Mask

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.