Escape from Canterlot Gardens

Chapters

humanville (or not)
F-F-Flashback
Bird-brained scheme (part 1)
prologue - ever not-so-free

humanville (or not)

Chapter 2

The ride back was exhausting, there was nothing but dirt roads and infinite bumps, and the bees...don't even get spike started on the bees, they were in his eyes.... HIS EYES (internally screams). But it didn't matter to Spike because he got some of the best sleep in his life, not having to worry about being captured, not constantly running, not constantly strivin' to feed two kids erryday, not havin' to work hard in the steel mill to come home to fried chickens an' gravy, because he was already captured and you know what, after months of running on shoeless feet, being shot at, and being a older sibling to two kids he almost barely knew, it felt good.

As he came to, Spike took stock of just where he was at the moment, he was on an old road with plentiful trees and bushes, but it must have been before the "Incident" because everything was pristine and clean as if it were still cared about, at that point the mother of all headaches hit him which elicited a loud groan from his throat.

"Look who's back in the land of tha livin'." jacquiline stated as she heard his tone.

"Oh go to hell." Spike replied in his pain.

"Tsk, tsk, now that ain't right, disrepectin' yer elders ain't allowed were yer goin'."

"Yeah well, what's gonna stop me." he said in false confidence

"This." she said as she willed her horse to rear up, which caused Spike to slide off and slam himself on the dirt road, she then hopped off her horse to retrieve the young man.

"and there will be more like that unless ya learn to mind yer manners, now apologize or I'mma get real rough wit cha'." she said with controlled malice.

Spike muttered an apology and something else to himself.

"Good boy." she said in a condescending tone.

The ride back was silent except for the occasional check up on Spike from Jack, but as Jack slowed her horse's trot to a walk, spike started to hear cheers from the slowly forming crowd.

"Nice one Jack!"

"Hes scrawny, but i think he'll do just fine with us."

"I might actually buy something at the market afterall."

Spike didn't know whether to be flattered or disgusted at the display.

"You've got some nice friends here." he said to Jack while addressing the forming crowd.

"They're all just here to view the new meat, don't you fret none, they don't bite......... Much." she reassured him much to his discontent.

As Jack's horse slowed to a stop, spike felt a pair of feminine hands on his tied arms and legs as two women helped him dismount from said horse and onto the ground where his legs immediately buckled due to inaction leaving him otherwise incapacitated for a few seconds as he felt the blood rush back into his calfs and legs.

With that business out of the way he was led onto a standard pedestal slash stage where he stood facing the uncomfortable stares from the women folk that made up the entirety of the crowd, after a few minutes he heard a pair of high heels click-clacking towards him and the podium. A woman stood, hair partially gray from years of hard work (or hair dye.... It's debatable.) a pair of small reading glasses gracing her older feminine features in a gray pantsuit with a string-bow tie on her neck, she lightly tapped the microphone as if to test it and to gain the attention of the populace.

"..... Hello Ponyville!" she yelled eliciting a hurrah from the crowd.

Ponyville? Spike did a quick once over of the town from where he was standing to see a paltry sum of quite frankly only a few horses. I'm not talkin' about a horse here and there type of setup, I'm talkin' like 1 in his sight right at this moment and from where he was standing the town was pretty exspansive and would take a 'little' time to navigate around it if there were in fact few horses.... Not to mention the total absence of an actual pony as opposed to their taller brethren.

"This is your Mayor speaking and today at the market, we have another potential addition to the tiny town." she turned to the small boy and put a microphone to his lips. "If you'd be so kind as to give us your name." she said with a stern but playful voice.

Spike, being the kindred spirit that he is, responded in kind. "Oh you see my name is hard to pronounce so I'll just spell it for you S-U-C-K-M-Y-D-I-C-K," he said with a smile.

Spike personally knew he was going to pay for it, but the few snickers he heard from the crowd made it worth it..... Until she flipped out a long metal rod and slightly touched him with it, eliciting an electrifying jolt to run up his spine sending him to the floor in a convulsing feat which earned an uproarious and loud laugh from the crowd like what he just said wasn't that funny.

'Oh yeah laugh it up.' he thought to himself as he willed himself to speak between gasps. "Sam, my name is Sam."

Seeming pleased with his answer she patted his head as he struggled to get up. "See, now was that so hard?"

She turned back to the crowd with her new knowledge. "This my fair people, is Sam." she said to the crowd. "Now, we'll start the bidding at 4,000 bits." she said into the microphone.

Spike couldn't believe this, not only was he being sold like a piece of meat but now they were actively bidding on him.

"4,050"

"4,050, can I have a 4,500?"

In a few minutes, his price jacked to 8,000 and he was none too happy about it, so unhappy in fact that he started to lose himself in his rage. His pupils started to dilate until they formed into slits, his hands started to change while still tied behind his back were invisible to the crowd lest they see the grotesque muscle deformations going on, his fingernails while previously short started to elongate into sharp, deadly claws. He still retained a little of his mind and had the brain power to slowly tear at his rope bindings with his thumbnail.

"10,000 bits!"

"10,000 bits, do I hear a 1050?"

His brain ran a mile a minute as his flea senses overrode his sense of pride and his need to fight, He then realized that there was no way of leaving on foot and there was no nearby waterways that he'd seen, the only way he was leaving was by air, and suddenly his back begin to itch.

"200,000.... Bits, cash." said a bookish voice from the crowd.

"NO SALE!" Spike yelled as 2 green and purple wings sprouted from his back, his feral instincts taught him how to use his wings instantly as he took to the sky with a animalistic roar.

The crowd instantly broke into panic as a nearby canopy was shattered due to the child's wing strength as the kid rose higher into the horizon.

"He's getting away!" a concerned citizen yelled, with that the Mayor walked up next to her, her smile never having left her face. "No, he's not." she said while bringing a walkie-talkie to her mouth. "Rebbeca, would you be so kind as to retrieve the merchandise." she said into the device.

Spike couldn't believe it, he'd been worried for nothing, obviously there was nothing they could do to sto- just then, the breaking of the sound barrier had snapped him out of his musings and gave him just enough time to look out the corner of his eye and at a quickly approaching multicolored blur..... Just as his body was overcome with the strongest sense of pain he ever felt since a year passed as the object hit him sending him plummeting downward.

As the ground neared the blur broke away from him to leave him falling by himself, when the ground came it gave way to his form as he formed a new crater-like landmark for the town, And there he sat wondering what kind of shithead will he have to deal with this time. His thoughts broke as he felt feet impact the earth near him.

"Pretty ballsy move, trying to leave like that." her voice was like someone grinding glass into his ear, and so it started, he'd finally had it up to here with these fucking townies, he was leaving and no one was going to stop him this time.

"I never caught your name, but I still hear you breathing so you must be strong enough to know mine." with that the female struck an unseen pose as Spike began to ascend the crater. "The names Rebbeca Dash, and as you must've realized by now....... I'm awesome." she said in that damn voice.

"you sure do like to hear yourself talk, don't cha cunt?" he said as his clawed hand reached the top of the hole.

"awww, you said a swear.... I like th-" she said as she finally got a look at his face and all his childlike features, even in his powered mode he was still a head shorter than her.

"You're a kid." she said blankly. Spike stood confused.

"Yeah, what of it?" he asked pensively, after a moment or two a small snicker could be heard from Rebbeca as a smile broke onto her face, from there a full on hysterical fit of laughter as she fell to the floor clutching her stomach much to Spike's chagrin.

"Sh-shut up." he stuttered out of anger rather than embarrassment.

"Oh, is the baby boy angry." she cooed in a mocking voice.

"I might be young, but I'm old enough to kick your ass." he yelled fiercely. So fierce that it made Dash perk up and stop laughing.

"Wait a second, you think you can beat me." she asked with a strange sense of seriousness.

"You know what, yeah I fucking do." he said as he thought about it a little, but again another snicker escaped her lips.

"Okay buddy, I'mma make a bet." she said while keeping a smug grin on her face. "I bet 400 bits you won't be able to even touch me." she said in a serious-cocky tone.

"Deal........ Let's shake on it." Spike said as his stance widened and he rocketed from his current space with a gust from his wings, as he moved towards her he readied his claws to slice the life from this woman.

*swipe*

Is all that was heard, because in a flash of multicolored light she was gone. Spike, dumbfounded at how she wasn't dead searched his immediate surroundings for the small woman and found nothing.

"Hey buddy, hows it hangin'." he heard her voice sound off as it prompted him to look up and see her slowly hovering over his head. He only had 3 seconds to react as a black sneaker nailed him in the face, as he was staggered he closed his eyes due to the hit and felt an onslaught of punches hit his chest, he started to swing wildly as if trying to bat the polychromed assailant away but his hand only hit the faintest of air.

"Hey stupid." Rebbeca called, Spike slowly opened his eyes to see her standing a few feet away actively watching him flail around like a fool.

Enraged, Spike lunged forward again this time choosing verity over brute power, as he started to kick and punch he noticed something: 'Godamn, this bitch is fast.' he thought as it was indeed true, while dodging all punches and kicks he'd even thrown she'd been able to make a few hits to his ribs in the process, as Spike tired of throwing punches and he was sure that his ribs were liquified he decided to go the defensive for a chance to catch his breath.

He probably shouldn't have done that.

(12 minutes and a savage beating later)

Spike and Rebbeca stood opposite from each other, one breathing heavily, bleeding, partially bruised and the other not so much as sweating.

"Hey kid, you want some water or something." she said in a mocking tone.

He now hated her voice with a passion as it was somewhat akin to Jack's voice in tone.

"What *pant* *pant* you tired already." he uttered threw his busted lip. For a kid Rebbeca had to admit the kid was pretty tough.... But not tough enough to go easy on.

"Ok kid, I've got clouds to kick and babies to kiss so I'm gonna wrap this up and put you in the hospital now." she said as she slowly started to fly upward leaving him to look on, when the air began to thin she began to flap harder and harder as if building up altitude, at the apex of her flight she arched backwards and fell into a nose dive, at that point Spike's eyes began to widen 'she wouldn't do that right, ~~just go on the internet and tell lies~~ be that irresponsible right...Right.' he began to actually sweat for he knew that this.... This was gonna suck.

Rebbeca had only done this move once before and that was during a show, she'd never had to use it to fight before so technically she was winging it, that being said she savored the feeling of the harsh wind whipping at her skin, the thrill of being dangerously spontaneous, the hope that this kid didn't die after this so she could gloat about it; after a 56 foot drop she started to tuck into herself, slowly gaining even more momentum than the first move, and as her head began to spin she saw she was 20 feet from the ground and more importantly Spike, so she from the tucking position she extended her legs into a kick.

Spike thought to himself as he flew mercilessly through the rough gravel and loose cobblestones. 'Maybe I should've moved instead of standing there like a dumbass'

'Maybe, but that wouldn't have been very fun now would it.' his brain replied sarcastically
.

'I like how you always show up and offer you're oh so special hindsight after everything i do.' Spike retorted.

'Hey, it's your life, don't blame me for your lack of subthought.'

'I guess but you could've-' his inner most thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a sharp pain in his upper abdomen.

Dash was pretty shaken up but she managed to stand up as a crowd started to form around her, as they gathered around a small murmur was started.

"He couldn't have survived that."

"Awww, and he was pretty cute looking too."

"Damn, that sucks."

As she listened to the small town rambling she was approached by a very angry Mayor.

"Damnit Dash, I said bring him back not kill him." she vented.

"Hey, he didn't look like he was gonna go down easily so I figured he would need a little more 'persuasion' than most of the guys we get around he-." she began as she was interrupted by a collection of gasps from behind her. She turned to look at the commotion source only to gasp herself.

Spike was in a sincere pain, what I mean was if wasn't true before it certainly is now, Even as the large stake in his right pectoral muscle leaked his life blood he realized that he couldn't leave..... Not now at least but if this taught him anything its that the women he's surrounded with are undoubtedly stronger than he is, and if he was going to find Snips & Snails again he'd have to get stronger than anyone he'd ever met, than her.

But right now he didn't have any money in which to buy provisions for his plan, that being said as he walked back towards Dash, Right arm twisted in a strange fashion, chest bleeding profusely, legs perpetually howling in pain at his hubris, he remembered only one thing to do, as the crowd parted in order to let him through he set his sights on Dash, painfully walking forward he came as close as he could before standing in her worried gaze directly as he flicked her forehead once.

"Pay up." he said before falling limply onto the ground.

Spike awoke to the sound of a steady mechanical beep, as he willed his eyes to open he found that he was in some type of bindings that restricted all movement save for the neck & head.

"What the fuck." he swore in a groggy voice.

"I-i imp-implore you to use better language." a small, barely audible feminine voice called out.

"Who the fuck is this? Untie me right fuckin' now!" he swore angrily eliciting an 'eep' from the voice.

"Sir please keep your inside v-v-voice please?" the voice pleaded as she came into view.

Spike, having been around women his whole life was nonetheless stunned by the fuscha haired beauty. Sporting a large wool sweater that hugged her midsection flatteringly and only came down pass her kneecaps, her hair while hiding the left part of her face still gave him a view of her beautiful eyes and full lips, but that didn't matter right now because Spike was still angry.

"What is this, what's goin' on, and what the hell am I doing here?" Spike said in quick succession.

"Th-they sent you to me f-for surgery." she timidly admitted.

"Why didn't they just send me to the hospital?" he said as he recalled seeing it when he and Jack rode in.

"Well, it's strange but do you happen to have a reptilian background?" she asked as if she perked up.

"Yea, i'm Dovahkiin." he answered truthfully.

"Great, you're here because I'm a novice veterinarian and the original vet had a cold today." she quietly answered.

"Oh." Spike was bewildered, the first female in years to at least address him as a person instead of an animal or object.

"Fluretta, why are you explaining yourself to this beast?" Aaaand its back. Spike craned his head to see yet another beauty, her hair being amythest in color and her features being more pronounced and tapered probably with the use of makeup. Her clothing had been just as extravagant as her hair and face, a white dress decorating her voluptuous body.

"I say, you really are an uncouth monster." she said while catching on to him eying her up and promptly trying to cover herself as to stop his stares.

"........ Who's this bitch?" he asked Fluretta while getting a gasp from the woman in question.

"Language, and that's Rarity." she said pointing to the now fuming woman.

"I must say you are the worst." Rarity sneered.

"He is ain't he." an all too familiar voice sounded "careful now, he's a frisky one." Jack sounded from the door, standing there with her was Rebbeca as they both walked in the smug look now vanished from Dash's visage.

"And here is the golden child now, you wouldn't happen to have my money would you?" he mockingly asked not expecting a medium bag of coins to fall on his restrained chest. "Wow, holy shi- crap I didn't expect you to actually pay up." he started earning a small glare from Fluretta.

"A bets a bet." she said simply.

"Oh, he won one of Dashys' bets, he must be fun!" a voice beside him said startling the shit out of him.

"Holy Dick whiskers, Who are you?" he exclaimed. Earning a giggle from the bubblegum-pink haired woman.

"My names Pinkamena, but my friends call me 'Pinky'." she said with a gasp. "Do you wanna be friends?" she asked excitedly.

'What the hell' was all Spike could think as he prepared a response. "Yea, I guess?" he said as it came to sound like a question.

"Cool, I was gonna gut you if you said no." she said with her signature smile.

"Okay, that's cool I gue- Que?" he said as what she said finally registered.

"Pinkie, what did we tell you about scaring people like that." a voice said from the front of the room as its owner walked in, she like her friends was beautiful but in her own obscure way. 'Maybe its the glasses' Spike thought as he eyed her appearance, A dress shirt beneath a sweater vest and a modestly cut skirt. Her hair is purplish in color with a pink stripe running down her left bang.

"Hey Twi, I just made a new friend, ain't life just the grandest." Pinky exclaimed again.

"I suppose, hello.... My... Name.... Is... Twilia... Sparkle." she said slowly as if he was a savage.

"What the Fu- what are you really trying to say to me right now?" he questioned as he felt his intelligence being challenged.

"Oh so you can communicate... But just barely I presume." she commented thoughtfully.

"Shut up." he said regularly, just then he remembered what predicament he was in. "Oh yeah, anybody know who bought me?" he questioned as they looked amongst themselves for an answer.

"That would be me." Twilia piped drawing attention to herself.

.....................

"Oh my."

"Wow Twi, I didn't have you pegged for a secret kink."

"What? No I need him for research."

"SEXY~ research."

"N-NO!"

"My word Twilia, I had no idea you were into such things."

"I'M NOT."

"Hey, it's alright Twi, everyone enjoys a roll in the hay once in the while."

(I'll let you figure out who's talking')

"Enough, look I need an assistant you guys are too busy to constantly help me, and paying someone to do so is a waste of money." Twilia explained.

"But you'll shell out 200,000 for a slave?" Spike chimed in.

"Details, details, listen the important thing is that you are my new assistant." she said as she pulled out a Metallic collar.

"......Wat Dat?" Spike asked.

"A collar."

"I know that, I mean who's it for?" he asked as they just looked at each other for a minute. "You're not putting that thing around my neck." he stated.

"I have to, it holds your identification." Twilia elaborated.

"Like a dog." he put simply.

"No no, it just makes sure you can't run off."

"Like A Dog;"

"It's used to let people know who you belong to."

"LIKE A DOG, and stop trying to rationalize what you know is wrong." he said angrily.

"Look, I just needed an assistant its not my fault you were dumb enough to get caught." she said as she slipped it onto his neck leaving him to mumble something about Jack's legs that made Fluretta gasp and tell him to stop.

"Okay, everything else is set. We're going to let you stand up now, I can't protect you from what'll happen if you run, do you understand?" she asked which prompted a nod from Spike himself. But as Twilia expected as soon as his feet touched the ground he took off out the doorway which prompted dash to give chase only to be stopped by Twilia.

"No, he's got to learn on his own." she said cryptically

Again, freedom was too easily captured from these guys, I mean really if you wanna keep your slaves don't give them a straight shot out of the shack as soon as you let them up.

Then a sudden wave of nausea and lightheadedness washed over him causing him to double over, 'aw geez, what'd i eat shit' spike thought as he willed himself to press on valiantly, by 57 feet he was staggering, by 90 feet he started to cough up copious amounts of blood, by 108 feet he was flat on his face not-so-valiantly waiting to die.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When Spike awoke for the second time it didn't take long to recognize the face all around him, it took even less time to realize his bindings where now reinforced with chain.

"Okay, i'll bite, whats the catch?" he asked tiredly.

"That was a test of the 'Homesick System', it was implemented within the collar to protect people's 'investments' from running off or becoming rouge, the collar will be fine as long as you stay in Ponyville or around the six of us." Twilia explained. "It injects an otherwise deadly nerve agent into you through the pores on your neck and increases the poison in increments of yards."

"So the faster ya run the faster ya die." Jack finished.

"I-i've looked into i-it, it seems because of your natural resistance to poison you'd have 2 hours to live, while most people only have 35 minutes." Fluretta quietly interjected.

To this information, Spike again was locked in deep thought. 'So much for a quick getaway, I might have to stay here just a little longer'.

"Ah, ok well now that i know resistance is totally futile, I'm really ready to go now."he said as they nodded and began to remove his chains again.

Spike walked with the bookish women down a dirt road, he noted how she walked like she had a stick stuck up her ass, posture nearly perfect, and an undeserved sense of importance.

'What a nerd' he thought.

As he and Twilia made their way back into the town's wide residential/business area, Twilia made a beeline towards a tree of sorts. Needless to say, Spike was confused..

"Okay, what am i looking at here?" Spike asked while pointing to the shrubbery.

"Home." Twilia said with a warm smile as she walked up to the now visible door on said tree. As they walked in Spike took stock of the walls that were literally lined with books of every nature. Long books, short books, autobiographies, poems, introductions, and conclusions; if it was on paper it was probably here.

"I fuckin' knew it." he whispered a little too loudly.

"What?" was Twilia's immediate response.

"nothin'." he replied not sure if she really heard. "So i take it this is a library." he said stated.

"Precisely, you're pretty perceptive and knowledgeable..... For a slave I mean." Twilia chimed.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." he said not knowing whether to be insulted or flattered.

"Anyway, this tree happened to be the only place where no one lived, you know with it being a library and all." She explained. "After I moved here from Canterlot, there were no other houses available and, well, they needed new librarian." she finished.

"Uh huh." Spike said slowly.

"So, what are you?" she asked. "You have wings but you're not a Valkerie." she inquired.

"Uh, I'm a Dragonborn, born from dragons, stuff like that." he answered.

"Excellent, What do you eat?" she asked.

"Well.... I haven't thought about it, pretty much anything i could get my hands on-" he said as his eyes shifted to a glaring sparkle in his retina. "What's that?" he asked while pointing to the strangely appealing object.

"Oh that, that's just a gem I found when I was out a day ago." she answered as he walked over to the table to pick it up.

"Huh" he mumbled as his jaw tightened. "Do you need it?" he asked.

"Not really." she admitted as Spike sniffed it, "but why would you WHAT THE-" she yelled as spike started to gnaw on the gemstone. As it slowly cracked with a crunching sound it left Twilia stunned at what she just saw.

"Y-you ate it." she stuttered.

"Yeah, it just..... Felt natural." he said thoughtfully.

"Okay, were definitely cataloging your bodily functions." she said as she levitated a notebook and pen to her hands.

And so the Questions started.

"Where do your wings go when you're done using them?"

"I don't really know."

And they went on.

"Are you a boy or a girl?"

"Really Professor O?"

"I just want to know for sure."

"or I could show you."

and on

"If on a extraterrestial celestial body, in which oxygen in at three fourths that of equis in which food is made of purely carbine substances made directly from the active volcano underneath the artificially made silcone based flora, would you be able to survive in such conditions?"

"..... What?"

And finally they ended.

"Ah, that was refreshing, nothing like a refreshing study session to lift the spirits." she said as she leaned back in her wooden chair.

"Yeah, and its only 4 am." Spike said as he got up from his seat on the floor and streched.

"I guess it is time for bed." she admitted as she got up from her seat and beckoned Spike to follow her up to the living area.

She then showed him the bathroom and other assorted rooms he needed to know about. (I need to rap this up.)

"And heres were you'll sleep." she said while pointing to a makeshift mass of sheets.

"Really?"

"Hey, i didn't properly plan for a kid, just give me a couple of days i swear you'll have a bed by then." she explained.

As Spike settled into bed he let his thoughts over take him.

'Is this my real life, or is this just fantasy.' he thought.

Spike just lemented upon todays defeats and failures, wondering what might've been if he and his friends never found that god forsaken rabbit.... that... that shit-brained fuckin' peice of dick bunny..... that hairy cock bodied hare, but Spike digressed and decided it was time for sleep.

Author's Note

If it sounds like a cheesy anime towards the end, sorry i had to get cliche in order to finish this thing.

In this story Twilia (Twilight) is still pretty early in her studies as Maya Solaris's (Celestia's) student and without the threat of Nightmare Moon (right now) she already moved and got acquainted with the inhabitants of Po-Humanville..... I guess.

Fluretta Shy

Jaqcuiline Apple

Rebbeca Dash

Pinkamena Diane Pie

Twilia Sparkle

Rarity Belle

Have a nice day :)

F-F-Flashback

Chapter 3

As the light from The Creator's golden sun grew dim, a group of men could be seen escaping down a river bank with no more than 35 armored figures on their tails. The figures began to open fire on the group from across the ravine leaving the men to slump into heaps as their legs and bodies crumpled like trash in a compactor. (I know, I'm too deep.)

"PROTECT THE CHILD!" a man yelled as he fired his small pistol at the figures in a futile attempt to slow them down even a little, and who he was referring to was the small boy cradled in the groups' front-runner's hands, he couldn't be more than 4 and was crying (as is the reaction when being shot at.), but what was really apparent was his small tuft of spiky emerald green hair and almost reptilian features.

As for the man carrying him, his features being almost identical if not for the obvious age difference, he was in worse shape than the child himself, it took weeks upon months to find where he was to be inseminated, years to finish an excursion to said place, and only 35 minutes for a rookie in his organization to fuck it up. His usually stoic face plastered with weariness from not sleeping for over a week and covered in blood from the previous battle, and positively dreading the battle to come.

After what felt like hours of running at a break neck speed and only hearing the sounds of his heavy breathing and crying from the boy, his adrenaline slowed just enough to notice the lack of background noise. After 12 minutes of fierce running, he worked up the courage to slow to a jog and look behind him.

What he saw filled his heart with sorrow and relief at the same time, he turned to see absolutely nothing behind him, not his allies, not his enemies, nothing. The man then begins to wonder if everyone had either split up or his worst dreams had come to fruition.

"Welp, guess it's just you and me Sam." the man said to calmed boy.

"(Guttural baby noises)." the boy replied.

"You said it buddy." the man said to the boy as if he understood every sound.

With that the man began to hear the heavy footfalls of power armor in the mud, and so the chase was on yet again. For about 3 miles the man evaded the figures but it was no use, they seemed to cut him off at each pass, he came to a fork in the road and took the one with the most signs telling you not to go there, hoping that they weren't as foolish and desperate as he was to follow him. And he was right, why would they would risk their own lives traveling on DEATH ROAD!? ...... Is what the road was called.

(45 minutes of animal killing and child protecting later)

He came out of the dreaded forest and into a large clearing, bloodied and beaten he made it about halfway through the clearing before dropping to his knees, all the while gently dropping the child and effectively waking him up (how he slept through Death Road, he'd never know.)

"Eh, eh?" the child chided in as he walked to where the man had lied.

"Ugh, listen kid, I need you to go." he uttered painfully with a point in the direction of outer forest.

"Uh-uh." he said with a shake of his head.

"Look.... Kid, I." he said as the child turned to pull him by his hand but was making few great strides. "SAM!"

The child froze as he looked the man in the eye.

"There's nothing you can do for me, I'm done for...... But I need you to be a man and run..... As fast as you can, do you understand me." he said to which Sam shook his head in a fashion that would indicate yes.

"Good.... Boy." The man said as he used most of his energy to stand and shoo Sam away from the clearing.

Not too long after Sam disappeared into the underbrush the telltale sound of helicopter blades could be heard in the distance. As boots came from the western side of the clearing.

"Shit." he cursed under his breath as he tried to break forward, only to be stopped by figures descending from the canopy effectively boxing him in.

"Well, you've made a serious mistake." He said as he got into a defensive stance.

"Not as serious as your mistake, I fear." a female silhouette said as she walked through the line of armored and armed soldiers.

As she appeared, her hair was akin to a pale rainbow in color, her clothes were that of a white general's suit with gold trim complete with a general's sword w/stylized hilt and a pair of small iron gauntlets.

"Well, if it isn't my old friend, Tia." he said as he dropped his defenses.

"Salvador, where is the child." she said in a calm, comforting yet icy tone.

"Please princess were friends, Sal is enou-"

"WHERE. IS. THE CHILD!" she yelled, as everyone around was visibly shaken except the man now named Sal.

"He's..... Around here somewhere." he said while comically looking around.

Unbeknownst to them, Samuel stood hidden in the forest undergrowth not 34 inches from where they were standing.

"Sal." he said silently to himself. "da-da"

"You do realize that we can't let you live, right, you know standard procedures for dangerous runaways and all that." she spoke as she dropped her threatening tone for a playful one, like a cat playing with its live food before killing it, she was gonna savor this kill.

"Yeah, yeah, tell it to your maker, please." he said as he started to grunt and groan, he tapped into reserved power wells his people developed for what was to come. With that everyone knew what was happening and was prompted to step back as his body begin to shift into a reptilian skin and structure, as bones elongated and muscle distributed to different points in his rapidly growing body, as two crimson and green wings expanded from his back and he could no longer stabilize himself on two feet and promptly dropped to an all-fours position.

At the apex of his transformation he let out a loud, guttural roar and charged into Tia's ranks forcing them to break as he charged Tia herself.

Seeing this Tia's forces were ready to intervene until she held up her hand mid-fight.

"No, this one is mine." she said, her voice leaking venom as she drew her sword from her side, a 23 inch curved blade glimmering in the forest moonlight.

The two foes than began to circle each other menacingly as the soldiers and the concealed Samuel watched.

And in a matter of milliseconds they were at each others throats, he slashed wildly and repeatedly, knowing he could not win this fight but doing his best so that Sam had more time to run. Little did he know the boy doesn't take direction pretty well.

All the while gracefully dodging and parrying each sloppy and awkward attack, Tia caught on to what he was doing and decided that if she ever would have a chance at capturing the boy alive she'd have to cut this battle short. Again, If they'd only known.

As he readied another slash, she quickly jumped back and opted to fire consecutive magic bolts at him, out of the 6, 4 hit as he took to the skies where she followed, as his gullet began to burn, Tia noticed and quickly made evasive maneuvers as he let loose several torrents of fireballs hoping to wound her badly enough to anger her therefore keeping her focused on himself.

Down below no one could believe such a monstrous battle was even going on. Samuel, so entranced with the impromptu light show made the mistake of shifting the bush next to him.

"Huh?" said the soldier who had seen its fair share of battles and was disinterested, unlike the rookies. As it approached the small space with its weapon raised, it came to a stunning common NPC conclusion.

"It's...... A bush?" it said as it bent down to further inspect through its face mask, it then proceeded to lift it up as if it wasn't firmly rooted to the ground to find nothing under it.

"Huh, guess it was just my imagination." it said as it walked back to its group.

Samuel breathed a little easier, somehow he had managed to disguise himself as a bush next to the one the soldier just checked, with so much grace it would have made a certain slithering hero jealous. Sam didn't know why he felt the need to hide but he was sure that something bad would've happened had he not hid. He was happy that the person didn't see him, so happy that he gave an all too audible sigh.

"What the-?" the soldier questioned as it stopped midway and made its way back to the space Samuel with its weapon raised.

"Show yourself." it said into that general direction, Sam resisted the steady disciplinary lessons that the facility scientist and stayed where he was. The soldier, thinking it was one the forests' more curious fired a couple of warning shots into the underbrush just behind Sam.

"That'll learn'em." it said as it left for the pack of soldiers.

Sal had had it, this was it for his power, he started to fly slower and slower while narrowly avoiding attacks that Tia was dishing out. Just as he thought things couldn't get any worse.

*whiz* *riiiiipppp~* was all he heard as pain coursed through his left wing and he went into a nose dive, towards the end of his flight he managed to pull up in time to send him "safely" tumbling into the dirt but the damage was done and he was finished.

Tia descended just as his body reverted back to normal, bruised, beaten; he'd seen better days.

As she neared her soldiers had crowded behind her in a semi circle.

"Ok, *cough* *wheeze*, you beat me, I suppose you want *coughs up a liberal amount of blood and what may be a piece of his lung* a medal." he said through what was previously stated within the sentence.

"Yes, and you managed to prolong a fight with a deity of the sun, I suppose that warrants a quick and painless death...... If you disclose the child's location to me." she said in a calm tone, Sal let a smile spill onto his face, out of that smile giggling started until he was in a full uproar which caused most of the guards to shift uncomfortably as they witnessed his display of hubris towards their monarch.

"I-ha ha-I really don't know where he is, I told him to run before you even got here." he said as he continued to painfully laugh.

Tia not at all phased by his sudden outburst weighed what she had seen and what he had said and began to believe him.

"Slow and painful it is, a most excellent choice I might add." she said as she stabbed him in the knee, eliciting an 'ouch' from him as she continued her torture.

The extended torture session was leaving Sam feeling some type of way, he couldn't hear much considering Sal hadn't screamed or yelled considering the pain he was possibly in, but his instincts told him somehow Sal was hurt and in trouble and it made Sam's blood literally boil.

The anger affected him to the point where he started to growl at the display, not even noticing that his skin was becoming a dark shade of purple, the tree he was clutching denting under his newly forming claws, his body stretching a few inches upward as his transformation completed.

"Do what you must, *cough* I've already won." Sal said through blood streaming from his nose and mouth.

Tia stopped, this was getting her nowhere, she knew who he was and he was a stubborn man, if anything she could recover the boy's corpse and make another subject.

"Alright, you win Sal, but you're still going to die here." she said with a smile.

"I was wondering when you were going to stop dicking around." he said with an equally wide smile as she rose the sword in her hand.

Then suddenly, like a baby's fart, spike darted from the underbrush and into the way of the sword.

"NO" he yelled as he adopted a 'Fierce n' scary' stance.

..................

"Da'wwwwwwwwwww, he's a cutie!." said a soldier as it pointed to him.

"Goddamnit." Sal said quietly as he rolled to see the kid standing defiantly and looking at Tia.

"Well, it looks like our mutual friend never left." Tia said as she knelt to wipe dirt off the boy's face with her hand which was promptly swatted by the boy in question. "Oh, and he is frisky." she cooed.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." he wheezed as he turned to face the boys' back as he 'Defended' him.

"Kid, I gave you one job, run away.... That's all I said, You nodded, you understood, C'mon man I'm fuckin' dying over here and here you are dicking about, who the fu- I should fuckin' kick your ass Sam." Sal ranted. "Do you even have any idea what just happened here? Goddamn you Sam, you had ONE JOB!" he yelled shrilly though he knew Sam wouldn't understand.

"Da-Da." Sam said and it instantly melted all of Sal anger.

"Da'wwwwwwwwww." said everyone watching.

Sal was in deep thought, 'He is of my blood, i'm partially sure he could just escape on his own without me, he's already resourceful enough to hide from armed, trained soldiers.'

"Sam." Sal finally said grasping his son's attention. "My name is Salvador Everson, My father was Trayen Everson of the Everson Clan, You are Sammrich (translate into Samuel) Everson, My son." He said as he lightly scratched a cut over his cheek, letting blood flow onto his finger as he used the same finger to cut Sam's cheek with his still sharpened claw-finger leaving it to bleed a little as their lifebloods fused and Sam muttered an 'ouch'. "You are the last of the greatest breed of warriors this land as ever seen, You my son, are an Everson and I love you." he said as tussled his hair in a fatherly way.

Then, he pinched a nerve in Sam's neck, effectively knocking him out. Sal then rolled to look at Tia, her smug ass grin only seemed to grow as she realized what he was doing.

"Tia, I swear on my forefathers, if anything befalls my son, I will haunt you and your kin for the rest of your natural born days, and even if i am made to perish here their will be more like me and I swear on their forefathers, that they will be the death of you, so heed my warning my little princess." he spit out princess with visable sparks form his mouth. "Your small victory here is only the predecessor to a long string of defeats." he said in a serious voice as Tia's face tensed as well, after a few minutes of staring his face shifted as a snicker escaped his lips, Tia started to break as well until they were both giggling, after that shared a laughing fit as they couldn't hold the charade anymore. The soldiers, though not visible through their facemasks, stood with their jaws agape, never had any man spoke to their monarch in such a way, and even if they did it was highly improbable for them to live afterwards, but here's this guy, he just had an all out battle with their Queen, survived a brutal torture session given by her, and now he had her laughing like a little school girl. Just who the fuck is this guy?

"Sal, I'm tired and out of power but we could airlift out of here if you please," she said letting her regal bearings fall as if she was conversing with an old friend.

"Nah, I'd probably just die on the way to the hospital anyway, just leave me and let nature take its course." he said nonchalantly. "Just one thing Tia and i'll be out of your hair, please..... Please take care of my boy, even though I just got him today, it's safe to say he's all I got." he said as his body could no longer take the strain anymore and the craned position in which he had his neck suddenly was too heavy for him to keep up as he fell back to the gravel.

Tia bent down and picked the boy up, as she began to walk away she looked back with a somber look at the dying man.

"Good-bye, Salvador Everson." she said in a low, almost unheard voice.

"Good-bye................ Celly." he said as he closed his eyes. The soldiers kept their eyes on him for a long while, expecting the charismatic man to spring back up and bolt away like some type of immortal animal, but no, he just laid there and didn't move at all.

"Um, m-ma'am, would you like us to schedule a body retrieval?" asked one of the still partially shocked soldiers.

"No." said Tia, not even looking back at said soldier. "Just let nature take its course."

"Yes, ma'am" the soldier replied. "Alright, pack it up." it said to its comrades.

Sam awoke to the feeling of a speed bump being ran over, his 4 year old mind feeling sluggish as he felt an embrace of steel on his neck and under his legs. He looked up to see a facial mask with glowing green goggles over the eye sockets, he would've panicked and struggled but he was in no condition to do so because of his underdeveloped stamina, so he settled for a whimper.

"Oh look who's awake." the soldier said in what sounded like a distorted female voice.

"He is, lemme see." another soldier said and sounded just like the first soldier.

At that, the soldier removed its mask to reveal a feminine face under it, when she did that it prompted the other seven soldiers in the transport to do the same revealing all seem to be female.

"Awwww, look at his wittle face, I pray for the day I can have children as cute as him." a soldier sounded from the opposite side of the APC, her hair looked to him as though it was a whipped pink treat.

"You think QS is gonna sell this one?" a soldier inquired.

"No, I think that Sal guy knew her personally, she wouldn't sell this kid." the soldier holding Sam said.

Sam didn't know what they meant but the sudden mention of his father caused him to tense up as he remembered the last time he saw him.

"Da-Da?" he said in a questioning tone, they would've 'awwww'ed' at the display if they hadn't seen what just happened to his dad a few hours ago.

"Uh, we-we-we had to leave him behind, but I'm sure he'll be here later." she said, suddenly thinking of a lie so she could spare his feelings.

Sam took time to look around the cab of the vehicle, as if inspecting it to see if the lady from before was present and she was not.

"Tia?" he asked, the women looked dumbfounded.

"Tia?" she repeated, after a few seconds, recognition shining on her face. "Oh you mean Queen Solaris." she said as the others 'ohhhh'ed' and nodded. "She's in the truck ahead of us, hey Lee what's are location?" she said as she looked at a woman with short two-tone dark and light pink hair.

"Um, about a mile an' a half from HQ." the woman known as Lee stated.

"Cool, ok little guy were almost there, just take it easy for the time being." the woman said to Samuel.

Samuel realized for now he was safe, so he relaxed and let the gentle rocking of the vehicle lull him to sleep.

Samuel was awakened this time by the sudden lurch forward as the car came to a stop but he was less startled than last time as he felt the woman holding him stand up, he fluttered his eyes open to see the woman was in a line facing what could be the only door. The door fell open to reveal stifulling sunlight and heat, Samuel felt the heat wash over his skin as he was carried out of the troop transport. He looked up to see what seemed to be a heavily fortified castle complete with guards patrolling the rafters and walls, as they walked several boys walked while carrying seemingly unliftable cargo on their backs occasionally being whipped by a woman following them, Sam didn't understand it but they seemed to be hurt.

As the company of women approached the fortress with Sam in tow, a drawbridge declined to reveal the silhouette of a tall woman (6'2) and a shorter girl (4'5) as opposed to Sam's height (3'2), as he neared the soldiers in front of him and the woman started to break formation and lined up on either side of him saluting as he and she walked forward to greet who could only be Tia and a mystery girl.

"My Queen." said the soldier as she saluted.

"At ease soldier." said Tia as she looked the child over who himself seemed to be glaring at her. it filled her with a strange sense of unease as if he knew what she had just done to him and his family. She had hoped he knew nothing and was just rather cranky for being woken up.

"Bring him to his new quarters." said Tia as the soldier walked past her monarch and into the fortress.

As she walked, Sam being the very curious and observant one started to watch corridors as they went by, on the eighth corridor something akin to a strange shadow caught his eye but he decided that it didn't matter right now.

As they entered his room, which looked modestly great. When the soldier neared the room's center she sat Sam down.

"This is where you sleep."she said as he walked around his room, to the far right was a small twin sized bed, at the foot of it was a small chest, probably used to store goods he might acquire,. Sam then realized that he never actually saw the face of his courier, her face was pristine, her head adorned with long curly orange locks, while her face shone with familiar youthfulness.

"Da-Da?" he inquired as sternly as his young voice would allow. The woman must've picked up on his tone and struggled to respond.

W-w-well, he's..... Still not here, but-" she stuttered slightly, not sure how to break mortal news to a child so young. "He'll be here soon." So she didn't. "If you need me I'm right outside, my names CT, what's yours?" she asked.

"Sam." he answered simply. They shared a one-sidedly awkward look, just the way he was looking at her filled her heart with nervousness, as if he was scanning her for information on his father's whereabouts. "Fwend?" he said in a childish slur, almost quizzically, as if he was trying to gauge her reaction.

It shocked her to say the least, but she was quick to dispel any bad feelings the boy might've had about her.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, but after hearing herself and seeing Sam raise his eyebrow comically, she cleared her throat. "of course i'll be your friend."she said steadily. To that Sam gave a small smile which was really first time she'd ever seen it and it warmed her heart and almost seemed to wash away any awkwardness that may have permeated the area.

"I'll be right outside if you need me." she said with a reassuring smile.

Though, as she turned she was graced with the Mysterious girl's presence in the doorway.

"P-P-Princess L-Lun-" CT stuttered again.

"Leave us." the small girl said simply. At first CT seemed reluctant or pensive to leave him in the small girls care which earned her an icy glare. To that CT did a small bow and left the room, knowing what was going to happen but not questioning it 'Why, why must she do this to them?' well not outside her mind at least.

Sam listened to her foot falls escape his ears as the girl proceeded to lock the door, she then twirled on her heel to face Sam with a sweet smile that encouraged him to let his guard down, her hair a flowing mixture of indigo and blue, almost akin to Tia's in texture

"So." her voice, childish, sweet, and menacing as she walked toward him.

"You are the stray my dear sister picked up." she said. Sam, being severely uneducated had known only the phrases 'You are' and 'picked up', so he answered in kind.

He simply nodded while extending his arm, awaiting a handshake.

The girl noted his simple manners as a product of strict teachings by the pre institute*..... But she was in no mood to entertain them.

Before Sam had time to register that she'd swatted his hand, she was already on him, holding him roughly by his neck.

"Shh, sh, sh, it's okay." she whispered as he ceased struggling. "You are mine now boy, I own your body and soul, your existence as a being is nothing but a new toy for me... Until you break that is." she whispered harshly while he simply whimpered. "State your name." she told him.

"S-S-Sam." he answered fearfully as she caressed his sore neck mock-lovingly.

"Tsk tsk, that won't do at all." she said while slightly tightening her grip on him. "no, no, your new name is...." she thought for a second as she stroked his hair, which prompted her to look at it. He had short hair, dark green in color, and littered with semi-sharp, spine like prongs, most unusual for most boys who passed through her hands.

"Ahhh, yes." she just about hissed in delight at her conclusion. "Your new name is Spike." she stated as she let go of his throat, only to flip him onto his back and straddle his small waist.

"Please, stop." he all but whispered in an attempt to stop the abuse, but she was far too into this to stop now.

"Now, Now, what did i tell you, YOU'RE MINE." she bellowed as she prepared to remove his shirt.

"no Luna, he's not." said a voice from directly behind her.

'Zounds' thought the girl now named Luna, there was only one woman who dared skipped formalites and called her by her given name.... Maya Solaris, the other part of the monarchy, and to a lesser extent in Luna's mind.... Her sister.

"This does not involve you, Tia." Luna's voice came in a whisper laced with venom.

"Oh contre, dear sister." Maya said as playful as ever. "CT informed me of your little conjugal visit and i just figured i should get you two introduced now that he's your family." she said with a smile. Enraged, Luna got up from her position on Sam and made her way over to her sister.

"Sister, what is the meaning of this? She said loudly as Sam got up and promptly retreated to a space underneath his bed. "He isn't part of the royal family." she said in a mix of anger/worry.

"Not quite, but he is royal nonetheless." she said with her sly smile growing a little larger, but this only seemed to make anger seethe from Luna's pores.

"That's Bullshit Tia." she said through clenched teeth which seemed to upset Maya as if this is the first time her sister had done this. "Do you think for a second that i don't know about your scandalous escapades with the 'livestock'!?!" she yelled. Maya stared at her sister in shock and rage.... But mostly rage.

"You DARE QUESTION ME, SHE WHO WAS OLD BEFORE YOU WERE EVEN BORN?" Maya bellowed in anger.

"THOU HAST NEGLECTED YOUR DUTIES AS A MONARCH, IT IS UNSURE WHO THE OLDEST IS AT THIS MOMENT!" Luna responded in kind.

"AS LONG AS HE LIVES WITHIN THE PALACE, HE IS ROYALTY!"

"HE BELONGS TO ME!"

"Stop." came a whisper as Sam climbed from under his bed. "No yell." he said simply. Both women calmed as Maya begins to speak again.

"He is.."she paused as if pensive to say anymore than that. "My son.... And he is not to be harmed... Doing so will result in a painful death.... no matter the circumstances." the last part was directed directly to her sister as Maya walked away with a sour frown etched on her face.

As Sam and Luna stood there she glared at him, which made him feel uncomfortable to say the least. When she finally walked towards him, he felt as though she towered over him, and before he had time to address her, she brought her hand down and across his face effectively sending him to the floor.

"If i want to get loud.." she began. "You are in no position to tell me not to, i am not your aunt, i am not your family, and you are nothing." she said with her eyes overshadowed and cold.

She turned to the door and proceeded to walk away, shutting said door hard enough to partially crush the frame.

As he heard her walking away, Sam felt the obligatory child tears start to flow down his cheeks, half from being struck and half from the situation he was in. He didn't understand, but bits and pieces of his predicament. he'd sit and cry himself to sleep that night and many more nights after that

Bird-brained scheme (part 1)

Chapter 4

(3 months after chapter 2)

"Hey Spike, come here." called spike's "benefactor", twilia.

He always figured that his internal clock had always woke him up particularly early, a throwback to his many days of runnin' from the po-po, but his incessant "caretaker" had the nasty habit of waking up far earlier than he, therefore feeling the need to awaken him from his slumber as well.

"Yes.... Mistress." Spike answered, Rarity had suggested that he'd 'settle into his subjugative role', so Twilia had set in place a small set of rules, one being that he wasn't to address her by her name, but rather "Mistress".

"How are you this morning?"

'Other than I'm a slave, and living with a fucking asshole, I'm doin' fucking fantastic.'

"I'm well." He lied.

"Good, because Rebecca is having problems with her workload and needs some help."

"......"

"Sooo, I'm sending you to assist her." She said in a matter-of-factly tone.

Now, a little while ago, Sam would have hurled a myriad of insults, or a wave of disagreement.

"Alright."

"...Alright?" Twilia asked expectantly, honestly expecting more of a fight.

"Alright... Mistress." He almost snapped at her.

"Wow, your behavior has really improved." She said proud of the achievement.

"Yeah, I guess it did." He said sarcastically.

"Well then, you'll find her on the south side of town, look for a abnormally small strato-nimbus hovering close to the ground." She informed him, seeming either to not pick up on his response or ignore it all together.

"......" Sam looked confused

"*sigh* A cloud." She responded. " Alright, this is your first job outside the house, stay safe."

"Sure." He said lazily as he closed the door to the tree house.

Almost instantly he was bombarded by intense rays of sunlight, trees were swaying in the breeze, flowers were blooming and it wasn't even spring it was like fuckin' September.

'It's almost like the world doesn't care for your plight, makes you absolutely livid doesn't it.' Sam's brain voiced.

'Fuck you, and Fuck the world.' Sam thought angrily asks he ignored the looks he was getting, angry, fearful, lustful, etc.

'Ohhh, that's another coin for the swear jar. *clink* *clink* what are we up to now, 5, 6, carry the one *indistinct counting* one-hundred million twenty-two hundred thousand six-hundred and twenty-four bits.' His brain stated.

Sam stood still, did he really curse that much?

*flashback*

"Alright Sam, were gonna have you show us how far you can count. Is that okay?" A CG scientist asked. To which Sam simply nodded.

"Wun, two, thwee, foor, five, six, seven...." Sam looked puzzled, he had just went over all of these yesterday, how could forget, his small mind went round and round trying to come up with something, after 12 minutes of fierce thinking on his part he finally uttered something.

"Um, ten?"

"No, it's eight." The doctor stated with a sigh.

Sam hadn't felt actual anger because he was just an X year old, what would he know about anger but something in his head told him that 'we have words for what you're feeling.' So Sam dug deep and poof.

"Fuck." Sam whispered.

The doctor-scientist did a 180 at what was said. "What?" She asked.

"Fuck, I dunno." He repeated much louder.

The medic with a doctorate in science gasped. "Sam where did you learn such language?"

"I-I dunno." He said sensing something was wrong.

The woman whose mother pushed her towards medical school rather than her original choice to be a hairstylist (which is a very lucrative business, thank you very much.)and fell in love with the wilds of science, so she figured 'why not mix the two' rushed from the room, possibly to get the other doctor-scientists.

By then Sam knew he got in trouble and said what came naturally.

"...Shit.."

*end flashback*

'Damn' he thought 'maybe I do curse too much.'

..........

'Fuck it, I've had a hard life.' He casually thought.

*clink*

'Goddamnit.'

As Sam rounded a corner, talking or rather, bitching could be heard.

"You have to do what we say, shorty." An annoying voice said in a Jesting manner.

"Yeah, Pip-shit." An equally shitty voice added.

Against his better judgement, he got closer. Close enough to see the scene, to see two girls standing over what seemed to be a guy who was writhing on the floor.

"why can't ya just leave me alone." 'Pipsqueak' cried. "Iv' done no wrong 'ere."

'Another guy.' Sam thought.

.........

'....You have no sense of self preservation do you?' His brain retorted.

'No sir' he answered as he sprang from his space to intervene, he walked up without a word as the girls noticed him.

"like, who are you supposed to be?" The first girl asked sporting a tiara atop light purple locks with a white streak on the left in her hair. "Sliver, isn't this the new slave." She asked the appropriately named girl behind her.

"Yeah, that's the guy that destroyed half of town when he and Rainbow....whatever, fought." Silver answered, to which tiara girl grinned smugly.

"Well, well, it's a good thing you found me before I found you." She said as she approached him standing half a head shorter than him, wearing a Sundress and shiteating grin. "My name's Diamond Rich, daughter of Franklin Rich, the richest man in all of equis, and you are?" She asked as Sam walked passed her and tended to the boy.

"Are you hurt, did they do anything to you?" He asked in a unconcerned voice, to which the boy shook his head.

Angry that the boy had ignored her she did a 180 to confront him. "Hey, I was talking to you." She informed him." I don't know what shithole you come from but you'd do well to, like, acknowledge your betters here." She spat.

"Stand up and wipe your tears." Sam told the small boy. And small he was, standing at a threatening 4'2 the boy was rather gnome-like as he complied with Sam's command. Sam then turned around and faced the girl.

"As you asked, my name's not important, what is important is that you leave this man alone." Sam said as he partially transformed his hand into claws. "Or shits gonna take a rather drastic turn."

"Like, who the fuck do you think you are?" She asked seriously. "My daddy can have you hung and quartered before you have time to scratch your balls." Diamond said angrily, to which Sam did the gentlemanly thing and scratched his nuts through his loose jeans.

"What now?" He said as he pointed his claws in her direction.

"tch." Was Diamond's only reply as she subconsciously backed up, but soon smiled as she looked at the boy behind Sam. "Looks like this creep bought you some time Pip, c'mon Silver." She said as the terrified girl followed.

As Sam watched them run, he could practically feel the awe radiating behind him.

"Wow, thanks mate." The boy said as Sam turned to face him.

"Yeah, I know, I'm awesome.... It's a burden." Sam said while absentmindedly cleaning his ear. "So kid, what's your story?" Sam asked.

"The name's Pip Remington, but most just call me Pipsqueak." The boy told him.

"I see why, how old are you, guy?" Sam asked.

"I've been told I'm 10, I am." Pip said in his cockney accent. "but, who're you?"

"I'm Sam, but the people call me Spike." Sam told the boy.

"Thanks Sam, Diamond just thinks because her dad is rich and bought his freedom that she can push e'eryone around." Pip said with a frown. " But you didn't 'ave to do that mate, no doubt she'll be comin' afta you now." He said seriously.

"That doesn't matter, just know we gotta have each others backs, if you have any more problems with her, I live in the library, so come get me." Sam said as he walked away. "See you around, Pip."

"Later, Sam." Pip said as he watched the boy leave.

Satisfied with the ground he cleared Sam slowed down to a brisk walk, to take in where he was.

Another faceless residential area.

"This is the fifth time I've seen that house, why is nothing marked, no street signs, no nothing." Sam said quietly to himself, unaware of the eyes watching him.

"Hey." Said a disembodied voice

"What?" Replied another.

"See that kid there?" The voice said "were gonna fuck him up."

"Hmm, alright I'm game."

Sam, still unaware, carried on.

"Where the fuck is this low strato.... Whatever thing anyway?" He muttered.

'Okay, kid, use your head, a cloud.... Now where do you find those?' His brain asked expectantly.

Sam, realizing his mistake, slowly shifted head up, in time to see low rain cloud just over head. As he began to question just what the hell it was doing, a low rumble from the cloud shook him from his stupor.

"What the fu-" is all he got out before thunder and lightning erupted from the cloud, creating a singe mark on the ground, and effectively spooking the shit out if him.

With a terrified, almost feminine, shriek
Sam fell backwards, still screaming well after he hit the ground.

After a few seconds of serious screeching, he stopped to catch his breath, that's when he heard the laughter.

"Did you see the look on his face?" Rebecca asked the still disembodied voice while sitting on the cloud.

"Fuckin' classic, hanging out with you is the same as ever." The voice responded.

As they laughed, a rock pelted Rebecca to the side of the head, getting a little 'ow' in the process.

"REBECCA, YOU SHORT BITCH YOU, BRING THAT ASS HERE!" Sam yelled from the ground.

"Hey Dash, is that little asshole talking to you?" The voice said, a little perturbed that he was as disrespectful for a slave.

"it's just one of my friends' slaves who thinks he's people." Rebecca responded while nursing her minor wound.

"He does, does he? Well we'll have to fix that." The voice said with a heavily implied grin.

Sam was mad, like 'walk in the house and find all of your cookie dough ice cream eaten.' Mad, when she got down there she was gonna get a foot so far up her ass, his shoelaces were gonna wrap around her brain.

He watched the cloud diligently, waiting for Rebecca to descend. He watched as someone fell from the cloud, with the sun in his eye, he had a split second to roll out of the way as not-Dash tried to crush him with her large feet.

"What the dick?" Sam said in alarm. As he looked up to see whoever this, and was in awe.

Standing at 6'4, 212 pounds of solid muscle, combat boots, green cargo pants, a black sports bra which was struggling to keep her ample bust contained, and taloned hands within fingerless gloves.

"You're a dick, and that was meant to kill you." She said in a gruff voice.

"Oh great, Rebecca's butch girlfriend." Sam said sarcastically, as he got to his feet.

"If I told you I went both ways, would you believe me?" She said while licking her lips.

"I don't know whether to be surprised or worried." He said with a disgusted look on his face.

"Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough." She replied preparing to lunge at him, only to be stopped by Dash at the last second.

"Woah, woah, time out!" Dash yelled. "He's annoying, but you can't just kill him."

"Dash, what the hell is this?" Sam asked angrily gesturing towards his assailant.

"Whoa, 'Dash'?" She said incredulously. "It seems this little fucker needs to learn some manners." She said with a glare.

"Chill, chill." Dash said, trying to calm them down. "Spike, this is my BF, Gilda." Dash explained.

"Wow Dash, I kind of knew she was weird, but I didn't know you swung that way." Sam said sarcastically.

"I mean Best Friend, and I play for both teams, dickhead." She said in a matter of factly manner.

'no shortage of bi-bitches here.' Sam thought to himself.

"Well, 'Dash'." Sam said with emphasis on her name. "Twilia sent me to help you, so whatdya want?"

"Well, Spike." She said mimicking him. "I just wanted to see if you'd hang out." She said quietly.

"What!/?" Spike deadpanned while Gilda exclaimed.

"You can't be serious, Rebecca." Gilda said with a sneer.

"Twlia said you needed help with work, but If not, Im'ma have to agree with big butch on that, Dash." Sam said as Gilda tightened her jaw.

"Maybe I'll be more agreeable when I skull rape you." She said as she made to grab him, only for him to slap her hands.

"WOAH, it's 50 to touch, bitch." He said as he backed away with a defiant smirk, as Gilda prepared to rip him limb from limb, Dash stood in her way, yet again.

"Fine, it's cool, it's not like you're old enough to hang with us bi-bitches anyway." Dash said, to which Sam stopped dead in his tracks.

What're you doing?" Gilda whispered.

"Relax, this shits gonna be hilarious." Dash whispered back.

It was one thing to insult him, but- "You sayin' I'm little?" He really didn't like being called a boy.

"I'm just sayin' that it's cool if you don't want to do big kid stuff just yet." She said, playing on his childishness.

Sure enough, Sam began to walk back towards them, ignoring the glare Gilda shot him.

"What kinda shit we talkin here?"

"This is a terrible idea." Sam deadpanned.

Here he stood on top of city hall, with Dash and Gilda flanking him, butt-ass naked in a bobsled.

"Relax cornball, it's perfectly safe." Dash said stifling a snicker.

"Safe? how is this safe!?!?" Sam exclaimed.

"Because we can fly, dumbass." Said Gilda as she kicked the back of the bobsled, Sam rocketed of the roof and into the air.

Now, you'd assume that he'd just fly away, that his newly found wings would carry him to safety and freedom.

And as he smashes into the ground below, a heap of wood and flesh. I'd have you know that you're wrong.

"......."

"..Huh, I guess he can't handle flying yet.... Shit." She said as she flew down to investigate.

As Sam laid there he began to question why he hasn't burnt this town to the ground.

'Because, not only would you'd be stopped immediately, but you'd also probably beaten half to death.... Again.' His conscious responded.

'Hey, it's not like I couldn't-'

"Psst, Spike." A voice whispered from seemingly right beside him, he turned his head from his face down position to look into the baby blue eyes of Pinkie, whose head pretty much sprouted from the ground.

"What the fuck?" He asked, not really sure if this was really happening.

" Hey, language." She corrected "Also don't trust Gilda, she's a meanie." Pinkie warned him.

"Oh, word?" Sam asked. "I hadn't noticed 'cause I was too busy being pushed off a building." He said sarcastically.

They were alerted to Dash wings flapping as she got closer.

"I was never here." Pinkie hissed as she disappeared back down the hole she made.

"Hey, Spike, you alright." Dash said sounding slightly worried. "That was a hell of a bail."

"Spare me, if you were really worried, I wouldn't be down here." He said as he got to his feet.

Kinda glad that he at least survived that, Dash relaxed. "Aww, what kinda friend would I be if I wasn't at least a little worried." She said coolly.

"You're a friend?" He says quizzically.

At that moment, Gilda flew down to meet them. "Wow, you're alive." Gilda said flatly. "I was sure that would kill you, guess you're not that big of a dweeb." She said admittedly impressed.

"Thanks, I know I'm- wait, that was supposed to kill me!" Sam said in rising anger.

"Yeah, but you're alive aren't ya, I'm outta here." She said as she flew off. "Nice cock, by the way!" She said prompting Sam to cover his Manhood.

Dash sighed. "Well it was cool hanging with you, but I gotta jet." She said as she turned to leave. "If it makes you feel better, Your cock is pretty nice." She said as she flew off leaving him to blush in flustered anger.

"What the hell am I doing with my life?" He asked himself as he watched them fly off.

"I don't know, whatever we tell you to, I guess." Pinkie said cropping up next to him.

"Can you not make a habit of that?" Sam said in an exasperated manner.

"Silly Billy, you don't have a choice." She said with a giggle.

" Oh yeah." He said as if he just remembered. " Oh, and what the hell were you on about just then?" He asked.

"Hmm, OH YEAH!" She suddenly exclaimed as she suddenly grabbed his hand and started running at a breakneck speed, Sam was surprised that behind her somewhat chubby frame lay enough speed to blur his vision, and enough power to do this while carrying his naked frame, it continued like this until she suddenly stopped behind a bush, giving Sam the queue to empty his lunch on a nearby tree.

"Look at this, Spike." She said as she crouched behind the bush and looked out it's mysteriously made window.

" At *dry heave* what?" He asked between gasps, he viewed the scene as Ponyville's Marketplace, a place where he was not a few weeks ago, women were walking back and forth looking for things to buy, and it looked like an auction was underway at this moment, some poor bastards like Sam himself were having their life sold and bartered for.

"If you wanted to demoralize me, it won't work." He tearfully assured her.

"No, dummy, over there." Pinkie directed his vision to Gilda, walking through the market, looking around.

"So fucking what." Sam said tiredly. "This couldn't wait until I was dressed?" He asked.

"Again, Language, and you are dressed." She said without looking at him.

Sam looked down to see this was indeed true. 'Huh?' He thought. 'Did we get dressed?'

'it's the first I'm hearing of it.' His conscious answered.

As Sam and Pinkie watched, Gilda did a myriad of terrible things: like steal an Apple, and... Uhh...... Look that's pretty bad in it's own right (do you know how much apples cost these days, it's fucked up).

"See, look, she's a rudey pitudey." Pinkie exclaimed.

" Look, Pinkie." Sam began as he turned to look at her. "Let's say I care about this Gods forsaken backwater town, stealing a lone Apple isn't all that ba-"

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE FUCKING GOING, YOU FUCKING SPAZ!" Sam heard Gilda say from the bush, Sam turned back to an eye widening sight.

There lay Fluretta, a flock of ducks surrounding her as she got to her feet. "Oh, I'm sorry, I should've watched whe-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU'VE GOT SOME FUCKING NERVE BITCH, I WILL SHIT IN YOU, AND WIPE MY ASS WITH YOUR FUCKING BLOUSE!" Gilda interrupted as she pushed Fluretta away, Fluretta ain't built for that shit, so she flew off, crying.

" YEAH, YOU BETTER FUCKIN RUN, YOU LITTLE SHITBAG!" Gilda yelled, effectively making a scene, before flying off herself.

Pinkie gasped "She's a bigger meanie then we thought, making Shy cry like that, why I oughta throw her a party right now." She said in upset voice.

"Fuck a party."

"eh?" Pinkie said as she looked at Sam, gone was the cynical fag she'd arrived with and in his place stood what might as well been a monster. "You alright there, Spikey?" She asked as he started mumbling to himself.

"Oh that shit won't fucking do." He said, Fluretta, was the only, only woman to ever show him kindness, and this bitch, this FUCKING FLAMING DYKE, had the gall to say anything but sorry to her, as her huge meat-hook hand shoved that fragile angel.

'Now Sam, I know what you're thinking and it won't work, she's too strong for you.' His brain began.

"Fuck that, that girl has a heart of fucking gold, and I won't see it stomped for no reason, she has to fucking go!" He thought/said as his wings appeared and he prepared for flight.

"Wut?" Pinkie asked, but he was off, possibly to go do another thing he didn't think about.

"........Oh...... He could die couldn't he?" She thought as she stood there, before rushing to go get Twilia.

prologue - ever not-so-free

Hello, this is the cautionary tale of a boy, who ran from oppression and didn't look back and met a few women who would come to change his life...for better or for far worse.

Our story starts in the western wing of the Everfree Forest, where two children could be seen hastily gathering their things while desperately trying to wake a companion

“By the gods, Snips it's 5 o'clock in the morning what the hell is goin' on?" Sam complained.

That guy, that kid right there, is Samuel Everson but most people call him ‘Spike’. He’s at least 13 years old with a tan complexion and spiky emerald colored hair (hence the name) and probably just as strange radiant forest green eyes with pupils slit down the middle and razor sharp claws and teeth .

“C’mon Sam, you already know we can’t stay in one place for this long.” Snips reasoned.

Snips or Sterling Pivington was the shortest of the group and the “roundest” so to speak, with a mixture of blonde and brunette his hair gave off the color of pumpkins as the two colors battled for domination of his scalp.

“Besides, I’m pretty hungry and Snails seemed pretty spooked about this spot" he further explained.

"Well shit, that's understandable, remind me to care when i wake up 4 hours from now." Sam said sarcastically while rolling over.

"C'mon Sam, you know how i feel about this kind of thing." Snails finally chimed in.

Snails or Stephen Nellis was the tallest and densest of the group, with hair almost the same hue as Sam's and an all to stupid demeanor, but none-the-less he was right when he said that it was dangerous.

"Remember last time." Snails recalled. At that Sam was silent for a bit.

"Yeah.... Don't remind me." Sam said while rubbing his newly bandaged arm which they had made from the cleanest leaves in all of the yards in which the incident took place..

"So?" he asked in a huff.

"So, instead of waiting around to get shot, how about we get the heck outta here." Snips said, while Sam was ready and willing to go back and forth with him he gave in to the fact that it would delay his sleeping further.

"Ugh, fine, just let me pack up." he seceded. And with little incident the three got their mini caravan rolling. After what seemed like months of silence Snips decided now was the time to address the elephant in the....... Forest.

"So what's up with you?" he asked Sam.

"What are you talking about now." Sam said still angry for being woken up.

"I'm talking about your sleep talking." he Reiterated to which Sam cursed under his breath at his nocturnal activities.

".....Its nothing." Sam assured.

"Really, it sure doesn't sound like nothing, sounds to me that you're still thinking about CG." Snips said smugly.

"Dude, please stop, I'm fine, I've just been having bad dreams lately." Sam defended but Snips wouldn't let up.

"Hey man, if you still got a hard on for her that's no problem to me." he remarked in a nonchalant tone, okay that got under Sam's skin

"Look, I might've decided to take you guys along, but I could drop you at anytime." Sam said with deadly seriousness.

But snips had not picked up on the tone and continued on. " Woah, bro, lets talk about who made the plan, lets talk about about who busted us out, as a matter of fact lets talk about who was Luna's little bitch until we bust-" Snips was interrupted by a very sharp hand-claw burying itself into the thick tree behind him with Sam towering over the now petrified boy.

"Look, -" Sam said with obvious strain in his voice. "Obviously we've reached some kind of stalemate in this argument so let's review the facts." he continued.

"Now i know it was a SCARY experience dodging bullets n' crap from a bunch of turds with high-powered rifles.... But despite being covered in the blood of one of my only friends as I watched him take a bullet to the chest, for me, I made my- oh excuse me OUR way out of that goddamn prison." Sam seethed with anger.

"You know the only reason i'm not happy.... Its all the dead people it took to get here, everyone, or at least everyone who couldn't get away, is either captured or dead, so PLEASE excuse the cynical prick standing in front of you right now, He's having a bad DAY." Sam half yelled as he pulled his fingers from the oak bark.

Snips opened his mouth for a rebuttal but was silenced by a look Snails gave him. Snails didn't say anything but when his gaze met Snip's, Snips already knew and kept quiet for most of the trip.

After some time spent walking Spike saw that Snips was trailing behind obviously feeling bad so Spike decided that maybe now should be the time to reconcile.

"Hey..." Sam began but Snips didn't reply.

"Look man I'm sorry about going off like that but I've just had rough nights of sleep, y'know the whole waking up in a cold sweat kinda thing and i'm sure it was hard on you and Snails but we can't break down now so whatd'ya say?"

".................." Snips..... Repeated as Sam started to walk off.

'To hell with this I have better things to-' Sam was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of someone dropping to the floor which alerted him and Snails to see it was Snips dropped to his hand and knees staring at the ground at which they ran towards him.

"i-i couldn't save anyone....... They're all dead and it's my fault!" Snips lamented.

At this Sam just stood above him with a knowing smile then he tapped his shoulder, waited for Snips to look at him and said:
"Stop crying, you look like a little bitch, and we need to get somewhere safe before you break down like a pussy." he said softly never letting his smile leave his face as he walked away.

All Snips could do was look on in bewilderment as Sam nonchalantly tossed his emotions away and carried on.

And amazingly enough, it had its desired effect as Snips shuffled to his feet and went about his business.

The rest of the day went normally for them, after what seemed like weeks of walking due to the whining and complaining from the largest of the group , the three found a fresh water creek where it was home to a school of fish, so the children decided that they would camp here for now.

"Wow nips, I can't believe you ate that fish in one bite." Snails exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm full of surprises." Snips boasted.

"You guys..... Are morons." Sam said while slowly shifting his eyes between the two.

"Why?"

"Yeah why?"

"Well for one there was only 6 fish in that pond and if you ate one whole and you will eat another one tomorrow, your gonna run out of food- see, this is what I mean when I say you need conserve." Sam stated angrily.

"Oh come on Spike, it's not like the fish won't screw each other and make more." snips said indignantly.

"Oh yeah? And just how long will that take?" Sam asked while sporting a shit-eating grin.

"I........uh.....hmm?" he wondered.

"Look, I can see the sparks flying off your scalp, that's not how animals wo-." Sam was interrupted by a far off rustling in the bushes.

"You guys hear that?" Sam asked them cautiously.

"Yeah........." Snips replied. At that, they sat and stared at the bush for a good 7 minutes before Snails got sick of waiting and went over to check it out.

"Snails wait." Snips whimpered. But he just brushed it off and continued to the bush, when he got there he thoroughly stomped the poor bush into oblivion.

"Huh, must have been the Wi-." Snips were interrupted by snails shrieking in terror as a small rabbit jumped from off his head and into the open. Swiftly Snips and Snails were upon it with malicious intent.

"gotcha ya little bastard!" Snips yelled as he and Snails lunged at the defenseless animal at the same time.

With that Sam quickly scooped the rabbit up and left Snips and Snails on the same path as their faces met in a very painful way.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys!?" Sam scolded them. Sam then observed the animal and deduced that it was indeed a rabbit with a pure white coat upon spike's inspection he noticed that its coat was a brilliant white instead of faded like most jungle bunnies, but disregarded it.

"You guys need to be quieter, do you remember where we are!?" Sam yelled in a whispering tone.

"Oh yeah..." Snips commented with eyes shift to his surroundings. "But that bunny is a menace now hurry up and put it out of its misery so we can eat."

At that the bunny ran up from Sams' hands to hide in his hair, which Sam, as calm and collected as he usually was audibly 'awwwwww'd' at the display.

"Oh come on you guys we can't kill..... Him, he's cool." Sam said as he checked the rabbits "credentials" for confirmation.

"Spike, we're hungry, and that is grade-a meat you're holdi-"

"THE VOICES ARE COMIN' FROM OVER HERE!" a female voice rang out.

"Crap, we've been spotted!" Sam exclaimed as he and the other two began to run from the intruding voice.

As they ran they heard a horse coming their way and it wasn't long before the assailant had finally spotted them and was rapidly gaining on them just as she was right next to them Sam pushed the two boys into a row of bushes which Sam perceived to be soft, never in his short life had he been so wrong. The three had dove through bushes to escape only to be met with a perfect view over a ravine which they promptly fell into and did several individual rolls before coming to a stop inside the trunk of a large tree.

"YEEEEHAWWW, you guys are feisty, but maybe you ought a come out before I lose patience." the voice said, as the petrified boys sat curled up in their haven.

"ohmanohmanohmanohmanohman." droned Snips.

"we'rescrewedwe'rescrewedwe'rescrewed." droned Snails much to Sam' displeasure.

"You guys pull it together, we'll f-figure a way out of this." Sam said, with his voice trembling.

"You heard her Spike, she's in this one for the haul and isn't leaving without us." Snips said in a panic. Sam was uncharacteristically silent.

"Yoo-hoo, come out already." the voice said sounding a little perturbed that made Snips start to cry.

"I don't wanna go back, I just got out and I.... Don't.... wanna........ Go." the 9 year old said in between sobs.

Sam then found only one ultimatum and decided on it. As he stood up and looked out a hole to see someone on a horse in the distance, he looked at his companions and prepared himself for his blind stupidity.......disguised as courage.

"Okay then, when you see me lead whoever this is away I need you two to run as fast as you can in the opposite direction, can you do that? Sam asked the younger kids.

"Spike what are you doi-" snails began as Sam darted off into the night.

"There ya are." he heard the voice say as it turned its steed around to give chase passing the tree totally. Inside the tree, the stupefied kids sat in silence.

"........ What just happened?" Snips asked finally looking up.

"......... We've gotta move now." Snails replied not giving him the answer he was looking for as they exited the tree.

"Where's Spike?" Snips asked wearily.

"Hopefully, far away from here." Snails said while looking deep into the direction Sam ran.

Sam doesn't know how far he has been running but he thanked his anatomy for giving him amazing speed and stamina.

She'd been behind him for about 23 minutes and didn't look like she was letting up any time soon, a duck into some bushes here, a jump into a chasm there and she still kept up, he gave himself a pat on the back for going as fast as he did on foot.

"Wow, you're a fast one ain't cha," she said as her horse steadily kept up. By now Sam was sick of her damn voice, her accent was driving a wedge in his brain and he just wanted to get away from this accursed woman as quickly as possible. He then heard the upholstering of something and decided that he had to cut this chase short, when suddenly Sam looked to his left and saw a waterfall.... You already know what happens next.

"Hey lady." Sam yelled, "you know what my favorite saying is?" he said between pants of breath.

Just then she saw him lean to the left, she quickly caught on to his plight and pulled out her gun as he leapt from the cliff.

"DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR~" he continued as he plummeted towards the waters. She then rode up as close as she could and fired three shots from her 357. Pistol, all the while watching as the boy plummeted to the waters below with a large splash accompanying him.

"hmph, guess I should start lookin' fer the other ones." she said to no one in particular. As she turned to leave, she heard a smaller splash that caught her attention.

So she turned around just in time to see the boy dart off into the forest. She couldn't believe it, the fall was a good 60 foot drop and knew from personal experience that no one..... No one could survive that fall; but here was this boy who jumped without caution, lived, and had enough left over energy to continue running. She smirked a little at that.

"Damn, this chase is getting rowdier and rowdier by the second." she said while laughing to herself.

'Oh god OH DEAR GOD why did I do that ARGH oh my god WHYY' this thought was the only three thoughts in Sam's mind as he ran through the forest covered in deep gashes.

"Goddamn it, why does everything hurt?" he asked himself knowing the answer, 'surely jumping off a cliff usually yields these types of consequences, you moron' he was sure he heard a voice which he perceived was his brain say. 'Now we are both going to die because you couldn't take the long way'. Sam ceded to his brain. But that's not the problem, Sam has slipped and cut himself a lot of times in the past making this a virtual cakewalk; the real problem was the 357. Round stuck in his ass and the fact that it was a straight shot to the left cheek muscle making sprinting a less than viable option, but none-the-less, like a true champ he ran on, hoping that Snips and Snails got out alright, and hoping that she was still on his trail instead of theirs.

After what seemed like eternity, Sam started to slow down and eventually came to a halt as his face hit the hard ground. He looked around and saw that he was pretty far from the fall, but spike didn't stop as he started to crawl away.

'Stop, you fucking idiot, what are you doing?' his brain and muscles yelled in unison, but he wouldn't have any of that, he had to keep going, he had to get away and he had to get back to those two because they'd be lost without him.....hell they probably were already lost without him.

"Well at least it can't get any worse." Sam said and as if on cue it started raining, even under the everfree's thick canopy the rain utterly drenched him.

"....... fuckin' hell." Sam said as he fell unconscious.

Sam awoke to the sounds of birds chirping frantically as they fluttered away from his assumed to be lifeless body. He muttered something along the lines of 'damn birds' as he stood up with a little too much vigor for his body to handle as he hunched over now looking himself over.

His gashes had long since healed due to reasons unknown even to him, but the gunshot though healed was still giving him trouble pain-wise, he cursed the pain as he ran a finger over the wound to find the bullet still there.

"Damn it, well at least everything is fin-" he started before a sharp pain was felt in his neck and he took the cause out; as he pulled the dart from his neck he turned swiftly to see a female form walk into view holding a revolver in one hand.

"y'know yer a hard varmint to track, after that there stunt ya pulled when ya jumped off the cliff i'd all but given up hope until i got this from a little friend of mine." she said as she held up strands of his hair.

"Okay that's fair, but uh what's stopping me from running away right now." Sam said with a doubtful expression on his face.

"The 450 Ccs of tranquilizer I put in that dart." she said with a smirk. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Yeeaahh, no." spike said as he calmly walked away leaving the woman flabbergasted.

"Where in tarnation do ya think yer goin'?!?" she yelled after him.

"Away, from you." he said as he didn't even look back. "Guess it was a bad day to leave your big boy dart at home huh?"

She couldn't believe it, she had tracked him down with expert skill, chased him within an inch of the forest, and she didn't even have the means to capture him.

Sam thought that knowing he was unconquerable by conventional means she would give up and label the chase unsuccessful..... Again never had he been so wrong in his life minus the first time.

Sam labeled what happened next as one of the strongest kicks he has ever had the displeasure of feeling. As he tumbled the 8 extra feet the kick took he took stock of his already battered ribs as he coughed up a little blood.... So far they're all there but back to the problem at hand.

"sooo, that's a no on letting me go huh?" he asked sarcastically. He was already on his feet when he saw her get into a defensive stance.

"I don't wanna, but I'll fight ya if I have to." she said sternly as spike readied himself.

"Cool, that just means you're gonna get your ass kicked by a kid." he said as he charged her, slicing wildly with his now protruding claws. She threw a punch which landed steadily on his jaw and made him do a 360 but almost as quickly as he had been staggered Sam was on the attack again by turning the hit's momentum and using to spin back in an attempt to eviscerate the girl, stopping just short on tattering her shirt almost straight down the middle and leaving a small sliver of cuts trailing to her belly button.

After dodging claw after claw the woman readied another kick which was dodged by the boy now focused on her legs which seems to be where the bulk of her power is, after a rapid barrage with 1 or 2 kicks actually getting through Sam was getting a little weathered, sure that dart didn't slow him down but it siphoned off what little energy it could. So with that they began to lock hands in a test of might. The woman looked down at the now panting boy with a condescending grin.

"Looks like y'all are runnin' out of steam." she said with a grin

"Doesn't matter, i'm still walking away from this one." he said as she suddenly increased her power. But he would not give up as he summoned all the strength he had to give her a mighty push, as she fell onto her back Sam was sure that he had to end this as he charged wildly at her with intent to kill.

"Gotcha' now you son OF A BITCH-AUUUGHHHH!" he screamed as she shot him in the knee and watched him fall to the forest floor while clutching his now open knee. "THAT'S NOT FAIR, YOU FUCKING TURD!"

"hmph, why didn't ah just do that before?" she asked with a whistle as her horse came into view.

"Cause' you're a cheeky cunt!" spike countered in pain.

"Yeah, maybe" she began. "But ah'm a cheeky cunt who doesn't take shit from noqkids."

"..... Ok I'll bite, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU ANYWAY?!?" spike asked wondering why he put it off in the first place as she saddled him up and prepared for the long ride home.

"Names Jacky and we're goin' fer a ride."

END

Author's Note

no one told me it was going to be this hard, i mean seriously i started this story in august and am just now publishing.

Edit:Holy Shit, I didn't know what the fuck I was doing at all. I guess I finally got around to getting a proofreader. It's me, after like 7 years.