About a month had passed since Twilight and Rainbow Dash's respective encounters with the two soldiers from Starfleet, with both Elements of Magic and Loyalty successfully defeating their opponents.
Since then, things had been relatively peaceful; Raven had eventually returned to her home dimension after assisting in fixing some of the damage her battle with Twilight had caused as an apology. Deadpool had also returned home... somehow (even Twilight wasn't sure exactly what he did), although he did come back to hang out with Pinkie Pie on more than one occasion... what they did while he was there was best left to the imagination.
But our current story does not focus on our previous victors, but rather their friends...
In Rambling Rock Range, Spike and Rarity were currently on their weekly search for gems, with the fashionista using her spell to locate exactly where they were buried and the young dragon assisting by digging them up.
"Thanks for endeavoring to assist me, Spike," The white unicorn said as she pulled a wagon full of gems behind her, with Spike riding stop the pile. "You know, this place has become a lot more reserved since we took care of those dreadful Diamond Dogs... and don't worry, Twilight's told me about your efforts as well."
Spike puffed up his chest with pride as he casually munched on one of the gems they'd dug up. "Well you know the old Dragon saying; ‘When you can breathe fire, everything else is a torch’...” He swallowed the gem before noticing Rarity's skeptical look. “OK, only Smolder says that... but the point still stands!"
Rarity giggled at Spike's comment. "I can see you two have been getting along quite nicely. It must feel wonderful, having another dragon around your age to speak with."
"You bet! I kind of wish Ember could come by more often... but ruling the Dragon Lands is no easy feat," He said right before Rarity cast another gem-locating spell, resulting in the ground in front of them glowing. "Although, the good news is that she has been trying to get them to adapt to a more modern style of living. She even visited the Dragon town section of Manehattan!" He explained as he leapt off the wagon she had been pulling and started digging in that exact spot.
"Well, I'm certainly happy for her! With all those teenage dragons surrounding her, it must be hard work to keep them in check." She smiled as she cast her spell once more, hoping that there were more valuable gems close by.
"You have no idea... it's really taxing, especially when certain jerks like Garble and Sludge keep causing trouble for her-oooh, a sapphire!" He exclaimed while he continued to dig.
"Oh, don't even get me started on Sludge," Rarity began to rant, scrunching up her face at the memory of that lazy, manipulative dragon. "Give Garble some credit; at least he behaved like... well, a dragon. Not a very polite dragon, in fact, he was downright rude, but at least he wasn't a, pardon my Prench, total lazyflank!"
Atop a cliff not too far from where they were searching, a small portal opened up, and out of it hovered a small fairy with blonde hair, peach skin, a pink dress and translucent wings. “Okay, both Lightning and Rhymey's energy signatures seemed to vanish around this area…” She whispered to herself. “All I have to do is find them and-”
“Meh, comparing one jerk to another jerk is like comparing that arrogant Starfleet dude to that rhyming weirdo,” She heard a voice point out. The mention of Starfleet immediately got her attention as she attempted to get closer, peeking out from behind one of the rocks. “Bottom line, they were both idiots and we're both better off not having to deal with them anymore…” He said, carrying a handful of rubies, sapphires, and emeralds back to the wagon.
"Oh, tell me about it!" Rarity rolled her eyes before she began pulling the wagon after Spike loaded it with the gems. "Seriously, attacking Twilight and Rainbow Dash without warning was certainly uncalled for. And to think Lightning Dawn was going to destroy the world in a blind rage... simply uncouth!”
This earned a gasp of shock from the small observer. However. it was loud enough to immediately get both Spike and Rarity's attention. "Is someone there?" The young dragon called out, looking around.
Rarity looked with him. "I thought I heard a small gasp of sorts. Who goes there? You needn't hide; we won't hurt you."
“They look just like Rarity and Spike… but no, it can't be them…” She whispered to herself before backing away… only for the rock she was hiding behind to be levitated upwards, completely exposing her. "Eeep!"
Rarity's horn glowed as she lifted it up. "Hmm? Are… you some sort of breezie?" She looked confused. "You also seem to share the human look Twilight's told me about."
"M... My name is Krysta...." She stated calmly, keeping her hands behind her back as she prepared to open a portal, just in case. "And I'm here looking for two individuals by the names of Lightning Dawn and Rhymey."
Rarity gasped at the mention of them. "Oh! Oh my... I... Oh dear, this is awkward... um... Krysta, you said your name was? Erm... well..." She looked down, afraid to disappoint the poor creature.
Spike unfortunately, didn't pick up the tone and spoke up. "Oh those two jerks? Twilight and Rainbow Dash took them out."
"SPIKE!" Rarity hissed.
"What?"
Krysta couldn't believe what she was hearing: Lightning Dawn and Rhymey, two of the Grand Ruler's favorite warriors?! Taken out?! "But... but that can't be! Starfleet can't be beaten by anyone! I bet they must be locked up somewhere! Or maybe they're just biding their time! That has to be it! There's no way an Equestrian pony can beat them!"
"...what do you mean by that?" Rarity asked, still feeling a good amount of sympathy for the creature, yet at the same time feeling a bit offended by her proclamation.
"Someone's in denial..." Spike whispered, not liking how the creature's attitude had taken a complete 180.
Krysta innocently explained what she meant. "I mean, the Rainbow Dash I know is an arrogant blowhard, and the Twilight I know disobeyed orders and died for it." She didn't know what was wrong with that statement, but even though there was still some sympathy on Rarity's part, Spike got very, very peeved.
"Apparently, you haven't been around us very often if that's your take on us!" Spike snapped, exhaling smoke from his nostrils as he took a step forward. "Then again that makes sense if you're from the same world as Lightning."
"While I wouldn't exactly phrase it that way... I have to agree with Spike," Rarity stated firmly. "It's obvious that you come from the same world as them, and just like them, you're arrogantly and falsely judging us!"
"It's just what we've been taught," Krysta stated. "Unicornicopia's always been superior to every other race. It's what I was taught since Lightning rescued me."
"Yeah, a fat lot of help that so-called “superiority” did when they got their butts kicked," Spike grumbled, only for Rarity to cover his mouth with her hoof.
"Well, I'm sorry, but as Spike pointed out, albeit without a hint of tact..." Rarity began, giving Spike a a slightly irritated glance. "...Lightning and his associate Rhymey are no more, they attempted to harm our friends and paid dearly for it..."
Krysta began to fume at the mere idea of such. "That can't be right...! Lightning would never attack an innocent pony! At least, not that he’s told me! This is all slander!"
Spike shook his head in disappointment. "Sorry, but it's true. If it weren't for Twilight, Ponyville wouldn't even be standing right now...."
Krysta started to fume at the idea that Lightning would attack innocents. It was so unbelievable to her that she couldn't come to grips with it. Without warning, she lunged at Spike and shoved him into a rock face. "YOU'RE LYING!!!!"
"SPIKEY!!" Rarity called out in concern as she rushed towards her friend, only to find him pulling himself out of a small pile of rocks and gemstones.
"I'm fine... just a small bruise..." He mumbled as he dusted himself off before spreading his wings. "Rarity? Get back to Ponyville. Tell Twilight we have another unwelcome guest..."
Krysta, feeling the smallest twinge of fear at what was to come, steeled herself for battle. "I was taught to fight to the bitter end. Sorry, Dragon Lord, but I'm not going to hold back! Not even for an inferior dragon!"
“...be careful Spike…” Rarity said before galloping back towards Ponyville.
Spike snorted. “You might've caught me off-guard, little pixie, but there's no way I'm letting you push me around because you can't handle the truth! Let's go!”
FIGHT!!
With one wave of her fingers, she created a portal and hopped right through it. Another appeared, then another, and another. The more she made, the harder it became to pinpoint her location.
Spike started looking around as he was surrounded by several portals, trying to figure out where she was going to pop up… only to dodge to the left just in the nick of time as she flew towards him from one of the portals above him, right before vanishing into another. “All right, if that's how you wanna play… take this!” he shouted before exhaling a fireball the size of a basketball at one of the portals, which was sent flying out of another portal, and then another, and then another, shooting through each interconnected one and causing Krysta to halt her assault, darting out of the way just in time to avoid getting roasted.
"Okay, so you're not a total joke! Maybe you're just as worthy of the Dragon Knight title as our Spike." Her hands glowed with a magic sparkle. "I might actually enjoy this."
“Dragon Knight-what now?” Spike asked in confusion. It was at that moment that he noticed that all of the portals had started closing…. save for one that was right above him.
"Oh, nothing special... you probably won't live to find out," she said with a focused tone, as she flung his fireball back. "But you're welcome to try!"
Spike could only watch as his own fireball was hurled right back at him with twice the velocity, causing a small explosion the moment it hit the young dragon and engulfing the area in a thick layer of smoke.
“Such a shame…” Krysta scoffed as she closed the portal. “But he forced my hand…”
However, before she could prioritize finding her comrades, Spike burst out of the ground behind her and slammed his fist into her tiny body, sending her flying into the space he once occupied.
"ACK!" She quickly regained herself and hovered in place again. "I guess he's not as weak as I thought. This could actually be troublesome..." She created yet another portal and started zipping around the canyon, throwing rocks and other debris at him to keep him busy.
Needless to say, Spike was getting more and more annoyed by the second as he either dodged, punched, or used his fire breath to blast the rocks away. 'Ok, stupid fairy is starting to get on my nerves!’ he thought as he quickly ducked, avoiding a rock about the size of his head. ‘She might be strong, but she seems to prefer attacking from a distance… so all I have to do is limit her options to close combat!’
Just as he had the idea, Krysta threw herself into the mix and punched Spike in the face before flying back into one of her portals. She was surprisingly strong for her size.
‘...OK-ow-she's mixing things up a bit… but I guess I'll just have to keep her on her toes!’ With a plan in mind, he cautiously waited for the next portal to open up… the moment he heard the sound of a portal opening to his upper right, he quickly flew towards it, exhaling his emerald flames at the highest intensity in order to melt the rock sent flying his way into nothing but a small pool of magma. He then flew right into the portal just before it closed, popping up a few feet away from his opponent.
“Gotcha!” He smirked triumphantly before exhaling another fireball at her.
Krysta gasped and quickly opened another portal before it hit her, just narrowly avoiding getting torched. "Ngh...! You're certainly stronger than you look...! But I won't lose!"
"That fireball I shot at you was only at half its intensity; if I wanted to, I could have incinerated you right then and there!" Spike explained as he hovered in place with his arms crossed. "This is your final warning, leave and things won't have to get ugly! Attack me again and I'm not going to be responsible for what happens next!"
Krysta looked upward with a fire in her eyes. "I can't! Lightning and Rhymey are still out there! I can feel it! I don't care what you say; I know they're alive! You can't stop me!" With that, she created another portal, having it open up below Spike, and causing the fire to go through it. "And if it means I have to kill you, then so be it!"
The young dragon could only sigh as he endured the heat of his own flames with little to no effort. “You can't say I didn't warn you... and for the record, I take no joy in doing any of this…” However, just before he was about to charge at Krysta, a much bigger portal opened up right above him, sending a boulder the size of Twilight's old library right at him. “SWEET CELESTIA!!”
Krysta flung the boulder down atop Spike's being, eager to finish this fight once and for all. "Sorry, but your scales can't stand up to being squashed flat! It was nice knowing you, 'Dragon Knight'!"
Not wasting a second and having little to no time to fly out of the path of the boulder, Spike inhaled as deeply as he possibly could and exhaled a massive torrent of flames, engulfing the massive boulder the same way he did the massive ice-cloud in the Crystal Empire.
The intensity of his flames reached the point where the boulder itself began to melt into a massive glob of magma that poured down upon him; however, thanks to his durable scales and dragon anatomy, he was able to endure being submerged in the molten rock.
Krysta smirked in a satisfying fashion, not believing that Spike had survived. "Hmph. Figures that you were all talk... now to find my friends again-"
Unfortunately for her, Spike wasn't done just yet, the young dragon burst out of the molten rock and exhaled another fireball at her. On reflex, Krysta summoned another portal to launch it back at him... which is exactly what he wanted.
The moment the portal opened up right in front of him, Spike immediately rammed right through his own fireball and proceeded to fly through the portal, doing a quick u-turn in mid-air and getting within close range of his opponent.
"What the-"
"GAME OVER, KRYSTA!" Spike shouted triumphantly as he inhaled deeply and exhaled another torrent of flames at point-blank range, badly burning the fairy and sending her plummeting towards the ground, making a small crater upon impact.
As she hit the ground, her bones cracked and her organs ruptured. She couldn't even get up anymore… her entire body was covered in 4th degree burns, even her wings had been completely incinerated.
Spike took a moment to catch his breath as he hovered above the small crater. “I warned you this would happen... you could’ve just left and avoided all this conflict…” He stated with a bit of sympathy in his voice.
Krysta shed a tear of self-pity as she began sobbing uncontrollably. "And this is it... I'm really gonna die here... all because I had to fly in headstrong... I just wanted to fight like Lightning always would: fearless, unafraid of anything..."
“....and that's what lead to his end…” a new voice pointed out. Spike turned around to see none other than Twilight and Rarity trotting towards them. “He made false assumptions, refused to see the situation any differently than what he believed it was, and proceeded to attack me without even considering a more peaceful solution. I'm sorry to say he paid for it with his life…”
Krysta grew wide-eyed at the sight of the forgotten hero of her world. "Twilight...? You really are alive here... so it's true, is it...? He and Rhymey really are…?"
“Gone,” Twilight nodded, not willing to go into detail on just how they were killed, believing that the poor creature had endured enough. “I'm sorry… but they left us no choice…”
Tears continued to stream down her face. "All this time, we've been taught that everyone mentored under the Grand Ruler were far stronger than any other creature... that we could do everything we set our minds to... and then we got our butts beat by those we saw as inferior... ironic, huh...? Guess we're... the inferior ones..."
Rarity and Spike could only look down at the small fairy with pity. The thought of someone growing up with such a belief, completely blind to the idea that they could ever be defeated... leading to them being unprepared for an opponent that could successfully outmatch them through simple skill and planning… it truly was a sad sight to behold.
Still crying, a small smile formed on Krysta's face. "At least... I got to die, knowing who the real heroes are... Twilight... you really are lucky to have friends like them... And Spike..."
“Y-yes…?” The young dragon whispered, feeling somewhat guilty that he had to resort to this… even if it was mostly in self-defense.
Krysta grasped Spike's finger in a dying, gentle manner. "The Dragon Knight... is a powerful being, pure of heart. One of great power, who always fights for the greater good... for everything he believes in... I always thought his transformation was his strength... but it's what's in your soul that counts...
"...thanks...for...teaching...me...that..."
Spike opened his mouth to respond; however, before he could say a word, Krysta's arm fell to her side as she stopped breathing, her eyes staring unblinkingly into the sky. A clear sign that her body had finally succumbed to her injuries, and her very spirit had left this world...
K.O.
After the battle, the three of them walked back to the castle, where the others were waiting. Spike carried the fairy's broken and battered body back home, sorrow within his eyes.
They explained to the rest of the group what had happened, and gave her a proper burial within Fluttershy's animal sanctuary in a location only they knew about, silently hoping that she could at the very least find peace in whatever afterlife awaited her…
Spike began to look down in a much more melancholy fashion than usual. "We'll... we'll probably have to fight more of them, won't we...?"
Twilight gave Spike a comforting hug. "I honestly don't know, Spike... if they do keep coming, we will fight to defend our home," she whispered, gently rubbing his back to calm him down. "I just hope that, if there are more of them, they'll be easier to reason with..."
“Well, this was a bittersweet ending…” Pinkie Pie sighed.… only to turn her attention to the reader. “You guys still here? I mean the fight’s over, I don't know what else to say... Oh wait,” she said before pulling out a small list from her mane. “Deadpool couldn't make it here this time, so he just left behind a list of strengths and weaknesses elect that elaborate on why Spike won this battle:”
Spike:
-More durable, has endured both physical abuse and being submerged in lava.
-Is better at thinking on his feet in dire situations.
-More used to planning ahead due to his time with Twilight.
-Better control over his powers.
Krysta:
-Less diversity when it comes to powers, as well as her strengths and weaknesses being too inconsistent.
-Too naive and at times gullible to properly outsmart her foes.
-Has never been able to fight and or defeat an opponent without any assistance from Starfleet.
-Gets kidnapped and held hostage enough times that we might as well call her "Princess Peach".
"....well, all that, plus she's been way outta focus for most of her story's publishing. Whereas Spike has been around from beginning to end." She looked down, her mane going down a little bit. "And...there was another reason… Spike was always taught by ponies to be better than much of his species. And because of this, he managed to bring the dragons and changelings closer to the ponies through the power of friendship. Krysta, meanwhile, was picked up by a race whose only idea is to fight and kill, and push around those who are deemed inferior to them. And because of this, the fairies were eventually convinced that this way was right."
She turned her attention to Twilight, who was still comforting Spike. "I'm just glad Spike ended up with Celestia and Twilight. I can't imagine how he'd turn out under this Grand Ruler pony... poor fairy..." Pinkie sighed as she looked at Krysta's burial spot. "Maybe, if it weren't for that pony... she, and maybe Lightning and Rhymey...maybe they could have been our friends..."
With those words she went back to rejoin her fellow ponies… and do what she does best: making her friends smile.
