Assassinverse: Inferno

Eight Years Later…

Spike sat in one of the chairs on the train heading back to Canterlot. Not only had he grown quite a bit since he’d last left Equestria for the Dragon Badlands in order to become strong enough and powerful enough to face the entire Traditionalist faction in order to avenge his mother, but he had become far more muscular and even had large, leathery purple wings. He wore a black and green overcoat, black pants, brown leather boots, black leather fingerless gloves, and a green shirt. In other words, he looked far more badass than ever before.

As the train began to clear the dark tunnel within the one of the mountains, Spike looked out the window to see Canterlot for the first time in years. It looked as though it had hardly changed at all since the last time he’d been here...

…

Eight Years Earlier…

Spike and the remaining members of the Mane 6, save for Rainbow Dash, were among the jeering masses who had come to see the execution of those responsible for Princess Twilight Sparkle’s murder, all of whom had been condemned to be burned at the stake, although it was no secret that Celestia would’ve liked to have something far more painful done to them had the law permitted it. Chief among those to be executed was Gallant Heart, whose fingerprints had been found on the murder weapon, and most importantly, Prince Amadeus Blueblood Jr, the one who had orchestrated the entire plot, and who currently looked to be on the verge of shitting his pants. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy had tried to talk Spike out of attending what one could hardly consider a trial and sentencing, but obviously to no success.

Princess Celestia appeared on a balcony overlooking the site of the execution. There was no benevolent twinkle in her eyes. No calming, reassuring presence emanating from her. There was only cold fury in her eyes, and a sense of burning power that was so great it could easily have made the sun itself sweat up a storm.

“AMADEUS BLUEBLOOD JUNIOR, YOU AND YOUR CONSPIRATORS HAVE BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF THE MURDER OF PRINCESS TWILIGHT JEAN SPARKLE, AND HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH!!!!” roared Celestia in a Royal Canterlot Voice that made Luna’s sound like a mouse’s squeak. “DOTH THOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY BEFORE THINE SENTENCE IS CARRIED OUT?!?!”

“HELP ME!!! SOMEPONY, ANYPONY!” screamed Blueblood.

“THERE IS NO HELP TO BE HAD, COWARDLY WRETCH!” boomed Celestia. “THOU ART THE WORST KIND OF MONSTER! ONE WHO WOULD KILL AN INNOCENT MARE IN HER SLEEP, RATHER THAN HAVING THE GUTS TO DO IT TO HER FACE!”

“No… Auntie, please… it… it wasn’t my-” sniveled Prince Blueblood.

“Light them up. NOW!” snarled Celestia.

The Royal Guards holding the torches nodded and ignited the oil-soaked wooden poles the conspirators were tied to. Within a matter of moments, the murderers were engulfed in flames.

As the fires burned bright, Celestia, tears seeping down her face, spoke once again, her voice cracking as she did so. “Let this be the final word: I am taking Executive Action. Princess Twilight Sparkle’s reforms are hereby made the laws of the land. Her death will not be for nothing.”

And with that, Celestia turned around and walked away, as did most of the crowd. Spike, however, stayed and watched the burning corpses of his mother’s killers be reduced to nothing more than ash, almost as if he were mesmerized by the flames.

“Spike, come on, let’s get goin’,” said Applejack, who was an orange Earth Pony with a blonde mane and tail wearing a brown stetson hat, a green shirt with a white tanktop underneath, blue jeans, and brown cowboy boots. Spike, however, didn’t move a muscle and kept staring at the flames. “Spike, come on. Ya’ll don’t need to see this.”

“Yes, I do,” the young drake whispered, no emotion in his voice. “You girls go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.”

The four mares present didn’t really know what to say to Spike. Ever since Twilight’s funeral he’d been acting different. Darker, broodier, more reserved. Applejack, of course, knew Spike’s pain all too well, having lost her own parents to criminal scum. So, the four mares decided to leave Spike be, knowing that he’d meet up with them when he was ready.

Spike stayed and watched the flames for hours on end, until they were no more than embers. Finally, his hunger and exhaustion getting the better of him, he turned and left to go meet up with Applejack and the others.

As he made his way towards Main Street, however, Spike heard what sounded like somepony puking their guts out by some bushes. Curious, Spike made his way towards the bushes and found someone he least expected there, surrounded by empty liquor bottles and puddles of vomit.

“Rainbow? What’s going on? Are you all right?” Spike asked the rainbow-maned pegasus mare, who was wearing a filthy white t-shirt, blue jeans, and black-and-white sneakers.

“H-hey, Spike,” Rainbow said with a drunken slur and a hiccup.

“Rainbow, what’s happened to you? Let me call Applejack, and see if she can help,” said Spike.

“No, Spike. The last thing I need is to see those ponies see me like this,” said Rainbow Dash. “Or see me at all, for that matter. J-just get out of here. G-go home,” Rainbow said.

Spike didn’t really know what to do. He had just lost the closest thing to family he had and he couldn’t bring himself to leave and head home. This was… this was too confusing. He needed time to think.

“Well? What are ya waitin’ for? GO!” Rainbow yelled at him as she accidentally dropped a bottle of cider. “Ya don’t… y-ya don’t wanna see me like this.”

Spike didn’t say a word. Rainbow was right. He really didn’t want to see her like this. In fact, he didn’t want to see any of his friends right now. So, with only a tiny nod to show that he understood, Spike turned and walked away, headed for the train station back to Ponyville.

…

Present-Canterlot Station

His mind immersed within his memories, he entered the Memorial Gardens. The garden would probably be the crown jewel of Canterlot Gardens, with rare flora all over the place had the general public been permitted to enter, but all Spike could focus on was the glass coffin that contained his beloved mother, whose corpse had matted fur and whose gravesite was lit up like a fireworks display with all the flowers surrounding giving it an otherworldly beauty.

"Hi, Mom," Spike said with a somber tone. “I know I haven’t been visiting a lot but I had a ton of things on my plate for a while,” Spike stopped for a moment as he struggled to find the words he needed. Spike looked around and made sure no one was watching before he continued. “I got better. I got stronger and I can hold my own now. Nobody has to save me anymore... nobody has to suffer like you now.” Spike finished by placing a kiss on the lid of the glass coffin.

“Bye, Mom. See you around.”

With that, Spike turned on his heel and began to make his way out of the gardens, only to walk directly into somepony.

“Ow, watch where…” said Princess Celestia, before realizing who she’d bumped into. “S-Spike? Is that you?” the Solar Princess said incredulously.

Spike allowed himself a rare smile. Well, rare these days anyway. “It’s been a long time, Princess,” he said.

“My… my goodness, you’ve grown,” said Celestia in a tone that suggested she could hardly believe that this powerful-looking dragon was once the young drake who’d lost his mother. “Where have you been all his time?”

“Dragon Badlands,” said Spike simply.

“W-well… this is certainly unexpected…” said Celestia. “Come Spike, you must have tea with me. I want to hear everything about your travels.”

Spike shrugged. “Why not? I want to hear how things with the Traditionalists are going,” he said.

Celestia looked a little nervous at this suggestion, before she gave a smile, although one that looked somewhat forced. “S-sure,” she said, before turning around and making her way back towards the castle, with Spike right behind her.

…

A few hours later, Spike and Princess Celestia were in the castle study. A tray bearing a teapot, tea biscuits, and two tea saucers was on the table. Spike sipped his tea, listening intently to what Celestia was saying.

“Things with the Traditionalists have gotten worse than ever,” said Celestia, looking thoroughly downcast. “There’s this new organization called Equestria First, who regularly carries out terrorist attacks against businesses and schools owned and operated by non-ponies. Even my school for gifted unicorns was victim to a bombing recently. The number of death from skirmishes between Traditionalists and Progressives are mounting. If things don’t get better fast, I’m worried that Equestria will face a fully-fledged civil war that no one will walk away from.”

“That won’t happen, Princess. I won’t let that happen,” said Spike, a fierce gleam in his eyes as he spoke. Killing my mother wasn’t enough for those Traditionalist bastards, was it? Now they’ve got to terrorize and torment other creatures? All the more reason to make them burn, I suppose, thought Spike.

“In any case, we have other matters to discuss,” said Celestia. “As her son, you inherited everything Twilight Sparkle once had, her castle, the vast fortune that came with it, her books. Everything she once had is now yours,” said Celestia.

Spike couldn’t help but chuckle. He remembered all-too-well the look on Twilight and her friends’ faces when they found out the Twilight’s new castle came equipped with fully-loaded vaults, filled from floor to almost the ceiling with bits, jewels, and other valuable items. The memory brought something else to mind as well.

“How are Rarity and the others?” Spike asked Celestia.

“I don’t know… I haven’t spoken to them in quite some time,” said Celestia.

“I see… well, then I know where my next stop is going to be,” said Spike, standing up as he spoke. “It was nice seeing you again, Celestia.”

And with that, Spike left the castle and headed for Canterlot Station.

…

Ponyville

Spike couldn’t help but smile as he left Ponyville Station and looked around. The town hadn’t changed a bit since he’d left, with the small exception that a statue of Twilight had been erected in memorial to her. As Spike drew closer to the statue, he noticed that the words “FALSE GOD” had been spray painted on Twilight’s forehead, just above her horn. Spike could feel his burning anger begin to surge forth once more, but he extinguished it at once. He had better things to do than go on a rampage over some graffiti.

Spike felt as though he was in a dream as he walked the familiar path to the Carousel Boutique. Spike knocked on the door, which opened at once.

Spike felt his heart flutter and his jaw drop at the sight of the mare who’d been in his dreams ever since he and Twilight first moved to Ponyville. Rarity had somehow grown more beautiful than ever before, but then again, that might just be because Spike had spent the last eight years in the Dragon Badlands.

“Oh, don’t tell me one of those Canterlot toerags sent you to bully me into give them my shop. I still stand firm on my refusal to accept orders from Canterlot,” said Rarity, dignity emanating from her.

“Uh, no… but, I’d like to place an order for myself. Some of my clothes don’t fit me these days,” said Spike. She doesn’t recognize me… he thought, feeling a little hurt.

Rarity’s demeanor instantly changed. “Oh, well, now, that does change a thing or two. I’ve been waiting for a challenge. Do come in,” said Rarity.

Spike followed Rarity into the boutique, the interior of which seemed to suggest the place had seen better days.

“You can put your bag on the chair over there,” said Rarity as she got out some supplies and an order form. “Now, what name should I place on the order?”

“Spike Sparkle,” said Spike.

Rarity froze in place, then slowly looked up at the dragon, a look of blatant shock on her face.

“Spikey-Wikey? Is that really you?”