The Urban Legend’s First Victims

It didn’t take Starlight and Sunburst long to track down Spike’s murderers after the said dragon’s funeral. Two days and on Nightmare Night of all days. Of course, the investigation would lead into the capital city itself, Canterlot. More specifically, it leads them to an underground passage meant only for the elite and royalty.

The cavern was designed as an escape route for the ponies in Canterlot in case of an outbreak, invasions and such. The bunker itself was really homely, as it had enough room to house the princesses, their servants, and guards. There was also had enough food to last at least two years, as well as a magical generator for power.

Starlight nor Sunburst wasn’t alone, as Thorax wanted to join since Spike was his first friend and wanted to pay the one responsible for his death. Shining Armor also tagged along to find the ones responsible for his family’s anguish. The group was walking down the long hall toward the bunker. The only lights were from the horns of the unicorns and changeling king.

“Is it supposed to be dark?” asked the changeling king as he trotted along the hallways.

“The power is motion based. The light is supposed to come on when a pony... um, the creature walks by them. Strange...” replied the former captain. “This bunker was commissioned by Celestia when Canterlot was being built. Apparently, it was meant to withstand a mega magical nuclear holocaust.”

“And this is where we’ll find the bastards who murder Spike...” Starlight said in a low, venomous tone.

Sunburst wanted to criticize, but he knew better to bother Starlight when she’s angry. She’s been up for nearly 24 hours trying to locate the culprits. He knew that Spike’s death was hard for everypony who knew him, but he never anticipated the impact the tragedy who have on them, especially Starlight.

The track wasn’t long, but something was off. Very off.

The light flickered on, revealing the marvel that the royal bunker was. Designed with royalty in mind, its white marble floor was kept clean and polished on a daily basis by the servants. The living area itself had a couple of soft leather sofas and chairs. There were also plenty of board games, including chess and checkers. On the far corners were a few bookshelves with the symbol of the sun and moon.

However what the group saw almost made them vomit whatever they had in their stomach. Bodies of ponies lay on the floor. Almost all of them have been ripped apart by some creature. Claw marks gash deep within there coat, matting it with blood, with the rest covering the floors. Some even had their limbs remove violently like something was pulling it.

Looking at the marble wall, they saw written in the blood, a message sent chills down their spines.

‘Feel my pain’

The four ponies have seen many things in their lives. From reading a crappy love story about an two ponies, an vampony and a werewolf pony fighting over a earth pony mare, to seeing a love one wolf down an entire bottle of pickles, with peanut butter and whip cream, seeing an eggs come out of a mother private place, or summoning a interdimensional creature. However none of those things were even close as disturbing as the gory display

“Okay... does anypony here feel the need to get out of this place? I have a really bad feeling about this...” Sunburst said, adjusting his glasses.

“I’m ready whenever you all are.” replied the nervous Thorax turning his head from one side to the other.

“Guys...” said Starlight. “I know this place seems... creepy. Okay very creepy, but we’re here to find Spike’s murderers. And to hell, I’m leaving here empty hoofed.”

“She’s right. We all deserved justice and furthermore-” Right before Shining Armor finish his speech, a mare with a bright blue coat, and a silver mane slid to a halt from one of the bunkers’ two halls. She was an absolute mess, as there were claw marks running down her left eye and her horn had been torn off. Both injuries have stained her coat with blood

“Y-You got to get me out of here!” she begged frantically. “He’s coming... he’s coming to get me! L-Look, me and a few friends of my help kidnap Princess Twilight Sparkle’s pet dragon and that’s all. Not everypony wanted to kill him!”

“...What?” Both Shining Armor, and Thorax asked slowing growing livid.

“Okay, okay! I know that sounds bad but-”

“BAD?! DO YOU HAVE ANY BUCKING IDEA THE HELL YOU NOT ONLY PUT THE PRINCESSES BUT ME AND MY FRIENDS THROUGH?!”Starlight screamed at the top of her lungs, which echoed throughout the halls.

“And saying ‘sorry’ won’t cut it,” Sunburst said looking around the messy room. Unlike Starlight, he managed to keep himself calm.

“Okay I’m a bad pony, so are the rest of them.” The mare pointed at some ponies who followed the voice. Just like her, each one of these ponies had grievous injuries. Some of the pegasuses only had one wing, the unicorns’ horns have been ripped off there head, and claws marks covered the earth ponies bodies.

“Look you got to get us out of here before that dragon comes!”

“Y-Y-Yes don’t make that dragon kill us all,” another one said before coughing some blood out.

“Well, maybe he should... wait a minute did you say dragon?” Starlight asked.

“Yeah... P-Purple and green scales...” a pegasus stallion pants before he cringed at his injuries. Hearing this information, Thorax, Shining Armor, Starlight and Sunburst looked at each unsure what to think.

“You guys don’t honestly think...” Thorax said doubtfully.

“N-No, that’s impossible,” Shining Armor protested.

“We um-” Before the mare could say anything, the lights turned off, causing the ponies to scream in terror. Starlight was just about to light her horn when she felt something... wet splash on her face. The mare knew all too well what it was as the screams of terrors evolved into screams of pain.

Along with Starlight, Shining, Sunburst, and Thorax couldn’t decide if they wanted to see what was going on in the room they were in.

‘[b]Feel my pain’

A deep voice echoed before the lights turned on. Even more, blood covered the marble floor because of the ponies who were missing limbs and heads. Intentes both big and small, hearts, and other organs rested on the ground. Finally not used or taking much more of the unpleasant scene that laid before them, both Thorax and Sunburst spit out their lunch onto the floor.

Once they stopped vomiting, they saw that shaking and barely breathing, the blue mare was laying on the floor with blood flowing out of her neck and into the floor. The next was a dark red earth pony with a cherry color mane. These two were the only survivors of the group.

“I should make you lot stay here and let this thing... finish you off, but we need information,” Shining sighed as he levitated the mare onto his back. Looking left and right to make sure it was safe, the group left with the now unconscious pegasus and an earth pony.

****

Within the jail cells of Canterlot castle, the mare who revealed her name as Misty Grey and stallion who his name was Black Cherry were being interrogated by Princess Celestia herself. As she paced back and forth, goddess looked like she was minutes away from sending the injured ponies to the sun. Even the guards were intimidated by the seriousness of their ruler.

It had been three hours since Shining and Starlight had brought the two in and it didn’t take them long to spill the beans. How they tricked Spike into coming to an area where he was ambushed and taken to a clearing near hayseed swamp. Tortured with whips, stabbed in his underbelly, and adding not only salt but acid into his wounds for several days. All for marrying not only a commerner, but for being a dragon raised by Celestia. By this point, the said princess so furious ponies was afraid she might cause a supernova, or in Starlight case turn into Daybreaker and torture the two the same way they tortured her son.

“Y-Your majesty...” Black Cherry muttered with a gulp. He instantly regretted opening his mouth when Celestia stopped pacing and looked at the two of them with an intense gaze.

“You two are very lucky Shining Armor decided to defend you. Otherwise, I would kill you two myself and sent your souls to the deepest pits of Tartarus, with your friends” she snarled. “Now what exactly was this creature who attacked you? And don’t you even dare lie to me.”

The two though carefully, they had never seen the ruler of Equestria so mad and one wrong word would finally snap her. “You see your highness,” the scared stallion known as Black Cherry spoke. “We were... celebrating a few of us was getting drunk and we all chanted Sweet Claw five times.”

“And?” Celestia asked still not easing her glare.

“We continued to party for about a good hour or two until we head something. It was groaning for a minute until it said ‘feel my pain.’ The 20 ponies that were there all looked for the sources of the call. We thought that we were followed or somepony else was here. That was until we saw Him!”

Misty Grey continued. “We didn’t believe it at first, my friends, well half of them anyway thought that the dragon we kidnapped die, but here he is wearing a brown coat. The first stallion scream and the massacre begin. He tore apart my friends like a rampaging monster, we try everything, but when someone pokes a hole in his coat, flash bees swarm out, zapping most of us to death and cut off the power. We ran and hide anywhere until three ponies, and the bug king came.”

“Bug king?”

“That changeling that lizard... I mean dragon befriended,” the stallion clarified.

Celestia didn’t say anything else. All she did was light her horn, making it glow in it bright golden aura.

“Wait, wait, wait! Please your majesty!” Misty Grey begged.

“You trespass into a restricted area, committed regicide which is punishable by death and you want mercy?” she seethed. The light of her horn only intensified and the two prisoners had to turn away to avoid being blinded. However, something crossed her mind and she decided to dim down the light.

“What I want to know is how did one of you manage to not only find the royal bunker but bypass the spell that kept it locked?” she asked.

Before the two ponies could answer they eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. Slowly they begin to back up, much to Celestia’s confusion.

“I said how did you-” Like back at the bunker, the lights begin to flicker. The two saw the monster that murders their friends, a smile on his face. One of the innocents but they knew what was going to happen. Then went out right before the sun goddess could repeat her question.

Screams instantly filled the dungeon, followed by the sound of metal bending and breaking. Instinctively, Celestia activated her horn and couldn’t believe what she saw...

On the table stood a teenage dragon, his wings folded against his back, and his tail which seem sharp just sway from side to side before moving it into a thrust position. The dragon made it hit its mark, and that was the stallion’s heart. He wasn't finished. Tossing the stallion aside, he stared at Misty Grey. Before she could say anything, the dragon lunged at her. As he mauled her, blood, guts, and anything inside her spilled onto the outside.

Celestia took a step back, but the sound of her metal hoof shoes got the beast’s attention.

“Hmm?” The dragon turned to face the princess. Their eyes locked on each other for a moment. Suddenly, the dragon’s expression changed to one of guilt.

“M-Mother... I’m sorry...” he said turning away. “Tell Apple Bloom I’m sorry for not being there for our kids.” And just as quickly as the lights went out, they came back on. However, as the light returned to the room... the dragon had disappeared. His work, on the other hand, was still in sight.

Celestia didn’t know what to say or think. The amount of blood, and body parts that now lay scattered across the dungeon. She collapsed to her haunches, holding her head as she took in the vile display.

“M-My son...”

25 years later

Apple Bloom P.O.V

Even after all these years, ah still can’t believe that they would take such a sweet dragon away from me and our children. Ah was looking at myself in the mirror. Ah, may not be as young as Ah used to be, Ah mean ah’m only 43 years old. Sure and ah will never admit it to the girls but Ah’m starting to get crows feet. Hay if Granny was able to live for over 100 years, so can ah.

Though he’s been dead fer years, it was hard but this tough mare moved on. Because of ma royalty status ah was able to find a house near Whitetail Woods. It wasn’t big or anything, just a small cabin where ah can practice making potions with my son Apple Flame. Apple Spice stays in the apple farm with mah older brother, and sister, and their kids, but thanks to Twilight and the rest of the royal family, and the help with the Krin both my kids knew magic, both pony and dragon. And ever since they were over there Flame became a big hit on the ladies.

Ah find it cute that he even try the dragon mating call, which had him doing this weird funny dance. It reminds me when Spike dance for me during one of Ponyville many festivals, and well things went smoothly until he did his mating call dance, which was detector towards me.

Ah still help ponies figure out where they belong or what there cutie marks. In fact Ah forget, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had expanded. We not only help ponies, but all creatures find their passion, even if not all creatures can earn cutie marks. Twilight would say it was her idea, but we all know it was mine. We have over 500 members with 50 different location and a centah fer all. Though the yaks, dragons, and griffins can be a bit troublesome at times.

Only two days left til Nightmare Night, and what a pleasant day it was. Ah overlooked today’s work on Sweet Apple Acres, as it brought joy to mah heart how hard mah foals worked.

Though occasionally Ah still remember that mysterious and frightening day when Princess Celestia dug up Spike’s casket after his kidnappers were slaughtered. To all of our surprise, despite the powerful magical lock she put on the casket when we opened it... the body was nowhere to be found.

To this day Ah still haven’t told the twins about the disappearance of their father’s corpse. The incident almost convinced meh that mah sweet lil’ dragon was still alive. Ah know he’s dead tho, and Discord said he couldn’t mess with death unless it was from his own creations. As must as he wants to bring back one of his closest friends, he couldn’t.

Now that Ah thinking of it, there was this rumor it more like an urban legend going around. If ya said the name ‘Sweet Claw’ five times and turned off the light, a purple and green dragon would appear and kill ya. In my opinion, it’s jus’ a bunch of hoowa.

Ah snapped outta mah thoughts, convincing myself it was jus’ a superstition. Ah need to get ready for mah kids’ party, after all. Well ah can’t call them kids anymore since they’re adults.

“Oh Spike... if y’all could only can see yer kin. They’re all grown. Flame is about to go to Canterlot, and studies with his cousin Flurry Hearts. Apple Spice is dating a stallion named Gentle Breeze. He’s a good pony Spike, though there was this one time Ah caught them in bed together. Ah did tell em that if it was you, you woulda been madder than ah bull seein’ the color red.”

“Heh, you shoulda seen their faces, Spike. Ah never seen somepony turn as red as mah brother’s coat. Don’t let meh get started on yer son. I guess what ya did as a kid transferred over ta Flame.” Ah smiled into the mirror then sighed. “Oh Spike you don’t know how much Ah miss ya.” With that, Ah turned off the lights.

“And I miss you too Apple Bloom.”

Author's Note

I know there are a few things missing, and I will get around them. . .someday, after I finish with the story.

Anywho enjoy the story, and the final chapter will be out on Halloween. I hope.