"Thank you for considering this, Rachel." Twilight said as she and some of the guards in Canterlot escorted the girl down the hall of the castle. "It means a lot to everyone."
Rachel grunted as she was being led away. "How are we going to find Spike?"
"I took the liberty of discussing it with Princess Luna and Celestia before you said you'll do it. They said they have something planned for you."
"And Ember?"
"She's waiting for us."
Curious.
After walking around in the halls, Rachel was led to the War Room. The Sister Princesses, Cadence, and Ember were all there, at the moment looking at the map.
"We secured the safety of the Kirin Colony, however some of the residents turned into Niriks and began hurting their own and burning homes." Luna said as she slid a miniature model of Sombra into the village. "Reports show that a mysterious black unicorn just looked at them and they were under his spell."
Ember growled. "He's starting off small and working his way up… hate to say it but that's smart."
Rachel grunted in remembrances of the Tyrant tried to use his mind control magic on her. It didn't work but her mind was already fucked up, it didn't need any help getting fucked up more.
"Biggest mistake I ever made, not killing him when I had a chance when he was Blueblood." Rachel spoke in anger.
He was right fucking there, horn broken, impailed. She had a chance to do it and they wouldn't be here in this place. "Not going to make that mistake again."
The rulers turned to see the girls coming in. Their eyes were on Rachel.
"Greetings Rachel, it's good to see you, dear." Celestia said, her wings stretched a little, her white massive feathers ruffled before settling.
Luna gave her a respective nod while Cadence waved.
Ember snorted. "Took ya long enough, your highness." she sarcastically said.
Rachel cut her eyes at Ember. "Enough of that, please." she growled at the blue dragon. Learning what she was, it didn't set right with her.
Twilight awkwardly coughed at that, scratching her cheeks.
"So, I assume you ladies have a plan?" Rachel asked.
"Yes." Luna said as used her magic to poof the map away. "Over two months ago, you came in contact with an ancient magical artifact that caused you to intake pony magic. And later draconic magic, which caused you to change to what you are."
"However, since you are what these called Mother Cells - That is such a stupid ass name. Who the hell names these?" Ember grumbled before continuing. "You have dragon magic in your blood. Passed down from one of your human ancestors my ancestors gave. And now you're what you are now. However, there's something you need to do before the dragons will bow down to you." Ember said.
"I thought you say they'll do what I say because I'm Spike's mate?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah, they won't just follow you without something like this." The blue dragon presented the blood staff. It looked much duller than usual, almost gray even but it shimmered when up close to her. "But your ass isn't touching this one."
It took Rachel a moment before asking, "Is there another staff like that one?"
"There is." Another voice echoed. The ladies turned and saw Neighsayer walking in the war room with guards escorting him. He was heavily watched since he was brought back, but made himself useful in this time of need. "Sorry I was late," he bowed to the rulers.
Rachel nodded her head towards him out of respect since the two escaped Sombra's grasp.
As soon as he was given the greenlight, Neighsay used his magic, his horn lit up and floating images appeared. Texts from the books he was able to memorize before he got caught.
"These texts explained that the Blood staff Dragonlord Ember has a sister staff. Its power rivals that of the Blood staff itself. " Neighsay said as the image of the staff appeared before them. "Its raw power was what closed the portal centuries ago, and I believe it's what opened it eight years ago."
"This staff is called the Blue Celestial. Only given to the Dragonlord's Mate. However though a dragonlord or dragons can have multiple partners in their horde, only one wields it. Becoming the Lord's Equal." Ember explained. "With that staff in your possession, all dragons will bow to you."
Rachel scratches her neck. "Why do you need me to actually go and get this staff? Ember, you're acting Dragon Lord, don't you have that power over the dragons? They'll listen to you more than me."
"Since Spike holds the power of this thing it's attached to his well-being and emotions. As you can see, the magic is fading. Without this stone, I can't command the dragons." Ember explained.
"But don't you have magic since you inherited it from your father?" Twilight asked her.
"I do yes, but like I mentioned before, I'm not the True Dragon Lord. With Spike gone and feeling the way he's feeling right now, without a trial of combat to exchange hands, the staff is losing its potency." Ember admits. "Without the power of this staff, the other dragons won't fight in this war so we need the Blue Celestial."
Celestia and Luna looked at each other before the white alicorn spoke. "Rachel Lockhart, in order for you to claim your rightful place and help us against the war and find Spike, you must find the staff."
"Where is the staff?" Rachel asked, ready to get started. "I'll go get it."
Neighsay spoke next, what he says sent cold chills down Rachel's spine and would almost make her back out of all of this.
"The staff you seek lies within the temple where the portal opened back on Earth."
The door to the ruined bedroom swung open. Rachel stood in the doorway looking in the dark room.
The last place Spike was in before he took off into the night.
Rachel placed a hand on her belly as her taloned hooves shuffled inside, making her way into the center of the room. She gazed upon the deep slashes in the walls, the torn paintings, the shredded curtains, holes in the walls and busted mirrors. The bed overturned and was destroyed. Rachel could feel the sadness radiating, the pain and guilt.
So much carnage, so much blood was spilt because of his out-of-control rampage.
She rubbed her stomach as if she was trying to soothe herself.
Last thing she ever expected was going back to her birth world. The last time she went back she had what she believed was the final altercation with her father. And now she has to go back to find the Queen's staff.
From what Ember and Neighsay said, the Blue Celestial was last seen in the temple back on Earth. She knew it would be tricky, knowing that both the Settlement and the Temple itself was being guarded by armed human forces. She doesn't know what other dangers lie ahead… But she knows if she doesn't, the ponies won't stand a chance. Dragons are stronger physically and their strength is needed.
If the staff can help get her mate back, she's all in.
However, there was something she needed to address. It's going to be dangerous either way, but in her condition, it's twice more.
"Rachel?" Twilight's voice carried.
Rachel looked over her shoulder to see the princess. She hesitantly walks in, her ears flatten upon entering the last place of her brother.
"How are you feeling?" She asked her.
"Uh, not good, but I'll get over it." Rachel said before glancing at her stomach. "How am I supposed to go back to Earth when the portal is heavily guarded? I'd get detained and or shot when soldiers see me."
"I already have something in mind." Twilight said as Rachel turned to look at her. "I don't think the human soldiers know about the mirror portal. I have some friends on the other side who have been bringing in ponies who were trapped. They retain their pony looks but if you go in, in theory you'll be human again."
"I just got used to the fact I'm a furry dragon."
"I know, but they won't shoot you on sight if you look like them." Twilight responded. "I already arranged my friends to help you on this quest so you won't be alone… however."
"What is it? "
Twilight Sparkle took in a deep breath before responding. "They are variants of my friends and I. Rachel, you'll be encountering another version of both Spike and Rarity."
Meeting another version of those two… she didn't know how she felt about that.
"If it makes you feel better, that Spike is a dog… but remember, that Rarity hasn't done anything so she's innocent… unlike ours." Twilight frowned when mentioning her dead friend.
To Rachel, this just becomes even more awkward if she's faced with another Spike.
Seeing this look on her face, Twilight tilted her head. "What's wrong?"
Rachel sighed, shaking her head. After a moment of debating, she looked at the princess. "I'm pregnant, Twilight." She admits to her.
Twilight's eyes widened and her wings unfurled completely. "Uh, excuse me but what?!"
Rachel nodded before lowering her hand. "I'm pregnant. I only found out a couple of weeks ago. Brimstone doesn't really know, no one knows but you."
Twilight gripped her head as she was trying to comprehend this. Spike is going to be a dad! But he doesn't know!
The thought of a baby right now, some - no a lot, could say with how things are, it's such a bad time. Then again, it's exciting that a baby is going to be born…
"I have so many mixed emotions right about now. Rachel, are you sure you're pregnant?" Twilight asked her to make sure.
"My boobs feel even heavier than usual, I already have a heightened sense of smell but I can now clearly smell Donut Joe's through these thick ass walls many blocks away and it's making me wanna devour everything he's baking and yet I wanna throw up everytime I eat." Rachel counted off the signs she noticed.
To triple check to make sure, Twilight lit her horn up, her eyes glowed as she stared at Rachel's belly. Peering into her womb, the princess let out a gasp. Seeing the early development of a fetus. The tiny dots of what looks to be eyes, teeny tiny stubs that look like arms and legs and a tail were growing.
"Oh sweet Celestia…" Twilight muttered as the magic dispates.
"Yeah, which means me going is going to have more risks, since we don't know what we'll be actually facing." Rachel said.
"And risk losing the baby all together." Twilight said. "We'll have to think of something else for you. You can't go at this point."
Rachel snarled at that. "I'll be extra careful, this is the only plan we have. I've seen what this staff looks like before, thought it was a figment of my imagination but it's confirmed it's not. You said I'll have a team to help."
"But there is a risk of you losing the baby. You lost one before right?"
That painful reminder causes Rachel to frown. This time was different, Rachel learned early that she's pregnant, but that thought has crossed her mind.
"I can't wait for the kid to get here in order for me to do this mission. I doubt Ember is gonna just have me wait when things are at stake." Rachel sighed. "I can't just sit around and do nothing. I'm not just doing this for me, I'm doing this for our family."
Twilight frowned. She let out a sigh, "this is a lot. This is dangerous. I'm sure we can find someone else to go. I can go"
"This is Spike we're talking about. The father of our kid. After every fucking thing he has done, and trust me, he has do so much for all of us. Your arm is broken and you haven't physically seen this staff. I'm going to do this, I'll be careful but it has to be me…it has to." Rachel shuddered with a whisper. Placing her hand over her stomach.
She could feel it inside her. The baby growing inside her, she didn't want to raise it alone without him, it deserves both parents, Spike deserves to be a parent, he has to come back.
"Spike…has done everything for us, it's time for us to do something for him. And that is bringing him home. And if it means crossing worlds, fighting against armies, crawling through the pits of Hell and beyond to get the staff that would help track him back, by God as my witness, I'm going to bring my mate back." she said more defiantly.
Eight and a half years ago…
Fifteen year old Rachel Lockhart was sitting in one of the assigned rooms inside the Temple of Draconia, located somewhere near the cold mountains of Scandivania. Wearing a long sleeve white and gray toned shirt, leggings and had her white shoes placed against the bed she was on.
Rachel looked up at her room, seeing the interesting temple paintings on the walls as she sketched it out on her sketchbook. The other women in the room dressed similar to her were two twenty year olds, and one in their mid-thirties. two brunettes and a redhead. Rachel doesn't remember their names so she names them Brunette 1 and 2 were the twenty year olds and Red was mid-thirties.
Brunette1, bunched up in the bed. "Phew, does anyone think this place is just a little bit creepy?"
"Yeah, though it feels like we're in an Indiana Jones flick staying in this place." Brunette 2 said.
"It's not that bad." Red said.. "Done for architectural work when I was a kid. Seen one temple, you pretty much seen them all."
"Even if the temple has a lot of dragon carvings?"
"The only time I've seen dragon carvings was when I visited China. I'm sure the carvings were exaggerated or the people are wearing dragon-like costumes."
Rachel let out a laugh at that. "They look like real dragons to me." she responded softly before looking down at her book.
The other girls looked at each other before looking back at the teen. "And how do you know that?"
The teen rolled her eyes and sighed, closing the book on her lap. "Seriously?" She looked at them. "We're about to cross over to a world full of anthromorphic creatures. We've met several anthromorphic ponies and they mentioned dragons exist and they had mentioned they look like these carvings and paintings."
"Speaking of which," Brunette 2 asked, tilting her head to look at her. "What's with you and that pony, Professor Brimstone, up to? The two of you have been getting rather close these last couple of weeks."
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you that. What's up with the two of you?" Red asked.
Rachel rolled her eyes at them. "He's been helping me out with a few things. Nothing too serious." She had her long blonde hair covering her burning red ears. "I'm just having trouble understanding a few things."
"You sure?" Brunette 1 questioned.
The teen grunted as she opened her sketchbook back up, this time digging out her mp3 player and headphones and began putting them together. Ready to block these guys out before someone came up to their room.
"Yo, they're assembling the Settlers," A very tall, thinned young man, roughly around 18, came in, he had a tenor-like voice, African descent with long braids tied back into a ponytail and hazel eyes spoke in a British accent. The girls turned to look at him, seeing that he had his to-go bag ready. He was attractive in a nerd kind of way. "It's time."
Time to go to their new homes….
The girls began to gather their things to go. The three adults quickly grabbed their bags and headed out.
Rachel took a bit of her own time as she gathered her drawings and items she found during one of her explorations in the Temple.
As she stuffed them in her bag, she stopped when she began hearing something. Faint raspy whispers, sounding like they were right next to her. Causing her to inclined her head towards the sound and look up. On the wall, there was a deep crack.
She approached the crack and placed her ear up against it.
The man watched her and frowned. "You hear them too?" he asked her. "The voices, the noise in the walls?"
Rachel didn't know how to respond to that as she pulled back away from it. She nodded. "How long have you been hearing them?" she asked, giving her some sort of relief that she wasn't the only one hearing things around here.
"Third night, right after one of my roommates disappeared." He responded. "You?"
"The minute I stepped foot in the temple." She said, pushing her hair over her ears, exposing them not red. "Did they find your roommate?"
"Nah. I suspect he either got kicked out or fell into some crawl space. I've asked the suits here if they had any idea where he went to, they say they're looking into it but I just have a bad feeling." He said. "Name's Malik you?"
"Rachel." She responded. "So they're just gonna continue the program without having him found?"
"They can't stop it. And I really don't wanna miss the chance for a quantum realm traveling into an unknown world." He gave her a friendly smile. "Let's go."
Rachel nodded before she grabbed her things and left with Malik.
The two quickly joined the rest of the Two Hundred Applicants as they gathered around what looked to be once upon a time a throne room. On the top steps, surrounded by armored guards and several ponies in lab coats waiting next to a large, rainbow flowing portal with a bright white center.
The Portal to Equestria, the settlers' new home.
Malik leaned close to Rachel and whispered. "Ready to leave Kansas, Dorothy?" He asked in a slight tease.
Rachel snorted. "Dorothy?" She grinned. "If I'm Dorothy, what makes you?"
"Uh..." Malik hummed. "Tin Man?"
Rachel looked at him up and down and shook her head. "Nah! you got a heart already...I say you're...Scarecrow."
"Why am I Scarecrow? I think I do have a brain, missy." He taps his skull with his fist.
"Because you're as skinny as a real life Scarecrow." Rachel teased back and he let out a crow-like laugh that made her laugh.
Now…
Rachel was waiting in Twilight's study back at Ponyville. She eyed the mirror portal, looking at her reflection.
She wasn't this nervous when she last traveled back to the Human World. With so much more at stake, she has the right to be nervous, even a bit scared. She had already said her goodbyes to the Twins and Brimstone. All of them were equally displeased at the fact she's even going to do this crazy mission. Brimstone called it suicide. The twins begged her not to go, but Rachel had already made up her mind. She hadn't even told them about the baby because it was only making things worse.
She'll deal with the earful when she comes back.
Twilight and Ember eventually came into the study.
"Are you ready to take the staff?" Ember asked her, crossing her arms with the blood staff tucked into them. Her tail idly curled and uncurled.
"Let's get started. Where's Celestia and Luna?" Rachel asked Twilight.
"Celestia and Luna are currently gathering more allies for the war front." Twilight responded. "Now Rachel, while you're back in the Human World, don't focus on the war here. Focus on getting the staff and come home safe, both of you." she eyed her belly.
"Which by the way, going at this pregnant is bit of badass, just don't try and fuck up." Ember grunted.
"I won't fail." Rachel nodded before Twilight went over to the mirror.
She grabbed a lever with her good hand and pulled it down. Lights lit up and the mirror began shimmering. Gears turned and groaned before the portal opened. "Remember, you have people waiting for you on the other side, they'll help you out, the variants you will meet are not the same so try not to harbor any ill grudges against them, they're all innocent."
She was talking about a certain individual Rachel will meet when crossing over.
"Good luck and don't die." Ember said, seeing her off.
"Good luck, Rachel." Twilight said.
Rachel sighed before looking at the mirror. She stared at it for a while before balling her fists and stepped forward.
She then soon entered the Mirror.
An array of rainbows exploded all around her as Rachel traveled through the portal. Her body was glowing white as the change happened. Everything was spinning so fast everything was a blur. It lasted a span of five seconds before she was shot out on the other side.
Rachel landed on her side with a grunt. "Crud that was awful." Rachel groaned, feeling her stomach turning and felt a need to throw up. She wasn't told that using the portal sent her into a colorful rollercoaster.
Shaking her head, she held a hand on her baby bump as she got to her knees and looked around, finding herself in front of Canterlot High. She never went to school here but it wasn't far from her old school before looking at her hands.
She tilted her head when she saw her hands, seeing that she not only saw her human tanned skin, but her warm brown claws were still there. Rachel reached up to her ears, found them on their normal spot when she was human, but they were to a point. Rolled her tongue over her teeth to find she retained her sharp teeth. She turned around to look up at the horse statue before looking at her reflection. Her golden draconic eyes were still there.
Just like when Sombra used his mind magic on Rachel. She looked mostly human but she retained some of her draconic parts.
A new figure came to view in the reflective stone next to her, causing Rachel to stiffen. A big dog stood next to her, his tail wagged as if he was excited to see her. Emerald green eyes and a purple spiked collar around his neck, ears slightly floppy, though the fur was black, instead of purple and green, she recognized him. Having seen her beloved in this form once months ago.
"Hi, I'm Spike." this world Spike introduced himself to her.