Flurry Heart tries to reason with Spike

After the teleportation, the first thing that Spike could feel was that it was cold, stupid cold. The kind of cold that you would feel in blizzards and the top of mountains, frost coated the floor and the consistent sound of a single drop of water could be heard through the air. These weren’t the right conditions for a dragon, they were cold-blooded creatures heated by the fire they exhaled, without his mouth Spike was shivering.

“We’re here,” Flurry Heart said, dropping Spike unceremoniously onto the ragged carpet with a grunt. With a flash of her horn, a small golden ball of light appeared in the air, radiating a gentle warmth in the air. Still chilly but no longer freezing.

There were a thousand questions Spike wanted to ask right now, and only a few of them involved triggering the Root of Honesty. Yet with his mouth removed, he could only shoot daggers at the alicorn.

To his surprise, however, he saw Flurry Heart’s eyes soften. With her magic however she summoned a strange mask, a bit like that of a plague doctor though the beak was much shorter. “Wear this, it’ll allow you to talk, but not trigger the power of the Root of Honesty.”

Spike’s eyes shot daggers at the offering, and he inspected the device in great detail, not that he knew what to look for, however. The device seemed alien to him, advanced beyond anything he could imagine.

“If it was going to hurt you I would have just **** it on you.”

Tentatively as if it might explode Spike fixed the device around his mouth, feeling a small dull thrumming in the back of his mind.

“Can I talk now?” He asked and was stunned when he found that the device seemed to let him do exactly that. “Will you let me go?”

“I’m sorry Uncle Spike but you know I can’t do that,” Flurry Heart sighed getting down on one knee.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying?” He said with a weak laugh. One that quickly died in the face of Flurry Heart’s impassive expression. "Where's Rarity?"

"Follow me," she said, getting to her feet and offering him a hand, naturally he refused the request. She led him through the cave network. his eyes darting around for some kind of escape route or a sign of the exit but he found none. They arrived in a room, in the cave. Here the caves had been furnished somewhat, no great luxury but it was livable and sitting on the bed was the most beautiful unicorn in the world.

"Rarity!" Spike squealed rushing forward and encapsulating her in a hug.

"Spikey," she exclaimed too, returning the hug with even greater ****. "But if you're here that means-"

"I was captured," Spike said tapping his mask to accentuate his point. "This stops me from using the Root of Honesty, I'm guessing the blindfold stops you from using the Root of Magic."

"Yes dear, Spike I know who the Time Master is it's-"

"I already know it's Flurry Heart," Spike interjected, his eyes darting to the figure behind him. Spike could almost feel the pit in Rarity's stomach drop.

"Well then darling it seems you've won, and you're going to be able to destroy my dream," Rarity spat at the alicorn. Spike could tell she was trying to keep the sadness in her voice down, both due to pride and because of guilt.

"Don't act so pitiful Rarity you knew what you were doing was wrong. Taking your friends and family and twisting them into your own personal sex slaves. To live out a lewd fantasy at the cost of their free will, how can you justify this to yourself?" The Princess demanded of her, and Rarity's gaze shifted to the side as if she had been struck.

Spike however couldn't help but stick up for her, he just hated to see the love of his life so despondent. "It's not like she's hurting anypony, every one of our harem members is happy being part of her fantasy."

"Because you made them that way Uncle because you **** them to be that way with your power. Do I really have to spell that out for you? You want to make the whole world into your lewd fantasy for kicks."

"If Rarity was so evil why wouldn’t she be the one in charge of the harem then? Why would she just want to be a sex **** unless she was so generous?” Spike shot back, much more interested in defending Rarity than whether or not his argument made any sense.

"I know that Rarity is generous Spike, I know that she's being generous to you, but you know better than to think this is all about the two of you. This is about you conquering Equestria, taking their free will for your own horny fantasies. Did you never think of the people who were manipulating?" Flurry Heart shot back, her tone was sharp and cold. It caused Spike to flinch back, but this time it was Rarity who came to her defence.

"Those ponies are happy in our harem, and even former villainesses are made happy and good under my Master's harem. Spike is quite the gentle drake and he's doing this to make me happy," Rarity scolded Flurry Heart as if she was scolding a noble for a faux social pass. In her eyes was none of the fear that would be expected when a defenceless pony challenged an alicorn of immense power, but Flurry Heart did not rise in anger. Instead, her eyes became warm, gentle and kind. When she spoke it was with a **** plead.

"You could turn back now, surrender the powers of both the roots of magic and honesty. I know you think you've gone too far but I can see the ways ahead. All possible futures and I know there's a way to redemption, without losing your friends and family, I can help you on that path if you would let me. But I only need you to surrender your powers and undo all the harem you've done."

Spike and Rarity looked at the alicorn with surprise, neither thought that there would be any path to repair the bridges that they had burned. They looked at each other in shock, each considering the offer. Spike's hand clasped Rarity's white hand, as he squeezed it she found that there was a tremor in her body. She was trying not to show it but the thought of Rarity's dream dying was devasting to her, and Spike would always speak up for her.

"No."

"No?" Flurry Heart asked, her head falling. Eyes darted to Rarity who seeing her lover's example decided to emulate him.

"No." She repeated, her voice letting out a gasp of relief.

"No then," Flurry Heart repeated sadly, her sparkling blue eyes falling to the ground before becoming resolute. She stood up and summoned a box, locked as tight as a safe under her arm, a box that contained the elements of harmony. "Then you leave me ****, we'll do this by ****."

The two were lifted in golden light, helpless to resist the alicorn. Her eyes darted around the room, "now where is my younger self?"

The three made their way back through the rest of the cave as Flurry Heart combed the catacombs for her infant self, eventually finding her in the arms of another pony. A pony who had been teleported alongside Spike and Rarity for she had grasped around her leg. A pony who both Spike and the alicorn had dismissed when she'd been teleported with them and left to explore on her own.

"Um, could I take care of her please?" Fluttershy asked.

A/N: Whilst I know likely how things may progress as to how Flurry Heart is captured, what kind of **** she is moulded into is up for debate. Hopefully, you guys won't be too harsh on her this time, if for no other reason than her time powers being useful.

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