BOONAGEV

“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.