Mask

Chapters

Артём
один месяц
Одна неделя
Поверхность
Тени
Дракон
санитарная сумка
Утро
Обучение
Пять лет
Крах
Каменное дно
Хорошая собака
Разразиться
Вдохни
вишня
Алмаз
Звонок
Рев
Обозленный
Рычать
Чувство кишки
Клетка
Ожерелье
Голодный
Чувство погружения
Раздражающий
Система
Мертвый город

Артём

Snow. Cold. Winter. Poisonous air.

This was once Equestria, land of the pony bloods, powerful magic users who would bend the very will of the earth and sky to suit their needs. The Earth bloods, whose strength could help them work the land and tend the fields, were the most in tune with the ground. They helped the plants grow and the fields to be plentiful, and had some serious strength.

The sky bloods, whose magic allowed them to roam the skies in beautiful wings, would help move the very clouds, allow the rains and snows to fall, and could help summon tornadoes simply by flying together.

There were the magic bloods, who would use spells and magic to help the world. They would learn, become stronger, and use their magic to help the other two bloodlines out, even helping to predict events in some individuals or go back in time, as some rumors say.

Then, there were the last line, the Royals. The Royals were a combination of all three lines. They had beautiful wings, powerful magic, and the strength to move mountains. They were the rulers of the land, and some say could even move the sun and moon, and paint the very stars.

And yet, even with all their power, all of their strength, all of their abilities, they could not stop the coming violence in the world.

It started as a normal day in the beginning, clouds were drifting by, birds were chirping, dogs barked and children played in the fields, enjoying their summer vacations from school. The sun was drifting high into the sky, and it seemed like a beautiful summer day in Equestria. That is when the sirens came.

The loud tone echoed out, striking through the peaceful day and shattering it, much like one does with glass and a hammer. Parents shot up and ran with their belongings out of their homes and businesses, having been mostly prepared for this day. Youngsters, scared and confused, ran home, only to be picked up by their parents.

A young child, hair green and beautiful emerald eyes, stared up at the kingdom on the mountain, which quickly sprung up a magic shield. The youngster looked to and fro for his guardian, only to be swooped up by the mayor of the town, staring up into the skies in horror.

There, multiple streaks of smoke and light racing across the sky, the youngsters eyes filling up with fear, pupils constricting into slits and tail wrapping around the woman carrying him. He held his hand out, calling someones name, which was lost to the crowd.

It was all a blur to the youngster, who could not make out faces or shapes, he did not even look at the familiar boutique as they passed by. Tears stung his eyes as he stared into his old, familiar faces blended together. He saw trees flash by, then dared to look forward, seeing caves and a massive, metal door in the side of one.

"Come on! Come on! Everyone inside!" He heard his savior yell out, before he dared a look back out towards his home, one he had lived in for years, and the distance, shielded city that was Canterlot.

The sounds of distant, echoing booms erupted out, everyone stopping in their mad dash to watch. His emerald eyes stared off at the distance, seeing a bright flash and the worlds greatest mushroom sprout out of it. It grew in size, making the young boy hiss in panic, squeezing the woman tighter.

"Quicker! Inside!" His charge yelled, ushering in people. Once everyone (or they hoped everyone) was in, a loud boom echoed out, a shockwave and soundwave echoing out.

She pressed a few buttons, before pulling a lever, the doors giving a loud, protesting groan before slowly closing. "Come on, come on, come on come on come on." She muttered to herself, watching the doors close. She looked at the young lad in her arms, who flashed her a scared look.

A loud boom shook them both and they looked back, seeing a mushroom cloud, still really far off. However, the shockwave nearly sent the two flying, though Mayor Mare grasped onto the door and shielded Spike. For a few moments, it felt like the world was about to rip itself apart, before the shockwave finally stopped. She looked up, in horror, watching as Cloudsdale was ripped apart by the force of the bomb, no doubt sending hundreds to their immediate, collective death.

She looked back down at Spike, before walking back into the cavern, taking a note of everyone inside. It seemed some did not make it, no doubt killed in the shockwave, but she couldn't tell who in her current state, and her mind was racing. She felt a tap on her chest, pulling her from her thoughts, and looked down to the emerald haired lad.

"Mayor Mare, what are we gonna do?"

She gave a fake smile, then stared at the door, it finally closing with a hiss and a loud thunk. A moment later, the ground shook and and the lights flickered, making people scream in fright. "Don't worry, Spike. We'll be fine." She mumbled to the young lad, who tightened his grip on her. She looked down, brushing his cheek, before looking back at the group. The ground shook again, screams of fear echoing out, though Mayor Mare only stared down at Spike. "We'll be okay. We'll be fine."

Spike turned to the door, dust slowly falling doen onto the group, a distant boom and ground shaking confirming their world had been shattered and burned into nuclear glass. A few tears streamed down his face, collecting dust and dirt and cleaning his cheeks, before he looked back and asked, "What about Twilight? And the others? What about Mom? What about-"

Mayor Mare shushed him, gently holding the young lad close, before responding, "Remember, they went to the Crystal Empire. You know Shining Armor and Princess Cadance wouldn't let anything happen to them." She assured him, before looking back at the crowd, seeing everyone covered in dirt and dust, their eyes filled with fear. She looked back down at Spike, who was sniffling a bit, before returning back to the crowd, her heart filling with determination. She suddenly called out, "Everyone!"

Everyone's whispers and muttering stopped as they turned to her. Being someone in politics, the suddenly change did not phase her, though Spike pressed up against her breasts, sniffling still, trying to calm himself down.

"I need someone to give an accurate head count of everyone here. Line up in rows. First, we will have farmers, then magic users, then flyers, and then builders. We will need to fix up the old settlement deep in the cave. Then, we will need explorers to map out safe spots, find clean water, and any salvage." She walked towards the group, it parting a bit, gently scratching Spikes scalp. She looked down, peering at him, before clearing her throat. "The main building should still be operational, assuming the bombs did not loosen any rocks or boulders and destroy parts of it. All the children, stay with Ms. Cheerilee and head towards the main building after the count."

"What about the others, in Cloudsdale or Canterlot?" A womans voice piped up, making her frown a bit, holding Spike closer once she felt his arms squeeze her tighter.

"There's nothing we can do for them right now." Mayor Mare spoke, before sitting down on a rock, hugging Spike tighter, her protective instincts taking over. "We must think about survival right now. Once we get a steady line of food and water, and are able to house everyone, then we can talk about scouting parties and rescue plans. Now, everyone line up, we'll try to do this safe and thorough!"

Mayor Mare looked down at Spike, who had calmed down, eyes still red as he looked up at her. She only smiled sadly, before hugging him tighter. She wanted to cry. She wanted to weep and scream and hug Spike forever, keeping him safe and sound.

She didn't do these things, for she had to be strong. For all of them. Their world may have been destroyed and plunged into a nuclear darkness, but she had to carry hope for them, and show that they will not be broken and turned into dust.

It had taken a few hours for them to gather up their strength and descend into the darkness. They had lost quite a few people, unfortunately, but most were still alive. As they walked, Spike had dozed in her arms, adrenaline from the previous events taking a toll on him.

Mayor Mare took a look at the cobbled together pieces of scrap they would call home. Until rescue arrives or they found someplace better, that is. The cavern itself was massive, easily able to hold four ursa majors and then some. It looked like there were dusty sheds and tools, a large building for food with dusty lights, and a few other buildings, made out of metal and stones.

"Alright." Mayor Mare called out, turning around and giving the group of survivors a stare, catching their attention. "We need this place in tip top shape. We'll need tools, rebreathers, masks, and metal. Who knows what else lurks in these tunnels, and I, for one, do not want to be caught unaware." Some of the group started to walk into the buildings, Mayor Mare setting Spike down and kneeling in front of him. "Spike."

Spike looked up at her, his emerald eyes with rounded pupils staring up at her, though in the low light, they reflected, much like a dogs eyes. Even though his eyeshine unnerved her, he just moved his eyes around, landing on various different survivors, hoping to spot his friends, though rather fruitlessly. It would be another few days before they could really stand on their legs, and they all knee this, but they kept moving on. Mayor Mare looked him up and down, noticing his normally purple and green scaled tail was currently dulled, drooping and resting on the ground, and his shirt, which had a cute, purple dragon designed on it, was covered in rocks and dirt.

Mator Mare followed his gaze, finding Applebloom and Big Macintosh mourning, holding the scarf of the Apple matriarch in their hands. Even in the low light, she could see the apples on its design. She looked over to see Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle hugging each other, sobbing and crying together. It was no doubt the two lost their families in the attack, and since she did not spot them anywhere.

She looked around more, seeing the mohawk of the familiar Zecora, her beautiful brown skin marred with scratches and dust, and holding a bag, which no doubt had the few belongings she could carry. In the corner, she saw Mister and Misses Cake, both holding on to their young children, who were far too young to understand why their parents were upset, but were crying because of the noises and shaking. She could even spot some guards, their usually shiny armor dusted with dirt and grime, and their weapons held in a relaxed state.

Mayor Mare looked down at her outfit, spotting cuts and tears, and even wet spots from where Spike had cried. She brushed her dyed hair with a hand, some dust and dirt coming free, before giving Spike a sad smile. "Well, at least you don't have the afro on." Spike joked, his voice croaking out in the darkness, making Mayor Mare smile.

"You should rest, Spike. We have a long day ahead of us, and you know Twilight will be worried sick when she finds out you are still up this late." Mayor Mare offered, making Spike look off into a rock wall, then back at her.

"Do you think Twilight is okay?"

"Are you kidding me?" Mayor Mare said, before giving Spike a reassuring side hug, unintentionally squishing his dace into her breast. "That Princess survived Discord, Tartarus, an evil shapeshifting queen, and Pinkie Pie! I'm sure she is more worried about you right now." She then brushed some dirt off of Spikes face, making him smile, his fangs for canines being shown, though she felt no fear from it. "Now, the main building will be where you and I will stay until Princess Twilight gets you. Now, let's get a gem off the wall and call it a night."

один месяц

One month.

It had been one month since the world was turned into ash and snow. The world outside would be unrecognizable, had anyone the strength or bravery to face it. However, despite how bleak and desolate the surface is, life still thrives, and when there is life, there is hope. Nearby, a deer walks through the snow, pushing some snow over and eating the wet, packed grass, not noticing the glowing sludge nearby. It perked up as it heard a branch crack, the bucks head twisting this way and that.

He strained his ears, listening against the howling wind and not noticing the feeling of poisons striking against it. Though, if any sapience was somehow brought forward by the strikes of the weapons, it showed no signs of it.

Another branch snapped, and the buck was already taking off. However, it mattered not, as a shadow from above swept down. It fave a throaty call of surprise, before its throat was torn out, blood splattering against the ground. It gave a gargled cry, trying to breathe, before the shadow struck again, swiping the poor deers head off and letting it flop to the ground.

A quick death. Merciful. Though, not brought on by any merciful being. The beast snarled, before spreading its wings and taking off into the sky, dragging the body with it. It gave a deep roar, ignoring the winds and cold as it carried off its meal.

Had it decided to stick around, it may have felt the earth rumble below it, giving a slight clue of what was happening underground.

The settlement, named "The Caverns", had been heavily modified whilst the citizens were trapped down in the caves. As they built and explored, it turned out that the caverns were far more expansive and held secrets. One such secret being that the caverns had an spring, which in a cave nearby. Here, people would gather drinks, bathe, clean clothes, and slowly set up their own sewer system, with clean running water and designated places to destroy waste.

Another such secret was a cave full of different colored gems. Spike particularly liked this new passage they discovered, but the air smelt strange to the other Humans, so they had walled it up for the moment, until they could figure out what the strange feelings and smells would come from.

Of course, they had created a housing structure, a school for the children (which, thankfully, someone had stocked up the books before the disaster, though did not think to CLEAN the place), a place to eat, a medical clinic (with dwindling supplies, unfortunately), and a few other places to help create metal and other such supplies.

Thanks to the magic of the the Magicbloods and the strength of the Earthbloods, they had made a farm. Although it was not much food, they still had some in storage and would use the seeds to plant even more.

Although being vegetarians, they did not turn down meat in a state of survival, and seeing the circumstances they were currently in, some Earthbloods had learned how to catch and trap animals, such as small rodents and bats and learned how to cook them.

One of the many drawbacks they experienced was that guards, only four of them, were not properly prepared to handle many issues. They could maybe fend off a beast at a time, but Mayor Mare still hesitated to even think about training others to fight.

They were simple folks from Ponyville, they should be worried about food, what little power they could generate, who liked who in class, not fighting off beasts or training so hard their very bones ached. That being said, she did agree that they need some form of defense. Maybe she could have volunteers on patrol start training with the guards and see how that turned out.

"Mayor Mare! We found something!" A voice called out, bringing her out of her thoughts. Her eyebrows perked up, before adjusting her clothes and standing up from the bed. She looked back at Spike, her mind wandering a bit.

She had learned much about Spike during the month (at least, they hoped it was a month.) they had spent together. First off, despite looking 9 years old, the young lad was actually 13, and was going through a growth spurt. It seemed dragonbloods, like Spike, could live for millennium and barely change in appearance, though would go through growth spurts every once in awhile, the strongest and most violent happening when they were young and settling down as they grew.

Second was that, despite his small appearance, he is quite durable and strong, which made her realize how he tore holes into her clothing by accident on that fateful day. At the rate he was growing, he would make a handsome, strong young man before she knew it. He would also make any lady he chose very happy.

That last thought brought a blush to the Mayor, who quickly stamped the thought and brushed it under the mental rug. She brushed a strand of emerald hair away from Spikes forehead and smiled, before standing up.

And third...he had nightmares. Bad ones. About Twilight and the others. He cried himself to sleep sometimes, or would thrash and scream in his nightmares, calling out the names of the six until he would awaken and would be settled down by a random person passing by or the Mayor herself. It seems the only times the nightmares would stop was when someone was close, which caused Mayor Mare to spend nights and mornings cuddling with the young dragonblood.

Yes, he could eat the toughest diamonds and take damage that would kill a normal person and brush it off with barely a scratch. He could even breathe fire and drink lava. However, he felt helpless in his own dreams, and some, small, motherly part of the Mayors mind loved that he saw her as safety.

She wondered what happened to Luna if she could not protect Spike or any others now. Perhaps she was helping Canterlot or trying to find survivors? Yes, that must be it. No room for bad thoughts in her head, no siree!

She started to walk away, though some small part of her yearned to hold Spike close and cuddle more. She spared his sleeping form a glance, before walking out of the room. She entered the main building, looking around the carved rocks and metal, giving a soft sigh.

It wasn't much, but it was home.

She looked at the guard, who saluted her, her giving a soft chuckle. At first, it was confusing and even embarrassing, though, it had been a common sight to see a guard with the mayor, usually relaying information or protecting her.

Not that she thought she was important enough for said protection, but apparently, having four, hunky, male and female guards tend to her every request had made her blush more than once.

So she swung both ways, deal with it.

She cleared her throat, the guard lowering his arm, and she seemed to sense something on his normally stoic face. "So, what's wrong this time?"

"We have good news and bad news. The good news is that whilst exploring one of the deeper caverns, we think a Skyblood found something."

Mayor Mares eyebrow shot up, before she asked, "You think or you know?"

The guard looked around, making sure they were alone for a moment, before continuing, "That is the bad news, ma'am, we have no idea what happened to him. He hasn't returned for his schedule check in."

Mayor Mare sighed, then rubbed her temples with her finger tips, trying to soothe the coming headache. She just knew sending that man out was a bad idea. "I'm all cooped up" he would crow, "I need to stretch my wings", he screamed.

Perhaps training the others under the guards was not such a bad idea. They walked by a field of edible mushrooms, one of the few things they could grow without near constant supervision, the guard gripping his spear a bit as they walked closer. Two more guards had been stationed near the hole, though it appeared one was dozing and the other was cleaning their spear, much to the irritation of the guard leading Mayor Mare.

"Excuse me, ma'am, I have to take care of something." He grumbled out, walking towards the two. It seemed they did not notice him, the other being too focused on cleaning their spear and the other dozing off. He cleared his throat, the one still focused on cleaning their spear, and the other having finally fallen asleep, before giving a smirk.

Time to teach these punks a lesson.

Mayor Mare noticed the mans smirk, covering her ears, the business of the evening should drown out the guard. However, these two unlucky women would not be in the business center.

"PRIVATES! ATTEEEEEENTION!!"

This caused the woman on the wall to scream and fall down in a panic, before scrambling back up and giving a salute, weapon forgotten on the ground. The one cleaning her weapon jumped out, accidentally clunking her helmet down with her weapon, blinding her. Not stopping her, she made a salute...the completely wrong direction, a 90 degree turn towards the other guard, still saluting, as if nothing had happened.

"So, private Meteor Storm. Mind telling me why, exactly, you were cleaning your weapon at this time?" He barked out, the Mayor peeling her hands off her ears and giving an amused smile.

Said private, Meteor Storm, was a beautiful young Earthblooded woman, probably in her early twenties. She had a scar across her lip, probably from some early life injury, light skin, and her hair under her helmet was a mixture of blacks, blues, and greys. Her beautiful blue eyes were filled with panic, making the Mayor chuckle at the sight.

"Well, sir, I was just -"

"You were distracted during guard duty! You did not hear me walk up, you did not notice my throat clearing, and you certainly would not have time to do that half assed salute if I was an enemy! If you must clean your weapon, do it on your own time!" He turned to the other guard a beautiful skyblooded woman, his gaze unwavering as he glared at her. "Private Storm Chaser!"

The woman in question tightened her grip on her spear, and Mayor Mare got a good look at her. The woman bore no scars on her face, but her helmet and chest piece looks like it was struck by some of the rocks when they were first setting up their settlement. Her hair was black with a few yellow highlights, her skin was an almond color, and she possessed wings, which were black with yellow primary feathers. It looks like there was a bandage on one of her wings, though the guard was likely too proud to admit she was grounded.

"Yes, sir!"

"Can you tell me why you look so tired?"

"Yes sir, I was guarding the food stores last night and ended up chasing a few rodents around to keep them away."

"I see, so when I sent private Steel Wing to guard the food last night, he never showed?"

"No sir, he did not."

Mayor Mare grew worried, though it seemed the leader of this group was unfazed, and then said, "Lazy ass, probably decided to go to sleep instead." He then cleared his throat, Meteor adjusting her helmet and standing the correct way now, adjusting her weapon. "Normally, I'd reprimand you and punish you both with some task to build character, like cleaning the latrines. However, we have a missing man at the moment, and the Mayor here is coming with us to check out the discovery."

"Sir, permission to speak."

"Granted, Storm."

The guard shifted on her feet, her spear still on the ground, then spoke, "Sir, do you believe it is wise to bring the Mayor along?" Mayor Mare blinked at the question, the guard continuing, "Perhaps it would be best if Ms. Mare stays here while we check it out. It may be dangerous."

The leader, whose name was Silver Spear, rubbed his cheek. It appeared the whiskers had grown back, though he either did not notice or care, scratching cheek in thought.

"A good point. However, seeing that the Mayor is already here, I assume none of us has big enough balls to send her back to her son at this time."

"Actually, Spike's not my-"

"That being said, an extra pair of eyes wouldn't hurt, and we are all armed. We can handle anything these caves throw at us." Silver sliced through her sentence, staring at the two guards. "Now get ready, we leave in five!"

Mayor Mare sat down on a rock stared at the three, checking their armor, helmets, weapons and other such things. She looked at the Silver, who was adjusting his armored chest plate and spoke, "She is right, you don't really need me, do you?"

"No, but you look like you could stretch your legs, and this seems like the perfect excuse." Silver admitted, before giving her a soft smile, "You need to keep your spirits up. You and that little dragon boy are keeping hope high whilst we live down here, you should be able to get some "me time", same as the rest of us."

"Thanks, but it's mostly Spike holding out hope at this point." Mayor Mare admitted, rubbing her cheek, staring down at the ground. "He still holds out hope that Princess Twilight will him and they can be a family again."

Silver stared at her, sitting down to readjust some straps to his boots and calves, before asking, "Do you not believe that?"

Mayor Mare sighed and leant back, her back pressing against the wall. If she was uncomfortable from her seat, she did not show it, and spoke, "I believe I want Spike to be happy. If the girls are alive, I know he will find them, and if they aren't then..."

They were interrupted by a sound echoing out from the cavern. It was faint, distant, though the guards shot up and aimed their weapons at the hole in the wall. It was a scream. Definitely human.

"Alright, let's move in. Everyone have your flashlights?" The guards adjusted and put on headlamps, Silver taking out a flashlight and handing it to the Mayor. "Okay everyone, let's try to come home safe, we don't need anymore dead heroes."

"Spike..."

Spikes hands trembled as he saw Ponyville in ruins, fires sprouting out of homes and businesses he once knew. He looked behind him to see Sweet Apple Acres, the trees barren and burnt, and the ground covered in ash. Turning his gaze he saw a pile of bones sitting on the porch, the broken remains of a rocking chair mixed in with the piles of ash.

He knew who it was, and couldn't bare to even think about it anymore.

He turned his head, starting to walk, his feet kicking up dust and snow, though it would stop in midair, as if frozen in time. He kept walking, the snow frozen around him midair, fires still glowing but unmoving. He peered into businesses, empty, broken, the insides a mixtures of flicking lights and broken in roofs.

He passed by SugarCube Corner, the roof was smashed in by a massive tree, likely uprooted in the blast, and a fire had broken out inside, though, like the rest of the town, was frozen. He peered into the broken window, pastries all gross and moldy, covered in flies, frozen mid flight.

"Spike."

He continued walking, his tail curling around in anxiety, peering around wordlessly. He passed by Quills and Sofas, giving out a heated breath, steam spilling out of his mouth and disappearing into the air, looking around, trying to spot it through the white snow.

He spotted his target, his heart sinking at the sight.

Home. Half of it was smashed in, gems lying everywhere, and some strange creature was nesting in the spire. He could spot the body of a deer in the nest, half being dragged in, and the base of the massive crystal home was cracked. No doubt it would collapse if something big were to hit it, and the thought of his home being more damaged upset him.

"Spike!"

He opened the door, dust flying out again, before settling in the air, frozen as well. He walked in, walls smashed and cracked, his eyes travelling over the crystal walls. Although once bright and vibrant, the gem seemed dull and lifeless, cracks cobwebbed across them, Spike giving a sad sigh as he brushed his hands along them.

He pulled his hand away and started walking towards the throne room, his eyes tracing over the chairs and cracked table. He walked over and ran his fingers over the thrones, before coming across Twilights throne.

He suddenly pressed his forehead against her throne, giving a soft whimper. He felt warm tears slide down his face, his squeezing the throne, not caring about the dust falling on him. His mind flashed with their possible deaths.

Burning, pained screams, mangled bones, cooked flesh. Their screams seared into his mind and he grasped onto the chair harder, hot tears streaming down his face, the salt burning his eyes, leaving them red and puffy.

"Twilight, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry..."

"SPIKE!"

Spikes head shot up and he looked to his right, a bright light erupting out of the wall. He shielded his eyes, giving a loud hiss of pain, before adjusting a bit. "Hello?"

A black hand extended, slightly longer than a real human hand, black and clawed, although he felt no fear from the strange sight. He held his hand out to it, before it gently grasped

The surroundings around them melted into the snow, the hand squeezing for a moment, before pulling away. Another hand reached through, trying to grasp Spike, obviously female.

"Spike! I see him! Spike! If you can hear me, never give up! Keep going!"

The voice was so familiar, but eventually, even it and the hand phased into the white. He thought he recognized the voice, but his dream state quickly wiped away those thoughts. He sat down, feeling tired, and slowly drifted off into the first peaceful dream he had in a month, his body settling in real life, nuzzling into the pillow, still smelling of Mayor Mare.

Safety. Home. Love. He would be having good dreams tonight and be well rested.

If only Mayor Mare were so lucky.

The Mayor Mare stared at the walls, spotting the occasional gem and outcropping, some stalactites dripping water onto the floor below, gathering onto stalagmites and ever so slowly causing them to grow. Her flashlight was spanned around, peering at walls, noticing odd shaped holes. She peered at them, thinking they might have been claw marks or teeth, but quickly dismissed it.

"Sir." Meteor called out, making the guard huff out a noise as a response. "Perhaps we should split up and -"

"No." Silver cut down her thought with such a simple word. "If we split up, more chances for us to be attacked. We stay together, in a group, and that may drive off any animals or threats that may enter our circle. Remember, private Meteor, we are doing rescue first, fighting only if we need to."

Mayor Mare heard something behind them and panned around. She saw a flash of grey for a moment, before it disappeared into the wall. She backed up and pressed against Storm, who gave her a glance, before looking at the wall, seeing some claw marks near the hole they had just passed.

"I don't think we're alone."

Storm tapped Meteor and fave a head tilt towards the Mayor. She nodded, before twirling around and giving a soft breath through her nose. "Miss Mayor, we should keep moving."

"Yeah."

As they walked, the walls started to become further apart, before the group finally reached a cavern. Silver Spear inspected the ground, seeing some silver feathers, picking one up and inspecting it. It was covered in blood, but he hummed, handing the feather off to Storm, who inspected the feather as well.

"This seem familiar to you, Storm?"

"Yeah, looks like Steel Wings feather."

"Sir?" Meteor called, Mayor Mare walking over to her, before giving a soft, inquisitive hum at the sight. Silver and Storm both standing up and walking over, seeing a blood trail lead the way to a large, heavy looking metal door. "What do you make of this?"

"Well..." Silver began, only to hear a sound behind the door, like scratching on the metal door. He quickly brought up his spear, Storm and Meteor acting and pressing up against the sides of the door. "Mayor Mare, get behind some cover. Meteor, power still on in that thing?"

"Yeah, thermal probably, like The Cavern. It'll keep running until the planet is gone." She said, peering at the buttons near the door. She adjusted a bit and looked at Silver. "Got a plan?"

"Meteor, open the door and get ready for a rush. Storm, I want you to be defense and keep an eye out for anything that rushes out. Mayor Mare, stay behind me. I am going to throw down a light spell and blind whatever comes through, chances are it is used to the dark." Silver barked out, the others taking positions. Mayor Mare grasped her flashlight and squeezed it a bit, her knuckles turning white, ready to use the heavy object in her hands as a club if need be. "Three. Two. One. Mark."

Meteor slammed her hand on the top button and knelt down, preparing her spear and adjusting to give herself better footing. Storm took a stance, spreading her legs out a bit and adjusting her spear, and Silver allowed a bright white orb to form in his hand. The door screeched loudly, before slowly moving up, gears grinding loudly as it slowly opened, dust falling from the ceiling as the ground vibrated a bit at the moving door.

Steel threw the ball of light down the hall of rocks and the two steeled themselves, waiting for a rush. Steels eyes hardened, before his grip tightened on his spear, his eyes searching. No screams, no cursing, no roaring or growling, not even so much as a peep from the hole they opened. Steels eyes searched as he saw minecart tracks and a rusty minecart sitting there, blood caking its side, and slowly moved forward, Mayor Mare still holding her flashlight like a club.

Steels headlamp moved to and fro, painting the walls with light, slowly stepping forward, the light from his spell slowly fizzling out further in the tunnel, showing the blood trail continuing on into the tunnel.

"Check holes and corners, don't want any surprises." He told them, slowly moving into the hallway of rocks and stones, carefully scanning the walls.

"Claw marks on the right wall and a bloody handprint." Meteor said, brushing her fingers against a bloodstain, rubbing it between her thumb and index fingers. "Still pretty fresh. Couldn't be more than an hour old."

Mayor Mare saw something flash in the distance and pointed towards it silently, Steel and Storm quickening their pace, Meteor watching behind, keeping Mayor Mare in-between them, protected in case something happened. They kept walking down the rocky area, coming across claw marks and different minecarts, full of rocks and strange tools.

"These were used recently." Mayor Mare said, seeing Steel spare her a questioning glance. "I was friends with a woman, one of the Elements of Harmony, Pinkie Pie. She said her family owned a rock farm, saw her keep tools like this and would point out their uses." She traced a hand along the pickaxe, bringing her hand up to show some dirt. "No dust on them, just dirt."

"Maybe Diamond Dogs?" Storm offered, before looking at the walls, covered in claw marks and blood. "Or...somethin?"

"Couldn't be, Spike told me about Diamond Dogs, they use their paws to dig up jewels like with his hands." Meteor said, gaining a look from the other three. "What? The little guy used to live in Canterlot, we would talk at Pony Joes sometimes. He recognized me, been having lunch every Thursday to catch up."

"You've been having lunch with Spike every Thursday? Why didn't he tell me?"

"No clue. Guy seems scared though." She looked back at Mayor Mare again, giving her a soft look. "Afraid of losing you, I think."

"Sir, we got a body!"

Steel, Mayor Mare, and Meteor walked over, spears at the ready, Mayor Mare rolling her wrist to help stop the crick developing in it. It was definitely a body, skyblood. "Oh Celestia, is it Steel Wing?"

"No." Silver answered. He lifted the body up, giving a grim look. "Appears to be man, early thirties, face is mangled beyond recognition. Body is cold and blood pool is dried, he's been dead for awhile. Claw marks on his chest and bite marks on his neck indicates he was bitten and clawed, likely to death."

"Cutie mark?" Mayor Mare asked, before giving a sick look. She held her hand over her mouth and backed away, the stench of death already making her sick.

Silver moved the mans tattered pants down a bit, looking at the right side of the hip, before responding, "Looks like a...wing with some fog around it?"

"That's the man we're looking for. Name's Foggy Flight. Got his cutie mark flying through the fog in a race, I remember." Mayor Mare spoke, scratching her neck. "Got drunk once and bragged about it...right before flying into a pole trying to do it again."

"His wings are a different color than the feathers we found, and the trail of blood continues on into tunnel." Storm pointed out, before adjusting a bit. "Movement!"

They shot up, spears at the ready, searching the darkness, headlamps and flashlights flicking to and fro. Mayor Mare decided to shine her flashlight, seeing something being dragged into the darkness, the sound of metal scraping against the rocks.

"What was that?"

Silver walked forward, before throwing another spell of light, making it flash out. This time, there was something; a grey mass dragging something fleshy and metal. Silver started walking, hearing rumbling echo down the hall, then used his magic to levitate a rock. He threw the rock at the grey form, eyeshine from the light being flashed to him, before a growl. He threw another rock with his magic, the beast yelping and scrambling back, running into the darkness, claws scraping against the track.

Silver ran over, using the light from his spell into the hallway, the beast giving a snarl as it backed up, powerful claws being shown for a moment before it ran into the darkness, huffing loudly. Silver looked down and sighed, before taking a defensive stance, aiming his spear at the darkness.

"We got Steel here!" He called out, hearing scraping in the darkness. He threw up another light spell, sweat pouring down his forehead. So many spells in an hour, he was starting to get tired.

Meteor ran over, kneeling down and sighing, saying, "Steel Wing, you stupid bastard, you owe me a barrel of cider after this one." She mumbled out, checking his pulse. She sighed and smiled up to Silver, saying, "He's alive. Let's bring him to the docs."

She grasped him, standing him up, before slinging him over her shoulders. She grasped her spear and slowly started to walk back with him, before looking back. "Sir, the lights-"

"I know, just quicken that pace."

As they walked back, the group stiffened when they heard something; a howl. Silver turned back to see the light flickering, and in its light, he saw multiple pairs of eyes, shining in the darkness. Mayor Mare started to back up, her light flashing onto the beasts.

Diamond Dogs. At least, they had once been Diamond Dogs, as she saw them with random tufts of fur. Their faces had sunken in looks, fur was mangled, jaws ready to eat flesh, and powerful claws ready to pounce.

"Everyone, run." Mayor Mare said, the light flickering again, much dimmer now. "RUN NOW!"

They started to sprint now, brushing past minecarts and jumping over boulders. Meteor spared a glance backwards, Steel giving a groan on her shoulders, though stayed unconscious.

"Wouldn't happen to have another in you, sir?"

"Would it surprise you to know that's not the first time I've heard that?" Silver joked, though his face was stone cold. He suddenly flipped around and struck, a Diamond Dog howling in pain. It seemed the beasts were no longer phased by the lights and were charging one by one. A fatal mistake.

He struck again, stabbing his spear into the beast, its howls of pain quickly dying out. He pulled his spear out and stabbed another in the skull, kicking the body off as he started backing up.

"Come on, sir! We gotta get going!" Storm called out, ushering Mayor Mare out, staring back at them.

"Go on! I'll protect you!" He started to walk backwards, stabbing another beast in the arm, ignoring its roar as he stabbed its throat, making its roar turn into a bloody gurgle. He started running in the lull of the attacks, ignoring the deep, gutteral howls behind him.

"I thought Diamond Dogs didn't eat humans!" Meteor called out, ducking when she heard something scratch along the walls, missing swipe from one of the beasts, who had scrambled out of a hole.

It made for another swipe, only for Storm to smash its teeth out with a staff. It yelped, only for Silver to stab his spear into its head and vaulted over. They passed the body, Mayor Mare giving a loud gasp as she saw it dragged into a hole, before Silver tapped her with his hand.

"Focus on the door, get it closed, I'll fend them off for as long as I can." Silver said, before stopping in front of the door, slamming his spear in. He beat his chest with his hands, his armor clanking loudly. "Come on! I'll teach you mangey mutts a whole new meaning of pain!"

The first beast jumped him, meeting its end as he slashed its throat, lopping off its head. He twirled his spear around and sliced through a beasts head, spilling its brains onto the floor.

As Mayor Mare pressed the button, she felt something. She stopped, then slowly put her hand up, giving a shocked gasp at what she felt; an air current. She could feel air moving out of the passage way, giving a soft noise at the discovery.

She pressed the button again, the door making loud screeching sounds as it slowly lowered. Silver Spear stabbed his weapon into another beast, only to get knocked off of his feet, his spear sliding to Mayor Mares feet. He gave a strangled cry as his chest piece was raked by claws, damaging the gold armor even more. His helmet was knocked off, and in response, he pulled a knife from his hip and slammed it into the mutated mutts side. He twisted the blade, kicking the beast off, before another took its place, raking its claws off of his face, making him scream in agony, his arm being bitten by the beast.

He couldn't bring his knife up, so, he looked towards Storm and Meteor, currently fending off a dog. He looked back as the beast raised its arm, ready to strike him and end his life. He closed his eyes, accepting defeat, ready to meet his end with honor.

Suddenly, a spear was shoved into its eye, blood splattering onto the wounded leader. He looked up to see Mayor Mare, gagging at the sight of blood, but pushed the spear further into the beasts face. It screamed, before slumping, the Mayor ripping the spear out and tossing it outside the door. She grasped onto Silvers shoulder pauldrons and started tugging him in, giving grunts of exertion. She pulled him through the doors, panting as she closed them.

They could hear scratching and deep barks, though none broke through. Perhaps The Caverns had a far tougher walls than she originally thought, or maybe the smell of all the people freaked them out?

"Hey...piece of cake, right?" Mayor Mare joked, sliding next to Silver on the wall, panting loudly with him. "And look, you got some scars now! Spike told me the chicks dig those."

"And what did you say to Spike?" Storm asked, holding onto her knees and panting loudly.

"Told him to go to bed."

"Not a bad idea. We'll head back home and get Steel Wing to a doctor, then get some real sleep." Silver spoke, rubbing his shoulder, before standing up unsteadily.

"Amen to that."

Одна неделя

One week.

In one week, everyone in The Caverns had learned about what happened. They had made contact with an unusually aggressive variant of Diamond Dogs, lost another one of their own to the dangers of this new world, and two of their strongest fighters. Current theories go from a new species, to the frozen wasteland above, to magical rocks, to even mad scientists and aliens for the beasts they encountered. Of course, Spike himself thought it had something to do with the strange magic he could smell in the air after the bombs, but never told anyone.

The beasts had prompted Mayor Mare to give the go ahead to train people to defend themselves. With Steel Wing put in the temporary hospital and Silver Spear still resting from his wounds, Mayor Mare had no choice but to hand Meteor Storm and Storm Chaser the job. It was going well, at least, according to Meteor.

Storm, however, said that Big Mac and Applebloom looked like the only decent fighters in the whole lot, and that Scootaloo had potential. Sweetie Belle had done alright in the running and athletic departments, same as Scootaloo, but Applebloom and Big Macintosh were great physical fighters.

"It'll take elbow grease and prayers to get the rest of them into fighting shape."

Mayor Mare didn't agree with her, but she did know how to actually fight, so she couldn't argue against her. Silver Spear himself was ready to train them, though the bandaging around his head and near constant yelling from Nurse Redheart had put the captain in his place. Steel Wing, who had awoken three days after the attack, would be seen flirting with said Nurse, and she would respond by rolling her eyes and letting him down. Multiple times.

Mayor Mare watched the training and even participated in some of it, though was at no point to even challenge the guards. Hell, she couldn't take them even if they had both hands tied behind their backs, but, she still trained with the others.

If nothing else, they provided an excuse for her to exercise and stay in shape.

As for Spike, her charge, she had not seen much of him except whilst eating and getting ready for bed. At the moment, she was currently looking around for the young dragonblood, Storm Chaser by her side, peering in the corners.

"You know, I heard Spike once turned into a giant monster and wiped out half of Ponyville." Storm spoke, adjusting the bandages around her right wing. "That true?"

"No." Mayor Mare said as she looked around, Storm giving a soft sigh. "He actually destroyed a few sirens and a water tower, did minor damage to a few buildings, also took down the Thunderbolts."

Storm turned white at that thought, stopping for a moment, before catching up with her, asking, "He uh...won't be turning into an actual dragon, will he?"

Mayor Mare gave her a teasing grin, before answering, "Not unless you are something shiny or a cute damsel."

"Thank Celestia...wait, I can be cu-" She was cut off as Mayor Mare lifted her hand. She brought a finger to her lips, the universal shush motion, before slowly walking around the corner of a building.

Around the building was Spike, sitting down and staring at the flickering lights of candles. The wall in front of Spike was covered in pictures, drawings, and names, the low light of the candles and the light of the buildings creating a solemn glow around the pictures and names, as if forever wanting to honor the memories of the lost. He stared at the picture in his hands, brushing his thumb over it, his tail wrapped around him, almost protectively as he stared at the picture.

Mayor Mare could spot pictures of Applejack and Granny Smith, the older woman kissing a pair of squirming toddlers, who were Big Mac and Applejack, not caring what they thought in the moment. Granny Smith herself had been old and wrinkled, hair grey and eyes filled with energy fit for a woman barely a tenth of her age. She had a farmers tan, much like most of her family, orange eyes, and her shirt had an apple pie on it, her signature scarf tied around her neck. Next to her photo stood Applejacks, petting Winona's head and watching out into the fields in her photo, her farmers tan gently colored by the setting rays, her freckles just another addition to her natural beauty, golden hair braided and trusty Stetson on her head.. Mayor Mares heart longed for the taste of those apples, and that loving cider the Apple Family always produced.

In another spot, she spotted Rarity's fabulous photo, giving a soft, warm smile at the camera. The dress she was wearing was as beautiful as ever, and the heart shaped ruby around her neck did nothing to draw the attention away from her brilliant blue eyes. Above that was a middle aged couple, Hondo and Cookie, if she remembered correctly. The man, Hondo, had a beautifully trimmed mustache, beautiful blue eyes, and his hair was comed back, brown with a few lighter spot sprinkled in it. He wore a Haywai'ian shirt and shorts, his skin tanned from being in the sun. The beautiful woman to his left in the photo was Cookie, which resembled Rarity in facial structure. She had a big, poofy, beautiful hair style with striped of lighter purples and blues, and wore a simple shirt and shorts, her skin being slightly sunburnt in the photo. Rarity and Sweetie Belles parents.

In a third and final spot, she noticed a blank square, though sat multiple ponies and griffons, some of whom she did recognize, many she did not. The blank square drew Mayor Mares attention, before she looked down, finally noticing the photo in Spikes hands.

"Spike?" Mayor Mare called out, her voice soft and loving, almost motherly. Spikes head moved, looking at her from the corner of his eye, before he moved his head back, returning his gaze towards the photo. She walked up to him and sat next to him, saying nothing, but gave him an one armed hug, him leaning on her.

Storm couldn't help but give a soft smile at the sight. She slowly walked up and knelt down next to the pair, giving them some respectable space, but close enough to them that she could rest her hand on Spikes shoulder, if need be. She finally looked down at the photo and blinked in surprise at the sight; a photo of the Elements of Harmony, and Spike, in the middle of them.

Spike was giggling in the photo, a party hat on his head, and surrounding him were the girls. She blanked on their names for a moment, cursing her awful memory, before looking up at Spike, his eyes trailing the photo.

In it, Fluttershy was hugging him tight, an unusual sight for anyone who knew the woman, her skin a darker tone than the others, though it seemed more out of genetics than any actual outside work, her beautiful pink hair falling past her shoulders, and sweater with three beautiful butterflies being shown to the camera. Applejack was yelling and reaching for Rainbow Dash, whose skin was tan from working out in the outdoors and her weather woman job. Rainbow was currently holding Applejacks hat in the background of the photo, a teasing grin painted on her lips. Pinkie Pie, whose skin was light and was surprisingly thin for the amount of sweets she could eat, was laughing at the sight, her pink hair bouncing even in the photo, her pink shirt blank, likely to get people to stop their excuses to stare her body. Rarity, of course, was smiling for the photo, hand on Spikes shoulder, whilst Twilight was holding the camera in her magic, smiling as she hugged Spike from behind, resting her chin in his spikey hair.

"These are..." Storm trailed off, seeing the pain in young Spikes eyes, the young dragon swallowing thickly at the sight of the photo.

"My friends." Spike spoke, gently placing the photo back on the wall. He lifted an unlit candle up to his face and gently blew onto it, a green flame spewing from his jaws and lighting the candle up. "And my sister."

Mayor Mares grip tightened onto Spike, allowing him to nuzzle into her breast, not caring who saw in this moment. He felt his eyes give a familiar sting, though no tears came, Mayor Mare rubbing his back lovingly as they sat there in silence. She wanted to give him time to heal, give him time to wait for his friends, his family to come. She simply did not have that time, but she hoped she would, soon.

Mayor Mare ignored the numbing feelings coming from her legs, Spike staring at the wall again, his hand coming up and grasping hers, giving it a soft squeeze. She smiled, a small part of her mind wanted to hold him and kiss him all better, though she suppressed these feelings.

Storm took this moment to adjust and reach into her chest plate. She pulled out a photo and flipped it open, attaching it to the rock wall thanks to some sort of magic that a unicorn had casted. Despite what many had thought, it was actually Spikes idea to start the memorial wall, and he had pitched it to Mayor Mare whilst they were eating dinner together. She flattened the picture out and smiled a bit, seeing a picture of a woman there, a magic blood, wearing a sleeveless t-shirt and long scars on her arms, along with a bite mark on her other arm.

"Who is she?" Mayor Mare asked, her hand coming up and slowly scratching Spikes scalp. A low thrum erupted from Spike, surprising the two women, but Mayor Mare continued it, smiling at the sound.

"She, uh...she was a naturalist. She would study animals in different parts of Equestria, damn near got her head bitten off by a Manticore when I met her. Somehow dragged me along for a few adventures too." Storm spoke, before giving a soft, shaky breath. "She was uh...planning to visit Canterlot, but was in Las Pegasus when..." She trailed off, leaving it unfinished.

They sat there in silence, their eyes lowered. Finally Spike sat up and looked back, Mare and Storm following his movements to see Meteor standing there, standing at attention. Mayor Mare sighed and gave Spike a wistful smile, brushing some hair away from his eyes.

"Come Spike. We'll get some food and cuddle up later, okay?" Mayor Mare promised, before turning to Storm. "You tagging along?"

"Yeah just, uh...just give me a minute." Storm said, giving the picture a sad, longing look. Mayor Mare gave a nod, then walked with Spike and Meteor.

"So, what happened?" Mayor Mare asked as they walked, Meteor giving a cautious look back at Spike, before Mayor Mare sighed. "He was raised at the castle, along with Twilight, which means the closest things he has to parents would be Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkles mother. I really doubt whatever you'll say will shock him."

Meteor made another glance at Spike, before speaking, "Ma'am-"

"Mayor Mare or just Mare is fine, we've had this discussion before."

"Sorry ma'am, old habits and all that. It seems we are not as well stocked as we once thought."

"What do you mean?" The silence that met Mayor Mare made her frown. She looked back at Spike, before giving a smile as she knelt down. "Hey, I heard Big Macintosh has a Power Ponies comic, do you wanna go ask him if he'll let you borrow it?"

Spike gave a gasp and raced around the corner, only to suddenly stop when he heard harsh whispers. He slowly started to back up and strained his ears, listening to the conversation.

"Well, it seems the supplies of food are lower than we previously estimated." Meteor continued, giving the Mayor a soft look. "We are also low on medical supplies, there was an accident the other day and we are out of fresh bandages, pain killers and the like. We need to get some from the surface and soon."

"What about the farms?"

"Ma'am, normally our food would be growing out of our ears, but underground, even with the light the unicorns can supply and the mushrooms, we still won't have enough food before the crops are ready to be harvested. Which means starvation isn't a matter of if, it's a matter of when now."

Mayor Mare sighed, before rubbing the back of her neck and staring at the gems at the roof of the cavern, seeing them glow softly in the darkness brought her some peace.

"So, we need people to go to the surface, grab supplies and come back...any ideas?" Mayor Mare asked, Spikes hand gripping onto the building as he listened.

"Well, some of the doctors think it'll be hard to breathe, so we'll need some masks they are cooking up. They say it might feel like we'll be breathing in a volcano."

"Well, Spike can swim and even drink lava, I'm pretty sure if he can handle that, we can handle similar conditions in gear."

"That's another thing." Meteor interrupted, before looking around, making sure no one was listening in, before continuing, "We think the Mutts are down here because something is up there."

Mayor Mare gave a worried look, then sighed a bit, rubbing the back of her neck. Of course, the apocalypse had to be complicated, couldn't just be survival for the group. "Alright, let Silver Spear and Steel Wing know. Round up your best students, we'll talk to the magics and see if we can pin down some areas for rations and medical supplies."

Spike took this moment to slip away, frowning a bit as he thought. Well, the outside world was survivable, as far as he knew, and it apparently was toxic to them. Spike himself would be fine, he breathed in toxins and gasses from volcanoes with no issues, but the others would likely not make it far without protection.

They needed food and medical supplies, and he knew where both of those things were. He just needed to get to them.

On the migration of his kin, Spike would often go through insanely cold areas and barren wastelands following them whilst they took to the skies. However, the world had changed whilst Spike was down here, that much he knew, so he had to be prepared.

He went to his room, pulling out a case from under his bed. He brushed away some dust that had gathered onto it, unclipping it, then opened it, revealing heavy looking jackets and clothes. He slowly put on a few extra shirts, silently thanking Rainbow Dash for the clothes that was far too large for him.

"It would keep him warm, he's cold blooded!" She would say, not knowing Spike was endothermic, like them. "He'll grow into it!" She argued when Twilight would correct her with facts about him.

He tucked the shirts under his pants, already feeling stuffy, before grasping a winter jacket. He pulled the jacket over himself, zipping it up, then grasped a mask, putting it over his mouth and nose. He nodded to himself, before tugging the mask down, already sweating, walking outside. He peeked around the corners, seeing no one outside, and silently slipped into the darkness.

Mayor Mare sat there, Silver and Steel in front of her, relaxing before she could drop the bomb on them. Silver had bandages wrapped around the right side of his head, being lucky he had not lost his eye in the attack, though the bandages looked like they needed to be changed. Steel had some bandages around his chest, some of his ribs being broken in the attack. His arm was also in a sling, though the edges of claw marks were still visible through some of the bandages.

Storm had entered the room with Meteor, along with Big Mac (whose skin was kissed by a farmer tan, freckles dotted his cheeks, green eyes, his shirt dirty from a days work in the farms, and his head had an old, beat up hat, probably an old Stetson, akin to Applejacks, and his orange hair tucked and tied behind him in a pony tail), Bulk Biceps (his skin was light, hair short and blond, red eyes hardened and ready for anything, his shirt struggled to keep the walls of muscles he had in, and his wings were rather pathetic looking, but still worked), and Thunderlane (who had rather dark skin, akin to Zecora, and was wearing a aviator jacket with a thunderstorm stitched onto it, white hair cut into a mohawk, and yellow eyes filled with worry.)

"Thank you all for coming, take a seat."

All of those present sat down, Thunderlane and Bulk both sharing a glance when Mayor Mare sat back, rubbing her temples to try and stop an incoming headache. They sat there, Mayor Mare sitting up and clearing her throat a bit.

"We have a situation." Mayor Mare spoke, setting her hands down on the table, staring at the group. "We've run the numbers, and unfortunately, we don't have enough food or medical supplies to last the month."

The room sat in silence for a moment, before Thunderlane finally asked, "Well, if we don't have enough food, what will we do?"

Silver Spear stood up, walking over to Mayor Mare and handing her a piece of paper. Mare cleared her throat, before speaking, saying, "We have nailed down a few locations where food and medical supplies would be kept, and possibly some equipment to help us defend ourselves."

"Defend ourselves?" Bulk asked, adjusting in his chair, it squeaking under his weight. "I thought you locked those dog things behind the door."

Mayor Mare scratched her cheek and leaned back, giving a sigh, before responding, "That's another issue. We found out there is another cavern filled with supplies that would help us immediately...but it is wide open to the elements outside, and crawling with those things." Mayor Mare looked over the map for a moment, before tracing her fingers up The Caverns entrance and looking back at the group, "We have to trek through the snow and trees and make it to what's left of town. It'll be longer, but safer."

"What 'bout the farm?"

"What about it?"

"Well, we have food stocks there, and plenty of seeds, in case somethin happened to tha farm." Big Macintosh said, leaning forward and resting his arms on his lap. "Granny wanted to stay when the farm was hit. Said she uh...she wanted to be with the farm when it happened. So, knowin her, those supplies are still there."

Mayor Mare tapped the map in thought, before nodding to him. "Very well. Get as much as you can carry. We'll get you the necessary equipment before you head out." Mayor Mare then stood up, giving them a grim look, stating, "I probably don't need to tell you this, but, I need to reiterate just how important this is. If we don't do this, many will starve and suffer. We need to act now, before the situation becomes dire."

The group nodded to her, Mayor Mare smiling, before Silver Spear grabbed the map and adjusted it, speaking to the team, "You will split up into two teams. Team one, Meteor Storm, Bulk Biceps, and Thunderlane, you will be heading to the hospital and gathering as many supplies as you can. We need needles, blood bags, IVs, pills, anything and everything you can grab." Silver Spear then drew his hands along the map. "Team two will be Big Macintosh, Storm Chaser, and myself. We will be heading to stores for canned goods and more cooking supplies. Then, we will go through the backroads and alleyways towards Sweet Apple Acres and gather food and seeds there. If we're lucky, we can find enough food for everyone. At worst, everyone will have to ration, but they'll live until harvest, where we'll really be able to survive. Any questions so far?" Bulk raised his hand, making Silver turn to him.

"Yes, I was wondering, why aren't we heading towards the castle?" The group shared a confused look, Bulk adjusting in the far too small chair and tapping a finger on it, elaborating, "Well, Princess Twilight Sparkle -" Mayor Mare winced at that name, gripping her arm, a motion unnoticed by most of the group, "- lived there. Having met her before, I know she would probably have some books and spells which might help with food underground or healing injuries."

Silver gave Mayor Mare a glance, who rested her face in her hands, closing her eyes, then responded, "Well, at the moment, we should worry about food and medical supplies. We'll go back for those books and scrolls after this run, and after we get some rest."

"Alright, everyone. Go report to the doctors and scientists to get your gear." Silver ordered, the group leaving, except Steel Wing, who shifted in his seat. "Steel Wing, I want you to stay and rest. I know you are feeling cramped in these tunnels, but right now, you are the only one I can trust to keep everyone safe if the Mutts decide to attack."

"Sir, permission to speak."

"Granted."

"I got my ass beat the last time those Mutts got me, is it really wise to keep me here?"

Silver Spear and Mayor Mare shared a look, before Mayor Mare nodded, Silver looking back at Steel, "Well, you were under prepared last time, so, the metalworker has something special in mind for you. Go see her when you have a moment."

"Yes sir!"

When he left the room, Silver Spear looked at the Mayor and smiled, "Although the docs'll be pissed, I feel like I need this. You sure you won't come with? Heard it'll be one Tartarus of an Easter Egg hunt."

Mayor Mare smiled, then adjusted the papers on her desk, replying, "Thanks for the invite, but I think I'll pass. I have paperwork to catch up on, and a dragonblooded boy to look after."

"End of the world and you still have to do paperwork?"

"My own personal Tartarus."

Spike walked over to the boarded up gem room, flicking his long tongue out, a backpack on his back. He stared at the walls, scanning it for any weaknesses, before kneeling down and testing the bottom of the structure. He was about to pull when he heard some scraping against the ground. He shot up, his eyes searching in the darkness, only to feel hot breath on his shoulder, making him shiver. He stood up slowly, before twirling around, rock in his hand, ready to strike the beast.

Instead of the beast, he looked down to see Winona, on her back Owlowiscious, and Tank by her side. It seemed Angel and Opalescence were doing their own thing. Spike knelt down and scratched behind Winona's ears, simultaneously petting Tanks back, careful not to harm his machinery.

"Hey guys, don't worry, I'll be back. I won't leave you guys behind." He adjusted on his seat. "Try to keep an eye on everyone while I am gone, and Owlowiscious, no telling Mayor Mare. Not a word." He turned around, the owl twirling his head to Spike.

"Who?"

He strained a bit, before looking back at the Owl, "Mayor Mare? The person who has been taking care of me?"

"Who?"

"The lady who watches over me?"

"Who?"

"Beautiful? Grey hair? Blue eyes? Cute lips you just kinda wanna kiss sometimes?"

"Who?"

Spike raised his hand, ready to yell at the owl, before giving a huff, mumbling out, "Forget it." He started to pull, the board breaking off, a loud snap echoing out. He looked around, Winona giving a soft whine. "I promise I'll be back, I just need to help get food and medicine."

He ripped the board off, kneeling down and crawling under. He got up and wiped the dirt off of his body, then peered under the boards, saying, "Keep everyone safe while I am gone. I'm counting on you guys."

Spike stood up, ignoring the gems around him as he walked through them. His heart yearned for the gems around him, but he needed to help the others first. He clambered up a gem, sniffing the air, then continued on. He could smell fresh air, but it was distant, he had a bit of a walk ahead of him.

He walked forward, adjusting the bag on his back, looking at the wall in front of him. He dug his fingers into the wall, smashing into it, slowly climbing up, then mantled over the side, giving a soft huff as he looked back. His eyes scanned the walls, sniffing the air again, before slowly walking up, careful not to shatter or disturb any gems.

After all, he shouldn't be here, not really, but he needed to go up to help The Cavern. He'll bring back food and medical supplies from the castle. It may be dangerous, but he needed to do this. He stepped over another gem, humming to himself, before his thoughts turned to the others and his strange dream.

He did not recognize the voice talking to him, and certainly not that hand reaching toward him. It felt very human, but it clearly wasn't. Pure black skin, it felt powerful, yet peaceful, like it genuinely wanted to help him. He didn't know what that creature was in his dreams, but it tore through his nightmares and brought him peace, and for that, he needed to find it and help it in some way.

Spike was many things, but an ungrateful lad was not one of them. He heard the rush of wind and scrambled through the gems, finally finding his target; a metal door.

His eyes scanned it, before he yelped, seeing a skeleton to the side, holding a pickaxe in its hands. He put a hand on his chest, trying to calm his beating heart, before inspecting the skeleton. Whilst holding a pickaxe, it looked like its ribcage had been broken by something sharp. He looked on its helmet, the headlamp broken and smashed, and have of its skull was caved in.

It looks like the skeleton had been there awhile, and some animals had gotten to it, as its ribs were chewed on, and the right tibia had strange marks on it. He knelt down and sighed, lowering his head. "May you find peace with Faust." He quietly said, before standing back up and walking towards the door. He pushed on it, hearing it screech loudly, wincing as he pushed it open.

Had he been paying attention, he would have heard something scraping in the darkness, along with a chitter.

"Hey, beautiful, Captain Silver Spear you had somethin for me?" Steel Wing flirted with Nurse Redheart, who rolled her eyes.

Big Mac sighed loudly, before lifting the smaller man up and moving him aside, "Calm down, Romeo, we're here for it too."

Meteor Storm and Storm Chaser shared a look, Nurse Redheart humming as she looked back, "Time Turner, the devices?"

Some rustling behind her was heard, before a Earthblooded man walked through, carrying a box full of strange devices. He set them down and gave her a soft glare, "For the last time, it is The Doctor! Not Time Turner!" He heard a throat clearing and looked over, his face turning from frown to excited grin, "Oh! How wonderful, you are all here! On time too!"

Big Mac shared a look with Bulk, who shrugged, before looking back at the man, "Uh...yeah, so, the Mayor said ya were wantin to give us some stuff?"

"The Mayor?" The Doctor scratched his cheek in thought, before snapping his fingers, "Ah, yes, Mayor Mare, right! So, I got the equipment right here." He adjusted the box, Thunderlane leaning in to peer into the box.

"What kinda quack science experiment did we just let ourselves be talked in to?" Bulk whispered to Big Mac, who gave the Doctor a soft look.

"So, what do these thangs even do?"

"I'm glad you asked!" The Doctor pulled out a strange mask, the mask being big and bulbous in the front, with a clear glass view. "This, I call this a rebreather! This bulbous part right here is detachable, and you are able to clean it. It will help you breathe in the environment up there, and you get two."

"How do we clean it?" Thunderlane asked, Silver Spear walking up behind the group, seeing Steel Wing giving a flirty look to an obviously uninterested Redheart.

A vein appeared in his forehead, before he walked over to the side, then yelled, "ATTEEEEEENTION!" The group shot up in a line, The Doctor and Redheart both staring at the magicblooded man. "Continue, Doctor."

He brushed his lab coat, giving a uneasy smile. "Right...so, you'll need to find a building or some nice shelter, click a little doodad here-" He pointed to a button on the bottom of it, then continued, "-and wipe it down, before replacing it. Of course, this is a prototype, so if it doesn't snap open, don't panic! You have at least thirty minutes of air in your filter."

Nurse Redheart cleared her throat and said, "The hospital should have some cleaning supplies, if you need some for the filters."

"I see." Silver Spear said, peering down at the mask. "You...wouldn't happen to know what kind of environment is up there, would you?"

"Best we can do is guess. Doctor Fauna thinks the magic and radiation may be mutating the animals up there, and that the Diamond Dogs near the surface turned into the Mutts you fought before." The Doctor sighed a bit as he pulled something out, giving it a soft look, before saying, "I'm sure you all know how much we hate violence, ignoring the guards here. Unfortunately...we will have no choice in this savage world."

"Is that what I think it is?" Storm Chaser asked, staring at the object with hunger and admiration, ready to grasp it.

"No way..." Big Mac mumbled out, staring at the object, his eyes scanning over everything.

"Now that is a thing of beauty." Steel said, making Silver nod in response.

"You guys are weird." Thunderlane mumbled out, ignoring the glare Meteor gave him.

"This is a specialized crossbow. I have modified the original design so it can autoload and fire. Although we have no wood down here, I had changed the shaft type to metal. You will have to get used to the weight, I suggest practicing before you guys head out." The Doctor spoke, adjusting it a bit, before twirling it around, showing the underside, "This is where you can attach any flashlights or other such items. Be warned, it may impede the accuracy a bit, so be careful."

"Anything else?"

"Lemme see here..." The Doctor rummages through the bag, pulling out some knives, Silver immediately grabbing one and twirling it around in his hand, gaining impressed looks from Big Mac and Bulk. "Oh!" He pulled out a wrist bracer and a strange, sleek machine with a trigger on the side. He adjusted the bracer, the armored side being rolled over to show a digital clock, blinking zeroes on its screen, along with a strange device near it. "This will show you how much time your filter has before it quits on ya."

"What is this?" Silver asked, pointing on the little glass item on the bracer, putting the knife into a sheath on his chest.

"This is the Magic Counter, it reads magic and radiation and gives a loud clicking noise when you are in danger. You can use it to scout out locations, keep yourself safe from magic and radiation, and...well, it looks cool, to be honest. The bracer itself is armored as well, so if something bites you there, it might take awhile for it to even scratch these sensors and damage them." The Doctor said, giving a soft hum, before pointing at the machine with a trigger on it, saying, "This will recharge your batteries and any shops you come in contact with. Be careful though, lights attract attention, and we'd much rather have you all stay safe than endanger your lives for some medicine and food."

They started to bundle up in gear and warm clothing, Bulk needing to adjust his items a few times, trying to make room for his muscles to breathe. Silver attached the mask to his chest, giving a hum as he flexed his arms a bit, trying to get used to the warm feelings, being stuffed inside armor and the hot clothes on top of himself. As they were about to head out, Doc cleared his throat, gaining their attention.

"One more thing," The Doctor spoke, before adjusting on his feet. He looked down, giving a soft sigh, adjusting the spare items outside the box a bit. "We don't know if anyone else survived, but if they did, they may need help. This new world of ours is harsh, nearly impossible to survive. If they did survive, the likelihood is that they may have done some terrible things to survive. So be very wary. And if you can, try to help out the folks with good hearts, we could always do with more hands back here, in the Hospital."

The group started to head up, Steel Wing sighing as he walked with them. They stopped at the gateway, Steel scratching the back of his head, saying, "I should watch that one entrance when I have time. Gotta make sure you guys don't hit your ass on the way out."

Big Mac turned to Steel, the rest of the group moving up, before leaning in, whispering out something, Steel nodding a moment, before ushering them out. "Don't take too long now."

The door started to grind behind them, Steel giving a sigh at the screeching and grinding of metal on metal action. It gave a soft rumble, as it opened, the massive metal door moving out of the way, Silver gave everyone a look, clearing his throat.

"You all have approximately thirty minutes for each filter, so let's try to make this fast. We'll split up at the main gate, then reconvene there. Any questions?" When nobody said anything, he looked back towards Steel, "I'm countin on you, Steel Wing. Keep this place protected until we get back."

"Don't worry, sir, I'll keep everyone safe."

"Alright everyone, move out."

Поверхность

Cold.

That is the first thing Spike felt when he walked into the room. He looked around, his already hot breath turning into steam in the air, looking around, his pupils scanning the area. Had he been a normal Human, much like the ones he surrounded himself with, he would have been totally blind in the pitch black room.

Luckily, he was anything but normal.

He let out another hot breath as he walked, his eyes scanning the room, pupils constricting into slits as he walked along, scanning the desks and computers. It seems he was in some sort of underground bunker, made to study something, though it was too dark to make out any text or the folders on the desks and ground.

He ran his fingers through the dusty tables, giving a grimace. Twilight would have a heart attack if she saw this place, but Spike himself cared little for that now. He continued on, scanning the walls for a light source, before finally brushing his hand against a button on the wall. He pressed it, the lights flickering for a moment, before turning on, the sounds of a soft hum filling the room.

His slitted pupils rounded instantly, shielding his eyes from the lights. He jumped as he heard a scraping sound and turned, grabbing a chair and whipping it about. No attack came though, his eyes scanning the darkness, staring at every corner and desk. He slowly lowered the chair and scanned the walls, humming when he saw a hole in the side, cobwebs sprouting out near it.

It must have been a spider.

He walked away, humming softly, not noticing a Mutts hand as he passed the hole, before it was slowly dragged in, clicking a chittering echoing in the empty room. Spike walked up the stairs into the second floor, his breath still coming out as steam, passing more and more cobwebs. He stopped as they blocked the way, sighing softly, licking his tongue loudly.

He really hoped nothing in the room was flammable.

He breathed some fire onto his thumb, before tracing it along the cobwebs, setting them ablaze, the emerald flames making quick work of them. He sat there for a moment, before hearing more skittering behind him, turning his head. He saw nothing, though noted more holes in the wall cobwebs sprouting out of them.

Just how big were these spiders?

He turned back to see a body, holding some sort of weapon and flashlight. The flashlight itself was smashed, and the weapon had old blood on it. The body was not yet skeletal, but had been dead for awhile, judging by the smell. Spikes nose crinkled, then inspected the body seeing the weapon; a blade, it looked like a machete of some sort, covered in blue blood and...ash?

Spike heard the skitter again, looking back and seeing a leg pull back into the hole. From the quick look he saw, it was skeletal white, and big. He looked back down at the machete, seeing the body. It was covered in bite marks, clawing, and what appeared to be some sort of stab wound.

The same as the skeleton downstairs.

His eyes narrowed, before looking at the holes on the walls. He didn't know how, but these were connected, and he wasn't willing to be lunch. He grasped the machete, tearing the poor mans arm off in the process. He gave a disgusted look, before using the tips of his fingers to open the mans fingers. He flung the hand off, shivering as he wiped his hands off on his pants.

He gave the machete an experimental swing, then twirled it around. It seemed his lessons with Shining did not go to waste. He stared at the body, then bowed his head in respect, before walking up the stairs.

Had he stayed another moment, he would have seen several lights burn out and pop, something stirring in the darkness as it watched him. It skittered away, giving a hiss, the cobwebs around the hole shifting for a moment as it scrambled back inside. It was patient, it could wait.

Silver Spear walked over to the outer gate, adjusting his mask and putting it on. He adjusted the filter, making sure his clothes were over his armor, and checked his bracer, seeing a flashing red number peer at him. He nodded to himself, slinging his crossbow over his back and adjusting the bandages to be more comfortable.

He looked back, seeing the others getting ready, checking their gear, much like him. He pulled the knife out, inspecting the blade for a moment, twirling it to and fro in his hands, before sliding it into a sheath and nodding to himself. Eventually, he cleared his throat, interrupting everyone, saying, "Listen up, boys and girls, cuz I am going to say this once."

Storm Chaser chuckled and elbowed Big Mac, who gave her a soft look, in the middle of checking his mask out for any scratches or imperfections, before she said, "This is my favorite part."

"When we go through those doors, we will think of one thing, and one thing only; survival." Silver Spear spoke, walking towards the buttons on the side. "We need to think about survival of The Cavern, survival of those women, men and children. If you are in danger, you must protect yourself and leave everything. If you are attacked, you are to try and escape or find a place to hunker down. If you have no options of escape, then fight like a cornered animal until we can save you. I don't want to bring anyone else bad news today, so let's try to all make it back alive."

He pressed a button, the door giving loud clicks as it adjusted, before giving a loud whine of protest as it opened. The group adjusted, masks on already and packs ready, readying themselves and bracing themselves.

A gust of cold wind battered against the door, snow spilling into the cave. Silver shivered as some of the cold wind bit at his exposed ears, before adjusting a bit and walking outside. Big Mac gave a look back, seeing Bulk adjust uncomfortably a bit.

"Never been a fan of tha snow?"

"Never been a fan of seeing destroyed towns." Bulk said, uncharacteristically quiet, before stepping out with the others.

Big Mac stood for a moment, hearing the wind howling outside, then looked back towards the darkness of the tunnel. He hummed softly, hand drifting down to a pocket and pulling out a picture. In the picture was Applebloom, Applejack, and Big Macintosh himself, hugging and laughing at something off the shot. He sighed softly, before putting the picture back.

"I'll find ya, sis."

Big Mac walked out, only be be battered with cold air, shivering as the cold seeped its icy claws into his bones. He walked out, snow melting onto his mask, making him wipe the water off with his gloved hands, slowly walking towards the others. Big Macintosh gasped as he stared at Ponyville...or, what was left of it, anyway.

"This explains why they never sent a rescue party." Silver Spear said, his voice muffled by his mask. He adjusted his gear, then looked back, speaking, "Group One, you know your mission. Group Two, with me."

They stood still for a moment, taking in the destruction, Silver walking on. The main gate showed Ponyville in big, striking letters, however, icicles and snow had made the sign lean over to the side. Streets were blasted with snow, and half of the buildings were smashed in, though all were damaged.

A violent storm drifted ahead, swirling around endlessly, humming with magic and radiation. Snow billowed out, trees once filled with life swayed in the wind, branches dead and barren, giving ominous shadows and clacking noisily. Judging by the sun, blocked by the clouds, it was late in the morning during summer, and yet the blizzard they were in blew as if it were winter in the Crystal Empire.

"Oh Celestia..." Thunderlane mumbled out, walking forward, his wings tucking up behind him. "No wonder there were no rescue parties. Look at this place."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Storm said, pulling her wings back into her own body. "This wind would snap my wings if I tried getting higher. Not to mention how cold it is, you'd develop icicles and frost on your body."

"Alright everyone, split up. We'll gather supplies, find a place to clean our filters, and head back here in forty-five minutes. Don't be late." Silver ordered, using his hand to signal them to move forward. Big Macintosh and Storm Chaser joined him, Thunderlane, Meteor and Bulk heading off in another direction.

On top of the castle, a creature stirred. It opened its eyes, staring into the white abyss it called home, and moved. At its feet lie the bones of its meals, it pushing the skull of a buck away, one of its antlers broken off from the beasts feeding. It licked it chops as it stared out, watching shapes in the snow far below. It gave a curious sound ad it watched, before its stomach made a noise.

It shook its body, before slowly clambering out of its nest, stretching its heavily muscled wings out. It took off, eyeing the two groups, before picking a target and gliding in the wind.

It will hunt again.

Spike gave a grunt of exertion as he pushed the door. He could easily rip the door off its hinges, but something told him that he needed the door there, so he pushed against the wind battering against it. He pushed the door open, giving a grunt as snow spilled inside of the room, along with light. He sighed in relief and slowly walked out into the snow, looking around, trying to spot anything.

Seeing no animals or people around, he stepped out into the snow, adjusting the machete on his hip and walking into the biting wind, peering through the snow. He looked around, seeing smashed windows and caved in buildings, giving a soft sigh as he saw Quills and Sofas.

He adjusted the mask and slid it over his face, the steam from his breath being hidden in the mask. He kept walking, seeing the smashed windows of shops he once visited, his heart sinking as he saw Sugarcube Corner. He rested his hand on its front door, giving it a soft, sad look, his mind filling with laughter from that bubbly woman.

"Oh Pinkie...I hope you're okay." He mumbled out, tracing his hand along the window, brushing away some of the ash and snow. He saw a black shape in its reflection, freezing for a moment, then twirled around, grasping the hilt of his machete.

He scanned the rooftops, trying to spot the shape. He snorted out some smoke, then continued walking, casting one last sad look to the shop, before continuing on. His tail whipped to and fro as he kept walking. He pulled his mask down and huffed out some smoke, before breathing a soft flame, warming his own face in the process. He kept walking a once familiar route, strange and mysterious now, covered in snow, blanketing the ground. He looked back, giving a sniff, before putting the mask back on over his face, gripping onto the machetes hilt.

That's when he spotted it; The Castle. Home.

Or, at least, what used to be the castle. Much of the crystalline structure had been damaged by the blast, but it was still standing strong. He ran over, peering at the side; the school had seen better days, half of it was collapsed in, the lake around it was frozen, though a waterfall still flowed.

It seemed the blast had, unintentionally, raised water levels, as he could see the lake was much higher than before. He walked up to the Castles front door, opening it up, tugging his mask off and giving a happy hum as familiar scents flooded his nose.

He was home.

He started walking along, giving a soft sigh as he walked into the throne room. He saw chairs overturned from the forces that once struck the land and gave a small sight.

He started with the first chair, the closest towards him, Rarity. He slowly pushed it up and set the chair down. He brushed the dust off of it, smiling softly as he remembered the first day he met her. He once thought she was the most beautiful woman he ever met. Those feelings had once stroked a powerful flame, but now were nothing but ashes and smoke within Spike.

He pushed up Pinkies chair, adjusting it into place. Flashes of her crazy parties and gemstone sprinkled cupcakes fluttering into his mind, her smiling face and bone crushing hugs. When he was younger, he used to be indifferent to them. Now, he wished he could feel her hugs again and cook food with her. Listen to her laughter and singing, make dumb jokes and puns with her. He sighed softly, staring at the chair.

He brushed his hand against Applejacks chair, the memories of the cowboy hat wearing woman flashed through his mind. The feeling of them relaxing under a tree, her hat being placed on his head while they watched the sunset together, fighting and running from the Timberwolves together, cooking together and laughing as they had fun.

He turned to Fluttershy's chair, some moths resting on it, before fluttering away from his movement. His mind filled with her soft voice and loving feelings, his hand clutching his own chair as he felt her warm hand land on hers. His heart quickened, his breath coming out as steam, tail curling around his own chair. Her soft voice, helping her with her animals, even the scary moments they both braved together.

His eyes scanned the room to Rainbow Dashes spot, his hand squeezing his own chair again. As brash as she was she seemed to have a soft spot for them. Especially him. Her pranks were pretty bad at times, but they always shared a laugh and brushed it off. Though, if anyone messed with him, she would be ready to pound the asshole into the dirt and flash him a cocky grin while doing it. So loyal, even when the world was on fire, he knew she would always be there.

Then his eyes turned to her chair. Twilight Sparkle. His oldest friend, his big sister, his teacher and mentor, the woman he looked up to. The woman that had been there through his good and bad times, who was there for his silly crushes, who was there when he lost himself to greed, who was there throughout everything. No one could ask for a better friend.

Gone.

His eyes stung, had he been crying? He didn't know or care. He wanted to rip his chair from his place and break the table in front of him. He wanted to smash the thrones and burn the world for his lost kin. He wanted to rip apart his very memories, knowing that his love and loss would be lost forever if he did that.

He did none of that. His anger and pain were a sweltering inferno that started to die down, seeing all six of his friends flash in his mind, smiling and trying to get him to run at them in time for the photo to go off. He looked upon the throne Twilight once sat upon, then pressed his forehead against it, tears trailing down his cheeks and soaking his mask, body trembling with half contained sobs.

He wouldn't let go of this pain, for it meant letting go of his friends. Letting go of his family. And he was willing to carry that pain, forever if need be, to remember each one of them. Even hundreds of years from now, when he would still be around and the world finally healed, he would still remember them. And that pain transformed into a sad happiness, knowing that they will always be a part of him, alive or not.

He rested for a moment, eyes red and mask still soaked. He tugged it off and stood up, making a silent promise to himself; should the girls still be alive, he will find them and bring them home. And, perhaps, they could find somewhere better to live. Together.

When he finally stood up, he wiped his nose with his sleeve, then took a deep breath. He started to walk towards the library first. If there was one thing Spike knew for sure, it was Princess Twilight was an egghead. She likely had a book on different foods and medical practices or even medical spells that could help other people out.

Before he went to the library in the castle, he stopped and looked upon the wall from his dreams. It was coated in dust, though, a strange mark was upon it, almost looking like a handprint, though it was far too dusty to be touched recently.

Thunderlane shook as he walked. He hated the cold. He hated the ice and snow. Really, he hated this whole experience. However, he kept trudging on, ignoring the icy chills that went up his spine. He felt the hair on his neck raise, making him look back, peering into the white snow. His eyes scanned every spot he possibly go through, the blizzard making it nearly impossible to see any threats or targets.

He shook the feeling off and wiped his gasmasks visor, wiping away water, then walked on. Meteor hummed softly as she peered at the door, Bulk underneath a window, watching her. She gave a soft sigh, before looking at Bulk, "Wouldn't happen to have a lockpick, would you?"

Bulk shrugged, Meteor standing up, staring at the door in front of her. "Why not just break the window?" Thunderlane muffled out, Bulk shaking his head at the young man.

"You don't want to cut yourself by accident. It would also make far too much noise, and we don't want to attract attention." Bulk explained, staring at the glass window. He adjusted his pack, then spoke, "We should go around the back, perhaps there is an employee entrance we can force open."

"You two stay here. I'll unlock the front, we'll probably need to make multiple trips if enough is intact, and I'd rather not have to go through the back every time." Meteor said, trudging through the snow, grasping a knife out of its sheath and clambering through the bushes. Bulk grasped his crossbow out and pressed it against his shoulder, keeping himself in a relaxed state, Thunderlane pulling a knife out and inspecting it.

There was the howl of wind, the snow blasting past them, Thunderlane putting his knife away and staring blankly into the blizzard. Bulk adjusted a bit, looking at some of the broken windows high above, giving a soft hum of curiosity, before looking back at the fellow skyblood with him.

"Hey, do you get the feeling we're being watched?"

Big Macintosh rubbed his hands together a bit whilst they took cover in a building. He put his gloves back on and looked around, seeing lights flicker as they walked along the aisles. They had decided to use a local grocery store to take cover in, though it seemed some type of animals had beat them to the punch, so to speak.

Many of the aisles had been trashed, cans of food smashed and splattered, the regular produce was long gone by now, and only a few cans were left. Silver was able to quickly find and put them in his bag, but it was clearly not enough. Silver sighed and adjusted as he knelt down and recounted for the fourth time, rubbing the back of his neck.

This was the third story they had checked, and with this one, they had been lucky. Not lucky enough, it seemed.

"Six cans of corn, three cans of soup, some packets of ramen, and what looks like some alcohol." Silver Spear mumbled out, before sighing loudly, the breath coming out of his gas mask, visible in the cool air. "This food won't last a few hours, much less a few months."

"Agreed." Storms voice echoed out from the back, before it sounded like the door opened in the back, the woman grunting a bit. "Next store?"

"Yeah, one more. Then we'll head over to Sweet Apple Acres." Silver said, zipping his bag up and walking towards the back. Big Mac made to follow, only to stop when he saw something flutter by the front window.

He gave it a look, kneeling down a bit, only for the shape to take form; a Mutt. It, luckily, had no spotted them and was just sitting there, resting in the blizzard. Its thick fur and fat kept it nice and warm in these cold conditions, and it seemed to be just sitting there, resting.

It suddenly looked up and gave a whine, before scampering off, disappearing into the snow, Big Macintosh trying to follow its vision with his eyes, not seeing anything through the snow. He pulled his crossbow out and started to walk after Silver and Storm.

As they walked to the next door, both Big Macintosh and Silver Spear stood guard, crossbows at the ready, silently watching both sides of the alleyway. Storm knelt down and pulled a pin out, starting to pick the lock. Big Macintosh twirled his head around, before looking up, seeing a flash of movement. He waved Silver and pointed upwards, Silver nodding in response and tapping Storm, who gave a soft, muffled sigh.

"Do you know how hard it is to do this normally? I have to do it with water on my visor, snow smashing against me, and this clunky thing limiting my breathing, the one thing you two can do is give me some-"

They were interrupted when something landed on the roof, a loud rumble echoing out. They pressed up against the wall, Silver slowly drawing his crossbow back and starting to put an arrow into the string, Big Mac adjusting a bit and aiming, Storm stopping for a moment. Silver looked at Storm and nodded, Storm working faster, giving breathy curses. The sound of the roof shifting drawing closer and closer, Big Mac giving a silent grimace as he saw snow shift and fall off of the roof.

The roof creaked above them, two claws became visible, the head slowly being shown; it was some form of bat. It was massive, with long ears, slightly shorter face than normal, and bore some scars on its chest. It opened its mouth and released a heavy breath, fangs being shown off, ears twisting and twirling. It released a deep roar, foot claws gripping into the building, tearing hokes into the structure.

The lock clicked, it stopped twirling its ears around, giving a soft huff. The trio froze, the massive beast sat there, like a Gargoyle, waiting for another sound. It was going to turn, when a deep howl rang out into the wind. Its head snapped that direction, it giving a throaty rumble, before walking back onto the roof, out of sight. The three let go of a breath they were holding and silently slipped inside, closing the door behind them.

The Gargoyle growled as it landed in the alleyway they were in, its wings curled in as it walked on all fours. It stuck its nose to the ground and sniffed, giving a growl as it picked up the trios scent. It looked over to the door, seeing the footprints no covered by the snow, thanks to the roof of the building. It gave a soft rumble as it looked at the door, curling its lips back to show off its fangs. It brough its one fingers up, a sharp, scythe like claw at the end of its one finger. It slid its claw against the door, effortlessly slicing into it, before drawing its finger away.

It was strong, but it wasn't strong enough to attack all three of them in close quarters. It will wait for the perfect time to strike. It pulled its claw away and snarled as it caught the scent of something powerful in the air. It slowly clambered onto the rooftop, walking away from the door and watching. Waiting.

Bulk adjusted his bag, carefully, to try and fit as much medicine as he could. He unzipped the front pocket and put IV bags in there, sighing a bit as he looked around the room. He pulled out pills, strange needles, and even some blood bags that he put into the bag, making sure they would not break or be ripped apart.

Meteor walked by, tugging her mask off and giving a heavy sigh. The air was cold, but at least they could breathe, a soft clicking echoed out every so often, her pushing the button and popping the filter out. She started wiping it clean, pushing another filter into the mask and pocketing the now cleaned filter. Bulk looked at his mask and sighed, his breath coming out as steam, before he looked back up at Meteor.

"Something out there is watchin us." Bulk spoke, before looking back out, seeing a shape move out in the snow and disappear. Meteor nodded and knelt down by the window, readying an arrow in her crossbow.

"Yeah, I saw them a bit ago too. Five or six, maybe more." Meteor mumbled out, before adjusting her bag. "We can't just leave these things, there are too many valuable medicines and vaccines. We'll have to carry them back, and something tells me they are surrounding us."

Thunderlane took this moment to silently crouch in, aiming his crossbow around. "We got company. My bag is full, so we better high tail it outta here." Thunderlane said, before a smash in the next hallway made him aim the crossbow down the hall.

Meteor and Bulk stood up, readying their crossbows. They put their masks on and started to slowly step out, weapons drawn and ready. Meteor held a finger to her mask, Bulk and Thunderlane nodding as they turned around and started walking down the hall, only for a shadow to appear on the wall in front of them.

Bulk held his hand out, stopping them, the sound of sniffing being heard down the hallway. They took cover in a room, seeing a bed for a patient set up, though it seemed a body was there. They likely died shortly before the bombs fell, but the body looked preserved in the cold. Bulk pushed against the wall, Thunderlane and Meteor taking up the opposite side of the wall, Meteor grabbing the hilt of her knife as they heard the clicks of the animals claws.

The Mutt walked by the open the door, sniffing loudly as it walked by. It stopped by the door, sniffing the air and growling loudly, one of its massive hands gripping onto the door frame. It growled a bit as it peered into the room, sniffing the air as it slowly started to poke its head into the room.

Meteor grasped the hilt on her knife, slowly starting to slide it out. The Mutt gave loud, heavy pants, licking its chops as it peered into the darkness, trying to spot anything. A howl rang out deeper in the building, making the beast shoot up. It gave a bark behind itself, before running down the hallway, two others scrambling after it as it ran down the hall, the group waiting a few more moments before slowly peering around the corners.

When no threat came, they started to slowly make their way to the exit, crossbows twirling around. Meteor held her hand up, Bulk nearly falling down the stairs as he stopped, Thunderlane watching their backs, giving the two of them a curious look. Meteor peered down the stairs, before bringing a finger up to her mask, the duo nodding as they crept down the stairs.

At the bottom was a Mutt, who was in the middle of a nap. It snored rather loudly and humorously, tongue lolling out, legs kicking in the air. It seemed it was having a happy dream, with the way it huffed in its sleep. The Mutts deep brown hair was dotted.with scars and some sort of tumor was growing on her back, though her red claws and fangs just confirmed she recently fed.

Meteor took a position at the bottom of the stairs, aiming at the beasts face, Bulk slowly walking around it. Thunderlane stopped when it started wagging its tail, slowly turning to Meteor. Meteor took her eyes off the beast and nodded, before Thunderlane stepped over it. Meteor went to follow their example, only to jump over the beast and feel its tail hit the back of her legs a few times.

The beast snorted and snarled away, slowly sitting up, wiping its face with its big hands, the trio freezing. It stood up, stretching, before loudly flopping over, drifting back into sleep.

The trio held their breath, only for loud snores to fill the room again. Meteor nodded, the trio moved around the beast and down another staircase. This time, they were clear, so they moved towards the door.

That was until Bulk made it out first and was suddenly slapped away from the door and out into the snow. He gave a gasp of pain, his wings stretching out and flapping a bit. He got up and yelped in surprise as a Mutt pounced him, Bulks visor cracking when his head was slammed back into the snow.

He lifted his arm up on instinct, the beast biting down, making him yell out in pain. He tugged a knife out and stabbed into the beast again and again, an arrow suddenly lodging into its back. It roared in agony, before Bulk punched its face, knocking a few fangs out, making it stagger back. He raised his hand, knife clutched in it, and slammed it into the beasts forehead. It twitched a few times, before going limp.

Thunderlane ran over and gave a sigh, "Holy Celestia...fuck me, you okay Bulk?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Wow, this armored gauntlet saved my life." Bulk said, the clicking growing louder from his gauntlet as he raised it up, the breeze blowing by faster, making it kick up a notch in clicking He sat up, wiping the blood on his knife on the beasts fur, sighing a bit. "Wish it didn't have to be this way."

Meteor walked down and tugged her arrow out of the beasts corpse, looking all around. She looked down at her watch, then nodded, turning to the two lads. "Let's start heading back. The sarge will be expecting us."

Bulk sat there, breath shaky as he sheathed his knife. He just killed a living being. For self defense, but he killed it. His hand rested on the still beast and he closed his eyes, lowering his head. "I am so sorry."

Thunderlane rested his hand on Bulks shoulder, looking around, seeing shapes in the snow. "Come on, Bulk, we gotta go."

"Yeah, I know."

Spike adjusted his bag, before looking over at Sweet Apple Acres, the trees, which were once filled life and apples, were now barren and rattling in the wind. Spike looked down towards the barn and the house, his eyes scanning the porch from the tower. He looked down at the photo in his hands of the group of his friends he had snagged out of his room and sighed.

"Alright, I'll do one more thing, then I'll head home."

He started walking back downstairs when he heard a howl in the distance. He stopped, gripping onto his machete, then slowly started to walk down the stairs, peering into the darkness. He heard no movement, yet his grip did not lessen on the machete, slowly walking down the stairs.

He opened the door and stared outside, poking his head around to and fro. When he saw nothing, he scrambled out into the snow, ignoring the howling behind him, both of the wind and the beasts.

He walked pasted the school, giving it a glance, before continuing on. His mind slowly drifted back to his dream that one night. That voice sounded so familiar, yet he couldn't place a voice to it. It wasn't the Princesses, at least, not Princess Luna.

Perhaps it was Twilight? No, no, the voice was too different. Maybe Rarity? No, she has a far soother and elegant voice. As far as Spike knew, Rarity was not that powerful in magic. At least, not powerful enough to change his dreams.

And that hand, he didn't recognize it, at least no someone he knew. Perhaps it was some sort of strange beast or mysterious helper? Or maybe it was one of his friends, disguised, hiding in another form in his dreams? Why would they need to hide their forms?

Was someone targeting them? Was that why they haven't come to look for him? Was it some sort of God or beast or-

He bumped into a wooden fence, knocking him out of his thoughts. He looked up, wind blowing across the dead trees, rattling their branches. He adjusted his mask, looking over toward the farm, his heart sinking at the sight. He noticed the sign of the Apple family on the ground and knelt down, brushing the snow off of it. He grasped it and lifted it up, putting it against the pole which once held the symbol of the powerful Apple family.

He pressed his hand against the Apple symbol and sighed a bit. "I'm sorry, Applejack. I really wanted to help your family out. I...I wanted to keep you and the other girls safe. Hopefully, this can bring you peace. Wherever you are."

He stood up and started walking towards the house, his eyes trailing along its porch. Like his dream, his eyes fell onto the chair, the bones of the matriarch lay there, undisturbed. He knelt down for a moment and gently rested his hand on the rocking chair, ignoring that his hand was creating steam, and let tears fall down his face, soaking into his mask. He lowered his head, shutting his eyes, and let the tears flow, steaming once they hit the ground.

It seemed that Spikes body was heating him up, unintentionally. His anger and pain and sadness came out, steam erupting from his body, before he looked back at the chair. He stood up, then threw down his machete, tore off his mask, and let loose a scream of rage and pain. It cut through the wind and howls, mixing into a roar at the end, before he slumped to his knees.

It took him some time, before he looked back at the bones on and surrounding the chair. He walked over and peered through the snow, before settling on a nice spot, near the house. He inhaled, before suddenly letting loose a stream of fire, melting the snow around him.

However, he wasn't done, he kept blowing the fire on the ground, heating it up, burning grass that had once been green and lively. He kept blowing the fire, warming up the ground and causing it to steam and melt the snow out of touch of his flames. He stopped, seeing the snow still melt into the ground, then looked around. He walked to the shed, forcing it open, breaking the lock in the process, and grasped a shovel.

Now, he will dig a proper grave.

Silver Spear walked down the road with Big Macintosh and Storm Chaser, following the battered fence as they walked. It was a quiet journey, Storm giving Big Mac a look every so often, one which he did notice. Eventually, Silver stopped and adjusted his gear, peering back at the two. "Okay, al ost there. We'll rest up and tug off our masks once we're in the clear. Rest up for a moment."

Big Mac took this chance to set his bag down and peer into it, adjusting some items to make his load easier to bear. He felt Storms eyes burn into him, making him sigh and turn to her, "What?"

She shot her head back the other direction, blushing as she has been caught. "Nothing, don't worry about it."

"You're lyin." Big Mac said, zipping his bag up and kneeling on the ground, resting for a moment. "If you're bugged by somethin, it's jus' easier to spit it out."

Storm sat there for a moment, before turning back to Big Mac, her voice muffled by the mask, asking, "Will you be alright? I know you mentioned your grandmother stayed behind when it happened."

Big Mac sat there for a moment, brushing his thumb against the side of his finger for a moment. Silver looked back at Big Mac, adjusting something on his crossbow as he listened.

"No. I reckon I won't be." Big Macintosh finally said, before looking back up, the snow blinding them from the view of the farm. "I'll probably be a mess. But...thinkin about things won't help our people. I can mourn later. We need to help 'em now."

They sat in silent for a minute, before Silver adjusted on his legs, clearing his throat. "We should head to the farm now. The sooner we are out of this storm, the better."

The soft clicking of their wrist mounted counters filled the air as they walked. Had they stayed a few minutes longer, they would have seen the grey shape in the snow, heading towards the farm, wings outstretched and claws ready.

Тени

Shadows.

Bulk grunted as he walked along, wiping his armor, seeing his heavy shirt torn from the scuffle. Thunderlane walked beside him, shouldering his weapon, Meteor was behind them, peering all around through the snow, trying to spot any beasts that may be trailing them. Bulk stopped when he saw something on the wall, giving a loud gasp as he saw some shape take form. Both Meteor and Thunderlane twirled around, weapons ready, aiming towards Bulks direction.

That is when they saw it. Shadows.

No, not shadows...outlines of people. Once they were living, breathing people. Some were running, others were holding items or their loved ones. Some were even praying. All gone in a flash, all that was left were the blackened silhouettes of their bodies.

Bulk rested his hand on the wall, being as gentle as he could be, as if the entire thing would crumple at the slightest miscalculation. He ignored the ticking on his counter, before it suddenly went haywire, screaming at him, warning him of danger.

He pulled his hand back, Thunderlane resting his hand against Bulks shoulder, asking, "You know them?"

"A few I recognize. Some I don't." Bulk confessed, looking at the wall. He slowly stood back up, his counter clicking loudly as they started to walk again, back towards the front gates. "We should head back."

"Can't wait to get out of this cold." Thunderlane mumbled out as they walked, his eyes scanning along the shops. He stopped when he saw a trail lead off into the following street, adjusting his crossbow. "Hey, what's that?"

Bulk and Meteor turned, the latter walking over and kneeling down, inspecting the prints. She hummed in thought, before a distant howl was carried by the wind. The group shot up, aiming their weapons around, hearing another howl, closer and further ahead. They twirled around, Bulk straining his ears as he struggled to listen to anything.

All he could hear was breathing, the filters doing their work. Wait...not their breathing. Something was breathing further ahead. Heavy panting and sniffing, Bulk slowly turning and kneeling down, crouching and aiming at the sound.

A shadow moved, Bulk aiming his weapon and giving a loud yelp in surprise. He shot his crossbow, on instinct, before the beast fell in front of them, arrow miraculously planting into its forehead. Another beast emerged, snarling and giving a low, throaty growl, Meteor spinning around and firing an arrow into its arm. It screeched in pain, before another arrow was shot into the beast, silencing its pained cries. She reached down and planted her boot on the beast, grunting with exertion as she tugged the bolts out.

Another Mutt appeared in the flurry of snow, Thunderlane firing an arrow into its hand, pinning it. It roared and barked at them, before Thunderlane took his knife out and slammed it into the beasts forehead. He slammed it down again and again, silencing the poor beast and violently shanking into its skull.

Now, hands soaked in blood and some brain matter, he sat back, panting and staring at the deadly beast. He heard another bark, tugging the knife out and ripping the crossbow bolt out of the beasts hand, aiming his crossbow towards the noise. He fired another shot, then another, the beast falling into the snow, bloody and broken.

Bulk grunted as he fired another bolt, another.mutated beast crumpling before him, before giving a yell of surprise, being tackled out of the group, Meteor and Thunderlane twirling around. They shot into the beasts back as it tried biting onto Bulks throat, the mans hands and incredible strength ripping the jaws open and keeping it there. Its teeth cut into his hands, his face underneath his mask grimacing as the beast tried clawing into his armored sides and chest, gripping his jaws. He kneed it in the stomach, making it yelped, before grabbing the beast and headbutting it, his mask miraculously holding together.

He twirled himself and the dazed beast around, tugging his knife out and slamming it into the beasts eye. He grunted as he kept the movement for a moment, before tugging his knife out of the still mutant. He stood up and grunted, both Meteor and Thunderlane pressing their backs against him, taking up multiple sides, weapons aiming around. They saw more shapes in the snow, taking shape, barking and growling surrounding them from all sides.

That was when they heard the roar, a sound which froze their blood far faster than the snow and ice around them. It was deep, loud, and seemed to suck the very sound out of the air, continuing for a few moments, before slowly tapering out. The trio turned towards the origin, slowly backing up.

The beasts had the same idea and yelped as they scattered, scampering into the snow with their tails between their legs. One of the beasts ran by Bulk, though paid him no mind, ignoring the exhausted humans and scrambling into the alleyway, yiping in fear.

"We...should get outta here." Thunderlane said, leaning down, tugging his bolts out of the bleeding beast. He put his boot down on the beast and tugged bolt after bolt out. After all, they had no clue when they would get ammo again, better to resupply and leave.

"Whatever that is, sounds powerful." Meteor said, her grip tightening on the bolt she was pulling out. She started to reload the weapon, giving soft grunts of exertion, before the beast bit at her, snarling angrily.

She took a knife out and slammed it into the beasts head. She grunted as she forced the beasts head into an awkward angle, feeling it slash at her, tearing into her clothes a bit. She finally pushed, a loud crack echoing out as the beast finally fell still, Meteor panting in her mask as she pulled the knife out.

She sat there for a few minutes, catching her breath, when a loud shriek echoed out in the wind. Meteor stood up and gave a soft noise, her flashlight flicking on and they walked out into the snow.

The bodies they left behind painted the snow with blood, snow battering against the bodies and hiding the tracks that Meteor had noticed before the battle.

Big Mac and Silver Spear walked along the fences of the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres. Silver Spear was scanning ahead and to the sides, his crossbow drawn and at the ready, Storm bringing up the rear and watching behind them, her eyes scanning the dead trees and snow, the heavy snow falling all around them making it nearly impossible to see twenty meters around them.

Big Mac himself was watching the trees go by, sadness filling into his heart at the sight of the once mighty orchard. He gave a trembling breath, his eyes may not have been able to see, but his heart knew the way. They were close, very close.

"Hey, if we get a moment, we could probably put your grandmother to rest." Silver Spear finally said, Big Macintosh looking at him in surprise.

"B-but, what about tha-"

"Mission is important, but this is your home. Wouldn't feel right to just leave her up here. She should be put at rest." Silver Spear said, Big Mac staring at the man in silence. He then nodded, Spear taking his eyes off the road ahead of them and looking at Big Mac. "We've lost a lot. Friends. Families. Our homes, but we don't have to lose our hearts."

Big Mac smiled, only for the trio to freeze when they heard a roar tear into the air. Their fight or flight response shot through their systems, but they stood their ground, raising their crossbows up. They waited a few minutes, fingers on the triggers, before slowly moving forward, eyes peering out into the snow, jaws clenched and ready.

"What was that?" Storm finally asked, her eyes scanning around, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"I don't know." Silver Spear said, Big Mac peering all around.

"Hey, do ya get tha feelin we're bein watched?" Big Mac mumbled out to Silver Spear, who nodded in response. "We should hurry up then."

Silver Spear and Big Mac kept walking, Storm taking a few seconds to scan the sky, before slowly following behind the duo. Storm looked back at the fence, then back up towards where Canterlot would be, if the clouds surrounding them did not block the view.

"Wonder how the others are doing back at the palace." Storm finally spoke, breaking the anxious silence, her eyes turning soft. "Bright Chimes up and making her breakfast, maybe waffles. Maybe

Silver Spear smiled as they walked, before responding, "I remember when Flash Magnus and I would scare the shit out of recruits in the morning." He looked back at Storm, giving a hum, "He thought you had potential. Would say you would always stay up, cleaning your weapons when the others fell asleep. He'd make them go exercise in the Pit while you just got to clean your weapon."

"I hated that Pit." Storm said, her crossbow being swept around in defensive motion. "I hated boot camp even more."

"I hated boot camp too." Silver agreed, before Big Mac started running ahead, Silver giving a look back at Storm. "Cover the flanks, we don't wanna be snuck up o-"

Big Mac suddenly fell to his knees, staring ahead. Silver jogged up to him, aiming all around. He lowered his weapon and gave a soft sound, kneeling down next to Big Mac. The ruins of the house were shown, snow whipping past them, the barn half sunken in from the blast waves over a month ago. Big Mac lowered his head, his eyes stinging quietly as the grip on his crossbow tightened.

"Big Macintosh, I am so sorry..." Storm said, resting her hand on Big Macs shoulder. The man shuddered a bit, trying to hold in the tears, only to look up, eyes burning.

"We been through a chaos god, fruit eatin bats, giant wooden wolves, a literal dragon...an it finally takes tha end o' the world to take this farm down." Big Macintosh said, before blinking his tears away. "Wait...what in tarnation?"

Silver followed his gaze and stood up, mumbling out, "A hot spring? On a farm?"

"We didn't have a hot spring."

They helped Big Mac up and they walked over to the steam spilling out of the corner of the barn, peering around the corner and seeing a form taking place through the snow. Silver held a finger up to his mask, before making a motion with his hand. Storm nodded silently and started to circle around, keeping her crossbow aimed squarely at the form, moving in the snow. Big Mac slowly walked forward, Silver Spear flanking him, kneeling down and getting prepared to fire.

"Freeze!" Silver yelled out, and although it was muffled and against the howling wind, the figure froze and threw their hands up. Sapient, good, not an animal. "Canterlot Guard! Turn around slowly, and keep those hands up!"

"Silver Spear?"

Big Mac froze, giving a frown, staring at the figure. He shouldered his crossbow and grimaced, yelling out, "Spike?! Now what in tarnation are ya doin' out here, boy?!"

Storm and Silver sighed and lowered their weapons, walking over to the young dragonblood. Storm knelt down and gave him a frown, "Spike, I saw you with Mayor Mare two hours ago, how did you even get out of here?"

"Well, I, uh-"

"And why exactly are ya at my family's farm?"

"It's because of-"

"And why are you-"

They were cut off by the sound of water and looked back at the grave, the freshly dug dirt resting on top of Granny Smiths now peaceful body. Big Macs eyes trailed up to the tombstone erected, although the words literally scratched in drew his gaze, the snow melting around the grave to give it some reprieve from the cold.

HERE LIES GRANNY SMITH
LOVING MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, AND MATRIARCH OF THE APPLE FAMILY

"Spike, you...did ya..." Big Mac looked down at the young dragonblood, tears slowly creeping out of his green eyes. Spike smiled bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck.

They were interrupted by something heavy landing on the roof of the barn, the trio of adults aiming upwards, Spike gripping the hilt of his machete in response, but not tugging it out. They stood there, wind howling at them as the roof creaked with the weight of the beast. Silver tapped his leg, catching the trios attention, then thrust a thumb back towards the house.

They nodded and quietly (well, as quietly as they could through the crunching of snow), and walked towards the house. Big Mac pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door, slowly pushing it open.

"Doors and corners. If you run into the room, the room eats ya." Silver mumbled out to them, Storm kneeling around and slowly aiming inside. She swept the room and slowly circled around, before nodding to them. "Okay, inside, we'll wait that thing out."

They shuffled into the room, Big Mac quietly closing the door behind them, and the group shared a quiet breath of relief. He leaned against the door, before looking around, seeing the windows cracked and broken in, and the furniture thrown around from the shockwaves.

"So, young Spike," The young dragonbloods tail curled around himself, the boy tugging his mask down and giving an ashamed look at the tone of Silvers authoritative voice, before he continued, "Mind telling me why you are out here instead of being in the Caverns?"

Spike sat there silently, before motioning for them to be quiet. He pointed towards the roof, creaking being heard as the beast walked across. It gave a shrill hiss that echoed throughout the house, before slowly clambering back.

Big Mac took this opportunity to point towards the outside, giving a slight grunt once a few moments passed. "Cellars entrance is outside."

"We should wait a few more minutes, then get in the cellar." Storm mumbled out, Spike sitting down on a chair, it creaking a bit from his weight. "If we have to fight, we have four against one."

"Ya better not be suggesting that Spike is goin ta fight with us!" Big Mac hissed out, only for Spike to glare at Big Mac. He puffed his cheeks out, before Big Mac interrupted him unintentionally, "He may be a dragonblood, but he is still a boy."

"I agree." Silver said, before turning to Spike, saying, "If things go south out there, you should run to the Caverns as soon as possible."

"I can't just-"

The sound of claws scraping against the wall stopped the conversation. They waited a moment, a bead of sweat dripping down Big Macs forehead as he strained his ears to listen. They waited, listening, Storm silently pressing the stock of the crossbow against her shoulder, slowly panning around, Silver himself aiming at the noise, eyes hardening at he stared at the wall.

A few more moments passed, before a muffled scream echoed out from beyond the wall, the creature taking off into the wind. They stood there, motionless, for a few more minutes, before Spike slowly stepped out, sniffing the air, flicking his long tongue out for a moment.

"It's gone." He finally said, the group relaxing at the sound. Silver checked his watch, then nodded to the group.

"Once we are in the cellar, we'll clean our filters and get the supplies." Silver said, slowly opening the door. He slowly poked his head out, looking around, before opening the door more, sweeping his weapon around. "Clear."

They shuffled out of the door, before Storm whipped around, hissing, "Wait! The kid doesn't have a mask on!"

"I'm a dragonblood." He said, before pulling his surgical mask up. "I can breathe this stuff. You guys can't."

"Then, what's with the-"

"Hides my breath from sight, and it helps me see without any steam obscuring my vision." Spike explained, before looking up, his green eyes scanning the swirling clouds.

Big Mac walked ahead of the group, scanning the snow covered ground, Spike slowly sliding his machete out and walking with him. Silver and Storm knelt down and took positions, kneeling down and aiming around, keeping an eye towards the clouds.

"Sorry Big Mac, I just wanted to...you know, ever since AJ and I...well, I just...sorry."

"Thanks Spike."

Spike blinked, before giving him a confused look, "But, what did I do?"

"You...ya buried Granny. Somethin' Applebloom, Applejack and I, we just...jus' couldn't even think about it. And you did it for us. You didn't have to, but...but ya did." He knelt down and started brushing away snow, giving a soft hum as he brushed away the hardened powder. He sat up and gave him a look, which warmed Spikes heart, even as the cold was biting at his skin, then continued, "I really don't think I could...that Applebloom or I could...thank you."

Spike smiled, before resting a hand on Big Macs shoulder, who grasped his hand and gave it a squeeze. Spike felt his knuckle pop, but said nothing and just stood there, Big Mac lowering his head. The large man then patted Spikes hand and started wiping the snow off the cellar door after a moment had passed.

"We'll mourn when we head back home." Big Mac said, before lifting the cellar door. "For now, we got a job to do."

Silver made a movement with his hand, Storm nodding and slowly moving into the cellar. Spike pulled his machete out and slowly stepped down, Silver bringing up the rear, aiming around as they slowly made their way down.

Had they looked up at the barn, they would have seen the face of the beast that had been tracking them. It stared down at the cellar, lazily resting on the roof, waiting, watching.nits ears flicked a bit, chittering a bit to itself as it waited.

The dragonblood would cause a problem, but if it was lucky, maybe it could get a meal without too much damage.

Mayor Mare hummed softly as she clicked her pen thoughtlessly, the paper in front of her empty and baren. She hummed softly, before looking up through the low candle light of her office. Some books, cute models that Spike had found and built (including one of a strange, bipedal dragon with massive spikes on its back roaring that reminded Mayor Mare of Spike), and a few scrolls that Mayor Mare had found in the office.

She drummed her fingers on the desk for a moment, before leaning back on her chair, giving a soft sigh. She peered around the room again, before setting her pen down, rubbing her cheek in thought, her eyes scanning every book, every nook and cranny and yet found nothing.

It was quiet. Far too quiet.

She stood up, adjusting her shirt a bit as she walked out of the door, peering around. It seemed, although they were underground, people still rose and set with the sun, and the late afternoon still proved to be busy.

People were talking, children were playing, pets ran back and forth, all was peaceful in the cavern they called home.

Something was missing.

She stood up and sighed, walking over to her door, opening it and stepping out. Perhaps she needed fresh air, she was worried about the group up above. That's it, just worry. Just worry.

No, it was something different.

She started her trek towards the front gates, panning her head around, seeing everyone going about their business. Kids were playing, totally unaware of the outside world, people were working and trading. Although bits were now useless, they did trade in gems or items, much like the bartering systems of old.

Mayor Mare kept walking, until she saw Steel Wing watching the door, his weapon pressed firmly against his shoulder. Steel Wing was patting himself down, before watching Mayor Mare approach. He stood rigid, making Mayor Mare roll her eyes a bit.

"At ease." Steel nodded, then started patting himself down, Mayor Mare quirking an eyebrow at the sight. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, ever since I quit smoking, I usually have some gum or something on me." Steel explained, patting down his pockets, frowning a bit. "But it seems I may have forgotten my pack in my room."

Mayor Mare chuckled a bit, before looking at the massive door. She hummed in thought, before looking back at Steel, asking, "Did you grab what Smith wanted to give you?"

"Warming Smith? Yeah, he gave me the thing. Said he wanted to test it out before the rest of the team got it...I will admit, it is pretty cool." Steel said, adjusting his right wrist, before looking back at the door. "They're taking a long time."

Mayor Mare gave a soft sigh as she looked at the door too, scratching the back of her head, "Yeah, well. From what the labs tell me, it may be covered in snow up there. Not the easiest thing to travel through."

Steel looked back at her, before adjusting his crossbow a bit, "Where's the kid?"

"Reading a comic somewhere." Mayor Mare answered, though Steel chuckled a bit. "What?"

"With how much he talks about wanting to leave and find his friends? You'd think the kid was talking about saving the world." Steel Wing said, before a skittering caught their attention. Steel lifted his weapon and turned on the mounted flashlight, shining the light up the tunnel. They saw a hole in the side of the cavern, Steel giving a hum as he walked over, shouldering his weapon.

"You don't think the Mutts dug into the tunnel, do you?" Steel asked, shining a flashlight into the hole, kneeling down a bit to get a better look.

"Not unless they spit acid. Walls are too hard to get into, they would need a sort of acid to break through."

Steel looked over, moving his flashlight away from the hole, not noticing the chittering erupting out of it. "Well, something broke through, and if it wasn't a Mutt, wha- OH FUCK!"

Mayor Mare turned around to see Steel on his back, holding back some sort of strange creature. It screamed in his face, its massive tail swinging forward and stabbing into the rock where Steels head was a moment ago. He yelled as he grabbed his knife out and jammed it into the beasts back, though the knife slid off of its armored hide.

Mayor Mare froze, her fight or flight reacting instantly, her body's adrenaline kicking in, her eyes watching. His weapon clattered when it hit the ground, Steel jamming his armored bracer into its mouth, feeling its mandibles scrape against it. He tried hamming his knife into the monster, only to drop his knife when it struck again, just barely missing his head.

He snapped his arm up and grasped its tail, trying to force the thing off of him, hearing it scream and claw at his armored chest. "Fuck! If I die like this, I am gonna be so fucking pissed!"

His words snapped Mayor Mare out of her stupor, making her jump for his weapon, not caring if her clothes got dirty. She grabbed his crossbow, and aimed it at the beast, pulling the trigger, only to hear a click. She smacked the contraption three times, before suddenly turning the mounted flashlight on, the sounds of the scuffle stopping when she aimed again.

The insect like beast scrambled off of Steel, the man grasping his knife and scooting towards the opposite wall, holding his knife in a defensive manner. The creature screamed and started smoking, Mayor Mare keeping her flashlight on it, its tail whipping to and fro as it tried scrambling away from the pain. Its carapace started to darken as it scratched across the ground, trying to stop its pain.

It finally flipped over, belly bright red, before Mayor Mare finally shot, the crossbow bolt slamming into it and killing the beast instantly. Steel and Mayor Mare waited for it to move, but its legs just curled in, its body smoking and charred as it lies there.

"Holy shit, Mayor."

"Yeah, well..." She walked over and handed him the crossbow in a disgusted motion. "You were being attacked, I needed to help." She walked over and knelt down, nose crinkling at the smell of the burnt carcass. She reeled back and gagged, walking away from the carcass, before looking at the hole in the wall. "What ever it is, it hates lights."

"Yeah, dude burned like he was set on fire just by this weak flashlight."

"We should get some people to plug up that hole."

"Won't they burn through with acid?"

"Not if they use magic. And not if this place has lights too."

Steel adjusted his weapon and looked at the carcass, examining it. Before, its exoskeleton was a white, almost yellow like coloration, but now it appeared to be charred black. Its head was almost scorpion like, multiple eyes, mandibles were strengthened and had teeth in them. Strangely enough, it possessed no front pincers, it had legs instead with sharp tips. Its tail was massive, containing two extra stingers on top of a large one, likely used to strengthen its attacks.

Its back was hardened at first, likely able to take some heavy damage before it would eventually be damaged, though its extreme sensitivity to light seemed to make all that armor useless. It also seemed like the underbelly was much softer than the upper carapace, making it an ideal target, if one could get to it.

Steel hoped Silver and the others were having an easier time on the surface. Now he had to sit here and watch a damn hole in case more spider things came out while the Mayor went to grab some magicbloods.

"I hate bugs."

Дракон

Dragons.

Spike remembered some saying Twilight had told him once. When they reached the edge of the map, the explorers would remark, "There Be Dragons". A strange adage to Spike, to be perfectly honest, as he was a dragon blooded lad and was not really in any sort of unexplored areas. Perhaps it meant unseen dangers or warning of his kind?

Spikes mind snapped back to reality as they walked through the snow, looking back through the blinding snow, his pupils turning into slits as he heard something shift in the snow. He turned a bit and looked around, eyes scanning between the buildings and streets, the wind battering against him as he searched.

Big Mac tapped his shoulder, the young lad jumping a bit and looking at the larger man. "Come on, Spike. We gotta get all this stuff down to tha Caverns." Spike nodded, before looking back, his eyes scanning the area behind them for a quick moment. He returned to the group, peering around, sniffing the air through his mask.

A loud beeping shocked them out of their thoughts, Silver bringing his bracer up to his arm and giving the timer a once over. "Okay, gotta find a secure building, clean the filters, then move back to the Caverns." He walked towards a building, only for the little instrument to start screaming at him, clicking loudly when get got close. He took a few steps back, the machine only clicking every so often now, and grunted, "Well, so much for this building, let's try another."

He walked towards another, slowly walking forward, no clicking going off this time. He nodded to them and slowly opened the door, peering in. Silver panned his weapon around, slowly walking in, flashlight on and lighting up the room. Storm silently followed, aiming all around, checking the corners as she entered another room, her device screeching as her as she walked into another room, adjacent to the first. She backed up and stared into the room, seeing strange, glowing mushrooms sprouting out of the furniture and walls. The walls seemed damp, and the bones in the middle of the room offered no comfort to her, seeing the them huddled around something against their chest.

She hoped it wasn't what she thought it was.

Big Mac slowly opened another door and peered inside. No clicking, no bones, nice and dry...well, relatively dry. He turned to Silver, Storm and Spike, waving them in, the three huddling inside with Big Mac. He closed the door behind him, before checking his counter. No clicking.

He pulled the mask off and smiled at the others, "So far, so good."

Spike groaned and looked Big Mac and shook his head, loudly scolding, "Have you ever met Twilight? Whenever she says that, everything gets worse. Every time."

"He's right. Something is up." Silver finally spoke, cleaning his filter out, Spike pressing his ear against the wall, adjusting his mask a bit. "Nothing has chased us since we saw that bat thing. I think it's stalking us." He said, smacking his filter against his knee, before putting it back into place on his mask.

"Sir, if I may, this seems to be a walk in the park so far." Storm finally spoke, aiming at the door whilst the other two clean their filters. "I mean, that bat thing can't find us, and it has unintentionally chased away the Mutts."

"That is the issue. The Mutts are so scared of that thing, which makes it far more dangerous than the Mutts." Silver said, before adjusting his crossbow a bit. He slid his mask on, then nodded to the others, who did the same. "We should keep moving and regroup with the others."

Spike slowly opened the door and slid out, the other adjusting their masks a bit and lining up behind him. He looked around, his pupils constricting into slits as he looked around in the darkness. He nodded, before backing up a bit, letting the three slide out of the door and aim around. They walked back outside, Spikes mind silently turning to the Caverns.

The Caverns.

He couldn't stay there forever, no matter how much Mayor Mare wanted him to. He had to head out some day and try to find Celestia and the girls. He loved Ponyville, but Twilight was his family, he had to find her.

And as much as it breaks his heart, he knew Mayor Mare wouldn't be safe if they made that journey together. He'd need to go alone, or with someone who was experienced in that sort of thing.

The hairs on the back of Spikes neck pricked up, making him stop in the middle of the street, and a cold chill ran up his back, making his shiver.

Suddenly, his vision turned black, a screech echoing in his ears as he fell unconscious.

Meteor stood at the entrance to the Caverns, watching the cave system with a critical eye, eyes scanning the snow blasted wasteland in front of them. She sat there, Bulk silently standing by the door, Thunderlane peering inside the entrance to the Caverns. He tapped his foot impatiently, before he suddenly knelt down and groaned.

"It's taking too long. They should be back by now." Thunderlane finally spoke, looking back at Meteor. "We can't leave this thing open for much longer."

"I hate to agree, but we do need to get these medical supplies to the hospital."

Meteor said nothing, staring at the snow. She stood up when she saw something moving within the blizzard, relaxing a bit as she adjusted the crossbow on her shoulder. "They're coming."

"Finally." Thunderlane sighed out, before standing up, looking inside the cave.

Bulk squinted against the snow, before suddenly taking a knee and aiming his crossbow. "That isn't Silver."

A deep howl echoed out, the three taking positions, Bulk watching the shape in the snow. It rushed forward and snarled, Bulk reacting a bit too late as it lunged for him. Luckily, an arrow found its mark and slammed into the beasts skull, killing it instantly. Its body collided with Bulk, knocking him down, though the man threw the body off of him.

He was covered in blood, wiping his helmet off as he took aim again. "Contacts!" Meteor yelled out, the three backing up as more shapes moved in the snow. "We gotta close the door!"

Thunderlane looked at her incredulously, "If we close this door, we sentence the others to death!"

"And if we don't close it, they flood into the Caverns and slaughter everyone." Bulk argue, tugging the arrow out of the body and walking back. "We gotta do it, then we can mount a rescue mission after these things leave."

"Into the tunnel. Now!" Meteor barked out, Bulk complied immediately, though Thunderlane glared at the back of her head for a moment. However, another howl made him grit his teeth, before relenting and scampering back into the tunnel. Meteor slowly backed into the tunnel, aiming at the shapes coming forward. "Close the door!"

It started to slowly grind as it started to close, Meteor kept walking in. She ducked down as a beast screeched overhead and scampered down the tunnel. Bulk made to chase after it, only to hear chittering and a yelp follow. Thunderlane slowly turned around and stared into the darkness, hearing chittering, then turned on his light, flashing it down the tunnel.

He saw a bloody trail lead into a hole in the wall, giving it a wide berth as the sound of grinding continued. Bulk turned back to the door, hearing snarling and howling, shooting an arrow into a creature that slipped through. Meteor shot another arrow into the beast, causing it to stop moving.

The door started to close, two more slipping in. Another tried, only to get caught in the door. It screamed in agony, before it was snapped in half, hanging limp in the doorway. Meteor and Bulk were knocked down by one of the beasts, the other being shot by Thunderlane. It screamed at him but continued on, running down the tunnel.

"One got though!"

The beast jumped off of the two and scrambled towards Thunderlane. He grabbed his knife out and slammed it into the poor Mutts skull. It screamed and claws at his relatively less armored sides, making him yelp in pain, before slamming his knife down again and again, spraying him with blood. He sat there for a moment, catching his breath, before jumping into the air and flying down the tunnel.

Meteor and Bulk sat there, catching their breaths, Bulk standing up and offering her a hand. She accepted it, letting him help her up, before the both stared at the dead Mutt on the floor. They turned to the door, hearing soft bangs come from it, though none broke through.

"Hopefully we didn't just lock them out there to die."

The shouts of Steel Wing and Thunderlane caught them by surprise, before the dying sounds of a Mutt echoed out. Meteor sighed a bit, before waving her hand, "Come on, big guy, let's make sure we don't have to bandage those idiots."

Silver turned in time to see the bat thing descend on them, swiping Spike into the snow. He opened his mouth to yell, but was stopped by the creature screeching and swiping at him. He, luckily, had time to dodge, firing his crossbow into the beast. It roared at the trio, walking over Spike and towards the three.

"Why isn't it grabbing him?" Storm asked, taking cover behind a stall, reloading the crossbow. "Shouldn't it have picked him up?"

"Dragons are tough! Way too tough! Might be a hassle to try and eat him!" Silver yelled back, through fired at the beast. Big Mac started to run for Spike, the bat beast tugging some bolts out of its face with its one fingered hands, before locking onto him. "Big Mac! Down!"

"Spike's down! Someone has to help 'im!" Big Mac argued, before ducking under a swipe. The bat beast roared at him, before an arrow shot into its face. It screamed and backed away, trying to wipe the arrow off, Big Mac running towards Spike again, his eyes locked onto his fallen form. "No no no no, Twilight and Applejack'll kill me if you're down Spike. I can't...I can't lose ya too, Spike."

He slowly moved Spike over, the young lad not giving a noise as he moved. Big Mac saw the long scratch along his chest. It hadn't even penetrated the skin enough to cause him to bleed, but the long red mark would certainly leave a reminder, if the boy was still alive.

He wasn't breathing. Big Mac couldn't see any steam coming from the boys mouth, his heart sinking. "Don't do this to me Spike, don't ya dare leave me too!" Big Mac felt his eyes burn, shaking the boy, before slowly lowering his head, repeating, "Ah...can't lose ya too..." He sat there in silence, the sounds of the battle becoming muffled.

Spike suddenly gasped and coughed loudly, making Big Mac jump up, blinking away the tears and staring at the boy. Spike kept coughing for a moment, before blinking a few times and looking up at Big Mac. "That...really freakin hurt..."

"Celestia damn it, boy, ya tryin ta give me a heart attack?!" Big Mac said, hugging the young boy in his arms. Big Mac stood up and offered the boy a hand, smiling underneath his gasmask. "Come on, we gotta r-"

A screech echoed out, Big Mac being slashed by the beasts claw, smashing his mask open, steam and air spilling out, Big Macs shirt being torn and blood spilling out. He smashed into the wall of a building, the bat creature hissing as it smelled blood. Spikes eyes went wide, pupils barely slits as he watched Big Macs limp form, almost mirroring Big Macs look when he was struck not even minute ago. His mind suddenly went blank, rage filling his body, his hands clenching into fists, watching the beast walk over to Big Mac, mouth dripping saliva as it got ready for its next meal.

Silver Spear got out, grabbing his knife, trying to rush the beast, before he was smashed away by its wing. Storm shot into its back with crossbow bolts, but the creature ignored her and was upon Big Mac.

Spike, however, did something the others will never forget.

He ran from his position, licked off the ground, released a roar from his throat that belonged to a much larger dragon, then stabbed into the beasts back with his machete. It screamed as it stood on its hind legs, Spikes gloves ripped open, hands now shifted into claws, stabbing them into the beasts shoulder. He used his draconic strength and tugged the beast back, pulling the machete out and slashing into the beasts back again and again.

Silver got up, staring as the beast tried, in vain, to get Spike off, the young dragon blooded man, smashing his claws into the beasts back, blood spraying out with each strike. He tugged the machete out and stabbed it into another spot, causing it to scream in anger.

The bat shook, slinging Spike across its shoulder. It reached its single clawed finger up, ready to strike, but Spike was faster. He slashed across the beasts face, claws digging through its brow, eye, then finally cheek. The beast gave an unholy shriek and finally threw Spike off, blood dripping off of it, before taking off into the air, a trail of blood dripping under it.

Spike roared and threw a rock after it, before giving out hot, steam filled breaths. His hands, still claws, were covered in blood, and blood stained his face and chest, before he turned to Storm and Silver who froze in their tracks.

Silver, although seeing many a fight himself, felt his veins turn to ice and his chest squeeze with terror, barely stopping himself from shaking. All the old legends of dragonbloods flashed into his mind in that moment, though Storm only had one thought herself seeing Spikes eyes.

Predator.

Their instincts told them to run, until he turned his gaze to Big Mac, his claws slowly shifting back into hands, his eyes turning soft as he ran over to the fallen form of his friend. A loud coughing rang out from Big Mac, Spike wincing a bit at the sound.

"He's still alive! We need to tape up his helmet and take him back!" Spike yelled out, snapping the guards out of their trance. Spike grabbed his bag off the ground and ripped it open, pulling out duct rape and taping the break in Big Macs helmet closed, allowing the man to breathe the filtered air. Spike looked over his chest, giving a wince, "This wound looks pretty bad."

Silver gave Spike a wary glance, before looking up at the raging storm clouds above them, grimacing, saying, "This weather is getting worse, I don't think we have enough time to get him back to the Caverns."

"Not the way we came, at least. He'll bleed out before we get there." Storm said, staring at the place where the bat left, nothing but bloody arrows and the machete on the ground, drenched in blood. The handle was crushed by Spikes clawed hands, making Storm flash an uneasy gaze towards Spike.

Spike thought for a moment, before looking around, recognizing where they were. "Come on." Spike grabbed Big Mac, trying to help the man up. Silver grabbed Big Mac and slung him over his shoulders, adjusting his weapon in his hands. "I know another way in the Caverns." Spike said, before walking through the snow, his tail brushing away some snow as he walked.

Silver made to follow, only for Storm to grab his armed, stopping him. "Sir, you just saw what happened...are you sure we can trust this kid?"

Silver stopped, before sparing a glance towards Spike, Big Mac giving a soft groan on his shoulders. "Mayor Mare trusts him, that means I should too. Come on." Silver started walking, Storm waiting for a minute, before following, looking back at the spot Spike had fought the beast, blood upon the snow. She finally followed, ignoring the wails of the injured beast.

санитарная сумка

First aid kit.

Spike stared into his bag, hands covered in blood, ignoring the red liquid staining his hands and peered at the first aid kit. He kept walking through the snow, lowering his mask down and flicking his long, draconic tongue out. He tasted the air for a moment, ignoring its icy grip on his tongue, then continued on. He kept walking, looking around, squinting his eyes through the blizzard, being following by Storm and Silver, who was carrying Big Mac on his shoulders.

They stopped for a moment, Storm taking this chance to cautiously walk towards Spike, before asking, "Kid, you sure you know where we're heading? All I can see are buildings and more snow."

"We're almost there." Spike said, walking off, Silver silently following, Big Mac giving a soft groan on Silvers shoulders. Storm looked up at the clouds, then grunted loudly, walking with them.

"Why are we following this kid around?" Storm asked Silver, making Silver give a grunt in response. "He's clearly lost, we need to set up shop and get Mac here some-"

"I...trust Spike..." Big Mac weakly said, Storm giving him a surprised look. Big Mac was too weak to lift his head too far, but gave Storm a glare, continuing, "I...trust him with...my life...he'll get us...where we need to go."

That seemed to shut Storms questioning down, Silver giving a smile that was hidden under the rebreather. It seemed only a minute or two passed when Spike finally found what he was looking for. He slowly started to push on the metal door, the ice on the hinges cracking and splitting as it groaned open, Spike grunting as he pushed it open more and more.

Seeing it open enough, Spike waved the trio in, Storm taking the lead, using her flashlight and weapon to aim around, crossbow at the ready. Silver followed, giving a grimace at the skeletal remains they passed, Spike giving a grunt as he started to drag the door closed, gritting his teeth as it screeched, piercing into the howl of air.

Once it finally shuddered shut, Spike gave out a breath he was holding. He spared a look at the skeletal remains, before heading down the stairs and into the main room. Storm has brushed away some of the tables, getting rid of dust, computers and papers, letting Silver set Big Mac down on it, his shoulders having blood on them, the former farmer groaning in pain.

Spike scampered up, digging through his bag and pulling the first aid kit out, along with a bottle of water. He washed his hands with the water, washing away the blood from the beast and cleaning them, shaking them dry and opening the kit. He pulled out alcohol, needle and thread, and multiple ointments, tugging out a needle with a strange substance inside.

He poked Big Mac, giving a wince as he gave a groan of pain, saying, "Sorry. This is going to hurt...a lot, but you'll be alive until doctors look at you." As Spike used the alcohol in the cloth, Silver and Storm sat next to each other, scanning the rest of the room.

Big Mac pointed at his mask, Spike pulling it off, before cleaning Big Mac wound, hearing soft hisses from the man, before Big Mac finally spoke, far too soft for the two guards to hear, "I saw what ya did. Ya sure you're alright?"

Spike was silent for a moment, slowly starting to stitch up the wound, his hands slowly getting bloody as he did so, "Yeah."

"Spike, I've never seen anyone do somethin like that. You're clearly not fine." Big Mac said, staring at Spike, the young dragonblood giving Big Mac a soft look, before continuing on.

"I...I dunno what I did." Spike finally admitted, loud enough for the two guards to hear, though Spike was too busy helping Big Mac to notice. He continued, "I just saw you get struck, lying in the snow, motionless, and...something inside of me snapped. Like I needed to help you, that I had to do anything to keep you safe, even if that meant ripping that thing apart. I got so angry...and so scared, and I just kinda blacked out."

Big Mac stared at Spike, before weakly resting a hand on Spikes shoulder, the young teen looking at Big Mac, seeing his soft green eyes full of comfort, before finally speaking, "Tartarus, woulda done the same thing in your shoes...don't remember any of it though?"

"Not a thing. All I remember is sort of...waking up and seeing you lying in the snow." Spike admitted, before pulling the string, closing up the wound. He cut the string, before applying the gauze, then the bandages, giving a soft sigh. "This'll hold until an actual doctor gets a look at you."

Silver walked over, giving a impressed hum, before speaking, "Good job kid."

"Living with a bookworm had its perks." Spike explained, before giving a soft smile. "She would drill medical knowledge into my head every time she got a chance. And it comes in handy."

At that moment, the lights flickered, making the group look around. Silver and Spike slowly started to help Big Mac up, the larger man giving a grunt as he felt an ache in his side, before wobbling on his feet for a moment, a soft chitter being heard throughout the room. Storm started to slowly inch around, the lights flicking again, her eyes narrowing. She slowly checked her wrist, before slowly nocking an arrow into he crossbow, slowly scanning the room.

"Something's up. We better get to the Caverns. Now." Storm finally said, the lights giving another flicker, giving a wary eye to the holes in the walls.

"Come on, kid, you lead the way." Silver ordered, helping Big Mac walk across the room. "You keep a close eye on the kid, Storm. If anything happens to him, I'll probably have to bury myself before Mayor Mare finds me."

Storm nodded, letting Spike take the lead, the young dragonblood giving the lights above a nervous glance. He started walking, Storm giving him soft glances as they walked forward, the lights shutting off for a moment. Storms slowly walked down the stairs, checking the corner as they went down, before slowly walking into the bottom floor.

"Clear."

The lights flickered again, making Spike glance around in worry. He flicked his tongue out, before walking in, flicking his tongue again and again, tasting the air. "We should hurry. Smells awful in here. Something's close."

"How do you do that?" Storm asked, aiming around, eyes darting this way and that. "I can't smell anything except...ugh, something rotting."

"Dragons have a better sense of smell. At least, according to Twilight." Spike mumbled out, eyes narrowing, before his nictating membrane slid over his eyes. "Come on, the lights won't last long."

Silver walked in with Big Mac, Big Mac giving ragged breaths as they walked inside. The flickering lights started going, Spike giving a worried look. He walked past the computers and paper, before a light popped, making Spike jump. And, just as quick, the lights shut down with an audible whir, sending everyone into darkness.

Spike heard them rustle around for their lights, only to breathe out a stream of green flames, illuminating the room before them in green light.

"Thanks, Spike." Silver spoke, reaching into his pocket and pulling a light out, turning it on. He scanned the room, before they heard a scraping sound, the group turning to it.

It seemed a table had moved on its own. Then a skitter echoed out, Storm twirling around, weapon raised, turning her flashlight on. She heard a screech and turned, ducking under a chair, firing a bolt into whatever it was.

The bolt bounced and flew away, smacking into the wall, the creature giving a scream of anger as it ran away from the light. Spike felt fear creep into his heart, but kept it at bay, looking back to see Silver trying to teach his weapon. What Silver and Big Mac didn't see was a shape taking form behind them, Spikes pupils suddenly constricting into slits as he watched. He couldn't lose a friend, couldn't lose anyone else.

He refused to lose anyone else.

He flew forward, grabbing Silver and Big Mac, pushing thek out of the way, then blew a stream of green fire onto the carapace beast, lighting the room up in a green hue. The beast scrambled and screamed in agony, but Spike only took another breath in, then blew another stream of green flame out, making the beast back itself into the wall from the force. The crackling of flesh and armor gave Spike no pause, though when he drew his breath in for a third time, Silvers hand grasped onto his shoulder, making his snap to them. Seeing the fear in Silvers eyes may not have done anything to the young dragonblood, but Big Macs gaze pierced straight through Spikes heart.

It was a look of worry.

Spike snorted out some smoke, only to look back and see the blacked beast, dead under his flames. It was some strange mixture of scorpion and spider, with the hardened shell reminding him of some sort of crab in a way. He turned then gave a calming breath, nodding to Big Mac, who smiled a bit at the sight.

"Come on! We gotta get outta here! Now!" Storm broke them out of the moment, only to hold her weapon up, giving a disgusted look at the creature she shor at spit at her. The weapon started to sizzle and smoke, to which she responded by shining her flashlight on the creature, making it screech and start to smoke.

"These thangs don't like lights. Keep yer fire goin, Spike, we'll back up into the cave. Seems lit up fer some reason."

Spike nodded to Big Mac, before taking a deep breath in, aiming towards the ceiling and blasting a stream of flames from his mouth. It finally lit up the room, making the creatures scream as they started to back away, the light making them smoke, their armor starting to blacken under the light. Silver speed walked to the other end of the room with Storm, who was aiming around, keeping her flashlight in a solid motion in front of her.

"Come on kid!" Silver yelled out, helping Big Mac into the doorway. Storm waved Spike over, who grew red faced trying to keep it up. He panted loudly as he finally finished, before running back towards the others. The creatures made to follow, only to scramble back when Storms flashlight hit them, scampering back into the holes and shadows, Spike panting, then scrambling into the hole, Storm following after into the cave of gems.

They took deep breaths as they finally made it out of eyeshot, taking a moment to breathe deeply, deeding oxygen into their starved lungs after the mad scramble.

"So...who's hungry?" Storm asked, ignoring the looks the three men gave her. She patted her belly and started walking, inspecting the weapon in her hands. "Those things spit acid! Damn near melted through my crossbow!"

Spike rolled his eyes, only to walk past her, Silver giving a chuckle, "Don't you worry, private, I'm sure you can use that sparkling personality to win a new crossbow from the metal workers."

Thunderlane and Bulk Biceps watched the tunnel, Steel wing wiping his armor free of blood, giving a disgusted look at the hound before them. First the bugs, now the dogs? He must think nature hates him. Meteor herself was adjusting the sights on her weapon, giving a soft grunt as she switched her sitting style, her right leg having fallen asleep with no movement for so long.

"We shouldn't have left them out there." Thunderlane finally said, rubbing his left shoulder where his bag once was. Luckily, they had gotten the supplies to the medical areas, and now they were just waiting for the others. "It's been too long, we have to open the doors now."

"Thunderlane." Meteor spoek, only to be cut off by Thunderlane.

"I mean, if it was us up there, I know they would look for us!"

"Thunderlane, I-" Meteor tried again, though the mans wings were rustling, greatly annoying the guard.

"It's been too long! We gotta get some more people, maybe round up volunteers and-"

"THUNDERLANE!" Bulk yelled, making the man pause, the muscled man having to use his loud voice to draw Thunderlane out of his own head. He then turned to Meteor and gave a grimace, "Continue."

"Right...like I was about to.say,.timer hasn't gone off yet." Meteor pointed to her watch, before continuing, "If the timer goes off and we still haven't heard from them, we'll go out looking."

Steel Wing gave a chuckle, before admitting, "You're worse than I was at bootcamp." The skyblood rotated his shoulder, then stretched a bit, sighing as his back popped. "We should hear from them. Silver is too damn tough to be taken out by a couple of mangey mutts. And Storm kicks some serious ass."

Meteor stood up and hummed in thought. Perhaps Thunderlane was right, they were taking a long time, and Silver was usually not like this. She adjusted her weapon, walking over and resting an arm on the door, staring up into the tunnel ahead of her. That was when she turned, only to see some people running towards the gem cave. Her interest piqued, until she saw the familiar form of Big Mac being carried away by medics.

She whistled, catching their attention, then pointed towards the trio who had returned, giving Thunderlane a look, before saying, "Next time, have a little more faith in the captain."

The group walked over, Steel and Meteor giving a salute, Thunderlane mumbling something, while Bulk gave a wide smile, seeing the trio. The four, however, noticed Spike and gave Silver looks of confusion, making Silver wave his hand a bit.

"Hey, kid, get these to the storage area." Silver spoke, handing Spike the three, heavy, filled bags. Spike wobbled a bit, before nodding, walking off with the supplies. "Long story, Storm will tell you while I report with Mayor Mare."

"Big Mac is with the medics, but he'll be fine." Storm added on, brushing Spikes hair when he walked past. "You did good, kid."

Spike sat the supplies down in the storage area, stretching a bit, walking away from the storage area, heading towards his bedroom. He flopped onto his bed and groaned happily, slowly drifting off to a dreamless, well earned sleep.

He would need the energy, because Mayor Mare would give him a scolding of a lifetime in the morning.

Утро

Morning.

In the morning, Spike had hoped to get up, make Mayor Mare coffee, and hopefully get some reading done before she yelled at him for going out there, even if he did bring supplies and books back. At least, that was what he was hoping for, perhaps a quick thing of scolding and grounding, though when he woke up, all he had found was Mayor Mare cradling him as if he was nothing more than her own child. She was still asleep when he woke up, though her grip was as iron as ever, and he struggled to move as he was afraid to wake her.

He would just lie there, waiting for her grip to loosen, silently enjoying her soft, warm body. He slowly hugged her tight and nuzzled into her, feeling her shift a bit and hum a bit. She gave a groggy noise as she.slowly let go of him, only to sit up and stretch, popping a few joints in the process.

"Morn..." She mumbled out, slowly getting up and stretching, slowly stretching out. Spike turned around to give her some privacy, as he just realized she was in her underwear, her butt was pointed directly at his face. "We need to talk."

"Yeah."

"About yesterday."

"I know."

She sat back down, before slowly scooting over to Spike, before wrapping her arms around him, drawing him into her breast. "I know what you did really helped the others out. In fact, I'm sure Big Mac would have died out there without you, but..." Mayor Mare spoke, giving him a soft squeeze, before continuing, "I feel like I have to look at for you since Twilight...isn't here."

"I know."

"And I'm not angry, I just...care a lot about you, Spike, and I don't want you hurt." The Mayor pulled away and lifted Spikes chin, staring into his beautiful green eyes, giving him soft, motherly smile."So, next time you wanna be a hero, just warn a lady, okay?"

Spike smiled and nodded, before blushing a bit as he turned. "You uh...still have no pants..."

"Oh. Right. Sorry." She felt her own cheeks heat up as she started getting dressed, Spike giving her some privacy. She soon smoothed out her shirt and pants, before ruffling Spikes hair, ignoring the boys hiss about his looks. "I have to attend an official debriefing, so feel free to eat breakfast without me. And if you do sneak out, make sure you are home before dinner, okay?" She teased him, before walking out of the room.

Spike sat there in silence, before starting to dress himself, thinking about what he was going to eat this morning. Before that thought continued, he heard cursing in the next room and smiled a bit. "I told you that the coffee gets hot."

"You can swim in lava and react like its nothing more than a warm bath, your sense of temperature scale is strange to me!" Mayor Mare called back, making Spike shake his head. He got up and stretched a bit, sighing a bit.

He walked out, seeing a few people up and about already, getting ready for the day. It seemed early in the morning, or as far as he could tell it was early in the morning, his eyes scanning over the people setting up stands and getting ready for the day, before he looked over at the medical tents. His eyes softened, deciding to check up on Big Mac before breakfast, making his way towards the tents.

Seeing Nurse Redheart standing there, Spike smiled as he walked up, the woman giving a soft smile at the young man. "Hey Spike."

"Hey Miss Redheart. Is Big Mac awake?"

The nurse chuckled, then adjusted her clipboard, pointing back with her thumb, saying, "Yeah, but the docs keep telling him he needs rest. I think farm life is too engrained in his brain, he rises with the sun."

"May I see him?"

"Normally I'd say no, but he's been asking for you since he woke up. Head on in." Nurse Redheart said, letting Spike through the flap. She watched his form disappear, cute tail waving excitedly when he saw his friend. "Such a cute kid. Gonna be a real looker when he grows up." Nurse Redheart mumbled to herself, before walking off to get herself some breakfast.

Spike walked in, seeing his strong friend lying in a bed with an IV bag attached to him. The man was reading a book, though Spike couldn't see the cover from where he was standing. Once he heard the tent flap, Big Mac looked up, only to smile warmly and wave him over, Spike happily walking over.

"Hey Mac, how are you feeling?"

"Chest aches, but I'm feelin better." Big Mac said, before adjusting a bit on the bed. "Doc says you saved mah life, an...that if you hadn't stitched me up, I'd be another photo on tha wall." Big Mac smiled and grabbed Spikes hand, squeezing it, before continuing, "I can't thank ya enough, Spike."

"Big Mac, you-"

"Spike, let me finish." Big Mac said, the dragon blooded youngster falling silent, the larger man squeezing his hand a bit. "Applejack was too proud to admit it, but I ain't. When ya saved her life, and helped us outta those scrapes, ya did so cuz it was the right thang. Wouldn't even let us talk about rewardin ya or nuthin." Big Mac adjusted a bit in the bed, his gaze travelling downwards towards the sheets. "What ya did fer Granny...it just cemented what I thought of ya."

"Big Mac, any one of us would-" Spike fell silent as he saw the look Big Mac gave him, before he cleared his throat a bit. "Sorry, continue."

Big Macintosh took a moment to think about what he would say next, before clearing his throat and looking back up at the young lad, finally finding the words he wanted to say, "Spike, all I'm tryin ta say is that...I'm proud of you. And, I'm sure Granny would agree with me when I say that...we would be honored to make you an Apple."

Spikes eyes shot open as he stared at Big Mac, surprise and shock evident in the young lads eyes. He gulped a bit, his jaw uselessly flapping a bit at the sight. It might have even looked comical, had the statement not been so life changing to either men. Finally, Spike found his voice and asked, "Y-you...you really want me as a part of your family?"

"Well, we can't make it official or nuthin like that, and tha only girl close to your age is Applejack and she has her eyes set on certain someone. Had...her eyes set." Big Macs green eyes filled with sadness, before making it disappear in a moment, smiling at the young man, "I'm sure Granny would agree that you are Apple material, and I'm sure Applebloom won't argue with me. Tartarus, AJ already called ya the little brother she never had sometimes. Might as well make ya an Apple at this point."

Spike felt a tear slide down his cheek, though not from sadness or anger, but from happiness and love. He suddenly flew forward and hugged the Apple, Big Mac wincing a bit as his chest screamed in pain, though the normally stoic man never let it slip. Big Mac returned the hug, squeezing Spike a bit, before Spike finally said, "I would be honored to be an Apple."

Applebloom finally busted in, shocking both of them, Nurse Redheart coming in soon after, trying to stop her. "Applebloom! You can't just burst in like that! You have to-", the Nurses voice died in her throat as she saw the glare Applebloom gave her, making the older woman back off and step back outside. "Crazy Apples..."

Applebloom stomped Over, giving Spike a glare, making the youngster shrink under her gaze. Although being slightly shorter than the boy, Applebloom seemed to command an energy when she was upset. Big Mac started to sweat, until Applebloom gave a huff and said, "Big Mac! Ya were supposed to wait until I got here!"

Spike blinked once.

Then twice.

Then thrice.

Finally, his brain kicked into gear, finally asking, "Wait...you planned this?"

Applebloom glared at Big Mac, before sighing a bit and crossing her arms, looking back at Spike, admitting, "Yeah. We know Twilights family raised ya an' everythang, but we noticed ya do too much for us too. And they never really call ya a Sparkle and ya never really refer yourself as one, so, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith and I wanted to welcome ya to the Apples. Had a whole bit planned with the family, but we had to postpone it cuz Applejack went off to the Crystal Empire with her friends and the rest of the class too." Applebloom looked back up, giving a soft sigh, "Ya know how that turned out."

"You guys were gonna do that...all for me?"

"Yesterday really cemented what we thought. I mean, ya saved mah big brothers life, mah big sisters life, and mah life on quite a few occasions. Might as well make it official...or, as official as we could, seeing as ya ain't marryin anyone in tha family." Applebloom said, before rubbing the bridge of her nose. "And somebody was supposed ta wait until ah got here!"

Spike watched Big Mac try to defend himself, Applebloom taking the moment to chew her brother out for not waiting. They both stopped when they heard a sniffle, turning to Spike to see him crying. Applebloom made to ask what was wrong, but he looked up at them, smiling, before bringing the two in for a hug. The anger and guilt quickly disappeared as the trio hugged, Big Mac giving a slight wince, though tried to ignore his pain.

"Thank you...both of you..."

"I'm sorry, I must have misheard you, could you repeat that?"

A voice cut through Silver Spear, the guard giving no hint of this though. On the inside, his heart was gripped with anxiety and stress, and the look from the speaker made him wanna excuse himself as quickly as possible. However, he stayed there, his boots planted on the ground, and repeated, "I wish to train your ward, Spike."

Mayor Mare blinked at him, confusion painted on her face, before she pulled her glasses off and rubbed the bridge of her nose, a headache forming. "Before I even ask, you do realize he is a child, right?"

"He is a teenager, ma'am."

"Point still stands."

"I was younger than he was when I started training." Silver Spear admitted, before opening his mouth again, stopping when Mayor Mare held a hand up.

"Spike's still too young. I may not be his mom, or even his adopted family, but I still care about him, Silver. And I can't agree to this in good conscience!" Mayor Mare spoke, standing up a bit and looking out of her window, seeing Spike leaving the medical tent, Applebloom walking with him and talking to him. She clenched her hand into a fist as she rested her arm on the wall, before shaking her head. "I just...Twilight would never let it happen."

Silver took this moment to walk next to her and sighed softly, before turning to you, "I didn't give you the entire briefing last night

Mayor Mare raised an eyebrow and looked at Silver, "What do you mean?"

"Yesterday, when Big Mac was hurt, Spike...changed." Silver admitted, his eyes never leaving the young dragonblooded boy, watching him happily talk to his young friend.

"What do you mean?"

"He...he grew." Silver finally said, tearing his eyes away from Spike and looking at Mayor Mare, crossing his arms. "Grew taller, stronger, claws on his hands and scales appearing on his skin. Tail even grew longer, nearly ripped the bat thing in half for hurting the farmer. Tore into its houlder and back with a machete, damn near broke the handle in his grip. We put bolts into it and it just brushed them off, but Spike just used his hands and some knife, damn near ripped into its back and out of its chest."

"B...but how?"

"I thought you would know, or perhaps a book. Couldn't find anything in the books we had though, and, the only clue we have is the incident you spoke of."

"Spike grew into a full dragon during that incident. Rampaged through town because greed changed him, Twilight told me about it, but...he wasn't greedy this time. It has to be something else."

"Whatever it is, we can't handle it if he starts changing permanently. How do you think the people will react when he loses control?"

Mayor Mare glared at Silver, before giving a soft huff through her nostrils. "He'll never lose control. He's been Twilights assistant since he could read and write, he knows how destructive he could get if he loses control!"

"He's thirteen! He doesn't understand how much loss can change people! He's lost his friends, his home, his family and here we are, telling him that he is safe in this tomb!" Silver argued, Mayor Mare finally tearing herself away from Spike and looking back at Silver, a deep sadness in her eyes, making him let out a long breath. He looked back at her, finally speaking, "Look, if it were up to me, I would let him live his life how he wanted, but...the Fall has changed everything. He needs to learn how to control his anger and his fear, and I know how to help him."

"I just...he's just a boy, Silver."

"He is just a boy, but we won't always be around to protect him." Silver spoke, pushing away from the wall with an arm and walking towards the door. "I can help him defend himself though, and channel that anger and fear into something more." He paused for a moment, looking back at Mayor Mare, speaking, "It's your call."

Mayor Mare returned her gaze back to Spike, seeing him hug Applebloom, before walking away to the cafeteria to get some food. She stood there for a moment, brushing her thumb against her fingers in thought. On one hand, she was right, Spike was just a child when it came to dragons. The older they got, the slower they aged, but even as a youngster he was still much smaller and younger looking than boys his age. He wasn't like an Earthblood, who could kick trees and knock down apples, or a Skyblood who could fly and cause entire storms, or even a Magicblood who could use magic to lift heavy objects or change appearances instantly.

He was a young dragonblood. He fit in nowhere and that is why Mayor Mare had to protect him. She may not be his adoptive mother or sister, or even her strange aunt who drinks wine, but she cared greatly about the young lad as if he was her own. She couldn't stand when he got hurt, and usually had to restrain herself whenever he fell or smacked into something by accident.

Not that it would hurt him, mind you, but she still worried.

On the other hand, Silver was right. He would soon become an official teenager for his kind, and although they grew slow at first, he would soon shoot up in height and strength, and they needed a way to help him control that. And, not only that, he would likely need a way to defend himself if...if anything happened to her or the others. He may be strong and tough, but he wasn't a guard or a fighter, he would get seriously injured fighting like Silver described.

Not only that, but in this strange, broken world, it appears even nature itself had been mutated into something more, something frightening. And now, Spike proved he was willing to literally bite into whatever attacked them, rip these things apart if it meant protecting his friends and family. There was no way Mayor Mare could stop him from doing that, but Silver would be able to train him to control himself.

The pros outweighed the cons. She decided that Silver would train Spike.

Silver nodded with Mayor Mare as Spike walked in, the young dragonblood holding a ration bar in his mouth, pausing for a moment as he saw the two adults stare so intently at him. He bit a piece off, crunching it noisily, before swallowing thickly, staring at the two.

"Uh...Captain Silver." Spike finally spoke, the older man smiling, making Spike quirk an eyebrow. "Did...something happen?"

"Of a sort." Silver spoke, keeling down before Spike, the older man grasping Spikes shoulder and squeezing it. "Tomorrow, I am going to train you to defend yourself."

Spike blinked, only to give a soft chuckle, saying, "Really had me going there. And Storm says you don't have a sense of humor." He kept chuckling, though when Mayor Mare gave Spike a soft look, his chuckling died off as he looked between them both. "Wait...you're serious?"

"Indeed. You will learn how to defend yourself, Spike, and protect those you care about." Silver said, giving him a strong pat on the shoulder. "Now, rest up, young dragon, training begins tomorrow." Silver stood back up, turning towards the Mayor and nodding at her, saying, "Make sure he gets rest. He'll need it."

Mayor Mare nodded, Silver giving a soft noise as he walked out, sighing a bit as he walked away. He hoped his decision would help Spike out, though he could just as easily create a new disaster.

Whatever that disaster was, future Silver could handle it. Right now, he was feeling like eating some lunch and reading a nice book.

Celestia knows he needed a break.

"Private Storm Chaser, private Meteor Storm, corporal Steel Wing." He called out, seeing the guards in the middle of a card game of some sort. He rolled his eyes, seeing them stand up at attention. "Tomorrow, we'll be training some greens, including one Spike, ward to the Mayor."

"Sir, permission to speak freely?" Silver looked at Storm, quirking an eyebrow at the woman, before nodding, letting her continue, "Why are we training him, sir? Why not just let him be? He already beat the shit out of that bat thing. Pardon my Prench, sir."

"A good point. However, I believe we can help him control the beast inside of him and redirect all that anger at any threat that comes knocking. Any other questions?" Seeing none of them raise their hands, he nodded and spoke, "Everyone get some food and some decent shut eye. Tomorrow, we'll be training the newbies."

Обучение

Training.

It had been a month since Spike started training, and it had just barely gotten easier. Most days his very bones would ache, his limbs would feel heavy, even his tail would ache. And on those days, he loved nothing more than his bed and a hot meal. Before he simply saw his bed as a place to sleep, but after, it was his sanctuary, his Eden, his very home of safety and love. His bedding was so soft and blankets so warm, he loved them both, and hard days of training just meant an easier time to enjoy such things. In fact, he would say his bed was his favorite place in the whole world after training.

He wondered if this is how all guards felt after training. Missing their soft, warm, safe bed.

Silver was ruthless, had no mercy, and seemed to enjoy the suffering that Spike endured whilst training (or, at least, Spike thought as much), and would rarely allow Spike to rest until the older guard deemed it so. He would make Spike run, climb up rock walls, dodge and weave through obstacles, crawl through mud and practice with hand to hand combat.

At the moment, Spike was doing push up, sweat drenching his plain grey shirt and pants, Silver watching from the sidelines. Meteor walked up, adjusting her shirt a bit as she watched the young dragon blood slowly pump up and down, sweat showing off his cute, pudgy body. She sat next to Silver and offered him a protein bar, which he took and ate, Meteor giving him a look while he chewed silently.

"Can't read minds, private." Silver spoke, making Meteor sigh a bit "Though I can make a guess. Probably wondering why I am pushing him so hard."

"That I am, sir." Meteor spoke, staring at the young boy. She then looked at Silver, adding, "The boy is barely ten."

"He's thirteen." Silver corrected, Spike giving a grunt as he paused for a moment, trying to catch his breath. "I only counted one hundred and thirteen!" Silver yelled out, making Spike grunt and stare up at the man incredulously. "Twelve more to go, Spike!" The dragon blooded boy rolled his head, then let it hang, snorting out some smoke, before continuing.

"Still, kid needs to worry about school or maybe learning about himself, not about training like this."

"Don't know how to tell you this, private Meteor, but Spike isn't an ordinary boy. He needs to train and control his...dragon side." Silver spoke, before leaning back a bit. "I know this, you know this, and he knows this. Hence why he won't give up, no matter what kind of shit I put him in. Five more!"

Spike glared at the man, before slowly complying, making Meteor hum in thought. "Man, I didn't get it this bad." A voice spoke, making Meteor nod a bit. Steel ate the ration bar in his hand, giving Spike an impressed look, before cupping a hand up, yelling, "Keep it up, kiddo! Ladies are digging it!"

This caused Silver to look over at some of the other trainees, a few of them watching with impressed looks on their faces, while a few of the women were giving hungry looks towards the young dragon blood. Silver looked over to Spike, who spared a glance towards the ladies and looked uncomfortable, Meteor watching the action and adjusting in her seat.

This caused a vein to appear in Silvers forehead.

"Oooh, enjoying the show?" Silver asked coolly, making the group shoot up, the older guard giving an evil smile at them. "Since you have so much free time on your hands, you won't mind when I tell you ladies to GO THROUGH THE OBSTACLE COURSE UNTIL I TELL YOU TO STOP!"

This made the group shoot up and run off, Meteor shaking her head at the sight. "You sure you weren't a drill sergeant before the bombs, boss man?" Steel asked, his wings rustling a bit, making Silver chuckle at the question.

"I considered it at one point. Seems like life decided for me anyway." Silver looked at Spike, who was too busy panting and lying on the ground to chime in with his usual banter. Silver walked over to Spike, the young lad panting and looking up at Silver, drenched in sweat. "You did good, kid, go hit the showers and take the next few days off, you earned it."

"Thanks...uh...can you help me up?"

Silver chuckled, offering the drake his hand, which he took, the older man yanking the lad up. He was yanked up, moving his hair out of his face with his hand, wiping away the sweat stinging at his eyes. Silver gave Spikes shoulder a reassuring squeeze, giving him a smile. "Alright, go wash up, you smell like a dragons sweaty sock." Spike walked off, Silver giving him a soft look, before turning around to the group who was watching earlier, seeing them take a breather, "HEY! KEEP GOING!"

Meteor walked over to Silver, sparing a look towards Spike as he walked off, "Kid attracts too much attention for someone his age."

"Well, the females of Equestria outnumber the males, four to one." Silver spoke, before smirking to himself. "And yet, Steel still can't land a date."

"Ha ha, very funny sir."

"Private Meteor, go make sure Spike actually makes it to the showers. And make sure none of our off duty trainees gets any ideas."

"Sir, I don't think they would-"

"The world just ended, Meteor. Do you really think everyone cares about the rules right now?" Silver interrupted Meteor, Steel humming in thought after he spoke. The woman saluted, walking off, Steel walking over to Silver and watching the group run through the course.

"We really should talk to Mayor Mare about punishments and the rules."

"Agreed. Now go get some rest, Storm should be up in a bit to take your watch."

Spike walked to the showers, giving Meteor a look as she stood by the door, the woman just brushing his hair with her hand, making him grumble at her. She just smiled before taking out a block of wood and a knife, slowly carving into it, Spike entering the showers. Thankfully, it was not one of those open ones, each shower had a stall and door, and were easy to lock for privacy.

Spike himself liked these showers, as Mayor Mare would accidentally walk in on him showering in the place they shared, and he would rather not answer any of those uncomfortable questions she had about dragonblood anatomy. Spike stepped into the shower and started to slowly wash away the filth and sweat of the day, sighing as the warm water cleaned him.

Meteor hummed to herself as she kept carving into the wood chunk in her hand, before stopping. She looked around, blinking in confusion, hearing soft whispers enter her ears, her eyes scanning around. She sighed a bit and stabbed the knife into the wood block, setting it down, speaking, "Steel, if this is a prank, I am going to kick you in the apples, and I don't mean your snack."

She kept hearing the whispers, growing confused at the sound, before slowly pulling her knife out of the block and holding it in a ready position. She scanned the area, her eyes looking over every rock and shack she could, turning in a circle. Eventually, the whispers stopped, she twirled the weapon around and quickly turned around, hearing a door close behind her.

Nothing was there.

She finally let her guard down after a moment and returned to her carving, her eyes briefly scanning every so often, a shape slowly being carved into the block. Her mind drifted slowly to the world above, how much death and destruction over a piece of dirt and rock, such loss of life would be incalculable to the mind. Numbers meant nothing, life was much more than statistics and papers with numbers,.life was life.

All the joy, tragedy, experiences, dreams, nightmares, hopes, successes and failures that one person went through meant much more than the people who would just label someone as a number. And such loss of life should be held within high regards, as life itself was meant to be loved and cherished, not disregarded, it was meant to be wondered about and enjoyed. As the cosmos itself were vast and infinite, so too were the possibilities of life, the dreams that one would hold were also as infinite and unknowable as the cosmos, yet were to be enjoyed and cherished as one enjoys the stars or the breeze on a gentle, calm day. Nobody should throw that away on a whim, over some piece of land that could be shared.

Meteor blinked herself out of her thoughts, before returning back to carving into the wood.

Of course, what did she know about such philosophy? She was just a guard, carving into some wood in a hole in the ground.

Spike adjusted his pants a bit, wiping his hair with his towel, staring into the foggy mirror. He wiped it with his towel and sighed at his smeared reflection. He started to wipe his hair again, staring at his shirtless image in the mirror, before sighing softly, shaking his head.

"Oh Twilight...I wish you were here right now. So lost and confused, and...I could use you and the girls. Maybe even have Fluttershy hug me, Rarity telling me what colors go with what gems, Rainbow Dash brag about how she could beat up that bat thing, Applejack could give me some life advice, Pinkie would...well, let's be honest, she would invite everyone to a 'Spike Saved Big Mac' party." Spike spoke to nothing but the open air, hanging his head a bit, closing his eyes and giving a soft, smoke filled sigh. When he looked up, he blinked in confusion when he saw a flash of purple in the mirror.

He twirled around, seeing nothing behind him, his pupils slowly constricting into slits as he scanned the room. He turned back to the mirror, rubbing his eyes a bit, before seeing that same purple flash again. He leant closer, seeing the fog slowly clear up on the mirror, the smiling face of...Twilight?!

He gave a gasp and twirled around again, seeing nothing there again, before looking back at the mirror. He saw nothing there as well...was he insane? Was he going mad from the chaos of life? Was Discord playing a prank on him?

He rubbed his eyes and groaned, before hearing footsteps, shooting up, his tail whipping around to and fro. He grasped his shirt and slung it over his shoulder, grasping his towel and winding it up. He walked to the wall, pressing against it, straining his ears a bit.

Whispers.

He grew curious. It didn't seem like they were next to him, yet he heard them as clear as day. Whispers of young and old, men and women, none he recognized, yet all seemed familiar, as if he had known these voices his whole life. He slowly went around the corner, only for a splitting headache to erupt in his skull, making him gasp. He clutched his head and groaned, falling to his knees, before flashes of pictures zipped through his mind, as fast as light.

The branches of an ancient tree.

A little girl and her puppy, playing in the grass.

Flowers swaying in the breeze.

A distant camp fire, people playing music and whistling to a warm, soft tune.

Spike gripped his head and gave a strangled groan, more and more flashes entering his vision, before he glanced up. A dark blob entered his vision, though he had no strength to back away. He only clenched his fist and gave out a grunt of pain, the splitting headache slowly subsiding as his vision cleared. The strange blob knelt down, before pressing its long, thick finger against Spikes forehead.

"Вы не одиноки."

Spike blinked in confusion, trying to make sense of the voice he was hearing. He recognized the tone the dark shape was speaking to him, making Spike grunt in confusion and pain, relief flooding through his system.

"T...Twilight?"

"Держись, маленький дракон."

Spike awoke with a start, panting loudly, blinking in confusion. His hair was still wet and the mirror was foggy, he must have been so overworked he fell asleep. He stretched a bit, his back popping loudly, before sitting up and throwing his shirt on, not caring about how wet his hair was at the moment. He threw his towel over his shoulder, walking out of the doors, seeing Meteor carving something into the wood.

Hearing the door open, Meteor stood up and chuckled, "What'd you do, fall asleep in there?" She teased, making Spike snort out.

"Dunno how you can train like this."

"Years of practice, kiddo. Come on, we gotta get some food in you, you must be starving."

At that sentence, Spikes stomach rumbled, making him blush and give a shy smile. Meteor felt a small, motherly urge to scoop him up and smooch that cute face. She quickly shook it off, feeling slightly unnerved by said thoughts, before putting the hunk of wood away, smiling at the young dragon blood, finally speaking, "C'mon."

As they walked away, neither noticed the shape on the roof, watching them. Another shape took form next to it, much larger, the larger form squeezing the smaller ones shoulder. The little one looked up at it, before looking back down, finally speaking, "Вы уверены, что мы поступили правильно?"

"Мы должны идти. Он найдет путь, как только будет готов." The big one mumbled out, before disappearing from sight. The little one watched the duo for a moment, before turning around, phasing from sight as well.

Пять лет

Five years.

Five years since the world had turned to ash, snow and glass. Five years since everyone was confined underground. Five years since Spike had last seen anyone he once knew. Five years, and yet to everyone underground, it felt like an eternity, far too unbearable in the small space they had shared. Hearths Warming had gone and past, birthdays, funerals for those old enough or those who had died of sickness, parties and celebrations, and a day to remember the fallen, which happened to be the anniversary of when the world had been plunged into ash and snow.

Spike, now eighteen years of age, was no longer the small, chubby child when he first arrived, as he had been hit hard by dragon puberty. Now standing at five feet and eleven inches, Spike himself would look no older than sixteen years old despite his height gain, and would keep this appearance for a century or two, if Mayor Mares books were to be believed. His fangs had grown as well, his senses expanded and, thanks to the training under the guards, he had become a muscled fighter, ready to defend his home.

Definitely nowhere near Bulk in terms of muscle, but Spike himself had slimmed out and had muscles hidden by his general appearance. Spikes tail had once been chubby and short, and now it had become long and serpentine, the spade appearing sharper and spines becoming larger and rounder. After he has hit thirteen years out, he had found out that his wings could retract into his body to help with mobility. The process was painful, but thankfully said action was fast and healed rather quickly. He would only use his wings in emergencies, as his wings were more powerful, but slower, than a skybloods.

That being said, Spike was still treated like a kid by Mayor Mare, whose mane had grown out. Over the years, her manes roots had turned back to pink and her white hair was nothing more than a few flicks. She had gotten a few wrinkles around her eyes and slightly a bit chubbier (though, all it did was add to her already beautiful looks), though did not change much.

Silver and the other guards had changed. Silver himself had gotten a few more scars from his fights with the Mutts and Bugs, and was used to venturing to the outside and getting more supplies with his team, and has shaved his beard, showing off the four long claw marks he had gained from the first encounter with the Mutts. His armor also had teeth of multiple creatures on it, and his helmet had marks of fallen allies and friends during the excursions.

Steel had gotten wicked scars on his arms and sides from a particularly bad mission, though he only said that chicks dig scars when Spike brought it up. He has also grown a beard which matched his hair, though he complained his mask got too hot with it. Apparently, Nurse Redheart had mentioned she liked it, so he kept the beard is an attempt to woo her.

Storm has cut her lengthening hair and now used an improved version of the crossbow, too attached to the weapon to upgrade to the new stuff, and her armor had been repaired and retrofitted to fit her bulkier frame. She had also gotten more muscled over time, and would often teach kids how to fly when their teacher was unavailable. They may have been underground, but they still found uses for their wings.

Meteor had grown her hair out and tied it into a bun, and would use a new wrist gauntlet with her blades attached. Seems she got sick of having to constantly lose her knives to stupid actions and getting them replaced. Her clothes also had more packs put on to carry more medical supplies out in the field. She was no doctor, but she could stitch someone up in a pinch, and had trained to help the injured in the field after Big Macs near death scare.

Big Mac had quit the team and was back to farming, Applebloom herself only learning self defense before joining her brother back in the farms. Bulk and Thunderlane had been more permanent and would often help the team out, though they both had voiced their concerns over Spikes rather harsh training. The guards had seen others join their ranks and, luckily, had been rather successful in their defense of the Caverns.

Unfortunately, today would be the first part of a very long journey for them.

Spike rotated his body, smashing his fist into the punching bag, punching it again and again, adjusting his body to put more force into the strikes. The punching bag bounced a bit with the punches, Spikes eyes glazing over as he struck it over and over. His mind was distracted, though that didn't stop his strikes, making the punching bags metal clink loudly.

Twilights face flashed through his mind, her laugh and smile, some joke long forgotten making her do those dorky giggles of hers. Her wings rustling as she read her book, scribbling some answers down as he struggled to stay awake on her lap. Her warm, loving hugs whenever she was excited about something or her cuddles whenever he had a nightmare. Her scared face when they ran from monsters or her disappointed look when he did something wrong

Spikes pupils turned into slits, a nictating membrane sliding over them and protecting his eyes from his sweat. The bag shook as he kept striking, stopping to deliver a swift, but devastating kick, then continuing with his strikes. His ears were deaf to the rather sickening sounding punches and kicks, if the punching bag could talk, it would be begging for him to stop.

Rarity flashed through his mind, her beautiful smile once bringing him such love and joy, bow bringing nothing but an empty longing. Her cute giggles, her critical eyes when looking over a dress, the noises she made when she saw a gem. Spike had long since realized that his crush would never go anywhere, but that never stopped him from appreciating her beauty, even now.

His eyes hardened, the bag would probably be set on fire with the glare Spike gave it, had it now been for the sweat it was covered in.

Rainbow Dash, her rainbow speeding past him during his chores, sometimes even a prank that scared him out of his skin...scales? Both, he supposed. Her smirk, how he hated and missed that smirk, or the genuine care she showed when one of them was hurt. Her flexing and showing off her muscles to a younger, more impressionable Spike, or telling him stories of her great heroics or dreams. Sometimes, they would sit under a tree and talk about life, or she would drag him along from some adventure, or he would have to deal with her fearless acts. Celestia, how he misses that rainbow haired adrenaline junkie.

More strikes. Hit after hit after hit. The chains connecting it to the hook groan and strain.

Applejack, the ever dependable, beautiful Applejack. Her strength was something he strived for, her honesty even more so. He would remember helping her with the apple season, how she saved his life and he saved hers from the Timberwolves, and how she would let him wear her hat after a hard days work. He always felt special when she did that.

A chain gave a clicking sound, but Spike only punched harder and harder.

Pinkie Pie. That woman was always ready for a party, and had even brought Spike out of the dumps after the greed growth incident. Her smile was infectious, her laughter was like music to his ear, and she always gave him special gem desserts. What he wouldn't do to watch her bounce through these Caverns.

A louder groan.

Fluttershy, such a calm, sweet soul. When she first met him in Ponyville, she had wanted to know everything about him. She was the first person to truly show interest into his thoughts and feelings, and would often cuddle him or help him through issues whenever Twilight wasn't available. He would never admit it but he may have had a small crush on her for a bit, and although it was not as big as Rarity's, it was still there. He soft giggles and smiles, she would stand up for her friends, even if she was scared to do it, and cared about every animal she could.

Starlight. Ember. Smolder. Yona. Sandbar. Gabby. Gallus. Ocellus. Silverstream. Thorax.

Each name pounded into Spikes brain, at the same speed as his fists, fast and hard. His fists smashed into the punching bag again and again, cold fury filling his veins, before he suddenly slammed his fist into it.

The punching bag decided it had enough, the chains breaking as it flew backwards. His hand had also split open the bag, sand exploding out and spilling out, almost looking like blood as it flew backwards. It skidded across the ground for a few moments, before finally resting, still spilling sand from the hole Spike had punched. Spike pulled his fist back and looked at it, seeing claws instead of his fingers and scales running up to his elbow.

Spike took a deep breath, letting his claws slowly shift back into his hand, the scales started to shift back to his skin, Spike giving out a long breath after, flexing his hand a bit when it finally changed back. Spike wiped the sweat off of his face, pulling his shirt off and stretching. That is when he heard a wolf whistle behind gim, making Spike rolls his eyes, then turn around, spotting Storm in the doorway.

Storm gave him an impressed look, though something else was there. Something he couldn't pinpoint, though he decided to let that go, hearing Storm walk in. "Morning, ma'am."

"Spike, I already told you, when it is just us, you can call me by my name."

"Sorry, Storm. So, off to the supply run?"

"Nah." Storm leant in the doorway, giving him a soft look, "Bossman wants to know if you are good to go for an outing."

Spike looked at the punching back, before walking over and grabbing another, putting it on his shoulder and setting it up. He grabbed the destroyed one and tossed it into a pile of destroyed equipment in the corner, rotating his shoulder a bit. "What's the mission?"

"Don't know. Silver said it was big though."

"Alright, I'll shower and meet you guys there." Spike made a move to leave the room, only for Storm to grab his arm and squeeze it.

"You sure you're good?" Storm asked, her eyes scanning him for any faults.

Spike could lie to her, tell her he was fine. He could just look her straight in the eyes, let the lie slip from his mouth and she wouldn't push it. He could go about his day, thinking about that lie, wondering why he did and feel guilty about it.

He wasn't that type of person.

"No, I'm not." Spike admitted, before grasping her hand and giving it a squeeze, continuing, "I keep thinking about the girls. My friends. And...I just need something to distract me."

Storm squeezed his hand and gave him a soft smile, "Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here, and so is the rest of the team." She let go of Spike as he walked away, before sighing softly and following the young lad, sparing a glance towards the pile of broken training material.

Steel yawned loudly, before rubbing his eyes a bit, trying to keep himself awake whilst they waited for the briefing. Amongst them were a few women and men, magicbloods, skybloods and earthbloods all together in this room. Usually there would be three times as many, but some were guarding food while others were working normal jobs or resting from their shifts. Steel looked around, before stretching a bit, rubbing his cheek a bit, brushing his hands through his beard.

Spike walked in with Storm, Steel smiling and waving them over, the duo pushing past people to stand next to the Skyblood. "Hey Storm, Spike. You heard about the new toys the lab cooked up?"

"You'd think they'd slow down after that...what was it called?"

"Force detonator." Spike mumbled out, making Steel snicker. "Blew my clothes off in front of everyone."

"Yeah, and planted you into the wall." Storm snickered, Spike only rolling his eyes in reply. "I still remember helping you pull shrapnel out of your hair."

"Yeah, chest was bruised for a week." Spike spoke, giving a grimace at the memory.

"That was just a small explosion too. Imagine what a full power one could do." Steel mumbled out, only for him to stand at attention, the others in the room following suit as Silver entered.

Silver took a look at the faces around him, before speaking, "At ease." The group sat back down, those who had to room to sit would lean against the wall at watch Silver intently. "Before we begin, does anyone have any questions?" Someone raised their hand, to which Silver nodded to them, "Yes, Bright Light?"

The bulky woman, having bright red hair and a long scar across her face gave a playful smile, then pointed out, "I'm Bright Flare. She-" He pointed a few rows away to a woman with pure white hair and a tattoo of a flashlight on her arm. Spike himself never really understood the appeal of tattoos if cutie marks existed, but who was he to judge how others wished to look. "-is Bright Light, sir." Silver gave a deadpan look, staring intently at her. "Sir, is this an actual mission, or just another bug hunt?"

Silver adjusted his straps a bit, before responding, "Nope. This is big. Any other questions?" When no one asked any further questions, he nodded to himself and finally started, "Well, as of fourteen hundred hours yesterday, we fixed up the old radio system in Ponyville. Unfortunately, we lost two members to Mutts and the Bat, Bridge Keeper and Winter Gust. A moment of silence for them."

They all bowed their heads, Steel taking his helmet off and pressing it to his chest, Spikes long tail slowly curled around and he gripped it, his eyes soft. Storm held her head low and gave a soft grimace at the news, everyone sharing their sadness at such news. It was sad when someone passed sway to disease or age, but in this savage world, it wasn't uncommon to be mauled or eaten by things that crawled in the tunnels or flew above.

Silver cleared his throat after a few moments passed, catching everyones attention, before continuing, "Their sacrifice was not in vain, thankfully, as we have now set up a communications hub, and, we found out an unintended side effect; there are other survivors out there." The room erupted into murmurs, Spikes eyes widening as he squeezed his chair, unintentionally crushing the metal in his grip.

Other survivors?! Why didn't anyone tell him? Did Twilight try to contact him? Why has it been so long since anyone tried this? So many questions, they swirled in Spikes mind like a maelstrom, making him dizzy. Storm must have noticed, because she took his hand and squeezed it, calming his frazzled and distracted mind. He looked at her, before smiling and squeezing her hand back, before letting go.

She still held onto his hand for a few more seconds before letting go, watching Silver raise his hand up. It took a few seconds for the murmuring to calm, but Silver just stood up and sighed a bit. "So, we got good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

"Good news!" Yelled someone from the back, making the group murmur in agreement.

"Good news is, the groups we came in contact with are only a few miles around us, and they talk about further tunnels with more survivors. Bad news is-" He took a step towards the map of the surrounding valley, with marks on it, pointing a finger at their location, before continuing, "We have to fight our way through the mutts and bugs in the tunnel, and whatever else is down here. We also have to get through caved in tunnels, transportation hubs that are being occupied by some sort of violent faction, and we may have to go above ground to travel to a few of these groups."

"Whole lotta cons, not many pros." Steel admitted, making Spike look confused at him. A few too many of the others agreed with him, making Spike huff in anger.

"What?! I cannot believe what I am hearing!" Spike practically growled out, the sight of his fangs making a few people back away from him. "People need help - no, need OUR help, and you lot are giving up already?!" Spike stoof up and gave the map a point, "If my friends were here, they wouldn't even THINK of those cons before rushing over to help! They would just do it!"

"Thank you, Spike." Silver spoke, although his tone was that of being upset of being interrupted, he did agree with the young dragonblood. Spike, hearing that, blushed and sat back down, not noticing the looks from a few of the guards his way. "As I was about to say, I'll need some volunteers to come with me. We'll set you up with some new gear the lab has made for this very occasion. Who's going with me?"

Spikes hand shot up immediately, Silver giving a smile at the sight, before Storm and, reluctantly, Steels hands rose. A few others rose, including Bright Flare and Bright Light, a young man by the name of Star Gazer and an older woman by the name of Stone Striker. Silver smirked, before adjusting his bags a bit.

"Okay, those who did not volunteer, you will wait here until we clear the area. In about three hours from mission start, you will head in and secure the first station we clear, and you will set up a forward operating base. Bring plenty of water and rations. No telling how well this op will go, so be prepared for anything. Operation starts in an hour, so be ready by then." Silver stood up, then spoke, "Dismissed."

Most of the crowd separated to get ready, Spike broke away from Steel and Storm, walking over to Silver. Silver smiled at the young lad and grabbed his shoulder. "Spike! Knew you'd be the first to volunteer!" His smile slowly turned into an expecting look, "So, you wanted to ask me something?"

"The girls, did they-"

"No, they didn't." Silver admitted, sitting back a bit and rubbing his cheek, before resting against his palm, other hand resting on his hip as he watched the young dragonblood. "No help signals, no messages from the Crystal Empire, nothing. We haven't even gotten the automated message that is supposed to play after the attack, and that should have lasted ten more years with the energy supply Shining gave it."

"Tartarus..." Spike leaned back and sighed, rubbing his eyes. Silvers eyes softened, before he grasped Spikes shoulder and squeezing it reassuringly.

"Don't worry kid, we'll find 'em." Silver said, making Spike nod, before pulling his hand away. "Alright, we'll get your gear. And tell Mayor Mare about you volunteering, so she doesn't worry about you."

Steel watched them both walk off, before leaning down and asking, "Do you think Spike knows Silver and Marw are a thing?"

Storm chuckled, then said, "You kidding me? Spike was the one who told the Mayor to date Silver." Steel shot her a questioning look, making her blink confusingly at him, stating, "What? Spike talks and I listen. Kid has a lot of heart and too much stress for someone his age."

Spike watched the man run around, giving Silver a glance, which Silver only shook his head to. Silver cleared his throat, making the man stop, before lifting his helmet up, flashing the two a toothy grin. "Oh! Spike! Silver! You are just in time, just in time!" He looked down at his watch, before frowning a bit. "Well, uh, a few seconds late, but close enough, yes."

"Spike, I believe you have met Time Turner."

"Yes, we have met. Right before he blew me into a wall."

Time Turner, a tanned man with blue eyes and long brown hair, smiled at the young dragonblood, "Well, to be fair, I did tell you it was on a timer."

"Yeah. You didn't tell me how long the timer was!"

Silver said nothing, however did narrow his eyes. Both of them immediately stopped, before Silver finally cleared his throat, "I'm sure the ladies didn't mind the show, Spike." Silver teased, before looking at Time Turner, ignoring the look Spike gave him. "So, you got some new toys for us, Time?"

"Toys?" Time looked confused for a moment, before snapping his fingers and ducking under the counter. He stood back up, holding a mask and helmet, giving it to Silver, the sigil of a spear carved into the side of it, Time speaking, "I got the modifications you asked for, plus a few of my own. Flashlight attachment on the helmet, helmets is reinforced, mask is definitely more durable with a stronger glass, and I added an attachment to the top, in case you need binoculars or something on your helmet so you can just flip it down."

Silver whistled and inspected the helmet and mask, humming a bit in thought. "Feels a bit heavy. Anything we can do about that?"

Time scratched the side of his head with a screwdriver, humming in thought, before replying, "Maybe, but I'll need more time and you have places to be, so nothing I can do about it right now." Time then gave a proud puff of his chest, speaking, "I also made an adjustable spear for you, based off the original you...uh...lost. Should be in with the new weapons Blaze Powder helped me make."

"New weapons?" Spike asked, worry filling his voice, though Time only grinned in reply. "Okay, so, why'd you need me here?"

"You?" Time Turner gave Spike a quizzical look. "Why'd I need you here?"

"That's what I asked."

"I don't remember."

"What?! You had this whole-"

Silver raised hid hand, stopping Spike, before turning to the metal worker, tapping the helmet in silent communication. Time stared at the helmet for a few moments, before his face lit up, dashing into the back. Spike raised an eyebrow at his antics, before Silver put a helmet on his head and attached his mask to his chest, pushing Spike a bit.

"Come on, Spike, while he gets your stuff ready." Silver walked with Spike, walking over to another part of the building. On this part, there were spears, knives, swords, crossbows and a woman, covered in scars, her left eye being covered in an eye patch with a long scar across her cheek trailing up towards her eyebrow. Her skin was dotted with scars, with four long ones across her bicep, and her cutie mark was a spark with some black powder under it. "Blaze."

"Sir. Who's the cutie?" She asked, giving Spike a flirty wink. Blink? Wink?

"Spike, he's coming with me on the mission. Careful with that though, basically part of the Apple Family and Mayor Mares family."

"Kid gets around, eh? Well, girls do outnumber the boys, four to one."

"Blaze."

"Just teasing ya." The magicblood giggled, only to walk over, lifting some strange, heavy objects in her hands. She set them down in front of the duo, giving a proud smile. "These are my babies. Hope you don't mind single moms-"

"Blaze."

"Right, right." Blaze waved Silver off, smiling at Spikes blush, before looking down with her one good eye. "So, these I call Boomers."

"Boomers?" Spike asked, making the womans eye twinkle as she looked up at him.

"Yup. Top notch stuff. These are stronger than crossbows, spit out metal, shoot fire, and come in different shapes and sizes." She spread them out, Spikes and Silver staring at the assortment. It appeared to be a boomstick with exposed shells in a rotating clip, some strange one handed weapon with a long nose, and a type of bulky crossbow with a strange attachment at the bottom, a long barrel, and a heavy stock. She lifted the shotgun and smiled, "This is my Boomstick! Fires seven of these...lets call them shells, loaded with metal pellets. Can't shoot far, but definitely insanely damaging up close. Takes a bit to reload though, so use it sparingly."

Spike stared at the thing, before looking at the shells, lifting one up and giving it a curious sniff. He put it back down and hummed, "Smells familiar."

"Yeah, used the same powder we use in fireworks, just turns it...well, deadly." Blaze admitted, before using her magic to lift the strange one handed weapon to herself, sliding a strange thing out of it to show brass casings inside. "This is the Snapper. Fires as fast as you can pull the trigger, easy to conceal, reloads fast. It isn't as powerful, but it is far more accurate at longer distances than the Boomstick. In a pinch, it'll do."

Silver hummed, before nodding, slowly scanning over the weapons. "I see. Boomstick is great for tight tunnels, Snapper is all around weapon, what about this last one?"

"Ah, this beauty -" Blaze set the snapper down and picked up the long weapon, unloading it to show off the ammunition, before loading it back in. "- is called the Sweeper. Has three modes, single fire, trio, and fully automatic. Fully automatic can full sweep a room and still have some rounds to spare, hence the name. It is great at long range and medium range, has an attachment for a scope and has a attachment at the barrel to allow one to put a bayonet on it." At Spikes and Silvers confused look, she snapped her fingers a few times to try and remember, only to point down at the barrel, finally saying, "You can put a knife on it for up close and personal stuff." Silver hummed a bit, before looking at each weapon, weighing them and inspecting them. He nodded to Blaze, who pulled out schematics of more weapons on front of them. "This is just the beginning, of course, there will be flaws that I can iron out in later designs, but those designs are still in the beginning stages." She then leant down and pulled the small spear out, handing it to Silver, who gave a grin at the sight. "Should be easier to carry around and use, just be careful with it. These things aren't cheap to make."

"Noted."

"How do we use these?" Spike asked, making Blaze smile at him, making Spike lean back a bit.

"I like a man who gets to the point. You know how to fire a crossbow, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Same basic principle. Hold on tight though, the big girls pack quite a punch, so you gotta hold it steady and make sure to adjust." She then smiled flirtatiously at Spike, making the young dragonblood lean back again and blush. "You can come back at any time ya like in case there's something you wanna discuss about my...girls."

Silver rolled his eyes, before whistling a bit, catching Blazes attention. "Once you finish making the batch, let the other guards know."

"Yessir, don't you worry. Pretty soon, your buddies will be punching above their weight class."

Silver nodded, before Time Turner called them back, Spike pulling the Snapper, Boomstick and Sweeper from the scarred woman and trying to ignore her look as he strapped on the holsters for the weapons. He put everything in its right place, then she handed Silver a piece of paper. "If you run outta rounds, these are the ingredients to make more. Shouldn't be too hard."

Silver and Spike walked over, Time setting a helmet and mask down, making Spike gasp. On the helmet was the design of a cartoonish, though fierce, dragon with wings and a western style body, neck, head and tail. Its wings were outstretched in flight, and its jaws had flames spewing out of them. On the mask, the glass was bulkier, and the filters seemed to be attached. Spike opened his mouth, though no words came out.

"I missed a few of your birthdays in Ponyville and in the Caverns, so, I thought that, once you officially joined the guards, I could make a gift." Time Turner explained, before wiping the helmet a bit. "Mask has these attachments, made to mimic filters. You don't have to breathe the same air we do, but you definitely need to protect yourself out there, so, I made this. It will also stop people from thinking it is safe to breathe out there, when only dragonbloods can."

Spike twirled it over and smiled, before looking back up at Time Turner, finally croaking out with misty eyes, "Thank you."

"If Twilight asks, I did not make this." Time Turner said, before giving Spike a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

"Yeah, she'll freak when she finds out."

Mayor Mare squeezed Spike in one last hug, giving a soft noise as she lifted him up for half a second. "I remember when you were small enough that I could carry you around."

Spike rolled his eyes, then gave a fanged grin, "Acting like I'll never make it back."

"I know you will." She kissed Spikes cheek, making him blush a bit. Applebloom and Big Mac snickered behind her, making her shoot them a glare that made them shut up. "Cuz the rest of these people know I'll do worse than the Bat if they come back without you."

Spike hugged her tighter, before letting go, resting his forehead against hers. "I'll make it back. If I don't, I'll probably haunt Silver forever as a ghost."

At the mention of his name, Silver walked over and gave a chuckle, "You'll have to get in line, kid, got too many ghosts on me already." He leant down and kissed Mayor Mare on the lips, keeping the kiss for a moment, making Spike walk over to Applebloom and Big Macintosh, the man giving a smile as he grabbed Spikes forearm, Spike grabbing his, both giving each other a squeeze.

"Ya better come back. Can't back outta being an Apple, even if ya die."

"Like I would do that. Celestia knows Applejack would tan my hide if I died before she learned the news."

"Spoken like a true Apple." Big Mac said, before letting go of Spikes arm.

Applebloom hugged Spike and lifted him up, making the dragon give a gasp, petting Appleblooms back even as she made his back pop from her hug. "If ya see Applejack out there, tell her she is in a whole mess of trouble!"

Spike chuckled, before patting her back, saying, "I'll let her know. Now...can you put me down?" Applebloom chuckled as she put Spike down, before smiling up at him. "You keep Big Mac outta trouble. And give Winona plenty of treats, poor girl doesn't get enough."

Meteor walked over, Storm and Steel adjusting their weapons and armor a bit. Meteor saluted, before standing at attention, seeing Silver, "Sir, you wanted to see me?"

"At ease. Well, since we are heading out right now, I want you divide up shifts for everyone and protect the Caverns. Make sure to see Time Turner and Blaze Powder about an hour after we leave, they should have your gear up and running by then." Silver then looked up, then gave a soft smirk. "And make sure Mayor Mare doesn't make a groove in the ground when she paces."

The Mayor smacked Silvers arm, making him chuckle, before he finally stretched a bit, adjusting in his clothes and armor, nodding to the others, "We're moving out in five! Get ready!"

Steel nodded, before putting his helmet on, a carving of a wing with blades for feathers being carved on it, whilst Storm put her helmet on, a storm cloud with wings being carved into it. Spike adjusted his watch, before nodding to Silver, who put his fingers in his mouth and whistled, catching their attention.

"Open the gate!" Silver walked over, the door groaning open as dirt and dust fell around it, skeletons of Mutts and old bodies of Bugs littered the hall, some of the group giving disgusted looks. "Alright kiddos! We got a job to do and we aren't paid hourly. Move out!"

They moved into the halls, drawing their weapons and aiming down the tunnel, Spike adjusting his helmet before following. Silver turned and made a motion with his hand, the doors starting to close behind them. Spike and Storm shared a glance, before the group started to move forward into the darkness, Spike sparing a glance at the doors, seeing a glance of Mayor Mare, giving him a soft, loving smile before the door closed behind them.

Крах

Collapse.

It has taken exactly three seconds for that whole plan they had to fall apart. These mole creatures, ugly as they were, had incredible speed and strength. Stone had grasped one of the beasts and was currently stabbing the monster, making it scream in anger and pain. Bright Light and Bright Flare were firing at the beasts as they rushed forwards, spent shell casings falling to the ground as the fanned out in front of them, Star Gazer was shooting into a creature currently scrambling towards him.

Steel and Silver were both firing into the beasts, Silver taking a knife out and slamming it into the creatures skull, making it go limp, kicking the body away and using his Snapper to fire into the crowd of beasts. Storm shot into a creature, before taking her empty magazine out. She grabbed a fresh one, a beast scrambling towards her, smashing the magazine into the beasts face, making it stumble backwards. She slid her mag in, pulled back the bolt to load a bullet in, then started firing into the beast, killing it.

Spike gave a growl as he saw the Moles approach him. Had he less control, he probably would have clawed through the beasts. Thankfully, those years spent training meant he was better than that. He took his Boomstick out, then fired a shell. Burning hot metal smashed through the first beast. He fired shell after shell at the beasts, making them fall with chunks shot out of them.

The beast on top of Star raised its claws to strike, before being killed, an loud bang echoing out with each shot, the body falling on top of Star. Spike kicked the body off, firing two more times into the beast, before helping Star Gazer up, the man wiping his chest and mask off, trying to get rid of some blood, nodding to Spike. "Appreciate it."

"You'd do the same for me."

Silver kicked another beast off, looking back at Spike, yelling out over the gunfire. Thank goodness their helmets had hearing protection. "Kid! We need to roast these bastards so we can keep going."

Spike nodded, before taking a slow breath in, tearing his mask off. The others stood behind Spike, the beasts rushing forwards to try and kill them, claws outstretched towards Spike. Spike closed his eyes, feeling the liquids sloshing inside of himself, mixing and readying themselves to be brought out in an raging inferno. Spikes eyes opened, his pupils turning into slits, then opened his jaws.

The first Mole was turned into ash as green flames billowed over him. The second and third were not so lucky, bursting into flames, screaming in agony before dying in the green flames. Spike walked forward, his flames outstretched, burning more and more of the beasts, their fur bursting into flames. Those unlucky enough to survive the flames screamed as they ran around, in pure agony, flames and cracked skin, sizzling loudly as they burned.

Soon enough, the Mole creatures backed away, sniffing the dead on the ground. The creatures seemed to stare at Spike, though had no eyes to speak of, and backed away. Spikes flames died out, making him snarl a bit, flashing his fangs. He stomped forward once, the Moles screaming and scrambling as they ran off, a few of them dragging the dead into the darkness, hissing at the group. Spike hissed at them, before turning to the others, pulling his mask on taking the moment to reload his weaponry, the others doing the same.

"Good work, kid." Silver finally spoke, patting Spikes shoulder. Spike only smiles and scratched the back of his neck in response. "Alright team, we're moving forward, anyone need a breather?" He looked around, seeing shakes of the head from everyone, then smiled, jerking his head the direction they were heading. "Alright kids, let's go."

The group walked quietly through the tunnel, passing through an old, dusty checkpoint. Spike looked over and grimaced as he saw skeletons of humanoids and beasts alike. He knelt down at the gate and saw someone holding a smaller skeleton in its arms, making him sigh a bit, Silver grabbing his shoulder and giving him a reassuring squeeze, Spike grasped his hand and squeezed it, before both letting go and standing up.

"Alright people, listen up!" Silver barked, catching everyones attention, pointing at the gate and continuing, "On the other side of this gate, according to the map, is a cavern and some old mine shafts. We'll take the bridge across the cavern, as it is the safest way across. I want masks ready, we have no clue what's on the other side and I'd rather not have you guys choking on the air!"

They all nodded, pulling on their masks, Spike giving his a glance. He looked back up at Silver, who nodded to him, Spike twirling the mask around and putting it on his face. He adjusted the mask, then gave Silver a thumbs up, making him nod. He opened a panel on the wall and started cranking the level inside, the door opening with an ear piercing shriek of metal on metal.

The door finally opened to a few bridges across a cavern, Spikes anxiety grew tenfold as he looked around, shouldering his weapon and letting loose a rumble from his throat. Steel aimed around, Silver quietly walking forward, aiming his flashlight to and fro, before nodding towards the bridges.

Said bridges had seen better days, as one barely looked walkable, falling apart, the other was a railway, meant for carts and trains that looked walkable if one kept their balance. There were a few skeletons on the bridge, holding hammers and pickaxes, likely makeshift weapons against something. One of the skeletons was crushed completely at the end, both of its arms were ripped off and gone.

Spike grimaced, then looked at Silver, giving a muffled, "I don't like this place."

"Yeah, I got a bad feeling too." Steel mumbled out, before turning around, seeing movement in the dark. "Can't turn around, more of those things back there. We'll be overwhelmed."

"Why aren't they attacking?" Star Gazer mumbled out, making Silver glare forward. "They should be rushing us right now."

"They're waiting." Silver spoke, before walking towards the bridge. Spike grasped his arm, making Silver look back at him.

"How about you let me go first? I can barbecue anything that is waiting for us, at least give you guys time to prepare before you join me."

Silver made a motion to argue, however Star Gazer and Bright Light both walked forward, adjusting their gear. "Don't worry sir, we'll test it with him." Star Gazer spoke, making Bright Light nod and adjust her sweeper.

Silver sighed, then looked at the young man. True, his appearance was barely that of a teenager, but Spike was far tougher than many people Silver knew. That included Steel. That thought made Silver smile behind his mask, though all he did was grasp Spikes shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze.

Spike nodded, the silent message understood, then adjusted his boomstick, walking.onto the bridge, hearing it creak under his weight, though it made no movements after, making Spike wave over Star and Light. He started walking across the boards, stopping when one of the boards made a loud creak, aiming around.

"Come on, kid." Star Gazer mumbled out, gentle sneaking around Spike. "Taking too long."

"Cuz we have no clue what's on the other side. My eye haven't adjusted yet." Spike hissed out, Bright Light tapping his shoulder and pointing to the side wall as they walked. Spike followed her finger and saw a hole, almost perfectly blended in from the beginning of the bridge, but now they were half way through. "Star Gazer, come back!"

"No, you hurry up."

Silver watched them from the other side of the bridge, seeing Spike and Bright Light make motions towards the wall, making Silver turn to Steel. "Something's wrong. We're moving onto that railway to cover them."

Steel didn't even answer, shouldering his weapon and walking on the boards of the rail, Silver following, both Rock Striker and Bright Flare bringing up the rear, aiming around with their sweepers. Something wasn't right, Silver could feel it in the air, aiming his sweeper ahead of them, Steel slowly pulling back the hammer of his snapper to check the round count, before crouching a bit whilst they walked, ready to fire at anything that came their way.

"No, Star!" Bright hissed out, pointing at the wall again, warning, "There's a big ass hole in the wall!"

"I don't wanna hear about your big asshole."

"You fucking dumba-"

A boom echoed out, rocks falling from the ceiling as they looked up. As they looked up, the bridge rattled as something heavy landed on it, drawing their attention. Star Gazer turned, looking straight at the chest of some beast. He peered up, pulling his weapon up before a swipe bisected him. He spat blood put of his mask, before another swipe sent his body careening into the wall, splattering against it. His body split into two from the claw swipe, both halves falling into the abyss, organs and blood trailing after him.

Spike was frozen in horror, his pupils shrinking into slits as he watched Star Gazers lifeless corpse plunge into the darkness. He looked back up, fury bubbling from his heart, burning hotter than his flame. Beneath that fury was fear, and who could blame that primordial part of his brain?

In front of him was a hulking mass of muscle, claws sharp, and skin scarred. Its massive arms were covered in claw marks and sharp objects, likely from past meals. Its face had two, soulless white eyes, nearly blind, lips curled back in a fanged snarl, fur black and its tail slumped off the bridge. The most striking feature, however, was the massive horn that sprouted from its head, the base covered in tumors and cancerous growths, no doubt painful for the beast.

It gave a deep, throaty roar and raised its arms up, slamming them into the ground, rattling and shaking the bridge. Spike wasted no time, firing a shell from his boomstick, the spent casing flying outwards, smoking hot and falling into the abyss below, pellets smashing into the creatures bloated belly.

The beast roared in pain and fury, another shell being fired, blood flying out of the beasts arm. Flare started firing her sweeper into the beast, watching it walk backwards, losing balance. Steel and Silver fired into the creature, though Light and Stone had no clear shots, having to twirl around and watch the direction they came from.

The beast roared angrily as rounds peppered into it, blood spilling out of it. It stumbled a bit, before suddenly standing up on two legs and slamming its massive fists into the bridge, rattling it. Too late, it realized that this was a mistake, the bridge shifting under them. The fight paused, Spike looking down to see a rope had suddenly come undone, slivering past them, the beast howling in fury as it raised its fists to smash down onto Spike and Flare before the fall could do them all in.

Silver held a hand out fruitlessly, the bridge giving a loud, wooden groan as it collapsed, sending the trio into the depths, time slowing for both Silver and Spike, Spikes hand outstretched in a failed attempt to grab anything, his weapon falling beside him, his eyes filled with fear as he stared into Silvers.

"SPIKE!"

Author's Note

CLIFFHANGER!

Sorry guys, kinda burned out, but here is the newest chapter.

Каменное дно

Rock bottom.

Tap.

Spikes whole body ached, his eyes heavy and his clothes damp. His ribs were definitely bruised, arms were pretty scraped up, and his tail was coiled around a rock, thankfully uninjured. Spikes hand stretched out a bit, before he clenched it into a weak fist, squeezing his own hand, feeling dried blood on his palm, before he used it to grasp onto a cool, damp rock. He squeezed the rock, his hand easily crushing it within his grasp, before he gave a grunt, trying to gain control of the sick feeling in his stomach.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Pain was good, pain meant Spike was still alive. He sure wished the ringing in his ears would go away faster, and that he didn't feel like he was breathing though a plugged hole, but he was alive. A miracle, to be sure, though he knew Star wasn't as lucky.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Spike finally opened his eyes, blinking a few times, his vision blurry and unfocused. He blinked a few more times, his vision slowly coming back to normal, before realizing the glass to his mask had a crack across his face plate.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

What was that annoying sound?

Spike looked up to see the beast impaled on a large stalagmite, its blood dripping off of its massive arms and tapping onto Star Gazers masked face, blood trailing down his fallen comrades visor. Spike gave a wince, clawing into the rock wall a bit as he stood up, gripping onto his ribs with one arm and limping towards Star Gazers lifeless body. His leg was killing him, but at least it wasn't broken, as his ribs ached from a serious bruising.

"Star, come on buddy, speak to me." Spike called out, though even some small part knew the man was dead the moment he smashed into the wall. He walked over to the top half of Star Gazers body, falling down for a moment, only to crawl over to the bisected corpse, shaking to the upper half of the body.

No response came, Spikes head lowering in respect, the young lad grasping the corpses hand and squeezing it. Spike adjusted Stars body, tugging the mans necklace off, his tag being ripped off and put in Spikes pouch pocket. Spike opened Star Gazers pockets and pulled his ammo off of him, restocking himself, filling up half empty magazines. At one point, Spike would have found such practices disrespectful. However, with a few years of experience under his belt, Spike knew not to waste resources in the field, he did not know what lies ahead. Spike slowly stood up, giving a grunt as he looked around, seeing a tunnel ahead of him, adjusting his weapon as he looked all around, seeing holes in the wall.

He looked around himself, seeing no other bodies, then grasped his radio, speaking into it. "Bright Light, where are you?" Only static answered back. "Silver? Steel? You copy?" Nothing but static. He looked upwards, seeing massive holes dotted along the walls, grimacing at the sight. Light must've fallen into one of the holes and was further ahead. He adjusted his boomstick, then started loading shells into it, giving a glance towards Star Gazers body. Blood wasn't dry yet, he hadn't been knocked out long, though the moisture in the air may be keeping it from drying completely. He racked a shell by pumping the shotgun, then looked around again.

He pressed a button on his shoulder, trying his flashlight, though nothing happened. He clicked the button again, before pulling the light off of his shoulder, looking at it; absolutely smashed to bits. He shook his head, then tossed the light into a pocket, looking at Stars body, seeing his flashlight was smashed to bits as well. He shook his head, then gave a soft sigh, looking at the hole, then back at Star Gazers body.

He wanted to bury Star Gazers body, but he knew he didn't have the time. So, he offered a silent prayer, before walking off into the dark. He watched the walls as he walked, noticing deep marks along them, his eyes scanning the walls for any surprises. He spotted a flicker of light ahead, slowly putting his boomstick away to pull out a snapper, slowly unsheathing his knife and kneeling down, starting to stalk though the tunnel.

He took cover behind a rock, before slowly peeking over, seeing nothing but a lit lantern hanging on the wall. He aimed around, flipping the knife around and giving a silent huff through his mask, slowly moving forward. He aimed around the corner, seeing multiple lit lanterns down the hallway, his interest piqued as he observed the candles inside.

Recently lit.

Someone else was down here.

Silver stared into the abyss, searching for any sign of Spike or Flare. Steel sat there, stretching his wings out a bit as he looked down the hole as well, boomstick racking another shell. Bright Light and Stone firing into some beasts brave and stupid enough to rush them.

"Sir! We gotta move! Second group will be moving up and we gotta get these bastards outta their way!" Stone yelled over the gunfire, taking her knife out and slamming it into a beast dumb enough to try and jump on her. "Sir?!"

Silver said nothing, just staring into the caverns below, weapon by his side. Steel shot a beast that clambered up the side of the wall, pumping the shell out and shaking Silver, making the man move his head an inch towards Steels direction. "Come on, boss, if anyone can survive that, it's Spike. Caverns have to link up somewhere, we can make our way down and look for him after we move!"

Silver only looked back at the hole, before nodding, picking his sweeper up and pulling the slider back, loading a round into his weapon. He smashed the stock of his weapon onto some poor Moles head, before firing a few rounds into the creature, making it go limp. "I'll kill the whole lot of you fucking bastards!" Silver snarled out, slamming his gun into another beast, knocking its teeth out. He took his knife out and stabbed it into the creatures eye, not caring as blood spilled everywhere, spraying across his chest, sleeves and mask. He slammed his knife in again and again, snarling angrily as he stared onto the beasts face, giving a scream of fury and anger.

The battle had stopped around him, even the Mole beasts were watching along with Silvers squad, seeing Silver roar in fury as he slammed his knife down again and again. He suddenly started lifting the beast up, giving a furious scream as he threw the body down into the pit, before being brought to his knees, panting loudly. The Moles started to slink away, giving Silver a wide berth as they started climbing down the walls and into the various holes, Steel slowly walking forward, Silver standing up and reloading his weapon, before walking over to the gate. He grabbed the lever and tugged it down, before walking into the darkness, flashlight turning on. Steel, Rock, and Flare exchanged glances, before following him, weapons at the ready.

"Sir, do you want to-" Steel began, before Silver flashed him a glare that froze him in place faster than a cockatrice could.

"Shut the fuck up."

"Yes, sir."

Spike kept walking, his eyes scanning the row of lit lanterns. His mind wandered back to his team, sweeping his weapon back and forth, before some rocks made him pause. His tail waved to and fro as he slowly knelt down behind a rock, keeping his snapper at the ready, adjusting the handle of his knife in the other hand. He kept listening, before a voice pierced the silence, making him grimace.

He knew those voices.

"Why do we have to find food! Others in pack are better hunters!"

"Boss says we hunt, so we hunt."

Two sets of footprints started to be heard, Spike pushing into the wall, blending in with it. One creature stepped into view, makeshift metal helmet pressed firmly on the beasts head. Powerful arms, stubby legs, and covered in fur: a Diamond Dog. In its hand was some strange weapon that had a knife messily welded to the bottom. It has a heavy look, with a barrel on the front and some sort of magazine on its side, curved in look, the beast holding it much like the boomers the team held.

It seemed the dumb brutes created their own weapons that spat fire and metal. Spikes eyes narrowed at the sight of the brute. He waited for the second to pass, a skinny dog walked by, arms no doubt as impressive. "At least Spot did not live to see us turn to this, Fido."

The bigger one turned around and growled at the name, and for a second, Spike thought they would fight. The big one, Fido, huffed and turned back, "Come, Rover. We must hunt for meat."

The two trekked onwards, Spike slowly slinking out of the shadows, weapon trained on Rovers fat head from behind. Memories flooded to him of what he did to Rarity, kidnapping her, putting her in chains. He pressed his finger on the trigger, before slowly squeezing it.

One more point of pressure and that dog would die. One more inch. The hammer would smash into the bullet into that dumb beasts brains. That would be it.

However...it wouldn't be Spike.

Spike pulled his finger away and started sneaking through the tunnel again, leaving the two beasts to continue their journey. His mind was sharp, fury died in the back of his mind, and he would continue on.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

Thirty minutes.

An hour had passed as Spike walked, before finally seeing something. He slowly knelt down behind a rock, peering over, seeing a lone guard and metal door. He peered for a moment, before giving a disbelieving sound, stepping up and over. The guard made no motion, Spike quietly fast walking over to him, giving a soft noise. The guard snored loudly and shifted whilst leaning, Spike giving him an incredulous look.

Spike slowly opened the door, then slipped inside, holding his snapper up and aiming around. He twirled his knife around, peering around to see a shanty town of metal and rust over bubbling water.

A Dog Town.

Spike heard footsteps and quietly jumped down one of the ledges, landing into a trench and slowly walking along it, peering outwards as he knelt into the hole, watching dogs walk to and fro, minding their own business. He peered upwards until he heard barking in the distance, seeing movement at the top, near a structure carved out of the wall.

Time to investigate.

Хорошая собака

Good Dog.

Spike remembered when some rich bastard said that to him once. He remembered wanting to bite the shit out of him when he said that. Instead, he told Twilight, who told Celestia, who promptly had the man thrown out on his ass. That was a good memory, seeing some snob face an angry Goddess and her student. He wished they were here, now, so he wouldn't have to face this alone, but seeing as he was alone, he had to improvise.

He hated improvising.

Spike watched two dogs walk by, makeshift spears in their hands. Spike slowly jumped up onto the bridge and looked around, seeing dogs going about their business nearby. Spike looked back the way he came and saw a dog walk to the door, holding a welded together boomer. Spike huffed, then slowly crept around a building, peering into the street.

Scrapped together, rusty buildings, random gems, dogs talking and going about their days. Spikes eyes traveled across multiple shacks, silently slinking between them, putting his snapper in its holster, flipping his knife around and hopping over a metal fence, moving past building after building.

He stopped when two dogs walked by, pressing himself again a shack wall, his pupils turning into slits as he watched them walk by. He was about to walk by them when he heard more voices, kneeling down and slowly moving into the shadows, his knife at the ready. Two guards passed by the barrel he hid behind, Spike quietly peering over to see them facing away from him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I saw the thing myself!"

Spikes interest piqued, making him listen in, staring at the back of the first dogs head, hearing it say, "It's a Human?"

Bright Light?

"Of course! The leader wanted to see it for herself too!" Spikes eyebrows shot up as he heard this, before kneeling back down, adjusting his mask, listening in as he watched his route ahead. "Saw it put up quite a fight too! Knocked out some of Scraps teeth."

Definitely Bright Light.

"Aha! A fighter! Perhaps she will put up some sport for the leader!"

Spikes gaze hardened as the two laughed, a door opening to Spikes left caught his attention. He looked over to cind a young Diamond Dog pup, an old teddy in its paws, staring up at Spike with wide eyes. Spike looked the little pup up and down, before slowly bringing a finger to his mask, making a shushing motion with it. The pup looked at Spike, then up to the two dogs talking, then back down at Spike, eyes wide and filled with fear.

Spike slowly opened his pocket, pulling a ration bar out and holding it to the young pup. The pups tail started wagging as he took the bar and started scarfing it down, paying Spike no mind now. Spike felt a small smile grace his face, seeing the young pups tail go haywire, waving to and fro, before Spike peered back around.

The two dogs were gone, he could move forward. He walked around the barrel, peering around, before silently walking across the road. He looked upwards, seeing the carved structure, humming softly as he saw the wall of rock.

He could fly?

He looked back at his back, then back at the structure. Too far, he'd be spotted if he took flight and his back always hurt after growing his wings out.

Perhaps he could use a back door?

He looked around the structure, shaking his head to himself, too many holes and tunnels, he couldn't possibly pick one to go through and hope for the best, it would take too much time, and time was not on his side.

Front entrance?

Nobody was that stupid. Too many guards, too far to travel, and he did not have enough ammo to take on an entire town of Diamond Dogs. Sure, he could lose control and wipe them out, but it would weigh on his conscience, and he didn't want to kill anyone.

The wall?

Spike blinked as he looked at the wall, before grinning to himself.

The wall! Of course, he could climb straight up. Plenty of cover until the last stretch, could get into a window and sneak in without harming anyone, the plan was perfect.

Wow, he really needed to stop talking to himself.

Spike pulled his gloves off, giving off a soft huff through his filter as he put them into a pack on his chest, before digging his hands into the rock. He got a good grip, then dug his next hand in, giving a fanged grin through his mask. He had not done this since he first started gem hunting with the others. Rainbow Dash and Applejack would keep an eye on him making sure the Diamond Dogs wouldn't snatch him after the fiasco with Rarity. Spike got a whiff of something he liked, then clambered up the cliffside when neither of them were paying attention.

Freaked Applejack out and Rainbow Dash was just too amazed to even scold him. Fond memories, seemed so long ago now. His grin fell, but he continued climbing, digging his hand into the rockface again and again, leaving behind foot holds for himself as he clambered upward. His tail curled around himself as he looked down, giving the shacks a wide scan.

No one had spotted him, though he noticed more commotion around the gate where he came from, making him quirk an eyebrow. He decided to speed up his climb, digging his hands into the wall, his tail whipping around behind him as he clambered up.

Silver kept walking, passing under decrepit beams and gates, seeing skeletons and cobwebs all around him. He pulled his lighter out of his pocket, flicking it on after a few tries, waving it in front of him, burning away the webs and sending a few small Bugs scattering into the walls. He kept walking, Steel stepping behind him, shooting him glances, with Stone and Flare following behind, scanning the walls behind them.

"Sir-"

"He's alive." Silver cut him off, not even looking back at Steel. Steel stopped for a moment, looking at Silvers back, Silver stopping for a moment, not turning away from the flickering light in his hand. "I just...I know he's alive. I'll find him, even if I gotta tear the whole underground apart." Silver continued walking, making Steel stare at him.

Stone walked over to Steel, then mumbled towards him, "Spike really mean that much to him?"

"More than you know." Steel mumbled back, slowly stepping over a pile of bones, giving the head a curious look. It almost looked like a dog? He decided to continue walking, giving Stone a soft glance, "Silver said that Spike reminded him of his son."

"Didn't know Silver had a son."

"Yeah, he and his ex had a bad divorce. Caught her cheatin with his friend."

Bright Flare looked around, before whistling, catching everyones attention, "We're missing one! Where's Storm?!"

Silver froze, then looked around, his weapon at the ready, peering around every which way, before giving a low groan, "God damn it, Storm, not you too..."

Spike clambered into the window, dropping down with a soft "oomph", before quickly taking cover behind a barrel as a guard walked by, his eyes narrowing at the boomer in the creatures hands. He quietly moved when the guard did, shadowing the creatures movements, his hands gripping a bit. The dog sniffed the air, then twirled around, growling.

Nothing was there.

The dog quirked an eyebrow, before continuing on with his duties. Had he looked upwards, he would have seen Spike clawed into the wall. Spike started clawing into the wall as he followed the beast, watching it open a door. Spike dropped onto floor, shaking his hands free of the rock and dirt, then slowly opened the door and peered in. He couldn't see much, just a few dogs kneeling down in front of a figure, one he couldn't see.

Perhaps it was a throne room?

Last time he fought the diamond dogs, he thought the trio (now duo) were the leaders. Perhaps he was wrong. He quietly slipped from behind one of the dogs and slowly slinked around the room, peering out from another corner, confused.

A sort of throne room?

"Silence." A cold voice rang out, making a chill run down Spikes back. He let his claws shred into the column, before silently letting them slide back into his hands, the dogs obeying to command without question. "You have seen to the prisoner?"

The dogs nodded, before one spoke, "Yes, we have seen to her."

"Good. Go rest up. We need you all rested before we begin our plans." Her cold voice was almost comforting, but Spikes instincts told him to back away from the creature, whatever she was. The three dogs bowed, then left the room, the one he followed walking in front of her. "What do you have to report?"

"Our guard at the door caught the scent of something that slipped past. We may have an intruder." Spike felt a cool bit of air hit him, making him shiver a bit, his tail curling around him a bit.

She aat there in silence, before crossing her legs on the throne, the movement making Spike shift a bit. "I see..."

"Shall I alert the guards?"

"No...something tells me the intruder already has slipped past our defenses."

"My Queen, shouldn't we-"

"Not another word about the intruder." She ordered calmly, the Diamond Dog quickly lowering its head in obedience.

Spike took the moment to look around the room, spotting a door on the other side. He slowly backtracked away, before stopping at another column. He wouldn't be able to cross without being seen, he knew it. However, luck seemed on Spikes side for once; the dog sat up and grabbed his gun, walking out of his room, the Queen visibly sagging a bit and sighing softly as soon as the dog left the room.

Spike looked around the column to get a good look at the queen. She was covered head to toe in armor, though her arms gave away she was no Diamond Dog. He chest piece was damaged and covered in claw marks, her helmet reminded him of a knights helm, and she wore a cape that had some sort of insignia on it, which Spike couldn't recognize from this angle. He couldn't, get a fair look at her face, which was covered, however even he could see cold, calculating ice blue eyes from his position. Spike wouldn't admit it, but he quite likes how round her rump looked and how thick her thighs were, gave her an air of sexy, yet scary, dominance.

Spike looked across, seeing his path was clear, slinking over to the other side, checking on her to see if she saw him. She did not. He smiled and slowly slunk towards the door, before feeling that cold feeling hit him, making him shiver, grasping the doorknob and about to open the door.

"That's the wrong door." Spike froze, then slowly turned to see the Queen gazing at him. He let go of the handle, his tail curling up in a defensive posture as he stood there. The Queen then smiled, hidden by her helmet, then spoke, "The door you want is next to my throne. You should hurry and save your friend, before my dogs get in here and catch your scent."

Spike blinked in surprise, before glancing over to the throne, seeing another door next to it. He quirked an eyebrow at her, seeing her cross her legs, the clinking of armor making Spike grimace underneath his gas mask. He walked over to the door, then turned back, muttering a soft "Thank you." before passing through the door, weapon at the ready.

The woman licked her lips as she watched as he left the room, before relaxing on her throne. "Hopefully the pups don't hurt him...too much."

Spike walked down the stairs, that cold feeling finally stopping as he left the room, looking back at the door. "Such a strange woman...but it doesn't look like she'll taddle." He adjusted the stock of his weapon against his shoulder, slowly walking down the stone steps, the sinking feeling in his gut finally stopping as he left the Queen behind. He kept walking until he saw a guard standing in the way, giving it a hard look.

He had to take the dog out.

He suddenly jumped on the beasts back, putting it on a headlock, sending the two tumbling into another room. He squeezed the creatures throat, it giving a gargled sound as it tried to breathe. Had Spike really wanted to, he would have snapped the creatures neck instantly and ended this scuffle. However, Spike gave a muffled grunt as he held on, the creature smacking the cracked glass of his visor uselessly, Spike applying a little more pressure. Finally the dog slumped, Spike letting go of the poor beasts head and pushing him away.

Spike stood up and grabbed the poor beast, dragging it deeper into the room and hiding the body behind a barrel. "Stay." He jokingly commanded, before nodding to himself. "Good dog." He peered around the corner, seeing a hallway, slowly stepping out and walking down it, mumbling to himself, "Bright Light, you better still be breathing or I just snuck my way into a dog infested castle for no reason."

Разразиться

Break out.

Spike had done more with less. Or so he kept telling himself this. He had no idea how he'll break Bright Light out or how he'll escape, and this is assuming Bright Light can still stand and wasn't beaten by the dogs. His anger threatened to boil over for a moment, before he heard a noise, making him hug the wall, slowly sliding his snapper out and aiming it forward. Spike peered around, aiming his Snapper around, his knife slowly twirling in his hand. He looked back the way he came, before looking back towards the open door, slowly peeking around the corner with his weapon. He walked in, giving a soft noise as he peered down the hallway, spotting more doors.

Spike slowly pulled his mask up, flicking his tongue out, tasting the air, before sniffing loudly, snorting out smoke in annoyance. The stench of dog was heavy, it was overwhelming to him, he crinkled his nose in disgust. He sniffed again, before stopping, slowly melding into the shadows of the wall, his dark outfit helping him blend into the shadows.

Just a moment later, two guard dogs walked by, chatting about this and that, strange boomers held in their hands. One stopped and sniffed the air, before getting his shoulder bumped, distracting him, making him look away. He looked back at Spikes spot, squinting, before pushing his gun into the shadows, rummaging around a bit, before pulling back his weapon and shrugging a bit.

He wandered off, his friend joining him, tails finally leaving the view. After a few moments, Spike finally appeared; hanging from the ceiling by his claws. In another universe, he may have looked like some cartoon cat after being frightened, though such a funny image was only a passing thought in Spikes young mind.

He let go of the ceiling, dropping down and crouching, his weapon at the ready. He aimed all around, before tugging his mask off and flicking his tongue out, tasting the air again. He smiled to himself as he picked up the scent of human, then pressed onwards, flicking his tongue out every so often. He peered around another corner, seeing a dog standing in front of the door, giving loud snores as he slept, Spike giving a grin. He suddenly walked forward, putting his snapper and knife away, reaching for the door. It seems the guards were lazy and slept for much of their shift, a stroke of good luck, thought Spike.

That was until he heard growling.

Spike slowly turned towards the Diamond Dog, his lips curling back in a snarl, fangs showing. Spike wasted no time, the dogs mouth opened and Spikes hand shot forward, grabbing the poor beasts mouth and shoving him through the door. The dog yelped as he smashed through, Spike quickly jumping on top of the dazed beast, raising his fist up and smashing it into the poor creatures face.

The first punch, blood shot out of the beasts mouth, its own teeth cutting its cheek. A second punch, a fang shot out of the beasts mouth. A third and some bruising would appear. Fourth. Fifth. Sixth. Seventh. Eleventh. Sixteenth. Twentieth.

Spike raised his fist again, before stopping to see the poor creature, wheezing in pain, face heavily cut and bruised, the poor beast missing some teeth. Spike held the beast up by its shirt, then snorted a smoke filled breath out of his nostrils, dropping the beast, giving a few heavy breaths out.

A whistle caught Spikes attention, making him lift the beasts makeshift boomer and aim it at the sound, seeing some bars for the jail. He gave a confused look at the occupant inside of the cell, walking forward and seeing the woman give a flirty smile. She adjusted a bit and put her hands on the bars, chuckling a bit.

"Hey, you don't need to beat the shit out of every guy to impress me. You know that, right?"

"Storm? What are you doing here?" Spike asked, inspecting the lock for a moment as he dropped the beasts gun.

"Well, after you fell down the pit, Silver was having a freak out with some of the beasts. Next thing I knew, I was knocked out, woke up in front of some armored bitch, put the beat down on some dogs, then got thrown in here."

Spike inspected the lock, before shrugging to himself, then smashing the lock in his hand, ripping it out of the bars. He dropped it, then opened the door, looking at Storm Chaser, "What about Bright Light? You see her?"

Storm walked out, walking over to a table with her gear on it, putting on her armor, shaking her head as she put her gloves on, speaking, "No. No other prisoners from what I could tell." She looked back at the Diamond Dog on the ground, spitting on the beast before putting her mask on. "We gotta link up with the others. Got a plan, kid?"

"Well, my plan was to free Bright Light and fight our way out. Ya know, mix things up a little."

"Haha, very funny. The real plan?"

The door opened another guard walking in, holding a half eaten piece of meat in his mouth, speaking with his mouth full, "Hey, Boxer, I brought you some lunch. Hope you're hun-" he was interrupted by the sight of Spike and Storm standing over Boxer. "What the-"

Spike threw Boxers gun at the new guard, smashing it against his chest, making him lose his breath. Storm slammed her boomstick into the beasts forehead, sending it sprawling backwards, then took aim, though Spike took her barrel with his hand, shaking his head. "Always were the hero type." She growled out, making Spike smile sheepishly.

The dog was about to stand, but Spike lifted the poor beast up and headbutted the bridge of the creatures nose, making the dogs vision swim with stars. He then smashed the creatures head against the wall, knocking the beast unconscious, tossing him onto the ground. "Twilight always did have that effect me."

They turned, a howl echoing through the walls, Spike grimacing and Storm aiming down the hallway, giving Spike a cheeky smile, "Something tells me that Twilight had nothing to do with that, kid." She looked forward, seeing shadows moving down the hallway. "Friends of yours?"

Spike gave a grin, "What can I say? The people love me." He then took a deep breath, feeling a familiar warmth spread through his chest, then up his throat. He opened his jaws, boiling, glowing spit dripping out of his mouth, taking a deep breath that seemed to cool the air around them, before throwing his head forward, breathing green fire onto the ground in front of them, making Storm back up in surprise, her eyes widening at the sight of the young lad.

Spike threw his head into a circle, his flames heating up the rocks surrounding them. He finally stopped, panting, feeding his starved lungs air as the hallway around them had hot, burning rocks and green fire feeding on the few wooden things in the tunnel.

It would buy them some time.

Spike looked back, before wiping his mouth, looking back at Storm, finally saying, "Spend enough years with Twilight, you can learn a lot about what rocks are what and what hides the best gems. Eventually, you figure out what rocks are what." Spike walked over to the wall, the sound of howls getting closer, Storm backing up and aiming down the burning hallway, sparing Spike a glance. Spike moved his hands against the wall, before smiling as he pushed against the wall a bit, before digging his hands into the wall, tearing away rocks. He then kicked the wall, making it cave in, finding an opening, before glancing back at the hallway. "I would say ladies first, but...I think you want the fire breather in the front."

Storm looked back at him, before hearing the angry barks just behind the inferno. Storm could tell it wouldn't last long, so she kicked Spike in, ignoring his angry look, then clambered into the hole after him.

Silver stared at the door in front of them, his Sweeper on his side, giving the door a hard stare, as if trying to burn a hole through it with his eyes. Bright Flare and Steel looked at each other, Stone inspecting the walls. Flare walked over to Silver, clearing her throat and ready to speak, before Silver eyes turned to her, his eyes boring into her, making her back and walk to Steel. She shook her head as Silver turned back, Steel sighing as his wings fluttered a bit, watching their leader.

"Aha! Found it!" Stone wiped away a dust covered panel on the wall, smiling st the others. He tried opening it a few times, before stepping back and kicking the panel, denting it and breaking the lock. "Stupid piece of..." She mumbled as she opened it, then started tinkering inside. She pulled the lever, the door massive door groaning as it opened, grinding loudly as it kept going.

Silver ducked down, aiming around, his eyes scanning the room, before whistling a bit, the others ducking under and aiming around. Steel whistled impressively as he looked around; it seemed to be a railroad station...underground? Old train cars and mining carts, covered in dirt, stones and dust, a few skeletons dotted around of animals and, disturbingly, some diamond dog like skeletons.

Silver checked his wrist, checking the time, before nodding to himself. "Steel, check the cars for anything. Stone, I want you to find a way to keep that door open. Meteor will come through with some of our force soon, and I'd rather not have the door slam on her. Bright Flare, you're with me, we'll get the power on and light this place up." He barked out, Steel giving him a glance before going to the train car, climbing up and opening it.

He looked inside, seeing skeletons of different animals and strange markings on the wall, Steels eyes narrowing as he thumbed the flashlight on, aiming it around, taking a closer look at the markings his eyes scanning them for a few moments.

Writing?

It wasn't a language Steel knew, but to be fair, he had only known a few languages, linguistics are not his strong suit. He noticed drawings at the bottom, his eyes trailing down to them, leaning in a bit to observe the dark figures scratched in and their strange shapes. Nothing human, that was for sure.

The lights flickered on, making Steel lean back and smile a little, turning his flashlight off. He started walking deeper into the car, sewing random tools lying about, before walking forward, seeing a small door where the driver would usually go. Steel took a deep breath, before opening the door, his eyes flying every which way and that.

Nothing.

Not even a skeleton.

Steel gave a hum, before a hand touched his shoulder, making him scream in fright. He turned and glared at the now laughing Stone and gave her a frown, grabbing his own chest, trying to calm him heart down.

"Don't do that!"

"Sorry, I already finished my thing and came to check up on you. You looked like you expected a zombie."

"You're gonna expect my foot up your ass if you don't get outta here!" Steel snarled at her, chasing the woman down the car and out, jumping down after her.

"Status?"

Silvers voice shot through both of them, their playful energy turned to obedience, Steel and Stone both standing at attention, "Sir, I have cleared the car, no enemies inside." Steel reported, making Silver look over at the car.

"Did it look operational?"

Stone abd Bright Flare shot each other a look, Steel giving Silver a nod, "Yes, sir. Everything looked to be working order, and it looks like it is powered out of electricity and not coal, sir."

Silver nodded a bit, then sat down on a crate, adjusting his armor, finally speaking, "Then we sit here and wait."

"Sir, what about those things? What if they come here and -" Bright Flare began, only to shut down when Silver shot her a glare. Had he glared any harder, Bright Flare would have two burning holes in place of her eyes.

"I said we stay. And you will keep first watch, private Bright Flare." Silver spoke in a cold tone, making Bright Flare nod and run to the door, peering out with a weapon shouldered. "Steel, Stone, rest. You'll need the energy if the creatures attack. Until then, we wait here for Spike, Bright Light and Storm Chaser."

Spike broke through another cave wall, panting a bit as he dragged Storm out. Storm screamed in anger as she kept stabbing a Bug, smashing her knife into it again and again, crushing its armored head in, stabbing its brain with her knife, before kicking its corpse into its friends lifeless bodies, effectively blocking the way they came in.

"I...fucking hate...bugs." Storm said inbetween inhales of breath, trying to feed her starved lungs. She looked at her armor and clothes; a little damaged, but still good, Spikes appearance just barely better as he wiped his knife clean of blood. "And...small tunnels."

"Well, at least we are out of the tunnel." Spike optimistically replied, before seeing one of the legs move in the tunnel, kicking the corpse further into the tunnel. "Nothing we can do about the bugs though."

Storm grasped onto a stalagmite and lifted herself up, Spikes inner Twilight yelling at her in his head, talking about how fragile such a process was. However, seeing as Spike was trying to spot where they were, he ignored that little voice in his brain and inspected the ground, seeing prints. He knelt down and rested the butt of his gun on the ground and held on the barrel, staring at the ground. Storm stretched out, then turned, opening her mouth to say something, only to stop when Spike was inspecting the ground. She knelt down next to him, staring at the ground with him, Spikes eyes tracking up the trail, standing up and shouldering his boomstick, walking up the path. Storm silently followed, staying behind Spike, her eyes scanning the rocks around them.

As they walked, Spike kept feeling like he was being watched, the hairs on the back of his neck rising up a bit as they continued. Spike didn't stop, simply tapping Storms arm when she walked next to him, catching her attention, he then made a few movements with his hands. Storm nodded, her eyes darting to the side, slowly pulling her boomstick up, racking a shell in.

She twirled around, seeing glowing eyes in the dark, before they disappeared, her eyes searching around the darkness, her flashlight swinging to and fro.

"Spike..."

Spike stopped, his eyes widening, Storm still searching around. He slowly turned, seeing something flash in the distance ahead. "T...Twilight?"

"Spike?"

"What was that, kid?" Storm called out, her eyes searching around. "Spike?" She dared to look back, only to see Spike staring forward, his eyes glazed over. She bumped him with her boomstick, her eyes never leaving that darkness. "Come on, wake up buddy, wake up!"

Spike, however, was not there, for his mind was far from there, another place. It was almost as if he had been turned into a statue by the Elements of Harmony. A striking ache made him scream in agony, he fell to his knees, grasping his head, his gun lying on the side, Storm stepping back a bit as she watched.

"Spike?! Talk to me, buddy! Come on! Speak to me!"

Spikes mind was a jumbled mess of pictures and sounds, too jumbled together to make sense, his mind in searing, white hot pain. His eyes were wide open, though he saw nothing, and tears started dripping on the ground. He released another scream as the images became clear, closing his eyes as if the pain would stop.

A tree, branches gently waving in the wind. A flower, a butterfly resting on it. The sound of childrens laughter and an empty playground. Singing of drunken people and a warm looking tavern in the snow. He could see an apple fall off of a tree and into a barrel, and the sounds of people talking as he saw a baby carriage.

Then, anger filled Spikes mind, gritting his fangs and giving a strangled yelp as he clawed a bit into the ground.

Bombs. He could see them, no...he could feel them. They were boiling hot, then so, so cold. He could see the snow and ice cover everything...wait...a door?

Yes, a heavy, metal door. He could see it, so clear, seeing figures trapped behind it. He was, finally, let go, the image showing Twilight reaching out, magic in her hands, and a confused, fearful feeling shot through his mind, though it was not from him. No, this feeling was alien, different, not his own, yet he understood it perfectly.

"Help...us..."

Spike was finally brought out of this strange episode, his eyes finally returning to normal. He wiped the drool from his mouth, then sat up, panting a bit, confused, but alive. Sweet, pure feelings of cool washed over him in waves as he sat there, seeing Storm staring at him with pure relief at the end of his episode. Spike rubbed his head and gave a smoke filled breath, before slowly standing up, wobbling a bit.

"You okay, Spike?"

"...No...but we can't stop. We have to go."

As they stood up and walked forward, Spike spared a glance back towards the light he had seen before, then continued on, throat a bit sore from his screaming. As they turned the corner and continued on, a hand pressed against the wall, its eyes watching them, before giving a soft noise. Another joined it, resting its hand on the first ones shoulder. Both disappear in a blink, the only proof of their existence being a handprint they left behind.

Вдохни

Breathe in.

Spike couldn't help but feel those words echo in his mind, breathing as he clambered upwards, using his hands to rip into the wall, breaking open the stones into hand holds. Not far behind was Storm, clearly having a tougher time, slipping a bit for a moment, grasping onto a rock to stop herself from falling. She looked back down, giving a soft snort of air before looking back up at Spike, opening her mouth, before stopping.

A perfect view at his rump.

She coughed and looked away, blushing, before suddenly slipping again, giving a gasp. She reached a hand up to try and grasp something, before Spikes tail shot down and grabbed her hand. She gave an embarrassed smile, before mumbling her thanks, Spike pulling her a bit to help her grab onto the holds.

"Almost there." Spike spoke, digging his hands in more, before clambering up again, creating a bigger hand hold for Storm. He stopped for a moment at the edge, before peeking over the edge, then looking back and nodding to Storm. He clambered over the edge, then held his hand out, Storm taking it and being helped up. Spike grasped his radio, speaking into it, "Silver Spear, do you copy?"

Static.

"Silver? Steel? Anyone copy?"

Static again.

"We're too deep." Storm spoke as she walked forward, giving a hum as she inspected the dirt, finding the tracks again. "Didn't realize Bright Light was a climber."

"Me either." Spike mumbled out through his mask, the cracks across it quite noticeable to Storm. She gave a hum as Spike walked forward, "She went this way, so we'll keep following."

They kept walking, Storms eyes darting to Spike, before coughing in her hand a bit, giving a soft look. "So, back there...wanna explain that to me?" Spike thought back to the caverns below, before looking at the wall and humming softly, running a hand along the wall, nodding to himself, seeing the carvings along the wall, Storm giving them a passing glance. "Spike?"

"Huh?" Spike looked back at Storm, seeing her stare at him in worry. "Did...did you say something?"

Storm put her hands on her hips, giving Spike a soft look, before finally saying, "Spike, you had a full blown mental breakdown or...something back there! You can't just act like nothing happened after screaming loud enough that Canterlot could hear it!"

Spike rubbed the back of his neck, before adjusting his helmet a bit, looking back at her and admitting, "I have no clue what I saw. Images, I think."

"Images?"

"Sounds. Feelings." Spike added on, before staring up at the rocky ceiling. His eyes glazed over as the images struck his mind, before he shook his head, a phantom pain emerging from the incident. "And...I heard Twilight. Saw her, too. Whatever it was that sent me that...mental image knows exactly who I am."

"It does?"

"Yeah. It also knew Twilight, she or whatever it was, it was asking for my help." Spike nodded, before waving Storm over, pointing towards the ground. "Light moved through here. And, if I remember correctly, we can link up in the caverns ahead and wait for back up." Storm looked at Spike, studying his face, before finally elbowing him, giving him a knowing look. "Or...we leave a sign at the cavern ahead when we meet Bright Light, then I will continue on ahead to try and get information on Twilight and the others."

"And what makes you think Twilight is even alive?" Storm asked, though as soon as the words left her mouth she winced at the look in Spikes eyes that flashed for a moment. "It's been five years, Spike. If they were alive, why haven't they tried contacting us? Or even go looking for us?"

Spike was silent for a moment, before he turned to her, his eyes lit with the fire of determination, and spoke, "I know they're out there. And I won't give up on them." They stood there for a moment, Spikes eyes adjusting to the darkness, his pupils turning into slits as he pulled his snapper out, walking forward, his tail waving behind him as he walked. "I know they'd do the same for me."

As he walked ahead, Storm took a moment to absorb the information, though a tingling at the back of her head told her something was watching her. She turned back, her eyes shifting in the darkness, her flashlight twirling around in the dark, lighting the way. Seeing nothing, she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, before continuing after Spike, following him, not seeing the glowing eyes in the darkness return, watching them.

Silver was sitting on a crate, flicking his lighter open and close, staring off into the darkness. The loud, metallic clicking echoed in the room, weapon resting against the crate as he watched, his stare empty and blank. She perked up a bit, squinting into the darkness, before shaking her head, walking to the other side, adjusting her weapon against her shoulder. Bright Flare looked at Silver, before looking at Steel, who was currently putting bullets inside of a magazine, giving him a stare.

Steel looked up, giving a surprised look when Flare stared at him. "What?" He asked, mask by his side. She elbowed him, then jerked her head towards Silver, making Steel growl out quietly, "He doesn't wanna talk, what can I do?"

Bright Flare opened her mouth to say something, only to stop when she heard a whistle. Silver got up out of his seat, stuffing the lighter in one pocket and another item in the other pocket. He stuffed twp fingers into his mouth and gave a sharp whistle back. Suddenly lights flicked on in the darkness, Stone waving something over.

Meteor walked in, wiping the blood off of her knife onto her sleeve, a few people trickling in, one of them carrying a wounded man on his shoulders. "Alright, everyone rest up and tend to the wounded." Meteor ordered out, Silver waving her over, Meteor turning to one of the men with a large backpack on, speaking to him, "Tell nase we've made it to the first checkpoint. And to tell the Mayor to stop worrying, they're fine." Meteor walked over to Silver, scanning over the ground, her eyes tracing over every member of the squad, before looking around for something, finally stopping in front of Silver. "Sir."

"Meteor." Silver spoke, motioning to a rock in front of him, Meteor taking a seat as Silver took a seat on a stone of his own. "Status?"

Meteor opened her pack and pulled out a piece of paper, motioning to a crate nearby. "Well, we came across the station, like you said. Lost a skyblood to a pack of mole things there, found him later on. Well, the parts they didn't like, at least." Silver and Steel shared a look, Stone walking over and picking the crate up, walking back over and setting it in-between the two. "Another man, earthblood, was injured by a Mutt on the way here, but he should be fine. Luckily, it missed his femoral artery, so he'll live with some medical attention." Meteor set down the map in front of them, brushing it a bit. "We got this from the station before, found it on a body. Apparently, the miners who lived in these tunnels decided to have all sorts of maps, in case a tunnel collapsed or they got lost."

"Good work, Meteor."

Meteor looked around, before looking back at Silver, adjusting her mask on her chest, finally asking, "You're missing a few. Where are the others?"

The air was sucked out of the room with that question. Stone tapped Flares arm, catching her attention, jerking her head one direction. Flare nodded and they walked away, Silver looking down, Steel rubbing the back of his neck.

"Star Gazer is dead." Steel spoke, catching Meteors attention, before continuing, "The others are missing. Fell down the hole out there. We lost radio contact with them, but we think they're still alive."

"I see..." Meteor gave Silver a look, the man staring at the map. She cleared her throat, then looked back at Steel, giving a soft whistle. Silver looked back up at her, his eyes hard, but full of pain, Meteor giving a soft smile. "Kid is tough. He made it."

Silver nodded, then looked at the map, before pointing at their spot. "Now, if I am reading this correctly...got another hour or two before we hit the group of survivors...but this cavern down here has some sort of figure right there, like a skull?"

"It's a Diamond Dog skull." Meteor said, making Silver and Steel look at her. "I recognize it, we saw a one being attacked by the Bugs on the way here. Skull looked a lot like that after a spray of acid."

"Okay, so, we got regular dogs, mutated dogs, and now Diamond Dogs. What else?"

"Well, strange thing is, this map right here says there is a tunnel in a nearby mountain that has something in it." Silver quirked an eyebrow as he looked back at the map, though Meteor continued, answering his unasked question, "I don't know what it is, but it was big enough news to mark it on the map."

The radioman, named Wave Surfer walked over. Wave Surfer had blond hair done in dreadlocks and had glasses on, with a cute little wave etched on his helmet, the same as his cutie mark. "Sirs, ma'am." He greeted them, before kneeling next to them, pushing his glasses up as they slid down his nose. "Made contact with the Caverns, reported the losses. They'll have a group run supplies to us once they get a cart ready to go."

"Thanks Wave. Anything else?"

"Mayor Mare says hi, sir."

Silver chuckled a bit, before looking at the map, his eyes tracing along the caverns below, before tapping on the map, saying, "The caves below, they connect to the Diamond Dog one...and then further ahead, they connect to the area the first group of survivors are in?"

"Yes, sir."

Silver nodded, then rubbed his cheek, brushing his hand through his beard, "Storm, Bright Light and Spike will meet us there." Silver finally spoke, catching Meteor and Steels attention.

"Sir?" Steel asked, not sure if he heard correctly, giving Meteor a glance, one she returned, just as confused.

"If I know anything about those three, it's that they will continue on with the mission. We'll meet with them there." Silver stood back up, nodding to himself. He then turned to the rest of the group, barking out orders, "I need a head count of who is fit enough to move on! Medics, help those that are too injured to move on, and I'll leave three men here to help you hold this position!"

Spike kept his weapon up, aiming down the cave they had just been through, his slitted pupils scanning to and fro, watching in the darkness. Storm gave a grunt as she slammed her shoulder against the door, before sighing a bit. She sat there for a moment, wrapping her hand around her injured shoulder, nursing it a bit as they sat there. Storm inspected the door, before looking down, seeing Bright Lights boot prints leading into it.

"She must've barricaded the door." Storm mumbled out, resting on it for a moment, Spike taking a moment to scan the cave again, before turning to Storm. He walked over next to her, pressed his ear against the door and rapped his knuckle against the door a few times, before nodding to himself. "Pretty heavy too."

"Yeah, if I knock it down, everyone and their mothers will hear it." Spike admitted, inspecting the door for a moment. He looked upwards, before quirking his head a bit, Storm looking up with him.

She turned her flashlight on and looked above the door, Spike wincing at the light entering his vision, his slitted pupils slowly turning back to the rounded ones, the dragonblood humming in thought as he watched.

It was a vent.

Unblocked.

Storm attached her flashlight to her chest and took a knee, holding her hands out. Spike nodded, then placed his boot on her hands, Storm lifting him up, with Spike grabbing onto the grate. He dug his hands into it, then pushed the grate forward, it falling into the vent as Spike lifted himself up. He peered into the vent, tugging his gloves off and digging his hands into the vents metal bottom, slowly clawing it open with loud metal groaning. Finally, he had it open enough, giving Storm a thumbs up, then moved further into the vent, his tail disappearing from Storms sight.

He poked his head in, looking all around, before slowly lowering himself downwards. He took his knife out, scanning the room once more, before looking back towards the door, seeing a shelf in front of it, along with a few tools wedged against it. Spike looked around again, before walking over to it, then kicking some of the tools, breaking them in, then digging his hands into the metal shelf. He started pulling the shelf away, a loud, metallic shriek echoing out as he tugged it away from the door.

He stopped for a moment, listening for any movement or noises, before continuing, gritting his teeth as it scraped against the ground. He finally pulled it away enough, then unlatched the door, opening it, letting Storm in. He quietly shut it, then bent the latch with his hand, locking it behind them, then grabbed a splintered pickaxe, wedging it into the doorframe, nodding to himself, before turning to Storm, saying, "We should take a break."

"No. No, I'm good."

"Storm."

"I said I'm good."

Spike walked over to her, pointing back at the door, giving her a glare, "I climbed up a cliff, fought several Diamond Dogs, and just suffered a psychic overload from something in those tunnels within the span of three hours." Spike hissed to Storm, before motioning to a crate nearby. "I am going to sit down for a bit, because I am exhausted. I suggest you do the same."

Storm felt a twinge of guilt shoot through her, she then looked down. "I didn't mean...Spike I just-"

Spike sat down, then held his hand up, giving her a soft look, "Sorry, I didn't mean to, it's just...been a tough day. We lost...we lost Star Gazer. I saw his body, and I couldn't..." He trailed off, before wiping his eyes, feeling tears threatening to spill over. "I couldn't even bury him."

Storm dropped her weapon to her side, then walked over to Spike, kneeling down, resting her weapon on the crate and embracing him. Spike felt tears flow freely from his eyes after a moment, shutting his eyes and hugging Storm, a sob wracked his body as he gripped onto her.

"I'm so sorry, Spike..." Storm mumbled out, Spike squeezing her tight in his grip. She took his helmet off and brushed her fingers through his spikey green hair, scratching his scalp as he cried against her. "I know it hurts to lose someone. Don't worry, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." She didn't know what to really do, so she just held him there and whispered soft things to him. "Breathe in. Breathe out."

After a solid fifteen minutes of holding onto each other, six of which were filled with Spike sobbing for his fallen comrade, they finally sat in silence. Spike let go of Storm, though she held on for a few seconds longer before finally letting go. Spike wiped his eyes, before taking a swig of his water, looking at Storm. "Thank you."

"Of course, Spike."

"No Storm....I really mean it. Thank you." Storm smiled and bumped her shoulder against his, before drinking from her own canteen, the young dragon looking around, finally asking, "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, sensible thing would be to meet up with Bright Light and stay at the area, tell Silver what you know, then continue on with the plan." Storm mumbled out, before rubbing her cheek, looking towards the door at the end of the underground tool storage they were in. "However, something tells me you wanna ask around in the area about your friends, so we gotta hurry before Silver gets there."

Spike nodded, before looking at Storm, "I don't think Bright Light will like that though."

"Well, she can deal with it." Storm looked around, before shaking her head a bit and turning her flashlight on, attaching it to her helmet. She hummed a bit, asking, "What do you think this place was?"

Spikes long tongue flicked out, before adjusting his weapons on his back, trying for his flashlight again, only to remember it was broken, making him snort out some smoke. "Best guess is that it's a tool storage of some kind. Maybe for vehicles, digging equipment?"

Storm walked over to the large, metal doors and inspected them, before looking down the sides, seeing a smaller door, whistling to Spike. Spike stood up, pulling his boomstick out and walking over, adjusting his helmet onto his head and fastening it. He nodded to Storm, who nodded back, then slowly opened the door, gun at the ready, Storm slowly following with her sweeper. Spike, silently aiming around, gave a look around, before quirking an eyebrow at the tunnel ahead.

Another gate?

Spike walked forward, Storm hanging back a bit and taking aim, nestling herself again the wall, keeping herself behind cover. Spike looked around at the walls, seeing multiple spaces for him to take cover in, just in case things got dodgy, then looked back at the gate. No movement that he could see, sparing a glance backwards at Storm, who had taken aim towards the gate.

A bright light flashed on, Spike hissing through his teeth as he was temporarily blinded, using his hand to shield his eyes as he squinted. The voice that piped up behind the wall, loud enough for them to hear, "Now, y'all have exactly five seconds to turn your hide round before we get to burnin it off!"

Spike shot up in recognition, then called back, "Cherry Jubilee? Is that you?"

A few seconds of silence followed, before the light pointed away, a woman with red hair, a beauty mark under her green eyes, many (including Spike) thought said mark added to her natural beauty. She couldn't help but squint, before giving a grin, saying, "Spike! Hadn't seen hide nor hair of ya in a while! Lemme just get the boys to open up the gate!"

Spike sighed a little, then waved Storm over, the gate slowly screeching open, Storm giving Spikes shoulder an affectionate bump. "Look at you, lady killer. All you have to do is smile and they practically fall for you."

Spike took a deep breath in, then snorted out some smoke, looking back at Storm, "Do I sense a hint of jealousy?" He teased back, making Storm chuckle, holstering her sweeper.

"Long as you can keep it in your pants, we should have no issues with this little side track."

Finally, the door opened and Cherry waved them in, Storm and Spike smiling. Cherry, however, took Spike into a bone crushing hug, making him grunt in surprise, before lifting him up a bit. "Damn, look at you, boy!" Cherry set him down, then brushed his cheek with a hand, "Ya look hungry, they been feedin ya enough?" Cherry looked at the snickering Storm, then took held her hand out. Storm took it, Cherry shaking it and smiling, "Sorry 'bout that. Name's Cherry Jubilee, though my friends just stick to callin' me Cherry."

Storm smiled, shaking Cherry's hand, giving a chuckle, "My name's Storm Chaser. See you already know Spike. See one of our own recently?"

"Sure have. She's in the radio room. Tryin to contact your buds."

Spike made a motion with his hand, Cherry and Storm walking ahead of him, though he didn't immediately follow. He turned to look at the closing door and into the tunnel, his eyes scanning it for a moment, before he looked back at Cherry and Storm, following them towards the radio room.

For a second there, Spike felt like he was being watched.

вишня

Cherry Jubilee.

The woman had her red hair tied behind her in a braid, a far cry from when Spike first met her and her wild hairdo. She wore a loose t-shirt underneath her armor with a faded cherry on it, and her pants were slightly ripped in different places. Her eyes, green and beautiful, had a friendly aura about them, ignoring the fact she had threatened both Spike and Storm not even two minutes before hand. In her hands appeared to be one of the Diamond Dogs boomers, though the gem underside had been replaced for a bayonet attachment and there were several tallies on the side, making Spikes eyebrow quirk up.

He was shaken back to reality by Cherry turning around, giving a smile as she holstered the boomer on her back. "Alright, here we are, radio room is straight through that door." Storm smiled and walked forward, Spike making to follow, though Cherry grasped Spikes arm, making the dragon blood peer down at her arm, before looking up at Cherry. "Mind if I borrow Spike here for a sec?"

Storm looked at Spike, who nodded, then walked into the radio room, Spike turning to Cherry, who sighed and rubbed her cheek, smiling under her palm. "So." Spike began, leaning against the wall, sparing a glance out towards the buildings they had erected. Although not the same level as The Caverns, the people had built themselves quite the arrangement. They had dug into the walls of the cave, using their limited metals on important buildings, and were surviving well, with magic helping keep their crops alive. "Thought you were in Dodge Junction when it happened."

"Yeah, well, was actually sellin my produce in Ponyville when the bombs dropped. Thought Ah might check in on tha Apples too, say hi to Applejack an Pinkie Pie. Never got the chance to, though." Cherry admitted, before crossing her arms a bit. "Plenty of us were farmers and workers though, built ourselves a mighty fine home. Heap of us got lucky, we were near the doors to the underground, but...we had to close the door on those still tryin ta get in when..." She tailed off, staring up at the cave ceiling, before looking back down at Spike. "You got taller."

"Well, dragon puberty hit me. Won't grow for another century or two, though, so get used to this handsome face." Spike smiled at her, making the southern woman chuckle a bit. "You changed your hair style."

"Yeah, well, cave dust really don't like mah old hair style. Had to get quite a bit of dust outta there before they could even braid it right. Ya would think it would be far dustier in Dodge, but these caves would have 'em beat." Cherry said adjusting her weight on one food and flashing Spike a smile. "But, us cowpoke adapt. Always do."

They stood in silence for a moment, though Spike turned to her and gave her a look, making Cherry cock her head, "What?"

"I know you wanna ask, so...go ahead and ask."

Cherry stood there for a moment, before crossing her arms a bit and leaning her back against the radio stations wall, finally finding the words, and asked, "Applejack and Pinkie Pie...did they...?" Spike shook his head in reply, Cherry sighing in relief. "Oh thank Celestia. Had mah fears for years."

"Truth is...we don't know what happened to them." Spike spoke, peering down at his hands. He held his own hand, brushing his thumb along his palm, giving an unfocused stare at them. "They were in the Crystal Empire when the bombs hit. We have no clue if it was even targeted or if the girls are alright..."

Cherry cocked an eyebrow, before speaking, "Sensin there is more to that story."

"Always is."

Cherry nodded, before giving Spike a half smile, wrapping a hand on his shoulder and giving it a soft squeeze, "You don't have ta talk about it if you don't want to." Cherry offered, making Spike look up at her, before grasping her hand and squeezing it a bit.

"Sorry, it's just...I don't know how to explain it, but..." Spike thought for a moment, before standing up straighter and looking Cherry in the eyes, her rounded pupils meeting his slitted ones, before he spoke, "I just feel like they are alive."

Cherry quirked an eyebrow at him, then opened her mouth to continue, before the door opened, interrupting them. There, Storm and Bright Light walked out, Bright Light giving a smile at Spike as she saw him. She walked over, clasping Spikes forearm, Spike returning that grip for a moment, before standing back a bit, adjusting her pack a bit. Her armor had some claw marks on it, and her helmet seemed to be a bit dented, though still functional, as it sat on her head. She also seemed pretty chipper for someone who had fallen down a hole a few hours ago, Spike had no doubt it had something to do with the radio.

"Good to see ya, Bright Light."

"Likewise, Spike." Bright Light said, adjusting a bit, looking back and forth between the trio. "Were you able to recover Star Gazer?"

Spike reached into a pocket and pulled the tag out, making Bright Light sigh, then nod in understanding, Spike putting the tag back in his chest pocket and closing it. "He was a good man."

"I'm sorry, Spike. I didn't know him well enough, so I hope we can come up with something when we meet with the others." Bright Light spoke, before moving her hand a bit to use her magic, making a light appear in front of them, floating over them to give them more visibility, Bright Light pulling a map out and unfolding it for them, pointing towards a location on it. "So, we are here at the moment. Radios are pretty bad, even with this little area you have built for it, but as far as I can tell, Silver is in this area right-" She traced a finger along a cave, before tapping it in an open area, finishing, "here. It'll take him about an hour, maybe less, to reach us."

Spike nodded, then looked at Cherry, asking, "Can we can resupply?"

Cherry smiled, then waved her hand, "Come on, we'll just pop over to the kitchens and fix ya right up."

Silver peeked around the corner, his sweeper aiming down the dark hallway, seeing nothing, he concentrated, then shot a ball of light from his hand down the tunnel, aiming around with his sweeper after a moment. No noise followed it, his eyes saw no movements, before he checked the geiger counter attached to his wrist, its silence comforting him. He waved over the others, Meteor, Steel, Wave, and Stone peering around the corner, taking up positions along the corner. Silver looked to Steel, giving him a nod, before they started moving forward, covering each other as they walked. Bright Flare was the last one to poke around the corner, watching behind them, just in case something decides to sneak up on them, her eyes scanning to and fro.

"Silver." Meteor whispered out, the man giving a glance backwards, the scars visible across his face in the light. "Look, I know Spike is...well, the closest thing you have to a son, but we do need to focus on the mission." Silver said nothing, continuing onwards, Meteor grasping his shoulder, making him glare at her. Unlike Steel and Stone, who immediately looked away, Meteor met his gaze, determination in her eyes as she stared him down, then continued, "Spike said it himself, there are people that need our help. When we reach the first group, we can look for Spike after we help them out.

Silver looked away, then back at Meteor, though his gaze made it seem like he was staring right through her. He moved his shoulder out of her grip and looked at Wave, giving the man a soft motion with his hand, Wave walking towards them.

"Any contact from Bright Light?"

"Not since we last checked in half an hour ago." Wave fiddled with the radio, then shook his head a bit, his dreadlocks tied behind his head as he gave Silver a confused look. "Somethin' weird is happening here, sir."

"Weird how?"

"Weird as in we are close enough to get their radio signal, but all I'm picking up is static. It's weird, it's almost like something doesn't want us talking."

Silver was about to turn and ask what he meant, when a loud bark echoed in the area ahead. The group quickly sank into the shadows, their black armor and clothing helping them blend in with the background. Approximately five seconds later, two Diamond Dogs rounded the corner, talking to each other.

"Why do we have to search?" One whined out, the other giving a short huff of anger at the sounds its cohort was making. "We should be getting gems or humies! Not this stupid green boy!"

Silver perked up, before holstering his weapon, slowly pulling out his extendable spear, letting it quietly activate. Although, normally it would have been easily heard by the Diamond Dogs, one was whinging so much that the other had been too distracted. A serious mistake.

"Leader says we look green boy, then we look for green boy!" The second finally snapped, not noticing Silver silently creeping up on them. "No need to think hard! Boss lady says we do it, so we do it!"

Meteor noticed and shook her head, mouthing the word "no" whilst making a hand motion, one that was completely ignored by Silver.

"Why do we care?! We should just eat h-"

Silvers fist smashed into the temple of one of the Diamond Dogs, sending it into the wall, immediately dazing it. The other looked back, raising its weapon, only to be shot in the chest, blood and bone exploding outwards, Silver backing up to look at Stone, her boomstick still smoking from its barrel. The Diamond Dog fell backwards, its hand twitching and its eyes slowly glazing over, the other Dog giving a pained whine as it slowly stood back up, Silver smashing his spear into its leg, pinning it to the ground, making the Diamond Dog yelp in pain, Silver smashing the spear in further, pushing out of the Diamond Dogs leg, blood spilling out, making it snarl at him.

Silver, however, was having none of it, and smashed his fist into its face, knocking a tooth out, making it whine in pain, Silver grabbing its chest plate and lifting it up a bit, staring into its eyes. "Where is he?"

"What Humie talking about?"

Silver gave a glower at the Dog, before lifting his hand, his hand glowing for a moment, slowly sliding the spear out with his magic, then plunging said spear back into the beasts kneecap from behind, making it howl in pain, using his magic to twist the spear, cracking bones and wet, fleshy sounds echoing out.

"Where is he?!" Silver snarled out, his hand turning into a fist, his silver magic gripping around the Dogs throat and choking him when no answer came. "Spike! The green haired boy! Where is he?! What have you done to him!"

"Sir-" Meteor began, though a quick look by Silver made her back down, her Sweeper held at her side, before Silver squeezed his fist, making the Diamond Dog give out an airy sound, its eyes bugging out for a moment as it kicked its good leg reaching a weak hand out to try and stop Silver.

Steel grasped Silvers shoulder, giving the man a stern look. Silver looked back at Steel, his eyes full of fury and pain, a deep sadness within them. Steel only squeezed Silvers shoulder, Steels eyes softening, making Silvers hand stop glowing, the Dog taking in deep gulps of air, loving every second of life he was given.

"Silver. We are better than that."

They stood there in silence, before the Diamond Dog looked up, looking at his dead comrade, seeming to make up his mind. "Little dragon?"

"What?"

"You are looking for little dragon, yes?" The Dog asked, his voice raspy from the magic choking from a moment ago. "I can tell you...but you have to promise, no more hurt!"

Silver, Steel, and Meteor all looked at each other, before Silver lifted the Dog up a bit, giving him a glare. "Talk. Fast."

The Diamond Dog gave a nervous smile, before coughing a bit, rubbing his neck. "Hard to speak, but will try. For humies." He sat up a bit, then pointed down the tunnel, speaking, "We came from that way. Spits and me dug here, found this tunnel. Dragon boy was in tunnels, couldn't follow him cuz he blocked off tunnel. We have to dig around."

"And why are you looking for Spike?" Silver asked, bringing the Diamond Dog closer, making the creature give out a fearful whine.

"Me not know! Queen said she wanted him, and we follow orders!!"

The group looked towards each other, before Silver dragged the Dog to the wall, setting him there. "Queen? What Queen?"

"Me not know her. She showed up after big boomers, took over underground, kicked out leaders and turned them into hunters. Now we hunt gems and eat more food because of her, so we follow orders!" The Diamond Dog said, looking around as if he would see the Queen peering amongst them. "She said she wanted dragon boy alive though! Said not to hurt him, but kill whoever got in Dogs way!"

Silver looked back at Steel, who gave him a worried look. Someone was looking for Spike, and was willing to send an entire pack of Diamond Dogs to bring him back. Silver walked over to Wave, then motioned his hand so they could move away from the Diamond Dog, who was nursing his injured leg and throat.

"Wave, I want you to contact the Caverns and tell them to double shifts and prepare defenses. We have no clue where these things will pop up, but if they follow the scent of Spike and us, they may head to the Caverns by mistake." Silver ordered, Wave nodding and pulling his backpack aside, pushing some wires into his radio and speaking into it.

The words were drowned out to Silver, who walked back towards the Dog, pulling his Snapper out, pulling back the slide, then stopping in front of the Diamond Dog, it getting confused.

"You promised no more hurt! I gave info, like humie asked! You promised!"

"No. I didn't."

Silver pulled his pistol up and shot the beasts head, executing the poor Diamond Dog in front of them, Steel giving Silver a shocked look, Meteor and Stone backing up, Bright Flare shaking her head and looking away when Silver did this. Silver fired two more rounds into the poor beast, making sure it was dead, before looking at the others, waiting for Wave to finish his message.

Wave walked back, giving the man a look, before reporting, "Sir, the Caverns have been notified. Your next orders?"

Silver looked over at the two dead Dogs, clicking his tongue for a moment, before holstering his Snapper and pulling his Sweeper out, "We keep moving. Come on."

"So, what are the marks for?"

"Spike, y'know better to have a lady kiss and tell." Cherry joked cheekily, making Spike chuckle a bit, before she took a serious look. "Well, when the bombs dropped, we were a bit low on supplies, so we had ta scrounge an' harvest what we could. Though, that changed when the varmints came a few weeks ago."

"Dogs?"

"Diamond Dogs. After a raid, took one of these beauts off of the one we killed. Marks are for how many I have taken down, so far."

Bright Light and Storm sat there, watching Spike and Cherry Jubilee speak. Storms eyes narrowed a bit, her wings rustling a bit as he watched Spike laugh at something Cherry said. Bright Lights eyes traveled from Storm to Spike, and then back to Storm again, humming in thought. She would have opened her mouth, but decided against it, knowing not to meddle in such things. Spike finally walked towards them, adjusting the cracked mask on his hip, giving them both a nod.

"Cherry says we can resupply here, and that the next station should be clear."

"Next station?"

Spike turned to Bright Light, then rubbed the back of his neck, before finally admitting, "I'm not staying. I can't. I have to keep moving until I can hear about what happened to my friends. I'll travel along the same route as the rest of the team, but I need information."

Bright Light looked at him, surprised, before looking at Storm, who was currently inspecting her mask, nodding at it, making the woman sigh loudly, catching their attention. "You've already made up your minds about it, so I won't stop you."

"Really?"

"Really. Besides -" Bright Light scratched the back of her neck, smiling, "- Cherry needs all the help she can get, and if what you guys have told me is right, then we may be expecting company soon."

Spike smiled, before adjusting his gear a bit, saying, "We leave in five."

However, said plan would quickly fall apart as soon as a loud bell rang out, Cherry jumping out of her skin, before running off without a word, Spike, Bright Light, and Storm sharing a look, before jogging after her heading towards the gate. A man and woman were arming the ballista near the mounted light, Cherry running up the stairs, a woman pulling away from the bell and pointing out into the darkness, Spike, Bright Light and Storm walking upwards, aiming outwards with their sweepers.

After a moment, a Diamond Dog walked out of the darkness, holding one of the boomer in its hands, licking him chops a bit as he looked at the wall of lights and weapons, giving a glare.

"What is he doing?" Bright Light whispered to Spike, making his eyes narrow.

"Cherry?"

Cherry stood up a bit, then hollered out, "What do ya want, ya dirty varmint?!"

The Dog scanned the wall, squinting against the light, before spotting Spike, pointing towards him. "DRAGON HERE!" It screeched out, four more Dogs walking out of the darkness, snarling and growling, the first ones back peeling back its lips to show its fangs. "WE WANT DRAGON!"

Cherry turned to Spike, giving him a soft look, "What did ya do to get them so riled up?"

"I may...have invaded their home to save Storm."

"WE WANT HIM! NOW!"

Cherry shared a look with the ballista users, then stuck her fingers into her mouth and gave a sharp whistle, them nodding and pulling a bolt out. "Y'all wanna act like a bad dog, we'll treat ya like one. Now, let's discuss this all...civil like, why do you want the boy?" The Dogs behind the lead one shared a look, backing up a bit as they saw the smile Cherry gave, which was one filled with danger.

"Queen wants him!" The lead Dog growled out.

"Queen? What Queen? Why does she want this boy here?"

"Me not know why! All we know is she wants him, and she gets what she wants!" The Dog looked back towards the pack, then called out, "You have five minutes before we take boy and chew on your bones!"

The Dogs started to back into the hallway, the mounted light finally being manned and shining towards them, making them growl out. They disappeared back into the darkness, making Cherry adjust her weapon, looking at the others, "Y'all should hold off before ya head out. After all, don't wanna be rude to our guests, now would we?"

Алмаз

Diamond.

Spike stared at the diamond in the ceiling for a moment, flashes of his friends racing through his mind, specifically Rarity fussing over his suit before they went to the gala or her adjusting her glasses whilst she fixed a dress, even her angry face when he accidentally tracked in dirt after a gem hunt. He thought she was as beautiful as a diamond then, her Cutie Mark seemed to match his thoughts on the matter. He still remembered the perfumes she used or the gems she gave him. He even remembered the kiss she gave him on his birthday, and how the others would give him weird looks when he said he would never wash that cheek again.

His heart ached for a brief moment, before a hand on his shoulder shook him out of his memories, Spike looking at Cherry Jubilee, giving her a quizzical look, the woman nodding her head a direction, Spike following her a bit, walking away from the wall. "Cherry, we already agreed we would stay and -"

"I think you should go on ahead." Cherry interrupted, making Spike look at her in surprise.

"I'm sorry, that cave crawling earlier must have plugged up my ears a bit. Did you just say I should go?"

"Look-" Cherry sat her gun down and stared at Spike, rubbing the back of her neck, "I understand that it may not make sense, but they are after you, so ya gotta get goin while they're distracted with us, Spike."

"Cherry, I can't just leave all of you here like this!"

"That's why ya ain't!" Cherry grabbed his chest armor with her hands, bringing him in close, staring deep into his eyes, before saying, "Spike, from what Applejack told me about ya, ya ain't one to back down from a fight if yer friends are in trouble. But right now, these varmints are gonna keep on trackin ya until they catch ya, and I can't let 'em do that." She pointed towards the other side of the cavern, keeping her voice low, "Now ya listen close, kiddo, there's a gate that way, I want you and yer friend here to make an escape while we hold 'em off."

"Cherry, I can't just-"

"You." Cherry set Spike down and turned to Storm, Bright Light adjusting her weapon sights and aiming down them, giving a glance towards the group. "Ya make sure he reaches the next area." She then leant in uncomfortably close, her eyes taking on an uncharacteristically hard edge, "If anythin happens to that boy, Imma find ya and tan your hide right then and there, understand?" Storm nodded a bit too quickly, showing her discomfort, making Cherry smile. "Good."

"Cherry, I really shouldn't go. I brought this to you guys, I should be here to try and help." Spike protested, then made to continue, before the sounds of yells cut him off, making Cherry and Bright Light turn towards the doors, seeing men and women gather at the top, aiming their weapons.

Cherry turned to Spike, then gave him a soft smile, before leaning in and pressing her forehead against his, Spike closing his eyes and giving out a soft, smoke filled sigh. If she minded the smoke, she physically made no show of it, the two separating after a moment, before looking at Bright Light, saying, "Well, ya heard the music! Let's get on that dance floor." She started walking away, Spike watching the duo as they left.

"C'mon, Spike, we gotta go." Storm spoke, her wings rustling a bit as she grasped Spikes arm. Spike, however, wouldn't budge for a moment, watching Cherry and Bright Light run towards the gate. The sickening pit in his stomach deepened, but he relented, following Storm, gritting his teeth in anger.

Silver sat there, staring at the broken doors in front of him, inspecting the sides. He shook his head, before looking back at Wave Surfer, the man fiddling with the radio. He looked back at Steel and waved him over, Meteor and Flare watching the tunnel they came from, sitting behind an overturned minecart, ignoring the feeling of the rocks they were kneeling on. Stone was, currently, drinking out of her canteen, watching everyone.

"What do you make of this?" Silver asked, tapping the door with his foot, hearing the soft thud reply back.

"Well, this would have been our quickest way to the settlement." Steel mumbled out, before kneeling down and brushing his fingers along the ground, his wings bunching up a bit, before he looked back up at the door. "Diamond Dogs fought something here. Something big."

Meteor walked up, before shaking her head as she knelt down next to Steel. "Looks more like they were following something big. Must have broken the door."

"How big, exactly?" Stone asked, her eyebrows rising a bit.

Meteor inspected the prints, "Dunno. All we got are some footprints. Could be any size under ten feet."

Steel hummed to himself, before looking back a bit, seeing the way they entered. He hummed a bit, before raising a hand, a sheen of magic covering his hand, then the door. He grunted a bit, a loud, metal groan echoing out from the tunnel, before he slung his weapon over his shoulder and reached outwards with his other hand, giving a loud grunt as another metal groan, shifting a bit, dust sprinkling downwards.

Both Steel and Meteor backed up a bit, giving each other looks, before Flare walked over, a glow taking over her hands. She took the same move as Silver, grunting and baring her teeth. Sweat poured from Silver and Flares foreheads, giving strangled sounds as they used their magic to slowly lift the door, inch by tiny inch.

Finally, it was tall enough, Waves jaw fell as he witnessed them moving it. However, he was snapped to attention when Silvers knee buckled, hos face red and his breathing coming out harder and harder. Flare was fairing even worse, her hands shaking and her face bright red, the door stopping. When it gave a sudden shift downward for a second, Wave, Meteor and Steel jumped into action. They grasped onto the overturned minecart and started moving it, sending out a hellish screeching sound as they scraped the cart along the rails.

They put it under the door, then gave Silver a nod, the man giving a grunt as he stopped, Flare following suit, the door slamming down on the minecart. Silver walked forward, hitting his fist against the door, hearing a soft creak, though nothing else happened. "Should be safe enough." Silver mumbled out, before ducking under the door.

Stone turned to the others, then bumped her shoulder against Waves, who jumped a bit, then asked, "So...how much ya wanna bet he finds something horrible in there?"

Wave shook his head, then pointed upwards, "From what you guys tell me, it can't be any worse than up there."

On the other side, Silver turned his flashlight on, pulling his shotgun out and aiming it around. He gave a grunt as he walked forward, kicking something with his foot, making him jump a bit from the noise. He looked down, giving a gasp as he saw something; a childs skull. He aimed his flashlight around, seeing different skeletons littered amongst the hall of stone and gems, giving a sad and uneasy look.

"Sweet Celestia." Silver turned to see Steel looking at the skeletons, Meteor ducking under, Flare using her magic to activate a light, one she threw down the hallway. Dozens of skeletons littered the ground and walls, though the walk way was clear, crushed bones leading the way.

"I don't like this." Wave mumbled out, making Stone look around. Stone inspected the marks, giving Wave a grim look seeing a skeleton holding a smaller one in its arms, shaking her head. "Yeah, I definitely don't like this."

"No one made it out." Silver mumbled, looking around, inspecting the scorch marks on the walls, before shaking his head, ignoring the claw marks on the walls. "Come on, we gotta get a move on."

"Sir?" Silver looked at Wave, who walked forward, the young man slowly pulling his map out, using his own flashlight to light it up, "According to the map we found earlier, there is a way around. It will take longer but..." Silver gave a look, making Wave continue, the man brushing his forehead free of dirt and sweat, "Something doesn't feel right, sir."

Silver looked towards the light that Flare threw, before giving a soft hum. "You're right. Something doesn't feel right." Silver turned to make an order, only to pause as he saw claws slide on the other side of the door, the other turning when they heard the scratching noise. A loud rumble echoed out through the cave, Silver bringing a finger to his lips, the others nodding as they quietly slid backwards.

The claws they saw were sharp, incredibly so, and the hand attached to them was large, easily able to lift a man upwards. They could hear its tail dragging behind it, the creatures three toed foot coming into view, another low rumble echoing out into the cave. They quickened their pace, trying to leave the creature behind, Wave looking backwards as the creatures snout pushed under the door, flicking its long tongue outwards, before pulling its face away, hissing into the air.

CRACK!

The group froze, only to look backwards at Flare, who was frozen in place. She looked downwards and lifted her boot, a childs femur had been broken by her foot. They looked back at the door to see a massive hand grip underneath it, its claws slowly scratching along the door, its long tongue flicking outwards as it hissed. Silvers flashlight finally shined onto it, its head rearing back as it roared at them, a throaty hissy snarl that shook them a bit.

"Run or fight?!" Storm yelled out as the creature smashed against the door, denting it. It hissed again, its body smashing against the door again and again. "Sir! Run or fight?!"

Silver looked back into the hall, seeing another door behind them, down the hall. Heavy. Metal. Perfect. "FALL BACK! OPEN THE DOOR!" He looked at Flare as the creature roared again, "Flare! Blind it on my signal!"

Wave, Meteor, and Steel started running down the hall, Steel reaching the door first, flaring his wings outwards a bit as panic set in his body, ripping open the metal latch. Stone finally made to the back, adjusting her boomstick, aiming it towards the other door.

"MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" Wave barked, pushing the skyblood away from the panel. He turned his flashlight on, looking through the switches as he heard the creature smash against the door. It roared as he flipped through some switches, before smashing his hand into the red button, the door opening slowly, groaning a bit. "Door is opening! Buy some time!"

The creature grasped onto the bottom of the door, lifting it upwards, a loud metal groan echoing through the hallway once again. Silver reached outwards with his magic, grasping onto the mining cart and giving a grunt, slowly pulling it out of the doorway, giving a silent apology to the bones he scraped out of the way with the cart. The beast snarled as it lifted up the door more and more, before finally showing itself.

The beast was massive, and definitely reptilian; its eyes were slitted, akin to Spikes, however they were blue instead of green. Its face looked almost like an tegu; thick jaws, fat face for jaw muscles, though it definitely had hints of a monitor lizard. Its back was covered in some sort of bumpy, armored scales, its hands looked almost human like, if not for the foot long claws across the two middle fingers, with a four inch claw on the thumb and a three inch claw on the fourth finger. It, interestingly, had no fifth finger, but they didn't have the time to ponder the reason why, like Twilight would. Its foot, digitigrade, almost looked like a dragon or dinosaur, with three toes and a dew claw, and its tial was long, though the base was fatter than the end, which was almost whip like.

The Lizard opened its mouth, showing no teeth, before its gums slid back a bit, showing off its teeth. It roared, moving forward a bit, before Silver whistled, making it cock its head, hissing as it flicked its tongue. Flare made a movement with her hand, shooting a ball of light as the beasts face, before it exploded outwards, blinding the poor beast. It gave an angry screech as it tried shielding its eyes, only for Silver to give a yell as he used his magic to lift the mine cart, then throw it at the beast.

It was off by its mark, as Silver aimed for the Lizards head. However, thanks to a combination of Silvers tired state, gravity, and the mine carts weight, it did manage to slam full force into the Reptiles chest, sending it flying backwards. The door, not being held up by the Lizard, decided to slam shut on its tail, cutting the creatures tail off at the third of its length. Silver put his hands on his legs, hunched over, breathing heavily, his throat feeling dry, sweat pouring down his face, Flare joining him and panting heavily, her breathing a bit more raspy than his, but she smiled and gave a chuckle.

"I hear they grow back." Stone half yelled out, making Wave look backwards.

"At least, for tegus they do. I don't know about that thing."

Flare tapped his shoulder, making Silver nod, ignoring the squirming tail. They started walking towards the others, Flare opening her mouth to say something, only for a muffled roar to be heard, making the others point their weapons towards the door, Silver and Flare running towards the others.

"Show off." Stone joked, smacking Silvers shoulder, her gloves protecting her from the sweat.

"You know me. Can't let the youngins think I've gone soft now." Silver mumbled back, pointing his gun towards the door, watching it dent as the Lizard smashed into it, giving out muffled snarls. The door gave a loud beep, making the group look backwards, seeing two Diamond Dogs standing there, confused, weapons in hand.

The group pulled their weapons up, making the Diamond Dogs lift their weapons and snarl. They probably would have a very violent, bloody fight...had it not been for the fact the door that was holding the Lizard at bay was suddenly smashed through, the beast giving a throaty, deep hiss as its eyes narrowed in on the group. Silver and his team shouldered past the Diamond Dogs, though the dogs stood their ground and snarled as they started firing at the reptile. The Lizard snarled and rushed them, Silver sparing a glance backwards in time to see the Lizards claws stab through the first Dog, though he tore his eyes away and kept running when he heard the yelps behind him and the gunfire.

Cherry watched the hallway, scanning it with her eyes, using a rag to clean the salvaged weapon in her hand, Bright Light sitting next to her, inspecting her Sweeper, . She heard paws tapping against the stone, making her stand up, chambering a round, peering out from behind the wall. There, she spotted the one Diamond Dog who talked to them earlier, before giving a grin.

"Now, here I was thinkin y'all would be late for lunch!" Cherry Jubilee called out, before holding her weapon loosely. "Now, before Ah tan yer hide for tryin to kidnap my friend here, what were ya plannin to do? Just make some big rush at us an hope it just might work?"

The Diamond Dog snarled and pointed at her, screeching out in its high pitched voice, "YOU BRING DRAGON HERE AND WE NO NEED TO USE FORCE!"

"Interesting negotiation. Hey, Lamp Light, mind tellin this mutt our answer?"

The woman on the crossbow, with a lamp painted on her chest, wearing a mask and goggles nodded. She spun the light around and flashed the Dog with lights, a ballista bolt smashing into the ground in front of the Dog, making it yelp in surprise.

"Fuck off!"

"Less eloquent than Ah like, but it gets the point across well nuff, Ah suppose." Cherry spoke, before finally pressing her boomer against her shoulder, Bright Light joining her and aiming as the Diamond Dog.

"VERY WELL, HUMIE! WE HAVE OUR ANSWER!" The Dog screeched out, before walking back into the darkness. Cherry and Bright Light shared a confused look, before Cherry made a motion with her hands, everyone taking cover.

"I don't like this. Ain't like these fellas to back off when asked." Cherry mumbled out, making Bright narrow her eyes a bit.

"Yeah, something isn't sitting right." Bright light peeked past the wall, squinting a bit. "That Dog is up to somethin, and I'm not sure I wanna be caught on the -"

A roar echoed out, making them jump upwards, the man next to them flicking on the light and pointing it down the hallway. Bright Lights blood ran cold as she saw what it was; one of the beasts that killed their comrade not even a few hours ago, an armored beast with a massive horn, tumors growing around it. It walked on its knuckles, keeping its claws out of the way, giving a gutteral roar.

Diamond Dogs stabbed at the beast with spears, driving it forward, ignoring its pained roars as it stumbled forward for a moment. As soon as its white eyes hit the light, it gave a surprised roar and rushed forward.

"What ya waitin for, a kiss on the forehead? Shoot the damn thing!" Cherry barked out, Lamp nodding as she loaded the ballista. She fired a bolt into the creatures chest, making it roar in agony, quickening its pace.

Another bolt was fired, making it snarl as it embedded itself into the beasts shoulder. It roared in agony and anger, before smashing a fist into the wall, loosening a rock, ripping it out of the wall. It threw the rock at the wall, Cherry watching in slow motion as the ballista splintered apart - along with Lamp Light.

Her body slammed into the wall, before she crumpled onto the ground, her arm bent at an unnatural angle. Bright Light shook Cherry out of it, making Cherry bark out, "WE NEED A DOC! GET OFF YOUR LAZY ASSES AND SHOOT THAT THING!"

The six people on the wall started firing into the beast, watching it stumble forward, bullets piercing into its flesh. It roared angrily and started charing, blood practically raining off of its body as it tossed another rock, knocking two people off the wall, though these two were lucky, being quickly dragged away by medical personnel.

"AH WANT THAT THING OBLITERATED!!" Cherry yelled out, her guns barrel burning orange from the heat.

The beast roared outwards as it lifted itself upwards, ready to smash the gate, only to fall forwards, the weapons finally taking its toll on it, blood spilling out of the bullet holes and ballista bolts. Cherry and Bright Light backed up a bit, hearing the creatures bulk smack against the gate, denting it. Cherry and Bright Light shared a look, before peeking over the wall, seeing the dead beast.

"Well...that was easy." Cherry mumbled out, before looking at the creature again, dquinting as she noticed a glowing object. "Hey...what's that thing strapped to its back?"

BOOM!

Звонок

Ringing.

Cherry Jubilee opened her eyes, giving a wince as a bright light invaded them for a moment, shielding her eyes a bit. She sat up, shaking her head a sharp ringing went through her ears, blinking a few times. She looked around, confused and dazed, trying to remember what happened, her ears ringing constantly as she twirled her head around. She could see Bright Light lying there, though the man behind her was impaled by several pieces of metal and wasn't moving, his wings twisted in strange positions.

She turned her head and saw the gate was broken, blasted apart, the carcass of the animal a smoldering wreck, pieces of it blown everywhere, gore and blood painting the ground and walls. Cherry slowly stood up, giving a grunt, before shouldering her weapon a bit. "Mawp. Mawp. Mawp." She said out loud, shaking her head as the ringing continued.

She saw a man run up to her, his mouth moving, though only muffled noises came to her ears. She shook her head and responded, her own voice muffled to her as she shook her head a bit more. Finally, her hearing was coming back to her and she could hear screams, along with dog barks and howls.

"Cherry! Come on!" She heard someone yell, looking over to see a medic dragging Bright Light away from the debris, grunting loudly as he tried tugging injured woman along. "Help me!"

Cherry ran over and lifted Bright Lights leg, ignoring the blood splattered across Bright Lights chest, setting her into a building with the medic. "Sweet Celestia, what did I miss? Last thing Ah remember was some...beast bein shot down, then a bright light and a whole lotta nothin."

"Lamp was hurt bad. Broken arm and a few cracked ribs, at least. You saw what happened to Cliff Jumper, poor guy didn't even have time to react before debris killed him." The medic said as he opened Bright Lights eye, flashing a light in her eyes, before nodding to himself, sighing a bit as he looked at Cherry. "She's lucky. So are you."

"What about tha two boys on the wall? Brick and Sparks?" The medic only gave a sad look towards Cherry, making the woman smash a fist against the wall. "Luna damn it all..." The woman wanted to cry, however, when she heard screams and barking, she knelt down and reached for her boomer.

Which was currently missing.

"The Dogs are in the settlement, Cherry. They talked about that dragon boy you helped out earlier." The medic quietly injected some painkillers into Bright Light, who groaned, but stayed unconscious, before cleaning the womans wound on her right arm. "Something about a...boss lady of some sort wanting him?" The medic sat up a bit, pulling out the gauze, wrapping it around the wound. "Guards can't do anything, because they took some of our people as hostages. They don't want to risk it."

"Fuck."

"It gets worse." The medic mumbled as he finished dressing her wound. "I think their boss is coming here. And if she finds out we don't have that dragon boy..."

"Then our goose is cooked." Cherry finished, before looking around, seeing Bright Lights Snapper in her pocket. She tugged it out, inspecting it, before pulling the slide back to check the chamber, nodding as she inspected it. "Ya see where mah boomer went?" The medic shook his head, making her sigh a bit. "Damn. Ah really needed that."

There was a scream next door, before a Diamond Dog started dragging a man out of his home next door. "You were just tossed by an explosion." The medic mumbled out, careful not to alert the Dogs outside. "Who knows how many injuries you actually have, not to mention any internal injuries you may have suffered from the shockwave."

Cherry shook her head, then pointed at him, "Ya stay here and fix her right up, doc. I'll try to fix the situation." She poked her head out, looking around, before crouching outside the door, walking around the wall.

The medic shook his head as he watched Cherry leave, before turning back to Bright Light, grumbling to himself, "Nobody listens to the doctor until they are hurt."

Five minutes ago.

Spike saw the flashes of light coming from the front gate as they walked to the back gate, his eyes straying just a moment to watch the area in front of them to make sure he wouldn't trip. Storm walked to the panel next to the door and opened it, punching in a few buttons, before pulling the lever. The door gave a metal groan, slowly opening up, Storm using her flashlight to check under the door as it opened, nodding to herself as the dust fell from the door.

"Clear." Storm walked forward, her Sweeper pressed against her shoulder as she walked forward. She stopped when she heard only her footprints, turning around to see Spike, his eyes never tearing away from the wall. "Spike?"

"Hm?" Spike twirled his head towards Storm, seeing the woman quirk an eyebrow at him. "Did you say something?"

Storm walked back towards him, then looked at the gate, "Spike, if we go back to help them now, we may not be able to head to the next area until nightfall."

"What if they need our help, Storm?" Spike asked, not skipping a beat. Storm liked that about Spike, his caring nature. It was unheard of between dragons, from what she remembered.

"They can handle it!" Storm answered, grasping his arm and looking him in the eye, saying, "If they need our help, we'd know it!"

BOOM!

Spike and Storm ducked a bit and an explosion echoed out, making them twirl around and see the front gate, Storm letting go of Spikes arm in the moment. Storm took this moment to rub the bridge of her nose, grunting angrily, before opening her eyes. She prepared to say something, only to open her eyes and see Spike sprinting back down the path, his spaded tail disappearing around the corner, making Storm groan.

"YOU'RE GOOD HEART IS KILLING ME, SPIKE!" She called after him, running after him, adjusting her Sweeper.

Had she took a moment to pay attention, the door would have been stuck with a strange grinding sound. The light above the door started blinking red, though one would be forgiven for missing it, as a familiar forked tongue flicking out from the door way, a loud, throaty hiss echoing out.

"I just had to open my big fuckin mouth..." Storm mumbled out as a Diamond Dog barked at some people, pushing them along with its gun. It fired some shots into the air, peeling its lips back in a wicked grin as it saw them cower a bit. Spike and Storm peeked around a corner, ignoring the bullet holes in its side, Spikes pupils slowly turning into slits as he stared at the dogs.

"Move faster, Humies! Or we feast on your bones!" The Dog screeched at them, firing into the air again, making Spikes eyes narrow in anger. He would make a move to move around the wall, only to get tugged back in by Storm.

He shot her a look, though Storm only nodded her head another direction, making Spike follow the movement, looking over to see an armored Diamond Dog walk over. This Diamond Dog was much larger than the others and was holding a mace. Its armor looked like a patch job, but its bulk definitely made people ignore its armor. It gave a bark, making the other Diamond Dog back up, the big one giving a growl as it knelt down and inspected the captured Humans.

The big one stood back up, giving the other Dog a nod, making the first beast give a happy cackle. "Humans are prisoners! Go! Center of Humie village!"

Spikes hand gripped into the side of the building, literally digging into the building. It was a good thing he didn't have his gloves on, otherwise he would have shredded through them. Spikes blood boiled, making him snort out some smoke, his tail curling around a bit. He reached for his knife, though Storm tugging him back again, glaring at him. They would have gotten in an argument, had it not been for the behemoth of a Diamond Dog that walked by their wall, completely missing them thanks to the metal helmet it wore.

Once the Diamond Dog took the corner, Spike calmed down a bit, slowly adjusting his gear, before glaring at Storm, "Next time we see someone in trouble, we are helping them."

"Spike, I would love to help them under any other circumstance, but right now, we have to move on, there is nothing we can do." Storm hissed out, making Spike look towards the group being shoved away. He gave a growl, then adjusted his weapons, before looking at Storm, letting her comment slide past him.

"Storm...this is my fault." Spike suddenly said as he walked forward, Storm following him. They ducked behind a random door that was ripped off, seeing two Diamond Dogs walk by, their boomers at the ready. Spike waited until they were out of ear shot, before waving Storm as he walked into the room, seeing the mess the Dogs left while dragging the family away.

"Spike, I know you feel responsible, but you really can't-"

"Their leader knew I was there." Spike interrupted her. He leaned against the wall and shook his head, adjusting the cracked mask on his hip. "She is after me, and we both know it isn't for springing you."

"Though, the fire filled exit we made probably didn't help." Storm spoke, smirking a bit. However, when she looked up at Spike, she saw only regret in his eyes.

"We...I need to fix this." Spike mumbled out, though he quietly grabbed his knife as he heard claws clicking against the ground. He brought a finger up to his lips, Storm silently nodding and pulling her boomstick out, taking cover behind an overturned table, silently taking aim. Spike slid his knife out and disappeared into the darkness of the other room, pulling his snapper and knife out, preparing himself as he watched the doorway from his angle.

A Diamond Dog walked in, aiming its weapon around, squinting into the darkness. After a moment, the beast lowered its weapon and whistled, another standing in the doorway, turning its back and keeping guard. The beast fave a him as it looked around the drawers, before calling back, "You think Humies had food in here?"

"I don't know, and I don't care." The one in the doorway called out, its voice deeper than the other one, the Diamond Dog giving a snort. "Takin big risk for this. We aren't supposed to loot, we just want puny dragon out!"

"Puny dragon this, puny dragon that, nyeh." The first Dog mocked, before searching through the drawers, inspecting each item. "Why leader so obsessed with puny dragon?"

"Something about strong blood."

"Strong blood?! From a lazy, stupid dragon?"

"This one different. Seen him before." The Dog in the doorway called back, sparing a glance back, not noticing Spike gripping his knife tighter in the room. "Was here before you, before big boomers. He was small then, but dragon boy came down to recuse the whining one."

"Ugh...wait." the Diamond Dog perked up, then looked back at his friend, quirking an eyebrow, "The whining one? Wait...dragon boy is the one who came to save the gem finding humie?"

"The very same. He destroyed the village above once, if I remember the tale correctly." The Diamond Dog said, shaking his head, Spike sighing silently and putting his knife back into his sheath and clicking the safety on from the pistol. "Which is why I told leader not to make him angry. Like this!"

The looting Diamond Dog looked at the gem necklace in his hands, then dropped it, wiping his paws off on his leg armor, "I don't want to be deep fried! We should go."

"Good idea."

The Dog started to walk out the door, before the duo disappeared into the silence outside. Storm came out of her hiding place, weapon still trained on the door. Once enough time had passed, Storm gave a smirk and relaxed a little.

"That was a close one, right Spike?"

Silence.

"Spike?"

Cherry grunted as she struggled for a moment, the dog scratching at her sleeve, trying to peel her off. The Dog gave a few raspy noises as it fell backwards, Cherry giving a quiet grunt as she held tighter, the Dogs movements slowing down, before the creature finally went limp. Cherry pushed the creatures body off of her, giving a huff of air, before sitting up, shaking her head at the beast. She stood back up, before pulling Bright Lights snapper out, walking forward and peeking into a room. She saw a head poke out and give a nod, making her grab the dog and drag it inside, grunting a bit.

"Cherry, we thought you had-"

"How many of you boys are still up and breathin?" Cherry interrupted as she peeked out a window.

"Most of us." A sad voice answered back, her turning around to see two guards, sitting there, the Diamond Dog lying between them.

The first guard had no helmet on, likely the one who spoke, his face caked in some dust and his boomer - a lever action rifle - was held in a strange, cradle like way. He had brown eyes and a long scar across his jaw, likely from when a Bug rampaged through the market a few months back, and his hair was buzzed off, originally a blond coloration.

The other guard, a woman, was inspecting her boomer - a pump action shotgun - and racked a shell as she sat up a bit. Her mouth was covered by some cloth and her helmet was damaged by some claw marks, though the blood soaking her arm shows the attacker likely didn't last long. Her eyes were blue and the few strands of hair Cherry did see were orange.

A shadow passed by the door, all of them aiming their weapons, though it passed as quickly as it appeared. "Must've misheard that, cuz I only see two of ya." Cherry mumbled out once she was sure the threat passed.

"He isn't. Others are still alive." The woman whispered out, before pointing at a window. Cherry walked over to it and pulled the curtain a bit, peeking outwards. "Dogs are taking prisoners, even of the ones who fight."

True to the guards word, she saw the Diamond Dogs shoving some guards into a group of people, pointing and screeching out something Cherry couldn't hear from her position. She saw one of the guards taken prisoner stand up and yell something out, only to get a Diamond Dog to punch his stomach and push him to the ground. Cherry gave a grunt, before leaning back against the wall, sighing a bit. "I understand keepin some prisoners, but why keep most of 'em alive? Half those folks down there wouldn't give up easy, would be easy to kill them."

"No clue, but I got a bad feeling about this, ma'am." The first guard spoke, before suddenly twirling around, aiming at the door. "LEMME SEE SOME FUCKIN HANDS!"

"SWEET CELESTIA!" The shadow yelled in the doorway, before grabbing its chest and walking in, "Fucks sake man, don't scream like that. Damn near gave me a heart attack!"

Cherry looked at figure, only to grab the guards gun and lower it with her hand, "Sorry 'bout my boy, here. He can get a little jumpy when dogs are runnin round. Nice to see ya, Storm."

Storm walked into the light an adjusted her boomstick, sighing a bit, "Can't leave you kids alone for a few minutes?"

Cherry chuckled, then stood up and sighed a bit, "Not that I'm ungrateful or nuthin, just wondering why ya came back?"

"Spike couldn't even step foot out of the gate before running back to help you guys and gals." Where's Bright Light?"

"Safe with a doctor. Poor girl took quite the hit, but she's alive." Cherry took a second to peer behind Storm, before shaking her head. "Ya said Spike came back, where is he?"

Storm looked around the room, before sighing, her wings rustling a bit as she adjusted her boomstick, "Lost Spike a bit ago, we got separated whilst a Diamond Dog duo were searching the building we were in."

The female guard perked up a bit as she started to lean in a bit, "Describe him for me."

"Bit short. Green hair. Dragon tail. Smile that would woo a princess?"

"Bingo. Heading towards the prisoners."

Storm walked over and peeked out of the curtain, seeing Spike slowly round a corner near the prisoners, making her groan, though this made the Diamond Dog stir by her foot. She took the moment to kick its head, knocking the poor hound out again, grunting. "Spike, you stupid bastard." 'Spike, you are so lucky that I find this side of you incredibly hot.' She thought to herself, only to swear when she saw the absolute Behemoth of a Diamond Dog walking towards the prisoners as well. "Fuck, we gotta go down there and help him!"

"And fight through an army of Diamond Dogs?!" The male guard hissed out, pointing at the Diamond Dog at their feet, "No way in Tartarus am I doing that!"

"Sorry, but he's right, ma'am." The female guard said, shaking her head and sighing. "Kid stands no chance, but neither do we." Cherry sighed a bit, sitting there silently, before pulling the snapper up for a moment and inspecting it. "Ma'am, what should we do?"

Cherry was silent for a moment, before looking at Storm, "Impossible odds, with a buncha monsters for an army, with bigger n' louder guns than us that have our friends hostage? No foreseeable way to win, just the four of us?" Cherry asked out loud, to no one in particular. She took a moment, only to smirk as chuckle a bit, "How could I say no? Spike's already down there, don't wanna leave the boy to tussle by himself!"

The Behemoth stood there, watching the prisoners, giving a soft grunt as they sat there. It inspected its mace, before giving a loud sigh. It perked up when it saw movement at the gate, recognizing its master as it knelt down and bowed its head. The other Diamond Dogs did this, except for one, who huffed angrily at the shadowy figure. The Behemoth finally looked upwards to see an individual clad in armor, with a bear fur cape, almost appearing as an unholy knight in her black armor.

It was their leader.

Their Queen.

The Queen walked over to the Behemoth, who only gripped its mace tighter. The Queen rested a hand on the Behemoth, who lowered its head and shook a bit.

"You did well." She told the Behemoth, which made it huff happily. The Queens cold voice made the group of prisoners look up, children holding onto their parents in terror, the defeated guards giving her a look of fear, random civilians cowering even more as they heard her. "I take it my orders were followed to the letter then?" The Behemoth only nodded, making the Queen hum. "Very good. Gather the others."

The Behemoth stood up, nodding, only to walk off. Two Diamond Dogs followed it, the Queen resting her hand on the hilt of her sword. One of the guards peered up at her, only to grunt as he struggled to stand up, one of the Diamond Dogs giving a bark. The Queen looked over, raising a hand, the strange armor was easily shown in the artificial light of their home. The helmet seemed to be modified heavily, though traced its routes to the great helms of old, her armor was bulky, but built for protection and comfort. Her hands, arms, and legs were protected with chain mail underneath, though her boots seemed to be modern with metal covering them. Her cloak, covered in bear fur, and her helmet had carvings of said bear on it, though the true bear happened to be on the Queens armored shoulder as a skull. Her sword was resting in its scabbard, though the guard was showing no fear.

"Why are we here? Why don't you just take everything and go?!" The guard asked, his hands bound behind him. Rover, one of the guards and previous leader of the Diamond Dogs, watched intently, quietly squeezing the boomer in his hands. "You didn't even kill any of us after the explosion! Why do you need us?!"

"Simple." The Queens voice cut through the guard, making his train of thought derail and smash into a firey wreck. "Bait." The Queen answered, before walking away, the guard confused for a moment.

Rover growled, before walking around the group of Humans, before stopping in front of the Queen, asking, "Why do you want the little lizard so badly?" The Queen was silent as she saw Rover point at the prisoners, "All of this! For one dragon! Diamond Dogs don't need dragons! We need food!"

The Queen was still silent, though turned around and walked away, Rover giving a grunt of anger, though made no move to follow. He grumbled to himself, before turning and seeing the same guard stare at him. He growled at the guard, before slapping the man with his large paws, giving out a shrill, "Cattle should stop gawking at Dogs!" Rover snarled out, before walking off to his original spot.

Had Rover took the time to look around, he might have caught a glimpse of a tail disappearing behind a building. Spike pressed against the wall, hearing a Diamond Dog around the corner. He reached for his knife, only to stop when he realized something; they might have a pup at home, maybe even someone depending on him. Spike let go of his knife, only to punch the Dogs knee, making it drop its weapon and fall over, only for Spike to catch him and put him in a choke hold. The Dog clawed at Spikes arm, which made him tighten his grip, giving a grunt as he dragged the Dog behind the building. The Dog went limp in his arms, making Spike gently lower them down, sighing softly. He poked his head out, spotting another guard, though he decided to walk around the guard, sliding into the shadows, his armor keeping him hidden.

Spike adjusted the mask on his hip, before slowly walking forward, watching the Diamond Dogs walk around the group. Spike slowly slipped behind a wall, seeing the Diamond Dog facing away from him, then looked at the group, scanning the crowd. He couldn't see Cherry or Storm. He just to peer behind some of the crowds wings, before he heard a whistle, ducking behind the wall and watching the Diamond Dog stand at attention.

He dared to peek out, only to immediately regret it; the Behemoth was there. It stood tall and proud, over three score (around sixty) Diamond Dogs behind her, giving excited smiles. The Behemoth itself knelt down, the Dogs following suit, except for one. One which Spike recognized.

Rover.

His blood boiled as he gripped onto the wall, his hands shredding into it, though he didn't notice. He pulled his hands away from the rock and reached for his snapper, only to be interrupted as he heard footsteps. He looked over, seeing the same Queen that he had left in the Diamond Dog caverns. His eyebrows shot up, making Spike press against the wall, trying to make himself as small as possible.

"People of Ponyville." The Queen spoke, her soft, cold voice making Spike shiver. "I must apologize for my Dogs, they get excited when potential toys appear in front of them." She walked in front of them, Spike following every move with his eyes, his gut telling him something was wrong. "However, I must admit, I hoped we would have a more...peaceful solution to this."

"Peaceful?!" A familiar voice shot out, making Spike wince, slowly stepping around the building to peer at a familiar head of red hair. "Ya call this "less peaceful"?! Ya blew up mah damn gate!" Cherry pushed the Diamond Dog she was using as a hostage with the snapper in her hand, the Dog giving an angry growl, before being pushed again.

"Ah, this must be the leader." The Queens voice did not change tone. The soulless helmet just stared at Cherry, ignoring the Diamond Dog Cherry held at gun point. "Have you decided to hand him over?"

"Have him over?!" Cherry incredulously hissed out, before pushing the barrel of the snapper into the Diamond Dogs head, making it whimper a bit. "I could just shoot this stupid little varmint in the head right now." The Behemoth snarled and made a threatening step forward, making Cherry hiss out, "If ya wanna keep that brain inside ya head, I'd pull the leash on that thing!"

The Queen stood silently, before raising a hand, making the Behemoth stand back, bowing its head in compliance. However, she made a movement upwards, her hand glowing a firey orange, then tugged her hand downwards, a surprised yelp echoing out. Spike looked up to see Storm flying above, though her right wing was engulfed in the magic aura, being tugged down. The Queen then tugged hard with her magic, sending Storm smashing into the ground in front of her, before using her magic to drag the woman along, making Storm cry out in pain as her wing was tugged along.

The Queen finally grasped the wing with her hand, then placed a boot against Storms back, though she made no more movements, having stared at Cherry the entire time. Cherry's skin crawled as she watched it, though she stood firm, giving a grunt. "Am Ah supposed to be impressed by that?"

"No." The Queen gripped Storms wing, then nodded towards Cherry. "Now I have what I need. Released him and tell the others to come out."

"Or what?"

The Queen looked down at the bruised Storm, before tugging her upwards by her wing, making the woman scream in agony as the joint between her wing and back was set aflame. "I break this little bird."

Cherry stared her down for a moment, her gaze unflinching. However, the Queen was not phased, her own eyes hidden under her helmet, only tightening her grip a little, making Storm wince. Cherry then sighed, before putting her index and thumb in her mouth, giving a shrill whistle, pushing the Diamond Dog with her snapper. "Alright. Get on, get!" The two guard slipped out of the shadows, weapons drawn on the Queen, giving confused looks at Cherry.

The Queen, if she was happy, made no movement to indicate it. She watched the Diamond Dog walk forward, before it bowed its head, saying, "I am sorry, my Queen, they caught me off guard." The Queen only made a movement with her hand, the Diamond Dog nodding, before walking back towards its cohorts.

"Now. Drop your weapons."

The two guards shared a look, before looking at Cherry, the female guard gave a soft, "Ma'am?" as she adjusted her grip on her weapon.

Cherry gave a soft exhale of stress out, before throwing the snapper on the ground, holding her hands up, "She has our people. Just hold yer horses, maybe she can be talked to." The guards gave each other a look, before dropping their weapons on the ground, holding their hands up as well.

The Queen hummed a bit, before letting go of Storms wing, though her boot was still firmly planted on the womans back. "Now...where is Spike?"

"Don't rightly know where he is." Cherry admitted, shrugging, her hands still in the air. The Queen made no movements as Cherry took a step closer, though the Behemoth gripped its mace a bit tighter, making Cherry stop. "Knowin him, probably planning somethin heroic."

The Queen looked down at Storm, slowly sliding her sword out, then aimed it downwards, pressing it firmly against Storms shoulder, the Queens cold voice slicing through the air like a blade, "Call to him."

"And in what world would Spike listen to me?" Cherry asked incredulously, stepping forward again, only for Rover to fire a shot at her feet, hitting the dirt in front of her.

Rober walked forward from the group, giving Cherry a growl, before looking at the Queen, saying, "Never saw this Humie in village above. She may be right."

The Queen spared a glance towards Rover, only to say, "I was not speaking to you." She said, looking back at Cherry, before her helmet pointed downwards. "I was speaking to the one he saved."

Storms eyes widened, feeling the sword press against her armor, before the Queen grasped Storms wing and lifted her up by it, the Queen taking her weapon off of the womans shoulder, before the Queen twisted the wing a bit, making Storm scream in agony.

"Call to him."

Storm looked at Cherry, before clearing her parched throat, calling outwards, "Spike, can you hear me?"

Silence.

The Queen looked around, before tightening her grip, making Storm wince. "I know he is watching. Waiting. Call to him."

"Spike!" Storm called out, though was met with silence. "As your CO, you have to follow my every order!" Silence again, though she could feel Spikes eyes on her. Storm glanced over, seeing Spikes hand and his eyes as he gripped onto a wall. "AND I ORDER YOU, SPIKE SOLARIS APPLE SPARKLE, TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" The Queen gave a soft sigh, before slowly pushing her blade into Storms shoulder, finally drawing blood, making Storm grunt, though Storms own anger fueled her more than her pain, "IF YOU COME OUT FOR THIS BITCH, I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE YOUR LIFE IS A LIVING TARTARUS THAT NOT EVEN PRINCESS CELESTIA COULD SAVE YOU FROM, DO YOU GET ME, SOLDIER?!"

The Queen pulled her blade out, then nodded to the Behemoth, who gave a muffled, dark chuckle. Storm looked up, but said nothing, only to get smashed by the Behemoths fist, sending her to the ground. Cherry made to run to the grounded Skyblood, only for Rover to aim his boomer, giving a snarl, stopping Cherry in her tracks.

"Stupid Humies need to learn lesson!"

Storm sat up slowly, getting to her feet, only to spit out some blood. However, she only wiped her mouth and took a pose, saying through weak words, "That all ya got, bitch?"

The Behemoth only responded by smashing her fist into Storms stomach, making her lose her breath, before sending another punch at Storms cheek, smashing into it. The Behemoth picked Storm up, smashing its fist into her stomach again, then dropped her, kicking her belly, sending her flying a few feet and hitting the ground. Storm vomited after the hit, her stomach contents pooling under her, before gasping for air, weakly grasping a rock, before the Behemoth grasped her again and smashed its fist into her face, blood spilling from the poor womans mouth as she dropped the stone, unable to even defend herself.

The Behemoth threw Storm, then slowly reached for its mace as it walked forward. Storm was lifted again, though the woman only smiled through her bruises, "What's wrong, tiny? Getting tired? I can...I can do this all day." The Behemoth lifted its mace, only to be interrupted by a hiss, a long forked tongue flicking out from the shadows right next to them. "Celestia damn it..."

The Behemoth was tackled by a massive shadow, a roar echoing out as it did so, making Storm fly onto the ground. Her back and stomach ached, she was pretty sure her right shoulder was dislocated, and she was bleeding, but alive. The woman was dazed, she looked over to see some sort of scale covered figure tussling with the Behemoth, weakly trying to sit up, leaning against the wall.

"Celestia damn it, Spike."

Рев

Roar.

Silver shot upwards, a half eaten bar in his grip, his eyes searching the darkness of the little alcove they ate in, having to rest after their near constant run. Meteor drank from her canteen, before looking at Silver, seeing him look around, the younger earthblood silently pulling her pistol out, watching the darkness with her leader. Steel and Stone were eating together, and Wave was currently taking a leak near some minecarts, whilst Bright stared into the tunnel behind them, her flashlight and weapon aimed towards the direction they last saw The Lizard.

"See something, sir?" Meteor whispered towards Silver, who squinted into the darkness.

Silver took a moment to scan the darkness, before leaning back a bit, sighing, "I didn't see anything. Thought I heard Spike for a second."

"You hear Spike? Is he...talking to you?"

"Nope. Remember when Big Mac got hurt by that bat thing?" Silver mumbled out, taking a bite out of his bar, then taking a swig from his water. Meteor sat for a moment, before nodding, making Silver sigh, "I didn't exactly tell you what happened to him, did I?"

"What happened to Big Mac?"

"No, I mean, Spike." Silver adjusted in his seat, taking a swig from his canteen, before staring off into the tunnel ahead. "When Big Mac was hurt, Spike...changed. He turned scaly, had claws, was roaring instead of talking. Thought I heard the same roar."

Meteor studied Silver for a.moment, before resting her hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze, "Don't worry, Silver, we'll find him." Meteor patted his shoulder

This time, the roar was much louder, making the group shoot up and aim down the tunnel, food forgotten as they stared. Wave zipped himself up, before aiming towards the noise, weapon unsteady for a moment before righting itself. The group sat in silence for a moment, before Silver nodded to Stone, who pulled a flare out. She threw it down the stone hallway, the group waiting whilst the blinding red light sat there.

Stone turned to Silver, giving a grunt, "When is it gonna attack?"

The distant, but still loud, sound of gunfire echoed down the tunnel, Silver standing up, giving a glare against the red. He turned back, looking at the group, "The Tartarus are ya waiting for? An invitation?" He started jogging forward, Meteor and Silver sharing a look, before following the man down the tunnel.

Wave hung back a moment, only to lift his foot, realizing he stepped in his own piss whilst scrambling for cover. "Celestia damn it..." He followed the group after, grumbling to himself about his new boots already being dirty.

The Behemoth flew backwards, the scale covered beast on top of it. It raised its armored bracer, the beast biting into it and dragging the Behemoth along. Its tail thwacked the Queen out of the way, who gave a muffled grunt as she flew back onto a Diamond Dog, multiple people screaming in shock and fear as the two silhouettes fought. The Diamond Dogs around their raised their weapons and fired into the scale covered beast, though, if it noticed the hot lead, it made no movement towards them, dragging the Behemoth along and smashing it into a wall.

Cherry ran over to the beaten Storm, giving a wince as she heard roars and gunfire in the background. "Why'd ya have ta get caught?!"

Storm, one of her eyes swollen shut and through raspy, pained breath, only joked, "What can I say? She looked like Spike's type." She chuckled, only to give an agonized wince, reaching for her ribs. Yup. One of them was definitely broken.

Scratch that, more than one was definitely broken.

"You should really not be making jokes in your condition." The male guard spoke, only to look at the creature that smashed the Behemoth through a wall, screeching in anger. "What's up with the lizard?"

"Tartarus if I know, but it saved our gals life, so it gets an okay in mah book."

"It's Spike." Storm rasped out, making the group look at her.

"What was that? Ah thought you said that thing was sweet, little, ol Spike." Cherry asked, making Storm grasp her hand a bit.

"When Big Mac got hurt by some...thing up there -" Storm coughed up some blood, then spat some out, looking back at Cherry, "- Spike nearly tore the thing apart. Turned into a legit dragon and -"

"Enough of the story, we need to get you out of here, now." The guard said, helping Cherry pick her up.

They started to walk away, only to be blocked as the Behemoth was thrown into the wall, slumping against it, rocks falling around the fallen warrior. Cherry turned to see the scale covered beast come their way. Cherry gave a soft look as it turned its attention to them, opening up its mouth to hiss threateningly.

"Okay Spike, ya already won the fight. C'mon now, gotta help ya gal." Cherry called to the beast, a hole opening up in her gut as she stared at the beast. "Spike? Ya in there?"

The beast was silent, raising its clawed hand, the female guard taking aim. "Spike! Calm down! You are suffering from adrenaline, just back up and listen!"

The creatures hand came flying downwards, ready to bisect the woman in front of it. In fact, it would have done so, were it not for the fact that the creature was suddenly blasted by green flames, the fire dancing across its chest. It screamed in agony and fell backwards, another blast of green flames hitting its side, the creature twirled around, trying to put out the flames.

The group looked towards the source, seeing Spike, whose hands were now claws and arms scale covered. His face was half covered in scales, his canines much sharper as he inhaled again, his tail whipping around behind him as his chest expanded. He then let loose another stream of flames, the Lizard screeching in agony, before scrambling away on all fours, trying to get away from the threat.

Spike jumped and landed in front of the group as the Lizard finally turned towards the group, putting itself out. Its face, arms, and chest were covered in blackened, burnt scales, its tail was a much brighter color or greys, blacks and whites than the rest of its body. It opened its tegu like face to hiss at Spike, though made not movements to come towards him.

Spike inhaled, then let a roar come from his gut, steam spilling from his mouth as he stood in front of the others, his tail whipping around aggressively as he stood there. The Lizard made no movement towards them, only staring at Spike. Spike took a step towards it, making it stand up and hiss threateningly, though Spike only rumbled back, staring unflinchingly at the Lizard.

A rock clacked, making both of them look, a Diamond Dog lifting its foot up, giving the duo a look. The Lizard roared and ran towards the group of Diamond Dogs, who scrambled and started firing towards the Lizard, who threw one of the Dogs over its shoulder and into a wall, luckily missing the group. The Queen stood up, looking over to Spike and the others, then back to her soldiers, silent as she watched them fight the Lizard.

She slowly pulled her sword out, bringing it up and pointing it to Spike, before slowly pointing it back at the civilians behind her. The threat was clear. She would kill them, unless Spike came to her. Spike glared at her, his scales slowly shifting back into skin, his pupils still slits as he glared at her. He turned to look at Cherry, who gave him a soft gaze, Storm groaning a bit as she closed her eyes, mumbling something incoherent.

"Get Storm to safety." Spikes tone made Cherry stare, though Spike didn't even look back, his eyes filled with a fury she had never seen in the boy before. She watched as the dragonblood walked over to the Queen, who twirled her sword around, before stabbing it into the dirt, her helmet peering at him. "So...you followed me?" The Queen only nodded in reply, making Spike look towards the Diamond Dogs firing at the poor Lizard, it screeching in pain as it crushed another dog underneath its foot, blood flying outwards as it clawed another in half. "Looks like your dogs need help."

The Queen spared them a glance, only to look back at Spike, saying nothing for a moment. She then sighed a bit, then snapped her fingers, the living wall that was Behemoth slowly stood up, shaking to get the rocks off itself, before walking over to the Queen. She looked over at the Behemoth, inspecting her armor, seeing large dents across its body, before giving a sigh, before making a movement with her hand.

The Behemoth nodded, before giving a bark out, the other Diamond Dogs finally joining their pack mates, firing at the Lizard, making the creature walk back, bullets peppering its tough hide.

"My Right Hand here thinks you are too weak. Though, she did not see you like I did all those years ago." Spikes eyebrow raised, resting his hand on his Snapper, ready to draw it at a moments notice. The Queen tilted her head to the side, staring down at Spike, before speaking, "You don't remember? I do. If I recall correctly, it was your...birthday, was it not?"

Spike froze, before his pupils constricted into slits, he made a move forward, the Behemoth matching it, though the Queens hand started glowing orange, dragging a young boy over. The boy screamed to his father as orange magic enveloped his legs, being dragged towards the Queen, he was brought to the Queens feet, her blade inches from his neck, making Spike bristle at the sight.

"Let him go." Spike slowly ordered, a low growl filling each word, making them drip with venom. Any other man or woman would have instantly obeyed. At least, the sane ones would.

The Queen, however, continued speaking, "I was only a visitor to your town. After all, it was Ponyville! The place where the Elements of Harmony brought back our Goddess, Luna, from the darkness. The town where the God of Chaos was thwarted. The town where heroes seem to be magically grown! I was there, a simple visitor, looking for a new job." The Queen admitted, before giving a soft chuckle. "Now, Spike, tell this young man what you did."

Spike gave a low growl, before snorting out some smoke, "I...I lost control."

The Queen gave a laugh, one that set Spikes instincts ablaze with danger and fear. Spike could just tell she was smiling under that helmet, and it made his skin crawl. "You did much more than that, my dear boy." She took her sword out, resting it against the young childs cheek, hearing sobs come from the boy, tears streaming down the boys face. "You turned into a dragon that day. A real one. Strong, powerful, able to take out some of the best fliers of our time like they were nothing but gnats! And you, my dear Spike, did all of that before you grew your first chest hair." The Queen took a moment to stare at Spike, before humming softly, "Though, you are much younger than I first expected. Still, you must think about it all the time. After all, you, Spike, did more damage to the town than most others did! Even Discord himself kept damage minimal."

"That was -" Spike stopped himself, then gritted his teeth, clenching his hand into a fist. "That was a long time ago."

"No time at all, for a dragon."

Spike stood there, before looking at the child at the Queens foot, orange magic enveloped the boy as he stared up at Spike, eyes wide and filled with tears. "What do you want?"

The Queen spared a glance at the Behemoth, before looking back at Spike, replying as if it were a well known fact, "I want you, Spike."

Cherry watched the exchange happen through a window, giving a grimace as she saw the Queen threatening her people. She left Bright Lights Snapper out there and mentally kicked herself for it, though she did snag that Diamond Dogs weapon from when they were holding him hostage. She looked over to see the Lizard creature retreating behind a building, Diamond Dogs barking and following it, then sighed through her nose.

"Fuckin dogs." The one guard mumbled out as he watched the door, his weapon aimed at it.

"How is she doin?" Cherry asked, looking at the doctor, who was looking over Storms chest. From what Cherry could tell, the bruising definitely was not good.

The doctor gave a sigh, pulling Storms shirt down, "Few broken ribs. Right arm is definitely broken, left arm has some damage, I can't tell what kind but at least some bruising." He looked over Storms legs, rubbing his cheek, brushing through his beard, "Left leg looks alright, but the right ankle seems to be sprained. Pretty lucky, all things considered."

The female guard gave a grunt, "Having the absolute shit beat out of you is considered lucky?"

"Well, she ain't dead." Cherry mumbled out, staring at Spike and the Queen. "I don't like this. We gotta do somethin ta help Spikey."

Bright Light suddenly sat up and screamed, maming everyone jump, before she grabbed her chest knife, looking around at the group. She stopped when she recognized Cherry, sighing a bit, releasing the knife and sliding it back into its sheath, "So...what did I miss?"

"Spike facing a whole damn army." Storm answered out, trying to sit up, though the doctor gently pushed her back down. "Let me up!"

"You are going nowhere." The doctor ordered, before looking at Bright Light. "That dragon kid is talking to their leader."

"Dragon kid?" Bright Light rubbed her head, then gasped, before grunting, gripping onto her ribs. "Goddesses...feels like I was hit by a carriage."

"Wouldn't be too far off." Cherry mumbled out, before peering out the window. "How's yer aim?"

Bright Light gave a grunt as she stood up, "Better than Storm...wait...why?"

Spike blinked in confusion, staring at the Queen, who stood there patiently, the boy still being held there by her magic, careful not to move as to not cut his own face. The boys father was held back by his friends, tears streaming down his face as he was calling out for his boy to remain calm and that everything would be okay. The distant sound of gunfire echoed in Spikes ears as he stared at the Behemoth and the Queen, his mind quietly snuffling out the flame of his anger as he finally processed those words.

"I-I'm sorry, I must have been hit by some debris when you blew up the gate. Did you just say you want me?" The Queen nodded in reply, making Spike step back a little bit. "Why do you need me?! I'm just...I'm just Spike! I'm not worth all this trouble! I'm not worth all these lives!"

The Queen only lifted a hand up, making the Behemoth chuckle a bit as it cracked its knuckles. The Queen slowly pulled the boy up with her magic, grasping onto the back of his neck, lifting the boy up. The boy cried fresh tears, his dirty cheeks having trails left by the tears, staring at Spike, who held his hands up.

"We don't need to do this. Just put him down and we can walk away from this."

"No." The Queen tightened her grip, making the boy stop squirming. "My Right Hand here is going to test you. If you survive, then you will be mine, Spike."

Spike looked over to see the Behemoth drop its mace, making Spike raise an eyebrow. He sighed, then looked back towards the Queen, "And what if I walk away?"

"We both know you won't do that." The Queen gave a soft hum, before squeezing the boys throat, making Spike growl, a noise loud enough to make ones chest vibrate, "Let's say, hypothetically, you did walk away. I would let you, and so would my pack here." She then lifted her sword up, pointing it towards the group of people behind her, "However, I would let my pack fire on them. After all...they need the meat."

Spike glared at her, before slowly pulling his snapper out, using all of his strength to not snap it in his hand. He tossed it off to the side, before unbuckling his sweeper and boomstick, tossing them off to the side along his snapper. The Behemoth walked over, rolling its shoulders, it made a move to remove its helmet, before Spike held his hand up.

"Keep it on." Spike said, before cracking his knuckles, giving a growl of anger as he stared the Behemoth down. "So I don't break your jaw when I hit it."

Now, about our fighters. Spike himself was a dragonblood, known for digging and eating gems, he has a natural strength advantage over the Behemoth, despite being half of its size. Despite this, Spike knew not to grow cocky, as it was a Diamond Dog, a big one. It may not be as strong as him, but it was still strong, and it definitely had the height advantage over him, not to mention the armor. Spike looked the creature up and down, before taking a stance, the Behemoth doing the same.

Spike inspected the creatures armor, seeing the multiple dents and bite marks, before seeing the Behemoths right arm, seeing exposed flesh in the Lizards bite mark, making Spike snort out smoke. He stopped, as did the Behemoth, both of them staring each other down. The Behemoth made its move, smashing its fist into Spike - or, rather, where he was, as he dodged last moment, then struck into the Behemoths chestplate, making it dent a bit. The Behemoth swung its arm back, Spike dodging under the arm, striking where the armor protected the kidney.

Spike duck under another swing, though didn't expect its other fist to follow it, feeling it smash into his chest. He gave a strangled sound as his breath left his body, being thrown a good few meters away as he rolled. He slowly held himself up, his ears ringing as he coughed, trying to feed his starved lungs. He was smashed by the Behemoths fist once again, being sent into the ground, before he was picked up by the Behemoth. It smashed him into the nearest wall (the same one it was in not even a few moments ago), then threw him across the way into another, cracking the wall and making Spikes head spin.

He got up, before ducking under a punch that cracked the wall behind him, smashing his fist into the Behemoths damaged bracer. His body, reacting on fight or flight, hands turning into claws as he pulled his hand back. The result was blood spilled, the Behemoth howling in pain as his claws slides into its arm. Spikes claws didn't stop there, as he gripped onto the armor and tugged the armor off, leaving its bulky, fur covered arm free, blood dripping from from the fresh claw wounds. He kicked into its chest piece, denting it further, before slashing across the Behemoths helmet, icy blue eyes staring at the the boy.

Spike smashed his fist into the creatures helmet, making it stumble, making Spike kick its leg, making the Behemoth fall onto its knee. Spikes claws smashed into its shoulder, the boy giving a roar as he ripped off some armor, his fists becoming scale covered as he smashed his fists into the the downed beast. He punched, clawed, and ripped off bites of armor, before feeling the Behemoth grunt at each strike. He reached up, his claws ready to strike, before he spotted it.

Their eyes. Filled with fear.

Spike paused, seeing those eyes, his claws shifting back to hands, and the Queen gave a whistle, making the Behemoth react. It slashed into Spikes armor, before grabbing him and throwing him through the wall. Spikes body flew through the first wall, into the second, and out the third when he smashed into a dining room table, slowing him down. He finally fell backwards, through the table, giving a cough and a groan in agony

He winced, looking down to see three jagged claw marks across his side. He put his hand there, feeling something wet, then pulled his hand back, seeing his own blood. He blinked, his head spinning as he looked up, seeing a shape walking towards him, his vision blurry, confused as he recognized the shape, "T...Twilight?" He shook his head, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

"Spike! You're hurt!"

Spike gave a groan, before looking back up, seeing Twilights silhouette against the harsh light. "Yeah." He hissed as he grasped his side. "Fuck."

"Spike, language!"

"Sorry Twi." Spike leaned back as he looked up at her. Rather, he silhouette, then gave a soft smile. "I'm afraid I'm not gonna keep my promise."

"A promise? What promise?" Twilight sat next to him, making Spike sit back up, giving a grunt.

"I...I wanted to find you and the girls. I promised I would find you guys." Spike mumbled out to her, before looking back at her, eyes brimming with tears. "I don't wanna kill anyone...but it seems like I will have to if I have to beat this guy."

"However, if you do, then you won't be Spike anymore." Twilight finished for him, making him nod. She sat there for a moment, before brushing her hand across his cheek. Her touch was cool, but it brought him comfort, making him lean into it. "Do you remember when you had your Greed Growth?"

"Every single day." Spike admitted, cringing as he felt his side flare in pain.

"Do you remember what brought you back?"

Spike thought for a moment, before giving a soft smile, ignoring his aching side, looking at Twilight, "Rarity."

"And what made you save the Crystal Heart?"

"The thought of losing you."

"And what made you save everyone at the Equestria Games?!"

"You guys being hurt!"

"Exactly." Twilight cupped his cheek, then planted a soft kiss on his forehead, giving a smile, "Spike, you have always had a good heart. No matter what happened, what we did to you or each other, you were always there for us. And I know you'll find us without losing yourself."

"Thanks Twi...you always know what to say."

"I sure hope so! It would be bad if I became a princess and I had no clue what I was talking about!" Twilight stood back up, giving a smirk. "Now, this thing just beat on my little brother, so you'll pardon my language, but you better show this son of a bitch how hard you can punch!" Spike stared slack jawed, making Twilight smile and rub the back of her head, embarrassed. "Sorry."

Spike only chuckled, ignoring the pain, then closed his eyes, leaning his head back, "I missed you." He looked up, only to see Twilight was gone, shaking his head. "Man, getting visions now...hope I'm not going crazy."

He heard the loud thumps of boots, looking up to see the Behemoth looking at Spike, making him smile at the clawed up pieces of armor.

"Just so you know..." Spike gave a smile as he walked toward the Behemoth. "I just had a talk with my sister. She told me to, and I am paraphrasing here, knock your bitch ass out."

Обозленный

Pissed off.

That was the one phrase that summed up Silver, staring at the blocked off passage. He saw an opening, barely large enough to fit a baby, at the top, making him clench his jaw, before checking his bracer, seeing it only click once in awhile. He set it down, then sighed as he looked back at the group, currently inspecting the walls around them, before tapping his mask, pulling it out and walking backwards a bit, giving a grunt as he made up his mind. "We'll have to blow it."

Meteor and Steel immediately stared at Silver, before glancing towards each other, "Sir...are you sure that is a wise decision?" Meteor asked, walking over to the scarred man.

"Yeah, the whole tunnel could collapse on us." Steel voiced his immediate concern out, before inspecting the walls. "Not to mention that we have no clue what's on the other side."

Bright Flare walked over, peering at the wall, "This is the only way through." Bright Flare pointed out, inspecting the rubble around them. "Unless you guys want to fight that thing whilst backtracking."

Wave quietly mumbled to Stone, "I don't know which is worse; that Lizard or Silver looking for Spike."

"At least the Lizard just wants to eat us..." Stone whispered back, both chuckling as they watched the group talk.

Everyone had failed to notice, however, that the rocks at the top started moving, continuing on with their discussion. They did, however, notice when the rock wall started to crack loudly, boulders falling away, cutting their conversation off. In an instant, the group ran back to some overturned minecarts, taking cover and aiming towards the wall, watching it shift and shake, almost as if it were an animal coming alive. The wall continued shaking as Silver readied his magic, lighting up his hand, sweat pouring down his forehead as he held his hand a bit.

Stone and Meteor shared a look, whilst Wave calmed his shaking hands down, trying to aim straight, Steels eyes narrowing a bit as his wings tucked themselves behind his back. Flare peered down her sights, giving a soft breath out as she stared at the rocks. They keep tumbling down as booms echoed out, the team giving a glare as they watched the rocks tumble down, hearing a roar echo out from the top of the pile.

"That sounds familiar." Silver mumbled out, peering out. "Spike?!" He called out, making the thunderous booms stop, slowly standing up, though not taking his weapon off the rubble. "Kid, if that's you, you better say so!" The magic died in his hand, finally giving the mans body some relief.

Silence.

It unnerved the group, Silver slowly kneeling back down and taking aim.

Suddenly, the rock wall exploded outwards, snow and ice flooding into the tunnel, a boulder the side of Steels torso missing Silvers head by an inch, making the silver haired man flinch. Their bracers started screaming in the clicking language, all of the group panicking and trying to fit on their masks as icy cold wind blasted over them. They were in the middle of drawing their weapons, but alas, the scaly Lizard was upon them in a second. Silvers eyes widened as he readied his magic, seeing the Lizard rush towards him.

It was too late.

Or, it would have been, had it not been for the fact the Lizard, heavily injured and bleeding, ran right past them, a trail of blood following it. Wave was nearly crushed in the escape, had the Lizard not stumbled last second and smashed into a stone wall. It continued down the hall, giving a roar that mimicked Spikes as it scrambled away. The team didn't need to be told anything as they twirled back around to see a group of Diamond Dogs, approximately five of them, running in, weapons raised, the snow and frost hitting them.

Silver raised his weapon, ready to fire, his breath coming out as steam, then yelled, "Drop 'em!"

The Dogs complied. Well, sort of.

The first Diamond Dog started coughing, then choking, falling to its hands and knees as it breathed in the poisonous air from the upper world. The second started coughing, trying not to fall like its friend, only to lean against the wall and start vomiting. The third and fourth shivered from the cold air and fell down, already out of breath, whilst the fifth fired randomly, blinded by the snow and ash, shooting its third friend and instantly killing him, ending his friends suffering. The fifth finally fell, firing a few shots from his rifle, hitting the wall next to Meteor, who took cover immediately as dust fell onto her.

Silver and his team, wearing armor, warm clothing and gas masks, were prepared the moment the Lizard blitzed past them. The Diamond Dogs, being a ground dwelling species and not up to the surface often, were woefully unprepared for the poison that hit their bodies and entered their lungs. Silver looked at Meteor, who was already vaulting over her cover and running towards one of the Diamond Dogs. She tugged the first one by its armored shoulders, Silver jumping over to help her, dragging the beast out of the snow and further down the tunnel.

The others followed suit, Stone dragging the largest of the group out of the hole and into the tunnel. They kept going until they could no longer feel the biting cold, the Geiger counter on their wrists going quiet, they finally set the four sick, though still living, Dogs down. Silver inspected each other them, only to grumble out something to himself, muffled through his gas mask.

"Sir?"

"Well...I would ask for information, but I believe our friends here already showed us the way."

Steel looked at Meteor, who shrugged, then back towards Silver, "How so, sir?"

"Well, that Lizard over there used another way to get ahead of us." Silver pointed out, before pointing the direction the Lizard ran down. "That is the same beast we fought before, and its tail has already grown back." He then looked back towards the tunnel, seeing snow and ash pile in on the dead Diamond Dog, giving a hum through his mask. "Seeing as we haven't seen these Dogs and they are attacking the Lizard, it is safe to assume they have occupied the next town and may have already found our missing teammates." Silver then looked back at them, barking out, "Which means we gotta quit screwing around and double time it, people!"

The Queen watched dust come out of the wall, waiting a few more moments, before humming out loud. She pulled the child closer, ignoring his sobs as she scanned the building in front of them. The sounds of metal being smashed echoed out, along with the cracking of walls and destruction of furniture. She suddenly turned to Rover, who gave her a glare, which she ignored, and spoke, "Get your pack ready. We might be having meat after all." Rover grinned, turning to his pack mates, opening his mouth to bark an order, only to be stopped by a strange sound.

Metal smashing against rock.

They turned to see the Behemoth trying to get up, its armor smashed in, clawed and dented. Blood was dripping from its arm, its helmet was slightly dented, its right leg armor being an unrecognizable slab of clawed, broken metal, and the right side of its chest piece, already weakened by the Lizard fight before, was ripped damn near to tearing.

The Queen then looked over to see Spike, whose face had some light bruising and scrapes. His right side, which she could wee due to the angle he took whilst stepping out, was clawed into and bloody, though Spike gave no pause to it. Spike only pulled his knife out, blowing a green stream of flame onto it, heating the blade up in front of everyone, then walked towards the Behemoth, who was trying to get back up. He kept blowing his flame onto the blade, the Behemoth seeming to be panicked as it tried, and failed to get up.

The Queen hummed in approval, watching Spike, gently setting the child down, though still holding onto him. Rover gave a sneer, then said, "Looks like Humies were right to cower behind lazy lizard."

Spike looked over at Rover, snorting some smoke, then stood in front of the Behemoth, who sat still, watching Spike. Spike turned to the Behemoth, the orange blade in his hand, glaring down at her, his pupils slits as he inspected his work. He could see the claw marks on her shoulder, arm, and side were bleeding, and he could see icy blue eyes onside of the creatures helmet, though not much else.

"Go on." The Queen called out, making Spike glance at her, before the Queen continued, "Finish her off, and then we can continue on with our deal."

Spike turned back towards the Behemoth, before reaching down, gripping onto his blade a bit more as he inspected her. The Behemoth tried grabbing for a rock, only to stop when it heard a sound from Spike; a deep rumble that made the Behemoths chest vibrate, the noise causing a rock fall down and noisily clank on her helmet, though the Behemoth made no indication it even heard or felt the rock.

"Your name?" The Behemoth blinked up at him, confused, which must have happened for awhile, as Spike held the knife up, though not in a threatening manner, still orange and hot, "What is your name?"

The Behemoth thought for a moment, staring up at the dragon blood, dumbfounded, its mind filled with curiosity and trepidation. It opened its mouth, a weak voice coming out of the armor, a single word that would have shocked most people. Well, it would have shocked them anyway, as the Behemoth never actually spoke to anyone other than the Queen.

"Lily."

If Spike himself was shocked, he made no physical show of it. A female Diamond Dog. Spike can't recall if he ever saw one, much less met one, so, he simply adjusted his seat and inspected her shoulder cut, which was leaking blood.

"Okay, Lily, I need to take off your helmet to see if I injured anything. You are losing a lof of blood, though, so I am going to have to use this knife to close off some of your heavier wounds." Spike spoke as if Twilight herself was possessing him. Lily sat there, slack jawed at Spikes behavior. Spike reached for her helmet, only for Lily to grab Spikes hand, making him stare at her.

"I-if you try anything, lizard -"

"If I wanted to do anything, I would have done it by now." Spike cut her off, staring down at Lily. Lily stared back at Spike, giving his arm a soft squeeze, before letting go, sighing a bit. He was right, and she knew it, though she didn't like it. Spike grasped her helmet and gently tugged it off, seeing the rather...well, beautiful looking face of the Behemoth. As far as Diamond Dogs went, anyway.

Her face reminded Spike of a jackal, though perhaps those depicted on the walls of ancient Egypt. Her face has some scars on it, and her fur was cut short. Luckily, there were no new injuries that Spike could see, making him nod to her, then saying, "This will hurt, but I need to press this knife against your shoulder, you are bleeding far too much." He made a moment, only to stop and look into Lily's eye, "Don't hit me."

Lily nodded, before pulling some sort leather straps out and biting into it, readying herself. Spike waited, then pressed the blade against Lily's shoulder, making her give a muffled whine, gripping her paws into fists. Spike pulled it away, before scooting over, pressing the blade against her shoulder again, making her scream this time, the smell of burnt flesh and fur almost made Spike lose his lunch, though he continued on until the wound was properly sealed.

Whilst the Queen watched, Rovers hackles raised, watching the Queen. He turned to a packmate, giving a quiet bark, making him nod and walk around the Queen, pretending to check over the civilians. Spike and the Queen didn't react to this, though Lily perked an ear up, giving a muffled whine as Spike finished sealing her wound, watching Rover with a wary eye.

"Okay, now I need to remove your chest armor." Spike stopped, before gaining a soft blush, "You are...uh...wearing clothes under this, right?" Lily nodded, making Spike remove her chest armor, before inspecting the claw marks he left in her side, giving a grimace. "Sorry." Lily looked up at him, making Spike sigh, "I didn't want to do this to you."

Spike stood up, his knife now cooling down, before looking at the Queen, finally saying, "I defeated her. You let them go."

The Queen stood there for a moment, before looking at Lily, her icy voice filled with curiosity, "Why did you not kill her?" Her grip kept the boy there, before her helmet turned back towards Spike. "You had the perfect chance to end her life there. Why did you not take it?"

"I'm not like you." Spike crossed his arms, giving a growl as he saw Rover step up behind the Queen, along with the other Dog, their weapons raised towards Spike. "I won't kill her. It's not who I am."

The Queen inspected Spike for a moment, before letting the boy go, who, instead of running towards his father, ran towards Spike and his behind him, holding onto his hip. Spike reacted instantly, gently resting his hand on the boys head, though pushing him back a bit, behind Spike, as if to afford for some sort of protection.

"You are hurt." The Queen pointed towards the cuts on the dragonbloods side, "Why did you not heal yourself the same way?"

"It won't work on me, I'm a dragon."

"Indeed you are."

Spike blinked, giving her a confused look. Was that...a purr in her voice?

"So...you'll let them go?"

The Queen then turned her head to see Rover, "Yes, we had a deal. We will release the prisoners, in exchange for you."

Rover gave her a surprised look, then snarled out a loud, "WHAT?!" The Queen only tilted her head Rovers direction, not quite looking at him. "YOU PROMISED MEAT!"

"No. I didn't." The Queen spoke, gently gripping onto the handle of her sword with both hands, Spike backing up a bit, his tail curling around the boy protectively, pushing him into Spikes armor, so he wouldn't see. "I said you could have them if he didn't meet expectations." The Queen turned back towards Spike, then continued, "And, as far as I am concerned, Spike surpassed them. So, he will join me."

"...Of course, Humie picks little dragon boy." Rover snarled out, raising his weapon, the Dog next to him doing the same, aiming towards the Queen, "Pack will not follow a false leader! Rover will -" Rover snarled out, before an orange glow grasped both him and his packmate.

In an instant they were flung forward, the Queen raising her sword and twirling on her foot, using both arms and twisting her body to add more force into her swing, then decapitated both Rover and the other Dog in one move. A third Dog, in the crowd, suddenly twirled forward, finger on the trigger, though the back of its skull exploded outward, a hol in its forehead as a crack rang out, making the Queen twirl back around, blade soaked in blood as Rovers body finally fell in front of Spike, who held onto the boy tighter with his tail. A fifth and six Dog fell backwards with cracks echoing out, a seventh taking cover and aiming around, only for the Queen to use her magic to pull the Dog forward, using him as a shield as more cracks echoed out, before the Queen threw the Dog down and twirled her sword around, her emotionless helmet staring where the shots rang out.

Rovers head finally rolled in front of Spike, making him glare at the Queen, who twirled her sword around, blocking another bullet, which ricocheted off of the blade, burying inyo the ground near the boys father, making him back up, Spike looking backwards and putting his fingers in his mouth, a shrill whistle echoing out.

The Queen waited for another shot, though none came, scanning the buildings around her, blood filling her foot prints as she inspected them. She suddenly flung her blade, blood flying off of it as she stared back at Spike, "Friends of yours?"

Bright Light got off the roof she was on, gripping onto her ribs and grunting, handing Cherry back her weapon. "Bitch has moves. Can't get a good shot on her, she's too fast." Bright Light spoke, before leaning on Cherry for support.

"Well, we bought Spike a chance. Hopefully, the kid can use it." Cherry mumbled back, making Bright Light smile.

"So, tell me again how you met Spike."

Spike turned back towards Rovers head, before giving the Queen a glare, "You want me to join you?" Spike then pointed to the dead Diamond Dogs around her. "It seems like your leadership leads to nothing but death and betrayal."

The Queen looked at the dead on the ground, before humming softly, "I suppose you have a point there." She looked back at Spike, before sheathing her sword. "Very well, Spike," A shiver ran down Spikes back as she purred his name out. "I shall clean up my own forces...before I come back for you." She snapped her fingers, Lily coming out of the rock pile that was once a wall, walking over, giving Spike a soft look from her icy blue eyes. "Grab the others, and take the dead. We'll need to meat." Lily put her helmet on, nodding, before giving Spike one last glance, then howling into the air.

"And the prisoners?"

"Free." The Queen answered, Lily giving the Queen a look. "Though, I cannot promise all of them are unharmed."

"I think we can live with a few scrapes and bruises." Spike glared at her, his hand squeezing into a fist. "Leave the bodies of our own. We'll need to bury them."

"Very well. Come, my Right Hand." She started to walk away, only to look back at Spike, saying, "We shall meet again, Spike Sparkle."

"Wait, how do you -"

The sound of howls cut Spike off, Lily grasping Rovers body, and the other traitor that had been beheaded in the one blow, slinging them over one shoulder. Lily then looked back at Spike, her blue eyes staring into his green ones, before giving a motion with her hand - likely one of respect - and then walked away, Spike glaring at the Queen as she walked away.

The child was about to pull himself out to peak, only to be scooped up by Spike, who pressed the childs face into a softer part of his chest, thankfully missing the pockets, and gave a soft sigh. "Trust me, buddy, you really do not want to open your eyes. Just keep them closed until your dad tells you to open them, okay?" Spike peered back at the Queen and Lily, his eyes narrowed at them.

Too many questions, not enough answers. Spike felt like Twilight.

Once Lily and the Queen walked far enough into the tunnel, Lily gave a soft whine as she looked backwards, giving a glance to the broken gates her fellow Dogs were walking down. The Queen gave Lily a look, before giving the hulking lady a gentle squeeze. "Do not worry, my Right Hand, he surpassed even my expectations." The Queen stopped for a moment, then looked back at the Dogs. "Кажется, что Дракон может наслаждаться более чем одним драгоценным камнем." The Queen suddenly said, making Lily smile under her helmet.

Thirty minutes later.

Spike sat inside a medical tent, bandages wrapped around his side, his armor was off and his shirt was off as well. Thankfully, Spike was too busy looking over Storm, who was resting on a bed next to him, not noticing the looks multiple women (and some men) were giving him. He sighed a bit, before looking over at Bright Light, giving a soft smile as he saw her lying there, bandages wrapped around the womans chest and shoulder.

"So, how are you feeling?"

Bright Light groaned, then sat up a bit, wincing a bit as she looked over to Spike, "Like I need a drink."

Spike gave a laugh, before hissing, gripping onto his side, "Fuck..."

"Language."

"Sorry."

Spike sat there for a moment, before seeing Bright Light peer at Storm, "Think she'll be okay?"

Spike chuckled, "She's tough. I am more worried about Silver and the others right now."

Bright Light examined Spike for a moment, before smiling, "No, you aren't." Spike looked at her, confused, "You're thinking of Twilight."

Spike sat there, stunned, before giving an embarrassed smile, "That obvious, huh?"

"You seemed...different before the fight. After, you seemed pretty sure of yourself." Bright Light hissed as she adjusted, before giving Spike a knowing smile, "So...you find the truth?"

"In a way." Spike grunted as he stood up, looking at Bright Light as he grasped his shirt, pulling it on. He looked back at Storm, before back at Bright Light, clipping his armor on, then finally his jacket, adjusting his cracked mask onto his chest armor. "I know Twilight is out there."

"So...what are you waiting for?"

Spike looked back at Bright Light, before giving a fanged smile, "Look after her, will you?"

"I'll have her in bed by eight. Pizza on the counter?"

Spike gave a groan, then rubbed his belly, "Don't joke about that, I would kill for some pizza right now." Spike pulled his weaponry back onto his body, clipping his weaponry on. He inspected his knife, before sliding his knife back into his sheath. "Good luck, Bright Light."

"You better find those girls, Spike."

Spike opened the flap, then looked back at Bright Light, giving a soft smile, "You know me. I'm too stubborn to give up." He walked out of the tent to see Cherry Jubilee standing there, giving him a look. "Gonna walk me home?"

"Somethin like that." Cherry started walking with him, looking around the damage caused by the Diamond Dogs. "More so makin sure no more nasty surprises hit ya "

Spike gave her a soft look, before peering back at the gate, currently being repaired by some people, guards pointing their weapons down the tunnel, in case any more surprises started showing up. "Sorry for all this trouble I've caused."

Cherry sighed, before looking at Spike, then sighing softly as they made it up to the gate. "As far as I'm concerned, this is that bitches fault, not yers." Cherry looked at him, before crossing her arms, speaking, "Spike, ya mind if I ask you somethin?" Spike only quirked an eyebrow, about to open his mouth, when Cherry held a hand up, making him stop. "No, I'm not gonna ask ya out. Not exactly mah type."

"Just checking."

"Though, I do hear you have a thing for ladies with cowboy hats."

"I shouldn't have told Bright Light that story."

They both shared a chuckle, though Cherry stopped and sighed a bit, rubbing the back of her neck, "I would ask ya ta stay, maybe relax a bit more, but I see that fire in yer eyes. I won't make ya stay.." Spike shook his said, making her sigh, before she leaned leaned up a bit and gave Spike a kiss on the cheek, making Spike give a surprised blush. "Just make sure ya get back in one piece when ya find those girls."

Cherry started walking away, making Spike quirk an eyebrow, before calling out, "Hey, what is your type?"

Cherry turned back, then gave a smirk, "Come back wit a Stetson and a beard, then we'll talk." She called back, before walking away from Spike and back towards the front gate. After all, they needed all the guns they could spare.

Spike shook his head, before looking back at the opened back gate in front of him, chuckling at the woman, before looking back at the tunnel in front of him, sighing. He started to walk through, only to feel a pinch at the back of his skull, making him shiver. He twirled around, hand on the grip, scanning around him. Seeing nothing, he decided to continue walking, slowly pulling his knife out with his snapper, hitting the door close button with his tail.

As keen as Spikes eyes were, he would not have seen the current watchers; two pure black figures. One watched Spike, before turning to the other, making a motion with its hand, disappearing, whilst the other watched Spike. The figure sighed a bit, peering back at the building where Spike had seen "Twilight", then rubbed its hand with its thumb.

"Мне очень жаль, маленький дракон."

Рычать

Snarling.

Silver held his weapon against his chest as he waited in the shadows. His eyes scanned the wall in front of him, before he pressed up against the wall even further, quieting his breathing, though his mask did nothing to help. He kept waiting there, watching the shadows, quietly grasping the hilt of his knife and sliding it out as he heard claws scraping against the stone walls, calming his mind as he waited. A Mutt reared its ugly head, walking around the corner, before stopping right next to Silver, sniffing next to him, making him grasp his knife even tighter getting ready. The beast reared up on its hind legs, looking around, before opening its mouth, saliva spilling out from its jaws.

Only to release a really disgusting sounding sneeze.

It shook its head, then gave a soft whine as it continued walking, its body covered in mange and scars. Silver waited a moment or two, before relaxing, sliding his knife back in to its sheath. He opened the door behind him, giving a nod, before walking out of his hiding place, aiming around, careful not to be caught unaware. Steel followed, his wings tucked behind him as he aimed all around as well, followed by Meteor, Stone, Wave, and Flare.

They waited a moment as Silver knelt down, turning his flashlight on and inspecting the ground, before looking to the right. "A lot of paw prints came this way, but I can't tell what of. Too small to be Mutt prints, too big for an actual dog..."

"Diamond Dogs, maybe." Meteor offered, making Silver srand up, looking back to the right.

"More than a dozen." Silver walked a bit, before kneeling down again, giving a hum of confusion. "I see a boot print, none I recognize, though, so definitely not our boy or girls."

"Is that...blood?"

Silver looked over to see Steel inspecting the ground as well, unclipping his flashlight and pointing it down the hallway, seeing multiple trails of blood lead down the hallway the footprints went down. Silver stood up as Steel clipped his flashlight back onto his chest, before the man gave a soft hum in thought. He looked back towards his group, waving over Wave, who ran forward and stood next to him.

"Wave, you remember which way that we should take, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Let me guess...it is the same way these footprints came from, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Silver stood there for a moment, before brushing his hand through his beard, tracing over the scars for a moment, before asking, "Have you been able to contact home yet?"

Wave shook his head, before leaning in a bit, whispering, "Something is blocking the signal, I can't get through, even though the antenna should be fine."

"I don't like this." Steel mumbled out, shouldering his sweeper, looking all around. "Something feels...cold."

"I noticed that too." Silver mumbled out, before looking back at the others, making a hand movement. They nodded and fell in formation behind him, Silver walking the opposite direction of the footprints, Steel taking up the rear, aiming back down the tunnel.

They kept walking, seeing the blood trail, Steel giving a grunt as he raised his sweeper. He suddenly knelt down, the others taking notice and following his example, before using his magic to summon his spear. He threw it forward, a yelp echoing out, before rushing forward, knife at the ready, pressing it against somethings throat, a strangled sound echoing out as Silver held the blade mere millimeters from the things throat.

"WOAH NOW! SAME TEAM, SAME TEAM!" Silver quirked an eyebrow as he heard the voice, before pulling his knife away, a man grasping his throat, the sleeve of his arm planted into the wall, just missing his forearm. "Sweet Celestia, I just come out here to make sure the Diamond Dogs are gone and I nearly get killed!"

"Sorry, Diamond Dogs?" Silver asked, making the team walk up, keeping an eye out, Steel walking forward and giving the man a confused look.

"Diamond Dogs? Think it's the same ones?"

Silver looked back toward Steel and held a hand up to his bearded chin, humming, "Maybe. That last one said they were looking for...you know."

"Could be a coincidence. The tunnels down here run for miles upon mils, could be another faction." Meteor added, making Silver hum.

"Possible, but I don't think we are that lucky."

The man gave them all an impatient look, before pointing at the spear. "Little help here?"

"Oh, right, sorry." Silver used his hand to rip the spear out, letting it shift into its smaller size and attaching it on his back. "Where did you come from?"

"I'm from the settlement just up ahead, a guard. They sent me down here to make sure no Diamond Dogs were doubling back."

"Diamond Dogs...they wouldn't happen to be looking for someone, would they?"

"Hell if I know, I was knocked out after the fight began."

"Fight?" Stone asked, giving a concerned look.

Silver pointed down the tunnel, giving the man a look, "Come on, walk and talk."

The group started walking, Silver shouldering his sweeper again, giving a look around, "So, about the fight, what happened?"

The man, holding one of the Boomers dropped by a Diamond Dog, a strange looking weapon that seemed to be a mixture of a crossbow and a gun that would load in crystals instead of bolts, raised his weapon a bit as he saw something move in the darkness, though lowered it when it appeared to be some sort of rat, scurrying into a crack in the wall. He then turned to Silver, "Couple of hours ago, we were attacked, but I was knocked out when they blew up the main gates. Used some sort of make shift bomb to blow the gate, attached to one of those monsters. Few of us died, but most were captured alive, as bait."

"Bait for what?" Wave asked, his interest piqued. Had he been in any other situation, his loss of guard would have been disastrous. Luckily, he had multiple team members watching the angles around them. Though, that didn't stop Silver from looking back, quirking an eyebrow, which made Wave shy away and return to formation.

"I dunno, some sorta kid?"

Silver blinked in confusion, "Sorry, you said a kid?"

"Yeah, from what the others tell me." Silver gave a confused hum at that, though the man continued on, "Some sorta...dragon boy." This made the group pause, the guard noticing and looking back at them, confused. "What?"

"Say that again."

"What? Dragon boy?"

Silver turned to Steel, giving a smile, which Steel only chuckled at, though Meteor gave them both a look. Had they forgotten what Silver did to those Diamond Dogs from before? How would they tell Spike? "Any other info you can give us?" Silver asked as they started walking again.

"Cherry Jubilee would know more, she was there. Like I said, I was knocked out during most of it, woke up after in a tent, but the docs gave me a clean bill of health."

A deeper roar echoed through the tunnel, making the group turn around, staring down it.

"We...should probably haul ass, right?" Stone asked, nervous, making Silver nod.

"Double time it, people!"

Spike stared at the door, giving a soft snort of smoke through his nostrils as he saw the broken box that contained the levers he needed. He looked around the room, giving soft grumbles as he inspected the massive frame, before coming back to the box. It was heavily dented, though Spike was able to open it, only to see wires torn out, dim bulbs and a bloody handprint on the inside which has long since dried.

He really hated doors.

Specifically, ones that would not open for him.

Spike pulled his charger out, before setting it down next to him, putting his gloves on and starting to rewire the machine. Now, dragonbloods may be tough, but they can still get hurt by electricity, a tiny Twilight spoke in his mind, though he quickly brushed it away as he plugged in another wire. He pressed a button, waiting for a moment, only to pull his charger from the ground, inspecting the power box for a moment.

The charger he had was usually used to help power his flashlight, though said device was broken at the moment, which made the other function shine through. The cabling and wires he saw in front of him ran on the same design, so he plugged the charger in and started pulling the trigger multiple times, charging the box.

The light flashed at him, Spike peering at the dented doors instructions, trying hard to ignore the bloody handprint on the inside, before flipping some switches upwards, then finally pressing the button, the heavy door in front of him giving a loud, shriek filled sound as it started moving upwards, gears grinding as it raised up. Spike pulled his charger out, then narrowed his eyes as he heard movement on the other side, slowly pulling his sweeper out. He took cover behind a rock and placed his weapon on it, aiming down the hallway, his eyes narrowing.

However, the stench of death made Spike gag, reaching for his gas mask and putting it on, the cracked glass of it meeting him. He noticed a hole on it and adjusted one of his pockets, opening it up to reveal duct tape. He taped across the hole, before breathing in the cleaner air, unable to smell the rotting stench. Now, to a normal human, it may have been strong, but to Spike, a dragonblooded man, it was nearly overpowering. He silently thanked The Doctor for the gas masks, before taking aim again, his eyes going wide at what he saw.

Bodies.

Dozens of them.

All in states of decay, some being clearly scavenged from by animals, others were just burnt husks, some even skeletons. Spike hopped over the boulder, a sick feeling in his stomach as he aimed around, his eyes trailing over the bodies. He could see men, women, and even children, pressed up against the door. He looked to the door and saw the noise he had heard, seeing a body slumped in the doorway, which was slowly closing. Spike backtracked and tugged on the mans clothing, finding it harder not to vomit as the mans arm came off from a tug.

Spike wiped his gloves hand on his pants, to erase the disgusting feeling in his mind. He looked around at the bodies, before giving a soft sigh, muffled through his gas mask. It appeared to be some sort of gas leak that took them all out. A quick, painless death. Many should hope to have such an end, Spike thought to himself as he looked around at all the bodies.

He started to walk forward, trying his hardest not to step on any bodies or bones. He saw that the room had a metal catwalk above, seeing a ladder at the end of the wall leading to it, locked away and broken, spotting a young womans body at the bottom. Spike looked down at a woman, her face sunken in and eyes long gone, making Spike blanch as a rat crawled out of her shirt and scampered off into the darkness, with a piece of meat in its mouth. Spike knelt down, inspecting her body, his anger suddenly reaching a boiling point as he recognized something.

This was no accident. There was a bullet hole in her forehead.

He looked to another body, seeing a mans torso twisted an odd way, bullet holes through his shirt, his blood long since dried and turned brown from decay. He turned to another to see the bodies that were scorched had bullet holes in their legs, and those that had turned into skeletons had broken femurs, showing they could not run before they were burned. He looked to the door on the other side of the hallway, seeing bloody handprints and marks across it, scratch marks from people who tried to escape their torment and pain, only to become the victims one the weapons were aimed at them, and so, their bodies blocked the way. Spikes anger grew and grew, his blood boiling and his throat felt hot, his throat glowing green a bit as he saw the carnage and death around him. He turned, his gaze softening as he spotted something in the corner.

A childs body.

He slowly walked to it, kneeling down, seeing the child grasping something in its arms. He inspected the body for a moment, ignoring the bullet wounds on it, his anger fading into grief as he spotted what he thought he spotted; the childs toy dragon.

Spike slowly rested his hand on the childs head, as if the slightest touch would break the body, before giving a heavy sigh. His heart was filled with sadness and anger, and yet, some small part of him was...happy. Happy? Yes, happy. These people no longer felt pain and, although they had died long before, their suffering had been quick, and now they could no longer be hurt. There was some beauty in that thought, and the fire in Spikes heart reignited, ready to continue on. Spike could only peer out into the mass of bodies, before shaking his head, inspecting the blood covered wall for a moment, before his gaze returned to the small body in the corner, his eyes misting over a bit, before he blinked the tears away. He took a deep breath, his chest expanding in the moment, pulling his mask off, trying to ignore how hot and disgusting the air was, then released a stream on concentrated fire into the bodies. He started breathing more and more fire on the bodies around him, watching as the bodies started to burn, Spike giving out a smoke filled sigh.

The stench was awful, and what was left of the bodies skin and fat caught on fire easily, spreading around the room. Spike shook his head, before looking back at the boys body, Spike gripping onto gis gas mask again, before breathing in, ignoring how disgusting it was to be breathing in all this rot and decay, then breathed another stream of fire, letting it slowly eat at the boy. Once he was satisfied (or, more precisely, the moment he ran out of fuel in his body), he stopped, watching the rooms flames cook the bodies around him.

If Spike was right, then eventually, it would grow so hot in this concealed room that it would cremate these bodies. It wasn't much, but at least Spike could give them the peace they deserved. And he hoped that it was enough for them.

He put his mask back on, the clear air refreshing from the stench of hatred and violence in this room. He let his hands become claws as he pulled his gloves off. He walked over to the ladder, seeing the womans clothes already smoking her skin bubbling from the heat. He swallowed some bile that threatened to come up, then dug his hands into the wall, clambering upwards towards the catwalk, ignoring the whispering around him.

As he clambered upwards, he thought he heard a whisper and stopped, before looking down at the inferno raging below, confused. He saw no moment, and everyone in the room was definitely dead, he didn't smell any living beings in the room since the rat that scampered through a crack in the wall. He blinked, before clambering upwards, the whispering getting louder, though Spike tried to ignore it.

The Geiger counter on his wrist shrieked for a moment as he jumped on the catwalk, the whispering becoming louder and louder as time goes on. He could almost make out voices, though he continued onwards, trying to ignore them. Maybe the others were wrong, maybe he could be affected by radiation, like the rest of them, maybe he was just losing his mind in these tunnels, or - or maybe he could -

"Спасибо."

Spike froze as he heard a voice, before turning around, his eyes going wide at what he saw.

There was no fire. The room was full of silhouettes, there were no bodies, no fire, no smoke, absolutely nothing except these silhouettes. No, not silhouettes. They were black entities...people. They were almost like...Ghosts. The figures were just looking up at him, which sent a shiver down his spine, before he turned to see a small figure right behind him, it held the little stuffed dragon, Spike giving a soft sound as he stared at the apparition. He stopped mid walk and stared at the little Ghost, Spikes weapon forgotten in his hands, before turning around and kneeling down, becoming face to face with the little shadow.

"Wh-what?"

The figures stared at him.

No, the Ghosts stared INTO him. They saw his very being, his very soul, and were judging him. The little one in front of Spike stopped, looked back at the other figures, then turned back to Spike, confusing the young dragon blood. And, for a quick moment, the figure took shape into the boy that Spike had just saw, still holding onto the stuffed dragon. On the little figures face was a soft, sad smile, before it opened its mouth and said one phrase, forever etching them into Spikes memory.

"Thank you."

Spike blinked, and the world returned to normal.

He saw the fire spreading and raging below, Spike standing up and staring for a moment. He turned around, shouldering his sweeper, then walked towards the door, opening it, pausing in the doorway, looking back at the raging inferno he had created. He went through the door after a moment, shutting it behind him. He tore his mask off as soon as the door clicked shut, taking a deep breath of air, just standing there. He felt moisture on his face, before wiping his cheek, giving it a confused look.

Was he...crying?

Spike heard movement down the hall, pressing his sweeper against his shoulder, then silently pressed onward, his tears forgotten in the moment. He started to walk across the catwalk, his draconic eyes peering into the darkness easily. He walked down the stairs, his boots making the stairs groan with each step, before finally reaching the bottom. He looked over to see a hallway with a door deep down it, giving a smoke filled snort, before looking back to see webs covering the hallway behind him, hearing a skitter deep in the darkness. That would explain the noise he heard.

He hated doors. He hated Bugs even more. He better get a move on then.

Silver walked with the guard, giving a grunt as a light shined onto them. The guard raised a hand, the light being turned off as they approached. Guards were watching the group from the destroyed gate, and it seemed people were already back to work rebuilding it. The guards lowered their weapons, one of them sighing and walking forward, rubbing the back of his neck as he saw the approaching group.

"You must be Silver Spear."

The guard held out a hand, which Silver grasped, giving him a handshake, replying, "That I am." The guard that was with them left to grab something to eat. "You wouldn't happen to know where my people are, would you?"

The guard gave a soft look, before looking at the rest of the group, speaking, "Yeah...would...you like to have your people rest up while you meet our leader and see the other two."

'The other two?' Silver thought to himself, before looking at Meteor. "Go get some food and some rest. We'll move out once we are done here."

Meteor just gave Silver a nod and whistled, catching the others attention. Steel and Meteor glanced back at Silver, before continuing on, Steel leaning in close, his wings careful not to hit her, as one sometimes did.

"You think he'll be okay?" Steel asked, making Meteor shake her head.

"He tortured a sapient being back there for information. We don't do that. We need to confront him about that."

"With Spike." Stone butted in, making Steel and Meteor jump a bit.

"With Spike what?" Both Steel and Meteor asked at the same time, making Wave, Stone, and Flare look at the two, quirking an eyebrow.

"You two really need to learn how to whisper." Wave mumbled out, ignoring the looks from curious guards and townspeople.

"Sorry, just...Silver acted so violently when Spike might have...well..." Steel began, before Meteor grunted a bit.

"This isn't the place. Let's grab some food and talk."

Silver Spear, on the other side of the building, followed the guard, slinging his weapon over his shoulder, looking around. His gaze turned into a glare as he saw smashed open doors and walls, with bullet holes in most of the surrounding area, and blood on the floor, before turning back to the guard, saying, "Looks like you guys had one Tartarus of a fight."

"I'll say. That dragon kid knows how to kick ass." Silver quirked an eyebrow at that, though said nothing, walking with the guard. He walked towards a medical tent, before both of them stopped, the guard saying, "She and your two teammates are inside."

Silver smiles, before giving a soft, "Thank you." He walked in, looking around, seeing hurt people lying in bed around him. He saw claw marks being covered on some of the injured people, slowly brushing his hand over his own scars. He walked through, before hearing a familiar voice, smiling, entering through a flap.

"Bright Light! I was so wo -" His voice died in his throat as he saw Bright Light sitting next to the beaten form of Storm. He rushed ober, shoving some poor woman out of the way, giving a shocked noise as he saw Storm, holding a shaking hand out. "S-Storm?" Bright Light looked up, giving a smile, before looking back at Storm, her smile falling, Silver stepping next to her and kneeling down. "What happened to her?"

"Diamond Dogs."

"What'd they beat her with? A freight train?"

Bright Light sighed, only to clutch her ribs, giving a grunt, Silver flashing her a concerned look. She waved him off, before her gaze returned to Storm, "A freight train would have been mercy. Some sort of...big Diamond Dog. It was going to kill her, but Spike..." Bright Light grunted as she gripped her ribs again, making Silver look at her again, resting a hand on her shoulder, making her give him a smile. "Well, let's just say they won't be bothering us any time soon. Better for Storm, they beat the absolute shit out of her."

"You should've seen the other guy..." A weak voice called out, making Silver and Bright Light stand, Storm giving a cough. "Pretty sure it was...seven feet tall..."

Silver sighed, then gave a soft smile, "Seeing as you're well enough to make jokes -"

"She ain't jokin." A voice called out, Silver turning to see Cherry across the room, in a bed of her own, bandages being rewrapped around her chest, giving a wince, before giving the doctor a nod. "Thanks, doc, I appreciate ya."

"Are you the leader?" Silver asked, walking over to her.

"That I am."

Silver held out a hand, Cherry shaking it after a moment, the older man giving a professional air as he stood at attention. "I am Captain Silver Spear, I see you met some of my squad, Bright Light, Storm Chaser, and Spike Apple Sparkle."

"Apple?" Cherry quirked an eyebrow, before giving a grin. "Didn't know he married Applejack, thought he woulda mentioned that."

"No, he just...it is a long story, one we don't have time for, unfortunately." Silver knelt down a bit, before adjusting his gear a bit. "I was told just bits and pieces of what went down. I know your settlement asked for help and you were the closest, mind filling me in on what happened."

"What happened is Spike saved our asses." Silver heard Storm call out, her voice sounding a bit drunk as she weakly raised an arm up. "Motherfucker beat the shit outta the bitch that hit me and wandered outta here like some sorta cowboy, riding off in the sunset. Looked so heroic, like...some sorta musketeer or somethin..."

Cherry and Silver shared a look, before Cherry gave a smile, "She's flyin higher than a kite on our painkillers."

"I can tell."

"Didya know Meteor made a dragon necklace for Spike? Crazy shit, I think she secretly crushes on him."

Cherry then stood up, giving a wince, before tugging her jacket on, giving a sigh. "Too many ears here, I'll fill ya in on what happened." Bright Light chuckled as Storm groaned a bit. "And...give that beaten mess ya call a friend a rest."

Storm groaned a bit, before asking Bright Light in a sleepy, sluggish way, "Can I have my lollipop now, doctor?"

"Good idea." Silver mumbled back, opening the flap and giving Bright Light a motion with his hand. Bright Light nodded, before turning back to Storm.

"Got any embarrassing stories?"

"I got one where I was drunk an tried flirtin with Spike."

"And I would love to hear that one."

Чувство кишки

Gut feeling.

Spike had this gut feeling before, and he had learned from Silver to trust his gut. A gut feeling could save anyone if they simply listened to it, as you may not know something is wrong, but your brain may have seen something and is sending you an early alarm. It was quite an interesting theory for the gut feeling, you could look over an area and never spot any danger, but your subconscious does take note of the danger and gives you a feeling to let you know that you definitely saw something and should be ready.

Spike trusted his gut, and his gut said it did not like what was ahead of him.

A long, dark passage sat in front of Spike, his eyes narrowing in the low light conditions. His pupils constricted into slits as he kept walking, boomstick held as he quietly moved forward. He slowly scanned around him, hearing another skitter behind him. He spared a glance behind him, seeing a leg step out of the darkness, only to start steaming, the creature pulling it back in, making Spike shake his head.

He looked to the wall, giving a glare as he spotted some skeletons against it, with bullet holes on the wall behind them, with long dried blood and decay shown. Spike shook his head, pressing on when his boot splashed against something. He lifted it up to see a door, one that was usually shut and sealed, was resting ajar, water spilling from the bottom of it, slowly leaking in. Spike quirked an eyebrow at that, then looked back down the stone hallway, seeing a light burst at the end of it, making his eyes narrow a bit.

He glanced at the skeletons again, then started walking again, his boots making light splashes in the water whilst he walked. Spike cringed at the sounds, however he kept going, the water slowly getting deeper and deeper. Eventually, the ice cold water made it to his hips, making him hold his boomstick over his head as he walked through down the hallway.

He kept walked, light splashes echoing out as he tried not to let the biting cold get to him. Something was wrong, the tunnel was flooding slowly and Spike could tell this wasn't normal. Eventually, the tunnel behind him would be covered in water. He could tell someone jammed the door open and let the water come in, perhaps to hide the evidence of some wrong doing? He peered around, seeing random doors that were left ajar, their rooms no doubt flooded as well, then grunted to himself.

It wouldn't be long until he hit the next settlement, though the hallway before and the funeral pyre he left did not give him much hope for the next settlement. Perhaps that is why they did not respond to recent hails? Perhaps once he got there, it would turn out the bodies he saw were zombies or vampires? Though, the...Ghosts he had saw quickly dismissed that theory, and the bodies were lined up and placed in such a way that could only come from Human movement and involvement. Zombies did not stand in line to be executed.

Spike sped up a bit, before hearing a splash behind him, twirling around, his boomstick at the ready. His eyes peered into the inky black waters, trying to make out some form or shape, before he slowly pulled his mask off of his chest, sliding it on, then adjusted his helmet a bit to make a seal around his head, then continued forward, holding the boomstick back over his head.

Perhaps he was imagining things?

He sloshed through the man made river, giving a grunt as he stepped over a rock, tripping for a moment, though continued onwards. He heard another splash, this time he turned his head, eyes peering into the darkness, trying to spot out an enemy, friend, or anything really. As adaptable as dragonbloods are, Spike could not see into the inky black water below him, though the nictating membrane that slid over his eyes did provide an option if he needed to peer under the waters. Not that he would.

That strange feeling in his gut returned, making Spike move forward, placing his boomstick on a rock formation that had been perfectly level. In a few hours, it would likely be underwater as well, but for right now, it was perfectly fine. Spike grasped onto the hilt of his knife, then suddenly twirled around, unsheathing it, splashing a wave as his eyes narrowed. His pupils turned to slits, though his cracked mask hid his eyes, his knife twirling in his hand as he slowly turned in a circle, seeing nothing.

He waited a minute.

And another.

And another.

After the fourth minute, he finally relaxed and decided to let his guard down for a moment.

A terrible mistake.

Spike was suddenly dragged under, giving a startled gasp as his knife was lost into the inky black waters, Spike himself smashing against a rock. His world was filled with stars, then a stabbing pain erupted from his leg, making him scream under his mask. He felt something else stab into his shoulder, making him roar under his gasmask. He saw nothing, just inky black waters, his hand reaching up to grab the thing stabbing him, blood spilling into the water, his tail coiling around rock to stop the things from pulling him. He ripped the object out of his shoulder, only for something to smash against his visor, cracking it further.

He couldn't see, couldn't breathe, and, the most important thing, he couldn't fight.

He felt fury fill his veins, which fueled him as he pulled himself by his tail, adjusting his legs, planting his boots into the rock, then stood up, freeing himself from his watery fate. He held the object in front of him, water and cracks obstructing his vision, before he tugged his mask off, seeing what attacked him.

It was...some sort of mutated eel?

He didn't remember any eels that lived near Ponyville, they must have been some sort of underground species. The beast started snapping at him and his freed face, though Spike only tightened his grip, a loud crack echoing out, before he threw it to the wall. The beast biting into his leg was ripped off, before he bit into it, spitting out the chunk that was its head, then threw the carcass into the water, giving a disgusted look as he spat some of the mucus out.

The small Fluttershy in his mind screamed as he watched the beasts bodies float along, only for one to launch out of the water and snap at his chest, sending him back into the water. However, this time he was ready, his nictating membranes sliding over his eyes as he drew in a breath. He went under, thankfully being able to see and keep debris out of his eyes, and grabbed the beast biting into his chest armor.

However, with how slippery it was, being an eel covered in slime, it was quickly wriggling out of his grip. Spike looked around for anything to get this thing to stop attacking him. He spotted something lying nearby; his knife! He made a grab for it, the eel inching closer and closer, he could see its teeth snapping towards his throat.

His hand grasped a few times, before reaching out as far as he could, the tip of his fingers just brushing for the handle. He gave a growl, bubbles escaping from his lips, before gritting his fangs, suddenly reaching forward, moving the knife just enough to grab a hold of it.

Spike gripped the knifes hilt, then suddenly slammed it into the eels gills, making it open its mouth, letting the young man see his blade in the creatures mouth. He pulled the knife out, blood tainting the water as he slammed his knife into it again and again, then slammed it into its head, killing the creature. Spike threw the carcass off of him, and just in time as his lungs started to burn, his vision slowly fading. He kicked himself up, breaching the water and gasping for air, before looking around him, panting loudly, trying to regain his breath.

No new attacks came, thankfully, so he trudged over to his boomstick. He shouldered it and kept walking along, soaked to the bone and freezing, shivering a bit as he kicked a corpse of one of the eels by accident, giving it a gross look, though the small Fluttershy in his mind wept. His eyes softened, before he bowed his head towards the trio of eels, offering a soft apology and a wish that it could have been different.

Spike kept walking in what seemed like a few miles of water and flooded tunnel, before finally coming across dry land - well, to be exact it was a rock formation that led to another door. The sign on it was worn away, however, it did have a railway that looked like it led deeper into the caves and caverns.

Spike ripped some wood off of the tracks and set them down in front of him. He took a deep breath, then blew fire into the pile of wood, setting it ablaze. Once the fire started going, Spike pulled his weapons off to the side to dry, then tugged his mask off, inspecting it for a moment, before setting it down, sighing a bit. He took off his bag, then packs of ammo and supplies, then lifted his shirt up, giving a grunt as the fabric brushed against his injured shoulder, then inspected it.

A deep bite wound.

Fantastic.

He pulled a box out of his back, filled with medical supplies, then tugged his pants leg up, giving a grunt as he inspected his bloody leg. That wound was not as deep as his shoulder and should heal on its own, but his shoulder needed immediate attention. He started opening the box, pulling out some gauze, alcohol, needles and thread, and finally, a painkiller. He grabbed a rock, biting into it, then stabbed the painkiller into his arm, slowly feeling the pain go away, then cleaned the wound with alcohol, making him hiss in pain.

He had to work fast, his metabolism would burn through the painkiller faster than any Human.

He started to stitch his shoulder up, slowly but surely closing the bite wound up. He paused only for a moment when he heard some movement in the water, though continued on when he realized the eels could not climb onto land after him and shied away from the fire, unlike the eels of the ocean. When he finished, he gave the bite a soft look, then started wrapping it in gauze, sighing a bit as he finished.

Thank Celestia and Luna it was not his dominant arm.

He rotated his shoulder, giving a wince, before looking down at his leg. He growled against the rock, before biting into it harder when he cleaned the wound with alcohol. It seemed the painkiller was not as effective as he thought, his canines dug into the rock as he gave a muffled whine, before wiping away the blood and putting on some bandages, hissing into the rock a bit.

Once he was done, he spit out the rock and then sat there, staring off into nothingness. He finally looked down at the fire, seeing it still going strong and drying his items. He picked up a necklace of a carved dragon, inspecting it, his eyes tracing over the wooden carving for a few moments. It was a gift to him Meteor had made years ago, Spikes own necklace once he officially joined the squad and was no longer a trainee. He looked at it a bit, before sliding it back on, letting the carving rest on his chest.

Now, had an outside observer been with Spike, they would have really enjoyed the show. Now, despite how young Spike looked, his body was well muscled. Not in the dehydrated, unhealthy way that some movies push for, such as some superhero movies, and definitely not like some body builder, but a healthy mixture of fat and muscle, perfect for him. A few scars from beastly encounters raced along his chest and belly, telling a story of a hard, but well fought life. Trailing across his abs, one would be surprised to find the claw wounds he suffered earlier had already healed, becoming long, thin scars along his side.

It seemed dragonbloods were incredibly fast healers.

Spike looked at his watch, seeing the bulbs glare a bright 22:34 up at him. He reached for his radio, clicking it on before speaking, "This is Spike Sparkle, broadcasting on an open channel. If anyone can hear me, please respond."

Silence

He clicked the button again and said, "Silver? Steel? Meteor? Cherry? Anyone respond, over."

Static.

Spike sighed, then spoke into the radio again, "Listen, Silver, I don't know if you're going to get this, but just know I am continuing on with the mission. I have to find the girls. I'm sorry."

Spike let go of his radio and sat there, staring at the fire. After a few minutes, he grabbed his now dry bag, pulled his knife out of its sheath and his snapper, then set the bag behind him. He rested his head onto it, closing his eyes, and started to drift off into an uneasy sleep.

He would need his rest for the challenges coming.

Silver gave a sigh as he walked over to the group, rubbing the back of his neck. Cherry followed him, making him glance at her, before he sighed a bit. The group were busy eating real food - or more accurately, what passes for food, some light grown fruits and mushrooms. The group was busy chatting, swapping stories to each other, before Steel noticed Silver. He stood up, the group following his example, only to relax when Silver made a motion with his hand.

"Spike isn't here." Silver answered the group before they had the chance to ask, making them all give looks to each other. "We will rest here for the morning, restock and rearm in the morning, then head out in the morning. Cherry Jubilee was kind enough to offer some lodging, if you have any questions, you will defer to her until we move on." Silver walked past them, rubbing his eyes as he kept walking.

He was exhausted, and his team knew it. He needed rest.

Steel and Meteor shared a look, before Stone, Bright Flare, and Wave followed their leader, ready for some shut eye. They were all exhausted, but Steel and Meteor just pointed towards an open chair, Cherry settling down and giving a hiss, rubbing her leg, watching the two.

"So, you know Spike?" Steel started, taking a sip from his canteen. "Did you meet him back when he was with the Elements?"

"Well, sorta." Cherry Jubilee gave a soft smile at the memory. "He actually came to visit Applejack whilst she was workin on my orchard, half the size he is now." Cherry gave a bigger smile, then continued, "Damn near signed up to work on ma farm when he saw how hard Applejack was workin."

"That's Spike for ya." Steel mumbled out, before taking another swig. "How are Bright Light and Storm?"

"Bright Light is fine, Storm got the shit beat outta her. Seven foot tall Diamond Dogs, Spike damn near tore it apart when he saw Storm." Cherry sighed, then leant forward, mumbling out, "Burned that big lizard thing so bad, an ripped off tha armor of the big Diamond Dog. Took a few punches, but Tartarus, looked like he was ready to kill that varmint."

Meteor gave Steel a look, one he returned, before looking back at Cherry, asking, "Did you see what he looked like?"

Cherry blinked, before giving a hum, "Looked angry as Tartarus. Also...had some claws and scales?"

The two shared a look, before saying, "Did...Spike...ya know?"

"No, didn't kill the big beast. Did the opposite." Cherry revealed, before wincing a bit. "Sealed up it's wounds, talked them into leavin."

"Yeah, that's Spike alright." Steel mumbled out, his wings rustling a bit. "Know where he went?"

"Next settlement, I suppose. Haven't heard from 'em in nearly a year though." Cherry scratched her cheek, giving a sigh, "Busier than a fiddlers elbow, then suddenly, poof, nothin."

Meteor took a bite of her ration, before sitting up, swallowing it down, asking, "No one has gone to check up on them?"

Cherry pointed towards the direction of the gate, "I dunno about y'all, but I had mah ass beat enough for one day." She gave a grunt, then lifted her shirt to show the bandages around her ribs and some on her stomach. "This is just what the Dogs do if they don't want ya killed. They also tamed some of the beasts, and use 'em. And the monsters that don't like the Dogs, hate us just as much."

Steel stood up, fury in his eyes as he yelled out, "AND YOU JUST LET SPIKE OUT THERE?! WITH THOSE THINGS?!" Cherry was shocked by Steels outburst, the man giving a glare that would have set her on fire had it been any harsher. "HE IS JUST A BOY! YOU CAN'T JUST -"

Meteor stopped him with a hand, resting it on his, making him look down at her. He let his anger go with a sigh, then sat back down. "Why did you let Spike go?"

Cherry sighed, then stared into the fire, rub ing her hands together. "Ya know...I was wonderin that myself. Hell, damn near told him to leave when the Dogs first threatened us." She then grabbed a flask out of her jacket, then took a swig of it, then gave a soft smile, "I saw his eyes. I seen 'em before, back before. Determination. Ain't nothin I could say to make 'im stay, Celestia above knows I couldn't argue with him about it. Tartarus or high water, he'd go out to find those girls."

"We both know they are..." Meteor began, but did not continue.

"They aren't." Cherry suddenly spoke, before she stood up, giving them a soft look. "As long as that boy lives, those girls do as well." She started to walk away, leaving Meteor and Steel alone, with their thoughts.

"You okay?"

Steel sighed, then shook his head, "Nah. Spike is like a brother to me. If I...I can't just lose my family again." Meteor only squeezed his shoulder in comfort, making him pat her hand.

It looks like they all needed some rest.

Flowers.

Laughing.

The breeze.

Clouds.

The patter of soft rain.

The lapping of gentle waves on the shore.

Birds singing to one another.

Bats resting in a cave, chirping to one another.

Dogs parking playfully as they chase a ball or stick.

Ants crawling around a fallen apple.

Spike sat under a tree, hearing the wind rustle the leaves, its cool air brushing against his face in a soft, loving way. He inhaled, giving a smile as the sun kissed his face through the leaves of the trees, before exhaling. He looked down to see dark figures moving around him, though he felt no fear from them. He looked back upwards, the sun shining on him as he released another breath. He looked back down to see one of the shapes reach for him, giving a soft, muffled noise. Spike raised his hand upwards, gently grasping it, only for the shape to disappear.

He felt cold now.

He looked behind him, seeing a blizzard whipping through. He turned back to see the shapes gone, only one remaining, lying on the ground and reaching for him. Spike started to reach forward, running in place, the figure fading a bit, before he watched.it point towards the mountains.

Spike stopped and looked forward, his eyes narrowing towards the mountain that held Canterlot. He saw a door at the base, making Spike stare at it. He looked up to see the city of Canterlot, shrouded in clouds, though something was wrong, seeing flashes in-between the clouds. He looked back down to see the black hand print of the shadow, making him reach towards it, opening it to nothing but darkness.

"СПАСИТЕ НАС!"

Spike awoke with a start, gun pointing every which way, eyes wide and panicked. He was hyperventilating, his breathing coming out in started gasps. He waited a few minutes, his heart hammering in his ears, before calming down, lowering his Snapper. He rubbed his eyes, before looking at the fire, seeing it had gone out. He pulled his watch up and stared at the time, giving a blink at the red light peering back at him.

07:34

Spike shook his head, then started putting his weaponry back together, then put on his now dry clothes. He slid his knife back into its sheath, before rubbing his eyes again, his snipper held in his grip. He was lucky he didn't break the gun in his grasp. He put his weapons back on, looking back at the ash that was his fire.

Such a strange dream...what did it mean?

Spike looked at the door, before walking to it, pushing against it as he started to open it with a loud creak. Spike winced a bit as he opened the door, before stepping through it, closing it with a clunk behind him.

Клетка

Cage.

Spikes brain slowly started to awaken, the aches and pains throughout his body made him groan, still feeling like his sides were on fire. He opened his eyes, only to hiss in pain, closing them as a harsh light blinded him. He groaned a bit more, resting his head on something cold, the feeling giving him a sort of pain relief against his throbbing head. His jaw felt weird, his body ached where he was struck by the electricity, and the sound of dripping water was really annoying to his aching brain. He sat there for a moment, before slowly opening his eyes, his slitted pupils rounding as he took everything in.

Metal bars?

Spike raised a hand to his head, only for it to stop just short. He looked up to see a shackle on his wrist, blinking in confusing, before giving it an experimental tug, the chains clinking loudly as he did so. He looked down to see his boots and pants...and...nothing else? He was completely shirtless. All of his gear was gone, even his necklace. He grasped his hand around the metal chain, giving it an experimental tug, before giving a good look at himself, confusion filling his mind. He inspected himself, seeing giant red and purple bruises from when he was shocked, before he rolled his neck and sighed, grunting to himself, then looked around.

He was in a well lit room, surrounded by cages, though all of them were empty, in the middle of the room was a table, though he could not see what was on top of it from his position, and a few chairs. He sniffed, his nose crinkling at the old, dank smell, looking over to see blankets and strange objects in some of the other cages. He made to move his mouth, though was confused when it didn't open, feeling something pull against his mouth. He lifted his free hand up, giving a confused noise from his throat when he felt something metal and leather.

A muzzle.

Suddenly, memories flashed into his mind.

A little girl. Sparks of electricity. Pain. Anger. Fear. Hatred. The voice of a woman.

They...they locked him up like some sort of fucking animal.

His eyes filled with hatred, trying to tug the muzzle off, denting the metal of his chains a bit in his grip as he felt the leather on one side of his face start to slacken. He heard something tear from the pressure, hearing the door slowly creak, Spike letting go of the muzzle and whipping his head around to see light spilling in from the door.

The little girl.

His mind filled with anger, unintentionally giving a deep rumble, backing into the cage a bit as the little girl drew closer to him. She knelt down in front of the cage, her eyes scanning over his body, Spikes eyes never leaving her face, anger filling his system. The little girl reached a hand forward, only for Spike to give a throaty hiss, his mind filling with violence.

He wanted to strike her. He wanted to shift his hands into claws and mark her face. He wanted to breath fire, or rip the muzzle off and bite her hand, or punch her teeth out, or grab her throat and squeeze until she begged for mercy. He wanted to kick open the cage in front of him and make her taste his boot, maybe even grab her hand and crush it, or grab her arm and break it, maybe even lock her in the cage and leave her there.

Spike did none of these things.

He just glared at her, keeping his back against the metal bars. She suddenly stood up, Spikes tail coiling around one of the bars behind him at the sudden motion, then walked out of the room, leaving the door open. Spike watched her, curious, hearing some quiet whispering flow into the room. Although he had great hearing, he couldn't make out the words, so he looked around for an escape option.

Vent? Too small. Cages? He could throw them, but not a great weapon. Dig his way out? Too loud. Door? Dangerous, no clue what's around it, but it looked like the viable option.

He heard boots on the stone floor and looked up, confusion etched on his face. He backed up a bit when he saw a woman standing there. She stood at six feet tall, as far as he could tell, and she wore armor on her body. By her bare arms, covered in scars, Spike could tell she was muscled, and her skin was light from living underground for years. Her eyes held a dangerous look, brown like the little girl, and four long claw marks ran across her face, though her smile once she spotted him seemed the most dangerous part of her.

It looked...hungry.

"You must be the dragon." Spikes eyes narrowed at her comment, making her grin. He hated that grin already, though he made no motion to even anger her. After all, she was an Earthblood, Spike knew she could put up one Tartarus of a fight if he provoked her. "What was your name...Spine?"

The little girl grasped and tugged the womans shirt a bit to get her attention, then corrected, "It was Spike, Mama."

Spikes eyes narrowed at the little girl, before looking back at the woman, "Ah, yes. Thank you, my dear." She then knelt down, making herself level with Spike, grunting a bit as she knelt down and inspected him. She suddenly reached forward, Spike flinching away, making her pause for just a moment, though she continued, gently cupped his cheek with her hand, making Spike shiver, uncomfortable in her grip. She stared deep into his eyes, giving a soft hum. "You know...before the bombs fell, I knew someone who had a puppy named Spike. You are certainly much cuter than it was, little wrinkled bulldog he was. Though, you seem like a Pup yourself."

Spike gave a growl, flashing a fang through his muzzle, before tearing his head out of her grip, closing his eyes and giving a smoke filled snort out of his nostrils. Her eyes widened at the action, before she suddenly grabbed onto the cage, making Spike look at her, his eyes filled with a fire that filled the womans heart with excitement.

"Feisty little guy, aren't you, Pup?!" The woman said, before leaning in, giving a husky growl that made Spike shiver again. "I think that Queen can go fuck herself, because I'm going to keep you, Pup." Spike quirked an eyebrow at that, before seeing her women tug Spikes necklace out of her pocket, making him snarl at her. Spike making a grab for the necklace, grasping nothing but air as she backed up last second, flashing him a playful look, before tucking the necklace back into her pocket, humming as she inspected the boy in the cage. She turned to the little girl, then spoke, "Tell the Queen he escaped, Nova Flare." She then grabbed onto the cage, peering down at Spike with that predatory smile. "Now...be good for Mommy and I might let you out."

She started to walk out, Spike watching her, his pupils turning into slits. The little girl, Nova Flare, just gave Spike a soft look, before walking over, kneeling down and giving him a hard stare. This time, Spike made no movement, only staring at her with his burning eyes, her eyes searching for something Spikes own. After a moment, she stood back up, walking over to the door, only to stop in the doorway and speak.

"I'm sorry, Spike."

She left Spike alone, the door clunking shut behind her, the sound of another clunk confirming to Spike that it had been locked. After they were gone, Spike relaxed against the bars for just a moment, gathering himself, closing his eyes and snorting some smoke out.

He had to get out of here...he just needed his moment.

Silver shivered a bit, the biting wind blowing past him, staring at his bracer as it clicked loudly at him. He looked up, scanning the tempest above them, Steels wings pressing against himself, trying to keep them warm in the snow, whilst Bright Flare and Meteor were trailing behind, aiming around the snow, and Wave was in the middle, shivering and looking around, taking in the destroyed and snowed in buildings. Silver nodded to himself, then continued out into the snow, trying to remember where they were.

"If I remember correctly, the next settlement has no access to the surface, so we'll have to skip it." Silver spoke to his team, voice just barely above the screaming wind around them. "We can work our way down the next settlement and circle back!"

They heard a screech in the wind, all of them ducking down. Wave gave a confused look around, only to be tugged along by Silver as they walked into a broken building, the group taking cover inside, Wave being pushed against the wall and giving a grunt. Meteor and Steel aimed their Sweepers, Silver pulling his spear out, and Bright Flare has taken her snapper out, watching.

Waiting.

Wave opened his mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by a loud bang hitting the roof, everyone aiming upwards. A few seconds of silence passed, only for a shrill screech to echo out, making Wave shiver in fear.

The Bat.

It stalked down from its perch above them, before dropping onto street they were just on mere moments ago. Its body still held the scars of their encounter from years ago. It twirled its head to and fro, showing off the long claw marks across its face, its eye and most of one ear gone from the injury Spike inflicted on it. It screeched into the air, before taking off, powerful wings blasting gusts of snow into the shop they hid in. After a few minutes, they finally decided to move out, peering their heads out of the shop window.

After no demonic beast swooped down on them, they walked into the snow, continuing on through the snow. Whilst walking, Wave gave a look around, before testing his radio, speaking, "Ocean Man to the Dragon, respond." After a few seconds of static, Wave frowned, trying again, "Ocean Man to the Dragon, respond, over."

Silver stopped, looking back at him, quirking an eyebrow, "What are you doing?"

Wave held up a hand, his other hand on the button, letting the static fill the air, before saying, "You hear that?"

They waited a moment, before Steel walked up, shifting uncomfortably, fiddling with his mask a bit, his beard a little itchy under it. "Dude, I hear jack fucking squat."

"Exactly." Wave said, before looking around. "I run the radios in the Caverns, and we had no issues with the equipment. Now? We're getting static, when we should be hearing the settlements just fine. Why is that?"

Silvers eyes narrowed as he realized what Wave was getting at, though Meteor was the one who voiced it out, "So, if we aren't hearing anyone, even up here...then that means something is messing with the equipment we set up."

"And seeing as none of the animals touched the stuff, even after we set it up..." Bright Flare spoke, speak spilling from her gas mask.

"That means that survivors are intentionally messing with the equipment." Silver finished, adjusting his sweeper against his shoulder. He looked at the watch on the bottom of his wrist, inspecting it. Ten minutes. They had time. "Okay, everyone, we're going to make a detour to the radio equipment. Keep an eye on your surroundings, I don't want the Bat to get a meal."

Meteor blinked as she walked up to Silver, he voice muffled and low, ensuring only Silver could hear, "Are you sure, sir? You know we still have yet to meet that violent faction, and Spike is by himself. If he -"

"Spike will be fine." Silver interrupted, making Meteor quirk an eyebrow at him. "Our people are important too. We need to get those communications back up and running, or we're blind and deaf out here." Silver started walking out into the snow, the squad following behind, aiming around, careful not to catch attention.

It seems they needed to fix the radio station.

The door clunked loudly, before creaking inwards into the room. A woman enters, grumbling loudly, holding a tray of some sort of slop (though as to what it was she had no clue, as long as it was edible and a bowl of water. It seemed her leader took the dog thing a bit to literal in their prisoners case. She sighed loudly, wondering how she got roped into feeding time for the prisoner. After all, she was the one who took him down in the first place!

Well...not really, but she was the leader of the group that was out there! And she helped!

"Alright, wake up dog, it's time for lunch." In reality, it was still too early for lunch, but one wouldn't complain about food in this harsh new world. "I'm not gonna hand feed you, so you better fucking enjoy the little free will you have."

Silence.

She quirked an eyebrow, setting the tray down, before looking over at the cage, seeing the form of their prisoner.

"Hey, dumbass, food time. You like food, right?"

Silence.

Not even a rattling of a chain. No begging to be set free. No deals. No crying or sobbing or even angry roaring.

Silence.

She pulled the cattle prod off of her thigh and walked over, kneeling down a bit and inspecting him. Sure, he looked a little roughed up, bruised, bandages on his shoulder and claw marks on his side that were a bit faded. She inspected his face, or what little she saw at the angle, and thought he looked rather handsome. Green air, smooth face, eyes were closed but she knew they were green, and his lips looked soft. She felt a soft urge to kiss them...if she knew he wasn't about to be claimed by that psycho bitch of a leader first. A shame, she would have loved to have been the boys first. Guess she'll just have to settle for second.

Spike. The word rolled through her brain. A name. His name. And such a cute name it was. A cute name for a cute boy. Though, something seemed wrong. Her eyes narrowed as she realized what it was.

He wasn't breathing.

"Playing possum?! I'll fucking teach you!" She snarled out, before smacking her cattle prod onto the back of his neck, still kneeling down to watch him, before pressing the button. Spikes body jiggled and twitched, though no sounds came out. After a few seconds, and her worry increasing, the woman stopped and waited. And waited. And waited. "Oh fuck...OH FUCK!"

She scrambled to unlocked the cage, pulling her keys out and jamming one in, realizing it didn't fit, and trying again with a different key, which also didn't fit. "OH FUCK! MAMA'S GONNA KILL ME! SHE'S GONNA KILL ME IF I LET YOU DIE!" She screamed to the body, panicking, her brain running through everything that happened. Were they too rough? Did the electricity have a delayed reaction and his heart gave out? Was there something in the sedative that was lethal to dragons? Was Mama too much and he died of fright?! HOW THE FUCK DO YOU DO CPR?! The whole thing looked almost comical if viewed by an outsider.

She reached the final key and unlocked the cage. Her first mistake.

Spikes foot struck, fast as lightning, smashing the now unlocked cage door into her face. Dazed and sent flying back, she saw stars when she landed and rested for a minute, her brain trying to catch up. Spike gave a grunt as his other hand turned into claws, ripping open the metal with ease and freeing himself, though he grasped with both hands, giving a draconic growl as he ripped the chain from the wall. He wrapped the chain around his right arm a bit, then stood up to his full height.

He walked over to the downed woman, blood spilling from her nose a bit from the hit, before he grasped her throat with his clawed hand, easily lifting her up and making her dangle. A wave of nausea flew threw her system as her world went topsy turvy, though she quickly adjusted and stared in fear at the dragonblood.

You see, this had been Spikes plan. Not many people knew this, but having Archosaurian blood had its perks, and dragons were archosaurs. That meant his heart and lungs were powerful, as they had to be, meaning Spike could hold his breath for a long time, and that meant he could play possum, and pretty efficiently at that. Playing possum was the easy part, the hard part was the electricity. So, Spike waited until she picked a spot, then used all of his concentration to turn said spot she shocked into scales, making sure it couldn't actually affect Spike.

So, Spike had the protection and the plan, all he had to do wias act like he was being electrocuted. In his humble opinion, Spike did maybe a b plus. Definitely not middle school play, though not enough to play with the big leagues. It bought him his freedom though.

He squeezed the womans throat, making her gasp a bit, before stopping his pressure, taking a good look at her. He recognized her voice, the leader of the little ambush in him.

She was a bit on the skinny side, had green hair running down to her shoulders, wearing a sown together shirt, patched together pants, and the cutie mark of a bush with flowers on it on her shoulder. Her skin was paler than the one woman they called "Mama", but she definitely seemed beautiful in her own right.

"Answer me truthfully and I'll let you breathe." Spike growled out, his mouth glowing a bit to add to the intimidation. "Understand."

"C-crystal clear." She croaked out, grasping onto Spikes arms a bit, her green eyes staring into his emerald ones.

"Name?"

"Shrub Planter."

"Good. Now. How many of you are out there?"

"A-about thirty? Maybe forty." Spike squeezed, making her give out a sickening sound, before he stopped, letting her cough, shivering a bit in his grip. "F-FUCK! FIFTY! THERE'S FIFTY! PLUS NOVA AND MAMA, SO FIFTY THREE ALTOGETHER! A GROUP IS ON PATROL THOUGH, SO MAYBE ONLY LIKE THIRTY OF US IN THE STATION RIGHT NOW!"

"Good. Now, how well armed are you?"

"W-we got swords, cattle prods, a few magicbloods, and some crossbows!" Another squeeze, making her eyes tear up and her lungs burn. "FUCK! I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, JUST THAT WE GOT A LOT!" The pressure lessened.

"Who the fuck is that woman?"

"Mama!" Shrub saw the confused look in Spikes eyes, making her smile. "Y-yeah, no clue who she was before the bombs, but her and that little girl of hers run this shit shack."

"What does she want me for? And why is she hunting me?"

Shrub adjusted a bit, "Well, she originally wanted you for a payday." Spike quirked an eyebrow at this, but she continued, "Those dumb Dogs wanted you for their Queen. Fuck if I know. Mama was on board for capturing you for them. Then, she saw you in person." Shrub spat out some blood, careful not to hit him with her blood, before gripping his arm a bit more, grinning at him, "You got yourself one cock hungry bitch now, Spike!"

"We both know she isn't exactly my type."

"Do you think she gives a shit?!" Shrub grinned wickedly, before saying, "It's the end of the fucking world! She'll put you on a leash and collar and make you her new boy toy, consent be damned! And us ladies are waiting for our turn with the new puppy, too!"

Spike gave a disgusted grunt, before looking at the opened door, hearing some voices down the hall. He had to speed this up. He turned to her, showing off his fangs, which made her drop that smug grin rather quickly, his throat glowing a bit, before speaking, half of his voice a draconic growl, "Where is my gear?"

She gulped (or rather, tried to), then glanced at the doorway. "Three doors down. I-it's guarded, you won't make it far without those weird things you carry."

Spikes eyes narrowed, before he brought her close, whispering in her ear, "Watch me."

He dropped her back onto the floor, before adjusting the chain on his arm, twirling it around, giving a stance. The voice of another guard filtered through, the second woman who had ambushed him - perfect. "Hey, Shrub, Cave Diver and I were gonna - FUCK!"

The chain struck her leg, bringing her down to one knee, tears streamed from her eyes in pain, though she was still reaching for her cattle prod, Spike striking as fast as lightning, wrapping the chain around her neck and dragging her inside. Her wings (Spike just now realizing the woman was a skyblood) flapped uselessly, striking against him as he tightened his grip around her throat. After a moment, she finally fell limp, Spike letting go of the chain and checking her pulse, giving a near silent relieved noise when he realized she was still alive. He gently lowered her down, then stood up and peered outside, looking down each hallway, before slipping outside and closing the door with a loud chunk, locking it in place.

Shrub, now alone with the skyblood, who was named Wind Breaker, was left to her thoughts, and the forgotten plate of food. Of course, her mind ran through a million different things, before her hand brushed against the red marks around her neck, shivering in delight, one thought loudly barging through the others.

"Fuck, that was hot."

Spike stood there for a moment, only to kneel over, feeling sick. Mostly at himself, though some of that sick feeling was directed at the leader, the so called "Mama". He hated getting violent with any sapient race, even if it was well deserved. He hated how he felt after, he hated that he had to get violent, he hated that other people wanted to fight. He hated fighting.

After a moment, Spike stood up, swallowing the acidic bile that threatened to spill from him. He rested his back against the door, before hearing another voice down the hall, loosening the chain a bit from his arm, then started walking the opposite direction.

Spike was walking down the hall, passing the first door, thankfully closed, then the second came up. He stopped when he saw the light turn on, a shadow appearing for a second before disappearing. He stopped himself and pressed up against the wall, silently grabbing the chain and tugging it a bit to make sure it was taut. He peered inside, only to see a man playing solitaire, his back to the door, grumbling to himself as he stared at the table.

Spike quirked an eyebrow at such a sight, thinking how odd it was for someone to basically be right next door to the prisoners and not be on alert at the time. Spike silently walked around him, his pupils turning into slits at the low light conditions, looking around, careful to not be spotted. He finally made it to the third door, his eyes narrowing a bit as he saw it was closed. The door itself had no window or way to peer in, meaning he was at the mercy at whoever was on the other side.

He turned the wheel, unlocking the door, before pushing it open with a creak, peering inside. He quirked an eyebrow as he saw a woman leaning in her chair. Napping.

This place was just...unbelievable.

Guards are slacking, napping or playing games, their patrols are awful, and it is clear they have no training regiment whatsoever! Silver would have a stroke if he came across this place.

He quietly walked into the room, the door shutting with a loud groan, making Spike pause. The guard snorted, smacked their lips, then said, "Fuckin stop starin at my ass...an kiss me..." Before falling back asleep, snoring even louder. Spike gave out a silent sigh, before walking over to the table. He looked around it, spotting several of his items, but gave a grumble.

Where was his journal? And where was his necklace?

The guard snorted awake, before yawning a bit, making Spike freeze, hearing her stretch out and grunt. He looked at her, seeing her stare at him, confused, her eyesight must have been blurry because she gave a groan as she stretched again.

"Shift change already?"

Spike was suddenly upon her, wrapping a chain around her neck, making her gasp in surprise, before choking a bit as Spike brought her down. The chair clattered to the ground as Spike pushed her against the wall. Another round of interrogation it would be.

"You scream and I burn you to ash, understand?" She gulped and nodded, eyes glued to Spike. He stood back up, letting go of her, before walking over to his gear, Had Spike kept his eyes on her, he would have noticed the woman licking her lips as she stared at Spike. "Where is my necklace, my journal, and my picture?"

"You're...journal?"

Spike ran a hand over his face and gave an irritated sigh, before looking at her, his pupils slits as he stared at her. "The book? It was my journal. Had a map on the first page?"

The woman struggled for a moment, before gasping, "Oh, Mama wanted it!"

Spike quirked an eyebrow upwards, finding it strange so many people called her "Mama". "Where is she?" He asked, sliding his armor on, clicking it into place and fastening it, giving a grunt at the bruises it pressed against. He unwrapped the chains and pull on his shirt, before he looked over, noticing her staring at him, making Spike roll his eyes. "Lazy ass guard, focus."

"Sorry, what'd you say?"

"Your leader, where is she?"

She watched as Spike pulled on his jacker, then clipped on his pouches, pulling his knife and sheath out, sliding the blade out and inspecting it. He twisted it around, the woman studying his face, her cheeks warming up at the sight. He looked at her again, making her clear her throat a bit, looking everywhere but him, letting him attach the blade to his gear, "She's in the station."

"Station?"

"Y-yeah, some sort of underground train shed thing, some rotating thing helps turn the engines and cars around. She lives in the only train actually in it, the rest are just cars." Spike pulled the slide back on his snapper, making sure a round was chambered, before he checked his sweeper and boomstick, nodding to himself as everything was in the correct shape. "The bitch is insane." This made Spike pause, though he continued looking through his gear, hearing the woman continue, "I swear I didn't want any part of this. I really hate violence."

"Quite the career path you chose."

"Not like I had a choice." The woman growled out, standing up, making Spike reflexively grasp the chains, but she didn't notice. "the nitch has me guarding! I can't even shoot! All I want to do is make art and hear customers complain, but nooooo, I have to do this or she shoots me - or worse!"

It was clear the woman needed to get this off of her chest for a while, so Spike just stood silently and let her talk.

"This psycho wants us to kill people and take their stuff! I don't want to do that! If I want food, I'll farm! If I want help, I don't threaten people! And when I find a guy I like, I will talk to him, I won't FORCE HIM INTO A CAGE AND TORTURE THE POOR KID!" She noticed Spike staring at her, making her blush and clear her throat. "I hate it here, but it's too dangerous to go alone...so I stay and guard."

"I'm sorry." Spike pulled his helmet on, the carving of the dragon on it making the woman shiver, watching him a hawk. He grabbed his mask, before giving it a confused look, inspecting it, "You fixed my mask?"

The woman gave a shy smile, then nodded, saying, "I'm Sand Shaper, I made glass art and helped fix glass around Ponyville. Well...before the Fall, that is." She lifted her sleeve to show off a gust of wind with sand.

Spike looked at her, surprised, before glancing at the cattle prod at her hip. She followed his eyes, before she grabbed the hilt, making Spike grasp onto the chains. Instead, she threw it over to the side, giving a tired sigh, though Spike gave a soft smile, then put his mask onto his chest, adjusting it so it would stay clipped on.

"You haven't harmed anyone, have you?"

Sand shook her head, giving a soft sigh, "Thank Celestia, no. All I do around here is guard and fix up the bosses train cars after she goes on a bender."

"You know..." Spike began, looking at the chain, before wrapping it around his arm again, then he adjusted his bracer, checking his counter, and finally the watch, nodding to himself. "I am heading to the next settlement, and my squad will be there soon. Since it's clear you don't want to be here...would you like to come with me?"

The door opened, the guard who was playing Solitaire opened the door, a pack of cards in his hands, saying, "Hey, Sand Shaper, you're supposed to go on break, I'll take -" His voice died mid sentence, his throat suddenly feeling dry, seeing an equipped and unamused Spike standing there. He made a grab for his crossbow, hanging on his back, Spike giving a growl as he grabbed the chain in his palm, turning it into a make shift knuckle duster.

"DUCK!" Spike had half a second to react and did just so, dropping down. Suddenly, a cattle prod, crackling with electricity, flew over Spikes head and smashed into the mans chest. He stumbled, though his muscles locked up from the electrical current, Spike reaching forward and grabbing the man, stopping him from falling, pulling him back into the room. Spike looked back as he gently let the man lie on the floor, unconscious, but otherwise unharmed, seeing the woman adjusting her pack.

"Thanks."

"You can save that until after I get you out of this shit hole." Sand said, before peering her head around the corner. "I know a good way to get out, the gate guard owes me a favor."

"Wait." Spike spoke, before giving a sigh, "I can't leave without that necklace and my journal." Sand quirked an eyebrow up, asking an unspoken question. "It...it has a picture of my family...before the Fall. I can't let it go."

Sand gave him a soft look, full of understanding, before peering outside, giving a soft sigh, "Alright, come on, we really don't have long until he wakes up."

Ожерелье

Author's Note

Warning; this chapter features nudity, a brief mention of uncomfortable topics, and a brief touch on the Mamas plan. Otherwise, enjoy!

Ожерелье

Necklace.

All of this for a fucking necklace.

Sand Shaper peered at the guards around her, acting nonchalant as they passed by, though she seemed a little nervous. Not that anyone would notice if they looked at her, as she has pulled up a cloth to use as a mask and wore her googles. One of the guards gave a lazy hand wave as he passed, making Sand smile under her mask and wave back. The moment they were gone, she visibly dropped her shoulders and sighed, looking up to see Spike hanging upside down, like a bat, his claws dug into the stone ceiling of the hallway.

If the guards were not around the corner, she would have likely said something snarky. She, instead, made a motion with her hand, Spike dropping down and slowly walking ahead of her, grasping his chain and pulling it taut. He peered around the corner, giving a grimace as he spotted all the people around.

"Too many." He whispered at her, making her peer around the corner. "Too many eyes, too many weapons, not enough cover." He looked over to the door, giving a soft sigh, seeing no electrical boxes near it. "No way to open to door either."

Sand gave a soft hum, before looking up, tapping Spikes arm and pointing, "Up there." Spike peered upwards to see a window, narrowing his eyes a bit. He couldn't make anything out from this angle, this didn't stop Sand though, her voice mumbling to him, "If you can get in there, you can open the door."

"Okay. And how will I get to my necklace?"

"Why do you need this necklace so bad?"

The conversation stopped as a guard walked by, crossbow lazily held in her grip. The woman groaned and stretched, before walking off, Spike and Sand silently walking forward and kneeling behind a crate, Spike whispering back, "The necklace is a gift from a close friend, and the journal has everything. Maps of the surrounding areas, information on my friends and family, even a picture of Twilight and the girls! I can't just -" A man walked by, chatting with another, likely about something for lunch, though Spike and Sand only knelt down even more, hiding in the shadows. Once they passed, Spike continued, much more quietly, "I can't lose it...I can't lose them."

Sand peered at Spike, seeing his hand squeeze into a fist. After a moment she nodded, then adjusted a bit, pointing to the hole in the middle. "Train is in there, with box cars. Boss will be sleeping in there."

"Sleeping?" Spike lifted his arm, peering at the watch on the bottom of his wrist, giving a soft huff. "It's the middle of the day."

"She likes to drink during the night. Someone asked her once why she did that, ended up with a broken arm and some missing teeth, so no one asks her why she drinks all night anymore."

"It's a wonder she's still single." This made Sand crack a smile, giving Spike a glance, though it was hidden under her goggles. "Lots of eyes, I'll stick out like a sore thumb."

"Not if you climb." Sand spoke, pointing upwards, making Spike grumble quietly. "What's wrong? Don't like heights?"

"Falling off of a giant crystal castle will do that to you." Spike mumbled out, before looking up, making Sand flash him a confused, and concerned, look. "Alright. That door is gonna make a lot of noise when we open it."

"Yeah, which is why you'll need a distraction." Sand stood up, making Spike hiss as he saw her run out. A part of him wanted to call out, but a larger part of him decided to not waste this chance, making him dig his claws into the wall, slowly climbing up, leaving holes in the side of the wall that would be completely unnoticeable unless you were specifically looking for them.

He looked down to see Sand, calling over random guards, saying something he couldn't make out. He grunted a bit as he lost focus for a second, slipping a bit, before digging his hand in more, watching in horror as some dust fell down onto a guard. Said guard would have looked up, had it not been for Sand, calling the man over, making Spike silently sigh in relief. His tail curled around him as he clambered across the ceiling, looking down and giving a soft noise of confusion as he saw some of the guards run in, looking around. He quickly scrambled up the ceiling, before looking down, seeing a guard right under him. He heard some click, making him look at himself, seeing his snapper slip out of its holster; it seems he didn't secure it enough.

He watched as it started to slide out, before finally falling out, Spike reaching for it with his hand, missing it by a hair, before letting go of the ceiling and snatching his pistol mid air, sighing in relief as he slid it back into his holster and secured it properly. He looked back to see his tail curled around a stalactite, making sure he couldn't fall, then looked at the ceiling, "kneeling down" to smash his claws into ceiling, his tail gently letting go of the stalactite as he started crawling across the ceiling again, making his way to the target.

He finally made his way over the train, looking down upon it, before seeing a guard below him. Spike suddenly dropped onto him, dazing the poor man. He punched the poor man, knocking him out, before dragging his body against a crate, hiding him from sight. Spike walked back to the door the poor man was guarding, silently opening it, sliding in and closing it behind him.

To say the car he entered was run down would have been an understatement. What looked like beautiful seats were long since clawed and ripped through. In the corner was a cage, a skeleton of some sort of poor beast inside, a knife jammed into its head, making Spike grimace. He pulled his Snapper out, silently walking over to another door, slowly opening it, ignoring the blood splatter across it, then silently opened it. Now, this car eas definitely an upgrade, in every sense of the world.

Some sort of painting was on the wall, and soft, warm colors or oranges, golds, yellows and some such were on the walls. Spike quietly aimed around, checking behind the door, before walking in. He spotted a table on the left, his journal and a picture left on it, making Spike narrow in on it, though his training was far stronger and made him peer around the room, aiming around. He spotted a bundle in the bed, a loud snore echoing out in the room, making Spike jump a bit, aiming towards the snoring. When she made no movements other than her loud snoring, he quietly moved towards the table, grasping his journal. He opened it, skimming through the pages, nodding to himself as he realized everything was in order, before he looked at the picture. It was him and Twilight, Twilight Velvet and Night Light, when he was much younger. He smiled at the picture, before sliding it back into the journal, then he put it back into one of his vests many pockets, patting it down, scanning the table again.

His necklace was missing.

He opened a drawer nearby, then lifted some of the many bottles decorating the room, before looking over at the bed. He passed by a mirror, broken and in shards, paying it no mind as he walked over, his eyes scanning over the sleeping form of the woman. He secretly hoped she was wearing pajamas.

She was not.

He pulled the blanket down and felt his face heat up, a blush racing across his face as he saw her nude form. Her red hair was cut short, Spike noticed that it was dark red, which he absolutely missed the first time. His eyes scanned across her chest and belly, seeing scars from claw marks and knives, along with a few scars that looked like boomer wounds, if Spike had to guess. Her breasts were rather large, his eyes tracing down across her belly to see her unshaven bush, making him blush even more. She smelled like sweat and something else Spike couldn't place, though the mixture was a bit addicting if Spike was being honest. His eyes traveled down, peeking at her lower lips, a strange feeling bubbling in his gut as he quickly turned away.

This was the fourth time in his life Spike had seen a naked woman. And he felt a little dirty doing so without her permission.

A thought raced through Spikes mind, making his blood boil and those other thoughts disappear; she was going to force him to be her lover, against his will. A grown woman was going to rape him, now he was tall but looked young enough to be her little brother, into being her lover! He grit his teeth, clenching his fist a bit, before looking around her. He noticed the cutie mark on her shoulder was some sort of flower arrangement with gems around it, before he looked in her hand, seeing his necklace clamped in her grip.

He silently adjusted her hand a bit, only for her to moan a bit in her sleep, making Spike pause for a moment. She suddenly shot up, her eyes open and staring deep into Spike, making Spike pause, his hand squeezing the grip of his snapper a bit.

"Hey, Spike..." She slurred out, only to smile drunkenly, mumbling out, "Come make me a Mama again."

She promptly fell back, her palm suddenly smacking her own breast, making Spike growl silently to himself as his necklace went with it, right atop her breast. He blushed as he reached over and lifted her hand, exposing her breast again. He silently slid his hand over, grasping the carved dragon, brushing it against her nipple, making her smile in her sleep.

"Good boy...you better not pull out or you'll get the muzzle again..."

Spike glared at her, before putting his necklace on, adjusting his helmet a bit as he looked around the room again He looked at the cracked mirror again, noticing a picture frame at the bottom, walking over and picking it up, seeing the little girl (much younger in the photo), the woman on the bed, and a rather handsome looking guy...from the neck down. His face was burned away, making Spike look back at the woman, then at the door, placing the photo down. If he was lucky, the guard was still knocked out, and he could get to the controls. He made to walk out, the door opening in front of him, the form of a girl appearing in front of Spike, making both of them freeze.

Nova.

Silver grimaced as he looked at the group of scavenged bodies, still clad in armor. Around them were spent shells and blood, though no bodies of what they were shooting at. Steel and Meteor were aiming around, stepping around the bodies, giving them a quick glance before taking positions in the snow. Silver knelt down, Bright Flare aiming all around, trying to spot anything in the snow, Wave kneeling down with Silver, giving a disgusted look.

"Any of ours?"

"Nope. Don't recognize them." Silver mumbled out, before looking down at their weapons. "Boomers are definitely not ours either, they look scrapped together."

"How do they have boomers?"

Silver rubbed his cheek, pondering that question. How did they have boomers? After all, Blaze made theirs herself, her own designs with no contact with anyone else. Perhaps other groups had their own? They definitely were not Blazes design, that was for sure, but that would mean that there could be others with firepower as well, and that thought did not inspire confidence in Silver.

"That isn't important right now." Silver admitted, looking at the tooth lodged inside the chest armor of one of the bodies, giving a grunt as he stood back up, Wave following him. "What is important is that they were killed recently, and by something big."

Meteor looked back at the bodies, then to Silver, before turning her head back, searching through the snow. "Sir, isn't this the same direction as the radio tower?"

Silver looked up, squinting against the snow, wiping his visor to clear his vision. "Indeed it is. Thoughts, people?"

"Could be a team from one of other settlements, trying to fix the tower." Steel offered making Silver hum in thought. "Of course, it'll be just as likely that it's a team of bastards who might try to kill us as soon as they spot us."

"Agreed." Silver said, before waving over Meteor, who walked over, his muffled voice coming through his mask. "Bright and I are going to move up to the tower and try to fix whatever's going on. You, Wave and Steel are going to take positions in a nearby building and provide cover. Hostile or not, I'd rather not leave our asses exposed like that to anyone there."

Meteor nodded, then made a signal with her hand, moving off with Steel and Wave. Bright and Silver started to walk the original way they were heading, becoming just shapes in the snow. Had they stayed for a moment, they might have seen a shape in the snow.

Big. Angry. Hungry.

Crystal Clear was bored out of her mind. Shivering in the cold, listening to the two what's their names argue. They were, at the moment, fiddling with the radio tower. Why, she couldn't seem to recall, but Mama said they needed to be there, so there they went. To be honest, Crystal wanted to stay at the base and see Mama's new pet before she had a turn as well. After all, Mama gave her good girls a turn.

"Why can't we just blow the tower?" The man asked, looking up and down the tower, sparing a glance towards the panel the other woman was working on. His name was...Copper, if she remembered correctly? Something to do with Copper, at least.

"For the last fucking time, she said to temporarily disable this!" One woman yelled to her supposed subordinate. "We are not supposed to permanently disable it!" Her name was...Penny?

Huh. Two metal Earthbloods. Surprising.

Crystal Clear herself was a magicblood, but she really only used magic to make things shine or use a light or something like that. She would be no use to them, so, she just stood there, scanning the snow around her. Finally, with a spark, Penny stood up and gave a thumbs up, Copper giving a grunt as stood up, knees cracking a bit.

"Sweet Celestia, Copper. Your knees made outta crackers or somethin?" Crystal joked, making Copper flip her off.

"Fuck you, fat ass."

"Hey, I hear the guys like a girl with a dumptruck."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Hey, wait..." Pretty said, crouching down and aiming her rifle down the snow. "Picking up some heat, heading our way."

"How come the boss lets you get the weapon that sees heat?" Copper complained through his mask.

"More of those dog things?" Crystal asked, ignoring Copper, kneeling down and aiming the same direction. Now, Crystal had a crossbow in her hands, Copper held some sort of shotgun (if one had to guess, perhaps a Remington, if it was longer it would be a match), and Pretty had a rifle, whose sight was upgraded with a magic spell to help see heat signatures in the cold.

"Nah. Human. Two of them. Armed." Pretty said, before shaking her head a bit. "What do you guys think? Damsel in distress or rescue team?"

"Damsel in distress." Crystal said, giving an unseen smile at Copper, who sighed in irritation.

"I hate damsel in distress."

"Well, you're outnumbered, two to one, so you have no choice. Positions." Both Crystal and Pretty disappeared into the snow, making Copper sigh and kneel down, putting his hands in and pretending to work on the wires.

"Stupid fuckin plan...and stupid fuckin snow..." He heard crunching in the snow and turned, his eyes going wide as he saw the heavily armed and armored figures step up to him, and they looked far more intimidating than he first assumed. "Uh..."

"Need help?" The man asked, making Copper peer up at him.

"W-what?"

"Do you need help?" The figure repeated, making Copper nod, wiping some water off of his visor. "Mind moving then?"

"Oh, sorry." Copper stood back up, backing away as the smaller figure walked over, holstering their weapon and kneeling down in front of the panel. "Be careful, you can shock yourself."

"Trying to fix the radio tower?" The larger one asked, making Copper nod. "See what happened?"

"No. We lost contact with the other settlements, assumed something happened to the radio tower." Copper lied easily through his teeth, before looking at them both, eyeing the weapons.

Yup. This was a dumb plan.

"Settlement? You survived with others?" The man asked, making Copper nod, before the man visibly relaxed. "We were headed there next. We heard a distress call from your settlement, can you tell us what's going on? And what about the people back there, are they part of your team?"

"Distress call? Team?" Copper asked, about to slip in his lie, however, he was interrupted when his two teammates jumped out of the snow, aiming at Silver.

"DROP THE FUCKIN WEAPONS AND NO ONE GETS HURT!" Pretty yelled out, making Silver twirl around, aiming at her, Copper backing up as he saw a flash of anger in his eyes as he turned. "I SAID DROP IT!"

"I am a member of the Canterlot guard." The man called out, making Copper gasp and back up again, staring up at him. "My name is Silver Spear. Drop your weapons, lower your voice, and we can come to a peaceful arrangement for this situation." He didn't look behind him, calling out instead, "Bright Flare, sound off."

"Got her friend in my sights."

"Good. Don't take your eyes off of her." Silver spoke, his voice cold, seeing Copper nervously look between them. They stood there, the wind slowly letting up, the clouds still hanging overhead, snow falling around them, the gentle clicking breaking the silence occasionally.

"Hey, uh...Crystal, Pretty, maybe we should put those weapons down." Copper said, making Pretty glare at him, Silver noting the lack of discipline and training on her part for taking her eyes of a target.

"Why? Because he claims to be a Canterlot guard? How do we even know Canterlot is still standing?!"

"You don't. However, seeing as I haven't shot you yet, I you can probably guess I'm not looking for trouble." Silver spoke, his eyes still hard as he stared at her. However, when he looked behind her, his eyes widened, then he called out, much more quietly, "Bright Flare. Fix the tower."

"What?! Sir, what the fu..." Bright Flare turned to look at Silver, only for her eyes to widen, words dying in her throat, kneeling back down and working on the wires, Crystal backing up and gasping as she adjusted her aim past Silver.

Pretty Penny turned around to see something that would haunt the rest of her life; the Bat. Sitting there, watching them, its eye staring at them. It stared at Silver specifically, its good ear twitching a bit as it watched them. Pretty took a few steps back, the Bat locking onto her, but not moving from its spot. Its eye turned back to Silver, its lips peeling back in a shrill hiss. Pretty slowly stepped next to Silver, giving a nod towards him as they both started to back up, taking positions and aiming.

"Why isn't it attacking?" Crystal quietly asked, handing Copper his weapon back, making him check the chamber.

"Last time it saw me, my friend nearly ripped its face open...with his bare hands." Silver mumbled out, making Crystal, Copper and Pretty stare at Silver, before they heard the Bat hiss again, aiming towards it. "I'd rather not piss this thing off, we don't have Spike with us. Won't take it long to realize that."

Pretty Penny perked up at this, before looking at Silver, whispering, "Spike?"

"Our dragon." Bright Flare whispered, the Bat sniffing the air and taking a step, staring at them.

"Dragon? Like the one Mama caught?"

"Mama? Wait, what do you mean cau -" Silver had no time to finish the sentence, as the Bat jumped down and screeched at them, rushing towards them in a blind hunger, jumping towards them and reaching its claws towards Silver, its eye flashing in hunger and hatred.

Spikes had never felt a fury like this before. His body acted on its own, his hand shooting out and gripping onto Novas neck, her face going from stunned to shocked as he lifted her up, closing the door behind him. He felt his hand shift into claws, the tips gently pressing against her skin as he walked into the destroyed room, his pupils turning into slits, his lips peeling back to show his fangs as he stared into her eyes. Nova kicked uselessly in the air, grasping onto Spikes scaled wrist, trying to punch into it, though her hands only bruised themselves against his scales.

"You."

Nova stopped, her blood turning into ice as she stared at Spike, his hand squeezing her throat, making the girl gasp and choke a bit. His voice dripped with venom, a lot deeper than she originally heard from him, his mouth glowing green, smoke spilling from his jaws and floating into the air. She could see his eyes, glowing with eyeshine as he passed by a light, giving a choked sound as he squeezed again.

He hated her. He extended his hand of friendship and she stabbed it. He offered her peace and she chose the opposite. He could have been on his way by now, towards the mountains, perhaps even helped out those who needed help!

She, however, changed his plan the second she stabbed into him with that needle.

"Three more pounds of pressure and I'll crush your throat." Spike informed her, making Nova gasp and hold onto his wrist, her lungs screaming for fresh oxygen. She started to black out, the edges of her vision turning dark, before Spike eased off, letting her gasp for air, feeding her starving lungs with air. She could hear her own heartbeat, making her cough as she stared at Spike. "You and your fucking mother. Do you have any idea of the violence you commit? What she has planned? What you are up against?"

"We can handle it." She called out, her voice raspy, before Spike squeezed again, making her gasp for air, croaking out, "I know what she has planned."

"Then speak."

"A-all you need to know is that she needs you alive...after all, she can't have children with a corpse. And dragons are so strong...what uses will they have, I wonder?" She then grinned at him, making Spike rumble quietly. "Shee will break you, Spike."

"No. She will die trying." Spike brought her close, before whispering in her ear, "Your mother believes she can tame a dragon, yet have you considered what happens to you if that becomes a reality?" This made Nova pause and stare at him. It seemed some small part of her was already voicing those thoughts before, but now they screamed in her head, louder thanks to Spike.

Spike, seemingly coming out of his rage, felt his hand shift to normal, his pupils rounding as he glared at her. He dropped her on the ground, then walked towards the door, before looking back at her. "If I see you or your mother again, then you better pray that you can run fast enough to escape me."

He stepped out of sight, closing the door behind him, leaving Nova alone with some bruises around her neck and thoughts she couldn't ignore. Spike took a deep and calming breath...before promptly leaning over and puking, spraying his acidic bile onto the crate and floor. It glowed for a few moments, ash mixing in with his bile, the boy spitting a few times, before walking towards the door in front of him, ignoring the shouts that he heard further in the cave. Had he stayed a moment, he would have noticed the glowing vomit slowly burning into the floor, the side of the crate he had vomited on had started to sizzle and break away.

Spike opened the door, before clunking it shut, leaning against the wall for a moment. He hated what just happened in there. It felt like something else was controlling him, he felt powerless...and yet, he also felt so strong then. He hated this feeling.

He stood back up and walked up the stairs, much faster than his previous pace, as he did not have much time. After all, he chocked a girl not much younger than he a few moments ago, and now he had to make up for lost time.

He walked into the control room, peering around, giving a look around at some of the dirty screens and keyboards, seeing no one there, he quickly went to work. He looked out the window to see people walking around, a little frantic, his eyebrow quirking up as he watched for a moment, before returning to the keyboard, stretching hands out and shaking them, "Come on, come on, come on, where are you, you little..."

Spike heard the door open, grasping a chair as he heard boot steps run up to him. He lifted the chair, throwing it, watching it smash against the wall, a loud yelp heard as he readied himself...only to relax when he heard the voice, calling out, "Sweet Celestia, kid! Friendly! Friendly!"

"Sand, what did you do to catch their attention?" Spike asked as the woman rounded the corner, mask in hand as she tried attaching it to her chest armor.

"As much as I'd like to take the credit, it wasn't me. The bitch came over and knocked on our door, which means we gotta leave, now." Sand said, pushing Spike aside and typing on the keyboard, Spike giving her a confused look

"Who?"

"The Queen Bitch herself, the leader of the Diamond Dogs." Sand mumbled out, Spikes blood running cold as he heard that, a shiver running up his spine as he remembered her voice. "Which means we gotta amscray."

"Agreed. How will we do this? There's no cover to the door."

"Doesn't matter, all the guys are heading off, we can just walk out."

"Won't it be loud?"

"Not if we change power to the panel, which is what I'm doing, so we can run over, open the door a smidge, and then slide under before anyone notices."

Spike mulled over the plan. After all, no plan survives first contact with the enemy, after all, he had planned to walk towards the mountains and help out whatever it was that needed help. Now, he was helping some random woman, trying to escape from another woman who wanted to use him for something that angered him.

Now, Twilight Velvet, Night Light, and Princess Celestia had always been clear with Spike about that whole rigamarole. Spike planned to give his first time to someone he truly trusted and loved, and he sure as Tartarus wasn't going to give it to the bitch sleeping drunk on a bed. Sand finally stood up, then nodded to Spike, the duo walking down and opening the door, peering out of the crack.

Seeing nothing, they slipped out and started walking, the people running by ignoring them, Spike and Sand sharing a glance as they walked towards the door. Spike opened the panel and started to flick the switches, before grabbing the lever and pushing it upwards, Sand standing there with a crossbow, both wincing as the massive door creaked and groaned open.

Of course, said noise grabbed someones attention, a woman running over with her weapon by her side (some sort of rifle, if Spike had to guess, with a scope on it), asking, "Hey, what the Tartarus are you two doing?"

"We're trying to fix the door." Sand answered, before pointing towards the panel. "Lever's stuck, trying to get it unstuck."

"Oh yeah? Then why the fuck it is opening?" She asked, raising her rifle, Spike standing up and looking back at her. "Is that the prisoner? Sand, you know what Mama will do to you when she finds out!"

"Which is why she won't find out...right, Sugar Spice?" Sand said, squeezing the handle of her own shotgun. Sugar stood there, her rifle not lowering, adjusting her grip a bit as she looked between them.

"Look, I have to keep going. If that Queen finds out I'm here, then she'll kill you all." Spike cut in, raising his hands a bit. Had he not been preoccupied by the current predicament, he would have noticed the shadow cast by the open door. "I need to go. So you can all be safe."

"Yeah, more like keep yourself safe." Sugar Spice said, her eyes narrowing at Spike. "I remember what you did, Spike. Turned into a fucking monster and destroyed half the town."

"That isn't what happened!"

"Oh? So you didn't destroy my home? You didn't wipe the floor with the Wonderbolts? You didn't morph into a two hundred foot monster straight out of my nightmares?!" Sugar Spice took a threatening step, Spike took a step back, Sand bringing her weapon up. "I knew Mama bringing you in was a bad idea. I told her and she ignored me! Now, here you are, trying to sneak out while the Queen Bitch herself is here! I should kill you right now!"

"Sugar, you don't mean tha -" Sand was interrupted by the woman sliding the bolt back and aiming at Spike. "Look, just put the thing down, and we can -"

She had no chance to finish her sentence, as the door was suddenly tugged upwards, the scarred face of the Lizard poking through, its long tongue flicking out as it looked around. Sand grabbed Spike and pulled him back, the Lizard twirling its head towards Sugar and hissing. She fired a shot, blood spilling out of the Lizard, making it give a throaty roar. It was upon her in a step, grabbing the screaming woman as she tried pulling the bolt back to push in another round.

She was lifted up, the woman giving a scream as it crushed bones in its grip, her rifle flying out of her hands and landing through the opened doorway, Spike and Sand watching in horror as the Lizard twisted the woman in its hands, the loud snaps echoing out giving a clue that her spine had been crushed like an aluminum can in an hydraulic presser. Her screamed were muffled as the Lizard snapped its jawa over her head and half her torso, before biting down, cutting Sugars scream short. It then tore its head back, blood spraying out as half of her body went down its gullet, the other half hanging in its claws, before it turned to Spike and Sand, its jaws covered it blood.

It stared at Spike, backing up and and hissing a bit as it recognized him. Shouts sounded out, before it was peppered in gun fire, a crossbow bolt lodging itself in its arm. The tegu roared at the approaching guards, before throwing the waist and legs at an approaching guard, taking him down, as it rushed forward towards the others, hissing angrily.

Spike made a move to help them, only to suddenly be grabbed by Sand. She tugged him through the door, ignoring his pleas to help them, before opening the panel and slamming her hand on the button, the doors giving a grinding noise as they lowered back down. Spike made to scramble under the doors, reaching a hand out, only to watch in horror as the Lizard tail whipped the body of a guard, smashing into the man and sending both himself and the body backwards.

Stars swam in Spikes vision, before he slowly got up, hearing the roar of the Lizard, sitting up and pushing the body off of himself. He knew the guard was dead, the tail whip snapped the poor mans neck before he impacted Spike. The dragonblood stood up, seeing Sand grab Sugars rifle, sighing loudly as the doors shut with a loud, audible thud, stopping all sounds from getting through.

Spike leant over and gave a loud growl, before slamming his hand against the wall, causing it to crack. "CELESTIA DAMN IT!" He screamed out, making Sand jump, looking at him. "I COULD HAVE FUCKING HELPED THEM! WHY DIDN'T YOU LET ME HELP THEM?!"

"Spike, they were gonna let Mama rape you and turn you into a fucking pet. Why would you want to help them?!"

"BECAUSE I CAN!" Spike shouted back, before pointing at the door. "IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, THESE FUCKING THINGS ARE THE NORM UP THERE! IF I CAN HELP ANYONE, ANYONE AT ALL, I'LL TAKE THAT CHANCE, EVEN IF THEY ARE MY ENEMIES!" Spike pointed towards the dead body, giving a trembling breath as he stood there, "That is someone. I may have disagreed with him, he may have had intentions to hurt me, and world may have gone to shit, but that was a person." Spike stood up, adjusting his chain on his arm a bit, before saying, "I know I'm not one of the Elements or my sister...but if I can help, I will do so without question."

Spike looked at the corpse, before shaking his head, starting to walk down the lit tunnel, Sand watching him. She looked down at the corpse, before back at the door, shaking her head. She knelt down, emptying the pockets of the corpse for any ammo she could use for her new rifle. Once she had looted the body, she stood back up and followed Spike, giving a grunt.

On the other side of the door, the Lizard was throwing irs head back, swallowing an arm, before tearing off of a leg. Mama walked out of her train, giving a smile as she adjusted her gauntlets, then adjusted her shirt as she saw the Lizard feasting on a corpse, one of her guards no doubt. She looked at Nova, her eyes flashing with worry as she saw the bruises around her neck.

"Spike?" Nova nodded, making Mama sigh, before she cracked her knuckles. "Fine, let's break in the new pet before I talk to Queen Bitch. Then, we'll go have a...chat with our Pup." Mama walked forward, flashing an wicked grin, seeing the Lizard perk up towards her, hissing as it got on all fours, its tail whipping around a bit as it opened its jaws in warning. "My daughter needs a new pet. You're it."

Голодный

Author's Note

This chapter includes self harm and graphic violence.

Голодный

Hungry.

The Bat was hungry.

It has its single clawed fingers outstretched, its lips peeled back in a snarl, showing off its fangs, spittle flying out. Its one good eye narrowed in on Silver, its arms outstretched to snag the poor man, drool dripping flying out of its jaws. Silver felt a lightning bolt of fear fly through his system, and although it felt like time had slowed for him, the bat was incredibly fast, and was already upon them. His brain registered the sound of gun fire, it appeared someone had turned their gun on the beast and fired at it, blood spilling out slowly as they fired at the beast, no doubt hitting the beasts belly as bullets flew out the other end.

This was it. Silver was going to die.

He knew it, he could feel it in his belly. The creature was far too fast, he far too slow, his gun not even ready to fire as he was in the middle of raising it. Despite the absolute fear he felt, he saw no lives flashing before his eyes. Nothing of his parents, his ex wife, his child, Spike, Mayor Mare, or anyone. In fact, all he could make out was the horrifying details of the Bats mouth as it drew closer.

Welp...fuck.

However, Silver did not die, as one expected with a several hundred pound bat flying towards him. What did happen was something Silver still struggles to explain to this day, as he was saved by such an unexpected source.

In a blur of fur and claws, the bat was suddenly swiped out of the sky and into the snow, screeching in pain as several long claw marks started to bleed from it. However, despite the bone shattering hit that definitely broke quite a few ribs, the Bat stood back up on all four and screeched angrily at the attacker. Silver turned to see his savior, only to back up with Bright Flare, fear gripping his heart, aiming towards the beast.

This new combatant was a bear, only it was the biggest bear he had ever seen. Its body was rippling with muscles, fur all over except on its back, where the blades and arrows of past meals littered its hide. Its fact had long claw marks on it, and its claws were far longer than normal. The bear stood up on its hind legs, easily standing at twelve feet tall, roaring as it flexed its claws. Silver himself noticed something strange with its paws, though had no time to look closer at it. Silver looked over to see the trio running off into a building, the Bear giving a roar as it smashed its claws into the Bat again.

"Tower is repaired, bossman!" Flare said, before the sound of roars echoed out, making her look over. "What do we do now?"

"I say we fuck off and let these things handle it. We follow that trio and hope to Celestia that they don't do something stupid to the others."

Silver and Bright Flare started walking, only to almost immediately be crushed by the Bear, it falling on its back as the Bat clawed at its face. It roared angrily as it batted away the Bat, rolling over and snarling, drool dripping from its bottom lip as it walked after it, the Bat screeching as it stood back up. Silver grasped Bright Flare and started running, the Bear snarling in anger as it clawed towards the Bat, barely missing as it skittered backwards, screeching and howling at the scarred brute. It took off into the air, Silver smashing through the door with his shoulder, Bright Flare following close behind, getting ready to close the door, though was suddenly pulled back by Silver, who dragged her away at just the right time.

The door smashed inwards, the Bats screeching as the Bears paw was on it, a moment away from crushing Bright Flare. Bright Flare gave a startled gasp, the animals clawing at each other, the bat stabbing its massive claw into the Bears cheek, making it roar in pain and pull back, Silver smashing through a glass door, pulling Flare along, just missing the Bear dragging the Bat back out.

Silver and Bright Flare rounded the corner, only to see Meteor and Steel with their weapons trained on Pretty Penny. Why they were aiming at the woman wasn't answered until she tugged Wave back, her knife pressing against his throat. "Get the fuck away from me!"

"Put the weapon down!" Steel yelled, adjusting his stance a bit.

"HEY!" Silver barked out, the house shaking from the battle outside, pictures falling off the wall, catching everyones attention.

"I don't know if you know if you guys have noticed, but there is two big fuck off animals out there fighting!" Bright Flare aimed around, the sound of a screech piercing through the wall. "So, let's drop this bullshit!"

"She's right." Silver spoke, raising a hand up. "Just drop the boy and we can get out of this, alive, and start threatening each other then."

"No dice, you silver haired fuck." Pretty Penny hissed out, Crystal and Copper backing away from her a bit. "You stay there and the boy doesn't get hurt!"

Wave growled a bit, glaring at the wall, "Why does everyone call me a boy?"

"Shut up, boy." Steel joked, though the house shook again, the man looking around, "But, the boss is right, we should be focusing on the big monsters out there."

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do." Pretty Penny glared at them, her knife pressing against Waves neck, making his hands raise up a bit, "You take a step, I slit his throat. I'll back up and let this kid go once we're outside."

"Uh, Pretty."

"What?!"

"This wasn't the plan." Crystal said, before pointing at the window. "We can just go and leave these guys, they clearly don't want to hurt us."

"Now hold on a minute, they know about the dragon!" Copper said, before pointing at them, "They can track us back."

"Dragon?" Wave asked, though he was jostled a bit when Pretty hissed at him.

"I told you to shut up, boy." She looked back at Copper, "You're sure?"

"Spike." Silvers eyes hardened, before his hand glowed a silver aura, "His name...is Spike."

"Oh fuck..." Crystal said, before she turned to Copper and said, "We should...go now."

"Seconded."

"Both of you shut the fuck up." Pretty snapped at them, the house shaking again as she stared at them. "Yeah, Spike. What, you his dad or something? He a half breed? Saw a big lizard and decide regular girls weren't good enough?"

"Something like that..."

"Pretty, I really would not fuck with the guy claiming to be a Canterlot Guard."

"Sir?" Steel glanced at the two inching towards the door, his weapon still trained on Pretty Penny. "What do we do?"

Silver just stared at the trio. Well, his gaze hardened when it landed on Pretty Penny, making her stare back at him, the only sound was the breathing through filters, Meteor adjust a bit. He was about to open his mouth to shout an order, though it seemed the universe had other plans.

The wall exploded, the Bat giving a screech as it was sent out the other wall. The action had nearly crushed Penny and Wave, Penny letting go of the younger man. He scrambled away, grasping his shotgun and giving it a pump, seeing the shell still in there, before aiming out at where the wall used to be, the face of the Bear poking through, glaring at the Bat. The Bat itself was in awful shape, long claw marks across its chest, blood spilling out of its mouth and nose, with heavy bruising across its belly, chest, and one of its shoulders.

The Bear gave a short roar, walking towards the Bat...only to have a crossbow bolt imbed itself into the Bears arm, making it peel its lips back in an aggressive snarl, shooting its head towards the aggressor; Copper, who was busy trying to push another bolt into his weapon. Crystal and Pretty Penny gave a startled sound as the Bear ignored the others and smashed another wall with its arm, slowly walking on all fours towards them. Crystal took initiative, throwing a bright spell into the Bears face, making it roar as it was blinded, taking a few steps back.

Crystal grabbed Copper, running out of the wall, Penny closely following behind, the Bear shaking its head as its ears flicked to and fro. It roared in anger as its vision returned, smashing back through the wall and chasing after the trio, huffing loudly, blood dripping from its body. Silver watched the beast leave, giving a grunt as he charged his magic in his hand, running after it.

"Where is he going?!" Wave asked in a panic, making the others follow Silver. The Bat gave a hiss as it stood up, then started to weakly wobble its way out of the wall it was planted into. It watched the group, then hissed as it looked at its wounds, then looking at the group again.

It could go hungry for a few days. No prey was worth this much trouble.

"Silver!" Meteor yelled after Silver, who kept running, the magic in his hand glowing brighter and brighter, ignoring the clicking coming from his gauntlet. He watched the Bear chase after the trio, before throwing his hand out, a fireball exploding outwards. Ot smashed into the Bears paw, making it look back and roar, but not slow down, continuing on towards the trio. They were closer, easier prey.

Silver watched as the Teio entered the house, the Bear seconds behind, smashing into it, Silver bringing his Sweeper up and firing into the beasts back. Its fur and skin was far too thick, the bullets landed but did nothing to slow the beast down, bullets digging themselves into its skin just seemed to make it angrier.

It finally smashed into the building, and Silver stopped in his tracks, hearing yelling echo out. He sighed loudly, seeing the Bear slam its claws into Copper, the man screaming in agony, firing another crossbow bolt into the bears shoulder, making it roar in his face. The Bear pulled its claws out of his belly, then slashed across his stomach, spilling his intestines on the ground, bisecting the poor man and sending his upper half into the wall. It gave a huff, before screaming caught his attention, the Bear turning and giving a low bark as his eyes settled on Pretty Penny.

"FUCK YOU, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" She screamed at the Bear, firing a full magazine into the Bears side. The Bear smashed its paw into the woman, making her smash into some furniture, coughing loudly as she lost her breath. The Bear lifted onto its hind paws, snorting loudly as it peered down at her, the woman coughing up blood as she tried standing up. "S-suck my fucking di -"

The Bear brought its paws down, smashing her into the floor of the house, blood and a limb exploding outwards, painting the walls and Crystal Clear in blood. She didn't react when seeing the Bear turn to her, she sighed, before saying, "I always knew I'd die like this...though, the Bear is new." She adjusted the rifle, pushing the barrel against her chin, before pulling the trigger, painting the wall behind her in her own gray matter, ending her own life there. The Bear walked over, brushing its claws against the womans corpse, lowering down and grabbing it in his jaws. The Bear shook, before walking through the ruined walls, taking the corpse of Crystal as food, blood dripping from the wounds on its body.

Silver dropped to his knees, giving a loud yell of anger, "CELESTIA DAMN IT!" Steel was the first to run past Silver, before suddenly taking a step back, giving a grunt as he resisted the urge to vomit at the sight. Meteor walked over to Silver, seeing Steel shake his head. She sighed and looked at Silver, peering up to see the Bear wandering off with his kill, ignoring the group.

Wave ran up, resting his hands on his knees and leaning over as he tried to catch his breath, "Why...why were we...oh Luna, my chest...why were we chasing the Bear?"

"We weren't. Silver was trying to stop it from tearing apart the only lead we had to Spike." Steel said, before giving a grunt as he walked back over to Silver, kneeling down next to him. "Well, we know Spike is alive."

"And that he's captured." Bright Flare added, making Silver grunt, standing back up, sighing a bit as he saw the blood splattered on the walls. "Which is not good."

"Why would they have Spike captured?" Wave asked, having finally caught his breath, "And why do we have to do so much running?"

Silver sat there in silence, not registering any words, before he felt Meteors hand on his shoulder, making him look up at her. "Sir...we need to find cover and check our supplies, then head to the settlement. If they have Spike, we can free him."

Silver nodded and stood up, before checking his counter, hearing it scream at him in irs clicking voice as he stepped closer to the house, before backing away, giving a loud grumble as he started to make his way back up the hill. He was getting too old for this shit.

"Let's go to the next settlement. Hopefully it's just a misunderstanding we can clear up."

Spike stared at the boats in front of him. Boats. Boats. underground. Not only that, but in a river. Spikes eyes narrowed as he looked down the tunnel, sniffing the air a bit, before looking over to see a waterfall in the distance. He looked back to see Sand panting loudly as she heaved herself up the stairs. She stopped on the final step, panting loudly as she looked around, her eyes scanning the area around them, before Spike tapped her shoulder with something. She looked over to see his canteen, Spike giving a soft, warm smile, one which made Sands heart flutter, before she took it and gulped down until she was satisfied.

"Thanks." She breathlessly stated, making Spike shrug a bit, taking the canteen out of her hand.

"No biggie."

In truth, in this frozen area they called home, such a thing meant much more nowadays. Starvation would be common place, were it not for magic, and clean water was rare, worth more than the largest, shiniest gems you could fit onto a ring nowadays. What Spike had done made Sand think about him a bit, perhaps changing her view on the young man.

"So, why are we taking the river?"

"Well, unless you want to backtrack down the stairs -"

"Please, no more stairs."

"- and into a tunnel about an hours walk back there, I suggest we take the boats. I can row while you keep watch with your new rifle. This should run parallel to the settlement, so we can get off downstream and hoof it to the next settlement."

"Why do you get to row?"

"Sand." Spike began, before looking back at her, quirking an eyebrow, asking, "Do you want to hold the gun, or row the boat?"

"Maybe it's better if you have the gun, I suck at aiming." Sand admitted, before Spine gave a soft smile towards her. "I mean, sure, the rifle is slower firing and better at aiming, and I haven't rowed a boat since I was a little girl, so I am probably awful at both options, but -" Spike cut her off by placing a hand on her shoulder, giving her a soft, warm smile, before speaking a single sentence which cut her excuse in half.

"I have faith in you."

Sand stood there in stunned silence, seeing Spike climb into the boat. He set his bag in the boat, adjusting his weapons as he slid them into place. However, he kept his snapper at the ready, just in case. Don't misunderstand Spike, he absolutely believed in Sand, but she was just one woman with a rifle. It never hurts to have back up. Sand, however, was still stunned by his words, seeing Spike hold out a hand to her, which Sand immediately took, the dragonblood helping her in with no issues. She sat in the front, whilst Spike untied the boat, climbing in and pushing away from the dock, slowly rowing down the river.

"How is a river even down here?" Sand asked to herself, but Spike still decided to answer, his inner Twilight poking out.

"There are plenty of ways for water to get underground. Frost from the snow melting, underground aquifers, sometimes even rivers from above falling into caves." Spike explained whilst he rowed, not noticing the look Sand gave to him, her eyebrow quirking in curiosity.

"How do you know that off the top of your head?"

"My sister was the librarian." Spike said, looking around, listening carefully as they went through the cave.

"Wait...you're Princess Twilights little brother? The savior of the Crystal Empire? The one who proved that Changelings could be good?" Spike looked at her, giving a shy smile, before returning back to rowing down the river, his eyes scanning the walls around them. There seemed to be some sort of growth along them, making Spike raise an eyebrow at such odd shapes. "Does that make you...some sorta dragon prince?"

"Not exactly...though I was the Dragon Lord for all of about two minutes though." Spike said, though he mumbled the last part to himself. Sand, however, still heard it, gasping a bit. She opened her mouth to say something, only to spot a glow ahead of them.

"What's that?" Spike sped up his rowing a bit, before pushing them around a rock, their eyes adjusting as they came across such a strange sight. "Spike, is that - are those...?"

"Glow worms." Spike confirmed, giving a soft smile. They watched as the caverns opened up above them, the blues and greens of the glow worms tails illuminating the path for them, their bioluminescence calming to Spike and Sand. They paddled underneath, the beetles seeming to glow brighter as they paddled past them. The soft glow illuminated the walls around them, showing off the work of millions of years, strange patterns of beauty carving down the walls.

They were truly lucky to see such beautiful things, people had gone their entire lives without seeing such wonders, and in the back of their minds, they knew this. They exchanged no words, however, as nothing needed to be said, they simply were there, enjoying the glow of these little bugs. They finally passed them, the sound of clicking smashing through the peaceful moment they had. Spike looked at his gauntlet, peering at the geiger counter, watching it go haywire. Spike scrambled for his mask, Sand following suite and tugging her on. Hers was less bulky than Spikes, who was adjusting his helmet to strap his onto place, and easily slipped on. The filter was smaller and easier to fit on, but she would have less time to breathe than he would, which meant Spike had to hurry.

He started paddling faster, hearing his geiger counter click every so often. He perked up when he heard a splash behind them, looking back, Sand adjusting her rifle and aiming around, her eyes narrowing a bit. When they saw a rock tumble down from the ceiling and create another splash, Sand visible relaxed, though Spike just kept paddling, his eyes scanning around.

"So...what's it like to be a brother to a famous princess?" Spike shrugged, making Sand look back at him, continuing, "I mean, gotta get some ladies being the brother of a princess. Or dudes, ya know, I'm not judging."

"Yeah, I looked like a thirteen year old until last year, so prospects were pretty slim. And those who were interested in me before then usually had an eye kept on them." Spike spoke, his voice muffled through the mask, scanning the waterline, pushing against a rock to not smack into it, his paddles pushing them forward.

"End of the world, girls already outnumbered the guys before hand, prospects must have been pretty good." Sand ventured, making Spike stare at her.

"Why are we talking about this?"

"Just passing the time with small talk." Spike hummed a bit, staring at her, unconvinced by her probing questions. "So...why did you -"

Spike interrupted Sand immediately, "I don't go for kidnappers who shock the daylights out of me to try and use me as a toy for more kids. And I definitely don't go for royals who torture people just to try and take me home."

Sand gave a soft noise, the boat finally falling under a silence. Spike was rather happy the conversation ended, whilst Sand was trying to find something to say. She finally found her voice, speaking, "I'm sorry..." Spike perked up a bit, before Sand continued, "You don't deserve any of this. You're just a boy trying to survive...sure, a dragon, but you gotta deal with the same shit as us." Sand then adjusted a bit, then corrected, "Well, most of us don't have to worry about two bitches trying to get in our pants while commanding armed forces, but you get the point."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

They sat in silence after that, Spike scanning around whilst he rowed, Sand watching, rifle held at the ready. Spike had continued to row them, before seeing snow drift downwards in front of them, Spike giving the flake a confused look, pushing them around the corner.

Snow? Underground?

Spike pushed them further, Sand giving a gasp as they rounded the corner, Spike eyes widening at the sight before them; the body of a hydra. Whether or not if it was the one at Froggy Bottom Bog was debatable, as Spike could only see two out of four head. One of its heads was so mangled, skull smashed to pieces half of its face torn away. Another neck was a bloody stump, a third and fourth weren't visible, as half of its body was submerged in the water, whilst the other half was clearly scavenged, flesh ripped away and bones visible. Spikes eyes narrowed as they paddled around the giant, Sand looking up to see the sky, clouds smothering the sky.

"Sweet Celestia, how heavy is this thing to just fall into the caves?"

"I'm more worried about what killed it."

Another splash echoed out, Spike twirling around, his eyes scanning the waters, seeing them disturbed. Sand was too busy to hear the sound, staring up in wonder at the carcass, Spike giving a grunt as he jostled the boat a bit, speeding up. "Hey! What gives?!"

"We're being watched." This made Sand peer around, adjusting her grip on the rifle.

"You sure?" The boat rocked again, though this time it wasn't Spike who did it, Sand aiming around as she saw a flash of something in the inky black waters. "Uh...how much further until we make it to the door?"

"We won't make it to the door if it decides to attack, so I will keep an eye out for some place for us to hop off, you just keep this thing off of us." Spike said as he started paddling again, hearing water shift around them, his pupils turning into slits as he started rowing back into the caves, ignoring the howling winds and the snow covered carcass of the hydra.

Spike watched the waves start shifting towards the boat, letting go of the paddles and reaching for his Snapper. The thunder of a gun smashed through the snow and wind, a round punching into the water. The creature was hit, giving a screech as it sunk into the water, a pool of blood following it, Sand giving an excited shout as it sank deeper, "I HIT IT! I FUCKIN GOT YOU, CUNT!"

The celebration was short lived, as she was nearly sent overboard by the boat rocking again, a tail slapping against the boat, the blood pool moving around them. Spike pulled his masked off, taking a deep breath, before blasting the water with his flames. Although the flames would not hit the animal, it did heat up the water to a near boiling point, chasing the creature away. Spike ignored the shocked look of Sand as he started paddling again, giving a loud exhale out, smoke spilling out of his mouth.

"How did you -"

"I'm a dragon. I can breathe this stuff, you can't. Now, keep an eye out, the light show won't drive that thing off forever." Spike barked out, pushing further into the tunnel. Right on queue, a loud hiss echoed out as Spike turned back, not slowing his rowing down, trying to examine the creature.

It was far too large, though not large enough to swallow the boat, it would cause some serious damage. The creature itself looked like a pike, however, its front fins were far too pronounced and its jaws held way too many teeth, some tumors running along its back and its back itself was split open, showing off muscle and bone, its scales clearly having ripped apart thanks to the muscle growth. On its back was a bullet hole, still leaking blood as it swam toward them, giving a pained sound as it swam into the boiling waters, pausing for a moment.

Spike felt a soft feeling of sadness seeing the fish, watching it open its jaws at them, hissing loudly. It was clearly in so much pain, and all they did was add to it. Spike shook those thoughts from his head, ignoring the little Fluttershy in his head as he looked around, another thunderous shot echoing out, making the creature screech at them. It started to brave through the boiling waters and swim towards them, jaws extended. It smashed into the boat, teeth poking holes into it as it grabbed a hold and shook the boat, jostling them around, Sand aiming her weapon and firing at the beast, though the jostling made her miss, a the pike only becoming more determined as it shook them harder. Spike, feeling a little queasy by being jostled around so much, decided he had enough and took his snapper out and started firing at the pike.

Once. Twice. Thrice. After a fourth shot it finally let go, water spilling into the boat as its teeth finally slid out, the pike swimming around, Spike sliding his snapper back into its holster, peering around, his eyes scanning the darkness. He slid his mask back on, before paddling towards a random direction, Sand adjusting, loading another round into her rifle, firing again.

Spike suddenly pulled on his backpack, giving a pained snarl as his back jerked outwards, his clothes shifting a bit, exposing skin to the cold air. Sand looked at Spike, the pike taking the moment to rush forward, using its front fins to launch itself out of the water, Spikes spike splitting apart to form scales. Spike shot his hand out, grabbing the pikes lower jaw, its teeth shattering upon coming into contact with Spikes hand, though it didn't register it was in pain as it kept trying to bite into Spikes scaled hand.

His back shifted again, Spike giving a scream of agony as he threw the pike back into the water, the fish was stunned for a few precious moments as Spikes back erupted outwards. However, instead of blood, a massive burst of steam erupted outwards, alone with two massive, leathery masses fanning themselves out, Sand staring in wonder as the shadow overtook her.

Wings.

Spike had wings.

He flapped them once, the water around them splashing around from the massive gust of wind, Spike shaking himself as his hands shifted back, panting, steam spilling from his mouth as his tail whipped around. He looked at Sand, who was staring awestruck at him, before he suddenly grabbed her, ignoring her yelp and launching them off the boat. The boat itself was suddenly smashed by the pike, turning into splinters, Spike flapping his wings once as he started to glide deeper into the tunnel.

Sand gripped onto his armored shirt, the mask hiding her crazy grin as he flapped his wings, banking down the tunnel, his bag jostling a bit as they banked another corner. Spike spotted a glint as he passed by, using his arms to clutch Sand tighter to him. He suddenly flared his wings out, flapping them a few times to slow them down, using his wings as an air break, a sort of wings suit.

No. A parachute more like.

Spike dropped Sand onto solid ground - beautiful, wonderful solid ground in Sands humble opinion - Spike suddenly dropping down next to her, flapping to try and slow himself down. He suddenly slammed into the ground, rolling a few times, before shooting his wings out, the single clawed fingers on his wings smashing into the ground, digging deep grooves into the stone as he slowed himself down. When he finally stopped, he stood up, his eyes glowing in the low light, Spike flaring his wings out and shaking the dirt and dust off of himself, Sands eyes rolling over his figure.

Any other time, in the low light, Spike may have even been mistaken as a demon from the deepest pits of Tartarus. However, in Sands eyes, the boys massive draconic wings were almost like that of an angels, and the green eyeshine was a faint showing of what his soul held - a bright future. Not just for her, but for everyone who welcomed in.

"Sand, are you okay?"

She blinked those thoughts out of her head, shakily standing to her legs, wiping some dust off of herself, giving a hidden grin underneath her mask. "Other than almost becoming lunch for that thing...I was just swept off my feet by a hunk with wings. I think I am living everyones fantasy right now." Spike rolled his eyes at this, before Sand walked forward, Spike was careful to adjust his wings, folding them against his back as he pulled his backpack off, his claws hooked themselves around himself, creating a scaled cloak. Sand walked towards him and rested a hand on his cloaked shoulder, watching him stop and look at her. "Are...are you okay?"

Spike thought about it for a moment; was he okay? His back ached and likely would for several hours, and he hadn't used his wings him months. The skybloods thought they had it bad, but at least they didn't have to shift their wings out as kids and learn to control them. That was a tough time for Spike. At least he had the girls to help him out then.

Sand wasn't asking that though, she was asking if he was okay.

"No...but, I will be." Spike answer honestly, before pulling his mask off. "Your filter is about to run out, and judging by its looks, you got a minute or two left. Here." Spike pulled his filter out, before replacing it with a new one, holding it out to Sand, making Sand peer down at him. She took a deep breath, before pulling her mask off. She grasped his, then pulled it on, adjusting the straps to make it fit on her face. He stood back up, before looking back at the river, hearing splashing coming closer. "Find the door. Quickly."

Sand walked along the wall, her hands grasping in the darkness. Spike pulled out his shotgun out, his wings adjusting and flaring out. "Saaaaaand." He gritted his fangs as the waves came closer and closer. Not unlike a pterosaur, he folded his wings inwards and pressed the claws on the ground, anchoring himself as he took aim. "SAND!"

"KEEP YOUR WINGS IN PLACE, NOT EVERYONE CAN SEE IN THE DA - oh, found it!" She wrapped her hands around a door handle...only for the door to explode outwards, narrowly missing Sand as the massive claws of a Mutt erupted outwards and buried themselves into the stone. "SPIKE!"

Spike twirled around, seeing the Mutt bark angrily as it grasped at the metal railing, pushing it into the water, though Spikes right wing reeled back, before smashing into the Mutt, sending it flying away from Sand. Spike fires a shell into the beast whilst it was down, the dazed creature roaring as blood spilled, Spike pumping the boomstick, a shell flying out, another shell rotating into place, taking aim and firing once again, the Mutt screeching at him as it was sent scrambling back. He pumped the boomstick again, another shell rotating into place, the revolving shell flying out as he glared at the Mutt.

It stood back up, blood spilling from its wounds, Sand scrambling next to Spike as he glared at the beast, his wings flaring out instinctively to protect Sand. The splashing was louder, though Sand only watched at the pike zoomed past them, launching itself out of the water and snapping its jagged fangs into the arm of the Mutt, which yelped in surprise. Spike too this moment to pull three shells out, clicking them into place as he watched the pikes find grab onto the ground, then drag the Mutt into the water, the two bleeding beasts disappearing in a pool of blood and inky black waters.

Spike watched as the blood continued to drift upwards, Sand sliding her bolt back to load another round in, before pointing to the door with her gun, "Maybe...you should take point."

"Good idea." Spike mumbled back, his barrel still smoking as he folded his wings behind himself, "It would be better to get away from the water."

Cherry slept in the chair, a Stetson on her head as she crossed her arms, her legs crossed as well. Had someone looked at her in the moment, they would have mistaken her as an old sheriff in a western movie. Though, one would not fault her for sleeping, as she was still healing from her wounds from the other day, though she was lucky, just a few deep bruises and cuts across her belly and chest. That being said, her body still needed to repair itself, and that took a lot of energy. The shirt she wore was just a faded old band shirt - something she had been into during her early twenties - that happened to fit. All in all, quite the peaceful scene...were it not for the radio suddenly sputtering the life, making the woman jump in her chair and fall backwards, smacking her head against something.

Cherry ignored the pain on her head and set the stetson off of her head, picking up the headset and sliding the headphones on, listening intently. She could just barely hear a voice, fiddling with the volume before finally getting it right, the fears in her chest suddenly dying down at the voice, "I repeat, this is Caverns Alpha to Cherry Blossom, are you reading me?"

"We read ya loud and clear, Caverns Alpha. And might I say it is a blessin to hear ya voice again." Cherry responded back, leaning back in her chair. She looked over to see a cup of water, forgotten whilst she slept, taking a big gulp before speaking, "I see ya figured out the issue with the tower."

A new voice popped in, older, one she instantly recognized, "That we did, Cherry Blossom. Any word from Caverns Actual?"

"Not a peep, but I assume they'll have their ears on soon enough." Cherry sat up, smiling a bit, "Ya heard from Spike yet, Silver?"

There was a pause.

An uncomfortable one.

"Silver?"

"We think we know where Spike is." The voice finally spoke, Cherry getting the same sinking feeling in her gut as she looked around.

"I'm sensin a 'but' in that sentence..."

"He's been captured by some unknown character. Goes by the name of Mama." Cherry sat back, giving the radio a shocked look. As though it was an actual vision of Cherry it was broadcasting, Silver continued, "Cherry Blossom? Cherry Blossom, do you know this...Mama?"

Cherry Jubilee was shaken out of her thoughts by a hand, looking up to see Stone standing there, a cup of coffee in her hands. The woman was still in her gear, which may have worked in her favor as she saw the look on Cherrys face. "Y-yeah, I know her...Silver, ya need to get Spike out, now."

"We were planning on it, we need to -"

"No, Silver, you need to GET Spike OUT! The bitch is ten tons of crazy in a five pound sack. If half tha stories I've heard about her are true, then ya need to get goin!" Cherry leant forward, giving a grunt as she stood up, "And don't ya worry about the Caverns none, I'll take care of that." She looked over to see Stone shifting a bit in her seat.

"So...how bad is this...Mama?" Stone asked, making Cherry stare at her.

"Let's just say I'd rather mud wrestle an adult manticore than talk to her."

Mayor Mare watched the clock tick by, rhythmically drumming her fingers along the desk. Today had been a rather quiet day, and whole she rather enjoyed quiet days, she had to admit she was missing a certain someone. She looked over to see an empty chair that Spike would sit at when he visited her, her eyes turning soft as she remembered he would sit there and just talk to her, bothering he while she got paperwork done. Although she found it quite distracting, she could never be angry at the lad, as she secretly enjoyed that time.

Then she remembered the day he had shot up to be taller than hee. She would tease him by saying something like, "You'll always be my little Spikey-wikey" or making him lean down so she could kiss his forehead or cheeks in front of others. She sighed softly as she missed seeing the blush he would give when she praised him or how shy he acted when someone flirted with him.

She'll be honest, she may not have been his mother, but she certainly was missing him like he was her own son.

She decided to stand up and walk away from her desk, some "fresh air" would do her good. She walked over to her door, opening it, and walking out, closing it behind her. Had she stayed for another ten seconds, she would have been interrupted by a Thunderlane, running in with a frantic look in his eyes. He looked all around the room, before looking back out, jogging away from the door, looking around for Mayor Mare.

The Big One was lying against a wall, bleeding against it. The wind and snow made it hard to watch as the Big One looked upwards, the final man falling, blood erupting from his nose, eyes and ears. The man fell down, gun lying on his side, the Big One lying there, staring upwards as it clutched the wounds on its body. The Big One looked around at the group of men that had ambushed them, the second group to do so that day, and leant backwards, clutching one of its many wounds. It heard whimpering next to it, the Big One looking down to see a shape form against the snow, far too small for a man, scuttling towards him. It pressed his hand against one of its wounds, the Big One giving a sigh as it watched the little one uselessly try to plug up the hole. "Я не могу остановить кровотечение." the Little One said, pulling its hands away as the Big One grasped onto its hand. The Little One grabbed the Big Ones hand and nuzzled into it, sniffling a bit as teared well into its eyes.

"Не волнуйся. Я сделал свою работу, теперь ты должен делать свою." The Big One replied, squeezing the Little Ones hand. It then adjusted a bit, breaths coming out as shallow wheezes as blood pooled around it. "Ты помнишь дорогу?"

"Да."

"Не теряй веры, дитя мое. Просто помогите дракону пройти его путь, и вы оба получите желаемое." The Big One wheezed out, gently cupping the Little Ones cheek. Slowly, its hand became limp, the Little One holding it for a few more moments, knowing its father was gone. The Little One stood up, looking around, before nodding to itself.

"I have to find Spike."

Чувство погружения

Sinking feeling.

Spike couldn't stop this sinking feeling in his stomach as he kept walking. He tapped the radio button once, static answered him back, making him growled to himself and moved on. His massive wings were wrapped around him like a cloak, and the lad had not once spoken to Sand since they entered the door, holding his Boomstick as they walked. Sand, however, was staring holes into the back of his head for about half an hour now. Her eyes traced along his features, admiring every inch of him, as if she had truly seen him the first time. Eventually they stopped at an intersection, Spike taking his journal out and tracing along it with his fingers, looking around, walking over and kneeling down, inspecting the walls a bit, his weapon hanging on its strap.

Sand stared at him, Spikes mask attached to the armor on her chest, though she looked at it for a moment, before back at him, giving a silent hum to herself. Spike, however, noticed her staring, and looked back at her, confused, "What?"

Sand stood there for a moment, thinking about what she would say to him, studying him for a moment. She decided to go the direct route and say, "You saved my life."

Spike blinked at her, then looked back down at his journal, tracing his hand along the pages, taking a pencil out and writing something on the page. "Yeah, I did."

"Despite the fact that before lunch, I was one of the people who was holding you captive for a psycho bitch who had a breeding fetish." Spike paused at this, her word choice making him snap his head her direction, a bewildered look painted on his face.

"Uh...yeah?"

"I mean, this morning, you were a prisoner for my faction. Against my wishes and wants, of course, but by all intents and purposes, we were enemies." Spike stared at her, raising an eyebrow, standing back up, closing his journal to turn to her, a silent question in his eyes. This implored Sand to get to the point, and she asked, "Why did you save me?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Spike, most people would have left me for fish foot or even dropped me to be that dogs chew toy. You didn't even give a second thought and immediately helped me, despite all the horrible shit you've been through! I know it wasn't at my hands, but I was still on that team! Why?"

Spike was confused by Sand, seeing her stare up at him so intently. Spike sighed, then adjusted his pack, asking, "Do I need a reason to be a decent person? Does anyone, really? You were in trouble, and I could help." He turned to her, continuing, his eyes filled with determination, "The world is a horrible place right now, but that doesn't mean I have to be a horrible person." Sand stood there, shocked as Spike gave a fanged smile that, admittedly, made her heart beat a little faster. "I did it because it's the right thing to do."

He walked away from her, leaving Sand in stunned silence. Once he was far enough away to not hear her (not that he noticed she was even gone, as he was too busy writing in his journal), Sand smiled to herself and mumbled out something about "brains out", though her sentence was far too quiet to make out, even to herself.

She ran up to catch up to him, Spike giving a hum as he walked through the dark tunnel, putting his journal away. He stopped for a moment, making Sand nearly walk into him, fiddling with his radio again, trying to listen in. Something isn't sitting right with him, he just couldn't place it.

"What's wrong? You keep playing with that damn thing."

"Well...we're close enough to the surface that I should get a signal." Spike held his finger on the button, letting static fill the air.

"i don't hear anything, Spike."

"Exactly. I'm not picking up any signals. Which means something is messing with the tower."

"Should...we be doing something about that?" Sand asked him, looking around, turning her flashlight on as she peered around. Spike shielded his eyes a bit when she did so, looking around and humming. "I mean, you need to contact your team, right?"

Spike gave a soft smile, then said, "Knowing Silver, he's probably barking orders and hoofing it to the tower right now." Sand took notice of the tone of Spikes voice, before giving him a teasing look.

"Oh? Spike has a crush?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that." Spike started walking again, adjusting his grip on his boomstick. "He's the closest thing I've ever had to a dad." That sentence made Sand stop in her tracks, staring at the back of Spikes head. Spike, however, never noticed her change in demeanor and continued walking, "Yeah, everyone knows me as Twilights little brother or her assistant, and Night Light and Twilight Velvet were nice but they...never really felt like they were my parents. Just the parents of my sister. Never actually met my real parents."

"Spike...I'm sorry." Spike turned back to her, wincing and blinking as her flashlight shone on his face. "I...I didn't know."

"That's okay." Spike flashed her another smile, saying, "Sometimes I do wonder what it would be like to have my real family...but even if I got a wish or some sort of do over, I wouldn't change a thing." He stopped, then gave a chuckle, adding on, "Perhaps...I would have stopped some people from doing a few things, but hindsight is always 20/20."

After that, they started walking in a comfortable silence, walking together in the halls. Eventually, Spike stopped as he smelt the air. He sniffed a few times, flicking his tongue out, tasting the air, raising his weapon and taking a stance, Sand following and adjusting her rifle, turning her flashlight off and taking aim next to him. They inch forward in the darkness, Spikes wings tucking up, slowly folding in like an azhdarchid, his wings slowly walking on the ground with him. He dug his claws into the ground, before pole vaulting around a corner, aiming around, Spikes nose crinkling as he was hit with the horrible smell, gagging a bit as it finally hit him full tilt.

Spike lowered his gun and covered his nose, coughing into a hand, saying, "Clear."

Sand walked around the corner, seeing the sight. Of course it smelled horrible to her, but Spikes nose was much more powerful, making him reach for his mask. Sand silently handed him the mask, letting him adjust his helmet as he put it on, breathing clean, filtered air. "Sweet Celestia..." Sand mumbled out as she turned a flashlight on.

Humans.

Well...they were Human. Once.

Many of them were decaying, though something was off about them. Some had only a few fingers, others had misshapen teeth and jaws, and one of them still had its eyes in, dead and white, almost appearing as if it was blind. Spike carefully stepped through, looking around, a pit in his stomach opening as he kept walking, his eyes scanning over the bodies, an itching in the back of his brain.

Now, you see, the Human brain was quite amazing. What you call the "Uncanny Valley" was never actually a "you see something that is human but it actually isn't" response. The response is you seeing a dead body and the survival part of your brain ringing an alarm bell, letting you know that whatever killed this human might still be around. Other responses ran along this line, such as the paranoid feeling of being watched when you actually are or a "sixth sense", as when you scan over an area, your brain subconsciously already sees the foe before your conscious brain recognizes the threat, which bring about the feeling.

Spikes brain, however, never felt any of these things, as his brain was suddenly wracked with pain, making him keel over and scream as he felt like his brain was suddenly filled with molten lead. Sand jumped and aimed around, her hands shaking a bit as Spike screamed again, pure pain smashing through his brain like a sledgehammer at a glass warehouse. Seeing nothing, she looked down to see Spike clutching his head, tears streaming down his face as his eyes peered into nothing.

"SPIKE?! WHAT'S GOING ON?! ARE YOU OKAY?!" Sand shouted at him, her own voice nothing but muffled noises to Spikes ears as he stared at the ground, unable to even look at her. The woman knelt in front of him and shaking him, his eyes never changing, spilling more and more tears, his visor fogging up a bit from the new moisture, "SPIKE! TALK TO ME!"

To say Spike was in the worst pain of his life would be an understatement, as searing hot pain raced through his mind. Along with that pain were images and feelings that Spike could make out perfectly, in which he knew they were not of his own mind, though how he knew such a thing was lost to himself. However, a small inkling of what happened back in the cave with Storm shot through his mind; it was happening AGAIN. Once was strange. Twice? Something was trying to speak to him.

Snow. Blood. Bullets. Men shouting. A tall figure. Fear. Hatred. Pain. Sadness. A body in the snow.

Silver?

No, not Silver but...another father?

Yes, father. A father. His father.

No, not his, not Spike...his father.

Whilst Spike was kneeling on the ground, Sand was watching over him with worry, pacing back and forth. She had to admit, this was completely new territory for her. Spike had seemed perfectly fine for the past few hours, perhaps there was something in that tranq they hit him with that was messing with his head? Or perhaps his wings caused him so much pain he was holding back until now? Was he having a seizure?

Whilst Sand was considering these options, she did not notice the wall to her left moving, drawn to the woman's shouting and panicked state. The wall moved, only to suddenly reach out, Sand missing the grab by a hair length, her backpedaling as the wall suddenly shifted and out popped a creature.

No...a Human. Or, what once was Human.

The Human had its skin color the same as the rock, was hairless, its skin hardened by conditions that Sand never could think of. It had three fingers and a thumb, its mouth held weak, misshapen teeth, its face was sunken and its nose had rotted away, its arms were bulkier and its feet had become more canine like, perfect for running at things. Sand felt her heart jump to her throat as it released a scream that sounded far too human, its saggy, decrepit body was still far too strong as its dead eyes stared at Sand.

Whatever Humanity that resided in the creature was now far gone.

The Mutant screamed as it grabbed Sand, the woman giving a started yell as she fell back. She hit the rocky floor hard, making her world spin, though Sand was quick and jammed a rock into the beasts mouth. It, however, did not care, trying to bite into the rock, smashing and clawing onto Sands armor, trying to break through it.

"FUCK YOU!"

Spike could just make out a shadow against a bright light, too weak to even shield his eyes, Spike watched as the shadow turned to him. He could make out its hands - three fingers and a thumb - reaching out to him. Spike felt a sense of deja vu watching, though he had no clue why. He felt his arm raise up, seeing the small figure being surrounded by different shapes, a few of which he recognized; a horn and an antler, a knights helmet, and a collar.

"Спайк, пожалуйста помоги!"

"Spike, please help!"

"Spike!"

"Spike!"

"SPIKE! HELP ME!"

Sand screamed out as the beast finally freed its mouth from the rock, snapping its teeth at her, Sand just barely holding the Humanoid back with her elbow to its throat, though she was in a losing battle as it used its arms to push hers out of the way, darting down to finish the job with its teeth. Sand felt warm blood splash across her face, closing her eyes and expecting the end to come.

Well, it would have, had it not been for Spike.

One of his wings shot forward just as the beast lunged, the massive limb stabbing its only claw straight through the poor Humanoids throat, hence why Sand felt blood spray onto her face. Spike lifted up the beast with little effort, ignoring its garbled sounds as it tried to breath, standing up as he stabbed his other wings claw into it. Spike growled, seeing the creature try digging its sharpened nails into his wings, breaking its own claws against his tough scales. Spike pulled his boomstick up, then fired a shell into the creature, making it give an unholy screech, Spike racking another shell in with a loud pump. He fired again, the beasts back exploding out with bone and gore. Spike fired a third time, the Humanoid finally flying off of Spikes claws and a few feet down the hall, lying in a pool of its own blood.

Sand was sure it was dead, though Spike walked over, racking another shell in, firing at the poor things head, causing it skull and brain matter to paint the walls in a disgusting red coloration. Spike lowered his weapon, then looked back at Sand, asking, "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" Sand asked, incredulous, staring at Spike. "Am I okay?!" She stood up, giving him a glare, walking right up to his masked face, shouting, "YOU FUCKING IDIOT! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DYING! I THOUGHT YOU WERE HAVING A SEIZURE! I HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO HELP! YOU WERE IN SO MUCH PAIN AND ALL I DID WAS SIT BY AND DO NOTHING! I ALMOST GET EATEN AND YOU ARE CRYING ON THE FLOOR, CLUTCHING YOUR HEAD LIKE YOU ARE ABOUT TO EXPLODE!" Sand was breathing heavily as she stared at Spike, then she suddenly wrapped her arms around him, making the young man stiffen. He gave it a moment, before wrapping an arm around her, his wings wrapping around her in a form of hug. "I-I was so scared, and all I did was just stand there...I thought you were dying..."

"I'm sorry." Spike whispered out, hugging her tighter. It had been a few moments when Sand chuckled, making Spike look down at her. "What?"

"That's three times you've saved my life now."

Spike groaned, letting go of her while Sand chuckled some more, "You're keeping count?"

"Well, I gotta keep track, in case I wanna feel like saving your li-" The snarky comment died in Sands throat as a screech echoed down the tunnel, both of them turning as they aimed towards it. "Please...tell me it's not more of those Fuglies."

"Fuglies?"

"Yeah, that thing was Fuckin Ugly with a capital F. So, why not just call them Fuglies?"

Spike looked down at the Fugly, giving a grimace as he recognized the form of a Human. He knelt down and adjusted the body with his weapon, staring into its face, his eyes staring deep into the bodies. Even now he could tell there was nothing there, just basic animal instinct. He couldn't even see a fear reaction when he fired upon it, grimacing at the thought.

"Spike...he...it wasn't Human anymore."

Spike nodded as they heard rapid footfalls race towards them, loading fresh shells into the rotating cylinder, pumping a spent shell out and loading in a fresh one, standing up and taking aim. "Well, at least my conscience will be clear fighting these guys."

"Conscience, eh?"

"What can I say? I'm one of a kind."

Silver stood there, giving a confused and, frankly, horrified look around. It was not often that Silver was shocked or horrified, as five years of the post apocalyptic world would normally numb a person, but this definitely took the cake; at least two dozen people, dead. Now, Silver himself did not recognize any of the people, and Cherry had never sent out more people with them (her forces being so stretched thin that Silver had to leave a few behind to heal and guard), so Silver was wondering why so many were out there in the first place. Not only that, but many of them appeared to have died without a scratch on them, whilst others look like they were fighting each other, despite carrying the same weapons and gear.

Some look like they had shot each other. Others looked stabbed violently. There was one who had a knife in his head whilst choking another man, both seemingly died trying to take each other out. Wave stepped over a man, giving a grunt as he saw his mask was torn off, leaving the man to suffocate in the poisonous air.

"What happened to these guys?" Bright asked, Silver looking around in the snow, seeing some of them kneeling down, blood leaking from their eyes, ears and noses, almost in a praying like pose. Silver gave a sigh as he walked over to an alleyway, seeing a bloody handprint on a wall. Curious, he started walking as he followed the handprint, seeing another and another.

"Something tells me we should just leave." Steel said, looking around to see Silver gone. "Silver? Silver?!"

Meteor walked over to the bloody handprint on the wall, then looked over to see Silver walking around a corner. She waved Steel, Bright and Wave over, quietly following the man through the snow, her weapon raised. She stopped when she saw Silver standing in front of quite the scene; a half circle of bodies around one, tall figure. Said figures skin was almost pure black, bullet holes in its chest and right arm, its eyes massive and its mouth was almost fuzed together, showing no visible teeth or line. Its hand left a strange mark on the wall, though Silver paid no mind to it as he walked over to the large body. He knelt down, giving the body a soft look, before gently pressing his hands on the beasts eyelids, closing its large, glossy black eyes, letting it rest.

"Sir, I wouldn't touch that thing." Meteor spoke, making Silver look back at her. "It took out all these men by itself...we should be thankful they took it down."

"Should we?" Silver asked, standing back up, moving over to the drawings on the wall, inspecting them for a moment, only to pull his journal out - the very same type that Spike had, no less - and started drawing upon it, copying the symbols down.

"Sir?"

"You don't send twenty men to hunt down one mu...one man." Silver spoke, walking away from the wall to show them the symbols that were drawn; a large, Humanoid figure that looked very much like the body in the snow, holding its hands out to a smaller figure, this one having massive wings and a tail, along with strange symbol above them. However, rather than being the intricate drawings of an adult, they were rather crude looking, almost as if a child had drawn them. "And you definitely do not bring chains if you are going to kill something." Silver lifted a piece of chain out of the snow with a boot, giving a hum as he looked around, noting strange marks on the ground. "Looks like they didn't get what they came for, there were survivors being chased."

"Hey, that...smaller figure looks familiar." Bright mumbled to Steel, who was walking over bodies.

Steel knelt down, checking through the pockets of one of the dead men, humming quietly. Meteor walked over to the other end of the little alleyway, aiming her sweeper around, Wave and Bright Walking over to Silver, Wave speaking, "Sir, we need to think about this."

"Think about what?" Silver asked, seeing Wave point towards the tall cre...the tall mans body.

"That thing isn't even Human, and look what it did to all these people!" Steel gave a grunt as he picked something up, feeling some parchment, pulling out the paper and giving it a confused look over. "I think we're in serious danger, and we've already lost a few friends already. We should just head back to the Caverns, rearm and come back out, better prepared!"

Silvers eyes narrowed at Wave, about to retort, when he heard Steel give a started gasp, drawing the groups attention. Steel walked over to Silver, handing him the parchment, pointing at it. "Spike is in big fuckin trouble."

"How big?" Bright asked as she walked around, peering at the parchment curiously.

Said parchment held a picture, and whilst pictures weren't uncommon on parchment, parchment itself was rare in this new world, meaning that whoever handed it out must have had resources. What was on the parchment caused alarm, as it was a stylized version of Spike, hands shifted into claws and rifle in hand, giving a fanged snarl, and pupils turned into slits, green flames around him, his tail coiled around him like a serpent, ready to strike. Underneath it, it said something in huge, bold letters, impossible to ignore.

SPIKE SOLARIS APPLE SPARKLE

WANTED ALIVE BY ORDER OF DIAMOND DOG QUEEN

REWARD WILL BE GIVEN TO SOLE PERSON WHO RETURNS HIM UNHARMED

Silver glared at the paper, before shoving it in Steels hands, his mask just barely containing his colorful curses, staring off into the snow. Steel handed Meteor the paper and walked over to Silver, giving the older man a soft look.

Silver nodded to Steel, then turned to the others, adjusting his sweeper and looking at them all. He took a moment to look back at the bodies, giving them a soft glare, saying, "I don't know what Queen Bitch wants with Spike, but we aren't letting our dragon be her prisoner. Now, I know not all of you are happy with me," Meteor adjusted a bit on her feet, a move that did not go unnoticed by Silver, but he continued, "and to be honest, I don't blame you. However, I don't apologize for my actions, and to be honest, I feel like you all would have done the same in my shoes. Now, those of you who want to head back to Cherry, you may do so. In fact, I hold no ill will to those of you who leave." Silver stepped over a body, careful not to disturb it, then looked back at them, "I'm going to go save my boy. You can join me if you want."

The group stood there for a moment, considering his words. After all, he just gave them permission to head back to Cherry and help her out. A rather noble goal, to be honest, and no one would fault them for it, a perfect out from this mission.

Steel walked over to Silver, then rested a hand on the silver haired man's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, saying, "I'm with you, Silver." Silver smiled, hidden under his mask, Bright sighed a bit, then walked towards Silver, adjusting her sweeper, nodding to him as well. Meteor joined him, giving Silver a look, one in which he ignored. Wave stood there for a moment, sighing a bit, looking back at the body, then at Silver, nodding and walking towards him.

"Alright, let's go save Spike."

Mama stood there, her fists having been bandaged up, adjusting her armor a bit as she watched the other woman. Nova Flare stood by her side, though hid behind Mama once the womans gaze turned to her. It was a brief moment, of course, before her gaze returned to Mama. A soft hiss went out, the Lizard that had invaded her home was by Mamas size, a strange device clamped around its mouth as it stared at them, giving a soft whimper when Mama turned to it, before looking back at the armored woman.

"I came for Spike." Her cold voice finally spoke. Mama couldn't lie, she felt a pit in her stomach whenever the Queen Bitch spoke to them. "I expect you to honor our deal, Lilac Topaz."

"Like my daughter told you, Spike escaped." Lilac, or Mama, said, her eyes narrowing at the helmet. "The little lizard scrambled out the back gates and left us a...gift." Once she said "gift", the Lizard next to her adjusted and hissed, though cowered when Mama, or Lilac, gave it a glare. "And please, call me Topaz."

The Queen Bitch herself gave the Lizard a look, before glancing at her Right Hand, the Diamond Dog giving a soft snort. It appeared Lily (or the Right Hand, as the Queen referred to her) had healed up quite nicely, thanks to the Queens magic, and her amor had been repaired. Well, more like scrapped back together with bits of metal, but repaired nonetheless. After all, she needed an enforcer, and no enforcer would stay down for long. The Queens eyes were hidden under the helmet, though the Right Hand nodded, adjusting a bit as she dropped her mace on the ground, letting the stone crack below her as she walked over to the Lizard. The creature gave an open mouthed hiss, though that was ignored as Lily knelt down, grasping the creatures head and giving it a sniff, ignoring its claws digging into the ground.

Lily turned and nodded, the Queen giving a hum as she looked back at Topaz and Nova, "Very well, it appears you are telling the truth." The Queen adjusted a bit, Lily walking back over and effortlessly picking the mace up, looking at the Queen. At this, Topaz and Nova were relieved, though did not physically show it. "Although, I heard something troubling."

Topaz stood up, giving a confused look, "Troubling?"

"Yes. I heard you wished to keep Spike."

Topazes eyes narrowed at the Queen, though the armored warrior only stood back up, resting a hand on the hilt of her blade, "Mama" saying, "Is that so? Well, I can confirm it was a rumor and nothing more."

The Queen held a hand out, Lily giving a hidden, toothy grin as a Diamond Dog walked forward, dropping something on the ground in front of them; the muzzle. Spikes muzzle, to be exact. Topazes eyes narrowed at it, before she looked back up at the Queen, the armored warrior gaining a dangerous air as she stared at the mother and daughter.

"Need I remind you that your little...group exists purely because I deem it so?" The Queens words were sharp, cutting through any defense that could be brought up against her. "You seem to forget that it was I who saved your lives those four years ago. You were starving, dying, a little worthless group of filthy creatures I took pity on."

"I remember what you did."

"Then you should remember that I killed your last leader, your so called husband and freed you from his ruinous grip." Nova flinched at the word 'husband', and the Queens voice was filled with so much venom, she might as well be part snake, a rare venom that came from the ice cold Queen, her grip tightening on the hilt of her blade, raising a hand up and pointing at Topaz. "That lizard you dare insult is my territory. Mine. And I will fight for him."

"Like I said, they were nothing but rumors, pure fict -"

"You know they are not." The Queen interrupted, adjusting her helmet so Topaz could see her eyes. Cold. Calculating. Though, Topaz could swear she could spot a bit of jealousy. "If I learn that you so much as considered taking my dragon, I will take your daughter and show you the true meaning of pain. Am I clear?" The Queens voice left no room for argument, and the grip on her blade showed it was no empty threat.

Topaz sat for a moment, before sparing a glance towards her daughter, who was trembling a bit behind her mother. She looked back at the Queen, then hissed out a single word, filled with venom and hatred, "Crystal."

"Good." The Queen turned and started walking, before sparing a glance back at them, saying, "My scouts tracked him to the river, he is heading to the next settlement. I don't need to remind you how important it is that they don't take him." Topaz snorted out of her nostrils, staring down the Queen, though a small voice at the back of her head let Topaz know one thing.

For the first time in their dealings, the Queen sounded...worried.

The Queen started walking away, Lily giving a snort, following her, Topaz and Nova glaring at their backs as they walked out the door. It clunked shut behind them, Topaz flexing her knuckles, letting them crack, Nova jumping at the sound as her mother shook with barely contained fury.

"Why do you even want Spike?" Topaz called after the Queen. The armored warrior turned, staring at Mama, a hidden smile under her helmet.

"Every girl needs a pet." The Queen spoke, before talking away, Mama staring at the back of her bear skin cape, waiting until they were well outside of earshot.

"Nova." She suddenly spoke, making her daughter shrink a bit from her tone, the Lizard giving a wary hiss as it stared at her. "Gather some men. We're going to knock on the freaks front door and get our Pup." She started to walk, the Lizard giving a hiss as it followed her, the woman turning and giving a dangerous look. "And then we kill the Queen Bitch in front of her mongrel mutts and keep the Pup for ourselves."

Spike snarled, his fangs hidden behind his mask, firing another shell into an approaching Fugly, it flying back and screeching in agony as it slammed back into its allies. He fired another shell, killing three in one spread as they tried to recover on the floor, racking another shell to fire at one pouncing towards Sand, planting the poor creature into the wall. Sand had no time to actually see this as she had her knife jammed in another Fugly, straight into its eye, using her strength to grab a hold and twirl the creatures head at an awkward angle, killing it. She pulled the knife out and slammed it into the base of the neck in another, making the poor Humanoid go limp.

Spike racked another shell, his body and mask painted in blood and chunks, his eyes narrowing as he fired another shell, killing two and injuring a third. The third kept rushing, Spike taking a moment to load a shell in, the rotating clip adjusting as he slid the pump back, loading it in. The injured one kept running, hands ready to slash at Spike, only for one of Spikes wing claws to smash into the poor creatures throat, coming out the other end, leaving the poor creature to choke on its blood.

Well, that is until Spike smashed the butt of his gun into its head, smashing its brains in. A quick death, luckily it did not suffer too long. With a thunderous roar (in which both Spike and Sand were thankful they had proper hearing protection), Spike fired into one that rounded the corner, it screeching until the shell blew half of its head away, sending it back and smashing into a rock, blood splattering across the wall. Spike racked another shell, peering around at the brain, blood, organ and bone painted walls and floors around them. He walked forward, carefully walking around bodies, Sand following after him, smoke still spilling from his barrel as he peered around the corner.

He looked back at her, wiping the blood off of his mask, nodding to her, Sand adjusting her rifle and loading another round in, sliding the bolt back into place. Spike rounded the corner, only to be tackled by a Fugly, who was blended into the wall, pushing him against the other wall. He held his gun up, the created trying to snap at him as he held it back, hearing its snarls as it tried smashing its claws in, though Spikes armor thankfully held on. That being said, he still felt every blow and grunted as it tried twisting his weapon out of his hands, wrestling with the ugly creature that was once human, its mouth dripping with rot and drool as it got closer and closer.

Suddenly, its head was smashed with the butt of a rifle, the creature falling over, stunned as Spike finally caught his breath. He looked over to see Sand walk towards the beast. She kicked it back down, then planted on a boot on its jaws, taking aim. She lifted her boot, then uttered out in a cold, hate filled voice, "Bite this, you rotten bastard." She then slammed her heavy boot down, cracking the creatures jaw inwards and crushing the poor beasts throat. She lifted her boot again and smashed it back down, hitting true this time, smashing into its weakened skull, pulling her blood and brain covered boot out, panting a bit as their actions finally caught up to them.

"Bite this?" Spike asked, making Sand chuckle. "What are you, in an action movie?"

"Oh come on, it was a cool line." Sand laughed a bit louder, both of them relaxing for a moment, Spike resting his back on the wall. He nodded, then loaded a shell, adjusting the shotgun onto his back as he searched through his ammo. Seven boomstick shells left. Snapper was only down a magazine, whilst the sweeper was mostly down half a magazine, being almost completely full. He nodded to himself as Sand looked at him, "Got a better line?"

"Nope. I wouldn't have said a line, I would have just killed the poor thing and walked away without saying anything." Spike admitted, pulling his Sweeper out, wiping his wing claws clean of any blood with a cloth, before adjusting his weapon and tucking the cloth away. "You ready? We need to go next to a lake before the next settlement, and I really do not want to be underprepared for any more of those Fuglies."

Sand took a moment, before nodding to him, giving a soft smile. "Alright, let's go." Sand started to walk with him, her eyes trailing after him a bit. "So, this...Silver, how long have you known him?"

"Five years, three months, and twenty five days." Spike answered easily, making Sand blink at him, impressed. "He was sent to Ponyville after my sister and her friends went off to the Crystal Empire, since Twilight was turned into a princess, she would worry about me and talk to some old friends in the guard." He walked over to see a strange sign, carved into the wall, taking a moment to study it, before continuing on, speaking again, "He is basically my father. He taught me, trained me, took me under his wing to make me into a warrior."

"A warrior with a heart? That doesn't seem very helpful, I must admit."

Spike stopped, before turning to Sand, pulling his mask off, looking Sand in the eye. He thought about his words for a moment, before speaking to her, "A great man I met had a different idea of how a warrior should act. He once told me to be strong enough to be gentle...and I think about those words in every possible scenario when others call for violence first. He believed that everyone, that all sentient beings, deserved the right to freedom. He also believed everyone is capable of growth and change, and that you should help others. His idea of a warrior should be someone who helps protect others, but understands that you cannot always fight first. And I have taken those words to heart, even when I seem scary and fearless and..." Spike adjusted his sweeper, then spoke, "To be honest with you, I am scared, constantly. Even whilst saving our lives back there. I'm scared of letting him down. Of letting Silver down. Of letting my sister and the girls down...but I also know that if I lose myself to the violence, I will never be able to return, that when my sister sees me again, she'll only recognize me as a monster...and that terrifies me more than anything in the world."

"What was different about the Fuglies back there? Weren't you violent with them as well?"

"They gave us no choice." Spike said simply, his eyes hardening for a moment, before he looked away. "I regret what I have done, and I regret what I will do. However, I cannot just give up and die, so I will defend myself when I know there is no other option." Sand watched him as he started walking again, her eyes following him before her legs decided to. Spike mentally slapped himself for becoming distracted.

He just spilled his guts out to who was essentially a stranger. Though, in a way, he was glad he did so. He needed to get some things off of his chest and he knew he needed that after the past two days.

After half an hour of walking in silence, one that they both needed at the moment, Spike perked up as he heard the dripping of water, making him smile, looking back he called, "Come on, almost to the lake." He started to walk, only to stop and sniff the air.

Sand didn't notice and kept walking, the haies on the back of Spikes neck tensing as he kept sniffing the air. Sand stopped when she realized she only heard her own foot steps, looking back to see Spike sniffing the air. "You good, Spike?"

"Something isn't right."

He turned the corner with her, seeing an underground lake, his eyes peering at the water. He kept walking, Sand giving a nervous glance around as Spike stopped. She bumped into him, opening her mouth to utter an apology, only to gasp as she looked past him; glowing flowers?

They were beautiful, green glowing leaves with a blue-ish white top, little yellow strands sticking out. Sand reached a hand out towards it, before Spike grabbed her hand, shaking his head. He lowered his arm near it, and as soon as he got up to five inches near the petals, his counter started screeching at him, clicking madly, making Spike pull his hand back. He looked over to see glowing green moss along the walls and waters edge, Spike sniffing again and grimacing at the stench.

Poison. Rot. Death. He walked around the flower, waving Sand over as she followed his foot steps. He aimed his weapon around, his sweeper...well, sweeping to and fro, occasionally pointing towards the water. He grimaced as he held his breath, stepping over a half decayed body; a Fugly. Its head was dunked into the water, half rotten as its fingers stretched out, looking like it was mid gulp before something smashed half of its skull in with a rock.

"I guess we found out why the Fuglies look like that."

"Sort of." Spike spoke, before sweeping his weapon around, his eyes scanning the walls. "This water was poisoned by something up above. I assume something from the bombs, so I would really not touch the water if I was you."

"That reminds me, why can you breathe all this horrible shit?"

"I'm a dragon. I can swim in lava and even drink it if I wanted to, and that is filled with poisonous gases." He looked back as he sniffed the air, grimacing a bit at the stench of the body. "Water smells funny though. Even I won't touch it."

He heard a splash, making him narrow his eyes as he scanned the water line, seeing ripples disturbing the relatively peaceful surface of the cave water. He aimed his weapon towards it, only to hear the grunting of a creature and more splashing to his left, twirling to see a Fugly, half covered in glowing green liquid that seemed to ooze down its face, its flesh not quite the same coloration of the others but a muddy brown, making it perfectly suited for the muddy, dark water that surrounded it. It scrambled out of the water, towards Spike, giving a low grunt like a strange little primate, throwing a rock at Spike. Spike ducked down as the rock flew close, then took aim, the Fugly raising its arms and backing away a bit, making Spike pause. He started to back up and lower his weapon, the Fugly coming at him again, only to pause and shy away when he pointed his weapon towards it again.

"Looks like they are afraid of you, Spike. And after that show back there, I really don't blame them for their fe -"

"He's not afraid of me." Spike interrupted, the creatures eyes glued on his gun. He walked forward, the creature giving a grunt as it backs away on all four, hissing at him as he flashed his fangs. Perhaps it worked like primates, it would see his teeth and sense him as a threat and back away. The mans - no, creatures - eyes never left the weapon not even to Spikes threatening hiss. He turned to Sand and said, "Someone has used a weapon around this one. He knows its a threat, so he isn't approaching."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"Well if this thing is afraid of my weapon and we haven't been here before...who else is walking out here with guns?" Spike asked, not noticing the creature slowly stand up, grasping onto another rock. Spike turned too late and had his head smashed by the beast, knocking his helmet off, it jumping over him and trying to attack Sand. It jumped onto her, giving a screech as Spike was dazed, resting on the ground on his hands and knees. The beast had gotten lucky, it had struck his helmet and head in one go, knocking it off and injuring Spike in the process. He shook his head, his ears ringing as blood dripped down the side of his face, dripping onto the ground. Spike adjusted his jaw, before looking up, seeing the creature raise its claws, ready to finish Sand off.

Something inside of Spike broke in that moment. His eyes may have seen Sand, however, thanks to the head injury (which, somehow, only dazed him and did not give him brain damage) and the adrenaline in his system, he did not see Sand at all. In fact, the one person in her place was the single person no one with half a brain would ever attack; Twilight Sparkle. Spikes sister. Spikes only family that he trusted more than himself.

"SPIKE!" Twilights voice screamed into his ears, his pupils turning into slits as rage filled his body.

He opened his mouth, though instead of any words or a scream, an inhumane roar tore its way out of his throat, Spike using one of his wing claws to smash through the creatures right shoulder, blood spraying out and the green liquid spraying across the wall, luckily missing Sand. Spikes other wing claw was sent through the creatures lower back, the dragonblood easily lifting the beast up with his powerful wings, revealing a slack jawed and awed Sand. She stood there as Spike pulled his mask on, having just enough sapient thought to protect his face from what would happen, and roared through it as he twisted his wings different directions.

The creature gave a strangled yelp for half a second before its body was suddenly ripped in half, blood spraying out and painting Spikes face, intestines and organs spilling out onto the floor, Spike keeping both halves impaled on his wings. He released a rumble as he grabbed both halves in his hands and threw them into the water, letting the poor creature float, its organs and blood pooling around it, green ooze spilling back into the water.

In a long list of horrible ways to die in an apocalypse, torn in half by dragon wings would now be in Sands top three on said list.

Spikes head turned to Sand, making her flinch as she saw his face and part of his shirt caked in blood. He pulled his mask off, his eyes scanning her for a second, his pupils becoming rounded and blood dripping down his face from the wound near his temple. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then let it out into a soft, smoke filled exhale.

Only to hunch over and lose his lunch onto the floor, Sand immediately getting up, fear disappearing from her as Spike let out another round of vomit, it boiling and glowing on the ground for a moment, sizzling loudly. Sand didn't care, rushing over to pat the poor lads back as he choked on its acidic taste for a moment, spitting out the rancid taste in his mouth. He coughed a few times, before standing back up, shivering a bit as he gave out a weird sound,.sticking his long tongue out for a moment, before looking back at Sand.

"You okay?"

Sand gave him a soft look, then smiled a bit, "Yeah. You saved my life...again." She grasped onto his face, making him wince as she inspected the wound on his head. Not a deep cut, but it would still need to be cleaned and covered. "I would call you my knight in shining armor, but knight typically have a better hold on their helmets."

"Yeah, I got lucky this thing didn't kill me." Spike said as he picked his helmet up. He inspected it, seeing some blood on it, though luckily undamaged from the attack. He adjusted his helmet, pulling it on tighter, then nodded to Sand, giving a smile. "Let's go to the next settlement. I can rest and treat my wounds before I head out."

"So..." Sand started as they walked together, ignoring Spikes wince as he adjusted his helmet. "You good?"

"Nope."

"Okay...wanna ta -"

"No."

"Okay." Sand said, looking around, adjusting the rifle in her grip. "So...ya got a girlfriend."

"Can we play the quiet game?"

"Come on! Guy as handsome as yourself, you have to have a few ladies...or dudes...or both waiting for you back home!" Spike took a moment to stare at her, before continuing on, mumbling something under his breath. "Come in, what's her name."

"There is no one waiting for me back home."

"Oh? So you're available?"

"Yeah. I'm available. All you have to do is get approval from Twilight Sparkle, the Princess."

"Isn't Twilight de -"

Sand had no time to finish as Spike twirled around, his pupils turning into slits as he glared at her, quietly hissing through his teeth, "Do not finish that sentence." Sand, so stricken with fear, could only freeze and nod her head, Spikes eyes narrowing a bit, though all he did was snort out some smoke and continue walking. It took a few seconds before her legs finally got the signal that she needed to walk, giving Spike a little space as he kept walking.

It was quiet now, a quiet that Spike was happy to have and Sand was uncomfortable in. She didn't realize it was such a sensitive topic for him, she would have kept her mouth shut if she realized what it might do. Spike adjusted his sweeper as they walked, before slowly adjusting his back, allowing his wings to shift back into his body, giving an uncomfortable grunt as he adjusted his clothes and armor, looking back at Sand as they approached a heavy, metal door.

"It's through there. My tail is enough to freak people out, but wings might be pushing it." Spike explained, Sand giving him a look as he stretched and adjusted his back, the sounds of cracking making her wince. He walked over to the scratched door, his eyes scanning along the walls, seeing an intercom with a button. "Okay, just stay quiet, let me handle this."

He pressed the button, a loud buzzer echoing throughout the tunnel. Sand jumped back, then looked around, raising her rifle up, her eyes scanning along the waterline and walls. Spike, however, stood there, his tail coiling behind him as a sinking feeling came back to him.

It shouldn't take this long to answer.

He pressed the button again, a loud buzzer bouncing off of the walls again. This time, there was a distant noise that answered back; a scream. Sand backed up, aiming her weapon towards the noise, aiming down the scope, mumbling out, "Spike. Open the door."

Spike smashed the buzzer again, his anger rising, trying to convince himself that he shouldn't just rip open the panel. He raised his hand again, only to stop when a sharp noise echoed out, then a confused voice filtered through the speaker, "Uh...he-hello?"

Spike felt his spirits lift immediately and spoke into the speaker, "This is Spike Sparkle of the Ponyville Guard, do you read me?"

After a second, the voice answered, though Sand kept watching the tunnel, "Spike? As in, Spike the dragon?"

Spike looked back at Sand, seeing her kneel down and adjust her scope, grimacing, answering the voice, "Yes, Spike the dragon."

A moment passed, enough time for them to hear inhumane screams echo down the caves, Spike sparing a glance back. He couldn't see anything, but he knew they were coming, adjusting his sweeper to his shoulder and giving a grunt, mumbling something under his breath that sounded like a threat, or perhaps a promise. He twirled around as he heard more and more footsteps coming towards them, kneeling down and adjusting his sweeper. They were sprinting towards Spike and Sand. Spike could see them, pulling his magazine out and checking his ammo, before sliding it back in, checking the chamber for a round. He took aim, readying himself for another onslaught, his draconic eyes peering into the darkness, Sand copying his movements and aiming down the tunnel.

Spike started backing up, his eyes widening, "Uh...Sand. You should shoot."

"Shoot at what, I can't see shit!"

"JUST FUCKING SHOOT!" Spike barked out, firing into the dark, his gun lighting up the walls around them. Screams of pain echoed out, deep within the caverns, Sand aiming through her scope and firing blindly, the sounds of roars getting louder and loud. Spikes gun was deafening, firing bursts of bullets into the darkness, cutting through unseen flesh and bone, the screams and roars of the misshapen and mutated making their skin crawl.

They were getting closer and closer to them. Spike could see them scrambling over their dead, his gun fire cutting through multiple mutants at once, the shambling forms getting closer and closer. Sand fired bullet, pulling the bolt back, only to jump as she heard the door grind open, the sounds of shouts echoing out in the hallway as she saw a face peer under.

"THEY'RE ALIVE! THEY'RE IN TROUBLE, OPEN THIS THING FASTER!" The voice yelled out, nasally and rough as he pulled himself back in, the ground of the door creaking and groaning quickening.

"Spike!" Sand tried to yell, only to see Spikes eyes hardened as he fired, breathing steadily as he fired in short bursts. "SPIKE!" He stopped firing as a click echoed out, pulling the magazine out and sliding in a new one, pulling the slide back to push a bullet into the chamber, before snarling, flashing his fangs.

The thunderous sound of a boomer shook Spike out of his concentration, looking over to see a familiar pair of buck teeth attached to a rather chubby looking man holding a rifle. He pulled the bolt back, then pushed it back forwards, firing again, barking out an order that was lost to Spikes ears. He was suddenly tugged by a lanky man, who was saying something to the chubby one, his mind finally focusing out of the haze of the fight.

"We got 'em both!" The lanky one yelled out over the gun fire, the chubby one falling back. A loud ping was heard as he ejected the clip, trying to find a spare one in his jacket, though, it was too late, a Fugly was already upon him, screaming as it raised its disfigured hands and claws towards the chubby one.

Only for the Fugly to have its face smashed through by a three round burst. The chubby man turned to see Spike standing up and bracing himself, firing into anything coming too close to them, the doors shutting. One Fugly scrambled through, only to be shot by the lanky one, a shotgun held in his grip. He pumped it, ejecting the spent shell, then fired into another that slipped through, splattering its brains across the door. A third tried to slip through, only to be caught under the door, giving screams as half of its body was crushed. It tried sliding its other half through, clawing at the ground, only for Spike to fire a bullet into its head, ending its misery.

The sound of banging echoed throughout the chamber, before Spike looked back, seeing the two men do some sort of strange handshake, then looked over to Sand, who gave a smile and thumbs up, though was leaning on the wall and shaking a bit, the adrenaline slowly draining from her system.

"You good?" Spike asked, pulling his magazine out and checking it, then pushing it back in, giving Sand a concerned look.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm good."

Spike turned to the men, still in the middle of their handshake, walking over to them, saying, "I'm Spike Sparkle, of the Ponyville Guard. And you two are?"

"Spike, we know who you are." One said, nasally, making Spike quirk an eyebrow. "You came over with Twilight, remember?"

"Wait..."

"Yeah, I remember." The lanky one said, his deep voice sounding a tad slowed down, the man giving him a smile. "I remember when she took on the fabulous and fantastic Trixie."

"Of course you remember, we woke up the bear, remember?!"

"Oh no..."

Sand walked over, seeing the two men evolve into a one sided argument, Spike giving a throaty groan as he put his face in his palms, his weapon hanging on his shoulder by a strap. She saw his state of distress, then asked, "Do you know these two?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Spike mumbled, before holding a hand out, gesturing to the two, "Sand, meet Snips and Snails."

"Hey, see you met Spike, the greatest dragon in Ponyville!" Snips said, sliding a new clip into his rifle, then pushing the bolt back into place.

"I thought Spike was Ponyvilles only dragon." Snails said, making Spike sigh a bit.

"Okay, guys, we appreciate the help, but what are you doing here? I thought you two were visiting Canterlot."

"That's a loooooooong story." Snails drew out, making Spike and Sand exchange looks.

"One which we really don't have time for, I just need to -"

"It all started when the -" Snips began, making Spike grumble as Sand chuckled.

Раздражающий

Annoying.

The story was annoying.

Spike had this very familiar thought running rampant through his brain as Snips and Snails told their story. It could have been summed up in maybe a paragraph or a few sentences, like from Cranky or maybe even Maud Pie. Instead, it had been a thirty minute long story whilst Spike checked through his supplies and cleaned his weapons, Sand being enraptured for what was, essentially, a normal business day for Twilight and himself, told by two of the towns most troublesome duo. Spike himself didn't much care for the story, after all, it just included a train ride from Canterlot to Ponyville, but they talked about every little stop before and after said train ride. Needless to say, Spike was only half paying attention as he cleaned his wound and covered it, then pulled his weapons apart, cleaning them.

Of course, Spike still held them as friends, even if he was annoyed by them. They had the capability to learn, to change, and to better themselves, which made the two quite the rare pair in the apocalypse. It seemed that Spike may have put up a front, as he was genuinely proud of them and would have admitted it, had he not been absolutely bored out of his mind with the story. It also seemed that they were trusted enough to guard the outer perimeter of the settlement they had, which was a step up from what anyone would trust them with before the bombs.

Spike looked up as he finally put his snapper back together, sliding it into its holster, hearing Snips and Snails finish their story. He got a good look at them, giving a soft hum of thought as he inspected them. The two magic bloods had changed; instead of being the small, chubby little boy he was before, Snips was now taller, about average height at five feet and six inches, and packed on some muscle, though still seemed a bit pudgy. Thankfully not in the dehydrated, unhealthy way, but a good amount of fat and muscle that made him look strong and healthy. Snails himself has shot up, and although he would not reach Spikes adult height (which was a few centuries away), he did tower over Spike now at six feet and four inches. He seemed slender, though Spike knew not to underestimate him as he knew he had a hidden strength.

That being said, their personalities were still similar, Snails was the last person in Ponyville to get a joke (though this did not make him dumb, as he often asked deep questions and was naturally curious), and Snips was the energetic goofball he was before the fall.

"What are we doing, we should bring you to the others!"

Spike perked up at this, then asked, "Others?"

"Yeah, the Leader, he'll want to talk to you and Sand here, Spike! After all, he is a big fan of your friend!" Snips spoke, earning a nod from Snails, who gave a gentle smile.

"Friend? What friend?" Spike thought to himself, though all he did was exchange a look with Sand, then asked, "Shouldn't you two be staying here? Guarding?"

Snails turned to Snips, then quietly drawled out, "The Leader was awfully sore the last time we did something without askin first."

"Snails, you thinkin what I'm thinkin?"

"Why do people use 'dose' instead of 'does' in a story?"

"Yeah - what? No! I mean we should use the signal!"

Sand and Spike watched, with amusement and annoyance respectively, as Snails let his hand glow. He looked at Snips, who nodded, threw the light upwards, blinding Spike for a moment and making him hiss as he covered his eyes. After a moment, another light shot up into the tunnel, much further away, making Snips and Snails smile, Spike adjusting his sweeper a bit as he heard loud banging behind them again, twirling around a bit as muffled screams of the hellish mutants were heard.

"We're changing shifts, we'll take you to the Leader." Snips said as they started walking, Sand and Snails following him. Spike stayed behind a moment, giving the door a look, before following the trio, a strange pit in his stomach forming as they walked.

As they walked, Spike gave a look around the tunnel, seeing several claw marks and holes, his eyes trailing along the marks on the wall. He peered back at Sand, who was in the middle of talking to Snips about hair dressing, Snails using a flashlight attached to his chest to look forward, his eyes scanning over every surface. Something just didn't feel right to Spike, though he couldn't explain what was wrong to them.

They passed a duo who were also armed, giving them a confused look as Snips and Snails walked by, though they continued onward without saying a word. Spike gave them a glance, adjusting his sweeper as his eyes locked with the closest man, watching him smirk, walking down the hall. His eyes narrowed, then he looked back at Snips and Snails, both talking about what they would have for dinner.

Spike grasped Sands shoulder, then mumbled to her, "Something feels...off."

Sand looked at Snips and Snails, who stopped to talk about something or other, not paying attention to the world around them. Sand looked back towards Spike and raised a hand a bit, mumbling, "I admit, they seem a little...weird, but that doesn't mean they -"

"They are perfectly fine." Spike cut through her thought, his eyes narrowing as he looked the way they were going, whispering to her, "It's about this Leader they keep talking about. Something just isn't sitting right when they mention him."

Sand gave them a glance, seeing the two talk about something or other, then turned back to Spike, whispering back, "You don't think this...Leader is taking advantage of them, do you?"

"I can't say for certain. Let's at least meet the guy before I come to any conclusions." Spike mumbled back, adjusting his gear as he started walking again. "Hey, Snips, Snails!" He called out, the duo looking back at Spike in confusion. "You said your Leader was a big fan of one of my friends, who exactly? Rainbow Dash? Applejack?"

"Oh, no, none of the girls, just the -" Snips was interrupted by the sound of gun fire in the distance, making them all turn the direction they came from. "Well, uh...this isn't really the best place to discuss this, let's just go to the Leader and he'll explain everything." They started walking again, hearing the gun fire become more and more distant, Spike giving the direction of the sound a glance.

Seemed like a lot of gun fire for a few Fuglies.

Snips and Snails walked into the opened gates of the settlement, Sand quickly following behind, whilst Spike was lagging behind. A few of the guards and people near the gate had given Spike stranges looks, some even backing away from him. Spike adjusted the mask on his chest, peering around as he inspected the buildings around him; much like the Caverns, the buildings around them were scrapped together, though Spike noticed a lot more plant life and fungus, making him stare at the surroundings a bit.

He could make out a modified gate further across to the other side, and some sort of strange building in the middle of the settlement that towered above the others. He could almost make out some sort of symbol on it, though he was distracted when he saw a glint of something on the far wall; he could make out some metal bars and an opening in the wall, though he didn't get a good look as he bumped into a person, who scuttled away as soon as they got a good look at Spike.

He heard a child gasp nearby and looked over, his tail giving a soft curl as he did, seeing a young girl hiding behind her father. Spike gave a wince as he realized how he looked at the moment; covered in blood from ripping apart that poor Fulgy, some of his armor was scratched and his shirt was ripped from the claw marks The Right Hand had given him, and blood from the recent wound given to him was still on his face. He was a mess. He adjusted his Sweeper a bit, trying to ignore the eyes boring holes into him at the moment.

"Spike?" Sands voice made him look up at her, his eyes conflicting whilst hers shown nothing but patience and worry. "You okay?"

Spike looked back, seeing the child shivering while holding onto their father. He lowered his head, then shook it, walking forward, "No."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Well, I -"

"Hey, the Leader is just ahead." Snips said, making Spike and Sand share a look. Spike himself only nodded to her, not minding the mans interruption. They walked towards a rather humble looking home in the middle of the settlement, flowers sprouting out from the walls, along with some (thankfully not poisonous) mushrooms. The front door opened to a rather thing man, with a beard and long hair, both braided rather beautifully with a few flowers in his hair. He gave them a soft, warm smile as he looked at them, giving Snips and Snails a hug, laughing a bit.

"Snips! Snails! What brings you to my home!" He asked with a warm, almost fatherly, voice.

Snips gave a natural smile, which was very rare in this world, and spoke, "Leader, we brought -"

"Ah ah ah, boys, boys!" The man spoke naturally, giving them both a playful chuckle, "We had a talk about that, my name is not 'The Leader', it's just Green Thumb!" He looked up to see the blood covered Spike and the tired looking Sand, giving a gasp. "Is...is that Spike? Sweet Celestia, what happened to you, my poor boy?"

"Yeah, we found them fighting the Lost Ones at the back door, Leader." Snails drawled out, Snips nodding, ignoring the tired smile Green Thumb gave the duo. "We thought, since you were friends with his friend, you might help them out."

"I would never turn them away, even if they were strangers, you know that! Come, Spike and..."

"Sand."

"Sand! Spike and Sand, you must be exhausted, come in, come in, I'll brew some tea for you two. And look at your wounds." Green Thumb waved them in, Snips and Snails adjusting their gear. "Snips, Snails, you two work far too hard, would you like to come in for some tea?"

"Oh, no thank you, Leader, we had some plans." Snails spoke, Snips giving a soft smile.

"Thought we were try and beat Hayseed at chess today."

"Oh, he plays a mean game! I won't keep you two then, have a fun night." Green Thumb said, giving a soft smile. He shut the door and turned to the two warriors, giving them soft looks, "Go on, sit, sit, you must be exhausted!"

Spike and Sand shared a look, before looking around. Beautiful gems hung from the lights on the ceiling, Spike having to stop himself from snatching one up and eating them, despite how delicious they looked. The man had some rather comfortable looking furniture, the walls having no wallpaper, though the drawings of both adults and children were on the walls, done by some sort of paint. Spikes eyes roamed over to a chair, offering it to Sand, who happily sat down and gave a groan as she slumped on it, though Spike felt his eyes roaming around to the kitchen, seeing Green Tumb using some magic to set a fire, heating up a kettle.

His eyes wandered over to a door, seeing a strange symbol that looked like a horn and antler carved into it. Spikes eyes narrowed at the symbol, before looking at Green Thumb, adjusting his weapons on his back. "So, you're the Leader?"

Green Thumb gave a tired smile and sighed, before shaking his head, "No, I'm not the Leader. I am the one everyone talks to about jobs and food though, so they just call me that." Green Thumb admitted, crossing his arms and leaning on the desk. "The Leader is my husband, but he's on a hunt."

"Hunt?" Sand perked up, looking at the man, confused, "What hunt?"

"No clue. He just leaves whenever something catches his fancy." He grumbled out, though the kettle screaming made him hop up and grab some cups. "I hope you don't mind, it is green tea. Funny, I know, but it's the only tea I can really grow down here."

"Green Thumb? Weren't you a gardener who talked to Fluttershy?" Spike asked, making the man smile at him.

"I am surprised you remember! Feels like so long ago, but I did garden and help plant crops, like carrots and celery and the like." Green Thumb said, using his magic to pour the tea, floating cups over to both. Spike easily grasped the boiling cup with one hand, taking a sip of it. Sand, however, tried to grasp it, hissed at how hot it was and set it down next to her on a coaster, giving Spike a surprised look as he drank some of it, showing no issues at the heat. "Once the bombs dropped, I was already near this entrance and was able to help out families who couldn't get to the main doors in time." Green Thumb said, before his eyes gave a heavy look, holding onto his cup in his hands. "I couldn't save everyone though. It happened so fast, and I...we left a few out there. I just didn't have time before the first bomb hit...though some part of me wishes I could keep the door open and let the rest in."

"I know how you feel." Spike said, his hands gently squeezing the cup, drawing Sands attention. "I wish I could have saved more...but I was just a boy when it happened and I..." His voice faltered a bit, before he looked over to Green Thumb, shaking his head a bit. "Sorry."

"Don't be. Sometimes, we need to let our emotions out, be it anger or sadness." The man said, giving a warm smile. "Last we meet, you were only about...yay high." Green Thumb made an approximate measurement with his hand. He walked over to Spike, giving him a soft look, "Take off your helmet, let me have a look at that wound."

Spike complied, hearing Green Thumb give a soft noise as he he inspected it. "He got it saving my life." Sand answered the unspoken question, making Green Thumb chuckle.

"Good to see you haven't changed, Spike." Green Thumb said, before pulling the bandage off, hissing at the sight. He pulled out some sort of bottle, then poured it on the cut, Spike giving a hiss, hearing Green Thumb mumble an apology. He started cleaning the cut, asking Spike as he kept himself busy, "So, how is Fluttershy doing? I assume she survived the bombs, judging by your attitude."

"They were in the Crystal Empire when it happened. Last I heard, Discord -" At the name Discord, Green Thumb visibly stiffened, though this went unnoticed by both Spike and Sand, "was on vacation there and would meet up with the others. It's been years since we last had contact."

"Wait, Discord? As in...the former God of Chaos, Discord?" Green thumb asked as he put a patch over the now clean wound, giving Spike a nod, letting the dragonblood put his helmet on.

"Yeah, Discord, Big Mac and I would get together to play Oubliettes & Ogres on Guys Night." Spike smiled at the memory, before looking up at Green Thumb, who was busy staring out the window. "Green Thumb? You okay?"

"I...I think you both should leave."

"I'm sorry?"

"Excuse me?"

"My husband will be here soon, and I...I think you should leave." Green Thumb said hurriedly, pouring their cups down the drain, peering all around out his window.

"Is there something wrong?" Spike asked, Sand standing up and adjusting her gear. "Did I offend you?"

"My husband is a great hunter. He went off looking for something...incredible, and he doesn't like strangers. You both may supply up, but you have to leave before he comes back with one of those 'beings' he keeps rambling on about." Green Thumb spoke, waving them over, Spike giving a growl, though Sand quickly stood up and walked over. "That right there is the temple, where they'll take the quarry. If you go there, you'll be captured immediately by the Hunters, so you'll need to -"

"Hunters?!" Spike yelled out, smacking his hand on the table, drawing their attention. "Just what the fuck is going on? Why are you so worried? And why the fuck do you have hunters?!"

Green Thumb sighed, then looked at the gate, glancing back at Spike, "Listen, my husband is...he is something else. Before the bombs he was normal, but now...he...I can't explain it fully, but you both are in danger. Now, near the temple, you'll find supplies that you'll need, and a door to leave this place." Green Thumb opened a door at the end of the house, showing a back door, "Now, you'll need to avoid the Hunters to get to the door, but if my husband sees you, he'll likely throw you in the Cage."

Sands looked at Green Thumb, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach as she asked, "Just...what in Celestias name is the Cage?"

"Trust me, you don't wanna know." Green Thumb muttered out, before giving them a soft smile, "I'm rooting for you guys."

"Wait...why aren't you helping your husband?" Spike asked, making Sand grip onto her rifle a bit, her eyes narrowing a bit.

Green Thumb sighed, before looking at Spike, giving a tired smile. "Before the bombs, I loved the man to death. I would do anything for him. Now...I can't even look at the man without feeling a sickness in my gut. Just avoid him if you can, Spike, he'll hate you the most."

Spike opened his mouth to ask a question, before Sand butted in, cutting his thought in half, "What about Snips and Snails? We can't just leave them!"

"Oh, trust me, they are perfectly safe here." Green Thumb then gave a peek out the window, nodding to them, "I've kept an eye on them this long, not gonna quit now."

Spike walked over to Green Thumb, only to hold an arm out, Green Thumb grasping his forearm in a type of warriors hand shake, not minding the cold metal of the chains on Spikes forearm. Sand gave a soft smile, then spoke softly, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, you're still in here." Green Thumb spoke, then gave them a soft wave, "Just avoid the Hunters. You'll recognize them by their masks and sigils on their chests." Spike and Sand walked out the door, seeing Green Thumb give them a soft smile. "As soon as you guys get your supplies, try to avoid the things my husband is hunting. It is said they can meddle with minds, and if he brings one back...you really don't want to be around it." Green Thumb closed the door, Spikes eyes narrowing as Sand looked at him.

"You don't think that..." Sand began, before seeing Spile walk into the shadows, drawing no weapons. "Wait, don't you want to arm yourself?"

"Not particularly." Spike mumbled out honestly, poking his head out of the alleyway they were in, seeing some tending to flowers or plants. "After all, they may be my enemy, but I don't want to kill them. They all have lives as well."

"Okay, no killing." Sand spoke, adjusting her rifle to sling it onto her back. She walked over, peering out with him, asking, "You got a plan to head over to that temple?"

"I do." Spike slowly said as he looked up at the ceiling, seeing walkways above them, some of them holding building materials and some buildings set up to give a better view on any enemies.

Sand followed his vision, giving a grunt, "Why do I have a feeling that I'll hate your plan?"

Mayor Mare rubbed her cheek as she read through a book, snacking on a sandwich. To say she was worried about Spike and Silver would be an understatement, as they hadn't been able to contact the away teams for some time. However, she knew they could handle themselves and that it was just her own worries eating at her. After all, Spike had basically saved Big Macs life all those years ago, and Silver had fought off a horde of mutants just to save her life.

Mayor Mare took a sip of her water and looked up, seeing Bulk Biceps talking to some random magicblooded woman, his tiny wings flittering a bit. Bulk had taken over training in Silvers absence, and it seemed he was doing a great job, as no one complained to her. Though, she often wondered why he only let them get into shape rather than literally bulking up, much like him.

She watched Big Mac and Applebloom sit down across from her, raising an eyebrow at them. Big Mac nodded to the Mayor, Applebloom seeming to fidget in her seat for a moment, making the older woman sigh, then speak, "No, I haven't heard from Spike or Silver, and no, I am not going to bother them in case they are in the middle of something."

"That ain't what we were gonna ask ya." Mayor Mare looked at Big Mac, confusion marking her face. "We were gonna ask if ya noticed anythin different 'bout Spike lately."

"Not that I can remember...why?"

"Well -" Applebloom started, before pausing a bit, looking around a bit. She leaned in and whispered, "When Spike was staying with us a week ago, he kinda...sleep walked."

"Sleep walked? Is that it?" Mayor Mare asked, her eyebrow perking up.

"We wish it was just that."

Big Mac took over, mumbling out as he searched through a bag, "We didn't wake 'im up cuz, ya know, they might react badly or lash out or somethin like that, like miss Twilight told us. But...he took some paper we had and started drawing...these..."

Big Mac pulled out some papers and put them in front of Mayor Mare, the woman setting her cup down and staring at them. On the pictures were random scribbles in a language she couldn't make out (if it was a language at all was beyond even Mayor Mare), however, she did recognize different things in the drawings.

The first being a hand print, four fingers, next to a clawed hand, drawn in charcoal. The next was the mountain that held Canterlot, the city barely being seen, with two black figures at the bottom. The third drawing was of a black humanoid, tall, lanky, with massive eyes, random symbols around its head. A fourth drawing was of flowers branching out of a skeleton in some sort of dark forest. The last drawing was the most alarming and confusing, as it had Spike with his wings out, one hand ready to strike out with claws, the other hand up, palm facing upwards, as if to help someone up, his face ripped into two directions; on one side, showed a scale covered face, roaring silently in fury, the other was his normal face with strange symbols on his forehead and a hand print on his face, looking far more peaceful.

And in the middle was a strange humanoid, far smaller and stockier than the previous one, being surrounded by black figures that appeared like shadows, or ghosts, reaching its hand out for help.

Mayor Mare peered through the drawings, her face unreadable, before she looked back up at Big Mac and Applebloom, asking, "Have you told anyone about these?"

"Nope." Big Mac said, glancing at Applebloom, who gave him a nudge. "We didn't even tell Spike about it. Seems like he doesn't rightly remember even getting up and we didn't show him the pictures in case it might trigger somethin. We both know Spike ain't the type to make up this sorta thing."

"Good. Let's keep this between us right now." Mayor Mare spoke, pushing the papers back to Big Mac. He nodded, stuffing them back in the bag, giving Mayor Mare a soft look. "I'm still trying to understand it..."

Thunderlane took this moment to run up to the table, panting loudly, holding his side and groaning. "Oh sweet Celestia or Equestria...I think I pulled some stitches..."

"Thunderlane? What are you doing here?"

"We got...we got word that...oh geezy Petes...I am gonna die..."

"Come on now, spit it out." Applebloom said, glaring at the man.

"Hold your...hold your horses...whew. Alright, we just got word from Silvers team. They're almost at the last settlement."

"Some good news! That's in short supply these days." Mayor Mare said, smiling, though the look Thunderlane gave her made it fall rather quickly.

"Not exactly. They said there was a faction holding captives and that Diamond Dogs are searching for Spike for some reason. Which means we gotta shore up defenses. They already attacked Cherry Jubilees settlement, we might be next."

"And there's the bad news." Applebloom said glumly, though she gave a hiss when Big Mac elbowed her. "What'd I do?"

"Let the guards know, hopefully Blaze Powder has her next batch of weapons ready."

"Did I tell you how much I hated this plan?" Sand hissed in Spikes ear as he dug his hands into solid rock, giving himself a new foothold. His tail was curled around her hips, keeping her attached to him like a sort of life line. Sand had to admit, she loved how he felt, his muscles flexing under his armor, though Sand secretly wished his tail would squeeze tighter. Of course said thoughts suddenly scrambled in her head as he gave a grunt of exertion, digging his hands into a crevice in the wall, resting there for a moment.

"Yeah, you might've mentioned it...twelve or so times as we snuck through the alleyways...and while I was climbing." Spike mumbled out, his hands digging a new hand hold, then adjusted along the wall, sliding across it, feeling Sands grip tighten around him.

"Well I fucking hate this plan."

"I told you not to look down at the half way point. Begged, even." Spike mentioned, then jumped up to a rock, grabbing a hold, ignoring Sands yelp of surprise. "I also told you not to grip onto me too tight."

"Well, I'm sorry for choking you, but you lost your grip and I panicked!" Spike rolled his eyes at this, before gripping onto the metal grating, his hands easily bending the metal. "Are we there yet?"

"Do you want to open your eyes and check?"

"No, I'm good, thanks!" Spike chuckled at Sands response, before giving a hum.

"You got a good grip on, right?"

"Yeah, whhHHHHHYYYYYYYYY?!" Sands question turned into a shriek as he suddenly let go of his hips and smashed his tail into the metal grating, Spike using his momentum to smash his hands into the metal and flip both of them over, landing on his feet, stumbling a bit as Sands grip tightened.

To Sand, her stomach felt as though it has dropped to Spikes feet and back up to her throat in the process of him flipping over, using all of her power to not throw up from the sudden changes. Once she finally regained power of her stomach and swallowed her bile, she let go of Spike, careful not to trip in the claw marks Spike left, the dragonblood looking at her, asking, "You okay?"

"If you weren't so hot, I'd punch you right in the fucking gut..." Sand hissed out, staring up at him with an unamused expression, still green from the move he did.

"Don't worry, we only had to to it once, we won't need to do it again...probably."

"Go...fuck...yourself." Sand mumbled out between breaths, standing up and stretching a bit, regaining the feeling in her arms and legs after hanging from him for so long. "Okay, I'm good."

"That's good, because I don't see anyone, but that means we better get going. It won't be long until they notice the claw marks in the floor." Spike started walking, peering around, giving a soft hum, "You cleaned your filter, right?"

"Of course I did. I did it while Snips and Snails were talking about their amazing trip."

"Getting lost in Canterlot and riding a train home doesn't really count as a - wait."

"Oh, come on, Spike, I've never been to Canterl -"

"No, wait. There is no one up here."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"If there is no one up here, that means a shift change...and that means we gotta hurry our asses off of these catwalks." Spike started running, Sand giving him a stare, only to follow, giving a groan.

"I need a breather and he is ready for round three." Sand joked to herself, then started jogging after him, looking down and giving a queasy sound as she started to speed up, wanting to be off the catwalks as soon as possible. "Spike, just how will we get down?"

"By jumping." Spike said easily, stopping at a building that came out of the ceiling, attached to the walkways. He opened a door and peered in, ignoring the look Sand gave him, seeing a few chairs and windows all around to provide a look out. He whistled to her, waving her in, ignoring her unamused look as she walked past him.

"By jumping? You wanna be a little more specific?"

"By jumping off the railing, it is the quickest way to get to our destination." Spike reasoned, making Sand groan a bit, holding her head in her hands, Spike peering through lockers and cabinets for any spare ammo. He shook his head as he saw nothing but papers, spare clothes and some books, Sand looking around nervously.

"So, are you including me in your suicidal plan?" Sand asked, her eyes narrowing a bit as she became distracted, looking at him, "I'll just take the stairs if I get a choice."

"Stairs will be guarded, which means a fight and that means drawing attention to ourselves. We need to -"

"Hey, Hot Rod, you left the door open." A new voice suddenly cut Spike off, pushing the door open. "I swear, you're so spaced out you're seeing...who are y -" The woman started to ask, before Sand acted, smashing her fist into the poor womans cheek, sending her to the floor. Sand was on top of her in an instant, the door being pushed open by a man, the mentioned "Hot Rod", who stared at the sight, raising his weapon and ordering something that was lost to everyone.

His weapon was quickly smacked out of his hands a chain, poor Hot Rod not even having a moment to look before he was punched, knocking him out immediately. Spike grabbed Hot Rod and put him on a chair, before looking at Sand, who punched the poor woman again, finally knocking her out. Sand panted as she looked over, Spike himself just twirling the chain back around his arm, nonchalant as his tail lazily waved to and fro.

"You know, for a guy who won't kill, you sure don't pull your punches in fight."

"I do pull my punches. Otherwise, he would be dead." Spike replied casually, making Sand stare at him, pulling some ammo out of the mans pockets, inspecting the rounds. He handed her the ammo he grasped, saying, "Won't fit in my boomer, but it will fit in yours." Sand looked at him, curiously, before taking the ammo.

"Not afraid they'll need it?"

"The man just threatened your life. If he wakes up sooner than expected, I don't want him making those threats a reality." Spike pulled the slide back, ejecting the live round, then looked up at her. "And I'd rather they not waste precious ammo on us."

"Good point." Sand mumbled out, watching him rifle through her pockets. Spike pulled out a few shotgun shells, then grabbed her Boomstick, pulling the ammo out of the rotating cylinders. He racked the shotgun, a live shell flying out, Spike grabbing it once it fell to the floor, putting them in his pocket. "Doesn't it bother you that you are okay doing that?"

"Not really. I'm not taking anything that genuinely belongs to them, just some ammo." Spike stood up, then nodded to her. "Alright, let's go. I'll take point until we get above the shed."

Sand walked over to the door, peering around, before nodding to him, Spike standing up and walking over. He walked out, looking around, then waved her over, leaving the two unconscious guards in the room. Spike kept walking, adjusting his gear, Sand watching the stairs and walkways, her eyes scanning along the darkness.

Soon, they both stood directly over the temple, Sand peering down at it, giving a gasp as she saw a commotion at the front gates, the distant sound of yells echoing below them. "Looks like something has got them riled up." Sand said as she saw some of them spilling out of the temple with weapons on them. "Hopefully it isn't us." She turned to Spike, only to suddenly get scooped up, giving a loud 'eep' as he carried her bridal style, making her blush wildly. "Sp-Spike?!"

"Hope you got a good hold."

"Why would I need a good hoooOOOOOOOO-!"

Spike jumped off of the railing, Sand suddenly gripping onto him as he plummeted towards the ground. Spike took this moment to let them free fall for a moment, Spikes eyes hardening as he scanned the ground. Seeing no one, his wings suddenly flew open, catching them mid air, slowly letting him parachute to the ground, Sand held onto Spike in a grip that was far too strong in his opinion, shivering as she looked at the ground. Realizing that Spike was gliding down, she growled and smacked his chest, not caring if anyone heard her next words.

"Fuck you! Next time, tell me your plan!"

"I did tell you the plan. I jump, we land."

"That isn't a plan! Next time, say you are gonna glide down!" She was about to yell at him more, when they heard footsteps coming towards them, Spike pulling Sand to the side and into the shadows, watching two men walk by. Spike couldn't get a good look at them, but he noticed some strange ornaments on their armor. He poked his head out of the shadows, hearing the commotion in the temple, his eyes narrowing a bit as he looked at the entrance, hearing shouting and talking spill from the doorway. "Spike, help me open this."

Spike twirled to see Sand struggling with a lock on the door. Spike walked over, pulling two pins out, then knelt down next to her, mumbling out, "Never thought this would come in handy..."

"Wait...why not just break it?" Sand asked him, becoming curious as he fiddled with the lock.

"Well, seeing at it is locked, that means it is important. And although they are my enemy, I really shouldn't compromise their supplies simply because I need some." Spike spoke as he stuck his tongue out in concentration, Sand finding the sight adorable, before a thought suddenly shot into her brain.

"How do you know how to pick locks?"

"Twilight taught me."

"...Why...why did she teach you how to pick locks?"

"She locked herself out of the house a lot and I always had a key, so she learned and then taught me in case I ever lost my keys." Spike answered easily, before looking up at Sand, seeing her raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing, just open it."

The click echoed out, Spike stepping back and smiling as Sand walked in. Spike would have entered, had it not been a pinching at the back of his skull. A very familiar feeling.

He suddenly stumbled in, giving a groan as he grasped his helmet, trying to stop the headache that suddenly formed. He looked up to see Sand staring at shells and rounds in boxes, her jaw hanging loose as she stared at the sheer amount of shells. She turned to say something, only to see Spike leaning against a wall, clutching his head, giving a gasp as she walked over, "Spike, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just grab some ammo." He winced as he spoke, standing up on shaking legs. He walked over, grasping shotgun shells and comparing them to those on his shotgun, before sliding them into place on his body, fitting them into holders and into some pockets. He adjusted and pulled his sweepers magazine out, sliding fresh rounds into it, giving a hiss as the feeling suddenly stopped.

"Spike, I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"I don't know what's wrong. Feels like something is trying to talk to my br -" Spike stopped and gave a grunt as he saw a new wave of pain slammed into his head, flashing hot white and making him lean against the wall. Sand was upon him in a moment, grasping onto his shoulder and slowly walking him out of the shed. They stopped in the doorway, Spike slowly shifting his wings back into his body as he was far too weak to use them, looking up, his eyes flashes in recognition of the temple. "I...wait...whatever it is, it's in there."

"In there? The building full of armed men and shouting, that temple right th - And you're already walking in." Sand hissed out, seeing Spike open the door and slip inside, giving a wince at the sudden noise increase, the sounds of excited chattering and shouting making him grunt as he slid along the back, Sand quietly following around the crowd with him.

Luckily, they had been to busy talking amongst themselves that they had not noticed Spike nor Sand enter. Spike looked around, then started to lean back against the wall, adjusting his gear as his headache faded, gripping onto the chain around his arm a bit, the pinching at the back of his skull intensifying. He noticed something off about the group in front of him, though he couldn't figure out what, unable to even see their faces, marks, or any armor they wore, only spotting bits of off white colorations or yellows, narrowing his eyes as Sand rested next to him.

"So, we see what this big deal is, then we leave, right?" Sand asked, making Spikes eyes harden as he looked towards the stage.

"That's the plan." Spike said, adjusting his gear, his tail curling around him, his fists squeezing as the pinch at the back of his mind relaxed a tad, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Something's off."

"Yeah, I'm listening to you instead of dragging your scaley tail outta this mess!"

"No, I mean...something's wrong with them."

"What do you mean?"

Spike opened his mouth to answer, only to clamp it shut as the crowd suddenly went quiet, their attention pulled towards a door. The door opened to two men, holding shields and spears, Spikes eyes widening at their armor, a sick feeling in his stomach as a miniature Rarity and Fluttershy gasped in horror in his mind.

Bones.

The men wore bones. The skulls of animals were covering their faces, likely a panther or cougar or some other big cat, with the lower jaws covering their own jaws. Long capes made of fur flowed from their backs and multiple trophies made of bones (some of which Spike recognized, others he did not) hung on their armored chests. The one of the left had long claws attached to his wrist braces, likely used for up close and personal attacks, whilst the other had adjusted the big cat skull to allow cow horns to branch out of it, giving him a demonic appearance, a few knives hanging on his armored chest. Their boots landed with heavy thuds as the room watched, both men slamming the end of their spears into the ground, a reverberating metal racket echoing out into the temple, commanding attention.

The hairs at the back of Spikes neck suddenly raised up, his mind scrambling with fear instincts as he saw an individual walk out, silent and calm. The man was covered in a red robe, which looked both comfortable and commanding, his hands were free, covered in scars from animal attacks and previous fights. He wore a gas mask, of that Spike was sure of, and his features were hidden thanks to the shadows of the hood. However, the most striking thing about the man wasn't his fabulous robe or the commanding presence he drew towards himself, no, it was the skull he wore.

A deer skull.

However, as jarring as this was, Spike probably wouldn't be as shocked as he was if he didn't spot something weird about the skull; one of the antlers had been broken off and was replaced by a horn. It had been done on purpose and Spike knew exactly why.

It mimicked Discord, the former God of Chaos.

He looked around, then spoke in a deep voice that echoed throughout the temple, "My brothers and sisters! It is a joyous day, a joyous day indeed!" Spikes eyes narrowed as he had to stop himself from pulling out his snapper, the danger alarms blaring in his head as he watched. "As you remember, twenty five loyal men and I went out into the wastes above to capture the Dark Ones, and we succeeded in capturing one!"

"What is a Dark One?" He heard someone call out, a few murmuring words spoken afterwards. The murmurs stopped as the man held up a hand, walking forward and looking into the crowd.

"The Dark Ones are proof of what I have been saying all along. The peace we had endured for a thousand years after the Nightmare was a lie! Once Discord returned, he was able to turn the world back to its rightful place; pure chaos." Spikes backed up, looking at Sand, who cringed at the words.

"Isn't Discord reformed now?" Someone else called out, likely newbie to this cult.

"Indeed, the Elements of Harmony, Celestia and Luna have 'reformed' our great God...or so it would seem. He has clearly fooled them." With soft murmur increasing, the man stepped forward again snd asked the crowd, "Have you seen the outside? The mutants running amok! The snow smashing through old homes and the clouds blot out the sun constantly! It is not a world of peace! It is a world of chaos!" The Leader spread his hands out and looking into the mass, the deer skull panning around. He took a stance and called out, voice loud and powerful, "The Elements are dead! The Princesses are dead! And now, only Chaos remains! Discord has rewarded us, and now, we have one of his messengers, who will show us the path to him!"

"Spike, we should really go. Like...now." Sand grabbed onto his arm and tried tugging him, but he stood, rooted in place. "Spike! Come on, the wacko has these guys riled up, we should -"

"No, we have to stay and help."

"Help what?"

That moment, the doors behind the Leader opened with a loud creak, Spike wincing as he felt a wave of energy hit him. He gripped onto his head, giving a grunt as he felt another wave smash into his head, Sand giving a nervous look around, seeing a few of the "Hunters" stop and turn to him, some giving gasps and soft murmurs, others just staring at the odd pair. Sand opened her mouth to say something, only for the sound of wheels squeaking to catch everyones attention, the Leader nodding to the two men pulling the cage, Sand backing up a bit as she caught sight of the poor being.

A young Dark One.

The Dark One looked around, then instantly spotted Spike and silently pressed up against the cage, Spike giving a grunt as a few flashes ran through his mind; flowers, children playing, and a tree. These images made Spike turn to the dark one, eyes wide as he realized what was going on. The Leader suddenly turned, the Dark One getting a good look at his face, seeing his crazed eyes through the mark and feeling the mans thoughts had frightened the young being, its eyes staring in fear at the beast disguised as a man.

"BEHOLD! A BEING OF PURE CHAOS! A MESSENGER OF OUR GOD! OUR..." Before he had a chance to finish his sentence, the poor little Dark One shot a wave of fear over the crowd, its mind branching out and causing people to scream in pain as they tried to make sense of such complex thoughts entering their heads. The Leader fell instantly and so did his two guards, the men who had pulled the cage soon followed. A few in the front rushed forward, the Dark Ones sphere of influence smashing into them, making them fall as well, the sphere growing and growing, stronger and larger by every second.

Spike reacted faster than Sand could comprehend, grabbing the woman and smashing the door open. He threw Sand out of the doors faster than she could protest, Spike twirled as the wave hit him too, making him scream in agony as foreign thoughts slammed into his skull. He gripped onto the wall, cracking it in his hands, slowly looking at the people around him; some were frozen in place, many were on the ground, screaming in agony as their minds were invaded by accident and the Leader was lying on the floor, shaking, his mind being scrambled by the poor creature. The only one who seemed less affected was Spike, who only grunted and started walking towards the Dark One. The little one looked up to see Spike, reaching a hand out through the bars.

"Помоги мне."

Another blast of thoughts entered his mind, making Spike fall to his knees. He shook his head, gritting his teeth as he got back up, stumbling his way through the crowd, careful not to step on anyone. He could see the whole crowd was wearing bone armor, though he had no time to deal with that as another wave hit him, making him grunt as he just barely stopped himself from kicking someones head. His head swam and his stomach churned, the feeling to throw up building in Spike as he kept walking towards the cage and the little dark form within it. He made it to the stage and clambered onto his belly, the waves of pure emotion and energy hitting him full force. He looked to see the Leader, cackling madly as he lies on the ground, made mad from the thoughts smashing into his head.

He was sure he could hear Sand yelling his name, however, he kept moving, seeing the little figure huddled in the corner of the cage. He started crawling towards the creature, then got onto his knees, steadying his mind and his stomach. He looked up to see the little black form pushing back into the cage, watching him with an unsure glimmer in its eyes. Spike gave a soft, though sickly, looking smile as his hand shifted into his claws, then slashed open the lock, finally giving into his bodies demands and kneeling down, panting as he tried to regain control of his stomach again.

The little Dark One stared at Spike, the sphere of influence finally stopping and letting everyone else breathe. Someone pulled a helmet off and vomited onto the floor, the Leader taking deep breaths, rubbing his sides and grunting a bit, his guards trying to stand up, struggling a bit. Spike looked up to see the Dark One staring at him, its massive eyes staring into his green ones, reaching a hand to him.

Spike stared at the little being, and to be honest, it gave him the creeps. However, he felt for some odd reason that the strange being meant no harm, despite its actions mere moments ago. Spike adjusted, then held a hand out, the little Dark One walking over and grasping his forearm, giving it a soft squeeze, a calm peace settling over the two.

"Thank...you."

Spikes eyes widened as he stared at the little being, only for one of the guards to stand on his legs, shivering and shaking like a newborn fawn. The Dark One looked over, letting go of Spikes arm, then ran on all fours, phasing into nothing, Spike watching as its form disappeared into nothing.

Sand took this moment to jump over a woman, who was crying and babbling to herself, then narrowly dodge a man who let his lunch loose onto the floor, giving him a disgusted glance, then jumped onto the stage, grasping onto Spikes shoulder, "Come on Spike, you with me?"

"That thing...that boy..."

"Come on, we gotta run Spike!"

Spike shook his head a bit, then looked up to see the guard staring at them, his hands squeezing his spear in his hands. Spike stood up, losi.g his balance for a moment, before jumping down with Sand, walking through the crowd, slowly regaining consciousness around them. Sand walked around them far more easily than Spike did, as he was trying to make sense of what was in his head. He stumbled for a moment as he saw someone standing up, reaching for a gun, his reactions far faster as he smashed his fist into the side of the poor womans head, knocking her out. He finally got his bearings, walking to the exit and leaning against the doorframe, panting and gasping for breath.

"Are you...are you okay?" Spike asked Sand, giving her a look over.

"Yeah, other than you tossing my ass out like a bag of garbage, I'm fine. What was that about?"

"I could tell something was wrong, so I reacted. Did...you get hit by...whatever that was?"

"No, you threw me out of whatever was going on. How'd you know I would be safe?"

"I didn't." Spike said honestly, standing up. He heard shouts inside the building, giving a concerned look inside, seeing some people slowly standing up, "We should go. Now." Sand nodded, then adjusted her bag and started jogging, Spike following her, not noticing the guard next to the Leader staring at them as they ran across the door.

Spike ran over to the door, thankfully close to the temple, opening the metal panel next to it and giving a grunt. "This may take a minute." Sand took cover behind some cobbled together fortifications, aiming towards the temple with her rifle, resting it on a barricade. "Don't kill anyone."

"I may not have a choice." Sand hissed at him, hearing shouts echo back. She pulled the lever back a bit to inspect the round, only for her to look back at Spike, who was giving her soft eyes.

"Please...don't kill anyone. Injuries and scare tactics, but...we can't lower ourselves to their level."

Sand stared into his eyes, seeming to think for a moment, before sighing loudly and mumbling, "Fine, no killing."

"Thank you."

Spike kept fiddling with the wires, giving a grunt as he heard shouts rising from the temple. "Uh, Spike..." Spike kept working, ignoring Sands voice. "Spike, you should hurry up." He pulled another wire out of place, then plugged it into a new place. He heard more shouts echoing out, his tail curling around himself anxiously as he heard Sand shift nervously. "Spiiiiiiike..."

"Saying my name does not help the process, I can tell you that much." Spike hissed out, only to flinch when a bullet impacted into the wall next to him.

"How about getting shot? Does that speed the process up?!"

Spike growled under his breath, ripping out another wire and plugging it into a new spot, another bullet bouncing off of the wall, making him wince. He heard Sand fire, a few shouts of alarm echoing out, though he heard no bodies hit the floor. He kept working, finally pulling the lever up, an alarm echoing out as the heavy doors started to open into an airlock like room, making Spike look towards Sand.

"Into the room!"

"About time! Thought you were playing with the th -"

A shot rang out, Spike feeling something wet fly across his face, making him pause. He wiped his face, giving it a confused look, only to see blood on his palm. He looked to Sand, standing there, a shocked look on her face as she yook a weak step forward, then looked down; a dark red stain sprouted from her right shoulder, a bullet hole visible through her shirt. She stumbled, before falling into Spiked arms, his mind reeling in shock as more bullets imbedded themselves into the walls around them, some bouncing off of the cover and floor, Spike hands gripping onto Sand.

"Fuck me..." Sand mumbled out, tears streaming out of her eyes as she clutched her own shoulder. "Spike, I think they...Spike?" Sand looked up towards Spike, seeing his pupils turn into slits. "Spike...stay with me...please..." Spike looked back towards the men firing at them, giving a smoke filled breath out, his fangs much sharper now as he looked at them running towards Sand and himself. He pulled Sand closer to his chest, giving a throaty hiss as he walked into the room, gently setting Sand down and seeing the Leader, loading another round onto his rifle and taking aim.

He was the one who shot Sand.

They were threatening her life.

They...will pay

"No, Spike, don't!" Sand called out, seeing Spikes back shift into wings, ignoring the sounds of cracking bones and the glowing saliva dripping out of his mouth. "Just stay with me, kid! Spike!"

Spike took a deep breath in, then opened his mouth, a volley of fire spewing out, dancing across the ground and burning into the cover Sand was just behind. Multiple men who were close enough were suddenly set aflame. Luckily, they all ran away, putting themselves out, using a mixture of flailing hands, through burning pieces of clothes off, or stop, drop, and roll techniques. Spike kept going, taking a deep breath and letting another volley of flames spew out of his mouth, making the Leader back off, his skull helmet staring at Spike, whose wings were extended, making him look much larger than he truly was.

Spike finally stopped his breath attacked, panting as smoke spilled out of his mouth, a wall of fire between him and the Leader. The Leader tilted his head, before calling out, "The Interloper." Spike only gave a hiss in reply, his fist clenching as the Leader stared at him. The sound of an alarm beeping caught Spikes attention, the Leader gripping his rifle a bit harder, taking aim and huffing.

Spike twirled around and breathed out some fire, covering the mans robes in flames, making him drop his rifle. Spike ran back towards Sand, seeing her struggling to put on her mask. The Leader, his robes aflame, calmly tore them off, showing off his bare upper body, pants and boots. His body was covered in scars, his mask and deer skull still intact as he stared at Spike and Sand. Spike knelt down, using his wings to shield Sand as he shifted his hands back from his claws, helping Sand pull her mask on. He adjusted her armor, his pupils rounding as he hissed softly, getting a good look at the wound.

She was lucky, it went through her, which meant Spike didn't have to dig the round out, but he didn't have the right supplies on him. He used his wings to keep them shielded as he tore open the exit wound, giving a grunt as he stared at the wound. "I need the right supplies, but I didn't see any medical supplies in the shed, can you hold out until -"

The door then decided to open, Spike looking up, his eyes filled with a protective gleam as he stood up, pulling his Snapper out and taking a stance, hissing a bit. The door groaned as it slowly opened, making Spike visibly relax as he recognized the boots, "Silver?"

"Spike?!" The older man called out, walking over to him. He paused for a moment, seeing the green flames surrounding the entrance and several men backing away and running, the Leader standing there, watching them, his face unreadable thanks to the mask. The man turned around and started walking off, making Silver glare at him, though all he said was, "I see you haven't lost your touch at making friends."

"You could say that. I have a downed teammate here." Spike said as he knelt down next to Sand, the woman giving a tired look upwards. "Hey, Sand, help is here."

Meteor walked in, instantly pushing Steel out of the way (and ignoring his curse filled protest) as she rushed over, adjusting her bag a bit, before Spike stopped her, saying, "We need to get her out of here first, it isn't safe."

Sand gave a weak chuckle and adjusted, asking Meteor, "Wouldn't happen to have a drink on you, would you?"

Silver raised an eyebrow and looked over to Steel, Bright, and Wave, giving a nod as they walked over, Silver turning to Spike as they knelt down to help Meteor with Sand. The two stood for a moment, before Silver suddenly grabbed the man and pulled him into a hug, Spike not wasting a moment to return it, the man giving the magicblood a squeeze, before letting him go, giving a soft smile through his mask, "Good to have you back, kid. Report?"

"Sir, we have three other factions; a Diamond Dog faction led by a magicblooded woman, a faction of Slavers led by a Earthblooded woman, and these Hunters, led by a Earthblood cult leader." Spike said, giving a gesturing to the few men who stayed there, watching them nervously through the wall of flames.

"So, we're up shit creek...any paddles?" Steel asked, his wings shuffling as he stood next to Silver, the man giving Spike a look.

"Yeah." Sand called out, making them turn to her. "Two of them want to fuck Spike and keep him as a husband, the third just found out you all exist and is too busy chasing after a Dark One."

"Dark One?" Silver asked, then looked back at Steel and Meteor, quietly asking, "You don't suppose that...?"

"Knowing our luck, sir? I think it's more than likely."

Spike and Sand shared a confused look, before shouts rang out, making the team look over the flames, seeing more men walking out of the temple. "We have to leave. Now." Meteor said, helping Sand onto her shoulders in a fireman's carry. Spike was about to follow the group when he felt a, now familiar, pinch at the back of his mind. He looked around, becoming confused, before looking over to a nearby rooftop, spotting the little Dark One.

It stared at Spike, its large eyes seemingly to peer into his very soul, making Spike stare back. It gave a surprised jump as it heard yelling, looking around nervously, before looking back at Spike, reaching a hand out and sending out a message that shot through Spikes body, making his eyes widen.

"Help me. Please."

Spike looked over at Silver, who was adjusting his gear and speaking to the others. He looked back to see the green flames dying and more shouts echoing out in the settlement, his wings ruffling a bit behind him. His back was killing him; two shifts in one day was killer, but three? He had never done such a thing before...and he had never done what he was about to do.

"Alright people, let's move out! Spike, I need you to debrief me about...Spike?" Silver barked out, only to turn, his eyes going wide as he saw Spike standing there, the shredded panel on their side in his hands. He ripped out the wires, an alarm echoing out as the heavy metal doors started to close, the man running towards the doors as Spike stared at them, pulling his sweeper out, hearing Silver, "What are you doing?!"

"Sorry Silver...I have to do this." Silver was about to slip under the doors, before Spikes tail smacked into him, sending him stumbling back and into the others. Spike then turned to the other panel, trying to erase the look in Silvers face as he breathed fire into it, melting the wires, ensuring the door would stay shut for the time being.

"Alright...now, to help the Dark One."

Система

System.

Silver had a simple system in this sort of situation. Everyone would check in occasionally with their lights with a sudden flash. They had done this a hundred times when the power went out in the Caverns or something went wrong in a new tunnel they set up. Though the constant blizzard above had helped them along with communicating silently through missions, so they couldn't alert the Mutts or the Bat, and in this moment, it served them well.

Silver stopped for a moment, peering back at the group. They had been walking for two hours now, and he could tell some of the group were lagging behind. He pressed his back against a corner, slowly peering around it, before looking back at Steel, who knelt behind him, aiming the other direction, though Steel silently handed him a chemlight.

Spike knelt down next to Storm, slowly aiming around, Storm taking the moment to adjust and roll her shoulder to stop the ache that developed a bit ago. Silver cracked the chemlight, shaking it a bit to let it glow, before tossing it around the corner. Hearing nothing, he slowly peeked around, seeing the chemlight glow down the stone hallway. Nothing jumped at it, nothing screamed at him, nothing but a rat, skittering across the rocky floor before disappearing into a hole in the wall.

"Clear." Silver spoke, before adjusting a bit, looking back at the group. "Okay, we're taking five here, then we continue on. Adjust your gear, Stone and Star, I can tell you two are uncomfortable."

The two sat down and started adjusting their gear, Spike taking a moment to take a small swig if his water. He offered it to Steel, who took it and gave a small nod, waterfalling for a moment, before handing it back. Storm took this moment to quietly peek around the corner and hummed softly, before adjusting her weapon a bit and turning around to look at Silver.

"Sir, the end of the hallway opens up. I don't like it, something could be waiting there. Maybe you should throw a light spell when we move up, just in case?"

Silver looked down the hallway, but said nothing, just adjusting his weapon a bit. She was right, he got a bad feeling about the end of the hallway. Spike stood up and looked down the hallway, his pupils turning into slits as he looked down the stone area. "What do you think, kid?" Silver asked Spike, kneeling down with him as he tried to peer past the chemlight.

"She's right. I can't see anything, but it smells weird." Spike mumbled out, peering into the darkness. He then turned to Silver and mumbled out, "I have a feeling in my gut."

"I do too, kid."

Steel turned to Star, adjusting his weapon a bit, then asked, "Got any gum?"

Star blinked, before adjusting his weapon and giving the man an incredulous look, asking, "Gum? Right now? That's what you're thinking about?"

Stone chuckled at Steel, before turning back around and aiming down the tunnel they came from. Steel then spoke, "Helps keep your mind off of things. Get too into it, your brain starts playing tricks on you."

Bright Light adjusted one of her bags, Bright Flare silently aiming down the direction they came from with Stone. Light handed Star some gum, before saying, "Helps me calm down. Never leave home without some in my pocket." Star smiled and took it, popping the strip into his mouth and chewing, letting the minty flavor flow over his mouth.

"Bright Flare." Silver whispered out, the woman perking up and bit and slowly half walking half kneeling towards Silver, giving him a questioning look. "You see that chemlight up there?"

"Yeah?"

"Okay, you and I are gonna throw a light spell into the room beyond it. Then, you, Spike, Steel and I are going to rush into the room and take out any possible threats. I want Storm, Light, Star, and Stone to wait until we give the all clear, copy?"

"Copy. I'll let the others know." Bright Flare scooted back, whispering to the others, making them nod. She walked back, then nodded to Silver, who adjusted his weapon.

"Everyone ready?" Silver asked, making everyone nod. He closed his eyes, his hand glowing a bright silver, whilst Flares started glowing a bright red, both of them chucking their spells down the hallway. Waiting a second, they suddenly rushed around the corner, Spike pulling his snapper out whilst Silver, in the front, had his boomstick out. Flare and Steel had their sweepers out and were behind the two, eyes adjusting to the bright lights they had thrown.

They burst into the room, aiming around, eyes searching everywhere, floors, corners, even the ceiling, weapons scanning in an arc in front of them. Silvers hardened eyes scanned the room, before he whistled, the others entering the room and aiming around. Silver looked around, before looking at the wall, patting Spikes shoulder and pointing, the young lad looking over, then walking to a wall. He pressed against the metal panel for a moment, before opening it, attaching his charger to it and pressing the trigger a few times.

The lights flickered on, humming a bit, Spike shielding his eyes a bit from the light as the others quietly looked around. No holes in the walls or ceiling, some bones but nothing to suggest a creatures den or nest, and definitely no signs of recent habitation.

"Clear."

"Clear, sir."

Several large, metal doors surrounded them, Spike having finally adjusted to the light, looked around and wiped away the dust with his glove, wiping away a sign, reading it for a moment. Silver himself pressed his hand against the door, before knocking on it, kneeling down and inspecting the door. He nodded to himself, before standing back up, finally speaking, "Bright Light, cast a light on that panel and see if you can get these doors open."

The woman hurried over, flicking her fingers to cast a light. She flicked the switches a few times, then pressed a few buttons. The lights flickered to life, gently humming in the room, Bright Light nodding to the others before adjusting her weapon a bit and shouldering it. "You guys seeing this?"

"Looks like a train station." Star mumbled out, wiping away the dust that had gathered on a nearby plaque. "Sir, we got a map here."

Silver walked over to look, Steel walking over to Spike and bumping the lads shoulder. "So, while we wait for the Cap, mind filling me in with the ol' love life?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on, man. I know you had a crush on that one Element of Harmony, tell me how it went!" Steel mumbled out, smacking the young mans shoulder, giving a sly smile, though frowned when he saw Spikes pained face.

"She and I...she's a good friend."

"Ouch...that bad, huh?" Steel took a sharp inhale through his teeth, then hummed softly. "What about that one girl you always hang around with? The Apple family girl?"

"Applejack?"

"No, the one with the bow."

"Applebloom?"

"Yeah, she seems your type."

"Nah." Spike mumbled out, scratching his cheek and staring at the massive metal doors in front of the group. "She's more like a sister to me. Besides, pretty sure Big Mac would kill me if I touched Applebloom."

"Fair enough, kid."

"Spike, c'mere." Silver called out, drawing the attention of the dragonblood. Spike stood up, Steel adjusting his gear as he watched the young lad go. Storm walked over and gave Steel a look, which he returned. Spike stood next to Silver, who motioned to the map, and said, "Look at this."

Spike squinted a bit as he looked over the map. Sewer lines, mapped cave systems, railways and stations dotted across the map. However, that wasn't what Silver was looking at. Spike followed his line of sight until he saw some strange symbols on the map, making him wipe the dust away and hum in thought.

"Looks like markers for something, but I can't make out what for..." Spike mumbled out, before looking back at Silver. "Seems like some sort of warning, but it is the direction we are heading, and it doesn't look like there is a better way around."

Silver nodded a bit, before turning to the others and waving a hand. "Everyone get ready, we may be heading into a whole heap of trouble, and I'd rather not be unprepared!" Silver barked out, making the others nod and adjust their gear, before Silver looked back at the map, humming in thought, brushing the map again and trying to make out the symbols.

One symbol was of a skull of some kind, one he didn't recognize. He was a guard, not a doctor or animal expert, however, he felt like it was familiar. He adjusted his weapon and wiped away the dust, seeing some more of those markings across the map, before standing up and adjusting his weapon again.

"Open the door."

They walked down the tracks, twirling this way and that, their lights painting the walls and floors as they walked. Spikes eyes went this way and that, occasionally glancing upwards to make sure nothing could jump them from above. He hated the Bugs. Spikes slowly twirled around and aimed back the way they came, his eyes staring into the darkness.

Movement?

He glared for a moment, readying his sweeper in his hands, though no other movement came. He slowly lowered his weapon and kept walking, though a feeling of being watched washed over him, making him flash his light towards Stone. Stone nodded and adjusted, twirling around for a moment, before turning back and nodding to him.

Something was following them. She saw movement too.

Spike walked up, before giving Steel a shoulder bump, making the man look at Spike. Spike gave a soft jerk of his head, making Steel nod, tapping Silver three times. Silver didn't even turn, he just kept going, though his left hand raised a bit and he gave a strange motion with his left hand that they knew by heart. He knew they were being followed, he was looking for a defensive position at the moment.

They kept walking, the feeling of being watched stopped right as they found a slight cave in on the right. They took cover behind the rubble, twirling their weapons around and shining their lights around behind them.

Nothing.

Spike scooted a bit, before turning around and whistling, Silver and Stone twirling around, both firing a shot from their sweeper into the darkness. A screech was heard, before they fired again into the beast, making it fall silent, the group waiting a moment for anymore movement. When nothing came, Bright Light shot a ball of blue light from her hands down the hall, Silver and Star slowly moving forwards, the men both aiming at the silent beast.

Silver poked it with his weapon, though when no movement was made, he waved the others over. Spike walked over, aiming down the hallway, before looking down at the beast, crinkling his nose in disgust as he got a whiff of the creature. Stone and Stare turned the creature over, giving disgusted looks at the sight of it.

This beast had once been a mole, from Spikes best guess, as its claws were perfect for digging and its nose seemed to share similarities with the star nosed mole. Its jaws were filled with sharp teeth, paws were turned into malformed hands and claws, and it has no eyes to speak of, just black fur on its face. It was covered in scars, which made Silver grip his weapon tighter, before standing up, staring into the darkness, his eyes hardening.

"Damn, this thing stinks."

"At least it isn't trying to rip our face off."

"Celestia above, look at how ugly it is. Almost as ugly as your mom, Bright Light."

"Shut the fuck up, Bright Flare."

"Storm, what do you think this thing is?"

"Silver, what should we-"

A screech shut the group up, making them twirl around, seeing the claws of another of the Moles reach into the light, the creature sniffing and giving a loud wheezing sound, before turning to them. It screeched into the air, three more Moles clambering over the rocks in the tunnel, one of them hissing and gripping onto a rock, easily slicing into it with its claws. Silver stood up, then wordlessly lifted his weapon up, the others mimicking him.

"Fire."

Мертвый город

Dead town.

Spikes eyes narrows as he walked through another door, his shotgun at the ready. He started to aim around, before slowly learning in, watching the corner with his shotgun. He scanned around, a soft, uneasy feeling settling into his gut, before using his shotgun to push the door open a bit more, his slitted pupils scanning around the room. He gave a soft noise, before snorting out some smoke, an emerald ember slowly floating out as he walking into the room. He sniffed the air, his nose wrinkling a bit as he took in the dusty smell, before he took a peek though a window, careful not to peer out too much. His eyes widened at what he saw.

A settlement. A pretty big one at that.

Empty.

There were no sounds. No laughter. No cheering. No drinks or food cooking, there were no children running through the streets, not even an angry parent scolding their child.

Absolutely nothing.

Spikes eyes narrowed as he stepped out of the broken doorway, aiming around, looking all around, his eyes tracing over everything. Seeing nothing, he winced as his leg flared in pain as he took an unexpected step, before he kept walking, aiming all around. He scanned around, before lifting his bracer up, inspecting the counter on it, seeing no strange readings, then aimed into a window, peering into it.

Food. Bowls of it. With mold growing on it.

He gave a grimace, before walking to another house, seeing chairs pushed out and the table turned over, rotting food on the ground, blood smeared across the table and on the ground. He gave a glare at the blood, twirling back around and walking around the wall, standing there for a moment as he looked all around him.

He must have found where all those people were from.

He walked around a wall, before giving a grimace as he saw blood on the wall and a fallen body. He walked over, giving the body a once over, then knelt down next to it, resting the butt of his gun on the ground as he sighed. He rolled the body over with a gloved hand, inspecting it, seeing bullet holes in his chest and wet blood.

The man had been looted, his pockets were turned out and his boomer, long, thin with a long magazine., was clearly empty and forgotten. It almost looked like Spikes sweeper, however, it was a lot slimmer with a long magazine. He trailed his eyes over to the wall, seeing blood on it and a hand print, making Spike hum. He looked down to see spent bullets, standing up and walking over, picking one up, looking back at the body, seeing the wall behind it painted with blood and bullet holes, gritting his teeth at the sight.

He dropped the bullet, then started walking deeper into the dead town, looking around. He stopped when he spotted a shop, quirking an eyebrow as he saw the lights flicker inside. He walked over, pushing the door open with the barrel of his gun, suddenly aiming inside, looking around, his eyes narrowing a bit, seeing the back door moving a bit. He stepped over some broken pottery, suddenly shifting as he leaned to the right, aiming his weapon as he did so, opening a door in front of him and peering in.

A bathroom.

With a...sweet roll on the toilet seat?

Spike blinked in confusion, before quietly closing the door, hearing it click at it shut, then continued on. He stopped when he saw a door, quietly opening it and peering through the crack, giving a grimace as he saw another body, decayed and broken, making him shake his head. He pushed the door open, aiming around the alley, before looking up, seeing a light flicker overhead.

He shook his head and continued on, stepping over another body, his eyes scanning around in the dim light. He stopped when he noticed a shadow move on the wall, aiming over and narrowing his eyes as it disappeared just as fast as he spotted it. He walked over, pressing against the wall, before peering down it, seeing a bit of cloth disappear around the corner, his eyes widened at the sight.

He wasn't alone.

He started following, silently walking forward, his weapon pressed firmly against his shoulder, looking around as he silently followed the figure. He stopped when he came across an open area, see the clothed figure turn around a building. His eyes narrowed at how open it was, the primal pit in his brain screaming at him that something was wrong. Said primal instincts were right, but Spike himself only flicked his tongue out, his tail curling behind him as he tasted the air.

He couldn't see or smell anything, so he knelt down, then started to roadie run, sprinting whilst crouching, making himself a.little louder but harder to see. He dove behind a wall, aiming around, his eyes narrowing as he tried to see anything wrong. He saw and heard nothing still, but the pit in his stomach grew as he circled around the building, his weapon held ready, his finger next to, though not on, the trigger, careful not to injure said figure.

After all, it could be a survivor.

He looked around the corner, seeing the figure kneeling down next to a body, rifling through the corpses pockets. The figure itself was rather small, making Spike squint as he slowly inched forward. He slung his weapon around his shoulder, then opened his mouth, saying one sentence that made the figure freeze up.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The figures hand twitched, making Spike kneel down a bit. The figure turned to Spike, brown eyes wide and confused, before it tugged the hood down, showing itself to be a woman.

No...a little girl.

She had a long scar across her cheek, her brown eyes filled with confusion at the sight of Spike, and her hair was brown and curly. The little girl, covered in a grey cloak, took a step back from the corpse, Spike giving her a worried look. If Spike had to guess, the little girl must have been no older than nine years of age, however, Spike himself looked no older than 16, so perhaps he would appear less frightening to her.

"Hey." The little girl stared at him with wide eyes, making Spike clear his throat quietly. "Are you hungry? Or thirsty? I have some food and water if you need some, you don't need to scavenge for it." The girl just stood in silence, making no noise, Spike noticing the scar on her cheek, though he made no mention of it. He pointed down at the corpse. "Did you know him?"

Silence.

"Do you need help?"

The girl spared a glance towards the corpse, before finally shaking her head, Spike giving a soft smile towards her, ignoring how comfortable she seemed to loot the body. He made a step forward, the little girl backing up, so Spike stopped when he noticed her eyes darting behind him. He quirked an eyebrow at the sight, until he felt an incredible pain at the back of his neck.

He screamed in agony as metal stabbed into his neck, electric volts shooting through his system, making him scream in both pain and anger, glowing spit dripping from his mouth as the bolts stopped, the boy swaying a bit, uneasy on his feet. A new round of volts started at the back of his knee, making him roar in agony, kneeling down as the volts travelled up his leg, making him rest a hand on the ground. He made a reach for his knife, only for electricity to go through his side, the pain making him shake, the little girls eyes lighting up in fear as she watched, flashes of blue and white dancing across her face, Spikes eyes narrowing in anger and pain.

"Sweet Celestia! This kid just won't fucking go down!"

Spike suddenly turned, opening his mouth as it glowed, only to be interrupted as he felt another round of volts jab into his neck, his jaws closing, a soft light of green flickering through his teeth, unnoticed by all. He opened his eyes to see three people standing there, cattle prods in their hands, fury boiling his blood, the skin on his neck slowly changing to scales as they pushed into it. He realized that the little girl was bait for whoever wanted to help her, and Spike happened to be that unlucky target today.

An ambush.

He grabbed the cattle prod jammed into his neck, the electricity dancing uselessly against the scales of his neck, and then crushed the prod in his hand, making it spark uselessly. The man who held it gasped in surprise, Spike winding his fist back, rotating his body with it, before slamming his fist into the mans chest, a sickening crack echoing out as the man screamed in agony and smashed into the metal wall, denting it. He groaned against the wall, Spike opening his jaws and releasing a volley of fire, forcing the two women to back up, confusion and fear evident on their faces as he stopped his flames, smoke spilling out of his mouth as he glared at them.

"HE'S A FUCKING DRAGON!" One woman called to the other, both covered in patched up rags and wearing goggles, holding their cattle prods. "WHAT DO WE DO?!"

"STICK TO THE PLAN!" The other woman barked back, seeing Spikes neck slowly shift back to skin.

Spike looked between the two women, before looking at the injured man, him groaning in pain as he lies there. He finally opened his mouth, his throat dry as he spoke, "I don't want to hurt any of you."

"Holy shit, it talks?"

Spike ignored the woman and pointed down at the injured man, his eyes narrowing at them both, seeing them circle around him slowly, "I want to go on my way with the little girl. You atop using her as bait and I don't turn you into a barbeque. Let us leave and you will not see us again."

"We can't do that!" The one woman yelled out, clearly the leader of the trio.

"Why not?"

"Because you have a price on your head, dragon."

Spike paused, peering up at the taller woman, though he had no time to ask her what she meant, as he was sent lurching forward, giving a yelp of pain as he felt something stab into his wounded shoulder. He grasped onto the weight on his back and threw it, the older woman running forward and catching the creature that had stabbed him - the little girl, which Spike had tried to calm down moments ago. He glared at her, only for him to blink in confusion as his vision started to get blurry, reaching towards his shoulder and pulling something out of it.

A needle?

His limbs started to feel heavy, though he tried to lift his arms up, ready for a fight. It would be all for nothing, though. The pair of cattle prods smashed into and shocked his chest, both women pushing Spike down together, holding him there, making him scream into the dead town, electricity arcing across his body. They kept it up for a few seconds, before they finally let off, Spikes eyesight blurry as the little girl walked up, kneeling down and staring at him.

"Mama will be pleased we found him."

Spike finally closed his eyes, his last thoughts being filled with the smiling faces of his friends.

"I-I'm sorry..."

Silver stared at the door, his eyes scanning the door in front of him. Wave, Bright Flare, Meteor and Steel stood behind him. It appeared Stone had volunteered to stay with Bright Light and Storm, to keep an eye out and protect the settlement whilst it recovered, though would link back up with them when they could stand on their own. Silver inspected the door, before looking over at the tampered box, giving a grimace as he saw a bloody handprint on the inside.

Wave opened it, giving a hiss as he inspected the inside, "Sir, this thing is pretty busted up, it's a miracle Spike even went through here at all." Wave said to Silver, who walked over and knelt down next to the young man and gave a grunt, settling for a bit.

"How much time do you need?" Silver asked, inspecting the bundle of wires in front of him. Wave scratched his cheek, staring at the box for a moment, before Silver spoke, "We can find another way if you can't fix it."

Wave looked up at Silver, then back down at the circuits. "Give me a minute...or three."

Silver patted Waves shoulder, then stood up, giving Steel a nod, then stood next to Meteor. Meteor gave Silver a look, before tapping Steels shoulder, jerking her head a direction. Steel nodded in silent understanding, walking away from the duo, Bright seeing the movement and watching the hall they came from.

"Silver."

Silver quirked an eyebrow at this, before giving Meteor a glance, seeing her standing there. She never used his name unless it was something important.

"Go ahead, Meteor."

Meteor took a moment to gather her thoughts, before finally speaking, "Silver, what you did to those Diamond Dogs -"

"I did what I had to." Silver interrupted, adjusting his weapon.

"Silver, you tortured them."

"To find information about Spike."

"WE DON'T DO THAT!" Meteor snapped at him, making him pause. Meteor gave a sigh, before looking at Silver, her voice barely above a whisper, "Silver, you taught everyone here. You know better than anyone that we aren't like that. We've never been like that."

"Meteor." Silvers voice was cold, making Meteor freeze. "Those fucking Dogs killed our people, and they want to kidnap Spike." Silver looked at her, hatred in his eyes, making Meteor shiver a bit at the sight, continuing, "As far as I am concerned, what I did was a fucking mercy, not torture."

"I fixed it!" Wave yelled out, interrupting their conversation, though he stopped when he aaw everyone look at him. "Woah, what did I miss?" Bright sighed, then patted his shoulder, giving a soft noise of appreciation, ignoring Waves question.

Silver looked at Meteor, then quietly said, "This conversation is over. Am I clear?"

Silver gave her a look, before walking towards the door, Meteor frowning at him, Steel walking over and shaking his head, mumbling out, "We better find Spike, I got a bad feeling about this."

"It's not Spike I'm worried about." Meteor mumbled back, staring holes into Silvers back.

The door finally creaked open, the warriors giving a confused look around at a room filled with ash and smoke. Silver pulled his mask on, the others following suit, before stepping in, the leader giving a confused look around. "What the fuck...?" He mumbled out, only to hear a crack, giving a confused look down, seeing a charred leg bones, stepping back a bit.

"What in Celestias name...?"

"Sir, I think...I think they were cremated."

"Yeah...but who started the fire?" Silver asked, before stepping over the bones. He could see bullet holes on the walls, before looking up to a metal walkway, the door shut on it. He looked back over to see the door, a panel next to it, blackened but not melted. "Wave, on that panel. Just...be careful where you step." Silver looked over to see the bones and ash around him, charred and blackened. "These people deserve their rest."

Wave nodded and ran over to the side, giving a soft look at his boot prints in the ash, before opening the panel, his mask twisting back and forth. "Looks like the panel kept this one intact, shouldn't be but a moment."

Bright Flare looked around, before inspecting the ladder, looking up at the catwalk. "Sir, you don't suppose..." Silver walked over, giving the ladder a gentle tug, making it rattle, both he and Flare stepping back as it shook for a few more seconds. "Maybe not." She answered her own question, peering up at the catwalk.

Steel walked over, giving a grunt, "Should we try coms?"

Silver shook his head, answering, "It seems the further we get from The Caverns, the less likely our signal will cut through. We are still receiving something, so the antennae above ground are working, but it seems like something is...blocking our communications. Until then, try to use your radios sparingly until we find the reason why."

The door started to open, cold air blasting in and blowing the ash away from it, Silver walking out and aiming around, his eyes narrowing as he saw a wall with decaying bodies against it. He heard a gasp, though did not look, knowing Bright Flare had spotted the bodies. "Sweet Celestia." Silver kept walking, ignoring Steels words.

"What happened to them?" Wave asked, his mask muffling his speech.

"Executed." Meteor answered, continuing with Silver. Steel, Bright Flare and Wave stared at the bodies, though quickly fell into line. Silver gave a hum as he inspected his bracer, hearing the counter click softly, before looking back at the others.

"Keep your masks on, we have a breach ahead."

"How bad?"

A deep screech was heard, making the team quickly bring their weapons up, aiming down the tunnel. They waited for a moment, only for Silver to bring his hand up, making a motion, the group slowly walking further into the darkness. Though he said nothing, Silver recognized that noise, one that brought painful memories and a feeling of anger that boiled in his gut.

The Bat.

Cherry Jubilee sat at the chair, staring at the radio, tapping her fingers on the desk impatiently. Her eyes were glued to the quiet box before her, her finger tapping loud and rhythmic. She finally tore her eyes away to look at a clock, giving it a slight glare, then looked back at the radio. She started tapping her fingers again, brushing a bang of red her out of her face as she stared at the silent box. It was almost like it was mocking her with its silence, making her grit her teeth.

How dare it. She'll show this little -

"Cherry?"

"FUCK!" The voice had made Cherry jump out of her chair, twirling her head around to see Stone Striker, giving an amused smile, the red haired woman giving a glare. "Lands sakes, ya tryin ta kill me?!"

"Sorry." The woman walked in, giving the radio a glance. "You okay?"

Cherry Jubilee sat back down and sighed, looking back at the radio. "Not really, no." She started tapping her fingers again, Stone rubbing her neck a bit, before sitting in a chair next to her, silent. Cherry started to lean back, then said, "I...I told Spike ta call in once he reached tha next settlement. He shoulda reached it by noe, and they have a workin radio."

"So...why isn't he calling?"

"Exactly." Cherry crossed her arms to stop the tapping. That loud, annoying, horrible tapping. "I know he ain't a kid anymore, but...a gal worries."

Stone gave a hum, before leaning back in her chair, asking, "Ya got the hots for him?"

Cherry quirked an eyebrow at this, before looking at the radio. "Nah, nuthin like that. Sure, he's cute...and knows how to cook...and how to sing...got a great sense of humor and soft eyes, ready to help out the second you're hurt or if you're strugglin with somethin..."

"Mhm?"

Cherry blinked, before rubbing one of her arms, giving a sigh as she said, "He wouldn't ignore me 'bout this. I know the next settlement has gone quiet, but....I assume he would at least holler if somethin bad happened. He just ain't the type to do this."

"And you know this how, exactly?"

"Ah've met him before. And Applejack talked about him quite often on tha farm. There is no way in Tartarus that boy would pull somethin like this."

Stone was silent for a moment, before asking, "You...you don't think...?" She couldn't finish that sentence, Cherry rubbing her cheek in thought.

"I...I don't know, but we should give 'im a few hours. If they don't respond, I'll head out wit ya to look for 'em."

Stone stood up, saying, "I'll get my gear ready."

"Hopefully, ya won't need it." Cherry called as Stone left, looking back at the radio. Something was wrong, she could feel it in her gut, and Cherry always trusted her gut on things like this. Something was wrong, she just knew it. She stared at the radio, tapping her fingers on her arm, staring at the silent box again.

"I hope you're okay, Spike."