The next morning, Fluttershy and Spike had woken up with a jolt from the new location they were in. At first, they had no idea where they were but when they started to slowly remember the events of the last few days, they started to get up and prepare.

But before they could go anywhere, Fluttershy noticed the paintings on the walls and with fascination; stayed to watch them. Spike had smiled and began to tell her the story of when he and Twilight went over to the human world and what he learned while there.

Fluttershy had been so enthralled in the story, that she had never noticed that she was moving. Learning about a new species she’s never seen or heard of before had made her ask all sorts of questions.

“How long do they live?”

“Between fifty to a hundred years at most.”

“What do they eat?”

“They’re omnivores.”

This continued for a good portion of their walk but Spike was happy to tell his shy friend everything he knew about humans.

But as they walked on the sands of the Badlands, their conversation dimmed down and focused ahead of them to not get attacked by any Umbrums that might be there. The last thing they wanted was to be injured or attacked from nowhere because of a silly mistake.

But nothing happened. They did see Umbrums but they never attacked them because they didn’t do anything, they were just standing there.

A rare act of mercy that Spike did not show often.

“It’s beautiful,” said Fluttershy as she looked over and saw many different towns and cities in the distance. She’d never been out here because of the dangers and criminality that goes on inside its borders.

“Beautiful but deadly,” Spike admitted.

They were headed towards a town called Kludgetown. It was a place that wasn’t the best but has been rumoured to be safer than any other place under King Sombra’s control. But they were just rumours, for all they knew, it could be the worst place to be in.

The town was built for creatures who either did not want to live in their respective kingdoms or had been banished and weren’t allowed to return for an indefinite amount of time.

Most of those creatures committed some dangerous high-level crimes that landed them in tight spots or because for many different reasons; were banished without giving a specific reason for this.

It was a system that had been in power for who knows how long, but it was steadily improving. It wasn’t great but it wasn’t awful either, which made the banishment somewhat enjoyable. They had a glaring sun, they could commit crimes, they could go swimming if they knew where to walk.

In a lot of ways, it was a mafia dream; no laws or distinct rules on what you had to do. Everything was rather built from money instead. A mob family could easily move to Kludgetown and start their criminal enterprise and hope to make it big which they usually do.

The ones with the most creatures and money are a lot more likely to be picked out for protection.

After a few hours of walking, they stopped to relax near a bush that left some shade from the unforgiving sun. Spike had gently placed Fluttershy in the shade because he could easily handle the heat.

But that did not mean that Fluttershy wasn’t trying to persuade him to join her in the shade.

“Spike, you need to relax from the heat,” She weakly pointed out.

“Fluttershy, I’m a dragon who bathes in lava. I’m pretty sure that I can handle it.” There wasn’t a shred of arrogance or cockiness.

“But still, you need to relax,” Fluttershy tried with all her might to convince him, but he wouldn’t budge so she gave up and relaxed as much as she could.

She couldn’t remember the last time the heat was this unbearable. She could handle it of course, but the degree in the Badlands was not anticipated and it made her realize that the journey wouldn’t be sunshine and rainbows.

... despite the fact she knew it wouldn’t be the case.

After resting, they headed for the town and were praying that they would make it there without getting into too much trouble with the Umbrums who were scouring every inch of the lands for any defectors or potential slaves that they could use.

Both of them knew it would be the case because they had already run into three different patrols who were arguing with some creatures that looked to be slavers. They had not been able to save them because Spike saw how Fluttershy was fatigued and wouldn’t be able to fight or defend herself.

Swearing vengeance, he let them go.

For the rest of the walk there, Spike felt his anger rise slowly like pouring water into a glass, slow and gentle like the summer breeze. But he denied himself of releasing it.

He could save it for another time.

Just when Fluttershy was going to ask how much further, she saw Kludgetown come into view, a stone path and even a sign that had its name on it.

Following the path, Spike and Fluttershy felt their hearts beat faster and they started glancing everywhere, trying to spot any Umbrums who were nearby and would without a doubt, attack them on sight. But to their relief, they weren’t. Seemingly occupied with something else.

Reaching the town, they noticed that there were a lot of different creatures they had never seen or met before. They looked miserable. As if they had just given up. Just like every creature else back home.

They didn’t spare Spike or Fluttershy a glance, too occupied with their problems. All except one who looked at them with a curious glance.

“This is strange ...” Fluttershy whispered to herself but Spike heard her.

“Yeah, I agree,” He whispered back with a glance towards a street food stand that sold something ... not so very appetizing.

“What are we doing here?” Fluttershy questioned as she watched some creatures buy food and other items. From what she had learned about the Badlands over the years was that they wanted no kingdom or any form of authority-type figures to rule. The mobster of the Badlands didn’t even rule anything, they were just in it because of the money and the freedom that came with it.

“Well, inside of the building in Manehattan I found a scroll from King Sombra addressing his soldiers; stating that he’d march to the Badlands where he would mind-control more soldiers,” He lowly said while staring at the creatures going about their day.

Cutting a corner and taking a left, they continued through an alley with trash and filth littering the streets like a cobweb.

“The problem is that I never told Lyra about where King Sombra was located. However, I do hope she heard something that sent her this way.” The worry in his voice was evident in how he was glancing from the left to the right as if to spot a friend or foe.

Fluttershy started to do the same but was more casual.

“Okay,” she replied curtly. “But what if she didn’t?” She didn’t want to ask the question that was plaguing her comrade’s mind, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Hesitant to answer, he allowed the question to linger in the air when they walked out the alley and onto another street filled with creatures selling less-than-legal weapons if it would be in Equestria.
“Let’s hope she does.”

They continued to walk through the town with their heads down and looking for any Umbrums that might be coming their way. They had to hide multiple times because the King Sombra soldiers kept looking for something through the crowds of creatures that slaved away in front of them.

They had taken to the rooftops but even there it seemed to be unspared. The Umbrums who could fly were scouring the skies with their weapons firmly in their claws or hooves. This had initially made Spike uncertain of how to proceed but he realized that he could go somewhere in the middle.

So he jumped from different reelings slightly below the buildings while Fluttershy flew beside him while occasionally flying higher or lower to avoid crashing.

This continued for a good while before they almost reached the end of the town and had to change course.

However, when they started to feel tired, they realized that they couldn’t continue forever and had to sleep somewhere the Umbrums wouldn’t find them. Nothing much was available, the homes did not seem safe, to say the least.

The homes themselves looked unstable as if they had been built with rubbish—which to some extent it was—while the rest looked “proper” to satisfy those who came to their town.

“Should we sleep inside one of their hotels?” Spike turned to glance at her after staring at a pair of Umbrums for a while before he noticed them walk away from the store they had been guarding.

“Would you be able to handle it?” The question wasn’t to degrade her, it was an honest question. Kludgetowns’ hotels were not five-star with food to die for. If he was being honest, he’d feel more comfortable sleeping in a cell compared to the hotels.

“Well, yes, It may not be comfortable considering where we are, but what other choice do we have?” She made a valid point. They couldn’t sleep on the streets either, that would be screaming for the Umbrums to find them.

“True, but you know that there aren’t any … laws here right?” He tried once more, making sure that his friend knew what the potential consequences would be.

She turned to face him, smiling softly.

“I know what the consequences are,” She stated. “I’m not afraid of it. Besides, I could always deal with them.”

Her voice had a dangerous edge at the end, almost as if she were growling like a predator. Her eyes temporarily flickered red before turning back to normal.

He smiled softly, knowing that she meant it. Looking around the roof he stood on, he looked over the seas of buildings standing tall and proud of their nation that no creature wanted to visit willingly.

Now, all they needed to do was find a suitable hotel.

When they got to the street below them, they started looking at all the signs on the different shops, trying to find anything that resembled a hotel they could stay at. But it proved to be difficult. Kludgetown wasn’t known for hosting many guests so they never bothered to have any proper hotels from the looks of things. And the ones that were, were controlled by the many different mobs of the town.

Turning corners, walked down market places, passing by shops, and they still couldn’t find a place to sleep. Of course, Spike was trained to sleep in the wilderness if necessary, but he had a feeling that Fluttershy wasn’t as well trained as he was in that scenario.

“It’s amazing how a large town as this borders a city doesn’t have even a small motel.” Fluttershy frowned. There were bound to be someplace there right? She had heard stories about mercenaries that haunted the Badlands. Albeit, mercenaries were trained to be able to camp in the middle of nowhere while they wait for the next opportunity to make bits.

“Honestly, I’m amazed by how we have evaded the Umbrums for so long.” Spike pointed out. While he did share the same line of thought as Fluttershy he was mostly concerned about the Umbrums crawling all over the place.

“I concur on that one,” A voice said from behind them.

Jumping behind him with his katana ready in less than a second, he came face-to-face with a cat who wore a red overcoat. The kat didn’t seem all that frightened or even threatened. But he did look slightly curious.

“It’s amazing how you two have managed to dodge the Umbrums, last time some creature tried that, they lost their family.” He added with a grim face.

Spike felt himself feel sympathy for the family the cat mentioned, it was the least he could do. But after that, he was back to staring at the friend or foe with an intent look in his eyes.

“Who are you?” Fluttershy asked with curiousness but with a small hint of hostility, waiting for him to attack any second which never happened.

The cat smiled as if he was on stage with creatures clapping his name.

“Oh, I apologize, I have forgotten to introduce myself haven’t I?” He rhetorically asked. “My name is Capper. I live here in Klugetown where I used to be a common criminal, earning money through all kinds of methods.” His voice held honesty and never broke eye contact with either of them. “You see, our ‘nation’ as I like to call it was under the Storm King’s rule but we were liberated by King Sombra. At first, every creature was happy that we’d been freed from the tyrannical rule,”

Spike and Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel bad for the creatures there. Despite any wrongdoings they may have done, they should never live under a tyrannical King that wants nothing but power.

“But then it became worse. King Sombra made the Storm King seem like an annoying ruler that came, ruled for a little while, and went elsewhere. But King Sombra though, he wasn’t like that at all.”

They started to sense the fear in his voice.

“He … he sent his Umbrums to take over our homes, they stole food, money, supplies, anything they could get their claws or hooves on. Many of us here who weren’t living under any ruling had to start from scratch. We are forced to pay taxes that aren’t even realistic, to say the least. The numbers are way too high, but what can we do? All I keep hearing these days is how The Ghost will help us all. Whether that’s true or not I have no idea.”

Capper looked exhausted, to say the least. He looked to have not slept in days, his eyes had bags under them, and his actual eyes were glazed over as if in deep thinking. He leaned against a wall of a house or apartment. Not to look cool but to rest a little so he didn’t pass out.

Glancing at each other, they concluded that they could trust him. Maybe not entirely, but enough to say that he most likely wouldn’t stab them in the back anytime soon.

“Capper,” he looked to Spike who’d spoken his name in a low voice that made him shiver slightly. “Why are you telling us this?”

The question should be simple enough to answer. It was obvious, even.

“Because I could tell your all new to this. I’ve met a lot of creatures over the years who came to Klugetown but don’t stay very long for … obvious reasons.” He frowned as he looked down the stone street covered in sand in-between the small spaces ut could squeeze through.

He could tell that Capper was telling the truth, and the poor cat had no reason to lie unless he was secretly working with the Umbrums. With a thought like that, it was easy to see the distrust that sparked inside of Spike’s eyes that shined brightly.

“Can we trust him?” Both Spike and Fluttershy thought at the same time.

“Yeah, well, the Badlands isn’t exactly a five-star holiday with free breakfast lunch, and dinner.” Spike sarcastically replied to Capper’s previous statement. “You already admitted to being a criminal, and that says a lot about this place. Even if we kind off already knew it.”

Capper chuckled at that. There was no malice or ill-will, but rather a sense of fondness. Something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Anyways … I happened to overhear that you needed someplace to sleep, I would be happy to lead you back to my place, but if you feel unsafe because of the … circumstances, then I can try to find one of the cheaper hotels in my area.” He stated with his paws clasped together. “If you’re interested that is.”

Spike was sure it was more than “Happened”, as the cat claimed but for now, he would let it slide. Glancing over to Fluttershy, he noticed how tired she looked. Her eyes said it all.

He wasn’t sure whether to accept Capper’s help or not, because there was a small chance that he worked with the Umbrums, but from the looks of things, he did everything to make himself calm when he told his story.

There was only one way to find out his loyalty …

“We could use some shut-eye,” Spike yawned making Fluttershy relax a little but she, herself, was wary of the cat.

Looking up at the sky, they saw a few stars popping up, meaning that Princess Luna was working hard as ever despite their fortune. Spike felt his heart clench at the thought of his aunt being in the same room as his mother. Not that it was bad, but because of what could happen if no creature checked in with them.

If his mother was willing to so easily lock him up, then he feared what she’d do to his aunt … once more.

“Should we head back to my place or?” He looked at them expectantly.

“Show us the way,” Fluttershy spoke in a tired voice as she rubbed her eyes with her hooves to stay awake.

He nodded and led them out the alley where there was a small space for trashcans and out to the streets once more. They walked in relative silence with only their steps making sounds as they hit the stone ground. But they did hear some occasional Umbrums that screamed for whatever reason but also the sounds of death.

They heard a child crying for his mother who they assumed had been killed by the Umbrums. It took Spike everything to try and not investigate what happened and find the Umbrum.

When they stod outside of Capper’s house, he had to admit, it looked cozy. It wasn’t too big, but it did have the space for one or two creatures. There was a bed, bookshelves, portraits, maps, and souvenirs.

But Spike and Fluttershy that none of it was legal, or at least some of it wasn’t.

Looking around, Spike tried to find strategic points he could use just in case Capper had picked his side in the war.

Capper who was talking aimlessly about anything and everything just to pass the time, noticed all of this with a small smile. He was happy that they trusted him enough to follow him home.

He knew that they wouldn’t trust him immediately, he’d be worried if they did, but he was happy to see that the yellow-coated mare lied down on one of the couches and was fast asleep.

Suddenly, he felt a pair of eyes on him. At first, it felt normal, but as the seconds passed by, it felt intense.

When he couldn’t bear it anymore, he turned around to face his guest who he knew was the legendary Ghost he’d heard so much about. How his legend was growing and taking roots in creatures’ hearts, hoping he’d save them.

“We don’t need to play silly games anymore,” He stated while looking at Capper with a blunt look. The mask was still on so it was impossible to tell the emotion written on his face.

“Your right, we don’t.” Capper agreed with a neutral tone in his voice.

They looked at each other in the eyes with such intensity, that it felt like a battle between politicians trying to be heard by the crowd. Only this, was much more serious. This wasn’t children wearing expensive costumes acting like crybabies because the other one didn’t like his idea. This was life and death.

And both of them were aware of it.

Author's Note

This one took a while to write, I hope it was worth the wait for you guys.