“…Darling…you’re not possibly thinking that we should go into a dragon’s cave and steal his precious gems…are you?” Rarity asked, a little concerned for the stallion’s and her own safety. He was right though, the area was baron of any jewels for the time being, it was an idea to ponder but after pondering one could be hesitant.

“Ya have another idea?” he asked. Rarity thought a moment.

“…IDEAAA!!” she sang. “I know some old friends from around here, they should have the jewels I require” she added happily. Kickback looked at, wondering who she had meant.

“Alright…where are these ponies?” he asked. Rarity paused a moment.

“…Dogs…” she corrected blankly. Kickback stared at her, connecting the dots. Jewel riddled area plus they’re dogs plus she said they had gems…Diamond Dogs he thought.

“Alright…so, where do find ‘em?” he asked, chuckling a small bit. Rarity thought about his calm attitude towards the same creatures that had frightened her immensely…at first.

“Follow me, darling” she said happily as she turned in the direction of what looked like a large mine shaft. The two reached the mouth and began to venture inside, all the while, Rarity looked concerned.

“What’s up, Rarity? You seem…” he managed before she cut him off.

“See these cave walls, dear?…they should to be swarming with jewels…but they’re not” she said, a little more than a hint of disappointment, curiosity and worry in her tone. The white unicorn and red earth-pony pressed on, downwards through the mine until they came across a junction that held over six ways to go.

“Which way..?” he asked blankly. Rarity put a hoof to her chin, Kickback saw frustration in her eyes.

“..uhhhhh…ummm” she let out nervously. Thankfully or not so thankfully, they heard a noise coming from the tunnel on the far left. They looked at each other and nodded before galloping into the mine. Kickback kept his powers in check as he knew Rarity of all ponies wouldn’t be able to keep up…nopony else could but the point remains. As they drew closer, the sound became more clear, it was sound of sobbing, a deep voice and two very raspy ones.

They came to the end of the tunnel and found a plaza like area, the two glanced about for the sound of crying. As they continued to walk forward, it got louder, they turned to their right to see three dogs sobbing while huddling together next to a pillar. The tallest one opened his eyes and immediately growled.

“We don’t have anymore, GO AWAY!” he yelled angrily and sadly before he began to cry along with the others again.

“Pardon?” Rarity questioned, a little offended.

“He said: We don’t have any more jewels, okay?” the lankiest one spoke up, Kikcback immediately hated his scratchy voice. The alpha dog then saw the red stallion accompanying his worst enemy.

“Oh and she brought a male” he said observantly. Rarity looked back at the scarlet colt and smiled before glaring back at the dogs.

“What ever do you mean: you have no jewels?” she interrogated. The dogs sniffed simultaneously.

“We were robbed”

“More like we gave them away”

“And now we have nothing!” the smallest dog added. The three whimpered.

“Who took them?” Kickback said, stepping up along side Rarity.

“It was…a DRAGON!!” they screamed in synchronisation and horror. Kickback looked at Rarity who stared back, he chuckled before looking at the pathetic dogs.

“What was his name…and where can I find him?” he questioned, everyone had a look of confusion and shock on the faces.

“He’s…he lives in a cave in the Everfree forest” the tallest answered “He didn’t mention a name…” the bulkiest added. Kickback nodded.

“Alright…when I’m done, I’ll bring back some of your wealth…seeing how pathetic you are” he said coldly before turning around and heading back to the way out. Rarity looked at him walk to the tunnel, he looked back. “Are ya coming?” he asked, Rarity paused before looking back at her past capturers and smiled warmly before catching up with the stallion.

“That wasn’t very nice, Kickback” she said.

“I know…but I spoke my mind” he said calmly. The two made it out the mine, Kickback continued to walk as Rarity stopped in her tracks, he glanced back to find the unicorn not following him anymore. “What’s up?” he asked. Rarity remained silent as she stared at the ground. “Oh…I see, you’re afraid of the dragon, aren’t you?” he questioned, chuckling. Rarity shot up and stared at him a slight blush.

“No…uhhh, I just…yes” she explained, ashamed.

“Well, what do you wanna do, then?” he asked calmly. Rarity stared at him, unsure to answer his question.

“I still need some more gems…let’s go” she said, trotting off towards the forest. Kickback stared as she walked, not understanding the emotions of this particular unicorn. He chuckled and followed before taking point. The two walked in silence for a long while, the journey into the forest was unpleasant due to the sheer thickness of it all and Rarity’s whining was also a sign that it must’ve been bad. The two remained silent as they came upon a large cave mouth. The two stood still and glazed their sight over the entrance, they looked at one another, Rarity showing more fear and concern in her eyes than the stallion’s.

“You wanna just wait here?” he asked.

“What are you going to do?” she asked, answering his question with a question.

“I’m gonna get your jewels…” he said calmly. Rarity blushed slightly.

“Ok darling, I suppose I’ll just wait here, then” she said, satisfied with the stallion’s confidence. She hoofed over the saddlebags and placed them upon the stallion, he smirked and walked into the lair. Inside was dark, it only got hotter as he approached the massive sleeping reptilian creature that laid upon thousands upon thousands of gems of all kinds. It snored loudly as it slept, gushing out smoke from it’s nostrils, Kickback began to collect from the pile, grabbing a hoof full of jewels and placing them in Rarity’s saddlebags.

“Easier than I thought…I thought for sure I’d have to kill the thing” he said to himself, chuckling. Soon the bags were full and heavy, he trotted back outside to see a smiling Rarity ready to greet and thank him. “Here ya go…” he said as he hoofed over the saddlebags.

“why, thank you darling” she replied happily, taking the saddlebags in her hooves and placing them on her back. She smiled gratefully as Kickback smirked at her in return before he began to trot out the way they, knowing Rarity would follow soon after. She paused as she stared at him walking into the trees, he was out of clear sight before she began to walk herself.

“Kickback, wait!” she yelled, once those words left her lips, an angry growl emitted from behind her. She gulped and slowly turned around to a pair of enraged yellow eyes glaring at her in hatred. It’s scales a shade cyan, the spikes upon his head were a contrasting red, he glanced at the saddlebags she wore and immediately recognised her cargo. Rarity was petrified as she stared in horror at the beast, it grit it’s teeth as it stared back. Kickback was happily walking through the forest, thinking that the unicorn was close behind…then he heard a loud roar emit from behind him accompanied by a high pitch scream. The scarlet stallion whipped around to see a white, feminine figure though the trees looking away from him and staring up, in front of her was a shade of light blue, the dragon’s underbelly. Without hesitation he bolted for the dragon.

“Damnit, I knew I would have to do this!” he said to himself. The dragon lowered an open claw to pick up the terrified unicorn, she screamed louder as it got closer, she looked to the direction of the stallion to see him sprinting towards her, her expression changed from scared to hopeful as he drew closer, faster than the dragon’s palm. Kickback leapt at Rarity, grabbed her with his hooves and dived her out of the way. She landed atop of him before the two scrambled to their hooves, Kickback stood up faster as Rarity still tried to get up. “GO!! Rarity, GO!” he yelled, Rarity gave it no thought and obliged, she ran into the forest, once she was out of sight, Kickback looked up and smiled as the dragon glared at him from above, it let out a loud roar as his opposite claw lunged for the stallion. Kickback dove out of the way before bolting to it’s lowered appendage, it raised slightly off the ground as the stallion jumped onto the back of it’s claw, the dragon was enraged as he watched the stallion run up his arm, the stallion smiled as his viral bio-mass began to swarm his body. He stood up on his back legs and ran awkwardly on them as he felt his body contort in the all too familiar unnatural matter. The dragon, being a semi-sentient being looked confused and baffled at the stallion as the unknown nature of his action proved to be shocking to the dragon. The tendrils around his forelegs gave way to reveal large stone-like hooves, he smirked as he reached the dragon’s neck. He climbed upwards and jumped so he was now level with the dragon’s scaly head. He pulled back and lunged forward, his hammer-fist contacted hard with the dragon’s muzzle. It closed it’s eyes in shock and pain as his head swivelled to the side due to the heavy force of the strike. The dragon opened his eyes away from the scarlet colt, gritted it’s teeth as it let out an audible growl through it’s sharp teeth. It faced the stallion again who had landed on the ground with loud thud, it roared as it’s fist crashed down on the stallion, it raised it’s hand to reveal a transformed red stallion in pain, lying in a fist shaped crater. Kickback got up and now had pure hatred for the reptilian monster, he looked up to see it was preparing for a similar attack, he sprinted through the dragon’s legs which in turn confused and irritated the monster. He jumped on it’s tail and began to climb up the scaly surface of the dragon’s skin, his body began to morph once more. When he reached the dragon’s neck again he jumped, this time higher than the dragon’s head, he right foreleg had twisted into a large, viciously sharp blade, complete with same eerie red-orange glow. He smiled devilishly as the force of gravity brought him down, he stretched his transformed limb outwards and connected with the back of the dragon’s scaly neck. It let out a pained roar as Kickback slid down causing a large scar to be formed on it’s skin, he placed his back legs on the dragon’s surface as his blade continued to slice the beast down. He reached it’s mid-back before he jumped off with his back legs and landed on the ground with cocky yet evil smirk as he looked at his work, the dragon roaring in pain as it reached it back with a claw. Blue blood began to spill out, almost invisible as it poured on the dragon’s cyan scales. The dragon looked behind him to the stallion staring back confidently, it let out another growl as the two locked green and yellow eyes.

Finally the dragon growled…in defeat. It opened it’s large wings and began to flap hard, the stallion could barely stand his ground due to new heavy wind force. The dragon had left the ground…but not high enough as it seems, Kickback was not one for quitting. He ran after the dragon and jumped. He landed on the end of it’s tail as it took to the sky, it flew away from any pony folk, thank Celestia, Kickback thought. He began to fight the wind as he climbed up to the dragon’s head once more, he had morphed his forelegs into his signature claws which in turn became great climbing tools and hurt the dragon all the while. When he reached the base of the neck, he reverted his right foreleg back into the blade, keeping the claw on the left hoof. He used it as a pick-axe- like climbing tool, stabbing deeply into the dragon’s skin. He made his way to the head itself, he stood on hind legs, raised the blade skywards and brought it straight down on the dragon’s forehead, Kickback knew this was nearly over. He jumped on it’s snout and violently pushed his clawed appendage into the dragon’s left eye, it roared in sheer agony as blood spilt over the mutant stallion’s ‘arm’. He jumped back on it’s head and smiled.

“C’MON!!” he yelled as he leapt off it’s head. He span around in mid-air before aiming his blade at the directly at where the head meets the neck of the dragon. With one fell slash, the dragon staggered in the air, Kickback continued to fall and watched from below the dragon’s head slowly coming undone. The body fell fast, nearly hitting the falling stallion, from above he heard it land with a loud crash that could probably be heard for miles and cause a slight tremor. He then noticed the head, wide eyed and open jawed plummeting in the same fashion. Kickback felt disgust as he saw the blood in the sky and on the ground. The head landed shortly before the stallion did, his powers had retracted and now he looked somewhat normal again but after what he just did, he really didn’t feel like a pony anymore, the past few days made him regain some ‘ponyanity’ but never full.

“Fus…roh…bucking dah, bitch…” Kickback mocked at the dead monster. The stallion tired and in pain made his way back to cave mouth, he wobbled as he walked, ever so often leaning up against a tree to keep balance. He peeked around a tree to find the white unicorn had returned with her five other friends, all of them seemed to have very sad faces and were dead silent. Rarity started to sob in her hooves, Kickback noticed tears welling up in the eyes of AJ and Rainbow Dash as he drew closer. Pinkie, Fluttershy and Twilight all tried comfort the white unicorn but to slight avail. Kickback decided to speak although through a pained voice.

“What’s up, everypony?” he greeted quietly. Every mare looked back to see an exhausted scarlet stallion smiling at them.

“Well…ah’ll be damned” Applejack let out as she stared at the colt with tears in her eyes. Without warning Rainbow Dash flew over to the stallion and hugged him, more tightly than he’s like.

“Omigosh, we thought you were-!” she cut herself off, still gripping the stallion in her hooves. He chuckled.

“Good to see you too, Dash” he said jokingly, causing her pull back and chuckle herself, he noticed the tears in her eyes as she stared at him with a smile. Rarity galloped to the stallion and pulled him into her own embrace, she didn’t speak, only sobbed on his shoulder, he felt warm tears on his neck as she hugged him tightly. He smiled and nodded at the other mares silently a gesture that they gladly took as a greeting. After a long moment of Kickback doing his best to comfort the white mare, she pulled back and stared into his dark green eyes.

“What happened?” Rarity asked, concerned for the stallion.

“I got away..” he replied, he didn’t dare tell the real story of how he initially slayed a dragon.

“Where is it now?” she asked.

“Somewhere…” he answered blankly, not thinking of something convincing to say on his way here. She didn’t seem to care though. The seven equines trotted into the forest in order to get back into town, as Ponyville became visible a light bulb went off in his head.

“Hey…does anypony have a spare cart?” he asked to nopony in particular. They stopped and turned to him, he had walking at the back as he was more tired than he’d like to be.

“Ah got one…why?” AJ replied.

“Well, I’m gonna need something to get those gems” he said blankly, each mare looked at him in confusion and shock.

“You can’t be serious” Dash said.

“T-that scary dragon will be even more angry” Fluttershy spoke up.

“Besides darling, I have enough” Rarity added.

“That dragon doesn’t worry me anymore…” he said, a slight cryptic tone accompanying his voice.

“Why?” Twilight asked curiously.

“He’s not around anymore…” he replied calmly. The mares were now entirely confused.

“Where’d he go?” Applejack asked.

“Well, he’s not in the Everfree anymore…” he answered blankly “…I did say I would return some to those dogs anyway…or we could just be a little more rich” he said, not really caring about either option but he thought that he should let ‘em know about the huge deposit of diamonds the dragon kept.

Later that day.

Kickback had regained his full strength before he had gone into the forest with the six mares, all equipped with carts and were heading into the cave, they loaded up more diamonds than they had seen before into their carts and eventually got ’em all. They were heavy as hell but that just meant they were filled to the brim with valuable minerals. They made it back to town with everypony staring, wide eyed at the sparkly rocks the seven were carrying. They parked them near Rarity’s home and business and turned to one another.

“Woowee, mah back’s killing meh” AJ complained as she cracked her back. Apparently by this point everypony had somewhere to before sick of each other’s company for now. Each mare said their goodbyes and began to trot off in their own directions, leaving Kickback and Rarity at the entrance of the Boutique.

“Well…goodbye darling” Rarity said as she opened the door. Kickback paused but smiled at her “Hang a moment…do you have somewhere to be?” she said.

“No…” he said flatly.

“Do… you want to come inside?” she asked friendly, catching the stallion’s attention.

“Uhhh, why not?” he stated as he walked in through the opened door. Next Chapter: Inception Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 33 Minutes