Judgment Chapter 7: Revenge and Justice

“Where is Master?” Ginna asked behind the bars of her small cell.

Sitting in front of her was Spike, his legs crossed while he looked at her in relative silence. His eyes scanned her cell once more.

Small, barely twice the size of a usual pet-cage. Spike frowned. Fucking caribou and their fucking corruption, we can’t even treat them like real people anymore, if we try they get mad and aggressive.

Spike smiled at the naked Ginna. “You mean Gunne? He is gone under a special mission, he’ll be back later.”

“That good!” Ginna clapped her hands happily before her expression turned a bit sour. “I had a very bad nightmare last night, Master-Spike.”

“Did you now? What was it about?”

“Heretics attacked the town, even mares and stupid cunts rebelling against our rightful masters! They are very, very bad and must be punished. When I do something stupid Master punishes me by denying me orgasms, but I deserve it since I’m a stupid bitch-slut!” Ginna said eagerly.

“How....fascinating, but what about your nightmare?” Spike’s expression reflected neutrality but inside he was boiling with hate and disgust.

“Huh?.....AH! Then Master-Spike comes and...and...I don’t remember…,” her right hand moved to her stomach. “My belly hurts, was I punished?” Ginna asked innocently.

“No,” Spike lowly. “You just slept for a few days, maybe you’re hungry?” Spike pointed at the fake mare kibble in the right corner of the cell. “Gunne asked me to take care of you until he is back, you have a very caring brother,” just saying that made his throat burn.

Ginna smiled cutely. “Master is very good with me and is very loving.”

Spike nodded. “Gunne told me that your father was also very caring and loving,” Ginna’s smile faded at his statement and her expression turned to one of confusion. “He also told me some personal things your father shared with him before he died.”

“That’s strange, Master-Spike, Father-Master tragically died during a hunt and he was never kind like Master is with me,” Ginna said before smiling dumbly. “But surely I’m wrong; I’m just a dumb, worthless female after all.”

“Perhaps,” Spike stood up.

“Master-Spike, can this stupid cunt ask where is my collar?” Ginna asked touching her exposed neck.

“Gunne ordered a new one for you, as a gift you see,” Ginna giggled happily. “If you keep behaving maybe I’ll reward you.”

“I’ll be a good pet!” Ginna said happily right before driving two fingers inside her pussy. “H-have a good day, Master-Spike.”

Spike didn’t respond and instead left Ginna to pleasure herself inside her cell. A few seconds later he reached a door and was quickly opened revealing a white earth pony mare with pink mane and tail wearing a white robe and holding a grey folder. Beside her Big Macintosh and Soarin stood silently.

“Anything new?” the mare asked while the dragon walked past them and closed the door with his tail.

“Nothing Redheart,” Spike snarled letting a small burst of fire come out of his nostrils. “And as I suspected, Gunne lied about his father and everything he said.”

“Ah told you he was lying, but maybe that’s what he thought?” Big Mac expressed.

“My bits are on him trying to save his sorry ass or the unborn abomination,” Soarin said crossing his arms. “Either way it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“I do wonder why he was demoted to Magistrate again,” Spike said neutrally. “I remember he was a Minor Chief before I left for Solitude.”

“He asked for it, surely to keep an eye on yer things after Ah gave him the letter,” Big Mac answered.

“Well, at least that was true,” Spike whispered to himself. “Are the shots ready?” Spike asked to Redheart.

“Almost, we have ten thousand ready and five thousand more will be completed tomorrow,” Redheart glanced at the closed door that held Ginna and about two hundred more caribou cows and doe in separate unique cells. The ones that were less aggressive or more stupid and naive. “Do we really have to...kill them?”

“You know we have to, Redheart, most of their females are no better than their rotten stags; well trained guard dogs at worst and stupid simpletons at best,” Soarin gritted his teeth. “There are thirty four Ex-black collar caribou cows with us right now. Thirty four out of almost ten thousand! And even they are questioning why are they free or why aren’t they being punished! They are so indoctrinated they can’t even shit without vigilance,” Soarin pointed at Spike. “For fucks sake, Spike says we can’t even spare their unborn monstrosities because they are like them already. Good riddance I say!”

“Yes but--”

“And what about our own people!?” Soarin stated now clearly enraged. “How many more have to suffer because of them!? How many more must die, how many more must turn like them, Redheart!? It doesn’t matter if they are elderly, adults, teens, kids or fucking babies; they don’t fucking deserve our pity or sympathy! They sure as Tartarus didn’t have any for us or anything else!”

Big Mac placed a hand over Redheart’s left shoulder. “Ah don’t like it eitha’, but we hafta do this. Least we can do for ‘em is tah make it painless,” then he turned to see Soarin. “And yah better calm yerself down, Soarin.”

“I...I know….I’m sorry for yelling at you, Redheart, it’s just that….,”Soarin began but was cut short by the white earth pony mare.

“I understand,” she smiled at him. “It’s just that it seems harsh and unfair to me to punish all their mares like that.”

“Not all of them. Their black collars and the more docile reds will be spared and maybe we’ll be able to give them a comfortable life when this is over,” Spike said without facing them. “But now’s not the time for that. We can think about it when Equestria and the Empire are free again and Dainn is dead.”

The group of four didn’t talk for the rest of their walk through the dungeon hallways. Eventually they reached the exit and both Redheart and Soarin bid their farewells. Spike and Big Mac continued to walk in silence through the hallways while soldiers and guards saluted them. After a few minutes they reached Spike’s room and entered. Once the door close behind Big Mac, Spike sat on the edge of his bed breathing out a heavy, tired sigh.

“I wonder if I can make my promises come true though,” Spike said letting the red stallion sit beside him. “What do you think, Big Mac? Do we really stand a chance?”

“Ah say things are pretty bad fer us. Honestly? Ah think makin’ zap apple jam without zap apples is a piece of cake compared tah what we are up against.”

Spike let out a mirthless chortle. “Only if it is apple cake,” Big Mac chuckled heavily. “Big Mac, tell me the truth….what do you think of me?” Spike shifted just enough to look at Big Mac. “Do I...frighten you?”

Big Macintosh was taken aback by his question for a moment. The red stallion hummed. “Eenope,” He said flatly.

“Ah’m not afraid of yah, Spike,” letting a hand rest over Spike’s left shoulder he gave the dragon a big and sincere smile. “Ah think yah’re one of the bravest and selfless stallions Ah’ve ever met. Yah’re one of mah best friends and someone Ah can trust. And Ah admire yah.”

“Admire me?” Spike asked with difficulty. “I don’t think I’ve done something worth admiring since this fucking nightmare started.”

“Spike, listen tah me closely ‘cause Ah’m only sayin’ this once, alright?” the two of them exchanged silent gazes for a couple of seconds. “Soarin, Mr. Cake, Cranky, Filthy, you, me and many others have done horrible things tah survive and keep others safe. We have tah live with that and try tah do what we can tah get our lives back. We can’t change the past. We might not even win. But we ain’t gonna go down easily. Yah taught us that.”

“Ah admire yah because yah stood up and did what was necessary. Ah admire yah because yah fight against the caribou with all yer might. Ah admire yah because yah’ve done more than anyone else. Ah admire yah because….because yah give me hope,” Spike was seemingly stunned at his revelation. “And not only me. Have yah seen what everyone see yah like? They see yah as a hero, our hero. They are going out tah fight the caribou with you in their minds. Yah give us all the hope we thought we lost. Yah give us the strength we need tah stand up and say ‘No More’.”

“You’re wrong,” Spike practically hissed. “I’m not a hero. A hero doesn’t let his friends die! A hero never turns his back against those that need them! A hero does not enjoy killing!” Spike stood up. “I too want things to go back the way they were. But I can’t do that and I know things will never be like before the Fall again even if we win,” Spike turned to face Big Macintosh completely letting his old friend see his blue shining eyes crying crystalline tears.

“I want to kill them. I want to make them scream and bleed. I want to make them suffer,” his lips slowly curled up into a sadistic and twisted smile while tears kept on falling. “I’m not a hero! I’M A MONSTER!” Spike roared at his friend. “I enjoy killing them! My claws tremble with joy when I tear their muscles and bones apart. My body shivers with pleasure when I hear them cry out for mercy! Stag or cow, calf or doe, children or elder. It doesn’t matter to me, I just want to kill them all!” impossibly Big Mac look aghast as Spike’s maw opened up to the point he could hear his jaws snap before letting out a guttural groan. “All I care about is getting my hands on Dainn….and make him pay; everything else is pointless to me at this point,” Spike said without moving his maw.

Slowly, Spike returned to normal while his gaze was locked with Big Mac’s. After ten or so seconds his eyes stopped shining despite his tears never stopping their fall. Then he smiled making the stallion suddenly realize the nearly freezing temperature inside the room. It was a sad, mournful smile.

“I know true heroes, six in total. I am no hero.”

Big Macintosh looked at his friend breaking down for perhaps the first time ever since the day in the farm. He saw his friend shatter in front of him letting out his pent up frustration or at least a small fraction of it. He saw the boiling hate that laid deep inside the dragon; realizing what he had seen so far until now was but a fragile mask his friend wore at all times, even in the times he saw him cry and devastated. Big Macintosh was scared. Truly scared of the...thing in front of him. That was not the Spike he remembered. That was not the Spike he thought he knew up until mere minutes ago. That thing was not his friend. That thing, the monster in front of him was everything he had wished to unleash upon the caribou in his deepest and darkest desires.

That thing was not Spike, instead it was indeed a hero in his eyes. The Hero he had wished for.

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*Ruins of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters- Three years, seven months and two weeks into the Fall-*

“Spike?” Twilight called to the dragon floating in mid-air a meter above ground with a blue shimmer enveloping him. “Can you hear me?”

“Of course I can,” Spike declared whilst descending. “I was just doing some post-training meditation,” Spike touched the ground and turned to face her and was quite surprised to see her alone, with the exception of the four mareling guards standing twenty meters behind her. “Anyway, what’s up?”

Twilight closed her eyes for a moment, she then let out a sigh and reopened her eyes looking straight up to him. “Soarin….Soarin and his group have returned. They have them.”

No later did those words leave her mouth Twilight felt herself being pulled into a tight embrace while moving at great speeds. A couple of seconds later she felt herself stopping, she shooked her head to regain balance, and her vision, and found herself at the entrance of the ruins along with the rest of her friends and at least a hundred or so soldiers looking at the arriving group.

Searching for Spike she soon found him standing still at her right side, his gaze fixed to the front while his left hand held her right one tightly. She felt a creeping fear rising up inside her but she was able to fight it back. She, alongside Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie have been taking special sessions with the best mind-menders at Chrysalis’s disposition; meanwhile Rainbow Dash was limited to regular psychology sessions and the occasional solitary talk with a zebra or buffalo chaman. The progress was slow and hard; the pain to see and, in some cases, re-live the horrid events being the most difficult part of all. Yet they served the purpose to strengthen their minds, solidify their resolve and remind them what they lost and what to live for with their regained freedom.

After a few weeks of treatment, Twilight now felt a great deal better than when the Tree ended their slavement. For once she didn’t feel like dying all the time and was actually looking forward to their little daily group talk with Spike. She could also notice the great benefit it made for her friends; especially Pinkie Pie. At least now her mane wasn’t downright flat, some of her bright pinkness returned to her coat and she sometimes saw her dear friend flash a sincere smile, especially around the Cakes.

Still, the fear and hate mixed with revulsion towards herself made Twilight close up and retract to her initial fearful self from time to time; more so when someone touched her without permission. She breathed in deeply and held Spike’s hand tighter. She would learn to overcome her fear and guilt and move forward; to be ready to face the great bastard that had turned her life, her friends, her family and her home into a living nightmare even if Spike said otherwise.

Glancing at Spike again she noticed Rarity had made her way to his right and was now taking his hand with one of her own; their fingers intertwined tightly. Beside her she saw Fluttershy and next to her Rainbow Dash probably holding hands, too. She felt someone grabbing her free hand and turned her head to see Pinkie Pie now at her side while Applejack stood next to Pinkie. Tightening the hold on her left hand Twilight turned her attention back to the front just before a rosy shimmer erupted through the treeline revealing a group of roughly a hundred pegasi, changelings and griffons; with the exception of the two unicorn mares behind the blue pegasus in the front.

Commander Soarin, leader of the Blood Hunters, lead his group with pride and professional seriousness. His armor tainted with spots of dry blood (just like almost every other soldier) while his comrades carried a large object (covered by a thick black mantle) and forming a square formation around it for protection.

Twilight felt a gentle pull on her right hand noticing Spike had taken two steps forward.

Soarin smiled at the seven of them and breathed out a tired yet relieved sigh remembering his most recent mission.

************** *A couple of hours earlier* ***************

Soarin watched in an uneasy calm the enemy directly below them. A large group of at least three hundred of Dainn’s elite personal guards. He could see the fucker king himself giving orders to his commanders and captains while the full force of his relatively small army attacked one of the changeling hives near Las Pegasus. A decoy constructed with haste by orders of Chrysalis herself to lure Dainn into a trap.

Resisting the urge to leave his concealed position up and above the clouds Soarin breathed in and out remembering the lessons from the zebra chamans. He reached to his right and into his small pouch taking out a small blue flask before quickly gulping down its contents. A few seconds later he felt himself begin to calm down and his mind to clear enough to think straight once more. He couldn’t allow himself to be hot-headed. Not when his mission to retrieve the two royal princesses of Equestria hanged in the balance.

He had to give credit to Chrysalis and Blueblood for their plan though, luring Dainn out here had been an amazing task built on lies, false information and sacrifice. The only reason Dainn was leading such an attack was because he believed Chrysalis was hiding there at the moment, taking charge of the attacks dealt to Las Pegasus these past two weeks herself.

Just like they feared the caribou had lashed out against the rebel forces after the fourway attack and the destruction of Ponyville (more like burning the town to ashes in his book). The fucker king finally graced them with the ‘honour’ of being called an actual threat. And just like Spike predicted Dainn ordered his entire forces to attack them whenever they could, for the first time taking prisoners becoming a secondary objective whilst extermination became the priority. Bounty’s were placed on certain known rebel leader figures (such as himself), Fakers were being hunt down without restrain; many already caught and executed or, in the worst cases, switched, raped for days and then blanked for their sins and anti-changeling detectors were tripled while security measures tightened everywhere. All in all, he was sure things would get even worse after this mission. He was aware of the risk; reason why he had volunteered to lead the mission a day after the massive attack.

Failure meant Dainn would feel exposed and directly threaten, yet it would boost his own stinking ego.

Success meant a kick in the balls.

“Success it is then,” Soarin whispered to himself before a thestral pony, also an ex-Shadow Hunter, tapped his shoulder catching his attention. He glanced at him pointing at something below. Soarin looked down and saw a purple dragon making his way calmly towards the camp, still unnoticed by the caribou sentries.

“Be ready,” he said loudly enough for his troops to hear him. “The moment she gives us the signal we’ll move in. Remember, go straight for the princesses, secure them and retreat. Do whatever it takes to rescue them.”

“Huu!” his troops replied softly at his command.

Soarin watched carefully the dragon, a mareling mimicker in disguise, approach to the camp carefully. He noticed a few caribou guards moving and shouting something before one of them ran towards Dainn while seemingly shouting as loudly as he could; they had finally noticed the dragon walking their way. Dainn took notice of the guard, exchanged a few words and then teleported near the post where the fake Spike was just arriving to.

Soarin, incredulous and surprised, saw Dainn open his wings and leap towards the fake Spike before holding him in a tight embrace while they spun around in the air a couple of times utterly rejoiced. ‘Spike’ returned the hug as they landed back on the ground. They stood still for about twenty seconds, perhaps chatting while they embraced; meanwhile the guards began to approach at them leaving the tent of Dainn (and their posts) unguarded thanks to the commotion. Then he saw ‘Spike’ glow with an intense green light before dropping the illusion spell revealing the mareling’s identity. A second later a green flash of light erupted and then the mareling and Dainn were gone from sight.

“NOW!” Soarin shouted before dive bombing from his cloud followed by two hundred of his troops. A mix of griffons, thestrals, pegasi and changelings following him closely at near supersonic speeds directly at the stunned and confused guards. In less than five seconds he reached a caribou guard clad in golden armor and hit his head with his spiked mace; practically destroying the head of the caribou along with his helmet. Soarin did back flip in the air before landing on the ground with his hooves whilst spinning slowly until he stopped.

He noticed the caribou were already shooting their petty excuses of magic bolts to the air, barely doing any damage to his comrades. The real fight began seconds later after his landing and already he could hear the war cries and the clashing of steel all around him. He dropped his mace and pulled out his favorite twin swords right before launching himself at the back of a caribou fighting a thestral mare. He easily pierced the exposed neck of the caribou with his left sword while his right stabbed one of his eyes. He flapped his wings twice pulling himself back before slashing his swords forward decapitating the already mortally wounded caribou.

Turning to his left Soarin faced the tent of Dainn right before a huge explosion came from the decoy hive’s direction.

“Move in!” Soarin shouted leading a charge against the tent. They had seconds, a minute at most, to secure the princesses and be gone before Dainn could return. Soarin entered the tent and instantly ducked barely dodging the swing of a warhammer, the griffon behind him not so lucky or fast, screaming in pain from a certain fracture. A changeling and a pegasus mare entered the tent and together charged at the hulking caribou blocking their way.

Soarin heard the stag fighting madly against his two opponents before a thestral stallion entered the tent a second later and charged in aid of his two comrades; the three of them easily overpowering the stag before driving a spear through his stomach and then slicing his throat. Looking at the end of the tent he saw princess Luna and Celestia looking at them, both sisters chained to a golden pillar in the shape of Dainn. Luna with tears falling down her once perfect and gorgeous face while Celestia looked confused and fearful.

“Get them out, now!” Soarin commanded moving towards Celestia, whom was now screaming for her master to help her. Soarin, regrettably, hit Celestia’s stomach with the pommel of one of his swords as hard as he could knocking her out. The changeling used his magic to melt her chains before moving to Luna’s, then he moved to pick Celestia up alongside Soarin and with a mighty blast from his horn the changeling destroyed the top of the tent creating an exit.

With both princesses secured Soarin and his troops took to the skies. “RETREAT!” Soarin shouted making his surviving troops pull away from the fight and follow him as quick as their wings could take them. About fifteen seconds later they reached a couple of unicorn mares clad in chitin armor waiting for them. Soarin landed next to them and waited for another ten seconds for his troops, especially those carrying wounded or some lucky female prisoners found in other tents.

“Do it now!” Soarin shouted at the unicorns and turned to see some of his troops coming his way diverge their route and head to the skies and scatter with haste. Looking down he saw a bright flash of blue light and saw Dainn himself appear not a hundred meters away in front of him. Dainn looked at his way, his expression one of pure hate and his eyes reflecting the promise of unbearable pain and torture…. right before the unicorns teleported him, the princesses and his small group of troops away.

************** *Present time* **************

After their escape Soarin and the rest of his surviving troops gathered in the predetermined rendezvous point near the northwest borders of the Everfree; the first thing he did was to take those horrendous fucking collars out of the princesses and rescued females necks. Another small group of medics and the especial cage they were carrying were already waiting for them, ready to treat any and all injured. After an hour he signaled the retreat and the walk back to the Old Caste. His best wishes to those that didn’t arrive on time.

“Carefully, your majesty,” Soarin shot a glance behind him seeing at least six of his soldiers; two thestrals, a griffon and three pegasi, gently holding a barely standing Princess of the Night coming out of the protective cage. She was wearing a grey robe that covered her entire body with the exception of her hands, her head and her bandaged wings.

Soarin turned his attention back to Spike and the Element Bearers. Spike had his eyes wide open while the Bearers seemed ready to cry. Silently he thanked that they didn’t saw Luna crying happily with what little strength she had once finally secured, before practically choking herself with water and some real food after years of abuse, humiliation, degradation and rape. Behind the seven of them the rest of the expectators kneeled down upon seeing the princess; he knew most did it to cover their tears and hide their shaking rage, still the respect they showed to his princess warmed his heart; even the changelings were kneeling when they didn’t have to.

The six soldiers busy themselves to guide the princess until she was in front of the dragon. They shared a silent staring contest for about a minute; the eyes of Luna moistening up with fresh tears.

“We are glad to see you safe, dear nephew,” Luna said offering a weak smile, her voice sounding hoarse and raspy; yet strangely soft, caring and sincere. “We...I wish to express--”

“Luna, don’t,” Spike interrupted shaking his head twice side to side. “Please….don’t. I don’t deserve your gratitude, not after….,” Spike went unnaturally silent.

Luna nodded once a few seconds later, both of their eyes reflecting a tremendous pain. “Help her, please,” she begged.

“I will...one way or another, I will help my mother,” Spike said to the princess of night before the six soldiers guided her out of the scene, surely taking her to the medic bay for further treatment. The Bearers limited themselves to simply stare in silence their brief exchange of words.

“Bring them out, slowly,” Soarin commanded to his troops and an icy silence filled the entire place. One by one the soldiers brought out of the cage females covered with a grey robe in a similar fashion like Luna. The females, nine in total, were mostly pony; two earth ponies, a unicorn, one crystal, one thestral and one pegasus, the other three females were a diamond dog, a saddle arabian and, of course, princess Celestia. All of them were gagged and restrained with ropes and chains; magic included in Celestia’s case. They squirmed violently as the soldiers made them walk outside the cage.

Forcing them down, or actually letting them fall on their knees, their squirming turned less violent, but still the fear, anger and confusion in their eyes was clear. They didn’t know what to do, all they wanted was to go back to their ‘Masters’.

Spike let go of Twilight and Rarity’s hands walking up to the eight poor females and Celestia. His gaze glued to her eyes while hers were glued to his, silently imploring him to free her from her restraints. Spike, with the six Bearers close behind him, took a series of heavy, slow steps towards them but suddenly stopped when Celestia gave out a loud, lewd moan; her spit falling around the gag in her mouth, her squirming shifting from violent to borderline erotic. Her eyes still glued to his while a rosy blush adorned her cheeks.

She was giving the usual signs of a red collar eager to please. A scene he was all too familiar with thanks to all the summons made by Dainn.

Spike snarled angrily letting a small stream of blue fire leave his mouth and nostrils. His eyes turned white and his hands became engulfed with a blue shimmer. He then moved to the captive females touching the heads of two of them and, just a few seconds later, removed his hands and moved to the next two. Once the eight females were free from the brainwash they were moved away by two soldiers each; they would need help soon enough.

Now only Celestia remained.

“Mom…,” Spike whispered painfully.

Spike stood in front of the one that had cared for him during his first years of life; the one that to his eyes was a princess second and his mother first. The mare that had given him her unconditional love and her time whenever she could and had kissed him goodnight and consoled him when scared or sad. His mother in all aspects but blood. The one he was forced to rape and abuse several times. His mother reduced to a willing slave; a red collar, and Dainn’s greatest trophy and pet.

I will fucking kill you, Dainn.

Rising his right hand high and above his head allowing everyone to see the intense blue shimmering mist surrounding it. He slowly reached down for her head while looking her straight to the eyes; eyes reflecting little fear, more so she looked excited. His hand stopped mere inches away from her.

What if….what if the corruption took a hold of her already? Spike thought darkly, the shimmer of his hand losing brightness and volume. I promised aunt Luna I’d help her no matter what, but...I already failed to end her suffering once, his entire arm began to tremble. I...I don’t think I--

His line of thought was broken, however, when he saw a lavender hand land over the back of his right trembling hand. His eyes widened in shock before looking to his left to see Twilight smiling up to him. A moment later he felt another hand take a hold of his wrist; looking down he saw it was white. Then another hand landed a bit above his wrist clasping its yellow fingers around it. Then an orange hand place itself above Twilight’s touching his fingers, followed closely by a pink hand landing and grasping his thumb. Finally a cyan hand wrapping a pair of fingers around his pinkie.

Spike looked at each of his six closest mare-friends, all of them smiling warmly at him. The trembling stopped and the shimmering mist returned in full, even covering the six hands placed upon his own. A moment of eery silence followed, Spike closed his eyes sighing lightly and his hand traveled the few inches separating him from his adoptive mother.

Soarin, like everyone else, looked attentively for the final result ready to accept whichever one was it. He felt a clutch in his heart and a lead ball on his stomach seeing the glow on Spike’s hand rapidly disappear. About ten seconds later Spike removed his hand leaving Celestia in her kneeling position like a statue for several moments, then she suddenly closed her eyes and fell forward but before she could hit the ground the two pegasi soldiers behind her caught her by each shoulder.

The next moments felt like an eternity for everyone watching. Everyone, except for Spike, gasped when they saw the mane and tail of the sun goddess start to shimmer and glow, followed quickly by it’s unnatural movement aided by some sort of invisible force. Her robe expanded a bit letting a few rays of light emerge causing the pegasi to release her. Instead of falling to the ground, Celestia returned to her previous kneeling position showcasing her beautiful purple magenta eyes. Then she simply stood still without moving an inch, her face a picture devoid of any emotion and her eyes lacking the sparkle they used to have.

“She is free,” Soarin whispered to himself. “Princess Celestia is free!” he promptly shouted leaping into the air a second before an onslaught of cheering echoed all around them. His cheering died out quickly though when he saw Spike kneel down and with great care picked Celestia in his arms bridal style. “Oh….no…,” Soarin whispered to himself before landing in front of Spike, the Element Bearers standing next to him all of them with tears in their eyes; except those tears weren’t completely happy ones. The cheering around died as quickly as it began, too.

“I’ll take her to my room here in the ruins, send the mind-menders when they have the time. Princess Celestia is in cold-shock,” Spike said to Soarin with his white burning eyes and a neutral tone in his voice.

With that said Spike turned around and made his way slowly to the ruins; the gathered crowd splitting in two allowing the dragon an easy passage to his destination.

Once Spike was out of sight Soarin gave out a heavy sigh.

“At least the princess is free from their clutches,” he said with a heavy heart to no one in particular.

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*Caribou Main Camp outside Las Pegasus-*

Dainn sat on his throne, his expression unreadable, looking down to the only three rebel survivors; all of them earth pony stallions, two of them were adolescents while the third had to be fifty something at least.

The three stallions were forced into a kneeling position, their armor discarded leaving them in the nude with their coats stained with mud, bruises and blood. Still they managed to glare up to him with a hate so deep any other day Dainn would’ve chuckle and let them attack him just to crush them like the traitorous insects they truly were.

“They won’t talk, my king,” a brutish caribou royal guard said kneeling at Dainn’s left side. “These three traitors to male superiority won’t break or accept your divine might,” the guard looked up to see his king but saw he was practically petrified aside from his slow, calm breathing.

Dainn stared at the three stallions in cold, dead silence and closed his eyes for the first time in minutes.

A week prior Spike’s kingly burial took place as a private ceremony, honoring his severed arm and tail. To say he was sad would be an understatement, it was the first time in recorded history anyone saw Dainn shed tears of sadness. At the very least he had something to bury. After that his campaign against the rebels continued just like it had after the events on Ponyville. At first he believed, as well as his generals, battlemasters and warlords that by being superior in every way to the rebel forces victory would come easily.

But the rebels proved him wrong.

The attacks to the caravans, supply routes and even the bold attacks of the past years were nothing in comparison to what they did now. They always attacked quick and retreated just as fast, only this time their targets were directed to factories and forges, dirt farms, rape-vine fields, collector hives, slave markets and even garrisons. But the worst came to the armies out on the fields. Their supplies would often be stolen or burnt; that or packs of well trained monsters such as timberwolves and manticores would attack the smallest settlements and the advance posts; leaving just a handful of survivors in the best cases.

Not to mention they did a fantastic job at avoiding direct conflict with his armies, now scattered all over Equestria to hunt down rebel camps and defend key positions. There had been a few skirmishes here and there and one or two major battles in Manehattan and Neighpan; all of them resulting in total caribou victory. What was more troubling for him was the fact that for every rebel they managed to kill he lost five of his soldiers, be them caribou or some other inferior race; most of the former were killed in action while the later would instead go missing, no doubt captured by the rebels. Not to mention the hidden Heretics all over his kingdom feeding information to the rebels.

Another shock came to him when Blueblood disappeared, his escort slaughtered while he was captured by the rebels. Dainn never really liked the stallion much, but he as useful and knew Equestria inside out, his loss, while regretful, meant nothing to him. Still, the war against the rebels took his full attention and his focus was on eliminating the changeling queen bitch that had escaped his grasp the day after his glorious Fall began.

Thanks to the intelligence network he managed to get the location of Chrysalis near Las Pegasus, apparently they were going to repeat what had happened in Ponyville albeit in a much larger scale, but were still gathering their forces while she lead them personally. With that in mind and his heart determined to bring the slut to her knees in honour of his fallen son, Dainn set out to lead a direct attack against the bitch-queen herself. The siege against the hidden changeling hive had just started the night before.

His hands turned into fists making loud noises as his joints and knuckles cracked. It had all been a trap...and he had fallen right into it. Worse was the real objective of it, not his life but to take away his two great trophies.

But all of that was nothing in comparison to the greatest insult of all, that cowardly trick to use a changeling bitch to impersonate Spike. They had dared to play with his emotions and managed to hit his heart with a spearpoint.

“My king! My king!” a guard shouted from the distance catching his attention. “The Marshal is alive!”

“WHAT!?” Dainn shouted back as the guard arrived in front of him. “What did you say!?”

“Lord Spike, the Marshal is making his way from the west entrance!”

“Are you certain it is Spike!?” Dainn asked feeling a glimmer of hope erupt from his heart. Had he survived somehow? If so, why appear now and not sooner or travel to Canterlot?

“Yes my king, the changeling detectors didn’t work. It really is our marshal Spike!”

Without another word Dainn teleported to said entrance and, despite his initial doubts and disbelief, he saw his rightful son walking towards him just a few meters in front of him. He leaped closing the distance between them using his wings and embraced the dragon taking him to the air whilst spinning a couple of times.

“You’re alive, my son,” Dainn whispered feeling overjoyed. “You have come back to me.”

‘Spike’ returned the hug and whispered. “Of course I have, Father, I promised I would come back to you, didn’t I?” just then they touched the ground still embracing tightly. “Bastard was tougher than I thought but I managed to kill it.”

“I thought I’d lost you, I even arranged a funeral for you,” Dainn embraced Spike tighter letting a few rebel tears escape his eyes.

“It’s alright, Father, I’m here now.”

“Yes, you are,” Dainn felt Spike’s embrace tighten. “And so will the damnable rebels and soon the world. All shall worship the divine might of Dainn and Spike; our divine might. But tell me, my son, how did you survi--” a sudden flash of green light engulfed him for a second. “--ve?” It took him a fraction of a second to notice ‘Spike’ was now replaced by a mareling.

A sudden flash of green light blinded him for a split second and the next moment he was now inside the changeling hive surrounded by several rebels soldiers from all angles.

“FIRE!” the mareling shouted never releasing her embrace.

Rage and hate filled Dainn in less than a second, realising it was a trap just before a barrage of magic bolts, magic beams, bolts, arrows, spears and even rocks flew his way.

“GRAAAAAHHHHH!” Dainn shouted with all his might while at the same time crushed the mareling in his embrace. His antlers ignited with magic as the barrage landed on him. The arrows, spears and bolts bounced right off of him while most of the magic attacks dissipated before touching him and those that did hit him seemingly did no damage whatsoever.

“HOW DARE YOU!” Dainn shouted again before a thick beam of magic shot out of his antlers forward, turning those unfortunate enough to be in its way into ash. Suddenly he felt something grab him from behind and had enough time it was a minotaur before he tossed him to the side and against a nearby wall.

Dainn saw the minotaur, easily twice his size and clad in iron armor, charge against him with all his might. Dainn greeted him by grabbing his horns and tossing him to the side with such strength that the wall fifty meters away shattered upon impact. Before he could do anything else another barrage of attacks landed on him with the same results as before. Dainn shouted again before launching another beam of magic only this time he kept going annihilating the soldiers all around him. Still the rebels kept on fighting, there were some even bold enough to come charging at him head on only to be turned to ash by his magic.

“Retreat! Retreat!” he heard someone shout.

“RETREAT!?” Dainn shouted angrily. “Your insolence only deserves DEATH!” Dainn leaped into the air ignoring the attacks of his enemies all together. His beam of magic stopped and now instead created a massive sphere of blue energy above him that grew by each passing second, he could barely hear the horrified gasps of the rebels; it only served to anger him further. Once the sphere had at least twelve meters of diameter Dainn tossed it to the ground below.

Upon impact the sphere exploded creating a massive explosion while at the same time creating a barrier around himself. The sound of the blast was deafening and the amount of light made him squint his eyes. After a few seconds later the explosion ended and he used his magic to clear out all the smoke around him. Soon Dainn took notice that his camp was under attack.

“Fucking shit!” enraged Dainn shouted before teleporting away.

Appearing outside his own camp he looked all around him seeing a few of his royal guards fighting against rebel soldiers and several corpses lying around. He noticed there were rebels flying away in all directions, he turned around and saw Soarin surrounded by several other rebels and much to his surprise Celestia and Luna at his sides. Dainn shot him a death glare before they teleported away.

“GRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!” Dainn shouted in pure rage before falling to his knees and hitting the ground with his fists with enough force to create a small earthquake around him.

After that he couldn’t remember what exactly happened, for starters he seemed to have ordered to search for any rebel survivors and torture information out of them or just kill them; he wasn’t sure but his commanders told him those were his orders. Also he had killed anyone stupid enough to approach him in his enraged state, similar to what happened in the Empire after receiving the news of the attacks in Equestria.

Now here he was sitting in his throne, humiliated by the rebel deception, insulted by taking away his two prized trophies and disgraced by using the image of Spike to lure him into a trap. All of that had happened barely a few hours ago. Dainn opened his eyes seeing the three stallions still glaring at him in silence.

“I tried to be just and….tolerant towards you damnable Heretics, but you have tested my patience and my mercy. Although I have to admit it was my mistake for not taking care of your pitiful ‘rebellion’ sooner,” his antlers ignited with his magic and a blue aura surrounded the three stallions. “You have managed to insult and humiliate me personally, and for that you shall pay with your lives. You and every rebel and Heretic bastard shall pay for this ultimate insolence, your bitches shall be properly punished for daring to oppose their masters and the changeling slut will become my pet just like your useless and pathetic princesses did. But you three?” Dainn got up and turned around before a loud and awful crunching noises followed by the chuckles of his fellow caribou echoed around the tent. “You three will service my men.”

The three stallions, now mares, could only scream in muffled pain and hate. Dainn made his way outside his tent before his troops grabbed the switched mares and began to have their way with them.

His pets could wait. Avenging his and Spike’s humiliation could wait. The entire world could wait. For now Dainn decided to focus his full attention on not stopping, but instead destroying any trace of rebellion, current or future, and he knew exactly how to do it. He turned his gaze to Las Pegasus as the switched mares inside his tents began to cry out, their gags removed and his guards laughing while they raped them to death.

Dainn decided an example was the first step to regain control and order.

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

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

“A condition in which the subject cannot react, think or move on its own. A state similar to what the silver collars show but worse since their minds are still trapped in their torment. That is cold-shock,” Spike said calmly before drinking the rest of his water.

“Brother, if a mission was issued to rescue the Royal Pony Sisters, why wasn’t one made to rescue princess Mi Amore Cadenza?” the dragon judge asked tentatively. He didn’t wished to provoke the ire of Spike once again; he had seen it enough already and had no desire to see him in personal action.

Spike put his glass back on the table and sighed contently. “Of course we did, but there was a major problem with making it work, Cadance rarely put a hoof outside the Crystal Palace and when she did it was always alongside Shining Armor for a very important contest or a festivity. A rescue mission for Cadance was virtually impossible. There was one attempt made by some crystal pony Fakers independent from us but they failed and they were all switched and then blanked.”

The dragon judge shifted in his seat knowing what it meant.

“What did Dainn do after the rescue of princess Celestia and princess Luna?” the doe judge asked.

“Are you really that misinformed or just plain stupid?” Spike replied coldly. “Or are you simply trying to make me say it?”

“Why you insole---”

“There’s no need for you to say what happened in Las Pegasus, prisoner,” Keltu interrupted the doe judge. “The reports are...quite clear on it.”

“Indeed, I can imagine them to be,” Spike added with a smug smile. “But I’ll answer the real previous question with a ‘No’, what that bastard did in Las Pegasus to show us an example didn’t anger me more or provoque me. Oh no, that was impossible at that point.”

“Then what did you do?” surprisingly it was Shifting Sands who made the question in a soft tone.

“I spent the next two months training and taking care of my mother. I did attend to a couple of missions and spend some time in the Fun Room. The battle against the caribou continued as expected; basically just hit and run battles, several raids and some skirmishes. The boost in morale for having Luna and Celestia with us again helped out quite a lot, with Luna herself starting to take part in the fight leading some missions here and there; she can be quite stubborn you see. We did suffered casualties, however, and lost seven camps across Equestria during that time; the captured were publically executed or blanked. Some were lucky enough to be rescued days later.”

“That’s not what the reports say, prisoner,” the diamond dog judge said. “Yes, you lost several camps and took heavy casualties,” the judge glanced at Chrysalis for a second. “But the so called ‘rescue’ missions were anything but, am I correct?”

“You are. I personally led all those missions. My rules were clear, get our brothers and sisters out alive and leave no caribou alive, with the cows being the exception as always,” Spike grinned. “Those were quite fun! Especially since I could test the product of my training.”

“Which was?” Keltu asked.

“I could control my speed better, the amount of energy I could draw from the Heart and how much I could handle at the same time. Also my strength, my perception and my reflexes increased along with my scales becoming even sturdier. Not to mention the Crystal Regeneration turned faster, sadly it didn’t turned out less painful,” Spike turned his head to face Chrysalis. “I never really thanked you for our little sparring sessions, Chrysalis, so, thank you.”

Chrysalis simply nodded.

“That’s how you recovered your eye, tail and arm, am I correct?” the zebra judge said.

“Yeah, each time I took massive damage or lost a limb, like in the sparring sessions I mentioned, a regeneration process began to heal me up, usually taking a few minutes. You should’ve seen the face of Chrysalis the first time she tore my right hand with her scythe! I swear she almost had a heart attack,” Chrysalis glared at him. “But I guess it was my own fault for testing just how much punishment I could take. The regeneration is great, but it hurts like all fucking Tartarus,” Spike chuckled loudly while his tail danced behind him from side to side.

“All kidding aside,” he said a couple of seconds later in a chilly tone. “One afternoon after my training I went to the kitchen to prepare Celestia’s favorite soup, peas and carrot soup. I made it the way she likes it best and then went to my room to feed her, when I opened the door I was met with the scene of her sitting on the bed staring into the void. I feed her, I told her how much I love her and how sorry I was for not helping her sooner. I sang to her while holding her hands like I always did,” Spike closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

“When I was done I tried to release her hands and found out she was holding mine. I looked up to her and saw her crying whilst a small smile adorned her beautiful face. Next thing I knew was me taking her to the medical bay to start the healing process. I was so happy to see her out of the cold-shock, like everyone else, but my happiness was short lived,” he opened his eyes shining with an intense baby blue light and the Crystal Heart appearing in his chest once more. “That same night I….felt, for lack of a better term, that my time was running short.”

“What did you next, brother?” the dragon judge asked.

“I focused solely on my training and just two weeks later I felt strong and in control enough to actually stand a chance against Dainn. The next two weeks I spent them coming up with a strategy to destroy the Fake Crystal Heart and kill Dainn once and for all. It was mad, risky and suicidal; victory or death. The plan had three major parts: First, inform Empress Shifting Sands to move her armada to block the Siren’s Pass while her army, alongside with the griffon army, prepare to invade once the barrier fell. Meanwhile our forces would move up to every single city, village and town and wait for the barrier to fall as well. Second, destroy the corruption and free everyone affected by it and at the same time our forces would invade and attack, their objective to either take over or secure their objective until reinforcements arrive. Third, once the barrier fell Chrysalis and her most powerful changelings would consume as much love as they possibly could and create a shield around Canterlot castle, trapping Dainn inside until my return,” Spike got up and let out a long, tired sigh.

“The problem was, I had no fucking idea if I could even destroy the damn thing at the time, in theory my powers could but I had nothing to practice on before hand. That and the fact that I was going to do it on my own. Needles to say,” his eyes increased in brightness. “I was successful and that meant the beginning of the Rise.”

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

*Crystal Empire Train Station- Three years, ten months and three weeks into the Fall-*

“Now arriving at the Crystal Empire, please check your luggage and pick your whores in the unbording area once you leave your cabin. The train will depart for Manehattan in half an hour. Thank you all for using the Crystal Express services,” the voice of the announcer echoed across the station while everyone was going back and forth doing their own things paying no mind whatsoever to a cloaked figure walking shakily and slowly out of a train cabin, aided only by two walking staffs.

The train engines let out a loud whistling noise followed by a cloud of white smoke covering part of the platforms. Meanwhile the cloaked figure continued to make its way out of the station peacefully until a pair of caribou royal guards stopped him.

“Could you please show us your papers, sir?” the bigger one on the left asked.

“Of course,” the cloaked figure answered in a low, almost broken tone. “Could you hold my staff for a minute, youngin’?” the figure, an old male for the sounds of it, presented with a slightly trembling arm to the guard in the right. The guard took the staff letting the old man reach for his papers. Twenty seconds or so later the old man pulled a stack of papers out of his cloak and handed them over to the other guard, meanwhile the the one in the right returned him the staff.

After a minute the guard inspecting the papers used his magic to move them to a nearby desk.

“Everything seems to be in order, my good sir. Could you tell us the motive of your visit?”

“Before his majesty, King Dainn, blessed us with the truth of male superiority, I lived serving the sun bitch. Sadly, I’m far too old to enjoy the pleasure of teaching the bitches their proper place but I have travelled all over Equestria to witness its new glory *cough* *cough*....Oh…*cough*....I-I’m terribly sorry *cough*.”

“Are you sick, old man?” the guard in the right asked with concern.

“S-sadly, yes. It seems I d-don’t have much time left in this world *cough*” the old man pulled a hand covered in blue bandages making the two caribou guards take a step back and their expressions to show revulsion. “But before I die, I want to see the *cough* the glory of the Crystal Cock with my own eyes *cough*”

“D-do you require any assistance?” the taller guard asked keeping his distance.

“I doubt anyone would want to help*cough* an o-old infected fool like me, but you *cough* have my thanks, youngin’. Just point me in the direction of the *cough* Crystal C-Cock and I will be on my way,” both guards pointed to their backs where in the distance the Crystal Castle stood mighty and proud. Without another word the cloaked man began to make his way again and once he was far away enough the tallest guard picked his papers and set them on fire.

For several minutes the cloaked man walked slowly and in calm, paying no attention to the debauchery taking place all around him with females being raped, beaten, humiliated, treated like merchandise or used in the public stocks. He did, however, show his hands covered in the blue bandages creating an immediate circle and free pass for him, more out of fear to get infected with whatever disease the old man could be carrying, the blue bandages both marking him and stopping said sickness from spreading.

Before long the old man reached the Crystal Cock and the barrier protecting it and only stopped until he was in front of the off limits circle around the Crystal Cock. And then he stood still.

A couple of seconds later his cloak began to move on its own while at the same time a gush of wind emerged around him. Around five seconds later the ground below him began to freeze and gushes of violent wind emerged from within the cloak catching the eye of nearby bystanders. Suddenly the old man lifted both staffs and threw them to the sides now standing firmly in two feet. An intense blue light suddenly emerged from the cloak; temporarily blinding everyone staring at his direction.

The cloak erupted in white flames consuming it in seconds, followed by blue bandages falling to the ground also burning and revealing a dragon engulfed in white flames as ice spread over the ground around him.

Spike glared at the Crystal Cock while he prepared himself to attack it. He had no idea what to expect or the reaction it could possibly cause to Dainn, all he could focus on was in his hate, his desire to make the nightmare come to an end and to kill Dainn. He felt the energy of the Heart reaching its peak when he heard the guards approaching from all side to him.

“Is...is that Marshall Spike!?”

Spike heard a caribou shout in astonishment before he opened his maw letting a thick stream of blue flames against the Crystal Cock. The moment it made impact a huge shockwave made every nearby window and glass explode and created an earthquake strong enough to send everyone to the ground. The flames engulfed the red barrier around the Crystal Cock creating red lightnings to shoot in all directions. Spike let out a roar seeing the barrier hold up against his attack and diverted his attention to the sky for a moment, seeing the stream magic coming out of the Crystal Palace, the same keeping the barrier active thin out. Still, the power he was using was not enough to destroy the Crystal Cock.

For almost four year we have lived under the rule of the fucking caribou and that son of a thousand demons of Dainn. All that we lost, all that we still have to lose, all those who had died and worse at their filthy, stinking, rotten hands. And I don’t have much time left to spare…..no…..NO…...FUCKING NO! Today we will be free, today I shall break the caribou for all they’ve done and they’ll see the rage of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Today I will kill Dainn! I won’t let this madness go on any longer! I will not fail again!

Spike shouted to himself in his mind drawing even more power from the Heart. Then, combined with a mighty roar, the stream of fire grew three sizes in thickness and was now completely covering the barrier of the Crystal Cock.

The barrier began to crack as the red lightnings became more violent until, with a loud bang and another shockwave, the barrier shattered allowing the flames to hit the Crystal Cock directly. Spike was able to see the Crystal Cock inside his flames starting to crack and then it completely shattered accompanied with a huge explosion of magic that sent even him to the ground ending his attack.

Spike got up quickly and ran to the pillars below the Castle; the ground around it and a hundred or so meters behind it was on fire. Spike saw a couple of dark and red bolts coming out from an object near the base of the lower pillar. He reached down for it and took it with his right hand, pieces of the Crystal Cock still clinging to said object, still he recognized the object perfectly.

“So that’s why you felt familiar,” Spike said angrily. “The fucking Alicorn Amulet,” he glared at the object, cracks adorning its surface. “No one will use you again,” his hand erupted into flames before he closed his hand turning the Amulet into pieces. The pieces themselves turned into ashes as they landed on the ground whilst covered in blue flames.

With no more time to waste Spike made the Heart present itself on his chest. A second later he felt himself being pulled in between the two pillars; focusing on the energy he used to cleanse the brainwash and into his very own being.

“Be free and take your vengeance!” Spike shouted before the pillars illuminated themselves with white light, followed by the entire Castle and then shoot out a beam of pure magical white light to the skies obliterating the already shattering barrier and sending a huge, massive wave of white energy in all directions.

All the while Spike screamed in constant, unwavering pain.

Part 1 end.

Author's Notes:

Special thanks to everyone that read this!

I know this is a huge tease and not what was promised but I have had some hectic things happening to me lately, including the fact that my new job forces me to have 5 days without internet and my two days off are spent on other projects.

I did cut this into 2 parts because I wanted to add more for the second part (chapter 7 was going to be originally 16 k words in total, but I decided to make it around 23 divided into 2 chapters, so don't hate plz)