Chapter 5 Hooded Nightmare

Spike had travelled for several hours and nightfall had fallen. The platoon had set up camp, and the sentries were on patrol, a dark wind was howling, and frost covered the ground. Spike had fallen asleep an hour ago. While Spike was asleep he had been having yet another surreal nightmare.

Spike saw a blood red moon creating a horrifying twilight, an icy breeze blew and a black hooded figure approached him, with a red Katana dyed by the crimson moon.

The strange human shaped figure had been walking towards Spike slowly dragging his sword along the ground. Eerie chanting echoed throughout the field as the strange hooded figure continued to approach Spike. Once the strange figure made it to spike he raised his sword to spikes throat, a daunting silence soon followed. Spike blinked and he was in a different scene, he was in a cell.

Spike originally thought he was the one behind bars, though when he panned around the room he noticed that he was on the other side of the cell. He turned back to the cell and saw Ember behind bars, and a lifeless silhouette behind her. Spike made out the silhouette, it was a pony, but he could not make out who it was. Before Spike could say a word, he was blinded by a bright light before he woke up in his tent, covered in a cold sweat, panting heavily.

He was confused at what his dream meant. He had been wondering why Ember was in prison, and who was that pony behind her. He was also curious to find out who the hooded figure was, or whether it was just a dream and nothing more.

In the shadows of a nearby forest, on the outskirts of the camp; something had been watching the camp, analysing every little detail, every little movement. It had been studying the camps movements ever since they left Talonsville, unnoticed by any of the sentries.

Ember had been sitting in her room watching the time count down. She had lost her mind to the pain of loss, and the insanity of vengeance. She was stroking her blade gingerly, thinking of how much blood would spray out of Celestias' throat when it was slashed.

“Yes, Almost time now ivy. Soon we will kill Celestia, and we will be able to live peacefully knowing how proud we made Spike. Yes, yes it's exactly what Spike would want.” Ember said to herself, filled with insanity, rocking on her bed, in a fetal position.

After a few more hours the time had arrived, Ember was elated, she even smiled for the first time since the news of Spikes death. She left her room with a skip in her step. Twilight saw Ember happily skipping down the stairs, just like a little filly who just got their cutie mark.

“Good morning Twi.” Ember said merrily

“Good morning Ember. Why are you so happy today?” Twilight asked, swelling with pride, thinking that she was the cause of Embers change in demeanour.

“The reason I'm so happy today, is because everything is going to be set straight.” Ember explained.

“I'm so glad I could help you Ember.” Twilight replied, with tears of joy in her eyes.

“Yes Twilight, without you, things would remain unjust.” Ember stated with a slight darkness to her tone.

After Ember finished speaking, she began to walk to the memorial place of Spike. Twilight looked at Ember, and was concerned about the word she used.

“Unjust?” Twilight Thought.

Spike and the platoon had been eating breakfast, but it was silent, everyone was on edge. They sensed something on the wind. It was a dark feeling, the feeling of lingering death. The entire platoon felt like they were being watched, the tension had been thick in the air. Spike was alert, scanning his surroundings, expecting an attack from any side, at any time. Spike caught sight of a hooded figure, on the edge of the camp. With the same sword, he saw in his dream, though it was not red. Once Spike noticed the hooded figure, he alerted the rest of the platoon.

“Hey, look over there!” Spike pointed to the figure.

Causing the platoon to stand up and draw there swords.

“Who are you!” Spike inquired of the stranger

The stranger stayed silent, and started to walk inside of the camp. Iron Tail repeated Spikes inquiry, but the stranger continued silently. The hooded figure made it to the middle of the camp. Once the figure made it to the centre, it shifted into an aggressive stance, and at that stage, the platoon knew it was not friendly.

Spike felt like something was wrong here, he had felt this way before. It was the same feeling he felt in Ponyville before the fiends attacked. He watched one of his comrades charge at the stranger, and with a sudden flash of silver, Spike saw the dragon that attacked the stranger fall to the ground.

Before Spike could utter a word, his new friends charged with a lust for vengeance. Spike watched as the hooded figure killed one dragon after another. Wherever it directed its' blade, a dragon would fall. It was not a fight, it was a slaughter unfurling before his eyes. Spike watched as each of his friends fell to the ground. The field soon became a field doused in blood.

Iron Tail, Silver Fang, and Spike, were the only survivors now. In a matter of seconds, 47 dragons had been slain. Spike looked at the hooded figure. Its' blade was covered in the blood of his kin. He felt a yearning for revenge, take over him. He was about to attack the stranger. As he took a step forward he was blocked by the shaft of Silver Fangs' glaive.

“Go to East Dragonside Village, you need to live. If you are the prince we believe you are. You can't die here. I'll handle this Muppet, then meet you there, and when I meet up with you again, drinks are on me. Ok, Spike.” Silver Fang said nonchalantly, as he raised his glaive again.

“No, your both going! Spike needs an escort, and this bastard killed my friends. I will have my revenge. I'll catch up with you at Dragonside Village, if not. Well, I'll see you on the other side.” Iron Tail stated before drawing both of his swords.

“Sir-That's an order Silver Fang!” Silver Fang started, before being cut off mid sentence by Iron Tail.

After Spike and Silver Fang had left begrudgingly, Iron Tail Approached The hooded figure.

“Do you have a name?” Iron Tail asked.

“It won't matter, your just another target.” The stranger stated coldly.

He didn't wait for Iron Tail to reply. He just dashed at Iron Tail, expecting an easy kill but to his surprise, Iron tail blocked the blow. Iron Tail flicked his blades outwards, sending the stranger sliding backwards, before dashing at the stranger with immense speed, slashing at the stranger. The stranger dodged the attack, but he noticed that the slash was so powerful that it created a gale which cut a dead tree, cleanly in two.

“You thought this would be easy? You were wrong, I'm Captain Iron Tale of the Sage Legion, also known as the wind blade of the south.” Iron Tail Stated with a condemning tone.

“HA, if you can only cut trees in half, I have nothing to worry about.” The figure replied, as he retaliated with a vicious blow, releasing blue sparks, as he met with Iron Tails dual swords.

Ember had been at the memorial service, standing beside Twilight and the rest of her friends. Luna had been giving her memorial speech, in remembrance of the friendship, she shared with Spike. After she had finished her speech, it was Celestias turn to speak, though she was an emotional wreck.

Ember had worn a dress for this occasion, she had done so for two reasons. The first reason had been because it was the dress she was to get married to Spike in. Spike, asked rarity to design it, especially for Ember, in secret.

The dress was a beautiful orange wedding dress; with a single black lace streak that ran diagonally across the dress, and a light black lace section, with a pale orange back running along her right breast with two orange roses below her right breast. with one-half frilly satin, and the other half smooth satin.

Rarity had told Ember that Spike was going to propose to Ember, on this very day. So Ember thought it was fitting to wear in honour of her mate. However, the other reason was more sinister. The dress had been perfect to conceal her knife, from roaming eyes.

Author's Note

This is the dress that Ember is wearing.