Intro:
As you watch Spike pass by your hiding place in the Everfree forest, you hear an annoying shadowy voice say,
Congratulations on taking your revenge on those stupid bugs by killing them. You're finally starting to grow some backbone... Who's going to be the next? Moonbutt? Or you could try with her beloved sister's beloved student, she could be easy if you distract her with a book before going in for the kill. Or maybe that stupid farm hick or the rainbow whorse?
You groan at your Shadow's words as you try to ignore him, but you being you can't help but snap,
"I didn't kill them, I only pounded them into the ground to teach them a lesson."
Of course not... You only let the weak fend for themselves after you weakened them even further so that those teenage dragons could squash them, maybe you don't remember after all that time in Ponyville with the little purple lizard, but dragons are carnivores.
An image of Sugar and the others being eaten by the dragons appear in your mind, but you shake your head and try to let the image go away as you say,
"Hey, we don't know if they're dead or not! There's still a 50% chance that they managed to get away... hopefully."
You hear Shadow make a 'tsk-tsk' sound before he says,
Oh Come on, is the little offender sad over the possibility that he killed again? You know they deserved it, after everything they did to you why are you not reveling in their deaths? In fact why do you insist on maintaining this fantasy of them escaping?
You can only watch Spike and try to ignore the annoying (yet frightening) voice in your head that is your Shadow, even when you know what he's saying is is true. If it was a couple of hours ago, you would have been very happy to let them die, but now you're full of regret to having those thoughts. You won't let your anger control you again like that, never again....
Oh... but where'd the fun be if you didn't get angry? Besides, those changelings laughed at you, even when they were begging for your help and even AFTER you almost squashed them within an inch of their lives. That just screams "too dumb to live". It's not like they were ponies, right? There's no harm done if they aren't ponies, am I right? And while we're aboard this train of thought, what about that Zebra in the forest and those annoying rhymes she does? After all she is also not a pony or (and this would be just grand) perhaps you only hate your 'own' kind, the changelings?
You feel as if a cold dagger was just stabbed into your chest, then stuck into your back and torn up your spine. You shake off the feeling as you say,
"I'm not species-ist towards anyling, I'm friends with Spike and Zecora after all. I don't want to hurt anyling, no matter the species! Besides those guys had that beat down coming for a LONG time."
Are you going to kill every changeling you see then? After all they ALL mocked and scorned you. The drones, the soldiers, your queen, even the bucking larvae mocked your every move! And think of the rewards for doing so; Imagine the favor you could gain with Luna and Sunbutt if you presented them with a pile of changeling heads arranged in an artsy display with Chrysalis's head on top like a cherry. In fact, how bout we find the nurseries and make us one big buggy omelette. Get them when they're young is what I always say!
You can feel the sadistic pleasure this monster is feeling as he says this, and you can't help but think he would actually go through with it.
To kill all those young lives, before they even have a chance to see the sun... you think before you suddenly get an image of your in your Nightmare Claok form smashing a bunch of changeling eggs in a frenzy. Before you can puke your stomach contents up, you hear Selena shout,
SILENCE! HE IS NOT LIKE THAT! LEAVE MY VESSEL'S HEAD AT ONCE BEFORE WE MAKE YOU!!!
You hear your Shadow "tsk" again as he says in a annoyed tone,
Oh, come on... Both of you wanted it, if you remember; you didn't try to stop him from hurting them, or insisted on returning to the cave and helping them and now they're dead thanks to you. 50% of survival or not, the guilt of them potentially dying due to you not helping will still haunt you. And let's not forget the other changelings that have been forced to obey a stupid queen and are now half dead without love most likely due to the fact that you would not help them! I know it's true, you know it's true, and even he know's it's true...
You suddenly feel like a cold ten-ton iron suit has been thrust upon you and the worst part of all was that you couldn't even say anything because your shadow was right. You didn't want to help them, but that's only because it's better for them to be behind bars than be let free to ruin everyponies lives. Besides, Sunbutt and Luna may hate you, but they wouldn't take their anger out on those changelings by leaving them to starve...
Right?
You shake your head from these thoughts as you begin to think about Nightshade. Suddenly you realize something as you give a tired sigh as you say,
"What do I do? Bucking Doctor... I'm sure he knew this was going to happen!"
You sigh again as you look over to where Spike is going. As you do you begin to follow him and as you do you can't help but think,
I don't know how, but it seems like Spike hasn't notice me following him...
You are sadly dragged back into your thoughts as Shadow your says,
Oh, yes... What did you do Bugzee, and what are you going to tell Nightshade? 'Sorry but daddy had to meet his cousins that kidnapped you because they were desperate for help to free their other cousins and after beating them he left them with a couple of teenage dragons that could have made them into changeling barbecue? Oh and even if they survived, they are angry with your daddy and also with you so they could try to kidnap you again?'
You growl and are about to bark a insult at the annoying Shadow, when you hear ringing sound in your head as you hear your Shadow sigh in annoyance as he says,
Looks like my time is up for now. See ya...
With that you can feel his presence leave your skull. With this you sigh in relief as you think,
Why must my Shadow be so persistent. They're alive... They just have to be...
Shaking off the doubt coming on before it consumes you, you continue to follow Spike. As you do you can't help but think,
I don't really have anything for the progress of the story except for Bugze need to train himself in control and fighting and a bit on acting...Make himself stronger in all meaning...
That rage I felt... it was like when... HER wagon got crushed, and at the Gala, and Fillydelphia... I- I need to learn to control it. If my anger gets too out of hoof like that again... I don't think I'll be able to look myself in the mirror ever again. As soon as The Doctor says my debt is clear, I'm gonna find a place to learn to control my rage... That or learn to seal off my powers, after all if they vanish...
You don't realize the symbol on your stomach glow as you finish your thought,
Then noling would get hurt when I get mad.
Nodding your head at your plan, you continue to follow Spike till he reaches a...
River where there's a shack set up. Apparently it’s a rafting business run by a donkey. You would wonder why a donkey is out in one of the most dangerous (and annoying) forests in the whole bucking world by himself with a shack, but you were too busy listening in on their conversation,
“You doing a bit of traveling there young one?” asks the donkey.
“Yep, I’m on a journey to find myself,” answers Spike.
“Out here in the forest?”
“No, I’m trying to find where the Dragon Migration headed.”
Dragon Migration? you think to yourself, How the heck did I miss that? Oh right... foalnapping bugs.
Ignoring the anger that flashes at that thought, you continue to spy as the donkey says,
“Ah, got some family amongst them?”
“No… not that I know of anyway. I’ve been raised by ponies my whole life. I don’t know the first thing about being a dragon. I’m hoping I can figure it out by learning from my kind.”
That line hits you right in the heart. Poor Spike, being the only dragon amongst ponies. The little guy just wants to know who he is. You can relate to that on a personal level. Another thought hits you as you think,
He never got to know his parents either...
Wiping away the tears from that thought, you can't help but think in determination,
Don't worry little guy, you're not the only one...
With that thought you go back to spying as the donkey asks Spike,
“Are you sure a little guy like you should be out here on your lonesome?”
Spike gets a defensive look as he says,
“Hey, I’m tough! I’m a dragon after all!”
You get a deadpanned look as you think,
Says the dragon who last week I saw wearing a pink apron with hearts on it while walking into a pillow shop.
Spike sneezes and whisper something along the lines "Somepony's mocking me" before he sighs awkwardly as he says,
“So, uh, do you think you can take me down the river?”
“Sure thing young’un, that’ll be 150 Bits,”
“150?” you and Spike exclaim at the steep price.
“Well sure, I’ll be taking ya into dragon territory, mighty dangerous for us non-dragons.”
“Will an Emerald do?” Spike says as he takes out a hoof-sized emerald.
“Ayuh, that’ll work, hop on sir.”
As you see Spike get on the raft and float down the river, a wave of worry passes over you as you begin to debate with yourself,
“Oh, Poor Spike. I should bring him back home. Twilight, McStabFlank and the others must be devastated that he ran away.”
You then turn to the left as you counter yourself
“But on the other hoof, this is a journey of self discovery, who am I to interrupt that?”
You turn back to the right as you say,
“But what if he gets hurt? He’s a dragon yeah, but he’s still just a kid!”
Turning back to the left, you grunt slightly as you say,
“But this is his choice! He’s growing up, he’d have to join his kind one day!”
You turn to the left and make a 'tick' sound before saying,
“But he’s leaving behind his family, it will eat at both of them to the end of their days!”
Follow him from the shadows! Selena interrupts.
“Huh?”
If you can't make up thy mind, then do both. Ensure his safety in secret while he journeys to discover himself.
"That’s… actually a great idea, wait, why do you care about Spike?” you ask.
This whelp has shown his devotion and support to you and our daughter over and over again. It would be a shame to lose such an ally.
“Good point, also Twilight, McStabFlank, and Nightshade wouldn’t forgive me if I didn't do something, so yeah, let’s follow him.”
You then follow Spike along the shoreline, keeping the raft within sight.
“So how is Nightshade doing? I’m surprised she’s still asleep.” you say.
The sedative still courses through her veins, she may be out for some time. But do not worry, I have comforted her. She was still a bit shaken from her foalnapping, but she sleeps calmly now knowing we are with her.
You sigh in relief at that.
And Bugze… About what happened at the cave…
You seize up with guilt for what you did.
“Don’t…I…I can’t think about that right now,” you stutter.
Selena sighs,
Very well then, when you decide to talk, I will be waiting, but all I will say is this. Inaction is not a reprieve from guilt.
“Selena I…”
No, I have said my piece, speak when you are ready, I will be with our daughter. In the meantime, protect the Dragon. Nightshade cares for him greatly, so I would not see him hurt…
“I will, but Selena… Selena? Hey!”
She does not answer you because she is with Nightshade now.
“Great…just great,” you mutter to yourself. You now feel even worse because you actually may have broken your promise to her if the changelings died.
Fear suddenly courses through you as you realize it was a Pinkie Promise you two made...
BACK IN PONYVILLE
Pinkie Pie finishes hoofing out some cake to a group of crying mares. When she goes to a corner of the room, Applejack tenses up when she notices that Pinkie has a strange far away blank expression on her face and is holding something.
“Pinkie, what in tarnation are you doin with that ax?”
“I don’t know Applejack, for some reason I kind of felt I needed to take it for a walk. Like something was maybe broken and might need to be broken even more. It's better if I have it, just in case...” she says in cryptically monotone with flat hair.
Applejack, Fluttershy, and the other crying mares seem creeped out by this and rightfully so.
"That, uh... sounds very normal..." stutters Applejack.
"You think so?" Pinkie asks.
"No!"
Pinkie then starts laughing creepily, unnerving everypony even more,
"Pinkie, can you please stop? Now's not the time for that..." says a saddened Fluttershy.
"Yes please, this is a mournful time Ms. Pie," says Octavia.
Pinkie uncrazies and her hair puffs back up a bit (but not by much), "Oh, right... Sorry, I can't help it when my Pinkie sense hits... Here girls, enjoy the cake..."
"I don't know if we can... but we'll try Pinkie... we'll try..." says Fluttershy with tears in her eyes as Applejack (who's the only one not crying, but has a sadden look in her eyes) and Pinkie hug her.
BACK WITH YOU
“OH BUCK! That Pink Psycho is going to kill me!” you scream aloud.
You see Spike turn his head in your direction, but you duck down behind a bush before he sees you.
"Did you hear that?" asks Spike.
"Meh, probably just some random hungry beast... or the wind."
He just shrugs, guessing he was hearing things.
You poke your head back up from the bushes and sigh as you try to calm yourself,
“Okay, I’ll worry about that later. If I don’t keep an eye on Spike, she won’t be the only one trying to kill me… well more so than usual.”
As you follow Spike, you realize it is really really hot and humid, so you decide to take off your "Baker Sylvester Tennant" outfit. You're out in the middle of the woods, so you feel confident being in your own skin. And, wow, has it been a long time since you've taken it off. You actually are a little paler than usual. You then realize something truly horrific, something so terrible that even Lady Luck must be looking at you in sadness. Something that makes every time you've been given a beating by the Deadly Five or one of the many ponies/creatures that hate your guts look like a friendly spare. This horrible thing is that your amazing scarf is...
"What? When? Where!" you shout as you look around frantically. You realize you could've lost it at any moment in the woods. It's gone.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" you scream to the heavens, and when Spike and the Donkey look in your direction again you duck.
"OK Seriously, you've had to have heard something that time?" Spike says to the donkey.
"Kid, when you do this job as long as I have, you learn to block out the disembodied cries of anguish. If you don't then that's when you go missing and become one with them," says the Donkey matter of factly, causing Spike to shiver in dread.
As you continue to follow the raft, as well as morn the lost of your Doctor's scarf (It was the real bucking thing for buck sakes!), you begin to form a plan in your head. And that plan is...
Decide that since you're following Spike to a HORDE OF DRAGONS, you decide to check The Inventory and keep the "Big Daddy/Subject Delta armor" on standby in case you need it (or even wear it over or under your fireproof Hooded Offender cloak).
Okay, plan time! Since I know for a fact that Lady Luck is gonna mess me up somehow, I'm gonna need have the proper gear to fight dragons. I think I"ll keep the Big Daddy costume from Nightmare Night on standby as armor while also keeping the Nobody Cloak on standby as well due to it being fireproof. If I do get caught, I'll just grab Spike and I'll get the buck outta of there and back to Ponyville.
Nodding your head at the plan, you proceed to follow the raft (while wearing nothing but the Inventory... like every normal pony or changeling in this world). When another thought pops up in your head...
After your encounter with the changelings and seeing how you're going up against dragons, you realize you're lacking in anti-air abilities so read the "Kung-Fu For Dummies" book and learn an anti-air grapple which can be either:
-Spinning Piledriver
-Izuna Drop
-Stalliongrad Blizzard
You know, considering what I just went through and how I might have to fight dragons. It might be a good idea to finally learn an anti-air attack. If one of those dragons tries to fly, I need to bring him down hard and fast before they can try anything!
You nod at your plan as you read a hoof into The Inventory and think about the book you need. You smile as you pull out the "Kung-Fu For Dummies" book and you open it to the index to find what your looking for. You smile when you find the anti-air section and you flip to the page that was marked in the book. You look at all the moves listed when on of them stands out. It's called the Stalliongrad Blizzard, and it sound like your kind of move. Flipping to its page you go over its instructions and smile as you feel you understand the move enough to do it in combat.
You learned "Stalliongrad Blizzard" (Anti-Air Spinning Grapple-Slam that causes a limited shockwave on impact with ground)
As you're about to put the book back into The Inventory, you see out of the corner of your eye of the previous page an interesting move: Spinning Piledriver. You remember pulling that move on a Royal Guard back at Ponyville during that "Mysterious Mare Do Well" business, but realize something;
Wait a minute... Shoryuken, Falcon Punch, Spinning Piledriver... How the heck are all these video game moves showing up in a book I found on the ground in Ponyville?
Shaking free that thought, you think,
Buck it, I'll ponder that later. For now I just need to get across this river.
And with that, you put away the book, take out the Power Glove, and say,
"Freeze, would you kindly." repeatedly, forming an ice bridge. With a satisfied smirk you begin to walk across it-
*slip*"Whoaaaaa!"*thud*
And end up slipping, sliding on your face across the length of the ice bridge, and crashing into a tree.
"Buck you Lady Luck..."
SOMETIME LATER, IN A FOREST
You follow Spike through a forest after he gets off his raft and as you do you mentally ask Selena,
Selena? Are you back yet?
...
I should take that as a no, huh?
IN NIGHTSHADE'S DREAMSCAPE
Nightshade creeps along the ground, getting closer and closer to the sheep in front of her. She slowly reaches out a hoof to touch its soft wool...
*Zap!*
She shrieks in laughter and runs away from the lightning bolts fired at her by the rest of the herd.
Selena sits to the side, shaking her head,
"Why do you dream of these creatures?"
"They're fun! Want to play with me?"
"Perhaps another time. I don't know whether to blame the drugs or your father's influence..." she mutters the last part.
Nightshade sits next to her, "What about Daddy? Do you think he'd want to play with me tonight?"
"I... don't believe so." She sighs as she watches a sheep discharge more electricity into the air. "Your father has a lot on his mind right now."
"Why? Did something happen?"
"It did. I will let him explain it to you, when he is ready. Suffice to say he had a crisis of conscience."
Nightshade chews her lip, "Did... did he make the right choice?"
Selena pauses for a long moment, "Bugze is a complicated being. I feel there are more sides to him than even he knows. As to if he made the right choice..." She shakes her head. "Time only knows."
BACK IN REALITY
You hold back a sneeze as you think,
They're talking about me in there. I just know it. Oh, Selena better not tell her about all those embarrassing things those bullies did to me! Or what I did to them...
Cringing slightly when you mention the changelings, you continue to follow Spike, but you can't help but feel there's someling else following Spike...
*Achoo*x3
Your eyebrow raises in confusion as you look around for the source of those sneezes, but when you don't find anything you just shrug your shoulders and think
Huh...must be hearing things...again.
With that you continue to follow Spike...
MUCH, MUCH LATER
You don't know long it has been. Hours could've just been minutes, or minutes could've been hours. Judging by the sun... Well, the sun doesn't usually move unless it is time for the Princesses to change it to night time. Just your luck, too! You have no idea how long you've been gone and your landlord/secret cousin may have some... revelations to your sudden absence.
Once she hears the word "changeling" as part of the cause, well...
You fight back a sigh in case of detection, stifling your tired body and mind to force yourself into moving forwards. You don't know how Spike could do it, but his determination leads him from hill to hill, terrain to terrain, and so on forth. You didn't have much to complain about, except for one thing...
WHAT THE BUCK IS WRONG WITH EQUESTRIA'S WEATHER! It's snowy one hour, then blazing hot the next, then it's back to bucking snowing! Did the pegasi in charge of weather set it to random today or something! I swear if Sunbutt or Luna doesn't knock some sense into them soon then there's gonna be Tartraus to pay!
Besides that not much to complain about, well there's also the fact that traveling in foreign lands can attract wild animals. So, being the bro you are, you kick flank for the sake of his safety and its' pretty easy. Just a Falcon punch here, an Incinerate there, and quite a few bee clouds. You wonder if you would be a decent bodyguard (you know, for job options). But you have no time to ponder this career option as you both ended up in a hot, sweltering cesspool of a rocky jungle, with a few stinking volcanoes and mountains to show for it a fair distance away.
There are less creatures trying to attack you or Spike now, although with the growing closeness of motherbucking dragons, you couldn't blame them, but now your hooves hurt.
Seriously, you've both been walking nonstop for so darn long that your hooves are starting to ache like Tartarus.
Props to Spike for being bipedal and STILL not get tired. Geez. Maybe it had to do with the hobo stick and the fake beard he had on. Must've been enchanted by Sparklebutt, giving him infinite endurance. Wait a minute... When did Spike grow a beard?! Did years actually pass?!"
Idiot. It's just a fake, Selena comments.
Selena had come back from Nightshades Dreamscape a few miles back, and she gave you a update on Nightshade's progress. She's doing well, but whenever you try to bring up the subject of the changelings, she would always tell you after you dealt with Spike. Anyway, you blink a few times at what Selena said before you say,
"Oh."
You see smoke coming off of the mountains, which is where the trail of dragons ended. Get any closer and you'll become much closer to barbecue than usual. Thankfully, you're not wearing your scarf, otherwise you'd be a sweating mess!
...
"WHY SCARF! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LEAVE ME IN THIS WARM, HUMID, AND CRUEL WORLD!"
...You truly are the dumbest bug in existence, you do know that right?
...
"Shut up."
Ignoring Selena before she can make a comeback, you see Spike get excited as the goal is in sight, as he rips the fake beard out of his face and toss it away, conveniently landing onto your exposed muzzle. Annoyed, you intend to tear it out, but when you pass by a stream, the reflection gave you pause.
"...The buck?"
Looking at it, you kinda look like one of your Grandbuggy's disguises, maybe a spitting image of him!
"...I never thought I would see one of his faces again..."
Ahem...
You take the hint to move on, but you kept the beard on. You don't know why you need to, but there is just something about having your mouth covered by a beard that makes you feel comfortable. It's kinda like when your Grandbuggy watches over you...
"Fake Beard" acquired
You follow Spike to see that he's now... climbing up a mountain. You can only stare at the mountain in pure annoyance as you scream to the heavens,
"NOT ANOTHER BUCKING MOUNTAIN!"
Spike looks around in confusion, before he shrugs and continues to climb. You sigh in sadness as you think,
Stupid bucking mountains. You're now on the list of environmental things I hate now. I hope you're glad!
ONE TIRING MOUNTAIN CLIMB LATER
You arrive at the top with a gasp, out of breathe and aching from horn to tail.
Climbing is bucking Tartarus! I almost stumbled and fell! Several times! Thank Luna for parkour skills... And who the buck builds a rabbit hole in the middle of a rocky PATH?!
Spike is ahead of you, and you didn't like the way the other dragons look at the kid. You stay put. After all, you barely survived ONE your first time! You rather not test you horrible luck against hundreds (if not thousands) of them all at once. So, you do the next best thing: Scouting.
With the awesome powers of eagle sight that is "ZOOM", you scan the entire mountain top, keeping in mind of Spike's general position. As you watch Spike interact with the smaller dragons, you see something that makes you want to hug someling. Your eyes turn to bit signs as you see a mountain of,
You smile greedily as you think,
With all of that, I bet the Doctor will drop the debt early, and I'll have some for on the side! It's prefect plan!
Your about to dive into the gold like a duck when you see a big red dragon with a scared left eye walk over to the cave containing the pile of riches (which just so happen to be near Spike's location) and then proceeded to sleep on it. You whimper slightly as you say,
"Oh no... Smaug!"
Outro:
What do you do?