• Published 14th Oct 2013
  • 2,949 Views, 263 Comments

Breath of Dragons 2 - Tatsurou



Spike must quest across a dying world to save it and all he cares for, and to discover the truth about his past. Friends aid him as he journeys to confront an ancient evil left behind by an evil goddess. Crossover, not sequel.

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Reunion and Truth

After a time of Spike and Scootaloo simply clinging to one another, Luna warped the group out of the castle and to the campsite adjacent to the carriage dock at the edge of the lake. "This should give them some privacy for their reunion," she said softly.

"Why couldn't we have gotten them a room in Canterlot Castle for privacy?" Rarity demanded. "It would certainly be more comfortable than out here."

"Three reasons," Luna replied. "One, Scootaloo is a known thief, so I doubt the guards would leave us alone." Twilight nodded confirmation. "Two, the longer we stayed, the more likely someone would come up with a reason to force Twilight to stay, when she obviously wants to come with us." Another nod from Twilight. "And third and most important, someone had...returned to the castle who...I don't exactly get along with."

"You mean someone who doesn't like you?" Pinkie asked in shock.

"No," Luna replied. "In fact, just the opposite." She shuddered.

"Umm..." Fluttershy began, unsure how to ask what she wanted to know.

"The sooner we get back to Ponyville, the better for Pipsqueak. If I'd met up with her, we'd be stuck in Canterlot for at least a month."

"Ah," Applejack replied. "Gotcha."

Meanwhile, Spike and Scootaloo continued to cling to each other. "I...I was beginning to think it had all been just a fantasy," Spike whispered. "That I didn't ever have a little sister...or a father..."

Scootaloo sniffled, rubbing her eyes before burying her face in his chest. "Even when I couldn't remember, I knew something was missing...it hurt so much..." She blinked, then looked up at him. "What do you mean, think it was a fantasy?"

Spike sniffled a bit, trying to wipe away the unending tears. "When I woke up from my nap under the dragon, no one in town knew who I was. They didn't know you, or Dad...and everyone was saying that Sister Crystal had always been the pastor."

Scootaloo blinked, her eyes narrowing. "How long was your nap?"

He shook his head. "Not long." He looked closely at her. "Why?"

She looked away. "No reason."

"Citrine..."

"Could you call me Scootaloo?" she requested. "I haven't been Citrine since I lost my memory...and I don't want to go by that name again until we find out what happened to Dad."

Spike nodded. "Alright...Scootaloo." He chuckled. "That name feels like it suits you better, anyway. Citrine is far too much a proper lady's name."

Scootaloo chuckled. "Damn straight." She then yawned.

Without thinking, Spike wrapped Scootaloo in his cloak and held her close against him. "Sleep well, sis," he whispered, starting to fall asleep himself.

Luna smiled as she watched the pair. "It has been a rather trying day for them," she said softly. "Let's camp here for the night." The others - all doing their best to hold back squeals over how cute Spike looked taking care of his little sister - nodded in agreement.


"Scootaloo," Spike said for the seemingly umpteenth time, "are you sure you're okay with it? Turning yourself in to clear Pip's name? I mean, I'm pretty sure we could come up with another way-"

"Relax, Spike," Scootaloo groaned. "You act like this is my first time getting thrown behind bars. It's like the seventh or something." She patted his shoulder. "I'll be fine. The guards will take me in, ask some questions, put me in jail, and I'll be out before tomorrow morning. Just like always."

Spike winced. "You realize I'll likely just be sent after you again, right?"

Scootaloo grinned as she walked with him and the rest of the group to the gates of Ponyville. "Good. That'll mean we get to see each other again."

As they entered the town, the town guard was waiting. Spike spoke up. "This is Scootaloo, the Thief Queen. She's the one who stole from Blueblood, not Pipsqueak."

Scootaloo raised her hands. "I surrender myself freely. I still have the stolen goods, and will return them...temporarily." The last word she whispered, nearly silent.

The guards immediately surrounded Scootaloo to leave her away. Flash Sentry stayed nearby, smiling at Spike. "I knew Pip wasn't that sort," he affirmed. "By the way, Trixie's waiting for your report."

"Right," Spike said, his eyes glancing after Scootaloo before heading towards the Ranger HQ. "Luna, think you could head to Dutchcolt and get Pip?"

Luna nodded. "Certainly." She warped away.


Up above the group, on the rooftops, Pipsqueak shook his head. "Still as naïve as ever, bro. Didn't you read all the town laws? If somepony steals from a noble, the noble gets to decide their punishment." He looked after where Scootaloo - now handcuffed - was being taken. "Way you were looking after her, I know you wouldn't have handed her over if you knew. So while you report, I'll keep an eye out." He then leapt from rooftop to rooftop, following after, ducking into Blueblood's mansion the same way he got in the first time.


Spike sat nervously in Trixie's office as he gave his full report on everything that transpired on his journey to find the real thief. Trixie seemed especially concerned as she heard the reports of the ponies and others who turned out to be demons. "This is quite the report, Spike," she said at the end. "You have made Trixie quite proud of you. You have also put Trixie in a bind, as she is forced to promote you now, and then you will be attending the noble's parties, and then Trixie will lose her funding for the Rangers because you will say or do something that offends Blueblood." She groaned a bit. "Trixie is not amused."

Spike chuckled. He was the only one giving the report. The rest of the group was outside, waiting for Luna to come back with Pipsqueak. "You can keep the promotion, really," he said. "A pay raise would be fine. Anyway, I'd like to get going to the guardhouse."

Trixie tilted her head. "Why would you want to go to the guardhouse?"

Spike blinked. "I want to make sure they're treating Scootaloo right."

"But she would not be at the guardhouse."

Spike paused. "What?"


Pipsqueak managed to follow Blueblood into his secret basement behind the mirror. Before he went down below, though, he set up a remote crystal controlled device attached to the mirror, just in case he would need it. He then crawled across the ceiling of the basement level. Seeing the cells below, he shuddered. He recognized a few of the people in them, and knew they were innocent, ponies Blueblood had managed to get locked up for obviously trumped up charges to work towards his own gain.

Reaching the end of the hall, he saw Blueblood chain Scootaloo to the wall. "Well, well, well," Blueblood said with a wide grin. "I wonder how I'll punish you? I don't suppose you'd steal for me?"

"Yeah, sure," Scootaloo replied much too quickly.

"And you'll agree to that with a blood oath?" Blueblood asked.

Scootaloo sighed. "Yeah, you got me. Wouldn't steal for you if my life depended on it."

Blueblood chuckled wickedly. "Oh...not your life. Your punishment is up to me, and I intend to make sure you live for a long time...at least until you agree to the oath." Blueblood's eyes roved up and down over Scootaloo, paying careful attention to how her body suit hugged her athletic figure.

Scootaloo flinched away from his lecherous gaze. "You keep away from me, you dirty old bastard!"

Blueblood chuckled. "You stole from a noble, whelp," he stated, starting to walk towards her. "As far as the law is concerned, I own you." He started to reach towards her.

Pipsqueak knew he had to act right now. He triggered the device he'd planted, causing it to explode loudly, shattering the mirror.

Blueblood cursed, pulling back. He then smirked at Scootaloo. "Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back." He then turned and stormed up the hall muttering imprecations under his breath, not looking up.

As soon as he was around the corner, Scootaloo started struggling wildly in her chains, trying to get away. Pipsqueak leapt off the roof and ran to her as soon as Blueblood reached the stairs. "Hold still," he said, quickly getting to work on the chains.

Scootaloo blinked. "You're the one I saw that night here in the mansion," she said, the first manacle clinking open as she spoke. "...you're pretty good. Pipsqueak, right?"

Pipsqueak finished with her other wrist and moved on to her leg chains. "One of the best," he said proudly. "How'd you know my name?"

"Spike told me about you," she said, bending to work at the chain on her other leg. Within moments she was free, but a little wobbly. "Dammit, that last manacle had a sedative needle trap, and I tripped it."

"Don't worry," Pip insisted, slipping under her arm. "I'll get you out."

"I don't think you will," Blueblood said, coming around the corner. "I've truly caught you red handed now, Pipsqueak."

Pipsqueak glowered, drawing one of his daggers. "And what makes you think a nancy like you can stop me from getting out if I want to?"

Blueblood smirked. "You seem to forget who - and what - you're dealing with." Blueblood's horn glowed as he gathered his magic.

Pipsqueak grinned widely as he reached into his pocket. "I didn't," he said, holding up a small object with a crystal in the center between thumb and forefinger. "In fact, I was counting on it." He released it.

The device was one of his own creations, a set of cantrips he made to give himself an advantage against other kinds of ponies. This particular one was an explosive that, once primed, would be drawn to any actively gathering magic...like a unicorn's horn.

The device flew through the air towards Blueblood, impacting against his horn and exploding. "RAGH!" Blueblood shouted out, his head rocking back, his horn scorched and cracked.

"Come on!" Pip insisted, doing his best to race away as he helped Scootaloo along, who was quickly losing consciousness.

"You aren't going anywhere!" Blueblood roared, his body warping into a massive yellow worm. "No one escapes me! If I can't torment her how I wish, I shall settle for feeling her struggle in my belly as she is slowly digested over a thousand years!" A large tongue shot out towards Scootaloo.

In desperation, Pip shoved Scootaloo forward, blocking the tongue with his body as he was pulled into the worm.


"What?" Spike roared. "She was handed over to Blueblood?"

Trixie at first believed Spike's muscles bulging with his rage was simply a metaphor and a trick of the light...until she saw his armor straining against his arms. "Spike, what has gotten into-"

"That's my little sister!" he roared, spinning and leaping out of the house, coming down in the middle of the street as many ponies ran in fright, his scales slowly turning red.

Trixie gasped. "Oh gods..." She shook her head. "So much for the Ranger's Guild. He'll tear the whole town apart." Sighing, she shrugged her shoulders before grabbing a staff from her closet. "Well, Trixie was Great and Powerful once. She can be again." Grabbing a favored hat and cape, she turned to follow Spike. "Besides, Trixie will enjoy putting Blueblood in his place!"

Spike, meanwhile, charged right towards Blueblood's manor. A rather foolish guard got in his way. "Halt!" the guard shouted. "You are-"

"One side!" Spike snarled, backhanding the poor guard halfway across town. He then continued right up to Blueblood's mansion and - not bothering to slow down - crashed right through the door and door frame before carving a swath of destruction straight towards the broken mirror and down the stairs.

When he got there - with the rest of the group and Trixie close behind - he saw the massive worm raised over Scootaloo. "Sis!" he roared.

Scootaloo looked up. "Spike!" she wailed. "Blueblood ate Pipsqueak!"

Spike's eyes glowed red. Rounding on the worm, he exhaled a massive torrent of flame, engulfing the worm, which screamed in agony. However, when the flame died down, the worm was still whole.

Blueblood laughed. "You think your flame will quench my lust for power and wealth? You cannot..." He trailed off as twin spots of glowing red light appeared near the center of his body. "What is-"

He was cut off as a red spiral of light arced out of him, cutting him completely in half. Pipsqueak - whole but rather messy - leapt from the hole, his blades glowing with red dragon fire. "Eat this, bugger!" he snarled, driving one knife into the worm's eye shoulder deep, gouging its brain.

With one last scream, the worm exploded into black smoke.

Trixie blinked. "Blueblood was a demon?" Trixie asked in shock.

"It seems my suspicions were accurate," Fancy Pants said as he walked in. "The town council will certainly hear reason now. In the meantime, I believe the Blueblood estate will be divided up to recompense those he's wronged and to build up the town's defenses...including expanding the Ranger's Guild."

Trixie pouted. "And Trixie was looking forward to adventuring again."

Twilight chuckled as she used a water spell to clean Pipsqueak off as Spike returned to normal size and coloration. "Well done, Pipsqueak."

"Yeah," Scootaloo said, managing to get to her hooves with Rainbow's help. Leaning over, she gave Pip a kiss on the cheek. "That's for saving me."

Pip grinned sheepishly as Spike glared. "Just doing what any friend would-OW!"

Scootaloo had promptly punched him hard on his arm. "And that's for copping a feel when we first met!"

Spike twitched violently. "What?"

Pipsqueak chuckled. "Uh...you see..."

"When I fell on him as I ran out of the vault, I wound up with his right hand on my left breast and his left hand on my ass," Scootaloo griped. "It's why I stomped on his gut. The punch was because he squeezed."

Spike growled deep in his throat, his scales turning red again. "You felt up my sister?" he snarled.

Pip blinked. "Wait, you're Citrine?" he asked, staring at Scootaloo in surprise. Seeing her nod and the fire growing in Spike's mouth, he turned tail and fled. "I didn't know, bud! I didn't know!"

Spike pursued Pip angrily, scorching the ground near his hooves, the rest of the group there laughing.


Luna glanced around Dutchcolt in confusion. "Now where could Pipsqueak be?" she demanded in confusion.

Author's Note:

Battle Data:

Pipsqueak has gained a new command!

MagSword - Pips knives become energized by a spell (black magic, white magic, stat magic, or dragon magic) for the remainder of the battle. This has varying effects/

Black magic - Pips attack damage increases and takes on the element of the energizing spell. Damage influenced by enemies elemental weakness and resistance.
White magic - Pips attack restores health equal to 1.5 times normal damage. Deals damage to undead. Exception is anti undead spells like Zom and Requiem. Zom functions like a black magic technique, but gaining the Holy element. Requiem does not influence damage at all, but physical attacks will instantly kill undead.
Stat magic - In the case of buffs, Pips stat related to the buff will increase 1/10 of the damage dealt with each attack. In the case of debuffs, the enemies stat will be decreased that amount every attack.
Dragon magic - Pipsqueak's regular attack gains the selected element. Each attack command inflicts two attacks of equal strength, one dealing physical damage, the other magical.

Technique availability is based on spells available for casting by party members.