BOONAGEVby underrated DrakeChaptersBoonagev Ch1. Fear the Night DragonBoonagev Ch.2 Let the hunt beginBOONAGEV Ch.3 To break a cycle, there must be bloodBOONAGEV Ch. 4 Tracking a GhostBoonagev Ch1. Fear the Night DragonWe find ourselves in the continent of Equestria, a beautiful land, divided into 4 major kingdoms, Canterlot to the West, Griffonstone to the south, The Dragonlands to the North, and the Yakyakistan Empire to the East; and in between, many more minor Kingdoms, knightdoms and cities. For Generations, the land has lived a relatively quiet, peaceful and prosperous period of time… but that all changed when the “Outsiders” invaded Equestria. The Disembarked on the South-East coast, capturing minor villages and cities in a blink of an eye, and turning Kingdoms and Dukedoms against the 4 great nations. The speed of such invasion and easiness of the whole ordeal have made all of the, still free, nations, knightdoms and dukedoms, come together to try and create a plan to fight back. But this is proving nothing so far, furthermore, it has helped to cement the fact that no one was ready for it, and their military ineptitud, and this was helping bigger and more powerful dukedoms and knightdoms to join the invaders as to not be invaded themselves Out of desperation, the 4 great nations have entered into a common agreement to help each other and stop the enemy. And so the sharing of resources, money, and soldiers began; for sometime, things seemed to be going well, the invaders had halted their advances and life had gone back to a somewhat more relaxed environment. But for the 4 great leaders, they all knew something was up, many knightdoms, Dukedoms and cities were still siding with the invaders even after swearing loyalty to any of the great 4, and this concerned them. It didn’t take long for the 4 leaders to notice a pattern, all of the cities, Dukedoms, and knightdoms that switched sides weren’t the weaker ones, but the richest ones, it seemed like a plan was being put together to isolate the 4 nations, and none of them were willing to let it continue without a good explanation. And so, with this in mind, every nation, knightdom and dukedom in the alliance decided to send spies into the aforementioned locations, but they were never able to locate anything substantial. The 4 nations seemed to start to let go of the idea of finding out what is causing the sudden change of heart. Until it happened, a battalion of the invading troops suddenly attacked the Capital of the Dragonlands Pyromareia, the attack was swift, but it ultimately failed as the invaders were no match for the combined Dragon and Changeling forces protecting the nation. But it was this sudden move that made the paranoia grow, how did the invaders reach Pyromareia so easily and without rising any suspicions or conquering any of the Dragonlands Dukedoms and Knightdoms before hand. This caused the other nations to raise their defenses all the way up to 1000, nothing went in or out without someone noticing. But back at the Dragonlands, the attack had left everyone waiting for an opportunity for revenge, but first, they had to discover the flaws that permitted the attack, the reason behind it. And after months of investigating and hitting dead ends, finally a lead, but now there was another problem, a problem that seems to be far greater than needed. DRAGONLANDS IMPERIAL PALACE “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!!!” said Torch “We’re trying to figure it out ourselves,” said Ember “I’ve known Draquus since we were kids, there is no way he just surrendered his Dukedom to the Outsiders that easily,” said Torch “Well, it does seem too convenient that he changes his mind so quickly after the meeting we had 2 months ago, days after the surprise attack,” said Ember “My thoughts exactly, I mean, he literally was the first one to ask for us to attack the outsiders,” said Thorax “Do you think he was just acting?” asked Ember “If he was, he has gotten better, lad couldn’t even fake a stomach ache, there is more to it,” said Torch “So… should we go over and ask him?” asked Ember “Are you daft? The outsider forces would kill us before we even make it to the front gate,” said Torch “So what are you suggesting?” asked Thorax “We should send someone especial,” said Torch “Especially?” asked Thorax “A mercenary,” said Torch “We don’t have any left that are that skilled to go in and out without being spotted,” said Ember “WHAT?!!!!!” said Torch “She’s right, all of our top ranking mercenaries and assassins are all over Equestria working with other armies,” said Pharynx “We are the Dragonlands, THE DRAGONLANDS!!! We have the best mercenaries in the whole of Equestria, HOW CAN IT BE THAT WE DON’T HAVE A SINGLE MERCENARY LEFT?!!!” said Torch “No offense, your highness, but, that’s exactly the reason you don’t have any left. Between you, the Changeling Empire, and the Canterlot Mercenaries, people don’t have much choice, I mean, you guys are more efficient… no offense honey,” said Lemon Zest “No, no, she’s got a point, we have the best assassins but coming into a fight, we would easily lose against you,” said Pharynx, agreeing with his wife “So then… Can any of you go?” asked Torch “Ahem?” said Thorax showing his casted arm “Oh yeah, your arm is broken… What about you?” asked Torch “If I leave, who will keep the men and women at bay… would you like THAT to happen again?” asked Pharynx “So we really have no one?” asked Torch “No, there is someone… and he will do it for free,” said Ember “Who? Who is this wonderful soul you’re talking about?” said Torch Ember turned to look at Thorax, who smiled and nodded as he looked at Pharynx “Of course,” said Pharynx “Are we talking about him?” asked Lemon Zest “Yeah,” said Ember “Who?” asked Torch Everyone turned to look at him and the realization slowly sank in EARLIER ON A FIELD SOUTH-EAST OF PYROMAREIA “... And that makes 10… only 40 more to go… I can’t believe no one has Pyro-Crystals, I mean, it’s easy as hell to collect them… well, because I have Peewee helping me out that is,” said a certain purple and green scaled dragon “Peewee, how are we doing?” asked Spike to his trusty companion who was circling around above him Peewee just chirped as he continued to fly around “My thoughts exactly… luckily Peewee and I can connect via Telepathy so I understand what he says… but, to the rest of the world, I might be crazy,” thought Spike as he felt something flying at a fast rate of speed towards his head. He quickly rolled his neck to the left as a rock flew right where his head was seconds earlier, narrowly missing it’s target “See I told you he’ll evade it,” came a male voice Spike knew too well “Nice Garble, but you’re still 1 million years to early to get me with that sort of attack,” he said as he got up and turned around. “HA! You wish, I almost got you,” Garble mocked “Almost doesn’t help when you’re working,” he said “Can you stop being such an asshole for ones in your life?” said Maar “Oh come on, you know he ain’t going to fight back,” said Garble “Yeah, cause if he did, you’d be dead already,” said Maar “Listen to your girl Garbs,” said Spike as he got closer “Spike, I am SO sorry about this,” said Maar “It’s ok Maal, I’m used to Garble being an idiot,” said Spike “HEY!!!” said Garble “I’m only stating a fact, I mean, I was usually the one sent to clean up your messes,” said Spike “Ha! Please, I am a far better Mercenary than you,” said Garble “And yet, you’re still stuck as one of mid-table 7th Tier Mercenaries in Equestria,” said Spike “That’s still much better than you,” said Garble “Well, taking into consideration that I am a retired 1st tier Mercenary who is notorious all over Equestria and is mentioned in every Military or adventurer academy in Equestria… No,” said Spike “You said it, RETIRED, I am still active, which makes me even more deadlier than you,” said Garble proudly “Big words coming from a mercenary who can’t even make a simple arrow out of branches, stone, and rope,” said Spike “Of course I can, I’ve done it before,” said Garble as sweat fell from his face “Prove it,” said Spike as he held out the aforementioned materials “FINE!!” said Garble as he grabbed the material and began to make the arrow 2 HOURS LATER “DONE!” he screamed “By this point, you’d be dead, captured, or fired,” said Spike “Oh yeah?How many can you do?” said Garble as he got in his face “All of those,” said Spike pointing at the 3 stacks of arrows that could serve a whole Archery battalion. “That’s impressive” said Maar “Thanks… now, Garble, I know your brain is highly depleted of neurons, but you still have enough to be considered a living being, so… what do you want?” asked Spike Garble glared at Spike, before sighing and showing Spike his sword It was dentented, rusted, and dull, it needed a lot, and I mean A LOT of love and work “Can you fix it up, please?” said Garble “Garble, do you know how long and how much use do you have to put a sword, not to mention one of my creations, and not clean it properly, for it to turn this bad?” said Spike “Yeah, I… I forgot,” said Garble “I’ll do it… but it’ll cost you,” said Spike “How much?” asked Garble “Well, usually this job cost… $28,000, but since you’re my friend I’ll do it for $25,000, deal?” asked Spike Both Garble and Maal went pail “That’s… that’s too expensive,” said Maar “Hey don’t take advantage of the fact the best blacksmith in town,” said Garble “This job isn’t simple, If you take it to Canterlot, they’ll charge you around $50,000, because they are not used to dealing with this type of material, they’ll just send it to me, so, that’s why I’m giving you that price,” Spike explained “Oh, come on man, can you give me a discount, just this once, please, we’re tight on money, and with how the situation is going I want my equipment to be ready,” said Garble “You shouldn’t wait until the last second, and you know that,” said Spike “Please,” Garble pleaded Spike sighed and looked around, until an Idea came to his mind “You see this rock?” said Spike “Yeah,” said Garble “Well, I’m running short on it, so, this valley is full of it, but it’s complicated to find it. If you can find 40 of these rocks, I’ll fix your sword up for $15,000, deal?” said Spike “DEAL!” said Garble as he shock Spike’s hand, took the sample and began to look under every single rock to find the one he needed “Thanks Spike, but you didn’t have to lower the price that much, I’ll go by after we get some cash and pay the rest,” said Maar “Don’t worry, 40 Pyro-crystal are worth $10,000 in today's market, and I only need one for the job… so, let him work his ass off, maybe then he’ll get off that high Cheroq (Horse-like creature) of his,” said Spike “Why are you so nice to us… even after all the hell we put you through?” asked Maar “Well, I did get the 2 of you together, and I know how much of an idiot he is, so I made up my mind to help your marriage… plus it’s time you start saving money, you should start expanding your family soon,” said Spike This comment made Maar turn red “I’ve… I’ve been thinking about the idea… do you think he’ll like it?” asked Maar “Ask him,” said Spike “But still, you help us so much, why?” asked Maar “You know I see you as a younger sister, and even if he doesn’t like to admit it, underneath all that bone-headedness, Garble is actually a kind soul, he just has many self-esteem issues,” said Spike Mall just smiled at Spike and said “Thanks… for everything,” “Don’t mention it,” said Spike 3 HOURS LATER “Here 50 rocks,” said Garble “I said 40,” said Spike “Yeah, but you said you had a shortage of this material, and you took out $10,000 from the fee, I thought it was fair,” said Garble “Thanks… I’ll have your sword ready by first light,” said Spike “Thanks man, you’re a lifesaver,” said Garble “I know… now, I believe your wife has something to discuss with you,” said Spike “Right!” said Maar as she dragged Garble away “So, Babe, I’ve been thinking that we should…” “Happy trails… come on Peewee, I’ve got work to do… and it’s getting late,” said Spike as he placed the rocks in his backpack and headed for his shop. BACK THE PALACE “HIM!!!... OH NO!!! NO WAY AM I LETTING SPIKE DO THIS!!!!...HE’S… HE’S…” Torch said “He is the best mercenary the Dragonlands ever saw,” concluded Ember “Well yes, but…” said Torch “But nothing, He is the only one who would do it,” said Ember Torch just stormed out of the room in a fuss to collect his thoughts “So what crime did Spike commit for your dad to be so against the idea of letting Spike go?” asked Lemon Zest “Yeah I’ve never seen someone react like that,” said Pharynx “Well…” said Ember “It’s not that I’m angry at him,” said Torch as he re-entered the room “So then?” asked Lemon Zest “Spike is extremely important to the war efforts,” said Torch “Well duh, Spike may have retired, but he retired last year, plus, Ember, wasn’t Spike one of the top graduates at your Military academy?” asked Thorax “Yeah, he was number one… I was number 2,” said Ember, that last part with gritted teeth “So, what is so bad about the idea?” asked Thorax “The problem is the Blacksmith shop,” said Torch “OH COME ON!!! You’re concerned that he lost his touch because of him working as a blacksmith?” said Thorax “No… You might’ve not realized it, but… Spike is not only the best blacksmith, but the only blacksmith in town,” said Torch This information hit the three of them like a sack of bricks “WHAT?!!!!!!!” they all said “It’s true,” said Ember “But… But… But I’ve seen more shops selling weapons,” said Lemon Zest “Yeah, Spike allows them to sell his creations for a royalty,” said Torch “How did that happen?” asked Pharynx “Well, after he came back from a job, he decided to open up shop and try some ideas he had to make better weapons, so, worked non-stop for a while, until he was able to make swords that only we as Dragons could use with their full potential, without needing someone to unlock it for us,” Torch explained “He uses a particular type of metal known as “Pyro-Crystals”, it gives the sword extra durability and makes our attacks 10x more powerful, plus it lets us add fire magic onto the blade without it melting or costing a fortune,” said Ember as she showed them her custom made sword “So that’s why your swords have those red lines on the blade,” said Thorax “It almost seems like our “Serpeniite” except that this allows our blades to morph with us,” said Pharynx as he showed them his blade “Yes well… Spike is the only blacksmith who can create these types of weapons, and subsequently, fix them, so…,” said Torch “So if he leaves, your weapon production and repairing will be halted,” said Lemon Zest “That makes sense… and is ridiculous at the same time,” said Pharynx “What does that mean?” asked Ember “If this is the main reason why Spike is so important, why doesn’t he have an apprentice or at least show someone how to do the job?” said Pharynx “Because these weapons are powerful, if, God forbid, we are over runned, and the enemy captures our blacksmiths, if they have knowledge on how to create these weapons, they can be forced to create them, and then the whole war would be shifted in their favor,” explained Torch “Why don’t we bring some of our blacksmiths? They can create weapons similar to ours, that can balance the odds,” suggested Lemon Zest “Wouldn’t work,” said Thorax “Why wouldn’t it?” asked Lemon Zest “Serpeniite is very different and serves a different purpose than Pyro-chrystals, the sudden change of equipment would be too drastic and would leave the dragons too exposed to an attack,” said Thorax “You finally get it,” said Torch “But there has to be something we can do?” said Lemon Zest The room went silent as everyone tried to think of a solution “Maybe there is,” said Ember “We’re all ears,” said Thorax “We can ask Spike to teach us!” said Ember “That… is the… DUMBEST THING YOU COULD’VE SUGGESTED!!!” said Torch “What? Why?” asked Ember “You can barely make improvised arrows and spears, now you want to create magical weapons, please!!” said Torch “No, maybe she has a point, Pharynx and I know our way around weapons, we can even make magical weapons, so it’s not such a bad idea,” said Thorax “But… but your arm,” said Torch “That’s where Ember comes in, she may not be skilled in the creation of weapons, but she can learn who to make them functional, and help me out while my arm gets better… plus, I miss the old days when we used to run our own forge,” said Thorax “Ah yes, does were the days… if push comes to shove, we can even teach other local blacksmiths who to do it,” said Pharynx “I don’t think Spike would like that,” said Torch “Spike may be our age, but his brain is lightyears ahead, he’ll understand,” said Thorax “Plus, he retired because he got bored of the job, but, I have reasons to believe this new challenge will spark his mercenary flame back into life,” said Ember “So it’s a plan… I’ll handle the strategic planning, with Lord Torch and Madam Flame, while you learn the ins and outs of Spike’s… “art”,” said Lemon Zest “Great idea,” said Thorax “If you ever need help, just come looking for us,” said Ember “Don’t over do yourself, honey,” said Pharynx “My words exactly,” she answered back “Oh, well, if this fails, I’ll hold you responsible,” said Torch “Leave it to us dad,” said Ember as the 3 of them walked out of the strategic planning room. MEANWHILE, AT SPIKE’S FORGE Spike walked over to his forge and lit the fire “Let’s get the show started,” he said as he took Garble’s sword and threw it into the forge, letting it melt down until it was liquid. “Ok, I can still reuse most of it… I'll just spoon out the rotten pieces from the mix… and… perfect… now to melt the pyro-crystal…” said Spike as he tossed a pyro-Chrystal into the forge, letting it melt and then mixing it with the remainder of the sword. “Ok… knowing Garble, he’ll get into some sort of job he won’t be able to complete without starting a massive brawl… so, I better give him a small upgrade and make his sword double as sharp and triple the durability… for that, I’ll have to unlock 50% of the pyro-crystal’s potential… usually that would cost anywhere around $90,000, but… It’ll be my baby shower gift to them,” thought Spike as he began to pour the melted sword and pyro-crystal into a special mold. He let the metal harden a little and then he began to pound it until it took the shape of a sword. “Almost done… now we just submerge it in water… and… perfect… a bit too perfect, this might be the best sword I’ve made… not counting Ember’s custom made Sword, Lord Torch’s Spear, and Madam Flame’s knives… now for the final part, unlocking the 50% of the potential,” thought Spike as he closed his eyes, pressed his left hand on the blade and began to transfer magic into it, the blade immediately lit up with a red glow. The glow was so bright, it could be seen at the other side of Pyromareia, and the shades to Spike’s forge were closed and sealed. When Spike opened his eyes, he looked at the sword, it was now magnificent, the red lines resembled live lava, and with some extra magic, it could even be turned into an impromptu torch “Now for the field test,” said Spike as he walked over to a combat dummy he had created to test his swords. Spike gripped the sword and swung at the dummy, the sword cut through it like it was butter. “Perfect, it cauterizes the cut, so there is no blood splatter, this gives the “clean-cut” a run for its money,” he said as he smiled at his creation and placed it inside the now modified scabbard. “If I’m not mistaken, I requested that you knock before entering my shop,” Spike suddenly said “”You knew we were here?” asked Thorax “Yup… now, before you tell me why you came… I have freshly baked Cornbread pastries on the table in the kitchen, help yourselves to as many as you want,” said Spike as he finished up Garble’s sword “That won’t be necessary… really?” said Ember as she noticed Thorax and Pharynx gobbling down cornbread pastry after cornbread pastry “What? You have to admit that Spike makes the greatest corn pastries in Equestria,” said Thorax, his mouth full of pastries. “You guys are so uncommitted,” said Ember “Speak for yourself, you can eat 25 of these things compared to our 10,” said Thorax “We’re at 12 right now,” said Pharynx “That,” said Thorax “Well… one won’t hurt,” said Ember as she began to eat one after another. 5 MINUTES LATER “Well… so what do you want to… HOW MANY OF THEM DID YOU EAT?!!!!” asked Spike as he saw the three of his friends sitting on the table, their bellies bulging from the pastries “I lost count after… 23,” said Pharynx “Luckily for you, these pastries are actually good for your health,” said Spike as he walked over to them with 3 mugs of ginger ale, which they gulped down so fast, it almost made them seem like desperate hikers in the middle of a dessert. “Thanks,” they all said “So, why are you here?” asked Spike The three of them then began to explain the situation “So… you want me to teach you how to make my weapons, while I run around Parythea searching for a reason on why Lord Draquus decided to “join” the enemy,” said Spike “Pretty much, yeah,” said Ember “No way,” said Spike “OH COME ON!!” said Ember “I’m sorry, I’m not a mercenary anymore,” said Spike “Dude, you only retired last year, plus, your 20, it’s not like you’re too old to do the job,” said Thorax “I’m not concerned about the age thing, I mean if age were the problem, why doesn’t any of you do it, we’re all the same age,” said Spike “So then, what is?” asked Pharynx “It the shop, the weapons,” said Spike “Dude, Pharynx and I, used to run a forge ourselves, we know how to make magical weapons,” said Thorax “And I can take over the magic part of the assembly line,” said Ember “That’s cute… but the truth is, anyone can make a magical weapon, what makes mine better and especial my magic ability,” said Spike “What does that mean?” asked Ember “Anyone with a fire affinity can make the sword, but whilst you can make 10 swords a day, I can make 100 every hour, then comes the control issue, pyro-crystals, are unpredictable, so you could easily unlock the 100% of its ability and sell it as a common sword, which would make you lose money and at the same time grant someone unstoppable power,” said Spike “Wait, you sell this sword, how can people tell them apart?” asked Ember “I tell them… I only sell swords with up to 30% unlocked power, anything over that it has to be custom made and I have to know the type of person I’m selling it to,” said Spike “Then, teach me how to do it, I mean, I was second place in our Magic class,” said Ember “Yeah, with a B+,” said Spike “Hey, I ain’t no mage,” said Ember “I know, all our mages are in helping the Academies around the continent with training,” said Spike “So, I’m the best option,” said Ember Spike looked at his friends and then sighed in defeat “Fine, but this knowledge goes nowhere, understood?” said Spike They all nodded Spike then motioned them towards the forge and proceeded to create a sword, spear, mace, knives, daggers, and axes, and showed them how to make them durable. Then he proceeded to show Ember how to enchant them, as to liberate the crystals’ potential, but only up to a 50% “This is rather easy,” said Ember “If you have knowledge beforehand, yes,” said Spike “So, wait, you mentioned that you only retail weapons up to 30%, what about my sword?” asked Ember “80%” said Spike “Wow, that’s a lot,” said Ember “Yeah, I know you well, so I’m confident you know how to use prudence when fighting,” said Spike “What about my mom and dad?” asked Ember “Lord Torch 70%, Lady Flame 80%,” said Spike “Why is my dad so low?” asked Ember “Your dad uses a lance, anything over that and he’ll have no control over the weapon, and your mom, is a neat freak, even if she was one of the deadliest assassins the Dragonlands have seen,” said Spike “So I take it you’ll do the job?” asked Thorax “Would’ve shown you if it weren’t the case,” said Spike as he walked over to his wardrobe and fished out his well known mercenary attire. Black pants, black boots, a blackish green t-shirt, and his well known dark-purple hooded robe, and his face mask. “I take it you’re leaving already?” said Pharynx “Yeah, the more we wait, the faster the clues will disappear, plus, I feel like the forge is in good hands,” said Spike as he walked towards the door “I’ll contact you when I find something,” said Spike as he pointed to his head, referring to the telepathic ability “Take care,” said Ember “I will,” Spike said as he left NEAR THE NORTH ENTRANCE OF THE DRAGONLANDS “Here we are, Garble’s and Maal’s house,” said Spike as he knocked on the door. A few seconds later, a semi-naked Garble opened the door “Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” said Spike “SPIKE?! Wow, you scared me, no... what are you doing here?” he asked “I came to deliver this,” said Spike as he handed Garble his sword “WOW!!! This is brighter than I remember,” said Garble as the bright red light of his sword nearly blinded him “Thanks… but is it so important you actually dressed up for the occasion?” “No… I’m about to leave on a royal contract, so…” said Spike “So, you’re back in the game?” asked Garble “For now… give these to Maal, ok,” said Spike as he handed Garble a pair of assassin daggers. “Thanks, but why?” asked Garble “I have a feeling that bad shit is about to go down… I just want everyone to be prepared, especially the 2 of you… your the only capable mercenaries left in town, and if things escalate, you’ll have to go hunting too,” said Spike “Thanks, i’ll give them to her… be careful,” said Garble “I will,” said Spike as he turned to leave “Happy hunting!” said Garble Spike only waved back as he walked over to the north gate. “Well Peewee, ready for the adventure?” asked Spike “Indeed, I was already missing the adrenaline,” said Peewee “Ok, hold your feathers, we are a whole days walk from our target,” said Spike “I know… but there is a small enemy scouting detachment 5 km away from here,” said Peewee “In which direction?” asked Spike “North, north-east, near Grogar’s cave,” said Peewee “Then… let the hunt begin,” said Spike as he started to jog towards the cave. AT GROGAR’S CAVE “Ok Peewee, give me a bird’s eye view of the situation,” said Spike as he crouched on some high grass “Oh Hardy-har-har, very funny,” Peewee said sarcastically “Just do it… but it WAS funny,” said Spike “Ok, Here goes…” said Peewee “2… 3… 6...7, 7 in total… and it looks like the one with the bow is the leader of the operation,” said Spike “You think they're alone?” asked Peewee “Doubt it, we’d see more settlements or patrols,” said Spike “So… how are you going to go about this?” asked Peewee “Give me a second to think…” said Spike as he noticed that all but 3 of the scouts entered the cave, while the remaining three stayed at the entrance of said cave making watch “Bingo,” he said as he quietly made his way to the hill behind the entrance of the cave and looked down on the 3 men. “Man, this is so boring,” said one of them “I know, why did we volunteer for this?’ said another “That’s enough, both of you, our job is help the scout grant us a way for victory,” said the third “But, seriously man, we could be at the Coulee fort drinking and having all the women we want,” said the first “Don’t tell us you haven’t thought about it,” said the second “I don’t care for those things, I have a wife and 3 teenage children, my life is already set,” said the third “Yeah, now wonder you’re so boring,” said the second “If I were you, I’d think that the both of yous have wives and kids waiting for you back home,” said the third one “So, if they don’t find out, there is no harm at all,” said the first one “Yeah, plus, I’ve seen some of the whores in the town near the fort, those girls give succubus a run for their money, they’ll bang anyone and anything,” said the second “You make me sick,” said the third “Oh, come on, just come to the brothel with us, get 2 of them and have some fun,” said the second “Not interested,” said the third one “They’ll last longer than your wife… you can even rough them up a little,” said the first one “Well… one time won’t hurt,” said the third “You see, we knew you had it in you,” said the first one “Don’t worry, we won’t tell your wife if you don’t tell ours, deal?” said the second “Deal,” said the third one “Great… I can wait to get back, I already have my eyes on a new one… oh the things I’ll do to her,” said the second as he fantasized about it “I’ve heard enough,” Whispered Spike as he lunged down towards them. Spike landed on top of the middle guard, impaling his dagger right through his head, killing him on the spot. Before the other 2 could react properly, Spike stabbed the one to his left in the chest, right through his heart, and the one of his left in the gut. He then used the inertia of the move to pull them closer and stab them both in the neck, killing them instantly. “Who’s next?” Spike asked himself as he entered the cave Spike crept through the cave, trying to be as quiet as he could possibly be “Uff… I forgot that crouching around hurts like hell… I should’ve worked out my legs more this past year,” Spike thought “I told you so,” said Peewee “Shut up Peewee! Or would you like me to tell everyone about the time you ate fe…” said Spike “OK! OK! I’M SHUTTING UP!!!” said Peewee Spike then continued to creep around the cave, in total darkness, until he noticed a campsite, a couple of feet below him “So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” he said as he climbed down to get closer to the camp and its inhabitants He was about to strike, when he heard them talking “... But are you positive?” said one of them “Yes, I have all the information I need, both here (pointing to his head) and in this notebook, it’s just like he told us, and when we get back to Damarkis Fort, we’ll tell Adara how, when and where to set up the troops to invade the Dragonlands capital,” said the scout “Hah, who would’ve known that helping out that Prince-wannabe would’ve been so useful?” said another guard “Yeah, but since we got what we wanted, we don’t need him anymore,” said the scout “So, as soon as we reach the Coulee Dukedom, we gut him like a fish,” said another guard “Well boys, time to get ready, we have a long journey tomorrow,” said the scout as he started to pack “Prince wannabe… Draquus didn’t have sons, he has 2 daughters… who are they talking about?… I have to get to the bottom of this, now!” said Spike as he stood up, revealing himself to the 4 remaining members of the squadron “HEY!! WHO ARE YOU?!!!!” said the leader of the team “HOW DID YOU GET PAST MAGUS, FEDIC, AND RIT!!” said another one as they all grabbed their weapons. “WHAT?!! CAN’T YOU TALK?!!” said one of the guards “Anyway, he’s just one and we’re 4, piece of cake,” said another guard “Wait… purple hood, face mask… oh Gods, it’s him!” said the scout “Who?” asked the guards before being interrupted by Spike “Your worst nightmare!” he said as he threw the dagger in his right hand at the guard, impaling it in his head “ATTACK!!!” screamed the scout But before they were able to react, Spike had already closed the distance and used his sword to quickly attack the remaining 3 members. The scout tried to run while Spike finished the other 2 guards off, but he wasn’t able to make it far, before Spike threw his last dagger and trapped the scout by the leg, pinning him down. “ARGH!!!!” he screamed as the dagger began to burn brighter “It seems… you have information I need… and you’re going to tell me everything,” said Spike as he retrieved his other dagger from the head of the guard. “Sure, I’ll tell you everything!!!” said the scout “What are you doing here?” he asked “We’re planning a massive invasion of the Dragonlands, and we are sketching the landscape,” the scout answered “Are you the only team?” asked Spike “The only one that lived long enough… you guys have some interesting fauna,” said the scout “Back then I heard one of you say that “He” was right in the way “he” had explained the outline of the land… who is “He”?” asked Spike “I don’t know!” said the scout “If that’s how you want it,” said Spike as he stomped his other leg, breaking it “ARGH!!! I SWEAR I DON’T KNOW, I NEVER LEARNED HIS NAME!!!!” screamed the scout “Describe him,” said Spike “Tall, lanky, blond with medium long hair, blue eyes, he seemed to be a royal of sorts,” said the scout “Did he have an accent?” asked Spike “Yeah… a very weird one,” said the scout “Pyron, that slimy son of a bitch! He actually did a coup… did he help you plan the “Invasion” of the dragonlands?” asked Spike “Yes! He said he’ll get us in without much resistance,” said the scout “What did he ask for?” asked Spike “To be crowned leader of the Dragonlands,” said the scout “Did he give you something else?” asked Spike “Not that I’m aware of I swear!!” said the scout “Where is he?” asked Spike “Back at Coulee, possibly at the fort, he things he owns the place,” said the scout “Well thanks to you, he might as well,” said Spike “Is this the end?” asked the scout “For you?” asked Spike “Yes,” said the scout “I’m afraid so,” said Spike “Then… Boonagev, let it be known, I did not die a coward!” said the scout as Spike pressed his dagger on his chest “What is your name?” asked Spike “Damicus… what is yours?” asked Damicus “Spike… I will let everyone know,” said Spike as he stabbed Damicus in the heart, killing him. Spike then proceeded to grab Damicus’ bow and placed it on his hand to symbolize his bravery in the face of death and not pleading for mercy. “Was killing him really necessary?” asked Peewee “He’d be a dead man anyway, if he returns he’d be killed for failing, or be hunted down if ran, plus there was no honor in suicide,” said Spike “So, now what?” asked Peewee “To Coulee Fort, I have a new name in my “kill list” and this one’s had it coming,” said Spike “Are you going to let everyone know?” asked Peewee “Not yet,” said Spike as he rushed out of the cave and flew towards the fort in question A FEW HOURS LATER Spike had reached the outskirts of the Coulee Dukedom, and immediately noticed something… odd “What is the meaning of this? I thought the city would be desolated,” said Spike “Maybe the scout the scout lied to you,” said Peewee “Doubt it, he had nothing to win by lying,” said Spike “What makes you think that?” asked Peewee “He knew that if I let him live, he’d be executed for fear of him being followed, and if he ran, he’d be hunted down, either by me or someone else,” said Spike “Right… wishful thinking I guess,” said Peewee “Just shut up and SCOUT the area,” said Spike “Enough with the puns!” said Peewee “What? Is my sense of humor not BRIGHT enough for you?” said Spike “I swear, if you keep mocking me, Imma finish you,” said Peewee “Just do it,” said Spike “The disrespect is too much around here… Nothing out of the ordinary, city wise, it seems people don’t even know about the coup,” said Peewee “Well, let’s leave that at that… What about the fort? Any signs of the guards?” asked Spike “Nothing out of the ordinary… wait a minute… those aren’t the guards from last time!” said Peewee “What do you mean?” asked Spike “3 weeks ago, you and Smolder were here shopping for materials…” said Peewee “Correction, I was shopping, she was stalking,” said Spike “Besides the point… There is something weird about these guards… like if they’re new,” said Peewee “Maybe they are,” said Spike “Then they should know the patrol schedules and positions, they’re all over the place… plus, there is no way Commander Kuskrond would allow such things to happen… not to mention, he’s nowhere to be seen,” said Peewee “How many guards are there?” asked Spike “3...8...10...14 in total,” said Peewee “What about Pyron, do you see him?” asked Spike “No… WAIT! Yes I see him, he just entered the royal quarters… Also, there is a caravan leaving through the south gate… 3 carriages, 15 guards plus drivers,” said Peewee “Let’s worry about the fort, if I can liberate it, I can find out what happened, afterwords, Torch might send someone over to take care of the city,” said Spike You sure he won’t mind you calling him at 6 in the morning?” asked Peewee “If anything, he’d be surprised,” said Spike “Oh well… I’ll let you have some fun now,” said Peewee “Thanks,” said Spike in a guttural voice as he made a run for the walls of the fort and began climbing them. As soon as he was about to make it to the top of the wall, he stopped as he noticed a light right above him. “Hello victim No. 1” said Spike as he climbed the wall a little more until he was a simple arm’s stretch from the archer. “Man, this is so boring, and since the little rich kid drugged the guards, we didn’t have any fighting, talk about let down… WHAT WAS THAT?!!!” he said as he heard someone whistle He crept towards the edge of the wall and just as he was about to peer over the edge, Spike’s dagger went straight through his head, killing him instantly, letting him fall to the ground, far below him. “If my dagger going through his brain didn’t kill him, the fall surely did,” said Spike as he climbed over the edge, and ducked behind cover. The courtyard of the palace was rather empty, he could only see the guards Peewee told him about, and this concerned him. “Too few guards, were they really able to take over the whole palace that easily?... well if it were me, the less the better, but knowing this palace, there were at least double the guards… So either they didn’t show resistance because they were in on it, or there is something else going on… but for now, I’ll take care of the guards in the courtyard… knowing Pyron, the son of a bitch has more of them inside… Alright, who’s next?... bingo,” said Spike as he laid his eyes on another archer, a couple of feet away, looking into the horizon not paying attention to his behind. Spike proceeded to creep closer to him, and, as soon as he was positioned behind him, he stood up and Spartan kicked him in the back sending him over the edge, the fall killing him instantly. “I forgot about this adrenaline rush… I missed it so much…,” said Spike with a smile, he then turned around and noticed that the courtyard was massive and it would take too long to eliminate all of the guards if he went one by one, so an idea came to his mind “Time to introduce myself… again,” he said as he leaped into the sky opening his wings and flying right to the center of the courtyard. Needless to say, this had caught all of the guards' attention, and they were now rushing towards him. “STOP, IDENTIFY YOURSELF!!” screamed the captain, who was the closest to Spike Spike turned to look at him, but all the captain saw, was Spike’s eyes glowing through his mask “With pleasure,” said Spike as he lunged towards the captain and stabbed him right through the heart. “You can call me… The Night Dragon,” he said as he felt another guard rushing him from behind. Spike jumped off the ground, evading the end of the guard’s lance, turning around and slicing the guard’s head off, only to land and stab the guard behind him in the heart. The rest of the guards stopped dead in their tracks as they saw how easily Spike had eliminated their comrades. “What? That’s all you’ve got?” asked Spike as the guards moved behind him. You didn’t have to be a genius to know what they were planning to do. So as soon as they had encircled Spike, they charged forward, trying to skewer him like a kebab. Spike waited for them to get close enough, before jumping into the air, causing the remaining 9 guards to almost stabbing each other. “That was cute, but you fell right into my trap,” said Spike as he lunged back down while turning as if he was a drill. Spike then landed gracefully on the ground, both his daggers drenched in blood. “Well, that was fun, but I have bigger fish to fry,” said Spike as he walked away from the group of guards, just as they fell to the floor lifeless. INSIDE THE PALACE “Seems I was wrong… there are no more guards here… were they really only 14… the rest must’ve left in the caravan… I’m guessing Pyron didn’t want to draw attention to himself… then again, he sent a letter to Torch… maybe to throw him off for a few days, before more outsiders arrive here… Not on my watch,” said Spike as he rushed towards the main chambers/office to confront Pyron. He was about to open the doors when he heard… “Everything is going just like I plan, there is no way these assholes will defeat Torch and his army but they will leave it weakened, giving me all I need to take over the throne… killing two birds with one stone,” said Pyron Spike was about to kick the door down when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A pair of double swords, swords, Spike knew too well “Oh no! These are Clump’s swords… was that idiot here?... of course, he was, he is dating Mokthi… speaking of which, where is she?... better take this with me,” said Spike as he took the swords out of the rack and placed them in his bag. He then crept towards the door, just to hear the last part of another monologue “... I’m surprised they worked, the drugs knocked everyone out, except for that annoying mercenary that stole my Mokthi… well, with the guards in the dungeon, and Draquus and his family gone, I have nothing to worry, all I have to do is send this letter to Commander Zork and he’ll send his troops… let’s get this party started,” Pyron said as he took the quill and moved to sign the letter when the doors to the room flew open, knocking him out of his seat “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!!!” he screamed as he got up only for a dagger to fly straight into his chest. “Hello Pyron,” said Spike as he walked over to Pyron as he slides down the wall, leaving a trail of blood “Sp-Spike?... what are… you doing here?” asked Pyron “Ending your little circus,” said Spike as he grabbed the hilt of the dagger and began applying pressure. “Any last words?” asked Spike “Death… to the filth-bloods!” he gasped as Spike ripped the dagger out of his chest allowing the blood to flow out like a fountain. “Privileged asshole,” said Spike as he walked over to the table and noticed a couple of letters and reports on it. He proceeded to read through them and learned some interesting facts. “Torch is not going to like this… Torch, can you hear me?” asked Spike “Spike?... Do you know what time it is?” asked Torch “Yeah, but I really don’t care,” said Spike “Of course you don’t… So, what is it?” asked Torch “I have an update on what happened at Coulee,” said Spike “Oh, what is it?” asked Torch “SPIKE!!!” Ember interrupted “Ember, it’s telepathy, no need to scream,” said Spike “Sorry, but, I really need to tell you something,” said Ember “Not know Ember, Spike, tell me what you discovered,” said Torch “As I was leaving the capital, Peewee confirmed that there was a small detachment of enemies at Grogar’s cave, I have taken care of them, I also discovered that they were scouting the area planning an invasion…” said Spike “We know that,” said Ember “I didn’t,” said Torch “Yes, well, about 2 hours ago, Smolder came running into the forge looking for you. She had actually discovered the corpses of the outsiders and ran here thinking something bad was about to happen… needless to say, she wasn't happy when she found us here making the weapons,” said Ember “Why?” asked Spike “No idea, but she was rambling on about how it wasn’t fair that we were using your forge to create competition for you, but after we explained, she turned worst, she was now screaming at us, saying that we “stole” her right, but by that point, we Garble came around and took her with him,” said Ember “Odd, I don’t remember letting her work at the forge,” said Spike “Are you seriously not paying attention?” said Ember “If I weren't, would I be having this conversation?” asked Spike “Anyway, what did you find?” asked Torch “Turns out there was a coup,” said Spike “WHAT?!!!” said Torch “It was a small, yet effective one,” said Spike “Who is responsible for it?” asked Torch “Pyron,” said Spike “THAT LITTLE MOTHERFUCKER!!!” said Torch “He actually drugged the guards making it easy for the outsiders ot come into the palace and lock them up in the dungeon,” said Spike “What about Draquus? What happened to him?” asked Torch “Well, he and his family are still M.I.A, and I have no idea where they could be,” said Spike “What was Pyron after?” asked Ember “Power, he wanted to take revenge on Draquus’ family because Mokthi rejected him for Clump… who seems to have been here during the coup and is also M.I.A… after that, he would’ve helped the outsiders reach the capital, wait for us to kill each other for him to waltz right in and take the throne from Ember,” said Spike “So, he was also after us?” asked Ember “Yeah, possibly because of your marriage to Thorax,” said Spike “Why is that his problem?” asked Ember “Pyron was an supremacist, he thought hated the fact that our race was cross breathing with other races,” said Torch “That’s why he said “Death to the filth bloods,” said Spike “And where is the fucker right now?” asked Ember “Lying dead at my feet,” said Spike “Well, one problem less,” said Ember “Yeah, I’m about to head down to the dungeon and… Wait a minute,” said Spike as he walked over to the bed. “What? What is it?” asked Torch On the bed was a sword that resembled one of Spike’s creations, but this one only looked like it, it had no magic ability at all. “Oh no,” said Spike as he hurried over to the desk and rummaged through the papers until he found it “Oh you son of a bitch,” he said “What happened?” asked Torch “I found a sword that resembles my creations,” said Spike “So?” asked Torch “I didn’t make it,” said Spike “So, you’re telling me that…” said Torch “The outsiders are trying to recreate my weapons, luckily this one was done horribly, but if they were able to make it…” said Spike “They must not be far from successfully manufacturing them,” said Torch “That explains the shortage of Pyro-crystals,” said Ember “And the surprise attack, they were after the crystals, not the capital,” said Spike “How can you be so certain?” asked Torch “Simple, its written right here… and it was all Pyron’s idea,” said Spike “This worrisome, where are the crystals now?” asked Torch “They must have them back at their fort… the caravan!” said Spike “What?” asked Ember “When we were coming, Peewee mentioned a 3 carriage caravan leaving, they must be carrying the crystals...and the duke’s family,” said Spike “Do you know where they went?” asked Torch “No… yes, there is a report here… one of them is heading to the town of Obsidian, another one to Basalt fort, and the last one to… Scoria fortress,” said Spike “They are all nearby, to the south, East and North-west,” said Torch “I’ll get some mercenaries ready to…” Ember said “No, I’ll take care of it,” said Spike “Really?” asked Ember “Yes… they’re trying to recreate my creations, like hell I’ll let them… plus, I kinda missed the adrenaline rush, so,” said Spike “So?” asked Ember “Time for everyone to know, the Night Dragon is back,” said Spike as he put his face mask on. Boonagev Ch.2 Let the hunt begin“Are you positive you can track them down? We wouldn’t mind sending Garble or even Ember to help,” said Torch “Just send someone to look over the dukedom while I rescue Draquus and his family,” said Spike “I’ll head there and do it myself,” said Torch “Great, I’ll contact you all when I find something,” said Spike “Happy hunting,” said Ember as the conversation ended. Spike then proceeded to look around the room, making a mental map of his new objectives. “Where to?” asked Peewee “Don’t know, I’m still thinking about it,” said Spike “You know, maybe it should be best for you to head over and rescue Draquus and his family,” said Peewee “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, the problem is, I don’t know where they went,” said Spike “Doesn’t the report say?” asked Peewee “No, it seems that information was left out on purpose, maybe a contingency plan in case action was taken,” said Spike “So, what now?” asked Peewee “The only normal thing to do… head down to the dungeon and free the guards, police, and servants… maybe they know something else,” said Spike as he made his way towards the dungeon. AT THE DUNGEON “Any ideas?” asked Kuskrond “Nothing, without our weapons we can’t do much,” said Captain Endug “Plus, apart from the capital, we have the most advanced jail/dungeon, it’s can nullify magic,” said Sergeant Nagty “Dammit! There has to be something we can do,” said Kuskrond “SHUT IT!!!” said the guard as he banged on the jail cell door “I swear it’s like running a nursery,” “Leave it Ruck, it’ll be shift change in a few seconds, then they’ll become someone else’s problem,” said the other guard “Can’t wait, I need some fresh air,” said Ruck Just as he said that there was a knock on the door. “Ah! Just in time, see Ruck, now they’re no longer our problem,” said the other guard as he opened the door only for Spike to punch him in the gut so hard, he flew straight to the wall behind him almost demolishing it. His injuries from both the punch and the impact prove too much, as he dies where he lays. “What the?” said both Ruck and Kuskrond, just as a dagger flew right through Ruck’s head killing him. The image, terrifying all of the captured “Ok, get ready, whoever this is might have come here to kill us and I’m not planning on going out without a fight, who’s with me?” asked Kuskrond but his 2 cellmates were just staring past him, petrified as if they were looking at Satan himself. “What?” asked Kuskrond Endug just raised a shaky finger while he hugged his wife in fear Kuskrond turned slowly, first noticing the mercenary boots, then the blood-covered daggers, then the dark-purple hood, and lastly Spike’s eyes staring down at him. The sight of him was too much for Kuskrond who just screamed like a little girl and crawled away. “Please don’t kill us!!!” they all screamed as Spike gave a step forward “Seriously?... that was pathetic, even for the 3 of you, I at least expected Kuskrond to try and tackle me, not scream like a girl,” said Spike At the sound of his voice, the 3 officers stopped hugging and paid more attention to their “savior” “SPIKE!!! Don’t do that!” they all screamed “Do what? Save your asses?” said Spike as he tossed them their weapons “If you have these… I can assume…” said Kuskrond “The palace has been liberated… now, go to the armory and get your gear, before I change my mind,” said Spike as he left the cell and began unlocking the other As if on queue, all of the captured officers, and guards rushed out of the dungeon and got suited up. A FEW MINUTES LATER “Oh, that feels much better,” said Kuskrond as he placed his helmet on “Yeah, I’ve had enough of cells to last me a lifetime,” said Nagty “Good, cause if this fort falls again, with lord Torch inside, then the Outsiders will be the least of your problems,” said Spike as he walked up to them “Spike, good to see you, glad to see your back in the game,” said Kuskrond “Yeah, didn’t really have a choice,” said Spike “I take it you want to ask us something,” said Endug “I was hoping that an of you could tell me where Draquus and his family where take to,” said Spike “We weren’t able to hear anything, the guards down at the dungeon didn’t talk about it,” said Endug “Smarter than they seem,” said Spike “I-I-I heard something,” said a young woman Spike turned and noticed that the girl was not older than Smolder, around 16 to 18, she had pinkish long hair, blue eyes, and was about 5’1” tall “Feel free to tell me,” said Spike as he removed his mask, in an effort to make the girl comfortable “I overheard Pyron telling another guard that the duke’s family shall be “Left to rot at the bottom of the world,” said the girl “What those that mean?” asked Kuskrond “Obsidian,” said Endug “What?” asked Spike “Obsidian is known for its mining, plus, the town has a “secret” jail inside one of the mountains which is known as the “Bottom of the world”,” said Endug “That’s where they are,” said Spike “Yeah, but you better hurry, if what my gut is telling me is right, they won’t let them rot alive,” said Nagty “What is your name?” asked Spike as he turned back to face the girl “Mina,” said the girl “Well Mina, thank you very much, you’ve been extremely helpful,” said Spike as he patted her on the head and left This caused Mina to fall to her knees “He’s so~ handsome!” she thought as she saw Spike disappear. OUTSIDE COULEE “So, we’re heading to Obsidian, nice little joint,” said Peewee sarcastically “Yeah well, what choice do we have, plus, despite my dislike for the self-centered asshole that calls himself the leader of the town, as long as I don’t have to see him, I’m ok,” said Spike “Sure, anyways, do you know where this secret jail is located?” asked Peewee Spike stopped as realization hit him “Yup, it seems you’ll have to see this “asshole” after all,” Peewee said smirking “Fuck… guess there is no other choice,” said Spike as he renewed his pace Then, at the distance, both Spike and Peewee heard something “Did you hear that?” asked Spike “Yeah,” said Peewee “Help!” they heard a woman scream at a distance “Peewee find her!!” said Spike Peewee looked frantically around “The East, 40 mts. Hurry!!!” said Peewee as Spike turned to his left and ran through the forest at full speed didn’t “Peewee I can’t hear her anymore!!!” screamed Spike “She’s still alive, but she’s running further away,” said Peewee “So she’s being chased!” said Spike as he picked up the pace, reaching what seemed to be a recently abandoned campsite The damage to the campsite was substantial, nothing had survived the attack, except its lone camper who escaped. “This fabric… she’s definitely rich or from a wealthy nation… arrows, and damaged bows, definitely a huntress… a hunting knife… an expensive one at that, better make sure to give it back… this claw marks… there are only 2 animals that can do them… and if it's the one that I’m thinking I better hurry!” said Spike as he started to run again following the trail of arrows and claw marks. Spike ran as fast as he could, almost separating from his shadow due to his speed, trying his best to reach the huntress. “Peewee?!!!” said Spike “100 Mts. she’s trapped at the edge of the cliff with her back against the wall!” said Peewee Spike quickly changed his direction and headed for the cliff. As he got closer, he heard the huntress screaming “STAY BACK! STAY BACK!!!” as she swung her now broken bow around trying to defend herself. “Timberwolves, she doesn’t stand a chance!” said Spike Just then, one of the Timberwolves lunges at the huntress, she was able to evade the lunge, but the wolf was able to smack the bow out of her hand, leaving her defenseless. “Oh God,” was all she said as she closed her eyes waiting for death. Spike jumped off the ledge directly above her landing on top of the Timberwolf with his flaming dagger through its head just as she closed her eyes. The huntress and Timberwolves looked at the new arrival in surprise before the remaining 2 Timberwolves lunged at Spike simultaneously. Time seemed to slow down around Spike as he skillfully stabbed both timberwolves in the head, back of the neck, and heart, killing them. The huntress looked at her savior, too amazed to look away, to frighten to speak or move. “Usually, I love animals… but these ones...” said Spike No sound escaped the huntress, making Spike turn to face her, and he almost wished he’d done it sooner. She was beautiful, she had long pink hair, cyan eyes, and despite her armor and gear covering it, she had a slim figure, and stood around 5’5”, but what captured Spike’s attention the most was the fact this her boobs were massive, possibly G-Cup maybe bigger Spike thanked God he’s face was covered by his face mask, cause he knew he was blushing and maybe drooling a little, as his eyes were fixated on her boobs “Spike, eyes upfront, you’re making her uncomfortable,” said Peewee snapping Spike out of his trance. “Are you ok?” Spike asked The huntress nodded Spike walked over to her and said “Can you stand?” as he extended his left arm to her She eyed it for a few instants before she took his hand and got to her feet “Can you walk?” asked Spike The huntress gave a step forward, but as soon as her left foot landed again, she felt a jolt of pain sweep over her body. “OUCH!” she screamed as she lost balance and Spike caught her in his arms “Careful!” he said as he placed her on the ground as gently as he could “What hurts?” he asked “My-my ankle,” said the huntress Spike immediately removed her left boot and saw the issue “It’s a minor sprain, it should be as good as new in a couple of hours,” said Spike as he administered some first aid “O-oh, T-t-thanks,” said the huntress her voice full of fear “I better get you back to your campsite, it’s safer than staying here… plus, Timberwolves can smell their brethren’s blood miles away,” said Spike as he looked at the huntress’s face, he could tell she was really uncomfortable and scared. Spike felt sorry for her, but knowing that they had to move fast, he decided to gain her trust, and slowly, he began to remove his face and head coverings, allowing the huntress to see his face. Now it was HER turn to fall into a trance, her eyes glued to Spike’s face and then giving him a look over as her face turned red. “We should get going,” said Spike getting her out of her trance The huntress nodded as Spike picked her up princess style, causing her face to turn even redder. A FEW MINUTES LATER “And… there, as good as new,” said Spike as he finished fixing up the huntress’s camp “T-thanks a lot,” said the huntress “No problem, OH! By the way, I think this is yours,” said Spike as he handed her the knife “Oh yes! Thank you, this knife is really important for me,” said the huntress “Family heirloom?” asked Spike “Yeah, how did you know?” asked the huntress “I own a forge back at the Dragonlands capital, I’ve done tons of hunting knives and daggers, none of them have this level of detail or design, I can tell it was custom made,” said Spike “Wow, well, you’re right, it belonged to my father,” said the huntress “Oh… did he?” asked Spike “Oh, no, he just retired, gave it to me as a gift for becoming a professional bounty hunter and mercenary,” said the huntress “Oh… WAIT!!! You’re a mercenary?” asked Spike “Yeah… oh! I just realized we never introduced ourselves, my name is Fluttershy,” she said “Nice to meet you Fluttershy, my name is Spike,” he answered “Nice to meet you too… by the way, you said you owned a forge,” said Fluttershy “Yeah, what of it?” asked Spike “Why are you out here if you’re not a mercenary?” asked Fluttershy “Well, I AM a mercenary, but, I temporarily retired last year and decided to open a forge to keep myself busy,” said Spike “Retired? How old are you? If you don’t mind me asking,” said Fluttershy “20 almost 21,” said Spike “You’re 1 year older than me, and you retired?” said Fluttershy “Yeah, it’s just that, I had become bored of this lifestyle, so,” said Spike “But you returned,” said Fluttershy “Not voluntarily, but now I am happy I did,” said Spike “Must’ve been a very important mission,” said Fluttershy “The Empress asked me herself,” said Spike “Wow, you must be good if she asked you,” said Fluttershy “That, and the fact that I am her childhood friend and bested her during our lives in the military academy,” said Spike “Wow, that sounds amazing,” said Fluttershy “What about you?” asked Spike “Well… I originally planned to be a veterinarian, but, when I turned 12 I accidentally registered for the adventures academy, and well… I liked it a lot,” said Fluttershy “So, I take it you’re an animal lover,” said Spike “Yeah, I love them,” said Fluttershy “Then, why are you here hunting?” asked Spike “Well, since I have a lot of knowledge regarding fauna, I usually accept quests that regard hunting or making sure they don’t over procreate,” said Fluttershy “So, keep a balance in the ecosystem and avoid them from attacking our cities,” said Spike “Yeah, like that,” said Fluttershy “So, you don’t kill people,” said Spike “Well, I don’t like taking those types of jobs, but if the others are busy, and the pay is good, I’ll take it,” said Fluttershy “So, have you?” asked Spike “I’ve killed before, but I’m still on the single-digit mark,” said Fluttershy “Oh… wait, others?” asked Spike “Yes, I am part of a Mercenary syndicate in Canterlot that works directly for the royal family, we’re called the “Elements of Harmony”,” said Fluttershy “Cool, what tier are you?” asked Spike “Tier?” asked Fluttershy “You know, mercenary tier,” said Spike “Oh, I’m a tier 5 Mercenary,” said Fluttershy “Wow, you’re deadly, or you do a great job,” said Spike “Thanks, what about you?” asked Fluttershy “Me?” asked Spike as he started to sweat “Yeah, what about you?” asked Fluttershy “Oh boy, if I tell her she might be terrified of me, I don’t want her to fear me, I’d really like to see her again…” thought Spike “Did I ask him something touchy?... maybe hearing my rank made him uncomfortable,” thought Fluttershy “... It’s not as impressive as yours, it’s almost embarrassing,” said Spike “Oh! Well, with some more training and effort you’ll get there,” said Fluttershy “Thanks… you should get some rest, it’ll help your ankle heal faster… don’t worry, I’ll keep watch,” said Spike “You’re right, I have a long journey back to Canterlot tomorrow, good night,” said Fluttershy “Good night,” said Spike “I have to admit when he appeared before me and saved me, he looked so terrifying, and the ease with which he defeated those Timberwolves was amazing… not to mention he is really handsome, OH GOD! Did I just think that?... Well, it is true… WAIT!! If he’s that powerful, why does he seem too embarrassed about his rank?... maybe it’s just the difference between Pegasus and Dragon… Oh well,” thought Fluttershy as she fell asleep. NEXT MORNING Fluttershy awoke to the smell of roasting veggies, as Spike finished tying a bunch of arrows “Morning!” said Spike “Morning… what is all this?” asked Fluttershy “Oh well, I hope you don’t mind, but I took it upon myself to prepare some breakfast, now I wasn’t able to find as many ingredients as I’d love, but I found a lot of corn, potatoes, and bell peppers, and a couple of carrots some lettuce and cabbage, so I made this skewers and porridge for you to choose,” said Spike “Wow, it looks delicious,” said Fluttershy as she began eating bowl after bowl and skewer after skewer of Spike’s cooking. “I also took it upon myself to upgrade your armor and gear, sharpen your hunting knife, make you a couple of extra arrows, and most importantly… rebuilt and upgraded your hunting bow,” said Spike as he showed her the restored and upgraded bow. The image of her new bow, plus all of the things Spike had done caused her to choke on some of her porridge. Spike immediately gave her some water and gave her some light pats on the back. “This… this is too much,” said Fluttershy “Well, last night while I was keeping watch… I got bored, and then when I thought back at your Timberwolf incident, it got me thinking, there are millions of beasts in this world way worse than Timberwolves, her armor, and weapons won’t help her at all, so, I got to work,” said Spike “Wow, my bow was a bunch of toothpicks yesterday, it looks 15 times better than when I bought it,” said Fluttershy “Yeah, I realized we are surrounded by Belkinwood trees, one of, if not THE best wood for both arrows and bows, so I took the salvageable part of the bow and fusion them together, now you can even use it as a wooden bat for close-range attacks, and it won’t break, here look…” said Spike as he walked over to a nearby boulder and smacked it the bow, immediately after, the boulder cracked and disintegrated. Fluttershy’s jaw dropped “Come try it,” said Spike as he handed Fluttershy the bow, she walked over to another boulder, smacked it, and turned to dust “Wow, you’re strong,” said Spike “Thanks, but, the truth is, I’ve always been very strong physically, so…” said Fluttershy “Oh, Phantom-muscle syndrome, it makes perfect sense,” said Spike with a smile Fluttershy was taken aback, Spike was the first male she ever encountered to not be freaked out by her strength and know enough about her condition to not make fun of her. “As you can see, there isn’t a scratch on the bow,” said Spike Fluttershy got out of her trance and saw that it was true “I also substituted the old nylon string with Arachne web, making it 10x stronger and resistant, plus I also made this arrows with Carbonite rocks, they are lighter and easier to find than the normal stones used to make the arrows, with the combination of the 2 of these items you have become even deadlier, look,” said Spike as he aimed an arrow at a Belkinwood tree, shot it, and the arrow went right through the tree splitting it in half, almost like if it was made of butter Fluttershy’s jaw again dropped “And… with the upgrades I made to your armor and gear, they’ll need magical weapons to try and scratch you,” he said as he shot an arrow at the gear and it bounced off, not even leaving a scratch “Those are the same arrows?” asked Fluttershy as Spike picked up the arrow he just shot “Yup,” said Spike as he placed it on her quiver “This… this is too much,” said Fluttershy “Did… did I overstep?” asked Spike “NO! I am really grateful for your help, but you have to let me pay you… here!” said Fluttershy as she tried to give Spike a pouch full of money “No need, I refuse to accept any sort of payment,” said Spike “But,” said Fluttershy “Consider it a gift,” said Spike with a smile “A-are you sure?” asked Fluttershy “Yeah, I’ll have a better peace of mind knowing you’re safe and with the proper gear,” said Spike “T-thanks,” said Fluttershy “Would… would you like me to escort you to town so that you can take a caravan back to Canterlot?” asked Spike “No need, I’ll fly there, but thanks,” said Fluttershy as she finished packing “Hope we meet again,” “If the stars align,” said Spike “Whenever you’re in Canterlot send me a message, I’ll introduce you to the rest of the elements,” said Fluttershy “Will do, have a safe trip,” said Spike “You too, good luck with your mission,” said Fluttershy as she flew away “Someone’s in love,” teased Peewee “No I am not!” said Spike “Yes you are,” said Peewee “Believe whatever you want… poop eater,” said Spike “AH! DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO SAY IT!!” said Peewee “You started,” said Spike “Let’s continue with our mission,” said Peewee as he took off into the air while Spike began trotting towards Obsidian. 3 HOURS LATER OUTSIDE THE TOWN OF OBSIDIAN “Here we are, Obsidian,” said Spike “How observant,” said Peewee “Would you like me to tell everyone you ate poop?” said Spike “Ok I’ll stop,” said Peewee “Finally,” said Spike as he crept closer to the border “Peewee, what can you see?” asked Spike “Well, the town is as normal as always, with the addition of a couple of fake guards here and there, other than that nothing,” said Peewee “What about the Palace?” asked Spike “Same as Coulee, not many guards, although these ones are real guards,” said Peewee “What about Hydros?” asked Spike “He’s walking around the courtyard, heading to his office… Spike, I doubt he’s going to talk regarding the location of the jail, he did side with the outsiders,” said Peewee “Don’t worry, I’ll make him speak, plus, from what I know, there is a secret safe with important documents in his office, I only need the key,” said Spike “What if the only way to get the key is by killing him?” asked Peewee “Peewee, I am hoping that it the case… this asshole, through his own wife and kids into a jail cell only cause they asked him to stop being so cruel to people that opposed him,” said Spike “Yeah, I know, we freed them soon after helping the rebellion make him vulnerable, but he left town, and came back with the outsiders and re-took control of the town, killing any resistant members he could and locking up the rest,” said Peewee “That explains it!” said Spike “What?” asked Peewee “Who else helped the rebellion?” asked Spike “Clump and Mokthi!” said Peewee “Exactly, he wants revenge, he was the one that made conversation between the outsiders and Pyron easier and possible… and if we follow that logic, I’m his next target,” said Spike “Then we better hurry… should we execute the guards?” asked Peewee “No… I’ll make his death look like an accident,” said Spike as he and Peewee rushed towards the palace. Once outside, Spike used the high grass to hide his presence as he moved around trying to find an adequate location to “accidentally” end Hydros’ life. “Any ideas?” asked Peewee “If I can, somehow, make him climb up to that opening in the palace wall with the wooden defense, I can shove him off after confronting him and his death will look accidental,” said Spike “Sometimes your murderous brilliance terrifies me… that’s why you’re no awesome,” said Peewee “Better get a move on!” said Spike “WAIT! There is movement in the bushes to your right,” said Peewee “Animal?”asked Spike “No, anthro,” said Peewee With that Spike began to creep towards the newly arrived presence. Spike lost sight of it for a few seconds, before seeing a bush ruffle violently “Gotcha!” said Spike as he jumped out of his hiding place and tackled the figure to the ground “Motherfucker, get off of me!” screamed the person “Fume?! The fuck are you doing here?” asked Spike “Spike?! Man, it’s the first time I’m not happy to see your face,” said Fume as Spike helped him up “You haven’t answered me yet,” said Spike “What do you think I’m going to do?” asked Fume as he pointed to his weapons “You’re here to kill you father,” said Spike “Correct… you?” asked Fume “I need to learn the location of the “Bottom of the Earth”,” said Spike “That stupid jail? Why?” asked Fume “You know it?” asked Spike “Yeah, the old man couldn’t stop boasting about it… I don’t know where it is exactly… why do you need to know?” asked Fume “Draquus and his family have been taken there,” said Spike “Shit, when?” asked Fume “They either arrived last night or this morning,” said Spike “Dammit… Anything else I should know?” asked Fume “Yeah, they weren’t alone when that happened,” said Spike as he showed Fume Clump’s daggers “Clump was with them?... Oh yeah, he’s dating Mokthi… didn’t he put up a fight?” asked Fume “Pyron drugged the whole place, no resistance,” said Spike “Shit...I’ll help you,” said Fume “What?” asked Spike “I’ll help you find and free everyone in there… as long as you help me kill my father,” said Fume “Well, I was going to kill him anyway,” said Spike “Oh, I take it you had a plan,” said Fume “Yeah, lure him over to that part of the wall and shove him off it,” said Spike “After getting the information from him, right?” asked Fume “Of course… but I don’t know if he’ll talk,” said Spike “I know you, and I know you can make a mute person talk,” said Fume “Yeah, but your father is really…” said Spike “Stubborn,” said Fume “Yeah,” said Spike “Don’t worry, he’ll talk, now, how are we going to lure him towards that spot?” asked Fume “Leave it to me,” said Spike A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER “Another quiet night… And I fuckin hate it, oh well, as soon as Draquus and his posse get used to their new home by tomorrow morning, the air will be filled with their screams of agony, I just can’t wait,” thought Hydros as he continued to walk around the courtyard. Just then he saw something out of the corner of his eyes. “HEY! YOU THERE! STOP!!!” he said as he noticed the figure standing at the same place where Spike and Fume had agreed to take out Hydros. The figure didn’t move an inch but kept staring right at Hydros “ARE YOU TRYING TO INTIMIDATE ME?” Hydros screamed at the figure while drawing his sword. The figure didn’t move “FUCK YOU!!!!” screamed Hydros as he charged up the steps towards the figure, only for it to disappear when he blinked. Hydros came to a stop at the exact same point where Spike and Fume wanted him. “Did I imagine that?... well, all of my excitement has rendered my sleep useless, maybe I should head back in,” said Hydros as he turned to leave “Leaving so early?” came a voice as Hydros turned to face the unwanted presence “Fume?!” he said “Hello, father,” said Fume as he shot a paralyzing dart at his father “What is the meaning of this!!!” screamed Hydros “Time for us to settle some scores, where is the bottom of the earth?” asked Fume as he walked closer “HA! You want me to tell you? Boy, I fucked that whore of your mother and gave you life, but I can’t believe you’re so damn stupid,” said Hydros, trying his best to get him angry so that he’ll kill him Fume knew what he was trying to do, and even though he was tempted to do it, he held himself back “The fact we share the same blood is enough to make me want to vomit, but, you should know, I am the one asking nicely,” said Fume “HA! Asking nicely he says, so, I take it that there’s another of your filth-blood friends coming are they,” said Hydros “Yeah, but trust me, you don’t want to deal with him,” said Fume “Really? Well, tell your friend to go fuck himself, and while you’re at it, go fuck yourself,” said Hydros “Well that wasn’t nice,” came Spike’s voice, immediately causing Hydros to freeze and start sweating “S-s-s-s-Spike! What are you?” asked Hydros in fear “I have a job,” said Spike “W-w-well, this-this doesn’t concern you!” said Hydros “Well, you just told me to go and… what was it he said?” asked Spike as he walked up to Fume “Go fuck yourself,” said Fume “That… well, now that concerns me,” said Spike “I-I was joking, I know you’d never do that, besides, it’s not like I was behind Draquus abduction,” said Hydros “Huh, I never mentioned I was here to rescue Draquus, did I Fume?” asked Spike “Indeed you didn’t,” said Fume Hydros went pail as he realized what he had just said “So, Hydros, be a lamb and tell us where this “Bottom of the world” jail is,” said Spike “Sure, but I can’t say it out loud,” said Hydros “Fine, where is it?” asked Spike as he got closer to him, only for Hydros to spit on him “There it is, you fucking filth-though the blood,” said Hydros “Well, that wasn’t helpful,” said Spike “Do you realize what you just did,” said Fume “Of course I do, I wouldn’t have done it otherwise,” said Hydros with a smirk “Dragonlands law 125, paragraph 5, section C,” said Fume “Boy, you know better than to quiz me on the law, “no harm or disrespect can be or would be tolerated towards one of the leaders of the Dragonlands, be it a Dragonlord, or the Emperor/ess,” said Hydros “And the punishment is death,” said Fume “I know,” said Fume “Then, it’s a pleasure to kill you,” said Fume as he got closer “Huh, don’t you dare, boy!” said Hydros “Spike IS the Dragonlord, you know that,” said Fume “What?!!!” said Hydros “I won the race and absorbed 50% of the power of the staff, Ember took the other 50%, and together we broke the rule of the lord, allowing her to stay in power and marry whoever she wanted,” said Spike Hydros turned even paler “W-Well, I’ll never tell you where it is!!!!” said Hydros as he felt the effect of the paralysis leaving his body. “Then, allow me!” said Spike as he began to crush Hydros head with his left claws “What are you, ARGH!!!!” screamed Hydros as Spike used his magic to learn the location of the “bottom of the earth” “The Silver stone quarry,” said Spike as he let go of Hydros head “How did you?” asked Hydros “Some of the magic I obtained from the staff… well, my business with you is over, Fume?” said Spike “Likewise… which I could say it was a pleasure to see you again father, but… this is better,” said Fume as he walked up to his father and spartan kicked him off the ledge, through the wooden cover. “ARGH!!!!!!!” screamed Hydros as his body hit the ground hard, bouncing off a couple of times before coming to rest. “Feel better?” asked Spike “Vindicated, yes,” said Fume “Glad to hear it… later,” said Spike as he started walking away “Wait? Where are you going?” asked Fume “Uhm, I have a royal family to save,” said Spike “And I said, I’d help you, plus, you don’t even know where that quarry is, plus, it’s heavily guarded,” said Fume “Right, Fume, I might not know where it is, but, did you forget why I’m considered the deadliest Mercenary?” said Spike “Of course not, you completely cleared the Marble Fort after it was captured by Tall Tale, killing everyone inside, except for the prisoners, the total death toll was of 68 soldiers,” said Fume “How guarded is this Quarry?” asked Spike “At least 70 guards, plus reinforcements,” said Fume Spike thought about it for a few seconds then looked back at Fume “Then I guess it’s time for you to be known as the “Second” deadliest mercenary in the Dragonlands,” said Spike as he stretched his hand out as Fume gave him a manly handshake. “Let’s go save our friends,” said Fume as he and Spike rushed to the quarry NEAR THE QUARRY “68...69… 75… 103… 110 enemies, plus 20 more in the nearby barracks that we can call “reinforcements,” said Peewee “What does Peewee say?” asked Fume “110 on the premises, 75 above the ground 35 below acting as guards, plus 20 in the nearby barracks,” said Spike “Just as I expected,” said Fume “What is it with all the security?” asked Spike “The bottom of the Earth is “supposedly” a POW jail, meant particularly for powerful or important POWs, so…” said Fume “So, factoring in the level of importance of the people held in it, they have to be able to defend against an entire army,” said Spike “Yeah,” said Fume “So, this is what we’re going to do…” said Spike “Before you tell me, Spike…” Interrupted Fume “I have to be honest with you,” he said “Ok,” said Spike “I am extremely bloodthirsty right now,” said Fume “Really?” said Spike in disbelief “Yeah, so, I have a better idea,” said Fume “Ok, I’m all ears,” said Spike “All act as a decoy gaining the attention of the guards on the surface, giving you enough cover to march in and free everyone while not worrying about the guards calling for backup,” said Fume “That’s suicidal,” said Spike “Didn’t they tell you the same thing when you cleared the Marble Fort alone?” said Fume “Yeah, but that was different,” said Spike “Spike, I am a mercenary, but above all, I am a Dragon, battles like these are what we’re born for,” said Fume “I can’t argue against that logic,” said Spike with a grin “I’ll keep them busy until you come back up to the surface…” said Fume “And then I’ll… we’ll back you up,” said Spike “Sounds like a plan, go, get near the entrance and signal me when ready,” said Fume “May God, guide you through the battle,” said Spike “Likewise,” said Fume as Spike rushed to the wall and climbed it all the way up to the entrance of the cave that served as the entrance to the bottom of the earth. Fume crept all the way near the entrance of the quarry and awaited the signal, preparing his double swords “Here goes nothing,” said Spike as he instructed Peewee to give Fume the green light. Fume saw the signal and walked right into the quarry “YOU THERE, STOP!!!” screamed the captain of the guard Fume did as he was told “DON’T COME ANY CLOSER!!!” said the captain as he and another guard walked up to him “SURRENDER!” said the captain as he stopped one arm stretch away from Fume “Or what?” asked Fume as he lunged at the 2 guards beheading them with his swords “INTRUDER!!!! ATTACK!!!!” screamed a guard as all of the guards on the surface rushed to confront Fume, leaving the entrance completely unguarded “Good job Fume, I’ll be back ASAP!” said Spike as he darted into the jail. The jail was massive, and it ran deep into the earth. Spike quickly made his way to the overwatch near the entrance “WOW! Where the hell are they keeping them,” thought Spike as he heard footsteps coming up the ramp Spike quickly jumped behind cover and saw 2 guards walking up the ramp “Did you hear the alarm?” asked one of them “Yeah, they must be here for the royal family,” said the other “What about the bounty hunter on the torture chamber?” asked the other guard “What about him, he’s a bounty hunter, he’s expendable,” said the guard “Seems I just found my answer!” said Spike as he got out of cover and jumped down at the guards stabbing them through the heart killing them instantly “To the torture chamber!” Spike crept through the network of caves killing any guard that came his way, until he arrived at a crossroad “Where the fuck is the torture chamber?” asked Spike He was about to take the left tunnel when he heard screams of pain and agony coming from the right one “That’s Clump!” said Spike as he ran down the right tunnel. After a few seconds, the torture chamber came into view, and Spike got a first row seat of the horrible atrocity that it was. “Holy shit!” said Spike seeing all of the torture devices in that place, then he heard “I’m losing my patience Asshole, NOW TELL ME WHERE IS IT?!!!” screamed a male voice “Fuck… you!” said Clump as the executor clobbered him in the right side of his head with a maze. “Keep running your mouth you fat shit and see where it gets you, now tell me where it is!” said the executor “Make… me,” said Clump as the executor grabbed a maze with spikes on it. “With pleasure” he said as he lifted the maze over his head ready to bury it into Clump’s head Clump closed his eyes, knowing that his end had come, only to hear a loud thump as the maze hit the floor violently followed by the lifeless body of the executor. He opened his eyes only to see a dagger sticking out of the back of his head “Man you can take a punch,” said Spike as he walked up the corpse and retrieved his dagger “Spike… man am I… glad to see you,” said Clump “I know, allow me,” said Spike as he used his magic to heal Clump “Oh, that feels much better,” said Clump “I believe these are yours,” said Spike as he swords “Thanks, I take it you’re here to free us,” said Clump as he and Spike began to make their way towards the cell that held Draquus and his family. “Yeah, and we better hurry,” said Spike “Follow me,” said Clump as he began to sprint towards the holding cell. CELL WING D (Maximum security ward) “Oh no, I- I can’t hear Clump’s screams anymore,” said Eldi “WHAT!” said Mokthi as she crawled towards the bars securing them inside the cell There was dead silence, the only thing she could hear were the footsteps of the guards outside “Oh no! Clump! NO!!!!” screamed Mokthi as her sister hugged her “You have to be strong Mokthi, it’s what Clump would’ve wanted,” said Draquus as Mokthi started to bawl loudly “Savages, how dare they kill him!” screamed Duzha “I know dear, CLump was a brave and kind soul,” said Draquus “I never… got to tell him… that I DID want a future with him!” cried Mokthi “HE PROPOSED?!!!” everyone asked Mokthi nodded “Just before… they took us,” she wailed Everyone in the cell went quiet with sadness “HEY! QUIT YOUR CRYING, YOU’LL MEET HIM SOON ENOUGH!!” screamed one of the 2 guards that went over to their cell “MAKES US YOU FAT FUCK!” screamed Eldi “OH THAT IS IT! OPEN THE CELL!!!” screamed the guard as the other unlocked it They were about to drew their swords when 2 blades appeared in their chests “You mess with my girl, you mess with me!” said Clump in a murderous way “CLUMP!!!” screamed Mokthi as she ran out the cell and tackled Clump to the ground “I’m here babe, I’m here!” Clump said as he hugged her “Glad to see you alive son,” said Draquus “Yeah, almost didn’t make it,” said Clump “Well, it’s… CLUMP BEHIND YOU!!!” screamed Eldi as a guard lunged at Clump only for a dark-purple cloaked figure to land on top of him and kill him “You alright?” asked Spike as he looked over to the rest of Draquus’ family “Spike, Wow, I’m glad to see you… you’re still as scary as always,” said Draquus “Thanks,” said Spike as a loud BOOM came from above them “What was that?” asked Duzha “That was definitely Fume having too much to handle,” said Spike as he and Clump rushed towards the exit of the jail “Should we go with them?” asked Duzha “Well, I don’t know about you mom, but I am thirsty for some revenge,” said Mokthi as she grabbed a sword and shield “And some babies,” teased Eldi “ELDI!!!!” screamed Mokthi turning red “Arm yourselves, God knows what does three will do,” said Duzha “I’m only thankful the red one was not mentioned,” said Draquus “Who? Garble?” said Eldi “That one, one Spike is enough,” said Draquus “And yet Garble can’t hold a candle to Spike,” said Mokthi as they all ran after Spike and Clump, following the trail of corpses left by the 2 of them. AT THE ENTRANCE “ALMOST THERE!!!... WHAT THE FUCK!!!” exclaimed Spike as they all witnessed the carnage before them. The quarry, ones pure white stones, now red from all of the blood splatters, dead guards littering the floor everywhere you look, and in the middle of it all, a crazed Fume stood there, defeating guard after guard, his body covered in blood, if it was his or the guards, or a mix, unknown to all. “He really held his own!” said Spike “Hey! He’s having all the fucking fun… NOT ON MY WATCH!!!” said Clump as he leapt onto the ground below and began butchering guards left and right. “That’s my hubby-to-be!” said Mokthi as she followed him into battle “Hey Spike… uhm… is-is Fume… you know… single?” asked Eldi “Ask him yourself~!” said Spike as he leapt into action, followed by Eldi “You hear that dear, Eldi finally has a crush on someone!” said Duzha “Our little girls are not so little after all,” said Draquus “Oh, I can’t wait to be a grandma!” said Duzha “You do realize we’re only 38 right?” said Draquus “Yeah, and I am not going to let this bunch of junior have all the fin,” said Duzha as she jumped off the ledge to engage the guards “I’m getting too old for this,” said Draquus as he followed his wife into battle Fume was doing his best to continue fighting and give Spike and the others time to escape, but his exhaustion was evident to the guards “He’s getting tired, everyone attack!” said the other captain “Bring it!” screamed Fume The captain lunged at Fume and managed to body-check him onto the ground “This ends here!” said the captain as he prepared to stab Fume, only for a dagger to go through the captain’s head as he fell to the ground “Thanks for the assist Spike!” said Fume as he got back on his feet “Thanks for buying us time!” said Spike as he pointed to the rest of the newly rescued prisoners (Freed by Draquus and Duzha as they hurried to the exit) join the battle. “Did you really think I’d let you have all the fun?” asked Clump as he ended the lives of another bunch of guards. “Good to see you big guy!” said Fume The three mercenaries then lunged at the reinforcements entering the quarry, killing all of them in a matter of seconds. A FEW MINUTES LATER The quarry had grown silent, a river of blood trickling it’s way down the path that lead to the entrance, as many bodies laid lifeless on the ground. “That was fun,” said Spike “Yeah,” said Clump “How many?” asked Spike “What?” asked Fume as he walked up to them, his body and gear clean of all the blood he had spilled “How many did you kill?” asked Spike “64,” said Fume “That almost my record, well done,” said Spike “Man, I was only able to kill 23 of them,” said Clump “Yeah well, you survived a beating that could’ve easily killed me,” said Spike “You’re right,” said Clump As if on queue, Mokthi tackled Clump to the ground “I thought I lost you back there!” she said as she began to cry “Oh babe, you know me, it takes more than that to kill me,” said Clump “I know… but it was still scary,” she said as Clump hugged her “Everything is ok, I’m here,” said Clump “Yes,” said Mokthi “What?” asked Clump “Yes, I’ll marry you,” said Mokthi “Really?” said Clump “Yes,” she said as the 2 of them kissed “Ugh, get a room,” said Fume “Hey, uhm, Fume…” came a voice Fume turned and saw Eldi standing there “Yeah?” asked Fume “Hi, my name is Eldi, I’m mokthi’s younger sister,” she said “Ok,” said Fume, her advances going right over his head “I was… I was wondering… are you… by any chance…. Single?” she asked “Yeah,” said Fume, still clueless “Then… would you… date me with the intention of marriage?” asked Eldi “Uhm,” said Fume as he clammed up and turned red “Just say yes, and put an end to this conversation,” Spike mumble, having enough of the love fest around him “But… aren’t you… 17?” said Fume “So?” asked Eldi “I’m 20, it’s 3 year difference,” said Fume “And it’s approved by the law… and me,” said Draquus “R-really?” asked Fume “Dude, you’re an adult when you turn 15, plus, I’m amazed you waited this long to get a girlfriend,” said Spike “She’s not my girlfriend yet!” said Fume “So you DO want her?” said Spike “It’s just...” said Fume “But you find her attractive?” said Spike “Well, yeah, she’s… she’s my type,” said Fume turning red “Then Problemo Resuelto, plus, a duke needs a duchess,” said Spike as he turned Fume so that he could face the red-face Eldi “If- if you’re ok with me,” said Fume “Yes!” said Eldi as she hugged Fume “And boom, my congratulations to the happy couple,” said Spike “What about you Spike? Anyone in your life?” asked Duzha “Nah, not interested in it right now,” said Spike “Well, I hope that whoever captures your heart, makes you happy,” said Duzha giving Draquus bedroom eyes as she hugged her husband’s arm making it disappear between her F-Cup boobs “I’m seriously getting too old for this!” thought Draquus. “Thanks,” said Spike as he looked around and smiled at a job well done. MEANWHILE IN THE ELEMENTS BASE INSIDE THE CANTERLOT PALACE “Anything new?” asked a certain Rainbow haired pegasus mercenary, you could tell that she wasn’t that tall, maybe around 5’6”, but she did have a really athletic body with C-cup breasts, her hair was shoulder length, and her eyes a deep Magenta “Nothing… Oh! Yes, a Mercenary has just ascended from Tier 6 to Tier 1,” said a purple furred alicorn, with long, smooth purple hair, and purple eyes, she stood at 5’5” and had DD-cup breasts “How did that happen?” asked the cyan furred pegasus “It says here that he and another unknown mercenary stormed the infamous “Bottom of the earth” jail liberating a bunch of nobles and soldier and slaughtering almost all of the guards, his body count was of 64, almost as high as the “Night Dragon”,” said the alicorn “Cool, a new rival,” said the Pegasus “Rainbow Dash, hate to break it to you, but you’re not that powerful to go against him, being that you’re a tier 6 mercenary,” said an extremely beautiful white furred unicorn, her Goddess-lick beauty, enough to cause the whole world to stop and admire her. She had long, perfectly stylish hair, blue eyes, and a fashionably sbelt figure, with perfect curves, her boobs being F-cups and proudly stood at 5’7” “Being words coming from you Rarity, you can only kill men or women, if you get them alone in a room,” said Rainbow Dash “While keeping my body clean and no trace left,” said Rarity “Which is expected of a tier 3 mercenary/assassin,” said the purple alicorn “Spy, Twilight dear, I prefer the term spy,” said Rarity “Spy,” corrected Twilight “You wonder if he’d like a party?” asked a Pink haired and furred pony as she bounced around the room, causing her E-cup boobs to jiggle around, she had a slender figure, which seemed impossible taking into consideration how big her appetite was, stood at 5’8”, blue eyes, and puffy long hair which jumped around with her. “Pinkie Pie, he doesn’t even know you,” said Rarity “Which makes it even better, we’re in the same tier anyway,” said Pinkie Pie as she jumped our “How, I don’t know,” said Rainbow Dash “Well, Pinkie’ere is far more effective than y’all at completing bounties,” said a beautiful pony, with an amazonic built, it seemed that there was no fat on her perfectly toned body, except for the ‘Supposed” fat being stored in her F-cup boobs, you could tell she was tall, standing at 6’1”, but her height was nothing compared to her beauty, long golden locks, and deep green eyes. “Zip it Applejack, at least I take “difficult bounties”,” said Rainbow Dash “And sometimes you botch them, and I must head there and clean up yer mess,” said Applejack Rainbow Dash was about to answer back to Applejack’s comment when they heard someone knocking at the door. “Come in!” said Twilight “Hi girls, I hope everything is good,” said Fluttershy as she walked in “Shy, you know you don't have to knock, right?” said Rainbow Dash “Sorry,” said Fluttershy “It’s ok Shy,” said Twilight “By the way, where did you get that cool looking armor?” asked Pinkie Pie “Indeed, I’d like to know myself?” said Rarity “Well, I… I got it as a gift from another mercenary who saved me from a bunch of Timberwolves,” said Fluttershy “WHAT?!!!” they all said Fluttershy then proceeded to explain everything that happened. “Well, you can consider yerself lucky,” said Applejack “So, this guy, owns a forge,” said Rainbow Dash “Yeah, he says it’s in the Dragonlands capital,” said Fluttershy “Then why the mercenary job? He must be loaded,” said Rainbow Dash “There is nothing wrong with a little side project,” said Rarity “Well, in your case Rarity, maybe you should consider going to him for some classes in proper gear making,” said Rainbow Dash “First of all, I am not a gear maker, I make fashionable clothes and dresses meant for galas and high end parties,” said Rarity “No wonder, I only see rich people wearing them,” said Rainbow Dash “And Second…” said Rarity “You don’t know how to make proper gear,” Rainbow Dash interrupted “DASH!” screamed Rarity “It’s true!” said Rainbow Dash “Gals, that’s enough,” said Applejack “By the way Fluttershy, what was his name?” asked Twilight “Excuse me?” asked Fluttershy “Well, if he’s a mercenary, he must be registered in the record,” said Twilight “He’s name is Spike,” said Fluttershy “Spike… Spike… Spike… Spike… nothing,” said Twilight “That can’t be,” said Fluttershy “Maybe, he’s new, or gave you a fake name… describe him,” said Twilight “Well, he’s a dragon, he was very tall, maybe 6’6” or taller, you could easily tell he was used to manual labor or he worked out a lot, his body was covered with this tough purple scales, he had this perfect white teeth that looked almost like perfect pearls, and his eyes, his eyes, were this deep, perfect shade of jade,” said Fluttershy as she turned red realizing how she had described him. “Someone’s in love,” teased Pinkie Pie Fluttershy turned even redder as she hid her face behind her hair “Odd, there is no one with that description,” said Twilight “He also said that he graduated from the Dragonlands military academy with honors and that he is a close and childhood friend of Dragon Empress Ember, who gave him the mission he was currently on,” said Fluttershy “Well, there is a mention of a Spike in the archives of the school, but due to safety issues, I am not allowed to see his picture,” said Twilight as she used her magic to look through the Dragonlands academy’s records “What about his attire?” asked Twilight “Oh… I… I don’t remember,” said Fluttershy, earning a sigh from the girls. BOONAGEV Ch.3 To break a cycle, there must be blood“HOW THE HELL CAN’T YOU REMEMBER, IT’S YOUR BOYFRIEND!!!” screamed Rainbow Dash “He-he’s not my boyfriend,” said Fluttershy “Still, how can’t you remember the attire of your savior,” said Rainbow Dash “Big Words coming from you Dash, you can’t even remember yer own address half of the time,” said Applejack “That’s not... “ said Rainbow Dash “Give it a rest dear, she will remember everything after she rests for a while,” said Rarity “If you say so… by the way, where is Sunset?” asked Rainbow Dash “She’s out on a mission up north somewhere,” said Twilight “Yeah, but, she left almost a week ago, I doubt it’s taking her so long to finish up,” said Rainbow Dash “Well, she is a tier 1 mercenary, maybe she was hired to do some other mission, she’ll be back soon,” said Twilight “If you say so,” said Rainbow Dash BACK WITH SPIKE “So, now what?” asked Draquus “You better get back to Coulee, as for me, I’m heading off to the city of Basalt, I have business there,” said Spike “Good luck then,” said Draquus “Thanks… I hope you don’t lose my invitation,” said Spike as he turned to see Mokthi and Clump “No way in hell,” said Mokthi as they all waved goodbye as Spike disappeared. HOURS LATER, NEAR BASALT “I still can’t believe they are trying to create your weapons,” said Peewee “Yes, well, they are, and we’re going to stop them,” said Spike “Do you even know where in Basalt they’re keeping those crystals?” asked Peewee “Nope, but, that’s why I have you,” said Spike “Of course,” said Peewee “Relax, we’ve jumped head into worst missions,” said Spike “You’re right… wait a minute! Basalt is no longer on the Dragonlands!” said Peewee “And you just realized? It’s Griffonstone’s biggest forts,” said Spike “Shouldn’t we look around for clues regarding the location of the Pyro-crystals?” said Peewee “Huh, I was planning on heading to the fort, killing everyone inside and teleporting those crystals to my Forge,” said Spike “Of course you were… well, it’s faster than my suggestion,” said Peewee “Well, here we are, the city of Basalt, it’ll be better if we don’t raise any suspicions,” said Spike “Right, then, try not to look so menacing,” said Peewee “Very funny,” said Spike as he entered the city. The city of Basalt served as one of Griffonstone’s main trading spots, a part of the capital, Basalt was the second biggest city in the Griffonstone lands. As you can expect from a merchant city, it was crowded and full of life, it was hard to locate an empty store or stall, and there were people from every race making commerce, so losing yourself in the crowd was fairly simple, especially since no one was paying much attention to whom was walking next to them. “This is simple, now I just head to the northern gate and I’ll be 3 minutes away from the fort… once I get to the gate I should better lose myself in the vegetation, wouldn’t want the patrols to spot me and report back to the fort that there is someone lurking around,” thought Spike as he made his way towards the north gate But he made one critical mistake, he thought that he was invisible and that no one had noticed him, however, a hooded figure was watching him closely from the rooftops, following him quietly. AT THE NORTH GATE Spike reached the north gate and decided to act like any normal traveler leaving the city, he even said goodbye to the guards, who waived back with stern faces “Mean assholes,” thought Spike as he continued to walk until he realized he was completely alone “Time for phase 2: get to the fort without being seen,” Spike began to quickly make his way towards the fort, using the overgrown grass and bushes to mask his presence. After a few seconds, Spike made it to a clearing near the fort and asked Peewee to look around “What do you see?” “About 20 guards… 1 commander… and a couple of prisoners, but I have no sight of the Pyro-Crystals,” said Peewee “Any caves? Pyro crystals must be stored in those types of areas if not being used,” said Spike “No… there’s none... WAIT!! There is a small crack on the mountainside of the south wall, there is also a guard walking out of the crack,” said Peewee “Bingo, now we know where they are,” said Spike “Spike! Don’t be alarmed, but there is movement behind you,” said Peewee “Animal?” asked Spike in a hushed voice “No, anthro, and it seems hostile, it is directly behind you, and seems as if it’s ready to pounce,” said Peewee “Did they follow me?… well, let’s dance,” said Spike as he crept over to the tall grass and disappeared from sight. Just then the figure that was following him leaped out of hiding, but when it noticed that Spike had disappeared it frozen “What the hell? He was here a second ago! Where is he?” said the figure Just as it turned to leave and track Spike, Spike appeared behind it and punched the figure right on the face knocking it out. “There we go,” said Spike as he laid the body of the tracker on the ground carefully “Did you kill him?” asked Peewee “Nah, but he’s going to wake up with one killer headache,” said Spike as he began to pat the figure down “What are you doing?” asked Peewee as he noticed Spike patting the figure down “Looking for weapons, or anything that can tell us who this is…” said Spike as he removed a pair of daggers from the figure’s waist “2 Daggers, plus the complexion of the body, he is skinny, even to the point that his waist is almost the size of a woman, doesn’t have much muscle mass in the abdominal region, but his legs are extremely well-toned, probably because he works fast and counts on speed instead of strength,” thought Spike as he continued to pat the figure down Once he was done with the waist and lower body, Spike began to move upwards “I repeat, he has a very slim and curvy built, his waist is almost like an hourglass, oh well, that’s a curiosity, but nothing dangerous…” said Spike as he continued to move his hands upwards, only for him to stop when he felt he was touching something big and squishy. Spike looked down and his eyes almost jumped out of his suckets, there, being grasped firmly by his hands were 2 E-Cup breasts. After a few more seconds, Spike came back to reality and jumped back “He’s a girl!” he said “Lucky pervert,” said Peewee “Now is not the time,” said Spike as he crawled back towards her and removed the hood from off her head, revealing her face “Oh shit,” he said as he picked her up, princess style, and got away from the fort before they were discovered. “Why are you taking her with us?” asked Peewee “I’m not going to leave her there,” said Spike “You just want to do the “fun” thing with her because she’s cute,” said Peewee “That idea never crossed my mind!” said Spike A FEW HOURS LATER “OH… oh, my head, what happened?” asked the girl “I punched you in the face after I discovered you following me,” said Spike as he looked at her “Oh,” said the girls as she noticed that she was resting on a sleeping bag, in a camp “I am really sorry,” said Spike “No, it’s ok, It’s my fault after all,” said the girl “Why were you following me?” asked Spike as he sat down next to her “Well, you looked like one of them,” said the girl “Them?” asked Spike “Mercenaries and you looked powerful, so I thought…” said the girl “That you could ambush me and claim my bounty,” said Spike “NO!... well, yeah,” said the girl “Are you a mercenary?” asked Spike “Yes!” said the girl “What tier are you?” asked Spike “I’m a tier 133,” said the girl “So, you just started,” said Spike “Yeah, it’s my 1st month, what about you?” asked the girl Spike clammed up, but, he felt he owed the girl for the punching and groping incident so he said “I am the mercenary they call “The night Dragon”,” he said as he removed his hood The girl's eyes widened in fear, but they quickly changed to amazement when she saw Spike’s face. “That is so cool,” said the girl “Really?” asked Spike “Yeah, everyone knows who you are, but I am the only one who’s seen your face,” said the girl “Outside my social circle,” said Spike “Right, oh!, by the way, my name is Gabby, Gabby Griffon,” she said as she extended her hand towards Spike “Spike, likewise,” said Spike as he shook her hand “Wow, you have a powerful name,” said Gabby “Thanks… now, why were you really following me?” asked Spike “For you bounty,” Gabby quickly said Spike raised an eyebrow and looked at her “Fine, I was hoping that you could help me,” said Gabby “Doing what?” asked Spike “Many of my friends have been kidnapped and I think they’re going to be sold as slaves, I can’t let that happen,” said Gabby It was at this point when Spike noticed the emblem on Gabby’s breastplate and cloak “YOU’RE A VALKYRIE?!” said Spike “Yes, but that won’t help me out at all,” said Gabby “You’re a scout, that explains why you can move around so quietly… but, why don’t you go to your commanding officer and request help?” asked Spike “I did, but he said there was nothing he could do,” said Gabby “So, you think he is involved in all this,” said Spike “Definitely, he is a very shady person,” said Gabby Spike looked away and started to think, however, his silence made Gabby feel uncomfortable, and in fear that he’d say no, Gabby said “I-I don’t have much money, but, I can pay you with my body,” while turning red Spike looked at her and said “I wasn’t going to ask you for payment,” Gabby looked at him and was surprised “Really?” she asked “Yeah, slavery is illegal in Equestria, and if there is a net of trafficking here, everyone involved must die,” said Spike “Wow, Thanks!” Gabby said as she hugged Spike “Too close!!!” said Spike as he felt Gabby’s boobs press against him “So, where do we start?” asked Gabby “First, we have to know where this trade is happening,” said Spike “Basalt fort,” said Gabby “Well that’s convenient,” said Spike “How many of your friends are there?” asked Spike “4 in total,” said Gabby “Ok, and lastly, when is it happening?” asked Spike “Later today, around sundown,” said Gabby “In an hour,” said Spike Gabby nodded “There must be high security in those events,” said Spike “More than likely,” said Gabby “Then, we might need to trick our way in,” said Spike “How?” asked Gabby “Well, we can either act as if you’re my wife… no, they’ll ask for a certificate…what about… you being my slave?” said Spike Gabby turned red but thought about it, and it was definitely a solid idea, it wouldn’t raise suspicions. “As you wish… master,” Gabby said turning even redder “Ok, I doubt the clothing issue would bring much attention… but we should better hide the valkyrie insignia,” said Spike Gabby immediately took the hood off, revealing her body to Spike, luckily she was still wearing clothes underneath. Spike then handed her a brown cloak that was more inconspicuous “Are you ready for it?” asked Spike “I am... master,” said Gabby With that, Spike and Gabby made their way towards the Basalt Fort. LATER AT THE BASALT FORT Spike and Gabby walked up to the main gate wearing their disguises “Halt! What do you want?” asked the fort commander “What do you think meathead?” asked Spike “Are you trying to be smart with me?” asked the commander “No, it’ll be a waste of time, seeing as to the fact that you wouldn’t understand,” said Spike At the mention of this, the commander pulled his sword and aimed at Spike “Say your prayers!” he said as he lunged at Spike But Spike stopped the blade with 2 fingers and smashed it “What the!” said the commander as Spike grabbed him by the neck and began to apply pressure “What is the meaning of this?” came a male voice “Are you the person in charge?” asked Spike “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” lied the man “Then this doesn’t concern you,” said Spike as he applied even more pressure “Well, if you kill him, it’ll be a homicide of a royal guard, murder of a commander, and assault at a fort, charges that are paid with death,” said the man “Except he attacked first, therefore making my actions justifiable,” said Spike as he turned to face the man The man went silent not knowing how to answer “I came all this way, cause I heard about the fine specimens you have here, only to be greeted like this at the door, is this how you treat paying customers?” asked Spike It was at this point that the other 2 guards and the man noticed Gabby in her slave disguise “Oh dear!, I am terribly sorry for my associate’s behavior, please come in,” said the man Spike then lets go of the commander’s neck, as his skin was turning purple and his consciousness was escaping. “I don’t take well to people attacking me, next time, I will kill him,” said Spike “Yes, we’ll-we’ll see to it that he is reprimanded, oh, where are my manners, my name is Gaudon, and I am the person in charge of this gathering,” said the man as he shook Spike’s hand “Nice to make your acquaintance, now, I hope you’re reputation lives up to my standards, as you can see, I don’t accept nothing but perfection as you can see from my head slave,” said Spike motioning to Gabby, who’s face was red, but was doing her best to hide it. “Indeed, she is a fine one, she must be able to keep up with your prowess if she’s your head slave,” said Gaudon Gabby turned even redder “Are you interested in selling her? She’ll catch a pretty penny,” said Gaudon “Keep talking, and you’ll end up worse than your guard,” said Spike “Right, right, my apologize, to the both of you, well, feel free to look around and I hope you feel satisfied with today’s selection,” said Gaudon as he began to walk away “Before you leave, if I want to buy all of them, how much would it be?” asked Spike “Well, normally we don’t allow it, but seeing as to you being an important customer and the little incident at the entrance… $3 million and they are all yours,” said Gaudon “Thank you,” said Spike as Gaudon left Spike then turned to face Gabby who was still flustered “Sorry, I know it’s really uncomfortable,” said Spike “It’s ok master, it’s all part of the plan,” Gabby said “Do you know that asshole?” asked Spike “It’s the minister of economy of Griffonstone,” said Gabby “Do you think the leader of Griffonstone knows about this?” said Spike “For his sake, I hope not,” said Gabby as they walked over to the stage as the event commenced. “WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO YET ANOTHER TRADE, TODAY WE HAVE A SELECTION OF MANY YOUNG AND EAGER MEN AND WOMEN, WHO CAN’T WAIT TO SERVE YOU!” said Gaudon as a group of 5 female slaves walked onto the stage “There, those 4, those are my friends,” whispered Gabby “Ok, I’ll get ready to make a bid,” said Spike as he laid eyes on the last slave Spike could easily tell there was something different with her, first and foremost, she was gorgeous, she had long red and orange hair with yellow details, she had cyan eyes, she had a well-toned body, with E-Cup breasts and stood at 5’9” She didn’t fit the look of a slave, she even seemed rather annoyed and confused on why she was there. It was at this point that Spike noticed something on her right arm, but due to the angle at which they were standing, he couldn’t make it out. Spike felt someone staring at him and looked up to meet the gaze of this slave, they looked at each other for a few seconds, before Spike moved his eyes to tell her to show him her arm. She immediately turned and allowed Spike to look at the emblem on her arm “I knew it, that’s the same emblem Fluttershy had on her gear, she has to be a canterlot mercenary, I have to free her!” said Spike “... $850… $950 right over there, anyone willing to give more?” came Gaudon’s voice “I’ll buy them!” said Spike as he lifted his arm “1,050! Anyone else?” asked Gaudon “No, I’ll buy all of them,” said Spike All of the people present began to whisper amongst themselves “3 million was the deal, here you go!” said Spike as he tossed a pouch fool of golden coins to the feet of Gaudon “Deal! Sorry folks, that’ll be it for today,” said Gaudon as everyone left murmuring in annoyance “We’ll deliver them to your state sir!” he finished as he turned to face Spike “I’ll be waiting for them at the entrance of the fort, you have 10 minutes before I come back inside and gut you for wasting my time,” said Spike as he walked past Gaudon “RIGHT AWAY! GUARDS!!! GET EVERY READY NOW!!!!” Gaudon Screamed 10 MINUTES LATER There were a total of 148 slaves present at the fort, most of the women between the ages of 14 to 30, possibly destined to be sex slaves or prostitutes, the rest were men, around the same ages, but Spike could tell that almost all of the males over the legal age had toned bodies, which indicated they were POW’s. “It was an honor doing business with you, I hope you come again,” said Gaudon as he handed Spike a stack of ownership papers. “Right, get a move on everyone, my time is gold, and we have a long way to go!” ordered Spike as he began to walk away from the fort with the small army of slaves behind him “Who was that?” asked the commander of the fort “That, you imbecile was Lord Cheyenne, one of the wealthiest men in the world, and a former Military general,” said Gaudon as he remembered the information from the documents Spike gave him. They didn’t know that Spike had killed Lord Cheyenne 2 years ago, and disposed of his body so no one would ever find him. A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER Spike and the army of slaves were nearing the border of the Griffon Kingdom, as Spike had decided to avoid going to the town of Basalt so as to not stand out. When he deemed they were far enough and alone, he turned to the slaves and said “Ok, you’re free,” he said as he burned the ownership papers and removed his mask “A-are you sure?” asked one of them as they saw Gabby changing attire “Positive, go and head back to your lands, here are some clothes, weapons, and provisions for the trips,” said Spike as he teleported the items before them All of the slaves quickly gathered some provisions, said their goodbyes and thanks, and left, minus 5 of them. “Gabby! Thank you so much!” said one of the valkyries as they hugged Gabby “Don’t thank me, thank Spike, he was the one that pulled everything off,” said Gabby as she broke away from the group hug. “It was nothing,” said Spike “Thank you anyway,” said another one “You should report back to base, but it should be better to head to a different higher up,” said Spike “Find Gilda, tell her about this, she’ll do something about it,” said Gabby “Right, Spike, again, thank you so much,” they said as they flew away “Can you trust this Gilda?” asked Spike “She’s the leader of the valkyries, as well as one of the wives of Prince Gilbert, the next in line for the throne,” said Gabby “If you say so,” said Spike as they both turned to face the mercenary who was angrily punching a nearby boulder After a few more punches the boulder cracked “I think the boulder is dead now,” said Spike “Wha?” asked the mercenary as she turned to face Spike “Oh, sorry, It’s just…” she said “You’re angry at the fact you were turned into a slave,” said Spike “Yeah, I can’t believe I fell in the trap,” she said “What are you talking about… what was your name again?” asked Spike “Oh, Uhm, my name is Sunset Shimmer, I am a tier 1 mercenary from Canterlot and a member of the Elements of Harmony,” she said “Just like Fluttershy,” said Spike “You know Fluttershy?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Cute, about ye tall, long pinkish hair, animal lover despite being a hunter, massive bo…” Spike stopped when he realized what he was about to say “Hey, I don’t blame you for noticing that, it’s kind of hard not to,” said Sunset Shimmer “Well, my name is Spike, and I’m a mercenary and blacksmith from the Dragonlands, I also hold the title of DragonLord,” said Spike as he shook her hand “And you?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Oh, Gabby Griffon, I am a former Valkyrie and I’m currently Spike’s apprentice, I am a tier 123 mercenary,” said Gabby “SINCE WHEN?!!!” said Spike “Since you punched me in the face and made me act as your slave,” said Gabby “Right,” said Spike “You must be new,” said Sunset “So, going back to your slave incident?” asked Spike “Right, it happened a few days ago…” Sunset Began 3 DAYS AGO AT THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY HEADQUARTERS “Nope… nope… maybe~ no… I can’t believe there aren’t any good bounties out there,” said Rainbow Dash “Well, there are plenty, your problem is that you only like certain bounties,” said Sunset Shimmer “And what’s your excuse, Ms. 1st tier?” said Rainbow Dash “Just came back from a 2-month mission and thought I needed a break,” said Sunset Shimmer “That’s the prime excuse of a lazy ass,” said Rainbow Dash “Dash, I understand where you’re going with this, but let’s be serious, your snarks are just as juvenile as your body,” said Sunset Shimmer as she stood up and copied one of Rarity’s sensual poses. Rainbow Dash’s face went red with anger “Not bad posing, Darling, maybe you’d like to model for me sometime,” said Rarity “My body is NOT juvenile, I just have more muscle than you,” said Rainbow Dash as she cupped her C-cup breasts. “Huh, maybe you’re right, oh wait… SIKE!!!” said Sunset Shimmer as she flexed her muscles and tore her gear, almost exposing her body to the world. “Another point for Sunset Shimmer!” screamed Pinkie Pie as she held up a scoreboard “Face it Dash, everything you can do, I can do better,” smirked Sunset Shimmer Rainbow Dash was livid, she wanted to punch all of Sunset’s teeth out, but before she could go through with her plan, Twilight spoke up “Girls now is not the time to be fighting, especially between each other,” she said her eyes still glued to her book. “Relax Twilight, we aren’t going to fight, it’s just a friendly competition, plus, how else are you going to get Dash’s motor running,” said Sunset as she sat back down “That sounded wrong and… sexual,” said Fluttershy “Yeah, well, it wasn’t,” said Sunset as the door to the room swang open “Howdy gals, what did ah miss?” came Applejack’s voice as she entered the room “Nothing much, Dash here being picky about the bounties, as usual, and then being schooled by Sunset Shimmer,” said Pinkie Pie “Shut it Pinkie!” said Rainbow Dash but it was too late “Man, Ah can’t believe ah missed another episode, oh well, I had a taste of it down in Seaquestria, once again Dash, mind yer speed and sources,” said Applejack as she plopped down on her seat. At that second, an owl entered the room through the window and landed next to Twilight “Owlowiscious, you bring me news?” asked Twilight as the owl extended his right claw towards her. “2 letters, maybe bounties!” said Rainbow Dash as she darted for the letters “Hold yer horses, Dash,” said Applejack as she held her back Twilight began to read the letters “What do they say Twi?” asked Sunset Shimmer “They’re 2 new royal bounties,” said Twilight “YES!!!!!!” screamed Rainbow Dash as she jumped into the air “Dibs on any of them,” “Sorry Dash, but, these are tier 5 and higher bounties,” said Twilight Dash’s jaw hung open as the information reached her ears “What are they about?” asked Rarity “Well, the first one is from the Dragonlands, Dragon Empress Ember has noticed an increase of Timberwolf attacks in the area, and since almost all of the Dragon Mercenaries are busy she’s requesting our help… the other one is from the Griffon kingdom, it’s from Minister Gaudon, it says that there has been an increase of missing people, over the last couple of weeks, and he fears that it may be war-related, so, who wants to go?” said Twilight “Sorry Darling, but hunting and tracking aren’t my things, plus, I have a deadline to meet so pass,” said Rarity as she continued to fix her nails “I already have a bounty Twilight, I’m about to head out,” said Pinkie Pie “Just came back, you know the rules, Sugacube, must rest 24 hours beforehand,” said Applejack “That only leaves Sunset and Fluttershy,” said Twilight “What about you?” asked Rainbow Dash “I’ve completed 8 bounties in the last 7 days, I already reach my max bounties allowed,” said Twilight “I know Jack-shit about hunting, Shy that one’s all yours, I’ll take the missing person case,” said Sunset “Great, now before you leave… make sure to fix your gear, any more and you’ll be considered a nudist,” said Twilight as Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy exited the room 1 DAY LATER NEAR THE CAPITAL OF THE GRIFFON KINGDOM “Here we are, the capital of the Griffon Kingdom, Griffonia, the letter says that I must meet with this Gaudon fellow at the city hall for more instructions… hey, excuse me, where is the city hall?” asked Sunset to a passing guard “Right in front of you,” said the guard as he walked away “Rude asshole,” said Sunset as she turned and headed to the building the guard mentioned. Once she entered she was met with yet more indifference from everyone but decided to ignore it and walk up to one of the receptionists. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Gaudon,” said Sunset “Good for you,” said the receptionist ignoring Sunset “I have come to answer a bounty,” Sunset said losing her temper “Hooray!” mocked the receptionist still ignoring Sunset Sunset had just about enough of their attitudes and decided to make them react. She then proceeded to slam her fist on the counter so hard that it obliterated it and even cracked the floor. At this point, all of the receptionists had their full attention on Sunset “Listen, ma’am, either you tell Gaudon to come out or feathers start flying,” she said, her eyes red with rage The once mean receptionist shook her head in agreement and said “R-right away miss, I’ll tell him you’re here!” as she disappeared into the city hall Sunset turned to look at the other receptionist and noticed they were staring at her “What are you looking at? GET BACK TO WORK!!!” she screamed Immediately all of the receptionists began working diligently and started being polite to the other visitors “This is what happens when you place too many sexually frustrated people in one building,” Sunset Shimmer said as a fat, short, almost bald man, with a mustache walked out of the office “Hello, I’m Gaudon, Griffonstone’s minister of finance, at your service, and you are?” he asked as he bowed “Name’s Sunset Shimmer, I’ve come from Canterlot in response to your missing person situation,” said Sunset “Oh yes, thank you so much for answering our call, unfortunately, I am still not up to date with the situation, but, go talk to General Gowan up at the Lime fort, he knows more than I do and will point you to your next objective,” said Gaudon “Right, I’ll head over,” said Sunset Shimmer as she left “I was expecting a beauty that rivaled the goddess, she’s not bad, but too much muscle… then again, she’s a fine specimen… I’ll tell everyone that the plan is in motion,” thought Gaudon as he walked into his office with a goofy smile. A FEW MINUTES LATER AT THE LIME FORT “Halt! State your business here!” said the guard “I’m here to talk to General Gowan, Minister Gaudon sent me regarding the missing people,” said Sunset Shimmer “Sure, come on in, he’d be at the top of the stairs to your left, they lead to his office,” said the valkyrie above her Sunset followed the instruction she was given and arrived at the door of the office; she then proceeds to knock politely “Come in!” came Gowan’s voice Sunset Shimmer entered, and for the first time in a long while, she was terrified of something. Before her was a man in his late 20s, tall as hell, maybe 6’8” maybe taller, and full of muscle, plus his face was rugged and had a stern look on his eyes. “Can I help you?” he asked in a deep bass voice “General Gowan?” asked Sunset Shimmer “No, I’m his twin brother,” said Gowan sarcastically “What do you want?” he asked “I’m here regarding the missing persons,” said Sunset Gowan finally place the papers down on the desk and glared at Sunset Shimmer, before getting up and walking slowly towards her Sunset Shimmer turned pale and began to shake in fear “What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t fear anything or anyone!” thought Sunset Shimmer When she finally came back to her senses, Gowan was standing before her. Suddenly Gowan placed a hand on her shoulder, which made Sunset Shimmer look at him “THANK YOU SO MUCH!!” he exclaimed “Oh, Uhm, right,” said Sunset Shimmer playing it cool “It’s been 4 days since the first one went missing, and every day we get new reports of more people disappearing, heck, I lost 4 valkyries yesterday, they were out scouting and they never came back,” said Gowan as he sat back down and motioned for Sunset to take a seat “Seems even more serious than I thought, how many have gone missing so far?,” asked Sunset Shimmer “We have officially identified 76 missing people, but there might be many more; the vast majority are women,” said Gowan “Anything they had in common?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Well… so far we’ve discovered 2 main leads… 1) both male and female missing persons are all between the ages of 15 and 30… and 2) they all went missing in near the same area… here,” said Gowan as he placed a map on the desk and pointed to the area for Sunset Shimmer “What is there?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Nothing, that’s the scary part, it’s just a road that leads into the mountain trails… Now, we have some hypotheses, a part of the captured theory. Many people think they got lost in the fog and fell to their deaths, but it seems highly unlikely, especially if you take into consideration that it’s too much of a coincidence… another theory, and quite frankly, the one that makes more sense, they were attacked by wildlife, large numbers Timberwolves, and Garavnaxs (Lynx like felines) have been seen roaming the area… yet, I have another theory…” said Gowan “Which is?” asked Sunset “Marauders, thieves, and the fucking cult of the golden feathers, those three have been a thorn in my side for the last 3 months,” said Gowan “A cult?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Yeah, not the first time I’ve suspected them… yet, to be honest, I doubt it’s them,” said Gowan “Why?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Things with the cult got a little out of hand, a few months back, and we called the Dragonlands for help, they sent 2 mercenaries to butcher them all, they were a woman and a man, the woman was fairly pretty and actually cared about the mission at hand, the other one was a red-scaled charlatan who cared more about his ranking than anything… what was his name, Grabble, Garfield, Gar… well doesn’t matter, they did their job and killed all of the cultists that we knew of, but still, maybe it’s a splinter cell,” said Gowan “Well, whatever it is, I’ll get to the bottom of it,” said Sunset Shimmer as she stood up “I do have to implore you that you work fast, one of the valkyries that disappeared yesterday… is my daughter,” said Gowan “I’ll be on my way,” said Sunset Shimmer as she exited the office and started sprinting towards the area that was shown to her on the map. HALF AN HOUR LATER Sunset Shimmer finally reached the area and began to look around “Gowan wasn’t lying when he said this area is in the middle of nowhere… the only thing that doesn’t make sense is… why would so many people come all the way here?... Well, on the other side of this mountain is the road that leads to Manehattan. Maybe they were heading there… then again, why not take the main road? it’s safer and faster,” thought Sunset Shimmer Sunset began to look around the fields to both sides of the trail but found next to nothing “Damit, it’s moments like this that make me wish I was half as good as Dash when scouting and tracking,” Sunset said, mentally kicking herself for always relying on her strength and brains to solve problems. Suddenly, Sunset Shimmer heard a bunch of footsteps coming towards her on the trail. She quickly ducked behind a tree and saw a garrison of 8 guards patrolling the area. “Anything?!” asked the leader “Nothing sir, but we’ll keep looking,” said one of the guards At this point, Sunset Shimmer walked out from her hiding spot and walked over to the guards “HALT!... oh, it’s you Ms. Shimmer,” said the leader “Yeah, ou boys find anything?” asked Sunset “No ma’am, we’re about to head up the trail and search the road, would you like to accompany us?” said the leader “Nah, I’ll let you, boys, to it, I’ll stay here and search the area,” said Sunset “Right, well, if you find something, let us know,” said the leader as the garrison walked away “Huh, seems like not all of the soldiers here at Griffonstone are dicks,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she continued to search. After a few more minutes of searching the fields and wooded areas, Sunset Shimmer had nothing “Odd, there is nothing here that shows kidnappings or people spontaneously disappearing… What about the hill and mountains?” she thought as she went over to the hill covered with high grass, it was almost like a rye Sunset looked around and realized something “This is the perfect location for an ambush… wait, what’s this?” she said as she noticed something on the ground It was an earring, a very expensive one “Someone was definitely here,” Sunset thought as she noticed some marks on the ground “There was a scuffle, whoever was the victim, it put up a fight,” she said as she continued to walk in the same direction “Someone was dragged here, only for a couple of feet, but does are drag marks alright,” she said as she followed them towards the mountainside Sunset looked around the mountainside for a couple of minutes but found nothing to continue the trail “Now what? It’s like they disappeared into thin air… unless!” thought Sunset as she noticed a ledge above her. Sunset proceeded to climb the mountainside as fast as possible, and it was there she discovered a well-hidden cave. “Eureka!’ she exclaimed as she entered it The cave was dimly lit and seemed really creepy “Seriously, who would come into this cave, I can barely see 5 steps in front of me… what the!” said Sunset Shimmer as she saw a strong light coming from the deepest part of the cave. Sunset knew she shouldn’t walk towards it, but she also knew she had a job to do and this was a massive lead, so, against her better judgment, she walked towards the light. After a few seconds, Sunset made it to the room where the light was coming from, and her jaw dropped. The room was filled with treasure chests, some even had coins popping out of them, then at the center of the room was a desk and a chair. Sunset went over and noticed many documents and records spread on the table “This will make perfect evidence… Why does my head feel light?... urgh,” said Sunset Shimmer as she fell to the floor “Played right into the trap, just like those 4 valkyries… you’ll catch a pretty penny indeed,” came a male voice that Sunset Shimmer knew too well. BACK TO THE PRESENT “When I woke up, I was in this massive cage with all of the missing people, each day for the last 2 days, more were thrown in, I made sure they were alive and did my best to help their wounds if they had any… then, today, you come along and save us all,” said Sunset “Yes well, thank her, she was the one that told me about it,” said Spike “Who would’ve known that Gaudon would do such a thing,” said Gabby “Argh! I’m heading back there and killing him, right this instant!” said Sunset Shimmer “That’ll be a bad idea,” said Spike “Why?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Taking what I’ve learned, I can tell you haven’t eaten a proper meal in the last couple of days, which means you’re walking on “fumes”… literally, second… a mercenary is not a mercenary without their equipment,” Spike said looking at a nearly naked Sunset Shimmer At the mention of this, Sunset Shimmer looked down and noticed that the only thing stopping her body from being exposed to the world were the rags and underwear she was wearing, this realization made her flinch and curl up into a fetal position “Relax, there’s nothing to be ashamed of, you’re highly attractive as it is,” said Spike This comment made Sunset Shimmer blush, but she quickly answered “It’s not a thing about me being ashamed of my body, it’s just, I’m practically naked,” said Sunset Shimmer “Why the hell I’m I suddenly acting all proper around him!” she thought as she turned redder. “Yeah Spike, don’t you think that was rude?!” said Gabby in a very annoyed tone “To be honest, women are not my strong point, I’ve seen female mercenaries wearing armor that barely cover their assets,” said Spike “Yeah, well those women want men and/or women to see them,” said Gabby “If you say so… anyway, we better get your gear back, right now, you’re not in much shape to be of help,” said Spike “That’s not true, I have the power of 10 men,” Sunset Shimmer said as her belly growled, causing her to turn even redder. “And the hunger of 20… come, let’s go buy something to eat,” said Spike as he, Gabby, and Sunset Shimmer headed to the town of Flyhigh, where no one would recognize them for a decent meal. 1 HOUR LATER “Make that 50 men,” said Spike as both he and Gabby saw Sunset Shimmer gulp down another bowl of stew “Even I’m impressed,” said Gabby “Thank you so much… for inviting me,” said Sunset Shimmer as she continued to eat “No worries… be right back,” said Spike finishing his food and getting up from the table “Hey, Uhm, Sunset, hate to break it to ya, but, I think you grossed Spike out,” said Gabby “Huh, what do you mean?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she placed the empty bowl at the top of her pile “Well, Spike ate 2 bowls of food, I ate 1, but you ate 4...8...12… 26 bowls,” said Gabby “So?” asked Sunset Shimmer “It’s rather intimidating... aren’t you afraid that Spike might think of you as a gross woman?” asked Gabby “Of course not…” said Sunset Shimmer confidently, but then her skin turned pale, and her confident smile shifted into a serious expression, and then into a concerned expression as she placed her hands on the sides of her head as her stomach filled with butterflies “But what IF she’s right? What if Spike thinks I’m gross?... we’ll he see me differently? AND WHY THE HELL DO I CARE?! I just met the guy, it’s not like I like him or find him incredibly attractive or nice… Plus, I’m pretty sure that after this mission is over we’ll never see each other again… AND WHY DOES THAT TERRIFY ME SO MUCH?!!!... Then again, I don’t even know what type of a man Spike is, although I am curious,” Sunset Shimmer thought, not realizing Spike had returned from, wherever he had gone and was now getting ready to depart. “Ready to go?” asked Spike as he finished preparing his gear The Sudden Appearance of his voice caused Sunset to jump out of her seat and say “SPIKE!!” “Yeah?” he answered “What… Do you think… of girls… with appetites?” she asked with a red face Both Spike and Gabby stared at Sunset in confusion for a few seconds “Nothing in particular,” he said “Do you find them gross?” asked Sunset “Not really, but I don’t find them that attractive either, I mean, it’s awesome that they can eat so much and not get fat, but at the same time, it’s somewhat intimidating,” Spike said as he paid the bill Sunset Shimmer and Gabby just looked at each other “Told you so,” said Gabby as she walked away following Spike “Well, he still said it was awesome, but now it’s time to show him what a tier 1 mercenary can do… WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!!” thought Sunset Shimmer as she followed Spike and Gabby out of the restaurant. A FEW MINUTES LATER “So this is the cave where everything went down?” asked Spike “Yeah, it was in there where I was abducted,” said Sunset Shimmer “Right, you 2 stay here and I’ll go in and see what I find,” said Spike “Are you sure?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Hey, I’ve been in worst caves than this one, at this point, there is nothing that can surprise me,” said Spike “What about the sleeping agent?” asked Gabby “It has to be really strong to knock me out… if I’m not back in 10 minutes, then…” said Spike “We go in and find you!” interrupted Sunset “I was going to say go find help,” said Spike “Right,” they both said as they watched Spike enter the cave The cave was just as Sunset Shimmer had described it before, dimly lit, creepy, and rather soggy. But Spike ignored this and pushed through towards the chamber at the very back of the cave. “There it is… huh, I can smell the incense from here… but what is that smell?... it’s like a mixture of Drulan Fruit and Kenshety roots, no wonder it makes whoever comes in here dizzy, but where is it coming from?” thought Spike as he reached the chamber and noticed that there were many lamps in it “Cheeky bastards,” he thought as he walked over to the lamps and turned them off, then letting the content of said lamps fall to the floor and turning into ash. “Ok, that’s that, now, let’s see what else I find,” said Spike as he used his thermal vision to look around the now obscure chamber After a few minutes of looking, Spike only found chest, after chest, filled with gold and jewels, which made Spike feel uneasy and concerned “Why the hell are there so many riches in this cave? Shouldn’t they be in the treasury?” Spike thought, but then he decided to walk over to the desk and see what he could find on it, and what he did make his eyes widen in surprise “That fat fucking bastard,” he said as he heard footsteps coming towards him in the opposite direction from where he had entered. He quickly grabbed all of the documents he could reach and ducked behind some stalagmites. “What happened to the lights?” came a male voice “No clue, but it’s better that way, it won’t affect us,” said another voice, both, Spike recognized very well “Well, if it isn’t captain dumbass and his associate,” said Spike as he saw the 2 guards from the gate of the Basalt Fort walking into the chamber “Right, anyway, just get those damn documents, and let’s… THERE NOT HERE!!” said the captain “WHAT?!!!” said the guard “Yeah, they’re gone,” said the captain “Damn, Gaudon is going to kill us,” said the captain “Well, at least these ones are here,” said the guard as he got a few papers and a book out of the drawer of the desk. “Well, maybe we’re not that dead… here, help me lift this chest, we’ll take it into the fort and place it with the rest… but be careful this are the gears from those hot valkyrie girls and the mercenary, one scratch and they’re worthless,” said the captain as he and the guard turned towards the chest all the way at the back of the chamber. “I need to stop them before they leave… plus, these fools are on my kill list…” thought Spike as he came out of hiding and lit his fire daggers This caught the attention of the 2 men “Looking for these?” said Spike holding the papers with his right hand “Well, come and get them!” he said as the 2 guards lunged at him. But Spike was way faster than them, he ducked as the guard flew over him, giving Spike enough time to stab him in the chest, right in his heart, and recover to stab the captain right through the neck. Spike then peered into the eyes of the captain and said “I told you, I don’t take well to people attacking me,” The eyes of the captain widen in fear, as in one swift move, Spike beheaded him, “That feels much better… now, about those records…” said Spike as he grabbed them from the lifeless body of the guard and gave them a quick read, but he found out, was worse than he thought. “I need to hurry and give Sunset her gear back,” said Spike as he walked over to the chest and lifted it effortlessly He was about to leave when he remembered the other entrance “I must seal it so that the evidence remains,” he said as he placed the chest down, went over to the other side of the chamber, and kicked the wall, causing it to crack and cave in, covering the tunnel that led into it. “There, now I just have to get out and do the same with the other entrance,” he said as he walked over to the chest, lifted it, and walked towards the entrance. OUTSIDE THE CAVE “Can you hear anything?” asked Gabby “No, the last thing I heard was the screams and then the loud BOOM of something big crashing against the ground,” said Sunset “Do you think Spike’s ok?” asked Gabby “I sure hope so,” Sunset answered as she felt a tightness in her chest Then in the distance, they heard footsteps coming towards them, they sounded heavy and menacing, so they instinctively got into a fighting stance and waited for the owner of the steps to emerge from the cave. With every second, the footsteps got louder and louder, and heavier and heavier, and this was making the girls shiver in fear. They were about to pounce when they saw the side of a chest creeping out of the entrance, followed by Spike. “Well, that was educational… What are you 2 doing?” he said as he turned to face them shaking like maracas. “N-n-nothing, it’s just… a little cold,” said Sunset Shimmer “If you say so, by the way, I found your gear,” Spike said as he plopped the chest down so hard, it caused it to open by itself “Yeah, this is my gear… but the rest isn’t,” said Sunset “Those are Valkyrie uniforms 1… 2… 3… 4, they must be from the girls,” said Gabby As if on queue, the 4 rescued valkyries landed next to them “Gabby, thank God we found you,” said one of them “Gertrude, what’s wrong?” asked Gabby “We went over to tell Gilda, but it turns out she isn’t here, she’s not coming back until tomorrow morning,” said Gertrude “So, we’ll just have to wait,” said Gabby “Yeah, but as we were leaving, Grace reminded us that we were walking around almost naked,” said Gertrude “Well, that’s why you should’ve taken a cloak from my mast, I MEAN, Spike, seriously,” said Gabby “That’s one problem, the other one was that we almost ran into Gaudon, and he looks pissed as hell,” said Grya “Why?” asked Gabby “Well, I think there is a spy or someone told him about the slave freeing thing,” said Grace “Why should he care, the point of all this was making money,” said Gabby “Probably, but, maybe there is more to it, he also seemed scared, probably because of the fact that someone discovered the slave trading and now knows his name,” said Genny “So what? Many people know his name,” said Gabby “Yeah, but it seems this person is highly… dangerous, and now wants him, and whoever associated with him, dead,” said Genny “Someone, dangerous?” asked Gabby “You think he was talking about you?” asked Grace “Well, I am dangerous and I want him dead, but he didn’t seem so scared by me,” said Sunset Shimmer “Then it must be someone else… but who?” asked Gertrude, as all of the girls looked at each other Then a loud BOOM was heard behind them. They all turned and saw that the entrance of the cave had caved in, and next to it, Spike was standing with a proud smile, dusting his hands. “There, sealed off, and with the minor modifications I did, the riches are all there,” He said as he turned and noticed all of the girls looking at him “What?” he asked confused, that’s when he noticed that they had their gears in their hands “Oh! Don’t worry, I’ll look the other way while you change,” said Spike as he jumped off the ledge and landed on the field below. “Definitely,” said Gertrude “Agreed,” said Grace “Of course,” said Genny “He must be the one scaring Gaudon,” said Grya “Spike? Are you serious?” asked Gabby “Well, he does check all of the boxes,” said Gertrude “He’s powerful,” said Grya “By the looks of it dangerous,” said Grace “And he knows Gaudon’s name and operation,” said Genny “And he is so hot,” mumbled Sunset Shimmer, but upon realizing she had said it loud enough for everyone to hear, she turned red, finished putting her gear on, and jumped off the ledge faster than Rainbow Dash ever could. “That was awkward,” said Genny “More like hilarious,” said Gyra “But she does have a point, Spike is rather handsome,” said Gertrude “Gonna have to agree with you, did you see the size of his biceps?” said Grace, earning a nod from the other girls ‘Girls, focus!” said Gabby, a tad irked regarding their comments “Relax girl, we’re not going to seduce him,” said Gyra ‘Speak for yourself,” said Grace “Girls, stop, we’re causing bubbles to come out from the corners of Gabby’s mouth,” joked Genny “Hahaha! You’ve always been the jealous one, eh Gabby,” said Grace “I am NOT jealous!” Gabby fumed “Yeah, and I’m pregnant,” mocked Gyra “Girls, leave it, we must stop this from happening again, and more importantly…” said Gertrude “Find out who is involved and why,” said Spike as he and Sunset Shimmer reappear into the picture. “What do you mean, why?” asked Gyra “Well, no one voluntarily joins a trafficking ring, especially when the queen herself has deemed it illegal, they must be after something, we just have to discover what that something is,” said Spike “Looks and brains, come on!!!” all of the girls said “Any leads?” asked Gertrude “I’ve got all of these records and certificates, I read through them, and realized that it’s just the same nobles over and over again,” said Spike “How many?” asked Gyra “15 in total, 10 from the Griffon Kingdom, and 5 from nearby cities,” said Spike “Then let’s get started!” said Grace “It’s not so easy, remember that these people are rich and powerful, almost untouchable,” said Spike “Plus, we can’t go after any of them neither publicly or quietly,” said Sunset Shimmer “Why? Aren't both of you high ranking mercenaries?” asked Gabby “There is no contract for their heads, plus, if one of them dies, the others might realize that we’re onto them and destroy the evidence or kill the slaves they possess… which aren’t many,” said Spike “What do you mean?” asked Genny “Well, you gals were part of what is called “the third group” the first 2 only had 20 and 25 slaves in total,” said Spike “So if we divide 45 into 15, it means that they have about 3 each,” said Grace “That way they wouldn’t raise suspicions,” said Gertrude “So then, why was our group so loaded?” asked Gyra “Because most of those people were pointed at by the leader of the operation, others, like you, were chosen at random, luring them here with fake job offers or easy bounties,” said Spike showing them the evidence. “And all of them are signed by either Gaudon or… Lt. Garrison?!!!!” said the valkyries “You know the fool?” asked Spike “He’s the commanding officer I mentioned,” said Gabby in shock “Hypotheses confirmed,” said Spike “What?” asked Gabby “Ever since you told me your commanding officer could do “Nothing” to find the missing members of your party, I knew something was wrong, and now I confirmed it,” said Spike “He’s also listed in the records, he bought 3 slaves, all of them female, probably looking for concubines and/or sex slaves,” said Sunset Shimmer “So we have another target,” said Gyra “Yeah, but again, if we go after Garrison, the others will know, and the king might get pissed,” said Spike “And don’t get me started on the foreign 5… best thing is to contact the leaders of those lands and inform them,” said Sunset “But, still, if we present all this information to the wrong person, everything will be for nothing,” said Gabby “Do you know anyone trustworthy?” asked Sunset “What about this Gowan guy I’ve heard so much about?” said Spike “My father?” said Gertrude “Makes sense, he’s been worried sick about you,” said Sunset “Then let’s go see him,” said Spike AN HOUR LATER “... My God, and all this happened right under our noses,” said Gowan as he read the evidences over and over again “Can you help us?” asked Sunset “You saved my daughter and her friends and brought them back safely, help is the least I can do,” said Gowan “We should start by sending information to the 4 nearby kingdoms regarding the actions of the nobles, not in within these borders,” said Spike “Second, have your most trusted men/women and mercenaries on stand by, near the other known 15 nobles, if we’re taking them down, it has to be swift and fast,” said Sunset “Right, what about Gaudon?” asked Gowan “He’s the next person in my… our, “to kill” list,” said Spike motioning at Sunset who blushed “He said our!” thought Sunset “And the leader?” asked Gowan “So far nothing, but I have a good idea of where I might find the answers,” said Spike, motioning to the fort on the horizon. “Then go, we’ll take care of the rest,” said Gowan With that Spike walked out the door and disappeared without a trace “He is something else,” said Gertrude “I’ll write this reports or the other lords, Gerdi, you and your friends be ready to depart,” said Gowan “Right… Hey, where did Gabby and Sunset go?” asked Gertrude. OUTSIDE THE BASALT FORT “Ok Peewee, ready to do this?” asked Spike “Ready as I’ll ever be… 20 enemies, no sign of the fat one though,” said Peewee “Doesn’t matter,” said Spike “Before you go… what are you going to do about the 2 girls coming towards you?” asked Peewee “You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Spike as he turned and saw Gabby and Sunset walk up to him “Wow, you really are fast,” said Gabby “And quiet,” said Sunset “What are you doing here?” asked Spike “We want to help,” said Gabby “Well I thank the sentiment, but, Gabby, you aren’t skilled enough to take down a fort, and Sunset… frankly, I guess you’re good to go,” said Spike Sunset immediately cracked her knuckles and got her sword out Gabby felt bad, but then realized something “I can be your inside spy,” she said “What?” asked Spike “Yeah, no one will suspect me, they never saw my face while I was dressed as a slave, so, I can tag or distract them, even stab the ones not paying attention,” said Gabby confidently “Spike looked at her and said “If you feel ready for it,” said Spike “Watch,” said Gabby as she walked towards the fort and walked in without no one stopping her. “She’s good,” said Sunset “Yeah… now, I’m going to enter by the west wall, and you…” said Spike “By the south,” said Sunset “What? No!” said Spike “Why not, I always enter the opposite direction from the entrance,” said Sunset “Giving them a prime way to escape and call reinforcements,” said Spike Sunset had no answer “Second, in every fort in the world, barracks are 70% more likely to be located in the south, that way if there is an attack they can charge at the enemy,” said Spike “So, I take the East?” asked Sunset “And you still have to ask?” Spike said as Sunset rushed to the other side “I better take as many of them out as possible before she gets there, she’s TOO battle-ready,” thought Spike as he climbed the wall, just in time to see Gabby Stab a guard in the back and hide his body in a bush. Gabby saw Spike looking at her and gave him a thumbs up “Not bad kid, now let me show you how a pro does it,” said Spike as began to creep around the fort killing any and all enemies that came his way. “Wow, he’s fast, I have to ask him to teach me,” said Gabby as she heard someone talking behind her. “... I tell you, if he comes back, he’ll have my head,” said Gaudon “Sir, with all due respect…” said the guard “I’m sure he has something to do with the cave in and the possible deaths of Grizz and Guille,” said Gaudon “Possibly, but what can one man do against all of us?” said the guard “Do you really want to find out?” asked Gaudon “No sir, we’ll search for him,” said the guard “You better do,” said Gaudon as he entered the office at the middle of the fort “Gaudon, if I kill him, Spike will see I’m not hopeless, but first…” said Gabby as she noticed the guard coming towards her. MEANWHILE Spike had successfully killed 14 of the remaining guards when Peewee said “Ah, Spike, Sunset is about to be discovered,” “Where is she?” asked Spike “50 feet right, near the bulky guy with the maze,” said Peewee “You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Spike as he rushed over WITH SUNSET “Seriously, what is wrong with me, I shaked like crazy with Gowan, then Gabby got on my nerves and now, I can’t get Spike out of my head… DAMIT! I need to get my head back in the game, one wrong move and…” said Sunset “You a long way from home, girl,” came the voice of the guard Sunset looked up and saw the guard’s maze raising to clover her “SHIT!” said Sunset as the guys raised the maze over his head “NIghty-night!” he said as 2 daggers pierced his chest, causing him to drop his maze on his head, killing him. “To you asshole,” said Spike as he put his daggers away. “You ok?” he asked as he helped Sunset up Sunset however was speechless, and lovestruck “Sunset!” Spike said shaking her “Huh!” said Sunset snapping out of her trance “Rule number one of assassin’s, if you’re spotted, kill faster,” said Spike “Right… sorry, won’t happen again,” said Sunset “It better not, if you want to live,” said Spike “Yeah… where’s Gabby?” asked Sunset As if on queue “SIR, WE’VE CAPTURED A SPY!” came the voice of a guard Spike and Sunset turned and saw Gabby being restrained by 2 guards “OF FOR FUCK’S SAKE!!!” exclaimed Spike Then Gaudon walked out of his office accompanied by another guard “Maybe she’s smarter than she looks,” said Spike as the 2 of them hurried over BACK WITH GABBY “You! I remember you, you’re his slave,” said Gaudon “I’m not his slave, I’m his friend,” said Gabby “Well, it was foolish of you to attack on your own, my little valkyrie,” said Gaudon as he got closer to her with a knife in his hand “Now, you must die,” he said as gripped the knife, ready to stab Gabby, only for her to say “Who said I’m alone?” As if on queue, Spike and Sunset landed on top of the 2 guards restraining her killing them “WHAT THE!!!” said Gaudon as Spike threw his dagger in his direction stabbing his other guard in the head. However, this caused a domino effect that started when the guard hit the floor, hitting a torch, causing it to fall onto the tent right next to them, burning it to a crisp, causing a rope to snap, and sending a lift containing almost 500KG of bricks free falling, landing on top of Gaudon, killing him. “Well, that was… satisfying,” said Sunset “More like lucky,” said Gabby “Yeah, he’s dead,” said Spike as he removed the bricks allowing the girls to see the destroyed body of Gaudon. “Ouch,” said Sunset “Well, one problem less, now, we better head over and look for clues,” said Spike “Right,” they all said “And Gabby…” said Spike, catching her attention “... Good job,” he said, making her smile. A FEW MINUTES LATER “Anything?” asked Spike “Nothing, the only records they had were of who was on guard duty each night, sidenote, it was the same fools over and over again,” said Sunset “Well, we cleared the fort, that’s the important thing, head back to Gowan, tell him about Gaudon’s end,” said Spike “What about you?” asked Gabby “I’ll stay and look for a few more minutes, there must be something here,” lied Spike “Ok, we’ll see you back at Gowan’s office,” said Sunset as the 2 of them left. Spike then turned to the crack on the mountain wall and said “I better get a move on,” as he squeezed into the cave. The cave wasn’t big by any means, but it was full of Pyro-crystals, and one chest. Spike quickly headed over for the pyro-crystals and teleported them into the basement of his forge. After a few seconds, the cave was Pyro-crystal free, only leaving the chest “I know it’s not my concern, but… why not,” he thought as he opened the chest The chest was relatively empty, except for a thick book, and a letter on top of it. Spike grabbed both, but instinctively opened the book, read a few lines and his eyes went wide in horror; he quickly opened the letter and confirmed the information. “That son of a bitch,” he said as he quickly made it back to Gowan’s office, expecting a very good explanation. BACK AT THE OFFICE “Gilda and Gilbert are on their way back,” said Grace “The 4 kingdoms are ready to move,” said Gyra “All of the nobles involved within our borders are just one word away from apprehension,” said Genna “Then all we are missing is for Spike and Co. to return,” said Gertrude As if on queue, Sunset and Gabby entered “Girls, Any news? Where is Spike?” asked Gowan “Gaudon is dead, Spike stayed behind to find more clues,” said Sunset Shimmer “Well, one problem less,” said Gowan Then Spike barged in, scaring everyone “SPIKE! Something wrong?” asked Gowan “Very wrong, you might want to seat down for this one,” said Spike “What is it?” asked Gowan “This book and letter contain extremely damning evidence, and I have to warn you… you might not want to believe it,” said Spike as he handed Gowan the book and letter Gowan read through them, his eyes getting bigger and bigger with every word. “Grace, get prince Gilbert here right now,” said Gowan “They’re still 10 minutes out,” said Grace “I don’t care if you have to shove them into a carriage and shove them down a hill, just get them here, NOW!” exclaimed Gowan Grace left immediately as an awkward and scary silence took over the room. 7 MINUTES LATER “IMPOSSIBLE!” said Gilbert “The evidence is right there,” said Gowan Gilbert walked over to the window, trying to make sense of everything “It just doesn’t make sense, why would my King Gerald want us dead?” asked Gilda “It’s actually simple to know why,” said Spike “Your father only targeted people that were against him and his idea of joining the outsiders to gain power over all of Equestria, now as you can imagine, the women that were abducted were related in a way to his enemies, enemies who are either dead or dying in a hospital bed,” said Spike “That still doesn’t answer why us?” said Genevive “Because up until recently, you weren’t so outspoken about being against him, and that would’ve halted his intentions” said Spike This piece of information caused the 3 of them to look at Spike “Halt his intentions?” asked Gilbert “Your highness, stop trying to sugarcoat it, your father is a tyrant, and a very insecure person, he was hoping that you and your wives were on his side so there wouldn’t be any questions asked when mobilized your troops… but since you have public stated that you are against him and his plan, you halted everything,” said Spike “Really?” asked Genevive as Spike shook his head “Spike’s right... As his son, I am the commanding general of the army, and when I married both of you it became even clearer, Gilda, you're the captain of the elite scout forces and Genevive is the daughter of the Minister of Defense…” said Gilbert “Who is also listed on the hit list,” said Spike reading the book again “WHAT?!!!” exclaimed Genevive “Yup, right here, Minister Grendan… and his wife, and you brother and sister and their spouses and… basically all your family,” said Spike as he handed the book to Genevive “I can’t believe it, my own father wants me dead,” said Gilbert “Your highness, I know this is a hard, but we all know what we must do at this point,” said Sunset Shimmer “And that is?” asked Gilbert “Kill the king,” said Sunset The room went silent “She’s right, to break a cycle there must be blood, who know what your dad will do next,” said Spike Gilbert sighed and said “Alright, but I’ll be the one to kill him, that way there won’t be any territorial disputes, Gilda, go with the girls and Sunset and apprehend Garrison, if push comes to shove, kill him,” said Gilbert “Of course,” said she said “Spike, come with me, your assistance will be welcomed if he tries something,” said Gilbert Spike nodded “Then, let’s move out, and end this madness,” said Gilbert as everyone left the room but Spike and Gowan “Spike, before you go I must ask… will you consider marrying my daughter?” said Gowan “Sure,” said Spike “Really?” said Gowan surprised “Yeah, I’ll consider it, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” said Spike as he exited the room OUTSIDE THE GRIFFON PALACE “Ok, my father is definitely in his study, that’s where we’ll confront him,” said Gilbert “Understood,” said Spike as the 2 of them marched into the palace “Your highness, who is your guest?” asked a guard “And old friend, he’s just here to talk business,” said Gilbert as they walked through the main door and headed towards the king's study. The knocked on the door and awaited answer “Come in,” said Gerald “Hello father,” said Gilbert “Your highness,” said Spike vowing “Gilbert, you’re back so early, I thought it’ll take longer, and who’s your friend?” asked Gerald “An business partner of mine, thankfully everything went smoothly allow me, Gilda and Genevive the opportunity to come back early,” said Gilbert “Oh!, well that is good, but I sense there is something more to this conversation,” said Gerald as he got up and walked over to the window “Indeed there is, I know what you’ve up to,” said Gilbert “Oh, and what is that,” said Gerald “I know of the slave trades, the hit on people, and… the fact you want me and my wives dead,” said Gilbert “Oh, good, Now I can finally drop this stupid faceade,” said Gerald “How could you? I’m your son?” said Gilbert “You’re either with me or not, if not, you aren’t my family but an enemy and just like the ones before you, I’ll get rid of all of you, my power will never be stopped!” exclaimed Gerald “Have you gone mad, this is tyrannic,” said Gilbert “Only if you paint is that way, let’s be honest, all of those whores and spineless assholes are going to be forgotten eventually, killed by wildlife, or moved far away looking for a better life, or killed by the war, it’s just a matter of painting the picture,” said Gerald “You, how could you, those people are innocent,” said Gilbert “In my eyes, they’re enemies and enemies must die,” said Gerald as he got in his son’s face “I won’t stop until every single hindrance in my way to world domination is dead, if that includes my own blood, then so be it,” said Gerald looking into his son’s eyes “No, I won’t let you,” said Gilbert as he stabbed his father in his gut “You… motherfucker,” said Gerald “I’ll make sure to undo all your mess, and later, make people forget you ever existed… no one will remember your name,” said Gilbert as he twisted the knife ending his father’s life “Well, that’s that,” said Spike “How did I see this sooner?” said Gilbert “Simply because he is, was, your father, you wanted to believe it wasn’t true,” said Spike “Probably…” said Gilbert as Genevive walked into the study “Garrison has surrendered without incident, the three slaves were converted into concubines, and they’re pregnant with his offspring,” said Genevive “Well, if they accept Garrison as their husband, the crimes cancel out, we’ll just have to wait for them to talk,” said Gilbert as he saw the sunrise “The other lords have been captured and are currently imprisoned,” said Gilda as she and the other girls entered the room. “Excellent, today, marks a new day for the Griffon Kingdom, one towards a better future,” said Gilbert as he turned to face everyone in room “Thank you, for all you’ve done,” “It was what had to be, but you did the hard part,” said Spike motioning to the corpse of the former king. “It’s time to talk to my people, would you like to join us?” asked Gilbert turning to Sunset and Spike “I’d love to your majesty, but, I have another mission I must tend to,” said Spike “And I must head back to Canterlot and inform the Queen,” said Sunset “Well, I understand, I wish you all luck… here, for your troubles,” said Gilbert as he plopped down 3 massive coin pouches Spike and Sunset looked at each other and said “Thank you,” “Gabby, the 3rd one is yours,” said Gilbert’ “Really?” asked Gabby “You’re a mercenary now, you need to buy better gear if you want to survive,” said Gilbert “Thank you,” said Gabby as she took the pouch “By the way Spike, what about the money you spent saving the slaves?” asked Sunset “Oh, I took the liberty of getting in back,” said Spike as he showed the pouch “Well, I must leave you, but, once again, thank you,” said Gilbert as he exited the room followed by Gilda, Genevive, and the valkyries “It was nice to work with the both of you, but I must leave, my services are required elsewhere,” said Spike “Oh! Y-yeah, if… if you’re ever in Canterlot, come see me, I’ll treat you to lunch,” said Sunset “I’ll hold you to it,” said Spike with a smile “Gabby?” “Yes!” she said “Are you ready to leave,” said Spike “Yeah, but, I thought…” said Gabby “I’m your instructor, right, then we better start your training,” said Spike “YES!” she screamed as she dashed out of the room to gather her things “See you later, Sunset,” said Spike “Likewise,” said Sunset as Spike left “How can someone be so cool and polite at the same time,” as she left the room THE NEXT DAY BACK AT CANTERLOT “FINALLY! I'm tier 4!” said Rainbow Dash “Well done Dash,” said Pinkie “I hope you finally understand the importance of not being picky with quests,” said Twilight “Yeah, you’re right, it’s the more you do, and how well you do it,” said Dash “Indeed, by the way, shouldn’t Sunset be back now?” asked Rarity As if on queue Sunset walked into the room, with a big, goofy smile in her face “Sunset, good to have you back,” said Twilight “Hello,” said Sunset as she sat down looking into the nothingness with the goofy smile getting wider “I take it your mission went well,” said Twilight “It went wonderful,” said Sunset not looking at them The girls looked at each other in confusion over their friends demonor “Are you ok, Sunset?” asked Fluttershy “I’m perfect Shy,” Sunset said This made the girls even more confused, until Rarity realized something and said “So, who is it?” “Excuse me?” asked Sunset coming out of her trance “The one who captured your heart,” said Rarity “Oh, a mercenary I met after he saved me from slavery, his name is Spike,” said Sunset “SPIKE!” exclaimed Fluttershy is surprise “Slavery!?” said Twilight “What are you talking about,” said Rainbow Dash Sunset Shimmer then explained everything that happened to the girls “Well, you’re lucky,” said Rarity “Indeed, thank God, Spike was near the area,” said Sunset “So, you met Fluttershy’s boyfriend, how does he look?” asked Dash “BOYFRIEND! FLUTTERSHY?!!!” she said as she turned to face her friend “He’s not my boyfriend,” said Fluttershy “But he did save her ass from some timberwolves and gave her a new gear,” said Dash “Unfortunately she doesn’t remember his attire, so we couldn’t find him on record,” said Twilight “Oh, Black pants, black boots, a blackish green t-shirt, a dark-purple hooded robe, and a face mask,” said Sunset Shimmer “Nothing, dammit, what is he, a ghost or something? Said Twilight “Oh, that is the prime description of the “night dragon”,” said Pinkie all of a sudden All of the girls turned to look at Pinkie and then Twilight quickly browsed the records until she reached the top 11 mercenaries. As soon as they did, all of their eyes widened in surprise. BOONAGEV Ch. 4 Tracking a GhostMercenaries and/or assassins were hired to help, each with different qualities and strengths. Of course, the higher the tier of the mercenary the tougher the job and the bigger the pay cheque you must give them. But even amongst the hundreds of tiers and thousands of mercenaries, there were 11 names capable of doing things, no one should, their abilities well over the meaningless tier chart. Their powers and abilities are so great, that the kingdoms and guilds had no choice but to create a separate tier only to house these 11… monsters. And so, the God tier was born following their ranking 11 to 7 were in what was considered the “outer circle” and 6 to 2 were placed in the “inner circle” The outer circle was formed by Soaring Surfer a clever assassin and pirate of noble seapony blood, he is mostly known for being one of the head admirals of the seapony and mermare armies, and many enemy pirates and admirals dub him the Ghost of the Equestrian seas, however, due to his advanced age he is had taken a step back from the job and his position in the outer circle is near to be vacant. Next comes one of the youngest members of the God Tier, her name is Dahlia, princess of the Batponies and a gal you did not want to cross or make angry, even though she is only 16 she is one of the most ruthless Bounty Hunters, and Warriors you can hire, as long as you have the pockets to cover her fees. Dahlia’s fame comes from the fact that she is seen as a great conqueror and strategist, she single-handedly liberated, reclaimed, and rebuilt 15 forts lost by the Batponies during the Equestrian wars to Tall Tale and Coltroon without a single casualty on her side, and she was only 14. The only downside to her is that she, like many Batponies, IDOLIZES “the night dragon” and tends to try to imitate him to a T, which has left her in incredibly tricky situations. Nevertheless, she can get the job down, either from the frontlines or from the strategy table, and so far, she hasn’t failed a single assignment. After her comes Mijira, one of the few huntresses that can also take on the role of a healer from the Dragonlands that doesn't use a bow and arrow or guns, but prefers long weapons, like her trident. Mijira might not be stereotypical for a dragoness, preferring a more supportive role than a main attraction on the battlefield, something which usually clashes with her unrivaled beauty, which garnishes attention everywhere she goes. Despite all this, she is competent as an assassin and as a member of the Brew Crew league and is close to reaching the triple digits in her kill count. And just like Dahlia, she has not reached her 2 decades of life. Then we have Lunar Light, the Unicorn Mistress of the Night; she is one of the few jack-of-all-trades kinds of mercenary as she literally can help out with things like killing a target, to much simpler things as being a maid or servant; something that has helped her infiltrate places considered impenetrable; her kill count is somewhere in the realm of the 500 however, some claim that it is much higher than that. She would be higher on the ranking, but at 30, she has decided on dedicating herself completely to the toughest job there is in this world… Motherhood, and with triplets, now THAT is a challenge. Next comes Straight Shot, the Dragonlands greatest gunslinger; Straight Shot has somewhat of a complicated past, having a Dragon mother and a Unicorn Father and being born a Kirin she didn't feel like she fit in anywhere, making her a loner since a young age, then, when she turned 15, her father, who she had a very close bond with was murdered in cold blood, to this day few people know the reasons for such act, this devastated her and her mother and fueled by anger and resentment she set out to hunt down the group responsible, and hunt them down she did. Only one of the group members survived… a turncoat that helped her achieve her goal. After feeling the rush of adrenaline from the hunt, and realizing how unique she was for being one of the few people who could use Ether Blasters instead of regular guns, she decided to become an assassin as well and help form the Brew Crew. Now comes the Inner Circle, and if you thought that the names mentioned before were impressive you haven’t seen anything yet. First, we have Redsopine, the demon of Manehattan, and its greatest protector, Redospine is one of the few fighters alive who have successfully defeated an entire army and avoided the invasion of Manehattan during the Equestrian wars, having a kill count of well over 1100 confirmed kills. He would be ranked higher on the list, had it not been for the fact that he is now an instructor at the Royal Military Academy, which has hindered his availability to take on quests and contracts, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Next comes Smokescreen, the only member of this tier who had fame before the creation of this. Smokescreen is a well-known dragon assassin who once belonged to a separatist movement known as The Order of the Gold Cloaks for which he was the top assassin and enforcer, he didn’t really identify with this order, but it paid well, and he didn’t have a to answer stupid questions. However, after they ordered him and other enforcers to attack a hospital and kill everyone inside, he began to question their motives and even refused to follow through with the orders, this caused many of his former allies to try and murder them, however, that proved counter-productive as he slaughtered his attackers. Despite all this, he was unable to reach the hospital before the attack was carried out, luckily, most of the patients had been moved to other hospitals due to battles happening in the vicinity; the death toll was still near in the double digits with patients, nurses, doctors, and guards killed indiscriminately; amongst them, Straight Shot’s father, that day, that encounter, would change his life forever; teaming up together, he helped Straight Shot hunt down and kill all of the members of the Order and create the Brew Crew. Next comes Pharynx, one of the best spies and infiltrators there is, being a Changeling he can take on any form or figure making him deadlier than deadly, however, his acting skills are rather… lacking, added to his hot-headedness and lack of patience he tends to blow his cover rather quickly, nevertheless his abilities to execute his targets and his speed when doing it, most likely because he blew his cover, is second to only Spike. Next comes his younger brother, Thorax, why is he ranked higher than his older brother? Well, first of all, he has successfully infiltrated and lived amongst his enemies for months, learning about their lives before killing his targets, second, unlike his brother, Thorax has a lot of physical strength, enough to run through a concrete wall like if it was made of paper, plus, he is skilled enough to be able to use any weapon known to man, except for magic weapons, and most of Spike’s creations, he is deadly. To close out the Inner circle, we have none other than Dragonlord Ember, a skilled mercenary, she isn’t one to run away from a battle, be it 1v1, 1v5, or 1v100, the only word she does not understand is “Complicated”. Ember has demonstrated amazing abilities when it comes to doing her job, if they need her to be silent and stealthy she will be as quiet as a ghost, if they need her to be aggressive and take down an army she will become the definition of aggressive, if they want her to go berserk, she will go fucking BERSERK! Her body count might only be a bit over 1200, but she has also successfully coordinated various jobs for all of her mercenaries and assassins, not to mention the Dragonlands army kills during battles. And finally, the name synonymous with the job, “The night Dragon” the mercenary no one wants to mess with, for 5 years this mercenary terrified evil-doers left and right, as he sometimes took on jobs “pro-bono” if there was a staggering amount of evidence convincing him that his target was truly evil. Everyone knows how he rose to fame, his solo stand against the Tall Tale army at the Oso Fort, and the subsequential assassination of Tall Tale’s tyrannic King Ranger the First and High General Whitehorse. Ever since then he has been credited with ending the lives of around 1500 to 1700 bandits, enemy soldiers, corrupted officials and nobles, and just about anyone who is on his “Kill list”. To this day his identity is unknown, the only things people have been able to pinpoint accurately are the facts that he is a Dragon, he is deadly, and under no circumstance do you want to make him angry or find yourself on his kill list… “Wow, he sounds really cool!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash “And deadly,” said Applejack “Yeah, I can’t believe you gals ran into him and aren’t dead,” said Pinkie Pie “Well, it does say that he only attacks people that are on his kill list and/or have attacked him first,” said Twilight “Still, it is impressive,” said Rarity “Wow… I can’t believe it…a-all this time I thought he was just new at this b-but, in reality, he was the deadliest mercenary,” Fluttershy said uncomfortably “Well, he wasn’t afraid to show me his abilities while we worked together back in the Griffon empire, he was amazing,” Sunset Shimmer said as her cheeks turned red making Fluttershy jealous with her comment. “Hah, I bet he was, if he can make those numbers and be considered the deadliest assassin, he must be a good time,” Rainbow Dash said “Yeah, too bad we don’t really know how he looks like without the mask, thanks to the fact that Fluttershy doesn’t remember her encounter with him,” said Twilight “Wait a minute! Sunset, didn’t you see him without the mask while at the Griffon Empire?” asked Rarity “Uhm, yes?” said Sunset Shimmer “Well, draw him and then we can finally place a face to the name,” Rarity said as she made a pencil and notebook appear before Sunset Shimmer Sunset immediately started to draw him and after a few minutes she was done “Ok, this is the best drawing I could do of him,” said Sunset as she turned the paper around letting the girls see it “Well, that confirms he is a dragon,” said Pinkie Pie “A very handsome one at that, wouldn’t you agree Twilight?... Twilight?” asked Rarity as they turned to face their pale friend. “Somethin’ wrong sugacube?” asked Applejack Twilight then jumped up and snatched the drawing from Sunset’s hands “Oh no… no… no-no-no-no-no…NO!” Twilight said as she began to panic even more “Yo, egghead, what’s got your head so scrambled?” Rainbow Dash said as they all saw Twilight walked around the room in a panic, her eyes glued to the drawing “What’s up with her?” asked Sunset “Well, it is obvious that she recognizes him,” Rarity said “Not only recognize, she knows him personally,” Pinkie said making all of the girls look at Twilight Just then, she walked over to a chest she had in her locker “Why is she grabbing the “forbidden Chest”?” asked Sunset Twilight then slammed it on the table and used her magic to unlock it and started to rummage through it. “I don’t know if to be scared or worried,” Rarity said “Or both,” said Fluttershy Suddenly Twilight stop her frantic digging and slowly took a piece of paper out of the chest “I-it can't be…” Twilight said as she sat back down “Sugacube, you’ve got us all worried’ere,” said Applejack “Yeah, what gives Twi, you look like if you’ve just seen a ghost,” Rainbow Dash said “I did…” Twilight said as she placed the drawing and the piece of paper on the table The girls quickly looked at the 2 of them and noticed that the piece of paper Twilight was holding was a picture. The picture showed a younger Twilight and her twin sister Sci-Twi and an unknown boy all smiling at the camera “That’s him! That’s Spike,” said Fluttershy pointing at the boy in the picture “No kidding,” said Sunset Shimmer as she took the picture to get a better look at it “Wow… he glowed up from this picture to the drawing… unless you’re just making him look hot,” Rainbow Dash said earning a glare from both Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy Then Rarity turned to look at Twilight, tears falling down her cheeks “Dear, what is it you are not telling us?” Rarity said making everyone look at her “I… We… we used to go to the same elementary school back in the Crystal Empire… back then, Sci and I weren’t really… popular, and we got bullied a lot… one day, the bullying got so bad, one of the kids destroyed our end of year presentation… it took us 3 days to make it…” Twilight said as she used her magic to show the girls her memories “Luckily for us, another teacher had seen what happened and we were able to save our grade… of course, this angered him… and that day, after class, he and a few of his friends ganged up on us… they started to belittle us and throw stuff at the 2 of us… despite this, we didn’t show him that we were defeated… and we even tried to stand up for ourselves, but, it made things worse… the kid grabbed a rock and launched it at us… we both closed our eyes but we never felt the hit of the rock… we opened our eyes, thinking that a teacher had seen what had happened, but, to our surprise, it wasn’t a teacher that had come to our help, but, him… “What do you think you are doing?” Spike yelled at the boy “Putting these 2 in their rightful place!” the boy said “And what place is that?” asked Spike “Below me, right where all of you belong,” the boy said “Is that so?” Spike glared at him “Yeah, got a problem with that?” asked the boy sarcastically “Yes I do, as a matter of fact,” said Spike “Oh, and just what are you going to do about it?” said the boy “Blueblood, come on man, let’s go, he’s bad news,” said another boy “Shut up, besides, what is he going to do, he’s just a fat, overgrown lizard,” Blueblood said as he turned to look at Spike “There is nothing he can do to me,” he said “I can do this,” Spike said as he threw the rock back at him. Blueblood dodged it easily “You see, nothing,” said Blueblood as he turned to face his lackeys “I wasn’t trying to hit you with it,” Spike said as he appeared in front of him “What the?” Blueblood said as Spike punched him in the stomach. He hit him so hard that Blueblood knelt down, whizzing and gasping for air “Still think I can’t do anything to you?” Spike said as he kicked him in the face making him fall to the floor and lose a few teeth in the process “And FYI, all dragons are chubby when young, that doesn’t mean we are out of shape… anyone else has anything to say to me?” he glared at the other kids, but they just wet their pants and ran away. “Are you girls ok?” Spike asked as he turned to help them “Yeah, just dirty,” Sci said as he helped them up “TWILIGHT!! SCI!!!” came a male voice “At that moment, my elder brother and a few other adults ran up and saw the scene, we explained everything to them… naturally, Spike got in trouble for using violence, but it was nothing compared to Blueblood’s punishment, apart of being expelled… nonetheless, after that we became friends with Spike, and we used to hang out almost everyday… then, a few months before we entered High School, Spike and his parents moved back to the Dragonlands… and a few months later we heard what happened to them… we tried to contact him or anyone close to him, but we always hit deadends… I thought… I thought he had died with his parents… that I was never going to see him again,” Twilight said as she cried. “But now, it turns out that your childhood friend is not only very much alive but also one of, if not THE greatest mercenary to ever live,” said Rarity “And the love interest of two of your closest friends,” Pinkie Pie said as she smiled at a blushing Sunset and Fluttershy “Wait a minute… Blueblood, that name sounds familiar… OH RIGHT! Hey Rares, isn’t he that loser ex-crush of yours?” Rainbow Dash teased “Not the time, Dash,” Rarity said angrily, making Rainbow Dash shrug and shift her attention elsewhere “I just can’t believe it,” said Twilight as she looked at the drawing of Spike and then at his Infobase. “You, me both… THIS GUY HAS A BOUNTY OF $100,000,000… ALRIGHT, I’M HEADING OUT!” Dash said as she grabbed her gear “And just where do you think your goin’?” asked Applejack “To cash in a new bounty,” said Rainbow Dash as she walked towards the door only to be stopped by Applejack “Didn’t you hear the conversation we had or any of the facts we just spoke?” Applejack said “Yeah, that’s why I am going to bring him in alive, that way Twilight can get to reconnect with he friend,” said Rainbow Dash “From behind a cell, while waiting to be executed?” said Applejack “Details are not my thing,” said Rainbow Dash arrogantly angering Applejack “Dash, sorry, to burst your bubble, but…” Rarity started “This is the “Night Dragon” we’re talking about he isn’t some low-level crook… he isn’t even a crook, to begin with, the bounty was placed by Tall Tale’s Royal family, and we all know their reputation,” said Pinkie Pie “Not to mention, he is basically un-trackable, many people have tried to track him down, yet, no one has been able to, and from that list, many didn’t even come back to tell the tale,” said Applejack “So? That just means that when I do it, the victory and the money will taste even better,” Rainbow Dash said “You should know how high of a risk it is to try and track him, more than anyone else, I mean, the last person to ever come back alive from attempting to track him was your own mother,” said Applejack “Yeah, and she was almost dead when she crawled back into town,” Sunset added “My mother isn’t me,” Rainbow Dash said “Yeah, she is 5 times more skilled than you,” said Sunset “Will see about that,” Dash said as she stormed out of the room “She’s gonna get herself killed,” said Sunset “Should I go after her?” asked Fluttershy “Nah, let her experience what a real challenge is… maybe that way her IQ will stop being on a single digit level,” said Applejack as she went over to Twilight “Everythings’ gonna be ok, Sugacube, you’ll see,” ELSEWHERE IN EQUESTRIA “WHA~...OH!...OUCH!”Gabby said as she landed face-first into the mud “Again!” Spike commanded From the top of a cliff “I’m ok, by the way,” Gabby said as she cleaned herself “I know you are, I wouldn’t let you follow me around if I believed you’d be killed easily,” said Spike “Remind me again, why you have me climbing a cliff when I can just use my wings to fly up there?” asked Gabby “Simple, what happens if you get captured, or your wings are injured, or you are simply placed into a situation where flying is not an option?” said Spike as he landed next to her “Good Point,” Gabby said “Wings are great assets, but we don’t have to count on them all the time, I mean, look at Unicorns and Earthlings, they don’t have wings and are fairly capable without them,” said Spike “I take it you have been in those situations before,” said Gabby “Once, but it’s just common sense,” said Spike “Right… so, where are we going? There are no cities or villages in this direction,” said Gabby “We are heading to the Basilisk Fort deep inside enemy territory… also there is a town nearby, it is under heavy enemy control, but there is one,” Spike said “Oh, which one?” asked Gabby “Terraria, I don’t think I need to remind you of how dangerous what we are doing is, right?” asked Spike “No, I got this,” said Gabby “Good, now start climbing, there is a lot more I need to teach you, and I only have 48 hours until we get there,” said Spike as he flew up to the top of the cliff. LATER THAT DAY (CANTERLOT ELEMENTS OF HARMONY HQ) “So… what is so important that you the all-powerful Elements of Harmony want to talk to us?” asked Bow Hothoof “We’ve got a little situation, right now, and we’re hopin’ you can shed some light on it,” said Applejack as she guided the 2 pegasuses to the HQ “I hope it’s nothing too complex,” Windy Whistles said “Me too,” Applejack said as she opened the door to the HQ to reveal a room in total silence; Twilight was sitting at the table her eyes glued to the picture she showed earlier, Fluttershy was sitting in a corner while stroking Angel, although it seemed he didn’t like it that much, Sunset Shimmer was looking out the window, however, her gaze was set into the nothingness. “It's worst than I thought,” said Windy “We know,” said Rarity as she came along with some tea for the visitors “So, where is Dash?” asked Bow “She is kind of the reason we called you here today,” said Pinkie Pie “Oh dear, she isn’t in any trouble again, is she?” asked Windy “Not yet,” said Applejack “Not… yet?” asked Bow “You see… the last couple of days, some of our members had some issues on the field…” Rarity explained as she pointed at Sunset and Fluttershy “Oh dear, are they traumatized?” asked Windy “Cuz if that is the case, then you called the wrong people for that,” said Bow “No, they’re in love,” Pinkie said making both Bow and Windy raise their eyebrows “So what is the problem?” asked Windy “One of the problems is that the person who helped them, is an old friend of Twilight’s that she considered dead…” said Rarity “The other problem, and probably the biggest one, is that that person, is a very infamous person, someone you might know very well,” Applejack said as she looked at Windy “Me?” asked Windy “Windy… remember the last mission you ever took, that required you to track someone down,” Rarity asked “Unfortunately, I do,” said Windy “Oh no, you mean, the reason Dash isn’t here is because…” Bow said “Yes… that friend… is him,” Twilight said as she turned around letting Dash’s parents see the pictures and files on the table. “Oh dear…” said Windy SOMEWHERE NEAR GRIFFONSTONE “According to the report from Sunset, it was here where “Spike” was last seen before she returned to Canterlot… w-wait… How is it possible… there are no discernible tracks! HOW CAN SOMEONE SO BIG AND MUSCULAR NOT LEAVE ANY TRACKS?!!!!” Rainbow Dash said frustrated as she continued to look around for clues. A few minutes later… “Nothing… damn it, where did he go?... did he fly?... no, there are no marks of wings flapping on the ground… so, the legend is true… he is a ghost,” Dash said as she sat down on a fallen log near the dirt road. “I can’t just give up so easily, I mean, why would he take the dirt road instead of taking the main one… to remain hidden… and because his target is closer if he takes this road… huh, there are some tracks here, they are not his, however, they are much too small, obviously they are female… they are not too deep, and by the looks of it they are fresh, 1 maybe 2 days old… wait I’ve seen this type of imprint before!... common Dash if there was any time when Rarity’s fashion expertise was actually helpful, it is now…” Rainbow Dash said as she concentrated “THAT’S IT! They are Valkyrie boots… WAIT! Didn’t Sunset say that one of the valkyries they helped became his apprentice!... I might not be able to track him, but I can definitely track her, in my sleep, she is definitely a rookie…” she said with a smile while looking around for more clues “Ok, by the looks of it, they are heading to the North-west, which means they are heading towards enemy-controlled territory… Are they gonna go and fight them alone?!... no, Spike seems to be a smart guy, he knows it is suicide to do that… but again, the only things in that direction are the Basilisk fort… and the Terraria township!… I got you now!” Dash said with a smile as she leaped into the air. BACK AT HQ “I see, that must’ve been quite the shock for you,” Windy said as she sat at the table as the girls explained everything. “She kinda lost her mind for a minute,” said Pinkie “Thanks for the unnecessary input Pinkie,” Twilight said angrily “You welcome,” Pinkie replied obviously “So, when you were tasked with capturing him… what happened?” asked Rarity “W-well… I wasn’t tasked to capture him, I saw the wanted poster and I decided to take the job, I mean $50,000,000 is a lot of money… so, I set out to find him… it took me… about 5 to 7 hours to find his trail…” Windy began “5 TO 7 HOURS!!!!” said Twilight in surprise “That is so cool,” Sunset said, a bit too loud for her liking, making her blush “Sorry,” Twilight said as she composed herself “B-believe it or not, tracking him is not complicated, once you have his trail,” Windy said “Really?” asked Applejack “Yeah, the hard part is… keeping up with him, that is why he is called a Ghost… you know he is near or you see a glimpse of him and then, poof, he is gone… during the few days I spent chasing him, I was able to get near him twice, I mean, I was a few hundred yards away from him, then I blinked and he was gone, and it took me a couple of hours to find his trail again,” said Windy as she kept talking about her mission. “Interesting… was there anything… odd, that you noticed while tracking him?” asked Twilight “Yes, he is a very, VERY, smart, it’s like if he can get into the mind of the person tracking him, he takes the routes that make it even more complicated to track him, and even uses the surroundings to his advantage… and I learned that the hard way…” Windy said as she got up and looked out the window “I had the wrong mindset when I went out tracking him… I thought it was going to be a simple payday and that I’ll be rich, so I didn’t really pack many provisions for the trip… I had rations for 2 maybe 3 days, I thought that if I was careful I could make them last for 5 days or buy more at any town or city I walked into chasing him… but, oh, I was DEAD wrong… on the first day when I was able to find his trail, I followed it blindly, all throughout the night I walked trying to catch up, hoping that I would, as you kids say nowadays, find him lacking or sleep, but, no… it was until around dawn the next day when I was finally able to see him at the distance, he was just walking, WALKING, he was not rushing nor did he look paranoid, it was as if, he was out on a stroll… I rushed to get closer to him, but at some point when I looked down to watch my footing, he disappeared. I spent about 2 hours trying to find his trail, and when I finally did, he was long gone… and I didn’t see him again until the dawn of the 4th day, I was low on rations at that point, but I saw him so near, and I thought I could one-up him since he was walking towards Zelarayan Peaks, I knew that area well, I used to train there with the Cloudsdale army corp. And I knew there was a small valley that led to a hill and from there, no one could hide, since there was no vegetation and the land was flat… I was peaking up speed to catch him, but he crossed the hill and disappeared, I knew that was my chance, so I used my wings to get closer to the hill, but when I got there, he was gone… I looked around frantically, and when I finally saw him again, he was already halfway up Zelarayan peaks, that in itself was impossible… at that point I know I should’ve quitted, but I was stubborn so I rushed again… it took me a full day to cross Zelarayan peaks, and when I finally cleared the peaks and arrived at Gaul Valley, he was gone, there was no trace of him, and then, I looked into my bag for something to eat or at least drink, but I had no more rations, I tried to walk a bit further but I collapsed… when I woke up the next day, the first thing I noticed was that there was a bonfire going near me and that my bag had enough rations for one a day trip… walking it was a death sentence, but, then I realized that it was little, because if I flew back here it would be enough… and so I did… and you know the rest,” Windy said as she turned to look at the group. The girls just looked at Windy in amazement not saying anything “He… came back?” asked Twilight in shock “Yeah, that was the scariest part, it’s like… he knew I was following him… to this day I don’t know why he didn’t attack me or tried to get rid of me… he had all the chances to do so,” Windy said “Maybe he didn’t want to,” said Pinkie “I hope that was the case,” said Windy “W-well, he save my life when I was attacked by Timberwolves, and he even fixed and upgraded my gear,” Fluttershy said as she showed her gear “He save me and many others from trafficking,” said Sunset proudly “Well, then you are lucky… many mercenaries or assassins are so far gone, they kill out of habit… especially when they feel a hostility towards them,” said Bow “Then Rainbow Dash is doomed…” Applejack said as they all looked out the window. NEAR TERRARIA LATER THAT DAY “And here we are, Terr… Oh dear, this complicates things,” Spike said as he and Gabby arrived at a hill that overlooked Terraria. “Wow, those are a lot of enemy soldiers,” Gabby said as she observed the city “Makes sense, Terraria is basically a town that serves and protects Basilisk… Peewee, what else can you tell me?” Spike said “There still is a civilian population in Terraria… and by the look of things, they are not too happy with their new guests… everywhere I turn, I see oppression…” Peewee said “Hey, Spike? Everything ok?” asked Gabby “What?” asked Spike “You suddenly went quiet,” said Gabby “Oh, just talking to Peewee,” said Spike Oh, d-did either of you come up with something?” asked Gabby “Kind of… listen, there is no confirmed location for the Pyro-Crystals we are looking for… so, we are going to split up, I will head to the Basilisk fort and you will go down there and look around,” said Spike “W-wait… I-I’m going into enemy territory, alone?!” Gabby said in a panic “Well, what better way to practice and improve the skills I taught you than by putting them into action… don’t worry, Peewee will go with you… you already figured out who to use telekinesis, right?” Spike said “Yeah,” said Gabby “Ok, we’ll meet over by those trees at nightfall, gather as much information as you can,” Spike said “Ok, I will,” Gabby said as she and Peewee headed down toward the town “Good luck, kid,” Spike said as she left As soon as Spike turned to head toward the Basilisk Fort, he felt a shiver in the back of his neck “Hmm… it seems I have company,” he said as he walked towards the tall grass and headed into the nearby woods. 2 MINUTES LATER “WHAT?! He was just here!” Rainbow Dash said as she landed at the same place Spike and Gabby were standing minutes before. She quickly looked around and noticed a pair of footprints “The valkyrie!” Dash said as she looked over the edge and noticed Gabby entering the city “There she goes!” Dash said as she jumped off the ledge and was flying as fast as she could to catch up with Gabby before she disappeared into the crowd. Just as she was nearing the gate, she noticed something “Wait, she’s alone!” Rainbow Dash said as she stopped dead “They must’ve separated somewhere…but he must be nearby… I can see the phoenix Fluttershy mentioned flying overhead… but where is he?” Dash said as she flew back to the top of the hill. “Ok Dash… think, why would they come all the way here only to go their separate ways?... they aren’t defecting to the enemy side, if that were the case, they would’ve gone to Pharamont, which is a day's walk from here… they might be buying provision for the trip… no, they wouldn’t be carrying heavy cargo, it would make them stand out and slow down, plus, these heavily controlled enemy cities have shortened markets, you can’t buy much because the invaders’ hoard most of the food and supplies… other than that, the only reason they are down here is to… kill someone, or they are looking for something… but what?... THE FORT!” Dash said as she looked to her left and noticed the fort in the distance “He must be heading that way… no, he IS!” she said as she looked down and noticed a bootprint heading towards the forest. “He must be about 3 minutes ahead… you’re mine now, “Ghost of Equestria”,” Rainbow Dash said as she ran into the forest in hot pursuit of Spike. Spike was nearing the fort when he heard footsteps a few meters behind him “YOU’RE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM ME GHOST!” Rainbow Dash said as she appeared through some bushes “Not again,” Spike muttered as he walked through some bushes ‘YOU CAN’T HIDE FROM ME Now~” Rainbow Dash said as she rushed through the same bushes but noticed that she was alone “WHAT THE FUCK?! Where did he go?... did he cross the river?... no, there are no muddy bootprints, on the other side, nor splash marks… did he jump or fly?... no, not enough space to properly land and hide with so little time…” Dash said as she looked around, and then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something… something that for many, would be an insignificant detail “Odd, there are more leaves on the ground on the west trees but not on the east-facing ones… THAT SON OF A BITCH! He didn’t jump across, he flew Westbound… he must’ve done a low-fly, maybe just about 5 feet in the air…HOHO, I am licking this even more,” said Rainbow Dash as she flew into the sky to try and pinpoint his location. And what she saw, both surprised her and scared her. There, on the ledge of a cliff, was Spike, arms crossed looking at her as if he was waiting for her to land before him. And she did just that. “We meet at last, Ghost,” Rainbow Dash said as she landed “Indeed,” Spike said as he locked eyes with her When Rainbow Dash’s eyes made contact with Spike’s, she felt butterflies in her stomach, and her face and other parts of her body warmed up. MEANWHILE, TERRARIA’S ROOFTOPS “... 350 guards so far… 200 with “primitive gear”... 100 riflemen, various archer and sniper towers, with the remaining 50 men spread out through them… no magical Miniguns located so far… everyone seems to be badly malnourished, except for the soldiers… I wonder why none of them have fled the township?” thought Gabby “Because they are now POWs, you are welcome to come, but when you try to escape, well, that happens…” Peewee said as he landed next to her and motioned for the gate Gabby turned and noticed a lot of people being shoved into armored Personnel carriers and taken toward the fort. “You are arrested and taken away… maybe forever,” said Peewee “Shit… I wish I could help them somehow…HMPH!” Gabby said as someone placed a blag bag over her head “WHAT THE?!” Peewee said as someone did the same to him. BACK TO THE CLIFF “I have to admit, Ghost, you did make it complicated to find you, but in the end, I guess I proved those rumors wrong!” Rainbow Dash boasted “You’re not the first to do so… and I doubt you’ll be the last,” Spike said looking at Rainbow Dash “What?” she said “It’s not hard to track me, all you have to do is do the opposite of what you’ve been trained to do as a tracker and then have good stamina,” Spike said “Really?” asked Rainbow Dash “Yeah… you’re the twenty… seventh person who was ever able to keep up with me,” said Spike Dash stood there in disbelief “Although, you are the fastest to ever catch up with me,” said Spike “And I’ll be the first one to arrest you!” Dash said as she leaped towards Spike trying to kick him, but, Spike easily blocked her kick and shoved her back to the other side of the cliff. “I’m not going to fight you, kid,” said Spike “I am NOT a kid, and I know you aren’t an old man either, my friends Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy said this… and Twilight confirmed it,” Dash said as she got up “Twilight?” Spike said as he entered a trance remembering his childhood Dash noticed this and saw an opening “You should never lose concentration during a fight!” she said as she once again charged at Spike only for him to block her punch and shove her back again. “You have a point, but you should talk if you’re going to attack a distracted or disoriented enemy, the adrenaline will help them recover faster,” he said as he looked at Rainbow Dash “D-Damn it… how is he this good?... I… I hate breaking my promise to Twilight and Sunset’s and Fluttershy’s heart but, the reward is available for a live man or a cadaver,” Rainbow Dash said as she used her wings to fly into the air, catching Spike’s attention. Once she was at an acceptable height, she drew her daggers and darted down towards Spike, even using her rainboom to increase her speed. “Let’s see you survive this!” Rainbow Dash said as she neared the edge of the cliff When she was probably around 100 ft. away from Spike, he suddenly disappeared from view right before her eyes. “WHAT THE?!” Dash said as she slashed right through the rocks as if they were butter; Rainbow Dash quickly corrected her flight path and soared back up to be parallel to the ledge of the cliff she just sliced through “Where did he go?” Rainbow Dash said as she looked around for Spike, just then, she felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand up. She turned around and saw Spike flying behind her, almost at arm's length “That Rainboom was very impressive,” he said Rainbow Dash tried to slash at Spike, but he quickly grabbed both her arms, disarmed her, and kicked her back toward the floor. Rainbow Dash landed hard on the ground, her body even cracking the floor when she landed “H-how are you so good,” she said as Spike landed next to her and gave her first-aid “If Twilight is your friend, you should know that I was in the Military… anything broken?” Spike said “Oh, yeah, she mentioned that… don’t worry, the only thing broken is my pride… wait, why are you helping me? A-aren’t you supposed to kill me?” asked Rainbow Dash “If I wanted you dead, you would’ve died the second you landed on the ledge,” Spike said as he helped Rainbow Dash rest against a boulder. “B-but, Mercenary code says that if 2 mercenaries fight each other, t-the winner must kill the loser, or…” Rainbow Dash said “What we just did was not a fight, I never drew my weapon, so the fight is void,” Spike said “D-did the same thing happened with the other 26?” asked Rainbow Dash “Only with the ones that wouldn’t quit… which were only 2 of them, the others just decided to head back home,” said Spike “Wow… I’m sorry, Spike, I guess, I was blinded by money…” Rainbow Dash said “You were also poorly prepared, no one in their right mind heads out to fight something or someone stronger than them, but, we all do mistakes, so no hard feelings skittles,” Spike said “My name is Rainbow Dash, not Skittles,” Rainbow Dash protested “Sorry… Rainbow Dash… but I think Skittles is also a very cute name… I have to admit, you did have me against the ropes a few times there, the way you were able to throw me off my game and lunge at me was very clever, and then your attack, it was beautiful, the way you were able to easily combine your rainboom and the control you have to be able to stir yourself while flying at such a high rate of speed, it amazing,” Spike said, praising Rainbow Dash, unaware that her face was turning redder by the second “Anyway, it was nice to meet you and fight you, but I have a mission to finish, and I am already behind… by the way, here, you’ll need this more than me…” he said giving her a health potion “Hope we can see each other again Rainbow Dash,” Spike said as he jumped off the ledge and headed for the fort. Rainbow Dash sat there for a few seconds, processing everything that just happened, her face redder than a tomato, and a smile creeping into her face “Wow… he really is something else… He even was calm enough when saying it… I need to head back fast,” Rainbow Dash said as she chugged the potion down and leaped into the air, flying as fast as she could toward Canterlot. WITH SPIKE “Ok, here we are, now, what exactly am I dealing with… Peewee, what can you see?... Peewee?... oh yeah, he went with Gabby, silly me, well, I’ll have to do things the old school way,” Spike thought as he cracked his fingers “SPIKE!!!” Peewee screamed as he crash-landed near Spike catching his attention “PEEWEE?! What’s wrong? What happened?” he asked as he went over to his trusty companion, who was already healing himself “It’s Gabby, she's been kidnapped…!” Peewee said “What?!” Spike said “The kidnappers are waiting for you!” Peewee said “Where?” asked Spike “In an old mine, 20 minutes out of town, heading south,” said Peewee “Then let’s not make them wait!” Spike said as he leaped into the air and flew towards the location. BACK IN CANTERLOT (30 MINUTES LATER) “Do you think Rainbow Dash is safe?” asked Fluttershy “The better question is, do you think the night dragon will have mercy on her, I mean, she is hostile towards him,” Rarity said “She'll be just fine, I thought her everything I know, not to mention, I doubt she’ll even catch up to him,” said Windy “Windy’s right, if anythin’ we ain’t gonna see Dash’ere for a few days, since, well, she ain’t the one to give up easily,” Applejack said as she drank her cup of cider “That’s our daughter for you,” said Bow Suddenly they heard a loud boom, that put them on edge, they all quickly looked out of the windows and saw a rainbow contrail leading from the clouds to the entrance of the castle. Suddenly the doors swung open, revealing Rainbow Dash. Everyone turned to look at her in surprise, as she marched over to her locker “Hey Dash, back so soon?” Applejack taunted “Mmmh-hm,” Rainbow Dash said as she continued to put stuff in her backpack “I take it you haven’t had any luck locating your target,” Rarity said “Nope, I found him, I even fought him,” said Rainbow Dash paying little attention to the conversation “AND YOU’RE STILL ALIVE?!!” Applejack said in shock “Yup, he went easy on me,” Rainbow Dash said “Dash, mind me asking, but, why are you cleaning up your locker?” asked Twilight “Yeah, you don’t have to quit the group only because you lost a fight,” Sunset said “I’m not quitting, and I am not emptying it out, I’m just packing some extra things for the trip, I mean, I probably won’t be coming back for a few days… anyway, gotta go, see ya, bye!” Dash said as she finished packing at rushed for the door “HOLD IT RIGHT THERE YOUNG LADY!” Bow said as he stopped his daughter dead in her tracks “Just where do you think you are going?” Windy said “Back to Spike… oh yeah, that reminds me, mom, dad, girls… I’m engaged to be married,” Dash said “WHAT?!!” all of them said “What? Is it hard to believe?” Rainbow Dash said “Yes,” Sunset Shimmer, Rarity, and Applejack said “Kind of,” Twilight, Fluttershy, Windy, and Bow said “Congratulations! Should I throw you a Bachelorette?” Pinkie said “Ok… why is it hard to believe, and, not right now Pinkie, I don’t think I’ll be back for a little bit,” Rainbow Dash said “Better question, WHO is your fiancee?” asked Applejack “Spike,” Rainbow Dash said proudly The second she uttered that name, the room went silent. Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity looked at their friend in shock while processing what she just said. Sunset Shimmer was green with envy that HER crush was getting married to Rainbow Dash Fluttershy just stood there, tears falling from her eyes, whoever, everyone mistook them for happy tears, forgetting their past conversation. Pinkie just stood there with a massive toothy grin on her face. “Dashy… are you saying that…” Bow began “The deadliest mercenary/assassin ever, proposed to you?” Windy finished “Yup,” she said proudly “THAT IS SO AWESOME!!!!” they both exclaimed as they hugged their daughter “I KNOW!!” Dash said, “HANG ON A MINUTE!!!” Twilight yelled catching everyone's attention “I doubt that Spike actually got down on one knee to propose to you, so you better explain what actually happened,” “Well, after he defeated me in battle, he refused to kill me, saying that the battle was void do to him not drawing his weapon, he then proceeded to heal me, and then complementing me over and over again, going as far as calling me cute, therefore, following Mercenary rules, valuing me and proposing to me… however, he didn’t kiss me, he said he had a mission to finish and left for the Basilisk fort…” Rainbow Dash said Twilight went silent, she didn’t know what to do or say “W-well, he doesn’t have to kiss you to seal the deal, just the fact that he kept you alive and praised you is enough, I mean, that’s the law,” Bow said (CONTEXT: There is an old mercenary law in Equestria that says that if to 2 or more mercenaries enter into combat, the winner must then execute the losers of the battle, if the winner decides not to kill the losers, out of mercy or other reasons, the losers must now devote their lives to the winner, essentially making them bodyguards or servants of the winner; now, if the winner, actually praises the loser and complements them in any way, that is considered a “Marriage Proposal” since many mercenaries want to leave behind strong offspring to continue their legacies) “Yes, the same thing happened between your father and me… OH! I’m so happy our little girl has found a husband,” Windy said as she hugged her daughter again “W-well, congratulations Dash,” Twilight said gritting her teeth in jealousy “Thanks,” said Dash “Say, I know this is still early, but, should I start buying things for our grandkids?” asked Windy “MOM! I JUST GOT ENGAGED TO HIM!... but, as you taught me, it’s best to be prepared,” Rainbow Dash said turning red This comment made Fluttershy cry, even more, Sunset smashed the cup she had in her hand, and Twilight just stared back with a blank stare. “W-what about Tank?” asked Rarity “Oh, he is coming with me, there is no way I am leaving him behind, he can be incredibly useful for the 2 of us… and his apprentice… well, if you excuse me, I must return to my hubbies side, that’s the rightful place of a wife, see ya later gals, mom and dad,” Dash said as she rushed out of the room toward her apartment to get Tank. “Good luck out there, tell our future son-in-law we said HI!” Windy said as Dash disappeared “So~ that happened,” said Rarity “Well girls, it was nice to see you and hang out with y’all, but I have to go bye some baby products,” Windy said as she left the room “And I better go stop her before she goes ballistic with her shopping spree,” Bow said as he saluted the girls and left. Twilight plopped down on her throne, paler than ever “I-I can’t believe it,” Twilight said “You, me Both…” Applejack said as she sat down too “Well girls, I better head out, I am already a bit late for my quest,” Pinkie said as her phone beeped and she ran out of the room Sunset just stood there, everything that just happened replaying in her head until she walked towards the door, grabbing her backpack in the way. “Wh-where are you going?” Fluttershy asked “For a little “walk”... you wanna come with?” Sunset Shimmer said winking at her “I-I guess, I-I do need some fresh air,” Fluttershy said as she got up and gathered her gear. “See you later girls,” Sunset said as she closed the door behind them “Well, that was also unexpected, wonder where they are going” said Rarity “They are headin’ to Terraria too,” said Applejack “Why would they ever go there?” asked Rarity “Basilisk fort, Spike, their crush, he just got “engaged” to Dash… they are obviously jealous and want to get between ‘em… or join ‘em,” said Applejack “Oh, darling, you have such an imagination,” Rarity said “Then why did they take their armors and weapons with ‘em?” asked Applejack “Good point…” Rarity said as she turned to look at Spike’s drawing “Somethin’ wrong, Princess?” asked Applejack “No… it’s just… it’s like if I’ve seen him somewhere before too… but I can’t put my finger in where?” said Rarity “Oh brother,” Applejack said as she went back to her cider. BACK NEAR TERRARIA “W-where am I?” Gabby said as she awoke in a bed “You’re finally awake! Sorry for the rough treatment, but it was the best way to get you here safely,” a man said as a young male unicorn said as he walked into the room “What are you going to do to me?” asked Gabby panicking a little “Nothing! We just want your help… and your friend’s help as well,” said the man “I’m not following,” said Gabby “The boss will explain everything when he gets here,” said the man “IN THERE!” Peewee said as he and Spike arrived at the entrance of the mine “GABBY! WHERE ARE YOU?!!” Spike said as he ran into the mine, at full speed coming to a stop when he reached a massive, well-lit cave inside the mine. “Spike? I’m here,” Gabby said as she got off the bed and walked out to see him “GABBY! WHERE ARE THE KIDNAPPERS?!” Spike said with rage “Wait, it’s not what you think! They just wanted to catch our attention,” Gabby said “She is right, we don’t mean you any harm,” said the man “YOU!” said Spike “If you are going to blame someone, blame me…” a very attractive unicorn said as she walked out of the shadows “... Greetings Night Dragon, we’ve been waiting for you,” she said as she walked closer to Spike
Boonagev Ch1. Fear the Night DragonWe find ourselves in the continent of Equestria, a beautiful land, divided into 4 major kingdoms, Canterlot to the West, Griffonstone to the south, The Dragonlands to the North, and the Yakyakistan Empire to the East; and in between, many more minor Kingdoms, knightdoms and cities. For Generations, the land has lived a relatively quiet, peaceful and prosperous period of time… but that all changed when the “Outsiders” invaded Equestria. The Disembarked on the South-East coast, capturing minor villages and cities in a blink of an eye, and turning Kingdoms and Dukedoms against the 4 great nations. The speed of such invasion and easiness of the whole ordeal have made all of the, still free, nations, knightdoms and dukedoms, come together to try and create a plan to fight back. But this is proving nothing so far, furthermore, it has helped to cement the fact that no one was ready for it, and their military ineptitud, and this was helping bigger and more powerful dukedoms and knightdoms to join the invaders as to not be invaded themselves Out of desperation, the 4 great nations have entered into a common agreement to help each other and stop the enemy. And so the sharing of resources, money, and soldiers began; for sometime, things seemed to be going well, the invaders had halted their advances and life had gone back to a somewhat more relaxed environment. But for the 4 great leaders, they all knew something was up, many knightdoms, Dukedoms and cities were still siding with the invaders even after swearing loyalty to any of the great 4, and this concerned them. It didn’t take long for the 4 leaders to notice a pattern, all of the cities, Dukedoms, and knightdoms that switched sides weren’t the weaker ones, but the richest ones, it seemed like a plan was being put together to isolate the 4 nations, and none of them were willing to let it continue without a good explanation. And so, with this in mind, every nation, knightdom and dukedom in the alliance decided to send spies into the aforementioned locations, but they were never able to locate anything substantial. The 4 nations seemed to start to let go of the idea of finding out what is causing the sudden change of heart. Until it happened, a battalion of the invading troops suddenly attacked the Capital of the Dragonlands Pyromareia, the attack was swift, but it ultimately failed as the invaders were no match for the combined Dragon and Changeling forces protecting the nation. But it was this sudden move that made the paranoia grow, how did the invaders reach Pyromareia so easily and without rising any suspicions or conquering any of the Dragonlands Dukedoms and Knightdoms before hand. This caused the other nations to raise their defenses all the way up to 1000, nothing went in or out without someone noticing. But back at the Dragonlands, the attack had left everyone waiting for an opportunity for revenge, but first, they had to discover the flaws that permitted the attack, the reason behind it. And after months of investigating and hitting dead ends, finally a lead, but now there was another problem, a problem that seems to be far greater than needed. DRAGONLANDS IMPERIAL PALACE “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!!!” said Torch “We’re trying to figure it out ourselves,” said Ember “I’ve known Draquus since we were kids, there is no way he just surrendered his Dukedom to the Outsiders that easily,” said Torch “Well, it does seem too convenient that he changes his mind so quickly after the meeting we had 2 months ago, days after the surprise attack,” said Ember “My thoughts exactly, I mean, he literally was the first one to ask for us to attack the outsiders,” said Thorax “Do you think he was just acting?” asked Ember “If he was, he has gotten better, lad couldn’t even fake a stomach ache, there is more to it,” said Torch “So… should we go over and ask him?” asked Ember “Are you daft? The outsider forces would kill us before we even make it to the front gate,” said Torch “So what are you suggesting?” asked Thorax “We should send someone especial,” said Torch “Especially?” asked Thorax “A mercenary,” said Torch “We don’t have any left that are that skilled to go in and out without being spotted,” said Ember “WHAT?!!!!!” said Torch “She’s right, all of our top ranking mercenaries and assassins are all over Equestria working with other armies,” said Pharynx “We are the Dragonlands, THE DRAGONLANDS!!! We have the best mercenaries in the whole of Equestria, HOW CAN IT BE THAT WE DON’T HAVE A SINGLE MERCENARY LEFT?!!!” said Torch “No offense, your highness, but, that’s exactly the reason you don’t have any left. Between you, the Changeling Empire, and the Canterlot Mercenaries, people don’t have much choice, I mean, you guys are more efficient… no offense honey,” said Lemon Zest “No, no, she’s got a point, we have the best assassins but coming into a fight, we would easily lose against you,” said Pharynx, agreeing with his wife “So then… Can any of you go?” asked Torch “Ahem?” said Thorax showing his casted arm “Oh yeah, your arm is broken… What about you?” asked Torch “If I leave, who will keep the men and women at bay… would you like THAT to happen again?” asked Pharynx “So we really have no one?” asked Torch “No, there is someone… and he will do it for free,” said Ember “Who? Who is this wonderful soul you’re talking about?” said Torch Ember turned to look at Thorax, who smiled and nodded as he looked at Pharynx “Of course,” said Pharynx “Are we talking about him?” asked Lemon Zest “Yeah,” said Ember “Who?” asked Torch Everyone turned to look at him and the realization slowly sank in EARLIER ON A FIELD SOUTH-EAST OF PYROMAREIA “... And that makes 10… only 40 more to go… I can’t believe no one has Pyro-Crystals, I mean, it’s easy as hell to collect them… well, because I have Peewee helping me out that is,” said a certain purple and green scaled dragon “Peewee, how are we doing?” asked Spike to his trusty companion who was circling around above him Peewee just chirped as he continued to fly around “My thoughts exactly… luckily Peewee and I can connect via Telepathy so I understand what he says… but, to the rest of the world, I might be crazy,” thought Spike as he felt something flying at a fast rate of speed towards his head. He quickly rolled his neck to the left as a rock flew right where his head was seconds earlier, narrowly missing it’s target “See I told you he’ll evade it,” came a male voice Spike knew too well “Nice Garble, but you’re still 1 million years to early to get me with that sort of attack,” he said as he got up and turned around. “HA! You wish, I almost got you,” Garble mocked “Almost doesn’t help when you’re working,” he said “Can you stop being such an asshole for ones in your life?” said Maar “Oh come on, you know he ain’t going to fight back,” said Garble “Yeah, cause if he did, you’d be dead already,” said Maar “Listen to your girl Garbs,” said Spike as he got closer “Spike, I am SO sorry about this,” said Maar “It’s ok Maal, I’m used to Garble being an idiot,” said Spike “HEY!!!” said Garble “I’m only stating a fact, I mean, I was usually the one sent to clean up your messes,” said Spike “Ha! Please, I am a far better Mercenary than you,” said Garble “And yet, you’re still stuck as one of mid-table 7th Tier Mercenaries in Equestria,” said Spike “That’s still much better than you,” said Garble “Well, taking into consideration that I am a retired 1st tier Mercenary who is notorious all over Equestria and is mentioned in every Military or adventurer academy in Equestria… No,” said Spike “You said it, RETIRED, I am still active, which makes me even more deadlier than you,” said Garble proudly “Big words coming from a mercenary who can’t even make a simple arrow out of branches, stone, and rope,” said Spike “Of course I can, I’ve done it before,” said Garble as sweat fell from his face “Prove it,” said Spike as he held out the aforementioned materials “FINE!!” said Garble as he grabbed the material and began to make the arrow 2 HOURS LATER “DONE!” he screamed “By this point, you’d be dead, captured, or fired,” said Spike “Oh yeah?How many can you do?” said Garble as he got in his face “All of those,” said Spike pointing at the 3 stacks of arrows that could serve a whole Archery battalion. “That’s impressive” said Maar “Thanks… now, Garble, I know your brain is highly depleted of neurons, but you still have enough to be considered a living being, so… what do you want?” asked Spike Garble glared at Spike, before sighing and showing Spike his sword It was dentented, rusted, and dull, it needed a lot, and I mean A LOT of love and work “Can you fix it up, please?” said Garble “Garble, do you know how long and how much use do you have to put a sword, not to mention one of my creations, and not clean it properly, for it to turn this bad?” said Spike “Yeah, I… I forgot,” said Garble “I’ll do it… but it’ll cost you,” said Spike “How much?” asked Garble “Well, usually this job cost… $28,000, but since you’re my friend I’ll do it for $25,000, deal?” asked Spike Both Garble and Maal went pail “That’s… that’s too expensive,” said Maar “Hey don’t take advantage of the fact the best blacksmith in town,” said Garble “This job isn’t simple, If you take it to Canterlot, they’ll charge you around $50,000, because they are not used to dealing with this type of material, they’ll just send it to me, so, that’s why I’m giving you that price,” Spike explained “Oh, come on man, can you give me a discount, just this once, please, we’re tight on money, and with how the situation is going I want my equipment to be ready,” said Garble “You shouldn’t wait until the last second, and you know that,” said Spike “Please,” Garble pleaded Spike sighed and looked around, until an Idea came to his mind “You see this rock?” said Spike “Yeah,” said Garble “Well, I’m running short on it, so, this valley is full of it, but it’s complicated to find it. If you can find 40 of these rocks, I’ll fix your sword up for $15,000, deal?” said Spike “DEAL!” said Garble as he shock Spike’s hand, took the sample and began to look under every single rock to find the one he needed “Thanks Spike, but you didn’t have to lower the price that much, I’ll go by after we get some cash and pay the rest,” said Maar “Don’t worry, 40 Pyro-crystal are worth $10,000 in today's market, and I only need one for the job… so, let him work his ass off, maybe then he’ll get off that high Cheroq (Horse-like creature) of his,” said Spike “Why are you so nice to us… even after all the hell we put you through?” asked Maar “Well, I did get the 2 of you together, and I know how much of an idiot he is, so I made up my mind to help your marriage… plus it’s time you start saving money, you should start expanding your family soon,” said Spike This comment made Maar turn red “I’ve… I’ve been thinking about the idea… do you think he’ll like it?” asked Maar “Ask him,” said Spike “But still, you help us so much, why?” asked Maar “You know I see you as a younger sister, and even if he doesn’t like to admit it, underneath all that bone-headedness, Garble is actually a kind soul, he just has many self-esteem issues,” said Spike Mall just smiled at Spike and said “Thanks… for everything,” “Don’t mention it,” said Spike 3 HOURS LATER “Here 50 rocks,” said Garble “I said 40,” said Spike “Yeah, but you said you had a shortage of this material, and you took out $10,000 from the fee, I thought it was fair,” said Garble “Thanks… I’ll have your sword ready by first light,” said Spike “Thanks man, you’re a lifesaver,” said Garble “I know… now, I believe your wife has something to discuss with you,” said Spike “Right!” said Maar as she dragged Garble away “So, Babe, I’ve been thinking that we should…” “Happy trails… come on Peewee, I’ve got work to do… and it’s getting late,” said Spike as he placed the rocks in his backpack and headed for his shop. BACK THE PALACE “HIM!!!... OH NO!!! NO WAY AM I LETTING SPIKE DO THIS!!!!...HE’S… HE’S…” Torch said “He is the best mercenary the Dragonlands ever saw,” concluded Ember “Well yes, but…” said Torch “But nothing, He is the only one who would do it,” said Ember Torch just stormed out of the room in a fuss to collect his thoughts “So what crime did Spike commit for your dad to be so against the idea of letting Spike go?” asked Lemon Zest “Yeah I’ve never seen someone react like that,” said Pharynx “Well…” said Ember “It’s not that I’m angry at him,” said Torch as he re-entered the room “So then?” asked Lemon Zest “Spike is extremely important to the war efforts,” said Torch “Well duh, Spike may have retired, but he retired last year, plus, Ember, wasn’t Spike one of the top graduates at your Military academy?” asked Thorax “Yeah, he was number one… I was number 2,” said Ember, that last part with gritted teeth “So, what is so bad about the idea?” asked Thorax “The problem is the Blacksmith shop,” said Torch “OH COME ON!!! You’re concerned that he lost his touch because of him working as a blacksmith?” said Thorax “No… You might’ve not realized it, but… Spike is not only the best blacksmith, but the only blacksmith in town,” said Torch This information hit the three of them like a sack of bricks “WHAT?!!!!!!!” they all said “It’s true,” said Ember “But… But… But I’ve seen more shops selling weapons,” said Lemon Zest “Yeah, Spike allows them to sell his creations for a royalty,” said Torch “How did that happen?” asked Pharynx “Well, after he came back from a job, he decided to open up shop and try some ideas he had to make better weapons, so, worked non-stop for a while, until he was able to make swords that only we as Dragons could use with their full potential, without needing someone to unlock it for us,” Torch explained “He uses a particular type of metal known as “Pyro-Crystals”, it gives the sword extra durability and makes our attacks 10x more powerful, plus it lets us add fire magic onto the blade without it melting or costing a fortune,” said Ember as she showed them her custom made sword “So that’s why your swords have those red lines on the blade,” said Thorax “It almost seems like our “Serpeniite” except that this allows our blades to morph with us,” said Pharynx as he showed them his blade “Yes well… Spike is the only blacksmith who can create these types of weapons, and subsequently, fix them, so…,” said Torch “So if he leaves, your weapon production and repairing will be halted,” said Lemon Zest “That makes sense… and is ridiculous at the same time,” said Pharynx “What does that mean?” asked Ember “If this is the main reason why Spike is so important, why doesn’t he have an apprentice or at least show someone how to do the job?” said Pharynx “Because these weapons are powerful, if, God forbid, we are over runned, and the enemy captures our blacksmiths, if they have knowledge on how to create these weapons, they can be forced to create them, and then the whole war would be shifted in their favor,” explained Torch “Why don’t we bring some of our blacksmiths? They can create weapons similar to ours, that can balance the odds,” suggested Lemon Zest “Wouldn’t work,” said Thorax “Why wouldn’t it?” asked Lemon Zest “Serpeniite is very different and serves a different purpose than Pyro-chrystals, the sudden change of equipment would be too drastic and would leave the dragons too exposed to an attack,” said Thorax “You finally get it,” said Torch “But there has to be something we can do?” said Lemon Zest The room went silent as everyone tried to think of a solution “Maybe there is,” said Ember “We’re all ears,” said Thorax “We can ask Spike to teach us!” said Ember “That… is the… DUMBEST THING YOU COULD’VE SUGGESTED!!!” said Torch “What? Why?” asked Ember “You can barely make improvised arrows and spears, now you want to create magical weapons, please!!” said Torch “No, maybe she has a point, Pharynx and I know our way around weapons, we can even make magical weapons, so it’s not such a bad idea,” said Thorax “But… but your arm,” said Torch “That’s where Ember comes in, she may not be skilled in the creation of weapons, but she can learn who to make them functional, and help me out while my arm gets better… plus, I miss the old days when we used to run our own forge,” said Thorax “Ah yes, does were the days… if push comes to shove, we can even teach other local blacksmiths who to do it,” said Pharynx “I don’t think Spike would like that,” said Torch “Spike may be our age, but his brain is lightyears ahead, he’ll understand,” said Thorax “Plus, he retired because he got bored of the job, but, I have reasons to believe this new challenge will spark his mercenary flame back into life,” said Ember “So it’s a plan… I’ll handle the strategic planning, with Lord Torch and Madam Flame, while you learn the ins and outs of Spike’s… “art”,” said Lemon Zest “Great idea,” said Thorax “If you ever need help, just come looking for us,” said Ember “Don’t over do yourself, honey,” said Pharynx “My words exactly,” she answered back “Oh, well, if this fails, I’ll hold you responsible,” said Torch “Leave it to us dad,” said Ember as the 3 of them walked out of the strategic planning room. MEANWHILE, AT SPIKE’S FORGE Spike walked over to his forge and lit the fire “Let’s get the show started,” he said as he took Garble’s sword and threw it into the forge, letting it melt down until it was liquid. “Ok, I can still reuse most of it… I'll just spoon out the rotten pieces from the mix… and… perfect… now to melt the pyro-crystal…” said Spike as he tossed a pyro-Chrystal into the forge, letting it melt and then mixing it with the remainder of the sword. “Ok… knowing Garble, he’ll get into some sort of job he won’t be able to complete without starting a massive brawl… so, I better give him a small upgrade and make his sword double as sharp and triple the durability… for that, I’ll have to unlock 50% of the pyro-crystal’s potential… usually that would cost anywhere around $90,000, but… It’ll be my baby shower gift to them,” thought Spike as he began to pour the melted sword and pyro-crystal into a special mold. He let the metal harden a little and then he began to pound it until it took the shape of a sword. “Almost done… now we just submerge it in water… and… perfect… a bit too perfect, this might be the best sword I’ve made… not counting Ember’s custom made Sword, Lord Torch’s Spear, and Madam Flame’s knives… now for the final part, unlocking the 50% of the potential,” thought Spike as he closed his eyes, pressed his left hand on the blade and began to transfer magic into it, the blade immediately lit up with a red glow. The glow was so bright, it could be seen at the other side of Pyromareia, and the shades to Spike’s forge were closed and sealed. When Spike opened his eyes, he looked at the sword, it was now magnificent, the red lines resembled live lava, and with some extra magic, it could even be turned into an impromptu torch “Now for the field test,” said Spike as he walked over to a combat dummy he had created to test his swords. Spike gripped the sword and swung at the dummy, the sword cut through it like it was butter. “Perfect, it cauterizes the cut, so there is no blood splatter, this gives the “clean-cut” a run for its money,” he said as he smiled at his creation and placed it inside the now modified scabbard. “If I’m not mistaken, I requested that you knock before entering my shop,” Spike suddenly said “”You knew we were here?” asked Thorax “Yup… now, before you tell me why you came… I have freshly baked Cornbread pastries on the table in the kitchen, help yourselves to as many as you want,” said Spike as he finished up Garble’s sword “That won’t be necessary… really?” said Ember as she noticed Thorax and Pharynx gobbling down cornbread pastry after cornbread pastry “What? You have to admit that Spike makes the greatest corn pastries in Equestria,” said Thorax, his mouth full of pastries. “You guys are so uncommitted,” said Ember “Speak for yourself, you can eat 25 of these things compared to our 10,” said Thorax “We’re at 12 right now,” said Pharynx “That,” said Thorax “Well… one won’t hurt,” said Ember as she began to eat one after another. 5 MINUTES LATER “Well… so what do you want to… HOW MANY OF THEM DID YOU EAT?!!!!” asked Spike as he saw the three of his friends sitting on the table, their bellies bulging from the pastries “I lost count after… 23,” said Pharynx “Luckily for you, these pastries are actually good for your health,” said Spike as he walked over to them with 3 mugs of ginger ale, which they gulped down so fast, it almost made them seem like desperate hikers in the middle of a dessert. “Thanks,” they all said “So, why are you here?” asked Spike The three of them then began to explain the situation “So… you want me to teach you how to make my weapons, while I run around Parythea searching for a reason on why Lord Draquus decided to “join” the enemy,” said Spike “Pretty much, yeah,” said Ember “No way,” said Spike “OH COME ON!!” said Ember “I’m sorry, I’m not a mercenary anymore,” said Spike “Dude, you only retired last year, plus, your 20, it’s not like you’re too old to do the job,” said Thorax “I’m not concerned about the age thing, I mean if age were the problem, why doesn’t any of you do it, we’re all the same age,” said Spike “So then, what is?” asked Pharynx “It the shop, the weapons,” said Spike “Dude, Pharynx and I, used to run a forge ourselves, we know how to make magical weapons,” said Thorax “And I can take over the magic part of the assembly line,” said Ember “That’s cute… but the truth is, anyone can make a magical weapon, what makes mine better and especial my magic ability,” said Spike “What does that mean?” asked Ember “Anyone with a fire affinity can make the sword, but whilst you can make 10 swords a day, I can make 100 every hour, then comes the control issue, pyro-crystals, are unpredictable, so you could easily unlock the 100% of its ability and sell it as a common sword, which would make you lose money and at the same time grant someone unstoppable power,” said Spike “Wait, you sell this sword, how can people tell them apart?” asked Ember “I tell them… I only sell swords with up to 30% unlocked power, anything over that it has to be custom made and I have to know the type of person I’m selling it to,” said Spike “Then, teach me how to do it, I mean, I was second place in our Magic class,” said Ember “Yeah, with a B+,” said Spike “Hey, I ain’t no mage,” said Ember “I know, all our mages are in helping the Academies around the continent with training,” said Spike “So, I’m the best option,” said Ember Spike looked at his friends and then sighed in defeat “Fine, but this knowledge goes nowhere, understood?” said Spike They all nodded Spike then motioned them towards the forge and proceeded to create a sword, spear, mace, knives, daggers, and axes, and showed them how to make them durable. Then he proceeded to show Ember how to enchant them, as to liberate the crystals’ potential, but only up to a 50% “This is rather easy,” said Ember “If you have knowledge beforehand, yes,” said Spike “So, wait, you mentioned that you only retail weapons up to 30%, what about my sword?” asked Ember “80%” said Spike “Wow, that’s a lot,” said Ember “Yeah, I know you well, so I’m confident you know how to use prudence when fighting,” said Spike “What about my mom and dad?” asked Ember “Lord Torch 70%, Lady Flame 80%,” said Spike “Why is my dad so low?” asked Ember “Your dad uses a lance, anything over that and he’ll have no control over the weapon, and your mom, is a neat freak, even if she was one of the deadliest assassins the Dragonlands have seen,” said Spike “So I take it you’ll do the job?” asked Thorax “Would’ve shown you if it weren’t the case,” said Spike as he walked over to his wardrobe and fished out his well known mercenary attire. Black pants, black boots, a blackish green t-shirt, and his well known dark-purple hooded robe, and his face mask. “I take it you’re leaving already?” said Pharynx “Yeah, the more we wait, the faster the clues will disappear, plus, I feel like the forge is in good hands,” said Spike as he walked towards the door “I’ll contact you when I find something,” said Spike as he pointed to his head, referring to the telepathic ability “Take care,” said Ember “I will,” Spike said as he left NEAR THE NORTH ENTRANCE OF THE DRAGONLANDS “Here we are, Garble’s and Maal’s house,” said Spike as he knocked on the door. A few seconds later, a semi-naked Garble opened the door “Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” said Spike “SPIKE?! Wow, you scared me, no... what are you doing here?” he asked “I came to deliver this,” said Spike as he handed Garble his sword “WOW!!! This is brighter than I remember,” said Garble as the bright red light of his sword nearly blinded him “Thanks… but is it so important you actually dressed up for the occasion?” “No… I’m about to leave on a royal contract, so…” said Spike “So, you’re back in the game?” asked Garble “For now… give these to Maal, ok,” said Spike as he handed Garble a pair of assassin daggers. “Thanks, but why?” asked Garble “I have a feeling that bad shit is about to go down… I just want everyone to be prepared, especially the 2 of you… your the only capable mercenaries left in town, and if things escalate, you’ll have to go hunting too,” said Spike “Thanks, i’ll give them to her… be careful,” said Garble “I will,” said Spike as he turned to leave “Happy hunting!” said Garble Spike only waved back as he walked over to the north gate. “Well Peewee, ready for the adventure?” asked Spike “Indeed, I was already missing the adrenaline,” said Peewee “Ok, hold your feathers, we are a whole days walk from our target,” said Spike “I know… but there is a small enemy scouting detachment 5 km away from here,” said Peewee “In which direction?” asked Spike “North, north-east, near Grogar’s cave,” said Peewee “Then… let the hunt begin,” said Spike as he started to jog towards the cave. AT GROGAR’S CAVE “Ok Peewee, give me a bird’s eye view of the situation,” said Spike as he crouched on some high grass “Oh Hardy-har-har, very funny,” Peewee said sarcastically “Just do it… but it WAS funny,” said Spike “Ok, Here goes…” said Peewee “2… 3… 6...7, 7 in total… and it looks like the one with the bow is the leader of the operation,” said Spike “You think they're alone?” asked Peewee “Doubt it, we’d see more settlements or patrols,” said Spike “So… how are you going to go about this?” asked Peewee “Give me a second to think…” said Spike as he noticed that all but 3 of the scouts entered the cave, while the remaining three stayed at the entrance of said cave making watch “Bingo,” he said as he quietly made his way to the hill behind the entrance of the cave and looked down on the 3 men. “Man, this is so boring,” said one of them “I know, why did we volunteer for this?’ said another “That’s enough, both of you, our job is help the scout grant us a way for victory,” said the third “But, seriously man, we could be at the Coulee fort drinking and having all the women we want,” said the first “Don’t tell us you haven’t thought about it,” said the second “I don’t care for those things, I have a wife and 3 teenage children, my life is already set,” said the third “Yeah, now wonder you’re so boring,” said the second “If I were you, I’d think that the both of yous have wives and kids waiting for you back home,” said the third one “So, if they don’t find out, there is no harm at all,” said the first one “Yeah, plus, I’ve seen some of the whores in the town near the fort, those girls give succubus a run for their money, they’ll bang anyone and anything,” said the second “You make me sick,” said the third “Oh, come on, just come to the brothel with us, get 2 of them and have some fun,” said the second “Not interested,” said the third one “They’ll last longer than your wife… you can even rough them up a little,” said the first one “Well… one time won’t hurt,” said the third “You see, we knew you had it in you,” said the first one “Don’t worry, we won’t tell your wife if you don’t tell ours, deal?” said the second “Deal,” said the third one “Great… I can wait to get back, I already have my eyes on a new one… oh the things I’ll do to her,” said the second as he fantasized about it “I’ve heard enough,” Whispered Spike as he lunged down towards them. Spike landed on top of the middle guard, impaling his dagger right through his head, killing him on the spot. Before the other 2 could react properly, Spike stabbed the one to his left in the chest, right through his heart, and the one of his left in the gut. He then used the inertia of the move to pull them closer and stab them both in the neck, killing them instantly. “Who’s next?” Spike asked himself as he entered the cave Spike crept through the cave, trying to be as quiet as he could possibly be “Uff… I forgot that crouching around hurts like hell… I should’ve worked out my legs more this past year,” Spike thought “I told you so,” said Peewee “Shut up Peewee! Or would you like me to tell everyone about the time you ate fe…” said Spike “OK! OK! I’M SHUTTING UP!!!” said Peewee Spike then continued to creep around the cave, in total darkness, until he noticed a campsite, a couple of feet below him “So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” he said as he climbed down to get closer to the camp and its inhabitants He was about to strike, when he heard them talking “... But are you positive?” said one of them “Yes, I have all the information I need, both here (pointing to his head) and in this notebook, it’s just like he told us, and when we get back to Damarkis Fort, we’ll tell Adara how, when and where to set up the troops to invade the Dragonlands capital,” said the scout “Hah, who would’ve known that helping out that Prince-wannabe would’ve been so useful?” said another guard “Yeah, but since we got what we wanted, we don’t need him anymore,” said the scout “So, as soon as we reach the Coulee Dukedom, we gut him like a fish,” said another guard “Well boys, time to get ready, we have a long journey tomorrow,” said the scout as he started to pack “Prince wannabe… Draquus didn’t have sons, he has 2 daughters… who are they talking about?… I have to get to the bottom of this, now!” said Spike as he stood up, revealing himself to the 4 remaining members of the squadron “HEY!! WHO ARE YOU?!!!!” said the leader of the team “HOW DID YOU GET PAST MAGUS, FEDIC, AND RIT!!” said another one as they all grabbed their weapons. “WHAT?!! CAN’T YOU TALK?!!” said one of the guards “Anyway, he’s just one and we’re 4, piece of cake,” said another guard “Wait… purple hood, face mask… oh Gods, it’s him!” said the scout “Who?” asked the guards before being interrupted by Spike “Your worst nightmare!” he said as he threw the dagger in his right hand at the guard, impaling it in his head “ATTACK!!!” screamed the scout But before they were able to react, Spike had already closed the distance and used his sword to quickly attack the remaining 3 members. The scout tried to run while Spike finished the other 2 guards off, but he wasn’t able to make it far, before Spike threw his last dagger and trapped the scout by the leg, pinning him down. “ARGH!!!!” he screamed as the dagger began to burn brighter “It seems… you have information I need… and you’re going to tell me everything,” said Spike as he retrieved his other dagger from the head of the guard. “Sure, I’ll tell you everything!!!” said the scout “What are you doing here?” he asked “We’re planning a massive invasion of the Dragonlands, and we are sketching the landscape,” the scout answered “Are you the only team?” asked Spike “The only one that lived long enough… you guys have some interesting fauna,” said the scout “Back then I heard one of you say that “He” was right in the way “he” had explained the outline of the land… who is “He”?” asked Spike “I don’t know!” said the scout “If that’s how you want it,” said Spike as he stomped his other leg, breaking it “ARGH!!! I SWEAR I DON’T KNOW, I NEVER LEARNED HIS NAME!!!!” screamed the scout “Describe him,” said Spike “Tall, lanky, blond with medium long hair, blue eyes, he seemed to be a royal of sorts,” said the scout “Did he have an accent?” asked Spike “Yeah… a very weird one,” said the scout “Pyron, that slimy son of a bitch! He actually did a coup… did he help you plan the “Invasion” of the dragonlands?” asked Spike “Yes! He said he’ll get us in without much resistance,” said the scout “What did he ask for?” asked Spike “To be crowned leader of the Dragonlands,” said the scout “Did he give you something else?” asked Spike “Not that I’m aware of I swear!!” said the scout “Where is he?” asked Spike “Back at Coulee, possibly at the fort, he things he owns the place,” said the scout “Well thanks to you, he might as well,” said Spike “Is this the end?” asked the scout “For you?” asked Spike “Yes,” said the scout “I’m afraid so,” said Spike “Then… Boonagev, let it be known, I did not die a coward!” said the scout as Spike pressed his dagger on his chest “What is your name?” asked Spike “Damicus… what is yours?” asked Damicus “Spike… I will let everyone know,” said Spike as he stabbed Damicus in the heart, killing him. Spike then proceeded to grab Damicus’ bow and placed it on his hand to symbolize his bravery in the face of death and not pleading for mercy. “Was killing him really necessary?” asked Peewee “He’d be a dead man anyway, if he returns he’d be killed for failing, or be hunted down if ran, plus there was no honor in suicide,” said Spike “So, now what?” asked Peewee “To Coulee Fort, I have a new name in my “kill list” and this one’s had it coming,” said Spike “Are you going to let everyone know?” asked Peewee “Not yet,” said Spike as he rushed out of the cave and flew towards the fort in question A FEW HOURS LATER Spike had reached the outskirts of the Coulee Dukedom, and immediately noticed something… odd “What is the meaning of this? I thought the city would be desolated,” said Spike “Maybe the scout the scout lied to you,” said Peewee “Doubt it, he had nothing to win by lying,” said Spike “What makes you think that?” asked Peewee “He knew that if I let him live, he’d be executed for fear of him being followed, and if he ran, he’d be hunted down, either by me or someone else,” said Spike “Right… wishful thinking I guess,” said Peewee “Just shut up and SCOUT the area,” said Spike “Enough with the puns!” said Peewee “What? Is my sense of humor not BRIGHT enough for you?” said Spike “I swear, if you keep mocking me, Imma finish you,” said Peewee “Just do it,” said Spike “The disrespect is too much around here… Nothing out of the ordinary, city wise, it seems people don’t even know about the coup,” said Peewee “Well, let’s leave that at that… What about the fort? Any signs of the guards?” asked Spike “Nothing out of the ordinary… wait a minute… those aren’t the guards from last time!” said Peewee “What do you mean?” asked Spike “3 weeks ago, you and Smolder were here shopping for materials…” said Peewee “Correction, I was shopping, she was stalking,” said Spike “Besides the point… There is something weird about these guards… like if they’re new,” said Peewee “Maybe they are,” said Spike “Then they should know the patrol schedules and positions, they’re all over the place… plus, there is no way Commander Kuskrond would allow such things to happen… not to mention, he’s nowhere to be seen,” said Peewee “How many guards are there?” asked Spike “3...8...10...14 in total,” said Peewee “What about Pyron, do you see him?” asked Spike “No… WAIT! Yes I see him, he just entered the royal quarters… Also, there is a caravan leaving through the south gate… 3 carriages, 15 guards plus drivers,” said Peewee “Let’s worry about the fort, if I can liberate it, I can find out what happened, afterwords, Torch might send someone over to take care of the city,” said Spike You sure he won’t mind you calling him at 6 in the morning?” asked Peewee “If anything, he’d be surprised,” said Spike “Oh well… I’ll let you have some fun now,” said Peewee “Thanks,” said Spike in a guttural voice as he made a run for the walls of the fort and began climbing them. As soon as he was about to make it to the top of the wall, he stopped as he noticed a light right above him. “Hello victim No. 1” said Spike as he climbed the wall a little more until he was a simple arm’s stretch from the archer. “Man, this is so boring, and since the little rich kid drugged the guards, we didn’t have any fighting, talk about let down… WHAT WAS THAT?!!!” he said as he heard someone whistle He crept towards the edge of the wall and just as he was about to peer over the edge, Spike’s dagger went straight through his head, killing him instantly, letting him fall to the ground, far below him. “If my dagger going through his brain didn’t kill him, the fall surely did,” said Spike as he climbed over the edge, and ducked behind cover. The courtyard of the palace was rather empty, he could only see the guards Peewee told him about, and this concerned him. “Too few guards, were they really able to take over the whole palace that easily?... well if it were me, the less the better, but knowing this palace, there were at least double the guards… So either they didn’t show resistance because they were in on it, or there is something else going on… but for now, I’ll take care of the guards in the courtyard… knowing Pyron, the son of a bitch has more of them inside… Alright, who’s next?... bingo,” said Spike as he laid his eyes on another archer, a couple of feet away, looking into the horizon not paying attention to his behind. Spike proceeded to creep closer to him, and, as soon as he was positioned behind him, he stood up and Spartan kicked him in the back sending him over the edge, the fall killing him instantly. “I forgot about this adrenaline rush… I missed it so much…,” said Spike with a smile, he then turned around and noticed that the courtyard was massive and it would take too long to eliminate all of the guards if he went one by one, so an idea came to his mind “Time to introduce myself… again,” he said as he leaped into the sky opening his wings and flying right to the center of the courtyard. Needless to say, this had caught all of the guards' attention, and they were now rushing towards him. “STOP, IDENTIFY YOURSELF!!” screamed the captain, who was the closest to Spike Spike turned to look at him, but all the captain saw, was Spike’s eyes glowing through his mask “With pleasure,” said Spike as he lunged towards the captain and stabbed him right through the heart. “You can call me… The Night Dragon,” he said as he felt another guard rushing him from behind. Spike jumped off the ground, evading the end of the guard’s lance, turning around and slicing the guard’s head off, only to land and stab the guard behind him in the heart. The rest of the guards stopped dead in their tracks as they saw how easily Spike had eliminated their comrades. “What? That’s all you’ve got?” asked Spike as the guards moved behind him. You didn’t have to be a genius to know what they were planning to do. So as soon as they had encircled Spike, they charged forward, trying to skewer him like a kebab. Spike waited for them to get close enough, before jumping into the air, causing the remaining 9 guards to almost stabbing each other. “That was cute, but you fell right into my trap,” said Spike as he lunged back down while turning as if he was a drill. Spike then landed gracefully on the ground, both his daggers drenched in blood. “Well, that was fun, but I have bigger fish to fry,” said Spike as he walked away from the group of guards, just as they fell to the floor lifeless. INSIDE THE PALACE “Seems I was wrong… there are no more guards here… were they really only 14… the rest must’ve left in the caravan… I’m guessing Pyron didn’t want to draw attention to himself… then again, he sent a letter to Torch… maybe to throw him off for a few days, before more outsiders arrive here… Not on my watch,” said Spike as he rushed towards the main chambers/office to confront Pyron. He was about to open the doors when he heard… “Everything is going just like I plan, there is no way these assholes will defeat Torch and his army but they will leave it weakened, giving me all I need to take over the throne… killing two birds with one stone,” said Pyron Spike was about to kick the door down when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A pair of double swords, swords, Spike knew too well “Oh no! These are Clump’s swords… was that idiot here?... of course, he was, he is dating Mokthi… speaking of which, where is she?... better take this with me,” said Spike as he took the swords out of the rack and placed them in his bag. He then crept towards the door, just to hear the last part of another monologue “... I’m surprised they worked, the drugs knocked everyone out, except for that annoying mercenary that stole my Mokthi… well, with the guards in the dungeon, and Draquus and his family gone, I have nothing to worry, all I have to do is send this letter to Commander Zork and he’ll send his troops… let’s get this party started,” Pyron said as he took the quill and moved to sign the letter when the doors to the room flew open, knocking him out of his seat “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!!!” he screamed as he got up only for a dagger to fly straight into his chest. “Hello Pyron,” said Spike as he walked over to Pyron as he slides down the wall, leaving a trail of blood “Sp-Spike?... what are… you doing here?” asked Pyron “Ending your little circus,” said Spike as he grabbed the hilt of the dagger and began applying pressure. “Any last words?” asked Spike “Death… to the filth-bloods!” he gasped as Spike ripped the dagger out of his chest allowing the blood to flow out like a fountain. “Privileged asshole,” said Spike as he walked over to the table and noticed a couple of letters and reports on it. He proceeded to read through them and learned some interesting facts. “Torch is not going to like this… Torch, can you hear me?” asked Spike “Spike?... Do you know what time it is?” asked Torch “Yeah, but I really don’t care,” said Spike “Of course you don’t… So, what is it?” asked Torch “I have an update on what happened at Coulee,” said Spike “Oh, what is it?” asked Torch “SPIKE!!!” Ember interrupted “Ember, it’s telepathy, no need to scream,” said Spike “Sorry, but, I really need to tell you something,” said Ember “Not know Ember, Spike, tell me what you discovered,” said Torch “As I was leaving the capital, Peewee confirmed that there was a small detachment of enemies at Grogar’s cave, I have taken care of them, I also discovered that they were scouting the area planning an invasion…” said Spike “We know that,” said Ember “I didn’t,” said Torch “Yes, well, about 2 hours ago, Smolder came running into the forge looking for you. She had actually discovered the corpses of the outsiders and ran here thinking something bad was about to happen… needless to say, she wasn't happy when she found us here making the weapons,” said Ember “Why?” asked Spike “No idea, but she was rambling on about how it wasn’t fair that we were using your forge to create competition for you, but after we explained, she turned worst, she was now screaming at us, saying that we “stole” her right, but by that point, we Garble came around and took her with him,” said Ember “Odd, I don’t remember letting her work at the forge,” said Spike “Are you seriously not paying attention?” said Ember “If I weren't, would I be having this conversation?” asked Spike “Anyway, what did you find?” asked Torch “Turns out there was a coup,” said Spike “WHAT?!!!” said Torch “It was a small, yet effective one,” said Spike “Who is responsible for it?” asked Torch “Pyron,” said Spike “THAT LITTLE MOTHERFUCKER!!!” said Torch “He actually drugged the guards making it easy for the outsiders ot come into the palace and lock them up in the dungeon,” said Spike “What about Draquus? What happened to him?” asked Torch “Well, he and his family are still M.I.A, and I have no idea where they could be,” said Spike “What was Pyron after?” asked Ember “Power, he wanted to take revenge on Draquus’ family because Mokthi rejected him for Clump… who seems to have been here during the coup and is also M.I.A… after that, he would’ve helped the outsiders reach the capital, wait for us to kill each other for him to waltz right in and take the throne from Ember,” said Spike “So, he was also after us?” asked Ember “Yeah, possibly because of your marriage to Thorax,” said Spike “Why is that his problem?” asked Ember “Pyron was an supremacist, he thought hated the fact that our race was cross breathing with other races,” said Torch “That’s why he said “Death to the filth bloods,” said Spike “And where is the fucker right now?” asked Ember “Lying dead at my feet,” said Spike “Well, one problem less,” said Ember “Yeah, I’m about to head down to the dungeon and… Wait a minute,” said Spike as he walked over to the bed. “What? What is it?” asked Torch On the bed was a sword that resembled one of Spike’s creations, but this one only looked like it, it had no magic ability at all. “Oh no,” said Spike as he hurried over to the desk and rummaged through the papers until he found it “Oh you son of a bitch,” he said “What happened?” asked Torch “I found a sword that resembles my creations,” said Spike “So?” asked Torch “I didn’t make it,” said Spike “So, you’re telling me that…” said Torch “The outsiders are trying to recreate my weapons, luckily this one was done horribly, but if they were able to make it…” said Spike “They must not be far from successfully manufacturing them,” said Torch “That explains the shortage of Pyro-crystals,” said Ember “And the surprise attack, they were after the crystals, not the capital,” said Spike “How can you be so certain?” asked Torch “Simple, its written right here… and it was all Pyron’s idea,” said Spike “This worrisome, where are the crystals now?” asked Torch “They must have them back at their fort… the caravan!” said Spike “What?” asked Ember “When we were coming, Peewee mentioned a 3 carriage caravan leaving, they must be carrying the crystals...and the duke’s family,” said Spike “Do you know where they went?” asked Torch “No… yes, there is a report here… one of them is heading to the town of Obsidian, another one to Basalt fort, and the last one to… Scoria fortress,” said Spike “They are all nearby, to the south, East and North-west,” said Torch “I’ll get some mercenaries ready to…” Ember said “No, I’ll take care of it,” said Spike “Really?” asked Ember “Yes… they’re trying to recreate my creations, like hell I’ll let them… plus, I kinda missed the adrenaline rush, so,” said Spike “So?” asked Ember “Time for everyone to know, the Night Dragon is back,” said Spike as he put his face mask on.
Boonagev Ch.2 Let the hunt begin“Are you positive you can track them down? We wouldn’t mind sending Garble or even Ember to help,” said Torch “Just send someone to look over the dukedom while I rescue Draquus and his family,” said Spike “I’ll head there and do it myself,” said Torch “Great, I’ll contact you all when I find something,” said Spike “Happy hunting,” said Ember as the conversation ended. Spike then proceeded to look around the room, making a mental map of his new objectives. “Where to?” asked Peewee “Don’t know, I’m still thinking about it,” said Spike “You know, maybe it should be best for you to head over and rescue Draquus and his family,” said Peewee “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, the problem is, I don’t know where they went,” said Spike “Doesn’t the report say?” asked Peewee “No, it seems that information was left out on purpose, maybe a contingency plan in case action was taken,” said Spike “So, what now?” asked Peewee “The only normal thing to do… head down to the dungeon and free the guards, police, and servants… maybe they know something else,” said Spike as he made his way towards the dungeon. AT THE DUNGEON “Any ideas?” asked Kuskrond “Nothing, without our weapons we can’t do much,” said Captain Endug “Plus, apart from the capital, we have the most advanced jail/dungeon, it’s can nullify magic,” said Sergeant Nagty “Dammit! There has to be something we can do,” said Kuskrond “SHUT IT!!!” said the guard as he banged on the jail cell door “I swear it’s like running a nursery,” “Leave it Ruck, it’ll be shift change in a few seconds, then they’ll become someone else’s problem,” said the other guard “Can’t wait, I need some fresh air,” said Ruck Just as he said that there was a knock on the door. “Ah! Just in time, see Ruck, now they’re no longer our problem,” said the other guard as he opened the door only for Spike to punch him in the gut so hard, he flew straight to the wall behind him almost demolishing it. His injuries from both the punch and the impact prove too much, as he dies where he lays. “What the?” said both Ruck and Kuskrond, just as a dagger flew right through Ruck’s head killing him. The image, terrifying all of the captured “Ok, get ready, whoever this is might have come here to kill us and I’m not planning on going out without a fight, who’s with me?” asked Kuskrond but his 2 cellmates were just staring past him, petrified as if they were looking at Satan himself. “What?” asked Kuskrond Endug just raised a shaky finger while he hugged his wife in fear Kuskrond turned slowly, first noticing the mercenary boots, then the blood-covered daggers, then the dark-purple hood, and lastly Spike’s eyes staring down at him. The sight of him was too much for Kuskrond who just screamed like a little girl and crawled away. “Please don’t kill us!!!” they all screamed as Spike gave a step forward “Seriously?... that was pathetic, even for the 3 of you, I at least expected Kuskrond to try and tackle me, not scream like a girl,” said Spike At the sound of his voice, the 3 officers stopped hugging and paid more attention to their “savior” “SPIKE!!! Don’t do that!” they all screamed “Do what? Save your asses?” said Spike as he tossed them their weapons “If you have these… I can assume…” said Kuskrond “The palace has been liberated… now, go to the armory and get your gear, before I change my mind,” said Spike as he left the cell and began unlocking the other As if on queue, all of the captured officers, and guards rushed out of the dungeon and got suited up. A FEW MINUTES LATER “Oh, that feels much better,” said Kuskrond as he placed his helmet on “Yeah, I’ve had enough of cells to last me a lifetime,” said Nagty “Good, cause if this fort falls again, with lord Torch inside, then the Outsiders will be the least of your problems,” said Spike as he walked up to them “Spike, good to see you, glad to see your back in the game,” said Kuskrond “Yeah, didn’t really have a choice,” said Spike “I take it you want to ask us something,” said Endug “I was hoping that an of you could tell me where Draquus and his family where take to,” said Spike “We weren’t able to hear anything, the guards down at the dungeon didn’t talk about it,” said Endug “Smarter than they seem,” said Spike “I-I-I heard something,” said a young woman Spike turned and noticed that the girl was not older than Smolder, around 16 to 18, she had pinkish long hair, blue eyes, and was about 5’1” tall “Feel free to tell me,” said Spike as he removed his mask, in an effort to make the girl comfortable “I overheard Pyron telling another guard that the duke’s family shall be “Left to rot at the bottom of the world,” said the girl “What those that mean?” asked Kuskrond “Obsidian,” said Endug “What?” asked Spike “Obsidian is known for its mining, plus, the town has a “secret” jail inside one of the mountains which is known as the “Bottom of the world”,” said Endug “That’s where they are,” said Spike “Yeah, but you better hurry, if what my gut is telling me is right, they won’t let them rot alive,” said Nagty “What is your name?” asked Spike as he turned back to face the girl “Mina,” said the girl “Well Mina, thank you very much, you’ve been extremely helpful,” said Spike as he patted her on the head and left This caused Mina to fall to her knees “He’s so~ handsome!” she thought as she saw Spike disappear. OUTSIDE COULEE “So, we’re heading to Obsidian, nice little joint,” said Peewee sarcastically “Yeah well, what choice do we have, plus, despite my dislike for the self-centered asshole that calls himself the leader of the town, as long as I don’t have to see him, I’m ok,” said Spike “Sure, anyways, do you know where this secret jail is located?” asked Peewee Spike stopped as realization hit him “Yup, it seems you’ll have to see this “asshole” after all,” Peewee said smirking “Fuck… guess there is no other choice,” said Spike as he renewed his pace Then, at the distance, both Spike and Peewee heard something “Did you hear that?” asked Spike “Yeah,” said Peewee “Help!” they heard a woman scream at a distance “Peewee find her!!” said Spike Peewee looked frantically around “The East, 40 mts. Hurry!!!” said Peewee as Spike turned to his left and ran through the forest at full speed didn’t “Peewee I can’t hear her anymore!!!” screamed Spike “She’s still alive, but she’s running further away,” said Peewee “So she’s being chased!” said Spike as he picked up the pace, reaching what seemed to be a recently abandoned campsite The damage to the campsite was substantial, nothing had survived the attack, except its lone camper who escaped. “This fabric… she’s definitely rich or from a wealthy nation… arrows, and damaged bows, definitely a huntress… a hunting knife… an expensive one at that, better make sure to give it back… this claw marks… there are only 2 animals that can do them… and if it's the one that I’m thinking I better hurry!” said Spike as he started to run again following the trail of arrows and claw marks. Spike ran as fast as he could, almost separating from his shadow due to his speed, trying his best to reach the huntress. “Peewee?!!!” said Spike “100 Mts. she’s trapped at the edge of the cliff with her back against the wall!” said Peewee Spike quickly changed his direction and headed for the cliff. As he got closer, he heard the huntress screaming “STAY BACK! STAY BACK!!!” as she swung her now broken bow around trying to defend herself. “Timberwolves, she doesn’t stand a chance!” said Spike Just then, one of the Timberwolves lunges at the huntress, she was able to evade the lunge, but the wolf was able to smack the bow out of her hand, leaving her defenseless. “Oh God,” was all she said as she closed her eyes waiting for death. Spike jumped off the ledge directly above her landing on top of the Timberwolf with his flaming dagger through its head just as she closed her eyes. The huntress and Timberwolves looked at the new arrival in surprise before the remaining 2 Timberwolves lunged at Spike simultaneously. Time seemed to slow down around Spike as he skillfully stabbed both timberwolves in the head, back of the neck, and heart, killing them. The huntress looked at her savior, too amazed to look away, to frighten to speak or move. “Usually, I love animals… but these ones...” said Spike No sound escaped the huntress, making Spike turn to face her, and he almost wished he’d done it sooner. She was beautiful, she had long pink hair, cyan eyes, and despite her armor and gear covering it, she had a slim figure, and stood around 5’5”, but what captured Spike’s attention the most was the fact this her boobs were massive, possibly G-Cup maybe bigger Spike thanked God he’s face was covered by his face mask, cause he knew he was blushing and maybe drooling a little, as his eyes were fixated on her boobs “Spike, eyes upfront, you’re making her uncomfortable,” said Peewee snapping Spike out of his trance. “Are you ok?” Spike asked The huntress nodded Spike walked over to her and said “Can you stand?” as he extended his left arm to her She eyed it for a few instants before she took his hand and got to her feet “Can you walk?” asked Spike The huntress gave a step forward, but as soon as her left foot landed again, she felt a jolt of pain sweep over her body. “OUCH!” she screamed as she lost balance and Spike caught her in his arms “Careful!” he said as he placed her on the ground as gently as he could “What hurts?” he asked “My-my ankle,” said the huntress Spike immediately removed her left boot and saw the issue “It’s a minor sprain, it should be as good as new in a couple of hours,” said Spike as he administered some first aid “O-oh, T-t-thanks,” said the huntress her voice full of fear “I better get you back to your campsite, it’s safer than staying here… plus, Timberwolves can smell their brethren’s blood miles away,” said Spike as he looked at the huntress’s face, he could tell she was really uncomfortable and scared. Spike felt sorry for her, but knowing that they had to move fast, he decided to gain her trust, and slowly, he began to remove his face and head coverings, allowing the huntress to see his face. Now it was HER turn to fall into a trance, her eyes glued to Spike’s face and then giving him a look over as her face turned red. “We should get going,” said Spike getting her out of her trance The huntress nodded as Spike picked her up princess style, causing her face to turn even redder. A FEW MINUTES LATER “And… there, as good as new,” said Spike as he finished fixing up the huntress’s camp “T-thanks a lot,” said the huntress “No problem, OH! By the way, I think this is yours,” said Spike as he handed her the knife “Oh yes! Thank you, this knife is really important for me,” said the huntress “Family heirloom?” asked Spike “Yeah, how did you know?” asked the huntress “I own a forge back at the Dragonlands capital, I’ve done tons of hunting knives and daggers, none of them have this level of detail or design, I can tell it was custom made,” said Spike “Wow, well, you’re right, it belonged to my father,” said the huntress “Oh… did he?” asked Spike “Oh, no, he just retired, gave it to me as a gift for becoming a professional bounty hunter and mercenary,” said the huntress “Oh… WAIT!!! You’re a mercenary?” asked Spike “Yeah… oh! I just realized we never introduced ourselves, my name is Fluttershy,” she said “Nice to meet you Fluttershy, my name is Spike,” he answered “Nice to meet you too… by the way, you said you owned a forge,” said Fluttershy “Yeah, what of it?” asked Spike “Why are you out here if you’re not a mercenary?” asked Fluttershy “Well, I AM a mercenary, but, I temporarily retired last year and decided to open a forge to keep myself busy,” said Spike “Retired? How old are you? If you don’t mind me asking,” said Fluttershy “20 almost 21,” said Spike “You’re 1 year older than me, and you retired?” said Fluttershy “Yeah, it’s just that, I had become bored of this lifestyle, so,” said Spike “But you returned,” said Fluttershy “Not voluntarily, but now I am happy I did,” said Spike “Must’ve been a very important mission,” said Fluttershy “The Empress asked me herself,” said Spike “Wow, you must be good if she asked you,” said Fluttershy “That, and the fact that I am her childhood friend and bested her during our lives in the military academy,” said Spike “Wow, that sounds amazing,” said Fluttershy “What about you?” asked Spike “Well… I originally planned to be a veterinarian, but, when I turned 12 I accidentally registered for the adventures academy, and well… I liked it a lot,” said Fluttershy “So, I take it you’re an animal lover,” said Spike “Yeah, I love them,” said Fluttershy “Then, why are you here hunting?” asked Spike “Well, since I have a lot of knowledge regarding fauna, I usually accept quests that regard hunting or making sure they don’t over procreate,” said Fluttershy “So, keep a balance in the ecosystem and avoid them from attacking our cities,” said Spike “Yeah, like that,” said Fluttershy “So, you don’t kill people,” said Spike “Well, I don’t like taking those types of jobs, but if the others are busy, and the pay is good, I’ll take it,” said Fluttershy “So, have you?” asked Spike “I’ve killed before, but I’m still on the single-digit mark,” said Fluttershy “Oh… wait, others?” asked Spike “Yes, I am part of a Mercenary syndicate in Canterlot that works directly for the royal family, we’re called the “Elements of Harmony”,” said Fluttershy “Cool, what tier are you?” asked Spike “Tier?” asked Fluttershy “You know, mercenary tier,” said Spike “Oh, I’m a tier 5 Mercenary,” said Fluttershy “Wow, you’re deadly, or you do a great job,” said Spike “Thanks, what about you?” asked Fluttershy “Me?” asked Spike as he started to sweat “Yeah, what about you?” asked Fluttershy “Oh boy, if I tell her she might be terrified of me, I don’t want her to fear me, I’d really like to see her again…” thought Spike “Did I ask him something touchy?... maybe hearing my rank made him uncomfortable,” thought Fluttershy “... It’s not as impressive as yours, it’s almost embarrassing,” said Spike “Oh! Well, with some more training and effort you’ll get there,” said Fluttershy “Thanks… you should get some rest, it’ll help your ankle heal faster… don’t worry, I’ll keep watch,” said Spike “You’re right, I have a long journey back to Canterlot tomorrow, good night,” said Fluttershy “Good night,” said Spike “I have to admit when he appeared before me and saved me, he looked so terrifying, and the ease with which he defeated those Timberwolves was amazing… not to mention he is really handsome, OH GOD! Did I just think that?... Well, it is true… WAIT!! If he’s that powerful, why does he seem too embarrassed about his rank?... maybe it’s just the difference between Pegasus and Dragon… Oh well,” thought Fluttershy as she fell asleep. NEXT MORNING Fluttershy awoke to the smell of roasting veggies, as Spike finished tying a bunch of arrows “Morning!” said Spike “Morning… what is all this?” asked Fluttershy “Oh well, I hope you don’t mind, but I took it upon myself to prepare some breakfast, now I wasn’t able to find as many ingredients as I’d love, but I found a lot of corn, potatoes, and bell peppers, and a couple of carrots some lettuce and cabbage, so I made this skewers and porridge for you to choose,” said Spike “Wow, it looks delicious,” said Fluttershy as she began eating bowl after bowl and skewer after skewer of Spike’s cooking. “I also took it upon myself to upgrade your armor and gear, sharpen your hunting knife, make you a couple of extra arrows, and most importantly… rebuilt and upgraded your hunting bow,” said Spike as he showed her the restored and upgraded bow. The image of her new bow, plus all of the things Spike had done caused her to choke on some of her porridge. Spike immediately gave her some water and gave her some light pats on the back. “This… this is too much,” said Fluttershy “Well, last night while I was keeping watch… I got bored, and then when I thought back at your Timberwolf incident, it got me thinking, there are millions of beasts in this world way worse than Timberwolves, her armor, and weapons won’t help her at all, so, I got to work,” said Spike “Wow, my bow was a bunch of toothpicks yesterday, it looks 15 times better than when I bought it,” said Fluttershy “Yeah, I realized we are surrounded by Belkinwood trees, one of, if not THE best wood for both arrows and bows, so I took the salvageable part of the bow and fusion them together, now you can even use it as a wooden bat for close-range attacks, and it won’t break, here look…” said Spike as he walked over to a nearby boulder and smacked it the bow, immediately after, the boulder cracked and disintegrated. Fluttershy’s jaw dropped “Come try it,” said Spike as he handed Fluttershy the bow, she walked over to another boulder, smacked it, and turned to dust “Wow, you’re strong,” said Spike “Thanks, but, the truth is, I’ve always been very strong physically, so…” said Fluttershy “Oh, Phantom-muscle syndrome, it makes perfect sense,” said Spike with a smile Fluttershy was taken aback, Spike was the first male she ever encountered to not be freaked out by her strength and know enough about her condition to not make fun of her. “As you can see, there isn’t a scratch on the bow,” said Spike Fluttershy got out of her trance and saw that it was true “I also substituted the old nylon string with Arachne web, making it 10x stronger and resistant, plus I also made this arrows with Carbonite rocks, they are lighter and easier to find than the normal stones used to make the arrows, with the combination of the 2 of these items you have become even deadlier, look,” said Spike as he aimed an arrow at a Belkinwood tree, shot it, and the arrow went right through the tree splitting it in half, almost like if it was made of butter Fluttershy’s jaw again dropped “And… with the upgrades I made to your armor and gear, they’ll need magical weapons to try and scratch you,” he said as he shot an arrow at the gear and it bounced off, not even leaving a scratch “Those are the same arrows?” asked Fluttershy as Spike picked up the arrow he just shot “Yup,” said Spike as he placed it on her quiver “This… this is too much,” said Fluttershy “Did… did I overstep?” asked Spike “NO! I am really grateful for your help, but you have to let me pay you… here!” said Fluttershy as she tried to give Spike a pouch full of money “No need, I refuse to accept any sort of payment,” said Spike “But,” said Fluttershy “Consider it a gift,” said Spike with a smile “A-are you sure?” asked Fluttershy “Yeah, I’ll have a better peace of mind knowing you’re safe and with the proper gear,” said Spike “T-thanks,” said Fluttershy “Would… would you like me to escort you to town so that you can take a caravan back to Canterlot?” asked Spike “No need, I’ll fly there, but thanks,” said Fluttershy as she finished packing “Hope we meet again,” “If the stars align,” said Spike “Whenever you’re in Canterlot send me a message, I’ll introduce you to the rest of the elements,” said Fluttershy “Will do, have a safe trip,” said Spike “You too, good luck with your mission,” said Fluttershy as she flew away “Someone’s in love,” teased Peewee “No I am not!” said Spike “Yes you are,” said Peewee “Believe whatever you want… poop eater,” said Spike “AH! DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO SAY IT!!” said Peewee “You started,” said Spike “Let’s continue with our mission,” said Peewee as he took off into the air while Spike began trotting towards Obsidian. 3 HOURS LATER OUTSIDE THE TOWN OF OBSIDIAN “Here we are, Obsidian,” said Spike “How observant,” said Peewee “Would you like me to tell everyone you ate poop?” said Spike “Ok I’ll stop,” said Peewee “Finally,” said Spike as he crept closer to the border “Peewee, what can you see?” asked Spike “Well, the town is as normal as always, with the addition of a couple of fake guards here and there, other than that nothing,” said Peewee “What about the Palace?” asked Spike “Same as Coulee, not many guards, although these ones are real guards,” said Peewee “What about Hydros?” asked Spike “He’s walking around the courtyard, heading to his office… Spike, I doubt he’s going to talk regarding the location of the jail, he did side with the outsiders,” said Peewee “Don’t worry, I’ll make him speak, plus, from what I know, there is a secret safe with important documents in his office, I only need the key,” said Spike “What if the only way to get the key is by killing him?” asked Peewee “Peewee, I am hoping that it the case… this asshole, through his own wife and kids into a jail cell only cause they asked him to stop being so cruel to people that opposed him,” said Spike “Yeah, I know, we freed them soon after helping the rebellion make him vulnerable, but he left town, and came back with the outsiders and re-took control of the town, killing any resistant members he could and locking up the rest,” said Peewee “That explains it!” said Spike “What?” asked Peewee “Who else helped the rebellion?” asked Spike “Clump and Mokthi!” said Peewee “Exactly, he wants revenge, he was the one that made conversation between the outsiders and Pyron easier and possible… and if we follow that logic, I’m his next target,” said Spike “Then we better hurry… should we execute the guards?” asked Peewee “No… I’ll make his death look like an accident,” said Spike as he and Peewee rushed towards the palace. Once outside, Spike used the high grass to hide his presence as he moved around trying to find an adequate location to “accidentally” end Hydros’ life. “Any ideas?” asked Peewee “If I can, somehow, make him climb up to that opening in the palace wall with the wooden defense, I can shove him off after confronting him and his death will look accidental,” said Spike “Sometimes your murderous brilliance terrifies me… that’s why you’re no awesome,” said Peewee “Better get a move on!” said Spike “WAIT! There is movement in the bushes to your right,” said Peewee “Animal?”asked Spike “No, anthro,” said Peewee With that Spike began to creep towards the newly arrived presence. Spike lost sight of it for a few seconds, before seeing a bush ruffle violently “Gotcha!” said Spike as he jumped out of his hiding place and tackled the figure to the ground “Motherfucker, get off of me!” screamed the person “Fume?! The fuck are you doing here?” asked Spike “Spike?! Man, it’s the first time I’m not happy to see your face,” said Fume as Spike helped him up “You haven’t answered me yet,” said Spike “What do you think I’m going to do?” asked Fume as he pointed to his weapons “You’re here to kill you father,” said Spike “Correct… you?” asked Fume “I need to learn the location of the “Bottom of the Earth”,” said Spike “That stupid jail? Why?” asked Fume “You know it?” asked Spike “Yeah, the old man couldn’t stop boasting about it… I don’t know where it is exactly… why do you need to know?” asked Fume “Draquus and his family have been taken there,” said Spike “Shit, when?” asked Fume “They either arrived last night or this morning,” said Spike “Dammit… Anything else I should know?” asked Fume “Yeah, they weren’t alone when that happened,” said Spike as he showed Fume Clump’s daggers “Clump was with them?... Oh yeah, he’s dating Mokthi… didn’t he put up a fight?” asked Fume “Pyron drugged the whole place, no resistance,” said Spike “Shit...I’ll help you,” said Fume “What?” asked Spike “I’ll help you find and free everyone in there… as long as you help me kill my father,” said Fume “Well, I was going to kill him anyway,” said Spike “Oh, I take it you had a plan,” said Fume “Yeah, lure him over to that part of the wall and shove him off it,” said Spike “After getting the information from him, right?” asked Fume “Of course… but I don’t know if he’ll talk,” said Spike “I know you, and I know you can make a mute person talk,” said Fume “Yeah, but your father is really…” said Spike “Stubborn,” said Fume “Yeah,” said Spike “Don’t worry, he’ll talk, now, how are we going to lure him towards that spot?” asked Fume “Leave it to me,” said Spike A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER “Another quiet night… And I fuckin hate it, oh well, as soon as Draquus and his posse get used to their new home by tomorrow morning, the air will be filled with their screams of agony, I just can’t wait,” thought Hydros as he continued to walk around the courtyard. Just then he saw something out of the corner of his eyes. “HEY! YOU THERE! STOP!!!” he said as he noticed the figure standing at the same place where Spike and Fume had agreed to take out Hydros. The figure didn’t move an inch but kept staring right at Hydros “ARE YOU TRYING TO INTIMIDATE ME?” Hydros screamed at the figure while drawing his sword. The figure didn’t move “FUCK YOU!!!!” screamed Hydros as he charged up the steps towards the figure, only for it to disappear when he blinked. Hydros came to a stop at the exact same point where Spike and Fume wanted him. “Did I imagine that?... well, all of my excitement has rendered my sleep useless, maybe I should head back in,” said Hydros as he turned to leave “Leaving so early?” came a voice as Hydros turned to face the unwanted presence “Fume?!” he said “Hello, father,” said Fume as he shot a paralyzing dart at his father “What is the meaning of this!!!” screamed Hydros “Time for us to settle some scores, where is the bottom of the earth?” asked Fume as he walked closer “HA! You want me to tell you? Boy, I fucked that whore of your mother and gave you life, but I can’t believe you’re so damn stupid,” said Hydros, trying his best to get him angry so that he’ll kill him Fume knew what he was trying to do, and even though he was tempted to do it, he held himself back “The fact we share the same blood is enough to make me want to vomit, but, you should know, I am the one asking nicely,” said Fume “HA! Asking nicely he says, so, I take it that there’s another of your filth-blood friends coming are they,” said Hydros “Yeah, but trust me, you don’t want to deal with him,” said Fume “Really? Well, tell your friend to go fuck himself, and while you’re at it, go fuck yourself,” said Hydros “Well that wasn’t nice,” came Spike’s voice, immediately causing Hydros to freeze and start sweating “S-s-s-s-Spike! What are you?” asked Hydros in fear “I have a job,” said Spike “W-w-well, this-this doesn’t concern you!” said Hydros “Well, you just told me to go and… what was it he said?” asked Spike as he walked up to Fume “Go fuck yourself,” said Fume “That… well, now that concerns me,” said Spike “I-I was joking, I know you’d never do that, besides, it’s not like I was behind Draquus abduction,” said Hydros “Huh, I never mentioned I was here to rescue Draquus, did I Fume?” asked Spike “Indeed you didn’t,” said Fume Hydros went pail as he realized what he had just said “So, Hydros, be a lamb and tell us where this “Bottom of the world” jail is,” said Spike “Sure, but I can’t say it out loud,” said Hydros “Fine, where is it?” asked Spike as he got closer to him, only for Hydros to spit on him “There it is, you fucking filth-though the blood,” said Hydros “Well, that wasn’t helpful,” said Spike “Do you realize what you just did,” said Fume “Of course I do, I wouldn’t have done it otherwise,” said Hydros with a smirk “Dragonlands law 125, paragraph 5, section C,” said Fume “Boy, you know better than to quiz me on the law, “no harm or disrespect can be or would be tolerated towards one of the leaders of the Dragonlands, be it a Dragonlord, or the Emperor/ess,” said Hydros “And the punishment is death,” said Fume “I know,” said Fume “Then, it’s a pleasure to kill you,” said Fume as he got closer “Huh, don’t you dare, boy!” said Hydros “Spike IS the Dragonlord, you know that,” said Fume “What?!!!” said Hydros “I won the race and absorbed 50% of the power of the staff, Ember took the other 50%, and together we broke the rule of the lord, allowing her to stay in power and marry whoever she wanted,” said Spike Hydros turned even paler “W-Well, I’ll never tell you where it is!!!!” said Hydros as he felt the effect of the paralysis leaving his body. “Then, allow me!” said Spike as he began to crush Hydros head with his left claws “What are you, ARGH!!!!” screamed Hydros as Spike used his magic to learn the location of the “bottom of the earth” “The Silver stone quarry,” said Spike as he let go of Hydros head “How did you?” asked Hydros “Some of the magic I obtained from the staff… well, my business with you is over, Fume?” said Spike “Likewise… which I could say it was a pleasure to see you again father, but… this is better,” said Fume as he walked up to his father and spartan kicked him off the ledge, through the wooden cover. “ARGH!!!!!!!” screamed Hydros as his body hit the ground hard, bouncing off a couple of times before coming to rest. “Feel better?” asked Spike “Vindicated, yes,” said Fume “Glad to hear it… later,” said Spike as he started walking away “Wait? Where are you going?” asked Fume “Uhm, I have a royal family to save,” said Spike “And I said, I’d help you, plus, you don’t even know where that quarry is, plus, it’s heavily guarded,” said Fume “Right, Fume, I might not know where it is, but, did you forget why I’m considered the deadliest Mercenary?” said Spike “Of course not, you completely cleared the Marble Fort after it was captured by Tall Tale, killing everyone inside, except for the prisoners, the total death toll was of 68 soldiers,” said Fume “How guarded is this Quarry?” asked Spike “At least 70 guards, plus reinforcements,” said Fume Spike thought about it for a few seconds then looked back at Fume “Then I guess it’s time for you to be known as the “Second” deadliest mercenary in the Dragonlands,” said Spike as he stretched his hand out as Fume gave him a manly handshake. “Let’s go save our friends,” said Fume as he and Spike rushed to the quarry NEAR THE QUARRY “68...69… 75… 103… 110 enemies, plus 20 more in the nearby barracks that we can call “reinforcements,” said Peewee “What does Peewee say?” asked Fume “110 on the premises, 75 above the ground 35 below acting as guards, plus 20 in the nearby barracks,” said Spike “Just as I expected,” said Fume “What is it with all the security?” asked Spike “The bottom of the Earth is “supposedly” a POW jail, meant particularly for powerful or important POWs, so…” said Fume “So, factoring in the level of importance of the people held in it, they have to be able to defend against an entire army,” said Spike “Yeah,” said Fume “So, this is what we’re going to do…” said Spike “Before you tell me, Spike…” Interrupted Fume “I have to be honest with you,” he said “Ok,” said Spike “I am extremely bloodthirsty right now,” said Fume “Really?” said Spike in disbelief “Yeah, so, I have a better idea,” said Fume “Ok, I’m all ears,” said Spike “All act as a decoy gaining the attention of the guards on the surface, giving you enough cover to march in and free everyone while not worrying about the guards calling for backup,” said Fume “That’s suicidal,” said Spike “Didn’t they tell you the same thing when you cleared the Marble Fort alone?” said Fume “Yeah, but that was different,” said Spike “Spike, I am a mercenary, but above all, I am a Dragon, battles like these are what we’re born for,” said Fume “I can’t argue against that logic,” said Spike with a grin “I’ll keep them busy until you come back up to the surface…” said Fume “And then I’ll… we’ll back you up,” said Spike “Sounds like a plan, go, get near the entrance and signal me when ready,” said Fume “May God, guide you through the battle,” said Spike “Likewise,” said Fume as Spike rushed to the wall and climbed it all the way up to the entrance of the cave that served as the entrance to the bottom of the earth. Fume crept all the way near the entrance of the quarry and awaited the signal, preparing his double swords “Here goes nothing,” said Spike as he instructed Peewee to give Fume the green light. Fume saw the signal and walked right into the quarry “YOU THERE, STOP!!!” screamed the captain of the guard Fume did as he was told “DON’T COME ANY CLOSER!!!” said the captain as he and another guard walked up to him “SURRENDER!” said the captain as he stopped one arm stretch away from Fume “Or what?” asked Fume as he lunged at the 2 guards beheading them with his swords “INTRUDER!!!! ATTACK!!!!” screamed a guard as all of the guards on the surface rushed to confront Fume, leaving the entrance completely unguarded “Good job Fume, I’ll be back ASAP!” said Spike as he darted into the jail. The jail was massive, and it ran deep into the earth. Spike quickly made his way to the overwatch near the entrance “WOW! Where the hell are they keeping them,” thought Spike as he heard footsteps coming up the ramp Spike quickly jumped behind cover and saw 2 guards walking up the ramp “Did you hear the alarm?” asked one of them “Yeah, they must be here for the royal family,” said the other “What about the bounty hunter on the torture chamber?” asked the other guard “What about him, he’s a bounty hunter, he’s expendable,” said the guard “Seems I just found my answer!” said Spike as he got out of cover and jumped down at the guards stabbing them through the heart killing them instantly “To the torture chamber!” Spike crept through the network of caves killing any guard that came his way, until he arrived at a crossroad “Where the fuck is the torture chamber?” asked Spike He was about to take the left tunnel when he heard screams of pain and agony coming from the right one “That’s Clump!” said Spike as he ran down the right tunnel. After a few seconds, the torture chamber came into view, and Spike got a first row seat of the horrible atrocity that it was. “Holy shit!” said Spike seeing all of the torture devices in that place, then he heard “I’m losing my patience Asshole, NOW TELL ME WHERE IS IT?!!!” screamed a male voice “Fuck… you!” said Clump as the executor clobbered him in the right side of his head with a maze. “Keep running your mouth you fat shit and see where it gets you, now tell me where it is!” said the executor “Make… me,” said Clump as the executor grabbed a maze with spikes on it. “With pleasure” he said as he lifted the maze over his head ready to bury it into Clump’s head Clump closed his eyes, knowing that his end had come, only to hear a loud thump as the maze hit the floor violently followed by the lifeless body of the executor. He opened his eyes only to see a dagger sticking out of the back of his head “Man you can take a punch,” said Spike as he walked up the corpse and retrieved his dagger “Spike… man am I… glad to see you,” said Clump “I know, allow me,” said Spike as he used his magic to heal Clump “Oh, that feels much better,” said Clump “I believe these are yours,” said Spike as he swords “Thanks, I take it you’re here to free us,” said Clump as he and Spike began to make their way towards the cell that held Draquus and his family. “Yeah, and we better hurry,” said Spike “Follow me,” said Clump as he began to sprint towards the holding cell. CELL WING D (Maximum security ward) “Oh no, I- I can’t hear Clump’s screams anymore,” said Eldi “WHAT!” said Mokthi as she crawled towards the bars securing them inside the cell There was dead silence, the only thing she could hear were the footsteps of the guards outside “Oh no! Clump! NO!!!!” screamed Mokthi as her sister hugged her “You have to be strong Mokthi, it’s what Clump would’ve wanted,” said Draquus as Mokthi started to bawl loudly “Savages, how dare they kill him!” screamed Duzha “I know dear, CLump was a brave and kind soul,” said Draquus “I never… got to tell him… that I DID want a future with him!” cried Mokthi “HE PROPOSED?!!!” everyone asked Mokthi nodded “Just before… they took us,” she wailed Everyone in the cell went quiet with sadness “HEY! QUIT YOUR CRYING, YOU’LL MEET HIM SOON ENOUGH!!” screamed one of the 2 guards that went over to their cell “MAKES US YOU FAT FUCK!” screamed Eldi “OH THAT IS IT! OPEN THE CELL!!!” screamed the guard as the other unlocked it They were about to drew their swords when 2 blades appeared in their chests “You mess with my girl, you mess with me!” said Clump in a murderous way “CLUMP!!!” screamed Mokthi as she ran out the cell and tackled Clump to the ground “I’m here babe, I’m here!” Clump said as he hugged her “Glad to see you alive son,” said Draquus “Yeah, almost didn’t make it,” said Clump “Well, it’s… CLUMP BEHIND YOU!!!” screamed Eldi as a guard lunged at Clump only for a dark-purple cloaked figure to land on top of him and kill him “You alright?” asked Spike as he looked over to the rest of Draquus’ family “Spike, Wow, I’m glad to see you… you’re still as scary as always,” said Draquus “Thanks,” said Spike as a loud BOOM came from above them “What was that?” asked Duzha “That was definitely Fume having too much to handle,” said Spike as he and Clump rushed towards the exit of the jail “Should we go with them?” asked Duzha “Well, I don’t know about you mom, but I am thirsty for some revenge,” said Mokthi as she grabbed a sword and shield “And some babies,” teased Eldi “ELDI!!!!” screamed Mokthi turning red “Arm yourselves, God knows what does three will do,” said Duzha “I’m only thankful the red one was not mentioned,” said Draquus “Who? Garble?” said Eldi “That one, one Spike is enough,” said Draquus “And yet Garble can’t hold a candle to Spike,” said Mokthi as they all ran after Spike and Clump, following the trail of corpses left by the 2 of them. AT THE ENTRANCE “ALMOST THERE!!!... WHAT THE FUCK!!!” exclaimed Spike as they all witnessed the carnage before them. The quarry, ones pure white stones, now red from all of the blood splatters, dead guards littering the floor everywhere you look, and in the middle of it all, a crazed Fume stood there, defeating guard after guard, his body covered in blood, if it was his or the guards, or a mix, unknown to all. “He really held his own!” said Spike “Hey! He’s having all the fucking fun… NOT ON MY WATCH!!!” said Clump as he leapt onto the ground below and began butchering guards left and right. “That’s my hubby-to-be!” said Mokthi as she followed him into battle “Hey Spike… uhm… is-is Fume… you know… single?” asked Eldi “Ask him yourself~!” said Spike as he leapt into action, followed by Eldi “You hear that dear, Eldi finally has a crush on someone!” said Duzha “Our little girls are not so little after all,” said Draquus “Oh, I can’t wait to be a grandma!” said Duzha “You do realize we’re only 38 right?” said Draquus “Yeah, and I am not going to let this bunch of junior have all the fin,” said Duzha as she jumped off the ledge to engage the guards “I’m getting too old for this,” said Draquus as he followed his wife into battle Fume was doing his best to continue fighting and give Spike and the others time to escape, but his exhaustion was evident to the guards “He’s getting tired, everyone attack!” said the other captain “Bring it!” screamed Fume The captain lunged at Fume and managed to body-check him onto the ground “This ends here!” said the captain as he prepared to stab Fume, only for a dagger to go through the captain’s head as he fell to the ground “Thanks for the assist Spike!” said Fume as he got back on his feet “Thanks for buying us time!” said Spike as he pointed to the rest of the newly rescued prisoners (Freed by Draquus and Duzha as they hurried to the exit) join the battle. “Did you really think I’d let you have all the fun?” asked Clump as he ended the lives of another bunch of guards. “Good to see you big guy!” said Fume The three mercenaries then lunged at the reinforcements entering the quarry, killing all of them in a matter of seconds. A FEW MINUTES LATER The quarry had grown silent, a river of blood trickling it’s way down the path that lead to the entrance, as many bodies laid lifeless on the ground. “That was fun,” said Spike “Yeah,” said Clump “How many?” asked Spike “What?” asked Fume as he walked up to them, his body and gear clean of all the blood he had spilled “How many did you kill?” asked Spike “64,” said Fume “That almost my record, well done,” said Spike “Man, I was only able to kill 23 of them,” said Clump “Yeah well, you survived a beating that could’ve easily killed me,” said Spike “You’re right,” said Clump As if on queue, Mokthi tackled Clump to the ground “I thought I lost you back there!” she said as she began to cry “Oh babe, you know me, it takes more than that to kill me,” said Clump “I know… but it was still scary,” she said as Clump hugged her “Everything is ok, I’m here,” said Clump “Yes,” said Mokthi “What?” asked Clump “Yes, I’ll marry you,” said Mokthi “Really?” said Clump “Yes,” she said as the 2 of them kissed “Ugh, get a room,” said Fume “Hey, uhm, Fume…” came a voice Fume turned and saw Eldi standing there “Yeah?” asked Fume “Hi, my name is Eldi, I’m mokthi’s younger sister,” she said “Ok,” said Fume, her advances going right over his head “I was… I was wondering… are you… by any chance…. Single?” she asked “Yeah,” said Fume, still clueless “Then… would you… date me with the intention of marriage?” asked Eldi “Uhm,” said Fume as he clammed up and turned red “Just say yes, and put an end to this conversation,” Spike mumble, having enough of the love fest around him “But… aren’t you… 17?” said Fume “So?” asked Eldi “I’m 20, it’s 3 year difference,” said Fume “And it’s approved by the law… and me,” said Draquus “R-really?” asked Fume “Dude, you’re an adult when you turn 15, plus, I’m amazed you waited this long to get a girlfriend,” said Spike “She’s not my girlfriend yet!” said Fume “So you DO want her?” said Spike “It’s just...” said Fume “But you find her attractive?” said Spike “Well, yeah, she’s… she’s my type,” said Fume turning red “Then Problemo Resuelto, plus, a duke needs a duchess,” said Spike as he turned Fume so that he could face the red-face Eldi “If- if you’re ok with me,” said Fume “Yes!” said Eldi as she hugged Fume “And boom, my congratulations to the happy couple,” said Spike “What about you Spike? Anyone in your life?” asked Duzha “Nah, not interested in it right now,” said Spike “Well, I hope that whoever captures your heart, makes you happy,” said Duzha giving Draquus bedroom eyes as she hugged her husband’s arm making it disappear between her F-Cup boobs “I’m seriously getting too old for this!” thought Draquus. “Thanks,” said Spike as he looked around and smiled at a job well done. MEANWHILE IN THE ELEMENTS BASE INSIDE THE CANTERLOT PALACE “Anything new?” asked a certain Rainbow haired pegasus mercenary, you could tell that she wasn’t that tall, maybe around 5’6”, but she did have a really athletic body with C-cup breasts, her hair was shoulder length, and her eyes a deep Magenta “Nothing… Oh! Yes, a Mercenary has just ascended from Tier 6 to Tier 1,” said a purple furred alicorn, with long, smooth purple hair, and purple eyes, she stood at 5’5” and had DD-cup breasts “How did that happen?” asked the cyan furred pegasus “It says here that he and another unknown mercenary stormed the infamous “Bottom of the earth” jail liberating a bunch of nobles and soldier and slaughtering almost all of the guards, his body count was of 64, almost as high as the “Night Dragon”,” said the alicorn “Cool, a new rival,” said the Pegasus “Rainbow Dash, hate to break it to you, but you’re not that powerful to go against him, being that you’re a tier 6 mercenary,” said an extremely beautiful white furred unicorn, her Goddess-lick beauty, enough to cause the whole world to stop and admire her. She had long, perfectly stylish hair, blue eyes, and a fashionably sbelt figure, with perfect curves, her boobs being F-cups and proudly stood at 5’7” “Being words coming from you Rarity, you can only kill men or women, if you get them alone in a room,” said Rainbow Dash “While keeping my body clean and no trace left,” said Rarity “Which is expected of a tier 3 mercenary/assassin,” said the purple alicorn “Spy, Twilight dear, I prefer the term spy,” said Rarity “Spy,” corrected Twilight “You wonder if he’d like a party?” asked a Pink haired and furred pony as she bounced around the room, causing her E-cup boobs to jiggle around, she had a slender figure, which seemed impossible taking into consideration how big her appetite was, stood at 5’8”, blue eyes, and puffy long hair which jumped around with her. “Pinkie Pie, he doesn’t even know you,” said Rarity “Which makes it even better, we’re in the same tier anyway,” said Pinkie Pie as she jumped our “How, I don’t know,” said Rainbow Dash “Well, Pinkie’ere is far more effective than y’all at completing bounties,” said a beautiful pony, with an amazonic built, it seemed that there was no fat on her perfectly toned body, except for the ‘Supposed” fat being stored in her F-cup boobs, you could tell she was tall, standing at 6’1”, but her height was nothing compared to her beauty, long golden locks, and deep green eyes. “Zip it Applejack, at least I take “difficult bounties”,” said Rainbow Dash “And sometimes you botch them, and I must head there and clean up yer mess,” said Applejack Rainbow Dash was about to answer back to Applejack’s comment when they heard someone knocking at the door. “Come in!” said Twilight “Hi girls, I hope everything is good,” said Fluttershy as she walked in “Shy, you know you don't have to knock, right?” said Rainbow Dash “Sorry,” said Fluttershy “It’s ok Shy,” said Twilight “By the way, where did you get that cool looking armor?” asked Pinkie Pie “Indeed, I’d like to know myself?” said Rarity “Well, I… I got it as a gift from another mercenary who saved me from a bunch of Timberwolves,” said Fluttershy “WHAT?!!!” they all said Fluttershy then proceeded to explain everything that happened. “Well, you can consider yerself lucky,” said Applejack “So, this guy, owns a forge,” said Rainbow Dash “Yeah, he says it’s in the Dragonlands capital,” said Fluttershy “Then why the mercenary job? He must be loaded,” said Rainbow Dash “There is nothing wrong with a little side project,” said Rarity “Well, in your case Rarity, maybe you should consider going to him for some classes in proper gear making,” said Rainbow Dash “First of all, I am not a gear maker, I make fashionable clothes and dresses meant for galas and high end parties,” said Rarity “No wonder, I only see rich people wearing them,” said Rainbow Dash “And Second…” said Rarity “You don’t know how to make proper gear,” Rainbow Dash interrupted “DASH!” screamed Rarity “It’s true!” said Rainbow Dash “Gals, that’s enough,” said Applejack “By the way Fluttershy, what was his name?” asked Twilight “Excuse me?” asked Fluttershy “Well, if he’s a mercenary, he must be registered in the record,” said Twilight “He’s name is Spike,” said Fluttershy “Spike… Spike… Spike… Spike… nothing,” said Twilight “That can’t be,” said Fluttershy “Maybe, he’s new, or gave you a fake name… describe him,” said Twilight “Well, he’s a dragon, he was very tall, maybe 6’6” or taller, you could easily tell he was used to manual labor or he worked out a lot, his body was covered with this tough purple scales, he had this perfect white teeth that looked almost like perfect pearls, and his eyes, his eyes, were this deep, perfect shade of jade,” said Fluttershy as she turned red realizing how she had described him. “Someone’s in love,” teased Pinkie Pie Fluttershy turned even redder as she hid her face behind her hair “Odd, there is no one with that description,” said Twilight “He also said that he graduated from the Dragonlands military academy with honors and that he is a close and childhood friend of Dragon Empress Ember, who gave him the mission he was currently on,” said Fluttershy “Well, there is a mention of a Spike in the archives of the school, but due to safety issues, I am not allowed to see his picture,” said Twilight as she used her magic to look through the Dragonlands academy’s records “What about his attire?” asked Twilight “Oh… I… I don’t remember,” said Fluttershy, earning a sigh from the girls.
BOONAGEV Ch.3 To break a cycle, there must be blood“HOW THE HELL CAN’T YOU REMEMBER, IT’S YOUR BOYFRIEND!!!” screamed Rainbow Dash “He-he’s not my boyfriend,” said Fluttershy “Still, how can’t you remember the attire of your savior,” said Rainbow Dash “Big Words coming from you Dash, you can’t even remember yer own address half of the time,” said Applejack “That’s not... “ said Rainbow Dash “Give it a rest dear, she will remember everything after she rests for a while,” said Rarity “If you say so… by the way, where is Sunset?” asked Rainbow Dash “She’s out on a mission up north somewhere,” said Twilight “Yeah, but, she left almost a week ago, I doubt it’s taking her so long to finish up,” said Rainbow Dash “Well, she is a tier 1 mercenary, maybe she was hired to do some other mission, she’ll be back soon,” said Twilight “If you say so,” said Rainbow Dash BACK WITH SPIKE “So, now what?” asked Draquus “You better get back to Coulee, as for me, I’m heading off to the city of Basalt, I have business there,” said Spike “Good luck then,” said Draquus “Thanks… I hope you don’t lose my invitation,” said Spike as he turned to see Mokthi and Clump “No way in hell,” said Mokthi as they all waved goodbye as Spike disappeared. HOURS LATER, NEAR BASALT “I still can’t believe they are trying to create your weapons,” said Peewee “Yes, well, they are, and we’re going to stop them,” said Spike “Do you even know where in Basalt they’re keeping those crystals?” asked Peewee “Nope, but, that’s why I have you,” said Spike “Of course,” said Peewee “Relax, we’ve jumped head into worst missions,” said Spike “You’re right… wait a minute! Basalt is no longer on the Dragonlands!” said Peewee “And you just realized? It’s Griffonstone’s biggest forts,” said Spike “Shouldn’t we look around for clues regarding the location of the Pyro-crystals?” said Peewee “Huh, I was planning on heading to the fort, killing everyone inside and teleporting those crystals to my Forge,” said Spike “Of course you were… well, it’s faster than my suggestion,” said Peewee “Well, here we are, the city of Basalt, it’ll be better if we don’t raise any suspicions,” said Spike “Right, then, try not to look so menacing,” said Peewee “Very funny,” said Spike as he entered the city. The city of Basalt served as one of Griffonstone’s main trading spots, a part of the capital, Basalt was the second biggest city in the Griffonstone lands. As you can expect from a merchant city, it was crowded and full of life, it was hard to locate an empty store or stall, and there were people from every race making commerce, so losing yourself in the crowd was fairly simple, especially since no one was paying much attention to whom was walking next to them. “This is simple, now I just head to the northern gate and I’ll be 3 minutes away from the fort… once I get to the gate I should better lose myself in the vegetation, wouldn’t want the patrols to spot me and report back to the fort that there is someone lurking around,” thought Spike as he made his way towards the north gate But he made one critical mistake, he thought that he was invisible and that no one had noticed him, however, a hooded figure was watching him closely from the rooftops, following him quietly. AT THE NORTH GATE Spike reached the north gate and decided to act like any normal traveler leaving the city, he even said goodbye to the guards, who waived back with stern faces “Mean assholes,” thought Spike as he continued to walk until he realized he was completely alone “Time for phase 2: get to the fort without being seen,” Spike began to quickly make his way towards the fort, using the overgrown grass and bushes to mask his presence. After a few seconds, Spike made it to a clearing near the fort and asked Peewee to look around “What do you see?” “About 20 guards… 1 commander… and a couple of prisoners, but I have no sight of the Pyro-Crystals,” said Peewee “Any caves? Pyro crystals must be stored in those types of areas if not being used,” said Spike “No… there’s none... WAIT!! There is a small crack on the mountainside of the south wall, there is also a guard walking out of the crack,” said Peewee “Bingo, now we know where they are,” said Spike “Spike! Don’t be alarmed, but there is movement behind you,” said Peewee “Animal?” asked Spike in a hushed voice “No, anthro, and it seems hostile, it is directly behind you, and seems as if it’s ready to pounce,” said Peewee “Did they follow me?… well, let’s dance,” said Spike as he crept over to the tall grass and disappeared from sight. Just then the figure that was following him leaped out of hiding, but when it noticed that Spike had disappeared it frozen “What the hell? He was here a second ago! Where is he?” said the figure Just as it turned to leave and track Spike, Spike appeared behind it and punched the figure right on the face knocking it out. “There we go,” said Spike as he laid the body of the tracker on the ground carefully “Did you kill him?” asked Peewee “Nah, but he’s going to wake up with one killer headache,” said Spike as he began to pat the figure down “What are you doing?” asked Peewee as he noticed Spike patting the figure down “Looking for weapons, or anything that can tell us who this is…” said Spike as he removed a pair of daggers from the figure’s waist “2 Daggers, plus the complexion of the body, he is skinny, even to the point that his waist is almost the size of a woman, doesn’t have much muscle mass in the abdominal region, but his legs are extremely well-toned, probably because he works fast and counts on speed instead of strength,” thought Spike as he continued to pat the figure down Once he was done with the waist and lower body, Spike began to move upwards “I repeat, he has a very slim and curvy built, his waist is almost like an hourglass, oh well, that’s a curiosity, but nothing dangerous…” said Spike as he continued to move his hands upwards, only for him to stop when he felt he was touching something big and squishy. Spike looked down and his eyes almost jumped out of his suckets, there, being grasped firmly by his hands were 2 E-Cup breasts. After a few more seconds, Spike came back to reality and jumped back “He’s a girl!” he said “Lucky pervert,” said Peewee “Now is not the time,” said Spike as he crawled back towards her and removed the hood from off her head, revealing her face “Oh shit,” he said as he picked her up, princess style, and got away from the fort before they were discovered. “Why are you taking her with us?” asked Peewee “I’m not going to leave her there,” said Spike “You just want to do the “fun” thing with her because she’s cute,” said Peewee “That idea never crossed my mind!” said Spike A FEW HOURS LATER “OH… oh, my head, what happened?” asked the girl “I punched you in the face after I discovered you following me,” said Spike as he looked at her “Oh,” said the girls as she noticed that she was resting on a sleeping bag, in a camp “I am really sorry,” said Spike “No, it’s ok, It’s my fault after all,” said the girl “Why were you following me?” asked Spike as he sat down next to her “Well, you looked like one of them,” said the girl “Them?” asked Spike “Mercenaries and you looked powerful, so I thought…” said the girl “That you could ambush me and claim my bounty,” said Spike “NO!... well, yeah,” said the girl “Are you a mercenary?” asked Spike “Yes!” said the girl “What tier are you?” asked Spike “I’m a tier 133,” said the girl “So, you just started,” said Spike “Yeah, it’s my 1st month, what about you?” asked the girl Spike clammed up, but, he felt he owed the girl for the punching and groping incident so he said “I am the mercenary they call “The night Dragon”,” he said as he removed his hood The girl's eyes widened in fear, but they quickly changed to amazement when she saw Spike’s face. “That is so cool,” said the girl “Really?” asked Spike “Yeah, everyone knows who you are, but I am the only one who’s seen your face,” said the girl “Outside my social circle,” said Spike “Right, oh!, by the way, my name is Gabby, Gabby Griffon,” she said as she extended her hand towards Spike “Spike, likewise,” said Spike as he shook her hand “Wow, you have a powerful name,” said Gabby “Thanks… now, why were you really following me?” asked Spike “For you bounty,” Gabby quickly said Spike raised an eyebrow and looked at her “Fine, I was hoping that you could help me,” said Gabby “Doing what?” asked Spike “Many of my friends have been kidnapped and I think they’re going to be sold as slaves, I can’t let that happen,” said Gabby It was at this point when Spike noticed the emblem on Gabby’s breastplate and cloak “YOU’RE A VALKYRIE?!” said Spike “Yes, but that won’t help me out at all,” said Gabby “You’re a scout, that explains why you can move around so quietly… but, why don’t you go to your commanding officer and request help?” asked Spike “I did, but he said there was nothing he could do,” said Gabby “So, you think he is involved in all this,” said Spike “Definitely, he is a very shady person,” said Gabby Spike looked away and started to think, however, his silence made Gabby feel uncomfortable, and in fear that he’d say no, Gabby said “I-I don’t have much money, but, I can pay you with my body,” while turning red Spike looked at her and said “I wasn’t going to ask you for payment,” Gabby looked at him and was surprised “Really?” she asked “Yeah, slavery is illegal in Equestria, and if there is a net of trafficking here, everyone involved must die,” said Spike “Wow, Thanks!” Gabby said as she hugged Spike “Too close!!!” said Spike as he felt Gabby’s boobs press against him “So, where do we start?” asked Gabby “First, we have to know where this trade is happening,” said Spike “Basalt fort,” said Gabby “Well that’s convenient,” said Spike “How many of your friends are there?” asked Spike “4 in total,” said Gabby “Ok, and lastly, when is it happening?” asked Spike “Later today, around sundown,” said Gabby “In an hour,” said Spike Gabby nodded “There must be high security in those events,” said Spike “More than likely,” said Gabby “Then, we might need to trick our way in,” said Spike “How?” asked Gabby “Well, we can either act as if you’re my wife… no, they’ll ask for a certificate…what about… you being my slave?” said Spike Gabby turned red but thought about it, and it was definitely a solid idea, it wouldn’t raise suspicions. “As you wish… master,” Gabby said turning even redder “Ok, I doubt the clothing issue would bring much attention… but we should better hide the valkyrie insignia,” said Spike Gabby immediately took the hood off, revealing her body to Spike, luckily she was still wearing clothes underneath. Spike then handed her a brown cloak that was more inconspicuous “Are you ready for it?” asked Spike “I am... master,” said Gabby With that, Spike and Gabby made their way towards the Basalt Fort. LATER AT THE BASALT FORT Spike and Gabby walked up to the main gate wearing their disguises “Halt! What do you want?” asked the fort commander “What do you think meathead?” asked Spike “Are you trying to be smart with me?” asked the commander “No, it’ll be a waste of time, seeing as to the fact that you wouldn’t understand,” said Spike At the mention of this, the commander pulled his sword and aimed at Spike “Say your prayers!” he said as he lunged at Spike But Spike stopped the blade with 2 fingers and smashed it “What the!” said the commander as Spike grabbed him by the neck and began to apply pressure “What is the meaning of this?” came a male voice “Are you the person in charge?” asked Spike “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” lied the man “Then this doesn’t concern you,” said Spike as he applied even more pressure “Well, if you kill him, it’ll be a homicide of a royal guard, murder of a commander, and assault at a fort, charges that are paid with death,” said the man “Except he attacked first, therefore making my actions justifiable,” said Spike as he turned to face the man The man went silent not knowing how to answer “I came all this way, cause I heard about the fine specimens you have here, only to be greeted like this at the door, is this how you treat paying customers?” asked Spike It was at this point that the other 2 guards and the man noticed Gabby in her slave disguise “Oh dear!, I am terribly sorry for my associate’s behavior, please come in,” said the man Spike then lets go of the commander’s neck, as his skin was turning purple and his consciousness was escaping. “I don’t take well to people attacking me, next time, I will kill him,” said Spike “Yes, we’ll-we’ll see to it that he is reprimanded, oh, where are my manners, my name is Gaudon, and I am the person in charge of this gathering,” said the man as he shook Spike’s hand “Nice to make your acquaintance, now, I hope you’re reputation lives up to my standards, as you can see, I don’t accept nothing but perfection as you can see from my head slave,” said Spike motioning to Gabby, who’s face was red, but was doing her best to hide it. “Indeed, she is a fine one, she must be able to keep up with your prowess if she’s your head slave,” said Gaudon Gabby turned even redder “Are you interested in selling her? She’ll catch a pretty penny,” said Gaudon “Keep talking, and you’ll end up worse than your guard,” said Spike “Right, right, my apologize, to the both of you, well, feel free to look around and I hope you feel satisfied with today’s selection,” said Gaudon as he began to walk away “Before you leave, if I want to buy all of them, how much would it be?” asked Spike “Well, normally we don’t allow it, but seeing as to you being an important customer and the little incident at the entrance… $3 million and they are all yours,” said Gaudon “Thank you,” said Spike as Gaudon left Spike then turned to face Gabby who was still flustered “Sorry, I know it’s really uncomfortable,” said Spike “It’s ok master, it’s all part of the plan,” Gabby said “Do you know that asshole?” asked Spike “It’s the minister of economy of Griffonstone,” said Gabby “Do you think the leader of Griffonstone knows about this?” said Spike “For his sake, I hope not,” said Gabby as they walked over to the stage as the event commenced. “WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO YET ANOTHER TRADE, TODAY WE HAVE A SELECTION OF MANY YOUNG AND EAGER MEN AND WOMEN, WHO CAN’T WAIT TO SERVE YOU!” said Gaudon as a group of 5 female slaves walked onto the stage “There, those 4, those are my friends,” whispered Gabby “Ok, I’ll get ready to make a bid,” said Spike as he laid eyes on the last slave Spike could easily tell there was something different with her, first and foremost, she was gorgeous, she had long red and orange hair with yellow details, she had cyan eyes, she had a well-toned body, with E-Cup breasts and stood at 5’9” She didn’t fit the look of a slave, she even seemed rather annoyed and confused on why she was there. It was at this point that Spike noticed something on her right arm, but due to the angle at which they were standing, he couldn’t make it out. Spike felt someone staring at him and looked up to meet the gaze of this slave, they looked at each other for a few seconds, before Spike moved his eyes to tell her to show him her arm. She immediately turned and allowed Spike to look at the emblem on her arm “I knew it, that’s the same emblem Fluttershy had on her gear, she has to be a canterlot mercenary, I have to free her!” said Spike “... $850… $950 right over there, anyone willing to give more?” came Gaudon’s voice “I’ll buy them!” said Spike as he lifted his arm “1,050! Anyone else?” asked Gaudon “No, I’ll buy all of them,” said Spike All of the people present began to whisper amongst themselves “3 million was the deal, here you go!” said Spike as he tossed a pouch fool of golden coins to the feet of Gaudon “Deal! Sorry folks, that’ll be it for today,” said Gaudon as everyone left murmuring in annoyance “We’ll deliver them to your state sir!” he finished as he turned to face Spike “I’ll be waiting for them at the entrance of the fort, you have 10 minutes before I come back inside and gut you for wasting my time,” said Spike as he walked past Gaudon “RIGHT AWAY! GUARDS!!! GET EVERY READY NOW!!!!” Gaudon Screamed 10 MINUTES LATER There were a total of 148 slaves present at the fort, most of the women between the ages of 14 to 30, possibly destined to be sex slaves or prostitutes, the rest were men, around the same ages, but Spike could tell that almost all of the males over the legal age had toned bodies, which indicated they were POW’s. “It was an honor doing business with you, I hope you come again,” said Gaudon as he handed Spike a stack of ownership papers. “Right, get a move on everyone, my time is gold, and we have a long way to go!” ordered Spike as he began to walk away from the fort with the small army of slaves behind him “Who was that?” asked the commander of the fort “That, you imbecile was Lord Cheyenne, one of the wealthiest men in the world, and a former Military general,” said Gaudon as he remembered the information from the documents Spike gave him. They didn’t know that Spike had killed Lord Cheyenne 2 years ago, and disposed of his body so no one would ever find him. A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER Spike and the army of slaves were nearing the border of the Griffon Kingdom, as Spike had decided to avoid going to the town of Basalt so as to not stand out. When he deemed they were far enough and alone, he turned to the slaves and said “Ok, you’re free,” he said as he burned the ownership papers and removed his mask “A-are you sure?” asked one of them as they saw Gabby changing attire “Positive, go and head back to your lands, here are some clothes, weapons, and provisions for the trips,” said Spike as he teleported the items before them All of the slaves quickly gathered some provisions, said their goodbyes and thanks, and left, minus 5 of them. “Gabby! Thank you so much!” said one of the valkyries as they hugged Gabby “Don’t thank me, thank Spike, he was the one that pulled everything off,” said Gabby as she broke away from the group hug. “It was nothing,” said Spike “Thank you anyway,” said another one “You should report back to base, but it should be better to head to a different higher up,” said Spike “Find Gilda, tell her about this, she’ll do something about it,” said Gabby “Right, Spike, again, thank you so much,” they said as they flew away “Can you trust this Gilda?” asked Spike “She’s the leader of the valkyries, as well as one of the wives of Prince Gilbert, the next in line for the throne,” said Gabby “If you say so,” said Spike as they both turned to face the mercenary who was angrily punching a nearby boulder After a few more punches the boulder cracked “I think the boulder is dead now,” said Spike “Wha?” asked the mercenary as she turned to face Spike “Oh, sorry, It’s just…” she said “You’re angry at the fact you were turned into a slave,” said Spike “Yeah, I can’t believe I fell in the trap,” she said “What are you talking about… what was your name again?” asked Spike “Oh, Uhm, my name is Sunset Shimmer, I am a tier 1 mercenary from Canterlot and a member of the Elements of Harmony,” she said “Just like Fluttershy,” said Spike “You know Fluttershy?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Cute, about ye tall, long pinkish hair, animal lover despite being a hunter, massive bo…” Spike stopped when he realized what he was about to say “Hey, I don’t blame you for noticing that, it’s kind of hard not to,” said Sunset Shimmer “Well, my name is Spike, and I’m a mercenary and blacksmith from the Dragonlands, I also hold the title of DragonLord,” said Spike as he shook her hand “And you?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Oh, Gabby Griffon, I am a former Valkyrie and I’m currently Spike’s apprentice, I am a tier 123 mercenary,” said Gabby “SINCE WHEN?!!!” said Spike “Since you punched me in the face and made me act as your slave,” said Gabby “Right,” said Spike “You must be new,” said Sunset “So, going back to your slave incident?” asked Spike “Right, it happened a few days ago…” Sunset Began 3 DAYS AGO AT THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY HEADQUARTERS “Nope… nope… maybe~ no… I can’t believe there aren’t any good bounties out there,” said Rainbow Dash “Well, there are plenty, your problem is that you only like certain bounties,” said Sunset Shimmer “And what’s your excuse, Ms. 1st tier?” said Rainbow Dash “Just came back from a 2-month mission and thought I needed a break,” said Sunset Shimmer “That’s the prime excuse of a lazy ass,” said Rainbow Dash “Dash, I understand where you’re going with this, but let’s be serious, your snarks are just as juvenile as your body,” said Sunset Shimmer as she stood up and copied one of Rarity’s sensual poses. Rainbow Dash’s face went red with anger “Not bad posing, Darling, maybe you’d like to model for me sometime,” said Rarity “My body is NOT juvenile, I just have more muscle than you,” said Rainbow Dash as she cupped her C-cup breasts. “Huh, maybe you’re right, oh wait… SIKE!!!” said Sunset Shimmer as she flexed her muscles and tore her gear, almost exposing her body to the world. “Another point for Sunset Shimmer!” screamed Pinkie Pie as she held up a scoreboard “Face it Dash, everything you can do, I can do better,” smirked Sunset Shimmer Rainbow Dash was livid, she wanted to punch all of Sunset’s teeth out, but before she could go through with her plan, Twilight spoke up “Girls now is not the time to be fighting, especially between each other,” she said her eyes still glued to her book. “Relax Twilight, we aren’t going to fight, it’s just a friendly competition, plus, how else are you going to get Dash’s motor running,” said Sunset as she sat back down “That sounded wrong and… sexual,” said Fluttershy “Yeah, well, it wasn’t,” said Sunset as the door to the room swang open “Howdy gals, what did ah miss?” came Applejack’s voice as she entered the room “Nothing much, Dash here being picky about the bounties, as usual, and then being schooled by Sunset Shimmer,” said Pinkie Pie “Shut it Pinkie!” said Rainbow Dash but it was too late “Man, Ah can’t believe ah missed another episode, oh well, I had a taste of it down in Seaquestria, once again Dash, mind yer speed and sources,” said Applejack as she plopped down on her seat. At that second, an owl entered the room through the window and landed next to Twilight “Owlowiscious, you bring me news?” asked Twilight as the owl extended his right claw towards her. “2 letters, maybe bounties!” said Rainbow Dash as she darted for the letters “Hold yer horses, Dash,” said Applejack as she held her back Twilight began to read the letters “What do they say Twi?” asked Sunset Shimmer “They’re 2 new royal bounties,” said Twilight “YES!!!!!!” screamed Rainbow Dash as she jumped into the air “Dibs on any of them,” “Sorry Dash, but, these are tier 5 and higher bounties,” said Twilight Dash’s jaw hung open as the information reached her ears “What are they about?” asked Rarity “Well, the first one is from the Dragonlands, Dragon Empress Ember has noticed an increase of Timberwolf attacks in the area, and since almost all of the Dragon Mercenaries are busy she’s requesting our help… the other one is from the Griffon kingdom, it’s from Minister Gaudon, it says that there has been an increase of missing people, over the last couple of weeks, and he fears that it may be war-related, so, who wants to go?” said Twilight “Sorry Darling, but hunting and tracking aren’t my things, plus, I have a deadline to meet so pass,” said Rarity as she continued to fix her nails “I already have a bounty Twilight, I’m about to head out,” said Pinkie Pie “Just came back, you know the rules, Sugacube, must rest 24 hours beforehand,” said Applejack “That only leaves Sunset and Fluttershy,” said Twilight “What about you?” asked Rainbow Dash “I’ve completed 8 bounties in the last 7 days, I already reach my max bounties allowed,” said Twilight “I know Jack-shit about hunting, Shy that one’s all yours, I’ll take the missing person case,” said Sunset “Great, now before you leave… make sure to fix your gear, any more and you’ll be considered a nudist,” said Twilight as Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy exited the room 1 DAY LATER NEAR THE CAPITAL OF THE GRIFFON KINGDOM “Here we are, the capital of the Griffon Kingdom, Griffonia, the letter says that I must meet with this Gaudon fellow at the city hall for more instructions… hey, excuse me, where is the city hall?” asked Sunset to a passing guard “Right in front of you,” said the guard as he walked away “Rude asshole,” said Sunset as she turned and headed to the building the guard mentioned. Once she entered she was met with yet more indifference from everyone but decided to ignore it and walk up to one of the receptionists. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Gaudon,” said Sunset “Good for you,” said the receptionist ignoring Sunset “I have come to answer a bounty,” Sunset said losing her temper “Hooray!” mocked the receptionist still ignoring Sunset Sunset had just about enough of their attitudes and decided to make them react. She then proceeded to slam her fist on the counter so hard that it obliterated it and even cracked the floor. At this point, all of the receptionists had their full attention on Sunset “Listen, ma’am, either you tell Gaudon to come out or feathers start flying,” she said, her eyes red with rage The once mean receptionist shook her head in agreement and said “R-right away miss, I’ll tell him you’re here!” as she disappeared into the city hall Sunset turned to look at the other receptionist and noticed they were staring at her “What are you looking at? GET BACK TO WORK!!!” she screamed Immediately all of the receptionists began working diligently and started being polite to the other visitors “This is what happens when you place too many sexually frustrated people in one building,” Sunset Shimmer said as a fat, short, almost bald man, with a mustache walked out of the office “Hello, I’m Gaudon, Griffonstone’s minister of finance, at your service, and you are?” he asked as he bowed “Name’s Sunset Shimmer, I’ve come from Canterlot in response to your missing person situation,” said Sunset “Oh yes, thank you so much for answering our call, unfortunately, I am still not up to date with the situation, but, go talk to General Gowan up at the Lime fort, he knows more than I do and will point you to your next objective,” said Gaudon “Right, I’ll head over,” said Sunset Shimmer as she left “I was expecting a beauty that rivaled the goddess, she’s not bad, but too much muscle… then again, she’s a fine specimen… I’ll tell everyone that the plan is in motion,” thought Gaudon as he walked into his office with a goofy smile. A FEW MINUTES LATER AT THE LIME FORT “Halt! State your business here!” said the guard “I’m here to talk to General Gowan, Minister Gaudon sent me regarding the missing people,” said Sunset Shimmer “Sure, come on in, he’d be at the top of the stairs to your left, they lead to his office,” said the valkyrie above her Sunset followed the instruction she was given and arrived at the door of the office; she then proceeds to knock politely “Come in!” came Gowan’s voice Sunset Shimmer entered, and for the first time in a long while, she was terrified of something. Before her was a man in his late 20s, tall as hell, maybe 6’8” maybe taller, and full of muscle, plus his face was rugged and had a stern look on his eyes. “Can I help you?” he asked in a deep bass voice “General Gowan?” asked Sunset Shimmer “No, I’m his twin brother,” said Gowan sarcastically “What do you want?” he asked “I’m here regarding the missing persons,” said Sunset Gowan finally place the papers down on the desk and glared at Sunset Shimmer, before getting up and walking slowly towards her Sunset Shimmer turned pale and began to shake in fear “What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t fear anything or anyone!” thought Sunset Shimmer When she finally came back to her senses, Gowan was standing before her. Suddenly Gowan placed a hand on her shoulder, which made Sunset Shimmer look at him “THANK YOU SO MUCH!!” he exclaimed “Oh, Uhm, right,” said Sunset Shimmer playing it cool “It’s been 4 days since the first one went missing, and every day we get new reports of more people disappearing, heck, I lost 4 valkyries yesterday, they were out scouting and they never came back,” said Gowan as he sat back down and motioned for Sunset to take a seat “Seems even more serious than I thought, how many have gone missing so far?,” asked Sunset Shimmer “We have officially identified 76 missing people, but there might be many more; the vast majority are women,” said Gowan “Anything they had in common?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Well… so far we’ve discovered 2 main leads… 1) both male and female missing persons are all between the ages of 15 and 30… and 2) they all went missing in near the same area… here,” said Gowan as he placed a map on the desk and pointed to the area for Sunset Shimmer “What is there?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Nothing, that’s the scary part, it’s just a road that leads into the mountain trails… Now, we have some hypotheses, a part of the captured theory. Many people think they got lost in the fog and fell to their deaths, but it seems highly unlikely, especially if you take into consideration that it’s too much of a coincidence… another theory, and quite frankly, the one that makes more sense, they were attacked by wildlife, large numbers Timberwolves, and Garavnaxs (Lynx like felines) have been seen roaming the area… yet, I have another theory…” said Gowan “Which is?” asked Sunset “Marauders, thieves, and the fucking cult of the golden feathers, those three have been a thorn in my side for the last 3 months,” said Gowan “A cult?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Yeah, not the first time I’ve suspected them… yet, to be honest, I doubt it’s them,” said Gowan “Why?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Things with the cult got a little out of hand, a few months back, and we called the Dragonlands for help, they sent 2 mercenaries to butcher them all, they were a woman and a man, the woman was fairly pretty and actually cared about the mission at hand, the other one was a red-scaled charlatan who cared more about his ranking than anything… what was his name, Grabble, Garfield, Gar… well doesn’t matter, they did their job and killed all of the cultists that we knew of, but still, maybe it’s a splinter cell,” said Gowan “Well, whatever it is, I’ll get to the bottom of it,” said Sunset Shimmer as she stood up “I do have to implore you that you work fast, one of the valkyries that disappeared yesterday… is my daughter,” said Gowan “I’ll be on my way,” said Sunset Shimmer as she exited the office and started sprinting towards the area that was shown to her on the map. HALF AN HOUR LATER Sunset Shimmer finally reached the area and began to look around “Gowan wasn’t lying when he said this area is in the middle of nowhere… the only thing that doesn’t make sense is… why would so many people come all the way here?... Well, on the other side of this mountain is the road that leads to Manehattan. Maybe they were heading there… then again, why not take the main road? it’s safer and faster,” thought Sunset Shimmer Sunset began to look around the fields to both sides of the trail but found next to nothing “Damit, it’s moments like this that make me wish I was half as good as Dash when scouting and tracking,” Sunset said, mentally kicking herself for always relying on her strength and brains to solve problems. Suddenly, Sunset Shimmer heard a bunch of footsteps coming towards her on the trail. She quickly ducked behind a tree and saw a garrison of 8 guards patrolling the area. “Anything?!” asked the leader “Nothing sir, but we’ll keep looking,” said one of the guards At this point, Sunset Shimmer walked out from her hiding spot and walked over to the guards “HALT!... oh, it’s you Ms. Shimmer,” said the leader “Yeah, ou boys find anything?” asked Sunset “No ma’am, we’re about to head up the trail and search the road, would you like to accompany us?” said the leader “Nah, I’ll let you, boys, to it, I’ll stay here and search the area,” said Sunset “Right, well, if you find something, let us know,” said the leader as the garrison walked away “Huh, seems like not all of the soldiers here at Griffonstone are dicks,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she continued to search. After a few more minutes of searching the fields and wooded areas, Sunset Shimmer had nothing “Odd, there is nothing here that shows kidnappings or people spontaneously disappearing… What about the hill and mountains?” she thought as she went over to the hill covered with high grass, it was almost like a rye Sunset looked around and realized something “This is the perfect location for an ambush… wait, what’s this?” she said as she noticed something on the ground It was an earring, a very expensive one “Someone was definitely here,” Sunset thought as she noticed some marks on the ground “There was a scuffle, whoever was the victim, it put up a fight,” she said as she continued to walk in the same direction “Someone was dragged here, only for a couple of feet, but does are drag marks alright,” she said as she followed them towards the mountainside Sunset looked around the mountainside for a couple of minutes but found nothing to continue the trail “Now what? It’s like they disappeared into thin air… unless!” thought Sunset as she noticed a ledge above her. Sunset proceeded to climb the mountainside as fast as possible, and it was there she discovered a well-hidden cave. “Eureka!’ she exclaimed as she entered it The cave was dimly lit and seemed really creepy “Seriously, who would come into this cave, I can barely see 5 steps in front of me… what the!” said Sunset Shimmer as she saw a strong light coming from the deepest part of the cave. Sunset knew she shouldn’t walk towards it, but she also knew she had a job to do and this was a massive lead, so, against her better judgment, she walked towards the light. After a few seconds, Sunset made it to the room where the light was coming from, and her jaw dropped. The room was filled with treasure chests, some even had coins popping out of them, then at the center of the room was a desk and a chair. Sunset went over and noticed many documents and records spread on the table “This will make perfect evidence… Why does my head feel light?... urgh,” said Sunset Shimmer as she fell to the floor “Played right into the trap, just like those 4 valkyries… you’ll catch a pretty penny indeed,” came a male voice that Sunset Shimmer knew too well. BACK TO THE PRESENT “When I woke up, I was in this massive cage with all of the missing people, each day for the last 2 days, more were thrown in, I made sure they were alive and did my best to help their wounds if they had any… then, today, you come along and save us all,” said Sunset “Yes well, thank her, she was the one that told me about it,” said Spike “Who would’ve known that Gaudon would do such a thing,” said Gabby “Argh! I’m heading back there and killing him, right this instant!” said Sunset Shimmer “That’ll be a bad idea,” said Spike “Why?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Taking what I’ve learned, I can tell you haven’t eaten a proper meal in the last couple of days, which means you’re walking on “fumes”… literally, second… a mercenary is not a mercenary without their equipment,” Spike said looking at a nearly naked Sunset Shimmer At the mention of this, Sunset Shimmer looked down and noticed that the only thing stopping her body from being exposed to the world were the rags and underwear she was wearing, this realization made her flinch and curl up into a fetal position “Relax, there’s nothing to be ashamed of, you’re highly attractive as it is,” said Spike This comment made Sunset Shimmer blush, but she quickly answered “It’s not a thing about me being ashamed of my body, it’s just, I’m practically naked,” said Sunset Shimmer “Why the hell I’m I suddenly acting all proper around him!” she thought as she turned redder. “Yeah Spike, don’t you think that was rude?!” said Gabby in a very annoyed tone “To be honest, women are not my strong point, I’ve seen female mercenaries wearing armor that barely cover their assets,” said Spike “Yeah, well those women want men and/or women to see them,” said Gabby “If you say so… anyway, we better get your gear back, right now, you’re not in much shape to be of help,” said Spike “That’s not true, I have the power of 10 men,” Sunset Shimmer said as her belly growled, causing her to turn even redder. “And the hunger of 20… come, let’s go buy something to eat,” said Spike as he, Gabby, and Sunset Shimmer headed to the town of Flyhigh, where no one would recognize them for a decent meal. 1 HOUR LATER “Make that 50 men,” said Spike as both he and Gabby saw Sunset Shimmer gulp down another bowl of stew “Even I’m impressed,” said Gabby “Thank you so much… for inviting me,” said Sunset Shimmer as she continued to eat “No worries… be right back,” said Spike finishing his food and getting up from the table “Hey, Uhm, Sunset, hate to break it to ya, but, I think you grossed Spike out,” said Gabby “Huh, what do you mean?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she placed the empty bowl at the top of her pile “Well, Spike ate 2 bowls of food, I ate 1, but you ate 4...8...12… 26 bowls,” said Gabby “So?” asked Sunset Shimmer “It’s rather intimidating... aren’t you afraid that Spike might think of you as a gross woman?” asked Gabby “Of course not…” said Sunset Shimmer confidently, but then her skin turned pale, and her confident smile shifted into a serious expression, and then into a concerned expression as she placed her hands on the sides of her head as her stomach filled with butterflies “But what IF she’s right? What if Spike thinks I’m gross?... we’ll he see me differently? AND WHY THE HELL DO I CARE?! I just met the guy, it’s not like I like him or find him incredibly attractive or nice… Plus, I’m pretty sure that after this mission is over we’ll never see each other again… AND WHY DOES THAT TERRIFY ME SO MUCH?!!!... Then again, I don’t even know what type of a man Spike is, although I am curious,” Sunset Shimmer thought, not realizing Spike had returned from, wherever he had gone and was now getting ready to depart. “Ready to go?” asked Spike as he finished preparing his gear The Sudden Appearance of his voice caused Sunset to jump out of her seat and say “SPIKE!!” “Yeah?” he answered “What… Do you think… of girls… with appetites?” she asked with a red face Both Spike and Gabby stared at Sunset in confusion for a few seconds “Nothing in particular,” he said “Do you find them gross?” asked Sunset “Not really, but I don’t find them that attractive either, I mean, it’s awesome that they can eat so much and not get fat, but at the same time, it’s somewhat intimidating,” Spike said as he paid the bill Sunset Shimmer and Gabby just looked at each other “Told you so,” said Gabby as she walked away following Spike “Well, he still said it was awesome, but now it’s time to show him what a tier 1 mercenary can do… WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!!” thought Sunset Shimmer as she followed Spike and Gabby out of the restaurant. A FEW MINUTES LATER “So this is the cave where everything went down?” asked Spike “Yeah, it was in there where I was abducted,” said Sunset Shimmer “Right, you 2 stay here and I’ll go in and see what I find,” said Spike “Are you sure?” asked Sunset Shimmer “Hey, I’ve been in worst caves than this one, at this point, there is nothing that can surprise me,” said Spike “What about the sleeping agent?” asked Gabby “It has to be really strong to knock me out… if I’m not back in 10 minutes, then…” said Spike “We go in and find you!” interrupted Sunset “I was going to say go find help,” said Spike “Right,” they both said as they watched Spike enter the cave The cave was just as Sunset Shimmer had described it before, dimly lit, creepy, and rather soggy. But Spike ignored this and pushed through towards the chamber at the very back of the cave. “There it is… huh, I can smell the incense from here… but what is that smell?... it’s like a mixture of Drulan Fruit and Kenshety roots, no wonder it makes whoever comes in here dizzy, but where is it coming from?” thought Spike as he reached the chamber and noticed that there were many lamps in it “Cheeky bastards,” he thought as he walked over to the lamps and turned them off, then letting the content of said lamps fall to the floor and turning into ash. “Ok, that’s that, now, let’s see what else I find,” said Spike as he used his thermal vision to look around the now obscure chamber After a few minutes of looking, Spike only found chest, after chest, filled with gold and jewels, which made Spike feel uneasy and concerned “Why the hell are there so many riches in this cave? Shouldn’t they be in the treasury?” Spike thought, but then he decided to walk over to the desk and see what he could find on it, and what he did make his eyes widen in surprise “That fat fucking bastard,” he said as he heard footsteps coming towards him in the opposite direction from where he had entered. He quickly grabbed all of the documents he could reach and ducked behind some stalagmites. “What happened to the lights?” came a male voice “No clue, but it’s better that way, it won’t affect us,” said another voice, both, Spike recognized very well “Well, if it isn’t captain dumbass and his associate,” said Spike as he saw the 2 guards from the gate of the Basalt Fort walking into the chamber “Right, anyway, just get those damn documents, and let’s… THERE NOT HERE!!” said the captain “WHAT?!!!” said the guard “Yeah, they’re gone,” said the captain “Damn, Gaudon is going to kill us,” said the captain “Well, at least these ones are here,” said the guard as he got a few papers and a book out of the drawer of the desk. “Well, maybe we’re not that dead… here, help me lift this chest, we’ll take it into the fort and place it with the rest… but be careful this are the gears from those hot valkyrie girls and the mercenary, one scratch and they’re worthless,” said the captain as he and the guard turned towards the chest all the way at the back of the chamber. “I need to stop them before they leave… plus, these fools are on my kill list…” thought Spike as he came out of hiding and lit his fire daggers This caught the attention of the 2 men “Looking for these?” said Spike holding the papers with his right hand “Well, come and get them!” he said as the 2 guards lunged at him. But Spike was way faster than them, he ducked as the guard flew over him, giving Spike enough time to stab him in the chest, right in his heart, and recover to stab the captain right through the neck. Spike then peered into the eyes of the captain and said “I told you, I don’t take well to people attacking me,” The eyes of the captain widen in fear, as in one swift move, Spike beheaded him, “That feels much better… now, about those records…” said Spike as he grabbed them from the lifeless body of the guard and gave them a quick read, but he found out, was worse than he thought. “I need to hurry and give Sunset her gear back,” said Spike as he walked over to the chest and lifted it effortlessly He was about to leave when he remembered the other entrance “I must seal it so that the evidence remains,” he said as he placed the chest down, went over to the other side of the chamber, and kicked the wall, causing it to crack and cave in, covering the tunnel that led into it. “There, now I just have to get out and do the same with the other entrance,” he said as he walked over to the chest, lifted it, and walked towards the entrance. OUTSIDE THE CAVE “Can you hear anything?” asked Gabby “No, the last thing I heard was the screams and then the loud BOOM of something big crashing against the ground,” said Sunset “Do you think Spike’s ok?” asked Gabby “I sure hope so,” Sunset answered as she felt a tightness in her chest Then in the distance, they heard footsteps coming towards them, they sounded heavy and menacing, so they instinctively got into a fighting stance and waited for the owner of the steps to emerge from the cave. With every second, the footsteps got louder and louder, and heavier and heavier, and this was making the girls shiver in fear. They were about to pounce when they saw the side of a chest creeping out of the entrance, followed by Spike. “Well, that was educational… What are you 2 doing?” he said as he turned to face them shaking like maracas. “N-n-nothing, it’s just… a little cold,” said Sunset Shimmer “If you say so, by the way, I found your gear,” Spike said as he plopped the chest down so hard, it caused it to open by itself “Yeah, this is my gear… but the rest isn’t,” said Sunset “Those are Valkyrie uniforms 1… 2… 3… 4, they must be from the girls,” said Gabby As if on queue, the 4 rescued valkyries landed next to them “Gabby, thank God we found you,” said one of them “Gertrude, what’s wrong?” asked Gabby “We went over to tell Gilda, but it turns out she isn’t here, she’s not coming back until tomorrow morning,” said Gertrude “So, we’ll just have to wait,” said Gabby “Yeah, but as we were leaving, Grace reminded us that we were walking around almost naked,” said Gertrude “Well, that’s why you should’ve taken a cloak from my mast, I MEAN, Spike, seriously,” said Gabby “That’s one problem, the other one was that we almost ran into Gaudon, and he looks pissed as hell,” said Grya “Why?” asked Gabby “Well, I think there is a spy or someone told him about the slave freeing thing,” said Grace “Why should he care, the point of all this was making money,” said Gabby “Probably, but, maybe there is more to it, he also seemed scared, probably because of the fact that someone discovered the slave trading and now knows his name,” said Genny “So what? Many people know his name,” said Gabby “Yeah, but it seems this person is highly… dangerous, and now wants him, and whoever associated with him, dead,” said Genny “Someone, dangerous?” asked Gabby “You think he was talking about you?” asked Grace “Well, I am dangerous and I want him dead, but he didn’t seem so scared by me,” said Sunset Shimmer “Then it must be someone else… but who?” asked Gertrude, as all of the girls looked at each other Then a loud BOOM was heard behind them. They all turned and saw that the entrance of the cave had caved in, and next to it, Spike was standing with a proud smile, dusting his hands. “There, sealed off, and with the minor modifications I did, the riches are all there,” He said as he turned and noticed all of the girls looking at him “What?” he asked confused, that’s when he noticed that they had their gears in their hands “Oh! Don’t worry, I’ll look the other way while you change,” said Spike as he jumped off the ledge and landed on the field below. “Definitely,” said Gertrude “Agreed,” said Grace “Of course,” said Genny “He must be the one scaring Gaudon,” said Grya “Spike? Are you serious?” asked Gabby “Well, he does check all of the boxes,” said Gertrude “He’s powerful,” said Grya “By the looks of it dangerous,” said Grace “And he knows Gaudon’s name and operation,” said Genny “And he is so hot,” mumbled Sunset Shimmer, but upon realizing she had said it loud enough for everyone to hear, she turned red, finished putting her gear on, and jumped off the ledge faster than Rainbow Dash ever could. “That was awkward,” said Genny “More like hilarious,” said Gyra “But she does have a point, Spike is rather handsome,” said Gertrude “Gonna have to agree with you, did you see the size of his biceps?” said Grace, earning a nod from the other girls ‘Girls, focus!” said Gabby, a tad irked regarding their comments “Relax girl, we’re not going to seduce him,” said Gyra ‘Speak for yourself,” said Grace “Girls, stop, we’re causing bubbles to come out from the corners of Gabby’s mouth,” joked Genny “Hahaha! You’ve always been the jealous one, eh Gabby,” said Grace “I am NOT jealous!” Gabby fumed “Yeah, and I’m pregnant,” mocked Gyra “Girls, leave it, we must stop this from happening again, and more importantly…” said Gertrude “Find out who is involved and why,” said Spike as he and Sunset Shimmer reappear into the picture. “What do you mean, why?” asked Gyra “Well, no one voluntarily joins a trafficking ring, especially when the queen herself has deemed it illegal, they must be after something, we just have to discover what that something is,” said Spike “Looks and brains, come on!!!” all of the girls said “Any leads?” asked Gertrude “I’ve got all of these records and certificates, I read through them, and realized that it’s just the same nobles over and over again,” said Spike “How many?” asked Gyra “15 in total, 10 from the Griffon Kingdom, and 5 from nearby cities,” said Spike “Then let’s get started!” said Grace “It’s not so easy, remember that these people are rich and powerful, almost untouchable,” said Spike “Plus, we can’t go after any of them neither publicly or quietly,” said Sunset Shimmer “Why? Aren't both of you high ranking mercenaries?” asked Gabby “There is no contract for their heads, plus, if one of them dies, the others might realize that we’re onto them and destroy the evidence or kill the slaves they possess… which aren’t many,” said Spike “What do you mean?” asked Genny “Well, you gals were part of what is called “the third group” the first 2 only had 20 and 25 slaves in total,” said Spike “So if we divide 45 into 15, it means that they have about 3 each,” said Grace “That way they wouldn’t raise suspicions,” said Gertrude “So then, why was our group so loaded?” asked Gyra “Because most of those people were pointed at by the leader of the operation, others, like you, were chosen at random, luring them here with fake job offers or easy bounties,” said Spike showing them the evidence. “And all of them are signed by either Gaudon or… Lt. Garrison?!!!!” said the valkyries “You know the fool?” asked Spike “He’s the commanding officer I mentioned,” said Gabby in shock “Hypotheses confirmed,” said Spike “What?” asked Gabby “Ever since you told me your commanding officer could do “Nothing” to find the missing members of your party, I knew something was wrong, and now I confirmed it,” said Spike “He’s also listed in the records, he bought 3 slaves, all of them female, probably looking for concubines and/or sex slaves,” said Sunset Shimmer “So we have another target,” said Gyra “Yeah, but again, if we go after Garrison, the others will know, and the king might get pissed,” said Spike “And don’t get me started on the foreign 5… best thing is to contact the leaders of those lands and inform them,” said Sunset “But, still, if we present all this information to the wrong person, everything will be for nothing,” said Gabby “Do you know anyone trustworthy?” asked Sunset “What about this Gowan guy I’ve heard so much about?” said Spike “My father?” said Gertrude “Makes sense, he’s been worried sick about you,” said Sunset “Then let’s go see him,” said Spike AN HOUR LATER “... My God, and all this happened right under our noses,” said Gowan as he read the evidences over and over again “Can you help us?” asked Sunset “You saved my daughter and her friends and brought them back safely, help is the least I can do,” said Gowan “We should start by sending information to the 4 nearby kingdoms regarding the actions of the nobles, not in within these borders,” said Spike “Second, have your most trusted men/women and mercenaries on stand by, near the other known 15 nobles, if we’re taking them down, it has to be swift and fast,” said Sunset “Right, what about Gaudon?” asked Gowan “He’s the next person in my… our, “to kill” list,” said Spike motioning at Sunset who blushed “He said our!” thought Sunset “And the leader?” asked Gowan “So far nothing, but I have a good idea of where I might find the answers,” said Spike, motioning to the fort on the horizon. “Then go, we’ll take care of the rest,” said Gowan With that Spike walked out the door and disappeared without a trace “He is something else,” said Gertrude “I’ll write this reports or the other lords, Gerdi, you and your friends be ready to depart,” said Gowan “Right… Hey, where did Gabby and Sunset go?” asked Gertrude. OUTSIDE THE BASALT FORT “Ok Peewee, ready to do this?” asked Spike “Ready as I’ll ever be… 20 enemies, no sign of the fat one though,” said Peewee “Doesn’t matter,” said Spike “Before you go… what are you going to do about the 2 girls coming towards you?” asked Peewee “You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Spike as he turned and saw Gabby and Sunset walk up to him “Wow, you really are fast,” said Gabby “And quiet,” said Sunset “What are you doing here?” asked Spike “We want to help,” said Gabby “Well I thank the sentiment, but, Gabby, you aren’t skilled enough to take down a fort, and Sunset… frankly, I guess you’re good to go,” said Spike Sunset immediately cracked her knuckles and got her sword out Gabby felt bad, but then realized something “I can be your inside spy,” she said “What?” asked Spike “Yeah, no one will suspect me, they never saw my face while I was dressed as a slave, so, I can tag or distract them, even stab the ones not paying attention,” said Gabby confidently “Spike looked at her and said “If you feel ready for it,” said Spike “Watch,” said Gabby as she walked towards the fort and walked in without no one stopping her. “She’s good,” said Sunset “Yeah… now, I’m going to enter by the west wall, and you…” said Spike “By the south,” said Sunset “What? No!” said Spike “Why not, I always enter the opposite direction from the entrance,” said Sunset “Giving them a prime way to escape and call reinforcements,” said Spike Sunset had no answer “Second, in every fort in the world, barracks are 70% more likely to be located in the south, that way if there is an attack they can charge at the enemy,” said Spike “So, I take the East?” asked Sunset “And you still have to ask?” Spike said as Sunset rushed to the other side “I better take as many of them out as possible before she gets there, she’s TOO battle-ready,” thought Spike as he climbed the wall, just in time to see Gabby Stab a guard in the back and hide his body in a bush. Gabby saw Spike looking at her and gave him a thumbs up “Not bad kid, now let me show you how a pro does it,” said Spike as began to creep around the fort killing any and all enemies that came his way. “Wow, he’s fast, I have to ask him to teach me,” said Gabby as she heard someone talking behind her. “... I tell you, if he comes back, he’ll have my head,” said Gaudon “Sir, with all due respect…” said the guard “I’m sure he has something to do with the cave in and the possible deaths of Grizz and Guille,” said Gaudon “Possibly, but what can one man do against all of us?” said the guard “Do you really want to find out?” asked Gaudon “No sir, we’ll search for him,” said the guard “You better do,” said Gaudon as he entered the office at the middle of the fort “Gaudon, if I kill him, Spike will see I’m not hopeless, but first…” said Gabby as she noticed the guard coming towards her. MEANWHILE Spike had successfully killed 14 of the remaining guards when Peewee said “Ah, Spike, Sunset is about to be discovered,” “Where is she?” asked Spike “50 feet right, near the bulky guy with the maze,” said Peewee “You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Spike as he rushed over WITH SUNSET “Seriously, what is wrong with me, I shaked like crazy with Gowan, then Gabby got on my nerves and now, I can’t get Spike out of my head… DAMIT! I need to get my head back in the game, one wrong move and…” said Sunset “You a long way from home, girl,” came the voice of the guard Sunset looked up and saw the guard’s maze raising to clover her “SHIT!” said Sunset as the guys raised the maze over his head “NIghty-night!” he said as 2 daggers pierced his chest, causing him to drop his maze on his head, killing him. “To you asshole,” said Spike as he put his daggers away. “You ok?” he asked as he helped Sunset up Sunset however was speechless, and lovestruck “Sunset!” Spike said shaking her “Huh!” said Sunset snapping out of her trance “Rule number one of assassin’s, if you’re spotted, kill faster,” said Spike “Right… sorry, won’t happen again,” said Sunset “It better not, if you want to live,” said Spike “Yeah… where’s Gabby?” asked Sunset As if on queue “SIR, WE’VE CAPTURED A SPY!” came the voice of a guard Spike and Sunset turned and saw Gabby being restrained by 2 guards “OF FOR FUCK’S SAKE!!!” exclaimed Spike Then Gaudon walked out of his office accompanied by another guard “Maybe she’s smarter than she looks,” said Spike as the 2 of them hurried over BACK WITH GABBY “You! I remember you, you’re his slave,” said Gaudon “I’m not his slave, I’m his friend,” said Gabby “Well, it was foolish of you to attack on your own, my little valkyrie,” said Gaudon as he got closer to her with a knife in his hand “Now, you must die,” he said as gripped the knife, ready to stab Gabby, only for her to say “Who said I’m alone?” As if on queue, Spike and Sunset landed on top of the 2 guards restraining her killing them “WHAT THE!!!” said Gaudon as Spike threw his dagger in his direction stabbing his other guard in the head. However, this caused a domino effect that started when the guard hit the floor, hitting a torch, causing it to fall onto the tent right next to them, burning it to a crisp, causing a rope to snap, and sending a lift containing almost 500KG of bricks free falling, landing on top of Gaudon, killing him. “Well, that was… satisfying,” said Sunset “More like lucky,” said Gabby “Yeah, he’s dead,” said Spike as he removed the bricks allowing the girls to see the destroyed body of Gaudon. “Ouch,” said Sunset “Well, one problem less, now, we better head over and look for clues,” said Spike “Right,” they all said “And Gabby…” said Spike, catching her attention “... Good job,” he said, making her smile. A FEW MINUTES LATER “Anything?” asked Spike “Nothing, the only records they had were of who was on guard duty each night, sidenote, it was the same fools over and over again,” said Sunset “Well, we cleared the fort, that’s the important thing, head back to Gowan, tell him about Gaudon’s end,” said Spike “What about you?” asked Gabby “I’ll stay and look for a few more minutes, there must be something here,” lied Spike “Ok, we’ll see you back at Gowan’s office,” said Sunset as the 2 of them left. Spike then turned to the crack on the mountain wall and said “I better get a move on,” as he squeezed into the cave. The cave wasn’t big by any means, but it was full of Pyro-crystals, and one chest. Spike quickly headed over for the pyro-crystals and teleported them into the basement of his forge. After a few seconds, the cave was Pyro-crystal free, only leaving the chest “I know it’s not my concern, but… why not,” he thought as he opened the chest The chest was relatively empty, except for a thick book, and a letter on top of it. Spike grabbed both, but instinctively opened the book, read a few lines and his eyes went wide in horror; he quickly opened the letter and confirmed the information. “That son of a bitch,” he said as he quickly made it back to Gowan’s office, expecting a very good explanation. BACK AT THE OFFICE “Gilda and Gilbert are on their way back,” said Grace “The 4 kingdoms are ready to move,” said Gyra “All of the nobles involved within our borders are just one word away from apprehension,” said Genna “Then all we are missing is for Spike and Co. to return,” said Gertrude As if on queue, Sunset and Gabby entered “Girls, Any news? Where is Spike?” asked Gowan “Gaudon is dead, Spike stayed behind to find more clues,” said Sunset Shimmer “Well, one problem less,” said Gowan Then Spike barged in, scaring everyone “SPIKE! Something wrong?” asked Gowan “Very wrong, you might want to seat down for this one,” said Spike “What is it?” asked Gowan “This book and letter contain extremely damning evidence, and I have to warn you… you might not want to believe it,” said Spike as he handed Gowan the book and letter Gowan read through them, his eyes getting bigger and bigger with every word. “Grace, get prince Gilbert here right now,” said Gowan “They’re still 10 minutes out,” said Grace “I don’t care if you have to shove them into a carriage and shove them down a hill, just get them here, NOW!” exclaimed Gowan Grace left immediately as an awkward and scary silence took over the room. 7 MINUTES LATER “IMPOSSIBLE!” said Gilbert “The evidence is right there,” said Gowan Gilbert walked over to the window, trying to make sense of everything “It just doesn’t make sense, why would my King Gerald want us dead?” asked Gilda “It’s actually simple to know why,” said Spike “Your father only targeted people that were against him and his idea of joining the outsiders to gain power over all of Equestria, now as you can imagine, the women that were abducted were related in a way to his enemies, enemies who are either dead or dying in a hospital bed,” said Spike “That still doesn’t answer why us?” said Genevive “Because up until recently, you weren’t so outspoken about being against him, and that would’ve halted his intentions” said Spike This piece of information caused the 3 of them to look at Spike “Halt his intentions?” asked Gilbert “Your highness, stop trying to sugarcoat it, your father is a tyrant, and a very insecure person, he was hoping that you and your wives were on his side so there wouldn’t be any questions asked when mobilized your troops… but since you have public stated that you are against him and his plan, you halted everything,” said Spike “Really?” asked Genevive as Spike shook his head “Spike’s right... As his son, I am the commanding general of the army, and when I married both of you it became even clearer, Gilda, you're the captain of the elite scout forces and Genevive is the daughter of the Minister of Defense…” said Gilbert “Who is also listed on the hit list,” said Spike reading the book again “WHAT?!!!” exclaimed Genevive “Yup, right here, Minister Grendan… and his wife, and you brother and sister and their spouses and… basically all your family,” said Spike as he handed the book to Genevive “I can’t believe it, my own father wants me dead,” said Gilbert “Your highness, I know this is a hard, but we all know what we must do at this point,” said Sunset Shimmer “And that is?” asked Gilbert “Kill the king,” said Sunset The room went silent “She’s right, to break a cycle there must be blood, who know what your dad will do next,” said Spike Gilbert sighed and said “Alright, but I’ll be the one to kill him, that way there won’t be any territorial disputes, Gilda, go with the girls and Sunset and apprehend Garrison, if push comes to shove, kill him,” said Gilbert “Of course,” said she said “Spike, come with me, your assistance will be welcomed if he tries something,” said Gilbert Spike nodded “Then, let’s move out, and end this madness,” said Gilbert as everyone left the room but Spike and Gowan “Spike, before you go I must ask… will you consider marrying my daughter?” said Gowan “Sure,” said Spike “Really?” said Gowan surprised “Yeah, I’ll consider it, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” said Spike as he exited the room OUTSIDE THE GRIFFON PALACE “Ok, my father is definitely in his study, that’s where we’ll confront him,” said Gilbert “Understood,” said Spike as the 2 of them marched into the palace “Your highness, who is your guest?” asked a guard “And old friend, he’s just here to talk business,” said Gilbert as they walked through the main door and headed towards the king's study. The knocked on the door and awaited answer “Come in,” said Gerald “Hello father,” said Gilbert “Your highness,” said Spike vowing “Gilbert, you’re back so early, I thought it’ll take longer, and who’s your friend?” asked Gerald “An business partner of mine, thankfully everything went smoothly allow me, Gilda and Genevive the opportunity to come back early,” said Gilbert “Oh!, well that is good, but I sense there is something more to this conversation,” said Gerald as he got up and walked over to the window “Indeed there is, I know what you’ve up to,” said Gilbert “Oh, and what is that,” said Gerald “I know of the slave trades, the hit on people, and… the fact you want me and my wives dead,” said Gilbert “Oh, good, Now I can finally drop this stupid faceade,” said Gerald “How could you? I’m your son?” said Gilbert “You’re either with me or not, if not, you aren’t my family but an enemy and just like the ones before you, I’ll get rid of all of you, my power will never be stopped!” exclaimed Gerald “Have you gone mad, this is tyrannic,” said Gilbert “Only if you paint is that way, let’s be honest, all of those whores and spineless assholes are going to be forgotten eventually, killed by wildlife, or moved far away looking for a better life, or killed by the war, it’s just a matter of painting the picture,” said Gerald “You, how could you, those people are innocent,” said Gilbert “In my eyes, they’re enemies and enemies must die,” said Gerald as he got in his son’s face “I won’t stop until every single hindrance in my way to world domination is dead, if that includes my own blood, then so be it,” said Gerald looking into his son’s eyes “No, I won’t let you,” said Gilbert as he stabbed his father in his gut “You… motherfucker,” said Gerald “I’ll make sure to undo all your mess, and later, make people forget you ever existed… no one will remember your name,” said Gilbert as he twisted the knife ending his father’s life “Well, that’s that,” said Spike “How did I see this sooner?” said Gilbert “Simply because he is, was, your father, you wanted to believe it wasn’t true,” said Spike “Probably…” said Gilbert as Genevive walked into the study “Garrison has surrendered without incident, the three slaves were converted into concubines, and they’re pregnant with his offspring,” said Genevive “Well, if they accept Garrison as their husband, the crimes cancel out, we’ll just have to wait for them to talk,” said Gilbert as he saw the sunrise “The other lords have been captured and are currently imprisoned,” said Gilda as she and the other girls entered the room. “Excellent, today, marks a new day for the Griffon Kingdom, one towards a better future,” said Gilbert as he turned to face everyone in room “Thank you, for all you’ve done,” “It was what had to be, but you did the hard part,” said Spike motioning to the corpse of the former king. “It’s time to talk to my people, would you like to join us?” asked Gilbert turning to Sunset and Spike “I’d love to your majesty, but, I have another mission I must tend to,” said Spike “And I must head back to Canterlot and inform the Queen,” said Sunset “Well, I understand, I wish you all luck… here, for your troubles,” said Gilbert as he plopped down 3 massive coin pouches Spike and Sunset looked at each other and said “Thank you,” “Gabby, the 3rd one is yours,” said Gilbert’ “Really?” asked Gabby “You’re a mercenary now, you need to buy better gear if you want to survive,” said Gilbert “Thank you,” said Gabby as she took the pouch “By the way Spike, what about the money you spent saving the slaves?” asked Sunset “Oh, I took the liberty of getting in back,” said Spike as he showed the pouch “Well, I must leave you, but, once again, thank you,” said Gilbert as he exited the room followed by Gilda, Genevive, and the valkyries “It was nice to work with the both of you, but I must leave, my services are required elsewhere,” said Spike “Oh! Y-yeah, if… if you’re ever in Canterlot, come see me, I’ll treat you to lunch,” said Sunset “I’ll hold you to it,” said Spike with a smile “Gabby?” “Yes!” she said “Are you ready to leave,” said Spike “Yeah, but, I thought…” said Gabby “I’m your instructor, right, then we better start your training,” said Spike “YES!” she screamed as she dashed out of the room to gather her things “See you later, Sunset,” said Spike “Likewise,” said Sunset as Spike left “How can someone be so cool and polite at the same time,” as she left the room THE NEXT DAY BACK AT CANTERLOT “FINALLY! I'm tier 4!” said Rainbow Dash “Well done Dash,” said Pinkie “I hope you finally understand the importance of not being picky with quests,” said Twilight “Yeah, you’re right, it’s the more you do, and how well you do it,” said Dash “Indeed, by the way, shouldn’t Sunset be back now?” asked Rarity As if on queue Sunset walked into the room, with a big, goofy smile in her face “Sunset, good to have you back,” said Twilight “Hello,” said Sunset as she sat down looking into the nothingness with the goofy smile getting wider “I take it your mission went well,” said Twilight “It went wonderful,” said Sunset not looking at them The girls looked at each other in confusion over their friends demonor “Are you ok, Sunset?” asked Fluttershy “I’m perfect Shy,” Sunset said This made the girls even more confused, until Rarity realized something and said “So, who is it?” “Excuse me?” asked Sunset coming out of her trance “The one who captured your heart,” said Rarity “Oh, a mercenary I met after he saved me from slavery, his name is Spike,” said Sunset “SPIKE!” exclaimed Fluttershy is surprise “Slavery!?” said Twilight “What are you talking about,” said Rainbow Dash Sunset Shimmer then explained everything that happened to the girls “Well, you’re lucky,” said Rarity “Indeed, thank God, Spike was near the area,” said Sunset “So, you met Fluttershy’s boyfriend, how does he look?” asked Dash “BOYFRIEND! FLUTTERSHY?!!!” she said as she turned to face her friend “He’s not my boyfriend,” said Fluttershy “But he did save her ass from some timberwolves and gave her a new gear,” said Dash “Unfortunately she doesn’t remember his attire, so we couldn’t find him on record,” said Twilight “Oh, Black pants, black boots, a blackish green t-shirt, a dark-purple hooded robe, and a face mask,” said Sunset Shimmer “Nothing, dammit, what is he, a ghost or something? Said Twilight “Oh, that is the prime description of the “night dragon”,” said Pinkie all of a sudden All of the girls turned to look at Pinkie and then Twilight quickly browsed the records until she reached the top 11 mercenaries. As soon as they did, all of their eyes widened in surprise.
BOONAGEV Ch. 4 Tracking a GhostMercenaries and/or assassins were hired to help, each with different qualities and strengths. Of course, the higher the tier of the mercenary the tougher the job and the bigger the pay cheque you must give them. But even amongst the hundreds of tiers and thousands of mercenaries, there were 11 names capable of doing things, no one should, their abilities well over the meaningless tier chart. Their powers and abilities are so great, that the kingdoms and guilds had no choice but to create a separate tier only to house these 11… monsters. And so, the God tier was born following their ranking 11 to 7 were in what was considered the “outer circle” and 6 to 2 were placed in the “inner circle” The outer circle was formed by Soaring Surfer a clever assassin and pirate of noble seapony blood, he is mostly known for being one of the head admirals of the seapony and mermare armies, and many enemy pirates and admirals dub him the Ghost of the Equestrian seas, however, due to his advanced age he is had taken a step back from the job and his position in the outer circle is near to be vacant. Next comes one of the youngest members of the God Tier, her name is Dahlia, princess of the Batponies and a gal you did not want to cross or make angry, even though she is only 16 she is one of the most ruthless Bounty Hunters, and Warriors you can hire, as long as you have the pockets to cover her fees. Dahlia’s fame comes from the fact that she is seen as a great conqueror and strategist, she single-handedly liberated, reclaimed, and rebuilt 15 forts lost by the Batponies during the Equestrian wars to Tall Tale and Coltroon without a single casualty on her side, and she was only 14. The only downside to her is that she, like many Batponies, IDOLIZES “the night dragon” and tends to try to imitate him to a T, which has left her in incredibly tricky situations. Nevertheless, she can get the job down, either from the frontlines or from the strategy table, and so far, she hasn’t failed a single assignment. After her comes Mijira, one of the few huntresses that can also take on the role of a healer from the Dragonlands that doesn't use a bow and arrow or guns, but prefers long weapons, like her trident. Mijira might not be stereotypical for a dragoness, preferring a more supportive role than a main attraction on the battlefield, something which usually clashes with her unrivaled beauty, which garnishes attention everywhere she goes. Despite all this, she is competent as an assassin and as a member of the Brew Crew league and is close to reaching the triple digits in her kill count. And just like Dahlia, she has not reached her 2 decades of life. Then we have Lunar Light, the Unicorn Mistress of the Night; she is one of the few jack-of-all-trades kinds of mercenary as she literally can help out with things like killing a target, to much simpler things as being a maid or servant; something that has helped her infiltrate places considered impenetrable; her kill count is somewhere in the realm of the 500 however, some claim that it is much higher than that. She would be higher on the ranking, but at 30, she has decided on dedicating herself completely to the toughest job there is in this world… Motherhood, and with triplets, now THAT is a challenge. Next comes Straight Shot, the Dragonlands greatest gunslinger; Straight Shot has somewhat of a complicated past, having a Dragon mother and a Unicorn Father and being born a Kirin she didn't feel like she fit in anywhere, making her a loner since a young age, then, when she turned 15, her father, who she had a very close bond with was murdered in cold blood, to this day few people know the reasons for such act, this devastated her and her mother and fueled by anger and resentment she set out to hunt down the group responsible, and hunt them down she did. Only one of the group members survived… a turncoat that helped her achieve her goal. After feeling the rush of adrenaline from the hunt, and realizing how unique she was for being one of the few people who could use Ether Blasters instead of regular guns, she decided to become an assassin as well and help form the Brew Crew. Now comes the Inner Circle, and if you thought that the names mentioned before were impressive you haven’t seen anything yet. First, we have Redsopine, the demon of Manehattan, and its greatest protector, Redospine is one of the few fighters alive who have successfully defeated an entire army and avoided the invasion of Manehattan during the Equestrian wars, having a kill count of well over 1100 confirmed kills. He would be ranked higher on the list, had it not been for the fact that he is now an instructor at the Royal Military Academy, which has hindered his availability to take on quests and contracts, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Next comes Smokescreen, the only member of this tier who had fame before the creation of this. Smokescreen is a well-known dragon assassin who once belonged to a separatist movement known as The Order of the Gold Cloaks for which he was the top assassin and enforcer, he didn’t really identify with this order, but it paid well, and he didn’t have a to answer stupid questions. However, after they ordered him and other enforcers to attack a hospital and kill everyone inside, he began to question their motives and even refused to follow through with the orders, this caused many of his former allies to try and murder them, however, that proved counter-productive as he slaughtered his attackers. Despite all this, he was unable to reach the hospital before the attack was carried out, luckily, most of the patients had been moved to other hospitals due to battles happening in the vicinity; the death toll was still near in the double digits with patients, nurses, doctors, and guards killed indiscriminately; amongst them, Straight Shot’s father, that day, that encounter, would change his life forever; teaming up together, he helped Straight Shot hunt down and kill all of the members of the Order and create the Brew Crew. Next comes Pharynx, one of the best spies and infiltrators there is, being a Changeling he can take on any form or figure making him deadlier than deadly, however, his acting skills are rather… lacking, added to his hot-headedness and lack of patience he tends to blow his cover rather quickly, nevertheless his abilities to execute his targets and his speed when doing it, most likely because he blew his cover, is second to only Spike. Next comes his younger brother, Thorax, why is he ranked higher than his older brother? Well, first of all, he has successfully infiltrated and lived amongst his enemies for months, learning about their lives before killing his targets, second, unlike his brother, Thorax has a lot of physical strength, enough to run through a concrete wall like if it was made of paper, plus, he is skilled enough to be able to use any weapon known to man, except for magic weapons, and most of Spike’s creations, he is deadly. To close out the Inner circle, we have none other than Dragonlord Ember, a skilled mercenary, she isn’t one to run away from a battle, be it 1v1, 1v5, or 1v100, the only word she does not understand is “Complicated”. Ember has demonstrated amazing abilities when it comes to doing her job, if they need her to be silent and stealthy she will be as quiet as a ghost, if they need her to be aggressive and take down an army she will become the definition of aggressive, if they want her to go berserk, she will go fucking BERSERK! Her body count might only be a bit over 1200, but she has also successfully coordinated various jobs for all of her mercenaries and assassins, not to mention the Dragonlands army kills during battles. And finally, the name synonymous with the job, “The night Dragon” the mercenary no one wants to mess with, for 5 years this mercenary terrified evil-doers left and right, as he sometimes took on jobs “pro-bono” if there was a staggering amount of evidence convincing him that his target was truly evil. Everyone knows how he rose to fame, his solo stand against the Tall Tale army at the Oso Fort, and the subsequential assassination of Tall Tale’s tyrannic King Ranger the First and High General Whitehorse. Ever since then he has been credited with ending the lives of around 1500 to 1700 bandits, enemy soldiers, corrupted officials and nobles, and just about anyone who is on his “Kill list”. To this day his identity is unknown, the only things people have been able to pinpoint accurately are the facts that he is a Dragon, he is deadly, and under no circumstance do you want to make him angry or find yourself on his kill list… “Wow, he sounds really cool!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash “And deadly,” said Applejack “Yeah, I can’t believe you gals ran into him and aren’t dead,” said Pinkie Pie “Well, it does say that he only attacks people that are on his kill list and/or have attacked him first,” said Twilight “Still, it is impressive,” said Rarity “Wow… I can’t believe it…a-all this time I thought he was just new at this b-but, in reality, he was the deadliest mercenary,” Fluttershy said uncomfortably “Well, he wasn’t afraid to show me his abilities while we worked together back in the Griffon empire, he was amazing,” Sunset Shimmer said as her cheeks turned red making Fluttershy jealous with her comment. “Hah, I bet he was, if he can make those numbers and be considered the deadliest assassin, he must be a good time,” Rainbow Dash said “Yeah, too bad we don’t really know how he looks like without the mask, thanks to the fact that Fluttershy doesn’t remember her encounter with him,” said Twilight “Wait a minute! Sunset, didn’t you see him without the mask while at the Griffon Empire?” asked Rarity “Uhm, yes?” said Sunset Shimmer “Well, draw him and then we can finally place a face to the name,” Rarity said as she made a pencil and notebook appear before Sunset Shimmer Sunset immediately started to draw him and after a few minutes she was done “Ok, this is the best drawing I could do of him,” said Sunset as she turned the paper around letting the girls see it “Well, that confirms he is a dragon,” said Pinkie Pie “A very handsome one at that, wouldn’t you agree Twilight?... Twilight?” asked Rarity as they turned to face their pale friend. “Somethin’ wrong sugacube?” asked Applejack Twilight then jumped up and snatched the drawing from Sunset’s hands “Oh no… no… no-no-no-no-no…NO!” Twilight said as she began to panic even more “Yo, egghead, what’s got your head so scrambled?” Rainbow Dash said as they all saw Twilight walked around the room in a panic, her eyes glued to the drawing “What’s up with her?” asked Sunset “Well, it is obvious that she recognizes him,” Rarity said “Not only recognize, she knows him personally,” Pinkie said making all of the girls look at Twilight Just then, she walked over to a chest she had in her locker “Why is she grabbing the “forbidden Chest”?” asked Sunset Twilight then slammed it on the table and used her magic to unlock it and started to rummage through it. “I don’t know if to be scared or worried,” Rarity said “Or both,” said Fluttershy Suddenly Twilight stop her frantic digging and slowly took a piece of paper out of the chest “I-it can't be…” Twilight said as she sat back down “Sugacube, you’ve got us all worried’ere,” said Applejack “Yeah, what gives Twi, you look like if you’ve just seen a ghost,” Rainbow Dash said “I did…” Twilight said as she placed the drawing and the piece of paper on the table The girls quickly looked at the 2 of them and noticed that the piece of paper Twilight was holding was a picture. The picture showed a younger Twilight and her twin sister Sci-Twi and an unknown boy all smiling at the camera “That’s him! That’s Spike,” said Fluttershy pointing at the boy in the picture “No kidding,” said Sunset Shimmer as she took the picture to get a better look at it “Wow… he glowed up from this picture to the drawing… unless you’re just making him look hot,” Rainbow Dash said earning a glare from both Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy Then Rarity turned to look at Twilight, tears falling down her cheeks “Dear, what is it you are not telling us?” Rarity said making everyone look at her “I… We… we used to go to the same elementary school back in the Crystal Empire… back then, Sci and I weren’t really… popular, and we got bullied a lot… one day, the bullying got so bad, one of the kids destroyed our end of year presentation… it took us 3 days to make it…” Twilight said as she used her magic to show the girls her memories “Luckily for us, another teacher had seen what happened and we were able to save our grade… of course, this angered him… and that day, after class, he and a few of his friends ganged up on us… they started to belittle us and throw stuff at the 2 of us… despite this, we didn’t show him that we were defeated… and we even tried to stand up for ourselves, but, it made things worse… the kid grabbed a rock and launched it at us… we both closed our eyes but we never felt the hit of the rock… we opened our eyes, thinking that a teacher had seen what had happened, but, to our surprise, it wasn’t a teacher that had come to our help, but, him… “What do you think you are doing?” Spike yelled at the boy “Putting these 2 in their rightful place!” the boy said “And what place is that?” asked Spike “Below me, right where all of you belong,” the boy said “Is that so?” Spike glared at him “Yeah, got a problem with that?” asked the boy sarcastically “Yes I do, as a matter of fact,” said Spike “Oh, and just what are you going to do about it?” said the boy “Blueblood, come on man, let’s go, he’s bad news,” said another boy “Shut up, besides, what is he going to do, he’s just a fat, overgrown lizard,” Blueblood said as he turned to look at Spike “There is nothing he can do to me,” he said “I can do this,” Spike said as he threw the rock back at him. Blueblood dodged it easily “You see, nothing,” said Blueblood as he turned to face his lackeys “I wasn’t trying to hit you with it,” Spike said as he appeared in front of him “What the?” Blueblood said as Spike punched him in the stomach. He hit him so hard that Blueblood knelt down, whizzing and gasping for air “Still think I can’t do anything to you?” Spike said as he kicked him in the face making him fall to the floor and lose a few teeth in the process “And FYI, all dragons are chubby when young, that doesn’t mean we are out of shape… anyone else has anything to say to me?” he glared at the other kids, but they just wet their pants and ran away. “Are you girls ok?” Spike asked as he turned to help them “Yeah, just dirty,” Sci said as he helped them up “TWILIGHT!! SCI!!!” came a male voice “At that moment, my elder brother and a few other adults ran up and saw the scene, we explained everything to them… naturally, Spike got in trouble for using violence, but it was nothing compared to Blueblood’s punishment, apart of being expelled… nonetheless, after that we became friends with Spike, and we used to hang out almost everyday… then, a few months before we entered High School, Spike and his parents moved back to the Dragonlands… and a few months later we heard what happened to them… we tried to contact him or anyone close to him, but we always hit deadends… I thought… I thought he had died with his parents… that I was never going to see him again,” Twilight said as she cried. “But now, it turns out that your childhood friend is not only very much alive but also one of, if not THE greatest mercenary to ever live,” said Rarity “And the love interest of two of your closest friends,” Pinkie Pie said as she smiled at a blushing Sunset and Fluttershy “Wait a minute… Blueblood, that name sounds familiar… OH RIGHT! Hey Rares, isn’t he that loser ex-crush of yours?” Rainbow Dash teased “Not the time, Dash,” Rarity said angrily, making Rainbow Dash shrug and shift her attention elsewhere “I just can’t believe it,” said Twilight as she looked at the drawing of Spike and then at his Infobase. “You, me both… THIS GUY HAS A BOUNTY OF $100,000,000… ALRIGHT, I’M HEADING OUT!” Dash said as she grabbed her gear “And just where do you think your goin’?” asked Applejack “To cash in a new bounty,” said Rainbow Dash as she walked towards the door only to be stopped by Applejack “Didn’t you hear the conversation we had or any of the facts we just spoke?” Applejack said “Yeah, that’s why I am going to bring him in alive, that way Twilight can get to reconnect with he friend,” said Rainbow Dash “From behind a cell, while waiting to be executed?” said Applejack “Details are not my thing,” said Rainbow Dash arrogantly angering Applejack “Dash, sorry, to burst your bubble, but…” Rarity started “This is the “Night Dragon” we’re talking about he isn’t some low-level crook… he isn’t even a crook, to begin with, the bounty was placed by Tall Tale’s Royal family, and we all know their reputation,” said Pinkie Pie “Not to mention, he is basically un-trackable, many people have tried to track him down, yet, no one has been able to, and from that list, many didn’t even come back to tell the tale,” said Applejack “So? That just means that when I do it, the victory and the money will taste even better,” Rainbow Dash said “You should know how high of a risk it is to try and track him, more than anyone else, I mean, the last person to ever come back alive from attempting to track him was your own mother,” said Applejack “Yeah, and she was almost dead when she crawled back into town,” Sunset added “My mother isn’t me,” Rainbow Dash said “Yeah, she is 5 times more skilled than you,” said Sunset “Will see about that,” Dash said as she stormed out of the room “She’s gonna get herself killed,” said Sunset “Should I go after her?” asked Fluttershy “Nah, let her experience what a real challenge is… maybe that way her IQ will stop being on a single digit level,” said Applejack as she went over to Twilight “Everythings’ gonna be ok, Sugacube, you’ll see,” ELSEWHERE IN EQUESTRIA “WHA~...OH!...OUCH!”Gabby said as she landed face-first into the mud “Again!” Spike commanded From the top of a cliff “I’m ok, by the way,” Gabby said as she cleaned herself “I know you are, I wouldn’t let you follow me around if I believed you’d be killed easily,” said Spike “Remind me again, why you have me climbing a cliff when I can just use my wings to fly up there?” asked Gabby “Simple, what happens if you get captured, or your wings are injured, or you are simply placed into a situation where flying is not an option?” said Spike as he landed next to her “Good Point,” Gabby said “Wings are great assets, but we don’t have to count on them all the time, I mean, look at Unicorns and Earthlings, they don’t have wings and are fairly capable without them,” said Spike “I take it you have been in those situations before,” said Gabby “Once, but it’s just common sense,” said Spike “Right… so, where are we going? There are no cities or villages in this direction,” said Gabby “We are heading to the Basilisk Fort deep inside enemy territory… also there is a town nearby, it is under heavy enemy control, but there is one,” Spike said “Oh, which one?” asked Gabby “Terraria, I don’t think I need to remind you of how dangerous what we are doing is, right?” asked Spike “No, I got this,” said Gabby “Good, now start climbing, there is a lot more I need to teach you, and I only have 48 hours until we get there,” said Spike as he flew up to the top of the cliff. LATER THAT DAY (CANTERLOT ELEMENTS OF HARMONY HQ) “So… what is so important that you the all-powerful Elements of Harmony want to talk to us?” asked Bow Hothoof “We’ve got a little situation, right now, and we’re hopin’ you can shed some light on it,” said Applejack as she guided the 2 pegasuses to the HQ “I hope it’s nothing too complex,” Windy Whistles said “Me too,” Applejack said as she opened the door to the HQ to reveal a room in total silence; Twilight was sitting at the table her eyes glued to the picture she showed earlier, Fluttershy was sitting in a corner while stroking Angel, although it seemed he didn’t like it that much, Sunset Shimmer was looking out the window, however, her gaze was set into the nothingness. “It's worst than I thought,” said Windy “We know,” said Rarity as she came along with some tea for the visitors “So, where is Dash?” asked Bow “She is kind of the reason we called you here today,” said Pinkie Pie “Oh dear, she isn’t in any trouble again, is she?” asked Windy “Not yet,” said Applejack “Not… yet?” asked Bow “You see… the last couple of days, some of our members had some issues on the field…” Rarity explained as she pointed at Sunset and Fluttershy “Oh dear, are they traumatized?” asked Windy “Cuz if that is the case, then you called the wrong people for that,” said Bow “No, they’re in love,” Pinkie said making both Bow and Windy raise their eyebrows “So what is the problem?” asked Windy “One of the problems is that the person who helped them, is an old friend of Twilight’s that she considered dead…” said Rarity “The other problem, and probably the biggest one, is that that person, is a very infamous person, someone you might know very well,” Applejack said as she looked at Windy “Me?” asked Windy “Windy… remember the last mission you ever took, that required you to track someone down,” Rarity asked “Unfortunately, I do,” said Windy “Oh no, you mean, the reason Dash isn’t here is because…” Bow said “Yes… that friend… is him,” Twilight said as she turned around letting Dash’s parents see the pictures and files on the table. “Oh dear…” said Windy SOMEWHERE NEAR GRIFFONSTONE “According to the report from Sunset, it was here where “Spike” was last seen before she returned to Canterlot… w-wait… How is it possible… there are no discernible tracks! HOW CAN SOMEONE SO BIG AND MUSCULAR NOT LEAVE ANY TRACKS?!!!!” Rainbow Dash said frustrated as she continued to look around for clues. A few minutes later… “Nothing… damn it, where did he go?... did he fly?... no, there are no marks of wings flapping on the ground… so, the legend is true… he is a ghost,” Dash said as she sat down on a fallen log near the dirt road. “I can’t just give up so easily, I mean, why would he take the dirt road instead of taking the main one… to remain hidden… and because his target is closer if he takes this road… huh, there are some tracks here, they are not his, however, they are much too small, obviously they are female… they are not too deep, and by the looks of it they are fresh, 1 maybe 2 days old… wait I’ve seen this type of imprint before!... common Dash if there was any time when Rarity’s fashion expertise was actually helpful, it is now…” Rainbow Dash said as she concentrated “THAT’S IT! They are Valkyrie boots… WAIT! Didn’t Sunset say that one of the valkyries they helped became his apprentice!... I might not be able to track him, but I can definitely track her, in my sleep, she is definitely a rookie…” she said with a smile while looking around for more clues “Ok, by the looks of it, they are heading to the North-west, which means they are heading towards enemy-controlled territory… Are they gonna go and fight them alone?!... no, Spike seems to be a smart guy, he knows it is suicide to do that… but again, the only things in that direction are the Basilisk fort… and the Terraria township!… I got you now!” Dash said with a smile as she leaped into the air. BACK AT HQ “I see, that must’ve been quite the shock for you,” Windy said as she sat at the table as the girls explained everything. “She kinda lost her mind for a minute,” said Pinkie “Thanks for the unnecessary input Pinkie,” Twilight said angrily “You welcome,” Pinkie replied obviously “So, when you were tasked with capturing him… what happened?” asked Rarity “W-well… I wasn’t tasked to capture him, I saw the wanted poster and I decided to take the job, I mean $50,000,000 is a lot of money… so, I set out to find him… it took me… about 5 to 7 hours to find his trail…” Windy began “5 TO 7 HOURS!!!!” said Twilight in surprise “That is so cool,” Sunset said, a bit too loud for her liking, making her blush “Sorry,” Twilight said as she composed herself “B-believe it or not, tracking him is not complicated, once you have his trail,” Windy said “Really?” asked Applejack “Yeah, the hard part is… keeping up with him, that is why he is called a Ghost… you know he is near or you see a glimpse of him and then, poof, he is gone… during the few days I spent chasing him, I was able to get near him twice, I mean, I was a few hundred yards away from him, then I blinked and he was gone, and it took me a couple of hours to find his trail again,” said Windy as she kept talking about her mission. “Interesting… was there anything… odd, that you noticed while tracking him?” asked Twilight “Yes, he is a very, VERY, smart, it’s like if he can get into the mind of the person tracking him, he takes the routes that make it even more complicated to track him, and even uses the surroundings to his advantage… and I learned that the hard way…” Windy said as she got up and looked out the window “I had the wrong mindset when I went out tracking him… I thought it was going to be a simple payday and that I’ll be rich, so I didn’t really pack many provisions for the trip… I had rations for 2 maybe 3 days, I thought that if I was careful I could make them last for 5 days or buy more at any town or city I walked into chasing him… but, oh, I was DEAD wrong… on the first day when I was able to find his trail, I followed it blindly, all throughout the night I walked trying to catch up, hoping that I would, as you kids say nowadays, find him lacking or sleep, but, no… it was until around dawn the next day when I was finally able to see him at the distance, he was just walking, WALKING, he was not rushing nor did he look paranoid, it was as if, he was out on a stroll… I rushed to get closer to him, but at some point when I looked down to watch my footing, he disappeared. I spent about 2 hours trying to find his trail, and when I finally did, he was long gone… and I didn’t see him again until the dawn of the 4th day, I was low on rations at that point, but I saw him so near, and I thought I could one-up him since he was walking towards Zelarayan Peaks, I knew that area well, I used to train there with the Cloudsdale army corp. And I knew there was a small valley that led to a hill and from there, no one could hide, since there was no vegetation and the land was flat… I was peaking up speed to catch him, but he crossed the hill and disappeared, I knew that was my chance, so I used my wings to get closer to the hill, but when I got there, he was gone… I looked around frantically, and when I finally saw him again, he was already halfway up Zelarayan peaks, that in itself was impossible… at that point I know I should’ve quitted, but I was stubborn so I rushed again… it took me a full day to cross Zelarayan peaks, and when I finally cleared the peaks and arrived at Gaul Valley, he was gone, there was no trace of him, and then, I looked into my bag for something to eat or at least drink, but I had no more rations, I tried to walk a bit further but I collapsed… when I woke up the next day, the first thing I noticed was that there was a bonfire going near me and that my bag had enough rations for one a day trip… walking it was a death sentence, but, then I realized that it was little, because if I flew back here it would be enough… and so I did… and you know the rest,” Windy said as she turned to look at the group. The girls just looked at Windy in amazement not saying anything “He… came back?” asked Twilight in shock “Yeah, that was the scariest part, it’s like… he knew I was following him… to this day I don’t know why he didn’t attack me or tried to get rid of me… he had all the chances to do so,” Windy said “Maybe he didn’t want to,” said Pinkie “I hope that was the case,” said Windy “W-well, he save my life when I was attacked by Timberwolves, and he even fixed and upgraded my gear,” Fluttershy said as she showed her gear “He save me and many others from trafficking,” said Sunset proudly “Well, then you are lucky… many mercenaries or assassins are so far gone, they kill out of habit… especially when they feel a hostility towards them,” said Bow “Then Rainbow Dash is doomed…” Applejack said as they all looked out the window. NEAR TERRARIA LATER THAT DAY “And here we are, Terr… Oh dear, this complicates things,” Spike said as he and Gabby arrived at a hill that overlooked Terraria. “Wow, those are a lot of enemy soldiers,” Gabby said as she observed the city “Makes sense, Terraria is basically a town that serves and protects Basilisk… Peewee, what else can you tell me?” Spike said “There still is a civilian population in Terraria… and by the look of things, they are not too happy with their new guests… everywhere I turn, I see oppression…” Peewee said “Hey, Spike? Everything ok?” asked Gabby “What?” asked Spike “You suddenly went quiet,” said Gabby “Oh, just talking to Peewee,” said Spike Oh, d-did either of you come up with something?” asked Gabby “Kind of… listen, there is no confirmed location for the Pyro-Crystals we are looking for… so, we are going to split up, I will head to the Basilisk fort and you will go down there and look around,” said Spike “W-wait… I-I’m going into enemy territory, alone?!” Gabby said in a panic “Well, what better way to practice and improve the skills I taught you than by putting them into action… don’t worry, Peewee will go with you… you already figured out who to use telekinesis, right?” Spike said “Yeah,” said Gabby “Ok, we’ll meet over by those trees at nightfall, gather as much information as you can,” Spike said “Ok, I will,” Gabby said as she and Peewee headed down toward the town “Good luck, kid,” Spike said as she left As soon as Spike turned to head toward the Basilisk Fort, he felt a shiver in the back of his neck “Hmm… it seems I have company,” he said as he walked towards the tall grass and headed into the nearby woods. 2 MINUTES LATER “WHAT?! He was just here!” Rainbow Dash said as she landed at the same place Spike and Gabby were standing minutes before. She quickly looked around and noticed a pair of footprints “The valkyrie!” Dash said as she looked over the edge and noticed Gabby entering the city “There she goes!” Dash said as she jumped off the ledge and was flying as fast as she could to catch up with Gabby before she disappeared into the crowd. Just as she was nearing the gate, she noticed something “Wait, she’s alone!” Rainbow Dash said as she stopped dead “They must’ve separated somewhere…but he must be nearby… I can see the phoenix Fluttershy mentioned flying overhead… but where is he?” Dash said as she flew back to the top of the hill. “Ok Dash… think, why would they come all the way here only to go their separate ways?... they aren’t defecting to the enemy side, if that were the case, they would’ve gone to Pharamont, which is a day's walk from here… they might be buying provision for the trip… no, they wouldn’t be carrying heavy cargo, it would make them stand out and slow down, plus, these heavily controlled enemy cities have shortened markets, you can’t buy much because the invaders’ hoard most of the food and supplies… other than that, the only reason they are down here is to… kill someone, or they are looking for something… but what?... THE FORT!” Dash said as she looked to her left and noticed the fort in the distance “He must be heading that way… no, he IS!” she said as she looked down and noticed a bootprint heading towards the forest. “He must be about 3 minutes ahead… you’re mine now, “Ghost of Equestria”,” Rainbow Dash said as she ran into the forest in hot pursuit of Spike. Spike was nearing the fort when he heard footsteps a few meters behind him “YOU’RE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM ME GHOST!” Rainbow Dash said as she appeared through some bushes “Not again,” Spike muttered as he walked through some bushes ‘YOU CAN’T HIDE FROM ME Now~” Rainbow Dash said as she rushed through the same bushes but noticed that she was alone “WHAT THE FUCK?! Where did he go?... did he cross the river?... no, there are no muddy bootprints, on the other side, nor splash marks… did he jump or fly?... no, not enough space to properly land and hide with so little time…” Dash said as she looked around, and then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something… something that for many, would be an insignificant detail “Odd, there are more leaves on the ground on the west trees but not on the east-facing ones… THAT SON OF A BITCH! He didn’t jump across, he flew Westbound… he must’ve done a low-fly, maybe just about 5 feet in the air…HOHO, I am licking this even more,” said Rainbow Dash as she flew into the sky to try and pinpoint his location. And what she saw, both surprised her and scared her. There, on the ledge of a cliff, was Spike, arms crossed looking at her as if he was waiting for her to land before him. And she did just that. “We meet at last, Ghost,” Rainbow Dash said as she landed “Indeed,” Spike said as he locked eyes with her When Rainbow Dash’s eyes made contact with Spike’s, she felt butterflies in her stomach, and her face and other parts of her body warmed up. MEANWHILE, TERRARIA’S ROOFTOPS “... 350 guards so far… 200 with “primitive gear”... 100 riflemen, various archer and sniper towers, with the remaining 50 men spread out through them… no magical Miniguns located so far… everyone seems to be badly malnourished, except for the soldiers… I wonder why none of them have fled the township?” thought Gabby “Because they are now POWs, you are welcome to come, but when you try to escape, well, that happens…” Peewee said as he landed next to her and motioned for the gate Gabby turned and noticed a lot of people being shoved into armored Personnel carriers and taken toward the fort. “You are arrested and taken away… maybe forever,” said Peewee “Shit… I wish I could help them somehow…HMPH!” Gabby said as someone placed a blag bag over her head “WHAT THE?!” Peewee said as someone did the same to him. BACK TO THE CLIFF “I have to admit, Ghost, you did make it complicated to find you, but in the end, I guess I proved those rumors wrong!” Rainbow Dash boasted “You’re not the first to do so… and I doubt you’ll be the last,” Spike said looking at Rainbow Dash “What?” she said “It’s not hard to track me, all you have to do is do the opposite of what you’ve been trained to do as a tracker and then have good stamina,” Spike said “Really?” asked Rainbow Dash “Yeah… you’re the twenty… seventh person who was ever able to keep up with me,” said Spike Dash stood there in disbelief “Although, you are the fastest to ever catch up with me,” said Spike “And I’ll be the first one to arrest you!” Dash said as she leaped towards Spike trying to kick him, but, Spike easily blocked her kick and shoved her back to the other side of the cliff. “I’m not going to fight you, kid,” said Spike “I am NOT a kid, and I know you aren’t an old man either, my friends Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy said this… and Twilight confirmed it,” Dash said as she got up “Twilight?” Spike said as he entered a trance remembering his childhood Dash noticed this and saw an opening “You should never lose concentration during a fight!” she said as she once again charged at Spike only for him to block her punch and shove her back again. “You have a point, but you should talk if you’re going to attack a distracted or disoriented enemy, the adrenaline will help them recover faster,” he said as he looked at Rainbow Dash “D-Damn it… how is he this good?... I… I hate breaking my promise to Twilight and Sunset’s and Fluttershy’s heart but, the reward is available for a live man or a cadaver,” Rainbow Dash said as she used her wings to fly into the air, catching Spike’s attention. Once she was at an acceptable height, she drew her daggers and darted down towards Spike, even using her rainboom to increase her speed. “Let’s see you survive this!” Rainbow Dash said as she neared the edge of the cliff When she was probably around 100 ft. away from Spike, he suddenly disappeared from view right before her eyes. “WHAT THE?!” Dash said as she slashed right through the rocks as if they were butter; Rainbow Dash quickly corrected her flight path and soared back up to be parallel to the ledge of the cliff she just sliced through “Where did he go?” Rainbow Dash said as she looked around for Spike, just then, she felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand up. She turned around and saw Spike flying behind her, almost at arm's length “That Rainboom was very impressive,” he said Rainbow Dash tried to slash at Spike, but he quickly grabbed both her arms, disarmed her, and kicked her back toward the floor. Rainbow Dash landed hard on the ground, her body even cracking the floor when she landed “H-how are you so good,” she said as Spike landed next to her and gave her first-aid “If Twilight is your friend, you should know that I was in the Military… anything broken?” Spike said “Oh, yeah, she mentioned that… don’t worry, the only thing broken is my pride… wait, why are you helping me? A-aren’t you supposed to kill me?” asked Rainbow Dash “If I wanted you dead, you would’ve died the second you landed on the ledge,” Spike said as he helped Rainbow Dash rest against a boulder. “B-but, Mercenary code says that if 2 mercenaries fight each other, t-the winner must kill the loser, or…” Rainbow Dash said “What we just did was not a fight, I never drew my weapon, so the fight is void,” Spike said “D-did the same thing happened with the other 26?” asked Rainbow Dash “Only with the ones that wouldn’t quit… which were only 2 of them, the others just decided to head back home,” said Spike “Wow… I’m sorry, Spike, I guess, I was blinded by money…” Rainbow Dash said “You were also poorly prepared, no one in their right mind heads out to fight something or someone stronger than them, but, we all do mistakes, so no hard feelings skittles,” Spike said “My name is Rainbow Dash, not Skittles,” Rainbow Dash protested “Sorry… Rainbow Dash… but I think Skittles is also a very cute name… I have to admit, you did have me against the ropes a few times there, the way you were able to throw me off my game and lunge at me was very clever, and then your attack, it was beautiful, the way you were able to easily combine your rainboom and the control you have to be able to stir yourself while flying at such a high rate of speed, it amazing,” Spike said, praising Rainbow Dash, unaware that her face was turning redder by the second “Anyway, it was nice to meet you and fight you, but I have a mission to finish, and I am already behind… by the way, here, you’ll need this more than me…” he said giving her a health potion “Hope we can see each other again Rainbow Dash,” Spike said as he jumped off the ledge and headed for the fort. Rainbow Dash sat there for a few seconds, processing everything that just happened, her face redder than a tomato, and a smile creeping into her face “Wow… he really is something else… He even was calm enough when saying it… I need to head back fast,” Rainbow Dash said as she chugged the potion down and leaped into the air, flying as fast as she could toward Canterlot. WITH SPIKE “Ok, here we are, now, what exactly am I dealing with… Peewee, what can you see?... Peewee?... oh yeah, he went with Gabby, silly me, well, I’ll have to do things the old school way,” Spike thought as he cracked his fingers “SPIKE!!!” Peewee screamed as he crash-landed near Spike catching his attention “PEEWEE?! What’s wrong? What happened?” he asked as he went over to his trusty companion, who was already healing himself “It’s Gabby, she's been kidnapped…!” Peewee said “What?!” Spike said “The kidnappers are waiting for you!” Peewee said “Where?” asked Spike “In an old mine, 20 minutes out of town, heading south,” said Peewee “Then let’s not make them wait!” Spike said as he leaped into the air and flew towards the location. BACK IN CANTERLOT (30 MINUTES LATER) “Do you think Rainbow Dash is safe?” asked Fluttershy “The better question is, do you think the night dragon will have mercy on her, I mean, she is hostile towards him,” Rarity said “She'll be just fine, I thought her everything I know, not to mention, I doubt she’ll even catch up to him,” said Windy “Windy’s right, if anythin’ we ain’t gonna see Dash’ere for a few days, since, well, she ain’t the one to give up easily,” Applejack said as she drank her cup of cider “That’s our daughter for you,” said Bow Suddenly they heard a loud boom, that put them on edge, they all quickly looked out of the windows and saw a rainbow contrail leading from the clouds to the entrance of the castle. Suddenly the doors swung open, revealing Rainbow Dash. Everyone turned to look at her in surprise, as she marched over to her locker “Hey Dash, back so soon?” Applejack taunted “Mmmh-hm,” Rainbow Dash said as she continued to put stuff in her backpack “I take it you haven’t had any luck locating your target,” Rarity said “Nope, I found him, I even fought him,” said Rainbow Dash paying little attention to the conversation “AND YOU’RE STILL ALIVE?!!” Applejack said in shock “Yup, he went easy on me,” Rainbow Dash said “Dash, mind me asking, but, why are you cleaning up your locker?” asked Twilight “Yeah, you don’t have to quit the group only because you lost a fight,” Sunset said “I’m not quitting, and I am not emptying it out, I’m just packing some extra things for the trip, I mean, I probably won’t be coming back for a few days… anyway, gotta go, see ya, bye!” Dash said as she finished packing at rushed for the door “HOLD IT RIGHT THERE YOUNG LADY!” Bow said as he stopped his daughter dead in her tracks “Just where do you think you are going?” Windy said “Back to Spike… oh yeah, that reminds me, mom, dad, girls… I’m engaged to be married,” Dash said “WHAT?!!” all of them said “What? Is it hard to believe?” Rainbow Dash said “Yes,” Sunset Shimmer, Rarity, and Applejack said “Kind of,” Twilight, Fluttershy, Windy, and Bow said “Congratulations! Should I throw you a Bachelorette?” Pinkie said “Ok… why is it hard to believe, and, not right now Pinkie, I don’t think I’ll be back for a little bit,” Rainbow Dash said “Better question, WHO is your fiancee?” asked Applejack “Spike,” Rainbow Dash said proudly The second she uttered that name, the room went silent. Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity looked at their friend in shock while processing what she just said. Sunset Shimmer was green with envy that HER crush was getting married to Rainbow Dash Fluttershy just stood there, tears falling from her eyes, whoever, everyone mistook them for happy tears, forgetting their past conversation. Pinkie just stood there with a massive toothy grin on her face. “Dashy… are you saying that…” Bow began “The deadliest mercenary/assassin ever, proposed to you?” Windy finished “Yup,” she said proudly “THAT IS SO AWESOME!!!!” they both exclaimed as they hugged their daughter “I KNOW!!” Dash said, “HANG ON A MINUTE!!!” Twilight yelled catching everyone's attention “I doubt that Spike actually got down on one knee to propose to you, so you better explain what actually happened,” “Well, after he defeated me in battle, he refused to kill me, saying that the battle was void do to him not drawing his weapon, he then proceeded to heal me, and then complementing me over and over again, going as far as calling me cute, therefore, following Mercenary rules, valuing me and proposing to me… however, he didn’t kiss me, he said he had a mission to finish and left for the Basilisk fort…” Rainbow Dash said Twilight went silent, she didn’t know what to do or say “W-well, he doesn’t have to kiss you to seal the deal, just the fact that he kept you alive and praised you is enough, I mean, that’s the law,” Bow said (CONTEXT: There is an old mercenary law in Equestria that says that if to 2 or more mercenaries enter into combat, the winner must then execute the losers of the battle, if the winner decides not to kill the losers, out of mercy or other reasons, the losers must now devote their lives to the winner, essentially making them bodyguards or servants of the winner; now, if the winner, actually praises the loser and complements them in any way, that is considered a “Marriage Proposal” since many mercenaries want to leave behind strong offspring to continue their legacies) “Yes, the same thing happened between your father and me… OH! I’m so happy our little girl has found a husband,” Windy said as she hugged her daughter again “W-well, congratulations Dash,” Twilight said gritting her teeth in jealousy “Thanks,” said Dash “Say, I know this is still early, but, should I start buying things for our grandkids?” asked Windy “MOM! I JUST GOT ENGAGED TO HIM!... but, as you taught me, it’s best to be prepared,” Rainbow Dash said turning red This comment made Fluttershy cry, even more, Sunset smashed the cup she had in her hand, and Twilight just stared back with a blank stare. “W-what about Tank?” asked Rarity “Oh, he is coming with me, there is no way I am leaving him behind, he can be incredibly useful for the 2 of us… and his apprentice… well, if you excuse me, I must return to my hubbies side, that’s the rightful place of a wife, see ya later gals, mom and dad,” Dash said as she rushed out of the room toward her apartment to get Tank. “Good luck out there, tell our future son-in-law we said HI!” Windy said as Dash disappeared “So~ that happened,” said Rarity “Well girls, it was nice to see you and hang out with y’all, but I have to go bye some baby products,” Windy said as she left the room “And I better go stop her before she goes ballistic with her shopping spree,” Bow said as he saluted the girls and left. Twilight plopped down on her throne, paler than ever “I-I can’t believe it,” Twilight said “You, me Both…” Applejack said as she sat down too “Well girls, I better head out, I am already a bit late for my quest,” Pinkie said as her phone beeped and she ran out of the room Sunset just stood there, everything that just happened replaying in her head until she walked towards the door, grabbing her backpack in the way. “Wh-where are you going?” Fluttershy asked “For a little “walk”... you wanna come with?” Sunset Shimmer said winking at her “I-I guess, I-I do need some fresh air,” Fluttershy said as she got up and gathered her gear. “See you later girls,” Sunset said as she closed the door behind them “Well, that was also unexpected, wonder where they are going” said Rarity “They are headin’ to Terraria too,” said Applejack “Why would they ever go there?” asked Rarity “Basilisk fort, Spike, their crush, he just got “engaged” to Dash… they are obviously jealous and want to get between ‘em… or join ‘em,” said Applejack “Oh, darling, you have such an imagination,” Rarity said “Then why did they take their armors and weapons with ‘em?” asked Applejack “Good point…” Rarity said as she turned to look at Spike’s drawing “Somethin’ wrong, Princess?” asked Applejack “No… it’s just… it’s like if I’ve seen him somewhere before too… but I can’t put my finger in where?” said Rarity “Oh brother,” Applejack said as she went back to her cider. BACK NEAR TERRARIA “W-where am I?” Gabby said as she awoke in a bed “You’re finally awake! Sorry for the rough treatment, but it was the best way to get you here safely,” a man said as a young male unicorn said as he walked into the room “What are you going to do to me?” asked Gabby panicking a little “Nothing! We just want your help… and your friend’s help as well,” said the man “I’m not following,” said Gabby “The boss will explain everything when he gets here,” said the man “IN THERE!” Peewee said as he and Spike arrived at the entrance of the mine “GABBY! WHERE ARE YOU?!!” Spike said as he ran into the mine, at full speed coming to a stop when he reached a massive, well-lit cave inside the mine. “Spike? I’m here,” Gabby said as she got off the bed and walked out to see him “GABBY! WHERE ARE THE KIDNAPPERS?!” Spike said with rage “Wait, it’s not what you think! They just wanted to catch our attention,” Gabby said “She is right, we don’t mean you any harm,” said the man “YOU!” said Spike “If you are going to blame someone, blame me…” a very attractive unicorn said as she walked out of the shadows “... Greetings Night Dragon, we’ve been waiting for you,” she said as she walked closer to Spike
