Master Thief Dragon

The very next morning after the Maulers raid on Sweet Apple Acres, Spike woke up in his bed covered in bandages, “Oh, dammit.” he groaned.

“Master, you're awake!” gasped Celestia who had been sitting by her masters bedside all night.

“Celly?”

“I was worried you weren't going to wake up.” She said concerned.

“Celly, how bad is it?” he inquired.

“Well, your injuries weren't very life threatening, but you need to stay in bed for the day.” she explained.

Spike scowled, “Celestia... I mean how bad is it at Sweet Apple Acres?”

Celestia had fallen silent and looked as if she didn't wanna tell her master the truth. Spike knowing it wasn't good news got out of bed, much to her shock, “Master, please, you mustn’t move so much.” She tried to stop him, but Spike moved past her and limped to his living room to turn the TV on and see the news.

When the news came on, Spike was horrified to see the news crew was out by Sweet Apple Acres, broadcasting the burned remains of the Apple Farm and the Daniel's home, “No... Sweet Apple Acres it's... gone,” Spike whispered, his voice sounding broken. He dropped to his knees while trying to hold in his tears, but eventually broke down, pounded the floor and yelled, “This is all my fault!!”

“Master!” Celestia got down to Spike and held him close, as he continued to lament.

“She's right about me, Celly! I'm just a thief! A hero would've been strong enough to protect the farm! Now A.J and her family lost their home and their family's life's work...all those years. She's seen my face, Celly. She knows who I am...and what I am...I'm no good. I'm no good to anyone.”

“Master, you did all you could.”

“But it wasn't enough!”

“Nobody can be expected to do the impossible all the time.” Celestia noted.

“I just wanted to protect my friends. But once again I just made it worse.” he cried, as Celestia helped Spike to his feet and brought him back to his room so he could rest and recover.

Later that day at the Apple Farm, Applejack and her family returned to salvage what they could from their home. Helping them was Twilight and the girls, and even Applebloom's close friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

As Applejack and Twilight were moving some of the burned wood pieces, the country girl spoke to her bookworm friend, “Thanks for coming to help us, Twilight. And thanks again for letting us stay the night at your place.”

“No problem, Applejack. After all that's happened you and your family needed our support.” Twilight answered.

“We'll have this place cleaned up in no time.” Rainbow said confidently, as she and Pinkie cleared some of the wood.

“Don't you think we should call Spike here to help us?” Fluttershy asked.

“I tried calling and asking if he could help, but it just went to voicemail.” Twilight answered.

“Oh. I hope he's ok.” Rarity said in concern.

Applejack scowled to herself knowing Spike's absence was due to the injuries he sustained when fighting the Maulers last night, but she chose not to divulge his secret to her friends, “I'm sure whatever he's doing is more important.”

“What could be more important than helping to clean up your family home?” Twilight asked in confusion.

“Don't know, don't care'. Come on let's get back to work.” Applejack said, as she went to clear more burned house pieces away. The girls watched Applejack and could tell she sounded bitter about mentioning Spike.

Later that day after a majority of the debris was cleared out, the girls returned home letting A.J and her family collect and salvage all the belongings they could find that were still in good condition. Applejack currently had went into the basement and dug through some boxes. She opened one up and saw a bunch of old family albums.

“Good thing these made it through. They are our family memories.” Applejack smiled, as she brought the box up from the basement.

She walked down from the wrecked porch, but lost her footing on a broken stair. Applejack fell over and dropped the box causing the contents to spill out, “Gosh darn it!” she grumbled, as she started picking up the albums and putting some of the pictures back inside them. Suddenly as she went to grab the last album, she saw something sticking out from it.

“Huh?” Applejack pulled it out and her eyes grew wide. It was Dragon's calling card, only it looked older and faded. “What's this doing here?!”

Granny Smith came over and saw A.J with the box, “Well, nice of you to recover our family albums, Jacqueline. Those albums contain more memories than I can even remember.” she chuckled.

“Granny, what's this doing in one of the albums!?” Applejack demanded, her voice shaking as she held out the calling card. Granny Smith looked at the card, and smiled.

“Well, now that sure brings back memories.”

“Memories?” Applejack asked in confusion, “This is Dragon's calling card. And he only leaves these at the crime scenes,” she gasped, “Granny, did Dragon steal from us?”

“Jacqueline...”

“I can't believe it! You supported a guy who stole from our family?!”

“Jacqueline!” Granny Smith shouted, silencing her granddaughter, “You have it all backwards.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dragon never stole from us. In fact if it weren't for him we might not even be here at all.”

“I don't understand.” Applejack said, still confused.

Granny Smith sighed, as she took a seat on a nearby crate, “Child, I know you blame Dragon for what happened to our home, but he's proven time and time again that he's got a good heart. Believe me, I had a tough time seeing it myself, once upon a time. I guess it's as good a time as any that I told ya about the history between our family, and the master thief himself.”

A much younger looking Granny Smith, or Annie Smith as they called her, was speaking with a wealthy couple, as the older her narrated, “Long before we had the successful business we have today, we were still simple folk trying to make a living. Family had to take up plenty of jobs to support each other. I ended up having to take a maid job for a rich family known as the Bucks.”

Annie was busy around the mansion cleaning and tidying up making sure everything was spic and span. As the owners would pass her by she kept a smile on to prove she was doing her job the way they wanted it, but the couple just looked at her as if she was nothing.

“And let me tell ya for rich people you'd think they'd be able to afford some manners, but no sirree. They was far from the nice sort. They treated their employees as if they was garbage, including myself. None of them, however, compared to the old man of the house.”

During one of Annie's shifts she was busy dusting a case, as Mr. Buck came by and slapped her butt. This act startled her and she spun around watching the old man pass by feeling so proud of himself. She frowned at how he had treated her like she was some whore he could just feel up, and wished she could give him a piece of her mind. But she let it go knowing that her hard work was all that mattered.

“But I couldn't quit because I promised to help my family no matter what was thrown at me.”

Annie continued to work all her shifts while trying to ignore every bit of criticism the couple or their guests said to her.

“But one day I discovered something amiss with Mr. Buck.”

While Annie was dusting some portraits, she watched as Mr. Buck was eyeballing his wife's pearl necklace.

“When his wife had started wearing what was probably the most beautiful necklace I ever did see, he looked mighty suspicious of it, and not because of how much it cost.”

"Seems a waste for that necklace to be around someone so ugly." Mr. Buck commented bitterly.

"Like you're one to talk about beauty, you old fool," responded Mrs. Buck nastily. "Besides, when you're gone, you won't have to worry about you're silly little treasures." Annie watched, as the old couple bickered, but kept up with her work.

“I'd never seen him more cross in my time. He'd always like to keep his more prettier valuables in a vault and only takes them out on special occasions. But his wife kept wearing it just to show off to all her other rich associates. Over the course of the weeks I noticed a change in Mr. Buck's behavior. Normally he'd always abuse and look down on the servants, especially the women. But I started noticing he was actually treating the ladies the way they should be treated. He was even flirting with them. Not that the ladies minded, of course. In fact they loved it.”

Annie watched as Mr. Buck was flirting and hitting up on some of the other female servants who giggled to themselves, “Despite how much I appreciated him treatin' the ladies in his mansion with respect, something just didn't feel right. I got more suspicious when not long after he started treating us ladies better he started asking me to give him a tour of the mansion since I had been working the longest compared to all the other servants. He had always known where everything was in the mansion and that his mind was sharp as they come. When I asked him why he needed help, he told me he started becoming forgetful with his old age. I found it too coincidental that he suddenly starts forgetting where everything was at the same time he started treating the servants with more respect. So I decided to investigate.”

During her shift, Annie had saw Mr. Buck walking the mansion halls heading for his private study. She had started following him while staying out of his sight. She went to the door of the study and gently cracked it open to peek inside. She watched as the old man stuck his ear up against the vault while turning for the combination, before cracking it open and pulled out the necklace Mrs. Buck had been wearing too often.

“When I saw that impostor was stealing the necklace I had to step in and stop it.” Granny Smith narrated, as her past self burst into the study.

“Hold it right there!” Annie declared.

The old man turned around while holding the necklace in one hand, and smiled sheepishly, “Well, this is embarrassing.”

“I knew something was off with you.” Annie squinted her eyes.

The fake smirked, “I knew you were smart as you were pretty. Saw through my act and everything.”

“I can't let you steal that necklace,” Annie warned him, “I'll stop ya if I must.”

The old man scoffed, “You? Stop me? Lady, I already gave you credit for being pretty and smart but I don't think you can stop me from stealing that necklace. Do you even know who you're up against?”

“All I see is a no good common crook who managed to fool everyone in this house.” Annie crossed her arms.

“My good lady, I resent that! I'll have you know that I'm a very great world famous thief! A living legend and a real good friend to all the young ladies the world over!” he struck a few heroic poses, until something snapped, “Ooh! I really can't do those poses like I used to.”

“And I bet you have a heart of gold underneath, huh?” Annie asked sarcastically.

“Naturally. Here's my card.” he flung a calling card at her.

Annie caught it, and looked at it, “Dragon, the Master Thief.”

“Emphasis on 'Master'.” he boasted.

“So where's the real Mr. Buck?” Annie asked suspiciously.

Dragon chuckled sheepishly, “Funny story. True story in fact.”

A few weeks back, the real Mr. Buck was out on in the city by himself, unaware he was being watched by a familiar thief in costume. When he was all alone, Dragon dropped in and spoke.

“Hello there, Mr. Buck. I'm going need to steal your life for a bit. It won't be too long, I assure you,” he explained. What he got in response was Mr. Buck panicking before clutching his heart and dropped dead, “Well, shit,” he talked into his wrist radio, “Hey, girls. You might wanna prepare an ice box for Mr. Buck here.”

Annie looked at Dragon with a frown, as the thief spoke in defense, “Oh, come on. I didn't even touch him. Ain't my fault his heart gave out so easily.”

“Is his body still in one piece?” Annie inquired.

“Of course. Still preserved for when I'm done here. Trust me I'll be glad when I don't have to keep the facade of being that old hags husband up any longer. You have any idea how hard it is to keep a farce like this up for so long? Especially for a woman like that? I'm just glad Mr. Buck and his wife sleep in separate bedrooms. I wouldn't share a bed with her even if my life depended on it.”

“And yet ya still found time to flirt with me and all the other ladies here.” Annie called him out.

“Well, if I was going to be undercover here I might as well make the most of it. And at least give the ladies some hope that Mr. Buck genuinely started to care for them before his death becomes public.”

“And you also used me as a means to get you close to the vault so you can take the necklace.”

Dragon sighed, “I do regret playing you for a pawn. You do deserve so much better, Annie. My time undercover here and getting to know you better than the real Mr. Buck ever did has been good for me. You and your family sound like good people and you just wanna make a good living by sharing your family produce with everyone. I admire people who work hard for what they believe in. Especially you.”

“If you really mean that you'll put the necklace back and just walk away.”

The guilt started to get to Dragon who sighed, “Ok. You win. But before I put this back I'd like to see you try it on.”

“Me?” she asked.

“Yes. If there is something I agreed with Mr. Buck was it was too beautiful to be worn by his wife. I think you would pull it off better.” he offered it to her.

“Well, we'll see if you're right.” Annie said, as she turned around allowing Dragon to put in on her, “So, what do you think?” she asked while posing with it.

“Much more befitting of you than Mrs. Buck.” he flirted.

“Oh, you charmer.” Annie blushed.

“I try.”

"But you know it's taboo to flirt with a married woman.” Annie warned him.

“Oh, trust me I wouldn't think of trying to seduce you away from your obviously loving husband.”

“Well, I ain't so easily swayed.” Annie flirted back, and the two laughed.

Interrupting their moment however, was Mr. Buck's nephew Silver Dollar who entered the study and caught the two, “Mrs. Smith, what are you doing in here with my uncle?”

“I was just...” Annie had no time to make an excuse, as he saw what was around her neck.

“Why do you have that necklace,” he looked at the open vault and then at "Mr. Buck", “You senile old man! We're you honestly going to give this maid that necklace.”

"Mr. Buck" looked at the bag he was carrying and saw a safe cracking tool sticking out of it, “And what of it, nephew!? You're the one who wanted to steal from a dying old man.”

Annie noticing the tool spoke up, “He's right. And my own suspicions were correct. You also had your eyes set on it, and you were trying to steal it yourself.”

“And I suppose a gold digging whore like you is better suited to have something so priceless?” Silver Dollar asked.

“It suits her better than that hag I call a wife.” Dragon said, as he attacked the nephew who defended himself.

Annie took cover behind the desk and watched the men fight. Dragon was fighting to his fullest, but she noticed he was getting slow which left him open to a beating from Silver Dollar. When Dragon was knocked to the floor looking too injured to get up on his own, the nephew towered over him, “See you in hell, old man.”

“Hey!” Came Annie's voice. Silver Dollar looked over, as Annie chucked a jewelry box that nailed him right in the head. The impact caused him to tumble backwards before he fell and hit his head on the floor knocking him out cold.

Annie ran to Dragon and helped him up, “Are you going to be ok?”

“I'll be fine,” he assured her, as she put him in the arm chair to rest, “I really have gotten too old for this work.”

“So why are you still doing it?” Annie asked.

“Well, truth be told this is my last job.” he confessed.

“Last job?”

“Yes. This last heist was meant to be my last hurrah before I retired. And the mantle of Dragon gets passed onto the next generation.”

“I see.” Annie said, as she put the necklace back.

“Listen to me, Annie. You and your family have a great future and I don't think being a maid for a bunch of snobs is worth all the abuse.”

“I can't just quit, I need this job to support my family. I have a growing boy to feed for crying out loud.”

Dragon smiled, “You helped me out here, and I wanna repay you in the best way I can.”

“What do you mean?” Annie wondered.

“Never mind that for now. Just get yourself out of here. I'll take care of the rest.” Dragon promised.

Annie didn't bother to argue and hurried out of the study to get herself home free before anybody was discovered.

Applejack sat in shock over the story, “So then what happened?”

“The real body of Mr. Buck was placed in his bedroom and his nephew was arrested for attempted burglary and attempted murder."

“And what happened to Dragon?”

“I'd like think he spent his remaining days with those he loved if a man like him had loved ones. But I tell ya the most amazing thing had happened. My family and I received a generous donation by an anonymous benefactor. It was enough money to really get the family business going, and well you've seen how our family's business has been since then. I can only assume that Dragon made due on his promise. I guess he just wanted to repay me for saving his life and apologize for using me in his scheme, and helped get our business started.” Granny proudly explained.

“He did all that?” came another voice, as the two looked over seeing Applebloom and Big Mac.

“How long have you two been there?” Applejack asked in surprise.

“The whole time.” Big Mac admitted.

“Dragon really did all that for the family?” Applebloom asked.

“That he did, youngin',” she confirmed, before turning back to Applejack, “He might've been a different Dragon than the one roaming around today, but the two share much in common. They're willing to protect those he knows are worth protecting.”

Applejack thought about her grandma's story and about what the Dragon of that time did for her and the Smiths, while comparing it to all Spike had done for her and her friends from behind the scenes all to keep them safe. She started to finally see things without looking at it like everything's all black and white, and realized how wrong she was about her professor/friend.

The next day Spike who was fully healed was riding his bike to school. He was of course nervous about running into Applejack and worried that she had already told the girls his secret. When he parked his bike, he was about to head into the building until a familiar voice called to him.

“Hey, professor!”

Spike turned and saw Applejack standing by the entrance of the school. He nervously walked over to her and spoke, “Uh, good morning, Applejack.”

“Morning. Listen, can we go someplace quiet and talk?”

Spike was taken aback by her request, but didn't wanna turn her down, “Ok, but let's try and make it quick.”

“Come on.” Applejack said, as she and Spike walked behind the school building where no one could see them.

Spike decided to speak first, “A.J, about what happened that night...” he was cut off by Applejack who hugged him. Spike was confused by this, and heard her whisper to him.

“You don't have to say it, Spike. I know ya were only tryin' to protect us.” she sniffled.

Spike wrapped his arms around her and spoke, “I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... for everything.”

“Yeah... I'm sorry, too.” she replied.

“Listen...” Spike was cut off again by A.J.

“You're a scoundrel with a big heart, you know that? People like you shouldn't give a hoot about people like me...but you do. My family owes your family a lot more than you know.”

Spike was confused by her words, “What're you talking about?”

Applejack smiled at him, “Just promise me you'll tell me...tell us everything. You owe us that much.”

Spike smiled back, “When all this is over, I will. I won't leave anything out. I just hope you and the others will understand.”

“I'm on your side, Mr. Lupin. Believe it or not...I am.” she assured him.

“Thank you, A.J. But what about your home?”

“Nothin' to it. Our whole family will be coming out to help rebuild the house and the barn. And you know how when we Apples work together there ain't nothing we can't accomplish.”

“True. And your orchard?”

“We start from the beginning and plant new trees. It'll take some time, but when they grow and are ready to bloom they'll be just as beautiful as the ones before.” she promised.

“I can't wait to see them,” Spike smiled, and continued, “We best get to class before we're both tardy.”

“See you in class, Professor.” Applejack winked before heading inside.

Spike watched Applejack leave, and thought to himself, 'Maybe things are looking up after all.'