//------------------------------// // battle of the beast, and buying loyalty // Story: Spirit // by Crystal Shard //------------------------------// As the two mares walked into Spirit's hospital room they found Spirit laying on his back looking up at the ceiling. While the small rider figures got into a fighting stance standing on the small tray beside him, the Zaurid mounts looked at both Octavia and Vinyl before hissing and ready to strike, but they all stopped as Octavia stamped a hoof and glared at them, getting the Zaurid's to back away like scared puppies, and their riders to back away slowly. She was a force to be reckoned with, but they didn't want to be the ones doing the reckoning. As took a deep breath Octavia calmed herself as Vinyl put a comforting foreleg around her. "Octy?" "Yes Vinyl?" "Can I send them after that brat?" Octavia looked Vinyl and even though her shades covered her eyes she could tell that the anger in them had grown even more intense, after seeing Spirit bandaged up, the doctor had taken away her fears, but that just left room for her anger to fill. "Vinyl not now, we have to be here for Spirit." Vinyl looked at Octavia and could tell she was trying her best to be brave and not cry. As the two walked up to the bed Octavia put her fore hoofs on the bed and watched as Spirit stirred slightly, before his eyes fluttered open. "Spirit?... Honey?" "Mommy... my horn hurts." Spirit said, as he started to reach for his horn only to be stopped by Octavia. "I know it hurt honey, but you can't touch it right now, you've been hurt, and your horn got cracked." "Cracked?" "Yeah kiddo but don't worry I've had my horn cracked plenty of times, as long as you don't use your magic and we keep it doctored you'll be good in a few days." vinyl said, trying to comfort Spirit as she watched the small rider golems climb down and get on their mounts. "A few days?" Spirit almost wined but then winced. "Spirit do you remember what happened?" Octavia asked, not really wanting to talk about the events that got her colt into the hospital but knew that it would be easier to explain if he remembered anything. "Sort of, I remember that this filly didn't want me to tell you that she and her friend wanted the sandcastle that me and aunty Lyra made and told me to leave it, but when I tried to explain that it was nothing to really fight about, she threw sand in my eyes, after that all I heard was Scratch hiss, and the filly threaten her with death, I used my magic and got kind of a image in my head of where everything was, and then shielded Scratch, After that I kept getting hit, and listening to the filly make threats to Scratch." Spirit stopped and looked at Vinyl with a panicked look on his face. "Scratch is she O.K.?" with that Vinyl nodded and then smiled as she slowly backed up and nudged the toys outside. "Uh mommy why is mama pushing my toys outside?" "Well that's something we need to talk to you about, but it can wait." with that Spirit nodded while outside in the hall Vinyl leaned down and looked at the golems. "Listen I haven't seen scratch for a while." the riders looked at each other then at Vinyl, and she knew that if they could show emotions it would most likely be of confusion. "The Kitten Spirit was protecting, I haven't seen her, and I want you to go find her." with that command the Zuarids hissed and got into an attacking stance with their mouths open and showing their teeth. "Listen, it'll make Spirit feel better if that kitten is here with him, so go find her and bring her back here." this time the riders looked at each other then back at Vinyl and nodded turning their mounts around and ridding them down the hall at full speed getting a poor nurse to scream as Volzor and his mount ran under her legs, once they passed the double swinging doors Vinyl smiled slightly as she heard Diamond Tiara scream in terror, just before she turn back to Spirit's room. "Oh how much I wish those little plastic teeth were real right now and gave that little pest a few bits." Vinyl said under her breath just before she walked back into the room and found Spirit who was looking at Octavia slightly shocked. "Mama?" "Yeah kiddo?" "Mommy says I brought my toys to life?" "Uh well kind of, let me explain." As Vinyl started to explain what had happened, both Riders tore through Ponyville on their Zuarid mounts getting ponies to scream in terror as they saw reptile like creatures running around the street with smaller creatures ridding on their backs, but this also got little foals begging for their parents to go the toy store and getting them the new line of Uurth toys. As the two riders got back to the park they looked around at the castle not seeing any sign of Scratch. As Volzor signaled his partner to go one way he headed another looking for the little lost kitten, getting them to head back into Ponyville looking for the lost kitten. While else where in Ponyville Scratch was walking around, lost since she wasn't able to keep up the rest of her family. As she kept looking around trying to find any sign of them she had to be very careful not to be stepped on by the citizens of Ponyville. "Looky, looky tasty kitty." a Diamond dog said, from an ally as it spotted Scratch, then waited to see if there anypony near it that might own the feline. As it ran out and quickly snatched her and took her back into the back ally before anypony could say or really do anything, even if they had really noticed that he had snatched the kitten off the street. As it reached a dead end of the ally it smiled as it looked Scratch over, and the feline hissed and tried to scratch it. "Silly dinner, I’m bigger so I get to eat you." the Diamond dog laughed as it reached up and snapped her collar off with his claws and then tossed it behind him, not caring what happened to the pointless trinket. "You be tastier without junk." Scratch hissed and kept swinging at the diamond dog, if she was going down she was going to make sure this beast had a lot of heartburn. "You fight to much, first crush then lunch." as the Diamond dog placed it's other paw on Scratch he started to squeeze the defenseless kitten, felling her squirm and struggle trying to get free he smiled. "You be tasty meal for Rocky." As he started to press harder Scratch let out a struggled cry, only to see the look of joy in the Diamond Dogs eyes as things started to go dark. It was then that the presser vanished and Rocky let out a howl as he let go of Scratch and looked down at his hind leg to find Volzor's mount biting his heal. "You hurt Rocky, Rocky hurt you back." Rocky said, as he kicked Volzor’s mount away getting the mount to flip in the air and then hiss at the larger enemy as it landed on it's feet ready for another attack. "Dumb creature." Rocky reached over and picked up a loose piece of wood and smiled. "Rocky going to break you dumb creature. "As Rocky swung down at Volzor's mount the golem jumped back getting Rocky to miss it, and then stunned Rocky as it ran up the piece of wood, jumping as it reached Rocky's paws and bit the diamond Dog's ear, getting him to howl out in pain, then again as Rocky felt the Zaurid’s hind claws tearing into his back. Once he managed to knock the creature off Rocky watched as it now stood between him and what he thought should be his meal. "You make Rocky angry, Rocky break." Rocky took a few steps forward as the Zaurid hissed and growled and started to move counter clockwise getting Rocky to do the same, until Rocky felt a sharp pain in the fur on the back of his neck, as he swatted at the pain he didn’t feel anything, until a few sharp pains from the top of his paw getting him to pull it away, only to start feeling the pain once more on the back off his neck, as he started to shack trying to get what ever was in his fur loose, Volzor’s mount charged forward getting Rocky to jump back and stumble over the piece of wood he had dropped before, giving the mount an opening to jump and attack the now confused Diamond Dog. As Scratch watched this, she caught her breath started to look around for away to get away from the fight, only to look up at the top of the fence that made up the dead end, in just enough time to watch as Lawyer-Knight and his mount Rex came jumping over and joining in on the fight with Rocky, the two mounts attacking like savage beast, and their Riders kept Rocky off balance by tugging on his fur. Scratch knew this was the best time to get away but for some reason she couldn’t look away as she watched the Diamond Dog struggle and yelp as the Zaurids managed to land a bit, or one of the riders pulled hair in sensitive location. This went on for a while until finally Rocky managed to grab Volzor and throw the figure against a trash can, kicked Rex to one side, and pinned Volzor’s mount to the ground with a foot. “ROCKY’S HAD ENOUGH AND ME BREAK YOU NOW!” Rocky said, as he picked up the wood from before, and raised it up ready to smash the Zaurid’s head in. As he brought it down he managed to miss his target as Rex ran up and hit the piece of wood off it’s mark landing it just beside his fellow Zaurid’s head, but as the wood landed Volzor ran up and started to climb up the wood while Rocky started to lift it up only to jump off and stab the Diamond Dog in the leg getting Rocky to howl in pain as he jumped back and looked at his leg. As he pulled the sharp object out of his leg, he soon realized that he was being watched by the Zaurids, now hissing at him. “Rocky give up, kitty your dinner now, not Rocky's.” with that Rocky quickly scrambled to his paws and ran away yelping. As the Zuarids roared in victory, Volzor looked at little Scratch who was trembling in fear. As Volzor climbed up onto the box Rocky had put Scratch and slowly walked forward Scratch hissed a few times to try and sound intimidating, but as she managed to get a sniff of Volzor she stopped and looked at Volzor. The smell she knew very well it was of her protector, it was of Spirit, the new young master that had shielded her from the evil one. "Meow?" Volzor clapped his hands together then motioned for Scratch to follow the golems back to the hospital. She didn't really understand how the little figure she had been playing with her young master before was now moving on it's own, or how she had just been protected once again, this time by the strange creatures, but what she did have an idea about was that these creatures could take her to her protector, the one that had shielded her from the evil one. As Volzor got back on his mount the group moved out heading for the hospital where Spirit lay resting. "AH THEIR BACK!" Diamond Tiara yelled, as she watched as the Zuarids and riders returned, giving the riders a hard time to keep their mounts under control as they hissed and prepared to attack. "Daddy those are the things that attacked Diamond Tiara." Silver spoon said, as she hid behind her father. "That's one way to look at it." Focused Lenses said, as he looked at the golems and smirked. "I see you found the little lost kitten." Volzor nodded and saluted the Unicorn Guard getting him to laugh slightly. "Alright, Spirit hasn't been moved and I’m sure he would love to see that she's alright." As the group headed to the back to Spirit's hospital room, a nurse placed her hoof in front of the swinging door heading to the back getting them to stop. "I'm sorry but I can not allow any living creatures in the patient area." Nurse true heart said, as she looked at Focused Lenses who smiled and walked up to her. "My dear mare, by that logic nothing should be back there because we are all living creatures." "Yes but only Pony patients can got back there." "Then you are saying that this hospital is speciest, I'm sure my superiors would find that most disturbing, since there are Griffons, and Mules, and Donkeys that live in Ponyville as well as it's out lining areas." "That's not what I meant, I mean only intelligent creatures are aloud in the back." "Well now that is a broad term my dear mare, I’ve seen a few creatures in the everfree forest that could honestly put some of our highly trained guards to shame, and it also brings up what is the baseline of intelligent in your books." the nurse looked at the guard with a steady glare. "You're not going to stop until I let them in the back are you?" "Nope." "No matter what I say you're going to twist my words around." "I've learned from many lawyer ponies that this is the best way to trip subjects up and get them to admit things." "And if we keep going I’ll never get my work done." "Oh well that's up to you, my dear mare." Through gritted the nurse knew that she was beaten in this, but also knew she was going to bring this up with her superiors. "Fine they can go into the back." "They already are." the nurse looked down and noticed that Focused Lenses had opened one of the swinging doors with a hoof letting the small band slip past undetected. "I hope I’m the one who has to give you your next shot." with that the nurse walked away in a huff getting Focused Lenses to smile slightly, then turned to Mr. Rich, and Mr. Silver Plating. "Mr. Lenses, would it be alright if me or Mr. Rich leave." Silver plating asked, as he looked at the Royal Guard. "To go to jail? Sure I'll even call the shop telling them you're coming." Though his joke did get a smirk from Lyra, and Bon-bon it didn't set well with Silver Platting, or Filthy Rich. "No sir, I was hopping that maybe me or my friend Mr. Rich would be able to go to the local toy store and buy young Mr. Scratch an apology gift?" "Oh that sounds very nice, doesn't that sound nice Ms. Lyra, Ms. Bon-Bon." both mares glared at Silver Platting. "It's always interesting when the filthy rich parents try and bribe themselves or their family members out of trouble." "BRIBE! my good Stallion I do not like what you are insinuating." "Oh so this isn't going to be a bribe to get your fillies out of facing a trial should the Scratch family choose to press charges, well that different, except that I'm not letting any of you leave until I've spoke to Spirit, after he has had a time to rest." the other stallions faltered slightly, and then looked to each other with a bit of panic. "But if this is genuine then I see no reason you can't send one of your helpers to get said gift, or to call the local toy store on their phone, and order the items from them, I'm sure the Hospital wouldn't mind." with that Silver Plate nodded and walked over to the front counter, after a few minutes he returned with a smile on his face as he looked at Filthy Rich. A few minutes later in Spirit's hospital room Vinyl and Octavia smiled as they watched their colt sitting up in bed and smiling as he seemed to be training the Zuarids to move about with out their riders, and the riders sitting on his head along with Scratch. "Uh Vinyl." Lyra said, as she walked in and looked at the two parents slightly nervous. "What is it Lyra?" "It's uh." Lyra scratched the back of her head, not really sure how to explain what was happening. "Well it seems that both Mr. Rich and Mr. Plate want to apologize for the actions of their daughters." "Oh they're going to do more then just apologize for what those two little monsters did to Spirit." Octavia said, as she stood up but was stopped as Lyra looked outside and then back in the room. "Yeah, it's just they kind of had a peace offering sent for Spirit." "You mean a bribe." "According to them, no not a bribe." "Oh really, and just what did they send?" Vinyl asked, as she sat back and watched as Lyra moved out of the way and a steady flow of stallions came walking in and placing toys in the rooms. "WHAT IS ALL THIS!?" "It seems that Mr. Plate noticed Spirit's figures and called over to the toy store and bought all the Uurth toys they had in stock." "Oh you've got to be kidding me." Octavia forced her way out of the room while Spirit watched as the Zuarids started to hiss and with a little help from Vinyl got levitated onto Spirit's bed. "Stay here kiddo while me and Octavia deal with this." with that Vinyl left the room but then walked back in and looked at Lyra who was currently holding one of the new Uurth toys in package with a smile. "Hey Spirit." "LYRA!" Lyra dropped the toy and quickly ran out of the room. As they left Spirit tried not to laugh at what his aunty Lyra had just tired to do, then looked at the Zuarids as they looked at the new toys still in their packaging. While the two mares arrived in the waiting room they found Octavia already giving both stallions an ear full. "My dear mare we only wanted to give the poor colt an apology gift that showed our deepest condolences." Silver Platting said, as he looked Octavia. "More like you wanted to buy his loyalty." "I assure you that was not our intent." Filthy Rich said, as he looked at Octavia. "This was also a punishment for our daughters, because it was their allowances for the next year that has paid for all those toys." "WHAT!?" Diamond Tiara piped up and then walked up to her father. "But daddy, how will I be able to buy sweets." "You should have thought about that before you attacked an innocent colt, and right now your fate lays in their hooves, so instead of thinking about yourself I would truly recommend that you apologize to these mares for what you did to that poor colt now laying in that hospital room, and pray to Celestia that they don't press charges against you and your little friend." "And if that doesn't work, might want to start praying to Luna, that she shows you some kind of mercy." Focused Lenses said, as he looked at Diamond Tiara. "And from what I heard, when a trial involves a foal getting hurt, she's a little more harsh to the one that hurt the foal." "Why?" Diamond Tiara asked, as she looked at Focused Lenses. "Well you should know, during the great petrifaction spell." "What about it? I just lead a rebellion against those two monsters and helped free everypony in Equestria, Princess Luna might even let me go for my quick actions." with that Focused Lenses looked at Diamond Tiara and then at her father. "Might want to teach your daughter not to lie so much." "What are you talking about, from what I was told she lead the lost foals of Ponyville until a cure was found." Focused Lenses looked at Filthy rich slightly shocked then smiled. "Oh you're going to love this then, let me tell you what all the reports we got from every foal in this village as well as other areas from around Equestria. You see the one that really in charge was a colt by the name of Shade." "Yes, my daughter told me, he was her second in command." "Second in command, very interesting." Focused Lenses turned and looked at Diamond Tiara. "I know your a Filly, but a true leader, leads by example and does what needs to be done to keep those under them protected, if you where really in charge and a true leader we would have a memorial of you in the stone garden in Canterlot." with that Focused Lenses turned to Filthy Rich. "Your daughter is a liar, she was the first one that they tested the cure on, and as soon as it worked she started to bark orders at the foals, and a few reports even said she demanded that they call her Princess Diamond Tiara, and threatened any of them that didn't with injury, it is around this point that the reports get interesting, you see when Prince Shade." Focused Lenses looked at Diamond Tiara. "And yes I did just say Prince Shade, though it wasn't official at the time, Luna made it official after the events that cost Shade his life." Focused Lenses turned his attention back to Filthy Rich. "It was here that Prince Shade stepped in and told your daughter to keep her mouth shut, because he was very tired after gathering the ingredients needed to make the cure in a changeling infested Ponyville, the only safe haven was Princess Twilight's castle that she had placed a protection spell on when she felt herself being put under the effect of the petrifaction spell, when your daughter started to try and push him around, and assert her position as the new Alpha Pony, Prince Shade, already hurt and tired from what the reports stated still fought her, oh and my personal favorite quote from all the reports. "He whooped that no good spoiled filly so bad that we never heard a peep from her again." Focused Lenses smirked, as he shot Diamond Tiara a side glance. "What's so funny?" Diamond Tiara asked, as she started to get very nervous. "I just fully realized how much you really ought to be begging the Scratch family not to press charges, because all those reports went to the royal sisters, all of them talked about how Prince Shade took up the mantel of leader and helped protect Equestria, how he would return many times badly bruised and hurt, but still go out the following day to continue looking for the cure that was needed to free the royal sisters, and the rest of Equestria, from the petrifaction curse. Little filly if I met up with Princess Luna I wouldn't dare utter one syllable of what ever lies you told your father, or she might just banish you to the moon for trying to take credit from her foal." with that Diamond Tiara started to sob as she moved closer to her father. "Mr. Rich, things are not looking very good for your daughter right now, so I would highly suggest you teach her how to control that mouth of hers because I’m not lying to you when I tell you so much as touching that subject with the princess of the night could be very bad for her future." As Mr. Rich nodded he turned to Diamond Tiara and pulled her into a far corner of the waiting area. "Uh excuse me Mr. Guard." Silver Plate said, as he tapped Focused Lenses on the shoulder. "Is there away to have a separate trial for my little filly?" Focused Lenses slowly turned his head and glared at Silver Plate. "Sure we can do that, under one condition." "Anything." Silver Plat said, as he smiled at the Focused Lenses "They agree to it." Focused Lenses said, as he pointed at Octavia and Vinyl, which didn't seem to set well with the Silver Plate as both mares didn't look very happy to see him. "Oh." Silver plate's ears flopped to his head, as he knew this wasn't going to be an easy sell, but for his daughter he would do anything. As he took a deep breath he walked forward and tried to put on a warm smile. "Can we talk?" Silver Plate said, as he walked up to both mares, only to have them turn away from him and walk back to Spirits room.