Ruinby UndermineChapters12∞³∞∞²1At 3:00pm, Spike and Rarity are just above the clouds. The two are one their way to a rock field south of Ponyville. The previous site for gem hunting has been permanently claimed by the local Diamond Dogs. Despite Rarity's insistence on handling her own around them, Spike and Twilight agreed not to quarrel with them any longer and decided instead to scout out a new location. Up here the only visible landscape is a sea of clouds and Canterlot Castle piercing in the distance. Here and there small flocks of birds drift by, undisturbed by the giant balloon and its two passengers. At 3:10pm, Spike pulls out a compass and Rarity sips at her tea she had carried on board. Rainbow Dash had kept her promise to direct the winds south for the day and, at the instruction of Twilight, to be "brisk but gentle." At this pace they should start descending in a half hour. At 3:15pm, Rarity asks Spike with one brow raised why he eats the exact same gems she uses in her fabrics. Spike chuckles and tells her that she finds the best of best and the taste is too irresistible for a young, hungry dragon like himself. Rarity agrees but asks why does he, and all dragons for that matter, like to eat gems in the first place. Spike shrugs and guesses that it's just a quirk all dragons have. Rarity thinks for a moment and wonders out loud what all the other "quirks" dragons could have before taking another sip of tea. Spike tells her her guess is as good as his. At 3:25pm the clouds begin to thin and Spike can barely make out Ponyville behind them. He looks foreward and sees the rocky landscape of the desert beneath them. The spot Twilight told them about should be teeming with extravagant gems untouched by the Diamond Dogs and ponies alike. He asked her why no one went there if there was so much value to gain, and Twilight's response was that it was said to be haunted with the ghosts of ancient dragons who once ruled the land. After regaining himself from fainting and asking her why in the world anyone should go there she reassured him that ghosts are not real and that Rarity will once again need his company. Looking now at the barren landscape an anxious chill vibrates down Spike's spine. But he has to keep his cool for Rarity otherwise he'll faint again in front of his crush. At 3:30pm, Spike turns away from the rocks below and looks at Rarity. She has finished her tea and is now quaintly munching on a biscuit. She looks beautiful at this angle, the wind blows through her hair and the light from the afternoon sun falls on her face. He wants her to know how beautiful she is and he can say it right now. He doesn't, and he looks back out towards the desert. At 3:35pm something flashes in the sky above them. Rarity drops her biscuit and Spike careens his neck upwards. He smiles and says a meteorite has just entered the atmosphere. Rarity begins to worry but Spike reassures her that it's too far away to hit them and it'll burn up before it reaches the ground, probably before it even reaches the height of their balloon. Rarity sighs and gives Spike a small hug before levitating her biscuit again. Spike's heart races, not from the meteorite but from Rarity's small gesture of affection. He regains his composure and prepares their descent. At 3:40pm the meteorite slices through the fabric of the balloon. The wooden basket is flung around and launches Spike out into the open air. In a instant, Spike sees Rarity stare right into him. There's terror in her eyes, a kind he's never seen before. Both of them have their arms outstretched towards each other, as if it would somehow close the distance between them and he'd be pulled back into the safety of her hooves. The instant passes and Spike is barreling towards the earth, catching glimpses of the falling balloon in his tumble. At 3:41pm Spike crashes into the ground. At 3:42pm the balloon crashes 2 miles north of Spike. At 5:28pm Spike wakes up and sees a glowing dragon staring at him. 2...3. At 5:30pm the glowing dragon is gone and Spike recoils in shock. He looks down at his body. Only a minute ago he saw his legs bent in three directions and forearm was snapped in two. Now they're all rigid again. Only bruises remain. And the pain. At 5:31pm Spike cries. He is laying fetal on the ground and is holding his head in his arms. At 5:36pm he sits up and wipes his eyes. The bruises on his wrist cause him to wince. He takes in a deep breath. And another. And one more... At 5:38pm Spike remembers the glowing dragon. He turns his head around. It's gone. Just like...it said. What did it say? He doesn't remember any words spoken. But he remembers it said...something. His breath is still fast but his thoughts are coming back. There is so much pain. At 5:40pm a breeze rolls over Spike's scales and it causes him to flinch. He remembers she had to leave him. It...no. She? Yes. She had to leave after she fixed his bones. Why? Why did she have to leave? What else did she say? At 5:41pm another breeze blows by. She was visiting...and she was worried. And...about...someone else. Who? None of them were ghosts, she said. Why was she worried? Who else is here? At 5:42pm a pebble behind Spike rolls towards him and pauses a half meter away. He doesn't see it. More thoughts are coming back now. She said a lot to him in their brief time together. It didn't feel brief, he recalls. It felt like a long time. It felt so long in that pain. Pain that was far worse than the pain now. She was worried about him. At 5:43pm Spike stands up. He realizes that he's surrounded by ruins. The ruins he and Rarity were going to find gems in. But, there was something the glowing dragon wanted him to find in these ruins. What was it? Another thought came back. She said he hit his head. Really clocked it, she said. He reaches up and presses a massive bruise on his forehead. The pain is so intense he sits back down. His vision goes red and his eyes vibrate. A sound like a ringing bell echoes in his eardrums. Breathing through his teeth, he waits for the wave of pain to subside. At 5:42pm the breeze returns on his back. He turns around and sees the pebble behind him. He also sees the desert past it and a broken stone archway, what seems to be the entrance to these ruins. He squints, there's something in the distance. Could it be the balloon? Rarity...Rarity is there. He has to get to her, he thinks, but the glowing dragon told him to go somewhere else. To an archway. This one? No, this one...is broken. At 5:43pm the pebble moves closer just as he remembers what he needed to find. She also said not to stay in this spot, Spike realizes. He stares at the pebble. It's not moving but he definitely saw it move. He doesn't want to break eye contact with it. Someone might find him, she said. Someone... At 5:45pm a noise behind Spike jolts him around. Another pebble. In fact, six pebbles are surrounding him. She said...someone not as kind might find him. Spike stands up and the pebbles turn over. No. Eyes. Six eyes are surrounding him, and they are staring at him. ∞³Yyyyyou have fallen iiiiin the wrong pppplace, ppppal. I ccccan sssssee how terribly scared yyyyou are. They do nnnnnnnot care how scared yyyyou are. Bbbbbbut I do. We aaaaare all scared, but they dddddddddeny it. That makes ththththem dangerous. Go. Ggggggo now. I can ssssssee them ccccccoming. They want to kkkkkkill you ffffffor coming here. Shshshshe has already tttttold you where to ggggo to be sssssafe. You mmmust not leave these rrrrrrrruins. Not yyyyyyet. They will kkkkkill your fffffriend if you leave. Find the ssssssssantuary. Get gggoing! NOW! ∞We are not immortal. To most, we are living mythology. We have shaped the sky. We have claimed the earth. We are even Gods to some. But we are not immortal. We are still made of flesh and bone and we still face mortality. No more is this apparent now. The weight of extinction hangs over our heads and the number of those who have passed is a vicious reminder. We are not immortal. Our legacy and triumphs may live on in stories but our existence as a species is in grave peril. But there is hope. There is still something left, something we can pass down to the next generation so we may continue. We are not immortal, but we can exist in a place where no one else can. Not even time can reach us. ∞²Oh my child, you are gravely hurt. You took quite a fall, yes? Oh dear me, you are in quite a state. Please don't move. No no, it will make the pain worse. I can only take away some of the pain, at least enough to fix your broken bones. Oh dear, and of all the places you could have landed... What's that? You have to speak up... Oh dear, you really clocked your head... What? Me? Oh. Oh, no no. I'm not a ghost. Why am I...what? Glowing? Oh, I'm just visiting this place. It's ok. I won't hurt you. Let me wipe those tears. Shh... There. Can a ghost do that? Shh... Now, listen to me very carefully. I'm going to heal your bones but I'll have to leave right after. It's...going to hurt. I'm sorry. But don't stay in this spot. Otherwise someone else might find you. Someone...not as kind, I'm afraid. Go find the structure with the only stone archway intact. You can recover there safely. Hm? Are they ghosts? Whoever may find you? No. None of us are. Now be still, and close your eyes. On the count of 3. 1... 2...
1At 3:00pm, Spike and Rarity are just above the clouds. The two are one their way to a rock field south of Ponyville. The previous site for gem hunting has been permanently claimed by the local Diamond Dogs. Despite Rarity's insistence on handling her own around them, Spike and Twilight agreed not to quarrel with them any longer and decided instead to scout out a new location. Up here the only visible landscape is a sea of clouds and Canterlot Castle piercing in the distance. Here and there small flocks of birds drift by, undisturbed by the giant balloon and its two passengers. At 3:10pm, Spike pulls out a compass and Rarity sips at her tea she had carried on board. Rainbow Dash had kept her promise to direct the winds south for the day and, at the instruction of Twilight, to be "brisk but gentle." At this pace they should start descending in a half hour. At 3:15pm, Rarity asks Spike with one brow raised why he eats the exact same gems she uses in her fabrics. Spike chuckles and tells her that she finds the best of best and the taste is too irresistible for a young, hungry dragon like himself. Rarity agrees but asks why does he, and all dragons for that matter, like to eat gems in the first place. Spike shrugs and guesses that it's just a quirk all dragons have. Rarity thinks for a moment and wonders out loud what all the other "quirks" dragons could have before taking another sip of tea. Spike tells her her guess is as good as his. At 3:25pm the clouds begin to thin and Spike can barely make out Ponyville behind them. He looks foreward and sees the rocky landscape of the desert beneath them. The spot Twilight told them about should be teeming with extravagant gems untouched by the Diamond Dogs and ponies alike. He asked her why no one went there if there was so much value to gain, and Twilight's response was that it was said to be haunted with the ghosts of ancient dragons who once ruled the land. After regaining himself from fainting and asking her why in the world anyone should go there she reassured him that ghosts are not real and that Rarity will once again need his company. Looking now at the barren landscape an anxious chill vibrates down Spike's spine. But he has to keep his cool for Rarity otherwise he'll faint again in front of his crush. At 3:30pm, Spike turns away from the rocks below and looks at Rarity. She has finished her tea and is now quaintly munching on a biscuit. She looks beautiful at this angle, the wind blows through her hair and the light from the afternoon sun falls on her face. He wants her to know how beautiful she is and he can say it right now. He doesn't, and he looks back out towards the desert. At 3:35pm something flashes in the sky above them. Rarity drops her biscuit and Spike careens his neck upwards. He smiles and says a meteorite has just entered the atmosphere. Rarity begins to worry but Spike reassures her that it's too far away to hit them and it'll burn up before it reaches the ground, probably before it even reaches the height of their balloon. Rarity sighs and gives Spike a small hug before levitating her biscuit again. Spike's heart races, not from the meteorite but from Rarity's small gesture of affection. He regains his composure and prepares their descent. At 3:40pm the meteorite slices through the fabric of the balloon. The wooden basket is flung around and launches Spike out into the open air. In a instant, Spike sees Rarity stare right into him. There's terror in her eyes, a kind he's never seen before. Both of them have their arms outstretched towards each other, as if it would somehow close the distance between them and he'd be pulled back into the safety of her hooves. The instant passes and Spike is barreling towards the earth, catching glimpses of the falling balloon in his tumble. At 3:41pm Spike crashes into the ground. At 3:42pm the balloon crashes 2 miles north of Spike. At 5:28pm Spike wakes up and sees a glowing dragon staring at him.
2...3. At 5:30pm the glowing dragon is gone and Spike recoils in shock. He looks down at his body. Only a minute ago he saw his legs bent in three directions and forearm was snapped in two. Now they're all rigid again. Only bruises remain. And the pain. At 5:31pm Spike cries. He is laying fetal on the ground and is holding his head in his arms. At 5:36pm he sits up and wipes his eyes. The bruises on his wrist cause him to wince. He takes in a deep breath. And another. And one more... At 5:38pm Spike remembers the glowing dragon. He turns his head around. It's gone. Just like...it said. What did it say? He doesn't remember any words spoken. But he remembers it said...something. His breath is still fast but his thoughts are coming back. There is so much pain. At 5:40pm a breeze rolls over Spike's scales and it causes him to flinch. He remembers she had to leave him. It...no. She? Yes. She had to leave after she fixed his bones. Why? Why did she have to leave? What else did she say? At 5:41pm another breeze blows by. She was visiting...and she was worried. And...about...someone else. Who? None of them were ghosts, she said. Why was she worried? Who else is here? At 5:42pm a pebble behind Spike rolls towards him and pauses a half meter away. He doesn't see it. More thoughts are coming back now. She said a lot to him in their brief time together. It didn't feel brief, he recalls. It felt like a long time. It felt so long in that pain. Pain that was far worse than the pain now. She was worried about him. At 5:43pm Spike stands up. He realizes that he's surrounded by ruins. The ruins he and Rarity were going to find gems in. But, there was something the glowing dragon wanted him to find in these ruins. What was it? Another thought came back. She said he hit his head. Really clocked it, she said. He reaches up and presses a massive bruise on his forehead. The pain is so intense he sits back down. His vision goes red and his eyes vibrate. A sound like a ringing bell echoes in his eardrums. Breathing through his teeth, he waits for the wave of pain to subside. At 5:42pm the breeze returns on his back. He turns around and sees the pebble behind him. He also sees the desert past it and a broken stone archway, what seems to be the entrance to these ruins. He squints, there's something in the distance. Could it be the balloon? Rarity...Rarity is there. He has to get to her, he thinks, but the glowing dragon told him to go somewhere else. To an archway. This one? No, this one...is broken. At 5:43pm the pebble moves closer just as he remembers what he needed to find. She also said not to stay in this spot, Spike realizes. He stares at the pebble. It's not moving but he definitely saw it move. He doesn't want to break eye contact with it. Someone might find him, she said. Someone... At 5:45pm a noise behind Spike jolts him around. Another pebble. In fact, six pebbles are surrounding him. She said...someone not as kind might find him. Spike stands up and the pebbles turn over. No. Eyes. Six eyes are surrounding him, and they are staring at him.
∞³Yyyyyou have fallen iiiiin the wrong pppplace, ppppal. I ccccan sssssee how terribly scared yyyyou are. They do nnnnnnnot care how scared yyyyou are. Bbbbbbut I do. We aaaaare all scared, but they dddddddddeny it. That makes ththththem dangerous. Go. Ggggggo now. I can ssssssee them ccccccoming. They want to kkkkkkill you ffffffor coming here. Shshshshe has already tttttold you where to ggggo to be sssssafe. You mmmust not leave these rrrrrrrruins. Not yyyyyyet. They will kkkkkill your fffffriend if you leave. Find the ssssssssantuary. Get gggoing! NOW!
∞We are not immortal. To most, we are living mythology. We have shaped the sky. We have claimed the earth. We are even Gods to some. But we are not immortal. We are still made of flesh and bone and we still face mortality. No more is this apparent now. The weight of extinction hangs over our heads and the number of those who have passed is a vicious reminder. We are not immortal. Our legacy and triumphs may live on in stories but our existence as a species is in grave peril. But there is hope. There is still something left, something we can pass down to the next generation so we may continue. We are not immortal, but we can exist in a place where no one else can. Not even time can reach us.
∞²Oh my child, you are gravely hurt. You took quite a fall, yes? Oh dear me, you are in quite a state. Please don't move. No no, it will make the pain worse. I can only take away some of the pain, at least enough to fix your broken bones. Oh dear, and of all the places you could have landed... What's that? You have to speak up... Oh dear, you really clocked your head... What? Me? Oh. Oh, no no. I'm not a ghost. Why am I...what? Glowing? Oh, I'm just visiting this place. It's ok. I won't hurt you. Let me wipe those tears. Shh... There. Can a ghost do that? Shh... Now, listen to me very carefully. I'm going to heal your bones but I'll have to leave right after. It's...going to hurt. I'm sorry. But don't stay in this spot. Otherwise someone else might find you. Someone...not as kind, I'm afraid. Go find the structure with the only stone archway intact. You can recover there safely. Hm? Are they ghosts? Whoever may find you? No. None of us are. Now be still, and close your eyes. On the count of 3. 1... 2...
