The Black Hoof: A Mafia Story

by patridam

Lookin'

Oh, I've been lookin'.
Yes, lookin'.
Oh, yes, lookin' in ev'ry single place, yeah-ah.
But I'm like a focused bloodhound,
No doubt I'll locate her some day.

Well, now, if I have to fight a griffin,
No doubt I will.
And if I have to ford a river,
No doubt I will
'Cause I've been lookin'
Yes, lookin'.
My goodness filly, lookin' in ev'ry single place, yeah-ah.
But I'm like a hunt-er's bloodhound,
No doubt I'll locate her some day.

Now, Deerstalker Cap,
Con Mane, got nothin', filly, on me
Daring Do, Donkey Dan,
er'pony you throw at me.
'Cause I've been lookin'
Yes, lookin'.
Mmhm, filly, lookin' in ev'ry single place, yeah-ah.
But I'm like a po-lice shepherd,
No doubt I'll locate her some day.

- Sapphire "The Queen" Shores

"Frankly, I'm not surprised. Luna was always of the underhoofed sort. Selling drugs is just like her, even though it's strictly against the terms of our truce, we can't really do anything about it. We don't have sway with the commission like the families in Manehattan do, so any sort of punishment just means war. And a war would be very bad for all of us," said Celestia. "That isn't why I've called you here today, though."

Spike and Dash were at a table with Celestia and Twilight in the Horshoe Casino's main lounge, sitting close to the stage. Miss F. Shyy, or Fluttershy, as Dash had told her she preferred to be called, had just finished singing her last song of the evening. Despite the late hour, the casino's slots and tables were still busy with gamblers.

"This will be your first... 'official' assignment, Spike. Unfortunately, you cannot be technically accepted into this thing of ours, it's a pony-only affair, but I certainly consider you a valued member and you'll be treated as such. But that comes with responsibility. This evening, I need you and Dash to head down south to pick up a shipment of cigarettes from over the border. While I refuse to stoop to Luna's levels, we need to corner her with tobacco and cider if we want to compete. It should be just a bit of ordinary routine; you'll take a truck down there and load up. The meet is at a motel; Rarity's already gone down there and should meet you when you arrive, she's already paid Cheese Sandwich so all you need to do is pick it up. Anything to add, Twilight?" said Celestia.

"You two and Macintosh will be taking two trucks down. They're already parked in the back lot, but you'll need to take them to our Eastside warehouse. Though I don't expect you'll need them, speak to Applejack about guns," said Twilight. "You'll be meeting at the Sandwich Inn along Route H, 20 miles south of the dam. Dash, you've been there before, correct?"

"Yeah, it won't be a problem," said Dash, yawning.

"So, what y'all think you'll be needing?" asked Applejack. Dash and Spike stood in the casino's armory, stuffed behind the cash room. It was a dimly lit workshop, every possible surface taken up by every kind of weapon imaginable. Still, the orange earth pony looked happy there.

"Nothing much, I don't think we'll run in too much trouble," said Dash.

"Well, here's a Heck & Tarpan revolver for you, Dash. Now Spike, you ever use a gun before?" asked Applejack.

"I was in the war, ma'am, even though I mostly drove a truck. I'm pretty good with a .45," replied Spike.

"Call me AJ, kid. Anyway, I normally give long guns to unicorns and dragons and such; but if it's what you prefer, I got me a nickel-plated Foal 1912 with custom grip. I think it's meant for a Griffin, but it should work good for them claws a' yours. In fact, you keep it. Ain't like we got anybody else that needs it," said AJ.

"Thanks," said Spike.

"Hey AJ, you seen Big Mac anywhere?" asked Dash.

"Oh, he's already out by the trucks, probably dozin' off. I don't know why this had to happen so late at night, anyway," said AJ. "Best of luck to you; and y'all come back now, ya hear!"

The night air was brisk at best and the pegasi had scheduled the annual downpour for the Los Relinchos area to last all evening. "This is going to be so much fun", mumbled Spike to himself. Even though he was wearing his trench coat he was drenched by the time he reached the two Puddinghead trucks in the casino's rear parking lot. He climbed into the first one, a big green cab-over-engine semi, since he noticed that a red earth pony stallion, was asleep in the driver's seat of the rear one. Dash took a moment to wake up and talk to him, presumably Big Mac, then climbed into the passenger seat next to Spike.

"Off we go, I guess," said Dash.

"From what Twilight said, it seems like I could've stayed home and slept" said Spike as he started the truck.

"Eh, I don't know. You wouldn't want me driving this thing, would you?" said Dash jokingly. "And since Rarity gets major road rage; you're probably gonna be our driver from now on."

"What's with the guns, though? Are we expecting trouble?" he asked as he pulled out onto Los Relinchos Boulevard.

"Nah, I don't think so. Just a precaution, same reason we're doing this late at night. Twilight's got it in her head that Luna wants to start a war, so she's encouraging Celestia to do all this cloak and dagger stuff," said Dash, yawning. "That reminds me, I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up when we get there.

Spike continued along the boulevard, which turned into Route H after it crossed over Freehoof street. The gambling halls and office buildings of downtown soon gave way to suburbs and then open desert. It was 1 AM by the time they passed through the small town of Standardbred and filled the two trucks up with gas. Then they continued over Hoofer Dam; which held Lake Cider from flooding Ghastly Gorge and supplied Los Relinchos with electricity. The road continued southwest, until Spike eventually saw the neon sign for the Sandwich Motel. He nudged Dash awake as the truck approached.

"Ah, we're here? Oh, you're going to this Cheese, guy; real funny. He deals with dragons south of the border all the time, you should have a lot to... wait. You see Rarity anywhere?" asked Dash.

"Uh, no, should I?" said Spike as he parked the truck in the motel's dirt lot.

"Dammit, Rarity was supposed to meet us out here. That's her car over there," she said, pointing her hoof at a new mint green Chancellor sedan sitting in front of the motel, next to a brown late model Everfree convertible, "and that's Cheese Sandwich's."

"Maybe they're inside; it is raining like crazy," suggested Spike.

"I guess that makes sense," said Dash. "All the same, maybe you better go in and scope the place out."

"Why me?" asked Spike resentfully.

"Look, kid. One; you're green, you need the experience. Two, you breathe fire and are covered in tough scales. I don't think you need to worry too much."

"Hey, I ain't bulletproof... I don't think so, anyway," said Spike as he begrudgingly stepped out of the truck, Foal 1912 in tow.

The rain poured down hard, deafening him with noise from everything it landed on. Every few seconds thunder clattered and lightning lit up the sky. He ran to the motel's front porch, the only dry and lit place nearby. The two cars he had seen illuminated by the porch light were next to him, and he noticed the bumper of the Chancellor was already dented and scratched in multiple places. Dash was right about Rarity's driving habits. Spike entered the front door of the motel into the darkness. After the squeak of the door subsided, the only sound besides the weather outside was the muffled sound of a radio playing Sapphire Shores rock hit; "Lookin'".

After flipping on the light, he saw it was a small restaurant with a few booths against two walls and two pool tables in the center. He tried a door on the left wall; it led to a storeroom empty of any ponies but full of shelves piled high with cigarettes and the occasional rubber chicken. On the right a mahogany bar stocked with all sorts of ciders was between two doors. The near door was locked. Spike figured he'd try that last since he'd never picked a door lock before. The far door led into another empty room, a greasy kitchen.

He entered the hallway behind the restaurant. On the left end was a bathroom, also empty of ponies, and on the right was a staircase leading to the motel's guest rooms. Through the row of windows along the wall he saw a black car in the hotel's back lot, one that had been hidden from the road when they pulled up.

He climbed up the stairs and found himself in a narrow hallway, noting that the sound of the music was now louder. He went down the first branch off on the left, which led to a room overlooking the road. In the room's attached bath, he found a pink compact emblazoned with 'Rarity' in purple rhinestones. He turned back and went to the main hallway. The first door on the left was locked, while the second door led to another empty bedroom. The only door left was the one at the very end of the hall, labeled "W.C."

Spike swallowed hard and opened the door. A mustard yellow earth pony with brown hair was sitting on the toilet, but he slid off down to Spike's feet when he opened the door. Spike had to hold back a scream when he realized the pony had a bullet hole in his head. The pony's cutie mark made it certain; this was Cheese Sandwich, and Cheese was dead. The radio sitting atop the toilet tank kept playing happily, oblivious to the horror.

"Turn around real slow with your claws up, scale-back," said a female voice from behind Spike.

He turned around to see a mint-coated unicorn mare with a white-streaked mane levitating a large revolver pointed right at him. Behind her, the door that had been locked was now open.

"Thought you'd come and save your friend, now, would you? I got news for you kid; you can't save nopony from Luna. We was just gonna teach her a lesson, but the plan's changed. Now, hold still and it'll all be over quick," she said.

Spike thought on his feet. He coughed out a cloud of black smoke from his nostrils, blinding the unicorn. She fired a shot, hitting the radio and abruptly stopping Sapphire's voice. Spike pulled out the Foal and fired where he thought the mare's head had been.

When the smoke cleared, the mare lay limp on the floor of the hallway with a bullet through the eye. He had to turn away from the sight to keep himself from retching. Still, he didn't feel any remorse. He'd killed a pony, yes; but that pony had already killed one pony and was going to kill him. He quickly composed himself, and peered into the room the pony had come from. Just a bedroom, nopony else inside. By what the mare had said he figured Rarity was somewhere in the building, still alive. He needed backup, but if he was going to get Dash and Big Mac he'd have to head back the way he came.

He stopped to pick up the mare's pistol. It had a mouth grip, as weapons meant for pegasi and earth ponies did. Instead of a griffin grip designed for a talon, the grip was sideways and had a trigger meant for tongue operation. He supposed he could use it with some difficulty, but he hoped it wouldn't be necessary. As a H&T Model 72 magnum, it held six powerful rounds, but one shot was already used .That was five, along with the six left in the Foal 1912. He stuffed the magnum in his jacket and crept down the hall and the stairs. Anypony else who was in the motel had to either be outside or in the locked room downstairs.

Spike put his back against the wall of the hallway and briefly peered through the wide doorway into the restaurant, immediately regretting it. The door to the locked room stood open, and a cream-coated earth mare with a blue and pink mane stood behind the bar with a 50-round automatic Typey Gun. He pulled his head back in right before she started firing at him; letting off at least half a clip in a matter of seconds. The wall thankfully stopped the bullets. The mare stopped in the middle of the clip to shout:

"You bastard! You killed Lyra! You're going to wish she killed you after I'm done with you!"

Spike took his chance to stick his claw out with the Foal 1912 and fired six shots blindly in the general area of the mare. She fired back and he pulled his arm in. She quickly ran out of ammunition and as she reloaded he side-rolled to the other side of the opening to get a better angle. He saw that he had missed the mare completely with the shots but had broken many of the bottles behind the bar, alcohol pouring onto the mare and the floor around her.

As she started firing again, Spike dropped the empty Foal and switched to the mouth-fire Model 27. It was awkward at best; how did ponies stand to fire a gun with their tongue?

She stopped after a few shots, realizing that the bullets weren't getting through the wall. Now it was just a matter of patience. Spike pulled off one of his shoes and stuck it out from the wall. The mare fired at it wildly until she realized what is was. Spike hoped shewould use up her clip, but he estimated that she had at least 20 rounds left before she'd have to reload. After what seemed an agonizingly long time, she decided to try to make a deal:

"Look, if you come out right now I'll let you ..."

Spike, realizing she had her mouth off the trigger to talk, ran across the opening and fired four shots as he, all of which missed and hit the bar and the bottles behind the mare. The mare started firing at him about halfway across the doorway. Her shots came dangerously close to his tail.

When Spike reached the other side he realized he only had one shot left. He wondered why Dash and Mac hadn't done something; they must have heard the shots. He tried to formulate a plan, racking his adrenaline-addled brain for some idea to get him out of this. A genius idea popped into his head, but he sunk down when he realized he'd need a distraction. The mare undoubtedly had her sight trained on the side of the opening; any attempt he made now to get a shot would be suicide.

That's when he heard the unique squeak of the motel's front door. It was now or never. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he jumped out from his cover. Dash was at the open door, revolver at the ready, Mac behind her. The mare behind the bar was already aimed in the direction of the door. Spike fired his last bullet and breathed fire at the same time. The pistol grew hot, melting slightly in his mouth, but the bullet fired surrounded by a green flame. It hit the mare in the shoulder, knocking the Typey Gun from her grip and lighting the alcohol she was drenched in on fire. She screamed and ran around the room, the flames engulfing her mane, her outfit, and even her skin. Dash pulled the door closed to protect herself from being light on fire. Eventually the mare collapsed and slowly the fire ran out of fuel. All that was left of her was a charred body on the floor and the singed remains of a three piece suit.

Dash opened the door and peered in.

"Wow Spike, that was brutal. But, uh, thanks for the save. Is there anybody else?" asked Dash.

"I handled somepony upstairs, too," said Spike. "But I think that's all I think."

"Did you find Rarity or Cheese Sandwich?"

"Cheese is dead. I think Rarity might be in that room," he said, pointing to the door that had been closed before but was now open.

Dash and Spike stepped inside. It was a wood paneled office, with a desk shoved off into a corner. On a wooden chair in the middle of the room sat Rarity, bound by the hoofs and mouth duct-taped shut.

Spike rushed over and started cutting the rope, easily slicing through them with his claws. Dash pulled off the tape.

"Oh, thank goodness you two got here. I... think I need medical attention," said Rarity, gasping for air.

"Oh mare; what did they do to you?" asked Spike, seeing that her knees were swollen and noticing that a baseball bat sat in the corner

"They sent in somepony to try and make me talk, but I held. I think she left a little while ago; unless you saw a pink earth pony mare?" said Rarity.

"No; sorry," said Spike.

"Rarity, we gotta get you to a doctor if you want to walk again. Spike, you help me carry her. We'll take her car. Mac, do you think you can load up the cigarettes they got here? We can't let this be a total waste."

"They're in the store room over there," chimed in Spike.

"Eeyup," said Big Mac, who had

"It won't be a problem doing it alone?" said Rarity.

"Nope," said Mac.

"I'd say to torch the place, but I don't think there's any hiding this from Luna," said Dash, seeming worried.

Dash and Spike carried Rarity by the shoulders out to her Chancellor. They laid her in the backseat and Spike took the wheel.

"We headed to the hopsital?" asked Spike.

"No!" shouted Dash and Rarity, in unison.

"The first thing they do when you show up at the hospital with broken kneecaps or a bullet wound, they the call the police. No, we're taking her to Nurse Redheart. I'll show you the way, but step on it," said Dash.

Spike stomped the gas and sent the Chancellor shooting out onto the highway. "Are you sure this 'nurse' is qualified? She's not just an untrained butcher?" he asked.

"Definitely not! She's the best! Best paid doctor in the city. If you get hurt, you'll be glad we have her. She does a good job and doesn't ask questions."

The trip back to the city seemed much shorter as they sped along in the Chancellor. It was three AM by the time Spike stopped the car in front of the nurse's house in the Los Relinchos suburbs.

"We're here. Spike, get Rarity ready. I'll go wake the nurse," said Dash as she headed up to the house's front door.

"Rarity, c'mon, we're at the doctor," said Spike as he propped her up and helped her walk to the door.

The lights in the house came on. A white earth pony mare with pink mane opened the door. "Is that you, Rainbow? What are you doing here this late?"

"I'm sorry nurse, but we've got an injury. Rarity here got beat up pretty bad," said Dash.

"Alright, bring her inside," said Nurse Redheart. Spike passed his support of Rarity over to Dash.

"Hey look, Spike, you leave us here. Get back to the casino and tell Celestia what's going on as soon as you can."

Spike walked back to the car. The nurse nodded to him and shut the door, leaving him outside in the rain to contemplate the fact that he had not only killed a pony, but two; and one in the cruelest way imaginable.

This is DJ Vinyl Scratch for PEPP on 1040 AM. You just finished listening to Sapphire Shores, and would you look at that; she's the subject of today's news broadcast. In a turn of events this has outraged the young rock-and-rollers of the country, Miss Shores has been drafted into the Equestrian military. Choosing to serve as a regular soldier instead of receiving the special treatment other entertainers do has garnered the approval of many ponies who wrote off Sapphire as a rebel, but many are disappointed because it means that she won't be producing any new records for at least two years. In the humble opinion of this here DJ, it puts a damper on the whole of rock and roll. In other news, three dead bodies were found at a motel south of Hoofer Dam. It says here that one has been identified as the owner of the motel, and the other two are believed to be businessmares from Los Relinchos. Police so far have no suspects, but are putting special emphasis due to the fact that ... one of the mares was burned to death. Ouch. We'll be back to the music after a few short messages.

Comments

[spike-ify it]

let me tell you, this is good shit, its gritty, you're doing a great job setting up characters, pacing of the story is great. I felt chills when you killed of Cheese Sandwich, Lyra, and BonBon. You must understand, the internet sees them as main characters in their own rights, and you off'd em like it wasn't even shit. You stay true to the source material that labels them as background characters, and thats commendable in that you don't add bias to anyone, the writing is sound, its beautiful. Keep going bruh, i want to know what happens next.

[SpikedPunch66]

This story deserves so damn much more praise than it gets. Its near perfectly written with a fantastic, original idea and some how it only has 13 likes. This needs to get more attention somehow. Keep writing man!