//------------------------------//
// Can You Live 
// Story: Dust Bowl Dance 
// by newHelm 
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	Spike sighed as he stared at his empty plate. His head laid on the table as he glared at the emptiness. "Man I'm hungry." He jerked his head up, panic in his eyes as he gazed at Rarity and her mother. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude! It just came out and my minds been wondering and I let it slip! The meal was wonderful and delightful and gracious and wonderful! Couldn't ask-"
Rarity's mother raised a hoof as she laughed. "Don't worry bout it dear. We all got the same complaint. Rarity's a good cook an all but we just don't got the money for more. Bloody's been almost as bad on my husband as he is ta his own family. It's our own fault though, everypony else talks riot under their breath. Nope, not my husband. He says he has ta talk loud enough so that maybe they will quit mumblin and do somethin. I agree but I just wish he would calm himself so I don't have ta bandage him back up so much. Rarity here keeps tellin him to be quiet but he just goes on yellin."
Rarity raised an eyebrow at her mother. "Mother, he acts like he is yelling at the postmare for her silly mistakes, not to criminals who have legs the size of my head!" She turned to Spike. "One of those brutes almost pulled a tree out of the ground!"
Spike chuckled. "Almost? So they can't pull it all the way out? Doesn't sound so impressive to me."
"I agree, they ain't so impressive. Can't even keep an old colt like me down!" They all turned to Rarity's father as he limped into the room.
"Dad! Get back into that bed!" Rarity was frantic. She stood up as she slapped her hooves on the table.
Spike smiled as he reached out and touched her shoulder. "Calm down girl. Walking around helps recovery."
She glanced skeptically at him than back at her father. "But-"
Spike raised his hand. "Are for sitting. Your dad's up, meaning he's getting better. Spend some family time together. The Apples are going to be here in two days with Sweetie Bell and with Macintosh's help, Bloody's going to be gone. When that happens, you'll be back in your own home. Use this time for some quiet nonworry filled time." He smiled at her hung head. "Now, I have to go get me a bath. I'll be back before our daily thug crunch around noon." He got up and left, but before he shut the door all of the way, he peeked in at the laughing family, a smile on his lips.

Rarity smiled as she thought about Spike, he gave her a chance to have a good day with her parents, something she had not had in a long time. She smiled as she went from washing dishes to answer the knock at the door. She did not stop smiling until the door flew off the hinges from the kick on the other side.

Spike shook the water off of himself. He was feeling good after his dip in the water. It was had been a long time since he was able to enjoy a good bath. Apparently he would not get to enjoy this one for long. He heard a rustling in the trees. From the sound he knew it was bigger than a pony, griffin maybe. He acted if he didn't notice, element of surprise and all.  He figured it was likely one of the two next to Bloody the one time they met, or both.
The one he heard, the larger of the two, jumped from the tree tops with a bat firmly in its claws. Spike got up on his feet, instead of all fours, and side stepped. Inches away from him, the bat jammed into the ground. Spike almost laughed as his fist landed on the roughly on the griffin's neck. He was too wide and left a big gap in his defence, laughable in Spike's opinion.
The second was anything but. If he had not been prepared for the attack, Spike would have gotten more than a scratch on his scales. He turned to face his opponent, and recognized him. "Skrilla, how's it been? See you still have the scar I gave you. Bet the ladies love it too."
Skrilla winced. "So it is you. Well you'll be happy to know, I learned that lesson."
Spike growled. "By oppressing helpless ponies? Sorry bro, no go."
"Bloody's other jobs are what me and my men deal with. This nonsense in town is why we are leaving his employment. Innocent ponies are going to get hurt and it's going to be his own fault. We're warriors,  not killers."
"Is there a difference?"
"Standards."
Spike kicked the unconscious griffin next to him. "Who's this guy?"
"My brother Zeem. He's young and inexperienced. Bloody's jobs are relatively simple for us. We fight the competition, so what better way to get real work experience than to fight dumb thugs."
"Well there's the way I learned but that's incredibly dangerous. Don't want little birdy bro to die, right?"
"Yes. Oh, Bloody said we were ment to distract you, so something is probably going on in the town. I would head back. He's lost his mind over his revenge against a town that did nothing to him."
"The town is built around his family's legacy. He probably thinks it's his birth right or somthin." Spike dropped to all fours and began to run towards the town. "Don't forget this time, clientele with morals you like."
Spike ran hard, knowing that whatever was going down, could not be good. He stopped when he heard his name being screamed out. Not far ahead of him was Rainbow Dash speeding up toward him. "Dash! Right here!"
She practically crashed into the ground I front of him. "Bloody has Rarity's dad! There's talk of an execution!"
Spike paled in fear but was quickly over come with anger. "Not if I have any say. Try and stall them, you're faster and can get there first. Hurry!" She was gone before he even finished speaking,  but so was he.

Rarity was frightened. She laid on the ground while some brute kept his hoof on her head. Her mother was in the same position as her. What scared her even more was not that the crowd had been cleared away, leaving them in a ring of ponies, or even that all of these ruffians had weapons. What scared her was  two of them held her father down as a third held a knife to his throat.
Bloody stood off to the side of the group. He was glaring at the crowd. "I have suffered through this insolence long enough! No longer will you pathetic lot speak of rebellion against me! I am the law in this town for now on! No longer will I stand for back talk or even talk about back talk. You are insignificant peons. I am the ultimate authority here. This peon here dared to question my superiority and spoke of revolt. Watch his fate and know what happens to rebels." He nodded to the pony with the knife, who advanced on the helpless stallion.
He pulled his head back, knife poised in his teeth. He did not get any farther. As soon as he went to strike, he went flying and Rainbow Dash stood in his place before flying up higher. "Nopony dies today. Spike's on his way." She turned towards Bloody, rage in her eyes. "You're on his list bucko."
Nopony saw him, but they all heard his advancing rage. Spike was angry and the resounding roar told all around that very fact.
Rainbow Dash attacked the thugs with reckless vigor. When she was freed, Rarity joined in the violence, and by the noise she heard, so did everypony else.
Another roar and cheers erupted from the crowd. They were winning! She was going to save her dad! The town was listening to what her dad had been saying and fighting back. Maybe it was Spike, who in a few short days back, almost rid the town of Bloody and his men. Whatever the reason, they were winning. Hope filled her veins as another roar erupted, closer still. Her father would be safe, her sister and Applejack would be back! Spike was back so Twilight would come home soon! Pinkie Pie would bring back Fluttershy! Spike had come home and everything would be good again, maybe even better!
Than she heard the scream.
Everything stopped as she turned around and saw the knife in Bloody's mouth. It was hidden by her father's neck, and what was all of that red liquid staining her father's coat? The reality of the situation hit her as Spike jumped over the crowd in to the center.
Spike caught the disheveled mare as she fell. He held her close as she sobbed into his scales. His eyes weren't on the mare, they were on the hideous thing before him, the thing that dared touch his perfect town.
Rainbow Dash landed next to them and he handed over Rarity to her. A sad, but grateful smile on his lips. The crushed girl taken care of for now, he turned toward the one responsible. His voice was low and calm as spoke to the smug pony. "I warned you and I warned you. I gave you plenty of chances to leave. Told every thug I beat to say the same thing, get out before I get pissed. Now I am. You have one day to get as many ponies as you can. Tomorrow, at noon, in this spot, I'll kill you and everypony that stands with you. I give you this day as a sign that I am not a monster like you and your kind. After tomorrow though, they will think that I am one. If you run, I will have the advantage, less men to protect you and more to help me, and as my fury grows, so too will the pain in your death." A plume of smoke escaped his maw. Visions of monsters and demons that even Tartarus would find revolting appeared. Spike's scales darkened and his spines greyed. "Trust me when I say, come tomorrow, you want the quickest death possible." His scales returned normal as he picked up Rarity and turned to leave. "I'll be back for him so leave quickly."
For a moment Bloody was scared, but it vanished as his ego returned. He had twenty ponies in town, and with an extra day, he would have triple that. The drakos was an idiot. They had no need for the body, so might as well give it to the soon to be dead drakos. Too bad that afterwards, he would have to kill the pretty mare with him. Such a shame to dispose of such beauty.
He left confident and sure that he would be victories.

Skrilla stormed into Bloody's office. "What is the meaning of this!?" He held up the letter sent to all of his men. His brother and Bloody just sat there amused. "To all Poison Wings mercenaries. I Bloody and second leader Zeem have decide to split from Skrilla's band. For all that wish to join with us, there will be a significant increase in pay as well as constant work. Come to Ponyville if you wish to accept, there is a nuisance we must remedy." He slammed the letter into Bloody's desk. "Are you stupid Zeem!? Bloody, you're as good as dead! Don't even think different! I warned you so lie in the bed you've made! Plus, none of my soldiers would even think of leaving me!"
Zeem and Bloody shared a smile. Zeem turned towards his brother, smiling as he sipped on some red wine. "Thirty three so far. That leaves you with only twelve. The same twelve you had to start over with after your failed attempt in the war. Oh, and yes, we made sure they got your letter. The one about losing their jobs and fearing one enemy while we have a small force. They know how weak you are now! It is my turn to give orders."
Rage filled Skrilla's eyes, before it dissolved and was replaced with intense sorrow. "Your going to fight the drakos again, aren't you?"
"Yeah, and this time we will be ready. We will have the soldiers armed as such. No more thugs with bats and small knives. We will have swords, lances, bows, armor! He doesn't stand a chance!"
Skrilla hung his head as he left. "I once thought the same way. Then I was knocked down a few pegs. You are going against the Traitorous King, the one who gave me my scar and left me and my troops to rot alone. Me and only twelve others of over one hundred survived. Last chance. Please come with me brother, I don't want you to die."
Zeem laughed. "He had an army with him then! Now he is all alone! Easy if you ask me!"
Skrilla shook his head as he left. "You know the story better than that. I'm gone, find me if you somehow live." With a heavy heart, he looked back one last time at his brother, he knew it would be the last time to see him alive.


Spike closed the bedroom door with a sigh, Rarity's mom finally gone to sleep. She had grabbed onto him and refused to let go when they had gotten back to her house. Rarity on the other hand, was silent as she stared into empty space. Every now and then she would burst into tears and grabbed onto whoever was closest. Rainbow Dash stayed next to her until Spike came back out. He let her go without a word, she needed a cry and needed it alone.
Spike stood next to the absent, cooking Rarity. Spike could tell she was still in shock, it's not every day you experience trauma like that. Tears were falling from her into the cooking pan and fizzled away. It broke his heart. He was suppose to protect the whole town and he couldn't even protect the one he loved most. He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her into a hug. She sobbed gently, before her dams gave way. Her body shook from the force of her sobbing.
She calmed down a bit and pushed herself off of him. She hung her head and went back to cooking. Spike grabbed the pot handle, disrupting her magic. "It's ok, you don't need to eat. Wait until breakfast, or even lunch. You'll make yourself sick forcing it down."
She shook her head. Her voice was choked and a little hoarse. "No, it is not for me. You need something to eat. You said you were going to fight all of them, and you need to be fed a good meal. You've taken care of us these past few days, let me take care of you, please."
Spike shook his head. "Don't worry about that. I've survived worst. You need rest."
She pressed her hooves against his chest and laid her head against him. "I could not sleep knowing you were going out there to fight. Knowing you might die. I just got you back, I can not lose you again. Please do not do it. We can survive, go to Canterlot and bring back the police, or the armed guard. We do not have to come back, just run away. I do not like camping, but if it means keeping you alive, I would do it for the rest of my life." Tears were leaking from her eyes, her voice wavered as more emotion poured through. "We can start over somewhere else until this whole mess blows over. Please," Her voice broke and great sobs escaped her throat. "I don't wanna lose anyone else!"
Spike stroked her mane as she spoke. He smiled sadly at her sobbing, shaking form. He loved her dearly, and was tempted to take her offer. He wouldn't though. "What about the rest of your family, your mom and Sweetie Bell? What about the rest of our friends? Macintosh and the rest will be here soon and they should not have to see these monsters. What would happen if they followed us?" With a claw, he raised her head so that he could look into her eyes. "I couldn't stand seeing you giving up so much for deplorable me."
She hugged him tighter. "It is mine to give."
"Not all of it. I would once again be the cause of pain, of those who loss you. This has to end." Her head fell and he caught her cheek. He raised her face again. "Don't worry, I've dealt with worst. I'm more worried about afterwards." He let her go and she hesitantly did the same. He grabbed his bag from by the door and opened the gateway to a life he saw without her. "I need to prepare for tomorrow, so I'll leave your couch open. I'll make sure Rainbow Dash uses it. See you later fair Rarity." That was all, they both knew that they would never get to talk again. No more hope for gem hunts, no more adventures together, no more parties, no more friendly gatherings, just gone.
Rarity broke down and cried. She fell to the floor and sobbed, taking no notice of her friend coming in, or that she had been moved to her bed. She only knew one thing. First it was her father, now it was Spike again, she was losing the ones she loved.

Spike stared into the night sky. The time was set, Dash would make it pour for him, his enemy would be there, he had cut ties that needed cut, he was dressed to kill, he just needed his mask on. So why was he crying as he stared at the stars.