Conviction

An orange earth pony sat cuffed to a chair. A camera angled at her face started recording the interrogation. Another pony paced around in the room unable to be identified by the camera.

“Now, ya’ll gotta understand this. The Spike ya’ knew is dead. Equestria killed him. Always askin’ for one more favor one more sacrifice that just went too far. Some dumbfuck Pegasus killed her, a faceless murderer that took the life of his only love, Rarity. She was the only thing that kept him sane. Can’t forget his own agency betrayed him. Set him up, let him loose, an’ told him to kill his friend in a dirty Manehattan basement all for ‘National Security.’ Pinkie Pie died that day by the hands of her most favorite dragon friend. So he left. He left Third Epsilon, Equestria, even Twilight Sparkle. He gave up everything. He dropped off the grid and wandered around for some reason to go on. Then he caught a whisper. A little bird told him where he might find Rarity’s killer. He heard a name, a Noble that was heavily entrenched in the drug and pony trafficking trade, Silverblood. He went to Tapirus to find him and ‘ask’ him some questions.”

Tapirus Streets

The cool autumn air blew onto Spike’s face causing him to shiver a bit. The quite little café he was at was about to become a blood bath and he didn’t even know it. A pony waiter came by in his dashing suit. His attire was much more professional than the dragon’s.

“Sir, this is for you.” Said the pony levitating a tray in front of him. A small earpiece laid in the middle of the wooden tray. The dragon looked at it curiously as he recognized exactly what it was. A comms unit that was highly prized during his career in Third Epsilon. It was the most advanced piece of communications technology available at the time.

He picked the earpiece up and placed it into his left eardrum.

“Spike!” said a female voice over the transmission. Whoever she was she was clearly excited to hear from this dragon again.

“Who is this and how did you find me?” Said spike callousedly. He thought he was done with Third Epsilon, it seems he was wrong.

“You don’t recognize me, come on Spike we we’re friend for years.” Said the cheerful voice.

“Twilight?” Quizzed the dragon, “how did you find me? I went dark years ago. I’m done with Third Epsilon and I’m not coming back.” He continued a little peeved that he was discovered in such a remote island far south of Equestria.

“We’re Third Epsilon, Spike, we always have an eye in the sky,” a glimpse of Pegasus swooping past a building out of Spike’s full view confirmed her statement, “there’s local gang coming your way, get to the back alley and you’ll make it out alive.”

“Why the fuck should I listen to you?” replied the dragon

“You want answers don’t you? About Rarity’s accident.” Those words caused the dragon to stand up as stiff as a board in an instant.

“Fine.” Spike made his way to the back alley and crouched bellow a market stand. The bright overhead street lights gave him no tactical advantage. He needed to the darkness to operate effectively.

“Hold on, I’ll hack into the electrical system and cause an overload. You do what you do best.” Said Twilight.

Sparks and broken glass hit the ground as the lights blew out. The armed guards looked up and around them wondering what had caused the sudden outage. They looked terrified and worried panicking as they spun around aiming pistols and machine guns at whatever inanimate object their sights had focused on.

Spike chuckled to himself as we walked behind the first pony and quickly subdued him wrapping his strong claw over the pony’s throat and crushing his windpipe. He picked up his gun. A small caliber weapon, but great for close quarters. He spotted a patrol of three more guards ahead they were all facing one pony in particular. A unicorn with a switchblade on his flank. He was tough looking buck. A soft tan coat and large biceps puffed his shoulders and chest out.

“Find him and kill him! Don’t fuckin’ come back if you don’t. Silverblood isn’t paying us to fuck up.” The trio of his subordinated nodded and started pacing back towards Spike occasionally splitting off in different directions as they formed back into a tight three pony squad. They knew who they were dealing with. A professional.

Spike crouched in the corner pressing his back tightly against the wall as he observed their movements waiting for a pattern to form. Something he could go on to eliminate the three guards before they could even react.

His moment was now or never. He leaped up from his spot and took aim at the ponies firing several rounds. None of them managed to escape the incoming fire. They all fell onto the ground dead or severely wounded. The once tough-looking buck spotted Spike and shot at him but missed only making the dragon blink.

Spike began to run for the pony who had took off in a mad dash running down a narrow alley. Spike was shoving ponies from side to side as he followed the thug into a bathroom and terrified equine fled the restroom and Spike charged against the door plowing his shoulder into the frame and sending the unicorn on the opposite side flying back and hitting the wall.

Blood dripped from his mouth as he tried to raise his gun to shoot the dragon, but Spike grabbed his horn and slammed his head into the wall again and the gun fell to the ground. A grunt of pain came from the unicorn as Spike backed up and took the gun from him throwing it into a toilet.

“You won’t need that. Now, where’s Silverblood? And why is he after me?”

The unicorn spit in the dragon’s face, “fuck you!”

Spike took his answer of defiance with the utmost prejudice and held the unicorn by his horn and smashed his face into the mirror to his left and dropped the pony. The tan coated pony tried to hold onto the sink to regain his composure only to be met with several agonizing blows to the head by the dragon’s fist. The ceramic sink cracked and shattered onto the ground with the bloodied and disfigured unicorn following. He lied there groveling in pain as the vexed dragon stood over him and grabbed him by the throat taking him high off the ground, touching his head to the ceiling.

“Where’s Silverblood!” Said the dragon gritting his teeth in anger.

His grip was growing tighter and the pony was struggling for air as he tried to speak, “Ah! Fuck! You’re Spike huh? Guess you’re gonna kill him so no point in me protectin’ him anymore. He’s at the mansion in the middle of town, can’t miss it. He wanted you dead after he found out you were in town. He got scared, said something about a white unicorn he killed a while back and told us whoever killed you gets one hundred thousand bits.”

“Good, now sleep.” The dragon clenched his fist depriving the unicorn of any air and he soon became limp. Spike let him go dropping the heavy body to the ground.