking notice of the three. “I was just preparing to retrieve you.” She quickly realized the young dragon’s attention was focused elsewhere. “Ah, yes. I believe introductions are in order. Dovahkiin, these are my fellow Masters: Nahlokrein…” The Discord lookalike bowed. “Viinturuth…” The sea serpent nodded. “…and Taazokaan.” The rocky dragon bowed. “They will be assisting me in your training.” She motioned for the three to join her. “Come, sit. Meditate with us. Allow yourself a moment to clear your mind before beginning your training.”

When the meditations had finished, the group moved to the surface so Spike could begin his training in earnest. As he emerged from the ice, Thorn was nearly blinded by the intense light shining from overhead. For several moments, he wondered what in the world could produce such light. When he realized the answer, all he could do was sit, and stare up at the sky in wonderment.

The sun.

He never thought he’d have the chance to feel its rays against his scales ever again.

Twilight came to his side. “Thorn? Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry. It’s just… It’s been ten years since I last saw the sun.” He glanced at her a moment, before looking back to the sky. “I think I’ll let Spike train on his own for now. It’s more important that he learn how to use the Voice anyway.” With that, the two turned their attention to the youngest of their group, currently receiving a short lecture from Yolvahdin.

“…And as a dovah, you have the capacity to concentrate the vital essences within yourself and then project them in the form of a Thu’um, otherwise known as a Shout,” the elder dragon said. “Now, let me taste of your Voice, Dovahkiin.”

Spike looked up at the red dragon hesitantly. “You… you want me to Shout at you?” he asked hesitantly.

“Do not be afraid, kiir. You will not harm me.”

Spike still had his misgivings, but elected to do as the elder dragon asked. He brought his feet to shoulder width to brace himself, and shouted “FUS!”

Yolvahdin recoiled as the wave that left Spike’s mouth struck her. Turning to him again, she said, “Your Thu’um is strong. But strength alone will not guarantee your victory.” She began to pace across the ice. “All Shouts are comprised of three rotmulaag- words of power; as each word is spoken, the Shout grows in strength. You already know Fus, the first word of Unrelenting Force- now, we will teach you the second. Master Nahlokrein, if you would…”

The Discord lookalike stepped forward. Placing a claw on his chest, he looked at the ground and whispered, “RO.” Symbols, like those scratched on the wall under the palace, appeared in the ice, as though branded there by a hot iron. Spike looked down at the two foreign yet familiar letters.

“This is the second word of Unrelenting Force, Ro, which means ‘balance,’” Yolvahdin said. “Hear the word echo within yourself, Dovahkiin. Let’s its meaning fill you.”

Spike closed his eyes, feeling the creeping sensation in his brain. He didn’t fight it. He simply let the word fill his mind.

Ro.

Balance.

Spike opened his eyes again. “You learn quickly,” Yolvahdin said. “That is not unexpected. But to merely know a word is not the same as it is to understand it. Come. Let me taste of your Voice once more, and we shall see if you truly understand Ro.”

Spike nodded, and braced himself. He took a deep breath, and Shouted, “FUS… RO!”

The wave that left Spike’s mouth was massive, much larger than usual. The red dragon’s claws left deep gouges in the ice as the power of Spike’s shout pushed her back several feet.

“Incredible…” she said to herself. “The elders spoke of the Dovahkiin’s power, but I thought it merely a fable. And for one so young to wield such power…” She looked at Spike. “Perhaps my initial impression of you was mistaken. You may yet be the one who shall slay the Nameless One.”

“The Nameless One? Are you talking about Alduin?”

Spike saw Yolvahdin’s curl back in in a snarl for a brief moment, but she collected herself. “…The dragon you are being trained to fight against was not always known as ‘Alduin.’ That name is in fact a title, a placeholder, much like your own title as Dovahkiin.”

“Okay. So… why not call him by his real name?”

“Because he does not deserve the dignity of one,” she replied sharply, before collecting herself once again. “A dovah’s name is, in a single word, meant to capture their nature. It is a precious gift, bestowed upon them by their roost, their family. So, by forsaking their own name, a dovah not only casts aside who they are, but turns their back on the very ones who raised them, fed them, sheltered them… Such an act is not done lightly. And it is not one that is easily forgiven.” She shook her head, taking a breath. “But you need not concern yourself with such matters. Let us see how well you learn an entirely new Shout. Master Taazokaan?”

The craggy gray dragon stepped forward. Yolvahdin continued, “Master Taazokaan will now show you the first word of Whirlwind Sprint- Wuld, which means ‘whirlwind.’”

The craggy dragon turned his face to the ground, and growled, “WULD.” As before, letters appeared in the ice as though branded there. Again, Spike felt the creeping sensation, and the word’s meaning filled his mind. “Excellent,” Yolvahdin said. “Now, do as I do.” The red dragon turned away, and uttered “WULD!” She became little more than a red streak that stopped at the far edge of the island. She beckoned, so Spike took a deep breath, and shouted “WULD!”

Before he knew what was happening, Spike found himself tumbling end over end. Suddenly, white ice disappeared to be replaced with black, and he plunged into the sea.

In the blink of an eye, Twilight teleported to the edge of the ice. “Spike!” she called. She couldn’t see him. She took a few steps back, preparing to jump in after him, when the sea serpent- Viinturuth, she believed- rose up, holding the young dragon in his mouth, and placed him on the ice. In an instant, Twilight summoned a blanket and wrapped it around Spike, before wrapping herself around the baby dragon in a desperate attempt to warm him up.

Yolvahdin approached. “Oh I… Krosis. This was not at all what I intended to happen. We’ll practice that word later, but I think you’ll be rather appreciative of the next one. Master Viinturuth?” The sea serpent nodded, and letters appeared in the ice once again when he whispered, “YOL.”

Once, Spike had warmed up enough to continue training, the routine resumed: One of the Masters would step forward to speak a word, Spike would learn it, and then he would demonstrate his knowledge to Yolvahdin. Though he learned more than a few Shouts, he learned only the first word of each, sometimes even the second. As the day passed, the others began to depart one by one, until eventually, only Spike and his mentor remained.

The red dragon looked up at the sky, bathed a gentle orange by the setting sun. “Faal oblaan se sul.” She said. “The day is done. Go, rest. Your training shall resume tomorrow.”

“Wait, that’s all?” Spike asked.

“Time is of the essence, I know, but your training cannot be rushed. To gift you too much power all at once would be dangerous and irresponsible. You must be introduced to your full potential slowly, with care. In time, you shall come to know all that I have to teach you, but today is not that time. Do you understand this?”

“Yeah, I get it.” Spike was silent for a moment. “Yolvahdin, can I ask you something?”

“Of course you may. I am sworn to aid you in any way you feel necessary.”

“Why don’t the other Masters talk?”

“As you have seen for yourself, the Thu’um is a powerful force, and there are a precious few that can stand before its fury and walk away unscathed. Their power is such that even a whisper could kill you. Thus, for the safety of you, your companions, and others, they have sworn themselves to silence.”

“Oh. Okay.” With that, he and the red dragon descended beneath the ice.

Later, Spike sat next to the fire in the main chamber with the other Masters. Even though it had happened hours before, Spike hadn’t quite recovered from his dip in the arctic ocean. Twilight had retreated to her bed for the time being, and Thorn had disappeared. None of the other dragons around the fire were especially talkative, so Spike sat in silence, staring into the flames.

“Here you are,” Thorn’s voice said from behind. Thorn himself sat down next to the fire a moment later. “I was looking for you.”

“Oh, hey Thorn. What’s up?” He then asked, “You… aren’t gonna make fun of me for falling in the ocean, are you?”

“No, no. As a matter of fact, the first time I used Whirlwind Sprint, I fell into the ocean, too. That Shout gets everyone.” He sat up straight. “Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you.”

“About what?”

“Alduin. I told the Princess I’d be your strategic advisor against him, so I figured now would be a good time to get started on that.” He stood. “Come on, let’s talk in the other room.”

The two moved to a smaller cavern just past the main chamber. Spike sat down in front of his elder counterpart. “Alright. What can you tell me about him?”

Thorn sat down as well. “Alduin is many things, but what you need to realize is that above all else… Alduin is a coward. He will never face you directly without some kind of leverage, if he can help it. If you face him expecting a fair fight, he will kill you.” Spike shivered upon hearing that. Thorn continued, “But you don’t have to worry. Like I told the Princess, I spent two hundred years fighting Alduin, so I know him inside and out. If you can remember everything I tell you about him, you’ll beat him.”

Thorn stood up; Spike stood as well. “I’ll start off by showing you one of Alduin’s favorite techniques- in your battle against him, I can guarantee that he’ll try using at least once.” He drew in a deep breath. “VEN… MUL… RIIK!”

At once, a mysterious fog emerged from Thorn’s mouth and filled the room. For some reason, Spike’s heart instantly began to race at a hundred miles an hour. The edges of his vision grew black and hazy, and Spike felt the sudden urge to run away; he fought it with all of his strength, but it was a losing battle. He tried to call out to Thorn, to say something was terribly wrong, but… he couldn’t breathe. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t seem to force air into his lungs. He dropped to his knees, clutching his throat. The world spun. His ears filled with the sound of his own pounding heart. He wavered. He felt as though… he was going to… pass out…

“…ike. Spike!” Everything spun, and Thorn suddenly entered his vision, shouting at him. His words were faint, as though they had travelled a great distance before reaching his ears. “It’s okay! It’s just mist- it can’t hurt you!” Spike tried to say something back, but nothing emerged from his throat. “Snap out of it, Spike!” Thorn reached back, and slapped his younger counterpart across the face.

At once, Spike came back to the real world. Spike brought a claw up to his face. “You… you hit me…” he stammered.

He set Spike on the ground. “Sorry. But I had to snap you out of it somehow.” He motioned to the cloud of fog behind him. “I don’t think I need to tell you that this is no ordinary fog. It not only blocks your view, but clouds your mind, fills it with fear. Alduin uses it to divide up his prey, and then pick them off at his leisure.”

“How am I supposed to beat it, then?”

“That’s easy- there’s a Shout I learned that can disperse his mist.” Thorn turned to the mist, before rearing back and Shouting “LOK… VAH KOOR!” The fog began to recede almost immediately, and the room was clear once more. He looked back to his younger self. “Can you remember that?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Show me.”

“Okay…” Spike braced himself, inhaling deeply. “LOK… VAH KOOR!” There was a loud sound, like the crack of a whip, but seemingly nothing happened. “D… did it work?”

“Let’s find out. VEN… MUL… RIIK!” Fog issued from his mouth once again, filling the room. Cold fear gripped at Spike’s heart as the edges of his vision darkened. He struggled to breathe. Every muscle in his body, every neuron in his brain screamed at him to run, but he fought against it. The Shout. He had to use the Shout. But what was it? He struggled to remember. L, something beginning with L… Lo... Lo… L-Lok! That was it! Lok! There was more, he knew there was… but his lungs burned, crying out for air. That one single breath he took was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. But he managed it, and managed to croak out, “LOK!”

The fog immediately surrounding Spike lifted. He fell to his hands and knees, gasping. As he caught his breath, he remembered the rest of the Shout. Rising to his feet, he Shouted into the mist, “LOK… VAH KOOR!” The rest of the fog receded, revealing Thorn.

“Hmm… not bad,” the elder dragon said. “I’ll admit, you were a little shaky at the beginning, but you pulled through. You did a lot better than I did when I first got hit with Alduin’s fog, at least. You’ll get over that though- the fog will have less of an effect on you the more you’re exposed to it.” He brought his hand up to his head, massaging his temples with his thumb and index finger. “Ugh… I think that’s enough strategy for one night. You should get to bed- you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.”

“Are you okay?”

Thorn glanced down at his younger counterpart. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“If you say so… But before I go, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“You said you fought alongside me in the future, right?”

“Yes…” The elder dragon didn’t like where the conversation was going.

“…What am I like? Or- what will I be like?”

Thorn froze. This was the exact sort of question he didn’t want Spike asking him. But as his past self looked up at him expectantly, he relented. “He… he’s not much different than you are now, actually. Young, nervous, unsure of himself…” Thorn paused for a moment- talking about himself was never something he was especially good at. “…but, he still beat Alduin. And you can too.”

Spike scratched the back of his head, uncertain. “I don’t know… two hundred years is a lot of time. Ponies change…”

“You’re more alike than you think. Trust me on that one.”

“Alright then.” Spike began heading to his basket. “Goodnight, Thorn.”

“Goodnight, Spike.” Thorn had just wished himself a good night. The situation was just so surreal that he would have laughed at it… if he still had any laughter left in him.

When Spike returned to his chamber, he found Twilight lying on her bed, reading a book she’d no doubt summoned from the library. “Hey Spike,” she said, looking up from her book momentarily. “You done for today?”

“Yeah.” He climbed into his basket, and looked up at her. “What’re you reading?”

“A book about dragons. I’ve been looking through a whole bunch of them, trying to find a mention of the Thu’um, but so far… nothing.”

“Well, what makes you think you’d find anything about it in a book? You heard what the Princess said- most dragons don’t know about the Voice.”

“I know. It’s just… you had this power inside you all this time, and we never knew. I mean, I knew you could use magic, but-”

Spike sat up. “Wait, what?”

Twilight’s eyes widened when she realized what she said. “Oh. I… I wasn’t supposed to tell you that yet…”

Spike climbed out of his basket, moving to the edge of her bed. “I can do magic?”

Twilight bit her lip, unsure if she should answer. Then, she flattened her ears against her head and set her book down. Spike would find out the truth eventually; there was no point in hiding anything. “Well… yes and no,” she confessed.

“What do you mean, ‘yes and no’?”

“After I hatched you, the Princess told me your dragon breed is one of a select few that could use magic. But you have to understand Spike- dragons that can use magic don’t work the same way as unicorns. They aren’t born able to use magic; it takes a few years before it manifests. The Princess said I had to wait for that to happen before telling you.”

He put his hands on the mattress, leaning toward her. “So, when’s the magic supposed to come in?”

“Soon. I can’t say exactly when, but you are at the age when it’s supposed to occur. It might come in before Alduin returns, but it might not- I just don’t know.” She picked up her book again. “Anyway, it’s late. You should get to sleep, Spike.”

Spike opened his mouth as though to say something else, but relented. “…Fine,” he mumbled as he returned to his basket.

“We’ll talk about this later, okay?” Spike merely grumbled in reply, before rolling over and falling silent. Twilight continued to read for a little while longer, teleporting the book back to the library when it told her nothing helpful. With nothing to distract her, she pulled the covers over herself, and drifted off to sleep as well.

Twilight suddenly found herself standing in front of a large white building. She quickly identified it- it was the chapel where her brother and Cadence had been married. So, she was in Canterlot… but why? She couldn’t remember. The sky was uncharacteristically filled with clouds, painting everything a dull, listless grey- in all the time she lived in Canterlot, Twilight could count the number of cloudy days she’d seen on her hooves. She felt… odd; looking down at herself, she realized she was wearing a plain black dress. She realized that there were others milling about nearby, all dressed in black. One of them approached her- a stallion, but he wasn’t anypony she recognized. “You… you’re Twilight Sparkle, right?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah…” she replied hesitantly. “Why?”

“Well, I know it probably doesn’t mean much, but I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about what happened. And that it’s… really brave of you to come out here after all that.” The stallion then walked away.

For a moment, Twilight stared after him, utterly confused.

But then, something occurred to her.

A certain baby dragon wasn’t with her.

It all slowly began to come together. The black clothes, the condolences, Spike’s absence… No, she thought to herself. This… this isn’t happening. This must be some kind of mistake. It just has to.

“Hey Twili…” A voice suddenly said, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I… didn’t think you were coming.” She looked up- standing before her, dressed in his ceremonial uniform, was her brother Shining Armor. She opened her mouth to reply, but her brother continued, “You know, you don’t have to do this if you’re not up to it. I know that you and Spike were close, so… maybe it would be best if you head back to the palace.

For several moments, Twilight was silent. But then she shook her head- no. No matter what her gut told her, she wasn’t going to leave until she’d seen him with her own eyes. “Sorry Shiny…” she finally replied, “…but I have to do this. I’ll never be able to forgive myself if I don’t.”

Shining wrapped a comforting foreleg around her shoulder. “I guess that’s understandable. Come on then, Twili- the service will be starting soon.” His foreleg still wrapped around her shoulder, they walked together into the chapel.

Twilight was shocked at the number of ponies that waited within. It seemed as though the entire population of Ponyville had turned up: amongst the crowd she spotted the mayor, the “special friends” Lyra and Bon Bon, Derpy the cross-eyed mailmare, the stallion most knew only as “the Doctor,” DJ-P0N3 (better known to most Ponyville residents as Vinyl Scratch), and a great many number of others she didn’t know the names of. Shining leaned down and said into her ear “Cadence and me are gonna sit with Mom and Dad. You’re friends are up by the front if you wanna sit with them.” And with that, Shining took his foreleg off her shoulders and left her alone.

She made her way to the front of the chapel as though in a dream, passing the Cutie Mark Crusaders as they cried together on a pew. Soft, melancholic music emanated from somewhere, making the chapel more depressing than it already was. A few more ponies offered their sympathies, but Twilight paid them no mind. She had nearly reached the front of the chapel when…

“Twilight,” a motherly but somber voice said from behind. Twilight looked back, finding herself face-to-face with her mentor. The Princess looked down at her student, her eyes full of sorrow. “Twilight, I…” she began. Then, she lowered herself down, embracing her in her forelegs. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” Celestia held her tightly for a moment, before standing up straight. “Excuse me- I’d like to say a few words at the start of the service.”

Twilight pressed on, finally reaching the front pews. All her friends were there: Pinkie Pie sat stock-still, a vacant expression on her face, her ordinarily poofy pink mane and tail hanging straight. Rainbow Dash sat next to her, biting her lip, trying (and failing) to hold back tears. Rarity sat in the middle, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. Fluttershy sobbed into Applejack’s shoulder, who ran a comforting hoof down the pegasus’s back. Applejack herself sat next to Big Macintosh, his foreleg draped over the shoulder of his younger sister. He put on a brave face, but Twilight could see the sadness in his eyes.

It didn’t take long for Applejack and the rest of her friends to notice her. “…Twi?” the farmpony asked, clearly confused. “What’re ya doin’ here?”

“…I came to pay my respects.”

“Well I… that’s mighty brave of ya, Twilight. I’d didn’t think ya’d actually come. I know this is hard for ya, but we’re all here for ya- me and everypony else.”

“…eeyup,” Big Macintosh replied sadly.

“Well…” Rarity began, her voice wavering. “Things aren’t going to be the same at the boutique without him. I-In fact, I think I might take a break from designing… for… a while…” She threw her forelegs around Rainbow Dash as she fell into a fit of uncontrollable sobs. The pegasus hugged the white unicorn back.

“I still can’t believe it…” she mumbled. “One moment he’s here, then he’s gone. Just like that.”

Fluttershy continued to sob helplessly into Applejack’s shoulder. Pinkie merely sat, oblivious to the events unfolding right next to her.

The lights in the chapel dimmed, and the somber music faded into silence. “The service is startin’,” Applejack said. “Mac, scoot over some.” The stallion did as his sister asked, creating enough space on the pew for Twilight to sit. For a moment, they waited. Then, there was a brilliant flash of light, and Princess Celestia stood at the front of the chapel.

“Fillies and gentlecolts…” the Princess began, her voice low and sorrowful. “On this day, we gather to pay our final respects, and to lay to rest a life that had only just begun. It is…” She wiped her eyes with her hoof. “…never easy to say goodbye, especially to one so young, but as we bid him farewell, we will-” She hiccupped- even at her distance, Twilight could see the tears streaming from Celestia’s eyes. “…we will never forget the unimaginable sacrifice he made so that we… might live.” A guard wheeled a tiny coffin into the room, behind Celestia. She turned back, opening its lid with her magic; she leaned into it for a few moments before stepping away, her brimming with tears. Everypony stood, and lined up at the center of the room. A few looked over at her expectantly. Her heart dropping like a stone, she took her place at the front of the line.

A cold chill travelled up Twilight’s spine as she climbed the steps. She knew what was coming. She knew what lay inside that tiny coffin from the very moment it was wheeled into the room. But still, when her turn to pay her respects had finally come, her eyes widened in horror, drawing a hoof to her mouth when she saw what lay inside.

It was Spike.

Tears instantly began streaming down her face. He’d been dressed in a little suit, his hands clasped over his chest, a peaceful expression on his face. If it weren’t for the way he was dressed, she would have earnestly believed that he was just sleeping. She rested a hoof against his cheek and whispered “Spike…” expecting him to stir.

He didn’t.

No… she thought. No, this is wrong. I’mthe one who should protect you. I’mthe one who should be in this coffin. Her hoof moved down to his chest. This couldn’t be happening. It was a trick, some kind of joke. It had to be. She shook him. “Okay Spike, you got me.” She tried to sound amused, but her voice sounded more worried than anything. The baby dragon still did not stir. “Spike, I just said you got me. Now come on, get up.” The other waiting in line behind her began to talk amongst themselves, but she paid them no mind. Her mind refused to accept what she already knew in her heart. “Spike, get up. Get up. Spike, are you listening to me? Spike!”

She grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to a sitting position. “Spike this isn’t funny!” she shouted, tears spilling out of her eyes. “You’re scaring me! If you don’t open your eyes and answer me right this second then you are in serious trouble! You hear me?” He flopped about limply as Twilight shook her.

Suddenly, her limbs were torn from Spike by an invisible force; she struggled, but the force was simply too strong to overcome. “Guards, please escort Twilight back to the palace.” she heard the Princess say. “I’m sorry, Twilight. Perhaps allowing you to attend the funeral was a mistake after all.” She felt strong limbs wrap around her own and begin to drag her away.

“No, let me go!” She screamed, fighting with all her strength as the guards dragged her away from the coffin. “Spike, open your eyes, please! Spike! Spike! SPIIIIIIIIKE!”

“NO!” Twilight’s legs kicked out, her cry echoing through the icy chamber before fading away. She shivered in a cold sweat as her heart raced at a hundred miles an hour. It took a moment for her to remember where she was, to realize what had happened. Overwhelmed, she buried her face in her hooves and began to sob quietly.

A nightmare. That’s all it had been. A nightmare.

…One that had a very distinct possibility of coming true.

At that moment, she heard something stir next to her bed. She looked down, seeing Spike shift in his basket. “Ughh…” he groaned, sitting up. “…Twilight? Was that you yelling? Are you okay?”

She didn’t answer. Her horn began to glow, and Spike began to float from his basket to her bed. “Whoa hey, Twilight what’s going on?”

“Spike, I… it isn’t… I just thought it would…” She set Spike down on the bed, throwing her forelegs around him. “Spike… I… I just need to hold you right now…”

She felt him stroke her side with his claw. “Hey, it’s okay Twilight,” he said softly to her. “I… I’m scared too. But it’ll be okay. You’ll see.” She squeezed him tightly, and he returned the favor. They lay there in the darkened room, simply holding each other in silence for what felt like an eternity. Then, quietly, Spike asked, “…Twilight? Do you… want me to sing for you?”

She held him close again. “No, that’s… I’ll be okay, Spike, don’t worry. Just go back to sleep.”

Before long, she felt Spike’s grip slacken, and light snoring met her ears as he fell asleep. She remained awake. How could she sleep, after what she’d seen? She simply lay in her bed, holding Spike, until the dawn came. When the sun had risen, she climbed out of bed, navigated through the iceberg, stopped right in front of Yolvahdin, and said…

“I want to learn how to Shout.”

Chapter IV: The Pact

Chapter IV: The Pact

The red dragon woke from her slumber, and glanced up at Twilight. “I believe you are quite capable of shouting without need of my tutelage, young one.”

Twilight stomped her foot impatiently. “Don’t give me that. I want to learn to Shout the way dragons do.”

Yolvahdin stood, stretching her limbs before fully face Twilight. “You are quite bold, little key. You may be the prized pupil of Celestia, but that hardly gives you the authority to demand anything of me… Twilight Sparkle.”

“Wait, how do you know who I am?” Twilight didn’t remember introducing herself to Yolvahdin. In fact, she’d barely said two words to the red dragon since she’d arrived here.

“The Kulaas speaks fondly of you during her visits to our abode. And I will concede that your accomplishments are most impressive. But regardless, I cannot teach you the Way of the Voice.”

“Is it that you can’t… or that you won’t?” When she received no answer, the lavender unicorn turned away in anger. “Fine! Don’t help me! But I’m not just going to sit and watch you send Spike off to die!”

A massive claw was rested on her shoulder. “You misunderstand, kiir- the Thu’um is not merely a skill that can be taught. I could teach you every rotmulaag that I know, but without the sos- the blood of a dovah flowing through your veins to give them power, my words would be of no use to you.”

“But, Princess Celestia can Shout… I saw it.”

“Need I remind you of her lineage? Of the union between her grandmother Queen Aura and the dovah you knew as Fang?” Yolvahdin stood up and began to pace back and forth. “Or of her father King Solaris’s numerous dovah consorts, of which his wife Nahfahlaar was just one? Need I remind you that the Kulaas herself took on a dovah as her lover? …Though in all fairness, nothing came of it and it was before she and her briinah were crowned as rulers of Equestria.”

The red dragon sat down again. “The point is, the Royal Family of Equestria has always shared an… intimate bond with the dov. And it is this bond which grants them the power of the Thu’um.”

Twilight tried her hardest to contain her disappointment. “I… I understand.” She turned away so the dragon would not see her tears. “But with… or without the Thu’um, when Alduin returns, I will stand by Spike… until the end.” She slowly began to walk back to bed, a stone where her heart had once been.

But before she left the chamber, Yolvahdin said, “…There is a way.”

Twilight’s tears stopped in an instant. She rushed up to the red dragon, placing her hooves on her leg. “What is it? What do I have to do? Tell me, please!”

“I shall. But first, I must deliver to you a warning. This decision is not one to be made lightly. Many have tried to walk down this path… and many do not return.”

What did that mean? Was Yolvahdin saying that ponies… died trying to learn the Voice? A chill traveled up her spine, but Twilight suppressed it. She would learn the Voice, she would survive, if not for her own sake, then for Spike’s. “…Just tell me what I need to do.”

“You are firm in your conviction, I see. This is good- there can be no room for uncertainty while learning the Thu’um. For the power of the Voice to become yours, you must enter a sosmir with a dovah.”

“And that would be…?”

“…a blood pact.”

Twilight’s heart stopped in her chest. Blood pacts were a necessary step to casting some of the most vile, evil spells Equestria had ever known. What was next? Would she be asked to stab at somepony’s corpse? Tear the still-beating heart from another’s chest? She shook her head- no, if this is what it took, then she would do it. “Alright. So… how does this work exactly? Do I just exchange blood with you and that’s it? I’ll be able to Shout?”

“Not quite, child. The sos must come from a dovah with whom you are intimately acquainted with.”

“So… Spike then? Would it work if I made the pact with him?”

Yolvahdin brought a claw to her chin. “Hmm… if what the Kulaas has told me holds true, then the Dovahkiin would be the most suitable candidate. But we will not know for certain until the pact is made.” There was a brief moment of silence; then, the red dragon looked to the lavender unicorn. “You are quite protective of him. The Dovahkiin, I mean. Why is this? I was under the impression that the keyye feared the dov.”

Twilight sat down. “Well, why wouldn’t I be protective of Spike? I hatched him. I’ve raised him since I was just a filly. He’s like a little brother to me… most of the time. Sometimes though, I treat him more like… sometimes I can’t help but see him as… “

“…as a son?”

Twilight blushed a little. “Yeah…”

“Then I understand why you do this. Form the sosmir if you feel you must- I ask only that you understand the risks you undertake by doing so.”

She looked up at the red dragon. “Do… you have any children?”

“I had a son, once.” Her voice dropped an octave. “He was killed by the Nameless One.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. What… what was he like?”

The red dragon looked away, her voice becoming almost a whisper. “…I fear that I will never know.”

“What do you-” At that moment, Twilight recalled a horrific albeit dubious tale that she read while learning about the Dragon War in her time at the academy. It claimed that during the final years of the War, Alduin began to gather dragon’s eggs and… break them in an effort to avert an ancient prophecy he believed would lead to his downfall, going so far as to take them from the still-warm corpses of their mothers. Twilight always thought that the story was skewed, distorted over time to make Alduin seem more evil than she actually was.

She never could have imagined that such a horrifying tale had a basis in reality.

“Oh… oh I, I’m sorry…” Twilight stammered.

“You have nothing to apologize for, kiir.” The red dragon turned away completely. “Go. Awaken the Dovahkiin and bring him to the central chamber. I must inform the others of your decision.”

Twilight trotted back to her chamber, finding Spike still fast asleep in her bed. She put a hoof on her back and shook him. “Spike… Spike… wake up…”

He stirred, but groaned and turned his back on her. “Uhhng… sleeping. Go away.”

She shook him more firmly. “Get up, Spike. It’s important.”

He sat up, bleary eyed. “What could be so important that you have to wake me up at dawn?”

“I’ll explain on the way. Now come on.” As she levitated the half-asleep Spike onto her back, Thorn jolted awake on the other side of the room. He quickly noticed the two, and called out, “Hey. You guys are up early.” The elder dragon approached. “What’s going on?”

“Spike and I are going to make a blood pact.”

“Huh? W…Why would you do that?”

“I want to learn how to Shout. And Yolvahdin told me that’s how I would learn.”

“Is that… safe?”

“I don’t know. And to be honest, I don’t care. I’m not letting Spike fight Alduin alone.”

“Twilight, you-” Thorn caught himself. Then, he sighed. “…Look, I know better than to try to talk you out of this, but… just be careful, okay? Don’t take any unnecessary risks like you did last-” He slapped a claw over his mouth, his eyes widened in horror.

“Like I did last what?” she asked.

Thorn stammered- despite now being several centuries older than her, Twilight would never fail to make him feel like a child. “I- it’s- y-you’re… it’s just… WULD!” He dashed off.

“What was that all about?” Spike asked, now fully awake.

“I have absolutely no idea,” Twilight replied. The way Thorn had stammered just now, the guilty look in his eye, the way he’d darted off like that, they all reminded her of… She shook her head. No, it was just a coincidence. A very unusual coincidence, no doubt, but a coincidence nonetheless.

Brushing off the odd incident, she carried Spike into the main chamber.

Yolvahdin and the other Masters waited for the two in the next chamber. “Ah, there you are,” the red dragon said. “The other Masters and I were nearly finished discussing the procedure.”

Spike hopped off her back. “Wait, you agreed to this and they didn’t even know what they were doing, Twilight?” he asked in a low voice.

Yolvahdin caught his comment. “Nid, you misunderstand, Dovahkiin. It has been many years since an outsider has requested to form a sosmir. We simply wished to verify the process before beginning.”

“How long has it been?” Twilight asked.

“…Four centuries, if I recall correctly. A strunkey much like yourself traveled here from your land to learn our ways. After the pact was formed, we gifted him the name Sadon Luftom, but you most likely know him as ‘Star Swirl the Bearded.’ Tell me, whatever became of him?”

“Uh, well, all the books say he continued with his travels, and then just… vanished in a distant land. But the Princess told me once that he came back to Equestria… but she also said he spent the rest of his life in complete isolation, and changed his name to ‘Star Swirl Greybeard.’”

“Is that so? Pity- he was gifted, truly. The world would be a much different place had he taken a more active role in shaping it, I’m certain.” She shook her head. “Ah, but I forget myself. Krosis. There is work to be done.” She took a breath, and breathed a long plume of fire toward the center of the room. Despite having no fuel, the fire continued to burn. “Now, take your places by the fire.”

Spike and Twilight did as the red dragon asked of them- as they did, the Masters formed a circle around them and the fire. Then, Yolvahdin began to speak again. “Nau daar sul, mu kodaav ya ol daar sille voth mu meyz al gein,” she said. “On this day, we bear witness as the two souls before us become as one.”

“Mu kodaav ya.” the others whispered; the entire cavern shook as they spoke.

“Enook fen wahl sos fah zeymah- ful,nust enook zahrahmiik zeymahii sos nu wahl tol ov. Each would spill blood for the other- so, they spill each other’s blood now to demonstrate that trust.”

“Mu kodaav ya.”

“Nol daar tiid nau, nustii sos- nustii sille- fen kos mahfaeraak aavaan. Nol daar tiid nau,nust fen kos krif voth nustii zeymah, ful faal lein aal ni kron nust. From this time forward, their blood- their souls- will be forever joined. From this time forward, they shall stand at each other’s backs, so that the world may never overtake them.”

“Mu kodaav ya.”

The red dragon looked down at them, a deadly serious expression on her face. “By forming this pact, the two of you enter an agreement that ends only with death. Firm in your convictions as you may be, still I must ask… do you accept the terms of this agreement?”

Twilight’s answer was instantaneous. “I accept.”

Spike was silent for several moments, staring at the floor. Come on… Twilight thought impatiently. Just say yes. After what felt like an eternity to her, Spike looked up at Yolvahdin and said, “…I accept too.”

“Both parties have accepted the terms. Dovahkiin, your claw.” Spike held out his claw; he winced in pain as the red dragon dragged a talon across it, leaving a deep gash. “Twilight Sparkle, your leg.” She held up a foreleg. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood as the claw tore open her skin. Then, the red dragon took hold of both Spike and Twilight, pressing their wounds together; she clasped her claws over their limbs, preventing them from pulling away. “Allow your blood to enter the other,” she whispered. “Allow your blood- your souls- to become as one.”

She held the two for several long moments, before finally releasing them. “Ii oblaan. It is done. The blood pact has been formed.”

Twilight rubbed her fresh wound. “…that’s it?” she asked. “That’s all we had to do? It seems kind of anticlimac-” Suddenly, Twilight doubled over, her head pounding. Her vision swam, and she stumbled about as though she’d suddenly landed on a ship traveling rough seas. “Twilight?” She heard Spike ask. He put his hands on her face and looked into her eyes. “Twilight, what’s wrong? Twilight? Twilight!” The baby dragon’s voice faded as he crumbled into ash before her very eyes.

She stood up straight, looking around, and saw that not only had Spike disappeared, but so had everyone else. “Spike?” She called. “Spike! Yolvahdin! …Anyone?” She received no answer. She quickly realized the doorways leading to the other chambers were gone as well. She concentrated, her horn glowing as she prepared to cast a teleportation spell, but a sudden, stabbing pain right at the base of her horn broke her concentration, and the glow faded. She tried again, only to earn another stabbing pain for her trouble. She couldn’t cast magic, she realized.

She was trapped. Or, so Twilight thought at first.

Suddenly, cracks began to form in the icy wall in front of her. Several ear-splitting snaps echoed in the small room, before the wall was suddenly blown open, as though something had just smashed through it, revealing… a shimmering golden desert. Speechless, she stepped out.

This couldn’t be happening. This shouldn’t be happening. What she was seeing in front of her was physically impossible. But the sun beating down on her at that moment felt quite real, as did the sand beneath her hooves. As impossible as it may have seemed, it didn’t change the fact that she now stood in the heart of a burning desert.

Twilight looked around- massive, sweeping dunes stretched for as far as the eye could see. The chamber of ice she emerged from was nowhere to be found. Her mind raced as she tried to recall any books on how she might survive, but her thoughts were interrupted by an ear-splitting shriek from overhead. She looked up- circling over her was a dragon as black as the night sky. But there was something odd about the dragon- its form shimmered and wavered, as though its body wasn’t entirely solid, and it left a short trail of smoke behind him wherever it flew. The black dragon let out another ear-shattering screech, before flying over the dunes and disappearing over the horizon.

Twilight simply stared after the dragon for a few moments before a thought occurred to her. A trial. This- all of this- was some kind of test. It just had to be. What else could it be? So, she began to follow the dragon, trotting at first, before eventually breaking into a full-on sprint. She didn’t know where this road would lead her, but she was certain she would find that black dragon waiting at the end of it.

So she ran. And ran. And ran. In all that time, she noticed that she never began sweating, and never ran out of breath. But at the same time, her destination, wherever it may have been, never seemed to grow any closer. She passed many odd things on the way: a forest of stacked-up books that seemed to stretch up into the sky forever, a number of statues of the Princesses and other famous figures rising from the dunes, and what seemed to be a perfect reconstruction of Ponyville’s town square half-buried in the sand. But Twilight pressed on, not giving these items even a second glance. If she was right, then all these objects were just diversions, meant to lure her away from her real objective.

It wasn’t long before she found herself at the edge of a vast canyon. In fact, she didn’t discover it until she’d almost sent herself hurtling over the edge. It was too far to jump, and the stabbing pain in her horn meant she couldn’t teleport across. Twilight looked to her left, and then to her right, but at first glance there appeared to be nothing bridging the two sides of the canyon; she thought for a moment that she could simply conjure a bridge to span the gap, but another stabbing pain put such thoughts to rest. It looked like she’d just have to cross the hard way.

She approached the edge-climbing down the face of the canyon without any sort of gear was probably the absolute worst decision she could have made regarding this situation, but with no magic and no natural formations to climb across, she had no choice. But just one look over the edge made her back away; rather than the bottom of the canyon, all she saw was a deep, forbidding black.

Twilight brought a hoof to her temple, straining her brain for some kind of solution. She hated to admit it, but without magic, she was almost helpless- it reminded her of the time Discord had taken her horn away. She had no idea how Applejack or Rainbow Dash or even Spike could live without it. She swept her eyes across the canyon again, but this time she spotted something: a series of narrow rock columns stretching from one end of the canyon to the other. Twilight sprinted to the columns as fast as she could; ordinarily she would have preferred to cross over some sort of land bridge, but at this point she would take whatever blessings she could get.

Twilight looked at the columns lined up before her; they were narrow, thin, and in all frankness, they didn’t look like they would support her weight. Well, appearances could be deceiving. She scooted back, and with a small, terrified cry, she leapt over the abyss to the first column. She landed with a thump; Twilight froze, listening for any signs that the column had become unstable… but there were none. The situation reminded her of when she and the others had escaped a hydra in Froggy Bottom Bog, but with no angry monster at her back this time around, she could afford to take her time. This shouldn’t be too bad… she thought to herself.

Those thoughts were instantly vanquished when she felt the column beneath her hooves rumble violently. Her stomach floated, and she found herself staring into the black as the column toppled over.

She didn’t think. There was no time. She simply jumped.

By some miracle, her aim was true, and she landed squarely on the next column. But there was no time to relax. She felt a violent tremor and heard the scraping of stone as the first column collided into the second, and her stomach floated as she fell once again. Twilight leapt to the next column, and leapt again as the preceding one fell against it. The entire effort required no conscious thought on Twilight’s part- her body seemed to simply know what to do, even if her mind did not.

After what seemed like both an eternity and only a second, she found herself at the last column. The other side awaited her. Twilight prepared to jump… only to realize that the gap before her was just slightly longer than her leap. She waited, shaking with the column as the one before slammed into it. As it toppled, the world seemed to slow to a crawl. Twilight tensed, waiting for exactly the right moment; if she was off by even a fraction of a second, then… well, she didn’t want to think about what would happen then. Finally, the column came as close to the canyon wall as it would ever be.

Twilight jumped.

But as she jumped, she felt her hooves lose traction. For one terrified moment, she thought she wouldn’t make it… but she did. Half of her did, at least.

Twilight cried out in pain as her chest slammed against the unforgiving stone edge, forcing the air from her lungs. Her forelegs dragged across the rock as gravity threatened to plunge her into the darkness. She desperately dug her hooves against the rock, coming to a merciful stop. But her respite wouldn’t hold, and she knew it; already she was beginning to slip. She slid, coming one inch closer to oblivion; her rear legs kicked wildly, desperately searching for a foothold of any kind, and found none. She slid again; she tried to hoist herself up, but she just didn’t have the strength to do it. She slid a third time- now, only her hooves still clung to the edge. She tried to pull herself up, but as hard as she tried, she simply couldn’t.

As hard as she tried to stop it, Twilight began to cry. She was going to die here. She would never see Spike, or the Princess, or her friends or her parents or Cadence or Shining Armor or anyone else ever again. Spike would have to face Alduin… alone. She was going to die… and he… he…

No… she thought. She strained, and slowly, she lifted herself up. No no no no no no…

“…no no no no NO!” With all of her might, Twilight yanked herself up, throwing out a foreleg to catch the edge. She brought up her other foreleg, and slowly, with every fiber of her being, she dragged herself leg-over-leg until she was completely on solid ground. Completely exhausted by her effort, she rolled onto her back and closed her eyes, struggling to catch her breath.

Twilight wasn’t sure if she should laugh, or cry. So she did both.

Tears spilled from her eyes as she alternated between laughter and sobs that hurt her stomach. She had no idea how long she lay there, simultaneously laughing and crying, but when she finally managed to compose herself, she got to her feet and looked around. She realized that her surroundings had changed yet again. Rather than the burning desert she’d seen before she crossed, she now found herself looking at a very familiar road set into a familiar mountainside. Behind her, the canyon had shrunk down to a mere ravine, though the gap was still too far to jump across. Clearly, the only path was forward.

As she climbed, white flakes began to fall from the sky. Snow? Twilight thought. How strange. But then again, she had crossed from the arctic to a burning desert in the blink of an eye- anything was possible here. She caught one of the strange flakes on her tongue, only to spit and splutter in disgust the moment it made contact.

It wasn’t snow at all.

It was ash.

And when Twilight reached the top of the hill, she discovered its source.

Before her lay the city of Canterlot… swallowed by flames.

For several moments, Twilight could only stare at the horrific sight. But then she shook her head. It isn’t real, she told herself, again and again. It isn’t real… it isn’t real…

But as she entered the city, she saw something that made her doubt. Translucent figures began to appear in the street, undefined at first, but quickly took the unmistakable form of ponies. Sounds came to Twilight’s ears, the sounds of screams and battle. A line of guards appeared and charged toward her; before she could get out of their way, they simply phased through her. They didn’t show any indication that they had seen her at all. She couldn’t help but notice that the armor they wore was a style that hadn’t been used in Canterlot for hundreds of years.

Twilight turned, and watched as they formed a line; one of them stepped forward, and began to pace. “Alright stallions, this is it!” he shouted; his voice rang hollow, and echoed faintly. “I know that most of you have never even seen a dragon, let alone been expected to fight one. But these monsters have taken the fight to our home, to our city, and threaten the citizens we have sworn to protect with slavery and death! And we will show these animals just what’s in store for them when they dare to challenge the might of the Imperial Guard!” The other guards cheered wildly, raising their weapons. “Now what do you say? Shall we go kill us a dragon?”

The guards cheered again. One of their number called out “I’ll kill me ten dragons!”

Their cheers were instantly silenced when a translucent dragon landed on a nearby burned house. They staggered from an unfelt impact; Twilight remained upright. For a long moment, the guards and the dragon simply stared at each other. Then, one of the guards raised his weapon. “Fall to me, dragon!” he bellowed. “Hyrraaaaggh!” He charged, raising his sword over his head.

The dragon’s head snapped forward, seizing the guard in his massive jaws. The dragon swung the helpless guard about, before releasing him; the guard slammed against the stone street in a crumpled, unmoving heap.

“By Aura…” one of the other guards whispered. The dragon reared back. “Everypony get back!” But it was too late. A great burst of fire left the dragon’s mouth, engulfing the guards- they transformed into a white mist, which rapidly dispersed into nothing. The dragon spread his wings, letting out a triumphant roar, before taking flight and fading away as well.

Twilight finally realized where she was- the final battle of the Dragon War… the Battle of Canterlot.

But she didn’t understand. How could she be having a memory of something that she wasn’t alive to see? Did it… have something to do with Spike’s blood? But that didn’t make any sense- he wasn’t alive to see the battle either. Twilight’s speculation was cut short however when she heard an unmistakable screech from overhead. She looked up just in time to see the black dragon dart overhead, weaving amongst the spectral dragons soaring overhead. It screeched again, before flying to the palace, circling above it like a massive vulture.

Twilight’s hooves were carrying her to the palace before she even realized what was happening. She passed other phantom guards on the way, engaged in battle with ethereal dragons- some battles ended in victory, but most ended merely in defeat. As she neared the palace gates, more ponies began to appear- not guards, but mere civilians. They streamed through the courtyard and through the grand doors of the palace entrance. She moved through the crowd with ease, following them into the palace. She heard a voice speaking as she entered.

“…come on, come on, everypony get inside!” the guard called. As a hoofful of stragglers staggered inside, the shades of two more guards pushed echoes of the great golden doors shut, and barred them.

“Is that everyone?” an unmistakable voice asked. Twilight looked; sure enough, the ghostly image of Princess Celestia approached them.

The guard nodded. “It is, as you asked. We just barely managed to fend off the dragons for long enough.”

The Princess allowed herself a small sigh of relief. “Good.” She looked to the guards barring the door. “Dawn Star, Nightwing, you and your force are to escort the populace to the caverns. Guard them, with your lives if you must.”

The guards bowed. “Yes Princess.” They then set to work shepherding the crowd.

Celestia’s shade turned to the remaining guard. “Captain, come with me. I need a status report.”

“Yes Princess.” The two began to trot away with Twilight following, invisible. As they spoke, they snaked through the halls of the palace, their destination unknown; Twilight followed closely, never letting the phantoms out of her sight for even a moment.

“…and Alduin? What of him?”

“The lookouts have kept vigilant, but so far there has been no sign of him.” The guard captain’s shade sighed. “…I’m going to be blunt, Princess. …We may lose this battle. We’ve already lost half of the Guard to the first wave of dragons alone, and out lookouts have confirmed that a second is en route. There’s also the issue of the fires spreading from the south- with the current winds and second assault inbound, it’s very likely that all of Canterlot will be burned to the ground. And if the dragons manage to reach the palace-”

“I’m not going to give them that chance,” she said sternly.

“Princess…” the guard captain’s shade stammered, “…you can’t possibly mean to-”

“I do. The only thing Alduin and his lackeys understand is force. And he is much too proud to deny a direct challenge.” She approached a door and threw out a foreleg; to Twilight’s shock, the door banged open as though the Princess had actually been standing there. She stepped onto the balcony, took a deep breath, and called out, “AL DU IN!” There was a clap of thunder, a brilliant flash of light, and the shades were gone.

Twilight heard a thunderous rumble, felt the entire palace tremble. An ear-shattering roar followed, and what’s more, it sounded as though it had come from somewhere up ahead. She ran ahead, but hid as soon as she saw what waited in the hall; despite the fact that none of the phantoms could see her, she hid all the same. For in the hallway ahead of her lurked… Alduin.

She peeked out from behind the corner, and watched as the ghostly Alduin breathed ethereal fire onto the walls. “Where are you, Kulaas?” the black dragon bellowed. “Do you truly believe you can hide from me?” He looked about- she ducked back before his eyes could sweep over her- but could see nothing. “LAAS… YAH… NIIR!” He looked around again, but this time, his attention focused on a particular section of the wall to his left. He smiled. “Ah… there you are…” he whispered. He reared back, but before he could Shout, the wall before him suddenly exploded. Several bolts of lightning struck him, driving him back. The sounds of splintering wood and falling stones came to Twilight’s ears as the black dragon fell into the wall behind him.

From the hole in the opposite wall emerged the Princess. Twilight shivered; plastered onto the Princess’s face was an expression of deep, unfathomable rage.

Debris fell to the floor as Alduin brought himself to his feet. “You would willingly destroy your own home simply to defeat me, Kulaas? Most unusual.”

“I would give up my life if that’s what it took!” she shouted back.

“Is that so? Then I fear your sacrifice would be in vain. YOL!” With ease, the Princess evaded the plume of fire, and charged the black dragon; but just as the two were about to collide, the phantoms faded. The sounds of battle faded, leaving behind only silence. Twilight remembered this- she’d read about it in her history textbooks. And if she remembered correctly, the battle ended in…

She sprinted through the halls- though the interior was broken and ruined, Twilight had the interior layout of the palace perfectly memorized. As she approached her destination, she could hear the sounds of battle once more- the roar of flames, the fizzle of magic, and a few pained cries that made Twilight’s stomach turn. She threw open a massive door at the end of a long hall, and emerged in the palace’s gardens.

Mere moments after entering the gardens, the wall behind Twilight blasted open, and the phantom Princess tumbled out. She flopped across the ground like a ragdoll before finally coming to a stop. Slowly, she dragged herself to her feet, spitting out a small amount of blood onto the grass. Celestia looked absolutely horrible- her entire body was covered in deep gouges and slashes and burns, painting her entire body a hideous mix of black and red, and one of her wings was… gone. Not merely tucked away where Twilight couldn’t see it, oh no, but literally gone- all that remained was a ragged, bleeding stump. Alduin emerged from the hole not long after, seemingly unharmed.

The Princess fired a bolt of lightning at the black dragon- the bolt merely bounced off of his scales, and utterly obliterated a nearby statue. He reared back, and released a long jet of frost from his mouth; the Princess tried to conjure a ward to protect herself, but it shattered like glass the moment the frost touched it, hurling her back. As she struggled to rise, Alduin said to her, “Why must you continue to fight?” He approached her. “Look around you- this battle has scarcely begun, and already your city burns, less than half your guard remains to fight. But it can end here. All you need to do is surrender, and the bloodshed will cease.”

She said nothing in reply. Instead, she appeared to draw a stone sphere from out of her own body- Twilight recognized it as one of the Elements of Harmony. It glowed brightly before a lavender beam shot out of it, directly towards Alduin. He blocked the beam with his wing, strange black flames rising from where it touched his scales. “Oh, this again?” he asked, unamused. “You know this will not work, Kulaas. You have seen the prophecy with your own eyes, heard it with your own ears. You are not the one who shall slay me.”

“I know what the prophecy says,” the Princess growled; more spheres, the other Elements of Harmony, began to float out of her body. “So, if I cannot defeat you…” She looked up. “…I will send you to the one who will!” Multicolored beams shot out from the other Elements, but they weren’t aimed at Alduin- rather they curved past him, converging on a single point behind him. The air rippled, before it tearing open to reveal a swirling portal. But the portal wasn’t like the other ghostly constructs- rather than the normal translucent white, the portal was a bright, burning red. Pieces of rubble were lifted from the ground and pulled within, and even Alduin himself was slowly dragged toward the swirling vortex.

He dug his claws into the earth, but the portal continued to draw him in. He took flight, beating his massive wings as hard as he could, but the portal continued to draw him in. “What is this?” he shouted. “What have you done?”

“Give the Dovahkiin my regards, Alduin,” the Princess said flatly. Her horn glowed, and another burst of lightning shot out of it- it bounced off of the black dragon’s scales again, but doing harm to him wasn’t her goal. He instinctively brought up a wing to protect himself, forgetting for a moment that he still airborne. By the time he realized his error, he’d already been pulled beyond the portal. His enraged roars were silenced as the portal sealed shut, as though it had never been. Celestia let out a sigh of relief, before stumbling for a moment, and falling to her side. Between her labored breaths, Twilight heard her whisper , “May you… be forever lost… to the currents… of time… Alduin.”

As the seconds passed, spectral guards began to pour into the gardens; only a few came at first, but before long there were over a hundred. One sprinted up to her, unhesitatingly putting an ear against her side. “A healer!” he shouted. “I need a healer!” The other guards scrambled around the garden, barking orders. Draconic phantoms began landing around the gardens, but took no action other than to watch the spectacle unfold. One landed right next to Twilight, completely oblivious to her presence. “Alduin… los… los rok dilon?” he asked. “Drey faal kulaas… krii rok?” Slowly, the images before her faded, and once again, Twilight was left alone in the silence.

But the silence was broken by an unmistakable screech. She looked up just in time to see the black dragon streaking toward her. Her only response was to fire a magic missile at the dragon- in her panic, she’d forgotten the stabbing pain. Incredibly, the missiles fired out of her horn without pain… but they simply passed through the dragon’s smoky body with no effect. The dragon slammed into her; the two tumbled over the grass as Twilight’s world became an incomprehensible blur of color and light.

Suddenly, Twilight found herself flat on her back, staring up at the black dragon. Despite the fact that her missiles passed harmlessly through it not seconds earlier, the smoky dragon still somehow pinned her to the ground as though it were an actual, flesh-and-blood creature. From this range, its screeches were absolutely deafening. The missiles Twilight shot at him simply passed through with no ill effects whatsoever. Neither fire nor lightning fazed the dragon… but a frost spell froze its jaws solid. It eased off of her as it tried to smash through the ice, allowing her a chance to rise… but before she could formulate a strategy, the dragon’s body dispersed, the icy chunk dropping to the ground. It reformed in the air, letting out another ear-shattering shriek.

Before her eyes, the palace, Canterlot, everything crumbled away. She was left stranded on a section of the garden, floating in a maelstrom of unnatural green clouds and lightning. Twilight had nowhere to run… so she would fight. With a thump that made the whole floating island shake, the black dragon landed in front of her. Instantly, she fired another frost spell, striking the dragon’s front leg; before it could phase out of or otherwise break its imprisonment he instantly followed with a magic missile, striking the ice, shattering it. The dragon screeched in pain, but Twilight watched in horror as the dragon simply stretched its body to replace the leg it had just lost.

The dragon took flight; Twilight cast several more frost spells, but the dragon evaded them all with ease. He circled overhead, roaring; Twilight could only watch, unable to get a bead on the beast. As she waited, she realized that for whatever reason, the dragon had yet to Shout at her. She could ponder this only for a moment, as the dragon banked and dived directly toward her. She braced herself as it screeched again, and when it was just a few yards away, she fired the largest, most powerful frost spell she could conjure. It struck the dragon right in the middle of his forehead, freezing it, and the rest of its body followed. Twilight dived out of the way just in time as the frozen dragon slammed into the ground, its body shattering into a million tiny shards.

Twilight approached the mass of shards where the dragon had crashed, breathing hard. Was it over? She had to admit, considering all that she had to go through to get here, for it to end that quickly seemed… anticlimactic. Suddenly, every shard of ice that had been thrown across the island shattered. Long black tendrils instantly shot out and wrapped around Twilight tightly- she couldn’t even turn her head. Before her eyes, the dragon reformed. Now that she was so close, she could see its eyes clearly for the first time-they were made up of those same symbols on the wall in the cavern beneath Canterlot, flickering and changing endlessly, glowing a deep, burning yellow. It brought its face up to hers, regarding her closely.

Big mistake.

She hit it with an ice spell, encasing his head in a solid block. She immediately followed with a bolt of lightning, shattering the block. The tendrils holding Twilight released her, dropping her to the ground, as the dragon staggered about with no sensory organs to guide it. She saw the stump at the top of its neck distort as it prepared to regenerate. Twilight wouldn’t give it the chance.

She fired another frost spell, striking it directly in the chest- she shattered the icy block with another bolt of lightning. She fired again, this time hitting its leg, and followed up with a quick fireball. A third spell hit its chest again, shattered by a telekinetically thrown bust. Frost, lightning, fire, telekinesis… spell after spell, Twilight whittled the dragon down until it was reduced to a flopping, helpless torso not much larger than she.

She focused, and once again fired the largest frost spell she could manage. With the dragon frozen again, Twilight lifted up a nearby statue and hurled it at her foe. The dragon shattered, just as before, but it reformed in the blink of an eye and charged her, claw raised. She tried to conjure a ward, but the dragon merely phased through it, and slashed her side.

Intense pain coursed through her entire body, bringing Twilight to her knees. She dared to look to her left to inspect the damage. Sure enough, she found herself staring at three deep gouges, stretching from her shoulder to her flank- rather than blood, thick, black smoke poured from the fresh wounds.

Twilight sluggishly rose to her feet. The dragon had begun circling again. She waited for it to come into range, and hit it with a one-two ice/lightning punch, shattering its rear leg.

Pain. Pain unlike anything Twilight had ever felt in her entire life coursed through her body. She screamed as her wound pulsed with pain, falling to her knees again. She looked back at it- incredibly, the wound appeared to have grown larger, and the smoke that poured from it had grown thicker.

This was bad. If Twilight couldn’t fight back against this monster, it would kill her for sure… or would it? Sure, as menacing as it had been, the dragon hadn’t actually attacked her. …At least, aside from pinning her to the ground and scratching her. Could it be that fighting this dragon was the wrong thing to do? It would have sounded absolutely insane to any other pony… but these weren’t exactly circumstances somepony could call normal. And considering that keeping up the fight with this dragon might kill her, it wasn’t exactly like she had many options.

For some reason, Twilight recalled an incident early in her studies beneath Princess Celestia, when a miscast spell of hers had accidentally blasted a massive hole in the wall separating the gardens from the dining hall. As she cried and pleaded for forgiveness and swore she would never use such high-level magic ever again, the Princess stooped down, embraced her in her forelegs, and whispered, “It’s alright dear. This was only an accident. Learn from the mistake you made here. But you must never, never, be afraid of the power that you have been given. If you fear your power, then one day, you will find yourself ruled by it.”

The dragon landed in front of Twilight with a thump. She did not rise from her kneeling position. It growled at her, as though anticipating another attack, but Twilight did nothing. Black tendrils extended from its body, wrapping around Twilight once again. Twilight tried to put on a brave face, but as the dragon regarded her again, she sincerely hoped that she hadn’t just willingly handed herself to her death. As the dragon held her, she felt tendrils slide over her wounds; she tried to pull away reflexively, but the tendrils’ grip on her held her firmly in place. Then, without warning, she felt the tendrils push themselves into the wound.

Twilight cried out in pain. She tried to curl up, kick, twist free… she did everything she could to escape from the pain, but the tendrils binding her limbs kept her firmly in place. Her body burned as she felt… something enter her. She felt a creeping across her brain as new knowledge was forced into it, overriding her thoughts so that nothing else remained. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to push back the foreign sensations, only for the tendrils to force them open again, and force her to look at the ever changing symbols that were the dragon’s eyes. Don’t be afraid… she heard the Princess say in her mind. Don’t fear this power. Accept it. Welcome it. Embrace it.

She stopped fighting. She simply allowed the knowledge to pour into her brain. She watched as the dragon began to shrink. It grew smaller and smaller- smaller than her, even- before eventually becoming nothing more than a wisp of smoke that streamed toward the wound, disappearing inside her. The pain faded, and Twilight… she…

She understood.

A feeling of peace washed over her. The green clouds rolled away, leaving only a clear blue sky. In her chest, she could feel a fire- not a blazing, uncontrollable inferno, but the comforting warmth of the hearth. She stood, silent, taking in the sight before her.

Sky above… Voice within.

“Lok bo… Thu’um tuum,” she said.

The world trembled at the sound of her Voice.

Twilight groaned. A light that was far too bright shone through her eyelids, filling her vision with red. Her entire body hurt, and she couldn’t help but notice an especially odd sensation just below her shoulders. She swore the she heard her eyelids creak as they opened- an icy ceiling greeted her. She tried to sit up, only to cry out as her stiff joints refused to cooperate.

Slowly, painfully, she turned her head; she could see Spike, standing at the side of the bed. His eyes swept over her for a moment, before returning to the spot directly in front of him. Suddenly, he straightened up, his attention darting right back to Twilight. “T… Twilight?” For a moment, he stared stunned. But then, immeasurable joy spread across his face. “Twilight!” he cried, throwing his arms around her neck. “You’re awake!” He let go. “J-Just… stay here. I’ll go get you some water.” He dashed off, returning a few moments later. He sat her up and held a crude wooden cup to her lips, and she drank, shivering as the cool liquid flowed into her throat and through the rest of her body. “Thank you,” she said weakly as he laid her down again.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Twilight,” he said. “You have no idea how worried I was about you. I mean, when you started foaming at the mouth, and Yolvahdin told me it was normal-”

She tried- and failed- to sit up again. “Wait… Spike… slow down. What happened?”

“Well, as soon as the ceremony was over, you started… convulsing, and foaming at the mouth and… I-I thought you were having a seizure. But then Yolvahdin said it was normal, and… well, you’ve been asleep for a while.”

“How long was I out?”

“…Two days.”

She failed to sit up for a third time. “What?”

“Don’t worry, me and Thorn have been keeping up with our training… when we haven’t been watching over you, of course.” He paused for a moment. “Oh, and Twilight? I think you should know that… something happened to you while you were asleep.”

Despite her body’s cries against it, Twilight’s fourth attempt to sit up was a successful. “What happened? What’s wrong with me?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that anything’s wrong with you- it’s just that you’re… different now.”

“Different how, exactly?”

“I’ll show you. But before I do, I need you to promise me something, Twilight.”

“What?”

“You have to promise me that no matter what you see, you won’t scream, okay? Just don’t scream.”

Twilight hesitated to answer. Why on earth would Spike make such an odd request? Had whatever happened to her really been that bad? She didn’t feel any different, but…

She closed her eyes, and replied cautiously, “…okay.”

“Come on then, let’s get you up.” With Spike’s assistance, Twilight climbed out of her bed. He walked her over to an especially reflective portion of the ice wall; her limbs loosened gradually, and before long she walked without her assistant’s aid. After a moment, she finally came close enough to see her reflection in the ice.

She was completely and utterly unprepared for what she was about to see.

…wings.

She had wings.

She. Had. Wings.

Sure, they were big, leathery, not at all like a normal pony’s… but they were wings all the same.

Twilight looked back, certain it was just a trick from the reflection, but it was no trick. They were still there, right there on her back, just behind her shoulder blades.

She put her hooves against the ice sheet and looked at her reflection, beginning to hyperventilate. “Hah… hah… hahah…”

“Twilight, Twilight calm down. Breathe, breathe…” Spike urged. But Twilight continued to hyperventilate, stammering unintelligently.

“I… I… what… how did… wha… ghhhk…” Twilight began foaming at the mouth. Her eyes rolled back, and she swayed for a moment before toppling over. By the time she hit the floor, she was already unconscious.

Chapter V: The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter V: The Calm before the Storm

“Oh this is bad. This is bad. So very very very very bad…” Twilight had been pacing so long that a small groove had begun to form in the floor. Ever since she’d woken from her fainting spell, she had been pacing and worrying incessantly.

“Twilight, it’s not as bad as you think it is,” Spike said to her as he sat on her bed, watching her pace.

“Not as bad? Not as bad? Spike, look at me! I look like a monster!” She flared out her wings without meaning to, as though to emphasis her point.

“You don’t look like a monster, Twilight,” Spike said for the hundredth time in the last hour as Twilight tried to force her wings down. “I actually think they look kinda nice.”

“Spike this isn’t a joke! The Princess is coming back to get us tonight! What if she sees me like this? Oh, she’s going to be furious…”

“Twilight, if they really bother you that much, then just cast a transformation spell on yourself to hide them.”

“A transfor- Spike, I don’t know that level of magic!”

“Says the filly who turned her parents into potted plants.”

“Spike, that was something totally different.”

“Well, it couldn’t hurt to try, could it?”

Twilight opened her mouth to say something else, but quickly shut it. Her horn began to glow, and there was a bright flash. Twilight looked back, hopeful… only to find the wings still attached to her back, now resembling a normal pegasus’s rather than a dragon’s. “Oh that didn’t work at all!” she cried in despair, stomping her hooves. “What am I supposed to do now?”

As Twilight despaired, Spike hopped off the bed and began walking toward her. “Just… use a spell to make them invisible or something. I don’t know.” He put a claw on her shoulder. “But listen Twilight. There’s something a lot more important that we need to talk about. You can Shout now. …Or, you should be able to at least. That’s what Yolvahdin said, right?”

Spike’s query brought Twilight back to the real world. “Yeah. That’s right.”

“So, why don’t we go up and see if you can Shout? We can worry about your wings later.” He patted her shoulder, but a small bolt of electricity formed in his hand, shocking her.

She jumped back. “Ow! Spike!”

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “That keeps happening and I don’t know how to make it stop.”

She rubbed the spot where Spike had shocked her. “What was that?”

“Well, I think my magic came in, Twilight. Watch.” He held out his hands, and concentrated as hard as he could. “Errrgg!” Nothing happened. “Wait- wait, hold on. Let me try again. Grrrr… hhaaagh!” This time, something happened; sparks arced across his claws, bridging the gaps between his fingers.

It was small sign… but it was enough.

She took his claw in her hoof and inspected it. “Spike…” she said, incredulous. “That’s…”

“So, do you think you could teach me how to use it?”

“I… I don’t know, Spike. Dragon magic and unicorn magic might be completely different. You’ll have to ask the Princess when she arrives.” She released him. “We should probably get up top, find out if I can really Shout.”

Spike nodded. “Yeah. And I’m sure Thorn and Yolvahdin will be glad to see you’re alright.” The two headed to the surface. But as they were about to emerge from the ice, Twilight heard voices. She stopped, Spike stopping alongside her, and listened- whoever was talking kept their voices low, but Twilight was still able to make out what they said.

“…I already told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she heard Thorn say.

“You may be able to deceive the kiir, the key and even the Kulaas… but you cannot deceive me. I know who you are,” Yolvahdin replied.

There was a momentary silence. “…Then you must know why I’m here.”

“I have my theories, but perhaps you would be willing to enlighten me.”

“LAAS.” Another brief silence. “Maybe another time- we have guests.”

“Twilight, what’re we waiting for?” Spike asked. “…Oh, I get it. You’re still nervous about your wings, huh? Well I’m sure Yolvahdin and Thorn can keep a secret. Now get out there.” He pushed her out into the open, before following her.

The elder dragons looked to them. “Twilight, you’re awake!” Thorn exclaimed. He then noticed the new addition to her form. “…and you apparently grew wings while you were asleep.”

“Yeah, I… I guess I did. Hehehe…” She laughed nervously, and looked away as she ran a hoof through her mane.

“So it seems,” Yolvahdin said. “Star Swirl experienced a similar phenomenon when he awoke from his slumber.” The red dragon approached Twilight. “Surviving the sosmir is no small feat, young one. By surviving this trial, the way of the Thu’um is open to you. Now, stand tall, and allow the world to hear the thunder of your Voice.”

Twilight looked up at the red dragon, then looked to Spike. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry Twilight, it’s real easy to Shout. You just have to take a deep breath, and shout ‘Fus Ro Dah’as loud as you can. Just make sure you’re not facing toward anypony first. Got all that?”

Twilight nodded, then turned away from the others. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and shouted as loud as her vocal cords would allow, “FUS… RO DAH!”

The blast literally knocked Twilight flat on her back. The ice beneath her hooves buckled as the absolutely massive shockwave passed, forcing it down and parting the waves before fading out far over the ocean. Twilight struggled to rise. “Ugh… my wing…” she groaned.

She never thought she’d say that.

“Whoa…” Spike said in awe. “Twilight, that was… amazing.”

“Indeed…” Yolvahdin said. “The strength of your Thu’um far surpasses that of the average dovah- it may rival even the strength of Alduin’s.” She looked down at the lavender unicorn. “Make no mistake, kiir- you are a dovah now, perhaps not in body, but most certainly in spirit. So before you depart from my care, I would like to bestow upon you one final gift- a title to designate your new status. From this day forward, you shall be known to dragonkind by the name… Qozul Strunkey.”

Thunder Unicorn? Twilight thought to herself. Seems a little… extravagant, but… She bowed her head. “Thank you, Yolvahdin.”

“It is an honor to call you my kin.” She looked to Spike. “If I recall correctly, you requested to train her in the Thu’um, Dovahkiin. Are you still willing?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“I’ll take my leave, then.” She departed.

“Oh Twilight, that was incredible! When we face Alduin, he’s definitely gonna think twice about attacking when he sees that!” Spike said excitedly. “Don’t you think so, Thorn?”

“Uh… yeah…” the elder dragon replied hesitantly- it was surprising how little use Shouts were with a slashed throat. He sat down on the ice. “I think I’ll stay up here and watch you guys for a while.”

The three remained on top of the iceberg for many hours. Thorn watched as Spike taught Twilight every Shout that he knew- she breathed fire and ice, became ethereal, cleared the skies, sprinted faster than the wind (plunging into the sea just as Spike had), called a storm, summoned fog, and even slowed time itself.

Before long, the sun began to dip low in the western sky. As Twilight looked to Celestia’s orb, she remembered the Princess herself, and her terror returned. “Oh no, I forgot!” she cried. “Spike, you have to help me! The Princess could be here at any minute!”

“Try giving that invisibility spell a shot. It might work.”

“But Spike-”

“Twilight, it might not be the best idea, but it’s all we’ve got.” She opened her mouth as though to say something, but then shut it. Her horn began to glow- slowly, her wings disappeared, until only a pair of short stumps remained. “You got a little more to cover, Twi.” The stumps disappeared as well. “See Twi? Now it’s like you never even-”

Spike was interrupted by a brilliant flash of light. “Ah, good, you’re all here,” the Princess said. “A moment please- I want to speak to Yolvahdin about Spike’s progress.” The Princess disappeared beneath the ice.

Spike, Twilight, and Thorn were left in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes. “So, uh…” Spike began, “…do you think Yolvahdin will tell the Princess?”

“I hope not,” Twilight replied. “She seems more interested in you though, Spike, so maybe it won’t come up.”

“Well, it’s not like you asked her to keep it a secret, you know…” Thorn said.

After another minute, the Princess joined them. “Well Spike, it seems that you’ve gone above and beyond even our most optimistic expectations. Yolvahdin isn’t easily impressed, but somehow, you managed.”

Spike scratched his head and looked away. “Oh, um… thanks.”

“I’m not the one you should be thanking, but I appreciate it all the same. Now gather round- we need to return to Canterlot.”

Spike hopped onto Twilight’s back, only for her to jolt, and small, pained gasp escaping her throat. “Ow, Spike…” she whispered in a mix of pain and irritation.

“Sorry,” he whispered back. “I didn’t mean to hit your wings.”

“You’re sitting on them! Scoot forward.”

“Is everything alright?” the Princess asked.

“Oh yes yes, of course,” Twilight replied quickly; Spike scooted off her wings and right up to the base of her neck. “Are you ready Spike?”

“

Yeah I’m ready are you ready?”

The Princess stared down at them for a moment, confused by their odd behavior. “If you’re done with your comedy routine…” she began, “then we should be off. Thorn?” The elder dragon approached. “Let’s go home.” Her horn glowed brightly, and the four disappeared in a flash of white light.

Once Spike’s stomach had settled, he realized they had arrived in the palace gardens. He hopped off Spike’s back, wobbling slightly as he walked. His whole body tingled. “Whoa… everything’s so… warm…” he said, mostly to himself.

“Hey Spike,” somepony said; the sudden voice from behind made Spike jump. “Twili. The Princess said you’d be coming back tonight.” Spike looked back to see a very familiar white stallion, though his new wife was nowhere in sight.

“Shining?” Twilight asked. “What’re you doing here? I thought you and Cadance were still on honeymoon.”

“We were,” Shining Armor replied. “The Princess brought us home. Literally- she teleported us here from Manehattan. She filled us in on what happened.” He looked up at Thorn. “Who’s that?”

“A friend.” She pawed the floor with her hoof, looking down. “Look, I’m sorry you got dragged into all this, Shiny.”

Her elder brother smiled broadly. “You kidding me? Why would I pass up a shot to help save the world? This is the kind of thing I live for, Twili!”

“Well it’s good to see the married life hasn’t slowed you down at all, bro,” Spike said, smiling- unbeknownst to him, Thorn smiled as well. “So, you fighting Alduin, too?”

“Nah, that’s your job. I’m just supposed to help you learn how to use a sword.”

Spike furrowed his brow in confusion. “Wait, what? Why?”

“It’s part of your training, Spike,” the Princess replied. “Even though your proficiency with the Voice has reached an acceptable level, there are still a number of skills you need to learn if you’re to survive your battle with Alduin- namely, the proper wielding of weapons and magic.” She gave young dragon a small smile. “But you can worry about that later. You should rest now- you’ll have quite a lot of work cut out for you over the next few days.”

Spike felt a gentle nudging on his shoulder. He brushed it away, rolling onto his other side- whatever it was, it could wait a few minutes. But he snapped awake when he heard a gentle, motherly voice say, “Good morning Spike.” He sat up, jumping when he found the Princess standing at the side of his bed.

“Oh uh… good morning, Princess,” he replied. “You’re here early.”

Without warning, Spike found himself being lifted out of bed by an invisible force. “Come on, up you go. You have a lot of work to do today.” He was set on the ground, and a large ruby was pushed into his hand. Spike ate it- spicy. As he ate, he had to run to keep up with the Princess as she left his and Twilight’s old room. “Where’re we goin’?” he asked, his mouth full of gem fragments.

“The sparring hall. You’ll begin today with weapons training.” The Princess and the young dragon snaked through the halls of the palace for some time, until they reached their destination. “Well, here we are. Go on in- I’ll be back in a little while to check on your progress.” The Princess departed, leaving the young dragon alone in the hall. He turned to the door, and stepped into the hall beyond.

Shining Armor was already waiting for him inside- save for a few practice dummies pushed to its edges, the room was otherwise empty. “Hey, there you are. Been waiting for you,” Shining said as Spike entered. His horn began to glow. “First, you’ll need this.” In a flash, a sheathed sword appeared in the air in front of Spike. Spike simply stared at the weapon. “Go on, take it.”

Reassured, Spike gripped the hilt and drew the sword from its scabbard. He was surprised by its weight- it wasn’t so heavy that he couldn’t lift it, but he’d never expected an actual sword to weigh so much.

“Heavy, isn’t it?” Shining asked. “I thought the same thing the first time I picked up a real sword. But you’ll get used to the weight soon enough. Now…” Shining’s horn glowed, and he levitated over a large log. “I want you to chop this log in half.”

“Alright.” Spike looked to the log. Then, he raised his sword and swung it with all his might.

The blade merely bounced off the log, clattering to the floor after the impact made Spike lose his grip. It didn’t even leave a scratch.

Shining brought a hoof to his chin as Spike retrieved his lost weapon. “Alright, first thing’s first: don’t swing with just your arms. You have to use your whole upper body. Try again, but this time, turn at your waist.”

Spike nodded, and drew his sword back, turning at the waist just as Shining had asked. Then, he swung the sword again. It sank into the wood about a third of the way- it wasn’t the clean cut Spike had hoped for, but it was a start.

“A lot easier now, right?” Shining asked. “Now, move your hands a little- your grip is off.”

Spike looked at his hands. “How can you be sure? You don’t even have hands.”

“Who’s the soldier here, me or you?”

“Fine, fine…” Spike fixed his grip. “Is that better?”

“Much. Now give it another swing…”

Spike spent the rest of the morning learning the bare fundamentals of wielding a sword, then both a sword and a shield. But after some hours, his practice was interrupted by a visit from the Princess. “I’m terribly sorry to interrupt,” she said as she entered.

“It’s no trouble at all, your highness,” Shining replied. “What do you need?”

“Well… I need Spike. It’s time for him to begin the next part of his training.”

“Yes, Princess.” He looked down at Spike. “I guess we’re done for today, little guy. We’ll keep going tomorrow.”

Spike handed back his sword. “Right. See you then.” He followed the Princess out of the hall.

As the two walked down the hall, she handed him an emerald- mint-flavored. “Where’re we going now?” he asked.

“Back to your room. Twilight will help you get a better handle on your new magical abilities. Of course, I’ll be supervising to make sure nothing goes wrong.” The Princess stopped in front of a very familiar door and stepped inside- sure enough, Twilight and Spike’s old bedroom lay beyond. The lavender unicorn herself ran to and fro, a number of items used for magical training floating about her. “P-Princess!” she stammered. “I’m sorry! I thought I’d have everything set up before you brought Spike back.”

“It’s alright, Twilight. You may begin whenever you’re ready,” Celestia replied. Twilight nodded to her, before spending the next few moments finishing her preparations. She slid to a stop in front of the young dragon, trying to catch her breath.

“Now Spike… I know you’re probably feeling a lot of things right now…” she began. She seemed nervous at first, no doubt due to the Princess’s presence, but relaxed as she went on. “You might be feeling nervous or excited or maybe even a little scared… but when you’re working with magic, you need to push all of that aside. Magic is, by its very nature, volatile, and extremely dangerous. It takes years, decades even to fully master its power. But obviously, we don’t have that much time on our hands…”

Spike only vaguely listened to Twilight’s words- magic is volatile and highly dangerous, if not controlled it can and will destroy you, eagerness must be tempered with caution… blah blah blah, boring boring boring. Her little spiel was literally, word-for-word, the preface of the famous treatise On Magic, written by Star Swirl the Bearded; it could be found in almost every book even loosely related to the field of magic written after his death, in one form or another.

“…I know you’ve heard this all before, Spike, but it’s important that you understand it now more than ever. So with all that out of the way, we can begin the lesson.”

Finally… the young dragon thought to himself.

“We’ll start off with something basic, Spike. First I want you to lift up this-” Spike held out an arm, lifting up the orb set on the floor in front of him. As he moved his arm, the orb followed- he drew elaborate patterns in the air and made the orb orbit around him, all without laying even one talon on it. Twilight couldn’t lie; it was an impressive display, if a bit reckless.

He finished by tossing the ball high into the air, stopping it just a few inches before it hit the floor. “Show off…” Twilight mumbled. She then said out loud, “Alright then, we’ll move on to something a little more complicated. For your next step, you’re going to learn how to make a fire. First, hold out your claw.” Spike did. “Now in your head, picture a fire.” Spike closed his eyes, and pictured a fire in his mind. “Really imagine it Spike: the heat, the colors, the scent… spare no details.” Spike strained as he imagined the flame as vividly as he could, but as he focused, he could feel something… hot in his hand. He opened his eyes and looked.

A fire was burning right in the palm of his hand.

He yelped, shaking his hand and dispelling the flames. The flame didn’t actually harm him, but suddenly finding yourself gripping a burning flame would be enough to make anypony jump. He quickly composed himself. “Oh I… I’m sorry,” he stammered. He closed his eyes and focused again, reigniting the fire in just a matter of moments.

Twilight leaned in to inspect the flame. “That’s excellent, Spike! I’ve never seen somepony create fire so quickly. I think you’ve-” The flame suddenly flared up, almost reaching the ceiling and setting the tip of Twilight’s mane alight. She patted the flame out. “…Maybe we should work with a less dangerous element… like wind. Picture it in your mind again. Imagine all the traits of wind…”

Spike did as his teacher asked, picturing the only kind of wind that could be seen with the naked eye- a tornado. The cyclone’s roar, the swirling clouds, the wind whipping against his scales… all of these he imagined as fully as possible, and before long, a small vortex swirled in his palm.

“Alright Spike, that’s very good. Now take your time with this next part, there’s no need to rush. I want you to-”

But Spike didn’t wait. Instead, he thrust out his arm, unleashing a powerful gale that pushed Twilight back about a foot and scattered the room’s various loose items. “Oh this is awesome! It’s just like that book The Colt in the Iceberg! Now all I need are some arrow tattoos…”

“Spike, please keep your attention focused on the matter at hand,” the Princess requested.

“Oh… right.” He quickly conjured up another miniature cyclone. “What next, Twilight?”

The lesson moved forward from there, albeit much more slowly than Spike would have liked. Not helping matters was that Twilight constantly prattled on about the importance of taking things slowly. Didn’t she herself say they had little time to waste? But eventually, the Princess once again interrupted the lesson. “That’s a good stopping point for today, Twilight,” she said, standing up.

Spike closed his fist, banishing the small sphere of light he had summoned. “But Princess…” Twilight began. “There’s still so much I have to go over. I haven’t even taught Spike any transfiguration spells yet.”

“There are still five days between now and Alduin’s return- Spike has the time to learn. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to finish lowering the sun.” She began to walk for the door, but stopped. “Oh, I nearly forgot- here you are, Spike.” She levitated a diamond into his hands, before leaving.

“Aww, I hate diamonds…” Spike mumbled. “They always give me gas…”

“Come on Spike, let’s go.” She began to leave the room as well.

Spike followed, diamond in hand. “Go? Go where?”

“The library. We might not be able to practice magic, but the Princess didn’t say you couldn’t read up on it.”

“But Twilight, I’ve already read all your books on magic. You made me read them when you got all paranoid and wanted somepony to subdue you in case you ever lost control of your magic again.”

“Then you’ll read them again. Spike it’s very important that you understand the principles behind magic- if you do, then theoretically, no spell should be beyond you.”

“She’s right, you know,” another voice said from behind, making both jump. They looked back, to find Thorn following them.

“Oh, it’s you,” Twilight said. “So, where have you been all day?”

“Looking around the palace- it’s been a while since I’ve seen it all in one piece.”

Spike looked up to the elder dragon. “You’ve been here before?”

“Yeah.” The three entered the library, becoming lost amongst its shelves. “It was a long time ago, though. Well… I suppose it wouldn’t be too long for you, but…” Thorn shook his head. “N-Never mind. Don’t worry about it.” He put a claw to his temple. “Alright, where did we leave off last time?” The elder dragon fell silent as he tried to remember his last talk with Spike.

“Oh, strategy talk,” Twilight said. She began to back away from the dragons. “I’ll go find those books for you, Spike. You should stay and listen to Thorn.”

“Hold up Twilight, you should stay too.” She stayed. “You’ll be fighting Alduin, so you’re gonna want to hear this.” He sat down. “Oh, that’s right… Twilight, you started teaching Spike how to use magic today, right?”

Twilight sat down as well. “Yeah. Why?”

“Well I’m sorry to disappoint you both, but magic isn’t all that effective against Alduin. Most spells just bounce right off his scales.”

“What?” Twilight exclaimed, earning a few dirty looks from the library’s other patrons. She lowered her voice. “Then what am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know. I hate to say this, but we might have to put you in a supporting role, at least at first.”

“No way. I am not sitting on the sidelines. I told you that I was going to protect Spike, and that is exactly what I intend to do. End of story.”

“Then do that. Just be sure you don’t get yourself killed doing it.”

“What about you and me?” Spike asked. “What’ll we be doing?”

“Obviously, you’ll be leading the assault, Spike- you’re the only one who can bring down Alduin, after all. So it’ll be our job to keep Alduin’s attention away from you.”

“And what are you going to do?” Twilight asked.

“Simple- I’ll be the bait.”

“Thorn that’s crazy,” Spike said. “If the Princess-”

“I’ve squared off against Alduin more times than I care to remember,” Thorn interrupted. “Trust me, I’ll be fine.” He mentally added, If I killed him once, then I can do it again. He began to stand up, massaging his temple. “Well, we all know our roles in the battle to come, so I’ll just let you get back to… whatever you were doing.”

“Hold on Thorn, that can’t be all,” Twilight said. “I mean, you’ve fought Alduin; what does he normally do when you fight him?”

Thorn sat down again. “Well, Aduin usually starts off with some sort of offensive Shout, tries to separate his targets from one another. Then, he’ll take to the skies and call in a storm to pin them down and keep them from regrouping…” Thorn spent a considerable amount of time covering every possible action Alduin could take during their battle, and how to counter it; by the time the elder dragon had finished, a librarian approached to tell them that the library had closed a few minutes before, but that she didn’t want to disturb their discussion.

As the three exited the library, Thorn said to Spike and Twilight, “Well, I suppose this would be a good place for us to meet up again tomorrow. I’ll see you then.” He slinked away.

“Where do you think he goes all the time?” Spike asked, as he and Twilight headed back to their room.

“I have no idea…” She suddenly stopped, knocking a hoof against her head. “Oh, I’m an idiot… I forgot to grab your book.” She paused for a moment. “…Oh, right. I can just do this.” Her horn glowed, and she poofed in a book with a worn black cover. She levitated it into Spike’s hands. “Here you go.”

Spike looked at the book pushed into his hands. On Magic. Goody.

“Now I’m not expecting you to read the whole thing,” Twilight said, “but I want you to read the section in chapter four on offensive spells. It’ll help you understand tomorrow’s lesson better.”

Spike read as he walked, knowing the route between the library and Twilight’s room by heart. He flopped down in his basket, not taking his eyes off his assigned material for even a moment. Not wishing to disturb him, Twilight summoned another book from her library and began to read as well. For some time, only the occasional sound of a turning page breaking the silence until…

Spike set his book down. “Twilight? I’m finished.”

She looked up from her book, eyeing him suspiciously. “You’re done already? Did you actually read it?”

“Twilight, I’ve read this whole thing.” Spike held up the book for emphasis. “Four times, no less.”

Twilight opened her mouth, but quickly shut it again, her ears flattening against her head. “…You make a convincing argument.”

Spike sat up in his basket. “Twilight? Can I… confess something?”

She set her book down and looked at him. “What did you do?”

He looked away. “Well, I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just… I’m worried. Everypony keeps telling me that I can beat Alduin, and you and Thorn and Shining have been helping me out, but… I don’t know if I can do it. What if… what if I fail?”

Twilight snapped her book shut and set it on her nightstand. For a long while, the room was silent. Then, the lavender unicorn asked, “Spike, could you come here for a moment?” Spike climbed out of his basket and approached Twilight’s bed. As soon as the young dragon was close enough, she wrapped her forelegs around him and pulled him close.

“Listen to me. When Alduin comes back, we’re gonna go out there- you, me, and Thorn. We’re going to fight him, and we will win. You hear me? Alduin will not win this. I won’t let him.” She released him, and climbed beneath her sheets. “It’s getting late. You should get some sleep. Goodnight, Spike.”

He hopped into his basket again, and pulled the covers over himself as well. “Goodnight Twilight.”

That was the routine Spike fell into for the next several days. After waking and breakfast at dawn, Spike’s weapons training with Shining Armor commenced in the guards’ sparring hall. At noon came lunch, and Spike resumed his magic training with Twilight right after, the Princess supervising. At sunset, he switched to strategizing with Thorn and Twilight in the library. When that was done, he and Twilight would head back to their room to read up on magical theory, and spend a few moments together to reflect on the day before going to bed.

“Spike, widen your stance.”

“What? My stance is fine.”

Shining Armor swung his sword at Spike; the young dragon blocked it with his shield, but the force of the blow knocked him off his feet and onto his rear. Before he could rise, the guard captain pointed the tip of his sword at his chest. “Obviously, it wasn’t,” he said.

Shining took his sword away, allowing Spike to rise to his feet. “A fight isn’t just about attacking or defending, Spike. Your footing, your center of balance, how you stand… all of these can be just as important as swinging your sword. We’ve talked about this.”

“I know, I know. But it isn’t like I’ll be fighting Alduin in a swordfight, you know.”

“I do. But a proper stance is still very important. It keeps you from being knocked off balance easily, and lets you to react quickly to your opponent’s actions.” Shining raised his sword. “Now, show me your stance.”

Spike assumed the stance Shining Armor had shown him. “Widen your legs.” Spike did as he was asked. “Alright, now bend your knees a little.” Spike did. “That’s better.” Shining swung his sword at Spike again, and the young dragon blocked with his shield; he was pushed back a little… but remained on his feet. “You see?” Shining asked. “Isn’t that better?”

“Yeah,” Spike replied. “Better.”

“Alright.” He smiled. “Now let’s see what else you’ve got.”

“Come on Spike, concentrate. The magic missile is one of the most basic offensive spells. It’s not that hard to cast.”

“That’s easy for you to say, Twilight- you’ve been using magic since before you were born!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

“Ever heard of prenatal casting? Mom and Shining told me you were using all kinds of magic when you weren’t even born yet.”

“Spike I don’t really think that’s an indication of magical skill…”

“That’s not the point, Twilight. The point is you’ve been using magic for your whole life- I haven’t. What you might think is easy… might not be so easy for me.”

“Okay then. But keep trying.”

“I am, but all that happens is I make lightning.”

“Keep trying.”

“I don’t know about this, Twilight. Maybe I should be focusing more on defensive magic.”

“Why would you say that?”

“You remember what Thorn said, right. Alduin’s almost completely invulnerable to magic.”

“Well invincible or not, you still need to learn how to control your magic. It won’t exactly help us if you go for a killing blow and end up accidentally hitting me with a fireball. And besides, ‘almost’ doesn’t mean the same thing as ‘completely.’ Maybe you can cut open a hole in his scales, or maybe his inside isn’t as invulnerable as the outside… But, you did bring up a good point. I should teach you a ward spell- it might help protect you from Alduin’s Shouts. …You know what a ward is, right?”

Spike nodded. “Yeah, I remember.”

“Good. Close your eyes.” Spike did. “Now, I want you to picture in your mind… a shield…”

He watched the small camp in silence. Its inhabitants remained were fast asleep, unaware of the death that lurked not ten yards away in the darkness surrounding them. Only five remained in the group now, but coming here, even during the night, posed a tremendous risk to him- the group still held the Dovahkiin, and two of the most powerful joorre the world had ever known.

Suddenly, he saw one of the sleepers stir. He ducked down so as not to be seen, and observed as a pony stood- he realized it was the yellow viingkey, the bearer of the Element of Kindness. She walked away from the camp and into the surrounding woods, jumping at every small sound, at every stray branch that brushed against her body. He followed her silently- no small feat with the thick underbrush and the trees packed so closely together.

Eventually, she came to a small clearing, and looked around nervously. “Oh, this is so embarrassing…” she said to no one in particular. “I wish we were closer to a bathroom…”

She took her eyes off of him. Taking the opportunity, he approached silently and whispered into her ear, “Drem yol lok, mal key.”

The viingkey seized, falling stiffly to her side with a tiny, almost inaudible yelp. He could see that her eyes were squeezed shut, her mouth wide as though she were screaming… but no sound emerged from her throat. She rolled onto her back, bringing a hoof to her gold necklace- the pink butterfly gem flickered for several moments, before going dark. She began to push herself away; he followed, until her back met a tree. She stared up at him, paralyzed with fear, a large dark spot appearing on the ground beneath her.

The viingkey cried, burying her face in her hooves. “I’m sorry…” she wept. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

He brought his face right up to her. “Why do you apologize?” Her lips moved as she tried to reply, but again, nothing came out. Her voice returned after a moment. “Please…” she whimpered. “…please don’t eat me.”

He should devour her. He knew this. But for some reason, the thought of inflicting pain on the viingkey… troubled him. He pressed his nose into her chest, pinning her against the tree… not that she would have gone anywhere, paralyzed with fear as she was. Then, he dragged a talon on his wing across her side, leaving behind a deep gouge; she gasped, but could not find her voice to scream. He pulled away, watching the blood pour from her body; she pressed her hooves against the fresh wound, as though they would somehow stem the flow of blood. She would be dead in a matter of minutes.

The viingkey began to cry again. Her breaths became shallow as her body turned deathly pale. “I’m sorry…” Her voice was nearly inaudible. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

With every moment that passed, the breaths of the viingkey grew fainter, and fainter. Before long, they stopped entirely, her face forever on the verge of tears. He tried to turn away, to leave, but something kept him rooted. It didn’t feel… right, to simply leave the viinkgey like this. He looked around, before spotting a small flower growing at the base of a young oak. He picked it, and slid it into her mane.

For a reason that he would never be able to adequately explain even to himself the act felt… appropriate.

With that, he spread his wings, and disappeared into the darkness of the night sky.

Thorn awoke. He sat up, bringing a claw to his temple. For ten years, he’d had to watch his friends die, from both Alduin’s perspective and his own. The others had suffered such horrible deaths- Alduin cutting Twilight’s throat and impaling her on his tail, Rainbow Dash being partly devoured, Pinkie and Rarity getting caught in the cannon explosion, Applejack burning alive… but why did he show mercy to Fluttershy? He’d searched through Alduin’s memories countless times, but it seemed even the black dragon himself couldn’t provide a satisfactory answer.

The dark purple dragon climbed out of bed and left his room. He wouldn’t be going to sleep for a while- a walk would help to clear his head. His mind reeled as he walked through the palace corridors, their walls and floors intact, lined by endless amounts of paintings and tapestries. He passed a few guards on their nightly patrol who stepped aside as he passed, though whether it was out of respect or fear he was uncertain. He wandered aimlessly through the palace, from its highest spires to its deepest, dankest cellars, but his mind would not rest no matter where he went.

Thorn finally stopped at north edge of the gardens and sat, unmoving. It was… surreal,seeing everything bathed in the soft light of the moon again. There was an empty space in front of him, but when he closed his eyes, he saw it, saw the name carved on its surface. He slowly brought up his claw, expecting to meet the hard stone, but instead found only air.

“Hey.” Thorn couldn’t help but shiver- the Princess being alive once more was something he still wasn’t quite used to. “Trouble sleeping?”

He sighed. “…I buried her here. Did you know that?”

She sat down next to him. “Is that so?”

“She always told me how much she loved the gardens. They were her favorite part of the palace… after the library, or course. I would’ve buried her there, but… well, there wasn’t enough library left to bury her in.”

“…What about the others? Did you bury them here as well?”

Thorn drew his knees against his chest. “No. In those days, we were always right on Alduin’s tail- we couldn’t afford to take them back to Canterlot so we just… buried them where they fell. Except for Luna. After the moon fell there wasn’t anything left for us to bury.”

The Princess spluttered- it was the first time he had ever heard her do so. “Did… did you just… the moon…?” she stammered.

“Yeah. We’d chased Alduin to some city on the other side of the desert behind the Swayback Mountains- never learned the name…”

The masked stallion dragged his hoof across the asphalt, creating a long trail of sparks. They ignited a thin wisp of fire that exploded into a massive torrent of flame when the red stallion thrust his hoof forward, toward the massive black dragon that had landed in the street. Alduin simply walked through the fire, unharmed, before seizing the stallion and crushing him in his jaws.

But in the blink of an eye, Spike appeared before him. Alduin dropped the stallion in his mouth and snapped his head forward, jaws wide to seize his new quarry. Spike fearlessly batted the black dragon’s head aside with his shield, before, slicing at his throat. The wound drew a small trickle of blood, but wasn’t the killing blow Spike had expected, (and hoped for). And the young dragon paid dearly for his miscalculation; Alduin spun, slamming his tail against Spike’s body and sending him flying into a neighboring building. The black dragon inhaled deeply, but his concentration was interrupted when several magic missiles ricocheted off his scales. He looked to see three angry alicorns approaching him, their horns alight.

“YOL… TOOR… SHUL!” The burst of fire tore down the street, but came to a halt once it struck Twilight’s ward. She charged, inhaling deeply before she Shouted back “FO… KRAH DIIN!” The dragon barely even flinched when the blast of sheer cold struck him. “WULD… NAH… KEST!” With a great thunderclap, the young alicorn found herself nose to nose with the black dragon. He snapped his jaws at her- the ward Twilight threw up just in time held his jaws at bay… but not his wing, which shattered the ward and knocked Twilight onto her back. He lunged forward, but Twilight heard Spike Shout “IIZ!” Alduin’s jaw was instantly encased in ice as the young dragon charged past her.

The black dragon spotted the Dovahkiin. He reared back, the ice encasing his mouth slamming against the asphalt, but Spike dived out of the way… directly into the path of Alduin’s wing. “FEIM!” The wing passed through Spike; seizing his opportunity, he raised his sword and left a deep, ragged wound in the black dragon’s wing. The ice surrounding the dragon’s mouth shattered as he roared in pain. The hate in Alduin’s gaze was palpable as he looked down at Spike. “Pahlok joorre,”he growled. He reared back…

But before he could Shout, a glowing tendril wrapped around his neck, and yanked him onto his back. Ahead, Spike saw Celestia and Luna, the tendril terminating at the elder sister’s horn. Alduin quickly righted himself and spun again, his tail extended. Spike and Luna ducked beneath the attack; Twilight was not so fortunate, and she was batted through the upper floors of an apartment building. The movement also yanked Celestia through the air, and she slammed against another building. The tendril faded as rubble piled on top of her. The black dragon pounced on the princess of the night; her horn began to glow, but he gripped it in his claw in an unbreakable hold.

There was an ear-shattering snap. Luna cried out in unspeakable agony as blood flowed from her fresh wound.

Alduin tossed the horn aside and looked down at her. Spike charged him again, but the black dragon simply seized the Dragonborn with his tail and tossed him away. “So, you must be the Kulaassevulon,” he said. “I’ve heard the tales that have been told of you, and I must admit, upon finally meeting you… I’m rather disappointed. It’s difficult to imagine that youfought Celestia to a standstill. Hmph, no matter- you stand against me, and so you shall fall.” He reared back, and sank his teeth into her exposed chest.

Celestia emerged from the rubble, just in time to see Alduin tear open her sibling’s chest. It was the last thing she saw before her heart exploded in rage.

Without any conscious thought on her part, she charged, a fearsome roar tearing out of her throat, tears of fury flowing down her face. Alduin breathed a long stream of fire at her, but it proved utterly ineffective against her ward. The black dragon reared back, but the Princess leapt onto him, stabbing her horn into his neck. She stabbed and stabbed and stabbed as a seemingly endless stream of profanity and curses left her mouth, too enraged to cast any spells, to do anything other than inflict as much pain on her enemy as physically possible.

But Aludin easily seized the Princess in his jaws, and slammed her against the ground. Then, he spread his wings and took flight. Spike sprinted up the street to the Princess’s side and Shouted after him “FO… KRAH DIIN!” but the icy plume missed its mark. Twilight fired a tremendous bolt of lightning from her horn as she also raced to join Celestia, but this too was evaded. As she rose to her feet, Celestia’s horn crackled, and another glowing tendril shot out of it, wrapping around Alduin’s body. “Do you really think I’m letting you get away that easily, you bastard!?” she shouted up at him. But what she saw in the sky next to him made her freeze. The tendril dissipated, and Alduin became lost in the night sky.

“Princess, what’s the matter?” Spike shouted. “Alduin’s getting away! We have to stop him!”

“Spike, look,” a stunned Twilight said, pointing a hoof to the sky.

“Twilight we don’t have time for-” His words stopped when his eyes fell on the moon.

When the night had begun, the moon was merely a white sliver. Now, it was full, a burning, fiery red… and grew larger with each passing second.

The moon… was falling out of the sky.

“Dear… Aura…” Celestia stammered. As the moon fell, she stumbled back, trying to formulate some kind of plan. Twilight rushed up and tugged her teacher’s leg. “Princess come on! We have to get out of here!”

“There… there’s no time! Get down!” She dived protectively on top of both Spike and Twilight, throwing up a magical barrier for extra protection. The impact came not seconds later. It was like a punch in the gut, completely winding all three despite the barrier. Spike watched as the world was consumed by fire; so bright were the flames that they momentarily blinded him. If anypony screamed, the others wouldn’t have known- their voices were lost in the sound of the world breaking apart. Spike and Twilight held onto the Princess for dear life, and in return she held them. Celestia’s horn glowed brightly as she maintained the barrier holding the hellfire at bay; but she would shield them with her own body if it meant they would be safe.

The world trembled and shook for what felt like both an eternity and only a few brief moments. But mercifully, it came to an end. The crushing grip the Princess held on her students finally loosened, and she fell to her side, gasping and coughing. Twilight and Spike struggled to breathe as well- the air was choked by dust and ash. “L… lo… LOK!” Twilight sputtered- the dust was forced back, giving the three a brief respite. Twilight and Spike looked at each other, nodded wordlessly, and Shouted together, “LOK… VAH KOOR!” The impenetrable black cloud surrounding them rolled back to reveal…

…nothing. The city that had surrounded them not moments ago… was now completely, entirely gone. As Twilight looked around, it took several moments for her to process where they were now.

A crater. The three now stood in the basin of an unimaginably massive crater.

Spike dropped to his knees, his shield and sword clattering against the ground. He took off his helmet, as though somehow that would dispel the sight before him. “Did… did that really just… happen?” he stammered.

A pained groan from behind caught their attention, and the two looked back. The Princess tucked her legs beneath her, and tried to stand. But after only a few moments, she fell back onto her side, unable find the strength to do it. As she lay, gasping for breath, she hacked and coughed, drops of red escaping from her mouth.

Twilight was at the Princess’s side in the blink of an eye. “Hold on Princess,” she said, her horn glowing, “you’re gonna be fine.”

“No…” Celestia replied weakly, spitting up a small amount of blood. “No I won’t.”

Spike rushed to the Princess’s side as well, a white glow appearing in his claw. “Come on Princess, don’t talk like that. We’ll heal you up, and then you’ll be just fine, you’ll see.”

“Were it so easy…” The Princess inhaled deeply. “I’m afraid using that much magic all at once has taken a terrible toll. I fear I don’t have much time left.”

“Don’t say that…” Twilight’s eyes shimmered. “There has to be something we can do…”

“And there is. Could you… bend down a little for me, Twilight?” Twilight did as the Princess asked; when she was closer, the alicorn leaned up to touch their horns together.

There was a blinding flash of light when Celestia touched her horn to Twilight’s. When the light faded, Spike’s jaw dropped at what he saw. The Princess was… smallernow, being no larger than Twilight; her mane and tail were no longer their usual glittering multicolored selves, but instead a solid pink, and hung flat instead of waving in the air freely. But it was the changes to Twilight that stunned Spike most of all- she was huge, statuesque, her horn was longer and sharper, and while they retained their usual coloration, her mane and tail glittered and flowed as though caught in a breeze.

Twilight looked down at herself, at the changes to her body, a horrified expression spreading across her face. “What… what did you do?” she stammered.

“What I’d always intended to…” the Princess wheezed in reply. “Granted, these aren’t exactly the- gah!… the circumstances I’d intended, but this is the day I’ve been preparing you for since I took you on… hah… as my student.”

“But Princess-”

“I’m not the Princess anymore, dear. Youare.”

Tears began to spill out of Twilight’s eyes. “No… no, please…don’t leave me. I- weneed you…”

Celestia gasped. “…Come here for a moment.” Twilight bent down; Celestia whispered something in her ear, but Spike couldn’t make out what she said. Twilight pulled back. “You have everything you need now, Twilight. The rest is… up to you…” The rise and fall of Celestia’s chest became less and less pronounced, and after a few moments, it ceased completely. Then, Spike and Twilight could only watch as flakes of ash began to rise from her lifeless body, as though consumed by invisible flames, until all that remained were bones.

Twilight let out a choked sob before biting her hoof to silence herself. Wiping her eyes, she turned away. “Come on Spike.” Her voice wavered uncontrollably. “We need to leave.”

“But what about the Princess?” Spike asked. “We can’t just leave her like this.”

“Y-Y-You take c-care of her. I can’t… I just can’t…” She fell silent, shuddering violently.

Spike buried the Princess alone. When he was done, Twilight raced off to the edge of the crater as he struggled to keep up. But Twilight began to slow down as time passed, until eventually, she was barely moving at all. Then, she fell to her knees. Spike came to her side. “Twilight, are you okay?” he asked. He received no answer.”Twi?”

She let out a choked sob. Then another. And before long, Twilight was bawling. Not merely crying, sobbing, or weeping, but bawling, like a foal. Spike wrapped his arms around Twilight’s neck. “Hey, it’s… it’s okay…” he said to her, not entirely believing himself. “We still have each other. And-”

Twilight pounced on him, throwing her forelegs around his body, pressing her lips against his. All he could manage was a surprised “Mmmph?” before they toppled to the ground, with her on top of him. Spike was too surprised to push his mother surrogate off of him, to kiss back, to do anything other than stare up at her in stunned, wide-eyed silence.

After what felt like forever, Twilight pulled away. “S-S-Spike…” Her voice was a whisper as countless lines of tears streamed down her face. “I… I need… Hold me. Please.”

“Twilight…” he began, “I don’t think that’s-”

“Spike…” she sobbed. Her tears dropped onto his face like rain. “Please… I… I need you right n-now. Please Spike… please…”

Spike stared up at her, his heart breaking as he saw the pain and hurt in Twilight’s eyes. He relented, wrapping his arms around her neck. “It’s okay Twilight. I’m here for you.”

They kissed. Then, they kissed again.

When Spike awoke some time later, he found Twilight already awake, sitting with her back turned to him. The air was still, but her mane flowed as though caught in a breeze. “Twilight?” he asked, rising to his feet.

…I’m okay, Spike,” she replied. Her voice was completely flat, dead. “And I’m sorry about… what happened last night. I was weak. But I won’t let it happen again.” She stood. “We need to get going. The Prin- I mean, Celestiaasked us one last favor.” She began to walk away, and Spike hurried to join her.

“Twilight and I… we never did get a chance to talk about that night… about what it meant.” Thorn looked down sadly as his claws.

For a long while, Celestia said nothing, merely processing all the information she had been given. “So, you… and Twilight…?

“She needed someone to… be there for her. To comfort her. And I was all she had left.” He looked over at the Princess. “I suppose it was fair- she did the same for me after we lost Rarity. Well, not… that, but… y-you get what I mean.” He was silent for a moment, and then looked over at her. “…are you going to them about the portal?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Spike,” the Princess replied quickly.

Thorn saw right through her lie. “Oh, but you do. You told Twilight, and then she told me.”

Celestia sighed. “…with any luck, they’ll never need to know. But if the situation becomes… unfavorable, then I’ll tell them, but not a moment before.”

“Fair enough.” He stood up. “But if you don’t mind me asking, what sort of circumstances would you call ‘unfavorable?’”

“If Spike- if you can’t kill Alduin… if he escapes, then I tell them. But not a moment before.”

“Twilight?”

The lavender unicorn let out a small yelp, dropping a large stack of books right on top of her. “Oh, I’m sorry!” the voice said, and the pile of books levitated off of Twilight. “I didn’t mean to surprise you.

Twilight looked to the source of the voice; her jaw dropped when her eyes fell on a pink alicorn. “…Cadance?”

Cadance smiled broadly, before lowering herself down. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs… awake…” she began to sing, but trailed off when she realized Twilight didn’t intend to join her. She stood upright. “I guess now isn’t really the time for that, huh?”

Twilight turned back to the shelves. “I heard you came back with Shining, but I haven’t seen you around at all. Where have you been all this time?”

“I’ve been asking around, trying to see if there’s any way I can help, but so far… nothing. Anyway, what are you doing here, Twilight?”

“I’m getting a few books about magic for Spike. To supplement his lessons.” She traced her hoof across along a line of books. “Cadance, I um… I’m really sorry that we interrupted your honeymoon.”

“It’s fine- this isn’t the first time Shining’s job pulled him away from a date. It’s just something I’ve learned to accept.”

“Well if you want, once this mess is taken care of, you and Shining could come down to Ponyville and my friends and I could make it up to you.”

The alicorn furrowed her brow. “…Are you hitting on me?”

“W-What? No!” Twilight stammered, her face turning bright red.“I just… it was only…”

Cadance laughed. “Oh Twilight, I was just kidding.” She picked up a few more of the books Twilight dropped. “I just wanted to cheer you up. You seem stressed.”

“Gee, I wonder why that could be? It certainly can’t be because in five days a dragon bent on destroying life as we know it will return and that another dragon who I’ve raised since I was five might get killed trying to protect us from him. Nope, that can’t be it.”

“Come on Twilight, it can’t be that bad. I mean, Celestia told me how you and your friends brought down Discord, how you freed Luna from Nightmare Moon’s control. Spike will be fine.”

“Those times were different, Cadance- I had my friends with me. Spike has to face Alduin alone.”

“What are you so worried about? You’ll be with him. And Spike’s learning from the best. Besides, you remember all those bedtime stories, the ones with an ancient prophecy about a hero rising up to vanquish the darkness, don’t you?”

“I do…” Twilight looked up at Cadance. “But those are just stories. This is reality. We don’t have a guaranteed happy ending here. Spike could-”

Cadance put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, and began stroking her back. “Twilight, don’t think like that. Things will… they’ll work out. You might have to fight for it, but you’ll get your happy ending. You’ll see…”

But as Cadance’s hoof ran down Twilight’s back, she felt… something, and Twilight’s strange shivers made her suspicious. One quick spell was all that was needed to dispel the illusion.

“Twilight? Are those-” she began as she stared at Twilight’s back.

Twilight stuffed a hoof into Cadance’s mouth, silencing her. “Oh hey would you mind carrying some of these to my room?” She quickly pushed a whole stack of books into Cadance’s forelegs as her horn glowed, her wings slowly disappearing. “I need to get back there before Spike finishes his lesson with Shiny.”

“Twilight…” Cadance began. “What happened to you?”

Twilight set her books down. “…It’s a long story. But before I tell you, you have to promise me that you won’t tell anypony about it, or about what you saw here. Especially the Princess.”

Cadance set down her books and sat down. “What could be so bad that you have to hide it from Celestia?” Twilight didn’t reply. “Twilight, come on- I’m your friend.” Twilight continued to say nothing. She sighed. “Alright, you have my word that I won’t tell anyone, including the Princess.”

Twilight turned around, and sat down as well. “…It was a few days ago, after the Princess brought Spike and me up north to begin his Voice training…”

Spike flopped into his basket, exhausted. His arms and legs were sore, and his brain felt as though it were ready to burst. “Rough day?” Twilight asked- she sat on her bed, reading a heavy book with a badly worn cover.

He merely grunted in reply.

“That bad, huh? Well alright- you don’t have to do any reading tonight.”

“Thanks.” He looked up at her from his basket. “What’re you reading?”

“A book written in the dragon language. The Princess let me borrow it.”

“What’s it about?”

“Actually, I’m not reading for content. I’m just looking for words.”

Fighting against his aching muscles, he climbed out of his basket and sat on Twilight’s bed. “Why? You planning to make up your own Shouts or something like that?”

She shook her head. “No, nothing like that. It’s just… well, the Thu’um-” The room shook. “…sorry, the Voice isn’t like any kind of magic I’ve ever seen before. It seems like all you need is one word, and then reality itself is at your mercy. And dragons have been using it for… thousands of years, and we never knew…”

“Well I’m sure the history behind all this is fascinating…” Spike hopped off the bed. “But let’s try to stay focused on the present. You can study the Voice all you want after Alduin is gone.”

She closed the book and set it on her nightstand. “I guess you’re right.” She climbed beneath the covers. “I’ll see you in the morning, Spike.”

He flopped into his basket again, not bothering to cover himself- the spring night was more than warm enough for him anyway. “Goodnight Twilight.”

“Goodnight, Spike.” She blew out the candle on her nightstand, plunging the room into darkness. Spike rolled over and closed his eyes, but the constant creaking as Twilight rolled and shifted in her bed kept him awake. After a few more minutes of shifting, he finally asked out loud, “Everything alright, Twi?”

“Yeah… everything’s fine.”

Silence. “…Do you want me to sleep with you in your bed tonight?”

More silence. “…I would like that.”

Spike slid across the floor, and struggled to rise to his feet. He picked up his shield, and took a firmer grip on his sword. “Again,” Shining said. Spike nodded, and raised his shield. He and Shining circled one another, before the unicorn finally made his move. He swung low, but Spike blocked the blow with the shield, and delivered a strike of his own, one Shining parried with ease. Seeing his chance, Spike bashed Shining with his shield, making him stagger. The unicorn was wide open…

But Spike hesitated. And it provided Shining the perfect opportunity to recover, and strike back. With a powerful blow, Shining knocked Spike’s sword right out of his hand, before pointing his own at Spike’s chest.

“Spike, you can’t keep hesitating like that,” the unicorn said. “If you hesitate like that in your fight with Alduin, you’re as good as dead.”

Spike called his blade back to him. “But… I-I don’t want to hurt you, Shiny. I might not look like it, but I’m a lot stronger than you are.”

Shining tapped a hoof against his practice armor. “Spike, this armor has so many protective spells cast on it that it would take you a whole week to unravel them all. You couldn’t hurt me if you wanted to.” He raised his sword. “Now let’s try this again.”

Without waiting, Spike charged ahead. Shining parried his first swing, and the second, and every one that followed, but Spike’s relentless assault prevented him from returning any blows of his own. But Spike couldn’t keep up his strategy forever- every swing of his sword was just a little slower than the last, and that difference began to build rapidly. Finally, Shining seized his opportunity and struck- Spike blocked, but the force of the unicorn’s swing threw him off balance, and left him completely exposed.

Shining raised his sword. Spike did the only thing he could think to do, and swung with all the strength he could muster.

The force of Spike’s blow broke both Shining’s sword and his own in half. Spike’s blade embedded itself deep in the wall of the room, while Shining’s spun in the air before sinking partway into the ceiling.

Shining Armor looked down at his broken blade before sheathing it. “You really need to stop doing that,” he said. “At this rate, we won’t have any swords for you to fight Alduin with.”

Spike sheathed his broken sword as well. “Sorry.”

“Remember what I said, Spike- a battle isn’t just about strength. It’s about control. Waiting for the right moment to strike.” Shining summoned another sword for both Spike and himself. “Let’s try this one more time.”

“…but Twilight taught me a spell that makes a magic leash. Can’t I use that?” Spike’s question floated down the row of bookcases, reaching the lavender unicorn’s ears. She peered through the books to the small table where Spike and Thorn were seated.

“And then what? Pull Alduin down yourself? Get serious, Spike,” Thorn replied. “Alduin weighs fifteen times as much as you do, at least. If you used that spell, you’d just end up getting dragged around until you hit something, and that’s in a best-case scenario.”

“But-”

“No buts, Spike. And no leash spells. As long as Alduin’s in the air, your best chance of taking him down is with Shouts.” Spike grumbled. “Look, I know it’s frustrating, but that’s just the way it is. Dragons who can fly have an advantage over the ones who can’t. And unless you manage to sprout wings in the next couple days, you need to keep the-” His eyes suddenly fell on Twilight. “Oh, Twilight. I thought you left.”

“Not just yet. I need to borrow Spike. Can I? It’s important.”

“Sure, go ahead. I was just finishing up with him anyway.” Thorn looked down at his younger counterpart. “Remember- keep the fighting on the ground. If you were meant to fight in the air, you would have been born with a pair of wings. And do you remember that Shout I taught you before we came back here?”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Thorn jabbed a talon in Spike’s direction. “Show me.”

Spike took a deep breath. “…FEIM!” Spike flashed a ghostly, translucent blue for a few moments, before returning to normal.

Thorn nodded. “Good, good.” He let out a small groan as he stood, rubbing his temple with a claw. “We’ll talk more strategy tomorrow, Spike. See you then.” And with that, he left.

Twilight approached Spike. “Hey Twi,” Spike said. “You find any more books for me?”

She lowered herself. “Hop on.”

He did as Twilight asked, but once he was on her back, he began to ask, “Twilight where’re we-” Her teleportation spell cut him off mid-sentence. He screamed into the void before he found himself in the sparring hall once again. His stomach gurgled. “Urgh… going…” he finished.

As he climbed off of Twilight’s back, Spike noticed the hall was almost completely empty save for two items: a wooden bucket at one end of the room, and a pile of cabbages in the other. Spike stared in confusion. “Twilight, what is all this?”

Twilight didn’t reply. She simply walked over to the bucket, and lifted it up with her magic. “Pick up one of those cabbages, Spike.”

Spike could only stare at the lavender unicorn. “…You can’t be serious.”

“I am. Now pick up the cabbage.”

“Twilight, this isn’t a joke!” Spike shouted. “Alduin is coming back in four days! How in the name of Celestia is throwing around cabbage supposed to help me beat him?”

“Spike, I’ve noticed during your training that you have serious trouble with accuracy. I could teach you every spell I know, but if you can’t make the magic go where you want it to, it won’t help. This’ll help you become more accurate. …You understand that, right?”

Spike grumbled in response, not entirely convinced. “You know…” Twilight began, “…the Princess and I used to do this all the time. N-Not as part of my training or anything like that- it was just… for fun.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah. It was our little secret. …Well, one of them anyway.” She waved the bucket. “Now come on. Pick up the cabbage.” The young dragon bent down. “No no. With your magic.” He held out his claw, levitating a cabbage a few inches away from it. Then, he threw it toward the bucket.

He missed.

Chapter VI: The Test

Chapter VI: The Test

"Come on Rarity, help me!" Pinkie shouted over the wind.

"I spent all of yesterday cleaning my hooves and now you want me to get them dirty again?" Rarity cried, offended.

"We're fightin' for our lives out here and all you can think about are yer hooves? C'mon Rarity!" Applejack called.

"Point taken!" The white unicorn then moved to help Pinkie reload her cannon.

Alduin circled high overhead, unfazed by the snow and powerful gales blowing around him. It was all he could do- any time he attempted to swoop down, he was met with a barrage of Shouts, magic projectiles, and the occasional cannonball.

"Hang on, almost…" Applejack growled. With all her might, she lifted a great steel ball and pushed it into the muzzle of the cannon. "There! Got it!"

"Alright Applejack!" Pinkie called. "Now Rarity, don't pull that rope until I tell you!"

"Mm-hmm!" Rarity nodded, a rope in her mouth. Pinkie rotated her party-cannon-turned- regular-cannon back and forth as she followed Alduin's movement across the sky.

After several moments, the dragon dived toward the group once again, but before anypony could attack, Pinkie yelled "Hold on! Let him get in close!" Despite their misgivings, the others held back. Time seemed to slow as Alduin raced toward them- Pinkie waited, holding off until the exact, perfect moment…

"Fire!"

Rarity pulled the rope.

There was an ear-shattering explosion. The steel cannonball tore its way across the sky, but the black dragon easily evaded the projectile, breaking out of his dive.

"Darn it!" Applejack shouted. "Alright, I'll start loadin' it up fer the next shot!" She picked up a small cask of powder and began pouring it into the cannon.

But before anypony knew what was happening, Alduin banked hard, landing with a thump that seemed to make the whole mountain shake. His eyes seemed to burn as he looked down at the cannon and its operators, unfazed by the spells that ricocheted off of his scales.

"Your toy will not save you, meyye." Alduin inhaled.

"Oh mah stars, get back!" Applejack shouted. She dropped the now-empty cask and galloped away from the cannon as fast as she could. Rarity and Pinkie did the same, just as the fire began to erupt from deep within Alduin's throat. The flames engulfed the cannon, igniting the powder.

The cannon exploded.

A rain of deadly metal shards was thrown across the mountaintop. Spike ducked behind his shield. Twilight and the Princesses shielded themselves with magic. Applejack flattened herself against the ground. They escaped from the deadly rain… but the same could not be said for Rarity and Pinkie. The others could only watch as the shards tore into their friends, throwing long ribbons of blood though the air- Spike's eyes widened in horror as he saw one of Rarity's forelegs detach from her body. The two ponies fell to the ground; Rarity's ear splitting screams filled the air as she cradled the bloody stump that was her leg, while Pinkie simply lay on the ground, her hooves pressed to her throat, unmoving and deathly silent.

Alduin spread his wings and took flight. "Oh no you don't!" Luna shouted, wrapping a glowing tendril around the black dragon's body. But her effort was for naught- Alduin simply pulled her into the air as well, and she was forced to release him. As the great black dragon disappeared into the clouds, Twilight spread her wings as well, but as she tried to take off, she felt an invisible force hold her down.

"Twilight, no," Celestia said. "We need to tend to the wounded."

The Princess's words brought Twilight back to the situation at hand. She nodded wordlessly, before racing to the fallen party pony, completely unprepared for the sight that awaited her.

Pinkie's throat, it was… gone. Not merely torn open, but completely gone. Twilight could see a line of white dots in the expose flesh- Pinkie's vertebrae. The pool of blood surrounding the pink pony was enormous, and her whole body had become as pale as the snow surrounding her.

"Pinkie…" Twilight could only stare, at a complete loss about what to do- the wound was so severe, and Pinkie had lost so much blood as it was… "Don't… don't worry, okay?" she stammered. "I can fix this… I can fix it…"

Pinkie's lips moved, but no sound came out. But Twilight could read the words the pink pony wanted so desperately to say.

Save Rarity. Save her. Please.

"But what about you?"

Pinkie merely shook her head slightly.

Twilight bit her lip, trying to hold in her tears. "I'll try Pinkie… I'll try."

Pinkie smiled weakly up at Twilight. Then, she kicked, her face contorting into a silent cry of pain… before she fell still. Twilight bit her lip, but it did nothing to stop her tears.

Her mourning was cut short however when a shrill scream broke the silence.

"It's gone!" Rarity screamed "It's gone! My leg is gone!"

"Just hang on Rarity!" Applejack shouted as she held down the frantic unicorn. "Just hang on and Twilight'll fix ya right up, I promise!" She looked over her shoulder. "Fluttershy help me out!"

Fluttershy hurried over, but took no further action once she reached the two. "Oh… um… what should I do? Oh goodness…"

Twilight galloped up to the three. "Fluttershy, keep pressure on the wound- we don't need her losing any more blood. Applejack, keep holding her down. Spike… find her leg. I'll try to fix her up as best as I can." Spike scampered off to find the unicorn's missing limb as Twilight lowered her horn, mending the damage. But without Rarity's leg, Twilight could do little, and with every moment that passed, the fashionista slipped away a little more.

Twilight rested a hoof on Rarity's shoulder. "Come on Rarity, stay with us." She then looked back and called "Spike, where is that leg?"

"Hold on! Hold on, I think I- oh… oh man…" Spike picked up… something out of the snow and held it up gingerly. It was twisted, gnarled, and bloody… but unmistakably a certain white unicorn's right foreleg.

"Oh that's not good… that's not good…" Twilight looked up at Celestia. "Princess, you have to do something, please!"

She stepped forward. "I will try." Her horn began to glow, and the severed leg was pulled from Spike's grasp.

For several long moments, Spike, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Luna could only watch as Celestia worked her magic. Then, Celestia stood, and turned to face them.

She shook her head.

Twilight let out a shuddering breath. Spike brought a claw to his chest, feeling as though an icicle had been stabbed into his heart. Applejack whispered "No…" Fluttershy gasped. Luna looked away.

"Applejack, Spike…" the Princess began, "she wished to speak with you." Her horn began to glow. "I will keep her with us for as long as I can… but I suggest you keep your conversations brief. There's no way to know when I'll lose her."

Applejack stepped forward. "I… I'll go first. I'm guessin' Rarity'd want ta spend her last moments with you." She took a seat at Rarity's side. For a long while, the two spoke in hushed tones- their words were indistinct, but Spike heard the farmpony's voice waver in a way he'd never heard before. The conversation soon ended, and Applejack stood. "Go on…" she said, wiping an eye with her hoof.

Spike nodded, and moved to kneel down next to Rarity. The fashionista slowly turned her head to look at him. "…Spike?" the young dragon heard her wheeze.

"I'm here, Rarity." He gritted his teeth as he tried to suppress the tears.

The unicorn slowly raised her remaining foreleg, pressing her hoof into his claws. "I know this is… hardly the time for a request like this…" she began, her words faint to the point of being inaudible. "…But I need you to do something for me."

He gripped her hoof tightly. "Anything."

"Sweetie Belle… Keep her safe. Please."

He swallowed hard. "Of course."

She gave him a weak smile. "Thank you. You were always such a… kind boy, Spike… have I ever told you that?"

Her hoof began to slide out of Spike's claws, but he tightened his grip. "C'mon Rarity, stay with us."

"…I don't think I can do that, Spike." Her breaths were faint, her chest barely rising and falling.

"Rarity…" Spike's throat began to swell shut, his vision blurring. "I… before you… I just wanted to say-"

"No, dear…" Rarity interrupted. "I know what you're… going to say. But sometimes… things like that are… best left unsaid." Spike couldn't speak. He could only stare down at her with tear-filled eyes, holding her hoof as though his life depended on it. Her breaths grew fainter, and fainter… and then they stopped completely. Her whole body went limp, and her hoof slipped out of Spike's claw.

For a long while, the dragon knelt at Rarity's side, motionless. Then, he slowly stood up.

"No… NO!" Spike tore off his helmet and threw it against the snowy ground. "I'LL KILL YOU!" he screamed to the sky. "You hear me Alduin? I'll rip out your heart if it's the last… the last thing I…" Spike fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands, and wept hysterically. Twilight embraced the young dragon, whispering gentle words for him in a (unsuccessful) attempt to calm him. Applejack pulled her hat down low so nopony could see her eyes. Fluttershy fell against Luna, weeping openly. Celestia turned away, unable to face her subjects in the wake of her failure.

Thorn's leg kicked out as he snapped awake. He sat up, taking several deep breaths to bring his heart rate down to a more reasonable level. There was little point in going back to sleep- the rosy light of the dawn filtered into the small quarters he'd claimed as his own. He crawled off the bed and left the room, stepping into the Princess's path. "Good morning, Spike," she said.

"Not so loud…" Thorn whispered back. He then said at a normal volume, "Princess… I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, but I know what you're planning, and… in all honesty, I don't think you should go through with it."

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "How do you know… oh, right. Well, Spike has all the skills necessary to pass his test. I don't doubt that for even a second."

Thorn crossed his arms. "The last time you told me that, one of my arms was almost bitten right off. I spent a whole day getting patched up by the healers, and two hundred years later, the pain still hasn't gone away." He patted his left shoulder for emphasis.

"I assure you Sp- er, Thorn, every precaution will be taken to ensure that he suffers no serious harm."

"I hope that's true Princess. I really do."

Spike awoke to the familiar sensation of the Princess's hoof prodding his side. He fought the urge to roll over and ignore it and sat up to look at her. "Good morning, Princess," he said as she handed him his breakfast- an amethyst. "So what's the plan for today? Weapons training with Shining Armor again?"

"Actually Spike, for today I was thinking we would do something different." She levitated Spike out of bed and onto her back and left the room. "You've been preparing to face Alduin for the entirety of the past week. But, you have yet to put all that you've learned to practical use."

"So… what? Are you giving me some kind of test?" he asked with a mouthful of gem fragments.

"Well… yes. I suppose that I am. But before we begin, there's something that I need to give you." The Princess stopped in front of a door out in the hall. Spike recognized it- beyond was the castle forge and armory. He'd passed by that door many times while ha and Twilight had still lived in the palace, but neither of them had ever been allowed inside. Celestia knocked.

There were several loud clattering sounds and some grumbles before the door swung open, exposing a dark purple pony with a black mane and anvil cutie mark. "Ah, Princess, I've been expecting you." Spike recognized the accent- southern Trottingham, just like Pipsqueak.

"Good morning, Hearthfire. I take it that you've finished my commission?"

"Aye, Princess. Put the finishing touches on it just yesterday." Hearthfire's eyes fell on Spike.

"And this must be the little warrior himself. It's good to finally meet you."

"Uh, you too, Mr. Hearthfire," Spike replied uncertainly. He climbed off the Princess's back.

"Well, no point in standing around. Wait here, lad- I'll get your armor." Hearthfire disappeared deeper into his workshop.

Spike looked up at the Princess. "Armor? What's he talking about?"

"A few days ago, I had some armor commissioned for you," Celestia replied.

"Why?"

The white alicorn looked down at the young dragon. "As I'm sure you're aware Spike, you're still very young- thus, the impervious set of scales that dragons are renowned for hasn't finished developing quite yet. Don't get the wrong impression though. You're still very resilient- this armor is simply meant to supplement that."

Hearthfire returned, carrying a large bundle on his back. "Here you are, lad," he said. "I admit, I had to make a few guesses without your measurements, but everything should fit well enough." Spike staggered momentarily under the weight of the armor that was dropped into his arms. As he looked down at the various pieces of fabric and leather and metal in his arms, the Princess asked him, "Well? Put it on."

So, Spike did. First came the cuirass, a seemingly endless spider web of leather straps and metal studs and clasps- it took some work, but Spike managed to secure it firmly to his body. Next came the gauntlets, gloves of heavy iron that made Spike fell as though he were carrying a bowling ball in each hand. Finally, he put on the helmet- it too was made of iron, with two curved horns pointing toward the ground, and a slot for his spines to pass through. Only one piece remained- a small metal plate that resembled a bowl. "What do I do with this?"

"What hand do you hold a sword in?"

"Uh… the right one."

"Then strap that over your right shoulder." Spike strapped the pauldron over his good shoulder. "Is there another?" Hearthfire shook his head. Spike looked down at himself, flexing his fingers and rolling his shoulders- overall the armor was hot, heavy, and uncomfortable… but he wasn't about to say that out loud.

"So? How is everything?"

"I can't lie, Princess. I feel more than a little silly." He fiddled with one of his new, uncomfortable gauntlets.

"Bear with it, Spike. You're going to need all the protection you can get, both now, and in your battle against Alduin." She brought a hoof to her chin. "Now that I think about it, I probably should have had Shining begin training you in armor as well… but I suppose it's a little late for that." She looked down to the blacksmith. "Thank you, Hearthfire. Your work is flawless as always."

"Thank you kindly, Princess."

"Come, Spike. We need to go to the gardens." The Princess turned and left the armory, with Spike following.

She walked down the hall at a leisurely pace… but because of her long stride, Spike had to run to keep up, no small feat with his new armor weighing him down. "Hey, uh… Princess?" he huffed. "If you don't mind me asking… what exactly am I gonna… be doing for this test?"

"Well Spike, I need to be perfectly blunt. There's really only one way to prepare you to fight a dragon, and that is… to have you fight a dragon."

He stopped dead in his tracks. "…What?"

She stopped to look back at him. "Now Spike, there's no need to worry. Every precaution has been taken to ensure that no serious harm befalls you."

It took several moments for Spike to reply to the Princess's statement. "…Well this still isn't something you just drop on somepony!"

"You'll be just fine, Spike. You have my word." The two reached the end of the hallway. The Princess pushed open the grand doors that led to the gardens, but as Spike followed her outside, he could see that the gardens were very different. The various statues, exotic plants, flowerboxes… all of them were gone; the only remaining feature was an oddly-shaped object covered by a heavy white sheet. But though the gardens were barren, they weren't empty. Twilight was there… and who she was with made Spike's jaw drop.

"Hey there little guy," Rainbow Dash said. "You been working out?"

"SPIIIIKE!" Before he knew what was happening, a pink blur tackled Spike to the ground. "Oh it's so super-duper good to see you again!" Pinkie cried. She brought her face up to his. "When you had to leave I was like-" She pouted. "But when I heard you were back I was all-" She smiled. "And then when I heard we could visit you I was like-" She made a shocked face. "And now that I can actually see you I'm like-" She made an absolutely enormous smile, her eyes sparkling.

The party pony was suddenly yanked away, allowing Spike to get to his feet. "C'mon now Pinkie, lay off," Applejack said. "Let the little guy breathe."

"P-Pinkie?" Spike stammered, as his eyes swept across all his friends. "Rarity? Applejack? Rainbow? What're you guys all doing here?"

"They wanted to see you," Twilight replied. "Well, they wanted to see us. It has been a whole week since we've last seen each other."

"It was Rainbow's idea," Applejack replied. "She heard y'all were comin' back, so she went to ask the Princess if we could see ya, and she said 'yes.'"

"Where's Fluttershy?" Spike asked.

"Oh she's here. Just in the library, is all. Once she heard what today's game plan was, she uh… decided to sit it out."

"Is it true, dear?" Rarity asked. "Are you really going to fight another dragon today?"

"What?" Twilight asked, incredulous. "You never told me that!"

"Well I didn't know I was until this morning!" Spike said back.

"It is indeed true, Rarity," the Princess said in reply to the fashionista's query. "In fact, that dragon is with us right now." The approached the white sheet, and pulled it away.

Beneath was a very unusual creature, one which resembled a massive, winged snake much more than it resembled a dragon. The creature's body was colored a pale blue, and a strange fog rose off of it, as though it were coated in ice.

Cautiously, Spike (and unbeknownst to him, the others) approached the dragon. "…What is this thing?"

"This is Numinex, one of Alduin's generals from the Dragon War and one of his staunchest allies."

Spike tapped on the dragon, but received no response. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's in magical suspension. It was his sentence after he was brought to his home roost and made to stand trial for his crimes after the war. He was never to be released, and his roost was very reluctant to just hand him over to me, but once I mentioned you, they became much more cooperative." She paused for a moment. "Oh, before I forget, you'll need these." She summoned a shield and a sheathed sword and levitated them to Spike.

Spike fastened the sheath around his waist. "So, this is who I'm fighting then?"

"You aren't simply fighting Numinex, Spike. If you're to pass my test, you must fight him… and slay him."

Spike's attention snapped to the Princess. "…what?"

"Princess you can't be serious!" Twilight shouted. "Fighting another dragon is one thing, but killing it? That's not-"

Twilight was interrupted when a bright beam that shot out of the Princess's horn and struck Numinex- slowly, the blue color began to fade as large plumes of steam began to rise from its body. "You have about thirty seconds before Numinex fully thaws. Best of luck to you, Spike."

"But-" The Princess vanished- she didn't teleport, but seemed to merely fade out of existence. Spike quickly realized that Twilight and the rest of her friends had disappeared as well.

Okay, okay, this isn't as bad as it seems… Spike thought to himself as he drew his sword. All I need to do is kill this thing before it kills me. Should be easy enough… Oh who am I kidding? I'm gonna die here, aren't I? All he could do was shiver as he watched the dragon slowly thaw.

Twilight charged towards Spike, but ran face-first into some sort of invisible barrier. She bashed a hoof against it, but the barrier didn't yield. She looked to Celestia. "Princess this is crazy! You can't do this!"

Celestia looked down to her student, but said nothing.

Twilight warmed up a teleportation spell, her horn lighting up. "At least let me go out there, please! He needs me!"

Celestia's horn began to glow in response, suppressing her student's spell. "I'm sorry Twilight, but I can't do that. This is something Spike must do alone."

It seemed to both take too long, and happen too soon. The pale blue color finally disappeared, replaced by a bright gold. Released, the dragon dropped to the ground, breathing out a long cloud of steam. "Krah…" the dragon breathed. Cold. Spike understood the dragon's words perfectly now, when they had been completely alien to him just a few days before. The serpent's eyes fell on Spike. "Dovahkiin… dreh hi lahney ahrk su'um?" Dragonborn… how is it that you live and breathe?"Ni. Zu fent zin Alduin naal drun ok hin klov." No matter. I shall honor Alduin by bringing him your head.

Spike pointed his sword at the dragon. "We'll see about that," he replied, sounding much braver than he felt.

The dragon roared- displaying an impressive pair of fangs- before taking flight. Spike brought up his shield protectively as he watched the dragon circle overhead, waiting for the opportunity to strike. He wouldn't be waiting long. Numinex swooped down low, but not low enough where Spike could attack. He inhaled… but Spike was faster. "FO!" The icy blast missed its mark as the serpent merely darted out of its path. He tried again, charging up a lightning spell and unleashing it on his foe. But again, Numinex evaded the attack with almost blinding speed. Then, the serpent dived toward the ground, encircling Spike… but the young dragon had no intention of running away.

Numinex reared back for a moment, before striking. Spike's heart leapt into his throat for a moment… but then he remembered his training. He readied his shield and braced himself, waiting for the right moment to strike. Then, just as Numinex was about to make contact, he bashed the dragon's face with the front of his shield. As it recoiled, he raised his sword and slashed the elder dragon across the face. Unfortunately, the dragon had mostly pulled away; the wound Spike's strike left behind was superficial at best. The dragon lunged again- Spike brought up his shield once more… but this time, he wasn't nearly fast enough. Spike recoiled as Numinex's fang dragged across his exposed shoulder, leaving a deep gouge in his wake. As the young dragon turned to face his opponent, he heard him growl "YOL… TOOR…"

"FEIM!" The torrent of fire passed through Spike harmlessly. But before Spike could formulate his next move, the great serpent coiled its body around his much smaller one, and brought its face right up to his. "Zu fen fus faal miine nol hin klov, Dovahkiin." I will force the eyes from your skull, Dragonborn. Then, the serpent constricted.

A loud crack met Spike's ears. "Gah! Urgh…" Pain surged through his body, but he fought it as hard as he could, concentrating. "Y… YOL!" Fire streamed from Spike's mouth, directly into the serpent's face. It roared in pain, loosening its grip… but not enough to release him. He worked his arms free, before plunging his sword deep into the dragon's side.

Numinex roared again and uncoiled, dropping Spike to the ground. The young dragon staggered to his feet. He wasn't a licensed medical professional, but he was fairly sure at least one of his ribs was broken; the throbbing pain in his side was all the diagnosis he needed. As Spike struggled to breathe, the serpent glared down at him. "Zu fen aus fah tol," he growled, the ground trembling as he spoke. You will suffer for that. He lunged. Spike raised his shield, but the serpent's fang hooked behind and tore it out of his grip, landing some distance away. Numinex reared back.

"W-WULD!" Spike raced out of the dragon's range, tumbling uncontrollably across the ground. The pain in his side flared, but he lucked out- he slid to a stop only a foot away from his shield. He grabbed it and rose to his feet, slowly, struggling to breathe- it felt as though a heavy stone were resting on his chest. The serpent turned toward him, rearing back as it prepared to strike.

But Numinex didn't lunge at him again. Instead, he inhaled deeply, a sure sign of an impending Shout. Spike ducked behind his shield- breathing was difficult enough, and in his condition Shouting back would have been nothing less than impossible. But his small shield couldn't completely protect him from the icy blast that emanated from the serpent's mouth- his feet, the spines on his head, even the arm behind his shield were seared by the sheer cold. He dropped to his knees from the pain, curling up defensively behind his shield.

It did little to protect him when Numinex slammed headfirst against his small body.

The blow knocked Spike into the air and onto his back. His sword and shield were sent flying from his grip. He struggled to rise- his whole body pulsed with pain, and his lungs burned as he desperately tried to take in air. He spluttered and gasped, spitting up blood as he pushed himself off the ground. As he rose, he suddenly realized he was completely defenseless… and that there was a very angry dragon closing in on him. He tried to inhale, but in spite of his most valiant efforts, his lungs simply would not cooperate. Focusing as hard as he could, he thrust out his hand, a long stream of fire bursting forth from his palm. Numinex simply slithered through the flames, unfazed and unamused.

"You have disappointed me at every turn, Dovahkiin…" Numinex said. "What would the ancients say if they could see you now- you, the most powerful dovahin the world, lying in the dirt like a worm, desperately clinging to life? It seems that Alduin's fears were… unfounded." He brought himself upright. "Hmph. No matter. It's time to put this game to an end. YOL…"

Twilight could do little but watch the battle unfold, biting down on her hoof so hard it made her teeth hurt. Spike was fighting just to stay on his feet; Numinex lunged, fangs extended- Spike blocked, but the force of the blow knocked Spike off of his feet. She stepped forward, but an invisible force gripped her. She looked back; the Princess merely shook her head. So, she stayed, her body tense, ready to dash out and assist Spike at any moment.

She reached her breaking point when she watched as the gold dragon slammed against Spike, knocking him to the ground and sending his sword and shield flying from his hands. The dragon advanced on Spike. Twilight tore open a hole in the barrier and stepped into the open. "Twilight wait!" she heard the Princess call, but the lavender unicorn was too focused on the events unfolding before her to notice. She braced herself, and Shouted at the top of her lungs.

"FUS… RO DAH!"

The shockwave easily bowled over the massive dragon. He tumbled end over end, before crashing through the garden's outer wall and falling over the edge and out of sight.

Twilight galloped up to Spike, who struggled to rise to his feet. "Spike, are you okay?"

"T… Twilight, what're you doing?" he spluttered.

An extrasensory spell told Twilight what Spike already knew- three of his ribs were broken. And with his burns and scratches on top of that… She lifted him onto his feet, telekinetically calling his shield and sword before pushing them into his hands. "I wasn't going to just stand by and watch you die, Spike."

The sound of massive beating wings drew their attention; the two turned, to watch Numinex rise up above the cliff edge. "Aan bein lo…" the serpent growled.A foul trick. "Dreh hi faas zu, Dovahkiin? Los daar wur zu nivah voth aan sahlo key?" Are you afraid of me, Dragonborn? Is this why you cower behind a lowly horse?

"Hi los faal gein wo fent kos faas, Numinex!" Twilight roared- the ground trembled with every word. You're the one who should be afraid.

Numinex laughed. "Ahrk wur los tol?" And why is that?

"Because if you hurt even one more scale on Spike's body, I promise I will make you regret it."

"Bold words, little key…" Numinex replied. "We shall see if you have the strength to make good on your promise." He dived toward them.

Though hastily erected, the ward Twilight cast kept her and Spike safe from the dragon's fiery breath. As the serpent passed overhead, the unicorn pushed the young dragon back. "Spike, stay behind me. And no arguing- now really isn't the time." Spike snapped his mouth shut. Her horn glowed brightly, shooting bolt after lightning bolt at the circling dragon; her frustration mounted as Numinex effortlessly dodged each successive bolt. Finally, she caught a break- a bolt struck the serpent right at the base of his wing, sending the dragon crashing to the ground… only, Twilight hadn't fired that particular bolt. She looked back to see Spike, his arm outstretched and crackling with magical energy.

The young dragon looked back at her, and shrugged, wincing in pain. "What? All you said was to stay behind you."

She grumbled to herself before saying, "Just don't do anything dangerous."

"Since when have I ever-" He gasped. "…done anything dangerous?"

By now, Numinex had recovered from his crash. He stretched his wings as he prepared for flight, only to suddenly draw them in. With the serpent grounded, the odds had shifted towards Spike and Twilight ever so slightly. But even though he was grounded, Numinex's deadliness hadn't diminished in the slightest; in mere moments, he slithered across the garden and dived at them, fangs gleaming. The ward Twilight conjured to stop him cracked under the force of his blow- it continued to hold against the dragon's fiery breath, cracks rapidly crisscrossing its surface.

"This isn't good…" Spike said. "The ward could give out at any moment."

"Tell me something I don't know," Twilight growled back, her teeth gritted in concentration.

Spike drew himself up, and idea forming in his head. "Twilight… as soon as he stops, drop the ward."

Twilight glanced back. "What? There's no way-"

"Just trust me." Twilight looked back at him, uncertain. But when the stream of fire stopped, she dismissed the ward. Numinex reared back. But Spike was faster. "FUS!" The Shout struck the serpent dead-center, forcing him back. "Twilight, now!" The unicorn began charging the most powerful lightning spell she could muster, before unleashing its fury on the stunned dragon. The bolt's aim was true, striking the dragon's vulnerable underside and leaving behind a massive black scorch mark. The dragon fell back on the ground, convulsing as small arcs of electricity crossed his body.

Twilight turned around, bringing her horn up to Spike. "Alright hold still. I'll see what I can do about those burns."

"Twilight there's no time for that. We need to-"

"FUS… RO… DAH!" A tremendous shockwave tore itself from the serpent's throat and raced toward them, ripping up the ground in its wake. "FEIM!" Spike Shouted, his body becoming incorporeal. Twilight put up another ward in defense, but as soon as the blast made contact, it shattered into a thousand pieces. The unicorn was thrown across the garden, tumbling uncontrollably, before coming to a rest. Several moments passed… but she did not rise.

"Twilight!" In spite of his injuries, Spike charged Numinex with reckless abandon. The serpent inhaled deeply. "TIID!" The world slowed to a crawl; Spike maneuvered past the wintry blast that left the serpent's throat with ease and continued his charge. Slowly, Numinex reared back, growing faster as the world returned to its normal speed. The serpent lunged- Spike braced himself and batted the elder dragon's strike away with a blow from his shield. While he was stunned, Spike climbed onto the serpent's back, just behind its head, and started slashing. Numinex roared in pain, twisting and shaking violently as he tried to break the young dragon's grip to no avail. Blood splattered against Spike's armor and scales as he hacked at the elder dragon in a blind fury.

But as the blood accumulated, Spike found it harder and harder to hold on. And with one last violent twist, his grip broke, and he was thrown high into the air. The world spun, and Spike's arms pinwheeled furiously as he attempted to right himself. Below him, he could see Numinex looking up at him, jaws wide, waiting for the young dragon to descend.

Slowly, Twilight rose to her feet. She was greeted to the sight of Numinex tossing Spike into the air in an uncontrollable spin. In seconds, he reached the height of his arc… and began to fall. The world seemed to slow to a crawl. Twilight didn't think. She didn't need to. In the blink of an eye, she teleported to the serpent, and blasted him with the most powerful spell she could conjure at point-blank range.

Numinex turned his head towards Twilight, and away from Spike. Spike saw his opportunity, and he seized it. He readied his sword, and as soon as he came within range, he stabbed.

The sword sank deep into Numinex's skull, reaching all the way up to the hilt.

The dragon unceremoniously dropped to the ground, a single rattling breath escaping from his throat.

For a long while, Spike merely knelt motionless atop the dragon's head. Then, he stood, slowly withdrawing his sword. Long, dark red streaks of blood ran down the blade, small drops falling from the very tip. The blood was strange- it seemed so much darker than his own. And the scent… the smell of rust grated against the back of his nose. As he stared at his reflection in the blood-soaked blade, his actions began to sink in.

This dragon was dead.

This dragon was dead because he killed it.

He had taken the life of another living being.

He felt… ill.

He was snapped out of his daze when Twilight asked, "Are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm fine Twilight." Spike shook his sword, trying to get the blood off of it. But as he did so, he noticed something- white flakes, rising from beneath him. He looked down, to see Numinex's scales glow brightly before turning to ash, as if swallowed by invisible flames. Spike yelped, jumping off the burning dragon. The serpent burned away, until all that remained were bones. But as he burned, wisps of red and blue began to rise from his body and swirled through the air, towards Twilight and Spike.

Suddenly, Twilight doubled over as a warmth crept over her brain. A flood of memories filled her mind- fire, screams, the taste of blood… then she saw a shadow, slicing at her, leaping high into the air, plunging its blade deep into her skull… and then nothing.

Spike tossed his helmet against the ground, fell to his hands and knees, and vomited into the grass. He stayed there, shaking, his breaths ragged. "What… what was that…" he breathed.

"This is what happens when two dragons fight to the death," Celestia replied. The barrier that protected her and Twilight's friends faded. "When one dragon slays another, the victor devours the soul of the defeated, gaining access to his memories, his knowledge, his skills… everything."

Spike said nothing. Neither did Twilight. The Princess continued, "It occurs to me that I may have… overestimated your abilities, Spike. But it's important that you understand the sort of opposition you'll face in your fight against Alduin. Your enemy is ruthless, vicious, underhanded… he will use any means he can to defeat you. And as bad as Numinex was, I guarantee you that Alduin will be much, much worse. But for what it's worth, you- and Twilight- survived. As far as I'm concerned, you passed the test. Take what you've learned from this fight, reflect on it. It will help you in the battle to come."

A long, uncomfortable silence settled for a minute or two, before Rainbow Dash broke it. "Man… Spike, do you have any idea how high that dragon threw you?" she asked.

"Yer one tough customer, Spike, ya know that?" Applejack asked. "I mean look at ya- yer beaten and burned and bloody… and yer still standin'."

"I agree, Applejack," Rarity began, "you've become quite the warrior since we've last seen you… though perhaps we should save the accolades until after you've seen a doctor."

"Oh Spike that was super-duper awesome!" Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing excitedly. "I mean, that dragon was like 'Rrraggh!' and then you were like 'hooyah!' and then it was like 'Grraggh!' and then Twilight was like 'Fus Ro Dah!' and then…"

Spike felt very uncomfortable as his friends showered him with compliments- the murder of another living being wasn't exactly something that merited praise. But he swallowed his uncomfortable feelings and smiled. "Yeah well… I did learn from the best." He doubled over, claw on his side. "Uhn… still have a lot to learn, though."

Twilight put a hoof on his shoulder. "Alright Spike, we should get you to a healer. Come on." Carefully, she lifted him onto her back, and carried him into the palace.

On a spire high above the garden, Thorn watched the scene unfold. He knew exactly how Spike felt at that moment, but all the same, he couldn't help but smile. "Hmm…" he muttered. "Looks like that's another one I owe you, Twilight." He massaged his aching temples and stood, stretching his stiff limbs as he prepared to climb down and join his younger counterpart. But as he stretched, he noticed something unusual.

The ache in his left shoulder… was gone.

Twilight winced. The rubbing alcohol made her scrapes burn like fire, but she had to sterilize the wounds before she could seal them. Spike was being tended to by the palace healers- they would have healed her as well, had she not insisted on managing her own injuries. So now here she was, tending to her injuries in a small, private washroom near the sparring hall.

The lavender unicorn set down her cloth, and summoned a fresh one. She put a few drops of the disinfectant on the cloth, but as she brought it up to her face, she saw somepony over her reflection's shoulder.

Twilight jumped. "P-Princess!" she stammered. "What're you doing here?"

"Show me," the alicorn replied flatly.

"Princess, I don't know-"

"Show me." Her stern expression told Twilight she wasn't in the mood for games. Ashamed and feeling more than a little afraid, Twilight looked to the floor, her horn glowing. Slowly, her wings were revealed, standing straight up on her back.

Celestia leaned in, inspecting the wings closely. "So, you really did it then… you formed a blood pact. And more importantly, you survived- the first pony to do so in nearly four hundred years."

"I'm sorry!" Twilight said quickly. "I know I shouldn't have, but I only did it so I could protect Spike. Please don't be too upset!"

"I'm not upset with you, Twilight."

"Wait, you're not?" Twilight asked, dumbfounded.

The Princess shook her head. "Of course not. I just wish you would've consulted me before making such a… radical decision." There was a momentary pause. "Let me help you with that." She levitated the cloth out of Twilight's grip, and dabbed her wounds. "So, I assume you made the pact with Spike. Is this correct?" The young alicorn nodded. "I suspected as much. Now, I don't know how much you were able to learn about the Voice before I returned you here, but there are a few things you need to know before-"

"Princess?" Twilight interrupted.

"Yes, Twilight?"

The lavender alicorn cast her eyes to the floor. "…Don't ever do that again."

Celestia furrowed her brow. "I beg your pardon?"

"Don't… take Spike away from me." Twilight looked up at her teacher. "You remember the promise I made, don't you? On the day I got my cutie mark?" Her student had in fact made a lot of promises on that day, but the Princess allowed her to proceed. "I promised you… I promised myself that I would take care of Spike. That I would protect him. That since I was the one who… brought him into this world, I would be the one responsible for raising him." She cast her eyes down again. "All I want is to keep Spike safe. And that is exactly what I plan to do, even if… even if I must defy your wishes."

For a long while, the small washroom was silent. Twilight stood tense, ready to brace herself against any verbal reprimand the Princess might have prepared for her. But to her surprise, the elder alicorn wrapped a foreleg around her sand pulled her close. "I wouldn't dream of keeping you away from Spike, My Little Pony. If anything, today's demonstration has shown me that he needs you now more than ever." There was a short pause before Celestia released Twilight. "Now, as I was saying, there are a few things you need to know about the voice before your battle with Alduin…"

The Canterlot royal palace is home to many spires, towers, and turrets, but few are as well-known as Solaris's Tower. The tower, originally named "Dawn's Tower," was commissioned by King Solaris to commemorate the birth of his first daughter, Celestia. The tower was, and remains, the tallest structure in all of Canterlot; its height is rivaled only by Dusk's Tower, built eight years later in honor of Solaris's second daughter Luna. Following Discord's sealing, the Princesses renamed Dawn's Tower in the memory of their deceased father. The tower served as the private chambers of Princess Celestia until Nightmare Moon's banishment, and the subsequent Reclamation Wars- during that time, she moved her quarters to the ground level of the palace's Aura Wing. Although the use of its living quarters is now exclusively reserved to foreign dignitaries and other important individuals, the observation deck of Solaris's Tower is open to the public- there, ponies are offered stunning views of Canterlot and the surrounding Equestrian countryside.

And the observation deck of Solaris's Tower was precisely where a certain lavender unicorn was headed this evening.

Twilight panted, sweating profusely as she clopped up the long spiral staircase winding up the tower's interior. After several long minutes of climbing, she finally reached the landing that connected to the deck; grateful, she sat down to catch her breath, lightheaded. Am I really thisout of shape? she wondered to herself. Sure, she didn't work out as often as she probably should have, but a staircase (even one as long as this one) shouldn't tire her out so quickly. She had no idea how Spike, who at the time barely reached up to her knee, managed to do it.

There had been times when Twilight and Spike… disagreed on certain issues, even when the two had still lived in Canterlot. If their argument had grown especially heated, or Twilight had made an especially scathing comment directed toward him, Spike would scamper off and disappear to brood or mope. But Twilight soon found that he always went to the exact same place, every single time- the observation deck of Solaris's Tower. And with any luck, the deck outside the tower was exactly where she would find the young dragon now.

Sure enough, as she opened the door to the outside, her eyes fell on the back of a young purple dragon, his fingers interlaced with the mesh of overlapping metal bars meant to keep ponies from falling over the edge. Most of the cuts and bruises on his body had been healed, but a few bandages now covered the few injuries the healers hadn't been able to fully mend.

She approached him quietly, taking a seat next at the edge next to him. "Hey," she said. "I thought I might find you here."

He didn't look at her. "I know why you're here, Twilight. And to be honest, I… I don't really wanna talk about it right now."

"Spike, it's okay." She put a hoof on his shoulder. "You-"

He recoiled from Twilight's touch. "No it's not! You don't know what I saw! What… what I did."

"But I do, Spike. I saw it too."

He looked at her for the first time, eyes wide. Then, he looked away. "…How can you even stand to look at me right now? Didn't you see what I was like? I was… a monster."

She looked over at him. "Spike…" she began. For a long while, she was silent. Then, she reached back, and slammed her hoof against the side of Spike's face.

The dragon stumbled back. "Augh! Uhh…Twilight, what the hell!"

"Spike…" she said again, much more firmly. "…you are not a monster. Do you hear me? I don't care what anypony else tells you. You. Are. Not. A monster."

"Well what else do you call a dragon that can eat someone else's soul?"

Twilight merely glared at the young dragon.

Spike put a claw to his jaw. "Uhn… fine, fine. But you didn't have to hit me; I just got finished with the healers, you know…"

Her horn glowed for a moment, and an ice pack appeared in the air next to Spike's head. "Here. This should keep the swelling down."

Chapter VII: The World-Eater

Chapter VII: The World-Eater

Twilight smiled. She was flying, soaring through the sky on the back of an enormous winged Spike, as another Spike sat alongside her. The sun was warm against her coat, and all the troubles of the world seemed so far away…

But all of that was brought to a sudden end when she felt something prod her side. She let out an annoyed groan and rolled away from the prodding, but it didn't stop. She swatted away the irritant, and allowed herself to slowly drift off to sleep. But she snapped awake as an invisible force lifted her out of bed. There were only two ponies in all of Equestria who did that, and she sincerely doubted her mother had the strength to telekinetically lift her anymore.

"Come on, Twilight. You need to get up." The Princess said.

Twilight struggled to free herself from the invisible force holding her- without success- until she was set on the floor. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Well Twilight, you have a pair of wings now," Celestia replied. "So, I took it upon myself to find somepony who can teach you how to use them." The Princess left the room, with Twilight following.

"Uh, Princess?" Twilight asked. "I don't mean to question your methods, but I don't really think I can learn to fly in just one day…"

"I realize that. But even if you only learn how to move a few feet, it may be enough to save your life." The Princess looked back to her student. "Alduin will use any means he has available to stave off his inevitable defeat. It's only reasonable that you take hold of any advantage you have in return."

The two continued down the path toward the gardens, until they reached a familiar door where a familiar yellow pegasus waited for them. Twilight looked up to her mentor, but before she could say anything, Celestia said, "You'll be in good hooves, Twilight. Now I really must be going- I need to set up everything before Spike finishes his training with Shining…" Celestia departed, leaving her student alone with Fluttershy.

"Good morning, Fluttershy," Twilight said.

"…Good morning Twilight," the pegasus replied timidly.

"So… I'm guessing the Princess told you all about what happened to me."

Fluttershy nodded. "I had no idea dragon's blood could do something like that. Did it… hurt?"

Twilight shrugged. "I don't know. It might have, but I was asleep when it happened." She approached the door. "But we can talk about that later. We should probably get this lesson started." She pushed open the door and stepped out. "So, will you be teaching me by yourself?"

"Well, not all by myself…" Fluttershy replied as she followed Twilight outside.

"Alright maggot, listen up!" Rainbow shouted, making Twilight jump. "The Princess might have picked me to teach you how to fly, but just 'cause you're my friend it doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on you! You will bleed! You will cry! But by the end of today, you! Will! Fly!"

"Oh, Rainbow Dash? I don't think yelling will help…" Fluttershy said timidly. The pegasus looked to Twilight. "Okay Twilight, first you need to get into the proper position. Lower yourself down and extend your wings, like this." She demonstrated, crouching low and extending her wings straight up. Twilight imitated her.

"C'mon, maggot! Spread those feathers!" Rainbow shouted.

"Um, Rainbow Dash? I don't think calling Twilight a… a maggot will really help her…"

"Fluttershy, quit undermining my authority! We don't have time to be soft!"

"But-"

"We're not arguing about this, Fluttershy!"

"Oh, we were arguing? I'm sorry."

Twilight sighed. This was going to be a very, very long day.

For Spike, the day came and went seemingly in the blink of an eye. After the Princess roused him from his slumber, he sparred with Shining one last time in the sparring hall, before demonstrating his knowledge of the arcane arts before Celestia in his room afterward noticing Twilight's conspicuous absence.

Just as he was preparing one last ward spell, Celestia said to him, "Alright Spike, I think I've seen enough."

Spike looked to his ruler, his stomach sinking. "Did… did I do something wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh no, no. From what I've seen, your magical skills are exactly where I expected them to be at this stage."

There was a brief moment of silence before Spike asked, "Hey, Princess?"

"Yes?"

Spike hesitated briefly before continuing. As grateful as he was to Thorn for all his advice, it was never a bad idea to check it against a more trusted source. "…You've fought Alduin before… is there anything I should know about him before the battle?"

Celestia brought a hoof to her chin. "…Well, as Thorn told you, Alduin is invulnerable to all but the most powerful of spells. Magically, you'll be fighting on the defensive. Actually, you may be on the defensive for most of the battle depending on how soon you can ground him. He can't match the strength of your Voice, so he'll try to beat you by other means."

"Alright… but is there any sort of weak spot he has? An opening in his guard? There has to be something like that that can help be beat him."

The Princess's gaze flitted about the room, before returning to Spike. "…I can't answer that, Spike. I may have fought Alduin, but I never beat him- I merely survived him. And both those times, I was lucky to get even that much. I wish I could answer your question Spike, I really do… but I'm afraid this is one instance where you must find the answer on your own." She lifted him onto her back. "Come- another session with the healers should mend the rest of your wounds."

Spike had hoped to receive an actual answer from Thorn, but his response was just as vague as the Princess's: "When the time comes, you'll have the strength to do what needs to be done." They discussed all of Alduin's potential tactics one last time, but the elder dragon would speak no more of how Spike would actually beat Alduin, despite the younger dragon's endless badgering.

Twilight still hadn't turned up when Spike returned to their room. Regardless, he continued to read up on magical theory without her. But without his teacher, he couldn't keep focus, and he eventually set aside his reading materials, put out the lights, and climbed into his basket. But as much as he wanted it to, sleep would not come to him. All he could do was lie there, staring up into the black, dreading the dawn.

Eventually, he heard the door creak open, and the soft sound of hooves clopping against the floor. Twilight's bed creaked as she climbed into it, and silence settled once more. But even in her presence, sleep eluded him. The weight of the world rested heavily on him, a great and terrible burden that felt as though it would-

"Spike?" Twilight said from the darkness.

"Yeah?"

"…come here." It was all the prompt Spike needed. He climbed out of his basket, and into Twilight's bed; the lavender unicorn wrapped her forelegs around him and pulled his smaller body against his own. "It'll be okay," she said. "You'll see. You'll see…"

Spike hoped she was right.

He really did.

"…c'mon Princess, there's gotta be something we can do!" Rainbow said. She fluttered right up to the alicorn's face. "I mean, you saw what happened out there- Spike got his ass kicked!"

"I know exactly what you're asking me to do, Rainbow Dash, but I'm afraid I can't do it," Celestia replied. "The Trial of Blood can take up to a week to pass- time we simply don't have. And that's assuming you survive it at all."

Rainbow crossed her forelegs over her chest. "Then what in the hay are we supposed to do?"

"There's nothing you can do. As the Dragonborn, Spike has to be out there- Twilight insists on being in the field with him, and Thorn can handle himself, but I don't dare send anypony else out there. It's simply a risk we can't afford to take."

"What, we can't even act like a… what's the word… a diversion?"

"Alduin wouldn't fall for it."

"Then what about…" As Rainbow and the Princess argued, Twilight lay in the grass not too far away, utterly exhausted. Though Fluttershy had done her best to intervene, the blue pegasus had worked Twilight to the bone- it took the arrival of Celestia herself for the training session to end. Everything hurt. She hurt in places she didn't think existed. She hurt in places that, until a few days prior, hadn't existed at all. She'd studied the movements of pegasi in flight extensively, and they certainly didn't seem to be in any pain, or at least none she could recognize. She wondered, was the pain simply a result of her inexperience, or was it a fact of life for pegasi?

The nearby debate finally ended with Rainbow giving a dejected "…okay," and flying off. With the blue pegasus gone, Celestia turned her attention to her student. "Are you alright?"

It took a moment for Twilight to rise. Her legs shook as she stood. "…I've been better."

"Most pegasi have little difficulty when first learning to fly. But then again, most pegasi are born with their wings." The Princess knelt down to have a better look at her student. "Are you sure you're alright? I could brew something to help ease the pain if you'd like."

"Thanks for the offer but-" She stumbled as her legs momentarily gave out. "…On second thought, I think I'll take some of that brew." With the battle less than twenty-four hours away now, she needed to be in top physical form as soon as possible.

"Right then." Celestia's horn glowed brightly, and after a few moments of oppressive darkness, she and Twilight found themselves in the latter's room. "It'll take a few minutes before the draught is ready. You can stay here and rest until I get back." Celestia departed, leaving the lavender unicorn alone.

Twilight laid herself down on the floor (albeit painfully) and waited patiently for her mentor's return. As she waited, she wondered how Spike was faring; she hadn't seen him since they'd gone to bed the night before. She wished she could go see him, but her current predicament made that wish quite difficult to make a reality. She'd read about so-called "scrying" spells that allowed a unicorn to view a location remotely, but even with all her training, that type of spell remained a little beyond her capabilities.

Her thoughts were interrupted however when the door creaked open. The Princess may have been good, but even she couldn't brew up a painkiller draught in less than a minute. And when the door fully opened, she could see the individual entering the room was most certainly not the Princess.

"Thorn? What're you doing here?" She couldn't help but notice that the dragon appeared to have a grindstone tucked under his arm. "And why do you have that?"

"I need it to sharpen my claws. Why else?" he replied. There was a tremendous thump when the grindstone met the floor; at once, he sat before it and placed his claws against the stone wheel. "And I wanted to check up on you; I couldn't help but see that you were learning to fly in the garden earlier. I know exactly how you're feeling right now, but don't worry- the first couple times take a lot out of you, but it gets easier."

Twilight raised an eyebrow at him. "You have wings?" She certainly hadn't seen any.

"I wasn't born with any, but I can give myself a pair if I need to. I don't do it too often, though- transformation spells aren't something I was ever really good at."

For a long while, the silence was broken only by the sound of Thorn's claws scraping against stone. Finally, Twilight spoke. "So… tomorrow…"

Thorn never took his eyes off the stone. "Yeah."

"You… don't seem very worried."

Thorn took his hand away from the grindstone and inspected his claw. "I'm not. I killed Alduin once. If I have to, I can do it again."

"You killed Alduin? But the Princess said only the Dragonborn could…" She suddenly put the pieces together. "…Spike?" she asked, stunned. "Is… is that you?"

Thorn's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. Then he hung his head and glanced at her guiltily… the same way Spike did. "Yeah… it's me," he replied.

"What… what happened to you?"

"You remember how I said how I was from two hundred years in the future? Well, I didn't lie about that. But things are… they're bad. Really bad. Worse than you could imagine."

"How bad?"

"Trust me- you'd be much better off not knowing the answer to that."

Twilight put her hooves on her former assistant's leg, and looked him directly in the eye. "How bad is it?"

Thorn bit his lip. He tried to stay quiet, to hide the terrible truth form Twilight… but he simply couldn't resist that gaze. So… he told her. He told her about how each one of their friends were systematically murdered by Alduin. He told her about how the moon came crashing to earth after Luna's death, and how Celestia had given up her powers- and her life- to protect them both. He told her how in the end, even the power of the sun wasn't enough to save her.

He told her everything.

"You're going to check on her, Spike?" Twilight asked.

Spike stopped, and looked back at her. "…Someone's gotta tell her."

"I know. Just… tread lightly, okay?"

"I always do." Spike turned, and resumed walking.

It had been several weeks since they had lost Pinkie and Rarity. The group had pursued Alduin, but the trail had rapidly gone cold, and they could only guess as to where the great black dragon had gone. After several fruitless weeks of searching, the group chose to set up camp in Appleoosa, and have Spike call him to their location.

Spike entered an abandoned saloon. Everything inside indicated that it had been abandoned in a hurry- stools were knocked over, a few tables were upended… there were even a few half-full glasses still resting on the counter. It was the same in every building in Appleoosa, in every building in nearly every city across Equestria, thanks to the Princess's evacuation orders. But those orders had done more harm than good- between the riots and the mass panic, most Equestrian citizens had been ripe targets for Alduin and the handful of dragons he'd rallied to his banner. Only a very small number had reached the relative safety of Canterlot, and the cost of even that much had been tremendous.

Spike stepped over the debris to a pair of doors at the far side of the saloon. He pushed one of them open, ignoring the sign that read "Mares" nailed to it.

The earth pony within was almost completely unrecognizable. Not a single inch of her was clean- dirt darkened her blonde mane and orange coat, and obscured her cutie mark. Her mane and tail fell freely rather than being tied in ponytails, and her signature Stetson hat was gone- she'd chosen to leave it behind at Rarity's grave. Though she was turned away from him, Spike could see her reflection in the cracked mirror, see the hard lines that had formed on her face in the weeks since that day. Her eyes no longer held any trace of warmth- all Spike could see there now was a gaze like cold steel. She drew a dark line beneath one eye with her hoof.

"Uh, Applejack?" Spike asked.

"What?" she demanded coldly. She didn't turn to face him.

The young dragon removed his helmet. "Listen. I've, um… the others have been talking, and… well, we really think you should sit this fight out."

She drew another line below her other eye. "No."

"Applejack, please. I know how you're feeling right now, and I-"

"And just how in the hay would ya know how Ah'm feelin' right now?" she snapped, turning to face him. "Are ya me? Can ya dig 'round inside mah head and see what I'm thinkin'? No?Then mind yer own damn business!"

He fought the urge to shout back. "…I loved her too, you know."

"Ya sure ain't actin' like it."

In spite of himself, Spike's anger boiled over. "Now you listen here. I loved Rarity. I loved her and don't you daretry to say otherwise." He took a deep breath to compose himself. "Do I want Alduin to pay for what he did to her? Of course I do. But 'm not just gonna charge headfirst into battle with him. All that'll do is get me killed. I know she wouldn't want that. And I know she wouldn't want that for you either. It hurts- I know that it hurts. …And I know that you feel like you have to do this. I won't stop you if you feel that way, but… please. Don't just throw your life away. Let's honor Rarity's memory by surviving this, okay?"

Applejack moved to the door, stopping only for a moment when she was alongside Spike. "You do that. I'll honor her my own way."

Spike followed her back to the encampment. As he approached, he could hear Fluttershy asking, "…so Braeburn didn't make it? Little Strongheart? Chief Thunderhooves? Nopony?"

"We just don't know," he heard Celestia reply. "We know they left Appleoosa with the evacuation order, but then they just… vanished, somewhere between here and Canterlot."

"Oh, I just hope they're safe, wherever they are…"

All eyes in the diminishing group fell on the approaching pony and dragon. Luna looked first to Applejack, then to Spike. "I see you couldn't talk her out of it."

"It doesn't matter…" Celestia said. "It's better that all of us stand against Alduin." She looked to Spike. "Call him."

Spike nodded, before looking to the sky. He drew in a deep breath, and Shouted his challenge so that all the world would hear it: "AL… DU IN!"

A clap of thunder echoed across the world. For several long moments, the only sounds were the echoes of Spike's voice. Then, the sound of great beating wings came to their ears. A black streak darted across the sky, before dropping to the ground with a thump that made the world shake.

"Dovahkiin…" Alduin said. "You surprise me. Are you so blinded in your pahlok that you would call upon yourself your own death?" He chucked for a moment. "No matter. Your arrogance has-"

But at that moment, an orange streak raced up and struck Alduin hard across the face. He stumbled briefly, before looking down to his attacker- Applejack. "You sonofabitch!" she screamed, tears of rage streaming down her face. "You'll pay for what you did to Rarity!"

"Yet another joorso eager to die. Well then, allow me to personally deliver you to the arms of Bormahu. YOL!" Applejack dodged the plume of fire, and struck Alduin again. Spike charged as well, but another burst of fire forced him behind cover. He turned and inhaled. "IIZ… SLEN… NUS!" A frozen plume erupted from his mouth, freezing everything before him in a thick sheet of ice… including Twilight, Fluttershy, and the Princesses.

"Twilight!" Spike shouted, before charging again. "Alduin I'm-"

"IIZ!" Another plume froze the Dovahkiin solid. Tempting as it would have been to kill him then and there, the black dragon was much more interested in humbling the joor that dared strike him.

"LAAS."Alduin looked about, but he could see no trace of the orange key. His heavy footfalls echoed through the empty town as he searched, but the mortal somehow eluded his all-seeing eyes. Where did she - his thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain in his side. He lunged at her, jaws snapping, but his quarry eluded him. He pulled the jagged pipe out of his side as she retreated.

"C'mon ya ugly bastard!" Applejack shouted at the black dragon. "Ya want breakfast, ya gotta catch it first!"

"I had no interest in your flesh, joor…" Alduin replied, pursuing her. "…but now I am sorely tempted." Though she couldn't have been more than a few moments ahead, she had somehow disappeared when he reached the alley. He scanned his surroundings slowly, keeping his eyes and ears open for even the smallest sign of her presence. He heard movement- his attention snapped to the source, winter erupting from his throat. The back side of a general store was frozen over, but he didn't see any living creatures entombed in the ice. He heard another movement off to his right. "FUS… RO… DAH!" The power of his Thu'um ripped apart a small house, but the key was not revealed to him.

"Amusing how you show such courage as you flee!" he bellowed. "But let us see how well you hide after I raze every building in this city-"

Applejack's war cry alerted the black dragon, but by the time he turned, it was too late. Something struck the side of his face with such tremendous force that he could see a few teeth fly from his mouth. Then, with all of her might, she stabbed a long, jagged pipe deep into Alduin's neck. He staggered back, letting out a roar of pain, before grabbing the pipe and wrenching it free. He looked down at the farmpony, his eyes burning, his lips pulled back in an angry snarl. "I am going to make you regret that."

Applejack showed no sign of retreating. "Show me what ya've got!"

"With pleasure." He inhaled. Applejack charged.

Across town, Celestia and the others stood, frozen solid. But then, through the ice, Celestia's horn began to glow. The ice surrounding her cracked, and shattered all at once. Exhaling a long plume of steam, she muttered, "Still up to your old tricks I see…"

Next to her, the ice surrounding Luna shattered, and she too was free. "A cowardly tactic," she breathed. "That he didn't use it sooner is all I find surprising about it."

Celestia's horn began to glow again, and the ice surrounding Twilight and Fluttershy rapidly melted. "Sister, Spike."

"Right." Luna turned, but before she could cast her spell, the ice encasing the young dragon began to crack. Then, the ice surrounding his right arm shattered, followed by the ice around his left. Then, the rest of the ice covering him cracked and fell away. Breathing heavily, he looked to the dark alicorn and asked, "…where is he?"

"I'm not sure…" Luna replied.

Twilight struggled to her feet. "Come on, we need to find him! Applejack might be in trouble!"

"YOL… TOOR… SHUL!" The air was filled with a terrible screech and the roar of flames. Fluttershy pointed a shaking foreleg. "T-There! Over there!" Sure enough, the great black dragon was rising into the air, the air filled with the beating of his tremendous wings.

"YOL… TOOR!" Fire erupted from Spike's throat, but the distance was too great, and the flames dispersed before reaching Alduin.

"IIZ!" Celestia's Shout traveled further, but the dragon had ample time in which to avoid the attack. Twilight fired a bolt of lightning from her horn, but this too was avoided, and the dragon rapidly became little more than a dot in the wide open sky.

"Why would he be running away already?" His eyes widened with a sudden realization. "Wait… oh no…" He sprinted to the far end of the town where Fluttershy had sighted Alduin, calling for Applejack. "Applejack!" he shouted. "Applejack! Where are you?"

"…Spike?" The voice was incredibly faint, but it seemed to be somewhere close. "…is that you out there?"

"I'm here." He looked around, but he couldn't see anything other than a charred, black mound. "Where are you?"

"Ah… Ah don't know…" Applejack's voice was much closer now, coming from the direction of the charred mound. What's more, on closer inspection, Spike could see the mound was…moving.

Spike approached cautiously, not knowing what to expect, or even if what he was seeing was real. An overpowering scent filled the air, one that was much too familiar to him- burning flesh. As he approached, he gradually saw the mound was, in fact, shaped like a pony. He knelt down, but before he could rest a hand on the mound…

"Don't touch her!" Twilight shouted as she and the others galloped to their fallen friend. "No one touch her!" Twilight looked over Applejack. The prognosis was not good- nearly her entire body was charred black. Her eyes were… well, gone- the heat must have caused them to burst. As the farmpony breathed, cracks in her skin would open and close, revealing deep red tissue beneath. The stench was… it took all of Twilight's will to keep from vomiting.

Twilight's horn began to glow. "Applejack?" Twilight began. What could she possibly say to her? There was no way she could heal this much damage on her own- she doubted even the combined efforts of the Princesses would be able to save her. "Applejack? Can you hear me?"

"…Twilight?" Applejack gasped. "Ah… Ah can't see…"

Twilight couldn't work up the courage to speak. All she could do was maintain her healing spell, trying her best to mend the damage she knew in her heart she couldn't fix.

It took several long minutes, but Twilight finally worked up the nerve to say, "Don't… worry, Applejack. We'll fix you, okay? Just don't move around too much."

Applejack grunted, her charred lips pulled back in a grimace as her body tensed for several moments before going limp once more. "Couldn't move even if Ah wanted to."

That was not something Twilight wanted to hear. If Applejack couldn't move, then it could mean only a few things, none of them good, and all of them far beyond her capacity to repair. Damaged nerves were the most likely culprit, but it was also possible the heat had caused her Applejack's tendons to snap right off the bones. Twilight closed her eyes, trying to formulate a way a remedy for the situation despite knowing full well there was none.

"Y'all?" Applejack asked. "Just… forget about me."

"Applejack, don't say things like that…" Fluttershy said weakly. She kept her eyes focused firmly on the ground- the sight of her friend in such a horrendous state was too much for the sensitive pegasus to bear.

"Guys, Ah'm… Ah'm done fer. Ah can't see, Ah can't move mah legs… I'm no good to ya no more."

"That's not true, Applejack," Celestia said. "We can fix you. You'll be able to walk, to see again. It might take time, but we'll be able to make you exactly how you were. Maybe even better."

"No, there ain't… ain't enough time. Ya guys… need ta get after Alduin. I'd just slow ya down."

"But Applejack-" Twilight began.

"No. Please. Just… let me see her again."

All eyes fell on Celestia. She closed her eyes, deep in thought for a moment. Then, her horn began to glow. "I'm sorry, Applejack."

There was an ear-splitting snap. A small trickle of blood flowed from Applejack's mouth, and the rise and fall of her side ceased.

Twilight brought her hoof to her mouth, gaping, her eyes wide. She'd speculated about the sort of future Thorn hailed from, but this… not even her most pessimistic expectations had envisioned something like this. "And… and all of that… really happened?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Thorn put his other hand on the grindstone, and began sharpening. "Yeah. And unless we can stop Alduin now, in the present, it will happen again."

For a long while, Twilight said nothing. "…Why are you telling me all of this, Spike?"

He looked up at her. "Because you deserve to know. You deserve to know exactly what's at stake if we fail. And, I figured that someone besides the Princess should know the truth." He returned his attention to his work. "Oh, and Twilight? …Don't call me 'Spike.' I know I might look like him, but the truth is… Spike's been dead for a very long time." He sharpened his claw for a few more moments, before standing. "I'm sorry, but there's somewhere I need to go. Excuse me." He picked up the grindstone once again, and left the room.

Twilight looked to the floor, his mind reeling. How… how could something like that have happened? And if they failed… it would happen again? But, if they've already failed once, how could they be so sure they would succeed now? What if-

"His story is different now," a voice suddenly said.

Twilight jumped. "Ah! P-Princess!" She turned to face her teacher. "You were listening?"

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but yes, I heard everything." She levitated a small flask over to Twilight.

The lavender unicorn drank deeply from the brew- at once, the pain in her muscles began to fade. "What do you mean his story is different?"

The Princess approached and took a seat next to her protégé. "The night I brought you and Spike to Yolvahdin, he told me about… well, about how you died. In that story, you were just a unicorn- but in this story, you have wings, just as you do now."

"So, I didn't make a blood pact with him in his time? Is that what you're… Wait, wait… I-I get it! All those headaches… they must be from his memories being altered! …right?"

"I'm not an expert when it comes to time travel, but that certainly seems to be the case. But even though we've altered some of Thorn's past, it's evident that we haven't done enough to avert the end of the world. Just as Thorn said, we need to defeat Alduin now, in the present, if we're to change the future for the better." Celestia began to turn toward the door. "Pardon, but I still need to speak with Thorn. Let the potion take hold for a minute or two before you start moving around. Excuse me."

With that, Celestia left the room, leaving her student alone.

Thorn sat down at the edge of the garden, crossing his legs. In his mind, he could picture the slab, sitting just a few feet away from him. For a long while, the dragon was silent, trying to work up the courage to speak. Finally, he spoke.

"…Hey," he said. His voice shook in a near-whisper; even after ten years, speaking to her was no less difficult. "So… this is it, I guess. This is everything I've been working toward."

Thorn wasn't sure why he was even here. As he'd spent the years perfecting the magic circle, Thorn secretly held out the small hope that if he kept talking to the slab, he'd eventually get an answer. But now, he had no excuse- Twilight's death wouldn't happen for almost two hundred years.

He rested his claws on his knees. "…I have to be honest, Twilight. I have no idea what's gonna happen tomorrow. Well, I know what'll happen if we lose… but what if we win? Will I… will I disappear? Am I gonna be stuck here? What if Spike wins, but you… if you don't-"

The sound of a hoof stepping on a dry branch caught his attention. He wheeled around, going from sitting to standing in the blink of an eye, ready to defend himself from… Twilight.

He instantly dropped into a much less aggressive stance, lowering his gaze to her hooves. "How long were you there?"

She looked down for a moment, as though contemplating her response. "…long enough."

He turned away and sat back down. "I… I'm sorry you had to hear that. It's just…" He trailed off- he took several deep, shuddering breaths before continuing. "It's just… I already lost you once, Twilight. And tomorrow, even after everything we've done…" He shuddered. "…I might have to watch you die, all over again. And… and I don't know if I could bear that." He shuddered again. "I'm not… not strong enough…" His voice faltered, and he fell silent.

Twilight didn't say anything. She knew that words wouldn't help the elder dragon. So instead, she stood, and embraced his arm in her forelegs.

She let out a surprised cry when Thorn suddenly swept her up in his arms and embraced her tightly. As he held her, she realized just how warm his body was. She wondered, were all dragons like this, or only Spike? And, how had she never noticed it until now? He pressed his snout into her coat and inhaled deeply, completely lost in the moment. She did nothing to stop him.

He was dreaming. He had to be. Things like this, good things… they didn't happen to him. Not anymore. They only happened so that some cruel higher power could strip them away later. He was sure that when he opened his eyes, the small warm body in his arms would disappear, and he would be alone once again. But when he opened his eyes… she was still there. He buried his snout into her coat and inhaled again. He savored every moment, never dreaming that he would have been given this opportunity ever again.

"I… I'm sorry," Thorn muttered. "I know this must be totally weird to you, but… I thought I'd never… you know…"

"It's okay, Spike," she replied. "You… needed this."

For a long while, the two said nothing as Thorn held Twilight. "You know…" Thorn began, "…I can still remember when I was small enough that you could hold me." He looked to her. "This must feel pretty weird to you, huh?"

"A little…" she replied. "But, I don't mind."

Thorn held her tightly for a few more moments, before placing her on the ground. "You uh… you should probably get going. It's late- you'll need all the energy you can get for tomorrow."

She looked up to her assistant. "What about you?"

"I… I think I'll be staying out here a while longer."

She nodded. "Alright then. Good night, Spike." Twilight was just about to begin walking toward the palace when Thorn spoke again.

"Twilight?" She turned. "…thank you."

"It was nothing, Spike." She returned to his side, and rested her head against his arm. "I love you. I always have, and I always will." With that, she turned away again, and returned to the palace.

Despite the darkness in their old bedroom, Twilight knew Spike wasn't asleep. All the same, she crossed the room as quietly as she could before climbing into bed. Some time passed- whether it had been minutes, hours, or seconds she couldn't say- but sleep would not come to her. Eventually, she rolled onto her side and called to the darkness, "Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"…come here." There was a rustle fabric and a small creak as Spike climbed out of his basket and into her bed. At once, she wrapped her forelegs around him and pulled him against her chest, knowing full well that this may be the last time she ever does. "It'll be okay," she said, not entirely believing her own words. "You'll see. You'll see…"

Spike awoke to a familiar prodding. He sat up, freeing himself from Twilight's grip, to find Celestia staring down at him. She said simply, "It's time." She lifted him out of bed as she prodded Twilight, awakening her in turn. As she climbed out of bed, Spike hastened to put on his armor, before strapping his sword to his belt. Once he was ready, the Princess wordlessly turned and left the room, with Twilight and Spike hastening to follow her.

"By my estimations…" Celestia began, "Alduin should make landfall in about ten minutes. Once he does, Shining Armor will cast a barrier spell to keep him contained. In the meantime, I'llput up a barrier to protect the palace. I know you've been strategizing with Thorn, so I'll leave any final preparations to you."

"Speaking of Thorn, where is he?" Twilight asked.

"In the gardens, helping Shining coordinate the guards. They need to be ready in the off-chance that Alduin manages to gain the upper hoof over you."

Spike and Twilight looked to each other uncertainly, then to Celestia. "Uh, Princess?" Spike began.

"I don't mean to express any lack of confidence in either of you…" the Princess began, cutting off the young dragon, "but we cannot leave anything to chance today. Thorn and I spent most of last night going over every possible worst-case scenario that could happen, and what we can do to contain them. However, I'm confident that these backup plans will prove to be unnecessary."

The three left the palace and entered the gardens. Outside, a number of guards hurried about, directed by Shining Armor. He stopped for a moment, and asked a guard peering into a telescope, "What's Alduin's status?"

"No change in his velocity is holding, sir. Estimated ETA is eight minutes and counting."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Thorn said. "Once he enters the atmosphere, he'll begin Shouting to hasten his arrival."

"What? Oh that's not good…" Shining brought a hoof to his chin. "Will the palace hold against an impact that strong?"

"The palace will be fine- Alduin himself could crash into it and it'll remain standing."

The Princess approached the two. "Are all your preparations in place?"

"Nearly," Shining replied. "We're still waiting for word that Canterlot's population has been safely evacuated to the base of the mountain."

"I see. You-" She pointed to a nearby pegasus guard. "…notify the guards handling the evacuation that they are to remain where they are, and to defend Canterlot's citizens at all costs. Remain with them- we will send word when it's safe." The pegasus saluted before taking flight. "Captain, we need that barrier up the moment Alduin lands. Everyone else, you're to form a perimeter at the palace wall. We are not letting him slip away from us again. You all have your orders; now get to it."

Shining saluted; the other guards did likewise. "Yes, Princess." He barked a few orders to the other guards before they dispersed. "Well… Twili, little man… guy, looks like this is it. Good luck to you all." And with that, Shining sprinted off.

Celestia looked on after him for a few moments, before saying aloud, "I suppose I should be taking my leave as well."

"You're not going to be out here with us?" Twilight asked.

"I'm afraid not, Twilight. I don't imagine I'd do a good job protecting the palace in-between dodging bursts of fire. You'll be on your own out here."

"Uh, guys? You might wanna have a look at this." Spike pointed to the sky, and the others followed his outstretched arm. There, a bright glow had appeared, one that grew brighter and larger with every passing second.

Celestia returned her attention to the others. "It seems you were correct, Thorn. You all know what's at stake here… but I have nothing but the utmost faith in you three. Watch out for each other, and may Aura and the All-Father guide you to victory." She rested a hoof against her chest and bowed to them, before teleporting away. A few seconds later, a translucent gold sphere flashed brightly, completely surrounding the palace, before fading away.

Now alone, Spike, Twilight, and Thorn turned their attention to the bright glow in the sky. They watched as it elongated, growing a great flaming tail, like that of a meteor's. "This is it," Thorn began. "Remember: his wings are our prime targets. We need to ground him as soon as possible. And watch out for his fog; it can penetrate magic barriers. You need to Shout it away as soon-"

But his words were cut short. The streak in the sky crashed to earth with such force that all of Mount Canterlot shook. Chunks of earth were torn from the ground and thrown across the garden, raining down on the trio. Then, clouds of dust filled the air as a black dragon, great and terrible, rose up from the fresh crater in the ground with each flap of his wings. Dust and soil fell from its scales as it hung suspended in the air. The black dragon looked down upon them, his red eyes burning.

"I have returned… joorre." The ground rumbled momentarily when he spoke the dovah word. He looked to Spike. "Dovahkiin… I see that you are no more intimidating than last I saw you."

Spike said nothing. He merely drew his sword.

"Hah! Mask it if you wish, but there is no hiding the fear in your eyes. For when you look upon me, you see… you see…"

He trailed off as his attention turned to Thorn. "You… I sense within you… no, you cannot-"

"YOL… TOOR SHUL!" A stream of fire erupted from Thorn's throat, one Alduin only just managed to avoid. "Save your breath." Thorn did not raise his voice, but once could feel the anger behind his words. "I have no interest in sharing tinvaak with the likes of you."

"As you wish." The black dragon drew breath, and let out at terrible Shout- swirling red clouds filled the sky, and great flaming meteors began falling to earth… only to shatter against Shining Armor's barrier. Alduin noticed. "A barrier spell. I admire your preparedness- it will certainly save me the trouble of hunting you down when you turn and retreat."

"We'd never run from you!" Twilight shouted at him.

"It makes little difference to me whether you run or you fight- the end result will be the same. But if you insist on standing your ground, I ask only that you not die too quickly."

Alduin dived. He slammed into the ground and lunged at Spike, jaws wide. Twilight readied a spell… but Thorn was faster, rushing Alduin and raking his claws across the black dragon's neck. He roared in pain before snapping his head toward Thorn, fire erupting from his throat. "FEIM!" The flames passed through Thorn's incorporeal body, only for the black dragon's tail to slam into him. Twilight just barely managed to fly over the crushing blow, but Alduin's attention wasn't focused on her.

Alduin snapped his jaws at Spike. The small dragon raised his shield in defense, but the black dragon tore it from Spike's grip before tossing it away. His only means of defense stripped away, Spike went on the offensive, swinging his sword wildly at the larger dragon's face. The first swing missed; the second left only a shallow cut on Alduin's nose. Spike slashed and slashed, but the wounds he left were merely superficial at best. Spike's assault was brought to an abrupt end when Alduin rammed into Spike headfirst, knocking the small dragon off his feet. But before the black dragon could attack again, Twilight braced herself, and Shouted, "FUS… RO DAH!"

The shockwave slammed into Alduin, pushing him sideways several yards- the great black dragon dug his claws into the ground to keep himself rooted, leaving long, deep gouges in the earth. But the black dragon simply continued his advance, without giving Twilight so much as a glance. A bolt of lightning shot out of her horn as rage flared up in her, rebounding off the black dragon's scales. "Don't you ignore me!" she shouted. Alduin continued to ignore her. Finally, she galloped in directly into his path, and Shouted, "YOL… TOOR SHUL!" Fire erupted from Twilight's throat, completely engulfing the black dragon.

As the flames receded, Twilight saw that Alduin's burning red eyes were now focused directly at her. "Do not delude yourself, key," he said. "You may speak as the dovah do, but you are not my equal. You are an insect, an annoyance to be swatted away without-"

"IIZ!" Twilight's Shout froze Alduin's jaws shut mid-sentence. "Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"

The ice shattered as Alduin forced his jaws apart. "And just who do you think you are, little key? Zu'u Alduin, zok sahrot do naan ko lein." I am Alduin, most mighty of all in the world. "Sille zok lot run hinlost mah naal zu." Souls far greater than yourshave fallen before me. "Hi fen funt- you will fail. And you, and the Dovahkiin, and the rest of your world will perish in fire." Alduin reared back…

But Thorn Shouted him down first. "FUS… RO DAH!" The power of the dragon's Thu'um lifted the World-Eater off his feet and pushed him onto his back. "Attacking those weaker than you…" he said in disgust. "How typical of you."

Alduin righted himself before charging Thorn, trying to gore him with his horns. "I have had enough of your interference!" Fire erupted from the dragon's mouth, but Thorn evaded it with ease. "That you would stand in defense of these sahlo stands against everything it means to be a dovah!" Alduin lunged, but Thorn caught him, straining as he kept the black dragon's jaws forced open with his bare claws.

"They may not all possess the Voice, but that does not mean their lives do not have value."

Alduin snapped back, freeing himself from Thorn's grip, before trying again to gore the smaller dragon with his horns. "Bormahu blessed us with the Thu'um! Us and no one else! To rule over all others is our birthright!"

"Our duty as ordained by the All-Father was only to speak Truth to the world. Even the Unslaaddovahjun realized this after he was shown the error of his pahlok- a lesson you could stand to-"

Alduin slammed his tail into Thorn, cutting him off and knocking him back. "You will not lecture me!" he bellowed.

But suddenly, Alduin felt a sharp pain at the base of his neck. He looked down, to see Spike withdrawing his sword from his scales. The small dragon reached back in preparation to deliver another blow, but Alduin would not give him the chance. "FO… KRAH-"

"Oh no you don't!" Twilight seized Alduin's head telekinetically and slammed him face-first into the ground. However, the effort needed to move the massive dragon severely drained her, and the lavender unicorn collapsed, leaving her helpless and vulnerable. Spike drew back his sword again, but before he could strike, the great black dragon extended his massive wings, and pushed himself back with a powerful flap. The sudden gust bowled over his much smaller foes with ease, but before Alduin could strike while they were down, a glowing white tendril wrapped around his body. Thorn pulled with all his might, trying to drag the black dragon to ground level- Alduin seized part of the tendril in his teeth and pulled back in return. Thorn focused, and a pair of wings sprouted from his back, beating furiously in an attempt to keep him ground. But as great as his strength may have been, Thorn knew he would not prevail against the World-Eater- but every second the black dragon's attention was focused on him rather than Spike allowed his younger counterpart to recuperate, to regroup… to win. Inevitably, Thorn faltered- seizing the opportunity, Alduin pulled back, yanking Thorn into the air- the purple dragon was whipped through the air, before being slammed into the ground.

As Thorn tumbled across the ground like a ragdoll, Spike and Twilight scrambled to their feet, but as they rose, they could hear a strange sound. They couldn't determine the source, but it sounded like… singing.

"Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, naal ok zin los vahriin,

wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal;

Ahrk fin norok paal graan. fod nust hon zindro zaan,

Dovahkiin, fah hin, kogaan mu draal!"

"The prayers of the False Masters fall upon deaf ears!" Alduin bellowed. "You will die on this day, Dovahkiin, and neither you nor anyone else shall stop it! ZUN… HAAL… VIIK!" A blue shockwave struck Spike, ripping his sword and shield out of his hands and flinging them away. Then, Alduin dived directly toward the young dragon. There was no time to form a defense. As the black dragon's jaws snapped toward him, all Spike could do was wish that he could be somewhere, anywhere other than where he was standing at that moment.

There was a flash of green light just as Alduin's teeth scraped against Spike's scales.

"Spike, no!" Twilight shouted.

Alduin drew back, spitting up soil and rock. Rage flared in his heart- the Dovahkiin had been directly in his sights, he'd felt his teeth scrape against his body. His death had been inescapable. Then how? How had he eluded the jaws of death? "What sorcery is this?" he growled. He looked about, but the young dragon was nowhere in sight.

Suddenly, something slammed into his stomach from beneath him. Then something hit him again. He saw the small lavender unicorn charging him her horn alight. She focused, and struck him with a third column of earth. "Spit him out, you bastard!" she screamed. "Spit! Him! Out!" Spires of rock struck Alduin's underbelly, as Twilight tried to force him to disgorge the young dragon, without success. "If you don't spit him out this instant I'll cut open your stomach and-" Alduin batted away the small unicorn with his wing, silencing the annoyance.

A flash of green light caught his eye- he looked, just in time to see a small purple dragon drop to the ground from a few feet in the air. Spike scrambled to his feet, still reeling from his sudden teleportation. But he had to sober up rather quickly once he spotted the enormous black dragon bearing down on him. He began to flee, not caring where he went, only that he moved away from the threat. Some distance away, Spike spotted his sword stabbed partway into the ground- perhaps, he thought, if it happened once, he could do it again. Simultaneously hoping that what he was about to do would work, he focused, imagining himself standing next to his sword. He could feel the energies within him coalesce…

The small dragon sprinted as fast as he could, but Alduin easily closed the distance between them. The black dragon lunged, his jaws wide… but his prey disappeared in a flash of green light. The young dragon's disappearance caused Alduin to literally stop in his tracks. But another green flash caught his eye. The black dragon didn't wait- he charged toward the light at full speed, determined to catch his quarry before it could slip away once more.

Those few seconds of oppressive darkness felt like an eternity to Spike. But at the very least, he suffered no nausea as he emerged from the void. It… worked… he thought. He laid eyes on his sword almost immediately and yanked it out of the ground. And not a moment too soon, he realized, as he spotted Alduin charging at him with reckless abandon. But Spike was not afraid. He readied his sword.

"WULD… NA KEST!" Spike streaked forward, sword extended, closing the distance between himself and Alduin in less than a second. The world seemed to grind to a standstill as he passed the black dragon. Alduin's eyes widened as he realized what was happening… and that he was completely and utterly powerless to stop it. Spike's blade sank into Alduin's side, just beneath the shoulder with shocking ease. Sprays of blood emerged from the fresh wound; Spike could see his face reflected clearly in every last drop. And then it was over- though it felt much longer for Spike, the entire sequence had taken no more than a few seconds.

Alduin roared in pain. The gash Spike left in his side was deep, much deeper than the young dragon had anticipated- looking back, he could see the white gleams that were Alduin's ribs within the wound. The black dragon spread his wings and took flight, noticeably wobbling as though the act of flight caused him great pain. "Enough! This ends now! VEN… MUL… RIIK!" Alduin exhaled a thick blanket of fog that quickly settled over the palace grounds. At once, Spike felt a nameless fear claw at his heart. But he had to focus- if he allowed the fear to consume him, then he would be easy prey for Alduin. But what was he supposed to do? He struggled to remember. Wait, that's right, he could Shout away the fog! The words were Lok… Lok… That was all he could remember, but it would have to do.

"LOK!"

Immediately, the fog surrounding Spike rolled back, and his thoughts became clearer, Spike realized he was alone. "Twilight!" He called. "Thorn!" He received no answer. The fog not only obscured his vision, it seemed, but also blocked sound- Spike could hear nothing other than his own breaths. "LOK… VAH KOOR!" The fog before him parted to reveal a path. Sword raised, he advanced, keeping his eyes open for any potential ambushes.

Spike kept his eyes on the sky rather than at ground level, so it was unsurprising that he tripped over something. He scrambled to his feet, sword ready, fearing he'd stumbled into a trap set by Alduin. But once he laid eyes of a familiar shade of lavender, he relaxed slightly. "I'm glad it's you," he said. He received no answer. Looking again, he realized Twilight was lying on her side, her back turned to him. "Hey, are you alright?" Her response came in the form of a strangled gasp. The young dragon immediately raced to roll her over, and what he saw justified his worry.

Twilight's eyes were bloodshot, her hooves pressed against her throat as though attempting to remove an invisible noose. Her body shuddered as she gasped and choked, desperately trying to force air into her lungs. Spike panicked for a few moments, before remembering- this was the first time Twilight had ever been exposed to Alduin's fog.

He turned her head so he could make eye contact. "Twilight! Twilight!" She didn't seem to hear him as she pressed her hooves against her throat, gasping for breath. He shook her. "Twilight it's okay! I'm here!" She didn't respond to him. "Snap out of it Twilight!" Spike reached back and slapped the unicorn across the face.

Twilight gasped. She took several shallow breaths, before looking at the young dragon. "…you slapped me."

"You should be glad I found you before Alduin did." He let Twilight rise to her feet.

She looked around. "What is this?"

"Thorn called it 'fear fog' once, or something like that. Alduin uses it when he wants to pick off his victims one-by-one."

"Where's Thorn?"

"I'm not sure, but if we don't clear this fog, we'll never find him."

Twilight's horn began to glow, but nothing happened. "…What? I can't clear this fog with my magic."

"Well this isn't exactly normal fog. …You remember that Shout I taught you? The one that could clear the sky if it was cloudy?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You face that way." Spike pointed one direction, before pointing in the exact opposite direction. "I'll face this way. If we Shout at the same time, it might be enough to clear the fog."

"Alright." The two faced opposite directions. "Ready?"

Spike nodded.

"LOK… VAH KOOR!" The fog began to recede immediately. But as it rolled back, they saw something fly toward them. The thing hit the ground hard, sliding to a stop just a few feet away. Spike realized it was the crumpled form of Thorn.

"Thorn!" Twilight rushed to the elder dragon's side. But as she checked on him with an extrasensory spell, his younger counterpart couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right. If Thorn came from over there, then… Spike looked up, just in time to see a massive black object speeding toward them.

"Twilight!" was all Spike managed to get out before the two of them were struck by Alduin's tail. The blow easily sent the small pony and smaller dragon flying. Twilight stabilized herself with her wings mid-air. Spike was not so lucky- he tumbled end-over-end helplessly, until he hit the ground back-first. Spike cried out in pain- whatever he hit was way to be hard to have just been the ground. Fighting through the pain, he struggled to his feet, to find he'd landed on his shield. Grabbing it, he scrambled to his feet, quickly spotting Alduin looming over the fallen Thorn. The black dragon reared back.

Spike inhaled. "FUS…"

At the same time, Thorn readied a Shout of his own. "YOL…"

Upon sighting Alduin, Twilight used the first Shout that came into her head. "FO…"

The earth shook as the three unleased the power of their Voices. The subsequent explosion from the three Shouts striking their target was nothing short of spectacular. The force of the blast sent Alduin tumbling across the grounds like a ragdoll, until he crashed into an outer wall and disappeared in a cloud of dust. The three regrouped, watching the cloud intently for any sign of movement within. "Did… we get him?" Twilight asked.

"Doubtful." Thorn replied. "Alduin wouldn't go down so easily."

A few seconds later, the elder dragon was proven right. "FUS… RO… DAH!" The shockwave ripped across the palace grounds, scattering the three like leaves. Spike came crashing down to earth a few moments later, landing on his head. The world spun, and he felt as though nails were being pounded into the side of his head. But Spike had to fight through the pain and disorientation. He put one arm out, then the other, and pushed himself up- he tucked one leg under his stomach, then the other, and stood. As he rose, he could see Twilight some distance away, staggering to her feet as well… and he could see Alduin behind her. The black dragon looked down at her calmly, carefully aiming the bladed tip of his of his tail at her much smaller body. His tail tensed and drew back…

Spike didn't think. He simply reacted. The young dragon teleported to Twilight's side and shoved her back, raising his shield not in his own defense, but hers. If Spike had been thinking rationally, he would have realized just how foolish his action was, how self-centered it would be to sacrifice himself and doom the world simply to prolong another's life for just a few short minutes. But Spike wasn't thinking rationally. All that mattered to him was that Twilight was in danger, and that he would do anything- even give up his life- in order to protect her.

They never heard a third voice Shout "WULD!" over Alduin's roar of triumph.

Blood splattered across them both.

Spike squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the pain to begin, not knowing that Twilight did the same just behind. But it didn't come. After a moment, the two dared to open their eyes.

Before them, the pointed tip of Alduin's tail hung suspended just inches away. Further up, impaled on the World-Eater's tail… was Thorn.

The elder dragon spluttered and choked, spitting up blood. He gripped Alduin's tail tightly in his claws, looking the black dragon directly in the eyes. "…You took her from me once…" he spat. "I will not… let you take her from me again… Kahvozein."

Alduin's eyes widened in shock for a moment, before his face contorted with rage. "You insolent wretch!" he bellowed, tearing his tail from Thorn's chest. "What right do you have to speak that name to me?" The black dragon reared back.

Spike would never remember Shouting. He would never remember racing towards Alduin at blinding speed. He would never remember leaping into the air, a roar better suited to a dragon ten times his size tearing its way out of his throat. He would never remember drawing back his sword.

But he would never forget the image of his blade sinking deep into Alduin's burning red eye.

The black dragon pulled back, thrashing, screeching in pain and exhaling great plumes of fire. Spike had no other option but to fall back, between being disarmed and the flames that threatened to incinerate him. With a powerful flap of his wings, Alduin was airborne, screaming fire and ice into existence all the while; his tail tore itself free from Thorn's body, and the elder dragon collapsed, clutching the fresh hole in his chest. "W… WULD!" With a great thunderclap, Alduin raced forward, smashing a hole in the barrier surrounding the palace. The barrier dissipated as the dragon disappeared into the vast sky, its pained roars filling the air.

But Spike and Twilight no longer paid any attention to the fleeing dragon. They rushed to the side of their fallen comrade. "Oh man…" was all Spike could say as he put his hands on his head, unable to believe what he was seeing. "Oh man… oh man… oh man…" Twilight retained a little bit more composure as she inspected the wound. The prognosis was not good- cuts and bruises were one thing but this…

Her horn began to glow- healing may not have been a specialty of hers, but she would be damned before she sat by and did nothing but watch Thorn die. She could feel her magic slowly mending the damage, slowly, slowly… much too slowly. As she concentrated, she somehow managed to make herself say, "Sp- …Thorn? Can you hear me?"

A pained "Guh…" was the only answer.

"Listen, you're… this isn't as bad as it looks. You'll… you'll be okay, I promise." Twilight didn't believe a word of what she was saying, but what else was she supposed to say?

Thorn attempted to sit up, and failed. "No… no I won't."

"C'mon Thorn, don't talk like that." Twilight knew in her heart that he wouldn't pull through.

He looked to the two, his breaths ragged. "You… you didn't get him, did you?"

Twilight shook her head. "No. He got away."

Thorn forced himself to sit up, clutching the hole in his chest. "That's not- gah! …something I wanted to hear. But at least… I can tell you where he's gone." He beckoned for the two to come closer; they complied. "You'll find Alduin… past the portal… to the world… beyond." He fell back, breathing his last.

Twilight gritted her teeth, trying to hold in her tears as she concentrated as hard as she could, trying to fix damage she knew in her heart she couldn't heal. But she didn't care what her heart told her. Her job was to protect him, and it had always been to protect him- and she refused to let him die with the knowledge that Alduin would outlive him. But she couldn't do this alone. "Spike, help me!"

Spike was snapped out of his stupor. "Wha? Oh! Uh… what… what should I do?"

"Just hold out your hand and focus on fixing this!" Spike did as Twilight ordered, a white glow appearing in the palm of his outstretched hand, but even with their combined efforts, the wound was healing much too slowly.

Angry tears blurred Twilight's vision. No, she thought to herself. No no no no no no no no no no. She refused to see the rise and fall of Thorn's chest grow fainter, refused to hear his ragged breaths as what little life he had left slowly drained from his body. "You are not dying on me," she growled. "You hear me? I am notletting you die on me, Spike!"

This caught Spike's attention. "What?"

Twilight was too caught up in trying to save Spike to realize what she had said. But she stopped as she saw the elder dragon's entire body began to glow. His scales glowed brightly, before disintegrating into ash, leaving behind only bones. She didn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. But the proof was laid out before her. Their efforts had been in vain. Twilight stuffed a hoof into her mouth and bit down, tears already rolling down her face.

Spike could only stare at the skeleton laid out before him, as his mind struggled to accept the reality of what had just occurred. "No… NO!" Spike tore off his helmet and threw it against the scorched ground. "I'LL KILL YOU!" he screamed to the sky. "You hear me Alduin? I'll rip out your heart if it's the last… the last thing I…" Spike fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands, and wept hysterically. Twilight wrapped a foreleg around his shoulder and pulled him close, unable to bring herself to say anything- it took all she had to keep from breaking down as well.

A bright flash caught Twilight's attention. She looked up, to see the Princess approaching them. Her expression was caught somewhere between sorrow and disbelief. "Twilight… I… I'm…"

But Twilight interrupted her teacher. "Princess…" the unicorn began. "Thorn… he said something, right before he… He said we'd find Alduin past the portal to… the world beyond. Does that mean anything to you?" She received no answer. "Princess?" She looked up, to see a very disquieting expression on Celestia's face.

"…Twilight?" she asked, her voice wavering. "Did you see which way Alduin went?"

"Uh… that way." She pointed off to her right. "North."

Her face somehow became even paler. Her horn glowed brightly, and in a flash, Rainbow Dash and the others appeared, all looking rather nauseous. "Princess, what's-" Rainbow Dash began, but quickly put a hoof against her mouth and swallowed hard. "…what's going on?"

Celestia provided no explanation. Her horn simply began to glow again, and in a brilliant flash, the group disappeared.

Chapter VIII: The World Beyond

Chapter VIII: The World Beyond

Twilight’s hooves touched ice. Her stomach rolled, and she struggled to keep herself from vomiting- perhaps Spike’s complaints hadn’t been without merits after all this time. Though Twilight was able to keep from vomiting, the retching and splattering sounds behind her told her the others hadn’t been so fortunate. Twilight knew where the Princess had brought them- there was only one place it could have been. But… “Princess,” Twilight began, “why did you bring us here?”

But Celestia did not respond. In fact, she seemed not to have heard Twilight at all. “Oh Aura, no…” she said, her voice nearly a whisper. Twilight looked forward, to see what could have elicited such a reaction from the Princess of all ponies: two halves of a long, serpentine skeleton, lying next to a massive hole melted in the ice, surrounded by pools of blood. A hellish screech and the roar of flames echoed up from within the hole. Celestia wasted no time sprinting into the hole, and it was a struggle for the others to keep pace. As soon as she entered however, Twilight’s nostrils were assaulted by a horrendous stench that made her stomach turn. She tried not to think about it, she pushed it from her mind, but deep down, she knew that the scent was that of burning flesh.

The group reached the bottom of the hole, entering what Spike and Twilight recognized as the cavern’s central chamber. Deep gouges and splatters of blood lined the icy walls and floor where it wasn’t melted away, and an intense heat filled the chamber- it was evident that a battle had been fought here, and recently at that. A battle Yolvahdin and her allies had evidently lost- lying on the ice was the dismembered skeleton of a long, slender dragon, and a black scorch mark surrounding an outline of a smaller, craggy dragon had been burned onto one of the walls.

“Yolvahdin!” The Princess raced forward again, forgetting about the others. Then, Twilight saw something she’d somehow missed- Yolvahdin herself, scratched and battered and bleeding. Despite her injuries, the fact that she wasn’t bones meant she was somehow still alive.

Celestia wasted no time in pressing an ear against the red dragon’s throat. “Yolvahdin, can you hear me?” she asked.

Twilight nearly jumped when the red dragon stirred. “Kulaas…” the dragon replied weakly. “…we have failed.”

“No… it was me who failed. This should never have happened in the first place.” Celestia’s horn came alight as she slowly began mending the dragon’s wounds.

Yolvahdin tried to look at Celestia- as she moved, she revealed the right half of her face, stripped of its flesh, her eye nothing more than an empty, bloody socket. But the Princess quickly pushed her down again. “No, you shouldn’t move.”

The red dragon relented. “What of… the others?”

Celestia said nothing.

The red dragon must have understood the Princess’s silence. “I have seen Alduin in battle before, but this… his fury was unlike anything I have witnessed before. It is only through the protection of the All-Father that I live now.”

“Just hold on…” Celestia whispered, largely to reassure herself. “I won’t let Alduin take anyone else.”

“Do not concern yourself with me. You must stop him. Alduin must not be allowed to gain the strength to bring this world to ruin for a second time. I… I simply need to… rest… for a time…” The red dragon let out a long exhale and fell silent- were it not for the almost imperceptible movement on her sides, she could easily have been mistaken for dead.

The Princess continued to heal the red dragon for several moments- it was only with great reluctance that she slowly stood, and murmured, “Bormahu guard you, old friend.” She turned away to face Twilight and the others. “We need to go,” she said in a low voice, before descending into another deep hole melted into the ice. The others followed her lead, staying close to the Princess as she lit the way forward.

For a long while, the only sound was the echo of their hooves clopping against the ice. But then, Twilight began, “I don’t get it… If Alduin wanted to hide, he could’ve gone anywhere in the world. Why come here?”

“Because he’s not trying to hide,” Celestia replied. “This scenario was precisely what I’d hoped to avoid.”

“Scenario? What are you talking about?” Spike demanded. “Is there something you’re not telling us about Alduin?”

“I didn’t tell you because I’d hoped you would defeat Alduin before it became relevant. But now, the situation has changed.” Celestia paused briefly. “One of the questions raised following the Dragon War was precisely how Alduin amassed so much power in the relatively small timespan before launching his invasion. After his banishment, a number of his agents were arrested and interrogated, and eventually, one of them divulged a location to us- this ice floe. So, we traveled here, and we discovered Alduin’s terrible secret.”

As the group descended, the surroundings began to change- ice gradually gave way to cold, grey stone. “After the war, Yolvahdin and other masters of the Voice laid a claim to the ice floe, so they could practice their art freely, but this was in fact a cover- in truth, they remained here to protect what Alduin had discovered. After all, why would a dragon choose, of all places, to roost on an ice floe in the middle of the arctic ocean?”

There had been a time when Twilight had, in fact, pondered that same question, but she decided the answer was much less important than stopping Alduin.

“Well… what’d he find?” Rainbow asked. “C’mon, quit holding out on us!”

“Patience, Rainbow Dash. You’ll see for yourself in just a few moments.”

A few moments later, the group emerged in small cavern. Celestia put out the light from her horn, but in spite of this, the cavern remained well-lit by the swirling vortex on the other side.

The others stared at it, mesmerized. But Twilight retained her composure. “A… a portal? What’s so special about a portal?” she asked.

“The portal itself isn’t what’s important, Twilight. What lies beyond is. You see, this portal a bridge that connects our world, to the World Beyond.”

A silence hung in the air for a few moments. When the Princess didn’t elaborate further, Rarity asked. “And what is this ‘World Beyond,’ exactly?”

The Princess was silent for a moment as she contemplated her response. Then she replied, “To put it in its most basic terms, the World Beyond is the place where your soul goes when it departs from the mortal coil.”

“So, yer sayin’ this portal leads to… heaven?” Applejack asked.

“Well… yes. I suppose that’s exactly what I’m saying.” Celestia turned to face the others. “We may never know what led Alduin to the portal to begin with, but we know precisely what he did once he found it- he crossed over into the World Beyond… and began to devour the souls of the dead.”

A stunned silence hung in the air. Devouring the souls of the dead? Such a thing was possible? Eventually, Spike worked up the nerve to ask, “…why?”

“Devouring souls would greatly bolster Alduin’s strength, but his power would rapidly wane without regular feedings. In fact, it’s my belief that Alduin’s sole reason for invading Equestria to begin with was to create a steady supply of souls to feast on. Once we learned the truth, Yolvahdin and a number of others elected to remain here and guard the portal, so that no one- dragon, pony, or anyone else- could ever abuse it the way Alduin had.” She looked to the portal. “At his very moment, Alduin has already crossed over into the World Beyond, and is devouring souls to replenish himself as we speak.” She then looked to Spike. “If you can’t stop him before he regains all of his strength, Equestria… the entire world will be at his mercy. Nothing will be able to stop him.” She brought her face close to his. “Not even you.”

There was a long silence, before Twilight said, “Then what’re we waiting for?” She approached the portal.

“Twilight wait!” But as soon as Twilight’s hoof touched the swirling portal, there was a burst of energy, and she was violently thrown back, sliding across the stone ground.

As Twilight staggered to her feet, Celestia said, “I tried to warn you. This portal was created by a power far greater than me… and that power is very selective about who it allows to pass through. Even I can’t enter the World Beyond.” To demonstrate, Celestia approached the portal, and touched a hoof against it; another burst of energy sent her sliding back, but unlike Twilight, the Princess remained on her feet. She turned and looked at Twilight. “I’m sorry Twilight, but you will not be able to accompany Spike any further. He must face Alduin alone.”

Spike swallowed hard, but stepped forward. He reached for his sword, only to touch an empty scabbard. “Oh, right.”

Celestia noticed the empty sheath. “Where is your sword?”

“Right now? Stuck in Alduin’s eye.”

Celestia’s eyes widened ever so slightly. “…I see.” Her horn began to glow- then, with a bright flash, a sheathed sword appeared in the air before Spike. “An ambassador from across the western sea presented this sword to me. He told me it could cut through a dragon’s hide as though it were paper. I believe now is as good a time as any to put that claim to the test.” Spike took the sword and unsheathed it, exposing a blade as black as the night sky.

Twilight racked her mind in search of a solution for her dilemma. She would not allow Spike to face Alduin alone. But she couldn’t follow him through the portal. And without knowing what lay on the other side, she couldn’t simply teleport herself there, either. What should she do, what should she do…

But then, she remembered what Applejack had said.

A portal to heaven.

The solution then seemed rather… obvious.

Her horn glowed as she concentrated, and a goblet appeared in the air in front of her. She looked down into the dark liquid for a moment, her eyes watering from the overpowering metallic scent it gave off, before she swallowed hard, brought the goblet to her lips… and drank every last drop.

The effects were immediate. Twilight’s body convulsed as it tried to expel the liquid from her body. Twilight wouldn’t let it. There was a clatter as the goblet fell to the ground, no longer held up by Twilight’s magic. The sound caught Celestia’s attention- she turned away from Spike, her eyes immediately falling on the goblet. Her eyes darted up to Twilight, down to the goblet, and up to Twilight again. “What did you just do?” Celestia demanded.

Twilight had, in fact, ingested a lethal mixture of some of the most potent poisons in the world. But she couldn’t tell them that. It took everything she had to keep from vomiting up the mixture. She fell to her knees, suppressing her gag reflex. The poisons were taking hold- she could feel the space in-between her heartbeats grow with every pulse. Everything felt… numb. She watched as the world suddenly turned on its side, unaware she had fallen.

Spike entered her vision. He looked worried, terrified even. She needed to say something to reassure him, to let him know everything would be okay. She smiled up at him, unaware that she’d begun foaming at the mouth, and that she was grimacing, rather than smiling.

“Spike…” she choked, barely able to hear her own voice. “…win.”

He didn’t look reassured. If anything, he looked even more worried. Celestia entered her vision as well. Her mouth moved, but Twilight didn’t hear what she said. She felt something icy cold wrap around her limbs, seep beneath her skin, grip at her heart. She… couldn’t breathe. She tried to reach out, to take back this terrible mistake, but her limbs felt so heavy. Her vision blurred, before everything was swallowed by black.

And then, Twilight felt nothing.

Spike could only stare at Twilight’s motionless form, desperately trying to think of something, anything he could do… until Celestia spurred him into action. “Spike, you need to go,” she ordered. “Go. Go, Spike. Go… Go! Now! Go!”

Stumbling, with sword and shield in hand, Spike sprinted toward the portal, passing through in a flash of light.

The biting cold of the cave vanished almost immediately. That alone was enough to give Spike pause, but so stunned was he by the sight beyond the portal that he came to a skidding halt. Stretched out before him was a field, vast and seemingly infinite, blanketed by thick clouds of fog. Far in the distance, he could see some sort of structure rising above the fog. Overhead, dark clouds rolled and shifted, bolts of lightning forking down and striking the ground, lighting this strange place with flashes of purple light. It was strange, but this place had a certain beauty to it, an ethereal…

Spike shook his head. No, he had to focus. With every moment he wasted, Alduin grew stronger, and Twilight… He needed to find Alduin. The only question was, how?

A deafening roar came from above. Spike looked up, before turning and sprinting away almost immediately. But he hadn’t reacted soon enough- the flaming object that raced toward him hit the ground hard, releasing a shockwave that knocked the small dragon off his feet with ease. He scrambled back onto his feet to confront his attacker, unprepared for what lay waiting before him.

Perched in front of the portal was a dragon, a black dragon… but one unlike any Spike had ever seen before. Its wings were entirely engulfed in flames, a few wisps rising from the rest of its body. The air surrounding it shimmered, and even from his distance, Spike could feel the intense heat radiating from the dragon’s body. Intense white light shone from the dragon’s eyes, its mouth, and even its nostrils. For several moments, the dragon glared at Spike in silence, before speaking a single word that split the ground beneath its claws. “Dovahkiin.”

His appearance may have been radically different, but the voice was unmistakable. Looking closely, Spike could see the twisted remnant of his sword still embedded in his eye- what looked like magma flowed from the wound, down his face, before falling and scorching the ground below.

“You were a fool to come here,” Alduin continued. “Even you, with all your power, are little more than an insect to me now.”

Spike drew his sword and pointed it at Alduin. “Why don’t you save the gloating until after you beat me, Alduin?”

“Can you not see? The outcome of this battle has already been decided, before it has even begun.”

“See this! IIZ… SLEN NUS!” The burst of frozen air flew from Spike’s mouth… only to dissipate into a cloud of steam before coming close to the black dragon.

Alduin glared down at Spike, unimpressed. “Pahlok… the truth lies before you and yet you are blind to it. …But I will make you see.” Alduin reared back. “FUS… RO… DAH!”

The shockwave that tore from Alduin’s throat sent the small dragon flying.

Twilight groaned. Her side ached, despite how soft the ground was.

Wait… soft?

Twilight’s eyes shot open- thousands of tiny blades of grass filled her vision, rather than the hard stone she’d expected. Slowly, painfully, Twilight rose to her feet, and looked around. She most certainly wasn’t in a cave anymore- rather, she was atop a grassy hill, overlooking a plain shrouded by fog. Overhead, turbulent clouds rolled across the sky, bolts of lightning arcing across them. Other than an angular tower that rose high above the fog far in the distance, Twilight could see no landmarks rising from the plains.

So… this was it? If this was the afterlife, it didn’t seem all that pleasant.

Twilight jolted when a voice from behind suddenly said to her, seemingly in reply to her thought, “You have died at a bad time, I’m afraid.” Twilight whirled around, coming face-to-face with a strange unicorn- she was small, roughly Twilight’s size, with a black mane and a light brown coat. But as Twilight looked, she saw a pair of wings folded against the unicorn’s back. “Do not be frightened,” the alicorn said. “I am a friend. And I have come to aid you.”

“Where’s Alduin?” Twilight asked.

The alicorn narrowed her eyes at Twilight. “You do not have questions?” she asked. “You do not wish to know where you are or what has happened?”

“This is the… World Beyond, isn’t it?” The strange pony nodded. “Then I’m exactly where I need to be. So, where is he?”

“…He is in there, somewhere…” She motioned to the mist. “…hunting for souls to devour.” She looked back to Twilight. “You should consider yourself fortunate that I found you rather than him, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight gasped, stunned. “Is something wrong? You are Twilight Sparkle, are you not?”

“Uh… yeah…” Twilight replied hesitantly. “But, how do you know who I am? Do I know you?” Twilight searched her memory, but didn’t recall knowing a pony anything like the one standing in front of her.

“You may not know me personally, but you most certainly know of me. And I know of you- my granddaughter speaks very fondly of you in her visits.” Granddaughter? Twilight thought. Is she talking about… “Oh, and allow me to personally thank you and your friends for freeing Luna from the darkness of her own heart.”

The strange mare’s comment cemented her identity without a doubt. “Wait, are you supposed to be… Aura? Aura of Morrowind? The Dragon Mare of Equestria? The Great Peacemaker?”

“You seem surprised.” She was silent for a moment, before her eyes widened slightly. “Oh, I see. Perhaps you were expecting something more along the lines of… this.”

Suddenly, blinding white light began to pour from the alicorn’s body. Her legs stretched, and her horn grew longer and sharper, but Twilight could barely see Aura’s transformation through the blinding light. When it was done, the alicorn towered over Twilight, and would have towered over even Celestia herself. “Is this form more to your liking?” the glowing beast asked, every word making Twilight’s bones rattle.

“No… no I liked the first one better…” Twilight whimpered as she cowered before the blinding golden figure. The glow began to fade, leaving a humble brown alicorn standing before Twilight once again. “But… this… this isn’t possible. You’re only a myth.”

“And yet here I am,” Aura replied flatly. She then looked over her shoulder into the mist below. “But we can debate my existence later. I can mask our presence from him for a time, but Alduin will discover us if we remain in the open. We must bring you to the Hall.”

Twilight was taken aback. “What? N-No, I can’t leave. I have to fight Alduin!”

“You? Fight Alduin? By yourself? I would certainly think my granddaughter’s student would realize the futility of such an effort. Now come along.” Aura’s horn began to glow, and Twilight was lifted off the ground effortlessly.

Twilight struggled. “No! I can’t abandon Spike! He needs me!”

“We will do what we can to save this… Spike, but you need to be brought to safety.”

Twilight continued to fight, to no avail. “Hey, let go of me! Nnng… FUS!”

The sudden blast made Aura stagger… but she did not release Twilight. Rather, she telekinetically flipped Twilight upside-down, and lifted her to eye level. “For a student of Celestia, you are not particularly bright,” she said, glaring. “If I wished, I could break you with a mere thought.”

As Aura spoke, Twilight spotted something in the sky- a winged beast, black as night, rapidly approaching them. Twilight focused, before releasing a powerful burst of magic. The burst disrupted Aura’s spell, making the ancient alicorn drop her. Twilight righted herself and shouted at the approaching dragon, “YOL… TOOR SHUL!”

A plume of flames erupted from Twilight’s throat, but the dragon easily dived out of their path, landing not far from them. Twilight inhaled, prepared to Shout down Alduin-

She stopped.

No.

The dragon before her was not Alduin- its scales may have been black, but that was the only trait it shared with the World-Eater. This dragon was long and slender rather than short and stocky, its snout was narrow and pointed, almost like a bird’s beak, and it stood on four legs rather than two, its wings folding against its back. But most peculiarly, in the place of its right front leg was a golden, skeletal prosthetic. The dragon looked to Aura, its eyes resting on Twilight only briefly. “There you are,” he said.

“Paarthurnax…” Aura replied. “Aren’t you supposed to be guarding the Great Hall’s main gate? …Oh I see, you were worried and came looking for me.”

“I had every right to be concerned- you left without telling anyone,” the dragon replied as he approached. He then lowered his head down, bringing it to eye level. “And I told you never to call me by that name.”

“Very well, Fang.”

It wasn’t until Twilight heard the dragon’s other name that she realized who it was; although in fairness, she could be forgiven for not recognizing him. Aura and Fang were the focus of a rather… obscure book in Celestia’s private collection, one centered on the foundation of Equestria’s ruling family. Despite many hours of research into the matter, Twilight could find no reference of Aura or Fang in any other historical documents, or any other copies of the book. With no evidence to support its claims, and with Celestia herself unusually silent about the book’s content, Twilight had concluded its tale was, at best, apocryphal.

“So, have the souls of this world been led to safety?” Aura asked.

“We have brought as many to the Hall as we were able, but the Devourer’s hunger has already claimed many,” Fang replied. “His form… it is a terrible sight to behold.” He looked down at Aura, and lowered himself down. “We must return to the Hall at once. That one comes too.” He looked directly at Twilight.

“I’m staying right here,” Twilight protested.

Fang gave Twilight a hard stare. “That decision is not yours to make.”

Twilight tried her trump card. “I came here to help the Dragonborn slay Alduin.”

Aura was unmoved. But Fang’s eyes widened. “Dovahkiin…” he muttered. “He… lives?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. He’s alive, he’s here, and he needs me. He’s like… no, he is family to me, and I didn’t drink a goblet full of heavy metals just to let him fight Alduin alone.”

Fang began to move toward Twilight… but Aura rested a hoof on Fang’s leg. “Fang, hio fen zahrahmiik daar joor nau ek rot gein?” Aura must have assumed Twilight wouldn’t understand the dragons’ language. She was wrong. You would sacrifice this mortal on her word alone?

Fang looked down at his wife. “Ahr ek rotte kos vahzah, faal rinik laas boaan. Krongrah nok oblaan ko un ling.” If her words are true, the very nature of this war has changed. Victory is finally within our reach.

Aura narrowed her eyes at the dragon. “If her words are true, Fang.”

Frustration began to rise within Twilight. She said impatiently, “What do I have to do to prove myself? Do I have to go find Spike and show him to you before you’ll believe me?”

“That will not be necessary,” Fang replied. “The Dovahkiin is a vessel of immeasurable power- if he is indeed in this world, Aura should have no difficulty finding him.”

Aura looked up at the dragon. “Wait, why do I have to…” She shook her head. “…never mind. I will attempt to find this… Dragonborn, if only to prove you wrong.” She closed her eyes, as though concentrating, her horn beginning to glow.

“I find your reluctance to believe in the Dovahkiin puzzling, Aura,” Fang said. “As I recall, when we still lived, you spent all of your free time chasing myths.”

“Well, unlike your myths, mine happened to be true.” Suddenly, Aura staggered, as if hit by a powerful, but invisible blow. Fang rushed to her side, but she was quickly on her hooves again, saying, “I’m alright.”

“What did you see?”

“I sensed… three dragons of tremendous power nearby: you, Alduin… and another that I do not recognize.”

“That has to be Spike,” Twilight immediately said. “Where is he? Can you find him?”

Aura’s horn glowed brightly. “I can do much more than merely find him. But understand that by choosing this path, we will not be able to protect you from Alduin.”

Twilight’s response was blunt: “I don’t need to be protected.”

Aura sighed, as though she were… disappointed. “Very well. Hold your breath.”

“What? Why-” A bright flash shone from Aura’s horn, and Twilight suddenly found herself falling through an impenetrable black void. Air rushed from her lungs, but the sounds of her screams never met her ears. She could feel herself tumbling through the blackness…

And then it was over. Twilight suddenly found herself standing amidst a sea of fog. Her stomach churned- something that never happened when she teleported herself. “Thanks for the heads-up,” she grumbled to herself. But then, she heard movement somewhere within the fog. Her horn brightened, and she looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. Then, she spotted it- a shadow, moving through the fog. She concentrated, her horn coming alight, but then realized the shadow was too small, too upright to be Alduin. But while the shadow wasn’t Alduin’s, it wasn’t Spike’s either- it was too tall and slender. And the voice that Shouted the fog away was too deep as well.

“LOK… VAH KOOR!”

A powerful gust of wind drove the fog away. Twilight briefly brought up her foreleg to shield her eyes, before peering over it. There, in the clearing in front of her, she saw a dragon- he was just short of Princess Celestia in terms of height, with two long black horns sprouting from his head, dark purple scales, and a long ridge of sharp green spines running down his back.

“Twilight?” Thorn rubbed his eyes, as though Twilight were some kind of illusion, but she remained. Then, he sprinted up to her with blinding speed and picked her up. “What have you done!” he bellowed. “Don’t you understand how much I sacrificed for you! Everything I did I did to protect you! And what do you do? YOU THROW ALL OF IT AWAY! How could you, Twilight! HOW COULD YOU!”

Twilight smacked Thorn across the face with her hoof. “Get ahold of yourself!” Thorn stared at her in stunned silence as she took several deep breaths to compose herself. “…Spike… you know me. You of all ponies should know that I would never, ever let you face something like this alone. We’re a team- a family- and nothing will ever change that.”

For several moments, Thorn could only stare at Twilight in stunned silence, before he set her down again. “Y… You’re right. I’m… sorry,” he stammered. “Where’s Spike?”

“I don’t know. Aura told me she could only sense three powerful dragons nearby: Alduin, Fang, and you. He must not have gone through the portal yet.”

“Who’s… never mind. Anyway, I spotted the portal somewhere in that direction before Alduin arrived, so-”

Suddenly, the two staggered as the ground shook under the force of a powerful explosion. They looked to its source- there, they could see chucks of earth arcing across the sky, thrown about by some unseen force. “Was that-”

But before Twilight could say anything else, a piece of debris hit her, hard. With no time to react or brace herself, she was knocked off her hooves, and sent tumbling end-over-end. She concentrated, bringing herself to an immediate stop with her magic, and set herself down on her hooves… only for her legs to immediately buckle from the pain. The object that hit Twilight fell to the ground; she recognized it- or rather, him- immediately.

“Nnng… Spike?” Twilight groaned as she struggled to stand. “We were just- gah… about to go looking for you.”

Spike scrambled to his feet, or rather, he tried to, before falling to one knee- crashing into Twilight had been hard on him as well, even with his armor. “Guys!” he gasped. “You aren’t gonna believe this!”

“What happened?” Thorn asked as he approached.

Spike never had a chance to answer- at that moment, an ear-splitting roar sounded from the sky above. Twilight looked up, spotting what she thought was a comet streaking towards them. But as the object moved toward them, Twilight could see its true form, wreathed in flames. Her fears were confirmed as she watched it rear back, and let out another ear-shattering roar. There was only one thing it could have been.

Thorn squinted as he looked at the blazing object. “What in the world… is that Alduin?”

The answer came as the dragon passed overhead; it inhaled sharply and Shouted “YOL… TOOR… SHUL!” Flames more intense than any Twilight had seen before burst from the dragon’s mouth; Twilight quickly put up a ward, only for it to immediately crack under the intensity of the flames. As the dragon began to bank for another pass, Thorn said aloud, “So it is.”

“What are we supposed to do?” Twilight asked as she mended her damaged ward. “It seems like he’s a lot stronger now than he was before.”

Spike wordlessly drew his sword.

“I’m with Spike on this one,” Thorn said, readying his claws. “It doesn’t matter how powerful Alduin gets- we will kill him. End of story.”

Powerful gusts of wind pushed against the three as Alduin flapped his massive wings, landing before them. A blinding white light like a spotlight moved across the three as the black dragon’s one good eye swept over them. He regarded them silently, the only sound being the smoldering of the flames engulfing his wings, before finally speaking.

“Dovahkiin… you continue to hound me in spite of your failures.”

“Oh really? If we’re losing, why were you the one who ran away?” Thorn asked.

Alduin narrowed his eyes at the three. “You fail to realize the gravity of your situation. This is my domain. Here, I wield power inconceivable to the minds of joorre such as yourselves. I-”

“WULD!” In a thunderclap, Thorn rushed forward. Deep gashes appeared in Alduin’s scales as Thorn raked his claws across the black dragon’s face. Drops of what looked to Twilight like magma began to flow from the wound.

Alduin didn’t even flinch. “A very poor decision indeed, slen.” Alduin began to inhale deeply- at first Twilight thought he was readying a Shout, but then, she saw Thorn’s body begin to blur.

Then, she saw the wisps trailing off Thorn’s body, being drawn into Alduin’s mouth.

Twilight’s reaction was immediate. Her horn flashed brilliantly- in response, Alduin was suddenly knocked off his feet and hurled to the side, as though he’d been hit with an invisible wrecking ball.

Thorn dropped to his knees, clutching his chest, breathing hard, his body still blurred. Twilight rushed to his side. “Are you okay?”

Thorn’s body flickered slightly, before coming back into focus. “I will be.”

Spike charged the stunned dragon before he could rise again. He raised his sword high, and swung- but before his sword could connect, the dragon retreated with impossible speed. Undaunted, Spike pressed his attack. The black dragon easily dodged every swing despite his size- Spike’s swings became more and more forceful as his frustration mounted, until finally, he tossed his shield away and thrust out his free hand. Alduin’s head was immediately bound by a crushing, invisible force- without delay, Spike slashed the black dragon across the face, exposing pure white bone beneath his scales. Spike was surprised by the depth of his blow- perhaps Celestia’s words about the sword had not been without merit.

Alduin roared in pain and pulled back, breaking Spike’s telekinetic hold. Shaking off the blow, Alduin pulled back and rammed his head into his smaller target. Spike braced himself as best as he could, but without his shield to dampen the blow, Spike was easily knocked off of his feet.

Alduin prepared to strike again, when a bolt of lightning struck Alduin’s scales, rebounding harmlessly into the sky. He looked to its source, just as a massive ball of fire struck him- the flames spread over him, but had no effect. Just as he had suspected, Twilight and Thorn were Shouting and throwing spells his way. “This battle is between me and the Dovahkiin!” Alduin bellowed. “You shall interfere no longer! IIZ… SLEN… NUS!”

A massive freezing plume flew from Alduin’s throat, freezing the very ground beneath it. Thorn inhaled deeply, but before he could do anything, Twilight surrounded both him and herself with a magic barrier. And not a moment too soon- the plume struck the barrier, completely encasing it and the surrounding ground in a thick sheet of ice. From the outside, Spike could see flashes of light within the bubble, but it held against whatever magic Twilight threw at it.

Alduin turned his attention to Spike again, and began to approach him, slowly. The young dragon rose to his feet, and stood firm. In the corner of his eye, he saw his shield, lying in the grass where he had tossed it away.

“You do not need to feign courage, Dovahkiin,” Alduin said. “Fear is the natural response when one is confronted by their betters.”

A spark of rage ignited within Spike’s chest. “You think I’m afraid of you!?”

“You should be.” Alduin lunged at Spike, jaws wide, a bloodthirsty, ear-splitting roar erupting from his throat.

“WULD!” Alduin slammed into the ground face-first, his mouth filled not with the taste of blood, but merely of earth.

Spike tucked in his arms and legs for protection, quickly righting himself from his roll. He grabbed his shield from the ground and readied himself. Alduin leapt at Spike again, jaws wide- Spike braced himself, before swinging his off-arm with all his might, bashing Alduin in the face with his shield. The blow stunned the black dragon, and he crashed into the ground, unmoving.

Although Spike deflected the attack, the force of a dragon several times his own size striking him knocked him off his feet with ease. Spike recovered quickly and charged the stunned dragon. Alduin had begun to rise, but by the time Alduin had turned to face him, it was too late- before he could form a defense, Spike leaped into the air and swung his sword, leaving a second deep gash in the black dragon’s forehead. Alduin roared in fury, only to be cut off when Spike concentrated and thrust out his arm, sending a spire of rock shooting up from the ground- the spire struck the black dragon’s chest, silencing his roar and sending a few drops of burning blood sailing from deep within his throat.

Alduin stumbled back, and brought up a wing, wiping his white-hot blood from his mouth. “Such fury. Such murderous intent… perhaps you are more in touch with your inner dovah than your appearance suggested.”

Spike said nothing. He merely readied his sword for another attack.

“You surprise me, Dovahkiin. For as I look upon you at this moment, I cannot help but see a reflection of myself.”

Spike pulled back for a powerful swing. “I’m nothing like you!”

“WULD.” Alduin vanished before Spike’s sword touched him. “Aren’t you?” the black dragon asked, his voice suddenly coming from behind. “Despite your appearance, you are a dovah, just as I am. The desire to rule, to dominate, to kill, is woven into the very fabric of your being, just as much as it is woven into mine.” Spike swung again, only for the dragon to leap out of range. “You and I are more alike than you could ever know, Dovahkiin.”

“My name is Spike!” Spike charged the black dragon, roaring in fury.

Alduin lunged- Spike slid to a stop and brought up his shield. The black dragon’s jaws snapped shut at the shield’s edges, forcing them in slightly, and pulled- Spike pulled back, but it wasn’t long before Alduin tore the shield from his grip and tossed it away. The black dragon glared down at his younger foe. “Your name is irrelevant to me.”

Alduin lunged once again, jaws wide- Spike rolled out of the way, before swinging his arm back and plunging his sword deep into Alduin’s collar.

The ice bubble cracked, and finally shattered as Thorn rammed his shoulder through it. “Tougher than I remember,” he said.

Twilight stepped out of the bubble and asked, “Well, it has been about a hundred years since you fought him at full strength, right?”

She never received an answer, for at that moment, in the distance, Thorn saw Alduin bat away is younger counterpart with his massive wing. “Spike! WULD… NA KEST!” Thorn streaked across the field, arm cocked back- Alduin had just begin to rear back when Thorn’s fist snapped forward, directing the full force of his punch into Alduin’s jaw. He felt the bones beneath the scale give way, before the black dragon was hurled back by the force of the impact.

Alduin skidded across the ground, digging his claws into the earth to slow himself, leaving deep gouges in his wake. “You have already fallen againsht me oncshe, mey,” Alduin spat, his words slurred from his shattered jaw. “You should have jusht accshepted your fate and shtayed away. Perhapsh then you may have lived!” Alduin lunged- Thorn stopped him, holding his jaws apart with his arms and a leg.

Thorn strained, before pushing Alduin back. His arm shot out, a glowing tendril extending from his palm to wrap around the black dragon’s neck. He yanked the tendril back, slamming Alduin headfirst into the ground. “Never. You’ve already taken everything from me once. I won’t let you take it again.”

Alduin head-butted Thorn, sending the smaller dragon reeling; he then spun around, batting Thorn away with his tail. “Your persistence in the face of such impossible odds would be commendable…” Alduin began, his words no longer slurred, “…were it not such a waste of both your time and mine. But please, by all means, continue to resist. I could use the exercise.”

“Gladly!” Twilight shouted, before firing a bolt of lightning directly into Alduin’s face; he staggered, scales and bits of flesh blasted off from the impact.

Alduin glared back at Twilight, blood flowing down his face, scorching deep channels into scales and bone alike. “Pahlok…” he growled. “Allow me to remind you of your place.” He reared back…

But suddenly, Alduin roared in pain, shuddering. The flames coating the black dragon’s wings suddenly shrank, flickering wildly- the white-hot blood that flowed from his wounds also darkened, returning to its natural red. Alduin looked at himself. “Nnnn… nid…” he growled. “Faal sille… I cannot have exhausted their power already.” Alduin spread his wings, sending out a flurry of wind and embers.

But before he could take flight, Twilight concentrated, wrapping Alduin in a long, glowing tendril that emerged from her horn. He fought against her, but in his weakened state, her spell held… for the moment. “Spike, help me!” she shouted. “We can’t let him get away!”

Another tendril wrapped around Alduin. Twilight glanced over to its source- Thorn. “He’s weakening,” the elder dragon said. He wrapped the tendril around one of his forearms for a better hold. “We need to hold him down, keep him from devouring any souls to regain his strength.”

Twilight was yanked forward as Alduin struggled against her spell. “Yeah, I know! Why do you think I called you?”

Alduin roared in fury, struggling to break the magic bonds holding him down- Thorn and Twilight slid forward slightly as Alduin pulled against them, but their spells held. Then, Alduin inhaled sharply. “VEN… GAAR… NOS!” The surrounding fog was suddenly pulled into a spiraling column of air, one that grew larger with every passing second.

Twilight began to slide towards the tornado. She tried to fight it, but the powerful winds only continued to pull her in- she unfolded her wings and flapped them furiously in an attempt to keep herself grounded, but the wind picked her up all the same. “Twilight!” Thorn leapt at the lavender alicorn- he wrapped his arms around her and curled his body around her, before the two of them were pulled into the tornado.

But just before Thorn curled up around her, Twilight saw something through the spiraling cloud: a flash of green, followed by a small object falling through the air, and landing on Alduin’s back.

Despite his impact, Alduin didn’t seem to notice Spike landing on his back. Spike lifted up his head, squinting against the rushing wind- he could see Alduin’s head sweeping back and forth, no doubt searching for souls to devour. “A brief respite…” the black dragon said to himself. “But it will not last. I must replenish myself, lest I fall to the pretender and his pet.”

A dagger of fury stabbed at Spike’s heart. Wordlessly, he raised his sword high above his head. “Her name is Twilight. Sparkle,” he growled, before bringing his sword down.

Alduin looked back. “What-”

The sword plunged deep into Alduin’s back.

An earsplitting roar filled Spike’s ears as the black dragon began to fall from the sky.

A hard impact jolted Twilight. As bad as it was for her, she knew it had to have been much worse for Thorn. The elder dragon uncurled from around her, groaning in pain.

Twilight hopped off of Thorn. “Are you okay?”

Slowly, the elder dragon rose to his feet, only to stagger, and fall to one knee. “…I think so.”

“Wait, Spike, Alduin… where are they?” Twilight whirled around, but neither of the dragons was visible. But she knew there was something in her arsenal that she could use to find them- she strained her brain, trying to remember, until-

“Laas Yah Nir.” Thorn said. He looked to Twilight, his green eyes ringed by a glowing red circle. “Aura Whisper. Use it to find Spike.”

“What about you?”

Thorn shuddered as he attempted to stand, but he was unable to rise. “I’ll… I’ll be along in just a minute. Go. Spike needs you more than I do.”

Twilight nodded. “Alright. Be safe.” She turned away and drew in a breath. “LAAS… YAH NIR.” The world went black for a moment… before returning. Now, she could see a pair of glowing red auras under the earth some distance away, one notably larger than the other. She galloped towards the aura, before skidding to a stop at the edge of a shallow crater in the ground. Within were the sources of the auras- Spike… and Alduin.

Twilight watched the two for several moments, but neither stirred- from the crater, she guessed Spike somehow made Alduin fall from the sky. Then, she heard a deep rumble, and the black dragon began to move.

Alduin lifted his head, and looked down at Spike. “Sahlo…” he mumbled. “Your cowardly tactics reveal your true weakness, Dovahkiin.” His head reared back, as though ready to strike. “You are unfit to call yourself dovah.”

“Spike, no!” Twilight’s horn flashed, and a glowing tendril shot out of it, wrapping around Alduin’s neck. The black dragon fought against Twilight’s pull, but with a mighty tug, Twilight whipped Alduin into the air, before slamming him back onto the ground, outside of the crater. The tendril dissipated as Twilight charged.

Alduin righted himself, only to be immediately knocked off balance by an invisible blow. “Alduin!” Twilight shouted. Her horn flashed, and the black dragon was struck by another invisible blow, and another, and then another. “You! Will! Not! Hurt! My brother!” With every word, Twilight’s horn flashed, and Alduin reeled from an invisible blow. “I won’t allow it!” Her horn flashed again- this time, the faint image of a glowing hoof could be seen striking Alduin directly in the face.

Alduin’s head whipped back from the force of the blow, and he staggered back. But slowly, the black dragon looked back at Twilight, before spitting something out- as it skittered to a stop by her hoof, she could see it was a tooth. “I do not recall asking your permission.”

Twilight’s horn flashed- a column of earth shot out of the ground, striking the bottom of Alduin’s jaw. The dragon was sent sailing- before he could recover, Twilight focused, taking hold of him telekinetically, before slamming him headfirst into the ground. Alduin staggered to his feet, taking in a deep breath. “YOL!” A plume of fire erupted from the black dragon’s throat- Twilight simply cast a ward and strode forward, undeterred by the flames.

“I’m not just some mortal you can bully into submission, Alduin,” Twilight spat. “I am Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia, wielder of the Element of Magic, granted the power of the Voice by Spike the Dragonborn.” Twilight’s horn flashed, and Alduin’s head whipped back from yet another invisible strike. “Remember that.”

Alduin staggered back… but he did not fall. “Who you are is irrelevant, joor.” He stood on his feet, and looked down at Twilight “It matters not who you know, nor the powers you wield, nor how many titles you attach to your name. You are still only a mortal. You are food- nothing more.”

“Then let me put this in words that even you will understand. QO!” Suddenly, a bolt of lightning arced down from the sky, striking Alduin. The black dragon roared in pain before falling forward, smoldering and twitching erratically. Twilight approached him, looking down at him. “Hon zu, Alduin.Zu’u Twilight Sparkle, ahrk zu’u faal joor wo fen krii hin, fah ahraan zuii zeymah.”

Hear me, Alduin. I am Twilight Sparkle, and I am the mortal who will kill you, for hurting my brother.

But suddenly, Alduin lunged forward, but Twilight escaped his snapping jaws with a flap of her wings. “NAHLOT!” Alduin screamed. “No longer shall I devour your souls! Instead I will bind them to my own, and inflict upon you a never-ending hell of suffering and pain!”

Twilight focused- her magic began to coalesce, taking the form of a great hammer. With a thought, the hammer swung through the air and smashed into Alduin’s side, sending the dragon flying. As he skidded to a stop, she called, “Why don’t you stop talking about what you’re going to do, and just do it?”

Alduin had no more words for Twilight. Instead, a burst of flames surged across his body, and he leapt at Twilight, a roar of pure, unbound rage ripping from his throat. Twilight jumped out of the way, only just avoiding the black dragon’s jaws snapping shut. He immediately lunged at her again, and again, Twilight only just avoided being crushed between Alduin’s massive jaws. Twilight stumbled back, having no time to conjure any sort of defense in-between Alduin’s strikes. Her ears were filled with the black dragon’s deafening, furious roars. But between the roars, she could hear Alduin shout something- a single command, repeated over and over again: “DIR!”

Die.

Twilight’s mind scrambled for a solution. The dragon’s merciless attack left no time to form a defense, and she didn’t have the stamina to avoid him for much longer. But then she realized- if she didn’t have time, she could make time. A single word left her mouth.

“TIID!”

Alduin’s lunge slowed to a snail’s pace. Twilight took several moments to catch her breath, before simply walking past her foe. The black dragon’s burning eye followed her movement, before he began to turn away. Twilight stopped, perplexed by Alduin’s sudden shift in tactics… until the world began to speed up, and she looked to her right.

Only now did Twilight understand Alduin’s actions- the black dragon’s tail was hurtling toward her with impossible speed, and it was too late to do anything to stop it.

The blow knocked Twilight off of her hooves. Before she could rise, a crushing force placed itself over her chest, pinning her to the ground. Her horn began to glow, but she could not lift the crushing object off of her no matter how hard she concentrated. Then, the twisted visage of a black dragon filled her vision, glaring down at her.

Twilight’s horn began to glow as she prepared to teleport out of Alduin’s grip- Alduin lifted his wing slightly, only to bring it down again in full force. Twilight cried out in pain as several deep cracks sounded from inside her chest. “DIR!” he screamed. “DIR AHRK KOS VODAHMIN! DIR AHRK NAHKIP SULEYKI! NUZ BO PAH… Jaan. Dir.”

Alduin began to inhale deeply, drawing a long lavender tendril into his throat. Immediately, Twilight felt something hook into her hide, and begin pulling her in every direction at once. She focused, trying to hold herself together, but the black dragon’s pull was simply too strong to overcome. Up, down, left, right… the direction didn’t matter, for they all led to the same destination.

Away.

Away from Spike. Away from Thorn. Away from everyone and everything she had ever cared about. Away from life… and into the oblivion that was becoming Alduin’s fuel.

The furious roars stirred Spike from his unconscious state, but it was not until Twilight’s pained cries reached his ears that he was snapped out of his stupor. He jumped to his feet, grabbing his sword and turning towards the source of Twilight’s voice.

Spike would never remember exactly what he saw at that moment. He would never remember calling Twilight’s name. He would never remember readying his sword. He would never remember Shouting. He would never remember racing towards Alduin with blinding speed. And he would never remember the shock that passed through his sword as it sliced through Alduin’s flesh.

But, he would never forget the single, overpowering commandment that filled his mind, overriding every conscious thought as his body acted to carry it out.

Save Twilight.

“WULD… NA KEST!”

For Twilight, time seemed to slow to a standstill. She watched as a dark purple, almost black streak raced past Alduin. For a moment, nothing happened- but then, Alduin’s wing separated from his body, the gap briefly bridged by a small spurt of blood, before the severed limb dropped to the ground.

An earsplitting roar of pain filled the air.

Alduin staggered back, his left wing covering the nothing where his right wing had been with his left wing. With the black dragon distracted, Twilight seized the opportunity- despite the pain and the crushing force bearing down on her, she concentrated, and in a flash of lavender light, disappeared from beneath Alduin’s severed wing. She reappeared only a few feet away, ready to strike, but Alduin’s attention was turned toward something to the side.

Before either Twilight or Alduin could act, Spike readied his sword again, and Shouted “WULD… NA KEST!” The small dragon raced past Alduin again, leaving a gouge that cut deep into his scales. “WULD!” The small dragon raced by a third time, leaving another gash that erupted into a fountain of blood. “WULD! WULD! WULD WULD WULD WULD WULD WULD!” Spike darted past Alduin over and over again, slicing deep gashes into the elder dragon. Alduin exhaled massive bursts of fire in an attempt to immolate the younger dragon, but with Spike’s tremendous speed, such a task was nothing short of impossible.

Suddenly, the blur passed Alduin’s throat, slashing it wide open. The dragon clutched the wound, blood spewing forth, before falling back. Spike finally came to a stop before the black dragon. Now that he was standing still, Twilight could see something was very wrong with the young dragon- a black, smoke-like substance rose from his body, coalescing into the shape of a much larger dragon standing behind him, moving as Spike did. Both its eyes and Spike’s burned an angry, fiery red.

“Dovahkiin… n-no…” Alduin pleaded, spitting up blood as he dragged himself away. “M-Mercy, please, I beg you!”

“Mercy?” The world trembled at Spike’s words, before the small purple dragon strode up to the fallen black one. “After everything you’ve done… after everyone you’ve killed… do you really think, that for even one second I would show you anymercy!?” Spike raised his sword high- behind him, the smoky dragon mimicked his movement, raising its claw into the air… before both plunged their weapons directly into Alduin’s neck.

Immediately, the black dragon let out a gurgling roar, spewing blood. He thrashed violently, knocking Spike away- the sword snapped in two as Spike was forced back, and the smoky dragon vanished when Alduin’s blow connected. The World-Eater righted himself, and dragged himself towards Spike- sparks flew from his throat, the remnants of flames that had been extinguished by his own blood. But his movements slowed, until he stopped completely. Alduin lunged one last time, falling short several feet, before letting out a rattling breath, and falling still.

Alduin, the Dragon Emperor, Bane of Kings, Terror of the North, was, at long last… dead.

Almost immediately, bright, glowing flakes of ash began to rise from Alduin’s body. His scales and flesh glowed brilliantly, as though being burned away by invisible flames, leaving behind only bones in their wake. Then, vibrant wisps of red and blue began to rise from Alduin’s skeleton. They swirled through the air, flowing towards Spike… and Spike alone. The small dragon stood frozen, seemingly paralyzed by the sheer power flowing into him.

Twilight approached Spike cautiously- though the smoky dragon had faded when Alduin struck the small dragon, the strange black smoke continued to rise from his body.

“…S…Spike?” Twilight asked cautiously. “Is… that you?”

Spike looked back- for one brief moment, Twilight could swear that Spike’s eyes burned the same bloody red as Alduin’s… but then it was gone. “Of course it’s me, Twilight,” he replied as he turned to face her. “Who else would it be?”

Twilight galloped to Spike without a moment’s hesitation, wrapping a foreleg around him and nearly knocking him off his feet. “Are you okay? Y-You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Twilight, I’m fine, don’t worry.”

Twilight stepped back so she could look at Spike properly- he was battered, bruised, and covered in cuts. His shield was covered with dents and scratches and craters, and one of his gauntlets had gone missing at some point in the battle. But above all that, he was covered in blood, though how much of it was his as opposed to Alduin’s was impossible to determine. “You look like hell, Spike.”

“You’re not looking too good yourself, Twilight,” Spike replied. She had to admit, Spike had a point- she probably looked just as bad as she felt, if not worse. She wondered if the injuries she’d suffered had translated to her real body as well, or if they would somehow shorten her natural lifespan.

Before she could ponder the question any further, Twilight became aware of the deep, though irregular sound of footsteps coming from somewhere in the surrounding fog. Spike heard it as well- despite his injuries, Spike pushed Twilight back and readied his sword, holding broken blade out toward the fog. His eyes swept across the clouds, looking for any sort of movement, before finding it- a dark shape slowly moving through the mist. But Spike lowered his sword when the shadow finally stepped into the open.

“Thorn?”

“I told Twilight I’d be along.” He looked to the still-smoking skeleton lying nearby. “Though from the look of it… I’d say you handled things pretty well on your own.” The elder dragon sat down on the ground, and sighed; his entire body slackened, as though years of tension had been undone all at once. “It’s over. It’s finally over.” He looked over to Spike and Twilight. “You did it. You did what I couldn’t. You saved the world.” He then mumbled to himself, “You were so close, Twilight. I just wish you could’ve lived long enough to see it.”

Thorn sighed again, and looked up to the sky, pausing at what he saw. “Well… would you look at that.”

Twilight looked up. With Alduin gone, the World Beyond had changed- the dark clouds that rolled across the sky had parted, revealing a sky filled with countless stars. Shining in the field of black was a brilliant, radiant sun, one that seemed to shine far brighter than the one in the living world. Accompanying it in the sky were a pair of brilliant full moons, each with an image seemingly carved into its surface- one bore the unmistakable image of a dragon, while the other bore the image of a strange bipedal creature that Twilight couldn’t identify. In spite of the sheer impossibility of what she was seeing, Twilight was so struck by its beauty that those complaints were immediately silenced before they could ever voice themselves.

Thorn spoke again: “And it looks like we have some company as well.”

Spike and Twilight turned their attention back to ground level. The fog that had surrounded them had begun to recede. Emerging from the thick clouds was a veritable army of translucent beings- ponies, dragons, wolves, birds… and a number of those strange, bipedal creatures Twilight couldn’t identify, that towered over nearly all the others.

But among the crowd of ghosts, there were two that stood out- a large black dragon, and a small, light brown alicorn. As the two approached Spike and Twilight, the dragon looked down to the alicorn. “Do you still doubt?”

“What you call doubt I see as a healthy level of skepticism,” the alicorn replied.

Thorn looked to Twilight. “Friends of yours?” he asked.

“I suppose you could say that…” she replied.

“You may ignore the Truth as it dances before your eyes,” the black dragon said, “but I will not. I cannot ignore it. Not when the signs are so clear.” The alicorn and the black dragon stopped before the three. The black dragon looked down at Spike for several moments. “Dovahkiin…” he finally said- the earth shook at the word. Then, he brought himself low. “Zuii drog. Zuii laas los hin wah kin.”

Spike stepped back, uncertain how to respond. “Uh… what are you doing?”

“Tradition dictates that one must kneel in the presence of their king, does it not?”

“King? What’re you-”

“Kulaas, but… it is not my place to tell you your destiny. All I may say is this: Nok-Jun dilon. Unslaaddovahsejun daal wah lein. Sul-alok los meyz.”

The Liar King is dead. The Immortal Dragon Emperor has returned to the world. The Dawn nears.

Spike understood the black dragon’s words, but before he could ponder their meaning, Fang said, “You must go. The living world has more need for you than ours.”

Spike looked up to the black dragon. “What? N-No! I can’t! I won’t! Not without Twilight!”

“I will attempt to negotiate for the return of your friend’s soul. But there is nothing more that you can do here.”

“But-” Spike began.

Twilight interrupted him: “Spike, go back to the portal.”

He looked to Twilight.

“It’ll be okay, Spike. Go. I’ll be right behind you, I promise.”

He looked at her for a moment, before replying, “…I’ll be waiting.”

Spike looked on at her for a few more moments, before reluctantly turning away. He moved toward the portal, walking at first, his pace steadily increasing, before breaking into an all-out run. The ghosts encircling them parted as Spike approached. As she watched him, Twilight thought to herself, Celestia, please don’t make me a liar.

But something Thorn said interrupted her thoughts: “What’s wrong with our friend here?”

Twilight looked to Aura and Fang- the dragon’s eyes shone a pure white, his gaze fixed on the sun above. His mouth moved, as though he were speaking, but no sound came from it. The alicorn merely watched her companion in silence.

“He is communing with his father, Bormahu, the lord of this realm,” Aura replied. “If Twilight Sparkle is to be returned to the world of the living, the All-Father must first grant permission.”

Bormahu… that was the third time Twilight had heard that strange name. She looked to Aura. “What… who exactly is Bormahu?”

Aura looked at Twilight in turn. “Bormahu… is Truth.”

“Well whoever he is, he’d better bring Twilight back to life,” Thorn said, crossing his arms. “I didn’t come all this way just to lose her again.”

“The All-Father will decide for himself if she is worthy of a second chance,” Aura replied, looking up at Thorn. “No one else can-” The alicorn suddenly stopped, as though she’d just realized something important. “Wait. Did you say ‘again?’”

“I did.”

“How… ah, now I understand. I sensed unfamiliar magics about you, but only now do I realize what they are: chronomagics.” Aura’s horn flashed briefly. “Forbidden chronomagics if I have read the magic correctly.”

Thorn crossed his arms over his chest. “Alright, so I used a spell to permanently send myself back in time from the future. So what?”

“And you did so knowing full-well that-”

“That a time paradox could erase me from existence. I know. In fact, I’m banking on it- if I’m still around after all this, it means I’ve failed my mission.”

Twilight looked up at Thorn in shock- she’d been so focused on stopping Alduin that she hadn’t considered even for a moment what would happen to Spike’s future self if they succeeded.

Aura seemed just a surprised- she blinked, before her eyes moved down Thorn’s body. Her eyes widened, and she brought a hoof up to her mouth from what she saw. “…Well, I think it’s safe to say that your mission was a success.”

“What?” He looked down at himself. “Oh. I suppose you’re right.”

Twilight followed Thorn’s gaze, and nearly jumped back when she saw that his lower legs had simply faded from existence. “What- T-Thorn, what’s happening to you?”

The elder dragon’s response was perfectly calm and measured: “Well, with Alduin dead, the future I’m from will never come to pass. So… I suppose I don’t exist anymore.”

Twilight could only stare at Thorn in disbelief. “Spike, how can you be so calm about this!? You’re dying!”

“Twilight… ” Thorn reached out and put his claw on her shoulder. “When I sent myself to the past, I did so knowing full-well that one way or another, I wouldn’t be going back to my own time.” He looked down. “I’m just glad that this is how it ends. That we beat him. That you’re safe.” He sighed. “That I got to see you again, one last time.”

Suddenly, a bright yellow glow surrounded Thorn. The fading slowed- it didn’t stop entirely, but it moved much more slowly than before. “I will attempt to maintain his presence here for a little longer, so you may say your goodbyes,” Aura said. Twilight and Thorn looked to the alicorn- her horn shone brightly, and her face was tense with concentration. “But I suggest you keep it brief- I can’t know when I’ll lose him.”

Thorn looked down at Twilight. His expression had changed- he looked… worried. “Twilight, I… never had the chance to say this before, so I want to say it now.” Thorn bent down and grabbed hold of Twilight’s hoof. “…I love you. I always have, and, even though I don’t realize it yet… I always will.”

Twilight looked at the elder dragon. “I… I know. And I love you too.”

Thorn rested his other claw on top of Twilight’s hoof. “You have… no idea how happy it makes me to finally hear you say that.” He smiled down at her- it was the first time, Twilight realized, that he had smiled since they’d first met.

She felt the claws surrounding her hoof vanish. And then… Thorn was gone.

Twilight could do nothing but stare at where Thorn had been standing. Though he hadn’t been “her” Spike, that knowledge did little to prevent a deep pain from spreading within her chest, a pain different from the pain inflicted by Alduin- it was an empty pain, the sort of pain only the loss of someone dear could cause. Twilight sank to her knees, wanting to cry, but somehow unable to. She didn’t know how long she sat, motionless, waiting for tears that simply would not come, but eventually, movement at the edge of her vision caught her attention. Twilight looked up.

A dragon looked down at Twilight. It wasn’t Thorn, or Fang, but a different dragon altogether- its body was thick, and heavy, and it possessed no wings. Its body was translucent, like the other ghosts, making it impossible to determine its exact color other than a dark shade. Twilight didn’t know why, but something told her that the dragon standing before her was a female.

“You’re… you’re Spike’s mother, aren’t you?” she asked. There was no way for Twilight to know that for certain, but… who else could it have been?

The dragon nodded.

Twilight then noticed the dragon was not alone- at her side stood a stallion- a unicorn of some indeterminate dark hue. “But… who’s this?”

Neither responded. Instead, the dragon reached forward, and placed her claw on Twilight’s head. A familiar creeping sensation spread along Twilight’s brain as new information was injected directly into her mind…

Twilight suddenly found herself walking down a dirt road in an empty expanse of plains. Her body felt… large, heavy. The earth shook with her every footfall. She glanced back over her shoulder- behind her, she could see a purple stallion with a green mane struggling to keep pace, a strange round object tied to his body beneath a length of cloth. Although Twilight had never seen this stallion before in her life, she somehow instinctively knew that he was her husband.

“Come, come, we cannot stop now,” she said. Her voice was different, like two great stones grinding across one another. “Alduin’s enforcers will no doubt find us here.”

The stallion huffed with every step he took. “H… how much further?”

“There are still several miles between us and the southern border.”

“You know, this would go a lot faster if you carried the egg. Or better yet, both of us.”

“It would be too obvious. If something were to happen to happen to me, you would be able to flee, and bring the egg to safety.”

“Yeah, like I’m supposed to outrun a dragon…”

“You need not outrun a dragon,” Twilight said. “You need only to outrun me.”

The stallion looked at her in disbelief. “Do I need to remind you that you’re a dragon?”

Suddenly, the ground jolted violently. The stallion staggered, as did Twilight. Her body tensed as she looked forward. There was only one thing could have been.

He found them.

A crater had formed in the road before them. The impact had thrown up thick clouds of dust- within, Twilight could see the movement of a long, slender object. A golden glint exposed the stranger’s identity immediately.

Numinex.

The serpent slithered into the open, his wings outstretched to make himself seem more threatening; the earth shook as he spoke in his native language: “Surrender the egg, and you may yet live.”

Without any hesitation, Twilight lunged at the serpent. Numinex was known for his swiftness, but the lunge had taken him by surprise, and her fangs sank deep into his body. A sharp pain pulsed in her shoulder as he bit her in turn. Her claws tore into his flesh, ripping away scales and muscle, but the serpent would not release his hold.

“YOL… TOOR SHUL!” Fire erupted from her throat. Earsplitting roars of pain hit Twilight’s ears as the serpent pulled away. She looked back briefly, to the stallion. “RU!Run, now!”

But the brief moment when Twilight had taken her eyes off Numinex had given him an opening, and she was suddenly thrown off-balance as a blow whipped across her face. She staggered, only to immediately leap at the serpent, jaws wide, claws drawn back to strike…

But suddenly, something wrapped itself around Twilight’s neck, bringing her to a lurching halt. Her claws shot up to her neck, but the object would not come loose no matter how hard she clawed at it. A trap? No- Numinex was still in front of her. How could he have-

Pain. Pain unlike anything Twilight had ever experienced surged through her body. Daggers stabbed at her chest with every breath she took. She looked down at herself- a black pointed object was extending from the center of her chest. It seemed to twitch for a moment, before pulling itself back, leaving a gaping, bleeding hole in its wake- Twilight roared in pain as the thing scraped against her insides. She brought her claws up to touch the hole, to… verify if it was really there.

It was.

She sank to her knees, before falling on her stomach. She tried to stand, but her body refused to obey. Darkness began to creep into the edges of her vision. Even though she hadn’t laid eyes on him, she knew who had struck the killing blow.

A furious, but distant roar came to Twilight’s ears. A black dragon covered in sharp, dagger-like spines was hurled from outside her field of view onto the ground in front of her. The stallion charged in after him, his horn blazing. Alduin righted himself, but another invisible blow sent him reeling.

Another roar filled the air, and Numinex launched himself at the stallion. But he was suddenly knocked to the side by an invisible blow; then, an aura rose from the stallion’s horn, coalescing into a sword, before it stabbed itself into Numinex’s side. The dragon sprung up again and lunged at the stallion, only to be surrounded by a bright aura, and hurled into Alduin.

But then, another dragon pounced on the stallion- a slender dragon with long limbs. A bright aura surrounded it as the stallion tried to force the dragon off of him, but the dragon held firm. The dragon raised its claw high, swung… and an arc of blood filled the air.

Twilight shuddered. She wanted to cry out, to lurch forward, to do anything other than lay helpless as that stallion was murdered. But she could do nothing, save to whisper a name that was unknown to her.

As the slender dragon stood, a great black wing crashed down near Twilight, making her vision shake. Alduin surveyed the scene, giving Twilight only a brief glance. Then, he spoke; although the sounds of their battle just moments before had been muffled to Twilight, the dragon’s native tongue was perfectly clear. “Search the body.”

Numinex did as commanded, unraveling the cloth wrapped around the stallion’s body. After a moment, the dragon gripped something with his tail and held it up. A purple egg, speckled with darker purple spots. “Lord. I have it.”

The slender dragon stopped before her- she could now see that he bore a striking resemblance to Discord. What was his name? …Nahlokrein? The Discord-lookalike looked down at Twilight for a moment, before it reared back…

But Alduin stopped him. “No,” he ordered. “Start with the egg. Everything else can wait.”

Nahlokrein nodded and took the egg from Numinex, approaching a nearby stone. He raised the egg high over his head and slammed it against the face of the rock…

…shattering the stone into a thousand pieces.

Nahlokrein let out a shuddering gasp, staring at the egg in disbelief. Then, with a sharp intake of breath, he exhaled a long stream of fire over it.

“Save your breath,” Alduin ordered- at once, the stream of fire ceased, revealing the egg to be unharmed. The black dragon looked to Numinex. “Order the rest of our scouts to return to the battlefield at once. We have found him.”

Numinex bowed his head. “At once, Great One.” He then spread his wings, and took flight.

Alduin took the egg and looked down at it. “To think, that you are the source of all my troubles…”

Alduin then turned to the Discord-lookalike, but his words were muted. The darkness at the edges of Twilight’s vision expanded… until all Twilight could see was black.

The vision faded as the dragon pulled its claw away. Twilight looked first at the dragon, then to the unicorn, then back to the dragon.

“Wait, then… both of you…?” she began.

The stallion nodded.

Twilight brought a hoof up to her head. If… what these two had shown her was true, then… it explained so much about Spike: his temperament, his physiology… maybe everything, even his aptitude for magic.

She looked up at the dragon and her stallion- the two smiled at her in turn. But then, both turned, and began to walk away. “Wait, hold on! There’s so much I-” Before the words could leave Twilight’s mouth, the phantoms faded into nothing. “…wanted to… ask you.”

Twilight lifted a leg, as though to follow the two, but set it down once more. They had not spoken even one word to Twilight, but in spite of that, she could sense a lingering feeling- pride. Pride that Spike had grown into the fine young dragon they always knew he would be. And pride that Twilight had raised him into that same dragon… when they themselves could not.

Twilight looked on at where the ghosts had been standing, before she finally returned their smile and said, “…Thank you.”

Twilight turned away, back towards Fang and Aura; as she turned, Fang said to the sky, “Yes. I understand. Thank you, Father. Your mercy truly knows no bounds.” The glow in Fang’s eyes faded as he looked down at Twilight. “Are you ready to return to the world of the living?”

“Wait, just like that?”

“Yes. ‘Just like that.’ My Father has gifted me the knowledge of how to return you to the living world, but only for a short time. I suggest that you not dally.”

Twilight looked around. There were so many things about this… World Beyond she wanted to know. …But, she had a promise to keep. “I’m ready.”

“Very well.”

Fang inhaled, but Aura quickly added, “One final warning- a second chance at life is something the All-Father grants only rarely, and it is not something to be squandered. The next time you choose to die, ensure that you are prepared for an… extended stay.” She looked to the black dragon. “Proceed.”

Fang inhaled again. “NAHL… DAAL… VUS!”

The Shout struck Twilight. She staggered back, before realizing that she was falling into a deep black void.

A small flash of light illuminated the cave as Spike emerged from the portal. It was precisely what Celestia had been waiting for.

“Now!”

At the Princess’s signal, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy began to concentrate. Their respective Elements of Harmony began to glow, before firing out a beam aimed at Twilight’s body.

Spike watched as Twilight’s body began to rise into the air. For several moments, her body hung there, suspended by the magic from the other Elements, before the glow suddenly faded, and it unceremoniously dropped to the ground in an unmoving heap.

Spike sprinted to Twilight’s side without any hesitation, and with a great push, rolled her onto her back. “No dammit, no! You are notgiving up on us like this, you hear me!? I! Won’t! Let you!” He put his hands on her chest and began compressions, counting in his head 1, 2, 3… 1, 2, 3…

A hoof clad in a cold metal shoe rested on Spike’s shoulder. “Spike, please,” the Princess said. “There’s nothing more we can do.”

“No!” he shouted back. “I won’t give up on her! She wouldn’t give up on me! I…” His compressions came to a halt. “I can’t… I can’t just sit here and do nothing.” He inhaled deeply, put his mouth over hers, and blew.

Nothing.

He inhaled, put his mouth over hers, and blew again.

Nothing.

He inhaled, put his mouth over hers, and blew for a third time.

Twilight vomited.

Spike pulled back, spitting out the foul bile, on the verge of vomiting himself. So it was Fluttershy who stepped forward. She rushed to Twilight’s side, and pushed. “Spike, help me! If we don’t roll her onto her side, she could asphyxiate!”

Spike didn’t ask questions. He simply did as the pegasus ordered and rolled Twilight onto her side. Twilight coughed, forcing dark liquid from her stomach onto the cave floor. Eventually, she stopped, and picked up her head to look at the others.

“Are you okay?”

Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but instead, she vomited again. A torrent of rust-colored liquid poured from her throat, pooling on the stone floor in front of her. She gasped and coughed weakly, leaning against Fluttershy for support.

Spike knelt down, taking off his helmet. “Twilight?” he asked. “Can you hear me?”

Twilight looked up at him, her eyes unfocused, but no longer cloudy. “I’m here, Spike,” she replied weakly.

She was pale, she was shaking, and she was covered in vomit… but she was alive.

Spike threw his arms around her neck before he could stop himself. The fact that her fur was matted with vomit did not concern him in the slightest. He opened his mouth, but so overcome by joy was he that words completely and utterly failed him- only strange, small sounds would emerge from his throat. He was so happy, in fact, that it took several moments for Spike to realize that Twilight was speaking to him.

“Spike?” she asked weakly. “…You’re pulling on my mane.”

Spike let Twilight go. “Sorry.”

The others could only watch, astounded. “I… I can’t believe it…” Rarity said, astounded.

Rainbow Dash looked to Celestia. “Princess, did… did we do it? Did we really bring Twilight back?”

Celestia shook her head. “No. As powerful as the Elements of Harmony may be, even they have their limits. I sense that a power far greater than even myself is at play here, and that this power is responsible for returning Twilight to us.”

“What could be stronger than you, Princess?” Applejack asked.

The Princess looked down, as though considering her response. “…In the interest of ensuring that all of you will have a good night’s sleep for the remainder of your lives… I don’t think I should answer that question.”

At that moment, there was another bright flash from the portal. A small black object emerged from the shimmering vortex, before embedding itself in the ground near the group.

“What the-” Spike began. But then he realized exactly what the object was. Spike unsheathed his sword, looking at the shattered blade. He then looked up at Celestia. “I… I’m sorry, Princess.

“It’s alright, Spike,” she said. Her horn began to glow- the broken blade began to rise into the air, and the broken sword and sheath were gently pulled from Spike’s grasp. “A weapon, when broken, can be remade. The same can’t be said for a life that has been taken.” The three pieces vanished in a flash of light. “But that can wait. Right now, you and Twilight need medical attention.” She looked to the others. “I’m going to send all of you back to Canterlot, as close to the hospital as I can manage. Girls, see to it that they make it the rest of the way.”

Rainbow saluted. “No problem, Princess.”

Celestia focused- her horn began to glow, before letting out a brilliant flash. When the light faded, the Princess could see that Twilight, Spike, and the others were gone, returned to Canterlot to be tended to by the best doctors Equestria had to offer. She would follow them in short order, but at the moment, she had a few last things to attend to.

Celestia looked on at where her subjects had stood for a moment, before turning away, to face the portal. She approached the shimmering surface, but did not touch it, all too aware of its repelling abilities. For several moments, she looked into the portal, but could only see her own, slightly distorted reflection.

“Grandmother, Grandfather… I don’t know if you can hear me, but I know you had something to with all of this. And, I just wanted to say… thank you. Thank you for giving her back.”

Celestia looked on for a few more moments, as though waiting for a reply. None came. Eventually, she turned away, and began the long, lonely climb back to the dragon’s den.

The scent of charred flesh had dispersed since she had arrived with the others, but it was unlikely that the stench would ever truly fade. She looked sadly at the blood and the bones scattered through the ice cave, the only evidence left of its previous inhabitants, before turning away, and approaching the red dragon slumbering at the far side of the cave. She watched for several moments as the dragon’s side slowly rose and fell, before speaking. “Yolvahdin.”

Yolvahdin stirred. “Kulaas…” she whispered. “Los tol him?”

Celestia’s horn began to glow. “Yes. I am here, old friend.” Yolvahdin tried to stand, but Celestia pushed her down with her magic. “Please, rest. Alduin has already taken too many lives. I will not let him have any more.” Celestia focused, mending the dragon’s numerous wounds, healing shattered bones and torn muscle and skin.

Soon though, the glow of Celestia’s horn faded. “There. I have done all that I can. Time will heal the rest.”

Yolvahdin moved slightly, so that Celestia was in her field of view. “Krosis, kulaas. My apologies. Were it that I was a stronger dovah…”

“Nonsense,” Celestia interrupted. “Gone are the days when one survived only by the strength of their body. The All-Father reminded us of this.”

“Of course.” There was a brief pause. “You are here… but what of the Dovahkiin, and his allies?”

“They’re safe. And alive.”

“So, it is… done, then?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, old friend. It’s over. …We won.”

Yolvahdin closed her eye and exhaled, a smile coming to her lips. “Alduin dilon. The World-Eater is dead. Our true lord has reclaimed his throne, and all is right in the world.”

“Alduin may be dead,” Celestia began, “but the world is far from right.”

“Ah… of course. Such things in life… are rarely so simple.” She looked to Celestia again. “So, will you tell him what lay ahead?”

“No. Not yet. For now, he must be allowed to live as he chooses. In time, I believe he will come to accept his destiny, but I will not shackle him to it.”

“Yes, of course. He is but a child, in spite of the power that dwells within, and must be allowed to live as one.” Then, slowly, Yolvahdin stood, and looked down at the Princess. “Or… perhaps you have become complacent with your position of authority.”

Celestia stood firm. “Of course not. I am but a simple emissary for the Truth, and have sought only to carry out His will, just as my predecessors before me.”

Yolvahdin continued to look down at Celestia for a few moments, before lying down once more. “Tell me: does the All-Father still speak to you?”

“Yes, He does. In fact, He spoke to me quite recently. He told me that very soon, I shall choose His next Emissary, and that soon after, my time in this world will end. Then, the sleeping darkness will awaken, and attempt to blot out the light of His Truth… but a glorious Dawn shall drive back the shadows, heralded by the greatest of His children- His Firstborn, and His Emissary.”

“Another prophecy…” Yolvahdin shook his head. “As much as I adore Father, I simply cannot understand His aversion to giving a direct answer.” The dragon looked to Celestia. “I’m… certain you’ve already deduced the identities of the two heralds Father spoke of.”

Celestia nodded. “I believe so. And I believe you know as well.”

Yolvahdin was silent in thought for a moment, before replying, “Yes. Yes, I believe I do.”

Prologue: The End

Prologue: The End

It was done.

The dragon set down the piece of charcoal he had been using on the stone floor, and stood up straight to inspect his work. The circle had turned out rather well, he thought- the runes and incantations on the edge, and the lines and geometric shapes near the center were exactly where they should have been. These details were important, for the circle the dragon had drawn was no ordinary circle- in fact, it was a very special structure, one that any unicorn worth their salt would be able to identify.

The dragon had drawn a magic circle, a structure needed to cast some of the most advanced spells the world had ever known.

He had been working on this circle for several years now. Well, not actually working on the circle itself- that had taken only a few days. Rather, he’d spent most of that time researching, poring over what few books and scrolls had survived, and searching through his memories for even the tiniest scrap of information that could help him. But he had to admit, he was taking a big risk- until this day, he had never in his life attempted to cast a spell with a circle. And despite all his research and calculations, all of this was still only theoretical- there was no way to know if it would work until he actually tried.

He wished she was still with him. She would know if he was doing this right. She knew everything.

…But she was gone now.

Satisfied, the dragon moved on to the next step. He picked up a small satchel lying nearby; opening it, he reached in and began to set its contents along the outer edge of the circle. A brilliant-cut ruby, a small handful of dried saffron leaves, a candle made from beeswax, the teeth of a manticore, a chunk of raw, unrefined iron ore, dust from a mummified body, and a bonsai tree; one-by-one, the items were set on the outer edge of the circle, until all seven were in their proper places.

Some of these items would have seemed rather unusual to the average pony, and the procurement of all had been especially difficult. But the unique properties the items possessed made them absolutely essential if he was going to do this correctly. He checked, and he double-checked to ensure everything was in order, which it was.

Everything was finally ready.

There was just one thing he had left to do.

Stretching his aching shoulder, he turned away from his work and left the crumbling great hall, the entrance to this once great palace… and where all of this had started. The rugs and tapestries of the hall had long since rotted away, leaving the walls and floors bare, their stonework cracked and chipped; from time to time, there would be a faint rumble and a small amount of dust would fall from the ceiling, as the husk of a building strained to support its own weight.

The dragon passed through a great arch where two grand, golden doors had once stood. A cool night breeze passed over his scales, soothing the ache in his shoulder just a little bit… though in truth, such distinctions as “night” and “day” no longer existed.

The sun had long since been extinguished, having died with its master. For that matter, the moon was gone as well, having been put out for even longer. The only light in this world came from the countless stars scattered above, or from the small handful of fires the dragon had lit. But on this particular “night,” no stars could be seen overhead. And the dragon’s shoulder had been aching ever since he’d woken up. He knew what it meant- it would rain soon. He was so used to the weather just… happening now that he could hardly remember a time when it was scheduled.

He should get this over with.

With ease, the dragon traversed the shattered courtyard that lay just outside the grand hall. Near the heart of this courtyard rested the skeletal remains of a dragon much like himself. Rage flared in his heart as he passed it by; he hocked, and then spat on the bones of his own kin… of the one who had taken everything away from him.

The dragon left the courtyard and entered what once had been the palace gardens, navigating through dead trees and broken statues. He knew the path he walked by heart- he’d walked down it every day for the last ten years. Before long, he came to an overlook near the garden’s north edge. Many years ago, a pony could stand at the edge of this overlook, and allow all the natural beauty Equestria had to offer to wash over them. But even now, with its darkened and scorched landscape, the view was magnificent in its own, twisted way.

But the dragon didn’t come here for the view.

At the edge of this cliff stood a stone slab that he had carried here from the ruined palace. The slab was simple, if a bit rough around the edges, with but one feature on its smooth face: a name. Specifically, the name of the pony buried beneath it, carved into the stone with the dragon’s own claws. The dragon sat down in front of the slab; for a short while, he was silent, wringing his claws, trying to build up the courage to speak.

“…Hey,” he began, his voice low. “I guess it’s been a while since we talked, hasn’t it?”

There was no answer.

There never was.

“Do you remember that… project I’ve been talking about?” he asked.

Silence.

“…Well, I finished it.” He took a deep breath. “I’m finally gonna do it. I’m gonna go back, and I’m gonna make everything right.”

What would she have said now, if she’d known what he was going to do? The obvious came to him- endless warnings about tampering with the past: don’t touch anything, don’t talk to anypony, don’t do this, don’t go there, don’t touch that.

Even now, he could still hear her voice so clearly.

The dragon hung his head. “Listen, I have to tell you something. I… I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my promise.” Many years ago, the dragon and his pony friend had vowed that they would never leave each other. Technically, he supposed she had already broken the promise by… dying; but even then, he had stayed right here, coming to this place every day to be close to her. “You… aren’t upset, are you?”

There was no reply.

The dragon wondered for a moment if she would have supported what he was doing. Well, even if she didn’t, he still would have gone through with his plan; even if the spell ended up teleporting him into a volcano or turned him inside-out or just outright exploded him, anything would have been better than just sitting around moping.

Then it hit him- this is exactly what she would have wanted. For him to go out, to fix what had been broken… or die trying.

He stood up, and embraced the slab. “Well, I guess this is goodbye then. I… I loved you. …I love you.” Small droplets began to fall onto the slab, but no rain fell from the sky. “I just wish that I had the chance to tell you that, before… before…” He didn’t finish. He never would.

He let the slab go. “I’m sorry. But I need to get going.” Wiping his eyes, he turned away from the slab, and began the long walk back to the palace.

He wished he could have brought her flowers.

He passed through the courtyard again, spitting on the draconic skeleton as he passed it, and reentered the great hall. He came to the circle and looked it over one last time, taking a deep breath.

This was it. Ten years of poring over books, scouring his memories, and searching crumbling old ruins had finally led to this moment.

He stepped into the circle, closed his eyes, and cleared his mind, as he’d been instructed. Then, he began to concentrate, calling upon the power that dwelled inside him, unaware of the glow emanating from the circle beneath his feet. The glow became brighter, and soon small bolts of electricity began to dart across the circle. But the dragon paid no attention to it- his mind was focused elsewhere. A powerful wind began to blow in the hall, snuffing out the fires the dragon had lit. The bolts of electricity grew larger and larger, shooting across the whole room as a pure, intense white light began to shine from the dragon. The wind howled, the electricity surged, and the light became blindingly bright… but the dragon stood at the heart of it all, eerily calm as he concentrated, feeling the energy flow out from him and into the circle, swirling and raging, until…

There was a blinding flash of light, and a great clap of thunder.

After a moment, the wind died down, a few stray sparks of electricity dispersed, and the room’s various loose articles fell still as the world was silent once more.

The dragon was nowhere to be found.

Outside, rain began to fall. It fell to the earth and soaked into the scorched soil. It fell into ruined houses and flowed through broken streets. It washed over the slab, long lines of raindrops streaming down its face like tiny rivers. But the name scratched into the stone remained legible, even through the raindrops streaming down its face. Even after ten years, the name remained just as clear as the day it had been carved. The dragon had wanted to make sure that the name remained, no matter what- he was fairly certain the slab could have been hit by a meteor, and that name would remain legible.

That name, which meant more to him than any other.

That name…

“Twilight Sparkle”

Epilogue: The Shape of Things to Come

Epilogue: The Shape of Things to Come

The first thing he became aware of was the pain.

A dull ache pulsed through his side as he opened his eyes. He could see he was lying in a crater, freshly formed by his impact with the ground. He lifted his head, and a pain in his back stabbed at him, reminding him of how he had fallen in the first place. He looked about, soon spotting another dovah, much smaller and weaker than himself lying nearby- the Dovahkiin. “Sahlo…” he mumbled as he looked down at his foe. “Your cowardly tactics reveal your true weakness, Dovahkiin.” His head reared back, as though ready to strike. “You are unfit to call yourself dovah.”

“Spike, no!” Suddenly, he felt an object wrap around his throat. He brought up his wings, but the bond would not come undone no matter how hard he pulled. Suddenly, there was a mighty tug, and he was thrown into the air, before whatever had taken hold of him slammed him back onto the ground, outside of the crater.

He quickly righted himself, but he was immediately knocked off balance by an invisible blow to his side. “Alduin!” the key’s small voice shouted. Its horn flashed, and the black dragon was struck by another invisible blow, and another, and then another. “You! Will! Not! Hurt! My brother!” With every word, the key’s horn flashed, and he reeled from an invisible blow. “I won’t allow it!” Its horn flashed again- this time, he could see the faint image of a translucent hoof before it struck him across the face.

He head whipped back from the force of the blow, and he staggered back. His ears rang, and bright spots danced before his eyes. He could feel something resting on his tongue- no doubt a tooth knocked loose by the blow. Slowly, he looked down at the key, before spitting the tooth out- it skittered and bounced across the ground, before coming to a rest by its hoof. “I do not recall asking your permission.”

The key’s horn flashed, and a column of earth shot out of the ground, striking the bottom of his jaw. The world was turned into a blur of purples and greens and greys- before he could recover, an invisible force took hold of him, before slamming him into the ground headfirst. He staggered to his feet, forcing his lungs to draw in breath. “YOL!” At his command, a plume of fire erupted from his throat… but the key simply strode toward him through his fire undaunted, protected behind a magic shield.

“I’m not just some mortal you can bully into submission, Alduin,” the key spat. “I am Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia, wielder of the Element of Magic, granted the power of the Voice by Spike the Dragonborn.” The key’s horn flashed, and his head whipped back from yet another invisible strike. “Remember that.”

His vision went completely black He stumbled… but he did not fall. “Who you are is irrelevant, joor.” He stood on his feet, and looked down at the key. “It matters not who you know, nor the powers you wield, nor how many titles you attach to your name. You are still only a mortal. You are food- nothing more.”

“Then let me put this in words that even you will understand. QO!”

There was a thunderclap. An involuntary roar ripped from his lungs as electricity surged through his body, forcing all of his muscles to contract erratically. He fell forward, still twitching uncontrollably, the scent of charred scales reaching his nostrils. The key approached him, looking down at him, as though it were the superior one. “Hon zu, Alduin.Zu’u Twilight Sparkle, ahrk zu’u faal joor wo fen krii hin, fah ahraan zuii zeymah.”

Hear me, Alduin. I am Twilight Sparkle, and I am the mortal who will kill you, for hurting my brother.

A fire ignited in his chest. He would not allow anyone to speak down to him, especially not a fragile, pathetic joor like this key. He would punish it for its insolence. He lunged forward, jaws wide, but the key escaped death with a flap of its wings. “NAHLOT!” he screamed. “No longer shall I devour your souls! Instead I will bind them to my own, and inflict upon you a never-ending hell of suffering and pain!”

The key’s horn glowed brightly- its magic began to coalesce, taking the form of a great hammer. The hammer swung through the air, and he felt his ribs buckle as the hammer struck his side. He tumbled across the ground, before coming to a merciful rest. “Why don’t you stop talking about what you’re going to do, and just do it?”

He had no more words for the key. Instead, he felt a burst of flames surge across his body, and he leapt at the key, a roar of pure, unbound rage ripping from his throat. The key jumped out of the way, only just avoiding being impaled on his teeth. He immediately lunged at it again, and again, the key only just avoided being crushed between his massive jaws. It stumbled back again and again, having no time to conjure any sort of defense in-between his strikes. Deafening, furious roars filled the air- it took a moment for him to realize that they were his own. And it took several more moments for him to realize he was shouting something in-between the roars- a single command, repeated over and over again: “DIR!”

Die.

The key continued to evade him, but its movements became more sluggish with each strike- it would only be a matter of time before it slipped up, and met a painful death by his teeth.

But then the key did something, something he had not anticipated: it Shouted.

“TIID!”

The key moved to the side faster than he could blink. It stood still for a moment, as though to catch its breath, before moving past him. He tracked her movement, before he began to turn away. The key was moving more slowly than he had expected, no doubt under the foolish belief that it could simply walk away before the Thu’um’s effect wore off- if he timed his movements right, he could catch it. He brought his tail back, before whipping it towards the key.

The small shock and the cry of pain told him that he had hit his mark. Without delay, he turned around to face his quarry.

The blow had knocked the key off of its hooves. Before it could rise, he placed his wing over her chest, pinning her to the ground. Its horn began to glow, and he felt an invisible force push against his wing, but he did not yield, no matter how hard it pushed against him.

The key’s horn began to glow, and he felt the world distort as it prepared to teleport out of his grip- he lifted his wing slightly, only to bring it down again in full force. The key released a satisfying cry of pain as her ribs splintered beneath his blow.

He glared down at the key, bringing his face close to its own. The arrogance it had displayed was nowhere to be found- now, he could only see fear and pain etched into her eyes. He Shouted down at her in his tongue- the world trembled, not from his power of his Words, but seemingly from the sheer force of the hatred behind them.

“DIE AND BE FORGOTTEN! DIE AND FEED MY POWER! BUT ABOVE ALL ELSE… Just. Die.”

He breathed deep, drawing the key into himself, feeling his wounds mend and his strength grow. He could feel her fight against the pull, against the inevitable. They always fought.

They always lost.

He felt the key’s resistance weaken. In just a few more moments, she would be no more, and he would be that much stronger.

“Twilight!” another voice called.

He tore his eyes from the suffering key and looked to the crater, the voice’s source, unprepared for the sight awaiting him.

The Dovahkiin was gone. In his place stood a void, a hole in the world in the shape of a massive dragon. This dragon was blacker than the void of space, and seemed to draw all surrounding light into itself. Only one feature was visible, one distinguishing mark emerged from that horrible blackness- its eyes, shining in the brightest, most furious shade of red imaginable, burning with an emotion that he was intimately familiar with.

Hate.

The black dragon braced itself, and Shouted, its words seeming to split the very air itself.

“WULD… NA KEST!”

There was a clap of thunder. The dragon darted past, almost too quickly for the eye to see. Almost. He began to turn around, to face his new opponent. But as he turned, he saw a spray of red mist, so faint as to be almost invisible, rise from his right shoulder. He looked, just in time to watch his right wing detach from his body, and drop to the ground.

A roar left his throat. But it was not a roar of pain- at least, not entirely. He was not unfamiliar with the sensation of pain. But this dragon- no, this… beast- it had cleaved through scales and flesh and bone in an instant, with ease, as though he’d merely sliced through the air. As he brought up his remaining wing to shield his wound, he felt something, an emotion he had not felt in a great deal of time, not since the voice that had guided him to this point first spoke to him.

Surprise.

The key forgotten, he turned to face the beast, nearly falling on his face when he attempted to support himself with a now nonexistent wing. But barely a moment had passed before the air was once again split by the thunder of the beast’s Voice.

“WULD… NA KEST!” The beast raced past him again, leaving a gouge that cut deep into his scales. “WULD!” The beast raced by a third time, leaving another gash that erupted into a fountain of blood. “WULD! WULD! WULD WULD WULD WULD WULD WULD!” The beast darted past him over and over again, slicing deep gashes into his scales. Massive bursts of fire left his throat as he attempted to immolate his attacker, but it was useless- the beast simply moved to quickly for his eye to follow. And with each cut, a new emotion set in, one he’d thought long forgotten.

Fear.

He stood and reared back, preparing to let loose another stream of flame. But at that moment, a blade raked across his throat- air and blood rushed into his lungs through the fresh hole. At once, his body sputtered involuntarily as it attempted to clear the unexpected obstruction, and he pressed his one wing against his throat, but it did nothing to stem the flow of blood. His feet caught on some unseen object, and he fell back, feeling the blood pool in his throat.

Suddenly, the beast appeared before him. It glared down at him, its eyes burning through that horrible blackness. His heart filled with an alien sensation. He identified it- it was an emotion he had instilled in others countless times, but until now, had never experienced it for himself.

Terror.

Terror stemming from a horrifying, inescapable realization.

He was going to die.

“Dovahkiin… n-no…” He spat up blood, dragging himself away from the black dragon. “M-Mercy, please, I beg you!” It was unfitting for a dovah to flee from battle, to beg for any reason. But at that moment, so blinded by terror was he that such nuances held no meaning to him.

“Mercy?” The hateful beast approached. His eyes blazed like fire, his words thunder. “After everything you’ve done… after everyone you’ve killed… do you really think, that for even one second I would show you anymercy!?” The dragon raised its claw high… and plunged it into his throat.

Fire pulsed through his veins. A roar of pain ripped through his throat. He flailed, feeling his one wing strike the beast and knock it back. His mind was filled with a single overpowering command- stand.

Stand and fight.

Every muscle burned, every fiber screamed in protest against his action, but in the end, they obeyed, and he righted himself. His breaths were ragged, and his body pulsed with pain.

But he was not afraid.

Yes, pain was good. As long as he could still feel pain, all was not lost.

Through his darkening vision, he saw the beast standing before him, but it had changed- no longer was its body an impenetrable black void, but rather it rippled and billowed, as though made of smoke. That could mean only one thing.

The beast was vulnerable.

It took every ounce of effort his body had to offer, but he threw his wing out before him, and pulled himself forward. His feet dug into the ground, pushing him further- he would take every inch he could. Air rushed into his lungs, leaving in the form of whispered Words of Power, calling upon the flames that had smote a thousand of his enemies.

But the flames died in his throat, drowned by his own blood, and emerged only as faint sparks. And no matter how far he dragged himself, the beast never seemed to grow any closer.

His fury mounted. He would not- no, he refused to give in before exacting the vengeance that was rightfully his. He would die here- he had accepted that. But he would not become one with the All-Father alone. So long as he ended the beast’s life before passing, he would be at peace.

Only one option remained.

His body shuddered as he summoned all the remaining strength his broken body had to offer. His muscles tightened, burning as they sought to unleash the energy contained within. He glared at the beast for a moment- it glared at him in turn, dark and unknowable.

He leapt forward. His feet left the ground. He opened his jaws wide, letting out one last roar.

His teeth met only air.

The last of his strength had been spent in his final, unsuccessful attack.

He fell to the ground- he willed himself to rise, to move forward, but his muscles would not obey. The darkness at the edge of his vision had grown, leaving him only a pinhole through which to view the outside world, but even then, he could still see the beast glaring down at him with those hateful red eyes. The world grew silent, and he could hear nothing, not even his breaths, nor the beating of his heart.

Though his body was still, his mind raged.

His eyes, his ears, his Voice, his own body had betrayed him.

He couldn’t even roar in fury at his failure.

All he could do was lie on the ground… and die.

Spike jolted, his leg kicking out. He sat up, breathing hard, mind racing with jumbled memories, none of which were his own. Spike focused, trying to remember the mantra Twilight had taught him, before reciting it aloud:

“My name is Spike. I am a dragon. I was born in Canterlot. I live in Ponyville with my sister, Twilight Sparkle. And I am the Dragonborn.”

With each recitation, the flurry of foreign memories that filled Spike’s head receded, until the only his own remained. With his mind clear, he remembered that he was back in the Canterlot palace- in his and Twilight’s old room.

He let out a breath, resting his claw against his forehead. He remembered what Celestia had said- that after absorbing another dragon’s soul, he gained access to all of their knowledge… and their memories. But something Celestia hadn’t told him was that he didn’t gain access just to Alduin’s memories, but the memories of all the souls Alduin had devoured. Only two days had passed since he and Twilight returned from the World Beyond, since Alduin had been slain, but already he dreaded the memories sleep brought with them. Memories of fire, of blood and death. Memories of a dragon, as black as night, descending from the skies to speak death with every word.

Spike looked out the window- the position of the sun told him it was still early in the afternoon. They must have still been setting up for the Gala. He hopped out of his bed- his body, still sore from his battle with Alduin, pulsed with pain from the sudden motion, but it was nothing he couldn’t live with. The work would help take his mind off his dreams.

He stretched, in an attempt to relieve the pain, before leaving his and Twilight’s shared room. No sooner had he shut the door and turned around that he ran into the lavender alicorn herself.

She looked surprised, as if she hadn’t him to be up and about. “Spike? I thought you’d still be asleep.”

His response was blunt. “I woke up.”

“Where are you going?”

“To help set things up for the Gala. I promised the Princess I would.” He moved past her.

A hoof rested on his shoulder. “You don’t need to worry about that, Spike. After everything you’ve done, you deserve a rest.”

He looked back at her. “You were there with me. So why aren’t you resting, too?”

She hesitated for a brief moment before replying, “…I had something I needed to take care of.”

He pulled away from her grip. “So do I.” And with that, he strode away.

He didn’t mean to be short with Twilight. She didn’t know, after all. How could she have known? He was the one who had devoured Alduin’s soul, the one who had gained all these memories, not her. And of course, he hadn’t told her about them yet. If he did, she would worry.

And he’d had quite enough of ponies worrying about him.

With the so-called “Aduin Crisis” resolved, the Princess had ordered the Grand Galloping Gala to resume as scheduled. The repairs to the palace hadn’t been finished quite yet, but after a delay of nearly two weeks, Celestia was eager to resume the festivities, to cap off the successful resolution of the crisis.

The palace corridors were nearly empty at first, but rapidly began to fill up as he approached the main hall- servants and guards were setting up decorations, ferrying construction materials out of the main hall, and food and decorations in. Spike pushed his way through the throngs, until he reached his destination- a pair of golden doors that separated the main hall from the palace’s western wing. It was nowhere near as tall as the main hall’s main doors, but five ponies could stand on top of one another and still not reach the top. The doors were open wide, to allow as many ponies as possible to pass through.

The grand hall was, if anything, even busier than the surrounding corridors. So many pegasi filled the air that the ceiling was almost completely obscured. Dozens of objects and decorations floated through the air, guided by unicorn magics. The floor was just as crowded, as dozens upon dozens of ponies tried to push past one another to reach their destinations. And at the center of it all was a white stallion, barking orders to servant and soldier alike.

Spike again pushed his way through the crowd before reaching the stallion. “Hey, bro.”

Like Twilight, Shining Armor seemed surprised to see him. “Spike? What’re you doing here?”

“Yesterday, I told the Princess that I wanted to help you guys get ready for the Gala. Is there anything that still needs to be done?”

“Well… we still need to break down that scaffold over there.” He pointed toward the massive window Alduin had crashed through on the night of his return- about half was still covered with tape and plastic and wooden boards, where the construction workers weren’t able to finish repairs. Sure enough, a scaffold had been hastily erected in front of it. “Think you can handle it?”

“Not a problem.” Without another word, Spike bounded up the steps to the window, scurried up the scaffold, and set to work disassembling it. The work was mind-numbing and repetitive, but that suited him just fine.

But as he worked, his mind began to wander. But they wandered not to the nightmares that plagued him, but into the memories of the black dragon he had slain, memories that were now his own. There were, of course, memories of death and fire, but there was something else, something from… before. Memories of endless, gnawing hunger. Of being forced to submit to unimaginable torment, and wishing for death if it meant release from his tormentors. Memories of sinking into the deepest, darkest despair imaginable.

Memories of a voice that spoke to him from that darkness, promising to give him everything he could have ever wanted, and more.

Memories from before the birth of the dragon named “Alduin.”

Normally, a fresh battleground was a veritable goldmine in supplies abandoned by fleeing armies, especially food. But these soldiers, the soldiers of the nation called “the Soyuz,” had been thorough, destroying anything that might provide the Equestrians with an advantage in their retreat. What the soldiers hadn’t taken with them had long since spoiled, or had been burned to ashes.

The soldiers had departed several hours earlier, but he had chosen to wait until nightfall, stealing away to the Soyuz campsite under the cover of darkness. But it seemed his caution had been all for naught, for seemingly nothing of use had been left behind- if anything of value were here, then surely there would be other scavengers, picking through the remains alongside him.

What did it matter, whether or not he found anything? If he didn’t, he’d spend yet another night hungry. And if he did, Viinturuth and the others would simply take what he found, leaving him with a mere scrap if he was lucky, or with nothing if he wasn’t.

More often than not, he was the latter.

He slumped against the ground. He thought, as he often did, about running away. About fleeing to some obscure corner of the world where Viinturuth and the rest of his dragonflight would never be able to follow. But did such a place even exist? He’d run before, but no matter where he ran, no matter how long… they always seemed to be able to find him.

He brought up a wing, looking at the sharp talon at its bend- if he were to rake it across his throat at that very moment, he would die in less than a minute. Such thoughts tempted him often; it seemed that only death would free him from the others’ grip…

Or would it? Would death free him, or would the others simply find a way to force him back into their service from beyond the grave.

It was at that moment that a voice spoke to him.

Look at yourself, it said. Your kind once ruled this world. Now you skulk in the dark, digging through refuse to stave off death for just a while longer.

He shot to his feet and whirled around- the voice seemed to come from every direction at once. “Who said that!?”

I did.

He focused, but he could not determine the direction of the voice. “Where are you? Show yourself!”

I am all around you. I am within you. I amyou.

He growled furiously. “Enough! Who are you, really!?”

I am someone who has been watching you for a very long time… Kahvozein. I have borne witness to your struggles. I have heard depths of your rage and your despair. And I have decided that youare the one to whom I shall grant my blessing.

Kahvozein narrowed his eyes at the darkness surrounding him. “Blessing? What sort of blessing?”

Of all the world’s resources, which is the most important? Gold? Food? No. The greatest resource of all… is power. So long as one has power, all else shall follow. But power is a difficult resource to gather, and those who have power are often ill-prepared to share it with others.

Kahvozein narrowed his eyes further. “…Is there a point you're trying to make?”

I see that you are still not convinced. So, I give to you a gift. A small taste of the power that only I can provide for you.

Kahvozein doubled over as a hot lance stabbed into his brain. His mind burned as Words of Power were seared into his mind, Words that he had never known before. Three words in sequence… a Thu’um.

With these Words, even mountains will bow down to you. Go. Use them as you wish. And when you are satisfied… I shall be waiting.

The voice grew silent. Kahvozein listened, but heard nothing else. He looked around at the blasted field surrounding him, but he was utterly alone. His eyes soon fell on a large stone, presumably unearthed by the recent battle, as the voice’s words echoed in his minds.

Even mountains would bow to him…

It was no mountain, but it certainly couldn’t hurt to try it. Making certain to keep his voice low, he Spoke the Words the voice had taught him.

The stone briefly flashed with a golden glow, and twitched several times, before it began to roll towards him, stopping when it reached his wing.

The trip back to the camp was the short one.

Even before landing, Kahvozein could see the rest of the dragonflight were still lying about, just as they had been when he’d left that morning. With only himself providing for all of them, it was a wonder none had died yet.

“Kahvozein,” one of them said. This one rested on a large mound of earth, above the others.

Viinturuth. The “leader” of the dragonflight.

He looked down at Kahvozein. “You’re back.” He narrowed his eyes. “Where’s the food?”

Kahvozein answered truthfully, “I didn’t find any.”

Viinturuth rolled over, his back facing towards Kahvozein. “What a shame. You better go back out and find me some, then.”

Kahvozein almost turned. He almost obeyed. Almost. Before standing straight, and looking up at the dragon. “No.”

Viinturuth lifted himself up and looked back. “What did you say?”

“You heard me. No. If you want food, you go out and find it for yourself.”

“Excuse me?” He leapt down from his mound and approached Kahvozein, drawing himself up to his full height. “You seem to have forgotten how our arrangement works. So let me remind you: I am in charge. And you obey me. I tell you to do something; you do it. When I tell you to jump, you jump. And when I tell you to find me some food, you find some, or else I rip your throat out, and I eat you. Understand?”

Kahvozein drew himself up as well. “Well, I think it’s about time we had a change in leadership.”

Viinturuth brought his face very close to his. “Is that a challenge, Kahvozein?”

“As a matter of fact, it is. Viinturuth, I challenge you to tinvaak.”

A murmuring arose among the other dragons- even among those who held fast to the Old Ways, tinvaak- a formal style of dueling bogged down by a tangled weave of strict rules and guidelines- had been all but abandoned. It was likely that Kahvozein’s challenge of tinvaak was the first issued in centuries. But, be it through story or practice, all dovah knew the rules of tinvaak.

And Kahvozein wanted to make a statement.

“Very well. Zu gehtik- I accept your challenge.” Viinturuth walked past him, turning when he reached the designated starting position. “Normally, the rules of tinvaak state that the challenged- in this case, me- would open the duel. But seeing that I’m in a generous mood…” Viinturuth held out a front claw to Kahvozein. “…I will let you have the first strike.”

Arrogant until the end. Exactly as he’d hoped. Kahvozein inhaled deeply, before unleashing his new Words on his tormentor.

“GOL… HAH… DOV!”

A golden wave emerged from his throat and washed over Viinturuth. He staggered back, before looking down at himself. “What- what sort of Thu’um have-”

He stopped suddenly. His slit-pupils widened into great black circles, and his mouth froze mid-sentence. Viinturuth stood utterly still, not even breathing- or, if he was, breathing so slowly it was imperceptible.

For several moments, no one spoke. Until Kahvozein asked, “Can you hear me, Viinturuth?”

Viinturuth's attention snapped towards him. “I hear and obey.”

Kahvozein was surprised. So surprised in fact, that it took him a moment to formulate his next words. But then, he said, “…Listen to me. You will turn control of this dragonflight over to me. You- and every other dragon here- will do everything I tell you to. Do you understand?”

Viinturuth nodded slowly. “I understand.”

“Excellent.” Kahvozein stepped toward his former leader. “Now, ever since I joined this dragonflight, you’ve made me suffer for your own amusement, have you not?”

Viinturuth nodded again. “I have.”

“Well, now that I’m in charge, you will suffer just as I have suffered.” Kahvozein gave Viinturuth a hard glare. “You are going to kill yourself, right here and now, using the most painful method you can imagine.”

Another murmuring arose among the others. But Viinturuth again nodded, his expression still vacant. “As you wish.” The dragon then raised up his claw, and without any hesitation, drove his talons into his own throat. He sputtered and choked as blood poured from his wound, but he did not stop. Viinturuth sank to his knees, the blood falling from his throat like a waterfall, but still, he didn’t stop tearing at his own throat until he collapsed. But even as his flesh burned away, his claws continued to move, still carrying out the order Kahvozein had given them.

Kahvozein could only stare in stunned silence. Viinturuth, his tormentor for so many years, was dead. He had seen the deed with his own eyes and still, he couldn’t believe it. But then, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before setting his face into a hard glare. He was the one who was in charge now. He had to act like it.

Kahvozein turned to the other dragons. “Does anyone else have a problem with my leadership?”

His eyes swept over the others. He looked- no, he hoped for any signs of defiance, for another opportunity to demonstrate the power he now held over them.

Much to his disappointment, there were none.

But he ensured his expression remained level. “I thought so.”

Kahvozein looked back at the body lying before him, now merely a skeleton laying in a pool of drying blood. With but three words, he had forced his tormentor to submit to him, and to take his own life.

…So, this is what it was. To have power. For another being to live and die on his whims alone. A strange sensation crept into his chest, one he hadn’t felt in a long while. He felt… it felt…

Good.

“…I like it,” he said aloud.

As I knew you would, the voice replied.But this is only the beginning. I can give you so much more.

Kahvozein smiled. “I can hardly wait.”

But first, one small thing. From this time forward, your life, as it has been, is over. The dovahnamed Kahvozeinis no more. I bestow upon you now a new name, one more befitting for the wielder of my power. From this time forward, you shall be known by myname.

Alduin.

“Spike!”

Celestia’s shout snapped Spike out of Alduin’s memories. He crawled to the edge of the scaffold and looked down to the alicorn who had called him. “Princess.”

“I apologize if I startled you, but I really must speak with you.”

He loosened another bolt and pulled it free. “Can it wait?”

“I’m afraid not, Spike.”

Spike sighed, before hopping down from the top of the balcony. Once he reached the floor, Celestia said, “Come with me, please,” and began to descend the stairs. Spike followed.

Spike didn’t need to push past anypony as he followed the Princess- the crowd parted on its own as the Princess approached. They passed through the doors that led to the palace’s eastern wing, and wound through the seemingly endless corridors, until they stopped in front of a large, heavy wooden door. Spike recognized it- it was the door that led to the forge. Without knocking, Celestia opened the door with her magic- Spike followed, and shuddered at what he saw within.

Spike remembered the night when he returned to Canterlot after killing Alduin. The Princess had teleported them to the palace, but as they made their way to the infirmary, the guards, and even his friends gave him odd looks. He couldn’t figure out why until he caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror- he was covered in so much blood that his scales, his armor was completely covered in it. He barely even recognized himself. In disgust, he tore off his armor and ran away before anyone could stop him. He spent the rest of the night locked in the bathroom, scrubbing off the blood so hard he tore out half of his scales.

He hadn’t thought about his armor since then. He didn’t want to think about it, or Alduin, or anything that had happened over the last two days just yet. But there, in the forge, adorning a small mannequin… was his armor.

It was still covered in a thick film of dried blood.

“I understand that you might be hesitant to wear it again so soon,” Celestia began, “but the armor has become… a very powerful emblem since Alduin’s defeat. The citizens of Equestria will be expecting to see you wear it.”

Spike did not respond. He merely glared at the armor.

“Please, Spike. It will only be for a few hours. And you only need to put it on just before the Gala begins.”

It took several moments before Spike was willing to reply, “…Fine.” He then approached the mannequin, and began to strip off the armor.

“You’ll be making your entrance at ten, through the main doors. I would recommend you exit the palace through the east wing…” Spike only half-listened to Celestia as he gathered up the armor pieces, noting that another gauntlet had been made to replace the one he had lost. The entire set carried the scent of blood- it wasn’t overwhelming, but it was enough to make feel nauseated.

After a minute, the last strap came undone, and Spike began to carry his armor to the door, when the Princess called to him.

“Spike?”

He stopped, and looked back at the Princess.

She… hesitated. “I realize that this comes rather late, but… you have done an immeasurable… I cannot express the…the service you have provided is… thank you. For all that you’ve done.”

Spike adjusted his load before replying, “It wasn’t any trouble.” He turned, and concentrated- the wooden door flew open, and Spike stepped out of the forge.

But as he walked down the hall back to his and Twilight’s room, he muttered, “… but I didn’t do it alone, you know.”

Night fell over Canterlot. It seemed to come much sooner than Spike would have liked- he had spent the rest of the day in and Twilight's room, painstakingly scrubbing the blood from his armor. He was just about to start on his helmet when a knock came to the door.

He sighed and set the helmet aside. “Just give me a minute.”

Spike began to put on the armor, one piece at a time. First was the cuirass- his fingers flew across the straps and clasps, securing them all with little difficulty. Next came the gauntlets- lifting his arms was no longer a struggle. And last was the helmet- the tip of the left horn had broken off, and it was coated in dents and scratches.

The armor didn’t seem as heavy as when he’d first put it on. Putting it on, wearing it, seemed… natural.

And that deeply worried Spike.

But his feelings were interrupted when a second knock came, much firmer than the first. “Alright, just hang on!” he said as he approached the door, exasperated. He pulled the door open, but much to his surprise, it was not Celestia outside of his door, but Luna. “Luna?” he asked. “Where’s Celestia?”

“She is in the grand hall, welcoming guests. Now come.” She turned and strode down the hall- Spike caught up to her with ease. “You will not be carrying any weapons this time, Spike,” Luna added. “As a security precaution. I am certain you understand.”

“Of course.” Between his magic and the Thu’um, not having a sword meant little. Spike considered it a small miracle he was still allowed to attend the Gala at all. The two walked down the hall- Spike was very familiar with their route, as it was the same one that led to the sparring hall. But rather than entering, the two passed by the heavy oak door, and proceeded to the double doors at the hall’s end.

“I am afraid we must part ways here,” Luna said. “I trust you know the way to the courtyard?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Spike replied, before stepping through the doorway. Outside some distance away was a large building- the guard barracks- separated from the rest of the palace by a large open field- the Royal Guard’s training grounds. He had seen it numerous times from various vantage points around the palace, but this was the first time he could recall ever setting foot in it. But there was no time to marvel- Spike had somewhere he needed to be. Thus, he began the long, silent walk around the palace’s eastern wing, to the front courtyard.

As he walked, Spike wondered if news of his actions had spread. He hadn’t been out of the palace for the last two days, so he didn’t know how much the rest of Canterlot, how much the rest of Equestria knew about his battle. Twilight knew without a doubt, Celestia knew (and so did Luna, presumably), the rest of their friends knew, and most of the palace staff seemed to know, judging from their reactions. But what of the public at large? As the palace drawbridge came into view, Spike supposed he was about to find out firsthand.

The palace courtyard was normally bustling with activity, even at night, and especially on the night of the Grand Galloping Gala, but at the moment, it was eerily deserted. It seemed Celestia didn’t want anyone spoiling her guest of honor’s grand entrance. The great golden doors that opened into the main hall were shut tight. Spike brought his ear to the door- he could hear the muffled but melodious voice of Princess Celestia, as she apparently addressed the crowd. He looked back for a moment, noting the time on a clock tower visible through the palace gate, rising over Canterlot proper- only two minutes remained. He listened a little longer- the palace shook for a brief moment, and he distinctly heard the word “Dovahkiin.” No doubt the Princess was telling the prophecy to the crowd.

Then, the sound of a clock chiming met his ears. One, two three… until finally, the tenth chime sounded. Spike stepped back from the doors, and waited. Several moments passed, but nothing happened. It seemed that he would have to invite himself in. He held up a claw and focused- he moved his claw forward, and the doors responded in kind, slowly creaking open.

Being a dragon, Spike naturally drew stares no matter where he went. But there had never been this many before, and never before had those stares been so intense as that moment when he entered the main hall. He could see fear in the eyes of some, of course- that was no surprise. And neither was the hatred he saw in the eyes of others- he’d long since accepted that no matter what he did, there would always be ponies who would never accept him.

Spike turned his gaze away from the crowd, toward the far end of the hall- there, standing upon the landing of the grand staircase, was Celestia, just as she had been on that day almost two weeks ago. “Speaking of which… May I introduce this year’s guest of honor, the slayer of Alduin himself… Spike, the Dovahkiin.”

Several moments passed, before someone began drumming their hooves on the floor in applause. Others followed suit, and soon, the hall was filled with the thunderous sound of applause.

In all honesty, Spike would have preferred the silence.

But suddenly, the drumming ceased, replaced by terrified cries as the crowd began to retreat. For a moment, Spike thought they were running from him, until the ground beneath his feet shook, making him stagger. Without hesitation, he whirled around, reaching for a sword he didn’t possess, to find himself facing… Yolvahdin.

The elder red dragon looked absolutely exhausted. Much of her body was wrapped in thick bandages, no doubt provided by Celestia during her last visit. The left side of her face was turned slightly forward, almost certainly in an attempt to mitigate the blind spot caused by her missing eye, but also seemingly as an attempt to hide her scarred face.

Immediately, a team of guards charged forward and formed a half-circle in front of Yolvahdin, separating her from the crowd. She looked down at them, unamused.

“You are quite bold to threaten a dovah. Even in my weakened state, your blades could harm me no more than could a blade of grass.”

“Hold.” At once, the line of guards lowered their weapons, but did not break formation, save to allow Princess Celestia to pass between them. She stopped in front of the red dragon, as she looked up at her, she said, “You should be resting.”

“Nii los nid praan fah aan kinbok. Orin fah gein voth nid aarre.” There is no rest for a leader. Even for one with no followers.

“No, I suppose there isn’t. But that doesn’t explain why you’ve come here.”

“The Dragonborn has returned, and the Nameless One lies dead. All that has been said in the prophecy has come to pass. I would hope that you above all others would understand what this meant.”

“Yes, of course, but… now? Can’t it wait until you’ve healed?”

“It cannot.” Yolvahdin paused for a moment. “I understand your strunmah was damaged when the Nameless One made his return to the world known. Will it hold as perform the rite?”

With a wave of her hoof, the guards parted, allowing the Princess and the dragon passage. “Of course it will. Do you still remember the Words?”

“I do.”

“Would you have me Speak with you?”

“No. Only we were to speak the Words, when the time was right. Though I am the only survivor, this has not changed.”

“Very well. I’ll leave it to you, then.” Celestia stepped back, leaving the Yolvahdin in the center of the hall.

A tense silence filled the hall. Then, the red dragon began to speak.

“Drem yol lok. Greetings to you all. I am Yolvahdin, survivor of the great Dragon War six centuries ago, and one of the last Min Vahlokke- Lorekeepers, of the dovah.” She paused briefly. “Today, the race you know as ‘dragons’ lie scattered across the world, warring both with other races and with one another. But it had not always been so. Once, in an age that has been all but forgotten, our kind- indeed, our world- was ruled by a single dragon. His name is lost to us, but we know still his titles: Strundu’ul- Stormcrown; Saraan, the Firstborn; Venloktul, the Darkening Cloud; but above all others, he was… Unslaaddovasejun. The Immortal Dragon Emperor. He has long since passed from our world, but it was said that one day, when a great shadow spreads across our world, our Emperor would be reborn, to strike down this evil. Thus was born the tale of the Dovahkiin.”

A murmuring rose among the crowd, but was silenced when Yolvahdin began to speak again. “Very recently, the Usurper King from the days of the Dragon War- the one you know as ‘Alduin,’ returned to our world. And this young dragon who stands before you now-” She motioned to Spike. “-the one you know as Dovahkiin- challenged him in the field of battle, and slayed him. If the tale of old holds true, then this dragon, Spike, is indeed our Emperor reborn, and I stand before all of you now to proclaim to the entire world this fact.”

Spike took no notice as all eyes in the room fell on him. Him, an Emperor? The idea was utterly laughable, and yet the gravity of Yolvahdin’s words told him that it must have been true. And yet his mind refused to accept it. All he could do was stand frozen, gaze fixated on Yolvahdin, caught between a state of belief and disbelief.

She looked to Spike. “Come, Dragonborn. I would Speak to you.”

Yolvahdin’s word snapped Spike out of his stunned state, and he stepped forward, stopping when he was in front of the elder dragon.

She looked down at him for a moment. Then, Yolvahdin began to Speak. At once, her Words battered against Spike like powerful waves, but he braced himself, and endured. He could barely open his eyes as the Words whipped past, but still, he stood firm. The ground shook, and his very bones rattled, but he refused to falter. Somehow, through the turmoil, Yolvahdin’s Words reached his ears:

“Lingrah krosis saran maarrot Strundu'ul, voth nid balaan klov praan nau. Naal Thu'umu, mu ofan nii nu, Dovahkiin, naal suleyk do Bormahu, naal suleyk do fin Monahven, ahrk naal suleykke do pah fin Geinnebo. Meyz nu Unslaaddovahsejun, fin Saraan, fin Thu’um do Vahzen. Dahmaan daar rok.”

Long has the name Stormcrown languished, with no worthy brow to sit upon. We bestow it to you now, in the name of the All-Father, in the name of the… Mother Wind… and in the names of all the Ones Above. You are… you are… Spike struggled to decipher the next word. Un… Undying Dragon… King? he thought. Everything that followed was easy: …the First, the Voice of Truth. Hearken to it.

Spike slumped over, breathing hard. He had done nothing but weather Yolvahdin’s words, but the effort had taxed him far more than he’d anticipated. But he was not the only one affected, it seemed- Yolvahdin too slumped forward, breathing heavily.

But soon enough, she was upright once more. “…It is done. That you still stand before me means that you are indeed the one we have waited for. It gives me great joy to welcome you into the living world once more… Lord Stormcrown.” She brought herself low. “I humbly await your order.”

Again Spike was stunned into silence. Yolvahdin, a dragon several centuries his senior at the very least, was bending her knee to him. He dropped down to one knee, his mind simply shutting off with the overwhelming influx of information.

But very soon, there was a commotion as a mare pushed her way through the crowd. She approached

Spike, and touched his shoulder. Her touch alone told him that it was Twilight. “Are you okay?”

He pushed up his helmet and rubbed his temples. “I will be. I just… need a minute.” Spike slowly began to limp away, toward the doors leading to the garden.

“Spike…” She began to follow him-

“Qozul.” Twilight stopped. She had heard that name exactly once, and yet she knew instantly that she was the one being addressed. She turned to face her addresser.

“Yolvahdin,” she began.

“I must speak with you, kiir. It is a matter I can entrust only to you.”

She could see Spike passing through one of the doors leading out to the gardens; it took every ounce of willpower she had to keep from following. “Okay… what is it?”

“Walk with me. And if it does not trouble you, I would that you remain to my left. I fear I have not yet adjusted to my reduced field of vision.” Yolvahdin turned and began to exit the main hall. Twilight followed- the crowd parted as the dragon approached, more out of fear than respect. “Faal Kulaasse have ruled this nation of Equestria since wresting its throne from the Uznahgaar, the Unbridled One, two thousand years ago. But their reign, long though it has been, will not last forever.”

Twilight was silent. She knew in her heart that one day, the royal sisters would no longer sit on Canterlot’s throne. Though she’d never put much thought into it before that moment, she shuddered at the thought of Equestria without Celestia and Luna at its helm.

“With the Nameless One dead, the task of guiding the Dovahkiin falls to Celestia and Luna. But one day, perhaps sooner, perhaps later, they shall no longer be among our number. When that day comes, I ask you- not only as his briinah, but as a fellow dovah- to defend him. With your life, if you must.”

Defend him? Twilight thought. Even with all his power? Even after everything he’s already accomplished? She replied, without a moment’s hesitation, “Spike doesn’t need to be protected.”

Yolvahdin shook his head. “Ah, you misunderstand, kiir. I do not doubt that the young Lord can weather the relentless assault of the hokoronseslen- the enemy without. But it is the hokoronsesil- the enemy within- that you must guard him against.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “…Enemy within?”

“Geh. Now that he has been made aware of the return of the Unslaaddovahsejun, Alduin will use any means at his disposal to sway the young Lord into His service.” They passed through the main doors and turned right, walking along the side path that led to the palace gardens. “You must ensure that this does not happen, no matter the cost.”

Twilight looked up at the elder dragon in confusion. “Alduin? But… he’s dead. We spent all this time preparing so we could beat him. It’s over now… isn’t it?”

“Nid. The Nameless One lies dead, but Alduin yet lives. Though his agents fall, un Lot Hokoron- our Great Enemy- endures, as always.” The two had stopped at the outer wall at the edge of the garden. Yolvahdin pushed herself up on her hind legs for a moment, before resting her forelegs on the top of the wall. “So it is. So it has always been, long before Bormahu breathed life into this once-lifeless world.”

Twilight did not respond. It was evident to her now that the Alduin of which Yolvahdin spoke was not the Alduin Spike had defeated in the World Beyond. The name was the same, but the meaning behind it… she couldn’t put her hoof on why, but it was different. She was sure of it. It was larger than just a single dragon. More powerful.

More menacing.

Yolvahdin looked to Twilight, her gaze intense. “Darkness stirs. Black clouds will grow and fester in the hearts and minds of all who inhabit this world. And those who cannot resist Alduin’s flatteries and false promises will bend their knee to Him readily. His ranks will grow like a cancer, and threaten to consume the entire world. There is but one who can oppose Him… and the Great Enemy knows this. Every resource will be spent tempting him, every moment spent waiting for a moment of weakness.” Yolvahdin looked away. “It is the fate of the Dovahkiin, the Emperor Stormcrown reborn, to unite the world under his banner once more and put down the rising Darkness… but he cannot possibly do it alone.”

Again, Yolvahdin looked to Twilight. “So, when the fated day comes, and the Dovahkiin is all that stands between us and utter annihilation- and mark my words, that day will come- that you stand alongside him. That you defend our world from the Looming Shadow.”

Twilight’s response was automatic.

“I’ve been standing with Spike from the moment he was born. I won’t turn my back on him- not now. Not ever.”

Yolvahdin looked away from Twilight, nodding. “Your resolve has not faltered. This is good. The Dovahkiin’s strength will only continue to grow from this day forward. But so will yours. And you will need this newfound strength to keep the young Lord on the Gro Lok- on the Right Path.” She spread her wings. “I must return to my post. If ever you find yourself in need of guidance, do not hesitate to seek me out.” Powerful gusts of wind blew across the garden as Yolvahdin took flight. For several moments, Twilight watched the elder dragon fly across the night sky, before losing sight of her somewhere in the darkness.

She turned away. When this was over, she needed to speak with Celestia. And Luna. Whatever this “new” Alduin may have been, she needed to be prepared for it. To be able to recognize the signs of its influence in Spike. To ask if she could be corrupted as well. To-

Twilight stopped. At that moment that she spotted something out of the corner of her eye.

Spike.

He was standing at the edge of the garden, where the outer wall was low, looking out over the countryside. He’d taken his helmet off, and had set it aside on the wall. He seemed… tired.

And she didn’t blame him.

Twilight approached the young dragon. “Hey… what’re you doing out here?”

Spike didn’t turn towards her. He didn’t even look at her. “Call me crazy, but I’m not really in the mood to celebrate just yet.”

Twilight could certainly sympathize with the young dragon- a lot had happened over the last twelve days. Almost too much, it seemed. And if what Yolvahdin had said was true, then things were going to get much worse. But still, she touched his shoulder and smiled at him, as if nothing was wrong. “It’s finally over. We won. You’re not happy? Not even a little bit?”

He sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe one day, but… but not right now. Especially not after what Yolvahdin said.” He looked to her. “You heard what she called me, right? The… what was it…? Undying King of Dragons?”

“Immortal Dragon Emperor, Spike.”

He turned towards her. “Twilight, how can you be so calm about this? I mean… what does that even mean? Will I have to go away again? And what if I can't come back this time?”

“Spike, everything will be just fine. You’ll see.”

Spike sighed. “I wish I could have your optimism, Twilight.” Spike rested his hands on the wall again. “And what was that other thing she called me? ‘Stormcrown?’ What’s that supposed to mean?”

The name was one Twilight had never heard before. “I’ll look into it when we get home.”

Spike crossed his arms, before resting his chin on top of them. “I wish Thorn were still here. Maybe he’d know.” He suddenly stood up straight. “Maybe we can use the portal to talk to him!”

“About that, Spike… Thorn is… well, he’s gone.”

Spike looked at her. “Yeah, I know. He’s dead. I saw.”

Twilight shook her head. “That isn’t what I meant, Spike. I mean, he’s gone.”

He furrowed his brow in confusion. “Twilight, you’re not making any sense.”

She sighed, before she began to explain everything.

Spike stepped back, eyes wide. “W-Wait… What? Thorn…? He was…?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You… really didn’t figure it out on your own?”

“Well… I guess I thought there was something kind of weird about him, but I was so focused on

Alduin that I didn’t really think about it.” He leaned against the wall again. “So, what happened to Thorn? You said he faded away.”

“I have a theory- it’s only a theory, mind you, but my guess is that since Alduin is dead in the present, he can’t destroy the world in the future, so the future Thorn came from doesn’t exist anymore. He wouldn’t have had a reason to come back.”

“So… does that mean in two hundred years, I’m gonna have to go back in time, help myself defeat Alduin, and then die?”

“Um…” Twilight froze, uncertain of how to answer that question. Things were already confused as it was with Thorn’s time traveling- she didn’t want to muddle things further by considering the possibility of having to create a time loop. “…we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, Spike.”

“So you have no idea then,” he replied harshly. “Great.” He pushed himself away from the wall and began to walk away. “I’m leaving.”

“Wait, where’re you going?”

“I don’t know. Just… somewhere that isn’t here.”

“Spike!” Twilight called. Her horn glowed, but Spike disappeared in a green flash before she could grab him.

Twilight hadn’t told him how teleportation spells worked, but they seemed simple enough based on his past experience- all he needed to do was picture where he wanted to go in his mind, concentrate, and he was there.

When Spike opened his eyes, he was met with a familiar sight- the glowing crater of a volcano far away from Ponyville. The mass of slumbering dragons told him that a second dragon migration had yet to begin. He began to walk forward when a voice called to him.

“Well, look who it is.”

Spike looked to its source- an adolescent dragon with red scales. Spike never did catch his name. He was, as before, flanked by three other dragons: a taller white dragon, a lanky purple dragon, and a stout brown dragon. “What’s with the get-up?”

Spike didn’t respond right away. It seemed the world had spared him the trouble of finding his target.

“Hey, what’re you, deaf? I’m talking to you!” The red dragon raised his claw to push him.

Spike’s hand shot up and grabbed the red dragon’s talon. “Don’t. Touch me.”

The red dragon brought his face close to Spike’s. “Oh yeah? And what’re you gonna do about it?”

For a moment, Spike merely glared at the red dragon. Then he inhaled sharply. “FUS…”

Twilight heard a deep rumble from somewhere in the distance, and swore she could hear a faint “…RO DAH!” echoing from somewhere within. Another green flash returned Spike to her side.

“Feeling better?” she asked.

He sighed as he slumped against the railing. “…Not really.”

For a long while, Twilight and Spike simply stood at the balcony railing, looking out over the countryside in silence. Though close to the grand hall, the gardens were strangely quiet- perhaps Celestia had closed them off temporarily, to give the two of them space.

Eventually, Twilight asked, “…Spike?”

He looked to her. “Yeah?”

She had nothing to say. No words to comfort her younger companion. As Spike looked at her in confusion, she leaned forward, and did the only thing she could think to at that moment.

As soon as it had happened, Twilight pulled away. Spike could only stare at her, eyes wide, slowly raising a claw to touch his lips. “…T-Twilight…” he stammered. “Wha… what was that?”

“Isn’t… that what’s supposed to happen?” she asked. “The hero saves the day, and a girl kisses him?”

“Twilight…” Spike began. “This isn’t like one of those old fairytales, you know.”

“Isn't it?” She looked away, and put her front hooves on the wall. “Everything that's happened these last few days, it all feels so… unreal. Like, at any moment we'll both wake up back at the library, and find out none of this actually happened.”

“If only we could be so lucky.” There was silence between the two for several moments, before Spike said, “…You know, I was saving that for Rarity.”

A moment passed before Twilight replied, “…She doesn’t have to know.”

The night of the Grand Galloping Gala, two hundred years later…

The lavender alicorn walked down the hall alone. Though it was the night of the Grand Galloping Gala, she had removed herself from the crowds on the palace’s lower floors, and in her solitude she had set aside her royal regalia. She was taller now, her horn longer and sharper, her features more well-defined. Her violet mane and tail flowed as though caught in some unfelt breeze, divided by a single unmoving magenta streak. Her swollen belly did little to hamper the grace of her stride.

Eventually, the alicorn stopped in front of one of the numerous stained glass windows that lined the hallway. The window before her depicted a small purple dragon, clad in armor of leather and iron, standing atop a horned dragon’s skull, wreathed by spiraling columns of red and blue fire. It was not the newest window, but it was the very first she had designed herself, in honor of a dear friend.

“Another trip down memory lane?” a voice to her right asked. The voice was deep, like two great stones grinding against one another. “You seem to be taking a lot of those lately.”

She looked to the voice’s source. Had Twilight not personally bore witness to his transformation, the dragon approaching her would have been completely unrecognizable. He was massive, utterly dwarfing her in size, at least for the moment- he could change his size at will, his larger form being used solely to fulfill foreign dignitaries’ expectations about what a dragon should look like. His underside was a deep purple- his back was coated with a layer of stars set into a pitch black background, which remained static even as he moved. If Twilight were to look outside the night sky above, she would see that the dragon’s back reflected it perfectly.

“Isn’t it rude for the guest of honor to sneak out of his own party?” Twilight asked the dragon.

“Well, I thought it was okay for a dragon to be worried about his wife.” His form began to change as he approached, shrinking down until his body had become long and slender, standing only slightly taller than her. “Besides, it isn’t just my party, Twilight. I thought we weren’t arguing about this anymore.” Spike looked at the stained-glass window. “I know it’s just me up there, but I couldn’t have beat Alduin without you. Or Thorn. You know that.”

“I know.” Twilight looked to the other stained glass- each chronicled a past adventure, a great triumph over the forces of evil. But with each successive window, their friends disappeared, one by one, until only she and Spike were left.

Spike could sense Twilight’s melancholy. “This isn’t just about the party… is it?”

“…I miss them. The Princess, Rarity, Fluttershy…”

Spike rested his head on Twilight’s shoulder. “I miss them too, Twilight. That’s why we have to stick together- all we have now is each other.” He looked at her. “But… it isn’t like we can’t visit them, you know. The portal’s still open.”

Twilight touched Spike’s neck with her hoof. “I know. But it isn’t the same. It’s not like having them here, with us.”

Spike lingered for a moment, before pulling away. “Well, all the same, I think you should pay them a visit. They might want to hear the good news.” Spike’s eyes fell on Twilight’s rounded stomach. “So… how long will it be?”

“The doctor said it shouldn’t be too long now. No more than a month.”

Spike slowly began to move his claw towards Twilight’s stomach, before stopping himself. “Twilight… can I…”

Twilight frowned. “Spike, you’re my husband. I don’t think you need to ask for my permission.”

Spike’s claw hovered for a moment, before finally resting itself on Twilight’s stomach. Even through her skin, Spike could feel the hard mass developing within his wife’s body. “I still can’t believe you’re okay with this.”

“It’s not like dragons haven’t been part of the royal family before, Spike.”

“I know. But this will be the first dragon born into the royal family… ever. It’s kind of a big deal, you know.”

She pulled away, and began walking down the hall, down the way Spike had come. “You’re not worried, are you?”

He quickly caught up with her. “No! …Well… a little. Yeah. I remember the stories Mom told about me when I was little.”

“Everything will be fine, Spike. I do have experience raising baby dragons, after all.” Twilight and Spike had somehow found their way onto one of the palace’s numerous balconies. The two fell silent as they approached the railing, and looked out to the countryside.

On the horizon, the two could see brilliant golden spires rising from where Ponyville had once stood- where it still stood, unrecognizable from the small town Twilight and Spike had first set foot in on that day over two hundred years ago. Canterlot, in contrast, had changed little in the past two hundred years, standing as a monument to Equestria’s past.

“It’s so different from what I remember,” Spike said.

“I know,” Twilight replied. “I wonder what the others would think of it.”

Spike looked down at her. “I’m sure they’d love it.”

She smiled, nodding. “You know, I think you’re right.” Twilight rested her head against his shoulder. “…I love you. You know that, don’t you?”

Spike nodded. “I know. I love you too.”

He draped his arm around her neck and pulled her close. The two fell silent once more, simply enjoying the company of the other… until the sound of hoofsteps met their ears. It normally wouldn’t have caught their attention… except that there were no guards posted in the hall on that night. The footfalls stopped at the door, just a few feet behind them- the two looked back, to see a dull grey earth pony standing in the balcony’s doorway.

“Visitors aren’t permitted in this part of-” Spike stopped. The creature standing before him was not a pony. Its odd, slumped posture, its glowing red eyes… everything about it told him it was nothing more than a facsimile of a pony. And the creature wasted no time casting off its disguise.

“Glory to the Great Shadow who envelops us in His embrace forever and ever!” the pony shouted before suddenly exploding in a shower of blood and torn flesh. In its place stood a bubbling mass of writhing limbs, chittering madly, its dozen irregularly shaped eyes fixated on the two.

“The sensors should’ve caught this one,” Spike said. He extended his arm and focused- with a flash, a sword appeared in his hands.

“We had to disable them for the Gala,” Twilight replied, her horn beginning to glow. “Too much risk of false positives.” There was another flash, and Twilight was covered in heavy golden armor. “Remember last year?”

“Yes, yes…” Spike replied, reading his sword. “Just be careful. The doctor said not to do anything strenuous.”

“I can handle myself, Spike.”

“It’s not you I’m worried about, it’s the egg.”

Twilight gave Spike a hard glare.

“Okay, that sounded a lot less offensive in my head.”

The beast tired of waiting for them, and charged. Without hesitation, Twilight and Spike did the same.