Spike stared at the goldish liquid in his glass, before knocking it back and downing it. The burning liquid slid down his throat and even more alcohol was introduced to his system. He shook his head as the sensation made him shiver.
“Hay, when I said I’d hang out with you, I didn’t mean going out to a bar and drinking ourselves to death. You know I don’t even drink, Spike.” A smoke grey stallion said to him. His mane was a deep jet black and was swept to one side of his head, covering his left eye. He and Spike were both dressed in their armor, not yet having been allowed to remove them.
“Yeah, well maybe you should… You wouldn’t complain as much a as you do, Spades.” Spike slurred in an attempt at an insult, though his logic was very thrown off by his drunken state.
Spades groaned and rubbed his temples, feeling the beginning signs of an oncoming headache. He took a deep breath to ensure he wouldn’t strangle the arrogant purple stallion. “I don’t complain as much as you think I do. I only complain when my superior makes an arrogant decision. It’s only increased because the decisions have gone from arrogant to stupid. You almost got us killed four times in the last month. Who’s to say there will be an almost next time.”
Spike paused just as he was about to take another shot and sighed. He slowly set the glass down and shook his head. “You know… It’s one thing to not agree with my orders, or even openly ignore them… But to call me stupid to my face. You do have balls, Lieutenant.” The purple stallion chuckled.
“Enough to tell you you’re not my superior. I’m quitting the Solar guard.” Spades snapped as he stood from the bar and turned toward the exit. “You endanger my life and Celestia has a soft spot for you. My children need me and I won’t let you endanger my family any longer. Good luck getting yourself out of the grave you’re digging.” The stallion then proceeded to leave Spike.
“Shoulda kept your mouth shut, Lieutenant.” Spike mumbled under his breath as his horn began to glow green.
Before Spades could reach the door, he was caught by Spike’s magic aura, causing him to freeze in place. The green energy then tossed him across the bar and crashed him into a circular table at the other end of the room.
The whole bar suddenly grew silent as they looked to see the pony who had been injured, then to the one who had thrown him. Spike simply acted as if nothing had happened. He picked up his glass and finished his shot, before paying the tab and grabbing his jacket then walking out, not minding the stares of the many ponies in the slightest.
Spike stopped right at the edge of the overhanging roof, which was extended only over the short walkway from the door of the bar. He sighed and ran his hands through his spiky green mane. He reached into his satchel for the bits for a taxi home, but all that was left were two daggers and his watch. Spades was supposed to help him home. He always did, but Spike’s recent act of violence pretty much tossed that plan out the window.
What made things worse for the drunken stallion was that it was dark and raining. He could hear the heavy downpour as it pummeled the ground with thick rain drops.
The stallion growled and threw on his jacket, before storming out into the pouring rain.
“Spike! Why are you home late and soaking wet!? Were you drinking again!? How many times have I told you about alcohol abuse!? You know you have a weak liver!” A lavender dragoness roared at Spike. She was taller than most ponies, besides the walking apple tree, Big Macintosh, and her scales all glistened with a magenta tint. Her wings were almost as large as she was, towering over her shoulders and almost dragging the ground behind her. Her black head and neck spines grew oddly curved in a single direction, making them look like they were draped over her head and neck. A single purple and pink spine grew in the mix, making like a mane highlight. A row of light purple underbelly scales ran down from her neck and ended mid-tail.
Covering her form was a very unrevealing black sweater and a pair of tight jeans with fake fur to warm her ankles. Her paws were kept bare.
“So what do you have to say for yourself, Spike!?”
Spike’s ear twitched as he looked up at her. “Oh, I’m sorry, Twilight. I must have zoned out.”
Twilight bared her fangs and growled at Spike menacingly. “You weren’t listening!?”
“I don’t think I have to.” Spike replied arrogantly. “I’m twenty five damn years old and the only reason I haven’t moved out is because you feed me every day.”
The dragoness raised her hand as if to strike the stallion, but quickly stopped herself when Spike’s horn began to glow. Instead she grabbed him hard by his horn and yanked him toward her, causing him to squeal in pain. “Don’t you forget, Spike, who you’re talking to. I was the one who taught you to use magic. Mistake my kindness for weakness again, and you will have to find a way to live on your own without magic. I won’t tolerate your attitude if it continues.”
“Owowowowowowowowwwww! Ok! Ok!” Spike cried out.
“Now stop this tuff act of yours. It’s getting you nowhere.” Twilight let go of Spike’s horn, allowing him to pull away and tend to his throbbing horn. She crossed her arms and stared Spike down with her intense gaze. “Tell me what happened after you got to the bar.”
Spike knew it was pointless to argue with her. He was aware of that now, thanks to the rude wake-up call having sobered him up. “Well…” He started, struggling to continue, not knowing how angry Twilight was going to be. “Spades wanted to hang out and we went to the bar together. He decided to start some trouble and we got into a confrontation. I… used my magic on him.”
Twilight gasped. “Spike! What have I told you about that?”
“I know, I know… I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“You think? I thought writing that rule a thousand times was enough to make you get it. The magic I taught you is for defence only. If used incorrectly, you could kill somepony without even meaning to. Even if you use a simple levitation spell. Your magic is stronger than most others.” Twilight scolded, stressing her point to the smaller pony.
Spike shrank away. “I… was drunk…”
“Yeah, well… That’s your fault.” Twilight groaned and rubbed her temples. “Change out of your armor and put your reading glasses on. I guess I’m going to have to drill this into your head again.”
“Awww!” Spike complained, but didn’t turn his displeasure into words. He picked up his jacket and made for his sleeping chambers.
The next day, Spike’s wrist was throbbing with pain. There was no way he could even swing a sword, even if it were a life or death situation. Twilight’s relentless drilling had made sure of that. The alcohol had also been removed from his system before he had started writing, making it so that he could feel the slow growing agony in his wrist and arm.
The purple stallion groaned and rubbed his face with his good hand. There was no way he was even going to work today. Whoever said writing was easy has obviously never met Twilight. But then again… maybe he was just lazy and simple punishments were enough. Maybe that’s why he had all the chores still.
Spike shook his head, trying to snuff out the thoughts that kept burning what little fuel he had left. Instead, he used it to push himself out of bed and onto his hooves. After taking a moment to gather himself, he began his sleepy-walk to the kitchen as the first signs of hunger began to gnaw at him.
“Sleep well?” Twilight asked suddenly as Spike passed by unknowingly.
Spike cried out as he was startled. His hoof slipped on a slick spot on the stone floor and he fell face first into the hard floor. He groaned in pain.
Twilight sighed and shook her head. “Jumpy this morning, aren’t we?”
The purple stallion pushed himself into a sitting position and rubbed his sore snout as a slow nosebleed began to trickle from his nostril. “Don’t sneak up on me like that…” He whimpered.
“I didn’t sneak up on you. You walked right past me.” Twilight replied, crossing her arms. “But that’s not important. Why aren’t you getting ready for work? You were supposed to leave before I woke up.”
Spike looked away, but held up his next-to-useless hand. “Your relentless drilling strained my hand… Can’t even move my fingers.”
The dragoness rubbed the bridge of her snout and sighed. “One of these days you’re going to grow up, Spike… Fine, stay home. But you’re cleaning everything that doesn’t require two hands.”
Spike slowly nodded. He continued to avoid Twilight’s gaze.
Twilight shook her head, before walking toward the kitchen. She began setting out the utensils necessary to start her morning tea as soon as she got there.
“So do you plan on just sitting in the hallway all day? Or do you want breakfast?”
Spike’s ears perked up at the mention of food. He quickly scrambled to his hooves and nearly sprinted for the kitchen to help.
Spike’s ears rang as he felt the jaw-jarring impact of a fist to his chin. The sucker-punch sent him sprawling back, until he stumbled and fell into a wooden table, snapping the legs. The contents that had been placed on top shattered on Spike’s head.
“That’s for last night, bitch.” Spades’ rage induced voice pierced through the ringing in Spike’s ears.
Spike groaned as he struggled to keep consciousness as he attempted to pick himself up off the ground, but it was no use. The moment he had put his hooves under himself, he lost balance and fell back down.
Moments before, Spike had been enjoying a nice day at the local coffee shop. He had dressed warmly due to the chill in the air and the warm coffee made it even more comfortable to him. His right hand was wrapped in a brace, thanks to his writing injury, so he was stuck using his left hand to eat and drink. Little did he know that Spades sought payback for the previous night. It caught him entirely off guard.
One moment Spike was sipping on his coffee, then next he was knocked into somepony else’s table, causing the two mares that happened to be seated at it to scream.
Spike wiped a small trickle of blood off the corner of his mouth from where his tooth had punctured his lip. He weakly chuckled. “Some uppercut, Spades…. That hurt like Tartarus.”
“Oh, shut up. I only came here to prove a point. Threaten my safety again and I’ll be forced to do the same.” Spades growled back.
“Whatever… I deserved it anyway. You could have at least given me a little warning. I was previously injured after all.” Spike held up his braced hand. “Funny how writing the same thing a thousand times can cause so much pain.”
Spades ignored the comment and about-faced, before walking casually away.
Spike’s forced smile dropped from his face and he looked up at one of the mares that were still standing there. She was a cute blue earth pony with a straight white mane. She wore a black hoodie and a short skirt. A pair of white leg warmers covered her skinny legs. Spike forced a smile again. “Mind lending me a hand?”
Spike awoke the next day with a throbbing headache and a sore jaw. The flashback of the previous day was instant. “Damn you, Spades… That hurt.” He groaned groggily.
“You’re late again.” Twilight’s voice came suddenly. The stallion jumped from the privacy intrusion, startled by his caretaker.
He groaned again, rolling back up in his blanket. “Go away…”
“Really, Spike? Acting like a ten year old?”
Spike growled, but didn’t reply.
Twilight shook her head and sighed. “What has gotten into you?” She walked closer toward his bed, but a thick wall of iron fell in front of her, surrounded by a green aura. She rolled her eyes. “Ok.”
On the other side of the wall, Spike had relaxed in his bed again. He was sure he had gotten his point across with the wall and took time to fluff his pillow, before resting his head on it.
He was startled fully awake when he heard the sound of a hard impact and bending metal. He shrank away under his blanket in slight fear. “Uh, oh…”
Twilight reached in through the large hole she had made in the metal and yanked Spike out by his hoof. The stallion dangled upside down in her grip, Twilight holding him with brute dragon strength. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Spike. Whatever it is, I won’t tolerate it. Now get yourself together and find your armor. You are not staying home today.”
“And who made you my mother?” Spike asked arrogantly.
Twilight lifted an eyebrow. “Oh? Bringing family relations into this, huh? Well how about this…” She dropped the stallion on his head. “You’re living under my roof, eating my food, and using up my living space. My rules are law. Don’t like it? Get out.”
Spike groaned and rubbed the spot on his head that he was dropped on. “What’s the point anyway? Not like what I do affects you.”
“It actually does.” Twilight shot back. “The only reason I’m not hunted by dragon slayers is because of you. And the only reason you’re not discriminated is because the both of us are helpful to this kingdom. The moment you stop being helpful, they’ll start seeing me as a threat and you as a traitor. Now do your duty as the captain of the guard and get your lazy ass to work!”
Spike flinched at the raised tone in her voice. He knew she was pretty much pissed because of the smoke that began to roll out of her nostrils. He slowly nodded and pushed himself up off the floor.
“Hurry up.” Twilight growled, before storming off.
The, once again, physically hurt stallion sighed and vanished the failed wall of iron into thin air with a spark of magic from his horn. He then proceeded to locate his armor, which he found a moment later scattered in his wardrobe. He quickly threw it on piece by piece, grabbed his sword, and ran to the kitchen. There Twilight handed him a hay sandwich made the way he liked it; slightly toasted and heavily peppered.
Spike took it and ate it as fast as he could, downing a glass of orange juice after he was finished. “Thanks, Twilight.”
“Come home drunk again and I won’t hold back. You’ll be out of here before you can say homeless. Understood?”
Spike felt like he had been punched. Right where it hurts. He cringed at her cold words. “Understood…”
Twilight crossed her arms. “Good. Now get going.”
The purple stallion nodded and made his way to the cave entrance. His horn began to glow as he readied his teleportation spell.
“And Spike?” Twilight called just before he could leave.
Spike looked back at the lavender dragon, a curious look on his face,
“I never tried to replace your mother. It’s just that…” She looked away, her expression saddening. “Well… you’re the hatchling I never had. I don’t mean to seem harsh, but I’m supposed to be. Don’t hate me for treating you like a hatchling when your actions ask for it.”
Spike felt his chest tighten a little at that. He slowly looked down at his hooves and nodded. “Sorry…” And with that, Spike vanished in a flash of green.
“Captain, a message from the mountain post.” A guard’s voice called through the door of Spike’s office. The purple stallion himself had been in the middle of sending a report to Celestia before the interruption.
Spike sighed and set down the rolled up parchment. “You may enter.”
The door opened to reveal the typical white pegasus guard dressed in gold solar armor. The enchantments of the common guard armor made every guard look exactly the same while wearing it. The guard stepped inside and placed a sealed parchment on Spike’s cluttered desk. The word ‘Urgent’ was written on the outside.
“What’s this about, soldier?” Spike asked, picking up the letter and inspecting the seal. It was in the traditional shape of princess Celestia’s cutie mark; the sign of the solar guard.
“I can’t say for sure, sir. I wasn’t informed of the situation.”
Spike nodded. “Understood… You may leave now.”
The guard saluted, before about-facing and walking out the way he came. He closed the door behind himself.
Spike scratched his chin curiously and popped the seal, unraveling the parchment on the surface of the desk. He then began to read.
November 20th, North mountain post
At precisely fifteen hundred hours, our unicorn team picked up a security breach in the western territory of the mountain range. Not more than a few clicks from your home, sir. Target is an adult dragon. Type, gender, and danger unknown. It has, as of now, taken refuge in the abandoned gold mine. We’re running short on supplies at the moment or we would have engaged on our own, but I can’t risk my subordinates.
Requesting immediate assistance. Send a trained dragon slayer and a care package.
Sergeant Red Wing
Spike sighed. “I guess Manehatten will have to wait.” He opened his supply drawer and pulled out a fresh parchment and a feather pin. He dipped the tip in ink and began writing a letter to Celestia.
Dear princess Celestia.
I have recently received word of a rogue dragon trespassing in the mountain range. Sergeant Red Wing himself sent the message two days ago. It arrived today requesting for assistance. He mentioned their supplies running low and requested for a dragon slayer. The target in question is an adult dragon with unknown capabilities. Requesting permission to hire one of the dragon slayers that are left.
Captain Spike.
Spike read over his letter twice to make sure it was written the way he wanted. After a moment, he was satisfied with it and rolled it up, before stamping a seal on it. He then held it up and hit it with a teleportation spell, sending it straight to Celestia.
He sat back in his chair and pulled back out the other letter he had been working on, reading back over what he had already written so that he could remember what he was writing about. He then set that aside for later and waited for Celestia to reply.
He didn’t have to wait long.
A bright light exploded in front of Spike as another rolled up parchment appeared on his desk. It had a slightly different seal than the usual. It was still the solar seal, but it was split in half with the lunar seal making up the other half, like a yin yang.
Spike quickly picked it up and broke the seal, before unraveling it. The letter was written in the perfect handwriting of the princess herself. It read:
Dear Faithful Captain of the guard.
I understand your soldier’s worry of the dragon, but I cannot allow a war. I will gratefully send them supplies for the oncoming harsh winter that we are due for, but I cannot risk their lives on a dangerous escapade such as dragon slaying. All of my dragon slayers were decommissioned long ago; when Twilight arrived to be exact. I could not ask them to do this even if I wanted to.
This is why I’ve decided to request that you alone go to meet this dragon. Your magic is as close to dragon magic as it could possibly be. But you are not a dragon slayer. I will not order you to do this. You will have to make the decision on your own.
Your loving princess
Celestia
Spike sighed and rubbed his hand through his mane. The princess had, not ordered, but asked him to slay a dragon. As if he could be the one that could do it. He was raised by a dragon. There had to be another way.
“But Celestia said the dragon slayers are decommissioned. Why would she ask you to do this?” Twilight’s voice asked from behind him.
Spike yelped and fell out of his chair, crashing to the floor. He glared angrily up at the lavender dragoness. “Will you quit sneaking up on me like that!?”
“Sorry.” Twilight replied as she picked up the letter and read it over. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
The fallen stallion pushed himself back up into his chair. He snorted in irritation. “It means she wants me to kill a dragon. Big deal.”
“No, she wants you to negotiate. Celestia was never fond of ending another’s life.” Twilight replied sharply. “Think. If you can get him or her to leave peacefully, then Celestia may be more inclined to allow him or her back, just for the sake of having another peaceful dragon around. I mean, look at how much I’ve done for Celestia.”
Spike lifted an eyebrow. “Another dragon around? That would be interesting.”
Twilight nodded, setting the letter back down. “Maybe you should accept.”
“But what if he-slash-she doesn’t want to negotiate.”
“Then you have a sword and magic, as well as a direct link to me. If things get out of hand, you can always call for help. I’ll find you. I always do.”
“Right…” Spike replied, sounding unsure.
“And by the way.” Twilight set a rolled up brown paper bag on Spike’s desk. “I came to drop off the lunch you forgot.”
The moment Twilight mentioned lunch, a loud growl came from Spike’s stomach. Spike blushed in embarrassment and snatched up the bag.
“I thought so.” Twilight giggled, before vanishing in a purple flash.
Spike quickly opened the bag and pulled out a lettuce and tomato sandwich and began eating. While he ate, he began to ponder the idea of taking the solo mission. He would be going against a dragon. He couldn’t even overpower Twilight. There was no way he could defeat a dragon if a fight were to break out. He didn’t even know if there were stronger dragons than Twilight.
He sighed and pulled out another clean parchment and picked up his pen. His hand hesitated over the clean sheet, doubts flying through his mind at a hundred miles an hour. Spike shook his head to clear his thoughts. “No… I can do this.”
He pressed his pen tip to the parchment and wrote two simple words, not even a ‘Dear princess Celestia’. The letter read:
I accept.
Spike rolled up the letter, sealed it, and vanished it away in his magic. He then sat back in his chair and sighed. “I’m so screwed…”
Spike wiped the sweat from his forehead as he continued to relentlessly run down the carved out path in the mountain range. He would also teleport right before every time he would stop for a break, saving both time and energy.
He had been moving now for an hour since his departure from home and was at least halfway to his destination. He decided to make his next stop where he would look over his map and check his supplies.
Spike’s horn glowed brightly, before he cast his teleportation spell again. He vanished and instantly reappeared in his next rest spot. It, thankfully, had a wide rock overhang over the path, shielding it from the cold wind. He tiredly sat down and rested himself against the cool wall, before pulling out the map.
Spike traced his finger over the path, trying to find where he was now. He had no difficulty remembering the turns he made and traced them to his current location. “There… Halfway there, huh? I’m making good time.”
He reached into his satchel and pulled out another one of Twilight’s bag lunches and and set it down in front of him. It was a little heavier than usual, but he didn’t pay it any mind as he greedily opened it and reached inside.
His expression slowly changed to one of complete confusion as his hand wrapped around a cold, stone-like object.
Spike pulled out what he had found and held it up to the light. In his grasp was a large, bright red ruby in the shape of a heart. A hole had been made at the top with a thick, black string looped through it.
“What are you up to, Twilight?” Spike thought out loud as he inspected the perfectly cut stone. It looked entirely like something one would give somepony on Hearts and Hooves day, just ten times as extravagant.
After a moment, Spike shrugged and placed the ruby into his satchel. He then continued pulling out his lunch, before beginning to eat.
Spike shivered as he cautiously crept up to the dark entrance of the mine. The place looked like death alley, like the mountain would just devour him at any moment. The old supports lining the mouth of the cave were weathered and cracked, but they still held the ceiling from collapsing, or so he hoped.
He shook off his fear and snorted. There was no way he was going to show any weakness, even if he did feel a little inferior when he was about to walk into the lair of a fire-breathing, and possible magic-using, dragon.
“What do I have to worry about? Not like I’m coming here to cause a problem. I’m here to fix a problem.” He reassured himself.
Spike puffed out his chest and cast a light spell, before trudging through the entrance without another thought. His worst mistake to date.
The moment Spike set hoof into the mine, his hoof snagged on a trip wire. The next thing he knew, he was snatched up in a net made of chain link. It was as if a fence was torn down just to make a simple trap. Spike yelped as the rope it was attached to yanked him up into the air and dangled him over the ground.
“You know, darling, I didn’t think that would actually work. Too bad though. I had prepared for an army, not just one clumsy slayer.” The echo of a female voice said from the dark that Spike’s light spell couldn’t reach.
Spike’s ears perked up as he tried to pinpoint where the voice came from, but the fact that he was trapped sent his fear into overdrive. He did his best to hide it, but it was useless. He’d been caught in a simple trap.
“So… I guess then we’ll move on to questioning, shall we?” The voice chuckled. “So, who sent you?”
“N-nopony.” Spike stuttered in reply.
“Oh? My senses beg to differ, little pony.” A figure began to emerge from the shadow, exposing the form of his captor. First, all Spike could make out was the fact that this dragon was pristine white and female with indigo eyes, and she was very much naked. Then, as she walked more into the light from his horn, her juicy details were exposed.
Her anatomy was very similar to Twilight’s; horns, wings, claws, tail, eyes, and even the row of indigo underbelly scales that led from her neck to mid-tail. But instead of a petite body, she was much more rounded around the sweet spots; her thighs, breasts, and butt. She also had actual hair instead of magically styled head spines.
Heat began to rise to Spike’s face as he stared at the naked dragoness. He had never had the privilege to lay his sore eyes upon such a fine piece of art. “Dear Celestia…” He breathed in awe.
The beautiful, white dragoness approached the trapped stallion and grinned. “I smell dragon all over you, slayer.”
