Spike's tired eyes opened slowly in the morning light, and his ears had trouble adjusting to the calm atmosphere around him. He sat upright but was gently pushed back down onto his bed by another pony's hand.

"Lay back down Spike, you've had a rough night." A gentle, but stern voice insisted.

"Gin?" Spike asked the unseen mare as he tried to adjust his vision.

"Yes Spike, it's me..." Gin replied as she hovered over Spike.

"Where am I?" Spike groaned as he looked around the room.

Spike noticed the pile of flowers next to his bed and wondered just how long he had been resting. "Gin, how long was I-."

"It's only ten-thirty in the morning, but it seems you've become a celebrity in a pretty short time." Gin laughed. "Ponies have been lining up all morning to give flowers to the "Saviour of Wantthai", and all that."

"Did she stay with me the whole night?"Spike asked himself as he noticed the bags under Gin's eyes.

"Gin, where's Twilight and the others?" Spike wondered as he propped himself up with his pillow.

"They got wrapped up in some business with an Austy bloke, but I didn't really give damn about him, so I decided to stay here- wait til' you woke up." Gin explained. "I wanted to give you a little something as well..."

"Um- uh, what?" Spike said as his face flushed red.

"Just close your eyes, and I'll show you..." Gin whispered to Spike in a seductive voice.

Spike closed his eyes and puckered his lips; waiting for a kiss. However, what he felt instead was a hard punch.

"Ouch!" Spike yelped. "What was that?"

"Sorry Spike, I just wanted to create some dramatic tension. Did it work okay?" Gin chuckled as she aided the aching dragon to his feet.

"Yeah, really feeling the tension..." Spike sighed as he rubbed his snout.

"Can you walk? I can carry you outside like a baby if you want!" Gin joked as she helped steady Spike.

"Tempting, but I'll pass." Spike chortled as he walked around a bit.

"Let's get going then." Gin declared as she ushered Spike outside.

As Spike and Gin exited the city infirmary, they were greeted by thousands of ponies in the cobblestone street shouting things like: "Hail the warrior!", or "Praise Spike, our saviour!". The mob surrounded Spike and gave him hugs, kisses, and even more flowers. Spike was overwhelmed by the roaring fans and showered in praise. This was the first time Spike truly felt like the heroes he read about in his comics and storybooks.

"Spike!" Twilight yelled from across the sea of heads.

"Twilight?" Spike looked around frantically.

Twilight pushed her way through the crowd until she reached Spike. Fluttershy was with her, and they both had giant grins spread across their faces.

"I'm sorry I didn't stay with you, but we talked with some ponies from Ausrüstung, and we
had to help Coba with... he went to see his father," Twilight explained with a guilty expression.

"It's okay Twilight, I understand," Spike insisted, "he needs us more than I need you guys..."

"I'm glad you're okay!" Fluttershy smiled as she tilted her head innocently.

"Where's Draven?" Spike asked.

"Back at the arena, he decided to stay on the Ambassador," Twilight informed Spike.

"The Ambassador?" Spike wondered as he scratched his head.

"Remember that big ol' airship that kicked the Changeling's asses?" Gin interjected as she pointed up to the massive ship parked above the arena. "Well, there it is."

"Woah..." Spike's eyes widened as she looked up at the gargantuan airship above the stadium.

"We should get going now, everyone's waiting for us up there." Twilight reminded the others as she wormed her way through the crowd.

"Let's go then." Spike agreed as he followed her, along with Gin and Fluttershy.

****

Coba clenched his fist as he approached his father, who sat in his throne overlooking the arena. His father had episodes before, but not as frequently. He'd sometimes forget his crown or his clothes, but this time... he forgot more than just little things.

"Father?" Coba called out to the king.

"Wha- who's there? Aria is that you?!" The king shouted as he looked around desperately.

"Father... mother died a long time ago..." Coba reminded his father.

"Oh, of course... what happened to her anyways?" The king asked his anguished son.

"She died of childbirth father when she had me. Remember?"

"Right, right..." The king shook his head. "And- and you are?"

"Your son, Coba." Coba tried explaining to his confused father. "Do you- do you remember me?"

"Oh, of course, I do! You gave me a plate of wheatgrass just a few minutes ago!" The king snapped his finger as he pointed at Coba.

"No, that was Koga, your servant." Coba hung his head.

"Right..."

"I came here to tell you about Wantinga, your son. He died last night, defending Wantthai from the Changelings." Coba placed his hand on his father's shoulder.

"How old was he?"

"Twenty-seven, father. He was twenty-seven."

"Oh, dear. That's far too young..." The king shook his head in disappointment.

Coba began to weep as he remembered his brother. His smile, his kind demeanour. Back when his father was well, he always told Wantinga how much he was like his mother. Kind, compassionate, and caring. His father understood him better than anyone, and now his understanding was replaced by confusion and delusions.

"I know, father. That's far too young..." Coba cried as he buried his face in his father's chest.

"Oh, don't be sad. Death is just a part of life, it happens sometimes." The king comforted his son; patting him on the back as he hummed a familiar tune, the same one he used to sing to Coba when he was younger.

The sound of hoof-steps interrupted Coba's embrace with his father, and he forced to regain his composure seconds after he broke off from the hug to meet with his visitors. Spike and the others emerged from the entrance leading into the long staircase down to the market and the concourse.

"Oh, hello Spike. It's good to see you well and active." Coba chimed cheerfully as he hastily wiped away the remaining tears from his eyes.

"Good to see you too, Coba. Are you okay?" Spike asked Coba as he looked over to his father sitting in his throne.

"I've fine Spike," Coba replied with a sharpness to his voice.

Spike could tell it was quite obvious he had been crying based on the red marks under his eyes and his sudden change in tone. He wanted to ask about his brother, but he thought it would be best to let him bring it up.

"I'm sorry..." Coba apologized as he held his forehead in frustration. "I... I don't know what to say to you, Spike."

"I don't expect you to Coba, I just wanted to see if you were alright," Spike assured the mixed-up stallion. "What's going to happen now?"

"With my brother dead, there is no one else to inherit the throne but I." Coba lamented.

"Does that mean..."

"Yes, Spike. It appears that this is where I must end this journey of ours." Coba stated reluctantly as he put his hand out to Spike. "Thank you, Spike, for saving my people. It was an honor to fight beside you."

"Will we ever see each other again?" Spike always hated goodbyes.

"This isn't a goodbye forever Spike... our paths will cross again one day, I'm sure of it." Coba smiled as he shook hands with the young dragon.

Coba moved over to Fluttershy and gave her a hug.

"I won't forget you Coba." Fluttershy whimpered.

"Nor will I."

Coba then hugged Twilight. "You take care of Spike, you hear? He gets reckless sometimes."

"I always do." Twilight nodded.

When Coba's eyes met with Gin, they stood still for a moment. They both remembered all they had been through together. The battles they fought, the riches they plundered. It was all coming to a close, and Coba could tell Gin wasn't ready to say goodbye.

"Well, what do you want?" Gin pouted as she crossed her arms; trying to avoid eye-contact.

Coba said nothing and put his hand out for a handshake. At first Gin was reluctant, but eventually she caved, and she could no longer contain herself. She practically jumped on Coba and squeezed him tightly; tearing up as she squished the huge stallion.

"Damn it, who am I supposed to share my rum with now?" Gin wept as she squeezed tighter.

"There's a lot more for you now, right?" Coba laughed as he returned the hug.

Gin gave him a punch to the shoulder before drying her eyes and backing up. Coba gave them a shaman's blessing to give them good luck before saying goodbye one last time.

"Go with grace friends! I hope we will see each other again someday, in this life or the next!" Coba bowed to his comrades as they walked down the stairs.

****

Spike and the others gathered in the center of the arena and looked up at the giant ship in the sky.

So, uh... how do we get up there? Do they just toss us a ladder or..." Spike trailed off as she gawked at the massive sky-carrier. "Woah."

"Hello? Can you hear me?" An electronic voice buzzed in Twilight's satchel.

"Hello?" Twilight replied as she grabbed a small black device and raised it to her ear.

"What is that?" Fluttershy stared at the odd contraption.

"Some kind of wireless communicator, I think," Twilight answered as she examined the machine. "That same soldier gave it to me when we talked to him earlier."

"Hey, it's me, Masami. Can you hear me?" The communicator beeped.

"Yes, yes we can hear you Masami! How are we supposed to get up there?" Twilight responded as she waved at the airship.

"Well, there isn't any open space large enough for us to land, so we'll have to teleport you guys up here!" Masami informed Twilight and the others.

"Did she just say teleport?" Spike chimed in.

"Hold onto something guys, it might be a bumpy ride!" Masami chuckled before shutting off the communicator.

A huge machine emerged from the bottom of the airship and began charging up power; making a loud humming noise as it aimed right at Spike and the others. In a flash of light, they were gone, and in an instant they all landed on a hard metal surface.

"Ah, my back..." Gin groaned as she got to her hooves.

"Everyone alright?" Masami said as she tapped on the glass container surrounding Spike his friends.

"Where are we?" Spike asked Masami as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You're in the Ambassador folks!" Masami announced with pleasure as she pulled a lever; raising the glass container that held Spike and the others.

"How did you do that?" Twilight inquired as she inspected the various dials and mechanisms around the glass chamber.

"Easy. We disassembled you and put you back together here!" Masami cheered as she shook hands with everypony. "Awesome, right?"

"More like nauseating..." Gin dry-heaved.

"Yeah, that'll subside soon. So, let's get to the bridge shall we?" Masami ushered Twilight and the others onto an elevator.

"What is this?" Gin asked as she tapped on the steel plating of the small elevator.

"An elevator. Think of it as an easy way of going up!" Masami smiled as she unwrapped a piece of gum and plopped it into her mouth. "Anyone want some gum?"

The elevator ascended at incredible speeds; causing Gin to dry-heave again. In a matter of seconds, they reached the top floor, the command center. Spike's eyes widened as he emerged from the elevator.

"Wow." Spike's jaw dropped as he looked across the room filled with stallions and mares tending to consoles and monitoring strange glowing screens.

The room had two visible levels. There were the workers manning the controls, and the officers and soldiers guarding the upper platforms above the workers. At the end of the room was Draven and three other ponies. One was Butch, the other was Winslow, and the other Spike didn't recognize. They all sat in front of a long space-age metal table.

"Ah, there you all are!" Draven joyously clapped as he hugged Gin. "Where's Coba? Did he not get beamed up?"

"No, he-... he had to stay behind." Gin filled Draven in on the details.

"I see..." Draven looked down; slightly disappointed to hear the news, although deep down he knew it was inevitable. "Well... nothing we can do now I suppose. Anyways, I'd like you all to meet Charles Chesterfield! He's the president of Ausrüstung!"

Draven directed the group's attention towards the extensively dressed stallion. His fur was turquoise and his hair was a bright orange, and he wore a tweed suit with a vest underneath that had a gold pocket-watch fastened to it. He wore a pair of rounded glasses over his emerald eyes, and he brandished a smile that was as worthy of respect as a princess, yet as humble as a farmer.

"A pleasure to meet you all! Captain Draven has informed me of your countless adventures and skirmishes, and I must admit, I am quite impressed by your resumes," Charles complimented Draven and his crew in his Canterlot-like accent, "and your captain is a mighty fine cribbage player, let me tell you!"

"Double-skunked him." Draven snickered as he gave Gin a cheesy wink.

"I'm sure you've met my associates already, but I don't believe you've been properly acquainted!" Charles gestured towards Butch. "This is High Commander Butch Stiehl, he is our... pony relations specialist. And this lovely mare to your left is Masami Akiyama, she is a technical wizard, but I'm sure she has already told you all that. They are but two of the five members of Ausrüstung Task Force One, our last line of defence against foreign and domestic threats."

"What did I tell ya about callin' me High Commander, Chuck?" Butch grunted as he attempted to light a cigar, but he was stopped by Masami who snatched it out of his hand."Oh for fuck sake, Masami!"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Masami teased Butch as she tossed the cigar into a nearby trash bin. "No smoking on the ship! You'll have to wait til we land! Now, sit down at the table!"

Butch grumbled as he sat down at the table; crossing his arms and pouting like a child. Charles and Masami sat down as well, along with Twilight and the others. Charles called over a butler on the other side of the room, and he served each pony with a glass of white wine, except Butch, who got a glass full of apple juice.

"Don't make me shoot you, Bensley!" Butch growled at the butler.

"Thank you, Bensley." Charles thanked the butler as he slipped a strange platinum coin into his hand. "Now, isn't this splendid? A bottle of fifty-year-old Delicieuse wine and guests, simply marvellous."

"Thank you for your hospitality sir, but why are you so interested in us?" Twilight inquired as she took a sip of the strong wine.

"Ah, apologies. I tend to ramble often. Let me explain." Charles insisted as he placed his wine glass gently on the table. "Recently, there has been trouble in Ausrüstung, grim troubles. Back home, ponies have been disappearing with no explanation, and there have been numerous terrorist attacks on banks, government buildings, and schools. It has only been getting worse as time goes on. We believe these incidents have something to do with this Leere fellow your group has been pursuing these past few weeks."

"Why is that?" Draven wondered as he took a sip of his wine.

Charles took another drink from his glass before continuing."A friend of mine, Evelyn Aquarius, has identified a correlation between these incidents and this Leere chap. These attacks seem ritualistic."

"How so?" Winslow asked as he set his sheathed sword on the floor.

"They are random, purposefully." Masami interrupted. "Some kind of cult that worships madness is what we think. But we don't know for certain if they have a leader."

"Madness huh? What kind of cult worships being crazy?" Gin commented.

"The kind of cult that worships Gek," Draven answered Gin's remark.

"I beg your pardon?" Charles inquired.

"The kind of cult you're describing is one that worships Gek, The Sorcerer of Mind," Winslow answered.

"What is this Gek guy, exactly?" Masami asked as she took a sip of wine.

"He was an ancient scholar back in The First Age known as Gekken. He craved knowledge, and his elders warned him about his lust for power, and how it could corrupt him. Of course, Gekken didn't listen. He made a dark deal with Leere. He would serve him in his war, and in return Leere would give him infinite knowledge." Draven explained. "While it did work at first, it wouldn't last. Imagine having all that knowledge, and holding it inside for tens of thousands of years... that can drive you mad, and he did. Gekken became Gek, and the curious scholar that was Gekken was replaced by a distorted psychopath."

"Heavy stuff..." Butch grunted from across the table.

"And you believe this Gek fellow has something to do with these incidents? Should we be looking for him?" Charles suggested.

"No, the pony called Gek died long ago. However, he lived on as a spirit, a state of mind. As long as there is one pony left on the planet, he will always exist as an ethereal entity." Winslow added. "He is a manipulator, a dream, he only exists as a thought. He is the puppet-master, but he does not pull the strings, he only nips at them."

"So you're saying that he must have corrupted somepony else, and that pony leads this cult?" Masami asked Winslow as she blew a bubble and popped it.

"Exactly," Winslow concluded.

"And that is where you all fit into the formula." Charles chimed in. "You all know more about the Sorcerers than anypony else. Our scientists have no idea how to come at this problem, but you can help. And this is where we fit in. Ausrüstung wants to ally with you, the Equestrians. After two hundred years, I think it's time our two nations buried the hatchet."

"You want to ally with Equestria?" Twilight queried as she stood up.

"Yes. You can't fight this war with the Leere alone Twilight Sparkle, Celestia knows this." Charles pointed out.

"Twilight Sparkle? Celestia? You Equestrians have weird fuckin names." Butch rudely remarked; causing everyone to glare at him with hateful eyes. "What? Just sayin'."

"My party members believe my dealings with Equestrians are troublesome, but I wish to prove them wrong. If you help us, perhaps you can change their minds- show them that Equestrians can be an ally." Charles suggested as he put out his hand. "So, will you help us your highness?"

"Do you want me to decide?" Twilight asked Draven.

"Well, I do technically work for you, so yeah, it kind of is up to you." Draven laughed as he took another sip of his wine.

Twilight took a moment to think. Without the Ausrüstrians, Wantthai would've been nothing but a pile of ash under the Changeling flag. Equestria needed an ally like Ausrüstung to help in the upcoming war. Twilight shook Charles' hand and smiled.

"We'll do it, but I'll have to speak with Celestia after we're done." Twilight decided as she raised her glass for cheers.

"Oh, thank you, your highness. You won't regret it!" Charles thanked Twilight as he clinked glasses with her.

"Mr. President, plot a course for the capital?" A pilot on the lower floor asked Charles.

"Yes captain, let's go home," Charles replied as he sat back down.

"Wait, what about my ship?" Draven interrupted.

"Not a problem. Captain, beam up that ship in the harbour down there, will you?" Charles requested as he looked down at a monitor on the lower level displaying Draven's ship.

"Yes, sir." A worker saluted Charles as he pulled a lever.

The same machine that teleported Spike and the others fired a beam of blue light that sucked up the ship within seconds. "Target in the loading-bay sir!"

"Excellent! Let's get going then! Buckle up everyone!" Charles shouted as he fastened his seatbelt. "Open the windows too, why don't you? It looks like a mad scientist's basement in here!"

The large metal dome surrounding the bridge windows opened up, and the open sky became visible to everypony. Spike was in awe as he looked up at the clouds hovering overhead, and Twilight was as well.

"Looks like were off then, huh?" Spike chuckled lightly as he turned to Twilight.

"Just another day in the life of Spike, right?" Twilight giggled as she laid back and watched the clouds.

"Engines at maximum power, Mr. President!" The pilot shouted over to Charles.

"Punch it!" Charles bellowed joyously as he held onto his arm-rests.

In an instant, the ship blasted off, and they zoomed through the clouds; moving on to the next frontier. The capital of Ausrüstung, Eisen. As they sped onwards, Gin screamed. She may have been tough on the open seas, but in the sky... it was a different story.

"How's this for dramatic tension Gin?" Spike laughed as his seat vibrated violently.

"Shut up!" Gin cried as she covered her eyes.

*END OF ARC ONE*

Author's Notes:

Woo-hoo! I hope you enjoyed this arc! As always, I hope you enjoyed! Thank you for all of your likes and support for this series, and I'll see you in the next arc: The Gears Of Chaos!