An Alicorn's Folly and a Dragon's Ascension

by Avatar of Madness

Chapters

• Chapter One: A Jailbird Sings.
• Chapter Two: A Pleasant Walk through Canterlot.
• Chapter Three: Curious.
• Chapter Four: Shattered Glass Disaster.
• Chapter Five: That Irritating Beep.

Chapter One: A Jailbird Sings.

A heavily locked figure inhaled and exhaled in a deep, steady, practiced rhythm. This practiced, rasping melody had echoed within the vast, dripping chambers without fail for generations too tedious to count. Day in, day out, not a single breath's timing had changed in the entity's slumber. No toss, no stir, no movement at all occurred in its slumber. The only sign of life had been the audible respiratory functions of the figure's body.

Despite this dormancy, multiple guards had been placed around the perimeter of the aged, murky prison the entity knew as home. The guard watched, and watched, and watched again, watching for anything.

Over the countless decades the being had been set in the prison, the guards had come to expect nothing from the chained being. Now, they simply stood and stared, bored, for interminable hours, waiting for their shift to switch to another soul's misfortune to do nothing but watch some fossilized prisoner breathe.

Although the virtually pointless job begot resentment from all members of the guard, their superiors mandated for perpetual vigilance. The lackadaisical guards long since complied to their demands, and retained their watch on the sleeping entity.

It was due to this seemingly eternal slumber, that the guards had been frightened to no end when the prisoner suddenly broke its nature.

The inmate ceased the breathing, drawing a resounding gasp from the guards. The entity rose from its position, pulling and groaning the heavy chains that laid undisturbed for centuries. It took a shaky, tentative step from its position on the prison's wall like a newborn learning to walk, dragging the weighted burdens bound to every limb. As it staggered to the center of the keep, the only area lit by a shimmering sliver of light, a sweet, verbal aria escaped its cracked lips.

"Will you take me home and dissemble me?"

One of the guards nickered at the inmate's verse and gaped helplessly at his fellow blanching comrades, "Wha... what are we supposed to do?"

The prisoner ignored the panicking guards voicing their confusion, and carried several more steps, each more stable than the last, to reach the taunting light. "Will I be terminated with you near?"

A much more seasoned member of the guard attempted to rein order from the steadily ensuing chaos. His gravelly tone barked orders over the panicked shouts, "What are you greenhorns doing?! Somepony get the superiors right now!!!"

The jailbird acknowledged the disorderly din with a twisted smile, and quickened its jingling journey to the center, "By the others I hold so close..." he eyed the light with a slight tilt of his head, "... if I'm to be killed, then when? By whom?"

The singing entity relished the refreshing glow with half-lidded eyes, "I’ve been a bad boy, I broke all the rules... I’ve been a bad boy... I'll paid in full...!"

His eyes burst wide open, and looked up into the light with a hungry, open-mouth smile. "My light, will never die... my light, will never kill!"

The entity sucked in heaving breaths for the final verse, paying no attention to the platoons who had burst into the prison, watching the macabre performance in horror. "You look down, but far from out, and the paper reads, 'You lose!'"

A quick, eerie chuckle escaped his dried throat, sending creeping shivers down the soldiers' soul."I. Will. Never die! My light, will never die!"

Spike likes picnics. Specifically, he likes picnics with the six who were commonly known as the Elements of Harmony. Spike is not sure how much that label should matter considering the ponies had to return the Elements that channeled their power, but he does not care, because the most important fact is that they are all his beloved friends.

Spike also likes picnics so much because it is always a chance for him to make use of his homely skills for somepony else's benefit. It made Spike feel a lot more appreciated than he usually did. Due to being in close contact with Equestria's heroes, he was often taken on their extraordinary adventures, but he never really could do much. It was with simple duties like cooking or cleaning where he shined the most.

A certain, purple baby dragon happily plods up a sunlit, grassy hill. In his stubby arms is a large picnic basket, filled with delectables created by none other than him. Spike is especially prideful with today's cookery. The assistant made potato salad, gazpacho, limeade (kept in a sealed pitcher, of course), and chilled sorbets for dessert. Spike is sure that his equine friends would thoroughly enjoy the meal he had made. After all, who does not like ice cream?

Twilight calls from the top of the hill, "Spike! Are you sure you can carry it all?" She peeks at his encumbered frame struggling up the hillside and purses her lips.

Spike grunts and ascends the final steps of the hill. He places the basket on the checkered blanket spread before his feet. The dragon put his hands on his knees and pants, raising an arm to give his relieved guardian a thumbs up, "See? Huff... huff... not a problem for this dragon!"

Rainbow Dash snickers from the top of a nearby tree she had been resting in, "Suuuure, Mr. Buff Dragon, that was no problem at all."

"Oh do stop teasing him, Dash," Rarity defends with a frown. The mare was shaded under a stylish, purple parasol on a corner of the blanket, "I would not be picking fun at the chef who cooked our lunch."

Upon the mention of food, the racing rainbow zips from her perch and hovers above the basket. She sniffs profusely at the hidden contents and bites her lower lip in anticipation, "Oh man, I'm sooo hungry! Whatcha got, Spike? C'mon, open it!"

"Calm down, Dash," Applejack chides. The farmer stretches, and stands from her reclining spot against the tree, "let the boy breathe first."

Pinkie bounces down from the tree's foliage, "Yeah! Because he needs to breathe so that his muscles can move and if he can't breathe his muscles can't move and that means he can't open the basket and that means we go hungry!"

Rainbow Dash blinks several times, trying to process what Pinkie had spouted, "Did any of that make sense?"

"Um... I think so," Fluttershy answers with a slightly raised tone, pawing at the blanket she laid on.

Spike takes advantage of the mulling silence to regain his composure, and proudly opens the basket, displaying the mouth-watering victuals within. His friends ooh and aah in apparent hunger, prompting him to set the plates and food.

"Amazing!"

"Best picnic ever!"

"Simply marvelous!"

"Thanks for the food..!"

"Good job, Spike!"

Spike puffs his chest out, absorbing the slew of compliments like a sponge. His cooking skills were nothing to laugh at, but the assistant only cares that his friends could enjoy them.

Spike pulls a sapphire from the pocket-like folds in his scales and pops it into his mouth. He crunches the tart gem beneath his teeth, swallows, and stifles a burp. He was not hungry enough for the full-course meal anyway, all he needs are gems to sate his draconic appetite.

Spike turns to Rainbow Dash and asks, "So, was that new Daring Do book good?"

The pegasus snorts at the understatement, "Good? Try, absolutely amazing! I mean, that's a given considering I'm in there too, but man, you shoulda seen the actual thing!"

"Oh!" Pinkie pips as she finishes off her potato salad, "Remember when we were all at Ahiuzotl's fortress and how we fought off all those stallions, while Dash and Do got the Rings of Destiny off the pillar?"

At once, this callback kicks off a conversation about the adventure they had with one of the Equestria's greatest author who had happened to also be one of Equestria's greatest heroes. Of course, the journey ended with the rescue of Equestria by their efforts.

Well, without Spike's efforts.

Spike had not even been involved in the adventure. The drake never voiced his envy over it. He was just as much of a Daring Do fan as Twilight or Rainbow Dash, and they all actually met her...!... Spike excluded.

Spike silently broods over these thoughts as he sucks on a salty-sweet emerald. Spike wanted to meet Daring Do. Spike wanted to help. Spike did not want to be unnecessary.

No, no, no, now is not the time for such thoughts.

Spike listened in on the group's recounting of their quests, choosing to be spellbound rather than a sulking mess. Eventually, the chitchat switched to more familiar matters that Spike was more familiar with. The dragon kept an ear to their words despite the fact that there was nothing to really contribute to the conversation since it was about some fashion show.

Spike is partial to these regular exchange of words for two reasons. The first is that it made his friends, his ponies, seem much more normal than what their various dangerous quests would suggest. It always made Spike feel more at place with his friends. The second reason is because it let Spike know that things were alright. It let him know that his friends, his family, was faring fine enough to be able to talk about things where the well-being of others were not at stake.

"Spike, you there?"

"Huh?" Spike shakes himself out of his thoughts and looks into Twilight's eyes, "Oh, sorry, I sorta zoned out for a sec there. What's up?"

Twilight smiles and rolls her eyes, "I was asking if you were excited about staying with everypony in Canterlot for the weekend?"

Spike's eyes widen upon remembering their planned trip. How could he forget? After all, the much-needed vacation would commence later today, "Oh, man, of course I am! It's gonna be cool to go back home without worrying about boring Princess stuff."

Rarity daintily wipes her mouth of sorbet with a handkerchief before speaking, "Come now, that's no way to talk about Twilight's very important royal duties."

Spike crosses his arms and looks away. Rarity always knew how to make it feel like you have done something wrong, "I know, I know... it's just that the last time we had to attend to royal duties, the Princesses got kidnapped and the Everfree went psycho on everypony..."

Applejack snorts back a fit of laughter, musing that maybe the drake would have been suited for Honesty, "True, but this time we're just gonna relax, no weird or funny business."

"Maybe I'll get a second chance with the animals in the garden..!" Fluttershy says with a wishful smile.

"Just don't go crazy like you did last time." Rainbow Dash warns with a snicker.

Twilight nuzzles her assistant affectionately, "Applejack is right, Spike, this weekend is going to be some time to unwind. In other words, we'll be staying as far away from 'hero-business' for the entire stay. We'll visit Mom and Dad, wander around Canterlot for a bit, spend time with the Princesses, and just have fun. Even Shiny and Cadance are coming to see us all together!"

As Spike thought more and more about the trip, his smile grew bigger. No trouble, no weird danger, all he had to worry about was spending good time with the ponies he cared about. That was when Spike remembered something important.

He raises a claw and asks the party, "So, what time are we leaving for the train station again?"

Twilight puts a hoof to her chin, "Pinkie Pie bought the tickets so," she turns to Pinkie, "you got the 5 P.M. tickets, didn't you?"

Pinkie giggles, "Of course not, silly, there wasn't any room left on the 5 o'clock train! I had to buy tickets for a different time."

Twilight grin goes askew, and she raises an eyebrow, "So... which tickets did you purchase?"

"The 3 o'clock tickets!"

A suffocating silence drapes over the picnic, much to the confusion of the party mare.

Rainbow Dash is the first to break the quiet with a long, painful groan, and flaps to the oblivious Pie's side, "Pinkie Pie, that's fifteen minutes from now!!!"

Rarity sucks in large, gaping breaths, "Oh heavens, we don't have but a second to carry our luggage to the station! We're going to miss the train and our vacation in Equestria's most elite city will be absolutely ruined!"

Pinkie shakes her head, "Already took care of it! The luggage, train seating, pet-sitting... your Aunt Pinkie's done it all!"

Everypony simultaneously voices an, "Oh."

"Uh..." Fluttershy points to the town below the the hill, "but isn't the train station all the way across Ponyville?"

Spike pinches the bridge of his nose as the ponies worked themselves into a panic, sprinting as fast as their hooves could take them to the train station.

Spike mutters very tired words to himself before taking off after them, "Ohhhh, boy...".

Chapter Two: A Pleasant Walk through Canterlot.

The clamoring of clanking armor and clacking hooves filled the ancient, dusty corridors as a very annoyed Captain of the Royal Guard was rushed to some cell far below Canterlot. The snow-white Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor, had just arrived from the Crystal Empire with his wife to enjoy a relaxing family vacation away from their jobs and responsibilities, so his disgruntlement was expected when he was called to duty as soon as he stepped off of the train.

To add to Shining's annoyance, he did not even know what he was rushing to. The guards only said that it was a matter of utmost importance, and that they were not allowed to speak of it in public. Not even his wife, a princess, could accompany them due to the secrecy. However, what really sold the urgency of the problem to the Captain was the look in their eyes. It was a look of confused terror, as if something had gone horribly awry yet they had no clue of what went awry.

As Shining ran with the guards down the corridors, he expected them to turn and stop at the massive doors of the dungeon but a few doors away. Instead, they went past, down numerous flights of stairs, lower into Canterlot castle. They led him farther and farther, into places the Captain had never even seen or heard of in decades. They went lower and lower and lower, too low to still be in the castle.  

Eventually, the Captain finally reached wherever the guards have intended to take him, and strangely enough, he had some vague recollection of it. Shining's eyes scanned the dripping chambers, spotting guards hastening themselves into place, ready for the Captain's orders. This was all familiar enough for Shining Armor, but he noticed that something substantial was different from the one instance he had been here. Shining looked to the far wall and sees that something was missing in both sight and sound.

"Guards," Shining asked in a sharp, testy voice, "wasn't there something locked up in here, that used to sit at the wall, bound in the strongest enchanted chains Equestria had to offer?"

A nearby subordinate saluted, and beckoned towards the center of the keep that the single sliver of light shone through. An area that the Captain's eyes overlooked. Shining followed his hoof to the sight, and raised his eyebrows in confusion. There it was, that figure, covered from head to toe in a ridiculous amount of archaic irons and chains. It stood at the center, fixated on the light like a curious child, standing stock still, without making a single noise.

Shining turns to the others, "He's just standing."

"Yes, he is sir!"

"And I was disturbed from my time off with my lovely wife because... he's standing?"

"Yes... well, no."

Shining Armor sighed and removed his helmet, "Private, you have about five seconds to explain before I station you as Prince Blueblood's personal escort for a week."

"Captain, I believe you're misunderstanding us," an old, gritty, and experienced voice said as he approached the Captain, "this may stem from the fact that you haven't been placed here nearly as long as they have."

Shining immediately recognized the speaker. A gray unicorn with a close cropped brown mane and a broken spear as a cutie mark. An old pony, who in years past, often had to catch and reprimand certain white unicorn colts who thought it was great fun to flood a Grand Galloping Gala with a sea of giant pasta noodles, courtesy of a pasta-summoning-spell of course.

"Grit Hoof? Do you know what the hay is going on here?"

Grit Hoof chuckled under his silver armor, "The gist of it. From what I know, that there prisoner," he gestured to the petrified figure who payed no attention to them, "has never moved a single inch from that wall, like some statue, for hundreds of years. Earlier, these greenhorns were making a hoot and holler, so they notified me to take a look-see. The guards stationed here said that the prisoner decided to get up, sing some creepy tune, and walk to that light. He's been in the same position ever since, but he's made no indication to do anything else."

Shining Armor took in the new information with mulling silence, examining the prisoner as he thought. "... do you still have any idea of what the heck it's supposed to be?"

Grit Hoof shook his head, "No Sir, Princess Celestia and Luna still won't say a word about it, and they never have for as long as any of us has lived. All we know is to keep a vigilant watch at all times, and that if anything happens, to notify them and you."  

"Then where are the Princesses..?"

"They're reading to foals in one of the public libraries," Grit Hoof answered with a grin, "they wanted to start their vacation off with anything other than diplomatic duties. I wasn't sure if this, situation, was fit to disturb them, so I was planning on waiting for the Captain's judgement. What do you think, Captain Shining Armor Sir?"

Shining scratched his chin. Nothing very major happened, but then again, these sort of things always evolved into some crazy scenario where it all could have been avoided if an Alicorn had been present.

Shining cleared his throat and gave the order, "Send the Princesses a letter. Inform them that the prisoner started moving but he's still again. Just don't make it sound too worrying, they need this vacation more than I do..."

Grit saluted, and floated a parchment paired with a pen from his saddlebags in his gray magic. He inscribed the message, and performed the spell that sent the letter as a quick wisp of fire to the Princesses. Shining Armor returned the salute, and headed back to Canterlot with Grit Hoof in tow, both ready to be rid of the musty prison and the unnerving occupant.

When the pair left, the prisoner inwardly stirred. He stirred at the mention of the two names which brought much memory to him: Celestia and Luna. Oh, what memories they brought. He sighed, rasping through the steel mask on his face.

As he sighed, he whispered, "Alicorn... my Alicorns........ my burning star.... mine..."

*CHUG CHUG....*

*KSSHHHHHH....*

The Ponyville train ground to a halt in front of the station, right on time. Six ponies excitedly strolled out of the carriage, followed by a dragon lumbering with their luggage. They stop to sniff and take in the Canterlot atmosphere. It was a crisp air, filled with the scent of smoke and tea leaves alongside perfume and freshly baked delicacies, a hodgepodge but high class air. The stark white buildings complemented with dominating, royal colors filled the city, the tallest of them topped off with striped spires and caps.

"Why, imagine if we had missed the train!" Rarity said as the glitz and glamour invaded her eyes, "We would have missed such a beautiful city and a wonderful time off. We were only seconds away from missing it!"

"Yeah, we were almost late," Dash snarked before leaning closer to Pinkie, "right, Pinkie?"

"Heh heh... sorry about that."

"Well, we're here now, aren't we?" Spike remarked while fumbling with a nearby luggage cart. "No point in worrying about it now."

"Well said, Spike." Applejack complemented with a nudge. "Now, where is that BBBFF and sister-in-law of yours, Twilight? Ah'm ready to get a-move on from here."

Fluttershy nearly gets knocked over by a wandering tourist. She recovered while rubbing her shoulder, "It is a bit noisy and crowded.."

Twilight squinted as she searched the shuffling crowd for the awaiting Princess and Captain, "I don't know, Applejack. Since our train was rescheduled, we should actually be minutes after they arrived. They should still be here..! Unless they were late too... or maybe their train is having engine problems... or maybe—" however, Twilight's ramble was interrupted by a comet of pink-Alicorn surprise from above.

"—TWILIGHT!"

"AGH!"

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza bowled Princess Twilight Sparkle over in a giggling embrace, ignoring the looks from the passing train-goers.

The two Alicorns broke away and rose to perform an adorable yet cringe-worthy dance, "Sunshine-sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

Cadence turned to exchange her greetings and nuzzles with the rest of the party, "Sorry about the jump, couldn't resist!"

Spike snorted, "Anything to stop Twilight from panicking again..." Twilight briefly blushed from her rambling, before realizing that someone important was missing.

"Wait, where's Shiny?" Twilight asked with a worried tone, "Wasn't he able to make it?"

Cadence waved the worry off with a hoof, "The guards just needed him at the castle, they grabbed him as soon as we arrived."

Rarity raised an eyebrow at the mention of his reasons, "The guards? Whatever did they want him for? Is it something serious? I mean, the stallion is on vacation."

Cadence shrugged, "I don't know! The guards wouldn't tell me anything, but they looked really... frightened, to say the least."

"But you're a princess, how could they not tell you?" Rainbow retorted as she lazily buzzed through the air.

"Well, it could be that it's something super-duper gross and they didn't wanna gross you out," Pinkie reasoned, "or maybe it's the other way around and they have a super-duper surprise waiting for you! Oh no! I might've just spoiled the surprise and ruined everything!" the pink, lamenting pony collapsed, and threw her hoofs into the air, "I'M SOOOOOOORRRRYYYYYY!!!!!!!!"

The platform went eerily quiet as Pinkie's cry echoed throughout the station.

Of course, this prompted the group to break into a fit of side-splitting laughter.

Cadence lassoed in the chortles to say, "It's fine, Pinkie, I'm sure it's nothing too bad. Before he left, Shining told us to go have fun, and just meet up with him at the castle in an hour or two."

Twilight and Spike seemingly deflate at the absence of the brother. Twilight because, of course, she had been looking forward to spending time with everyone, especially her brother. Spike because him and Shining always shared a brotherly bond that one can only find among fellow men. Shining Armor was that cool older brother who you could depend on without getting tormented as a power play.

Rarity glanced back at the veritable mountain of luggage (most of it belonging to her) with a wistful frown, "Will we not have to bring our belongings to our rooms anyways?"

Rainbow flew a bit higher and peered into the distance, "I can just fly it over real quick. Shouldn't take long."

"There's no need for that, I already got it covered!" on cue from Cadence's whistle, two shimmering Crystal Pegasi bedecked in equally shiny Crystal-Empire armor descended upon the luggage cart and begin to haul it in the direction of the castle, quickly disappearing from view. "Now, with that out of the way, who wants to wander?"

"Oh look, there it is!" Twilight pointed a hoof to the store in question. It was small, but not too small, as comic book shops are apt to be. The windows of Enchanted Comic Books were lined with graphic novels and comics of all genres for everypony to savor, except that one thing set it apart from ordinary shops.

"That's the place? Doesn't look like it sells any magical comics to me." Cadance skeptically noted as she steps closer.

"Yup, that's it alright..." Spike groaned, "you know, it would have helped if they put a warning label on them. How was I supposed to know it was actually enchanted. Seriously, what if somepony got hurt inside that thing? Or what if we got stuck?"

"There's probably a fail-safe on the comics, Spike," Twilight explained as her eyes hover over a Daring Do graphic novel, "we probably weren't in any actual danger."

"But you shoulda seen the way we walloped 'em!" RD exclaimed with a spin in the air, "They couldn't do a thing after we got out of that cage!"

Rarity gave Spike a quick wink, "Thanks to my Spikey-wikey, of course!"

Spike chuckled in an unintentionally dopey manner in response. "Aw, shucks, it wasn't much. At least I know I'm not as bad as Hum Drum."

"But, wow, those powers sure were awesome!" Rainbow reminisced, "It'd be nice to have all that again."

"Yeah, they really were fun!" Pinkie agreed, "Even though the powers we got were basically just an upgraded version of whatever we already could do and it was almost pointless to have considering they actually made us perform worse than we usually do. Think about it, we took on all those Changelings, no problem!"

From the mention of the Changelings, the conversation quickly turned to their actions at the Wedding. Spike quietly walked behind them through the bricked streets of Canterlot's Cultural Pass, and listened on. Again, the dragon remembered that this was another moment he had proven to be virtually useless, but he already knew that it was bad to dwell on such things with that mindset. He was always the back-dragon, the guy behind the curtains, the drake who would always be there at the end, silently providing his support.

Except for the many times he could not be there.

But of course, it is not wise, he thought, to ruminate on the dark musings. It only made things worse and made him feel like a whiny teenage colt. Besides, this normal talk, as stated some time ago, let him know that his ponies were alright, safe, and at ease.

Although he could not help but admit that Shining's call to duty was disconcerting.

Spike's eyes caught another pony receding to the rear of the party: Fluttershy. Surprisingly, he found Fluttershy to be a good source of companionship in times like this, despite her tendency to remain quite.

"So, how you feelin' about the trip so far, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy's head snapped up, as if she awoke from some daydream. She smiled at Spike and said, "Oh, it's very nice! I don't think I've spent much time walking through Canterlot like this. It's all so beautiful, especially the wonderful art pieces displayed here! I do need to take a look at art more often, but I just don't have the time..! How about you, Spike? How are you today?"

Spike pursed his lips, recalling Fluttershy's sizable knowledge of art in general. He resumes his stock-grin and returns to the conversation, "I'm having a great time! It's been forever since I've wandered Canterlot. I used to do this with Twilight when we lived here, whenever she wasn't studying. Well, in that case, we didn't walk that often. Besides..." Spike swiveled his eyes shiftily, before leaning towards Fluttershy to whisper, "she used to hate exercise!" The dragon and Pegasus shared a hushed laugh at the lighthearted quip, "But, yeah! I'm doing awesome!" he gave Fluttershy a thumbs up as confirmation.

It was here that Fluttershy threw Spike off.

"Then why did you look so sad?"

Spike's happy expression melted into a confused, open-mouth frown. Sad? He looked anything but sad. "Huh? But I've been smiling the entire time, what are you talking about?"

Fluttershy's frown continued to deepen, "Were you really smiling?"

Spike's face flickered between puzzlement and disbelief. Of course he was smiling, he had worn that grin the entire time: through the walk, the talk, even the thoughts. "... Yeah, I was smiling. I guess the scales sorta shift over it from time to time. Nothin' new! Heh heh.."

"Oh, um," Fluttershy looked away, realizing the accidental awkwardness her strangely keen perception spotted, "okay, I guess that explains it."

The pair looked away from each other, scratching their heads in an attempt to surface a way to direct the conversation somewhere else.

Spike prodded Fluttershy with the back of his hand (to avoid nicking her with his claws), getting her attention, "Well, uh, I guess I should say, it's always nice talkin' to ya!"

She smiled back and brought her face close to give a nuzzle, "Thanks, Spike! You're also a very interesting, not-meany, not-pony-eating, dragon!"

"Er, thanks, I guess?"

"Spike!" Twilight called from the front of the entourage.

The Number One Assistant dutifully hasted himself to her side, "What's up, Twi?"

"How does taking everypony to Pony Joe's for a snack sound?"

Spike curled his lips and scoffs, "Um? It sounds awesome!"

Twilight rolled her eyes in amusement, "Lead the way!"

Spike's wide smile planted itself on his face as he directed his friends to his favorite donut shop at the head. No matter what time, be it midnight when running from the guards for helping a certain Shining Armor release a surf of pasta noodles into a Grand Galloping Gala, or a calm vacation with friends, it's always appropriate to have a donut.

Chapter Three: Curious.

"Spike."

There is fire. There is great fire, choking smoke, and catastrophe.

Broken pillars and burning buildings provided the perfect setting for the awful wails of horror and the shrieking sirens that perpetuated throughout Canterlot. Families run frantic through the streets with their crying children in tow, as the guards attempt to put an end to the havoc.

"Spike..?"

None of these facts seem to register through the dragon whelp's head as he picks himself up, brushes off any broken glass embedded under his scales, and stumbles past the flames and wreckage. All Spike can hear is a dominating ring in his ears, making him oblivious to the terrified yells of high-class ponies. Spike can only see what he had just witnessed. Spike can only see those eyes. Strange, round, curious eyes, like a toddler's. He never knew that such overpowering maliciousness could reside in those childlike eyes at the same time.

"Spike!"

Spike fell. He had tripped over a blazing, fallen, wooden, support beam. He grunts, and drags himself to his feet, only to fall onto his knees again. Spike breathes deeply, heavily, and shakily, as his hurts began to do their job. He thinks as he watches the Pegasi pound rainwater onto the consuming fires. He thought of what had occurred in the castle. Those cold eyes just did something bad, something very bad.

"SPIKE!"

Spike puts his back to the ruined building the support beam had belonged to, and stews in misery. He keeps thinking, and recalls the events of the evil eyes. He curls himself into a protective ball and silently weeps, ignoring the licking embers as his dragon hide protects him from any heat. The ringing had finally faded away, for Spike to hear the sharp sounds of cracking wood around him, yet Spike still wept.

"SPIKE!!!"

A violet aura grabs the crying dragon and tears him away from the collapsing museum whose many beams had finally burned away.

The aura deposit Spike on the back of its galloping caster: Shining Armor. Shining Armor ran through Canterlot's Cultural Pass full of flammable, falling structures and works of art, taking the little dragon somewhere safer, which was sore to find right about now.  

The Captain's quick hooves halt in a relatively clear, cobblestone path away from the fires, for the moment. He gingerly levitates Spike on the ground in front of him. Shining Armor removes his helmet, and kneels to Spike's level. Shining pants and looks at the cringing whelp with wide and imploring eyes.

"Spike. What happened in there?"

Spike only clutches at his head, shaking in fear, but giving no audible response as a feeling of intense drowsiness and the black encroached his mind.

"Spike...?" Shining lightly touches Spike's trembling shoulder with his hoof, "... where's Twilight?"

"Shiny!"

"Twily!"

Twilight leaped, and tightly embraced her missed brother inside Canterlot Castle's ballroom.

They had all just finished with their walk and decided to come back to the castle now that a couple of hours had passed, and coincidentally enough, the Captain had finished his duties as well.

The ballroom looked the same as it ever did: white tiled floors split by a red carpet that stretched over the wide stairs, which led to the higher levels of the castle. Purple banners streamed the walls while gilded doorways lined underneath, and stain-glass windows were enthroned above the stairs.

The Captain returned the hug with equal gusto. He peered down and saw Spike looking at him with a big grin.

"Who's the coolest little bro around?" Shining smiled, and extended his hoof.

"And who's the awesomest big bro in town?" Spike brought his clenched fist forward and met the hoof with an audible, 'clop!'

Shining turned his attention to the rest of the party while bearing his regular, jovial expression, "Hope the rest of you didn't have too much fun without me!"

Pinkie chuckled and bounced her way over, "There's no such thing as, 'too much fun', doofus! So of course we didn't!"

"We just had a nice stroll through Canterlot," Cadance explained, "and then we had some of Pony Joe's donuts. By the time we were done, we decided to head on back to the castle. Lucky that you just got done, huh?"

"Donuts?" Shining inquired in a low tone, revealing his sudden interest, "You brought some back for me, right?"

Twilight's ears drooped, and she looked away as blood and shame pervaded her cheeks, "Eh heh.. I sorta, ate 'em all."

Shining shook his head and sighed, "Really... again?"

"Our Twilight has always been greedy with her food," called a familiar, masculine voice as it stepped down the stairs at the head of the large ballroom, "and that seems to be the case now."

"Honey, you're just as greedy," replied a snarky, feminine voice, "I'm pretty sure she picked it up from you."

"Hey, if you wanted the eggplant you should have ordered the egg—"

"—oh, hush, we are not talking about this while we're on vacation."

The pair descended the stairs, their excited, clacking hooves sending a faint echo in the halls. The male was a periwinkle unicorn with a long, dark blue mane swept over his light smile, and twin crescent moons on his flank. His better half was a grey unicorn mare with a white and purple striped, bobbed mane, along with three purple stars as her cutie mark.

Everypony immediately recognized the couple as Night Light and Twilight Velvet. Or as Twilight called them...

"Mom, Dad, you're here!"

The parents ran forward to meet the party with long-awaited greetings and friendly hugs. From here, they all made simple small talk, simply catching up on any events that occurred of late and further acquainting themselves with Twilight's friends. Of course, a good bit had happened since the last time Twilight's mother and father, or as Spike called them, Mr. Dad and Mrs. Mom, had seen their children.

"Ah! Look at the time," Night Light noted as he eyes one of the clocks on the walls, "it has gotten a bit late, hasn't it?"

Velvet raised an eyebrow, "Late? It's barely seven! You're just getting old."

Night Light pouted, "Am not!"

"Then why do you use mane-dye?"

"Because you like it." the husband retorted with a grin.

Shining visibly cringed, Twilight and Cadance blushed, and Spike pinched the bridge of his nose while sighing.

Twilight groaned, and slowly asked, "Can we please change the subject?"

"Of course, sweetey!" Velvet cheerily complied, "Besides, despite the fact that your father is getting a bit too late in his years..."

"Pfft!"

"... I'm afraid we're a bit too pooped to do anything. We had gotten lost trying to find our way to our rooms."

"And then we got lost trying to find our way back." Night Light grunted. "You'd think they'd have signs or something for a castle this big."

"Ahh, maybe we're both just getting too deep in our years." Velvet remarked.

"Hardly!" Rarity shot with a wave of her hoof, "I'd say you are both young enough to be Twilight's siblings."

Velvet giggled and nudged Twilight with her shoulder, "I had a feeling I was going to like this one."

Rainbow's stomach decided to rumble at this moment. Pinkie pulled a stethoscope from her tail and used it to listen to the perplexed flier's still-growling stomach.

Night Light raised an eyebrow, "Uh, what is she doing?"

"Honey, It's Pinkie Pie," Applejack deadpanned to the confused father, "don' question it."

"But... why was that in her..."

"It's okay," Cadance soothed with a calm tone, "you'll learn eventually, like me and Shining had to."

Pinkie Pie returned the stethoscope to its spot in her tail, and gave her diagnosis, "Yup, yer tank is empty!" Pinkie's stomach grunted in agreement, "Looks like mine is too! Anypony else hungry?"

"I sure am, considering I didn't get any donuts." Shining gave Twilight a playful smile, "How about this, go ahead and get situated in your rooms, and I'll come get you all in half an hour or so. Then, we can go ahead and use the reservations I made..." Shining dug into a pocket on his armor's saddlebags with a violet, spectral hand, and pulled out a wad of ornately designed tickets, "at Canterlot's best dinner theatre: Dramatica Dine!"

The assembled ponies simultaneously, "Oooh..!"

"And so that no one gets lost," Shining added, "I'll have somepony guide you there."  

"But we know our way around, bro," Spike responded with a smirk, "I was even born here!"

"I know, I know, but when I told him that you'd be coming to visit," Shining cryptically answered, "he didn't wanna pass up the chance."

"... who told who about what now?" Spike's question was quickly answered when he felt himself leave the ground, and plopped down onto the back of grey stallion with a short, brown mane.

"Me, of course, Spike, ma-boy!"

Spike took in a deep breath upon remembering the feel of the scarred, muscular back, "Grit Hoof? Oh man, it's you!"

"Geez, how many ponies from the past are gonna come out of nowhere today?" Pinkie asked to nopony in particular, "If this keeps going on, Fluttershy's gonna have a heart-attack!"

The Pegasus in question was concealing herself behind Cadance's large wings.

She peeked out to say, "Um.. yeah, I'm not too proud of myself right now.."

"Nothing to be ashamed of, pretty-filly!" Grit Hoof called in his low, gravelly voice, "Those kind of fine-tuned instincts would make you a great soldier! You fancy on joining the ranks?"

"Oh, eh-heh..! I think I'll pass for now."

"So, who exactly are ya', Grit Hoof?" Applejack asked as they followed the old soldier down a new hallway.

Grit Hoof smiled and glanced at the dragon contentedly riding on his back, "Spike here can tell you all you need to know about me, isn't that right?"

"Oh, definitely!" Spike cheered, "Grit Hoof is one of the coolest stallions you'll ever meet." he leaned back, reminiscing on the days with the veteran, "You see, back when Twilight first hatched me, she was still too young to actually take care of me, especially cause' of her studies and all, so they put me in a nursery. Grit Hoof was stationed near there, so he usually dropped in to help out and stuff. After I was a couple more years old, they stuck me out of the nursery, and put me under his guard whenever Twilight was too busy. So, I've basically known him since I was born!"

"And what a terror!" Grit Hoof lamented, "They had to have me watch Spike because the other babysitters couldn't handle him! He'd be off, burning some drapes, making nests out of pots and pans in the kitchen, or helping a certain brother-of-Princess-Celestia's-protege ruin the most important party of Canterlot with a deluge of slimy pasta!"

Twilight raised her eyebrows at the last part, "He did what now?"

"Oh, nothing," Spike swiftly hushed. "Anyway, he's been there for me a good long while, and it's been even longer since I've seen him!" Spike shifted closer to Grit Hoof's ear, "What've you been doing?"

"Well, technically, I'm supposed to be retired," Grit Hoof explained with a hoof to his chin, "but laying around with some high-paying pension is just boring. I've stayed past my required time, and the Princesses have made me Canterlot's Head Investigator for crimes and such, so that's been eating at a lot my time."

"If you are not a soldier anymore, then why do you still wear your regalia?" Rarity inquired while inspecting the many scratches and dents on the plates.

"Miss Rarity, here in Canterlot, once a soldier, always a soldier. Besides..." Grit Hoof lovingly tapped his silver breastplate, "once you wear something for so long, it almost becomes a part of you."

"A soldier, huh?" Rainbow Dash swooped overhead, "So I'm guessin' that armor has been in some awesome battles, right?"

"Oh, sure! I just don't think it is in good taste to share my tales of gut-ripping and gore-bathing. Funny thing is, most of these scratches came from Spike ma-boy over here."

Spike shrugged as he felt the surprised stares of his friends boring into his back, "Hey, learning claw-safety is a lot of trial and error."

Grit Hoof stopped before a row of large, gilded, wooden doors. "Right, here are the Guest Suites. I'm guessing you know where your old quarters are, Princess Twilight?"

"That won't be necessary," Twilight assured, "I prefer staying close to my friends rather than going all the way to the other end of the castle. I'll just use one of these rooms."

Grit Hoof blinked a couple of times, like somepony who's been caught doing something they were not supposed to be doing, "Oh. Well, I'll go and get your luggage then. I think those Crystal Pegasi already put it in your private library."

Twilight blanched upon understanding, but before she can say anything, Grit Hoof had already put Spike on the floor, and dashed off, yelling, "It won't take but a second, Princess!"

She sighed and placed a hoof to her temple, "Oh boy."

Deep, within the dark jail that the strange prisoner stood. Something else occurred. It was something small and possibly meaningless.

The prisoner snapped his neck away from the light to take note of another, more important matter. He turned his neck, stretching the straps that fastened his muzzle to the plates used to encumber his movements. He slowly moved his head up, up, and up, his eyes positioned in a way that seemed to burn through the ceiling and peer at whatever they laid upon, far beyond the limits of the cell.

"Curious."

Spike and Twilight stood before the mirrors in their suite, putting final touches to their apparel for the night. Twilight's mane was lightly styled in curls, and she wore a simple yet beautiful purple gown put together by Rarity, whereas Spike wore his trusty black tuxedo.

Twilight spotted Spike fiddling with a cane whose top was shaped like a golden cobra biting a sapphire, and rolled her eyes, "Spike, do you really need that?"

Spike frowned and looked at his cane with wide eyes, "But it's my Sophisticated-Sir-Stick!"

"......"

"Aw, fine." Spike reluctantly placed the Sophisticated-Sir-Stick back in its carrying case. "Didn't special order this thing not to use it..."

"Oh, you'll be alright." Twilight consoled with a quick nuzzle. "You look classy enough without it."

Spike relented and nuzzled her back. Eh, he could always use that beautiful rod for a different occasion that would have called for more use, such as when he personally delivers the Germane chocolates and roses to Rarity tomorrow. He was just ready to go out and have fun with his ponies. Good food, good food, and hopefully, a good performance would really make the night.

True, he had not seen the rest of the Princesses yet, but they would be sure to make it for the occasion. After all, when Celestia and Luna make plans, it is once in a blue moon that they would forsake it.

Right?

*Knock, knock* went a visitor to their door.

Twilight looked away from the mirror and headed to the knob to answer the knocker. She clicked it open with a shine of her horn to see Shining Armor waiting outside.

"Are we ready to go?" Twilight asked with an expectant grin.

"Well, Princess Celestia and Luna are finally here."

Twilight's wings fluttered in excitement, "Oh, that's good! I was worried they weren't gonna show up."

"And then they cancelled the reservations."

"... huh?"

"Yup." Shining bluntly stated, "They've just arrived, and they said to cancel the reservations to the dinner-theater." Spike lumbered to the door after hearing the news.

Before he could voice any confusion, Twilight asked another queston "Really? Why? Did something come up?"

Shining Armor scratched the back of his head, "Sort of. I think I know what this is about... but I should probably let them explain, considering I don't know too much myself. I already told your friends that the plans fell through. Just follow me."

Twilight furrowed her brow and nodded, following her brother out the door. Spike slowly went after them, taking notice of a dropping weight in his gut. This was supposed to be a vacation, what could have gone wrong? Well, it could very well be nothing. It could just be some extra-important issue somewhere in Equestria that the Princesses have to deal with.

Well, Princesses included Twilight, didn't it?

It had been some time since Spike thought about it, because he believed that it had already been fully digested. His Twilight  Sparkle, a Princess. Already, she herself had gotten somewhat used to the prospect of it, as did the rest of her friends. At first, Spike was worried. Did this mean he was going to see less and less of her? That his Twilight would be off to save the day without her little dragon by her side even more?

Luckily, that was not the case. She still stayed in Ponyville with her friends, carried out random adventures on a week by week basis, and still grew. However, she still had that little dragon-brother-thing. So what did the royalty make him? A Royal Butler? He didn't like the sound of that. A Vizier? Maybe, he still has to haul her off the deep-end every now and then.

Honestly, he could care less about those titles right now. In the end, all that mattered to Spike was that she was still with him, that Twilight had not forgotten about the bumbling dragon on her back. A strange type of love. Not a mother and son, or a sister and brother type of love. They were their own two, and that made the love matter all the more.

Spike awoke from his thoughts and saw that he was already mounted in his usual spot upon Twilight's back, and was traversing down the steps into the ballroom, flanked by Shining Armor and Cadence. Spike supposed that the seemingly missing time-frame was due to the years of getting in the same position again and again.

That, and Twilight's arbitrary teleportation. She is a smart-cookie, no doubt, but her forgetfulness of the incredibly useful magic baffles the greatest minds.

Spike looked forward to see Princess Celestia and Luna waiting at the bottom. Their unreal, ever-flowing manes depicting the spectrum and night sky, stood in start contrast to their still upright forms and large eyes, making them resemble a pair of sentinels keeping an eternal vigil.

They reached the twin Princesses, and Spike began to shift off of Twilight's back to give a bow alongside Shining. Twilight had to stop herself from doing the same. It was still awkward for her not to bow to her mentor, but Princess Celestia urged against it.

Princess Celestia wasted no time with formalities when she began to speak, "We must make haste my ponies, there is a very urgent matter that burdens upon us."

Spike detected the serious atmosphere the tone gave off, and immediately shrinks, stifling the bow and staying on Twilight's back.

"Does this have anything to do with the letter Grit Hoof sent, Princess Celestia?" Shining asked.

"Everything," Princess Celestia responded, "we need to hurry our way there right now."

Twilight glanced at Shining and Celestia, noticing a previous discussion, "What happened, Princess?"

"Has another threat been made..?" Cadence warily questioned.

Luna pursed her lips, "Not exactly. A dangerous prisoner within the dungeon is acting strangely. We are to be headed to the cell to ensure precautionary measures. Just in case."

Cadence and Twilight relaxed. They are just adding some extra locks, maybe a strong, alicorn-powered barrier or two. No giant, mutant cockatrices or Changelings to worry about.

Then why did they look so serious?

"Due to enchantments placed on the dungeon, we are only able to blink to the beginning of the keep." Celestia explained as she charged her horn with golden energy, "We must hoof the rest of the path."

A bright white flash overtook the group, and they disappeared from the ballroom.

With another flash, they all arrived before a pair of gargantuan, weighty, iron gates surely leading to the holds of Canterlot's criminals. Instead, Celestia and Luna turned to the staircase to the left of it, ignoring the doors.

They ran down and down and down again, going farther than Twilight, Cadence or Spike have ever been.

The old, dusty, gray steps in the lower levels bore more questions into the three's minds. What prisoner required a separate section of a castle to keep? What colossal monster must lay down there?

Spike decided to keep his questions to himself for now. He was not sure if he wanted the answer.

This was different for Twilight.

"Princess Celestia... what exactly is down here?"

"An old, sleeping, prisoner that should have stayed asleep."

With that piece of enigmatic information, they stayed their inquiries.

They all ran on. Through dimly lit corridors covered in no decoration or ornament that had been so common with the castle.

They kept dashing until they ran out of building. They were now surrounded by the carved stone of a mountain, following a paved path by artisans of olden times.

Finally, they all reached a metal door at the end of the path, covered in complex, iron contraptions that kept it sealed. Princess Celestia nodded to the guards, and they take to the interminable task of undoing the many locks on the gates.

The last lock fell away, and the guards begin to heave on the door until it groans open.

Celestia and Luna slowed to a walk as they led the way into the final room.

Twilight eyes scanned the chamber as she entered, processing the features of the enormous cell. They stood on a steel balcony fixed to the rock wall of the mountain with steps on either side. The platform overlooked the expansive, gray-tiled floor where a tiny fragment of light peeked through the ceiling, shining on the only colors in the center of the keep: Celestia and Luna's mark.

"This is the strongest and most impregnable jail within Canterlot, resting within the very heart of the mountain!" Princess Luna lectured, "Very few ponies have ever seen what lay here, and nopony has ever escaped once put into this dungeon. Any and all teleportation is sealed away by enchantments in the very stones and tiles, forbidding even the most powerful of mages of a swift exit." She indicates this by tapping the stone wall with her horn, causing a dark green rune to momentarily glimmer through. "Luckily, only one criminal need be placed here."    

Cadence tentatively peered over the rails and beckoned to the light, "Wait... what is that thing?"

"That which we are here for." Luna whispers.

What Cadence had been referring to was the sole denizen of the damp cell.

There it resided, bipedal, tall, and covered in enough inhibiting metal that it could have been wearing a suit of armor. From what one could tell, it had the build of a Diamond Dog or Minotaur, but much slenderer and only stood as tall as Celestia's head. Around its chest and back was a heavy plate engraved by arcane runes, connected by small chains to the wide locks over its legs and arms. Its hands and feet were attached to shackles large enough to hold a manticore's paws, which were stretched taut, and led to recesses in the walls and floors, apparently failing to do its job of restraining movement. Covering its face and head was a slit, metal muzzle. The last bonds were binding a long, single horn that curved from the side of its head into the air, blunting the surely-sharp tip at the end. Judging from the fact that each of the manacles hummed and glowed with a dark, green tint, they must have been enchanted to stifle any magic from the thing. It paid no mind to the newcomers and simply stared into a fixed spot in the ceiling, its head tilted away from them.

The most obvious thing about the prisoner, that even an infant could have gleaned, was that it gave off a feeling of wrongness. So, very, wrong.

Twilight's naturally inquisitive nature guided her to walk towards the steps leading down, so that she could get a closer study of the being.

"Stop," Celestia commanded without a glance, "we need no close proximity until the actual spell is executed."

Twilight halted, and returned to Celestia's side, now even more curious about the strange entity. "Sorry, Princess.."

Celestia allowed herself a small smile, "It's fine, Twilight, I understand. It's just that it is best to keep as wide a berth as possible  from him..."

"Sister," Luna urged, "we must reinforce the seals quickly!"

Celestia's frown returned upon remembering the job, "Yes. Cadence, Twilight, all that must be done is to recharge the locks with the dark magic I've showed you two some time before. Afterwards, Shining Armor will add a small-scale barrier encasing the prisoner for optimal protection. Do you both understand?"

Twilight and Cadence nodded, recalling the powerful magic that they had to use at one time or another.

Spike was not going to like this. He never liked it when Twilight used that sort of magic, ever since the disturbing illusions it had caused at the Crystal Empire. Admittedly, it was a trap set by Sombra, but the visions still haunted him to this day. A vision of abandonment at the hooves of the pony that had hatched him, was the most terrifying thing he could think of.

"Now, position yourselves in two corners behind his figure," Celestia ordered as she rose into the air with her sister, charging her horn with ancient spells, "me and Luna will take the other two sides. Go!"

Spike felt Twilight's back muscles work as she flapped her wings and took to the air among the other three Alicorns. Spike watched as the four Princesses drag the incredible sorcery from the depths of their beings. Black, purple, and green energy swim through their horns and eyes like furious sharks, thrumming with arcane force. Spike felt himself tremble as they focused the awesome power. Maybe he should have gotten off before? He braced himself for the coming burst, wishing that this time, he had just stayed behind.

Celestia struggled to contain the magic as she shouted, "N... Now!"

They release the mounting power, causing a pitch-black beam to erupt from their horns and strike the engraved signs on the steel.

The chains seem to greedily drink up the dark magic as it absorbed the energy, and its eerie green glow intensifies several shades brighter. Of course, the prisoner did not seem to care one bit as his bonds grew stronger and heavier.

Spike loosened his hold on Twilight's body as the beam began to slowly wane away.

He breathed a sigh of relief, "Phew! Glad that's over."

"AGH!" Twilight shrieked in surprise.

Her concentration on stably lessening the dark magic broke from the interruption. The beam sputtered and warped, until it thins to a single point, and bursts in a radial blast of pure energy!  

Spike was abruptly thrown off of Twilight's back, and thudded against the rock wall with an audible, "Oof!"

He slid down the craggy surface, hit the dusty ground, and entered an involuntary roll, which was eventually stopped by something heavy and hard.

Spike clambered to his feet while rubbing his sore back, "Ohhh... I'm know gonna feel that tomorrow." The unfortunate whelp opened his eyes and noticed that the prisoner has moved from its unnaturally still position. It had turned, and looked down at him with the oddest eyes. They were large, blue, and resembled cracked glass. The eyes were trained on him, with a head cocked to the side, reminiscent of a child. Despite the innocence one might assume the eyes possessed, they terribly frightened the dragon. Somehow, with that naive stare, was a cold, calculating, inspection. It was the look a sick mind would give a butterfly before tearing its wings off.

"Curious."

Spike began backing away from the keen gaze, "Wh-what?"

"How is Spike here?!" Celestia demanded, "I instructed that no one else should come!"

"Oh, Tartarus, I forgot that he was even there!" Shining cursed.

The prisoner took a heavy step towards Spike, causing the dark-green luster to blister and spark in resistance.

"How curious!" he rasped with more spirit. "A baby dragon. Why, I've never seen one!"

A hand of golden aura quickly enveloped Spike, and whisked him away from the prisoner's reach, onto the raised platform before the gate.

Celestia pointed to Shining Armor, who had already rallied the guards to surround the convict, "Shining Armor, help us perform the shield spell, NOW!"

Shining lowered and charged his horn at the prisoner, "Roger that, Princess!"

The party energized their horns once more, and conjured a small, tight, impenetrable white bubble around their target.

The Alicorns landed on the ground with slight clops and heavy panting.

"Princess Celestia, I don't understand!" Cadence asked after regaining her breath, "He barely moved, and you are acting as if he's gonna break free and destroy Canterlot!"

The prisoner entrapped in the bubble scratches his head and taps the bubble.

Luna approached the confused princess and put a hoof on her shoulder, "Princess Cadence, those charged manacles would be weighty enough to render ten of my dear sister powerless, motionless, and flat upon the ground."

"Ten Princess Celestia's?!" Twilight incredulously shouted, "But, that's impossible! What is he? Why is he even..."

Celestia held up a hoof to silence her, and shook her head, "Despite his movement, those chains will restrain him from harming anypony or moving much further, so do not fret. But, either way, you both must leave. He is too excited. If he notices you... it will only get worse. Go."

"But—"

"Princess Twilight Sparkle," Celestia imperiously decreed in the Royal Canterlot Voice, shaking the very foundations of the mountain, "I am going to need you to comply to my request and leave this place while he is conscious. Please, go!"

Any intention to stay and ask more questions disappeared from Twilight's mind. She and Cadence bowed and flapped their wings, taking to the air and ascending to the platform.

Spike was still watching the scene of the prisoner perceiving the clear addition to his environment. Princess Celestia's Royal Canterlot voice was still ringing in his ears. The prisoner's awful eyes still permeated through his mind. And, once again, he felt himself get thrown upon Twilight's back.

"Come on, Spike!" Twilight huffed as she galloped through the corridors, "We need to leave Princess Celestia and Luna to... whatever the heck that thing is."

Curious...

"T-t--twi?" Spike blustered, "What was that? Why does Princess Celestia have that down here?"

How curious...

"I don't know, Spike." Twilight's forehead creased her brow and she ran harder, "But... I intend on finding out."

A baby dragon... Why...

I've never seen one!

Chapter Four: Shattered Glass Disaster.

The musician takes a bow as he finishes his much rehearsed and beloved performance. He grins as he awaits the surely mounting applause leashed between the audience's teeth. It was a solid song, one that caused all activity, all of life itself, to stop and listen to the astonishing display onstage.

A rotten tomato promptly splashes against his smiling face, spraying smelly, spoiled, and shameful juices across his unmoved visage. This offending fruit is followed by a discouraging volley of overripe crops and food waste, each making their mark on the performer. He keeps his pleasant expression, and endures the judgement like a welcoming martyr.

A critical stallion shouts, "Get offa' the stage already!" and receives an overwhelming rapport from the crowd in the form of angry grumbles and crying foals.

The entertainer gives an understanding nod, and complies to their demands quickly, lest they become more rabid. He hums the tune of his previous song as he gathers his equipment, and trots down the steps of the stage. He waves to the audience as he makes his way to the door, dodging projectiles along the way.

"Well, that was a much better response than last time!" he silently cheers as he walks out of the doors of the eatery. He rolls his head in the grasp of the sunlight, enjoying the warmth wrapping around his cranium. He begins his merry skip back to the modest building he called home that was only a half-mile from the restaurant, his musical load lightly jingling in his saddlebags. He beams as he greets the other residents of the town, knowing each and everypony's name. Half returned the cordial attitude, the other half also did but added a snicker in their hello, quietly mocking his trade without alerting the good fellow of it.

He comes upon the oaken door to his domicile and pushes himself in. He scans the living room, looking for the other artist in the household. Noticing that the plush armchair was empty, he realizes where the artist must be. He walks out the door, and heads to the backside of the home, where a simple yet large shed was placed off in the slight distance.

He enters the structure quietly, so as not to surprise the working artist. He finds the old stallion examining a rather big canvas covered in reds, judging from what the musician could see at his position.

"Oh? You're back?" the painter says without turning towards him. "How was your performance today?"

"Well received, Gramps! They only used the freshly rancid produce this time!"

The grandfather pivots his head towards him and chuckles, "Keep at it, boy, you can only get better." the painter looks back to the painting and frowns.

The performer notices his expression and walks closer to the work, "What's wrong, Gramps?"

Gramps beckons him to take an eye to the painting, "The muses have made me paint something strange today."

The grandson rolls his eyes and smiles, remembering the archaic way his elder referred to his inspiration. The smile disappears upon seeing his grandfather's product. As always, it is beautiful and jaw-dropping. Bold colors, amazing detail, and impressionable. However, this work is different. It is much different from the upbeat, heartwarming pieces he had before. It depicts a city in flames. Spires wrapped in fire and smoke, buildings and monuments collapsing, and families escaping the inferno. Strangest of all, were the creases painted into the sky. His grandfather never uses an out of place element without having it contribute to the overall work, yet it looked alien. Either way, the artwork left a haunting feeling in both of their hearts.

"The muses have never given me something so dark before..." Gramps thinks aloud. "I don't even know what city I'm looking at."

The grandson raises an eyebrow, "Really, Gramps? I'm sure you know it well."

Gramps wags a hoof in his face, "Ah, quit the mental shenanigans, boy! Out with it, do you know what I'm looking at?"

"Gramps," he squints at the piece, "I'm pretty certain that this is Canterlot."

Far, in some old, forgotten place, a group of soldiers lay waiting. They sharpened and oiled their weapons, pondered on the times, or simply slept. They did not talk, they did not walk, they only waited for orders, as good soldiers were apt to do. As for long how they waited, that was not important, because time feels relative once a suitable number of decades have passed.

About, fifteen or so decades. Give or take a few.

Of course, their reasons for not leaving their post was not just because of the fact that they were good soldiers, but rather, that they could not leave. They would not, and could not leave, until they received orders.

Which happened to be at that moment.

One of the soldiers rises, looks up, and watches the sky. The others followed suit and saw what they had been deprived of for however long their askew vision of time said it was. They murmured to each other in a few words, saying what only needed to be said. Only one of the soldiers marched, as he would be the first to go to war.

"It's time!"

Twilight slammed her head down on the table in frustration, scattering stacks of papers and pages , "This is ridiculous!"

"Twilight..." Spike tutted as he carted away another mountain of searched books, "you shouldn't be getting so stressed out."

Twilight looked up at his disapproving visage, "Sorry, Spike, I can't help it! It's just that, we've been searching this library for ages, and we still haven't found anything."

Spike groaned, and took a seat next to her, "First off, we're supposed to be on vacation, having fun, taking a break from any duties, right? Then why the hay are we cooped up in your old room, trying to find, which is my second point, information about something we know nothing about?"

"But I hate knowing nothing..." Twilight huffed. "and I'm sure we can find at least a mention of whatever Princess Celestia had locked up down there."

"Maybe we should just leave this alone," Spike rationalized, "I mean, I'm sure the Princesses have it cooped up down there for a good reason. Do we need much more than that?"

Twilight sighed, "But that's exactly it, Spike. If it was down there for such a good reason, why didn't the Princesses tell us after we left the dungeon last night? When I asked them afterwards, they just said that it was something only those two could know. I trust them, of course, but, the way they were so unsettled concerns me. If there is any danger that could be sitting right below us, I sure as hay would like to know. I don't want another Discord, Chrysalis, or Sombra without being properly prepared. This goes extra considering we don't have the Elements of Harmony anymore!"

"Didn't you tell me the Princesses also said that they wouldn't have to worry about the thing moving for at least a hundred or so years?"

"Well, yes, but—"

Spike grabbed Twilight's face, gaining her undivided attention, "Twilight, look, I understand that you want to know as much as possible about anything endangering us, but right now, there's nothing to worry about. We're on vacation BECAUSE of having to worry too much about these sorta things. You always do this, and end up losing precious time with the ponies you love." Spike let go, and slumped back, "Whoa, that was totally deep."

Twilight cracked a smile, and gave way to a laugh, "Well, it was deep until you said it was!"

Spike laughed with her, and beckoned to the stairs leading out of the library, "Ready to get outta here, Twilight?"

Twilight had started a nod, but froze upon recalling something that the books had pushed away from her mind, "Oh, horse-feathers... I forgot that Shiny redid the reservations. And..."

"Don't tell me.." Spike mutters.

"... we're supposed to leave in twenty minutes, AND WE AREN'T READY!" Twilight began to frantically gallop towards the steps.

"Twilight," Spike shouts, "you can teleport!"

"Oh! Right, I forgot!"

"Uh huh."

With a flash of bright light, the pair was blinked away from the stuffy library, and back into their room to ready themselves for their day out.

Spike stumbled into the room with a dazed, glazed, and dopey grin. He undid his bow tie, removed his tuxedo, and flopped onto the bed in one fluid motion while holding the burning portion of his scaly cheek dried with red lipstick.

"This time, I'm really never washing this cheek again."

"Nice move, Romeo!" Twilight complimented as she walked after him, removing her hoofshoes as she did. "Paying one of the actors to sing a song for Rarity? I'm impressed and glad to know that you're preserving your allowance for others, and not hoarding it for yourself."

"Uh huh." Spike mumbled, still lingering on the victory of the afternoon.

"Mhm," Twilight responded as she removed the dress and carefully folded it, and put it away. She hummed a tune and grabbed her saddlebags. Despite Spike's romantic stupor, he did not miss Twilight loading her bags with scrolls, inkwells and quills, books, etcetera, etcetera... all this meant to Spike was...

"Twilight, please don't tell me you're about to study."

"Of course not, Spike!" Twilight cheerily answered to her assistant's relief, "I'm just gonna have a bit of a research excursion!"

"Oh, buck."

Twilight immediately shot him a disapproving lear, "Spike! What did I say about using that kind of crude language?"

"And what did I say about relaxing?" he angrily retorted, forgetting the gift on his cheek.

"This is different, Spike." Twilight buttoned the last of her supplies nice and snug. "Research projects are far less stressful for me. I'm simply going to make logical observations from, well, observing whatever it is."

Spike's frown and raised eyebrow remained unconvinced.

Twilight exhaled tiredly, and stepped closer to Spike, "Look, Spike, I'm really sorry about this, and I know I'm being unfair, but I just can't leave it alone! It has been bugging me the entire day, and it will not stop until I get another look down there. I need to go. And, I won't burden you by having your assistance. I know you just want to relax and—"

"—Stop. Just, stop. Do you really think I'm gonna leave you alone with that weird, scary, creepy, probably really powerful... the point is, I'm your Number One Assistant. And that means it's my job to help you out, with whatever you need me for whenever I can. So, if you go, we both go."

Twilight put her hoof to her mouth as she giggled, "Alright then, Number One Assistant, I suppose that's that. Let's research!"

Princess Twilight Sparkle skittered and scurried this way and that through the corridors leading to the prison in the mountain's heart. She hid behind columns and pillars trying to avoid the ever-watchful gaze of the guards stationed at their posts. Half of the guard pretended they did not notice her, while the other half also did, but attempted to stifle their laughter at her "sneaky" antics.

Spike however, grumbled and made no attempt to hide his presence. The last time they sneaked through Canterlot Castle it was pretty much pointless.

Eventually Twilight reached the final stretch of the halls, and saw the locked iron door at the end of the rocky tunnel. She galloped towards the gate, her goal in sight, with a tired Spike behind her.

Before she can lay a hoof on it, the two guards cross their spears over it, barring her touch.

"Sorry, Princess Twilight, the Royal Sisters instructed that nopony be allowed in." the stallion on the left drones.

Twilight's hoof faltered as a crestfallen frown overtook her face, "Oh... well, I suppose that I'll—"

"—whoa, whoa, whoa." Spike said while shaking his head, "After the long walk down here? No way, we're getting through."

The guard's eyes hardened, "I'm sorry, but nopony is—"

"—Listen to me, pal. Do you know who this is? Let me answer that for you: Princess Twilight Sparkle. Note the word, 'Princess'. That means she has just as much clearance as the Royal Sisters or anypony else. And besides, why would Princess Celestia not let her most trusted former student through? She can obviously handle herself just fine. Plus, it wouldn't sound very good if Princess Twilight let slip that two guards denied her access when she deserved it." Spike finished his lecture by crossing his arms. "Now, is there anymore confusion?"

The guards briefly glanced at each other, and began unlocking the irons on the gate.

Twilight gave Spike an awarding nuzzle, "Wow, Spike, you're on fire today!"

Spike put a hand to his ear frill, "I'm listening! Please, regale me with more!"

"That's enough," Twilight lightly chided. "and the door's open. Come on!" The heavy steel gate slowly groaned open, suggesting that they were in a need of a good oiling. The Princess and her dragon wandered once again into the great, big, damp, cell. Almost everything was the same as it had been since yesterday. There was the same rocky wall, the same dim lighting, and the same resident.

Although, the denizen looked much more rigid than he did before. It appeared that the dark magic had fully sunken into the manacles holding him down, covering him in a dark cloak that dully glimmered green at parts. He also seemed to be in a much more dreamlike position considering his eyes blankly stared directly ahead, not really looking at anything. The iron's magic must have some other additional effect than the titanic weight.

Spike immediately shivered as he remembered the strange, curious eyes that the prisoner possessed. Twilight, however, already assumed the demeanor of a dedicated researcher. She descends the steps from the balcony with a trembling drake following closely behind, having a comforting claw on her leg.

Twilight circled the prisoner, keeping a wide berth throughout her inspection while Spike stayed a good distance away. Twilight removes the scrolls and quills from her saddlebags with a shine of her horn. She floats it into Spike's open claws.

"Seeing as how there is a precautionary barrier in place here," Twilight lightly tapped an invisible dome around the prisoner's body, causing it to momentarily sparkle. "I cannot get too close to the subject, meaning I have to analyze the various restraints from the outside to further understand the nature of the prisoner, and move my way in. Record any observations I make, please, Spike."

"G-g-gotcha!" Spike put the quill to the scroll in preparation to write.

Twilight first looks at the bulbous, orb-like chains binding the right arm. They lightly glowed an emerald-green in the dark, and thrummed with energy, telling of the power they held inside. She tapped it with a wing, causing a series of cryptic runes to briefly shine.

"Aha!" she cheers, "I knew I recognized these specific chains. These weighty, rune-covered orbs were once part of a longer piece that was used by the Princesses to restrain Callisto, the greatest of the Ursa Majors! I still can't believe I'm looking at this piece of history..." Spike dutifully inscribes the findings.

Twilight moved on to the next two chains. She immediately identifies these as well, "A Minotaur king used one of these to drag an entire island to mainland.. and the other was used by Griffin Emperors to leash teams of rogue dragons that attacked their kingdom in the early years. Wow. Did you get all that, Spike?"

"Yeah!" Spike hastily answered, "Can we go now? I'm reeaaally starting to get creeped out."

Twilight put her hoof to her chin, "Well, not yet. This barrier isn't letting me get much of a good look at him. Luckily, I have a spell that'll let me pass right through!"

Spike's eyes widened as he blanched, "Twilight, that shield is there to keep ponies AWAY! This isn't a good idea!"

"Don't worry, Spike, these legendary restraints are charged with more than enough Alicorn power to stop him from doing anything." Twilight powered her horn for the appropriate spell, "Besides, I only need to be a few feet closer. I'll run the moment he shifts the slightest. I'll be fine." she lowered her horn, and slowly walked towards the barrier.

To be promptly plonked back by the shield's resistance.

Twilight released the magic, and raised her head with a pout on her lips, "Ah! Princess Celestia added a fail-safe! No one gets in without her consent, or having greater magic. Hmph!"

Spike released an alleviating breath, "Well, it's probably for a good reason. So, can we finally get out of here and forget this thing?"

Twilight groaned, and turned away from the oblivious prisoner, "Well, considering that there is nothing left to readily examine, I suppose it's time to go." her pink aura grabbed Spike's scrolls and quills, and deposited them in her saddlebags, "Too bad our little adventure was a bust. Let's go, Spike. And I'm sorry for putting you through all this."

The Number One Assistant shrugged and began his walk towards the stairs, "It's fine, I understand you gotta do what you gotta do. I don't want you to get hurt is—"

"—Wait."

Twilight and Spike immediately halted. Spike glanced to Twilight to see that she was in front of him, meaning the voice behind him could only have come from something else. The only other something behind them. Spike slowly turned towards the manacled figure, shaking furiously.

Twilight put a protective hoof on his shoulder as her instincts finally took over, and quietly whispered, "We need to leave, now..!"

"Please, wait. Come into view, please. I believe I recall you."

Spike took a step back, his hands unconsciously wringing the end of his tail.

"Oh... I think I can move my head... hold on." Intense lights sparked and cast green embers from the prisoner's head as he slowly but surely pivoted his lazy eyes down, and toward the frightened dragon whelp. "Ah, yes. The curious baby dragon from... a night? Was it a week or century or an hour ago? Hm... this half-consciousness confounds me so. I suppose there is nothing else of interest... ho-hum."

The casualness of the prisoner's talk instantly disarmed Twilight and Spike. Spike stopped wringing his tail out of sheer confusion, yet Twilight's grip on Spike increased. Despite their morbid curiosity, the two wanted to leave right now, however, the primal fear the thing installed within them left them petrified.

"Still, I never knew Celestia would let a whelp wander around the castle.. this is the castle, I think. I shall return to my thoughts now. You may take your leave, whelp. Thank you for your cooperation." The steel flickered and flashed a second or two more as he turned his head back to its original position.

It was a minute or two until Spike and Twilight fully processed that the decrepit being simply voiced his thoughts with no obvious, snarling maliciousness. Now they were only left with more questions.

Twilight leaned closer to Spike, "It seems that the subject is fully capable of thought, but is stuck in a perpetual, mentally-repressed state. I... think I'm gonna ask him some questions."

Spike vigorously whipped his head back and forth in disagreement, "Nuh-uh, we're getting out of here right now. This thing is just weird."

"Don't worry, Spike," Twilight assured as she removed the scrolls and quills once more, "I won't be getting any closer, and I'm only gonna ask one or two things, then I promise, we will leave. This might be our only chance to get any answers, who knows how much longer he can remain conscious!"

Spike still shook his head, squeezing his tail again, telling of his reluctance, "Can't we just leave it alone, please? I'm getting... scared."

Spike's words were like a speeding baseball suddenly shattering a window, causing Twilight to realize what she had been putting her Number One Assistant through. Her researcher's high had repeated to suppress the notion that Spike was still a child, a resilient child, but one who could only take so much.  

Twilight restored the items back to her bag, and put her cheek close to his, softly rubbing in a motherly or friendly show of affection and comfort, "I'm sorry, Spike, I shouldn't have forgotten to put your interests in mind, too. I don't want you to be scared."

Spike returned the gesture, but parted to say, "I am pretty scared, I won't lie about that. But I'm more scared for you than me."

The Princess curbed a giggle, and lifted Spike onto her back with the grip of her pink magic, "I understand, Spike. I'm glad to have an amazing assistant, and best friend, like you looking out for me when I get too crazy. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you!" Spike could have done nothing to stop the swell of pride that surged through his veins. This tended to happen whenever Twilight reminded him of who he was.

He smirked and slumped forward, closer to Twilight's ear, "I don't know what you'd do without me either!"

Their laughs were cut short by the sure sound of crackling magic and grinding metal.

His voice was low and slightly drowsy, "Is there another being present? I can sense it. My eyes are covered by such mist... I believe that is a Pegasus?" Twilight stopped, and craned her back to see the prisoner squinting at her, his head cocked to the side as it tried to make sense of what was before him. "No, a horn. You must be the Unicorn master of the dragon whelp."

Twilight delivered feigned a smile, and slowly backed away in the direction of the stair, keeping the prisoner in sights.

It was now she comprehended Spike's primal fear.

"Wait, that unmistakable ruffle. Those are wings. But that is a Unicorn? Why would a Unicorn have wings?

"Unless... no. Pray tell, where did you receive such convincingly false wings? Is this a style among the young Unicorns of this age?"

Twilight was given a question, and somehow, the prisoner obligated an answer within her mind, which she duly whimpered, "I received them from Princess Celestia. I finished my studies, and ascended to an Alicorn Princess from a Unicorn some time ago."

At once, the enervating haze shrouding the denizen's mind vanished. His eyes widened, all sentience and rational thought returning to his cranium. He fully turned his body to face her, sending shrieking chirps of green magic to bubble and crack in resistance. He stepped closer, ignoring the screaming energy radiating from the chains, and locked eyes with Twilight's petrified figure. The various guards around the perimeter took notice of his quickening movements, and began to rush down, encircling the marching figure.

"Alicorn? You, are an Alicorn? But there are only two of these, yet Celestia created another? She created another?" When the entity spoke, his words rattled through Twilight's soul, inspecting each and every aspect of her. She could not move. "Of course, it all makes sense!"

Spike shook Twilight's un-moving body from his mount, shaking more and more desperately as the prisoner walked closer. "Twilight, what are you doing? Why aren't you moving, we need to get out of here!!!"

The prisoner stopped at the edge of the clear barrier encasing him, and sighed, "Because you are so beautiful... so, very, beautiful. But I need to make sure." he tried to move closer, but the barrier flashes upon contact, and prevented him from moving further. So, he backed up, and tried again, and again, and again. After the fifteenth attempt, he gave up, and began to back away.

Spike jumped off of Twilight's back, lowered his head, and executed a very hard headbutt, crying out, "TWILIGHT!!!!!"

She immediately shook out of her stupor, broke eye contact from the prisoner, and looked down at Spike, "Huh? Oh, we need to leave!" she grabbed Spike once more with her magic, and placed him on her back. She proceeded to gallop away, leaving the surrounding guards who powered their horns to erect another barrier around the first one.

This gave the denizen a full view of the mark emblazoned on her flank, the pink star-burst. That visual information was what finally set off the inhabitant of the mountain jail. This was where it began.

"There it is. There it is. There it is! I've finally found you!" the prisoner chuckled, leveled his bound horn at the clear shield. The breath, air, and even the dust within the jail stopped flowing when he charged, bellowing, "MY BURNING STAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

It was then, that the shield spells, put up by Celestia and the guards, simultaneously erupted in a shower of glistening, shattered, magic fragments.

The resulting explosion tossed the guards and Twilight into the walls like mere rag-dolls.

Luckily, the guards had been trained for the incredibly unlikely chance of this situation occurring. They instantly readied their horns upon recovering, and blasted the manacles with the appropriate spell. The chains glowed, rose, and pulled back with enough force to rip a bear to pieces, slowly dragging the prisoner to the wall.

"Princess Twilight," yelled a nearby unicorn guard who was channeling a steady stream of magic into the chains, "you must flee! NOW! IT IS NOT SAFE HERE!"

"R-roger!" Twilight dizzily rose to her hooves, made sure that the groaning Spike was secure, and flapped her wings, flying to the exit of the compromised cell. She beat her wings as fast as she could, adamant to leave the prison with Spike somewhere safe. "I should have listened to you, Spike!"

Her resolve grew even stronger when a terrifying, soul-shaking howl vibrated the entire mountain, and possibly the rest of the castle.

Back in the cell, the prisoner defiance increased exponentially as the Alicorn flew further and further away. He roared, and stamped his feet several times, paying no heed to the furiously blistering green magic of the chains that stung him as he shook the foundations of Canterlot.

The guards increased their magical output as the irons were successfully pulling him closer to the wall, "Keep it up, we got him!"

As if on cue to the guard's confidence, the prisoner raised a leg, slammed it down, squared his stance, and grabbed the manacles with his arms, stopping the pull with his own sheer power. The prisoner howled and heaved at the manacles pulling him in his squared position. The chains groaned, but they still held him fast. The guards maxed out the magical limits of their horns, doing all that they could to keep the prisoner where he belonged. How they sorely missed the days of boredom in the cell.

The entity would not endure this any longer. He wound the bonds around both of his arms, gave a final roar, slammed his feet down, and executed a Herculean, ultimate yank of the chain.

There was a slight sound of a snap, before the chains fell to pieces, causing the magic stored in the iron to burst, sending a resounding BOOM through the cell, castle, and Canterlot. Guards immediately lost consciousness from the magical feedback sent through their horns, and the locks were no more. The entity panted and panted, examining his new-found freedom with full clarity. He smiled through the muzzle, and walked past the sleeping guards with a goal in mind. He passed the corridors, putting any guard's lights out with a flash from the iron's still rebounding magic, and walked up the stairs.

He found the walking to be slow. He peered up at the steel encasing his horn that curved off one side of his head and grunted. The magic that powered the locks had faded away by now, most of it disappearing from the previous explosion. With a tap, the steel fell away, revealing his twisted, snowy horn, filled with arcane energies long suppressed. He noted the anti-teleportation runes in the stonework and smirked. He probably did not have suitable power to short out their enchantments.

But the thought of his burning star gave him all the power he needed.

He stopped, held his hand forward, and concentrated on the fleeing Alicorn. He wondered, as his single horn thrummed and glowed, if his toy soldier was causing a suitable ruckus.

An ancient soldier strolled through the Canterlot streets, casting fireballs at nearby buildings with a flick of his staff. This was a strange looking soldier. Tall, bipedal, large shoulder-plate armor, and a long, thin, cylindrical hat with a flat top. His visage and fire was more than enough cause for terror for the noble-ponies running in fear, either herding their families or escaping burning homes. The soldier cared not for them, only for the inferno he weaved with his trusty staff.

He lightly clacked his staff once, and appeared on the top of a towering building slowly caressed with flames. The fires were growing nicely, and consumed whatever they touched with never-ending greed. He glanced at the platoon of guard stallions and mares surrounding him, each singed and slightly charred for trying to stop him. They put up a great battle, but were not enough to stop his blaze. Perhaps they understood this, and were trying to make time for the other Pegasi to put out the fires with their trusty clouds.

He could not mock them. After all, he was a simple distraction as well.

Something heavy smashed on the ceramic tiles behind him. He turned around to see a grey, unicorn stallion touting a glowing, incredibly huge shield, half-a-pony thick, with a great big lance positioned above it. Yes, this stallion had seen some battles. And he would fare well in this one. Maybe.

"What is your name?" he asked the guard.

"Grit Hoof. I don't know what good that is for you, though."

"Every once in a while, a dirty worm, greater than the others, shows itself," the fire-slinger's eyes burned red, "and it's nice to remember those worms before I burn them away."

Twilight soared across the corridors and up the stairs, regretting her research excursion more and more. She finally entered the Castle's Upper Halls, and touched the ground to give relief to her exhausted wing muscles. She spotted Castle guards and personnel scrambling this way and that, attempting to wrestle with the frequent, violent quakes that reverberated within the Castle. She felt another tremor vibrate the structures, causing paintings, chandeliers, and sculpture to collapse and shatter against the tiled floor.

"Princess Twilight!" a guard stopped at her side, huffing and puffing as if he'd be running for quite a bit. "The Royal Sisters are looking for you, it's a matter of Canterlot safety!"

"I'm guessing it's about whatever's down there?" Spike gurgled as he nursed his still sore head.

To their surprise, he shook his head, "No! Canterlot, we're under atta—"

BOOM!!!!!

Twilight, Spike, and the guard, covered their ears as the ringing overtook their sense, making them oblivious to anything else. Especially to the shadowy hand looming over the Princess's cringing body.

The dragon whelp groaned, opened his eyes, and spotted the haunting figure ready to grasp. "Twilight, what's that?"

The hand instantly snaps shut on the unfortunate Alicorn's form, and wrenches her back down the stairs. The tendrils flowing from the hand wrapped around each and every hoof that struggled to get away. The hand dragged her down the stairs like a grim undertaker from Tartarus, an uncaring deliverer of her screams.

"Twilight, what's happening?!" Spike cried as he held on for dear life, although he required no effort to do this as the hand firmly clamped him to Twilight's back.

Twilight strained against the shadowy fingers to see Spike's watery, fearful eyes. She looked back even further to see that they were being pulled at an alarmingly fast rate since they had already been taken back to the dusty corridors. At the end, she spotted the entity with his stark white horn, covered in a dark veil, and a shining hand outstretched towards her. It was here that Twilight understood one thing: she would not escape his hand, but he will not have Spike.

"YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM!!" Twilight's horn blazed pink as it cast a light over the clinging dragon. It took hold, and with a mighty jerk, freed him from the malicious hand's clutches. Spike felt a brief moment of weightlessness as he left Twilight's back and met her triumphant gaze one last time. Freeing him was the only victory she needed. Little did Spike know that this would be the last time he looked into her eyes before she was taken away.

And then Spike watched her rapidly recede from his presence, closer and closer to the entity calling her with the spectral hand.

Spike tumbled against the corridor's floor. He stopped the roll, shook off the dizziness, and felt the burning tears splash from his scaly face.

"St-st-stop!"

The iron covered being ignored his plea, and pulled Twilight the final few feet towards his reaching hand, "I wonder how effective Luna's Dream Spell is upon you, my burning star." he slowly put his glowing hand on Twilight's forehead. The reaction was her immediate shriek of excruciating pain. She wailed and screeched as the Dream Spell bore its way through her horn, and into her cranium, infecting her soul and body with the enervating magic.

"Stop it!" Spike howled and sprinted to the apathetic inmate, "You're hurting her, STOP, PLEASE!!!" The Number One Assistant bulled across the corridor and slammed into the prisoner's steel-clad leg. He threw a fit of weak punches, let loose the meager fire he had, and scratched, all of which failed to end Twilight's ceaseless screaming. Eventually, Spike ran out of steam, and collapsed, feebly punching the undertaker's feet. "Please... let her go. Please."

The captor looked down at the sobbing dragon, regarding him with an expression that can be seen through the muzzle and mask: Pity. The type of detached pity that one would give a dying butterfly.

Twilight's wails finally ended. Her eyes slowly shut as the rest of her stopped all motion. She was going to sleep. The prisoner took her slack body into his arms and carried her, despite the fact that she was a little more than half his size. He pushed past Spike, and briskly stepped towards the steps leading back into Canterlot's Halls.

Spike wiped his eyes, and focused on the freed entity. The first thing the dragon noticed was the alarming speed at which he traveled. He was already halfway up the stairs. The second was that this thing was taking his best friend, his Twilight, away.

"Come back!"

Spike rose, and sprinted after him.

He ran up and up the stairs until his legs burned. He looked back up to see that the prisoner had somehow doubled his distance.

Spike followed the odd kidnapper through Canterlot Castle's Halls, running past panicking personnel and the burning city outside the castle. He did not know where in Equestria it was going, but all that mattered to him right now was Twilight.

By the time he had stopped running, Spike was incredibly exhausted. Luckily, the chase ended before the large double doors into the Throne Room. Instead of opening the doors, however, the prisoner passed right through them, meaning Spike had the laborious task of pushing them open.

Spike heaved the gates with all he had, eventually swinging them three or four feet inwards. He forced himself through and witnessed the horned being admiring the various stain-glass windows that lined the Throne Room.

"So, this is what they decided to do to lessen the gloom of this hall. I wanted to see this once before I left with my burning star. I'd stay longer... but those chains have weakened me. I need to properly rest."

"Wait, l-l-leave?" Spike sucked in large amounts of air before marching closer, "Where are you taking her?"

It peered at the window of Spike presenting the Crystal Heart, "Hm. It seems even that the small dragon whelp has a spot here in this hall."

"W-w-where are you going?!" Spike raced closer, "Why do you want Twilight so much?!" Spike's run slowed to a walk as he was only inches away from the being.

"Hey, dragon whelp," the entity turned, and peered down at the pleading dragon, "what are you doing here?"

Spike's window shattered into a million, tiny, colorful fragments from the crashing entrance of enormous gnarled, grabbing, raven talons. The gargantuan, ebony raven takes hold of the former prisoner with his precious cargo with one foot, and begins its flapping ascent, sending buffeting winds and the remaining shards through the broken window.

No. No, Spike's mind spoke. No. He would not allow his Twilight to be taken. It was his duty to help her, and help her he shall. The resolute assistant braced himself against the wind, dashed forward, and leaped towards the leathery foot resting on the still. He grabbed it tightly, promising to himself and Twilight he'd never let go.

His promise did not account for the incredible power of a Great Raven on liftoff.

The bird let loose a banshee-like shrill, "Kraaaaaaaa!!!!" and shot like a torpedo from the castle's side. The force, whipping winds, and piercing cry all contributed to Spike's inevitable fall.

Time seemed to slow down as he slipped from the raven's talons. He was not falling back into the castle, but rather hundreds of feet towards the ground. Regardless of the bird that now seemed miles away, he shouted an ultimatum.

"I'm gonna come for you, TWWWWILIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGHHHT!"

His body ripped through a large, burning banner, fell into a team of Pegasi, and felt the grab of a unicorn's magic slow his descent. Spike softly touched the ground, and beheld the flames lapping Canterlot firsthand. He shakily stood and began to walk, digesting what had occurred.

Out of the corner of his ear, he heard somepony, the one who deadened the impact, say, "Spike."

Chapter Five: That Irritating Beep.

        A poor foal tossed and turned in his small bed, producing anxious sweats as he swatted and whimpered at the horrors in his dreams. He dreamt of flames and strange, grotesque figures that spread destruction upon entire cities. He dreamt of rattling bones boasting red eyes slowly creeping upon towns and dark streets. He dreamt of snarling soldiers and armies rushing to rip each other to pieces on charred fields.

The bones and figures gazed at the colt as he ran, screaming for his mother, down impossible long roads that stretched to nowhere. The chief horror, however, appeared only when the foal reached the end of the interminable highway. The colt looked back, and saw that the road vanished, leaving nothing but rippling dark fog surrounding him. He trembled and panted as the black smog stalked closer and closer, until he was completely swallowed by the sea of black.

Two shining, piercing, blue dots penetrated the black, and slowly dispersed the mist with their harsh luster. The foal nickered and backed away as the glaring entity carrying those eyes wandered closer. Its eyes examined the colt with a curious tilt of the head. Its head bore a single, white horn on one side, curving towards the sky. The rest of its face was obscured by an iron muzzle, but the mystery only added to the terror.

The creature rasped as it took a breath in preparation for its words, sending a tingle down the colt’s spine, “Oh, child. I promise you, there is more to this nightmare... but will you beg for my mercy?”

It extended its hand covered in five, slender claws, and reached for the quivering child. As the index claw was inches from his sweating forehead, he opened his mouth and let loose an echoing shriek.

The foal’s shrieks carry into reality as he wakes from the ominous nightmare. His screams slows to a heavy pant as he realizes the dream is over. His lips quiver, then the hot tears begin to roll down his cheeks and dampen the cotton blanket warming his small frame.

The sound of a mother’s frantic hooves pounding on the hardwood floor of the hallway boomed in his ears. She flings open the door and rushes to the bedside of her weeping foal.

She lightly caresses his head, slick and cool with sweat, slowly bringing comfort with

each gentle sweep, “Was it another one of your nightmares, sweetie?”    

“Yeah, again...” the colt sits up, sniffles, and wipes the rest of his tears away from his bleary eyes, “they always feel so... so real.”

“But they aren’t, are they?” she says with a hint of a smile, “You always wake up, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah, but..!.. I don’t ever get nightmares. Not since…”

“...what happened to Canterlot.” his mother quietly finishes, “I know it’s frightening that something so awful can happen in Equestria, I really do. But you need to know that the Princesses won’t let something like this happen again, now that we’re all prepared. And even if they all fail, I’ll still be here to protect you in the end.”

The colt ruminates on the soothing words for a while, before leaning up and giving his mother a cozy hug around her neck, “I… I think I can sleep now. Love you, mom.”

She smiles, returns the nuzzle, and gives him a kiss on the forehead, “I love you too, sweetie. Remember I’m only a few steps away if you need me. Sweet dreams.”

The mother clip-clops out of the room and slowly shuts the door. As she quietly walks back to her bedroom, she thinks of her son and his night terrors.

She also thinks of her own dreams of the ghastly, single-horned being. She fully understands the pain her son goes through quite easily, considering she shared the nightmares.

Why? Who knows. All she knows is to stay strong for the sake of her child.

She walks through the open door to her room, and heads for the soft covers. She stops

as the newspaper of the day laying on the nightstand catches her watchful eyes. She reads the big, bold letters of the headlines once more, still unable to completely shake the disbelief of the disaster.

        “Canterlot of all places… at least he doesn’t know about what happened to Princess Twilight..”

        ESCAPED PRISONER SETS FIRE TO CANTERLOT AND KIDNAPS THE NEW PRINCESS!

That irritating, monotone beeping was the first thing the weary dragon woke to.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

“Nnngh…. ngh.”

Beep.

“T...turn it off..”

Spike groans and stirs his scaly head. He feels the somewhat scratchy linen sheets and lumpy mattress rub his sore back as he turns to lay on his side. Spike thinks that the sleeping position he initially found himself in to be strange. He never sleeps sprawled out on his back like that; it is much too uncomfortable for his spines.

Then Spike notes the thin, loose, white tunic adorning his small frame. He pulls a face and picks at the fabric with his right claws. Spike stops as a clear wire inserted into his wrist obstructs his examination. The wire is secured with a small square of medical tape, holding down a layered nozzle in the process.

Spike grinds the drowsiness from his closed eyes with a closed fist and relooks the dreary, white bed he finds himself in. Then he looks to the cushioned chairs on the left side of the bed, the white tiles, the beeping machines, the heavy door enclosing the small room, and finally, the nightstand occupied by a simple glass vase filled with a few yellow lilies and clear water.

        He strains himself to lean his head forward, and sniffs the air. With a crinkle of his nose recoiling from the strong scent of antiseptics and medicine, his suspicions are confirmed.

        “Whoa, why am I in a hospital?”

        No response.

        Spike manages a shrug. He decides to see what he was put in the gown for himself, since no one would answer. Normally, he would be a bit more shaken up at the situation, but he felt perfectly fine. They put ponies in hospitals for anything nowadays anyways.

        He brushes off his blanket, and braces an arm on the edge of the nightstand. He slowly swings his legs over, and begins to slide off of the bed. However, the instant his feet sensed the icy touch of the tiles, a volley of nauseous enervation assailed his nerves.

        Spike’s legs became as stable as a poorly constructed house of playing cards and buckled beneath him, “Agh!”

He flailed his arms and grabbed for any possible anchor on the nightstand to prevent a painful fall, sweeping the vase full of lilies off the stand, and onto the floor, evoking the loud, shrill pitch of exploding glass, permeating the quiet atmosphere of the ward with the harsh sound.

        Spike grips as hard as his drained body could to the end of the stand, screwing his eyes shut and pressing his shoulders to his ear-frills in an attempt to escape from the vase’s angry scream.

        Not but a few seconds later, a herd of hooves clopping upon the hospital floor sounded towards the door of Spike’s room. A doctor stallion bursts through the door, followed by an orderly and two nurses, each ready to war with the medical problem at hand.

        Instead, they found a shivering, weak, baby dragon clinging to the edge of a bedstand, surrounded by broken glass, water, and limp lilies.

        Spike cranes his head towards the gaping medical ponies and gives a nervous laugh, “Heh heh… can I get some help, please?” The doctor’s open mouth closes into a wide smile, and opens once again to chuckle. The others join in his mirth, leaving Spike even more confused, “Not what I meant by help…”

 The orderly ties his chortles down to help Spike off of the nightstand and onto the bed, while the nurses begin to sweep the glass in a neat pile.

        Spike thanks the burly aide before shouting to the doctor, “Can you tell me what I’m doing here, please?”

        The doctor puts a hoof on the doorknob, looks to Spike, and grins, “You’ve been asleep for a couple of days, Mister Spike. I’ll fully explain after I fetch your friends. They’re gonna be really happy to see you!” He swiftly exits the room, and trots down the hallway.

        Spike cocks his head to the side as he perused the doctor’s limited diagnosis, “Asleep for that long? What the hay did I do? Hope Twilight wasn’t too worried.”

        “Enter quietly,” the physician warns, “startling him could cause the delicate recovery to react badly. So, please, put the cannon away.”

        Pinkie’s ears droop as she pushes the party cannon to the side, “Aww….”

        The doctor rolls his eyes and quietly pushes the door to Spike’s room open, peeking inside to see the dragon asleep again. Luckily, this slumber was the normal sort that accompanied young drakes. “Spike, you’re friends are here..!”

        Spike’s eyelids slowly uncover his green eyes, blinking out the sleep behind them. He groans, stretches his arms, and shifts his body to an upright position, “Unnngh… who’s here?”

        Spike’s eyes widen as he sees five of his friends enter his stale haven. His eyes picked out Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Cadance, and Shining Armor, each bearing raised eyebrows and and slightly open mouths in anticipation of some important event.

        “Uh, hey guys?”

        They emit a unanimous, joyful call upon hearing his tentative and puzzled voice, “SPIKE!” they then ran up to swarm the dragon with thoughtful words rendered incoherent in their impatience and simultaneous speaking. It did not matter too much, considering they all said the same positive message, but the noise was too much for Spike anyways.

        “GUYS!” Their chattering instantly dies down to his command. “While I appreciate that you all came to visit me, I sure would love to know how I got here. Do you know how weird it is to suddenly wake up in some hospital without knowing a single thing about how got you there? And where’s Twilight?”

        Spike had no idea that silence could be even quieter. He certainly learned that it was perfectly capable of doing so when he mentioned his guardian’s name.

        “Spike… you haven’t remembered yet, have you?” Shining sadly whispers.

        “Remembered... what?” Spike’s thoughts traveled back to when the vase shattered when he woke. That memory of shattered glass triggered another memory of shattered glass. A stained window, to be precise. And a great big bird that destroyed it. And the one-horned prisoner  it ferried. And a dark hand the prisoner conjured.

        And the princess that the dark hand stole.

        A vain reach for a mysterious kidnapper. A fall to the Canterlot streets filled with fire. A weighty weakness was pushing on him as he gazed at the blaze. An enervation had consumed his being, and he fell asleep.

        “Judging from the accounts and state of the guards present in the prison,” the now somber doctor dictated from his clipboard in hoof, “you were caught in the blast radius of an exploding, multi-layered shield spell powered by the Captain of the Guard and the Princesses of Equestria. The Guards present were fitted with the regular, enchanted armor, so the steel absorbed most of the impact, meaning they only left the scene with a bit of weariness and a bad headache. You, on the other hand, were not wearing any protective vestments. Your draconic constitution appeared to have been able to sustain the incredible magic blast, but your body’s maturity only allowed you to hold for a few hours. The trauma from your fall, however, shortened that time, and your body was forced to shut down and recover. Despite the fact that you’ve woken up, you’re still dealing with the effects of the damage done by the magic, but the weakness can be cured with therapy, so there shouldn’t be any permanent effects afterward as long as you don’t place too much stress on your body.”

        The long and thorough explanation was ignored as Spike focused on one question, “But where’s Twilight?”

        Shining’s frown deepens, “Spike—”

        “Someone got her back, right?” Spike interrupts while scanning everypony’s eyes with a desperate smile, “Someone saved her, right? I’m sure one of the Pegasi….”

        “It took her.” Shining bluntly says, “We were all too distracted by the fire. If we didn’t give it our undivided attention, over half of Canterlot would have been burnt to the ground. The Royal Guard didn’t even know about the Great Raven taking off until we received the citizens’ accounts.”

Spike shifts closer to the edge of the bed, looking to Shining with dilated pupils filled with the same desperation that his former smile held, “N-n-no one got her back..? Then we n-need to get her!” The drake pushes off of the bed a second time that day, before anypony could stop him.

Except this time, he fell flat onto his face.

Spike ignores their cries of surprise and brushes off their helping hooves with the little strength he has left. He uses the cold metal frame of the bed to support himself as he half-crawls, half-walks to the door.

“We need to save her, guys! We need to tell the Princesses, we need to—”

“SPIKE!” Applejack’s sudden hoof sweeps the limping dragon from the floor and back onto the bed. Spike blinks a couple times to register the stern orange hoof thrusting towards his face, “Didn’t ya just hear what the doctor just said? You’re WEAK right now, and if’n ya pull anymore falls or stunts like that, you could face permanent damage. Ain’t none of us havin’ you hurt yourself anymore. Understand?”

Spike winces from the rapid and unforeseen admonishment by Applejack’s tongue. He peers at her visage to see that her expression betrays more than simple disapproval. There are bags under her reddened eyes, and her breathing is ragged with soreness. She looks tired, very tired.

“But, what about…”

        “We know, Spike.” Fluttershy softly cuts in from behind Applejack. Applejack moves aside to make room for the pegasus to step forward, and she places a gentle hoof on Spike’s head alongside a small smile , “But right now, you’re our primary concern. If something else were to happen to you, well, I don’t think Twilight would be very happy. I promise you, we will save Twilight, but, before we can even do that, we need to make sure her Number One Assistant will be there, healthy and unharmed.”

        Spike absorbs Fluttershy’s words in silence, calming down, and understanding everypony else’s position.

He still could not stop thinking about Twilight being carried away by that awful demon.

“Now, Spike,” Applejack’s face softens with the address, “Ah’m sorry for bein’ so harsh, but you heard what Fluttershy said. And, Ah know that this is gonna be real hard for ya, but we’re gonna need ya to do something else for us.”

Spike squints at the farmer, “What is it, AJ?”

“We need to know what happened, from your words.”

Spike freezes.

“You were the only one with Twilight, up until she was kidnapped, and anymore details would be really helpful for the search.”

Fluttershy immediately noticing Spike’s haunted eyes, quickly says, “B-but if it’s too much right now, you can...”

*Creak…*

A tall, white Alicorn peers through the opened door and into the room with wide eyes, an open mouth, and held breath, an expression that Spike’s visitors bore before, stopping all activity within the small, beeping space. Her eyes scan the visitors, and eventually spots the awoken whelp.

“Spike?” Princess Celestia strides to his bedside, the visitors respectfully parting before her.

“Princess Celestia!” Spike blinks, shakes his head, and attempts to find a suitable way  to perform a bow while stuck in a bed.

 But he is stopped by her sudden hooves and long neck thrown around his little body in a warm nuzzle.

“Luna and I were so worried for you,” Celestia whispers, “but I knew you would be alright. She wanted to be here too, but she is assuming my duties for today, and I will do the same so that she may visit tomorrow. You put us in quite the tizzy, Spike!”

She lets go, leaving Spike with flushed cheeks, “Aw shucks, Princess, you know I’d be alright, I’m a dragon! And I’m sorry about making you mess with your important schedule just to see me, but, what about Twilight?”

Her smile disappears.

“You’re gonna save her, right?”

A frown replaces the grin.

“Princess?”

Princess Celestia flinches, and quickly repairs her fallen expression with the smile she had grown so accustomed to assuming in front of loyal subjects and obnoxious dignitaries alike, “Of course, Spike. All is not lost. However, for that very task, I still need something from you.”

Spike sighs, “You’re gonna need to know what happened down there, aren’t you?”

Princess Celestia closes her eyes, recoiling from the pain emanating from the young dragon’s words, “Yes. Would you be able to do that for me, Spike?”

“Yeah, I can—” Spike pauses as a shudder passes through his spine and the memory of cracked eyes flashes in his mind.

“Curious.”

At once, Spike begins trembling and cringing while the evil eyes pierce his soul. Princess Celestia takes a deep breath upon observing the effects of the events on the poor child, and turns to the other ponies.

“Would all of you please leave me and Spike alone for a minute? I feel that talking to him by myself would be best, so as not to overwhelm him questions. I will give you all the details later, but for now...”

Pinkie frowns, realizing that her long-prepared song for Spike’s health would now be cut off, “But—”

“—We understand, Princess Celestia,” Shining performs a quick bow, before leading everypony out into the hallway so that the Princess may comfort the drake with her own capable hooves.

Princess Celestia turns back towards Spike, and gives him another, but longer. embrace. Spike feels her warm neck and soft fur on his face, and better memories fill his head, instantly dispelling his shudders. Memories of a motherly Alicorn playing with and comforting him and a young Twilight Sparkle on particularly scary nights.

Of course, Twilight had been there then, and she wasn’t here now.

“Are you alright now, Spike?” Princess Celestia softly asks.

“Yeah.” Spike responds with a nod, “I can talk now.”

        Princess Celestia silently nods back, waiting for the dragon to continue.

        “It started when Twilight decided to sneak back down into that cell. She said she wanted to study that thing, but I told her not to go. She said she wanted to be prepared if another Discord or Sombra situation happened. You know how she gets when she wants to research something.”

        The Princess allows herself a small chuckle, remembering nights when Twilight studied stacks of books well past her bedtime.

        “I followed her because I didn’t want her to get into any trouble. After we made it past the guards—”

        “How, exactly?” Princess Celestia interrupts. “I gave them very specific instructions to NOT let anypony inside.”

        “I convinced them that they’d be in trouble if they disobeyed a Princess of Equestria… eh heh.”

        She raised an eyebrow at this.

“ Anyways, Twilight started taking notes and stuff. She didn’t really learn much, and I actually managed to persuade her to get us out of there! Well, that’s when things went… bad. He started talking to me and Twilight.”

Princess Celestia inhaled sharply, but betrayed no emotion on her face, “What did he say?”

“All sorts of w-weird stuff, it was like he wasn’t sure if he was dreaming or not!” Spike shouts while clutching his head, “But he didn’t really freak out until we started to leave. He kept saying, ‘there it is! There it is’ And we tried to bail, but, you know what happened at THAT point. We ran, and we almost made it out, but, that thing summoned some weird black hand and grabbed us!

“It was dragging us towards him, but I don’t think he wanted me. Twilight got me away, but he didn’t really care. Then he got her, and used some Dream Spell on her. I think, he said something about it being Luna’s? But, oh, Princess Celestia, she was in p-p-pain!” Fresh liquid rolled down Spike’s cheeks, “She was screaming and was hurting so much, but he d-didn’t care! I tried to stop him, but he didn’t care either! He k-k-kept going until she fell asleep. Then he carried her up to the Throne Room, so I chased after him.

“He wouldn’t tell me why he wanted Twilight, or where he was going either. He just ignored me and looked at the stupid stupid stain-glass windows! Then that humongous bird came out of nowhere and grabbed him! I tried to get on the bird too, but… I fell, and ended up here..”

Princess Celestia tenderly strokes Spike’s spines, waiting for him to calm down from recalling the dreadful encounter. “Is that all, Spike?”

Spike sniffles and wipes his nose, “Well, there was this one other weird thing. He was repeating this the whole time. He kept calling Twilight his…. burning star?”

Dozens of memories of her own played in Princess Celestia’s head from the mention of the strange words. Memories and notions she never thought she would ever think. A deep frown accompanies the memories as she exhales in tiredness.

“I was so focused on him leaving with that bird I almost forgot... Princess, what was that thing?”

“Huh?” Princess Celestia blinks strongly and breaks herself from her thoughts.

The eyes appear in his mind once more, but Spike pushes that aside in favor of the question, “I said, what was he? What was that… monster? And why did he take Twilight?”

The Princess forces the stock smile upon her face for the dragon whelp again, “The prisoner was an old enemy I had to keep a close eye on, just like all the other prisoners in Canterlot. And he took Twilight because of her exceptionally high status. After all, what better way to attack Equestria than to take a Princess and escape?”

        Spike’s mind ground to a halt. “No, I mean, what is he? I’ve never seen anything like that before!”

        Princess Celestia moves her head closer to Spike and asks him something that he would remember for a long time, “Spike, are you loyal to me? Do you trust me, and believe in me?”

        Spike chuckles, “What are you talking about, Princess? Of course I do! You’ve raised me and loved me with the others since I was a little drakeling. So, yeah, I love you and trust you and all that other stuff.”

“Thank you, Spike. Then I’m going to tell you what I said before. He’s just a monster of a prisoner that should have stayed asleep.”

Spike’s gears cease their whir again, “... huh?”

Celestia rises, turns, and begins her stride to the door, “I must leave now, lest Luna becomes overburdened. I’ll see you again soon, Spike. Get well!”

Spike raises an arm towards her receding form, “But, Princess..?” before the door closed behind her, leaving him with no sound but that infernal….

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

        Princess Celestia gives Spike’s account to the visiting friends in the hallway. She tells them she has to leave for her sister’s sake, says goodbye, and strides down the hallway towards the stairs.

        She inwardly sighs for the umpteenth time today. For many decades, Celestia had to deal with nobles and snooty “important ponies” with their infinitesimal complaints over money, land, and blood. She also had to deal with an outraged nation that lost the shared-rule of her sister in a single night. Because of those dealings, Princess Celestia learned to wear a mask. A mask of somepony who truly cared about unimportant feuds, or one who truly had the confidence to rule alone.

        She was praying that she never had to use that skillful mask to sin against an innocent child.  

At least she was rid of that horrible beep.