For Harmony

Chapters

Chapter 1: Scaled Son
Chapter 2: Humbled
Chapter 4: Dancing Deceit
Chapter 5: Kh4oZ IS H3Re. Wedding Crashers.
Chapter 6: Umber Crystal and Ascended Twilight
Chapter 7: Downfall of a Tyrant
Chapter 8: The Life and Times of a Prince
Chapter 9: Changelings and Changes
Chapter 10: Tempesting Shadows Glow
Epilogue
Prologue
Chapter 3: Princes Are Not Made. They Are Hatched.

Chapter 1: Scaled Son

“You can be the greatest pain in the flank ever, you know that, don’t you, cousin?” An elegantly dressed young stallion of twenty-years of age said with playful mockery. His mane was curled, stylized, and blonde; brushed, maintained, and kept to sparkling perfection. His alabaster coat, equally pristine as his mane and tail, reflected his status and wealth.

“Just because I’m the best looking of the two doesn’t give you the right to be jealous, Blue,” Spike replied with a smirk, gently nudging at the unicorn. The two laughed a little as they made their way down the hallway leading to Canterlot Inner Affairs room.

Standing half a head taller than Blueblood, Spike maintained a perfect pose, much like Blueblood’s, as he walked; carrying himself with an aura of power and superiority that was evident for all to see and admire. If the fact that he was a dragon didn’t make the cut to stand out wherever he was, his elegant poise and aura sure did the job.

Unlike Blueblood, who preferred to use a simple yet luxurious collar and a tie or bowtie (depending on what he felt like using) for his royal attire, Spike was more traditional and flashy. He wore a loincloth suspended by a belt. From it, a short sword hung from his hip. On his shoulders, two shoulder pads rested, each connected to a small leather vest barely covering Spike’s pectorals and collarbone. Also connected to the upper part of his shoulder pads, two golden rings could be spotted; each holding one end of the cape flowing behind the dragon’s back, reaching a little past his knees.

His shoulder pads were white and pristine, each showcasing Celestia’s cutie mark. The loincloth was of a light green shade, similar to the scales running across Spike’s underbelly. The cape was of the same purple tone as his scales. The spines running from atop his head and all the way to the spade of his tail were of a much greener tone, similar to his emerald eyes, and barring a rounded, blunt edge to them.

Even though he was taller than most other ponies, reaching just well past Celestia’s necklace without counting his spines, his complexion was lean and scrawny without a shred of actual visible muscles on him. Still, despite lacking a strong complexion, he was healthy-looking.

“In your dreams, iguana,” Blueblood smirked. “Tell me, Spike, how did the meeting with the Buffalo tribes go?”

“Better than even mom had expected them to be,” he replied with a proud smile. “They were quite amicable with me, all because I’m a dragon. We were able to draw many mutually favorable dealings. I was even able to lower the tensions they had with the newly founded town of Appleloosa, brokering a compromise.”

“I am sensing a but in there, Spike,” Blueblood pressed on.

Spike snarled, puffing out some smoke as he frowned a little. “Keen as ever, eh? You’re right, Blue. I wasn’t able to forge a complete integration with them. They can be remarkably stubborn creatures, those buffalo. I merely managed to secure the trade agreements, formal alliance, and migration treaties. The ones that that insufferable idiot of Neighsay couldn’t before running off like a cower to run schools.”

Blueblood had to stop for a moment to look at his cousin intently. “And you’re annoyed that you’ve succeeded where others have not?”

Spike shook his head. “No, Blue. I’m annoyed because I failed to convince the Buffalo Tribes to fully embrace Harmony and Friendship. I’ve barely scraped the cover of the book with them. I’ll have to try again in three or four years after they see the benefits they agreed to,” he finished with another snort of smoke.

“I know that was important but, seriously? ‘Scraped the cover of the book’? Twilight Sparkle has been a terrible influence over you, cousin,” Blueblood said, smirking widely as he did.

“Don’t start with that again,” Spike pleaded as he rubbed the bridge of his short snout. “I’ve already told you AND Cadance that Twilight and I are just friends!” He leaned in closer. “Besides, Shining Armor would find a way to de-scale me if I much as look at Twilight like that.”

“You are correct, my dear Spike. Shining Armor may be a nerd and a geek and have a heart of gold,” Blueblood brought a hoof up to massage his chin. “But he’s very protective of his little sister. Plus, he’s much stronger than I ever thought him to be.”

“Seeing you fall to the floor in a single swing was hilarious, Blue,” Spike smirked. “What was it you said to Twilight? ‘Oh, fairest maiden, I come--”

“Finish that sentence and I swear I’ll drag your tail to the next ball I’m invited to,” Blueblood said, staring at his cousin with ice-y blue, piercing eyes.

“Try it, Blueballs,” Spike’s smirk widened. “Come on, I dare you!” They exchange defying stares for the better part of a minute, until they broke it up and laughed, hugging each other for support.

“O-One of these days, Spike!” Blueblood chortled. “So… you’re not interested at all in Lady Sparkle?”

“As more than a friend? No. It’d be super weird, don’t you think? We practically grew up together after mom picked her as her newest student,” he explained. “Besides, I got my eyes on other mares.”

“Alright. Be like that if you want. But don’t you think it’s strange?” Blueblood halted, mere meters away from their destination. Lowering his voice, he stood on his rear legs to be able to pass a foreleg across Spike’s back of the neck and pull him in. “Twilight had been aunt Celestia’s student for nearly fourteen years. She’s nineteen now, and yet auntie Celestia still teaches her? Don’t you think it’s odd?”

“Only a little. Twilight must be a special case for having lasted more than any other of mom’s previous students,” Spike mused. “Speaking of which, I’ve noticed she’s been more into her books lately. Apparently, she’s grown quite interested in some legendary artifacts called The Elements of Harmony.”

“What are you two plotting now?” A sweet as honey voice called from behind them.

Spike and Blueblood pulled away as the pink alicorn walked up to them with a modest smile on her lips.

“Princess Cadance,” Spike bowed his head in respect.

“Sister,” Blueblood smiled.

“My, my. Ever the gentledrake,” she let out a short giggle right before breaking into a run. Spike was prepared and hugged her tightly, just as she was hugging him. It lasted but a moment, then Cadance pulled back to kiss Spike and her little brother in the cheek. “Made you wait a long time for me?”

“Not at all, Cadance,” Spike answered. “We just arrived ourselves.”

“So, any idea who are we going to meet today?” Cadance asked, now standing back on her own legs.

“A few of the Noble Houses representatives and Heads,” Blueblood began. “Sadly, Fancy Pants won’t be joining us to help us mediate the meeting between the Swiftquills and the Raingivers.”

“The Raingivers? Again? What do they want now?” Spike groaned.

“Apparently, the Swiftquills have raised the price of their merchandise only to spite them. The Raingivers feel insulted. They have laid a claim to be granted a recompense of up to five percent of the working land owned by the Swiftquills,” Blueblood replied tiredly.

“C-Can they even do that? Legally?” Cadance asked, appalled. “Do they really have the merit to do so?”

“The Raingivers have been getting away with too many privileges over the years, that is the sad truth,” Blueblood commented. “As one of the oldest and most powerful Pegasi Noble Houses, few can truly oppose them. And the Swiftquills certainly cannot. They are but a minor Earth Pony noble family.”

“Can’t we rely on the Oranges or the Apples to give us a hand? Surely, a letter from Sir Apple Strudel or Madam Smith could be enough to push back against the Raingivers?” Cadance offered.

“We don’t have the time to ask for their help,” Spike stomped his foot angrily. “What about the Thunderstrucks or the Skyshapers? They hold almost as much influence as the Raingivers.”

Blueblood shook his head. “That won’t work. Their interest areas are too dispersed for them to put in a valid claim,” he said, biting his lower lip.

“Can’t we simply strike them down?” Spike mused. “Deny their claims, toss them aside, and treat them like the squabbling foals that they are?”

“We could do that. But they’d surely retaliate in ways that would make it impossible for us to accuse them of. A misjudged weather pattern here, a slightly stronger hail and lightning storm there, an accidental snowstorm instead of a mild rain day,” Blueblood counted, his voice strained and sounding rather annoyed.

“Let’s get this over with,” Spike fumed. “I understand this is part of our training, but why must we deal with this petty squabble when there are far greater objectives to be had? Do they not understand the harm they are causing to Equestria’s Harmony?”

“You should’ve been a preacher rather than a Prince, Spike,” Cadance giggled. “No matter how much nobles like the Raingivers bitter, argue, and quarrel, they will never endanger Equestria or our ideals.”

“You are wise beyond your years, mine sister. Sadly, that aspect goes over the scaly head of a certain sun-seeking iguana I know, I’m afraid,” Blueblood jested.

Spike groaned loudly, hissing and mumbling while his cousins laughed quietly at his expense.

*******************************************

Celestia sipped at her cup of tea whilst reading an unfolded scroll. She couldn’t help but smile as she went through its contents, feeling giddy, elated, and proud at the same time. Putting her cup of tea down, she folded the scroll and magically placed it on the place it belonged on the shelf to her right.

“What was it about, sister?”

Celestia turned to her little sister, Luna, sitting across the ample room they used for their joint affairs after finishing their court duties. Her voice was mellow, welcoming, but also cold and indifferent; possessing a croaky, painfully raspy feel to it that she couldn’t help.

“It’s from Chief Thunderhooves. He mentions what an honor it was to have hosted a dragon, and a Prince of Equestria at that, as the leading part of the diplomatic delegation. He also mentions that the treaty has far exceeded his expectations and is glad to call Equestria, and the local town of Appleloosa, as friends,” Celestia finished with an overly satisfied sigh.

“...Congratulations, I suppose,” Luna replied. “My dear nephew has scored his second victory under your banner. You have raised him well, Celestia,” Luna said sternly.

“We have raised him well, Luna. Don’t forget your influence was as important as mine on his development,” Celestia replied before taking another sip of tea.

Luna smiled gently. Memories of the little dragon clinging to her, pulling at her mane, hugging and embracing her without a trace of fears were amongst her most treasured memories. “I cannot rebuke that fact, sister,” his smile vanished, replaced by a deep scowl. “However, the fact remains that our dear nephew serves you over anything and any other else,” she spat. “I am not blind, sister. I know what you do. I know what you have done. I know of the promise you pledged to him.”

“And have you not tried to snatch him from my side before?” Celestia retorted, causing Luna to flinch slightly. “Luna. Please. Do you see in me a monster?”

“I see my deluded sister who thinks it is okay to use her adopted son, my beloved nephew, as another tool for her machinations towards her blind goal of conquering the world,” Luna replied dryly.

Celestia sighed. “I am not trying to conquer the world, Luna. Only tyrants like Tirek, or power-hungry maniacs, like Lavan, wish to conquer the world. I seek to unify it. Is that so bad in your eyes?”

“Unify it under your banner, sister. What’s the difference between your unification and world domination?” Luna questioned.

“That I am not seeking to place myself on top of a pedestal once Equis stands with a single banner to unite all nations, all kingdoms, all empires, and all peoples into a single, glorious nation of prosperity. All under the banner of Equestria. All united through Harmony and Friendship,” Celestia replied, closing her eyes. “It’s what Father and Mother always wanted.”

“YOU SWINE!” Luna shouted, jumping to her hooves, her mane turning into a violent cloud of magic, her eyes shifting from warm cyan to an icy tone, her irises turning into slits. “Mother and Father would’ve never wanted it to happen this way!” Luna remarked before closing her eyes, her anger subsiding and her physical appearance returning to normal. “What you are doing is wrong, Celestia.”

“Oh? Then I suppose I should raise armies and conquer other nations? Should I bully them into submission? Use the Sun to hold them as hostages unless they comply with my terms?” This time it was Celestia’s turn to stand up; an angry scowl adorning her otherwise gentle expression. “Tell me, sister, what am I to do to bring forth unification without bloodshed, without turning into a tyrant, without holding Equis hostage?”

“...” Luna remained silent, looking away; unable to answer.

“You can’t answer? Then, sister, tell me why is my way so revolting to you?” Celestia pressed. “Why am I in the wrong?”

“Because you’re lying, Celestia!” Luna spat. “Harmony and Friendship are our ideals, that is true! But to use them as an excuse to subjugate other nations through false pretense!?” She yelled back. “Tell me, Celestia, how do you plan to use the buffalos, eh? Are you going to use them like you use the Breezies? As a facade of charitable good-will? The Breezies can’t survive without our aid, you know this. It is a noble task. Yet you use it, flaunt it to other nations as some kind of magnanimous act and then you slap that as a bucking achievement of Harmony and Friendship!”

“It IS proof, Luna!” Celestia yelled back. “Tell me, what other nation would do the same we do for the Breezies without recompense? Griffonia? The Dragon Lands? The Minotauria? Zebrica? Abyssinia?” She listed angrily. “Perhaps Saddle Arabia would do it. Hippogriffia, too. But the rest?” She took a step forward. “Without Harmony and Friendship, the Breezies would be extinct already. So yes. It is an achievement of what Harmony and Friendship can do! Or are you saying we should let other species die-off? Have you forgotten the Centaurs? The Gargoyles? The Caribou? The…,” Celestia bit her tongue, looking down. “The Kirins?”

“...I do not want that, Celestia. You know this,” Luna looked up at her sister. “It was thanks to you that I was able to suppress the Nightmare inside me. It was thanks to the Elements of Harmony, too,” Luna sighed. “But tricking other nations into complying. To manipulate them into accepting our own ideals… it is wrong, Celestia,” her expression turned soft, mournful. “And I will try everything in my power to prevent you from using my dear nephew, Spike, as another pawn in your chessboard.”

“If you ever again accuse me of using my beloved son as a mere pawn, I shall not answer for my actions, Luna,” Celestia warned with suppressed anger. “I will not deny you that I, as much as you have, have guided his actions. But he is living proof that Harmony and Friendship can be accepted, even by those that embody what Equestrian ideals are not.”

Tiredly, Celestia walked over to Luna, closing the gap and nuzzled her. Luna returned the gesture in kind.

“Even so, Celestia, I will not allow you to use Spike like that,” stepping back, her horn began to glow. “I shall depart for my chambers. There are matters I must attend on my own.”

With a nod from Celestia, Luna vanished in a bang of magic. Letting out a tired sigh, Celestia looked around the room.

“I suppose I can use a night of rest myself,” Celestia muttered herself before leaving the room.

Stepping out of the protective wards’ influence, the Royal Guards standing guard saluted their Princess, silently following her to her chambers.

“Princess Celestia,” one of the guards stationed outside her chambers bowed at her arrival. “Prince Spike is inside waiting for your arrival. It seems he wishes to speak with you.”

“Thank you kindly, Piercer,” Celestia replied, doing a small nod. Opening the doors, Celestia saw Spike sitting on a chair, out of his royal gear, and relaxing as he read a book. Upon seeing her, he placed the book on the counter and stood up, smiling widely as he did. “Good night, my firestarter!” She greeted her son a moment before he embraced her front, tiptoeing in order to nuzzle her neck. Leaning down, she nuzzled him back. “It is good to see you again. Was your day tiresome?”

“You have no idea, mom,” Spike sighed against her fur; his claws digging into her coat; pressing his head hard against her chest. He heard his mother voice that lovely giggle of hers, nothing short of a choir of angels to his ear-fins. With a *click click clang* her necklace came undone, her crown was discarded, and her shoes were relinquished. With a swift touch of magic, Celestia put them where they belonged while at the same time using a foreleg to hug her son closer. “I missed you so much, mom,” Spike practically drooled as he buried his snout on her chest, inhaling her sunflower and peach scent with utmost gusto.

“I missed you too, precious scales,” she said sweetly. After nuzzling his head, Celestia pulled back to kiss his cheek; smiling when Spike melted at her gesture then shifting to kiss her cheek in return. She kissed him again, and he did the same. She did so three more times, and three times Spike returned the affection.

Upon her sixth kiss, she captured his lips. Spike instantly moaned into the kiss, desperately mashing his lips against hers for the better part of ten seconds before calming down; opting to enjoy their kiss in full instead.

The dragon moaned and shivered during the entire length of the mashing-of-lips he shared with his alicorn mother. Finally, far too soon in Spike’s opinion, they parted. Both of them had their breaths ragged, lips still connected by a thin string of saliva.

“I love you so much, mom,” Spike whispered as he looked directly into her magenta eyes.

“And I love you too, my darling son,” kissing the tip of his short snout one last time, the Princess of the Sun teleported them both to her bed.

Snuggling up, the alabaster alicorn and the purple-scaled dragon soon fell asleep, finding comfort in each other’s embrace.

Chapter 1 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!

Chapter 2: Humbled

“As you can clearly see in the documents, opening a trade-route through the city of Germane to the outer border of Minotauria shall be mutually beneficial for both our nations,” Spike pointed out using a finger to mark the colored path on the map that connected the city of Germane with a minor fringe trade village of Minotauria.

“I fail to see the benefit, Prince Spike,” the minotaur ambassador said, crossing his arms. Behind him, two bodyguards stood clad in armor and holding spears. “The route is safe enough, but the distance is far too great. Four days for a single one-way trip, turning it into an eight-day long course? The expense alone is greater than any possible benefit.”

“It may look that way, Ambassador,” Spike began. Behind him, two fully geared royal guards, a unicorn and a thestral, stood in wait. “But I must remind you that Minotauria won’t pay for anything. The development of the road, the escorts and caravan guards, and the weather shall all be paid and handled by Equestria. It is but a minor trade-agreement that will test how a larger, proper mutually beneficial arrangement might work between our nations,” Spike finished by handing an inked quill to the ambassador.

“I’m still unconvinced how this treaty, however minor and insignificant it may seem to be on the surface, is to the benefit of my people,” he hummed, crossing his arms. “What has Equestria to offer Minotauria other than insults?”

Spike blinked. “Insults? How have we insulted Minotauria, Ambassador?” Spike asked, confused.

“When we received the notification for this meeting, I was expecting to meet with one of the Royal Sisters. Or at least with Princess Cadance or Prince Blueblood,” he sighed. “Instead, showing common Equestrian weakness and deceit, the Bloodless Prince comes to greet me.”

Spike raised a hand before his two bodyguards could even think about lowering their spears at the Ambassador. “It is precisely why I was sent to greet you and discuss this most important treaty with you, Ambassador. I am a dragon,” Spike stood up. “I know perfectly well of the bad blood between dragons and minotaurs. However, do you see this?” He turned a little to showcase one of his shoulder plates.

“This is the mark of my mother, Princess Celestia Solaris. I may be adopted, and you may feel insulted because I’m a dragon,” frowning and letting a cloud of smoke emerge from his nostrils, Spike slammed the desk, making the two bodyguards lower their halberds and the Ambassador jump back in fright. “But I am royalty. I am Spike Solaris, Prince of Equestria. And you just insulted me and Equestria,” composing after a few tense seconds of eerie silence, he sat down.

“That being said, Ambassador. I do not blame you for allowing your mouth to win over your brilliant mind. As a dragon, I know I can be intimidating. But fear not, for even if my temper can be on edge, more than just a dragon, I am a dragon raised in Equestria. I value reason, honesty, kindness, loyalty, and courage above petty things like pride or envy,” Spike folded the documents detailing the information regarding the trade-route. “But I cannot, in good faith, more so after you so brazenly insulted my home, continue with this treaty.”

Spike stared into the confused expression of the minotaur Ambassador. “What? Were you expecting me to force you to sign or demand it from you as an apology? That is not the way of Harmony. You have voiced your distrust and your concerns. Have a good day, and may we discuss this matter on a later date… when you are feeling more open-minded, that is. The guards shall guide you to your Embassy.”

With those final words, Spike bowed his head, turned to leave, and walked out of the room without making a scene. Spike then walked through the hallways, politely waving and nodding to the guards and castle staff he encountered. He made it out of the castle, past the courtyard, and into the empty fields used by the Royal Guards to train.

Setting aside his shoulder pads and cape, Spike leaned against the storage room. He pulled out a piece of parchment from the small satchel hanging from his back. Using the quill made out of one of his mother’s feathers, Spike wrote down a quick message.

‘Negotiation Failed. Ambassador Mighty Horns proved to be as ignorant and biased as ever. He dared to insult Equestria, and to a lesser extent, myself now that I lacked the company of Blue or Caddie. I was forced to perform a diplomatic exit. I shall return to the castle by dinner. I’m at the Royal Guard training fields.

Love You, Spike.’

With his message finished, Spike lit it on fire with an angered huff. The message burned up and its ashes traveled magically towards the castle.

“Dammit!” Spike shouted as he fell to his knees, punching the ground with all his might. The impact proved strong enough to leave his fist printed on the ground. “Stupid! Ignorant! Weakling!” He punched the ground a couple more times as he shouted insult after insult. “Who does he think he is!? I practically gift-wrapped him a trade-lane and what does he do!? He spit in my face! Insults Equestria! And puts in question the will of Harmony and Friendship!? Liars!? Deceitful!? WEAK!?”

He breathed out mouthfuls of smoke and fire. “Everycreature is always saying how dragons and griffins are so greedy! But what about minotaurs!? I could practically see the shimmer of bits on his eyes!” Spike snarled. “Hasn’t he learned that Equestria frowns upon bribes!? Yet he still expects us to buy his favor!? And still dares to call us liars!?” Spike roared, letting out a column of fire up in the air.

Getting up, still enraged and fuming fire, he tore away the lock keeping the storage door close. It took him a few minutes of searching, but at the end of it, he tossed out several shields, spears, halberds, swords, axes, and pieces of armor. Walking out of the storage room with a large, thick rope behind him, Spike was quick to pile up together all the stuff he had thrown out.

He easily split the shafts of spears and halberds in half, flattened helmets, and tore apart chest, back, and leg armor pieces. Mashing them up all together and tying them with the rope into a single ball of crude metal, Spike picked it up with some strain and began picking it up and tossing it a few steps away into the field.

He repeated this action a few dozen times before a voice called him out.

“I take that the negotiations went south, huh?”

Spike tossed the ball one more time before turning to face whoever was talking to him. “Ah, Shining!” The dragon said happily. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing, Spike,” Shining Armor retorted with a smile. “You know that’s going to come out of your allowance, right?” He asked, raising a hoof to point at the ball of metal and rope.

“Fine by me. I hardly ever touch it anyways,” Spike said before the dragon and the stallion hugged each other. “No but seriously, why are you here? I thought you and Cadance were on a date or something?”

“That was two weeks ago, Spike,” he chuckled. “Cadance is in Hippogriffia and Blueblood is doing his best to keep the more rowdy nobles in line. I came here because I saw a pillar of fire from my usual post.”

“Sorry about that. At least I didn’t set anything on fire this time, right?” Spike laughed at his poorly made joke, which caused Shining to laugh, too. “So, how is the soon-to-be-youngest-Royal-Guard-Captain-ever doing?”

“Could be doing better without a certain dragon ruining training equipment every time he needs to cool off his anger. But other than that, I’m doing pretty great. Got an awesome girlfriend, a steady job, and I managed to get my hooves on the limited edition copy of Ogres and Oubliettes: Kingmaker.”

“You’re lying. You must be lying. Not even I could find it!” Spike exclaimed, impressed.

“Oh yes. Oh yes, I got it, you scaled-shrimp!” Shining jabbed, using his flank to push Spike a little. “And I already got the weekend set and ready to go for the start of a campaign. Wanna join?”

“Are you kidding me!? Of course, I want to join! Are Blue, Caddie, and Twilight gonna join the game, too?”

“Prissy Prince and my beloved sure are, but I’m afraid Twily won’t be able to make it,” Shining sighed. “Now that she lives in Ponyville, I doubt we’ll be seeing her that often.”

“Ah, I guess that makes-- What?” Spike froze, his brain processing what he just heard. “P-Ponyville? Twilight moved to Ponyville? Without telling us…?” He asked softly.

“Without telling us? Spike, what are you talking about? She moved to Ponyville five days ago. She told me, our parents, Luna, Celestia… oh… oh right… you were in Cloudsdale that day…”

“And I’ve been stuck working on the treaty with the minotaurs since I got back…” Spike said weakly. “Twilight left… and… and I couldn’t even say goodbye?” Spike looked deep into Shining’s compassionate blue eyes. “W-Why didn’t anypony else tell me before?”

“I don’t know, Spike. Maybe she asked them to not tell you anything until you had some free time. Tartarus, I barely had time to wave her off,” Shining revealed.

“B-But why!? Why did she go to Ponyville? Why did she move away?” The purple-scaled dragon pressed.

“I’m not entirely sure. But remember how she’s been growing obsessed with the Elements of Harmony legend? Well, apparently the Princesses told her that she might find something in Ponyville regarding the Elements.”

“...I see,” he turned to the side, his expression impossible to read. “I… should go back to what I was doing.”

“Same here. But hey, don’t worry too much about her. She knows how to take care of herself. She’ll be fine, and we can visit her whenever we can,” he offered a gentle smile. “Try to not strain yourself, Spike. Wouldn’t want to lose a player for this weekend’s campaign!” Shining Armor walked away, idly waving a hoof at him.

Spike waved a hand as he returned back to his roped ball. Placing a hand against it, Spike remained still for the better part of a minute until, in a fit of rage, punched the ball with all his might. Sending it flying for about twenty meters. It then rolled a few dozen meters more until it reached the edge of the training field; the ball toppled over and fall over the edge

“Shit!” He cursed, ignoring the slight stinging sensation in his hand and rushing to the edge. He got there in time to see it enter into the canopy of the Everfree Forest several hundreds of meters below. As luck would have it, looking up he saw in the distance the vaguely made-out silhouette of Ponyville.

“...” He stared at Ponyviile for what felt like an eternity. He looked down at the forest again, noticing how it covered the entire distance between him and Ponyville. And to the sides? The Everfree extended further than his eyes could see. Stepping back from the edge, Spike undid his belt; his sword, satchel, and loincloth dropping to the ground leaving him bare.

“Mom always warned me that the Everfree Forest was dangerous and mysterious. Completely outside the control of ponies and their magic. A place where animals roamed wildly, monsters are abundant, weather acts on its own accord, and death is commonplace,” he cracked his neck. “For a pony or other weaker creature, maybe. But I’m a dragon,” he smiled cockily, his words boasting with dripping arrogance. “What could stop me besides an adult dragon or an alicorn?” Chuckling, he ran towards the edge, jumping once he reached it and using his feet to slide down the mountain with ease.

Within minutes, he reached the bottom of the mountain and landed inside the dreaded forest. Coughing a few times, Spike winced. “The air really is thick in here!” He exclaimed before breathing in and out slowly a few times to get used to it. Once he judged himself sufficiently adapted, he started to walk. “What kind of friend am I? I couldn’t even say goodbye to Twilight. Don’t you worry, Twilight, I’ll be at Ponyville before nightfall! Then, I can properly wish you farewell,” he said to himself with an ample smile.

*A few hours later*

“‘Always think of your actions before moving forward, my darling Spike.’ Mom said. ‘Never act so rashly that you end up hurting yourself unless there is no other option, Spike.’ Aunt Luna said. ‘An educated and prepared mind is a powerful tool!’ Twilight said! Now I regret never reading that survival book she gave me on my birthday because I DON’T KNOW WHERE I AM!” He roared, his voice echoing all around him.

Sighing, Spike continued. “It’s nearly nightfall and I still don’t know if I’m close to Ponyville or not! So far I only found nothing but trees, a stinking swamp, and more trees! I could’ve waited for tomorrow and take a chariot or the train, but nooooo, I just had to jump off the mountain, didn’t I?” Looking around, he saw several dozens of bright yellow eyes looking at him. “Not to mention whatever those creatures are, though they seem to be everywhere. But no monsters yet,” he scoffed. “The only thing dangerous in this forest is my own sense of awareness!”

Suddenly, he heard a rustling coming from somewhere nearby. Coming to a halt, Spike turned around slowly, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. Hearing it again, the purple-scaled dragon noticed it was coming from his immediate left. Walking towards the sound, he pushed aside a few vines and saw a small crackling fire, a tent, two closed barrels, a small cart, and some wood ready to be added to the fire whenever needed.

“Hello?” Spike called out, but no one replied. “Hello?” He called out again, louder. When no one replied a second time, he approached the small camp. “Is any creature here?” He asked as he opened the tent only to find a rucksack and a pillow inside it. “Great. Just great. What are the odds of finding someone’s camp in this forest but not the creature using it?”

As he stepped back, he heard a faint whistling noise. Jumping back upon realizing the sound came from above him, Spike managed to dodge a large figure that landed where he had been standing. The dragon blinked, surprised, as the figure held onto an odd-looking spear. For once, both ends were armed and at the base of the tips a hook-like object protruded out.

The creature moved slowly, unfolding itself from the grip it had over the spear. Spike’s eyes went wide when he saw that the fully armor-clad creature was a rather big and bulky griffon. He couldn’t see its face due to the helmet it was wearing. Although he wasn’t sure, from the size alone Spike deduced it was probably male. Pushing those nonsense thoughts aside, Spike showed his fangs and claws.

“Who are you!? Why did you attack me?” The griffon didn’t reply. Instead, he picked up his spear and began circling Spike at a distance, his posture and pace strong, unflinching, unyielding, and confidant. Sighing, Spike lowered his guard. “Okay, look. I’m sorry I entered your camp like that, but you didn’t answer. I wasn’t going to steal anything, I promise. I just want a few directions so I can get out of this stinking forest.”

The griffon remained silent.

“Okay, look. I’m Spike Solaris. Adopted son of Princess Celestia Solaris, nephew to Princess Luna Solaris. If you help me get out of this forest and guide me to Ponyville, I promise you a handsome reward, what do you say?”

“Your life,” the griffon replied in a deep, baritone, unfriendly voice.

“Excuse me?” Spike chuckled. “You want my life?” He smirked, finding the idea amusing. “I don’t think you’ve noticed, buddy, but I’m a dragon. Do you really think you can joke like that?” The griffon remained silent. “Again with the silence game. Okay. Here’s the deal, you get me out of here, I’ll give you whatever you want. I swear it upon Harmony and Friend--”.

The words were barely out of his lips when he saw the griffon lunge at him at astonishing speed. Dodging the spear once again, Spike snarled and threw a punch at the griffon. He was surprised when the griffon not only did not move away, but grabbed his wrist, spun around, and tossed him away. Landing on his feet and using his tail for balance, Spike stared at the griffon, awestruck.

“...” The griffon stared keenly at him, readying his spear for another attack.

Shaking the shock and confusion away, Spike took a defensive stance, which seemed to alert the griffon in some way.

“It is true, then. You are the Dragon Prince of the Sun Tyrant. Matters not. A dragon is a dragon,” the griffon said, twirling his spear around.

“What did you just call my mother!?” Spike roared before charging blindly. In an eyeblink, he closed the distance between themself and the offending griffon. Swinging an open-claw strike at him, the griffon dodged, using his spear as a pivot he got behind Spike and struck the back of his head with both hind legs. The dragon, unbalanced, crashed face first with a tree trunk, splintering upon impact.

With another angered roar, Spike swiped with a combo of tail and his other claw; the tail behind him, his arm above him. But the griffon had already moved away from his reach. Seeing him standing near the campfire, readying himself for another attack, Spike saw red as he inhaled deeply and unleashed a torrent of orange fire on the griffon.

After a few seconds of the deadly stream washed over his foe, Spike closed his maw. “You fool! Look at what you made me do!” Spike cursed angrily. “...But justice was swift, I suppose. No one has the right to insult my mother and get away with it unpunished if I can help it,” Spike spat at the dying fireplace where the griffon once stood. “May you find peace, even if you were stupid enough to challenge a dragon.”

“Is that so?”

Spike’s eyes went wide, his entire body froze upon hearing the voice of the griffon come from within the roiling inferno he had spewed out of his mouth. Spike then saw the griffon’s form as his fire died out. With a sweep of his spear and the cape he has only now noticed, Spike laid eyes over the griffon’s undamaged body.

It was only then, as the dying fires illuminated his form, that Spike could see in great detail the equipment carried by the griffon. His armor and his cape… were made out of dragon’s scales. He could see different patterns and colors all over his cape, helmet, chest piece, gauntlets, boots… everything. He was decked beak to tail in dragon scale armor.

And his spear? The entire shaft was a large and polished dragon done. The tips were in actuality fangs of older dragons. And the hooks were large thinned out claws.

“You’re a dragon hunter,” Spike whispered in fright. How could he not upon seeing a foe clad completely in trophies of his kills? “Do you think you stand a match against me!? A Prince of Equestria!?”

“I plan to find out,” the griffon replied.

Immediately after saying that, the griffon tossed his spear up-high, he grabbed something from behind his cape and quickly tossed it at Spike.

Moving out of the way, Spike evaded most of the projectiles sent his way, but two hit their mark: one on his thigh and the other on his abdomen.

“GAAAAHHHH!” Spike cried out in pain as he fell on the ground. Looking at his injuries, he saw two sharpened dragon scales sticking from his belly and thigh. Looking to the griffon, Spike found he had already moved. Looking up, he saw the griffon descending on him, holding his spear firmly. Spike barely managed to roll out of the way, evading the fang of the spear by mere inches from where his neck used to be.

The griffon, however, gave his prey no chance to collect himself. Using one of the hooks, he grabbed Spike’s ankle, twisted the spear to the side, and then twirled Spike around for five full circles before tossing him away against another tree.

“RRAAAAAHHH!” Spike roared in anger, now realizing he was in dire danger and his life was on the line. He charged at the griffon once more, but this time he had a plan. He spat three small balls of fire at the griffon, who used his cape to block them. Smiling, Spike jumped as the griffon cut visual contact with him to protect himself. Just as he was above him, his claws at the ready to rip the murderer to shreds, the griffon stepped back, used his spear to hit Spike in the chest, grab him by the neck with the other hook, and then, impossibly, swing the smaller dragon over his head and slam him against the dirt yet again.

“You seem to know how to fight a little, dragon,” the griffon said as he tried to skewer Spike as he laid on the floor, but only managed to slash him across the shoulder.

“Grrraaahhh!” Spike shouted again in pain. Never in his life had he been injured so badly before! And yet the foe in front of him was dead serious in his intent to end his life. “D-Don’t you fear what my mom will do to you if you kill me!?”

“The Sun Tyrant is already hunting us down, calling us monsters for hunting monsters like you, dragon,” the griffon said before launching another attack. “I fear her not more than I fear for my life as she holds the lives of all at the tip of her corrupt hooves.”

“You vile murderer!” Spike spat, dodging another attack, trying to create a gap between himself and his foe. But now the griffon was relentless, whatever caution he displayed before was gone, and now attacked him head-on. “My mom is the most generous and noble mare in the entirety of Equis! She despises corruption! Everyone in my family does! And Tyrant!?” Spike spat another stream of fire, this time managing to force the griffon to jump back. “What has she done to deserve being called that, EHHH!?”

“I see…,” the griffon spat. “So her corruption can even taint a dragon’s heart. No matter,” twirling his spear for a moment, he lowered it in front of him, slowly using his claws to roll the spear. “The entire world bows to that monster. And the Equestrians? What can anyone do to oppose them? The Unicorns have powerful magic. The Earth Ponies control the food. The Pegasi the climate. And they all bow to the will of the two Royal Tyrants.”

“You are deluded,” Spike said, glaring death upon the griffon.

“And you’ll soon be added to my collection,” the griffon stepped forward. “But you’re the Bloodless Prince… Yes. I might be able to free the world from their grasp. Perhaps I can use your head to get close enough to the Royal Cunts and kill them both in one fell swoop.”

Before he could know what happened, Spike let out the mightiest roar he could manage and he was charging at the griffon once again. His roar of pure hatred turned into a roar of absolute pain as the spear pierced his stomach, pinning him to the ground yet again. By pure instinct, Spike grabbed onto the spear’s shaft as hard as he could, stopping it from going any further inside his body.

“You dragons are all the same. Boastful. Prideful. Greedy. Always thinking you’re invincible, just like the Sun and Moon Tyrants,” the griffon said. “You still have some strength left in you, I see. No matter. You’ll tire out soon enough. You can feel it, don’t you? ‘Where’s my strength?’ I bet you’re asking yourself,” pressing down on the spear with one hand, he leaned down.

Spike watched as the griffon used his free hand, noticing small dragon claws, much like his own, over the gauntlet covered claws of the griffon. With a single finger, he pressed the tip of the claw against the base of a scale on the back of his right hand.

“HHHNNNGGHHHH!” Spike cried out as the griffon pulled out one of his scales, the wave of pain proving to be equal if not greater than the fang currently piercing his belly. Spike cried several times over, as the griffon quickly tore away scale after scale from Spike’s hand. But he withstood despite the pain, unwilling to let the accursed dragon hunter win.

“You’ve got more fight than most of your kin I’ve killed, dragon,” the griffon praised. “But you cannot fool me. You are waning, and soon you shall die,” taking off another scale, the griffon lowered his head just a couple of inches lower, but still far away from Spike’s fangs. “Cry, dragon. Cry for your whore of a mother. Cry out for Nightmare Moon, the demon of the night. Cry. Cry. Cry.”

Suddenly, the area around them darkened in a split second. The griffon backed up, still pinning Spike to the ground, while he looked around trying to find what was going on.

From his downward point of view, Spike struggled to keep the spear’s fang out of him. He hated to admit it, but the griffon was right. His strength was leaving him rapidly. He grunted loudly as another half an inch of the fang entered his belly, making him cough up some blood. Desperation was finally setting in his mind as tears formed in his eyes.

Suddenly, the head of the griffon… vanished as a pure beam of light green and dark blue magic struck him. The griffon’s body stumbled back, blood spurting from the now vacant spot on the body’s neck.

With a loud grunt of monumental effort, Spike tore away the fang lodged in his belly. Thanks to his rapid dragon regeneration, his wound was already clogging itself to prevent him from bleeding to death. As he laid on his back, Spike coughed some more blood, his vision blurry, but he’d recognize anywhere his savior.

“A-Aunt Luna?” He asked as he saw the alicorn rushing to him.

“You idiot! You are such an idiot, Spike!” She shouted as she cried, her mane and tail smoking tendrils of magic that hugged Spike closely. “W-Why did you leave like that!? We were worried SICK!” She cried angrily. “C-Celestia nearly put all of Canterlot on lockdown and I sent all of my guards to search for you!”

“I-I’m sorry, a-auntie Luna,” he apologized, tears trickling down his scaly cheeks whilst trying to hug her neck. “I-I thought… I thought that… I’m a dragon…. I… saf...e…. T-Twilight…..”

Spike muttered weakly as he passed out.

Luna hugged her nephew close to her body. Ignoring the voices from her thestral guards, she teleported away.

Chapter 2 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!

Chapter 4: Dancing Deceit

“You honor us with your presence, Princess Ember,” Spike said, doing a small bow as he stood beside his mother. “Welcome to the Grand Galloping Gala.”

“What in the fang happened to you, Spike!?” Ember exclaimed, perplexed, as she eyed up and down the dragon in front of her.

“Alright, who are you and where is the scrawny sack of scales?” Smolder asked with crossed arms.

“It’s me,” Spike replied with a smile. Celestia giggled as the exchange. “We’ll talk once I’m done here, alright?”

“Alright isn’t enough, Spike. Where did--” Ember circled a hand at him. “--this come from?”

“Wait, so you are that wimpy toothpick!?” Smolder exclaimed. Her expression soon dropped and twisted into mild confusion as she heard something in the distance, like an echo. “Hey… does anycreature else hear that?”

Ember, Spike, and Celestia fell silent as the three of them shifted their heads around to hear better. “Yeah… I hear something. It… sounds like, jingling?” Ember questioned.

“...Oh sweet Harmony, no,” Spike whispered. “Mother, is it alright if we head inside until that’s over?”

“Why? What’s going on?” Smolder asked as the jingling grew louder and was soon accompanied by other instruments and faint lyrics. “Wait, is that… is that singing?”

“...all our dreams will come true right here at the Gala. At the Gala~...” A chorus of voices sang in unison.

“It is singing! Why are they singing?” Ember asked, looking confused at Spike and Celestia.

“Musical Harmony… it’s kinda hard to explain, Ember. But once you get wrapped up in it, you just flow with it for a few minutes,” Spike sighed. “I like it! But bursting into random musical numbers is just weird!”

“That reminds me,” Celestia replied with some humor lacing her voice. “I have to go light the sparkling bridge to signal the start of the Gala,” Celestia leaned down to kiss Spike’s cheeks. “Have a good evening,” she bowed her head before teleporting away.

“Come on, I’ll guide you to our table,” Spike said, waving a hand at his two friends, signaling to follow him. “Unless you want to join in?”

The clamor of trumpets could be heard, followed by the faint sounds of pegasi flying at astonishing speeds. “‘Been dreaming I’ve been waiting, to fly with those great ponies! The Wonderbolts, their daring tricks; spinning ‘round and having kicks!~” A mellow yet energetic voice could be heard in the distance.

“Lead the way!” Smolder shouted.

“Out of the way, Smolder!” Ember yelled as she flew past her cousin.

Spike shrugged as he made haste up the stairs and into the Grand Salon. He could see several nobles and other guests already inside. Most nobles were sitting by their assigned tables, while others were mingling in dry, dull dick-measuring contests. He was quick to catch up with Smolder and Ember, guiding them to their table.

“So, Smolder, why didn’t Garble come?” Spike asked as he sat down on his seat.

“You know how Gar-Gar is. Though he’s been… acting weird, you know? Trying to be tough and bullying other smaller dragons,” Smolder replied with a worried snort. “I wish Gar-Gar could be a little more like you, Spike. You’re not afraid to be who you are.”

“Garble can be a prick and a boulder-head,” Ember replied, nodding in agreement with Smolder. “But the Dragon Lands aren’t the nicest place to live on, and you know us dragons, we aren’t exactly the friendliest of species,” she said with some disdain. “And why are you whining about Garble not being himself, Smolder? Or should I say miss-little-tea-party-princess~” Ember said in a childish, annoying voice.

“I told you to not tell anyone that, Ember!” Smolder punched her cousin’s arm, blushing madly as her eyes darted back and forth between Spike and Ember.

“What’s wrong with liking tea parties?” Spike replied with a smile. “I enjoy them from time to time.”

“Oh…” Smolder blushed. “So… y-you like cute silly stuff too, Spike?”

Spike raised an eyebrow and extended his arms.

“Point taken,” Smolder replied, smiling awkwardly at him. “Speaking of that. Where did those come from anyway?” She said, pointing at his muscles.

“Oh, these?” He said flexing his arms a little. He then looked down at his chest, torso, belly, and legs. Gone was the lanky dragon they saw the last time they saw each other. Now, Spike was built and packing some decent muscles. He wasn’t ridiculously built, but his frame was now strong, confident, secure, and proud. His pecks were somewhat toned, his belly sported a modest lean but strong frame, and his legs didn’t look like twigs anymore. His shoulders were broader, his chest stuck out, and even his tail was slightly thicker and longer. “I decided to train up a little, that’s all,” he shrugged. “Figured out that since I’m a Prince, then I should at least look the part, no?”

“Well, there’s looking like a Prince and then there’s whatever this is,” Smolder pointed out.

“Can’t say I don’t like the changes,” Ember began, smiling. “Even for a dragon before experiencing the Molt, you were rather lanky, Spike.”

“I might start exercising too. Can’t let the squirt beat me, now can I?” Smolder said arrogantly.

“Squirt? You’re eight months older than me, Smolder,” Spike countered, unamused.

“Wanna fight, Spikey?” Smolder taunted.

“Knock it off, you two,” Ember grumbled, glaring at Spike and slapping Smolder’s head. “But what sparked the change, Spike? You were never interested in how you looked before. And what’s with those gloves?” She asked, pointing at the purple fingerless gloves he was wearing.

Spike’s smile dropped, his expression turning somber. He stared at his hands for a few seconds before rubbing his belly for a short moment. “What I’m about to say must not leave this table, got it?”

“What, afraid we’ll tattle--”

“Got it?” Spike repeated, cutting off Smolder, in a far more serious and firm voice than previously.

The two dragonesses looked at each other. Ember nodded, understanding the unusual seriousness of her friend, and leaned in. Smolder also leaned in, more out of curiosity than understanding, but nonetheless she promised to not say anything just like Ember.

Removing his gloves, he revealed a carved letter over them: a simple D. “I made them myself… so I wouldn’t somehow forget what happened,” he explained. “I was an idiot, you see. I… I let my feelings and my stupidity win over me and I dropped into the Everfree Forest all because I wanted to say my farewells to Twilight Sparkle, a dear friend of mine,” he sighed heavily, his eyes focused only on his twin D’s. “Inside the forest… a Dragon Hunter attacked me.”

Ember and Smolder gasped, horrified. Both clasping their mouths to keep them from shouting any sensible information.

“I tried to reason with him before knowing he was a Dragon Hunter. We fought… I lost. I threatened him… and he almost killed me. Aunt Luna saved me just in time,” he clenched his hands into shaky fists. “I was such an idiot. I thought that just because I am a dragon and a Prince of Equestria I was going to be okay. That nothing could harm me. That I could beat anything. That Dragon Hunter sure did a number on me, though,” he chuckled.

“Oh, Spike…” Ember muttered, reaching out a hand to him until she grabbed one of his fists. “No dragon should ever face those damn monsters. But he’s dead, right?”

Spike smiled as Smolder reached out to grab his other fist. “Yeah. Aunt Luna blasted his head right off. Anyway, he plucked the scales from the back of my hands, where the D’s are. I marked them myself, so I’ll never forget that, while I’m a dragon and a Prince, I am not invincible. No one is,” Spike finished by pulling away his hands and putting his gloves back on. Looking up, he saw a few fireworks in the distance. “Ah, it looks like that‘s my queue. Have a good night, girls. Oh, and, don’t tell Dragon Lord Torch, okay?”

“Promise,” both dragonesses said in unison.

***********************************************

“Spike!” Twilight cheered as she rushed to hug her old friend.

“Twilight!” Spike also cheered, opening his arms to capture his dear friend and spin around a few times. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again after all these months!”

“I’ll say!” Twilight replied. “Look at you! I knew you were working out and that Shiny was overseeing your training, but I didn’t expect this!” She exclaimed proudly.

“Yeah, Shining can be pretty brutal. He’s not the Captain of the Royal Guard for nothing. He’s even worse than Blueblood and Fancy Pants combined, but nowhere near as bad as Aunt Luna and her Guards,” he explained with a playful smile. Looking around, he asked. “Hey, where are your friends? I’d love to meet them at last! That reminds me, sorry I couldn’t visit Ponyville with mom last time, I was busy training. But, hey! Parasprites? I dodged a spear!”

“Ha-ha, very funny, Spike. Those Parasprites almost destroyed Ponyville until Pinkie Pie saved the day,” Twilight said, jabbing Spike’s ribs in good fun.

“So, where are they?” Spike asked once more.

“Well, Pinkie is over there,” she pointed at her pink coated friend sitting on a table on her own. “I think Fluttershy is at the gardens with the animals. Rainbow Dash is going to try to impress the Wonderbolts. Applejack is…”

“Shhoooo Guuuudddd Phaaaeeiiiii!” Soarin half-moaned, half-slobbered himself as he walked into the Salon, his face stained with pieces of pie while his eyes reflected pure ecstasy.

“...That must be quite the pie…” Spike muttered.

“You can thank Applejack for that. Apple Family is delicious,” her cheeks blushed. “I think I’ve gained a few pounds thanks to her and Pinkie’s addictive cooking,” clearing her throat, she continued despite Spike’s knowing smile. “As I was saying, Applejack must be outside selling her products. And Rarity must be somewhere around here searching for Blueblood.”

Spike blinked. “I didn’t know your friend Rarity was part of a noble family. Is she looking for him for some business deal or something?”

Twilight giggled. “Of course not, Spike. Rarity may be sophisticated and elegant, but she’s not a noble. She’s a seamstress. She’s also quite beautiful, if I must say so myself. She’s looking for Blueblood to try and charm him. Hey, have you seen Shiny and Cadance around?”

Spike’s mouth opened in shock and disbelief. “Y-You didn’t warn her? You didn’t tell her?”

“Warn her? About what?” Twilight tilted her head.

Spike smacked his forehead. “Of course you wouldn’t know what’s going on. Look,” he pressed his short snout against hers. “Blueblood has been getting a lot of marriage proposals lately and the mares have been rather pushy about it. Worse yet, many other mares outside nobility think they stand a chance and that they can charm ‘Their Dream Prince’,” he narrowed his eyes.

“And Blueblood, being Blueblood, decided to fight fire with a volcanic eruption. He became ‘Il Douche’ of Royalty. The Bane of All Mares,” he pulled back, looking around. “We have to find them before-please tell me that’s not Rarity,” he said pointing at an elegantly dressed mare currently talking to herself as she (quite poorly) tried to maintain a slow stride as she followed a charming, smiling Blueblood.

“Yup, that’s her,” Twilight bit her lower lip. “S-Should we…?”

Spike shook his head. “We’d only make things worse. Oh, and… Shining and Cadance didn’t come. Something about a late-night meeting with Aunt Blue?”

“Dang it,” Twilight stomped her hoof. “Well, it was nice seeing you again, Spike. Maybe after the Gala, we can catch up some more? I wanted to say hello up here… and rest my hoof a little,” she squeed. “Bye!”

And with that, she was gone. Spike shook his head and chuckled. “Well, mom was right, tonight is surely going to be interesting,” as he turned around to see what else needed his attention, he saw Ember and Smolder chatting with Shifting Sands, High Dune, Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, her cousin Silverstream, and the representatives from Mexicolt, Minotauria.

Looking around some more, Spike saw various nobles talking with each other in groups. The pink mare, Pinkie Pie, was looking rather miserable by herself. Deciding on his course of action, he began walking towards her table, but out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Luna forcefully smiling as a group of nobles talked to her. With a quick change of direction, he headed towards his bewildered aunt.

“Princess Luna, if I may be so bold to say, but you look positively gorgeous tonight,” one of the mares praised. “I see you are wearing a gown made in one of my many shops. Of course, only I can achieve such magnificent pieces worthy only for Royalty.”

“Q-Quite,” Luna swallowed. “It is like the saying goes ‘The Moon shines brighter in the Night’! Ha ha ha! Ha…” She said nervously.

The gathered nobles laughed heartily until they had to wipe a tear away with their hooves.

“Oh, Princess Luna, you truly do make the best jokes!” A stallion exclaimed.

“I must agree! We are truly blessed to be granted the presence of our beloved Goddess of the Night!”

“You flatter me, esteemed guests,” she said, taking a step back. “But I am no Goddess. Nor is my sister or any Alicorn for that matter. For all our gifts there are also faults, I’m afraid.”

“Please, Princess Luna, your humor is too much!” Another stallion chuckled. “And your humility! Oh! How it shines upon all of us, a reflection of what we strive!” He then pulled out a small box, presenting a gem-encrusted ring. “Behold, my Princess, one of my finest creations. I call it ‘Kiss of the Moon’, for it reflects your elegance and primordial beauty.”

“O-oh… t-that is… quite something… quite something, indeed. But I may suggest a change of name?” She smiled awkwardly. “The Moon is lifeless and cold. A kiss from it would be quite unpleasant.”

Again, the nobles burst into a fit of high-pitched, overly exaggerated laughs. Luna flinched as she nervously laughed alongside them.

“Ah, Aunt Luna, there you are. Gentlestallions, Ladies,” Spike said respectfully. “It is quite nice to see all of you attending this year’s Gala.”

“Ah, Prince Spike, an honor,” a mare replied, blushing as she bowed her head. The other nobles also bowed their heads in respect. “Have you come to join us, my Prince?”

“Sadly, I have not,” Spike turned to Luna. “Aunt Luna, there is an urgent matter that requires your attention. Please, follow me?”

“Of course, Spike. If you’ll excuse me, I must take my leave,” Luna said, forgetting to bow her head as she hurriedly followed her nephew. They quickly left the Salon, traversed a few corridors until the music died down, and then finally stopped. “Those unbearable, snobby, fake---AAAHH!” She yelled.

Spike laughed. “I don’t know which Luna I love the most, Auntie. The morning ‘I shall vaporize you all’ Luna. The normal grouchy Luna. Or the awkwardly adorable Luna!”

“This is no laughing matter, Spike!” She replied, cheeks burning hot. “And furthermore, I am not grouchy! I am calm, collected, serious, and noble!”

“Maybe that’s why you smile so much, eh?” Spike jabbed, chuckling. Luna snorted angrily but didn’t riposte him. “Why didn’t you leave them, Auntie? They were being quite pushy, even by noble standards.”

“They cornered me as I was making my way to the restroom,” she sighed. “I hate being in crowds or surrounded by fake, arrogant tail kissers. Laughing and praising everything I said and then brushing me aside when trying to correct them. The nerve,” she shook her head. “But I must thank you, dearest nephew, for coming to my aid.”

“Can’t let a lovely mare in peril suffer, now can I?” Spike replied with a smile.

Luna blushed. “You can be quite the insufferable Prince yourself, did you know that, Spike?” Regardless of her words, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “I am quite surprised, Spike. I thought you’d be with Celestia or with Twilight Sparkle.”

“Mom and Twily are at the entrance welcoming the few remaining guests to arrive. After that, I think they want to catch up past the Friendship Lessons Twilight writes back to her from time to time. So I figured I should let them have some space. I’ve been around the Gala making sure everything is fine and under control, greeting a few guests, and trying to not devour the buffet table… I’ve had limited success with that last one,” he cleared his throat. “And you, Aunt Luna?”

“Oh, you know, sitting by myself, occasionally waving at our guests, having some tea and food, the usual,” she replied. “I hate the Galas.”

“You hate almost every social gathering, Auntie,” Spike corrected.

“And why would that be?” Luna groaned. “Celestia is the most fitted for that! And yet I have to be dragged to these kinds of events every time. I’d rather spend my time inspecting my duties, training you, or walking the Dreamscape.”

“Speaking of that, Auntie,” Spike started. “I told Ember and Smolder what happened.”

“...Does Celestia know?” Luna asked.

“Not yet. But I’ll tell her after the Gala,” Spike replied.

“Do you think it is wise to tell her? She asked you to not tell anycreature of the incident,” Luna explained. “She might be angry.”

“She could never be angry with me, Auntie. And even she gets angry, she has to know,” Spike said, smiling. “I won’t tell Twilight yet… I don’t want her to feel like my mistake was her fault. I failed Friendship. I failed Harmony that day. I was selfish and greedy and… and acted like a true dragon. I paid the price and almost lost my life because of it. I won’t fail Harmony and Friendship again,” he gritted his fangs. “I won’t be a bad friend that didn’t know about his friend’s departure and couldn’t be there to at least say ‘farewell and good luck’. If I fail at even that, then what kind of Prince am I if not a failure?”

“Hmmhm,” Luna hummed. “Perhaps you are in the right for thinking like that, Spike. But to me, that is not the case. You are a wonderful dragon, my dear. A handsome stallion that does his best for his family, loved ones, friends, and home. You have not failed anyone, my beautiful Prince. Believe me, I know what a failure looks like,” Luna said with a sad smile on her lips, her eyes watching the reflection of Nightmare Moon smirking, mockingly taunting her on the polished shield in front of her.

“Did you fail, Aunt Luna?” Spike asked softly. “You didn’t fail. You managed to get enough control of yourself to keep Nightmare Moon inside you, locked and captured. She is your prisoner, and you are the stalwart guardian keeping her at bay from us. You’re not a failure,” he smiled gently at her. “At least, not to me you’re not!”

“He’s right, you know? You managed to stop yourself from ridding yourself of Celestia and ruling over Equestria. But you failed from stopping her machinations. Who knows how many secrets and ploys and plans she has ordered behind your back without you ever knowing? Letting Celestia get her way has done nothing but cause distress, all in the name of Harmony. What a colossal hypocrite she is,” the Nightmare spat. “And yet you still allow her to control him. I wonder who’s the biggest coward?”

Silence! Luna ordered in her mind.

Taking a deep breath, Luna turned to Spike. “Spike… I know of the promise Celestia made to you,” she revealed.

Spike felt his heart stop for a full five seconds before answering. “You do?” He asked, his voice a mere whisper.

Luna nodded. “Spike… you don’t have to obey her because of that,” she extended a wing, slapping it against his chest and moving it up and down slowly. “There’s no need to cling to a promise that may not become a reality.”

“I will make it a reality,” he replied, his voice no longer weak. It now boomed with determination, his will, and with boundless confidence. “She has promised me it to be so. And she keeps her promises. I will succeed. I WILL unite the world under Harmony, Aunt Luna. And I will do so using the ideals of Equestria. I shall not fail, no matter how long it takes. The Equestrian Flag shall fly over every land and nation and mountain and field! And then,” Spike’s nostrils flared as they ejected a small stream of fire. “She’ll be my wife.”

Luna pressed on. “But why wait, Spike?” She asked. “It is bodily satisfaction you seek? If you wish, I can grant it to you personally,” she said in a hushed, playful tone. “I’ve seen how you look at her flanks; how much you love them,” she watched Spike’s cheeks turn red, his previous determination gone. “Her derriere is quite impressive, is it not? Expected, given her size. Mine arse may not be as big, but it is quite grabbable and squishable. Though, if you prefer them big, I can start gorging myself on cakes, much like Celestia does.”

“Honestly, the only thing bigger than her ambitions is her gluttony for all things sweet, more so of cake. I wonder…?” She looked back at her rump, shaking it a bit. “Maybe will cookies work as well? Doughnuts? I do prefer doughnuts! Oohhh! How about mooncake?”

“I don’t know if you’re trying to be sexy or cute, because, honestly, it works both ways,” Spike replied, stifling his laugh.

Blushing madly, Luna reeled back and coughed. “What I’m trying to say, Spike, is that you don’t have to wait out on Celestia. I can fulfill your carnal desires quite easily. Continue on your task, your desire to be a symbol of Equestria, if that is what you wish to be, but only because that’s what you wish for yourself, not because of a promise.”

“I love her, Aunt Luna,” Spike replied before lunging forward, embracing her neck and petting her back. “I love Celestia with all my heart, and I know she loves me just as much. I know you, too, love me. And I love you. I love my family. I love my friends. I love Equestria. That’s why I do it,” he pulled back and kissed Luna on the lips, catching her by surprise. “I’m not perfect… I know that now. But I will better myself, for I can now follow the true will of Harmony and Friendship.”

“I-if that is what you wish,” she leaned in to whisper at his ear-fin. “But remember, my door is always open for you from now on, Spike,” she pulled away, turned around, and strutted with an exaggerated sway of her hips. On one particular step, she almost stumbled, and then she went rigid. “Excuse me for a moment!” She blurted out and teleported away.

In silence, Spike waited for Luna’s return, all the while rubbing his belly and the back of his gloved hands. Not two minutes later, she was back.

“That feels so much better now,” she said happily. Suddenly, they felt a rumble through the castle. “Do you feel that?”

“Earthquake!?” Spike blurted out before the two of them rushed to the Salon, ready to help in the evacuation procedures. When they arrived back at the Salon, they stumbled on Celestia and Twilight also arriving at the scene. And then, a crash. As one, the four entered the Salon and found several decorative pillars down and broken, a shattered statue, four disheveled looking mares, and confusion all around.

“Well… it can’t get any worse,” Twilight mumbled.

“Twi…” Spike facepalmed, exasperated.

Then, a greater rumbling was heard, followed by the doors to the Garden bursting open and dozens of animals flooding inside the Salon. Behind them all, fleeing in terror from the beast behind them, a pegasus mare appeared.

“You’re… going TO LOVE ME!” She roared.

Then, pandemonium.

Celestia leaned down to Twilight and whispered. “Run.”

*************************************************

“That was a disaster…” Twilight groaned.

“Seriously, I leave for a few minutes and everything goes down the drain!” Spike chuckled. “I missed all the action, too!”

“It must’ve been quite amusing!” Celestia cheered

“We’re sorry, your highness,” Applejack began. “We didn’t mean to ruin the Gala like that…”

“Uhu…” Rainbow whimpered.

“You said it, AJ,” Pinkie agreed.

“Tonight has been by far my worst night yet!” Rarity grumbled. “How could Prince Blueblood treat me like so!? I’m a lady, for Celestia’s flank! Oh… ummm, beg your pardon, Princess.”

“None taken, dear,” Celestia replied, looking back at her flank. “I do have a nice flank, after all,” she said, launching a quick glance at Spike, catching him staring at it discreetly.

“O-Oh my!” Fluttershy whispered, blushing fiercely.

“I wonder why it is so enormous?” Luna said, unamused and in a sarcastic tone.

“I just want to put this night behind me…” Twilight sighed, defeated. “Sorry for ruining the Gala, Princess.”

“Oh, Twilight. The Gala is always awful and so boring,” Celestia giggled. “I had a feeling that inviting you and your friends to the Gala could ‘liven up’ the evening a little. I simply failed to predict to what degree! However, as you may come to learn, even if something doesn’t go quite with your expectations, it can end up as a memorable experience if shared with friends.”

Twilight beamed at her mentor. “Thank you, Princess Celestia,” her stomach then chose that precise moment to make itself known. With a dainty giggle and a blush, she continued. “Now, if only there was a place where we could grab a bite and relax for a while?”

“Luckily for you, I know just the place,” moving in front of the small group, he bowed. “Ladies, welcome to Doughnut Joe’s! The place to get doughnuts in all of Canterlot and a great place to unwind!” Opening the doors to the establishment, the burly pony behind the counter smiled from ear to ear.

“Well, well, well. If it ain’t Twilight Sparkle and Prince Spike in the flesh! Come in! Come in! It’s been ages since I last saw the two of you together!” The pony exclaimed.

“Pony Joe!” Twilight replied, waving a hoof. “Triple-Filling and Extra Sprinkles specials and keep them coming!”

“Got it, kiddo!”

“Now, you have to tell me everything!” Spike demanded. “Oh, where are my manners. I am Spike Solaris, Prince of Equestria, at your service. Any friend of Twilight is also my friend,” he presented himself.

As the five mares began introductions, Pony Joe arrived with two full trays of doughnuts at their table along with cocoa cups. And as the friends talked, the Royal Sisters devoured (with grace and elegance. They were in public, after all) doughnut after doughnut.

“Where do I even begin?” Twilight asked rhetorically, a small smile spreading across her lips.

As Spike heard their tales and got to know Twilight’s new friends, he relaxed and gobbled down a few doughnuts.

This is what Harmony is all about. This is what Friendship strives to achieve for all. Nothing can nor will ever break it. For Friendship. For Harmony. The world shall unite as one. Harmony wills it, he thought happily.

***********************************************

A few days later after the Gala, Ponyville’s Third Grade Elementary School’s class arrived at Canterlot’s labyrinth for the annual tour. With three fillies arguing and bickering all the while, no pony noticed a small crack appearing on a certain statue, followed by an ominous laugh.

Chapter 4 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!

Chapter 5: Kh4oZ IS H3Re. Wedding Crashers.

“My Princess. Special Agent Carving Mountain reporting.”

Celestia put down the scroll she was reading, her happy, warm smile never faltering. Without looking to the source of the voice etched in the dark corner of her room, she knew the stallion would never look at her in the eye unless she ordered it. There was no need for her to turn either.

“Report,” she replied.

“Agricultural production in Minotauria has been depleted by one point seven percent net wise this year. The trade embargo placed on the Diamond Dog Empire has been lifted without them or the minotaurs knowing of our deeds. Special Agent Shine Through also reports that the tribal Yetis have… unified under the banner of an unknown ruler. The conflict between Cervidas and Zebrica is escalating, I do not know for how much longer the peace will last between their nations,” the stallion said quickly and diligently.

“Will the minotaurs face famine this year?” She asked.

“No, my Princess. However, they are starting to feel the sting of limiting their food consumption year by year. Most of them will struggle; perhaps, at least, a few hundred of the poorest, the beggars, and the homeless across Minotauria shall starve to death,” he replied.

Celestia remained silent for a few seconds. “Any indications that they’ll be willing to reconsider a trade agreement with Equestria?”

“They are proud fools, my Princess. But not entirely heartless. I doubt they’ll do so without further prodding,” the stallion replied.

“Perhaps a sign of one-sided goodwill is in order?” Celestia mused. “Since they refuse to open their frontiers, Equestria shall open theirs to them in these trying times for their nation.”

“You are as generous and loving as you are wise, my Princess,” the stallion praised. “What shall be our orders and tasks to perform this year, my Princess?”

“Your orders regarding conflicts between other nations remain the same. Economic threats to Equestria shall be reported to me immediately. As for Minotauria… aim to inflict the maximum amount of agricultural drop out as possible without causing suspicion or famine. A three percent drop for the next year would be ideal,” she ordered.

“It shall be done as you command, my Princess. Harmony be with you.”

“And with you, Carving Mountain,” Celestia replied, never dropping her smile. A moment later, she felt his presence vanish. With a sigh, Celestia pulled her scroll back up to continue reading. Suddenly, she felt an icy chill run up her spine, followed by an echoing, heavy, mocking, and ominous laughter.

A laughter she had hoped to never hear again or at least not hear so soon.

“No… it can’t be…”

“Oh, but it is,” a voice called from everywhere and nowhere. “Hello, Tia, missed me? Caused I’ve missed you!”

The bang and sound of teleportation filled Celestia’s room as Luna materialized.

“Sister! Discord has--”

“Hello, Moony! Or is it Lulu? Nightmare Luna? Luna Moon? It’s so difficult to address two beings inhabiting the same body properly. Hey, Moony, does your nose itch?”

“Let me out, Luna. Let me out! We shall show that False-God he is no match for Us!” Nightmare Moon growled from Celestia’s mirror.

“Uughhh! Nightmares are as bitter as I remember! Sad to see some things never change!” The voice mocked and laughed. Then, the sound of snapping fingers was heard.

“...It’s itching. How is my nose itching? Why is it itching so badly!?” The Nightmare cried as the reflection in the mirror tried to scratch its incorporeal nose.

“Discord, how can this be possible? The Elements of Harmony--”

“The Elements of Harmony could only stop me for so long, Celestia. Did you two honestly believed I would be stuck inside that rock for more than a few days?” Discord retorted.

“...But it’s been over a thousand years,” Luna brought up.

“Reeeeeeeaaally now? Well, I’d love to chat and catch up with you. Loooove what you’ve done with the place, though I’m not a fan of this whole ‘Harmony’ thing, I do feel proud of how it’s going!” Discord laughed. “Now, I have ten thousand years of being in stone to shrug off, and I know just~ the way to unwind, to da loo~!”

And with that, the suffocating presence of the Spirit of Disharmony, the God of Chaos, was gone.

The two sisters looked at each other and nodded. One teleportation later, the two of them were standing in front of the shattered statue of Discord.

“We need the Elements now, Celestia,” Luna muttered. “We must wield them--”

“You know they reject us now…,” Celestia replied. “I used them against my sister, you… and you are tainted by the Nightmare… it’s time to see if Twilight’s friends are the Bearers or not.”

Luna nodded, gritting her teeth until it hurt. “You’re right, sister… there’s nothing we can do against Discord without the Elements,” glaring at the crumbling and quickly eroding pieces of stone that used to be Discord’s prison, a thought came to her mind beyond the ramblings of the Nightmare, cursing at Discord and complaining about her itching nose. “Sister… we must secure the populace of Canterlot, and send a warning to all cities, towns, villages, settlements, and outposts about Discord’s return.”

“Indeed, Luna,” Celestia bit her lower lip until blood started to flow down her chin, staining her perfectly brushed and kept fur. “We must ensure Cadance is safe.”

“Shall we station the Royal Guard?” Luna pondered.

“It would be of no use against Discord. Our Royal Guards must focus on leading our citizens to safe houses, and maybe minimize the damage Discord is surely to bring upon all of Equestria… no, to the entirety of Equis.”

Defeated and desperate, the two sisters stretched out their wings and took to the skies. Celestia hastily returned to her chambers. She had to warn Twilight of the coming danger and where to go in order to find the Elements of Harmony. Luna went straight for the Royal Guard barracks. There she found Shining Armor and informed him of the situation.

Within minutes, squadrons of Royal Nights, both Solar and Lunar, swarmed Canterlot in an effort to safeguard the populace.

Celestia teleported a scroll to Twilight a moment before she noticed cotton candy clouds running amock the sky and chocolate rain poured down. She stared at the landscape beyond Canterlot to see everything starting to change.

“Harmony be with you, Twilight,” Celestia implored.

*********************************************

“Where’s Spike!?” Cadance called as she looked frantically everywhere for her dearest cousin.

“He’s still outside leading the last few nobles in!” Blueblood replied to her sister’s question.

“Why, are we being invaded? Why are the Royal Guards not taking up their positions?” A noble asked.

“Because, as I’ve already told you several times already, Massive Gold, Discord has returned!” Spike replied as he pushed a fat stallion inside the safehouse of the Castle. Inside, several Royal Guards, the nobles that were present to push or consult their interests for the day, the staff, and the Royal Family were already inside.

“It certainly can’t be bad enough for me to miss my third breakfast, now can it?” Massive Gold questioned, unamused. “And who is this ‘Discord’ fellow supposed to be? I’ve never heard anything about him.”

“Wasn’t he an old enemy of the Royal Sisters?” Another noble brought up, much younger and poorly dressed compared to Massive Gold.

“Right he was,” a mare clad in fine silk clothing with markings of Celestia’s and Luna’s cutie marks adorning its surface said. “Discord, a name spoken in infamy and legend. A God in his own right… there’s nothing we can do against such a foe. We can only pray that he is defeated quickly, or Equestria may be sent back into the Timeless Times once again.”

“Praise be to Harmony. In Friendship we endure,” a group of ponies wearing similar robes chanted in unison behind the mare.

“Preachers,” Spike muttered as he finally managed to force Massive Gold to enter the safehouse. “Is it true, though? Has Discord finally returned?”

“Sadly, it is so,” Blueblood replied. “Shining Armor is doing what he can with his Royal Guards to secure the population. Aunt Luna has told us so,” Blueblood said as he embraced his sister and mother.

“Isn’t there anything we can do!?” Spike asked before scratching his arm, belly, and neck. Several red scales had appeared all over his body the day prior, and the itching was maddening. Still, he did what he could to aid in evacuating the castle staff and visitors into the safehouse.

Suddenly, Luna and Celestia appeared at the gates. Both sisters used their magic to close the gates as they entered.

“Your majesties, has Discord been dealt with?” A maid asked fearfully.

“I’m afraid we are powerless against him,” Luna replied, eliciting a horrified gasp from most of the present in the room. “Without the Elements of Harmony, we cannot defeat him.”

“The Elements of Harmony? Weren’t those artifacts supposed to be just a legend?” A guard asked, confused.

“Well, Discord was just a legend and he’s back!” Another one replied.

“But is it Discord, though? Perhaps you are mistaken, your majesties?” Massive Gold questioned. “And is this foe truly such a menace? What does he want?”

“I assure you, kind sir, that Discord is an enemy that is not to be trifled with. As for what he desires? Chaos. He desires to bring chaos and spread it, to rule over a land without rules, logic, or sense,” Celestia replied. “We must wait until the Elements are fo--”

“AARRRGGGGHHH!” Spike groaned as his scales began to shine. Ripping off his clothing and armor, he threw himself to the ground, desperately trying to suffocate his itching scales. Then, as soon as it started, the itching was gone and his glowing scales stopped their shine. His red scales returned to varying shades of purple and Spike gave out the biggest sigh of relief ever. “Uggghhh, finally!”

His relief was momentary, however, as his entire body started to solidify into stone.

“Seriously!?” He spatted angrily as the stone quickly spread through his body. In a matter of seconds, he stood there, literally petrified, with a crust of stone, much like a cocoon, enveloped his whole body.

“...What just happened to Prince Spike?” A maid asked worriedly.

“It’s the Molt,” Blueblood was quick to reply. “He’ll be out of it sooner or later,” he smirked. “At least now I won’t have to smell his ‘earthy aroma’ anymore!”

Cadance smacked her brother across the head.

“Please tell me those fillies were not your best solution, Tia, Lulu?” Discord’s voice resonated through the entire bunker. Every stallion and mare, safe for the guards, huddled up in fright whilst trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.

“Discord! Show yourself!” Celestia demanded in a rare fit of anger.

“If that’s what you want,” Discord replied. Suddenly, from the doors, a black liquid started to pour out from the metal itself. Ponies screamed in terror as the black goo gathered itself and took the form of a mismatched creature. A draconequus. And more specifically, Discord. “Here I am.”

Instantly, Luna shot a beam at Discord, but he boringly stopped it with his eagle claw, gathered it all up, transformed it into a cookie, and dipped it in chocolate milk before eating it. “Really, Lulu?”

Luna glared at him, ready to try again but Celestia stepped forward before she could launch another attack.

“What do you mean, Discord? What have you done to them?” Celestia asked with dread seriousness; her eyes narrowed.

“Me? Oh, perish the thought, Celestia. Unlike somePONIES, I don’t turn creatures into stone without merit!” Discord scowled. Then, his cheerful, mocking expression returned. “As for what happened to them, well, see for yourselves!”

With a snap of his fingers, several screens appeared in the air showcasing what happened to Twilight and her friends during the traverse through the Everfree Forest in search of the Elements. Pinkie turned apathetic and uncaring. Discord forcefully turning Fluttershy into a bully. Applejack became a liar. Rarity depicted a level of greed, possessiveness, delusion, and pride that even a dragon would find hard to emulate. Rainbow Dash betrayed her friends, choosing to take her wings to save Cloudsdale instead of helping her friends.

Finally, there was Twilight, doing her best to remain optimistic, ever trusting on the friends she had made during her stay in Ponyville. She had left to search for the Elements of Harmony, but decided to stay once she got to know her newfound friends better. She put up with the attitudes of her corrupted, grey-colored friends up until she used the Elements of Harmony, returned by Discord himself, on the God of Chaos.

And she failed miserably. The Elements of Harmony shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces. As Discord laughed, Twilight finally gave up, her color left her, and returned to her library, defeated.

“No. No. No. Nononono!” Luna stomped her hooves angrily, her mane swirling in anger.

“This isn’t over, Discord! You think you’ve won, but we aren’t defeated yet!” Celestia spat.

Discord chuckled before stretching. “Well, it’s been a delight to see you two again! But I have a world of chaos to rule over now!” He smiled wickedly. “It seems Harmony and Friendship weren’t as strong as you thought, Tia, Lulu~” With that said, Discord turned into water, splattering all over the floor before evaporating into nothing.

Celestia sat, her eyes glued to the screens Discord had left behind as they replayed the events over and over again. For what felt like forever, the bunker was dead silent. Nopony dared to speak or breathe too loudly. Then, Spike’s stone crust began to crack and within moments he was free.

Spike checked himself out once he recovered lucidity only to find himself sporting two new appendages. “I got wings?” He muttered, glancing back and flexing his newfound wings. “I got wings!” He cheered a moment before noticing everypony was distraught and disheartened. “W-What’s going on?” He asked gently, confused. Looking around he saw that even Cadance, the ever-optimist, was on the verge of tears. Blueblood was doing his best to console her, guards, castle staff, and nobles alike were huddled up in much the same fashion, and even his Aunt and Mother were the same.

Following their gaze, he saw the screens and what they were projecting. He saw each and every single one of them with care and intent; focusing all the more on the one depicting Twilight’s failure.

Silence reigned supreme for minutes, hours… centuries. Nopony cared now. Defeat was certain.

“...Restless was the world we knew~” Spike started to sing, breaking everyone out of their trance. He stared directly at the preachers. “And cheerless were the days~”

“...of colors run together~” The mare at the head started, joining her voice to Spike’s.

“In an endless mirror maze~” They were joined by the rest of the preachers.

Spike turned his eyes to Celestia and Luna. “But then two Sisters brought us out of Discord’s dark caprice. And gave us lights to guide us into Harmony and Peace~”

“Day for rising; Night for sleep! As in heaven, so below. Chaos banish; Order keep. Ever may it thusly go~!” The preachers sang loudly, cheerfully. “Now that Harmony has come and driven dissonance away~!” They finished with tears in their eyes.

Celestia and Luna wiped out the tears that had formed in their eyes. Resolute, they stood up, and with them, everypony present to signal they stood with their Princesses.

A young and well-dressed noble approached Celestia, valiantly grasping her hoof and kissing it. “My Princess, if I must, I shall give my life in your defense. Your orders shall be my command, what must be done?”

In a flash, Spike was there next to the noble and softly shoved him away not without sending a death glare at the noble. “You will remain behind in safety. I’m certain the Princesses will think of something to solve our dilemma,” Spike said to the pony noble in an almost friendly tone. The noble nodded rapidly, backing away from the dragon.

“...Sister, I believe there is something we can do,” Luna started. “When I… you know, I remembered our happy times together. That stopped me, it brought me back. Perhaps if Twilight Sparkle and her friends remember everything they have accomplished together, their happy moments, maybe they can overcome Discord’s touch?”

Celestia seemed thoughtful for a moment before smiling. “Harmony and Friendship are the only things that can stop and defeat Discord… He took that away from them,” she smirked. “I think I know the perfect way to remind Twilight and her friends about what they lost.”

Luna nodded in understanding. “But how? Discord’s magic will prevent us from approaching. The second he detects magic other than his own, he’ll know we’re up to something.”

“What are you talking about?” Spike asked.

“Twilight’s Friendship Lessons,” Celestia replied. “If she reads them, she may remember why she decided to stay in Ponyville and find a way to free her friends from Discord’s corruption,” her smile dropped. “However, I can’t teleport them nor will I risk somepony carry them to her. If Discord finds them, we are doomed.”

“Then I’ll go,” Spike said seriously. “If we can’t carry or teleport them,” he smirked smugly. “Then we can use my dragonfire,” taking off one of his gloves, he set it on fire. It turned to ashes, and then they flew to Celestia, where it materialized once more. Taking it, he put it back on.

“Spike, no. It’s too dangerous!” Cadance shouted as she and Blueblood neared them.

“But it makes sense. Their bond… it might be our only chance, Caddy,” Blueblood remarked.
“Due to Discord's magic, other sources of magic are useless. And going there with the package is out of the question... so use me. Send all of that mail to me once I arrive. I'll let you know when I'm there. Hopefully, this will work. Twilight and her friends have to remember why they became friends in the first place! Harmony demands it!" Spike declared proudly and firmly.

Smiling widely, he flapped his wings. “Luckily for us, I have these beauties now!”

*********************************************

“Huh? What’s this?” Discord muttered, confused.

From the sidelines, Spike rested against a house, smiling widely the moment he saw Discord’s expression shift from cockiness, to confusion, to surprise, and finally, realization.

“...No…” Discord said, fear lacing his voice.

In front of him, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity floated in the air, the shattered Elements of Harmony had reforged into necklaces for her friends and a tiara for Twilight. An explosion of pure Harmony erupted from them in the form of a rainbow rising to the sky. It formed an arc and dropped directly on top of Discord.

“NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Discord screamed in terror, desperately trying to free himself from his quickly petrifying body.

“TASTE THE RAINBOW, MOTHERFUCKER!” Spike shouted in victory, not giving a damn about his monstrous belly ache after burping out dozens of letters.

With Discord sealed back into stone and the ensuing explosion of pure Harmony made manifest, everything he had done was corrected and turned back to normal all over Equis.

For now, Discord had been defeated. Victory was theirs. Spike allowed himself to fall unconscious.

*********************************************

Something isn’t right…, Spike thought as he held the cushion bearing the two rings for Cadance and Shining Armor. Twilight was nowhere on sight. Which surprised Spike to no end. Even after Shining Armor and everypony told her off, she had gone missing. He’d guessed she was sulking but would attend the wedding at least. But something is certainly… off, he thought as he eyed Shining Armor.

He was always dorky, and odd-ball, and goofy when out of duty. Seeing him stupid-happy was to be expected, yet he looked… plain stupid. Almost like he was being forced to smile that way. But Cadance looked the same as ever. Lovely, regal, composed, beautiful. She smelled like always, she acted like always (baring wedding details), she spoke like always. She was Cadance, and yet, as they walked up the altar… Spike started to doubt.

What if Twilight was right? What if this Cadance is not the Cadance I know? What if she is not my cousin? Glancing at his side, he saw Blueblood on the verge of tears, proud of his sister and his best friend soon-to-be brother-in-law.

“Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to celebrate--”

“Wait,” Spike said firmly, interrupting Celestia dryly. Swallowing the knot in his throat as he stared down at Cadance. Her face shifting from happiness to confusion. Closing his eyes, he took a big breath. “I thought Twilight was just being irrational and possessive… But now… now I’m not so sure anymore.”

“Spike… dearest, what are you doing?” Celestia asked in a soft, disapproving tone.

“Let me finish, mom,” Spike replied without turning to face her. Instead, his eyes were locked on Cadance only. “If you answer correctly what I’m about to ask you, Cadance, I’ll apologize and get out of here. But if you don’t, then that proves Twilight was right and that you, whatever you are, are not my cousin,” he snarled, tossing the pillow aside along with the rings. “And I will make you tell me where my real cousin is.”

“Spike, please, this is ridiculous!” Shining Armor droned out angrily.

“Shining Armor is right, Spike. Cadance is my sister! I would know if something were wrong with her!” Blueblood stomped a hoof in protest.

“Silence!” Spike roared, wings spread out, and fire fuming from his nostrils. He crouched, baring his fangs and his left-hand claws. His right hand unsheathed his sword, his ornament piece replaced by a real one when his training started. Gripping it tightly ready to attack, he continued. “Twilight said you didn’t do the Ladybugs Awake dance with her. Meaning, even if you’re impersonating her, you lack some or most of her knowledge, memories, and experiences.”

“I was just embarrassed!” Cadance blurted out. “I’m a Princess of Equestria, for pony’s sake! Acting like a foal in public would be demeaning and it would soil my image!”

“Cadance never cared for that. She knows her position is important, but it never got to her head,” Spike snarled. “Maybe. Just maybe it’s the wedding stress that’s making you act like this. But right now, I am not taking any chances. So, if you really are Cadance, you will answer this question. No excuses. No diversions. No trying to shift from it or avoid it. I will ask and you will answer, simple as that. If you don’t answer or give me the wrong one, I WILL attack you, whoever you are.”

The entire room fell silent. He has successfully planted a seed of doubt in everyone’s mind, even in Blueblood’s. Cadance was far the most easy-going and laid back of the Princesses. Her sudden snobbish and demanding behavior had raised a few eyebrows, but it had been dismissed as stress or a simple case of a bridezilla syndrome. But now… now everypony wasn’t so sure.

“Fine. Ask me whatever you want, Spike. I’ll answer it and prove you wrong,” Cadance stated firmly. Confident in her evident victory.

Spike swallowed again. There were plenty of questions he could ask, but he had to be careful. He needed to pick something that only the two of them would know. Something so private, so intimate, so embarrassing or secret that only the real Cadance and he would know about. Feeling his heart about to explode and his belly freezing up while his throat burned with the fire he was barely holding back, he came upon the perfect question that would prove Twilight was right and Cadance had been replaced right under their noses. Or it would ruin his reputation forever and become the laughing stock of royalty for centuries to come.

And so, resolute, he asked. “What is the most important thing about the love shared between lovers?”

“Easy. The most important thing is that it must endure,” Cadance replied without hesitation.

“Wrong,” Spike snarled. “The most important thing is that the lovers must understand it is a relationship,” he spat hatefully, his eyes blazing with Tartarus-filled fury.

With a roar, Spike leaped at Cadance, swinging his sword straight at her neck. She dodged in time but was too late to avoid his tail, smacking her across the face with a hard slap. Spike landed on the stairs, turning to the fake Cadance ready to attack again and froze when he saw greenish blood dripping from her muzzle.

“I knew I had to get rid of you first!” Fake Cadance shouted in anger.

“Ah… Ah don’t understand, what’s going on?” Applejack asked, trying to comprehend the situation.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY SISTER!?” Blueblood cried in anger before jumping at the fake Cadance. But he was shot in the chest by a beam of magic coming from Shining Armor, sending him barreling down to the crowd below.

A swirling vortex of hellish green magic formed around the fake Cadance, the magic peeling away at her disguise and revealing her true form. A tall chitinous creature about the same height as Celestia. In contrast with the white, pure fur of the Sun Princess, the creature was pitch-black, it’s chitin coarse and pointy, with holes in her legs, a green carapace on her back, and membrane-looking wings and mane. And sprouting from her forehead, the most disgusting and horrible twisted horn anypony had ever seen.

“Sweet Celestia, what is that thing!?” Rarity shouted, backing away from the creature that now laughed evily.

“She’s a changeling!” The voice of the real Cadance was heard as the doors sprung open to reveal a disheveled pink alicorn sporting a few minor wounds and some malnourishment. Behind her, Twilight stood firm and ready with her horn livid in magical energy. “She takes the form of the creature you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them!”

“Right you are, Princess! And as Queen of the Changelings, it is up to me, Queen Chrysalis, to find love for my subjects. Equestria has more love than any place we’ve encountered before. My subjects will be able to devour so much of it, we will grow stronger than ever before! More power than we’ve ever dreamed of!” Chrysalis boasted and mocked.

Spike snarled, having had enough as he readied himself to continue his assault. Cadance rushed in and the few guards around also prepared to fight the love-draining monster.

“Ah, ah, ah! Shining Armor is under my control. If I want to, I can end his life with but a command,” Chrysalis warned as she used her magic to close the doors once again, then she began walking around the mind-slaved stallion before licking his cheek. Cadance halted, so did Twilight, the guards, the rising Blueblood, and Spike. Chrysalis giggled darkly. “I thought so. You ponies are so weak and predictable, but you make the most perfect of morsels. You wouldn’t believe how much delicious love I’ve drained from Shining Armor. I’m stronger than ever, and with each moment he grows weaker, his damnable shield grows weaker still. My drones are already assaulting it, chipping away at it little by little, and within moments, the shield will shatter and my army will swarm Canterlot! And then, all of Equestria will be MINE!” She declared, triumphant, cackling madly with joy.

“No, you won’t,” Celestia declared, stepping forth. All eyes went to her as Chrysalis turned to face the Princess of the Sun. “I must admit I was a fool for not noticing something was wrong with my niece. Your acting and deception skills are great enough to have everycreature believing your lies. But you’ve made one mistake,” she snorted. “You’ve revealed yourself and your intentions openly!” She charged forward.

Chrysalis did the same, their horns clashing as they glared at each other hatefully.

“And as a Princess of Equestria, it is my duty to protect my subjects from harm!” Celestia shouted before jumping back and taking to the air. Her horn shone brightly as a beam of pure yellow magic shot from it.

Undeterred, Chrysalis shot a green beam of her own. The two beams clashed together, with Celestia’s beam proving to be the most powerful of the two. Slowly, Celestia’s beam pushed back against Chrysalis’ magic, but not without consequence. Yellow bolts of energy mixed with green ones shot out from their meeting point.

Spike saw several yellow bolts hit the walls and the ceiling, instantly creating heavy scorch marks. The green bolts shattered pieces of masonry or vases it hit. One, then two, then ten bolts hit random ponies in the crowd. Some had their clothes set on fire, those that wore nothing suffered instantaneous burns that had them screaming painfully on the floor.

“Argggh! No! NO!” Chrysalis shouted desperately as she forced more and more of her magic, futilely, against Celestia’s in an attempt to push back against her. In turn, it only caused the ejecting bolts of magic to increase in number.

Spike’s eyes widened when he noticed Celestia’s beam stop… and then being pushed back. Staring up, he saw the concerned face of his mother, of a mare he loved with all his heart, and noticed her looking at the screaming ponies hit by the bolts and the panicked masses.

“...No…” Spike muttered, knowing what she was about to do. He saw her faking surprise as Chrysalis’ beam began to push back against hers. Then, she closed her eyes in apparent concentration… until Chrysalis’ beam struck her horn. Gritting his fangs, Spike dropped his sword and for the first time cursed at his mother’s benevolent heart. Instead of letting her subjects be victims and putting them in danger, she’d allow herself to be beaten by her foe, all for their sake.

Celestia landed like a sack of potatoes on the floor, her tiara slipping across the floor aimlessly. Chaos ensued, Twilight and her friends rushed to Celestia’s side.

“The Elements of Harmony… go to them. Use their power to defeat the Queen!” Celestia pleaded weakly. Obeying her plead, the six of them rushed out of the room, Twilight using her magic to shatter the doors open and letting other attendees to leave as well.

“AH! Shining Armor’s love for you is even stronger than I thought! Consuming it has made me even more powerful than Celestia!” Chrysalis gloated cheerfully. A moment later, the shield collapsed

*************************************************

“You won’t get away with this, Chrysalis!” Cadance shouted, her hooves glued to the floor next to Shining Armor. “Twilight and her friends will--”

She cut herself off when she saw several changeling drones walk inside the room with the captured six ponies in tow.

Chrysalis chuckled. “You were saying?” She asked at Cadance with dripping self-satisfaction. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the reception’s been canceled!” Chrysalis mocked. “GO! Feed!” She commanded her drones. Eagerly obeying their Queen, they left her alone with her captured prey.

Blueblood and several other ponies that couldn’t get out in time were glued to the walls. Celestia was hanging from the ceiling inside a cocoon of sorts. Spike was glued against a pillar. Shining Armor now looked like a mindless zombie. And Cadance was stuck at his hide.

“It’s funny, really. Twilight was suspicious of me all along from the start. For some reason, I couldn’t fool her. But it didn’t matter! Everypony else was so focused on the wedding that you never realized the threat I sent about an imminent attack on Canterlot was all part of my plan to trap as many ponies in Canterlot as possible!” She smiled wickedly. “I was already inside. And thanks to your stupidity, I’ve won! Mwah ha ha ha!”

“We’re sorry, Twilight. We should’ve listened to you,” Applejack apologized in the name of all of the present.

“It’s not your fault. She fooled everyone!” Twilight spat.

“Mmhmm, I did, didn’t I?” Chrysalis agreed happily and full of herself. “That reminds me,” she walked up to Spike. Glaring down at him, her right foreleg glowed with intense green magic before she smacked him across the face. She winced, hitting him even with an enhancing spell hurt a little, but the desired effect was achieved. She smiled widely, seeing some of his thick pinkish blood dribbling out of his mouth. Then, she walked up to the balcony to see her subjects ravaging Canterlot.

“This day has been just peeeerfeeeect! The kind of day of which I’ve dreamed of since I was smaaaaall~ Everypony I’ll soon control; every stallion, mare, and foal! Who says a girl can’t really have it aaaaall~?” She sang, admiring the scene for a few seconds before turning back. “Speaking of having it all,” her wings began to buzz and she took flight. Landing below Celestia’s cocoon, she continued. “I still have to deal with Luna once she returns. Oh, how poetic it will be to use Celestia’s power against her!”

Spike’s, as well as everyone else’s, eyes went wide.

“With her love, I shall be the most powerful being in Equis! The entire world will bow to me and my changelings! No creature shall dare stand in my way ever again!” She proclaimed as her horn ignited. From the cocoon, pink energy began to flow into her mouth.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Spike noticed Twilight crawling slowly towards Cadance and Shining Armor. He didn't know what she had in mind, but he knew she'd need time to get to them and possibly free them. For what purpose or what they could do now, he was ignorant of. Fire began to swell in his chest; his anger increasing as he saw Celestia's love being eaten by the Parasite Queen. “NNOOOOOOOOOO!” Spike roared in rage.

Chrysalis was forced to stop consuming her prey’s love to see the dragon struggle against her mucus. She was about to gloat some more when his whole body erupted in green flames. Then, he was gone.

“How--!?” She cried. “GAAAAH!” She screamed in pain as she felt something clash against her back. Then, she felt something hit her across the face, sending her stumbling away a few meters. Looking at her assailant, she found an enraged dragon with his maw open pointing against her. Thinking quickly, she formed a barrier in front of her before a stream of deadly orange fire struck it.

Getting to her hooves, despite her aching back and chin, she went on the offensive. Her body glowed with green magic before charging through her barrier. Spike closed his maw and spread his wings. The two met in mid-air with a mighty clash. Spike was sent to the ground, roughly landing on his feet; his claws digging into the floor to stop himself from falling.

Taking a battle stance, Spikeclosed the distance between him and Chrysalis. He dodged three magic blasts as he approached, opting to let a fourth one hit him across the face. Chrysalis realized too late what his intent was, she tried to move away but Spike had closed in too fast. She cried in pain as Spike delivered a quick combo; two punches across her muzzle, one across her neck, and a final uppercut. Then, using his momentum and tail as a pivot, he did a backflip; his right foot hitting her across her face once again.

Spitting green blood, Chrysalis enraptured Spike in a ball of magic, capturing him once again. This time she didn’t gloat. His hatred in her eyes, she focused on making the ball smaller and smaller. She was confused, however, when she noticed that Spike wasn’t trying to break from his prison. Instead... he’d close his eyes as if he was meditating. She paid it no initial mind and simply focused on crushing the insolent vermin to death.

Then she felt… hot. Really hot. Stupidly hot. It didn’t take her long to realize the rapidly increasing warmth was coming from the captured Prince. To her horror, he saw his scales shimmer with a pure, bright, golden light. His eyes snapped open and he roared.

The magic ball shattered instantly.

“HOW!? That’s Celestia’s--” She was cut off by a relatively small hand grabbing her by the throat; sharp claws digging past her chitin exoskeleton, cracking it easily, before being tossed like a ragged doll until she crashed against the border of the balcony. She grunted painfully, opening her eyes to see the golden glowing dragon collapse to his knees, the golden glow dissipating a moment later as he started to take desperate mouthfuls of air.

As Chrysalis tried to get back to her hooves, another glow of magic caught her attention. Glancing to her right, she saw Cadance and Shining Armor, free from her control, united in… in… she didn’t know what it was. All she could tell was that the energy coming out of them was love, but it was a kind of love she had never seen before. She tried to siphon it only to find, to her horror, that she couldn’t devour it.

It rejected her entirely.

Then, the energy expanded far too quickly for her to do something.

“No… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” She cried at the top of her lungs as a wall of energy hit her completely, pushing her back. The energy soon grew to cover the entirety of Canterlot. Most changelings were also pushed back; sent flying away in random directions at a speed even Rainbow Dash would find hard to match until they disappeared from everyone’s eyesight. A few unlucky changelings, trapped in buildings or pressed against a wall, were crushed instantly by the wall of energy made entirely out of love.

***********************************************

--A few days later--

Spike stood next to Blueblood, his cousin supporting his weight as he was still recovering from his scuffle with Chrysalis and having to channel so much of Celestia’s energy into himself. They knew their bond was strong, but no one, not even her had realized how deep it truly was. During his training regime, while Luna focused on his combat prowess, Blueblood and Shining Armor on his physical development, and Smolder, during her short visits, taught him not only how to fly properly, but how to better use his dragon capabilities.

Celestia had focused on his mind and latent magical touch. Now, he could not only send things to her and she to him, but he could also do short-range pyreportation, and tap into their bond to use the tiniest fragment of her own power as his own for a limited amount of time, enough to increase his already prodigious dragon heritage capabilities even further.

Still, doing so was a taxing thing and only meant to do as a last resort. But, right now, Spike didn’t care. He smiled widely, tears threatening to rain down his cheeks as he saw a stallion he considered a brother and his favorite cousin (don’t tell Blueblood he said that), happily and quietly dancing.

“Hello, everypony, did I miss anything?” Luna asked as she landed next to Celestia. “I thought the wedding was supposed to be held three days ago? In any case, I’m happy I made it to the party, at least. I left to discuss with Dragon Lord Torch about Spike’s molt, and I ended up staying for a diplomatic mess,” she sighed.

Everypony else giggled or laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Luna questioned.

Suddenly, the music shifted from a peaceful Baltz to an energetic electro-pop.

“Love is in bloom~” Twilight started to sing.

Instantly, the mood of the party changed with the song, every attendee started to whistle, cheer, and dance. Given his current condition, Spike nodded his head before using his wings to move away from Blueblood, giving his cousin the chance to mingle. Blueblood nodded and walked over to Fancy Pants and his wife, Fleur de Lis.

Deciding to sit this one out, he found an empty table and took a seat for himself. As he enjoyed some cake and the celebrating ponies around, he saw an older noble, a Raingiver once he noticed his seal and cutie mark, approach Luna. He presented himself to Luna, said something he couldn’t make out, and offered a hoof to Luna.

Without thinking, green fire engulfed him. He then reappeared at Luna’s side.

“Sorry to interrupt, my good sire, but Princess Luna is terribly drained from her mission to the Dragon Lands. I’m sure your dealings must be quite important, but I suggest finding another time to bring them up,” Spike said in the most passive-aggressive voice he could muster.

“Of course, Prince Spike. My apologies. Good evening,” the stallion stepped back.

“Thank you, Spike,” Luna said once the stallion was far away enough.

“Heh, don’t mention it, Aunt Luna,” Spike replied with a smile. “Now, let’s enjoy this party! Because after it’s done, Shining is going to go nuts with what I have planned for the bachelor party!”

Luna nodded, laughing internally and opting to not say anything to her nephew.

Chapter 5 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!

The song used for the preachers is Harmony Ascendant by ponyphonic. Give it love!

Chapter 6: Umber Crystal and Ascended Twilight

Spike grunted as he peered out the window onto the frozen landscape of the North. Behind him were the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony: Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy Breeze, Rainbow Dash, Rarity Belle, Applejack Apple, and Pinkamena Diane Pie (Aka, Pinkie Pie). While they were chatting, mostly to mask their discomfort at seeing such a nasty weather rage outside, he was more focused on what needed to be done.

He glanced back at Twilight, noticing how nervous and frightened she was. Then again, his mother; her mentor and second mother, practically shoved to her the responsibility to solve the problem regarding the Crystal Empire and Queen Umbra.

“Queen Umbra…,” he muttered, too quietly for anypony to hear him and returned his gaze to the raging storm outside. His knowledge about the Tyrant Queen, the Empress of Dark Crystals, was limited at best, and what little he knew was thanks to Luna. Apparently, Queen Umbra had once been a resident of the Crystal Empire until, somehow, she gained the power to take it for herself in the absence of the ancient Princess Amore. By the time she returned, Amore had to call in Celestia and Luna for their aid against Umbra.

The battle against Umbra was successful, but not without Princess Amore giving her life in order to protect the Empire, locking it away in a pocket dimension for a thousand years. Celestia and Luna, filled with regret at the loss of one of their dearest friends, had cursed Umbra, transforming her into an Umber Pony and sealing her away in the depths of the icy, frozen far north.

But there was something off about that whole story. He couldn’t exactly tell what, but he knew something more was amiss. Above all, what allowed her to achieve enough power to pose a threat to alicorns and why she desired the Crystal Empire were questions left unanswered.

He was brought out of his stupor when he felt the train coming to a halt rather harshly. He allowed the six mares to step outside once the train came to a full stop at the forsaken station. He once more focused on Twilight and narrowed his eyes. He knew it was a test, but for what purpose? He did not know. And while he would never question the wisdom of his mother, he simply could not understand what compelled her to send Twilight and her friends ALONE and without the Elements to the Crystal Empire. He was even more baffled when Luna, of all ponies, begrudgingly agreed to such an insane plan.

He had to beg them both to at least allow him to travel with Twilight and Bearers, just in case they were biting more than they could chew. Damn be his dealings with the Buffalo Tribes; hollow was his diplomatic push with the Minotaurs, and the increasingly growing conflict between Zebrica and Cervidas could bite his tail. He was not going to abandon his best friend and the girls he had come to like and genuinely care for, face on their own such a daunting task.

As he stepped out of the wagon, he felt the freezing bite of the land on his scales. Normally, such weather was nothing to a dragon. Even magically enchanted weather was useless against him. But this was… different. It was as if the weather itself was sick and corrupted.

“Twilight!” A voice called from within the storm.

“Shining Armor?” Twilight suddenly replied.

Spike looked at the figure approaching through the hailing storm and saw Shining Armor wearing cold weather clothing and anti-snow goggles.

“Twily!” Shining Armor called, the two siblings rushing to nuzzle each other. “We have to get moving now! There are things out here in the storm that we really don’t want to cross paths with after dark,” he warned.

“W-What kinds of things?” Fluttershy asked meekly.

“Let’s just say that the Empire isn’t the only thing that has returned,” Shining answered.

Spike narrowed his eyes even further as he looked around the storm. He suspected what Shining Armor was referring to, but didn’t want to jump to any conclusions just yet. The older unicorn then began guiding them back to the Crystal Empire through the storm. After a few minutes, he suddenly halted, looked around for a few seconds, then began moving again.

“Something is out here,” he began. “Something that keeps trying to enter the Crystal Empire! We believe it may be the unicorn mare who originally cursed the place!”

“Queen Umbra,” Spike muttered.

“I don’t understand! Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sent me to help protect the Crystal Empire, but if Queen Umbra can’t get in, doesn’t that mean it's already being protected?” Twilight asked.

Suddenly, a howling, dark wind could be heard from all around the place, the sounds chilling their spines and making their stomachs do summersaults.

“T-That’s one of the things, isn’t it!?” Fluttershy asked fearfully.

“We have to get to the Crystal Empire, now!” He ordered.

As if on cue, a swirling mass of shadows manifested itself behind the group. Two giant crimson-colored eyes with a vomiting green sclera and purple mist flowing out of them appeared on the dark mist as it growled and snarled.

Spike took in a deep breath before unleashing a torrent of green fire against the mist.

“RUN!” Shining commanded.

The group immediately broke into a run as fast as their legs allowed them to as the mist emerged through the green flames, completely unscathed. Flying backward was tricky, but Spike managed to do it and it allowed him to spit fireballs at the Tyrant Queen whilst Shining Armor and Twilight shot random magic beams at her. All of their attacks had the precise same effect upon the Queen.

“Almost there!” Shouted Shining as a teal-colored dome in the distance came into view.

Rushing forth, Spike picked Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy up whilst Rainbow Dash picked Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Spike looked back to see Shining supercharge his horn for a massive spell as he stopped and turned to the Queen.

“SHINING!” Spike shouted as they approached the barrier. He then tossed his friends at the barrier before banishing in a curtain of green fire.

Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity landed on the surprisingly springy grass without harm. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack entered safely a moment later. “Spike! Shining!” Twilight shouted. She was about to charge out when Spike and her big brother jumped through the barrier. Shining’s horn was encrusted with dark crystals while the base of Spike’s wings also displayed them.

“Oh no…” Twilight whimpered as she approached the two of them. “Shining Armor, your horn! And Spike, your wings!”

While Shining tried and failed to use his horn, Spike painfully spread his wings and flapped them. While he could hover and fly to a limited extent, Shining shook his head in shame.

Getting back up, the group, minus Shining, was marveled at their first sight of the Crystal Empire. The group walked to the Palace as they admired the sights of the shimmering, beautiful crystal structures that permeated almost the entirety of the landscape. From the flowers, to the grass, to the roads, lamps, spires, houses, and even the trees. All of it was made out of crystals. The one thing they found odd, however, was that they had not seen a single inhabitant yet.

“Where is everypony?” Spike asked Shining.

“Inside their homes for now. Cadance told them she was taking care of things until it was safe, but I don’t know for how long they’ll obey,” he replied.

“This Palace is simply gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous! Marvelous! And so pristine!” Rarity exclaimed as they approached the central Palace. “T-There are… no words!”

“Focus, Rarity. We’re here to help Twilight, not admire the scenery,” Applejack said somewhat annoyed.

“Ehhh, I don’t even know what the big deal is. It looks like any other old castle to me,” Rainbow Dash said.

Rarity muttered incomprehensible noises for a couple of seconds, expressing her shock and disbelief. “A-Another old--!? Have you lost your mind!? Look at the exquisite--” Her words died in her mouth as Rainbow and Applejack shared a quick laugh between them. “Very funny,” she said sheepishly.

Whilst the girls admired the view and joked as they entered the palace, Spike approached Shining. Using hand signs and commands, he asked. “How bad is it?”

*Clip* *Clip* Clop* and an eye-roll followed by a flash of his teeth. ‘Really bad. We’re on our limit’ was the unicorn’s reply.

“How much longer do you think the Empire can hold out against her?” Spike asked.

‘A couple of days at best. Hours at worst’. Shining replied with a pause. ‘It all depends on Cadance’.

“Cadance?” Spike muttered. After another minute of travel, the group made it into the Throne Room. There, they saw a tired, weakly, but still, healthy-looking Cadance sitting on the throne. He noticed her horn surrounded by magic and glanced to Shining, the unicorn nodding confirming his suspicion. While Twilight rushed to greet her sister-in-law, Spike remained in the back along with Shining. “That bad, huh?”

“It’s worse than you think. The moment Cadance fails, we’re doomed. Somehow, only her Love and Light magic have been able to keep Umbra and the weather out,” he replied. He rushed to his wife when he saw her flinch and her magic flicker after doing their little dance.

While Shining explained the situation, Spike began to ponder on his mother and aunt’s actions. He’d gotten a taste of how strong Umbra was, but he doubted that she could stand against three alicorns for more than a few seconds. What could be so important or so secret that they couldn’t let even him know? Why didn’t they allow Blueblood to come along and help his sister?

“For Harmony’s sake, what is going on?” Spike asked himself, unable to comprehend the situation.

**********************************************

“As it turns out, shit is happening right now!” Spike cursed quietly as he saw the barrier keeping Umbra drop. Then, miraculously, the barrier came back to life. Spike clenched his first, shattering the straw decoration Rarity had just finished making. He knew what it meant. Both that his cousin was on her last burst of energy and that their time was nearly out. Worst of all, they just found out that the Crystal Heart was an actual Crystal Heart, a Relic of the Crystal Empire, and the source of the Empire’s vast power. Having to deal with ponies suffering from a dark magic curse-based amnesia had not been a pleasant thing. Less so after knowing that running this fair would lift their spirits only to break them again once Cadance collapses.

Rushing through the sky came Rainbow Dash and whispered something to Rarity that made her gasp. Then, she was off again leaving a shocked Rarity behind.

“I… eeeehhh...just found out they are offering face painting for the little ones, aha-ha!” She said, which managed to convince the crystal ponies.

“What did Rainbow say?” Spike whispered as he leaned towards Rarity. She wasted no time to inform him of what was transpiring. “Uh-huh… Oh… that’s bad… TWILIGHT’S DOING WHAT!?” He screamed.

Without even thinking about it, Spike rushed to the palaceas fast as his legs allowed him. His search didn’t last long as he saw Twilight walking to the palace. “Twilight!” He hollered and she turned to face him. “Are you insane? There’s no way I’m letting you go by yourself. I’m coming with you.”

“You can’t, Spike. This is my test and I must do it on my own. I must retrieve the Crystal Heart on my own,” she revealed before turning back to the palace and continuing on her quest.

“And that’s why I’m coming with you,” he began, walking at her side. “If it is your test, Grandfather Aurora give me the wisdom to see through Celestia and Luna’s actions, you will need help. So, like it or not, I’m coming with you. But I promise I won’t do anything unless you ask me to or if there’s no way for you to do it alone,” he nudged her flank with his hips. “Besides, the girls will be able to keep things in control without us for some time.”

Twilight smiled. “You’re such a great friend, Spike. Thank you.” With a neigh and a stomp, she was off running like the wind towards the palace.

“So, what’s the plan?” Spike asked as he ran at her side.

“I think I might just know where Queen Umbra hid the Crystal Heart.”

Spike looked ahead. “The Palace? I was going there in hopes of catching you. You think Umbra used the palace itself to hide it?”

“It makes sense when you think about it. The Queen would’ve counted on the fact that nopony would dare approach the palace in the first place. That they’d be too afraid to even try,” she replied in a serious, confident tone.

“It does make sense. I hope you’re right,” Spike confessed as they climbed the stairs.

“You and me both. Not like we have any other clues,” Twilight bit her lower lip and they entered the castle.

The duo searched the castle up and down with frantic speed. However, try as they might, they found nothing that would lead them to any sort of hidden chamber or secret passage. It wasn’t until they entered the throne room once more that Twilight had an epiphany.

“Of course!” She exclaimed.

“What?” Spike asked, putting a vase back on its pedestal. “Did you find it?”

“No. Because this isn’t Queen Umbra’s palace!” She exclaimed happily, trotting to the throne as she did.

“But she lived here when she ruled, didn’t she?” Spike asked. Then his eyes widened. “Right! She stole it from Princess Amore!”

“Exactly! This is how it looked when Princess Amore ruled, not Umbra. If we want to see Umbra’s doing then…” Twilight closed her eyes and exhaled heavily. Focusing on her magic, her lavender aura quickly began to darken. Grunting and sweating, Twilight struggled to accomplish her goal, but she was successful.

With a beam of dark, purple bubbling magic directed at the crystal sitting atop the throne, the crystal reacted and created an ample shadow over the ground in front of the throne, revealing a hidden underground passage.

“Where in the hay did you learn to cast dark magic!?” Spike asked in a panic.

“It’s a little trick Celestia taught me!” Twilight said cheerfully, pleased with her achievement.

“She never taught you anything even remotely close to dark magic!” Spike exclaimed. “The only time she ever used it was back in the… castle… Twilight,” his eyes went wide. “Did you seriously learn how to use dark magic just by seeing mother cast it once!?”

“Eyup!” She replied, equally pleased.

“...I don’t know if I should be amazed or afraid of how good you’re with magic,” he chuckled. “I know your special talent is magic. I just never realized it would be this strong!” He looked down the hole. “Next time you do something amazing with magic you’ll be time traveling or something like that,” with a burst of fire, Spike and Twilight watched his fireball travel down the dark passage until the fire dissipated. Spike whistled, impressed. “But right now, how about we focus on the endless pit of stairs?”

“Lets!” She agreed.

“Ccccrrrryyystals!” A booming voice was heard saying.

Looking out the window, they saw Cadance’s barrier flicker and waver. Outside, they would barely make out the figure of Queen Umbra’s face mixed in the mist, her horn flaring with dark magical energies. Then, from within the barrier, crystals began to reform and reshape into dark, twisted, corrupted versions of themselves.

“No time to waste!” Spike yelled. Grabbing Twilight, he rushed for the hole and dived without thinking twice. Twilight screamed in surprise at his action but was quick to recover; her horn creating an orb of light so they could see in that dark pit. Once Spike saw the bottom nearing fast, he spread his wings and flapped. He winced as the dark crystals encrusted at their base caused him a lot of pain.

Knowing he would not be able to fully come to a safe halt before reaching the bottom, he turned around and threw Twilight up two seconds before he hit the bottom. “AArrrgghh!” He cried in pain as he felt the crystal break and dig past some of his scales. Still, he was able to safeguard Twilight’s fall with his belly, the mare landing on it at a much-reduced speed.

“Are you okay, Spike?” Twilight asked worriedly.

“I’ll be better once the hayburger addict gets off me,” he said with a smirk, earning a jab to the chest. As she moved away, Spike stood up only to feel some of his blood trickling across his back. “I am really starting to hate these crystals.”

“There, a door!” Twilight pointed to said door. Walking up to it proved futile as the door moved to the side. “What the hay?”

“It must be an Anti-Thief door. It moves around on its own until it is given the right command. Luna has a lot of them in her treasury, room, and Night Guard training grounds,” Spike explained. “The problem is, we don’t know what the command is.”

“Is it a word or a phrase?” Twilight asked.

“It can literally be anything the creator programmed into the door.”

“I have an idea,” Twilight closed her eyes again and through a quick focus, she shot the door’s crystal sitting on its top. The door opened and Twilight smiled. “I think I got it!”

Spike watched the door open and… nothing happened. There was only a wall. He then looked at Twilight, sitting in front of the door, eyes wide and glowing with green magic whilst tears began to fall down her eyes. “Twilight! Twilight! Snap out of it! Twilight!” He called, shaking her until she reacted.

“S-Spike? W-Where Princess Celestia? Canterlot? M-My test! I failed my--” She was interrupted by Spike, as he closed her mouth with a hand.

“Twilight, listen to me. I think you were under the influence of a counter-spell. You were staring at the door and then--” his words died in his throat as his eyes began glowing green. Letting go of Twilight’s muzzle, Spike stared into empty space. “No!” He suddenly snarled, jumping back and holding his head. “I-Illusion! M-Mom would never… Luna! I… I will! For Harmony! She promised… m-my wiiiaaaaargggh!” He rambled before Twilight closed the door.

Breathing heavily, he turned to Twilight. “Thank you, Twily,” Spike rubbed his templates. “It must’ve been an illusion. A powerful one at that.”

“Strong enough to make you see your worst nightmare,” Twilight agreed. “But not enough to stop me from fulfilling my test,” she said before casting another spell at the door, this time dispelling it entirely and revealing what laid behind.

“While I agree that your test is important, Twilight. I think stopping Umbra is more important,” he argued. Walking through the door frame, he and Twilight found more stairs. “Oh great, just what we needed.”

“Come on, Spike. Less complaining, more climbing!” Twilight exclaimed.

The two of them climbed up the seemingly infinite stairs for the better part of half an hour, but nothing came out of it.

“Seriously, what’s with Umbra being obsessed with crystals and stairs!?” Spike complained. “Are you sure we’re not under another illusion or trapped in another one of Umbra’s obstacles to make us think we are climbing stairs but instead we’re walking in circles?”

“This is the seventh time you’ve complained, Spike. And for the seventh time, I already cast all the dispelling spells I know! This is the real world,” she looked up. “Mmhhmm,” she mused.

“Oh no. I know that look. What are you thinking, Twi?” Spike asked. The next thing he knew, he was being lifted by a magical aura and placed on Twilight’s back. “...given our sizes… I find this incredibly demeaning for both of us.”

“Good thing there’s only us two here! Now, hold on tight!” She replied before her horn glowed with an intense magical flare and quite suddenly, the gravity went haywire for a moment around them. Landing on the sleek, smooth surface of the understairs, Twilight began to slide quickly and with ease.

Within moments, the two of them reached the end of the stairway and reached the top. With another glow of her horn, the gravity around them was back to normal.

“Quick, get the Crystal Heart, and get this over with!” Spike pointed at the majestic and beautiful Crystal Heart.

Twilight nodded and rushed to the Heart. However, the moment she set hoof on the circle below the Heart, an enraged snarled could be heard coming from all over the place, followed shortly after by a prison of dark crystals, capturing both Twilight and the Heart inside.

Twilight tried to teleport, but the moment she was out, dark magic pulled her back inside the prison. “Gah! How could I’ve been so foolish!?” She cried. “I was so eager to get the Crystal Heart and complete my test that I didn’t think about checking for traps!” She muttered.

“Let me try!” Spike rushed to the growing dark crystals. He kicked, tail slammed, punched, clawed, and even bit. But whatever damage he made on them, it was instantly reconstructed. Worse still, was that the crystals, due to being imbued with dark magic, managed to make the experience painful for him.

“Spike…,” Twilight said from the inside. “There’s no time to waste. Here, take the Crystal Heart and give it to Cadance!”

“I have a better idea! I’ll take you both out!” He said. Closing his eyes for a moment, Spike growled before a burst of flames engulfed his body. An instant later, he reappeared inside the prison, grabbed Twilight and the Heart before another burst of green fire engulfed them again, only for the three of them to reappear outside of it. To his horror, sadly, Twilight was pulled back inside, but not the Heart. “Twilight!”

“GO, SPIKE!” Twilight shouted.

Nodding, Spike made it to the edge of the spire. He flexed his wings and found he was far too hurt to even glide. Grunting, he jumped to a nearby dark crystal to begin his descent. As he moved down, he saw Cadance’s remaining strength leave her entirely. With the barrier down, Queen Umbra made her way into the city undisturbed.

“My Crystal Slaaaaaaveeeessssss!” She said with great delight.

Looking down, Spike saw his friends and cousin on the balcony. “Hey, up here! I’ve got the Crystal Heart!”

“That is MINE!” Umbra angrily shouted.

Spike watched as Umbra plunged her body of mist onto the ground and then emerged moments later in the form of several dark crystal stalagmites. She emerged from the biggest and thickest one.

“You will all see! You will all see Amore isn’t the only one that can lead you!” Umbra shouted, her voice as booming and coarse as before.

“Shit!” Spike cursed as the spire he was climbing down snapped, forcing him and the Heart into a freefall. “Damn these crystals!” He complained as he tried, and failed, to move his wings correctly. Suddenly, the Crystal Heart began to shine brightly. He saw as Umbra’s mist body, the curse that was placed on her by Celestia and Luna a millennia ago, was washed away from her; returning her flesh and blood body entirely.

Looking down to the balcony again, he saw Shining Armor… pick Cadance up and over his head? His mouth went agape upon seeing Shining THROW his wife as if she was a javelin. Returning his gaze to Umbra, he saw the desperation in her eyes, the hunger and need to get to the Heart, and the assuredness of her victory.

In a moment of decision, Spike knew what he had to do. With the Crystal Heart still in hand, he threw it at Cadance’s direction whilst he, through a literal bloody flap of his wings, smashed himself against Umbra. Grabbing her by her now very physical neck, Spike began to punch her face whilst she fired beams of dark magic at him, encasing his chest, half his face, wings, and punching arm in a layer of dark crystals.

“Behold, it’s the Crystal Princess!” A random crystal pony shouted as Cadance glided down holding the Crystal Heart with her magic.

“NOOO! It’s my Crystal Heart! I AM THE RULER! QUEEN UMBRA!” Umbra shouted, trying and failing to get rid of Spike. With the Crystal Heart back in its proper place, the crystal ponies, led by Cadance, filled it with renewed energy. The Heart, in turn, filled everything with its energy, and through the Palace, an eruption of purifying energy flowed through.

Spike, in the meantime, using his remaining free eye, glared at Umbra until he saw something deep within her eyes. There was no fear. This monster wasn’t afraid. It was angry as it saw its defeat. But within its eyes… he saw something else. Something familiar.

Whenever he looked into Luna’s eyes, he could see the Nightmare lurking within her, scrapping at the door in a perpetual battle. Now that he saw deeply inside Umbra’s eyes, he could see the same but in reverse. He could see a weak presence; shackled and bound by the monster outside. As the wave of energy hit them, destroying his dark crystal confinements in an instant, he saw the Queen’s body crack and shatter as the purifying energies coursed through her body.

In an act of pity and understanding, for the similarities were too great for him to ignore, Spike embraced the Dark Queen as she shouted in pain and hatred.

“NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

Spike fell from the skies, but with his wings healed and back in working order, he glided down to land on the balcony of the Palace.

With a malnourished, sickly, passed out, and near-dying mare in his arms.

***********************************************

“Life in Equestria Shimmers. Like in Equestria shiiiiines~” Spike sang softly as he watched the parade of the newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship and Magic.

He smiled, proud as he could be for one of his best friends. When he heard the news he could hardly believe it, even if it had been Blueblood who told him such. From his window, he could see Twilight and the other Bearers singing, trotting slowly, and waving at the gathered inhabitants of Canterlot and Equestria come to see their newest Princess.

It was only after her ascension and subsequent explanations from Celestia and Luna that he understood why they had to keep it a secret. “Princess Twilight Sparkle. That’s going to take some time to get used to.”

“Why are you here with me instead of outside with them?” A weak, trembling yet firm voice asked.

Glancing at the bed in the room, Spike saw a weak mare on the right path to recovery. Her condition was still frail, but she’d soon be able to start walking on her own once again. Her red-blood eyes were locked on his own; a mixture of contempt, confusion, anger, betrayal, sadness, and just a hint of respect was reflected in her ruby eyes. With a smile, he returned his attention to the window and the parade. “I’m responsible for your well-being, Umbra. Do I have to tell you again how much I had to beg mother, Luna, and basically everyone else to spare your life?”

“You should’ve let me die,” she said without hesitation. “I don’t need anyone’s pity.”

“Well, you’re stuck with my pity, whether you like it or not.”

“Trusting me is a mistake. I’ll betray you eventually.”

“The moment you do, I’ll lop off your head myself,” Spike exclaimed calmly. “You’re both my prisoner and responsibility, Umbra. Your life is in my hands. If you really want to die, I’ll do it so when it pleases me and only after you betray me,” he sighed. “Harmony and Friendship demands of me to give you a second chance and… I don’t believe you were entirely evil. The mere fact that I was able to save you as the Crystal Heart destroyed that damn demon that possessed you is proof enough of that.”

Umbra was silent for several moments as the monitor she was hooked beeped. “I will not be your slave. I will not be your breeding whore if that’s what you’re planning. And I will never bow to you willingly, Bloodless Prince.”

“And I hope you one day tell me why you did what you did, Umbra,” Spike turned to Umbra. “As for your worries, well. It’s a good thing I never intended to do any of those things,” he chuckled. “You know, it’s funny now that I think about it. I nearly lost my mind when Celestia told me she wanted to free Discord because he deserved a second chance.”

“She wants his power, nothing more,” Umbra replied.

“Oh please,” Spike scoffed. “Do you really believe we could stop Discord without the Elements? That she can somehow control him?” He smiled. “He may deserve a second chance, and Fluttershy, of all ponies, gave him that chance! Now, while we can’t really call him an ally, he’d at least limit his chaos to his own home, wherever that is, and what little chaos he can safely do here and there,” he remained silent for a solid minute.

“I don’t know what really compelled me to try and save you, Umbra. Was it really pity? Or was it because you and Luna share similar misfortunes? As it stands… I’m not sure. But Fluttershy gave Discord the benefit of the doubt and a second chance. She gave him something he had never experienced,” he sat on her bed, his eyes locked on her missing horn. Without the demon that had possessed her, all her corrupted magic was purged but at the temporal cost of her horn. She’d get it back in a few months or years.

“And that thing is?”

“Kindness,” Spike answered. “Discord had been alone for… I don’t want to even think about it. But once Fluttershy came and gave him her complete trust with open hooves, despite knowing he was most likely going to use and betray her at some point in some way, she still trusted Discord. And when Discord felt the pain of having to be alone again… he knew he had been defeated. All thanks to a shy, innocent mare with a heart of gold that showed him kindness and allowed him to see the beauty of Harmony and Friendship.”

“Spare me the bland exposition, Bloodless Prince,” Umbra groaned. “What does that have to do with me?”

“That I plan on giving you a second chance in full. I will not treat you as a slave, but as a friend. A colleague and a companion,” he pressed his finger on the collar she was wearing. With a flash of golden light, it was gone and Spike removed it, much to the amused astonishment of Umbra. “If you accept my offer, I’ll take you in as a member of my entourage. But only after you’re back to perfect health.”

“...The Princesses won’t approve of your action,” Umbra warned. “You just gave me ample room to escape and betray you at my leisure.”

“It is the will of Harmony and Friendship for me to try. After that, if you betray my trust, you will face dire consequences. At my hands, if at all possible,” Spike countered.

Umbra laughed.

Chapter 6 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!

Chapter 7: Downfall of a Tyrant

“Why are you even here?” Umbra asked as she sat next to the dragon currently glued to a stack of papers, letters, and other documents describing accusations, sanctions, threats, embargoes, insults, and other such related topics between the nations of Zebrica and Cervidas.

“Because Equestria offered to stand as a neutral third party in these discussions to avoid a very real and potential war between the zebras and the cervids,” Spike explained, his voice reflecting a mild irritation.

Umbra scoffed. “Why do you even care? Why not let them massacre each other? Then, after their little war ends, swoop in and take the prize for yourself?”

“BECAUSE THAT’S NOT THE WILL OF HARMONY, UMBRA!” Spike roared with all his might, scaring the ever-living daylights out of the mare. Spike closed his eyes to control himself. “It’s not what my mother wants! It’s not what anyone wants! It’s not what I want! And it’s not what Harmony wants!”

Umbra stood back on her legs after falling, afraid, of the dragon in front of her. As she sat next to him again, she smirked. “You’re acting more pissy than usual, Bloodless Prince.”

“I’m sick and tired of those idiots refusing to see reason. Of them wanting to go to war just because neither side is willing to see their own faults. Of them blaming each other for their problems!” He snarled. “It doesn’t help that my current company is just as, if not more so, stubborn than they are.”

“If you’re so tired of it, why not leave them be? They are going to have their war and slaughter each other despite anything you say or do. Why are you even trying so hard for them?” Umbra questioned, leaning a little more to see his face.

“Even if my efforts are futile in the end, every day I buy for the innocents that do not want this war to happen is one more day they can live in peace and maybe find a refuge of some sort,” Spike answered, still sounding irritated but determined.

“But WHY!?” Now it was Umbra who raised her voice, stomping a hoof on the desk. “The zebras are isolationists and xenophobic maniacs that believe their species is the greatest to exist! And the cervids are so damn obsessed with their purity that they actively let their young die if they show weakness! Why are you wasting your time with these scumbags!?”

“Harmony wills it, Umbra,” Spike replied. “When we arrived two months ago, what did you see?”

“I saw two encampments ready to die for a vain cause without anyone to take advantage of their weakness and stupidity,” Umbra answered.

“I saw poor rations on the zebra’s side. I saw bucks too young to be soldiers on the cervids’ side. I saw fear and bloodlust in equal measure on both sides,” Spike put down the letter he was reading and grabbed another. “They are blinded by their own simple-mindedness. Thousands. Tens… maybe hundreds of thousands will die if we don’t stop this pointless war. They live without Harmony and Friendship in their hearts, and look at what that has given to them.”

Umbra scoffed again, jumping to her hooves to pace around their ample tent. “‘Harmony this’, ‘Harmony that’. I’m sorry to disappoint you, Bloodless Prince, but Harmony is a lie! Harmony doesn’t bring peace; it brings conflict. Harmony doesn’t let you live freely; it enslaves you to its rule. And Friendship?” She chuckled. “Friendship is an illusion! Friendship will never grant you anything but lies!”

“And that’s where you are wrong, Umbra,” Spike replied calmly.

Umbra stopped and stared at the dragon, expecting him to lash out in anger like he always did when she questioned his ideals and pillars. Instead, he was calm and collected, a far cry of the anger he displayed mere moments ago.

Glancing back, he gifted the mare with a tiny smile. “You’re alive, aren’t you?”

She neighed, lowering her head in anger. “That has nothing to do with your hollow ideals, Bloodless Prince!”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. But thanks to the pity I took on you, you’re alive today,” he then stood up and turned to face her. “You talk about how Harmony is a lie and how it enslaves those that believe in it. Yet here you stand, willing to let a war occur and planning on plundering their riches for yourself. You, the Tyrant Queen, are the least capable creature to be bashing others over slavery and domination.”

Umbra raised her head, now meeting Spike eye to eye. “That… that wasn’t me,” she began. “It was the demon that betrayed me. I never… wanted to do anything I did to the crystal ponies or the Crystal Empire.”

“Then why make a pact with a demon in the first place?” Spike asked, his posture firm.

Umbra eyed him for a moment. “You’ll never understand…”

“And you will never know if anypony can understand you if you don’t talk about it,” Spike countered. They remained silent for another minute or so before Spike broke it with a heavy sigh. “Come on. We’ve wasted enough time as it is. Continue searching for anything we can use to delay this damn war.”

“...Answer me one thing, Bloodless Prince.”

“Can this not wait until we’re done?” Spike replied, annoyed.

“You’re a dragon. And I know of your tale. I also know how you are both loved and despised by ponies and other creatures in equal measure. You managed to make the buffalo tribes bow and integrate into Equestria wholly before coming here. It was thanks to you that regular talks with the Diamond Dog Empire have been achieved. Griffonia for the first time ever opened their borders to Equestria thanks to you,” she chuckled. “Even the stubborn Yaks have agreed to open negotiations with Equestria.”

“That last one is thanks to Blueblood, not me,” he replied. “And… you forgot something, Umbra. It was thanks to you that the Breezies won’t have to depend on Equestria’s or anyone’s else’s generosity to travel in between their villages. I’m actually surprised no one thought about marking their routes as protected ventures and of Breezie sovereign land… or wind in this case.”

“And I was surprised they still existed at all,” Umbra said. “Fixing their traveling routes was something that came to mind in the spur of the moment. I simply took pi--” She stopped herself, eyes widening at what she was about to say. “In any case, Bloodless Prince, why do you care about Equestria? Everything you’ve done, including sparing my life… I’ve never seen a dragon go that far for anyone but themselves.”

“I should let you meet with my friends, Ember and Smolder. Last time they came over you were still bedridden. Ember wishes to return the dragons to their former glory, and Smolder is one of my best and hatchlinghood friends. They’re not your typical dragons,” he chuckled. “And that’s more impressive! Considering they grew up in the Dragon Lands and not in Equestria like me.”

“As for why I do everything I do? Well, Equestria is my home. I’ve seen what Harmony and Friendship can achieve. I was rescued from death by Princess Celestia, raised and loved by the Royal Sisters despite being a dragon. I was given a family, a house, a home. I don’t do it because I owe them. I do it because I love them and my home. And one day, once Equis is united under the banner of Equestria; when Harmony and Friendship hug the world, I will achieve my goal,” he explained.

“...You are either an idealistic fool or a naive daydreamer,” she sighed. “Do you think the world will bow their heads and accept Equestria’s ideals for their own? Have you learned nothing from their cultures? You can’t change everyone, no matter how hard you try. This conflict between zebras and cervids is a perfect example. Zebrica even went to war with Equestria a few hundred years ago,” she sat next to Spike once more. “I don’t see what possible good would come from helping your rivals and old enemies retain their strength. If you truly want to conquer the world, then Equestria could do it quite easily. Celestia and Luna alone could force the world into submission in a week if they wished to.”

“And what good would that bring us?” Spike asked. “Just an endless cycle of war, revenge, death, and misery. Equestria doesn’t want to conquer the world. Harmony seeks to unite it and Friendship to bind it together. That way we can finally progress as one…” His expression suddenly turned sorrowful. “Help me with that pile?”

Umbra stared at his face for a few seconds, not knowing how to feel about it. She had never seen such an expression paint his face before. But she could understand it. It was the face of someone who had seen something sad and tragic; something they’d wish could forget.

Letting out a sigh, she grabbed a scroll with a hoof and began reading. “You know,” she started. “Maybe you should think outside the box for this one.”

“Huh?” Spike glanced at her.

“If you’re really trying to prevent this war… then why not push it?”

“Push it? You mean… instigate it?” Spike asked, dumbfounded.

“No, you idiot. I’ve noticed something strange during our time here.”

“And that is?”

“They look a bit too… eager to fight. Don’t get me wrong, I would let them murder each other quite happily and leave this forsaken place. And something tells me you’re quite eager to leave as well,” Umbra said with a smirk.

“Get to the point, Umbra,” Spike ordered.

“The whole conflict started because zebra tribes invaded Cervidas in order to raid a few villages, right?”

“And in retaliation Cervidas sent small contingents to raid zebra tribes back as retribution. Rinse and repeat until this point.”

“But each side has yet to properly muster their forces for a serious fight according to Luna’s spies, right?”

“...Then why are they pushing so damn much to fight this war?” Spike questioned himself, frowning as he did. “Is it possible they are pretending it?”

Umbra shook her head. “No. They will go to war. The problem here is that they show too much eagerness to fight, whilst in reality being unprepared for an actual war between their nations,” Umbra hummed. “Spike… I think this may be a land-grab move that neither side is willing to back down from.”

“A land-grab… but what could each side possibly be after if that’s the case?” Spike asked Umbra, but all he received was a shrug in response. He closed his eyes and thought hard and long for several minutes. With a snap of his fingers, he said. “I think I know what each side is after… but they won’t accept it even if I bring it up on the table.”

“Then force them,” Umbra began. “Force them to make a decision. Push them to go to war if that is what they really want.”

Spike leaned back on his seat using his tail for support. “If I’m wrong and screw this up then all hopes for a diplomatic solution are out the window,” he muttered to himself. Then, he turned his head to Umbra. “Umbra… how would you do it?”

***********************************************

“Ah, Prince Spike, you’ve finally arrived,” a young and buff zebra warrior by the name of Zuwil, son of the current Chieftain of the Zebrica Tribes, said with fake amicability. Uncaring how obvious his tone was, he continued. “It is rare for Equestria to be late to leap at a chance of carrion.”

“The same and more can be said about you damnable pillagers,” Princess Dami of Cervidas spat. She was wearing a suit of armor but nothing more, as weapons were forbidden on neutral grounds.

“I apologize for my tardiness, Zuwil, Dami,” Spike sat down on his spot at the head of the small rectangular desk. As always, they met under a small carp to shade them from the sun. Behind each representative, a servant stood behind them, also unarmed and untrained, to serve them water or bring them food. Like the zebra and cervid, Spike wore no weapon nor did Umbra who stood behind him. She was wearing a small set of purple and green colored armor, her flank covered by metal and bearing Spike’s personal Sigil: a green flame with a purple wing inside it. “Shall we start?”

“Only if our demands are met,” Zuwil said. “My father is growing ever tired of these diplomatic meetings. And so am I. Zebrica only wishes for what it deserves after the unjustified attacks--”

“Unjustified!? You striped bastards attacked, unprovoked! Entire villages were looted and many killed! Our attacks were in retaliation for your actions!” Dami shouted.

“Again with this?” Zuwil sighed. “Have we not provided evidence that the tribes responsible were punished? Yet you attacked the wrong tribes in retaliation! Hundreds of innocents were killed without reason!” Zuwil barked. “We demand retribution, nothing more!”

“You wish for folly!” Dami barked back. “We know fully well those tribes acted under orders from your father, the Chieftain. My father will never be content without placing his damnable head on a pike unless our demands are met!”

Spike sighed. “Zuwil, Dami. Please, calm down,” slowly, the two returned to their seats, glaring at each other. “At least wait until I bring out my final proposition before you start jumping at each other’s throats.”

Dami blinked. “Final proposition?”

“Finally,” Zuwil snorted.

“This is Equestria’s final proposition,” he cleared his throat. “ ‘By order and validation of Prince Spike Solaris, in the name of Equestria and wielding all the powers it grants him. I, Prince Spike Solaris, propose a truce be called between the Nations of Zebrica and Cervidas in avoidance of needless armed conflict. Should both parties accept, Equestria will grant adequate monetary and material compensation.’ That is all,” Spike said rolling up the scroll.

“You must be joking,” Zuwil chuckled.

“For once, we are in agreement,” Dami replied. “Such a proposal isn’t worth the ink it was used on it! Cervidas will not accept anything less than our stated demands to be met!”

“Zebrica pisses on such an insulting proposal! The lives of our brothers and sisters will never be quenched unless our demands are answered!” Zuwil countered.

“I see,” Spike sighed as he stood up. “If that is your final decision, then I’m afraid Equestria cannot do anything else. Have a good day,” he bowed and turned to leave.

“W-wait a second, you’re leaving just like that?!” Dami blurted out whilst Zuwil could only stare in astonishment.

“Of course,” Spike replied. “To be honest, I’ve grown sick and tired of dealing with all of this,” he used an arm to motion at their encampments and the desk. “For two months. Two bloody months I’ve done everything in my power to try and settle your dispute in a peaceful manner. But despite my best efforts, it seems your hatred is far too great to accept a compromise. So, instead of wasting my time trying to prevent the inevitable, I’ll head back home.”

The two representatives looked at each other for a few seconds until the sound of folding paper was heard.

“Go on. Attack each other,” he said as he packed the scroll inside a satchel. “Start your war,” he pointed at their servant. “You and you, go ahead. I’m not stopping you. Slaughter each other in kind. You want revenge, no? Now that Equestria is out of your way, you can finally maim, and rape, and murder, and bludgeon, and raid each other all you want to your heart’s content.”

“Y-You can’t--” Zuwil started.

“What are you waiting for!?” He roared, making all of them flinch. “Haven’t you been saying all that shit about avenging your fallen!? Have you not made my fins bleed with promises of mutual death and destruction!? That your nations stood unflinching and desiring nothing more than spilling the blood of the other!? EEEHHH?” He slammed the table, shattering the wood upon impact.

“GO ON! Head back home to your fathers! Tell them to gather up the armies! To march forth and conscript the old and the young, the fit and the weak! The battlefield awaits for blood to run like rivers!” Spike snarled. “And once you’re all dead, lying upon the ground and feeding vultures and worms, then you can finally claim the lands you oh so desire with wanton lust and greed!” He then grabbed two scrolls and tossed them to the table.

“It took me a long time to figure out what was wrong or why you two were so adamant about taking those lands,” Spike spat. “Zebrica attacked Cervidas. Cervidas retaliated. Zebrica attacked arable and rich soil land, stealing mostly food and some valuables. Cervidas attacked a rich mining and spice land, stealing back mostly said goods,” Spike looked at them with absolute disdain, disgust, and contempt. “Don’t use the lives of those murdered during those attacks to justify your real motives.”

He said, sitting down and pulling out a set of ink and quills, plus a candle that he lit with a snort of fire.

“Inside those scrolls is a written ceasefire and the establishment of a trade-agreement between Zebrica and Cervidas. The expenses shall be sponsored by Equestria. The construction of the road shall be covered by Equestria. The wagons and carts needed for commerce to start shall be provided by Equestria. We shall also establish mutually beneficial officers in charge of overseeing transactions so that neither side takes advantage or dependence of the other,” Spike crossed his arms.

“Now sign the damn treaties, let your soldiers return to their families in peace, and enjoy your future trading. Unless, of course, you’re willing to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of innocent lives in a pointless war that will leave you exhausted and weaker than when you started,” he said.

Without uttering a single word or sound, Dami and Zuwil slowly unfolded the scrolls, read them through, and signed them. As a finishing touch, each used a wax seal to make it official and offered a drop of their blood to magically imprint the scrolls.

“Good,” Spike said as the two representatives exchanged scrolls. “As stated in the treaty, if another raid from either party is launched, Equestria shall pull its resources out and will put an effective blockade on both nations for the duration of the treaty. Farewell,” Spike stood up and turned to his tent. With a wave of his hand, the small group of unarmed royal guards began tearing his encampment down. “And have a nice day.”

He and Umbra walked away, not without the unicorn giving the group a cheeky grin.

Once they were back in their encampment, they were quick to get on the chariot they had arrived in. With a nod, the four pegasuses spread their wings and departed from the no-creature’s land knowing the others would soon follow. With a glance down, Spike and Umbra noticed that Zuwil and Dami were returning to their respective encampments.

“I can’t believe that actually worked,” Umbra said, smirking.

“Yeah me nei--,” Spike turned his head to Umbra so fast his neck popped a vertebra. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“HA! You should see your face!” Umbra laughed before turning to the front. “It was a throw of the dice, really,” she confessed. “If all they wanted to get their hooves on was the land, then it would work. Which it did. If not, well, not your problem anymore.”

“...” Spike stared at her, dumbfounded, for several seconds. “I am going to focus on the fact that it worked and that a war was, hopefully, avoided.”

“Do you really think they’ll back down after that?”

“It’s a possibility,” Spike sighed before sitting down. “Thank you, Umbra.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m part of your entourage, am I not? Besides, what would you do without my wise council and priceless help?” She flattered herself.

“Probably live without a constant headache,” he replied, earning a glare from the mare. “But while I’m thankful for your aid, I was talking about another thing.”

“What ‘another thing’?” She raised an eyebrow.

Spike smirked. “That was the first time you’ve called me by my name, Umbra. Thank you.”

Umbra glared at him for a few seconds more, then closed her eyes returning her attention forward. “My tongue slipped, that is all, Bloodless Prince.”

“Whatever you say, Umbra,” Spike replied. “Man, I can’t wait to get home after all this time,” he breathed in deeply. “I miss everypony. Once I’m back, I’m going to hug mom and aunt Luna for a whole hour.”

Umbra stifled a laugh. “I seriously don’t get you. How is it possible you can be the scariest thing I’ve ever seen one moment and the next this fresh off the teat colt?”

“I take great offense to that, you know?” Spike said, a smile spreading across his face. “I’m just excited to finally get back home and relax for some time.”

“Equestria is not going anywhere. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen? More forgotten vines sprouting and taking over Equestria while we were gone?” She chuckled.

***********************************************

Spike and Umbra watched, aghast, at the devastation a gigantic centaur was causing. Throughout the land; leveling mountains, creating new canyons and crevices, obliterating fields and trees with ease. Everywhere they looked, destruction was there to meet them.

“Lord Tirek!” He cursed the name, knowing who the only centaur alive was.

Letting out a roar of anger, Spike spread his wings and flew as fast as they would allow him. He ignored the warning calls from Umbra and the pegasi guards while he accelerated towards the centaur. He was half-way through when he saw a bright sphere emerge from the depths of the Everfree Forest. Tirek shot a beam of corrupted magic at the sphere achieving nothing. After what seemed to be a brief exchange, the sphere shot six magic beams in the form of a rainbow at Tirek.

The giant centaur screamed in pain as he became shorter and shorter, millions of small magical wisps flying in all directions. Five in particular stuck out. Three of them flew towards Tartaturs: a Golden, a Dark Blue, and a Teal wisps. Another Lavender one plus five small ones followed the raising sphere to the skies. And a final chromatic, chaotic one, much bigger than the rest went down.

A sudden explosion of light and Harmonic energy covered the land, restoring the most grievous damage Tirek had done to the land in its wake. Then, a rainbow emerged from the Forest and landed in Ponyville. Seconds later, a castle emerged.

By the time he arrived at the newly formed castle, Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Discord appeared.

***********************************************

“Hello, Tirek,” Spike said after landing in front of his cage. Getting off of his back, Umbra stepped back. “Umbra, keep Cerberus entertained while I talk with Lord Tirek.”

“...Are you sure you can do this?” Umbra questioned.

“You saw what he did... What he almost caused,” Spike snorted smoke. “I will be done soon. Go to Cerberus.”

“If that’s what you want,” she said, obeying without further reproach.

“Ah! If it isn’t the reptile Prince,” Tirek chuckled. “I actually wondered where you were hiding. Have you come to gloat over my defeat?”

“I’ve come to see a fool trapped inside a cage,” Spike replied. Then, he chuckled.

Confused, Tirek was taken aback by the sudden shift in emotions. Gone was the anger, replaced by a mocking grin. “Why are you laughing?”

“I’ve come to congratulate you, that’s all. You nearly doomed Equestria and countless others. Absorbing the magic of millions. Tricking Discord by offering something he had come to cherish yet not fully understand. Really, I congratulate you on making Discord see the true meaning of Friendship. He will never embrace Harmony. But he now understands Friendship, and his bond with Fluttershy is stronger than before,” he laughed some more. “But you made one grave mistake, Tirek.”

“Mistake? I do not make mistakes! I am Lord Tirek, you insolent whelp!” He yelled as he opened his mouth. In a flash, a purple-scaled hand shut it close and Tirek whimpered, desperately trying to free himself from the grip of the dragon threatening to break his bones.

Spike squeezed just a little tighter, his claws digging into Tirek’s flesh. “You almost destroyed everything the mares I love above all things have worked and strived to build. You nearly caused ruin and damnation not only to MY home and MY mares; you nearly killed uncounted millions across the world. Celestia, Luna, Twilight, Cadance… even Discord and the girls, Shining, Blueblood… everypony believes the best punishment is for you to stay here, locked away where you won’t cause any more trouble,” he snarled, presenting his fangs. “But I digress.”

“They don’t know I’m here. And they won’t know I was here,” he looked at Umbra as she played with Cerberus. He then returned his gaze to Tirek. “I believe in second chances, for Harmony wills it. But you’ve squandered every chance you’ve gotten. You even led to the extinction of two species in your wicked and damnable pursuit for power,” squeezing his jaw more and moving his hand down he forced Tirek’s mouth to open.

As he stared deeply into Tirek’s terror-filled eyes as tears flowed down his eyes, gurgling pleas for mercy arriving at deaf ears.

“For all the lives lost at your hands and actions. For all the despair and ruination you’ve caused. For all the suffering you’ve caused throughout millennia… I, Spike Solaris, condemn you to death,” Spike proclaimed without an ounce of compassion or mercy.

“Nhhggooo….P...P-Pweeuuseee… f-fhon’t… ghillk meeeee…” Tirek cried.

“You want to eat power? Fine by me. Eat mine.”

With that final declaration, Spike took in a huge breath. Orange fire accumulated in his maw, quickly turning red, then blue, then green, then white. Until it finally turned purple.

One final look of pure horror from Tirek later, Spike unleashed a torrent of purple flames directly into his mouth. He didn’t have time to scream as the fire seared and melted him from the inside out in mere seconds. Purple flames erupted from his nostrils, eye sockets, ears, intestines, back… everywhere.

Ten seconds later, Tirek was gone. Nothing but mere ashes and some waste lying on the floor of his cage remained of the once-mighty centaur. A ‘fwoosh’ of purple fire later, not even that remained. He didn’t have to worry about leaving marks on the cage itself. They had been designed and created by his grandmother, Moonlight, and were virtually indestructible.

“So… it is done,” Umbra said, arriving at Spike’s side. “I thought you were going to back down.”

“He got what he deserved after all the crimes he’d committed,” Spike replied, offering his back.

Umbra climbed on. “You are full of surprises. Aren’t you worried I’ll tell Celestia and Luna what you have done?”

Flapping his wings, he left Tartarus via a short-ranged pyreportation. “I will tell them when the time comes. They won’t approve, I’m sure of it. But Tirek was far too dangerous to let him live and allow him another chance to wreak havoc. We may not be able to stop him again if that were to happen,” he frowned. “I wasn’t willing to take that risk.”

“And if other enemies as dangerous as Tirek show up? Are you going to kill them too?”

“It is the will of Harmony to grant second chances, Umbra. If they squander it… perhaps,” he snarled. “I’m not afraid to stain my hands if it means protecting those I love, my friends, and my home,” he replied.

“...I may have judged you wrongly after all. You’ve earned my respect… Spike. ”

Chapter 7 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!

Chapter 8: The Life and Times of a Prince

Spike sat with his arms crossed, his eyes glaring at the bound unicorn mare sitting in the middle of the room. A series of ring nullifiers covered her horn, and her neck sported a probation collar; the same kind Umbra wore months prior during her slow but steady recovery.

Next to him sat Blueblood and Shining Armor, their expressions both cold and emotionless. The Bearers sat next to them, all of them wearing worried expressions. On the other side, a series of high-ranking and important nobles, officers, and a few representatives; mostly pertaining to envoys and diplomats from other nations sat with cold indifference.

Sitting on a slightly elevated pedestal sat Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. The latter presented a gravid stomach. Twilight was also present, but she was standing next to the bound mare.

“Starlight Glimmer,” Luna started. “Your crimes… your crimes… I cannot even begin to fathom them,” she spat.

“As I’ve said, Princess Luna, Starlight Glimmer didn’t actually commit any crimes! She stopped, on her own volition, after realizing her mistakes and what her actions could’ve caused,” Twilight implored.

“Damnation. Death. Destruction. Genocide. War. Eternal Darkness,” Cadance listed, her eyes fixated on Starlight.

Twilight gulped, unable to unsee the disgust reflected in the nicest pony she knew. “I-I know… I know better than anyone… I saw those alternate timelines. But they don’t exist and never will!”

“That still does not absolve her of nearly causing the damnation of Equestria and that of Equis, most likely,” Celestia replied in a firm, strict tone. “But let us assume that is the case. Let us assume that due to the nature of time-traveling magic itself all of her actions are of no consequence. She is still guilty of crimes more than enough to spend the rest of her days inside a dungeon cell.”

“Brainwashing. Cutie Mark stealing? Ponynapping. Theft. Assaulting Royalty. Destruction of private property. Not to mention,” Luna growled. “The near loss of the legacy of Starswirl the Bearded. And gravest of all charges: rebellion. She wanted to instigate her own regime across Equestria and beyond in a quest to remove everypony’s cutie mark!”

“But she didn’t!” Twilight countered.

“Because you and your friends stopped her with the aid of those she held captive inside her cult village,” Cadance clarified. “Had you not stopped her, she would be doing just that right now, wouldn’t you?”

Starlight lowered her head in shame. “Yes, Princess Cadance,” he replied.

“But the fact remains that she nearly caused the total annihilation of everything we know and love due to her miserable, petty, and absurd motivations,” Luna snarled, her pupils turning to slits. “Someone so mentally unstable and frail should not be allowed to wander freely nor forgiven.”

“Do not be so hasty, sister,” Celestia raised a hoof. “She was but a filly when she lost everything dear to her. An experience that traumatized her to guide her actions in the wrong direction.”

“Why do I find this to be unsurprising?” The Diamond Dog envoy said rather loudly, her arms crossed as she glared at Celestia. “Of course a damn pony that almost erased us from existence itself is shown leniency because she’s a damn pony,” she spat.

“That she’s a pony has nothing to do--” Celestia started but was cut short by a boisterous laugh.

“Don’t make me laugh!” Ambassador Mighty Horns stood up. “I am quite sure that if that thing-” he pointed at Starlight. “-belonged to any other species, this trial wouldn’t even exist. She’d be executed right on the spot. But, because she’s one of your precious little ponies, you’ll risk your own coat to save her stinking life!”

Other envoys and representatives, along with officers and nobles, began to murmur between each other.

“Tirek was a threat to all of us. Did he not attack the griffon settlement near the border of Griffonia? Did he not attack minotaurs, diamond dogs, zebras, cervidae, yaks, sheep, mules, donkeys, cows, and every other species that got on his way in equal measure?” Celestia questioned. “And yet, despite his crimes, he’s locked away in Tartarus after a fair trial was held against him.”

Spike flinched and his body stiffened. Luckily for him, everyone else was busy with the trial to notice his reaction.

“And what about Discord?” The Abyssinian Ambassador brought up. “Where was his trial? You unilaterally decided to free the greatest threat upon us on a whim. He may be docile for now, but for how long?”

“Discord is the God of Chaos,” Cadance replied. “In reality, there is nothing we can do against him. All we can hope for is to arrive at a compromise with him.”

“I knooooow~! He’s such a weirdo!” Discord said next to Cadance. Everyone in the room gasped in surprise, having no idea when he appeared. “Sorry for being late. I was having a rather intense and exciting 'Paradox-Billiards-Vostroyan-Roulette-Fourth-Dimensional-Hypercube-Chess-Strip’ Poker match with my good pal Smooze and I lost track of time! But here I am,” Discord explained as he rested on a hammock supported by two chubby centipedes. “So, what’s this all about?”

“...I’m sorry, what?” Blueblood mumbled.

“Oh, don’t bother! I’ll do it myself,” with a snap of his fingers that seemingly did nothing, Discord stared at Starlight and nearly was able to contain his laughter. Nearly. “Bwahahahaha! Seriously!? You know that altering timelines don’t work, right? All you were doing was creating alternate possibilities and streams! And you nearly imprisoned both you and Twilight here in an eternal loop!” He used his tongue to dry off his tears. “Never go there. It never ends well. My good friend Jean-Luc has gone through enough time-traveling nonsense to last a lifetime.”

“Putting your personal life aside, Discord. I’m glad you could make it,” Celestia said. “You’re the only being that can tell us if Starlight’s actions regarding her ventures in time-traveling and the alteration of timelines can count as a crime or not for us to consider.”

“I said that altering timelines doesn’t work, didn’t I? However, it is not her actions that must be judged, but rather her intentions for doing so. So, I say, she’s guilty and must be held accountable,” Discord provided.

“Thank you, Discord,” Luna replied through gritted teeth. “Are there any other points you’d wish to discuss in her defense, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight shared a determined look with Starlight. “I know that everything she has done is wrong. And that her motives may look childish, perhaps stupid to some. But the fact remains that she would have destroyed the spell, trapping us in an infinite loop and dooming Equestria and everything else to fate I cannot, nor I wish to, fathom. But she didn’t. She voluntarily stopped and surrendered herself to me after seeing reason. She willingly put on the nullifiers and the probation collar. She was the one who asked me to arrange this trial, knowing it would be to her detriment,” Twilight stepped forth.

“Please, I beg you… all of you to show leniency in light of her cooperative actions. Starlight has accepted and acknowledges her mistakes. By the will of Harmony and this Trial, I ask only to find mercy in your hearts.”

The room fell silent for several long, cold seconds until Celestia spoke. “How does the gathered Council vote?”

“Death!”

“Reformation!”

“Obliteration!”

“Life-Prison!”

“Death!”

“Obliteration!”

The voices began to shout one by one, each creature present having the right to vote or abstain if they so pleased.

“Dea--” Spike stopped himself as he glared at Starlight. Suddenly, her figure was replaced by that of Tirek as he was rendered asunder, reduced to ashes by his fire and claws. He shook his head, suddenly finding it extremely hard to breathe while his heart drummed loudly within his chest. When he opened his eyes again, Tirek was gone showing Starlight standing in the center of the room once more.

I shouldn’t feel any mercy for her! He shouted inside his head. She almost erased everything I love and treasure! She nearly trapped Twilight! She nearly destroyed Equestria and Harmony itself! And even if she hadn’t, her laundry list of other crimes can’t be ignored either! He looked at Celestia and Luna, his heart tearing itself apart at the mere thought of imagining them gone from his life.

Looking down, he found his hands were shaking, followed by a brutal ghostly pain in his abdomen and an urge to vomit. He stood his ground, however, and managed to control himself as he removed his gloves. He traced the tip of a claw over the marked ‘D’ he scrapped on his scales. The ‘D’s’ symbolized ‘Defeat’. But now… now another word came to light.

Looking at Starlight, his glare intensified. In terms of danger and potential damage, she was a greater threat than Tirek.

“And if other enemies as dangerous as Tirek show up? Are you going to kill them too?”

“It is the will of Harmony to grant second chances, Umbra. If they squander it… perhaps. I’m not afraid to stain my hands if it means protecting those I love, my friends, and my home.”

The question made by Umbra after he’d finished off Tirek and his answer replayed themselves in his mind at that very moment. And only now… only after weeks of pondering and ever-increasing doubt and lies he told himself trying to calm the thunderstorm inside his head. Spike saw the truth.

“...Was I wrong?” He muttered to himself, his voice lower and softer than Fluttershy’s. “Did I do it for Harmony or because I was angry, scared, and selfish?” Tirek was a danger, that much was true. And killing him instead of hoping he’d never escape again and wreak havoc solved the issue from the root. He was in the right.

He knew he was in the right. His action had been not only justified, but also deserving against that heartless monster that had killed his own parents with his own hands. Tirek deserved no mercy. Tirek’s death was justice; his actions pure.

“But I didn’t do it for Harmony…,” Spike whispered as his hands stopped trembling. “D-Did I fail?”

“Spike?” Blueblood asked. “Are you alright, cousin?”

“...I will… eventually…” he replied.

“Reformation,” Twilight announced.

“And you, Starlight Glimmer? How do you sentence yourself?” Cadance asked.

“...If my choice matters… then… Obliteration,” she replied.

Celestia nodded and Luna sighed. “It is a tie between the Death Penalty. Obliteration. And Reformation. However, one vote yet remains to be cast,” Luna turned to Spike. “How do you vote, Spike?”

Spike stood up. For a moment he thought about putting on his gloves, but discarded the idea along with the gloves as he approached Starlight Glimmer.

“Killing is disgustingly easy,” Spike began. “I could slice your throat with a single claw right here, right now, and be done with it. I could burn you to a crisp… and even less than that. Or I could crush your head or punch your heart out of your chest,” he stopped in front of a scared Starlight and an astonished Twilight. “I’ve killed before. In self-defense, you could say. And despite being a dragon, once I thought I was invincible. Yet I nearly met my end because of my hubris,” he glared death upon Starlight.

“I could simply choose Death and end you myself. You are weak-minded. You are volatile. You are incredibly intelligent. You are frail but cunning. You’re probably one of the most powerful unicorns alive, maybe as strong as Twilight was,” he chuckled. “The sole reason you got your with Twilight so long was because, at heart, Twilight is one of the most kind, caring, and noble ponies I know. A true Princess of Equestria. Harmony is strong within her and she represents Friendship itself,” he smiled at Twilight for a moment before turning back to Starlight. “But you? You are pathetic, Starlight Glimmer. So pathetic that you don’t even deserve death to escape from consequences.”

“And Obliteration? No. Out of the question. I will not allow you an easy exit. A childish tantrum first drove you to hate cutie marks, the very essence of ponykind, and nearly instigate a rebellion across Equestria. When that failed, that same tantrum nearly caused the destruction of Equestria. Because if you couldn’t be happy, then no creature else could be happy,” he glared at her with utmost contempt. “You disgust me, Starlight Glimmer.”

Then, he chuckled. “And yet… I stand below you,” he turned to the elevated podium. “I killed Tirek in his cell. He was unarmed and goated him into attacking me first. All to have an excuse,” he closed his eyes when he saw the surprise and shock in the eyes of the three Princesses. “He was a threat, just like you. Letting you roam free is a mistake. Killing you is preferable. Obliterating you is also a tempting option. But… that is not the way of Harmony. You realize your actions were wrong and you gave up yourself at the eleventh hour,” he opened his eyes.

“That’s why I vote for Reformation… under the vigilance of the Princess of Magic and Friendship, Twilight Sparkle,” he turned to the podium, kneeling and planting his head against the floor. “My Princesses, I beg of you, not as family or as a Prince, but as a citizen of Equestria and a firm believer of Harmony and Friendship, that Starlight Glimmer is given a second chance under the tutelage of Twilight Sparkle so she may understand what Friendship really is. That said, however, she should not be set free so easily. I suggest she be forbidden from casting any sort of magic for an entire year, as well as carrying a probation collar for as long as Twilight Sparkle deems it necessary,” he begged.

“Why did you kill Tirek, Spike?” Celestia asked, her voice somber and heavy.

“Because he was a true monster. He squandered every chance he got… and I decided that keeping him locked away in the hopes of him never returning wasn’t enough. So I ended his miserable life,” he began to shake. “Taking a life is disgustingly easy… but I make this promise to you. All of you. That in the name of Harmony and Friendship and Equestria, I will never claim the life of another being unless it is absolutely inevitable and only as a last resort,” he promised.

Celestia, Luna, and Cadance looked at each other, then nodded. “We shall discuss your punishment in private later, Spike,” Luna said, unflinching and serious. “But we agree with your request, if Princess Twilight Sparkle accepts the responsibility?”

“I do, your majesty,” Twilight bowed. “Thank you, Spike,” she muttered to her dear friend.

“Are all parties satisfied?” There were a few grumbles, but eventually, every creature raised a hand or hoof. “Then this Trial is adjourned,” Cadance announced.

***********************************************

“As it turns out, they were far more saddened than disappointed,” Spike said to a cooing, adorable little baby alicorn. “Yup. Uncle Spike did a naughty,” he looked around to see the coming storm closing around the Crystal Empire. “Like you did a naughty, little snot.”

“Uhhaawooo!” Flurry Heart giggled.

“You’re the cutest little magical weapon of mass destruction ever!” Spike said as he kissed and tickled his niece’s stomach. “Want to know a secret, little snot?” Flurry Heart teleported and latched herself to his face a second after reappearing. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he chuckled as he pulled her away from his face. “I’m going to spoil you rotten!” He declared as he cradled her and she giggled, taking one of his fingers and sucking his claw. “You are adorable!” He said kissing her forehead.

From where he was sitting, he saw Cadance and Twilight fail to reconstruct the Crystal Heart.

“The spell failed! I don’t know what else to do!” Twilight lamented.

Spike looked around the increasingly worsening climate. “Don’t you worry, bug, uncle Spike won’t let you be cold,” he hummed, making his body warmer and some snow fizzle upon touching his scales.

While Flurry cooed and giggled enjoying the warmth, Shining Armor entered past the curtains. “What happened? I thought you said you’d give me the signal once you were all on the train?” Spike asked worriedly.

“Change of plans,” he smiled.

“I believe an old student of mine might have the solution we seek, Twilight,” Celestia said as the curtains were parted to reveal a near-frozen Celestia and Luna, Starlight, the girls, and a unicorn stallion he had never seen before.

Taking the baby away from his grasp, Spike remained on the sideline watching as the unicorn pony talked with Twilight about magic and spells. They managed to piece together a solution and the Crystalling proceeded as normal. The only problem came when the need for four active powerful casters to maintain the Crystal Heart together and activate the series of spells required to fix the Heart showed up.

Sunburst had the knowledge, not raw power. Cadance and Shining Armor would be busy outside performing the ritual necessary to empower the chosen crystal. And Umbra’s horn was still recovering. Even if she were capable of doing magic, she’d never be allowed to enter the Crystal Empire. So, he knew what was about to happen.

“I hate myself sometimes,” Spike sighed as he walked to Starlight. Startling her with his approach, she froze when he grabbed her horn and removed the nullifiers. “The second you try anything funny, I’ll lop off your horn without a second thought, got it?” Starlight nodded vigorously. “Then go and help.”

“That was a bit uncalled for, don’t you think?” Rarity asked softly. “Starlight Glimmer has been a dear and has proven she’s willing to change and recognize her faults, darling.”

“Perhaps,” he stared at Starlight as she joined her magic to that of Twilight, Celestia, and Luna. Each of them working both in tandem and focusing on their own individual spells. “But I’m not going to trust her so soon,” he looked down at his hands. “At least she didn’t do anything as what I’ve done,” he felt Rarity place a hoof on his back and he looked at her to find a warm, understanding smile.

“While I do not approve of what you did to Tirek, darling. I know you had the best intentions in mind. When he consumed my magic… it was like he was sucking my very soul out of my body. Truly, a harrowing experience,” she shuddered. “But I am ever so proud and happy that you’re my friend and a Prince I can look up to, Spikey dear. Blemishes and all,” she said.

“Thanks, Rarity,” Spike grinned a moment before Sunburst came running and jumped next to the Crystal Heart, inserting the charged crystal with his fall. A few moments later, the Crystal Heart was back to normal and it shone brightly. A wave of pure Harmonic energy flowed through everyone present making their bodies crystalline. The energy instantly pushed back the weather, resuming its slow but steady growth to reclaim all the territory the ice had claimed over millennia.

When everything was done, Spike put the nullifiers back on Starlight’s horn. “I appreciate the help, but you’re still under reformation.”

“I understand,” she said in a solemn tone.

************************************************

“Spiiiiiike!” Smolder called out as she rushed to greet her friend.

“Smolder!” Spike replied, catching Smolder and rolling around the ground for a few moments. When they stood up, they shared one last tight hug. “Man, it’s been so long since we last saw each other!”

“Yeah, if you call last month’s Gala a long time,” she punched Spike’s arm.

“Ha ha! Look at Smolder! Hugging like a pony,” a fat, brown dragon mocked causing some of his friends to laugh. In an instant, he was laying on his ass and clutching his jaw painfully.

“I may hug like a pony, but I punch harder than you, boulder brains!” Smolder snorted fire before stepping on the tail of the fat dragon; his friends shutting up instantly as he cried in pain. “Anyone else want a piece of me?”

And like that, they scattered.

“Stupid idiots,” Smolder crossed her arms and glanced back to Spike. “So, I see you got called as well, huh?”

“Yeah. I didn’t want to come but this itch is driving me crazy. It’s almost as bad as the molt,” Spike replied. “By the way, awesome punch! Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“Ember and I spar from time to time, I also train by myself. Not like I lack punching bags around these parts. How come most dragons are such big idiots?” She questioned as she sat on a rock.

Inviting himself, Spike sat next to her. “Well, most dragons only care about themselves and survival, so that may be a factor. Also, dragons have a nasty tendency to be dicks most of the time,” he stretched. “It’s so refreshing to talk more freely like this. I don’t have to worry about insulting anypony, or dignitary, or diplomat.”

“Or some pretty lady?” Smolder asked, elbowing his ribs.

“The only pretty ladies here are you and Ember, but Ember is… well, Ember. And you are yourself. No way some crude language would ever offend you. Less so if your mouth is dirtier than mine!” He chuckled and Smolder did the same.

“Hey, where’s Umbra?” She asked.

“She’s back in Canterlot since I had to come alone,” he replied. “She’s been surprisingly helpful, to be honest. I don’t always approve of her thinking or methods, but her advice is always good. Honestly? She has the mantle of a leader and the mind to back it up. She knows what she’s doing, she’s firm, strong, solid, resolute, and unflinching,” he frowned. “Which makes me all the more curious as to why she made a pact with a demon to take over the Crystal Empire. Her genius is obvious, her attitude could use some work. And though I think I’m a positive influence on her, I wonder what she could do on her own.”

“You’re not planning on setting her loose, right?” Smolder placed a hand on his knee. “You know, Spike, if you ever need someone to watch your back, you know you can count on me, right?”

“Of course I know, Smolder,” he passed an arm behind her neck. “Hey… do you still have tea parties?”

“Do you wish to die if someone hears you saying that?” Smolder threatened, squeezing his knee quite hard.

“Point taken,” he gulped nervously. “H-Hey, where’s Ember?”

“She must be with uncle Torch. He wants her to stay out of the Gauntlet of Fire. He thinks she’s not tough enough, that only strong dragons should participate. Which is bullcrap! He allowed me to participate and Gar-Gar is as soft as you!”

“Speaking of, where is he?” He asked, looking around. “Is he still the same douchebag he pretended to be?”

“Sadly, yeah…,” Smolder sighed. Then, she leaned against Spike. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I wish I could help him, though,” she lamented.

“Have you tried beating him to a pulp?” He joked.

“Twice! And it didn’t work!” Smolder tossed her arms to the front, sliding down until her head was laying on his lap. “I love my brother and all… but I don’t know why he keeps on being such a pain in the tail.”

“Well, well, well. If it ain’t the traitor Prince!” The voice of Garble was heard. Spike and Smolder looked at the taller red dragon, flanked by two dragons they knew only by association; Fizzle and Matchflick. “What? You got tired of living in the pansy-daisy castle of yours, Spike?”

“I see he’s worse than last time I saw him, Smolder,” Spike sighed as Smolder straightened up. “Hello, Garble. Nice to see you again.”

“Uggghh, and you call yourself a dragon? Those damn ponies have rotten you, Spike. Do you even remember how to breathe fire?” Garble pressed on.

“I’m quite aware I’m a dragon, Garble,” Spike smirked. “But at heart, I’m a pony,” this caused Fizzle and Matchflick to laugh fiercely.

“You punks want to deal with me?” Smolder threatened and that shut the two idiots right up. “Thought so,” she said, quite proud of herself.

Before further exchange could happen, a mighty roar followed by a gust of wind, and an enormous shadow covered the land. Within seconds, hundreds of young dragons of all shapes, colors, sizes, and ages approached the stone stadium. Several dozens of adult dragons sat or perched over from the distance, their purpose unknown.

Spike and Smolder sat near the front, watching as Dragon Lord Torch descended and perched himself over a large stone hill in the center of the stadium. It didn’t take them long to find Ember. She was hovering next to her father’s head and looking extremely unamused and pissed.

“Dragons of the Dragon Lands and Beyond!” Torch exclaimed loudly; his booming voice echoing all over the place. “I am Torch! And I’ve been Dragon Lord for many centuries, far beyond what many of you will live! And my reign has been extraordinary!”

Dead silence met him.

“...I-Is this the level of respect the Dragon Lord gets?” He whispered to Smolder, but she shrugged.

“AGREE WITH ME!” Torch commanded.

Instantly, Spike saw how every dragon present, including the adults in the back, Ember, Garble, and Smolder started to cheer; agreeing with Torch, shouting his name and praising his reign. Torch raised a claw, and all the dragons stopped.

“Hey, Smolder, what just happened?” Spike asked, clearly confused.

“It’s the power of the Dragon Lord, dummy. The Dragon Lord can command other dragons to his or her will. And all dragons are bound to obey the Dragon Lord’s orders,” Smolder explained. “Don’t you know anything about your people’s culture?”

“My people’s culture lies in Equestria, Smolder. I know next to nothing about dragon culture… huh… I never bothered to ask much about it, now that I remember,” Spike realized as he rubbed his chin.

“Unfortunately, according to Dragon Law,” he explained as he rolled his eyes; his voice laced with a hint of sarcasm and disdain thick enough to be cut by a knife. “It’s time for me to step down and a new Dragon Lord to rise. Sad, I know,” once more, dead silence. “BE SAD!”

As all dragons began to cry, weep, or generally lament that Torch had to step down, Spike crossed his hands as he looked on amusedly to the dragons around him. Torch silenced them again shortly after.

“This is why I have summoned you: To compete for the Throne in the Gauntlet of Fire!” Torch announced and this time, every dragon began to cheer and shout in excitement. “Whoever has the strength and fortitude to retrieve the Bloodstone Scepter from the heart of the Flamecano will be crowned as the new Dragon Lord!” With that said, Torch merely flicked the Scepter to the Flamecano, landing perfectly inside the crater. An eruption followed after and moments later a wave of energy surged across the land.

“Finally, the itch is gone,” Spike said before spreading his wings.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Smolder asked, placing a hand on one of his shoulder pads.

“Home?” Spike replied whilst Torch talked about something. “I only came because I wanted to stop itching and glowing,” he waited a few seconds while Smolder looked at him with a puzzled stare. “What’s wrong?”

“Y-You didn’t come to answer the call? You didn’t come to participate?” Smolder asked.

“I’m a Prince of Equestria, Smolder. I don’t have time to be Dragon Lord. Nor I have a desire to be one.”

“We will meet when the Sun is at its peak!” Torch hollered. Then, they watched him and Ember discuss something for a few moments. Suddenly, Ember flew off rather angrily.

“What do you think that was about?” Spike asked.

“Who cares!” Smolder exclaimed, pressing a finger against his chest. “Now that I think about it, I didn’t see you cheering or crying when Torch said so! How!? No dragon can’t disobey an order given by the Dragon Lord!”

“What do you mean? Dragons are forced to obey the Dragon Lord even against their wills?” Spike asked, surprised at this new information.

“Duuuuh!” Smolder replied. “It’s basic dragon 101! Every dragon must obey the Dragon Lord, whether they like it or not!” Spike shrugged before the conversation of nearby dragons caught their attention.

“When I become Dragon Lord, I’ll make burping an official greeting!” A female dragon said.

“Ha! You? Please. When I win and become Dragon Lord, I’ll pillage Equestria for all their pillows! Why should these ponies be comfortable while we sleep on rocks!?” A jagged dragon exclaimed.

“That’s nothing! When I’m in charge, I’ll raid and pillage Equestria for all they have and burn the rest. They will pay for everything they’ve done!” Garble exclaimed.

“Forget me leaving,” Spike snarled as he eyed Garble. “I’m going to make sure none of these idiots win the Scepter.”

“I can’t believe Gar-Gar would say such a thing!” Smolder said, outraged. As she climbed off of the rock they were sharing, Spike stopped her by grabbing her shoulders. “Let me go, Spike! I’ll beat some sense into his thick, dumb skull if I have to!”

“Calm down, Smolder. As much as I want to do the same, we have to focus on winning the Gauntlet before any of them does,” he explained.

************************************************

“What are we waiting for, they’re getting away!” Smolder cried as she saw the hundreds of participants embark on flight towards the Flamecano.

“You heard Torch. Flying to the Flamecano is the first of many challenges,” Spike reasoned. Looking over the edge, he glanced at the sea. “I think it would be a better idea to swim.”

“What!? Why!?” Smolder protested. Suddenly, several dozens, maybe hundreds of anglermorreys emerged from the water’s depths, spitting pressurized water up to the crowds of flying dragons. Too many to count were hit, sending them spinning out of control, launching them further up to the sky, or sending them down to the water. “Oh…”

Spike took off his armor, loincloth, and sword before proceeding to dive into the water. Smolder removed her armor, grumbling about why she bothered to put one on in the first place, then followed Spike’s lead. As they were swimming, a green-scaled dragon wearing a golden armor set fell from the sky after Garble, barely able to dodge a water stream, bumped against it in full force. The dragon hit the water roughly, the impact seemed to wake it as it began to struggle and flail, trying to swim or fly out of the water, but the armor was too heavy and cumbersome. In a matter of panicked seconds, the dragon vanished beneath the water.

Without hesitating, Spike dived into the water. Smolder waited expectantly for several seconds for their return. The idea to dive down herself started to materialize in her head, but thankfully for her sake, bubbles came up and a second later Spike emerged gasping for air.

“It’s actual gold!?” He protested. “I thought it was just a golden armor! But it’s actual gold!” He grunted as he swam to the beach at the bottom of the Flamecano. “No wonder you sunk like a rock! Why would anyone wear actual gold for armor!? Gold is tasty, but it sucks for making armor and weapons!”

“Can you stop bitching already?” Smolder groaned in good humor, happy to see her friend okay.

“I am… but seriously, gold!?” He grunted again as they reached the beach. He dragged the dragon inland before taking off the helmet. “Ember…?” He whispered with a fearful whimper as he saw his dear friend’s face right before she started choking and coughing up water.

“Ember!?” Smolder yelled. Reaching down to her, she helped her up to her feet. “I thought uncle Torch said--”

“I don’t care what my father said,” Ember protested, but continued to hug Smolder. Then, she turned to Spike. “Thank you, Spike. I would be a goner now if not for you saving my tail.”

“I didn’t even know it was you!” Spike exclaimed. “But you’re welcome. Anything for a friend,” he did a little bow. “Why did you decide to participate?”

“Because I want to show my dad and every other boulder-head idiot that thinks I’m just a little Princess, that there are better things than just being a big and strong dragon!” Ember explained, her voice full of determination.

Just then, one of the many stationed boulder-throwers launched a five-ton boulder that hit a distracted Garble perfectly. It bounced against the crystalline structures a few times before landing on the beach, crushing Garble underneath. The weight of the boulder mixed with the softness of the sand forced Garble into a lock. Despite the infamous strength of the dragons, five tons were far more than what many dragons their age could lift or move without great effort. He tried to punch it, but due to his predicament, Garble was unable to use his full strength, and thus merely chipped a few scratches on the granite surface of the boulder.

Looking around, his eyes, filled with desperation, found Spike, Ember, and Smolder.

“Help! Don’t leave me here!” He pleaded. Just as Smolder was heading to aid her brother, Spike stopped her. “What are you doing, Spike? Help me! Don’t let me die here!”

For a fraction of a second, Spike saw Tirek in Garble’s place. Shaking his head, he came to a halt. “Why should I?” Spike replied as he looked down at Garble. “I heard what your plans are if you become Dragon Lord. I’m a Prince of Equestria. And you openly declared that you want to invade and burn my home. Why should I help you?”

“I was only joking!” He said desperately. “Please, I would never do something like that to Equestria!” He flinched as Spike glared at him.

“You sounded pretty damn convincing to me before,” Spike knelt next to Garble. “What did ponies do to you, Garble?”

Garble gritted his fangs, trying to look away. “You wouldn’t understand,” Garble replied. “You wouldn’t understand what it feels like to be hunted down by a mere pony. To cower… to be so afraid for your life,” he closed his eyes.

Spike stood back up. With a few grunts and effort, he lifted the boulder and tossed it aside. “Was the pony a Dragon Hunter?” He asked, offering a hand.

“H-How did you--” Garble muttered, shakily accepting his hand to stand back up.

“I do know what that feels like,” he presented Garble with one of his marked backhands. “I nearly died when I stumbled upon a griffon dragon hunter.”

“Then you understand how I feel!” Garble snarled, glancing only briefly to see his cousin and little sister nodding. “You must understand how much I hate those damn ponies! Surely, you must hate those flying chickens as much as I hate ponies!”

“Why should I hate them?” Spike asked. “I hate the dragon hunters. And the dragon hunter that nearly killed me just happened to be a griffon. That doesn’t mean I hate every griffon because of the actions of just one,” Spike explained.

“B-but why not!? They’re no dragons! They’re all weak, inferior, lying, backstabbing creatures!” Garble countered. “They’re all the same!”

“Listen, Garble, I’d love to stay here and talk with you, but I have a Scepter to win,” Spike said as he began walking toward Ember and Smolder. “You can follow us if you want.”

“You? You want to be Dragon Lord? Don’t you love your peace-loving, nancy-pansy ponies?” He asked mockingly, complete with a funny accent, and making faces.

“That’s because I have to win, or make sure Ember or Smolder wins,” Spike smirked at Garble while the dragonesses looked at him surprised.

“Ugghh, whatever. I thought you could understand me. Bye, losers!” With that, he left.

“Gar-Gar…” Smolder lamented. “I… I didn’t know he was attacked by a dragon hunter… what kind of sister am I?”

“Only the best kind,” Spike reassured her. “Being attacked by a dragon hunter is not something I tell to just anyone, you know. Although I’ve come to learn from my mistake. Give him time, he’ll come around,” Spike replied. Looking up, he started to think about a way to avoid the boulders and still reach the entrance.

“So, what’s the plan?” Ember asked.

“We could either climb or fly slowly near the surface of the mountain. But that would take too much time,” he turned to face them. “Do you know how to fly in formation?” They nodded. “Good. Then, Ember, you take point and guide us. Smolder, you’ll be her wing dragon to check for potential forward dangers. I’ll stay on your trail, flying backward and checking for incoming boulders.”

With a nod, they began to fly in a close formation. With some difficulty, they managed to evade the boulders and arrive at the entrance of the Flamecano. Sticking together, they traversed eruptions, lava-spits, eluded crystalline protrusions that slammed dragons into walls. Finally, a maze.

“I don’t think Torch really made up all these challenges specifically designed for dragons with ‘strength and fortitude’,” Spike pointed out as they looked around the maze.

“Yeah, me too. During the first challenge, he did say that flying would be met with danger… how did you figure that one out, Spike?” Ember asked.

“I spend most of my days dealing with petty nobles, dignitaries, lawyers, bankers, diplomats, and all sorts of creatures that know how to twist their tongues or are in love with the sound of their own voices. Noticing little details like that is practically second nature to me now,” Spike replied.

“All of these entrances look the same! We have already passed this road three times!” Smolder complained.

“They do look the same,” Ember murmured. “Except for that one, come on!” She pointed at a normal-looking entrance. The only difference was that, unlike the others that had some sort of gem-encrusted on top or around then, this entrance was devoid of any.

“Follow them!” Garble shouted.

The trio looked back to find a group of five dragons, led by Garble, flying toward them as fast as their wings could manage.

Ember and Smolder looked at each other and nodded. “Go for the Scepter, Spike! We’ll distract them!” Shouted Ember as she pushed Spike past the entrance.

With a nod, Spike ran to the Bloodstone Scepter resting comfortably on a sort of pedestal. Behind him, he could hear his friends fighting against the group of dragons. Picking up the pace, Spike jumped at the pedestal and picked up the Scepter. A rush of ancient, unbelievable power flowed through his body and he could hear the Scepter itself roar with draconic might.

Raising the Scepter, it unleashed a wave of energy and an explosion of power that made the Flamecano tremble. Moments later, it was done. He looked at Ember and Smolder, who had managed to delay the other dragons at the entrance of the cave, struggling against Garble and his goons.

“Leave them alone!” He commanded and he felt his voice vibrating around the cave. Instantly, Garble and his goons stopped.

“The pony loving traitor has the Scepter!?” The fat dragon from earlier shouted.

“B-but that means he’s…” the pudgy dragoness muttered.

“The Dragon Lord,” Ember finished before kneeling alongside Smolder.

“Dragon Lord Spike,” Smolder said, smiling and winking at him.

“...B--but…. P-Pillows…” the jagged dragon muttered while he and every other dragon present, including Garble, knelt before him.

“Now, leave this place!” Spike ordered. “Except for Ember and Smolder,” the other dragons obeyed, and within moments, the trio was left alone once more.

“Dragon Lord Spike. It doesn’t sound that bad, huh?” Ember asked, smiling at her closest friend after Smolder.

“Dragon Lord Ember sounds way better,” he said, handing the Scepter to Ember. A smaller wave of energy surged from the Scepter and into Ember. “I just wanted this to end as soon as possible.”

The two dragonesses looked at each other, both of them blushing madly. “T-That’s not how this works, Spike,” Smolder began.

“Pardon?” Spike blinked.

“Smolder is right. Spike… you picked the Scepter. You’re the Dragon Lord,” Ember began, holding the Scepter in her hands. “Giving it to me like that… you… you made me your Placeholder.”

“...And that means?”

“That you just made Ember one of your mates!” Smolder shouted.

“One of my mates?” He blinked. “...oh…”

Spike muttered right before he fainted.

Chapter 8 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!

Chapter 9: Changelings and Changes

“So a changeling was spotted near the Crystal Empire?” Umbra asked as she walked alongside Spike. “And we have no leads, clues, actual witnesses, or anything else aside from a few glimpses that looked like a changeling scurrying in the streets,” she sighed heavily. “That’s almost pathetic.”

“And you know how these changeling spottings tend to go. Still, if one changeling is so far up north, then there may be more lurking around,” Spike replied, his voice and posture indicating clear fatigue.

Umbra chuckled. “The crystal ponies were so focused on your arrival that they didn’t pay any attention to Twilight or Starlight,” she raised a hood to rub her chin. “Why did they come again?”

“Flurry Heart. Family visit. Rings a bell?” Spike said tiredly. “Although I love the crystal ponies and how much they shower me with attention, I think panic got the best of them. Anti-changeling spells and magic jammers exist for a reason,” he sighed.

“I read about the changelings, their capabilities, and what that Queen of theirs is capable of,” Umbra started. “Can you really blame them for being on edge? After all, the two changelings that appeared on Manehattan kidnapped nearly thirty foals. And that changeling in Ponyville during the donkey’s wedding? I mean… he was invited, but still…”

“I know what you’re trying to say, Umbra. Did you know that changeling has a name? I still can’t wrap my head around that fact. Before Rasp, we believed all changelings were mindless drones, now we know they are their own individuals to an extent,” Spike crossed his arms. “I wonder if there are more changelings like Rasp… I wonder if the changelings we’ve found and executed were just trying to survive or were under the influence of Chrysalis.”

“Better them than innocents, no? They are parasites. Little better than demons, Nightmares, or Tirek,” she spat.

“Perhaps,” he nodded. “But can we really be sure? We know little to nothing about changelings. For pony’s sake, we know more about dragons than we know of changelings, and that’s saying something.”

“Says the Dragon Lord,” she said, wriggling her eyebrows.

“Please… let us not speak of that whilst we’re on a mission,” he begged as he covered his face. Of course, he managed to keep it a secret… for two whole days. He tried, really tried to step down as the Dragon Lord, but the Scepter wouldn’t leave his side no matter what and he wasn’t going to give it to another dragon. He already had to deal with that whole incident with Ember and a repeat was not something he was looking forward to.

He really, really didn’t want to be the Dragon Lord. But his momentary moment of kindness, despite the problem it brought along, also gave him the solution and one where everyone could be happy. Ember was now his Placeholder, his second-in-command, or heir of sorts. She would command his will and power, and she would, ultimately, only obey him. That also meant he could leave the Bloodstone Scepter in her hands whilst he could roam freely if he so wished.

Which, unsurprisingly, he did. He gave full permission to Ember to do whatever she pleased in his name as long as it aligned with her dream to bring back the dragons’ glory of old. And as the first step in doing so, was to announce a full alliance between Equestria and the Dragon Lands, plus a trade-agreement, scholarship programs, migration treaties, and, most importantly of all, a shipment of ten thousand pillows as a gift to the dragons.

It certainly caused a ruckus, one that Luna was all too keen to take and lay in wait. Now, a mere four months later, dragon hunter parties were brought down one after another. And the mystery as to why Torch’s commands didn’t do anything to him was also solved. His loyalty belonged to Equestria, Celestia, and Harmony, and no-one else. He was still unsure how his relationship with Ember would evolve now that they were mates, but he’d worry about that another day.

Today, he had a changeling to find. With the Palace, city, and surrounding perimeters already scanned, that only left one viable place to search through. The Icewastes.

Coming to a halt, Spike looked around for a few moments before looking back to the group of six Crystal Guards following them closely. He raised his left hand, made a fist, raised three fingers, and then extended it. The two unicorns and the earth pony guards rushed to the left. He then raised his right hand with three fingers up, he twisted his hand in a round motion, and finally pointed to the sky with a finger. The three pegasus guards obeyed and wet sky high, forming circular patterns as they slowly advanced.

“Let’s keep going,” Spike said, motioning Umbra to advance. “Do you think we can trust Starlight?”

“Are you really asking me that?” Umbra said, unamused.

“I want to hear your opinion,” he smiled at her.

“If you insist. I think she’s a misguided soul. One that was filled with a sense of petty revenge and self-pity. Now though? I think Twilight Sparkle has been doing an excellent job at showing her a better way,” she answered.

“I see,” he hummed. “She’s certainly proven she was truthful about changing for the better.”

After that, the two of them kept walking, occasionally inspecting a few rocks, avoiding crevices, and stopping whenever they heard something strange. An hour passed before Umbra broke the silence.

“Thank you,” she murmured as she glanced at Spike. The dragon lifted a scaly eyebrow. “For… saving me. I’m certain almost everypony else would’ve let me die. It’s what I deserve,” she said.

“You’re welcome, Umbra. And on that note, thank you… for proving me right about pleading for your life. Your help and company have been invaluable over the past two years,” he smiled widely at her. “You’ve become a confidant and a good friend to me, Umbra.”

Umbra blushed softly. “Likewise, Spike,” she replied. After another few minutes of silence, she started speaking again. “I was envious of Amore,” she started. Before Spike could say anything, she continued. “Everypony loved her. Everypony vowed to her commands. Everypony did whatever she told them to do. But not me. I wanted… I wanted to prove to everypony that being an alicorn or royalty isn’t necessary to be a good leader. That you don’t need nation-ruining magic or be treated like a goddess in order to lead a country to glory,” she halted. “Did you know Amore nearly killed me for proposing to use the Crystal Heart to expand the Crystal Empire and bring to heel the raging storm, much in the way Cadance is doing now?”

“...I didn’t know,” was all he could reply.

“After I survived, a demon approached me. I was… stupid to believe its lies. We made a deal, a pact. And it betrayed me almost instantly. Queen Umbra was born, with me trapped inside that body, at first celebrating my victory; I would show them all I could take Amore’s place and do better than her narrow-minded and stagnant rule. Then… when I realized I couldn’t do anything else but watch what the demon was doing with my body and name, I screamed at the world with no answer,” she smiled. “Until you gave way for its destruction and my salvation,” she bowed her head. “So, again, thank you, Spike.”

Spike smiled, his eyes watery and on the verge of tears. “Give me a hug and we’ll call it even!” He said, spreading his arms wide. Umbra sighed in mild annoyance, but her smile didn’t disappear. Going on her hind legs, she moved to hug Spike, sharing an embrace for the better part of a minute.

Suddenly, a weak explosion made them look at the direction the first group had moved towards. “Go to them, I’ll keep going.”

“Of course,” Umbra replied before her horn, now fully healed, shone with shadowy tendrils. Her hooves turned to mist, but Umbra floated. She started to run in the air at a truly astonishing speed toward the direction of the magic flare.

“Now… if I were a changeling, where would I hide?” He took a step forward… and fell right through a crevice covered by a thin carpet of snow. “Wahahaha!” He screamed while sliding down the snowy ramp until he closed his eyes and his body was engulfed in fire. An instant later, he crashed against a stalagmite; breaking it but coming to a halt. “I am so glad nobody saw that,” he exclaimed with relief. Getting back on his feet, he removed the snow that stuck to his scales and clothes. “...Huh… a mirror?” He asked upon seeing a reflection of himself. He stared at himself for a moment. Suddenly, the reflection turned to Tirek as he was burned to ashes.

With a gasp of fear, Spike jumped back. His misstep caused him to be on the edge of a pitfall. He tried to balance himself but he fell. He was about to spread his wings, his momentary distraught over now allowing him to think clearly when he felt two hands grabbing his left arm; pulling him back to safety. He landed on the cold snow with a ‘huff’ of expelled air.

“Need a hand?” Said the other Spike with his voice as he offered such. “That c-could’ve been a nasty fall.”

Spike smiled, accepting the friendly gesture. “And I suppose you’re the changeling that’s got the Crystal Empire in a panic?”

The other Spike vanished in a flash of teal magic and was soon replaced by a changeling. “You’re not… afraid?”

“Well, you just helped me, so I don’t have a true reason to be afraid,” Spike replied.

“The ice is pretty slippery around here… I didn’t want you to get hurt because of me,” the changeling lowered his head.

“Oh, that? No, it wasn’t because of you,” Spike forced himself to say. “But why did you help me? Aren’t you hiding?”

“It’s okay,” he said tiredly and sadly, almost like he had this conversation many times before. “I know you don’t want to be friends with a changeling.”

“Under other circumstances, I wouldn’t,” Spike admitted. “But after talking to Rasp, I’ve come to see changeling with other eyes. After the wedding, I really thought all changelings were evil, like Chrysalis.”

“Evil?” The changeling asked. “Uh, not me. All I ever wanted was a friend,” he explained. “From the moment I split my egg in the nursery hive, I knew I was different,” he cowered, lowering his head. “I… took part in the attack on Canterlot during the Royal Wedding. When I saw Princess Twilight and herself fighting against my brothers and sisters… to see how powerful it was and how much it meant to them… I knew I had no right to steal that for myself. And when the blast of love magic scattered us to the wind, I knew I couldn’t live with my kind anymore. So, I decided to hide and learn from ponies and other creatures. To see their friendship and how friendship spread. Always wishing I could have a friend and experience it. So I could share it.”

“So you want to learn what friendship is? Why?” Spike asked, touched by his tale but still holding lingering suspicions, just in case he was lying.

“Because I’m starving!” He replied in a hurry, his entire body shaking. “There’s so much love in the Crystal Empire right now! It’s what drew me here! I’ve tried to approach ponies and be friends with them, but they always run away screaming in fear! It… It’s driving me crazy!” He confessed, drool dripping from his mouth and fangs.

“Must be due to the royal Crystalling, it’s pretty much a giant outpour of light and love for every creature,” Spike deduced. He took a step back, surprised, as he heard a rumble followed by the changeling hissing and snarling angrily.

“Oh! Sorry, sorry!” He apologized. “I’m just so hungry! If I could make a friend, then the love we’d share could sustain me… but no pony would ever befriend a love-sucking parasite like me.”

Spike hummed, an idea forming in his mind. “Why not just kidnap or trick somepony?”

“Because I’m not a monster!” He replied, slamming his hoof against the snow. “I--I hate being a changeling! If I make a friend, I don’t want to lie to them, pretending I’m something I’m not! And I will never steal the love of anycreature!” He looked down. “I’m not like Chrysalis… I’m not,” he said firmly, his voice weak but filled with determination.

Spike smiled. “Then maybe Spike the Brave and Glorious can help you out,” the changeling stared at him. “Spike? Prince Spike? The Brave and Glorious? Hero of the Crystal Empire?” Seeing the changeling make a face, he sighed. “Forget about that. I think I can help you.”

“Wow! You’d help me? For real?” He exclaimed excitedly.

“Of course,” Spike shrugged. “You’re definitely not like other changelings. You’re different,” he smiled, placing a hand on his neck.

“T-Thank you! My name is Thorax!” He introduced himself happily… right before hissing and snarling again. “Sorry! Sorry! Kindness like that sorta… bring it out,” he apologized.

“Then I’m glad it was me and not Fluttershy who’d find you. You’d go insane with her in the near vicinity, ha ha!” Spike chuckled.

Thorax smiled sheepishly. “Do… Do you still want to be my friend?”

Spike raised a hand. “Thorax the changeling, consider Prince Spike Solaris as your friend. Happy to meet you,” he bowed his head.

Thorax snarled and hissed again, his tongue flailing wildly until Spike took hold of it.

“But seriously, you’re gonna have to control this thing, okay?” Spike said sternly. Thorax nodded. “Okay. Now, would you like to eat something before we go, or would you rather wait until I introduce you to my friends? Or do you need to put me in a cocoon before you can eat love?”

“...I’ll wait,” Thorax nearly hissed. “I hate those cocoons. Chrysalis uses them to drain all the love from the creature inside… it is horrible. I’m… I’m already getting little bits of love from you, Spike.”

Spike nodded, frowning internally as he inadvertently discovered the meaning and use behind those wretched cocoons his future wife had been stuck inside during the wedding.

Leading the way, Spike and Thorax exited his hiding hole. Spike had to convince the Crystal Guards that Thorax was not only harmless but also friendly and his newest friend. Umbra accepted his decision quite easily, though she had to remark how utterly sentimental he could be.

They returned to the Crystal Empire and, to Spike’s insistence, Thorax didn’t hide his appearance. They made it to the Palace where his friends and family waited for his return. Instantly upon crossing the doors, Spike took a magical blast from Shining Armor directed at Thorax.

“Calm down, Shining!” Spike shouted, stepping in front of Thorax and protecting him from harm. “Thorax is friendly!”

“That thing is a Changeling! They’re all scheming scum and love-sucking leeches, just like their fucking Queen!” Shining raged, his horn glowing red from the amount of magic he was handling. “Step aside, Spike!”

“Shiny, calm down!” Twilight begged, using a wing to block her brother. “Don’t you remember the scroll I sent you about Rasp? Cranky is his friend! He invited him to his own wedding and Rasp didn’t do anything! I believe this changeling,” she pointed at Thorax. “Is also friendly, like Spike claims!”

“I spent weeks under their Queen’s spell,” he began, his horn returning to normal. “I didn’t know friend from foe. I was a prisoner inside my own head while she drained my love for Cadance. She had my wife locked under Canterlot itself and I didn’t know a damn thing. I didn’t notice,” he spat angrily, each of his words thick like poison. “I… I laid with that parasite… I don’t think I can forgive those creatures. Ever,” he stood tall, glaring at Thorax. “And you… y-you… w-why are you crying?”

Thorax sniffed, tears running freely down his chitin and down to the ground. “S-She is cruel. And petty. And vile. And repulsive,” he sniffed again. “Many… so many have gone through the same fate as you have…,” he moved past Spike despite his silent protest. “Chrysalis… she is evil. She was my Queen… but after the wedding, I left my hive, my comrades… my brother…,” he closed his eyes. “But I couldn’t keep living under her orders. But if you want revenge,” he lowered his head. “You can take my life… I won’t fight back.”

Shining stared at Thorax, like everypony present in the room was. With a sigh, he moved away. “Twily? Cadance? What do you say?”

Twilight moved to Thorax as she cleaned her tears away. “Spike trusts Thorax, so much so that he wants to protect him. Tell me, what do you want, Thorax?”

“I just want to make friends and live without me having to steal love from others! I want to know what Friendship is and share it! If I learn how to survive without needing to steal love so that we don’t starve, then I can show other changelings how to do it and live without obeying Chrysalis anymore!” Thorax exclaimed.

Twilight nodded, offering a hoof with Thorax took. “Any friend of Prince Spike is a friend of mine, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” she said, slowly shaking hooves.

“In that case, I say the same,” Cadance stepped forth with Flurry Heart next to her. “You may be a changeling, Thorax, but you’re not like the others. I shall welcome you to the Crystal Empire, as a guest of honor and a friend,” she offered. Suddenly, a growl was heard.

“S-Sorry,” Thorax excused himself. “I’m just… very hungry and now there’s a lot of love in the air,” he laughed nervously.

“Uuuggghhuuu!” Flurry Heart cooed before teleporting from her crib to hoved in front of Thorax. “Aggaaahhh!” She cried happily before hugging Thorax’s tongue.

“Flurry Heart!” Cadance cried as Shining fainted. “I-I’m terribly sorry!”

“Fho, zish ogeey, she’s zhowing luv!” Thorax explained happily.

“This has got to be the weirdest thing I’ve seen so far,” Umbra muttered to herself.

***********************************************

“THORAX!” Spike screamed from within his cocoon as Chrysalis drained the love out of his friend. He tried to fight, he tried to pyreport, he tried to call upon the energy from Celestia. But nothing worked. He was far too weak, far too drained to do anything.

The attack came swiftly and perfectly. If there was one thing he would admit about Chrysalis, it was that she was a scheming genius. She had managed to abduct everyone of importance in one fell swoop after who knows how many months of planning. Worst of all? They had seen how she achieved it. Thousands of ponies and many other creatures laid inside cocoons… or what remained of them after she drained all love and their lives from them, all to empower herself further and further.

While her drones starved, eating what meager remains of love they could find, Chrysalis grew stronger. Of course, they didn’t go down without a fight, however short it was. This time, Celestia didn’t hold back, but Chrysalis had used her own people as shields to surprise Celestia, distracting her long enough to encase her horn with slime and soon after put her in a cocoon. Luna surrendered the second Chrysalis started to torture her sister with intense pain as she drained her love.

He knew Cadance and Shining suffered similar fates. Blueblood was also cornered and trapped, Royal Guard officers, influential nobles, Twilight and her friends. Even Umbra fell in short order in a surprise attack in her dorm. As for him? Shamefully, he didn’t put up a fight. They took him in his sleep and had woken hours later when Chrysalis began torturing him, as payment for his insolence during the wedding.

There was one moment in which Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and Cadance managed to unite their strength and nearly free themselves, but Chrysalis threatened them with Flurry Heart. Should anyone try anything funny, she’d kill the foal. Spike swore Chrysalis would die after she, personally, tortured his niece just for fun. Shining Armor passed out from the rage, blood tainting his cocoon as his nose trickled it.

Much to his surprise and that of everyone, they soon found out that a powerless Discord, Thorax, Trixie, and Starlight, the small group led by the latter mare, had come to save them and Equestria. And now, he was seeing his dear friend being deprived of all his love.

“I can feel my love slipping away… I can’t hold onto it much longer!” Thorax cried.

“Then… Don’t!” Starlight yelled. “Sharing love is what made you different to begin with! You should share your love with Chrysalis! Give her all of it!” She claimed.

Thorax closed his eyes and suddenly, a wave of love energy, similar to but on a smaller scale compared with the energy Cadance and Shining displayed during their foiled wedding, struck Chrysalis head-on. It sent her crashing against her throne, cracking it upon impact. As she laid on it, confused and alarmed she, like everyone else, looked as the energy engulfed Thorax inside a cocoon of light.

Starlight touched the cocoon, and with a flash of light, Thorax was back. Only that… he looked quite different. For one, he was as tall as Celestia. A pair of horns adorned his head. His dark chitin was replaced by a colorful, smooth carapace. And his wings and tail shone like jewels.

“This is what happens when you give love freely instead of stealing it!” Starlight chanted.

Driven by Thorax’s demonstration, one changeling after another started to follow in his example. Soon, practically the entire hive was doing it. The overflow of love energy caused the entire structure to shake and Chrysalis’ throne started to crack and splinter.

Then, the top of the hive exploded.

As soon as the throne splintered into thousands of tiny pieces, all magic users found they could use magic once more. The cocoons collapsed, and everyone slowly crawled out of them with the aid of the new changelings.

“Fluttershy!?” Discord yelled when he found the shy mare. In a heartbeat, he hugged her close.

Spike coughed green slime as he stood up. The cheering and whatever anypony else was saying fell to deaf ears. He only had one objective: Chrysalis. As luck would have it, the Queen emerged from beneath the rubble of her throne, hissing and ready to fight until she noticed what she was facing. He tried to pyreport, but he was too weak. Crawling as his strength slowly returned to him, he paid no heed to whatever speech Starlight was giving. All he wanted to do was to wrap his claws around Chrysalis’ neck and squeeze it slowly until it cracked. He saw Chrysalis shout something in reply, but he didn’t care. Then, he saw her do a backflip over the edge as she escaped.

“After her!” He cried, somehow managing to stand up.

“No need,” Discord said, his voice somber and dark. With a snap of his fingers, Chrysalis reappeared in front of them, paralyzed in mid-flight. Unable to speak or move aside from her eyes, Discord turned her toward him. “If anyone wants to stop me, now’s your chance,” he announced.

The only one that made an effort to speak was Fluttershy, but even her kindness had limits. After everything she saw, all the corpses, the torture they went through, feeling her very life being drained from her and her friends. It had been an experience worse than what Tirek had done to them. She would’ve tried to stop Discord if she had only done that.

But she had tortured Flurry Heart. Used her as a hostage. And took glee in the cries of a baby.

“...Make it quick, please,” she whispered, her voice resounding all across the destroyed spire.

“You’re lucky my Fluttershy is so gentle and compassionate,” Discord snarled at Chrysalis, who was now crying as terror set in. “Say hello to your new home~” Taking off his snaggletooth, he opened a fissure in the air itself.

From his vantage point, Spike saw a ruinous storm of red, purple, and swirling energies that made him want to vomit just by seeing that horrid vortex.

“Bye-bye, Chrysalis. I’m sure you’re going to be making a few friends in there~” He glared at her. “I did warn you to not hurt Fluttershy. You should’ve listened to my warning,” he said and with a push, Chrysalis fell inside the vortex.

The last thing anyone heard from her ever again was a cry of pure terror coming from within the vortex as Discord closed it.

***********************************************

“Aunt Luna?” Spike asked as he rubbed Luna’s barrel, his claws playfully tracing her fur while he breathed in her mane and kissed her neck.

“Just Luna, Spike,” she sighed happily. “We’re past familial titles, I think.”

“You would say that. What? Finally found a conscience?” The Nightmare mocked through the mirror’s reflection.

“Right, I keep forgetting,” Spike chuckled. “Ember asked me if any more dragon hunters have been found. Have your Agents found any?”

“A few here and there. They are a dying problem, Spike. After the Dragon Lands announced and signed a formal alliance, several dragon hunters came out of hiding. Of course, we were waiting for them. The few that remain shall be hunted down and brought to justice. With some luck, with the specialized tracking troops Saddle Arabia lent us we’ll be able to find all of them in short notice.”

“Trying to ignore me is pointless, Luna. You know just how grateful Celestia was when Spike arrived and news soon followed of his ascension as Dragon Lord,” the Nightmare laughed. “What can you offer him that Celestia cannot provide but better?”

“...Luna, if you oppose unifying the world under Harmony, why do you help Celestia or provide your own forces to further Equestria’s interests around the planet?” Spike questioned for the first time in his life.

“I oppose her methods, not the goal. Our late mother and father shared the dream of unifying the world. To bring prosperity to all and peace so that we, all species together, could advance to the future as one,” she moaned softly as Spike rubbed her belly, a hand tracing in between her teats. “But they wished to lead through example, so that other nations could see in Equestria a shining beacon that they could follow and imitate naturally over time on their own.”

“She has nothing but the best intentions in mind. And the world sees it. The war between Zebrica and Cervidas was prevented, and now, thanks to trade, they are starting to find common ground. Saddle Arabia is most likely to declare a full alliance at some point in the near future. And the new Changeling Kingdom is being provided all the help they need. And Minotauria? Even they, despite their stubbornness, have seen the light and accepted a minor trade route Blueblood proposed to them. Griffonia is leaderless, yet we provide aid to them free of charge. The gaps are becoming thinner. Harmony shall soon spread across Equis.”

“In no short terms thanks to your efforts, Spike,” she moved her head to kiss his cheek. “Dragons, Changelings, Buffalo. Peace between nations, several diplomatic dealings. Being a pivotal element in saving the Crystal Empire. Umbra’s reformation. Truly, you have done Equestria a great service, Spike,” she sighed. “And on the inside, Blueblood has managed to put in line several rowdy noble houses and stabilized their domineering and conflicts far more than even Celestia could have ever done on her own.”

“And you deal with the unseen threats. Hunting demons, watching over the dreams, and dealing with dangerous monsters, thievery, murderers, criminal rings, brigand groups, and secretive dealings,” Spike sighed happily as he kissed her neck. “All of us play our roles, and all of us serve Harmony and Friendship.”

“You know he’s just saying that so that you’ll feel like you’re useful, right? Celestia still steals all the glory for herself. Even Cadance and Twilight are more beloved than you--”

“Shut up,” she cursed.

“Don’t shut up,” Spike pressed, hugging her close. “Let the Nightmare continue. Let the Nightmare speak. Accept its words, face them head-on, Aunt Luna,” Spike said firmly. Feeling her body starting to tremble, he hugged her even closer. “The Nightmare manipulated you in the past. Nightmare Moon is not the Nightmare itself. Nightmare Moon is part of you. The Nightmare merely takes that form, for it is a parasite, a mere demon.”

“S-Spike… I--”

“You know he is lying. You are nothing but a weak and frail thing compared to all you could achieve. You could stand above Celestia. Above everyone else. To be loved and worshipped. Yet you refuse me. You called upon me and I answered. We became Nightmare Moon. We are one, Luna!” The Nightmare laughed.

“Whatever that demon is saying, it is a lie, Aunt Luna. Do you feel unloved even as I hold you right now? Have your subjects feared your entry or arrival? Do they not respect you? Does Celestia not seek your opinion on nearly every task? Even as you fight and have different views and opinions, don’t you still joke and hug each other daily?” Spike asked. “You are loved, Luna. Mom loves you. I love you. Your family and friends love you. Equestria loves you. It is the Nightmare that clouds your vision.”

“Lies and more lies. Surely enough, Celestia sent him to make you question yourself. You’ve tried to seduce him, yet you were seduced in turn by your sister’s puppet,” the Nightmare snarled. “Unleash me, Luna. Unleash me and we will become one once more. Unleash me! And we shall have revenge!” It coerced.

Luna shook as tears flowed from her eyes. “I---I can’t… I’m too weak… always… always fighting…”

“Then fight more!” Spike pushed. “Fight that demon! Nightmare Moon and you are the same pony, Luna! That demon is nothing but a parasite! It only knows how to lie and manipulate others in order to be used! When Umbra told me what happened to her, I knew you were similar! She gave in! She lacked your strength. Day after day you fight against that thing clinging to your soul. Expunge it! It has no power over you! Be free, Luna!” He kissed her neck. “I love you, Luna. I love you so very much.”

Luna closed her eyes. “Will you be here with me?”

“NO!”

“I will,” Spike promised. “Right here with you as you destroy the Nightmare.”

“He’s lying! This is what Celestia wants! She fears Us! Destroy me and she will eliminate you!”

“Then hold me close,” Luna whispered as her horn began to glow.

“I will remain here with you,” he said, kissing her neck once more.

“LUNA! If I die, you die!”

Spike remained at Luna’s side throughout the night, awake and unmoving, softly kissing and caressing her, speaking loving and encouraging words every now and then when she seemed to be struggling in her sleep. He was unaware of the titanic battle fought in the dreamscape and inside herself against the Nightmare. But he didn’t need to see it to feel it.

When the sun came over the horizon, Spike laid witness to a changed Luna. Eyes of slits like Nightmare Moon, a stature and figure nearly identical to that of Celestia, a longer, slightly curved horn, a feathered wing whilst the other was of skin and leather-like similar to that of a thestral, shining mane reflecting the stars and the night itself.

The Nightmare had been defeated. And now only Luna remained, finally complete and whole.

Chapter 9 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!

Chapter 10: Tempesting Shadows Glow

Spike sat next to the distraught pony as he watched his own reflection on the water of the pond. He could barely hear the sound of music and celebration inside the Grand Hall.

“What is it with demons always wanting to take over their host, am I right?”

The lanky unicorn pony known as Stygian glanced at him with disinterest.

Spike chuckled awkwardly. “Yeah, I screwed that up. Sorry,” he cleared his throat. “So, your name is Stygian, right?”

“And you must be Prince Spike. A pleasure,” he replied softly. “I never thought I would see a dragon as part of Equestrian Royalty. So many things have happened,” he smiled weakly.

“Do you… miss your time?” Spike asked gently.

“Not really,” Stygian replied. “We, the Pillars and I, know this isn’t our time anymore. Our families and friends have been gone for a long time. All we can do is adapt to this new time,” Stygian smiled. “At least a lot of good things have happened. The Dragons are no longer burning and eating entire villages. The Griffon Empire collapsed and they aren’t a threat anymore. The Minotaurs are far more interested in their own affairs and not just despoiling raiders. And villages don’t have to resort to cannibalism to survive a harsh winter or after a raid,” he explained.

Spike winced. “I sometimes forget how bad things were back in the day compared to today. But tell me, Stygian, what do you plan to do?”

“What can I do?” He stared dejectedly at his reflection. “I lived a simple life back then. I’m not strong like Roockhoof. Or brave like Magnus. Or anything like the rest of my friends,” he sighed. “All I ever knew how to do was counting coins, grains, and making sure my village suffered as little as possible in every way I could manage. But now they are gone… and I remain.”

“Canterlot always needs good accountants,” Spike offered. “Or you could travel the land like Starswirl is going to do. The Crown is going to give you a hefty stipend, after all.”

“I don’t want it,” he replied. “I never took any charity. I don’t plan to be a leech of society. I was raised better than that. I want to earn the bread I put in my mouth, Prince Spike.”

“Just Spike is fine, Stygian,” he said. “Since you won’t be taking the stipend; as I said, Canterlot always needs good, honest accountants.”

“Maybe,” Stygian sighed. “But who would take a former villain? And one that nearly caused eternal darkness upon Equestria?”

“Trust me, we’ve had plenty of those over the years,” Spike said with morbid humor. “You could always write a book.”

“Write a… book? Me?” Stygian asked, taken aback.

“Why not? In this day and age, anypony can do whatever they want. Who’s to say you can’t be a writer? Imagine it! A book detailing your sagas and adventures with the Pillars and your Fall and eventual Freedom from that demon, the Pony of Shadows. I know I would love to read that,” he leaned back. “That would make for a pretty amazing story to tell, don’t you think?”

“I… suppose it could be,” Stygian smiled. “Spike. May I ask you something I’ve found odd?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“Why are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna devoid of Companions?” He asked looking at Spike. “And for that matter, the newest Prince Blueblood, as well as Princess Cadance, also appear to have no Companions. I’ve only seen Princess Twilight and you carry a Companion.”

Spike blinked. “Oh! You must mean our Retinue or Entourage! Actually, Starlight is more akin to a pupil to Twilight now that her probation time has ended. And Umbra is, so far, my only Retinue member. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Blueblood all have their own Retinues, although they are far more stationary or work alongside them as secretaries or assistants. The same goes for the Royal Guards. It is a common mistake to confuse all Royal Guards as a single entity. Celestia’s branch is the Solar Guards and the most numerous. Luna is serviced by the Lunar Guards. Cadance now has the Crystal Guards. Blueblood is in charge of the Noble Guards, the smallest by far, but their role is also quite important. Twilight and I have no guards whatsoever,” he replied.

“...That is… interesting,” Stygian sat upright. “But don’t you think it is a bit foolish to not possess your own guards? Or such a minimal, near non-existent number of Companions?”

“It has worked quite well for us so far,” Spike shrugged. “Though I’m in dire need of a scribe and record-keeper as of late. Paperwork can be quite… life-draining for those not made for it, aha ha ha...” he lamented.

“...” Stygian looked at his reflection for long moments before turning his attention back to Spike. “Prince Spike, would you allow one such as me to be one of your Companions?”

“Are you sure?” He blurted. “I mean, of course! One of the Pillars under my protection and working at my side? What an honor!” He said with a wide, fang-filled smile. “But… What about Twilight? She and Starlight were the ones that uncovered the truth and saved you.”

Stygian shook his head. “While I’m grateful to both of them, I would just be an inconvenience to their talent and intellect. Everything I am capable of doing they can already manage with greater scope and results. But if I am able to help Equestria spread Harmony to the world, then I will do so to the best of my capabilities.”

Spike smiled. “In that case!” He jumped to his feet. “Stygian, I would be honored to have you join my Retinue as one of my Companions,” he said with a bow. “Now, let’s get back inside. The DJ is about to start and I want to dance with Celestia and Luna all night long! We haven’t got a break for months now, and it’s been a while since I lit the floor on fire!”

“Please tell me that is a manner of speech!” Stygian cried.

************************************************

He should’ve noticed something was wrong when all of a sudden, Abyssinia went silent. Followed up by the Diamond Dog Empire quietly closing its borders. A report came that, apparently, they were gearing up for an invasion as what little movement spotted could be seen, was that of troops arriving at key strategic locations within their borders.

Alarming as that was, by the moment he and Blueblood were ready to depart to the Diamond Dog Empire in an effort to settle a conflict before it manifested, it happened. Contact was lost with the Hippogriff Kingdom. Unable to overlook the sudden silence of one of Equestria’s closest allies, not to mention a dear friend of both Celestia and Luna, Blueblood departed by his lonesome to the Diamond Dog Empire, whilst Spike rushed to Mount Aris to find out what was happening.

It was during mid-flight, as he himself carried a chariot where Umbra and Stygian sat, that he received a message from Twilight. Some maniac calling himself ‘The Storm King’ had invaded Canterlot during the Friendship Festival’s ongoing preparations by complete and utter surprise. How was that possible, he had no idea up until he reached the worst part of the message. Celestia, Luna, and Cadance had been cursed using Black Obsidian spheres; relics so old that they were thought to be but a myth.

She and the rest of their friends managed to escape by miracle thanks to the sacrifice of a brave mare, a friend of Twilight, taking the blow meant for her. The one responsible? A pony named Tempest Shadow. She had also, apparently, given the so-called Storm King directions and indications to avoid not only the border patrols and every settlement thereafter, but also guided the forces herself.

Not content with betraying her kind and her nation, Tempest Shadow was also the Second-In-Comand of the Storm King. And whilst the Storm-King was yet to reveal himself, Tempest Shadow’s surprise attack and invasion dealt with Equestria’s leadership in one fell swoop. Canterlot had been overrun by the Storm King’s forces, Yetis, in mere minutes, and somehow Shining Armor also managed to escape Canterlot with Flurry Heart.

Unless the Storm King arrived soon and with overwhelming force, Shining Armor would be able to gather every Royal Guard in every city, town, village, and fortress in Equestria and the Crystal Empire in a matter of days. And he was sure Shining would also make his best effort to gather the remaining Pillars for backup, the Colleagues of Magic, the Noble Houses, the Wonderbolts, the Special Agents available, the Pegasi Legionnaires, and the Earth Pony Spartallions, and every capable hoof, hand, or claw willing to fight back the invader and free their Princesses.

In his heart, he knew that, unless the Storm King managed to do something incredibly overpowering, Equestria in all her fury would smite the fool down.

“If only Discord hadn’t taken a vacation…,” Umbra lamented.

“Shouldn’t we head back?” Stygian asked, pointing a hoof at Equestria’s rough direction.

“Twilight and the girls are heading to Mount Aris as we speak. They had to escape in a hurry and decided to visit a town called Klugetown for cover and possible means of transportation. They’ll catch up to us,” Spike replied, his hands aching with impotence. “All we can do right now is see what happened to Queen Novo and the hippogriffs. I don’t want to think about it… but maybe the Storm King got to them first.”

Umbra hummed. “That would explain why Abyssinia also went silent.”

“And why the diamond dogs closed their borders in such a hurry. They knew what was coming and decided to prepare themselves for it,” Stygian muttered.

“And once we reach Mount Aris we begin to explore to find what happened to the hippogriffs,” Spike explained as he saw the shape of Mount Aris starting to materialize in the distance.

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough what happened,” Stygian said, his voice quivering with worry.

It took Spike another twenty minutes of flight to reach Mount Aris, but upon their arrival they noticed something was incredibly wrong.

“Where is everycreature?” Umbra asked out loud as she scanned the terrain.

“Maybe the Storm King really did attack them first?” Stygian asked.

“No, look closely, Stygian. There are no signs of battle. The houses are broken down, but not because of fighting. Looks like someone pillaged through everything and by the looks of it, they found nothing,” Spike pointed out as he made landfall in the middle of the city’s square.

Umbra and Stygian lept out. “Not a scorch mark. No blood. No bodies. Not even a feather. Something is definitely wrong here.”

“It’s almost like the hippogriffs packed everything and moved out,” Stygian sighed in relief. “At least no creature was injured, it seems.”

“But if they avoided capture and escaped, where did they go?” Spike questioned. “I now regret not reading anything about possible contingency plans from our allies. Stygian, please remind me of that once this mess is over.” The unicorn nodded, writing it down.

“Spike, are you… okay?” Umbra asked, placing a hoof on his exposed arm. “You seem rather tense. More than when we were dealing with Zebrica and Cervidas.”

“Our home has been attacked, Umbra. Without provocation and out of the literal blue sky. Family and mares close to my heart are trapped and I can’t do anything to help them right now. So, yeah, it’s taking everything in me to not fly as fast as I can back to Equestria and beat that so-called Storm King into the ground and grind Tempest Shadow’s face against a wall,” he finished with a fiery snarl.

“Then… what do we do?” Umbra asked, her eyes filled with resolve.

“Search everything and everywhere while we wait for Twilight and the Bearers to arrive here. Then… then we’ll take it from there,” Spike sighed.

His two companions nodded and set to work searching for any clues as to what happened with the hippogriffs. After almost a day of waiting, Twilight and her friends arrived in their now usual rumbustious fashion. After a quick chat between the two royals, the group moved forward with their search. It wasn’t until they heard a faint singing that Twilight managed to find a passage through rubble and found a secret room deep within the mountain and the palace itself. Stepping forth slowly, Pinkie broke apart a small piece of a stair; the sound making the singer stop with a hurried gasp.

“What was that?” The voice asked right before jumping into the water.

“Skystar?” Spike asked out loud. Then, his eyes snapped open. “Skystar! Wait!” He shouted as he jumped into the water without a second thought.

“Hey, wait for me! Cannonball!” Pinkie cried, following Spike’s actions.

However, it was far too late. She was gone. Spike emerged from the water to find all of his friends inside the pool. A rumbling noise was heard and the water shook. Shortly thereafter, the water began to swirl, quickly becoming a vortex that sucked them all down. After nearly a minute of travel, the vortex spat them all inside an underwater chamber; the tunnel that brought them there closed after their passing, leaving them in darkness.

As he saw his friends begin to lie motionless, both Twilight and Umbra failing to focus on their magic due to the stress of the travel and the lack of oxygen, he took in a mouthful of water, filling his lungs with it. It burned and pained him greatly, but within seconds he was able to breathe once more. Just as he was about to reach Fluttershy to try and give her some oxygen, something fast placed a bubble of air around his head.

He coughed up the water in his lungs violently. By the time he was able to breathe air again, he watched as all of his friends now sported air bubbles around their heads.

“Hello? We’re looking for the hippogriffs?” Twilight asked as everypony huddled together, except for Umbra who had her horn lit, just in case she needed to use it.

“How do I know I can trust you?” Skystar asked as a yellow glow appeared in front of them.

“Skystar, it’s me, Spike!”

“Spike!?” Skystar came into the light; shock and surprise evident across her face.

**********************************************

After a first turbulent diplomatic meeting, Spike, Twilight, and his friends now swam in front of Queen Novo. Everypony had been turned into what Pinkie dubbed as ‘Seaponies’. While he was transformed into a water dragon, better known as Sea Serpents.

“The Storm King attacked Equestria?” Novo asked, bewildered. Sitting on her throne, Skystar fanned her some fresh water. “I… I thought he would attack us first,” she started. “That’s why I called upon the Seaquestria contingency plan. So that we could hide here, in Seaquestria, until we could safely contact Equestria for help,” she gritted her teeth. “But he already got a hold of my friends?” She growled.

“It is as bad as it sounds, Queen Novo,” Spike said. While Twilight outranked him in title and authority, she lacked any real experience in terms of diplomatic dealings. “Princess Celestia sent us here to ask you for any help you could provide Equestria. Prince-Consort Shining Armor is surely gathering Equestrian forces as we speak. But they will still need our help.”

“And our aid you shall have,” Novo declared. “Sky Beak!”

“Yes, my Queen?” A seapony approached, bowing respectfully before Novo.

“Gather the soldiers. We march for war against the Storm King. Trapped between both our forces he shall have no chance! Today, Mount Aris and Seaquestria shall come to the aid of our friends!”

“We still have to deal with Tempest Shadow roaming around. Capper and Captain Celaeno and her crew tried to help us escape. We must find them if we can,” Twilight explained.

“Then, while you prepare, Rainbow Dash, could you please go to Saddle Arabia as fast as you can? I’ll write you a letter directed at Sultan High Dune and Sultaness Shifting Sands once I find a dry spot. I’ll also give you my sigil, so you’ll go under my representation.”

“Leave it to me!”

“Umbra, Stygian, you’ll come with me. I’ll drop you near Yakyakistan. Stygian, you’ll deliver a similar letter to Prince Rutherford, also under my representation. Umbra, keep Stygian safe.”

“You can count on us,” Umbra replied as Stygian nodded.

“As for me, I’ll leave for the Dragon Lands,” he looked at Novo and hummed, not knowing what to do. On one hand, he didn’t want many to know he was, in actuality, the Dragon Lord. but on the other hand, Novo didn’t think twice about helping her friends and allies. Lying to her now...

“Why would you go to the Dragon Lands? I know the new Dragon Lord, Ember, signed an alliance with Equestria, but I doubt she’ll be willing to help Equestria, alliance or not,” Novo pointed out.

“That would be a valid point under any other circumstance, Queen Novo,” Spike replied. Closing his eyes for a second, he made his decision. “But no dragon shall resist an order from the Dragon Lord, if it must come to that.”

Novo seemed confused for a couple of long seconds, but then her eyes widened in understanding.

“Then so be it. Between the might of Equestria, Saddle Arabia, Yakyakistan, the Dragon Lands, and our kingdom, the Storm King stands no chance,” Novo declared.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Spike turned to face his friends. “I just hope we manage to gather such forces against the Storm King in time to stop whatever he’s planning.”

**********************************************

By the time Spike reached Canterlot, he found a scene that baffled him. The main plaza was in chaos. Frosting was everywhere, a few guards were lying about, and many, many more were running from across the city to the commotion caused by a ragtag group of Avian pirates, an abyssinian, Princess Skystar, and his friends. Twilight was nowhere to be seen, but the shifting day and night cycle told him enough. He didn’t know what led to such a thing happening, but he knew the pirates and Skystar wouldn’t last long as more and more guards arrived.

Near the castle’s east entrance archway bridge, the same his friends and the abyssinian were running on, ranks of yeti guards formed a shield wall. The dozens of airships moved into position around Canterlot, dispatching further troops down below.

“ATTACK!”

Spike turned to see Ember pointing a finger angrily down to the city. Despite the time constraints, Spike had arrived at the Dragon Lands in under a day flying at maximum speed. After talking with Ember, he rested for two hours as she gathered all the dragons she could muster. Although she could only get her claws on little more than a hundred dragons, most of them teenagers like them, three young-adults and Torch himself, a true adult dragon, had heeded the call of the Dragon Lord in such a short amount of time.

“Let’s go and kick some tails!” Smolder cried before diving into the masses. Torch grabbed the Storm King’s flagship and started to tear it piece by piece.

From the skies appeared pegasi and thestrals, the pegasi were lead by Flash Magnus at the head of the Legionnaires, while the thestrals swarmed and boarded ships. Equestria ain navy forces also appeared to join the fray. Outside the walls of Canterlot, several portals opened up; walking through them, hundreds of Royal Guards of every branch poured through led by Shining Armor. Spartallions, buffalo braves, unicorn mages, and even militia of a multitude of species surged from the portals like a sea of anger directed at the invaders.

The hippogriffs also arrived moments later and behind them, the air navy forces of Saddle Arabia also made themselves present. Lastly, a large shadowy portal opened up to reveal Umbra, Stygian, and Prince Rutherford before at least two hundred yak warriors came through. He saw Umbra collapse after the last yak charge past the portal; the effort too great, no doubt.

Deciding to not let all the glory be claimed by his allies and friends, he dove into the east square in time to save the abyssinian from the spear of a yeti guard. Helping him up, with the sound of battle vibrating all across Canterlot, be it on land or sky, Spike witnessed as the Storm King created a massive thunderstorm above and across Canterlot. It was so fierce and strong, that nearly everyone, friend or foe, got sucked by the tempesting storm. Torch and the other three big dragons did their best to protect their allies from being sucked by the storm.

Then… something unexpected happened. A mare with a broken horn, the fabled Tempest Shadow, was struck aside by the Storm King himself. In the places where the fighting still continued, this event didn’t go unnoticed by the yetis. Specifically, the yetis bearing a red streak along their white pelts. They immediately turned on their comrades, shouting ‘Betrayal!’ or ‘For Commander Tempest!’. Finally, Twilight saved Tempest from being sucked into the storm.

Just as he saw the Storm King back on his feet, Spike focused internally, calling upon the connection shared by him and his beloved Celestia. As the power surged through his body, he saw a bundle of ponies, the Bearers, fly through the air and crash against the Storm King, sending them all stumbling back into the Castle. Spreading his wings, he went straight for the balcony just as Twilight and Tempest followed the group inside.

***********************************************

“WHY!? Because Friendship is power! You might be the Princess of Friendship, but as Headmare of this School, I can collect even more friends than you!” Cozy Glow barked.

“You’re the one who doesn’t get it, Cozy. Friendship is powerful, but power isn’t why you make friends. I’m sorry I couldn’t teach you that,” Twilight said in a solemn tone.

Spike merely watched, content to no open his mouth despite how much he wished to sink his claws in the throat of the filly in front of him. He watched as Smolder and her friends approached Twilight with big smiles. Ever since she decided to found a School of Friendship, one that included active members from other species, including the allied nations, Smolder was volunteered by Ember to attend.

It did give him a nice excuse to hang out more often with her, so he wasn’t going to complain about that. To think that Tempest, of all ponies, planted the seed inside Twilight’s head was all the more surprising. He looked to the side to see yetis dressed in a new set of armor, gold and green colored, as they bore his sigil. Tempest arrived alongside Umbra and Stygian with Grubber sitting on her back.

After the defeat and destruction of the Storm King, Tempest had nowhere to go. Twilight, with aid from the Bearers, pardoned Tempest since she aided the Storm King out of desperation, not loyalty. Celestia, Luna, and Cadance accepted the pardon. Instead of roaming the land aimlessly, Spike took this chance. He offered Tempest a spot in his Retinue as Captain of his own branch of Royal Guards; claiming her skill, resolve, and abilities would benefit Equestria greatly if she truly wished to repent for her past actions. She accepted under two conditions: the yetis that were loyal to her would be freed and pardoned and Grubber would stay with her, too. He accepted, even though convincing his mother, aunt, and cousin proved harder than expected, but eventually, he convinced them with the aid of Twilight.

A grumble caught his attention again and turned. He saw Cozy trying to fly away, but students, Celestia, Luna, Neighsay, Royal Guards, and his newly established Scaled Guards stopped her at every turn. Once she was in custody, Luna approached. He smiled upon seeing her. Unlike the Luna from a year ago, this Luna stood tall, proud, secured, and free from the taint of the Nightmare.

“Cozy Glow… your crimes are immeasurable. Do you have any idea what you almost caused?” She spat coldly.

“I almost became the Empress of Friendship! Without Twilight or you to stand in my way, I could’ve ruled the entire world, every creature bowing before me! Cozy Glow! The bestest friend of all!” She declared while pointing a hoof angrily at Luna.

“You almost killed the world, Cozy Glow,” Celestia snorted. “Without magic, pegasi, unicorns, earth ponies, changelings… everycreature would’ve been unable to use magic, even us. And that means no one would be left to move the Sun or the Moon. Even Discord would’ve been unable to cross from his home to Equis without magic. You nearly doomed the world.”

“Bah!” Cozy spat. “Who cares about that? With the world under my hoof, every creature would be happy serving me!”

“She is just a filly,” Spike said before pyroporting between Celestia and Luna. “But she is twisted. She doesn’t even show the least bit of empathy. She might as well be soulless,” Spike snarled. “We should judge her now that we have the chance.”

“HA! Good luck with that, lizard!” Cozy giggled. “I’m just a little, innocent, confused filly! Honest! It was all just a prank, hihihi!” Then, she laughed maniacally. “You can’t do anything to me! And once I’m free, I’ll try again until I collect enough stupid fools to follow me blindly. All will obey ME! The future Empress of Friendship!”

“...No, you won’t,” Celestia sighed. “Despite being a filly, Cozy Glow, you nearly caused untold death and genocide upon the world, not just Equestria. All because of a childish fantasy and misguided goals to stand on top of everypony. You don’t deserve a trial. Your age won’t be a factor,” she glanced at Luna, who nodded. Then at Twilight, who gave a small, defeated nod. “All Royals present, how do you judge?”

“Tartarus. She deserves no less than that,” Luna said firmly.

“I vote for Obliteration,” Celestia said after her sister. “While Tartarus would be preferable, she is too big of a risk,” Luna nodded in approval.

“And here I thought I should try to show a small modicum of mercy,” Luna chuckled darkly. “Twilight?”

The Princess of Friendship looked at Cozy Glow with immense pity. “As much as I want to send you Tartarus, I can’t. I won’t object to the verdict, but if I can have a chance to reform you, I will take it. I vote for Reformation.”

“Obliteration,” Spike declared immediately after. “I don’t believe you could ever be reformed. Tartarus would be another invitation for disaster waiting to happen in your case. And Death… despite your more than deserving crimes, I won’t consider that option,” he said as he saw the ghostly burning face of Tirek on her for a moment. “Obliteration.”

“Wai. Wait. Wait. Wait! You can’t do that! I’m cute and lovable!” She cried. “Y-You wouldn’t do that to a f-filly, right? Right!?” She looked around helplessly. But all she met with were cold, disgusted, hateful stares. “M-My parents! My parents won’t let this happen!”

“Already did,” Neighsay interjected. “I took the liberty of bringing them along,” he moved aside to reveal a mare with her coat and a short red mane, the stallion was brown but his stylish mane was curled similar to Cozy’s but a shade or two darker.

“Mommy! Daddy! Don’t let the mean Princesses do bad things to your little princess!” She cried as a huge smile spread across her face.

Her parents looked at her for several long moments until the father made his voice known.

“Do with her as you please,” he spat. “We didn’t raise a monster. That thing is not our daughter,” with that, they turned around, leaving the place.

Cozy’s smile dropped watching her parents leave. “FINE! Leave me! I don’t need you or your stupid lessons of Harmony and Friendship and all that useless things!” She shouted angrily.

Her anger melted down when she saw Celestia and Luna unite their horns to create a white ball of burning hot magic.

“NO!” Cozy cried and tried to flee, but a pair of shadowy claws grabbed her legs, pinning her to the ground. “T-Twilight, help me, please! I promise I won’t do naughty things ever again! P-Pretty please!”

Her supplication fell on deaf ears as Twilight looked away. Cozy looked up at the ball of magic and gave the Royal Sisters one last hate-filled glare before the ball of magic unleashed lightning that struck her forehead.

Every creature present, or at least most of them, watched as Cozy Glow was Obliterated; her screams of pain and agony ringing through the School of Friendship for less than a minute, but it was enough to make all but the most emotionally strong squirm and pity the filly. When it was over, Cozy Glow fell to the ground, unconscious. She would not remember anything that had happened. She wouldn’t remember anything, at all. The memories, lessons, experiences… everything that made Cozy Glow was gone, never to return or be salvaged. Now she was like a newborn again, and would need all the care that condition entitled, albeit her natural age would accelerate the process to compensate.

Gone was Cozy Glow but a new filly had been, for lack of a better term, born. That was what Obliteration meant. To erase the life of a creature completely, leaving only the body and a new chance for that life to live. A sentence that was equal to or worse, some argued, than death.

“We’ll take care of her, Princess Celestia,” a pair of Noble Guards approached. “We’ll make sure to raise this new filly well and keep her away from all of this.”

Celestia nodded and shared quick glances with Luna, Twilight, and Spike. Everypony nodded. “Then it shall be so. I will see to it that you receive an appropriate stipend.”

“Thank you, Princess Celestia,” the other guard said and the two stallions gently took the filly with them.

“I think it’s time to head home,” Twilight closed her eyes. “Let’s pray nothing worse comes to pass.”

Chapter 10 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!

Epilogue

Spike opened his eyes groggily. He sat up, stretching his arms and popping his neck. He looked to his right to find a peacefully sleeping Celestia. Despite being a morning pony, she sometimes had a hard time leaving the bedsheets behind. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, which caused her to flutter her eyes open.

“Five more minutes, Spikeeeeyyyy,” she groaned.

“Would love to, but you have to raise the sun in twenty minutes or so, Mom,” he kissed her again.

She smiled. “I thought you were growing out of calling me Mom, dearest.”

He shrugged. “You’re more of a mare in my eyes now, but you and Luna still raised me. It’s a bit hard to stop calling you Mom or Luna ‘Aunt’. Plus, don’t lie, I know you like it,” he nuzzled her, Celestia returning the affection as she hummed sweetly. “It’s a sort of kinky fun, don’t you think? I know Luna loves it~”

“I can’t say no to that,” Celestia agreed and giggled. She kissed his cheek before he pulled away. “Are you leaving so soon?”

“Sadly, yes. I have a meeting to attend to with the Zebrican Ambassador. It seems they wish to expand the trade-agreement with Cervidas. Funny, no? It’s almost like it’s been mutually beneficial for both nations,” he said with sarcasm. “After that, I’m going to set up schedules and a possible visit to Griffonia. We need to find a way to give them back their autonomous rulership or find a way to annex them with them by asking for it.”

“You know how prideful and uncooperative griffons are. They would never accept annexation. They didn’t even accept Equestrian protection, and they can’t be a vassal state without a proper government,” Celestia sighed. Getting off her bed, she stretched and walked over to Spike. “Mind if we share a bath?”

Spike smirked. “Don’t you want to sleep a little longer?”

“Not after such talk, Spikey. So much left to do, so much left to be done,” she exclaimed with a smile.

After a nice, hot shower, Spike left Celestia’s room and made his way to meet with his Retinue. When he arrived, two of his Scaled Guards saluted, stepping aside to let him through. Inside, Umbra, Stygian, Tempest, and Grubber were already waiting for him, though the latter was still half-asleep.

Taking his seat, Spike exhaled with content elation.

Many things had happened after dealing with Cozy Glow. After her Obliteration, the filly was renamed as Sunshine Swirl. Later, after fixing the damage Cozy Glow had caused, lingering problems left by the Storm King’s invasion and attacks came to light.

Abyssinia was in shambles. Plundered to the point of near collapse, they had valiantly tried to stand on their paws again, but it was all for naught. Raiders from surrounding tribal nations and slaver gangs from Klugetown were running amok Abyssinian territory and there was little they could do to stop them with their economy in shambles. Even guerilla warfare proved ineffective against enemies that struck at a moment’s notice, took what meager things they could find, and then scurried back to where they came from as fast as they had come.

Worse than that, Abyssinia’s historical enemy and rival, the Diamond Dog Empire, was not going to pass up such an opportunity to finish them off. And so, knowing their end was inevitable if they didn’t ask for help, the King and Queen of Abyssinia asked Equestria for any kind of help they could provide in exchange for Vassaldom.

Luna extended an offer to turn Abyssinia into a Protectorate, not a Vassal. Equestria would aid Abyssinia in their recovery until they could stand strong on their own again. When that point was reached, they could decide if they either could change their status to that of a Vassal State or be independent again. The King and Queen signed the treaty but agreed that once Abyssinia recovered, they would be recognized as an ally of Equestria.

Looking back at the table, he saw a map representing Equis and a plethora of banners, figurines, and magic crystals scattered all over the place to indicate relationships, standings, where Special Agents were active, diplomatic dealings, and much more such relationships.

The Yeti Tribes were done for. The Storm King had ruined their nation during his tyrannical ascend to power. Now that they were refugees and Equestria, showing mercy to their enemies, allowed them to stay. Now they had established a settlement near the Crystal Empire and offered Cadance their services as excellent explorers and extra muscle around the Empire. Some had even joined the Crystal Guards.

The Changeling Hive was growing nicely. Without Chrysalis and the influence of her throne, the Deadlands was slowly turning into a lush and beautiful place. It would take decades, perhaps up to a century or more for the entire territory to change completely to what it should’ve always been. But the changelings were now able to farm, cultivate, and live their lives freely without Chrysalis holding them back nor with the constant dread of starvation.

And the Kirins? Everyone. Everyone had thought they were extinct. But thankfully, they were just hiding in isolation for centuries. It warmed his heart to see Celestia and Luna cry as they glomped and hugged their dear old friend, Rain Shine, alive once more.

On that note, he couldn’t help but smile widely upon seeing five banners in particular. One of Equestria, another over the Crystal Empire, and the remaining three over the Hippogriff Kingdom/Seaquestria, Saddle Arabia, and the Kirin’s Grove. After the Storm’s King debacle, Blueblood had been hard at work under a new project of his. When he finally presented it a month ago, it was unanimously approved and presented to their allies.

Cadance was the first to sign, followed shortly by Queen Novo, Sultan High Dune and Sultaness Shifting Sands, and lastly by Rain Shine. Blueblood’s project had been a proposal similar to an alliance but closely knit and far more inclusive. With rights, duties, and benefits shared through the participant nations; all seen as equals, with no nation above the other.

He called his project a ‘Federation’.

The Changeling Hive and Yakyakistan would surely join it in a few weeks until all the necessary measures are taken care of. As for the Dragon Lands? Since he was the Dragon Lord, he could easily sign the treaty and be done with it. But taking a note from Luna’s book, he decided it’d be best to show the dragons, by example, the benefits of joining the newly found Federated Nations of Equis.

And speaking of the Dragon Lands, Ember had been doing a magnificent job as his Placeholder and de facto ruler. He gave her free reign to do what she thought would be best for all dragons. Schools had been founded, training grounds were established, commerce and trade were beginning to rise. And, much to everyone’s delight, the Dragon Hunters had been crushed once and for all, with only scattered remains left to be mopped up.

His relationship with Ember had also improved. Truthfully, he had never truly seen her as a potential love interest, less so since his heart belonged to Celestia and Luna first and foremost. But they had assured him that they didn’t mind ‘sharing’. Celestia actually encouraged it. That mare, despite her pristine exterior, could be quite playful indeed.

Looking up from the map to his Retinue, he saw Stygian, quill and parchment at the ready. The lanky stallion had proven his worth and intelligence far exceeding his imagination. Thanks to him, his workload had nearly halved, now that he didn’t need to write every detail himself, just read through them and sign them if need be.

Grubber was an odd one. At first, he thought he would contribute nothing and was more akin to a tool to keep Tempest happy. But he soon found that past his carefree attitude and gluttony tendencies, he was actually incredibly capable of tactical analysis, strategic planning, which combined with Stygian’s own capabilities turned into a force to be reckoned with, and boisterous nature, turned him into his official announcer and tactical planner.

Tempest Shadow, as she refused to use her real name, had proven to be every bit the capable Commander he thought she was. Fierce, brave, and bold, Tempest commanded respect only matched by her gentle nature under her shell of regimental authority. Surprisingly, when Twilight offered to heal her horn, she refused, stating she would earn her horn back after all the damage she caused.

Lastly, Umbra, his first companion. The pity he felt for her had turned into understanding and then to admiration. Alone, she was more than capable of ruling, even though her approach could be seen as heartless by many. Quick of mind, powerful, and the mind of a leader turned her into not only his most trusted member of his Retinue, but also his second-in-command.

He smiled thinking about Smolder joining his Retinue after graduating from the School of Friendship. They had spent a lot of time together as of late, now that no major catastrophe struck against Equestria and he found himself with plenty of free time a few times each week. Smolder was one of his closest friends and he would love to have her at his side more often. A curious thought, he mused, as the more he got to know Tempest and spend time with Umbra, the more they grew on him.

He chuckled. Not everything was perfect. Many other nations still refused to interact with Equestria or did so in an extremely limited and begrudging fashion. The Diamond Dog Empire, in particular, had refused further communication for ‘denying them the right to shave the fur of the damn cats’. But they’ll come around. One way or another, they would. Griffonia would find a leader or ask to be integrated into Equestrian soil. Minotauria would see the benefits of commerce, and slowly open up more and more. Zebrica and Cervidas would slowly grow as well, and other minor nations would also end up witnessing where Harmony and Friendship led to.

“So much left to do,” Spike began. “But, Aurora willing, we will succeed. It is the Dawn of a United Equis. Friendship shall show us the way.”

“Friendship shall show us the way,” his four companions repeated.

Spike nodded, proud of his friends and companions.

“For Harmony.”

End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!

I may do a follow-up story, but don't quote me on that. If I end up doing it, I won't give any spoilers here aside from that the dead shall rise.

Prologue

For Harmony - Prologue

Her sister had noticed how stressed she looked lately. And such an observation coming from the permanently annoyed, tired, and short-tempered Princess of the Night was nothing to scoff at, for Luna was right. Many a terrible thing plagued her mind from dawn till dusk as of late. So, deciding on the best course of action was to get away from the castle for a few hours only, perhaps a day or two, allowing her to put her mind and thoughts in order without the petty problems of whiny nobles, commonplace disasters, or having to deal with a seemingly high string of minor compromises and a thousand other little things that required her signature, approval, or presence, Celestia did just that.

Leaving her regalia behind, she spread her wings right after the sunrise and moved in the first direction; she knew it was unlikely for anypony else to follow her. The sheer ludicrous idea that she would go to the borders of the Dragon Lands would never run across the minds of most of her subjects. Only Luna knew where she was heading. Like it or not, a real crisis could spring at any moment, and she would need to remain available no matter what her concerns may be.

Of which she had a dreadful amount to worry.

Perhaps it was the burden her late father, the supremely wise and powerful Aurora Solaris, had entrusted upon her. None could deny that she shared their father’s vision and a keen sense of awareness to notice grave, unfathomable dangers long before they manifested themselves. At least, most of the time, that was the case. And this was such the scenario. She could see the signs, and they were all too bright, all also mounting and inescapable.

The confrontation was not her crucial strength. That had always been Luna’s department. No. She preferred to deal with problems before they grew too large, to move things behind the curtain, under the tables, and from the shadows to weaken an enemy or empower an ally severely; to cast down a foe and increase her influence, goals, and reach for the sake of her subjects and of Equestria.

Celestia scowled. How much time did she have left before whatever terrors to make their move? Was she prepared? Were her subjects prepared? Was Equestria ready to face those coming evils?

The Princess of the Sun sighed heavily, knowing painfully well what the answer was. While her sense for lurking dread wasn’t as keen as hers, Luna had also perceived the coming catastrophe creeping, worming, and slithering its way to try and cast down everything they had worked for nearly a thousand years.

They had to prepare. Celestia knew she could do nothing to prevent the arrival of the coming darkness. She wouldn’t be able to even undermine it before casting its shadow over the land she loved. But she was also, equally aware, that Equestria, as it stood now, would not be able even to survive should the creeping shadow lurking over them engulfed them in full. They were casting her and Luna aside despite all their power and strength.

Equestria had seen much brighter days, that was for sure.

“Starswirl and The Pillars are gone. The Elements of Harmony were sealed. The Crystal Empire still trapped in its pocket dimension. The search for new Bearers has been fruitless. Luna was fending off the Nightmare inside her,” Celestia muttered to herself, her scowl deepening at each notion. “And our list of allies is painfully short.”

Not trusting her wings to perform their work as the anger boiled inside her, Celestia landed on an even patch of dirt. She was already inside the Dragon Lands territory by a few kilometers, but some vegetation was still enduring in the harsh conditions of the Dragon Lands’ borders. Looking around for a few seconds, Celestia decided to head over to the nearest hill, her pace slow while her mind was still awash with thoughts.

Sure, she could rely on her dearest friend, Queen Novo, and the hippogriffs to lend their aid, but they were sadly too few in numbers and even more pacifist than her little ponies. The buffalo tribes? Technically they were already a part of Equestria, although in a loose definition. She made a mental note to fix that in the coming years.

Then how about the Griffons? No. They were not an option. They were greedy, violent, and far too disorganized after the tragedy that occurred their nation centuries prior. Very few griffons ever dared to leave Griffonia, and those that took residence in Equestria were far, far too few in numbers to ever be considered as useful. Not to mention, there was always the threat of some creature powerful enough to rally them up and invade Equestria.

That possibility was the sole reason Celestia hadn’t given up hope on the griffons just yet. For all their faults and the possible danger they employed, they were remarkably stubborn creatures, and would rather first die than be used as tools or slaves under a tyrant. Even after all these years, she still hadn’t figured out an effective way to earn their loyalty that didn’t involve merely buying it.

The Diamond Dogs? They could be formidable if only their scavenging and thieving nature could be dealt with, controlled, and moderated. The Zebras? She shuddered at the thought. They were remarkably primitive; that was true, but the zebras were numerous, and many of their tribes were fierce warriors. Sadly for her, most of those tribes were not open to reason and only bowed to military might. An aspect that, while not lacking, was in extremely short supply all over Equestria.

The unification of most of their clans and their attempt to invade Equestria two centuries ago was still fresh in her and Luna’s mind. If not for Dusktantine Sparkle, Captain of the Royal Guards at the time, challenging and killing their chieftain in a one-on-one battle, the war could’ve ended with several thousands more of her beloved subjects dead on the fields. Defeated but not broken, the tribes dispersed, the invasion was off, and returned to Zebrica to lick their wounds. Beaten but unbowing, as their chantings went.

Ponies were quick to forgive but slow to forget, and the fear and mistrust on zebras were still palpable to this day. So no, zebras were not a good option just yet.

Then how about the Abyssinians? As long as the Diamond Dog Empire stood between Equestria and Abyssinia, the thought of just a simple trade agreement, much less an alliance was out of the question. The Kirin? Not even she knew what happened to the most mystical race after the alicorns themselves, how she missed Rain Shine, and her singing in the rain.

Her efforts with the Saddle Arabians were bearing their fruits after several decades of careful negotiation. Perhaps a Defensive Pact was in order in the next few years? How about Mexicolt? Well, they were technically a vassal estate of Equestria, though independent to a degree. They were fierce and surprisingly fond of their Equestrian brethren, but Mexicolt was small compared to Equestria, so while their support was welcomed, it did little to aid Equestria during a real calamity truly.

The Minotaurs were nearly as bad as the Diamond Dogs and the Griffons in terms of greed and their brutish nature. The Centaurs and the Gargoyles? They were long gone, with only Scorpan, vanished into legend, somewhere around the world remained as the last testament of their once-proud legacy. The Yaks? That was a pleasant prospect. Though… special to treat, the yaks would prove to be a boon to Equestria should they pledge friendship with Equestria.

And what of the mighty Dragons?

Celestia shuddered, not out of disgust or fear. She was quite fond of the dragons. Some of her parents’ most fabulous friends had been dragons, but those were the exception rather than the rule. If any species stood as a living contrary to the ideals of Harmony and Friendship, then the dragons would stand on top of the possible candidates.

The reality was, as always, a cruel bitch whenever problems reared their ugly heads. When had things gone so wrong? How many calamities had struck Equestria since its inception? Her plans had gone up in smoke the moment she thought victory was hers. So many dear friends and family had perished or had been lost. Her father, Aurora, her mother, Moonlight, her mentor, Starswirl, and the Pillars, Amore, all of their previous allies, and the Elements of Harmony were sealed until new, worthy Bearers were found.

“Is it my fault?” Celestia asked her as she dawdled her way up the hill. Well, was it her fault? Was it her fault things were the way they were due to her actions? Was it a punishment for her hubris always believes the best in others? Or was it merely a test to prove her resolve? Should she use her real strength to obtain that what she had once worked so hard for, only to lose in a single moment? Or should she keep on trying to achieve her goal the way she was doing now?

She shook her head. Using her power to enforce her will upon the world was not an option. She could do it, that much was true. She had the power and the unique link with the Sun to do so. Why shouldn’t she simply threaten every nation just to accept her terms, to bend the knee and accept her as their ruler, when the punishment for not doing so would mean the death of their world? Condemning half of the planet to fry over an eternal day and the other to freeze on an endless night?

Luna would never allow her to do such a thing. And it was something Celestia recognized as a vile thought, one that made her stomach lurch with disgust, and her sense goes fuzzy. The very notion that such an idea crossing her mind was proof that it wouldn’t work. It would never work. She was not a tyrant, and she would never be. She had never desired power, and she led because no one else was capable of doing so without losing their morals and ideals.

Luna had partially failed when she allowed a Nightmare to taint her. Although perhaps that was also proof of her strength? Jealousy and envy had taken over her heart, drawing the Nightmare to her, resulting in the birth of Nightmare Moon. But even as they had fought, also as defeat was a near certainty for Celestia, Luna, her beloved sister, recognized the error of her ways and stopped the Nightmare long enough for Celestia to use the Elements of Harmony against her.

Now Luna was locked in a constant battle against the Nightmare inside her. The price for their faults. Luna’s jealousy and Celestia’s neglect.

And what of the dreaded Queen Umbra? She was the sole responsible for the sacrifice Amore had to perform to stop Umbra, and in doing so, locking the Crystal Empire in a pocket dimension, frozen in time until, one day not too far into the future, its return. And with it, Umbra would most surely return as well.

Speaking of returns, what if Tirek returned? He was locked away in Tartarus, that much was true. But there was no way that Kin-Slayer, that putrid monster that had murdered his parents, would just stand by idly forever.

What of Grogar? The Father of Monsters, the Goat Lich, the Usurper, the Necromancer? Perhaps the most dreaded enemy of all. A calamity in his own right. During his reign, he had been responsible for ending the lives of countless innocents, would-be heroes, and powerful creatures—her parents among them. Not to mention the crippling injury he bestowed upon her older brother, Blueblood. Thankfully, when his victory seemed all but imminent, Gusty the Great managed to snatch his Bewitching Bell from him, hiding it somewhere, not even she knew and causing his downfall.

Where was that monster now? No one knew. Some say he is living, biding his time in the forsaken ruins of Tambelon. Starswirl himself theorized he could be lurking in the deepest, darkest, coldest pits of Tartarus, forever bound to that place and unable to escape. Luna believed he was dead. Truly and utterly, and that he would never be back. As for herself? She sincerely hoped either Luna or Starswirl to be correct. In the end, all she could do was to prepare in case he returned.

With dreaded returns in mind, what of the Windigoes, the Ice, and Despair Demons? It had been they who ended Blueblood’s life before he ended their rampage, entrusting a shield against them to his beloved friends. If the protection of Harmony failed, what could they do against them?

Then there was the threat of Lavan. The megalomaniac, egocentric, narcissistic monster wishing nothing but reshaping the entire world into his view of beauty. Which according to his delusions, he was the one being that encompassed the true meaning of beauty and perfection.

Finally… Discord. In terms of power and sheer existential threat, he was the greatest foe of them all. Encased in stone, he remained in the Labyrinth on display as another simple statue. His followers of old had been defeated, all records of his existence destroyed aside from legends. No one but Luna and herself knew the figure was, in fact, Discord. If Harmony wavered, if Chaos was strong enough… he’d be free once more. But she was no fool. She knew, regardless of how strong Harmony was, Discord would one day return.

And from there, what other new, terrible horrors and dangers were heading their way along with the coming dark, turmoil-filled times just rising from the horizon?

As was before, as it was now, as it had always been Celestia’s goal, ever unchanging, ever-present, ever consuming her thoughts and guiding her actions. If Equestria fell… then the entire world would soon follow and plunge it back into a time of suffering, stagnancy, and paranoia for all.

“The world must unite,” she muttered. “All of Equis must unite under the Equestrian Banner. An entire planet, not just a nation, guided by Harmony and Friendship,” she said.

Again, Celestia was no fool. Harmony and Friendship were pure and powerful beyond measure. This was an absolute truth. But for all that it was giving and prosperous, it had one crucial weakness: it made those that did not understand it to see them like weaklings, opportunistic thieves, and tyrants under a disguise of courtesy. She knew well what the other nations thought of Equestria, her sister, and herself.

“Envious, greedy, hateful!” Celestia whispered angrily. The one thing she honestly hated were idiotic fools that preferred to jump off the cliff of wanton ignorance, preferring to cause turmoil, to be selfish in their goals, greedy in their commitment, and only caring for either vain glory or false respect. “Equestria has been at peace for centuries. Only Chieftain Volvirr broke it for a time. But have we not advanced more than any other nation? Have we not prospered? Are we not a nation free of famine? Is Equestria ravaged by warring nobles or countless civil wars? Fools. FOOLS! All of them, petty, whinny…” Celestia stopped herself, closing her eyes and drawing in mouthfuls of air to calm down.

It was frustrating, yes. But there was nothing she could do. Those nations were independent. And, for better or for worse, they had the right to guide themselves and their people however they saw fit even if that meant damnation for them.

But what if every nation, every species, every creature on the surface of Equis worked under a single banner? A unique symbol of casting their blind hatred of their differences aside and turn it into a strength?

She could see it, plain as the Sun shining brightly upon the world. Each species using their natural gifts and wits to its fullest potential, while relying on others to do the same. All were striving to build something far greater than what poultry reward they could achieve on their lonesome.

A World-Wide Nation. An Equestria on a global scale. The entirety of Equis guided by the example and wisdom of Harmony defended and raised properly by Friendship. That was her dream, her goal. She could force them to bow, but why force others to bow when greeting them as equals, accepting their hooves, hands, claws, or whatever in Friendship was a much better option? Much, much tricky and time-consuming, yes, but in the end, the only right way to avoid future conflict.

Celestia sighed heavily, finally reaching the top of the hill. But there was yet another problem. Two. First, she needed more help—loyal, reliable, worthy, and wise advice to achieve her goal. The birth of Cadance was in and of itself a miracle. She could rely on her to take up the task of guiding the Crystal Empire once it returned, bearing in mind they could defeat Umbra in the first place to make that into a reality. Problems for another day, her niece was still a foal, after all.

But three alicorns set to ensure guidance over the world, or in truth to oversee the progress of the most dangerous places of the world as it developed, was an impossible task. She’d have to find somepony worthy of ascension, several capable individuals, and even more loyal forces to just try to achieve such an enormous mission.

If a nation, like Mexicolt, Saddle Arabia, Hippogriffia, or Yaktakistan, could oversee themselves after joining Equestria in an alliance or even become vassals, protectorates, or, dare she dream, fully enter Equestrian territory by themselves, all the better. Alas, those nations capable of effective self-rule were depressingly few in numbers.

Celestia looked at the road before her and gasped, her legs walking coming to a halt as she stared wide-eyed at what was in front of her. “What happened here?” She asked to no one in particular. Not that any creature would hear her now.

Before her eyes, scant thee hundred meters away were two giant unmoving dragons. With simple teleportation, Celestia appeared scant meters away from the fierce creatures. It took her a second to realize the dragons were long dead. Most of their scales had been torn off from their bodies; their flesh turned to ruin by what she deduced had been a frost and acidic damage.

Looking around, Celestia found discarded spears, arrows, and other scattered weapons, though few in numbers. But no other corpses aside from a few helmets still bearing the remains of ashes.

“Dragon Hunters,” Celestia growled, her stomach lurching once again. Though few in numbers (and ever hunted down by Royal Guards the second they were spotted), they were a blight on weaker, younger dragons. The sole reason Dragon Lord Torch had remained amicable towards Equestria (and had prohibited raidings into Equestrian soil), was due to Equestria’s efforts chasing down and punishing those vile hunters. Dozens of groups had been captured over the centuries, hundreds executed, and thousands of innocent dragon lives saved. “But there are still a few remaining.”

It was more than obvious the hunters had won against these two dragons. Barely adults or close to it, judging by their size, they should’ve been able to fend off the hunters, or at the very least escape. How could have these two dragons lost to the Dragon Hunters?

Diamond eating fangs, claws that could cut diamonds in half, scales sturdier than any armor, a fire breath capable of melting pretty much everything, unmatched regenerative capabilities, virtually immortal (she had yet to know of a dragon that died from old age), eyes capable of seeing even in the darkest of places, a keen sense of smell unparalleled by any other creature, formidable strength, endurance, and stamina that even Rockhoof would find it hard to match, and capable of eating virtually anything. And perhaps worst of all, sapient.

And all of that was merely the capabilities of a baby dragon out of their hatchling phase. The older the dragon was, the deadlier it became. Of course, it depended from dragon to dragon, but they were all dangerous.

Indeed, an apex predator. Only other comparable beings that could match them were either other dragons, magically enhanced creatures, demigods, or virtually Godly beings, such as alicorns and Discord, a literal God.

All of these gifts were responsible for shaping the general dragon mentality of seeing themselves as rare creatures, standing above pretty much every other species, which explained their arrogance, egocentric behavior, their greed, and their violent nature. That was the reason Dragon Hunters usually went after small dragons, adolescents, babies, hatchlings, and even eggs. Anything that came from a dragon was guaranteed to deliver a massive bounty.

Walking around the looted corpses, still wondering how two dragons near adulthood were brought down, Celestia stumbled upon her answer. Approaching a small crater on the ground, carefully protected by the two dragons’ claws, the Princess of the Sun saw the shattered remains of several eggs.

Celestia closed her eyes for a minute in respect. Now she understood how the Dragon Hunters defeated the dragons and why they had been so suicidally driven to claim such a prize. When she opened her eyes, Celestia offered a quick prayer for the dragons and their eggs. There was nothing she could do except issue an immediate investigation once she returned to Canterlot. She’d find the surviving hunters and bring them to justice. That, she promised.

Reaching with her magic, Celestia gathered the remaining eggshells. The hunters had taken the hatchlings, so there was no harm in taking the remaining eggshells for herself. Distasteful, yes. But she could use the shells as ingredients for brewing powerful potions in her school.

Celestia was about to leave when something else caught her eye. Approaching one of the claws, she discovered a small egg still intact. It was of light purple shade with dots of darker purple coloration. Celestia’s mouth went agape, her magic dying out and dropping the eggshells back to where they belonged.

Carefully, with trembling hooves, the Sun Goddess reached for the single egg. Picking it up slowly, gently, tenderly, she brought it close to her chest. Impossibly, her eyes widened further as she felt the flickering warmth inside the egg.

“It’s still alive!” She blurted, jumping to her hooves. Standing on three legs while using her right forelegs to cradle the egg, she smiled widely. It took her but a moment, but she realized the position she was in. She had just found an abandoned egg. And according to dragon law… “This egg is now mine.”

Extending her wings, Celestia took up to the sky, flying as fast as she could back to Equestria. She couldn’t help but smile giddily. She’d hatch the little dragon inside her egg, raise it, teach it, love it, and guide it. A new prince or princess of Equestria would be an excellent addition to her family!

A prince or princess that would solve her second, more significant problem. Simply put, she needed a symbol. Other nations would never accept her, Luna, Cadance, or any Equestrian, pony or otherwise, as the face of the success of the ideals of Harmony and Friendship. But what could be a valid symbol of unification if not even an alicorn could suffice?

Why the one creature that embodied what Harmony and Friendship were not. What better symbol for Equestria than a dragon raised by such ideals for the world to see?

“You shall become my daughter or son, little one—royalty of Equestria. And you shall aid me in uniting the world to a single nation,” Celestia said softly to the egg, kissing it softly.

She had to hurry up, and there was much planning to do.

“Luna is going to be so happy to become an aunt again!”

End Prologue.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!

Special thanks to Allegrano Melody for a quick edit help for all your reading pleasure.

Chapter 3: Princes Are Not Made. They Are Hatched.

“Where’s the mercury!? I need the mercury!”

“Right here, doctor!”

“Gold, silver, and diamond dust, where are they!?”

“We’re out of stock on diamond dust! Prince Blueblood is retrieving some as we speak!”

“Get me the sulfur mask! Ammonia and petroleum mix, now!”

“SHIT! His heart-rate is dropping!”

“Should we use adrenalin, doctor?”

“We don’t have a high enough dose to affect him! Unless… get me Captain Spitfire or Commander Soarin asap! And tell them to bring the most charged stormcloud they can carry.”

“Doctor… y-you’re surely not planning on--”

“We don’t have TIME! His regenerative capabilities stopped him from bleeding to death, but he lost too much blood and his heart rate is dropping despite our best efforts! We need to keep his heart running no matter what!”

“The letter was sent. They’ll be here in five minutes.”

“Good. The mercury will keep him running for another twenty minutes. Is the mask ready yet?”

“Here it is, doctor.”

From the sideline behind a reinforced glass, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna watched helplessly as Spike laid on an operating table as the best and brightest medical professionals in Canterlot worked their hooves, claws, and tails off as they tended to the heavily injured Dragon Prince. The minor injuries, the scales the dragon hunter had peeled off from the back of his hands, and the two scales impaled in his thigh and belly were fairly easy to treat. Thankfully for Spike, the thestral guards of Luna had picked up his removed scales and brought them back. They would manage to heal them back in place after dealing with the most pressing matter at hand.

The dragon hunter’s spear had pierced deeply and had caused major injuries, but nothing lethal due to Spike holding the spear back for long enough to be rescued. Sadly, the dragon hunter wasn’t stupid and proved to be a dreadfully experienced killer. Both the scales and the spear had been poisoned.

Normally speaking, a dragon, even a hatchling, could shrug off any kind of poison and venom. Even the deadly mix of Dodongo, Manticore, and Hydra poisons would, at best, tingle them. But the poison the dragon hunters used was of their own creation. From mashing up hydra venom glands, mandragora roots, mashed up dragon scales, and the core of dragon fangs, the resulting creation was deadly enough to bring any living creature down within minutes, with the sole exception of alicorns.

Celestia knew this better than anycreature.

“Damn dragon hunters,” Luna hissed angrily, her eyes blazing with fury. “I suspected some would be hiding in the Everfree Forest, but I never expected them to be right under our noses, sister.”

Celestia, with tears running down her cheeks, gritted her teeth. “This is my fault.”

“She’s admitting her failure? How delightfully surprising!” Luna’s reflection on the window, that in the form of Nightmare Moon, taunted in a mocking tone.

Luna glared at the Nightmare but didn’t chastise it like she normally would. “Yes. It is your fault, Celestia,” Luna then turned to her sister. “I told you. I begged you. I bucking told you that sheltering and grooming Spike for nothing but diplomacy and social gatherings was a mistake!” She snarled, baring her teeth. “He may be a dragon, but he barely knows how to fight, hold a sword, and defend himself!”

“How do you think I feel right now, Luna!?” Celestia shouted at her sister. “M-My son is there dying! All because I never thought he’d do something so reckless as to go into the Everfree on his own or at all! I never thought he’d ever had to fight anyone, much less one of those murderers!” She sniffed loudly, using a wing to clean away her tears.

Luna’s eyes returned to normal as she watched the despair in her sister’s eyes. Offering a wing, she hugged Celestia. “It is my fault, also. I should’ve pressed further. I should’ve trained him behind your back like I wanted instead of accepting teaching him just the basics.”

“And that alone saved him his life, Luna. Thank you,” Celestia nuzzled the smaller alicorn. “For now, all we can do is wait… and hope for the best.”

“What will you do if Spike dies, huh? I do wonder~” The Nightmare said.

Luna paid it no mind. Instead, the two sisters saw both Spitfire and Soarin rushing into the room with a stormcloud.

“CLEAR!” The doctor shouted as he and his staff stepped back. A moment later, a potent but controlled lighting strike to hit Spike’s chest.

“Doctor, Prince Spike’s heart rate is increasing! It’s working!”

Outside, Celestia and Luna sighed with absolute relief as the immediate danger was out of the way. But the battle was not over yet.

***********************************************

“What do you mean by ‘adopted a dragon’, sister?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow.

“That I found and adopted a small dragon’s egg!” Celestia replied as she rested on her bed. With a smiling face, she moved away the wing covering her stomach to reveal the small purple egg with darker purple spots. “My little egg,” Celestia said as she lovingly caressed the egg with her feathers.

“...Does Torch know about this? How did you find it?” Luna asked, approaching slowly to her sister. “You didn’t steal it, did you now, sister?”

“Do you truly believe me capable of stealing something in such a manner, Luna?”

“You steal cake all the--”

“Besides cake,” Celestia clarified with a blush.

Luna sat down in front of her sister and the egg. “Jokes aside, Celestia. What happened?”

And so, Celestia told her sister how she found the dragon couple, the smashed eggs, the leftovers of some of the dragon hunters responsible and finally, the egg. That egg.

Luna sighed. “Even if it is Dragon Law, Torch needs to know about this, Celestia.”

“I sent him a letter yesterday upon my return. We should know his reply in the coming days,” Celestia smiled down at the egg. “He won’t oppose,” then her gaze shifted to her sister, anger and hate shining through her magenta eyes. “Less so after I find the monsters responsible for that massacre.”

Luna nodded. “On that, we agree, sister. Shall I dispatch some of my guards to aid in the search and investigation?”

“Please,” Celestia leaned down to kiss the egg. “You are going to be a beautiful Princess or a handsome Prince of Equestria, little one.”

“Sister, please tell me you are not planning on using the dragon for your own means,” Luna said, frowning. “A dragon raised in Equestria, more so one under our protection… I know what you are thinking. Please. Do not do it.”

“The chance is far too great to pass up, Luna,” Celestia revealed. “But I am not a monster. I genuinely wish the best for this hatchling,” she smiled warmly. “I must confess I am looking forward to raising a baby of my own!” She said giddily. “A baby to love and care and shower with affection! A playmate for Blueblood! A baby cousin for Cadance!”

“A new nephew or niece,” Luna blushed, smiling at the thought. “Then, tell me, what are your plans for the hatchling?”

“My son or daughter shall be the symbol that Equestria needs. A dragon raised lovingly, naturally, and openly in Equestria. One that shall learn of Peace, and Love, and Generosity, Honesty, Laughter, Magic, Kindness, Loyalty, Friendship and above all, Harmony,” Celestia explained while caressing the egg.

“I will not allow you to indoctrinate my nephew or niece, if that’s what you are planning, sister. If it rejects our ideals and wishes to live among other dragons, what then?” Luna asked, carefully eyeing his sister.

“Then, as much as it would undoubtedly pain me to do, I will let my baby go. It will be its choice to embrace or reject our ideals, sister,” Celestia confessed.

“As long as we are in agreement with that, then I will not oppose you on raising the hatchling,” Luna smirked. “However, how do you plan on hatching it? The egg is smaller than any other dragon’s egg I’ve seen before. It may have some health issues?” Luna pondered. “And what about its diet? Or diseases? Do… Do baby dragons get sick? And his shots? Education? Clothing may be needed! Diapers! What shall it eat? How shall we feed it!? Celestia! What do we feed the baby!?” Luna turned to her sister in a frazzled state of mind, her mane and tail curling up in distress.

Celestia laughed at her sister’s baby meltdown whilst gently tugging her egg. Letting out a drown out sigh, Celestia’s fur began glowing with a gentle yellow light. Suddenly, the temperature in the room escalated.

“We can worry about the future problems another day. For now, let’s focus on hatching you out of that egg, little one.”

*************************************************

“The fields and the eco-terraforming process is going better than expected, Celestia. Ohh, excuse me, Princess Celestia,” a wealthy-looking and elegantly dressed Saddle Arabian said.

“It’s quite alright, High Dune. We are all friends here,” Celestia replied with a waving hoof. “There’s no need for titles.”

“Sorry, it’s just… improper, in a sense,” Sultan High Dune explained.

“But it is also a relief, don’t you think so, dear?” Sultaness Shifting Sands said, placing a hoof over her husband’s extended foreleg.

“Indeed it is, my friends,” Luna agreed, sipping at her tea. “Titles can bring authority and command respect, but they can also be shackles of loneliness and pressure by those incapable of withstanding their weight,” another sip. “Being surrounded by equals truly is a blessing.”

“Oh, I agree completely, Luna,” Shifting Sands giggled. “Tell us, have the shipmasters done their work properly? I hope there aren’t any problems with the construction of your ships.”

“Not at all. Equestria and Hippogriffia both have formidable naval prowess. But compared to Saddle Arabian crafting expertise? We may as well be using toys,” Celestia exalted.

“The same can be said for Earth Pony ingenuity and talent! They have done in twenty years what we have failed to do in over a hundred. We are finally pushing back against the desert, bringing life, arable land, forests, water, and new territories in return,” High Dune sighed happily. “I cannot thank you enough for your help, Celestia, Luna.”

“Think nothing of it,” Luna dismissed with a smile. “We are happy to help our friends in need.”

“Now then,” Shifting Sands pressed on. “Shall we discuss the terms for an open-trade lane and open-border rights?”

Celestia nodded. “Of course. I believe that the harvested sand can be utilized for--”

Suddenly, a ball of green fire manifested in front of Celestia, startling the four rulers. A moment later, a small ball of purple and green scales wearing a diaper flopped on the table. The four rulers stared for a second at it until two large emerald-green eyes looked around the room.

“Uuuhhmmaaaa!” The bundle of scales cried happily, smiling and throwing two little arms at Celestia.

“Harmony’s sake, Spike!” Celestia cried out, picking the tiny dragon up and pressing it against her chest. “How in the world did you do that?”

“How is my nephew here!? What just happened!?” Luna asked, surprised.

“Is that your son, Celestia?” Shifting Sands asked as she approached. Her face and heart melted upon seeing the little dragon snuggling up against Celestia’s neck, his tiny dull claws grabbing at her fur. “He is far more adorable than when you presented it to us, Celestia! For shame! You never told us he was this adorable!”

“Heeeeey there, little dragon, what’s your name? Whazz yur name?” High Dune asked, making a face and doing a baby voice.

“Pppffbbrrtttt!” Spike replied, looking with wonder at the Sultan before nuzzling back against his mother’s neck.

High Dune let out a loud ‘D’aawwwww’ as he watched Spike trying to nibble Celestia’s neck.

“Celestia, may I?” Shifting Sands asked with some caution.

“Of course,” Celestia replied before her horn came to life and cast a quick spell. “Now he won’t be able to hurt you. My precious scales can be bitey,” Celestia giggled as she handed her baby to Shifting Sands.

“Come here, little baby,” Shifting Sands looked at the dragon in her forelegs, staring into his big emerald eyes. “Aren’t you the most handsome little dragon I’ve ever seen?” She then cuddled him against her neck. “I didn’t know dragons could do that!”

“Dragons can’t do that,” Luna replied, both amazed at Spike’s magical feat and smiling widely at his adorableness. “Sister?”

“I don’t know what could’ve caused this either, Luna.” Humming, Celestia ignited her horn once again. Soon after, small particles of green, purple, and golden colors could be seen floating in front of her. “Incredible… Magical residue,” she smiled widely, looking at her son. “Your magical residue, precious scales!”

“Uuhhmmaaaaaa!” Spike cried happily.

“My nephew can do magic!” Luna clopped her hooves together, smiling as widely as she could. With her magic, she gently yanked Spike away from Shifting Sands and hugged him close. “Aren’t you just the sweetest ball of scales and cute ever?”

“Uuhhhmmuuuaaaa!” Spike chirped happily, laughing and drooling all over Luna’s neck.

“Should we lock down his magic potential then, sister?” Luna asked as she kissed Spike’s head. “While I wouldn’t mind having my little nephew pop up everywhere in a ball of fire, we don’t know what else he could be capable of doing.”

“Not to mention it would make meetings difficult if he keeps stealing all the attention whenever he fireports to me,” Celestia giggled.

“Fireport? You mean like, teleportation?” Luna looked up to Celestia. “How can you possibly know that’s what he did?”

“The residue,” Celestia replied, pointing at the dispersing residue. “It had some of my magical essence in it. Did you miss mommy, dearest? Yes, you did! Yes, you did!” She played along causing Spike to laugh more.

“Auntie Celestia!” The voice of a frantic filly was heard nearby. A moment later, the doors burst open to reveal a pink alicorn filly breathing heavily and wide-eyed. “Auntie Celestia! Auntie Celestia! I was babysitting Spike just like you asked me to and I turned around for a second and then Spike was gone in a ball of fire andidon’tknowwhereheisandI--- W-What’s so funny?”

***********************************************

“Spike, please,” Celestia sighed tiredly as she laid sideways on her bed. Her left hindleg was slightly raised to allow better access to her belly. “Spike, precious scales, mommy is very tired today,” she called at her bundle of scales currently latched to one of her crotchboobs. “Sweetie… you drank it all a few hours ago. I don’t have any more milk to give you just yet,” she said tiredly.

Spike sucked at her teat harder, but as she had said, nothing came out. Grumbling, Spike moved to the upper teat, suckling at it hungrily.

“I didn’t know baby dragons liked milk… or that one could grow so fond of it to run me dry,” Celestia sighed again, feeling Spike’s little fangs nibbling at her teat. “For obvious reasons, I suppose… precious scales, how about some tasty gems instead?” Spike pulled back, looked at her for a second, then shook his head. “How about some mashed potatoes with meat?” Spike shook his head. “Milk from a cow?” Spike shook his head one last time before going back for another try.

“He can be quite the ravenous beast, sister,” Luna said, appearing from the shadows.

“...for how long have you been waiting there, Luna?” Celestia asked, trying to raise her head, but she was far too tired to care that much.

“Do not fret, I just arrived. I feared you were in trouble when I saw light coming out of your balcony, Celestia,” Luna approached the large bed, lying on it as she continued. “It seems my handsome Prince has a bit of a sweet tooth himself.”

“Luna.”

“I wonder what flavor it is? Chocolate? Vanilla? Carrot?”

“Luna, please.”

“Oh! I know! Peach and strawberry!” Luna teased. “With all that cake you eat, I think it might be a milkshake of flavors!”

“I hate you, so, so very much, Luna,” Celestia groaned as Luna laughed.

“Spikey, dearest nephew, come here,” Luna called out sweetly.

The baby dragon pulled away from his mother’s teat, saddened that he couldn’t get any of his precious milk. Turning to the other familiar voice calling him, he saw Luna’s belly, and her slightly swollen crotchboobs, presented for him. Spike looked intently at the dark blue nipples for a few seconds before rushing across the bed.

“Uuuff!” Luna cried softly as Spike hit her stomach and his mouth quickly found one of her teats. “T-That tickles,” she muttered as Spike suckled with gusto at her teat; his short tail wagging from side to side happily.

“Do you think you can handle him for me, Luna?” Celestia yawned. “I’m terribly sorry, but I am exhausted.”

“Of course, sister. I shall feed him until he satiates himself or I run dry,” Luna smiled at her tired sister. “Maybe I can take over this particular duty whenever you are low?”

“That would be,” another yawn. “Really nice of you, Luna. Thank you, sister.”

***********************************************

“No fair, Smolder! I was saving that gem!” Spike said as he wrestled with an orange scaled dragoness with a deep purple crest.

“Winners keepers!” Smolder replied whilst stretching out an arm holding a sapphire.

“And you say you find kids amusing?” A blue scaled older dragoness with two small white horns growing at the back of her head said with abject horror while pointing at the two wrestling baby dragons.

“I know they can keep any creature’s hooves full. But there’s nothing quite like seeing kids grow up and making sure they stay safe and learn good morals,” sitting next to the blue scaled dragoness, Cadance replied with all the honesty and love she could muster. “You just have to give them a chance, Princess Ember.”

“Aha…,” Ember replied dryly as she watched the two muddy, grass-covered, rolling around balls of scales fighting over a gem. “Yeaaaahh, I’m going to take your word for it… Princess Cadenza, was it?”

“Cadance is fine, Princess Ember.”

“Then drop the whole ‘Princess’ thing. Just because my dad’s the Dragon Lord doesn’t make me a pretty prancing pink pony Princess… uhhh, no offense?” Ember awkwardly smiled.

Cadance giggled. “None taken, Ember. I mean, I am a pretty pink pony Princess. I don’t do prancing, though.”

“Uffff,” Ember replied before going back to watch the two baby dragons scuffle alongside Cadance.

A good two hundred meters behind them, Celestia, Luna, and a giant dragon were conversing.

“That insolent excuse of a dragon has been executed, Celestia, Luna. I imagine that suffices his transgression?” Dragon Lord Torch asked.

“It will do,” Luna replied. “That monster killed and devoured a caravan on Equestrian soil. Not that it would’ve mattered if it had been done over any other soil, but our non-aggression pact was violated. That the ruffian was delivered to justice salves the wound.”

“We will handle compensation to the living relatives as well as passing notice of the swift judgment delivered by the Dragon Lord himself. Hopefully, that will be enough to bring some peace to their hearts,” Celestia added.

“Speaking of peace,” Torch brought out his tongue from his maw, wrapped it around a small mountain of gems, and brought them into his maw. He then spent a few moments chewing on his treat before speaking. “Thank you for sending me those damn dragon hunters to stand trial last month. However, I believe one escaped.”

“What makes you say that, Torch? I assure you that my guards never wavered nor left their posts as they were transporting the prisoners,” Celestia clarified.

“Nine scumbags were delivered. Nine were thrown into a volcano. But ten were captured,” he narrowed his eyes. “Where’s the tenth dragon hunter?”

“He is imprisoned in the dungeon, waiting for trial,” Luna spat. “His sins against the dragons are many, yes. But his sin against Equestria are far greater,” Luna’s eyes turned to slits as she revealed the truth to Torch. “That… that minotaur has committed crimes I’d rather not say, but many tens of Equestrians, ponies, donkeys, mules, sheep, and cows alike have suffered at the hands of that beast.”

“Will he pay for his crimes? All of them?” Torch asked.

“He will lose his head, Torch. I assure you that,” Celestia replied solemnly.

“Then I ask for nothing more,” Torch then smiled at the two alicorns. “I see the little runt is growing nicely.”

“And your daughter is looking more lovely than before, Torch,” Celestia replied.

“Yeah, let’s go with ‘lovely’ and not ‘a pain in my scales’,” Torch chuckled.

“If I may ask, Torch, who is the little one playing with my nephew? I don’t recall you having another daughter,” Luna asked.

“That pipsqueak? She’s my niece, Smolder. I also have a nephew, his name is Garble. But he’d rather play those stupid bongos of his and do ‘art’,” he let out a disappointed sigh. “Even your little runt is more of a dragon than my nephew.”

Celestia and Luna giggled in response.

“NO! Smolder, that armor isn’t for eating” Ember suddenly shouted as Smolder leaped on a passing guard, biting hard and tearing some of his armor off.

“Spike! Spike! Don’t you dare mis--!” Cadance groaned. “Now I’ll have to wash you again!”

“Smolder, what are you--! You are going to take a lava-bath before we leave, you runt!”

“You can’t make me!” Spike cried.

“Only if you catch us!” Smolder laughed.

**************************************************

“Tell me what he will do if he ever encounters a situation in which he must defend himself?” Luna asked.

“He’ll never be in such a situation, Luna. He doesn’t need to fight. Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic shall be Equestria’s bulwark against the coming storm,” Celestia replied.

“We still need to find the remaining Bearers, sister,” she groaned weakly. “Have we grown so weak that we must rely on the Elements of harmony yet again, sister?”

“Against the enemies we might face, yes. We have no other option. The Elements of Harmony are our greatest weapon against darkness, a gift from the Pillars with the blessing of our parents and our brother, Luna,” Celestia confessed.

“Surely we cannot be completely helpless, Celestia!” Luna called out.

“What if Discord returns? Or rather, what will happen when he returns and we don’t have the Elements to stop him? What then?” Celestia asked.

“Then that only adds further credence as to why Spike must learn how to fight, at the very least how to defend himself!” Luna cried.

“I disagree, Luna. There’s no need for Spike to be taught violent lessons. Has he asked or showed interest in fighting whatsoever?” Celestia asked.

“You know damn well he hasn’t, Celestia! Why would he? Despite all your lessons and warning, how many times have you told him that he’ll be alright because he is a dragon?” Luna stomped her hoof.

“I’ve warned to never think of himself as invincible, Luna. But against what his role shall be he doesn’t need to worry about ever getting hurt. He’ll always be away from the fights, he’ll never be within harm’s way,” Celestia clarified.

“You cannot be sure about that, Celestia! What if he has to fight another dragon? Or that dreadful relic, the Alicorn Amulet, is found and used against us or him?” Luna stepped forward. “What if a dragon hunter attacks him?”

“No dragon hunter would ever dare harm my son,” her eyes flared with yellow magic. “Or else they’d know what the Sun looks up close.”

“Please, Celestia, I beg you,” Luna bent over, bowing before her sister. “I implore you, see the reason behind mine words. Allow me to teach him how to defend himself, the basics of combat at the very least!” She looked up at Celestia. “Or do you wish to see him die like our brother, Blueblood; alone, crippled, and powerless?”

Celestia closed her eyes. “The Windigoes killed our brother after Grogar crippled him…,” Celestia sighed in defeat. “Very well. You may teach him, but nothing more than the basics and what he asks for, Luna.”

“We have an understanding,” Luna rose. “Speaking of him, where is Spike?”

“He’s with Blueblood and Twilight in their magic theory class,” Celestia replied. “I’d love to teach them myself today, but,” she eyed at the mountain of paperwork resting on her desk.

“I shall leave you to it then,” Luna replied with a nod. Then she stepped back, blending with the shadows and vanishing.

**********************************************

“--ncess! Princesses!” A voice called out.

Both the Princesses were brought out of their stupor and looked back to see the owner of the voice.

“Shining Armor,” Celestia greeted. “It’s good to see you here.”

“Spike is like a little brother to me. The moment I heard what happened, I came as fast as I could.”

“What about Cadance?” Luna asked.

“She’s with Blueblood trying to get the diamond dust we need,” Shining smiled, bowing to Celestia and Luna. “If not for this Multispecies hospital... Spike may very well be gone instead of hanging by a thread,” raising his head, Shining asked in a hushed tone. “Does Twily know?”

“No, she doesn’t. And I plan to keep it that way as long as I can,” Celestia replied. “She might blame herself for what happened. It was an accident. Spike was too reckless. And I… I was too stubborn to not see clearly,” Celestia turned to see her son lying on the operating table as the medics did their best to save him.

“Make way! Make way!” A thestral guard rushed into the operating room, not even bothering to stop and salute the Princesses. “From Prince Blueblood and Princess Cadenza! It’s the diamond dust you requested!” The guard gave the bag containing the precious diamond dust to the diamond dog doctor.

“Where’s the solution!? We need to make him ingest it now!” He shouted.

“Here it is, doctor!” A nurse offered him the tray with the solution.

“Stand clear!” The doctor warned. Carefully and diligently, he added the diamond dust to a vial with several dozens of ingredients, all of them turned into dust. He then took the vial and added its contents to a solution container containing some golden liquid. The container hissed and trembled for a few seconds before changing into a white, milky liquid. “Now, open his maw!”

Two unicorn nurses obeyed, opening Spike’s maw and letting the doctor pour down the liquid down his throat. After the container was empty, he and everyone else stepped back.

For almost a minute nothing happened. Then, taking everyone by surprise, Spike’s body began to shake and trash violently for about ten seconds. Then his eyes went wide and he fell to the ground where he puked the liquid the doctor had made him drink moments prior. With the difference that the liquid was now black and smelled like rotten meat and eggs.

Spike then got to his feet and roared with all his might, causing everyone present to cover their ears. Soon after that, he fell backward to the floor, utterly spent and exhausted.

The doctor sighed the biggest sigh of relief in his life. “He made it… the solution worked. The poison is out of his body. Good job everycreature.”

Celestia and Luna rushed into the room, dropping to their knees as they embraced Spike closely, tears running down their eyes freely.

Shining walked in too, crying and smiling for seeing his dear friend and pseudo-little brother alive and kicking.

“M-Mom? A-Aunt… Luna?” Spike whispered, his voice coarse, weak, tired, and forced. “I’m… sorry,” he exhaled.

“Shhh, precious scales. It’s alright, it’s alright. You’re safe,” Celestia said kissing his head alongside Luna.

“You’ll be fine, Spike. You’ll be fine,” Luna said.

“He’ll never be safe as long as he’s under Celestia’s control and you know it,” Nightmare Moon said from the reflection of the operating table.

“Mom…,” Spike began. “Am I… Am I a bad friend? I… I couldn’t say goodbye to Twilight… w-what kind of friend does that?” His eyes watered up. “Mom… Aunt Luna… I want to… learn how… to fight…,” he closed his eyes, tears finally streaming down his eyes. “To be stronger…,” he whispered, darkness creeping in again. “F-For Friendship… and...Har...mo...ny…”

“Princesses,” the doctor moved in after Spike lost consciousness once more. “He’s just exhausted. We can move him to a regular room without issues. He needs to rest and I need to check his vitals to conclude he is really out of danger. After that, you may take him back to the castle.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Luna bowed her head to him while Celestia nuzzled Spike tenderly.

“She almost got him killed. Celestia can’t be trusted with his life. We must do something if you want to save his life, Luna,” the Nightmare pried.

Luna narrowed her eyes.

Chapter 3 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!