"Never forget your past. It is the foundation that built your existence, and it is the secret to your future"
- Jasmina Siderovski
LOCATION: STABBLESDAM, WESTERN BADLANDS
Twilight continued to look at me, definitely not wavering in her attempts to get me to spill the beans anytime soon. She always was a stubborn one.
With a sigh, I turned to the ponies that I had dreamed about seeing again for nine years, "Alright, look. I get that you all probably have a crap-ton of questions, but it's been a long day, and I am tired. Let's just get back to the hotel room that I am going to have to rent again apparently, then we can speak. Sound good?"
They all nodded their heads, seeming to agree that what I had suggested was the best course of action. Applejack, however, decided that the walk to the hotel did not have to be in silence. "So, Spike, where do y'all live now a'days?"
I turned my head to look at the farm pony. Didn't I just say that I had to re-rent my hotel room? "Wherever I can get a room. My work tends to land me in some shady places, so I usually don't like to spend too much time in one place. Currently, we'll be staying in a hotel not far from here."
Rarity gasped and shook her head furiously at this, "Oh, my little Spikey-Wikey, I had hoped that Princess Celestia had been wrong. I had hoped that you had not stooped down to the level of a common mercenary. Oh, I can not imagine what life has been like for you since coming here."
Common. Mercenary? Are you fucking kidding me? I don't like to brag, but I'm the celestiadamned Dragon outlaw. I am not no freaking 'common mercenary'. "I wouldn't say I'm a 'common mercenary'. I have made a name for myself as one of the best fighters and killers out here. Believe me, that took me a long time to do. Also, I don't take just any old job, I take only jobs that I want to do and which pay good money. After all, I'm the best at what I do, and what that is ain't too pretty."
Twilight had her head hung low in a disgraced manner, and was kicking her hooves in the dirt. "Alright Twilight, I'll bite, what's the matter?"
She picked her head up and looked at me with one of the most adorable 'doggy-faces' that I had ever seen in my life. She could definitely give Fluttershy a run for her money in the 'cute' department. "It's just, I thought I could always protect you. The princess tasked me with looking after you, and I failed her," Twilight sighed and looked away from me out of what I think was guilt, "I mean look at this place, look at you. You're fighting for your bare necessities, and you're killing ponies for a living. I guess parenting was not one of my strong suits. I'mm sorry that I couldn't protect you Spike. I'm so sorry!" She stopped dead in her tracks and began to weep lightly.
The other four ponies went up to Twilight and wrapped their hooves around her, closing her in a loving embrace. I went up to Twilight and looked her straight in the eye, "Twilight, you didn't fail me. What happened to me, nopony could have stopped. Not even the princess of knowledge herself." As she rose to her hooves, I rose to my feet, "come on, we're gonna run into trouble if we keep stopping like this," she seemed to understand, and we made it back to the Winking Skeever in a little under three minutes.
As we all entered the inn, I saw the stallion with the badge cutie mark still waiting for us. Celestia, how I hated this asshole. When we walked up to the stallion, he gave Princess Luna a key and told them to go to the room, number 213. He apparently wanted to have a few words with me. Of course he did, I suddenly began to be reminded, once again, why I hated anyone working under the 'sovereignty of the law'.
I sat down in the both next to his, and ordered a whisky, just for good measure. "So, what is it now?"
The stallion looked at me, without a decipherable emotion on his face, "Do you remember what your job is?"
"Yeah. Get Twilight and the gang to Blackwater. That's all right?"
The stallion then looked at me with what I could have sworn was guilt. "Well, not exactly."
"The fuck do you mean 'not exactly'? What didn't you tell me?"
After taking a sip of his drink he looked at me, "Well, you see, it just so happens that a possible coup is arising in Canterlot."
"A coup? Against who?"
"The royal Alicorn family."
I could not believe this. A coup? Against Celestia? Why? Why now? What do I have to do with this? And then it hit me. Why were Luna and Twilight here if their lives were in danger in Canterlot. "And so two royal alicorns are sent here? To what is probably the most violent place on Equiis? Why?"
"We have no reason to believe that the conspirators have any influence here. We believe that they are safest here, with you, at the convention. However, until further notice, we would like you to stay here. We need to make sure that nopony followed the princesses and the elements here. Just stay put until I tell you otherwise."
I cannot believe this. I almost did a spit take at the insanity of the situation. However, I still had questions, "Who is 'we'. What is the real reason I was picked? We both know that there are others better suited for this mission. What is so important about this convention? What else aren't you telling me?"
The stallion sighed and looked at me, "All in good time Spike. All in good time. For now, just go update your friends on the situation and sit tight."
With that I got up and went to my room. How the hell was I supposed to tell every-pony about this? About the dangers we are likely to be walking into? Nearly blind? Before opening the room door, I let out a simple "here goes nothing" for good measure.
When I opened the door, I saw the ponies looking at me expectantly. Twilight was the first to speak up, always the leader. Some things never change. "So, what's up"
I looked directly at her and the others, "We are in deep shit."
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LOCATION: WINKING SKEEVER, 213
After I brought the ponies up to speed, they were all shocked. It seemed that they did not know of this coup either. This is very bad. I do- Someone's knocking on the door. I pulled out my revolver and told every-pony to get behind me. When I opened the door, there was another dragon in front of me. She had dark purple scales, darker than mine. Black spikes. Black as Princess Luna's nights. And she was incredibly beautiful. "Brii."
"Spike." I stepped aside as she walked in. Once every-pony registered her appearance I decided to introduce her, "Every-pony, this is an old friend of mine; Brii"
At this, Brii raised her eyebrows and looked at Spike, "Just friends. Oh, Spikey, you know we were much more than just 'friends'."
This seemed to surprise the ponies, since they all looked surprised. Strangely, Rarity almost looked jealous. No, I'm just going crazy. Oh well, at least Brii would be here at least. That just might make things a bit more interesting.
Again Twilight was the first to speak, "What?"
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LOCATION: SHED, FURTHER SPECIFICATIONS UNKNOWN
Any-pony with half a brain cell could tell that some seriously shady business was going down in this shed. The inside of the shelf was completely black, except for one small light, just enough for the two individuals inside, one griffon and one unicorn, to see one another. Except for the two beings and the light, the shed was, once again, completely dark and empty. The griffon looked at the unicorn, he knew that the pretentious bastard thought himself above the griffon. With the polished-white coat, blue bow tie, majestic horn and excellently-groomed blond hair, he knew that the unicorn must have been one of the spoiled upper-echelon types from Canterlot. The griffon knew that this would not be a clean job, or an easy one. However, he needed the pay, and this puny pony had promised quite the reward for completing this job successfully.
The unicorn was the first to speak, "The job is simple. Even you, with your incredibly simple should be able to complete it. In the town of Stabblesdam there is an inn. It is called the Winking Skeever. In it, there is a dragon. I'm sure that you've heard of him. I believe he goes by 'the Dragon Outlaw'. He sounds like quite the charming fellow," the griffon scoffed at the mention of Spike, "kill him. Then, kill the ponies with him."
The griffon looked at the pearl white pony like he was insane, "Do you realize what you're asking of me? Killing the legendary Dragon Outlaw is damn near impossible. Also, why do you give a shit about a couple ponies?"
The pony looked at the griffon with a scowl that would sen diamond dogs crying, "Do you know how the Dragon got his reputation?" The pony continued to stare at the griffon, "by not asking stupid questions and doing what he's told. Now go, before I change my mind, you damnable vermin."
With that, the griffon left the shed in hopes of getting to the dragon and completing his mission.
The pony walked out of the shed, into the blistering heat of the badlands. He looked upon at the sun, in all of it's unforgiving heat, "Celestia. Auntie. Your time is coming to an end. Soon, his lordship will usurp you, and we shall no longer have to live in a world with those that are weak walking freely among us. Soon, the strong will enslave the weak. Soon, unicorns will rule the world!