I got Isekai'd as a Dragonborn

by underrated Drake

Chapters

Ch.1 - A new life
Ch. 2 A Rotten new world
Ch. 4 A Reign of Terror (The Begining)
Ch.5 Regin of Terror (Common Ground)
Ch. 6 Reign of terror (The great finale)
Ch. 7 Painful goodbyes, bloody hellos
Ch. 8 The beginning of FEAR (Dungeon crawling Pt. 1)
Ch.3 Between a world divided

Ch.1 - A new life

“Where Am I? Why is it so dark… and cold?” Chris said.

“Welcome my child.” said a loud deep voice as a bright light suddenly appeared before me.

“Where am I?” Chris asked the voice.

“Heaven… well, near the gates of heaven.” said by the mysterious voice.

“Wait what?!” Chris said, then many memories flooded his mind.

HOURS EARLIER

BEEP BEEP BEEP

“Oh, it’s morning already? Man I just wished I could sleep for another hour.” Chris said before getting out of bed.

“Well another day another dollar.” Chris said as he headed for the bathroom to take a shower.

3 HOURS LATER

Chris had finally arrived at the university where he teaches Biochemistry, he was actually a very important scholar on the subject and the Deacon had begged him to teach there, which he reluctantly accepted.

Now, Chris was very respected by other staff members and students, but not because of his titles or achievements, but because they feared him.

Decades of studying and now socializing had made him incredibly socially awkward, to the point that he unintentionally talked in a very arrogant manner.

This made almost all of the staff and students, even everyday people hate him.

Don’t get me wrong, he was polite when he had to say please and thank you, or saying hello or goodbye, but it wasn’t enough.

Going back to his day to day. Chris had gotten used to teaching, and he kind of enjoyed it, although his class was really unpopular, not because of his attitude when teaching, but because it was surprisingly hard.

He had gone from 500 students to about 57, and from those 57, only 3 of them stand out. A boy, whose name is Jeremy Flemming, and 2 girls, Takako Fujihara, and Valentine Peters. This last one had a very close resemblance to him which struck him as odd, since he never got married, and the only party he ever attended as a young adult, was his sister’s wedding.

Still, he rubbed it off as a simple coincidence and ignored it.

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING

“Ok, class, that’s it for today, your assignments are due in 2 days, and please don’t falter in their delivery, since that will make you fail this course, is that clear?” Chris said.

“Yes, Professor Van Ike.” said the Students as they left.

“Professor Van Ike, may we ask you something?” asked Valentine as she Takako and Jeremy walked up to him.

“Sure, What do you want?” he asked.

“Can you give us some notes in Microbiology?” said Takako.

“Ms. Fujihara, we saw this topic 6 months ago, why didn’t you ask me back then?” asked Chris.

“We wanted to make sense of it by ourselves, but nonetheless, we failed.” said Jeremy.

“Well, 10 for effort… here, this will help you grasp the concept faster.” said Chris.

“Thank you, professor.” said Valentine as she took the notes.

“See you tomorrow professor,” said Jeremy.

“Yes, and please Mr. Fleming, don’t be late again, it talks badly about yourself.” said Chris.

“Yes sir.” said Jeremy as they left, leaving Chris alone in the classroom.

Chris sat back down in his chair and started reading one of his favorite Biochemistry books “Molecular Biology of the cell.”

He had read this book almost 200 times, and he knew it by heart, but he read it every time he felt sad or nervous.

“Was this really my best course of action, for my life?” he said as he looked around the empty room.

“Sure, I have a massive bank account, yet I have no one to leave it to, the only intimate fling I had was with that girl Brittney, my sister’s BFFs younger sibling, but we were both dead drunk from the party. I wonder what happened to her? I mean it’s been almost 22 years since we first met and last time we saw each other.” said Chris as he got up, put the book in his briefcase and headed to his car.

1 HOUR OF TRAFFIC LATER

“I’m home!... Ha, as if there was someone waiting for me.” Chris said sadly.

He then walked over to his sofa and laid down, looking at the ceiling

“Well, I should make dinner, I’m starving.” he said getting up and heading to the kitchen.

“It’s a good thing I learned how to cook, if not I would’ve died years ago.” said Chris as he turned the stove on..

30 MINUTES LATER

“Well, that hit the spot, there is nothing like Egg and Spinach patties.” said Chris. “Who the hell am I talking to, I hope I’m not going crazy.” he said as he got up and went to clean the dishes.

MINUTES LATER

Chris walked over to this study and sat down, he usually loved his study, the peace, the quiet, the knowledge, his accomplishments, it was his favorite place in the world.

But for some reason today, his study felt chillingly cold, he felt depressed, incomplete, worthless.

“Why do I feel like this? I accomplished all I ever wanted, I have a big house, a bank account with so many zeros, and even 5 best selling books under my belt, so why do I feel incomplete?” he said as he sat on his work chair.

Just then he heard laughter coming from the street.

He got up and walked towards the window when he looked outside he saw his neighbor’s kids playing in the front lawn.

“Ha, those little rascals are at it again… wait a minute, is that it? The void in my heart, is it there cause I don’t have a family of my own?” Chris said.

“Well, I am an Uncle thanks to my brothers and sisters, yet I haven’t seen them in so long. I wonder if they still remember me?” said Chris.

Chris watched the kids play for a few more minutes until he felt the need to turn around.

His eyes fell on a piece of paper.

Chris walked over to it, he eyed the paper for a few minutes, then he grabbed a pen and he started to write things down.

10 MINUTES LATER

“Hello, this is Charles Dumma, Attorney General, how may I be of service?” asked Charles.

“Charles, my friend, how are you.” said Chris over the phone.

“Doing good, who about you?” asked Charles.

“Couldn’t be better, how’s your family?” asked Chris.

“Doing good, Mike is off to college in a few weeks, as for Alex, she just enrolled in high school.” said Charles.

“I’m glad to hear that…” said Chris.

“Something wrong?’ asked Charles.

“Why?” asked Chris.

“Your calls are rarely for a friendly chat, so what’s the problem?” asked Charles.

“Oh, nothing, listen, you know where the keys to my house are right?” asked Chris.

“Yeah, Chris, we’ve been friends for almost 30 years, I know,” said Charles

“Good, well, there is a piece of paper that I would like you to come and get, it’s in my study,. said Chris.

“What is it?” asked Charles.

“Something really important, I can’t talk about it over the phone.” said Chris.

“Well, I’ll be there in about 20 minutes, so maybe we can talk then.” said Charles.

“Sure, I’m gonna go for a walk now.” said Chris.

“Ok, see you soon man.” said Charles as he hung up.

“Yeah, soon.” said Chris as he put the phone back.

“I wonder why I had the urge to write that, well I’ll think about it later.” he said as he left on his walk.

15 MINUTES LATER

“Well, it’s a lovely evening. It was a good idea to come for a walk to the park, the birds singing, children playing, owners walking their dogs, couples enjoying some quality time, the wind caressing my skin and making the trees dance, it’s really peaceful… almost too peaceful.” said Chris as he continued walking .

Up ahead he noticed 2 familiar faces sitting in the grass having a picnic

“Well, what do we have here? Mr. Fleming and Ms. Fujihara… Well, that’s something I wasn’t expecting to see.” said Chris as he walked closer to them.

“So according to this study, in aerobic cells with sufficient oxygen, as in most human cells, the pyruvate is further metabolized. It is irreversibly converted to acetyl-CoA, giving off one carbon atom as the waste product carbon dioxide, generating another reducing equivalent as NADH. The two molecules acetyl-CoA (from one molecule of glucose) then enter the citric acid cycle, producing two molecules of ATP, six more NADH molecules, and two reduced (ubi)quinones (via FADH2 as an enzyme-bound cofactor), and releasing the remaining carbon atoms as carbon dioxide…” said Jeremy.

“The produced NADH and quinol molecules then feed into the enzyme complexes of the respiratory chain, an electron transport system transferring the electrons ultimately to oxygen and conserving the released energy in the form of a proton gradient over a membrane (inner mitochondrial membrane in eukaryotes). Thus, oxygen is reduced to water and the original electron acceptors NAD+ and quinone are regenerated, glad to see you take your studies seriously Mr. Fleming, Ms. Fujihara.” said Chris as he walked over to them.

“AH, Mr. Van Ike, fancy seeing you here, we were just reviewing some of the basics.” said Takako.

“Well, that’s good to hear… oh, hello, and who might you be?” asked Chris as he saw the 4th head in the conversation.

“Oh, this is our son, Jason.” said Jeremy.

“Son? Well, that took me by surprise, I didn’t know you 2 were…” said Chris.

“Yeah, but we’re waiting for after graduation to marry.” said Takako.

“Smart choice, kids are a joy, but it’s best to be prepared to care for them, who old is he?” asked Chris

“I’m 6,” said Jason

“Well aren’t you a smart kid, must take it from your parents,” said Chris

“Not really, I think that since he hears us talk about math and biology so much he might be getting smarter.” said Jeremy.

“Wait 6, that means…” said Chris.

“Yes, We were 17 when we had him, but our parents were really supportive and helped us through the pregnancy and early months.” said Takako.

“Glad to hear, well I’ll let you go back to your family time, see you tomorrow during class.” said Chris as he walked away.

“Bye, Mr. Van Ike, see you tomorrow.” they all said.

“Lovely family.” Chris said as he walked away.

A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER

“Well, time to go back home, I hope Charles found the… oh, there’s Jason, but where are his parents?” said Chris as he walked towards him.

As he got closer he could see that he was playing with a soccer ball.

“Well, looks like we have a soccer player on the making.” said Chris as he decided to walk towards the entrance of the park.

When he got there he saw that the light had just turned to red and he had to wait.

“What should I teach tomorrow? Molecular division or keeping it with the basics?” said Chris.

Then he noticed a soccer ball pass right next to him quickly and roll to the other side of the street

“Funny, that ball looks just…” Chris said but stopped when he noticed a little body rush past him to retrieve the ball

“JASON, JASON, STOP!!!!” he heard the screams coming from behind him.

He turned and saw Jeremy and Takako running full speed towards the street.

Their screams had actually caught Jason’s attention, that’s when he realized where he was, he then looked to his right and saw a car speeding down the street.

Jason was frozen with fear, so he could only close his eyes.

Just as he prepared for the hit, he felt someone warp his body around him, and then...

“So, I take it I’m dead.” said Chris.

“Yes.” said the voice.

“So that means that you’re God, right?” said Chris.

“Correct again my child.” said God.

“So, now what, I go to hell?” asked Chris.

“Well, let’s see.” God said as he showed Chris what was happening.

Chris saw his body lying about 30 Ft. from the car hit him, he turned to the left and noticed Jeremy and Takako hugging Jason, he had some bruises and scratches but nothing serious, except probably a very serious trauma.

“I’m glad Jason is fine.” said Chris.

“Yeah, very heroic.” said God.

Then he changed the scene to Chris’s house.

“Charles… I’m guessing they’re telling him right now.” said Chris when he noticed the phone

“Yes, a lady by the name of Britteny is telling him.” said God.

“Brittney?” said Chris in surprise.

“Yes, she was actually a client of Charles and remembered you from all those years ago.” said God.

“How does she know?” asked Chris.

“Simple.” God said, showing the accident scene “She is an investor of the store right in front of where the accident happened, she actually witnessed it.” God finished as he cut the live feed.

“So then, now what?” asked Chris.

“Well, let’s see, you gave up your life for another life, and you also did a nice job on your will.” said a female voice flying up to them.

“Oh, I didn’t know you were here, my apologies.” said God.

“It’s ok. Hello Mr. Van Ike, it’s a pleasure to kill you… get it to kill you.” said the female in a black robe.

“And you are?” asked Chris.

“Oh, where are my manners, My name is Ophelia, Ophelia Death.” said Ophelia.

“So, I take it you’re the Grim reaper.” said Chris.

“Oh no, that’s my husband. I’m just filling in for today.” said Ophelia.

“What?” asked Chris.

“Well there was a Parent-teacher meeting at our son’s school and he is better with words than me.” Ophelia said.

“Is that allowed?” Chris asked God.

“I created death and their rules, as for their succession, I have nothing to say in it.” said God.

“Don’t worry dear, I’ve been married to him for almost 1,000 years. I think I can do his job for a day.” said Ophelia.

“What?” Chris said.

“I was a “Witch” back in the day, so you know, they burned me alive, that’s when I met him. It was love at first sight, he showed me the rules and how he does his job, heck even my parents and brothers know him personally.” said Ophelia.

“Wait, you have kids… with death?” Chris asked.

“Oh yeah, we’ve had 300 kids, 250 boys and 50 girls.” said Ophelia

“Well, you’ve been busy,” said Chris.

“Well, they’re my pride and joy.” said Ophelia.

“And where are they now?” asked Chris.

“They work for me as Guardian Angels.” said God.

“Makes sense.” said Chris.

“What?” asked Ophelia.

“Are you sure you’ve had 300 children?” asked Chris.

“Rude, of course, I have, why do you ask?” asked Ophelia.

“You don’t seem to…” said Chris.

“I don’t have the physique of someone who’s had that many babies, well, I’m still only 1016 years old, and still in my prime, I mean it’s not like I’m gonna get old anyway.” said Ophelia.

“Ophelia, don’t you have work to do?” asked God.

“Oops, well see you again, dear.” said Ophelia as she disappeared.

“Nice lady.” said Chris.

“Yeah, wrongly accused of witchcraft by a jealous neighbor wife.” said God.

“Yeah, the early years of the world after your son arrived were shit.” said Chris.

“I know.” said God in disappointment.

“Even this day and time, I mean, Racism, war, hunger, what is going on.” said Chris.

“Going back to you.” said God “Let’s see what you wrote down on that piece of paper shall we.” he finished.

“Dear Charles, I have a feeling that my days are numbered, and that I might not have the time to see you alive again so, take this as my will; I leave half of my money to charity and the other half to be split between my three favorite students, Jeremy Fleming, Takako Fujihara, and Valentine Peters, they were like children to me, and as you know, I was never smart enough to settle down and start one myself, as for the house, let them decide. To you I can only do 2 things, first, thank you for being my friend all of these years, you treated me like family when my own forgot me, you are one great friend with a great heart, so once again I thank you for being there, and 2 make sure that if any of my family comes around saying they have the right to any of my things, Please tell them nicely to GO FUCK THEMSELVES, please make sure this is done.

Kind Regards,

Christopher Van Ike [SIGNATURE]” read God.

“It’s true, they left and forgot about me so I wasn’t going to give them anything.” said Chris.

“Understandable.” said God.

“So, I’m I worthy to enter heaven?” asked Chris.

“Oh yeah, about that...Uhm, you’re not entering heaven… nor going to hell, before you ask.” said God.

“Then where?” asked Chris confused.

“To another world.” said God.

“What? Ok now I’m really confused.” said Chris.

“I actually created more than one world or as your people call them, Dimensions. said God.

Chris remained silent.

“I can see how that is a troubling situation for you, but I have to confess something.” said God.

“I kind of chose this life for you.” said God.

“How?” asked Chris.

“Ever heard of a game that allows you to play to be me? I think it’s called the…” said God.

“The Sims? That architect simulator turned to God simulator.” said Chris.

“That’s the one, well the reason I did that is for you to become the smartest if not one of the smartest people alive, that mission was accomplished.” said God.

“So all those things I did before my death.” said Chris.

“Nope, that was your own doing.” said God.

“So…” said Chris.

“That means you’re ready to be reincarnated.” said God.

“Seriously?” asked Chris.

“Yup, just this time, you make your own decisions, no more me pulling the strings, but if you ever want to contact me feel free to close your eyes and pray, in a quiet place of course.” said God.

“I don’t know what to think.” said Chris

“Oh, one last thing, that girl Valentine… she IS your daughter.” said God.

“WHAT?” said Chris.

“Yup, just for you not to worry, your bloodline will continue.” said God.

“Then, that means…” said Chris.

“Brittney Peters, her dream wanted to be a mother, but she never wanted the marriage thing so, put 2 and 2 together, and bam, dream granted.” said God.

“I wonder why I didn’t realize.” said Chris.

“Simple, you didn’t care.” said God.

“Oh, right.” said Chris.

“Well, don’t let that happen again in your second chance.” said God.

As soon as he said that a white light started to engulf Chris.

“Oh, one last thing, I’ll let you keep the knowledge you’ve learned, but I will erase your memory from everything else, but I will grant you special abilities for you to survive, have fun my child.” said God as the light blinded Chris.

“Where am I, why is it so cold… and wet?” said Chris.

“Well done, Ma’am Von Drake, it’s a beautiful baby boy.” said a female voice.

“Who are you, and why I’m I crying?” said Chris.

“Welcome to the world my son.” said a gleeful male voice.

“What’s going on?” said Chris.

“Hello, my beautiful boy, Daddy and I have been waiting for you, our wonderful boy Sean.” said a woman as Chris felt his body being washed and wrapped in a towel, before being placed in someone’s arms.

“Many great things await you, Sean.” said the lady as Chris lost consciousness and fell asleep.

Ch. 2 A Rotten new world

5 YEARS LATER

"Hi, my name is Sean Delsin Von Drake, but you can call me Spike. Why the nicknames? No idea. I'm 5 years old, and I am the 3rd child and only son of Sir Francis Drake and lady Michelle Drake, I have 2 older sisters, Miriam Drake and Cassie Drake, they were born to my other mom, Alexandra the Great."

"To be honest I don't know how that works but I don't care cause I love my dad, my 2 moms, and my 2 sisters… speaking of that, you might be wondering, what's with the party? My big sister Miriam is getting married."

"She's marrying into the Van Sigmund Knightdom."

"What's a Knightdom? Well, a Knightdom is the land or domain of a knight."

"My father is the lord, for say, of the town of Drake, a small port city, near the Firebreath peninsula, total population 1000."

"My father is a knight under the order of Dragonlord Torch. My father is actually a war hero. Him, his brother, Peter, and Momma Alexandra were the ones that made the peace talks between The Kingdom of Equestria and the Dragonlands possible. Thanks to them we now live in peace and prosperity with the kingdom of Equestria."

"Both us and the Sigmund’s have the same noble status, but my father is a bit more important than Sir Van Sigmund."

"Hi, Spike, what are you doing here all by yourself?" Asked a female voice.

"Big sis Cassie, I was just…" said Spike.

"Reading? Spikey, you have a whole life ahead of you for reading, but you also have to go and socialize, you wouldn't like to grow old and alone, would you? Plus, you're already one of the smartest people alive, and you're only 5!" said Cassie.

"Oops sorry." said Spike.

"Come on, what do you say if you go and make some friends, or at least put your book down and go for a walk. That sounds like a plan?" She asked.

"Yeah, ok." said Spike as he got out of his seat.

"Now, don't be late for our sister's wedding." said Cassie as she saw Spike walk away.

Spike walked around the room for a while, he stopped by the religious images to read the inscriptions in every single one, then he went to the balcony to look out at the city, enjoy the night breeze and look at the stars.

“I don’t know why but, I have the feeling that I was once between those stars. I wonder what we look like from up there.” he thought.

After another 5 minutes of looking Spike headed back inside for the wedding, making it just in time to take his position as the ring boy for the wedding.

“So this is a wedding. How nice, maybe someday I’ll be lucky enough to be up there myself.” Spike thought.

“I now pronounce you Husband and wife, you may…” said the priest, but was interrupted by the newlyweds kissing before he finished.

The whole room roared with cheers and applause as the newlyweds started to walk down the aisle towards the limousine and headed to the reception.

2 HOURS LATER

“Man, this steak was delicious, and the garlic bread was even better, but I should probably go and brush my teeth. I don’t want my breath scaring anyone.” Spike thought as he got up and headed to the nearest bathroom.

A few minutes later he emerged, looked around and decided to walk through the crowd, avoiding the dance floor. Of course, he didn’t want to be pushed into the dancing or be smacked by some drunk-wild dancer.

After successfully avoiding the dance floor, Spike rested his back on the wall near the entrance of the party hall.

“Now what are you doing here on your own Spike? We had a promise didn’t we?” said Cassie as she walked up to Spike.

“Hi Big Sis, yeah. I was just tired and wanted to take a small break.” said Spike.

“Oh, ok then, but please go and socialize.” said Cassie.

“And what about you?” asked Spike.

“What about me, Spike?” asked Cassie.

“Why aren’t you socializing?” asked Spike.

“Oh, Spike, I am, me and the girls have been talking to each other for a while now.” said Cassie.

“You mean, Husband hunting, right?” said Spike.

“Guilty, but that counts as socializing.” said Cassie.

“But aren’t you 12 years old?” asked Spike.

“Yeah, but Sister Miriam, got engaged around my age, and now she’s married,” said Cassie.

“I thought she met Jacob last year.” said Spike.

“Oh, no, Miriam and Jacob have been sweethearts since they were 10, but because of studies they were in a long-distance relationship.” said Cassie.

“This is really confusing.” said Spike.

“Remember that you’re an adult once you reach 15, from there on you’re free to enlist in any school, academy, university, or guild you want, that also includes taking grown-up decisions, like marriage.” said Cassie.

“So, do you think we’re gonna become uncles anytime soon?” said Spike.

This made Cassie’s face turn completely red. “I-I-I-I Don’t think so, both Miriam and Jacob will be moving to Vanhoover to study, and knowing the 2 of them, they’ll wait until they’re 18 or at least 17 to have children, now if you excuse me I have work to do.” said Cassie walking away.

“You do know that momma Alexandra doesn’t like you sleeping around.” said Spike.

“I’m still a virgin!” screamed Cassie.

“Someone mentioned me?” said a female voice.

“Hi momma Alexandra, hi mom.” said Spike.

“Spikey, how are you doing?” said Alexandra.

“Enjoying the party?” asked Michelle

“Yes mom.” said Spike.

“Now, why did you mention my name?” asked Alexandra.

“No… no reason.” said Spike.

“Don’t lie to us Spike, we’re your mothers and we know you.” said Michelle

“Crap, I’m no snitch, but I don’t want my moms to kill me.” Spike thought to himself.

“Spike, I’m not going to ask again.” said Alexandra.

“Cassie and her friends are husband-hunting.” said Spike in fear.

“Again!? Seriously, that girl is going to end up pregnant before she turns 14! Cassie!” said Alexandra as she walked up to find her daughter.

“I’m sure Cassie is gonna get an earful from Alexa, by the way, Spike, you’re gonna be a big brother.” said Michelle.

“Awesome, Brother or sister?” asked Spike.

“Brother.” said Michelle.

“Yeeeeeey.” said Spike.

“Now, now Spike, save some of that enthusiasm for later, I wouldn’t want you to fall asleep before 9.” said Michelle.

“Ok mom.” said Spike.

“Ok then, now I have to go sit down and eat something.” said Michelle as she walked away.

Spike looked away from where his mother had gone off to, and he decided to continue walking around and eating things here and there.

After a few more minutes Spike noticed a group of kids around his age talking together and having fun.

He then remembered what he promised Cassie, and so decided to walk towards them and introduce himself to them.

“Hi.” said Spike politely, he was expecting them to be polite, but the look they gave him was not nice at all.

“What do you want Dragon boy.” said one of the boys.

“I-I just wanted to introduce myself and talk.” said Spike.

All the kids looked at each other and then started to laugh.

“You think that we would ever want to socialize with you?” said another boy.

“Yes… Is that wrong?” asked Spike innocently.

“HAHAHA, what made you think that we would ever want to socialize with a monster like you!” said a girl.

“I don’t see how I’m a monster.” said Spike in a sad tone.

“All Dragonborns are monsters. Stupid, mindless, beasts that are only good to kill for money.” said another girl.

“Yeah, we are Ladies and Gentlemen, children of the famous and prestigious nobles of all over the country.” said a third girl.

“Yeah, My father is the Count of Tall Tale.” said the first boy.

“My family owns the city of Manechester.” said the first girl.

“I am the heir to the city of Neighton.” said another boy.

“My dad is a baron of the Crystal Empire.” said another girl.

“And what about you Dragon boy.” said another boy.

Spike was so scared and sad, that he couldn’t speak.

“As if you’d know, I bet you’re the son of a mercenary.” said a girl laughing

“Right, I bet you’re only here because your parents were hired as bodyguards to the bride and groom,” said a boy

“Ha, Like if you would ever be anything big or important.” said one of the girls.

“Come on let’s get away from here.” said one of the boys as they all walked away, leaving Spike standing there.

“Well that was enlightening, wasn’t it Spike?” said a male voice behind him.

“Jacob, what are you doing here?” asked Spike.

“I wanted to get away from your mother… Alexandra, she is giving your sister Cassie an earful back at the table, yet I couldn’t stop but overhear your conversation.” said Jacob.

“I just wanted to make friends.” said Spike getting sad.

“Well, not everybody is worth being friends… plus they’ll come to regret talking you like that.” said Jacob.

“Why? Because they don’t realize that the city of Drake is what makes those cities rich and powerful?” said Spike.

“Yeah, and when they realize that you’re the son of the lord and brother in law of the heir of the city of Sigmund.” said Jacob.

“Why is that?” asked Spike.

“Well, if you tell your dad about this, he might not continue to make any business with them losing 75% of their revenue.” said Jacob.

“But my family only takes about 50% of their revenue.” said Spike

“And my family takes 25% of their revenue.” said Jacob.

“Oh, that makes sense.” said Spike, he was still a bit sad but he felt a bit better with what Jacob said.

“Hey Spike, don’t let this get to you, they don’t know any better.” said Jacob.

“What do you mean?” said Spike.

“They’ve grown learning about all the bad things Dragonborn’s have done, and well, many nobles still don’t have a liking to us.” said Jacob

“But aren’t we leaving in peace with the kingdom of Equestria?” asked Spike

“Yes, but still, it’s only been 18 years. It’s still too soon for any change to happen in people’s minds.” said Jacob.

Spike remains silent.

“Spike, another thing you can do, if you want to make people acknowledge you, you can become the best you can ever think of.” said Jacob.

“How?” asked Spike.

“Hard work, persistence, and of course, a lot, put a lot of faith in yourself.” said Jacob as he walked away.

“Be the best me, That sounds confusing, but I’ll give it a try.” said Spike to himself as he headed for the front stage when he noticed a girl sitting down on a table nearby, and decided to walk towards her.

“HI.” said Spike.

“Oh, hello.” said the girl.

“My name is Sean Delsin Von Drake, nice to meet you.” said Spike.

“My name is Tania Nova Schafer Von Dusenholf, but you can call me Twilight Sparkle, or just Twilight.” said Twilight.

“Are you here with your parents?” asked Spike, trying to make small talk.

“Yeah, they are nobles from Canterlot and they are close friends of the groom”s family, what about you?’ asked Twilight.

“My sister is the wife.” said Spike.

“Wow, how nice.” said Twilight.

“Yeah, and now the towns of Drake and Sigmund are going to enter into a major trading relationship.” said Spike.

“Yeah, and the amount of income that will come from that trading relationship will benefit the whole country.” said Twilight.

“Wow, we really have a lot in common.” said Spike.

“Yeah, we are at the same level of brains… wanna be friends?” asked Twilight.

“Ok.” said Spike

Spike and Twilight actually spent the rest of that night talking, they only stopped when Spike was called on stage by his father for the family picture.

HOURS LATER

“It was nice to meet you Spike.” said Twilight.

“Yeah, likewise, hope you come to visit soon!” said Spike as he and Twilight hugged.

“And please do keep in touch.” said Twilight.

“Sure.” said Spike as Twilight left the establishment.

ONE YEAR LATER

Spike is running around the courtyard with a sword in hand.

"Hyyyyya!" He screamed as he skillfully punched the targets scattered all throughout the yard, even breaking some.

"Well done Spike, you're a natural with the sword." said Jacob.

"You think?" asked Spike.

"I sure believe so." said Jacob.

"What is going on here?" Asked another male voice, this one much older.

"Uncle Peter!" Said Spike as he ran up to hug him.

"Hey there champ." said Peter.

"Hello uncle, how was your trip?" Asked Jacob.

"Very productive, now, what is all this?" Said Peter.

"Just teaching Spike a few moves with the sword, you know, so he's not inside vegetating in the library." said Jacob.

"Oh, really? And how is it going?" asked Peter.

"Spike, show him what you're made of." said Jacob as he got out of Spike's way.

Spike then turned and lunged at the targets, skillfully hitting them over and over again.

When he finished he turned and saw his uncle's jaw hitting the floor in surprise.

"What do you think of our little warrior? " said Jacob.

"Well, this is a surprise, a very pleasant one, I'd like to say that it's the Von Drake blood but neither Francis or I were this skilled at his age." said Peter in surprise.

"What is that about skill you say, brother." said another male voice.

"Ah speak of the devil. Francis, how are you doing?" Said Peter.

"In good health, glad to see you're also in good health, now what is this skill talk you're having… and who trashed my courtyard!?" Said Francis.

"It was your son, Francis, he is… the most amazing swordsman I've ever seen, he is almost at our level!" said Peter.

"Now this I have to see myself, Chester, please bring new targets out, thank you." ordered Francis.

"Right away sir." said Chester.

5 minutes later the courtyard was once again full of targets.

"Ok son, show us this talent your uncle is talking about." said Francis as he sat down on one of the benches.

Spike closed his eyes, breathed in, and then out, and finally opened his eyes, this surprised Francis, but Spike's display of raw power, control and technique, made his jaw drop.

Told you so brother, told you so." said Peter.

"This is amazing, you're only 6 and you can already use "Beastiality", this is amazing!" said Francis.

"That's our son for you." said Michelle as she walked by.

"What is Beastiality?" asked Spike.

"It's a fighting ability that was perfected by our family, but it takes years of continuous practice to achieve, yet here you are 6 years old. 3rd time you pick up a sword and you can already use it." said Francis.

"You'll be a great soldier one day." said Peter.

"By the way Peter, I heard you were requesting an audience with me." said Francis.

"Ah yes, there are some matters I must discuss with you." said Peter as both men got up and left the courtyard.

“Awesome, this way people are going to notice me and respect me.” said Spike.

“I’m not so sure Spike.” said Jacob.

“What do you mean?” asked Spike.

“Come here… hang on tight.” said Jacob as he hugged Spike, expanded his wings and flew into the sky.

FEW MINUTES LATER

“This is awesome! I can’t wait until I grow my own wings.” said Spike.

“Glad to hear that you’re enjoying your heritage.” said Jacob.

“Of course, I’m proud to be who I am, heck, once I become a soldier I’ll bring more honor to the House of Drake… I’ll be the best soldier ever!” said Spike as he continued to enjoy the flight.

A few Minutes later, Spike started to wonder why Jacob had invited him for a flight.

“Uhm, Jacob, why are we flying?” asked Spike.

Jacob remained silent, until he came to stop seconds later, hovering over a cliff that could help them see the city of Canterlot.

“Wow, we flew all the way from Drake to Canterlot so quickly, usually it takes 5 hours by plane,” said Spike looking at Jacob but he remained silent.

“Something wrong Jacob?” asked Spike.

“Spike, can you use eagle eyes?” asked Jacob.

“Yes, I mastered it a long time ago.” said Spike with confidence.

“Then look at the city, and tell me, what do you see?” said Jacob in a sad tone.

“Houses, Businesses, skyscrapers, cars, the palace, a Market…” said Spike happily.

“No, look harder.” said Jacob.

Spike was confused at what Jacob meant when he said look harder but he did, Spike squinted his eyes and what he saw made a chill and a cold sweat run through his body.

“I see… hate, sadness, poverty, excess, descrimination… but I also see, wealth, prosperity, happiness… is this what I’m supposed to look at?” asked Spike.

“You’re close… You saw 2 sides of the city, right?” asked Jacob.

Spike nodded.

“Now look at the city again and tell me, can you see what or who is creating that barrier?” asked Jacob.

Spike looked again, he was trying extra hard, then he noticed something. Down near one of the rich looking stores was a group of wealthy-looking people. It was composed mostly of unicorns, but he also noticed some earthlings between them, from the 8 members 6 were female and 2 were male. Spike assumed they were nobles, they were around their late teens to their early 20’s, down the road was a man, Spike could tell he was a Dragonborn because of his eyes.

The Dragonborn man wasn’t dressed as a beggar or homeless person, but he wasn’t dressed as a rich kid either. He continued to walk up the street until he crossed paths with the Noble-looking people.

There wasn’t an interaction between the 2 parties, the Dragonborn just walked past without looking at them, but the look that the rich people gave surprised Spike.

It was a look of disgust, of hatred, they didn’t do anything to him, but Spike could tell that as soon as the Dragonborn had walked away, the group had started to whisper and say mean and derogatory things towards him.

Spike quickly looked further down the town and noticed something else that was happening.

Near one of the parks, Spike noticed a group of Griffons walking around, they weren’t causing any trouble, they were just enjoying the park, when all of a sudden a group of people got came up to them, Spike noticed that, even though they weren’t wearing flashy clothes, they weren’t poor either, the group of people consisted of 3 males and 2 females, from the 5 of them Spike noticed that the 2 females were pegasus, and the 3 males were earthlings.

What they did next shocked Spike, one of the males had punched the Griffon on the gutt, the other one retaliated punching the attacker and a full fight started, even the Pegasus got involved kicking the griffon that was on the floor.

Seconds later the police arrived, but surprisingly the people that were detained were the griffons.

“So Spike, what did you see?” asked Jacob.

“I-I-I don’t know.” said Spike.

“That was the real world.” said Jacob.

“But why?” asked Spike.

“This is what they’ve learned growing up.” said Spike.

Spike was really confused. “Why did you show me this?” asked Spike.

“I want you to be aware of the world we live in, I’m not trying to discourage you from your dream, I just want you to see that this world doesn’t need anymore soldiers… it needs heroes… I’m not saying that soldiers, police officers, firemen, and doctors aren’t, but they aren’t enough anymore.” said Jacob.

“Everyone now hates and discriminates for no reason.” said Jacob.

“But why?” asked Spike.

“Before you were born, this world only cared about one thing, Power, and the only way to acquire it was through wars, and many broke out, that’s how those massive kingdoms and cities you see came to existence. Of course, there were many peace talks and diplomacy but the damage was done, Earthlings and Pegasi and Unicorns, now discriminate against other species, even against themselves.” said Jacob.

“I’m not saying that everyone is evil or rotten, but nowadays it’s hard to find those people, heck there is even descrimination between brethren.” said Jacob.

Spike remained silent, he didn’t know what to make of all he had just seen.

“Spike, there is one thing you have to remember, in this world, the rich keep getting rich, and the poor get poor, discrimination will arrise out of jealousy, and that will create wars and problems.” said Jacob.

“Why doesn’t anyone do something about it?” asked Spike.

“Because it’s convenient that way, Spike, this is the world we live in, that’s just the way it is, somethings will never change.” said Jacob as he carried Spike back to the city of Drake.

2 HOURS LATER

“Why didn’t my dad tell me about these things?” asked Spike.

“He doesn’t want you to lose your innocence.” said Jacob.

“But I… BURRRRRP.” said Spike as a letter materialised out of his flames.

“What’s that?” asked Jacob.

“Just Twilight, she’s telling me that the escorts arrived at the castle safely.” said Spike reading the letter.

“Why doesn’t she text you?” asked Jacob.

“She says that this way it’s more private or intimate.” said Spike as he sent her a reply and walked away.

“So what are you up to?” asked a female voice.

“Hi, honey, just took Spike for a little trip.” said Jacob.

“And that trip was for?” asked Miriam.

“For him to open his eyes to reality.” said Jacob.

“What did you do?” asked Miriam.

“I showed Spike the world we live in, so that when he grows up he won't be surprised about how different it is.” said Jacob.

“Why would you do that?” asked Miriam.

“Would you like him to grow up living a lie, cause I sure don’t.” said Jacob.

Miriam just looked at her husband. “I knew I did the right thing by falling in love with you.” she said before kissing him.

5 YEARS LATER

Spike has now turned 11 years old, and he and his family have been invited to a party to be hosted between Dragonlord Torch and Princess Celestia.

“So Spike, you ready to party?” asked Spike’s younger brother Knox.

“I don’t know about going crazy but, sure.” said Spike.

“By the way, why didn’t Jacob and Miriam come?” asked Knox.

“Because they had to go to Manechester to fix some issues with the lord of the land.” said Spike.

“And Cassie?” asked Knox.

“She and Steven are on their Honeymoon.” said Spike.

“And Mom?” asked Knox.

“She had to take care of Barbara and Genna, so she decided to stay with Momma Alexandra.” said Spike.

“Makes sense.” said Knox as he walked away.

“Spike, over here.” said a female voice.

“Hi, Twilight, how are you doing?” said Spike.

“I’m doing great, hope you’re doing fine too.” said Twilight.

“Yeah, come on, let’s go inside.” said Spike.

6 HOURS LATER

The party was in full swing, Spike and Twilight had been hanging out, talking, dancing, even eating together.

“So, your family has talked to you about marriage?” asked Spike.

“Yeah, they said that he is the son of a knight that was Princess Celestia’s General.” said Twilight.

“Cool, Hope you have a happy life.” said Spike

“Oh, Spike, I haven’t even met him yet, and for my Family marriage only happens until after I turn 16.” said Twilight.

“Cool.” said Spike again.

“Spike, come here please.” said Francis.

“Yes dad.” said Spike.

“I’d like you to meet some people.” said Francis.

“Ok, bye Twilight, see you later.” said Spike as he left.

Spike followed his father until they entered the main hall of the castle.

“Spike, meet the Dragonlord, Tyrone Draken, you might know him as Dragonlord Torch.” said Francis.

“Your highness.” said Spike as he bowed down in respect.

“Hello there Spike, nice to see that you know manners.” said Torch.

“Yes sir.” said Spike.

“By the way, this is my daughter.” said Torch

“Hi my name is Sean Delsin Von Drake.” said Spike.

“My name is Elizabeth Draken.” said the girl.

“You can call me Spike if you want.” said Spike.

“Ok, then you can call me Ember.” said Ember.

“It seems that our children are going to be good friends.” said Francis.

“Oh yes, so what do you think about marriage?” said Torch.

“No, I would like him to find love normally.” said Francis.

“Makes sense, come on let me get you a drink.” said Torch as they walked away.

Spike then took Ember to meet Twilight, and the three of them started to hang out together and spent the rest of the night talking and having fun.

AROUND 10 PM

After a few hours of continuous parting the party was interrupted.

“Attention, The Dragonlord, his Highness Torch, and the Princess of the kingdom of Equestria will give their speeches.” said one of the soldiers.

“Thank you, I would like to say…” started Celestia, but she was interrupted by the door exploding.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we have business to attend to with all of you.” said the man upfront, before he fired his AK-47 towards the ceiling.

“Run, get to safety!” said Dragonlord Torch as the nobles ran to the gardens to get into their cars.

“I don’t think so.” said the man pointing the gun at the nobles.

The second before he could pull the trigger, all the guards at the party opened fire and a fierce gun battle broke out

The three kids tried to get out with the crowd, but due to a confusion Spike ended up at the other side of the room, while the girls managed to get out and into the garden.

Spike was about to run across the fire but one of the attackers threw a grenade and the shockwave made Spike hit his head on the wall falling unconscious.

Minutes later Spike awoke, his clothes were destroyed, but that was the least of his problems.

Spike got to his knees and looked around, the room was destroyed and it was a carnage, all of the guards that were working in security that night were dead, there were even some nobles who were dead or badly hurt, and at the other side of the room Spike noticed a group of people, also deceased wearing the same masks as the man that entered the party.

Spike then looked around and noticed something.

“UNCLE PETER!!!!” screamed Spike as he rushed to him

“Spike?... Spike… oh, thank God… when I saw you lying on the floor… I thought you were…” said Peter.

“I’m fine uncle, I’m fine, what about you?” said Spike.

“I don’t think so Spike… I’m just glad that… you’re safe…” said Peter as he closed his eyes and he stopped breathing.

“Uncle Peter? UNCLE PETER!” said Spike as he started to cry

He stayed like that for a few seconds before he looked around, and decided to grab his uncle's sword, he got up and was heading to the garden when he heard the man saying.

“We are Oblivion, and today all of you will meet your end if our demands aren’t met.” said the leader.

“Take us, don’t include our subjects.” said Celestia.

“Oh no, your highness, your rich cows, and you are equally guilty.” said the man.

“Guilty of what?” asked Torch.

“Of killing our families.” said the leader.

“What are you talking about?” asked Celestia.

“You and your army went to our homes and killed our families for you own personal gains.” said the leader.

“What happened during the war was tragic and yes, unnecessary and you must believe that we’re doing our best to fix our mistakes.” said Torch.

“Don’t sugarcoat it!” said the leader.

Then Torch started to get up, but was stopped by the leader.

“I wouldn’t do that Dragonlord, I mean, your brain is valuable but I wouldn’t mind blowing them out.” said the leader pointing his gun at him.

Torch then quickly sat back down.

Spike, who was peeking through a corner, looked at the sword he was carrying, and then at room and noticed another guard, he had another sword next to him.

He walked towards him and grabbed the sword “Better be safe than sorry.” said Spike.

Spike then ran towards the ceiling of the castle where he could see the garden.

He saw his father, he was hugging his little brother Knox who was crying, then he noticed Ember and her father, she was trying to be brave but she was losing that battle, and finally he saw Twilight, she was shaking in fear.

“5 minutes, that’s all you have before we start shooting.” said the Leader laughing.

When Spike heard this something came over him, he stood up and roared.

This caught everyone by surprise.

“What is that?” said the leader.

Everyone looked at Spike.

“Spike!?” they all said.

“Ha, so we have a wannabe hero in our mists, well, so bad that he didn’t think this through, fire at will.” said the leader.

Spike heard this but instead of hiding in fear, he just closed his eyes, breathed in and then out.

What happened next surprised everyone, his left arm, began to be engulfed in flames, just like his right arm started to be surrounded by a bright blue light, this then began to move to the swords he was carrying.

“What the hell?” said the Leader.

“Spike is a Duolist.” said his father

“What is a Duolist?” asked Knox.

“A Duolist is someone who can use both weapons and magic, at the same time.” said Francis.

Spike then opened his eyes and made eye contact with the leader of the attackers, he could see the fear in his eyes.

Then he turned and saw another member of the group who was about to pull the trigger, Spike quickly threw the sword engulfed in flames towards him, right in the head, killing him instantly.

“FIRE! FIRE! KILL THE LITTLE BASTARD!” said the leader as the remaining 10 members opened fire.

Spike quickly jumped off the roof, extended his left arm, the fire sword came flying back to him quickly.

Spike then killed the rest of the members one by one, until only the leader was left.

He had run out of ammo for his rifle so he only had his handgun.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME!” he screamed as he backed away from Spike getting closer to the balcony, Spike just continued walking towards him slowly and menacingly.

The Leader of the group then saw a nearby rifle, he grabbed and was about to fire at Spike, when he remembered the hostages and aimed the gun at them.

Spike saw this and quickly lunged at the leader.

The force of the impact that Spike had when he tackled the Leader destroyed the wall of the balcony sending both Spike and the leader towards the ground.

Spike skillfully changed his position to stand on the leaders back, with one idea in mind.

When the 2 of them landed a giant cloud of dust surrounded them for a couple of seconds, using this some of the guards and nobles hurried to grab some of the guns from the dead attackers or comrades.

When the dust settled they noticed that Spike had placed his foot on the guys neck, before hitting the ground, this plus Spike’s weight and the force of gravity and the impact had successfully broken this guys neck, killing him instantly.

Spike then looked up and saw everyone's eyes on him, he thought that they were just in shock but then he heard the whispers.

“That kid is not normal.”

“He is a Monster.”

“Don’t look at him, he might kill you if you look at him.”

Those were some of the things said by the crowd.

Spike’s eyes then made contact with Twilight’s, they looked at each other for a few seconds before she looked away in fear.

This made Spike remain static, dropping his swords and looking at his hands.

“EVERYONE, GO HOME, AND IF I HEAR THAT ANY OF YOU TALK ABOUTT HIS BEFORE WE MAKE OUR STATEMENTS, I WILL PERSONALLY HUNT YOU DOWN AND THROW YOU IN JAIL FOR TREASON, AM I CLEAR!” said Celestia using her royal voice.

Everyone nodded and left.

“Spike, are you alright?” asked Francis giving his son a hug.

Spike just nodded.

A FEW WEEKS LATER

It had been almost 2 months since the attack and now, after giving a speech regarding the issue, and holding a funeral for everyone who lost their lives in the incident, Spike and his whole family were summoned to the Dragonlord’s castle.

"After a jointed investigation with the kingdom of Equestria, we discovered that the leader of the group that attacked us that night was Sir. Frederick Van Gotenhaim, he was ruler of the small frontier town Gotenheigh, that belongs to the Yakyakistan empire." said Dragonlord Torch.

"Apparently he was against the idea of the peace talks since his town was a Blacksmith town and that would have affected the town's economy, as for the rest of his accomplices, they were all guns for hire, with records that are long as this carpet." he continued.

"The emperor of Yakyakistan has been notified of this and is currently on his way to have a meeting with both me and Princess Celestia." he concluded.

This whole time he had just been standing in place, not saying a word or moving.

It had been the same since the incident, his family had tried to help him but it was futile.

"I can see that this has affected you greatly, so I will send the best Psychologists in the Dragonlands and Equestria to help you recover." said Torch.

"Thank you sir, but that won't be necessary." said Spike .

"It is my dear child, at only 11 you have witnessed the death of your uncle and have taken 11 lives." said Torch.

"It's not the killing part that has me troubled, sir…" said Spike.

"And what is?" Asked Torch.

Spike looked at him and said "Am I really a monster?"

When Spike said this the whole room went quiet, some of the female nobles even had tears forming in their eyes.

"Of course not Spike, you're a hero, to everyone, me, Princess Celestia, and even the Emperor of Yakyakistan, Prince Rutherford, the nobles who said those things were jealous." said Torch.

"Jealous, sir?" Said Spike.

"Yes, jealous that you at your young age had more courage than them to stand up to the attackers." said Torch.

For the first time in weeks Spike finally smiled.

"Bring it in!" Torch screamed.

That same instant some soldiers brought in a crystal ball into the room, followed by the court magician.

"What is this sir?" Asked Spike

"This is a crystal ball that is used to find out what affinities you have for magic." said the court magician.

"Ah, Dinamo, glad to see you could make it." said Torch.

"Of course, to miss the chance of meeting a Duolist would be idiotic." said Dinamo.

"Is this important?" asked Spike.

"Yes indeed, Spike, magic affinities are discovered when you turn 15, when you become an adult, it is really rare for someone younger to be able to use magic let alone enchantments." said Dinamo.

"Enchantments?" asked Spike.

"When your magic spreaded into your swords, that was a gear enchantment, a very hard type of enchantment that takes years to perfect, yet you were able to do it almost unconsciously." said Dinamo.

"So what do I do?" asked Spike looking at the crystal ball.

"Just place your hand on it and it will show us you affinities, we know for certain that you have an affinity for Fire and Lightning, that's 2 of 8, which is also rare." said Dinamo.

"Why?" asked Spike.

"Because, everyone has magic in them, but they can only use one type of magic no matter how much they try." said Torch.

"Actually sir, he has an affinity for wind as well." said a guard.

"Excuse me?" Said Torch.

"I was there that night sir, when he lunged at the attackers he used wind magic to retrieve the fire sword." said one of the guards.

"3 of 8, this is most interesting no one in history has ever been able to use more than 2." pondered Torch .

Spike then placed his hand on the crystal ball and then it started to ignite.

"Red for fire, purple for Lightning, white for wind, brown for earth, blue for water, black for darkness, grey for metal, and yellow for light, also known as holy magic!" said Dinamo in disbelief.

"You have an affinity for every single type of magic!" Said Torch.

The whole room erupted into chatter.

After a few minutes 3 people came forward.

"Your highness l, if I may." said one of them.

"Lord General Spyro." said Torch

"Please allow Spike to enter the Military academy so that he can tone his abilities as a soldier." said Spyro.

"You just want to use the kid to boost your own public image, sir let the kid enter the Magic academy, there he will be taught to use his powers better." said a female mage.

"Master enchanter Hydra?" Said Torch.

"Shouldn't the 2 of you stand down and let the kid decide his fate, that should be the most important thing." said a third person coming into the argument.

"You're one to talk Ancalagon, you just want to use the kid to boost the image of the church." said Hydra

"SILENCE!" Said Torch "I hear by forbid the use of Spike for any type of advertising, be it Military, political or religious, the action to do so will end in that person losing any noble status or title and will be exiled from the Dragonlands forever, do I make myself clear?" Said Torch

The whole room nodded.

"Good, going to another note, it's time for serious talk." said Torch.

This caught everyone's attention.

"Spike, I, Dragonlord Torch the XXV, here bestow upon you the title of Count, plus a monetary sum of $25 million, congratulations." said Torch as the whole room clapped.

"Now, Princess Celestia has also sent a reward, in her case it's only monetary since you aren't a citizen of the Kingdom of Equestria, she has sent you $100 Million, congratulations." said Torch

After hearing this all of Spike's family's jaws dropped.

"And finally, Prince Rutherford has gifted you the township of Gotenheigh, as a reward for your actions." said Torch

This just made Spike's dad get up and walk forward.

"My lord, with all due respect, but, my son is too young to become the ruler of a town, and what about that noble's family?" said Francis.

"The noble's family refused to inherit the land, his ex wife and his children left him a long time ago and want nothing to do with him." said Torch.

"But…" said Francis.

"As for the town, Prince Rutherford will take care of it personally until Spike feels he is ready to take the helm of the town." said Torch.

"Well, I think I'm ok with that." said Francis.

"As for Spike's education, if you allow it, sir, I would like to ask General Spyro, Master Hydra and Dinamo to go to your Knightdom and teach Spike everything they can until he turns 15 and leaves for advance studies, is that a deal?" asked Torch.

"Yes sir!" Said Francis

"Then it's settled." Torch said as everyone looked at Spike.

Spike was actually frozen in place. He wanted to say something this whole time, but after hearing the conversation his brain needed time to assimilate everything.

"I guess, this is ok, I think?" he said.

Ch. 4 A Reign of Terror (The Begining)

THE NEXT DAY

Spike, Ember, Thorax, and Pharynx had stayed up all night having a small scaled party for their musical achievements, they partied until they fell flat on their faces from exhaustion.

That was a couple of hours ago, after they awoke, they decided to head to their homes and freshen up.

It was now somewhere around 4 in the afternoon, Spike had gone for a jog to the nearby park, thinking that all of the partying had made him gain weight.

As for the rest of the guys, Spike had no idea, plus he didn’t really care, he wasn’t their dad, so he gave them their alone time.

Going back to topic, Spike had now successfully done 5 consecutive non stop laps around the park, which was roughly around 11 KM, when he decided to take a break near the soccer fields.

“Well, that was a good warm up…” Spike said to himself as he took a seat, he then proceeded to remove his headphones and take in the sounds of the park

“Well, it’s a lovely evening. It was a good idea to come for a jog to the park, the birds singing, children playing, owners walking their dogs, couples enjoying some quality time, the wind caressing my skin and making the trees dance, it’s really peaceful… almost too peaceful,” he said as he heard a disturbance behind him

“Hey, give us our ball back!” said a male voice

“Or what, you’re gonna run off to your mama and cry to get a new one?” said a female voice

“Why do you guys even need it, your not even going to play in the tournament,” said a male voice

At this point Spike had turned and had his eyes on the scene before him

“Yes we will, and this year we’ll be better,” said another male voice

“Oh, come on, we defeated you last year… in fact, was there a team that didn’t run you into the dirt?” said the female voice

When the boys on the right left side of the field didn’t answer back, she said

“That’s what I thought,”

“You know the rules, you can’t come to another turf to practice,” said the first dude

“Oh, come on, stop arguing, why don’t you run off and let the pros use the field,” she said as all of her friends started to laugh.

Spike had enough of it and decided to walk towards the field

“What’s so funny?” he said as he neared the group

“Oh, hey S, just some people not respecting the “No turf invasion treaty,” said on of them

“Oh, well, that does sound serious, not as much of a laughing matter,” said Spike as he turned to look at the other people on the field

“You should just give up, Crystal Perp. doesn’t stand a chance to achieve anything in the soccer tournament,” said the girl

“Well, that is not for you to decide Ms…?” Spike said with a fake polite tone

“Raegan Davis, you might know me as Rainbow Dash, the greatest ever athlete to ever attend Canterlot High,” she said full of confidence

“Wow, and I thought that only rich people of this city were full of themselves, nice to meet you Ms. Davis, My name is Sean Delsin Von Drake, you can call me…” said Spike

“Yeah, yeah, get on with it “S”, what do you want?” she said in an arrogant tone

“Well, you made various claims to my classmates here saying that our school doesn’t stand a chance in a competition,” said Spike

“But it’s true, you guys have never won a soccer tournament in your whole history,” said Dash

“And what makes you think that this time it would be the same?, not to mention that your historical information is wrong regarding trophies, for you see Crystal Prep. has won a total of 5 tournaments” asked Spike

“The fact that last year, your school didn’t even win a single match, or scored a single goal, unlike our school which destroyed you 12-0,” said Dash

“Oh, I take it you have played against us before,” said Spike

“Well… no, I’m a first year,” said Rainbow Dash

“Really? So… has any of you played before? Anyone?” asked Spike

No one answered or raised their hands

“Well, it appears we have ourselves a situation here,” said Spike

“What’s the big deal, you know for a fact that we are better,” said Dash

“The fact that you are using confidence in abilities and history that you all haven’t helped to write or demonstrate… that my dear friends is called Foolishness,” said Spike

This made all of them tick with anger

“So, how do you think we should solve this?” asked Rainbow Dash, knowing the answer already.

“5 people on your side 5 on our site, 5V5, you have 2 minutes to come up with a game plan,” said Spike

“Way ahead of you… NORMAN, ON GOAL, ROVER, FIDO, SPOT DEFENSE, LET THE FORWARD TO ME,” said Dash with fire in her eyes

“Can you give us a second?” said Spike as he called the other 4 guys towards him

“Dude, are you sure we can win this?” asked one of them

“Lance, if you continue with this negativity, we’ll never move forward,” said Spike

“He’s right, we can do this,” said another boy

“Glad to see at least someone is ready,” said Spike

“So what’s the plan?” asked Lance

“Mike, go on goal,” said Spike

“But, I’m not a goalkeeper,” said Mike

“Don’t worry, you won’t need to do anything,” said Spike “Bruce, you and Lance stay in defense, and Kalev, behind me,” said Spike

“Right!” they all said as they got ready

“I assume you;re ready to lose,” said Rainbow Dash

“Maybe, maybe not,” said Spike with a confident tone

Spike’s confidence began to get to Rainbow Dash, and so she had an idea

‘Let’s make a bet,” she said

“Ok,” answered Spike

“If we win, you will become our lackeys for the remainder of you school life,” said Rainbow Dash

“And if we win?” asked Spike

“Not that it’s going to happen, but… you choose the conditions,” said Rainbow Dash

“You stay out of our turf for the remainder of your school lives, and, you publicly apologize to us during the tournament for invading our turf,” said Spike

Rainbow Dash shrugged and said “Deal… can you take off your mask?” as she extended her hand

“You don’t need to see my face, let my feet to the talking,” said Spike as he shook her hand

“Are you ready?” she asked

Spike nodded

“Here, you guys start, to show you sportsmanship,” she said

“Oh, wow, thanks, I’m so touched,” Spike said sarcastically, angering Dash even more “To be on equal terms, you say GO,”

“GO,” said Rainbow Dash

As soon as she said that Spike kicked the ball directly into the net, entering right next to Norman’s head.

Everyone then turned to look at Spike

“That’s match, leave,” said Spike

“2 out of 3!” Rainbow Dash

“Suit yourself, you start, on you GO,” said Spike as he got into position

“Common Guys, let’s show them why we are the better team, GO!!!” she said as she dashed towards the opposite Goal and kicked the air “What the?”

“Looking for this?” asked Spike as he kicked the ball towards the other goal and placing it in the top left corner, far from Norman’s reach

“GAME!!” Spike’s team cheered

“Rainbow Dash, you better walk away, or are you too insecure to even look like a loser,” Spike said

“Come on Dash, they won, give it to them,” said Norman

“This isn’t over, we will trash you in the tournament, TRASH YOU!!!” she said as they left

“Wow, dude, that was amazing,” said Mike

“Thanks… so when does the tournament start?” asked Spike

“December 1st,” said Lance

“Why haven’t been any tryouts?” asked Spike

“Simple, the school doesn’t care much about soccer, they put more faith into the basket ball, cricket, baseball/softball, or rugby teams,” said Kalev

“Well, that is interesting,” said Spike

“Uhm, excuse me, Spike?” said a male voice

“Yes,” said Spike

“Hi, my name is Nolan Lawrence, you might know of me,” said the boy

“Yeah, you’re the DJ everyone is talking about, Neon Lights, was it?” asked Spike

“Yeah,” said Neon Lights

“So, what can I do for you?” asked Spike

“I want in,” he said

Spike looked at him with a confused face

“The band, Our Last Stand, I want to join,” said Neon

“Oh! Why are you asking me?” asked Spike

“Thorax, Pharynx, and Ember told me to ask you,” Neon said

“Those traitors, they know I don’t want to be the leader… Why?” asked Spike

“Well, I’ve been feeling that my music is lacking something, so I wanted to experiment with another Genre,” he said

“What other instruments can you play?” asked Spike

“Piano, guitar, I can also sing,” said Neon Light

“Well, if you want to join us, welcome aboard,” said Spike giving him a handshake

“Thanks,” said Neon lights

SOMEWHERE ELSE IN TOWN

“... and you are sure this is the place?” said Ember

“Yeah, this is the best shopping mall in town, the store you’re looking for is right inside,” said Thorax as he held the door open

“Thanks,” she said as she entered the mall, Thorax behind her.

The mall was in it’s usual late Saturday afternoon rush, teens and young adults on dates, rushing for the movies, or to a store trying to get a good sale.

“I hope we don’t call attention on ourselves,” said Ember

“Ember, it’s been a couple of hours, no one knows of us,” said Thorax

“Actually our song has reached 5 million views already,” said Ember as she showed him the video on her phone

“Ha, whaddya know,” said Thorax

“Not to mention, I’m a dragonborn and you are a changeling, some people might not like us,” said Ember

“It’s a free country, plus, it shouldn’t be their problem,” said Thorax as he and and Ember continued walking

Surely enough, they did cause some heads to turn, but so far they only saw smiles and waves, with the occasional scoff from a rich looking person.

But they ignored them until they got to the store they were looking for

When they entered they noticed many beautiful garments and accessories, as they began to look around, they noticed a group of kids around their age, the group consisted of 2 boys and 4 girls, who were eyeing them in a disgusting way

“Eww, we should get out of this store, I didn’t know they allowed trash inside,” one of the boys said, making the other ones laugh, minus one of the girls.

“I know right, Rarity, whatever you do, if you want to be respected in the fashion industry, don’t allow their kind into your stores, you wouldn’t like to… ruin the view,” said one of the girls with long auburn hair, putting her arm on the girl mentioned as Rarity who just nodded, as everyone laughed minus that one girl at the back of the group.

“This is why I didn’t want to come,” whispered Ember

“Ignore it, Spike had to endure this for far longer, plus, this just shows you their ignorance, don’t let them ruin your day,” Thorax whispered back, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder

“Oh, look, they’re on a date,” said the other boy

“Hey, I wonder… What do you get when you mix a freak with a monster?” said one of the girls

“I don’t know what DO you get?” said another girl playing along

“A freaky monster!” said the girl making everyone in the store laugh, even the employees and other customers laughed; the girl named Rarity, did smile but didn’t laugh, and the girl at the back of the group looked at the floor in shame.

“Let’s go, maybe they carry some strange disease,” said the girl with long auburn hair, and with that the group left, Rarity turned to look at them but didn’t say anything, but the last girl, who had long pink hair, walked up to them and said

“I’m really sorry, My friend Rarity, she knows better, but… she wants to fit in with the “Rich” class,” she said

“It’s ok,” said Ember

“Yeah, don’t worry about it, worry about your friend… I feel bad for her,” said Thorax

The girl nodded and left

Just as she exited the door, the manager of the store came out of his office and walked up to them

“Hey, folks…” said the Manager

“Don’t worry, we’re leaving,” said Ember

“Leaving? Of course not,” said the manager

This caught Ember and Thorax by surprise

“I saw, what happened, and in the name of the company, I want to apologize, today, all you buy is on the house,” he said

“Are you sure, sir?” said one of the employees

“I am, as for the 3 of you, we’re going to have a conversation in my office when I’m done with them, let’s see if you want to laugh after that,” said the manager

The three employed gulped and looked to the floor in shame

“ARE you sure?” asked Ember

“Of course, your kind save my family, I am forever in debt with the Dragonborns and Changelings,” said the manager “Plus, the owner of this shop is a Changeling,”

“Well, were only here to buy a jacket for her,” said Ember

“Well, take your time, if you need anything come to me,” said the manager as Ember went over to the jacket section, while Thorax remained in the jewelry displaces

While looking at the jewelry the manager came over to him

“So, are you guys on a date?” he asked

“Yeah, we’re dating in secret from our friends,” said Thorax

“Oh how lovely, my eldest daughter is married to Changeling, the nicest man I’ve ever known,” said the manager

Thorax went back to looking at the jewelry and then noticed a necklace with a red ruby on it

“How much for that one?” asked Thorax in a whisper

“The necklace with the red ruby on it?” said the manager

He nodded

“$50,000,” said the manager

“Excellent, I’ll take it, where do I pay?” asked Thorax

“Oh no, I couldn’t…” said the manager

“Sir, it’s $50,000, I’ll be robbing you if I took that for free,” said Thorax

The manager looked at him and went over to the cash register

“Debit, Credit or cash?” asked the manager

“Debit,” said Thorax as he paid

“Thinking of giving her that as a present?” asked the manager

“Yeah, better get my christmas shopping done early,” said Thorax

“This is the jacket I was looking for,” said Ember

“Really? How much is it?” asked Thorax

“$500,” said Ember

“Well, let’s pay for it and go, wouldn’t want to waste anymore of your time,” said Thorax as the manager as he scanned the tag and Thorax paid

“Thank you for your patronage, please come again, and once again I’m terribly sorry for what happened,” said the Manager

“Thanks,” said Ember as she and Thorax left

The manager then turned to the employees “Office, NOW!” he roared

A FEW MINUTES LATER, OUTSIDE THE MALL

“Sorry about what happened,” said Thorax

“It’s fine, you aren’t God, you can’t control people,” said Ember

“I just hope you enjoyed our first date,” said Thorax

“Well, it could’ve been worst,” she said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek and left

Thorax stood there for a few seconds, before jumping up and down, and running home with a big smile on his face.

ELSEWHERE IN TOWN

Pharynx had decided to do some much needed R&R by going to the local arcade.

It was massive, 3 floors of continuous video gaming, separated by genre and difficulty.

The first level was basically meant for little kids, floor 2 was for the more challenging games, and the 3rd floor, well, that was the level you wanted to be on if you wanted to be called a pro.

After charging a couple of credits into his game card, he rushed to the 3rd floor to begin playing.

He played all of his favorites, Colt Crisis, Night of the living Mares, Laser Tag, Indians and Cowboys, Speed racer, Power Bike, he even tried his luck with the Claw Crane, setting many new records as he did.

After a while Pharynx noticed that there was a massive crowd gathering around one particular video game

“Huh, what is all that about?” he said as he walked over

When he got there he noticed that the game’s name was called “Band Simulator”

“Hey, what’s this game about?” he asked a fellow gamer

“Oh, this is a game that allows you to show off your bass or guitar abilities, you can play solo, or with friends, or like in this case, challenge someone to see who is better,” said the boy

“Interesting, and who is winning?” asked Pharynx

“They’re tied, but my money's on the Red and Orange haired girl,” said the boy

At this point Pharynx used his height to look over the crowd and noticed 2 girls sitting side by side.

One of them had long Red and Orange hair, and by the looks of her, she was around 6 ft tall, and was somewhat of an athlete, as for the other girl, she had long green hair, and was also wearing a pair of light red headphones.

“Hey, isn’t that Lemon Zest?” said Pharynx to himself

Just then the song they were playing ended

“And the score is still tied, seems like you gals are going to have to play one last song to see who is better,” said someone in the crowd

“Ready to be destroyed?” said the girl with the red and orange hair

“We’ll see about that,” said Lemon Zest as the next song began

[POLYPHIA - AVIATOR]

“AND WITH AN OUTSTANDING SOLO, SUNSET SHIMMER IS THE WINNER!!!!” said the machine

“OH YEAH, I'M THE BEST, I’M ON FIRE, I’M THE QUEEN!!!” sang Sunset Shimmer making fun of Lemon Zest.

At this point everyone had cleared and gone back to playing their own games, but Sunset Shimmer was still mocking Lemon Zest

Pharynx looked at this and felt so much impotence until he remembered something

“HEY! Aren’t you a student at Canterlot High?” said Pharynx

“Yeah, So?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“And, aren’t you also a member of the soccer team?” he asked again

“Yeah, what of it?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“You know the rules, you or any student can’t go to another city that houses a rival of any sporting tournament, at least without authorization of the head master of said school,” said Pharynx

When he said this all eyes where on her

“You do realize that if word of your presence her reaches the head masted of both your school or our school, you can be banned to play on the tournament, that’s what the Pitch invasion treaty was about,” said Pharynx

Sunset Shimmer began to sweat

“Leave now, and I’ll keep my lips shut, as well as anyone here who is recording this,” said Pharynx looking at the cameras.

The look he gave the people recording made them immediately delete the videos.

Sunset Shimmer said her sorrys and left the arcade without further incident.

Pharynx then turned to Lemon Zest, who was still seated at the booth she was using to play, he could tell she had tears in her eyes.

He then proceeded to seat next to her

“Are you ok?” he asked

Lemon Zest didn’t answer

“Hey, we’re classmates, you now you can count on me, tell me anything,” said Pharynx

“It’s just that… I thought I was the best… I practice day and night… and i get defeated by her of all people,” said Lemon Zest

“Well, it’s only a game, in real life I’m sure you are way better than her,” said Pharynx

“No, I’m not, ever since we were little she’s been the better one at everything, then I find a passion and work hard to be awesome, just for her to come back and defeat me like if I was a noob,” said Lemon Zest

Pharynx, feeling bad for her, placed a hand on her shoulder “You know, when I was a kid, I was seen as a monster… heck maybe even now I’m seen as one… but that never stopped me for becoming the best me I can be, and so… you should let this types of things stop you either,” said Pharynx

Lemon Zest looked at him and smiled “thanks… what was your name again?” she asked

“Patrick Robert Chamberguard Humbolt, Prince of the Changeling kingdom, but you can call me Pharynx,” he said

“Pharynx… you’re a great friend, thanks,” she said as she gave him a hug

“No problem, that’s what friends are for,” he said as he got up

He was about to leave when he remembered something, he quickly dug into his backpack and pulled out something

“Hey, Lemon Zest…” he said, catching her attention “Here… this way you won’t forget about your talent,” he finished giving her a Guitar plushe he had won minutes earlier in a Claw crane.

Lemon Zest took the Plushe in her hands and hugged it, when she looked up to thank Pharynx, she was only able to see the outline of his body as he disappeared into the crowd of players and out of sight.

Lemon Zest looked back at the plush and thought “He really is cool… and handsome… WAIT WHAT I’M I THINKING!!!” as she got up and left in a different direction.

THE NEXT MORNING

“Good morning students, we have various announcements to do today; first, I would like to let everyone know that our school now is certified to do Augmented studies, which means that, if you want, you can increase your time in this school by 2 extra years and gain extra knowledge and abilities; the only bad note is that, you will not be able to participate in any sporting events, since by this point you would be playing for a professional side, that being the exception, if you would like to sign up please come to the office during your next break and sign the papers” said Princess Cadance over the loudspeaker

“Also, today is the day we do the Soccer team tryouts, if you are interested please head to the Crystal park after school and join the tryouts, I must remind all of you that the tryouts are today only, also, due to various issues, only first years will be aloud to join” said Shining armor

“In other news, today is Meatball’s day at the cafeteria, so come with big appetites and…” said Princess Cadance

Meanwhile in class A

“So, you gonna do the 2 year extension?” asked Thorax

“Yup,” they all said

“What about the soccer team situation?” asked Ember

“Oh, due to the terrible results from the team last year, added to various disciplines, second and third years weren’t aloud to join,” said Royal Pin

“I take it, they didn’t show up for training,” said Spike

“True, not even one, sometimes they didn’t even have a full squad for the tournament only having three subs, counting goalkeeper,” said Royal Pin

“That, and the turf war that happened against Colchester that caused 5 players to be sent off,” Sour Sweet

“Do you think we have a chance at the tournament this year?” asked Lemon Zest

“If we get a good captain, and a responsible team, sure,” said Sour Sweet

“Yeah, not like the band of rascals that Cinch put together last year,” said Lemon Zest

“What do you guys think? Wanna join?” said Pharynx

“Sure,” said Spike

“Why not,” said Ember

“Count me in,” said Neon Lights

Just then Ms. Kamelot called on Spike and his group of friends

“Spike, may you and your friends head over to the principal’s office, she says it’s urgent,” she said

Spike looked at his friends, but they all got up and headed there anyway

PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE, A FEW SECONDS LATER

“Any ideas on why we were called here?” asked Ember as she sat down on one of the chairs in the waiting area

“No clue, we haven’t really done anything wrong… Pharynx?!!!!” said Thorax

“WHAT? Every time it seems we are in trouble you blame it on me!” said Pharynx

As soon as he said that Shining Armor and Cadance walked into the waiting room

“Don’t worry, the 5 of you aren’t in any sort of trouble… yet,” said Shining Armor

“What do you mean YET?!” said Ember

“Guys, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Johannes Burton, he is the chief producer of this years soccer tournament,” said Cadance as she let a man walk past her

They just stared at him for a few seconds

“Well, nice to meet you all, I have to admit, I never imagined I was going to have the honor of meeting so many royals in one day, not to mention “The Perfect weapon” himself,” said Burton

“Nice to meet you too,” said Ember

“What can we do for you?” asked Neon Lights

“Well, I know you guys are probably thinking about playing in the tournament, so, I came here today to ask if you would like to make the soundtrack for the tournament,” said Burton

At the mention of this all of them went silent, they didn’t know what to say

“Doesn’t a pro band usually do that?” asked Pharynx

“Oh, I believed that, since you won the band battle last friday, you guys were professionals,” said Burton

“How many days to we have to do it?” asked Spike

“Until November 30, I know it’s last second, but we really would like you to do it,” said Burton

They all looked at each other and then Thorax said

“Before we give you an answer, how much are we talking about?”

“It’s a blank check, you write the price, the cost of the video will be separate,” said Burton

“Give us a second,” said Spike as they made a group huddle

“So we have to write a song, and produce it in just 10 days?” whispered Thorax

“Not to mention we also have to make the video,” said Pharynx

“Luckily for us, I wrote a song a long time ago that might work for this situation, we might just have to tweak it her and there,” said Spike

“So, that means, Yes, right?” asked Neon

“What do you think?” said Ember as she broke the huddle

“You got a deal,” she said

“Excellent, when will the song be ready?” asked Burton

“Tomorrow,” said Spike

Burton’s mouth hangs open “Are you sure?” he asked

“Yeah, we can start recording the video tomorrow aswell,” said Thorax

“Well then, no school for the 5 of you until you finish the video then,” said Shining

“We can tutor you all if you feel stuck when you’re done,” said Cadance

“Works for me,” said Spike

LATER THAT AFTERNOON

“Ok, welcome to this year’s soccer team tryouts, as you know, the league’s regulations states that each team must have at least 22 players, and at least 7 of each sex, now we are going to be enforcing this rule in the team, which means 11 male players and 11 female players will be taken into consideration, now, WHO IS READY TO BEGIN?!!!!” said Rommel as he turned to the crowd.

The crowd cheered

“Ok, how many players-to-be do we have?” asked Shining Armor

“23, last head count… 11 males and 12 females,” said Spike

“Oh no, I’m not here to join as a player, I came here to volunteer as a manager,” said Moondancer

“22 then,” said Spike

“Well, that means that everyone present will be selected to join the team… now, we are going to run some tests to determine your overalls, ladies to the right, write your names and positions in the clipboard and follow Vice Principal Shining Armor,” said Rommel

All of the eleven girls went over to the clipboard and wrote their names, then they went onto the field, did some warming up and began running the drills.

After a full hour they were all finally done and were asked to sit on the sidelines, while they boys ran the drills.

For whatever reason, it took them longer to finish the same exact drills for they had to make the girls wait 1 hour and 10 minutes.

After another hour of waiting, Coach Rommel and Shining Armor came back to the group to give them their shirts and overalls.

“Ok guys, let me begin by saying, that in the last 5 years, you guys are the school’s team with the highest overall, therefore, congratulations, now, our school has always used a 4-4-2 (Diamond) formation, which means that whichever of you ends up playing as our Defensive midfielder must be someone with an amazing amount of stamina,” said Coach Rommel

“Now, we will give out the shirts for the starting 11, and I have to remind all of you, just because you were mentioned today, doesn’t mean that your position in the first team is guaranteed… so without further ado, our starting Goalkeeper and shirt 1 is Patrick Chamberguard, you have an overall of 88, which is excellent,” said Shining

“Right back, shirt number 2, and with an overall of 79, Ines Zadrozny,” said Rommel

“Center back 1, shirt 3, and overall of 73, Bruce Newark,” said Shining

“Center back 2, shirt 4, and overall of 73, Gemma Spencer,” said Rommel

“Left back, shirt 6, and overall of 77, Jason Allister,” said Shining

“Central Midfielder 1, shirt 5, and overall of 89, Terrence Chamberguard,” said Rommel

“Central Midfielder 2, shirt 7, and overall of 75, Susan Swanson,” said Shining

“Right midfielder, shirt number 8, and overall of 76, Laura Zaborowski,” said Rommel

“Left Midfielder, shirt 11, and overall of 85, Nolan Lawrence,” said Shining

“Striker 1, shirt number 9, and overall of 92, Elizabeth Draken,” said Rommel

“And lastly, striker 2, shirt 10, and overall of 95, Sean Von Drake,” said Shining

As Spike went over to take his shirt he whispered

“Don’t tell Twilight I’m here,”

“I won’t, but you guys have to talk sometime soon,” Shining answered

“I know,” said Spike as he took his shirt

“Now then, the bench will contain, Silvia Franco, goalkeeper 2, and shirt 12, you had an overall of 75, Sabrina Carson, central defender, shirt 13 and overall of 70; shirt 14 is for Markus Talend, midfielder, and overall of 77,” said Rommel

“Striker, shirt 22, and overall of 74, Tanner Hudson; Defender, shirt 15, Frederick Copperrich, overall of 70; striker, shirt 17, and overall of 69 Melody Richards; midfielder, shirt 16 Ronald Pierce, with an overall of 72” said Shining

“The 4 of you that weren’t mentioned, Michelle Paterson, Mike Vastuber, Lance Ferro, and Kalev Kirisakov, don’t be discouraged, work hard during training, and maybe you’ll be promoted to the bench or first team,” said Rommel

“This are your overalls and numbers:
Michelle Paterson, Winger/Midfielder, shirt 19, overall 67
Mike Vastuber, striker, shirt 20, overall 66
Lance Ferro, Defender, shirt 18, overall 69
Kalev Kirisakov, Midfielder/striker, shirt 21, overall 71

Remember that we will have a new overall check after the 3rd game of the season,” said Shining

“Ok, boys, and girls, time to choose our captain,” said Rommel

“We already did,” said Sour Sweet

“Who?’ asked Shining

Everyone turned to look at Spike who just pointed at himself and said “Me?”

Everyone nodded

“Why?” asked Spike

“You’re the highest ranked player,” said Sugarcoat

“Not to mention, the hottest,” said Indigo Zap

“I don’t think he is hotter than Pharynx… OK , I NEED TO GO TO THE DOCTOR ” thought Lemon Zest

“I wouldn’t go that far,” said Spike

“Plus, you are the student council president,” said Sugarcoat

When this piece of information reached Spike’s ears his mind went blank for a few seconds, he then turned to look at Sugarcoat and said

“I’m the student council president? SINCE WHEN?!!!”

“The elections were 2 weeks ago,” said Sugarcoat

“I didn’t write my name,” said Spike

“We nominated you, I mean, you protected all of us from Blueblood, not to mention, you are the only person in the school that has any real “self-made” status, perfect combination,” said Sunny Flare

“How thoughtful,” said Spike biting his lip in anger

“Anyway, let’s get you guys fitted and ready for the pictures,” said Rommel

“Oh, yeah, Spike, be thinking of who you are going to choose to be the co-captains,” said Shining Armor

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“Ok… and that will be it for the team picture… Spike, now it’s time for you and the captains’ picture,” said Rommel

With that Spike, Ember, Thorax, Pharynx and Neon walked forward and posed for the pictures.

Behind them whispers began to erupt

“Do you think we have a chance to win with them in charge?” said Trenderhoof

“Of course,” said Sugarcoat

“I see, so, Spike has chosen the strongest players to be captains… Does this mean that he only values strong allies?... I must prove myself as a capable ally during this tournament!” said Fancy Pants

“Ha, with Ember and Spike up front, we don’t have to worry about goals,” said Indigo Zap

“Actually, you guys are supposed to be the players that build the opportunities to score,” said Sour Sweet

As soon as she said that they hear coach Rommel calling for them to come closer

“Of guys, now that this is done, I will explain some details to all of you, first of all, I hope I don’t have to remind everyone about the importance of discipline, even if you haven’t been selected to play that match, please attend the match and bring your uniform, you never know; also, I know that our school soccer team is highly underrated and, for lack of a better frase, lacks confidence from the public, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have the support from our classmates, so even if you don’t see any fans in the stands, don’t ever, EVER, feel alone, I know that we are trying to rebuild our image and that will be difficult,” said Rommel

“Also, I am aware that the training facilities for the team last year were terrible, therefore they are being remodeled as we speak and will be available tomorrow for us to start gym training… now, we are supposed to have a friendly match on Friday, but so far no team has accepted to play against us, stating that they want to move forwards and not backwards in their development, so, Spike, as captain, you are tasked on scheduling a match for us on Friday… without anything else to say, you may go home,” said Shining

Spike remained seated in place as everyone around him left, he was too confused to move, until Moondancer tapped him in the shoulder

“They said it was going to rain today, so, what do you say if we head home too,” she said with a smile.

Spike smiled back and got off the ground

While they walked back to the apartment district near the school, Moondancer made an effort to help Spike with the friendly match request.

“What about Tall Tale High?” she said

“Our rivals in the tournament, they will learn everything from a team of rookies and destroy us in the tournament,” said Spike

“And Grasson High?” she asked

“They already declined, they have high expectations on their team this year to win the regional,” said Spike

“What about… I’m out of ideas,” said Moondancer

“Well, thanks anyway,” said Spike as his phone pinged

He fished it out and read the news article

“Uma Secondary continues their hot run of form as they destroy Coltchester Secondary 13-2, the Mareanese team is still looking for 1 final rival to finish their 5 game preseason camp in the Western continent; so far they have defeated Canterlot high 2-1, Cloudsdale Secondary 5-0, Las Pegasus High 8-2, and lastly, the aforementioned team. Who will be their final rivals,”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” said Moondancer

“No, I’m thinking what I’m thinking and I’m pretty sure it’s different,” said Spike making Moondancer laugh

“You can call the coach of Uma High and asked them to play here on Friday, Coltchester is only 5 hours away by train, and 1 hour away by plane,” said Moondancer

“Oh, whaddya know, we were thinking the same thing,” said Spike causing Moondancer to laugh even more.

THE NEXT DAY

“So, what do you think?” asked Spike

“Do you like it?” said Neon

“No… I LOVE IT!!!” said Burton

“So, when can we start recording the video?” asked Spike

“Immediately, just go to studio number 2 and we’ll start to record,” said Burton

And with that Spike and Co. left the room and headed to the studio

“How long do you think it’s going to take us to record the video?” asked Neon

“If we do our parts well… 2 or 3 days,” said Ember

Just then Spike’s phone binged, he grabbed it and began to read

“Whats up?” asked Thorax

“Uma High have agreed to play against us on Friday,” said Spike

At the mention of this, everyone stopped dead on their tracks

“Uma high, THE UMA HIGH?!” said Ember as she got on Spike’s face

“I assume there is only one,” said Spike

“Are you retarded?” asked Pharynx

“I don’t think so,” said Spike

“Dude, Uma high, has won the eastern continent’s soccer tournament for the last 10 times, and for the last 4 years, they haven’t lost a single match, not even a draw,” said Thorax

“Cool,” said Spike

“No, it’s not “cool” we don’t have the team to play them,” said Neon

“Have some faith in your teammates, who knows what will happen,” said Spike

FRIDAY

Spike entered the changing room of the Crystal Stadium, and noticed many nervous faces, even coach Rommel was sweating bullets, like if had ran a 25 Km marathon non-stop

Spike then decided to walk up to the front of the dressing room and said

“Why the long faces?”

This caught everyone by surprise

“Well, if you forgot, we are playing against one of the best teams in the world,” said Jet Set

“No, I know that, I asked to play against us… plus they were the only team that accepted anyway,” said Spike

“Probably they just wanna relax, let the reserves and the bench play and rest their starting 11,” said Sugarcoat

“No, their starting 11 is going to play against us,” said Spike

“Great, we are going to recibe at least 20 goals,” said Gemma

“HEY!!! What is with all this negativity? Soccer is a sport where you never know what can happen,” Spike said

Everyone in the room went silent

“The reason why Uma High is so good, doesn’t have much to do with talent, but with teamwork, they know that, if any of them gets into trouble, there are 10 other players on the pitch ready to help, if we can do the same we can hold our own, talent or not,” said Spike

“What makes you say that? Heck I don’t even know if I want to play this match,” said Jet Set

“Jet Set, you are a damn good player, and you know it, but you are a lazy, self-centered asshole, you give up on challenges before they even begin, then you run back to your momma and dadda, and ask them to pay someone to fix it for you,” said Spike

This comment made Jet Set angry, and the rest of the people present giggle

“That is not true!” he said as he jumped up and got in Spike’s face

‘The prove it… on the field,” Spike said as he shoved a ball into his stomach

“Oh, I will, you and Ember better get ready to score some goals,” he said as he walked out of the dressing room to practice

Spike the looked at the rest of the team who were still seating, eyes glued on him

“WHAT? ARE YOU WAITING FOR A KISS ON THE CHEEK? GET OUT THERE AND START WARMING UP!!!” shoutes Spike

With this everyone got up and dashed into the field

“I must say Spike, you sure make a good drill sergeant,” said Fancy pants as he walked up to him

“Yeah, well, I only count on strong allies, if they are not up to my standards I cut ties with them,” said Spike

The moment he said this Fancy Pants ran off into the pitch to train, leaving Spike really confused

“Ha, I’ve never seen someone so desperate to practice,” said Spike

“Well, you did inspire everyone, like a real captain,” said Moondancer

“Thanks, you are an amazing moral support,” said Spike as he gave her a quick hug

This made her turn bright red

“Oh, sorry, I overstepped,” said Spike

“It’s ok… NOW GET OUT THERE AND TRAIN!” said Moondancer imitating him

“YES MA’AM!!!” Do I really sound like that?” said Spike as he ran into the field.

“Haha, he can be cute when he wants to,” thought Moondancer as she walked onto the field and sat on the bench.

15 MINUTES LATER

“Welcome, one and all, to this friendly game between Crystal Perp. and Uma High, I am your host Gideon March, and with me is former pro player Dante Van Der Gussen,” said Gideon

“A pleasure, as always, to be here with you today Gideon, wish I could say the same for Crystal Prep. not only are they going to play one of the best teams in the last half decade, but they have 0 moral and home advantage,” said Dante

“You are right Dante, Never had I seen a team so abandoned by their own fanbase, unfortunately, I don’t blame them, Crystal Prep’s soccer team has an image to recover since last season,” said Gideon

“That is correct Gideon, luckily for them, they have decided to start a new team, not even a single face from last year is present in this squad… it’s actually the only team in Crystal Prep. which contains only first years, since their basketball, baseball/softball, hockey, rugby, and football team contain, mostly, third years,” said Dante

“Another interesting fact about this team, is the fact that they count with 4 very powerful players: Sean Delsin Von Drake, the Dragonlands “Perfect weapon”, Elizabeth Draken, the princess of the Dragonlands and the twins Terrence Chamberguard and Patrick Chamberguard, the princes of the Changeling Kingdom,” said Gideon

“What do you expect from this game, knowing that these 4 are on the pitch today?” asked Dante

“I expect to see a game of wits, the best highschool in the eastern continent, vs the 4 strongest people alive in the western continent,” said Gideon

“I, on the other hand, what to see if these 4 skills are also good in soccer, maybe even a few goals,” said Dante

“Well, before the match begins, I have to re-state the fact that Crystal Prep’s team is completely at the mercy of Uma High; from the 100% of the spectator watching this match through the tv, 98% are watching us from the eastern continent, and 2% are watching from Equestria, but, none of this spectators are in the Crystal Empire,” said Gideon

“Well, then, what is your score prediction?” asked Dante

“If Uma High are merciful, I’ll say… 15-0 for Uma High,” said Gideon

“Wow, even with those 4 in the pitch today?” asked Dante

“4 people can’t win a war without a team they can rely on,” said Gideon

“Well, in my case, I also thinking that Uma High will win, but I think a 8-2 is more acceptable,” said Dante

IN THE CHANGING ROOM

“Ok, guys, I know that we are seriously outnumbered…” said Spike

“No kidding,” said Sour Sweet

“Yeah, the only supporters we have are our reserve players,” said Sugarcoat

“...regardless, is our responsibility to go out there and play our best match… I kind of promised them a challenge, so what do you say… team?” said Spike

No one in the changing room smiled or looked inspired, which worried Spike

“Listen! I know that fan support is important, but right now, we have to go out there and prove everyone in this city, and everyone in the world, that we are not the same team from last season, we’re a new team, with better ambitions, and if, after all this, after many good results, they still don’t support us, then FUCK THEM, play for you… play form me… play for your brother and sister seating right next to you… if we don’t have fans form outside the team, the we’ll be our fans… that… and having fun, are the only things we should be worried about… now… Who’s with me?” said Spike as he moved his hand forward.

Everyone in the locker room smiled and quickly added their hands to the salute

“3...2...1… CRYSTAL PREP!!!” they all yelled as they headed for the field

Coach Rommel and Shining Armor stood there with proud smiles and some tears in their eyes

“They grow up so fast, don’t they?” said Rommel cleaning his eyes

“If only last year’s team had been smart,” said Shining

“Well, only 2 keds from last year cared about soccer, but they moved to the hockey team,” said Rommel

“Anyway, Spike’s right, this IS a new team, and by the looks of it they do care about this team,” said Shining as they headed into the field

TV TRANSMISSION

“And we’re back folks, ready for the match to begin, but first, let’s take a look at the lineups shall we?” said Gideon

“Well, Crystal Prep. presents itself with their new 4-4-2 formation, with Patrick “Pharynx” Chamberguard in goal; right back, Ines “Indigo Zap” Zadrozny; center backs, Bruce “Bengal” Newark and Gemma Spencer; Left back, Jason “Jet Set” Allister; central midfielders, Terrence “Thorax” Chamberguard and Susan “Sour Sweet” Swanson; Right Midfielder; Laura “Lemon Zest” Zaborowski; Left midfielder, Nolan “Neon Lights” Lawrence; and strikers, Elizabeth “Ember” Drakken and Sean “Spike” Von Drake,” said Gideon

“Sounds powerful,” said Dante

“Yeah, SOUNDS powerful, let’s hope they are,” said Gideon

“On the other hand, we have Uma High, from Osacolt, and they come here with their 4-3-3 formation with, Takeka Yusukashi on goal; right back, Kanera Narunokoji; Center backs, Maddison Blue and Amber Kimidoka; left back, Ramiro “Cartusianho” Da Silva; Defensive Midfielders, Mumuro Tokinako and Anashi Niyama; Attacking Midfielder and captain Ogakuwa “Oga” Minoru; Right winger, Horikuro Hikafumi; Left winger, Yashikita Mamosaburo; and striker Tatsugita Akidaira,” said Dante

“As for Crystal Prep.’s bench, we have Silvia “Spirit” Franco, who is the other goalkeeper of the team; Sabrina “Sugarcoat” Carson, Markus “Messy” Talend, Tanner “Trenderhoof” Hudson, Frederick “Fancy Pants” Copperrich, Melody Richards, and Roland “Royal Pin” Pierce,” said Gideon

“The Uma bench, looks like this, Shotanda Aramomi, substitute keeper; Yashigisawa Sukesumu, Kagabi Asato, Okahara Akonami, Hiroragi Kyukoji, Towata Kosu, and Kobashige Uredori,” said Dante

“The referees for this match will be Antonio De la Sierra, as main referee, Daniel Parma and Emma Finberssen and assistant referees and Harold Bierges as fourth referee,” said Gideon

“There we have Sean Von Drake and Oga Minoru making the respective salut and side selection… Well, it seems that Crystal Perp. will kick off the match,” said Dante

KICK OFF

“And the ball starts rolling, Spike back to Sour Sweet, Sour Sweet to Lemon Zest… OH WHAT A MISTAKE BY SOUR SWEET, BALL INTERCEPTED BY NIYAMA… she rockets past Thorax… evades Bengal’s tackle… SHOOTS!!!... OH JUST BRILLIANT, WHAT A SAVE BY PHARYNX! CORNER KICK FOR UMA HIGH!!!”

“This is what I want to see in this match, Uma’s speedy counters, this match is going to be thrilling,” said Dante

“Corner kick taken by Minoru… and into the save hands of Pharynx… wasted opportunity for Uma high,” said Gideon

MIN. 6

“Lemon Zest has the ball… she flies as fast as she can glued to the side line, Narunokoji and Toninako keeping their marks on her, not giving her much room to maneuver and… OH! Beautiful back heel pass to Jet Set, he dashed in-field, heading for the Uma goal… Jet Set, to Neon… Neon passes the ball to Ember… she gets rid of Maddison, evades Cartusianho… prepares to shoot and… OH, BEAUTIFUL TACKLE BY KIMIDOKA, SHE HAS DISPOSED EMBER OF THE BALL CLEANLY…” said Gideon

“Uma High begin their well known counter strikes, Kimidoka to Niyama… Niyama to Hikafumi, who begins to use her speed to avoid the Crystal prep. Defenders… she outruns Jet Set… she continues in-field at full speed and is closed down by Gemma… OH NUTMEGGED AND LEFT HER IN THE DUST... Hikafumi is getting close to the enemy area… OH JUST SUPERB, Thorax rushing in and making a superb tackle getting nothing but ball out of it, as possession changes feet,” said Dante

MIN. 17

“A very vibrating quarter of a game, both sides doing their best to keep possession and open the scoreboard… Minoru with the ball, marked closely by Spike who isn’t giving him any freedom to move… desperate lobbed pass from Minoru to his offensive teammates… Akidaira and Gemma rushing for the ball at the edge of the area… OH! BIG HIT ON GEMMA FROM AKIDAIRA, WHO MANAGES TO HEAD THE BALL OVER THE BAR… I hope Gemma is ok…” said Gideon

“Yeah, she landed a bit uncomfortably on that right arm… although she is now on her feet, the referee is asking her to head over to her coach to get checked out,” said Dante

“We now head over to our field level correspondent Amy Turner, Amy, anything regarding the injury?” asked Gideon

“As far as it seems, it’s a minor sprain, Gemma has given consent to play the rest of the first half, but regardless of this Fancy Pants is warming up in case the pain is too much,” said Amy

“Well, thanks for the information Amy, we’ll get back to you in case you spot any new developments,” said Gideon

MIN. 20

“... Gemma has the ball, she passes it to Indigo Zap… WHO IS DISPOSED BY MAMOSABURO WITH A CLEAN TACKLE… he dashed to the side of the area and makes the lobed pass searching for Minoru’s, Akidaira’s, or Niyama’s heads… Minoru is unmarked in the center… HE JUMPS… CONNECTS AND… OH!!!! OFF THE WOODWORK AND OUT OF PLAY… Uma High are getting closer and closer to that sweet first goal,” said Gideon

MIN. 25

“Gemma, gives the ball to Thorax… Thorax to Indigo Zap… Indigo Zap to Spike… Spike back to Sour Sweet… Sour Sweet to Lemon Zest… Lemon Zest controls the ball and heads up field again, making an effort to breach the Uma Defense… back pass to Jet Set, who passes the ball to Neon Lights… Neon Lights keeps possession while fighting off Maddison and Kimidoka… passes the ball to Ember who SHOOTS… the play will not count, offside the final benedict,” said Gideon

“Well, this is definitely a new Crystal Perp. this team does show a hunger for victory,” said Dante

MIN. 30

“Cartusianho has the ball, he sprints all the way from his side of the field to Crystal Prep.’s, he leaves Lemon Zest in the dust… he dribbles around Sour Sweet and Thorax causing Sour Sweet to tackle Thorax making him fall to the floor… he continues with his mad dance of speed… dances around Gemma leaving her behind and confused… he’s getting near the Crystal Area… it’s just him against the keeper… OH BUT WHAT IS THIS!!! BOTH Spike and Bengal have appeared out of nowhere before him and are closing him down… Cartusianho tries to out play Spike… but fails and Spike manages to kick the ball away from him in as he fell to the floor,” said Gideon

“Cartusianho realizes this and makes a run to regain control of the ball, but he loses the race against Bengal who protects the ball with his body and… OH! Cartusianho goes down, and the referee has blown for a free kick… AND IT’S A YELLOW CARD FOR BENGAL!” said Dante

“An elbow to the face of Cartusianho, obviously accidental, but nonetheless, that counts as dangerous play, so he is now in the refs book,” said Gideon

“And this is going to put a lot of stress, not only on the play, but on the whole team, being a defender he is now the weakest link of the team,” said Dante

“Sugarcoat and trenderhoof began to warm up in the Crystal Prep.’s bench,” said Amy

“Well, the 2 obvious sub-out’s are Gemma due to her injury, from which she is seen hurting, and Bengal, who is now walking a tightrope,” said Dante

“AND WE HAVE ACTION ON THE PITCH… QUICK FREE KICK PASS BY NARUNOKOJI TO HIKAFUMI, WHO HAS OUTRUNNED ALL OF THE DEFENDERS AND IS NOW FACE TO FACE WITH PHARYNX… She’s still going, but now Pharynx has come out of the goal to rush her… she seems nervous and hits the ball, but Pharynx skillfully catches the ball,” said Gideon

HALF-TIME

Inside the crystal Prep.’s dressing room.

“Wow, we are playing well today,” said Sour Sweet

“Well, we ARE playing better than usual, but… Gemma, Bengal… you guys are being subbed out,” said Rommel

“Why?” asked Bengal

“Gemma, I’m not going to risk your injury anymore than this, plus, if you do, you will start to concentrate mostly on the pain that on the match losing even more balls and not focusing on defense,” said Rommel

“As for you Bengal, you have lost various ball throughout the game, giving Thorax and Sour Sweet even more work, not to mention, you have a yellow card,” said Shining

“Fair enough,” said Bengal in defeat

“Sugarcoat, Fancy Pants, get ready to play, you guys are coming in,” said Rommel

They both nodded and removed their training jackets, as the rest of the team headed to the field

“Good luck to 2 of you,” said Spike as he left

“Right!” they both said, Spike’s words clinging to Fancy Pants’ brain

“well, I only count on strong allies, if they are not up to my standards I cut ties with them,” Spike kept saying in his mind

“This is my chance to prove myself as worthy and capable ally… not just to Spike, but to everyone,” he said as he entered the pitch

TV TRANSMISSION

“Well, we confirm now, 2 changes in the Crystal Prep. side, Fancy pants to replace Bengal and Sugarcoat to replace Gemma,” said Gideon

“So far nothing to report from Uma high,” said Dante

“Oh, Spike is calling everyone over for a last second team huddle,” said Gideon

HUDDLE

“Ok guys, they might be onto us, they might’ve even found a way to defeat us… so, I guess it’s time we begin to use our teamwork skills and be creative… what do you guys think?” said Spike

Everyone smiled and nodded

“Ready?... break!” said Spike as everyone rushed to their positions

KICK OFF

“And the ball starts rolling again, what might happen in this second half I wonder?” said Gideon

“Well Gideon, my friend, we are about to find out,” said Dante

MIN. 47

“Tokinaka has the ball… she passes it to Niyama who passes it to Mamosaburo… Mamosaburo to Minoru… Minoru to Hikafumi, who forces her way through Indigo Zap, and passes the ball back to Minoru… Minoru sprints towards the goal defended by Pharynx… OH HE IS DISPOSED BY SUGARCOAT WITH A SUBLIME TACKLE… Fancy Pants has the ball… he dashes towards midfield, dribbling past Akidaira… passes the ball to Neon Light… who passes it to Indigo Zap… Indigo Zap to Lemon Zest, and back to Indigo Zap… she passes it towards Thorax, who does a forward pass to Spike, who has taken the defenders by surprise… HE ONLY HAS THE KEEPER TO BEAT… and he passes the ball down to Ember who just has to tap it in to score… GOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLL! FOR CRYSTAL PREP. 1-0,” said Gideon

“This is getting interesting,” said Dante

MIN. 48

“Well, the ball is rolling again after Ember’s opening goal… Akidara back to Minoru, Minoru back to Maddison, WHO HAS FALLEN ASLEEP IN POSSESSION, AND HAS LOST THE BALL TO SPIKE AS HE HITS THE BALL HARD AND LOW TO THE LEFT BOTTOM CORNER! GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAL! 2-0 Crystal Perp.,” said Gideon

MIN. 54

“Corner kick for Uma High, hoping to reduce the difference, corner taken by Minoru… head out of the area by Fancy Pants, into the feet of Thorax, who begins a one man counter strike with only Narunokoji and Kimidoka standing on his way… Kimidoka moves forward, rushing Thorax, who skilfully out dribbles her, and beings a mad sprint towards the enemy goal, while being pressed by Narunokoji, who is finally out played by Thorax and left in the dust… now all he has to do is beat Yusukashi… HE CHIPS IT OVER HIM AND… GOAL! GOOOOAAAAALLL! For Crystal Prep. 3-0,” said Gideon

“Oh how things have changed,” said Dante

MIN. 59

“Handball in the area, penalty for Crystal Prep. and yellow card for Maddison… who is also benign subbed out of the match and being replaced by Akonami,” said Gideon

“Ridiculous move by the young defender, she tried to cut the lobbed pass with her body, but placed her hand in the way of the ball as it passed next to her,” said Dante

“Ember to take the penalty as Spike gave the ball to her… she takes a deep breath… POWERFUL MID HEIGHT SHOT TO THE LEFT POST, NOTHING TO DO FOR YUSUKASHI WHO FLEW THE OTHER WAY, 4-0 for Crystal Prep. and second today for Ember,” said Gideon

“Substitution for Crystal Prep. Ember is heading out and being replaced by Royal Pin,” said Dante

“Yeah, making sure that she stay fresh for the opening day of the tournament,” said Gideon

MIN. 63

“Corner kick for Crystal Prep. after a wonderful save by Yusukashi… Lemon Zest to take the corner… WAIT IS THAT PHARYNX DASHING UP THE FIELD?!!!!” said Gideon

“Corner kicked by her… right into the path of Phraynx’s head and… GOOOOOAAAAAALL!” said Dante

“This is a first for me, a goalkeeper dashing up the field to score a header while in regular time, beautiful cross by Lemon Zest, and what a header by Pharynx, 5-0 for Crystal Prep.

MIN 68

“Another penalty for Crystal Prep… and another yellow card for Uma High, NarunoKoji tried to tackled the ball off of Royal Pin but he connected with his heel, bringing him down inside his own area,” said Gideon

“And Narunokoji is being subbed out due to this, in comes Sukesumu, she is an ex-track and field athlete and possibly the fastest player on the team, Crystal Perp. beware,” said Dante

“Spike gets ready… AND GOAL, PANENKA STYLE, THE BALL LOBBED OVER YUSUKASHI WHO DIVED LEFT! 6-0 for Crystal Prep.

MIN. 74

“Royal Pin gets the ball and begins to venture into the enemy area, he dribbles Akonami… nutmegs Tokinako… and makes a run for the enemy area… ONLY TO BE PULLED BACK BY KIMIDOKA, indirect free kick for Crystal prep.,” said Gideon

“And final substitution for Uma, Uredori for Akidaira,” said Dante

“Spike gets ready to kick the ball. Remember if the ball goes in, the goal will not count, it must touch any player, apart of Spike, to count,” said Gideon

“Spike gets ready… kicks the ball… OFF THE CROSSBAR, AND INTO FANCY PANTS PATH, JUST FOR HIM TO HEAD IT IN!!!” said Dante

“GOOOOOAAAAAAL! For Crystal Prep. 7-0,” said Gideon

MIN. 76

“Ball rolling once again into Sukesumu’s feet… she passes it to Kimidoka… WHO LOSSES THE BALL TO LEMON ZEST… SHE GET TO THE EDGE OF THE AREA, SHOOTS AND… GOOOOOAAAAAL! 8-0 for Crystal prep.

“Of the woodwork and in, no chance for the Uma goalkeeper to keep that out,” said Dante

MIN. 80

“So, Dante, any thoughts about the game we just witnessed?” asked Gideon

“To be honest Gideon, I am flabbergasted, I came here to see an amazing soccer match, and that I have witnessed, I never expected to see Crystal Prep. destroying Uma high, one of the top 3 soccer schools in the world,” said Dante

“You and me both, Dante, I thought Crystal Prep. was going to be the one receiving the goals, but they have… WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!” said Gideon

“It’s another goal for Crystal Prep., Royal Pin scored the goal after intercepting a lose ball after Akonami tackled it out of Spike’s feet,” said Amy

“Well then, 9-0 for Crystal Prep.” said Gideon

“I think that Uma high must be wishing for the game to be over soon,” said Dante

MIN. 86

“Lemon Zest recovers the ball… she passes it to Sour Sweet, who plays it back to Sugarcoat, she controls the ball forward and gives it to Indigo Zap, who makes a hard forward pass into Neon Light’s path, giving him enough space to outrun the defenders… he hits it low and… GOOOOOAAAAAAL! 10-0 for Crystal prep.”

MIN. 89

“Another corner for Crystal prep. And all of the defenders are marking Fancy pants, Thorax and Spike since they are the tallest players, as for Pharynx, has stayed back on his area,” said Dante

“Jet Set takes the corner… off the head of Spike… headed out by Sukesumu, headed back in by Indigo Zap, into Sour Sweet’s path… she kicks the ball and… GOAL! A SIMPLE TAP IN BY THE MIDFIELDER, 11-0 for Crystal Prep.” said Gideon

MIN. 90+3

“Last move of the match, it is a free kick for Uma, Minoru is ready to take it… BLOCKED BY THORAX… the ball bounces to Royal pin, who passes it to Indigo Zap… back to Sugarcoat… Sugarcoat to Spike… Spike to Neon… Neon to Jet Set, who is flying down the wing… he is closed down by Sukesumu… he passes it back to Sour Sweet, who returns it to Jet Set who is already inside the Uma area… He gives it a small tap and… GOOOOOAAAAAL!!! 12-0 for Crystal Prep. and this has to be it!” said Gideon

“There is the final whistle, Crystal prep. Has completely obliterated Uma High today, and have proven to all of us that they are serious contenders for the tournament,” said Dante

“Maybe, I’m still a bit dubious about that fact, but you never know… I can already see the headlines of tomorrow's paper,” said Gideon

“Well, that was all for today folks, I hope you all enjoyed it, and we’ll see you next time,” said Dante.

THE NEXT MORNING AT CANTERLOT HIGH

“Morning all,” said Rainbow Dash

“Morning Applejack,” said Twilight

“What’s up,” said Sunset

“Morning, Dear” said Rarity

“Good morning Rainbow, hope you had a good sleep,” said Fluttershy

“I did, where are AJ and Pinkie?” she asked

“Applejack is getting breakfast at the rotunda, as for Pinkie… I don’t think she is here yet,” said Sunset

Just then Twilight, whose face was glued to the school’s newspaper, spitted out her coffee in surprise

“What? What is it Twi?” they all asked

“Read…” was all Twilight was able to say

Rarity grabbed the newspaper and began reading

“Crystal Prep. DESTROYED Uma high during their friendly match yesterday by a total of 12-0…”

“The goals were scored by Elizabeth “Ember” Drakken, on 2 occasions, Sean Delsin “Spike” Von Drake, on 2 occasions, Terrence “Thorax” Chamberguard, Goalkeeper Patrick “Pharynx” Chamberguard, Susan Swanson, Laura Zaborowski, Nolan Lawrence, Frederick “Fancy Pants” Copperrich, Jason “Jet Set” Allister, and Ronald “Royal Pin” Pierce,” read Sunset Shimmer

"The Crystal prep. team was guided by the power and brains of the "4 TERRORS" during the game, SInce, Von Drake, Drakken, and the Chamberguard twins are all of razes, previously hated by the empire, Dragonborns and Changelings," read Rainbow Dash

“Although, not everything went smoothly for Crystal prep. Gemma Spencer, starting Center back was injured during the game and won't be able to play for 3 weeks due to a level 2 sprain in her right arm,” read Fluttershy

“You’re bullshitting me, right?” said Rainbow Dash as she fished out her phone

“What do you mean?” asked Fluttershy

“There is no way, they defeated Uma High, we couldn’t defeat them,” said Rainbow Dash as she searched for articles about the match online

“Nope, it actually happened,” said Applejack as she appeared while eating a bacon and Egg English muffin, and some coffee.

“Hey all, did you girls see the news about Crystal Prep,” asked Pinkie as she walked up to the table

“Yeah, Twilight her was so taken aback she spitted out her coffee,” said Sunset

“Yeah, those self-centered maggots actually won,” said Rainbow Dash as she showed everyone the highlights of the game

“Well, they have improved since last year,” said Applejack

“I know, last year, this team would’ve been so afraid to even come near Big Mac,” said Rainbow Dash

“Dash, Darling, you have to remember that, it’s not the same team, this time they are even more fearless than last year,” said Rarity

“You’re right, but we’re going to defeat them anyway, I made a promise to this Spike fellow… why does his name sound familiar, Von Drake… I heard that before,” said Rainbow Dash

“Hey, don’t burn the few neurons you have left so early in the morning,” Sunset Shimmer joked making Rainbow Dash angry

Meanwhile, Twilight had stayed frozen in place, she wasn’t surprised by the result, but by who was in the paper, and she wanted to let her friends know, that, the Spike she had been talking about since middle school, was the one on the paper, but they didn’t catch it

“What’s wrong Twilight?” asked Pinkie Pie

Twilight was about to answer, when Pinkie interrupted her

“Don’t worry about the newspaper, we’ll win the match and the tournament… plus this just gives me extra motivation to do a good job as a goalie, so don’t worry… it’s going to be an interesting tournament!” said Pinkie with a big smile

Twilight looked at her and thought “You’re right, it’s gonna be an interesting tournament… this is my chance to talk to him… I have to,”

Ch.5 Regin of Terror (Common Ground)

1 WEEK LATER

“That brings the entrance ceremony to a close, tomorrow the soccer tournament will begin,” said Gideon

“That’s right Gideon, 12 teams will do their best to win the acclaimed Regional Champions League,” said Dante

“This year we have high expectations and hopes for the tournament, there is no team that looks uninterested on the trophy,” said Gideon

“That’s also correct Gideon, with schools like Seaddle, Foaledo, and Baltimare, who had a terrible run in the past few seasons have assured fans that they have built a magnificent team and they are going to head out and win as many games as possible, they are even claiming that they are going to head and win the final,” said Dante

“And, let’s not forget about Crystal Prep. the dormant giant has appeared to reawaken, and, OH, how they did it,” said Gideon

“A 12-0 victory over Uma high, which raised eyebrows all over the country, in both good and bad ways, with people saying that this is the rebirth of Crystal Prep. and others saying that the game was either rigged or that Uma high did not give a 100% during the match,” said Dante

“Either way, the match was a complete battle, and I enjoyed it,” said Gideon

“Well, as part of the traditions of the tournament all of the teams have recorded their first captain motivational speeches, some long, others short and simple, but we are going to review all of them,” said Dante

“Let us begin with Griffonstone and their Captain Gilda Pearce…” said Gideon

“I’m not here today to give you any motivation, if you want that, go to the school library and ready motivational books… I’m here to remember all of you, that we are Griffinstone, we give a 100% all the time, and if that isn’t enough we give 1000%, we have a history of being the part of the best of the best… but I believe it’s time for all of us to become THE best of the best, a position we deserve and will work hard to obtain, thank you,” said Gilda

“Well… what can we say, it’s Griffonstone, one of the strongest teams of the tournament, and last years runner-ups, who lost in the final against Canterlot 4-2,” said Dante

“Up next, we have an old faithful, Las Pegasus High, and their captain, Miriam Ponce,”

“Guys, I want to remind you all tonight that, some people believe that soccer is a matter of life and death, I don’t like that attitude, I can assure you all, that it’s much more serious than that… you get 90 minutes to give your all, 90 minutes that might change your life forever… but it takes dedication and discipline… so I want you all to think… if you are ready for this commitment, thank you,” said Miriam

“Next, we have Manechester, and their captain/coach Wayne Charlton,” said Gideon

“Brothers and sisters, I know that we don’t count with the brightest reputation when it comes to this tournament, we haven’t won a tournament in almost 10 years, and I know those numbers are hard, but we gotta have faith if we trust ourselves, and trust in one another, we will be victorious, it may not happen immediately, but just trust that in time it absolutely will happen, and we will once again, rise up, and be considered the best team in the world… that’s all I can tell you, the rest is up to you… thanks,” said Wayne

“Now, that is what I call inspiration,” said Gideon

“Wayne Charlton, third year at Manechester High, and widely considered by their fan base, to be the best striker alive,” said Dante

“Up next, we have Fillydelphia, and their captain, Dequan Richards,”

“First, I want to thank all of you for coming… it’s the first time in my life, that I have been appointed with such a responsibility, and, I must admit, I’m not good with words, I’m not good at guiding the blind, cause, I myself, I’m also blind… but a very smart man once said, and I quote, “There is a choice that we have to make as people, as individuals. If you want to be great at something there is a choice you have to make. We can all be masters of our craft, but you have to make a choice, what I mean by that is, there are inherent sacrifices that come along with that, family time, hanging out with friends, being a great friend, son, nephew, whatever the case may be. There are sacrifices that come along with making that decision,” and so here today, I tell you the same thing, be responsible, be disciplined, make sure that we can all count on you, so that you know, you can count on us… divided we fall, but together, we will triumph… this is all I will allow myself to say… I hope I will have all of your unfaltering support, cause I know, all of you will have mine.” said Dequan

“Fillydelphia, a town that breeds the finest sportsmen and women of this continent, hopefully, this year, they will reach the final, after not being able to classify to the semis after finishing 5th,” said Dante

“Next, we have Tall Tale, and captain Andrew Darlinghton-Whit, how is also the heir to the town,” said Gideon

“I know we are all busy, so I will keep this short… we might not be the strongest team, but we are not the weakest team, and do you know why? One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team, therefore, we are all crucial to one another, so it’s time to come together, and show the world why we are the best, not only inside the pitch but in all aspects of life… So, ARE YOU WITH ME?!!!!!” Andrew said

“Nice, a very good way to raise some spirits,” said Gideon

“Yes, but, I don’t know why, I felt a double meaning to this speech,” said Dante

“You might be overthinking it… next we have Canterlot High, and their captain Raegan Davis,” said Gideon

“A team isn’t just a collection of people you play and train with a few times a week, it’s family, regardless if you like all of them or none of them. You can’t choose your family, just like you don’t choose your team. Even if you go through drama, at the end of the day, that team will be there for you and you should be there for your team. If a stunt fails, it’s not one person’s fault. Everyone should try hard. You win or lose as a team. Rise and fall together. You play together, you work together, you win together, don’t ever forget that.” said Rainbow Dash

“Well, you heard her, you could really see the fire in her eyes,” said Dante

“Next comes Seaddle, and Captain Saskia Brent,” said Gideon

“Friends, teachers, fans, I know we’re all scared, we don’t possess the strongest team, we don’t have many of the facilities that other teams have, but...doesn’t being scared let you know you are onto something important? If you are not scared then, you are not taking a chance, and if you are not taking a chance, then, what are you doing?... Well, I know damn well what I’m doing, and that’s taking the chance… what about you?” said Saskia

“A short, but, true statement,” said Dante

“Next we have Foaledo, a team that has been invited from the neighboring tournament since they have been undefeated for 3 years non-stop, and their captain Elliot Chudwell,” said Gideon

“My friends, we are far from home, yes, but we are here to make everyone realize why we are the best high school back in our division, why we deserve the title of champions, and why we are the best at keeping our status, so come, follow me, and let’s head to victory!” Elliot said

“They seem energetic and that is truly what you want from your team,” said Dante

“Next we have Baltimare, another team that hasn’t been doing so good lately, and their captain, Greg Shawcross,” said Gideon

“Great moments are born from great opportunity, and That's what you have here tonight boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. The margin for error is so small. I mean one half a step too early or too late and you don't quite make it. If We played‘em ten times they might win nine, but not tonight. Tonight we stay here, we shut them down. Because we can. Inch by inch, play by play, till the finish. Tonight we are the greatest team in the world. You were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done, it's over. This is your fight. Now I can't make you do it. You gotta look at the guy next to you, look into his eyes. Now I think you'll see a guy that will go that extra inch for you. You're going to see a guy that will sacrifice himself for this team; because he knows When it comes down to it you're going to do the same for him. That's a team ladies and gentlemen, that's what living is. This is your time. NOW GO OUT' THERE AND TAKE IT!” said Greg

“Greg Shawcross, Baltimare’s goalkeeper and aspiring coach after graduation,” said Dante

“Next we have Vanhoover high, and captain Grace Frinton-Smith,” said Gideon

“I know that, in the past few years, we haven’t been a contender for the championship, and probably, we won’t achieve much this year either, but, I believe that, with perseverance and discipline, we can defeat, not the other teams, but our old selves; and yes, anyone can judge the fact that we didn’t win the tournament, but effort? Nobody can judge that because the effort is between you and you; do the best you can to become better at your game, train harder, until you are satisfied with the results; victory on the pitch will be a value-added, to all you’ve done,” said Grace

“Down to earth, but real as well, she really has a pointed effort, it does lead to success,” said Dante

“And the final recording, it belongs to Cloudsdale High, and their captain Stephany Alnwick,” said Gideon

“I am aware of the result we had last year, and by all means, I do believe it was disgraceful… to the players that remain since last year, I won’t tell you much, you have already heard these words countless times before, quit making excuses, putting it off, complaining about it, crying about it, believing you can’t, worrying if you can, waiting until you are older, skinnier, richer, braver, or all-around better, suck it up, hold on tight, say a prayer, make a plan, and do it; if you can’t follow this, you are free to leave and join another team, if you stay, be ready to give a 10000%,” said Stephany

“And that is the typical Cloudsdale motivation,” said Dante

“Yeah, 11 down and 1 to go, unfortunately, Crystal Prep. hasn’t recorded their motivational speech, which is causing a lot of confusion,” said Gideon

“Do you think their captain, Sean Delsin Von Drake is not going to give one, or is he just late to write it?” said Dante

“Well, whatever the situation is, I hope they get it in by midnight, or there will be a penalty,” said Gideon

MEANWHILE AT CRYSTAL PREP.

“And these are going to be the new Cheerleading outfits for this year,” said Moondancer as she showed Spike the design for the outfits

“Remind me why I have to care about this?” said Spike

“Well… you are the one that pulls the shots, so…” said Moondancer

“Strings… anyway, I’ll go talk to the cheerleading squad… they are in the auditorium right?” asked Spike

“Yeah, they will be done with practice in 10 minutes,” said Moondancer

“Thanks, I’ll be right back,” said Spike as he grabbed the design and left for the auditorium

It took Spike about 3 minutes to reach the auditorium, just in time to see the cheerleading team finishing their workout

“Well done girls, if we continue like this, we will rule the competition!” said the head cheerleader earning a cheer from the rest of the girls

“Ah, Eclair, can I talk to you for a second?” said Spike as he walked up to her

“Well, of course, handsome, what can I do for you?” said Eclair

“Actually I was hoping to talk with all of you,” said Spike

“Oh, ok, Fleur, Suri, Lotus, Melody, Upper Crust, Coco, President Spike is here and he wants to talk to us,” said Eclair

This caught all of the girl’s attention, as they quickly stopped what they were doing and rushed over.

“So, um… it’s regarding your request for the funding and new uniforms,” said Spike

“Oh, is there a problem?” asked Eclair as she hugged Spike’s arm, making him really uncomfortable

“Ah, no… not at all, actually I’m here to tell you that it has been accepted,” said Spike, doing his best to ignore Eclair’s cleavage

“Really? THAT IS FANTASTIC!!!” Eclair said as she jumped up and down in happiness and hugged the rest of the team

After a few more seconds, they stopped celebrating and turned around to look at a warmly smiling Spike

“Say, Spike? Would you like to stay here for a while? We were thinking of having a little party to celebrate the beginning of the tournament,” said Eclair as she and Melody got closer to Spike

“Well, I prefer to celebrate after we win the tournament,” Spike said, his face frozen on a smile.

“I see, well, why to wait that long, not to mention, you didn’t have a party to celebrate your “Presidential” election victory, and the victory over Uma High,” said Eclair

“Plus, it’s gonna be fun… we can make it… worth your while,” said Melody as she whispered into his ear

This made various alarms start ringing in his brain, and he began to sweat.

He looked around the room for any possible excuse until he came up with something

“Th-thanks for the invitation but… I have to go and… prepare for the next match we are going to have and finish some extra paperwork… so I better get going… thanksagainfortheinvitattionbutmaybenexttime!!!!” Said Spike as he ran out of the auditorium like a bullet.

This made the girls laugh and giggle

“He’s just so cute,” said Eclair

“Yeah, especially while flustered,” said Melody

“Well, Jet Set is much more attractive than him,” said Upper Crust

“Yeah, if you like “Noodle-like” guys,” Eclair teased as everyone laughed except for Eclair, who was red with anger

“You girls are just jealous that I am betrothed already!” she said in a snobbish way

“Yeah, to a noodle!” said Eclair as she burst out laughing

“I wonder… should I confess to him?” said Fleur de Lis all of a sudden

This made all of the girls quiet down and look at her

“Fleur? Are you serious? You said you didn't like the idea of dating,” said Eclair

“I know, but… it’s like if I’m… drawn to him, but I don’t know why,” said Fleur

“Uh-huh, you only want him for his status and money don’t you?!” said Eclair

“Like you are one to talk!” said Melody

“Really now? Why do you like him? Apart from today, you haven’t even talked to him before,” said Lotus

“Neither have you!!!” said Suri

As a full-blown catfight/argument began between the members of the team

“I wonder if he’ll notice me,” said Coco Pommel as she followed Upper Crust to the changing room, avoiding all of the name-calling and hair-pulling.

WITH SPIKE

Spike ran as fast as he could into the labyrinth of a school that was Crystal Perp.

After running for a few more seconds, he bent around a corner and rested his back on the wall, trying to catch his breath.

“What is up with those girls? They weren’t like this at the beginning of the year!” thought Spike

“What’s up with you? You look paler than usual,” said A male voice Spike knew too well

“Sunburst! Thank God, are there any girls following me?” asked Spike in a paranoid way

“What?... Oh, no, the coast is clear,” said Sunburst

Spike sighed in relief

“What happened?” asked Sunburst

“Cheer team,” said Spike

“Ouch… what did you do to make them angry?” asked Sunburst

“I don’t think they were angry,” said Spike

“So, then?” asked Sunburst

Spike stood up straight and whispered into his ear

“Oh! Don’t think much about it, they were probably just teasing you,” said Sunburst

“Well, I don’t appreciate it,” said Spike

“Anyway, I was looking for you,” said Sunburst

“Really? Well, what can I do for you?” asked Spike

“Well, I’m supposed to record your first motivational speech for the soccer tournament, not to mention, we are supposed to send it in before midnight, or will have a penalty like last year,” said Sunburst

“Oh, I didn’t know someone was desperate to record the soccer team,” said Spike

“Oh, yes we are, I mean, after the victory, everyone was fighting to get this assignment, but I won it,” said Sunburst with a smile

Spike just raised an eyebrow and looked at him

Sunburst, quickly crumbled under the pressure

“Ok! No one wanted to do it, and since I’m the new guy I got stuck with the job that nobody wants,” said Sunburst

“Then it is our responsibility to make them regret it,” said Spike as he and Sunburst walked towards the soccer field.

“Motivational speech?... can I even do that?” thought Spike.

A FEW HOURS LATER

“And we are back for more news, and boy do we have big ones, Crystal Prep. finally released the video of their first Motivational Speech, so, without further ado, Crystal Perp. and their Captain Sean Von Drake,” said Gideon

“Hi… I know that you’re all here to hear a motivational speech… unfortunately, I can’t give you one… without first, asking all of you for forgiveness, starting with Principal Cadence and Vice-principal Shining Armor, Coach Rommel, the rest of the teachers, my classmates and teammates, the rest of the school staff… and last, but not least, the fans… You may be wondering why I’m asking for your forgiveness… well, from here on out, you and your families will be looked down upon, ridiculed, insulted, and mistreated by many, some of which you considered friends, and it will be because of me, Ember, Thorax, and Pharynx… I am well aware that, many people in this city, still don’t accept us, due to the past, and I know there is nothing we can do about it… but that doesn’t mean I don’t thank them for allowing us to attend this great institution, meet so many great people, and learn so much from everyone… during this tournament, we will play against other schools, where many fans will do whatever they can to throw you off your game… in many cases, they will use chants or derogatory expressions against both you and me, while you are on the pitch, or on the street with your family… but I’m asking you, don’t put attention to them, and if you want to blame someone, blame it on me, for I am possible, the biggest reason for their hate…” Spike said

“Yeah, well, Screw them! You are our captain, not to mention, our teammate and friend, we will stand by you, no matter what!” said Jet Set

“Jet… I know you are trying to make things better, but in reality, you are scared… and I know, cause, I’m terrified out of my skin… but, I ask of you, everyone in this locker room, and everyone watching this video, do not hate, do not look back in anger, don’t stoop down to their level… let us talk with our feet… with our skills… with our teamwork… let’s show them, that even during these difficult trials, we are a team… a family… and that we ARE GOING TO WIN THIS TOURNAMENT!” said Spike

The whole room cheered and applauds as the video ends

“Well… that was an interesting speech…” said Gideon

“Oh! Come on man, the kid is right, SAY NO TO RACISM! That’s all there is to it, and I stand with him!” said Dante

“Me to, through and through,” said Gideon

2 DAYS LATER

“It has been a very heated start of the season, with 3 games happening yesterday, and 3 more today, and I can say that until this point there are no surprises,” said Gideon

“That is correct, Gideon, with Cloudsdale, Canterlot, and Tall Tale being victorious, and Foaledo, Las Pegasus, Griffinstone and Vanhoover tying their matches, it’s becoming a very close tournament,” said Dante

“Let’s take a look at the past results… Cloudsdale opened the tournament by destroying Seaddle 4 -0, their goals were scored by Stefany “Spitfire” Alnwick, on 3 occasions, Minutes 10, 36, and 49; and the final goal was scored by Salomon “Soarin” Thornton via penalty kick at minute 76,” said Gideon

“On the other match, Canterlot High did the same with Fillydephia, deafening them 6-2, with goals being scored for Canterlot by Raegan “Rainbow Dash'' Davis during minutes 6, 10, and 13, followed by a double scored by Sasha “Sunset Shimmer'' Stein during minutes 28, and 36, and by Mathew “Big Mac'' Smith from a corner kick on the 45th minute of the match… Fillydelphia scored after 2 dreadful defensive mistakes on the Canterlot side, the first goal came from Manuel Ortiz at minute 86, after Canterlot’s Goalkeeper, Priscilla Diane “Pinkie Pie” Parsons, mistimed her run for a back ball, leaving Ortiz alone to score the first of 2 goals, and the final goal happened after Roger “Rover” Harvey made a weak back pass to Pinkie, which allowed Mina Rodriguez to reach the ball and chip it over Pinkie’s head for the end of the game,” said Dante

“We should also point out that Both Raegan Davis and Sasha Stein apologized to Crystal Prep. for willfully breaking the pitch invasion treaty,” said Gideon

“True sportsmanship,” said Dante

“Now, we travel to Griffonstone, were a very tight game occurred last night, the match was against a very well know rival like is Vanhoover; the match was, to my own point of view, the best match in the first day of competition, Vanhoover opened the scoreboard after Helena Kim at the 16th minute, the match was then tied by Gilda during the 20th minute and Gabriella Griffon placing Griffonstone into advantage during the 36th minute, but that happiness didn’t last long, since, during a corner kick on the 48th minute, the Griffonstone Goalie, Ariel Eduard Morrison, punched the ball into the back of his own net, after misjudging the height of the ball; however Greta managed to place a smile on the Griffonstone fans faces when she scored the 3rd goal for her team on minute 86, but again, a miscommunication on the Griffonstone defense, which ended on a penalty kick, allowed Alex Suarez to score and tie the game 3-3 on the 90th minute,” said Gideon

“Up to Manechester we go, for the match they had against Tall Tale, ended in disaster for the northern team; Tall Tale’s Right back, Bruce Mackenna at minute 68, and striker Chris Copland at minute 72 ended the match, in favor of Tall Tale, who has not been defeated by Manechester, since 2004,” said Dante

“And the last game that has ended was between Foaledo and Las Pegasus high, which ended on a healthy 0-0 draw, that allowed us to appreciate Foaledo’s passing game in all of its glory, although they have to work on their finishing,” said Gideon

“Nah, Las Pegasus’ defense was on fire, but they do have to work on their communication during the match,” said Dante

“Well that leaves the league table as follows
Cloudsdale High, Canterlot High, and Tall Tale High with 3 points, Griffonstone Secondary, Vanhoover High, Foaledo Prep., and Las Pegasus Secondary with one point, and Manechester High, Seaddle Prep. Fillydelhia High., Baltimare Secondary, and Crystal Prep. with nothing. So now we wait for the result from Crystal Prep. VS Baltimare to finish the report,” said Gideon

CRYSTAL EMPIRE’S OLYMPIC STADIUM

“Welcome one and all for the debut match of the new Crystal Prep. dream team VS Baltimare, I am your host Daniel Prace but you can all call me “Prancer” and right beside me is Crystal Prep. student Colin Miller, how are you doing Colin?” said Prancer

“Well I am doing fine, I just that the team keeps up with what we saw during the pre-season vs Uma High,” said Colin

“I do too, but we also have some bad news to all Crystal Prep. fans, Gemma’s injury proved to be worse than thought, so she will be out of the fields for 3 to 5 weeks to guarantee proper healing, she will be replaced by Sugarcoat on the defensive aspect,” said Prancer

“It’s a bad loss for the team, especially because Gemma is much faster than Sugarcoat, not to mention, Gemma is more of a sweeper center-back, than Sugarcoat, who prefers to focus on possession,” said Colin

“Well, we send Gemma all of our support and best wishes,” said Prancer

“Please, stand by, the match is about to begin!” said Colin

“Indeed it is, Crystal Prep. is coming out with Pharynx on goal, Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, Bengal, and Jet Set on the defensive positions, Thorax, Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, and Neon Light, on the midfield, and Ember and Spike, being the offensive supper duo,” said Prancer

“As for Baltimare, they are placing Herbert Jones on goal, Maya Thompson, Lester Markus, Rowan Fairbanks, and Gia Moretti on defense; Sam Roberts, Paul Klaus, Yisseth Espinoza, Francisco Amado, and Oliver Benson on the midfield; and Ashley Burton as the sole striker,” said Colin

“And the match begins…” said Prancer

MIN. 10

“Roberts… Markus, Markus to Moretti… Moretti hard pass to Klaus… Klaus through Sugarcoat and Bengal passes it to Burton… PHARYNX TO THE RESCUE!!!! Well done to the Crystal Prep. goalie, he closed her down easily,” said Prancer

MIN. 24

“Lemon Zest recovers the ball… she dashes towards the enemy area, passes it to Neon Lights… he passes it to Thorax… WHO SHOOTS!!!... OFF THE WOODWORK AND BACK TO SPIKE’S FEET FOR HIM TO PUSH IT IN!!!. GOAL FOR CRYSTAL PREP. 1-0,” said Prancer

MIN. 39

“Corner kick for Crystal Prep. Lemon Zest to take it… she gets ready… strong lobbed pass into the area, but too close to the keeper… OH, WHAT HAS HE DONE?!!! HE TRIED TO PUNCH THE BALL OUT, BUT IT HITS LESTER’S HEAD FOR AN OWN GOAL!!!! 2-0 for Crystal Prep.

MIN. 45

“That brings the first half to a close, and Crystal Prep. are running Baltimare out of the road, 2-0 the score so far,” said Prancer

“Let’s hope they can keep this up,” said Colin

MIN. 56

“Free kick was given, after a silly tackle from Burton on Indigo Zap… Zap to take it… She uses too much strength on the ball and it’s flying away towards the Baltimare’s area and into the graceful hands of the goalie… OH! BUT HOW WRONG I WAS, SPIKE COMES OUT OF NOWHERE AND KARATE KICKS THAT BALL IN, LEAVING JONES TOTALLY CONFUSED AND ANGRY WITH HIS DEFENSE, 3-0 FOR CRYSTAL PREP.!” said Prancer

MIN. 90

“That brings the game to a close, and Crystal Prep. dominated the whole 90 minutes of the match, a very well deserved 3-0 victory over Baltimare,” said Prancer

“Well done, boys and girls, keep this up and we will win the tournament,” said Colin

“Thank you, goodnight and until next time!!” said Prancer as the TV transmission ended.

ONE WEEK LATER

“Hello, and welcome back to the Regional Champions League, week 2 has just come to a close with the following results; Cloudsdale defeated Foaledo by 2-0 both goals scored from penalty kicks by Soarin on the 79th and 86th minutes, a curiosity about this games is that, both penalties were caused by Midfielder Demarkus Briggs, the first penalty was a dubious handball, and the second penalty was a bad tackle over Soarin which caused him the second yellow and an early shower,” said Gideon

“Next on, we have the match between Fillydelphia and Tall Tale, and although it was a good game, I have to say, it was a match full of referee mistakes, various tackles and bad moments happened between the Tall Tale players and Mina Rodriguez, who is a dragonborn, and Kyler Joseph, who is a Griffonborn, as they intentionally tackled, pushed and, on one occasion, pulled on Mina Rodriguez’s hair, this action however, ended in a penalty kick, which Mina scored during the 14th minute, and after that, we had a match with a blind referee, he didn’t signal for 4 clear penalties on Fillydelphia’s favor, and despite how Tall Tale was playing, did not show any yellow or red card to any player of the team; to add insult to injury, Tall Tale’s captain Andrew Darlinghton-Whit, scored both his goals during controversial moments, first during the 69th minute, when he kicked the ball off the Fillydelphia goalkeeper’s hands, even though, the ball was nowhere near the ground, and then, during the 82nd minute, when Tall Tale’s midfielder Aaron Van Burney “accidentally” elbowed Filly’s defender Harold Oshmen on the face, leaving him time and space to pass the ball to Darlington-Whit, who easily scored,” said Dante

“Well, we’ll have to leave this one to the disciplinary committee of the tournament,” said Gideon

“In other news, Griffonstone and Manechester had a very close match today, as they both shared points after their 0-0 tie, a game wish I personally believe, was equally matched, since each side reported only 5 shot on goal,” said Gideon

“Now we go to the biggest victory so far on this tournament, Baltimore 0-9 VS Canterlot, yup, Baltimore lost 0-9, but in their defense, they didn’t really have a chance, after Defender Max Greene was tossed on the 32nd minute of the first half, the score was 1-0, and then Joey Micheals, another defender, was tossed from the match during the 62nd minute, awarding the free kick that caused the 3-0 mark; Canterlot’s goals were scored by Rainbow Dash on the 26th and 45th minutes, Norman Capstan on the 64th and then again 67th minutes; then a handball in the area and Sunset Shimmer scored by the penalty spot during the 78th minute, followed close by the first defender to score a hat-trick in this tournament, Ariella “Applejack” Smith, she scored her hat-trick in three consecutive corner kicks, minute 84, 87, and 90+2; and finally, after a soft back pass from the Baltimare midfield, Rainbow Dash, recovered the ball, drawing the goalkeeper out and leaving an empty goal for Frank “Fido” Ducson to score his first goal, at 90+5 minute mark” said Dante

“Not close behind on the scoring front, we have Crystal Prep. who defeated Seaddle by 8-0, Ember scored the opening goal just on the 2nd minute, then Spike scored the 2nd goal on the 10th minute, and on the 24th minute, Ember will score her second goal of the night, only to increase her tally of goals on the 36th minute and then again on the 45th minute, on the second half, Spike would score his second goal during the 62nd minute, Jet Set would also place his name on the scoreboard on the 78th minute, and the massacre was finished by Thorax on the 90th minute after heading a goal off a free kick; but not everything is good news, Elizabeth “Ember” Drakken picked up an injury on the 56th minute, which would leave her out of the tournament for 2 weeks, missing the games against Foaledo and then Tall Tale,” said Gideon

“And finally, Vanhoover and Las Pegasus, had a match of pure, class, Vanhoover, who, guided by soccer wonder kid, Sev Vastian, who scored on the 3rd, 12th, 18th, 26th, and 38th minutes of the game, set the stage for an easy win over Las Pegasus, who wasn’t having any of that, so after Alphonso Dunnell’s goal on the 45+3 mark, which symbolized the 6-0 mark, Las Pegasus reacted with a goal from Rodger Mathews on the 52nd minute, Miriam Ponce on the 63rd, and again on the 74th minute’s, and finally Federico “Franco” Magana scored the definitive 6-4 defeat of Las Pegasus, on the 88th minute,” said Dante

“And after all this the table looks like this: Canterlot High, Crystal Prep., Cloudsdale High, Tall Tale High with 6 points; Griffonstone Secondary and Vanhoover High with 4 points; Las Pegasus Secondary, Manechester High, and Foaledo, Fillydelhia High and Baltimare Secondary with no points yet. Let’s see what happens next week, goodbye and good night,” said Gideon

ONE MONTH LATER

“Hello and welcome back, week 6’s match between Canterlot High VS Vanhoover High, what do you think is going on inside the Canterlot High players’ heads?” asked Gideon

“Well, with Crystal Prep’s victory over Cloudsdale earlier today and going top of the log, as the only undefeated team of the season, I’m pretty certain that they are full with nervousness, since we are now halfway through the season, and they would like to reach the semi-finales holding the first place,” said Dante

“Well, let's review Canterlot’s starting line-up, On Goalie, we have Pricilla “Pinkie Pie” Parsons, the defensive quartet for this match will consist of, Norman Capstan, Mathew “Big Mac” Smith, Ariella “Applejack” Smith, and Roger “Rover” Harvey; on the midline we have, Frank “Fido” Ducson, Sergio “Spot” Cirelli, and Brian “Bulk Bicep” Benson; and up front we have Sasha “Sunset Shimmer” Stein, Raegan “Rainbow Dash” Davis, and central Striker Frederick “Flash Sentry” Sutcliffe,” said Gideon

“On the Vanhoover side, we have Lucas Avington on goal, Serena Blackwood, Jackson Rowe, and Jacob Brimsey on defense; Lorelei Damon-Cowles, Cecile Mortcombe, Robert Farbridge, Lydia Savoy, Alphonso Fitzgerald, on midfield, and up front, the attacking duo, Sev Vastian, and Alessandra Stoneshire,” said Dante

“Another thing we must point out is that Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry from the Canterot team, are openly competing against Spike Von Drake, and Ember Drakken, from Crystal Prep. for dominance on the goal scoring table, with Spike currently the leader with 10 goals scored, followed by Rainbow Dash with 7, Ember, who is injured, with 6, and Flash Sentry, who just return from an injury, with 6 as well,” said Gideon

“And the match begins” said Dante

MIN. 3

“Bulk with the ball… he gets rid of one defender, fights off another… passes the ball to Fido… back to Big Mac… who makes a back pass to Pinkie Pie, who quickly passes the ball to Norman… Norman to Spot… Spot to Sunset Shimmer… she dashed forward… it’s 3 against 4… she out runs her markers and passes the ball back… ONTO THE PATH OF RAINBOW DASH HOW SCORES THE FIRST GOAL OF THE MATCH, NOTHING TO DO FOR THE VANHOOVER GOALIE! 1-0,” said Gideon

MIN. 36

“Corner kick for Canterlot High to be taken by Spot… lobbed pass into the area… headed out by Blackwood… INTO THE PATH OF APPLEJACK… WHO SHOOTS THE VOLLEY AND SCORES!!!! WHAT A ROCKET, THE VANHOOVER GOALIE DIDN’T EVEN SEE IT GO IN! 2-0,” said Gideon

MIN. 57

“Free kick for Vanhoover high… taken by Fitzgerald… smacked onto Big Mac’s face and the counter is on!... Flash Sentry recovers the loose ball… He begins a mad foot race towards the enemy net… gets closed down by Blackwood and Rowe… WHO HAVE LEFT A MASSIVE GAP ON THE FIELD FOR SENTRY TO PASS THE BALL TO RAINBOW DASH, WHO USES HER SPEED TO LEAVE THE VANHOOVER PLAYERS IN THE DUST… ONE ON ONE AGAINST THE GOALKEEPER… AND SHE TAKES FULL ADVANTAGE! 3-0 THE RESULT OF THE MATCH SO FAR!” said Gideon

MIN. 65

“Free kick, for Canterlot high… Rainbow Dash to take it… SLAMMED ONTO THE BARRIER… RAINBOW GETS THE REBOUND, CLEARS HER MARKER… SHOTS... AND IN!!! TOP RIGHT CORNER, MILES AWAY FROM THE KEEPER! 4-0” said Gideon

MIN. 90

“And that’s the end of the match… we now go down to our field side correspondent, Leena Harper, Hi Leena!” said Gideon

ON THE FIELD

“Hi guys, I’m here with Canterlot’s captain and current leader of the goal scoring table Raegan Davis, Hi Raegan, who do you feel?” asked Leena

“Well, I feel amazing, we are top of the log and I rule the goals scoring, we clearly are on top of our game,” said Rainbow Dash

“Any thoughts on Crystal Prep.’s success, and more importantly, on their captain Sean Von Drake?” asked Leena

“For me, Crystal Prep. has been lucky that they have played against the weaker teams on the tournament, and have avoided playing against us, because of that were the case, they would be last in the tournament; as for Sean, he plays well, but, he is a one-trick horse; he’s tall and has muscle, not like Bulk, but still, he uses that to his favor to score, he doesn’t dribble, he doesn’t open spaces, he just stays up on the area, waiting for the ball to score and be the hero,” said Rainbow Dash

“What did you mean, by saying Crystal Prep. has only played against weak teams, they did defeat Cloudsdale by 5-0 and Griffonstone by 4-0,” said Leena

“Well, Cloudsdale’s good, but they have dips in form from time to time, and Griffonstone, well, they tend to have teamwork issues while playing,” said Rainbow Dash

“So to your eyes, that makes them weak?” asked Leena

“That makes any team weak,” said Rainbow Dash as she left

“Well, there you have Raegan Davis’ comments, back to you guys,” said Leena

TV BROADCAST

“Thanks Leena, interesting words from the Canterlot captain,” said Gideon

“Yeah, I wonder what reactions will it generate form the fans, and from Sean Von Drake,” said Dante

‘Let’s wait and see, Goodnight folks, see you next week,” said Gideon

ONE WEEK LATER

“And we're back, with the final game of week 7, Crystal Prep. VS Manechester, and for the first time, I think everyone is watching this game, only to find out what Spike is going to say about Rainbow Dash’s comments from last week, to which he hasn’t even answered back,” said Gideon

“Oh yeah, fans from the other teams Rainbow Dash mentioned are also waiting to hear his thoughts, and probably HE will be the adult in this situation,” said Dante

“Well, let’s review Manechester’s lineup, Royce Westwood in Goal, Lawrence Lamonia, Santiago De Rossi, Nora O’Keefe, Isobel Pearson on defense; Bradly Newfield, Maxwell Hagan, and Harold hagan on midfield; and up front, we have Anneliese Hampton, Wayne Charlton, and Lillian Royale,” said Gideon

“As for Crystal prep. We have Pharynx, on goal, Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, Fancy Pants, and Jet Set on the defensive positions, Thorax, Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, and Neon Light, on the midfield, and Royal Pin and Spike, up front,” said Dante

“LET THE MATCH BEGIN!” said Gideon

MIN. 33

“Spike finds the ball… passes it to Thorax… back to Spike… to Indigo Zap… back to Spike, who makes a run towards the enemy goal… he passes it to Royal Pin… Pin sends it to the wing with Neon lights… Neon back to Lemon Zest… she sends a lobbed pass into the area...OFF THE WOODWORK!!! Great header by Thorax… OH, WHAT HAVE WE JUST WITNESS!!! WHAT A GOAL FROM SPIKE VON DRAKE, BEAUTIFUL BICYCLE KICK FROM OUTSIDE THE AREA, AND INTO THE UPPER CORNER!!! 1-0,” said Gideon

MIN. 42

“Lemon Zest, to Pharynx… Pharynx makes a clearance… all the way up to Spike, who controls the ball beautifully… he dribbles the ball past one defender… two… three… FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN… BEATS THE GOALKEEPER… GOAAAAAAAAAAL! WHAT A GREAT MOVE AND FINISH BY SPIKE VON DRAKE! 2-0,” said Gideon

MIN. 89

“...Counter strike from the Manechester team, Charlton on the ball… pass it to Royale, as she begins to use her speed to outrun Sugarcoat… Sugarcoat slides on a final attempt to stop the ball, but it’s useless and Royale leaves her in the dust, now she only needs to pass Fancy Pants, who has been on fire this past 3 weeks when playing… HE RUSHES IN FOR THE TACKLE… BUT MISSES!, and Royale passes the ball Maxwell… who is alone VS the keeper… he prepares to shoot!... SHOT BLOCKED BY VON DRAKE!!!! WHERE THE HELL DID HE COME FROM!” said Gideon

MIN. 90

“End of the game, and now we go over to Leena who is ready to interview Sean Von Drake, Leena

PITCH

“That’s right guys, Spike, what a great win you guys had today, any thoughts?” asked Leena

“Well, the key to our success in our teamwork and commitment, the moment all of us put on this shirts, in-school rivalries disappear, we stop seeing each other as rivals of some sort, and begin to work together to achieve victory,” said Spike

“That’s a very mature way of seeing things,” said Leena

“Well, it’s our responsibility to view it that way, the moment we are on the pitch, the words “ME or I” are gone and they become “WE or US”,” said Spike

“Good thing to know, now, do you have anything to say about Ms. Davis?” asked Leena

Spike looked at her in a confused way before saying

“Well, she is a very talented and skilled player, and show that determination that can inspire the whole locker room, she is a very capable rival, and I respect her,”

Leena looked at him with a surprise stare and said

“You haven’t seen the comments she made, right?”

‘What comments?” asked Spike

One quick view of the video later

“Wow!” said Spike

“So, any thoughts on that?” asked Leena

“Well, I do agree with her that those situation can make a team weaker, but, I disagree with her view about the other teams on the tournament,” said Spike

“What do you mean?” asked Leena

“Well, for starters, there is no such thing as a weak team, any team can have a bad form, but it’s something temporal, and should immediately catalogue the team as “Weak”,” said Spike

“And what about the remarks she made about you?” asked Leena

“Well, I prefer to be a “One-trick horse” and not a horse without any tricks and a confident fool,” said Spike

“A confident fool?” asked Leena

“Confidence is key to playing well… but, the moment you begin to use your confidence in an arrogant way, and have this God complex, then you become a liability to your team, and more importantly, yourself… you start thinking that you are perfect, and then you start making silly mistakes when playing, to the point you lose confidence in yourself, and quit,” said Spike

“Do you think Ms. Davis will be offended by what you said?” asked Leena

“I hope not, that would be foolish, I’m just giving her a friendly advice,” said Spike

“Well, that’ll be all, thank you Spike,” said Leena

“Thank you, goodnight,” said Spike

“Back to you guys,” said Leena

TV BROADCAST

“Thanks Leena… well, we clearly know who the adult is in this occasion,” said Gideon

“Yeah… if anyone comes up to me and says that Dragonborns only care about killing and have no brains at all, Imma smack them straight in the mouth,” said Dante

“Hold it Dante, don’t get carried away, plus, another thing that Ms. Davis was wrong about Mr. Von Drake, is him being a one-trick horse, today he showed us he is a one-man team...again,” said Gideon

“Hm… do you sense jealousy?” asked Dante

“I think I do… anyway, that’s all for today folks, Goodnight to all,” said Gideon

THE NEXT DAY

“WHAT?!!!!!” came Rainbow Dash’s voice

“Yup, it’s here on the news paper,” said Twilight

“The burn of the century! That’s what fans of all around the area are calling Sean Von Drake’s comments about Raegan Davis, during last night’s match,” read Fluttershy

“Mr. Von Drake, made various comments praising Mr. Davis, but then saying that he disagreed on her view towards other players and teams, saying that “Anyone can have a dip in form”,” read Rarity

“The burn came when Mr. Von Drake, answered to Ms. Davis comments about his playing abilities, saying “Well, I prefer being a one-trick horse, than a horse with no tricks, and a confident fool” even giving an explanation on what he meant, many fans around the country and world have applauded his sportsmen-like attitude towards the situation,” read Sunset Shimmer

“Various other schools, and early education facilities, have chosen him as “The best role-model” of the decade, urging students to act like him; regarding this Mr. Von Drake said, “It’s too much praise for me, only teach the younger generations about respect and that’s enough”,” read Pinkie

“Wow, he’s mighty right about all that,” said Applejack

“You’re siding with him?!!!” said Rainbow Dash

“Well, he does have a fact darling,” said Rarity

“He insulted me, and everyone is praising him, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!!!” said Rainbow Dash

“Well, you did start this, plus, he didn’t really insult you,” said Twilight

“Alright, enough, this is war,” said Rainbow Dash

“Were you going?” asked Vinyl

“To the studio! I won’t let him get away with this,” said Rainbow Dash

“Is it just me… or did Spike, hit the nail on the head about Rainbow Dash?” said Sunset

“Why, because she is confident?” asked Pinkie

“No, cause she’s a fool,” said Sunset

“Oh, come on Sunset, we have to support her as best we can, come on,” said Twilight as they followed Rainbow Dash to the studio, unaware that they had just got involved even more on this, one-sided dispute.

3 DAYS LATER

“... In other news, the popular Rock group, The Rainbooms, have released a new single, and we have the exclusive here today, role the video,” said the TV anchor

“I liked the songs a lot,” said the other anchor

“Yeah, but, I only have one question, was the man in the video supposed to be Sean Von Drake, or is it just a coincidence?” said the first anchor

“Oh! They are dissing Von Drake and Crystal Prep. on this song,” said the second anchor

“I thought different of this girls,” said the first

“Well, maybe it’s just Ms. Davis behind all this,” said the second

“How will they reply?” said the first

MEANWHILE ON THE CRYSTAL PREP. STUDENT COUNCIL OFFICE

“HOW DARE THEY ATTACK YOU!!!!” said Ember as she kicked a nearby chair

“Don’t you mean us?” asked Spike

“Spike, they clearly dissed you, you have to fight back,” said Neon

“Do I have to?” asked Spike

“YES!” everyone said

“But, if I do, that would just add more wood to the fire,” said Spike

“Spike, they attacked your honor, and made fun of you, she is trying to make you look like an idiot, and bring your game down,” said Moondancer

“Are you sure?” asked Spike still buried in the paperwork he had to complete

“YES!” they all said

“GOD DAMMIT DUDE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT GOING TO LET HER GET AWAY WITH THIS!” said Pharynx

“Yeah, she wants a battle, we’ll give her a war,” said Thorax

“I prefer to let the ball talk,” said Spike finishing another paper

“Sometimes, you have to talk back, don’t let her get away with this, who know, maybe next time, she’ll try insult your family or raze, she is capable of that,” said Moondancer

The moment she said this, Spike froze, and the pen he had in his hand disintegrated

“If she even dares to do that,” said Spike in a scary voice

“Don’t give her the chance,” said Ember

“Let’s get to work,” said Spike as he got up and headed for the studio.

3 DAYS LATER

“And we are back, and just like we said at the beginning of our program, Our Last Stand has published a new song, and this song is causing various reactions, since it’s the first song where the members of the group are not wearing masks at all, but without further ado, here is the video,” said the anchor

“WOW! NEWS FLASH, Sean Von Drake, Elizabeth Drakken, Terrance Chamberguard, Patrick Chamberguard, and popular DJ, Nolan Lawrence are all members of Our last Stand,” said the first anchor

“This is getting interesting, The Rainbooms actually dissed Our Last Stand, and OLS’ answer is just superb, let’s see who will win this competition,” said the second anchor

2 WEEKS LATER

“Welcome to today’s match between Tall tale High and Crystal Prep. Tall Tale is playing for a place inside the final 4, while Crystal Prep. is playing to stay in first place, since Canterlot’s victory yesterday against Griffonstone, has momentarily placed them in first place,” said Gideon

“This match is going to be really interesting… wait a minute, hasn’t today’s referee, manage all of the Tall Tale’s games?” said Dante

“Erick Lancaster… was head referee during Tall Tale’s victories against… Fillydelphia, Seaddle, Vanhoover, and Foaledo… too much of a coincidence,” said Gideon

“And all of this matches had something in common,” said Dante

“And what is that?” asked Gideon

“Various referee mistakes in favor of Tall Tale, not to mention, various Tall Tale players did hard and dangerous tackles against other players and got away with much of a warning,” said Dante

“Well, I hope this game is different,” said Gideon

EARLIER THAT DAY AT AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

KNOCK KNOCK

“Who’s there?” asked a voice

“Who do you think?” said another make voice

“Oh, sorry your highness,” said the guard at the door

“It’s ok Gale, at least I know you are doing your job,” said the man

“Yes sir, Count Darlington,” said the guard

“Excellent, is he here yet?” asked Count Darlington

“I’m here Kenneth,” said another male voice

“Erick, good to see you again, you are doing a fantastic job,” said Kenneth Darlington

“Well, all I can say is, I’m glad I’m doing my share for our great raze,” said Erick

“Yeah, but today, we are playing against Crystal Prep.” said another voice as three figures walked in

“Oh, hello Andrew, Mike, Chester, I hope you are ready to claim the gold this season,” said Erick

“Of course, but back to business, we want you to allow us to, FUCK this school of dirt-bloods, and specially those 4 filthy aliens,” said Andrew, with a hatred in his mouth, while the other people present smiled in agreement.

“Well then, today is going to be a fun day,” said Erick

“Here, a little bonus to “look the other way” while they get hurt,” said Kenneth giving Lance an envelope with $1,000,000

“Alright then, time to get ready,” said Erick as he counted the money

“The match is about to begin, let’s give the line ups one last look, shall we, Ashfield Mercer on goal, Waltes Winston, Robert Jeffries, Micheal Larson, and Leo Alden on defense; Parker Paxton, Andrew Darlington-Whit, Kent Renaud, and Marshall Millington on midfield; and Chester Griggs and Anthony De Claire on offense,” said Gideon

“Once again, no female players starting for Tall Tale, they are all in the bench,” said Dante

“Yeah, maybe hiding a trump card?” said Gideon

“I don’t think so, but if they have a strategy, it’s a very bizarre one,” said said Dante

“I agree, I wonder what they are up to,” said Gideon

““Crystal prep. Starts with Pharynx, on goal, Indigo Zap, Bengal, Fancy Pants, and Jet Set on the defensive positions, Thorax, Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, and Neon Light, on the midfield, and Ember and Spike, up front,” said Dante

“Let’s hope for a great game,” said Gideon

MIN. 5

“The ball is rolling with Crystal Prep., Indigo Zap has it… she passes it to Sour Sweet, Sour Sweet to Spike, back to Thorax… who is fighting for possession with Darlington-Whit… he fights him off, and makes a forward pass to Ember, who is unmarked in the center… she sprints towards the enemy area… but she is being closed down by Mike, who is doing a mad dash to try to catch up with her… OH! WHAT SO CLOSE!, Mike slide tackles in a desperate attempt to stop Ember, but misses, AND LEAVES HER ALONE AGAINST THE KEEPER TO SCORE THE FIRST GOAL!!!!” said Gideon

ON THE PITCH

“Sorry dude, she was just to fast,” said Mike

“No worries, now, we show them who is the better raze… the “old school” way,” said Andrew as he Mike, and Chester smiled diabolically. Unaware, that 2 people had noticed this.

MIN. 25

“The ball reaches Lemon Zest… she passes the ball to Neon Lights, who starts running towards the sideline… he passes the ball back to Thorax, and now he runs for the enemy area… passes the ball to… OH MY GOD! WHAT WAS THAT!!!? ANDREW DARLINGTON-WHIT, CAME IN LIKE A MADMAN AND SLIDE TACKLED THORAX AT KNEE LEVEL!... AND THE REFEREE SAYS “PLAY ON” AS THE BALL IS INTERCEPTED… this is starting to look bad on the head referee as Thorax gets back up off the ground,” said Gideon

“Here we go again,” said Dante

MIN. 36

“The ball possession is still Tall Tale’s, Renaud to Griggs, Griggs back to Darlington-whit, Whit passes it to Mike Larson, who is heavily marked by Neon Lights, and… OH COME ON!!! THAT HAS TO BE THE MOST INTENTIONAL ELBOW TO THE FACE I HAVE SEEN IN MY LIFE!!!... AND THE REFEREE AGAIN SAYS “PLAY ON'' AS NEON LIGHTS GOES DOWN!!!... and Millington is unable to catch the ball as the ball leaves the field, and now the referee has to stop the match… AND HE DOESN’T!!!! Oh, thank God for the 4th referee, he has stopped the match for Neon Lights to receive medical assistance… and he is being sub out by Trenderhoof,” said Gideon

“Yes, and you can see various, players talking to the referee… and a yellow card for Fancy Pants, and another one for Ember… and there comes Spike to get his teammates away from the referee,” said Dante

“This game is getting worse by the second,” said Gideon

MIN. 45

“Corner kick for Tall Tale,” said Gideon

“Let’s see what cheap tactic they have for this,” said Dante

“Kick taken by Darlington-Whit, lobbed pass straight into the hands of Pharynx… OH MY GOD!!! SOMEONE PLEASE STOP THIS GAME THIS INSTANT. THAT’S INEXCUSABLE!!! PHARYNX HAD ALREADY CATCHED THE BALL AND HAD GIVEN A COUPLE OF STEPS, BEFORE BEING KICKED IN THE HEAD BY CHESTER GRIGGS, AND LANDING HEAD FIRST IN THE LEFT POST!!” said Gideon

“And a full on riot has erupted on the field, as Thorax, and Spike, quickly rush to their goalkeeper’s aid, as he appears to be unresponsive, meanwhile various of the Crystal Prep. players are chasing after the referee and Chester Griggs,” said Dante

“AND NOW PUNCHES ARE BEING THROWN BY BOTH SIDES… AND BENGAL IS SHOWN A STRAIGHT RED CARD AFTER CONFRONTING THE REFEREE!” said Gideon

“AND NOW HE IS SIGNALING FOR THE END OF THE FIRST HALF, AS SPIKE DOES HIS BEST TO SEPARATE THE CRYSTAL PREP. PLAYERS FROM THE REFEREE,” said Dante

“SOMEONE SHOULD REALLY TRY TO STOP LEMON ZEST, SHE IS LIVID DOWN THERE… AND THERE COMES EMBER TO RESTRAIN HER AND PULL HER INTO THE DUGOUT… THIS GAME IS A DISGRACE TO SOCCER,” said Gideon

ON THE PITCH

Spike and thorax had managed to calm their teammates enough to head onto the changing room

“We’re not going to let them get away with this are we?” asked Sour Sweet

“No, but, I will not endanger anymore of you, so, if push comes to punch, we will abandon the game,” said Spike

“WHAT?!!!!” everyone said

“THREE FUCKING POINTS ARE WORTH NOTHING COMPARED TO YOUR LIVES TO ME, UNDERSTOOD?!” said Spike

“Spike is right, head back to the dressing room, we’ll take care of this,” said Coach Rommel as he walked up to them

“Lemon Zest! Wanna accompany your boyfriend on his way to the hospital?” asked Spike

“HE’S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!!” exclaimed Lemon Zest

“Then you showed anger, way beyond the “just friends” line,” said Spike

Lemon Zest, turning red, and feeling defeated, walked over to the ambulance and got on as it left.

“What now?” asked Rommel

“I don’t know… but, get ready to abandon,” said Spike

“WHAT?!” said Rommel

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure they are going to call off the game, and if they don’t well, let’s give them the 3 points, I’m not spilling anymore blood here today,” said Spike as he began walking towards the referee

“Where are you going?” asked Rommel

“To confirm a hypothesis,” said Spike

Unknown to him, someone had the same idea from the sidelines.

Sunburst walked over to one of the TV cameraman and said

“Follow me,”

“Where?” asked the cameraman

“To expose a cheater,” said Sunburst as they quietly made their way onto the pitch, making sure to stay behind the referee, as for him to blow his cover.

Spike then walked up to the referee, and said

“Uhm, excuse me, sir?”

The referee rolled his eyes and answered “What do you want, Lizard boy?”

Spike was taken by surprise by this comment “Ok, I did not expect that, Yeah, I just want to ask you… do you have a problem with us?”

“What makes you think that?” said the referee

“Well, throughout the whole first half, you’ve been marking fouls against us, and you allowed for very dangerous fouls to happen to our team without even whistling for a foul or warning the other players,” said Spike

“Really? I don’t think so,” said the referee

“You’ve overlooked a knee-height tackle over Thorax, you didn’t whistle when they elbowed Neon on the face, and now, you didn’t even blow your whistle when our goalkeeper almost got killed, so, what’s going on?” asked Spike

“It’s soccer… kid, not cards, and if you don’t like it, you and your team of dirt-bloods can go back to the cesspool you crawled out of; now, shut the fuck up, head to your fucking locker room, and get ready, for the second half… I swear, just breathing the same air as you makes me want to vomit,” said the referee

“You’re the most disgusting person I have ever met,” said Sunburst

This caught Spike’s and the referee’s attention

“And all of you comments have been broadcasted around the world,” said the cameraman

The look on the referee’s face was that of pure horror, and he quickly walked away to the referees changing room.

“Go to your changing rooms, we’ll have to talk about this with him,” said one of the linesmen as they hurried off behind him, followed by police officers.

1 HOUR LATER

“Well, ladies and gentleman, the game’s second half has been postponed after we all heard those terrible comments earlier… and now, here comes the chief producer of the tournament, Johannes Burton,” said Gideon

“Due to various hateful and xenophobic comments and actions displayed today by the referee, and various Tall Tale players, the match has been cancelled, and following the result on the scoreboard, the 3 points will go to Crystal Prep…. As for the tournament… it would be placed on standby, while the pertinent investigations are conducted, thank you all for your understandment, and once again, I am deeply sorry to all Crystal Prep. players, staff, and fans, and anybody else who was insulted by today’s events,” said Burton

“Well folks, that’s the information we have for you today, we will keep you all up to date, with any situation that arises during the investigations,” said Gideon

LATER THAT DAY, AT THE TALL TALE GENERAL HOSPITAL

“Oh… my head… where… where am I?” asked Pharynx

“At the Tall Tale General Hospital,” said Thorax

“Oh… did we lose?” asked Pharynx

“No… but… you better, see for yourself when you get home,” said Spike

“Oh, I'm being discharged?” asked Pharynx

“In a few hours, we just need to run some more tests to make sure you don’t have any more injuries,” said a doctor a she walked in

“Anything bad?” asked Pharynx

“Well, you suffered a minor concussion, but nothing serious, will give you painkillers, and will also urge you to apply bags of ice in your face and head as much as possible to treat the swelling… and, I’m going to have to forbid you from doing any sort of exercise for a month, just so we can be sure that you heal up nice,” said the doctor

“Oh, that means that Sunny Flare will be the Goalkeeper from now on, right?” said Pharynx

“Provably, like I said, you better wait till we get back home for you to understand,” said Spike

“By the way, is there something going on between you and Lemon Zest?” asked Neon Lights

“I don’t think so… WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR NOSE!!!!?” asked Pharynx

“Oh, it was a minor, break, it will heal in 3 weeks, and he will be fit to play again,” said the Doctor

“Oh! Why did you ask about Lemon Zest?” asked Pharynx

“Well, she seemed really distressed when you blacked out,” said Ember

“Not to mention, she tried to kill the guy that did it, what was his name… Chase…” said Neon

“Chester Griggs?!” said the doctor

“Him… do you know him?” asked Neon

“Unfortunately… yes… he’s my son,” said the doctor

“Wow… really?” asked Spike

“Yeah, he’s my and my ex-husband’s son, but, when I divorced his scumbug father, I also lost custody,” said the doctor

“Well, I think your son is in a lot of trouble,” said Spike

“What do you mean?” asked the doctor

“Update, Referee Erick Lancaster, arrested, for match fixing; various bags of money, and illicit transactions discovered under his name, claims money was given to him by a royal of Tall Tale and three players of the first team. Investigations so far, points to Count Darlington, his son Andrew Darlington-Whit, Michael Larson, and Chester Griggs, they will be brought in for questioning regarding their involvement with the match fixing,” read Spike

“Oh, God, I have to go,” said the doctor

“Good Luck,” said Spike

“Anyway, ready to leave?” asked Thorax

“Yeah, when all of this tests are over,” said Pharynx “I have to talk to Lemon Zest, I have to find out,”

ONE MONTH LATER

“... So, you knew about all of this, and you didn’t say anything?” said a reporter

“Yes… at the beginning of the tournament, Andrew came up to me, and told me about his plan… at first I agreed, mostly due to family pressure, but when I was about to join the first meeting, I stepped out, and swore I wouldn’t say anything,” said Ashfield Mercer

“What made you change your mind?” asked the reporter

“The death of my grandfather… he was the one that was always saying that we “Pure-bloods” have rights over other razes, and if we didn’t follow what he said… well, that’s how I grew astray from my biological father, and mother,” said Ashfield

“What do you mean?” asked the reporter

“Well, I’m a third Dragonborn from my mom’s side, and when my grandfather, found this out, he vanished them from our land, and won custody over me,” said Ashfield

“So, your grandfather was High Baron Robert Mercer? Did his death mean anything to you?” asked the reporter

“It meant freedom, for me, and many of my cousins, and family members,” said Ashfield

“Oh, really?” asked the reporter

“Yes, the truth is, many of my family members actually, had befriended other razes, and many of my cousins, are now formally joining other knightdoms, or kingdoms,” said Ashfield

“What do you mean by that?” asked the reporter

“Well, my eldest cousin, Sabrina, is marrying into the Breckenridge Knightdom, and as you know, it’s a part of the Changeling Kingdom,” said Ashfield

“So, you are saying, that, now, the Mercer Barony is becoming multirascial?” asked the reporter

“Yes, and I am glad for that,” said Ashfield

“So, what happens now for you?” asked the reporter

“I’m transferring schools to Dragon High, in the Dragonland’s capital of Maredesto, so I can live with my parents and younger siblings,” said Ashfield

“Well, thank you for the interview, Mr. Mercer, this was Yumi Asagi, thanks for watching,” said Yumi

“Wow, so, this is what happens in Tall Tale?” asked Trenderhoof

“Looks like it,” said Gemma

“GUYS!! It’s official, Tall Tale High’s punishment has been decided,” said Bengal as he ran into the room and showed them his laptop.

“After, our investigation was over, we discovered, that his Highness, Count Kenneth Darlington, his son, Andrew Darlington-Whit, and various officials from the school district where involved in this match fixing scandal, we are now going to allow his Majesty, Prince Heath Cunningham, give a few words,” said the head of police of Tall Tale

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman, first of, I would like to apologize to anyone and everyone who was insulted or injured by the past incidents surrounding the school’s tournament participation… Second, I would like to clarify that the actions and behavior portrayed by the people involved, is not acceptable and are not the values we try to teach our younger generations, and all of the people involved will be punished accordingly… Kenneth Darlington, will be stripped of his title as count as well as his family; Erick Lancaster, will be banned from refereeing any sort of sport for the rest of his life, as for Tall Tale’s headmaster, Oliver Richfield, he has been terminated for supporting this type of behavior, to which we discovered, he had full knowledge about; the students involved have been expelled from the school; and our soccer team has decided to withdraw from the competition, and head to the third division, to earn our way back up to the first division, once again, I am truly sorry to everyone involved,” said Prince Cunningham

“In addition to this, Kenneth Darlington, Erick Lancaster, Oliver Richfield, Phillip Harridan, Nora Dennison, and Earl Lovell, will be facing criminal charges for their actions,” said the head of Tall Tale’s police

“Well, thank God for this, the system does work,” said Ember

“No… Prince Cunningham is just afraid of angering Princess Celestia, Dragonlord Torch, Prince Rutherford, and Princess Cadence, even more, specially because of Spike,” said Fancy Pants

“Yeah, That makes sense,” said Thorax

“Alright guys, I know we are feeling better about the situation now, but we have a match coming up tomorrow, that can symbolize our pass to the finals… so, head to the field to start practicing,” said Rommel as he blew his whistle.

THE NEXT DAY

“And we are back, after this month long hiatus; the first thing on our list is to congratulate Dragon High, who won their final match against Manehattan, and is going to be taking Tall Tale’s Place next season, second… it’s time to confirm the starting lineups for this match,” said Gideon

“Crystal Prep. is going out with: Silvia “Sunny Flare” Franco on goal, covering for injured keeper Pharynx; on defense we have Indigo Zap, Bengal, Fancy Pants, and Jet Set; Thorax, Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, and Trenderhoof, on the midfield, and Ember and Spike, up front,” said Dante

“As for Canterlot High, we have: On Goalie, Pricilla “Pinkie Pie” Parsons, the defensive quartet for this match will consist of, Norman Capstan, Mathew “Big Mac” Smith, Ariella “Applejack” Smith, and Roger “Rover” Harvey; on the midline we have, Frank “Fido” Ducson, Sergio “Spot” Cirelli, and Brian “Bulk Bicep” Benson; and up front we have Sasha “Sunset Shimmer” Stein, Raegan “Rainbow Dash” Davis, and central Striker Frederick “Flash Sentry” Sutcliffe,” said Gideon

“This is the match to decide who is going to the semi-finals as top of the chart,” said Dante

“I wonder what is going on inside the changing rooms right now,” said Gideon

CANTERLOT CHANGING ROOM

“Ok guys, this is it, time for us to head out and show the world, we are the better soccer team. I trust that everyone is going to do their best… Aria, Sonata, Adagio, I want you 3 to be ready, knowing the team we are going up against, I have no doubt that you guys are going to be subbed in on the second half, remember, everyone, we are here to win, not for a tea party… PUT THEM IN!!!.... 3...2...1… CANTERLOT” said Rainbow Dash

CRYSTAL PREP CHANGING ROOM

“Guys… there isn’t much I can say at this point… to be honest, I don’t know what else to say… this season, all of you have been amazing, we have surpassed the initial expectations everyone had for us, and I am proud of everyone… we could even lose our next 2 games, and I’ll be happy… but let’s make sure to come back with some silverware around our necks… 3...2...1… CRYSTAL PREP.!!!” said Spike as everyone headed to the field

“AND THE MATCH BEGINS!!!” said Gideon

MIN. 19

“Ball for Canterlot, Sunset Shimmer has it… she passes it back to Rover… Rover to Fido… Fido up with Rainbow Dash… Rainbow Dash with Bulk Bicep… Bulk Bicep to Flash Sentry… WHO ANGLES HIMSELF TO SHOOT… OH! BRILLIANT SAVE BY SUNNY FLARE!!! She guessed the ball’s trajectory and jumped high enough to catch it,” said Gideon

MIN. 38

“A very interesting first half, don’t you agree, Dante?” said Gideon

“Oh, yes, no team wants to give an inch, Canterlot using their famous wing play, and Crystal Prep. using that passing style we’ve noticed all throughout the tournament… and I better shut because Crystal Prep. is starting a counter strike,” said Dante

“Ember gives the ball to Trenderhoof, as he begins to use his agility and speed to leave defenders in the dust… first Big Mac… then… Spot… and lastly Bulk Bicep… he is one on one against Pinkie Pie, gets ready to shoot… BUT IS TACKLED OUT OF POSSESSION BY APPLEJACK… AND THE BALL LEAVES FOR A CORNER KICK,” said Gideon

“And then Trenderhoof helps Applejack up like a true gentleman… a quick handshake, and into positions they get,” said Dante

“Lemon Zest to take the corner kick… AND HEADED OVER THE BAR BY FANCY PANTS… so close,” said Gideon

MIN. 46

“The second half is about to begin, and we have a 3 way substitution coming on for Canterlot… Fido, Rover, and Spot, are coming out and they are being replaced by, Aria, Sonata and Adagio… a tactical change mostly,” said Gideon

“Trump card move for me,” said Dante

MIN 68

“Trenderhoof is being subbed out with a standing ovation from the home crowd, and in comes Neon Lights, fully recovered from the injury he suffered against Tall Tale,” said Gideon

MIN. 90+2

“Last play of the match… Free kick for Crystal Prep. to be taken by Spike… everyone ready in the area… even Sunny Flare is up there searching for a goal… Spike kicks the ball… GOOOOAAAALLLL! WHAT A HEADER BY LEMON ZEST… WHAT A ROLE REVERSE!!!” said Gideon

“That’s right Gideon, Lemon Zest is the head assister in this tournament with 13 assists, 2 moe than Spike, who is the top scorer of the tournament, with 15 goals, against Lemon Zest’s 3,” said Dante

“AND THAT IS GAME!!!! Well, we will be seeing you all next week for the semifinals… Crystal Prep. VS Cloudsdale and Canterot VS Manechester,” said Gideon

ON THE PITCH

Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Canterlot players stayed on the pitch for a few more minutes congratulating the Crystal prep. Players… although Spike and Rainbow Dash didn’t even look at each other after the initial greeting.

After congratulating everybody else Rainbow Dash rushed to the changing rooms, her head hanging in defeat.

ON THE STANDS

“There he is! I have to get closer to him… but how?” thought Twilight

“Twilight, dear, you coming with us? We have to make sure Rainbow Dash doesn’t cry her eyes out… or destroy another team’s locker room… again,” said Rarity

Twilight looked over to her and said “Yeah, I’m…” but then she noticed Spike leaving the field to get changed “A-ACTUALLY… I have to go check something out… tell Rainbow Dash that she has my full support,” said Twilight as she ran off

“WAIT! TWILIGHT, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?” said Rarity, as Twilight disappeared in the crowd.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“No… he isn’t here either,” thought Twilight as she looked through the door of the stadium’s cafeteria “Where could he be? DON’T TELL ME HE ALREADY LEFT THE PREMISSES!!!”

Just then, Twilight noticed something out of the corner of her eyes.

It was a group of players from Crystal Prep. and they were all covering something… or someone, with their bodies.

“WE DID IT CAP.!!!” said Jet Set

“Yeah, now we only have to defeat Cloudsdale and we’ll be in the final,” said Fancy Pants

“Plus, the school's cheer squad is going to be present to cheer you all on,” said Eclair

“Yeah, great,” said Spike in a sarcastic tone “Now go on and head home, you better rest,”

When Twilight’s eyes made contact with the back of Spike’s head, she jumped off the seat she was sitting in. and began to walk as fast as she could, to reach Spike.

But as soon as she was about 10 ft. away, Spike turned left and began to walk down the aisle.

Twilight picked up the pace, but when she reached the end of the corridor, she only saw Spike’s back turning right and entering another corridor.

At this point, Twilight was running, to try to catch up with Spike, but when she entered the corridor, it was empty, no sign of Spike, she didn’t know which way he had gone, did he go up or down the stairs? Did he turn left or right at the end of the corridor? Twilight didn’t know.

She walked up to the staircase and looked around, unfortunately, she was so deep in thought, she didn’t realize the sign that said “caution, slippery surface”.

She did her best to peek over the railing, but due to the slippery floor, she lost her footing and plunged over the edge.

This caused the world to slow down for Twilight, “Oh no, in the position I’m in, I can kill myself… OR WORST INJURE MY SPINE! What should I do?!” Was all she thought before closing her eyes and wait for impact… but it never came.

“Well, you’re just as clumsy as I remember… a bit heavier though,” said a male voice

Twilight opened her eyes and noticed she was being carried “Princess Style” in Spike’s arms

“You ok there Twi?” asked Spike

“Ye… yeah, thanks for the catch,” said Twilight as Spike placed her down

“You’ve changed,” said Spike

“You have too,” said Twilight

And after that, a very awkward silence surrounded the 2 friends

“Well… I better get going, it was nice to see you again Twilight,” said Spike as he began to walk away

“Ye… yeah, likewise,” said Twilight

“Idiot! “You’ve changed” was the best you could come up with after seeing your old childhood friend? I’m such an idiot!” thought Spike

“What the hell are you doing? You came here to make things right, not to act like Rarity everytime she sees a hot rich guy, plus, he’s Spike for crying out loud… SPIKE!!! Yes, he might’ve grown a bit, but he’s the same person you met all those years back… you can’t let this end like this!!” thought Twilight as she turned around and yelled “WAIT!!!”

This made Spike stop dead in his tracks and turn to look at her

“Something wrong?” asked Spike “Something wrong? SERIOUSLY?!!! NO WONDER YOU’RE SINGLE!!!!” thought Spike

Twilight walked up to Spike and said

“Wanna go grab a bit? We have some catching up to do,”

Spike remained silent for a few seconds, remembering everything that happened these past years “This is your chance man, don’t throw it in the garbage!” “Sure, I’d love to,”

Ch. 6 Reign of terror (The great finale)

A FEW MOMENTS LATER

“Ok, relax Twilight, the hard part is over, you talked to Spike and made him accept your invitation… just ignore the fact that he looks way different from the last time you saw him… NO! BAD TWILIGHT! THIS IS A FRIEND YOU ABANDONED, DON’T GO MAKING LOVEY DOVEY EYES AT HIM!... just breath in… breath out, relax, and think of where to go with him… WHO THE HELL I’M I KIDDING, I HAVEN’T BEEN TO THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE SINCE I WAS 13, I DON’T KNOW ANY GOOD RESTAURANTS… RARITY, WHY DON’T I EVER PAY ATTENTION TO YOU… And how can he look so relaxed? He must really be angry with me if he can’t even feel nervous around me,” thought Twilight

“AAAAAAAAH! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING SPIKE?! You weren’t! I FUCKING NOW THAT!... Ok, calm down, you said you wanted to talk to her, and so far so good, just make sure not to mention anything about that day, or the fact that you were desperate to see her again, or the fact that she aged well and has a nice body… NO! NO NO NO NO NO! YOU ARE NOT GOING TO START WITH THE STUPID HORMONAL TALK! YOU’LL DRIVE HER FURTHER AWAY, stay calm,” thought Spike

“So… Spike, I know I offered to buy you lunch, but… to be honest, I don’t know any good restaurants, do you any?” asked Twilight

“Yup got the perfect one in mind,” said Spike

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“Burger King?!... So, Burger King, this is the fancy restaurant you had on your mind?” asked Twilight

“I don’t like fancy, it’s too… ostentatious, plus, the food is good, and you don’t have to spend much money,” said Spike

“Just don’t ask for the salad,” thought Twilight

“They don’t sell salads,” said Spike

“What?” said Twilight in surprise

“I know what you were thinking, No. 15 Burger King foot lettuce, that doesn’t happen here, trust me,” said Spike as he walked up to the register.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

Spike and Twilight sat at a table munching down on some whoppers and fries

“I didn’t take you for the burger type,” said Twilight

“I didn’t take you for the fancy-schmancy type either,” said Spike

“Well… I don’t exactly mind it,” said Twilight

“What? Tiny servings and massive bills? Yeah, I’m staying away from those types of restaurants,” said Spike as he bit down on his burger

“I guess you’re right,” said Twilight as she and Spike chuckled.

A few more instances of awkward silence followed while they ate their food when Spike said

“So, how is the marriage situation coming along?”

The sudden question caused Twilight to spit her drink out of surprise

“WHAT?!!!” said Twilight

“Well, the last time I saw you, you said you were going to start seeing possible suitors for marriage,” said Spike

“Oh, that… well, it was the same thing over and over again, an older man searching for a young girl to add to his harem,” said Twilight

“Didn’t your parents do something about it?” asked Spike

“Yeah, they canceled it… then, I met him,” said Twilight

“Him?” asked Spike

“Frederick Sutcliffe,” said Twilight

“Flash Sentry, I remember him from the match earlier,” said Spike

“Yeah, after the whole incident with the hostage situation, he came over to my house, and he became my playmate… little did I know I had fallen in love with him...” said Twilight

Spike listened closely at Twilight’s tale

“... Then when I turned 14 I found out he was dating my friend Sunset Shimmer, but they broke up a few weeks later, I don’t know why, but, I’m pretty sure it had something to do with her old personality,” said Twilight

“So, you took your chances and confessed after that?” asked Spike

“No… I was going to, but then… I realized he had a crush on another girl,” said Twilight

“Ouch,” said Spike

“Indeed… her name is Sylvia, Sylvia Thompkins… and if you didn’t know any better, you could believe she was my twin sister… We look exactly the same! Same hair color, same eye color, same likes and dislikes!... the only differences are, our heights, she is 5’4” and I’m 5’6”, she wears glasses and I don’t, my hair is longer, and she has a bit of an accent,” said Twilight

“Noted… so, does that mean you gave up?” asked Spike

“Yeah, they’re happy together, I don’t plan to ruin that,” said Twilight

“Good for you,” said Spike as he finished his fries

“Or, I could join his harem,” said Twilight

“That could work too,” said Spike

“That’s all you can say? Really?!” said Twilight

“It’s your love life Twi, your decisions,” said Spike

“You’re right… what about you?” asked Twilight

“What about me?” asked Spike

“Any Ms. Von Drake in your life?” asked Twilight

“Nope,” said Spike

“But you are looking for one, right?” asked Twilight

“I would like one, but…” said Spike

“But?” said Twilight

“I don’t know, for 5 years, I met girl after girl who were only interested in my fame and money, and sometimes I turned one of them down, they looked at me as a monster… it makes me wonder… can I ever be loved for who I really am, or only for what I’ve become?” said Spike with a sad look.

Twilight looked at him and felt bad, and slowly placed her hand on him

“Spike… what I did was wrong… I… I was scared, I wanted to make sense of what I’d seen if I had befriended a real human, or… a demon… and I know I took the worst course of action, I know I hurt you… but for whatever reason, I forbid you from thinking you are a monster, you’re miles away from that category… you’re a hero,” she said

Spike looked up at Twilight and said

“Twilight, I don’t blame you for what you did… if I was in your position, I would’ve done the same thing… it did hurt at first, but, I learned to see both sides of the situation, that’s when I forgave what happened, and I understood your need for distance,” said Spike

“But, still, the way I acted...” said Twilight

“Was perfectly normal for some in shock,” said Spike

“But…” Twilight tried to argue

“Twilight! It’s ok, it’s all in the past,” said Spike

Twilight then proceeded to get up from the table and give Spike a hug

“Thanks… for everything you did that day,” said Twilight

Spike remained silent as he hugged her back.

Unknown to the 2 friends, they weren’t being too discreet when it came to their meeting, to the point that someone was watching them, and generating various misunderstandings in her head.

“What does she think she is doing? And who does she think she is? h-h-hugging Spike out of the blue like that… don’t tell me they’re on a date! No! impossible, Spike isn’t the type of person to hide this from anyone, especially me… right? Right?!” thought Moondancer as she continued spying on Spike and Twilight

“What exactly are you doing?” came another female voice

Moondancer jumped up in surprise and turned to see Fleur de Lis and Coco Pommel

“AH, nothing,” said Moondancer

“Hey, isn’t that Spike?” said Coco Pommel

This comment caught Fleur’s attention, as she looked up and noticed Spike and Twilight finishing their embrace.

“Who is she? And what does she want with Spike?” asked Fleur with jealousy in her voice as she crouched down next to Moondancer to spy on them.

“I have no idea,” said Moondancer

“That’s Tania Nova Schafer Von Dusenholf, she is a noble from Canterlot, and from what I’ve heard, she is really popular,” said Coco Pommel

“Popular? How?” asked Moondancer

“And how does that affect my Spike?” asked Fleur

“I’m sorry, YOUR Spike?” asked Moondancer

“Yes, MY Spike,” said Fleur getting Moondancer’s face

“Next in-line for the thrown popular,” said Coco Pommel

“But she isn’t Celestia’s daughter,” said Fleur

“If the princess never has kids, it is rumored that either Tania or Sean “Spike” would take her place as ruler of Equestria,” said Coco Pommel

“AHA! So that’s why she wants Spike, she wants to make sure they both take the throne, she wants to marry him… WELL, I WON’T ALLOW IT!!! Spike is mine and mine alone,” said Fleur as she got up.

“Hold your hormones sister…” said Moondancer as she pulled Fleur back into the bushes “... first of all, Spike isn’t yours, you aren’t dating him…”

“Yet,” interrupted Fleur

“... and I have little evidence to believe that he will even lay his eyes on you, or form any sort of interest on you,” said Moondancer

“We’ll see about that, I know what Spike likes, and I can give him what he wants,” said Fleur as she emphasized her body to the other 2 girls.

“If only your brain worked,” said Moondancer

“Excuse me?!” said Fleur

“Even Coco has more chances of being knocked up by Spike than you,” said Moondanacer

“REALLY?!! YOU REALLY THINK SO?!!” said Coco Pommel as she turned red and started imagining it.

“We lost her,” said Moondancer

“Ok, Ms. genius, why is that?” asked Fleur

“Why is what?” asked Moondancer

“Why isn’t Spike going to take any interest in me?” asked Fleur

“Are your boobs bigger than your brain? Spike doesn’t care much about appearances, he likes personalities,” said Moondancer

“What a perfect excuse,” said Fleur

“Excuse me?” said Moondancer

“It fits you perfectly, little Ms. washboard,” said Fleur

“For your information, my boobs are a bit over average, second..” said Moondancer

“You said it yourself, AVERAGE, you must be desperate knowing that Spike won’t even look in your direction if you were wearing a swimsuit,” said Fleur

“At least I don’t have to result to dirty tricks and sexual themes to get boys attention,” said Moondancer

As soon as she said that a catfight began between the 2 of them.

Unknown to the three of them, the world around them continued to spin, and they were unable to detect 2 major issues around them.

First, was the fact that their hiding spot had been discovered, luckily it wasn’t Spike or Twilight, but that person had heard everything, and he wasn’t very pleased with what he heard.

“So, Fleur likes Spike?... I won’t allow it! I won’t lose to him, I’ll show her I’m a better man for her,” thought the figure as he walked away.

And second, was the point that Spike and Twilight had already left the establishment, a fact that Coco Pommel had just realized.

“Hey, they’re gone!” she said

“WHAT?!!!” said Moondancer and Fleur as they stopped fighting each other

“Which way did they go?” asked Moondancer

“I didn’t see them leave,” said Coco Pommel

“Come on, we have to find them, we must get to the bottom of this,” said Fleur as she jumped out of the bushes and tried to locate Spike and Twilight.

A FEW BLOCKS AWAY

“Why didn’t you receive my letters?” asked Twilight

“Because we distance ourselves, the spell didn’t work anymore,” said Spike

“So, what happened to the letters?” asked Twilight

“I have no idea, never cared to find out actually,” said Spike

“But aren’t you intrigued?” asked Twilight

“About where they are, or what was written on them?” asked Spike

Twilight turned red and quickly said

“About where they went… yeah, that’s what’s intriguing,” said Twilight

“A bit, I guess,” said Spike as they continued walking down the street towards the train station.

After a few more minutes of awkward silence, Twilight said

“Hey, I was meaning to ask you, what’s all this diss war between you and Rainbow Dash?” asked Twilight

“Who?” asked Spike

“Rainbow… Raegan, Raegan Davis, what’s all that about?” asked Twilight

‘To be honest, I think she hates me because I defeated her during the “pitch invasion” incident before the tournament,” said Spike

“That’s it?” asked Twilight

“Well, later, she dissed me and other schools and, I reacted, she didn’t take it well, she dissed me back again, and I retaliated,” said Spike

“You did?” asked Twilight

“Well, I was kind of forced to publish the song, but… you get the picture,” said Spike

“Yeah, she can be very… competitive, but, don’t hate her for it, she has a kind heart,” said Twilight

“To be honest, I’d just like to talk to her, to see if we could start all over,” said Spike

“Well, I don’t know much about sports, but, I’m pretty sure that you can do something about it,” said Twilight as she and Spike reached the entrance of the train station

“It was nice to see you again,” said Spike

“Likewise, maybe we can hang out during the weekends, you know, we still have a lot of catching up to do,” said Twilight as she hugged Spike

“I’d love that,” said Spike

“See you on Saturday then,” said Twilight as she left

“Yeah,” said Spike

Spike watched her merge with the crowd until she was out of sight, and he took his leave.

Spike was walking back to his apartment when he, unknowingly walked to the center of the soccer pitch where everything started.

He looked around for a few seconds, before coming up with an idea.

He fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed

RING RING RING RING

“Hello, Princess Celestia?... yes… I’m doing great, and you? I hear morning sickness can be really annoying… I can only imagine… the reason I was calling is, I want to request permission to enter Canterlot High territory… I need to talk to Raegan Davis… More like “Friendly conversation” I need to get to the bottom of something… tomorrow... thank you, say hi to Uncle Discord for me… bye,” said Spike as he hung up “I hope you’re right about this Twi,”

THE NEXT DAY

“Now arriving at Canterlot central station, please exit the train by the left doors, thank you, and have a nice day,” said a voice over the loudspeakers

Spike got out of the train and headed to the street.

“I haven’t been here in a long time, it really changed” thought Spike as his phone started ringing.

“Hello, Twilight?... yeah I just got out of the train… is she there right now?... ok, how do I get there?... ok, all call you when I’m done… thanks, bye,” said Spike

Spike then began to walk towards the location Twilight had given him.

After about an hour of walking, Spike arrived at the park that Twilight had mentioned, but he saw that all of the soccer fields were being used and very few of them had girls playing, but none of them had a certain rainbow-haired girl.

This made Spike nervous, although he was here with permission, and he had the email to prove it, Twilight had told him that he became somewhat of a superstar in Canterlot, to the point of even having a devoted fan club.

You might think that’s something awesome, but for Spike, that spelled trouble, not only because he was not used to being the center of attention, but if a crowd gathered around him, Rainbow Dash might misunderstand it and things can get even worse.

“Where is she? Twilight said she’d be here,” thought Spike

“Hold it right there!” said a female voice

Spike froze up and slowly turned around, there, before him was a group of 4 girls, not older than 12

“Can I help you?” asked Spike nervously

The girls looked at Spike before one of them screamed

“I KNEW IT WAS YOU!!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!!”

“SHHHHHH!!!!” said Spike “I don’t want a crowd to gather around me,” he whispered

But it was too late, everyone in the park had heard the scream

“Hey, isn’t that…?” said one of the guys playing soccer

“HE IS!!!!” said a girl

“Can I have your autograph?” said another

And in a matter of seconds, everyone in the park was running to catch up with Spike

“Sorry!!” said the girl

“Follow us,” said another girl

Spike did as he was told, and followed the girls to a nearby treehouse

“Get in, quick,” said another girl

“You’ll be safe here for a while,” said another

“Thanks, uhm… I never got your names,” said Spike

“My name is Angeline Smith, but you can call me Applebloom,” said one of them

“My name is Susan Belleville, but call me Sweetie Belle,” said another

“My name is Stella Hamilton, but you can call me Scootaloo,” said another one of them

“My name is Bianca Sherington, you can call me Babs Seeds, I’m Applebloom’s cousin,” said the last one

“Nice to meet you,” said Spike

“So, what brings you here?” asked Applebloom

“I came here to talk to someone,” said Spike

“Really? That person being your girlfriend?” asked Scootaloo

“No,” said Spike

“Boyfriend?” asked Sweetie Belle

“Uh, no, I don’t swing that way,” said Spike

“Really Sweetie Belle? Really,” said Scootaloo

“What, it may be a possibility,” said Sweetie Belle

“Stop involving people in those fantasies of yours,” said Applebloom

“Forgive her… she tends to have these pervy moments from time to time,” said Babs Seeds

“It’s ok,” said Spike

“SO, who are you looking for?” asked Scootaloo

“Raegan Davis, or do you know her as…” said Spike

“Rainbow Dash?!” they all said

“You know her?” asked Spike

“Who doesn’t?” said Scootaloo

“Any chance you can tell me where she is?” asked Spike

“Perhaps… how ‘bout a little trade?” said Applebloom

“As long as it’s something PG,” said Spike

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“There were only 4 of them, why did they want so many autographs and pictures?” thought Spike as he walked down the path towards Canterlot’s secret training pitch.

He was still a bit far when he heard

DING!!!!

“What was that?” he asked

DING!!!

“There it is again,” he said

DING!!!! DING!!!! DING!!!!

“FOR FUCK SAKE, RAINBOW!!!!!!!” he heard someone scream, a voice he knew too well

Spike picked up the pace and finally found a clearing where he could see the pitch and its lone occupant.

Rainbow Dash grabbed the 5 balls and placed them into a robotic shooter, she got into position and waited for the ball to come to her.

The machine shot the ball in her direction, Rainbow Dash volleyed the ball towards the net, but this time it flew over the bar and into the safety net behind it.

“FUUUUUUUCK!!!!” she screamed

“Try to angle your body towards the ball, follow its movement, you won’t miss that way,” said Spike as he walked up to her

“What are you doing here?” asked Rainbow Dash after she almost jumped out of her skin

“I need to talk to you,” said Spike

“Well I don’t, I have practice to do, so, bet it, or would you like me to report your pitch invasion?” said Rainbow Dash as she got into position again, connected with the ball but sent it flying far from the goal.

“I actually have clearance to be here, I called the Princess, and she said it was ok,” said Spike as he got in front of Rainbow Dash, and kicked the ball straight into the net, causing it to have a perfect curve and enter the goal by the top right corner.” You see, I was right,”

Rainbow Dash was angry, but she decided to follow his advice, she got into the same stance he did, waited for the ball to be sent her way, and connected with it perfectly for the ball to mimic the same curve Spike created.

“Continue practicing that and you’ll get better quickly,” said Spike

“Thanks,” said Rainbow Dash

“Don’t mention it,” said Spike

“So what do you want to talk about?” asked Rainbow Dash

“I’ve been wondering, Why?” said Spike

“Why, what?” asked Rainbow Dash

“Why act this way?” said Spike

“I thought you were going to say “Why do you hate me?” said Rainbow Dash

“I know you don’t hate me, it’ would’ve been a waste of time to ask that,” said Spike

“What makes you think that?” asked Rainbow Dash

“If you hated me, you wouldn’t have taken my advice in kicking the ball, or you wouldn’t be listening to my music, or have my band’s merch,” said Spike

Rainbow Dash turned red and began sweating even more.

“What… What makes you think I like your music, and that I’m not using it as motivation?” said Rainbow Dash

“If you didn’t like it, you wouldn’t have “last stance” in repeat, and you wouldn’t be lip-syncing to it while working out,” said Spike

Rainbow Dash, once again had lost to Spike, and she knew it.

“The truth is… I come from a very competitive family, both of my parents are Olympic gold medalists, my dad in Track and field, and my mom in swimming… and they always tell me to be the best, because only that matters… sometimes I get too carried away and act like an idiot…” said Rainbow Dash

“You must get carried away a lot,” interrupted Spike

“HEY!!!... no, you’re right… I do, and then, when I got to this school, all of the upperclassmen hated the fact that I was named team captain of most of the sports clubs, many of them said I didn’t have what it takes to be the captain…” said Rainbow Dash

“Why? cause you are new?” interrupted Spike

“No… cause I’m younger and… I’m a girl,” said Rainbow Dash

“Well, that’s just stupid, you are as capable captain as I am… I can even say you are better than me,” said Spike

“Thanks for the vote of confidence… but to be honest, I, kind of hate being the captain, there is so much responsibility, and everyone is expecting you to…” began Rainbow Dash

“... be the pillar of the team, everything good is you doing and every mistake is your fault… and then they want you to…” said Spike

“Keep up the rivalries between schools so that the matches become even more competitive… and if you can’t do that, then you're not worth the position of captain… it’s like, they want you to be an ass about everything and never discover some sort of…” said Rainbow Dash

“... Common ground,” they both said as they turned and looked at each other

“You know… why don’t we put this behind us, and start over,” said Spike as he extended his arm “Hi, my name is Sean Delsin Von Drake, nice to meet you,”

Rainbow Dash looked at him for a few seconds and shook his hand “Nice to meet you, Sean, my name is Raegan Davis,” she said

“Well, that’s all I came to say, good luck in the tournament,” said Spike as he walked away

“Yeah, you too, but don’t think that we’ll make it easy for you in the final… Spike,” said Rainbow Dash

Spike stopped walking, which made Rainbow Dash nervous “Was I too friendly just then?... AND WHY DO I FEEL SO NERVOUS RIGHT NOW? JESUS, I FEEL LIKE FLUTTERSHY RIGHT NOW!” she thought

Spike turned around and said “Well, first you have to get there, worry about Manechester first… They like to do a passing game, mostly playing by the wings… but you didn’t hear that from me,” said Spike as he let out a warm smile “I hope you are a woman of your word, good luck… Rainbow Dash,” he finished as he walked away cooly

For whatever reason, this caused Rainbow Dash’s heart to skip a bit, something that she took notice.

“What is happening to me?!!!” she thought as she looked at Spike, then at the soccer balls, and back at him.

On the way back to the Crystal Empire, Spike sat on the train seat by the window, remembering his conversation with Rainbow Dash

“If only we could find common ground… this sport isn’t about who is wrong and who is right…” he thought, and at that second something hit him; he dug into his pocket and dialed a number.

“Hello?” said Neon

“Neon, tell everyone to meet us at the studio… I’ve got a new song,” said Spike

“What about practice?” asked Neon

“The Semi-finales aren’t happening for another week, the right amount of time,” said Spike

“Ok then, at what time should we meet?” asked Neon

Spike looked at his phone “Around 4 PM, be there, please,” said Spike and he hung up “This has to end!”

5 DAYS LATER

“... and now we head over to the entertainment news with Kelly Raymond, Kelly,” said the news anchor

“Yes, Lisa, well, today we had a great day for music lovers, Our Last Stand released another single titled “Common Ground” and we have the exclusive right here, roll it!!!” said Kelly

“Oh, I liked this song, Kelly,” said Lisa

“And you aren’t the only one, in just a few hours this song has been out, it already recorded well over 2 million views… in other news, today marks the 30th anniversary of the creation of the golden mic awards…” said Kelly as her voice fades away

“Well, Spike sure know how to write a song,” said Twilight

“Wait? You know him?!” said Rainbow Dash, a bit of jealousy in her voice

“Of course I do, We’re childhood friends, we’ve known each other since we were around 5,” said Twilight

“Oh, it’s just that,” Rainbow Dash sighed in relief

“What do you mean “Just that”?” asked Twilight

“Well… I thought you guys were much closer,” said Rainbow Dash

“Oh no, Spike is my best friend, that’s it,” said Twilight

“Why do you ask Dash, jealous?” said Applejack

“Of course not!!!! What I’m I supposed to be jealous of?!” Rainbow Dash said as she swung her arms around, her face turning red.

“The fact that Twilight has a handsome childhood friend, who is also possibly the strongest person alive,” said Sunset Shimmer

“I-I-I- I have no reason to be jealous of that!!” defended Rainbow Dash

“Right, and I’m Princess Celestia’s daughter,” Sunset Shimmer teased making all of the girls laugh

“I’m gonna go work out!!!” Rainbow Dash said as she walked away furiously

“Do you girls think she’s in love?” asked Rarity

“Oh, definitely,” said Pinkie Pie

“Of course,” said Fluttershy

“Certainly,” said Applejack

“HA! That’s a first, even for me, Rainbow Dash in love, it’s almost funny doesn’t it Twilight?” said Sunset Shimmer as she nudged Twilight with her elbow.

Twilight smiled and let out a small chuckle, for whatever reason, she felt uneasy regarding the last interaction she had with Rainbow Dash

“Why does my chest feel so heavy?... I don’t like this at all,” she thought as she began to think about Spike.

BACK AT THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE

Spike had decided to go to the gym and have some R&R by doing some cardio (It helped him clear his mind)

When he arrived he was surprised by 2 things, first, despite being Friday afternoon, the gym had very few people in it, and second, the few faces that were in the gym, Spike knew very well.

“Well, it is never too late to workout… but those 2… I’ve never seen Fleur de Lis or Moondancer working out, heck, Fleur hates sweating,” thought Spike as he did his best to avoid the treadmills.

“Change of plans, stationary bikes, here I come,” he thought as he walked through the aisles upon aisles of workout equipment trying to find a way into the stationary bike room without being noticed by them.

He was almost there when a voice caught his attention

“98… 99… 100… 101… … 102…” said the voice

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” thought Spike as he turned the corner and noticed none other than Fancy Pants in the bench press machine, his face was red, and covered with sweat, his chest rising and falling in exhaustion, his biceps throbbing in exhaustion.

Spike decided to walk up to Fancy Pants while he reached for his water bottle

“Well, this is new, I didn’t take you for the weight lifter,” he said as he walked up to him

Fancy Pants took one last sip of water and said

“Well, now that we entered the difficult part of the tournament, I realized that we were depending too much on you, Ember, Thorax, and Pharynx… so I decided to come here and train my body a bit more,” said Fancy Pants

“If that were the case, you’d be working on your legs, core, and stamina, not your chest and arms… what’s really going on?” said Spike as he got eye-leveled with Fancy Pants

Fancy pants remained silent and avoided eye contact

“Fancy Pants, if we are going to be business partners in the near future, we need to be able to communicate… unless you want me to find somebody else,” said Spike

The mention of this made Fancy Pants eyes open in fear

“No! I’ll tell you…” said Fancy pants

“Then start singing,” said Spike

“SIGH… a few days ago… I overheard a conversation that got me thinking…” began Fancy Pants.

2 DAYS AGO

Fancy Pants was walking down the hallways towards soccer training when he overheard some of the cheerleaders talking; intrigued, he decided to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“No, seriously, why DO you like Spike?” asked Eclair

“Well, he’s nice, smart, handsome, he’s got such a cute baby face…” began Fleur

“And his body, OH MY GOD, I’d like to know what he can do in the bedroom,” said Melody

“Back of the line sister, I saw him first,” said Fleur “But, you’re right, he has the body of a God… his big muscular chest, those well toned biceps, his washboard abs…” she continued

“Washboard?! His abs are like 24K gold ingot of perfection,” said Suri

“Not to mention, he is so kind and down to earth,” added Coco

“And his voice… have you heard him sing slow pop songs?” said Melody

“Plus, he is so tall… he is the perfect man… I wonder what our kids would look like,” said Fleur.

“Better question, how OUR kids look,” said Melody

“Melody… I hate to break it to you, but he doesn’t seem interested in you,” said Suri

“Or you,” said Fleur

“Girls!!! Do I have to remind you that we need to look beautiful for the matches? Plus, I don’t want to be cleaning up your blood or… “Mess” from the floors, get to practice!” said Eclair

“Chill, Eclair,” said Melody

“You know, if you keep talking like that, your veins are going to pop out, I doubt Spike would like that,” said Suri

“And I suggest you stop eating so much bread… wouldn’t like to have my biceps to be as big as Spike’s… or Coach Rommel’s for that matter,” said Eclair

“How dare you!!!” said Suri

“FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTHS AND GET IN HERE, I AM NOT YOUR BABYSITTER!!!!” screamed Upper Crust as she kicked the door to the auditorium open, murder in her eyes.

The girls shivered and quickly headed into the auditorium for practice.

Fancy Pants stood there, making sense of what he had heard.

After a few minutes, he came up with a plan and quickly headed to training.

“So, that’s why you were putting the extra effort during practice,” said Spike

“Now you understand why I’m doing it,” said Fancy Pants

“Yes… and I’m gonna ask you to stop,” said Spike

“Why?... so you can be the only one in the school with a fan club?” said Fancy Pants

“No, if you continue doing this, you’re going to become me… you’ll lose your personality… and if that happens… What's the point of living?... especially when you’re living someone else’s life?” said Spike in a calm voice as he placed his hand on Fancy Pants’ shoulder

Fancy Pants remained silent, not knowing what to say.

“And for the record… If you like Fleur that much, tell her,” said Spike

Fancy Pants looked up at him

“My mothers always say that assertiveness and confidence is the first step for love, the rest happens by itself,” said Spike

“And does that really work?” asked Fancy Pants

“I wouldn’t be here talking with you if my father hadn’t done that,” said Spike with a warm smile

“You’re right, but… she likes guys like you,” said Fancy Pants

“LIKE me, what am I like?” asked Spike

“Strong, tall, athletic, smart… handsome… I don’t think I stand a chance,” said Fancy Pants

“Of course you do… you are all those things, you just have show her that, you’re dependable, that she can count on you when it matters most,” said Spike

“You’re right!... thanks Spike, you’ve been a big help,” said Fancy Pants

“I knew I knew that scent! Hey Spike, wanna come and workout with me?” asked Fleur as she popped her head from behind the bench press machine.

“Relax your hormones sister, you’re one million years too early before I leave you alone with Spike,” said Moondancer as she came up behind them.

Spike turned to look at Fancy Pants, signaling him to take the shot, but he refused

“It’s not the right time,” he mouthed

After seeing this both Fleur and Moondancer grabbed both of his arms and pulled him away from the place

“I’m still not ready to say that… I wouldn’t want to hurt her,” thought Fancy Pants as he went back to working out, but this time, he went to the leg exercise machines.

THE NEXT DAY

“WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THIS SEMI-FINAL STAGE BETWEEN CRYSTAL PREP. AND CLOUDSDALE, THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH WILL PLAY THE FINAL AGAINST THE WINNER BETWEEN CANTERLOT HIGH VS MANCHESTER,” said Gideon

“That’s right folks, we are at the final stages of the tournament, with the semi-finals being played today, and the big final happening in 3 days… what is your prediction for these matches?” asked Dante

“Well, Dante, I think Crystal Prep. had a wonderful run of form throughout the whole tournament, I have no reason to believe they will not run away with this match, especially if we remember that they defeated Cloudsdale 5-0 the first time they played each other, I’d say 2-0 for Crystal Prep.,” said Gideon

“And for Canterlot V Manechester?” asked Dante

“4-2 for Canterlot,” said Gideon

“Well, before the match begins let us go through the line ups,” said Dante

“Sunny Flare, starts on goal for Crystal Prep., Indigo Zap, Bengal, Fancy Pants, and Jet Set; Thorax, Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, and Neon Lights, on the midfield, and Ember and Spike, up front,” said Gideon

“Sebastian “Silver Zoom” Zenith starts on goal, Freya “Fleetfoot” Johannes, Trevor “Thunderlane” Peters, Miriam “Misty Fly” Ferguson, and River “Rapidfire” Tennyson on defense; Helena “High Winds” Wilson, Brianna “Blaze” Asheville, and Sienna “Surprise” Rodgers on midfield, and lastly, Stephen “Soarin” Winfield, Freddie “Fire Streak” Shellford, and captain Simone “Spitfire” Finn on attack,” said Dante

“The match will begin shortly, please stay tuned, for after this commercial break, the action will begin,” said Gideon

INSIDE CRYSTAL PREP’S LOCKER ROOM

“COMMON GUYS, WE ARE ONE MATCH AWAY FROM THE FINAL LET’S NOT BLEW IT AGAINST CLOUDSDALE!!” said Rommel

“Relax, play your ball, and enjoy your game… anything else to Spike?... Spike?” said Shining Armor as everyone turned to look at Spike.

He was leaning, face first, on the wall, his left hand on his chest, as he breathed rapidly

“Spike?!” said Shining as he walked over to him, placing his hand on his shoulder

This made Spike jump and turn around, he was sweaty, like if he had just ran a marathon

“Are you ok?” asked Shining

“Yeah… yeah, I was just… uhm… trying to calm my nerves… you know,” lied Spike

“Ok then… but if you, or anyone, feels tired during the match, signal it and we will sub you off, now head to the field and begin warm up… and… uhm… don’t get distracted with the cheerleaders,” said Shining as everyone except Spike left the locker room

“No!... not now,” he thought as he headed out of the locker room.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“AND THE MATCH BEGINS!!!!!” said Gideon

MIN. 5

“Soarin gets the ball and makes a run for Crystal prep’s area… he evades Neon Lights… and now Indigo Zap… HE IS UNMARKED AS HE ENTERS THE AREA… AND HE IS TAKEN DOWN BY FANCY PANTS… it’s up to the referee now… PENALTY KICK FOR CLOUDSDALE,” said Gideon

“Well, it’s a very unfortunate move by Crystal Prep’s defender Fancy Pants, he uses his body to intercept Soarin as he made his diagonal move towards the net, but he didn’t calculate his speed and ends up body checking Soarin to hard, tripping him in the process,” explained Dante

“Spitfire to take the penalty… she doesn’t take much distance… GOAL!!! PERFECTLY TAKEN PENALTY, THEY FIRST GOAL OF THE MATCH FOR CLOUDSDALE, AND 8TH IN SPITFIRE’S RECORD.

MIN. 23

“Free kick for Cloudsdale and yellow card for Indigo Zap,” said Gideon

“Clumsy tackle from the Crystal player, she was late to the ball and ended up making contact with Fire Streak’s ankle,” said Dante

“Soarin to take the kick… he kicks it over the barrier… OH! THAT’S JUST BAD LUCK!!! SUNNY FLARE FLEW TO STOP THE BALL, SHE CONTROLS IT BADLY AND SEND IT FLYING TOWARDS FANCY PANTS’ HEAD… OWN GOAL AND 2-0 FOR CLOUDSDALE,” said Gideon

ON THE PITCH

“OH FOR FUCKS SAKE!!!” exclaimed Fancy Pants

“Sorry Fancy,” said Sunny Flare

“It’s fine Sunny… it’s just… look at the score line,” said Fancy Pants

“We still have enough time!” said Spike as he walked over to them.

“Don’t get discouraged,” said Ember as she grabbed the ball and ran with it to the center circle for the kick off.

MIN. 30

“Misty Fly has the ball, she passes it to Surprise… who does a quick pass to Thunderlane… who kicks the ball up field… towards Blaze, she controls the ball and passes it to Spitfire… WHO IS ALONE IN THE CENTER… IT’S ONLY HER VERSUS SUNNY FLARE… SHE PREPARES THE SHOT… AND SHE IS DISPOSSESSED BY NONE OTHER THAN SPIKE, WHAT A RUN FROM THE CRYSTAL PREP CAPTAIN,” said Gideon

“I agree Gideon, he covered the whole field in less than 20 seconds… that just come to show the level of physical prowess he possess,” said Dante

MIN. 45

“Last action of the first half, corner kick for Crystal Perp., Lemon zest to take it… Lobbed pass to the far post… AND WHAT A WAY TO REDEEM YOURSELF! GOAL!!! FOR CRYSTAL PREP., GOAL FOR FANCY PANTS, HIS FIRST GOAL OF THE MATCH, AND HIS 5TH IN THE TOURNAMENT, 2-1” said Gideon

HALF TIME

Everyone was rushing towards the locker rooms to talk strategy for the second half… everyone except Spike.

He had remained static since the final whistle, his left hand pressuring his chest

“I have to endure it… at least until we tie this match,” thought Spike

“Spike? Are you ok?!!” came Moondancer’s voice

“Yeah… I’m just… a bit out of breath, that’s all,” said Spike

“Well, acting like a box to box striker can be tiring… here,” she said as she handed him a gatorade bottle

“Thanks,” said Spike as he took it and walked towards the locker room

“You’re hiding something Spike… but what is it?” thought Moondancer

SECOND HALF

MIN. 55

“PENALTY FOR CRYSTAL PREP., A VERY SILLY HANDBALL INSIDE THE AREA BY RAPIDFIRE… AND A YELLOW CARD AS WELL… KICK TO BE TAKEN BY EMBER… SHE GETS READY… AND RIFFLED AGAINST THE POST AND BACK INTO PLAY… GOAL!!! QUICK RECOVERY FROM THORAX, WHO PASSES THE BALL BACK TO SPIKE, AS HE SCORES THE EQUALISER, 2-2” said Gideon

“This is also the 3rd penalty kick that the princess has failed, some more practice maybe,” said Dante

MIN. 63

“Dangerous counterstrike by Cloudsdale, Fleetfoot with the ball… she passes it to Blaze, Blaze to Spitfire, Spitfire to Soarin… Soarin runs with the ball but he is closed down by Bengal and Fancy Pants… back heel pass to Surprise, who makes a diagonal run towards the Crystal area… but she is cut down by Thorax and Sweet Sour… they wrestle for the ball… Surprise does a “surprise” and desperate pass down to the opposite sideline… WHERE HIGH WINDS IS WAITING FOR THE BALL COMPLETELY UNMARKED… SHE BEGINS HER RUN TOWARDS THE CRYSTAL AREA, HUGGING THE SIDELINES… JET SET IS DOING HIS BEST TO TRY AND CATCH UP WITH HER, BUT HE IS NO MATCH FOR HER SPEED!!!!” said Gideon

“I have to… run faster… I… won’t… LET YOU SCORE!!!!” thought Jet Set as he began sprinting at a speed that would make Usain Bolt proud.

“WOW!! JET SET JUST CAUGHT HIS SECOND AIR… AND HE HAS CAUGHT UP WITH HIGH WINDS!!!... BUT HIS EFFORTS DON’T SEEM TO BE ENOUGH, SHE IS GETTING AWAY FROM HIM… SHE ANGLES HERSELF TO CROSS THE BALL INTO THE AREA… AND THE CROSS IS BLOCKED BY SPIKE, AS HE LUNGES STRAIGHT FOR THE BALL'S TRAJECTORY USING HIS BODY TO STOP THE BALL!!!... AND IN ONE LAST MOVE, JET SET CLEARS THE BALL, BEFORE HE AND HIGH WINDS JOIN SPIKE ON THE GROUND… THE COUNTER IS ON… NEON LIGHT’S WITH THE BALL… HE MAKES A HARD LOW PASS FORWARD… LEMON ZEST HAS IT… SHE DRIBBLES PAST ONE… TWO… THREE… PASSES THE BALL TO SWEET SOUR… SWEET SOUR RUNS FOR THE CLOUDSDALE BOX… BUT SHE IS CUT DOWN BY THUNDERLANE… AND THE BALL GOES OUT FOR A CORNER KICK,”

ON THE PITCH

“Sigh, I’ve never ran that fast in my life… What about you Spike? Holding on alright?” said Jet Set as he got up

Spike didn’t reply, he just laid on the grown breathing heavily

“Spike?” asked Jet Set as he got near him

Nothing…

“Spike, you ok man?” asked Jet Set as he turned Spike around; the image he saw was horrifying… Spike was pale, struggling to breath, his hands on his chest; he could tell he was in pain.

“Dude, what’s wrong?” asked Jet Set, as soon as he touched his hand, Jet Set noticed that Spike’s body was warmer than usual

“Get… Get help,” Was all Spike managed to whisper out.

At the mention of this Jet Set got up and started waving his arms like a maniac and screaming to catch everyone’s attention.

After the first scream, the referee, Coach Rommel, Shining Armor and players all turned and noticed Jet Set and Spike.

Shining Armor’s and Coach Rommel’s eyes widened in fear, and they grabbed the first aid kit and oxygen masks and rushed towards the scene with the referee and the cloudsdale medical staff right behind them.

“What happened?” asked Rommel

“I don’t know, but he’s having trouble breathing and his body is really warm,” said Jet Set

“Quick the oxygen mask,” said Shining as Rommel gave him the mask to put on Spike.

Spike then began to depreatly suck in air.

“Just breath Spike, calm down,” said Shining as he kept the mask on Spike

After a few more seconds Spike’s breathing became normal, and he was able to sit up.

“What happened?” asked the referee

“When… when I jumped to block the ball, it hit me in the mouth of the stomach… it knocked the air out of me, and… added to the exhaustion I had from running… It gave me tachycardia, it made it hard for me to breath,” Spike said

“Then.. I’m subbing you off,” said Rommel

“What about your body temperature? you were on fire!” said Jet Set

“Self-healing mechanism… it kicks in when I’m in trouble and rizes my body temperature,” said Spike

“Ok, then… Can you walk? Or do you need to go to the hospital?” asked Rommel

“I can walk… I was about to ask to be subbed out anyway,” said Spike as he got up

TV BROADCAST

“Well folks, the scare has passed, Spike is now on his feet and walking out of the pitch, although he still has the oxygen mask on,” said Gideon

“He must’ve overdid it,” said Dante

“And Royal Pin is coming in to take his place, and he hands the captain’s armband to Ember

MIN. 69

“Back to the game… corner kick to be taken by Neon Lights… short pass to Sweet Sour hos makes a lobbed pass into the area… GOAL!! FOR CRYSTAL PREP. THORAX OUTRUNS HIS MARKER AND ANGLES HIMSELF PERFECTLY TO HEAD THE BALL INTO THE NET. 3-2, for Crystal Prep,” said Gideon

MEANWHILE

Spike found himself in the locker room, coach Rommel said that it was better because of the air conditioning system.

Spike however had more pressing matters to worry about, he quickly opened his bag and fished out his phone.

RING RING RING RING RING

“Hello? Spike?! It’s been so long, how is the tournament going?” came Dynamo's voice

“It happened again,” said Spike

As soon as this sentence left his mouth Dynamo went quiet

“And this time it was worse… do you think… that it’s ready?” said Spike

“I don’t know… I’ll book the next plane to the Crystal Empire, I might arrive early next morning,” said Dynamo

“Thanks… please don’t tell my father or anyone for that matter,” said Spike

“I won’t… but maybe you should… and soon,” said Dynamo

Spike remained quiet for a few seconds and said “You’re right… I’ll do it now,” said Spike as he hung up and used his magic to call his father, mothers, Princess Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Prince Rutherford.

“Spike? What wrong?” asked Celestia

“There is something I need to tell you all…” said Spike

THE NEXT DAY

“And with that goal during the final play of the match, Canterlot High has classified to the final and will play against Crystal Prep. for the glory of it all,” said Gideon

“We spoke to Coach Rommel regarding the incident with their captain Sean Von Drake, here is what he said,” said Dante

“It was a serious situation, when Spike jumped to block the cross, the ball impacted both his stomach and chest, leaving him winded, now that, added to the fast beating of his heart do to the physical exhaustion, caused him to have trouble breathing, and out of that desperation he suffered a tachycardia episode… thank God it was nothing mayor and he is fully recovered, he just needed some rest,” said Rommel

“Will we see him in the final?” asked the reporter

“Is the sky blue?” said Rommel

“Yes,” said the reporter

“There is your answer,” said Rommel as he walked away

SPIKE’S ROOM

“Dude, you really gave everyone a scare,” said Neon

“I know, even Twilight and Rainbow Dash sent me messages asking if I was ok,” said Spike

“And you are right?” asked Ember

“Never better,” said Spike

“Well, We’ll let you rest, I know your injury wasn’t as bad as mine, but still, it was your heart, be careful,” said Pharynx

“I will,” said Spike

“You know, if you want, Moondancer can stay here and cuddle with you,” teased Ember

This made both of them turn red

“I AM NOT DOING THAT! I MIGHT GET PREGNANT JUST BY SLEEPING ON THE SAME BED!!!!” Moondancer screamed

The look everyone gave her was off pure incredulity

“I think you fried her brains,” said Thorax

After a few seconds Moondancer realized what she said and ran out of the room so fast, all that was left of her was the outline of her body.

“Why didn’t she join the track and field club? We could’ve used her,” said Ember

“Not important… anyway… if anything changes… you have us on speed dial, right,” said Thorax

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” said Spike

“Calls if you need anything,” said Ember as she closed the door.

5 MINUTES LATER

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Come in, Dynamo, it’s open,” said Spike

“How did you know it was me?” asked Dynamo

“Thermal Vision,” said Spike

“Aha, you finally mastered it,” said Dynamo

“Yeah…” said Spike as he sat up form the couch

“Listen Spike… I know you are scared… but there is nothing we can do about it… it’s in your body, and it’s not going away,” said Dynamo

“Then, what can I do?” asked Spike

“Train, gather knowledge about it… and hope for the best,” said Dynamo

“You think it’ll work?” asked Spike

“Only one way to find out… come on, I’ll show you some exercises you can do,” said Dynamo as he threw Spike some clothes.

ONE WEEK LATER

“WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO THE GREAT FINALE OF THIS SEASON'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT BETWEEN CRYSTAL PREP. AND CANTERLOT HIGH, AND I AM PUMPED, What about you Dante?” said Gideon

“We are on the same boat Gideon, today we crown a champion… and we have good news for the fans of both teams, Sean Von Drake and Mathew Smith have been medically cleared to play today, let’s remember, Sean Von Drake suffered a tachycardia attack during the semifinal game Vs cloudsdale, and Mathew Smith suffered a heavy blow to the head during the match Vs Manechester, but they are fit enough to play, are they going to play the whole match? Possibly not, but let’s wait and see,” said Dante

“Crystal Prep. is going out with: Sunny Flare on goal; on defense we have Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, Fancy Pants, and Jet Set; Thorax, Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, and Neon Lights, on the midfield, and Ember and Spike, up front,” said Gideon

“It’s almost the same lineup from their first game,” said Gideon

“The only change is that Neon Lights is playing instead of Trenderhoof, and Sugarcoat instead of Bengal” said Dante

“Well, the game will begin shortly, please stay tuned,” said Gideon

ON THE BLEACHERS

“So, Twilight, dear, who are you supporting, your school or your childhood friend?” asked Rarity

“Well, I’d be happy regardless of who wins, but… I’m a Canterlot High student, so it obvious,” she said as she raised a school flag for everyone to see

“Now that’s what I call school spirit,” said Trixie as she and the other cheerleaders began their routine

THE TEAMS ENTER THE FIELD

Spike and Rainbow Dash walked up to the center circle to meet the referees.

“Let’s get one thing straight Spike, we’re good and all, but I still want the trophy,” said Rainbow Dash

“Back of the line… skittles,” said Spike as he raised his hand

“Oh, it is one ash breath,” said Rainbow Dash as she shook his hand.

“Captains, ready?” asked the referee

They both shook their heads and headed to their teams' sides.

“AND THE MATCH BEGINS!!!”

MIN. 6

“Bulk has the ball, he passes it to Spot, Spot up to Rainbow Dash… She runs past Indigo Zap with her close behind… lobbed pass… AND THE BALL IS CAUGHT BY SUNNY FLARE! Good idea from Rainbow Dash,” said Gideon

MIN. 19

“Neon Lights is blocked off by Flash and Rover, what is he going to do?... he moves the ball between Rover’s legs and he is off… he makes a diagonal back pass to Ember… Ember holds the ball, and passes it to Lemon Zest… Lemon Zest to Spike… Spike shoots… AND THE BALL IS CAUGHT BY PINKIE PIE, EXCELLENT PASSING PLAY FORM CRYSTAL PREP,” said Gideon

MIN. 33

“Applejack wins the ball, beautiful dispossession… she gives the ball to Norman who begins his run up field… he gives the ball to Bulk… Bulk holds it and waits for Space to open on the field… he passes it to Spot, who uses his speed to nutmeg Sweet Sour and he is off… ball back to the sideline with Norman… Norman to Sunset Shimmer, who attracts Sugarcoat and Jet Set towards her… and makes a quick pass to Norman who sprints past them… sends a lobbed pass into the area… AND GOAL!!!!! GOAL FOR CANTERLOT HIGH, BEAUTIFUL HEADER FROM RAINBOW DASH, LEADING WITH EXAMPLE,0-1,” said Gideon

HALF TIME!!!!!

CRYSTAL LOCKER ROOM

“Common guys, it’s only one goal, we can still win this!” said Spike

“Yeah, time to start using counterstrikes and fast ball plays,” said Thorax

“Everyone ready for the second half?” asked Ember, earning a cheer from everyone.

CANTERLOT LOCKER ROOM

“We need to tighten our defense, let them become desperate and they will attack and attack, running out of air , letting us win easily,” said Rainbow Dash

“Any objections?” asked Flash

“Let’s go beat their asses,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Oh, I like the sound of that!!” said Pinkie Pie as she hopped to the field

“Should we…?” asked Norman

“Leave her, at least she isn’t going to do something weird,” said Rainbow Dash as they headed to the field.

SECOND HALF

MIN. 47

“Neon Lights with the ball… passes it to Spike… OH, BAD PASS, INTERCEPTED BY BIG MAC, AND THE COUNTER IS ON… BIG MAC TO FLASH… FLASH TO RAINBOW DASH, WHO DRIBBLES PAST SUGARCOAT AND INDIGO ZAP… PASSES THE BALL BACK TO FLASH WHO LEAVES FANCY PANTS IN THE DUST… HE ONLY HAS SUNNY FLARE TO BEAT… AND WHAT A SAVE FROM THE CRYSTAL GOALKEEPER, SHE FLEW INTO THE AIR AND STRETCHED LIKE A POUNCING CAT, AND SEND THE BALL TO A CORNER KICK,” said Gideon

“Unfortunately, not everything is ok, Sunny Flare is taking sometime getting to her feet… let’s see the replay… oh yes… she lands in a very awkward position over her left arm,” said Dante

“Do you think she can continue?” asked Gideon

“No, there is the sub signal as she walks towards the bench… and listen to the crowd, they all know what this means,” said Dante

“Patrick “Pharynx” Chamberguard is back ladies and gentleman, can he keep up with the good work that Sunny Flare has been doing? We are about to find out.

MIN. 49

“Corner kick for Canterlot, Sunset Shimmer to take it… lobbed pass… into the graceful arms of Pharynx… who kicks the ball towards the Canterlot area… directly towards Big Mac… BUT THE BALL IS INTERCEPTED BY SPIKE, WHO CONTROL THE BALL WITH HIS CHEST AND DASHES TOWARDS PINKIE’S NET… HE AIMS… HE FIRES… HE SCORES!!!!! WHAT A GOAL FROM SPIKE, TOP RIGHT CORNER, NO WAY FOR PINKIE PIE TO STOP IT, 1-1,” said Gideon

MIN. 78

“Free kick for Canterlot, Flash to take it… he aims… and the ball goes over the bar, wasted opportunity,” said Gideon

MIN. 86

“Final substitution on the Crystal side, Trenderhoof for Neon Lights… and now, neither side has subs for the extra time,” said Gideon

“I’m guessing they don’t want to go to extra time,” said Dante

MIN. 90
“Ember runs the ball to the far left corner...she is looking for an opening in the area for the pass, but nobody is open, Trenderhoof, Spike, and even Fancy Pants, who are the tallest players on the pitch are all being closely marked… time is running out… she makes a while lobbed pass, but it seems to be too high and strong for anyone to get their heads too… AND HOW WRONG WAS I, OUT OF NOWHERE APPEARS, THORAX WITH THE VOLLEY, SENDING THE BALL INTO THE NET, IT IS 2-1, WITH ONLY A 2 MORE MINUTES ON THE CLOCK!!!” said Gideon

“We also have to praise Pinkie Pie, she did a titanic effort to reach the ball but it clips the inside of the post and it ricochets into the net, can they still tie this game?” said Dante.

MIN. 90+2

“Rainbow Dash kick off… AND WE ARE NOW SEEING A FINAL ATTEMPT STRATEGY FROM CANTERLOT, THE “AVALANCHE” FORMATION… AND IT SEEMS TO BE CATCHING THE CRYSTAL PLAYERS BY SURPRISE, THEY DON’T KNOW WHERE TO TURN OR WHO TO MARK… EMBER AND THORAX RUSH TO STEAL THE BALL FORM PINKIE PIE… BUT SHE KICKS IT AWAY AS SOON AS THEY GET NEAR HER… THERE IS SO MUCH CONFUSION IN THE CRYSTAL DEFENSE!!! THEY HAVE LEFT A MASSIVE GAP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THEIR AREA!! WHERE FANCY PANTS AND INDIGO ZAP!!!... RAINBOW DASH CONTROLS THE BALL… SHE TURNS AND GETS NEAR THE AREA… THIS MIGHT BE THE FINAL PLAY OF THE MATCH… SHE ONLY HAS THE KEEPER TO BEAT… OH!!!!! PHARYNX MANAGES TO KEEP THE BALL OUT, TOE-TIP SAVE FROM THE CRYSTAL GOALKEEPER WHO JUMPED THE WRONG WAY… AND THAT IS IT FOLKS!!! CRYSTAL PREP. WINS THE TOURNAMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 10 YEARS!!!” exclaimed Gideon

ON THE PITCH

Crystal High players were going wild, everyone was hugging and congratulating each other; Ember quickly ran up to Thorax and gave him a big hug.

“WE DID IT!!” he exclaimed only to be shut up by Ember kissing him on the spot.

This caught many people’s attention, including Spike and Pharynx

“I knew they were dating!” said Pharynx

“Really? I had no idea,” said Spike

“He’s my younger twin brother… I could tell easily,” said Pharynx

“Then, what about you?” asked Spike

“Who knows…” was all Pharynx could say before he was tackled into a bear hug by Lemon Zest

“Pharynx you’re our hero!!” said Lemon Zest

“Oh, no, it was a team effort, I was just lucky,” said Pharynx, suddenly acting as shy as Spike around camaras.

The next thing he knew, Lemon Zest’s lips were on his as she kissed him passionately.

It took a while for his brain to register what was happening, but after it did, he deepened the kiss.

Spike looked at his friends.

“I was planning on saying something super smart, but… I have nothing,” he said

“Well, three can play that game,” said a female voice as Spike turned to see Fleur walking up to him and giving him a hug “Well done, captain,” she finished giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks,” was all Spike said before being tackled by Moondancer

“We did it Spike, we won!!!” she said as she continued hugging Spike.

“Couldn’t have done it without anyone,” said Spike as he returned the hug; then out of nowhere, Moondancer also gave Spike a kiss on the cheek.

“Why is everyone giving me a kiss, it’s so weird,” he thought

Moondancer turned and looked eyes with Fleur de Lis

“Like hell, I’m I going to let you win, Fleur,” she thought with a smug smile

Fleur was about to head towards them when she was stopped by Fancy Pants and Eclair who were inviting her to join the celebrations, and pulled her away before she could do anything.

Meanwhile, Spike broke free from the hug, and went up and down the field giving high fives and the occasional bro hug or hug… until he saw her.

There, sitting on the turf, was Rainbow Dash, she was sitting in a way that her knees touched her chest, and her face was hidden by them.

You couldn’t tell from afar, but Spike knew she was crying, he decided to walk up to her.

“We were so close, SO CLOSE! I blew it, I had the tie that could’ve kept us alive in this game… How can I look at my team… my school… my friends?” she thought

As soon as she finished that line of thought, she felt a hand patting her shoulder

“Good game,” she heard Spike say as she looked up

Rainbow Dash didn’t say anything as she looked down again.

“Hey! What’s wrong?” he asked as he sat next to her

“It’s just… at the beginning of the year I promised everyone that I would bring the trophy home… I wasn’t able to keep my promise,” she said

“Well, I don’t think they cared,” said Spike “I mean, look, they are all cheering, despite you guys not winning the tournament… you placed your school’s name high, and that’s what you should be proud about, not winning an empty piece of metal… the people that only care about that are idiots, idiots that can comprehend the beauty of this sport,” said Spike with a smile.

“You think so?” asked Rainbow Dash

“Look around you, what do you see?” said Spike

Rainbow Dash looked up, and saw all of the fans cheering, at that point it didn’t matter who won the tournament, what mattered to them was the fact that the 2 teams on the pitch gave it their all, and they were proud of it.

“You see… they don’t mind, they’re cheering for you too,” said Spike as he helped her off the ground.

Rainbow Dash looked at the stand and saw her friends clapping and cheering for her to.

Rainbow Dash, then, did something that no one saw coming, she gave Spike a hug.

Spike was really taken by surprise, he didn’t even know how to react, until he just gave up on thinking and went with it, hugging her back

“Thanks... for everything,” she said

“That’s what friends are for,” said Spike

“Yeah… friends,” Rainbow Dash thought as she hugged Spike a bit longer.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“And here we go ladies and gentleman, the moment to make it official… and there is Mr. Burton, ready to hand the trophy to Spike… AND IT’S OFFICIAL, CRYSTAL PREP. HAS WON THE TOURNAMENT!!” said Gideon as Spike raised the cup

“They will celebrate long into the night, I’m I right Gideon?” said Dante

“Let’s hope not, they have class on Monday… anyway, that’s all folks, thanks for following the journey with us, goodnight and goodbye,” said Gideon as the TV broadcast ended.

Ch. 7 Painful goodbyes, bloody hellos

PROLOGUE

It’s been 4 years since the end of the soccer tournament; since the creation of “Our Last Stand”; and 4 years since Spike enrolled in Crystal Prep.

4 years that flew by so fast, no one realized it, until Shining Armor gave the announcement, that Graduation was just around the corner, 1 week away in fact; and now, the students that stayed behind to continue the extra 2 years, were doing their best to create memories with their friends before they all take different paths.

Spike was one of them… but in his particular case, he was doing his best to finalize various business ventures to help, not only his land but his hometown.

And so far, everything has been perfect… way to perfect, and Spike knew it.

FANCY PANTS APARTMENT

“... and that’s the outline of the trade plan I designed for the next 5 years… what do you think?” said Fancy Pants

“So… by the end of this plan, our net worths will go up a 37.9%... sounds good… but, if you change the route from here… and move down to Edmoncolt, and set up the market there as well, our net worths will go up a 45%... and all is needed is a bit of extra work that either of us can accomplish,” said Spike

Fancy Pants looked at it for a few seconds and said

“PERFECT!!! I’ll head to Edmoncolt after graduation and begin work with the negotiations,” he said as he grabbed 2 cans of soda

“CHEERS!!!” he said as he and Spike took a sip of their sodas.

They remained silent for a few more seconds.

“So, how’s it going?” he asked

“How is what going?” asked Spike

“Life, it seems like just yesterday we all came to this school, created this bonds, had all those amazing triumphs… it feels unreal that we are now leaving...” said Fancy Pants

“Save that speech for the final toast,” said Spike

“HEH!... you’re right… but anyway, how’s life been?” said Fancy Pants

“Well, I can’t complain… I came here ready to be an outcast… to have fake friends, but… I’m glad that didn’t happen,” said Spike

Fancy Pants smiled and took another sip of his soda

“Any Ms. Von Drake in the near future?” asked Fancy Pants

“No… at least, not for now,” said Spike

“What about Moondancer, you guys are really close… I thought you guys were dating,” said Fancy pants

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!!! I-I-I’M NOT DATING HER!!!” said Spike turning red

“But you want to, right?” asked Fancy Pants

“What about you and Fleur? I see no progress on that front,” said Spike

“Yeah, well… I’m gonna ask her to accompany me to the graduation party… what about you? You gonna ask Moondancer?” said Fancy Pants

“I-I-I-I- I don’t know…” said Spike

“Dude, listen to me… life is too short to live it without loving someone… I can tell you’re wary about the intentions of said people, but, at least give love a chance,” said Fancy pants

“Right… well, I must get going,” said Spike

“Right, it’s getting late… just, think about what we discussed… I mean, look at your bandmates, they’re all happy in their relationships… even Neon Lights and his secret Girlfriend,” said Fancy pants

“I will… have a good night, man,” said Spike as he left the apartment.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“Why is everyone so interested in love and romance all of a sudden?... and why is Fancy Pants urging me to ask Moondancer out?... I mean, we are friends… good friends… but… I don’t think she sees me as more than that…” Spike thought

RING RING RING

“Hey dad, something is wrong?” asked Spike

“You could say that son,” said Francis

“Is it something I can help with?” asked Spike

“It actually has a lot to do with you,” said Francis

“What did I do?” Spike asked

“It’s not what YOU did, it’s what is happening in your absence,” said Francis

“I… don’t get it,” said Spike

“Son, I’d prefer that we continue this conversation in the spiritual board, with everyone, can you call them and tell them to join,” said Francis

“Sure… I’ll get to it,” said Spike as he hung up the phone “I wonder what’s wrong,” thought Spike.

A FEW MINUTES LATER IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM

“So, what is so important that you had to call us so late at night?” asked Shining armor sipping some coffee

“It wasn’t my idea, my father called and told me to make this happen,” said Spike

“Well, whatever it is, it must be important… Francis isn’t the one to pull this stunts if it wasn’t necessary,” said Celestia

Just then a portal opened and Francis Von Drake came walking in, although he wasn’t alone, but no one recognized the man behind him.

“Thank you all for coming… I understand it’s late and a very bizarre situation, but… Where is Rutherford?! He’s partially the reason we are all here!” said Francis

As if on queue, a portal opened, and out walked Prince Rutherford.

“Sorry for being late, had to put my son to bed,” said Rutherford as he took a seat

“Tell me about it,” said Celestia

“Glad to see YOU finally made it,” said Francis

“So, what is all this about?” asked Torch

“I want to know who is responsible for the destruction of my son’s territory!” said Francis with anger in his voice

“Whatever do you mean?” asked Rutherford

“Yes, Francis, We would like an explanation,” said Celestia

“Then let me introduce… Lt. General Alexander “Flame” Claymore… one of the many refugees that my town took in during the last 3 years,” said Francis

“Refugees?” said Cadence as she sat up and looked at Celestia

“Why haven’t we had reports of this?” asked Celestia as she looked at Torch

“This is the first time I’m hearing about this too,” said Torch looking at Francis

“Doesn’t any of you find it strange that my domain went from a small Port town of just over 1000 habitants to a buzzing new metropolitan area with over 2.3 million habitants?... I had to buy acres upon acres of land for everyone to have a place to live,” said Francis

“That explains a few things…” said Celestia

“At first, we didn’t really pay any attention, until we started noticing, 1, the high amounts of people all coming in from the north border, and 2, at least 50% of them were active or veteran members of army, police, and or fire department, and their families,” said Francis

“SAY WHAT!!!” said Celestia as she sat up

“Now, the ones who want to have joined our ranks and strengthen our military,” said Francis

“I’m still waiting on the explanation Francis,” said Torch

“Flames… they’re all yours,” said Francis as he sat down

“Good evening, your majesties… as Sir Von Drake said, I am Lt. General Alexander Claymore, known as “Flames” by many…” said Flames

“You’re Dragonborn,” said Torch

“Yes sir, I was born in the Dragonlands, and graduated from the Dragonlands’ Royal Military academy back in 76,” said Flames

“Then why weren’t you in my army?” asked Torch

“I was, but as soon as the situation with the terrorist attack happened I was sent to the town of Drakewood to overlook it’s surrender… therefore the reason I am here,” said Flames.

“Please go on,” said Spike

“For 2 years, everything was going beautifully, it really seemed like the town was going to change and grow… but then, every office in town started to receive letters of foreclosure, which surprised us all, since we were necessary services, we started to go to the palace everyday seeking an audience with the administrator of the land, Sir Wilfred Danvers, but we never were received. After that, the situation regarding security went completely down the toilet… violence went up from 0 homicides to 30 in a matter of days, then massive fires started to destroy government offices… even the fire department was burnt to a crisp… when we seeked an explanation, we were trespassed from the palace grounds, and the next day we received death threats coming from the administrator himself,” explained Flames

“But… but that’s impossible… Wilfred is one of the most respectful man I’ve ever met,” said Rutherford

“It doesn’t end there… 2 new guilds were constructed in a record time… Lotus and Venomford… and then, everything went from bad to HELL, various criminal groups entered the city, causing civil unrest, and massive caravans escaping the city… now, that city is a cesspool, no one in their sane mind will go down there,” said Flames

This caused the whole room to go silent

“This is not the man I left in charge of Spike’s land, he was my right-hand man for decades, he isn't the type allow this,” Rutherford argued

“How can you explain what is happening?” asked Celestia

At that same second a portal opened and a voice said

“Well, unless Wilfred magically changed his skin color from black to white, and now calls himself Van der Houssen, I doubt there is much more to discuss,”

“Discord! Chrysalis! Sombra! Where have you been?” said Celestia as she jumped out of her seat and hugged her husband.

‘I actually noticed this situation, and I did some minor investigation of my own… turns out, 3 years ago Van der Houssen arrived at Drakewood with a bunch of Nobles that supported him, and took over the city by force,” said Discord

“But, there was never any battle,” said Flame

“Not that you were involved in… but he made a Coup happen within the palace walls, and forced Wilfred to give over the land,” said Chrysalis as she sat down.

“And where is he?” asked Rutherford

“Either dead… or in the dungeon of the palace with his family,” said Sombra sitting besides his wife.

“Great, kind corruption took over my sons land,” said Francis

“Well, we have to do something to get it back,” said Celestia

“Let’s send our death squads, they can do it quick,” said Torch

“NO!... if you do that, you’ll start a war… and that’s possibly his goal here,” said Spike

“So then, what do you recommend?” asked Rutherford

Spike remained silent for a few seconds

“I’m going to have to infiltrate the city, and destroy the web of corruption from the inside,” said Spike

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!” screamed Francis

“Well, I’m open to suggestions,” said Spike

But no one said a thing, the had no idea what to say

“Son, do you understand what you have to do? You’re going to have to live with blood on your hands,” said Francis

“I have to… if I don’t a war will start, and all your images will be ruined… plus, this is my land, I have to reclaim it… it’ not like I haven’t killed before,” said Spike

“Son… I don’t want you to become a monster,” said Francis

“I already have the title… it’s time that this nobles learn what happens when you mess with one,” said Spike

"SERIOUSLY?!! NO ONE IS GOING TO SAY ANYTHING?!!! NO ONE?!!" said Francis

"Francis… even if we want to object… Spike is right, no one else can get involved," said Discord

"WHY?!!!" said Francis

"Martial law," said Spike

"What?" Said his father

"Martial law, if any of you go into Drakewood, and kill anyone, it will be seems as a symbol of disrespect towards the lord of the land, aka, me… but if I go, the law doesn't apply since it's my land, " said Spike

"When you put it that way," said Francis

"Your majesties if I may, there are several other issues that makes this plan a bad one, more importantly, Spike's face is know by everyone, if he suddenly appears in Drakewood, the culprits will scram like cockroaches in the light," said Flames

Everyone agreed to that, and so they were back in square one.

"Maybe we can help," said Sombra

"How?" Asked Spike

"We can make you fake documents that allow you entry to the city," said Chrysalis

"But his face is still the problem," said Celestia

"Then… if I train and grow some muscle, a beard and change my hair style, people won't be able to recognize me," said Spike

"That sounds like a plan," said Discord "but, you might also need to bribe a border officer to "look the other way"... preferably a captain or sergeant,"

"Son… are you sure about this?" Asked Francis

"Dad… the way I see it, I lost my land in battle, it's time for me to reclaim it, except, I'm going to play their game while at it," said Spike with a determined smile

"HA! he's a Von Drake alright, he sounds just like you," said Torch

"How long will it take?" Asked Francis

"About 3 months maybe 4… I need to leave as soon as possible, " said Spike

"Well, that clears one issue… now to the other one, Money… you need to find a source of income while there," said Cadence

"Simple, I'll join a guild, I have the skills," said Spike

"But not the requirements," said Discord

"What do you mean? Said Spike

"Lotus is a guild solely for rich adventurers, nobles, you know… Venomford is for criminals only, if you don't have a criminal record, they won't even look your way, no matter how ruthless you act… that only leaves…" Discord said

"Ironwood… one of the original 4 guilds of my country, " said Rutherford

"If it's so powerful, what is it doing in that town?" Asked Celestia

"It feel.into financial hardship, so the new guild master moved the guild there, more work," said Rutherford

"And by the looks of it, they take anyone, talent or no," said Discord

"It's settled then," said Spike

"What about your backup?" Asked Torch

"Back up?" Asked Spike

"Yeah, you can't expect to destroy the whole town's corruption by yourself, right," said Torch

"I didn't think about that… but all I know is that, wherever there is evil, good will rise against it… I'm sure I'll find someone down there with the same guts," said Spike

"What if they don't know how to fight?" Asked Cadence

"I'll teach them myself… I've been training for almost 10 years of my life, I'm sure I can do it," said Spike

"Then the matter is settled," said Discord

"Will have the docs on stand by for when you are ready," said Sombra

"Thanks," said Spike as one by one, everyone disappeared from the room

"Oh… and Spike," said Celestia

"Yes?" He said

"Don't forget to say goodbye to your friends, ok" she said as she disappeared

"Right… say goodbye," said Spike as he awoke.

A FEW HOURS LATER

Spike sat in a park bench as he let the wind brush against him, trying to get his thoughts in order

“I know it’s risky… but, I have to do it… but why do I feel so empty and… terrified?” thought Spike as he looked at his phone.

“It must be done,” he finally said

RING RING RING RING

“Hello?” said Fancy Pants

“Hey, dude, it’s me Spike,” he said

“What is it man, something wrong?” asked Fancy Pants

“You could say that… you see…” Spike began

Spike explained everything to Fancy Pants, including the plan.

“So, what are you going to do?” asked Fancy Pants

“If you want, you can go through with the plan… it was designed to help both Drakewood and the City of Drake… so,...” Spike said

“So, I should divert my attention solely to Drake while the issue in Drakewood is resolved?” said Fancy Pants

“Yes… and give my share to my father… he needs the money for all the refugees that are arriving to the city,” said Spike

“Will do, just… don’t die in there… it would be a waste,” said Fancy Pants

“Concerned about little old me?” said Spike

“Of course, just think about all the money both our families would lose if that happened!” said Fancy Pants

“Of course he’d say that… Don’t worry, I don’t plan to die… not yet at least,” said Spike

“Good… if you need anything while you are down there, send me a message, I’ll do my best to help,” said Fancy Pants

“Thanks,” said Spike as he hung up

Spike then proceeded to scroll through his phone again, until he found the phone number he was looking for.

RING RING RING

“OH! Spike, what a surprise,” said Twilight as she answered the phone.

“Hey, Twi… hope I’m not disturbing or interrupting anything,” said Spike in a sad tone

“No… Not at all… Spike, is something wrong?” asked Twilight

“You could say that,” said Spike

“Is it something I can help with?” asked Twilight

“No,” said Spike

“Mind telling me what it is,” said Twilight

Spike proceeded to tell her everything

“YOU’RE GOING TO DO WHAT?!!!!!” she screamed when Spike finished

“I don’t see how that could confuse you,” said Spike

“Stop the sarcasm Spike, you’re leaving… to a suicide mission!!! Are you mad!!!!” she said

“No, I have to… it’s my land, the people I’m supposed to protect, and I let them down,” said Spike

“Then… I’ll go with you,” said Twilight

“NO!!!!... This is my battle Twilight, I have to do it alone… plus, if you got involved, war could break out,” said Spike

“But…” said Twilight

“No, Buts… just… keep me in your prayers… and don’t forget me,” said Spike

Twilight remained silent for a few seconds and said

“I will… but, with one condition… when you return… YOU HAVE TO TAKE ME ON A DATE!!!” she exclaimed

Spike was taken by surprise

“Twilight I…” he began

“PROMISE YOU’LL DO IT!!!” screamed Twilight

“Ok, ok… I promise,” said Spike

“No turning back,” said Twilight

“No,” said Spike

“Good… take care of yourself Spike,” said Twilight

“Yeah, you too Twi,” said Spike as he hung up the phone

Spike then looked at the heavens above, and then he looked around

“2 more things to do… and both hurt like hell…” thought Spike as he got up

2 DAYS LATER

“WHAT?!!!!!” everyone said

“I seriously don’t understand why no one understands why I say,” said Spike

“DROP THE SARCASM!!!” they all screamed

“Sorry,” said Spike

“So… this means…” said Pharynx

“Not necessarily, the band can continue without me,” said Spike

“No… you are “Our Last Stand” without you, the band has no soul,” said Thorax

“That’s not true,” said Spike

“Are you sure we can’t come with you?’ said Ember

“If you want a war to start…” said Spike

“No… you’re right… we’re gonna miss you,” said Ember as she gave Spike a hug

“I’ll miss you all… one last group hug?” said Spike as he looked at the rest of the guys

Surely enough, everyone walked over to Spike and gave him a massive hug.

After a few more seconds, they all broke, and Neon Lights said

“Should… should we make it official?”

“Yeah… it’s only fair,” said Spike

After a few minutes of adding the statement and picture to all of the band’s social media… Spike walked over and pressed “enter”

“It was fun while it lasted,” said Spike

“Let’s just hope we can do it again,” said Thorax

“Yeah… see you all tomorrow for the graduation party,” said Spike

“Sure, let’s make it one to remember,” said Thorax

Spike smiled and left the room.

“The void… the emptiness… it hurts more and more… but why,” thought Spike

THE NEXT DAY… PARTY TIME

Spike stood by the table with the buffet searching for something to munch down on

“Glad to see you actually came,” said Moondancer

“Well… I wasn’t going to miss the last time we’ll all be together,” said Spike

“Yeah… I can’t believe it’s been 5 years now,” said Moondancer

“Agreed… so many things have changed… I mean… look… I’ve never seen a group of people with a bond so strong,” said Spike with a smile

“Lovely,” said Moondancer as she followed Spike to his table.

Once they sat down, they stared at the dance floor as friends and couples alike danced together.

“Ok, everyone… grab your sweetheart or sweethearts, and get ready to dance!” said the DJ

Moondancer was about to ask Spike to dance when Fleur walked up to the table

“Care to dance, Spike?” she said

“Uh…” was all Spike was able to say

“Just hold on a second there!” said Moondancer as she jumped up

“Is there a problem?” said Fleur sarcastically

“Yes!... I was going to ask him!” said Moondancer as she got on her face

“Well, you snooze you… lose… WHERE DID HE GO?!!!” said Fleur as both their eyes locked on the now empty seat with an imaginary outline of Spike on it.

They both looked around frantically, and, just as the music was starting, they turned to the dance floor, they spotted Spike getting into position, with none other than Coco Pommel

This infuriated them, and it was visible to everybody

“Thanks for the safe,” said Spike he got into position to dance with her

“Anytime,” said Coco Pommel as she hugged Spike

“OK!! I hope you all had a great moment… BUT IT’S TIME TO BLOW THE ROOF OFF!” said DJ as another song began to play.

“THIS IS TURNING OUT TO BE A WONDERFUL EVENING, RIGHT SPIKE!!!” said Eclair as she danced wildly around Spike and the rest of her friends

“Yup, it really is,” said Spike doing his best to hold a pleasant smile

“But, you know what would make this more fun?” said Eclair as she stopped dancing

“No, what?” asked Spike

“You and I go somewhere more… comfortable and you… ball me all over,” said Eclair pressing her boobs on Spike.

This caused Spike to clam up and turn red

“HEY!!! GET NASTY FAT AWAY FROM SPIKE!!!” screamed Moondancer, as she pulled her off Spike.

“What? Jealous much,” said Eclair

“No, that’s just indecent,” defended Moondancer

“Oh, come on, you were thinking the same thing, I just had the courage to say it,” said Eclair with a smile

“Hate to break it to ya, but, I think that’s a bit too much,” said Lemon Zest as she walked up to all of them with Thorax in tow.

“Oh, don’t get into this Ms. I’m not a virgin anymore,” said Eclair

This comment made everyone turn and look at the 2 of them

This caused both Pharynx and Lemon Zest to turn red.

“SINCE WHEN?!!” came Thorax’s voice

Pharynx looked at Lemon Zest and said

“Since last year… around December,” their faces fully red by now

Thorax then walked up to them and said

“Well… welcome to the club,” as he pointed to Ember, Jet Set, Upper Crust, Neon lights, and Spike.

Everyone noticed this and looked at Spike, which he noticed

“What?” he asked

“Are you… you know…” said Moondancer her voice shaky

“What are you talking about?” said Spike

“Oh! Allow me to explain,” said Thorax as he whispered what was going on

Spike’s face went from confused to bright red; he then noticed why the looks were on him

“OH!... No, I’m still a virgin… sorry, I’ll just scoot on over here,” he said

This made many girls sigh in relief

Lemon Zest, however, walked up to Uppercrust

“You?” she said

“Yup… actually… I’m pregnant right now,” she said

This caused everyone to cheer in happiness

“Well done, bro,” said Spike as he walked over and patted Jet Set on the back.

“Thanks,” said Jet Set with a dorky green

At that same moment, Eclair walked up to Spike again and said

“So… about my offer?”

Spike once again bright red and clammed up

“Eclair… you’re definitely drunk,” said Ember

“Yeah, did someone spike the punch?” said Thorax

“Don’t look at me,” said Spike

“I know it wasn’t you, you’re almost potophobic,” said Thorax

“Well, I won’t lie, I am drunk… with love,” said Eclair as she tried to get closer to Spike, but was held back by both Moondancer and Coco Pommel

“Ok, someone bring me some water,” said Ember “I’ll take care of this,”

“Ha, and you said you weren’t popular with girls, huh, Spike...Spike?... SPIKE?!!!” said Thorax as he looked next to him and noticed the only thing left of Spike was his outline

“God I hate it when he does that,” said Pharynx

“Anyone saw where he went?” asked Thorax

Then the sound of running high heels caught everyone’s attention, everyone turned and noticed Fleur de lis, running out of the conference room, pulling Spike away with her.
“Well, I didn’t see that one coming,” said Thorax

“Yeah… so, how are we going to explain to mom and dad, that we aren’t virgins anymore?” asked Pharynx

“We don’t,” said Thorax

“What do you mean “we don’t”? This is massive news for them,” said Pharynx

“They’ll find out when the time is right,” said Thorax

“Did… did you impregnate Ember?” said Pharynx

Thorax remained silent

“DID YOU?!!!” Pharynx screamed

“No… not yet at least,” said Thorax

“Wait… so you DO want to…” said Ember as she appeared behind them.

WITH SPIKE AND FLEUR

Fleur ran with Spike through various hallways, until they reached the upper balcony of the school

“We’ll… be safe her,” said Fleur as she caught her breath

“Why did you bring me here?” asked Spike

Fleur remained silent for a few seconds and she turned to face Spike

“Spike… I have to tell you something…” she said

“Oh no…” thought Spike

“Spike… for the past couple of years… I… I’ve learned so much about you… at first, I thought you were scary, but then… when I finally met you, I realized just how much of a gentleman you are… you were always there for me… whenever I had trouble with my classes you helped me study and tutored me without expecting anything in return… you made me company when I was down and feeling terrible… you encouraged me to follow my dreams… you were the hero I needed… the hero I was looking for my whole life…” said Fleur

“Fleur… stop… that’s not the truth…” thought Spike

“Spike… I want you to know… that I love you… with all my heart,” she finished

Spike stared at her for a few seconds, before walking up to the balcony and looking at the sky.

“Fleur… I am honored that you feel that way about me… but, I can’t reciprocate your feelings,” said Spike

Fleur looked at him, her face turning red with anger.

“It’s because of Moondancer, isn’t it… you love her more than me, right!!!” she screamed

“No… Fleur, I can’t reciprocate your feelings… because I don’t want to make you suffer,” said Spike

“Whatever do you mean!!!” she exclaimed

“Fleur… you and I have nothing in common… we have different views about the world… different tastes in music, fashion, food… and life paths,” said Spike

Fleur remained silent

“All those things you said I did… I did them, as a friend, but… many times, I had to be forced to be there… I am happy that your dreams came true… but, I’m not the person you should be thanking… there was some else there… always cheering you on… supporting you… that person deserves your heart… not me,” said Spike as he walked over to Fleur and gave her a hug “I truly hope... that we can stay friends… and be there for each other… Is that possible?”

Fleur nodded her head in agreement as she began to cry.

“Thanks… I am honored by it… but I have to go now,” said Spike as he let go of her, and walked out of the room.

Fleur, then fell to her knees and began sobbing.

Spike saw this as he walked out of the room

“Treat her well… she deserves it,” said Spike as he walked away.

Fleur was still sobbing as she knelt on the floor, she heard a pair of footsteps walking towards her, stop, and then a piece of fabric covering her.

“Everything is going to be ok… I’m here for you,” said Fancy Pants as he hugged her.

As soon as he did that, Fleur’s mind was bombarded with various images, all of the times she had believed Spike to be her hero, she had ignored the presence of the man, now kneeling beside her, as he comforted her.

Fleur, as if on impulse, hugged him back, not wanting to let go.

MOMENTS LATER

Spike continued to walk down the halls, his head hung low, but it had a smile on his face

“I know they’ll be happy… but why do I feel so… empty… is it because of that,” thought Spike.

Spike turned the corner and headed for the exit door

“Leaving so soon?” came a voice from behind him, a voice he knew very well, a voice, that he wanted to avoid.

“The part isn’t even over yet,” said Moondancer as she walked up to Spike

“I have to… I don’t have a choice,” said Spike

“What are you talking about?” said Moondancer as she stood in front of Spike

“Moondancer… I have to go, I have business to attend to,” said Spike

“Business? What type of business?” she asked

“It’s… personal,” said Spike

“So personal, you can’t tell your best friend?” she said

Spike looked at her and said

“My land… Drakewood, it’s… suffering, and I have to go and save it,” said Spike

“Suffering? How?” asked Moondancer

“A tyrant… he took over my land behind my back, and now transformed it into a cesspool… and I’m gonna go reclaim it,” said Spike

“Then… I’ll go with you, diplomacy is my area of expertise,” said Moondancer with a smile

“I won’t be using that type of diplomacy,” said Spike

Moondancer took a second to understand what he meant, and once she did, she said

“I’m still going with you… I may not be the best fighter, but I can hold my own,”

“NO!!!! No, I won’t let you… I wouldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you,” said Spike

“Spike trust me… I’ll be fine,” Moondancer said

“No, Moondancer, you’re not coming with me… the people that are going to be against me, they are really dangerous people, it’s no place for you,” said Spike as he looked into her eyes.

Moondancer stood there, silent, for a few seconds

“When will you be back?” she asked

“I… don’t know… maybe in a year, or 2, or 3… or… never,” said Spike

Moondancer remained silent, tears began to form in her face

“So… does that mean I’ll never see you again?”

“I hope not, but… in situations like this… you never know… It’s time for me to go… take care of yourself and… don’t forget about,” said Spike as he began to walk towards the door.

As soon as his hand landed on the door, Moondancer screamed

“I’LL WAIT FOR YOU!!! BE IT 1, 2, 3 YEARS OR ETERNITY!!!”

“Moondancer… I’m honored… but… don’t wait on a monster… see you… later,” he said with a smile and walked out of the door.

Moondancer stood in place, tears falling freely from her eyes.

“So, I take it you like him?” said Ember as she walked towards her

“Did… did you hear all that?” she asked

“I’ll wait for you… how romantic,” said Ember

“Please don’t make fun of me,” said Moondancer

“I’m not… I’d say the same thing if it was me,” said Ember

“I just wish… I could’ve had the courage,” said Moondancer

“To?” asked Ember

“To show him what he means to me,” said Moondancer

“You mean… kiss him? or “ go all the way”?” asked Ember

“Both,” said Moondancer in a sad tone

“Well… If I were you… I’d train to be able to stand by his side forever… just like I do, so that I can be next to Thorax forever,” said Ember with a warm smile “Now, come on, turn that frown into a smile, the party isn’t over,” she said as she dragged her back to the party

“I didn’t know you were so… sensitive,” said Moondancer

“Well, being friends with Spike and Thorax is bound to teach you a few things,” said Ember.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

The party was getting wild again… at least for the ones that were still standing or awake for that matter.

But, Moondancer couldn’t get her head into the party, it was constantly going back to Spike, and it made her really sad, so, she decided to exit the venue and sit on a bench outside and let the cold night breeze brush against her

“Love troubles?” came a male voice

“Thorax? Why aren’t you at the party?” asked Moondancer

“Ember told me what happened… I came to see how you’re doing,” said Thorax

“Thorax… what do you do when you’re sad?” asked Moondancer

“The same thing Spike does… I sing… or listen to music if I’m feeling lazy as well,” he said

This gave Moondancer an idea

“Say, do you have the keys to the music room?” she asked

“Yeah, right here… why?” he asked

“I’ll give them back later,” she said as she snatched them and rushed away

“Ok then… good talk,” said Thorax as he remained on the bench

Moondancer marched to the music room, opened the door, and immediately logged in into one of the computers.

She scrolled down various saved files in her user, until she found the one she was looking for.

She uploaded it into the speakers and grabbed the mic.

“I hope I can see you again Spike… with all my heart.,” she thought

4 MONTHS LATER

“... and that’ll be all,” said Spike as he packed his backpack

“So, you really are going to go through with this, aren’t you,” said Jacob

“You’re 4 months late to ask me that,” said Spike

“It’s just… I’m afraid for your well being,” said Jacob

“I’ll be fine… my plan is solid, and you know it,” said Spike

“I… I guess you’re right,” said Jacob

“Hey, listen, don’t worry about it… I’ll send you and Miriam a letter, when I can,” said Spike

“Well… at least will know you’re alive… so, regarding our other issue,” said Jacob

“You mean…” said Spike

“Yup… it seems dear brother Steven is up to something,” said Jacob

“I thought you were going to take care of it,” said Spike

“I can’t, me and Miriam are heading back home, since I’m going to be crowned the as new lord,” said Jacob

“I’ll… think of something,” said Spike

“Well, good luck… David Harridan,” said Jacob

“Thank you… your highness,” Spike answered as they gave each other a quick hug.

MINUTES LATER

“LISTEN UP MAGGOTS… WE WILL CONTINUE THIS TRAINING, NOT UNTIL YOU DO IT RIGHT, BUT UNTIL YOU CAN’T DO IT WRONG, YOU UNDERSTAND ME!!!!” said Flames

“YES SIR!!!” came the voices of the various men and women, training to enter the army

“General Flames… I hope I’m not interrupting,” said Spike

“Not at all sir… DID I TELL YOU TO STOP? I DON’T THINK SO!!!” said Flames

“Listen, I have an issue of state security,” said Spike

“I’m all ears,” said Flames

“I need someone… someone you trust and know very well,” said Spike

“What for your highness?” asked Flames

“That is something I would like to discuss with that person… you know, top secret,” said Spike

Flames understood completely, he quickly wrote something down and gave it to Spike

“Is he reliable?” asked Spike

“I trust him with my life,” said Flames

“Thank you, I’ll contact him immediately, I’ll let you get back to business” said Spike

“YES SIR!!!” said Flames

IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM

“You wanted to see me sir?” came a voice

“Ah, yes, Captain Gabriel Claymore, please have a sit,” said Spike

He did as he was told

“It says here, that you graduated with honors from the Dragonlands royal military academy this year,” said Spike

“Yes sir,” he said

“Great, because I need a person with your capabilities… it’s a matter of state security,” sid Spike

“Understood sir,” said Gabriel

“And your father says you are the man for this job,” said Spike

“I will give 100%, sir,” said Gabriel

“Great… this is the situation… do you know Steven McAlister?” said Spike

“He is your brother-in-law, sir,” said Gabriel

“Correct, well, you see, I have reasons to believe he is upto no good… , and since I’m going to be gone for sometime… I need someone to be my eyes and ears,” said Spike

“Yes, sir,” said Gabriel

“Ok, stop calling me, sir, that’s my father, just call me Spike,” he said

“Yes sir… I mean, Spike,” Gabriel

“Any nicknames?” asked Spike

“They call Garble,” he said

“Well then, Garble, you want the job?” asked Spike as he stretched his hand

“Of course, if he’s up to something, I’ll let you know immediately,” said Garble as he shook Spike’s hand, but he felt his skin burning

“Welcome to the Knights of Drake… remember, no one can know about this, only knights can… and so far, that’s either me, you or Jacob, Clear?” said Spike

“Crystal,” said Garble as he saw his hand and saw a magical crest on his palm

“That's your batch, wear it with pride… the City of Drake is now under your care,” said Spike

“I will protect it with my life,” said Garble

“I expect a report soon,” said Spike

“Right… Garble out,” he said and disappeared

“Well, that’s settled… time for my mission to start,” thought Spike as he left the realm

A FEW DAYS LATER

Spike finally arrived at the gates of Drakewood, his plan was working perfectly so far, with his new mohawk hair style, his beard, and the new muscle and scars from training were doing their job.

After a few more seconds, Spike reached the gate

“Go inside, and wait to be called, understood,” said the guard

Spike nodded and walked into the room

“Harridan, David… room 2, move it!” said the officer

Spike got up and walked towards the room

“Not so fast muscles, weapons,” she said

Spike walked over to her and dropped his daggers into a basket

“Nice… they seem expensive, Where did you get them” she said

“Grabbed them off a dead body,” said Spike

“Well… I’ll take good care of them,” said the officer

Spike nodded and entered the room, it was barely lit, inside was only another officer, sitting at a table

“Sit,” he said

“Is this going to take long?” asked Spike

“It’ll take as long as it needs to… papers,” he said

Spike handed him the fake documents

“So tell me Mr. Harridan… what brings you to Drakewood?” he asked

“The same thing that brings anyone here… opportunity,” said Spike

“Ah, a man of philosophy… what is your intended occupation?” he asked

“Odd jobs here and there,” said Spike

“Guild member… anything else you would like to state?” he asked

“It was nice meeting you,” said Spike as he stretched his hand forward, hiding the money in his palm

The border officer looked at Spike’s hand for a few seconds, and shook it

“Welcome to Drakewood,” he said as he took the money

Spike got up and headed for the entrance

“Here are your daggers,” said the reception officer

Spike took them and walked out into the city.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“I have no idea where I am… I mean, seriously Discord… you have to work on your handwriting… even Jordan has better handwriting and he’s 3,” said Spike as he read the map Discord had given him with the instructions on how to get to the guild

As Spike was about to turn a corner, he heard a disturbance to this left

“Come on guys… I don’t want any trouble, honest,” said a tall man as he backed away from a group of weird mask wearing people

“You should’ve thought about that before waltzing right into us and cause us to drop our stuff,” said a man wearing a mask

“It was an accident, I swear, I tripped on something,” said the tall man

“What a convenient excuse,” said a female as she drew her gun

“It was an accident, I promise you!!!” said the tall man as he fell backwards in fear

“And it’s about to be your last,” said another as he also drew his gun

“Oh, no… please NO!!” thought the tall man as he heard the guns fire, but there was never any pain, no coldness, and, most important, he was able to hear everything.

“Who are you?” said one of the man

“A passer by, with a piece of advice,” said Spike as he held his daggers in his hand

“And what might that be,” said the leader

“Walk away, before I become YOUR last mistake,” said Spike using a bandana to hide part of his face.

“You don’t scare me,” said the leader

“Then why are you shaking?” said Spike

Everyone looked at the leaders legs, they were shaking as if they were maracas

“FUCK YOU!!!” said the leader as he fired a round at Spike

“Wrong move,” said Spike as he dodged the bullet, and directed his dagger at the leader impaling him right between his eyes, killing him.

Spike looked around and said

“Who’s next?”

As if on queue, 3 of the 4 remaining goons fired at Spike, but he dodged the attacks easily and used air magic to direct his daggers towards the attackers, killing them in one go.

Spike then turned to the last survivor, the female that had started everything

She had fallen on her butt in fear and was shaking in fear.

Spike proceed to retrieve his daggers and walk up to her

“And you?... wanna die?” he said in a terrifying voice

“No sir! Please don’t kill me, you’ll never see my face again I swear,” she said as she removed her mask

“She’s kind of cute… I’ll let her live… Then leave, before I change my mind,” said Spike

She immediately got up and ran away, leaving her weapons behind.

“Are you ok?” said Spike as he turned, he hadn't even finished his sentence when the tall man crawled to Spike’s feet and began kissing them

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he said as he continued kissing Spike’s feet

“Ok, enough dude, that’s just creepy,” said Spike as he help the tall man to his feet

“Sorry… it’s just that, you’re the first person that has ever had my back,” said the man

“Oh… Well, my name is David Harrigan, and you?” asked Spike

“Clyde Durban, but everyone calls me…” Clyde started

“Troubleshoes Clyde,” said David

“Yeah, how do you know?” asked Clyde

“You played with Phillydelphia for the soccer tournament the 2 years ago,” said Spike

“Oh, I can’t believe some remembered me,” as soon as he finished that sentence, Clyde noticed something about his hero, something, rather familiar “Hang on a minute… you look just like… Sean Von Drake,” he said

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” said Spike as he began to sweat

“NO, it is you… the scar, near your left temple… I accidentally scratched him in the same exact place… that’s way too much of a coincidence,” said Clyde

Spike looked around and then back at Clyde

“You got me,” said Spike

“What are you doing here?... oh yeah, this was supposed to be your land,” said Clyde

“Yes… and I’ve come to reclaim it, and you?” asked Spike

“This is the only place that would accept someone like me… I didn’t really have a choice,” said Clyde

“So, I take it you came here to join a guild,” said Spike

“Yes, Ironwood guild, I heard it’s around here somewhere,” said Clyde

“What a coincidence, I’m headed there myself,” said Spike

“Cool… hey, I might not be the strongest person in this town… but if you ever need help, you can count on me,” said Clyde

Spike looked at him, he remembered all those years playing in the league and noticed how caring and reliable Clyde was, regardless of his clumsiness.

“I might take you up on that,” said Spike as the 2 of them headed for the guild

Unknown to the 2 of them, someone else had heard their little exchange, and was now walking up to the massacre done by Spike.

“Interesting… very interesting,” said the man, as he walked away doing his best not to lose sight of Spike and Clyde.

MINUTES LATER AT THE IRONWOOD GUILD

“SERIOUSLY?!!!” said Clyde

“I’m so sorry, but as I said, we are currently full, all I can do is put you in the waiting list… and, following the system, you guys would be contacted first as soon as a place is available,” said the receptionist

“Thanks man… we’ll let you get back to your work,” said Spike as he and Clyde walked away

“How long do you think it’ll take them to contact us?” asked Clyde

“No clue… why, need so cash fast?” asked Spike

“And a place to sleep,” said Clyde

“Maybe tomorrow… looking at some of the quests, someone is bound to die or quit,” said Spike

“Don’t get your hopes up,” said a voice

“Excuse me?” said Spike

“Have a sit, drinks are on me,” said the man

Spike and Clyde sat down at the table

“What do you mean?” asked Clyde

“The receptionist lied,” said the man

“So, you aren’t full?” said Spike

“No, we are, but, you guys aren’t first on the list… at most you guys are 10th or maybe even 20th ,” said the man

“So, what can we do to enter the guild?” asked Clyde

“Impress them, give them a reason to hire you,” said the man

“And how do we do that?” asked Spike

“I don’t know, but I can tell you guys are smart, you’ll come up with something,” said the man

“Thanks for the advice,” said Spike as he and Clyde finished their drinks and got up

“What is your name?” asked Spike

“Oh, that isn’t important… I ain’t asking for yours, now, I’m I?” said the man

“Right… thanks again,” said Spike as they both left

The man looked at the 2 of them exit the guild before sighing in relief

“Man, that Von Drake guy is intense, I was terrified to even look into his eyes… but he is strong, stronger than anyone… and if I play my card right, I can use that to my advantage,”

As soon as he thought that, 2 man sat in front of him, when he saw who it was, he almost jumped out of his skin

“Well, Conrad… do you have our money?” asked one of the thugs

“Gale… I had your money,” said Conrad

“HAD, being the important word, where is it?” asked Gale

“I lost it on a bet,” said Conrad

“A bet… to whom?” asked Gale

“2 thugs,” said COnrad

“Describe them,” said Gale

“Both were tall, muscular, one had long black hair and the other one was a purple and green mohawk,” said Conrad

“Anything else?” said Gale

“Oh, yes, I heard one of them say they are Maneiacs,” said Conrad

“MANEIACS?!!!! Those bastards never learn to stay out of our business, which way did they go?” asked Gale

“They just left, they mustn’t be to far,” said Conrad

“You better stay here, cause when we’re back… you’ll pay for this disrespect,” said Gale as he and other 5 people rushed out of the guild doors

“Rest in peace, bitch,” thought Conrad

WITH SPIKE AND CLYDE

“What was all that about?’ asked Clyde

“No idea… maybe he was high or drunk,” said Spike

“So… about your plan to reclaim the city,” said Clyde

“Oh, yeah…” Spike was about to start explaining when “DUCK!!!” he said as he threw Clyde to the ground, 2 bullets impacted the wall just where Clyde’s head had been milliseconds earlier.

“YOU NEVER LEARN DO YOU!!!” said Gale as he and his gang walked up to them

“Can I help you?” said Spike

“Yes, you can just die!!” said Gale as he and his gang opened fire again

Spike and Clyde dodged the bullets in different directions and took cover

“What do you guys want?” asked Spike

“Apart from killing us?” complemented Clyde

“THE MONEY YOU TOOK WON FROM CONRAD!!!” said Gale

Spike and Clyde looked at each other

“The man… he had to be a con artist,” said Spike

‘We didn’t get any money from him,” said Clyde

“DEATH TO THE MANEIACS!!” screamed the members of the gang as one of them throw a grenade and sent Clyde flying into a nearby building

“Ok, that’s it,” said Spike in a guttural voice, as left his cover

“Ah, a brave soul, wants to die… GRANT HIS WISH!!!!” screamed Gale as he and his men pointed their guns at him

But before they could pull the trigger, Spike lifted both his hands, this caused all 6 men to float in the air

“What is going on?” said Gale

“ARGH!!!!!” screamed one of the guys to their far right as his arms twisted and bended in unnatural ways, before his neck suddenly janket hard to the left, and his body went lifeless and fell to the ground

“WHAT IS THIS?!!!” said Gale

More and more screams of pain and agony filled his ears as left and right, his comrades were tortured, mercilessly.

Their arms twisted unnaturally, their bones began to break, their necks were mutilated, and in one case, his eyes were ripped out of the sockets by an unseen force.

One by one, their bodies fell to the ground dead.

Gale looked up and saw Spike walking towards him

“What… what are you?” he said in fear

“Your last mistake,” said Spike in the same guttural voice

Seconds later, Gale’s screams filled the nearby air, until they abruptly stopped.

Spike then proceeded to search his assailants

“What… what was that?” asked Clyde as he walked up to Spike

“The attack or…?” said Spike

“What you did,” said Clyde

“That… that is a Dark magic ability called “Voodoo”... it gives you control over anyone's body, until their heart stops beating,” said Spike as he continued to search the corps

“So… you’re also a necromancer,” said Clyde

“Yup… I went through the whole process back in high school,” said Spike as he checked another pocket

“What are you doing?” asked Clyde

Spike moved his hand in the pocket one last time and fished out a piece of paper

“Doing what that con artist told us to do,” he said as he held up a quest sheet.

Ch. 8 The beginning of FEAR (Dungeon crawling Pt. 1)

MINUTES LATER

“So… You think this is going to be a good idea?” asked Clyde

“Why? you doubt me?” said Spike

“No, but… are you sure we aren’t going to get in trouble for taking a quest without belonging to a guild?” said Clyde

Spike stopped and turn to face his new friend

“For the last time Clyde, it says here… this quest is open to ANYONE dumb or brave enough to attempt it,” said Spike as he held the quest paper in his hand

“Oh… how specific,” said Clyde

“Yeah… the only downside is that we won’t be able to cash in the money for the quest until we are accepted by a guild,” said Spike

“Then what’s the point of doing all this?” asked Clyde

“Well, we can’t get the cash, but… we can get rare items and most importantly… experience!” said Spike with fire in his eyes

“Oh yeah… experience,” said Clyde

“Yeah… well, this says that we are supposed to explore the whole dungeon, all the way to the last floor,” said Spike

“And how many floors are there?” asked Clyde

“By the looks of it… 100,” said Spike

“WHAT!!!!” said Clyde

“And by the looks of it, each floor is harder than the last,” said Spike as he read the paper

“That’s…” Clyde began

“THAT’S PERFECT!!!” said Spike

“a problem,” said Clyde a the same time

“What do you mean?” asked Spike

“I… I’m not good at fighting,” said Clyde

“Dude… I saw you fight back there, you’re extremely pain resistant,” said Spike

“Yeah… but it’s not by accident,” said Clyde

“Plus… you use heavy weapons, and with the amount of muscle you have this should be easy, come on,” said Spike as he entered the dungeon

“I… hope this doesn't end like it usually does,” said Clyde as he entered the dungeon.

FIRST FLOOR

“Ok, so the first floor is supposed to be the easiest one of all… by the looks of it there are only low-level creatures on it,” said Spike

“How low are we talking about?” asked Clyde

“Spiders… rats, things like those,” said Spike

“Oh,” said Clyde as they continued to walk through the first floor

After a few minutes of walking and nothing happening, Spike and Clyde had finally made it to the end of the hallway, well, almost…

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” said Spike

“What was?” asked Clyde

“I was expecting something to pop up and attack us, but… nothing, just nothing,” said Spike

“I’m glad about that though,” said Clyde

“Why?” asked Spike

“I ain’t good with fighting,” said Clyde

“Oh, come on, that’s ridiculous,” said Spike

“I’m serious…” said Clyde

Just then, Spike and Clyde heard something behind them, they turned and that’s when they saw it

“GREMLINS!!” they both screamed

“Oh, this is going to be fun, they’re quick, but due to their height they aren’t much of a threat for…” Spike began

“AHHHHHH!!!!!” said Clyde

Spike turned around and saw Clyde charging at them, only for his Warhammer to get stuck on a random piece of rope and bring that part of the wall down on top of him.

“The fuck just happened?” thought Spike as he used his fire magic to kill all of the gremlins and collect all of their loot.

“Yo, Clyde, you alive down there?” asked Spike

“Oh… I can taste my spine,” said Clyde as he climbed out of the debris

“Does it taste well?... and while you’re at it, who the hell do you know how it tastes?” said Spike

“Long story,” was all Clyde answer

“Well, the gremlins are dead, and by the looks of it, they weren’t as tough as I thought,” said Spike

“Are you kidding me! Gremlins are known to destroy villages all over the world!” said Clyde

“Not these… too small,” said Spike

“So… you’re saying that… they were…?” said Clyde

“Maybe… maybe not… in this line of work you can’t be thinking about who you kill, cause they aren’t, it’s kill or be killed,” said Spike as he helped Clyde up

“If you say so,” said Clyde as he helped Spike pick up the rest of the loot from the burned corpses.

A few moments later

“OK, that should be all of it, time to head to the next floor,” said Spike

“Right… the next floor,” said Clyde as he followed Spike down the stairs

SECOND FLOOR

“Are you sure we’re not going to get lost?” asked Clyde

“No, I have a map, not to mention, I left made a magical checkpoint outside in case of an emergency,” said Spike

“Oh… that sounds useful,” said Clyde

“Just relax, if you don’t pay attention to your surroundings you become vulnerable,” said Spike

“Right… I know that,” said Clyde with a nervous voice

“Good, cause things are going to get tougher from here on out,” said Spike

“OK,” said Clyde

“The second floor contains more gremlins and… whatever this thing is,” said Spike

“GLOWSNARE!!!” said Clyde

“Is that what it is, wow, I should’ve paid attention in biology, I mean look at the picture it’s so…” said Spike

“NO, GLOWSNARE!!!” said Clyde pointing at the massive tiger-like creature charging towards them

“Wow… THAT’S A CUB!!!!!” said Spike

At this point, Clyde charged at the Glowsnare, only to trip on his own feet and land face-first on the ground, allowing the glowsnare to use him as a stepping stone to lung at Spike who calmly drew his daggers and beheaded the glowsnare cub.

“Now that’s more like it!!!” said Spike as he grabbed his dagger and gutted the glowsnare

“What are you doing?” asked Clyde trying to hold his lunch in his stomach

“Do you… know… how much we can get for… a Glowsnare’s blood and heart on the market?” asked Spike

“No,” said Clyde

“Well… me neither, but I want to find out,” said Spike as he placed the blood and heart of the Glowsnare in his backpack and got up

“I’ve got to ask… isn’t that Backpack a bit too small for this?” asked Clyde

“Not really… it’s magical, I created it to help me store as many things as I need… the downside is… I wasn’t able to do something about the weight, so… it gets heavier and heavier with each item,” said Spike

“Oh… sounds counterproductive,” said Clyde

“Yeah… but I’ll fix it soon, I just have to know how to do it properly,” said Spike

“If you say so… so, what’s the limit?” asked Clyde

“Of what?” asked Spike

“The weight it can carry?” asked Clyde

“Well… it depends on how much I can carry,” said Spike

“Oh…” said Clyde

Just then, they heard a roar behind them

“I take it it was your cub,” said Spike as their eyes landed on a massive Glowsnare looking at them

“That’s… that’s massive,” said Clyde

“The Patriarch,” said Spike

“What?” asked Clyde

“I believe he is the patriarch of this litter, he may have been looking for his missing cub,” said Spike

“So then… we just made it angry,” said Clyde

“Possibly, but we can take him,” said Spike as he drew his daggers

“Right!” said Clyde as he got into a fighting stance holding his Warhammer

At that moment the Glowsnare charged at them at full speed

“Ok… this one is bigger than the cub, obviously, so, let it get closer, then you hit him on the side and I will finish him up, copy?” asked Spike

“Yeah… got it,” said Clyde as he swang at the Glowsnare only to lose balance and fall to the floor directly in front of the Glowsnare, tripping it and send it sliding towards Spike.

The Glowsnare was going so fast, Spike had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit by it.

While he was airborne, Spike flipped to use the ceiling as a platform and charge down towards the fallen Glowsnare, landing on its head and impaling with his daggers, killing it.

“Wow, good plan, Clyde, but you could’ve warned me about it, almost go crossed on his path,” said Spike

“Sorry… but, I wasn’t planning to change the tactic,” said Clyde as he got up from the floor

“Really?” said Spike

“Yeah… I suck at fighting, because… I’m EXTREMELY clumsy, I can’t even raise my weapon properly without bringing down a wall or a ceiling, or a whole house,” said Clyde

“Yeah, I can see that happening… but this should be the perfect place for you to tone your abilities,” said Spike

“I try… but so far I’ve only destroyed a wall, part of a ceiling, a set of stairs, and tripped a Glowsnare… I‘ve given you more trouble than what I’m worth,” said Clyde with a sad face

Spike felt pity for his new friend and was, unfortunately, lost for word on what to say, until he remembered what he had said before coming to this town.

"I'll teach them myself… I've been training for almost 10 years of my life, I'm sure I can do it,"

“Come on, it’s no time to be sulking,” said Spike as he continued on with Clyde behind him

“But it’s true,” said Clyde

“Well, in that case… I’ll train you,” said Spike

“Train me?” asked Clyde

“Yup… I’ve trained my fighting abilities for 10 years, I’m sure I can teach you something,” said Spike

“Really?” said Clyde with a sparkle in his eyes

“Yup, but it will take a lot of commitment, guts, and… acceptance of death,” said Spike

“Yeah!... wait was that last one?” said Clyde

“Well, the first rule of adventuring… the only certain thing in this job is death,” said Spike

“Ok… noted,” said Clyde

“Good… now, we are about to head down to the third floor, and you’ll defeat every single enemy that attacks us,” said Spike

“YEAH!!!... wait, what?” said Clyde

“As I said, you’ll defeat every single enemy that attacks us… I will only intervene if they’re too many of them and you get overrun,” said Spike

“Are you sure?” said Clyde

“If you want to get better, you have to fight on your own, I’ll just be a spotter, ok?” asked Spike

“Ok, I’m ready,” said Clyde as they both walked down the stairs to the next floor

VARIOUS MINUTES LATER

Spike and Clyde had been making pointers while Clyde fought his way down the floors of the dungeon.

You could say things were going great, but, unfortunately, Clyde seemed to be going backward than forwards.

Every Time there was a new enemy, Clyde would either do the opposite of what he was supposed to do, destroy a wall, and even activate all of the traps in the area.

It came to the point it was becoming comical, even Spike was laughing at his mishaps from time to time, even helping him out of the traps and killing the enemies.

But then, it got annoying, Clyde would make the same mistakes, even if he was fighting another monster he had fought earlier.

And this was getting on Spike’s nerves… A LOT.

FIFTEENTH FLOOR

BOOM! WHAM!!! KABLAM!!!”

Was heard all over the floor as Clyde did his best to kill another Cavehound, but his strong, slow, awkward moves were being easily dodged by it until Clyde, once again, hit another pillar and it fell on top of the Cavehound killing it.

“Well, that makes 500,” said Spike

“Wow, thanks, I never thought I’d kill so many creatures,” said Clyde

“Well, you didn’t really kill them, you just forced them to be a victim of one of your accidents,” said Spike

“Ouch,” said Clyde

“But, that’s progress nonetheless,” said Spike

Just then they heard a loud guttural roar coming from around the corner

They peered around it and saw the owner of the voice

“A Neetherhag,” said Spike

“Oh shit, what’s that doing here?” said Clyde

“I have no idea, the only thing I know is, if that’s here, then the rest are not far behind,” said Spike

“The rest of what?” asked Clyde

“Chaos Orcs… usually many of them,” said Spike

“That’s bad isn’t it,” said Clyde

“Of course it is, if they manage to escape the dungeon, all hell will break loose,” said Spike

“Why?” asked Spike

“Cause if it makes it out, It can show the rest of the creatures on this dungeon the exit and they will swarm the city,” said Spike

“Is that bad though?” said Clyde

“It is for me… I ain’t paying for someone to exterminate them, not to mention… this would be the perfect target for you,” said Spike

“Why do you say that?” asked Clyde

“Well, it’s about your height, same amount of muscle mass, a similar style of fighting… and the fact that you’re in his line of sight,” said Spike

“I still don’t… wait what?!!!!” said Clyde as he turned and noticed the Neetherhag, staring at him “AH! FUCK!” said Clyde as he was hit by a boulder.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot that these things like to use range attacks,” said Spike

“And you tell me now?!!!” said Clyde as he got up and was hit by another boulder

“Sorry… but, go kill it!!” said Spike

Clyde then got up from the ground and charged at the Neetherhag, only for it to pummel Clyde with another boulder, but this time, Clyde was able to deflect the boulder with his Warhammer like if it was a baseball, making it impact the wall to the left of the Neetherhag, causing part of the ceiling to fall on top of it.

Unfortunately, this just made it angrier and it charged at Clyde, grabbing a part of the fallen pillar and using it as a weapon mimicking Clyde

They finally reached each other and locked weapons, each one fighting over dominance of the other.

The battle was intense, with each one landing a blow to the other until finally, Clyde was able to use his height and headbutted the Neetherhag on the face, causing it to stumble backward, giving him an opening to strike.

But as soon as he was going to connect with the Neetherhag’s body

The Neetherhagswang his weapon erratically and connected with Clyde’s side sending him flying through a nearby wall.

“Ouch… that hurt,” said Clyde as he crawled out of the hole, but stopped when he noticed the Neetherhag’s feet right in front of him

“Oh, Shit,” he said as he looked up and saw that the Neetherhag was about to strike, but Clyde quickly used his strength to punch the Neetherhag in the knee cap, causing it to stumble in pain giving him time to get up and regroup.

At the same time, he was able to spot an opening in the Neetherhag’s defense, so he decided to use it.

But he once tripped over himself when charging and to make matters worse, his Warhammer landed far from where he was.

When Clyde looked before him, he saw that the Neetherhag had recovered and was now towering above him, ready to strike again.

Clyde closed his eyes expecting the worst, when

BANG BANG!!!

A loud thud was heard as the Neetherhag fell lifeless before him

“Well… that was close,” said Spike as he walked over to him

“Thanks… for the safe,” said Clyde

“Don’t mention it… but I want you to tell me what is wrong with you?” said Spike

“What do you mean?” asked Clyde

“You fight like if you were a different person,” said Spike

“A different person?” asked Clyde

“Yeah, you’re heavy, yet you try to fight like if you were a rogue or warrior, your body type and weapon don’t match that style, not to mention, you seem to doubt every step you give,” said Spike

“I just… get really nervous when fighting… I’m afraid of messing up and being an obstacle,” said Clyde

“And yet, that doubt turns you into your worst fear,” said Spike

Clyde remained silent for a few seconds not knowing what to say

“Stop trying to be something you’re not… don’t fight yourself, but fight them, believe in yourself no matter what, confidence is key for victory,” said Spike as he extended his hand towards Clyde

Clyde just looked at it before Spike said

“You have much training to do,” with a smile

Clyde smiled back and took his hand as he helped him up

“Thanks, I needed that,” said Clyde

“You also need to trust yourself when fighting, I don’t know what they taught you in school when fighting, but, you have to forget about it, picture your battle in your head, keep an eye on every small detail… and most importantly… remember you’re a big, powerful HEAVY… not a small warrior, understood?” said Spike

“Yeah!!!” said Clyde

“Good, then go get them!” said Spike as he pointed to the massive wave of Orcs heading towards them.

Clyde closed his eyes, grabbed his weapon tightly, and once he opened his eyes, you could see murder in them.

“Ready when you are,” said Spike

And with that Clyde charged at the orcs coming towards them.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

“Man, my back is killing me… not to mention this backpack weighs a ton… and Clyde is still going… Oh NO! did I create a monster!... I have to stop him,” said Spike as he stopped to crack his back and catch his breath after chasing after Clyde for the last several hours.

“Ok, I’ve got my second breath, so… it’s time to… WHERE DID HE GO!!!” said Spike as he saw more and more corpses flooding the floor of the dungeon.

Spike quickly got up and ran after Clyde following the growing number of corpses.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“There he is...and that is a Duskleach!” said Spike

As soon as he finished that thought, Clyde smacked the Duskleach with his Warhammer so hard it exploded sending its insides flying everywhere.

“This is my chance!” said Spike as he charged at Clyde.

However, Clyde was still in his Berserker mode and attacked Spike as he was nearing him, but Spike easily dodges the attack and smacked Clyde in the back of his head, bringing him to his senses.

“WOW! Spike… where are we… and what happened to all of these orcs and… things?” asked Clyde

“You happened,” said Spike

“Really… I did all this?” said Clyde

“Yup… you don’t remember do you?” said Spike

“No… I kind of blacked out for a moment,” said Clyde

“For a moment?! Dude, I’ve been chasing you for hours,” said Spike

“Wow, really?” said Clyde

“Yeah… not to mention we went even deeper than intended on our first day,” said Spike

“Really?... what floor are we on?” asked Clyde

“The 68th floor,” said Spike

“WHAT THE FUCK!!!!” said Clyde

“Why words exactly… Now, let’s get out of here and come back tomorrow… I have to fix this backpack, the weight thing is a massive issue,” said Spike as he used his magic to teleport them to the entrance.

“That was fun,” said Clyde

“I have to admit, it was,” said Spike as he used his magic to hide the entrance

“Why are you hiding it?” asked Clyde

“Do you really want another squad to stumble upon it and finish the dungeon after all of the hard work we… you, put into it?” said Spike

“Good point,” said Clyde as the 2 of them walked away towards the town.

Unknown to them, a hooded figure walked out from behind a tree and watched them leave

“I see I was right about him… he really is powerful,” said the figure as it followed the 2 friends into town.

BACK IN TOWN

“So… do you have a plan?” asked Clyde

“Plan?” asked Spike

“About the city,” said Clyde

“Well… I have the outline of it, but it’s still missing a few minor details,” said Spike

“Well, if I can be of any help, count on me,” said Clyde

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” said Spike

Spike and Clyde continued walking for a few more minutes in total silence until

“So, what now?” asked Clyde

“I… have no idea,” said Spike

“Shouldn’t we search for a place to stay the night?” asked Clyde

“If I were you, I wouldn’t go to the hotels in this city… God knows WHO used them and for WHAT they used them,” said Spike

“Guess you’re right,” said Clyde

“Not to mention, we don’t really have any cash… and judging by the moon, there are no traders open at this time,” said Spike

“So then, we’re just going to walk around town aimlessly until morning?” asked Clyde

“Looks like it… but that’s not safe anyway,” said Spike

“Should we return to the dungeon and camp near the entrance?” said Clyde

“We don’t have camping gear… we might get attacked by wildlife or bandits… and by the looks of the sky it’s going to rain,” said Spike as they continued to walk around town.

“Well shit… how long do you think it’s going to take us to finish the quest?” asked Clyde

“Possibly tomorrow… thanks to your rampage you eliminated a massive amount of monsters in the dungeon, plus I’ve sketched a map of the floors we’ve been… for a little extra,” said Spike

“Oh yeah, and adding the money you can get from the loot, we actually have quite the treasure in our hands,” said Clyde

“Yeah, so let’s just be patient and…” Spike as they both heard a conversation nearby

“... I mean it, we can have a really good time if you come with us,” said a male voice

“Yeah, sorry, I have no interest of hanging out with you,” said a female voice

At this point, the exchange had gotten the guys attention, so they decided to peer around the corner of the building to see what was going on.

“Heh, I don’t think you understand… dear… we know you were placed on the waiting list of the guild and that you need the cash and a place to sleep… if you come with us, we can get you a place to sleep, not to mention, we have connections with the guildmaster,” said on of the men

“If you do what we say, we can put in a good word for you… maybe even get you accepted into the guild immediately,” said another

“These guys can’t be serious, are they?” said Clyde

“The answer would surprise you dude,” said Spike

It was at that moment when Spike finally got a good look at the girl being harassed before them

“Wait a minute… red and yellow hair… cyan eyes… that way of speaking… IT CAN’T BE!... That’s Sunset Shimmer!” said Spike

“Wait, Sunset Shimmer as in Sasha Stein, or?” began Clyde but was caught off by a loud slap sound.

Spike and Clyde quickly turned to look at the conversation and noticed that Sunset Shimmer had slapped on of the guys

“I’ll say it one last time… Don’t touch me again, leave me alone, and never come near me again,” she said as she used her left arm to cover her chest.

The look the 2 men gave her was terrifying, and you didn’t need to be a genius to know what they were going to do next.

“You know, we were just trying to be nice,” said the one that Sunset Shimmer slapped

“But if this is the way you’re going to thank our kindness…” said the other one

“Then it’s best that you learn your place!” said the other one as he pulled out a dagger and lunged at Sunset Shimmer

Since he was standing too close to her and the fact that she was not expecting the sudden attack Sunset Shimmer was unable to position herself properly to counter the attack

The dagger was about to make contact with her neck, when her aggressor's hand stopped suddenly.

“What are you doing man, finish her off,” said the other one

“I’m trying, but… I can’t move my hand,” said the attacker

Just then, his hand began to shiver and twist in unnatural ways, causing him to drop the dagger

“WHAT’S GOING ON?!!!” he screamed as his wrist yanked backwards with such force it broke, not only the hand, but also his arm

“WHAT IS THIS!!!!!” was the last thing he ever said before his neck yanked to the side suddenly and he fell to the floor lifeless

“Wha-what did… what did you do?” said the remaining assailant

“N-nothing,” said Sunset Shimmer as she looked at the corpse of her attacker

“Bullshit! YOU KILLED HIM!” said the man as he made an attempt to fight Sunset only for a small projectile to fly through his skull killing him instantly.

Sunset Shimmer began to look around frantically, drawing her own sword

“Wh-who’s there?” she said with a stutter

“Relax… it’s just me,” said Spike as he walked out of the shadows followed by Clyde

“W-wh-who are you?” she said

“Yeah, I know it’s hard to recognize me but… it’s been a while Sunset,” said Spike

The moment he said this, Sunset Shimmer made eye contact with her saviour

“Spike?... WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!!!” she said as she hugged him

“My land… came to recover it in secret… blah, blah… saw you in trouble and acted,” said Spike

“Well, thank goodness you did… oh, hi,” said Sunset as she noticed Clyde

“NIce to see you again Ms. Stein,” said Clyde

“That accent, the height… the body… Clyde Durban,” said Sunset

“Yup,” said Clyde

“Ok, now that we’re all done with presentations… what are you doing here?” asked Spike

“Well… it’s a long story,” said Sunset Shimmer

“We have time,” said Spike

“I beg to differ, not to mention, being out in the open for too long seems to be a bad idea,” said the mysterious figure as it worked towards the group.

“Who are you?” asked Sunset Shimmer

However, instead of acting surprised like Sunset Shimmer, Spike pinned the figure against the wall and said

“You better start singing if you want to live,” as he summoned pointy rocks to act as claws in his left hand.

“OK, OK, OK! I’LL TALK, PLEASE DON’T KILL ME!” said the figure as he removed the hood he was wearing.

“It’s the con artist from earlier,” said Clyde

“Ok… I have a name, Conrad Wentworth, you can call me Capper,” he said, still shivering from Spike’s magic.

“OK...Conrad, talk,” said Spike

“I know I’m not in the best position to request anything but… wouldn’t it be better to have this conversation over a warm meal and a cold drink?” said Conrad

Spike looked at Clyde, who just shrugged

“Fine,” said Spike as he let Conrad go.

“Thank you, now, if you’re so kind to follow me, I know a delicious restaurant not far from here, we can talk there privately,” said Conrad as he walked away.

Spike and Clyde looked at each other and began to follow him, until Spike stopped

“So… are you coming?” he asked Sunset Shimmer

“You want me to go with you guys?” asked Sunset

“Of course… we may not be close friends, but… a known friendly face is better than an unknown one,” said Spike with a smile.

This made Sunset Shimmer blush as her heart skipped a bit

Sunset Shimmer walked up to Spike as the 2 of them hurried to catch up with Conrad and Clyde.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

Conrad had taken Spike, Clyde, and Sunset Shimmer to a restaurant near the south border of the town, and ordered so much food that the owner had to close for the night.

“So, where did you get the money to pay for all of us?” asked Clyde

“Oh, from the poor souls that were dumb enough to mess with you earlier,” said Conrad

“What is he talking about?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“Earlier today, I ran into the 2 of them, by chance, at the guild hall, after they left a group of low-lives came up to me to collect some money, but I told them that I had lost a bet to the 2 of them and that they had the money,” said Conrad

“Therefore the reason we are pissed at him,” said Spike as he took a sip of his cider

“And I apologize, but, I wouldn’t have sent them towards you if I didn’t believe you could kill them easily,” said Conrad

“How do you know we could?” asked Clyde

“Well, despite the fact that I don’t know much about you, I could tell that you possess inmence muscle power and that you are highly tolerant of pain,” said Conrad

“What makes you think that’s true?” asked Clyde

“The fact that you’ve had an arrow stuck in your back and you don’t seem to notice,” said Conrad pointing at the arrow, which Spike removed immediately.

“You are so awesome,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Well, Ms. Stein, I believe you are awesome as well,” said Conrad

“You know of me?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“Of course… The Canterlot Demoness,” said Conrad

This made Sunset Shimmer turn pale

“There is no need for that reaction, the fact that you possess that level of magic is amazing… ask Spike,” said Conrad

Sunset Shimmer turned to look at Spike

“Agreed… people call me the Dragonland’s Demon… and it’s growing on me,” said Spike

“But… aren’t you worried that people may think you are evil?” said Sunset Shimmer

“Are YOU evil?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“Well… I’m no saint, but… I don’t consider myself evil,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Then, I am just like you,” said Spike with a smile, which caused Sunset Shimmer to blush again

“Wow… that was smooth,” said Conrad

“Yup… he is a ladies man… he just doesn’t realize it,” said Clyde

“So, Conrad…” said Spike

“Capper,” he said

“What?” said Spike

“Using my name is becoming tedious, so, call me Capper,” he said

“Ok… Capper, what do you really want?” said Spike

“I want to help you recover your land,” he said

“But, why?” asked Spike

“I came to this town when I was 4 years old with my parents and sister… now, only I remain,” said Capper

“Oh… did they… you know,” said Clyde

“Die?... my dad, yes, my sister took our mother, and moved to Colterville,” said Capper

“Oh… why didn’t you go with them?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“Cause, I knew, someday, Spike was going to come here and recover the land, and well, I wanted to help,” said Capper

“I find that hard to believe,” said Spike

“Well, I do possess magic… dark magic, and that gives me an ability known as “Fateseeker”,” said Capper

“Ok, I believe that,” said Spike

“Wait, what is Fateseeker?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“Fateseeker is an ability that allows you to view all of the possible outcome to certain events, and determine which ones is most likely to occur,” said Spike

“Wow, that’s awesome,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Yeah… but it has many flaws… not to mention, the ability is also considered defective,” said Capper

“Why?” asked Sunset

“There is no real way to recharge it, so you might not be able to use it for a long period of time,” said Spike

“Oh,” said Sunset

“Yeah… therefore why I decided to train my magic to the point I became a great “Ghost”,” said Capper

“What’s that?” asked Clyde

“A “Ghost” is a dark magician who uses his magic for stealth and tones his or her abilities around that,” said Spike

“Awesome,” said Clyde

“Not to mention, I am also good at obtaining information about everything, houses, prices, people… gang hideouts and modus operandi,” said Capper

“So, you want to help?” said Spike

“Of course,” said Capper

“What do you get out of it?” asked Spike

“The opportunity to recover the land I call home… basically, I just want to return the favor to the town,” said Capper

“Well… we need all the help we can get,” said Spike

“Excellent!... now, what is the plan?” asked Capper

Spike immediately went pale and began to sweat

“You do have a plan, right?” said Capper

“To be honest… I didn’t know much about the town before I came here, so, I was going to join the guild and get to learn how the town works,” said Spike

“Well, it is imperative that the 3 of you join the guild,” said Capper

“Why?” asked Spike

“If you don’t, you won’t be able to cash rewards, get work, or even rent a house,” said Capper

“Makes sense,” said Spike

“Yeah… next, I have to tell you, if you are going to do… that… you better use magic, no bullets,” said Capper

“Why?” asked Clyde

“Every gun in this town has your name on it, which means, if you shoot and kill someone, that is not a bounty hunt, or a rival gang member, it can be traced back to you and you will become a bounty yourself, but magic, can’t be traced, giving you the perfect weapon,” said Capper

“Ok… but why?” asked Spike

“Allow me to give you an outline of the town…” said Capper

“This town has a crime pyramid, and it’s divided into 4 sectors, north, south, east, and west, each one of those secors is controlled by a gang, each one worst than the last... now the North sector is controlled by a disambiguation of the Diamond Dog clan, known as the “Rabid dogs”, this guys are a bunch of petty thugs and juvy rejects who don’t know when to walk away, possible the reason why they are usually massacred by the other gangs…”

“The east sector is controlled by the Maneiacs, this ones are a bit more organized than the last ones, despite the fact that they don’t really change much in their modus operandi… the only thing that separates them from the other gangs, is that they mostly attack rival gangs… but when they attack civilians… you can expect a massacre,”

“The west sector is controlled by the “Sanguinarios” this guys are bad news, not only do tehy do extortion, kidnapping, and murder… but this ones will kill you only for looking at them… like the guys from earlier,”

“Wait, so they were members of the Sanguinarios?” asked Spike

“Yup… their main rivals are the Maneiacs, the reason… I believe it was a botched love affair between the leaders of the organizations,” said Capper

“And finally, the south, the south is controlled by the Storm knights… and they are the worst street gang,” said Capper

“Why?” asked Clyde

“These guys are ruthless, they are well organized, well trained, and know all the loopholes in the law, and they also are the only street gang with the balls to fight organizations on the next level of the pyramid, since they have members they call “Storm Agents” they are everywhere, and they are trained assassins that you don’t want to mess with, plus… they answer directly to Van Der Houssen,” said Capper

“So that means they have more immunity than other groups,” said Sunset Shimmer

“At first… but from what I’ve heard, the leader of the group is planning on turning on Van der Houssen and become the new lord of this land,” said Capper

“maybe we can strike a deal with them,” said Clyde

“No… if he succeeds, then he will come for me, and, Van der Houssen’s head is mine,” said Spike with a deadly look

“Wow, he looks so hot… HOLD YOUR HORMONES SISTER, YOU JUST REUNITED WITH THE GUY, YOU AREN’T EVEN CLOSE IN FRIENDLY WAYS!!!” thought Sunset

“Well, Clyde may be up to something, the second level of the crime pyramid consists of the well known Mafias and Cartels, 4 in total, The Demon Stallions to the north, who support the Rabid Dogs… The Griffonstone Crime Familia, who support the Maneiacs… the Sanguinario Cartel, no need to explain who they support… and lastly, The Untamed Brotherhood, who support the Storm Knights,” said Capper

“That sounds somewhat intimidating,” said Sunset Shimmer

“That’s nothing, the mafias then answer to Van Der Houssen’s ministers, The Demon Stallions leader, Hosuke Arakaki is the younger brother of Van der Houssen’s minister of communications Nobuhiro Arakaki,”

“The Griffonstone crime Familia’s leader Leopoldo “Leo” Griffoni is a close friend of Van der Houssen’s minister of Defense & Justice Georgio Escaleta,”

“The Sanguinario cartel… well, I don’t exactly know if there is a relationship between their leader Rodolfo “El Sanguinario” Ortega and Van Der Houssen’s minister of Commerce & labour Miriam Von Nielssen,”

“And lastly the leader of the Storm Knights… I don’t know his name, answers to Van der Houssen’s minister of Finance Luuk Van der Houssen, his own younger brother,” said Capper

“So it’s all a web of corruption,” said Spike

“Correct, the ministers I just named are very close to Van Der Houssen, and at the same time, they earn extra benefits for their rich friends and families while tormenting the rest of the town, many times, they are the once that order the death of someone,” said Capper

“Which mean, that they control the laws and bend them to their will,” said Clyde

“Not to mention, without the existence of a police corp. in this town, violence can run rampant,” said Spike

“Oh no, there is police in the city,” said Capper

This comment caused them to look at him

“There is?” asked Spike

“Oh yeah, they aren’t too many, but don’t get your hopes up, they don’t really care justice, unless the person harmed is important to the higher figures of this town… plus, they are all part of the Demon Stallions and Sanguinarios organizations,” said Capper

“So, it seems that we are heavily outnumbered,” said Spike

“You think?” said Sunset Shimmer

“Yeah well, Mafias usually are willing to side with people who are stronger than them, so, if we are able to take out, not only the gang they support, but all of them, then we can strike a deal,” said Capper

“Maybe that could work, not to mention, if we are able to obliterate the street gangs we can tone our abilities to the point we are tough to kill,” said Clyde

“Maybe…” said Spike

“For now, the 3 of you worry about finishing that dungeon and entering the guild,” said Capper

“Why?” asked Sunset

“That way you guys can have an alibi in case someone suspects about this… plus, you need the referral to rent a house, and you also need the cash,” said Capper

“Makes sense,” said Clyde

“In the meantime, Capper, I need you to find out everything you can about the gangs, and when I say everything, I mean, everything,” said Spike

“Right… which one should I start with?” asked Capper

“For you, which one is the weakest gang in town?” asked Spike

“Rabid Dogs, they are just a bunch of thugs life I said,” said Capper

“Then start with that… Sunset… I’m not going to force…” Spike began

“Let’s go! we have a dungeon to clear, a guild to join, and a town to liberate,” said Sunset as she got up and readied her gear.

“Ok… that was….highly appealing… STOP IT! YOU DID THE SAME SHIT WITH TWILIGHT… Well I am a dude… OK, let’s go!” said Spike as he got up, followed by Clyde, and walked out of the restaurant and headed to the dungeon.

Capper followed them out of the restaurant and watched them disappear into the horizon.

“Father… it has begun!” said Capper as he looked up at the sky and hurried away to spy on the Rabid dogs.

Ch.3 Between a world divided

It has been 3 years since that fateful day when Spike awoke his powers and saved many lives; since that day’s Spike has been treated differently, he is highly regarded by the Dragonlands as the most powerful being ever to be born, and at the same time the rumors about him have spread all over the world, many have taken a liking to the new hero, but many more fear him greatly, and many more people have used his image as a means to start a war again.

"We can't let something like that roam about in the streets, he is too dangerous, plus he can be brainwashed by the Dragonlord and attack us," many said in the royal courts.

But for Celestia, Spike presented no threat, she had seen this kids heart and knew that he wasn't a monster; she did cry, however, when Dragonlord Torch told her what Spike had said, 2 days none stop, she wept, this concern everyone, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, and many more important nobles in the land of Equestria.

Every chance she got to escape the castle she would head to the city of Drake to be with Spike. She became his Godmother, his teacher, his moral support when he was down.

Spike didn't mind this at all, he actually liked Celestia's company, she was one of the few people who didn't change their relationship with Spike.

Every time she came by, she would bring him gifts, clothes, books, comics, one time she even brought him a video game, but for Spike, the best gift ever, was the electric guitar she brought him on her 4th visit, he had trouble putting it down.

He knew how to play the piano, drums, and bass and even sing thanks to his mom, dad, and Jacob, who taught him, but he always loved guitars, so every second of spare time that he had he would dash to his room and practice.

Over time this became his major escape, the only thing that helped him avoid this reality of his.

Don’t get me wrong, Spike’s life wasn’t exactly bad, on the contrary, it was better than ever. The only thing that made Spike sad was that people had changed their views about him.

Spike went from being a normal pre-teen, to be called “The Demon of the Dragonlands” by many people in other nations, and even that name in itself had evolved into arguments, with some people calling this “demon” a hero and others calling him the harbinger of the apocalypse and someone you should avoid at all times.

This was taking a massive toll on Spike’s emotional and psychological health, and it was made worse by his family.

Everyone stopped calling him “son” or “Little bro” or “ Spike” for that sake, now he was called “Sr. Drake” or “My Lord” or “Count Von Drake”, he went from having a loving family to have a loyal following.

You might think that this is a good thing, that Spike was respected by one and all in the Dragonlands, but in reality, Spike had never felt so alone.

No one looked at him in the eye, no one wanted to play with him, and no one wanted to be friends with him, heck, he had even gained a few bullies and haters in his own brethren.

He hated this, the only people that still called him by name were his instructors, Princess Celestia, his younger siblings, who were still too young and innocent to understand, Dragonlord Torch, and Ember.

This last 2 made Spike feel uneasy at times, but he usually ignored it.

Ever since Spike’s escape has been music and videogames, he used to love comics as well, but then he discovered a comic that was based on him.

Anyone would be ecstatic right? Well, this scared Spike, he saw all the expectations that were placed on him, people in the Dragonlands were asking for him to be crowned as the next Dragonlord, and they wanted that soon.

But Spike came out to the press and did various Tv interviews, where he said that, even though he was honored for the people’s support, he just wanted to have a “normal” life, and he asked that his decision be respected as much as possible.

He thought this was gonna make things calm down, and they did until he remembered about the township of Gotenheigh, which was now called Drakewood (Named by Spike’s dad to keep the Drake city name alive) and all of a sudden there were millions upon millions of people asking him about his intentions with the township, to which he only answered “I’ll see when I take charge” and that was it.

Now Spike’s situation was also considered comical at times, especially when Rich, important, and/or even famous people came to see him. In many cases, and I mean 99.9% of cases, it was to see if Spike would be interested in marrying their daughters, and I mean DAUGHTERS plural. But Spike politely turned them down, always saying that marriage for him was not a priority in life, it was actually one of the least interesting topics in his life, nevertheless, he always told them that he wished to remain friends, but many of them didn’t want to, not that Spike cared.

But there was one issue that was killing Spike inside, the look, the look on Twilight’s face when Spike became a hero, ever since that day, Twilight stopped talking to Spike, he sent her letters but she never answered, he even called her to her home once, but her Butler said “I’m sorry Mr. Drake, but Ms. Von Dusenholf has asked me to inform you, that she wants nothing to do with you and to have a good life on her behalf, once again, I’m really sorry.” before hanging up, Spike hated himself for this, till this day, Spike still saw himself as a monster, a mindless killing machine with no brains or compassion.

"Hey, kid! Something on your mind?" Asked Dinamo as he walked up to Spike.

"No, master, nothing at all." lied Spike

"Spike, I've been training with you for 3 years, I can tell when something is bothering you," said Dinamo.

"No, really I'm fine, just, nervous about the school thing," said Spike.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you're leaving for the Crystal Empire tomorrow," said Dinamo.

"Yeah, Celestia literally, begged my parents to allow me to enroll in that school… for over a year," said Spike.

"Wow, that woman is persistent. " said Dinamo "I hope it's just a coincidence that Ember is going to the same school."

"I still don't know why she insisted so much," said Spike.

"Well you did say that you wanted a normal school life," said Dinamo.

"Yeah but…" Spike started.

"But, you're afraid that your abilities will scare people even further away from you?" Said Dinamo.

Spike nodded.

"Well, the only advice I can give you is, don't see your abilities as something bad, but see them as tools to become the best human being out there," said Dinamo.

"But that's the thing, I ain't human!" said Spike.

"Really, cause in my eyes you're just another human who deserves, and must give respect," said Dinamo.

Spike remained silent.

"Good luck kid, hope you come back someday and tell me your stories, or, I might just visit you in Drakewood, I've heard it's a lovely town," said Dinamo as he got up and walked away.

"Thanks, master," said Spike.

LATER THAT NIGHT AT THE DRAGONLORD'S PALACE

"I take it the kid is ready?" said the Dragonlord.

"Yes sir, he has become a master fighter and swordsman, better than many battle-hardened knights," said Spyro.

"I have taught him the elements I've mastered, he is now fully capable of using Fire, Wind, and Darkness magic," said Hydra.

"And I did my part in teaching him the rest of the elements," said Dinamo.

"Well done, I suspect that we have created the perfect being," said Dragonlord Torch with a smile.

"By the way sir, I've been meaning to ask, but is it a coincidence that Spike and Ember are going to the same school for the next 3 years?" Asked Dinamo.

Both the Dragonlord and Spyro and Hydra looked at Dinamo, and then Hydra and Spyro looked at the Dragonlord, awaiting an explanation.

"Well, when Celestia came to ask for my permission for Spike to attend, I asked her if Ember could go too, and she said yes," said Torch.

"Really? This isn't you trying to have Spike and Ember fall in love, right?" Said Dinamo

"Of course not, I don't meddle in my daughter's personal life, my wife wouldn't let me anyway, why did you come to that conclusion?" Asked Torch.

"It was too much of a coincidence," said Dinamo

"Dragonlord Torch, with all due respect but, THAT'S CHEATING!" Said Hydra.

"Whatever do you mean?" Asked Torch.

"You said you were going to let Spike choose his future wife, but then you enrolled Ember in the same school as him, that's no coincidence," said Hydra.

"Shit, this woman is onto me, quickly think of a good lie!" thought Torch

"Hydra, don't you think you're taking these too far?" Said Spyro.

"What do you mean?" Asked Hydra.

"This past 3 years, you've been trying to hook your youngest daughter up with Spike," said Dinamo.

"Oh, like you didn't do the same," said Hydra.

"We didn't try to pressure Spike into marrying our daughters," said Dinamo.

"You don't have a daughter, Dinamo," said Spyro.

"Exactly," said Dinamo.

"And what about you Spyro, didn't you try at first?" Said Hydra.

"Not really, Elora and I want our children to marry for love and not convince," said Spyro.

And with that, the three nobles started to argue like teenagers

"Just like the good old days, we used to fight like that a lot during missions… I honestly would like Spike and Ember to get married someday, but if not I'll respect it." Dragonlord Torch thought as he looked out the window.

DAYS LATER AT THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE

"The first day of class, I hope everything goes well," said Spike as he entered Crystal Prep. building.

As soon as Spike entered he saw a lot of students already in groups and making friends, talking, or just doing crazy things, like showing off their magic abilities.

But they all stopped when they noticed Spike walking down the hall.

Their stares made Spike really uncomfortable so he quickly looked away and towards the floor as he walked off faster.

He could hear the whispers "Look! That's the demon of the Dragonlands."

"I wonder who let him enroll in this school?"

"Stay away from him, he might kill you if you get close."

"Stupid Dragonborn, why can’t those fealty animals just stay in their land and stop coming to invade our beautiful kingdom."

And many more things were said, it was amazing how Spike was able to ignore the insults coming at him left and right.

Then a female voice Spike out of a loudspeaker.

"All new students please report to the auditorium for the entrance ceremony in 5 minutes. Please and thank you." said the voice.

"Well, off to the auditorium I go… where is the auditorium to begin with? Better ask someone." he thought.

He then noticed a girl down the hall, she seemed to be having trouble carrying her books so he walked up to her.

"Ok, I'm almost at my locker, just need to turn this corner… Why am I carrying so many books?" said the girl.

"Need some help?" Asked a voice.

"Yes please, I just need to get to my locker, its in the middle of the hallway." said the girl.

"What number would that be exactly?" Asked the male voice politely.

"Number 436," said the girl as she handed some of her books to the person, but when she saw who it was she went pale.

"436, 436, oh right here," said Spike as he grabbed some of her books

The girl quickly walked up to her locker, unlocked it and shoved her books inside

"Th-th-thank you," she said as she turned around to face Spike

"You welcome," said Spike with a sincere smile

This caught the girl off guard. "My dad said that Dragonborns are dangerous, especially this one, yet he doesn't seem that bad, he might just be hiding his real intentions, I must be careful not to anger him." said the girl.

"Hi my name is Sean Delsin Von Drake, but you can call me Spike," said Spike.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Morgan Van Damon, but my friends call me Moondancer," said Moondancer slowly.

"Nice to meet you Morgan, mind telling me which way is the auditorium?" Said Spike.

"Yeah, I'm headed there right now," said Moondancer.

"You're also a first-year?"Asked Spike.

Moondancer nodded.

"Cool, maybe we can be friends," said Spike.

Moondancer nodded slowly as she walked toward the auditorium with Spike in tow.

"Wow, to think I'd run into a girl this pretty on my first day, how lucky am I, she seems to be my age, if not a bit younger, I like her hairstyle orange with a purple streak, she also seems to be about average height, her eyes are Dark Purple and her glasses make her look cute, not to mention that she has a nice body, her boobs must be at least C-cup… WAIT, WHAT I'M I LOOKING AT… anyway, she doesn't seem to like my presence, so I'll respect it and stay away from her." said, Spike.

Moments later Spike and Moondancer arrived at the auditorium.

"Well, here we are," said Moondancer, still in a scared tone.

"Thank you very much, well, have a nice day," said Spike as he walked away.

MINUTES LATER

“Hello and welcome to Crystal Prep. I’m your new headmaster, Mi Amore Cadenza, but you might know me and call me Princess Cadence, and it’s an honor for me to welcome you all to your first year, now I know that many of you have questions, and I will answer them immediately. Now the first question, yes, you, the girl in the second row.” said Cadance.

“Hi my name is Laura Zaborowski, I would like to know, how are classes going to be separated.” said the girl.

“Good question, they will be divided based on your abilities and physical skills, for a better explanation, allow me to introduce the schools new vice-principal, and my husband, Seth Alexander Von Dusenholf,” said Princess Cadance as she stepped away from the microphone to allow a tall man to take the stage.

“Thanks for the introduction, now, you guys don’t have to call me by name, just call me Shining Armor, now, allow me to explain who this is going to work, each year has 6 homerooms, these homerooms are ranked as A, B, C, D, E, and F, depending on your current skills, you will be placed on one of this homerooms, don’t worry, there will be no discrimination and, if you want to, you may join the advanced classes with all of the A-class students, this also goes both ways, A class students may decide to join a lower ranked class, if they don’t feel confident enough to partake on the advanced ones. Now today will solely consist of these exams for the new students, girls please head to the infirmary on the East wing, while boys head to the one on the West wing, you know, for privacy,” said Shining Armor.

“These exams are mostly routine, we’ll be taking your measurements and adding them to the database, once you’re done please head to the soccer field outside the school and wait for the rest of your classmates to arrive for the next part of the exams; the ability exams, this one I will be taking care of personally, of course with help from Coach Rommel.” Shining Armor said pointing at coach Rommel “Alright then, you may leave.” he finished.

Spike just sat there in place, his face pale, he was surprised to see Shining Armor here

“I just hope he doesn’t notice me, I don’t want him to freak out, I better keep my head low, can this day get any worse?” he said as he got up and walked away.

2 HOURS LATER

“Man that was so boring, I had to wait for so long just cause my name is the last one on the list, but I have to admit, seeing the doctor’s reaction when he got my results was priceless, I’ve never seen someone so fit and in good health, he said, well let’s see what this ability test is all about.” said Spike as he got to the soccer field.

“Alright, you will go through 2 different types of training, combat and magic, once you get the results please head to the board and write your name in the empty space, then, when everyone is done, head to the marked classroom on the board for the knowledge test, and after that you’re done for the day, now we will go by order of the list, number 1 is Ines Zadrozny, please,” said Shining armor as a girl with Shoulder-length blue striped hair, light brown eyes, and an athletic body walked up to him.

“You must complete this obstacle course in the least amount of time possible then go up to me at the other side and put your hand in this crystal ball, this will tell us what magic affinities you possess and the level of power in those abilities… ready? GO!” he said as the girl started the course.

“1 minute and 29 seconds, very impressive, now let’s see your magic affinity… you possess the affinity for wind magic, and a level of power of 80, very good, very good indeed, now, next person on the list,” said Shining Armor.

3 HOURS LATER

“Ok, 199 students down, 1 left, and the last student on the list is, Sean Delsin Von Drake… wait Sean Delsin Von Drake? Spike?!” said Shining Armor as he read the name again and looked up.

“Well, it was inevitable, here goes nothing,” said Spike as he got up and walked up to the obstacle course.

“Ready… Set… GO!” said Coach Rommel as Spike Started to run.

But when he finished, everyone was shocked to see the result

“Th-th-Thirty seconds,” said Coach Rommel as he had trouble processing what he had seen.

Spike then headed to the crystal ball, and placed his hand on it, instantly the crystal ball started to go crazy.

“OK, you can lift your hand now!” said Coach Rommel as he walked up to the crystal ball

“WHAT?! YOU HAVE AN AFFINITY FOR ALL OF THE MAGIC TYPES, AND THEY ARE ALL OVER 100 IN LEVEL!?” said Coach Rommel.

This made everyone in the crowd gasp, they were all surprised, scared and amazed, and they all started to whisper amongst themselves.

“OK, SILENCE! EVERYONE HEAD TO YOUR NEXT CLASES RIGHT THIS SECOND!” screamed Coach Rommel.

Just as they were living, Coach Rommel grabbed Spike’s shoulder and told him

“No matter the score you get in the following tests, please join the sports clubs, please I beg you,” said Coach Rommel.

“Sure, why not,” said Spike as he walked away.

Shining Armor however just remained frozen in place, too shocked to move, and too confused to do so “That was Spike right? What happened to him, he wasn’t this muscular or tall, or powerful, more importantly, why didn’t Cadance tell me about this? She has some questions to answer.” he said as he went over to coach Rommel to dismantle the obstacle course.

20 MINUTES LATER

“Well that test was really easy, ok, today is Friday, so that means that the tests will be ready tomorrow, that means I can go and explore the city.” said Spike.

MEANWHILE AT THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE

"Cadence! Why didn't you tell me that Spike was going to join this school?" Asked Shining Armor.

"Cause I didn't want you to object to the idea, it was Celestia's after all," said Cadence.

"Why would I object to the idea? I consider Spike my younger brother," said Shining Armor.

"Well, your family really shared your love for him," said Cadence.

"What do you mean?" Asked Shining Armor

"Honey, I was there, the day Spike called and your butler literally told him that Twilight didn't want to have nothing to do with him, and most shockingly, your family supported Twilight's idea," said Cadence.

"Oh, that, Cadence, at that moment Twilight was upset at what had happened and did want to talk to him, days later she realized her mistake and tried to make up for it sending Spike many letters, but he never answered back," said Shining Armor

"Spike never received those letters, I know cause he was always wishing he hadn't done what he did, so Twilight wouldn't distance herself," said Cadence.

"But Twilight used to send those messages by magic, why didn't he receive them?" Said Shining armor

"That I don't know, what I do know is that Twilight's actions hurt Spike deeply, she even made him think that he was a monster," said Cadence.

"I know, Twilight cried for a long time and even today she hasn't gotten over it," said Shining Armor.

"Well, let's hope someday, they can finally talk again and be friends," said Cadance.

"Wait a minute, Twilight was supposed to come to this school for advanced classes, but then you transferred her to Canterlot high, saying that a change of scenery would help her get her mind off things," said Shining Armor.

"At the time, I didn't know Spike was coming here, but even if I had known I would've transferred her anyway, she has to come to terms with her actions, trust me it's for the best," said Cadence.

"If you say so." said Shining armor, giving her a kiss.

LATER THAT SAME DAY IN A MALL NEARBY

“Wow, talk about excessive pricing,” said Spike as he walked up and down the mall.

Spike continued walking for a while as he window-shopped in various stores, he continued walking until he found a video game store and walked in.

As soon as he walked in he received various looks from the other people inside the store.

“Can I help you?” asked the store clerk.

“Not at the moment, just checking the games, seeing if one catches my eye,” said Spike.

“Oh, looking for something in particular?” asked the clerk.

“Well, I like open-world RPGs, so anything like that,” said Spike.

“Uhm, Then, what about The Witcher 3, it’s a classic?” asked the clerk.

“Already finished it,” said Spike.

“Skyrim then?” asked the clerk again.

“Already played, it’s my favorite,” said Spike

“GTA 5, it’s one of the best ones out there,” said the clerk

“I already have it, I finished it a long time ago, but now I just play and make mods for this game,” said Spike.

“Wow, this kid is a pro, not only has he finished some of the longest-running open-world RPGs, and he says he has created mods for them, And what is your creator name?” asked the Clerk.

“Oh, you might not know of me, my online name is Scale Reaper, but people call me ScalyR,” said Spike.

“YOU’RE SCALYR! THE MOD MASTER!?” said the clerk.

With this said every person in the store that was into gaming stopped what they were doing and looked towards Spike.

“That’s ScalyR, he is a Dragonborn!?” whispered one of the people in the store.

“Man, he is a legend, I don’t care what he is.” said another.

“Disgusting, a Dragonborn, let’s get out.” said another group of people, except that this ones didn’t whisper but said it loud enough for Spike to hear them as they left.

“Ignore them, they are from the rich kids group, they tend to judge everyone that isn’t as rich as they are.” said the clerk.

“Yeah, your work is awesome.” said another kid

“Thanks, I really appreciate it,” said Spike

“SO, tell me, anything caught your eye?” asked the clerk

“Not really, but if I have a game in mind, I’ll come here,” said Spike

“Ok then, say, if you ever want or need a job, come here, I’ll hire you on the spot.” said the clerk.

“Ok, thanks, I’ll consider it,” said Spike as he left.

When he came outside, he noticed that many people were staring at him, he knew what they were saying, so he didn’t care, he just walked out of the mall and all the way to his home.

THE NEXT DAY

Spike walked into campus and headed to the board displayed in the rotunda.

Spike searched for his name all over the place until he found it on the A homeroom list.

"Wow, my name is number one, I knew I had aced the physical exams, but I thought I had made some mistakes in the knowledge test, this is awesome." said Spike.

Unfortunately Spike was so lost in thought that he didn't hear someone behind him talking to him.

"Get out of my way!"

"I said get out of my way!!!"

"HEY DRAGON CRAP I TOLD YOU TO MOVE!!!!" said the boy as he grabbed Spike's shoulder.

Feeling this Spike grabbed the kids hand, threw him over his head, and body-slammed him hard on the ground.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Said the kid.

At this moment everyone is watching the scene unfold.

"You grab my shoulder violently and then ask what I'M doing, you should really turn your place," said Spike

"That's my line, you filthy Dragonborn, I'll have you know, my name is Axel Edward Blueblood, I am a prince of the country of Canterlot as well as the heir to the Blueblood merchant empire." said the guy angrily.

"Good for you, I guess," said Spike.

"Yeah, it is good for me, I have so much money and power that I can actually own you and every bitch and dumbass that attends this school," said Blueblood smugly.

"I don't really think you can own me, nor do you have the right to talk or make any claims about the rest of the students in this school."

"Really, I would like you to explain to me your logic, heck, even my Kashmir gloves are worth more than your life," said Blueblood.

"Well, not to sound self-centered, but I am the son of Francis Von Drake, lord of the town of Drake, I'm a count serving under Dragonlord Torch, and I'm also the owner of the town of Drakewood, I might not be that important a part of being considered a weapon, but I do know that the Blueblood's merchant empire depends in a 98% of the town of Drake, town that my family owns, not to mention that the negotiations between both parties have been very rocky lately, adding this to the mix, I think it's safe to say, that you can kiss your empire goodbye, so take my advice and walk away while you still have a drop of dignity left," said Spike as he turned around and walked away.

"You bastard! How dare you speak to me like that, I'll show you never to mess with the Blueblood family." said Blueblood as he summoned a dagger and lunged at Spike.

Everybody saw this but it was happening so fast that no one could warn Spike of the danger behind him.

"DIE!!!!!" screamed Blueblood as he got near Spike.

But as soon as his dagger was going to make contact with Spike's back, he moved out of the way evading the attack.

"What the…'' was all Blueblood could say before Spike grabbed his left arm and once again body slammed Blueblood into the ground.

The impact was so hard that it left a crater on the concrete, the dagger flew out of Blueblood's hand and landed a few feet away.

"Attacking someone from behind, huh, this just proves how cowardly you are," said Spike as he held Blueblood on the ground.

"You aren't going to get away with these, the principal is my cousin, and those fools aren't going to defend a monster like you, and as for your little trash town, keep it, we can find many more towns to sell our wares to," said Blueblood

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?" roared Shining armor's voice.

"He attacked me first, insulted my family, and threatened to ruin it, they all saw it." said Blueblood giving the rest of the students a deadly glare.

"Really, do you have anything to say for yourself, Spike?" Asked Shining armor.

"No comment," said Spike.

"Anyone here who can be a witness to the incident?" Asked Shining armor, but no one came forth "Well if no one here can vouch for you Spike, I must exp…" Shining continued but was interrupted by a female voice.

"Blueblood started the fight! He assaulted Spike who defended, not only himself, but all of us, he then told Blueblood to walk away, but Blueblood lunged at him with a dagger from behind!" said the girl.

"Ah, so we have ourselves a backstabber, I must say Blueblood, I'm really disappointed." said Shining Armor.

"Vice-principal Shining armor, if I may, I'd like to say that, we should all feel ashamed of ourselves, Mr. Von Drake here, clearly stood up for all of us when Blueblood insulted us, yet, none of you stood up for him when he needed help, I wonder if it's because he is a Dragonborn, or we are all clearly just a bunch of ungrateful fools." said a boy as he came to stand near Spike.

This comment made everyone look down in shame.

"This is ridiculous, I'm Prince Axel Blueblood, I own every single one of you, and you're gonna turn your back on me to defend a monster like him, ha, you're all dumber than you look." Blueblood spat out.

"That's enough Blueblood, I'm losing brain cells every time you open your mouth, I can't believe I call you family." said Princess Cadance as she walked out of hiding.

"But you don't understand, cousin, he was…" began Blueblood.

"I saw it all with my own eyes, the attack, the name-calling, the assassination attempt, do you know in how much trouble you are, not only with me, but with Spike's family, and the Dragonlands? You almost started a war!" said Cadance fuming in anger.

Shining then looked at Spike, then back at his wife, and then at Prince Blueblood "Axel Blueblood, as Vice-principal of Crystal Prep. And the head of state security of the Crystal Empire, I make it known to you that you have been expelled from this institution, also, you are hereby forbidden to enter this Empire for the next 5 years, unless, being granted permission by the Princess and/or myself, as for you Spike, would you like to press charges?" Asked Shining.

"No, I think that his demonstration of pure stupidity has been enough, plus I wouldn't like to damage the Blueblood's name anymore today," said Spike

"I will arrange a meeting between the high powers of the Blueblood family and yourself to come to an agreement about this situation, with nothing left to say, get a move on Blueblood," said Shining

"Ok, everybody, you have seen your classes and homerooms, now go on and try to enjoy your weekend, see you all Monday," said Cadance as she walked back to her office to do a few phone calls.

Everybody started to leave and go clear their minds out of the situation they had just witnessed.

"Thanks, for helping me out." said Spike.

"Well, it was the least we could do after you stood up for us," said the girl.

"Yeah, the way you turned his introduction and crushed his self-esteem was priceless, not to mention those moves, they were awesome, no wonder they call you the Demon of the Dragonlands… oh, forgive me, I over talked." said the boy.

"It's ok… Uhm, what's your name again?" Asked Spike.

"Oh, where are my manners, My name is Stephan Strootmare, but you can call me Sunburst." said the guy " And this is my fiance…"

"Sarah Orion Gregerssen, but you can call me Starlight Glimmer." said the girl.

"The guy seems to be my age, if not a few months older, he is about 6'3", lanky, but I can tell he is smart, he has this aura of strong magic powers surrounding him, but he should really comb his hair more, a tad messy."

"As for the girl, she seems to be just like him, personality-wise, around 5'9", sporty but not so much, has a great figure, curvy, but not overly curvy, just the right measurements. Nice hair combination, Purple with a green streak, she has a nice style," said, Spike

"Nice to meet you." he said.

"Likewise, Mr, Von Drake." said Sunburst.

"You know me?" Asked Spike.

"Who doesn't? You're the world's most underrated hero." said Starlight.

"Well, if you don't mind, just call me Spike, Mr. Von Drake is my father." said Spike.

"Roger that!" Said Sunburst.

"Someone mentioned me?" Said a male voice behind them.

"No Roger, just an expression." said Starlight.

"Oh, ok." said Roger and walked away.

“Well, see you around, Spike, we have to go and… “talk” about some very important “topics,” said Starlight Glimmer as she grabbed Sunburst’s arm and pulled him away.

Spike did notice Sunburst's smile when he heard Starlight Glimmer say that “Family planning, well, that is a topic they must “discuss” at length.” said Spike with a smile as he walked away.

“My father said, that all Dragonborns are mindless killing machines who only care about their net worth and body count, but Spike seems different, he left me alone after I helped him, and he even stood up for everyone’s honor, he doesn't seem to be that bad of a person, and I have to admit, he is actually very handsome.” said Moondancer as she saw Spike walk away.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Spike sat in a conference room by himself, he knew why he was there, he just hoped that things wouldn’t escalate further.

Then the door opened and three people entered the room and took their seats.

Spike recognized them immediately, and he could tell they were extremely nervous themselves.

“Good afternoon.” said Spike politely.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Von Drake, it’s a pleasure to see you again, I just wished it would be under more… appropriate circumstances.” said a man.

“Then, let us try to make this meeting fruitful and… appropriate,” said Spike.

Both the man and woman in front of Spike nodded.

“As you may already know, the reason you have been summoned here today, is thanks to your son’s idiotic actions yesterday.” said Princess Cadance.

“Yes, and we are truly sorry for his actions.” said the man.

“Mr. Blueblood, you do realize that an incident like this can be devastating for your commerce if it reaches my father’s ears, let alone the Dragonlord’s ears, they would like to have your son’s head on a silver platter.” said Spike.

“Yes, and we are thankful that you’re trying to solve this privately, and that you didn’t press charges on our son.” said the woman.

“Allow me to ask, but what actions are you going to take with your son?” asked Spike.

“He will be expelled from our family and be stripped of any benefit that comes with the Blueblood name.” said the man.

“A fitting punishment, but, isn’t he your only son?” asked Spike.

“Yes he is, sir, but he must learn from his actions, his arrogance almost started a war and ruined our lives.” said the man.

“I see, you mind if I suggest something?” said Spike.

“Not at all.” said the man.

“Axel won’t be allowed to set foot voluntarily in the Crystal Empire, city in which you live, now, I know that I have no right to tell you how to educate your son, but, for the next 5 years, make him work to earn a living, what I mean is, cut off his allowance, and force him to get his hands dirty to survive.” said Spike.

“So, you want us to let our son, keep his benefits, just suspend them for 5 years, and make him work?” asked the man.

“Your son needs to get off the cloud he is living on and realize that the world isn’t his playground, plus, he is a capable fighter, he almost managed to stab me, ME, the Dragonland’s “perfect weapon,” that is something really admirable.” said Spike.

“It will be done, sir. To think that a Dragonborn is not only forgiving our family, but praising his would-be assassin, I don’t know if this kid is just an idiot, or has a genuine heart of gold, which would surprise me, due to his raze’s history.” said the man.

“As for the mercantile relationship, you need not worry, at least with me, in my eyes, our partnership will last for a long time.” said Spike.

This made both of the people seated in front of him look up at him and start crying.

“So, you’re saying…” asked the woman.

“Yes, I have no interest in letting my father or the Dragonlord know of this incident, so do not worry about losing our commerce treaty.” said Spike.

“Thank you, sir, thank you very much.” they both said.

“One last thing, I’m planning on rebuilding the Drakewood, so, expect a call from me in the near future, I’m still looking for commerce partners for the town.” said Spike.

“Yeas, sir, we will await your call with bated breath.” said the man.

“That will be all then, have a nice day.” said Spike.

The couple got up and said their goodbyes and left the room.

“Why did you let them go? And more importantly, why did you ask them to change their punishment for Axel?” asked Cadance.

“Cadence, do you know how rich people’s minds operate?” asked Spike.

“I… don’t think I can answer that question,” said Cadance.

“Rich people only care about 3 things, Power, Status, and Money, if they feel one of those things is being threatened they will lower their guards and become vulnerable, they knew who I was, and I knew of the current struggle there is between our families when it comes to business, so, I took advantage of their weakened mental state to manipulate them into doing what I wanted, Blueblood isn’t a bad person, he just hasn’t had the proper boundaries and that causes him to become reckless,” said Spike.

“I understand that much, but, my question is why?” asked Cadance.

“Remember that I asked them if he was their only child, to which they answered yes? Well, if Blueblood is kicked out of the family, there will be no heir, if that happens, the family will surely cease to exist and both my family, the Dragonlands, and the country of Equestria would’ve lost their most important merchant family,” said Spike.

“Oh, so you did all this for everyone's sake,” said Cadance.

“No, not really, I just didn’t want to lose a potential business partner before obtaining it, I didn’t do this because of the kindness of my heart or any of that crap, my intentions were actually self-centered, I am just looking to increase my net worth,” said Spike.

“Spike, you are one terrifying genius, remind me never to get on your bad side.” said Cadance.

MONDAY, OFFICIAL FIRST DAY OF CLASS

The first day of class went mostly as Spike thought it would, no one really put any attention to him, not that he wanted it, but at least a “Hey Spike, thanks for Saturday” or “Hello, Spike” would’ve been welcomed.

The only major incident this morning was Shining Armor’s news early that morning.

“Good morning students, I would just like to say that, I am aware that most of you are here on scholarships or with your parents taking care of your bills, but some of you might have to work a part-time job, so, I have been in contact with the hunters guild, and they are willing to allow you all to take some minor quest and jobs for a reward, you are welcome to go, even if you don’t need the money you can still go and tone your abilities, that will be all, have a nice day,” he said over the loudspeaker

Now it was lunchtime, and Spike was standing in the middle of the cafeteria, searching for a table, which was all taken and full, so now he was just there, his backpack on his back, his guitar case on his left hand.

“Hey, you looking for a table?” asked a male voice

“Uhm, yes,” said Spike

“Then follow me,” said the kid

Spike followed the kid to a table by the far corner of the food court.

“Welcome to the Rejects table,” said the kid, but Spike just stared at the table with a blank stare.

“Ember?!” said Spike

“Spike,” said Ember

“What are you doing here?” asked Spike

“Studying, just like you,” said Ember

“No, I mean, what are you doing in the… what did you call this table again?” said Spike

“The rejects table,” said the kid

“That,” said Spike

“Well, unless you haven’t noticed, we Dragonborns aren’t exactly welcomed here,” said Ember

“And what about you two?” asked Spike

“Oh, my name is Terrance Christopher Chamberguard Humbolt, but you may call me Thorax and this is my brother, Patrick Robert Chamberguard Humbolt,” said Thorax

“Yo, nice to finally meet the “Perfect weapon in the flesh,” please, call me Pharynx,” said Pharynx

“Nice to meet you, call me Spike,” said Spike

“SO, what are you waiting for, sit your ass down,” said Ember

And Spike did as he was told.

“As for the reason why we are here, well, we are Changelings, you know, sworn enemies of the Crystal Empire,” said Thorax

“Makes sense,” said Spike

“Anyway, what do you think of the school so far?” asked Pharynx

“It’s cool, I like the institution, and you guys?” asked Spike

“It’s cool,” said Pharynx

“I can’t complain,” said Thorax

“I honestly don’t care,” said Ember

“Typical Ember,” said Spike as he looked around the room

“I see that you have a guitar with you, can you shred?” asked Thorax

“Yeah, you?” asked Spike

“Yup,” said Thorax

“I’m more of a drummer,” said Pharynx

“And you know of my love for Bass guitars,” said Ember

“Yeah, it’s kind of morbid,” said Spike

“Fuck you,” said Ember laughing

“Follow me, said Thorax and Spike followed him

“What is that contraption?” asked Spike

“This is a prowess meter, it’s a device that measures your level of mastery of a certain instrument, my brother holds the record for Drumming, and Ember, yesterday, acquired the best score in both mixed and Female bass players,” said Thorax

“Who made this?” asked Spike

“We did,” said a group of students standing behind them

“Oh, hello, and you are?” asked Spike

“Hi, My name is Edward Maxwell, but you can call me Ember mist,” said the boy with Green shoulder length hair, if you didn’t know any better, you could easily mistake him for Spike, they looked like twins, the only differences are hairstyle, length, and eye color, Spike’s being Pistachio and Ember Mist’s being Purple.

“My name is Hazel Garcia, you can call me Hazelblossom,” said a girl with long black hair, and skinny frame, she was of short stature, possibly 5’3”, had bronze eyes, and a surprisingly big chest.

“Rocky Bolt, real name is Rex Van Bommel, Rocker and Gammer God, my online persona is RockyRulez,” said a boy about Spike’s height, 6’2” with a skinny build and an emo hairstyle.

“Ciara Duncan, is my name and rapping is my game, call me Cinnamon Berry, to gain a friend,” said the girl with long blond hair, and green eyes, she stood at 6’0” tall, and had a body fit for a supermodel

“We made this machine so that we could stop arguing between rockers and see how is the better instrumentalist,” said Rocky Bolt

“We actually created this at the end of last year, when our rocker population increased, wanna give it a try?” asked Hazelbloom

“Sure, just let me plug in my guitar,” said Thorax

“So how does it work?” asked Spike

“You plug your instrument, choose your rhythm, rock the room, and keep it cool,” said Cinnamon Berry.

“Just like this,” said Thorax as he started to play.

The whole room erupted into cheers and applause after Thorax finished

“I wonder what else can he do with those fingers of his,” said Ember

“Hey that was very good, how long have you been playing?” asked Ember Mist

“For almost 10 years, I love Rock and Metal, and my brother and I always wanted to start a band, so we practice a lot,” said Thorax

“You think that was impressive? Allow me to demonstrate, impressive,” said a boy with shoulder-length wavy long hair silver hair

“Now that is impressive,” said Rocky Bolt

“Oh, forgive the late introduction, My name is Ronald Pierce, call me Royal Pin,” said the boy

“My name is Terrance Christopher Chamberguard Humbolt, call me Thorax,” said Thorax

“Sean Delsin Von Drake, call me Spike,” said Spike

“Wow, the Demon, nice to meet you, so, I take it you can shred?” said Royal Pin

Spike just nodded

“Prove it,” said Royal Pin as he unplugged his guitar and handed Spike the cable

Spike grabbed it and plugged it into the machine, then he searched for a beat and began playing.

Everyone in the room was so amazed that their jaws hit their table.

“Ha, finally, a worthy opponent, I hereby challenge you to decide who is the better guitarist,” said Royal Pin

“According to this it’s Spike,” said Hazelbloom

“Then, I challenge you to…” said Royal Pin

“Now, now, my dear friends, lunchtime is about to end, but might I suggest that you challenge each other in the music festival that is coming up soon,” said a male voice

“Fancy Pants, stay out of this, you aren’t a rocker, so you don’t know anything,” said Royal Pin

“I might not be a rocker, but I enjoy a good tone, so what do you say,” said Fancy Pants

“A music Festival?” said Spike

“Oh, forgive my rudeness, nice to meet you, My name is Frederick Pundreewl Copperrich, eldest son and heir to the merchant family of Pundreewl, but please call me Fancy Pants,” he said.

“Nice to meet you,” said Spike

“Do not worry about introductions Mr. Von Drake I know who you are. Now going back to the topic at hand, my family has the honor of hosting this year's music festival, where we will give 5 bands an opportunity to gain a multi-platinum contract, of course, just by joining your band will be placed on the radar for music labels around the country, as of now there are only 4 bands registered, Valkyrie, Phantom Bullet, That Final Breath, and Royal Pin’s band Excalibur,” said Fancy Pants

“Yeah, we were the first ones on the list, we already have a cult following, so we are basically the easiest band for the labels to hire,” said Royal Pin confidently

“Now, there is a twist, you only get one song to impress the judges, so what do you say?” asked Fancy Pants

“I’d love to but I don’t have…” started Spike

He was going to say he doesn’t have a band, but then he noticed Thorax, Pharynx, and Ember looking at him.

“Screw that, where do I sign up?’ asked Spike

“Here,” said Fancy Pants giving Spike the list “Just write your band’s name, and the member's names,”

“Fuck I don’t have a name for the band, let’s see… how about, Our Last Stand,” Said Spike as he wrote down the name and his friends names

“Well, the festival is in 2 months, November the 17th, enough time to practice,” said Fancy Pants

“See you then, Spike,” said Royal Pin stretching his hand

“Yeah, Royal Pin,” said SPike as he shook his hand

“Well, that’s that, let us get back to class…” said Fancy Pants

“My I talk to you in private,” said Spike

“Sure,” Fancy Pants said following Spike

IN THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE THE CAFETERIA

“So, what do you want?” asked Spike

“What do you mean?” asked Fancy Pants

“I know nobles, you never do something, by the kindness of your heart, so there must be a motive,” said Spike

“It appears I’ve been caught, well Spike, I would only like to enter into a partnership with you,” said Fancy Pants

“What?” said Spike

“Think of it, the heir of the Pundreewl merchant empire, and the heir to the city of Drake, and lord of the town of Drakewood, it’s a billion dollar deal that will benefit everyone,” said Fancy Pants.

“That's it?” asked Spike

“Well, yes; Like you, my dear friend, I have also started to take my first steps as the new heir to my family’s Empire, and I must admit, the way you handled the Bluebloods was just superb, you literally turned them into your puns with just a few words, so what do you say, Partner,” said Fancy Pants as he extended his hand towards Spike.

Spike looked at Fancy Pants for a few seconds then shaked his hands, “Deal,” he said

“Cheers to a long lasting partnership, my friend,” said Fancy pants as he walked away

BACK AT HOMEROOM A

“So, Thorax tells us that you joined the music festival,” said Ember

“Yeah, and I also included you, hope you don’t mind,” said Spike

“Depends,” said Pharynx

“Depends on what?” asked Spike

“The name you gave us,” said Pharynx

“Our Last Stand,” said Spike

“OLS, like it,” said Pharynx

“So, we have 2 months to prepare the song, any ideas,” said Thorax

“Don’t worry, I have it covered” said Spike with a smile

2 MONTHS LATER

“Hello and welcome one and all to this year's Music Festival, we have musical numbers from far and wide, please come and enjoy, and stay tuned for 5 promesing bands try to make it big,” said a man over the loudspeaker

“So, where do you guys want to go first?” asked Spike

“Lets go check the East area, it’s the closest,” said Thorax

“What band is on?” asked Pharynx

“Man killed Peace, they’re from Birmareham, Heighland, been around since 2007,” said Thorax as he led his friends to the stage, they got just in time to hear the beginning of a song.

“Nice song,” said Pharynx

“It was both heavy and mellow at the same time,” said Ember

“Hansha means “reflection” in mareanese,” said Spike

“How do you know?” asked Torch

“Had to learn the language, many of my father's business partners are from Coltrea, Coltna, or Marepan, so I learned the languages for business reasons,” said Spike

“Oh, that explains why I had to take those classes as well,” said Ember

“Anyway, where to now?” asked Spike

“Let’s head north, that’s the heavy area,” said Ember

“Heavy?” asked Spike

“You’ll see,” said Ember with a smug grin

Moments later they arrived and read the sign

“Murder to succeed, originally form Yecolterinburg, Deathcore,” read Spike

“This will be interesting,” said Thorax

“Did we just hear Satan?” asked Thorax

“Possibly, although I have no idea what he said,” said Spike

“I can drum that fast, but it was still awesome,” said Pharynx

“Told you, now where do you want to go?” asked Ember

“Let’s head South, just for curiosity,” said Pharynx

A LITTLE WHILE LATER

“De Los Santos, originally from Mexicolt, one of their most popular bands till this day, formed in 2012,” read Thorax

“2012, huh, APOCALYPSE!” said Spike as he ran towards the stage with Pharynx close behind.

(*Sorry, Couldn't find a video with lyrics in English, or Spanish for that matter)

“Mexicolt Metal, nice,” said Pharynx

“Yeah, too bad I didn’t understand what they said,” said Thorax

“I did,” said Spike

“Me too,” said Ember

“Then, the 2 of us are joining language classes, when we head back to class on Monday,” said Thorax

“OK, let’s head West, and then let’s go to the center stage,” said Spike

“You know, I’m surprised that this music festival lasts a whole week,” said Ember

“Yeah, in total, 35 or more new faces are added to the music industry by the end of it,” said Thorax

“Ok, here we are, Band name One Moment Life, originally from Marepan, active since 2004,” said Pharynx

“Bro, I grew up listening to this band, and look,” said Spike

“That’s a band called My Last Thoughts, what of it?” asked Ember

“The lead singer of this band is the younger brother of OML’s lead singer,” said Spike as the music started playing

“I liked that,” said Ember

“That’s new,” said Spike

“Oh, screw you,” said Ember

“Come on guys, the last show is taking place in the central stage, we’ve got to run,” said Thorax as he grabbed Ember by the hand and started to run.

“Hey, slow down!” said Ember as they disappeared down the road.

“We better run,” said Spike as he and Pharynx took off

A FEW SECONDS LATER

“Here we are,” said Thorax

“Marewood Undead, a band from Las Pegasus, formed in 2005,” said Spike

“Rap rock, baby,” said Thorax as he gave Ember a hug and walked to the stage with her in tow.

“Uhm, are we missing something?” asked Spike

“I guess,” said Pharynx

“That was the weirdest song ever,” said Spike

“I know, it sounded so innocent but the lyrics, God,” said Ember

“Oh, come one I know you liked it,” said Thorax

“Well, yeah, I enjoyed it,” said Spike

“Uhm, Guys, we’re up!” said Pharynx looking at his phone, as they hurried to the stage for the competition.

MOMENTS LATER

“Welcome to this years, band promotion, today we have 5 new bands who will try and write their names in music history, band number one, please welcome, Valkyrie, which consists of Susan “Summer Sweet” Stevens on Vocals, Laura “Lemon Zest” Zaborowski on the guitar and vocals, Sylvia “Sugarcoat” Carpenter on the Bass, and Ines “Indigo Zap” Zadrozny on the drums and their song “make a move”

“Next we have Phantom Bullet, a band that consists of Jaxon “Jackpot Hunter” Hanson, on vocals, Alice “Azure Dream” Donovan on guitar, William “Wild Ace” Anthony on guitars, Oscar “Onyx Bolt” Bryan on the Bass, and Sergio “Swift Shadow” Sandoval on drums, and their song “Infectious”

“Next we have That Final Breath, this band consists of Ethan “Ethereal Light” Lugo on vocals and guitar, Chris “Cobalt Sword,” Swinton on guitar, Adam “Applesauce” Webster on Bass, and Herbert “Heavy Rain” Randolph in the drums, and their song Greater Heights

“Our next band is a town favorite, Please welcome on stage, Excalibur, consisting of Shido “Shadow Scare” Sakamoto, Ronald “Royal Pin” Pierce and Chase “Cold Doom” Callaghan on guitar, Bruce “Bulky Buster” Brieghcolt on the bass, and Peter “Powerhand” Dannyson on the drums and their new song “Apollo”

(*Another song with no lyrics, which surprises me)

“And Finally, we have a new band, their name is Our Last Stand, this band consists of Sean “Spike” Von Drake on vocals, piano, and guitar, Terrence “Thorax” Chamberguard on the vocals and guitar, Elizabeth “Ember” Draken on the bass, and Patrick “Pharynx” Chamberguard on the drums and their song “A World Divided”

“And that concludes the promotion night, now allow the judges to deliver for a few minutes and then we will give their verdict,” said the anchor

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“Ok, fifth place, That Final Breath, you have been chosen by Paramare Records, congratulations,” said the Anchor as the band went up on stage to sign their contracts

“Fourth place, Phantom Bullet, you have been chosen by Powercolt records, congratulations,” said the anchor

“Third Place, Valkyrie, you have been chosen by Nightmare records, Nightmare records is one of the 4 major record labels in the world and as you know, it belongs to Princess Luna Solari, well done,” said the anchor

“Second place is for, our town favorite Excalibur, you have been chosen by Royal Records, this record belongs to Prince Rutherford from Yakyakistan, well done, let’s hope you have a bright carrier,”

“Number one is, Our Last Stand, you have been chosen by Golden Records, the biggest rock label in the world, we await your next song with great interest,” said the Anchor as the band went up on stage.

“Well done guys, you deserve it,” said Royal Pin

“Hope we can have a collab someday,” said Spike

“I would love to,” said Royal Pin as he left the stage

“Not bad for a group of rejects right?” said Thorax

“Yeah,” everyone said

“This might be a fun adventure, let’s see how long it lasts,” said Spike as they all gave each other a hug and vowed down to the crowd.

SOMEWHERE IN THE CROWD

“Wow, that song was really something else, I should use that for my band in the upcoming Battle of the Bands down in Canterlot high, I wonder if I can ever meet them in person,” said a girl as she looked at Spike and his friends take a bow.