EQUESTRIA'S ESPADA!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN!: "Part of the Family?"

By, Vladimir

0o0o0o0o0o0

Spike stands before the Apple house on Sweet Apple Acres standing behind AJ and Bloom as AJ holds Big Mac over her shoulder. She knee's the door a couple of times and a series of locks sound off before the door opens widely revealing a green old mare a red and white checkered dress. Her old silver mane and tail are styled in a bun with a few strands of hair poking out all about. He grabs Chrysalis' hand and holds it tightly as the old mare scans him with her old amber eyes as if she were judging him.

Her old lips upturn into a large smile and she moves between Bloom and AJ and hugs him tightly.

"Well howdy there Spike! Wha' yah doin' 'ere youngin'?" She asks. He blushes lightly as his mates snicker softly.

"I'm, er, here to explain a few things as well as drop Big Mac off, Miss Granny Smith." He says with a sheepish smile. She rolls her old amber orbs.

"Nah wha' have Ah told yah abou' yah callin' me Granny?" She asks. He blushes lightly and clears his throat.

"Er, well that sorta goes into other boundaries now...eheh." He says pointing his index fingers together sheepishly. She gains a bright twinkle in her eyes as she grins widely to him.

"Ya'll finally been asked ta be Applejack's mate?" She asks, well, more like cheers. He blushes heavily as Bloom and AJ giggle. Granny Smith's eyes widen and her grin morph into a bright toothy smile. "Both O' 'em eh? Wonderful!" She exclaims while doing a little jigg.

"I didn't really ask them, they sorta got brought into my, er, "pack"." He says. Granny stops her jig and looks to him with a raised brow.

"Ya'll have a pack?" She asks. He nods and moves to the side revealing Chrysalis who smiles down at the old mare.

"Hello Granny Smith, I'm Queen Chrysalis, the lead dominant for Spike's "pack" as it were. We had agreed Bloom in joining, though the circumstances weren't the best and then the same for Applejack. We're actually here to tell you about it." She says politely.

"A Queen eh? How lovely! Come inside youngin's an' tell ol' Granny Smith abou' how this came ta be." She cheers and walks past AJ not even batting an eye to the unconscious Big Mac.

"Did she not notice Big Mac?" He whispers.

"Nope." Bloom says. And they go into the house. AJ plops Big Mac into a chair at the table and slaps him a few times, waking him up. Looking around frantically he speaks jibberish before remembering what had happened. He goes to speak, but Granny Smith tapes his mouth shut with some tape she took just out of Spike's view.

'How the hell do these ponies do that!?' He thinks to himself. The old mare then sits at the head of the table and smiles at them all.

"So, wha' is this story?" She asks.

"Well, you see, and before I tell you you can't freak out, okay?" He starts off. She nods her old head and sighs out a breath softly. "Apple Bloom was shot." He tells her. Granny's eyes grow wide and he puts his hands up. "Now before you start freaking out, she's fine now. Okay mostly fine." He says.

"Wha' do ya'll mean "mostly fahn"!?!? My gran-filly has been shot!!" Granny roars. Bloom slams her head against and groans catching her by surprise. "Yer alive Bloom?" She asks.

"Well, not exactly." She mutters out.

"You see, as she was dying she sorta er..." He blushes lightly and Bloom takes over.

"Ah proclaimed mah love fer 'im an' kissed 'im! Then Ah swallowed some o' his blood by accidant when we kissed an' well, Ah'm bettah nah. Well, mostly." She says with a sheepish giggle at the end.

"Bu' how can tha' be?" Granny asks.

"We became Vamponies when we swallowed his blood. Though Ah'm not sure tha' makes us alive anymore." AJ says bluntly. Granny Smith doesn't look fazed by the news.

"Tha's all?" She asks.

"Er, yeh?" AJ says.

"Well shoot! If'n ya'll said tha' in tha beginnin' Ah wouldn't had freaked!" Granny laughs out. He blinks.

"Are you not worried about Bloom and AJ being non-ponies?" He asks.

"No' at all! In fact! Cousin Braeburn is a Were-Pony! An' we still keep 'im around!" She laughs out. AJ and Bloom stare with mouths agape as Big Mac passes out once again.

"He is!?!?" They scream out. Granny nods her head.

"Eeyep! So, what er yeh Spike?" She asks. He looks down and shifts around awkwardly.

"Er...I'm a hybrid between a Hollow, a Vampire, a Changeling and a Dragon..." He mutters out. She nods her head and gets to her old hooves.

"Follow meh." She tells them and they follow leaving a passed out Big Mac behind. They move into the living room and he see's Granny Smith holding a large brown leather book which makes AJ and Bloom gasp.

"Bu' Granny! We ain't suppose ta touch tha' book!" Bloom says. Granny rolls her eyes.

"Ah told yah tha' so ya'll wouldn' fin' thangs out tha' fillies aren' suppose' to know abou'!" She exclaims.

"Oh." She says with a light blush tinting her cheeks.

"In this book there be tha history o' the Apple Family, the darker side o' i'." She says making odd "ooing" noises and waving her arms around while wiggling her fingers. He blinks with a blank face at the oddness of what is happening before him. "The Apple Family wasn' always jus' farmers yeh nah. We had been huntahs an' tha hunted." She says.

"Hunters and hunted of what?" He asks.

"Oh all kinds o' thangs! Vamponies, Were-ponies, Zom-Ponies, Ghouls, so on. We ha' been in Princess Celestia's side since tha beginnin'!" She explains.

"B-Bu' wha' abou' now?" AJ stutters out. Granny flashes her a kind small smile.

"We don' hunt our own, Applejack! If'n we did, we'd be so little!" She barks out.

"Wha' do yah mean?" Bloom asks.

"Many o' tha Apple Family ain't normal ponies, Bloom! In fac' quite a few o' us tha' were "monstahs" would hunt down tha bad ones!" Granny explains as she flips through a page of a book depicting a pony holding a cross bow pointing it at a large Werewolf-Pony that stands over innocent ponies. "In fac' we Apple's knew abou' tha Hollows! They wou'd help us when evah we'd get close ta there homes in search o' a monstah!" She says proudly while secretly glancing to Spike as she flips another page of the book that looks far older than the book itself.

A picture of a small Hollow with bat wings and a whip-like tail wearing an all too familiar mask is shown protecting a few Apple's from a large looking Vampire-Pony that wears a counts cape.

"Look familiar?" She asks. He stares wide eyed at the picture as he reaches out and touches it gently before looking up at Granny.

"When was this picture made?" He asks.

"I' was made along wi'h two othahs tha' may look familiah to yah." She says as she pulls out two other pictures. One depicts a large looking panther and the second resembles a praying mantis like Hollows that are shown protecting the Apples once again. He stares with wide eyes.

"Dash and Gilda..." He breaths out making Chrysalis, Bloom and AJ look to him in surprise.

"Ah had a feelin'." Granny says with a nod.

"But...this would mean we had been here before, but I can't seem to remember anything!" He exclaims while throwing his hands up into the air.

"Yeh will with time, youngin'. Bu' do yah see whah Ah took it so well?" Granny asks. He nods his head lightly and she smiles. "Good, because this ol' mare needs'ta get'ta bed. Me ol' bones need tha rest." She says while walking towards the stairs with the book under her left arm. "Oh, an' ya'll will be stayin; 'ere alrigh'? Ah wanna get'ta know mah gran'son-in law." She says with a wink to Spike making him blush heavily. She chortles and stalks up the stairs eerily quietly making him wonder if she is some sort of specter.

"Well that was certainly interesting." Chrysalis giggles out before yawning. "Where do you sleep Bloom? I get the feeling AJ and Spike will need some time alone." She says sending a wink to him and AJ.

"Awe, bu' Ah wanted ta join!" Bloom cries out before pouting. Chrysalis moves in next to her and nips her neck gently.

"I'll keep you company~" She purrs and Bloom grins widely before dragging a cackling madly Chrysalis up the stares and into what he assumes is her room, as a door slams afterward leaving an eerie quiet to set in onto the old house. He clears his throat nervously.

"S-So, uh, wh-where do I sleep?" He asks.

"With meh." AJ says calmly. He blushes and nods his head lightly.

"A-Alright." He tells her before getting to his feet and moves over to her side after she gets to her hooves. He goes to say something, but she beats him to the punch.

"Wha' did tha Princess mean abou' yah not gettin' the righ' amount of rest? Have yah been havin' nigh'mares or somethin'?" She asks with concern in her tone as slight worry shows in her eyes. He averts his gaze from her eyes as if he had done something wrong, let alone the fact that she could tell when one lies by looking into their eyes.

"I haven't been sleeping well. I generally just stay up for nights upon nights on end and keeping working as the others rest. There's always something to do." He says. It was a half lie, yes, but it was also a half truth. She narrows her eyes.

"There's somethin' else isn' there?" She asks. He closes his eyes and goes silent. She takes a step towards him. "Spike, tell me now!" She says with a warning voice. He trembles slightly and she grips her chin and turns his face to her. He opens his eyes and she notes the pained look in them along with the tiredness and tears that form before her very eyes. "Spike?" She whispers out softly.

"I keep seeing things...! I'm always seeing things in my dreams...!" He whimpers out as he bows his head as if he were a failure.

"Hasn't Princess Luna or Nigh'mare Moon been helpin' yah?" She asks. He sniffs softly.

"Neither of them have been able to enter my dreams. I tell them that I'm keeping my blocks up just on the chance that I lose it again. But...it's more than that." He tells her softly. She holds him close to herself and rubs circles into his back as he leans into her more as if he were trying to escape into her.

"Ah'm here, Spike, Ah'm here. Le's get yah ta tha' bed an' keep talkin'? Tha' sound fahn?" She asks. He nods his head gently and steps back from her, only for her to pick him up bridal style and carry him up the stairs. He huffs softly as a thick blush forms across his cheeks.

"I can walk you know..." He huffs out as he deadpans to her. She rolls her eyes.

"Ah know, bu' Ah lahk ta carry yah, ya'know?" She tells him.

"No. I'm always being carried by my mates! I never get to do things on my own...." He sighs out while folding his arms across his chest.

"Ah can see whah, it's nice ta carry yah, Ah mean yer so lahght an' small!" She teases. He glares at her making her chuckle lightly. "An' then there's tha'!" She laughs out softly making him grumble lightly under his breath before he is dropped onto a large plush bed. He blinks and looks around the dark room. The light flicks on and he looks to AJ who stands with a hip cocked and a brow raised with a small smile.

"Yah lahk?" She asks. He nods as he looks around the room. He notes the redish painted walls that have orange apples decorating it as the wooden floor is covered with a bright apple green rug. The bed he sits upon is large possibly a queen or king size. He notes that the blankets and covers are bright red and the pillow cases are deep blue like an ocean. He looks back up at her.

"Yeah, it's nice and roomy." He says making a bad joke. She rolls her eyes.

"Righ'. Well it's gonna be tha room yer gonna be stayin' in, so yah bettah lahk it." She says with a playful wink. "Though yah do bring tha room, though Ah think yah'd bring it out more if yah weren't wearin' those garments~" She purrs out. He blushes before remembering why they had came up here.

"But, I thought we were going to talk about-" She cuts him off by capturing his lips deeply and passionately as her hands roam his body feeling him up. He shivers as her fingers curl around the bottom of his shirt and pulls it up off of him exposing his bare chest. He blushes heavily as she runs a finger around his hollow hole before nipping at his chest. He pants softly as her fangs press down against his bare neck.

Her emerald eyes glow as hunger forms in them and she sinks her fangs into his neck and drinks. The warm liquid rushes through her and she closes her eyes as pleasure builds up in them both. He moans softly as she drinks from him and moves her hands to his groin where she gropes him. He gasps softly as her fangs move deeper into his neck before pain begins to shoot through him. He bites his lower lip in pain as he feels her draining him more and more.

"A-Apple....j-jack...!" He whimpers out softly as her sharpened claw like nails stab into his sides and hips causing his black blood to trickle from the wounds. He yelps softly making her come back to reality as he begins to lose consciousness. She pulls her fangs from his neck and pulls her fingers out of his sides and hips.

"Spike?" She asks. He looks up at her tiredly as he grows weaker and weaker to the feeling of sleep overtaking him.

"Applejack...I'm so tired..." He whispers out softly as his body heals and his blood regenerates. She notices that his color comes back, but he still looks tired. She then remembers why they were up there in the first place and sigh softly while bowing her head.

"Man Ah'm a terrible mate..." She sighs out softly before crawling under the covers and pulls him up close to her. She smiles softly. "At least I can keep him safe and warm while he sleeps." She says softly before sleep takes hold of her, unaware of the pained expression on his face as a tear slides down his cheek.

0o0o0o0o0

Luna and Nightmare stand from their thrones as a large bubble that puts darkness to shame forms before them and the echoes of screams of pain and chains rustling. They move towards the bubble only to be knocked back by a strange energy. The shadows around the room leap from their places and spiral around the blacker than space bubble like clouds of destruction. They narrows their eyes and share a nod with one another.

"We need the others." Nightmare says and Luna vanishes before reappearing with with Celestia, Gilda, Dash, Bloom, Chrysalis, AJ, Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.

"Why ahr we here?" Bloom asks tiredly.

"You see this bubble?" Nightmare says as she points a finger at it. They all nod. "This is Spike's dream bubble. Normally we'd help with ponies and other beings dreams, but lately he has been shutting us out, even skipping sleep for some reason. We tried to enter it, and those clouds formed as a strange energy pushed us back." She states.

"We need to know why this is happening. Do any of you know what is going on?" Luna asks. AJ bites her lower lip and they all turn to her.

"Ah got 'im ta talk before Ah lost control and drank him till he passed out." She admits with a sigh. Nightmare nods her head lightly.

"We've done that as well, well, except for Chryssie and Bloom, that is." She says with a nod.

"But what did he tell you?" Luna asks.

"That he keeps seeing these thing an' otha' things. We were gonna talk abou' it more, bu' then Ah lost control...." AJ says with an ashamed look on her face.

"I see. Then we must forcefully go into his dreams. It'll feel like we're being pricked by a dagger, but only for a second before it goes away." Nightmare says as her horn lights up and their eyes glow just before Shy could squeak something out. She and Luna close their eyes and place their horns together and they all are sucked out of their bodies and into the pitch black bubble.

0o0o0o0o0

Pain, that was all AJ could feel for a split second before it vanishes. She opens her eyes and blinks a few times. Looking around she notes that she is sitting in an abandoned looking house from the olden times before even Granny Smith. Getting to her hooves she stumbles about the room looking for a door before one opens before her revealing Twilight having an orb of light hovering in the palm of her hand.

She helps AJ up from the floor as she had fallen over in surprise when the door opened. She nods her thanks and looks around the room now that it is lit up.

It was empty.

"Is this where you woke up?" Twilight asks.

"Yah, an' wha' abou' ya'll?" She asks.

"We woke up surrounded by black shadow creatures. Luna calls them nightmare beasts as they feed and form from nightmares." Twilight explains.

"Ah see, an' where is Spike?" She asks.

"We don't know. I was hoping you would." Twilight says with a sigh. She then waves her hand. "Come on, we have to meet up with the others. We'll find him, I promise." She tells AJ who nods and follows after her. They spot their friends sitting at a run down looking building that looks like a barn of some sort.

"There back!" Bloom exclaims getting the rest's attention. She runs into AJ's arms and the two Apples hug happy to know that the other is safe.

"Wha's goin' on, Bloom?" AJ asks.

"We dun'no. Luna thanks we may be in'a mem'ry of some sort." Bloom informs her. She nods her head lightly.

"Ah see. Alrigh' le's go find Spike. Ah thank we migh' find 'im at tha center o' all this." AJ says. Luna nods her head wisely.

"Very true. Those who are trapped within a memory like dream, are generally are found at the center of it all." She says with a sage like nod. They move around through a town as Celestia gains a look as if remembering something that was to happen. She then gains a pained expression as tears form in her eyes like she were mourning an old friend who passed far too early for their time.

"What is wrong, sister?" Luna asks.

"I remember this place. I had sent the Apple's here to deal with some sort of "monster problem", but when they sent the letter by raven, they stated that the town had fallen. I and my guards rushed here as fast as we could, but by the time we arrived, only two Apples remained." She says with a pained sigh and look as tears form in her eyes. "I had asked them what happened, what had caused such destruction. And they said that they were ambushed by some sort of creature. I believe it may have been a Hollow." She says while bowing her head as if in shame.

"Bu' Granny said tha' tha Hollows would help us!" Bloom says in surprise. "Whah would they hurt us?" She asks.

"This was before they were being helped. In fact, this was the exact time one Hollow helped them get rid of the "monsters". They said it had fought against Were-Ponies and masked beasts that were attacking the town and each other for whatever reason. The two that survived had been hiding inside some sort of cage where they found a strange creature covered in wounds while chains were keeping it stationary. They noted all of the science equipment and pieces of flesh that had been removed from the creature." She says with the bow of her head.

"Wha' happened nex'?" Bloom asks. Celestia smiles down at the young mare at her eagerness to learn more about her family.

"They freed him, after finding out it was a him, by accident and after they did, A Were-Pony tore into the cage trying to kill them, only for the creature to open it's eyes and rip apart the Were-Pony as if it were paper." She says.

"It saved them?" Twilight asks.

"Yes, HE saved them. He then helped them get through the town while protecting them and fighting off any sort of other beast. They had then been attacked by a large creature, a Were-Drake, if you will, but there were more Were-beasts it had to deal with. Oddly enough, the masked creatures worked with him and helped to end the beasts. And then turned onto him and he was forced to slaughter them, lucky two of the beasts stood by him and they slaughtered the Hollows, before the very same two left, and he had gone towards an empty cave. I then arrived and, at the time, this town was destroyed." She says, ending her long winded and rather confusing explanation.

Bloom, AJ and Chrysalis stare at her with wide eyes.

"What is it?" Celestia asks.

"We know who those things were." Chrysalis says with a slight tremble to her voice.

"Who were they!?" Twilight yells out.

"Dash, Gilda, and the one that saved them, was Spike." She says with wide eyes. Celestia's own eyes widen.

"Ulquiorra...! That's why the name sounded so familiar! Ugh! I'm so stupid!" Luna roars while face palming repeatedly.

"I feel the same, Luna. I wish I had pieced it together, but it would seem that he was here before joining that "Aizen-Sama"." She says with a sad look, before a small smile forms on her lips. "Though I am grateful for his and their help when we had to face against Sombra." She says while looking at Gilda and Dash with a grateful look. They stand there grumbling.

"Yeah, yeah! Your fucking welcome! Now can we PLEASE figure out what the fucking hell is going on and when this memory gets to the good parts!?!?" Dash roars.

"Right. Well, looks like we're needing to wait then for when the Apples arrive." Rarity says with a huff and crosses her arms and sits onto a boulder. They nod and sit down around the rock and in wooden rocking chairs. They watch as ponies move around the town and the sun begins to set towards the mountains.

"It's about evening, so they should be arriving here soon." Twilight says while rubbing her soar neck and shoulders at being stuck in a wooden rocking chair for the whole day. They see four hooded ponies wearing cloaks walking towards the western styled town as dust rages across their hooves. They stride past them and head into the local saloon where AJ, Bloom and Chrysalis follow in curiosity.

"Wha' yah want?" A bartender as he pours a mug of whiskey.

"We're not here for the drinks, my friend." The lead hooded pony says with a strange accent.

"Wha' kand o' accint is tha'?" Bloom whispers.

"It sounds Trottslevanian but I could be wrong." Chrysalis whispers back.

"Oh? Then wha'?" The bartender asks.

"We're here to see the mayor, something about a Were-Pony problem?" The second hooded pony says making the ponies in the saloon to drop everything they are doing and stare at them.

"Are ya'll tha' huntahs?" A blue furred pony asks while wearing sheriffs clothing asks. The lead hooded pony narrows their emerald green eyes.

"Depends, are you Sheriff Blue Wing?" They ask.

"I am." The sheriff pony says as blue feathered wings spread from his back.

"Ah remembah Dash sayin' tha' she had a family membah named Blue Wing!" AJ whispers out in surprise. "Ah think this is 'im." She tells them. They nod their heads and keep watching as the hooded pony and sheriff pony leave after talking about meeting with Mayor Dusk.

"Come on." Chrysalis whispers out and the three of them tail the hooded ponies and sheriff to the Mayor's office that was just across from the saloon for some odd reason.

"Come in." A mares voice says. The three of them move to the window at the side of the office and peer inside and watch as the Mayor, who looked closely similar to Mayor Mare but with dusk purple fur and stardust colored mane and tail, speak with the lead hooded pony about their problem. Apparently, from what they gather, there had been attacks made by Were-Ponies, Vam-Ponies, and Ghouls, let alone masked monsters, Hollows, attacking them after the towns "scientists" brought something back with them that was to "mark a new age for Pony-kind!".

"I see, then you shall need to pay triple the amount." The lead pony says.

"Triple!?!? I'm already paying you four-hundred bits per hour! How can I pay twelve-hundred bits per hour when the mines are blocked off by those foul beasts!?!?" Mayor Dusk roars. The lead hooded pony raises red hands up in defense.

"I had meant after the job was done and the mines were re-opened. We understand how hard it is for you and your town to pay, or even go on, with the mines closed." They say with a nod of their hood covered head.

"I see." Mayor Dusk says before closing her eyes and sighing. "Very well, twelve-hundred Bits it is. Now please, deal with these monsters." She says. The leader nods and turns towards the last two hunters.

"I want you two to stay in the town to make sure that nothing wrong goes down. And to check on this "item" that these "scientists" found." They say. The two nod their heads and the leader along with the hunter beside them moves out of the office and towards the mines. The first of the two in the office pulls their hood down. They note that he is a colt around 17 years of age while the other hunter is a mare of about 18 years. They also note that she looks exactly like Applejack.

"I need to know where your hotel is, we have been traveling for weeks just to get here, if you would be so kind." The colt says with a strange accent neither of them had heard of before.

"Of course, I'll show you where the hotel is, but may I ask where you are from?" Dusk asks.

"I was born in the badlands during my parents traveling from their home. If you want to know where they came from, I do not know, they had said it was a beautiful place, but never said where it was or the name of it." The colt says with a sad tone at the end.

"I see, and may I know your names?" The Mayor asks.

"Cer'ainly! Mah names Golden Delicious, though mah friends an' family call meh Applejack, no' really sure whah." Golden says while rubbing the back of her neck and flashing a sheepish smile. AJ stares wide eyed at the mare that looks exactly like her.

"Tha' does explain a bit...." Bloom says before her eyes sparkle. "Wai'! Ah remembah Granny tellin' us abou' how yah got yer name! Remembah how she said tha' yah were named aftah our grea', grea', grea' granny?! Ah thank this is who she meant!" Bloom squeals out happily. AJ blinks at her sister before nodding her head.

"Ah can see tha'." AJ says with a blank look.

"But she looks exactly like you, perhaps your a reincarnation of her?" Chrysalis asks.

"rein-wha'?" Bloom asks.

"Reincarnation, it means you were alive at some point, and then came back. You know of "past lives" right?" She asks Bloom.

"Well yah, Cheerilee told us all abou' tha' befer summah started!" Bloom states.

"Well that's what a reincarnation is! In fact, Dash, Gilda and Spike are technically reincarnation's, but on a stranger level." Chrysalis explains. Bloom nods her head.

"Ah get it." Bloom says.

"Will ya'll shush up so we c'n listen in!?" AJ hisses out.

"Sorry/S'rry" They say. AJ nods and they turn back to look into the window just in time for Dusk to ask the colts name.

"And what of your name?" Dusk asks. The colt places a hand to his chest as if checking to make sure something was still there before looking up at the Mayor with hard eyes.

"I was named Crimson but now I am Crimson Apple." He says as he looks to Golden with a loving look. Golden smiles back to him cheerily making Dusk smile at them.

"You two are married?" She asks. Crimson shakes his head.

"Not yet, we have a few more months before the wedding, but I can hardly wait to be with my Golden Delicious Apple for the rest of my days." He says with a small fond smile as his light pink eyes seem to hold a loving glow to them as he looks at Golden.

"I'm glad you two have each other. It has been some time since I had seen my husband and children. But, I was needed here. Now, if you will follow me I shall show you the way to the hotel." Dusk says with a fond smile as she and Blue walk out of the office with Crimson and Golden walking side by side.

"Come on!" AJ says as the three of them tail the four ponies through the shadows. As they pass by where their friends are, Dash grows curious.

"AJ? What are you three doing?" She asks gaining the others attention.

"We're following them as to find out more about what's happened. We might even find Spike if we're lucky." Chrysalis explains quickly before catching up to Bloom and AJ with the others on her tail. They follow the four ponies into the local hotel and notice that it is mostly abandoned.

"What has happened here?" Crimson asks. Dusk sighs.

"When the mines lost workers and the monsters attacked, most of the townsfolk and visitors either left, stayed, or died. A good couple thousand ponies are left in the town." She explains.

"Tha' mus' be hard." Golden says solemnly. Dusk nods her head with a sad sigh.

"It indeed is hard, but we will get through this like we always have." She says with a small sad smile. Twilight takes notes on the ponies and even glances at AJ who gives her a sheepish smile before growing serious and they follow after Golden and Crimson through the halls as the two enter their room.

"Now then, we need to figure out where this "item" is so we can figure out a way to stop the attacks." Crimson says firmly as he pulls out a strange looking revolver that is far before their time.

"Ah know, Ah know! Bu' we still need ta' sleep!" Golden huffs out tiredly. Crimson gives her a sad look.

"True, for the most part that is. I'll sleep with you tonight, if you want." He offers. She gives him a sultry look and pulls him close to herself before planting a deep, heavy passionate kiss. He growls softly and grips her bottom tightly underneath her robes and feels her up. She parts from him.

"I bucking need you now~!" She growls out in a purr and pushes him onto their bed before stripping from her clothes and putting her odd weapons against the wall.

"Maybeh we should wai' ou'side." AJ says with a blush and leaves the room. The others nod and follow after her. They sit in the hall and wait for the two lovers to finish their love making.

0o0o0o0o0

"Are you fuckin' kidding me!?!?" Gilda roars as the sounds of moans and heavy thuds against the walls keeps going. "They've been fucking each other for four hours!! When are they going to do anything else!?!?" She roars out as she kicks a wall only to pass through it.

"We must wait till they are finished, besides, didn't you and Spike fuck for six hours after becoming one of his mates?" Dash teases with a knowing smirk. Gilda huffs.

"I road him for seven hours, SEVEN, get it right!" She growls out.

"Can we please no' talk abou' this righ' now?" AJ asks.

"Fine." The two of them groan out as if their fun had been ended.

"Ah thank they stopped." Bloom says as the sounds had ended and the sounds of clothes and weapons being shifted around are heard. The door bursts open with Crimson and a fully awake Golden rushing out. "She dun look tired ta meh." Bloom says.

"Perhaps they are just good like that?" Fluttershy asks meekly.

"Maybeh." Bloom mutters out before she and the others follow after them. They notice that ponies are screaming as a Were-Pony roars and charges towards a small group of them. Dash on instinct pulls out Pantera and goes to attack, but stops as Crimson pulls out a black revolver looking crossbow and points it at the Were-Ponies head as he appears above it and fires. The bullet like arrows tear through the Were-Ponies head. The body drops to the ground with a sicken squelchy like sound.

Howls echo out through the night air as more Were-Ponies and even a few red eyed ponies, Zom-Ponies, arrive into the town like ghosts. He lands onto the ground and pulls out another revolver looking crossbow, only this one is white, and points it at the charging Were-Ponies.

"Get them inside, Golden, I'll deal with these." He says evenly before holding his right arm over his left and opens fire. Golden nods her head and turns to the ponies.

"Come on! We hafta get insi'e!" She tells them and as she goes to lead them away, a large Drake roars and swoops down, knocking her through a building that looks to be the bank. It roars once again as it breathes it orange hot fire down upon the building an a few of the other ones making more ponies rush out screaming. It swoops down and chomps down onto a pony while stabbing it's claws through three more and takes off into the night sky.

More Were-Drakes screech and swoop down from the mines and mountain as large spiders crawl along the mountain side towards the town. AJ and the others stare with wide eyes as hundreds upon hundreds of monsters charge into the town. Explosions erupt from the mines and the first two hunters shoot out of the mine holding those strange looking crossbows and swords as they tear through the monsters as they make their way back to the town.

Golden walks out of the burning bank unharmed, aside from her cloak being torn, and pulls out trowing daggers and sends them flying into Were-Ponies heads along with crushing Zom-Ponies heads with her boot covered heels. She spins around and lets more daggers fly into Were-Drakes joints before igniting the wires connecting to the daggers that then explode the Drakes apart into bombs of gore.

"Get inside!" She screams to the ponies as they run about in panic. The large spiders reach the town and tackle a few ponies and drag them under ground. She curses under her breath before pulling out a rapier and jumps into the air where she stabs at the spiders and Were-Beasts sending lightning bolts down upon them. She spin kicks a jumping spider away before making it explode with her lightning enchanted rapier.

She lands and rushes to Crimson who is being pinned by a large Were-Drake who has it's claws running through his side. She jumps into the air and roars out, "Leave my fiance alone!!" before stabbing the rapier through it's head and sends millions of volts of electricity through it's body cooking it instantly. Crimson pulls the claws out of his side and coughs up a little blood.

"Buck I hate it when that happens...!" He coughs out as if it were a daily occurrence. Golden pulls out a strange looking vile that holds a acid green looking liquid in it. She pulls the cork out and lets a few drops of the liquid go into his side which then heals up as if nothing had happened. "Thanks. love." He sighs out in relief.

"No problem, babe." She says with a wink before growing serious and rushes towards a filly who has a Zom-Pony running after them. She jump spin kicks the Zom-Ponies head right off of it's shoulders before stabbing another through it's head with her rapier. Turning to the filly she notes that she has a few scrapes. "Were you bitten?" Golden asks. The filly nods and she bows her head. "I'm sorry...." She tells the filly who nods her head solemnly and raises her chin with her eyes closed. "I'll make it quick." She says and the filly nods as her resolve shows on her hard face.

Golden raises her rapier and shakily waits as the filly starts to twitch and falls to their back. She closes her eyes and stabs forward as the sound of gurgling growls comes from where the filly once was. Opening her eyes she sends lightning coursing through the blade making the newly made Zom-Ponies head explode before sighing sadly and running towards the other two hunters who are killing monsters left and right. She jumps and spins through the air as she sends lightning bolts raining down upon the monster horde.

"Thanks." The leader says as she, as her hood came off and showed she looked similar to a younger Granny Smith, shoots arrows into a Were-Drakes head between the eyes.

"When are these things just going to stop coming!?!?" The second exclaims before the monsters roam the town and destroy buildings as more and more just seem to come into the town by the hundreds. Crimson puts his crossbows away and pulls out a large claymore like sword with a skull and bones guard. He cleaves monsters left and right before there were just far too many as they keep bypassing him and going into the buildings killing and devouring the ponies.

"Damn it!" He growls out before rushing to Golden's aid as her Rapier had been knocked away by a masked creature. His eyes glow faintly as he swings down and lops it's head clean off. They watch as the body turning to ash or white sand and vanishes into the darkness. He turns to her and asks, "Are you okay, love?" She nods her head and picks back up her rapier.

"Yeah, bu' wha'ever tha' thang was, lightning didn' do a thang ta it." She says with a worried look. "Wha' kind o' creature's are we dealin' with, Crimson?" She asks.

"I'm not sure, but we're not enough to handle this many monsters, and if there are more of those things, then we might be in over our heads." He sighs out. She nods and they rush towards where their leader was supposed to be, but what they found was far worse.

"Oh mah Celestia...!" Golden gasps out as tears form in her eyes. They stare as a masked beast devours the insides of their fellow hunters before looking up at them. It releases a howl like roar that AJ and the others all know, and shiver as more howl like roar echo out through the pich black darkness in a haunting manner. She turns to Crimson. "We hav'ta hide!" She says in fear.

He nods his head in agreement and see's a building with little damage caused by it. "We'll go in there after sending the princess a letter." He tells her firmly and pulls out a parchment where he scribbles down onto it rapidly and whistles. A raven hovers down before them out of the darkness and takes the letter before flying back into the darkness of the night. "Okay, let's go." He tells her and they sprint towards the building where they jump their a window and stay in the shadows.

AJ and the others follow after them as they leave the carnage and burning town behind them towards the untouched building. They enter it and watch as Crimson holds Golden tightly to himself and rubs circles into her back.

"I'm sorry about her." He tells Golden who nods and sniffs softly as she buries her face into his chest. Crimson looks up and over to the back of the room and see's a large looking black safe and grows curious. He rises to his hooves and strides over to it where he presses an ear up to the door and hears the faint sounds of chains moving around. "Someone's in there." He says.

"Then we should get them out." Golden says with a sniff and clears her head with a shake and moves to his side. AJ looks to the others with a smile.

"Ah thank we found Spike." She tells them.

"We did." They say happily before they watch as Crimson stabs his claymore into the side of the door and pushes it open where it makes a heavy creaking sound that echoes throughout the building. They take a step into the safe where they see something they were not expecting.

They see a masked being with skin as white as the very moon. It's large bat wings nailed into the walls as dried black blood moves down in trickles. It's thin whip like tail is nailed to the floor as it's body is chained all over with heavy chains that look to belong for ships that go across the sea's. It's body is covered in cuts and pieces of it's flesh are cut out from it's body. They see a wooden table covered with tools and said pieces of flesh.

The being's eye lids remain closed and it's chest barely rises. They grow shocked that it is still alive with a hole running through it's chest, but considering what they had seen so far, it isn't the weirdest thing.

"This isn't right." Golden says sadly. Crimson nods his head.

"I agree, even if this thing looks like those masked bastards." He growls out. "Nothing deserves to be tortured like this." He says.

"Maybe this is why those masked things are here? Maybe the "item" is this creature?" She says. He nods his head lightly and places a hand onto his chin.

"That seems like a high possibility." He says to her before looking around the room.

"Maybe if we free it, then those masked monsters will leave?" Golden says. He nods his head and lifts his claymore onto his back and walks over to the nailed and chained down creature. He kneels down and begins pulling the nails out of it's tail as Golden works on it's wings. She looks down at between it's legs and blushes.

"Give him something to cover up with." She tells him. He raises a brow.

"How do you know it's a he?" He asks. She deadpans.

"Oh I don't know, perhaps the dick or the balls are a good indication?" She deadpans with a brow raised. He nods and wraps a piece of cloth around the beings waist that covers his "private bits" as the nails are all taken out from his body;

"Alright, now we just-" A loud crashing sound echoes and they spin around to see an alpha Were-Pony standing in the doorway of the safe snarling and drooling. Crimson goes to chop it in half, but it stabs it's claws through his abdomen and throws him into the far wall behind the being. Golden sends a bolt of lightning out, only for it to be sucked into the steel of the safe and sent back into her rapier making the blade explode and sends her flying back into the being roughly.

It howls and the noise echoes through the safe as it then lunges towards Golden who stares with wide eyes as it's claws and jaws are close enough to touch. She screams and closes her eyes while holding her arms over her head. The sound of a yelp causes her to open her eyes along with the sounds of a gasp and liquid splashing against the floor. Opening her eyes she see's a black mass stabbing it's way through the Were-Ponies stomach as it whimpers and yelps in pain.

Soft breathing echoes from behind her head. Turning around she see's the beings eyes are open. She notes that they hold a cat like quality to them as the slit pupils and green eyes peer into her emerald ones. She looks back to see the black mass moving up slowly cutting the Were-Pony in half up the middle. The body drops to the floor as it's insides and blood oozes and puddles around the floor. The being rises to it's taloned feet and places her onto her hooves before it's tail pulls Crimson to his own hooves and stares at them silently.

"Thank you." Golden whispers out in surprise as the chains look to be cut clean by the wings. It nods it's head lightly before looking at the doorway of the safe and looks back at them, as if asking them to follow him.

"Where do you plan on going? Monsters and masked creatures are littering the town and killing ponies left and right. What can you do?" Crimson asks. It looks to the dead Were-Pony and then the wall of the safe where it flexes it's wing. The wing tips cleave through the wall like paper, and it then looks back at them. "R-Right." He says with a nod and the being walks out of the safe with it's body healing instantly. As they get outside, everything grows quiet as the masked beasts stop and stare at it.

It looks at them and silently nods it's head and the masked creature lets out a symphony of howl like roars as they move against the monsters and fight against them. Crimson and Golden stare with wide eyes as the very creatures that killed their fellow hunters, follow the simple nod of this one being and help them to get rid of the monsters.

"How did yah do tha'?" Golden asks. The being tilts his head lightly to the side as if asking "what-do-you-mean". "Ah mean how they're helpin' us agains' tha monstahs." She clarifies. He makes a shrugging motion as if saying "I-don't-know" before walking down the dirt road with them by his side, before they become ripples and thick fog like mist obscures AJ's and the others veiws.

"Wha's happenin'?!?" Bloom cries out in surprise.

"It would seem memory has ended, but I fear that Spike is somewhere else." Luna sighs out sadly.

"Wha' do yah mean?" AJ asks.

"What I mean is that our love is somewhere in this mist, or fog, or whatever you feel like calling it. The memory has ended and we must go find him." She explains. They all nod and move through the mist and look around as a dungeon forms around them. The sounds of chains rattling against a brick wall reaches their ears.

"This way." Nightmare says and they turn down a hall where they are confronted by strange looking shadow beasts that hold pitchforks and have glowing yellow eyes filled with hunger. "Great, more of these things." She sighs as she brings out her Zanpakuto. "We may need to get through these things first." She tells them. Gilda steps forward with her axe drawn and a blood thirsty grin plastered onto her lips.

"Fucking finally! After watching all that shit, I've been itching to kill something!!" She cackles out as she stabs forward and cleaves a shadow beast in half making purple blood splatter against the walls and floor. The Shadow Beasts roar and rush her. She cackles madly as she cleaves them apart covering the walls, floors and ceiling with their purple blood. She frowns toothily. "Tch, fucking weaklings. Probably don't have the balls to kill anything." She hisses out angrily.

"Perhaps not, but we now have a path towards Spike. Now lets go." Chrysalis says with a nod and runs down the hallway with the others after her. They move down the hallway and reach a cell that has darkness oozing from it. Looking inside they see Spike chained like the creature was in the memory they had walked through, the only difference is that the chains are shocking him and his eyes will sometimes flash crimson before returning to their green luster as if he is fighting to keep something back and down.

He cries out in pain as the nails seem to become heated and smoke rises from his wings and tail making him shudder in pain. The Darkness circles him and thin tendrils jet out and stab into him making him cry out in more pain. They stare at him as he pulls on the chains and nails with all his strength and for neither of them to budge. He pants heavily as the items inflicting his pain cease and he is allowed to breath. Gulping down another breath of air he looks up at them with wide surprised eyes.

"H-How..." He croaks out weakly. AJ narrows her eyes as they begin to glow soft pink and light pink energy seems to rise from her. She raises a hoof and kicks the bars on the door only for the darkness to lash out at her and send her flying back into a wall. She growls as the pinkish energy pulsates around her and a double sided lance begins to form in her right hand. She grits her teeth as the lance pulsates with pink lightning that circles it's tips.

She spins the lance around before stabbing at the darkness making it part for her. She moves through the parted darkness as her right eye is bright pink with a white slit and left is emerald green with a black slit.

"We were worried about you." Nightmare says as she and the others join AJ in the room as they tug the chains off of him and pull the nails out of his wings and tail. "I had Luna bring them to me so we could come into your dreams and help you get out of this darkness, but I fear this isn't something that will go unless we hit it's source." She sighs out the last part sadly.

"The...source?" He pants out after being freed.

"Sombra, the Stallion of Darkness and Hatred. We fought against him two thousand years ago." Celestia says with a sad look.

"I see, so why do I hold this inside me?" He asks.

"Because ya'll were there." AJ says as she kneels before him and hugs him tightly and closely to her form. "Ya'll was tha one tha' Ah have mah name. Thank yah." She whispers out as she kisses him deeply. When they part he gives her a confused look.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"We had to get through one of your memories, and we saw you here in Equestria! You were the one who saved those two apples, remember?" Chrysalis says in hopes of jogging his memory. He blinks before his pupils dilate and he grabs his head tightly and screams in pain as images and fights flash through his mind. Gilda and Dash drop to their knee's as they remember it all as well. The three of them pant heavily and look at each other.

"How the hell did that fucker get into our minds?!" Gilda hisses out angrily. Dash nods her head as Spike gets to his feet with a hard look on his face.

"When Sombra get's free again, I'm going to make sure he pays for what he has done!" He growls out in fury as the darkness begins to spiral around him as if reacting to his him for some strange reason. Celestia and Nightmare stare at him with wide eyes as the darkness gains eyes that glow green and begin to merge with his shadow as if becoming one with him.

"I think this is not all Sombra's fault." Nightmare says making him look up at her. "Your darkness is a part of you, yes, Sombra's darkness is in you but it isn't causing you harm, not like it was before when you were rejecting it, but helping you. It would seem that your Draconic side is interacting with your other sides and merging with them." She explains. He blinks at her.

"Like it's fusing with what I am?" He asks. Nightmare nods her head lightly.

"Exactly that, though it seems odd, you hold a similar feel to myself, Sombra and even Discord. I wonder why." She says while rubbing her chin lightly.

"Perhaps it has to deal with who his father was?" Luna asks. Spike gains a strange look at he turns to Celestia.

"Who was my father? Better yet, who was my mother?" He asks. Celestia sighs softly.

"I am not sure, as I have told you before. But I feel that in time you shall find out, we all will." She says sagely with a knowing nod. He nods his head and looks at them.

"So, can I wake up now? I feel better." He says. Luna and Nightmare nod their heads and with flashes of light, they along with the others, vanish from his dream world, which morphs into Hueco Mundo fused with Equestria, and back to their bodies in the real world. He closes his eyes and feels himself vanishing from his dream world, but not before opening his eyes again to see those two woman once again, only this time, their holding his cleavers with grins gracing their lips.

And with that, everything turns white, and he returns to the real world unaware of the powers that are awakening.

Author's Note

What ya'll think?
Ja ne!