Author's Note

The next chapter will NOT be doing chapter 11 next. 'The Whispers From Under The Bed’ will be the next chapter that will be its own fic.

Hope you all enjoy, like and comment for feedback!

Cheers!

Chapter 10 - The Little Favour.

Chapter 10

In the flames of the orange sky, a light shower rained down on Canterlot with plans to have it lashing down as the night continues. With the pegasus’s hard at work, it might even come sooner than expected. It was a cold day, Ditzy felt it when she opened the front door as a taxi was waiting outside Joel’s home. Thanks to Joel, Ditzy didn’t just go out with just her jeans, hoodie and panties, he gave her a spare thermal t-shirt to help stay that little bit warmer. When she got into the passenger seat, Ditzy immediately felt uncomfortable. She was leaving Joel, her protector. She shuffled in her seat, trying to get herself comfy as she sat next to this stranger.

“Good afternoon, miss. Your Ditzy, right?” the taxi man said with a scotash, a crimson unicorn said with a polite smile. Ditzy nodded. “To the Apple Acres?” Ditzy nodded again. “A lass with a few words, ay? No problem, I can keep my trap shut if you’d like.” Ditzy didn’t say nothing, just had her chin in her hand as she looked out her window with a neutral look. The unicorn shrugged and began the drive.

In that drive through the streets, Ditzy was lost in her mind. She couldn’t get rid of the nagging thoughts that Joel put in her head; she also couldn’t stop scuffling in her seat. It wasn’t out of nervousness although she was but, it’s because of what’s in her back pocket. It was when she got changed and got herself downstairs with a small blush still on her face, Joel waited for her at the bottom of the stairs.

“Ditzy, can I steal you for a moment, its important.” Joel said, an urgent look on his face.
You’ve already stole the most important part of me…

“Sure, what’s up?” Ditzy said with a smile. Joel didn’t reply, he just walked to the basement door, making Ditzy quite anxious. Last time she went down there, she didn’t like what she saw. Blood all over the concrete floor and on the medical tools, weapons that filled a table and wall, she can say with certainty that the basement wasn’t her favourite room in the house.

Looking around himself, he checked for any peaking toms as he unlocked the padlock holding the door closed and entered down. Reluctantly, she followed, closing the door behind her. When they reached the bottom, Joel flipped the only light bulb in the room and headed straight to the rows of guns.

“Have you ever used a gun before, Ditzy?” Joel asked, inspecting some of the pistols that laid still and ready to be used. Ditzy blinked at that question.

“N-no, never.” She replied slowly, slightly on edge about where this was going.

“Well, I’m going to show you the basics of handling a pistol.” Joel said, picking up one gun in particular, the Colt M1911 pistol with a suppressor attached, an accurate and easy pistol to handle. He checked the mag before handing over the pistol in Ditzy’s shaky hands. She looked at it dumbfounded as she felt her body tremble just by holding it. She looked back up to Joel with a afraid look, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

“Joel, I don’t think this is a good idea, I don’t want to know this kind of stuff.” Ditzy said with a panicked tone, trying to give the gun back to Joel. He pushed the back to her.

“From now on, where ever you go when I’m not there, you’ll have this gun in your back pocket.” Joel explained, making her grab the grip of the pistol. It felt so alien to Ditzy as she held this gun, the weight being heavier than expected. “Feel the weight, remember the shape of the grip, this gun will be your best friend as long as you live. If you look after it, it will look after you.” Joel said, walking up behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder as he guided her with his arms.

“First rule of using a firearm is to always keep the muzzle in a safe direction, don’t want to shoot your own friends, now do we?” Joel whispered in the ear of the shaky pegasus. “The second rule is to always assume that the gun is fully loaded, like I said, you don’t want to shoot your friends accidentally.” Joel murmured, feeling her body tremble.

“I can’t do it, it’s too much.” Ditzy said, a tremor in her shaky voice.

“You have to, Ditzy.” Joel persistent as he held her waist still. “I’m not always going to be there for you, there are going to be times where I won’t be there to save the day. That night, it was a stroke of luck that I came across you. Think about your daughter, your daughter was taken from you. Do this for her, do this to protect the people you care about.” Joel said comfortingly, holding her still as he let Ditzy calm down. “You’re a mother, Dinky is relying on you to keep her safe in this shit hole of a city. If that means pulling a trigger… so be it.” Ditzy listened carefully as his words settled in within her, her heart racing as he slowly raised her arm with the gun in her hand until it was level to her eyes. She looked down the sight as it was aimed at a familiar hanging mask.

“When you want to fire your weapon, you always check to see if the safe is off.” Joel said in a calming tone, coming to her side to flip the switch off safety. “Next, you pull the hammer back.” Joel said, showing Ditzy as he used his thumb to pull it back into place. “And when your ready… fire.” Joel breathed to her ear, sending shivers down her spine as she hesitated. She didn’t want to do it, what Joel wanted her to use this for was madness. She didn’t know how he could hold this thing and not waver in killing someone. Hell, she was just aiming at a mask, and she was nervous about pulling the trigger. Ditzy closed her eyes as she tried to calm herself down. What he said was true however, she was too weak to prevent her daughter from being taken from her, she had to rely on a stranger to save her just in time. Tonight, Joel isn’t going to be there to save the day, it would only be her who would stand in the way of whoever tried to take away Dinky. She couldn’t hesitate, not in that millisecond where her daughter’s life is on the line. She can’t be weak, not now.

“Deep breaths, calm yourself down. Don’t think, don’t hesitate, just… fire!” Joel said softly. It was like a spell as his words played in her head.
Calm my breathing… Don’t think… Don’t hesitate… just fire… For Dinky…

Her nervousness disappeared; her eyes looked straight with purpose as her breathing was controlled. She was ready to shoot, she squeezed the trigger and… Joel quickly grabbed the suppressor and quickly pressed it against his head as he swiftly moved in front of the barrel.

*Pift!*

Ditzy’s heart spiked to a new level as she pulled the trigger, hyperventilating as Joel stood there with the suppressor in his hand and pointed at his head. She heard the bullet case hit the floor with a metallic twang and her shaky hands let go of the pistol as she slowly stepped back with a mortified look on her face. She shot him… She shot him in the head… she killed him. She dropped to her knees, holding her heart as her eyes were wide as she babbled inconsolably. She heard his body fall to his knees in front of her. Why did he do that? Why did he move in front of her? He wasn’t supposed to do that. She didn’t have the gall to look up to meet his dead eyes, she could imagine how lifeless they were as blood trickled down his head.

“You felt it.” Said a faint tone that made Ditzy inhale. Slowly, she looked up from the floor and met the eyes of Joel who wore a big grin. “Do you feel it, your heart racing? Your adrenaline rushing? You thought you killed me, didn’t you.” Joel said as he panted himself, feeling his own heart race of the sudden rush.

“How aren’t you dead? I shot you in the head?” Ditzy said, her eyes going watery.

“The bullet is a blank, it doesn’t shoot, it just makes a loud bang.” Joel said, panting slightly.

“You… you—why did you do that, you fucking asshole!” Ditzy yelled as tears spilled from her cheeks, yelling and punching his chest weakly. “Why did you do that… Why did you do that to me?” She sobbed, grabbing him by the collar.

“I needed you to know what it feels like to kill someone, to pull the trigger and take someone’s life. I needed you to feel like I was your first kill so the next time you pull the trigger, you won’t feel the dread within that eats you alive. I just did you a massive favour.” Joel said, feeling his heart race back to normal. “You need to know how to kill, to protect yourself, to protect your little daughter.”

Ditzy didn’t know what to say, she could only grip his shirt tighter and growl as she continued, hitting him lightly as he let her spill her emotions like a fountain. She was shaken up and angry about what Joel did to her but, it was the only way to know what weight a gun can hold when she takes a life, make her accustomed to know what carrying a gun means, that’s what she was thinking about as she lost track of time with each turn the taxi made.

Ditzy couldn’t wrap her head round it, the killing stuff. Why kill? She could just injure them into submission. One bullet to the leg or arm would do the trick, surely. She felt sick of the thought of killing, so you could imagine how long she stayed in the bath room when they left the basement. Joel smiled as Ditzy pulled the trigger, metaphorically killing him. He knew but, he had so much thrill out of it, like he enjoyed faking his death. Joel told her that he wanted to die but, to play with death like that… that’s insane.

“Ditzy, are you okay? You’re crying.” A drake said in the seat behind her. Ditzy wiped her cheeks and sure enough, her finger tips shining from the liquid.

“Yeah, I’m fine, Spike… just worried.” Ditzy said apprehensively, cleaning her face of the rest of the tears.

“Don’t worry about him. I’m sure he’ll be fine, he’s tough.” Spike said reassuringly, patting her shoulder. No one said a word the rest of the uneventful drive as Ditzy went back to her troubling thoughts, Dinky was silent as she was on her phone and Spike… well, Spike was thanking god that he wasn’t going with Joel. Don’t get him wrong, Spike and Joel are cool but, Spike wasn’t looking forward to be fighting again, not after last time. This… looking after Ditzy and Dinky for 500$, now that he can do.

Arriving at the white fencing of Sweet Apple Acres, Spike tipped the drive with kind regards. They all flipped they’re hoods up as the rain got a little heavier, feeling little pats on their heads as they walked the path that led to Applejack’s farm. Thunder lit up the world for a moment, revealing the rows of apple trees, shivering in the wind as its arms reached out to grab the three new faces at the orchard. Dinky tugged on Ditzy’s jacket as she stuck close to her, afraid as the wind whispered in her ear. The gravel under their feet made them trudge, the soul of the shoes being sucked in with each step.

Spike heard stories about Sweet Apple Acres, some say the Apple family have been suffering with Timber Wolves attacks on the farm animals. Some say that Granny Smith’s spirit haunts the Apple Family. Some say that people go missing by a beast of the Everfree, a monster that searches for the ones that wonder at night and hunts them down like animals. They call it The Hunter… There are more stories and theories about the Apple family, some darker than others. Some theoretically possible and some out right ridiculous. Despite the history of their apple business, the family will always be known for their stories.

It didn’t take long for them to make it to shelter but, the time they got there, they were drenched. Multiple trucks were parked up at the side of the house, one of them being the familiar red 4x4 truck that Applejack loves. At the front of the red planked house was an orange and yellow earth-bound men, sitting and talking in the shelter of the porch, the orange one holding a double-barrel shotgun. As Spike, Ditzy and Dinky got closer to the lantern perched beside the top of the porch, the men could just about see three outlines of figures. The orange one immediately got up and raised his weapon, making the three freeze and Dinky hiding behind Ditzy.

“Y’all just stay right there, vermin.” The orange man with a stetson hat on said with a passive-aggressive southern tone, his eyes narrowed as he looked down the sights. He was a well-built man with blond short hair and beard, the deep blue eyes that looked between the strangers of the farm. “What is y’all business here?”

“My daughter is here for the sleepover.” Ditzy responded, anxiously looking down the barrel of the shot gun.

“Look man, just let us in. It’s cold and if you can’t tell, its raining.” Spike challenged, glaring as he slowly reached for his back pocket.

“Now now, there is no need for this ruckus, y’all. Please, come in and get warm.” Said the yellow man who also wore a stetson. “My name is Braeburn, this is my knuckle-headed brother, Applebuck.” Braeburn introduced, making Applebuck sneer by his brother’s lax state as he lowered his shotgun.

“My name is Ditzy, this is my friend, Spike and this is my daughter, Dinky.” Ditzy introduced, calming down a bit.

“That compassion of yours is going to get ya killed, brother.” Applebuck muttered harshly, tossing the shotgun towards Braeburn as he walked in with a huff. When Ditzy finally let go of the breath she didn’t know she held, her heart skipped a beat as she realised that her right hand was resting on her concealed gun that was tucked into the back of her jeans. When did her hand reach for the gun? What would she do with it? The question that scared her the most was… would she pull the trigger?

“Please don’t mind him, he ain’t the friendly type when it come to newcomers. Please, come in.” Braeburn said, stepping aside as the three quickly hurried in with haste. When they first stepped in, they could immediately see how homey it was by the classic bland wall paper and furniture around the room. Something was off however, the power was off, and candles were lit around the room, giving the atmosphere a portentous feeling. Before they could go any further, Braeburn stopped them. “Hold your horses, y’all. Stay here while I get some towels.” He said, walking away and up the stairs. Applebuck sat on the sofa, listening to the radio as country music played, he gave Spike the side eye as Spike did the same.

“Howdy, y’all.” A young southern voice cheered, and Dinky smiled brightly as she came from behind Ditzy.

“Applebloom!” Dinky exclaimed, who was going to rush in for a hug but, realised that she was soaking. “Where is everyone?” Dinky said, buzzing with excitement.

“Upstairs, we are going to watch a scary movies soon! Wanna come?” Applebloom said spookily, making Dinky’s smile falter.

“I—would—love too.” Dinky said hesitantly, looking over to Spike with a pleading look.

“Great! Let’s go!” Applebloom beamed.

“Not as wet as a dog they ain’t, little missy.” Said the older sister, coming from the kitchen. “Howdy, y’all.” The familiar element of honest greeted but, seeing the other two guests, she quickly frowned. She didn’t have any beef with any of them but, Spike was friends with a human which is heavily frowned upon, and Ditzy… she’s alright but, the two have history.

“Here y’all go, nice, warm towels. Straight out from the boiler.” Braeburn said as he came back down the stairs, three towels with different colours neatly stacked on one another. Once they took the soft fabric, they all felt the warm towel battling with their dripping cold hands.

“Come on, Spike. I’m sure Big Mac wouldn’t mind if ya would wear some of his clothing.” Braeburn chuckled. Spike deadpanned. Spike was sure Big Mac was around 6’2 in hight. With a sigh, he followed him.

“Y’all better get changed too, me and Applejack will sort y’all out.” Applebloom said, grabbing Ditzy’s hand pulling her upstairs with eagerness. Then it was just Applejack and Ditzy, in an awkward silence as they both stared at one another. Ditzy always felt this uneasiness between Applejack and herself. She would always see a glimpse of Applejack giving her the side eye, and Ditzy knew why. Applejack broke the silence.

“Come on then, I’ll take ya to my room.” Applejack mumbled, turning and walking off up the stairs. Wordlessly, Ditzy followed. In Applejack’s room, Ditzy stood in the middle of her room as she undressed herself until she was naked like the day she was born, waiting for Applejack to pick her out a piece of clothing for her to wear. While Applejack was turned away from Ditzy, Ditzy slyly hid her pistol under the sheets of the bed. Once Ditzy was happy with the coverage, she began to dry herself off. While she was doing so, she had a good look around the room. She had a king-sized bed in the far middle of the room, a window overlooking the trees at its side. Frames of painted people with old fashioned clothing and a steel stare on one wall, underneath them paintings was a desk littered with unorganised documents, bottles of cider and smaller pictures of the family. Just like downstairs, candles were spread around the room with a flaming scent and warm aroma.

“So… where have ya bin these passed days? Haven’t seen ya in the cafeteria this week.” Applejack suddenly said, going from hanger to hanger in her wardrobe, seemingly in no rush. Ditzy was going to open her mouth to speak but, quickly remembered her unique ability to sense the truth with anyone she speaks too. She would have to be careful with what she says. She should at least try and avoid the question.

“It’s personal, I don’t want to talk about it.” Ditzy muttered, finishing with drying herself off as she covered herself with the towel. Applejack froze for a second before continuing with scanning through her clothing a moment later. Applejack just hummed to that answer.

“Y’know, when I first saw ya at my front door, I didn’t recognise ya for a second. Ya looked… jittery, ready for something to happen, different from how ya act in school… did something happen?” Applejack said inquisitively, pulling out a long-sleeved red flannel checked shirt and black jeans.

“It’s nothing, Applejack… it’s just… I don’t want to talk about it.” Ditzy said with a frown as she was handed the clothes. Applejack just looked at Ditzy with a saddened look before turning away to the draws where her underwear was.

“Okay… I understand.” Applejack said with a sigh, pulling the draw out. It went silent after that, waiting for Applejack to pick out a suitable pair of underwear until Ditzy broke the stillness,

“We haven’t talked about… you know… that day..” Ditzy said with a guilty frown. “Does it affect you still?”

Applejack picked out a black bra, panties and socks, looking back with a miserable look. “Yeah… it still does.” Applejack said with a tired tone, tossing the underwear that Ditzy barely caught.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Ditzy asked. Applejack just sighed as she sat on the end of the bed, a tired look on her face as she rubbed her eyes. that day… she didn’t want to talk about the downfall of the Apple Family. The death of Granny Smith.

“No… just get changed and go home, I can drop Dinky off at school tomorrow.” Applejack murmured, a sad look on her face she faced the floor.

“Actually… I was planning to stay the night. I want to stay close to Dinky, no offence but, I only trust myself to keep Dinky safe.” Ditzy said, sitting next to Applejack as she wrapped her arm around Applejack’s shoulder and draped her wing around her waist in a one-sided embrace. “With stories of people going missing, lets just say I’m a very paranoid mother.”

“Yeah, I hear ya.” Applejack agreed, leaning on Ditzy’s shoulder as Ditzy stroked her arm comfortingly. Ditzy barely knew Applejack on a personal level but, she did know that taking off her mask and showing these kind of emotion is a rare sight to see. Applejack is known for her honesty but, she was also known for controlling her emotions in public. Being one of the oldest students in Canterlot High School, Ditzy knew she was hiding the little girl within, Ditzy does the same with her daughter. So, in that moment of silence, Ditzy let Applejack use her shoulder as she sniffed softly.

“What’s the deal with Spike? Why has he come along?” Applejack asked, her eyes drooping as she made herself comfortable.

“He was asked to come by—you know who.” Ditzy said, quickly compromised as she was going to mention Joel.

“Dinky… it’s a bad idea to let her hang around Spike. If ya don’t know, Spike is friends with the human.” Applejack said, her eyes fluttering closed to rest her eyes. Ditzy didn’t like that response but, she kept her mouth shut. After a few minutes of silence, Ditzy let go of Applejack.

“Come on, Applejack. I need to get dressed.” Ditzy said, making Applejack sigh as she sat back straight, got up and picked up Ditzy’s wet clothes.

“Okay, I’ll leave ya alone.” Applejack said with a smile, leaving and closing the door behind her.

Rarity: Anything happen yet, Rainbow? Any unwanted visitors?😕

Dash: Nah, it’s been quiet… Too quiet. I don’t like it.😓

Sunset: It’s getting dark and cold, I think it’s best if we head home before we freeze to death.🥶

Twilight: Okay, be safe.🙏

Dash: Wait!

Dash: Me and Sunset can see something!

Pinkie: What is it?😶

Sunset: There is something standing at the side of her cottage!

Dash: it’s looking threw her window!

Rarity: Who is it?😟

Sunset: He’s gone, he’s gone around the back!

Twilight: Do you know what he’s doing?😐

Dash: I don’t know, it’s too dark to tell, Fluttershy’s lights are out.

Sunset: he’s circling around the front…

Sunset: Wait!

Sunset: He’s knocking on her door.

Dash: We are going to get a closer look.

Soarin: The fuck is going on?😒

Dash: He’s trying to kick down the door!

Dash: HE’S BROKEN IN!!!

Soarin: fucking hell…😯

Sunset: Fuck this, we’re going in!”😡

Twilight: Please be careful! I’m on my way!

Flash: Holy shit… I just read the chat.😨

Pinkie: Me too, I’ll be there in a jiffy!😫

Rarity: Is everything okay, Sunset?😟

Rarity: Dash? Are you still there?

Twilight: [calling Dash…]

Twilight: [Dash missed call…]

Twilight: [calling Sunset…]

Twilight: [Sunset missed call…]

Twilight: I don’t like this one bit.😰

Pinkie: Keep calling, I’m nearly there!

Twilight: [calling Dash...]

Rarity: [calling Sunset…]

Twilight: [Dash missed call…]

Rarity: [Sunset missed call…]

Twilight: [calling Dash…]

Rarity: [calling Sunset…]

Twilight: [Dash missed call…]

Twilight: FUCKING PICK UP RAINBOW!

Rarity: [Sunset missed call…]

Flash: Shit! Fuck! Sunset better be okay, I swear to Celestia!

Cheese: WTF! I just woke up to this!😨

Twilight: [calling Dash…]

Rarity: [calling Sunset…]

Feather: The fuck is happening!

Twilight: [Dash missed call…]

Pinkie: SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE! SUNSET HAS BEEN STABBED!

Flash: FUCK!! SHIT!! NOOO!

Rarity: [Sunset missed call…]

Twilight: [calling 911...]

Spike had never been to a sleepover before when he was younger, the closest thing he got to a sleepover was staying up with Twilight and reading step by step on the rules of a slumber party guide. Never again! Now however, he was embarrassed to say he was having a good time playing board games and video games with a bunch of little kids. At first, he thought it was going to be a headache when they started making fun of him for the clothes that were too big on him. He wore blue jeans, with a grey checked shirt and a dark green fleece waistcoat with dry underwear and socks. Dinky wore dark blue jeans and a pink work shirt that belonged to Applebloom.

The sleepover was chaotic. In the sleepover Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had invited many of their friends over, Babs Seed hung around Apple Bloom since she was nervous around new people, Featherweight had fun playing with Button Mash and Rumble on the video games, Sweetie Belle sitting next to a certain brown earth-bound boy as she watched and slurped on her strawberry milkshake. Pipsqueak, Dinky, Snips, Snails Silver Spoon and Scootaloo were playing hide and seek around the upstairs with Spike being the seeker while Twist, Applebloom and Bab Seed was speaking about cutie marks.

Everyone got together when it was scary movie time, some were understandably nervous and some were excited to watch the newest horror movie called Flash Sentry’s handwriting… It gave Spike the jitters. No, seriously though, it was called The Whispers From Under The Bed. If Spike was being honest with himself, some of the jump scares made Spike jump as almost all the kids clinged onto or hid behind Spike as the movie continued. Once the movie was done, everyone’s hearts slowed as the end credits appeared. After that, the group of kids and drake got into a circle and played Truth or Dare!

Applebloom spun the bottle with enthusiasm as the kids in the circle waited apprehensively. When the slowly stopped at a stand-still, the bottle pointed at Rumble. “Ya are it, Rumble! Truth or dare!” Applebloom asked, leaning forward eagerly as she planned what to make Rumble do or say. Rumble smirked and crossed his arms.

“Dare! Give me your best shot!” Rumble dared the tempted Applebloom, tapping her cheek as a devious smile grew.

“You're into ya fitness, right? I dare ya to arm wrestle me. If ya beat me in an arm wrestle, I’ll do whatever ya want me to do but, if I win, ya have to kiss your crush on the cheek.” Applebloom declared, making Rumble wipe the smile from his face.

“Huh…what! I can’t win in an arm wrestle against you, you would destroy me! No fair!” Rumble complained, his wings rustling in protest.

“Oh well… Guess ya have to kiss ya crush on the cheek.” Applebloom shrugged, a shit-eating grin on her face. Rumble just growled.

“My crush isn’t here,” Rumble grumbled, crossing his arms defiantly.

“Are you sure, Rumble~?” Sweetie Belle joined in, snidely smiling with a glimmer in her eye as she enjoyed the way the pegasus blushed with sweat dripping. Spike didn’t know if he should participate in this game, Spike had never played this game but, the stories that were told about this game ruined friendships as it reveals personal and dark secrets. In other words, it was an evil game. This is gonna be a hell of a night if this game turns for the worst.

Downstairs where the Apple family spoke to one another with cider in their hands and music playing in the background, Ditzy shuffled for the dozenth time as she couldn’t get comfortable with the pistol poking the bone bit of her ass. She conversed with Braeburn, Big Mac, Applejack and many of Applejack’s cousins, smiling gently as she was sensible with each sip of the jug of cider. Ditzy was never a big alcoholic person, she barely drank at all but, she must admit, she wouldn’t mind having a few more of the juicy goodness. She would have to look out for this Apple Cider next time she goes to the store.

After a few hours went by, the party really got started as the music was turned up as the upbeat song got most up from their seats and dancing. Their boots clanked with each tap, and their movement would sometimes intertwine with a partner as they linked arms and spun to the fast beat. Ditzy laughed and clapped along as she watched them dance like they never danced before. Ditzy would never have gotten up to dance but, thanks to the beverage giving a slight buzz of confidence, Ditzy took Applejack’s hand and did what she considered dancing. She didn’t know what she looked like as she had her eyes closed and did what felt right that went with the song, she lost track of how many times she had stumbled to the floor.

With another few hours gone, the rain was lashing it down as thunder cracked the night sky every so often. Applejack’s cousins had said their fair wells as they all took off. After they had left, Ditzy went upstairs to see how Dinky was. When she opened the door to the room with muffled chatter and laughs, Ditzy tried to contain her laughter as Dinky and the rest of the kids placed all sorts of makeup on Spike's face. Never has she ever seen a more traumatised look. That moment has scarred Spike from having kids of his own.

Freeing Spike from his tormentors, Applejack brought up some sleeping bags and pillows for each individual. With the boy-girl rule at the forefront of Applejack’s mind, she separated the girls and boys into different rooms, Spike staying with the boys and Ditzy staying with the girls. With that being settled, Ditzy and Spike stayed up a little longer.

“No way! He’s not good enough to get passed me.” Spike said, crossing his arms as he slouched in his seat.

“Flash did get passed you a few times though, he could match Rainbow Dash in speed if he really tried hard enough,” Applejack interjected, taking a puff of a ciggy and flicking the ash into an ashtray.

“Please… The kid has two left feet, he has pace but, he couldn’t even dribble passed Big Mac… No offence of course.” Spike added, smiling nervously as Big Mac gave a huff.

“I cannot tribute to this conversation at all.” Ditzy chuckled, taking a pull of her own ciggy. “All I know is that you think you can take Flash in a 50-50, Spike. Sounds ballsy.”

“What? Don’t think I can beat him?” Spike said, offended by her claim.

“I’m not saying you can’t, I haven’t had the chance to see any of you play soccer to judge.” Ditzy shrugged, killing the debate completely. After a moment of silence, Big Mac spoke up.

“So… Spike, is it true about you and the human?” He asked, making Applejack lean forward in attention. Spike knew it was a matter of time before this question would be asked and with Applejack around, this won’t be easy.

“Yeah… it’s true.”

“Why though? Surely ya ain’t stupid enough to know that this would backfire on you.” Applejack said with a scrutinised look. Spike sighed.

“Of course I knew but—”

“But what? If you knew what would happen, why bother?” Applejack interrupted, making Spike frown.

“He needed a friend; everyone needs a friend. I thought—I thought if I been the first to be his friend, everyone else would warm up to him, you know… it’s not right to neglect Joel because of his race.” Spike said with a serious look, standing by what he said. Big Mac just scoffed, and Applejack narrowed her brows.

“I sense that was only a half truth, what was the other reason?” Applejack said in a certain tone. Spike just leaned back in his seat, looking up at the ceiling with a far look.

“Because of Rosette…” muttered Spike, a spike of pain in his heart from just saying her name.

“What do you mean?” Ditzy said, a pang of sorrow filling the room.

“When Rosette passed away… I felt—hollow. I gave myself a reality check and it turned out; I didn’t like how I was. I used to hang around The Wonder Colts, I use to be the hot shot of the school, I thought I was the best as I was a dragon. I didn’t like humans at first too, I thought they was nothing but trouble. But… When I told Rosette that, she slapped the fuck out of me. Turns out she was friends with a human.” Spike murmured, making both Big Mac’s and Applejack’s brows to shoot up in shock.

“Hold on a second there… are ya telling me that Rosette was a…” Spike just nodded, closing his eyes as he in visualised Rosette in all her grace. “Huh… I would have never of thought.” Applejack muttered, leaning back into her chair with her mouth slightly open with a stunned look.

“So… When Rosette was finished kicking my ass, she told me all about the human. To say I was angry with Rosette was an understatement, I was furious with her.” Spike cracked up, a tear running down his closed eye, sniffing lightly. “So… I walked home angry, leaving Rosette alone.” Spike said with a shaky breath, Ditzy pulling him close as Spike tried his best to hold his tears. “Then—then the next day, Rosette was found dead in an alleyway. I was devastated, I was destroyed, I hated myself and I felt no better than a human. That’s when I started to change… started to be distant… I wanted to find a resemblance of peace. So… I became friends with Joel, I wanted to be better, I wanted to show Rosette that I could change. So… what better way to change than to be a friend with a human?” Spike sob, crying softly into Ditzy as she hid him. Applejack and Big Mac didn’t go unaffected, Big Mac just looked up at the ceiling with a deep sigh and Applejack just took a long swig of cider as she slightly pulled the front of her stetson down over her face.

The room went completely silent after that, the mood of the room being gloomy and full of regret. Applejack’s mind was in a disarray of depressing thoughts. The pain of grieving over a loved on and leaving it on a bitter note must be terrible, she couldn’t imagine having a fight with a loved one only for that loved one to die in the most awful way, to never apologise to that loved one. Applejack couldn’t think she could live with that type of burden. That guilt would be the death of her.

“Do ya regret being friends with the human?” Big Mac said, looking back over to Spike after some contemplation. Calming down, Spike pushed away from Ditzy as he looked over to Big Mac with a tired look.

“I don’t know… Only time will tell.” Spike said after some time.

“Oh shit… OH FUCK!” Applejack quickly jumped up, nearly stumbling over as she had a horrified look on her face as she stared at her phone. “I need to go!” Applejack exclaimed, wobbling over as she nearly fell in her drunk state.

“Sis, sit back down! Ya not going anywhere like that!” Big Mac barked, getting up and catching Applejack before she fell to the floor. “Ya drunk!”

“NO! I have to go! Sunset is in trouble! She’s been STABBED!” Applejack said hysterically, shrugging Big Mac off with force, making her stumble to the floor with tears in her eyes. The story of how Rosette’s death must have spooked her good. “I have to go!” Big Mac cringed, he looked back at Spike and Ditzy before he looked back at Applejack with a conflicted expression. He cursed under his breath.

“Y’all two stay here! We won’t be long!” Big Mac ordered, pulling Applejack to her feet as he supported her up as he picked up two jackets before leaving for the front door. Both Ditzy and Spike blinked in surprised as Spike finished up wiping his eyes. As the sound of a muffled engine faded away, the two sighed. Spike checked his watch and his eyes widened at the time.

“It’s 11:53, I’m going to be tired tomorrow.” Spike murmured, feeling his head pulse.

“I think its my bedtime, are you coming up too?” Ditzy said, taking the last pull of her ciggy before putting the remains in the ashtray as she got up with a stretch, grunting lightly.

“Yeah… lets go.” Spike said, standing up with a downtrodden face. Ditzy frown at his beaten look.

“Hey, if you want to get anything off your chest, I’m always here to listen.” Ditzy said, stroking his back softly as his expression didn’t change.

“I’ll be okay, I think I just need some rest.” Spike rubbed his eyes, walking towards the stairs with only one thing on his mind.

When Spike laid his head on the pillow, he planned to sleep for a week but, the rain pelting the window and thunder booming in his ear stopped him from getting any sleep. Spike hadn’t heard Applejack or Big Mac enter through the door yet and they have been gone for quite awhile now. He hoped that they were okay, and Sunset is in safe hands. So, as he laid there, facing up at the ceiling with only one thing on his mind. His beloved Rosette. He hated the way he is slowly forgetting her blissful voice, the gorgeousness of her face, the feeling of her lips on his but, he won’t forget the memories they had together, the love he had for her, the feeling of safety when he was around her. he missed it, he missed it all. Spike pulled out his Glock, he couldn’t see it but, he could feel the outline. Slowly, he felt the smooth surface of the barrel, his fingers making there way down to the trigger and too the grip as he held it firmly, finger on the trigger.

He felt oddly satisfying as he inspected his weapon blindly, he could lay here all night and feel every trace of this piece. He felt the power this gun held, the thrill of pulling the trigger, the elation of firing it at another living being. He hated to admit it but, his dragon blood ached for more blood to spill by his hands. He hated how his fingers twitched, the fire in his throat rising as his temper grew, his mind full of murder in the process… is he becoming like Frank? A full tilted murderer? Spike didn’t like the sound of that but, ever since his first kill, it has felt like its something he has been craving for. The gratifying moment of the enemy’s death, the blood splattering on the floor, the smell of iron filling his nostrils, is this what the dragon feels? Is this their nature? Spike didn’t know and he hated that he didn’t know enough about himself to judge his own actions. Sure, he killed bad people, that’s bad but, is these thoughts and feelings normal for a dragon. He wished he knew.

Spike didn’t have the energy to sit up but, when his stomach started to growl, he moaned softly.

He was hungry…

Slowly wriggling out of his sleeping bag, Spike got up and used his phone’s light to step over the other sleeping bags with the boys in. As gently as he could, he opened the door, failing to be quiet as the door screeched open. Closing the door behind him, Spike found himself in a hallway that glistened with the moonlight from the end of the hallway. Pictures of the apple family he didn’t recognise, there was a cabinet with on both sides of an expensive looking vase, a picture of Granny Smith smiling in her youth hanging above. He didn’t know Granny Smith but, he’s heard about the success she had with the apple business. Back in the day, they say Granny Smith’s apples were none like they have ever tasted, they said it was the future to the taste buds of many around the world. Unfortunately, with competition shadowing the apple business through the years, people so we’re divided between junk food and health. Granny tried everything to keep the business at the top of the rest by introducing the Apple Cider beverage to bars in Canterlot, Manehattan, Appleloosa, Las Pegasus and Fillydelphia but, it wasn’t enough to stay at the top. She had a good run though and made the family millionaires with the apple business still going.

Before he could reminisce more about the incredible woman’s achievements in her sporty side of history, his stomach rumbled again, reminding him why he’s up in the first place.

Walking down the stairs with care to not make much noise, Spike prayed for there to be more than just apples in the fridge and cupboards. Reaching the bottom, Spike strode to the kitchen, letting his phone light guide the way on the bottom floor. Spike opened the fridge first, licking his lips as the first thing he spotted was a meat stick and strawberries ironically enough. Not seeing anything else that caught his eye, he picked up the contained strawberries and meat stick out as his stomach approved.

He sat down at the dining table, slowly eating as he wondered how Joel is. Is he still alive or is he buried in a ditch somewhere? He hoped that wasn’t the case, he was starting to enjoy the human’s company. He always wondered what the deal was with Leo, that human was a mysterious figure and seemed like a nice guy but, Joel personally taught him not to judge a book by its cover, for all Spike knew, Leo has just led Joel into a ambush. It was a cursed thought but, he was sure Joel could handle himself, if he could come out with knives sticking out of every limb in his body and continue fighting, he was sure he could fight a seven nation army and still come out alive.

He thought about Fluttershy and her misfortune. If he was completely honest, it would be for the best for Fluttershy to stay with her friends. If she was caught with Joel, the whole school would rip her to pieces and Spike was worried she couldn’t handle the hate that people would bring, with Feather Bang on the loose too, he could get away with pretty much anything without consequence. The school would do what they wanted and because she’s a girl, he didn’t want to think what they would do to her. He was happy she is safe and sound at Joel’s house, it’s the best place for her after what happened.

Then there’s Ditzy and Dinky, Joel said Dinky was almost taken and he will be forever grateful for saving her life, Spike wouldn’t know what he would do if someone else in his life disappeared without a trace. He knew what happened to Dinky but, Ditzy… He could only imagine what happened to her. Whatever did happen, she was taking it well or she’s hiding the pain with a smile. Is she hurting? Is she okay? He hoped that she was okay.

Before his thoughts wondered to Twilight, he heard the sound of crunching gravel from outside as a vehicle pulled up. Not thinking much of it, he took the final bite of his meat stick and walked over to the curtains that obstructed the windows. He looked through the window to see two motorbikes and… a… van in the pouring rain. A white van. Spike’s eyes widened as he didn’t see Applejack or Big Mac step out. instead, 5 men with balaclavas stepped out with baseball bats and are equipped with rifles that looked advanced compared to the thugs. Only then did he realise who these were.

The Coyotes…

Quickly, Spike turned off his phone’s torch and rushed upstairs, waking up everyone up immediately being his first priority. First he opened the door to the girls room, flicking the lights on and headed straight to Ditzy who snuggled up to Dinky with her arms and wings wrapped around her. He shook her quickly, his heart racing as Ditzy’s eyes shot open with fear, seeing it was only Spike she look worried by his frantic face.

“There’s no time, the people that took your daughter are here! We need to hide the kids!” Spike whispered quickly, making her widen.

“What!” Ditzy whispered back, her heart rate skyrocketing.

“No time, we need to hide the kids!” Spike said urgently, getting up. “Everyone up! Come on, get up!” Spike demanded to the sleepy girls as they rubbed their eyes from the light. Before Applebloom could ask questions, Spike sprinted out of the room. With Ditzy’s heart hammering in her chest, she ushered the girls out the room to all their confusion. Once she got them all out, she saw that Spike got the boys out too, even picking up the half asleep Button Mash in his arms. Wordlessly, he pointed up at the ceiling behind her, she turned to see an outline of an attic.

*Knock, Knock, Knock!*

Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat by the hard knocks on the door from downs stairs, making Spike bring out his Glock and Ditzy to rest her hand on her own.

“W-who is that?” Dinky asked, fearfully shaking as she stayed close to Ditzy.

“Bad men, Dinky. We need to be quiet now.” Ditzy replied, making Dinky’s eyes water as her heart pounded in her chest. Wasting no time, Spike jumped up and pulled the staircase to the attic. Quickly, the kids ran up one by one until it was just Spike and Ditzy.

*SMASH!*

A sound of a window smashed downstairs and faint voices was heard.

“What now?” Ditzy asked, holding her pistol with a shaky hand.

“Stay with the kids, defend them with your life. Whoever opens the attic, just shoot them.” Spike said instantly, a determined look on his face as he felt his flames in his belly rise. Ditzy nodded but, before Ditzy went up, Spike grabbed her wrist as he looked in her eyes with a strange calmness. “Don’t think, just shoot, remember that.” Spike ordered. He let go of her as she went up, Spike’s words playing on repeat in her mind.
Don’t think, just Shoot…
Don’t think, just shoot…
Don’t think, just shoot…

The intruders didn’t knock again, with force they entered threw the front door, some entering the threw the back door as baseball bats were up and rifles were raised. The balaclava-masked men spread out across the ground floor, looking in every cupboard, closet and room. Ditzy could hear them even from way up in the attic, opening and slamming doors, smacking plates and cups, flipping furniture over trying to find something… Trying to find them. The children hung onto one another behind boxes and crates, all shivering as they listened to the bad men below destroy the house.

“Just remember, let’s just get the kids and get the hell out of here.” One man said, holding a baseball bat around his shoulders.

“No way, I’m getting a piece of that orange bitch before I go.” A pegasus sniggered, taking a strawberry from the table and chewing it whole.

“That’s not the deal, Cheetah. You can fuck the girls back at the crib; we don’t have time for that shit.” The unicorn said, a knife in his magic grip and a pistol in hand.

“Come on, we could at least take her then… she would be a good catch.” Cheetah whined.

“No, we’ve been ordered to leave The Harmony Girls. Their time will come.”

“The ground floor is clear, I’m going up. Someone cover me.” An earthbound person said with professionalism, carrying an M16 in his grasp.

“I’ll be with you boys in a second, I’m hungry.” The human said, heading towards the kitchen. Ditzy started to shake as she heard the deliberate slow steps, each step making Ditzy sweat, gulping as she couldn’t help the weight on her shoulders.

“Get ready, boys. It’s about to get chaotic.” One of the men chuckled as they all scattered to each door on the first floor. It was silent after that, Ditzy thought that they had disappeared. Ditzy was waiting for something to happen, the hairs on the back her of neck stood on end, her blood turning cold of the thought of the staircase lowering.

The loud bang of the doors opening, and shouting had the kids sniffing and weeping as even more furniture being flipped and talking got louder. Ditzy tried to calm them down as quietly as possible but, the gun in her hand only scared them more and more.

“FUCK SAKE! WHERE ARE THEY!” One of the men shouted in rage, kicking something as it hit the wall.

“I don’t know… They must be here; all the sleeping bags are out!” another said.

“Hold on…” a unicorn said, and after that, it went silent. Ditzy started to pant heavily under the immense stress, her adrenaline going wild. She begged for Spike to do something. They were so close to her; they were right underneath her. The only thing separating her from them was this floor.

Suddenly, light poured in from the entrance as the stairs dropped, making Sweetie Belle gasp in fright. Ditzy couldn’t control her body as it shook violently. Her eyes were watery as she held Dinky close with one hand and pointed the gun shakily with the other. Everything was happening so fast; she couldn’t deal with it. Joel… Where the fuck is Joel! Then… Joel spoke to her.
Deep breaths…
Calm yourself down…
Don’t think…
Don’t hesitate…
Just…
fire!

When she seen a figure head pop up from the stairs... She just… Pulled the trigger.

*BANG!*

The bullets slammed home and Ditzy felt sick as his head jerked back violently, the form falling backwards as it hit the first floor.

“Fuck! Cheetah!” A man screamed out. Ditzy couldn’t believe it, she killed someone, for real this time. The feeling felt familiar, her blood rushing, this lightheadedness, it felt just the same as when she thought she killed Joel but... But it feels different. No heartache and no guilt.

*BANG!*

Another round was fired and a thud but, it wasn't from her gun or the men trying to kidnap the kids. It came from downstairs.

“Lion! Are you okay down there?”

Silence…

“Lion!”

A still silence that made the Coyotes fingers twitch in tension. The unicorn gestured for the man with the baseball bat to follow him and for the man with the M16 to stay put.

“Lion… are you okay, buddy?” The Unicorn called out, taking each step slow and steady.

Silence…

“I don’t like this, Jaguar… this isn’t right.” The man with the baseball bat muttered as his hand got sweaty. “This doesn’t feel right.”

“Shut up, Bear. We’ll sort this.” Jaguar whispered, almost reaching the bottom. When they did eventually reach the bottom, a cold metallic whiff hit him in the face, the aroma making the two cringe.

“Lion, fucking say something man. This isn’t funny.” Bear said, his bat ready to swing.

“Shut up, bear.” Jaguar whispered louder. They spread out across the room, looking through the wreckage they made. Bear was on the edge, this was supposed to be an in and out job, no longer than 5 minutes they said but, the plan has turn upside down quick.

“Check the kitchen, the fat bastard said he was hungry.” Jaguar said, letting Bear take the lead. The door was wide open and when they got closer, the smell of iron got stronger. Peaking around the corner, the first thing he saw was the sitting form of his comrade but, all his fears was confirmed.

Lion is dead but… it wasn’t the fact that he was dead that truly scared him, it’s what happened to him that made Bear uncontrollably shake.

His head was nailed to the bottom cabinet with a kitchen knife, right threw the cranium, threw the brain and out the other side as the thick blood pooled down both sides. He only had one eye as the other was missing, a blood hole where the bullet entered. The horror didn’t stop there however, whoever did this pulled down Lion’s coverage and cut the ends of his mouth into a smile that ended on his cheeks. His singular dead eye gazing into Bear’s soul.

No… he knew exactly who did this.

“Frank… Frank is here. We need to get out! NOW!” Bear panicked, stepping away in horror.

“What!?” Jaguar said with shock, looking in the kitchen as he cringed at the sight. “Fuck…” turning around, he scanned the room once again, now knowing that Frank is nearby. “Wolf… get your ass down… we’re leaving.” Jaguar said, scanning his surroundings with an unnerved look.

“What! Why?” Said Wolf from up the stairs.

“Frank is here!” Bear shouted, his bat shaking. There was a moment of silence before running footsteps was heard.

“Let’s kill him.” Wolf said with a grin, pulling back the cocking handle as the satisfying click was heard.

“What? Are you mad! We’ll die!” Bear replied twitching every which way as paranoia crept in. This isn’t right, it was too quiet. Fucked… this is completely fucked.

“No, this is a good opportunity to bring in some money! The boss has put 5 mil on his head. Imagine what we can do with that money, dude.” Wolf laughed off. “Besides, not all of them stories can be true.”

“If you want to die over some money, Wolf. Please, be my VIP fucking guest. We’re out of here.” Jaguar muttered. “You hear that Frank! We’re out of here! You can have the fucking kids!” Jaguar roared, the whole house hearing the cry.

“Fine, fuck you two then. I’ll do this on my own!” snarled Wolf, flipping the two the bird as they walked out. “Pussies.” He muttered under his breath before shouldering the butt end of his rifle. The young lone wolf stepped carefully to where Lion lay dead, he looked over it and winced at the smell.

“God damn, you should have stuck with us, you fat bastard.” Wolf sighed, stepping into the kitchen with his rifle raised. The kitchen wasn’t big but, there was an island table in the middle. He pointed around the corners of the table, ready to mow down Frank within a split second of seeing a limb of him. Wolf didn’t see Spike sliding across the island with a larger kitchen knife than the one in Lion’s head. Wolf reacted just in time and ducked under the side slash, falling on his back with his rifle pointing up. Before he could pull the trigger, Spike volleyed away the pointed barrel away as Wolf held down the trigger as round after round fired into the ceiling. As soon as the firing stopped, Spike was going to fall on Wolf, intending to plunge the knife into Wolf’s chest with all his body weight but, Wolf pushed Spike away with his two feet, making Spike grunt as he fell on his back. From that kick alone, he could tell this was an earthling.

Fucking earthlings.

They both got up from the minor blows, Spike lunging in for a sidekick before Wolf could raise his rifle. Wolf could only get a round off before, he was kicked back, dropping his rifle on impact with the kitchen table. With Wolf unarmed, Spike took his time as he inspected the kid. He was young, he could tell by his height and voice that he was probably 20 or 21, clearly naive if he thinks he could ever go head-to-head with Frank. He was lucky that he was dealing with Spike… Or not.

“So… You think you could take on Frank. You couldn’t hold a candle to him.” Spike smirked, twirling the knife in his hand as it shimmered in the moonlight. “You are some dumb fucker.”

“It was you… You did all this?” Wolf murmured, a smile slowly growing as he stumbled back to his feet. “Oh, I'm going to enjoy this.”

Wolf rushed at him, taking Spike by surprise with the gutsy move. Rushing into a guy with a knife… is he fucking stupid? Spike quickly slashed at his head but, the next thing Spike felt was his air pushed out of his body with a fist to his gut. Spike let his guard down and now, he’s getting punished for it.

Spike tried to get his guard back up as Spike held the knife upside down in a defensive stance but, the damage was already done as Wolf struck Spike in the side of his head, sending his head spinning as his head went through the fucking wall. Spike took a nasty blow to the kidney as the rest of his body forcefully went through the other side and into the living room, losing the knife in the process. Quickly getting up, Spike winced in discomfort as he panted from the blows.

Wolf strode out, circling his neck as a few joints popped. “HOOWEE, BOY! You don’t know who you are fucking with.” Wolf said with enthusiasm, cracking his knuckles as he walked towards Spike.

“Fucking CUNT!” Spike roared, the flame in his belly rising as all he had in his mind was to rip this prick in half. Spike lunged in with a heavy right hook, missing Wolf’s nose by inches as he stepped back. Wolf whistled.

“That's some punch you have there, too bad you’re not gonna hit me,” Wolf smirked, jumping slightly as he let his arms down in a relaxed state.

“SHUT UP!” Spike bellowed, surging in with another mean right hook, this time skimming Wolf’s hair as Wolf countered with a few body shots before getting distance. Growling, Spike’s temper only got higher. He scrambled towards Wolf and Wolf could only grin.
Amateur…

It just ended just as quickly as a clean strike to the chin, Spike fell limp and hit the floor as his mind was dazed. He felt disoriented as he tried to move, to stand, to think but, he was helpless as his body was flipped over to his back and looking up at a double Wolf.

“You know, I reckon we could have been good friends. You took my blows like a champ, I like that. If we met a little sooner, just imagine it. You, me and the Coyotes, fucking bitches and doing drugs… You can’t get better than that, let’s be honest but... You killed one of the boys, the boss would be pissed if I took you with me.” Wolf sighed, getting on top of Spike and wrapping his hands around his neck. “I’d be doing you a favour killing you now, my boss… Sheesh he’s ruthless. I’ve seen what he does to girls but, I’ve also seen him torture people and let me tell ya, it’s gruesome.” wolf ranted on all while Spike struggled for air, trying to pry Wolf’s hands from around his neck but, Wolf barely budged.

“I saw him take both eyes out of a man and feed it to him while he was still alive. I must admit, I threw up at the sight and smell of the room. The poor fucker pissed and shitted his own pants. Oh God… Don’t get me started on what he did with the shit…”

Spike’s vision started to blur in and out of focus, his strength slowly diminishing as he tried to scratch at Wolf’s face. Wolf’s voice started to fade as his consciousness wavered.

‘Spike…~’ Said a heavenly voice in his ear. It was so beautiful.

‘Spike…~’ It was a lovely voice; it was a voice he missed so much. Tears spilt as he started to gag, his head going lightheaded as no oxygen went to his head. Maybe he should let this happen, maybe he shouldn’t fight. Maybe this is a good thing. He wanted to see, hear, feel her after all…

‘Spike…! Get up…!~’ She said desperately, he hated when she sounded like that. It made him not just depressed but… Angry…

‘SPIKE!’

Rage…

With a boost in pure strength, Spike’s hands shot out with a speed that Wolf couldn't see and grabbed Wolf by his neck, making Wolf's eyes widen as Spike glare that the devil himself would flinch away from. Spike didn’t strangle him however—no, he just held him there as Spike opened his maw as Wolf saw a green glow at the back of Spike’s throat. Wolf tightened his grip on Spike’s jugular, desperately trying to stop the flames from shooting out.

*BANG!*

A shot rang out, hitting Wolf’s shoulder and weakening his grip on Spike as he cried in pain. Then, his heart dropped. “Wait wait wait! Please, DON-” He couldn’t finish his sentence as Spike released his fury in a concentrated blaze of green. Wolf’s cries of agony were louder than Spike’s roar as he felt his skin melt, his eyes pop into a red goop, he felt his hair burn away and his brain fried under the intense fire of a dragon. Wolf tried to lash away from Spike as he whaled in agony.

After a few seconds, the screaming lowered, and the struggling earthling ceased all movement. Spike finally stopped his smouldering fire and looked up at the muscle tissue-scarred, faceless Wolf. Blood spilt on Spike’s face with a sizzle, his entire face was a avoid of hair, and his eyes were non-existent. He didn’t breathe, his pulse didn’t pump.

He was dead… But Spike wasn’t done.

Spike flipped the corpse over until he was on top. Spike didn’t hold back as he punched with his left and punched with his right. Spike was furious, this kid made him look like a fool, and this kid made him look weak as Spike was outclassed in every way. He was angry at himself. He thought he could take him; he could have killed him many times over with his pistol but… Spike got cocky and complacent.

Right, left, right, left, right, left…

Spike’s fury was far from done, he only had eyes on the lifeless body as he punched him over and over and over. He hated it, he hated this corpse so much. He hated how each punch only made him angrier.

Left, right, left, right, left—

“Spike! Stop it! He’s already dead!” Ditzy screamed out, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him away as she breathed heavily, a single tear spilling down her cheek. “Just stop… It’s over.” She said gently, trying to calm him down as she held him back. At her words, Spike stopped struggling and ceased all movement like the corpse next to him, the only difference being that he was still breathing.

Spike didn’t know how long he laid back on Ditzy, letting his bubbling rage slowly die down enough for Spike to think straight. It happened again… That blind rage… It took control… He cooked someone's face off alive. He killed someone in cold blood and decorated him with a bloody smile. What was wrong with him?

Slowly, Ditzy let go of Spike, believing that he had calmed down significantly as they both just laid there with both their hearts hammering in their chest and panting up a storm. After some time, Spike stood up and pulled out his pistol.

“Come on, Ditzy… Stay with the kids… Don’t let them see this mess.” Spike said almost lifelessly, holding out a shaky hand as he looked down at her with blood all over him. Ditzy just took his hand without a word, pulling herself up with Spike’s support. They didn’t say another word as they went their separate ways. Ditzy went back up into the attic and Spike headed outside to let the rain wash away the scorching blood.

When he stepped outside, he let his old friend do all the work as he faced up and fell on his knees, smoke leaving his mouth as his whole body relaxed, feeling every little raindrop attack him, making his scaly flesh steam. The thunder scolded him for his actions as it boomed, telling him how reckless he was. Spike never listened to the thunder as he couldn’t help a small smile appear. Despite what he did, despite how gruesome it was… He did it, he saved the kids, he saved Ditzy, and he saved the heartache of Applejack, Big Mac and many mothers and fathers.

Another part of him hated himself for killing but, the pros overcame the cons, therefore he could live with that. What are two more kills to his name anyway?

Sighing, Spike looked forward and immediately narrowed his eyes. The van was still here… with a large figure with a long, dark trench coat holding up a unicorn up by his neck and a very dead Bear as his head was nailed to the side of the van with a fire axe and the rest of his body slumped to the floor…

“Come on, let’s get the fuck out of here.” Bear said hysterically, jumping into the passenger seat and closing the door. Bear didn’t have to tell Jaguar twice, fumbling in his pocket for the van keys as he jumped in. Pulling them out, he put the key in the ignition and twisted but, the engine didn’t start. Both of their hearts dropped at the sound of... Nothing. The battery was fucked… How the fuck is the battery fucked!?

“No no no no, not now!” Jaguar said, jumping back out the van with a wary glance everywhere. He went to the front of the van and opened the lid; he noticed it immediately as his eyes widened. The fuses to the motor starter and alternator were gone… someone had ripped them out.

“Jag… what the hell is going on? Fucking fix the thing.” Bear said hurriedly, looking everywhere but at the engine. Bear was now shitting himself, with Frank on the loose and with them standing here, they were just waiting to die.

“I can’t, someone has fucked with the fuse box!” Jaguar shouted, slamming the hood down in irritation. “Frank must have done this.”

“WHAT!?” Bear whirled around; his eyes wide. Before he could utter anything else, a round of gun shots was heard from the house, making the two turn their heads. Wolf must have run into Frank. Bear dropped his bat, his hands too wet and shaky to hold, it would be pointless anyway. “W-what do we do?” Bear jittered, all rational thoughts out the window as his heart pounded, pacing back and forth by the van.. Jaguar sighed, banging his head on the hood of the van.

“We have to go back in and get the keys to the bikes… It’s the only way.” Jaguar said, cocking his gun as he stood straight. Bear’s eyes widened.

“You can’t be serious. Frank is in there and AH!—” Bear’s sentence was cut off abruptly with a metallic thud that moved the van to the side. At the front of the van, Jaguar narrowed his eyes as something wet hit the floor.

“Bear…” Jaguar called out. Waiting for a reply that didn’t come. “Bear… Are you alright?” Silence… Nothing but the rain and thunder hailed upon him. Slowly, he had his pistol raised and his knife in his telekinetic grasp, waiting nervously to be used as he slowly turned the corner. Jaguar nearly dropped the pistol at what he saw.

Bear was staring right back at him with twitching eyes, his gobsmacked mouth open in shock. That wouldn’t have surprised him as Bear has always been a pussy when situations go wrong but, a fire axe pinned his head to the van by the neck, and the rest of his body crumpled to the floor. How… How? Frank was in the house… So who…

Jaguar’s mind felt like it was going to break under the sudden heaviness and the lack of oxygen, the rain drowning him and his thought as all he could do was stand there stupidly. Suddenly, he heard a squelch behind him and suddenly, the leader of this little crew felt very, very, very little compared to this figure who blocked the moonlight in front of him.

Jaguar’s fight-or-flight instincts kicked in as he raised his pistol, but the giant just swatted it away with effortless ease, making the unicorn stumbled back. Thrusting the knife forward aimlessly, it did strike home in his shoulder but, the behemoth didn’t seem affected as it continued its agonizing slow walk towards him. This… This wasn’t Frank. The monster was something worse than Frank.
Run… RUN! GET AWAY!

There were only three people Jaguar feared the most: the first being The Order’s Boss, the second being Frank and the third Dosh but, at this very moment, this beast tormented him with his slow walk was the nightmare he hoped he would never meet. Jaguar went to turn and run for miles on end up but, the soaked mud underneath his feet had different plans as Jaguar slipped, bringing him to his knees.

At the moment of impact, Jaguar felt rough hands wrap around his neck but, he wasn’t being choked as he was being held mostly by his jaw. He felt his body raise as he was at eye level with the demon. The thunder boomed and for a moment, he saw its face for a split second. No… he wasn’t just a monster, but a giant earthling.

His old skin was pale, a pale blue-sky colour that went well with his short white hair. His eyes were dead, so dead in fact that he thought that he was a walking corpse as his right eye was cloudy and permanently bloodshot, the other being a cold olive shade. It looked like the devil had eternally scarred his face in a constant standstill of infection, the burns forever being shown with a chunk of his right ear missing. His hazy gaze held no life behind them, no emotion or sentiment to the significant man he held.

Jaguar wanted to speak, to beg for forgiveness, trying to pull his hand away as Jaguar squirmed but to no prevail. Slowly, the other hand of the beast raised up his capture's temple and dug his nails into Jaguar’s skin and slowly… Ever so slowly, the beast started to pull backwards.

Jaguar’s eyes went down to vibrating pinpricks as the skin between his jaw and skull started to rip apart, making him cry out in torturing pain. Jaguar’s mind was rattled in fear, he didn’t want to die, this wasn’t supposed to happen, this was supposed to be a in and out job... No longer than five minutes. How did it go so wrong?

His screams turned into a gargle as Jaguar’s joint popped out of place, choking on his own blood as the pain intensified massively. Jaguar started to cry as his flesh continued to rip away without slowing down. Eventually, the beast stopped but, only to insert his hand inside his open maw to rip the top half of his head with a sudden, quick yank. Jaguar’s body went limp. Dead…

Spike couldn’t believe what he saw, he just witnessed someone’s head being ripped of from the jaw by a monster's bare hands. He watched as he just dropped the corpse on the floor, showing no empathy of his actions. Then... He looked over to Spike, his features unmoving. Spike could only gulp as he walked over to his first victim, pulling out the axe from the van effortlessly. Unhurriedly, he headed towards Spike with blood dripping from the axe.

Spike’s energy was spent, and he knew this as he tried to stand, all the blows to the body made him grunt in pain, panting as he stayed on one knee. As the colossus man stood over him, he expected to be decapitated but, you could imagine Spike’s face when he held a handout.

Spike took it, hell, it was better than being split in half. He was pulled up to his feet and was supported when Spike felt his legs give out. All that was on Spike’s mind as he looked up at the scarred earth-bound man, being helped was whether he was on his side or his own. Where did he come from? How did he know? Why wasn’t he chopping him up into little nuggets?

Spike’s thoughts were interrupted as he saw the body of the man called Cheetah at the bottom of the stairs as Ditzy sat at the top with her pistol raised. Spike’s eyes widened.

“WAIT, DITZY! DON’T-”

*BANG!*

The round hit home in the beast’s bicep, making the man grunt.

“DON’T SHOOT! HE’S FRIENDLY!” Spike screamed, making Ditzy heart jump as she saw Spike’s horror-filled expression. The man turned to change his direction to his attacker but, seeing who it was, his expression softened.

Ditzy dropped the gun and immediately raised her hands. “I’m sorry! I-I thought—“

Ditzy was interrupted with a wave of the man’s hand, moving on as he just sat Spike at the bottom of the stairs. Leaving Spike and Ditzy alone as he just picked the body of Cheetah onto his shoulders. Next, he went over to Wolf’s dead body, taking a good look at what was done. After a second or two, he also stacked him on Cheetah. He also pulled Lion by the collar, dragging him out of the house and into the rain. Spike and Ditzy could only watch as he walked out the front door.

Spike got up quickly, managing on his own as he stumbled to the front door. Ditzy wandered over to help.

“Wait… Who are you?” Spike asked, leaning against the doorframe. The man turned around and looked at Spike. He didn’t say a word but, he did drop the bodies and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a flip note and pen and started scribbling something. When he was finished, he showed them.

Frostbite.

He flipped the note over and started writing again. Yet again, he showed what was written.

Tell Applejack.
She knows The Coyotes.

After that was done, he placed the flip note and pen back in his pocket and left with the bodies, walking straight for the Everfree Forest border. Spike and Ditzy were just too tired to care what he was going to do with the bodies, too tired to care that they could have died, too tired that the killing won’t affect their sleep.

Ditzy went straight to bed, taking every boy and girl with her in one room. It was cramped but, no one complained. She was asleep within a minute.

Spike just sat at the staircase, he wouldn’t let himself sleep until Applejack and Big Mac got the full picture of what the hell happened. Spike did doze off a few times but, when he heard the sound of tires crunching the ground from outside, Spike was immediately on his feet. When Applejack and Big Mac saw Spike and the damage that was inflicted, they immediately rushed over.

Spike told them everything from the moment of The Coyote's arrival to the moment Frostbite walked away with the bodies. Their response… They just sighed. As long as the kids were safe, they didn’t care if the house burnt down. They had run-ins with the Coyotes before, they called the police the first time it happened but, they quickly learnt that the police were against them as they tried to put Big Mac in for murder. Thanks to a certain blue alicorn detective, Big Mac was out in a jiffy. From then on, Frostbite has been protecting them out of nowhere, taking the bodies of his victims without warning or sign, he just… turned up, and they don’t know why.

He was a complete mystery…

It took Applejack, Big Mac and Spike up until 1:25 am to clean up the house as best as possible, picking up and sorting each room the way it was. There was nothing they could do about the hole in the wall, so they all agreed to sort that out tomorrow. So, with that being done, they all headed of to sleep with three having mixed thoughts.

The next morning was miserable as iron filled the house, reminding most about the near auction of the children. With the early wake-up call from an alarm, Spike wasn’t in the mood for any nonsense today. His body ached and with less than eight hours of sleep, he could punch a child if they really pushed his buttons.

Ditzy felt… Odd. All she could think about was last night. She killed someone and she felt awful but, at the same time not. She hated that she did it but, she had no other choice, she had to, it was rather him or her daughter. It was a simple choice in the end. In a way, she was happy she did.

For Applejack, she looked distorted as Sunset was on her mind. When she arrived, the whole area of trees and bushes was lit up in red and blue. The paramedics had treated Sunset and loaded her in the ambulance at the time she got there. When asked if she was okay, they responded vaguely, it played in Applejack’s mind, and she hated it.

Before the kids left for school, Spike paid each kid 50 dollars to keep what happened last night a secret so, Spike said goodbye to the payment he was given. Reluctantly, they all nodded but, Dinky… She didn’t look Spike in the eyes, and that broke his heart.

Spike had a shower and was handed new clothing for obvious reasons, he now wore a formal, sleeve shirt with a red sweater over the top, wearing grey formal pants and black shiny shoes. Despite his mood, Spike had to check himself out in the mirror because he was looking hella good.

When they all left for school, Ditzy asked Applejack to drop her off around the corner of where Joel lived which she happily agreed for what she did last night. As Ditzy walked down the street, it only hit her that there was a possibility that Joel might be dead and not at home, that would destroy her. When Ditzy was going to knock, Fluttershy was going to leave for school. Saying there greeting and farewells, they both walked passed each other. When Ditzy walked into the living room, only then could she relax as she saw Joel’s messy hair over the top of the couch. Ditzy thought he was asleep but, when she walked around to see his face, he was only half asleep with a cigarette hanging from his lip, wearing casual clothes. Ditzy smiled as she sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Joel’s arm snaked around Ditzy’s shoulder, both sighing at the same time.

“I…I killed someone last night.” Ditzy whispered, a frown appearing on her face as she waited for him to scold her but, it never came. He just turned to her with a tired look.

“What happened?” he asked, rubbing his eyes slightly.

“Thugs turned up at the apple farm, they wanted the kids… Me and Spike stopped them.” Ditzy grumbled, not having the energy to speak any louder. Joel nodded slightly, exhaling a puff of smoke.

“Fucking Coyotes.” Joel growled with disgust; his jaw clenched. He sighed. “How do you feel anyway?” Joel asked, pulling in Ditzy closer as her heart skipped a beat by the closeness.

“I feel… okay.” Ditzy said after some thought. It was true, she didn’t feel like bad for the person she killed. She heard him, she heard what he wanted to do to Applejack and she didn’t want to think about what he would have done to the children. If anything, she was glad it was that bastard.

“Then my little favour worked, huh? No guilt, no regret. Doesn’t mean you can go gung-ho on me, stay innocent.” Joel said, making Ditzy smirk.

“Innocent… I killed a man, I’m far from innocent.” Ditzy sighed, trying to get comfy. “So… how was your night?” Ditzy murmured, snuggling up closer to him. Joel chuckled to Ditzy’s surprise, shaking his head as he inhaled the chemicals into his lungs. When he was finished with the pull, he handed over the cancer stick over to Ditzy, who gratefully took it.

“Where to fucking start…”