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."