A Mercenary's Ending

“It’s nice to see you again after so long, dear,” Cookie Crumbles said to Big Mac as she and her husband sat around the large picnic blanket that they and the Apples were sharing. The summer day was nice and warm, and the food laid out on plates looked delectable. She and her husband had brought plenty of cookies for everypony to share along with some salad and some sandwiches. The Apples had provided several of their own signature dishes, including a barrel of their apple cider and apple fritters.

“Um, eeyup,” Big Mac said with a nervous but friendly smile.

“I see you’ve expanded your family a little bit,” Cookie said, gesturing to the four ponies sitting nearby.

Golden Russet, the unicorn, spoke up. “Well, I’ve heard good things about your cookies, Mrs. Crumbles,” she said, “and I can smell them from here.”

“Call me Cookie,” the older mare chuckled.

“And who’s this strong looking fellow here?” Hondo asked, gesturing to a burly earth pony stallion.

“Me Mango,” the large stallion said with a friendly grin. He pointed to a small platter of sandwiches that looked a bit smushed. “Try peanut butter and mango jam sandwich. It’s Mango’s secret recipe!”

“I believe I will,” Hondo said with a smile as he reached down.

“So, how was the trip here from Ponyville?” Cookie asked Granny Smith. “I take it from Big Mac’s cast that it wasn’t too easy?”

“Darn tootin’ it wasn’t easy,” Granny huffed. “Some fingle fangles group of ponies tried tuh ambush us on the way here! Poor Big Mac here got hurt tryin’ tuh save us ‘n our property, but we beat ‘em off.”

“With the help of our escorts,” Pippin reminded her.

Granny sniffed. “Yeah, yeah, ah remember,” she said.

“You had escorts?” Hondo asked before taking a bite of the sandwich he’d just picked up.

“A group of three mercenaries that Applejack insisted that we hire,” Merry explained. “They defended us from the mercenary group that attacked us.”

“Why would anypony attack you?” Cookie asked in shock.

“We don’t know,” Pippin said. “Still, we’re grateful to be alive here.” He nuzzled his wife, Blue Pearmain, who nuzzled him back.

“I can only imagine,” Hondo said in astonishment.

“So, what are your plans for this plot of land?” Cookie asked.

“Why, we’re gonna rebuild our farm, of course!” Granny said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“But different,” Big Mac added.

Cookie and Hondo looked at each other, then turned to Big Mac. “Different how?” Hondo asked.

Big Mac took in a deep breath. “Well, we’ll definitely be growin’ lots of apple trees, that’s fer sure,” he began, “but I’m tryin’ to convince Granny that we need to plant more than just that.” He gestured to the town. “I don’t know how the ponies down there are gettin’ their food yet, but I reckon it ain’t local.”

“You’re mostly right,” Cookie explained. “Golden Harvest has started a small farm again but it’s not as big as her old one. Some houses have vegetable gardens. Hay, we have one out back behind our shop. But we still have to get a lot of our food imported.”

Big Mac shook his head and sighed, looking at Granny. “See what I mean, Granny? We gotta diversify. I’m not sayin’ we stop growin’ apples, but we can’t live on them alone.”

Granny scowled at this, but Pippin spoke up next. “Granny, he has a point. Even AJ said something similar before she left.”

“Alright, alright, ah git it,” she sighed, “ah’ll…think about how tah do that.”

Big Mac stood, walked carefully over to his grandmother, sat next to her, and put his good forehoof around her back. “I know it ain’t ideal, Granny,” he said softly, “but we’ll still be Apples.”

She looked up at her grandson, then a hint of a smile formed on her muzzle. She nuzzled him and closed her eyes. “Ah guess so-”

Suddenly, a large white light came from behind the group, startling them all. Everypony, including the nearby playing foals, covered their eyes as they heard the sound of magic being cast. The sound increased a bit, and then they heard a female voice speak.

“Because all of you forsook harmony,
“my judgment of you is this:
“in the form of your monster you’ll see
“how far you souls are in the abyss.”

“Your horns, and your wings, and magic as well
“will no longer be your aid.
“A new form you’ll take, and in them you must dwell,
“for friendship you all have betrayed.”

The light brightened a bit, then vanished. Everypony slowly opened their eyes, rubbing it as they looked around in confusion. “What in tarnation just happened?” Granny asked.

“That was the voice we heard!” Apple Bloom said as she galloped over with the other CMCs.

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle agreed.

“What voice?” Cookie asked, sounding worried.

“The voice that turned Spoiled Milk into a tree,” Scootaloo explained.

That silenced everypony at the picnic table as they turned back towards Maretime Bay. “So…what did she do now?” Merry asked.

“I’ll go have a look,” Blue said, spreading her wings and flying fast towards the coastal city. Everypony waited anxiously for her to return, fear coursing through their veins. Cookie and Hondo hugged the now trembling Sweetie Belle, Big Mac and Granny huddled around Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo simply watched the skies above Maretime Bay, waiting anxiously for her fellow pegasus to return.

After about five minutes, Blue did return, but the look on her face was one of shock. Her husband ran up to her and actually caught her, holding the mare close. She clung to him tightly, expression unchanged. Nopony moved as Pippin held her tightly, not saying a word. Eventually, she broke the hug and faced the group. “I…I have no…I don’t…”

“Take your time,” Pippin said softly, rubbing her back.

It took her a few tries, but eventually she spoke. “Almost all the ponies in town…they’ve turned into…into humans…”

A stunned silence followed that announcement. Nopony knew what to say or do.

Sunset sat in a booth on the passenger train, looking out of the passing Unicorn Range as the train made its way through it. The other ponies were sitting a bit away from her, not that she cared of course. Tobias was sitting opposite her, a worried look on his face. She’d even seen him biting his nails occasionally. She could understand his fears, because a part of her shared them. She had gotten to know Revan at least a little bit, and now that she knew he was a human, which before she only slightly suspected could be true, she wanted to find a way to save him even more.

As she watched the local flora pass by, she had much time to reflect on the events of the past few days, specifically the words spoken at the meeting at the Maretime Bay meeting hall.

She went over what that other empath had told her. Sunset could probably forgive a bit of her words. Marble might not have had enough information, but from what Sunset had seen, and she had to admit she didn’t have much information either, she’d seen enough to suspect that almost all ponies hadn’t learned jack shit from the Jason Wright event, a turn of phrase she’d heard from Tobias, who had heard it from Revan.

Still, Sunset might have been selfish with her own words, but she would not apologize for reminding them again of their failures. It seemed that some of them, especially that marshmallow of a pony Rarity, had learned absolutely nothing from her experiences. She knew that ponies tended to take multiple times to have a lesson learned, and a part of her, a small part, wondered if Majesty was partly right in her punishments of ponies. It seemed to make a point instead of Celestia’s own sort of punishments.

She shook her head free of these thoughts, needing her brain power to focus more on trying to save Revan from Majesty. They would be in Crystalian territory in a few hours, so she had plenty of time to think of something. She would have time to think more about the recent past events when there was time.

She looked up at Tobias, who was once more biting on a nail. She could sense and see his anxiety and fear. Reaching over, she gently kicked his leg. He jumped and looked over at her, eyes wide. “Huh?”

“We’ll find and get him back, don’t worry,” Sunset said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone.

Tobias nodded, but the tension on his face didn’t ease. Instead, he leaned on his elbow and resumed looking out of the window. “Yeah…” he said.

Sunset thought that he could use a distraction, so she decided to try and get him to think about more pleasant memories of his time as friends with Revan. “Hey, you and Revan seem really close,” she began.

“Because we are,” Tobias said, and Sunset could hear the slight tremor in his voice.

She gave him a small smile. “How did you two meet?”

Tobias didn’t respond right away, and Sunset wondered if her empathic abilities had failed her. She was about to retract the question until Tobias spoke. “We met two years ago in the Badlands.” He turned and looked down at the mask that Revan had worn. Picking up the now darkened mask, he looked at it and a wistful smile appeared on his face. “I was just returning from a job that had me going out to a small cave to retrieve this for a client when I found a small encampment.”

Sunset’s eyes went wide. “You’re the one who found that mask?” Ever since they’d gotten on the cargo train in Maretime Bay, she had been examining the mask, trying to determine what sort of magic it used, but she couldn’t detect anything from it. Any magical scans seemed to be bounced back right at her.

Tobias nodded, caressing the mask before putting it back down on the chair beside him. “Yeah, I did.”

“Then how did Revan get it?” Sunset asked.

Tobias smiled a bit more. “I’ll get to that,” he said. “As I was saying, I found an encampment where I found Revan. He was extremely low on water and hadn’t eaten a thing in days. Not to mention that he smelled like he hadn’t washed in a long time.” He chuckled a bit. “In fact, my big mouth commented on that first thing when the smell hit me.”

Sunset smiled a bit at that. “That makes sense, considering how nasty the Badlands are.”

Tobias nodded. “Well, he had been living in a vehicle that had gotten stuck in a sand drift and was half out of fuel. I helped dig it out and pushed it back onto the road. I shared some of my food and water with him and after a night of rest, he was strong enough to drive that vehicle back to Thornfall.”

“His vehicle didn’t need anyone pulling it?” Sunset asked, fascinated.

“It would have taken a lot of power to drag that car of his,” Tobias commented. “It’s made of metal for the most part, and magic won’t work on it.”

Sunset had noticed that Revan emitted a distinct lack of a magical aura, but the mask or helmet he wore felt distinctly different. There was a lack of magic from it, but Sunset could sense that it was a different type of lack, which made sense considering what Celestia had said regarding Revan’s abduction. If Majesty could grab it, then it had to be different than anything Revan owned that Sunset couldn’t grasp.

Realizing she was getting off topic, she nodded. “What happened next?”

Tobias chuckled a bit. “Well, turns out that when I got back to the guild hall, that there never was a order to retrieve that mask. Nobody knows how it got there and how it disappeared, but the mission wasn’t a total loss. See, the mercenary guild has a rule that if someone brings in a new member, both the recruiter and the new member receive talons from the guild treasury. It’s not too much but it’s enough to get a new mercenary started. Since I had no use for the mask, I gave it to G-to Revan.”

Sunset noted the slip, but didn’t press it. “How come?”

He sighed. “Revan didn’t want to have his identity known since he’d been cast out of Dodge City. Besides, the mask perfectly adjusted to fit him and helped keep him cool in the desert environment.” He chuckled. “He doesn’t like the heat too much.”

“So why does he wear so much clothing?” Sunset asked.

“For the same reason he wore the mask,” Tobias explained. “To hide his identity as a human.”

Sunset nodded. She knew that now. “I mean why does he wear so much if he hates the heat?”

“Well, like I said, this mask helps keep him cool,” Tobias said, patting the mask gently. “I don’t know how, but it works.”

Once more, Sunset realized she was getting off the subject. “So, after Revan registered for the guild, did you two become a team right away?”

“Not right away,” he said. “He needed more time to recover, so I let him stay at my place until he was back to normal. I went out on more local jobs because he had some initial problems with others in the city if he went out.” He chuckled dryly. “I barely made my payments that month, but it was worth it. Revan did his best not to be a bother by eating what little food he had with him to not strain my food budget, and we became good friends from that. Underneath that gruff exterior he has a good, if wounded, heart.”

Sunset nodded in agreement. “How did you form your group?”

His wistful smile returned. “Well, after I barely made my payments, Revan decided it was time he began pitching in for the payments, so we went out on a better paying mission all the way to Klugetown. We took another job to get there, which was escorting a Saddle Arabian caravan there. We did that not only to earn more money but also because Revan’s vehicle wouldn’t be able to make the trip. On the way, I learned he had some self defense training but not nearly enough to be useful, so I began teaching him some abyssinian martial arts. It did help us when we completed the second mission, although just barely. He had to use one of his weapons to bring the target down.”

“You went on an assassin mission?” Sunset asked, alarmed.

“No, no, no,” Tobias quickly said, “it was a capture mission, but the target was slippery so Revan used his long range weapon to injure the target. The client was extra pleased that the target’s injuries would need to heal naturally so they gave us a bonus.”

Sunset nodded in understanding and a bit of relief. “And you two have been living together since then?”

Tobias smiled. “Yes,” he said. “We both began to earn more money and about three months later we moved into a larger place that could fit us.” He chuckled. “I say a larger place, but it’s still plenty cramped. Not only that, but the payments are higher than my old place. And before you ask, there was next to no room in my old space for the two of us and I didn’t like the idea of him living on his own at the time.”

Sunset let out a sigh. She could again understand that feeling. “And you two have been surviving out there ever since?”

“Yes,” was Tobias’ simple reply. A faraway look came over his face as he looked out of the window. They entered a tunnel, leaving the coach in a bit of darkness save for the few lights.

Sunset was never good at trying to cheer anyone up, mostly because she’d had little experience in receiving said reassurances, even from Celestia. Still, she knew she had to try at least. “I…I don’t know much about this Spike,” she said, “but I do know that Celestia isn’t a liar when it comes to these things. If she says Spike can help us, then he can.”

Tobias’ expression didn’t change much. The two continued sitting in silence until they left the short tunnel. Sighing, he turned back to her and gave a weak smile. “I really hope so,” he said. “Our luck as of late has been shitty.”

Twilight watched as the train came around a corner into view of the Crystal Empire’s capital. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she still marveled at the beauty of the ancient city, the city that was older than Canterlot itself. The gleaming houses and the tower itself which housed the Empress shone in the late afternoon sunlight.

As the train approached the station, she looked back at her former friends. She was sitting next to Fluttershy, who in turn was next to her brother Zephyr Breeze. The two had been having a quiet but animated conversation. On the few occasions she had looked over, the smile on both of their faces seemed to radiate a familial warmth she hadn’t felt in years. It made her miss her parents, her BBBFF, and Spike.

Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash sat in another booth, but unlike Fluttershy and Zephyr, they had not said a single word. Pinkie had been there and had tried to start up a conversation, but none of them had been too keen on the matter, so Pinkie had meandered through the car, sometimes talking with Twilight (which she welcomed), or talking with Tobias and Sunset, or sitting next to Marble Pie, who had remained silent through the whole trip and had sat alone.

The train began to slow, and she saw a number of crystal ponies on the platform in guard armor. She was confused as to what was going on, but when one of them spotted her and nudged his partner, she guessed that somehow Cadance knew about their arrival. Maybe Princess Celestia sent a message to Spike, she pondered as she got up.

Sunset was by her side instantly, her hood and cloak up and a frown on her face. “They don’t look friendly,” she said.

“Those guards are unusually…armed for a station here,” Tobias added, walking up next to Sunset, Revan’s mask in his glaws.

Twilight’s heart began to race, but she tried not to let it show. “Um, Princess Celestia probably sent a message ahead to let Spike know we’re coming,” she explained.

“If that were the case, why aren’t your brother or your sister-in-law here personally?” Sunset asked. “And why are they armed?”

“To provide an escort for us, of course,” Rarity explained.

“And Cada-Princess Cadanza is an Empress, so she can’t drop everything to see us,” Twilight said. “Shining is Emperor Consort and captain of the Imperial Guard. Those are valid reasons why he can’t be here.”

“Stay sharp, everyone,” Tobias said, “we can’t be too careful here.”

Twilight nodded, then grabbed her luggage. “Come on, everypony,” she said, “let’s go.”

The others grabbed their things and headed to their car’s exit. When they were on the platform a few moments later, the guards swiftly approached them. “Twilight Sparkle?” one of them, clearly the leader, asked with a stern expression.

“Yes, that’s me,” Twilight said, giving what she hoped was her best smile.

The guard didn’t return it. “I’m Sergeant Lapis Lazuli. I’ve been ordered by Prince Spike to escort you and your party to the Imperial Palace.” The guard looked at the gathered group, counted them, then nodded. “I see the message was right in the number of creatures accompanying you. Prince Spike received a message from your princesses about your arrival and wants to know why you’re here.”

“We’re here to ask for his help finding someone,” Rainbow blurted out before Twilight could speak. “Apparently, only he can find this guy.”

The guards, the group of ponies and one abyssinian began walking down the street. The guards took their luggage for them. The more they walked, the uneasier that Twilight felt. She knew what having an escort should feel like, and this felt different. She reasoned, though, that since they were more infamous than famous now, this could be for their protection, but even that felt hollow. “Um, yes,” Twilight said. “Someone went missing, and we were going to ask him to help us find them.”

“I see,” the sergeant said, and Twilight could tell that he wasn’t too convinced. “I will let his Highness know about this when I inform him of your arrival.” He then went silent as he led them down the streets.

Twilight, seeing that there wouldn’t be any conversations forthcoming, began looking around at the city. Not too much about it had changed since it first returned all those years ago, although she did notice a massive crystal statue of a taller and leaner version of Spike standing in a busy intersection. He wore royal looking robes and a small crown while holding a depiction of the Crystal Heart.

That wasn’t all she noticed, however. She could almost feel herself drowning in the amount of glares she and her companions were receiving. She had to force herself to remain calm as she continued walking, focusing on the ancient city’s architecture instead of its inhabitants. The Crystal Empire had severed all ties with Equestria soon after Spike arrived, and she guessed that the crystal ponies knew of her and her former friends’ abysmal treatment of Spike over the years. If so, it made sense that they might strongly dislike her. Not only was he their hero, but now he was a prince of the empire. One last thing she noticed was that the guards were leading them down a path that they hadn’t taken to the palace before, but it wasn’t on the top of her mind, so she didn’t think anything of it.

Soon, the massive tower of the Crystal Palace loomed before them. They were escorted up a large set of stairs into the palace proper and led up several flights of stairs until they came to a large room with a large table with chairs around it. There were glasses of water at each place, enough for each of them plus one more at the head. “The prince bade me bring you here. He will be with you momentarily.”

“Thank you, sergeant,” she said gratefully as everypony else entered and went to claim a chair. The guards returned their luggage, and soon they left the room, closing the door behind them. Twilight was definitely exhausted and thirsty, so she, along with everypony else, took a seat and drank some water beginning their waiting game.

“You and you, stand guard at this door and protect our guests,” Sergeant Lapis ordered two of his best guardsponies. “I will report to his Highness about their arrival. As for the rest of you,” he added as he turned to the others, “resume your normal duties until further notice.”

The guards all saluted, hoof to chest, then the two he had selected stood at attention on either side of the door while the rest of those under his command turned and marched back towards the stairs. Sergeant Lapis Lazuli watched them go, then turned and made his way to the set of stairs that led to the royal chambers.

As he walked up the stairs, he began to think. His Highness had received a missive from Equestrian royalty sometime that morning, and had ordered the sergeant, who was the leader of the prince’s personal guard detail, to escort them to the palace by an alternate route and to not inform the other Imperials. When he had asked why, Prince Spike had simply smiled and informed him that he wanted to deal with this on his own to prove to himself and his family that he could handle himself in a situation like this. Plus, he still had some strong feelings about them and wanted to know what they needed him to do.

He eventually reached Prince Spike’s bedroom and made his presence known by knocking. He heard his prince call out, “Enter.” When he did so, he saw that Spike was sitting at his desk, pen in claw as he wrote in a journal. He turned and nodded at Lapis. “Sergeant, I take it your mission was a success?”

He nodded and bowed. “Your guests are all waiting for you in the meeting hall, your Highness.”

Prince Spike nodded. “I will be there shortly. You have guards posted at the doors?”

“Two of my best,” he confirmed.

The prince nodded, then put the quill down. “You’ve done well, Sergeant. Keep our guests safe until my arrival.”

Lapis bowed in acknowledgment. “I will, your Highness. Will there be anything else?”

“No,” Prince Spike informed him, “go about your daily duties in the interim.”

Lapis bowed. “It will be done,” he said before he slowly walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Spyke watched the crystal pony guard leaving, and a small bemused smile formed on his lips. In all of his time before the Slumber, he had never once heard of these fascinating crystal ponies. He stood and brushed the clothes of his counterpart to get any wrinkles out before walking over to the mirror and staring at his reflection. The face of his counterpart looked back at him, and his smile became wistful. This reminded him of his days back in Dream Valley, acting as Majesty’s assistant and helping out his pony friends in the blissful utopia that was Ponyland.

His features now might not exactly match his when he was a baby dragon, but they were close enough to bring the memories of the past back to the forefront of his mind. His old friends, the human siblings who rescued them time and time again, the Moochick and his fellow dwarves, Prince Phylius and the elves of the Sylvan Realm on the borders of Ponyland, the Grundles and their mountain realm, the bushwoolies, and so much more. It seemed as if there was more interaction between ponykind and other races back then. Part of him wondered just what had changed after the Slumber. When had ponies fallen to a shadow of their former selves?

His train of thought was interrupted by a soothing female voice. “Spyke, my dear friend, I am connecting Spike’s dream to your mind now,” Majesty’s soft but disembodied voice said.

He turned around, but when he saw nobody else in the room, he bowed his head reverently. “Thank you, your Majesty. I will continue to pose as their prince until you summon me back.”

Majesty chuckled. “I know you will, my dear friend. Act as close to the young Spike as you can, and rely on the mental link.”

“As you command, your Majesty,” he said with a bow.

Her presence vanished from the room, and at the same time he felt it, a pinprick in his head. He picked up the scroll that had come from Spike and that his Queen had sent to Spyke. Looking it over as if reviewing it, he walked over to where Spike’s royal regalia sat. Putting on his golden circlet studded with the finest gems and putting his signet ring on his finger, he walked out of his room, heading down to the guest quarters where he spotted the doors where the sergeant had placed them. Taking a breath like Spike might, he nodded at the two guards before he said, “Open it.”

The guards did so, and Spyke strode in, looking at the ponies in the room one at a time. They were all frozen in shock at what their apparently former servant had grown into. The purple Twilight was the first to speak. She was sitting on the edge of one of the beds with a glass of the beverage in her magic. Standing, she put it down and gave Spyke a nervous smile. “Um…hello, Spike,” she said hesitantly.

He gave her a stiff nod. The mental link made it somewhat easier for Spyke to imitate the younger sleeping dragon. “Hello, Twilight Sparkle,” he said, keeping his voice calm and collected while letting a hint of bitterness seep through. He held up the scroll. “I got Princess Celestia’s scroll earlier today. You all came here because you need to use me again?”

That got a reaction from six of the ponies in the room. Three others were standing apart from the six ponies who used to be the Bearers of Harmony while an abyssinian kept an eye on Spyke. A suspicious eye. Spyke could tell from years of experience that look came from a place of worry. Worry for a friend.

“T-That’s not it at all,” Twilight said, clearly trying to salvage the situation.

“Then what is it, then?” Spyke asked, turning back to focus his attention on Twilight.

“Um, Spike,” the quiet pegasus called Fluttershy said as she stepped forward.

Spyke turned and almost smiled. Fluttershy might have been a pegasus, but she reminded him so much of Dream Castle’s earth pony gardener Posey. The two of them had gotten along quite well, and she’d taught him much about how to grow the plants in the garden, some of which were sadly not around on this new continent. “What is it, Fluttershy?” he asked, hiding his nostalgia behind a frown.

“Um, well…someone’s been foalnapped,” she began, “and the princesses are anxious to find him.”

“He’s another human,” Twilight spoke up.

Despite already knowing this, Spyke’s eyes widened in ‘surprise’. “Another human?” he asked in a shocked tone. He looked around, spotted a chair at a desk, then grabbed it, pulling it out, then sitting on it and facing Twilight. “Tell me everything,” he insisted.

Clearly a bit shocked by ‘Spike’s’ change in tone, Twilight took a seat herself on the bed, looking back at Spyke before launching into the explanation. She told about how a human mercenary had arrived in Maretime Bay with Applejack and her family, and how he had left quickly with his two partners, but then had come back after escorting Pinkie Pie and her sister Marble Pie to Maretime Bay for extra money. Applejack, Pinkie and Marble corroborated this story as Twilight told it. So did the one called Sunset. The abyssinian, however, didn’t say a word, instead, he just kept on staring at Spyke with those eyes full of mistrust.

Eventually, Twilight told of how Majesty had taken the human, who she still knew as Revan, away. Spyke nodded in understanding. “And you think I can help you find this Revan human?” he asked. “How?”

“Princess Celestia said that if we combine the little magic we have left from our contact with the elements with your fire magic, then we have a good chance of finding his location through an item he carries,” Twilight explained.

“What kind of item?” Spyke asked.

“A candle that he has based off of your fire magic,” Twilight replied.

He frowned. “I see,” he said. “Well, if that’s all you want from me, then fine.”

“That-That’s not all we came here for,” Twilight said, now nervous again.

“Maybe, and maybe not,” he said, “but you’re obviously in a hurry.” Spyke took on a concerned look now as he put a claw to his chin, stroking it gently. “Did the princess say how we were going to do this?”

Right on cue, Spyke heard the soft voice of his queen almost whispering a short but disembodied spell. “You all shall see how you wish things to be.”

At once, their eyes began glowing a light blue, and everyone stiffened before Spyke felt the spell take hold of him as well. The scene returned to normal, showing that Twilight was now raising her horn and picking up a scroll from her nearby pack. “Here,” she said. “The princess gave me this before we left.”

Spyke took the scroll and looked it over. He read it carefully, then slowly rolled it back up. He looked at them all, then sighed. “This doesn’t mean I forgive anything,” he said, “but if another human is in danger from another pony, then I’ll help. After that, though, I won’t have anything more to say to you.”

Twilight nodded, looking somber at that. “I figured that,” she said. “We’ll leave after this.”

Spyke inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. If she had insisted on seeing her brother and his family, he knew he wouldn’t have the opportunity to refuse without seeming suspicious. Part of him wondered if this was his queen’s doing, but he dismissed it as she never took complete control of a mind. Even now, when in the real world he, Spike, and these ponies were in a trance of sorts, all of their actions were their own of a sort. “Then let’s get to it,” he said as he looked at the six ponies.

The aforementioned ponies walked up around him, sitting on the ground in a circle around him. They took each other’s’ hooves, closing their eyes as they concentrated. Twilight’s horn began to glow softly, then her mane began to softly move, much like Queen Majesty’s did. After a bit, a small rainbow light came seeping out of their bodies, moving up to him.

On cue, he breathed out some fire, and to his bemusement, it was green unlike his own. The fire was gentle and surrounded the small puff of rainbow light before it shot out of the room. Closing his eyes, he saw in his mind’s eye as the rainbow and fire shot southeast, passing over the gryphon lands, then flying through unoccupied valleys, mountains, forests, lakes and more until it reached a familiar sight that tugged at Spyke’s heartstrings. A large ruin of a massive castle, one of pink walls and purple turrets. One that had been reclaimed by nature over thousands of years, but one still recognizable to him.

The false vision zoomed in, heading beneath the exposed castle’s halls and doorways until it found a closed doorway. The door opened and the rainbow and fire went down a flight of wide winding steps until it passed through an archway into a large area. The vision became blurry as they saw their quarry, the small candle sitting on a table, while next to it they all caught a glimpse of a human figure sleeping on a bed.

The vision ceased, and everyone opened their eyes. They looked at each other, Spyke feigning confusion just like the rest. The other two ponies were still watching these proceedings with anxiety on their faces. “What in Equestria was that castle?” Rarity spoke first.

“I don’t know,” Twilight said, “but it looked ancient.”

“It’s really far away, everypony,” Rainbow said, “so what do we tell the princesses?”

“We tell ‘em what we saw here,” Applejack replied simply. “We ain’t exactly qualified for any kind of search an’ rescue mission, after all.”

“Spike, could you send a message to the princesses?” Twilight asked.

He took a deep breath, then sighed in exasperation. “Only because this is an emergency,” he said as he stood. “I’ll get a message written and sent off as soon as I can.”

Twilight gave him a grateful smile, then to Spyke’s surprise, she walked up and wrapped him in a sudden hug. He stood there, not sure what to do, and he wondered if this was how Spike would react or if this was his own reaction. “Thank you,” Twilight whispered before quickly breaking away. “Ah, um…sorry.”

Spyke slowly brushed his clothes and cleared his throat. “S-Sure,” he said. It had been so long since any singular pony had hugged him, and even if this was a false projection, it had felt so real and warm. It reminded him of how the Twilight he knew back in Dream Castle, the one who had become one of the most powerful mages in the castle, had been so kind to him. Spyke felt the spell lift again, and a soft shudder passed through him. The projection was over. “Alright,” he said, trying to regain his composure, “well, since there’s nothing else, I’ll send that letter. My guards can escort you back to the train station.”

“Thank yah kindly fer yer help, Spike,” Applejack said with a smile.

“Yes, thanks a bunch, little guy,” Rainbow said, “although I guess now you’re not so little anymore. Gotta say, I like your new wings.”

He chuckled dryly. “Yeah, you would be interested in that.” He walked over to the door and knocked on it.

“Your Highness?” one of the pony guards said as they opened the door. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Spyke said. “Tell Sergeant Lapis to escort our guests back to the train station. Their task here is done.”

“It will be done, your Highness,” the guard said.

Spyke turned back once more to the others. “I wish you and whoever goes to that castle luck in finding this Revan.”

“So do we, Spike,” Twilight said as she grabbed her bags along with her fellow ponies.

Spyke looked at the ponies in the room one by one, then lastly looked at the abyssinian. It was only then that Spyke noticed that the felinoid was holding a mask. A very familiar looking mask. He almost frowned, but simply nodded as he walked past.

Once they were on their way, Spyke made his way back to his counterpart’s bedroom. He addressed the guards, saying, “I will be taking a brief nap before the evening meal. Don’t disturb me unless it’s an emergency.”

The guards saluted, and Spyke entered the room, shutting the door again. He almost locked it, but remembered at the last minute that his counterpart didn’t do that. Instead, he closed the blinds to the room, then stood near the desk and waited. A few minutes later, there was a flash of light from the bed, and Spike appeared there. He was still sleeping, breathing peacefully.

Spyke walked over to the younger drake, looking down at him with a wistful smile. Reaching down, he spoke. “Cherish these moments of your youth. They won’t come again. Rest well…my son.”

And with that, he was teleported away, back to his queen.