> Equestrian empires > by Astra sky > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Farewell > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a normal, sunny day in Ponyville, until five soldiers and Captin Shining Armor came for criminals. They told the criminals that if they fought in the war of a rival kingdom, they would be forgiven. The crooks asked why they had to be the only ones to go, so they could choose a companion. "That dragon. He'll be big once, and that's a good advantage!" So, before leaving, he went off to find his friends. They turned out to be right there watching. Spike hugged Twilight, and said goodbye to all of his friends. Fluttershy cried, and Spike promised he would write every weekend. Then he rode a train to Canterlot with the redeemed ponies. > The Business > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After he got to Canterlot, Spike got some armor, along with a sword and shield. The captain assigned a pony with the cutie mark, $, to be the commander. The commander assigned a pony with a cutie mark of a skull to be the replacement. Then he assigned Spike to be an interrigator. Every pony else was just a soldier. So, Captain Shining Armor told them to take over Ponyville as an estate for Canterlot's advantage. On the train ride back, everyone got some sleep. When they showed up, they told the mayor to gather the townsfolk. The commander yelled, "Ponyville is an estate of Canterlot now. Every pony in this town will pay ten bits each! If some money is missing, we'll kill someone." They all yelled back things like, "LEAVE US! SCREW YOU! GET LOST! I'LL DIE FIRST!" So, the whole squad, except for Spike, slapped a few ponies around. One pony's ear was jerked. Another was stomped in the dirt. Then it all changed. A soldier lost patience, and stabbed the mayor in the forehead! A few pieces of the brain fell out, and blood was all over the floor. "NOW IF ANY OF YOU BASTARDS WANT TO LIVE, YOU PAY UP EVERY WEEK! IF YOU DON'T, YOU'RE DONE!" This convinced the residents to pay. Spike wrote to Shining Armor saying it was done. After reinforcements arrived, they left for the Everfree Forest. > The enemy > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, in the forest, the squad saw a camp. Instead of building their own outpost, they killed the ponies there, and took it for themselves. After a week, Spike could kill without feeling bad. They still haven't encountered the enemy troops. Then, in a flash, a bunch of ponies in black armor ambushed them. Spike stepped a foot back, while the other ponies rushed in. He looked to his left, and raised his shield. A pike just bounced off. All Spike could do was swing his sword from above, left, right, forward, and below. All were missed, or deflected. Finally, he kicked, then swung down left into the neck. It was like an axe murder. Blood was everywhere, and the bone was shiny and pink. He checked behind himself afterwards. When he saw one enemy left, and seven allies left, he was relieved to see that the commander was alive. Then he was ordered to torture the pony in black for information. He borrowed a chain from another soldier. "You had BEST talk before you hurt," said Spike. After ten seconds, he used the chain like a whip. It made a ringing noise when it hit. The pony yelled for half of a second. "Where's your frikkin' kingdom at?" He hit him again just to do it. Finally, after two minutes, the pony had blood all over his torso, and streaks on his face. Spike discovered that the enemy empire was a few miles North East of Canterlot. He also knew that the king would have a white cape. He wrote to Shining Armor what he found. He also wrote to the six friends at home about his first week. > The fight > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spike and the squad were sitting and just eating some crackers, drinking some water, and talking. Out of nowhere, a pony randomly made a smart joke about another one. Then the other one got up and just started kussing him out. "Dude, c'mon! It's not like I meant it or anything." "I'll kick your ass if you do it again!" "DO IT! COME ON, THEN! LET'S GO!" He jumped into the other pony's ear. That's when he got hit with a stick in the face. "Aw, you BASTARD!" They just locked onto eachother and were punching eachother in the faces. No one tried to stop the fight. Instead, they just yelled stuff like, "BITE HIS EAR! SNATCH HIS HAIR! PICK UP ANOTHER STICK! SLAM HIM INTO A TREE!" Finally, they just fell, and there was a tan dust cloud. All you could see were two grey silhoutes that were rolling around and punching. The only thing you could hear was, "AH! OOH! PUH!" Finally, it was clear. Their eyes were pink, they had blood on their noses and lips, and they weren't moving as fast as before. They were SOAKED in sweat. Spike thought of the dust, and yelled, "THROW DIRT IN HIS EYES!" They got back up and were crouched after he said it. Silent, still, ready. Then one just spit in the other's face. Then he jumped him and beat him unconcious while he tried to clean his face. Every pony got up and cheered. Spike was just glad for something to cure his boredom. > Names > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few days after the fight, Spike learned all the names of the ponies. The one with the cutie mark of $ was named Gold Stone. The one with the cutie mark of the skull was Slaughter Walker. Another one with a cutie mark of a knife was named Strayblade. One had a jacket and grey pants over his cutie mark. His name was Blood Washer. Another with a cutie mark of a wolf was named Chains. One more had a grey vest on had a cutie mark of a jail house. His name was "Shankist." Spike could see brutality in him. Shankist wasn't his name, but it was his nickname. He was good with fighting, running from guards, skinning animals, and planning. The last one was killed by bandits. What happened, was that right after the fight, he and Shankist went hunting for some meat. Shankist came running back, and yelling, "GET READY! GET YOUR ASSES UP! GET UP!" Blood Washer jumped up and started yelling, "WHAT!? WHAT DID YOU SEE!?" Spike could see movement out in the fog. It was obviously a pony. He just looked towards the group to see if anything was happening. They were all mixed up and yelling. Spike could only hear, "THEY'RE OUT THERE! HOW MANY!? I DON'T KNOW! WHAT THE HELL'S HAPPENING!?" Out of nowhere, there was a loud crack of leaves out of the camp. They all got silent, and Chains told every pony, "Stay.... back.... and don't..... move." He took out an axe, and slowly walked forward. He quickly changed from a pony to a figure. Something ran from behind the group, and it went for Spike. The first thing he did was stick his sword out. Before the screaming pony could stop, the sword ran right through him. Then something hit Spike's shield, his sword, and then his head, slamming his face into a tree. He was unconcious. > The death > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spike woke up, and looked around. He was so relieved to see that everyone was alive, and that the attack was over. He realized that the pony who went with Shankist was gone. Then he remembered that he didn't come back. He asked Shankist what happened. "We went to go check out a noise in the fog. I heard the other pony yell, and when I looked back, he had three bandits hackin' him on the ground. Blood was coming all out from the middle of them. I got a good look around and just busted through a crowd with my shield. After that, I ran for the camp yellin' for y'all." "Woah... just be glad that wasn't you." "I frikkin' WISH it was me. I wouldn't have to worry about dyin' here in this deathwish anymore." "Wouldn't it be painful?" "The whole thing is..... you have a family. You also got friends. I don't have nothin' left, so I don't care." "I guess you're right." "I think you should survive this war. I knew someone like you. He slowly eased into this." Spike was broken up, and vomited a letter out. Shankist picked it up, and read out loud. "Dear Captain Gold Stone, Ponyville has been taken from us. We are sending a large force to this estate, and if you don't show up, you will be tracked down and killed. Sincerely, Your Commander. What the hell's wrong with this pony!?" > The taking > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After they got to the edge of the forest, they had a good view of Ponyville. To make absolute sure they weren't seen, they kept themselves out of sight by ducking behind trees and getting on the ground. The first thing that Gold Stone ordered was to look for the enemy patrols. Spike and Shankist could see that the patrols were well organized, suspicious of spies, and ready for an attack. "What does everyone see so far?" They all said that they saw swords and shields only. Spike told Gold Stone what he and Shankist saw. The next thing the captain ordered was to wait for the allies. "There's no way we're charging in there by ourselves. Look for the force that the commander was talking about." Then they saw a large, organized, properly trained horde come over a hill and toward Ponyville. Spike and the team crawled to a building of the town and waited in an alley, hidden and ready to go. Then Blood Washer just whispered to Chains, "Chains, in case one of us gets killed, sorry about takin' the joke a little serious." "Yeah, sorry about gettin' in your ear." Captain Gold Stone briefed the group, "Now, here's the plan. When the fighting starts on the other side of town, those guards have two choices. They can get ready here, or run to support the other side. If they stay, we wait for the fight to get here. If they leave, we tail them." "What if we're caught?" Spike asked. "We see how long we can fight," answered Shankist. "We should split up in case the guards do the same. That way, half of us could tail the ones that leave, while the other half wait." So, that's what the team did. Shankist, Spike, Blood Washer, and Strayblade all left and were about to enter an alley, when three civillians came in. The soldiers all hit the dirt and sat still. "Do you think Spike is......... well, dead?" "No. He wrote to us a few days ago. He's totally fine." "Well, it is a war. It only takes a second for something BRUTAL to happen." Spike knew who they were the second he heard their voices. He glanced to Shankist, and it became a long stare. One single tear ran down Shankist's face. Spike knew what he was thinking. He was sad that his OWN family and friends were gone. "It's a dark alley. Go visit 'em while you're still alive," Shankist advised. "I don't know what they'll think if they see me like this." Spike had dry blood on his right hand and wrist, a cut under his left eye, and a scar on his leg. "They're just gonna be happy to see that you're alive. I'll go with you." Straybalde and Blood Washer got up too, but it was just for looking out. "Hey guys, i'm alright. It's been a hard fight, but i'm still here. I'm taking my best friend's advice and seeing you guys one last time before I die." Right then, a loud battle rang out through the town. "AH, HELL!" Strayblade yelled. "What?" Shankist asked, not trying to be stealth. "The other group got caught," said Blood Washer. They ran out, and then a group of allies and enemies came in at once. It was a red deathspot. Out of nowhere, Spike got dragged into a corner, and when he looked up, it was Blood Washer. Five enemies died there, because they couldn't handle two swords and shields in a corner. Blood just dripped off the shields and onto their faces. Then, Spike saw something so terrible, he didn't know what to think. Strayblade was cut in the side, and then stabbed up his chest. "STRAYBLAAAAAADE!" Spike rushed into what looked like hell, and hacked the pony that hurt Strayblade. Blood was flying up into the air and guts were rolling out into the red grass as Spike hacked the pony over and over on the ground. The party moved on, but the criminals stayed behind. Spike kept yelling at Strayblade, "COME ON! DON'T QUIT! LIVE THROUGH IT! WE NEED YOU!" "Spike," Strayblade calmly told him, "this is gonna happen to at least one more soldier here. It's just business for this to happen. It's just the business. Now, one day, you'll look back and remember everything you saw today. This day's with you for life now. Just be glad it wasn't you, or your family. I'm done... there's no way i'm gonna live." He was gone. Spike just looked up at the other soldiers. He could feel the warm blood in his hands. He looked out to the civillians, and there were his six friends. He just slowly looked down, gritted his teeth, and cried very hard. Shankist was enraged. "Uuuuuhh.... it's alright. I..... AAAAAHHHH! I'M SORRY I EVER BECAME A CRIMINAL IN THE FIRST DAMN PLACE! I'LL TEAR APART THAT KING AND BURN HIM!" He just hit his sword into the ground for ten minutes with everyone but Spike to make a hole for a burial. He came up with a plan nearly an hour later. > Shankist's plan > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few days later, Shankist told the team about his plan. "Alright, look here. We're gonna take all these knives," he pointed at some daggers. "and we'll leave for the enemy kingdom. We're a bunch of targets in these uniforms. We'll take this crap off, and put on civillian clothes. Once we're inside, we anonomously kill them. Spike is our ONLY COMMUNICATION TO THE OUTSIDE! Protect him good! Now, if there happens to be a siege, don't join up unless you're sure it's successful. Spike, write to Celestia and Shining Armor. Tell 'em that it doesn't matter what they say, we're gonna do it. I'm gonna do it alone if y'all don't help me." Everyone agreed. Shining Armor and Princess Celestia wrote back, saying it was a good plan, but it was too risky. They would all die if one of them was caught. "We'll see," said Spike. They did it anyway. > Getting in > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The group had knives and daggers hidden in their clothes. When they saw the enemy castle, they looked for outside patrols. The gate was open, and there were five guards outside. It seemed easy enough. They discovered that it was too much to handle. So, the next day, they came to a different wall with a ladder. After they got up, they silently assassinated the guard on the wall. Then, they got down to the ground with stairs, and were in the walls. Now, they needed a place to keep comfortable. They found an abandoned building to hide in. After a few days, they found masks, clothes, and weapons like muskets and pistols. Now, it was time to start. Spike was a little worried. "Remember what Princess Celestia said? If one pony gets caught, we ALL die." "No, we all fight and get away," said Shankist. > The hiding > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spike and Shankist were the only ones that ever left the building. Wether it was to kill some pony or steal money to buy food, they were the only ones to leave. The trouble was the guards on the rooftops. They were sometimes hard to get by unseen, and impossible to escape on the ground. Usually, if they were caught, they had to make a choice. Run or fight. If they fight, it would be behind eachother. If they run, they split up and hide some where. Usually, they were too cautious to be discovered. Still, they were prepared for a fight or chase. Inside the hideout, Spike asked, "If we're totally unseen, blended in, or stealthy, why are we ready to be caught?" "Because. You never know when the smallest mistake can blow the whole thing for you," replied Shankist. That made Spike understand. After nearly a month, the kingdom was completely aware of the "stalkers." There were posters of their masks, preachers announcing rewards, and even uniformed witnesses to spot a crime and tell. None of this worked. Then the guards were brutally beating the innocents for answers. It only pissed off the citizens enough to start riots, support the "stalkers," and poison the food for guards. > A hardcore chase > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spike and Shankist were going to poison a group of three guards with poisoned knives, but one saw a blade and yelled, "LOOK OUT!" It startled the stalkers and they stopped. They looked up, and the guards had swords, ready to go. "Damn! Run, Spike!" Spike turned and sprinted down the street, and Shankist went the other way. He knew, that if he got stopped, he would die, no question. Behind him he heard, "YOU TWO GO THAT WAY, I'LL GO THIS WAY!" He looked, and two were on him. It's not like they were right behind him. He still gave it his hardest. He turned down an alley to his left, jumped a fence, and ran to the other side. Into the street, he turned left. He realized he had a pistol in his jacket, but if he dropped it while he was running, he was screwed. He looked up, and there was a guard with a crossbow jumping from roof to roof while shooting at Spike, nearly hitting him. Spike just kept running, and he saw a crowd of ponies ahead. He disappeared into them, and the guard scanned for him. Finally, a loud bang raised out of the crowd, and the guard's chest busted open with blood flying every where. He tried to keep standing, but he fell off the roof. He was out of breath, and couldn't yell in horror. When he hit the ground, dark blood was smeared all over the street. The gunshot made a circle around Spike, and some guards came in. "HERE HE IS! DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!" They yelled it while they chased him. He had no time to reload, and he couldn't fight against swords with a knife. He ran down the right turn, another, and he was back to where he started. He ran up a stack of boxes, jumped to the ground, and then sprinted toward another team of the black armored enemies. A sword went for him, and he dodged around the pony that swung it. A persueing guard's face leaked blood with a scream and a fall. "OH CRAP, I'M SO SORRY! HE WENT AROUND ME-" "HE'S DEAD!" "I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO IT!" They argued long enough for Spike to slip into a crowd and disappear. He succesfully escaped. > Anger > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day, Spike and Shankist were out to buy some food. This time, they brought swords with them. Then, a group of four guards started bullying them for fun. Shankist talked to them with a pretty smart mouth. A guard shoved him, and he shoved harder. The guard punched him, and he pulled a sword and stabbed him. Every one was frozen. All at once, they each had a sword. Shankist was too mad to care. He jumped into them, and they fought. One was on Spike. He waited for the guard to attack. "Come on. I know you're better than this. You must be a pus." The last remark sent the guard forward. He blindly attacked, and Spike stopped it. He kicked the guard's leg, and the guard fell to the ground. Spike's sword went into the guard's neck, and he struggled to breathe as blood sprayed into the air. He turned to Shankist, and saw that it was over. > Death to the king > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A letter from Shining Armor came and said that a siege would occur at 7:34 AM. The stalker team formed a plan in their part. Spike and Shankist could handle themselves. The others would join the allies. Then it happened. When the walls were passed, the stalkers attacked. Spike and Shankist went their own way. Spike had a big dagger, and Shankist had a mace. They ran to the keep, and surprisingly, the soldiers were there. "So much for stealth," Shankist commented. They fought their way to the keep. Spike saw alot of ponies die horribly. They were whipped with chains, beaten with maces, stabbed and suffering from swords, and shot with rifles. Finally, at the top, the king was ready with a sword bigger than any other sword. He had bigger armor, and a white cape that was a yard long. Out of the blank air, a catapault rock hit the side of the keep, and a large group flew over the side, into the middle, and back inside the stairs. The keep fell, and all Spike could see was the ground. Coming faster and faster. Then a flash of white, and a rest of black. Then he saw the king, trying to get up. He looked around, and there were rocks, concrete, and dust every where. The survivors were unconscious, or moaning in pain. He quickly got up, and picked up a sword. The king already had one. They stood still, and Spike had to end it all. He jumped forward, and struck his sword into the king's. They were hitting for a while, until Spike's sword was knocked out of his hand, and he fell on his back with a punch to the face. All he thought of was never seeing his home again. "So, you were the criminal that cowered in my streets with a knife," the king said. "I'm not the only one." "Oh yes, the protesters too." "There were other criminals with me!" "It doesn't matter now. This is your end." Then a sword ran out the king's forehead. Blood and peices of the brain leaked out of the head, and off the sword. When he fell over, Shankist let the sword go. "You survived the war, buddy. You made it." He and Spike carried eachother to a convoy, and were released in Ponyville. Shankist wasn't a criminal anymore. They were glad to be home. > Back home > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- They were back, and they were really happy to be alive. "Go get to your family. I'll be right behind you," said Shankist. They got to Twilight's place, and the six were there. They all laughed, and hugged Spike. Then a loud sniff came from the room. Shankist was gritting his teeth and crying. Spike went to him, and told him, "Dude! We made it! Oh....... yeah, sorry that you lost your family." "Nah. I'm just glad that it's over. I don't have to run, or anything. But i'll miss it alot." A few days later, a Canterlot guard came at the door. Spike was told that the members of the stalker team were MIA, then KIA (Missing/Killed In Action). He was depressed for a few weeks. Then, he told Shankist. Twilight came in, and she said, to Shankist, "You're welcome to stay here as long as you need to." "Would it be a problem if I said I want to live here?" He and Spike glared at eachother, then to Twilight. "OF COURSE!"