Ash looked alarmed. “The Gauntlet of Fire? Are you sure about that?”

Spike nodded. “It’s where it all began,” he stated. “It’s where I met Ember and we became friends. It’s where the alliance started between the Dragon Lands and Equestria. It’s where I became Dragon Lord and passed on the title to Ember. It makes sense that Garble wants to settle this where it all began.”

“At least you know your way around the volcano,” said Ember. “If what you’re saying is true, Garble may be holding Rarity where the Bloodstone Scepter was located.”

“This isn’t good,” said Ash in a worried tone. “We need to move fast before it’s too late.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong, Master?”

The elder dragon paced back and forth. “Miss Rarity is in far more danger than I thought. It’s bad enough Garble has kidnapped her, but he’s taken her to a place that’s about to blow up.”

Ember gasped. “Erupting Season!”

“What’s this all about anyway?” asked Rainbow.

Ash grimaced a little. “Every year for two months, the volcanoes around the Dragon Lands become violently active. Throughout the land, several volcanoes go off for hours or sometimes even a few days.”

Spike gulped a little. “And the volcano at the Gauntlet of Fire hasn’t gone off yet?”

Ash solemnly shook his head. “Garble may not realize it, but he’s put himself and Miss Rarity in danger. If he does know about the volcano hasn’t gone off, that may be why he chose that place. He knows we have little time.”

“When would the volcano go off?” wondered Twilight.

“Could be any day now,” answered Ash. “I know around this time though, that’s when it would erupt.”

A feeling of dread fell on Spike.

Ember narrowed her eyes. “We don’t have any more time then.” She looked over. “Master Ash, get your forces ready. We need to prepare to rescue–”

“No!” shouted Spike.

Ember looked over and frowned. “We’ve got no choice, Spike. Rarity’s in trouble and we can’t just stand around doing nothing.”

“He wanted me to come alone though,” said Spike. “You heard what he said. If I don’t come, or if I bring help, he’d kill Rarity.”

“I’m not letting you go alone,” said Ember, firmly. “I...I don’t want to lose you.” She said the last part with a blush on her.

Spike blushed softly. “Ember, I know there’s still things you want to say to me, but I need to save Rarity. Garble wants me though, and I’ve got to finish this. If it’s me he wants, then I’ll do it. And if I fail and the volcano destroys us all, I’d rather have my friend be around to be the leader the Dragon Lands need.”

Ember said nothing, but felt her face heat up more. She looked away and tried to cover it, but to no avail.

“Mr. the Dragon,” said Ash, “I admire your bravery in facing the boy, but I do agree with Lord Ember. I know Garble wants you, but we need to consider an option to rescue Miss Rarity if we absolutely need to.” He pointed to his back. “Besides, you’ll need some help getting to that island since you have no wings. No offense.”

Spike sighed. “None taken.”

Ember nodded. “Then it’s decided. Master, I want you to get your forces ready. We need to set up near the edge of the Sawtooth Cliffs near the island. Take Matches with you as well, we’ll need as much help as possible.” She turned to Spike. “You go with them as well and get suited up. I think you’ll need to be more prepared than just wearing some suit to take on Garble.”

Spike looked at his messed up suit and nodded. “Good point.”

Ember looked at Twilight and her friends. “The rest of you are free to come with us. Maybe we can all think of an idea if it looks like we need to get in there and save both Spike and Rarity.”

Rainbow smacked her fist against her hand. “Count me in!” The others joined in and muttered in agreement.

“Let’s hurry then,” urged Celestia. “The faster we get to work, the sooner we can save Rarity.”

Spike walked out with the others and glanced at Ember. The dragoness made a brief glance at him, but quickly looked away and maintained a stern look on her. Spike looked forward and narrowed his eyes as the group walked down the hallway.

The journey to the Sawtooth Cliffs was a solemn one for Spike. As the chariot rocked a little in the air, he looked around at his friends. All of them had equally stern looks and looked like they were ready to fight. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He looked over to see Celestia giving him a small smile, which he returned.

A thud broke Spike out of his thoughts and the carriage came to a slow stop. The door opened up and Spike and his friends walked out one by one. They were greeted by a very large group of Master Ash’s army around. Some were talking to each other, others were running around barking orders. Some were setting up tents and some papers.

Applejack let out a loud whistle. “They sure know how to move fast.”

“Indeed they do.”

Everyone turned to see Master Ash and Ember walking up to them. The elder dragon’s broken chest plate was replaced with a brand new one.

“How goes everything, Master?” inquired Celestia. “Is everything ready?”

He nodded. “Just about. We’ve been waiting for you all to show up.” He looked over at Spike. “How’s the suit holding up for you, Mr. the Dragon?”

Spike looked at what he was wearing. It was almost similar to the one that Ember had been wearing, but was silver and was wearing a black undersuit beneath it. He moved and flexed his arms around. “Not too bad I say. You all really know how to make comfortable armor.”

Ash chuckled a little. “Well, it’ll be more important that it protects you more or less from whatever Garble throws at you. That reminds me though, you’ll need this too.” He pulled out a small sword in a brown sash. “You ever use a sword before?”

Spike took the blade. “Yes I do. I did practice with Shining Armor when I was a kid. He gave me some pointers and trained me a little. I still make time to practice with him from time to time.”

“I hope those lessons you got come in handy,” said Ash. “You’ll need it for the fight ahead. No doubt Garble will try to strike you down with his own sword.”

“We’ve been working on another plan just in case time runs out,” said Ember.

The ground shook underneath them for a few seconds.

Ash nodded. “Speaking of time; that’s not a luxury we have.” He waved a hand. “This way to the tent.”

The group walked over and approached a table with a large map of the island covering most of it. The map had several blue figures on it and some pencil lines that looked like arrows scattered about.

“So far, Commander Cynder has been thinking of a plan to rescue Miss Rarity,” Ash looked over. “Commander?”

A black female dragon walked up and saluted. “We’ve been marking potential routes to send in teams to rescue the pony. So far, we’ve been able to come up with three possible ways to pull off the rescue without alerting Garble.”

Spike frowned. “No offense, Commander, but it’s me that Garble wants. I don’t know if Master Ash has told you, but if Garble knows I brought help against him, he’d kill Rarity. I need to do this myself.”

Ember nodded. “He’s right. This is a fight Spike has to face himself. We should only send in teams if it looks like we’re almost out of time before the eruption. Garble’s crazy enough to pull off any threat he’s made at this point.”

She walked up to the map and placed a finger on it. “Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll take Spike to the island itself and drop him off.” She dragged her finger up. “Spike, you remember the route we took to get to the Bloodstone Scepter, right?” The drake nodded. “Take that same route if you can and try to reach the end. It should be where Garble is holding Rarity.”

“What do you want me to do with Garble?” wondered Spike.

Ember hesitated for a moment. “Try to bring him back alive if you can. If not, do what you must to make sure he doesn’t return to cause more trouble.”

“I’m not one who usually supports personal vendettas, but considering the circumstances and how much of a threat Garble poses, we’re willing to turn a blind eye,” said Ash.

Spike nodded, but felt a little cold inside.

Ember pointed back at the map. “We’ll drop you off around here at the cliff entrance where you and I went through the Gauntlet.. After you rescue Rarity and deal with Garble, head for that spot so we can pick you up. We’ll have scouts watching the area and will head out as soon as they see you and Rarity.”

“Anything else I should know?” inquired Spike.

Ash stepped forward. “There’s one last thing. I checked the status on the volcano, and unfortunately it looks like what I said earlier is true; it’s due to erupt very soon.”

“How soon?”

Ash grimaced. “Two hours is what they’re estimating.”

Spike felt his insides turn cold.

“We’ll give you an hour and a half to do the job, but if it comes down to it, I’ll send the calvary to help,” said Ash. “The main priority though is to save Miss Rarity. If you can somehow do it without Garble noticing, that may draw him out and we can deal with him in another way.”

Spike took a deep breath. “I guess I better get moving then.” The ground shook under his feet again.

Ash nodded. “We’ll prepare the chariot.”

Spike turned to leave with the elder dragon.

“Wait!”

Everyone turned around and looked at Ember.

“I want to speak to Spike...alone,” she said.

The group looked at each other, and then at Ember. They nodded at her and all left one by one until Spike and Ember were alone. The two stared at each other as the noise outside the tent seemed to shut off for both of them. Spike looked away bashfully while Ember kicked her foot lazily.

“So, what is it?” asked Spike.

Ember jumped a little from the sudden break in silence. “Oh, I just wanted to say a few things to you.”

Spike frowned. “Ember, you know what I said. I still have a job to do.”

“I know, but I still have some things to say. It’ll be really quick.”

Spike hesitated for a moment, but nodded. “Alright.”

Ember looked down. “I know you need to do this and what Garble has threatened, but I still feel I should go with you.”

“But you just said–”

“I know I said this was your fight,” she interrupted. “Still, I put you and Rarity in danger. I helped make all this happen and now things are probably even worse now.”

Spike put his hand on Ember’s shoulder. “Listen to me, Ember. I know you may feel responsible for what happened, but this wasn’t your fault. Garble made all this happen and he won’t stop until he finally has who he wants; me.”

“But he wanted to become Dragon Lord,” said Ember.

“I think he always wanted me though,” said Spike. “I’ve been the one who’s gotten in his way of everything he’s done. I stopped him from destroying some phoenix eggs, beat him in the Gauntlet of Fire, and now exposed his plan to become Dragon Lord to every dragon. This isn’t about you anymore, or him becoming leader of the dragons; this is now personal.”

Ember frowned. “To be honest, it does sound like what Garble told me and Rarity at the Detention Center. I think he said something similar to us. He wanted to hurt you where it hits the hardest. He wanted to ruin me, but now that his plan was foiled, he’s turned to the one thing you care for the most; your love for Rarity.”

Spike nodded. “You know he’ll just keep coming back until he gets his revenge on me.”

“But I–”

“I know, you want to help, but this is my fight. I’m the only one who can stop him now. It’s the only way to stop this once and for all.”

Ember looked down. “You still amaze me, Spike. I know you said you didn’t hate me or Rarity, but you’re still putting your life on the line for her; despite what we’ve both done.”

Spike smiled a little. “Like I said yesterday, Ember. “A true friend never gives up on those they care and love. No matter what happens, I’m not going to let Rarity die.” He turned around. “Now then, I think it’s time I got going. Time is running out and I need to get to the chariot.”

As Spike walked away, he felt another tug. He turned around and found himself face to face with a blushing Ember. Before Spike could ask, Ember leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. The touch felt warm and soothing. He put a hand up to it and stared at Ember, who was shaking nervously and her face looking almost completely red. Neither of them knew what to say, or how to act.

Finally, Ember said in small voice, “I...I’m sorry. I just think you’d want a kiss for luck. I was...was just um, don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry that I–”

Spike held a hand up, silencing her. “I...I get what you’re trying to do.” He turned back around. “Like I told you, we’ll talk more about this later after I’ve dealt with Garble. I promise you this though; I will be alright and I will return.”

“Mr. the Dragon!”

Spike looked up at a silhouette outside the tent, and recognized the voice belonging to Master Ash.

“The chariot is ready,” he said. “We need to move out now.”

The ground rumbled again beneath Spike’s feet. “I’ll be right there,” he said.

As Spike walked out, he took one last glance at Ember, who was still blushing wildly. Her eyes met his briefly, but quickly turned away. Spike took a deep breath and walked out of the tent.

The chariot rocked a little from the turbulence, but it didn’t bother Spike. He took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, and occasionally glanced out the window. He peeked his head out and saw the island getting closer and closer with each passing second. The volcano at the top wasn’t emitting any smoke...yet.

“Nervous, Mr. the Dragon?”

Spike looked away and turned to Master Ash, who was sitting across him. “A little bit, but I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Just remember, we’ll have several teams on standby in case things go wrong,” said Ash. “I must warn you though to not get too caught up in settling the score with Garble. There’s not much time for you to pull this mission off.”

Spike looked down. “Master, there’s something I have to ask you.”

Ash frowned. “It’s about Garble, isn’t it?” Spike nodded. The elder drake sighed and leaned forward. “It’s what Lord Ember said; do what you must to make sure the boy doesn’t cause more trouble for the Dragon Lands.”

Spike felt that cold feeling again.

“He’s a traitor now,” said Ash. “You must stop him at all cost now, Mr. the Dragon. Whether it be bringing him back alive, or killing him, he must be stopped now. Even if I was going with you, I won’t stop what you would have to do to bring down Garble. Just do one thing for me.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

Ash smiled a little. “Come back alive. It’s obvious Lord Ember cares deeply about you from the conversation I heard from the tent.”

“You listened in?”

“I heard some things about it. I think though it would crush her to see some drake who had such an impact on her be killed.”

Spike narrowed his eyes and nodded. He felt his back spaz out of him and rubbed it.

Master Ash raised an eyebrow. “Are you alright?”

Spike groaned. “It’s my back again. I swear, ever since the Gauntlet of Fire, it’s just been hurting more and more.”

Ash leaned forward and put a hand on Spike’s shoulder. “Well, let’s hope whatever’s causing this doesn’t hinder you. When you return, I’ll have the medics check you out.”

“We’re approaching the drop off!” a dragon announced.

Ash stood up. “Alright, this is it. The path leading to the volcano should be relatively easy. The traps leading into the volcano shouldn’t be active. However, given the recent tremors, it may cause some problems.”

“So what should I do?”

“Just navigate your way through the volcano and reach the center of it. There, Miss Rarity and Garble should be there. Be careful though, the recent tremors may’ve loosened some of the rocks and some the tunnels may have already collapsed.” Ash opened the door for Spike to see he was a few feet from the cliffside entrance of the volcano. “You have an hour and a half to get in, grab Miss Rarity, and get out. Understand?”

Spike nodded.

“Good luck, Mr. the Dragon. The fate of your friend rest in your claws now.”

Spike jumped out of the chariot and landed on the rocky ground. He turned around and with a wave, Master Ash closed the door and the chariot took off. Spike felt the ground shake beneath him again and turned back to the volcano’s top. A little smoke was emitting from it, which made his eyes widen.

“Alright, let’s get going.”

Despite the lack of traps around the volcano this time, Spike still felt nervous going through it. Every slight tremor there was, he heard the cracking of rock underneath. He even saw one tunnel completely cave in before his eyes from down below. He gulped, but pushed onwards and remembering the route he took. As Spike walked on, he remembered his last time through the volcano and what happened.

What do you think you're doing?

Only saving your ungrateful scales!

Ponies?! What are they doing here?!

They're my friends!

Friends? Dragons don't do friends.

Well, this dragon does.

He heard bubbling from below and saw the lava pools below starting to get a little violent. The smell of sulfur made him cough a little as he wasn’t entirely used to the smell. The further he walked on, the stronger the smell became.

Spike! Are you sure it's a good idea to team up with Ember? You don't know her too well.

I do know she could've told Garble about you, but she didn't. I think we can trust her.

Her behavior does seem contradictory to everything I've noted about dragons so far.

Hey, you, little fella! I've thought about it, and your plan makes sense. Let's do it.

Really? Great! It's a deal!

Just so you know, this doesn't mean we're gonna pick flowers or exchange necklaces or whatever pony friends do.

Good luck. We'll meet you at the top.

He looked up and saw a shadow, but when Spike looked again, it was gone. He could’ve sworn he heard someone snicker sinisterly.

You just risked everything to save her! And they're putting themselves in danger just to support you!

Well, that's just what friends do. Don't you have anyone who looks out for you?

Not really. Unless I count you.

Spike walked along the narrow rocky arch. He saw a bright light ahead and recognized the path. He started running towards the light.

Look! We made it! I can't believe I'm the only dragon to make it this far!

You're not! And I'm not losing to a puny pony-loving dragon like you!

Spike narrowed his eyes. You’re going to lose again, Garble. I promise you that much.

He entered the center of the volcano. The place looked almost the same as when Spike saw it the first time. The narrow rocky arch, the stalagmites and stalactites covering the cavern. He noticed some smoke billowing around the cavern and the smell of sulfur was getting really strong for him. Spike’s eyes drifted towards where the Bloodstone Scepter was held at and gasped in horror at what he saw.

It was Rarity, unconscious and looking roughed up.

Spike looked around to make sure the coast was clear. He began running towards the unicorn, but was stopped when a figure quickly landed right in front of him.

Spike narrowed his eyes. “Garble.”

The red drake crossed his arms. “Welcome, Spike. I was wondering what took you so long. It’s good to see my ‘friend’ made it.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Save it, Garble. I know what your twisted definition of friendship is.”

Garble smirked. “What’s the rush, Spike? We have so much to catch up on.”’

“You don’t get it though!” argued Spike. “You and Rarity are in danger!”

Garble raised an eyebrow. “What’re you talking about?”

The ground shook again. “That is what I’m talking about!” shouted Spike. “This volcano is going to go off in less than two hours!”

Garble said nothing for a moment, and then laughed coldly. “Perfect! That’s the way it shall be then! The two of us against the clock in one last fight!”

Spike couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Garble, listen, if you give up now, you’ll probably be shown some mercy. This doesn’t have to go down like this.”

Garble glared. “Your wrong, Spike. There’s no turning back for me now. I’m considered a traitor to the Dragon Lands. I’ve got nothing to lose at this point now. I want to finally finish this once and for all. This place is where I lost everything because of you.”

The drake raised an eyebrow. “Because of how many times I’ve gotten in your way?”

“Of course!” barked Garble. “You took away everything from me! My chance to become Dragon Lord! My chance to rule! My chance to lead the Dragon Lands to lead a brave, new world order! You humiliated me with what you had me do!”

Garble smirked and looked around. “Brings back memories, doesn’t it?”

Spike narrowed his eyes. “All I remember is how much I hate you.”

“What I remember is that you couldn’t beat me alone,” said Garble. “You had to rely on your friends to come to your rescue.” He laughed coldly. “I do regret now not asking you to bring your friends.” He glanced over at Rarity. “That way I can show how I’ll take something precious from you.”

Spike growled. “What did you do to her?”

Garble shrugged. “Oh, nothing. She tried to make a few attempts at trying to escape, but I just had to make sure she didn’t leave so soon.”

Spike clenched his fist.

“You know, it’s funny. While I was making sure she wouldn’t leave, she kept crying and muttering your name out for help.” Garble scoffed. “Stupid girl! Thinking some dragon would fall in love; much less with a pony!”

Spike looked down. “I do like her.”

“Liar!” roared Garble. “I heard you say it yourself how you hated her and Ember! And even if you still care for that pony, dragons don’t do love! They don’t care about others or love one another! They look out for themselves!”

“Well, this dragon does!” roared Spike as he pulled out his sword.

Garble smirked and pulled the sword he stole from his jacket and smirked. “I’ve waited so long for this, Spike. Here, the eyes of other dragons don’t look here. Run or fight for your life; it doesn’t matter. I promise you this though; only one of us is leaving here alive, and I can assure you it’s not going to be you!”

Spike narrowed his eyes. “We’ll see about that.”

The two stayed still for a couple of minutes; waiting to see who would make the first move. The ground shook underneath them both, throwing Spike a little off balance. Garble took the chance to charge and raised his sword up. Spike quickly saw what was happening and raised his own sword to block Garble’s own blade. The metallic clanging echoed through the room. Spike jumped back to give himself some space, but Garble lunged at him again.

Again, Spike raised his sword to block the blade. Garble pushed forward and kept jabbing at Spike with his sword. Each time, the blade narrowly either missed Spike, or he blocked it just in time. Spike kept walking back as he tried to defend himself and tried to look for some opening, but was too busy keeping his eye on Garble’s sword to avoid getting hit by it.

Garble smirked as he moved his tail around Spike’s leg. Before the drake could react, Garble tripped him and made him fall over. Spike grunted as the armor pushed into him and hurt him a little. He heard Garble roar and bring down his blade. Spike quickly rolled out of the way and avoided the strike in the nick of time.

Garble grunted as he tried to pull the blade out of the ground, and Spike decided to take advantage of it. Getting up, he brought his own sword up against Garble, but the red drake pulled his sword out and quickly raised it to block the attack. Spike, remembering what he learned from Shining’s lessons, kept striking fast, but not so much that he tired himself out. He jabbed his sword around unpredictably, which made Garble nervous and try to either dodge or block the attacks. The movement kept going on until finally…

Garble roared in pain as he dropped his sword. He clutched the wound on his right arm as blood started trickling out of it. Spike, not wanting to give Garble another chance, kicked the sword over the edge and heard it clang against the rocks below. He put his sword up to the red drake’s head and narrowed his eyes.

“It’s over, Garble.”

Garble raised his head and, much to Spike’s confusion, he was smirking. “You’re pretty good! Didn’t think you had it in you to do something like that. But…” He raised his tail up slowly. “I’m not done with you yet!”

He swung his tail and hit Spike in the side of his head. The drake yelped in pain and dropped his own sword in the confusion. Spike looked down and saw that Garble was gone. He looked around frantically, only to be met with the large, rocky stalagmites around him. A shadow fell over Spike and he looked up only to see nothing but rock.

“So, you think you can just wound me that easily and expect me to give up so easily?” Garble’s voice echoed throughout the cavern. “Clever, but not clever enough, Spike!”

Spike grabbed his sword and glared. “Garble, show yourself! Come out and fight!”

“Relax, Spike,” said Garble, “I’m not going anywhere. You, on the other hand, will be going to Tartarus!”

Spike heard a whooshing sound and turned around. He gasped as he saw Garble flying at him and delivered a swift kick to his face. Spike grunted in pain and fell over. He opened his eyes and saw a fireball heading for him. He quickly scrambled out of the way, but was caught by the impact and fell over again, but was dangerously close to the edge of the walkway. Spike quickly stopped himself and crawled away. He got up and looked around.

“How can you save a pony, Spike when you can’t save yourself?”

The drake turned around and was met with another punch to his face from Garble. Dazed, Spike couldn’t do much as Garble grabbed him from the neck collar of his armor and punched him again. Spike fell over and tried to catch his breath and regain his bearings, but Garble reached for his armor and ripped it off him; allowing Garble to deliver a powerful punch to his stomach. Spike coughed violently as he leaned forward and clenched his stomach in pain.

Garble kept up the attack with one punch after another at Spike. He laughed sadistically while pounding the drake. Spike attempted to crawl away, but Garble grabbed him by the leg and threw him across the room. He hit the rock wall and groaned in agony. He heard Garble roar and barely moved out of the way from another punch. Garble cried out in pain as his first went into the rock and was struggling to get it out. Spike saw his sword nearby and went to pick it up, but Garble flew in and knocked Spike over.

The red drake hovered and laughed. “Catch me if you can, Spike! If you can even find some way to.” He grinned sinisterly.

Spike narrowed his eyes as Garble flew away.

Master Ash pointed at the map. “Alright, it’s decided. We’ll send three strike teams through the upper part of the volcano and head for the center. Two more teams will take the lower path and rush towards the lower part of the center of the volcano. If they can reach it, maybe they can fly up and take Garble by surprise.”

“What about the top of the volcano?” wondered Rainbow. “Can’t you all fly through there?”

Ash shook his head. “The smoke from the volcano would impair their vision, so there’s no chance for that.”

Ember sat as she listened to Master Ash talk to Twilight, her friends, and the princesses of Equestria. She peeked her head out of the tent and saw smoke rising from the volcano. She frowned and looked away.

Come on, Spike, you’ve got to make it!

“Master Ash! Lord Ember!”

The dragoness quickly brought her head back into the tent and looked over. A yellow dragon she recognized as Ridge was standing there and saluted them both.

“What is it, private?” inquired Ash. “We’re in the middle of a discussion.”

“My apologizes, Master, but we’ve just learned some bad news about the volcano.”

Everyone fell silent and looked at each other nervously.

“What about it?” inquired Ash. “Don’t tell me that...that…”

Ridge nodded solemnly. “It appears the intel we got was wrong. The volcano is actually going to erupt in less than an hour.”

Ember felt her heart nearly stop.

Ash narrowed his eyes. “We need to move now! Private Ridge, inform Commander Cynder to assemble Inferno Squad at once and I’ll lead the charge!”

Twilight stepped forward. “We’ll go too, Master.”

The elder dragon frowned. “With all due respect, Princess Twilight, there’s no reason to put yourself and your friends in danger needlessly. You all stay here and–”

“No, Master,” said Twilight, firmly. “We’re going to save both Spike and Rarity. They’re our friends and there’s nothing you can do to talk us out of it.”

“You got that right,” agreed Applejack. “We’re going to help any way we can.”

“I can probably fly in and grab them before that volcano blows up,” said Rainbow, confidentally.

Ash crossed his arms and smiled a little. “I guess there’s really no other way around it. Very well, I’ll have the chariot ready to take you all. Lord Ember, is there anything else you can suggest before we leave?”

There was no response.

Ash raised an eyebrow. “Lord Ember?” He turned around and gasped to see the dragoness was gone.

Celestia looked just as shocked. “Where did she go?”

Ash saw part of the tent open where Ember was standing and rushed over to it. He walked out and looked around frantically, but was met with his soldiers running around, or talking to each other. Ash looked all over the area, but saw nothing but more of his own men and women.

“Master!”

The elder dragon looked over and saw Matches approaching him.

“I think I saw Lord Ember run off,” he said. “I tried to call out to her, but she was moving too fast. Where’s she going?”

The ground shook underneath Ash’s feet and he looked over at the volcano. “Oh, no,” he whispered in horror.

Spike rolled out of the way of another fireball. Garble laughed as he flew around Spike, all while the latter could do nothing but keep his eye on where he was flying to next. Spike shot out a few fireballs as well against Garble, but he kept dodging them. He flew behind some of the stalactites, and Spike just waited for him to appear again.

“What’s the matter, Spike?” asked Garble, mockingly. “Not witty comeback? No clever comment?”

Spike growled in frustration. Garble flew out and let out another fireball. Spike quickly jumped out of the way, but was again caught in the blast and he fell over.

“Whoa!” he cried out.

Garble smirked. “Whoa? That’s it? I was really looking forward to one of your clever comebacks, Spike.”

The drake panted and tried to get up, but felt something metallic press against him. He looked down and saw he was lying on top of his sword. Spike smiled to himself as an idea hatched inside his head.

“Come on, Spike!” called out Garble. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up already!”

Spike got up slowly, but didn’t turn around.

The red drake glared. “You know, Spike, I’m disappointed in you. I thought you’d at least try to put up a fight, but I guess it’s better you realize you can’t beat me.” He leaned forward and flapped his wings. “I’ll make sure this won’t hurt....that much, at least.”

With a powerful roar, Garble charged forward and flew towards Spike. The drake didn’t move as he flew down and readied himself to punch him. Garble sinister smile grew wider the closer he got and raised a fist. Suddenly, Spike leaped to the side, much to Garble’s confusion. Garble gasped as he saw a blade being raised, and had no time to react as Spike brought it down with a powerful strike.

Garble bellowed in agony loud enough to shake the cavern a little. He skidded against the ground and flailed around in pain; screaming constantly. He had a panicked look on him and some tears running down his face as he kicked his feet in the air. Spike took several deep breaths as he watched the red drake flailed around to reach around to his back and then looked over.

There, lying on the ground, was a piece of Garble’s wing with some blood coming from it. Spike looked at his sword and saw some of the blood on it. He couldn’t help but feel satisfaction about what he did to Garble, but he felt a little nauseated from doing such a thing. Garble’s gaze met his for a moment, and saw the fury in his eyes.

“Hey, Garble,” he called out.

The red drake was shaking violently.

Spike smirked as he pointed his sword at the cut off wing. “Looks like you’re grounded. How’s that for a clever comeback?”

Garble pounded his hands on the ground and roared. He tried to get up, but he saw a shadow fall over him and looked up to see Spike’s foot hitting him in the face. He rolled back and yelled in pain. Spike jumped forward and held his sword up, but Garble used his tail to smack him and the sword. As Spike fell back, he noticed the sword had slipped from his hand and tried to grab it, but it was too far away. He grunted as he hit the ground, and watched the sword sail off the walkway and heard it clank against the rocks.

“Now we’re on even footing!” Garble smirked, triumphantly. “Let’s finish this once and for all!”

Garble and Spike slowly got up and glared at one another. They yelled and charged at one another with their fists ready to hit one another. They managed to hit each other and were both left dazed. Spike, though, managed to recover faster and move in to kick Garble. He then moved in for another kick to the stomach and punch him in the face. Spike felt his heart racing as he landed one blow after another on Garble. The red drake was groaning in pain as Spike prepared to deliver the final blow.

Suddenly, Spike felt a sharp pain jolt through his back. Oh, no! Not now!

He yelped and leaned over in pain. Spike felt like he had a sword cut through his back; only it was on fire. He panted and grunted as he tried to shrug off the pain, but it lasted longer than any of the other back spasms he had before. He went to his knees and yelled in pain as it seemed to go on and on for him. Eventually, it slowly went away and Spike was trying to catch his breath.

He tried to get up, but as he looked up, he was met with a foot in his face and fell over. Spike groaned as he saw Garble walking up to him and had a confident smile on him. He tried to fight back, but Garble grabbed him by the neck and started choking him. Spike gasped and flailed around a bit as he suffocated.

“You know, Spike, I was always the better dragon,” said Garble. “I could always do things better than you. While you were busy in pony land making friends, I made myself stronger, faster, and better.”

“You’re...not...that good,” gasped Spike.

“That’s what you think,” said Garble. “You should’ve taken my offer while you had the chance to be a real dragon like me. I could’ve made you into something if you stuck around and forgot those ponies.” His smile turned into a scowl. “But instead of that, all you care about are you stupid, damn friends!”

Spike struggled to break free, but Garble only tightened his grip.

“Ooohh,” a voice moaned.

Garble looked up and saw Rarity moving around a little and slowly opening her eyes. He smiled sinisterly. “Spike, I think you owe me for cutting off my wing. So, since you’re beaten and can’t do anything so stop me, I think it’s only appropriate I do this now.”

He picked up Spike by the neck and dragged him to Rarity. She opened her eyes and saw to her horror Spike struggling against Garble’s grip.

“Spikey!” Rarity glared at Garble. “What did you do to him, you monster!?”

Garble laughed coldly. “Just had to remind him who the real dragon was around here.” He took a step forward and grabbed Rarity by the arm. “I figured I’d show that I beat him before I take care of you.”

Spike’s eyes widened.

Rarity gasped and tried to get away, but Garble tugged her arm and forced her to the edge of the cliff. Rarity whimpered as she looked over the edge and saw the sharp rocks below and some lava bubbling below. Desperate, Rarity raised her leg and kicked Garble in the shin. The drake grunted in pain, but shrugged it off and pushed her back.

“You’re just as annoying as Spike,” he growled. “Don’t worry though, once he sees your lifeless body at the bottom of the pit, I’ll let him join you!”

“NO!” Spike cried out. “Garble, no! Don’t do this! It’s me you want; not Rarity!”

Garble flashed a sadistic smile at Spike. “This is for ruining everything I’ve done and for cutting my wing off!” He shoved Rarity over the cliff.

“SPIKEY!” Rarity screamed as she fell down the pit.

Spike’s insides froze up and his heart nearly stopped. He watched helplessly as Rarity went down the pit and got closer to the jagged rocks below. He wanted to look away, but his body was paralyzed from what he saw seeing happening. All the while, Garble laughed loudly and made sure Spike could see the unicorn fall to her death.

A blue blur suddenly whizzed past the two dragons, leaving Spike and Garble dumbfounded.

“What was that!?” demanded Garble.

Spike looked down and gasped. “There!” he pointed down.

The blur whizzed down at an incredibly fast rate that seemed to rival Rainbow’s speed. It reached Rarity and grabbed her mere seconds from hitting the sharp rocks and flew back up with her. Rarity put a hand over her racing heart and felt a little dizzy from the near death experience. She looked up at her rescuer and both her and Spike gasped simultaneously.

“Ember!” they both cried out in joy.

Garble threw Spike down and looked livid. “What’re you doing here!? You’re not supposed to help Spike!”

The dragoness smirked. “You said don’t help Spike. You never said anything about helping Rarity!”

Garble growled furiously.

Rarity hugged Ember. “Oh, thank you, darling! I don’t know how I can ever thank you!”

Ember struggled a little and felt a little awkward. “Um...you can stop hugging me. Still feels weird with that hug thing.”

Rarity let go and blushed a little. “Well, I now know why Spike thinks so highly of you. To save me even after what happened, I don’t–YIPES!” a fireball whizzed passed Rarity and missed her by inches.

“NO FAIR!” bellowed Garble. “Ember, I’ve had enough of your meddling!” He took a deep breath, but a hand turned him around and was punched in the stomach. Garble yelled and held his stomach.

“And I’ve had enough of you hurting my friends!” barked Spike.

Spike kicked Garble and made him stumble back. Garble countered with a punch, but Spike dodged it and socked Garble in the face. The red drake was bobbing his head up and down and looked out of it.

“You know, Garble, I never needed you to make me a ‘real dragon’ at all,” said Spike. “I already am one!” He punched Garble again and made him fall to the floor.

Spike stood over him and glared. “You talk so much about being the better dragon and how to be a true dragon, but you’re not a dragon at all; you’re a disgrace!” He kicked Garble again.

“You don’t care about any dragon but yourself! You make others do your dirty work! You don’t care who you hurt or use as long as you get what you want! What kind of dragon is that?”

Garble yelled as he got up and charged at Spike, but he was kicked in the stomach and fell over again.

“The Dragon Lands may not be my home, and I may not know much about dragon culture, but I do know one thing; you’re not a dragon at all!” He kicked Garble in the face. “A real dragon wouldn’t do what you just pulled!” He kicked him again. “A real dragon wouldn’t try to get a pony killed for power!” He delivered another blow to Garble. “You never were a true dragon you talk about, Garble, and you never will be!”

He picked up Garble and punched him several times. Each punch pushed the dragon closer to the edge. Garble noticed it and tried to push back, but Spike punched him again and he stumbled back. Just as Garble was about to plummet though, Spike leaped forward and grabbed his ankle. Garble looked up and had a scowl on him.

He smirked a little. “Saving me? For friendship, Spike?”

Spike narrowed his eyes. “No, for me.” He released his grip on Garble’s ankle.

The red drake screamed as he fell down into the pit. Garble flailed his arms wildly as he plummeted to his death. Spike watched for as long as he could, but a lava geyser shot up around where Garble was falling and blinded him. Spike crawled away and slowly got up. He held his arm and grunted in pain.

“Spike!”

The drake looked up to see Ember, still holding Rarity, descending and landing near him.

“Are you okay?” she wondered.

Spike nodded slowly. “I’ve been better, but I’ll be okay.” He looked down at Rarity. “Is she okay?”

Rarity looked over and jumped out of Ember’s arms. She leaned forward and hugged Spike tight. The drake gagged a little from the sudden embrace and returned it with a hug of his own.

Rarity broke the hug and smiled. “Does that answer your question, darling?”

Spike smiled back, but a thought hit him and looked at Ember. “Thanks for saving Rarity, but I do have to ask. What’re you doing here anyway?”

“No time for that now, Spike,” she answered. “We have to get out of here now!”

Spike looked confused. “What’re you talking about? The volcano isn’t supposed to erupt for around two hours.”

“That’s just it! The volcano isn’t erupting in two hours!”

Spike felt his stomach sink and a shiver run down his spine. “When does it then?” he wondered, solemnly.

The ground around the trio started rumbling violently. Several stalactites started to fall from the ceiling and crashed against the ground below. Lava started spewing up in this distance. A loud cracking noise caught the group’s attention and turned to see the area where the Bloodstone Scepter was held crumble before their eyes and fall into the pit below.

“I think it’s just about to,” said Ember. “They got it wrong for when it would erupt!”

Spike looked around frantically at the rumbling cavern. He pushed Rarity into Ember and said, “Okay, listen up, I want you to take Rarity and get out of here!” Ember opened her mouth to speak. “No! Listen, you’re the only one who can fly out of here fast enough to get her out! I’ll find my way out! I can survive the lava and extreme heat, but she can’t!”

Ember shook her head. “I know dragons are lava proof, Spike.” A rock stalactite fell nearby. “But we’re not rock proof!”

“That’s why you need to–”

Ember grabbed Spike’s hand and her cheeks flushed red as she looked at him. “No! I’m not leaving you behind again! If I hadn’t come when I did, Rarity would be dead, and from the way you look, it looks like you nearly got killed yourself!”

Spike looked at himself and saw he had some cuts around his body, blood, and several bruises.

“You said it yourself too. A true friend never gives up on those they care and love. When they’re in trouble and need help, a friend is there for them always. I’m here for you and Rarity, and I’m not going to leave any of my friends behind!”

Spike took the words in and a smile slowly formed on his face. “Ember, you really have come a long way.”

Another rock falling nearby caused everyone to gasp.

Ember had a worried look on her. “I think we should save the mushy stuff for later.” She looked around and pointed a finger. “The entrance! Let’s get out of here!”

The trio started running for it and tried maintained their balance from the shaking ground. Stalactites continues to fall around the area, some even coming close to the group, and the sound of lava bubbling filled the room. Spike and Ember soon reached the entrance outside the room, but turned around to see Rarity having trouble keeping up.

“Hurry, Rarity!” called out Ember.

She grunted in pain as she tried to run harder, but she tripped and fell over. Before Ember could move, Spike ran in and quickly picked her up. He turned around and ran off with her just as a large boulder crashed where Rarity was. As soon as the two got back to the entrance, more boulders crashed around and the whole entrance caved in. The trio let out a sigh of relief and quickly moved away.

Ember looked at Rarity and frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”

Rarity rubbed her leg. “Garble wanted to make sure I didn’t run away, so he twisted my ankle.” She gasped and nearly fell over, but grabbed onto the wall. “I can move, but not by a whole lot.”

Spike growled. “If I knew what he did to you, I would’ve beaten him up more.” He looked over to Ember. “I want you to carry her out of here. Let’s head back to where I came in from.”

Ember nodded and picked up Rarity. A thunderous explosion rocked the place and the trio looked down to see lava building up and making its way up.

“Hurry!” urged Ember.

Spike and Ember, with Rarity in tow, began to run and made their way to the room with multiple tunnel entrances. The sound of rocks falling caught Spike’s attention and he looked up. He gasped as one of the tunnels near them collapsed before their eyes.

“That was the way I got in!” said Spike. “Now what do we do!?”

“I’ll take a look around for way out,” offered Ember.

She ran over to a nearby tunnel, but the shaking collapsed the tunnel just as she was about to walk.

“Damn it!” She ran over to another tunnel and saw some of the rock shifting around inside it. “Not this one either!”

Spike heard some bubbling and looked below to see the lava slowly making its way up. “Um...Ember!” he called out.

“Here!” she called out. “This tunnel looks safe!”

Spike quickly ran over and together with Ember and Rarity, they went into the tunnel. The rumbling became more violent with bits of rock and dust falling from the ceiling. As they ran, Spike heard more explosions and looked around. There were tunnels collapsing from the earthquake, and more lava geysers spewing up. Spike prayed that they would be okay and that the tunnel would hold up for them.

“Spike, up ahead!” called out Ember. “Can you see it?”

The drake looked forward and squinted. Far ahead of them was very small white dot that he could barely make out.

“Is that...daylight?” he wondered.

“It looks like it,” said the dragoness. “Keep going! We need to–”

A fireball went passed the trio, cutting of Ember’s sentence. They turned around and gasped at a figure standing in the distance. It was Garble, panting, clothes torn up, and bleeding from some cuts, but had a demonic look on him.

“Not yet, Spike!” he boomed. “It’s not over yet!”

“Garble!” Spike yelled back.

“What do we do?” asked Ember.

“Keep running!” ordered Spike. “I’ll try and hold him off!”

The trio took off again, and Garble chased them. The rumbling became more violent and larger rocks were starting to fall from the ceiling. Spike briefly turned around and fired another fireball, but Garble dodged it. The red drake in turn let out a fireball of his own, but Spike ducked out of the way.

Garble let out a roar and the sound of his footsteps inching closer made Spike a little nervous. He looked back and saw Garble with an evil grin on him and was reaching a hand out. He raised his tail up and smacked Garble in the face hard. The dragon yelped in pain and was left dazed from the impact. He quickly regained his bearings though and took off after the trio again.

The group continued running for what seemed to be for an eternity. Spike and Garble constantly tried to slow one another down. Garble kept on blasting out fireballs and Spike did the same thing. Ember held Rarity close to her as she tried to shield her from the attacks. All the while, the tunnel continue to shake and rocks kept coming down around them. The shaking got worse with each passing second and the sound of rock crumbling echoed throughout the tunnel.

Ember gasped. “Look, Spike! Daylight!”

Garble narrowed his eyes and leaped forward. “Oh, no you don’t!” He tackled the trio and knocked all of them over just as they reached the mouth of the entrance. A loud explosion rang out and rocks tumbled all over.

Spike opened his eyes up slowly and was met with dust swirling around and several boulders nearby. He tried to raise his head, but his vision was blurry and he felt like his head was hit with a sledgehammer. He then tried to get up, but felt something weigh him down. He looked behind to see some large rocks had buried his legs. He tried to move them, but they were stuck deep into the rock.

“Spike?” a weak voice asked.

The drake looked over and saw Ember, like him, lying on the ground and rocks covering her legs next to him.“Ember, are you okay?”

The dragoness nodded. “I’m a little shaken up, but I’m fine. I just wish I could move my legs.”

A thought then popped in Spike’s head. “Where’s Rarity? Is she still with you?”

Ember’s eyes widened and she looked around frantically. She reached her hands out in hopes of reaching out to the unicorn, but she couldn’t see or feel her. A sense of dread filled both her and Spike up.

“She’s got to be okay,” said Spike. “We made it out, so I think she did too.”

Ember gasped. “What about Garble? He was right behind us.”

Spike looked over the now clear area to see he was on the beach side of the island. There were lots of rocks and a few boulders, but no sign of him or Rarity.

“I don’t think he made it,” said Spike. “Garble is dead.”

Suddenly, rock started to move from nearby. Spike and Ember looked up and were horrified at what they saw.

“Uh, oh,” said Spike.

Garble, bloodied and bruised, slowly walked from behind a boulder and was limping over. “SPIKE!” he boomed.

Ember struggled to move. “What does it take to finish him!?”

Garble leaned over and picked up a large rock. He slowly walked over to the two struggling dragons and grinned.

He raised the rock up. “SPIKE!”

The drake gasped and felt his body freeze up. Ember tried to let out a fireball, but let out a nasty cough instead and was gasping. Garble laughed coldly and prepared to throw the rock down.

A beam of light suddenly went passed Garble’s hand. The drake gasped and had a panicked look on him. Ember and Spike gasped as they saw his right hand slowly slide off and land to the side and the rock fall over on top of it. Garble stepped back and gripped his arm. He let out a painful roar as he fell to his knees and held onto his arm. His sorrowful cries echoed throughout; nearly drowning out the sound of the volcano exploding behind them.

“What was that?” wondered an incredulous Ember.

Spike looked over and smiled. “I don’t believe it.”

Ember looked over and her jaw nearly dropped. Standing behind Garble was a furious Rarity who was panting and her horn glowing. The unicorn limped over and stood over a weeping Garble. She shot a nasty look at him and gritted her teeth. In a rage, Garble tried to punch Rarity with his other hand, but he was levitated up into the air and brought inches from Rarity’s face.

“This is for hurting my Spikey Wikey, Ember, myself, and everything you’ve put us through,” she said in an icy tone.

Rarity decked Garble square in the nose. The drake let out a painful cry as he fell over to the ground and laid there. He moaned in pain and he twitched a little, but he showed no signs of trying to get up again. Rarity stepped on Garble hard with her good foot and made her way to Spike and Ember, who were still staring in disbelief at her.

“Rarity,” Spike said in awe, “when could you do that?”

“More like how did you do it,” said Ember. “You had a magic suppression ring on you. How did you break it?”

“When Garble tackled us, I was knocked out of Ember’s grip,” answered the unicorn. “I landed against some rocks nearby and I hit one of them against my horn. My horn was fine, but the lock on the magic suppressor was damaged. I managed to pry it off and remove the cone.” She held out a small metal cone and the remains of a small lock..

A loud explosion rang out and the ground shook. The group looked up to see thick smoke filling the sky and lava bursting from the top of the volcano.

Rarity’s horn lit up. “Let’s get you all out of here now! We need to find a way off this island and fast!”

“How though?” wondered Spike. “We can’t just swim for it!”

“Master, over here!” a voice called out.

The trio looked up to see a chariot and several guards, including Matches, approaching them. The door opened up and Master Ash, Twilight, and her friends ran out of it. They all gasped at the sight before them.

“Lord Ember!” cried out Ash. He turned to the guards and glared. “Don’t just stand there, let’s get her and Mr. the Dragon out of there now!” He ran in to help, but felt a hand tug his shoulder. He looked behind to see Twilight.

“Allow us, Master,” she offered.

Twilight and Starlight’s horns lit up and the rocks were surrounded in a magic aura. The rubble was lifted up slowly, allowing Spike and Ember to start crawling their way out. Two of Ash’s guards stepped in and helped the pair stand up and support them.

Ash nodded slowly. “Efficent to say the least.” The smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils and his face scrunched up. “What is that horrible stench?”

Matches pointed to the ground. “Master, look!”

The elder dragon gazed down and his eyes widened. Garble lied near him and was weakly groaning. Twilight and her friends looked just as shocked at the state the red dragon was in.

“Whoa,” said an awestruck Rainbow.

“You can say that again,” said Applejack.

He looked at Spike with a shocked expression on him. “It appears you did quite a number on him, Mr. the Dragon.”

“Well, I had some help.” He winked at Rarity. The unicorn in turned blushed a little.

Ash looked at Ember. “What should we do with Garble, my Lord?”

Ember looked down at the fallen dragon and said, “Bring him back. I want him to answer for all his crimes. I think after what happened to him, he won’t be causing any more trouble for us ever again.”

Ash nodded. “Very well.” He turned to two more guards. “Get him onboard, now!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Right away, Master!”

As the guards approached Garble, the red drake opened his eyes and sat up straight. He pushed the two guards away and got up.

“NO! This isn’t over! I won’t–”

Spike grabbed Garble by the neck and picked him up. Ember and Rarity surrounded him.

Spike roared, “Will! You! Just!”

Spike, Rarity, and Ember each raised a fist, and together hit Garble in the face. The red drake groaned and his head slumped back as he fell unconscious for good.

“Stay down!” finished Spike.

Another explosion rang out, making everyone gasp. The lava was coming down the volcano faster and ash was starting to rain down around them.

“That’s our cue to leave.” Ash looked at Twilight and the others. “All of you, back onto the chariot at once!”

The group wasted no time and hurried back into the large chariot. Spike helped Ember carry Rarity over. Matches picked up Garble’s unconscious body and tossed him onboard as well. The chariot immediately took off into the sky and everyone watched as the lava flowed from the top of the volcano and covered the whole island up. The island soon disappeared from the cloud of ash spewing from it and they all looked away.

Spike let out a sigh of relief and slumped against his chair. He suddenly felt two heads rest against him. To his left, Rarity had closed her eyes and smiled softly, and on the other was Ember who was smiling a little too. The drake looked down and closed his eyes in thought. He didn’t say anything or move at all.

Rainbow leaned over to Applejack. “What’s with him?” she whispered.

“Maybe he’s just tired,” she answered. “Spike does look like he was thrown like a rag doll.”

“But now what will he do with Ember and Rarity?” wondered Fluttershy.

“I’m not sure, Fluttershy,” said Twilight. “But maybe we shouldn’t speak of it now.”

“It’s okay, Twilight,” said Spike.

Everyone looked at him.

He opened his eyes. “I know what I need to do.”

Rarity and Ember raised their heads up and looked at Spike with a confused look on him.

“I think it’s time to talk,” said Spike. “But let’s wait until we get back to camp.”

Ember and Rarity exchanged nervous looks at one another.

Author's Notes:

Well, here it is at long last. I said that the next chapter wouldn't take too long in my blog post I made back on Christmas Eve. For those who missed it or didn't read it, we're nearing the end of this story at last. I'd say there's at least 3-4 chapters left.

Now I have no idea when the next part will be out. I'll work on it as much as I can, but I'm currently going through some training for my career. Still, I do plan to work on the next chapter as much as I can. I'm hoping it won't take too long like this chapter, but no promises.

So enjoy this chapter!