//------------------------------// // Just Reward // Story: Spike's Doom and/or Destiny // by terrycloth //------------------------------// Spike carefully nudged open the door to Baalzebull’s lair – which the ponies had closed behind themselves to keep out the flames – and braced himself against the expected heat – but beyond was only darkness. He pushed it open the rest of the way. The barn was dark, but sunlight filtered through a few gaps in the roof. The flames were all out, and it didn’t look like they’d burned out naturally. The wood and hay was charred and damaged, but there was plenty left to burn, if there’d been any fire left to burn it. The entrance was still blocked, of course, but some of the partially-burned hay bales looked like they’d be easy enough to climb, and led to a collapsed part of the wall, so they had a way out. “It looks safe,” Spike said. “The fire must have all gone out when Baalzebull died.” “Then I guess we saved the farm,” Bon Bon said. “Well, except for the cows. I don’t suppose they all came back to life?” Spike blinked, suddenly noticing what was missing. “Maybe? I don’t see any bodies.” They made their way across the dimly lit floor, careful not to slip on the debris, or get their hooves wet in the pools of blood scattered here and there. Bon Bon volunteered to climb up the hay bales first, and prodded at them carefully for a while before giving them her approval. Spike and Moondancer followed her up. It was a short drop to the ground outside. “There’s no cows left out here either?” Derpy said, looking confused. “But we didn’t even kill them.” They didn’t have a chance to investigate the mystery, since the farmer was bouncing up and down and waving at them from the front yard. “You did it!” she said, once they approached. “I don’t know how I can thank you!” “Do you know how to skin evil cows?” Derpy asked. “Most of them went away but there’s a big devil-bull. I bet he’d make really good armor.” “Sure!” “Do you mind if I keep this scythe?” Moondancer asked. “We’re adventurers, we don’t have to give anything back,” Bon Bon said. The farmer chuckled. “It’s okay, I had that old thing shoved in a box since I normally use the thresher. Go ahead and keep it.” Bon Bon snorted. “Can I use your stove? I made a bag of healing candy, but it’s pretty plain. I was thinking adding some flavoring would make it work better.” The farmer glanced at her house. It was damaged, but mostly intact, and it didn’t look like the kitchen had collapsed or anything. “Sure, I guess.” She turned to Spike, and smiled. “What about you? Anything I can do for a big handsome dragon hero?” Spike shrugged. “Nah, I’m good.” The farmer pouted, and walked over to him, leaning close and almost nuzzling him as she spoke quietly into his ear. “Are you sure I don’t have anything you want?” she asked, waggling her tail. Spike blushed under his armor, and gently pushed the pony away with one of his claws. “Um… got any gems?” === Spike was counting the large pile of golz the farmer had given him as a reward for saving her farm, when Derpy flew up to him all excited. “Hey, Spike! I think there’s something down the well!” Spike looked up. “Is it water?” “Besides that! Come on!” Bon Bon was still mixing up her batch of hopefully tastier candy, but Moondancer was already waiting by the well. “Neither of us fit in the bucket, but between the two of us we should be able to lower you safely,” she said. “If you need to get dragged back up in a hurry, tug on the rope three times.” “Or yell ‘hey guys pull me up!’” Derpy suggested. “Is it really a good idea to go swimming in their water supply?” Spike asked. “Yes,” Moondancer said. “It’s the best idea ever! I just wish I could go,” Derpy said. “I always wondered what it was like at the bottom of a well, but when I tried to fly down one like Rainbow did that one time, I got stuck halfway and they had to send down a little foal to tie a rope to me so they could pull me out. So embarrassing.” She cringed. “Just remember the signal,” Moondancer said, lifting Spike in her magic and plopping him in the bucket. “Ready?” “Hey!” Spike said, squirming around until he was at least upright. “Good luck,” Moondancer said, dropping the bucket into the well. Spike fell for about ten feet, before the rope suddenly went taut, smacking him in the side of the face. Luckily, he was wearing a helmet. He grabbed hold of the rope, and tugged on it to hold the bucket away from the sides of the well, as it slowly descended into the darkness. Although it wasn’t quite dark, was it? As the ambient sunlight faded, he started to make out a blue glow illuminating the walls and the bucket from below. Then the walls of the well receded as he was lowered into a small cavern, and a few seconds later the bucket splashed down in the central pool. Spike hopped out onto the shore. Everything was wet, as if it had just recently been underwater. There was a small dribble of water from a crack in the rock, that was slowly refilling the pool – but for now, the contents of the little cavern were exposed. There was a rotting crate covered in seaweed, various poisonous-looking mushrooms, and the ancient skeleton of a pony knight. The armor was rusted and ruined, and sized completely wrong for a dragon anyway, and the shield had been sliced in two by a blow that also crushed the hapless knight’s ribs, but the sword was undamaged and sharp, and the source of the pale blue glow. Spike worked at the knight’s jaw until he could pull it loose, and gave a few practice swings. It was a little larger than the sword he’d found in Lyra’s basement, but light as a feather, and very sharp. There was a grinding, rattling noise as the skeleton of the knight started to stand up, a faint light glimmering in its eyes. Spike gave a yelp, and swung his new sword at its neck, slicing off its head like a hot knife through butter. The bones collapsed in a heap. “You okay down there?” Derpy asked, from above. “Yeah, I’m good,” Spike said. He gave one last look around, then climbed back into the bucket and tugged on the rope three times. “I think I’m done here. Pull me up!” === Bon Bon was done with her candy by the time Moondancer finished examining the sword’s magic. They’d all camped out in the farmer’s front yard to rest up, since there wasn’t enough room in her house for all of them, and while the farmer told Spike that she had some extra space in her bed if he wanted, he didn’t think it would be fair for only him to sleep in comfort while the rest of them made do with grass and blankets. “It’s magically sharp, and glows,” Moondancer said, as she came out of her trance. “Kind of figured that part out on my own,” Spike said. She glowered at him, but continued. “It’s also enchanted to increase your speed, including your mental speed.” She floated it back to him. “I could use it myself. It’s light enough. But I only really know how to fight with staffs.” “I’m sure we’ll find a magic staff soon enough,” Spike said, shoving the magic sword into his old sword’s scabbard without thinking. Surprisingly, it was a perfect fit. “Everyone’s got a new weapon but Derpy,” Bon Bon said. “We should have taken that crossbow the pegasus farmhand was using.” “Pirates don’t use crossbows,” Derpy said. Bon Bon shrugged. “They could, and it makes sense for a flyer to want a ranged weapon.” “Maybe you could think of it as a tiny, spring-loaded cannon?” Spike suggested. “I don’t think I’m that good at playing pretend,” Derpy said. “If you find me an actual tiny cannon, I’ll use that. But it has to make a big ‘boom’ noise.” === They slept for a while in the burning sun, until the farmer woke up them up with a hot breakfast and a paper-wrapped bundle that she said contained Baalzebull’s hide. It wasn’t tanned yet, but any armorer would be able to take care of that for them. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay for a while?” she offered. “We have a lot of work to do to get everything back in shape. I’d be really grateful for any help you could give.” She smiled at Spike while she said the last part. “Can’t your farmhands take care of that?” Spike asked, motioning to the colorful ponies who’d wandered back out of the grass, and were currently working on fixing the fences. “Is there any kind of reward for the farmwork?” Bon Bon asked. “I mean, for the rest of us. I think we all know how you’d like to reward Spike.” The farmer blushed. “You think she’s hiding her gems?” Spike asked, tilting his head at Bon Bon. “Let’s just go,” Moondancer said. “We’re supposed to be rescuing a princess, remember?” “Oh! She’s been kidnapped again?” the farmer said, looking shocked. “Well, don’t let me hold you here then, heroes. I’m sure we’ll still have work for you if you ever come back. And until then…” she handed Spike a slip of paper. “Here’s a map to the farm, so you don’t forget about me. If you want to send a letter, just tell them to deliver it to Ferdy’s farm.” “Er, thanks, Ferdy,” Spike said, taking the paper. She giggled. “Oh, I’m not Ferdy. Ferdy was my grandma. I’m Felicia. But you can call me Ferdy if you want.” She smiled at him. “Just call me, okay?” “What?” Spike asked. Felicia looked around, to make sure nopony else was nearby, then said in a low voice. “I’ve got a phone.” “What’s a phone?” Moondancer asked. She put a hoof up to Moondancer’s mouth. “Shh! Not so loud.” She checked for ponies listening again, then added, “but if you find one, I wrote my number on the map.” “Oh… kay,” Moondancer said. “We’re leaving now.” “Come back soon!” Spike turned and waved at the edge of the fields, and then they left the farm behind, heading into the tall wild grass.