Though he knew Twilight wouldn’t think so, Spike felt she wasn’t missing out on seeing the Griffon Homeland.
The place looked like it had once been a mighty kingdom: set at the top of a mountain, perched in a tree that made the Tree of Harmony look like a Hearth’s Warming decoration.
Unfortunately, time had not been kind to the tree of Griffonstone. Where the Tree of Harmony stood tall and bright, the Tree of Griffonstone leaned over like a decrepit old keffel. The various houses - placed in small nests like birds - were ramshackle and seemingly ready to fall apart at a moment’s notice. And the castle - a pointed structure of stone - looked more like a ruin, with no one going in or out of it.
Yet, when Spike turned to Swift, the only thing Swift seemed to focus on was a particular nest situated down at the base of the tree.
“Home sweet home,” Night Fire mused. “Right, Swift?”
Swift scoffed. “Nothing sweet about it,” he replied, before taking a breath and heading towards the house. “DB, you got the bits I told you about?”
Diamondback chortled, a bag at her belt jingling merrily. “Darling, when don’t I ever have bits?”
“Keep them handy,” he said. “Griffons are honestly greedier than dragons; they won’t help unless you pay them.”
Night lifted a finger like she wanted to protest, but eventually slumped over. “He’s right,” she admitted. “Griffons have always been the more ‘mercenary’ of the species I’ve encountered.”
“C’mon,” Jackknife protested. “Everyone said dragons were super greedy, and yet we’re different. Surely there’s exceptions.” He went up to one griffon. “Yo, you ever seen some cranky old bird named Hawke?”
The griffon glared him up and down. “You look like a loser,” she sneered, before taking off.
Jackknife gaped before nearly rushing her. “WHY DON’T YOU COME BACK AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE, YOU BAG OF…”
Night and Phoenix held him back. “Dude, not worth it,” Night insisted. “Not worth it, let it go!”
“Also, she technically ‘did’ say it to your face,” Phoenix pointed out.
“Phi, with all due respect,” Night asked. “Shut up.”
Jackknife wrenched Night and Phoenix off him, but didn’t pursue the rude griffon. Granted, he didn’t get the time. Swift marched right past them and made his way to the house that had caught his attention.
While not the worst looking house, Swift stared at it like it was covered in pigeon droppings. Yet all it was really covered in was a thin layer of dust. The windows were a cold black, and the door was busted down. When Spike dared to venture inside, all he found were four walls and a roof. Any furniture was gone.
“I’m not the biggest expert on griffons,” Spike admitted. “But it doesn’t look like anyone’s home.” He went back outside. “You’re sure this is where Hawke lived?”
Swift still glared up at the house. “It’s where I…” he grimaced. “No… I didn’t ‘live’ here. I suffered here.” His claws twitched. “Every day, she’d drag me out here and make me fight. ‘Too weak,’ she’d always yell. ‘Too slow. Too soft.’” He glared around. “And no one ever bothered to help. No bits in it for them, I guess.”
Despite his words, Spike noticed one younger griffon that actually looked ashamed. She was hiding behind another nest, but her arctic blue-gray coat stood out from the dead brown hay. She had a very round face with a little beak like a sparrow, and some of the feathers at the back of her head were tied back to resemble a ponytail.
Curious, Spike walked over, Diamondback accompanying him with a bag of gems ready.
“Hello,” he said to the griffon.
“Oh, hello,” the griffon said. “I-I see you took interest in Hawke’s old residence.”
“Indeed,” Diamondback said with a small grin. “She’s an old friend of ours…”
Swift scoffed again.
“...and we were curious where she had ended up.” Diamondback lifted some bits from her bag. “I don’t suppose you would know where she was.”
The griffon’s eyes glittered at the gold, but she hesitated before taking it. In her moment of doubt, another griffon - this one brighter blue, and younger than the first by a wide margin - shot over and snatched the bits away.
“She’s been gone,” the blue griffon said. “Ran off to who knew where. And after she didn’t show up for a few weeks, some griffons got cocky and took everything inside.” He shrugged. “She never came back to try and track them down.”
Swift and the others blinked, glancing back at him. Except for Jackknife, who was now happily ranting at and keeping back the griffon who had insulted him, as she had similarly been drawn by the sound of gold. Night and Phoenix wisely stood ready to break up any brawls that came about from Jackknife and the griffon arguing.
“And you don’t know where she ran off too?” Diamondback asked, dipping her hand back into her bag and making it jingle.
The blue griffon grimaced, clearly wanting more, but it didn’t look like he had any idea where Hawk had been.
Luckily, the first griffon spoke up. “I think so,” she said. “Last time I heard, she went down to Kludgetown. Was hoping to make some sort of trade or purchase.”
Swift nodded. “That’s where Verko came from,” he growled. “Where she was planning to sell me off to.”
Diamondback glared at him. “Where she was going to sell ‘us’ off to,” she reminded him.
Spike shivered at the thought of being sold off like property, but Diamondback kept a neutral smile, paying the young griffon twice as many bits as the first one.
“That helps us immensely,” she said with a soft smile. “Thank you, my dear.”
The first griffon blushed, while the second one rolled his eyes and sauntered off.
“Alright,” Spike said, turning to the others. “We ready to go to Kludgetown?”
“Wait,” the first griffon said, gazing at them with curious turquoise eyes. “Who are you guys?”
Spike smiled at her. “I’m Spike,” he said.
“Diamondback,” the dragoness replied, glancing at the other four, as Swift continued to glare at his home, and Jackknife had now gotten into a fist fight with the other griffon, that Night and Phoenix were failing to break up. “That’s Swift, Jackknife, Night Fire and Phoenix.”
The griffon smiled. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “I’m Gabby. And… are you guys from the Dragon Lands?”
Spike chuckled. “Well, specifically, I’m from Equestria.”
The griffon gasped. “Equestria?” her eyes sparkled. “Wow… it’s really true that friendship thrives there, huh?”
A sudden smashing sound made Spike’s heart jump into his throat. It even caused Jackknife and the griffon to pause in their brawl. Everyone spun to find Swift’s childhood home reduced to a pile of dusted rubble.
Swift slowly folded down his wings, glowering at the wreckage, before turning away.
Spike watched him take off, grimacing at the look of shock Gabby was giving him. “For the most part,” he answered, turning back to her. “It’s not perfect… but we’re trying.” He glanced at Diamondback before taking another bit and flipping it to Gabby. “Thanks again.”
Gabby gazed at the bit before taking one from the set Diamondback had paid her with and flipping it back to him. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to help you again someday,” she said, pointing to the bit. “Keep that just in case we meet again.” She blushed. “Cuz… y’know… I might want it back.”
Spike chuckled and pocketed it. “You got it.”
With that, Spike turned back to the others, as Diamondback plucked Jackknife up like a naughty puppy, and tossed a few gems to the griffon he had beaten up. “Alright, everybody,” Diamondback said busily. “We’ve still got a job to do. To Kludgetown.”
“Kludgetown?” Night Fire stammered, looking horrified for a moment. “Aw, crap.”
“What’s up?” Spike asked.
“It can’t be worse than here,” Phoenix noted.
“HEY!” the griffon Jackknife had fought cawed, only for Diamondback to bean her on the head with another bit.
Night Fire managed a faint but clearly unamused chuckle. “You’d be surprised,” she replied.
##
Spike and the others soon discovered exactly what Night Fire was talking about.
Where Griffonstone at least had some dignity in both the tree and the castle, Klugetown looked like an imaginative homeless child had tried to make something out of garbage scraps.
The wood was ramshackle, the walls peeling. A faint greenish-gray cloud of dust hung over everything. And while the residents were diverse, they weren’t exactly appealing to look at. With various fish-men, pig-men, cat-men and other kinds of hybrids Spike couldn’t even name. All yelling at each other, fighting each other, or trading off things for gold.
“Stay frosty, gentle-dragons,” Night Fire said as they entered the city. “There are many hives of scum and villainy across Equestria, but Kludgetown is definitely one of the top five.”
“He-ey, Night Fire,” one pig-men crowed at the black dragon. “Better be going back to the brothel! We missed ya!” A round of ugly laughter sounded.
Jackknife rounded on them with a snarl, but Night Fire pulled him back. “Don’t,” she said. “Remember how those suckers ambushed us. They want us to get riled up.”
“Hey, how much for the gecko?” a fish-creature barked at them.
Spike turned. “Who you calling a gecko?”
Diamondback stepped forward with a practiced laugh. “My friends,” she said, “Aren’t for sale.”
“How about them diamonds then?” another creature offered. “I’ll give ya a hundred in gold for em. Rip em right off yer skin.”
Diamondback blinked in indignant shock - her diamonds were worth way more than a hundred - but the creatures slowly started to crowd them, making various bids.
“Gimme the white one,” a deer creature claimed.
“I want the red one!” one of the pig-men said.
“Why? She’s all busted up!” another pig-man noted.
“I like em broken,” the first pig-man replied with a leer.
Phoenix growled, while Spike and the others began to group up back to back as the creatures honed in on them.
“I need another round with Night Fire!”
“I’ll take the water one!”
“I want all six for my collection!”
Night Fire took in a breath. “Alright,” she said. “Get ready to fight, guys.”
Jackknife grinned and pumped his fists, before…
“Hey, that’s the hybrid Hawkeye promised to sell me!”
In that moment, Swift’s eyes widened, and he let loose.
“BACK OFF!”
To the other dragon’s shock, Swift’s shout produced a gale force wind that threw the various bidders backward and sent them tumbling over themselves.
As the bidders were left groaning on the sands, Swift marched over to the fish-creature that had spoken.
“Where is Hawke now?” he snarled. “Tell me where she is!”
“Swift?” Spike asked.
However, the fish-creature was getting back up. “Y-You think I’m gonna let a wimpy half-breed tell me what to do?”
“Funny,” Jackknife snarled. “Yer looking pretty half-breed-ish yerself.”
“You shut your mouth, you…!”
Swift didn’t give him the opportunity to say more, seizing the fish-man by the collar and carrying him up into the sky.
“SWIFT!” Spike said, but Night Fire held him back.
“Sorry, buddy,” she said. “But this is the best way to let these people know we ain’t messing around.”
Unfortunately… the fish-creature laughed.
“You honestly think you’ll get any information this way?” the fish-man demanded from on high. “You drop me, I die. Then you get nothing.”
Spike shivered at how cold Swift’s voice was.
“What makes you think you’re high enough to reach terminal velocity?”
The fish-man then screamed as Swift dropped him. He watched coldly as the creature plummeted out of the clouds and hit the ground with a brutal CRACK.
Spike flinched and even Jackknife grimaced. “Uh, Night?” Jack noted. “You sure he needs to do that?”
Night swallowed, glancing around at the other creatures as they scrambled back from the group. “Well, he definitely made his…”
Swift then shot down and slammed into the fish-man’s chest, causing another series of snaps to sound along with the fish man’s scream of agony.
“...Point,” Night squeaked out.
Swift, on the other hand, seemed to be in his own little word, seizing the fish-man and yanking him close. “Any more bones you want me to break?” he demanded. “WHERE’S HAWKE?”
“Y-You’re out of your mind…” the fish-man whimpered.
Swift shoved him to the ground before grabbing one of his arms.
“Whoa, Swift, NO-NO-NO!” Spike yelled.
But Phoenix got there first. Barreling into Swift, she knocked him away from the fish-man, giving him a terrifying glare that made Swift back up.
“Enough,” Phoenix growled, before turning back to the fish-man. “Diamondback,” she said. “Get over here.”
As Diamondback raced over, intimidated herself by Phoenix’s glare, Spike, Night and Jack grouped around Swift.
“Dude,” Spike said. “What’s the matter with you?”
Swift didn’t look at him, the anger quickly overtaking the fear Phoenix had instilled in him. Night gazed on him with sadness.
“It’s this place,” she realized. “You were property here. That’s all Hawke and Verko wanted you to be.”
Swift lowered his head, the anger fading to resignation.
“Hey,” Jackknife said, patting Swift’s shoulder, “We ain’t gonna let them take you, okay? You got us.”
“That’s not it,” Swift admitted, before Spike realized he wasn’t looking at the ground. He was looking at the Element of Harmony, fastened on a necklace with his emblem resting on his chest.
“Kindness,” Spike realized. “Swift… you don’t need to be this… cruel.”
Swift looked up at him. “But you saw what they were like,” he said, indicating where the merchants had been. “You saw the griffons. Kindness is just weakness to these people. Something to exploit and take advantage of.” Swift folded his wings over himself. “I don’t want to be property again, Spike. I don’t want to be taken advantage of again.” He lifted the Element from his neck. “And if Kindness is just going to get me hurt…”
Spike stopped him from ripping the Element away. “It’s easy to react to bad things,” Spike said. “But whatever reaction you have… it only shows how much control people really have over you.”
“He’s right,” Night said, leaning down next to Swift. “Whatever happens, no one should determine your state of being. If you can control how you feel at any moment, no matter what happens, you can respond in any way.”
Spike nodded. “Don’t let Hawke control you, Spike. Don’t let Verko control how you feel.”
“Fight them, of course,” Jackknife added. “But… don’t let em change who ya are inside.”
Swift gave Jackknife a deadpan look. “This coming from the guy who beat up a griffon for calling him a loser?”
Jackknife, however, grinned. “She struck first,” he replied. “But I didn’t fight her cuz she made me angry.” He indicated Night. “I fought her because she attacked Night.”
Night blushed. “You’re a regular guardian, aren’t ya, Jack?” she teased.
“That’s who Jackknife is,” Spike replied. “But this isn’t about who Jackknife is.” He pointed at Swift’s heart. “It’s about who you are. Who are you, Swift?”
Swift looked down at his Element again. Spike sighed and patted his shoulder.
“Think about it, buddy,” he said, before turning to Phoenix and Diamondback.
Phoenix and Diamondback walked back to them with twin sighs. The merchant had limped away to whatever Kludgetown had for medical treatments.
“Well?” Spike asked.
Diamondback sighed. “She’s with Verko. We find him, we find her.”
Spike nodded. “I don’t suppose he said where Verko is, did he?”
Phoenix nodded. “He’s got his own little underground base.”
“Fitting for a mole,” Diamondback mused. “Diamond Dogs have so much more class.”
“That’s just because you trained em, DB,” Night replied.
Diamondback merely preened. “Marvelous, aren’t I?” she noted.
Spike rolled his eyes, but grinned as he turned to Swift. “Alright, we’ve got a location. Let’s teach Hawke a lesson.”
Swift looked up with a determined glare, while Night and Jackknife exchanged grins. Phoenix, however, winced.
“That… might be more complicated than you’ll like.”
Spike tilted his head while Swift looked up curiously.
“Hawke failed Verko and got his minions hurt,” Phoenix said. “She’s not his partner anymore.”
Swift blinked, not wanting to believe. “You can’t be serious.”
“W-Wait,” Jackknife said. “Then… where is she if she’s not with him?”
“She’s still with him,” Phoenix said gravely. “She’s just one of his slaves now.”