Equestria's Espada

EQUESTRIA'S ESPADA!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN!: "Diamond Dogs? Again?"

By, Vladimir

0o0o0o0

It had been a week since the night Spike had saved Ditzy and she had become a new bond-mate. It was strange at first as AJ, Bloom and Chrysalis were new ones as well, but they welcomed her with open arms, and, as it turned out Dinky and Bloom were good friends, let alone Sparkler and Bloom being good friends along with being part of something called the "Cutie Mark Crusaders".

Anyways, It was awkward to say the least, as Ditzy had been clingy at first, but soon she got over the event as he and the others in their "herd", as they had called it, were protective over each other, let alone constantly making sure they were safe. Dinky took to him amazingly well as she had been following him around everywhere and even mimicking him. It was odd for him at first as he had never dealt with children, aside from Lilynette Gingerbuck but she was a Hollow and was hundreds of years older than any of them, and was unsure on how to react to her randomness and silliness.

Sparkler, however, was a different matter as she took to him, and still is taking to him, slowly. She is not as trusting as her mother and sister is, and while the Doctor was an oddball, the two of them became friends, let alone noticing how Sparkler being rather interested as to why he has a sword and helmet piece on him. It was a little difficult explaining that part but he managed it, somehow.

At the moment, however, he follows Ditzy while carrying Dinky in her arms as they travel over to the post office to gain a new outfit for her job as a mailmare. He had tried to change her mind, but she was set on helping her town with the mail, considering the shit she had to put up with he was going to demand she gain a raise in salary and rank. Behind them Sparkler follows while watching him with an owl like glare, if they could glare she would have it down pat.

They stand before a large blue building with the sign "Ponyville Mail Office" on the front in bright neon orange lettering. He raises a brow at how odd the building is as it is slanted on the roof. He turns to his new mate with a questioning brow.

"Why is this building so...strange? I mean stranger than most." He asks. Ditzy giggles lightly and looks back at him with a smile.

"I don't know!" She chirps out happily and bubbly as she moves towards the building. He blinks with a blank face and looks down at Dinky who mimics him and looks up at him. The two shrug and follow after her as Sparkler face palms at the strange cartoonish behavior they are exhibiting and follows after her mother, sister and Spike.

He looks around the office with a curious brow as Dinky stares at it all as if it were a cartoon show, which they had here and was hers and Sparklers way of torturing him as they were always about strange sea-ponies and magic, needless to say, he hated the ever loving hell out of the show, but sat and watched it with Dinky as she would beg him and give him to dreaded puppy-eyes that works his heartstrings, if he had one, and was forced to sing the song alongside it.

Torture.

He see's Ditzy step into the main office, office in the office equals office-ception apparently, and he follows quickly just in time to see her boss yelling at her.

"What do you mean your suite was damaged again!? Do you know how many times I have to pay just for your clothing to be fixed up and for the complaints?!?!" A middle-aged mud brown unicorn roars out from behind his strange thick mustache. Ditzy flinches back.

"S-Sorry sir!" She apologizes and the stallion huffs with great annoyance and glares down at her as he gets to his hooves.

"Are you really sorry? Or are you really this much of a screw-up as the complaints say!?!?" He roars while slamming his palms against the desk making her jump and flinch back as he gets into her face. "ARE YOU!?!?!?" He roars. She closes her eyes and squeaks softly. That was the last straw. Spike moves in while breaking the door in half. The stallion looks to him in surprise while Ditzy in horror. "Who are you?!" He asks gruffly.

"My name, is Ulquiorra Spike Cifer." He says stepping back into his old habit of speaking evenly and showing no emotion. The stallion stares at him with wide fear filled eyes.

"T-The Ulquiorra?!" He stutters out. Nodding his head he moves steps beside Ditzy and hands her Dinky.

"Indeed. I have a complaint about your staff." He says evenly and the stallion glares to Ditzy making her flinch back.

"What did she do this time?" He growls.

"Nothing. It is not my mate I have a complaint about, but rather yourself." Spike says evenly while fixing the gaping stallion with a cold emotionless glare. "I had witnessed her being attacked and nearly raped at 8:32 p.m. last night, along with being treated terribly by those who made these "complaints". I can vouge that she was only by kind and would smile at them and thank them for their time. Let alone how her "suite", if you call it that, get destroyed by a gang. Then I come here to see this." He hisses out as his eyes glow red and the Doo's grow fearful of him for the first time.

"Wh-What's that?" The stallion asks. He grabs the unicorn by his tie and lifts him up slightly as the room darkens and the shadows swish around like tendrils. He moves him close to the stallions face as his teeth morph into fangs.

"I come here to see this piece of trash filth yelling at her about the complaints she can't control along with how her suite is destroyed. Personally I would not indulge in killing a pony, but I'm tempted to do so now." Spike growls out as red markings pulsate along his lings in ring like forms. He narrows his eyes.

"Now here's how this is going to go down, your to give her a raise and higher rank in your pathetic little building along with more and less revealing suites along with a vacations pay starting today for a few months. Do I make myself clear, trash?" He growls out making the unicorn nods rapidly. He smiles darkly and releases the stallion so he and the chair fall backwards against the floor. "Good," He says as the shadows and darkness seep back into his shadow and form as he turns to leave with the Doo's who stare at him in shock, he stops and looks back at the stallion with a gleam in his green eyes, "oh and have a nice day." He hisses out as they leave and the door repairs itself so it is back on the hinges and slams shut.

Walking along the dirt road he looks at his mate and her daughters with a worried look.

"Are...Are you three okay?" He asks. Ditzy tackle hugs him and kisses him deeply as Dinky hugs his legs and Sparkler smiles lightly at him. When she parts from him he stares at her with a wide blush and confused look. "Wh-What was that f-for?" He stutters out as his tail flicks around in a nervous manner. Ditzy gives him a happy smile making his blush grow larger.

"A thank you! No pony's ever stood up for me like that! I mean you were scary at first but when that blackness passed over us I felt so safe, like I was being hugged, and the way you demanded those things, it was...kinda hot." She says with a blush. He smiles lightly and rubs the back of his head gently.

"Oh, it's was nothing. I just that you desrved more than a simple mailmare's job. I was actually trying my hardest to NOT kill him..." He mumbles out softly making her roll her eyes.

"I could tell what with you about to bite him, how did you do that anyways?" She asks. He raises a brow.

"Do what?" He asks. She pokes and prods at his teeth making him blush heavily as she messes with his body in such a way. 'What the fuck is happening?' He wonders.

"Where'd those fangs go?" She asks. realization dawns on his face and he nods.

"These?" He asks as his teeth shift into fangs. She nods. "These are a uh...well how do I say this...I'm technically a Vampony, though Ichigo calls me a "Vampire Lord" for some strange reason, he has told me to make my name "Dracula", but that just sounds so..." He is cut off by Dinky.

"Cool!" She squeals out happily. He blinks in surprise.

"You think it's cool to be...what I am?" He asks. She nods.

"Yep!" She chirps out.

"Do you know what else I am?" He asks smiling slightly, she shakes her head gently. Ditzy and Sparkler gain curious looks.

"What else could you be?" Sparkler asks. He sighs softly and grabs the zipper of his uniform's jacket.

"Guess I might as well show you, huh?" He asks with nervousness evident in his voice. He pulls the zipper down revealing his hollow hole at the base of his neck and above his chest where it has been. They stare with wide eyes. "I am Ulquiorra Spike Cifer. Prince of Equestria, last bloodline to Tartarus making me it's ruler, and I am the Primera Espada of the Espada Force. I am a mixed being, but I am a Hollow first, mixed second." He tells them as if it were rehearsed.

"Your a...a Hollow?" Sparkler asks. He sighs softly.

"I am. And I was born in the deepest pit of Hueco Mundo, or as you ponies call it, Tartarus." He says softly. "I died there and then came back as a Dragon before remembering who and what I was and regained myself. This is my new chance at life, and so far it's been pretty good." He tells them with a smile.

"So, when you said you were born there, you were being truthful?" Ditzy asks. He nods his head and turns away.

"I am sorry if you hate me now that you know I am truly a monster." He says with a pained voice and with his eyes closed. soft hands turn her face and he opens his eyes to see Ditzy's loving eyes looking into his.

"That still doesn't matter to me, it just means your different, and I like different." She tells him with a wink making him blush lightly and smile.

"I'm glad." He says before looking forward and see's ponies going into Sugarcube Corner and he gets an idea. "How about we go there for something to eat?" He asks and Dinky's face lights up and she bounces up and down strikingly similar to Pinkie Pie whenever she is happy.

"Yes!" Dinky chants out as Ditzy nods and walks towards the bakery with Dinky skipping along side her like Pinkie does. He looks to Sparkler who has him fixed with a strange look.

He raises a brow to her. "Yes?" He asks. She looks away with a scowl making him inwardly sigh at her stubbornness at being mad at him for whatever reason. He watches her walk away after Ditzy and Dinky as he follows silently and watches over them closely. He feels something is going to happen, but he is not sure what, as it feels bad.

He follows them inside of Sugarcube Corner and sits at a booth in the corner of the room where the light's are dimmed down as their lights tend to bother his eyes and he prefers to have things darker rather than brighter. He leans back against the cushioned seat and watches as his mate and her children get three chocolate shakes and three muffins of different varieties. Ditzy looks around and spots him in the corner and smiles as she walks over and places the shakes down along with the muffins as she sits next to him as Dinky and Sparkler sit across from them.

"I got you something!" She chirps out making him raise a brow in curiosity.

"Oh? Like what?" He asks with a small smile as she giggles melodiously.

"Close your eyes!" She orders and he closes his eyes and rolls them behind their lids. Why did they always want to have his eyes closed? It made little sense. A pair of lips press up to his in a passionate kiss as he feels love flow into him as a hand gently touches his chest near his hollow hole. He shivers and leans into the kiss as another hand moves to his left hip. The lips leave his and he opens his eyes and looks into Ditzy's golden orbs. "You like it?" She asks with her amazingly sweet voice. He nods his head gently and lays his head onto her shoulder as she smiles and drinks from her shake with a, "Good!" and he closes his eyes gently feeling content with just being there with her and the small ones, even if Sparkler wasn't too found of him.

"Gross." Sparkler says with a quick glare at him just as he opens his eyes. He inwardly sighs again and looks at her with a brow raised.

"Really? I thought it was sweet!" He says in an attempt to make a joke, before remembering he was the only Changeling in the town at the moment and grew silent.

"Maybe for you, but I'm not going to do that with my mate!" Sparkler says haughtily as she drinks her shake.

"Your also thirteen." Ditzy says with an eye roll, and manages to make him dizzy, and places a hand onto his and smiles lightly down to him making him blush lightly as he feels love surging through his body as it moves up his arm and into his chest. He snuggles closer to her and she wraps an arm around his hips and keeps him where he is so he can't "escape" from her. Sparkler narrows her eyes and huffs in annoyance, most likely with him being so close to her mother or possibly from being talked down to, he is not sure which though.

"What do you say we go to the park after this?" He asks in hopes of breaking the slight tension as Dinky squeals happily and Sparkler smiles at her sister with a loving look. 'At least she knows when to smile.' He thinks to himself with a smile as Dinky rambles on and on to him about her favorite things to do at the park along with her favorite colors and letters. 'Then again, it's hard not to smile with this little ball of energy.' He thinks with an internal chuckle as he asks her questions in mock surprise.

As they finish their food he feels the need to use his Pesquisa to make sure nothing is going down. He notices many strange signatures moving about outside of the towns limits but nothing that is causing problems. He then feels Griffin signatures which worries him a tad before they move around the town and down south for whatever reason. For some reason he wonders what happened south of Ponyville that makes him feel so uneasily, perhaps it was when and where he had sparred with his mates and caused more destruction than he had hoped? He was not sure.

"Let's go everypony!" Ditzy cheers out happily and Dinky nods with squeaks of happiness as she runs around him in circles as he watches her go. He smiles lightly as her eagerness to go to the park and he "chases" after her before picking her up and placing her onto his shoulders where she grabs on tightly to his horns and looks around in wonder. They walk to the park with Dinky squeaking out orders of what to do.

"Go lef!" She says and he turns to the left and walks. "Go wight!" She squeaks and he turns to the right and keeps walking. "Go to mommy!" She orders out with a giggle making him smile and walk up to Ditzy who has her hands on her hips and a brow raised as a small smile is gracing her lips.

"Does my little muffin like being on Spike's shoulders?" She asks. Dinky nods before trying to get off. He gently picks her up and hands her to Ditzy who kisses him gently on the cheek and they walk side by side holding Dinky's hands as they continue to the park with Sparkler far ahead of them.

"You know you two are really slow right?" Sparkler calls back while tapping a hoof and giving them an annoyed glare.

"Sometimes going slow is nice." He says with a small shrug before sheepishly chuckling under her harsh glare. "Though I suppose we should pick up the pace, no?" He asks nervously making her and Ditzy nod. Dinky runs over to Sparkler and holds her hand as Ditzy stays with them. He stays back slightly as to make sure nothing happens, before his Pesquisa picks up multiple beings moving around underneath the town and moving in from the south.

He stops and closes his eyes as he feels the beings growing closer and closer before his eyes snap open and he looks around wondering just where they were to come up now remembering what the signatures felt like.

Diamond Dogs. Just great.

0o0o0o0

Ditzy smiles down at Dinky as Sparkler sits off to the side with a stick as she huffs and pokes at the ground with it repeatedly. She wonders why her mother liked this thing, he wasn't even a pony or a normal creature! So why did she like him so much? What ever happened to her staying their father, the one who she married. What happened to him, one day he was there, and the next he just gone.

She sulks as she misses the times of when she would spend with her old man as they would go on walks to the lake nearby and do family things with one another. She grows angry at her mother who threw it all away just because of this strange male that isn't even alive. She stabs the stick into the ground, but for some reason it snaps and a dull ringing sound greets her ears. She grows curious and picks up a large rock, for whatever reason, and swing down with it.

Another ringing sound meets her ears with a low growl. She freezes as the ground begins to shift and rise before a large meaty claw bursts from the dirt like from those Zom-Pony movies she watched with her father. She stares with wide eyes as a large dog like thing rises from the dirt wearing black armor. She notices the dent in the helmet and the small piece of rock that is stuck in it.

'Oh...my...Celestia...!' She inwardly chants while hyperventilating in fear as the large dog resembles a sort of boxer. He bares it's massive sharp fang like teeth down at her as it's beady red eyes hold a strange mirth of sorts.

"Horned pony. New slave." It growls out with a deep unintelligent voice as it reaches for her. She screams and moves back as another one bursts from the earth behind her. She notes that it looks similar to a poodle like dog thing. She screams and stares with wide eyes as it moves in to get her. She kicks it right in the jewels making it whimper softly before barring it's needle like fangs at her as it releases a roar like bark.

She screams again in fear as it swipes down at her and she moves to the side getting her shoulder scraped lightly as it's companion moves to grab her as the other moves to eat her, as she believes. She throws her arms over her head and releases a blood curdling scream, before the sound of metal being hit and sparks lightly rain over her. She looks up to see Spike, the male she holds a hatred for, protecting her as he holds the dogs giant wrist as it's claws poke at his chest, the middle claw passing through his hollow hole.

She stares up at him in wide eyed shock as he keeps the dog there as his tail lashes out and whips the other one across the face.

"You shall not have her." He growls out in anger.

"Why?" The poodle thing asks. He looks into the dogs wide eyes with his narrowed eyes.

"Because she is not yours to claim, nor shall I allow you filthy mutts to take any ponies, especially those that are important." He says coldly as his green eyes seem to glow with a sort of fire as he pushes the dog back. "Now leave or I shall kill you." He states evenly and calmly as he stares down the beast that is three times larger than he is. The dogs bark with laughter as more dogs burst from the ground and Griffins move in from the sky.

She stares up at him with wide eyes as the dogs pull large swords from their backs and give him a toothy grin that makes her feel sick as it raises it's sword and swings down at him. She closes her eyes and waits for the sound of flesh to be torn through, but instead the sound of glass shattering meets her ears. Opening her eyes she stares with them wide as he shatters the large hefty stone sword with a single hand as he looks up at the enraged dog.

"You die now!!" The dog roars. He gains a bored look on his emotionless face.

"I see." He looks to Sparkler from over his shoulder with an even look. "Go to your mother and get to the Doctor." He tells her.

"But what about you?!" She says in worry. He gives her a flat look.

"Do not worry about my well-being, Sparkler, I shall be perfectly fine. Now get moving, I'll make sure none of you are harmed." He orders as he blurs from her vision. She gets to her hooves and sprints to her mother and sister as more and more dogs burst from the ground only to be knocked back by Spike's afterimage. She gets to them just as a Griffin is crushed by a falling dog who had been knocked back by Spike's afterimage once again.

"We have to get to the Doctor!" Sparkler says.

"What abou Spi?" Dinky asks.

"He said he'll be fine, now let's go!!" She screams out as they run alongside many other ponies as they move towards their house and a very familiar blue box with a brown stallion swinging a wrench upside a Griffin's head knocking it out cold.

"Come on, come on! Get in quickly!" The Doctor says with an urgent voice as she and the others rush into the blue box. She stares with wide eyes as it is far larger on the inside than the outside, along with the the strange looking machines and devices. The Doctor pulls some levers and he sighs in relief. "Okay, we'll be fine now." He says.

"What did you pull, Doctor?" Her mother asks.

"I pulled the cloaking lever!" He says proudly as if it were some sort of acheivement.

"What is this?!" She exclaims.

"The TARDIS. Think of it as my Spaceship." He says with a smile making her stare at him in surprise.

"Your an alien!?" She screams out. He nods.

"Yep, just as Spike is. Good man he is, same as my partner who told me all about him when he was known as Ulquiorra." The Doctor says as he pulls up a large flat screen the size of a wall. She stares with wide eyes as the screen flicks on and she watches as Spike moves around with Applejack, Apple Bloom, Chrysalis and multiple Hollows protecting the ponies.

"I hope he stays safe..." Ditzy says softly. For ones, she agreed.

'So do I, so do I.' She thinks to herself.

0o0o0o0

Spike stands looking around waiting for the beings to break through the surface, only to hear a scream. He turns and see's Sparkler being trapped by two Diamond Dogs. One looked like a boxer and the other a poodle. He pushes down hard onto the ground as he rockets towards her in a burst of speed making a crater and a wall of earth to form from the spot he stood at.

He blurs in front of her and watches the large poodle's claws. One of them manages to go through his Hollow Hole, not something he enjoys believe me, and grunts as he is pushed back slightly. He glares at the mutt in anger.

"You shall not have her." He growls out in anger as he feels his anger rising but masks it with his signature emotionless mask. The poodle looks down at him with a glare.

"Why?" It snarls out in the form of a growl. He narrows his eyes as he moves in closer to it.

"Because she is not yours to claim, not shall I allow you filthy mutts to take any ponies, especially those that are important." He says coldly as his green eyes begin to glow with a raging inner fire as he pushes the dog back roughly with his left hand as his tail flicks a few times. "Now leave or I shall kill you." He states evenly and calmly as he stares the idiotic mutt down with his rage filling up his mind and chest as he notices it smiling.

It barks with laughter as more Diamond Dogs burst from the earth and grab at ponies only to have Changelings rush in to stop them by looking similar to him, yet completely different as well. Griffins rain from the skies and Hollows move in to intercept them. He growls lowly before the poodle raises a large stone sword above it's head.

'Why must they be so stupid?' He wonders as it swings the sword down. He catches it by the black and as he digs his fingers into it, the blade cracks before shattering with the sound of heavy glass dropping to the ground. The dog roars in anger.

"You die now!!" It roars out. A bored expression plays on his face as it stays emotionless at the same time.

"I see." He says lightly before looking back over his shoulder and down at Sparkler who stares up at him with wide fear filled eyes. "Go to your mother and sister and get to the Doctor." He tells her firmly and evenly. She gives him an odd look.

"But what about you?!" She screams out. He gives her a flat look.

"Do not worry about my well-being, Sparkler, I shall be perfectly fine. Now move, I'll make sure none of you get hurt." He says as he blurs forward and knocks the two dogs into the ground before following after Sparkler with an afterimage Sonido as he knocks more dogs back. As she reaches Ditzy and Dinky he knocks a large dog over onto a Griffin who's blood splatters all over the ground from the dogs great weight.

He follows after the three of them as they get into the box and he spins around where he glares hatefully down at the dogs and Griffins.

"Time to end this." He growls out as he summons his black cleaver and booms down towards them all as Bloom, Aj and Chrysalis boom in to kick some ass. He stabs a dog through the chest and swings upward slicing it up the middle in half as he then spins around and cleaves a Griffin in half with his tail which becomes sharper from the scales. He ducks under a large stone sword from a Dog and swings upward and to the side shattering it while slicing the dogs head clean off it's shoulders.

His cleaver ignites with blue flames as he swings to the side.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" He exclaims sending out a wave of blue flames that devour the Dogs. He growls as ponies are taken down into the holes and dragged underneath the town. He moves to save Lyra, but a Diamond Dog tackles him and he watches as more ponies are pulled underground. He fans out his wings and slices it's arms off of it's body and pushes the thrashing dog off of him. He looks around as Hollows and Changelings killing Diamond Dogs, the ones who weren't smart enough to escape, and Griffins mercilessly.

He hears screaming and spins around to see Dinky and Ditzy being grabbed by a large Diamond Dog that looks like a husky. He stares with wide eyes as they are pulled underground with Ditzy reaching for him. Time seems to slow as everything grows quiet. The fighting becomes a distant memory as he watches his mate and Dinky being captured over and over in his mind like a never ending hell. His hands tremble as their screaming for help echoes on in his mind.

He grips his cleaver's hilt tightly and growls lowly as his other mates and friend rush to his side, unknown to him of course, and the ground shakes as his body wracks in fury he had not felt before. Getting to his feet he stomps towards where the Diamond Dogs are retreating to.

"Spike!!" Chrysalis yells out as she booms before her and places a hand onto his shoulder. He turns to her and she looks down at him with a hard yet sad look in her eyes. "We'll get them back. I promise." She tells him. He nods.

"I know we are, because I'm going to go down there and kill every last fucking mutt there!" He snarls out as his eyes are crimson red as his tail and wings are covered in purplish black scales as his hair grows longer and sharper. She gives him a nod.

"I would normally disagree, but they have gone to far." A motherly voice says from behind. He turns to see Celestia standing there holding a golden halberd and wearing golden sun-armor. He nods and turns before he looks over his shoulder at them.

"Can you keep up?" He asks.

"Of course, question is, can you keep up with us?" Chrysalis asks as she and Celestia share a smirk before the three of them tear off after the Diamond Dogs like bats outta hell leaving an aurora streak, a lime green streak and a pitch black streak rocketing across the land along with thunderous booms as they charge after the mutts.

It was going to be fun.

0o0o0o0o0

The statue of Discord stands in Canterlot Palace's statue garden silently, until a crack begins to form over his chest where a pink orb pulsates and a dark chuckle resounds through the air.