The land before them was little more than a desert. What had once been lush forests and deep rivers were the white bones of tree and cracked dips in the seemingly never ending plain. The bright violets and emeralds of the two travelers were too bright in the few hues of browns across the landscape.
“How much longer?” Spike looked back at his friend and superior, trying not to let on how sore and tired the last several hours of silent walking had made him.
“It’s almost nightfall. There’s a village just a few more miles away.” The once cheerful and nearly carefree mare now had her violet eyes squinted, watching her hooves as they carried her further into the wasteland.
Spike nodded, keeping his head held high, anticipating the moment they would arrive and he could rest his tired body. Everything was sore. Twilight meanwhile tried to hide a worried face as she levitated a coin purse that had at one point been filled to bursting, but now looked to be nearly empty, and a map from the pack on her assistants back.
“This area is under control from an Apple, and while they are known for their hospitality, they don't take the Equestrian Standard Bit.” She muttered, peering into the sack. That was all they had. Twilight sighed softly. If they were going to stay in an inn, she'd have scrounge.
“Use some of the gem in there. I’m sure I have some left over.”
Spike wished he could quiet the rumbling in his stomach but knew that they needed a better place to stay than the dirty ground that was their usual fare.
“I’ll see if they have a barn I can stay in. Maybe I can get some hunting done.” His last sentence was a complete lie as he knew there would be little to no game abroad and knew he’d end up settling for lizard and the skippy birds he’d survived on in this horrid desert.
“If anything, we’ll be using the gem to get us a decent meal. Maybe resupply some of our weapons.” She looked back at her assistant. “no trinkets.” Spike had taken to the habit of purchasing “magical” trinkets behind Twilight’s back, which ended up doing little more than filling up his bigger-on-the-inside pack.
“I’m not going to,” he said strongly, though the effect was ruined by the fact that his eyes were stuck on the window of a store as they passed.
“But of course the first priority will be to establish just how the leader of this town feels about Celestia, and snuff out any enemy forces.”
Spike turned his eyes back to her and nodded. “I could do a fly over if you would like.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Twilight said, glancing at her assistant’s wings, “Apples tend to make their town halls rather obvious.” she returned to scanning the buildings around the town.
Keeping his head high he looked around for the town hall. “But… there is no one outside.”
Twilight glanced around, confirming Spike’s suspicions: the streets were barren, as if they hadn’t been walked on in a very long time.
“Ready your weapons, but don’t look like your guard is raised.” She said, mentally reciting every combat-oriented spell she knew as she walked over to the nearest shop. She knocked on the door, and it slowly swung open with a protesting squeak.
Spike kept his eyes peeled for any activity around him, legs tensed to swing his long claws at anything that moved. He never had to practice and he hardly ever had to sharpen them. A dragon needed no weapons, only a clear head.
The room inside was surprisingly bare. Every horizontal surface was covered in a fine layer of dust and dirt no one had set foot in that room for months.
“What’s going on?” Spike asked, his voice at a hoarse whisper. “I thought you said this town was inhabited.”
“The reports said it was. This is a very remote region, maybe the information is old. Maybe the town got wiped out by raiders or an enemy squadron.” Twilight whispered, slowly walking through the building.
“I have a bad feeling…” the dragon peered into the back only to meet by the leg of a char in his eye socket. He roared in pain and stumbled back as a tiny filly jumped out, pale dandelion yellow a tattered pink bow atop her head
“You get back now ya’ hear?” she yelled with as much force as she could muster.
Twilight followed her directions, “hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle and I am on a quest from Princess Celestia. What's your name?” She asked, trying to be as gentle and basic as possible.
“We don’t want’cha here,” The filly britled with fury. “You take your monster here and you clear out of our town!”
“We just want a place to rest for a while,” Twilight replied, stepping back a little. “We’ve been travelling for many weeks now.”
“Not him!” the filly shouted, jabbing a hoof in Spike’s direction. Spike felt a growl rise up in his throat and forced himself to suppress it.
“I'll find somewhere else,” the dragon turned to his traveling companion. “you rest.”
“If my assistant can’t stay in town then neither can I. We protect each other, and he is my travelling companion.” Twilight stated indignantly.
“Leave it,” this time Spike did growl, turning toward the door. Before any more than his shoulders were out he screamed as a mare with an orange coat plunged what looked like a fence post into the space just behind his shoulder blade. The softer side of his under belly gave, closing over the wooden stake.
“Applebloom!” the mare called inside, her green eyes wide with controlled fear. “Answer me!”
“I’m here,” the filly called, her rear against the wall once the roar had sounded. Twilight rushed to Spike’s side, inspecting his wound.
“It won’t go any good to remove the post, except I’ll have to in order to do any sort of healing.” Taking the utmost care, Twilight cast a spell to make the log stuck in her assistant as short as possible, then gently removed his pack.
“Don’t touch it,” Spike shook, more from shock at the sudden attack than at the pain of the injury.
The orange pony darted around the building to join the young one who must have been her sister. Twilight rushed over to her, fury apparent on her face.
“You ponies have no concept of ‘wait for them to attack first’ do you?! We’re a peace envoy!” She practically shouted.
“We don’t deal with dragons,” the elder stood straight to glare at the visitor. “All dragons are on her side,” This was a group obviously still opposed to Celestia. When they had found a leader that could feed their violent, wild spirit most if not all known dragons rallied to her in the early years. The largest problem with rejoining the country under the same rulers was the distrust that they had been spoonfed since birth.
“Spike is my assistant. I come in the name of the Equestrian Diarchy to spread the word that the Old Equestrian Empire is reforming, and to extend the invitation for you to join.” Twilight stated, acid dripping from her tone, “but I might just withhold the invitation from this little hamlet.”
“there has been little word from anyone outside town for almost two years,” she watched Twilight with distrust. “How do we know you’re telling the truth?”
In the doorway Spike dropped to his side, trying to keep his ragged breaths under control. Ponies were crazy, he thought ruefully.
“Surely you’ve noticed that the passing of the moon and sun have become more orderly. Luna has been purified of her evil hitchhiker and is now on her proper place atop the lunar throne in Canterlot. With her help, Celestia has recalled her invasion forces.” She began the speech she memorized before she left on her quest, pausing to allow the pony to ask any questions that may have been raised by the spewing of knowledge.
“The war is over…?” Applebloom asked, looking up at her sister with awe.
“The war has been over for a good few years. After it ended, the countries of the world took back the stolen land and in revenge for Celestia’s actions, established their own rulers in formerly Equestrian cities, essentially breaking the country into splinters. It is my job to establish which ones are still loyal to the diarchy, and which ones will need… persuasion.” Twilight had calmed down, an effect the speech always had on her, although she was still glancing back to Spike every once in awhile.
“The war is over,” the orange mare felt her face light up and she looked down at her sister. “The war is over.”
“Twilight…” Spike looked over, the pain starting to get bad enough to complain about.
“We have someone who can help him,” she stepped forward. “I’m Apple Jack and I’m so sorry for what I did to your friend.I can fix it. I promise.”
“Should I go and get them?” Applebloom asked.
“You are not going in there alone,” Apple Jack glared.
“Thank you for helping Spike. I trust this means you'll be rejoining the kingdom? The war against the world may be over, but the war to restore Equestria is just beginning. Having this town and restoring it will allow for a better hoofhold in the area, in addition to its proximity to Canterlot.” She paused for a moment, “what happened here? Who is this healer you mentioned?”
“We can answer all your political questions with the mayor. She’s up at town hall. I’ll take you there after we go to the healers. Their names are Fluttershy and Zecora.” Apple Jack explained quickly. “Can your dragon walk?”
“I think so,” Spike said in answer to the question. He pulled himself to a sitting position. “Where are your healers?”
“The Everfree forest,” Apple Bloom was the one two answer him, her voice quavering with fear. “A few miles from here.”
Spike was worried for a moment before he shook his head and picked himself up. “I can go that far.” He said, trying mostly to convince himself.
“Are you sure?” Twilight said with concern, levitating the backpack off of Spike’s back.
“I’m… pretty sure.” His free hand was now clutched an inch below the injury. “Let’s go.”
