One Dragon's Journey

Chapters

Chapter 1: Another Day, Another Round of Boring Chores
Chapter 2: When in Doubt... Ask a Princess!
Chapter 3: Over the River and through the Woods...

Chapter 1: Another Day, Another Round of Boring Chores

As he walked along the street, Spike pulled out the shopping list from his courier bag. Twilight wouldn't be happy if he forgot anything, and that was a conversation that the young dragon wanted to avoid at all costs. That and he had his reputation as '#1 Assistant' to keep in mind. He unfolded the parchment and quickly scanned the list.

Ink? Check.

Quills? Check.

Half a dozen apples from Sweet Apple Acres? Check.

A set of vials to replace the ones Twilight blew up last week? Check.

Parchment? Check.

Tea Leaves from Zecora? Check.

Spike smiled and put away the list. He had gotten everything he needed and home was only a few blocks away. He still had plenty of chores waiting for him once he got back to the library, but Spike was confident that he could get the chores done shortly before 1 PM, giving him plenty of time to do whatever he wanted. He might even have time to go visit Rarity, it had been a few days since Spike had seen the mare of his dreams. Twilight had been piling more chores onto him than usual, not that Spike couldn't handle a little extra work.

Still, Spike couldn't help but notice that Twilight had been far more busy than usual. She had been up for most of the previous night working on something big. Celestia had been sending quite a few large packages to Twilight that contained dusty old books. Spike shuddered as he remembered how bad the stomach ache was from receiving multiple books in a single day and was glad Princess Celestia hadn't sent anymore recently.

It wasn't long before the library came into view. Spike started to walk along the path at a brisk pace, eager to get back and get started on the rest of his chores. He opened the door and walked inside.

“Hey Twilight, I'm back!” said Spike.

“Hey Spike!” shouted Twilight from upstairs. “Once you have everything put away, I need you to take care of the books that are on the re-shelving cart.”

“Yeah I'll take care of it,” said Spike as he placed his courier bag down onto the nearby table. It was a fairly hefty sized bag that had been made for him by Rarity. The straps were decorated with small gems of various colors, too small for Spike to eat. Despite how it looked on the outside, the bag could carry quite a few items. It was one of the best gifts Spike had ever received from anypony, especially since it was from Rarity. Spike took the apples and the tea leaves from the bag and brought them into the kitchen. The apples were placed on the counter while the tea leaves went into one of the cabinets near the plate rack.

With that taken care of, Spike left the kitchen and pulled out the remaining contents of his courier bag. He piled the vials and the quills neatly on top of the stack of parchment and walked up the stairs toward Twilight's room. And as his adoptive sister came into view, it became clear that she had been there at her desk for quite some time. The plate of oats that she had requested for breakfast remained for the most part untouched. Twilight was using her magic to write something on a piece of parchment while occasionally glancing at an open book.

“Perfect timing Spike, this ink bottle is starting to run low,” said Twilight, not even pausing to look at the young dragon. Spike opened the drawer to Twilight's right and placed the quills and ink into it. Then he placed the vials into a separate drawer on the other side of the room. Now that everything was put away, Spike took the time to look over and see what Twilight had been working on so intensively.

“You've hardly touched your breakfast, Twilight. What assignment is keeping you so busy that you have to ignore eating?” asked Spike.

“This isn't an assignment. This is research,” corrected Twilight. Spike raised an eyebrow bemusedly.

“There is a difference? It all seems the same to me,” stated Spike. “So what is it that you are researching?”

“Have you ever heard of the Chaos Ward?” asked Twilight. Spike hesitated for a moment. Normally this kind of question was Twilight's way of checking to see if Spike was reading any of the books she gave to him. More often than not the answer would be no, and he would get a lecture about how he needs to read more and how it's healthy for a young dragon to read. But that didn't appear to be the case this time, especially with how Twilight asked the question.

“I... can't say that I have,” said Spike. “What is it exactly?”

“There are few who know much about it, including Princess Celestia. All she knows about it is that its a magical amulet that was created a very long time ago.”

“If nopony knows anything about it, why are you reading those dusty books?”

“Well these books don't say anything specific about the Chaos Ward. But if we can find references to it in these ancient texts, we might be able to determine its location,” said Twilight.

“So... have you learned anything yet?” For the first time in the entire conversation, Twilight stopped writing and looked over at Spike.

“Well from I've read, it sounds like there is something sealed away in the ruins of an old tower. The description is very similar to the amulet in question, and that can't be a coincidence,” said Twilight proudly as she smiled. “It also sounds like there might be a key or some method of breaking the seal that protects the Chaos Ward.”

“Okay so you've learned a few things, that's great. But is this really so important that you have to ignore breakfast to work on it?” asked Spike.

“Of course it is! I'm not doing this for recreation you know,” said Twilight irritably. She levitated her quill off of the desk, dipped it into the inkwell, and began to write more notes. “There's been recent sightings of changelings and a message that was intercepted indicates that they are looking for something that sounds a lot like the Chaos Ward.”

“Uh... I take it we don't want them to find it?”

“No. From what I've been able to translate, it sounds like the Chaos Ward is capable of boosting the magical capabilities of the one who wears it. We can't afford to let it fall into the hooves of the Changeling Queen.” Spike shuddered at the mention of the fearsome changeling. Already she was capable of defeating Celestia without any boosts to her magical powers. If she were to obtain the amulet she would be unstoppable.

“So it's pretty important then. But you really shouldn't forget to do things like eat and drink you know. Can't do much research if you collapse from exhaustion,” said Spike. Twilight stopped writing and glared in annoyance at Spike.

“I know! I don't need to be reminded about one of the most basic facts of life!” Twilight used her magic and lifted Spike into the air. “Don't you have something you should be doing right now?”

“Uh... well I still have a few chores and of course I need to re-shelf the...”

“Exactly. I need to get back to work and you need to stop wasting time and take care of your work.” Twilight released Spike from the levitation spell and he dropped down the flight of steps and crashed into the side of a bookshelf on the first floor.

“Okay, okay, you don't need to throw me out like that...” muttered Spike as he got up and brushed himself off. He approached the re-shelving cart to see what books needed to be put away. It was only seven books, way fewer than the usual number that would be on the cart by the weekend.

Wanting to get the job over and done with, Spike grabbed the first book. It was Daring Do and the Inferno Ruby, which Spike placed at the top of the fiction shelf where Twilight kept the other Daring Do books. Twilight. The thought of his adoptive sister made Spike look back up toward the stairs leading to the second level of the library.

He felt a mix of both annoyance and concern. It wasn't like Twilight to vent on others like that. Besides, it was his job as her #1 Assistant to make sure that she was okay. Twilight had been known for partaking in some rather intense studying sessions where she would pull two all nighters in a row and take barely any breaks. As bad as that was, nothing compared to that week when Twilight got a visit from her future self. How Twilight was functioning still after nearly half a week without sleep was beyond Spike. He shrugged off his thoughts as best he could and got back to the task at hand.

Spike walked over to the cart and took the next book, The Seven Wonders of Equestria. Spike placed that into one of the many non-fiction shelves and headed back to the cart for the next book. Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-Alls That Are Simply Super. The title of the book sent Spike on an involuntary trip down memory lane as he remembered the time Twilight turned her nose up at the title of the book back when they had first met Zecora. The young dragon didn't know why but as he thought about that fun little incident with the poison joke flowers, he remembered going to the forest to pick up the tea leaves that morning. Spike put the book back down on the cart as an idea came to him.

He entered the kitchen and brought out some of the tea leaves and the mortar. He ground up the leaves and put the mortar back onto the counter. Next Spike filled a cup with water and held it up as he blew small emerald flames up toward the cup. After a sustained burst of fire Spike lowered the cup to examine the water. He placed his claw into the water and swam it around to test the temperature. Spike could feel the heat, but it didn't hurt at all. It was nothing compared to the temperature of molten lava, but regardless the water was ready for the ground up tea leaves. Spike scrapped the contents of the mortar into the steaming water.

“Smells good,” said Spike to himself as he grabbed a spoon and began to stir the tea. Once he was satisfied that it had been stirred enough, Spike took a hold of the handle and brought it up to second floor of the library. As he approached Twilight's desk, the lavender unicorn made no movement that indicated she was aware of his presence. Or at least she didn't make any attempt to show that she was aware. It was hard to tell with Twilight sometimes, especially when she was really focused on something. Spike carefully placed the cup on the right side of the desk where there was still some space not cluttered up by papers, books, and quills. Spike turned around and began to leave.

“Spike,” said Twilight in a slightly hesitant tone. Spike stopped walking and slowly turned around. Twilight had put the quill down and was approaching her adopted little brother. She put her right foreleg around Spike and pulled him into a hug. Once she let him go she looked at Spike apologetically. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. It's just...” Twilight glanced back at her work.

“I know, it's super important. But I'm sure even Princess Celestia would want you to at least spend some time taking care of yourself. Can't do much on an empty stomach after all,” said Spike. Twilight nodded and a smile crept onto her face.

“You're probably right.”

“As usual!” quipped Spike proudly as he folded his arms across his chest. Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Well Spike, once I finish writing these notes I'm going to drink that tea you made for me. Then after that I think we should go and get something for Lunch. Sound good?”

“Absolutely! I still need to finish re-shelving the books anyway.”

“Then I'll get back to work. I'll let you know when I'm ready,” said Twilight as she returned to her desk and picked up the quill to begin writing once again. Spike returned back downstairs and began to finish up his chore. It had been awhile since they had gone out to eat just the two of them. More often than Twilight would go with her friends while Spike would stay at the library either taking a nap or doing some assortment of chores Twilight had assigned to him for that day. Heck, Spike often missed out on some of the events that Twilight and the others went to. Not that Spike minded that much. With the exception of not seeing Rarity as much as he would like, it gave Spike time to do whatever. Finish chores, go out and hunt for gems, pester the Cutie Mark Crusaders, whatever he wanted. Indeed, Spike lead a very quiet and peaceful live for the most part and he liked it that way. Most if not all excitement that came to his life was not of his own doing with only a few occasional exceptions. Spike liked to keep his nose out of trouble, in the belief that trouble would never bother him that way.

* * *

If there was one thing other than magic and studying that Twilight was really good at, it was that she knew exactly when to wake up Spike to disrupt one of his beloved ice cream dreams. Just as Spike and Rarity were about to eat one of the biggest ice cream sundaes of all time, the young dragon woke up and saw Twilight nudging him with her hoof.

“Spike! Wake up already!” exclaimed Twilight insistently.

“Ugh... Twilight...?” Spike reached over and held up his clock to see what time it was. He dropped the clock and sighed. “Aw come on Twilight, we usually don't get up at o' dark thirty. Why is the light on and why did you wake me up so early?”

“I just wanted to let you know that my friends and I are heading out to find the Chaos Ward and bring it back to Canterlot.” Spike sat up and looked at Twilight, his eyes widened in surprise.

“What? As in right now?”

“Yes right now. I was just about to leave but then I thought I should say goodbye to you first.” Spike recalled how Twilight had been up very late last night. Shortly before he went to bed, she had him send a message to Princess Celestia. He didn't get a chance to read it though, but he didn't think it was important.

“How long do you think you will be gone?” asked Spike.

“I'm not sure. I'd say a week at the very least, maybe two depending on how things go.” At least a week by himself? Spike couldn't remember the last time he had spent that much time alone, if at all. Even his trips to Canterlot never lasted longer than a day and a half. Still, that was a lot of time for Twilight and the others to be away.

“Okay, well good luck and have fun out there!”

“Thanks Spike. See you when we get back!”

“See ya!” With that Twilight went downstairs. Spike heard the door open, followed by the sound of it closing a few seconds later. He slowly got out of his bed and walked toward the door that lead out to the balcony. He opened the door and took a step outside. Spike could see the barest traces of dawn on the far horizon as the sun began it's slow ascent. The sky was a dim, pale blue color with only a few clouds floating lazily. Spike could hear Pinkie Pie's excited chatter as the six ponies walked off to where ever there destination was.

As he watched the group slowly fade out of viewing distance, Spike felt a bit lonely. He wasn't a fan of going on big adventures and was content to be left behind to keep an eye on the library, but now the library was going to be a little too quiet for his liking. Maybe he would invite the Cutie Mark Crusaders over to liven up the library a bit. But first Spike had something very important he had to do. The young dragon yawned and stretched out. He went back to his bed and curled up in it.

“Time to sleep in!” said Spike happily as he closed his eyes and fell fast asleep, hoping to enter another ice cream dream.

* * *

As the days went on Spike began to feel extremely bored. There was only the occasional customer who stopped by to borrow a book or drop one off. The only major business related event that happened was on Monday when the shipment of new books that Twilight had ordered from Canterlot had arrived. As much as he liked sleeping in all the time, it was starting to get old very fast when there was nothing to wake up and do. No new chores, no errands, nothing.

On Tuesday morning, Spike took a long walk through Ponyville, stopping at a local restaurant a few hours later to eat some lunch. He then spent the rest of the day wandering around aimlessly, bored out of his mind with all the time in the world to do absolutely nothing. Spike's heart sank a little as he realized he was standing in front of Carousel Boutique. Normally when he had this much free time and didn't want to take a nap, Spike would go pay Rarity a visit. But she wasn't there and the Boutique would be closed until she got back.

Spike had spent the rest of the day sitting at the river side with his feet in the water. He had a good view of Poynville and the surrounding areas from there, a great place to be to witness the sun slowly sinking toward the horizon. As the sky began to grow dark, Spike returned to the library and got some gems out of his stash to have for dinner.

The next morning, Spike finally decided to read the Daring Do series. After hearing Twilight and Rainbow talk about it so much, Spike's curiosity (and sheer boredom) got the best of him. Much to his surprise, Spike found himself enjoying the books immensely. They were so well written that they were hard to put down. By Saturday evening Spike had finished three of the books and decided that he would start the next one on Sunday morning. Spike went to bed that night a little earlier than he usually did. He was feeling tired and was eager for the next day to start so that he could start the next book.

Sunday morning came quickly. Spike slowly opened his eyes as he heard the sound of birds chirping outside. Sunlight poured in through the window to the right of Twilight's unoccupied bed. According to the clock, it was only 7:45 AM. It was still too early for the small dragon. He would simply go back to sleep for an hour or two, get some breakfast, and get started on the next Daring Do book.

But just as Spike closed his eyes, there was a thunderous crash sound that came from the first floor. Spike literally jumped several inches out of bed and fell onto the floor on his back. He rolled over and slowly got up. Looking back at his bed and then over to the stairs, Spike let out a deep sigh and slowly began to head downstairs to see what had interrupted him from going back to sleep.

Spike stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a giant hole just above the entrance at a slight upward angle. There was also a brand new hole on the floor that would serve as an effective, yet possibly painful shortcut to the basement below. As Spike drew closer to the hole he could see that magenta colored sparks of magical energy were cracking around the hole. They faded after a few seconds and Spike looked down into the hole to see what had caused such destruction.

Resting on the heavily damaged basement floor was a hefty sized hardcover book that had wispy trails of smoke coming off of it. Even from where he was standing, Spike could see that it was one of the books that Twilight had been using to determine the location of that amulet she was looking for. Spike didn't want to say it out loud, nor did he even want to think about it, but he knew exactly what he needed to do. Spike began to approach the stairs that lead to the basement.

“So much for reading Daring Do this morning...” muttered Spike as he walked down the steps that lead down to the basement. As he opened the door to the basement and approached the final set of stairs along the side of the wall, Spike had a better view of the damage caused by the book. A lot of Twilight's scientific equipment had been destroyed by the impact and was scattered all over the place. With the sheer amount of glass shards on the floor, Spike was grateful that even his feet were covered in thick, tough scaly skin. However, Spike was not looking forward to when Twilight came back and saw that the basement had been completely destroyed by the falling book. He was going to have a very hard time explaining this to her.

Spike carefully approached the wide crater that the book sat in. Smoke was still rising off the tome, yet there was no sign that the book was on fire. It must have had something to do with how the book managed to cause this much damage. Likely magic of some kind, but since Spike wasn't an expert on magic he had no way of knowing for sure. Spike picked up the book and examined it. It appeared to be intact and there were no pages missing. As Spike turned the book a separate piece of paper fell out of it. He set the book down and picked up the folded piece of paper. Spike unfolded it and began to read what was on the paper.

Spike,

I don't have much time to write this. We are on the run currently and we can't afford to linger for very long. This journey started out just fine, but then it all fell apart. I don't have time to go into detail but they found us. It's only a matter of time before they catch up to us. We will do what we can, but there is no guarantee that things will go in our favor. So in case this does not end well for us, I am sending you all of my research and the first part of the key.

Keep it safe Spike. I know you don't have much information, but I'm counting on you my #1 Assistant. Protect the research, don't let anypony take it. The Chaos Ward is far more dangerous than I had first realized.

Hopefully I will see you again soon once this is all over. Stay safe, Spike.

~ Twilight Sparkle

His hands shaking slightly, Spike reread the letter several times to make sure he had seen it right. Twilight was in danger? The others were in danger? Rarity was in danger?! Spike looked at the book and then back at the letter. So much for Sunday being a peaceful day of just sitting around and reading Daring Do.

Author's Note: Just to let you know, I'm gonna be away from the computer in a few days so chapter two may be released a bit later than I'd like it to be. However even while I'm away I'll be working on it, I'll just take the traditional pencil and paper route for writing it and then type it when I get back home.

Chapter 2: When in Doubt... Ask a Princess!

Although he did his best to remain calm, Spike began to panic. Twilight would not have written a letter like that unless things had gone horribly wrong. Why would she send all her research and the first half of the key to him unless...

Has something happened to her? Were they somehow captured? Is that why she sent this to me? Is Rarity okay? thought Spike as he tried to make sense of the situation. Spike opened the book and began to look through it. There was multiple pieces of parchment folded up behind the front cover. Spike unfolded one of the pieces of parchment and skimmed it. It contained notes written by Twilight and was mostly about the key. As if on cue, something metallic dropped out of the book. Spike bent down and picked it up to examine the object. It appeared to be half of a key of some sort. This piece was the upper part with the ring. It was gold plated and had curly waves engraved into it. Oddly enough the other end of the key didn't look like it connected to anything.

Spike carefully put the papers back behind the front cover and set the book back down onto the floor where he had found it. For a moment he stood there silently in disbelief. His friends, they are the wielders of the Elements of Harmony. They had faced all kinds of danger over the past couple of years and had always prevailed. What could possibly have gone so wrong that they would send such a critical resource to him? Not that Spike doubted Twilight's ability to memorize some of her research. But she also liked having a means of double, if not triple checking her research. Spike then recalled the reason why they had left to fined the Chaos Ward in the first place. Did they run into some trouble with Changelings? No, that wasn't possible. There was no way that the Changelings would risk exposure by going after the wielders of the Elements.

Twilight wants me to protect the research thought Spike. But how am I supposed to do that? If by some slim chance the Changelings were involved in this, what would stop them from coming her and taking the research back while pretending to be Twilight. How would I know the difference between the two? He had to hide the research somewhere. But where? Canterlot? No place had more security than the capital, even if the Changeling queen had once managed to get in there undetected. They did it once, they could easily do it again. Perhaps Canterlot was not the best place to hide the research. There could be Changelings there already for all Spike knew. Still, going to Canterlot to talk to Princess Celestia seemed like a good idea. She was wise, surely she would know what to do.

Spike picked up the book and took it up to the main floor of the library. He grabbed his courier bag and placed the book inside. He took the key and put it into one of the concealed pouches. From there, he went up to the second floor and grabbed a piece of parchment along with a quill and one of the bottles of ink. Spike hastily began to write a letter to Princess Celestia, explaining the situation. Once he was finished, Spike used his green flame to send the letter.

Less than a minute later, Spike's stomach began to churn like he was about to be sick. He belched out an ember of green fire that formed into a letter with Princess Celestia's seal on it. Spike quickly opened it and began to read.

Dear Spike,

I appreciate that you have brought this to my attention. Twilight is very lucky to have a reliable assistant like you. Come to Canterlot immediately, we have much to discuss and I fear that time is short. Bring Twilight's research with you.

~ Princess Celestia

Without a pause, Spike put the letter away and went down the stairs toward the ground level of the library and made sure that the courier bag was zipped up and secured on his back. Once he was ready Spike left the library and closed the door, making sure to lock it.

The train station was at least fifteen minutes away from the library. Spike ran there as quickly as his small feet allowed. If he was able to keep a steady pace, Spike would arrive at the station sooner. It wasn't long before Spike arrived at the train station and went up to the ticket window.

“One ticket to Canterlot,” said Spike as he pushed three bits through the slot.

“Good timing, the train will be here any minute now,” said the pony on the other side of the window. They pushed the ticket through the slot. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” said Spike as he grabbed the ticket and took a seat on one of the nearby benches. It was still early in the day, so there was not many ponies at the station yet. Just a few early birds who wanted to take an early morning train to Canterlot. Although more ponies began to gradually arrive as Spike waited, it didn't seem like the train was going to be filled to the brim with passengers.

The train arrived at the station a couple of minutes later. Spike and the various ponies got onto the train and it departed for Canterlot soon after. As the train began to pick up speed, Spike tried not to think about Twilight and the others. It would drive him crazy with worry if he thought too much about it. Still, no matter how hard he tried they kept appearing at the fore front of his mind. Especially Rarity, Spike wouldn't know what to do with himself if something happened to the mare of his dreams. The same applied to the other five ponies. Spike felt that he would have nothing if something should happen to them.

Once I get out of my meeting with Princess Celestia, maybe I should go out there and find them thought Spike. He hesitated as he thought about that. It was a crazy idea. With the exception of the dragon migration, Spike had never been on his own anywhere that wasn't Ponyville or Canterlot. Just the thought of going to other placed in Equestria on his own was extremely daunting. Besides, he was small and very young by dragon standards.

Less than an hour later, the train arrived at the station in Canterlot. Spike got off the train and headed toward the castle. In most cities, Spike would be getting a lot of wary glances since he was a dragon. But since Spike had spent most of his life so far in Canterlot, everypony recognized him either by name or simply as 'the dragon that lives at the castle' in some cases. Spike approached the castle gate and waved at the guards.

“Hey there Spike, long time no see,” said one of the guards. “What brings you to Canterlot?”

“I'm here to see Princess Celestia. She's expecting me,” said Spike.

“Then go on in, best not to keep the Princess waiting. Have a nice day!”

“Thanks.” Spike wlaked through the gate and took a moment to take in the spectacular view of the courtyard. At the center was a massive fountain with statues of ponies holding vases that poured water into the pool below. Standing at the top of the fountain was the statue of a unicorn. Water sprayed in four directions from small holes in its horn. The courtyard was rich with plant life as well, with the majority of it being a wide variety of flowers in a plethora of colors. A cobblestone path lead around the courtyard garden and toward the various parts of the castle. Spike walked along the path toward the entrance to the great hall. The guards fixed their gaze on Spike as he approached. Without a word, the two guards used their magic to open the doors for Spike. He nodded in appreciation and entered the grand hall.

The grand hall was large in scale, even for a full grown pony. Spike felt smaller than usual as he walked along the red carpet that lead up toward an elegant staircase. The walls of the grand hall were decorated with murals that depicted the history of Equestria. Even the series of pillars that stood along the sides of the carpet were decorated with images of ponies and their culture. The throne room was beyond the double doors at the top of the stairway. The steps were large and each step took a lot of effort for Spike and his small legs. As he reached the top, Spike leaned forward and panted heavily.

I wish Twilight was here thought Spike. This would be much easier if I could just ride on her back. Once he had caught his breath, Spike approached the throne room. The guards opened the doors for Spike and nodded politely. Spike entered the throne room and saw Princess Celestia sitting on the throne. She seemed occupied with a message she was reading, but then her eyes shifted toward the small dragon.

“There you are Spike. Thank you for coming here on such short notice,” said Princess Celestia. “Did you bring Twilight's research?”

“Yeah, it's in my bag,” said Spike.

“Good. It will be safer if you hold on to it rather than letting it sit around in the library. Not even Canterlot is safe I'm afraid.”

“But what am I supposed to do?” exclaimed Spike. “My friends might be in grave danger! What are we going to do about Twilight and...”

“Don't worry, Spike,” said Princess Celestia soothingly. “Everything will be alright. But before that, did Twilight tell you anything about the Chaos Ward?”

“Only that it's a magical amulet that the Changelings might be after.” Celestia was silent for a moment. She closed her eyes as if she was unsure how to respond. Finally she reopened her eyes and spoke.

“As of today we can confirm that they are after it.” The Princess levitated the tattered document she had been reading earlier and turned it around to show it to Spike. “This is a message from the Changeling Queen herself. She claims that she knows where the Chaos Ward is and that she has some of her best minions looking for the key.”

“What? How did they find the amulet so quickly?” exclaimed Spike in a panic.

“We don't know. Chrysalis doesn't elaborate on that. The rest of the letter is mostly empty threats about how she is going to use the Chaos Ward to bring down Equestria. Of course, that is IF she is able to obtain it.” Spike recalled how formidable the Changelings were during the first invasion. The fact that they were going after the key as well meant trouble for Twilight and her friends.

“So what are we going to do?”

“I'm not sure at the moment. If we send out any scouting parties the changelings will surely intervene. I don't want any more of my subjects to go missing.” Both Spike and Princess Celestia stood there in silence for a minute. Spike was worried that the mission Twilight and her friends had gone on would be a little more dangerous, but now it had gone to another level entirely.

In that moment, their faces came to the front of Spike's mind clear as day. Fluttershy, there was no pony who was as kind and caring as her. When Spike had gotten sick with a really bad fever, Fluttershy brought him soup that helped him get better. Nopony was as good at giving advice as honest Applejack. Even though she said that she was uncertain about his chances with Rarity, she still gave him helpful advice to get on the mare's good side. There was no question that Rainbow Dash was made out of liquid awesome. She even taught Spike a thing or two about staying in shape. Spike couldn't help but chuckle as he thought of Pinkie Pie and her crazy, physics breaking antics. She threw the craziest parties and invited Spike to them more often that not.

Rarity, what could Spike say about such a beautiful mare that he hadn't said already? She was elegant, she had style, and she was an artist of fashion. She even saved him from his own greed and kissed the young dragon on the cheek several times. Spike cherished the time he spent with Rarity. And then there was Twilight Sparkle, Spike's adoptive Sister. She had been there for all of his life. Sure she had the tendency to overwork him and throw him around like a ragdoll, but he knew that she cared about him. They looked after one another.

As Spike thought of his friends, an image of them fading away into the darkness appeared. It was followed by the voice the Changeling Queen laughing. Spike would not let anything happen to his family, and in that moment he realized what he needed to do. It was a crazy ideal after all, but Spike couldn't bear the idea of losing them.

“What if somepony who was very small and not part of the military went?” asked Spike.

“It is likely that the changelings would ignore them, why?” asked Celestia, even though it was clear she knew where the conversation was going.

“Then I'll go out there and find them!” declared Spike. Princess Celestia was speechless as she stared at the little dragon with a surprised look.

“But you are only a little dragon. Even if the changelings don't pester you there are all kinds of dangers out there.”

“That's a risk I'm willing to face. I can't just sit here and do nothing while my family is in danger.” For a moment, Princess Celestia seemed impressed. She nodded and smiled warmly.

“Very well then. Your mission is to find Twilight and her friends. Once you have found them, obtain the Chaos Ward and bring it back here.”

“You can't count on me! I'll bring them back.”

“Before you go. I want you to take this.” Celestia's horn began to glow with magical energy and a small bracelet appeared in the air in front of her. She levitated it down to where Spike could reach it. The bracelet was a simple silver chain with a clear, circular crystal at the center. “In case anything should happen, this will help you out. This bracelet will allow you to communicate with me directly without the use of letters. Press down on the crystal to activate it.”

“Okay. Thanks Princess!” said Spike.

“Good luck Spike.” Spike bowed and left the throne room. As he stood there in the great hall, Spike began to realize just how daunting his quest truly would be. He had no idea where to start his search either. He had the first half of the key and not a single clue where Twilight had found it. Perhaps it was time to consult Twilight's research.

Spike took the research to the castle library. There he found a table in the corner to work on finding a lead. As Spike opened the book, it didn't take long for him to realize it was of no use to him. It was written in an ancient language that Spike had never seen before. How Twilight had been able to read it in the first place was beyond Spike. With the decrepit book being out of the question, Spike pulled out Twilight's notes. With any luck he would be able to find something there. One particular set of notes looked promising when Twilight began to refer to certain locations. There was a list of places all over Equestria, with most of the listed areas crossed out. The list also referred to a map, which was among the stack of Twilight's notes. Spike took out the map and unfolded it.

The map was clearly old based on the faded ink and the awful condition it was in. Fortunately it was still readable. As Spike looked at the map, one particular location stood out. He recognized the river that flowed along the outskirts of Ponyville, even though the town was not on the map. Spike glanced to the left and saw a circle over the area that was clearly the Everfree Forest. Spike looked at Twilight's notes again to double check. She mentioned the key and how it was split into two parts. It seemed like the first piece was located in the the same castle ruins that Twilight had found the Elements of Harmony in.

Without having any way of knowing which piece of the key he had, Spike decided that the best place to start was the ruins. Even if the key had come from there, he still needed to search for clues as to the whereabouts of his friends. Maybe he would find something there; but there was only one way to know for sure. With a first potential lead in mind, Spike left the castle and headed back toward the train station.

* * *

Before heading out to the Everfree Forest, Spike returned to the library to gather up supplies. He took the rest of his gem collection with him for food. Just as he would about to close his closet, something caught Spike's eye. Sitting on one of the shelves was a sphere shaped rock that easily fit into the palm of Spike's small hand. As Spike examined it in the sunlight he could see small gold specs on the onyx colored stone that glowed radiantly.

“Ah this is the star stone I had found about a year ago,” muttered Spike as he gazed at it. Twilight claimed that it was good luck to find a star stone. Spike wasn't one to believe in lucky charms, he just thought it was pretty. But given that he was about to embark on a potentially dangerous journey, Spike felt that he could use a little luck. With the stone secured safely in one of the pouches, Spike headed down to the kitchen to pick up a water pouch. As Spike opened the cabinet he heard a familiar squawk behind him.

Spike turned around and saw Peewee standing on the table. Every time Spike looked away, he swore that the little phoenix was getting bigger. Peewee's wings had grown out, he was taller than he was when his egg hatched, and more traditional phoenix colors began to appear on Peewee's coat. The young phoenix had been out flying around Equestria and beyond for the past couple of weeks. A healthy activity for a young phoenix like Peewee, not to mention it kept the mischievous little bird from setting books on fire... again. Spike shuddered in fear as he remembered Twilight literally blowing a fuse when she heard about Peewee setting one of her text books on fire.

“Welcome back, Peewee!” said Spike happily. “Did you enjoy your trip?” Peewee squawked happily, which Spike interpreted as a 'yes'. Since Peewee had been out traveling for awhile, Spike thought he'd ask Peewee something. “Did you see Twilight out there by any chance?” Peewee tilted his head and let out a confuses squawk.

“Never mind.” Since he was talking to Peewee, it was probably a good time for Spike to fill the young phoenix in on what was going on. “I'm going out for a while to try and find Twilight and my other friends. Do you think you can take care of yourself while I'm gone?” Peewee nodded and let out a confident sounding squawk. “Great! See ya when I get back.”

Spike turned around but then quickly turned back to face Peewee. “And don't set any books on fire this time. I barely managed to calm Twilight down last time.” Peewee let out a chirping sound that seemed to indicate a sense of compliance.

Spike turned back to the task at hand and pulled out a water pouch. He filled it up with water from the faucet and stowed the pouch away in his courier bag. Spike left the library and ventured out onto the streets of Ponyville. It was already mid-afternoon, and it was a bit of a hike to the Everfree Forest from the library. Fortunately, Spike was able to hitch a ride on the side of a cart which saved some time. Spike jumped off the cart as it went around the corner where Fluttershy's cottage was located. The Everfree Forest was less than a minute away from there. Spike approached the entrance to the forest and gulped nervously. He had only been in there once and had nearly been killed by a green dragon as big as town hall. Still, Spike new that he had no other choice if he was going to find his friends... no, his family. After taking a deep breath, Spike stepped into the Everfree Forest. Little did he know that he was being followed.

* * *

Trixie praised her fortune. She had found Twilight Sparkle's pet dragon without having to go into Ponyville. With any luck, the dragon would lead Trixie to her hated nemesis. Why Twilight Sparkle would be hiding in the Everfree Forest was beyond Trixie, but it didn't matter. Trixie felt confident that she was ready to take on Twilight Sparkle and defeat her in a magic duel. Trixie carefully followed Spike into the forest, taking care not to give herself away.

Chapter 3: Over the River and through the Woods...

Chapter 3: Over the River and Through the Woods...

No matter what the time of day it was, the Everfree Forest was always dark. Whether this was because of the thick foliage of the trees or some strange magic that lingered in the woods was anypony's guess. Regardless of the lack of lighting, the Everfree Forest maintained an unsettling atmosphere that made anypony think twice about going in there. It had been listed as one of the top ten most dangerous locations in all of Equestria for a reason.

Spike walked along the forest path, trying to ignore how creepily quiet the forest was. There was no birds singing, no rustling of leaves in the wind, nothing. He couldn't help but feel like he was being watched, but whenever Spike looked around he saw no signs that he was being followed. No, he was just being paranoid. The sooner he got to the ruins, the better.

As Spike walked along the path he eventually came to a steep cliff that overlooked the rest of the forest below. Spike recalled Twilight telling him about this area of the forest back when she had gone there to find the Elements of Harmony. He would need to find a way down that didn't involve a drop from a really high cliff. Spike slowly crawled toward the edge and saw a series of small ledges that lead down to the bottom. He carefully approached the first ledge and jumped down to it, followed by the next one below that.

So far so good, now he just had to get down the rest of the way. Taking a deep breath, Spike jumped down onto the next ledge. There was only three ledges left before he would reach the bottom. However the next ledge would require a running jump in order to reach it. Fortunately there was less chance of breaking something if he messed up the jump, but Spike knew that it was better to be careful regardless.

Taking several steps back, Spike ran toward the edge and jumped toward the next ledge. He had misjudged the distance between the ledges and just barely managed to grab onto the edge. Spike struggled with it, but was finally able to pull himself onto the ledge. From there, Spike jumped down the last two and landed safely onto the ground.

“Glad that's over with,” muttered Spike. Spike continued walking along the forest path below, heading toward the ruins. As Spike walked along the path he noticed an object resting on the ground in front of him. As he got closer, Spike realized it was a branch from a tree. At first Spike was going to just ignore it, but then an idea came to the little dragon. He picked up the branch and examined it. It was a fairly small branch but it was thick and was only a little crooked. He removed the smaller twigs and leaves off of it and examined it again. “This might make a good walking stick,” said Spike. He knocked it against a nearby tree. It was sturdy as well, it might make a decent weapon in case anything should go wrong.

As Spike was about to start walking along the path again, he saw a small wisp of light appear at the nearby tree that lead away from the path. Then several more wisps of light appeared behind the first one, forming a line that lead away from the path. Spike rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Wisps? Really? Like I'd ever fall for that.” Twilight had once warned Spike about a certain creature known as a wisp. According to her, they were mischievous little creatures that lead travelers into very bad situations. If somepony followed that trail they could get lost or worse. One of the wisps made a whimsical peep. “You're not fooling anypony. I'm not following you or your friends.” The wisp hummed an unenthusiastic musical tone and it's light dimmed. The rest of the wisps soon dimmed as well. Spike rolled his eyes and continued to walk along the path. Nopony would ever all for the pranks of the wisps.

* * *

Trixie realized that she was going to lose track of the little dragon if she didn't keep up. One moment she had looked to her right while hiding behind a tree, and the next Twilight's pet had vanished from the cliff side. She slowly came out from where she was hiding and rushed to the cliff side. She could see the purple dragon walking down the path and out of sight.

“Nopony can escape the Great and Powerful Tri...” Trixie was cut off as the ledge she was standing on broke off the cliff side, taking her with it. Trixie landed on one of the ledges but bounced off of it and fell to to the bottom back first. Trixie let out a pained groan and slowly got up. “That's one way of getting down... ow...” She brushed herself off and trotted toward the path to try and catch up with the dragon. But as she approached, a wisp appeared to her right. Then several more wisps appeared behind the first, forming a path of lights.

The wisps began to chime in a playful chorus, as if urging Trixie to follow them. Trixie could not believe her luck. The very forest itself was seeking to help the Great and Powerful Trixie. She had more allies on her side than she had realized.

“These spirits will guide Trixie to Twilight. Oh how I cannot wait to defeat that horrible mare in a duel that shall go down in history.” Trixie galloped through the trees, heading toward wherever the wisps were pointing her toward. “Just you wait, Twilight Sparkle! Soon the Great and Powerful Trixie will...” Suddenly something wrapped around Trixie's torso and pulled her up into the air. The next thing she knew, Trixie was caught between two large leaves with rows of green pointy things that looked like teeth. As she heard the wisps chirping in what sounded like laughter, Trixie realized what had just happened.

“Oh you evil little demons! You dare to lead the Great and Powerful Trixie into the maw of a Venus Crittertrap? You will learn not to mess with...” Trixie was cut off as the mouth of the plant closed on her.

Several seconds later, the Venus Crittertrap exploded in a burst of fire as Trixie cast one of her new spells she had learned. She fell to the ground and used her magic to detach the remains of the plant's tongue appendage off of her. By now the wisps were long gone, terrified for their ethereal lives no doubt. “This must be a trap set up by Twilight Sparkle! That might have been the end for a lesser pony, but Trixie is the greatest equine who has ever lived!” Trixie turned back toward the forest path. “And Twilight Sparkle will pay DEARLY for this humiliation!” Trixie trotted back to the path and began her search for the small dragon once again.

* * *

Spike eventually came across a grand river that flowed through the Everfree Forest. If he remembered correctly, this was where Twilight and the others had encountered the sea serpent. The water was calm enough that Spike would easily be able to swim across it. It was one of those moments that Spike was grateful that Applejack and Twilight taught him how to swim. He also mentally thanked Rarity for making his bag waterproof when she designed it.

Spike took a deep breath and jumped into the water. He immediately began to swim toward the other side of the river. It didn't take long for Spike to reach the other side of the river. He shook off the water as best he could and continued onward toward the ruins. Ten minutes later, Spike arrived at the bridge. The ruins were within sight. Spike carefully walked across the bridge and approached the open door of the ruins.

* * *

Trixie cursed under her breath as she approached the ruins. She was glad that she chose not to wear her hat and robe. They would be ridiculously filthy if not completely destroyed after all the ordeals she hard to endure. As if nearly getting eaten hadn't been bad enough, she nearly got swept down the river when the local sea serpent started to freak out about having a bad hair day or something. Then she had to go across a bridge that was unstable enough to make one's life flash before their eyes. It had been very tedious to get there, but Trixie was finally standing before the ruins. Twilight Sparkle had to be in there. Trixie conjured up a trap at the entrance and grinned.

“Soon, Trixie will defeat Twilight Sparkle. I can hardly wait,” she said as she chuckled to herself. She had been waiting a long time for this moment, and it was almost here. She just had to be patient and wait just a little longer.

* * *

As Spike walked along the decrepit hallway, he pulled out one of the documents Twilight had sent to him. He skimmed it to try and find any details about where the key had been found in the first place. If he could find that area of the ruins he might be able to find some clues. According to Twilight, the key would be located in a small room past the throne room where Twilight and the others defeated Nightmare Moon. Twilight ha described this place to Spike a few times, so he had a fairly decent idea about the layout of the ruins.

Spike entered the chamber where the Elements of Harmony had been resting for one thousand years before Twilight and her friends had used them for the first time. From there he could see a small passageway to the left that led up toward another section of the castle. As Spike walked through the passageway he couldn't help but wonder what kind of crazy pony designed this place. The ruins were all over the place. He either had to go up or down and through various hallways that acted as bridges between the towers. No wonder it had been abandoned.

It wasn't long before Spike found himself standing in the throne room where Nightmare Moon had been defeated. It was clear no one had been inside the ruins ever since, as Nightmare Moon's shattered armor still lay on the ground where she had been hit by the Elements of Harmony. As he looked down at the armor he noticed something that Twilight had never mentioned before. Behind the platform was a door that was covered in a heavy coat of vines. The door was partially open and the vines had been disturbed, indicating that somepony had been through there recently. That must be where the first half of the key had come from.

He pulled the door open a little bit and walked into the side room that had been concealed until that moment. The lack of windows indicated that it had been meant to be a secret room that nopony would know about. A perfect place to hide a piece of a key required to unlock a certain magical amulet.

Sure enough, there was a pedestal at the center of the room. There was an indentation on the pedestal that indicated the key piece had come from there. Spike looked around, hoping to see anything that could explain why Twilight had sent that message to him. Unfortunately there was no evidence of any kind to help provide answers, but it was clear that they had been here and were long gone now.

Now I just need to find the next piece of the key. thought Spike as he pulled out Twilight’s research. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll find some answers. Spike consulted the one page where Twilight mentioned certain locations around Equestria. The only other place that had been crossed out yet was an area that was said to be located out near... Manehattan.

“Manehattan?! That's on the other side of Equestria!” exclaimed Spike. To be more specific, Manehattan was to the far northeast on the coast of Equestria. It was going to be a serious hike to get over there. It would take weeks if he walked there, but fortunately he could just take the train. Equestria had a train system that could get a pony to nearly anywhere, with the exception of the badlands to the far south. Then again, the only thing past the badlands was the Dead Lands, home of the changelings. Only creatures with a death wish ventured out that far. The train ride would take at least two days if not longer. But Spike wasn't about to stop there. He had to find Twilight and his other friends. He had to find Rarity.

Spike chose not to linger at the ruins and began to head toward the exit. It took a few minutes, but Spike finally arrived back at the entrance to the ruins. As he took his first step outside, Spike heard something snap. Suddenly he felt himself launching up into the air, caught in a net.

“Gah! What? Huh? What's going on?” exclaimed Spike as he tried to create a hole in the net with one of his claws.

“Ah ha! Trixie has finally caught up with you!” exclaimed Trixie as she jumped out of one of the nearby bushes. “Twilight Sparkle, did you really think that...” Spike let out a big groan and rolled his eyes as he realized who it was.

“Oh Celestia, not you again. How is it you haven't been eaten by a manticore yet?” asked Spike.

“What? Trixie's trap was supposed to catch Twilight Sparkle. Where is she?” demanded Trixie angrily.

“Twilight? She's not here. Whatever gave you the idea that she would be in the Everfree Forest?”

“You are Twilight Sparkle's pet. So Trixie thought that she would follow you and...” Trixie's statement struck a nerve in Spike and he began to struggle with the net even more.

“I am not Twilight's pet! I'm her assistant! Her number one assistant!”

“No you are just a pet my delusional little friend. Now where is Twilight Sparkle?”

“How am I supposed to know? I'm trying to find her myself!” shouted Spike irritably, trying to resist the urge to set Trixie's mane on fire. He was close enough he might be able to reach her if he took a deep breath.

“Silence, oh minion of Twilight Sparkle. The Great and Powerful Trixie will go anywhere to...” Trixie stopped talking instantly as Spike's previous statement finally registered. “Wait... what do you mean you are trying to find her? Has she gone missing or something?”

“No, we're playing hide and seek in the middle of one of the most dangerous places in all of Equestria. We do that once every week just for fun,” said Spike sarcastically. “Of course she's gone missing, you idiot! Why else would I go in here all on my own?!”

“Watch your tongue and attitude around Trixie, or Trixie may decide to turn you into a fly or something.”

“Yeah whatever. So why are you trying to find Twilight?” asked Spike, trying to make it sound like he actually cared about why Trixie was there.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is here to challenge Twilight Sparkle to a magic duel. Upon defeating her, Trixie will regain her status as the greatest unicorn in all of Equestria!” Spike sighed and covered his face with one of his tiny palms.

“Like you'd ever stand a chance against Twilight. She'd flatten you in ten seconds flat.”

“Trixie has become far more powerful since her first encounter with her greatest nemesis. Twilight Sparkle will stand no chance against me.” Spike let out a snort and rolled his eyes. “Tell Trixie what happened to Twilight Sparkle before Trixie loses her temper and turns you into a rat!” The young dragon let out a sigh. Since had somehow managed to end up in one of Trixie's traps he may as well explain the situation to her. Not like there was any harm in doing so, right?

“Okay, okay. Twilight and her friends left Ponyville in search of a magical amulet known as the Chaos Ward. That was about a week ago. I got a message from...”

“A magical amulet? Curse that Twilight Sparkle! She must have known that Trixie was coming. Truly, Twilight Sparkle is a clever and formidable adversary.”

“That's not...” Spike sighed. “Never mind. Now, earlier today I got a message from Twilight containing her notes on where to find the key needed to unlock the amulet. Twilight's not the type to send that kind of stuff away unless...”

“It matters not. We will go find this amulet and Twilight Sparkle. Then Trixie will defeat Twilight and take the amulet for herself!”

“There is no 'we' in this,” said Spike. He finally managed to break one of the ropes in the net and fell out of the trap. He picked up this walking stick and dusted himself off. “You are not going with me.”

“Trixie will not take no for answer. Especially not from Twilight Sparkle's pet. You will help me find the amulet and your owner and that is final. You have no say in the matter.” Spike's fists were clenched tightly.

“Not. Twilight's. Pet.” Spike took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down a little. “Fine, you can tag along I suppose. But you can't hold me responsible if anything happens to you.”

“Oh there is no need to worry. The Great and Powerful Trixie can handle herself just fine.”

“I doubt you'd last five minutes against a changeling...” muttered Spike.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Now let's go to the Ponyville train station. It's the fastest way of getting to Manehattan.”

“Manehattan? Why do we have to go there?”

“Because there is a key fragment located somewhere nearby, along the side of a river apparently.”

“Then lead the way.” Spike rolled his eyes and the two began to walk toward the bridge. Now Spike had to deal with one of the most annoying ponies that ever lived. With Trixie following him around, disaster was sure to follow in her wake. If the situation didn't get any worse, Spike would be grateful. But he had the feeling that Trixie would soon be the least of his concerns.

* * *

As the sun began to set, neither the young dragon or the blue unicorn were aware that they were being watched. In the trees above them, an entire company of changeling scouts watched their every move. One scout in particular kept a close eye on the two travelers and began to transmit a signal back to the nearest leader changeling, Lord Ocellus.

Lord Ocellus. We have located the little dragon. Said the scout telepathically as it transmitted the message. There was a brief pause, but then the scout could feel itself connect directly to the mind of the higher ranking changeling.

Any sign of the tome? Or the key? Echoed a deep voice inside the changeling's mind.

No, not yet. But we believe that both are in the dragon's bag. They are heading to the train station to go to a place called Manehattan.

Then we will board the same train and take the key fragment from them. Meet me behind the train station.

Yes my lord.

* * *

Several miles away, Ocellus praised his fortune. He was worried that the trail had gone cold when that lavender unicorn had used that spell on the book, but now it was quite possible that he had found not only it but one of the key pieces as well. Chrysalis would be pleased if he obtained the key.

Ocellus knew that he would get the key and bring it back to his sister. It was only a matter of time with some strategy and a little bit of luck on the side. His gossamer wings shot out and he took flight, heading towards Ponyville.