> The Apple for Spike > by Misty Moonshine > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Apple for Spike Prologue By Misty Moonshine --------------------------------------- Dusk turned into dawn as two ponies trotted along the isolated streets of Ponyville. The clouds shifted slightly every few seconds and the chilly breeze made the orange mare shiver slightly. Her golden blonde mane blew sideways due to the breeze as she turned her head. Applejack had been pregnant for two months now and she wasn't very keen on the early morning trot around the two ponies home town. Not many ponies left their homes nowadays, it was darker and gloomier than usual. The mare glanced over at her partner with a concerned expression on her freckled face, her bright green eyes sparkled with curiosity as she opened her mouth to finally break the silence surrounding them. "Caramel?" She called to the light brown stallion with a dark brown that was walking alongside her. "Could you please do me a favour and please tell me where we're going?" She said in her country accent. Her finance just gave a confident smirk as his sky blue eyes glimmered with excitement. "You'll just have to wait and see my honeybun." He said nuzzling his mare friends cheek. Applejack smiled, she often didn't show her soft side but she really enjoyed all the nicknames her colt friend called her. Being a strong hearted country mare, the farmer didn't want many ponies to think she was a cheesy romantic pony. As the couple walked along the main street, the small pebbles on the dirt path kicked and flicked, as if they were doing small dances. The air was quite very silent, as only the sounds of birds tweeting and crickets clicking was to be heard. Both the ponies seemed to go silent for a moment before the stallion broke in. "Fillies first." The country mare only just seemed to realise the wooden cart parked alongside the dirt path. Two buff stallions were waiting patiently as the mare turned a bright crimson and made her way into the carriage. The cart seemed to fit the ponies personality very well, it was beautifully structured (much like the mare) and wasn't too fancy. There was a pale red cover over the top and was perfect for two. All the features added together made any pony that was looking at it automatically see the romance in the air as both the ponies initials were carved at the back. "Caramel, you did this for me?" The orange mare said shocked while blushing strongly and looking up at him. The stallion just smiled and stroked her mane lovingly, "Who else?" Applejack smiled and looked out into the horizon. "But why?" The colt just replied with a small smile. "To our relationship." "To our relationship." The mare replied with just as much enthusiasm. The pair shared a moment before they broke into a passionate kiss. Caramel couldn't describe his feelings for this mare, but he had a small secret she didn't know. Applejack on the other hoof loved Caramel more than any other pony in all of Equestria, even more than Apples. She couldn't describe the fluttery feeling she had in her heart whenever he was nearby. The two colts started clopping off as the sun began to rise. "How romantic, and he did this all for me..." The mare muttered under her breath as she looked over the hill they were headed off for. Applejack tilted her head and leaned onto her colt friends shoulder, she gave a small sigh and stroked his coat. Caramel felt his face go off as his "mare friend" leaned on his shoulder, he gave her a reassuring smile as his eyes wandered over the horizon. He felt as if his heart had been stabbed by a sword. What would happen if Applejack found out that he was only dating her because he was getting paid for it. Would she leave hime? Would she throw a huge tantrum, or would she suicide? He decided at the end that he wouldn't worry about the future until it actually occurred. Caramel gave her a small kiss on the cheek before drowning in his own thoughts. As he and Applejack grew closer, he kind of felt she was more than the target of bits, maybe this relationship was meant to be something more? Caramel was never the uptight rich snobby pony like Filthy or Spoiled Rich, he was the down to earth caring guy, the guy that was cheating on a mare that "Deserves more than you..." He said the last part aloud by mistake as it startled a mare that was beside him. "Car-Car? Are you alright?" She asked concerned. "Is there something you want me to know?" Caramel thought in his head "yes" but the words that came out of that big mouth of his were "No it's alright darling." Caramel sighed and reflected on his life with AJ, when he first got offered the job and met her, when they went on there first date. When he got her pregnant.... Caramel had almost forgot the event that happened two months ago.... it was really one of the toughest things he had done in his life. Two Months Ago - Flashback Applejack was sitting in the corner of her small room with a grin on her face looking all cute and all. A light brown colt with her. Both the ponies looked comfortable and gave each other reassuring looks. "Are you sure about this?" The Applejack asked her colt friend who was looking around the room curiously. "Positive." He answered. "We've been dating for almost a year now, we're engaged so I think it's time to move up a rank." Why in the world of Equestria did she have to agree.... he thought irritated with himself. 'WHY!?" Applejack sat up startled. "What in the world..." Caramel blushed and rubbed his fore hoof along his foreleg. 'Continue?" His mare friend smiled and nuzzled him, "We all get it sometimes, myself included." Caramel smiled and was thankful his "fiancé" was so understanding, if only he were her real one... During the time the couple were talking, unknown to them a third being was on the cart, and the third seemed to be a purple and green small dragon. The small dragon was still a child and hadn't developed the perks of a full grown yet, as he was the exact opposite of greedy. Spike the dragon was curiously listening to Applejack and Caramel talk. It wasn't that he was being a stalker, it was just out of plain curiosity as he thought. Baby Dragons weren't all that heavy and didn't make loud thuds when they walked so Spike was almost invisible. He didn't like the way Caramel was talking to Applejack. Sure, he talked cheesy and acted that way but Spike had this strange gut feeling that he was plotting something behind the farmer's back. And, of course this was all because they were friends and just friends. Spike still couldn't get the shouts of Twilight out of his baby dragon ears. A While Ago - Flashback Spike was sitting on a spotted red carpet drooling over a white unicorn with a fabulous purple mane, that mare went under the name of Rarity. A beautiful name for a beautiful mare. Then, an alicorn princess walked out of the study with booked lifted by her horn. "Spike," She started with a stern voice (you would see only on your parents when they were grounding you) "Are you drooling over Rarity again?" When the dragon didn't answer the alicorn began a long lecture. "Rarity is a lot older than you Spike, she's a full grown mare and you're only a baby dragon. Besides she's my Best friend. Why don't you slow things down a bit... huh?" Past Spike looked up at her with large emerald eyes that were watering. "Spike don't cry! I mean no harm... no harm...shhh...momma's here...momma's here..." Twilight sighed as she looked down at the photo a Rarity that was in her little dragons hands, "When would he understand? It was all very mature stuff after all...?" "Love doesn't count... it doesn't matter whom or what your true love was, it didn't because if you truely loved them you would't care." Spike thought as he continued to eavesdrop on Caramel and Applejack, and he was just close enough to catch him say... "Dragons are really lame, my little brother had an imaginary friend that was a dragon when he was three." Spike felt his fists clench as he heard that abusive lame Caramel continue, "I really see why Rarity never wanted to date a dragon, I mean really!" Applejack seemed to hesitate. 'Sure I guess, you do make a point?" Spike felt anxious. "So AJ didn't like him, what about his dragon's code of honour?" Spike tried to hold back the urge of a waterfall forming in his eyes. AJ didn't like him. She didn't. She liked Caramel. NO she loved him. Spike tried hard to think of happy thoughts of other moments where it was just the two of them. When they were at Pinkie Pie's party and Rainbow Dash tried a stunt indoors and sprained her wing? All the other mares left to help her but Applejack volunteered to stay behind with Spike, then she secretly told him she liked him a lot... like more than friends lot. Like LOT LOT. That was when his obsession started, and this could be the day it ended. She didn't love him, nor like him. She loved the colt that made all of Spike's days blue, and now that a murderer was on the loose, things felt even worse. > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rarity had a family of her own. A husband that made all of her days cheerful, and a daughter that looked as beautiful as a goddess. She didn't care much about Spike, well she still did but not that much. Twilight was a princess, she had her husband and children that Spike looked after a lot. The two mares that took over most of Spike's life were all busy with their own, they had no time to comfort a heartbroken dragon. No time. Applejack was happy with her life, as she thought. She had her Caramel, she had him all to herself. She paid not that much attention to Spike, yes they said 'Hello' and 'How are you' but that wasn't enough. Spike just had this feeling, this gut feeling that this mare was something more than a friend. And he was almost certain. They feeling of being forgotten was very horrible. We all had it once in our life, Elf Gun knew the feeling. He had it all the time. It wasn't nice. Being small for his age, Rezer Gun was teased, he couldn't reach the bars during gym, he couldn't see across the table, and most of all, he couldn't reach the top shelf where the chocolate chip cookies were. He knew the he was meant to be a pony that wasn't just the one that all the ponies teased. He was special. He was going to change history. Even if it wasn't in a good way. Plain old Rezer Gun wasn't good enough, and asking the fillies in the street only got the answers 'Midget' 'Elf'....Elf. Elf Gun was different. He was feared. He was terrifying. He was invincible. He was going to kill every pony that got in his way. EVERY PONY. and EVERYPONY WAS GOING TO PAY! Spike kicked a piece of dried up weed as it blew by his face. The isolation in ponyville wasn't something that he liked. Spike missed the days he and Twilight were practising spells. He missed the days he would go gem searching with Rarity. He missed the days he would help Pinkie with the cake shop. Watching Rainbow Dash practise, helping Fluttershy with the critters and most of all helping Applejack buck all the apples of her farm's trees. It was hard to think about the past when the horrible future was so near. Quite horrifying in fact. The fact that Elf Gun was in ponyville made the situation even worse. Elf Gun was creepy, some old folk said that the reason why he wore sunglasses was because he had no eyes, but Twilight said that it wasn't the truth. Spike listened to Twilight, well he did most of the time and she would call him her 'good little dragon' or her 'number 1 assistant' he just wished things were still like they were back then. Sweet. Cheerful. Sunny. Colourful. Magical. He didn't seem to be the only one, Spike would hang out a lot with Fluttershy who was dealing with her emotions as well, after one of her birds death. Fluttershy had been the one that found out that Elf was in ponyville, she knew more than any other pony about him as she did a lot of research. Spike trusted her. And she trusted him back. Applejack knew something was wrong. Caramel just wasn't being, well himself. The colt she fell in love with, and she was going to get to the bottom of it. "Caramel dear, is there anything you would like me to know?" Being the element bearer of Honesty Applejack didn't appreciate those who told fibs. 'WHO WOULD DO A SUCH THING!' She sometimes told herself. It was hard to think that her colt friend was doing the horrible this very moment. She could tell by touching his hoof. The way he wouldn't look into her eyes, the way he couldn't seem to sit still. The way he kept on talking about a certain topic. Dragons. When the farm filly thought about dragons, she would think of her dear friend Spike, the dragon that was such a good help. "I wonder where he is now?" She said aloud, gaining the attention of her fiancé. "He was ever so sweet." That caught Caramels attention. "Who? Who? Who was ever so sweet? Is it that pesky dragon friend of yours?" Applejack snarled, Spike wasn't pesky. He was sweet and adorable and she was only standing up for him because they were friends, and just friends. "Don't you call him that!" She yelled in his facing, making the stallion move backwards. "Woah, watch it....AJ!" The orange filly was so close to him their muzzles touched. "Ever." Caramel felt sweat fall down his head like raindrops, they dripped down and splattered the dusty road beforehand. "Okay, jeez.." Caramel turned on his heel. "And goodnight to you...Applejack." He emphasised on the last part. Applejack felt her heart crack, he left her and he also called her by her full name. He never did that. Ever. The orange mare sighed and made her way down the rocky road. She did it all for Spike... all for him. Maybe everything would be right tomorrow... maybe? Spike turned around to see Applejack shouting at Caramel, he was too far away to hear what they were talking about but he could tell that it wasn't good. Caramel had just stormed off, calling an angry "Goodnight" over his back. He needed know what had happened. He needed all the details. Spike didn't know why, but he needed information. The little purple and green dragon walked, well waddled down the street. He saw Applejack crying in the middle of the pavement, Spike needed to go over and ask her if she were okay, but he didn't dare to. She didn't have any feelings towards him (Or so he thought) and they were better off just being friends. Spike hid behind a mulberry bush and couldn't help to feel the urge to go over to the farmer mare and ask her if she were okay. He needed to tell her everything before Caramel the 2nd came. He was just about too when a shadow approached her. A Caramel shaped shadow seeking forgiveness and the beautiful mare shadow was nodding happily. Then he saw a kiss scene, Spike couldn't tell who's head from whose they were too close. He wasn't the only one watching the pair, another pair of eyes were darting along the other side of the bush. A pair of ruby red eyes. A pair of ruby red eyes ready to kill. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elf Gun had it all planned out, he would sneak up and kill the ruthless stallion that was in front of them. Caramel, the no good idiot worker of his former ally. Rider Plaz didn't know anything. He didn't know that he had hired a brainless piece of dirt for a worker. Elf knew what he was doing. He had one goal. He was going to succeed and he knew it from the bottom of his stone hard heart. The moon was a crescent and the light was very dim. Most ponies were in bed so it was all good. If only that little purple dragon wasn't watching him with green shining eyes. Wait someone was watching him? "Uhh.. excuse me...?" The little being asked politely, not knowing he was talking to a killer. "Who are you, and what it that?" The unicorn moved backwards and deviated his gun. "Do you know who you are talking to?" the killer said in a deep gruff voice. Spike shrugged, he honestly had no idea. "Um, a colt that should be in bed?" Elf snarled at the dragon, "Very funny, now get out of the way if you want to live for another minute." Spike nodded and quickly moved to another bush, he was just tall enough to see the pair arguing. He couldn't let them die, yes he hated Caramel but no, he didn't deserve death. Well, not yet. Spike gave a high pitched girl scream. "MOVE IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!" Applejack and Caramel did flee but Spike had to face the consequences, as he thought. To his amaze Elf had disappeared. So close and yet so far. "UGH!" The mini stallion screamed in dismay. That stupid dragon had gotten the best of him. He should have just shot, now he needed at different plan. Caramel was not very bright, this was gonna be easy. He had just the right plan. He used his magic to lift up a quill and carefully wrote, Caramel, You have done well with your job, you have done just as ordered and I am proud of you. You deserve everything that I am going to do to you. As for my order, you must come to Canterlot, it'll be so important that you must be on time. No mare friends allowed. I need you to meet me in my office on 3rd street New Pegasus. Be there at 10:00 pm sharp tomorrow night. NO tools or weapons necessary. Thanks again my friend Rider Plaz The grey unicorn with flaming red hair smiled at his work. Caramel was sure to turn up, his scorpion on his flank was nodding with enthusiasm. When he was younger, Rider was looking for an apprentice, both Elf and Caramel signed up, but Elf didn't get it. That other pony did. It wasn't fair, he needed revenge. Sweet revenge. Oh the sweetness. Elf had 1,000,000 bits under his name but he wasn't scared. He was the one ponies feared. When they heard his name, they would freak out and run like mad cows around the world. He liked that feeling. No, he LOVED it. His past wasn't his present. His present was his future. Elf Gun was not always so harsh, he was once a young colt at Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns before he came to be who he was nowadays. He was once top of the class before that "Twilight Sparkle" turned up, she ruined everything. Elf got bullied for both not growing or getting a growth spurt but also for his blank flank. That blank grey flank that now had a black scorpion on it wasn't always so frightening. It used to be blank, he had the nickname of 'Blank Dwarf' it wasn't cool. He hated it. He hated all the fillies and colts at that pathetic school. That's way he quit. Elf felt his life had taken a huge turn since the last events, it was hard to think strait about everything, how it had gone so fast. How much he had changed. It was a great feeling being feared, he often said to himself when he felt regret, he couldn't hand himself in. He was Elf Gun and he was brave, fearless and feared. Caramel grabbed the letter that was sitting in his oak mailbox. The paper was a sickly yellow and was taped together. He carefully opened up the letter and read the note that was left inside. Rider Plaz was finally paying him back for all his hard work! He had gone through so many dilemmas and was finally getting was he deserved. Caramel squealed like a little girl, Applejack could not find out. She just couldn't. The orange mare was sitting outside Caramel's doorway, waiting for him to open up already. She impatiently tapped her hoof before hearing a high pitched squeal. "EEK! AHHH! YES!" She bucked the door open and saw Caramel holding a yellow note in his hoofs and jumping up and down. "Caramel? Are you okay, it looks like somepony got accepted into Hogwarts." Caramel shot her a confused glance, "Hogwarts?" Where was that? He smiled at his marefriend and rolled his sky-blue eyes. "I'm going out tonight, you don't need to be there." Applejack looked startled, night. There was a killer on the loose and he was going out at night? "Where are you going mister?" Caramel thought for a split second. "Uhh, to the pub?" Applejack nodded, she was going to follow him no matter what he said. Luna's moon shined brightly over the pitch black horizon, a Caramel coloured stallion was making his way down the street to the train station. He kicked the little pebbles high in the air as they plummeted back down to earth. Applejack was about 20 feet away from him closely following what she thought was her coltfriend. She traced his steps so the pebbles would stay on the dusty floor. Caramel quickened up his pace and it slowly turned into an upbeat march. "Heigh Ho lets go! Off we go to work!" The mare walked faster as well, trying not to get kicked in the face by the rocks he kicked up into the air. They got to the train-station. This was not the pub. Applejack pulled out a few bits and walked in carefully. She found a seat behind Caramel but it was so dark he couldn't see her. The train stopped in Canterlot, the light from the moon dimming. Caramel quickly got off the train with Applejack right behind him. As the stallion walked through to find Rider he carefully looked around to see if anyone was looking, Applejack hid behind, poles buildings and even cats. The office wasn't far, Elf was ready. The unicorn had his gun all ready, this was going to be torture. He had brought along his own invention to test on Caramel, it was a electrifying chair that could kill. *(THE NEXT PART CONTAINS DEATH!)* Caramel trotted up the steps to the office and carefully looked around for inspection. He made his way in, with Applejack close behind. "Welcome. Caramel" said an unfamiliar voice. This was not Rider's voice, Caramel knew that. "Who are you?" The murderer smiled, "You'll see soon my friend. You'll get what you deserve..." Caramel looked around, nervous. "Please sit down." The unicorn pointed the the invention of his with a wide toothy grin. Caramel nodded and made his way to the seat- "AHHHHHH!" *BUZZ BUZZZ* The seat made his hair go on points, it also made him weaker than ever. Applejack almost screamed. "Now we get to the main event." Elf snarled. He grabbed his gun from behind and fired at the stallion three times. They all hit the target, one on his nose, one on his stomach and one piercing his heart. Caramel was dead. Elf had succeeded. He stepped into the oozing blood with a victorious smile. Applejack felt her heart go *pitter patter* as she tried not to watch. "Come on out Applejack, no need to be afraid." The mare felt a shiver go down her spine, this creepy colt knew whom she was? She stepped out dumbly and felt her heart break at the sight of her fiancé. "No need to be upset, he was cheating on you." The grey unicorn said without looking back at her. Applejack felt a piece of torn up paper make it to her now bloody hooves. Caramel, Are you ready for your next big task? I'm sure you, my faithful assistant is. Find that Applejack and marry her. I need her. I need her. I need her. If you fail, I shall kill you, she must not find out our plan. Rider. Applejack looked uncomfortable. "THIS IS A LIE!" She screamed, "CARAMEL LOVES ME!" The unicorn finally turned around. He had a pair of beady yellow eyes with a huge scar going down it, his red hair had blood drenched on the edges. She finally realised he was Elf Gun. The Elf Gun. The pony even Princess Celestia feared. "Do you wish to not agree with me?" He asked with no emotion in his voice." Applejack froze. "I SAID DO YOU WISH NOT TO AGREE WITH ME?" He asked even louder. His eyes snarled and he had his gun in his magical glow. Applejack shook her head. "No sir..." She then took off like a bullet through the door leaving an Applejack sized hole behind her. Applejack didn't stop, she ran. She ran as fast as she could. She didn't look back. She couldn't. "This had to be all a dream... it had to be" she thought. Caramel couldn't have died, not so gruesomely. She was the element of Honesty, she was powerful as well. Just because Elf invented "Guns" and scary chairs didn't mean he was powerful. Thought went through her head quickly, tears streamed out of her bloodshot eyes. She boarded a train and without paying ran out. Ponyville. She couldn't hold it in. Spike saw her running he looked scared. Applejack ran into his arms and collapsed. She couldn't hold it in. "He cheated on me..." She said between sniffs... "I thought he was the one...." Spike stroked her mane lovingly, it was so soft. "You'll find your one love, he's just in front of you. The one that truely cares about you deep within." Applejack sniffed "If he likes me so much, why doesn't he tell me?" Spike sighed and broke down himself. Elf was pleased with himself, he did it. He killed his nemesis. He killed Caramel. It was so simple. Caramel was so dumb, he didn't notice that it was all a trick, and that marefriend of his, she would soon reunite with him. She would join him, Elf just needed another plan. He thought carefully. What could it be? Elf looked over at the dead body of Caramel, he was dead. Finally. Dead! The blood looked as nice as a chocolate cupcake in Elf's eyes. The dead look on Caramel's face though. It was priceless. HE DID IT! "Wait till Rider finds out" the villain said with a huge smile on his evil face. Rider walked into his office proud of his kill of a bunny (Poor Fluttershy) and turned to spot red liquid on the floor. He turned the light on with his magic to see the assistant dead. "Caramel?" Dead. All of the arrows pointed towards ELf. "I'll get my revenge on you ELF GUN! YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME!"