"No Spitfire, it's not possible." explained Soarin, retrieving a small paper cup from a stack on the counter. The light blue pegasus held his cup beneath a nozzle on the coffee machine and pressed a button on the side with a heavy hoof. A strange silence filled the room, turning the otherwise quiet humming of the fluorescent lights, and the soft bubbling of the coffee, into a thunderous display of sound. Spitfire's amber eyes shifted nervously, taking in every detail of the small break room as if to distract her from her own thoughts. She saw a few tables with chairs scattered haphazardly about, and a large refrigerator against the far wall. Several motivational posters were hung on the walls. She smiled briefly at a picture of a small filly with wide, hopeful eyes, dangling from a string, the caption beneath reading 'hang in there'. This picture in particular reminded her of a certain cyan pegasus.
"Such a shame. Rainbow Dash would have made a damn good addition to the Wonderbolts." admitted Spitfire, running a hoof through her fiery mane as the coffee machine finished distributing the dark, bubbling liquid into Soarin's waiting cup.
Soarin nodded in agreement, his dark blue mane bouncing slightly. "She's a regular Icarus that one. Always flying too close to the sun." The two wonderbolts exchanged halfhearted smiles, both remembering the old fable of the earth pony who had tried so hard to achieve his dreams, only to come crashing down to earth.
The two quickly left the break room, and entered a rather populated hallway. They weaved their way through crowds of well dressed ponies that flooded the corridors of the noisy office building. Soarin took care not to spill his coffee as he fought against a torrent of other ponies traveling in the opposite direction.
"Careful Soarin. Don't want to ruin your tie." teased Spitfire, noticing Soarin's predicament. The two pegasai had both abandoned their Wonderbolts suits, instead adorning sophisticated business attire. They both teased each other ceaselessly about it. Soarin rolled his bright green eyes at her comment, noticing that she had dressed her self in a manner that was no less fancy.
"You know I hate the dress code as much as you do, though it is nice to see you in a blouse and skirt." countered Soarin with a smirk as they passed by a large, gray room full of ponies seated at tables scribbling away on scrolls. Spitfire was about to reply, but was interrupted by an all too familiar voice.
"Spitfire, Soarin!" called the voice from somewhere behind them. The pair turned around to see Princess Cadence fighting her way through the flood of ponies. The pink alicorn was clad in a long white lab coat and was magically levitating a clipboard at eye level.
"The Froggy Bottom Bog operation has failed." explained Princess Cadence in a worried voice. She looked at the two pegasai expectantly.
"So what's new princess?" asked Spitfire rhetorically. Soarin took a sip of his coffee turning around and motioning for Spitfire to do the same. Princess Cadence was slightly taken aback but persisted.
"That means it's just us and Ghastly Gorge! You two need to take your jobs more seriously!" cried Cadence as she followed the two Wonderbolts through the slowly clearing hallways. Soarin rolled his eyes.
"I'm surprised you're worried about that, considering who the candidates are this year." Soarin started his ascent up a flight of stairs, Spitfire following him closely. This did very little to calm the princess. She stepped in front of the pair delaying their progress up the stairs.
"Wait, what do you mean?" questioned the princess curiously. The two pegasai exchanged uneasy looks before answering Cadence's question.
"I guess chem department isn't as well informed on who the candidates actually are." commented Spitfire. Soarin reached into his breast pocket and withdrew a folded slip of paper. Cadence levitated the paper out from between his teeth and unfolded it. Her violet eyes widened and her complexion became as white as chalk. She let the paper slowly fall to the floor, and her bottom jaw looked as if it would follow suit had it not been attached to her skull. She stared at the two, her mouth agape. It was as if the alicorn wanted to say something, to protest, but could not think of the right words to say.
"Ignorance is bliss they say." continued Spitfire in a rather sad tone. The pair made their way around princess Cadence, up the rest of the stairs and around a corner. The faint noise of someone sipping coffee could be heard. Tears started to form at the corner of the princesses eyes but she wiped them away with a trembling hoof before they had a chance to escape. It was going to be a long weekend.
The beauty of Luna's night gave way to the radiance of Celestia's day as the sun peaked over the eastern horizon of Equestria. Golden sunlight filled the land like honey being poured into a bowl. The bright sunlight permeated the bedroom of a small cottage situated on the edge of the Everfree forest. A cream colored pegasus opened her bedroom window to better admire the beautiful early morning sunshine. She stood at the window for a moment taking in her surroundings. Her chicken coop stood tall and proud, and the sound of the clucking hens was quickly drowned out by the loud call of a proud rooster as he greeted the newly risen sun. A small stream snaked its way across her property, and her ears perked up as she heard the playful splashing of several otters, taking an early morning swim. Squirrels and rabbits darted across the soft green grass and birds chirped captivating tunes from their leafy towers. Fluttershy became lost for a moment in her own perfect little world and began to hum along to the singing of the birds. It was pure bliss.
Eventually she was able to break out of the spell she had been under and prepare for the days ahead, though the humming didn't stop. For several minutes Fluttershy scampered about her bedroom packing various necessities into an open suitcase resting on her bed. Finally she took one last look inside the overflowing suitcase, making sure she hadn't forgotten to pack anything. A small smile graced her lips as she nodded in satisfaction and struggled momentarily to shut the suitcase. A small fluffy rabbit strolled casually into the bedroom, his normally stoic exterior instantly changing to one of anger as he eyed the black suitcase resting on the bed. He crossed his arms, tapped his foot against the wooden floor repeatedly, and stared at the cream colored pegasus expectantly. Fluttershy shrank back a bit, retreating behind her long pink mane, as if to hide from the rabbits harsh stare.
"I thought I told you already Angel. I'm going with my friends to a cabin in the Everfree Forest for the weekend... that is, if it's not too much trouble." explained Fluttershy in a delicate voice barely above a whisper. Angel smirked at her explanation and rolled his beady little eyes in disbelief.
"I've gone into the forest before Angel, and it wasn't that scary. And I'll have all my friends with me, so I'll be fine." said the pegasus trying to convince the rabbit she was up to the task. Angel looked at Fluttershy critically, then shrugged and hopped out of the room. Fluttershy followed him out of her bedroom, her admittedly heavy suitcase in tow. As she finally reached the first story of her cottage, there came several polite knocks at her front door. Fluttershy set her suitcase at the foot of the stairs and took several cautious steps forward, though by the delicate, lady like knocking, the shy pegasus already knew who it was behind the door. Fluttershy gently opened the door, her suspicions confirmed.
Rarity stood there, her white coat, and violet mane gleaming in the early morning sunlight. Two massive travel bags with white, flowery patterns sat on either side of her, each easily dwarfing Fluttershy's simple black suitcase. The pale unicorn smiled at Fluttershy, her sapphire eyes sparkling brilliantly.
"Hello Rarity." greeted Fluttershy, her voice as gentle and warm as a sweet summer breeze.
"Hello darling. Notice anything different?" asked Rarity eagerly. Fluttershy looked the unicorn over carefully but couldn't see any deviations from Rarity's normal appearance. She stared at Rarity with a puzzled look. Rarity's smile dwindled, her confidence wavering.
"Are you sure you don't notice anything darling?" urged Rarity, waving a shaky hoof towards Fluttershy repeatedly. Fluttershy quickly caught on as the scent of the unicorns new perfume was wafted towards her. Fluttershy smiled lightly as the smell of cherry blossoms danced across her nose.
"Oh Rarity, that smells lovely." complimented Fluttershy. Her comment was punctuated by Angel joining Fluttershy at the doorway and sniffing the air eagerly. The two giggled at the rabbit's antics, as Fluttershy welcomed Rarity in. Rarity's two travel bags were granted a pale blue outline as they were both levitated into the cottage by Rarity's magic. She set them near the foot of the stairs next to Fluttershy's bag. Rarity made her way to a small wooden table with a pair of seats set against the far wall, treading carefully so as not to step on the numerous animals darting across the floor and into their respective dwellings. Angel quietly scampered off, apparently bored with the situation.
"Goodness Rarity, you certainly don't travel light." commented Fluttershy taking note of the size of Rarity's bags as the pegasus followed the unicorn to the table. Rarity gave her a surprised look which made the shy pegasus stare intently at the floor and shift her right front leg awkwardly from side to side.
"Oh, I didn't mean to offend. It just looks like an awful lot to bring on our short trip." explained Fluttershy quickly in a panic stricken voice. Rarity shook her head and took a seat at the circular table.
"Well, fortune favors the prepared after all darling." replied the white unicorn with a light smile. Fluttershy smiled in return and nodded knowingly as she took a seat on the opposite chair.
"The others will be here soon." explained Rarity quickly changing the subject. "Well, except for dear Applejack." Rarity continued, a hint of disappointment lacing her voice.
"Oh dear. Why ever not?" questioned Fluttershy sadly, her ears drooping slightly. Sympathy for the saddened pegasus washed over Rarity, her face adopting a sorrowful expression. The unicorn reached across the table and placed her hoof on Fluttershy's.
"I'm told that Princess Celestia personally requested the presence of the apple family in Canterlot. Even Applejack's cousin Braeburn was asked to go." explained Rarity. It was rather strange, though not unheard of, for Celestia to personally request the presence of specific ponies on such short notice. Typically such a request arose from a matter of great importance, such as the awakening of Discord. Whatever it was, it probably wasn't an invitation to have a casual spot of tea.
"Well, it must be important. I just wish she could have come with us." said Fluttershy, giving life to her thoughts. Rarity nodded in agreement and sighed as a heavy silence filled the small cottage.
"Yeah, but on the plus side, AJ gave us an entire barrel of Apple Family Cider for the trip!" exclaimed an enthusiastic voice from an open window. The abruptness and sheer volume of said voice cut through the pressing silence with ease, startling the pair of ponies seated at the table. Fluttershy gave a small yelp of surprise and Rarity frowned slightly at the voice. A cyan colored pegasus stuck her rainbow maned head through the window and smirked at the two ponies. Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief and smiled brightly at her friends arrival.
"Hello Rainbow Dash." greeted Fluttershy quietly.
"Hiya guys. Ready to go?" asked Rainbow Dash eagerly, leaning a foreleg on the window sill. Rarity rose from her seat and made her way across the living room towards the open window.
"Darling, haven't you ever heard of using a door?" asked Rarity with a roll of her eyes.
"Haven't you ever heard of the 'more is less' theory when it comes to perfume?" replied Rainbow Dash waving a hoof in front of her nose. Rarity narrowed her eyes at Rainbow's comment but otherwise remained silent. "Anyway, hurry up, we're all out here waiting for you two." continued Rainbow Dash, oblivious to Rarity's harsh stare. And with a wink of her rose colored eye, the rainbow maned pegasus dashed off out of sight. Rarity sighed and levitated her bags towards the door. Fluttershy trotted over to her own bag and clenched her teeth around the handle. She tried desperately to drag the heavy bag towards the door, gaining only a few feet for all her efforts. Rarity's magic enveloped the wooden front door and swung it open revealing Rainbow Dash and a purple unicorn with a dark, neatly groomed mane and a warm smile. They were waiting patiently, or impatiently in Rainbow Dash's case, by the side of the road.
"Hello Fluttershy. Hello Rarity." greeted the purple unicorn, waving her hoof at them. She, being a rather observant unicorn, quickly noticed Fluttershy's predicament as the poor pegasus tried desperately to carry her heavy suitcase. "Here, let me help you with that." she offered, pointing to the luggage. Her horn ignited in a purple aura of magical energy and Fluttershy's luggage was fluidly and effortlessly lifted into the air and brought down by the side of the road. Rarity's two bulging travel bags quickly joined Fluttershy's suitcase.
"Thanks Twilight." panted Fluttershy, wiping away a light perspiration forming around her brow. Twilight smiled brightly as Rarity and Fluttershy joined her and Rainbow Dash by the side of the road.
"Sure Fluttershy. What are friends for?" said Twilight, brushing off the gesture as if it was nothing. The two smiled at each other happily.
"Alright, enough with the pleasantries. There's a carriage waiting for us just down the road. Let's go!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash impatiently. Fluttershy smiled apologetically while Rarity rolled her eyes, a habit the alabaster unicorn was rapidly forming through overexposure to a certain rainbow maned, sky blue pegasus.
Suddenly there came a light tugging on Fluttershy's tail. The yellow pegasus froze in place, her face twisting into one of nervousness. The other ponies took notice of the fear in her eyes and grew curious. Fluttershy quickly glanced behind her. Angel was holding onto her tail, a frown plastered onto his face. However, there was something strange about the rabbit's frowning. It wasn't a frown of annoyance like the one he usually wore. It was a frown of sadness. Fluttershy smiled softly and nuzzled the tiny creature. Rainbow Dash let loose an exasperated sigh of annoyance at the delay.
"Don't worry Angel, I'll be back before you know it." cooed Fluttershy in a reassuring tone. The rabbit seemed unconvinced and gripped the yellow pegasus' right front leg tightly, burying his little face in her soft coat. Fluttershy began to stroke the rabbit softly. Slowly Angel's frown turned into a hopeful smile, and he began to relinquish the mare from his vice like grip. Twilight put a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder.
"Spike said he'd be glad to watch the animals while you're away. Angel doesn't have to worry about a thing." explained Twilight confidently. The rabbit in question hugged Fluttershy's leg tightly then quickly darted off towards the tiny cottage.
"Goodbye Angel! Be good for Spike! I'll see you soon!" called Fluttershy, waving a hoof towards the rabbit as his tiny white figure disappeared into the cottage. Rainbow Dash tapped her hoof impatiently against the dirt road.
After taking one last look at her home, Fluttershy and the other three mares finally started their trek down the dirt path, their luggage following closely behind thanks to Twilight's magic. The loose ground shifted beneath their hooves, and several audible noises of disgust escaped Rarity's lips as dust, disturbed by their hoof steps, rose around them. The trees lining the road danced slowly in the wind. Several blue jays and robins whistled a delightful tune, singing their goodbyes to the departing group. Fluttershy waved at the birds as she passed by them.
"So, are you all as excited as I am?!" questioned Rainbow Dash eagerly. Twilight smiled broadly and nodded in response while Fluttershy gently tilted her head up and down. Rarity on the other hoof scoffed loudly.
"As if anyone could be as excited as you about anything Rainbow Dash." countered Rarity with a smirk. Rarity's comment was followed by several loud popping noises, as if some unseen giant was squeezing a large roll of bubble wrap. Multicolored confetti sprayed the air and showered down upon the four ponies. The torrential downpour of colored paper was soon followed by high pitched fits of bubbly laughter.
"Then again..." said Rarity weakly.
"I'm Pinkie Pie! I'm Pinkie Pie! And I'm just tickled pink! Excited about everything, yes even the kitchen sink! And now I get to see my friends and laugh until I'm sore! We'll laugh so hard our sides will split like they've never split before!" sang a voice that seemed to echo all around the group of ponies. Suddenly a pink blur rocketed from a treetop, landing a few feet away. A cloud of dust formed around them as debris from the powerful impact was sent into the air. Once the dust cleared, the four ponies could see a pink pony standing on her hind legs in the center of a small crater. A large pink suitcase rested behind her and brown saddle bags were strapped to her sides. Her chest moved rhythmically as she panted lightly. Her large toothy smile, brilliantly blue eyes, and wild mane contained enough happiness and cheer to fill the world.
"Nice entrance Pinkie Pie!" laughed Rainbow Dash, confetti cascading down her mane as she made her way over to Pinkie Pie and extended her hoof. "Now give me some hoof." encouraged Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie returned her front hooves to the ground and arched an eye brow at the cyan colored pegasus.
"How can I give you my hooves if they're attached to me?" asked Pinkie Pie, genuinely confused. Rainbow's mouth hung open slightly, dumbstruck at the display of blissful ignorance.
"I mean, I suppose I could remove them, but I think that would probably hurt. And what would you want with my hooves anyway?" continued Pinkie Pie, raising a hoof to her chin as if deep in thought. Rainbow Dash face hoofed then shook her head in defeat as the other three ponies, choosing to either ignore or accept Pinkie's strange nature, came to join the two. They all engaged in a group hug that was lightly sprinkled with wide smiles, cheerful greetings, and of course, confetti. The group of ponies quickly continued their trot down the dirt walkway. Pinkie Pie's suitcase joined the rest of the luggage in Twilight's violet levitation field.
"Hold your... umm, horses? Where's Applejack?!" cried Pinkie Pie suddenly, noticing for the first time, the absence of a certain workhorse. Fluttershy frowned.
"Unfortunately Applejack couldn't make it. I got a letter from princess Celestia requesting the presence of Applejack and her family in Canterlot today. But I hear from Rainbow Dash that Applejack has generously given us an entire barrel of..." Twilight was cut off by Rainbow Dash, who quickly pulled the purple unicorn aside, whispering something about not wanting to tell Pinkie Pie about the barrel of Apple Family cider. Or at least that's what Pinkie Pie overheard.
"Oh well, a party is still a party, even if there are only five ponies there. Oh we're gonna' have so much fun! I packed all my typical party supplies! Punch, cupcakes, regular cakes, candy, balloons, party games, confetti. Oh, and streamers!" yelled Pinkie Pie, her voice containing all the ferocity and excitement of a firework. She bounced down the road as eccentricity pulsed through her pink body.
"Streamers?" asked Rarity, confusion lacing her regal voice. Pinkie Pie nodded happily, her smile growing larger by the second. Even in a cabin in the middle of a forest as infamous as the Everfree forest, Pinkie Pie would celebrate just as readily as if she were in the middle of Ponyville.
The group soon came upon an interesting sight. Just off in the distance sat an immaculate, horseless carriage. The wheels were white and had numerous spokes. The carriage itself was the color of lavender with what appeared to be golden vines growing along the sides. Priceless gems of every size, shape, and color, dotted the carriage.
"There she is. The pride of Canterlot engineering. I give you Equestria's first magic operated carriage." said Twilight extending a hoof proudly towards the carriage. The groups eyes widened with varying levels of excitement as they marveled at the beautiful craftsmanship of the carriage.
"It, um, certainly is beautiful." said Fluttershy. She glanced at the ground as though she were ashamed at stating her own opinion.
"Yes, it would seem Canterlot spared no expense in the exquisite design." agreed Rarity, a tone of longing lacing her voice. She looked over the carriage enviously, her eyes shifting to every glittering jewel.
"With minimal effort on my part, I guarantee we will be at the cabin shortly." stated Twilight confidently. Rainbow Dash eyed the purple unicorn skeptically.
"Oh yeah, well I could be at my uncle's cabin in ten seconds flat if I didn't have to stick around with you slow pokes." challenged Rainbow Dash, putting a hoof to her chest and smirking. Her wings unfurled proudly as she performed several stretches, tilting her head from side to side. Fluttershy cringed and Rarity's eyes involuntarily rolled around in their sockets as several audible pops came from the sky blue pegasus' neck.
Suddenly a door on the side of the carriage swung open and a small purple dragon, with green spines cascading down his scaly back, emerged from within. He landed on the soft grass with a gentle bump and began twiddling his razor sharp claws, glancing sideways nervously. Upon spotting the ponies a strange look fell over his face. His pupils widened, nearly blocking out his emerald green iris', and his brow wrinkled as if he was deeply worried about something.
"Hello Spike. Came to see us off?" asked Twilight as the group drew nearer to the carriage. Spike's gaze fell to the ground and his entire body shivered. His claws continued their incessant twiddling and were seemingly beyond the young dragon's control. A small frown befell his face and he nodded quickly in response. As he did so, a massive gray cloud drifted through the sky, stifling the warm radiance of the morning light. The land had considerably darkened as the cloud eclipsed Celestia's sun.
"Yeah, something like that. Um, Twilight?" questioned Spike in a shaky voice that would rival even Fluttershy's. He lifted his head slowly, as if it were made of lead. His emerald eyes, filled with worry, met her amethyst ones, but he quickly looked away as if the brief moment of eye contact had greatly pained him. The purple mare closed the remaining distance between them. She put her front hooves around the small dragon in a comforting embrace. He quickly returned the embrace, tears threatening to escape his tightly shut eyes.
Rarity put a hoof to her chest, letting loose a drawn out "Awww." Fluttershy smiled softly, her eyes moistening ever so slightly. Pinkie Pie, barely noticing the tender moment, continued to bounce in place, unable to contain her excitement at the upcoming chance to party. Rainbow Dash looked rather unamused, but wasn't about to complain about the new delay.
"Don't you worry Spike." cooed Twilight, her voice taking on a motherly tone. "I'll be back before you know it." Her normally reassuring voice did little to comfort the young dragon. Even so, he glanced up at the purple unicorn as a single tear rolled down his scaly cheek.
"Just please be safe. Everypony please be safe." he begged desperately, wiping his tear away. Spike's gaze shifted from pony to pony with every word. The mares all exchanged glances before confidently nodding in unison.
"It's okay Spike! Auntie Pinkie will protect everypony!" shouted Pinkie Pie, standing on her hind hooves and flashing them all a brilliant smile. The group offered several lighthearted chuckles, with the exception of Spike who still seemed rather unconvinced as he ran the tip of his spiked tail through his claws nervously.
"I'll... I mean, we'll all be extra careful." stammered Fluttershy, Spike's concern increasing her own. The cream colored pegasus shifted uneasily on her hooves, which were now shaking rather violently.
"Yeah, and if anything goes wrong I'll be there to save everypony." bragged Rainbow Dash, her face lighting up at the thought of showing off her skills.
"Honestly darling, there's no reason to fret. We'll be back in Ponyville on Monday afternoon." said Rarity in a voice she hoped was comforting. Spike caught Rarity's eyes, dazzling sapphires taking in all the light and beauty around them, his own eyes glowing with longing. His heart wanted to believe her, but his mind knew it was all a lie.
The mares quickly surrounded the little dragon and engaged in another group hug, albeit a much tighter one than before, with Spike at the epicenter struggling for air. A beam of light pierced through the clouds to shine down on the group of friends, and for a moment Spike allowed a small smile to split across his face. Twilight leaned down and planted a small kiss on the dragon's scaly cheek. Spike's smile widened ever so slightly.
"Goodbye Spike. I love you." said Twilight as the group hug gradually dispersed. The ponies began to board the horseless carriage, much to Rainbow Dash's relief. Twilight loaded the luggage into the back of the carriage, right next to Applejack's generously gifted barrel of Apple Family cider. The studious unicorn took one last look at the baby dragon, who had resumed twiddling his claws nervously, before boarding the carriage herself.
"Twilight wait!" yelled Spike urgently, his arms stretched towards her. The unicorn paused, a look of confusion plastered on her face. Spike stood there in silence for what felt like hours, though really only a few moments had passed. His mind was an intense whirlwind of "what if's" and "why not's". He wanted to tell his best friend not to go on the trip. He wished he could warn her of the horrors to come. More than anything he longed for her and the others to remain by his side. But not everyone can have what they want.
"I love you too. Goodbye Twilight." he said weakly, giving up on the thoughts of what could have been, and accepting the fate that had befallen him and his friends. His face instantly darkened, his emerald gaze descending to the ground. The small bit of sunlight that had momentarily pierced the thick veil of clouds was once again eclipsed by the cruel, overcast skies. Twilight smiled encouragingly at the dragon and waved before closing the door behind her. The outline of the horseless carriage began to glow a faint purple color as Twilight's magic surged through it. The wheels slowly began to spin, the carriage suddenly lurching forward. The carriage swiftly made it's way over a distant hill and out of sight, heading in the direction of the Everfree Forest.
It was all Spike could do to stand there. His whole mouth felt dry and scratchy as it hung open slightly and his eyes began to sting. He consciously had to remind himself to blink and breathe, his mind too overwhelmed with shock to even remember those most basic of bodily functions.
The baby dragon shook his heavy head, as if to clear his mind of some horrible thought, and made his way over to the treeline of the Everfree Forest. He silently traveled North through soft, ankle deep grass, growing along the treeline, his small legs seeming to move of their own accord.
Spike's slow stroll came to a stop as he arrived at a dead tree. Though all the trees in the Everfree Forest were terrifying and ominous in their own rights, this particular tree that spike now rested his left hand on was on another level. This tree was an abomination of splintered, rotting wood and decay. It's bark, withered and black, hung in loose strips, and it's many leafless branches were more twisted than the darkest recesses of Tartarus. The purple dragon seriously doubted that the evil looking thing had ever been alive.
Spike ran a claw down the lower part of the trunk, his eyes darting across the rotting surface. He began to travel around the base of the tree, his keen eyes carefully scanning the bark. Finally he found it, a small button on the tree made to look and feel exactly like part of the tree itself. Spike quickly pushed the button and took a small step back. Part of the wood peeled away, revealing several rolls of parchment, a few vials of dark ink, and a couple of eagle feather quills.
Spike unrolled one of the blank scrolls, uncorked a vial of black ink, and dipped the quill in. He paused briefly, gathering his thoughts, then quickly scribbled something on the scroll. His eyes were blurred with tears and his hands were shaky, but after a few moments Spike was as satisfied with his work as he was going to be, given the sinister circumstances. Spike rolled the parchment up and tied it off with a bit of string. The dragon then held the finished product aloft, gently exhaling green flames. The fire quickly ate away at the paper, turning it into a cloud of pale smoke. The haze that had once been a scroll quickly drifted into the Everfree Forest, carried by a nonexistent wind. Spike sighed heavily. It was going to be a long weekend.