Episode 74: The Enemy of my Enemy
Shade belongs to AstralFlare42. Thanks as always, Astral, for a great character. 
Before the journey to the Dragon Lands…
“This has to be the most ridiculous plan I’ve ever heard,” Diamondback declared.
Though several of the diamond dogs whimpered and lowered their heads, the ones flanking Dark Diamondback still stood tall.
“It can still work,” Myst insisted. “Dark Diamondback nearly got scrapped by Shade.” She looked to Dark Diamondback. “You hate him just as much as us, right?”
“Worse,” Dark Diamondback replied.
“But of course she’s going to say that,” Diamondback refuted. “She’ll say whatever she has to in order to survive.”
“Except this isn’t survival, ‘sister’,” Dark Diamondback snarled. “They’re asking me to go back to Shade - to GROGAR, of all things - and spy on them to figure out what their next moves are! How do you think I feel about taking risks like that?”
“Except it won’t be a risk,” Diamondback snapped back. “When you join them, and let them in on our secrets.”
“What secrets can she share while in enemy territory?” Myst argued.
“Don’t ask me,” Diamondback insisted, pointing at her clone. “She’s the criminal mastermind, not me!”
“Oh, that is rich coming from the one who lost control of her Greed,” Dark Diamondback sneered.
Diamondback gave Myst a venomous glare. “You told her about that?”
“Because we need trust,” Myst insisted. “More importantly, we need eyes on the inside. We know that Grogar might be trying to recruit the non-pony species, but we don’t know what else he might do. And Dark Diamondback’s our best bet at getting someone on the inside.”
“As the Element of Generosity,” Dark Diamondback added, “I’d think you’d know a thing or two about giving.”
Diamondback stared at her. “This isn’t extending a gift or a offer of friendship. This is…”
“Giving me a chance,” Dark Diamondback replied smoothly. “An opportunity to show that I’m better than my siblings. A sign that you truly believe in the power friendship can offer. We may be united by a shared dislike for Shade… but all friendships have to start somewhere, don’t they?”
Diamondback glared at her clone, anger making her blue eyes glow. But ultimately…
##
“...She really is my clone,” Diamondback grumbled, as she and Spike followed after the dragons Shade had recruited, Dark Diamondback the most noticeable of them all. “Not even I could refute her argument.”
“Until she betrays us?” Spike asked.
“Exactly,” Diamondback grumbled, though she managed a small grin. “Luckily for us, I’m one step ahead of her.” From her robe, she withdrew a diamond studded mirror. An admittedly fancy one, though the pieces didn’t fully come together until Diamondback lifted the mirror to her lips.
“Dark Diamondback,” she whispered, before breathing a burst of smoke onto the mirror.
Spike’s eyes widened as the smoke condensed and formed into shapes resembling Dark Diamondback and the dragons around her.
“A Magic Mirror?” Spike asked, cracking a grin. “Did you…”
“No, I did not ask it who was the fairest of them all,” Diamondback replied with a grin of her own. “I didn’t need this to know I was beautiful. I needed it to make sure my dogs were safe whenever they went into more dangerous mining veins. But now…” she watched eagerly as a larger smoke form - what had to be Grogar - loomed up before the dragons. “We will use it to make sure Dark Diamondback doesn’t betray us.”
Spike grimaced. “And… we couldn’t use it on Shade or Grogar himself?”
Diamondback gasped. “Oh, no, Spike, dear. Grogar’s a master mage. He might detect the magic and block it. Focusing on someone other than him should hopefully keep him from discovering what we’re doing until it’s too late. And besides, this mirror is meant to keep an eye on allies, not enemies. And Dark Diamondback, as much as I’d rather not admit it, is still an ally.”
“Hopefully,” Spike muttered, as they watched Shade fly into the cavern, which was currently being turned into a throne room as Tambelon was being restored. The treacherous dragon bowed to Grogar, much to the chagrin of several of his new dragon recruits.
“Master,” Shade said in an oozing voice. “I have returned with more recruits for your army.”
Grogar gazed across the dragon recruits. Through the smoke, his eyes glowed as they centered on Dark Diamondback.
Spike’s heart sped up. “And you’re sure he won’t detect the magic from this mirror.”
“Quite sure,” Diamondback said, though even her voice cracked with nervousness as the ram regarded their spy.
“You carry the same aura as the one who freed me,” Grogar mused. “A sibling, yes?”
Somehow, Dark Diamondback didn’t buckle under Grogar’s intense glare. “If you are referring to Dark Spike…”
“He’s not called that anymore,” Shade interrupted. “We decided to change his name to Thorn. Quite fitting for his new abilities and appearance.”
“Thorn?” Dark Diamondback scoffed. “Well, that makes sense, considering he was always a thorn in everyone’s side… I mean,” she corrected hastily, as an ominous growl bubbled from Grogar’s throat. “I have come to retake my place at his side.”
“Yes, after you were captured by those mutts that work for your original,” Shade noted with a hint of doubt.
“And I broke free… again, to rejoin my proper side,” Dark Diamondback insisted. “Was I wrong to do so?”
“Careful…” Spike wished he could whisper to her.
“Except you were captured after Dark Phoenix knocked you out,” Shade argued. “How do we know that you’re not a spy for our enemies.”
Dark Diamondback drew herself up to her full height; which actually managed to match Shade’s height despite his upgrades from Grogar.
“You are very bold to make such an accusation, ‘My Lord’,” She spat out ‘my lord’ like a curse. “After Dark Phoenix betrayed me? After I was abandoned to those dogs?”
“No, roll it back,” Diamondback hissed. “Roll it back, you fool!”
But her words could not reach her counterpart. Luckily…
“Diamondback?” Thorn’s voice whispered.
Everyone turned as Thorn entered the room. Accompanied by…
Spike’s breath hitched. “Tirek.
Diamondback herself gasped. “Chrysalis.”
Even Dark Diamondback’s eyes seemed to widen in the smoke as the three-headed dog Cerberus loomed over all three.
Grogar chuckled and beckoned with his hoof, the three-headed dog crossing over to him and humming happily as Grogar pet his head.
“Excellent,” Grogar praised the dog. “I knew you’d remember your loyalties, Cerberus.” He then glared at Thorn. “Yet… there are still so few.”
Thorn bowed. “Apologies, my lord. Cerberus was in charge of most of the security around Tartarus, but extra measures had been set up by Discord.”
“Discord?” Grogar growled. “Yes, where is my Lord of Chaos? It was with his help that many of the monsters I call my brood were able to exist.”
“He will not answer the call,” Tirek rasped. “He has grown soft. Weakened by the affection of ponies.”
“Additionally,” Dark Diamondback declared, “His powers were taken after Tirek here was beaten.” She nodded at the centaur. “He must work with the ponies to earn his powers back, and as of now, he still has many years of service left.”
Grogar spat. “A Chaos God in Service. A paradox if I ever heard one.”
“Not necessarily,” Chrysalis refuted. “He merely betrayed his true master.” She seethed. “Just like how my worthless son betrayed me!”
Thorn glared at Tirek. “Or how Tirek here betrayed Discord?”
Dark Diamondback scoffed. “Well, that’s rich, considering you betrayed ‘me’!”
“Enough,” Grogar growled, ceasing any arguments. “Perhaps this will be a chance for supposed traitors to prove their loyalties.”
Chrysalis hissed. “I am no traitor!” she snapped. “I am the one who was betrayed!”
“Not entirely,” Dark Diamondback replied. “There are still changelings that remember their loyalty to you. If you were to go to them…”
“Wait!” Thorn said. “How do we know you’re not trying to send her into a trap?”
Dark Diamondback sighed, before looking up to Grogar. “Puh-lease, tell me what I need to do to stop this undeserved grumbling about betrayal?”
Grogar rubbed his chin, regarding Thorn and Dark Diamondback thoughtfully. “Go to Mount Everhoof; find my bell. Do this, and I will consider your loyalty beyond question.” He leaned forward. “But return to me empty-handed… and you will see first-hand what I do to traitors.”
His eyes burned brighter than ever. They even started to shift upward. Towards…
Spike gasped. “Diamondback, I think he senses the magic!”
Diamondback was fast and swept the smoke away, leaving the mirror glimmering innocently in the moonlight. She was panting like she had run a mile. “We have to stop them,” she hissed.
“What?” Spike asked.
“We can’t let them get that bell,” Diamondback insisted.
“But what about Chrysalis? If Dark Diamondback can get Grogar to trust her, and he sends Chrysalis to a Changeling Hive we’ve warned…”
“You don’t understand, Spike!” Diamondback looked mad with fear. “Grogar’s Bell was a gift from his wife Echidna. Together, the two of them made many monsters. And even after Celestia’s father Solaris managed to destroy Echidna, she made sure that her power lived on in the Bewitching Bell. If Grogar gains that bell back, he will have the power of his wife on top of the power he already wields.”
Spike remembered what Grogar had been capable of alone. Part of him still wondered if Dark Diamondback could earn her place with the bell, but the fear of what Grogar could do at full power chased such thoughts away. “Alright. Let’s go!”
##
Thankfully, Diamondback’s Diamond Dogs were masters at burrowing, and it wasn’t long before Spike and Diamondback managed to reach Mount Everhoof.
Bypassing the brutal mountain winds, Spike and Diamondback soon found themselves at the peak of the mountain… only for their dogs to get bounced back by some sort of barrier.
Diamondback cursed. “Of course; the Bell had to be protected by the most powerful magic around.”
Spike pressed his fist against the barrier. “But how are we supposed to get it so that the others don’t?”
The dragons and dogs pondered the question… before hearing the flapping of wings.
Spinning around, the group beheld Thorn as he carried Tirek and Dark Diamondback their way.
“What the…?” Spike stammered. “How’d you guys get past the mountain winds?”
“Anything’s possible with upgrades from Grogar,” Thorn replied with a wicked grin. He dropped his passengers and shifted his arm into a sword. “Now get out of our way, unless you want another sword in the gut.”
Diamondback drew her own rapier. “Not this time,” she vowed. “You and my dark counterpart are finished.”
Dark Diamondback glowered at her as she drew her own rapier. Just before the two sides could face off, however, Tirek lunged forward, inhaling as he tried to absorb their power.
Seeing him coming, Diamondback and Spike jumped to the sides, skirting around the centaur only to run back into their dark counterparts.
“Tirek,” Thorn boomed as his sword clashed against Spike’s. “Get the bell!”
Tirek snarled. “And how am I supposed to do that?”
Thorn dodged a swipe from Spike. “Can’t you absorb magic? Isn’t that your whole thing?”
“Only from living beings!” Tirek snapped. He glanced at the Diamondbacks, but Dark Diamondback laughed as she fought her counterpart.
“Oh, I don’t think so, dear,” Dark Diamondback said. “Thorn has way more power than I do.”
“You traitor!” Thorn snapped.
“Not betrayal,” Dark Diamondback claimed. “Teamwork! Tirek absorbs your energy, he breaks through.”
“And how do I know…” Thorn paused to bat Spike back. “...That he’ll give it back?”
“You don’t, do you?” Diamondback noted with a sneer.
“Diamondback, shut up!” Dark Diamondback snapped. “Tirek, seriously, think about it: Thorn has the magic not just of Spike, but Grogar as well. You’ll get so much more with him.”
“I swear to everything sacred, if you take my magic, I’ll…” Thorn faltered as Spike got him in a blade lock. “I’ll…”
As Spike held him in check, he noticed Tirek turning towards them both with that wicked grin.
“Crap.” Spike tried to jump back, but Thorn closed the distance just as fast. Though even he gave Tirek a warning look. “Don’t you dare…!”
But Spike took that moment to strike, carving across Thorn’s chest. And as the dark version of him cried out in agony, Tirek took his opportunity.
Spike tried to throw his sword at Tirek, but the centaur inhaled with a mighty gulp. And Spike felt his power sucked from him, sending him into the cold snow as a tiny hatchling once more. Nearby, he saw Thorn hit the ground as well, also a baby hatchling.
“So… much… power!” Tirek laughed as he grew in size, kissing his muscles. “Welcome back, baby!”
“It’s not over yet!” Dark Diamondback snapped, slashing Diamondback and sending her over the edge. “Get the barrier.”
Tirek glared at Dark Diamondback, and for a moment, Spike wondered if he’d just take her magic as well. But after a long pause, Tirek glanced at the bell curiously, and dug his fingers into the barrier, slowly pulling it apart. He growled.
“It’s not big enough for me,” he warned.
Dark Diamondback, however, grinned. “It is for me!” She launched herself through… seconds before Diamondback jumped past him, knocking Tirek away and leaving both Diamondbacks sealed in.
“NO!” Thorn yelled, struggling to all fours. “Get it open again!”
Tirek huffed. “Why?” He checked out his muscles. “I’ll admit her power would have helped. But…”
“You honestly think you can steal Grogar’s power and then fail his mission?” Thorn snarled. “He’ll hunt you down and make you suffer for betraying him. Get that barrier back open; I may not be able to make you pay, but I swear to you, Grogar will!”
Tirek glared down at Thorn and Spike. Spike, however, gazed worriedly at the barrier.
They needed Dark Diamondback as their inside woman. But at the same time, they also couldn’t let Grogar get Echidna’s Bewitching Bell.
He had no idea who he wanted to come out of there. And as Tirek sighed and began to open the barrier again, Spike’s heart sped up in his chest…
…and skipped a beat as Dark Diamondback came out, holding the bell in one hand and a defeated Diamondback in the other.
“It is done,” Dark Diamondback said, tossing Diamondback to the ground.
“DB…” Spike reached out, but Tirek got to her first.
And as Diamondback’s power was absorbed, Dark Diamondback considered the bell. “You know, Thorn,” she noted, hoisting her dark counterpart back up. “I think you had the right idea. ‘Thorn’ is a lot easier than ‘Dark Spike’. I need something similar.”
“First things first,” Thorn growled, glaring at Tirek as he turned back to him. “My power…”
Tirek regarded him darkly, before breathing out… and returning Thorn’s magic to him.
Thorn straightened with a gasp. “I… didn’t think you’d have given it back.”
“Neither did I,” Tirek admitted, glaring at the beaten heroes. “But working together… it seems to have gotten us further than fighting.”
Thorn grinned at Spike. “They may be soft, but they did get that right.” He sighed. “C’mon. Let’s get you guys back to Grogar.” As they walked off, he added to Dark Diamondback. “What do you think of ‘Pyrite’?”
As the trio talked, they left Diamondback and Spike in the snow. Slowly, the diamond dogs came out of hiding, helping Spike and Diamondback to their feet.
“Ugh…” Spike moaned. “Why didn’t they help us earlier?”
Diamondback looked down. “Because I ordered them not to.”
Spike blinked at her. “Why?”
Myst brought forth Diamondback’s magic mirror. “Because sometimes,” Diamondback said. “Generosity doesn’t mean giving gifts or favors. Sometimes… it means giving others a chance.” She coughed out some smoke, and wheezed, “Dark Diamondback.”
The smoke flickered and shifted, but it still managed to form into Dark Diamondback - or Pyrite’s- image.
##
“YOU FAILED TO RETRIEVE THE BELL?!” Grogar’s voice bellowed, loud enough for even those in Canterlot to hear.
“No, Lord Grogar, please!” Pyrite stammered. “W-We had it! It was right here! I gave it to Tirek and…” She paused, whirling on him. “What did you do with the bell, Tirek?”
“W-What are you talking about,” Tirek protested, “You had the bell!”
“Liar! I gave it to you for safe-keeping!”
“Guys!” Thorn stammered. “Guys, come on. We managed to retrieve it. It’s gotta be somewhere, maybe on the path we took back here.”
“Oh yes!” Pyrite snarled. “Drop the bell and let me take all the blame, will you!” She began to sob. “This has been my entire life, Thorn!”
“Pyrite…?” Thorn stammered.
“We were supposed to be siblings! We were supposed to work together!” Pyrite cried. “And yet everyone’s been against me from the start! Blaze betrayed me, Shade dismissed me as defective, and now this centaur’s trying to betray me!”
“I…” Before Tirek could argue further, Grogar rumbled in utter fury, and unleashed a beam of magic.
Pyrite and Thorn managed to leap out of the way, but Tirek was not so lucky.
Everyone backed up fast as Tirek vanished in a blinding burst of light. When the light faded, all that was left was a smoking crater of ash.
Grogar turned his attention to Pyrite, who curled up in fear. But Thorn, gazing at his sister in regret, launched into Grogar’s line of fire.
“Lord Grogar, wait,” Thorn said. “I saw her retrieve the Bell. I saw her take down her own counterpart with my own eyes. The Bell has to be on the way back.”
“Assuming Tirek didn’t hide it,” Pyrite mumbled. “I swear to you, Lord Grogar, I am loyal! Truly, I am loyal, despite everyone trying to make it seem otherwise!”
Grogar glared at her, humming thoughtfully. Thorn and Pyrite gazed up at him in utter terror, both trying not to look at what had become of Tirek.
Finally…
“The one who freed me speaks in your defense, Pyrite,” Grogar decided. “For that, I will trust in his word.”
Pyrite looked up hopefully, only to be cowed as his eyes and horns glowed.
“That being said,” Grogar growled. “You will find out where Tirek hid my bell. And you would be wise to do it quickly: for Queen Chrysalis has already gone to retrieve those you claim to be loyal to her. And if it turns out you were lying…”
“I wasn’t!” Pyrite stammered. “I swear it! They… they’re waiting for her return! They’ll help her overthrow King Thorax. They’ve wanted to do it for a while now.”
“We shall see,” Grogar replied. “In the meantime, I will give you some tools to help you in finding my bell.”
“Tools?” Pyrite asked, before another beam of magic hit her. Causing her to scream as she was similarly mutated like her brother.
##
And as Pyrite was tortured, no one noticed Myst burrow out from under the ground. She found the Bell hidden under a pile of rocks, and dragged it back down under the surface.
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Another really well-done chapter with excellent dialogue, characterizations, action and future chapter set-up. Definitely appreciated Diamondback talking to her counterpart - now named Pyrite - and using that magic mirror to keep in contact and try to find out about some of Grogar and the others' plans. And, yes, the details on the bell's origins were also great. And, of course, the efforts to stop the Bell's theft were quite respectable. And, yes, hopefully Chrysalis finding out that there ARE still a few of her Changelings who are still loyal to her might, hopefully, have a positive effect on her conscience later on.
Anyway, I am definitely looking forward to more of this.
When we get to the final battle, somebody of your choice could ask Discord how much of his power he has back with Discord answering "Eight percent. More than enough to handle Chrysalis's loyalists and the more minor monsters in the army, possibly even enough to hold my own against the officers short of Tirek, but not even close to enough to go after Grogar himself without A LOT of VERY careful planning. And, even then, I would be a distraction at best."
At an appropriate point after the final battle, somebody can comment something along the lines of "that Bell basically took a quadruple-strength blast from the Elements of Harmony AND the combined power of SIX alicorns without taking noticeable damage - even though that aforementioned combined power was enough to take down Grogar himself. It's pretty safe to assume the bell is indestructible. So, yes, hiding the Bell in a secure location REALLY IS the best we can do." - just remembered that we would have the Mane Six, the Drake Six, the Pillars AND the Young Six as well as Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Twilight (who is also part of the Mane Six), Star (who is also part of the Drake Six) and Flurry Heart (all of which together WOULD equal a quadruple-strength blast from the Elements of Harmony in addition to the power of six alicorns. If the Bell could take an onslaught like THAT, it makes it make a lot more sense why they didn't destroy the Bell a lot earlier (namely, they literally COULDN'T destroy the Bell).
Pretty cool origins on with the Bell right there.
But whats gonna happen since Spike's magic is now stolen?
11933618
He's going to have to rely entirely on his courage and wits - much like Batman. Or Superman on most of the occasions when he loses HIS powers.
11933627
But is he gonna get it back though?
11933631
)
I was considering having the magic go back to him since Tirek got vaporized (speaking of which, should I include a 'Death' tag for that, cuz Tirek ain't coming back from that
Though I also like the idea of Spike relying on his courage and wits rather than magic or fire, so I'm not sure if Grogar should do something to make sure he and DB don't automatically get their magic back now that Tirek's gone, and they have to defeat Grogar to get back to full strength.
Your thoughts? They always help make the story better, after all.
Edit: also glad you enjoyed the origin story about the Bell; I wanted to get a little creative with that one, and I'm glad it worked.
11933544
Always happy to know that you're enjoying the story.
Next chapter's going to cover Chrysalis meeting with her loyalists and having a confrontation with Thorax. I like the idea of them having a positive impact on her conscience. Not sure if it'll be enough for her to do a Full Heel-Face Turn, but it's definitely something I'll be considering as I prepare the next chapter.
And, as always, you have so many wonderful ideas!
Having Discord explain that he still doesn't have all his power back is definitely something that needs to happen soon, since him being a chaos god - and not behind Grogar this time - does beg the question of why he doesn't just turn Grogar into a literal sheep or something like that.
And the idea of the Bell being indestructible is also great, answering the question of why it was locked up rather than destroyed. And considering it may have Echidna's spirit in it, it reminds me a bit of a scary story from Spain I read about involving a cruel baron who died in a suit of armor that was later made into a bell, with the bell being completely unbreakable, and only ringing by itself to bring forth various disasters and misfortunes. Will definitely be taking some inspiration from that story regarding the bell.
Looking forward to sharing more next week. Until then, thanks as always for reading and commenting.
👍
11933675
Maybe it's sealed in an orb made of the same material used to hold the cutie marks from the season 5 opening episodes?
11933716
Not a bad idea. I'll need to find some way to reveal that in the next chapter.
Maybe even have it become a goal of his and DB's that they have to get their magic back, since that includes their link to the Elements of Harmony, meaning that if they don't get the orbs back, they can't complete the Drake Six's version.
11933675
Problem is he be de-powered until literally the whole conflict be over with since the whole fic will end once Grogar is gone.
And honestly it felt like Spike didn't get to showcase much of his magic so far.
11934254
Yeah, Spike's been a bit more of an observer rather than an active participant. I'm worried that's because I got more excited about writing my own OCs rather than him.
Part of me also wants to make it some sort of goal in the next few chapters where because Spike and Diamondback lost their magic, they can't use the Elements of Harmony, so it becomes important that they get them back.
Though I also had plans for chapters that focused on Jackknife and Swift - seeing how the previous chapters had something to do with Star (her fight against Umbra), Phoenix (her talk with Garble) or Diamondback (trusting her dark counterpart).
Maybe Jack or Swift's chapters focus on them figuring out how to join Pyrite or something, and figuring out how to get Spike and Diamondback's magic back, or the final chapter will begin with Spike and Diamondback sneaking in and trying to steal their magic back, with it being a pretty big thing that leads into the final battle.
Your thoughts?
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Kind of wished something is done to make up for lost screentime for his magic/stuff given that most of the time he's basically a observer.
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👌 I'll see what I can do.
11934943
Ok