This is a non-profit fanfiction created for entertainment purposes only. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is owned by Hasbro and Lauren Faust. This story contains content of an adult nature and is an Alternate Reality take of the character Spike as a human (who I do not own). Please support the official release.

Twilight's Treatment Volume 2 - Chapter 6 - Crown and Conviction

"I still can't believe I'm doing this." Spike mumbled to himself carrying the two bags under each arm. He'd gone out to the store to load up on snacks and punch mix for the sudden party he was now obligated to hold. He couldn't risk using anything that they already had in the pantry since Twilight might have noticed with her obsessive manner to catalog things and eventually found him out. So this left him spending what few personal funds he had on a party he wasn't all that interested in doing in the first place. "Snips and Snails better make this thing freaking amazing. Otherwise I'm gonna..."

"Hey, what 'cha got in the bag Spike?" The dragon-blooded boy stopped to see two girls coming up beside him. It was Applebloom riding along on the back of Scootaloo's scooter with her driving them both. "Lookin' like it's stuff fer a party." Spike hadn't actually taken the time to go and find anyone to ask to this party. Apparently Snips and Snails didn't bother to let them know either. He hoped those two weren't slacking off and letting him do all the work for this.

"Well uh... yeah actually. I am having a party." The girls eyes lit up with excitement.

"Really?" Scootaloo asked. "Where's it going to be? What's it for?"

"It's um... just because I guess." Spike shrugged having never thought about anything like a theme or a reason for what he was doing. The reason had been that Snips had begged and pleaded until Spike had caved in. "Some of the guys and me decided we were going to hang out and invite some people over." Applebloom and Scootaloo looked between each other as if they were considering this.

"Is there going to be dancing?" Scootaloo asked and Spike nodded in agreement. He hadn't planned on it before but they had a record player. He could find something to play he was sure seeing as how Twilight loved to dance (even if she wasn't the best at it.)

"There gonna be snacks and punch?" Spike showed off the contents of his bags to Applebloom who seemed satisfied with what she saw. "Well heck, when's it gonna be? Ah reckon we can make it on over."

"We were going to have it at around seven tonight. If you can make it we'd definitely have you over."

"We'll be there, no problem." Scootaloo confirmed quickly for both of them. "Applebloom, you can get out for a bit after dark can't you?"

"Ah guess so. Ah mean as long as ah tell Big Mac where ah'm goin' an git back before too long it should be alright."

"See, it's settled then. We'll be there Spike." Scootaloo confirmed and it perked Spike up a bit. "Is there going to be anyone else?"

"Well there should be a few other people." Spike was actually hesitant to mention Snips and Snails. It wasn't that he didn't want to be associated with the two of them but they were kind of a girl repellent. "We're not sure who's all coming yet so it's kind of up in the air."

"Do ya mind if we invite anyone else over tah the party?" Applebloom asked and just the fact she seemed interested made him happy. As for who ever else she'd bring he had a pretty solid idea that it would be Sweetie Belle. Who else did she know?

"Yeah sure, invite anyone you like. It's going to be for just us after all. No chaperons or anything like that." Spike was starting to get into this, feeling like the host of a big event. "You don't have to dress up or anything, just come in whatever you like."

"This is gonna be great. C'mon Applebloom, lets get ready for tonight. We'll see you then okay Spike?" Applebloom hopped onto the back of the scooter and the girls were rolling off down the street. Spike waved to them as they disappeared off into the horizon and went back to lugging his bags with renewed purpose. He'd been dreading whatever it was that Snips and Snails were going to be dragging into his house for this party but with the assurance of the girls showing up it felt like it was actually going to be something worthwhile. Not just due to that it was going to have girls at it, or that he thought he was going to get lucky with any of them. That was the farthest thing from his mind. Well... not the direct intent of his mind anyway. He was just looking forward to having some fun with people he knew.

"Heck, this might actually be a good night after all." Spike smiled to himself and walked proudly through the streets. "I hope Twilight's day is getting better too."

"Stay behind me, Pinkie!" Twilight shouted over the roaring flames that threatened to consume her and her friend. The girls were hiding behind the near transparent barrier of Twilight's magic protecting them. Golden flames violently pounding at her defenses, threatening to burn the girls to a crisp. Despite the very real threat it posed Twilight managed to maintain her magical wall, keeping the flames of the dragon-blooded man at bay and both of their lives protected.

It had all happened so fast; they were questioning him as to why he'd declared to kill the Princess. The man ignored their questions and attempted to storm the castle regardless of what they had to say about it. When Twilight had ordered him as Celestia's student to stop or face the consequences in hopes of dissuading him from causing more chaos he responded to her challenge happily. So it was that she found herself under fire so to speak. The golden flames smashing against her magical wall with each intake of air the man took. "Twilight, are you okay?" Pinkie asked fearfully as the lavender haired girl was sweating from the heat and stress of keeping them from becoming ash.

"It's okay Pinkie. I can keep him held back. You run away now, okay? Go get help." Twilight put on a strong face in hopes of getting the pink haired girl to run but Pinkie instead stayed by her said with a worried expression. "Pinkie, what are you doing? Get going."

"I can't." She confessed. "There's absolutely, positively no way I could leave you now." Of all the times for this girl to feel guilty.

"Pinkie, listen to me. You can't fight this guy. You need to hurry up and leave while I can still hold him back." Twilight took a more commanding tone to her voice but it sounded strained. Her arms were tired from holding them up to maintain her spell and her mind was taxed from holding it together while she was assaulted by the man's flames. "Don't worry about me. There's no way he can get through this barrier."

"Twilight, look out!" Pinkie shouted pointing forward, Twilight turning her head to realize the armored man was no longer spewing his magical fire but instead had changed tactics and was charging toward her. Twilight braced herself as she was ready to bounce him back when he made impact with the shield. The man's foot came up and kicked hard into Twilight's barrier, causing the purple haired girl to scream as it shattered like glass before her. She collapsed back into Pinkie's arms as if she'd been punched herself. "Twilight! Twilight are you okay!?" Twilight Sparkle's eyes were closed tightly and her brow furrowed like she was in a great deal of pain. The man in the armor laughed.

"Thou are an impressive wielder of magic, young maiden. Many a soldier that would dare cast a spell before my might has been crushed beneath these boots. It is a shame thou recklessness shall cost you both the same fate." Pinkie hugged Twilight protectively and turned her away from the armored man in the crown, giving her best mean scowl that she could muster.

"What's your problem you big meanie head?" Pinkie accused angrily and the man stopped, surprised she would speak to him in such a way. "We tried to say hi to you, then you say you're going to hurt Princess Celestia and then you attacked us. What did we ever do to you?" He smiled at Pinkie, amused at her question. Reaching to his side he pulled a bottle from a rope that was hooked to his armor and took a long drink of the contents. Letting out an exhale that was accompanied by a golden spark of fire.

"Surely thou jests to ask such a thing of I? Are thee saying that you are so ignorant of the affairs of the kingdoms that thou are without knowledge of my quarrel with your kind?" Pinkie stared at him for a while with a serious gaze before responding with...

"What?" The armored man sighed and shook his head.

"These foolish peasants with their short-sighted nature and truly odd clothing." He commented looking Pinkie and Twilight over and taking another long drink of his bottle. "Have thou not heard the sounds of war among your own kingdom? Are thou so far removed from the battles in the south that you all know nothing of the plight of thine own selfish people?" His voice was picking up depth and aggression with each word but it still all sailed over Pinkie's head.

"Are you crazy or something? There's no war in the south. There's no war in any direction. We wouldn't hurt anyone if there was a way to solve a problem peacefully." Pinkie's words just seemed to bother the armored man more as he approached and towered over the two girls. "Princess Celestia is a kind person and you're just a big bully."

"Kind thou says?" He leaned forward, letting Pinkie get a good look at his reptilian like golden eyes and sharp teeth. Despite her brave nature to protect her friend the girl couldn't help but feel a shiver of terror seeing him this close. "You humans are all the same. Your kind would crawl over this whole world until there was no barrier left that you hadn't crossed. No land that you hadn't claimed under the supposed benevolent flag of thine monarch." He put a hand underneath Pinkie's chin and forced her to look him in the eye, the girl clutching Twilight to herself tighter. "You humans are disgusting creatures that will consume the world unless your kind are ultimately vanquished. If thine monarch will not regulate you herself, then it is left to I to ensure she understands the price of leaving her subjects unchecked. Even if I must carve this lesson into one peasant at a time." Pinkie was shaking fearfully but held her friend in her arms despite her desire to run. Thankfully she didn't need to wait much longer.

Twilight made a fist and swung her arm forward in a punch to the armored man's stomach, her hand producing a large gauntlet of magic that grew in size and knocked the dragon-blooded man with the crown across the clearing they were in. "Pinkie... I told you to run."

"Twilight, you're okay!" Pinkie said in joy seeing her friend awake again. "And no way am I leaving you alone, we'll run together."

"This isn't up for debate." Twilight said rubbing her forehead where the pain from having her spell broken seemed the most focused. There wasn't much time to dwell on it as their opponent was getting to his feet quickly, the magical punch not seeming to do much damage.

"Whether or not thou chose to believe so, I do admire thy spirit young maiden." He grinned arrogantly and adjusted his crown as he stood. "Though it will take more than spirit to smite me." Twilight didn't waste time with any banter, instead thrusting her arms out again and raising them into the air. From the burnt grass and singed hedges vines began to creep out towards the dragon-blooded man. "Thou intends to halt my advance with vines and thorns? Thou art more foolish than anticipated." He tried to walk forward but found the vines had gained a thick grip upon his boots, and they were climbing up the rest of him rapidly. "Hm. Amusing."

"Pinkie, don't argue with me this time. Just run and get help." Twilight said as she focused on her spell. The dragon-blooded man had stopped pulling at his bonds, instead he reached to the chest of his plated armor and slid up another sheet from the armor that extended from beneath the chest plate and covered the front of his face. Twilight had no idea what that was for but she didn't think about it as she focused on getting the vines to grip him tightly with her magic.

"But Twilight, I can't just-"

"Pinkie! Someone has to stay here and keep Discord from escaping. I can't fight this guy, protect the statue and protect you all at once." Pinkie was watching hesitantly, still not convinced leaving her friend behind was a good idea. She couldn't form the right words to argue and instead just shook her head hard. Twilight sighed and put her arms down. "Well, maybe it wont be an issue anyway. I think I got him." The girls looked upon Twilight's handiwork; she'd covered the armored man from head to toe in thick, interwoven vines. You couldn't even seen the shine of metal beneath the plants it was so thick.

"He's wrapped up tighter than a burrito." Pinkie chimed in happy to see their attacker stopped.

"Yeah, thank goodness. But what was he doing here anyway? I thought Celestia said only monsters had been frozen in stone? This is a person."

"Well... he's a dragon-blooded person. So maybe that doesn't count?" Twilight actually took a personal offense to that statement and was about to correct Pinkie when the smell of smoke filled their noses. "Is something cooking?"

"Something's burning. Oh no." Twilight backed up from where she was standing along with Pinkie as the vines wrapped around the dragon-blooded man's body began to light up with golden flame. Before long the vines were entirely engulfed in fire and were crumpling up to ash as it burned them away mercilessly. As they fell Twilight and Pinkie could see there were vents in the armor that were spewing out flames from within the protective plating. All being fueled by the fire that was spewing into the vent like mask the man had pulled up seconds before being wrapped completely still. As the fire began to die down the ash rose into the air and the blond man opened his golden eyes again. He lowered the mask to reveal his skin hadn't been burned in the least from his own intense flames spewing forth into his armor.

"Thou are resourceful with thine magical power. Some time has passed since a single sorceress could give me pause." He pulled up his bottle from his side again and took a long drink, exhaling a little flame as he breathed out. "Now then, would you like to see thy own use dragon-blooded magic?" Twilight stood still, her mind frozen and body unresponsive as the man built up a golden ball of fire in the back of his throat and aimed his gaping maw in her direction. She didn't even realize that he'd launched the magical fire ball until after Pinkie had tackled her to get her out of the way of the attack. They watched as the ball engulfed one of the hedges in flame, exploding on impact and shining with a glorious golden glow before withering the plants to ash.

"Twilight we gotta run!" Pinkie shouted trying to pull the librarian to her feet but it was far too late. The man in the crown was already preparing another ball of that explosive golden fire in his throat. Twilight finally snapped out of her surprise and slammed her hands into the ground. She filled it with her magic and a mound of earth deeper and taller than the hedges of the maze themselves rose up as a barrier between them and their attacker. He fired his blast again, confident in its power but as the explosive flame hit like a cannon ball it's blast was directed outward and the earth shifted but did not fall completely. The thick and damp soil absorbed the impact enough to protect the women behind it. Twilight put her hands into the dirt pile to help it hold its shape and repair it with her magic.

"Very resourceful." The man complimented looking at Twilight's quick work. "However ultimately futile. Shall I test thine resolve?" He built another ball of golden flame in his mouth and fired upon Twilight's mound of dirt. The earth that was keeping the two girls safe shook dangerously and Twilight was doing all she could to keep the barrier together. Pinkie stayed close by as they braced themselves against the dirt pile with the powerful impacts shaking through it. Twilight was worried she wouldn't be able to keep her barrier together much longer when suddenly the blasts stopped.

The girls looked around to see what caused the assault on them to cease but nothing appeared out of the ordinary on their side. Twilight decided against better judgement and crawled on all fours to the edge of the dirt pile, peeking around to see what was the matter. There she noticed the armored man was still in his same position. However instead of attacking he was drinking yet again from his bottle that he kept at his side. After taking a gulp of his drink he coughed a bit and tested his flame to ensure it was being produced. Twilight Sparkle suddenly was hit with an idea.

"Pinkie." Twilight crawled back over to her. "I have something I need you to do for me."

"I'm not leaving you." Pinkie said defiantly despite the fear that had been running through her seconds earlier.

"No no, it's not that. Listen I have a plan but it's going to take both of us and it's going to be dangerous. Are you up for it?" Pinkie looked at the pile of dirt and her friend again, seeming to weigh her options.

"Don't worry Twilight, I'm with you all the way." Twilight smiled at the pink haired baker's enthusiasm and nodded to her.

"Great! Okay, here's what we're going to do."

The armored man stood outside the dirt pile, looking it over and scratching his chin. He'd been surprised how well something so simple had held up against his barrage of attacks. With how much time had passed he was starting to wonder if the girls were even still there. "Maidens, have thou taken flight and retreated from this battle? Thou should not consider cowardice something to avoid. It is a common trait amongst you humans after all." He waited a moment and there was still no response. Curious he began to walk towards the mound of dirt when suddenly it shook on its own without one of his attacks. The middle of it was blasted open from the other side and the purple eyed sorceress stepped forward. "So thou has chosen to continue the battle. It shall be thine undoing." Twilight pointed a finger at the man in the crown in challenge.

"I'll tell you one last time; as the pupil of Princess Celestia herself I command you to give up your crazy mission to attack us and her majesty. If you do not surrender you shall suffer the consequences." The dragon-blooded man stared in complete shock at the girl, and promptly began to laugh uproariously.

"Again with thine threats!?" He managed to speak between his laughter. "A mere human child shall stop my quest? I would be most amused to see thine plan to accomplish this. Do not tell me thou has more vines she wishes to play with. Perchance a house of sticks to cage me in this time? Or shall I allow thee to plant some flowers now before lighting fire to this garden?" He made time to mock her use of the planets in this battle against him but Twilight didn't stand down.

"I'm no child." Twilight said and cupped her hands together, her eyes becoming a shining white light. "Laugh while you can. I'll be happy to show you what I can do!" The man in the crown continued to smirk but now he braced himself for Twilight's attack. Planting his feet firmly and covering his face with his armored gauntlets just in time as Twilight unleashed her spell.

A large beam of her telekinetic energy was fired forward like a cannon, uprooting several of the hedges around and behind her target. The force of the blast encompassing her opponent's body completely as she forced her body to produce the concentrated energy with as much impact as she could. The blast only lasted for a few moments but was enough to carve a now large and obvious clearing and ditch through half of the garden maze. Twilight's eyes returned to normal and her arms dangled at her sides as her power was spent. She stopped to catch her breath and looked forward to see how her target had fared.

"Well done, little maiden." She looked on wide eyed; he was still standing where he'd been when she fired the blast. His armor wasn't even dented. The dragon-blooded man flexed his arms and cracked his neck after taking the impact. "Such an attack I have not had the pleasure to face in quite some time. Thou are indeed an exceptional sorceress. All the more pity thine battle has come to an end." Twilight fell to her knees and let out a gasp for air. She was spent. "Thou chooses to die on her knees rather than her feet? So be it." The dragon-blooded man reached down for his drink and hoisted it to his lips to prepare his next attack. After he'd swallowed some of the liquid he suddenly sputtered and coughed hard.

He tried to cough out what he'd drank but much of it had already gone down his throat. He looked at his bottle confused. "What trickery is this? The wine now tastes of tomato and herbs. What... what have thou done to me?" He put his hand over his chest and coughed harder. Opening his mouth he tried to produce a flame.

"Nice work Pinkie." Twilight said as the pink haired girl poked her head out from behind the pedestal that Discord's statue was resting on. "That went exactly as planned." Pinkie now seeing that the dragon-blooded man was preoccupied walked out of her hiding place over to help up Twilight. In her hand was a gourd filled with a very special brew.

"How?" The man in the crown growled at the two women.

Spike had finally arrived back home after gathering everything he needed for the party. It was mostly food and punch mix really. He didn't think things like balloons and streamers and all of that were going to be needed. He was sure Pinkie would have argued that point against him but for the guests he had coming over he didn't think that kind of stuff would be wanted. Or would it? Honestly he'd never hosted a party before and had no idea what was involved. He was just kind of playing it all by ear. Thankfully a glance at the clock told him he still had a good amount of time to set this all up. Actually speaking of the time... "Guess I need to take another shot of my medicine."

Spike walked over to the fridge and opened it up to look at the gourd filled with the tomato-flavored flame suppressant drink. He hated this stuff but it was better than lighting the house on fire. He'd probably need it too if they actually succeeded in bringing over a lot of pretty girls. "Then again why do I need this stuff?" He argued out loud against his own logic. "It tastes awful and I haven't had an accident in a long time." Well there was that problem from when he ate that magic coal that made him a little crazy. But other than that he'd been pretty okay... with the fire part of his problem anyway.

"Yeah, I don't need this stuff." Still it was there and he had promised Twilight that he'd take it regularly until Zecora said he'd no longer need it. The very presence of the bottle was an annoyance to him. He grumbled. "I wish this stupid gourd would just disappear." Spike started to reach for it when all of a sudden the gourd was enveloped in a purple flash of light and disappeared from the fridge. Spike stared dumbfounded at the place where it had been, totally shocked he'd gotten his wish granted. Closing the fridge door he looked around himself to see what might have caused that in the first place. Seeing no one he tried his luck again. "I wish for a hot babe with a delicious lunch." There was a knock on the front door.

Spike slowly walked over to the entrance of the library and opened it to the sight of pretty green eyes framed by lovely purple and pink hair. Before the owner of said eyes was a plate of sapphire sugar cookies. "Hi Spike! I decided to come over to see how you were doing. I made some cookies, all by myself this time. They didn't come out burned or as a liquid or anything." The girl showed him her creation proudly and Spike just stared looking completely shocked. Sweetie Belle awaited a statement to be said but the dragon-blooded boy just kept looking amazed. "Alright, I know I'm not the best cook in the world. You don't have to look so surprised by it." She said sounding annoyed.

"I wish for a great treasure to rain from the sky!" Spike suddenly declared to the roof, now making it Sweetie's turn to stare at him completely confused. Spike kept looking around as if he was waiting for something to happen and seemed disappointed when nothing did. "Aw nuts." Spike swung the door aside for Sweetie to come in, the door hitting one of the book shelves nearby and dropping a book on his head from the top shelf. "Ow!" It bounced off his head and Sweetie Belle came inside looking worried.

"Spike, are you okay? You're acting a little... weird." Spike rubbed his head and picked up the book, reading the title he saw it was Treasure Island. Very funny.

"Uh yeah, yeah I'm fine." He rubbed his head a bit and used his other arm to pick up one of Sweetie's recently baked treats. She had a bit of a reputation for completely destroying food when cooking on her own but these looked like they were normal. "So you made some more cookies? They smell good."

"Yep, go ahead and try some. I bet you'll love them." Spike looked at her eager face and realized he didn't really have much of a choice lest he disappoint the eager young lady. Letting out a sigh he closed his eyes and put the cookie in his mouth, taking a bite slowly and waiting for something shocking to hit his taste buds.

"Hey..." He said chewing it down. "These are really good." He grabbed another and ate it up quickly. Sweetie smiled proudly as her creation was appreciated by the person it was meant for.

"Thanks Spike, I worked all day on them. The first couple batches didn't come out so well but the oven was cleaned out okay and Rarity still has most of her sapphires." He wondered just how many casualties of ingredients there were to get to this batch. Probably best not to ask. "I'm really happy you like them." She gave him those flirty eyes again and Spike thankfully had a mouthful of cookies, helping him choke back any kind of fiery reactions his gut might have. Actually now that she was here it gave him an idea as he swallowed down his food.

"Say Sweetie, are you free tonight?" Sweetie Belle's face went from flirtatious to shocked, a blush appearing in her cheeks seconds after being asked. Spike smiled at how funny it was to see an expression like that on her. He'd never known her to get embarrassed like that.

"I... I guess I am... if you wanted to do something." She said looking nervous suddenly.

"Great, you see I'm having this party tonight..."

"So you see we didn't poison you. We just gave you some medicine to make you act better." Twilight said confidently as Pinkie had helped her get on her feet. The man in the crown was coughing hard and still trying to produce a flame from his gullet, though the fire refused to come out. "That's a special mixture designed to suppress dragon's flame. With how much you drank I'm willing to bet you wont be making any more fireballs for at least the rest of today." He held his throat and looked horrified by what the women had done to him.

"So no more nasty old fire to spit around all rude like anymore, okay." Pinkie chimed in happily. "Maybe now you can stop being a meanie-pants and just play nice and talk with us. There's no reason we can't be friends." Pinkie assured the man but he didn't have a look that agreed. In fact there was something of a change in him. Twilight watched as his hair seemed to become thicker and spikier. His sharp fangs were more pronounced and Twilight was willing to bet if she could see his hands under the gauntlets that his claws would have become extended. It was frighteningly familiar to how Spike looked that night he went wild.

"Such impudence." He said with a deep growl in his voice. "To cause such shame. To take that which is sacred and speak as though there can be peace!?" His movements were too fast. Twilight saw his charge coming but reacted far too late as his gauntlet covered hand closed around Pinkie's neck and hoisted her into the air. She let out a surprised yelp, gripping onto his arm in a desperate attempt to hold herself up, the strain on her neck painful.

"Pinkie Pie! Put her ggkk!" Twilight shortly followed as his crushing metal grip closed around her slender neck and held them both off of their feet. Pinkie had dropped the gourd containing Spike's medicine and the man in the crown stomped it into pieces under his boot.

"Filthy humans. Thou speak so highly of thine people and thine monarch. Celebrating your dominance over the world and subduing any who would stand up to the hypocrisies and tyranny humans stand for." Twilight was unable to wrestle herself free from his grip, the medicine taking away his fire but clearly not his strength. "Allow me to display the price for your crimes." Pinkie's cheeks began to run with tears as his grip around her throat tightened. She was whimpering for help and Twilight panicked. Surrendering the support it gave her Twilight reached out with her hand and placed it onto the dragon-blooded man's arm that was choking Pinkie. There was an audible boom as Twilight released what last bit of magical power she had left into one solid telekinetic shot.

Pinkie Pie fell to the grass, coughing hard and curling up as air mercifully returned to her lungs. The man's arm had swung away from him hard due to Twilight's attack and now hung uselessly at his side. He looked down at his arm and tried to lift it, the limb twitching in response but not able to move. Now his rage filled golden eyes turned upon her. Twilight muttered out what she thought would be her last words. "Pink..ie... Run."

"It will be of no consequence." He said to her, looking as if he would relish the pain he planned to cause them. "Run to the ends of the earth, thou cannot escape. However thine bravery to battle still for your allies is commendable. I will speak well of thou in death." Twilight closed her purple eyes and silently apologized to her parents, to her brother and sister-in-law. To Spike, wishing they'd been able to spend today together instead like she had wanted. She would miss him and everyone else. Her eyes winced as the tight metal closed around her windpipe and threatened to end her life.

"GIT AWAY FROM HER!" Twilight's eyes opened to see a flash of blond hair run forward and leap at her attacker, planting a cowboy boot firmly into his face as she sailed through the air. Twilight was roughly dropped to the grass upon impact and mimicked Pinkie as she tried desperately to return air and blood flow back to her throat. "Twilight hun, are ya okay?"

"Another child wishes to challenge me? How many must be killed before Celestia will show herself?" Despite the powerful kick striking his face the man had only stumbled back slightly when he released Twilight. Applejack was however ready to face him regardless.

"Ah don't give two bits who ya are but if ya gonna tussle with mah friends then yer gonna get bucked!" Applejack announced her threats and Twilight tried to warn her but couldn't manage to speak. The dragon-blooded man looked less amused this time around, still in his somewhat more feral and monstrous appearance. He motioned for Applejack to attack him and the woman replied in kind as she turned her body around and delivered a powerful kick directly into his stomach.

The man didn't flinch. Applejack looked on surprised at how useless her kick had been and found her leg grabbed onto by his left arm that was still working. Tossing it aside Applejack was thrown off balance and he closed in, punching her hard in the face and dropping the girl to the ground faster than her hat had time to fall along with her. Twilight watched in fear as her friend was knocked out onto the grass mere moments after trying to save her. He looked at her with disgust before turning back to Twilight.

"I believe that I had promised thou the first death. It would be rude were I not to keep my word." He raised his foot to stomp on Twilight's head, the girl wiggling to escape but finding her strength hadn't returned. "Unless another of thine friends wishes to intervene." Almost as if on cue Twilight felt the ground shaking with the thud of footsteps. The man looked over at the source of where they were coming from just in time to be tackled to the ground by a large, scaled beast with a thick furry mane. The monster pinned him to the ground and clasped his good left arm in its jaws.

"Applejack!" Rarity ran over to the blond farmer and knelt down next to her. "Oh Applejack, are you alright? Can you hear me darling?"

"Ah hear ya... which one of the three of ya is talkin'?" Applejack said woozily and Rarity helped her sit up. She then ran over to Twilight.

"Twilight who is that man? What happened to you?" Rarity's purple eyes were filled with worry and Twilight coughed hard as she tried to find her voice.

"Run." She said between gasps. "Run. Take them, escape the maze. Hurry."

"I will, but I'm not leaving you behind. Come on, we have to go while our friend is buying us some time." Rarity helped Twilight stand up shakily and the girls looked over to see the man wrestle his arm free from the dragon-like beast and punch it in the face hard enough to make it roll off of him. The girls watched in shock as he got to his feet and ran up to the monster, kicking it hard in the chest and making it roll away from him on the grass.

"To think I'd face a Drake in such a place." He shook his hand to loosen it up, finally getting his other arm to rise though it still looked injured from Twilight's attack. "Such fortune. With the slaughter of these useless humans I shall take it as a trophy. Thine hide will do well to decorate my chambers." The man began to approach the monster with his good hand ready for a killing blow.

"Stop this right now!" Rarity shouted and left Twilight to stand on her own, running over to where the Drake had fallen and standing between it and the dragon-blooded man. "I've had just about enough of this brutish behavior. I will not tolerate another moment of this senseless violence." The man in the crown just looked Rarity over in amusement and approached her, though the purple haired seamstress didn't move from her spot or lose her defiant expression.

"How very interesting. Thou art quite beautiful for a human. A rare prize indeed. But it shall take more than beauty to stay my hand." Funny enough all Twilight could think of in that moment was how Rarity seemed to always attract the vicious, monstrous type of men. It seemed dragon-blooded people were quite easily charmed by her. "What shall thine challenge be for me? Does thou have magic to wield or skills to best me in battle?"

"Absolutely not, I'm putting an end to this violence right now. To think someone in armor and wearing a crown as if they were royalty would act this way." Rarity spat back at him. Funny enough this seemed to rise an argument out of the dragon-blooded man as he forgot about attacking his prey.

"Look upon me woman, for I am royalty and far superior to the likes of any human monarch thou may have bore witness to." He stood proud but it didn't impress Rarity.

"A crown and armor do not make a king. You've pushed women around with those brutish fists of yours and beaten creatures that only tried to defend their friends. You call yourself royalty? I'll tell you what I see before me; a bully." Twilight was getting worried that Rarity's normal strategy of talking her opponent down was starting to fail as the man looked angrier.

"Little human girl, do thee hold hope to stand against and judge the Dragon-Blooded King? Is it not recognize that which stands before thee?" He bared his teeth at her and Rarity just glared back.

"Oh I can see what you are. Should I be impressed? You're not even the first dragon-blooded man I've seen." Rarity said in a mocking tone. "Actually I should correct my statement. The previous dragon-blooded man I've met is a gentleman and a scholar. Calling a bully like you a man is more than you deserve." He suddenly grabbed her by the shirt and hoisted Rarity forward to look him in the eye. There was a moment of panic in Rarity's face as she was shaken from her solid stance.

"I will not tolerate lies and insults of myself or of my people." He said staring piercingly into her. "I have grown tired of thy useless chattering. I shall silence thee, then thy friends and then thy monarch. I shall burn this castle and kingdom to the ground and put an end to this tyrant's rule. No less than an army shall be required to give pause to the death that shall be brought to thee treacherous humans!"

"How about us then?" A voice spoke up from the clearing that Twilight had cut through the maze with her powerful magical attack and everyone looked over to see the new arrivals. There was Rainbow Dash with Fluttershy alongside her. Behind Fluttershy was a collection of exotic and unusual monsters that she had gathered through the maze. "Now get away from her and get ready for a real fight." Rainbow ordered and raised her fists, the other monsters around Fluttershy getting ready to attack the man threatening their mistress' friends. The dragon-blooded man shoved Rarity away who stumbled a bit before falling onto her butt on the grass. He turned to face the new crowd of opponents as all the girls were shakily getting to their feet.

"Yes, this will suffice." He said and finally rose his damaged hand up to his side, clenching a fist and preparing himself for combat. "Come then. Come and face me. Face thy inevitable demise. Stand before me and fall in turn until this entire kingdom burns! Let all of her subjects fall one by one until thine ruler has no choice but to descend from her throne and face me herself. Upon thy gravestones it shall be carved that it was Celestia's cowardice that let her people fall and their lives were extinguished by the fury of-"

"Devour, King of the Dragon-Blooded Clans." The man stopped in his declaration as her voice spoke up. It was soft yet full of strength and wisdom. A voice everyone recognized and paid heed to. His rage had not subsided but the smile upon his face was obvious. The man in the crown turned to Celestia and bared his teeth in a wicked grin.

"Princess Celestia. I had grown concerned that thou would allow me to stomp thy people into their graves further than previously done before thou chose to poke thine head out of the castle." He prepared himself for combat but Celestia was unmoving, standing with her arms crossed as she looked upon the man. Near her was a chest that Twilight recognized held the Elements of Harmony and her magic staff, each floating with the power of her telekinetic power. "Shall we begin where we left off previous? Princess Luna does not appear to be present."

"Luna is sleeping at the moment. She has to rest so she can take over duties for the night." Celestia replied in an even tone. She didn't seem any more distressed by the presence of the man she'd named Devour than she had earlier in the throne room.

"Then wake her! Tell her to draw her sword. I would be most displeased if I did not kill the monarchs of this land while thee were together and at the peak of thine strength." He was shockingly confident when facing the sun goddess. Twilight knew he'd proven his strength to be amazing in the short time she'd faced him but his eagerness for battle was surprising even to her.

"Devour, listen to me..."

"No!" He pointed at her accusingly. "No more of thy honey-coated words. Thy speak sweetly dear Princess but as before I shall pay those words no heed. Our lands are not for the humans to lay claim to and do as they wish. Pleas for peace and reason were forfeit long ago. Our kingdom shall reign over the greedy humans who dared to raise their swords against us."

"Your kingdom is gone!" Celestia spoke forcefully and this actually paused the dragon-blooded king, his hand dropping back to his side from its accusing point. He laughed nervously.

"Thine lies shall not deter my spirit."

"It is no lie." Celestia corrected, looking most serious. "Your kingdom is gone. Has been gone for some time now. Devour, do you have any idea how long I've kept you encased in that stone prison?" The man stood confused for a moment, looking around at the other girls and monsters as if there would be some kind of clue for him to draw conclusion on this question.

"Even... even if it was a hundred years or two that would not be enough. Thy could not have destroyed all our forces enough to..." Celestia closed her eyes and sighed, the king stopped talking as he was starting to realize Celestia wasn't lying to him.

"I can't believe even after all this time I forgot about you. Otherwise I would never have left my pupil and her friends alone in this maze." She looked upon the bearers of the elements with regret at the injuries they suffered for her misjudgement, then focused her eyes upon Devour again. "You've been a statue within my garden for over thirteen hundred years." Twilight noticed the man's body change. His feral and dragon-like features began to recede as his face became human like as when she had seen him originally.

"I... this can't..." He stumbled back and fell, sitting on the grass and looking at the ground as his mind tried to wrap itself around the facts that had been presented to him. Everyone watched him closely as the truth that everyone and everything he'd ever known was now gone from this world. "This can't be. These lies are..."

"Look around Devour!" Celestia shouted at him and the man looked up in shock at being yelled at. "Look at the castle, does it look the same as when you remember it?" He looked up at the fortress as it indeed was not the same home to the Princesses he once knew. "Look at the women around you. Do they dress like the people you remember from your time? Do they talk as they did when you were king? Do I?" Devour was looking around himself as if the world didn't make sense any longer, the fire in his heart now quelled further than the flames in his gullet had been from the drink Pinkie had tricked him into swallowing. "Do I even look the same as you remember me?"

"No." He said quietly, looking down at the grass. "Thy clothing... thy hair... nothing is as it should be. All is lost. Thou have won Celestia." His hand dug into the ground, the metal gauntlet tearing through the earth in powerless frustration. Oddly even after everything he'd done somehow Twilight Sparkle was able to feel pity for him. He'd lost everything in his life in an instant.

"Twilight Sparkle." Celestia spoke up and her student was at full attention looking upon her teacher. "There is not a moment longer to spare. Take the elements and recast the sealing spell that imprisoned the monsters from before. We cannot afford to let them have the chance to cause havoc a second time." Celestia used her magic to open the chest containing the elements of harmony and floated each respective element to its owner. Devour did nothing to stop or challenge this, he just sat there quietly.

Twilight looked at the tiara in her hands and back at her teacher wondering if this was truly the correct thing to do. She did not appear to be alone in this hesitation. Rarity stared down at the necklace in her hands and then looked to the Drake that had helped fight for her sake just moments earlier. The beast watching her as if asking what her decision would be. Rainbow Dash looked to Fluttershy with uncertainty as she understood what this would mean for all the creatures they had collected in the maze together.

Then Fluttershy dropped her jeweled necklace to the ground. "No." She said clearly as the other girls looked to her, including Celestia.

"Fluttershy, I understand your hesitation. Your heart is a kind one but there is too much risk to allow them to be free." Celestia tried to reason with her but Fluttershy shook her head hard.

"No! No, I wont do it." The pink haired girl said standing before all the creatures with her arms cast out protectively. "I'm not putting them back in there. It's wrong! They're not all bad." The assortment of monsters grunted and growled uneasily but stayed behind their new mistress as she defended them. "I don't know what they did before but... but they can change."

"Fluttershy, sugar cube, they're monsters." Applejack tried to reason with her friend. "Ah dunno much about 'em but what if they can't help it none? Ah mean Celestia wouldn't have put 'em in here in the first place if it wasn't necessary." Fluttershy's eyes threatened to tear up but she stood her ground regardless.

"I wont do it, you can't make me. Even if... even if all of you don't agree I'm not going to just let them get locked up without someone to stand up for them." Devour raised his head to look at Fluttershy as she spoke, taking an interest in her words. "You can't do it without me anyway." She said sounding more threatening than before. "So if you're going to throw them all in a zoo or a dungeon then you'll have to put me in there too."

"Fluttershy, stop talking crazy." Rainbow Dash argued. "This is an order from Princess Celestia herself. We can't ignore a command from the Princess, we have a responsibility to the kingdom." Fluttershy looked hurt by Dash's words but still held her position.

"I have a responsibility to these creatures too, Rainbow Dash. You don't have to stand by me if you don't want to, I understand." Rainbow looked torn between honoring her friend and honoring her ruler.

"I agree with her." Rarity suddenly spoke up and dropped her necklace as well. "This creature... this Drake was it?" The monster nodded its large head and Rarity nodded in return. "This Drake protected Applejack and I as we walked through the maze and fought to save Twilight. I at least owe it to him to fight for his sake as well."

"Well... shucks..." Applejack said and dropped her necklace too. "Ah spose ah owe 'em too." The only ones holding their jewels still were Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie who seemed very conflicted as to what they should do and what should happen next. Devour was still looking on as he was growing increasingly fascinated by these women and their willingness to oppose their leader. Twilight walked up to Celestia, still holding her tiara in hand.

"Princess, you know I love you like my family. But this seems so extreme. Is there no other way?" Celestia held her staff tightly as she took in a controlled breath.

"Twilight I can understand how you all feel but their crimes are inexcusable." Celestia pointed at the Imp on Fluttershy's shoulder. "He escaped from Tartarus and freed criminals from prisons all across the kingdom to cause havoc in the land." She pointed at a large serpent that was coiled nearby. "She snuck into my castle and devoured two of my servants in the night under Luna's nose." She motioned to the large, bison like creature. "That beast went on a rampage through a village, destroying every building it came across until I was able to stop it." Next to the dog like monster with the large fangs. "It feasted on livestock and threatened several farmers and their families. None of these are crimes I can judge lightly. This is the nature of these monsters."

"They know that!" Fluttershy said out loud. "They know that now, they understand what they did wrong and the consequences. I can take them to the Everfree forest. If they stay there with the other creatures of the forest then they wont be a danger to anyone." Celestia looked doubtful and Fluttershy dropped to her hands and knees, bowing before her. "I promise! If I'm wrong then... then you can give me the same punishment that you give them."

"Fluttershy that's going way to far." Rainbow Dash tried to reason but her friend didn't listen, instead keeping to her position and pleading her case. Twilight looked at Fluttershy's conviction and spoke up as well.

"Me too." She said simply.

"Twilight, this is not a simple matter." Celestia tried to make her understand and there was a small laugh from behind the librarian. Devour looked up at the women.

"There are no simple matters in dealing with the heart, Celestia. When will thou learn that not everything can be held to thine order?" Celestia glared at the fallen king, not appreciating that statement in the least. "I will confess that thine subjects impress me. Such devotion to their cause is a trait thou does not see often amongst a human."

"There isn't that much difference between us you know." Twilight said to Devour as she turned from her teacher to the dragon-blooded king. "You keep talking about humans and dragon-blooded people as if they're from different worlds." Devour scoffed at Twilight's words.

"What would a human know of my kind?" Pinkie walked up next to Twilight, having finally found her voice again after the trauma that had been placed upon her throat.

"Twilight knows more about dragon-blooded guys than anyone. After all she's lived with Spike for like ever now." Devour raised a curious eyebrow. "Spike is way nicer than you though. That's why I was surprised you could be such a meany-pants even after we gave you his medicine."

"Thou keeps one of my kind captive and drug him docile?" Devour got to his feet looking as if he'd go into another rage filled rant but Twilight stepped up to him.

"Certainly not! Spike is... Spike is my family." Twilight said in challenge to him. "He's not drugged docile or held captive or anything like that. It was just he need a little help with keeping his fire under control in the library full of papers and books. He drinks the medicine by choice." Twilight took Devour's challenging stance from earlier and pointed at him. "Furthermore he's both a strong and intelligent guy who can make his own choices. I wont have anyone making up claims on what our relationship is!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie shouted and stood like Twilight, copying her. "You could learn a thing or two from him Mr. Royally Mean Dragon-Man."

"My thoughts exactly." Rarity approached with the Drake in close step near by. "Spike is a gentleman. Until today I thought all of his kind were so regal. He's even part of the royal court as Celestia's ward." Devour looked at Celestia completely confused now. She felt a light smile appear on her face as all the girls began to gather round each other in support, Fluttershy finally back to her feet as Applejack and Rainbow Dash pulled her along with them. Celestia spoke up behind them.

"King Devour, you may have lost your kingdom but you never lost your people or your legacy. To this day the great southern provinces still stand with their respective leaders governing over each. Once you fell in battle they were quick to reorganize to avenge you but fortunately we were able to work out a peace treaty. Your lands were returned."

"Celestia... thou achieved peace so easily?" Devour said dumbfounded.

"Far from it. I will be the first to admit that when you were king your people were far more organized and agreeable. There haven't been any civil wars but I don't think those old men can come to a consensus about their lunch let alone their politics." Devour actually smiled a little as a memory from his old days came back.

"So not everything is different." He said.

"However when we returned their lands and ended the war there was an uneasy peace. Eventually the human farmers and miners on your lands paid to have access and a trade route was born very quickly. From this the first real bonds between our people were made. Your people may be prideful and aggressive but above all the Dragon-Blooded Clans have proven to be fair and honorable." There was a moment of silence as everyone, even the monsters waited to see what the powerful King Devour would chose to do. Slowly he reached up and took off his ruby encrusted crown from his brow and looked to the women that had bested him.

"Truly thou has won Celestia." He admitted. "I did not believe there could ever be peace between our kingdoms. I thought thine words were meant to fool me and strike us down when we were weak and unfocused. But you returned our lands, created peace between us. Even taken one of my own into your home. I was... wrong."

"There were mistakes made on both sides." Celestia admitted and walked past the girls to approach Devour. "If you can let go of your anger King Devour-"

"I am no King." He said. "My kingdom is gone, my people have moved on without me. There is no more Dragon-Blooded King."

"...Devour, if you can move past your anger would you like to see what the world has become? The gift that Fluttershy has asked for, the gift of freedom for those that were imprisoned here, I can extend it to you." Devour looked to the pink haired woman that had challenged him with her army of beasts and subsequently earned his respect by defending those beasts in their time of need. "King Devour may no longer exist in this world as more than a legend, but the dragon-blooded man with the fierce golden flames can still walk among us." Devour let out a little laugh.

"Indebted to a human. This world has changed." He considered this quietly for a moment, keeping all on edge until he spoke again. "I shall not be so foolish or disrespectful to refuse a gift from such a strong heart." He said and approached the women, dropping to one knee and bowing to them. "Great warriors and pupil of Celestia herself, I admit defeat to you."

"Oh um... you don't have to." Fluttershy instinctively apologized to him, which was what she always did when faced with something she didn't know how to handle.

"We accept with honor, your highness." Twilight said recovering the situation and bowed back to him, the other girls looking between each other and deciding to do the same out of respect (or maybe worry he would get angry again). With that done Devour rose to his feet and approached Twilight Sparkle.

"Great sorceress, if thou would fulfill a request; please give this to thy family who shares my blood." Twilight put on her Tiara as Devour placed his crown into her hands. The girl looking at the priceless artifact that had been just handed over to her in wonder and amazement. Rarity's eyes were shining as brightly as the rubies at the sight of it.

"But this... this is your crown. Something like this belongs in a museum or a castle to your people." Devour scoffed at the idea.

"Merely a symbol of power, something that was necessary in its day and has lost purpose. Thou spoke of this Spike as if he were a man of worth and knowledge. I can think of no other who should hold it." All the girls looked at the golden crown in Twilight's hands. It felt heavy, as if it carried more weight than just the metal and gemstone that it was comprised of. Devour then turned back to Celestia. "Princess, with thy permit I shall do as you say and... see the world that has forgotten me." It sounded far more fearful of a prospect to him than going to war ever was.

"A king turned into a legend by his people, not forgotten by them. More than anything Devour I hope you can learn to love and feel peace again. If you should need help finding this then look to the spirits of the women that stood before you. They are by far this kingdom's greatest treasure. They and all those like them." Devour took a moment to reflect on the violence he'd ushered into this kingdom in a matter of moments after coming back to the living. A terrible destruction that had threatened lives in an instant and was halted by six young ladies and the allies they made from past enemies.

Celestia rose her hand into the air and shot off a bright flare in the sky. The barriers around the maze dropped as the signal was given to Shining Armor waiting outside of the force field he'd created. Devour looked amongst them all one last time. "So then this is goodbye."

"The world is different than you remember Devour. I can contact the governors of your country, ask them to send a convoy to provide you escort back home." Celestia offered but he shook his head.

"No. I have never requested help without intending to return that debt in full. I do not plan to be in debt further to anyone. Fare well." Devour's features changed to the more feral and dragon-like face he had before, shifting at will rather than from an emotional response or battle high. Two panels on the back of his armor swung open on hinges as large, leathery wings were produced from his back. The display earned a "Cool!" from Rainbow Dash before the armored king took to the sky and flew away from the ruined garden. Celestia watched him go, clutching onto her staff tightly. Twilight walked up next to her teacher as Devour flew past the castle's position on the mountain and down to the grounds below before he was completely out of their sight.

"Are you worried you made the wrong choice?" Twilight asked her teacher and Celestia shook her head.

"I have to believe in people sometimes, my faithful student. Devour looked to me as an oppressive power that wanted to invade his country. My attempts to reason with him were made too late by the time I had seen where the situation was escalating to." Celestia looked from the sky to her student. "I still believe what I did was right for everyone involved, just as you and your friends did what you believed to be right as well. I shall have to support you as you support me. Even if that means all the support I give is my trust." Twilight nodded and suddenly hugged Celestia tightly, surprising the Princess but she returned it to her.

"I'm going to just freak out a little bit right now cause I almost died and hold you tight, okay?" Twilight said hugging her teacher for as long as she could. When she finally felt composed again she released the embrace and caught her breath. "Okay. I'm okay now."

"Good. Now lets get you all inside to be sure you're okay. Your brother and Princess Cadence have been worried sick about all of you since we've left you." Celestia walked Twilight forward to her friends. "That goes for you too Fluttershy. Your new friends can wait her in the garden until we can find a way to get them safely to Everfree Forest. The barrier will be going back up." Celestia raised her hand and the statue of Discord floated up into the air behind her. "And as for you trouble maker, you're coming with me."

"Say Princess, what here did this fella do tah wind up turned tah stone?" Applejack asked as she was leaning on the Drake who was helping her keep her balance since the fight. "This guy seems pretty reliable." Celestia looked the monster over for a few moments before her memory caught up to her.

"Oh yes, the Great Drake of the Peaks. He was attacking travelers and stealing their wives and daughters back to his cave." Rarity and Applejack looked between each other and then down to the Drake.

"Um... tah... tah eat 'em?" Applejack asked nervously.

"No, Drakes don't eat humans. But they do collect prizes they deem beautiful or valuable. They only kept women for... well... I'll let you just imagine what happened afterwards." The Drake looked up at Rarity and Applejack with what could only be described as a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. Rarity scoffed.

"You're impressive but don't get any ideas." She leaned down and gave the beast a kiss. "Thank you for saving us." Applejack wasn't usually one for that kind of show of affection but she rewarded the monster as well. The women followed their ruler out of the maze, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash talking about how happy they were all of this was over and how they wanted to try to make those cupcakes later. That is until Rainbow felt a small tug on her pant leg. She looked down to see a small, yellow rodent that she'd met before.

"Pika." It said looking annoyed.

"Oh, yeah, right. Hey uh sorry about that. I sort of jumped the gun when I ran into you earlier." Rainbow apologized to the little guy but he didn't look satisfied. "Hey listen, I'm sorry okay. What do you want me to do? I didn't mean to kick you, I just got scared is all. Friends?" Rainbow knelt down and put out her hand to shake the little critter's paw. It reluctantly did so after a moment. "There, now that's all behind us." Then it sent a shock of electricity through its body into Rainbow Dash, her hair sticking straight up from the sudden surge.

"Pika." The little creature grinned at its handy work and Pinkie walked over to look at Rainbow's new hair style.

"Wow Dashie, that sure was a shocking resolution, wouldn't you say?" Pinkie at the other girls started laughing. Rainbow Dash picked up the yellow rodent and touched it against Pinkie Pie, causing her to shock and her hair to frizz out even more than usual.

Then everyone was laughing, that is except for Twilight who was staring at the crown in her hands. It seemed like such an important object for being so simple. She wondered how Spike would react to having something so close to his own people.

"Well Spike, it looks like I have quite a story to tell you when I get home. I hope you're okay."