Chapter 9

Attempted Invasion

Spike had been woken up in the middle of the night when he started hearing the screams of the creatures inside of the capital. Spike had been helping the dragons inside of the Dragonlands so they had some hope. Princess Ember had done everything in her power to protect her subjects, but she knew that she needed to speak to the other nations. Spike’s tale had been spread throughout the Dragonlands and their spirits have been lifted. Spike was running through the palace, trying to find any creatures that he recognized or was not wearing King Sombra clothing. He saw that the dragon guards were fighting King Sombra soldiers.

Spike jumped out of a window and flew towards a Griffin and he decapitated him. The fighting became muffled as Spike looked around him and saw all sorts of creatures fighting for King Sombra. He rushed from left to right, fighting all kinds of creatures. There was an archer that tried to hurt him by lighting an arrow on fire. Spike would have facepalmed but he did not have time for that as he ran up to the unicorn trying to fire it. Everything slowed down as Spike’s katana swished towards the unicorn and he sliced the horn of the unicorn off. The unicorn screamed to the heavens as everyone heard it. Spike then stabbed him right in the heart.

The unicorn fell to the ground and started bleeding. The unicorn died and he could not use his horn since it was cut off. Spike left the unicorn and searched for another foe to fight. There were bodies everywhere but that was to be expected. Spike saw three dragons run up to him that belonged to King Sombra. Spike blocked their attacks as if they were nothing. Spike managed to cut an arm of one of them. The others tried to kill him by attacking at the same, but that was something Spike had expected. Spike cut off the legs of the last to enemies of his that were traitors. They screamed in pain and tried to kill him still, Spike finished them off by cutting off their heads, not noticing that his family behind him.

They watched on horrified by what he was doing. He was fighting without mercy, and he was not slowing down at all. His stamina was larger than they would have normally expected. He did not seem to regret it either from what they could see. Celestia saw him running off towards another enemy and decapitating him. The Crystal Guards were inwardly praising him, they saw him as a true warrior. He was fighting his enemies without mercy. His katana to his side filled with his enemies blood dripping towards the ground. Spike then looked behind him but did not turn his face. He did so with his eyes and saw his family.

Spike saw five enemies running towards him, but he did not bother to look at them. He blocked their attacks and managed to down two of them by slicing them. He then blocked the other three from attacking him. The creatures let out a growling noise as they tried to stab him, swishing their blades from left to right. Spike managed to disarm a Griffin, and he stabbed a Pony who tried to attack him while he was disarming the Griffin.

Spike heard the battle cries that were shouted into the night sky as they fought. Spike focused on his enemies and prepared for anything. He noticed that his family were trying to help him, but he could not afford to be caught. Spike then became more merciless, as he then sliced his enemies left and right. The King Sombra soldiers fell to the ground in fear and they either attempted to run away or tried to face their fears which was this creature that was known as The Ghost. The weather around them became chilly and windy as the demon-like creature cut off arms and legs in his wake.

“Déan tróaire!” One of the King Sombra soldiers shouted as he dropped to the ground on his back, and have long forgotten about his sword. Spike walked normally towards him, not taunting or mocking in any sort of way. He stabbed him in the heart, making the follower die instantly. Blood running out of the body, silently and sticking to the ground. Spike then saw the one that he suspected was the warlord of the King Sombra soldiers in the Dragonlands. It was indeed a dragon that Spike had suspected a few times. Spike walked towards him, sword drawn and ready to fight. Spike saw the warlord that was wearing gold armour and white pants. The warlord had a shield that was made of wood and metal. Spike knew a tactic that he could use against that. It would both humiliate, but also make the other soldiers terrified of the fact that a samurai-like him could easily kill their leader as if he was butter. Spike prepared his stance, holding his katana and showing the warlord that he is ready to battle.

The warlord was impressed with the samurai. He had heard of the rumours flying around that a spirit was slaughtering his comrades, stabbing them behind their backs when they are sleeping. He looked at The Ghost whose armour was pitch black like the darkness. It made him wonder if the so-called ‘legend’ is in fact dark in nature. He certainly had the skills of a true predator and kills without asking questions. He circled the ‘Vengeful Spirit’ and the spirit in question did the same, looking at him with his emerald green eyes that showed no mercy.

It was like all time had stopped for the others fighting, as they all turned towards the warlord and The Ghost. The family of said Ghost looked at their family member with clear worry. Spike himself was preparing for the attack. He had a plan, but it needed to work. He was becoming more creative in his ways of killing his enemies. But since this was a warlord, it felt wrong to use ‘dog tactics’ to kill him off. It would be against his ancestor’s wishes.

The warlord rushed towards Spike, who easily evaded his attack. The warlord then swung his sword around, making Spike block a few attacks and was making a great effort. The swords clashed against each other, the one’s looking was amazed by the side they were fighting for. The warlord was fighting like a true animal as he showed no regard for his enemy. Spike Did the same, but he had the courtesy of not fighting like a dog. “You fight well.” The warlord said, in a mocking way. Spike did not respond as he rushed up to him, hitting his shield as hard as he could, trying to make the warlord dizzy and lose balance. The warlord eventually could not take the hits on his shield and let it slip, Spike sliced his leg making him scream. The warlord pushed Spike away and he tried to slice him across his chest, but It was blocked by Spike’s sword. The warlord was now fighting with actual aggression as he tried to kill Spike who was blocking all of his attacks and was starting to annoy him.

Spike felt the swords clashing that felt much heavier than before. Spike knew that he had done something right as he then tried to do other heavy attacks. The warlord seemed to be too angry to realize what Spike was doing so he did not try to stop anything except the attacks. Spike jumped into the air and made his heavy attack even heavier, making the warlord lose his balance more than Spike expected. it was good and glorious. The warriors around them that had forgotten about their own battles fell, frightened by what they were seeing.

“Troid liom, Samurai!” The warlord said, and Spike suspected that it meant something about fighting him. He smiled as he would do just that: fight him. Spike rushed towards him and managed to cut his belly, but not enough that it would kill him.

The blood spread to the left as that is where Spike’s sword had exited the warlord’s body. He was bleeding but that did not stop the traitorous dragon from defeating the samurai. The warlord rushed towards Spike, and he evaded to the right which became his mistake as he was then out of nowhere hit to the side. Spike looked behind him to see the warlord standing there. Spike was surprised, the warlord must have used his speed to get there unnoticed and faster for that matter. The warlord walked towards Spike, his sword in his right claw and Spike smiled as he knew that the dragon thought that this was his demise when it wasn’t. Spike waited for the warlord to come closer, and when the time was right: he struck the warlord right in the belly. The warlord lost his balance and fell to the ground when Spike drew back his sword.

Spike thought that the battle was over, but he was wrong. He watched in surprise while the one’s on his side watched in complete and utter horror as the King Sombra soldier got back on his feet and picked up his sword and motioned for Spike to fight him. He heard the dragon behind that golden armour chuckle. He could not help but chuckle inwardly. This was a true battle. He did not falter that easily, he liked that but then he was reminded of the crimes he had committed and he put on an angry face that was covered by his mask.

The one’s who were fighting for King Sombra watched in pride as their warlord was still standing like a warrior. Spike was only a little bit surprised, not impressed. When you have adrenaline and anger like that it is easy to not fall like other soldiers. Spike’s katana was to his right side, just being held. Pointing towards the warlord’s legs. Spike felt a little anger rise as his adrenaline got another kick, and he rushed towards the warlord who had started laughing. Spike swung his sword to left and right. He even jumped to commit a heavy attack.

The warlord had expected all of this and blocked it with ease. He was bleeding a lot, but he did not seem tired. Spike suspected that King Sombra made so that they could not feel their blood loss or it was the adrenaline and anger kicking in again. Both theories were possible. Spike evaded to the left and right as the warlord was getting aggressive with his attacks. Spike’s adrenaline was skyrocketing and he did not feel the slightest bit tired. It was not shocking as he was in a life and death situation. Spike then decided to finish the fight once and for all. He saw the warlord run towards him and flung his sword towards Spike who blocked and made the warlord dizzy and off-balanced. Spike was about to finish him off when he was then tossed over to the other side.

Spike groaned as he got back up, he saw the warlord walk towards him and saw the shield was shaking a little bit. Spike then knew instantly what had happened. Spike grit his teeth as he took his katana out and held it so hard his claw tips became white. Spike panted a little bit, but then the world slowed down as Spike rushed towards the warlord who planned on slicing Spike in half. The katana in Spike’s claw tips felt powerful, light and sharp. He prayed to his mother that he would make it out alive. Spike then felt his katana's tip hit flesh as it made the horrible sound when sword his flesh. Blood flew everywhere as the body of the warlord fell dead to the ground. Spike looked around him and then at the body and saw the capitated head of the warlord. He grabbed the head and showed the King Sombra soldiers his work, what had happened to their leader. They were all shaking in fear. It could be them, they all gave up they threw their weapons to the ground and ran away. Spike felt something inside of himself become more violent. Everything became black and white in his vision. He ran up to a soldier of King Sombra and sliced his arm off and while he did that, he saw the world turn red for a moment and slow down. Spike then walked over to the next enemy to kill.

There was no chance that he would allow all of them to flee. He would kill some of them to show the tyrannical king what happens when he messes with his friends and creatures of Equestria. The other creatures that were fighting for Spike or The Ghost as he is called, ran towards the retreating enemies as they would not allow them to get away with what they did. Spike did the same as he walked. He then heard his name be called out to him.

“Spike!”

He turned around and saw that it was his whole family. His mother, aunt, sister, brother, sister-in-law, the main five including Starlight and some Crystal Guards. Spike then bowed down to them in respect. He threw a smoke bomb to the ground and he ran for it. He was not ready to confront his family. He had a lot more things to do. Spike grabbed on to a ledge and climbed up. It was the only place that was not covered by only stone on the other side. Without hesitation, he jumped and did not expect to die. He knew what he was doing. He looked up one last time to see if any creature spotted him but he was lucky, no one noticed him.

When the smoke cleared, Twilight looked frantically around for her brother to find him. When she didn’t she started running around the place and popped out in different areas randomly like Pinkie Pie. She was truly desperate now. She could not lose her brother figure when she had been so close to hug him. She had been so close. . . she felt the water in her eyes building up but she refrained from crying out. She would save the tears for when she truly hugged him. The others looked depressed by his disappearance.

“It seems like he is not ready,” Shining said, making the others look at him a little with a glare. He noticed but did not care. He was only speaking his thoughts loudly. He could not help but admire his tactics of fighting. The way he showed no mercy and yet he fought with some dignity. When he was fighting against the warlord, he did not use any cheap tricks. He only fought with a very small sense of honour.

The Crystal Guards were praising their hero. He would be a great warrior for when the war was over. The way he fought was the way of The Ghost. Yes, that is what they would call it.

Outside of the Dragonlands were a couple of ponies who were walking towards the Dragonlands and were wearing different sorts of clothing. They had painted The Ghost symbol on their clothing to show other creatures who they served. They would gladly call themselves: The soldiers of The Ghost.

Author's Note

This story was meant to be published yesterday but I was caught up in the middle of something so I am terribly sorry.