Sundered

Twilight paled a little when the dragon looked in at her. While it was fairly obvious Fluttershy was a few inches taller, he just about towered over the both of them.

"Soo, you gonna come out, or are we gonna talk while you're laying in what might be something's home?" He asked, acting like he was discussing the weather.

She paled a bit more. The prospect of that being true and whatever did live there coming back to find her intruding was more than enough incentive to scramble out. She quickly got to her feet, still looking at them both nervously.

"Well, least we got that outta the way." He added, glancing at her horn. "Unicorn? Huh, don't see too many of you guys out side of Canterlot and the other big cities. Look like you been through hell."

As he talked, she managed to get a better look at him in the moonlight. He was considerably taller than her, and despite the armor plated sleeves of the duster he wore, she could tell he looked to be of almost solid muscle. She noted the purple and green scales he had, as well as the two fangs protruding from his upper lip and the row of spikes running along his head and neck. The more she observed, the more her eyes widened...until she let out a squee that made him jump.

"Whoa! What the-!"

"OMIGOSH! It's YOU! I can't believe this!" She squeed again.

He just looked at her in confusion. "What are you on about??"

"YOU! You're Sunderer! The warrior that killed the tyrant warlock, King Sombra!"

"Personally, I prefer my real name, Spike. And technically, he was already dead, more or less."

"And defeated the Ebony Queen, the largest and most vicious diretimberwolf matron in years!"

Spike waved that one off slightly. "'Vicious' yeah, 'largest'...that's kinda debatable."

"Not to mention being the first male to face the former queen of the Changelings, the assassin Chrysalis, in combat and live!"

"Uh, yeah...'combat', let's go with that." He tried to hide the sheepish expression forming on his face.

Fluttershy nudged him. "Seems like you've built up a bit of a reputation, Master." She teased.

"I've been looking into his exploits ever since I started finding reports of a purple and green dragon in Equestria! I mean, there aren't that many here to begin with, and most of them would rather keep to themselves...!"

Spike slowly stepped back. "Uh, you aren't gonna ask me to autograph your panties or anything, are you?"

Twilight coughed and sputtered mid-sentence. "W-what!? No! That-that's indecent!"

"Just checking." He replied, before turning to Fluttershy. "Another reason I don't go to the Crystal Empire unless I HAVE to."

"Oh, come on, Master. Some of those mares were pretty tasty-looking." She quickly added, "In a sexual sense, I mean."

Spike just rolled his eyes a little. "You would say that." He looked up to see the sky was starting to brighten up. "Looks like we better get going, night isn't the only time you can run into something nasty. I remember there should a trade outpost a few miles from here. We can work out what to do from there."

"Walking...?" Twilight paled a little, wincing as she tried to find a spot to step that didn't add more abuse to her poor feet.

Both Spike and Fluttershy noticed this. "Flutters, got anything she can wear? Or we decide who carries her."

"C-Carry?" The thought of being in the arms of either of them was enough to make Twilight's face go scarlet.

"Well, I don't think she'd mind being in those arms of yours, Master." Fluttershy winked to the now blushing unicorn. "I know I don't."

"Isn't there a more...a more dignified way!?" Twilight cried in dismay over her new location...draped over Spike's shoulder.

"Not unless you want a piggy back ride." Spike replied. "None of Fluttershy's shoes fit you."

Twilight tried not to whine about it. At least her feet could recover some. As they reached the road, she noticed that there was no sign of the caravan. The raiders' camp must've been a lot farther away. She could at least tell them about the attack, but without a lead the guards wouldn't be able to track them. Plus, scavengers were quick to find bodies out in the Everfree

"If we keep pace, we should get there in a couple of hours." Spike said. "Give or take."

The trio continued their trek, the sun slowly burning away the fog and lingering darkness. From her vantage point, Twilight was able to see something she didn't really notice before. On Fluttershy's right hip was a bright silver mark, shaped like a heart with four wings and crescents extending from it. She recognized it instantly from her books; a familiar brand. She also remembered her saying she was his familiar. "Fluttershy..?"

"Yeah?" The succubus looked up at her.

"You said you were Spike's familiar?" She asked. "Out of curiosity, how'd that come about?" She looked at him. "No offense, but you don't seem like the summoning type."

"Yeah, never was one for casting. Actually, I was hired to eliminate her coven after they tried to make off with a farmer's family."

"Wait, you were hired to kill her?" Twilight blinked.

Fluttershy shrugged. "Frankly, I'm glad he was. I was kind of the white sheep of the group. None of my 'sisters' liked me because I preferred NOT making a pig of myself. I mean, where's the fun in draining someone dry if they're good in bed? Being able to enjoy your bedmates more than once is a lot more pleasant than gorging yourself every time. It's greedy, and just plain rude!"

Twilight nearly fell off Spike's shoulder in shock at this. "Succubi can feed WITHOUT draining someone!?"

"Yeah, but my 'sisters' didn't care. Petty brats would drain someone just to keep the others from getting to them. And of course, they had a hissy fit when they learned I wasn't stuffing my gob and letting them live."

"You always were a revolting embarrassment, Fluttershy." Upper Crust sneered her name like it was a vile insult. "These filthy mortals should feel honored we even let them touch magnificence such as us!"

"Right, honored to be jumped and have their lifeforce sucked dry." She snarked back from her spot on the floor, surrounded by the ten succubi who made up the rest of her coven. "At least I don't make a pig of myself out of greed and only get my fill."

"SILENCE!" Upper Crust snapped. "You have disgraced this coven for the last time with your repugnant actions; leaving your prey alive just to feed a second time..."

"And third, and fourth if we have enough fun...interesting trivia, sex is a lot more filling than husking them."

"AND your treachery in slaying our coven sister, Spoiled Rich!"

"Technically, it was landing on that post that killed her. All I did was toss her out the window when she tried to kill me for doing something nice for a guy who was dying anyway." Fluttershy snorted.

This set the other succubi off, and they began screaming insults and threats, stopping when Upper Crust hissed at them to be silent. "You have anything worth saying before your fate?"

"Just that I've always hated all of you." She replied, glaring at her now former coven. "You go on and on about how 'glorious' and 'untouchable' you are, yet you do idiotic stuff like trying to drag off an entire family!" She turned to Radiant Glow, who had a bloody, bandaged stump where her right knee used to be. "Not so untouchable when a farmer manages to take a scythe to you, hm?" She sneered, enjoying the horrible mare's misfortune. "Not to mention you're all just selfish little bitches."

Crust bared her fangs in fury. "Now, you d-" She never had time to finish before a large dragon came crashing down from the trees, crushing Upper Crust when he landed on her.

"Hello, ladies." He said, stepping off the now dying succubus before finishing her off with a swing of his axe. "Though I use that word VERY loosely...my name is Spike, and I've been hired to finish the job that farmer started."