Another day in Equestria, the sun is shining the birds are chirping.

But eventually, on days like this.

Problems arise.

“Spiiiike,” Spike grunted as he heard something in his midday sleep, going inside his mind he was walking through a cave.

“Hello?” Spike called hesitantly.

“Spiiiiike,” The echoing voice continued to beckon him deeper in, as he reached the end of the cave he saw a room and he saw strange impossible-to-understand words on the wall.

“Weird, what does it say?” Spike said.

“Read it, and fulfill your destiny,” The voice told him.

“Huh?” Spike turned and saw something hiding in the dark and when he thought of approaching it, it leaped out at him and pinned him down, panicking Spike looked up and saw what looked like a shadow dragon.

“Embrace your destiny!” It roared.

“Aaah! Twilight!” Spike cried before he woke up “Huh? A dream?.... What… what happened?” Spike said before Twilight trotted into the room.

“Are you okay Spike? I heard that from down the hall,” Twilight asked.

“I just… had a nightmare,” Spike said.

“Well, you're awake now, let’s focus on getting ready for the class field trip,” Twilight said.

“Ok,” Spike said getting up and following her.

While Twilight gathered various books, Spike was running around and getting everything ready.

“Let’s not forget this only was approved by Ember on the grounds we watch the students, and they aren't allowed to take anything from the caves,” Twilight said.

“I know, I was there,” Spike said.

“I know, just musing out loud, we’ll need to bring the fire retardant spell for the books and notebooks we’ll be bringing,” Twilight said.

“Got it,” Spike managed to grab the book that had that spell in there.

“Hello,” Starlight said trotting into the room with her own stack of books.

“Hey Starlight, have the student’s been gathered?” Twilight asked.

“Yep, and Discord is coming too, at his own persistence,” Discord said.

“Well he doesn’t want anything happening to Fluttershy, understandable seeing as her being in the dragonlands is a little intimidating for her.” Twilight said.

“Ok, let’s get moving,” Spike said having set up the wagon full of books they’ll need.

“Great work Spike,” Twilight said before flaring her horn and teleporting it outside.

“We should get moving too,” Starlight said and the other two nodded before heading outside.

As they made their way outside they spotted the wagon and Twilight grabbed it with her magic and pulled it along.

“Alright, we’ll need to meet with the dragon lord before we begin our tour,” Starlight said.

“And Smolder is taking the lead spot on the various dangers there,” Twilight added.

The three eventually found the class waiting for them, with the other members of the elements helping keep them in line.

“Easy now, no wandering,” Rarity said.

“Let’s get in line fer the trip,” AJ said.

“Woohoo! Isn’t this exciting!?” Pinkie cheered.

“Calm down Pinkie,” Fluttershy said.

“Hey girls, egghead’s here,” RD said.

“Alright, students!” Twilight called out catching their attention “Welcome to the Dragonlands field trip, I trust you all got your permission slips?” Twilight called to the various ponies, yaks, griffons, hippogriffs and dragons.

Everycreature held out a permission slip.

“Fantastic!” Pinkie cheered before appearing before them with an adventurer's helmet “Come along everybody!” Pinkie said before Twilight stopped her.

“Hold it Pinkie, we have to take a headcount,” Twilight said before going off to do that.

“Heya Spike,” Spike turned to see Discord.

“Hi Discord, what are you coming for again?” Spike asked.

“Mainly to keep watch over Fluttershy, and in case anydragon gets any ideas,” Discord said.

“We gotta trust that the dragons will be welcoming, otherwise, what kind of teachers would we be?” Spike pointed out.

“I do admit you have a point, but still, you never know,” Discord said before Twilight approached him.

“Hello Discord, the students are ready,” Twilight said.

“Alright, gather round everycreature,” Discord said and they did, Discord then snapped his fingers to send them all to the Dragon Lands.

Upon arrival, everycreature noticed an increase in temperature.

“Whew, I am glad I chose not to wear mascara today,” Rarity said as she trotted past the Student Six.

“Whew, it always this hot?” Yona asked.

“Meh, it’s actually cold today,” Smolder said.

“Smolder,” Twilight approached her “You know where Ember said she would be, right?” Twilight said.

“Yep, follow me guys,” Smolder said and she walked into the Dragonlands.

“Alright, let’s get this over with,” Gallus said.

“Oh come on, I bet this will be fun,” Sandbar said trotting ahead.

“Be sure to take notes as you go students,” Twilight said and they pulled out their notebooks.

Smolder led them on a bit of a hike and they walked over a hill.

“Alright, to start, over there are the sulfur fields, harmless to dragons, but not others, so be careful,” Smolder casually said.

Silverstream jumped a little as a crater erupted.

“Keep your distance,” Twilight said as they walked further in.

“It’s time to act Spike,” A voice whispered in Spike’s ear.

“Huh?” Spike looked behind him but didn’t see anything.

“Spike, be sure not to fall behind,” Twilight said.

“Sorry, I thought I heard something,” Spike said, but as he tried to ignore this weird persistent voice in his head he eventually turned to Twilight “Twi… something is going on,” Spike said.

“What?” Twilight asked.

“Am I the only one hearing a voice that’s telling me ‘it’s time to act’?” Spike asked.

“That’s weird, I’m not hearing that,” Twilight said, but before they could talk more about it suddenly they heard a familiar voice.

“Hello? I said hi,” Ember said and Twilight gasped.

“Sorry about that Ember, I was distracted, hello to you too,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, so this isn’t something we dragons are usually comfortable with, but since we’re forming connections with the pony tribes we’ll overlook it,” Ember said.

“I appreciate it,” Twilight nodded.

Spike was barely listening before a sharp pain struck his head

“Agh!” Spike grunted and their attention turned to him.

“Spike, are you alright?” Twilight asked

“Yeah, yeah… just a headache,” Spike said “Mind if I take off real quick?” Spike asked.

“I’m not comfortable with you wandering off,” Twilight said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go with him,” RD said.

“Ok, but be careful, and stay out of any caves,” Ember said and the two walked off.

“Anyways let’s get this over with,” Ember said.

“Alright,” Discord said as they walked on… before he paused and sniffed the air.

“Strange… I smell dark magic in the air…” Discord said.

“Any reason you wanted to wander off Spike?” Rainbow asked.

“I had to go,” Spike said before going behind a rock.

“Oh… ok,” Rainbow said turning around.

After Spike finished he walked up to Rainbow “Ready to head back,” Spike said.

“Ok,” Rainbow shrugged and gestured for Spike to climb on, he was about to when suddenly another jolt of pain struck him and he cried out and fell to the ground.

“Spike? You ok?” Rainbow approached the groaning dragon.

“Ugh!... My head…. It hurts!” Spike grunted as he writhed on the ground.

“Whoa, uh, let’s get you to Twilight,” Rainbow moved to scoop him up before he started glowing.

“Huh?!” Rainbow gasped before the glow faded “Spike? What just-”

“It worked… finally!” Spike said in a warped voice, he then stood and began walking off.

“Hey Spike! Where are you-” Rainbow tried to catch up with him but he turned to her and she paused seeing his glowing blue eyes.

“Spike?” Rainbow said.

“Spike is not here at the moment, buzz off pony scum,” Spike said before walking off.

“Hey! That was uncalled for, and what did you do with Spi-” Suddenly the being spun and grabbed Rainbow before chucking her at a rock rendering her unconscious.

“Fragile pony…. Luckily you will soon be part of the superior race,” Spike said before walking off.

“And over here is my domain, where I run things. Do you have any questions?” Ember asked.

“Uh yeah, is the air always so hard to breathe here?” A griffon asked.

“You’ll get used to it,” Ember sighed and she continued flying ahead.

“Keep up students,” Starlight said.

“Hey Fluttershy,” Twilight asked her friend who seemed a little on edge.

“Yes?” Fluttershy asked.

“Are you doing alright? You seem tense,” Twilight said.

“I am… I just need to be brave,” Fluttershy said.

“Twilight,” Discord said trying to get her attention.

“I understand, but Discord’s here, you don’t have to worry,” Twilight assured.

“Twilight,” Discord said louder.

“I know, but I’m still a little nervous-”

“Twilight!” Discord called.

“What is it Discord?” Twilight asked him with a sigh.

“Have you not noticed Spike and Rainbow haven’t returned?” Discord said.

“Huh?” Twilight looked around and saw they weren’t with the group “Odd, I thought they’d be back by now,” Twilight said.

“Not to mention I’m smelling something foul,” Discord said.

“You mean the sulfur?” Twilight said.

“No fouler, almost, evil,” Discord said before looking back “I’ll be back,” Discord said.

“But Discord-” Fluttershy said.

“I’ll only be a minute,” Discord said before vanishing.

“I’m sure everything will be alright,” Twilight said.

The possessed Spike approached a hidden cave and uttered strange words.

“Aperite nunc draconi mandante domino,” Spike said and the cave opened and he headed down the steps.

As he approached another door he spoke another line of words and the door opened.

“Soon my dear, we will have control,” ‘Spike’ said with a grin.

Discord appeared next to Rainbow Dash.

“I had a feeling…” Discord said before grabbing Rainbow and teleporting back to the group.

“And right here we have- Huh?” Ember paused as Discord appeared before her.

“We have a problem, Dragon Lord,” Discord said.

“What happened? Rainbow!?” Fluttershy ran up to her.

“She’s unconscious,” Discord said.

“What happened? Where’s Spike?” Twilight asked.

“I knew I sensed something bad earlier, field trips over,” Discord said.

“Wait an applebucking minute, what do ya mean-” Applejack said as she approached but Discord looked her in the eye.

“Danger is afoot, and I know who,” Discord said before turning to the other students and teleporting them away.

“Discord! Where did they go?” Twilight asked.

“Outside the dragonlands,” Discord said before turning to Ember.

“What is the meaning of this?” Ember asked.

“Ignia is back,” Discord said and Ember’s eyes widened.

“Who?” Rarity asked.

“Alert the other dragons, we have to find Spike!” Ember said urgently.

“On it Dragon Lord!” a dragon guard saluted before flying off.

“I have to get moving and protect the rune,” Ember said.

“What’s going on?!” Twilight demanded.

“It’s Dragonlands business,” Ember said before flying off.

“We gotta help, Spike could be in danger,” Twilight said.

“Ok,” Discord said and the group ran after Ember, AJ carrying Rainbow.

Spike got through the last set of doors and stared up at a tapestry.

“Nice try Torch,” Spike said before breathing fire on the tapestry burning it away and revealing a series of runes on the walls.

“Now for the ritual,” Spike said before going to the center of the circle, cutting his palm with his claw and spilling some blood onto the circle, and it began to glow.

“Excita, excita antiquas et draconicas potestates invocans, has terras magia transformativa infunde et mundum reforma, salve draconem.” Spike muttered as he spilled his own blood onto the circle and it lit up even more.

Ember made it to the cave and saw that the sealing magic had been tampered with.

“Curse it, If I had known she would strike now, I wouldn’t have let Spike come here!” Ember said before saying.

“Aperite nunc draconi mandante domino,” Ember said before the doors opened and she flew down the path.

“Ember!” Twilight called as she and the others arrived.

“Down there, quickly,” Discord said.

“Discord, you, me, and Starlight should go down there, everypony else stay here,” Twilight said.

“Why do we-” AJ said before Discord shook his head.

“Leave it to us, right now Rainbow needs you,” Discord said.

“Ugh…” Rainbow groaned.

“Ok, be careful,” Fluttershy said and the group headed down into the cave after Ember.

“Excita, excita antiquas et draconicas potestates invocans, has terras magia transformativa infunde et mundum reforma, salve draconem.” Spike repeated as he meditated in the center of the circle, and the runes began to glow brightly he repeated it again and again before suddenly he heard a door opening, he turned to see Ember there.

“Spike!” Ember called.

“Ah, if it isn’t the youngster who thinks herself a queen,” Spike mocked.

“And if it isn’t the banished witch,” Ember said.

“Oh come now, it was unjust and you know it,” Spike said.

“You tried to use Magmus’s runes! Do you know what they could do?!” Ember said.

“Help dragonkind take their rightful place as the dominant species on this planet,” Spike said with a smug look.

“You're insane, I’m stopping this,” Ember said flaring her wings.

“You wouldn’t kill your friend Spike would you?” Spike asked.

“No, but he’s going to be sore tomorrow, no hard feelings Spike,” Ember said before lunging.

Spike threw a punch but Ember dodged it and struck him against the wall.

Spike opened his mouth and blasted her with blue fire sending her flying.

Spike lunged at her but she rolled out of the way and whipped him with her tail.

“Your choice of vessel was poor, Spike’s too young,” Ember said.

Spike floated up in the air and lunged at Ember but she easily caught him and flung him at the center of the room.

As he got up Twilight Discord and Starlight arrived.

“Spike! What’s going on?” Twilight demanded.

“What are you doing here?! This is Dragon Lord business!” Ember snapped.

“I don’t care! Spike is my brother!” Twilight said.

“Heh…” 'Spike' suddenly started laughing.

“What? Why are you laughing Spike?” Starlight said.

“You called him your brother? I’d be insulted if it wasn’t so funny!” Spike laughed.

“Spike?” Twilight asked warily.

“That isn’t him, it’s a banished dragon sorceress named Ignia,” Ember said.

“What did you do with my brother!” Twilight demanded.

“He’s here, but seriously, stop calling him your brother, filthy pony,” Ignia said.

“You witch!” Starlight lit her horn and fired a blast at him but he swatted it aside.

“Huh?” Starlight said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make the world right again,” Ignia said.

“Give up Ignia, there are four strong beings here and only one of you,” Discord said.

“Hmm… it seems I’m at a disadvantage with such a puny body… but luckily, that can be fixed…” She closed Spike’s eyes and suddenly a glow overcame him.

“Huh?!” Twilight gasped as he glowed brightly and wind was being whipped up in the room.

“Is she crazy?!” Discord said.

“What? What is she doing to him?!” Twilight said before she saw Spike… getting bigger?

Spike began getting larger, his limbs growing longer and gaining muscles, his pudgy stomach flattening and extending with his body, his tail lengthening, his snout becoming longer and his wings getting larger and he developed horns on the back of his head.

When the glow subsided he reared up and bellowed.

“Spike?” Twilight nervously asked.

“That works better, this body is more fit for combat now,” Ignia said.

“You monster! You shaved off countless years of his life to make him battle-ready?” Ember shouted.

“It’s of no consequence to me,” Ignia said before lunging forward, but Discord fired a magic blast that sent him flying against a wall.

“Careful, that’s still Spike!” Twilight said.

“It’s either hurt him or he kills you!” Discord said before he fired more blasts at the bigger Spike who jumped out of the way and Ember tackled him but now he can wrestle her off of him.

Starlight fired some more magic blasts at him and he tanked them before throwing Ember at her and Starlight caught her with her magic.

“Snap out of it Spike!” Twilight flew up and fired more magic at Ignia who plowed through it and grabbed her before hoisting her up.

“You're not needed!” Ignia said before Discord rammed him off of her.

Discord got out his boxing gloves and struck Ignia several times before Ember tackled him down.

“Snap out of it!” Ember said before breathing fire on him and Ignia reached forward and grabbed her by the throat and threw her.

As Ignia stood he formed fireballs in his hands and threw them and Twilight put up a barrier blocking them.

Discord took this opportunity to sneak up on him and grab him and throw him at a wall, chains appeared and bound him to a wall.

“It’s over,” Discord said.

“Tsk…. so, you think that’s it? Heh, I’m not done,” Ignia said before he looked at the runes on the wall and they were glowing brighter than before.

“What? How is the ritual almost done?!” Ember demanded.

“It continued as we fought, too bad, you failed,” He laughed before bellowing out the final words.

“NO!” Ember yelled as Twilight, Starlight, and Discord readied themselves for anything.

“Draconum potestatem frange!” Ignia shouted and the rune flared brightly before a vast explosion of magic was unleashed.

“AAAHH!” Twilight cried out as it blasted her and Starlight against the wall.

“Oh no,” Discord said.

Outside the cave, Rainbow had woken up and they were prepared to do something besides sit around when suddenly the whole place shook and they looked around.

“Uhh…. was that a good rumble or a bad one…” Rainbow asked.

“I-I don’t-” Fluttershy was about to respond before the doors to the hidden cave swung open and a powerful blue magic blasted them.

“AAAHHH!” They all cried out as the magic flowed upward and formed into a giant wall extending beyond the sky, rapidly the wall formed a circle around the dragon lands and began moving outwards at incredible speeds.

“Huh?! GUY’S WHAT IS THAT?!” Silverstream cried as the group outside of the dragonlands saw the approaching wall and they couldn’t react in time before it blew past them.

Celestia galloped outside to see what the commotion was about and she saw a rapidly approaching wall of magic.

“What in the sun?!” Celestia cried and Luna ran beside her.

“What is that?” Luna demanded.

“I do not know, raise the shields!” Celestia said.

“There’s no time!” Luna said as the light was already upon them and they cried out as it hit them.

Outside of Equus… a giant wall of magic moved across the planet and after it finished going over the planet… it vanished.

Author's Note

Tell me what you think below, I understand I moved a little quickly there at the start but things needed to get moving.

Anywho, I look forward to this.