Chapter 5: Ascension

----- “My wife and I were the first to fall victim to Dainn’s curse.”

*Snarl*

“We were stupid enough to come and meet him in the borders of Hraljord. In a way we were also ecstatic to hear from the caribou for the first time in over eight hundred years; we thought it was an opportunity to forge a commerce route or even an alliance, something we couldn’t pass. How truly stupid we were to trust Orestes.”

-Prince Shining Armor, you can’t blame yourself for taking a risk at something you had no knowledge of the outcome-

*Strained laugh*

“That’s the worst part. When we arrived to meet Dainn we saw a just a hint of their madness, nothing like what they did to Equestria later on but still I….WE should’ve seen that dark foreshadowing, but we were blinded by the apparent riches, both economic and military, Dainn presented to us. He insisted that we spent a few days with him in his camp; to learn a little of the caribou culture and ease the negotiations later on…….and we agreed.”

* Fifteen-second long pause*

“The first two days were relatively normal and dull, the only thing I noticed was that Dainn spent as much time as he could with Cadance; at the time I didn’t pay it any mind because she is the direct ruler and the Crystal Princess. It was during the third day when our nightmare began.”

*Loud bang noise*

“That fucker summoned me to initiate negotiations on his personal tent, when I got there I found my wife on his lap, completely nude, riding him like a mare in heat. Want to know what I did!? I asked Dainn if he was enjoying her! He laughed, I laughed and then we began “negotiations” or the plan to hand him and the caribou the Crystal Empire and Equestria on a silver plate. My wife, our small escort and I were nothing but his guinea pigs! I fell on his fucking trap…...he…….I changed……..everything inside my head was twisted and turned me into one of them without me even noticing the change.”

*Minute long pause*

-Prince Shining, can you continue?-

“.......We returned the next day and…….and that’s when the madness began, at first it was subtle; change a law here put another one there, tricking Discord to come and perform a chaos parade of his own, covering their tracks and falsifying documents and reports while the caribou forces positioned themselves for the attack. Everything went smoothly except for the agreed day to begin the purge. I don’t know much of the details and Cadance says that’s not for her to tell, but the day was moved by another week and when the time came, the Fall began.”

*Chair shifts*

“When Spike destroyed the Crystal Cock and cleansed the curse from everything that could still be saved I almost went mad; thankfully there were some caribou near me and so…...I went mad over them. Everyone did. Stags and fawns were fair game and the caribou cows and doe that fought to protect their ‘masters’ were also killed, although I like to believe their deaths were quick and as painless as possible.”

*Chuckle*

“I regret nothing of what I did to those fucking bastards. And I would do it again, and more, if I had the chance. After all I did to my country, my people, my troops, all those innocents no matter of their species, my family…….my mother, my sister and…..my wife……..”

*Eight second long pause*

“I was never a fan of killing until I was freed from their control. Heck, Chrysalis’s brainwash seems like nothing but a cheap rip-off compared to the caribou curse. A pony can only handle so much before he breaks and the caribou broke us all without exception. Some more than others…….”

-Are you saying the caribou deserved to be massacred up to the point of near extinction?-

“I don’t know, I don’t care and I don’t give a single flying feather about it. They brought it upon themselves and....”

*Door opens*

“All Spike…….all we did was accelerate their extinction, they were doomed even before the Fall began.”

-What do you mean by that, prince Shining?-

“I’m sure Spike and Creslin will be delighted to tell you everything about it.”

*Door shuts*--------

-------------Prince Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire, Report on the Caribou----------------------

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--------- “‘The first mare to see the light’, ‘A symbol of obedience to all females’, ‘The prime exemplar of what a female truly is’. Those were some of my titles during the years of the Fall, lovely don’t you think? A cruel reminder of my own weakness and what I did…..So much for being the Princess of Love when all I cared during that time was cock.”

-Princess Mi Amore--

“Just call me Cadance, please.”

-Princess Cadance, may I ask you something rather personal?-

“Of course.”

-When we tried to get a report from princess Celestia and princess Twilight they refused rather violently and princess Luna nearly killed one of my partners. Why are you so open about this whole situation and, more importantly, why aren’t you showing the typical signs other females and males, including your husband and your fellow princesses, display?-

“What makes you think I don’t cry myself to sleep every night? Or that I don’t take several hours long baths trying to clean myself from the guilt? Or that I can barely hold my husband’s hand without trembling in fear, regret, hate and feeling nauseous? I’m here because Spike needs my help. I won’t give up on my cousin just because he handed himself to you, traitors.”

-Princess Mi Amo--

“Just Cadance, please.”

-Princess Cada--

“Just Cadance.”

-............Very well, Cadance. I apologize from my mislead assumption. But you know we are not traitors-

“Of course you are; you betrayed us, your own people that got trapped during the Fall, the ones trying to find a way to break the barrier. And even to the rotten caribou.”

-Princess Mi Amo--

*Breaking noise*

“I TOLD YOU TO CALL ME CADANCE!”

*Twenty second long pause*

“.....Spike sacrificed himself, again, for our sake. He gave you his report, he accepted your terms and he’s going to give you his life in return. What more do you want from him!?”

*Ten second long pause*

“He begged and made us swear not to interfere during his upcoming trial. He said it’s for the best. He said he had crimes to answer for. He…….he…...H-h-he…….”

*Crying*

-He what, Cadance?-

*Eleven second long pause*

“He said……..he said he’s g-going to speak.”------------

--------------Princess of Love, Mi Amore Cadenza (Cadance), Report on Spike Solaris ‘The Dragon’, ‘The Reaper’, ‘The Lightbringer’.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Griffon Kingdom - Outskirts of the Capital city Wind Heaven - Court of The Great Tribunal* Present Time.

The main doors of the courtroom opened again letting Spike back inside escorted by the minotaur guards. He saw the judges were also coming in again through the door at their side. He sat down on his chair, noticing the new table in front of him. Soon, the judges took their respectives seats and the ursa judge hit the pedestal loudly three times.

“Recess is over; the court will resume the trial of Spike Solaris ‘The Dragon’,” the ursa judge said loud and clear.

“Why don’t you use my other two titles as well, dear Judge? I really like them, especially the third one,” Spike said scratching the back of his head.

“Because we are here to judge you, Spike, not your titles; even if they are well deserved,” the griffon judge said almost whispering the last part. “Which begs the question, your third title claims you as ‘The Lightbringer’. On every report we managed to get about you it was never explained the why. Care to explain?”

“Ah General Sebastian! You shouldn’t be impatient for the answer will come soon enough!” Spike said leaning back in his chair. “Now where was I? Hmmmmm….Ah yes, my reward.”

“After I left I went straight to the royal bathrooms to clean myself. Well, not ‘myself’ myself, since there were females in charge of cleaning, entertaining and pleasing you during your bath. Lucky me, that day there were some new small pets working in, take a wild guess what they were doing there?” Spike flashed a toothy smile at the judges who in turn did nothing.

“Anyways, after a two hour long bath; yes, I was that ‘dirty’. I went to the room Dainn had prepared for me and decided to take a quick nap. When I woke up it was almost dinner time, so I got up, brushed my teeth and fangs, trimmed my claws and left for dinner.”

------------------------------------------------------*********************************************

*Canterlot Castle, Dining Room-Three years and seven weeks into the Fall- 8:28 p.m.*

Spike entered the royal dining room and to his surprise only the sons of Dainn and Discord were sitting around the table, all of them chatting between themselves. The table was rectangular and quite large, mostly due because the seats were set apart for about a meter from the others; enough space to let regular size females to crawl underneath them and please their masters. There were red collar maids standing nearby awaiting orders and a few stag guards around the room. When he was just a couple of meters away from the table he heard moans and groans of pleasure coming from below the table. He was about to take a seat in the farthest right side of the table when a guard approached him.

“Excuse me, general, but his majesty king Dainn has prepared a special seat for you at his side,” the caribou guard said before escorting Spike to his seat directly next to Dainn’s left side and in front of Discord; whom was giving him a goofy smile. The guard then saluted and retreated to his previous post.

“Hhnnnng!” the loud grunt followed by a moan and heavy breathing made Spike turn his head to see the origin of it. He saw the caribou sitting next to Discord, Dainn’s second son if he remembered correctly, wearing a satisfied expression. “Fucking whore sure is tight,” he said before letting out a content sigh. “You can come out now, Kassy.”

While it was true the caribou saw all females the same and names were just a way to identify them more easily, they only called their own doe and cows by their names when said female was their property or a worthsome family member.

With that in mind he limited himself to see a young brown coated caribou doe, no more than twelve years old, crawl out at the prince’s side. Her antlers trimmed down nicely in their usual fashion and a red collar adorning her neck. The prince patted her head a few times before speaking again.

“Good job Kassy, you’re learning how to properly please me quite fast,” the doe beamed at the compliment. “Now, what do we say?”

“T-thanks for using my slutty pussy to please your all mighty cock, Father-Master!” the doe said in an almost innocent and sweet tone.

“Very good,” he looked up to see his brothers. “That’s why she’s my favorite daughter pet; obedient, eager to please and loves her master,” his brothers just groaned in annoyance.

“It’s not our fault our breeding sluts can’t deliver good quality material, Frost. I only have one son, one! And my daughter pets are fucking terrible, I usually end up selling them because they can’t do shit right,” the youngest exclaimed.

“You think that’s bad, Calvin? At least you have a son. I’m the oldest and my useless whores can’t deliver me a single son; at least my daughter pets are nice looking and make for good cock sleeves while they’re young. Too bad they usually don’t last much.”

“How many have you lost already, Rolph?” the third one asked. “I know they’re just females but at least try to enjoy them for more than a few rounds. Which reminds me, did you borrow my seven year old daughter pet?”

“The one with that lovely cock shaped mark?” his brother nodded. “Yeah…….and I think I went a little too far. Sorry, Akios.”

“Fuck you Rolph! I was saving her for next year anniversary!” Akios exclaimed angered. “You’ll give me one of your daughter pets in return, but I’ll choose which! I don’t want another near dead and loose cunt like last time!”

“Fine,” Rolph agreed. “Hey, Frost, can you lend me little Kassy over there? She’s a little old for my tastes but I think I’ll manage.”

“Sorry bro, but Kassy here needs to get to her cage and sleep tight. Tomorrow’s gonna be her first fuck-a-hole tournament and I want her in top shape!” Frost looked to his daughter. “You can go now, Kassy.”

“Thank you, Father-Master!” she said before crawling away, cum still dripping from her recently used vagina.

“You, black coated slut,” Frost said making a maid approach. “Clean me and then clean the floor,” he ordered without even looking at the pegasus mare.

“Of course, Master,” the mare responded before making her way below the table.

Spike didn’t clenched his fists or frowned; he had seen this so many times almost since the beginning of the Fall it didn’t even angered him as much anymore. His sentiment was now far more deep than that, and mere anger would not suffice to describe it anymore.

I wonder if that’s a good sign or a bad sign. Spike thought for a moment letting the fire inside his chest burn.

“It’s good to see you back in one piece, Spikester!” Discord called in front of him managing to pull Spike out of his trance while the four brothers kept on talking between themselves.

“Thanks Discord, it’s good to see you again,” Spike said in a neutral tone. “Say, where’s Blueblood?”

“Dunno,” Discord replied before smirking. “Heard from Danny your mission was a success, congratz! Such a shame the monsters kicked your scaly ass at the end, huh?” Discord said picking his nose.

“Many brave soldiers died today, please don’t insult their sacrifice,” Spike said in true nostalgy. Their sacrifice won’t be in vain, I promised them.

Discord stopped picking his nose pulling out a green parasprite, he grunted and breathed silver fire over it, a moment later the parasprite was gone. “But you survived so yeah, silver lining.”

“Tell me, general,” Calvin said gaining Spike’s attention. The last word tainted with venom and spite. “How were you able to lose so many of our father’s soldiers in just a few hours?”

“Don’t be so mean with the dragon, Calvin. At least he managed to destroy a petty rebel camp, so I guess he isn’t totally useless,” Frost said mockingly. “But you’re right, brother, thanks to his ineptitude almost thirty three hundred soldiers died: that’s including those that died from their injuries back in Ponyville so far.”

“Tell us, what’s your excuse, naked dragon?” Rolph said with a smug grin.

“Forgive me, my princes, but I do not answer to you or anyone else but your father, the great Dainn,” Spike smirked. “But you’re right and I don’t have any excuses, all I hope for is to serve his majesty to the best of my capabilities. Maybe during the next invasion into the monster filled forest you’ll lead our troops to glory and show me how successful your majesties are?” at his statement the four princes glared at the dragon while Discord snorted covering his mouth with his lion paw.

“Hey guys, here!” Discord snapped his fingers making a few ice cubes appear in front of the princes. “You’ll need it!” he said before snorting once again.

“Why you insolent--!” Rolph began but was interrupted by the doors of the dining room opening once again. Rolph sat down the moment he saw his father walk inside the room and make his way to the table.

“Hello, father,” the four princes said in unison when Dainn sat down at the head of the table.

“My king,” Spike said giving Dainn a head bow.

“You’re late, Danny,” Discord said with a wide grin. “Spikester here showed your kids just how badly a dragon can burn! Ha ha ha!”

Dainn glanced at Spike and then to his sons, all four of them bearing an angry expression. “Is Discord speaking the truth, Spike?”

“Yes,” Spike gulped. “I beg for your forgiveness, my king, I let my emotions get the better of me.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Spike. I know my sons well enough to know who started it,” Dainn shot a weak glare to his sons. “Now you four, apologize.”

“.......We’re sorry, general Spike,” the four of them said in unison.

“I’m sorry too, your majesties,” Spike said while smiling internally.

Dainn glanced at the side seeing the pegasus maid crawling out below the table lapping the cum stains on the floor. Dainn sighed tiredly. “Frost, how many times do I have to tell you not to bring your pets during dinner?”

“I’m sorry, father,” Frost apologized before gulping loudly.

Dainn turned to see Spike again, he looked him up and down a few times. “Glad you’re clean again, Spike,” he offered the dragon a smile before a slight groan caught his and Spike’s attention. “Is something wrong, Discord?”

Discord was holding his head with his griffon claw in an annoyed if not almost pained expression. “Just those damn headaches again, Danny. Could you, you know?” Dainn said nothing, got up while his antlers glowed with his magic and his right hand was illuminated in a greenish glow, contrary to the blue aura around his antlers. He touched Discord’s head with his right hand and a few seconds later Discord’s eyes flashed a multicolored glow before he smiled. “Thanks Danny, you’re the best!”

“Always glad to help a friend,” Dainn said returning to his seat.

Is Discord being controlled just like Shining was by Chrysalis? It totally looks like it, Spike thought returning the smile Discord offered him. I have to be sure.

“Say Discord, now that I think of it can’t you, you know, make the Everfree harmless?”

“Already tried that, Spikester, the power of the darn Tree protects the forest from anything, even my magic. We already tried everything but no matter what the forest still holds up or it regenerates any damage instantly!” Discord crossed his arms in annoyance. “What’s worse is that I don’t even know where the stupid thing is,” Discord grunted.

“I…...didn’t know that,” Spike said genuinely surprised. That means Dainn has no idea about the old castle or where the Tree actually is! And…...and also that Discord did something similar to what Blueblood did to Cele---mom’s memories. Maybe he knew he was done for too late but was able to hide something from Dainn. Still, the girls would have given that away unless…...unless they forgot about it…... Then Spike coughed violently.

“Is something wrong, Spike?” Dainn asked somewhat worriedly.

“N-no *cough* my king, just a bit of p-pain *cough* the f-fucking ursa hit me almost at the end of the…..battle. Nothing to *cough* worry about,” Spike said quickly. Now I remember, when I was still an Enslaved I too forgot about the Tree completely! But after I broke free I remembered it…...The Tree protected itself…...to give us a chance? If so…….if so, then that means……….I’m the only one who knows where it is.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, my king, nothing but an uncomfortable cough every now and then.”

Dainn nodded and then clapped his hands. A few seconds several maids came through the doors leading to the kitchens carrying golden enclosed trays. They served each two trays and then used their mouths to pull up their domes. For Dainn and his sons a perfectly made and delicious looking spinach salad and a steaming hot soup laid in front of them. For Discord a plate of spaghetti with meatballs and an odd mix of crackers, cookies and paper bathed in maple syrup laid in front of him. For Spike, however, there was something he didn’t expect.

He knew he wasn’t the only meat eater in the kingdom but to see a plate full of jewels of many kinds and another presenting a big, juicy steak adorned with a bed of lettuce and a side mashed potato salad and some rice made his mouth water.

All of them waited patiently until the maids served them their respective silverware, a glass of wine and another of water. The maid then retreated from where they came from and Dainn raised his glass of wine.

“To my newest and favorite general, may his victories be many,” the rest of the present raised their own glasses of wine in response. “Let us then enjoy our dinner.”

Everyone began to eat their meals and for two or so minutes only the clinging of the silverware, slurping or munching noises were heard around the table. Spike ate all the gems first before moving to his steak, he cut a piece and took a bite. His eyes snapped open and his jaws stopped after the first chews finding the flavor strange and new but still delicious.

“Excuse me, my king,” Spike said after swallowing his mouthful.

“Yes?” Dainn responded before taking a big chunk of spinach inside his mouth.

“This meat is like nothing I’ve tasted before, may I ask what is it?”

Dainn swallowed his meal and looked at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“It is strangely sweet, soft and really juicy; it’s quite delicious,” Spike said before taking another, albeit smaller, piece of meat inside his mouth.

Dainn didn’t respond, instead he signaled for a nearby guard to approach him, he whispered something to his ear and then the guard made his way to the kitchens. “Just a moment, Spike,” Dainn said in an angry tone making Spike stop eating. Half a minute later the guard returned and whispered something to Dainn’s ear.

Dainn turned to face Spike once more. “The chefs say it’s pork.”

Spike looked down at his meal for a second or two and then back at Dainn. “Excuse me, my king, but I’ve eaten pork before and this meat tastes nothing like it. Not even the consistency is similar,” Spike replied calmly.

“Bring me the griffon chef right now,” Dainn ordered making the same guard return to the kitchen in a hurried pace. Moments later he returned alongside a blue feathered griffon wearing a traditional chef attire, judging by the hat and the insignias in his chest he was one of the main chefs.

“My guest of honor says the meat tastes nothing like pork,” Dainn said to the griffon. “Tell me what it is.”

“A zhousand apologies, your majesty, but zhat is the only portion of meat ve had for zhe night. I’m afraid I can’t tell vhat kind of meat zhat is unless I taste it,” the chef answered quickly and politely. Dainn simply glared him. “M-may I?” the griffon asked looking at the dragon.

“By all means,” Spike said as the griffon walked to his side and took a small slice of the steak into his mouth. The griffon chew it twice before freezing in his place and swallowing it whole. Spike noticed the griffon turned eerily nervous before turning to Dainn and whispered something to his ear.

“Are you certain!?” Dainn asked glancing at Spike while the griffon reassured him in whispers. “I want you to find out who is responsible behind this insolence at once, or it will be your head on a pike by morning!” Dainn declared making the chef run back to the kitchen in a hurry.

Spike looked at Discord silently cursing his pranking habits, but much to his surprise the draconequus seemed to be just as confused as he was. Discord looked back at Spike offering him a shrug. Spike gave the brother princes a quick glance, all of them wearing a somewhat confused expression, except for Rolph; the faint smile he flashed told the dragon all he needed to know.

A minute later the chef returned alongside a diamond dog wearing a similar attire minus the hat and the insignias. The griffon pushed the dog forward urging him to move faster. Once they were at Dainn’s side the dog dropped to his knees.

“Well?” Dainn spoke making everyone around him feel an icy chill run down their spine.

“T-the package came f-f-from Ponyville, we received it j-just an hour ago, it came with the other stuff t-the chefs tend to use! That’s all I k-know your majesty,” the dog said trembling in fear. “I didn’t know it was pony meat, I swear!”

Spike felt his stomach do a summersault as he gazed back slowly at the still partly steaming meat on his plate, the smell of his dish betraying his mind horribly. He glanced at Rolph for a split second while Dainn held the dog in the air with his magic, violently shaking him in rage. Spike saw his smile grow just a little bit and then looked back at his meal.

You want to play that way? Bring it on, fucker. I’ve done worse things already, this is nothing to me.

“Pony meat?” Spike said calmly sounding as composed as he could. Dainn stopped shaking the poor dog and looked at Spike, just like everyone else around the table. “I’m eating pony meat, as in actual earth, pegasus, unicorn, thestral or crystal pony meat, not horse meat? And you say it came from Ponyville which means…….I’m actually eating what used to be part of one of my fallen soldiers?”

“Spike--” Dainn began but shut up when he saw Spike, his eyes suddenly morphing into a darker shade of green and his pupils turning into slits. Followed by using his fork to pick the rest of the meat laying on the plate and eat it whole in one bite, fork included.

“Noft bad,” Spike said in between munches. “Ash I shaid, quite delish!” Spike said eagerly before picking the golden plates and eat them in just two bites. Each gnashing creating loud wet snapping noises coming from inside his mouth, after a few seconds he swallowed. “So the plates were really made of gold? Meh, tastes good but I’m not a real fan of it, silver tastes better anyway; the potato salad was a little bland but still fine,” he said before eating the silver knife in his other hand. “Still, I like jewels and gems better.”

Spike smiled showing off his sharp fangs. “My king, I think this is just a big and sad misunderstanding of some sort. I’m sure that poor dog isn’t to blame for this accident, even though I’m grateful for it, too. I’ve always wondered how good pony meat actually is, and now I know!” he liked his fangs, slowly dragging his tongue over them. “Now I just have to find a way to find out how other meats taste like, a good diamond dog friend of mine assures me griffon meat tastes an awful lot like chicken.”

Everyone around the table and around the room looked at Spike mouth agape. Even Discord seemed to be taken aback by Spike’s actions and words.

Dainn saw Spike’s eyes turn to normal before he blinked a few times. “…….I’m glad you…..liked it, Spike,” Dainn said finally dropping the dog to the ground making Spike avoid his gaze in shame.

“I….I apologize that you had to see that, my liege. It’s my instinct, I try to keep it under control but from time to time it slips out; comes with being a dragon,” Spike said in embarrassment. He saw Dainn sit back on his seat and turn to dismiss the terrified chef and the diamond dog. Spike used that moment to casually look around the table, he chuckled internally seeing the four princes looking at him with discomfort and Rolph with a hint of skepticism.

“Think nothing of it, Spike,” Dainn said turning his attention back to Spike. “But I have to ask, does the curiosity of tasting caribou meat ever crossed your mind?”

“.....Yes. And insidently, until today, too,” Spike said looking at Dainn straight in the face. “It pains me to say this, my king, but that’s one of the reasons I was able to survive this day. The carnage was brutal during those dreadful hours that the fight lasted, during the last push an alpha timberwolf managed to stumble me; making me land face first into one of my caribou soldiers corpse, permitting me to taste his meat and blood,” Spike sighed. “After that I went berserk against the monsters.”

“Yeah, that’s bloodlust,” Discord said from his seat while a mouth in his stomach ate the rest of his meal. “A nasty dragon thing; it makes them go all parasprite-shit crazy.”

Spike coughed once. “Yeah, that, thanks Discord. As I was saying, it allowed me to punch a hole through the monsters and reach the safe zone of the forest again, along with the few troops that survived,” Spike gave Dainn an apologetic smile. “You don’t have to worry about me suddenly wanting to eat caribou meat, my king, because, to be honest, the flavour was awful.”

“The monsters of the Everfree seem to really like it though!” Discord said earning a sharp glare from Dainn, the draconequus simply shrugged and chuckled. “Just sayin’.”

Dainn turned to look at Spike again with a pleased expression. “I’m glad you’re so honest and straightforward with me, Spike, makes me feel glad I have a friend such as you close by,” Dainn smiled at the dragon. “Just try to keep that urge of yours in check from now on.”

“Of course my king. You honour me with your trust,” Spike said. He sat in silence while the princes snapped out of their trance and resumed their meal, albeit a bit slower than before.

Ten or so minutes later they were done with their dinner and Dainn drank his wine in one go, sighing contently at the end.

“Spike, I invited you to not only discuss your reward but also because I need a general whom I can trust and, more importantly, is strong enough to handle what I have in mind. Tell me, can I rely on you further?”

“Your order is my command, my king,” Spike answered with a small head bow. “Just tell me what you wish and it shall be done.”

Dainn smiled. “Excellent. Now, tell me my dear Spike, what would you think you deserve as a proper reward for your exploit?”

Spike pondered at the question. What can I ask for? Asking him to tell me how or where he managed to get his power would be too stupid and it would expose me. And for everything else I can possibly want or need I need to gain his confidence and trust. “I require no reward, my king, being able to serve you is rewarding enough.”

Dainn crossed his arms and let out a small chortle. “While I appreciate your noble intentions and humility, certainly there must be something your heart desires?”

Spike closed his eyes, trying to think of something even remotely useful that he could use against Dainn and the caribou in the long run. Suddenly, the smiling faces of his once six best mare friends flashed before his eyes, invading his mind only to be replaced a second later by a blank expression, soulless eyes and dumb smiles. He clenched his hidden hand tightly.

“W-well…..there…...there is one thing,” Spike said slowly, doing his best to ignore the pain in his heart. “I….I….I mean…...if it’s possible, may I be…..given ownership…..of….of……,” Spike took a big breath and exhaled loudly. “My king, I humbly ask to be given ownership of the rest of the Ex-Element Bearers.”

Silence fell around the table for a few short seconds.

“Mmmmm, that’s a rather big reward you’re asking for, Spike. I’m afraid I can’t grant you that as your reward for your successful mission…..,” Dainn brought a hand up to hold his chin, he scratched it once before smiling. “But, if you complete the next missions I give you successfully, I’ll make sure you receive them,” Dainn turned to see Discord. “Would that be fine with you, Discord?”

“Sure, just as long I can still visit my dear Flutterslut!”

*SLAM*

“This is outrageous, father! Why do you always show such favoritism for that lizard!? You grant him the privilege to serve as our principal female handler, then you turn him general, THEN you let him fuck your favorite pet in front of the whole kingdom,” Akios huffed angrily. “And now you want to grant him ownership over the rest of the national prizes when he should be kissing your hooves for having one already, the purple bitch herself!” Akios barked enraged and offended. “But when I asked for the same thing you denied me, your own son, without a second word about it? Why!?”

Dainn sighed heavily. “Akios, what have you done to deliver my will outside the safety of our castle? Have you ever put you life in fatal danger like Spike has to do so? No, you have not. You may be my son but you don’t deserve everything you want just because you demand it. Spike, on the other hand, has fought for everything he has; even before we graced Equestria and the Crystal Empire with the truth of male superiority,” Dainn got up making Akios sit back on his seat. “And his name is Spike; if I ever hear any of you insult him by calling him lizard, or anything similar, ever again I will personally cut your tongues, am I clear?”

“Y-yes, father,” Akios replied barely louder than a whisper while his brothers kept silence.

Dainn sat back looking at Spike. “But why do you want them now?”

“My king, you already know what I had to…..suffer, to put it mildly, before the blessing of the Fall. I have the bitch that dared call me, a male, a simple assistant to her needs and demands. And while I’ve had the pleasure to show the other five sluts who is truly in charge in the past, I…..I want them all under my roof. I want them crawling on the floor while they clean the mud my feet leave behind like the worthless sluts they are. I want to punish them for using me as nothing short of a slave since the moment I was hatched,” Spike let out a puff of fire. “I want revenge. To be able to rape and use them whenever and whoever I want. To show them their so called ‘Friendship’ is nothing compared to the power of male superiority,” Spike got up from his seat, his entire body trembling.

“And even though the apple slut is free for the moment, sooner or later that misguided sow will be captured again and then I’ll be able to crush what little spirit she may have left,” Spike smiled. “That’s why I want them now.”

Dainn gave Spike a broad, approving smile. “Well said, Spike. Well said.”

---------------------------------------------------------****************************************************

*One Month Later- Western End Borders of Equestria -The Wasteland-*

I just have to finish this stinking mission and I’ll get the girls under my care. Just one more mission Spike, do it for them.

Spike thought to himself while he and his troops marched down the empty lands of The Wasteland. The Equestrian version of the Badlands but unlike them, the Wasteland was able to house some plants, mainly cactus, and some animals and insects. Before the Fall it was famous for the strange giant flowers that somehow survived in this land and the Tatzlwurms, enormous snake like monsters living underground, that roamed it; making the Wasteland utterly impossible to settle in.

Recently though, it was famous because of the numerous disappearances of several scout parties and small bands of soldiers that had ventured inside; searching for a supposed major rebel camp hidden somewhere in the vast and numerous canyons. In a way it was similar to the Solitude Mountain on the far frozen and forsaken north of the Crystal Empire, but unlike that mountain not every party that ventured in met a timely demise.

Spike sighed looking to the open, flat and utterly empty lands all around him. But how am I supposed to find a rebel camp here when not even Crysalis or the rest of the leaders know anything about it?

“Spike, the soldiers are tired, they request a short break,” Soarin said landing at his side.

Spike stopped and looked at Soarin, he was wearing another chestplate with his symbol on it much like he was now along with his cape. Soarin signaled with his head to the small one hundred male army behind him. His mission was to confirm the existence of a rebel camp, inform to Dainn about its whereabouts and then lead an all out assault on it. That was three days ago and so far he’d found nothing except dust.

He looked a good thirty or so meters behind him to find out that, indeed, his troops were tired; many of them were already showing heatstroke symptoms, even the caribou riding warbeasts. Spike sighed and nodded.

“We camp here!” Soarin ordered loudly. Moments later the unicorns in the group rose ample tents for the rest to rest under. “It ain’t even noon and it already feels like we’re inside an oven. Are you seriously not feeling this darn heat right now?” Soarin asked while a tent was placed over him and Spike.

“Soarin, I can swim in molten lava. This heat is nothing but a refreshing breeze to me,” Soarin groaned. A second later two earth pony soldiers arrived at their side with two chairs and two gourds filled with water. Soarin took his and took a long drink from it. “The benefits of being a dragon I suppose,” he said before taking a drink himself. “Make sure everyone else gets water and some grub, and tell them we rest here for an hour,” Spike ordered to the two stallions standing nearby.

“Yes sir!” they said in unison before running off to fulfill their orders.

“I so needed that,” Soarin said contently. He looked around finding they were alone and outside earshot. “Our provisions are starting to falter, Spike. Are you sure there’s a rebel camp somewhere around here? And if there is, why haven’t they contacted the other leaders or Chrysalis?”

“I’m not even sure there is a camp around at all, Soarin, everything we know about this place is due to the scouting parties that came back and those that went missing,” Spike glanced back at his troops, mostly ponies with the occasional zebra, a minotaur, twelve caribou, the warbeasts they were mounting (plus the ones pulling their supply wagons) and the ten Shadow Hunters, including his pegasus friend. “Has Yog run the numbers? How many of them are with us?”

“Aside from us and my hunters? The zebras, the minotaur, four unicorns and ten earth ponies; in total we are thirty two. Yog says they’re ready to follow your orders,” Soarin took a quick sip out of his gourd. “Are you planning to do the same thing we did back in Neighpan?”

“If the opportunity arises, although I fear we won’t be as fortunate,” Spike took a sip out of his gourd and then let out an amused snicker. “The rebel camp in Neighpan, the monster rampage in the Winsome Waterfalls, the changeling ‘menace’ in Stalliongrad and, how can I forget, the Rainbow Fall incident. We’ve had a rough month, haven’t we Soarin?”

“When you told me what you asked as a reward I almost didn’t believe you, but, here we are a month later in the middle of nowhere,” Soarin sighed. “Why didn’t you bring Big Mac, Bulk or at least Caramel along?”

“I gave them other tasks to fulfill……..and Big Mac really wanted to visit his family, I couldn’t say no,” Spike took another sip of water. “How’s Rainbow doing?”

“Better,” a moment of silence followed. “I hope you have a plan for them if we actually pull this off.”

“Of course I do but I’m still figuring out how to get them out without raising any questions. That and keeping Pinkie under control is going to be the hardest part,” Spike clenched his free hand into a shaky fist. “The cheerful party pony of Ponyville, the Element of Laughter; reduced to a sex addicted purple collar and the prime milking mare in the ranch of that fucking traitor Cherry Jubilee. Fucking shit-eating, backstabbing Embracers, they’re the only thing I hate even more than the caribou.”

“Tell me about it; at least the added golden ring on the female Embracer’s collars and the insignia the male Embracers showcase so proudly makes them stand out like a sore wound,” Soarin said drinking the last of his water urgently. “I really believed there were more like Blueblood but…..there aren’t. And I don’t give half a rat ass if most Embracers turn out to be nothing more than cowards that were too afraid to fight, perverts like the fucking caribou or assholes that saw the Fall as an opportunity. That makes them even worse and deserve the same fate as the caribou,” Soarin said with spite and hate.

“Hear, hear,” Spike said taking another sip of water.

*Forty minutes later*

Spike was sitting in his chair still accompanied by Soarin. He was busy looking to the horizon trying to plan out what way they should follow next in their search. Suddenly Spike got up from his seat in a jump startling Soarin.

“What’s wrong?” Soarin asked seeing Spike looking around cautiously.

“Do you hear that?” Spike asked making Soarin look around using his ears to try and hear anything besides the blowing wind.

“I don’t hear anything,” Soarin said getting up. “What’re you hearing?”

“Rumbling and it’s getting closer…...it’s coming from that way, listen,” Spike said pointing to the northwest.

Soarin did as told and focused on trying to hear anything coming from that direction but he only heard the wind. He was about to reply when he heard the rumbling noise Spike was talking about. “I hear it, but it’s coming from the east,” he said pointing to said direction. “No, wait, it’s coming from the southeast.”

“Now I can hear it coming from the north and the west!” Spike said hurriedly. “Oh shit, we are being surrounded!”

“MAN UP! MAN UP! We’re under attack!” Soarin shouted as loudly as he could running outside their tent and taking to the skies. The rest of the soldiers got up from the floor and got ready for battle trying to take their positions, the Hunters themselves joining Soarin in the sky. The ones in the middle forming a perimeter around their supply wagons. Just a few seconds later everyone in the party had taken defensive positions with Spike spearheading the front and Soarin and his Hunters watching from the skies for any kind of movement.

“There!” a Shadow Hunter shouted pointing with his sword at a small distant cloud of dust.

“Not just there, they’re everywhere!” another Hunter shouted looking frantically all around him.

“Soarin, how many do you see!?” Spike shouted.

“I only see clouds of dust coming in fast, something around thirty, no signs of what’s causing them!” Soarin shouted back.

Spike looked around trying to count how many clouds there were but at the speed they were approaching made it useless. He then decided to focus his dragon eye sight on the cloud in front of him. He couldn’t see anything moving in it, but he did see something else, something slightly pink coming every now and then out of the ground. He instantly knew what was coming to them.

“Tatzlwurms incoming!” Spike shouted preparing for the worst. He had only heard of the tatzlwurm from Twilight in the past and knew how they looked like thanks to some reports and investigation notes on them. After her encounter with one, Twilight investigated a little on them.

Thanks to that he knew tatzlwurms were solitary creatures, known for their violent and territorial nature, but what he was seeing right now made his blood truly freeze in fear. The tatzlwurms were attacking them as a wolf pack, making the very earth below his feet start to tremble as they approached, and given their size and power he knew this encounter would end up badly for him and his troops.

The clouds of dust were less than fifty meters away from them when he heard a weak distant whistling. Then the clouds and the trembling stopped only to be replaced by slight shifting and rumbling noises and then by the blowing wind.

Spike gulped, claws and spear ready to fight for his life. He could hear his troops shuffle nervously behind him, some of them even cursing their luck. “Hold steady!” he ordered trying to calm them a bit.

He didn’t know how much time passed before he heard the same faint distant whistling making a series of scales and volumes that, under any other circumstance, he would consider as beautiful. The moment the whistling ended, however, the attack began. Spike felt the ground shake violently all around him and had just enough time to turn around to see several black tentacle like snakes emerge from the ground, making most of his troops scream in horror.

The warbeasts pulling the wagons were the first victims of the day, they roared in agony as they were dragged underground, their bones cracking and snapping into pieces to fit the tight holes made by the tentacles. The rest of the tentacles grabbed one or two soldiers tightly, pulling them underground as well; seconds later small geysers of blood and body parts emerged from the same holes they were ragged into. Some of his troops were able to avoid them either by dodging them or by slicing the snake like tongues of the tatzlwurms.

There was a loud crack a moment before a tatzlwurm emerged from the earth breaking one of the supply carts. It opened it’s three-way mouth and let out a loud, deafening screech before coming down with all its might over a caribou laying on the ground. The caribou screamed in terror before he was squashed into a pulp by the worm monstrosity.

Spike looked around trying to figure out what to do, in that instant, however, another tatzlwurm emerged from the ground in front of him. He looked up to it in both awe and fear, the tatzlwurm came crashing down on him or so he thought. Spike dropped to the ground dodging the attack, but he was then stunned to see the tatzlwurm ignored him to go for the earth pony behind him, devouring his upper half in a single bite.

Loud screeches and painful screams echoed all around the field, from his position he saw the Shadow Hunters trying to get the worm’s attention but the tatzlwurms ignored them completely; their weapons proving to be ineffective against the hard exterior of the worms. Only the unicorns seemed to stand a chance, their magic beams being the only thing affecting the monsters enough to push them back momentarily. He saw a group of six earth ponies drop their weapons and run away. They managed to get a few meters away before four of them were pulled underground while the other two were pushed back to the center, alongside others, where the two remaining carts and the forgotten tents laid.

Less than a minute later the attack was over as suddenly as it had started. Spike and the rest of his companions were surrounded by the tatzlwurms that encircled them; all of them unmoving but still using their six eyes to keep a tight watch over the survivors. He heard the distant whistling again for a second or two then it ended. He felt a hand touching his left shoulder gaining his attention.

“W-why did they stop?” Soarin asked confused and scared looking at the over two dozen tatzlwurms surrounding them.

“What I want to know is why they didn’t kill all of us from the start,” Spike said looking at the tatzlwurm in front of him. His eyes locked with a pair of the monster. Something is out of place here. Spike thought as he looked around, his sight set on the distance. His search was rewarded when he saw a shiny object at the top of a distant cliff and then dissapear. So there really is a rebel camp out here after all, still, something doesn’t add up. “Soarin, how many of us are left?”

Soarin turned around for a few moments, whispered something Spike couldn’t hear, then turned back. “Thirty two,” Soarin said nervously whilst a royal guard unicorn approached them until he was next to Spike. A pillar of green light engulfed the unicorn for a second and the next he was replaced by a changeling.

“Yog, any thoughts?” Spike asked to his changeling friend (the same captain he had met the day he met Chrysalis) while still eyeing the tatzlwurm.

“I’m just as lost as everyone else, sir,” the changeling said looking nervously at the tatzlwurm. “They ignored us, that much is certainly true. And it seems they won’t let us go anywhere either. It looks like they were trained.”

“But how and by whom? I’ve never even heard of taming a tatzlwurm being actually possible,” Soarin said. He made a single hand signal making the rest of the Hunters to land. “And how in Tirek’s beard can they tell who’s a Faker and who isn’t.”

“I wonder….,” Spike making his way to the tatzlwurm. With just a few steps he reached the unmoving tatzlwurm and brought a hand up making the monster open it’s mouth a bit. “I won’t hurt you,” Spike said softly before placing his claw over the tatzlwurm’s scale like skin. The giant worm creature gave out a soft screech in return making Spike began to pet it.

Suddenly the whistling returned making the tatzlwurm straight itself up for a moment, then it opened its maw letting the tongues dance around while it approached to Spike.

“Back away,” Soarin backing away along with Yog but Spike didn’t move. “What’re you doing Spike?”

“I think it wants to take me to meet who trained them, I hope,” Spike said without looking back at Soarin. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Spike reassured them while the tongues of the tatzlwurm took a hold of him. Yog was about to say something but Soarin stopped him placing a hand over his shoulder.

“We’ll be waiting,” Soarin said before the tatzlwurm closed its maw and went underground.

*A few minutes later*

The tatzlwurm opened its maw once again letting the dragon inside free.

Spike fell to the ground taking in long breaths. “I….I thought I…*deep breath*...I was gonna die….Oh, sweet air, never leave me again!” with his eyes closed he never noticed the shadow that covered him. He heard a metallic clanging noise forcing his eyes open to see what is was. Spike used his hands to pick himself off the ground, once he was in all fours he looked up, nearly falling to the ground at what he saw.

In front of him stood a caribou cow wearing leather pants and a pair of graves, a brown metallic looking bra across her breasts and a mask with only two big holes for her eyes to see freely. The mask itself had several runes embedded to it, she was also holding a halberd adorned with several runes, silver like rings near where the blade and the hilt met and, if he was not mistaken, a large bluish ocarina in her left side. But above all that what stood out from everything else, even more than the fact that she was a caribou, were two things.

One, she wasn’t wearing a collar.

And two, she had antlers.

Spike could only look up to her in disbelief; he knew there were some black collar caribou cows and doe yet those were far and between. But he had never, ever seen one the way he was seeing this cow right now. She looked down to him, locking her emerald green eyes with his own. There was a moment of silence and insecurity before the cow extended her free hand to him.

Spike took her hand and with a pull stronger than he’d expected she helped him get back on his feet. He threw a quick glance behind her and saw several other cows dressed in the same attire like the one directly in front of him; all of them standing or mounting a tatzlwurm while eyeing him in silence. He also noticed he was in some sort of canyon or grute, is wasn’t bright but it wasn’t dark either.

“You must be the great general Spike, the favorite slave of that mad tyrant? We had you and your troops marked since your entry to the Wasteland. We’re sorry for the abrupt attack but it took us a long time to made sure who was clean from the sickness and who wasn’t,” the cow in front of him said calmly, her voice sounding bubbly but firm.

“Yes, I am Spike, and you have my thanks for that, but I’m not the slave of that bastard,” Spike said with a frown. “Who are you?” the cow used her halberd to point behind him, he looked back to see a symbol he recognized instantly. A black circle with a red antler inside of it and below it a white ‘V’. He turned around with a big smile on his face. “The Liberators!” he exclaimed with a wide smile.

The cow took her mask off and smiled back at Spike, revealing a deep, ugly scar running alongside her right cheek. “In the flesh. Tell me Spike, what do you know about the caribou history and culture?”

“Enough to make me want to kill myself after reading, seeing, feeling, hearing and practicing it for such a long time. Why?” Spike answered with disgust.

“So that you may understand,” she turned around. “Come, we have much to discuss and little time.”

Spike obeyed her without hesitation, following her for two or three minutes until they reached a stone table. She sat down offering Spike the other seat at the other side of the table.

“Before we begin, is there anything you wish to know?”

“......Why haven’t you contacted Chrysalis or the other rebels before? Why now? Why me?.....Where are the rest of you?” Spike asked with just a bit of hesitation.

“Look around you,” she said extending her arms. “We’re all there is to see. We don’t have the numbers to risk exposing ourselves, until now,” the cow sighed. “My name is Creslin, the leader of our little group,” she stopped as another cow came with two wooden cups of water, placing the cups in front of them she turned around without a word. “Forgive the lack of luxury, it’s something we can’t afford.”

“I’d rather be here than in Canterlot drinking the finest of wines in a glass of gold any day of the week,” Spike said taking a sip of water.

“Is that so,” Creslin said taking a sip of water herself. “Spike, we’ve had a close eye on you ever since your first ‘impossible’ task, The First Invasion I believe, and we’ve wanted to meet you in person. I’m sure by now you know you’ve gotten closer to that mad tyrant than anyone else, am I right?” Spike nodded sadly, the guilt in his eyes evident for the cow. “Don’t be sad, it’s not your fault……..it’s our fault for not being able to stop the nightmare before it began.”

There was a moment of almost absolute silence before Spike broke it. “What do you mean by that?” Spike asked with great concern. His tone changed from timid and respectable to borderline spiteful.

Creslin looked down to her cup of water, shame and anger visible in her expression.

“......Over eight hundred years ago there was peace in Hraljord, a fragile peace between the Jarls and the nobles, but there was peace. Stags worked the fields with care and love, they made weapons and armor to protect their families and land and they fought with honor against their enemies. The cows tended the family, assisted the stags in their work, created beautiful and powerful runes to heal and protect; those that wanted to prove themselves took up the sword to protect the land. Life was good and beautiful,” the cow closed her eyes.

“Then, one day, The Horned King came. He came with hate and lies, he plunged our country into chaos and war, turning brother against brother, friend against friend, lover against lover, until he rose from the ground proclaiming himself as their saviour. Some saw him as a sign of power, the greatest caribou to ever live, the one to guide them to glory; others saw him as a monster, a madman that held nothing but the darkest and deepest hatred for females in his heart.”

“‘Male Superiority’ was his norm, his religion and his code; he believed it was the only true way to live and he forced it upon everyone and everything. But he was vastly outnumbered by brave stags and cows that fought against his madness, yet that didn’t stop him and his vision of a perfect world. The fight went on and on for years, the old Jarls and nobles offering the Horned King numerous chances to surrender but he never did. But it wasn’t until he was on the verge of defeat that something happened; ‘The Sickness’, a monstrosity created by his very hand, spread far and wide covering Hraljord entirely. Almost everyone that opposed him now turned to his side and the battle was over in a matter of days, he had won. Male superiority was the new law and he the new absolute ruler of the land; a land he secluded from the rest of the world.”

“The Horned King had a nation to himself but it wasn’t enough. Cows turned into mere obedient objects of pleasure and sex, to be used in any way imaginable by the stags, the same stags that had once held them tenderly and had sworn eternal love for them. All those who spoke against the new rule in any way was either killed or worse. Over the years it was mandated to breed offspring for the great conquest the Horned King had envisioned across the sea. A conquest born from wanton vengeance over the goddess of the sun, the one being that the Horned King hated over all others for she and her nation was the living representation of what male superiority could not allow to exist.”

“When the time was right a fleet was sent to initiate his conquest but was stopped by an enemy he had not foreseen. The Sirens and the Olden Dragons, both powerful and mighty. Blinded by his desire and hate he fought against them but the Horned King was defeated. Mortally wounded by a siren he returned to Hraljord, the Horned King died days later but the sickness remained as well as his desire to claim the ultimate prize, Equestria, just to see the one he despised with all his heart and soul squirm under his hooves. A desire that remained through time. A desire that must be stopped.”

Creslin opened her eyes, finding an speechless Spike. “That is what happened to our ancestors, the only fragment of our history that isn’t a fabricated lie dedicated to uphold and glorify male superiority. A secret that survived for hundreds of years but thanks to our stupidity now lies almost forgotten,” Creslin took a mouthful of water. “It is frightening what one mad tyrant can do, heh?” she chuckled sadly. “‘The Liberators’, I don’t know who came up with such a stupid name. Our cause doesn’t need a name as long as we can stop the mad tyrant from achieving his goal, but we failed miserably.”

“Dainn is a descendant of the Horned King, his hatred and desire to fulfill the promise of male superiority rivaled that of his damned ancestor. So he used prince Shining Armor and princess Cadenza to see if the path was finally cleared from the ancient enemies and once they arrived to the place Dainn had marked for his trap, he somehow infected the sickness without them noticing, turning them into what our ancestors had being morphed into, and they, in return, opened the gates for the nightmare to begin,” Creslin crushed the cup in her hands, her expression showing nothing but hate.

“That was our first failure, we thought he didn’t have the power to recreate the sickness but is all too obvious he does,” Creslin gritted her teeth tightly. “Our group has existed in secrecy for almost seven hundred years; each and every one of those years spent trying to end the madness once and for all. Luckily, only those immune to the sickness can ever find it, just like we did. What you see here today is all that remains of us, there’s no one else! We were supposed to stop the mad tyrant but we failed!”

Spike looked to the other cows slowly, all of them trembling or looking to other way, their guilt and shame was almost tangible. He also took the chance to try and count them, he couldn't be sure, but there were less than fifty of them; far too few to be a real threat but still their name and symbol was practically taboo amongst the caribou.

“But…..they fear you,” Spike said almost in a whisper.

“They don’t fear us, they hate us because our group opposes male superiority and the mad tyrant. When we revealed ourselves to stop him it was all or nothing, we thought we could win, we thought we knew Dainn well enough to actually be victorious but how could’ve we known he was more powerful than the legends about the Horned King ever lead on? We didn’t stand a chance against him,” Creslin looked Spike directly in the eyes. “Dainn hate us because we oppose him…...and because we were lucky enough to escape just a day after he switched us, mostly thanks to you.”

“Switched!? Y-you mean, you were…...stags?” Spike asked, stuttering out the words.

“You’ve seen it yourself, our cows have no chance to fight for themselves, or even survive at this point; of course we were stags, males who committed the unforgivable sin of being immune to the sickness and not treat females like disposable objects with no brain, feelings or heart. Practically all our females are red or purple collars; the almost nonexistent black collars can’t do anything about it either, the most fight they do is talk back or protest when they’re in pain, nothing else,” Creslin said, her voice almost choking with anger.

“When we tried to kill Dainn the day before the Fall began we were confident but he tossed us around like we were nothing, he personally switched us right then and there and sent to us to a prison camp; we had the honor of being the first to use it. Then, when the Fall began, we knew everything was lost, or so we thought in that moment, but thanks to you Dainn forget about us and due to the idiocy of one of those fuckers we were able to escape unnoticed. For some reason he seems to be fascinated with you, maybe because you’re a dragon? I don’t know.”

Spike sat in silence, eyes closed replaying all he had heard in his brain. After a few minutes he opened his eyes looking at Creslin with empty eyes.

“Are you telling me your kind are victims of the same brainwash Dainn is using against us?” he asked in a calm yet cold tone.

Creslin negated. “Our ancestors were the victims, not us, not the rest. Spike, there is a reason we call it The Sickness. Tell me, have you ever seen or heard of a stag impregnating a female that isn’t a caribou or the other way around? And even then, how many of our cows are branded as breeders?” Spike remained silent, his eyes still showing no emotion whatsoever. “That’s because of the sickness; being carried generation through generation has made our bodies static. It’s worse for the switched, any switched female or male can never be impregnated or impregnate; even if one is switched back into their original gender it will remain that way, forever. Those that came before us already tried it,” Creslin sighed heavily.

“Being immune to the sickness just means that we aren’t corrupted by its dark influence, but after so many years living in secluded isolation…..I think…..I think our ancestors knew the side effects of the sickness early on, perhaps even from the very first generation and did their best to keep it inside Hraljord until it died away along with the caribou. But now, thanks to us…..now it threatens the entire world,” she looked up to the sky. “The barrier that surrounds us protects the mad tyrant; ensuring his reign until he gains enough force to act again but it also protects those outside from him and the sickness, for the time being.”

“I won’t take sympathy for your kind if that’s what you’re hoping for,” Spike said in the same tone as before. “I’m sorry, but I can’t forgive the caribou no matter the reason, not after all they’ve done to us, all of us.”

Cresling nodded. “Good, because if you did then everything would be hopeless; our ancestors showed mercy to the Horned King instead of crushing him when they had their chance and that was their downfall,” Creslin said with a hollowed smile. “Now you know the torture we’ve had to endure since we were born; we hold no love, not even pity or hope for them because, unlike your people, they’re not forced to do anything against their will; they do what they do with free will. What they say, think and do is their decision alone, both red collar cows and stags, the sickness has spread its roots so deep that even those from the first generations in the reign of the Horned King were already doomed to be as one with it in a single, depraved mentality. They have no salvation.”

“Then why did you brought me here? I doubt it was only because of the history lesson.”

Creslin got up and turned around placing her arms on her back. “Before I tell you this, you must promise you won’t come searching for us again nor will you talk about what we have spoken or will speak from this point onwards.”

“I have a feeling this also extends to your existence,” Spike said still in the same tone and unchanging expression.

“Correct.”

Spike hummed. “Fine, I promise by my dragon code I won’t speak a word about our chat or you,” Spike said closing his eyes.

Creslin turned around with a smile on her face. “Dainn can produce the sickness by himself but only in small amounts; whether he is aware of the side effects of the sickness we do not know, but what we do know is that in order to spread it the way he is doing it an object of extraordinary power is needed. He found one such object in the Crystal Empire, the one that keeps the barrier up also spreads the sickness all over the land. Destroy it to make the barrier and the sickness stop.”

“The Crystal Cock,” Spike said opening his eyes again. “But what about the Enslaved and the Corrupted? Will they be freed from it?” So that’s how he’s controlling Discord. That son of a Nightmare.

Creslin looked to the ground. “Maybe. I can tell the sickness isn’t as powerful as it should be, yet, and your people is strong enough to oppose it and even break free from it before it’s too late. Even you are an example of that strength.”

Spike nodded. “What will you do now?”

“We will return to the depths of the canyons, waiting and praying for your success and if you achieve it, we will join in the battle to free your land from the mad tyrant and the sickness,” Creslin made her way to Spike, he got up and she pulled him into a soft hug. “Our duty is now yours, Spike, please, don’t let the mad tyrant turn the world into another Hraljord.”

“I won’t, I don’t know how but I will kill the bastard and every single one of those fuckers as well,” he tightened the hug. “I made a promise.”

“Leave some for us then,” Creslin said ending the hug.

“No promises,” Spike smiled at her, his eyes finally showing a bit of emotion.

“Do what you must, find a way to stop it once and for all,” Creslin said although it sounded more like a plea.

“Even if it kills me,” a tatzlwurm appeared behind Spike opening its maw and grabbing him with its tongues. “Shouldn’t be too hard, I’m already dead inside,” once he finished the tatzlwurm brought him inside and closed its maw, retreating underground once again.

“We will see you again, Spike the Dragon,” Creslin said looking at the hole with a sad smile, she then looked around to see her companions. She grabbed her ocarina, the rest of her companions doing the same. Creslin looked around one more time seeing the rest ready to play, they all nodded, closed their eyes and began to play a sad, mournful tone.

*A few minutes later back with Soarin and the rest of the group*

The ground rumbled for a few moments before a tatzlwurm emerged from the ground. Soarin and company looked at it as it opened its maw revealing the purple dragon inside it. Soarin and Yog let out a sigh of relief when they saw their friend step outside the tatzlwurm and began to make his way to them.

All the other tatzlwurms returned underground, there was a slight tremor as they moved away at incredible speed. Moments later only small clouds of dust moving away could be seen.

Spike closed his eyes, taking a long and deep breath of air with his nostrils. He opened his eyes and smiled at his two friends. “Hope I didn’t take long.”

“Not at all, sir,” Yog responded.

“What was that all about, Spike? Where did it take you?” Soarin asked, anxiety noticeable in his tone.

“It took me to meet their trainer, he…..no, It, and it wants us out of the Wasteland, now. There’s no rebel camp in here,” Spike said nonchalantly. He turned to see the soldiers standing up and looking at him with curiosity. “This isn’t good, if we go back like this how we are right now the officers in the garrison might suspect something.”

“And if we said our losses were caused by an attack of sorts, the fucker king will want to launch an attack like the one on the Everfree, only this time I have the feeling we won’t be as lucky,” Soarin said biting his lower lip.

Spike hummed thoughtfully, rubbing his chin for almost a full minute, all the while examining the few remains of the tatzlwurm victims. “I have an idea, follow my lead,” he then made his way to meet the soldiers with Soarin and Yog flanking him, both of them watching his actions silently.

“What are your orders, general Spike?” a royal guard unicorn asked saluting the dragon.

Spike smiled. “Just Spike is fine, guard,” the unicorn visibly relaxed.

“Sorry sir, is just that…..it’s the first time I’m among so many like me before. It feels…..nice,” the unicorn smiled. “One of the earth ponies that was killed was my friend, before the Fall…..before he was Corrupted or Enslaved, I don’t know. I saw him die right in front of me and…..and I was glad he died. Does that make me a bad pony, sir?” the unicorn asked, the rest of the soldiers nearby looking at their general with a similar question on their eyes.

“Of course not,” Spike said offering them a sad, reassuring smile. “Be happy for him, his torture ended as did the rest of the others that died today. I’m sure he’s crying joyful tears for being free once more,” Spike placed a hand on the unicorn’s shoulder. “Just remember you have to keep on living,” he looked up to the rest of the soldiers. “All of you must keep on living until the day comes for the caribou to pay for what they’ve done. Live to deliver the vengeance of our fallen friends and loved ones. Live to demand and shout for justice. And more importantly, live to rebuild our once peaceful and proud home,” Spike ended his little speech in a soft, calm, reassuring tone. Almost like the one his mother used in the past. It pained his heart to use it but it also brought him joy for the very same reason; the memories of happier days.

“What must we do now, sir? Me and the boys are ready for anything,” the unicorn pony said with renewed vigor and judging the expression on the rest of the soldiers, so were they.

Spike looked at each of them for an instant and offered them a slight head bow. “I believe you already are acquainted with captain Yog here?” he asked signaling the changeling, the soldiers responded affirmatively. Spike walked to the wagon in the rear, jumped over it and began to search for something. A few seconds later he jumped down with a thick yellow folder in his claws. He gave it to Yog, the changeling taking it a bit confused.

“Right now we’ll head back to the garrison of Appleloosa while captain Yog will move on ahead. He will meet us in the borders of the Wasteland with enough changelings, mimickers to be precise, to replace those that we lost during the attack, even the caribou ones. Then I will depart with commander Soarin and the rest of the Shadow Hunters back to Canterlot. Everyone with me so far?” Spike asked earning another round of positive answers.

“I’ll make the official report stating that we lost one wagon and our warbeasts to a single tatzlwurm attack with no precious casualties. A few hours later in the night there will be an attack on the apple orchard, all of you along with the disguised mimickers will attend to it and fight off the enemy; where all of you will be sadly taken as prisoners, plus additionals just to spice things up a bit. Don’t worry, captain Yog and the mimickers will be there to guide you all to the safety of a camp or a hive,” Spike stated while the soldiers shared looks of concern.

“But sir, w-what about….you know?” one of the zebras asked trying to avoid Spike’s gaze.

“I’ll make sure to get them out and put them under my care, and if I can I’ll use them as bait in the merchant distractors,” Spike said making the soldiers sigh in relief. “Can’t believe I’m about to say this, but it’s moments like these where I’m thankful for my knowledge as a female handler,” the words feeling like piked wires coming out of his throat. “Any questions?”

“No, sir!” the soldiers exclaimed.

“Yog?”

“None,” the changeling said wings buzzing, he took off the ground and began to fly away rapidly.

“Soarin, Hunters?”

“We know what to do, as always,” Soarin said with pride.

Spike nodded. “Then let’s get out of here,” he said walking towards the last wagon, grabbing an end of it. With a grunt, he began to push it. “We have to go before that thing decides to make us permanent residents of the Wasteland.”

With that said the reduced group began to move out, the unicorns in the group extending the tents over them, effectively protecting them from the sun.

Soarin landed beside Spike, helping him push the heavy wagon onward. “Care to tell me what was it, really?”

Spike grinned. “A secret.”

-------------------------------------*********************************************

*Canterlot Castle-Four days later*

“Interesting report, Spike. But are you absolutely certain there isn’t one of those damnable rebel camps somewhere?” Dainn asked putting down the report of the dragon.

“One hundred and twenty percent sure, my king. While the rebel camps inside the forest, and other similar places, can protect themselves from the monsters, somehow, there’s now way they could protect themselves against a tatzlwurm. We were lucky enough that the one that attacked us was after the warbeasts and not us. I don’t want to imagine what an attack done by several of them at once must be like,” Spike reassured from his kneeling position at the end of the stairway leading to Dainn’s throne in the same spot Celestia’s throne used to be.

“Mmmmm, I will trust your better judgment on this one, Spike,” Dainn left the report on a plate held by an upside down Celestia at his right side, strapped into one living table while Luna was in the same situation at his left side. Dainn got up from his throne and applauded a few times while he walked down to meet Spike. “You have done all that I’ve asked of you without hesitation or second guessing and most importantly, you have succeeded where others have failed, my dear Spike.”

“I live to serve you, my king,” Spike said standing up, lips curling up into a smile when Dainn embraced him momentarily.

“And such devotion has not gone unnoticed. As I promised, you shall receive your long overdue reward; the remaining national prizes will be brought up to your castle in two days notice and shall be off limits from that day onward, aside from your exclusive personal use and permission; except for the one Discord seems to favor, but you already knew about it.”

Spike smiled broadly. “Thank you, my king! You’re far too generous! But….now that I think of it, won’t Shining Armor protest against taking one of his favorite pets away from him?”

“I already forwarded the mandate to him, he was getting tired of that one as it were,” Dainn smiled hearing Spike sigh contently. “But that’s not all. Your current efforts have also proven me that you…..no longer deserve the rank of general,” Dainn saw the pained and shocked expression of Spike for a few seconds as he tried to find any words to say. “I’m removing you from that rank, for you have shown me you deserve an even higher one,” Dainn smirked when he saw the confusion and perplexity reflected on Spike’s face.

“B-b-but my king….th…..there is none,” Spike said, his brain scrambled at the information.

“There is now,” Dainn said before clapping twice. Moments later a caribou guard approached to him, handing him a yellow scroll. “From this moment onward you shall held the title of ‘Marshal’, the head of my entire army force. Your obligations will remain much the same with the addition of being directly responsible, and in charge, of the Shadow Hunter division; they shall act as your bodyguards and elite task force aside from their usual activities, which you will supervise from now own as well,” Dainn chuckled momentarily seeing the gaping mouth of Spike. “Also, you will retain the same privileges as general but you will now held royal command similar to that of my sons, only mine shall be greater and absolute.”

“.........”

“What do you think of your new rank, Spike?” Dainn asked but he got no answer. “Spike? Are you listening to me?” he repeated but still no reaction. Dainn looked to the nearby guards, all of them shrugging. “Spike, can you hear me? Spike!” Dainn said a bit loudly, but still Spike didn’t react. “Spike!?” Dainn asked now a bit worried, shaking the dragon a little.

“........M…...M…..Mar---” Spike mumbled out before dropping to the ground in a loud thud.

Dainn looked down to the dragon in the floor for a few instants, then he began laughing loudly. “H-h-he fainted! Ha ha ha ha!” Dainn managed to say while he made his way back to his throne, signaling two guards to take his new marshal to the infirmary.

--------------------------------------------******************************************

*Griffon Kingdom - Outskirts of the Capital city Wind Heaven - Court of The Great Tribunal* Present Time.

“I really did faint when the fucker was done, I shit you not,” Spike said while holding his forehead with both hands. After a few seconds of silence he rested his arms on the table and looked at Chrysalis, Sebastian and Shifting Sands, offering them an apologetic smile.

“I never told you anything because it was a promise, not even after the Rise began and the Liberators joined the fight. But Creslin already told you everything you wanted to know, except our little encounter in the Wasteland,” he then looked at the rest of the judges. “Aren’t you going to call me a monster or at least insult me for not trying to save the caribou from that dark magic, that so called sickness when there was still time before the Rise even started?”

“Why didn’t you then?” the doe judge said in a serious manner. “Why instead of having the moral decency to at least try to save the caribou from themselves, you instigated the movement that slaughtered them?”

Spike chuckled darkly. “Moral decency? You want to talk about moral decency?” his voice cold, dark and dangerous, the temperature inside the whole courtroom dropping harshly. “Let’s talk about moral decency then,” Spike leaned back, his eyes shining white but his expression showed only stoicness. Chrysalis and Shifting Sands looked away while Sebastian only stared down at the table.

“Let’s say it’s a beautiful day in Cervidas, you wake up in the morning ready to face another day with a smile. And with good reason! There’s a much awaited planting and flower festival to welcome spring happening today; everyone is happy, in good spirits and getting ready for the party later on. Then, all of a sudden, you see a momentary red bubble extend through the sky but nothing happens. You think nothing of it and go on with your day,” a weak flash of blue light emerges from his chest for a blink of an eye.

“But two hours after that there is an army of invaders coming from every direction, many of them holding some kind of tall banners adorned with a black crystal. The crystal flashes a few times and then breaks, you only get a moment’s notice to see many of those around you, mostly the males, shake their heads for a moment or two and you see the invaders smile wickedly; most of them licking their lips in anticipation. The males around you stop shaking their heads but there’s something wrong with them, they have the same smiles the invaders have. Then they pounce.”

Spike got up from his seat abruptly, using his hands to add dramatic effect. “The males and the invaders attack but they’re only targeting females, uncaring of their age or condition, they rip their clothes away while others put a dog collar around their necks, then the invaders and the males, some of which you came to call friends, begin to rape and beat any female they get their hands on. You try to move but you’re frozen in place, panic running through your veins. You hear the screams and pleas of mercy females let out to their rapists, but to no avail, and those that try to fight them regardless of their gender get beaten until blood comes out, bones are broken or are killed.”

“You feel something heavy hit the back of your head and everything goes dark, your last thoughts a prayer that what you saw is just a horrible nightmare. Sadly, it isn’t, you wake up hours later inside a cage, naked with a black collar around your neck. You’re confused and embarrassed and try to cover yourself until you hear cries and sobbing coming from all around you. You look around and discover you’re not the only one in the condition you awoke to, you hear steps approaching, you turn to see what’s causing them and then you see one of the invaders with his privates exposed smiling down at you with eyes that hunger for your body. Then he smiles.”

“For little over two years the invaders have dominated your kingdom, reducing your rulers to slaves or worse. For those two years you’ve been nothing but a piece of living meat to their eyes, each and every single day spent by getting raped, humiliated in ways you thought impossible, being forcibly indoctrinated to become an obedient servant for their depraved needs, punished, beaten or tortured for talking without permission, fighting back or simply because they feel like it. And every other single female gets the same treatment, at least the ones that don’t subjugate, like you.”

“But it’s alright, because as a female you deserve to be in pain, you deserve your treatment because you committed the stupidity of being born as one. They use your sexual areas as they please and how they see fit, letting any kind of animal fuck and rape you just for their entertainment or shove any kind of object inside for very much the same reason. They piss on you because you’re a ‘filthy worthless bitch’, they force you to eat their shit because ‘even that is superior to females’. Your only consolation being you don’t have family to worry about, your parents died when you were young, you had no siblings and no other living relatives. You’re one of the lucky ones who don’t experience that unique pain,” the entire courtroom was silent, the judges, specially the cervidae, taken aback by his hateful words.

“By some miracle you escape from captivity and for a single, blissful moment, you think of ending your life to make your torture end right then and there but you can’t, the memories are too painful for you to take the easy way out. They hurt so much that the only thing in your heart is hate and vengeance. You pledge to yourself you’ll have it one way or another,” Spike walked beside the table, staring down the cervidae judge. “Some time passes, you manage to form a small but powerful group, all of them having experienced the same things you did and they want exactly the same thing you do. From that point you’ve been doing everything you can to get back at the invaders that turned your country, your home, into a living, constant, ceaseless agony.”

“In that time, however, you learn that the crystals the invaders used were meant to brainwash and control your own males and some females, turning them into nothing short of puppets. Your fury increases and your desire to vanquish them is more intense than ever; the need to free all those who have been so cowardly used by the invaders driving you to the point of madness. But that’s not the only thing you learn; after digging a bit more, and by pure luck, you find out that the invaders suffered a similar fate in the past but that information assures there’s nothing you can do for them or about it,” Spike’s chest flashed with blue once again, the lines between his scales beginning to shine with a white light.

“For a moment you think about it but you dismiss it almost instantly, they’re not the victims here, you are, your people, your kingdom. And the hate in your heart burns with an undying desire to make the invaders pay for what they’ve done; nothing else matters,” Spike kept silent for a few seconds, his unblinking gaze never leaving the poor cervidae judge. “Now, tell me my dear Judge, after all you’ve been through up until that point will you stop for a moment, a single moment to think about the invaders as victims or in a way to help them? The same invaders who took everything from you and turned you into their fuck toy, remembering not even a single one of them came close to show even the least bit of mercy for you or your fellow females? Will you take that single moment to ponder that with your now crushed and twisted morals?”

The cervidae judge remained silent for several seconds until she opened her mouth, lips quivering. “Yes.”

Spike didn’t lash out, shouted or did anything aside from nodding once.

“I did the same, even though I said what I said to Creslin, for three months after becoming Marshal her story plagued my mind in my sleep and for the first time since I broke free from their control I second guessed if what I was doing, what I desired to do, was the right way. I more often than not woke up screaming, nightmares about the caribou not being stopped because of my doubts like Creslin said. Nightmares of caribou screaming and damming my name for not trying to help them get free from their torment. Nightmares of Dainn ruling the world. Nightmares of me…..becoming just like him. And nightmares of freeing the caribou from ‘the sickness’ only to be rewarded by even worse bastards,” Spike looked down to his chained hands and in a single, effortless move the chains shattered into multiple pieces.

The guards at the sides moved in to retain the dragon but Spike extended his arms to the sides, suddenly sending the guards crashing back against the opposite wall. The public began to get up, fearful the dragon was attacking.

“Those cuffs were annoying, hope you don’t mind,” Spike said looking back at the audience, giving them a quick apologetic smile. He then turned back to see the judges. “But since we’re talking about morals, how about we talk about other kind of morals, hmm?” the judges flinched visibly at his words. “Oh yes, I know.”

“Spike, please, you don’t have to-” Sebastian began in a pleading tone looking at the other judges.

“But I need to, general Sebastian, and no one can stop me from saying it, because ‘We, as the Great Tribunal, cannot just jump to conclusions, we are bonded by ancient laws to examine all available evidence, as well as to give the accused a fair chance to defend him or herself with all they can muster’, and this is something I have to say. After all,” Spike glared at the judges, another flash of blue light coming forth from his chest and the light in his eyes increasing. “Truth for Justice is the only rule, is it not, Judges?”

“Yes,” the ursa judge said in a solemn, defeated tone. There was momentary whispering coming from the public and the recovered guards, none of them harmed aside from a few bruises.

“During my time as Marshal,” Spike began. “I found out some very interesting pieces of information. I learned why Dainn kept Discord on a leash, you see, while the Crystal Cock maintained the barrier and the dark brainwash, Discord’s magic kept the magic in the collars active; he was the reason why only a male could take it off and why black collars couldn’t harm red, silver or purple collars as well as males. I also learned the reason why there were more males and initially converted red collars breaking out of the brainwash; the Crystal Cock was growing weaker but not enough to really matter in the long run. Also, Dainn was getting stronger, I watched first hand how he, indeed, controlled the sun and the moon.”

“But most importantly, I discovered why the other kingdoms and nations weren’t trying to help us,” Spike said with venom. “A few days before the Fall began Dainn sent a very peculiar letter to every leader of each nation, a letter saying that if they tried to bring help to Equestria or the Empire or tried to oppose his divine right to rule over them he would severely punish them by bringing upon them and the entire world unmoving celestial bodies, all it took was a small demonstration the very next day and he got what he wanted,” there was only silence in the courtroom. Spike looked at Chrysalis and she nodded once.

“Where were the morals of your rulers when we needed them most? I’ll tell you where, deep inside their cowardly shitters. They don’t even have the guts to judge me themselves, all because they’re afraid of what I would surely do to them if they did,” Spike said in a calm yet hateful tone, each word dragging as much vile as he could muster.

“What other choice did we have? Throw ourselves blindly at him and condemn our countries for the sake of your own?” the ursa judge said with a sad expression.

“Keltu!” The minotaur cow said loudly.

“Let me speak!” The ursa roared at the cow silencing her. “Prisoner, I’m well aware of your rage and I can find it justified at some extent. My queen informed me of said letter arriving to her and of it’s contents a week ago. So did my fellow judges,” he looked at Sebastian, Shifting Sands and Chrysalis, all of them wearing the same frown. “And now I know their majesties Empress Shifting Sands and Queen Chrysalis already knew about it before claw, but you Sebastian?”

“My king told me so, too, but at the beginning of the Rise,” Sebastian replied.

“I see,” The ursa turned to face Spike once more. “My queen also informed me of the motives why the leaders couldn’t ri-”

“Bullshit!” Spike shouted in outrage. “Are you really expecting me to believe their lies!? I know why they didn’t do ANYTHING for almost four years and why they didn’t do anything after the Rise!” Spike took a step forward. “It’s because they’re fucking cowards, that’s why! Cowards that refused to send help to a long lasting ally in their most dire time of need. Cowards that stood by and did NOTHING when I set course for Hraljord to deliver my justice upon the caribou! Cowards that let me kill them off because they were afraid of them! Fucking cowardly backstabbing bastards that were ready to surrender to Dainn just to save their sorry arses! Where are their morals!?” Spike turned his attention to his three judge friends.

“Chrysalis was trapped alongside us and despite what she tried to do in the beginning she and her changelings were key to our freedom and subsequent victory. They held the line when no one else would, THEY! An original enemy of Equestria and ponies!” He said pointing at the changeling queen.

“Empress Shifting Sands of Saddle Arabia risked her own throne when her coward of a husband did nothing. She was forced to send Sultan High Dune into vigilant-exile for treason and then risk her kingdom by preparing herself, her armada and army to come to our aid even if she couldn’t break the barrier!” He said pointing at the empress.

“General Sebastian, sent by King Blood Talons the moment the barrier fell in conjunction with the Empress to aid Equestria with half their entire army. He’s also one of the first to see the remains of the land he was sent to help!” He pointed at the griffon.

Spike took another step forward, this time creating cracks on the floor. “But the rest? Where was the grace of the cervidae? The mysticism of the zebras? The strength of the minotaurs? The power and might of the dragons? The ferocity of the ursa? The trickery of the diamond dogs?” Spike asked while glaring each of the appropriate judge with all his might, his tail dancing behind him from side to side. “Where were all of you when Equestria screamed out for help? Where were your morals then?” Spike snarled and puffed a small stream of blue fire from his nostrils.

“You were so scared of Dainn and the caribou that it never crossed your minds to unite all your strength in a single point and take the barrier down? Dainn was strong, not invincible; he had no hope of success against a force of that magnitude, specially in the early days. But no, you decided to cower behind your couches and inside your closets, just like I did,” Spike said, finally reaching the table of the judges, they only saw him take a few steps but now he was right in front of them. His white eyes blazing with hate and the lines of his scales starting to glow blue instead of white.

“I have less than a month left to live but, might I use it to make your kings and queens pay for their cowardice? A little phoenix told me some of your rulers want to try and take this chance to claim the raped Equestria for themselves. Well, sorry to disappoint them but even as we speak the griffons watch the borders and the armada of the Empress watch the seas until we can stand on our own again, proving who are our real friends,” Spike smiled baring his fangs.

“Or maybe I should make their people pay? With the time I have left I should be able to kill and devour at least a fifth of any given population by myself, even the dragons, and show them firsthand what I did to the caribou inside my ‘Fun Room’ perhaps? Should I go to Minotauria? Or maybe to the Dog Empire? I always wanted to visit the Dragon Lands. Although Cervidas has a nice weather this time of the year,” he finished right in front of the terrified doe judge. He was silent for a few moments, then his smile turned into a smirk, light stopped coming out of his body and his eyes returned to normal. “Moral decency? The caribou raped mine in ways you can’t even hope to begin to imagine, until it became what it is today. What about yours?”

Spike then returned to seat in a slow manner, sat down and sighed.

“Let it be known that while I'm the one being judged here for the unforgivable crimes I’ve committed I will pass my own judgment to your rulers. And I judge them as traitors and cowards that do not deserve the crown, tiara or whatever they wear on their heads.”

A full minute of silence followed his claim, then Spike clapped his hands together.

“Shall we continue? No? Yes? Good!” Spike cleared his throat. “Just as the fucker said two days later Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy arrived at my castle with all the legal documents naming me their new owner and master. Truth be told, I thought keeping Pinkie under check was going to be harder but after the first two weeks she seemed pretty relaxed for once, although she insisted on me drinking her mare milk every morning. Rarity was the real trouble though, going out of her way to show me she was useful and a good pet, her experience in the dumpsters really left an impression on her. Fluttershy just seemed disappointed for not having a chance to ‘play’ with her animal friends anymore. And Rainbow Dash…….I had to force myself not to tell her the truth, for her own sake. Even though she had a reputation for always fighting back and endure any kind of humiliation I could see how much she wanted to cry.”

“For three months I held the title of Marshal and, as I said before, I suffered from nightmares. My only comfort being when they were too much to handle I would grab one of the girls, ordering her to sleep with me in silence, as if they were silver collars. Mornings were the hardest part of the day, my routine expanded not just to Twilight but to the others as well, more often than not I had to force myself to fuck their brains out in an orgy. It was the fastest way. I also went out for quick walks through the rape-park, just to show them off and, of course, have them chained around my throne during visits and the like. All of that just to keep appearances, although I never let anyone else but me use them, except for Fluttershy; even then Discord came once every two weeks at best,” Spike closed his eyes and took a few slow, calming breaths before continuing.

“During that time I performed a few more tasks for Dainn, although not as important as the ones when I was a general. Also, believe it or not, me holding that new title and privileges added nothing new to the rebel efforts, except a missing caravan here and there and the likes. The real change came with Dainn himself; he would mostly summon me to attend a party or a reunion, and in every passing one he grew increasingly more and more informal with me; obviously my new position was the talk of the entire kingdom for the first month and the envy of others since the first day. His son’s really hated me for it, but they never acted on it; they were terrified of their father, no doubts about that,” Spike chuckled. “Dainn seemed to enjoy my new title more than I did, which made me curious but as long as I grew closer and closer to Dainn, it didn’t matter in the end……..or so I believed at the time.”

Spike leaned back on his seat reopening his eyes anew. “It Is at this point where what you really want to know starts. You already know where I got it but you don’t know how or what is it. Finally, you’ll know,” Spike took a deep, long breath with his nostrils; exhaling it seconds later. “It was friday, my day started as usual but I had nothing to do that day. With that in mind I decided to visit Zecora and the Three for the first time ever since becoming marshal, my visits to Zecora, up until that point, were strictly for business. I spent a few hours with her and we had a nice chat, remembering the old days and the like. Now that I think of it, I’ll have to have another chat with her about Zebrica, such a beautiful place from what she told me.”

“Anyway, after that I went to visit the Tree, to talk to it and, as usual from my part, beg it to help us. I didn’t cry that time, I just spent hours talking and letting out my frustration. When I finally returned to Ponyville it was already dark, something around nine or something. I remembered that day was Poker Night so I decided to go straight to Sweet Apple Acres. Harald and the rest of the guard already knew about my monthly ‘Pay of Respects’ to the soldiers that died during the First Invasion; which in part was technically true,” Spike went silence for almost half a minute. “The countdown began when I arrived at our now private gaming cottage.”

-----------------------------------------------------**************************************************

*Ponyville-Three years and six months into the Fall- 9:17 p.m.*

The door to the cottage opened. “Sorry I’m late everyone, I got caught up in the forest longer than I had expected,” Spike apologized while closing the entrance to the cottage with his tail. He looked inside seeing his friends already on their seats but they remained silent, not bothering to look up to him. “I’m a little late and you guys want to give me the ice law?” Spike finished with a huff taking his seat. He looked around to see his friends but they still didn’t seem to respond to him, it was then when he began to worry. “Are you guys alright?” but they didn’t answer. Looking around the large table again he noticed a seat was vacant and his blood turned to ice.

“Where’s Filthy?” Spike asked in a tone barely louder than a whisper.

Big Mac was the first to move, he turned to see Spike with an unreadable expression across his face. “Dead,” he slammed the table with a fist.

Spike glanced around the table, his friends reflecting pain and anger on their faces. “H-how? When!?” he blurted out.

“Around five hours ago,” Cranky answered. “He’d just arrived from Dodge Junction as far as we know, when all of a sudden he attacked a couple of caribou guards killing them for no real reason. The ones that were ‘round when it happened say the caribou were saying something about his dead wife,” Cranky gritted his teeth. “He got home before the guards could caught him and locked himself in his basement.”

“When Harald and his guards finally got through Rich’s basement gate, an hour later, he and all the females he had down there were found dead,” Caramel continued with a scowl. “He poisoned them and himself; he chose to take his own life and that of those mares rather than being captured by the caribou, at least he saved those poor mares, too.”

The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence, no one daring to speak any more. The rest of their night was spent playing in silence, not even when they retired for the night two hours later did they speak.

Spike made his way to his castle in a steady silent walk. When he got there he found a caribou guard waiting for him near the entrance. The stag walked up to meet him and saluted.

“Marshal, captain Harald send you the report file over the incident that happened this afternoon. The captain also ordered me to communicate his utmost apologies for not being able to capture the heretical bastard.”

Spike took the scroll the guard presented him and opened the entry to his castle. He made his way to his room, upon opening it he was soon greeted by four of the five mares resting on their dog beds already. As usual, Twilight ordered Rainbow to greet her master but the cyan pegasus, in return, just cursed at the lavender alicorn. The dragon sat on the edge of his vast bed while the two mares argued, like always. Ten minutes later he finally spoke.

“Shut up the both of you,” Spike said weakly, instantly Twilight shut up while Rainbow just huffed victorious. Spike got up, walking up to Twilight. “On all fours and turn around,” he ordered. Twilight obeyed without hesitation.

“Hhhnnnnngg!” she moaned loudly, feeling the dildos inside her pussy and butt being withdrawn. Once the dildos were out Spike removed the leash attached to her collar. He then got up and moved to Rarity’s bed, giving her the exact same orders. “Master?” she asked in confusion, usually when he did that it meant he was going to fuck her or something similar, but her master didn’t respond, instead he repeated the same actions with Fluttershy and Pinkie whilst only letting Rainbow free of her chains and cuffs while she stared back at her master in silence.

Spike signaled the mares to rise up with his right arm, they all obey his command except for Rainbow, she limited to glare at the dragon with all the hate she could muster. Spike wasn’t nearly as bad as Soarin or the dirt farms or the dumpster had been; even when said pegasus tuned down a little his punishments, and she was silently grateful for it. Spike had raped her a few times, kept her well fed and had punished her just two times for her rebellious behaviour, but the greatest difference was that for three months now nopony had hit her, not even him. But still the fact that Spike was her new owner, the one raping her when he pleased, the one that had climbed so high in the caribou reign; the same dragon she had come to count as one of her best friends made it all the worse.

“Fuck you, asshole,” Rainbow said before spitting on his face. The other four mares gasped at her insolence while Spike used his left claw to wipe it away.

“And here I was planning to let you sleep in my bed tonight for behaving nicely these past days, Dashie,” Spike grabbed Rainbow by the throat, pushing her up until she was kneeling. He then used his tail to separate her legs and with his free hand he grabbed the large dildo stuck inside her pussy and yanked it away harshly. Rainbow stifled a scream, the pain of the large object being removed so roughly soon fading away giving her abused vagina a well deserved rest. “Twilight, take this slut to the black collars room.”

“Of course, Master!” Twilight responded eagerly. “You heard Master, cunt, move it!” Twilight said taking hold of Rainbow’s leash, pulling it carelessly behind her. The cyan pegasus grunted in response, her legs still weakened from the extraction. Moments later the mares were out of the room, Spike sat back on the edge of his bed; using the time before Twilight came back to get his chestplate and cape off; tossing them aimlessly around the room.

He sighed tiredly before looking at the silent, expecting mares in front of him, all of them waiting for his command. They waited in silence until, a minute or so later, Twilight returned.

“I have returned, Master,” Twilight said with a smile. “Master, how can these stupid marecunts serve you this night?”

Spike glanced at each of the four mares, dedicating a few seconds to each of them. Following an audible gulp he got up, signaled Twilight to approach him and, once she was in front of him, he hugged her. Twilight gasped, his tender action still throwing her off balance from time to time.

“Who shall keep you company tonight, Master?” Twilight replied a few seconds later, knowing that the hug now symbolized her master’s desire to sleep with company.

“All of you,” Spike replied. “Keep me warm…….I……..I don’t want to be alone…..not tonight,” Spike said without breaking the hug.

Twilight was confused at his order but she also felt the strange need to do something for her master. She looked to her past friends and saw they all shared the same confusion as she was doing. The voice of her master was sad and lacking the confidence it always had, she felt her arms move on their own for some moments until they finally stopped. It took her a moment to notice she was returning the embrace of her master. For some unknown reason she closed her eyes and rested her head against her master’s shoulder.

Spike felt the warmth of Twilight’s naked body, and for the very first time since he first felt it, he was actually liking it. Suddenly he felt three other similar warmths embrace him from behind and his sides and closed his eyes.

No nightmares would plague his mind that night.

*The Next Morning*

Spike was sitting on his throne reading the report the guard had given him last night. Most of it was just the usual gibberish that came with each report but the bottom line, the part that mattered the most, was that the case had been treated as a secluded incident of yet another undercover Heretic. Harald put the blame of the attacks to the merchant wagons and supply caravans suffered so far entirely on Filthy’s fault; which made sense for it was Filthy whom had to see most of the shipment reports before departure. Still, Spike couldn’t help but feel the weight of losing a good friend and could only guess what really made him snap.

Maybe he was just tired and sick of everything, or maybe his last wall crumbled making him feel like he had nothing else to lose? Kinda makes sense, his daughter and almost every filly that lived in Ponyville are safe in the Central Hive thanks to him, but then what made him lose control like that? Spike thought reading through the report again. Or maybe…….maybe he just gave up? Diamond Tiara is going to be devastated when she hears what happened.

The doors opening in front of him pulled him out of his line of thought, he saw none other than Harald flanked by two guards coming up to meet him. Spike frowned, hoping everything was alright.

“Harald, to what I owe your unscheduled visit, specially one before I even had my breakfast?” Spike asked putting the scroll aside. Harald stopped a few steps in front of Spike and bowed.

“Marshal,” Harald began. “His majesty, king Dainn, sent a letter at the crack of dawn; he wishes to speak with you as soon as possible, there’s a chariot waiting for you outside as we speak.”

“Of course,” Spike got up from his throne. “Soarin!” the dragon shouted, less than a minute later Soarin came running through the right side of the throne room.

“You called, sir?”

“I’m leaving for Canterlot, orders of the great Dainn. You and your Hunters know what to do.”

“Of course, sir,” Soarin replied.

“Let’s go, Harald,” Spike said walking past the captain, the stag following the dragon closely. “Any particular reason why my king wishes to speak with me so urgently?”

“I’m afraid not, my marshal, his letter was short, clear and to the point; no reasons given as to why,” Harald said handing over the letter to Spike. “Must be important.”

“Every reason my king has requiring me to meet his presence is important,” Spike said quickly reading the letter that said, just like Harald told him, that Dainn wanted to speak with him but not why. A minute or so later they exited the castle, the fresh air of morning still hanging around the place. Spike saw the chariot that was indeed waiting a few meters away in the front lawn.

Harald helped Spike board the chariot followed by a respectful bow. “Marshal, I….I’m sorry Filthy Rich turned ou--”

“Not a word about that treacherous bastard, you hear?” Spike said taking a hold of the chariot.

“Of course, I understand, my marshal,” Harald said taking two steps back giving the chariot enough space to take off. Spike nodded to him in response.

“Fly off,” Spike ordered to the pegasi guards. Moments later they were in the air and on their way to Canterlot.

*Canterlot Castle-Forty minutes later*

The chariot landed slowly on one of the multiple landing zones scattered in the courtyard of the castle. Spike jumped down, surprised to see an escort waiting for him already just a few meters in front of him. The leading officer of the escort bowed momentarily as Spike stopped in front of him.

“My marshal, his majesty, king Dainn, is waiting anxiously for you. If you could please follow me?” the stag said turning around and marching off.

Spike limited to follow the caribou while the remaining six guards walked alongside them a good two meters away from their marshal. The walk itself was spent in silence, aside from the occasional respectful greeting of a soldier or a guard upon seeing Spike. For about ten minutes the escort guided Spike through the familiar hallways until they reached the entrance to Dainn’s chambers.

The stag that had greeted him used his magic to open the door. “His grace awaits,” he said presenting the entrance of the room to Spike.

“Thanks,” Spike replied entering the room without care or hesitation. Once inside the door shut slowly, he looked back seeing a blue shimmer covering the door.

“Sorry for calling you so early, Spike, but I need to tell you something…..personal,” Dainn said gaining Spike’s attention, his voice coming from inside his concealed bed. “Don’t worry about the door, I merely made sure no one will bother us for the time being,” the curtains concealing his bed shimmered with blue as they raised revealing a fully clothed Dainn sitting at the furthest end of the bed.

Spike noticed there were no silver collars in his bed nor he could see Luna and Celestia nearby, even his throne was nowhere to be seen. They were completely alone.

“It’s my duty to answer to your call at any moment, my king, I live to serve you,” Spike finished with a low bow. “How may I be of service this day?”

Dainn adjusted his trademark chestplate and got up, but Spike could tell there was something odd about him. His movements were slow and lacking the usual pride and security he bolstered. Still, Spike kept silent watching Dainn walk up to him.

“I got notice what happened yesterday in Ponyville, such a shame you were inside the forest paying your respects to the fallen soldiers of the Invasion; that fucking female-loving Heretic deserved to die at your claws, not by his own cowardly means,” Diann stopped in front of Spike. “How are you feeling?”

“To tell you the truth my king, I feel…….conflicted,” Spike answered with an angered undertone. “Part of me hates that traitor for betraying your might and male superiority. But the other feels sad he was a Heretic undercover; it was thanks to him that I started to climb my way in the world until what I am today,” Spike felt a heavy hand fell on his left shoulder.

“I know how you feel, my dear boy. But you can’t waste time feeling sad for Heretics and traitors,” Dainn said looking at him with a comprehensive smile.

Spike smiled back. “You’re right. Thanks, my king,” Dainn’s expression suddenly turned a bit sour and his grip over his shoulder increased a little.

“‘My king’, ‘My liege’, ‘My grace’. To tell you the truth, my boy, I hate every time you call me by any of those titles,” Dainn sighed letting go of Spike’s shoulder. “After Shining Armor, and the pink bitch, embraced the truth he told me your story. I felt….rage; genuine, absolute rage. I knew males were already blinded and corrupted by the whores that ran Equestria and the Empire, but you were different. You were the slave of not just one but all of them,” his eyes narrowed for an instant, like he was remembering something that angered him. Then he opened them and smiled. “But now they are beneath you, my boy. You hold a seat in the kingdom where all those who treated you like nothing, less than a piece of shit in the past, are forced to look up and be in awe. A place you’ve earned,” his smile faded and he turned around, his back facing Spike now and his wings flapped twice. “But I know it’s not the one you deserve.”

Dainn fell silent for a full minute then sighed, his shoulders moving down is apparent disappointment.

“None of my sons will take the throne; they’re a bunch of weak fools and they lack any sense of authority or devotion, unlike you, my dear Spike,” Dainn looked up to the ceiling. “It’s no secret I like you, Spike, but I must confess I don’t like you as a friend or as someone I can trust. Since the first moment I saw you, I knew how much you could achieve and become with proper guidance and motivation. You became my personal project and you have succeeded in every aspect I desired and more,” Dainn went silent for a few seconds. “I don’t want you to call me by those titles every other lesser being calls me, Spike. It would be my...privilege if you called me by the one thing you never had, the thing you needed the most. And, in return, you shall receive the place you truly deserve at my side.”

Dainn turned around again, his lips forming a wide, happy smile. He then hugged the stunned dragon close to him. “You are dutiful and loyal beyond question, you have not failed me once even when the odds were against you. You never put silly excuses and you take responsibility for everything. You’re strong, committed, cunning and intelligent, but you have also proven to be patient and firm when needed, the marks of a great leader. I could easily order you to accept what I’m about to ask you but I won’t do that, this has to be your decision.”

“Wh-what are you talking about, my king? I don’t understand,” Spike blurted out with some difficulty.

Dainn loosen up the hug just enough to let him look at the dragon dead in the eye. “Spike, I ask you, not as your king but as an equal male. Will you become my rightful son and heir?” Dainn felt the dragon stiffen once his question was made.

“B-but I...I...I’m not even a caribou, I...I ---your sons! I …..I can’t…..I’m not w-w-worthy to--”

“Remember Spike, it is I who decides who is worthy or not. You wouldn’t have to worry about my pathetic sons either, they will accept my command or die if they refuse,” Dainn smirked. “I gave you the title of Marshal to test how accepting the kingdom and my chiefs would be of you, the results were better than expected: everything you’ve done so far for me has been just a big test,” Dainn let go of Spike and took a step back. “I ask you again, Spike. Will you accept to become my son and my heir so that we, together as father and son, may spread the might of male superiority to the rest of Equis?”

Spike looked at Dainn, his mind didn’t go blank or his body being filled by unrelenting rage. He could only smile showing off his fangs while he felt an immense sense of relief and fulfillment coursing throughout his body.

This is it, an opening through your lies, now’s just a matter of time before I discover all your secrets you Nightmare spawned asshole!

“Yes!” he nearly shouted. He saw Dainn smile broadly and coughed. “I m-mean yes, my king, it would be the greatest of honours!”

Dainn opened his arms. “Don’t call me that again, to my eyes you are no longer a simple vassal but now an actual part of a true royal family. Come, my new son, give your father a hug.”

Spike obeyed without question and embraced Dainn as hard as he could, but the stag didn’t seem to be bothered by his strength. I promise you will pay for everything you’ve done, fucker.

For almost two minutes the two of them held their hug tightly. Dainn, reluctantly, broke the hug and stepped back, a few tears clearly running down his face; just like the tears running down Spike’s face, although the reason behind those tears were vastly different.

“I’m happy you accepted, my son,” Dainn cleaned his tears away. “And to think I was ready for you to refuse or faint again,” Spike laughed awkwardly at his statement. “Nothing to be embarrassed, my boy. But that’s not the only reason I summoned you although it was the main one,” Dainn used his magic to open a chest at the side of his bed and pull out a sealed scroll. “A week ago I received this report sent by Shining Armor. Read it,” he said putting the scroll in front of Spike.

The drake grabbed the scroll, tear off the seal and opened it. His eyes scanned the contents of the scroll, everything seemed to be just another report of a scout party lost in the Solitude Mountain,that is until he read who was leading the party. “Ulfric?” Spike asked surprised to see a general, especially one of the best Dainn had at his disposal, be sent to that forsaken place.

“I sent him to put an end to whatever was the cause of the attacks in that mountain a week previous to that report. Keep reading,” Dainn answered.

Spike, now curious, continued to read the report. According to it, Ulfric had departed with almost fifteen thousand heavily armed troops, most of them ponies but there were a few of the other ‘lesser’ races, too. Yet, to the horror and astonishment of Spike, only one had come back two days later; that one being Ulfric himself.

“Why wasn’t I aware of his mission?” Spike asked, his eyes still glued to the scroll.

“Because if you were to know about it you would’ve volunteered to go in his place; I couldn’t afford to send you without a bare minimum of knowledge to what truly lies there,” Dainn said in a neutral tone. “But now I know.”

Spike frowned when he reached the end of the report. The last words of Ulfric before he died in the hospital four days later due to his several, untreatable injuries. “‘The wind blows cold, it comes with piercing eyes. Blood lies white, a death by ice’,...........Wind blows cold? Death by ice?........ Windigoes,” Spike whispered, the scroll falling to the floor.

“Perhaps, but if there are ice demons in that mountain then that means they have the potential to become a devastating threat to us,” Dainn crossed his arms. “And we can’t allow to give them that chance. The ignorant legends of the ponies state that you can only defeat those demons with love and harmony; such stupidity. How do you destroy ice? With fire! And what fire is the most powerful?” Dainn said smiling at Spike.

“The fire of a dragon,” Spike smirked. “......When shall I depart?”

Dainn’s smile grew. “You see, my son? No doubts, no questions, no fear. The essence of a true male, just as me,” Dainn closed his eyes, his smile turning into a smirk. “You shall depart from Ponyville tomorrow at the crack of dawn. I already prepared an elite force of four hundred soldiers, they’re waiting for you at the Crystal Empire as we speak, but you’re free to bring along as many Shadow Hunters, soldiers and prepare as you see fit; you’re in charge of this mission.” Dainn opened his eyes and looking at Spike with pride.

“I know you will be victorious, but if for any reason you can’t defeat whatever creatures lie there, Windigo or not; I order you to save yourself and come back to me. Either way, there will be a crown waiting for you when you come back and then everyone will know that Dainn and Spike shall rule with the glory and truth of male superiority. Go and make me proud, my rightful son.”

Spike did a quick bow. “It shall be done…….Father,” Spike said with a smile; even though he wanted nothing more than vomit his entrails out for regarding Dainn as such.

-------------------------------------------------------------******************************************

*The Crystal Empire-The Crystal Castle Plaza- The next day- 9:35 a.m.*

Spike stood side by side with Shining Armor, both of them watching the small army that was going to depart in the next minutes. Spike could notice Soarin and Big Macintosh coordinating the troops and triple checking they had everything they would need for their trip to the mountain.

“Impressive, is it not? Dainn truly held no expenses on this one, top quality weapons, armor and coats; top of the line provisions and even a warbeast for each soldier. But considering you’re the one going after the things that lies there, it really isn’t that surprising,” Shining turned to see Spike and smirked. “Prince Spike.”

Spike rose an eyebrow. “My ki---My father told you already?”

Shining nodded. “Of course, but only me so far. He wants to wait for your return before making the big announcement.”

“Yeah, he mentioned something about that,” there was silence between them for a few moments. “I never took Ulfric for the poetic type.”

“What makes you say that?” Shining asked slightly confused.

“His last words of course, I mean, ‘Blood lies white, a death by ice’?”

Shining let out a long, loud exhale through his nose. “Those were his first, last and only words after he came back, battered and bloody. His injuries were numerous; a few broken bones, his antlers snapped off, several cuts and bruises, frostbite and frostburn marks and internal bleeding. It was a miracle he survived for an entire day specially when our healers couldn’t do anything,” Shining frowned, clamping his teeth. “The worst part was that he didn’t say a thing up until he died, he showed no pain or reaction to anything. He was paralyzed with fear, to or by what? I don’t think I want to know. Sucks to be you right now, Spike.”

“That doesn’t matter, I have a mission and I’m planning to fulfill it,” as soon as he finished that sentence he saw Soarin extend his wings while facing him, after a few wing signs he returned to his duties. “Looks like everything is almost ready,” he turned around to see the rest of the closed-for-the-occasion castle plaza with the few minutes he had left to spare.

The usual sights were there, fuck-benches scattered around, rape racks here and there, crystal statues glorifying the caribou, a massive phallic shaped statue replacing his own past statue and of course, the deep blue Crystal Cock spinning slowly below the center of the palace and between two crystal like needles. There was also a shimmering red barrier around the corrupted Crystal Heart and the needles. Spike looked up to the palace until he reached the top, seeing small tendrils of red and black coming out of it and reaching to the sky.

He focused his attention on the Crystal Cock again, pouring as much hate as he could to his unflinching eyes; while he didn’t regret doing gis bit to retrieve the Heart, Spike couldn’t help but feel that everything that had happened for three years and a half was, in part, his fault.

We stopped Sombra but he was replaced by the fucking caribou, if I had known back then all of this was going to happen, I would’ve given the Heart to Sombra, personally. And then pledge loyalty to him, all he wanted were his crystals. Spike thought grimly, his face forming a faint frown. Good thing Chrysalis and her changelings already tried destroying the damn thing. The shield is impenetrable and the Palace virtually indestructible, but we’ll find a way, there has to be a way to end the nightmare.

“A slut for your thoughts?” Shining asked at his side.

“Hurrmm?” Spike grunted in response.

“You look like you’re over thinking something, care to tell me?” Shining asked placing a hand over Spike’s shoulder.

“Nothing important Shining, it’s just that this is the first I get to see the magnificence of the Crystal Cock so close, since most of my trips here are quick or purely for business. But now I can see it and feel the energy it emits from here.”

“I know what you mean, a bit overwhelming right?” Shining chortled a bit.

“Yeah,...it is,” Spike replied his eyes still glued to the Crystal Cock. Taking a few tentative steps towards it he could feel the aura of the once Crystal Heart in full force but as he got closer he could also feel something was different. The corruption or ‘the sickness’ of course. He thought immediately.

He stopped just an arm’s reach away from the pillar of energy around the Crystal Cock and the needles, starting from the ground and up to the base of the palace. Now that he was this close he could see the thin streams of dark and red energy flowing up through the top needle. But he could also feel the energy coming from the Crystal Cock head on. He eyed the spinning phallus inside the barrier and raised a hand.

“Don’t touch the barrier!”

Spike heard Shining say behind him but he didn’t obey. With a single movement his hand made contact with the barrier. Then he felt himself being pushed back by an immense force.

“Unnffff!” Spike grunted out the moment he hit the floor. He shook his head a few times before opening his eyes; finding himself about ten meters away from the barrier.

“I told you not to do it!” Shining said angrily. “The Crystal Cock doesn’t let anyone but Dainn himself touch it!”

“Sorry,” Spike said plainly, his eyes turning to see the hand he had touched the barrier with. It was fine with no visible scorching or something similar, but Spike did feel the lingering energy fading away quickly in his palm.

I can feel the energy of the Heart, but it’s not….quite right. It feels weak and rotten, just like Chrysalis describes the corruption. But there’s also another powerful energy, a third. One I’ve felt before the Fall…..but I can’t tell what it is. Just what the fuck Dainn do to the Heart!?

“I was just a bit curious,” Spike said accepting the aid of Shining to get up.

“Serves you right, idiot,” Shining said, signaling the nearby onlookers to go away, all of them obeying instantly returning to their posts or assignments. “You alright?”

“Dandy,” Spike replied dusting off his armor. “Maybe I should begin the march to the mountain, with any luck we won’t catch a blizzard mid-way,” Spike extended his right arm to Shining. “Nice seeing you again, Shining.”

“Same here, Spike,” Shining replied taking a hold of the hand and shaking it a few times. “May Dainn smile upon you on your task, prince.”

“I know he does,” Spike said breaking their handshake. “See you soon, I hope,” he said before turning around to meet his troops and his retinue, all of them already waiting for him.

*Several hours later-Near the entrance road of the Solitude Mountain- 10:21 p.m.*

Spike sat in front of his desk littered by several scrolls and parchments. He and his party had made camp two hours ago and, thankfully, the weather was nice enough to not hit them with a blizzard; there weren’t enough pegasus in his party to hold back one if it presented. But that didn’t meant the current weather outside the tents was welcoming in the least, even without a blizzard it was cold, the winds were strong enough to push you as they pleased if you weren’t careful and one couldn’t see more than two meters ahead. Spike grabbed one of the scrolls and opened it; the contents revealing to him the number of troops he had brought with him.

Aside from the four hundred elite warriors Dainn had sent, all of them caribou, Spike had brought nearly as many from Ponyville and the surrounding garrisons, careful to take only verified Fakers thanks to changeling intel and of course his entire retinue consisting of Big Mac, Caramel, Pokey, Thunderlane, Bulk Biceps and Soarin. The last one bringing all the Faker Shadow Hunters under his command, almost a third of the entire force; around sixty of them. The rest of the Fakers, however, were unaware of his true intentions but he hoped the tables could be turned to his favor somehow if worst came crashing down on them.

Grabbing another scroll this one revealed a map covering the given routes to the search parties lost during the past three years, while also marking the path Ulfric’s army was supposed to take. The warbeasts had proven to be useful, in just one day they had covered the same distance the army of Ulfric had done in three to his best calculations. Scanning the map thoroughly he noticed that, while it didn’t pinpoint an exact route or area of attack, the most probable site for the Windigoes or the creatures to attack with greatest efficiency was on the far, unseen side of the mountain; more precisely near its base, the same spot Spike suspected Ulfric’s army had been massacred.

That thought made him stop and think of something he hadn’t thought before. He began to wonder how many of his troops, or worse, his friends, would survive a battle against whatever was in that mountain. He knew that many would die, maybe even himself, and he doubted Creslin and the liberators had anything to do with it this time. A strange yet funny realization made Spike chuckle. For the first time since he started his charade in hopes to find a weakness to kill Dainn, there was going to be no ambush, plan or help; he was going blind into a mission, his information being only what little was known about the attacks themselves. He had no idea what they would find but he knew that if there were indeed Windigoes involved, then their chances of survival were almost non-existing. And it both scared and excited him.

“Hmmmmm,” Spike hummed, the thought of him not surviving the encounter plaguing his mind. Soon enough he grabbed a quill, a piece of parchment, an ink bottle and began to write while the cold wind blowed restless outside his warm tent.

The next morning came and the small army resumed their travel, thankful that the skies were clear and the biggest weather issue was the chilly breeze. For hours on end they continued their journey safely as a group of Shadow Hunters went on ahead as a scout party. It wasn’t until around two hours past noon that they reached the point of no return, and also got to see Solitude Mountain completely instead of just distant glimpses in between other mountains. Spike signaled a full stop before jumping off of his warbeast, his friends following him soon after.

“T-that’s Solitude?” Caramel asked fearfully at Spike’s left side.

“How big is that thing?” Bulk Biceps asked staring at the strange massive grayish clouds that covered the rest (maybe even most) of the mountain, all the while keeping a slow but steady spinning motion. “I can only see the base of it.”

“No one knows fer sure,” Big Mac said in a neutral tone. “When Ah was in school Ah read that many explorers went up, none came down. Some say that after the clouds there’s some sort of maze, others that there are monsters. Who knows? That’s why the name is Solitude, coz no one tries to go up there fer almost one hundred years,” Big Mac finished with a small worrisome gulp.

“Until now,” Spike said trying to see anything past the clouds, but nothing. “The rest of the way are mostly open frozen fields until we reach the base, then we must circle around it until we find a wa--”

“At long last. You’ve come,” a soft, almost childish voice suddenly said. Its volume barely louder than a tender whisper.

“GrrraaaaAAHH!” Spike reached for his spear, instantly adopting a defensive stance while his eyes scanned the area rapidly.

“What’s going on!?” Soarin said also adopting a similar defensive stance, just like the rest of his friends and a few confused soldiers. For almost a full minute no one moved or said anything, the blowing wind being the only noise around all of them.

“Where did that voice came from!?” Spike asked still trying to find the source of said voice.

“Spike…...what voice?” Thunderlane asked dropping his stance.

Spike looked to his friends looking at him, confused. “I heard some kind of voice, it was like a whisper but I’m sure I heard it,” he replied still holding his stance.

“Are you sure it wasn’t just the wind?” Pokey asked resheeting his sword.

Spike looked around one last time before finally dropping his stance. “Must’ve been,” he turned to the soldiers behind him. “Sorry for scaring you, I guess my nerves got the better of me, he he,” he ended scratching the back of his head.

“Not a problem, marshal,” a caribou, a sergeant given the golden tokens in his antlers, said. “Your orders?”

“Mount up, we must head straight until we reach the base, circle around it and find a way up,” Spike said putting his spear in the hold his warbeast was carrying while he mounted it again.

“Of course, sir,” the sergeant gave him a quick bow. “Mount up, we move onward!”

Spike used the reins to make his warbeast move again. The following two hours of the journey spent in relative silence but he still glanced around trying to find the source of the voice he had heard. It wasn’t until the ten Shadow Hunters he had sent to scout ahead came flying towards him leaving behind black color streaks.

“My marshal!” a thestral pony dressed with a warm coat, just like everyone else, came down next to him,his wings slowly flapping in his back. “My marshal! *heavy breathing* you must come quick to see what we found some kilometers ahead!”

“Calm yourself and explain what did you find,” Spike said in a composed tone.

The thestral breath in and out for twenty or so seconds, once he was calm enough he spoke again, his eyes reflecting fear and insecurity. “W-we found the remains of general Ulfric’s army,” the bat pony swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. “I-I fail the words to describe how…..unsettling everything is. You have to see it yourself, my marshal.”

“How much further is it?” Spike asked seemingly unfaced.

The bat pony pointed to down the road in the distance. “See that curved road at the west side? At the end of it there’s a somewhat wide canyon-corridor that extends for almost a kilometer, followed by a frozen landscape that stretches as far as the eye can see. There’s a rock road beside the base of the mountain, about ten kilometers further there’s a branching path upward the mountain, next to it…….next to it lies a graveyard,” he ended gulping loudly.

“Anything else to report?”

“Permission to speak privately, sir?”

“Granted.”

The bat pony leaned to Spike’s ear and whispered. “I seriously think we should turn back, Spike.”

“Why?” Spike asked in a hush.

“That graveyard is horrible by itself, all of those frozen and impaled bodies are gross as all shit. But fuck the graveyard. I swear we all felt like something was watching us from everywhere, worst part is the cold; it feels like it’s trying to get to your bones,” there was a moment of silence between the two of them. “I….I don’t want to die here, not like them. M-my sister needs me.”

“You won’t die here, Night Stride, I promise. But we must do it, we’re almost done, just a few more pushes and everything will be fine,” Spike said in the same hushed tone, smiling warmly at the bat pony. “Can you lead the way?”

Night Stride closed his eyes and nodded. “Follow me, my marshal.”

Spike saw Night Stride fly in front of his warbeast maintaining a steady rhythm. He shot out three rapid green pillars of fire followed by Big Macintosh blowing his battle horn for a few short seconds. The speed of the warbeast increased until they were now practically leaping across the snow and ice.

Less than two hours later the group was finally reaching the graveyard Night Stride and the rest of the hunters had found, and just as he had said until now was fitting to his description, including the open fields (even though some distant mountains could be seen in the horizon) and the uncanny coldness. Spike ordered a full stop when they were a hundred or so meters away from where the path splitted in two…..and further down destroyed banners, lances and crimson colored spikes of ice stood against the blowing wind.

Spike, followed by his retinue, the commanding caribou officers and some soldiers, jumped off of his warbeast and walked towards the towering ice stakes. When they reached the border they gasped while others screamed and dropped to their knees covering their eyes. Spike felt the wind around them increase in force for a moment before he spoke.

“What the hay did this?”

He jumped down the border against the protests of his friends and walked among the frozen remains of ponies, caribou, zebras and everything else one could imagine. Most of them were impaled completely by the ice stakes, their blood giving them their crimson shade. But there were some that had been completely dismembered or frozen completely, the look on their eyes reflecting immense pain, terror and desperation from inside the ice, even those that were clearly trying to run away or cover themselves.

“Something’s not right,” Soarin said landing next to Spike.

“Yes, I also noticed,” Spike said touching a spike that had impaled a caribou through his skull and had pierced out his eye. “There aren’t enough bodies……..unless,” Spike stopped before looking back at his companion and the soldiers coming down to see the spikes by themselves. Then back to the spikes of ice and the corpses. “Unless……,” he repeated eyeing the caribou corpse in front of him questioningly.

“.......Unless……..,” Soarin said now noticing the unnatural bending angle most corpses had. He looked down to the snow. He kneeled and used his right hand to clear the snow away until a few centimeters in he felt something hard and extremely cold, the wind seemingly helping him dig out the rest of the snow. When he pulled back his hand there was enough space to reveal him a small patch of ice…..and an eye staring back at him. “FUCKING SHIT!” Soarin shouted jumping back and onto the air using his wings.

Spike looked up to Soarin and then back to the spot he had cleared. “Unless we’re standing over them!” the wind increased its force, clearing our small batches of snow. “Everyone, go up the border!” Spike said as Soarin picked him up, he landed back up the border and used his green fire breath to melt the snow creating a curtain of steam. Seconds later the wind blew away the steam revealing that most of the snow was gone, a vast ice floor replacing it. “..........”

Spike heard curses and gasps all around him while he was speechless. The ground in front of them, now completely transparent, featured several hundreds of bodies buried below the surface. He noticed that below there were several more stakes, giving him the idea that whatever did this to them used that place to put the corpses, or for worse things if the stakes were anything to go by.

“I swear by Dainn’s might I’ll kill the damn monster that did this!” a caribou shouted angrily making most of his comrades shout back in approval.

“Look at that,” Spike heard a griffon say to a unicorn pointing to somewhere below. “Isn’t that...a changeling?”

“Where!?” Spike asked moving towards them. The griffon merely pointed to the spot where, indeed, laid a changeling. Doing a quick scan nearby he was able to find a buffalo, five more changelings, two of them mares and three griffons, all of them wearing the black chitin armor of the hives. “Well, at least now we know the rebels suffered the same fate as our forces,” he said offering his respects in silence but also wondering why they had come here to begin with.

“Come to me,” said the same voice Spike had heard before but a bit louder.

Spike instantly adopted a defensive position, his claws sharp and ready to strike. Again with that voice, I’m sure I heard it this time! He thought looking around despite the odd looks his troops were giving him.

“What’s wrong with you today, Spike?” Pokey asked him walking up to him while Spike dropped his stance slowly.

“I heard that voice again. Didn’t you hear it?” Spike said making his way back to his warbeast. Pokey followed him closely with Thunderlane joining them mid-way

“I didn’t heard any voice except of our own. Did you hear anything Thunder?”

“Nothing,” Thunderlane shivered before exhaling hot breath to his hands. “Good grief, is it just me or did it suddenly got colder?” Spike took his spear.

“Yeah. A bit strange since the wind stopped blowing a minute ago,” Pokey said shivering too.

Spike turned to face the two of them. “Now that you mention it…...wasn’t it brighter, too?”

The three of them looked up to the skies, finding that the strange gray clouds high above them had not only expanded but had also become borderline black, their spinning motion increased.

“Spike?” Thunderlane asked nervously.

“Yeah?” Spike answered similarly.

“I have a very bad feeling about that.”

“No shit, Thunder,” Pokey said suddenly feeling very anxious. “Perhaps we should go back while we can,” as soon as he finished that sentence the wind began to blow once again in a tranquil way and the temperature dropped even more.

*Whhhhrrrrrroooooooaaahhhhhhh*

The entire army felt their very souls turn into ice the moment they heard that unworldly, terrifying and utterly monstrous mix between a pained moan and a screech in the distance. It echoed all around them for almost an entire minute and then, silence.

Spike, like everyone else, was trembling in fear; his legs didn’t move, his breathing was short and hollowed, his lungs felt like they would pop, his blood felt colder than ice and his mouth kept opening and closing trying to say something. A minute later a single word finally came out of his mouth.

“Windigoes.”

“Come to me,” the strange soothing voice said forcing Spike to look around until he focused on the mountain itself, beyond the concealed top of it. There, he saw for a fraction of a second a shimmering white sparkle of light. “Come to me,” the voice repeated.

“What the---” Spike began to say but was cut off by a trembling below them. He watched the pegasus, griffons and Hunters take to the skies and the look of confusion and panic many of the troops had. Then it stopped.

“What in the name of Dainn is going on!?” the caribou sergeant shouted pulling out his warhammer. “Come out you monster! Face your death!” he shouted to the skies in defiance.

His answer came only in the winds returning stronger than ever, forcing the one in the sky to land or risk being blown away. The winds continued and the trembling returned, this time stronger than ever. The warbeasts growled and roared everywhere, obviously scared out of their minds. Then the trembling stopped again but the winds persisted increasing in force, soon everyone was forced to squint their eyes just to see something.

There was a ghostly neigh around them, then a galloping noise followed by another, more powerful neigh. Suddenly a loud, deafening cracking noise was heard alongside the roars and screams of many warbeasts and soldiers clearly falling. The wind decreased enough to let Spike and the others see what had happened. His mouth hanged open when he saw a warbeast trying to hold to the icy border surface before falling into a crack.

“Holy fuck,” Thunderlane cursed seeing a now an enormous gap between them and the way back. It was at least two hundred meters from side to side while it continued into the frozen fields for kilometers to see, and who knew how deep? He saw that while all the carts were safe the rear of the army had fallen. A tenth of their numbers including the warbeasts. The nearest soldiers and warbeasts backed away. “We’re trapped.”

Spike saw four hands clinging for dear life a few meters in front of him, his warbeast had backed away without him noticing. He rushed to help the owners of said hands while Pokey and Thunderlane looked dumbfounded at the new canyon. When Spike arrived he took one of each hand without looking first. Both of them pulled at him, begging to be saved and it was now that he saw the fortunate survivors. An earth pony and a caribou. Spike narrowed his eyes and in a voice just loud enough for them to hear him thanks to the blowing wind, he said.

“Rot in Tartarus, fucker,” Spike then let go of the caribou while he still held his wrist tightly.

“Wha-unnnfffgGAAAAAA!” the caribou tried to say but a swift tail whip to his face was enough to free himself from his grip and send the stag to his death. The screams of the caribou quickly turned into echoes and then into silence.

Spike used both his hands to pick the earth pony up. The stallion was looking at him with both gratitude and surprise, but a quick wink later the stallion understood and both got up, Spike helping the stallion to make it back to Pokey and Thunderlane.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH*

Spike froze for the second time after hearing the screeching moan of the Windigoes, only this time it was twenty times louder. He felt a sudden wave of coldness so awful he thought he was going to be turned into an sculpture by it. Looking forward he saw the stunned expressions of Pokey and Thunderlane. He knew what it meant; he knew what was behind him; he knew he shouldn’t look back. But despite knowing that he turned his head abruptly just enough to see a ghostly figure; it was around three meters tall with a face resembling a malnourished, skeletal horse with a long neck thin neck. Its eyes glowing with an unnatural silver light, its body a shapeless form aside from two forelegs ending in hooves. It had swirls all over its spectral body while wind, snow and ice-shards danced violently around it. It also had the caribou he had dropped into the abyss in its mouth, although he looked more like an icicle now.

There was no doubt in his mind that the creature in front of him was, in fact, a Windigo. Without thinking he threw the stallion forward as hard as he could to were his two friends stood and turned completely to face the ice demon.

The Windigo bit down on the caribou icicle, shattering it into thousands of tiny pieces, then it let out another of its screeching moans before diving itself into the canyon; making the very ground below tremble furiously. Seconds later ice spikes emerged rapidly and violently from the ground in random locations, impaling without discrimination whatever was unfortunate enough to be on their way. Only then did the screams began.

“Come to me,” he heard the voice repeat. Momentarily surprised that he could hear it so clearly despite the wind and the screams and cries of everyone in behind him. He turned around again and looked up to the mountain, managing to see the same glimmer of light just for a split second.

“Let’s get out of here!” he heard someone shout in midst of the chaos snapping him out of his line of thought.

Spike looked at his left and saw a small group of twenty or so ponies and caribou, all of them atop their warbeasts running to the still present rock-road. Just as they were about to reach it the trembling stopped and the Windigo emerged from the ground, right behind the fleeing group. It screeched at them before letting out a torrent of shining mist out of its mouth. He could hear the faint noise of something freezing extremely fast and then the mist was gone thanks to the wind; it revealed white frozen statues of that entire group.

The Windigo moved toward it and using its forelegs it smashed them into dust. It began to use its ice breath on the road, putting its focus on the road for the time being. Using that momentary distraction he glanced around to find, much to his displeasure, that while the canyon blocked their retreat, there were a forest of ice stakes encircling them, all of them at least two meters high with several smaller thorn-like spines coming out of them.

Even the path up the mountain had them; they were effectively trapped and at the mercy of the Windigo.

Spike frowned and clenched his fangs, feeling a sudden surge of anger and dread rising up from his stomach. He knew this time nothing would save them; the Windigo killed without discrimination. He understood the grave situation he was in and if he didn’t do anything then he and his friends would die.

I’ve not come this far to die like this! I won’t let that everything I’ve done be in vain! Spike thought while his legs began to run toward his screaming, panicked and broken troops.

“Now’s our chance you idiots!” he shouted as loudly as he could casually breaking an ice stake with one powerful punch. “Get up and form up, battle ready warbeasts up front and lancers behind, NOW!” he roared but his troops barely moved. “I SAID NOW!” again practically no one moved, they were too frightened.

Spike roared in frustration and turned to glare at the Windigo still focused on its job. He clenched his spear and his eyes snapped open. He looked down to it and then back at the Windigo, he repeated the motion a few times before taking in a big breath, he put the metallic head of the spear in front of him and then he breathed out a stream of orange fire for several seconds. When he was done the head of the spear was red-hot; making hissing noises and steam when snow made contact with it.

The dragon looked up to the Windigo seeing it finish creating a thick wall of ice over the only escape route. He gripped the spear bringing the handle over his right shoulder, gripping it tightly while he aimed at his target. Then he took three rapid steps forward and released his spear.

The spear soared through the air hissing violently. The Windigo turned to look to the rest of its victims when the spear made contact with its body passing through it effortlessly.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH!!*

The ice demon let out another one of its screathing moans, this time filled with what Spike could only describe as pain. The Windigo trashed, writhed and squirmed in the air before dropping to the ground; rolling around screeching in horrid agony.

The screams of the soldiers stopped and all eyes focused on their marshal.

“FORM UP NOW! We can kill that thing, your Marshal is with you! Fight onward to avenge all our fallen brothers! For male superiority!” he shouted and several seconds later he was greeted by cheering and shouts of victory. “Form up, warbeast in the front and lances behind, take that bastard out!”

With their spirits back on track his orders were followed without exception. The caribou ridders positioned themselves and the warbeasts while pony soldiers formed behind them. It was difficult to maneuver thanks to the ice spikes that the Windigo had summoned, even more so by seeing the poor unfortunate victims of said spikes, but still they managed to form just in time when the Windigo stopped its screeching and rose to the air again.

It had a hole in its chest that was slowly closing and its eyes were shining even more than before. It was angry.

“FIRE!” Spike shouted, a second later the entire first line of warbeasts let out a stream of fire directly and the Windigo.

It neighed loudly, its mane swirling behind him without control. The wind increased in force before it breathe out a massive ice cloud. The two opposing elemental forces clashed creating steam for the first few seconds before, to the incredulous surprise of everyone that could see it, the ice cloud of the Windigo came through the fire of the warbeasts and in less than five seconds it came crashing down the entire first line of warbeasts and their riders. The steam cleared out quickly, revealing nothing but frozen statues.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH*

Spike looked to the skies to find the Windigo had already moved above them, it let out another ice cloud that fell quickly over them. Spike clenched his fists, took the biggest breath of air he had ever taken and then let out an equally massive stream of green fire up to stop the one made by the Windigo.

The two streams clashed creating another wall of steam, only this time Spike’s fire wasn’t pushed back. The exchange lasted for several second until Spike fire stream suddenly pushed upward, almost like there was no more resistance. Spike cut out his fire before he heard the Windigo neighing behind the steam cloud their breaths had created.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH*

It screeched again before a tornado came crashing down the second line of the army. Everyone began to run away screaming their lungs out or was absorbed by the tornado, frozen almost instantly and then shattered into dust. Spike saw as the Windigo descended in the middle of the tornado, its eyes glued on him.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH*

The Windigo let out the loudest and most powerful screeching moan so far before the tornado stopped and it launched itself towards Spike. Those unfortunate enough to be in its way were turned to ice upon contact with its body, including those that tried to use their weapons against the spectral being. The Windigo was almost in front of its prey when it opened its mouth, ready to deliver an icy end to him.

Spike, for his part, narrowed his eyes, took a relaxed breath of air and then let out a thin but rapid stream of green fire against the incoming Windigo. The ice demon’s eyes snapped open when it saw the fire coming towards it. It moved to dodge but it was too close to the dragon and the fire was too fast.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH!!!*

The Windigo screeched in pain as it drifted to the sky instead. The fire had hit it in its left foreleg ripping it apart. Spike saw the severed leg of the Windigo twitch in front of him before it turned to ice and then into dust. He looked up to the Windigo wailing around the air before it came crashing down upon the ice stakes it had created blocking the way up to the mountain. Spike smiled and let out another stream of fire towards it but the Windigo dodged it by mere inches. It shot a glare to Spike and Spike shot a glare back at it. The Windigo let out one final, powerful, defying screeching moan and then flew away up into the distant clouds.

There was only wind for almost an entire minute until it began to die down, the clouds became grey once again and the coldness carried by the Windigo dissipated. Spike instantly fell to his knees, his breathing rapid but tranquil.

“Come to me,” the voice repeated yet again. A voice only he could seemingly hear. He looked up to the re-opened path leading up the mountain. “Seek me,” the voice said in the same, soothing tone that filled his heart with something far more precious than all the gems in the world. Hope, true hope.

Spike saw a red hand suddenly appear in front of him, he looked up slightly to find Big Macintosh. He smiled and took the hand that helped him get back to his feet.

“The Marshal saved us!” someone shouted amidst the surviving troops and then the cheering, chantings of victory and thankful prayers erupted all around the place.

“The monster is defeated!” a griffon shouted taking to the air, now calm and quiet. There was more cheering but it was quickly stopped by Spike.

“Shut up everyone!” Spike shouted ordering calm. “The Windigo was not defeated, I was only able to injure it and only because of luck, I had no idea my fire could hurt it! Furthermore, that was just ONE Windigo, what happens if there are more around?” the soldiers merely began to whisper and murmur between themselves, all of them clearly frightened by his statement. “Now be useful and search for survivors and injured before that thing decides to come back and finish us!” with that threat in mind the soldiers began to move around preparing their weapons, checking the carts and the equipment and search for survivors, if there were any to begin with.

Spike glanced past Big Mac and into the distant clouds covering the mountain.

“What are yah lookin’ at, Spike?” the red stallion asked casually.

“.........I’m going up to the mountain,” Spike stated without looking back at the stallion.

Big Mac was agape for an instant. “Are yah crazy!? Why!?” Big Mac shouted in outrage making the rest of their friends approach them.

“What’s going on?” Thunderlane asked holding the stallion Spike had tossed over his shoulders.

“This fool wants tah go up the friggin’ mountain!” Big Mac said angrily making the rest of his friends and the stallion look at Spike like he was stupid.

“Come,” Spike said walking away and towards the mountain path. “Soarin, go and tell the Hunters to come, I need to tell you all something.”

“Right,” Soarin replied before flying away.

“What about him?” Caramel asked pointing at the dazed stallion Thunderlane was carrying.

“Bring him, too.”

Five minutes later Spike was standing about a hundred meters away from the rest of the army surrounded by his friends and the Hunters, fortunately none of them had died. Spike turned to face the stallion he had saved and smiled warmly.

“Don’t worry, you’re among friends,” Spike said calmly.

“S-sir? A-are you like….me? A….a Heretic?” the stallion said in a low pitch wheezing tone of voice.

“We prefer Fakers, if you don’t mind. But yes, I am and so everyone else gathered here; that also includes the rest of the non caribou soldiers,” Spike replied, the stallion began to tear up and his mouth to quiver. “You’re not alone, my friend.”

“B-but you’re the Marshal,” the stallion said back with tears flowing down his eyes.

Spike visibly grimaced at that. “A position I’ve gained with many, unforgivable sacrifices. All in hopes to find a way to kill the fucker king. What is your name?”

“S-steel *sniff* Tree, sir.”

“Can you do me a favor?” the stallion nodded once. “I need you to keep what I just told you a secret for now?” the stallion looked up, laid still for a few second and then nodded again. “Thank you, and don’t fret, Steel Tree, the fall of the caribou is nearing, we just have to be more patient. We will have our justice.”

“For Equestria,” the rest of the stallions present whispered at the same time.

Steel Tree cleaned up his tears and asked Thunderlane to let him stand on his own. “W-what must I do now, sir?”

“For now return and get your equipment ready to leave and remember, not a word to anypony or anyone. I’m trusting you here, don’t let me down.”

“Don’t worry *sniff*, sir. I won’t say anything.”

Spike nodded satisfied with his answer. Steel Tree saluted before making his way back with the rest of the army, stumbling to side to side every so often. Once he was out of ear range Spike turned to see his fellow Fakers.

“Ok, now that that’s over, can you please tell us why you want to kill yourself going up that Tirek damned mountain?” Pokey asked crossing his arms.

Spike closed his eyes and took a slow, long calming breath. “Come to me,” he heard the voice again before opening his eyes with determination.

“I’m hearing a voice calling and urging me to go up the mountain,” he said making his friends look at him confused. “I don’t know what it is or what is making it or why I’m the only one that is hearing it, but whatever it is I have to find it.”

“Why would you risk yourself like that after all you’ve done so far, Spike? Just because you hear something we can’t you want to throw away our best chance to end this fucking nightmare!? Why!?” Caramel asked holding Spike by his shoulders, his expression a mix of hurt, anger and confusion. “Why after all we’ve done?”

Spike placed his own arms over Caramel’s shoulders and glanced quickly at the rest of the group around him. “I don’t know, but now I feel something in my chest pulling me towards the mountain. A sensation of hope,” there was a moment of silence. “What if…...what if up there lies something we can use against Dainn and the caribou? What if the Windigo is here to protect whatever is calling me?”

“Listen to yourself for a moment, Spike,” Bulk Biceps said in a serious tone. “You are putting your hopes in a what if. What if you’re wrong and you end up dying up there? What would be of us and every poor female in your castle?” another moment of silence passed.

“But what if I’m right?” Spike asked to no one in particular. “What if I find something up there that can help us?”

“And what about you?” Soarin asked in a solemn tone.

“What happens to me doesn’t matter as long as we achieve victory, no matter what the price I have to pay is,” Spike smiled. “Besides, I prepared a few things yesterday in case I died today,” he reached the inside of his armor, a moment later he pulled out a couple of letters. “Soarin, back in the Wasteland you asked me if I had a plan for Twilight and the others. My answer lies in one of these letters. Besides, if we all go back now then the Windigo come to attack us, maybe bringing some friends with it and then we will all die.”

“I understand that but we don’t know if the Windigo will come back for us after what you did to it,,” Soarin said in the same tone. “But I still don’t see why are you so insisting on going up the mountain alone.”

“Who said I’m going alone?” Spike replied darkly. “I’m taking around fifty or so of those fuckers with me. They’ll be perfect distractions if anything happens.”

“And if nothing happens? Let say you find something up there, what about them? You won’t be able to fight them all yourself,” Pokey said placing a hand on Spike’s left shoulder. “Spike, you’ve done more than all of us combined. If you want to go up there just because of a hunch…….I won’t stop you, I trust you enough to know you’re doing it for a good reason; even if I don’t understand it,” Pokey smirked. “But what kind of friend would I be if I let you go without help?”

“Don’t be a show-off, Pokey! We all are Spike’s friends!” Thunderlane said hitting Pokey with his elbow in a playful manner. “Besides, if you’re going with him then I will go, too.”

“And so will I!” Caramel said with a bright smile.

“Yeah!” Bulk Biceps eagerly half-shouted while Soarin and the Hunters nodded.

“Eeyup, Ah still think you’re crazy fer what yah want tah do, but I’m with yah,” Big Mac said, his eyes closed in deep thought.

“You guys…...No, I can’t let you throw your lives away like that!” Spike said but no ones replied, the fire in their eyes told him their decision was made. “I….I need you to return to Ponyville.”

“Won’t happen,” Soarin chuckled. “If you’re crazy enough to go up there then we will follow you, as always.”

Spike felt a hot, warm feeling inside his chest that had nothing to do with his fire. He closed his eyes and let out a chortle. “I won’t talk you out of it, am I?”

“You’re not the only stubborn one here, purple ass,” Thunderlane said making the group share a quick laugh.

Spike opened his eyes, his lips curling into a sad smile. “Thank you, my friends. But I can’t risk all of you with me up there,” he was about to continue when he noticed a caribou in heavy, fur armor approaching; once he was near enough Spike turned to face him. “What is it?”

“My Marshal,” the caribou saluted. “I have the preliminary damage report if you want to hear it,” Spike nodded. “We have an estimate casualty count of one hundred and thirty elite heavy units, two hundred light soldiers and about five hundred los warbeasts. Incredibly, there are only three injured with minor wounds and all our carts and provisions have been spared,” the stag finished his report. “Do you have any further orders, my marshal?”

“Tell sergeant Thotkin to gather his fifty strongest and bravest heavies and that they each must carry enough provisions, warmth runes and ; they shall accompany me up the mountain to hunt down the Windigo. The will of Dainn shall be done.”

The stag gulped but saluted in response nonetheless. “What about the rest of the army, my marshal?”

Spike glanced at Soarin. “Tell Thotkin that commander Soarin will lead you back to the Crystal Empire. Soarin will speak with my authority and you must obey all his orders, except if those orders are meant to stop your march in any way. The Shadow Hunters will also return with him; now go and inform Thotkin,” Spike ordered shoving the stag away with a wave of his hand. The stag saluted before running back to deliver the message.

Once the stag was far away enough Soarin spoke up. “That was an unfair move, Spike,” the pegasus said with a hint of annoyance.

“Sorry Soarin, everyone, but I really need you back at Ponyville if…..if I…..if we don’t come back,” Spike said before turning to Big Mac. “Caramel, Pokey, Thunder, Bulk, if you’re completely sure about following me I won’t object, but keep in mind that we may die before we find whatever is calling me up there; if there is anything at all to begin with,” The four stallion shared a look between each other and nodded. “I promise I’ll try my best to protect you from whatever comes at us, even against the Windigo.”

“Don’t worry about us, Spike. Just make sure that if we die you’ll take a few antlers on our names, will ya?” Bulk Biceps said with a broad smile and an almost forced laugh.

“Big Mac, can you please stay with me for a moment? The rest of you can return to check your equipment and prepare for the journey back. Soarin, make sure these four morons have everything ready for the trip up,” nopony said anything and instead made their way back to prepare themselves either for the trip back or the trip up the mountain.

“What do yah want me tah do, Spike?” Spike didn’t respond, instead the dragon handed him a letter with a golden ‘S’ emblem sealing it. “What’s this?”

“Once you get back to the Empire tell Shining that me and some soldiers are hunting the Windigo and that it should take no more than three days to achieve victory. You, on the other hand, must wait for only two days, if by then we’re not back; assume the worst and return to Ponyville with Soarin and the Hunters. Say I ordered it before I sent you back,” Spike said before pointing at the letter. “That letter will grant you emergency forty eight hour long powers entitling you to my castle, all the females residing in it; including the girls and command over the Shadow Hunters until I come back . Once you arrive give it to that bastard of Harald or to Gunne and you’ll have full clearance,” Spike handed him over another letter,this one without a seal.

“This letter is for Chrysalis. Give it to Yog, Cranky knows whom amongst the rest of the Hunters is he; tell him to deliver it as fast as he can to her. Everything inside is invisible unless put against a proper light Chrysalis uses. Inside, it explains what’s going on, why I sent her that letter and the exact location of the Tree of Harmony,” Big Mac gasped taking a step back.

“Y-you found it? For how long and why didn’t yah tell anyone about it?”

“I couldn’t risk it, Big Mac. If my search leads me nowhere or ends up killing me that’s our best hope for freedom,” Spike’s expression turned apologetic. “I’m sorry I kept it a secret, but now that I have the rest of the girls with me and with Applejack already free the Tree might react again, free them from the brainwash and grant them the power they used to defeat Tirek. Do you understand?”

The red stallion remained silent for almost an entire minute before he sighed. “Ah understand,” Spike placed his free hand over his right shoulder for a moment or two before handing him a third letter.

“That’s for you, you’ll know what to do when you read it,” Spike handed the fourth and last letter to Big Mac. “And that one is for Twilight and the girls, give them the letter only if the Tree or by some miracle they’re freed from the brainwash,” Spike sighed slowly, his throat suddenly feeling dry and raspy. “It…..it’s an apology and….and a goodbye…..I….I just…….I….I hope it’s enough but….I….---”

His senseless rambling was broken by the red stallion that hugged him tightly.

“Ah understand, Spike.”

Spike returned the hug, mentally preparing himself for the journey he had set himself just minutes before.

“Seek me. Find me. Come to me.”

------------------------------------------------************************************************

*Three Days Later -Morning-*

“How close are we?” Caramel asked inside the private tent of Spike, sitting alongside his friends eating their dry breakfast. “To the voice, I mean,” he clarified before taking a bite of his small piece of bread.

“Close, I hope. That voice is getting louder and louder each time it speaks to me. I wish it said something beside ‘Come to me’ or ‘Seek me’.” Spike replied casually. “It’s starting to get annoying.”

Pokey huffed. “At least it’s guiding us through this garnish mountain; it’s cold, we can’t see more than a hundred meters in front of us thanks to the clouds or mist or whatever the shit outside is and, of course, those brutish gorillas.”

“Yetis,” Bulk Biceps corrected.

“Whatever,” Pokey said rolling his eyes. “Kinda thankful we brought those fuckers along.”

“Hate to admit it but you’re right; those yetis didn’t stand a chance against them, even with this cold. Not even one of them has died yet,” Thunderlane said from where he was laying.

“Kind of makes it scary to think they were utterly destroyed by a Windigo but held their ground without problems against yetis when you think about it,” Caramel said. “Speaking of which, I’m glad we haven’t come across that monster.”

“Yet,” Spike said eating the last bit of his meal. “I’m certain it will come after us sooner or later,” he sighed. “I hope everything is going well for them.”

“How do you know the Windigo didn’t attack them on their way back?” Bulk Biceps asked.

“I don’t. I just hope they made it back and our friends are safe and sound in Ponyville, at least for a little longer,” Spike stretched his arms until his joints popped. “Thank you, for coming with me.”

Thunderlane chuckled. “Think nothing of it, after all, what are friends for, right?”

“Yeah,” Spike smiled nostalgically before crawling out of his small, private tent. Once outside he was welcomed by steady winds, poor vision, barely any sunlight and five bigger tents at least twenty meters away from his own. He got up, already wearing his fur armor and his chestplate, and made his way towards said tents. Reaching the nearest one he abruptly opened and saw the stags almost set to go,all of them saluted Spike quickly. “We leave in five minutes,” he said before closing the tent.

Three minutes later the tents were packed all fifty five strong group was ready to continue their journey in the ‘hunt’ for the Windigo. Spike closed his eyes, waiting for the voice to speak.

“Come to me,” the voice said as expected. He had figured out that if he relaxed the voice would speak to him, even though it wasn’t the rule it worked most of the time when needed. He also felt some sort of tug inside his chest pulling him onward and a little to the right.

“We go that way,” he half shouted thanks to the blowing, pointing a finger to their next direction. Without anything else to wait for the group began to move once more up the mountain. Getting down is going to be the tricky part, especially with so many of those fuckers around. Spike thought looking glancing back to the caribou heavies just two meters behind him and his friends.

For the next four hours they kept on walking, often changing their direction just a little bit. It wasn’t until Thunderlane came to an abrupt halt that they stopped.

“You hear that?” Thunderlane asked to no one. “Sounds like something’s coming our way.”

“Yeah, I hear it too,” Bulk Biceps said. “Everyone, weapons out,” he said back to the caribou behind him. All weapons thankfully equipped with warmth runes to prevent them from freezing but even then they were still fairly cold yet useful. Seconds later everyone began to hear something definitely coming their way, fast.

Around twenty seconds later a large group of yetis could be seen charging to their direction. Spike shouted to take positions as the first yetis were just fifty meters away from them. He pulled the spear from his back and puffed out a cloud of smoke in defiance. The yetis were about twenty meters away from collision when he noticed two things. One, they weren’t snarling or shouting as the previous yetis that had attacked them. And two, the yetis spread to the sides just enough to pass at their sides without trouble or posing any threat to them at all.

For the longest time the group saw at least a hundred or so yetis run down the mountain, none of them even looking at their way with their ugly faces and three eyes.

Spike was bewildered at the strange behaviour of the yetis. Three and a half meters tall creatures stronger than bulls, their grayish hides thick and sturdy; perfect to camouflage themselves in the snow. Their long teeth resembling more like fangs and their sharp claws that made them a terrifying foe to fight against. The yetis were also extremely territorial and aggressive, but right now they seemed to be running away.

But from what? Spike thought for a moment.

“Curse this damnable weather! It’s colder than just a moment ago!” a stag complained pulling another warmth rune out of his hidden pocket.

Oh…..fuck. Spike thought, a sudden feeling of dread washing over his entire body while his heart began to pump faster and harder. A quick glance to his friends revealed they were pretty much in the same position.

A sudden gush of wind forced them to close their eyes and cover their faces. The wind lasted for just a few seconds but when it calmed down the ambient was noticeably colder. A cold they had felt three days earlier. Spike opened his eyes and focused on the spectral, three meter tall figure floating in front of them about thirty meters away. The silver eyes locked on Spike while the half missing left foreleg danced randomly in the breeze.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH*

The Windigo let out a powerful and long screeching moan as it came charging towards them. Spike didn’t waste any more time and breathed a thin stream of fire, much like the one he had used to cut the foreleg of the Windigo. The Windigo, in return, moved to its right just in time to dodge the fire stream and dove into the snow, disappearing from sight.

“Spread out!” Spike shouted snapping his troops away from their momentary fear induced stun. The stags obeyed his order and seconds later they had their weapons ready to face the ice demon once again. For several seconds everyone remained still, waiting for the Windigo to re-emerge from the snow. Their wait wasn’t long.

“Arrrggggggghhhh---grulllgg---!” Spike turned around the instant he heard the pained scream of a caribou. He saw the stag now at least four meters in the air held by the Windigo; two small ice pikes piercing through his stomach and mouth. The Windigo loudly, the sound eerily resembling a cold, heartless laugh. Then it tossed the corpse of the stag away before dodging another fire stream coming from the dragon.

It dove right above two stags; the stags themselves tried to move away but weren’t fast enough; the Windigo passing through them turning them into ice statues. Many began to scream out curses or threats of revenge to the ice demon. The entire group felt the snow they were standing on move a little. Almost everyone moved away or ran at the sides spreading themselves further. but four unfortunate caribou were too slow to evade the sudden eruption of icy mist that turned them most of their bodies into white ice.

The Windigo emerged through its most recent victims shattering their white body parts into dust, leaving behind only pieces of meat or one or two appendages.

“You cock-sucking monster!” a stag ran towards the Windigo from behind; his warhammer held high and ready to hit it. The ice demon flexed its entire body back and grabbed the stag by his head with its mouth, then the Windigo flexed again in a rapid motion tearing the now frozen head of the stag away from the rest of his body; the Windigo bit down the head shattering before neighing and flying up just in time to dodge another fire stream from the dragon.

“Dammit,” Spike cursed holding a hand against his chest plate, his breathing shallow and broken.

“What’s wrong!?” Bulk Biceps asked coming to his side as the Windigo created a tornado catching a small group of caribou in it.

“Too cold *heavy breathing* can’t make *heavy breathing* enough fire *heavy breathing* chest hurts,” Spike said with obvious difficulty.

“Then we’ll keep it distracted!” Pokey said shooting a bolt of magic against the Windigo, doing absolutely nothing to it. “Your fire is the only thing that seems to hurt that horrid thing!”

“But-” Spike tried to protest but was cut off by Bulk.

“Don’t care what happens to us! We came up knowing we could die,” Bulk gave the purple dragon a thumbs up. “Let’s show that monster what we are made of! YEAH!” he shouted as he charged to the Windigo and the struggling caribou, his other three friends following close behind him leaving Spike alone.

Spike saw as the Windigo breathed mist over the caribou turning one or two of them into white ice each time, still, the caribou were putting up a fierce fight. They had nowhere to flee and thus their survival depended on beating the ice demon. Pokey kept firing magic bolts at it trying to gain its attention, his response coming in a blast of mist or neigh. Since Thunderlane and Bulk couldn’t fly in these conditions they resorted to taunt and shout at the monster alongside Caramel; Thunderlane went far enough to throw his spear to it but the Windigo didn’t even noticed it. As he saw the battle in front of him Spike focused on collecting enough fire inside his chest to use against the Windigo.

Half a minute passed and another five caribou casualties later he felt he had enough fire to use once again. Spike charged up to the group ready to attack the Windigo, unfortunately for him, the Windigo took notice of him and dove back into the snow for just a couple seconds before it emerged practically in front of him making Spike stop abruptly and fell to the snow.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH*

Spike heard the Windigo screech before he rolled to the side just in time to avoid the Windigo diving where he had been a mere second ago. He got back on his feet quickly with the aid of his tail and breathed his precious fire below him, instantly creating a cloud of steam.

The Windigo emerged through the steam cloud a moment later, a frozen piece of chest plate held in its mouth. Suddenly a stream of fire pierced through the steam and hit the Windigo in its chest.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH!!!*

The Windigo whailed in agony in the air with a hole on its chest; the wind increasing in force and speed. It continue to screech to the heavens for a few seconds before diving into the snow while at the same time the steam cleared out revealing Spike kneeling with one leg holding his now bare chest with one hand.

“Why isn’t the armor working!” a stag shouted. “Whatever magic that monster is using should be useless against our might!”

“That’s because it’s not magic, you fucker! It’s a Windigo, who knows what the fuck it’s using?” Pokey shouted back at whatever caribou had said that.

“What did you just called me, you piece of pony shit!?” the stag shouted glaring at the only unicorn in the group.

Before Pokey, his friends or the rest of the caribou could react or move, the Windigo re-emerged behind the group inside a tornado. It neighed loudly at them, the silver glow in its eyes increased as dozens of large, sharp ice-shards formed around it; more and more of them forming as time went on in just a matter of seconds. When the Windigo stopped neighing, less than twenty seconds later, there were so many ice-shards it was difficult to see anything past the curtain of ice it had created; a second or two of silence passed between the group and the ice demon just exchanging gazes. The Windigo let out a low, short screech before the ice-shards were catapulted towards them.

“Oh, fuck me,” the nearest caribou to the Windigo whispered to himself seeing the shards fly towards him and the rest of the group. One shard hit him right in between his eyes killing him instantly.

Spike got up quickly, using the time that had passed to gather as much fire as he could inside his chest. “Get down!” He shouted before he breathed out a cloud of orange fire against the ice-shards, turning them into steam instantly. Faster than he would’ve liked, his fire ran out and he was forced to stop. He saw his cloud of fire extinguish quickly and the remaining ice-shards rained upon them. Spike saw Pokey use his magic to create a small barrier around himself and the rest of his friends while he limited to cover his face with his arms.

Spike felt several shards hit him but thankfully for him his scales were thought enough to stop them; although the force which the shards made impact did hurt him. When the shards ceased to fall he uncovered himself to find the Windigo charging towards the barrier his friends were in.

“Come to me.”

He breathed out what little fire he had gathered at the Windigo, the small stream of fire hitting the ice demon square in its face as it was about to reach them.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH!!!*

The Windigo let out a chilling screech of pain while it fell backwards to the ground. There it convulsed for a few moments; its screeches never ceasing. Then it got up to the air again, almost the entire left side of its face and mane gone. It screeched directly at him before flying away. As it disappeared the wind finally stopped for the first time since the beginning of their climb.

Spike got up shakily while holding his chest. He looked around finding that aside from him and his friends not a single caribou were still alive. There were no moans of pain or anything of the sort; just the blowing wind and a pile of caribou corpses. He sighed in relief.

“BULK!”

Spike looked at his friends when he heard the scream of Caramel, the barrier was gone and his friends were struggling to keep the bulking stallion on his hooves. No, no, NO! the drake shouted inside his head while he ran towards them. Upon reaching them Caramel took off his back coat and extended it over the snow while Pokey and Thunderlane laid Bulk Biceps carefully on it. Spike saw a shard of ice sticking out of his chest and another out of his left thigh. His breathing was ragged and was getting weaker and weaker.

“M-my barrier wasn’t strong enough,” Pokey began. “Bulk, you idiot! Why did you do it!?”

“W-w-what are friends*cough* for, r-r-remember?” the white pegasus smiled for a moment. “Arrgggg!”

“Bulk!” Caramel shouted again grabbing his right hand tightly. “Hold in there!”

“I...I guess...t-this is as far as I g-go….”

“Don’t speak like that!” Caramel said back, a scowl adorning his face.

“It….it feels cold…….inside….,” Bulk said before coughing a cloud of white dust. “P-promise me….y-y-you’ll free….Fe-Featherweight……..pro-promise me……,” the white pegasus said, his voice getting weaker with each word.

“Of course, whatever you want! Just don’t d-die….please,” Thunderlane said with tears in his eyes.

Bulk Biceps smiled before setting his gaze on Spike. His smile broadened as his eyes turned blue, his last breathe became a cloud of white dust and ice began to cover partially his face.

The four remaining friends wept in silence for a long moment.

“Come to me. Seek me,” Spike heard the voice say in its unchanging tone.

“Let’s go,” Spike said placing a hand over Caramel. “We can mourn Bulk properly when we get back.”

Caramel looked up to Spike. “And leave h-his *sniff* body here to freeze with these fuckers!?” asked angrily.

“There’s n-nothing we can do for him now, Caramel,” Pokey said standing up. “We knew this could happen; now’s not the time to chicken out.”

“I…...I know, I just…..….I know,” Caramel said accepting the hand of Spike to get up.

“Come on, the sooner we find whatever is calling me the sooner we leave if we can even find it,” he said solemnly, saying the last part inside his head. “But you’re right, we can’t leave him among filth,” Spike admitted before ducking down and grabbing the arms of the now frozen Bulk Biceps and pull lightly. His friends quickly began to help him pull up the corpse of their fallen comrade up into the mountain. For more than five hundred meter they pulled. “This is all we can do for you, I promise your sacrifice won’t be in vain, Bulk,” Spike swore to the permanent smiling face of Bulk.

The wind began to blow lightly once more. Making sure their packs were tightly secured the four surviving members of the group continued their path onto the unknown.

*One hour and a half later*

Spike lead the way while his friends followed him close by, neither of them speaking since they left the body of Bulk behind except for the occasional ‘This way’ from Spike.

“Come to me. You are near,” Spike heard the voice say, the pulling on his chest increasing in strength.

“It says we’re near,” Spike said stopping for a moment, looked around and then continued his march changing direction a little to the left. “This way.”

“I was beginning to fear you were just crazy, purple ass,” Thunderlane said followed by a chuckle from his friends.

“To be honest, I was starting to fear the same, señor cough,” Spike replied earning two good laughs from Caramel and Pokey.

“I got sick once, once!” his friends simply kept laughing.Thunderlane grumbled. “I’m never going to hear the end of that, am I?”

“Not by a long shot you won’t,” Pokey said pulling the pegasus close. They remained like that for a almost an entire minute. “But it sure brings back good memories, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, it does,” Thunderlane replied nostalgically. “Wish we had brought more of those warmth runes, it’s starting to freeze--- OH SHIT!” Thunderlane suddenly shouted making the other three stop dead on their tracks. “That damn monster is back!”

“Where!? I can’t see it!” Spike said while the four of them pressed their backs against it each other forming a square formation facing out; his chest filled with fire and ready to breath it. Eventually, after a minute of nothing but blowing wind and falling snow the group began to relax.

“Sorry,” Thunderlane apologized. “It’s just that it got colder and….well, it showed up when it did,” he put down his warmth enhanced rune sword. “Can’t believe I was so stupid! It doesn’t even feel like my lungs are trying to become ice cubes.”

“It’s okay, Thunder,” Caramel said sheathing his own sword. “I was close to shouting that myself when I felt the air getting colder,” the earth pony sighed heavily. “We’re starting to get paranoid, but then again, it is a real Windigo we are dealing with.”

“Yeah, no kidding. And as you said, Spike, it’s just one of them, can you imagine what a dozen, a herd or a hundred of them could do?” Pokey said looking at Spike. “Would be nice to have something like that on our side.”

“Maybe, but it is too dangerous to try that. Especially after what it did to Bulk,” Spike said sadly. “For now, we should focus on moving on,” the three stallions agreed.

The group resumed their march when after only advancing ten steps there was an explosion of snow ten meters in front of them. They draw their weapons (Spike raised his claws) ready to face their new opponent, but their blood ran cold and their hearts pumped faster when they saw the Windigo floating in front of them once again. It was still bearing the ‘wounds’ Spike had made on it from their previous encounters.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH*

The Windigo screeched at them before it stomped the ground with its only hoof creating several ice stakes from the ground going directly at them.

The group moved out of their way, dodging them but splitting up by a few meters in between. Spike breathed out a short burst of flames at the Windigo, careful to save his fire this time around. The ice demon dodged it by flying upwards while it neighed, making the wind around them blow with greater force. It began neighed louder as ice-shards began to form around it, only this time it saw a thin stream of fire coming its way; forcing it to dodge it and cancel the attack.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH*

The Windigo screeched once again as it flew upwards and lost itself in the gray clouds.

“Stand next to me!” Spike ordered to the stallions, all of them obeying him instantly. “Looks like you were right for once, Thunder,” Spike said gazing, as well that of his friends, the sky above them.

“What is it going to do now?” Thunderlane said ignoring the comment of Spike.

“Don’t know, but as far as we know it will create a tornado or breathe a cloud of ice,” Pokey answered with his one-handed axe ready on his right hand and his horn ignited with magic. “Or do something new. I really should have learned a fire spell when I had the chance!”

“Whatever it does, it can only be bad news for us,” Caramel said in time they heard an echoing screech of the Windigo. “By Luna, I hate that bucking noise it makes!” Caramel cursed gripping the hilt of his sword tighter. The group remained in silent for the following seconds until the saw white cloud coming down to them. A cloud that was bigger than any other it had made up to that point; big enough to cover an entire stadium with ease.

Spike let out a momentary gasp of both surprise and fear. He clenched his hands, focused, puffed his cheeks and breathed out all the fire he had gathered at the cloud right above them. His fire stream wasn’t nearly as big as the one he had made at the base of the mountain, but it proved to be enough to stop the cloud from hitting them forming a dome of fire just a couple of meters above them.

A short time later Spike stopped, his breathing jarred and unsteady. The fire dome extinguishing, thankfully proving it had saved them from the ice breath of the Windigo. They heard another distant screech echo all over the place, the tone suggesting it was an angered one.

“Spike, you okay!?” Caramel asked seeing his dragon friend holding a hand against his naked chest.

“There’s not e-enough air up here *pant*, and it’s too cold *pant* I can’t make….. f-fire fast enough,” Spike said in between pants. This is bad, I barely have any fire left and this damn weather isn’t making it any easier for me!

“You have any fire left?” Caramel asked.

“A little,” Spike replied with a pant.

“Remember what you did with your spear?” Spike nodded. “Do it with my sword!” Caramel said presenting his sword to Spike.

“It won’t *pant* last long with this cold,” Spike tried to argue back but he could barely talk back at all. Just then they saw the Windigo come down to their line of sight, neighing and moaning at them.

“Just do it!” Caramel pressed the sword against Spike’s chest urging him. Spike inhaled a mouthful of air before breathing out a short stream of green fire over the blade. The Windigo screeched again, launching itself at them. “Hurry!” the stream of fire increased in size in response. A second later the fire stopped and sizzling, red hot blade was left in its place. Caramel moved to the side and ran towards the Windigo with his sword held high with both hands.

The Windigo screeched turning his attention to Caramel, it charged right against him but when it was about to reach him, Caramel ducked while thrusting the sword upward. The Windigo tried to evade it but it was too late.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH!!!*

The ice demon screeching in pain as it fell down to the snow and thrashed around. Caramel got up and glanced at the big chunk of the spectral body he had cut from the Windigo, almost its entire ghostly tail; it writhed and convulsed for a second or two before it turned to dust. Then glanced back to his friends, seeing Spike not yet recovered he glanced back to his sword, still red and ready for more.

“Why are you guys still standing there for!? Run! Keep going, I’ll deal with that ice abomination!” Caramel shouted to his friends and then screamed to the heavens, charging against the injured monster; eager to finish it while it was still distracted by its new injury.

“Caramel!” Thunderlane shouted looking at his the earth pony charge fearlessly at the downed Windigo.

“Don’t be stupid, Thunder! We gotta move, now!” Pokey said helping Spike walk. “Don’t let his sacrifice go to waste,” he muttered painfully. Thunderlane didn’t respond but instead grabbed Spike’s left arm, helping the unicorn carry the visibly winded dragon easier.

For his part, Caramel reached the Windigo and with a heavy swing of his sword tried to cut off its head. The Windigo, however, was fast enough to roll back dodging the attack, making it hit the snow instead. The sword hissed against the cold snow creating a small but dense cloud of steam. Lifting up quickly Caramel saw the blade had lost a considerable amount of redness to it but still remained red for the most part. He glared the Windigo and attacked again and once more, the Windigo dodge how it could.

The ice demon rolled to the sides or backwards dodging the deadly (at least for the moment) swings of the blade. With a fast attack followed by a short leap and another swing Caramel was able to cut a part of the Windigo’s mane; it didn’t screeched but instead neighed and puffed clouds of ice from its ‘nostrils’. Caramel didn’t care, or noticed, and kept on his relentless assault.

Caramel swung his sword again against the Windigo only for it to dodge his attack by flying up past him,his eyes never leaving the monster, and land behind him; its only hoof hitting the snow and the stone below with an audible *clank*. Caramel moved to attack the Windigo and--

“YYIAAARRGGGH!!!” Caramel shouted in unbearable pain, an ice spike piercing through his stomach covering it with blood, fur and entrails. The ice spike had emerged from behind him and now held him a good two meters above ground. His vision was getting blurry but the adrenaline still left in his body allowed him to see his three friends looking back at him in the border of his line of sight and he smiled. Then he saw the Windigo turn around; neighing to form ice-shards around it. He was still gripping the sword in his right hand and with was left of his strength he tossed it against the Windigo; the sword passing through its neck.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH!!!*

The Windigo screeched while it fell to the ground, thrashing around, the would be ice-shards falling to the ground.

Caramel looked at his friends and saw they were no longer there with the exception of Pokey, a rose barrier surrounding him. The earth pony coughed some of his blood, his lips curled into a smile and then his body went limp with his last breath.

Pokey stood firmly in his place while the wind continued to blow, the air filled with the pained noises of the Windigo. His horn was flaring with magic and a rose colored barrier surrounded him. His eyes were filled with tears and anger; his mind replaying what had happened moments earlier.

“CARAMEL!” Spike stopped and looked back, shouting when the excruciating painful scream of the earth pony reached them.

“Don’t stop now!” Thunderlane said with a heavy heart. “We can avenge him and Bulk once you get enough fire back and then we can go and find whatever we are looking for!” just then the pain filled screech of the Windigo reached their ears and looked back.

“You two go on ahead, I’ll cover you,” Pokey said igniting his horn and creating a barrier around him.

“Like Tartarus we are!” Spike snapped back at Pokey.

“I said, GO!” Pokey shouted using his magic to push them away. Thunderlane was able to catch Spike and maintain their balance. The pegasus hold Spike tightly and began to walk away even against his protests.

“Spike!” Pokey shouted seeing the Windigo compose itself wrapping its left foreleg around its neck in an effort to seal the gap the sword had left. “When you asked us to join your retinue we swore to help you in any way we could; no matter the price; no matter the sacrifice. As long as it meant we could set our kingdom free from the depraved rule of the caribou, we would gladly give our lives if needed to,” his barrier increased in size and width when the Windigo looked at him, screeched and charged against him. Pokey used every little bit of magic he had on him and pushed the barrier against the Windigo, only for it to pass through like it was nothing while it came directly at him.

Pokey looked to the sky. “Gut the bastards for me, will ya!” he shouted knowing Spike could hear everything he had said. Then the Windigo hit him.

The Windigo passed through Pokey, a second later it stopped and turned back to see the white statue of the unicorn. It quickly used its right foreleg to smash said statue into hundreds of pieces. Then it turned around again, seeing the couple still left alive in the distance and dove into the snow.

Spike had tears clouding his vision and smoke coming out of his nostrils with each exhale of air he did. He had heard all that Pokey said perfectly. He glanced back to see where the Windigo was but saw it wasn’t there. He felt Thunderlane suddenly stop and take a gasp, he glanced at him to see what was wrong. To his surprise there was a large ice stake sticking out of Thunderlane’s stomach held in place by the Windigo right in front of them.

“THUNDER!” Spike shouted before breathing out a small torrent of green flames at the Windigo, managing to hit its chest once more.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH!!!*

The Windigo screeched flying up, then fall back several meters away from Spike and Thunderlane.

“Thunder…..” Spike mumbled out holding the stallion in his arms. Thunderlane coughed up some of his blood, a few droplets staining the scales of his chest and face.

“S-S-Spike…...T-tell Soarin t-to *cough* t-take care o-of Rumble,” Thunderlane writhed in pain for a moment, tears falling down his eyes. “T-tell Flitter…..C-C-*cough* Cloud….chaser…... Blossomfo…...forth…..tell them I….I love them…...Tell them…..*cough* I……---” Thunderlane choked for an instant, gurgled some of his blood out and then went limp, his eyes open while they turned blue and small crusts of ice covered his body.

Spike used his right hand to close the eyelids of his friend but he couldn’t, they were frozen in place. Instead he limited to lay his body on the snow slowly and carefully. He heard the Windigo stop its struggling and glanced at its way. Spike got up, turning completely to face the ice demon rising up on its own. Once the Windigo recovered it looked at its next victim, the one that had managed to hurt it so much. They were separated just less than seven meters but it was enough distance to notice something in the eyes of the dragon, they looked different, almost like slits instead of pupils.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOO-----*

*GRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOO*

The Windigo’s eye snapped open with momentary fear, his mighty screech suddenly overpowered by the enraged roar of the dragon; it resonated and echoed all over the mountain with enough force to push even the Windigo back. Spike finished his roar by ripping away the rest of his armor and backpack using his claws and tail. Then he charged against the ice demon, naked, on all fours and exhaling a mix of green and orange fire from both his nostrils and mouth.

The Windigo turned to fly up to the skies but the dragon was faster, he breathed out a stream of fire against it. The Windigo barely dodged it and breathed out its ice cloud at the dragon while it flew back and up the mountain. His cloud was surpassed by another stream of fire from the dragon, whom was quickly catching up to it. After a minute or so of persecution the dragon let out another of his powerful roars and breathed out a massive torrent of green fire mixed with orange one against the Windigo.

The fire melted down the snow it washed over instantly, leaving nothing but a clear area of steaming rock below. And there was no sign of the Windigo. The wind calmed down and the cold reduced considerably, and only then did Spike fell to his knees, breathing harshly while he hit the clear ground below him.

Slowly but surely he calmed down and his condition stabilised. He wiped away the tears from his eyes and shakily got back up.

“Come to me.”

Spike heard the voice speak and decided to resume his quest. Until he heard a faint neigh behind him. He only had time for his eyes to snap open and let out a quick, terrified gasp.

“YAAAAAAAAAaaaarrrrrrrgggggggg--!” Spike screamed at the top of his lungs as he was lifted to the air effortlessly by his left arm and the lower part of stomach. Even in his pained state he saw a blood covered piece of ice piercing his stomach, while the Windigo held his left upper arm tightly in its mouth and he could feel something around his tail, too. He tried to breathe fire but he had nothing left and due to the pain he couldn’t concentrate on building up more.

The Windigo bit down harder making him scream again in searing pain. He could feel his scales, muscles, blood and even his bones begin to freeze around the areas of his tail and arm. He screamed out in harrowing, torturous, tormenting pain; his eyes closed while all he could hear was white noise. He felt the Windigo bit down again.

*Trrrchik*

“AAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!” Spike screamed for a moment before he fell to his front and the Windigo used its grab on his tail to toss him violently against the exposed rock surface of the mountain; the same his fire had made. Spike landed with enough force to crack his back spines and scales making him vomit out blood thanks to the shock.

He didn’t know how much time passed before the pain subsided enough to take a look from his wrecked state. His left arm was gone just a few inches close to his shoulder, only a purplish piece of ice and a broken bone sticking out. He looked up to see the Windigo spit out his severed arm and drop his tail like it was nothing.

“.......W-why must I always fail!?” he asked to himself and his eyes filling with tears. “Why am I….s-so useless!?” he cried out while the Windigo descended upon him, looking at him curiously. Spike coughed out some of his blood. “I…...it’s now all up to you…...girls…..*raspy cough* I h-hope you can…….s-save Equestria a-a-and the Empire…….I…….I have…...failed,” the Windigo landed on top of him, looking down with its silver glowing eye. “I’m sorry……..I’m……... sorry………,” he closed his eyes while the Windigo began to breathe small bursts of its ice clouds over him, slowly freezing him. Darkness embraced him in cold comfort.

“Are you giving up?” the voice said from the void of his mind. “Are you going to abandon their hope?” Spike didn’t answer.

“Are you turning your back against them?” a flash of a rainbow passed through the darkness. “Will you betray them now?” Spike didn’t answer.

“Can you not hear their cries?” the sound of whips, pleas of mercy, cries of pain and sadness fell into his ears. “Can you not feel their pain, their despair?” the memories of all those he had seen being tortured, switched, used, dumped, hunted, broken, indoctrinated, raped, killed and blanked. Memories of females suffering a continuous torment lead by the caribou.

“Will their sacrifices be in vain?” the grave of those he had asked to sacrifice their own lives, all those who had perished since the beginning of the Fall, the face of Filthy, Caramel, Pokey, Bulk and Thunderlane flashed in front of him. His right hand clenched tightly into a fist. “Will your sacrifices account for naught?” the memories of all he had done in order to find a way to defeat Dainn assaulted him mercilessly making his heart pump with renewed vigor.

“Is the Dark One meant to achieve victory?” Dainn’s smug smiling face flashed in front of him. Spike tried to move but couldn’t. “Is Equis meant to fall under his rule?” the vision of a world ruled by Dainn and the caribou made Spike growl angrily, a burning rage surging from the depths of his very being.

“Don’t you remember the promises made?” Spike moved his right arm to try and get up but failed. “Don’t you remember your friends, your family, your home!?” the voice said in a slightly louder tone than usual. Spike tried once again to get up but failed.

“HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN!?” The voice shouted violently as all the memories of his life previous to the Fall flashed before him, followed by the Fall, what he was forced to do during his enslavement and all he had done after breaking free. The last thing he saw was him laying on a bed cuddling and sleeping next to his six best girl-friends.

His eyes snapped open.

“NO, I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN!” Spike roared right into the face of the Windigo. Using his right hand he grabbed the Windigo by the throat and used it to roll and change positions, destroying whatever ice was covering him up until then.

*WHHHHHHRRRROOOOOAAAAHHHHH!*

The Windigo screeched, surprised by the sudden exploit of strength and movement from the dragon. It tried to free itself but the dragon didn’t let go, then the ice demon looked at the dragon and for the first time ever it didn’t screeched, moaned or neighed; it simply stared at the purple flames forming inside the maw of its would be victim. The Windigo panicked, using its only foreleg to push away the face of the dragon to no avail; he didn’t even flinched or budged when it stabbed his right eye with its ghostly hoof.

The dragon growled and the next moment he let out a torrent of purple flames over the Windigo. The ice demon screeched loudly, clearly in pain but the flames didn’t stop, they just kept on pouring out of Spike’s mouth and it. After what felt like an eternity the Windigo stopped screeching and the flames finally died down.

Spike got up slowly, his breathing harsh and cut. He growled in pain before he grabbed the ice stake piercing his lower stomach and yanked out in just one pull; a bit of blood and some scales following it. He glanced down at the Windigo only to find white dust instead; there was no doubt now. It was dead, for real this time.

“Come to me,” the voice said tenderly, the tug in his chest urging him to move. He turned his attention to the distance still covered by gray clouds and saw a shimmer of light. Holding the hole in his stomach he began to walk again; the absence of his tail proving to be a setback as he stumbled every two steps he took, but still he moved forward despite the pain.

Spike followed the invisible path the tug in his chest indicated. He walked and walked, uncaring for time or pain until he stumbled against a wall of stone. He took a step back to see said wall; it rose up for several meters, the grayish clouds covering its peak.

“Come to me. I’m near,” the voice said while the tug in his chest urged him to go up. Spike looked to the sides to see an alternative pass but found just an extended wall at both sides.

The purple dragon grunted, yanking his claws against the cold stones. He pulled himself up using the claws on his feet to hold his balance by also yanking them in the stone; he climbed up a few centimeters when another problem presented itself. Without his other arm and tail proved to be major dilemma, without an extra point of force or balance he couldn’t keep climbing up. Spike quickly found the solution.

He opened his mouth as much as he could and bit against the nearest exposed piece of stone to him as leverage. With his problem solved he now focused on the task at claw and began to climb up the wall. He wasn’t aware of time or anything else around him for that matter; he just kept going up, determined to find whatever was calling him. Eventually he reached the top of the wall.

Spike struggled to pull himself away from the border, using his arm to drag him up and away from the edge, his feet to impulse him and his mouth to hold his weight. Once his entire body was safely on top of new snow he dragged himself a couple of meters away from the edge. He was beaten and tired, but still he forced himself to stand up and continue on his journey. Stumbling and falling a few times he finally got back on his feet, his breathing steady but slightly forced and jarred.

He opened his eye to see the way in front of him; it took him a few seconds to take in what he was now seeing and when he did, he didn’t gasped, he stopped breathing altogether; his mouth opening in disbelief as well as his eye.

For in front of him, about thirty or so meters, floated dozens upon dozens of Windigoes; all of them looking at him with their silver glowing eyes in disturbing silence, except for an occasional spectral neigh.

“Come to me,” the voice called to him. This time he could hear it all around the place and not just inside his mind.

Spike looked past the Windigoes and saw a distant shimmering white light. I didn’t come this far to give up now, even if it kills me! He clenched his hand and fangs, breathed out a small torrent of green fire from his nostrils and using whatever strength he had left he charged against the Windigoes.

The Windigoes neighed loudly, all of them charging against the stumbling dragon as one.

Spike extended his right arm, his claws ready to strike the first Windigo that dared to confront him. Seconds seemed to stretch into hours…...until Spike swung his arm against the Windigo directly in front of him and passed right through it without any effort or resistance. The dragon promptly stumbled with his own feet and fell to the ground. He groaned while using his arm to push himself up, his hand pressing hard against the soft and warm grass.

Grass?

Spike opened his eye, unsure when he had closed it, and saw that, in fact, he was now laying on lush, green grass. He picked himself up with some difficulty; once he was up he noticed he was in some kind of small barrier, no more than twenty or so meters in diameter, that repelled the harsh weather of the mountain.

“Then the….*pant* Windigoes were an ….*pant* ….illusion?” Spike said to himself, his hand covering the wound in his stomach.

“Yes.”

The voice said making Spike look for it, and it was only then that he also noticed the light similar to the sun inside the barrier. He looked up and found a glowing white sphere of light slowly descending to a stone pedestal in the center of the small field.

“It is my final defence against the Dark One, if he were to find me,” the sphere said. “Come, embrace me.”

Spike frowned. “The Windigo…*pant* ….the real one…..it was…..*pant* your doing?”

“No,” the sphere replied.

“How do I know you say the truth?” Spike asked angrily baring his fangs. “Four of my friends died right in front of me *pant*.....all for me to g-get here. Why? Why did call me? What or who are you?”

“Embrace me and your questions shall be answered,” the sphere replied increasing its luminosity.

Spike glared at the sphere and took a step forward. “Why?”

“To stop the Dark One.”

Spike lost his glare and his face fell. “Dainn.”

“Yes, the Dark One,” the sphere repeated. “He wants my power, you cannot let him use me.”

Silence fell between the dragon and the sphere for an entire minute before the dragon spoke up. “Your power?”

“Yes,” the sphere said. “Come. Embrace me and my power shall be yours to use against the Dark One.”

“..........Will…..Will it be enough…...to defeat Dainn?” Spike asked with a hint of hope.

“.........No,” the voice replied. “The Dark One is powerful. My power alone will not suffice to defeat him.”

Spike frowned again. “Then how are you planning to stop him!?” he shouted at the sphere.

“You are my plan,” the sphere answered calming and surprising the purple dragon.

“Why me?” Spike asked taking another step towards it.

“Embrace me, and you shall understand.”

There was another moment of silence between them, this one lasting several seconds less.

“But…..if your power *pant* *pant* isn’t enough to defeat him…….*pant*” Spikestopped, not daring to finish his question.

“The Dark One is powerful, but he is also naive. He has divided his power in two. The weakest part lies in the Crystal Empire,” the sphere explained, the light around it shifting uncontrollably. “The other is inside him. My power alone cannot defeat the Dark One, but it can weaken him,” the light around the sphere glowed blue for a couple of seconds before returning to white. “Embrace me.”

Spike looked at the ground for a moment. “W-what must I do?”

“You have done enough,” the sphere said in a tone softer than usual. “Come and embrace me. Let my power flow through you and become your weapon against the Dark One,” the glow of the sphere softened, looking almost inviting to those that watched.

Spike began to walk towards the sphere slowly, step by step bringing him closer to it.

It feels…..warm, I can feel the light pass through me. It is…..so very familiar. Spike thought, a smile adorning his lips the moment he reached the sphere and wrapped his arm around it. He felt something solid amidst the light; something smaller than the light it made it seem. Bringing it closer to his chest he smiled warmly, tears falling freely down his cheek. A sudden burst of light forced him to close his eye as he felt waves and ripples of energy surround him.

“Thank you.”

Spike whispered to the thing he was holding before the light banished along with the field. In it’s place now stood a four meter tall ice stalagmite with a purple dragon inside of it covering him completely. The ice itself was completely blue and shinned slightly. A white light flashed for an instant and then the stalagmite darkened to a point that the dragon inside was lost from sight. The wind kept blowing and the snow kept falling, the only company for the pragmatic stalagmite.

*Eight hours later*

The stalagmite was already covered partially by falling snow while the wind broke what would surely be the dullest of silence. For little over eight hours the stalagmite and what it held inside had remained intact and unchanged. That is, until small cracks began to appear all over the stalagmite. It first started with cracks, then with ruptures and eventually to pieces of it falling apart.

The ice began to shine lightly, enough to let anyone trying to see what lied inside it the face of a dragon slowly opening its eyes; revealing two shining blue orbs on their wake. A sudden burst of white light erupted from the stalagmite before it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces of ice. Now, instead of the stalagmite, stood a dragon by the name of Spike.

Spike sighed and breathed calmly; his body adapting to the changes the sphere had made on him. And judging by what he could see and feel, all of them positive. He first brought up his hands in front of him; his left arm regenerated and his injuries healed. He glanced back and wiggled his tail a few times before turning his attention to his hands. Spike closed and opened his hands repeatedly, carefully examining them.

After a while he let them rest at his sides, looked up to the sky and inhaled deeply through his nostrils.

---------------------------------------------------*******************************************************

*Crystal Empire- Crystal Castle- Private Room of Prince Shining Armor-7:32 p.m.*

“Are you enjoying my bitch, Dad?” Shining Armor asked seeing the pink alicorn being pounded mercilessly by Night Light, the alicorn herself moaning loudly through her gag.

“She’s always a A-grade meatfuck, Shining!” Night Light replied slapping the ass of her once daugther-in-law with a wooden paddle. “How about your ‘mother’?” he asked with a sneer.

“Fucking awesome,” Shining said while his mother bounced on his lap, her stomach showing a noticeable bulge. “You think it’s mine or yours?” Shining asked placing a hand over the belly of Velvet.

“Probably yours--FUCK!” Night Light said before he buried his dick deep inside Cadance, coating her inside with his seed. He panted for a few seconds afterwards. “My pet is starting to wear out though. Hey, if the bitch gives birth to another bitch, can I keep it?”

“Sure thing, Dad,” Shining answered grabbing the hips of his practically howling mother and slammed her hips against his, pounding her roughly. “I really want to pay my sow of a sister another visit though; I want that tight hole she calls a pussy around my dick again.”

“You and me both, son,” Night Light replied walking around Cadance until he reached her front and undid her gag. “Clean it, slut,” Cadance obeyed with a wide smile on her face. “That’s it, suck it clean you stupid mare. Speaking of that, you think Spike is going to be back soon?”

“Not sure. Soarin said his orders were to simply come back, wait for two days and then return to Ponyville. Why? Are you worried he won’t succeed?” Shining leaned forward enough to catch a nipple inside his mouth and suckle on it.

“Of course not, but still, they found an actual living Windigo and it has been almost four days. Forgive me for getting a little concern---”

Night Light was suddenly interrupted by an unworldly powerful roar that echoed around the entire Empire and beyond. It lasted several seconds before it ended and everything turned to a lengthy uneasy silence.

Shining Armor felt his heart pump uncontrollably and a surge of fear washed all over him. He got up, uncaring that his mother landed on the floor unceremoniously, thankfully, on her ass and back. “I need to write a message,” Shining said with a shaky voice, his coat whiter than ever.

--------------------------------------------------------**************************************************

*Griffon Kingdom - Outskirts of the Capital city Wind Heaven - Court of The Great Tribunal* Present Time.

Spike didn’t wait for any of the judges to react or ask anything and got up from his seat, his eyes glowing a baby blue light instead of white and the lines between his scales also glowing with that same blue tone.

“When I held the sphere in my arm and then embraced it, feeling its warmth and energy, I knew what it was. What I was holding,” a shining bright blue light began to emerge from his chest. “Once we fused I saw its memories and a flood of knowledge entered my brain. And I understood it completely; we didn’t become one, my body turned into a way for it to express its power and at the same time it let me wield it freely and as I saw fit,” the blue light from his chest began to take form.

Shifting Sands and Chrysalis gasped. Sebastian’s beak opened in disbelief. And most of the other judges stood up from their seats or simply stared at the now very distinguishable figure shining proudly in the chest of Spike.

“What called me up to Solitude was something I had come in close contact before, something very familiar. Yet I never imagined,” Spike turned to the public, allowing them and all those who were outside to see the image covering almost the entirety of his chest. The image of a crystalline blue heart. “It would be the real Crystal Heart.”

Chapter 5 End.

Author's Notes:

Special thanks to all those who read it!

Special thanks to Bennet001 and FamousLastWords for proofreading.

*Some editing might be done in the future*