Dragon of Steel II

Chapters

Rarity's Discovery!
Freed!
Audience with the Princess
Super Nomore?
Crisis in Cloudsdale!
Super Dragon Rises
Last Survivor
A Powerless Dragon
Other Worlds
Two Worlds

Rarity's Discovery!

He could hear them. The cries for help were far away, so far away that one would need super sensitive hearing to be able to hear them. But the cries of ponies in danger reached the ears of Spike all the same. Among his many powers that he had discovered, super hearing was one of his strongest.

After stealing a quick glance at Twilight and receiving a reassuring nod, Spike hurriedly rushed off! This was a job for a hero! Not just any hero, but a superhero!

This was a job for Super Dragon!

Quick as a flash, Spike had changed into his superhero alter ego costume. By now he had traded in his rag-tag, hastily modified version of Hum-Drum's costume for something more "stylish", something to ensure he truly could be seen no matter what: A dark blue shirt with red on the arm and neck bands, black boots made of an indestructible yet super flexible fabric and a long, flowing red cape. Emblazoned into the middle of his shirt was a logo: A yellow shield with red on the outside corners, and a big, red S in the center. For good measure, he had kept the mask over his eyes.

Once fully changed into his costume, Super Dragon kicked his legs and leaped into the air. Despite his lack of wings, he was soon flying through the sky at a breakneck speed!

Ponies who happened to look up caught a glimpse of a blue blur flying by overhead. Some were rendered speechless by the unbelievable sight! But others could be heard shouting to one another! "It's a bird!" or "It's a plane!"

Super Dragon just kept on flying, concentrating his focus on the source of the cries for help. He soon pinpointed their source, flew to it, and swooped down as he came to a large building in Ponyville that was all but engulfed in flames. Ponies (and even some non-ponies) were leaning out of windows in said building, frantically shouting for help as ponies clad in red helmets and bright yellow jackets were directing hose lines to try to put out the fire.

One of the ponies, an earth pony stallion with a smokey black coat and a charred gray mane and tail, looked at the masked dragon. "Super Dragon! Oh, thank Celestia you're here!"

"Of course, I'm always happy to help," Super Dragon nodded back. "So, what's the situation, Captain Oak?"

The earth pony pointed a hoof towards the windows several stories up. "This fire had a pretty good head start. My boys are trying their best, but our ladders can only reach so high," He bit his lip. "I don't know if we'll have enough time to save everypony before this whole place goes up in flames!"

With a salute, Super Dragon insisted. "Just leave it to me, Captain. I'll get everyone to safety! You and your men just focus on fighting the fire." Then, he rose into the air again, flying up towards the windows where the trapped ponies (and non-ponies) were waving and shouting, begging for help.

Quick as a flash, Super Dragon grabbed each of the frightened civilians one by one. The heat, smoke and flames didn't seem to bother him at all. And all the while, his suit wasn't charred or coated with soot. It was as if nothing could hurt him. Soon, he had gotten every civilian trapped inside safely out, setting them all down a ways away from the fire. Then, he was off again, this time without saying a word!

The masked superhero returned in the blink of an eye, towing a massive storm cloud behind him. He positioned it carefully over the burning building, then swooped down and slammed into it hard! There was a clap of thunder, and the storm cloud began to rain! The rain effortlessly extinguished the fire, the building was saved.

Everyone who had watched the scene was speechless! And soon, many in the crowd began to clap, cheer and whistle.

When Super Dragon landed again, the fire captain approached him and held out a hoof. "Super Dragon, my men and I owe you a great debt of thanks. Once again, you've saved the day. If you hadn't shown up when you did, this situation could've ended very badly."

The masked dragon simply brought a claw forward and shook the captain's hoof. "I'm always happy to help. Now, I must be going." And after giving a quick salute, he took to the skies once more and was soon out of sight.

News of the daring rescue and heroic feats spread quickly throughout Ponyville. Papers and headlines were on the streets within hours, and the citizens of Ponyville rushed to pick up a copy to read of the latest heroic action of Super Dragon. They couldn't get enough of him.

"'Super Dragon Does It Again: Masked Hero Saves Dozens From Burning Building'," Rarity, currently at Twilight's castle and in the throne room, read aloud a copy of Ponyville Express that had devoted its entire front page to the aforementioned story. Below the headline was a black and white picture that had been snapped by the paper's photographer, catching the hero in the midst of his feat of daring do. "Seems like not a day goes by now where he's not making headlines wherever he goes. Who is he, anyway? For some strange reason, I get the feeling like I've seen him before somewhere."

Twilight not so innocently replied to the unicorn. "Rarity, don't you think he would tell us if he wanted to be known? It's called a 'secret' identity. Why else do you think he wears the mask over his eyes?"

The fashionista unicorn put a hoof to her chin. "True, true. But what does he have to hide? All of Equestria is in love with him now. They can't stop gushing over him. I've seen him in action, I was there when he thwarted Filthy Rich's scheme. It's as if I've seen him before, and for the life of me I can't figure out why that is. He looks a lot like Spike, now that I think about it more."

Twilight simply retorted. "Come now, Rarity. Just because he looks like Spike doesn't mean he is Spike. Spike's been around for years, Super Dragon is still relatively new. That alone should prove that Spike and Super Dragon aren't the same."

Rarity seemed to nod ever so slowly. "Maybe so, but don't you think it's odd that we never seem to see Spike and Super Dragon in the same place at the same time? Even if Spike's not Super Dragon, he must know something about that masked hero. Perhaps the two are working together somehow?"

The young alicorn could only shake her head from side to side. "Rarity, you're way overthinking it. If Spike wanted to be a superhero, do you really think he'd dress up in something so obvious and so ridiculous? Do you think he'd be able to hide such a secret from me, the pony who hatched him and has known him longer than anypony else? Super Dragon probably just looks like Spike because it's part of his disguise, it's to throw us off and make us suspect he's someone else entirely."

Rarity simply sighed as she stood up, setting her newspaper down. "Well, you have to admit it's awfully strange that ever since Super Dragon showed up, Spike's been acting completely different. He seems to go out of his way to avoid me, to avoid our friends. If he's not a masked superhero, then what's he trying to hide? What is it that he doesn't want anypony to know? Surely, whatever it is, it can't be so important that he has to keep it to himself. Surely, he knows I would never blab."

Twilight just replied. "Rarity, will you drop it, already? You don't need to know everything that goes on in Spike's life. He doesn't ask to know where you are every minute of every day."

Reluctantly, the unicorn found herself agreeing. "I suppose you have a point, Twilight," She then sighed. "Still, something's up with Spike. And whatever it is, I just know it has to do with Super Dragon. I wish he would tell me, it's clearly troubling him, I can tell."

The young alicorn sternly and firmly told her friend. "If he wants to tell you, he will. Until then, it's not right for you to stick your nose into his business."

"Maybe so," Rarity replied. "But I just know he'll feel a lot better if he comes clean and confesses. He knows more than he's letting on. So why doesn't he trust me to know what he knows about Super Dragon?" And with that, she turned and trotted away.

Only once Rarity was out of sight did Twilight turn to a distant wall and light up her horn, revealing a nervous looking Spike had been standing by it the whole time.

Spike wiped the sweat from his brows. "Thanks for not ratting me out to Rarity, Twilight. She can't know the truth. She just can't."

"Why not?" Twilight asked with legitimate concern and curiosity. "You've already told me. Besides, you know how Rarity gets when she thinks someone's keeping secrets from her."

Spike could only shake his head from side to side. "Being Super Dragon is a burden that I don't want to burden any more ponies with than I have to. She's already been put in danger once because of me, I can't risk that happening again."

Twilight frowned and narrowed her eyes. "You know Rarity is stronger than she looks. Or did you forget the whole Diamond Dogs incident?"

The little dragon replied. "I know she's strong, I know she can take care of herself. But we both know what happened anyway when Filthy Rich was convinced he could use her to get to me. She shouldn't be put in danger because of me," He looked at himself with great concern. "What if something happens and I'm not able to save her? How would I live with the guilt knowing that something bad happened to her because of me, and I wasn't able to do anything about it?"

The young alicorn sighed. "You can't save everyone, Spike. Even with your incredible superpowers, you can't be everywhere at once. It's not like Rarity would come to depend on you every time she got into trouble. She'd understand, you have to put the needs of others before yourself."

"I'm sorry, Twilight," Spike firmly insisted. "Rarity would just be a distraction. A distraction I can't afford. If she figures it out for herself, I'll tell her. But if not, I'm not going to. It's best if she doesn't know, for my sake and for hers."

Even so, the next day, Spike found himself being invited to Carousel Boutique for tea with Rarity. Much as he wanted to say no, he realized that turning down the offer would only further draw suspicion towards himself. As long as he was careful, he was certain he could keep his secret double life under wraps. He even thought about maybe throwing her off the trail by telling her a lie. But what lie could he tell her that she wouldn't be able to see through?

Those thoughts and at least a hundred others were all swirling around inside the dragon's head as he reached the front door of the boutique and knocked on it. It took every ounce of courage he had not to run away.

The door soon swung open slowly, as Rarity greeted Spike with what seemed to be a sincere smile. "Ah, Spike. So lovely that you could join me today. Seems like you haven't had time for me at all lately." The last line was delivered with the faintest hint of resentment, albeit in such a subtle way that you'd be mistaken for thinking you hadn't heard it.

Spike gave off a nervous laugh and tried not to show how nervous he was feeling. "W-well, I've... been busy," He sheepishly fiddled with his claws. "Surely, you can relate."

The fashionista seemed to nod quite slowly. "Yes, Spike, I can. All the more reason why I'm so delighted you could join me for a spot of tea. Feels like it's been ages since we did anything together. You even turned down an offer to be my basket holder... I mean bodyguard for gem hunting," She led Spike along to a small table that had been set up in the kitchen. Resting on the table was a large, gleaming, porcelain tea kettle with matching cups. And in said cups rested freshly brewed tea. "Please, have a seat, I insist."

The little dragon eyed the tea with suspicion. Had Rarity secretly put something in it that would make him confess even if he didn't want to? He quickly shook his head to dispel such thoughts. "Rarity would never do a thing like that!" He convinced himself. "She's not that nosey." So he made his way over to the table with the tea seat, and sat down in one of the chairs as Rarity took a seat at the opposite end of the table from him.

At first, both pony and dragon just sipped their tea and spoke not a word. They eyed each other, as if trying to size each other up and determine what the other's feelings and intentions were. But neither seemed to give anything away with their eyes or their body language. It was as if they were locked into a staring contest, daring the other to blink or move.

Eventually, the spell of silence was broken as Rarity took the initiative. "So, Spike, may I ask what it is that's been keeping you so busy lately? Surely, I have a right to know that at least."

Spike swallowed hard. "I can't tell you, Rarity! It's a secret! Even Twilight doesn't know about it."

Rarity only shook her head from side to side. "Funny, I got the impression that Twilight knows more than she lets on. That's precisely why I had that conversation with her yesterday," And she sweetly pleaded. "Spike, please, if there's something troubling you, I want to know so I can make it better. I promise, it'll just be our little secret. I've learned my lesson about gossip."

The little dragon refused to yield any information. "I won't tell you! I can't tell you!"

The fashionista only pressed further. "Whyever not, Spike? What is it in the wide world of Equestria that could be so important that you can't tell me?" She snorted and swished her tail. "I know you and Super Dragon are working together, somehow! You know how to get in touch with him when nopony else does! So spill it, what's your connection to him?! Is he your twin or something?! Did you secretly clone yourself with the mirror pool?!"

"No, it's not like that at all! Super Dragon's not a clone!" Spike insisted as he started to sweat! "Please, just drop it! You're not gonna wring a confession out of me!"

Rarity sighed. She could see how upset Spike was becoming, and much as she might like more information she knew it was rude to press. Still, she sweetly tried to charm the answer out of him. "Come now, precious pants. Won't you feel better if you get it off your chest? I'm sure Super Dragon would understand you had no choice. Whatever it is he told you, I promise I won't tell a soul."

But the little dragon refused to budge. "I'm not telling you, and that's final! You can't know what I know, Rarity! It's for your own good, trust me. If you knew what I knew about Super Dragon, you'd be in terrible danger everyday."

At that the fashionista scoffed. "Really, Spike? More danger than when I go gem hunting and have to worry about those diamond dogs? More trouble than any of the threats to Equestria I've ever faced with my friends? You know I'm quite capable of defending myself against any who might wish to do me harm. I don't need you, Super Dragon or anyone else to protect me. I am quite skilled in the art of self defense, both physically and mentally."

Spike sighed deeply. "Darn it, Rarity! Why do you have to be so stubborn?! Why can't you just leave well enough alone?!"! He tensed up! He knew he wasn't good under pressure, and tried to cover his mouth with his claws to keep from saying anything further, fearful of what he might blab by mistake.

Rarity frowned. It seemed that despite her best efforts, Spike wasn't going to tell her anything. And without solid proof, she had no way to get him to open up. Reluctantly, she rose from her spot at the table. "Well, fine, Spike," She reluctantly stated even though her posture made it quite clear how displeased she was. "If you don't want to tell me, I won't force you to. I'll just do my best to figure it out for myself without invading your privacy."

Spike watched as Rarity slowly trotted away, leaving him alone in the kitchen. Then and only then did he unclamp his claws from around his mouth, breathing a much needed sigh of relief. Why was Rarity so insistent on knowing about his secret? Why couldn't she understand why he wanted to keep it a secret?

Rarity, meanwhile, decided to let off steam by stress sewing. It was what she liked to do in situations like this, it gave her an outlet to channel her frustrations without hurting anyone or anything.

The fashionista unicorn slowly but surely made her way up the steps, headed for her workshop where she could stress sew in peace. Then, suddenly, she misjudged a step! One of her hooves began to give way! And it just so happened that she was almost to the top, meaning it would be a long (and certainly painful) fall back down to the bottom! She tried desperately to light up her horn to catch herself, but the shock made it difficult for her to concentrate!

Thus, as Rarity felt herself losing control of her body and about to fall backwards, she did the only thing she could think to do in this situation: She screamed! It wasn't even a very loud scream, she didn't intend to alert anyone to what terrible fate was about to befall her.

Yet that scream was picked up by Spike from all the way in the kitchen. He jumped up! "RARITY!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, and without even thinking he raced as fast as he could towards the sound of her distress! Perhaps if he had looked down at himself, he would've noticed what he was doing subconsciously. But so fixated was he on getting to Rarity that he didn't give any thought to anything else.

In the blink of an eye, Rarity felt herself lose her balance and begin to tumble backwards down the steps! Yet just as she had slipped off one step and was about to fall down more, she heard what sounded like a rush of wind. And then, suddenly, something (or rather someone) was lifting her up. It didn't stop until it had safely deposited her atop the stairs.

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" A familiar voice declared, before gasping as its owner realized the folly of such a move!

Rarity turned around very slowly. That voice was instantly recognizable to her. Sure enough, her eyes fell upon the form of Spike as he was floating in mid-air with no wings at all. The realization dawned on her in an instant! "Spike! You're.... Super Dragon?!"

Author's Note

And so it begins again. It's really funny finally coming around to this sequel after so many years. So much has changed, including the fact that Garble is reformed in show canon. That's just one of the reasons why I've tagged this as AU.

I didn't want Rarity to be completely in the dark about the similarities between Spike and Super Dragon, but I also wanted to give her a believable reason why she doesn't suspect the two are one and the same. And yes, Rarity is playing the role of Lois Lane in this fic.

Freed!

As Spike now had to deal with the sudden and unintentional discovery of his secret identity by Rarity, he had no way to know what was unfolding in lands far beyond Ponyville.

For you see, all the way back when Rainbow Dash had performed a sonic rainboom at the Best Young Flyers Competition, that rainbow colored shockwave's effects had rippled in the air far beyond the reaches of Cloudsdale. They had spread out and traveled to the farthest reaches of the world, beyond even the limits of Equestria itself. And as it so happened, one of the unintended (and unknown) effects of that shockwave was shattering a small, floating cube like device.

Contained within said object were three dragons who had been banished from the dragon lands about a hundred years ago, trapped forever in a prison in an alternate dimension where time and space were at a stand still. The dragons did not age a day, it was as if they had simply ceased to exist all together. But when the shockwave from the sonic rainboom reached the device in which they were trapped, it shattered it into tiny pieces and set the three dragons known as Grunt, Groan and Garble free!

The three teenage dragons only just thought to flap their wings to slow their descent before they would've impacted the ground (and likely broken several bones in their bodies if they were lucky).

Garble was the first one of the trio to come to his senses, shaking his head to clear the mental cobwebs. "We're free...?" He questioned as he slowly blinked his eyes, taking in his surroundings. He and his fellow teenage dragons appeared to be in some kind of field or clearing out in the middle of nowhere. The reality slowly set in. "...We're free! Finally, at very long last!" Then he raced over to Grunt and Groan, helping them to their knees. "Wake up, my brothers, we're free at last!"

Grunt yawned, brushing the dust off his scales. "Are you sure, Garble? How do we know this isn't a dream?"

Groan just snorted, a bit of smoke escaping his nostrils. "Oh, it's real, alright! I feel so stiff!" He unfolded his wings, wincing at how sore they felt. "How long has it been since we were banished?"

Garble could only scratch his head. "I don't know. It could've been mere days, or maybe months. But probably, it was years."

"So, where are we now?" Grunt inquired as his eyes scanned the horizon in every direction. "This doesn't seem to be the dragon lands. This doesn't look like the kingdom that tried to destroy us and our revolution!"

Groan sniffed the air, and gagged. "Ugh! It smells like... ponies!"

At that, a gasp escaped the red scaled teenage dragon's mouth! "Ponies?! I hate ponies! I hate all creatures who are inferior to us dragons! We are the strong, they are the weak! Yet they took advantage of those of us who would rather make peace than go to war," He kicked at the ground, stirring up some dirt in the process. "Well, wherever we are, it is time we made ourselves known. We'll show those... ponies that we dragons are not to be messed with. We'll show them how powerless they truly are. Then, all will bow to us!"

Yet before the dragons could make any move at all, they were made aware of the presence of another via a shocked gasp! Suddenly, who should appear before them but an earth pony mare of medium build and with an upturned snout? She had a pale, grayish-pink coat, and wore a blueish-green dress with a golden hem around her lower body. She also wore a noticeable golden necklace. Her eyes were a cold, strong opal in color that right now seemed to be filled with shock and wonder. And she sported a mane and tail that was styled into a loose series of curls, the mane and tail were colored two shades of magenta and a darker purplish-pink. Most telling of all, though, the mare sported some sort of mark on her flanks, a mark which depicted a diamond ring.

The earth pony hesitantly approached the creatures, either not knowing or not caring about who and what they were. "Oh my Celestia! What are you... you... creatures doing here?!"

"First of all, lady," Garble said with a hiss. "We're dragons," He immediately flew over to her, pressing his snout up against hers. "And you'll address as such if you know what's good for you!" He brandished his claws. "These claws ain't just for show, you know."

If the earth pony mare was at all intimidated, she didn't show it as she scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm ever so scared," Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and malice. "You think I'm some helpless damsel? I'll have you know, I attend self defense classes, and I'm not afraid to get dirty if it means putting thugs like you in your place. Many a would-be robber has foolishly thought they could frighten me into helplessness. But I don't scare easily!" She jumped back, rearing up on her back legs as she struck a fighting pose. "I suggest you brutes hit the road right now if you know what's good for you!"

But Garble just looked to Groan and Grunt, and laughed as the purple skinned dragon with yellow hair, and the white skinned dragon with light purple hair stood to either side of him. "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be, is it? You think we're here to shake you down for money? Like we're some common thieves?" Then he cruelly laughed as he narrowed his eyes. "Pony, you just made the worst mistake of your life! And soon, it will be your last!"

"I have a name, you know!" The earth pony mare snorted in reply. "It's Spoiled Rich. And I happen to be married to the wealthiest pony in all of Ponyville, maybe even all of Equestria. If you dare lay a claw on me, my husband will sue you for every last bit you have to your names, and then some. Trust me, my husband always listens to me. Nopony ever says no to me!"

Garble only laughed as he unfolded his wings. "Well then, Spoiled Rich, let's see just how tough you really are!" To his fellow dragons, he then instructed. "Show no mercy, boys! We'll make her last moments painful!"

"With pleasure!" Grunt and Groan said in unison.

Spoiled just narrowed her eyes and grit her teeth. "Bring it!" And so, a fight began!

Spoiled Rich was indeed very strong and very skilled. She held her own against the dragons more than might have been expected of her. She scored a few hits, knocking them back and knocking them down. But every time she did, they just got right back up and kept charging at her. All the while, Spoiled's dress began to be ripped and teared by the near misses from the trio of dragons and their sharp claws. To say nothing of their ability to fly and breath fire.

Eventually, the three teenage dragons encircled the mare, and with several swift kicks and swings of their tails, they brought her down and pinned her down. The earth pony never stood a chance.

Spoiled, bruised and battered, could only look into the eyes of her attackers and see the cold, cruel glares they shot back at her. She was forced to do something she absolutely hated to do: Beg. "P-please," She whimpered as she shook and shivered with fright. "I-I'm sorry. We... we can work something out!"

"Oh, did you hear that, boys?" Garble asked his fellow dragons. "She wants to work something out. She thinks she can bargain her way out of this!" And all three dragons began to cackle with fiendish glee.

Groan locked eyes with Spoiled, telling her in no uncertain terms. "We ain't interested in making a deal, lady. You started this fight, and now we're going to finish it. There is nothing you could possibly offer us. And once we're done with you, you'll serve as a warning to others."

Grunt began to rub his claws together. "Oh, I love it when they try to put up a fight! Makes their inevitable end all the sweeter to savor," Then he proposed. "Now, how shall we finish you off: Burn you to a crisp? Rip you to shreds? Or just give you a good, swift kick to the head to put your lights out for good?"

Resigning herself to her fate, the battered, belittled earth pony mare spat at the ground and tried to summon up courage. "Do your worst!" She managed to force out in as defiant a tone as she could muster.

A fiendish smile broke out across Garble's face. "With pleasure, lady," He brandished his claws and raised them high into the air. "Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit. It'll hurt a whole lot!"

Just as Spoiled Rich had shut her eyes, waiting for her untimely end to come, a high pitched voice suddenly cried out from the distance! "Mother!" Suddenly, who should come running up on the scene but a magenta coated earth pony filly? Her vibrant, cornflower blue eyes were filled with horror upon seeing the state her female parent was in!

Spoiled tried to speak up, only to find that the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. All she could do was whimper, her head falling to the ground as her body betrayed her.

Immediately, Garble got an idea. An awful idea. A truly wonderful, awful, terrible idea. "Oh, is this your kid?" He taunted Spoiled, before flying over to the frightened filly, stopping her dead in her tracks. "What's the matter, little lady? Is that mare begging and pleading pathetically for her life your mother?" His voice was full of sadistic intention and cruelty.

The filly neither knew nor cared what these creatures were, all she knew was that her mother was in danger. "You leave my mother alone!" She demanded and threw a hoof, trying to punch the red scaled creature hard in the stomach. But her hoof barely made an impact, it was like she had done nothing at all.

"That didn't even tickle," Garble grinned. "Let me show you what a real punch looks like!" And he swung his hands hard into the little earth pony, knocking her to the ground with one blow. "How's that?! Do you want more?!"

Defiantly, the filly roared. "Leave my mother alone you... you... you heartless monsters!"

Grunt laughed as Groan only taunted. "Flattery won't save you, young one."

Garble then grabbed the frightened filly, picking her up by the neck and pulling her close to him. "It's a real shame you had to stick your nose into this. Now you'll meet the same fate as your mother. Guess maybe she should've told you not to pick on those bigger than you."

The magenta coated filly screamed at the top of her lungs, but all she could do otherwise was kick her legs and flail about in helplessness! "Let me go, please! I don't wanna die!" Tears began flowing from her cornflower blue eyes.

Somehow, someway, hearing her daughter's cries was enough to summon up some courage in Spoiled. She managed to raise to her hooves, and then she croaked out. "Don't any of you dare hurt my little Diamond! Do whatever you want to me, but leave Diamond Tiara out of this! It's me you want, not her!"

"But Mother, I don't want you to die either!" Diamond Tiara protested, and with a whimper she looked at Garble. "Please, Mr... whatever your name is... let us go! We'll... we'll..." Suddenly, an idea came to her! "We'll owe you a favor. We can get you anything you want. Anything!"

Grunt snarled and shook his head. "Don't listen to 'em, Garble. We have them at our mercy! Let's put 'em down!"

But Garble threw up a claw. "Wait, I think maybe we can use this to our advantage. Having ponies do things for us only seems fair after all the times they took advantage of our kind," He locked eyes with his captive and said to her. "Alright, kid, here's the deal. We'll let you and your mother live, if... you promise to do our bidding. You'll help us conquer Equestria."

"Never!" Diamond roared in defiance!

The red scaled dragon just waved a claw. "Ah, ah, ah, you're in no position to be making demands. Either you agree to help us, or we'll kill you here and now! It's your choice. Do you want to live, or not?"

Spoiled managed to force out. "Please, whatever you want, we'll give it to you. Just let us go."

Garble smiled, dropping Diamond as he flew over to Spoiled. "Excellent! Looks like we have a deal!" Helping the mare to her hooves, he then smirked and said to her. "Now, here's what we want you to do." And just like that, he began to set a plan into motion. A plan that he hoped would help him and his fellow teenage dragons bring down Equestria, enabling them to conquer it for themselves.

And it was a plan that would've worked, if not for the intervention of a certain scaly hero years later.

Author's Note

This is to establish how Garble and his two henchmen could be set free from their prison, and how they could get into contact with Filthy Rich.

Audience with the Princess

Garble learned of Super Dragon's existence in much the same way he'd learned of Filthy Rich's betrayal, from discarded newspapers that he managed to find on the few occasions he wandered away from the little cave tucked into a remote part of Equestria. This cave was where he and his two followers had settled in following their miraculous escape. Why go back to the place that had branded them enemies and traitors when they could hide out in a place like Equestria and live like kings? (That wasn't to say they never tried to go back to the dragon lands, but at best they could only find colonies different from the ones they had known. It was as if their original clan had vanished, wiped off the face of the world)

Reading over the latest headlines that proclaimed Super Dragon's heroic deeds and feats, Garble felt his blood begin to boil. "'Super Dragon Saves City From Certain Doom', 'Super Dragon: Look, Ma, No Wings!', 'Super Dragon: Who Or What Lies Behind the Mask?', 'Super Dragon Exposes Plot to Eradicate Parts of Equestria'. Super Dragon. Super Dragon!" He crumpled up the papers, burning them to a crisp with his fire breath. "That's all I ever hear now! It's sickening! Those namby pamby ponies worshiping one of our own instead of bowing to us in fear!"

"So, what are we waiting for?" Grunt questioned Garble. "Filthy Rich has failed us, so now we should finish what he started."

Groan nodded as a fiendish, sadistic smile came to his face. "Yeah! We can burn every city to the ground! So let's get out there! We already know Ponyville's where that pony loving dragon Spike lives. Either he joins us, or he meets the same fate as the ponies."

Grunt happily cheered and chimed in! "Exactly! I'm itching for action!"

But Garble threw up a claw. "Not so fast, boys."

"Garble, now's not a time for thinking!" Grunt furiously insisted! "We have the power! Let's teach these ponies to fear us! Ponyville's a good place to start our reign of terror!"

The red scaled dragon only shook his head. "Super Dragon changes everything. It seems like he's almost hangin' around in Ponyville, probably 'cause he's buddy buddy with that namby pamby Spike. Of course a pony lover like him would put in a good word for other dragons," He began to rub his claws together. "No. The ponies don't even know we exist yet. We need to fix that."

"And how do you propose we do that, Garble?" Groan inquired.

Garble's smile grew brighter and wider. "Simple. You forget what we learned about that puny Spike the last time we saw him? He's pen pals with a pony princess: Princess Celestia. Not just anypony can make friends with a dragon. So we'll pay this pony princess a visit, give her a chance to see what we're capable of," He then unfolded his wings. "Come on, boys! Canterlot awaits us."

Taking to the skies, the trio of teenaged dragons flew as fast as they could to their destination. They wanted to maintain the element of surprise for as long as possible, even though their goal ultimately was terror and subjugation.

Eventually, the dragons spotted a promising sign: The spires of a tower of a large, majestic castle. It seemed like as good a place as any to find a princess. Garble motioned to his fellow dragons, and they swooped down. As they did so, their silhouettes attracted concerned glances from ponies who happened to look up. Creatures flying into Canterlot was almost unheard of.

Two white coated pegasi in golden armor stood at attention, spears at the ready as they greeted the intruders that appeared before them. Locking wings, they glared at the dragons and pointed their spears. "State your business, now!" One of the guards commanded.

Garble snickered. "Oh, how cute, you think those silly little toys of yours can protect you," He immediately grabbed one of the spears, held it up and then brought it down on one of his knees, bending and then breaking it in two! "You're in no position to be making threats!" He told them in an ominous tone of voice.

Groan flashed a fiendish smile. "Whoever you're working for, we want to meet them. There's something we need to discuss."

And Grunt added with narrowed eyes. "And we're not taking no for an answer," Brandishing his claws, he added. "So, if you value your lives, you'll take us to your leader right now!"

Reluctantly, the guards swallowed hard and obeyed. They were not trained for what to do in situations like these.

It wasn't long before the three dragons were brought into the throne room and presented to a tall, slender pony with a gleaming white coat, and a flowing mane and tail in shades of blue, green and pink. This had to be the "Princess Celestia" Spike had received a letter from.

If Princess Celestia was at all shocked by the sudden and unexpected arrival of three uninvited guests, she didn't show it outwardly. She instead gestured a hoof. "Guards, you may take leave. Stand outside if you wish, but do not intervene. I will deal with these intruders myself."

The guards hesitantly nodded and obeyed. "Yes, your majesty." And they hastily retreated, the throne room doors slamming shut behind them.

Now, Princess Celestia was alone with just the three teenage dragons. And she immediately sized them up. "What do you three want from me?" She demanded with narrowed eyes, her horn beginning to glow. "Whatever it is, I doubt you mean well."

Garble nodded. "Oh, you catch on pretty fast, princess," Then he asked. "You are a princess, aren't you?"

Princess Celestia nodded quite slowly. "Indeed, I am Princess Celestia. And Equestria is my kingdom, so you three are under my authority. So what is it you want? Why have you sought me out?" She demanded of them. "State your business now, or I shall have you all thrown in the dungeon for questioning!"

Garble bowed his head slowly, then quickly raised it. "Ah, I appreciate that you're not gonna drag this out for us," He gestured a claw to the dragons either side of him. "This is Grunt and Groan, and I'm Garble. The three of us, we're outcasts. We were banished from our own kind long ago. We have no home of our own. And, well, your 'Equestria' seems like such a nice place. So we figured we'd make it our home," Then, with a snarl he hissed. "There's just one little problem. It's populated with ponies. And we hate ponies!"

"So you've come here trying to get me to surrender my kingdom to you?" The sun princess protested, using her magic to pull Garble close. "Apparently, you don't know me very well if you believe I will bow to foreign invaders such as yourself. The ponies of Equestria are my subjects, and I will not tolerate any threats made against them!"

Garble snickered and flashed a sadistic grin, apparently not intimidated the least by the alicorn's presence. "Oh believe me, your majesty," His voice was dripping with malice and sarcasm. "We don't make idle threats. Just ask the Riches, they can vouch for us."

At that Princess Celestia let out a gasp! "So you're the ones who enabled Filthy Rich in his schemes that almost destroyed Manehattan and Las Pegasus!"

Garble nodded. "Yup, that was us alright. But Filthy Rich was just a means to an end. He's of no use to us now. Now, we're gonna finish what he started, and we'll do it ourselves!"

Celestia stomped a hoof down, glaring at Garble as her horn began to spark! "If you three hurt any of my subjects in any way, I will make you all regret it!" She then fired off a blast that knocked all three dragons back, leaving them reeling. "That's only a taste of what I can do. I don't usually prefer to use such extreme methods, I prefer peace over war. If you all agree to leave now and never show your faces in Equestria again, we can both get what we want."

Garble just snorted, rubbed a claw over the scorch mark on his face, and spat at the ground. "Oh, so you wanna do it the hard way, do you?" He turned to Grunt and Groan. "We've wasted enough time here, boys. She'll never listen to us," Then to Princess Celestia he warned. "You can't be everywhere at once! Sure, maybe you'll come and stop us eventually. But by the time you do, we'll already be well on our way to pillaging, plundering and burning Equestria. We'll bring it to its knees!"

As the three dragons departed, Groan gave off a wicked laugh and fiendish boasted. "You just messed with the wrong dragons, princess. And you're gonna be sorry!" And then, as quickly as they had arrived, they left.

Author's Note

In both versions of Superman II, General Zod and his two associates succeed in ousting the President of the United States after learning of his existence. I didn't want the same thing to happen to Princess Celestia, but I also knew I couldn't have her immediately take care of the threat that Garble and the other dragons pose.

Super Nomore?

Spike hadn't bothered to change out of his costume before knocking on the door of Twilight's castle, and he didn't really care. He knew she was the only one who could help him. Only she had the power to do what he felt needed to be done.

At last, after several minutes of frantic knocking had gone unanswered, Twilight opened her castle doors and appeared. Upon seeing Spike in his Super Dragon attire, she gasped and quickly pulled him inside! Then, for good measure, she slammed the doors shut behind them! Only then did she peel off the mask, looking the dragon deep in the eyes. "Spike?! What are you doing here dressed like that?! I thought you didn't want ponies knowing your secret?"

Spike let out a deep sigh, looking down at the ground with regret. "I did. But unfortunately, I slipped up. I ended up exposing my secret identity to Rarity."

"Well, she was probably going to find out anyway," Twilight pointed out in a matter of fact tone. "I told you it was wrong to keep secrets from her. I don't see what the problem is. So she knows about your superhero alter ego? So what? Isn't it great that you have another friend in on the secret?"

Spike shook his head from side to side. "No, Twilight, because she's not just my friend," He swallowed hard. "I thought it was just a harmless crush, that I'd get over it with time. But..." His lips quivered. "It didn't. It won't go away. I'm in love with her!"

Suddenly, it dawned on Twilight what was troubling Spike. "Oh!" She exclaimed and jumped back a bit in shock.

Glumly, the little dragon confessed. "And that's the problem. My feelings for her are a distraction. Now that I have someone I love and care about, it's hard for me to focus on being a hero."

"So, just break it off with her. Rarity will understand," Twilight suggested. "It's not like it'll be the first time she'd had her heart broken."

Spike only shook his head again. "No, Twilight. I can't do that to her! I can't break up with her, not even if I wanted to. And I don't. My feelings for her are too strong!"

Then the alicorn suggested. "So, what? You want me to erase her memories of seeing you as Super Dragon or something? To make it so that it never happened?"

"Also no," The little dragon protested. "I can't run away from this. And I'm done trying to hide it! There's only one solution to this problem!" Hesitantly and in a glum tone of voice he vowed. "I have to give up my powers. I can't be the hero everypony wants me to be if I'm too focused on other things to care. I can't live in two worlds and live two lives."

"So that's it? You're just gonna give up being a superhero? Being Super Dragon?" Twilight frowned as she narrowed her eyes. "Spike, are you sure that's wise? There might still be a way to work something out with Rarity, a way that doesn't have to involve you giving up your powers or erasing her memories."

"Really? Then what is it, Twilight?" Spike demanded as he stomped a claw down. "What's the solution I'm not thinking of?"

Pressed for details, the young alicorn princess could only whimper and sheepishly confess. "I... don't know. But I do know that what you're thinking of is not the answer! Being Super Dragon meant everything to you! Are you really going to give that up just to be with Rarity?"

"Reluctantly, yes," Spike replied as he slowly lifted his head. "I can think of no other way. Besides, it's not like Equestria can't protect itself without me. It got by just fine before I came along, and it will continue to be fine even without my powers."

A long silence came over the front hallway of the castle as Twilight contemplated Spike's dilemma. Then, at last, she looked Spike deep in the eyes as she told him. "Well... if you are going to go through with that, I at least think you need to talk it over with Rarity and see what she thinks. Something tells me she won't be pleased."

The little dragon slowly nodded. "Okay, Twilight. I guess I at least owe her that. But I don't think it's going to change my mind," He tried to fight back the tears. "Get everything ready, Twilight. I won't be long." Then, after pulling the mask back down across his eyes, Spike raced out of the castle doors and took to the air again.

Twilight watched Spike depart and could only look down at the ground in shame. "Is there really no other way to solve this?" She whispered to herself.

Even now that she knew about Spike's secret, Rarity was still most surprised when he swooped down in front of Carousel Boutique in his full Super Dragon attire, and then made his way over to the boutique proper. He didn't bother with formalities, he just made his way inside and shut the door behind him.

"Oh, Spike," Rarity commented, before realizing it might not be wise to address him by name unless she was certain the two were alone. "What a... nice surprise."

"Wish I could say the same," Spike glumly replied, and then sighed deeply. "Rarity, there's no easy way for me to say what I'm about to say. But Twilight insisted that I talk things over with you before I went through with anything."

The fashionista blinked. "Spike... you're breaking up with me?" She asked, sounding more surprised than truly upset.

The little dragon swallowed hard and tried not to look guilty. "No, Rarity. I can't do that. I love you too much. And I'm not here to make you forget about what you found out either. I can't keep living a double life all the time now that I have to make you part of it. I just can't. It's too much of a burden."

"Whatever are you trying to say, Spike?" Rarity questioned. "It's not like you can take away all those powers of yours. However would Equestria survive without Super Dragon?"

"It will find a way," Spike insisted, trying to sound firm even as his lips quivered and betrayed his intentions. "I'm sorry, Rarity. I don't want to have to choose, but I also can't go on trying to manage being Super Dragon and being there for you."

"Spike, if you have to break up with me, I'd understand," Rarity firmly insisted with a huff. "I shouldn't be more important to you than saving lives. And if this is just because you're worried something will happen to me because of you, you're worrying about nothing. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself and you know it."

Spike clenched his claws and grit his teeth! Why was Rarity making this so difficult? Why couldn't she just accept that this was something he needed to do?

Noticing how tense and uncertain Spike was becoming, Rarity trotted forward and reached out a hoof. "Spike, you have such incredible powers. You can do things even ponies aren't capable of doing. And you have a responsibility to use those powers for the good of all of Equestria," She sweetly pleaded. "I don't want your feelings for me to get in the way of that, but I also I don't want me to be the reason why you have to give it all up."

"But... but... how would things work out between us?" The little dragon questioned with uncertainty.

The fashionista unicorn flashed a warm smile as she used her hoof to grab Spike, and proceeded to sweetly stroke his scales. "I'm sure we'll figure something out. We can make it work if we have to. There's no reason why your secret identity and double life should have to come between us," Locking eyes with Spike as she lifted up his face mask, she added. "Please, Spike. Think about all the lives you've saved or made a difference in as Super Dragon. Think of all the good you've done because of that. Do you really want to turn your back on all of that?"

Stuttering and trying to beat back a raging blush, Spike answered. "W-well, no... but..."

Rarity firmly shook her head from side to side. "-But nothing, Spike! You're not giving up your powers and that's that! Don't let our love be the reason why you can't keep being Super Dragon. You are a superhero first and foremost. Never forget that!"

Just like that, it was settled. Spike could tell Rarity wasn't going to let him go through with his plan to give up his powers, no matter how much he might want to. She seemed quite convinced that they could work something out. And looking into her eyes, he could see just how serious she was about that belief. If she believed so strongly that being Super Dragon wasn't going to come between them, well, he was inclined to believe her.

Although still a bit uncertain about what he was going to do, Spike felt like a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders now that he'd talked to Rarity. And maybe, just maybe, there was someone else he could consult that would help him figure things out.

If nothing else, though, Spike knew he'd have to go back to Twilight and tell her to cancel the preparations for the power draining.

But there was no need for the dragon to do that. With a sudden and loud pop, Twilight appeared in the interior of the boutique before pony and dragon! Her eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates, and it looked as if she'd just seen a ghost! "Spike, thank goodness I found you!" She frantically exclaimed! "Please tell me you've come to your senses and don't want me to take away your powers!"

"Not to worry, Twilight," Spike said with a smile. "Rarity talked some sense into me," Then he asked the alicorn. "What are you so worried about? What's wrong?"

Twilight gulped as she levitated over a scroll. "Just got this message from Princess Celestia. It's urgent. And you won't like what it says."

The little dragon hesitantly took the scroll into his claws, unfurled it and began to read it as his eyes scanned the parchment. By the time he'd finished, a look of horror flashed across his face! "So that's who Filthy Rich was working for!"

"Spike, what's wrong now?" Rarity questioned.

Spike simply pulled the face mask back down across his eyes, a look of fiery determination coming onto his face. "Trouble, that's what. Apparently, some teenage dragons paid a visit to Princess Celestia recently, and they tried to get her to surrender Equestria to them. She refused, but," He gulped. "They seemed intent on getting their way one way or another. Equestria is in danger."

A sincere smile formed on Rarity's face. "Well, what are you waiting for, then? Sounds like a job for Super Dragon!"

Spike nodded. "You're right, Rarity," He gripped his claws firmly. "Evildoers will never win! Not on my watch!"

Author's Note

I initially planned to have Spike give up his powers and then have them be restored later on, just like in both versions of Superman II. But I decided against it since I thought that would make Spike seem selfish.

Crisis in Cloudsdale!

Garble, Grunt and Groan were, needless to say, in a very bad mood when they left Canterlot. Being rebuffed by a pony, particularly a pony princess, and being made aware of how powerless they truly were compared to her, it was not something they were used to. The teenaged dragons had always gotten their way in the past, only when they had been banished had they been unable to assert their authority.

Garble was the grouchiest of all, and rightfully so in his opinion. "First that annoying Super Dragon shows up and starts foiling our plans, then Filthy Rich gets cold hooves and bails on us, and now this is happening!" He snorted, blowing smoke from his nostrils. "Those ponies are really starting to bug me! And I hate bugs!"

"So, what, we just do what they say and go find some other species to pick on?" Grunt questioned. "I think there's some zebras we could hunt down. Or maybe a few griffons that need a good pounding."

"No! Those ponies need to know their place!" Garble hissed and spat at the ground! "They think Super Dragon and the princesses can protect them! Well they're wrong! One way or another, they will accept our superiority! They will bow to us! We'll teach them a lesson they'll never forget!"

Groan then suggested. "Then let's go back to Ponyville and put the hurt on those ponies! Maybe we can even find that pony loving pipsqueak Spike and put him in his place!" He put his claws together. "I'm itching for action!"

However, Garble's wandering eyes happened to fall upon a most interesting sight. He and his fellow dragons were not alone in the skies. A city literally made of clouds was floating along in the distance, and winged ponies were trotting or flying about the city without a care or concern in the world.

The red scaled dragon's smile grew wider as terrible, horrible, no good, really bad thoughts began to flood his mind. "Actually, I think I know of a place we can hit," He pointed a claw. "See that big bank of clouds up ahead?"

Grunt and Groan squinted, able to just make out the outline of what looked like a city of clouds. And was it their imagination, or did there appear to be rainbows over it?

A glint came into Garble's eyes. "Seems like as good a place as any to cause some havoc! We'll show those puny ponies whose boss! And if that boy scout in blue shows up, we'll take him down too!"

Grunt snickered. "Great! So let's stop talking and start destroying!"

"Now you're talking!" Garble declared and let out a guttural roar! Then, he and his fellow teenage dragons flew straight towards the city of clouds!

The pegasi of Cloudsdale only became aware that something was wrong when suddenly the peace and quiet was abruptly disrupted! Three truly terrifying creatures appeared overhead! Some ponies gasped, but most didn't know what to think.

Garble swooped down, presenting himself to the ponies. "Hello all you namby-pamby ponies. Please, don't be alarmed. Unless, of course, the idea of me and my associates here," He gestured to the dragons to his left and right. "Taking over is a problem for you. In that case, be very, very alarmed."

Groan then stepped forward. "We're not taking no for an answer, ponies. So what happens next is on you. Either surrender and submit to us peacefully, or try to resist and see just how powerful we truly are."

"You... you can't do this to us!" A pegasus pony whimpered. "The princesses will..."

"Oh, your princesses," Garble cackled with fiendish and sadistic glee. "Sure, they'll show up, eventually. But by the time they do, there's not going to be a city left to save. Resist, and everything you care about will go up in flames!" He proceeded to let out a small breath of fire to emphasize his point.

"So," Grunt questioned with a sinister smirk on his face. "Still wanna hold out for a hero?"

As if in response to the question, a rainbow colored blur of motion suddenly swept past the dragons! "Guess it's a good thing I happened to be in Cloudsdale today! Super Dragon won't have to get involved, I'll take you all down myself!" A feminine sounding voice boasted!

Garble, Grunt and Groan spun around and found themselves snout to snout with a rainbow maned pegasus. It didn't take long for Garble to recognize where he had seen this particular pegasus before. "Hey, I know you! You're one of those ponies who tried to stand up for Spike, only to run away like a coward."

"Yeah?" The rainbow maned mare remarked in a defiant tone of voice. "Well that was then and this is now. No one threatens Cloudsdale on my watch! No one!" Then she took off with a furious flap of her wings, all the while sticking out her tongue and taunting. "Catch me if you can!"

Grunt and Groan felt their blood begin to boil, and their anger slowly bubble over!

But Garble simply reached out a claw to them both and said to them. "No, leave that pony to me. She wants us all to chase after her, but we won't fall for her tricks. I'm more than enough to take her on and take her down. You two get to work on bringing this stinkin' city to its knees! Hurry, before Super Dragon shows up!" Then he flew off.

Grunt and Groan shrugged their claws, but reluctantly obeyed. They flew into the city proper as pegasus ponies proceeded to scream, some running and others flying as the city descended into chaos!

Rainbow Dash had not flown as fast as she was flying now since the time she'd performed a sonic rainboom at the Best Young Flyers Competition. This time, the stakes were much higher. And when she looked back, she could see the red scaled dragon chasing after her. "Darn it! I was hoping to get all three of them to come after me!" She thought to herself. "Guess Super Dragon will just have to take care of them. But Garble's mine! I'll make him pay!" And she quickly dove down, then suddenly swooped back up.

"Yes, that's right," Garble taunted as he followed Rainbow to the best of his ability. "Keep flying around. We both know you can't take me in a fight."

"Don't need to fight you head on!" Rainbow replied as she grabbed a nearby cloud and started hopping up and down on it! "Apparently, you don't know we pegasi can control the weather. I've got mother nature on my side."

Suddenly, a massive downpour of rain poured out of the cloud, soaking Garble completely. And at the same time, a gust of wind from the flapping of Rainbow Dash's wings pushed him towards the ground. It took everything he had to keep himself from impacting the ground.

Yet just as the red scaled dragon had gotten back to where he should be, there was a loud boom and a bolt of lightning whizzed past him! Then a couple of hailstones started to pelt him relentlessly. Even so, he refused to yield. "Keep it coming! I can take anything you can dish out!" He roared above the tempest.

"Oh yeah, hot shot?!" The brash speedster replied as she swooped down and closed in on him! "Let's see how tough you are after you take a sonic rainboom to the face!" Seconds after she spoke that, a cone of speed appeared around her.

Garble, unaware, had no time to react before there was an explosion of color in the form of a rainbow shockwave! The brightly colored blast struck him head on, and he had to shut his eyes as the light grew to a blinding intensity!

Sensing an opportunity for a follow-up, Rainbow looped around and launched a kick straight into Garble's scaley stomach! As expected, Garble winced in pain. He seemed to be on the ropes, ready for the finishing move.

"Say your prayers, tough guy!" The pegasus proclaimed as she stuck a hoof out in front of her, and flew forward, hoping to connect a punch to his chin.

Yet the red scaled dragon just managed to grab his attacker by said hoof, bringing her to a screeching halt. Slowly, and still reeling from the pain of earlier attacks (his body only now starting to show any signs of injury, and even then they were faint. Dragons were made of tough stuff), he opened his eyes. "Nice grip, pony," He forced out between utterings of pain. "Here, let me show you mine!" He tightened his grip firmly, squeezing the hoof as hard as he could!

Rainbow yowled and tried to kick Garble to make him stop!

Garble, however, swung his tail around and blocked the attack. Then he brought another claw of his down on Rainbow and dug into her mane, scraping his sharp claws along her scalp!

"Y-you!" Rainbow Dash screamed and grit her teeth, trying desperately to maintain what composure she had!

"And now, I'll crush you!" Garble vowed as he released his grip and raised his claws up over the rainbow maned pegasus' head. "It's been nice knowing you, pony!" And as he spoke he inhaled deeply, prepared to land one final blow and then set his opponent on fire.

But before Garble could do so, he felt a tap on the back of his shoulder. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. If you want me to show you any mercy, you'd better let that pony go right now."

Spinning around, Garble found himself face to face with the last sight he wanted to see right now! Before him stood Super Dragon in all his glory! "Oh no! Not you!"

Author's Note

I knew I wanted Rainbow Dash to put up a fight when Cloudsdale got attacked, while also making Garble at least smart and savy enough not to risk the other dragons to take her on.

Super Dragon Rises

Now that the conflict, concern and confusion in his head was cleared up, Super Dragon could focus on what he had sworn to do since discovering his super powers: Save lives and protect the innocent!

Already, his super sensitive hearing was alerting him to an unfolding catastrophe in the city of Cloudsdale! The screams of terrified ponies was proof enough. The city was under attack, and he had a pretty good idea who was responsible for it all: A trio of teenage dragons, the same ones that had met with Princess Celestia not so long ago.

Flying as fast as he could to the scene of disaster, Super Dragon was silently pleading with himself. "Please don't let me be too late!"

Fortunately, the masked dragon arrived in Cloudsdale to find that the city was still intact. No ponies appeared to be injured. However, numerous pegasi were in a state of panic! And the source of distress revealed itself in the form of two dragons: One a somewhat chubby white scaled dragon with light purple hair, and the other a tall and lean purple scaled dragon with wavy yellow hair. The two dragons were currently chuckling to themselves, clearly enjoying every moment of their attack as they tried to attack ponies with their claws, and used their fire breath to set various buildings alight.

Clenching his claws and gritting his teeth, Super Dragon prepared for action. His first priority was to put a stop to the attack on the pegasus ponies themselves. So he inhaled, taking a deep breath. Then he blew it all out, shooting a roaring flame high into the air!

As expected, that caught the attention of the two dragons, who turned their gaze towards the flame's source. And they spotted a dragon wearing a mask, a cape, and a dark blue suit that had a red s inside of a shield for a logo. Immediately, they recognized who this dragon was.

Super Dragon slowly flew forward, staring down at the two dragons as he tried to size them up. "Only two of you? Where's the other one? Your leader?" He questioned in a low growl.

The purple scaled dragon laughed and snorted. "Garble? There's no need for him to get involved. He's busy teaching a no good pegasus to mind her own business."

The white scaled dragon added. "There's no need for Garble to get involved. Grunt and I will be more than a match for you, Super Dragon! We know all your tricks."

Super Dragon was not rattled or intimidated for a second. Instead, he continued to display his harsh glare as he warned the other dragons. "I'm only gonna say this once: I'm not looking to start a fight, but I will finish one. So if you two don't wanna see what I do when I'm angry, I suggest you leave now and tell Garble to do the same. Otherwise, what happens next is on you."

But the two dragons just laughed as Grunt taunted. "Oh, that's a good one! You think you can just boss us around because you say so?!" Then he narrowed his eyes. "We don't take orders from the likes of you! Isn't that right, Groan?"

The white scaled dragon nodded. "It certainly is, Grunt. We're not afraid of you. If you side with the ponies, you side against us. But you should be joining us, Super Dragon. We dragons are superior to ponies and you know it. Why should you let them order you around when you can make them grovel at your feet?"

Super Dragon just shook his head from side to side. "I tried to be reasonable," And then he insisted. "Well, if you won't listen to reason, you leave me no choice. Fair warning, I have no intention of holding back! If you want to take over Equestria, you'll have to get past me first!"

Groan only replied. "Then why don't we see what you're made of, super fool?! Those who oppose us will be destroyed!"

Super Dragon could only sigh. "We'll see about that, won't we?" Then, he unfolded his claws and took up a stance, hovering in mid-air.

For a moment, Grunt and Groan were content to just stare at Super Dragon and size him up. All the while, the city of Cloudsdale was continuing to burn: Smoke from the fires was swirling high into the air, creating something of a haze in the sky above.

Super Dragon could see the devastation that had already unfolded, and in the back of his mind he was thinking about who the pony opposing Garble might be. "I've got to make this quick so I can save Cloudsdale!" He thought to himself. "Then I'll put that Garble in his place." He proceeded to mentally prepare himself for a fight.

At last, Grunt lost patience. "Alright, let's get this over with!" He roared and gave a whistle to Groan! "Let's show him we're not to be taken lightly!"

Groan laughed and obeyed, the two teenage dragons flying in unison as they circled around Super Dragon not unlike sharks circling their prey. But to their surprise, Super Dragon didn't budge in the slightest. He just stood there, floating, showing no signs of intimidation.

Grunt tried to grab hold of Super Dragon by the cape, but Super Dragon flew upwards in the blink of an eye! Grunt smashed head first into Groan. "Hey, watch where you're going!" Groan snapped!

"Don't be yelling at me! We can't let Super Dragon intimidate us!" Grunt snapped back! "Stay focused!" And the two dragons regrouped, ready for another try to take on their opponent.

Super Dragon, meanwhile, just hovered around. He stood firm like a boulder, refusing to budge or yield. It was almost like he was daring his fellow dragons to attack him head on.

"It's like he doesn't wanna fight us at all!" Grunt roared as he lost all patience! "What, are we not good enough for you, Super Dragon?!"

"Please," The cape wearing dragon taunted in reply. "You're nothing special. You're just a bunch of big bullies. I deal with bullies like you all the time. You're all the same: All talk and no action."

"Oh yeah?! Well, how's this for action, bud?!" Groan bellowed as he rushed towards Super Dragon with his claws at the ready! Then he swung them hard into Super Dragon!

Super Dragon shrugged off the blow, there wasn't even a scratch on his face and his mask hadn't torn in the slightest. He proceeded to grab Groan by the claw, gripping it firmly as he then swung the white scaled dragon in a circle: Slowly at first, then faster and faster!

Grunt flew forward, trying to rescue his fellow dragon. "Groan!" He shouted in desperation, rushing ahead without thinking as he did so.

That was just the sort of opening Super Dragon had been hoping for. A smile formed on his face as he finally released his hold on Groan, sending him flying straight towards Grunt at high speed!

Grunt had no time to react before Groan was thrown right into him, knocking the two dragons back and briefly disorienting them!

"Ooh! He's making fools of us! Is this all a game to him?!" Groan snarled with a sneer. "He's really starting to bug me!"

"Then it's time we stopped playing and squashed that overgrown bug!" Grunt suggested to his fellow dragon. "He can't keep dodging us forever like this, he's gotta slip up sooner or later."

Groan nodded. "Right! No more Mr. Nice Dragon! You ready for a double team?!"

Grunt nodded back. "Ready when you are!"

Super Dragon watched the two other dragons as they recovered from the blow he'd dealt him. All the while he couldn't resist taunting them. "Please tell me this is not your best. I was hoping for a good warm-up before I had to take on Garble, but all I've gotten so far is disappointment."

"Oh, you wanna be warmed up, do you?!" Grunt flashed a sinister, sadistic smile as he opened his mouth! "When we're through with you, you'll be scorched!" Then he shot out a burst of flames from his mouth!

Super Dragon raised up a claw to shield himself from the intense heat, which is just what Grunt and Groan had wanted. Groan now flew in, swinging his tail hard into the masked dragon.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Super Dragon stumbled back across the air.

Grunt quickly followed up by raising his claws above Super Dragon's head, then bringing them down on top of Super Dragon, knocking him down.

Super Dragon began to fall, but quickly recovered in mid-flight and righted himself. "I've got to stop this while there's still a city to save!" He thought to himself. Up until now, he'd been content to let his enemies come to him and try to attack him. But if he wanted to put them away, he realized he'd have to take the offensive.

"Hey, Super Dragon!" Grunt called and taunted from above. "We ain't done with you yet! Get back up here so we can finish this!"

Gritting his teeth, Super Dragon rose back into the air with fiery determination flashing in his eyes. The worried chatter amongst the pegasi, along with the sounds of a fight far off in the distance reminded him of what was at stake. He had to put this fight to bed. And he knew just how to do it.

Grunt and Groan suspected nothing when their opponent reappeared before them, still looking none the worse for wear. It was almost as if nothing had really phased him at all. "Back for more, huh?" Groan taunted with sadistic glee. "Good! Enjoy your final moments, Super Dragon!"

But suddenly, Super Dragon's eyes began to glow brightly and ominously. Groan and Grunt looked at each other and exchanged mutual looks of confusion. What was he doing?

Without warning, huge, red colored beams of energy shout out from Super Dragon's eyes! They struck Grunt and Groan head on! The pain was like nothing they'd ever felt before! It was like a burning sensation, more intense than even lava!

The two dragons winced and howled in pain!

With his opponents reeling, Super Dragon rushed forward and grabbed them both by their tails! He proceeded to lift them up into the air, then hurled them towards the ground as hard as he could! Yet just before they would've impacted the ground at a breakneck speed, he flew down after them, overtook them and slowed their descent. They still crashed into the ground below Cloudsdale, stirring up a good deal of dust. But they were otherwise spared serious injury.

With Grunt and Groan defeated, Super Dragon flew up towards Cloudsdale and hurriedly grabbed a bunch of clouds. Then, he flew back down and went all around the two dragons. When he had finished, he had bound them both to the ground with clouds, using the clouds as makeshift chains. For good measure, he breathed on the clouds a little and shards of ice formed on both dragons claws and tails.

Super Dragon stepped back, admiring his work with a smile on his face. That was one problem taken care of. Now he could turn his attention to more pressing concerns.

First and foremost was the still burning city of Cloudsdale. Super Dragon flew towards the factory in Cloudsdale, grabbing every rain cloud inside that he could find without bothering to explain himself.

A little bit of maneuvering was all it took to get the clouds positioned above Cloudsdale and joined together. Then, Super Dragon pressed down hard on the dark clouds, and with a clap of thunder it began to rain. The rain easily doused every fire, reducing the hot flames to fading embers. Cloudsdale was saved!

Countless pegasus ponies clapped, cheered and whistled! And they began to chant Super Dragon's name over and over again! All the while, cameras were flashing and snapping pictures, and other ponies were hastily looking for parchment.

Scanning the crowd, however, the masked dragon noticed the absence of one particular pegasus that he had yet to see. True, she didn't always dwell in Cloudsdale, but it was very concerning that he hadn't seen her once since encountering Grunt and Groan.

Just then, the masked dragon's ears picked up the faint and distant sound of a yowl and a scream. Both of which were very recognizable to him, and he could easily pinpoint their location! With a gasp, Super Dragon flew to the source of distress!

When he got close, Super Dragon could see Garble holding Rainbow Dash and preparing to bring his claws down on her head! He hurriedly flew towards Garble, easily recognizing the red scaled dragon, and tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

Garble spun around in shock, now face to face with the last dragon he wanted to see right now!

Author's Note

I had originally planned something else for the fight with Grunt and Groan, but decided against it in favor of not overcrowding the story.

Next chapter will be the final showdown between Spike and Garble.

Last Survivor

Super Dragon glared at and sized up Garble from behind his mask. "You and your fellow dragons have caused more than enough destruction and terror for one lifetime. The threat you pose to others must end, now."

Garble hissed and spat back. "That's never gonna happen! You should be on our side! We are the true followers, not those noble dragon following pansies! It's because of them our race was all but wiped out, our colony destroyed!"

"I don't know what happened to other dragons in and out of Equestria," Super Dragon retorted. "But I was sent here specifically so that I could defend Equestria from any who would threaten it. And that includes the likes of you," Then he warned. "I'm only gonna say this once, so you'd better listen: Give up right now, or you'll see what happens when I don't hold anything back. I already took down your associates, you won't be any different."

"You tell him, Super Dragon!" Rainbow Dash cheered as she had now wiggled free of Garble's embrace.

Garble turned back to Rainbow Dash, and his eyes narrowed. "Stay out of this, pony! This is between him and I! You wanna make it between you and I?!"

Rainbow adopted a fighting pose. "I'm not scared of you! You only got the best of me before by playing dirty."

The red scaled dragon just roared. "Then I'll show you no mercy! If you ally yourself with my enemies, you'll meet the same fate as them!" He proceeded to try to fly forward and lunge at Rainbow.

Super Dragon wouldn't let Garble do so, he grabbed his fellow dragon by the tail and wouldn't let go. "Leave the ponies out of this! I'm the one you want, Garble."

The teenage dragon reluctantly agreed as he felt his anger boil over. "Oh, you're really getting under my scales! I don't know why, but something about you is very familiar. Like I've seen you before," He shook his head. "Whatever. Powers or no powers, everyone who gets in my way will be crushed!"

"I see you won't listen to reason," Super Dragon unhappily sighed as he reluctantly released his grip on Garble. "Just remember, you started this fight when you could've walked away."

"Enough talk, let's fight!" Garble bellowed as he pounded on his chest! "I am not afraid of you."

Super Dragon didn't know what exactly to expect from Garble, but in the back of his mind he was thinking to himself. "I need to make this quick. Word of what happened in Cloudsdale is sure to draw Princess Celestia's attention. She won't be anywhere near as forgiving with Garble after what he's done. At least if I can take down Garble before then, maybe I can spare him from a fate like permanent banishment."

Garble, for his part, simply brandished his claws as he tried to get close to Super Dragon. But Super Dragon wisely kept his distance, making use of his powerful heat vision to keep Garble at bay.

Then, suddenly, Super Dragon swooped up high! Garble was prevented from following him by the harsh glare of the sun, and it was too late by the time he saw his opponent and fellow dragon come flying down, hitting him hard with a fist. Garble began to plunge towards the ground! Yet he soon recovered and straightened out, stopping his descent in its tracks. "Nice try. You can't defeat me that easily!" He taunted.

"Good thing I'm just warming up, then." Super Dragon replied as he took a deep breath, held it for a moment and then unleashed a powerful barrage of flames.

Garble only laughed. "Nice flame breath, loser. Let me show you how it's done!" And the red scaled dragon proceeded to shoot out blue flames that easily overpowered the ones from Super Dragon. "That's right. You may be strong, but so am I!" Then, suddenly, it dawned on him. "Wait! I think I get it, now. Those powers of yours, you got them from someone, didn't you? I'll bet it was that old coot Brimstone."

Super Dragon nodded. "So you've finally noticed. I'm impressed," And he pointed to the symbol on his chest. "I would've thought you of all creatures would recognize this symbol sooner: It's a symbol of the home I came from, and in that world this symbol stands for hope and justice."

Garble rolled his eyes. "Ugh, spare me your dramatic speech! You truly are Brimstone's heir, you sound just like him," With renewed vigor, he then flew forward and locked claws with Super Dragon while snapping. "I hate that old gezer! He was the one who betrayed Grunt, Groan and I and banished us from the dragon lands long ago! All because we didn't wanna follow that stupid code he insisted on making every dragon follow."

Super Dragon tried to push back against Garble in the tug of war to the best of his ability, all the while arguing. "I don't know what happened between my father and you, but that doesn't give you the excuse to come here and cause trouble. I promised to protect Equestria no matter what, and that's a promise I intend to keep!"

The red scaled dragon just cruely laughed. "It will be the end of you, son of Brimstone! You are a disgrace to true dragons everywhere!" He proceeded to take advantage of his close proximity to his opponent, and unleashed another mighty burst of flames!

Super Dragon didn't have time to react before the flames hit him square in the face! Luckily, he wasn't hurt. But something he had gone to great lengths to conceal was now exposed. His mask had been burnt up, his face was now visible to all!

When Garble saw the eyes free of the mask, his shock was soon replaced by deep disgust. "Well, well, well," He coldly and cruelly taunted. "If isn't the namby pamby pony-loving pipsqueak himself? Amazing how a simple mask and cape could trick me into not recognizing you until now, Spike."

Spike realized it would be pointless to try to deny the truth, even if he wished more than anything he could. He silently made a note to himself to get a mask that was fire-proof in the future. "Garble, please," He insisted as his tone of voice didn't change. "I don't wanna have to fight you anymore! We don't have to be enemies!"

"It's too late for that!" Garble cruelly hissed in reply. "A pony loving dragon like you has no business being anything close to a match for me!" Then an idea came into his head. "But I know your weakness. I know how to make you hurt." And with a furious flap of his wings, he took off!

"What does he-" Spike began, only to gasp as the realization struck him! "OH NO!" He cried out loud and chased after Garble as quickly as he could! All the while, he was thinking to himself. "If he hurts her in any way, I'll never forgive him! I'll make him wish he was never born!" And he silently hoped that the pony he cared most about would be able to get to safety.

Alas, Rarity was helping Twilight to detain Grunt and Groan after having the good fortune to stumble upon them soon after Super Dragon had left them behind. "You ruffians are so lucky Super Dragon got to you first," She scolded the white and purple scaled dragons. "If Princess Celestia or Princess Luna had gotten their hooves on you, you'd wish you were dead."

"That's enough, Rarity," Twilight protested as she used her magic in conjunction with Rarity's to maintain a magical bubble around the two captive dragons. "We just need to hold them until Sp... I mean Super Dragon gets back. Then we can decide together how we'll punish them for their crimes."

"I sure hope he's okay," Rarity commented with concern. "I know he has all those incredible superpowers, but I still can't help but worry about him all the same."

Suddenly and without warning, a dark silhouette appeared in the sky overhead, followed by the sound of fierce and frantic flapping of wings.

Twilight was the first to look up, and gasped as she saw the sight of Garble fast closing in! "Rarity, run!" She instructed! "I'll hold him off until Super Dragon gets here!"

"No!" Rarity protested as she stood her ground, horn at the ready. "I may not be as magically skilled as you are, Twilight. But I still know how to defend myself."

Meanwhile, Spike was following close behind. And when he saw Garble swooping down in front of Rarity and Twilight, he shouted at the top of his lungs! "Garble, I'm warning you now, you stay away from those ponies! Don't even lay a claw on them!"

"Or what?" Garble taunted back with indifference. "You think your threats scare me?! You won't do anything to me if it means the ponies you care about are in danger. Surrender to me, however, and I might just let them go unharmed. What's the choice going to be, Super Dragon? Better hurry, I don't have all day."

Author's Note

Rest assured, there will be a resolution to Garble's abrupt hostage situation. And Twilight and Rarity will not be completely on the sidelines when it happens.

A Powerless Dragon

Spike looked at Garble, then at Rarity and Twilight, then back to Garble. It felt like time itself was standing still, even though he knew that was impossible. Even his incredible superpowers couldn't enable him to stop or even slow down time. But at a moment such as this, he wished more than anything that was possible. This had been exactly what he'd feared happening when he had shared his secret with Rarity. And to make matters worse, Twilight was also at risk of being caught in the crossfire.

Garble, for his part, did not move or change his posture and appearance in the slightest. "Well, aren't you going to stop me? Or am I right in assuming you puny ponies are all talk?" He hissed. "Either way works for me. If nothing else, I'll take pleasure in making you hurt like I've hurt."

"Please," Twilight gulped and tried not to look intimidated. "We don't want any problems, Garble."

Garble just spat at the ground. "Well too bad! I don't care what any of you want!" And he briefly glanced towards Spike. "So, what's your answer? Are you going to try to fight me, or are you too scared?"

"Garble..." Spike began.

"Tick tock, tick tock!" Garble taunted as he moved his claws closer to the ponies. "Better make up your mind now, or I'll make it up for you. And I know who's gonna get it first."

Spike nervously looked at his fellow dragon in uncertainty. As confident he normally would be in Twilight and Rarity's magical skills and fighting prowess, right now he wasn't sure if they'd be able to react in time before Garble attacked either one of them. Even he wasn't sure he'd be fast enough to outwit Garble.

What could he do?

Then, suddenly, an idea came to the superpowered dragon. It was a risk to be sure, but if it worked out as he hoped it would then he would be the one holding all the cards. So he looked at Garble and after a brief bit of hesitation he conceded. "Okay... fine... you win. Just leave my friends alone."

Twilight and Rarity gasped! They could not believe their ears! Spike was surrendering without even trying to put up a fight.

"Excellent!" Garble cackled with glee. "Doesn't take much to get you to do what I want, does it?"

Spike immediately threw himself at Garble's feet and insisted. "I'll give you whatever you want as long as you promise to go away and leave Equestria in peace. I won't tell Princess Celestia where you went, I promise."

"Spike, don't be a fool! You can't possibly trust him!" Twilight tried to protest! "Be smart about this!"

But Garble snapped! "Silence, pony! This doesn't concern you! I don't have to show mercy to you now," And he warned. "Don't think I don't know about those silly little horns of yours, and those wings. Try anything, and you and your pony friend will fry!"

"Enough, Garble!" Spike demanded. "Name your price. What do you want from me? Whatever you want, you'll have it."

Garble got a greedy look in his eyes as he considered the unique situation he was in. He soon got an idea in his head of what he wanted, and he was convinced he knew of a way to get it. "So, you'll give me whatever I want, no questions asked?" When he got a confirming nod from Spike in reply, he declared. "Well in that case, I think I want those incredible powers you have. They should belong to me: Garble! I should be the only one capable of shooting lasers from my eyes and flying faster than the speed of sound!"

Rarity proceeded to shoot off a blast from her horn in protest. "Spike would never surrender his powers to a beastly beast like you, you overgrown brute!"

Garble spun around and lunged at Rarity, tackling her to the ground in an instant! "I warned you, pony! I thought I told you and that winged pony what would happen if you tried to do anything to me. I guess maybe I didn't make myself clear. Oh well, it's your funeral." And he lowered his head towards hers, preparing to breathe fire all over her body.

Spike quickly rushed forward, placing himself between pony and dragon. "Enough, Garble! Hurt the ponies, and then not only will you not get my powers, but it's you who will end up getting hurt. Trust me, I may not believe in violence. But in your case, I'll be happy to make an exception."

"Whatever," Garble snorted. "I don't care how you do it, just give me those powers already. And make it snappy!"

The little dragon reluctantly agreed. "Okay, okay," And he motioned a claw. "Follow me, everyone." Then, he flew off.

Garble followed Spike, and Twilight and Rarity reluctantly followed the dragons. They still wished this wasn't happening, but neither of them could think of what to do in this sort of situation.

At last, Spike touched down in a small patch of land on the outskirts of Ponyville, near the entrance to the Everfree Forest and far away from prying eyes. When Garble, Twilight and Rarity all caught up to him, he proceeded to take out the enchanted fire ruby that he'd promised to cherish and hold dear. Placing it into the ground, he then stepped back as the ground began to rumble.

Suddenly, before everyone's very eyes, a massive crystal structure rose out of the ground where it hadn't been a moment prior! It grew, and grew, and grew until it had dwarfed Twilight's castle in size both inside and out. Only Spike seemed to not be surprised by this development.

"What in the name of Celestia is that?!" Rarity exclaimed with her eyes widened to the size of planets!

Twilight blinked in mutual shock. "Your guess is as good as mine, Rarity. I had no idea that something like... like... whatever that is existed. Spike must've discovered or built it in secret."

Spike then spoke up as he took possession of the fire ruby again. "Welcome to my home away from home: My Fortress of Solitude. I made arrangements with Princess Cadence to enchant the fire ruby so that it could be used to create this structure you see before you. I had hoped to turn it into my own lair," He sighed and shook his head. "But alas, it seems it will have to be used for something else."

"Whatever. Can we get the power transfer going?" Garble impatiently demanded as he stomped a foot down.

Spike nodded and gestured a claw. "Right this way if you please. Everything will be set up shortly."

Garble followed Spike inside, and Twilight and Rarity decided to follow in the hopes they might think of how to turn the tide against Garble. Perhaps something inside the "Fortress" would inspire them.

The inside of the Fortress of Solitude was nothing like anyone had ever seen before. Everything was incredibly futuristic. Almost other-worldly, you might say. And the crystals gave the interior a smooth, mirror-like surface that shone brightly but was also cold to the touch.

At last, Spike stopped at the end of a long hallway, resting just off to one side was a series of small crystals that seemed to be embedded in a rock. They were dull, colorless and stood in sharp contrast to the brightness of the others. In the center of the rock was a hole that looked just big enough to fit the fire ruby Spike had in his clutches.

"So, what?" Garble questioned as he looked at Spike. "I just place the ruby in the rock, and I'll get all of your crazy superpowers?"

"Actually," Spike protested. "It will only work if I do it. And I'll need Twilight and Rarity's help to activate the power transfer." He looked at the two, acting as if he knew something they didn't.

"No tricks now!" Garble ominously roared. "I'm running out of patience! So you ponies do whatever you have to do, and then once I have my powers I promise your demises will be swift."

Rarity and Twilight reluctantly stepped forward as Rarity asked the little dragon. "Spike, are you absolutely sure this is the only way? Twilight and I would understand if the safety of Equestria came before us, or do you not remember the talk we had before all of this?"

"Rarity, I promise, this way is best for everyone," Spike insisted, before pulling the ponies close. "Now, just do exactly as I tell you to do, and we can all put this behind us."

"What are you-" Twilight began, before she and Rarity were pulled into a sudden huddle as Spike appeared to be whispering something to them.

"Hey, are you plotting something?!" Garble snorted as he stepped forward and tried to grab the fire ruby. "I think I'll just smash it here and now! Then I'll defeat you with my own natural powers, Spike! You'll regret ever trying to make a fool of me!"

But Spike held the fire ruby up, and then flew into the air before he tossed it to Twilight. "Now!" He shouted!

Twilight lit up her horn, surrounding the fire ruby with her magic and concentrating as much magic as she could into it. Then, she floated it into the rock just as Garble grabbed her by the neck!

When the fire ruby was placed in the rock, the crystals surrounding it began to glow an ominous shade of bright green. Garble was so stunned by this that he momentarily forgot about Twilight, instead turning his attention to the glow. "W-what's all this?" He wondered aloud.

A knowing smirk formed on the caped dragon's face as he told his foe. "You're about to find out. If there's one thing I learned from Filthy Rich, it's that brains always triumph over brawn in the end."

"What?!" Garble gasped, before, without warning, he was struck head on by a beam that shot out from the rocks! There was a sudden puff of smoke. Yet when it cleared, Garble seemed to be none the worse for wear. He looked all over himself just to be sure. "I... I feel... nothing!" He glared at Spike! "I thought you said you would give me your powers!"

"Did you really think I was that stupid?" Spike taunted Garble as he flew down and grabbed him by the tail. "You fell right into my trap, just like I thought you would. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist taking my powers, so I set up a scenario to do just that. But with a little help from my friends," He looked to Twilight and Rarity. "I was able to modify the fire ruby."

"Big deal!" Garble snorted! "I still have my normal dragon powers!" And he turned towards Twilight. "Say your prayers, puny pony! I'll roast you alive!" But when he tried to shoot out flames from his mouth, nothing came out, not even smoke. He instead weakly coughed. "H-hey, what's... what's wrong with my fire breath?"

Rarity proceeded to push Garble away with a blast of magic from her horn. "Haven't you figured it out yet, Garble? You don't have any powers anymore. You're completely powerless. You can't do anything to us."

Garble tried to swipe at Rarity, only to find that his claws landed with all the fury of a newborn kitten. "This... this can't be! This is impossible!" He roared, and glared at Spike! "It wasn't enough for you to make friends with the ponies and turn Filthy Rich against me, now you have to humiliate me too?!"

Spike only shook his head from side to side. "Humiliation is not my intention, Garble. I simply believe that you need to spend some time seeing what it's like to truly be powerless. You take your power over others for granted. But true power comes from within: Knowing the difference between right and wrong, and doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do."

A smirk formed on Twilight's face as she told the red scaled dragon. "It's over, Garble. You and your fellow dragons are finished."

Author's Note

In both versions of Superman II, Superman ultimately defeats General Zodd by using the Fortess of Solitude to restore his powers. I tried to go for something similar here, but with the Fortress of Solitude being used to take away powers instead of giving them back.

Other Worlds

Try as he might, Garble couldn't hope to do anything against Spike after losing all of his dragonly powers. In a matter of seconds, he was overpowered and brought to his knees. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep his head up, looking his enemy in the eyes and realizing that he had been beaten.

"You're getting off quite easy if you ask me," Rarity coldly snorted as she eyed Garble. "You give dragons a bad name! Have you no shame?"

Twilight threw up a wing and a hoof to stop Rarity before she could go off on a tirade. "That's quite enough, Rarity. We're better than he is. We don't taunt our enemies when we defeat them," Then she eyed the red scaled dragon. "But I don't know if Princess Celestia will be so forgiving. She's sure to have heard about what happened in Cloudsdale, and she will not be pleased."

Garble spat at the ground. "Whatever," He then turned to Spike. "Go ahead, do whatever you feel like doing to me. Kill me if you want to, I don't care. Just get it over with. I'll never be able to live down this humiliation!"

But Spike shook his head from side to side. "No, Garble. I'm not going to kill you, or your followers. I'm not a killer like you. I don't kill those who can't fight back."

"As I suspected," Garble snapped in defiance. "You're just as soft as the ponies you protect. You don't have the guts to kill me!"

In response, Spike's eyes grew red. Then, after a sudden shout, a huge beam of red light shot out from his eyes! It struck the floor right in front of Garble, creating a tiny crater that sizzled quite audibly. "Let me make it perfectly clear to you. My kindness and generosity do have limits. I don't have to show you mercy. Give me one good reason to think you'll hurt or kill anyone, and you'll find out the hard way what I could do when I really get angry. Think about it: I'm strong enough to crush crystals in the palm of my claw. Do you have any idea what that kind of power could do to you?"

At that, Garble lost any will he might have still had to fight back. Instead, he gulped and swallowed hard as he whimpered. "What are you gonna do to me?"

The superpowered dragon simply stated. "There are fates worse than death. I think you're already quite familiar with one of them."

So it was that Spike took it upon himself to banish Garble, Grunt and Groan again. This time, he had them sealed away inside of a pocket dimension he called "The Phantom Zone". In this alternative dimension accessible only to him, there was nothing but an empty void of a starless sky. There were no planets, asteroids or other cosmic things. It was as black as could be, and the darkness stretched on for what seemed like eternity. Only a small, tiny crack of light broke up the darkness. It granted those inside the zone a glimpse of the world they had once known, but it was far too small for them to hope to escape.

To add insult to injury for the three teenage dragons, the zone was stored inside of a tiny, solid black crystal. And Spike saw fit to place it deep away inside his Fortress of Solitude, stored on a shelf far away from any other crystal or gem and at an altitude he could only reach by flying. There was no chance of anyone stumbling upon the crystal by accident, no chance that its occupants could shatter the crystal and escape. They were trapped in there forever. It was just like the fate they had suffered back in their native dragon lands long ago. And this time, there was no sonic rainboom to set them free.

Spike let out a long, slow and sorrowful sigh after the deed was done. It was soon clear to Twilight and Rarity that the ordeal had taken a lot out of him. Perhaps it was to be expected considering he had been pitted against his own kind.

Rarity was the first to speak up, asking the question. "So, that's it? You're just going to leave them trapped in that Phantom Zone of yours forever? You're never going to let them out?"

The superpowered dragon shook his head from side to side. "No. I want to give them a second chance, someday. When I find the time, when I feel like they've had a chance to truly think about their actions, I'll free them one at a time. Maybe if they're each kept separate from each other, I can influence them and convince them to see other creatures in a better light."

"And if not?" Twilight hesitantly questioned.

Spike did not hesitate with his answer. "Then they'll be sealed back into the Phantom Zone again, and I'll keep them trapped in there until I'm ready to try again. I don't want to give up on them. I want to believe that what happened to me can happen to any dragon. That dragons and ponies don't have to be enemies."

Twilight reached out a hoof to comfort Spike. "That's very thoughtful and noble of you, Spike. But you know," She spoke the next few words slowly, hoping to emphasize. "Not necessarily everyone can be saved. There are some who will refuse to change no matter what."

"Maybe," Spike appeared to consider. "Yet I don't feel like it's right for me to decide who can be redeemed and who can't. With my powers," He looked down at his claws, his eyes reflecting uncertainty and concern. "If I decide to start playing judge and jury, who could ever truly stop me? I could probably even overthrow the princesses and rule Equestria myself if I really wanted to," He gulped and shut his eyes, shuddering at the possibility. "I'd sooner give up my powers and die than let it ever come to that!"

Rarity trotted close to Spike, slowly stroking his scales as she tried to reassure him. "The mere fact that you're thinking about that and are worried about it is living proof that you'll never become such a monster. Twilight and I, and all our friends, we'll never let you go down that path! You'll always have us here to hold you in check."

"I hope you're right, Rarity," Spike slowly nodded as he opened his eyes. "More than all the jewels and gems in Equestria and beyond, I hope you're right."

Twilight then coughed into a hoof. "Er, not that I mean to interrupt this meaningful discussion, Spike, but..."

"But what, Twilight?" Spike questioned.

The young alicorn replied. "Well, it's just that... You remember your encounter with Filthy Rich? About how you battled him in a virtual world?"

"Yeah," Spike nodded, the memory still fresh in his mind. "What about it?"

After contemplating her actions for a moment, Twilight declared. "Probably better to show you than to explain it with words," She began to light up her horn. "Meet me in the library in my castle. I'm sure you'll understand once you see what I wanna show you."

A short time later, Spike arrived at the destination Twilight had given him. And when he did so, his eyes beheld a most surprising sight! Before him stood what appeared to be an exact replica of the portal device Filthy Rich had used to lure Spike into a virtual world.

A smile creeped onto Twilight's face. "I stumbled across this while Filthy Rich was doing time, and I couldn't help but be inspired once I learned what it was," She then explained. "Ever since my encounter with Starlight Glimmer and the time travel spell she rewrote, I started thinking: What if there are worlds, universes even, besides the one we know now?"

"You mean, like that other world we went to because of that magic mirror?" Spike questioned. "The world that Sunset Shimmer dwells in?"

"Something like that," The young alicorn replied with a firm nod. "If a world such as that can exist, similar to ours in many ways but different in many others, multiverse theory suggests that there could be any number of other worlds and universes. And who knows what sets them apart from the one we live in? With this device, I am now convinced we can prove the existence of those other worlds."

"Are you sure we should be doing that?" Spike hesitantly inquired. "Didn't you specifically try to warn Starlight about what could happen if we messed with time?"

Twilight replied. "I'm aware of that. But the multiverse theory suggests that any universes we visit this way are completely detached from our own timeline. Even if we alter events in that world or universe, the one we now dwell in would be unchanged," Then she trotted forward, locking eyes with Spike. "What if there are worlds or universes where our friends are also superheroes like you? Wouldn't it be interesting if you got to meet them, even just for a moment? Think of the possibilities. Think of all we could learn."

Seeing the look on Twilight's face, Spike could only bring himself to say. "Does anyone but us know about this?"

"Nope!" Twilight beamed. "I don't even know for sure if this device will work as intended. I haven't tested it yet. That's why I wanted you to be here, Spike. If anything goes wrong, I'll feel much safer knowing you're here to protect me."

Hesitantly, the superpowered dragon found himself agreeing. "I guess if you really think this could benefit us, Twilight, I'll trust your judgment. I just hope, for your sake, that we don't live to regret this."

The young alicorn let out a happy squeal as she hugged Spike! "Oh, thank you, Spike! I've been simply itching to tell someone, anyone about this!" Then she trotted over to the large portal device, horn at the ready. "Well, nothing left to do but fire this bad boy up and see what happens!"

Author's Note

And so the story ends with a sequel hook. Trust me, there's a reason why I've written the ending the way I have.

Interestingly, in both Superman II and Man of Steel, Superman kills General Zodd. But only in the latter movie is this death permanent, in the former movie (in both versions) the death is udone by Superman reversing time and sealing Zodd and his two associates back in the Phantom Zone.

Regarding Starlight Glimmer, when I wrote the original fic back in 2015 "The Cutie Re-Mark" had yet to air. If Spike had his superpowers in that episode, I imagine the encounter with Starlight would've played out very differently, so in this AU only Twilight encountered Starlight, and Starlight did not reform. As to what her fate was, I'll leave that open to interpretation.

Two Worlds

Spike was completely speechless! How had it come to this? How had he allowed himself to give away the secret he'd gone to such great lengths to conceal? What should he say? What should he do?

Rarity, for her part, couldn't help but put a hoof to her mouth as she seemed to be trying not to giggle. "Really, I can't believe I didn't see it sooner. I mean, it was so obvious! To think, all it took was a mask and a cape, and even I couldn't recognize you."

"...Well," Spike struggled to think of how to respond. "T...that was the point, actually. I thought it was so obvious it would throw everypony off. And it seems it did, until now, anyway."

"Does Twilight know about this? Or have you been keeping her in the dark as well?" Rarity half questioned/half demanded. "Don't lie to me, Spike."

Swallowing hard, the little dragon confessed. "She knows. It'd be pretty hard for her not to know. I kind of needed her help to lead this double life," Then he sighed, hanging his head in shame. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. You weren't supposed to find out."

At that the fashionista humphed and swished her tail in protest. "Really, Spike? You really thought that keeping something like this a secret from me was a good idea? Did you think I wouldn't understand? After all we've been through together, after how long we've known each other, haven't we both learned not to keep secrets from one another? Or is your not-so-secret crush on me just a part of your act?"

Spike could only look at the ground in shame. This was the kind of conversation he'd been dreading to have, and it was why he'd repeatedly convinced himself not to tell Rarity. Yet the truth was out there now. He thought briefly about perhaps trying to find a way to erase Rarity's memories, only enough to make her forget what she'd just found out. But ultimately, he decided against it. "I can't take this back! I can't run away from the consequences!" He thought to himself.

The fashionista unicorn, for her part, just continued to glare at the little dragon. She was not going to be satisfied until she had answers. "Well, Spike, I'm waiting. Has everything I've ever known about you been a lie? This whole time, were you just fawning over me as a distraction, to keep me from finding out the truth?"

It took a while for the dragon to find the courage to speak, let alone the words. "No, Rarity, none of that was an act. It was all true. I didn't even find out about my powers, about who I really was, until a few years ago. And when I did, I realized that I had an obligation to save the world! To protect it from evil!" A sigh escaped his lips. "I regarded it as my burden and my burden alone. Even our... feelings towards each other was something that could be a distraction. And like I said earlier, I feared that if you found out, you'd be put in danger because of me."

"Well, I ended up being put in danger anyway, or have you forgotten what transpired with Filthy Rich a while back?" Rarity snorted and rolled her eyes. "Really, Spike? Do you really think so little of me that you think I can't protect myself or your secret?" But then, perhaps realizing how aggressive and confrontational she was being, she trotted forward and sweetly said to him. "I'm sorry, Spike. I know this must've been tearing you up inside. It's really my fault for prying. You should've never felt pressured or obligated to confess just for my sake."

Spike did his best to fight back a raging blush, and a guilty feeling welling up inside of him. "Well, I can't take it back now. Now you know, the truth is out there. I should feel relieved, like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. But..." He trailed off as his lips quivered, his body appearing to tremble ever so slightly.

Rarity simply pulled Spike into a hug and began stroking his scales with a hoof. "Oh, Spike," She sweetly and sympathetically said. "This is uncharted territory for the both of us, even more so than when I learned of your crush on me," A smile formed on her lips as she continued. "I think it's very brave and noble of you to do what you do. You're very much like a knight in shining armor. Even so, you can't always be everywhere at once. You can't always save everyone, no matter how hard you try. But that's why you have Twilight, and I, and all of our friends. This doesn't have to be just your burden anymore."

Spike stammered. "R-Rarity!"

The fashionista just replied. "I know, I know. You can't just give powers willy-nilly. And I've no interest in joining you. I'm simply saying that having others in on your secret isn't necessarily a bad thing. And things don't have to change between us just because I now know about your double life," Locking eyes with Spike, she added. "Whatever happens next, we can face it together. Don't we owe each other that much?"

Spike wanted to answer Rarity, but he couldn't think of whether or not he agreed with what she was saying. It all sounded so tempting to believe her, to believe that things could still work out. He found himself very conflicted, torn between his feelings to Rarity on the one claw, and the obligations he believed he owed to Equestria (and to the world as a whole) on the other.

As the dragon thought more about his dilemma, his heightened sense of hearing picked up a sound very familiar to him. "Rarity, can you hear that?" He asked her.

Rarity blinked in confusion. "Hear what, Spike? I can't hear a thing."

"Ponies are in danger! I know it!" Spike insisted as he turned around! "There's no time to lose! This is a job for Super Dragon!" With his mind made up on the matter, he began to race back down the stairs in a blur of motion! As he did so, it was possible to see parts of his costume start to materialize on him almost from out of nowhere: The all too familiar (to Rarity at least) black boots, long, flowing red cape, and dark blue shirt with red on the arm and neck bands, with a yellow shield with red on the outside corners. Inside the shield, a big, red S was emblazoned into the very center. And of course, there was the face mask. Amazing how a simple piece of black cloth could completely change his identity.

Rarity could only stand there in speechlessness, watching as the brave hero took to the skies. The whole process had taken only seconds. It had happened so fast she would've surely missed it had she blinked. She wanted to say something, to call out after him. But she couldn't think of what to say, or if her words would reach him at all. So she just continued to stand there, processing a whirlwind of emotions swirling around inside of her.

Now fully immersed into his alter ego, Super Dragon flew as fast as he could towards the source of distress! Yet even as he did so, he found that he couldn't stop his thoughts from drifting towards Rarity. The more he tried not to think about her, the more she kept creeping back into his mind. This is what he'd feared, why he'd put off telling her.

Eventually, with a groan, Super Dragon pressed on ahead. "I can't deal with this right now! I have to save the ponies!" He told himself, and continued to fly.

At last, the source of distress that had prompted the desperate cries for help revealed itself to the caped crusader. It was an out of control trolley wagon! Its brakes had completely failed, it wasn't slowing down! The ponies onboard clung desperately to their seats as their transport rolled along for mile after mile, buildings flashing by in the blink of an eye! All the while, it continued to pick up speed.

Yet suddenly, there was an audible whooshing sound! And then, who should appear alongside the rapidly accelerating trolley wagon but Super Dragon himself in all his glory?

"Super Dragon's here! We're saved!" Ponies began to clap and cheer!

"Is everypony alright?" Super Dragon asked as he flew alongside the trolley, effortlessly keeping up with it.

One of the ponies (who had a camera around his neck) nodded. "We are now, thanks to you! Hurry up and stop this trolley! It's out of control!"

Super Dragon silently nodded, then flew ahead of the trolley and put his entire body weight against it! Yet despite throwing every ounce of super strength he could muscle up, the trolley only just barely slowed. His legs dug into the ground as he scraped along, mile after mile passing by the trolley showed no signs of truly stopping. He pushed with all his might, but seemed to be making very little headway! It almost seemed like he was distracted.

Suddenly, as if realizing the futility of his actions, Super Dragon released his grip on the trolley and flew up! Then he swooped down again, flying back and forth to either side of it to snatch ponies out of their seats and deposit them safely on grass. He was just in time, because as soon as the last pony had safely been extracted from the trolley, the trolley itself began to roll down a steep and winding slope! At the end of said slope rested a huge cliff!

A horrified gasp escaped the masked, caped dragon's lips as he flew after the trolley! He grabbed it from behind, digging in and grunting as he scraped along the ground in a desperate attempt to bring it to a halt! But gravity itself was working against him, hindering his efforts.

Then, just as the trolley was about to plunge over the side of the cliff, Super Dragon got an idea! Still grasping the back end of the trolley, he shut his eyes and concentrated as he began trying to lift it!

The gathered crowd watched in awe and wonder as they saw the trolley slowly but surely began to rise into the air! Super Dragon was lifting it as if it were a toy. They continued to watch, their eyes following every movement as the trolley was floated along in mid-air, then slowly and safely set down with its back end facing forwards and its front facing towards the back. The trolley had been stopped! Everypony was saved!

"Amazing!" A tourist pony exclaimed as he readied his camera and snapped a picture! "The Super Dragon! Is there anything he can't do?"

Several other ponies began to whisper to themselves, awe struck by the incredible feats of strength and agility they had just witnessed. They had never seen anything like it anywhere before.

But Super Dragon showed little interest in basking in the crowd's admiration. He was looking down at them with uncertainty, almost as if his thoughts were elsewhere.

Suddenly, much to the shock of the crowd, Super Dragon flew off without saying a word! That wasn't like him at all.

As he flew along, Super Dragon found that yet again, Rarity was occupying his thoughts. Try as he might, he couldn't stop thinking about her. And he knew it'd be foolish to try to make her forget about what she'd learned, what she now knew.

By the time he reached Twilight's castle, Super Dragon's resolve had hardened. There was only one thing he could think to do to deal with this dilemma. And he knew there was one pony he had to talk this over with: Twilight herself.

Author's Note

Only Superman II in both its incarnations and Spider-Man 2 at all tackle the concept of forbidden love, of the superhero being incapable of being with the one they love. And that's what I'm trying to focus on here with Spike and Rarity.

Rest assured, there will not be a reset button like there is in Superman II. Spike and Rarity will have to work things out on their own, and Rarity will still know of Spike's secret at the end.