//------------------------------// // Learning to evade. // Story: Spike: The Dragon Assassin // by The Soviet Turtle //------------------------------// The train had arrived at Canterlot, ponies alike walked in and out of the train as steam flooded the area, as the steam overflowed, a Dragon figure walked out from the carriage area and made his way through the streets. It was Spike, who had come back from finishing Trixie and being discovered by his ex-friends, he escaped to Canterlot so some steam from his actions would cool off. As he walked, someone touched his shoulder, he turned around quickly to see a familiar pony, Fancy Pants. "Ah, you must be Dove's boy, Spike I think it was?" He asked. Spike simply replied with a nod. "Hmm, well, I best show you some skills you'll need." Fancy said. "What skills?" Spike asked. "If you are to accomplish what you need to, you must be able to walk through the city without arousing suspicion. Come." Fancy said as he walked through the streets, Spike followed. As the walked through, Spike noticed posters of him being planted on the walls, soon they arrived at a bar. As they walked through they saw ponies chatting, some drunk in ether a happy or angry way. They walked up to the bar where a bartender came up. "Hey! Fancy, nice ta see ya again." The pony said, he was a dark blue with a white mane. "So, whose this?" The bartender asked. "This is Spike, I'm...showing him how to stay here." Fancy said. "Ahh. Well, I'm Astro Cider, anything you need to know?" The bartender asked. "Yes, where's Gilda, Flim, Flam and Prince Blueblood?" Spike asked. "Well, not much talk on Blueblood, but there is some news of a Griffon called Gilda and a Market pony called Flam." Cider said. "There's a lot of tall of Gilda right here, but I suggest going to North of here, around the markets." Cider said. "Right then, Spike, find out what you can about Gilda, I'll meet you outside." Fancy said as he got up and walked away. Spike also got up but joined two stallions leaning against a wall, he then saw another two talk at the table. "So what did this cousin of yours say?" "He was mugged by a bunch of weird dressed ponies, the leader a griffon he says." "Really?" "Yeah, he also said about them talking about some takeover or something." "You worried?" "Nah, I'm sure it's nothing, I mean, it all happens to us." Spike soon got from the leaning pair and sat down at a table, he then heard the conversation of another two at a table, one a mare, the other a stallion. "So how was Manehatten?" "Weird, I heard that some gang there mug and kill and they say its for the good of everyone." "So they've killed civilians?" "Actually, they usually go for the government officials there, but if there's someone with huge power they also attack them." "Uh, strange." Spike then got up and went up the stairs next to two stallions who were drinking, Spike then heard a conversation taking place upstairs. "So the muggers have mugged the government and big companies, but not Flam's famous Cider?" "Yeah, there the only big company that haven't been attacked by the gang." "What do they call themselves?" "I don't know, I don't think they have a name, but the lead by someone called Gilda." "Hmm. I wonder?" Spike had all the info he needed, he got up and walked to the door, but before he did, he heard some crying, he turned to see a mare sitting in a corner table , who had a mug on the table. Spike walked over and sat down, the mare finally noticed him. "What do you want?" She asked, still crying. "Why are you crying?" Spike asked. "Well*sniff* it's a long story." "I have time." Spike said, "Princess" finally noticing her wings and horn. "Well, years ago, I meet a dragon who seemed to be madly in live with me, I would of been happy to give up my suitor and have him there instead. But alas, my suitor saw it coming and made a love potion. He used on my and I completely forgot about him. A few years later, I heard Canterlot was attacked, and during it my suitor died." The Princess took a swig of her mug. "Once he did, I completely remembered him, so I rushed to Canterlot to find him, but his house was destroyed in the accident, so I had no where to look, everyday I asked the residents if they had seen a dragon. They ether phase me a grunt or a horrified look. That's why I'm here, I'm off from my royal duties, so I came here, and now I only have the memories of him. And this drink." The princess said finishing her story, but before she could drink from it again, a claw stopped her. "Drinking will not help your problems. I have some advice." "What?" "Just wait, he may still be out there, and I now about love, it's hard to be ignored so it hurts. But when you do find him, tell him your sorry for everything, and try to help him in the best way you can." Spike said, the Princess took it all in and sighed. "Your right, doing nothing won't help, I'll just have to be patient and wait." She said, Spike nodded and stood up, but before he left. "Wait! What's your name?" "I am Spike." "What a lovely name, my name is Princess Roseletta." She said. "Goodbye your majesty." Spike said Before he left the building, he soon saw Fancy. "Ah, there you are, come on, lets go." He said, Spike followed him, but on the way, some of the Royal guards gave him suspicious looks. Once they arrived, Fancy spoke up. "Now my boy, find out what you need and I'll wait here and tell you what you need to learn." Spike set if and say down on a bench with two other ponies present, he then saw the conversation between a stall pony and a pony in a suit. "Sir please, just lets us sell our products from your stall." "No, I'm only sell hoof or homemade stuff." "But-" "No buts, no go before I call the guards." Spike then got up and walked into a group if ponies at a stall while a conversation was taking place. "What?" "I'm not kidding, I heard that people who work for them don't say anything about there work. "Why?" "I don't know, but there workers also kinda act like zombies." "Really?" "Yeah, saw one for myself." Spike the left the crowd, and walked into another with a stallion talking about a spell book to the stand pony. "So, I've had a look through, and this book includes a mid control spell?" "Yeah. But it takes a huge amounts of magic to use it." "How much?" "A lot of unicorns, so don't worry." "Alright, although if it took a little bit of magic, it would explain those disappearing ponies." "What? The ones that disappeared right after Flam's Famous Cider came out?" "Yeah." Spike and heard enough of what he needed to know, he now had info on Flam and Gilda. He headed towards the entrance of the markets, where Fancy waited, once he walked over, Fancy finally saw him. "Ah Spike, have what you need?" Spike nodded. "Well, then I'll tell you this." Fancy then pointed to the posters and the pony holding something up will shouting loudly to a group of ponies. "Since you cleared your name, the Princess is looking for you, in order for you to stop the Guards from putting you in a dungeon. Take down the posters and bribe the announcers." Spike nodded and then walked up to a recently plastered poster and ripped it off, he then walked up to the announcer, whispered and gave him a bag of bits. The announcer began to describe some random details. "Good job, be careful, raise to much suspicion and the posters will come up again, also." Fancy pointed to the printer building. "If you bribe the printers, you'll stop being hunted down, that all clear." Spike nodded. "Good, I'll let you get back to Dove now, no doubt he'll be wanting news." Fancy said, Spike out his claw on Fancy. "Thanks." "No problem, no go." And with that, Spike left. _____________________________________________________________ Meanwhile, on Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was working, she was trying to keep her mind off of the fact her sister hadn't been seen since the attack, she was worried, about what was to happen to her little sister. As she Applebucked one more tree, she saw a figure walking across the field, she got a closer looked and gasped, her sister was safe! She ran as quick as her hooves could carry her. She then gave her little sister the tightest hug ever. "Applebloom! Thank Celestia ya'll right." "Can't...breath...sis" Applebloom spluttered out, Applejack let go and gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry, anyways-" She then noticed her sisters hatchet missing. "What happened to ya hatchet?" Applejack asked. Applebloom just giggled. "Oh, somewhere, but it's a secret." _____________________________________________________________ Spike was walking to the door of the mansion, when he noticed Dove and Peg where down at the dock, he saw the Atalanta looked like a ship again, and had ponies crowded on the decks, as well as a few griffons. Spike rushed down with Peg and Dove talking, but they soon noticed Spike. "Ah Spike, how are you?" Dove said. "Trixie is dead." This shocked Dove, he didn't think that one of them would fall so easily. "Oh...good, anything else?" "I know the whereabouts of Gilda and Flam." Dove was even more surprised. "You have done much for one day." "Yes mentor." "Hey Dove, we need to get the gunnery officers and I remember promising a certain dragon he could come along." Peg said, obviously pointing out what he was planning. "Very well, Spike, go with Peg." Spike nodded as he and Peg boarded the ship, soon the Atalanta was set a course for its new cannons, along with its new captain.