> Path Of The Dragon
>  by Rated Ponystar
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Red Lightning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of screams was what first stirred Spike out of his sleep. Scratching his neck, he lifted his head from the barrel that he rested on only to hear the sounds of armor and drawn swords. Now alert, Spike softly moved around the covered wagon to take a peek of what was going on. He saw multiple bandits, mostly pony and griffin, holding up the caravans as they threatened them with their weapons. Spike smirked. About time they showed up. 

Pushing a few aside, one giant of a minotaur, covered in steel armor, approached the center. With a great axe on his shoulders, he looked at their spoils and grinned. “Alright, boys, get these wimps out of the way and let’s get the loot. I have a feeling this is gonna be our best robbery yet.”

Obeying their boss, the thieves ordered the travelers off their carriages. Pushing and shoving them towards the side of the road while others began to loot the merchandise. One of the zebra bandits opened a barrel with his hatchet. He looked inside, but blinked in confusion by what he saw.

“Uh, boss?”

“Yeah? What is it?” the minotaur asked, picking his nose.

“Um, there’s only rocks in this barrel.”

“What?!” the minotaur shouted, smashing another with his axe, revealing it to be full of sand. “What is this?! Get me answers, boys!”

Spike cracked his knuckles and was ready for a fight when he noticed one of the female griffin bandits heading towards a cloaked figure on one of the wagons. Despite the hood hiding the stranger’s face, Spike knew who it was and decided to watch. Marching forward, the bandit asked, “Oi, what kind of payload are you delivering anyway? What’s your business?”

The cloaked figure turned to her. “My business?” A split second later there was a flash and the griffin bandit held her throat with both claws. Blood began to spill out before the bandit collapsed. “My business is death.”

“She killed Sinja! Kill her!” one of the bandits shouted as they aimed their spears at her. Before they could even reach her, the cloaked killer tore her cloak off and flew into the air. Knives drawn, she dived down and she landed between the shocked bandits. With a few twirls and slashes, they were down choking on their own blood.

Drawing another knife from her waist belt, the dagger wielding griffin smirked at the sight of the growling bandits. One of them gasped and pointed at unique patch on the left side of her brown vest. “B-B-Boss! She’s a member of the Red Lightning!”

The group of bandits began to mutter upon hearing this as the minotaur spat on the ground. Spike slowly touched the patch for the Red Lightning that was displayed his red trench coat, right next to one of a small purple star. It had been ten years since he got it from Marc. Ten years of training, battling, and surviving on the Erebus Islands.

“What’s a Red Lightning doing with this lot?!” the minotaur demand. “They ain’t that rich to afford you!”

“True, but the mayor of their town is. He’s sick and tired of you guys robbing his trade caravans,” she replied, flipping her daggers in her claws.

“Yeah, well I don’t care how good your reputation is! It's only one of ya’s and a bunch of us!” the grinning minotaur replied.

“Who says I came alone?”

Upon hearing this, Spike grinned. Show time. 

A split second later, the cloaked wagon he was hiding in burst into emerald flames. Those unfortunate enough to be near it screamed as the green fire engulfed them. The lucky ones died in mere seconds while others flailed around vain. One of them found their misery cut short when Spike burst out of the flames and crushed his head with a single stomp. The dragon reared back his head and unleashed an arc of green fire into the air, frightening all near him.

“B-bastard!” a unicorn shouted, charging forward with his sword in the air. Spike let the blade snap in half upon touching his scales. With a snort, he punched the unicorn in the face, knocking him out.

“Anybody else want to take a shot at the dragon with strong scales?" the dragon asked, to which several other bandits charged or flew at him. Upon seeing this, his eyes began to glow green. “Suit yourselves.”

Smashing his fists together, his arms were engulfed by green flames much to their horror. Before they could get away, Spike slammed one in the face with his burning fist and set his head ablaze. Sensing two of them trying to attack him from behind, he managed to flip them off their hooves with a quick tailspin. Grabbing them by their legs, he engulfed them with his burning hands before swinging them around like clubs. The other bandits tried to avoid the flaming bodies, but Spike’s blows were too quick for them. After enough hits, he proceeded to rid himself of them by throwing them like javelins to a small huddle crowd. One bandit, a diamond dog who was all but ready to piss himself, tried to run away. Spike was having none of that. He focused his inner flame into his hand, lighting it up as if he held a fireball in his claw. When it was hot enough, he unleashed it on the retreating rouge who was blasted into bones and ash.

The young griffin rolled her eyes at her fellow guild mate before stabbing a charing bandit in the chest. “Do you always have to make an entrance?

“Doesn’t the hero always have to look a bit flashy when he arrives?” Spike asked, clawing a griffin in the face. “Besides, Aquilina, you did that whole ‘my business is death’ thing.”

“You’re just jealous that it was a good line,” Aquilina replied with a smirk. The two stood back to back as they found themselves surrounded. “By the way, what have you got cooking tonight at my uncle’s for the dinner rush?”

“Prime cut rib wrapped in bacon with a side order of fries dipped in garlic mushroom sauce," Spike answered. He also made a mental note to make sure they stocked on the darker ale for tonight.

“Okay, now I really want to killed these rucks and get home. Dinner here I come!” Aquilina shouted as she and Spike charged in opposite directions.

The minotaur leader, watching from a distance, growled. “Fine! Let’s play dirty then! Kill the traders!”

A row of crossbowmen lined up at the cowering hostages. They turned to their rescuers to help them, but their focus on the fighting in front of them. Spike wasn’t worried, however, they had plan just in case this happened. The bowmen fired as the arrows sailed through the air, the traders closing their eyes. When they felt no pain seconds later they opened their eyes to find their attackers in shock. The arrows had stopped halfway with a blue glow surrounding them, keeping them in place.

A figure walk out of the crowd of traders, dressed in a blue diamond encrusted robe. Many looked at her with blushed cheeks of awe or envy as her winter white coat made it seem like she was made of snow. Her raven colored mane hid half of her face, allowing a single sapphire eye to glare at the stunned bandits. Levitating beside her was a silver staff with a glowing blue orb held in place by a silver eagle looking claw. She too had a pin that signified her allegiance with the Red Lightning much to the relief of the traders although some looked confused by her appearance.

“W-where did you come from?” one of them asked. “I didn’t even see you...”

“I was always there. I just didn’t let you see me thanks to my magic,” replied the mysterious unicorn. With a wave of her staff, the arrows turned face, directed back at their owners. Another wave, and they shot forward until they were deep in their hearts. The unicorn turned to the civilians. “You’re part in this is over. Please leave.”

They didn’t hesitate as the group of traders fled as fast as they could. Lifting her staff, the unicorn unleashed blasts of ice from its tip, freezing any nearby bandits that tried to get closer to her. One of the pegasus bandits tried an aerial assault, only for someone much faster to meet him in mid-air first. A single kick from a chestnut brown pegasus, and the bandit was eating dirt with a bleeding face.

The unicorn sighed as her savior landed behind her. “You’re late, Windward. Where were you?”

“Sorry, beautiful,” the pegasus replied, giving a charming smile as he brushed off some of his amber mane. The bandits wondered who he was until they saw the tattoo mark of the Red Lightning on his right shoulder. His cutie mark was a cloud shaped like cross with arrows on each end, but there were some scar markings near it. On each of his hooves he had brass horseshoes to add an extra kick to his blows. “I got distracted by how dazzling you could be when your giving that cold glare of yours.”

“Are you sure you weren’t being a scattered brained idiot as usual?” the unicorn asked, side stepping from a weak attempt to cut her head off with an ax. Windward responded by spinning in the air and kicking the attacking bandit in the face.

“Ouch, Azura,” Windward winced as he held his hoof over his heart. “You’re going to break this heart of mine.”

“I wish,” Azura replied, rolling her eyes, “then I could actually have peace and quiet in my life.”

“Will you two stop bitching and help us already!” Aquilina shouted, as she locked both her daggers against the sword of a unicorn. She ended up winning by spitting in his eye and gutting him when he lowered his guard.

Windward shrugged and lifted his wings to levitate in the air. “If I kill more than you do I get a kiss?”

“Sure, but I get ten percent of your cut if you lose,” Azura replied, twirling her staff.

“Deal!” Windward shouted with excitement before speeding across the battlefield. Like his namesake, he flew in all directions, bashing heads in with his bronze horseshoes. With each kill, he would shout out the number that grew quickly.

Azura, not one to be left out, allowed her horn to glow as she swept her staff in front of her. Frost began to grow around her as a group of bandits tried to assault her from all directions. With a simple stomp of her hoof, icicles erupted from the ground. They pierced the flesh of her attackers, and turned the pure white ground into crimson red.

The minotaur leader growled as saw his forces were getting killed left and right. The few who were wise enough to realize they were outclassed were already fleeing. Spike, upon finishing an uppercut to another bandit, turned to face the leader only to watch him flee.

Growling, Spike chased after him. “Oh no you don’t! Peewee!”

Something fast and red flew through the skies like a fireball. A red bird with flaming wings cawed in the surprised minotaur’s face before unleashing a bright flash of light that blinded him. He screamed in pain from the burning in his eyes while swiping the air in frustration. Spike ducked under a blow before kneeing the minotaur in the face, slamming his fists in his temples, and throwing him over his shoulder. The minotaur tried to get up, but Spike held him down before gathering fire into this mouth. With a roar, he unleashed it on his foe’s face. The bandit leader screamed and howled in pain, his body shaking in a vain attempt to free himself. Only after a minute of unending pain did he finally stop.

Shutting of the flow of fire, Spike grimly stared at the burned skull of his enemy. Getting up, he shook his head. “Sorry, nothing personal.” He felt his familiar land on his shoulder and begin to sing a comforting song to easy his guilt. Looking at his claw, Spike wondered what his Equestrian friends would think if they knew of the lives he had ended since starting his career as a mercenary. Would they even want me around anymore?

Pushing the thoughts out of his head, Spike made his way back to the caravan trail where he saw his comrades finishing off the bandits who stayed to fight. Seeing them unhurt, he smiled before realizing they still had to deal with the ones who fled. “Did anyone see where the other thieves went? We can’t get paid until we kill them all.”

“I think they fled that way,” Aquilina replied, pointing to the right of the forrest.

The four charged forward, intending on finishing their contract. However, they only barely started to run before stopping near a clearing. There was no need to hunt them down anymore because their limbs were scattered around in a sea of wet red grass.

In the middle stood the fifth member of their group, a kitsune cloaked in a long black robe with white edges. On the chest area there were two logos. One was their guild patch, the other was a symbol from the kitsune’s homeland of Kyukyo. According to Marc, it meant “serene”, but that wasn’t what anyone felt when they stared into the cold blue eyes of Yasahiro. His whiskers twitched as he put away his four tails, each holding a curved sword known as a katana, into his robe before approaching the group.  .

Smiling, Spike nodded to his fifth companion. “Nice work, Yasahiro.”

The kitsune stared at Spike with his expression and nodded back. Spike felt a shiver down his spine upon gazing at the void like look the ronin always seemed to have. He still didn’t know why the third best fighter in the guild went on missions with him and his friends. Yasahiro had always been more than capable of taking down jobs on his own but one day he started working with them. No explanation was given, but he was fast and deadly so nobody in the group was complaining. Rumor was that he could speak, but very few even heard him so much as whisper.

“Okay! That’s sixteen, beautiful!” Windward shouted as he landed next to Azura who pushed him back. “Pucker up, because I want to take the next ten seconds to experience cloud nine.”

Azura turned to him and leaned forward with a sly smirk on her face. Windward gulped as he turned red, readying his lips before he heard her whisper, “Seventeen.” He fell face first in defeat as Azura turned away with her head held high. “Thanks for the extra ten percent.”

“Ugh, rent is gonna kill me this month...” Windward muttered, flat on the ground.

Aquilina, Spike and Peewee couldn’t help but giggle at their friend’s behavior. It was always like this each time the two worked together. Windward would do his best to woo his crush and Azura would reject him each time. Yet, credit where credit was due, Windward was not one to give up and each new day was another attempt to win her heart.

“Well, the bandit group is either dead or pissing in their pants in fear. Citizens are safe. Leader is dead. I'd say the job is complete,” Aquilina replied, smacking her talons together. “Now let’s get the caravan back to town and see the mayor about our pay. I wanna get home and eat some grub.”

“Is Spike cooking?” Windward asked as he poked his head up. Upon seeing the dragon nod, he was on all fours in a second with his drooling tongue sticking out. “I’m in! Let’s go!”

“Despite the idea of spending more time with you, I won’t say no to a good meal,” Azura replied, licking her lips.

Spike turned to Yasahiro and asked, “You in too?” He nodded. “Alright, then let’s head home.”

***

The overjoyed mayor thanked them for helping his village and gave them their pay. Although, he was confused when a tearful Windward said to give a part of his pay to Azura. The trip back to Judecca was uneventful save for Windward flirting with Azura who responded with her usual rejections. All while Aquilina threatened to cut their necks open if they kept talking.

They passed through the streets before arriving at what looked to be a run down warehouse. In front of it, guarding the entrance, was a large minotaur in red and yellow plate armor like a knight. Only his head remained uncovered, revealing his dark blue fur and sharp black horns. He smiled at the group as they arrived. “Welcome back. I take it you had no problems?”

“Please, I’ve had harder times wiping my butt then dealing with them,” Aquilina replied with a smirk.

Spike rolled his eyes at his friend’s usual tasteless response. “What she means to say is we need to report to Marc on a job well done.”

He nodded and let them pass which allowed them to enter the main room. Like the outside, it was a rubble of a place with broken boxes, bottles, and hole filled boards making up for it. The group went to the middle of the room before Spike stomped on the floor six times. I never get tired of this, he thought as he remembered seeing the secret underground base for the first time. Marc said it was the best reaction he had ever seen while Aquilina took a photo she kept for blackmail.

A rumbling was heard followed by the unlocking of locks as a square of the floor began to give way. It lowered itself down, carrying its passengers as light began to shine from below. Spike smiled upon seeing his second home. The roaring fires from the torches and fireplaces revealed a huge underground cavern. Little did anybody above know that below the town was an entire hidden network maze of caverns. Wide and tall enough for all members to maneuver without the fear of a ceiling too tall or a hallway to narrow. Each pathway connected to various rooms needed for a mercenary guild to operate. Equipment shops with members buying, selling or bartering new gear. Smithies to create something new or fix up old equipment. Rooms to rest in with beds the size of ponies to dragons. Sparing dojos to test your strength or settle a grudge. Libraries, medical wings, job boards, and recreation areas for games and fun plus many more. And of course, a huge bar that was the size of the Throne Room back at the Royal Sister’s Palace.

For the past ten years, it had been Spike’s world. Once a little dragon lost on an island of criminals. Now a full grown member of one of the baddest mercenary bands on the Erebus Islands. Upon the elevator reaching the end, Spike tipped the old pony elevator taker who put the silver in his tip jar.

“Well, I’m going to take a bath before dinner. I’ll see you at Rupert’s later,” Azura replied, but stopped before glaring at Windward. “And if you come to peek again, I’ll show you that new spell that can teleport any part of your body into your gut. Including your balls.” She walked away with her tail sweeping the floor.

“Ah, there isn’t as spell for that... is there?” Windward asked, sweating a bit.

“Don’t know, but I wouldn’t put it past Azura to come up with one,” Spike replied. He crossed his arms in amusement which made Windward turn white.

“Uh, I’m going to get a drink before meeting you guys,” he said before taking off.

“So, the three of us are going to report to Marc?” Spike asked, turning to Aquilina.

“Make that two,” Aquilina answered nodding around them. Their kitsune friend had already walked off without saying anything.

“I hate it when he does that,” Spike muttered. “Alright, let’s go.”

The two, plus Peewee, walked through the large group of members going about their own business. A few chatted with the two, but they ended it to get their mission status over and done with. They found Marc close by in on of the rec rooms, listening to the radio of Eberus’s Island’s only DJ. The only source of news both on the Islands and outside of it.

“Yo mah' island dsheeiters, it's yo' favo'ite Diamond Dod DJ, Razzdog. Hooooowwwwl!” shouted the voice on the radio. “Right On! Got some interestin' news today. De Legion gotss'ta finally end its war wid de triple alliance of da damn mercenary groups. Duh Broderhood of duh Blades, Judgement Win's, and Rex’s Guardians. As pa' usual Legion standards, all dree wuz wiped out. Not a sin'le spare soldia' . All goners brother. Peace to ya'll out there in d' clouds. Dat’s rough stuff, but as we all know, dems de boogies.”

“Next, some Equestrian news. De Equestrian First attempted t'brin' de pain t'some changelin' families in Trottingham. They gotss'ta beat off by de guards of Princess Celestia and da Wonderbolts. While some dozen of dem wuz captured, no majo' figures wuz repo'ted missin' o' wuzted. Celestia says she t'makin' sho' all welcomin' immigrants are safe fum dese radicals. Damn, mama, ya'’ve been sin'in' de same damn song fo' years now. We’ll start believin' when we seein' sump'ng, ya dig?”

“Finally, Warlo'd Vandar managed t'win some victo'y against his rival Lo'd Swanburn. 'S coo', bro. Man, dese two top rivals are gunnin' fo' it now. It's only matta' uh time befo'e all uh de islands choose some side. We be seein' de fust rula' uh de entire islands, ya' know? My hope be on Lo'd Swanburn a'cuz dat guy may dress likes some peacock, but at least his soul's in de right place. Right On! Unlikes dat Warlo'd Vandar who gotss'ta cruicfy yo' ass. Sheeit, dat's de howl uh de hour. Ah be baaad... an I'll be back wid mo'e news and updates, but fo' now. Let's get some beat on wid some special tunes from Griffinstone."

Leaning on his personal red chair, the blue dragon known as Marc looked at the two approaching him. “Oi there. I guess yeh two are done with y'r mission??”

“Yup, the mayor says if he needs anything he’ll ask us for help again,” Spike replied. He dug into his coat pockets and tossed a bag of silver to his boss who caught it with one hand. “That’s enough silver for another lesson, right?”

Feeling the coins in the pouch, Marc smirked. “Yup. Meet me here tomorrow ‘fore noon and don't eat thou 'll lob up.”

Spike sighed before he walked away with Aquilina by his side.

***

“He loves to torture me,” Spike said as he walked over the night sky with Aquilina on their way to her uncle’s place. He could already feel all ten years worth of hurt he had to deal with in training to get this far acting up again.

“You can’t deny his training is working,” Aquilina replied with Peewee hooting in agreement. “Your first two years here had me knocking your scaly butt hard. Now? I can't always keep up with you.”

“Are you actually admitting that I’m getting to be a better fighter then you?” Spike asked, smiling as Aquilina punched him in the shoulder. He chuckled before looking up at the sky where the stars were shining bright and Luna’s full moon was high above. “Hard to believe it’s been ten years. Sometimes... it's like I’ve been here forever.”

“You’re not thinking of heading back home are you?” Aquilina asked, looking at Spike with uncertainty.

Spike shook his head. “No, I still need to get stronger. And these islands still need to learn friendship. I’m not giving up on that yet.”

“Oh good,” Aquilina replied, crossing her arms and turning away . “‘Cause things might get boring with you gone. Might have to drag you back to keep me sane from our bickering duo. All I would have left is silent fox who can outlast a rock in a quiet contest.”

Spike smiled and put his paw on her shoulder, making her freeze up. “You know I’ll leave one day, Aquilina, but I’ll come back to see you when it happens. You’re my friend, and one of my best ones too.” Peewee flew over to shoulder and nuzzled her as a sign of his affection as well.

“Despite almost castrating you all those years ago?” Aquilina asked, blushing at the memory.

“To be fair, I was grabbing your butt.” Spike shrugged as he walked past her and turned away with a grin. “And might I say, you were big bottomed at that age.” He ducked from a thrown dagger and ran for his life as Aquilina screamed at him. Peewee watched the two rush down the street with amusement before following them.
> The Treasure Hunt Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite The Rotten Barrel’s primary focus being around night time, it still opened up for breakfast just like any other eating establishment. Sailors, mercenaries, or those looking for something cheap and greasy would often sit in for something comfortable in their bellies before heading out to earn their daily wage. Half of the time that meant stealing another’s wage one way or the other.

Although he was well known for his work in the kitchens, Spike didn’t often find himself busy around morning hours compared to the evening ones. That didn’t mean he still didn’t get praise for his work, and he took more pride in that then a Canterlot noble’s personal garden. Aquilina often said that if any of the cooking guilds got a hold of him, they would make him Guild Master in less than a year. Not that Spike wasn’t flattered, but he was fine working for the Red Lightnings.

“Pancakes, sausages, and a bowl of berries! Also, order up on that griffin waffle house with changeling love syrup!” Spike cried out, hitting the bell near his serving window.

Rupert took both plates and presented them to a watering griffin and changeling duo who started devouring it like it was no tomorrow. “Don’t eat all at once, fellas. I can’t keep having the morticians come in for more choked dead bastards.” Upon hearing this, the two stopped and slowly sipped their water before eating slower. “Just kidding. It only happens once and while.”

He stopped by the kitchen where Spike was busy frying some eggs while Peewee was by the corner eating some bird seed in a bowl with a water dish on the side. “That should be all for now. You think you’ll be free tonight or back on a mission with your friends?”

“Don’t know. It’s my turn to pick the next job, but I was hoping to get some training from Marc today,” Spike replied as he flipped the eggs. He looked at one of his fists and summoned a green flame that enveloped it. Using that fist, he placed it over the bacon and allowed the fire to cook it. The smell of sizzling fried pork flared Spike’s nostrils as he licked his chops while fighting the impulse to add more heat to hasten the cooking. It had to be done just right with his powers or else this effort would be wasted.

“Wouldn’t the oven be quicker?” Rupert asked with a raised eyebrow. “I mean it’s not the best oven in the world, but she can still run.”

“It’s a training exercise Master Marc gave me. Use my own flames to cook the food without burning it. It helps with control and focus,” Spike answered before turning his head to look at his boss. “But regarding tonight, we’ll let you know by this afternoon if Aquilina and I will be busy.”

“Speaking of which,” Rupert muttered as he turned towards the direction of the stairs as the sound of paws stomping on the wooden stairs echoed in the room. A bageyed Aquilina stumbled into the kitchen with her fur and feathers a mess. The nightgown that Spike got her for her birthday was dragging itself behind her as she pushed herself towards the small table inside the room. Plopping down on a seat, she saw a bowl porridge, toast, and an apple with a glass of milk already prepared for her by the dragon in front of her. “Morning, sleeping beauty. How was the morning sun’s warm rays today?”

“Ruck you, Uncle. And ruck the sun. And that sun princess. And anything else associated with it,” Aquilina grumbled as she rubbed her head. “Why didn’t either of you stop me at the fifth drink last night?”

“Because you were threatening to castrate me with your knife again,” Spike answered with a smirk as he flipped his eggs onto a plate along with the nice crispy back before sitting across from his glaring friend. “So I figured I’d let you suffer if you weren’t going to listen to me.”

“And I stopped trying to get you to act with common sense years ago,” Rupert replied with a shrug. “You’ve got nobody to blame but yourself.”

The moaning griffin just growled before picking up the apple and stabbing it with one of her knives. She proceeded to use it to eat the fruit from the blade before turning to Peewee. “And what about you? How about you cry some of them phoenix tears to heal me?”

“One, Peewee is not old enough to do that,” Spike pointed out as he paused to eat some of his eggs before continuing. “And second, you do know that only works once per phoenix, right? I’m not going to waste the most powerful healing water in the world on something like a hangover because you decided to be stupid and blitz yourself to oblivion like every Sunday night. Unless you drink yourself to death, then I’ll revive you with it.”

“You’re just saying that because you don’t drink, you pussy! Drink yourself under the table, and then you’ll be rethinking that, jackass!” Aquilina responded as she spat out the core to the floor.

“Hey! I take offense to that you jerk!” a donkey shouted from the tables.

“Suck it up, ya snowflake!” Aquilina yelled back before she grabbed her stuff and started making her way back to the stairs. “Forget this. I’ll eat upstairs and get an ice pack. Let me know when we're heading to the guild.”

She then took a bite into her porridge and paused with wide eyes. Swallowing it, she calmly put the spoon down and looked back with her mouth in a nervous twist. “Um, did you put brown sugar in the porridge?”

“Yup, I know how much you love it. I figured you’d need something good to eat after your hammering last night,” Spike answered, smiling warmly at her.

Aquilina's cheeks turned a bit red before she turned her face around. “Th-thanks for that.” With that said, she darted upstairs without a word.

A regular guy would have been insulted by how Aquilina acted, but Spike had known his best friend for a while now to see that she really didn’t mean it. Well, most of it. Of all the residents on the islands he trusted with his life, it was Aquilina who was top of the list. Ten years of living with her, fighting with her, and adventuring with her had helped shaped both of them for the better. She made him open his eyes to the naivete he once had about the world, while he, in turn, helped her find some form of optimism. Funny how we used to be at each other’s throats when we first met, Spike thought, thinking about his first two days in Judecca. Guess, going through dangerous scenarios really does bond strangers together. Just like Mom and her friends.

“You know, it's hard to believe she used to be worse in the mornings six years ago. I guess you’ve been a positive influence on her,” Rupert said as he leaned against the wall. “The old her would have just marched right out there to fight that donkey. I’m so proud of how far she’s come.”

“I don’t know if that’s a joke or if you're being serious,” Spike giggled before finishing his meal. He motioned for Peewee to fly to his shoulder while tossing his work apron away. “I’m going to do some exercising before we head off to the guild. See ya in an hour.”

However, just as Spike was about to head to the door, it already opened to reveal Windward right outside. “Oh, great. There you are. Listen, Master Marc’s got a job for us. Better get your scaly butt in gear.”

***

The great thing about so many mercenary guilds in Erebus was that each one had a different set of qualities that could fit any employer’s taste. Everything from the management to mission handling was different for each group that provides their particular style. In The Legion, being the most militaristic, its members worked as a military with officers giving commands or assigning missions to entire regiments. Everyone worked as a unit and didn’t dare act out on their own in fear of punishment. Commanding officers gave orders, rules, and strict disciplinary action with the Grand Legate being the leader of the entire Legion. If your superior gave you a mission, you were to do it or wait for a job. This was the complete opposite of the Red Lightnings, where you were free to choose and handle a mission in whatever manner you wished.

Did you want to go solo or in a team? Either choice was optional. Wanted to play fast and quick or slow and cunning? Fine by the guild. Wanted to wait a month or so to take another job after you just finished one? Enjoy your vacation days. Some would say it was a bit lazy, but to the members of the Red Lightning, they were just embracing the top virtue that everyone loved: freedom. Freedom was what the Erebus Islands were all about. The freedom to do whatever you want with the right to fight back against those who stood in your way. It was anarchy, pure and simple.

The guild still had rules, most of them amount to “Don’t be a dick” in the general sense. However, there were rules that ALL guilds followed regardless of their behavior:

One: Never quit a contract or betray your contractor.

Two: No payment until the contract is complete.

Three: Always accept a contract if your Guild Master gives one to you.

Master Marc didn’t often give jobs, but when he did, he usually had his reasons. Spike had only ever taken a position from Marc once before, and it was... it was...

***

“Oh, well, we decided just to kill them all and take the mine for ourselves.”

“W-what?”

“Yeah, it was kinda easy thanks to your help. They all let their guards down and BAM! Got them all in one blow. Kinda too easy.”

“... but... b-but... you promised!”

“Yeah, and I lied.”

***

No, don’t think about it. Now’s not the time to think about that, thought Spike as Peewee nuzzled his neck. He gave his friend a soothing stroke of his feathers before gazing back at his team. Apparently, I’m not the only one distracted. 

Aquilina was still struggling with her hangover as she continued to curse Marc under her breath for interrupting her breakfast; a feat she had been doing since they left The Rotten Barrel. Azura was busy looking at herself in a mini mirror while manipulating her mane with her horn. All while Windward was doing his best to make it look like he wasn’t staring at Azura’s flank which was covered by her usual robes. Too bad the pervy grin he was giving was preventing that. And Yasahiro wasn’t there... because that was just typical behavior for him.

In front of them was Marc, resting his legs on his red oak desk that was covered with scattered papers, beer cans, and a few potato chip bags. His office wasn’t much since he didn’t often use it. All it had was a desk, some chairs, and a shelf for folders. He preferred to just relax with the rest of the guild at the bar, listen to the news on the radio, or do some training. The only time he ever came up here was if it was severe, so Spike stood in attention while nervously wishing his friends would do the same.

“So what’s the big mission that you want us to do? Wouldn’t someone more experienced and higher ranking like Ringo or Kela be good? Or even just Yasahiro by himself?” Spike asked his mentor.

“Well, it's not really important. More fancy I'm asking ye to dae favor for me from an olde mate since I'm too busy to dae it myself,” Marc answered with a grin. “I promised these two chaps from our merchant guild allies to discuss new deals. Usually, I'd let Ringo handle that kind of borin’ stuff, but he and his apprentice r’orf on a job. So I gotta go.”

“And this couldn’t wait until now because?” Aquilina growled.

“Because the ship is sailing in a few hours and I promised me mate a crew to back him up. Hope yeh got yer flippers because yeh're going sailing fer treasure,” he said which instantly got everyone’s eyes staring at him. “Dae I hae yer attention now?”

“Woah! Woah! Woah! Treasure? What kind of treasure?!” Aquilina asked as her eyes began to widen in excitement. She pushed Spike to the wall face first as she got in front of Marc’s amused face. “Is it dragon doubloons from the ancient empire days?”

She didn’t get her answer as Windward rushed forward and pulled her back to take her place. “Is it enough to pay rent?” he asked hopefully. However, he too was lifted off the ground thanks to an icy blue aura and thrown to the side.

“Screw rent. Treasure means jewels and jewels means accessories,” Azura pointed out with a dreamy sigh. “I’ve been looking for something new to go with my dresses. Like some sapphires or diamonds. Maybe even a tiara can be found? It would look great with my newest purchases.”

“Can you put the diamonds on your underwear instead? I hear it’s all the rage now. I can provide an opinion on the look if need be!” Windward happily suggested, but that happiness was cut short when Azura smacked him with her staff.

Rubbing his snout, Spike began to feel his mouth water at the thought of a tasty diamond with a crunch inside. Pounding his claws on the desk, he rushed up to Marc’s face with a beaming smile. “We’ll take it!”

“Ace! E's a griffin at port dock C1. Ye'll know him when ye ce his scar. Tell him Marc is payin’ him back, and that he'd better not get killed this time.” Marc gave Spike the mission request paper before saluting them off. “Mint luck to ya lads, and don't drown in Seramora’s Locker.”

“Well, first we gotta find Yasahiro and-” Windward was interrupted by someone tapping his shoulder only to turn around and yelp in surprise. Holding a hoof to his heart, he took a few deep breaths before glaring at the said kitsune. “Faust above, you sneaky fox! Stop appearing and disappearing all the time! I thought you were a samurai?! Not a ninja!”

Yasahiro only gave a brief smirk before exiting the room with the others.

***

If there was one thing Spike could say about Judecca, it didn’t change much. The port he arrived in ten years ago still had the same drunken sailors, bloodthirsty pirates, greedy merchants, and backstabbing sellers it always had. He had no less than six individuals try to pickpocket him and his friends, but thankfully that ended when one pony tried to reach between Azura’s legs. A few ice bomb spells had that effect. They had to promise to send the repair bill of that one area to their guild. Thankfully they didn’t also need to get a mortician this time.

“So what kind of treasure do you think this is?” Windward asked, happily flying a reasonable distance from Azura who was still steaming mad.

“Well, I’m more surprised there even is treasure,” Aquilina said. “After all, most of the islands have been picked clean of all its treasures except for a few legends. Like Captain Bluebeard’s hidden treasure. The Amulet of Ashina. The Hoof of Omega.”

“The Hoof of Omega? What’s that?” Spike asked.

“Eh, some powerful object from another world or something that can cause stars to go supernova. My uncle heard it from a funny dressed pony with an umbrella and a big blue box,” Aquilina answered. “Either way, I just hope this treasure isn’t some bogus rumor or ends up getting us nothing in the end. It would be a bit of waste of my time.”

“Eh, I think it pretty cool we’re going out to sea. We haven’t taken a mission off of our island since... ever,” Spike recalled. In fact, this would be the first time he would be leaving the island since he arrived.

The group finally arrived at dock C1 and were surprised by what kind of a boat they were going to be on. It was no bigger than a galley, yet was shaped like a caravel. There were vast ruins on every board colored in blue, while it looked to be a bit heavier in weight and width. A steel rutter stood in place of a wooden one while the front was also made of steel, with two large harpoons sticking forward that were big enough to skewer a dragon. The big thing that stood out was that there were no sails. Just some large metal masts, but no sails. Peewee decided to leave Spike’s shoulders and make for one of the masts.

“Are you the ones Marc sent?”

Looking up, they saw a scarred middle-aged griffin walking down the bridge connecting the boat to the pier. He had a dark navy blue longline trench coat with a red scarf around his neck that blew with the wind. Despite his greying feathers and fur, he had a light red feathered mane that reminded Spike of a cockatoo. His face was covered with scars, but the most noticeable one was the long dark red razor mark that went down from his right eye to his neck.

“Um, yeah. Marc sent us,” replied Spike as he handed over the job paper. The scarred griffin gave it a quick look before nodding.

“Alright, get on board. We’re wasting time,” the griffin replied.

“Uh, aren’t you going to tell us what the treasure or details about the job are?” Aquilina asked.

“I’ll tell ya when we’re out in the sea. Now let’s go,” their employer pushed as he motioned for them to join him on deck.

The group looked at each other and shrugged before getting onboard. Upon arriving, they saw that it didn’t look any different from your typical average ship deck. Except for one crucial feature. “Where the hay is the crew?” Windward asked, doing a few zooms around the place. “There isn’t a single person here.”

“I hope he’s not expecting us to manage a boat. I don’t know the first thing about sailing. Do you guys?” Azura asked to which the three of them shook their heads while Yasahiro quietly moved to a corner of the ship and sat down calmly.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be working the ship. Your job is just to protect me and help me when we reach the island,” their scarred employer said from the quarterdeck where there was a large steering wheel with a metal block in front of it. Curious, Spike walked up to see what was going on and his eyes widened at what was in front of the steering wheel. It was a bunch of buttons, knobs, and levers on a metal board that was connected to the floor. “This ship is gonna take us there herself.”

He pressed a green button, and in an instant, the ship began to shake. Although caught off guard, the group managed to keep to their feet and watched in awe as the ship metal masts began to open up, unleashing the sails that started to pick up the wind as a surprised Peewee flew off soared above. A few more buttons were pressed, and the rutter in the back started to activate. Looking overboard, Spike saw holes in the ship opening up, revealing a set of oars that were being held by steel claws.

Windward, flying to a nearby door where clanking noises could be heard, opened it up and gasped at what he saw. “It’s one big factory down here!” The group, minus a sitting Yasahiro, gathered around and saw that the stairs lead to a room filled with cogs, pipes, pistons, and more. It looked like a mini-factory then the inside of a ship. “The ship is a machine that moves on its own! Something like this had to have cost a fortune!”

“Aye, it does,” their captain replied as he smirked, “but there’s a far more important fortune that awaits us.” He put his talons to a nearby lever and pulled, allowing the boat to move out of the pier and straight into the ocean blue. “And this time I’m not going home without it.”
> The Treasure Hunt Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was something about being in the ocean that made you realize just how big the world was, and how small you were in existence. Millions of miles of water in every direction. The wind blowing in your face while you sailed only a tiny footnote in the overall world’s size. It was both a scary and yet intriguing experience. Taking in the sea air, Spike closed his eyes and let the soothing ocean sing to him peaceful songs of tranquility.

“Good gods above, I am bored!” Aquilina groaned, laying on the floor next to Spike. “Can’t we just get attacked by pirates already?! Or sea serpents? Or even a flying duck?! I’m tired of seeing Peewee flying in circles every five minutes!” Jumping to her paws, she rested her shoulders on the deck railing. “It’s like we’ve been sailing for days!”

“We’ve only been sailing for two hours,” Spike said, rolling his eyes. “You could always fly for a bit.”

“Yeah, and I could just see the ocean to the left! And ocean to the right! And ocean down below!” Aquilina mocked in a faking tone of amazement. “Truly, Marc gave us the greatest adventure of our lives!”

“You don’t see the others complaining.” Spike motioned to their companions on the other side of the ship. Yasahiro was still sitting in his meditative stance just as when they boarded while Azura and Windward were doing their usual banter.

“You know, if one of us drowns, we’ll have to save the other. Mouth to mouth is a pretty useful skill to have in times like this,” Windward said as he leaned forward to an uninterested Azura. “Why don’t we practice just in case?”

Azura slowly turned to Windward and gave a small smile. “Okay.”

“Wait, really?” Windward replied, eyes wide open. This also made Spike and Aquilina raise their eyebrows while Yasahiro even opened up one of his eyes to gaze at the duo. A blushing Windward cleared his throat before giving his best suave grin. Leaning against the mast pole with his forelegs cross, he cooly replied, “W-well, good to see you’re all for safety... and... stuff... yeah. So why don’t we just get to it, babe?”

Gently placing her hoof on his redding cheek, Azura whispered to him. “Close your eyes.” When he proceeded to do so, she lit up her horn. A few minutes later, a passing fish from the sea was brought on board. Realizing what she was about to do, Spike and Aquilina had to cover their mouths to avoid laughing while Peewee was already squealing in laughter up on the mast. Azura slowly pushed the mouth of the fish towards Windward’s puckered lips and a wet smack was heard all over the deck. In an instant, the snickering dragon and griffin lost all control and fell down in pure laughter. Windward was too lost in the moment of his ‘victory’ to hear them, and proceed to smooch the fish with as much force as he could. He even brought out his tongue to explore the inner carvings of his most prized desire.

“Why Windward, I had no idea you were into fish zoophilia?” Azura playfully teased as Windward immediately opened his eyes and realized what he was kissing. Dropping the fish, the smirking unicorn walked past the pale pegasus with a flick of her tail. “I suppose the sea does drive ponies crazy.”

Covering his mouth, Windward flew towards the railing and began to hurl overboard as the team continued to laugh at his misfortune. Even Yasahiro chuckled a bit before closing his eyes again.

After puking his guts out, Windward wiped his muzzle before glaring at the smirking prankster. “You... may be... a hot pony... Azura.” He gagged a bit before shivering. “But you are one cold bitch.”

“Thank you,” she replied.

“If the lot of ya are done with your comedy routine I’d like to discuss yer job.”

The group looked up to the rear deck where their client was slowly making his way down the stairs of the upper deck. He had been silent since they left port, not telling them one thing about the job until now. Spike motioned for them all to gather as the griffin captain stood before them. “Now, before we begin, I want to tell you that what we’re about to do is dangerous and most likely could get us killed if we do this wrong. If ya got any complaints, tough luck. You’re in this job until I don’t need you anymore or ya get killed.”

“Yeah, yeah. We get it. We’re all in danger. Blah blah blah, just get to the treasure already,” Aquilina said, rolling her eyes. She got glared at for her comments, but their contractor didn’t say anything. “At least tell us your name first, old guy.”

“My name is Captain Razorwing. I was once a smuggler for contraband goods. I’ve sailed all over the Erebus islands and the mainlands like Equestria, Zebwana, Eagleton, the Minos Islands, and Kyukyo,” he said as he took out a pipe. Placing it in his mouth, he put some tobacco in before lighting it up to smoke. After a few puffs, he continued, “Five years ago, I lost something precious. Something that is the greatest treasure in the world to me. I’ve been hunting it for years from one part of the islands to the next. I’ve wasted all my fortune for it to the point where I spent the last of it on this mechanical ship yer sitting on.” He walked forward, past the group and stared at the ocean before him. “I now know where my treasure is. It’s on the Island of Nima.”

“Nima?” Windward asked, tilting his head. “That island’s not mysterious or big or anything. Hay, there isn’t even anything valuable there. It’s a small island just barely in Erebus territorial waters. The only thing sailors use that place for is to piss.”

“What kind of treasure would be on a such a stupid small island? There isn’t anything there,” Aquilina pointed out.

“Well, most folks don’t know what’s become of that island in the last five years,” Captain Razorwing said, smoking out a ring. “A certain group has... taken control of the island in the last five years and made it a... business point for their operations. Since most ships skip the island area entirely, they rarely have to worry about folks coming in. Not that matters since its still Erebus waters and last I checked,” He put his mouth before turning to the others, “slavery was still allowed in these parts.”

The ship suddenly went quiet save for the waves that crashed against the boat.

“... slavers?” Spike growled, clutching his claws. There were some things he could forgive Erebus for having due to its lawless state, but slavery was the top one he couldn’t overlook. He had personally seen it time and time again but was unable to do anything unless he was hired to do something about it. Those were jobs everyone in his team agreed to do without hesitation.

While every race at one point had slavery in their society for a time, it was soon reduced to only a few places due to the advancement of culture and ethics. Equestria even once had slaves in the forms of the cows, donkeys, sheep, and rams. Since they were the reincarnation of the sinful dead, there was a justification to treat them as such. It was only hundreds of years later that it was decided to end slavery, yet these creatures were still sometimes treated as second class citizens at times.

The only other nations that allowed slavery today were Centuria, parts of Zebwana, Unicornia, Saddle Arabia, the Dragon Lands, and Kyukyo; although the last one called them ‘indentured servants’ and had laws that claimed to protect them from abusive masters. But Erebus was where most slave trades were held, primarily in the south-west islands known as the “The Great Chain Reef.”

Dozens of islands holding slave empires that did business both in Erebus and outside of it. The Great Reef Masters were said to be wealthy lords who had hundreds of slaves from sexual pleasure to fanning their fat hides to even wiping them after taking a dump. Races of all kinds were captured, broken, and forced to serve their betters. Many were are born and died as slaves. Any attempt to break such an atrocity has always been tried but never succeeded due to their vast armada of ships and the guild known as Ars Arcanum. One of the top four powerful guilds, and one of the biggest slave dealers due to their powerful binding spells which fetch quite a price among the Masters.

“Why the ruck are we heading towards a bunch of rucking slavers!” Aquilina all but shouted as she reached for her knives. “If you’re seeking to buy one...” Razorwind’s answer came in the form of a necklace with a locket on it. Catching it, Aquilina opened it to reveal a young female griffin on a dock, smiling and waving with her yellow feathers blowing in the wind.

Showing it to the group, the answer soon became clear as Spike looked at the stern griffin with pity. “Your daughter?”

“Yes,” Razorwing sighed, shaking his head. “She had just started sailing on her own when her ship got boarded by slavers. Took her and her crew as trophies.” He walked over and grabbed the necklace before putting it back in his coat. “I’ve spent all these years and endless amounts of silver trailing her. Now I hear she’s going to be arriving at Nima before being sold off. Rumor has it that a big Unicornia slave dealer is going to be heading there to seek some slaves.”

“Wait, that can’t be right,” Azura said, stepping forward with a confused glare. “I’m from Unicornia. We... they don’t accept slaves except for the Flutter Ponies. Unless things have changed that much since I left.”

Razorwing shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is that some new slave laws are being opened allowing other types of slaves to be taken. Ponies, griffins, dragons, doesn’t matter. Looks like anyone can be a slave now in Unicornia.”

“Even ponies? How curious...” Azura muttered as she rubbed her chin. “It’s always been tradition to just let the Flutter Ponies be the servants because Unicornia conquered them. In their minds, those who have been taken over deserve to be enslaved because they are weak. It’s why we never got other races as slaves before because we never conquered them except for that one time in Zebwana. What group could have convinced not only the Royal Family but the entire Nobleterium to go against tradition?”

“Does it rucking matter? Slavery is slavery,” growled Aquilina, pounding her fisted claw into the open one. “Tell me we’re gonna kill all the bastards on this island?”

Captain Razorwing shook his head. “No, despite it being a small island, they still outnumber us. Our goal is to just get my daughter and get out.”

He then turned to Azura. “You said you were from Unicornia? Do you think you can play the role of a noble seeking a personal slave? I was going to do it, but you would be much more convincing.”

“Of course,” Azura said, nodding. “I may have left my home thirteen years ago, but you don’t forget a thousand proper lessons on being noble no matter how much booze you drink.”

“Then I guess the rest of us are going to have to act as your hired muscle,” Spike replied, before looking at the captain. “I’m not going to lie. I want to save the rest of these slaves if I can. I promise that we’ll save your daughter, but if there is a chance to save everyone we’ll take it.” The others all nodded in agreement.

“You realize if you do that, and we survive, I could spread the word on how you disobeyed a client's orders,” Razorwing replied, narrowing his eyes. “Could be bad business for ya.”

“I’d rather have a reputation of breaking the rules to save lives than a reputation of obeying the rules and going against my heart,” Spike answered back.

The captain was quiet for a bit before sighing. “Fine, whatever. But my daughter is the only thing that matters to me. I’ll leave ya all on that island if I have too if it means taking her into my arms again.” He turned around made his way to the Captain’s Cabin. “We won’t get there until two days from now. We’ll use that time to come up with a plan.” He opened the door and turned around. “So if yer gonna come up with a miracle you better come up with one quick.” He then shut the door behind him, leaving the five on their own.

“You always have to go the extra mile on our missions, huh?” Aquilina asked, shaking her head. “Not that I mind this time. Anything to put one up the butts of slavers is fine by my book.”

“We shouldn’t be risking ourselves for something like this,” Azura sighed, shaking her head. “It would better to just return after getting his daughter and bringing this attention to others would be more than happy to wipe the scum off the face of the earth.”

“By the time we do that, who knows how many more will be sold.” Spike shook his head. “I’m not saying it's the smart thing, but I can’t just go there and leave knowing that all those slaves are going to be taken away to a rotten life. If we can save them, we do it.”

“So, we’re going to be risking our necks to go above and beyond our normal mission to do some crusade of justice to help make the world a less sucky place to live? As always?” Windward sighed but smirked. “Why do I always get dragged into this with you guys?”

“Because you never give up trying to get between my legs?” Azura asked, walking away.

“Oh yeah, that’s why,” Windward grinned as he followed after her much to the others amusement.

Spike turned to Yasahiro and asked, “You have any problems with going the extra mile?” His response was to just turn away and sit back in his same spot as always. “I’ll take that as an ‘I’m with you,’ okay?”

***

With nothing else to do until they got closer to the island’s territory, the group decided to just rest indoors for the rest of the day. When night came, Spike decided to take a moment to watch the stars up on the deck with Peewee on his shoulder. The young phoenix sang to him as he watched the heavens above. His song of mystery mixing with the waves allowed a sense of serenity to flow through Spike’s very soul. His mind turned back to the times when he and his Ponyville friends would watch the night sky together for evening events. Sometimes it was for a night party that Pinkie would set up. Other times it was just to see rare constellations or star showers that Twilight kept records of. She had always been a big fan of the stars, and the night sky despite being a student of the raiser of the sun.

In fact, she often told Spike that she enjoyed the night more than the day because of the mysteries it held. It was one of the critical traits of her that allowed Twilight to become fast friends with Princess Luna. That, and helping everyone see she wasn’t some evil demon coming for their souls.

When Peewee stopped singing, Spike became alerted that they weren’t alone and turned around to see Azura, still in her dress, walking towards them with a passive smile. “You know, I am a bit envious of you. Having a familiar such as Peewee.” She began to scratch under his chin much to his pleasure as he cooed warmly under her touch. “He’s beautiful for one so young. How did you get him?”

“I rescued his egg from some bully dragons when I was a kid,” Spike answered, smirking at the memory of how he embarrassed those three jerks. It made him glad that he was raised by ponies even more afterward. “I let him stay with me for a bit before I returned him to his parents. Then... he just found me again, and he’s been with me ever since.”

Nodding, Azura walked over and leaned over the railing to watch the ocean. “In Unicornia, phoenix's are rare to find. Those that are found are used for medical purposes or kept in zoos. I don’t think they’ve ever been a familiar before.”

“You know, you don’t talk much about your home nation,” Spike replied. “I take it you don’t have fond memories?”

“Honestly, it wasn’t as bad... at first...” Sighing, she closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. “Don’t get me wrong. It had a lot of problems even before I realized how horrible it was after I left. Most of Unicornia will tell you they are a race where every unicorn can be treated equally, but the truth is that the nobility holds all the power. You’re lucky to even get by without them doing something to screw you. Plus, the nobles are always in power plays or schemes to get higher positions of power or close relations with the Royal Family. Combined with the corrupted church, slavery, and racism? The only positive thing about it is the advanced technology, healthcare, the food, and fashion.”

“Sounds like a crystal that’s beautiful in the outside but rotten on the inside,” Spike theorized.

“It’s a perfect way to describe it. I honestly used to love living there. I missed the power I held, the ability to crush those who stood in my way for ambition. I didn’t mind the games we played to see who could get stronger and raise higher than others. Proving myself against my peers in magic, wit, and politics was always something that excited me. However, I don’t miss it that much over the years since I arrived here. Life among Erebus is... unique, but rewarding. It’s still the same brutal way of living, just without rules and everyone's upfront about it. Kinda of a nice change of pace.”

“I personally hate it,” Spike grumbled as he clutched his fists. “I hate seeing how people suffer from the wars, bandits, and lawlessness. Maybe it's naive of me to think this, even after all these years of living here, but I think that people here can come together with friends to make it a better place. Maybe if people stopped fighting and united this can be more than just a land of criminals, but a real nation where every race and creed live equally and free. All without the cost of lives.”

“That’s the kind of talk that gets most killed in the real world,” Azura snorted. “This world is cruel, cold, and unforgiving. Be it in Erebus, Unicornia, Equestria or more. Friendship isn’t going to save it from the self-destruction we’ve been doing since time began. Even our gods have created their own mistakes, and they were the ones who created us. What makes you think you can change the world?”

“... I once knew a pony who didn’t think friendship mattered either,” Spike said, closing his eyes. “All she wanted to do was study and grow stronger so she could earn the respect of those higher than here. But one day, that pony met some amazing friends, and they started to change the world around them. She started changing others. Even though she died doing it, she helped open the eyes of those around here to start something.” Spike turned around to Azura with a smirk. “Maybe one person can’t change the world, but friends united with an idea can. An idea for a better world for everyone. I’m not saying I’ll succeed.” He lowered his eyes as his tone became a bit more monotone. “I’ve even made mistakes and came close to giving up at times.” Yet, his voice picked up again and he smiled, his eyes filled with fire that made Azura’s eyebrows perk up as Peewee, sensing his energy, cawed with excitement. “Yet giving up is just as bad as losing. Maybe I can’t change the world on my own, but I can change things enough so that one day it will come true by the effort of others.”

Azura didn’t say anything for a long time. She just stared at Spike silently before she gave a small smirk. “You know what? I think it's stupid that you think you can do such a thing.” She then turned around and shook her head. “But... I actually hope that I am wrong.”

She began to walk away when Spike asked, “Azura? I never asked this before, but why did you join us to begin with? You’ve been a Red Lightning longer than all of us but Yasahiro, so why do you continue to follow me? Aquilina is my friend and I saved her life so it makes sense we work together. Windward was assigned to us to teach the ropes, and he’s been with us ever since he joined. Don’t know why our samurai friend hangs around. But you’ve worked on your own before. Ever since that one mission in Prau, you’ve just stood by our side. Why would you, do it? Especially if you don’t like my idealism?”

Azura slowly turned around and smirked. “You reminded me of somepony. Somepony who was very dear to me. He was just like you. Young. Idealistic. Always doing the right thing even if it went against what others demanded.” She closed her eyes and began to walk forward. “Maybe just being with you reminds me of him? Maybe I’m just honoring his vision by being with you? Regardless, I just hope you have a better fate than he did.”

With that said, she returned to the barracks, leaving Spike all by himself with the sound of the waves.
> The Treasure Hunt Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With their destination coming up the team decided that they needed to give themselves various roles to hide their true nature. Azura was going to be a noble from Unicornia seeking to get ahead of the new slave laws by getting a few slaves to impress her rich friends while the rest of them were mercenaries hired to protect her. Windward tried to get to be her husband, even after being pointed out that only unicorns lived in Unicornia, but he was threatened to be her slave if he didn’t shut up.

Eventually, there were two ships coming towards them with no sight of the island anywhere in the area. They were small and built for speed with large crossbows pointed at the ship while its grey uniformed guards held spears and shields. Captain Razorwing slowed the ship down, allowing a few griffins to fly aboard with their weapons at their side. Azura poised straight and regal, reminding Spike of the nobles of Canterlot a bit, as she stood there side by side with Spike and Captain Razorwing. 

The leader of the guards, a griffin with a scar over his head, walked over to them. “This sea area is private. State your business or be forced to turn around.”

“I am Lady Azura Nightingale of the Grand and Noble House of Nightingale. Daughter of Lord Ironeye Nightingale and Lady Willow Nightingale. I am from the City of Emerald Fields here to seek some new slaves. Now allow me to speak to somepony important because talking to you bird heads is annoying already.” Azura’s eyes narrowed. “The fact that I had travel all this way in secret is already messing with my busy schedule to the point where I had to cancel three parties and deny two croquet games with my friends. Now be a dear and allow me in already. I am disgusted that I have to breath the same air as these... non-unicorns.”

Damn, really like the nobles of Canterlot, thought Spike.

The griffin muttered to himself about “snippy nobles” and nodded to one of his lackeys who proceeded to wave to their ship. A bright burning light fired from the ship towards the direction of the sea. Spike could feel his throat clench while wondering if that was a good signal or a bad one. His answer soon came when he spotted something appearing slowly as if it was being summoned by mists. Just as a mirage appearing out of the air, the island they had been searching for began to form in front of them. It was as if somepony wiped away an invisible smudge that had been in front of the island.

“The island can turn invisible?” Aquilina asked, out of curiosity.

“Quit, mercenary! Speak when I ask you to!” Azura shouted, making the former slave glare at her, but she remained quiet. Azura turned back to the leader of the guard and raised her eyebrow. “Although, I must admit I am curious myself.”

“We have a means to hide our island from sight unless we wish it. Usually for customers or ships delivering new slaves. Mistress Loveshot can tell you more if your curious. Please follow us to the port. Any sign of vering of course or trouble and we will shoot you down.”

The griffins proceed to leave while Aquilina turned to Azura and muttered, “Speak when I ask you to.”

“Hey, you want me to do this role right? That’s how you do it,” Azura grumbled as she walked away. 

“Regardless, we’re so far in. Let’s keep our cool and follow these bastards,” Captain Razorwing said as he made his way to the wheel. 

Spike looked at his friends and said, “I also think we should have half of us wait here. I’m thinking Aquilina and Windward will guard the ship while Azura, Razorwing, Yasahiro, and I go on land.”

“Why am I staying here?” Aquilina asked, puffing her cheeks.

“Because I know you want to cut off the balls of every slaver here and I need you to be under control before you decide to go on a killing spree,” Spike said with a deadpan expression. “Right or wrong?”

“... Fine, but I get first kills later,” Aquilina grumbled, crossing her arms.

“And me?” Windward asked.

“Because Azura needs to concentrate on her role without you trying to get under her tail,” Spike answered. “Besides, if things go south you two are the fastest fliers we got and can back us up if need be.”

“Besides, you’d most likely ask to try out one of the sex slaves,” Azura stated, snorting in disgust. 

Windward looked at Azura with a gasp of horror. “I’m offended you would think such a thing of me, Azura. Now if I was your sex slave? That’s a different ballgame. Totally down for that, Master.”

A few seconds later and Captain Razorwing was yelling at Azura to stop trying to kill Windward with his ships anchor. 

***

It took at least an hour to get to the small island. Most of it seemed to be protected by strong stone walls that made up a huge fortress. Spike took note of the guard towers, glowing pillars of white stone, and the catapults on the walls. Okay, my plan of freeing all the slaves is looking more and more difficult by the minute.

After setting anchor, everyone minus Aquilina and Windward exited the ship where a small entourage was waiting for them. Most of them were guards, but there were two ponies, one earth and one pegasus, with rope around their wings and barrel, that were dirty looking and wore rags as clothing. Spike did his bet not to wince from the smell as the two slaves waved their fans at a female unicorn who was the exact opposite of them. Her silver coat and blue bunned mane were clean and sparkling while her purple and golden robes appeared to be freshly done. Giving a sparkling smile, the unicorn stepped forward and bowed to Azura who nodded back. 

“Welcome to the Island of Nima, my lady. I take it you are the one here to make a purchase?” the unicorn greeted with a charming voice. Her smile was like that of a loving and caring mother, yet the two dead gazing ponies beside her spoke differently. 

“I am. I am Lady Azura Nightingale of the Grand and Noble House of Nightingale from Unicornia,” Azura answered.

“Ah yes, we were expecting Unicornians to learn about our... business practices here in the Erebus Islands soon after the new slave law passed. I thought the practice of your nation was to only take slaves from those you conquer?”

“Times change. And if I am to keep up with the times I must have a set of my own slaves so that I stay ahead of the other nobles,” Azura answered in a dull tone while taking a moment to look at her hoof. “May we talk more inside Miss...”

“Mistress Loveshot,” she answered, offering to lead the group down the pier. “I am the caretaker of my little children here.” She turned over to the pegasus slave and patted her cheek. “And I do take good care, don’t I my lovely?”

“Yes, Mistress. You take care of us,” he answered in a monotone voice. He raised his eyes to gaze at the others, yet despite him breathing in front of them there was no life in his pupils. While he spoke, not once did he stop fanning. “Mistress makes sure we are fed and disciplined so we can serve others. It is our only purpose in life.”

“Yes, my dear. Yes it is,” Mistress Loveshot said with another pat on the cheek. She turned around and cheerfully said, “Shall we proceed?”

She lead them up a long set of stairs where archers of different races were stationed with their bows drawn and eyes ever alert. The size of the fortress grew until they reached the top where a iron gate was waiting them. It slowly opened, allowing the group to enter a large courtyard where they were greeted to a grim sight. A huge array of slaves, covered in whip marks and dried blood, were tied to long wooden posts under the burning sun above. They all ranged in all ages from young teens to mid-aged adults with every race that could walk or fly seen suffering beside one another. Armored guards circled around the poles, blood covered whips with spikes by their side. In front of the poles was female minotaur guard, speaking into a megaphone. “My life is over, my new live has begun. I shall be a servant to those with the right sum.”

To Spike and his friends horror, the slaves all repeated in unison as if it was a prayer at a church. “My life is over, my new life has come. I shall be a servant to those with the right sum.”

“The gods have forsaken me. My punishment is to serve. Only by serving my betters shall my life be preserved.”

“The gods have forsaken me. My punishment is to serve. Only by serving my betters shall my life be preserved,” they answered again.

“For until death claims me, I am nothing but a tool. Here to be used by my betters be they kings or a fool.”

“For until death claims me, I am nothing but a tool. Here to be used by my betters be they kings or a fool.”

“I shall obey every command. I shall not stop to debate. I am a slave. This is my fate.”

“I shall obey every command. I shall not stop to debate. I am a slave. This is my fate.”

However, one unicorn pony was too late to finish and was suddenly whipped by three guards over and over again, receiving fresh wounds as she cried out for mercy before getting punched in the face. Her jaw broken, she was unable to speak so she just cried in misery until one of the guards shook his head to another. That guard proceed to take out his dagger to free her of their bonds before dragging her limp broken body to a door. 

“Where are they taking her?” Azura asked, curious, but her eyes filled with pity.

“This process you see is one of our many methods to get our slaves to... accept the cruel fate given to them by the gods. Some quickly learn, others need weeks or months to go through this and other methods to become... rectified into their position. Of course, after they pass they become one hundred percent obedient,” Mistress Loveshot answered with a twitch of a smile. “As for the poor dear, well I’m afraid she’ll be placed into the infirmary to fix her jaw before starting all over again.”

“How long does the process take?” Azura asked, gulping.

“I’d say an average of five to eight days.” Mistress Loveshot proceed to lead them forward as Spike couldn’t help but keep his eyes focused on poor souls who were melting in the sun, festered in their dirty blood. Their eyes all spoke a single wish that was presented without hesitation or dispair.

‘Kill me’.

***

Spike put down his fork while trying to force the food down his throat. Mistress Loveshot had surprised them all with a small meal at her dinner table which was quite ornate compared to the outside, with lavishing flowers, pictures, and silverware. Slaves, silent as a grave, served the food or waited around to be served including a tiny dragon girl serving water who was no bigger then Spike was when he arrived in Erebus.

A few guards were around them, ones that could be easily taken down if needed, but so far things had been... civil. Or at least as civil as one could get with a slaver dealer.

“Now that we’ve had our fill,” Mistress Loveshot said, wiping her mouth, “what sort of slaves are you looking for?”

“Well, what kinds do you have? I must know so I know what to use as a theme in my big ball this year,” Azura answered, folding her hooves. 

“We mostly have your basic servants, caretakers, cooks, and, naturally, sex slaves. Sadly, no warrior slaves. They aren’t allowed outside of The Great Chain Reef.”

“Hmm, interesting. I heard that griffin slaves are quite a unique kind. I don’t think any of my friends have seen a griffin before except for their school lessons in books,” Azura said, eyeing a certain sea captain who was doing his best to stay still.

“They are quite a sight. However, they are often the most resistant next to the dragons. With dragons, you simply poison the gems they eat with enough drugs laced on them to slowly lose their minds and become docile.” Mistress Loveshot drink her tea before continuing. “Griffins are the most resistant of the lot. You can clip their wings, pluck their talons, shave them naked, whip them, even have a guard... pleasure them forcefully.”

Spike could hear the Razorwing’s glass slightly crack from the pressure in his hands. 

“But you really have to get your work to break them mentally,” she finished, handing the cup to a servant who walked away after bowing.

“Are such measures necessary?” Spike asked, unable to help himself.

Mistress Loveshot smirked before turning to one of her guards. “Bring me two griffin slaves. The less expensive ones in cleaning.”

A few minutes later, he returned with two young male griffins, one with a mix of blue and red feathers with black fur while the second was yellow and white feathers with brown fur. The two of them bowed without blinking as they stood there for a few minutes until Mistress Loveshot clapped her hooves and they stood straight up. Thankfully, neither of them were their target. 

She then turned to one of the Diamond Dog guards that reminded Spike of a dalmation yet his eyes were unique. One was blue while the other was green with the former giving off a cold glare while the latter held life and joy. His eyes briefly connected with Spike which gave the dragon a shiver down his spine, but he didn’t know why. “Sir Marshall? Will you please give one of the slaves your knife?”

“Sure thing,” He said in a cheery tone before tossing it over to the blue and red feathered griffin. “Careful with that. I’m betting it in tonight’s poker game.”

Mistress Loveshot turned to the griffin with the knife. “Slave, kill the griffin next to you.” Everyone’s eyes lit up as they turned to the slaves who continued to stand there without any sort of sign on their faces except their emotionless gaze. “Slave about to die, don’t struggle or scream while your dying. That’s an order.”

“Yes, Mistress Loveshot,” they both said before facing each other. 

The one with the knife instantly cut at the throat of the other slave who held his cut neck while his eyes went wide with pain. He fell to the floor, gasping for air, but he never once shook with shock or begged for help. Spike raised from his seat, unable to hide his horror as the griffin slowly died in front of him. When the last gasp of air left his body and his eyes rolled behind his head, only then did Spike finally turn away with tears in his eyes as did Captain Razorwing. Azura, to her credit, bit her lip and closed her eyes, but remained posed for her role while Yasahiro just sat there with his paw drawing closer to one of his blades. All while the other slave just stood there staring into the distance with no sign of remorse, guilt, shame, or glee. He looked like complete and utter stone.

Mistress Loveshot smirked before getting up and stroking the slave’s neck. “Obedient. Emotionless. Through. And best of all I don’t even have to use those spells Ars Arcanum uses. I was chosen for this spot because I can show not only how good our tactics can be, but our outside clients can be impressed.” She stood in front of the griffin slave before smirking at him. “Now kill yourself darling. Try not to get blood spilled on my table.”

The griffin was about to raise the knife to its neck, but to the surprise of everyone in Spike’s group that was prevented by the least likely of them. Yasahiro rushed across the table, kicking the plates and food across the kitchen while drawing one of his katanas. At first it looked like he was going to attack the slave, but steel met steel as the katana knocked the knife out of the griffins claws. It sailed into the air until it landed stuck on a painting of a navy unicorn officer, right between its legs as he stood up holding the flag of Equestria.

All the guards instantly drew their weapons and pointed them at Yasahiro who didn’t even flinch at this. He instead glared at Mistress Loveshot who looked frightened by the speed before trying to glare back. However, the narrowing warning glare from the kitsune samurai was enough to make her stand down. 

“I think my mercenary has seen enough, and if he wants his pay he’ll stand down and return to the ship,” Azura warned, gritting her teeth in worry. 

Yasahiro slowly sheathed his katana before jumping off the table, bowed, and left with a set of guards following him weapons drawn. Mistress Loveshot fanned her face with her hoof before turning to the slave and ordering him to leave. Sitting back down, she cleared her throat and said, “You choose your guards well, Lady Azura. But I ask that you refrain from doing such things in the future.”

“I understand. Perhaps we should get to work and have you set up a set of slaves featuring your griffins? Again, I am impressed by them,” Azura said, standing up.

“Of course, I’ll have the guards escort you to the lounge where you can wait with some brownies and coffee,” Mistress Loveshot said as she made her way towards the exits. 

“Before we go, may I use your restroom?” Spike asked. “I’m afraid I’ve developed a dislike of chamber pots for our voyage.”

She nodded, turning to the Diamond Dog Guard, Marshall, who smiled at Spike and motioned him to follow down a different path. He followed the dog guard until there was a washroom sign in front of a wooden door. Before he went it, Marshall grabbed Spike’s hand and smirked at him. “Relax, this happens all the time with customers. There’s some breath minds in the lower cabinets when you’re done.” 

Spike didn’t say anything, but slowly entered, closed the door, and locked it. He then dived for the toilet to let loose the lunch he had been eating just moments ago. He felt tears drip down his cheeks as he let loose without hesitation. The images of the slaves tied to their posts, the dead eyes in each of them, and the way that the griffin died without even fighting for his life and how easily the second was ready to kill himself. He had seen horrible things in his time here in Erebus, but it was never easier. It was taking every bit of his will power not to burn this place to the ground.

When the last of his meal had exited his stomach, he slowly got up and looked out the window where the slaves were still muttering the same mantra under the burning sun. 

I’ve got to get them out of here... 
> The Treasure Hunt Part 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Having cleared his mind, and his stomach, Spike was escorted to the lounge where Azura and Captain Razorwing were waiting for him. Sir Marshall nodded to them before leaving, allowing the three some privacy. After Azura cast a quick silencing spell around the room to prevent eavesdropping, she quickly summoned some nearby brandy and drank a few shots of it “Oh, goddess, I needed that.”

“I can’t believe what kind of place this is,” Captain Razorwing growled, clenching his paws so hard that blood was drawn. “The fact that my daughter is here...”

“We’ll do everything we can to get her free. Her and everyone else,” Spike vowed, looking at the window as the slaves they saw earlier continue their torment under the hot sun. Their voices speaking the accursed hypnotic words of their sad state echoing in the wind. If Aquilina was here to see this, she’d be turning the place red with blood.

“Spike, I don’t know how we’re going to get them out,” Azura said, shaking her head. “Not only is there a small army on this island, but these slaves are so brainwashed and broken I wouldn’t be surprised if she can just order them to stand still or attack us in return. No, we’re better off just finding the girl and getting out of here. We can tell about the island to others who might be able to deal with this hellhole, but we don’t have the numbers or the means.”

Closing his eyes, Spike tried to think of a way to counter what Azura was saying, but he couldn’t come up with anything. The fact was, they were already barely able to keep suspicion off them so far, even with Yasahiro nearly screwing it up. “By the way, what happened with Yasahiro back there?” Spike asked, crossing his arms. “I’ve never seen him lose his cool like that. Not that I blame him.”

“Who knows? I doubt he’ll tell us,” Azura said, getting up. “Anyway, let’s hope our target is here so we can head back to the ship and get out of here.”

Nodding in agreement, Azura soon ended the spell as Spike walked outside and let the guards know they were ready. Soon, they were escorted by Sir Marshall back outside where they saw the previous slaves being moved towards nearby barracks and corners.

Mistress Loveshot was waiting for them with a smile. “I hope you're ready to see our collection?”

“Of course. If we could hurry it up? I really wish to leave this island and return home,” Azura answered, acting as if she was already bored of the place. It amazed Spike just how good she was in flipping from one mood to the next.

“Of course.” Loveshot then nodded to one of the guards who walked away with a small squad.

A few minutes later, they returned with a long line of griffins. Many were young, female, and looked half dead by the lack of meat on their bones and loose skin. Their wings and feathers were ruined like they hadn't had a good preening in months, while whip marks and bruises could be seen clearly on their faces and sides. Some, especially the older ones, looked ready to collapse, but kept moving forward in fear of the watching guards.

Spike had to hide his disgust when he saw a few children in the line. However, his eyes soon focused on one that caught his eye. He recalled the picture of the smiling griffin that Captain Razorwing showed the team when they started this job. She may not have been smiling, nor did she have that adventurous glow in her eyes, but even with her light brown fur dirty and covered with whip marks, he could see that this particular griffin was their target.

The sound of their hirer sucking in the air indicated he saw her too. He took a step forward, as if ready to rush to her, but Spike quickly placed his claw on his shoulder to stop him from doing something foolish. They had one close call already, and they didn’t need a second one. Their target must have spotted him as well, because her eyes lit up, first out of shock and then rubbed more than once. No doubt being treated like sae was less than dirt for so long made it hard to imagine any hopeful state of family coming to save her become real.

At first, the young griffin looked happy as a smile began to appear, but that soon faded as she seemed to have thought of something that quickly changed her face from joyful to horror. Lowering her eyes, she turned away from the gaze of her father as if she couldn’t summon the will to look at him,

Azura must have noticed their target captive as well, having eyed her since she came in, but pretend not to notice. When the last of them were lined up, Azura strolled forward and pretended to give a good look at each one before her. It took some time, but she was able to finally reach the griffin they were looking for, even using her magic to lift her head to get a clear look at her.

“Hmm, this one... tell me about her,” Azura asked, interested.

“She’s quite a feisty one,” Mistress Loveshot answered, smirking. “Her name is Lana. When she came here, she was a rebellious as they come, but after a few weeks in the black cells, she was more... obedient.”

“What’s she skilled in?”

“She’s a terrible cook, as well as a cleaner. Honestly, we were afraid she wasn’t going to be of much use, and we were just going to slit her throat and be done with her,” Mistress Loveshot continued, strolling forward. “That was until we found out she was... quite a hack in the sack.”

Spike could hear the captain muttering curses under his breath. Some of which he had never heard of in all the years he had been in Erebus. I guess sailors do know more curse words.

“Males or females?” Azura asked sharply.

“Both.”

“I’ll take her,” Azura said, turning around. “How much?”

“Well, sadly she’s not for sale, but we do have other griffins which are just as good,” Mistress Loveshot answered, shrugging her shoulders.

Azura sharply turned around and narrowed her eyes. “Not for sale?! I don’t think you heard me? This is the one that I want. I’m paying a lot of money just to be here, and for her, so you better have a good explanation as to why I can’t have her.”

Loveshot smirked before asking, “You haven’t been in Erebus long have you? There is a war currently going on between two warlords. One of them is Warlord Vandar. He has pretty much dominated the southeastern islands and its nearby territories. I doubt you want to mess with him, as he and Lord Swanburn have been trying to dominate the entire islands for five years now.”

This isn’t good, Spike thought with a growl. He was tempted to just curse Nora at this point for screwing things. Warlord Vandar, a griffin who was said to come from nothing, was one of the two most powerful forces in the entire Erebus Islands, having taken over most of the southern and eastern areas under his control. He was a particularly brutal individual, using total warfare and scorched earth tactics to submit or eliminate those who were against him.

It didn’t matter if it was civilians or enemies, everyone was a target if they didn’t come into his fold. It was harsh, but practical, as he had taken over more territory in the past five years than most other warlords had in their lifetimes. Warlord Vandar’s lands were said to be often safe from raiders with stability many had never seen before. Farming and agriculture were said to be well provided for, but it was mostly handled by the enslavement of those conquered and turned into labor forces. Apparently, it was done differently than normal slavery, but Spike didn’t care, as a slave was a slave, and it was still wrong to be one. His army was large, powerful, and fitted with many generals and warriors who were capable of fighting against any significant force. It was said that as tribute, you needed to donate bodies or resources to the army so that you could be given welfare, provisions, and protection. Plus, the southeastern area was known for its horrible conditions. A hellhole even among the Erebus Islands. So it wasn't a surprise that many pledged their loyalty to the one who freed them and gave them better lives.

Warlord Vandar spoke of a united Erebus that was strong but in need of a harsh cure after many years of chaos and anarchy. To cleanse the filth, ruin, and immorality, he needed to burn it all away fast and without mercy so that a proper civilization could be born from its ashes. Only when all was finally submitted to a new order could change begin, and culture allowed to flourish into something new.

Spike preferred his opposite and chief rival, Lord Swanburn. An earth pony originally from Equestria, but grew up in the Erebus Islands. Nobody knew why his family moved here from the once peaceful lands of ponies, but Lord Swanburn rose to high ranking status after his father and mother died from a plague in the northeastern islands. Deciding to use his wealth altruistically, he began helping nearby villages with his money and charisma, gaining a broad set of followers who asked him to be their leader. Forming an army, he began to defend their territory from other warlords and bandits, eventually spreading further and further as more villages and cities decided to join them. Lord Swanburn spoke of a united Erebus as one nation to take its place among the others in the world. It had a broad set of resources and population while placed in an excellent location for trade. Many began to loyally follow him as harmony, virtue, and justice were common in his lands. However, others said he was too naive, often making mistakes, and thus his conquest was slower then Vandar. There were even rumors of corruption in his ranks, forcing him to constantly weed out those who were hindering his progress. There was an argument for a leader who couldn’t lead a nation if he couldn’t control his own house.

Two warlords with different methods of ruling, each vying to do the one thing nobody had ever done: unite Erebus as one. It hadn’t erupted too much yet, but it was predicted that eventually, everyone would have to pick a side. Yet, even now to cross one, especially Vandar, was not a good thing to do.

“Why would this Vandar character want with her?” Azura asked.

“Apparently, she found something in her travels as a sailor,and the Warlord wants it. Not sure what it is, and I’m not getting paid to find out, but he’s coming in two weeks, so I can’t sell her to you,” Loveshot answered before raising her hoof to stop Azura. “And it's not a matter of money. He’s a very powerful griffin, and I have no intention of crossing him. Even with the backing I have for this place, so the answer is no.”

“... I see, well shall you then tell me of any other griffins skilled in the art of pleasure?” Azura said, huffing. As Mistress Loveshot went on about particular picks, she eyed Spike who nodded upon seeing her glare.

They need to talk about this latest setback.

***

“Well, this hit the shitter,” Windward said, crossing his hooves. The others had come back to the ship, using the excuse of needing to think about which slaves to take, to tell the others what had happened. Combined with all the mistreatment they had seen for the slaves, it took an hour-long song from Peewee to help put everyone in a slightly better mood. “Crossing Vandar is a bad idea. I don’t know about you, but I want to sleep with both my eyes closed at night for the rest of my days.”

“She said something about your daughter finding something Vandar wanted, do you know what that is?” Spike asked the Captain, who was staring into the island itself from a window with narrow eyes. 

“No, Grandus help me, whatever it was it couldn’t have been good,” Razorwing answered, lowering his head.

“So we can’t buy the girl, why not just spring her out?” Aquilina said, balancing a dagger on her palm. “We just make it look like she escaped or something. That should work out, right?”

“After we apparently failed to buy her? It would look suspicious,” Spike pointed out, huffing. “No, we need to think of a new plan. One that doesn’t summoning the wrath of this place or Warlord Vandar on our butts.”

“Well, we have until tomorrow to figure something out. For now, I’m hungry, and I need something to eat. And a drink, I hated the fact that I had to act like such a... bitch all day,” Azura replied, tossing her mane back.

“Really? I couldn't tell the difference,” Aquilina teased, getting a glare from Azura in reply. The young griffiness got up and made her way up the stairs.

“Where are you going?” Spike asked.

“Going for a fly. I’ve been inside this stupid ship for hours, and I want to spread my wings,” Aquilina said without looking back.

Spike was about to follow the others to get some grub when he noticed Yasahiro meditating near the corner with his back turned. Remembering what had happened earlier, he turned to Peewee and motioned him to join the others while he walked over to the silent kitsune. Stopping before him, he placed a claw on the ronin’s shoulder and whispered, “Look, I don’t know why you did that... but if you want to talk, we can.”

Yasahiro didn’t answer, but he looked more relaxed upon Spike saying that. Spike waited a few more minutes before leaving, but if he had stayed around longer, he would have seen Yasahiro shed a single tear as a memory entered his mind, echoing as it had always for  years.

あなたには一つの選択があります あなたは今、あなたの人生を取るか、永遠に不名誉に住んでいます。 死はあなた自身を償還する唯一の方法です。


***

Aquilina hadn’t lied about getting some air to calm her nerves, but what she didn’t tell anyone was that the flight was also for scouting around. Based on what Spike and the others told her, it sounded like the slaves were placed underground, which would make things difficult at first, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. Oh, Spike would make a fuss out of it, no doubt about the risk of it all, but Aquilina wasn’t going to stand by and do nothing.

When there was something to be done, she did it, no questions asked, and if it involved screwing over slavers, that was even better.

Waiting until nightfall to make her move, Aquilina waited on the mast of the ship before silently flying off. She flew low to the ocean as she went around the island, keeping herself as out of sight as possible. When she saw one of the lookout towers, she used her claws to latch onto the bricks and slowly climb up. Waiting above was a zebra guard, holding a spear while struggling to keep his eyes open. Said eyes went wide when a dagger entered his throat, and he found himself falling into the ocean before he could let out a final scream.

Aquilina waited to hear if any guards were going to come and investigate the splash, but after a few minutes of nothing, she crawled up to the top. With the area clear, she swiftly used her wings to float down to the central courtyard area, making sure to hide among the shadows. The guards were patrolling while some of the slaves were busy cleaning up any blood that had been spilled earlier that day off the floor. Much as Aquilina wanted to slice the guards necks and free the poor bastards, there was no time.

She spotted a nearby door where a slave was being shoved towards and figured it would be the best place to start. Sticking to the darkness, she watched as the guard, a female pegasus, opened the door with a key before kicking the slave, a young male earth pony, into the room by his rump. Aquilina waited until the door was shut before moving as swiftly as she could towards it. Taking out a set of pick locking tools her uncle gave her on her eleventh birthday, Aquilina worked fast to undo the lock before she heard a satisfying clicking sound. Before anyone would notice her, she was inside with the door behind her.

Time to be stealthy... Aquilina thought as she descended down a flight of stairs.

***

“Okay, not so stealthy,” Aquilina muttered to herself as she wiped the blood off her daggers. Carefully, she walked over the bodies of the guards she had to put down while being careful not to slip on the pools of blood. “New plan. Get the girl. Wake up the gang. Sail the ruck out of here before the castle notices they’re missing ten guards... or eleven, I lost count.”

What had disturbed Aquilina the most (other than her inability to be stealthy at all) was the fact that she was now in the cell area. She had seen crappy cells before, but these were the worst of the lot. There was little to no light, and each of the cages was made of black steel that looked too sharp to even touch. The smell of waste and piss made it clear there wasn’t a plumbing system for the prisoners. Not to mention it was so void of sound that one could be mistaken for suddenly becoming deaf. The worst part was seeing the slaves who never once reacted to Aquilina, no matter what she did.

No cheers for seeing their abusers killed. No begging to be released. Not even a gasp of shock when spotting her. They were all motionless. Standing there like statues with dead eyes.

It brought a lot of uncomfortable memories that she didn’t want to deal with right now. Not without a good helping of scotch anyway.

Aquilina continued to search through each of the cells until she finally found the one she was looking for. Her target, Lana, looked at her with real surprise before backing up to the wall. Aquilina smirked and, using a key from a now dead guard, opened the cell. “You Lana? Daughter of Razorwing?”

“Y-yes...” she croaked, weakly. “Who... you...?”

“I’ve been hired to get you out. Come on, we’re going to my ship and-”

Thwek.

Something tiny and sharp pierced Aquilina’s neck before she could finish. Her claw pressed against the object and she pulled it out, revealing it to be dart. The moment she saw it, her vision began to get woozy, and her stance was getting weaker.

“Oh, son of a...” was all she could mutter before collapsing face first onto the floor.

***

Spike had a horrible feeling when he woke up the next morning without seeing Aquilina in her bunk bed. Apparently, none of the others had seen her go to sleep last night, nor did any of them see her when they woke up. It was tough for Spike not to just get out of the ship, stomp all over the island, and scream that if she didn’t get her furry butt back, he was going to tell her uncle about her hidden stash of beer. Instead, he was greeted by one of the guards who said that Sir Marshall had a message for him.

A message that soon made him, and later the others, curse at the stupidity of their friend.

“Caught your friend trying to free that prisoner you wanted to ‘buy’ but we know that’s minotaur shit.

Killed a few of our guards, had to make it look like a few other prisoners rebelled and killed them instead. Those ‘rebels’ are to be executed in a few hours by Mistress Loveshot’s orders, but your companion isn’t among them. Far as she knows, your loud-mouthed griffin friend is still on your ship, and she’ll continue to believe that if you visit me at the North Tower at 10AM if you want to save not only your friend’s life, but all those slaves as well.

I know who you are, and I understand why you’re here, and I want to make a deal with you. Let’s just say we share very similar career paths.

-Sir Marshall

P.S. You’re friend’s stealth skills are crap.”

“I’m going to kill her,” Azura muttered, rubbing her temple.

“Get in line,” Spike sighed, shaking his head. “Why does she pull stuff like this?”

“To be fair, it wasn’t like we had any other ideas,” Windward said, shrugging his shoulders. “So, what now?”

Spike crumbled the letter and tossed it into the sea. “I’ll go to see Sir Marshall. Hopefully, this doesn’t turn into a bloodbath, and we can get Aquilina back for a good chewing later on. Yasahiro and Peewee?” The kitsune stood at attention while the young phoenix landed on the former’s shoulders. “Unlike Aquilina, you’re a living shadow. Follow me and stay out of sight. The rest of you prepare to leave just in case. If things go bad, Peewee will teleport back to the ship as my signal to get the hay out of here.”

“No problem, the two of us can handle the ship all by ourselves,” Windward replied as he placed his wing over Azura. That only lasted a few seconds as she twisted it off her with her magic.

Spike sighed and made his way towards the dock, hoping he could get his best friend out of this without spilling even more blood.

***

Apparently, whatever Sir Marshall wanted to speak about, he wanted to do so without any interference. The closer Spike got to the tower, the fewer guards there were. By the time he reached the door, there wasn’t anyone in the area for at least a mile. Opening the door, Spike looked around and saw nobody before noticing the staircase that lead up. Preparing his inner flame, just in case, he walked cautiously.

He didn’t need to go far as he could already hear Aquilina’s cursing the moment he got to the second floor. Sighing, he opened just as she was finishing yelling at her captor. 
“--before I slice off your dick and send it to your mother so she can fuck it in her ass to remember what a piece of shit you were as a child!”

Sir Marshall, leaning against the door, looked at the tied up griffiness with a raised eyebrow before noticing Spike by the entrance. “So, does she always curse a storm every five minutes, or only when she’s angry?”

“Pretty much whenever,” Spike replied, closing the door behind him. “She get to the part where she’ll use a time travel spell to have your father aborted and play around with the fetus like a football before making it into a soup for your mother to eat?”

“Yeah, that one was quite disturbing,” Sir Marshall replied, shaking his head. “At least it finally concludes what I thought you two were. She’s Aquilina because of her loud mouth, and that must make you Spike, apprentice to Marc of the Red Lightnings. I’m guessing the rest of the crew is Red Lighting as well?” He walked up to Spike with a knowing smirk and crossed his arms. “And I take it that the girl your friend was trying to save is your target for rescue?”

Spike growled and readied himself. “And if we are?”

“Relax, I’m not going to fight you. Rather, you coming here works out for me,” Sir Marshall replied, reaching into his pocket. At first, Spike thought it was a weapon, but instead, it was a medallion that surprised both him and Aquilina at first.

The medallion was a red and bronze metal that showed a minotaur head wearing a helmet known as a Galea. A bright silver like a helmet that covered the sides and back with the front clear for the face to see in all directions. The thing that stood out most was the top crest, which was like a mohawk of red hair. Only one group had this symbol.

“Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Frumentarii Agent Rexius of the Legion, and I need your help in rescuing our brothers.”  
> The Treasure Hunt Part 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Erebus, The Legion was one of the oldest mercenary guilds in the islands history since it won its freedom during the Great Uprising. While everyone in Erebus knew how to fight, one way or another, the Legion knew how to wage war. It wasn’t just a guild, it was an army. However, despite being an army that was publicly known and respected, few knew the workings of how it functioned. Even those who retired from active service swore to never reveal the details of their training, command structure, or even their HQ. Rumors still spread, and one of those was the mysterious group known as the Fumentari. 

“Wait, the Fumentari are real?” Aquilina asked, eyes wide. “Ruck, no wonder I got my butt handed to me.”

“So, you’re a spy?” Spike asked, crossing his arms. 

“Spy. Sabotager. Assassin. Scout. Infiltrator. I do it all,” Sir Marshall replied, or Rexius as he was revealed to be, as he put his medal away. “You’d be surprised who we are and how many. Information is power, and the Legion does its best to keep track of its allies and enemies. When we need an insider for a special mission, they send us.”

“So, did you know we were coming as well, or was this just a coincidence?” Spike asked, keeping his eyes on the grinning Diamond Dog. If rumors of the dangers of a Funmentari were even half true, then Spike had to make sure he could finish the dog off before he could even do anything.

“Honestly, we knew that the Red Lightnings were hired to deal with a mission here on the island, but I didn’t know it would be Marc’s apprentice and his merry gang of misfits,” Rexius admitted before walking closer to Spike who narrowed his eyes. “I only know you personally by reputation. You’re not bad, but still not in the big leagues compared to others. Regardless, you being here is to my fortune.”

“How?” Spike asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Like I said, I’m here to save my comrades from becoming slaves,” Rexius answered, his tone becoming more serious. “We had a battle with Ars Arcadum and we lost. Some of our soldiers were captured and were sent here to wait ships from the Great Chain Reef. No doubt to make them part of the vast Slave Army they have to protect them. My goal is to prevent that from happening by freeing our men. I already have Legion ships waiting to arrive and take over the place, but you can guess what the problem is.”

“The island is invisible,” Spike guessed. 

“How is it able to do that? I thought invisible spells of that length and power required at least a dozen unicorns to maintain it?” Aquilina asked, getting up and into the conversation.

“Loveshot has a magical crystal from the Crystal Empire that powers the spell. From what I heard, she got it on the Black Market at a pretty good deal,” Rexius answered, before continuing. “Like I said, I got ships with Legionnaires ready to take over the place, but they don’t know where it is. If we can destroy the crystal, the island will be seen as plain as day.”

“Why didn’t you just attack when our ship was coming in? The island was visible then,” Spike asked.

“Because the entire island was on alert, and we would have taken worse casualties. Plus, if they saw the Legion ships, they might have killed our men in retaliation. My hope is to catch them off guard when they least expect it.”

“And how? No offence, but I don’t see any ships on the water,” Aquilina pointed out, looking out the window nearby just to be sure. 

Rexius only chuckled. “Who says it’s on the water?” He ignored the confused looks before turning to Spike. “Look, this works out for both of us. You get your girl for the old captain, and we get our men. Plus, we get to get rid of a slave trade post. Everyone wins.”

Spike bit his lip. The deal almost seemed too good to be true. There was something the Diamond Dog wasn’t telling him, or something that he was hiding at the very least. Still, his team didn’t have any options. “Alright, I agree, but first you free Aquilina.”

With a quick slash of a knife, the griffin was freed from her bonds. She glared at the Diamond Dog before asking Spike, “You sure this is a good idea?” 

“No, but I honestly can’t think of another option. I’ll send you back to the boat so you can tell everyone else what the new plan is. Hopefully, we’ll get out of this in one piece. As soon as the Legion attacks, you get the captain’s daughter and kill anyone in your way,” Spike ordered.

“Does that include the Loveshot bitch?” Aquilina asked, grinning.

“Yeah, first drink is on me for whoever kills her,” Spike answered.

“Good, cause I need some whiskey when we get back. So am I going to fly or...” She paused before realization struck her. “Wait! No! Not again!”

“Sorry,” Spike whispered before taking a deep breath and engulfing her with his mystical green flame. Only instead of ash and bones, her very being was teleported away just like that fateful night so many years ago.

“I take it she’s not dead?” Rexius asked, looking at the place where Aquilina previously was with wide eyes.

“She’s fine. I’m a Fire Caster,” Spike replied, and that was all the information he was willing to give. “So how do we deal with this crystal?”

“Follow me,” Rexius said as he lead Spike out of the room. 

***

Back on the ship, the rest of the group was waiting for their leader to return when a burst of green fire appeared on the ship followed by cursing Aquilina. Dusting off the ash on her feathers and fur, she grumbled, “I hate it when he does that.”

“Oh, hey. She’s alive,” Azura announced with a smirk. She turned to a glaring Windward and smirked. “I think we agreed seven percent of your share this time?”

“Do you want to see me homeless?” Windward sighed before smiling at her. “Maybe I’ll move into your place if I can’t afford rent anymore.”

“And maybe you’d like to see my staff shoved up your plothole before I cast an ice spell the size of a glacier from it.” 

“Oi, honeymooners, focus!” Aquilina yelled as everyone looked at her. “Okay, so good news. I am alive.” There was a moment of silence. “A little enthusiasm would be nice...”

Yasahiro slowly clapped his paws three times before putting them away. 

“Ugh, whatever. Okay, more good news. Spike and that Diamond Dog guy worked out a deal, and he’s going to help us,” Aquilina said with a thumbs up. “Even better, once we the shit hits the fan, we’ll be able to slaughter every slaver on his Grandus forsaken island with prejudice!”

“What’s the bad news?” the captain asked.

Rubbing the back of her head, Aquilina answered, “Well, you know those rumors of the Legion having a secret spy ring...”

***

With Rexius leading him, none of the guards managed to pay any attention to the strange duo as they traveled around the island. They were getting closer to the outer ring of the fortress where heavier equipped guards could be seen with very few slaves, save for those working on the area. Spike watched as Rexius saluted to two passing guards who saluted back. The young dragon found himself asking, “So how did you get in?”

“Well, the real Sir Marshall is a Diamond Dog who was sent by the backers of this island to keep an eye on their investment. Fortunately, Loveshot and the others here didn’t know what he looks like, so it was a simple task of just replace him without them knowing,” Rexius answered. 

“And the real Marshall?” Spike asked.

“Fish food.”

They didn’t speak until they managed to arrive near a bunker where two armored minotaurs were standing in place of a large metal door. The two held their axes up as the two approached with the left one addressing them. “Sir Marshall, who is this dragon?”

“Oh, he's an old friend of mine. Needs a new job after his old contract ended,” Rexius answered, grinning as he walked over to the two. “Just thought I’d show him around the place. No need to worry.”

“Does the Mistress know of this?” the right one asked. 

“You think I’d risk her wraith by going behind her back?” Rexius asked, looking shocked. “You remember what happened to the last guards she got angry at? Frankly, I’ve never seen such screaming in my life.” He put his paws over their shoulders. “No, you see I-”

Faster then Spike could see, a set of knives exited out of the sleeves of Rexius’s uniform and dug their way deep into the necks of the two minotaurs who were dead before they could even register what had happened. Blood sprayed from their necks as they collapsed onto the ground, clutching their fatal wounds. Retreating his wrist knives, Rexius grabbed one of the bodies and motioned for Spike to do the same.

“Impressive,” Spike admitted as the two dragged the bodies to a nearby set of bushes and set them down. “But what if someone notices the two of them missing?”

“By the time that happens, the Legion will be tearing down the walls of this place,” Rexius stated as he pointed to the door. “Here is where you come in. This door only opens with a key that the Mistress has around her neck. It’s got a spell so that it teleports back to her side should it ever leave five feet of her. I was running out of options until you came along.”

“Why?” Spike asked, scratching his head.

“Gee, I don’t know. Dragon. Fire breathing. Really hot. Melting metal. Getting the picture?” Rexius pointed out, rolling his eyes.

“Ah, say no more,” Spike said as he stepped forward and took in a deep breath. Unleashing his green flames, the metal door soon melted into a small pile of goo that was smoking by the time Spike was done. “You realize the moment they see this they’ll be rushing inside to get us.”

“Then we better move fast,” Rexius said, jumping in with Spike right behind him.

The only thing inside the room was a wooden elevator that lead downwards. Getting inside, Rexius turned the handle that started the devices slow movement down below. “Any more guards below?” Spike asked.

“Nah, I’m pretty certain that the crystal is pretty much unguarded by this point,” Rexius said as the elevator opened up upon hitting the bottom. The room was large with only a few torches to light it, mostly because the biggest amount of light was coming from the giant crystal hovering over a magical circle with energy lines connecting it. It was cylinder shaped with a mixture of blue and green coloring as sparks of white light erupted from it. If it wasn’t for the fact that Spike was distracted by the five heavily armored unicorn guards holding their swords at them, he’d find it intriguing. “Of course, I have been wrong before.”

“Who are you! We were told nobody was coming here today!” the center pony said, glaring at the two.

“Hey, woah! Woah! Don’t you see the uniform? I’m one of you!” Rexius replied, spreading his arms wide with a smile.

“And yet you should know that only the five of us, our second squad, and Mistress Loveshot are only allowed into this room. All others are forbidden,” the center pony responded.

“Ah, well I guess this isn’t going to work then. Plan B time!” Rexius then drew one of his wrist knives and flicked it forward. The knife found its way right into the eye socket of the center guard, killing him instantly.

“Kill them!” the one to the right shouted as the four charged.

Spike quickly summoned his flames to his hands and feet and charged forward with Rexius by his side. The two split up to take the four on evenly. Jumping to his right, Spike avoided a slash before using his tail knock the guard back with a spinning blow to his chest, but he found himself dodging the blows of his second opponent. Unfortunately, this wasn’t some common guard he often found himself facing, as each strike was handled for precision and control. The guard also know what he was doing, as most of the mortal strikes were aimed at locations where Spike’s scales were weak, like his stomach, neck, and limb joints. 

If this had been ten years ago, Spike would have found himself joining Twilight in the afterlife, but he didn’t spend a decade in Erebus for nothing. Focusing on his opponent’s horn, Spike quickly ducked when an overheaded slash nearly nicked him in the ears. Shooting his hand out, he grabbed the unicorn’s horn and started burning it with the flames in his fists. One of the weaknesses of any unicorn was how the horn was, especially, another bone of the body that could feel pain just like any other. The guard screamed and cut the control of his magic, the pain of his horn being burned in flames making him cry out in agony to the point of tears. 

His comrade, thinking this was his chance, tried to attack Spike from behind, but didn’t expect the young dragon to kick in the air and unleash a burst of flame from it. He barely had time to dodge it before lifting his sword to cut another fireball from Spike’s hand. 

By now, the burned horn guard was begging Spike to let him go and he complied, by throwing him straight at his comrade. The standing unicorn teleported out of the way while his compatriot slammed face first into the wall with a sickening crunch. Seeing that close range was useless, Spike’s remaining opponent instead started shooting out lightning bolts from his horn.

Holding his arms in a guard formation, Spike felt the magical lighting hit his arms and spread around his body. Gritting his teeth, Spike did his best to stand still while focusing on his inner fire. Hoping the new technique that Marc taught him would work, Spike breathed his fire which ended up shaping into a tornado cone. Combining his flame and wind of his breath, it ended up being powerful enough to cancel the lighting bolts in its path, but also engulf the second guard in flames. He screamed in agony while wailing his limbs around until Spike punched him in the face to silence him.

He turned around to see how Rexius was doing only to find the Diamond Dog spy wiping blood off his knife while the two other guards laid in a pool of their own blood. “Well, that was a bit of fun sport now wasn’t it?”

Spike didn’t reply, he just focused on the crystal and asked, “How do we destroy it?”

“Like this,” Rexius replied as he pulled out a pistol and fired it at the crystal. One quickly shot and it was scattered into many pieces. Flipping it in his paws, he turned to Spike and said, “Well, that was easier than I expected.”

“So now what?” Spike asked.

“Now you see the Legion in action.”

***

After Aquilina told everyone the plan, they decided to wait on deck to charge forward and join in the assault. Even Captain Razorwing took out a saber, despite their attempts to let them do the dirty work. “I waited years to see my daughter again in my arms, and I’m not going to let anything stop me,” he replied.

The team waited as time went on with the waves splashing against the rocks of the pier. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but they kept their guard up for anything. Suddenly, Peewee started chirping about something from up above and the group looked at him as he circled around them. “What’s got his feathers in a tussle?” Windward asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yasahiro narrowed his eyes at the phoenix before looking to the sea. Holding onto the railing, he narrowed his eyes before, much to the surprise of everyone, he drew all four of his blades with his tails. They looked in the same direction as the ronin. At first, there was nothing, but then something began moving towards the island from the water. Or rather, something from under the water. 

“No way...” Azura muttered in awe. Wooden blocks from the water began to rise like a sea monster from down in the depths. Following it came a bigger and rounder figure also made of wood, but was almost as big as the ship they were on. In fact, if looked a lot like a ship but one that was designed to sail underwater. And it wasn’t just one, but there seemed to be a small army of them rising from the depths and making their way to the island. “How is this possible...?”

“I heard rumors that the minotaurs invented a way to sail underwater, but I didn’t believe it was true...” Captain Razorwing whispered, his eyes wide open.

Hatches began to open from the top of the underwater ships as canons appeared from the opening. Like a series of thunder cracks, they fired upon the fortress in unison. The team held their ears as explosions echoed across the fortress, burst of flame erupting as towers and walls began to crumble. Cries of shock and pain were silenced from the continuous fire, but an alarm could be heard from every point of the island.

While the ships were firing, others were making their way towards land, where the upper front opened up, folding into a ramp. Upon reaching the shores, the group could see soldiers from a distance coming out and charging forward. 

Aquilina, seeing that this was their chance, grabbed her daggers and took to the air. “Well, I’m not waiting around to let them have all the fun! Charge!”

The others drew their weapons and jumped off the ship, landing on the pier as they rushed back towards the fortress with the intent of destroying it once and for all.
> The Treasure Hunt Part 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What the hay is going on?"

Every guard winced as Mistress Loveshot stormed through the halls with a glare so glaring it was as deadly as a gorgon. The alarm had been ringing for over five minutes now, giving her a massive headache. To make it worse, blasts of cannon fire and war cries were echoing around the island. It didn't take a genius to know they were under attack. Mistress Loveshot rushed over to her window and nearly paled upon seeing the Legion attacking her guards.

"Fausticorn damnit," Mistress Loveshot cursed, as she glared at her guards. "Well, what are you waiting for?! Get out there and protect me!"

They nodded and left to do their jobs, but the slave master stopped two Diamond Dogs. "Except you two! We're leaving this island and heading back to the Reef! But before we do, you're going to get that prisoner Vandar wanted! I'm not leaving without her!"

"Mistress, why?" one of the dogs asked, "I know she is valuable, and Vandar is paying a large sum for her, but she can't be worth it."

"Fool! She has information that could change everything! You'll get her, or I'll take that sword and neuter you right here!" Mistress Loveshot screamed. Her two guards quickly bowed and rushed out to grab the prisoner.

***

Windward had been in the mercenary business for a long time, but he had never seen the Legion act in battle before. Witnessing them now made him glad they were on their side. Every member of the Red Lightnings was a trained warrior in their own right, but the Legion fought like soldiers. He watched as a squad of legionnaires charged forward against a group of guards who outnumbered them two to one.

Windward was about to help out, but it soon turned out that he wasn't needed. The front spearmen, mostly consisting of minotaurs and griffins, charged forward and skewered the first line of opponents in vital areas that killed them instantly. Meanwhile, the second group of all ponies and zebras jumped onto their comrades' backs and leaped up to land directly onto another group, stabbing them with their short swords. The final group, composed of archers and mages, fired in unison and took down many of their targets while forcing the others back so that the spearmen could finish them off.

In less than five minutes, the squad had won with such precision that it was like watching a dance. Just as they finished slicing the last of the guard's neck, they went back into formation and continuing to search for their next targets.

Whistling, Windward nodded his head with approval. "Good thing these guys are on our side." He glanced over to where he saw the love of his life—even if she still denied it—casing a few ice spells towards the guards that frozen them in place. Windward dived down and used his brass horseshoes to shatter them all one by one with well-placed kicks to the face.

Landing in front of Azura, he smiled, "Guess we taught them how to cool down?"

"... that was lame even for you," Azura said, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, I'll do better," Windward said with a shrug as he and Azura charged further into the fortress. Entering the main hall, they saw Legion fighting the slavers as both sides began to take casualties, but there were more bodies of the latter than the former.

"Where's Aquilina, Yasahiro, and Captain Razorwing?" Windward asked as he dodged an ax and kicked the diamond dog in the face. His teeth shattered upon impact before Windward kicked his gut and then followed with a knee to the face to knock him out.

"Aquilina told Yasahiro where they were keeping the Captain's daughter, and then she headed off. Three guesses where she is going," Azura said before firing a magical blast into the back of an earth pony guard. He struggled to get up, but she cracked his head open with her staff while leaving him to die with his blood flowing out of his skull.

"You'd think she'd learn by now not to charge without thinking or backup!" Windward cried as he noticed a few pegasus guards were aiming crossbows at the Legion below.

Deciding to take action, he flew up towards them and managed to knock one out with a blow to the temple before the others noticed. With bladed gauntlets, three of them chased after Windward while the other two were speared in the back by ice spears thanks to Azura. Windward grinned as the three guards continued to chase after him in the air. Slowing his speed, he aimed for one of the towers and kept his eyes on the prize. One of the pegasi tried swiping at him, but Windward was able to maneuver his haunches to avoid them without slowing down.

Just as he was about to smack right into the tower, Windward pulled a one-eighty and shot straight up with two of the guards following him, but one of them was unable to pull up fast enough and slammed head first into the castle. The unfortunate one fell to the ground where Legion members speared him before he could recover.

Windward decided to use this time to turn around and take the fight to the other two guards. The three pegasi circled one another, diving and dodging blows like birds of prey. Each was trying to land a critical blow on the other, but Windward, despite the odds against him, was able to keep his guard up easily. When one of the guards tried to rip his face off, he grabbed his wing and delivered an elbow blow to the point where the wing bone met the spine. A loud snap and a scream of agony made Windward smirk before he shoved the pegasus away, screaming as he fell from their height. Despite his efforts to stay afloat, he slammed hard into a tree and didn't get up.

The remaining guard decided enough was enough and drew a pistol from his side, modified for a hoof instead of a claw or hand. Windward just stood there, arms crossed as he gave a cocky smile. "You got one shot in that thing. Can you hit me in time?"

"You think you can dodge a bullet?! You're crazy!" The guard shouted as he pulled the trigger. Before the shot could go off, Windward dived forward.

He could feel the bullet narrowly missed his face before pushing the shocked guard in the solar plexus. He finished him off with a headbutt to the face and let him drop down to his doom. "Crazy? Damn right, I am."

He grinned before diving back into the fray below.

***

The moment Spike and Rexius got back up, the fighting was already well underway. Rushing out, the two could hear the battle all around them, but there wasn't any sign it had reached them yet. Rexius turned to Spike and nodded. "Well, this turned out better than I hoped. I give it about an hour or two before this island is ours."

"Thanks for your help," Spike said, holding out his claw as Rexius shook it.

"No worries, but keep in mind, you owe the Legion one," Rexius said, grinning. "And we all always call our debts." He paused before his ears twitched. "Quick, play dead. Guards are coming."

Spike quickly got on his stomach and closed his eyes, trying to look like a corpse as a set of guards arrived. "Sir!"

"We're too late, boys. This dragon managed to shatter the crystal, which led the Legion to attack us," Rexius growled before kicking Spike as he lay down. "I managed to kill him, but we were too late. Damn Legion Spy. What's the situation?"

"We're getting killed out there, sir! We don't have the numbers or the skills these guys have. Plus, those guys from the ship from earlier are with them! The Mistress has ordered any guards that aren't fighting to escape via the hidden port!"

"Are we taking any slaves?" Rexius asked.

"From what I know, the Mistress wants the one Warlord Vandar wants and no other."

"I see. Well, I'll get the slave and meet our mistress. You get any provisions we'll need for our trip to the Reef! Move out!" Rexius ordered as the guards saluted and rushed to fulfill their order. When he was sure they were gone, Rexius told Spike he could get up.

"Did you have to kick so hard, ow," Spike said, rubbing his chest.

"Had to make it look convincing," Rexius answered. "Well, it looks like Loveshot is fleeing the coop. You going to go after her?"

"As much as I would love too, my job is to get the daughter," Spike said, cracking his knuckles. "That doesn't mean I can't bash a few slavers in my way."

"Well, guess we'll be sticking by each other for a bit longer," Rexius said, drawing his daggers. "Let's go."

Spike nodded before the two rushed to rescue their primary targets.

***

Yasahiro had led their client through the battlefield while his swords cut down any foes in their way. Many wielders of the sword often though it was the strongest that were the best fighters, but speed was the actual key. A single blow, in the right location, was all it took to end the life of an enemy. Being a former Samurai, Yasahiro learned how to kill ever since he could walk. The guards he was not impressed with, but the Legion was a different story. They were real warriors forged out of the fire known as war.

They move like one unit, slaying all who came towards them while facing death with dignity should it come for them. If this were any other opportunity, the four-tailed kitsune would have loved to clash blades with them in a duel. However, the mission took priority.

Their client, Captain Razorwing, had yet to bloody his sword, but he charged on without fear. Yasahiro had to give the sea captain credit; he was determined to find his daughter and save her. A great mindset, but he failed to realize that his death would only worsen the state of his daughter's well being. Just by looking at her, the ronin could tell she had almost given up on life. He had seen that state many times before. Most would end their lives and misery just to let death's embrace take them.

Yasahiro did not fear death, but he did not welcome it. He never would. There were those he needed to kill, and lives he needed to avenge, including his own.

Remembering Aquilina's directions, he guided them to the door she had taken to find Lana and smashed through with a shoulder tackle. Two guards were surprised to find him charging, but a slice to their sides ended them before they could do anything.

Yasahiro motioned for the captain to follow him as they made their way down the stairs. However, when they arrived on the first floor, they found about twenty-five guards in their way. Various slave pens were open, and the guards had bloody weapons on them. Bodies lingered on the floors as one guard removed their ax from the back of a female earth pony. The guards just stared at each other before raising their weapons at Yasahiro.

Staring at the bodies of the dead slaves, their blood decorating the floor red, Yasahiro glared at the guards who slowly inched away from him. Drawing all four of his katanas with his tails, and putting one in his mouth, the kitsune prepared to send these bastards to Mordum for judgment. With but a single breath, Yasahiro dashed forward faster then the front guards could react. Two of his tails flashed, cutting off two heads before the other two would find themselves deep into the chests of another.

Spinning around, Yasahiro delivered the one in his mouth straight into the gut of a minotaur guard before twisting it out and slicing upward, cutting his head like a melon. By this point, the other guards had broken out of their stupor and charged forward with their weapons. Yasahiro calmly dodged a blow to his head before blocking with one of his tails before using his lower tail to chop off the unicorn's front legs, bringing him down for a slice against the neck.

A rain of blood began to emit from the decapitated limbs and necks of the dead guards, making his black robe spotted. Yasahiro wasn't bothered by the blood as he quickly sliced three more guards with all four of his tail katanas before jumping into the air and slicing a griffin's body in two with one in his mouth.

Ten down, and it had only been forty-five seconds. Two Diamond Dog guards tried to attack from behind with their axes. Without looking, all four of Yasahiro's tails spun around from behind, blocking their blows and cutting them limb from limb until they were pieces on the floor.

Now the floor was becoming more of a river of blood, but Yasahiro never lost his step as he charged forward again. Stabbing into the chest of a female unicorn, Yasahiro used his momentum to throw her into a small group of other pony guards who struggled to get up. With one group distracted, Yasahiro turned to the others before his instincts warned him to duck. A gunshot followed as other guards began to take out their guns and take him from a distance.

Any other warrior would have been dead at this point, but Yasahiro was not the third-best in the guild for nothing. Narrowing his eyes, he remembered his training regarding ranged attacks. The purpose of his family's style was to read their opponents and react before they could strike. With shooting, it was no different. The eyes and the position of the barrel told the story, the rest was down to speed.

The guards' jaws dropped as Yasahiro ducked and jumped out of the way of the gunfire. Before they could reload, he jumped off the wall and threw all four of his tail wielded katanas in their direction, each hit in the chest at blinding speed, which knocked them off their feet. One was fast enough to reload, but the impact caused him to fire off into the side of a fellow guard.

By now the pony guards he knocked down earlier had gotten up and tried to trap Yasahiro with them one side, and the remaining guards on the other. The last shooter aimed his gun at Yasahiro and fired, but the ronin surprised them both by slicing the bullet in half with his sword. The split bullet ended up in the skulls of two of the pony guards before they knew what hit them. Yasahiro charged again with the guards trying to run away with panic on their faces. Yet, they couldn't escape the blade.

With no hesitation, Yasahiro finished them off one by one with the katana in his mouth. A few even begged for surrender, but he coldly cut them down before they could even finish a sentence. Of the group of twenty-five, only one unicorn pony remained of the guard in less than three minutes of fighting.

The lone guard, barely keeping his magic wrapped around his sword, slowly began to step back from the blood-covered kitsune who was calmly pulling his remaining katanas out of the bodies of his victims. Slowly turning around, he glared at the lone pony who dropped his sword and began to run away only to meet his end at the saber of Captain Razorwing. The dying guard gasped before the light left his eyes, and the griffin pushed him off to let him join his comrades in the void. The griffin looked at the stone eyed kitsune and grumbled, "What? I needed to do my part."

The kitsune just shrugged before motioning the captain to follow him, leaving his work for the rats to enjoy.

***

The moment they entered the main corridor, Spike had unleashed his fiery claws upon an unsuspecting guard who was about to overpower a Legion member. Rexius already had his knives out and was going to work with Spike joining him. The young dragon unleashed punch after punch and kick after kick. Smashing the bones and burning the flesh of any of the slaver scum that stood in his way. The pent up rage he had been building since landing on this gods forsaken island had been unleashed, and he was taking every moment to savor it.

Scratching half the face off a pony, Spike then turned around and snapped a roundhouse kick to the head of another one. When he sensed someone trying to attack him from behind, Spike lit his tail on fire. He speared it into the neck of a griffin flying right at him with two swords before throwing the burning corpse into a group of his slaver comrades, catching them on fire as well. Rexius had moved like lightning with his knives to stab at various joints and weak points in the guards' armor before finishing them off with a stab or slice to the throat, sometimes even throwing a spare knife or two to finish off changing opponents.

Just as another was about to charge at him, a flash of burning white flames erupted. Peewee, faithful as always, scratched and burned the goon's face before retreating to his partner. Spike allowed his familiar to land on his shoulders before he tweeted hello.

"Good to see you too, Peewee," Spike answered.

A Legion Diamond Dog with a funny spike-like hat with a red mane slammed his squad shield into the head of a guard, dazing it before he finished with a stab to the gut. Tearing the guard off, he made his way to Rexius before giving a quick salute. "Frumentarii Rexius!"

"Centurion! What's the word?!" Rexius asked while slitting the throat of a unicorn guard.

"All landing parties have secured the beaches! We've taken most of the hold save for a few places that are boarded up!" The Centurion then looked up and smiled. "And our new friends seem to be helping out as well."

A half-dead pegasus crashed onto the ground before Windward landed right on top of it, breaking the spine. He smirked at Spike and nodded. "Glad you joined the party, Spike."

"Where are the others?" Spike asked.

"Azura and I have been having fun here. Yasahiro and Captain Razorblade are off to save his daughter and Aquilina...."

Spike resisted the urge to facepalm. "Let me guess. She went after Loveshot." Windward nodded. "Damn it, Aquilina. I'm going after her."

"I think she can handle a slave master, Spike," Windward stated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, but the last time she did something like this, she got caught by this guy!" Spike shouted, thumbing towards Rexius. "You stay here and wait for Yasahiro to get back. I'm going after Aquilina!"

"What about your daughter in distress?" Rexius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yasahiro is the best of us. He'll be fine. Where do I go to find Loveshot?" Spike demanded.

Pointing to a small tower in the distance, Rexius answered, "That way. Just try not to get killed."

Spike didn't even answer as he rushed as fast as he could in the direction Rexius pointed with Peewee flying right beside him. Come on, Aquilina. Please don't do anything stupid!

***

Aquilina removed her knife from the latest victim as she licked the blood off and stared at the three guards that prevented her from meeting face to face with the head bitch of this island. "And that's thirty-nine of you bastards so far. Wanna add yourself to the count, boys?"

The three were staring at her with wide eyes and sweaty faces. No doubt seeing six of their comrades stabbed to death multiple times with their organs coming out had something to do with it. Twirling her knives, Aquilina slowly made her way forward as one of the pony guards, a unicorn, decided to charge forward with his blade levitating above his head. Even gave off a war cry, but was silenced the moment Aquilina dodged his attack with a simple spin and sliced his neck open. Ignoring his futile attempts to delay his death on the ground, Aquilina made for the second pony guard, an earth pony, and ducked under his sweeping attack before stabbing him in the gut with both her daggers and ripped them out. His organs started coming out as he fell to his stomach while vainly trying to keep them in before his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

"Grandus above..." the lone griffin guard muttered as he stared at Aquilina. He quickly dropped his pole staff and held his claws up. "Mercy! I surrender! I swear I just did this for the money! I didn't do anything wrong."

Aquilina stared at the slave guard before walking up to him and asked, "Didn't do anything wrong, huh? You just stood around like an obedient little pet and tried to stay out of trouble?"

"Y-Yes!" he answered.

Aquilina sighed before taking her rear leg and shoving it straight between his rear legs. He squealed in pain, kneeling over as Aquilina spat in his face. "You did nothing. You just stood there as innocent creatures were beaten, tortured, raped, killed, and forced to act like worms! You. Did. Nothing?!"

"W-wait... I... I don't want to die!" he begged, tears streaming down his face. His pleas fell on deaf ears as she shoved both her daggers into the side of his head before kneeing him in the face.

"And they didn't want to be slaves. Tough shit."

With a huff, Aquilina went over to the door that led to the final room on the top floor and kicked it down. Her wings spread out, she glared at the Slave Master unicorn who just stared at Aquilina with a raised eyebrow. "Who the hay are you?"

"Me? I'm room service. I'm here to deliver these knives into your skull and shove it up your flankhole before giving you an all-expense paid trip to the void," Aquilina replied, walking in as if she owned the place. "Gotta say, normally when I see slavery shit like this, I go berserk and kill every one of you ruckers with extreme prejudice. However, I've had to hold back on that for the sake of a job. Now?" She lifted both her knives and grinned. "Oh, sister, I'm going to have fun with you."

"... I should have realized there was something wrong when you and your group of friends arrived," Mistress Loveshot answered, sighing. "I got soft with this job."

"You're about to get dead in a second," Aquilina snorted.

"Oh, I do not doubt that this is the end," Mistress Loveshot sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Even if I were to get past you, no doubt the Legion has already taken control of the island. And with most of my guards dead or surrendering, I won't have enough to help me control the boat out of here."

"Well, you're kinda ruining the fun of this," Aquilina said, sighing in frustration. "I wanted to see you beg for your life or at least put up a fight."

"Well, I was going just to drink some poison I keep at hand and end it all, but seeing you, well, I've decided to have some fun before I die," Mistress Loveshot answered with a sly grin. Her eyes checking out Aquilina with such leer that it made the griffin shiver. "Hmmm, yes, I think I'll enjoy seeing you suffer a bit. It turns me on, you can say."

"The ruck are you smoking?!" Aquilina growled as she lifted her daggers. "The only one going to enjoy seeing any suffering is me!" She made an effort to head for Mistress Loveshot.

"You know that's a nice tattoo you have on," Mistress Loveshot replied as her horn glowed along with the chain tattoo on Aquilina's cheek.

Immediately, a familiar and unwanted pain ripped through Aquilina's nerves as she screamed. Falling to the ground, she held her head in agony as the cursed tattoo on her cheek went to work, slowly making it feel like her brain was getting crushed while an invisible rope was around her neck. She tried to breathe, but she could only gasp for air as her eyes nearly popped out of her skull. The only thing she could do was scream and curse as a laughing Mistress Loveshot walked over.

"Do you think I don't know what that tattoo on your face is, slave? I worked for Ars Arcadum, and I know how to use such a thing with ease," Mistress Loveshot said, grinning with delight as Aquilina squirmed underneath her. "That's it. Feel the pain. Know that for all your high talk and mighty strength, you're still trapped in the chains of your betters. The powerlessness that flows through you as you try to shield yourself from the truth. That no matter how free you think you are, all it takes is the right spell to make you my bitch!"

"R-Ruc-AAAUUGH!" Aquilina screamed as the pain now spread to her wings and chest. Her claws were digging deep as she tore out bits of her hair and feathers from her wings. She kicked in the air and rolled around, trying to stop it. It was like fire in her veins. Nails hammered into her spine. Flashes of those days as her master disciplined her entered her mind. The taunts. The shame. The utter disgusting ways he tore her apart. Tears were coming out of her eyes as she begged for the pain to stop in her head.

For a moment it did, she felt the pain lessons as she began to breathe again, her energy spent in dealing with a real nightmare from hell. That all froze when she felt a hoof on her rear end, the Mistress caressing her like she was a pet toy. "Hmm, fine flank. Very fine."

"Don't... touch me... bitch!" Aquilina hissed, slowly getting up, but then the pain returned, and she was brought back down again.

"That's mistress..." she ordered, glaring at Aquilina with a grin. "I am your mistress. I am your master. You will obey."

Aquilina felt the pain getting lower, towards her feet and haunches.

"Obey!"

She was now openly sobbing. Her entire body was a slave to this demon who was hurting her without even touching her. The feeling she buried, the pains she locked away, what she fought to remember every day, and in every dream to forget. All unleashed with a straightforward spell.

"Obey!"

She wanted someone to save her. She didn't care who it was as long as it either ended the pain or ended her life. She wanted her mommy. She wanted her uncle. She wanted... she wanted...

"Obey me, slave! YOU WILL OBEY!"

"SPIKE!!!!" Aquilina screamed as loud as she could.

And then there was a roar filled with nothing but utter rage. Something exploded in the background before a scream followed. There was a tussle, fire roaring from the depths of hell as pleas for mercy where shouted, but we're over showed by the roaring rage that overwhelmed Aquilina's ears. She didn't dare look, all she could do was close her eyes and shed tears as the pain faded, but she could still feel the feeling. The feeling of helplessness. The feeling of worthlessness. The shame. The anger. The memory that she was, and always would be, a slave.

It was quiet, now. Too quiet. Aquilina hoped that the mistress wouldn't hurt her again. Aquilina would be good. Aquilina had to be good.

Then something touched her, and she froze up. It lifted her into its embrace, and she felt neither the cold air nor the sharp pain, but warmth. Caring warmth. A voice whispered into her ear, "It's okay. I have you. I have you, Aquilina. You're safe."

Safe

That was what she was.

She was not a slave.

Not a slave.

She was safe.

I'm not a slave... I'm safe... I'm not a slave... I'm safe...

She repeated this in her mind, sobbing tears down her cheeks as Spike carefully held onto her while the crushed and burned body of Mistress Loveshot lay behind them. Peewee landed nearby and began to sing a song that echoed warmly over the ruins of the now conquered island.
> The Treasure Hunt Part 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was too bad that you couldn’t kill a body twice, because that was what Spike wanted to do to the now-deceased Loveshot. Despite making a mess of her corpse, it wasn’t enough in his mind to make her pay for what she had done to Aquilina. Yet for all the hatred he had for the bitch, it was nothing compared to the hatred he had for himself. He knew a part of him couldn’t blame himself for having Aquilina suffer in pain until he ended it. But just seeing her, motionless for just a few seconds, made her think about the one he did lose because he wasn’t there when she needed him.

Carrying the now sleeping Aquilina, thanks to a soft song from Peewee, Spike made his way through the fortress which now flew the proud flags of the Legion. What few remaining guards were being lined up and taken away while slaves of all kinds were being put in packs while tended to by mages and doctors. 

He looked around for his team but didn’t need to look far as Windward dashed down from the air with a worried look. Gazing up at Aquilina, Windward asked, “What happened?”

“Loveshot activated her slave tattoo. I’m taking her back to the ship. We’re heading out as soon as we get the daughter,” Spike muttered.

“Where is that bitch of a whore?” Windward growled, stomping on the ground. “I’ll shove that horn up her plothole and turn her into a popsicle.”

“She’s dead,” Spike answered, moving forward. Windward only nodded before following him. A moment later, he spotted Azura and Yasahiro talking to Agent Rexius while in between them was Captain Razor and his daughter, crying as they embraced each other. His friends soon noticed him holding Aquilina and were quick to appear.

“Is she okay?” Azura asked, readying her horn to assist.

“She needs to rest,” Spike answered, but nodded to Azura. “However, I’ll need your help to make sure. To the ship.”

Turning to the captain, Spike said, “We’re leaving as soon as you're ready. I want to get back to HQ.”

“Of course, I just need to get my daughter checked up by a doctor before we go,” Captain Razor answered, nodding. “I can’t thank you all enough...”

“Neither can I,” Agent Rexius said, walking forward with a smile. “I’d shake your claw, but I can see both are occupied. Just know that you’ve made a friend with the Legion today. I hope that we don’t meet on opposite ends of a job one day.”

“Same here,” Spike aIS, looking at the destruction the small army had done. “What are you going to do about this place?”

“For the slaves we’ll find someplace for them to be taken care of. The guards we’ll just execute and dump their bodies into the sea,” Agent Rexius said which made some of the nearby guards turn white and start pleading for mercy, but their calls fell on deaf ears. “As for the island? Might be a good base someday.”

Spike would have rather seen it destroyed, but he didn’t care to mention it. He only nodded while hoping he never did see Agent Rexius again. Spies were not exactly the most trustworthy of sort, and this alliance only happened because of circumstance. He looked upon the vast numbers, machines, and weapons they used and grimy thought, I’d hate to see them use all this against us. 

***

It took four hours for the captain and his daughter to return to the ship, but they did so with Lana looking a bit healthy and less dirty. Once they came aboard, Razor quickly had the ship set sail while asking Azura to give his daughter some clothes before making them all a meal. Windward, Yasahiro, and Peewee took watch on the top floor of the ship to make sure none of the Legion were following. Just in case.

Spike, meanwhile, had placed Aquilina in her bed and continued to watch her without moving. His thoughts went back to how she was screaming and twitching in pain as Loveshot forced her to feel agony without end. He had never seen Aquilina cry or weep as she did in his arms when it was all over. Spike was not an idiot by any stretch of the imagination. It didn’t take a pair of glasses to see how Aquilina always held a mask of arrogance, energy, and smarkness. Yet, beyond it, she was, like many other souls on these cursed islands, a broken bird.

After all, normal griffins didn’t start drinking at the age of twelve to block out nightmares.

The door opened and Spike glanced behind him to see Lana, now dressed in a simple white long sleeve shirt, enter quietly. Nodding to Spike, she walked forward and bowed her head. “I... I wanted to thank you... for saving me. I know it wasn’t easy and... some of you got hurt.” She turned her eyes to Aquilina.

“We were more than happy to help,” Spike said, giving a small smile. “No creature should be enslaved.”

“Five years...” Lana whispered, tearing up. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “Five years of a nightmare, and I still can’t believe it’s over... all because of some stupid horn I was hired to find...”

“A horn?” Spike asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s nothing...” Lana said, shaking her head. She turned her eyes to Aquilina and slowly walked forward. Looking at her sleeping face, Lana sighed and closed her eyes. “Your friend... she was a slave once too, correct?”

“Yeah,” Spike whispered.

“Does it still hurt her?” 

“Yes.”

“I see.” Lana turned away and held a paw to her chest. “How does one... go on after experiencing such a thing? Because I am afraid to wake up and feel that... nothing will be right ever again.”

Spike got up and placed a claw on her shoulder. “You take every day one day at a time. Only you don’t do it alone. You have your father and...if you want you can come to visit us.” Lana looked at him, surprised. “I know what it's like to wake up and feel like the world is just wrong; how one change in your life makes you wonder if it's ever going to be normal again? Truth is that it never will be normal again, or at least the normal you once knew. But you can make it a new normal. One that you can be satisfied with waking up to every dawn.”

Lana was quiet for a while, but slowly a soft smile appeared on her face while hope beamed into her eyes. “Thank you. I’d like to take up your offer of seeing you all again. I don’t think I’ll be heading into the high seas for some time after all this.”

“Sure, we’re always looking for creatures to help out,” Spike said, grinning. “The boss of the guild is my teacher. I’m sure he’ll work something out.”

Lana nodded before excusing herself. She closed the door behind her and Spike sighed before a familiar voice said, “If it was any other guy I’d swear they’d be only saying that shit to just sleep with her.”

“Glad to see you up,” Spike said, turning around as Aquilina sat up. “How are you feeling?” Her glare at him was enough to answer. “Right, stupid question. Need anything?”

“Something to drink... something hard...” Aquilina moaned, holding her head with one arm. 

“No alcohol. Just water,” Spike stated as he walked over to a pitcher on the nearby table and poured some in a cup. “Azura did a quick check-up with her magic, but she’s not a medical expert. You’re taking it easy until we get back to shore and have the guild’s healers take a look at you.”

Aquilina opened her mouth to protest, but Spike narrowed his eyes and forced her to stand down. Handing her the glass, she drank the whole thing in one gulp before lying back down. “So...what happened?”

“Loveshot is dead. Good riddance. The Legion took over the island. We got Lana on the ship and we’re heading for home,” Spike said, sitting back down. “About what happened...”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Aquilina--”

“I don’t want to rucking talk about it!” Aquilina shouted, glaring at Spike. “Just leave me alone!”

Spike sighed and got up. Making his way to the door he paused before turning towards his friend. “I’ll be ready when you're ready.”

He then left, but as soon as he closed the door his ears picked up the soft sounds of sobbing.

***

The winds favored the ship as Judecca appeared over the horizon the next morning. Spike couldn’t help but feel relieved to see home and was eager to get his feet on the actual ground. He made sure that everyone was ready before walking back into Aquilina’s room where she was twirling her daggers around. Realizing she had company, the griffin put them away before looking at Spike. Not with the rage she had yesterday, but with sorrow and, to his surprise, shame.

“Hey,” Aquilina whispered walking towards him. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. Spike slowly returned the favor as the two embraced in silence. 

“Thank you for saving me...” Aquilina whispered, ending the hug. “I... I’m sorry I screwed up...”

“You didn’t screw up,” Spike said, before getting a raised eyebrow. “Alright, you screwed up a bit, but the point is we’re all home and the mission was accomplished.”

“I know, but I should have known!” Aquilina groaned as she rubbed the tattoo that had caused her so much misery and pain. “I should have known she would know how to turn this stupid thing on again! I... I haven’t felt it in so long I thought I’d... I’d...”

“You don’t have to--”

“No! I have to! Just...” Aquilina sighed and looked down. “Spike... she... she... didn’t just hurt me. Sh-she also... right here...” Her claw moved towards the area right between her legs and Spike blushed before growing. 

I wasn’t harsh enough. 

”The tattoo... it doesn't just cause pain... it makes you feel...” Aquilina was now shedding a few tears. “My Mas-father he...”

“Aquilina, stop!” Putting his claws on her shoulders, Spike forced her to look up at him. “Aquilina, whatever she did and whatever your father did, I promise you it won’t happen again! I’ll never let them take you or hurt you like that! Ever! I’ll kill whoever tries!” 

“Spike...” Aquilina sighed before nuzzling him. “Even if you did I’ll still have this damn thing on me forever.”

No, Spike thought, as he silently made a vow to the gods themselves. I’ll find a way to free you, even if I have to interrogate every member of Ars Arcanum to get an answer. 

***

“Here’s your payment. And a bonus for all your help,” Captain Razorwing said as he handed a big bag of silver to Spike. He accepted it with a nod before gazing over at Lana who gave a small smile. “We’re going to settle some things before finding a place to stay. Lana says you have a job for her?”

“We’re always looking for help at the guild,” Spike said, handing the bag to Azura who shrunk it with a spell and put it in her robes. “She won’t have to fight or anything. We look for cooks, cleaners, organizers, bartenders, etc.”

“After five years of being forced to clean my own shit off my raggedy clothes, I think cleaning tables of beer will be a godsend,” Lana said. “Thank you all again. I hope the gods watch over you.”

“After all this? They better,” Windward said as the five turned around and made their way down the pier. 

“So what do we do now?” the pegasus asked, turning to his group. “I mean I just want to get back to the guild, get drunk, and sleep for the next three days.”

“That’s one of the best ideas you’ve ever had,” Azura said, nodding in agreement. 

“Well, here is another one. You and I could sleep together those three days?” Windward said, grinning. “After a few shots of hard Apple Cider?”

“On second thought, I’ll drink water.”

“I’m going to meet up with Marc and let him know we’re back. Azura, I’d like you to take Aquilina to the healers first,” Spike said before turning to said griffin. “And no complaints.”

“Fine. Whatever.”

“Great so what about you, Yasa--” Windward turned around and found their ronin friend was already gone. “I swear, one of these days...”

***

“...And that’s what happened,” Spike said, looking at his teacher who had stopped leaning as soon as Spike mentioned the island was a slave pen. His expression turned serious and then darkened when he got to the part about Aquilina.

“Wish I'd bin theear ta kill deur Loveshot bitch,” Marc growled as some fire burst from his nostrils. “Bloody, Razor. If 'e told me da truf ov da damn job I'd 'ave put someone else innit.”

He looked up and glared at Spike. “Ya not takin' anuvver job until I say so. I'll talk wiv Aquilina. Hopefully, she'll be right as rain after a week awer two ov relaxing.”

Spike nodded in agreement before getting up. He was about to leave when he paused and turned to Marc. “I want to learn the Rocket Flare.”

“Spike. That move is an' all advanced one. Yer not ready, lad.”

“I just saw my best friend get abused in ways nobody should ever be,” Spike said, putting his claws on the table and glaring at Marc. “I’m not losing another friend like I lost Twilight, Marc. Now teach me or get bucked.”

“...Fine. Tomorra. Usual place. Do ant eat. Tha'il just wang it up.”

***

Lana had to be sure that her father was asleep before she could sneak out of the house. It hurt her to do this to him, but she had to make sure the job she was hired to do was done or else they would never stop hunting her. She knew it wouldn’t take long for the Warlord’s spies to find her, so it was best to go to get in contact by sending to the few messages she knew worked for him. Sure enough, two hours later, she was given a message to meet at the pier. The same spot where they had given her the mission five years ago.

She was tempted to tell her father or even the mercenaries who rescued her, but they had already risked so much for her. No, she had to do this on her own and finish it.

Wrapping the cloak around her body, Lana looked around the misty pier hoping that they would come soon. Much as she liked breathing the fresh air as a free griffin once more, it was a risk being alone here at night. Especially in her physical condition. 

“Where the ruck are they?” Lana growled, tapping her foot impatiently. 

“We’re always behind you.” 

Lana gasped and looked around but there was no creature around. “H-hello?”

“Down here.”

Raising an eyebrow, Lana looked down to the water to see, of all things, an orange male Siren looking at her with his head covered by some kind of dark black helmet that covered his face. He also wore similar black armor, but she could see his soul stone around his neck. “Are you Lana? I was told you have the information our Lord has been searching for."

“Yes, but I’m confused. What’s a siren doing working for a warlord on land?” Lana asked.

“I have my reasons. Now give me the information. Where is the Horn of Centarus?”

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small piece of paper that held the coordinates. Glaring at it, wishing she could forget about the pace, she tossed it down to the water where the siren levitated it with his magic; keeping it dry in a small bubble. “There, but just so you know? He’s crazy into thinking he can get it. I lost half of my crew just landing on the damn island and the traps and beasts there are so great even dragons would have a hard time dealing with them.”

“That’s our problem. Now, you tell nobody about this, or you’ll wish you stayed locked up on that island,” the siren said before diving into the water without another word.

Lana sighed and felt a weight lifted off her shoulder. Making her way back, she hoped that she would never have to deal with that island or its cursed horn ever again.
> Helping Aquilina Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike hated to admit it, but back when he was living in Equestria he was a very weak dragon. Sure he had claws, and could breathe fire, but he never used them violently. He had always been afraid of being seen as a monster and feared being seperated from Twilight when he was growing up. That incident on his birthday where his greed got the better of him, making him threaten Ponyville, had haunted him for months. Maybe that’s why he liked superheros so much growing up. They were strong, brave, and could knock any villain out with a good punch. Old Spike didn’t so much as wanted to hurt a fly.

Now, Spike could very well hurt anyone, including the grey furred Diamond Dog in the leather jacket that was matching him blow for blow in the ring. It wasn’t the first time he and Rynx had danced, and it wasn’t going to be the last. Not that Spike wouldn’t want it any other way. 

Ducking under a rising roundhouse kick, Spike went for an uppercut only to miss by inches. Using his momentum, he turned his body to try for a sidekick that was caught in the paws of his opponent. He twisted the leg to try and force the dragon down, but a quick flip allowed him to escape without harm.

Pushing off the mat, Spike slammed his fists together to encase them in flames. His opponent wasn’t worried, but rather smirked, got into a fighting stance, and motioned for Spike to bring it. Grinning, Spike delivered as he dashed forward with a few jabs that were blocked, but Rynx was unable to stop the solid hook that knocked his face back. The flames were not at their hottest, but the singes on the fur could be smelled from a mile away. What Spike wasn’t expecting was for Rynx to grab his arm, turn around, flip the surprised dragon over, and slam him on the mat hard.

Losing concentration, the flames quickly burned out, and Rynx locked his legs around Spike as he forced him into an armbar. Spike gritted his teeth as he tried to move up, but the dog's legs were thick and forced him down. A few voices outside of the ring were yelling for a tap, but Spike wasn’t going to give up that easy. Rynx may have locked four of his limbs, but he forgot about the fifth. 

Maneuvering his haunches, Spike got his tail up and shot it right up Rynx’s nose. The diamond dog yelped as he broke the armbar and shot his paws to his nose. Spike took the advantage and got on top of Rynx before pounding at him with his fists and elbows. 

Rynx did his best to defend himself, but a few of those blows managed to get through. However, Rynx had a trick up his sleeve as well as he grabbed Spike by the shoulders and forced their heads together. It was sort of stupid to headbutt a dragon with tough scales, but it made Spike wince, and that was enough for Rynx to push him off while slugging him across the face for good measure.

Both fighters took a moment to regain themselves while raising their fists in anticipation for their next move. The voices around them were screaming at them to keep going, but neither opponent acknowledged them. 

Taking a deep breath, Spike charged forward with Rynx ready to defend himself. Only instead of attacking, Spike led out a breath of his magical fire that wrapped around him like a cloak, and he vanished. Rynx’s large blue eyes widened as he looked around for Spike. What he found was his clawed foot, smacking him across the face with a hard kick after re-teleporting seconds later to the diamond dog’s right side.

The blow managed to send Rynx out of the ring and onto the cold hard floor where he gathered his thoughts with a few shakes of his head before punching the solid earth in frustration. “Ring out!” the referee, a female griffin in plate armor announced with a smirk. “Spike wins!” 

There was a mix of cheers and boos, but the loudest of them was Windward, who was flapping his wings with joy while punching his hoof in the air. “Alright! That’s my boy dragon!” He turned around to a bunch of grumbled guild members who were opening their wallet bags. “That’s right! Pay the pegasus, boys! Windward is going home rich tonight!” 

Spike rolled his eyes at the cheerful pegasus before walking over to Rynx and holding his claw out. Rynx stared at, snorted with amusement, and took it as he was picked up. “Damn, I still fall for that trick. You dragons and your magical fire breath.”

“If it helps, I’m a rare kind,” Spike said, patting him on the back. “Most dragons just burn things without any control.”

“Most dragons aren’t trained by the best fighter, and leader, of a mercenary guild,” Rynx said as he made way for the next pair of fighters to have their match. “Three years since I joined, and you still kick my butt like it's nothing.”

“Hey, you’ve beaten me a few times in the past, and you’re getting better. That move I only save for serious fights,” Spike complimented as the two walked over to a seving girl who had a tray of drinks to hand out. Both fighters put a piece of silver and took two sodas before sipping on it. “Besides, you’re lucky that Silverwolf was impressed enough to take you under his wing. I had to wait for Marc to finally train me.” 

“I guess being the apprentice to the second best fighter in the guild does have some perks,” Rynx admitted with a smirk as he finished his drink in one gulp. “Still wish he would teach me some of his special techniques, though. I saw him slice a boulder with his claws with one swipe. Imagine what other moves he’s got.”

“It took Mark five years to finally teach me how to summon fire in my limbs,” Spike said, showing off the flames burning in his claw. “Trust me, he’ll teach you soon.”
“Hope so,” Rynx said, tossing the cup away while putting his paws in his jacket. “Same time tomorrow?”

“Nah, I’m taking it easy tomorrow,” Spike said, finishing his drink. “How about Friday?”

“Works for me. I’m gonna check the mission board. Later.” The two fist bumped before the diamond dog took his leave from the training room. 

Windward, carrying a heavy sack of silver, cheerfully levitated over to Spike and said, “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

“Starting to realize that Azura is not into you?” Spike joked as the two exited side by side. 

“Hey, she will be! Once I finally win her with my charms,” Windward said, grinning.

“Why do you keep bothering, Windward?” Spike said, rolling his eyes. “I admit, you’re very determined, but I think with all the times she’s frozen your sorry flank-literally, I might add-you’d get a clue and try some other girl.”

“Nonsense! She’s just plain hard to get! I know the type,” Windward said. “She acts like a cold diamond of ice, but deep inside, I know she has a warm sensitive side that will open those gates of love for me as her one true mate.”

“Or she’ll send you to the gates of hell itself after she finally kills you with an ice spell to the head,” Spike pointed out.

“Hey, I’m a pony remember? We don’t have a hell,” Windward said, smirking. “We just get turned into donkey’s if we’re bad.”

“So you’ll be also an ass in your next life. Good to know,” Spike jibbed, earning a weak punch to the shoulder. 

When they arrived at the bar, they quickly found a table and sat down. Nearby, Razzdog could be heard on the radio nearby. “Yo mah' island dsheeiters, it's yo' favo'ite Diamond Dod DJ, Razzdog. Hooooowwwwl!” shouted the voice on the radio. “Right On! So we gots some interestin' news fo' ya' boys. First waaay down, de alliance between de Halberd Win's and Dragons Gate Clan be over. Right On! Bod sides gots into an argument dat lead t'some pretty intense fightin' t'de point where some blood war be startin'. All ya' yung bloods out dere lookin' t'make some dojigga' fo' yo'selves betta' get started on dose hirin' process. In majo' league news, de once slave island dat wuz snatchn ova' by de Legion, wid help fum some mercs fum Red Lightnin' gotss'ta officially been to'n waaay down brick fum brick. When asked why de island wuzn't goin' t'be made into some sea po't fo' de Legion, we wuz told it wuz in de best interest t'not gotss' some base so's far fum deir plantashun turf. What it is, Mama. Right On! So free island fo' dose wants'in' it. Tensions between Unico'nia and da damn Minotaur Islands continues as anoda' escalashun mos' came t'blows, but so's far official war gotss'ta not be declared. On de oda' side uh de wo'ld, Equestria's Princesses gotss' once again put out an issue uh some warnin' fo' wants'ed criminal Tirek. Tirek, fo' dose who duzn't know, be one bad-ass dude who tried takin' ova' de wo'ld but wuz defeated by our homeyly ponies uh de west. Oda' nashuns gotss' promised t'keep an eye on de criminal and return him t'Tartarus where his red butt belongs. Dat's de news so's far, now back t'de beat dogs. Right On!"     

“It’s been a week since they’ve gone on about that Tirek guy,” Windward said, accepting a drink from a waitress. “Is he that dangerous?”

“He came out of Tartarus,” Spike said, narrowing his eyes. “So he’s definitely dangerous.”

He remembered Twilight teaching him all about the ancient prison from a time so long ago there were barely any records of it. How it held the most ancient of evils that were sentenced to a fate worse than death or were too powerful to be destroyed. Inside, you slowly wasted away over time, yet you never died. You went hungry, thirsty, and could get sick, but the cursed magic prevented you from dying. A thousand to ten thousand years of agonizing pain and suffering and you would never die.

“Hmm,” Windward said, quickly losing interest. “So, when are we doing another mission?”

“It’s still been a week, Windward,” Spike said, leaning back against his chair. “Marc doesn't want us going out into action yet. Besides, we’re not all yet ready.”

“You mean Aquilina?” Windward asked, sighing. “She's still saying up in her room, huh?”

“Well, she’s starting to hang out in the dining area and bar, talking to me and her uncle,” Spike said, accepting a drink and sipping it. “But she still refuses to come back to the hideout.”

Not that it wasn’t a surprise. Word had spread of what happened to her on the island, and Aquilina didn’t want the attention for once. Everyone on the team swore they didn’t tell, but it was too late to do damage control. “I should go check up on her,” Spike said, putting down his still full drink. “I’ll catch you tomorrow.”

Nodding to Windward, Spike got up and made his way for the lift back up to the surface. Just as it was coming down, he spotted Yasahiro stepping off and bowing to Spike. “Hey, Yasa. Doing okay?” The Kitsune ronin nodded. “Thanks, I’m about to go see Aquilina. See if I can get her to come to The Rotten Barrel for once.”

Yasahiro then rubbed his chin as if he was in deep thought before a smirk decorated his lips. Spike tilted his head in confusion, but before he could answer, the kitsune was already walking away. “Um, okay. Bye.” The young dragon got up on the lift and waited for it to head up while wondering what the fox was up to this time.

***

The Rotten Barrel was overflowing with guests by the time Spike arrived which caused Rupert to ask Spike to get on the stove and start cooking. While Spike worked on a triple cheese tortellini with fresh vegetables, Rupert was talking near the kitchen, pouring drinks. “So Head Chef Master Fresh Taste was here earlier looking for you.”

“Did you tell them that I wasn’t interested in becoming his apprentice. Again?” Spike said, rolling his eyes. Every week or so one of the high ranking chefs of the Cooking Guilds came to ask him-or beg if one was being honest-to come work for them. “I should be flattered, but quite frankly I can’t stand the snootiness.”

I never thought I’d find a group of creatures worse than the Canterlot Nobility, but those guys come a close second, Spike thought as he added the cheese. 

“Well, what do you expect when you manage to beat one of their highest ranking chefs with a full five course meal to the point where he cries tears due to the taste?” Rupert asked, chuckling. “Also, a letter came to you from Ruby.”

Spike paused in his cooking and felt two emotions threatening to burst out of him: Fear and Rage. Taking a deep breath, and counting to ten, he asked, “Has... he shown up?”

“No, but she does want you to know that she’ll be out of contact for awhile due to visiting a friend,” Rupert said, before sighing. “Look, Spike, you need to get that incident out of your head.”

“...I lead them to their deaths,” Spike whispered, closing his eyes. “It was my idea and it blew up in my face...”

“The way Aquilina says it,” Rupert said, leaning forward from the window, “It was that Diamond Dog’s fault. Not yours. And I won’t have you moping around again like you did six years ago.”

“Trust me, you can thank your niece for that,” Spike said, rubbing the back of his head. “But you’re right. It is his fault. And if I find him... I’ll kill him.” Spike made a point by stabbing a knife into a nearby slice of meat. “I’ll kill him and burn whatever part of him remains.”

“...You did wash that knife, right?” Rupert asked to which Spike blushed and quickly went to reclean the meat. 

Rupert rolled his eyes and started to refill glasses when he spotted Aquilina, dragging herself to a stool, and laying her head on the bar table with a thud. Peewee flew right behind her and landed on her shoulders. Rupert sighed, poured her some coffee, and put it next to her head. “Bad dreams?”

“...yeah,” Aquilina muttered as she lifted her head to drink the hot drink. “Even Peewee’s singing can’t help.” The young phoenix tweeted softly in apology as Aquilina petted him. “Relax, it's not your fault.”

“Maybe we should get a professional to check you out,” Rupert offered, putting his talons over hers. “This has been going on for a week now, and I’m concerned.”

“I’m not seeing a quack,” Aquilina growled before getting up with her coffee in hand. “Give me a few more days and I’ll be fine!” 

“Aquilina...”

“I’m fine, Uncle Rupert!” Aquilina shouted before retreating upstairs with Peewee flying back to her seat, shaking her head.

Spike, having heard everything, looked at Aquilina as she hurried back up to her bed. Seven days and she rarely ever came down save for eating or the bathroom. The others had come to visit, but she rarely ever talked and just listened most of the time. The worst was the evenings when she would toss and turn while crying in her sleep. One night it was so bad, she started screaming, and it took all three of them to comfort her and get her to sleep again. 

Pounding the counter, Spike cursed himself and wondered what he should do. Normally, he would have asked Princess Luna to help, but even if he was willing to risk exposing his location to the sisters, Erebus Islands were too far away for Luna’s dream walking powers. He was no psychologist or therapist. Plus, he just couldn’t stand another day seeing her in pain. 

Once again, he cursed Mistress Loveshot and wished Fausticorn allowed bad ponies to be left in the void instead of reincarnation. There had to be something to help her. Something to get her to relax again.

“Um, Spike? That kitsune friend of yours is here,” Rupert said, getting the dragon’s attention. “And he’s kind of scaring my customers.”

Walking out of the kitchen, he saw the ronin kitsune standing in the middle with all eyes on him. Or more accurately the swords he had. A few of the more armed guests were reaching for their own weapons just in case, but Yasahiro didn’t even seem to care. Of course, if someone did try something stupid like attack the samurai, they would be dead before they hit the ground. Spike quickly rushed over to Yasahiro and dragged him to the side. “Don’t mind them, they’re not used to seeing a heavily armed fox who can slice them into sushi,” Spike said, crossing his arms. “What’s up?”

The kitsune gave a small smile before showing a set of five purple and white tickets. Raising an eyebrow, Spike took one of them and read it out loud. “The Five Ring Carnival and Circus Show?” Spike took a moment to realize what Yasahiro was implying. “Wait, you want us to go to a carnival and circus? You?”

Yasahiro nodded.

“...Okay, a wandering samurai fox who kills with ease and likes carnivals with popcorn and clowns. A weird combination,” Spike muttered.

Rolling his eyes, Yasahiro pointed upwards towards his and Aquilina’s room, and Spike finally got the picture. “Ohhh, you want all of us, including Aquilina, to go and have fun which might cheer her up.” Spike looked at the tickets and shrugged. “Well, I guess I’ll try, but I doubt she’ll want to go.”

***

“OF COURSE I WANT TO RUCKING GO!” 

Spike had to nearly slap his face upon hearing this. “Wait, really?! You want to go to the carnival?!”

“Of course!” Aquilina said with a bright-eyed face with stars in her eyes. It was a complete turn around from her usual behavior. “I’ve always wanted to go see one! The animals! The games! The clowns! Oh, I hope they are as funny as they say they are!” 

“I’m just... kinda surprised,” Spike said, but smiling nonetheless. “I would have thought you’d think they were childish or something.”

“Pssh, Carnivals are bright and colorful and designed to have fun! Or at least that’s what my mom always told me,” Aquilina said, blushing as she rubbed her wrist. “Mom used to tell me about how much fun she had at the Carnival when she was a kid. The amazing acts and rides. The weird and tasty treats. All the unique animals and prizes you can win. I’ve always wanted to go, but I... didn’t have anyone to go with me.”

“What about Rupert?” Spike asked.

“He’s terrified of clowns,” Aquilina said, giggling. “I once saw him screaming and running away from a pony mime when I was nine. But anyway, can we go?!” 

Spike, looking at his ticket, smiled and nodded. “Yup, let’s go to the carnival!”