When Spike is forced to be a Player, he's on a mission to be the most richest Player in Equestria and save it as well. But they as other plans. Will Spike be able to earn the money, bid, auction, buy, sell, and save Equestria before it's to
Spike is now the richest dragon in Equestria. You wonder how, you say? Well, here's a secret: Spike was an ordinary person, just like you. That is, until he was forced into becoming a Player. Now forced to buy and sell, his tower must increase to the max to reach the one called Monopoly Man.
Wearing his Golden Hat, having a female pony as a familiar, and a arch enemy, he is forced to reach the top without any pony knowing, not even Twilight and his friends. But will he be able to make it far without them knowing?
Money is everything in this world. It keeps you happy, keeps you strong, keeps you alive. Oh, but not for this pony. He was straight up broke. He was cold, scared, hungry. But he knew something. Not yet, he thought, his mouth begging for water, and his throat dry. I. Simply. Won't.
He went to the nearest shop, and he saw it. A red...juicy....big loving apple. His stomach urged, growled like an animal begging for food. He walked over to her, his mouth watering, but all came out was his tongue. "Howdy! What could Ah get'cha?" the farm girl asked.
"The, um, the apple." He said slowly, his brain slowly dying.
"That'll be four bits." She said. He reached in his left: Nothing. He reached for his right: Nothing. He could've sworn he had the money!! He panicked, looking in his back hobo pocket, nothing but air. The farm girl was frustrated and the lack of money he had. "Now look here, stranger. Ah sell the worlds best apples, and ain't just gunna sell them fer free. Now y'all just get out of here!!" She pointed her hoof away from her bin.
The pony was angry, someone must've stole the money when he slept. He needed a building, he mortgage all his. He challenge the Monopoly Man, and he knew he shouldn't of done that. But, to get back in track, he had to auction. Lucky him, his Monopoly Empire came into view. He brought out the card as it showed a note.
Important News!!! Someone has denied a bill board!! Starting at $50, the auction will begin in 20 seconds. Would you like to join? Y/N
He hesitated, either way, he's gonna die. Either by starvation, or lack of money. By he had to. It was a risk, but he said, "Yes." He ran he, as fast as he can, and he saw his butler waiting for him. "Auction is starting, bring me my kart and be ready for the fight." He said.
The butler nodded and grabbed his stuff. He ready the kart, and waited for the pony. As the pony got in, he said, "Las Pegasus. Hidden Central. M.E. Please." He said. The golden kart took off into the sky, and towards the city. He brought out his M.E. card. They brought him down to the Main Central, and he gently landed to the ground. He went towards the Elevator, and he saw the buttons. 1-20, and then their was a slot. He put his M.E. Card in there, and he went down. He was surprised to make it in time for the auction.
As the elevator went down, he made sure he had the money. He checked his card to see $1000 dollars on him. Not a lot, but it's something. The elevator stopped, and the door opened. What he saw, was ponies everywhere. They all had a screen to show, and he walked in to enter the auction. He had his place, the far left of the 'city', with his butler by his side.
"Auction begins..."
The ponies waited for the Monopoly Man's signal. He held his diamond cane and swung.
"NOW!!"
The pony ran towards the middle, to see how many ponies decided to take the auction. "LEEROOOOOOOOOOYYY JEEEEEENKIIIIIINS!!!!!" He heard a firm yell. He looked up to see a huge robot coming towards him. He made a swift dodge and he crashed into the crater. The pony got a quick view of him to see a half mask on him. "Skull Crusher...crud." the pony said in fear.
"Aw YEAH!! Welcome BACK brethren!! I don't suppose you have a wager?" Skull asked. His voice was cracked and it sounded like he didn't clear his throat much. His body was buff and ripped, and his robot friend looked peeved off. "Crusher, attack for 100 K!!" He ordered.
Crusher brought out his sword and jumped high in the air. He faces the sword downwards and fell towards the poor pony. "Money Shield for 50!!" He yelled. A green money shield appeared and the sword broke in, but not enough to stab him.
"Butler, attack for 50!!" He yelled again. The butler quickly ran in, dodging all attacks the robot had to offer, and the butler side kicked it, forcing it to fall. "$900 dollars left..." He said to himself.
"Crusher!! Bot Smash for 200 K!!" Skull yelled. Crusher once again jumped into the air, but this time, he curled up into a ball and fell like a meteor. "Butler, get us out of here!!" the pony yelled.
Butler swooped in and grabbed the pony before the robot could smash him. The Butler ran with the pony to the central, to see four others fighting for. The auction. And there he saw it, the Everfree Forest for $300. He smiled. He was finally gonna get his life back on track. "Bid for $400!!" He yelled. The title for the forest went from Bloom Berry to Red Clover.
He smiled as his name was now on there, but he saw something devastating. He saw another player he knew. "Cat Burglar." He said. Some how, she heRd the name from afar, and she smiled when she saw him. "Bid for $700." He heard.
"No..." His smile became a frown in a jiffy. It went from Red Clover to Violet Heart in a flash. He growled, and he yelled, "Bid for $800!!"
It went back to his name, and he knew he couldn't go any further. If he tried, he won't have enough to protect himself. "Attack Red Clover for $70" she said with anger.
Her Silver Cat decided to turn into a lion and attack him. "Butler, attack for $50." He ordered. Butler ran towards the lion, and used his cane to eat the lion. But it was stronger than him, he knew it. His attack was smaller, and he couldn't do nothing about it. The lion threw the butler off, making him unconscious in the process. Red was forced to watch hid final bid be turned down to $1000. "Cat, attack for $2000." Cat ordered. The cat-lion thing roared and ran towards him.
The cat was fast, and their was no way to side this. Instead, he had to embrace it. Tears formed and the lion grew bigger as it came closer. The lion raised it's claws...
"Well, what do you think? Was he cut out for the game?" A voice asked. The ruler simply twisted his mustache in thinking. "Meh. I do suppose that his money and account were...short." The Ruler said.
"We tried everything, sire! No matter who you want to challenge, these pesky ponies always fall short! Their to sensitive!"
"Maybe we don't need a pony." The Ruler said. The voice was now curious at the Ruler's statement. "What do you mean, sire?" She asked.
Remember the humans? When they play that game, it jeopardizes their friendship. They argue at their demise and cheating. So...what if we try a Dragon instead?" The Ruler asked.
The voice smiled at his idea. She knew Dragons were greedy, no matter what item it is. All they want, is more things. "Sire, that's brilliant! But, we can't just go for any dragon."
"I do believe your right about this one, Reggy. So answer me this, near his death, where is the nearest dragon?" The Ruler asked.
"The Princesses assistant, Twilight Sparkle. She has a dragon on her. A baby dragon in fact. He won't last a minute, even if we teach him the rules." Reggy said.
"Now now, Reggy. Give him the rules, and give him a headstart. And...give him a human--no...give him a pony familiar. One that actually protects itself within a fight." The Ruler said. Reggy nodded and left into the darkness. The Ruler kept twisting his white and thin mustache, but he put on his hat and walked down his throne. His footsteps echoing throughout the room, and he entered his Game Room. He turned on his TV, and saw the last pony that died. "Shame that ponies these days die at the niceness within them. Well, not anymore. This time, we got a dragon on our hands."
Spike was walking home from Rarity's house. The town dark and the moon shining. He opened the door to the library. He smelled the loving air. "Thank goodness!" Spike said to himself. He walked upstairs to see a pony. Not Twilight, but a pony waiting for him. "Hello, sweet cheeks." She said with a smile.
This pony wore a black top hat, her red hair wrapped around each other to form a tail, and her bright yellow-orange skin able to lighten up the dark. "W-who are you?! TWILIGHT--!!" His mouth was covered by the pony, who now became stern.
"Listen, kid." She said now releasing her hoof from his mouth. "I know this is sudden, but hear me out: You are about to be the richest dragon alive. The authorties chose you, and I gotta teach ya the basics. Besides, you want this, don't ya?"
She held lots of bits. But not in her hoof, in a bag. A big bag. Spike couldn't help but think of what he'd do with the money. He could even buy this town in 10 seconds flat! "You want this money? Then you gotta fight for it. But some dude died this morning. So here!" She held out a card that had an M.
This was happening so fast! To Spike, she spoke jumble words, showed money, and a card! He grabbed the card, and he saw the golden cards.
"Let me explain as slowly as possible." She said, fixing her hat. "That there, is a card. The bottom sections is your Savior Deck. That part can be played any time, whether your dead or alive. Some of those things can be even used on a good use. Others can throw off enemies. The top one is your money stash. Each new player earns at least 250,000 bits. If you wanna take out some money, just reach into your pocket and pull out the amount you want. The rules of battle will be explained tommorow. For now--"
Spike honestly wasn't ready for the kiss on the cheek. In just two minutes, he got a kiss from a stranger. New record for other ponies out there. "--Keep out for your familiar."
Spike didn't have time to check as she suddenly disappeared. "...Weird." He said. He looked at his card, flipped it again and again. "What did she mean by familiar?" He questioned himself.
He yawned, his body still tired from today. "Might as well get some sleep." He jumped in his bed, and hiding the cards under his pillow. Curling up in his soft bed, and snoring until the next morning.
"So, what do you think?" asked The Ruler.
"That pipsqueak wouldn't last a second in the Auction. He's more soft than the ponies!!"
"Now hold on, he seems like he's got potential."
"The mission is done, my lord." Reggy said as she ran to The Ruler. "He seems baffled about it, but he'll be fine."
"I can beat that Pipsqueak seconds flat!"
"Put you money where your mouth is! You couldn't even beat Reggy! And she was a newbie months ago!"
The Ruler scoffed and said, "He's right. She had a win on you, even if you pulled out an M.E card."
"Grr...FINE! You wanna see? I can take him out one-on-one! You'll see!"
"Theirs gonna be an auction tommorow. He may not realize it, but he's betting on Ponyville." Reggy explained.
"...Perfect...make it a one-on-one match between him and me. Were gonna settle this like men...rich men."
Spike couldn't help but wonder who that pony was. Can't even believe he shrugged it off last night. He got up from his bed, and grabbed his M card. The sun shing on the card, reflecting off gold and silver around the room. "How does this thing even work?" He asked himself.
He flipped the card to show his balance: 250,000 bits it said on the back. He looked at his 'M.E.' cards and read one.
Just say no! Play this at anytime to stop another players actions.
This sorta seems useful. He put his M Card in his M.E stack and went downstairs. He saw Twilight, heavily reading a book. "Hey Twilight!!" He said with a smile.
Twilight didn't answer, but stared at the book even more. "I...guess you don't mind me leaving out for Rarity's." He said with a calm tone.
"Uh-huh, sure..." Twilight said, sounding like a hypnotic zombie. Spike's smiled and ran out the door. "Thanks, Twi'!" He said, running out and slamming the door.
When he made it outside, he took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. He felt like he was a millionaire; a rich, and I quote, "Filthy Rich" millionaire. He took a look around. Just the usual ponies. One with golden flower baskets, one with a silver cat, and another with a silver toy robot. "Wait, what?" Spike took a closer at the ponies.
These items were completely silver, and they were alive!! Well, the cat, that is. The rest looked like ordinary to the others, but why ignore it? It's made of gold and silver!! Do these ponies not care?! Or...is it...? "Am I the only one that can see it?" He asked himself.
"Not really." He heard. This scared Spike until he saw the pony from last night. "Huh?! W-wha-?!"
"Calm down. Don't worry. I ain't here to hurt ya." She said, tipping her golden top hat. "What you see around you are Players."
"P-Players? What? I-I don't under--!!"
"It's alright. I didn't get it at first. Let me explain the best I can." She said, resting on her randomly-popping-out-of-thin-air cane. "Players is what you are now. Who beg for money, who love money, who need money. Some even fight for either one of those choices. They play to win, or to survive."
"Survive?"
"Eeyup. Some were forced to play like you, randomly selected by The Ruler."
"T-then why am I chosen?"
"Not sure. Your Familiar knows more than I do. But guess what I know more than you know?" She said with a smile.
"What?" Spike asked, not in curiosity, but the incomplete or confusing question she asked. She brought out two large money bags, bigger than Spike, and he couldn't help but stare. "You want this, don'tcha? This will make you the richest dragon in the world, and you want it." She teased.
Spike couldn't help but droll at the big bags. This he could have! All for free!! He wanted it--no...he needed it! He needs to have it! He could get all the gems in the world, he could make a pool of his own money, he even could get Rarity a gift! To make her finally notice him. "But first, you need to earn it." She said, snatching the money from his sights.
"Huh?" He asked, only to make her giggly. "Look, I don't know who you are, and I don't know what's going on, but....all I want to do is go to Rarity's."
"'Fraid you can't, mate." She said with a smile.
"Why not?!" Spike asked, only for his response to be interrupted by a golden hat on his head. All she did was wave him over, and Spike had no choice but to follow. They went into an alleyway, and their was a dark dead end. "First of all, the reason you can't is because you've been challenged."
"CHALLENGED?! BY WHO?!" Spike asked in total fear. The pony ignored his comment and motioned him to tilt his hat forward. Spike hesitated before he titled his golden top hat, and a blue portal opened. "Second, you can call me Reggy. Follow me." She ordered.
Spike slowly followed, to meet a large red place. A large mansion, you would call it. Each pony either having a silver or golden object with them. "All I can do for you, Spike, is inform you who your challenger is. And your challenger is head of the Monopoly Board, McKyle." Reggy said, her happy tone suddenly replaced by a harsh and rashly tone.
"H-Head of the Monopoly Board?! Can you at least tell me what's going on?!" Spike begged. Reggy only looked back, her face in anger. "Ask your Familiar." She said.
Spike decided to keep his mouths shut and bring his hat over his eyes, hearing every pony he passes.
"That's the newbie?! He's not going to last a second in there."
"That puny dragon is going to lose the second he steps in the Auction."
"Hey, Puny dragon! Why don't you go back where your Princess can babysit you and feed your baba? AHAHAHAHAH!!"
Each insult wanted to make Spike yell. He wanted to scream in anger. But he couldn't, because they were right. He's going to lose the second he's in there, he's not going to last even a blink of an eye in this 'Auction', and he did wanted to go home. He titled his hat further down, tears rolling down his eyes. "Don't listen to them." Reggy said, walking further down the hall with her head down as well. "They always do this to the new Player in the game. They even did this to me. Just keep walking." She said.
At the end of the royal hall was the Garden. Players were surrounded by flowers, and in the middle of the garden was a huge orb, showing a red, inhabit city of Ponyville. "Woah...this is huge!" He said with amazement.
"Well, yeah. This is a millionaire version of Canterlot." Reggy said.
"Wait, so the Canterlot I know is poor compared to this?!" Spike asked with even more amazement.
"Yep. But let's not get off task." Reggy said, pulling out an envelope. She handed to Spike, and he opened the letter to be addressed to him.
To Spike,
It seems that word is going around that your are the new...newbie on the board. And, for that, I humbly request that I challenge you to a duel for Ponyville. I know this is sudden for you and your Familiar, but it seems that I want to prove that not even a newbie like you would dare to defeat me. So, Spike, would you like to take this request? Yes, or No?
"I'm guessing this is from the Head of the Monopoly Board?" Spike asked, not even daring to look upset, but to instead stare at the red sky.
"You seem vaguely calm about this." Reggy said.
"I'm not. I just....I'm just so confused! I don't know how to play, or even know how to win!! By my guess, if I lost to him, I lose all my money!"
"Your right on that one."
"Can you at least teach me how to play?!"
"Sorry, but only you or your Familiar has to tell you the rules. Just like everyone else, even I had to learn the rules myself."
Spike only clawed his face in anger as he has no idea what to do. "Can you at least tell me how to summon this, 'Familiar'?" He asked.
"That's the word: Summon." She said. She then reaches into her pockets, and pulls out a black jacket for him. "Wear this. You'll be able to keep your cards in here."
Spike putted his M.E card in his right pockets, and his deck in his left. He gave a sigh, and nodded with his top hat. "I'm ready." He said.
"I'll teleport you there now." Reggy said. She closed her eyes, and Spike disappeared into the Auction. Reggy only sighed and said, "Good luck, kid. Your going to need it."
Spike appeared in the Auction, all alone. He looked left and right, but wasn't able to find anyone. "Hello?" He called out. He checked in the sky to find a beam of light. That light caught his attention, and he knew the quickest way to get to that light. Moving from one alley to another, he finally reached the light, to see another pony at the other side. "So, your that dragon, huh? The New Player around this Board." He said.
The pony Spike saw wore a black cloak around his entire body. The only thing it showed was his green snout and green hooves. Spike became in shock, and he titled his hat in question. "Who are you?" He asked.
"Me? Well, you should've known. I am Head Master of the Monopoly Board, and you, my good sir, has entered my domain." He said, but he sat right back on the wall. "But before we can get started, any questions?"
Spike stood motionless, coming up only three questions in his head. "Yeah, what is the beam of light for?" Spike asked.
"...Hmph, forgot you were a newbie for the moment." He said, now looking straight at him, his eyes still not seen, but his smile shows. "That beam of light is the property your fighting for. When you own it, you rule it." He says.
A giant card came down, hovering from the ground as a golden number floated above it. The card had bold text saying Ponyville, and it had a brown color above it. Spike snarled in anger as he raised another question. "...Are their any more boards out there in Equestria?" He asked.
"Certainly. I may be king of the Monopoly Board, but their are others. For Example, their is the Millionaire Board, World Edition Board, and what your on now, the Empire Board. Any last questions?" He asked.
"...Who are you?"
"....McKyle."
"Alright everypony, the game will begin, and you all know the rules. But since their is a freshie here, I shall remind you. The Rules are simple. Either win the fight, or be the highest bidder in the game. You have 2 minutes to bid or survive. To fight, you will either be assisting your telling your Familiar your money. Each attack on your Familiar costs you 50 each or more, depending on how strong you want your attack to be. To bid, just say it's name and bid the amount you want. Highest bidder wins, or first one to be killed or injured losses. M.E Cards are playable in this match, so the deck you have on you will take affect. To Summon, throw your Bank M.E card down on the ground and say Summon to see your Familiar. And that's it. Oh, and The Head Master has been reduced to newbie amount. So it will be 250,000 each. Ready...?"
Spike pulled out his M.E Card, ready to throw it down. McKyle, ready as well. Spike was ready to sweat his skin off, but McKyle smirked it off.
"GO!!"
They both threw down their cards as quickly as possible, and they yelled out one word, "Summon!!" Both of their cards flew white as their supposed Familiars came out. McKyle's was a supposed robot with a facial mustache. It's silver armor reflected off light, and "Ready At Command." It said, taller than it's owner.
Spike's, however, was more unique. His Familiar was a mare. Her red curly mane and tail with her red eyes. Her freckles showed on her white body, and she had a red robe that only covered her body. "Ready at Command!" She said.
This, somehow, seemed to surprise both the Head and himself, but the Head was able to wipe off the surprise when he said, "Attack for 5k!!"
The robot held out it's arm, and aimed it towards Spike. The white colored pony jumped in front of Spike's way, punishing her with a dangerously blow. She flew right into Spike, both sliding back in pain. Spike couldn't help but groan from the pain, but found that his Familiar was severely hurt. "A-are you okay?!" Spike asked.
She stumbled her way up, blood found on her right rib. "I'm fine. Next time, block the attack." She said sternly.
"So you are her?" asked McKyle, now walking with his silver robot. "The supposedly apprentice of the Mad Hatter?"
"Mad Hatter?" Spike asked. All his Familiar did was growl in response. "Red mane, Red tail, freckles, I think you're her! I didn't think you choose this one after the incident." He said.
"Can someone please fill me in on what's going on?!?!" Spike asked.
"Sure, if you can block the attack for 40k." He said. The Robot held up his arm and swung with great force. His arm went from silver to orange, as if it came down like a meteor. "Block the attack!!" She yelled.
"I-I...uh...block for 25k!!" Spike yelled in fear. His Familiar glowed, before blocking only part of the robots attack and causing a crater. "Not bad, not bad; but not good enough. Robot, attack again for 5k." He calmly said.
The robot recoiled his other arm, before unleashing his robotic arm towards the Familiar. "Counter-Attack for 5k!" Spike yelled. His Familiar used the blocked arm and send it back, making the robot's arm hit is own face before the other arm could reach her. The Robot stumbled back from the hit, but no damage is found, "You did well for your first attack, Spike. But can you out last the rest of the minute and thirty seconds?" He asked.
"I think I can, I just got to give it all I got!" Spike said with a smirk. McKyle only smirked at his response. "We'll see. Robot, attack for 50k." He said again.
The Robot instead wanted to use both arms and force them upon Spike. He only smiled as he took in a huge amount of air, and blew a gigantic amount of green fire amongst the robot, causing it to overheat. The Robot was denied, and completely want to a stop. "Huh, what the-?!"
"Familiar, attack for 3k!" Spike interrupted. His Familiar smiled as she jumped and sucker punched the robot. The big machine fell over, still overheated. "Robot! Cool for 20k!!" He said.
The Robot cooled down and forced himself back up with his arms. "Jeez, your doing well, new kid. Scared me half to death for my Robot friend here." He said.
"And the sad part is, you only got 30 seconds left of the game." Spike said with a smirk.
"Oh really? Does it really look like you won?" McKyle asked. Spike was confused at this, until he looked at the giant card. Unfortunately, the Head of Monopoly was the highest by 70k showing his name right above it. "No!" Spike knew that he would bid soon, but he didn't think it would this high!
"Your move, Spike. Robot, kill him for 5k." McKyle said with a smirk. The Robot once again charged his hand and swung right at Spike. He jumped out of the way from the attack, and the Robot was hit by the Familiar. "Sorry, Master! 50 for each attack on their own!" She yelled.
She side kicked the Robot on the head, and it stumbled backwards before it caught itself. "20 seconds left. Robot, attack for 20k. Use the Ground Pound, please." McKyle ordered.
The Robot jumped high in the air, and aimed right towards Spike. As it came closer, Spike started to count. "19, 18, 17, 16..." He counted as it came closer. He did the math, and by the time it came to crush him, it was close to the end. "I see you counting the math, but it's no use. You have nothing against me." McKyle said, smiling as it came closer with greater speed.
"You know, you can just block it! What are you waiting for?!" His Familiar said, now in fear. Spike reached in his pocket and pulled out an M.E Card. "12, 11, 10..." Spike continued.
"Master!! What are you doing?! Are you to stupid to block it?!" Spike's Familiar continued.
"I may be a stupid dragon, but I'm Princess Twilight's number one apprentice, so I know how to do my math." He said. He didn't know what he was doing, but his instinct was to throw down his M.E Card as he yelled, "Just Say No!!"
The Robot literally stopped just inches above him, and both his Familiar and McKyle were shocked. "Bid for 80k!!" Spike yelled. The number changed above the Ponyville Card, and the timer hit zero.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner of this Auction is Spike the Dragon. Having 132 thousand dollars left, he gets a Discount Bonus for less money used. Adding up to a total of 432 thousand bits. The card Spike has won was Ponyville. So he now owns this card."
The Ponyville Card flew right into Spike's pocket, and the Head of the Monopoly Board was quite shocked, as well as his Familiar. "H-how....how did you win?!" McKyle asked, still in shock.
"Honestly...I don't know either." Spike said. Next thing he knew, he was teleported back to Millionaire Canterlot with his Familiar. "Wow, for a squirm like you, you made it pretty far." She said.
"T-thank you. Can't believe I made it." Spike said, a huge sigh of relief was heard from him. "Now...I just want to go home."
"Well, here." She said, handing him a black watch. "This is where I'll be when you want to talk to me."
"Still not understanding what's going on...but sure." He said. He put on the watch and titled his hat forward. The portal reopened and he stepped through it, returning back to Ponyville. It was still morning, and Spike sighed. "Hey...uh...Familiar." Spike called through his watch.
The timer on the watch switched to his Familiar reading a book. She looked at Spike through the watch with a smile. "Yeah?" She asked.
"I, uh, didn't get your name." Spike said sheepishly.
"Right...names Bloody Violet." She says.
"Why do they call you Bloody Violet?"
"Because my mane is so red, it's a blood color. And because whenever theirs a fight around, I get a little violent."
Spike had the most awkward poker face he ever had, hearing her say that so calmly. "Right...but do you know what that was all about?" He asked.
"About what?"
"Why do I have to do this? What is even going on?!" Spike asked, now walking home. Violet sighed as she kept on reading. "Honestly, I think it's because the Monopoly Man wanted to try a different approach." She said.
"Monopoly Man? You know him?"
"Yeah. I didn't know he existed until I fought him with the Mad Hatter."
"Am I the Mad Hatter now?"
"Yeah, I guess. Anyone wearing the golden hat must have a pony Familiar. Most female, rarely men. I'm your servant now. But with the Monopoly Man, I was...sorta..exiled."
"Like, banned?"
"You could say that, but I was sentence to death for failing the Master's duty. Every Familiar has to keep their Master safe, and if the Familiar fails, the Player can sentence them to death."
"Oh...you were sentenced there?"
"Yeah, I was. But I had another chance. They said if I fail one more time, then I can't come back."
"One more time?! How many times did you fail?"
"Most of the time, I was the Mad Hatter's servant in the house, or a maid, as you would call it. But...5-6-7 times."
"You seem a little to calm for that."
"Yep." Violet finished, now staring back at the book. Spike notice how she failed more times that should've, yet surprisingly calm about it. Their's just one more question that bothered him. "But, Monopoly Man, who is he?"
"Not sure. He's just a rich man. Rumor goes that, in this 'Human Universe' they fight. They think others cheat, they yell, they even go so far as to lose their minds for this game. Heck, one of the creators of this stupid problem fights for the money." She says with frustration.
"Oh. Then last question please." Spike asked her.
"And that would be...?"
"What does the Ponyville Card do?" Spike asked with a sheepish smile.
"Anypony that's a player, who lives in this town by the way, owes you rent every day, But since you have no Houses, they only have to pay 50 bits." She explained.
"You said their was a board right. Can I see it?" Spike asked.
"Sure." Violet said as she brought a folded map out of her book. She unwrapped the board and laid it flat for him to see.
"This is the board? I expected to be a bit more...complicated." Spike said.
"Hey, this is the board. Sorry if it isn't challenging for you." Violet said sarcastically.
"Sorry! Sorry...I'm just having a hard time processing this, you know?" Spike said.
"Everyone does, even the Empires, but you'll get used to it."
"Do I even have a choice?"
"Nope."
"Figures." Spike said with a chuckle, but his small laugh was interrupted by three fillies. "Who are you talking to?" Applebloom asked.
"Myself. I'm just tired of what I've been through today." Spike said.
"Where have you been? And where did you get that golden hat?" Scoot asked.
"Well--" Spike was ing to answer it, but his mind was interfered when Violet spoke. "Unless you really want to lose your memories and die, I recommend you don't say anything about what happened." she said.
"I-I...went on a crazy adventure. Involving my watch, my golden hat, my fancy black jacket that a pretty mare gave to me, and I'm going on a date." Spike made up.
"A date?! With who?!" Applebloom asked.
"Tell us! Who is she?!" Sweetie Belle asked.
"It's...it's..." Spike frantically looked for a way out, but to no avail, he was force to answer. "Red Violet." He said, tilting his hat forward to cover his eyes.
"Really?! We have to tell. Twilight this!!" Scoot said. They all tried to run off, but was grabbed by the tail forcefully as Spike said, "No! You can't tell Twilight about this!!"
"Why not?" Sweetie asked, now their tails free of torment.
"Because...I...don't want Twilight to ruin it for me. Please, keep it a secret. Just between us, and no pony else! Not even Pinkie!" Spike begged.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my--"
"I get it, you promise. Just...keep it low and hidden, okay?" Spike interrupted the Crusaders. They nodded with a smile and ran off giggling. "Really, a date? That's all you can think of?" He heard.
"What do you want me to say? I fought a giant robot squid with laser-shooting tentacles?" Spike asked.
"Right...just summon me." Violet said. Spike brought out his M.E and threw it down as he said, "Summon!!"
Violet came out, her robe in perfect condition, and her body healed. "Just meet me at Sugarcube Corner." She said.
"You know your way around Ponyville?"
"Mad Hatter use to live here. I know Ponyville more well than you do." Before Violet can leave from Spike, he had one more question.
"Wait!!" He called out. Violet stopped and turned. "What?" She asked.
"I overheard that once a pony dies, a new Player comes in. Who was that last Player that died?" Spike asked. Violet looked straight ahead and answered. "Before I was sentenced to death, I fought the Monopoly Man with the Mad Hatter. Lost all his money, and tried to gain his money back for one last fight. I was punished, but I saw his death: a silver beast, ending his life." She said, and then continued to walk away.
Spike stood dumbfounded, but he scratched his head. "And I thought this was just a game. Guess I've been proved wrong." He said. He ran out to Twilight's to get ready for the 'date', but what he didn't know, is that Fluttershy has seen this summoning.
And she is going to find out what's going on.
"Aaaaaand once again, you have lost to a newbie." The Ruler said with a chuckle.
"No!! He CHEATED!! He pulled out an M.E Card!! Y-you saw that, right?!"
"Their were no rules against using an M.E Card, but if he pulled out a Chance Card, you would've won guaranteed." said the Ruler, stroking his thick and luxurious mustache. "But, you lost. Get over it."
"AHAHAHAH!! Woo! Your face was certainly priceless!!"
"Face it, your out of your game, Mc. Leave it to the Millionaires to do the job right."
"You know, theirs something wrong with this Player. I can't quite put my hoof on it."
"The fact that this dragon is the Princesses assistant?" The Ruler asked.
"Something like that. But...I'm just going to let the game continue."
"Right. Monopoly Leaders, from now on, your keeping an eye on the Players, especially the dragon, got it?" The Ruler Asked.
"I speak for everyone, and we say okay. We'll keep an eye on the Players."
"Good. Now, if you excuse me, I need to check on the human world. It's bothering me how I leave them for 20 minutes and people start to think their cheating." The Ruler said. He walked out of the door, leaving the rest of the Leaders to their duties.
Fluttershy was quite shocked at what happened. A random pony appearing out of nowhere?! "N-no...must be magic." She told herself, now forcing herself to walk home. She was on her way to fetch some ingredients for Angel, but you know what happened. She couldn't wrap her mind around how he just summoned her without the help of Twilight. Was this some sort of trick he can do now? Does Twilight know? Maybe not, but this only questioned her further. "Oh...I knew I shouldn't have eavesdropped." She said to herself.
She heard a few words from him: Adventure, Money, Auction, date. The last one really bothered her, as she accidentally bumped into a pony. "O-oh...I'm sorry." She said.
"It's alright! I remember the last time I bumped into a pony! I remember when I saw a frog that was an orange, and he squirted out orange juice as he hopped! Then I wonder if it was just a coincidence, but then I bumped into a pony! Isn't that wonderful?!" Fluttershy heard.
"Pinkie?" She asked.
"Your Auntie Pinkie here, at your service! Need anything?" Pinkie asked with a bubbly smile. Fluttershy squirmed, but she tried to bypassed Pinkie be side-stepping her. "I-It's alright Pinkie, I just--"
"You sure? You sure your sure? You sure that your sure your sure? Are you sure--?"
"I'm fine, thanks." Fluttershy interrupted. Pinkie smiled and she hopped around her. "Okie-Dokie! See you later, Fluttershy! Don't forget about the slumber party at Twilight's!" Pinkie said as she ran off to Celestia-knows-where.
Fluttershy sighed in relief and kept walking. Maybe she could just asked Spike if anythings wrong, but she knew he'll only deny it. So their was one thing she had to do.
Get her something to eat, then tell the others, because she's STARVING!!
"Don't you find it weird how Spike already has a special somepony other than Rarity?" Scoot asked the Crusaders.
"Yeah! I was for sure thought it was Rarity." Sweetie said.
"Well...Applejack's going to that slumber party tonight. So..." Applebloom hint to the others, and smiled.
"CUTIEMARK CRUSADERS MATCH-MAKERS!! YAY!!" They yelled with glee. They ran out the clubhouse, but then they took a complete stop to hear their stomach growl. "Uh...maybe we should head to Sugarcube Corner before we look for Spike." Applebloom said.
"Yeah...I'm hungry." Scoot said. They ran out Sweet Apple Acres and towards Sugarcube Corner. What they didn't know, was that something horrible was going to happen.
Spike looked through his closet for something to wear, throwing out any junk that wasn't in good use. "T-Shirt, need this. Jacket, no. Glasses, no. A suit? Yeah, this might come in handy." He said, wrapping around the clothes he needs on his arms. He ran inside the closet and set up his clothes. When he came out, he had a white suit around him. A black inside with a red tie, a random cherry lollipop and his golden top hat. "I wonder if I can disguise this thing." Spike asked himself, rubbing his own chin in question. "Hat, turn into a white slim fedora."
The Hat obeyed and disguised itself as one. He looked into the Mirror and smiled. "Yeah...I look good." He said, fixing his suit. "You know...I can get used to this."
He walked out hear the sound of boiling water. "Twi'? Twi', is that you?" Spike called out. At first, nothing but silence, but then Twilight poked her head out. "Yes Spike? And why are you wearing those?" She asked
"Just going to a...party...of mine." Spike hesitated before answering. Twilight only questioned this further. "And what kind of party?" She asked suspiciously.
Spike knew he couldn't get away unless he made a half truth-half lie story, so he rolled with it. "A...date, kind of party. Yeah, a date party. For only the classiest ponies, and dragon, can go." He said.
"And why wasn't I informed by this?"
"Have you seen your dance moves?"
Twilight pouted at his sentence, and went straight back to cooking. "Fine, hurry, but come back before midnight." She said. Before Spike fully ran out the door, he questioned the cooking. "Why are you cooking anyway?" He asked.
"I'm not, I'm just preparing the water for Applejack, so she can make some pie." Twilight teased. Oh, what Spike would do for some of Applejack's apple pie. He said his goodbye and he and ran to Sugarcube Corner. On his way however, he saw Violet standing outside Sugarcube Corner. He ran up to her with a smile. She was still in her same red dress from before, but he was lucky, because he could sorta see the impatience inside of her. "Glad you made it alive." She said.
"Thanks for waiting." Spike said. They went inside, and Spike brought out his bits. What surprised him, however, is that some of his bits were silver. "Woooaaahhh..." Spike stretched.
"That's Monopoly Money your using their, kid. Get used to it." Violet whispered. Mr. Cake didn't know, or see, the silver bits, and took them in. "And what would you like to order?" He asked.
"Eh...a small crystal cupcake for me." Spike said.
"And I'd like a velvet cake for me.." Violet said.
"Alright then, your order would be coming in a minute." Mr. Cake said. He left while humming the Winter Wrap Up song and they both took their seats. "You know, before we get into more complicating things, is their something or someone I should know about before we eat?" Spike asked.
"Well...theirs the Community Chest and the Chance Card. However, both are risky." She adds.
"How?"
"Both can be earned or summoned. You can summon one for 250,000 bits. Or, you can wait every Thursday to get one. That pink pony over there doesn't realize it, but she holds them." Violet points at Pinkie, giving the customer her 'Special Cupcake' of the week.
"Wait, today's Thursday, so does that mean...?" Spike trailed off as Violet nodded. He suddenly burped out a card, and it's a blue one. "Oh, right. The Community Chest is the earning part, and the Chance Card is to buy. Silly me." She said with a smile.
Spike sighed and he read the note carefully.
Hospital Bills You have suddenly gotten a bill from the Hospital, claiming you didn't pay for the injuries. Give this card to a player within five minutes, or pay 50,000.
Spike's eyes widen at the sudden note as Violet tilted her head. "What does it say?" She asked. He gave her the card, and her eyes quickly shrunk. "Um...wow. Bad day today, huh? Got into a Auction, then gotta pay bills." She says.
"Is their a player in here somewhere?" Spike asked frantically.
"Not that I know of." Violet says. Spike groaned and slammed face first into the table, making Violet cringed from the sight. "Hey, look! It's not that bad! You just gotta...you know...find a Player!" She said.
"But where?!" Spike asked. He frantically looked around to see ponies minding their own business, but one in particular has caught his eye. He saw Fluttershy enter in Sugarcube Corner, searching around as if she were looking for someone. He gasped and pulled his hat down his face. "Fluttershy! Aw man, I promised her I watch Angel this weekend." He said with worry.
Violet whistle in clicked her tongue. "The Monopoly Man chose you at a bad time, huh?" She said with a giggle. However, she was interrupted when she heard a meow. She looked around to see a pony with a silver cat and a basket. The pony had a red skirt that made it's way from neck to flank, and wearing a sun hat. She looked over at Violet, and smiled maliciously at her. "Violet? You seen something?" Spike asked.
"A Player. One in particular." She said.
"Who is she?"
"Cat Burglar."
The pony walked up with her silver cat, and smiled at the dragon. "Hello! I see your hanging with...her. But I came to tell you that your over due book I had is with Twilight now." She said, glaring at Violet with a polite smile.
"Uh, yeah. You see..." Spike looked at his note to see he had a timer: 2:12 minutes/seconds left. "...have you girls met before?" Spike asked, slowly showing the note to Violet as she nodded.
"Yeeaaahhh....we use to be friends back in the Crystal Empire." Violet stretched, pointing at the basket. Spike nodded and kept the note, so the pony wouldn't see it.
"Such wonderful days we had back then, don't you think?" Cat said, still keeping her smile. Spike slowly putted the note into the basket and quickly looked away. "O-oh look! Fluttershy's here!" Spike said.
Fluttershy looked around once again, to see Spike frantically waving her over. She hesitated, but she came over in the group. "S-Spike?" She asked.
"H-hey Fluttershy! Quick question, what if I told you, that being here isn't such a good idea?" Spike asked, his head filled with sweat.
"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked, trying keep her cool. Spike flicked his hat, to see his hat flicker from a gold top hat and back to the white fedora. Fluttershy was still confused, and this hit Spike hard.
Dang, thought I could get away with that one. Gotta keep her out some way. Spike thought.
"Fluttershy, what if we talked, outside?" He asked. Fluttershy stared, once again, in confusion, but agreed to it anyway. She left, and Spike pulled out his M.E Card and his Savior Deck.
Meanwhile, the Crusaders from the other side of the room watched Spike in his awkward situation. "What's he doing?" Applebloom asked, sipping her drink. Scoot sighed and rolled hoofs around. "I don't know! Can we go now? This is getting lame!" Scoot begged.
That is, until they saw Spike bull out a black, blank card. "Hey...why does Spike have a black blank card?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie Belle squinted her eyes, and she saw a whole deck of them. "He's got a whole pack!" She said, pointing at Spike.
"Why would Spike need a bunch a blank cards?" Scoot asked. That was Scoot's last question before they heard him say something they would regret.
Ponies crowded the building, the guards obviously blocking them with spears and yellow tape. "Citizens, stand back! That's an order!" One guard yelled. The ponies didn't care; mares and stallions yelling if their sons or daughters, items, or other accessories were alright. But Ms. Cake and Mr. Carrot Cake were having problems of their own. "Where's Pinkie?! She was in there when we left!!" Mr. Cake yelled with anger.
A guard stood tall with him, obviously snout-to-snout with each other. "All citizens are fine, Mr.! We have the situation under control!!"
"Like hay you do! Let me see her!!"
"I said she's fine!!"
"Guards..."
All ponies stop as a earth pony in green came with. Everything about this pony was green. She had green fur, green eyes, green hair, but the only thing different was her armor. Her armor was golden, and it matched her well with her female structure. But she had a all-silver samurai sword. Her mane covered her right eye, but every pony could see it: It was golden. "Fellow citizens, I here to say that every pony that was in that building is alive, but minor concussions or injuries are found. Please proceed to your regularly scheduled lives." She says.
"But what about my baby?!"
"My bag?!"
"Pinkie!!"
"I said proceed." She ordered once more. The ponies mumbled upon themselves before leaving to do their jobs. She sighed and walked up to a random guard as she said, "Report."
"An explosion happened, ma'am. No bomb was found."
"Of course the bomb wouldn't be found, soilder!! It exploded!!"
"No, ma'am, the bomb wasn't found. No traces of dust anywhere."
"Was it magic?"
"No ma'am. No traces of magic was found."
"Thunder?"
"No schedule of rainy showers or thunder anywhere."
She was shocked. No traces of anything? Then how did it occur? No way Discord did it, he's on vacation. And anything else is out of the question. She growled and stomped on the ground. "I'll...be on my way Ma'am." He said before running off somewhere. She sat down, trying to think of the possibilities, but her mind clicked when she found the answer. "No...no. It couldn't be the New Player, couldn't it? He couldn't have done this. But, he did win against the Head of the Monopoly Board." She mumbled under her breath, before deciding to call a guard.
"Guard! Find the assistant of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Round the guards up and search for him!" She said. The guard nodded before running into the broken house. She sighed before flicking her head. "That little squirt better be ready for a match." She said before she pulled out her M.E Card.
Spike woke up, but not in the hospital, nor in Twilight's, but in a fancy bedroom. The floor was golden, nice and neat furniture was found, and their was columns on the walls. His headache rushed in, and his memories were fuzzy. "What happened?" He said to himself.
He looked to his right to see Violet in the fancy bed, asleep and unharmed. He got off the bed and slowly left the room. The hallways were like the bedroom, full of columns and furniture leaned on them. Spike to a right and heard the water running and a soft musical tune. He followed it to see the Cat washing the dishes. She turned, and smiled. "Hello, sleepy head!" She said, before turning back.
"Hey, what happened back at Sugarcube Corner?" Spike asked, still rubbing his head in pain.
"You saved me, that's what happened."
"Huh?"
"Well, just as I heard you say attack for 35k, another Player decided to ruin our fun. Luckily just as you blacked out from the explosion, Violet decided to take care of the Player, long enough for us to escape. If you hadn't said anything, we would've died from the explosion itself."
"I-I saved you?" Spike asked. Not what I had in mind, but...
His thought trailed off as she came towards him. "I thank you for it, Mad Hatter. Actually, I didn't get your name yet. What was it?" She asked.
"S-Spike." He stuttered. Cat hummed to herself, before shrugging. "I can't figure a way to thank you." She said, before turning to him.
"But, what happened to Violet?" Spike ignored her question, and Cat giggled. She petted his head before saying, "Spike, she's in a healing coma. What every pony weapon has to do." She said.
"Healing coma?" He asked.
"If your familiar is a pony, sometimes, it sacrifices it's health for it's Master. Look, your wounds are healed." She said, pointing at his arm. He stared, but he couldn't find a single trace of a wound. He shook his head before answering, "But why would she do that for me?"
"Because she cares about you." Cat said, before turning back to the dishes.
"But I care for her, too!" Spike said before running towards the sink.
"Then I recommend putting her in your M.E., because it seems like your friends are in danger, mostly the yellow one." She said.
"H-how--?!"
"My familiars a cat, each familiar gives a Master an advantage. I have nine lives, and my hearing is well."
Spike was astonished. It was unbelievable, unrealistic even. It's like she knew the future on the back of her hoof. His shock brought him back to reality and his feet were ready to go. "Fluttershy! I'll see you later Cat!" He said, but before he could take off, a hoof rested on his shoulder, and a peck on the cheek made him blush.
"That's payback for making me pay the hospital bill." She whispered through his ear. She let go of him and smiled. "Make sure to visit me once in a while, Spike!" She yelled.
Spike looked back and nodded before leaving. He ran out the front and yelled out the words Return!! as he found his way out. He checked his M.E. Card to show Violet sleeping in her void. He ran home to find Twilight and others all worried. "Spike! Where were you?!" Twilight asked.
"I got the news late! And I've been blasted from the sudden explosion since I was there too--" Spike was interrupted as Fluttershy tackled him and hugged him. She gently rubbed his head and Spike's eyes rolled in circles as she answered. "Oh Spike! I was so worried!" She said.
"Wait, where's Pinkie?" Spike asked.
"Both the Crusaders and Pinkie is at the hospital. We're about to visit them now." Twilight says.
"Wait, the Crusaders were there too?"
"Yeah, why?"
"No reason."
Spike couldn't help but face palm. He knew that they would spy on him, but he didn't do anything. But it doesn't matter now, protect Fluttershy. That's it. "But, let's visit Pinkie and the others. I'm sure their bored there." Spike said.
"Yeah! C'mon Twi'!" Rainbow said, before flying out the door. Twilight sighed, but Applejack nodded. "Alright then, let's go!" She said.
They all walked out of Twilight's house and to the hospital, but on the way there, Spike couldn't help but look at Fluttershy. He was scared she would know what's really going on.
But it's not going to happen any time soon...right?
"How the HAY did you miss your target, Cell?!" A voice yelled, a hoof slamming down on the desk. The pony flinched, from the sudden boom in the room. "I didn't think he know my attack. It seemed like he was prepared for it.
"How can you be so calmed about this?! This guys a threat!! He beated the Head of the Monopoly board!! Do you know what'll happen if Sami found about him?" He asked.
"You wanted me to assassinate him, right?"
"That's correct."
"Then if Sami found out, she'd probably challenge him from the sudden explosion I caused. Theirs no way he'd win against a samurai like her."
The pony scratched the back of his neck before sighing. "Fine. But if he wins--!"
"He won't. Not even a newbie like him can beat a legendary. It takes time and skill. He lacks both." She said and stood up from the chair. She walked to the door, and looked back. "Prepare for a challenge tomorrow." She said, before leaving through the door.
The pony sighed from his desk and looked out the window. Rubbing the back of the neck in question.
