The Unpredictable Magic Of Love

by Overkill

First published 24th of May, 2013

What happens when you seek the love of your life, but you never had to?

For a long time, Twilight has tried to find the stallion of her dreams, unsuccessfully. What will happen when she realizes that the love she has sought could be actually closer than she ever imagined?

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This story is originally a Fanfiction.net fic. The original author is Elizander. He gave me permission to translate his fic and here it is. It contains a few elements from several Spilight fics. Let's see if you notice them. Please, tell me if I made a mistake so I can correct it. Thank you all for the favs! If you like my story, please leave a thumb up so the fic will get featured.

The Tempest

Like many others, that was a beautiful day for the kingdom of Equestria. The wind was calm, the birds sang, and the ponies of all kinds enjoyed the warm radiant light shining on the sky.

Equestria apparently could at last enjoy peace and uninterrupted prosperity that had been seen on the brink of catastrophe, after the events like the return of Nightmare Moon, Discord's rebirth and the invasion of the Changelings had taken place 7 years ago. And though certainly those events had happened recently, the ponies now saw them as bad memories.

The ponies who managed to end those things weren’t an exception. The holders of The Elements of Harmony, now also holders of legitimate titles of nobility and better known as “The Guardians of Harmony”, had continued with their lives.
Applejack and her family had expanded enormously the farm, having now a lot of workers to harvest and distribute their products, not only in Ponyville, but to the other towns of the region that had begun to form over the years.

Rainbow Dash no longer lived in Ponyville. As soon as she reached the minimum age of admission, Spitfire asked her to join the Wonderbolts. It was difficult for her and the rest to say goodbye, but she was willing to make the sacrifice to fulfill her dream. In addition she could afford to visit them quite often.

Fluttershy, after obtaining her degree in Veterinary, had conditioned her home even more (if that was possible) and now it was nothing less than an animal hospital. Of all her friends, she was the only one who had gotten married, her husband being a doctor Ponyville hospital called Swift Relief. A serene and friendly unicorn, but of strong character.

Rarity was an eminence in the world of fashion. Her season premieres almost always adorned the covers of magazines, and ponies of all Equestria travelled to Ponyville to make their orders. For some it was odd Rarity was still living in Ponyville instead of moving to Canterlot or another metropolis of the kingdom, but she always said there was no better place to work than her beloved land, where there were her dearest friends and her family.

The Cake family had moved to Fillidelphia long ago with their children, leaving Sugar cube corner to the capable and happy hands of Pinkie Pie. Now the happy pony was the pastry chef, manager and owner of the place.

And last, but not least, Twilight Sparkle, the most loyal student of the same Princess Celesstia, continued her studies, on her way to becoming the greatest witch ever since Star Whirl "The Bearded". Twilight’s extensive studies about friendship, her discoveries in astronomy, the recipes for spells and potions she had created had reached so much magnitude that the Princess had told her to make nothing less than her own section in Canterlot library. Besides, she had started a small project by teaching magic to interested ponies in the evenings in her library.

"Spike, I'm back!" Twilight shouted when she entered her home in the afternoon on Sunday, after her visit to Fluttershy’s house where she had gone to leave Owlicious, for the old owl wasn’t lately feeling good. Peewee wasn’t at home either, but she already knew that. It had been gone when the mating season of phoenixes started.

"Spike, are you here?" asked Twilight, having no response from her loyal assistant.

She went to the kitchen, where she thought she’d find her assistant preparing food, but she only found a scroll on the table.

"What’s this?" she wondered while bringing the scroll to her with her magic.

"Dear Twilight, I was summoned by Princess Celestia to go to Canterlot to join the meeting between our princesses and ambassadors of the kingdom of Ikaruga, which will be held in two days and in which, as you know, it’s intended to negotiate a peace treaty between the two nations. I guess the Princess called me now to give me time to stay current with what will be discussed in the meeting and so that my presence will facilitate dealing with the ambassadors. I wanted to wait for you to come to tell you this personally, but the royal came before you. Anyway, I’ll see you in a few days. I left the food ready in the refrigerator.

Your number 1 assistant Spike”

"Spike, mediator in an international political event" Twilight laughed, not conceiving the idea of her assistant in such a role.

"How many years have passed" she sighed, remembering old times.

Technically, Spike was still a baby, but having grown up as Pony, Spike had a level of intellectual and moral development bigger than possibly any other member of his species that age. While some things never change, like he was still cheerful, innocent and even awkward in some ways, Spike had grown psychologically and now had a part time job as an archivist and manager of the documents in the village hall. In addition he had grown. Now he was slightly higher than Twilight, but much stronger than her. Almost as strong as Big Mac. Dragon's blood did him justice. And speaking of that, his wings had started to emerge, though they were still very small so he could fly.

Twilight took from the refrigerator the food Spike had prepared for her. Green salad with orange segments and dried cranberries for sweetening. And as always, the food made by Spike was simply delicious.

"Instead of working in the town hall, he should open up a restaurant" she told to herself when she finished her meal.

She washed the dishes and went to read a book in the comfort of her studio where there were her astronomy artifacts. It was Sunday, so there was no need to worry about attending the library and she was also in the middle of her holiday period of her studies, so she had the whole day to herself.

But the reading Twilight had chosen to spend the afternoon, which was nothing but a love story, ended up depressing her when it reminded her of what she didn’t have… Fluttershy was happily married and she was already making plans to have her first baby. The romance between Rainbow Dash and Light Strike was the best known secret of the Wonderbolts. Rarity did not even bother to leave home. The suitors came to her business to woo her from all of Equestria. Everyone knew the only thing Applejack loved more than her farm and her land, was her family. And Pinkie… well, Pinkie was Pinkie and apparently no energetic and positive enough (if not crazy) stallion had been born to maintain a romantic relationship with her.

But… What about Twilight? She knew all the friendship variables. She knew astronomy as much as someone with a doctoral degree. The Princess trusted her even more than her oldest royal advisor. She had saved Equestria from its destruction in 3 different occasions… and yet she knew absolutely nothing about relationships. Not empirically at least.

"Do I have something wrong?" she said to herself while looking at herself in the mirror.

Twilight wasn’t ugly at all. She knew it. Though she didn’t have a sex appeal that left the chart like Rarity’s or Fluttershy’s, neither did many other ponies in the town, but they still had a partner. Why didn’t she?

It was no secret that Twilight never cared too much for her social life in Canterlot. The other mares rarely sought her for a walk or something like that. Much, MUCH rarer was that a Stallion did it. Especially with her reputation as a little mouse library. "I'm telling you! It’s like she's trying to be virgin!" she remembered hearing that from a stallion some days before moving to Ponyville. Twilight would never admit it, but that comment had deeply hurt her self confidence in the subject.

Upon arriving at Ponyville, she had certainly and enormously been open to socializing, but only with ponies of the same sex. And as the conditions of her stay in the village were to study the magic of friendship, not love, Twilight never considered necessary or pertinent to get into the matter…

"Until now" she wailed, returning to her couch.

Her title of nobility had brought her several suitors, but they were only opportunists and sycophants she didn’t want to have anything to do with. The rest either ran away or treated her with too much respect or caution to give her confidence or interest to seek a truly romantic relationship.

"I only want a stallion who’s handsome, strong, who loves me and shares with me the things I love in life, like magic, astronomy and literature" She said, extending her arms to the ceiling.

"Is it too much to ask for?"

Twilight decided to go take a bath to soothe her sorrows, passing through a night table where there were several photographs. In one of them, it was seen the celebration of her 19th birthday with all the girls around her: her 6 best friends, Zecora, the CMC and of course, Spike hugging her by her side.

"Well… At least I have you, right Spike?" she said while smiling, as if the dragon could hear her words.

But her smile faded quickly.

"I have you, but… For how long?"

Spike was growing. What would happen when he no longer fitted in the library? Would they have to build him another house? Would he have to look for a cave near the village to live? Would he have to go and live with his fellow dragons in Ikaruga? Twilight sighed and stared at her home. She felt so alone and quiet. Would it be like this when Spike was no longer by her side?

A loud sound pulled Twilight out from her melancholy. The Ponyville alarm sirens were sounding.

"What’s happening out there?" she wondered confused, since when she looked out the window, she saw there was no disaster or anything like that worthy to alarm all the people.

Then several pegasi passed through with speakers.

"It is requested the presence of all the people outside the city hall for an urgent announcement. Please go to the city hall for a state of emergency communiqué"

Without a second thought, Twilight teleported herself to the place mentioned where there had already been formed a crowd of ponies.

"Hey Twilight!" shouted an unmistakable voice.

"Hey Pinkie, how are you?"

"Excited! The sirens never sound unless something horrible is happening, but this time nothing horrible is happening. But they still sound and they called here. I bet something amazing will happen! My Pinkie sense tells me so!"

‘Well, I think we’re about to find out’

“Your attention, please” spoke the Mayoress.

“I’ve been informed about a terrible accident that took place in the weather factory of Cloudsdale, a few moments ago. Because of this terrible mishap, several meteorological disasters got out of control and it’s estimated that one of them will pass through our village today at 9 pm”

“But there are only 4 hours left for that!”

“What kind of natural disaster?!”

“The climate patrol can’t do anything?” The cries of the crowd were heard.

“Citizens, please calm down. The natural phenomenon cannot be dissipated by the weather patrol because it’s very dangerous for them to approach. It’s a level 3 hurricane, besides it comes while dragging powerful thunderstorm clouds. I ask you all to protect your homes and take the necessary security measures immediately to protect your assets and yourselves from this phenomenon that’s moving towards our people. If you know somepony who doesn’t know this, make them know now. You may leave. We’ll see here tomorrow for a damage report”

And with that said, hysterically the crowd dispersed to their homes.

“Well, that IS bad. I had to bake a lot of… Twilight?” asked Pinkie while turning her head in all directions when she saw her friend had disappeared.

“Twilight?”

Twilight reappeared inside the library with a frightened face.

“Oh no! Oh no! Oh no ohnoohnoohnoohnoohnoohno! What do I do, what do I do?” She asked out loud while hitting her hooves against the ground, as if she was dancing professional Flamenco.

“Keep it together Twi, keep it together… I must make a plan… First the windows. That’s it!” that being said she teleported herself outside her home, appearing at the entrance of a hardware store.

“Hello, is there any service? I need some adhesive tape!” she shouted while knocking the door desperately.

“Mrs., we are closed. Didn’t you hear the news about the hurricane?” an earth pony leaned out the window beside the door.

Before answering, Twilight teleported herself and appeared inside the establishment.

“Yes, I did, that’s why I’m here! I need some adhesive tape for my windows” she said while running through the corridors.

Moments after, Twilight came back.

“I’m taking this” she said with a lot of products floating around her.

“It…it’s fine. It would cost…”

“Take this and keep the change!” Twilight interrupted him and left a generous amount of bits on the counter and then teleported herself to the library.

Later, Twilight had already upholstered all the windows of the house. But besides she’d wrapped, though it was only moderately, all the ceramics, glass or any object that could break into pieces. In Addition, she turned off all the electrical devices in the house, and put some adhesive tape over the outlets of the walls.

“Very well, now… Let’s save the research instruments!” she went to her studio, where she disassembled all her telescopes, earth globes, scale models of the solar system, barometer… And she put them in cardboard boxes stuffed with newsprint paper and anything that could absorb shock.

“Very well, now all that’s left is to save the books”

Twilight stood in the middle of the lobby of the library with a briefcase next to her.

“I always knew I would someday use this spell” she smiled ironically.

Her horn began to glow while she was singing a strange chant, really very catchy. All the books of the library started to ‘dance’ through the air, heading slowly to the briefcase next to Twilight, where they disappeared as if falling into a deep hole without end.

“Finally, now only remains the refuge”

Moments later, Twilight was in the basement of the library. On the floor, there were the mattresses of her bed, the guests’ and Spike’s, who now didn’t only have his own bed, but also his own bedroom. The pillows were scattered on the floor and she had formed a perimeter around her that was made with the pillows from the rest of home furniture. It was like entering a kindergarten equipped so no child could get hurt playing in it.

“Now… Let’s wait” she said while covering herself with a not very thick blanket and hugging a pillow.

Later, that same day, Twilight was trembling and completely terrified. The hurricane was visible in the distance from the window and the electric light was gone a few moments ago, leaving her only protected by the light of three candles she had brought with her. Twilight was covered with her blanket, hugging a pillow fiercely against her body while other 2 were rested against her body on both sides as if they were a camping tent.

This was nothing compared to ‘The big storm’ when she’d just moved to Ponyville. First because nopony was sure this natural disaster could wipe out the town or not, but in addition this time she was all alone to face it. She thought about her friends and prayed to Celestia they were well. A smile appeared on her face knowing they would be well. Rarity would probably be with her sister and her parents, protected by the love of her family. The same with Applejack. Pinkie would be in the basement of Sugar Cube Corner with music at full volume and eating cupcakes of all flavors without even realizing the great danger. And Fluttershy would be well protected in her loved husband’s arms.

Twilight then realized what distinguished her from all her friends: she had no one to turn to and who was by her side. She considered herself too much old and mature to go and cry looking for her parents’ support. Her brother? Pfff! That idiot? Okay, he didn’t inform her about his wedding because he was under Queen Chrysalis’s spell. But before that? He didn’t fall in love with Cadence the same week he decided to marry her, RIGHT? There was no excuse. ‘Hey sister, I’m marrying’ It wasn’t so difficult to inform her about how he was in his life, right?

She had forgiven him for being a heartless jerk, in time of course. But it was obvious the trust and affection she had for him had never been the same.

Who could she turn to in a situation like this, in which it seemed any moment the strong winds that whipped her home would remove it from its foundations, or in this case, roots? Owlicious was just a little owl. Added the fact it was an old one and possibly in a few years it wouldn’t be in this world. Peewee was a powerful and virtually immortal phoenix. But it being a magical being and not talking by using words, it was difficult to communicate with him more than other animals, besides, whereas Owlicious was always more attached to her, Peewee was more attached to Spike.

“Spike” whispered Twilight.

Her mind was focused in an instant. Of course! Who else she could trust more than Spike, her beloved number 1 assistant? The one who had been with her, no matter what. In all her long nights of study. To take care of her mental sanity in all those moments when (much to her regret) her neuroticism and hypochondriasis would take her to the brink of insanity. The one who surely had influenced her more than anypony, even more than Princess Celestia, so she would be the pony she was nowadays. If there was anyone in the world who could help her, it was him. But as she well knew, he was far away from the library.

“Spike…” she whispered in a broken voice because of the fear as her pillow absorbed the tears in her eyes.

“Spike… Help me…” she kept asking for her assistant’s help, though the logical part of her brain told her it was nonsense.

“Help me, Spike… Please, help me…” she kept begging with her face buried in the pillow.

“Twilight!” she suddenly heard in the distance.

“What?”

“Twilight, where are you?” she heard, louder than before.

“Spike?” she said, pulling her head out of her improvised refuge.

“Twilight!” cried the dragon when he opened the connecting door to the basement.

“Spike, I’m here!” she yelled, jumping out of her refuge.

Spike closed the door behind him and went down the stairs in one leap. Twilight ran towards him, who stood on his hind legs and spread his arms to receive her.

“Spike, thank Celestia you’re here!” shouted Twilight with relief, burying her face in Spike's chest, almost stabbing him with her horn in the process.

“I couldn’t have been at peace until I knew you were safe” he said while wrapping her in his arms.

“But… How come you’re here? How is it possible?” she asked, confused while looking up to face him.

“The news of the accident in Cloudsdale was known even in Canterlot. As soon as I knew it, I came here by running” he said as if that was the only necessary explanation.

“But… Did you come on your own from Canterlot by running?”

“Yes. Don’t forget my strength and stamina are bigger than most ponies’. It wasn’t so difficult. Besides, I couldn’t call myself your number 1 assistant if I couldn’t be by your side in a situation like this”

“But you had to run through the storm and the wind. You could have died! Besides… What about the meeting with the ambassadors? You were supposed to be there! What will the princesses think when they see you left?” she scolded him.

“I left a note notifying them I was coming back because of an emergency. And yes, I know it was dangerous to come just like that. I know, Twi. I know. But not even all the strength of nature would have made me let you face this alone. Specially, not after what happened the last time.

New tears started coming out of her eyes, but these were because of joy and gratitude. He well knew she needed him and he had risked his life only to be able to be with her.

“Oh Spike… Thank you, thank you so much! I was scared, so scared!” she yelled, breaking into tears and hugging him tightly.

“You no longer have to be, Twi. I’m here and I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I promise” he whispered to her ear while stroking her head and giving her a kiss on the forehead near the base of her horn.

Spike sat down and grabbed Twilight so she could rest her body on his. Eventually, Twilight’s crying became sobs, until her breathing finally slowed and her body relaxed in the embrace of her loyal protector. Twilight sighed, letting her head rest on Spike’s chest, as he continued stroking her mane to relax her.

Twilight started to feel an unusual mix of sensations. She felt happy and grateful that Spike had come to the library just to be able to be with her and protect her, which was very natural. But there was much more. She felt strangely comfortable while she was resting her body on the dragon’s. She felt an unusual warmth enveloping her. A warmth that was coming from everywhere and seemed to relax her body and mind. And she finally felt safe in Spike’s arms. Protected and safe. A strange safety that invited her to believe he could protect her from any danger.

She wondered what was that strange mix of sensations she was experiencing, but her reasoning was interrupted by a loud song outside that made her return to a high alert status, putting her hooves on Spike’s chest.

“Wha… What was that?” she said while looking at the ceiling.

“I don’t know. I’d better go and see what happens” said Spike, breaking the embrace.

“N..No, don’t go!” she said terrified.

“Twilight, calm down. I’m only going to check what that noise was”

“It doesn’t matter, Spike. We’re safe here. You yourself said it. Stay with me. Please, don’t abandon me” she said, begging, with new tears in her eyes.

Seeing her that so miserable, weak and vulnerable way, broke Spike’s heart.

“Twilight, please, relax. I wouldn’t abandon you for anything in the world, but I have to go check. If a window is broken, I have to find a way to cover it or else we’ll soon be swimming down here. If a lightning has fallen on the roof, I’ll have to think what the hell I can do or in the worst cases we’ll have to find another place to stay in, but I have to go up to see what that noise was” he tried to reason with her.

“What I know is I can’t ask you to go up with me. In any case you’ll be safer here. I promise I won’t delay. I’ll come back before you notice it. Ok?”

“Oh… Ok” Twilight answered doubtfully, though she knew Spike was right.

“I’ll come back here soon” he assured her –I’ll leave the door open, so you’ll only have to scream if you need me”

Spike quickly climbed the stairs, leaving the door open when he left. Twilight felt the fear invading her again as her legs started to tremble. Her fears started to grow more, now that she had noticed the lightning storm had gotten stronger.

“S…Spike… Is there everything up there alright?” she tried to scream, but her voice had gotten very weak.

She started listening noises coming from moving furniture.

“Spike, what’s happening up there? Co… Come back, you’ve already taken a lot!”

A strong wind stream opened the door, turning off the 3 candles that lit the basement and leaving the room in a deep darkness and Twilight helpless, prisoner of all her fears.

“SSPIIIIKE!” she shouted, invaded by fear and despair.

“Spike, please! Come back, COME BACK! Spike!” she kept yelling while throwing herself to the floor, and as she had no pillow in her hooves, she shrank in a fetal position, covering her head with her forelegs.

She suddenly felt the wind stopped and felt two hands that took her under her armpits in order to hug her, which she returned, almost by inertia.

“I’m here, Twilight! I’m here, you’re safe”

“DON’T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!” she shouted to his face, though actually the only thing she could see was his eyes that glowed in the darkness.

“Never leave me alone like this again, ever! Never abandon me again! Don’t ever leave me alone, ever! EVER! Don’t you ever dare do it again!” she went completely hysterical, screaming in tears and hitting Spike in the chest with both her hooves.

“I won’t do it, Twilight! I won’t!” he answered, trying to calm her down.

“Promise me that!”

“What?”

“Promise you’ll never abandon me, Spike! Promise you’ll never leave me alone, that you’ll always be by my side! Promise it!”

“I promise, Twilight. I promise. I’m serious!

Twilight kept a moment of silence, and then almost rammed Spike while putting her arms around him and squeezing him with enough force to make his wings hurt him, though he wouldn’t let her notice it, hugging her back protectively and stroking her long mane. Twilight rested her face on the base of his neck, where she let her tears fall, and hugged him with despair as if she was afraid the dragon would banish in the air.

To Spike, it was a torture to see Twilight in such a state. He was hoping he would never see her that way again. But now, he was there to protect her and not let the same thing happen again.

Twilight’s dread by storms had been born on a fateful day 4 years ago. Wishing to explore the power of the wonders of weather, she and Spike had gone to Manehattan to study a tornado that would pass near the metropolis on that weekend. As Spike was still too young back then, Twilight asked him to wait in the hotel and she would manage alone in the fieldwork. Needless to say, things went fatal.

The tornado left the path the meteorologists had indicated, moving directly where Twilight had checked up her checkpoint. Before she could escape there with a spell, an object carried by the wind hit her horn, causing it a fissure and incapacitating her ability to make magic. Unarmed and with a refuge that wasn’t designed to hold on in the eye of the tornado, Twilight found herself literally running for her life from the natural disaster. After 2 tortuous searching days, rescue teams found her in a cave in state of malnutrition, badly injured and still in shock by fear.

Spike had promised neither anything nor anyone would hurt Twilight again.

“Cry no more, Twilight. Please. I’m here. Nothing bad will happen to you” he tried to comfort her while giving her a kiss on her head.

He turned her head and spitted small flames on the candles, which had been extinguished, so that Twilight could calm down faster, which seemed to work when Twilight turned her head to see the lights of the candles.

“Don’t forget it, Spike. Never forget your promise” she finally spoke after a long while, without breaking the embrace.

Spike took her by her shoulders and slightly separated from her to look at her face.

“Twilight, I need no promise… You shouldn’t need me to make you a promise to be sure I will always be by your side” he said while putting his right hand on her cheek, wiping her tears.

“I’ve known you literally since the day I was born. Since then we’ve always been together and the longest time we’ve been apart isn’t more than a week. We’ve shared everything, both good and bad. And you have always been the most important pony in my life”

Twilight had stopped crying and despite the strong winds whipping the house, her attention was entirely directed to the dragon.

“As a dragon I am… I will keep being among the living many centuries after you’re gone” Now it was Spike who seemed to want to cry.

“What makes you think I would want to stay away from you for a second earlier than necessary? Be assured that it doesn’t matter where, when or how. No matter how things may change or how I may change when I grow up… You’ll never be alone. I will always, always be there for you, just as you’ve always been there for me” he said, concluding his speech and planting a kiss on the base of Twilight’s horn.

For the umpteenth time that day, tears escaped her eyes. She brought her face closer to the dragon’s and gave him a kiss on his cheek and then hugged him tenderly.

“Thank you, Spike. Thank you so much. I know I don’t usually say this… I know I’ve never said this to you as often as I should, but I love you. I love you so much, Spike”

Spike felt his heart fly away, touch the moon and back at full speed to his chest.

Reply to her, Spike! Come on man, reply to her! TELL HER YOU LOVE HER! It’s only 4 words: ‘I love you too’! Don’t be a coward! Shouted Spike to himself in his head.

“Spike?” asked Twilight after a while of not receiving responses from the dragon.

“Heh? No, nothing happens! Thanks, Twilight. I’m ok” YOU’RE A COWARD!

“Can I ask you a favor?” She asked timidly.

“What thing?”

“Could we… Do you mind if we sleep cuddled?” Twilight thanked that in the position they were Spike couldn’t see her face, for she was sure a strong blush had gripped her cheeks.

“Of course not, Twi”

They separated a moment to sit back and take the pillows and the sheets to cover themselves. Spike leaned back on his left side, extending his right arm for Twilight. She lay, facing Spike and allowing herself to be covered by his protector’s arm, him covering them both with the blanket in the process.

“Are you comfortable?”

“A lot. Good night, Spike. My number 1 assistant” she said while cuddling against him like a puppy in search of their mother’s body heat.

“Good night, Twi. My favourite sorceress”

Twilight let the feelings her proximity with Spike and his caresses take over her. She listened to the sounds of nature more and more distant, like her fear. She sighed one last time before falling asleep, feeling safer and more comfortable than ever.

Twilight felt herself returning from the world of dreams, opening her heavy eyelids slowly, encountering a pale green screen in front of her face, which confused her, because none of her pillows had that color cover. Besides, she also felt her blanket felt heavier than usual.

She rubbed her eyes before she could distinguish where and who she was with. At first she was a little surprised, but she soon remembered the events from the last night that led her to her current position. Twilight was surprised she was the one who woke up first, for that was an event that happened infrequently, if not ever. But she supposed Spike should be very tired after having had to come back from Canterlot in a record time by himself.

Being careful to not wake him, she broke the embrace to be able to stretch her body. When she saw her assistant because of the light that filtered from the windows, Twilight gasped, shocked when she saw Spike’s body. It was full of bruises, scrapes and even what looked like the scar from a cut on the back of his neck.

“Did he face a herd of hungry tigers?... The hurricane…”

Twilight remembered how, in her desperate escape from the tornado 4 years ago, the wind had injured her several times with the stuff it carried. But Spike hadn’t run away from the winds, he’d had to face it to be able to reach Twilight. He really had risked his life to be with her. If he didn’t have an armored skin, the hurricane would have torn him apart before getting to Ponyville. He hadn’t even taken some time to heal his wounds. Everything to protect her.

“Oh Spike, I’m so sorry” she whispered while covering his body with hers and kissing him on his cheek repeatedly, as her horn started to glow and casted a healing spell on his wounds.

Spike woke up when he felt the effects of her magic and her displays of affection.

“Twilight, what are you doing?!” he yelled very exalted when he saw her lying on top of him.

“I… I was healing your wounds and… I was giving you some kisses on your cheek. Is there anything wrong with that?”

“No, but… You shocked me. What a way to wake up”

“I’m sorry. If I wasn’t so coward, you wouldn’t have had to come here. I’m serious, you could have died just for coming here to take care of me” said Twilight, very ashamed of herself.

Spike sat up, sitting in front of her.

“Tell me, Twilight. What are dragons very good at?”

Twilight raised her left eyebrow, confused by the question that was out of topic.

“They exhale fire?”

“Yes, but, what else?”

“They eat gemstones?”

“No”

“They live some millennia?”

“No”

“They have armored skins with scales that can be as hard as diamonds?” she asked frustrated.

“They protect their treasures” he answered as if it was something obvious.

Twilight remained silent.

“You’re my greatest treasure, Twi. And if to have to get here I had had to lose my hind legs, I would have. And not because of recklessness, but because of determination. Because you are that important to me”

Twilight sighed, not being able to comprehend what her dragon said, so she just hugged him again.

“Thank you, Spike”

“Do you want me to make the breakfast?”

“No… Let’s sleep a little more. I’m still very tired”

“As you wish” he said while leaning on his back.

To his surprise, Twilight climbed above his body, resting her head on the base of his neck and covering them both with the Blanket.

“Well, what are you waiting for?”

“What do you mean?”

“Hug me, you silly dragon”

“Oh, sure”

“Hey, Spike. What you said the last night about being by my side forever, was it serious?” asked Twilight without looking at his eyes.

“With all my heart, Twilight” he answered with a smile, which she returned before embarking back to the world of dreams, protected by the embrace of her beloved dragon.

Author's Notes:

I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I did when I translated it. If you notice a mistake, please tell me and I will correct it.

Discoveries

Things hadn’t changed in the last weeks. But definitely, there was something different. Twilight could feel there was something different between her and her assistant. Or it would be better to say that the way she perceived the relation between them had changed. It was as if she felt a little more cheerful when being with him. Like she enjoyed his company much more, their talks and even as if his food was even more delicious. The question was: why? Where did those changes come from? Her life routine hadn’t changed. Twilight studied, attended the library and her new students. Spike worked in the evenings at the town hall and on the weekends he would often go help Rarity with her dresses or Applejack to harvest, mostly as an exercise.

What was it that made her feel things differently then? She didn’t understand. And if there was something that pissed Twilight off, it was to not be able to understand something. Her not understanding something! It was as if Pinkie Pie couldn’t become friends with someone! IT MADE NO SENSE!

She had to put a stop to the matter, especially because it was starting to affect her daily life. Spike would often notice something wrong with her and try to talk with her about it, causing uncomfortable conversations between them. And sometimes, even her students would notice something was wrong.

Finally, one Saturday when Spike would leave her alone to help Rarity, Twilight decided it was time to find the unknown variables of the equation once and for all.

She sat in front of her desk with several blank sheets in front of her.

“Very well, Twilight. What are the new things we’ve seen?” She said, trying to make a list of things that, in the last weeks, could recently be affecting her perception of the environment and her assistant.

“Well, let’s skip this point… What are the things that stay the same?... Everything! Nothing has changed” She said while gritting her teeth.

“No, no, keep calm. We have all the afternoon” She relaxed by exhaling deeply.

“Very well… When did this start happening exactly?” She tried to look for another point of reference.

“A little after the hurricane” She concluded after a while.

“Thinking about it, that night Spike and I slept on the same mattress for the first time after 10 years” She said while laughing a little.

“Wait a moment… That’s it! The night we and Spike slept together was the first time I felt these… Strange emotional patterns” She wrote on her notes, not having a more appropriate name to describe what she felt.

“When Spike revealed he had come back from Canterlot only to be by my side and protect me from the storm, I felt… I felt very flattered. Spike and I have shared thousands of hugs in our lives, but that time felt different. I felt as if a… Strange warmth wrapped me. In my state of despair, and though I didn’t have full control of my actions, I asked Spike to promise me he would always be by my side. After I thought that, though he answered he would, he’d only done it to calm me down or in any case because I forced him to say it. But the next morning he reaffirmed his oath and assured me he was serious. Knowing that made me feel… A great and unusual joy”

That continued for a long while she was trying to make things make sense.

“Ugh! Twilight, what are you writing?!” She shouted frustrated, throwing both of her hooves at her face.

“You’re just writing the same subjective and ambiguous nonsense you already know! Yes, living with Spike is an activity you are enjoying more than before. Yes, you feel much better when he makes you a compliment, when you didn’t use to give it a lot of importance. Why can’t you write something more coherent? Something like… I don’t know! I’m in love with Spike”

Twilight suddenly felt as if the hamster that was responsible for making the gears of her brain spin had suffered a fatal heart attack.

“What did I just say?”

Twilight suddenly felt it was harder for her heart to pump blood through her body.

“Me… In love with Spike?... Pff! Hahahahahahah! What nonsense!” She laughed out loud.

“How could I be in love with Spike? He’s my… My…” Twilight’s cheerful laughter got nervous when she realized how difficult it was for her to answer that question.

“He’s my assistant, of course! And I’m his… I’m his…” Her nervousness increased because of a great panic when she realized she was in front of a question she probably hadn’t make to herself in a long, long time.

“What the hell am I to Spike?”

When Spike was born, Twilight used to think of herself as Spike’s adoptive mother, though that role was certainly mostly exercised by Princess Celestia. During his childhood and his current part of his adolescence, she always saw herself as Spike’s big sister. Taking care of him and guiding him, but without being as authoritarian as a mother. But now, what was her to him? Was she her boss? NO! To begin with, she didn’t pay him…

“That doesn’t matter!” She yelled.

“We’ve been all our lives together. We’re like a family… We trust each other. He once told me I was the most important pony in his life, which clearly indicates he loves me, right? But I guess its only brotherly love, nothing romantic. Just like me. I lo… I love Spike. Just as I always have, heheh” She laughed nervously, trying to make things make sense.

“Then why is it now so difficult to me to say it? Why do I now hesitate to use that word it now feels so heavy?” She said, trying to process what happened in her head.

“Sweet Celestia…” Twilight rose from her desk and ran to get several books.

She took a Social Psychology book, another of Relationships and another of Multiple Intelligences, reading the part of Emotional Intelligence, and started to read them simultaneously. A talent she had developed over the years.

“Is it possible? Have I fallen for Spike?”

Twilight knew when it comes to making hypotheses, she had to be careful, for the researcher can subconsciously convince themselves too much and consequently fall into cognitive biases that divert the objectivity and impartiality of their investigation.

“But, is there another reason? And however… It’s ridiculous! Why would I fall for Spike?”

Why not? Answered her subconscious In fact, is there anyone better than him to be your mate? Isn’t he all you’ve been looking for?

Spike knew her better than anyone. He respected her, admired her and clearly loved her enough to risk his life for her. He’d always helped her with each and every one of her tasks and projects. He broke his back (figuratively speaking) to protect her and make her happy everytime; and despite her frequent opposition, he would always try to relax her by maintaining a good mood to calm her bad temper. In addition, Spike was the only one in all of Ponivile who could understand her in a conversation in which she used academic language and he could exactly knew what she was talking about. The only one who would never dare to call her a nerd or a bookworm, though she herself considered those nicknames fitted her perfectly.

“Spike is… Actually what I’ve been looking for in a coltfriend. Holy heaven! Is this really happening?”

“Twilight, I’m home! Rarity sent to you the dress you'll wear on Fluttershy birthday party. She wants you to try it and give approval” Said Spike when he entered the library, after 6 pm.

“Twi, are you here?” He asked when she didn’t reply to him.

After a while of looking for her, Spike found her slept in her bedroom and uncovered.

Spike smiled when he recognized the image of a Twilight who had gone to her bed very tired after a long study session. He withdrew a second blanket from the drawers below the closet and covered the sleeping beauty, being careful to not awaken her.

“What would you do without me?” He smiled.

“Surely you wouldn’t be as bad as I would be without you” He said as his smile was transformed into a melancholy expression.

He came closer to her and gave her a kiss on her cheek, to after roll over with intentions to let her rest.

“Spike?”

“Twilight? You’ve woken up, good. Did you work a lot while I wasn’t here” He tried to maintain a relaxed feel.

“Yes, more or less. What time is it?”

“It’s quarter past 7. Do you want me to make the dinner or you’ll keep sleeping?”

“Yes, please. Call me when it’s ready”

“Sure. By the way, do you know where Owlicious is?”

“No. He must have gone to find his dinner. You know how he prefers meat”

Spike left the bedroom smiling as Twilight yawned. She’d spent all the afternoon debating and reasoning with herself about her dilemma. She’d given a lot of thought to the matter in a lot of different perspectives, but having to deal with an emotional chaos she wasn’t used to, her magnificent brain was overloaded.

The dinner was the most awkward one they had shared in years. Twilight remained silent, avoiding eye contact with Spike and looking at him only when Spike didn’t notice.

Later, Twilight was awake on her bed while looking at the ceiling, still trying to disentangle her situation.

“The age difference shouldn’t be a problem… Spike never minded Rarity was 6 years older than him, so I doubt he minds when it comes to me, for I’m only 4 years older than him… Urgh! Why am I thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of a relationship if I don’t even know what I feel for him yet?” She said, rubbing her forehead with both of her hooves.

“But all my books say I’m actually in love with him. It’s true that when it comes to feelings, science isn’t a perfect science, but…”

“What if there is a way to test it? How can I know if my feelings for him are legitimate or I’m only inventing them after thinking so much about this?” She tried to shift the focus of their questions.

“That’s it! I only have to sleep with him again. It’s probable my emotions were only a circumstantial consequence because of the hurricane and all that happened that day. If I manage to sleep with him, but in a different situation and I have different emotional outcomes, it will mean that what I felt that night wasn’t the spark of a new love, but… Pure nerves caused by the storm. That’s what I’ll do!” She said, jumping from the bed and going to the door.

“But wait! I can’t simply enter his bedroom and say: I’m going to sleep with you. I have to make an excuse… A justification.”

Spike suddenly woke up when he heard a knock on the door of his bedroom.

“Spike, are you awake?” Asked the unicorn, from outside her room.

“Twilight? It’s quarter to midnight. What’s wrong?” He said, exiting his bedroom to see her.

“Spike, I’ve had a… How embarrassing… I’ve had a nightmare” Said Twilight, faking an attitude of shyness and shame.

“How terrible. Are you alright?” Asked Spike, who had bitten the bait.

“No, Spike, by the way… Could I sleep with you, just for this night?”

“Sleep… With me?” Sleeping together in the basement was one thing, but for some reason, inviting Twilight to his bed, in his bedroom, sounded like a taboo to him.

“Well yes. I mean, if you don’t mind” She said while chuckling.

“Well, I don’t know… Is it right?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean if it’s right that we sleep together”

“I guess it is, isn’t it? We did it a couple of weeks ago” She said while Spike’s nervousness was infecting her.

“Or don’t you want it?”

“No, not at all. Come in, please"

Twilight entered Spike’s bedroom and smiled when she saw the dragon kept his things so tidy. She climbed onto the bed on the right side, leaning sideways, as Spike lay looking at the ceiling.

“Do you want to talk about your nightmare?” Asked Spike when he noticed Twilight kept looking at him.

“Heh… No, let it be. I’m better now” She decided to start with her plan.

She approached to Spike and wrapped him with her foreleg, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Spike’s body tensed for an instant when he felt Twilight touch his body.

“I’m serious. You can tell me what you want”

“I’m fine like this. Thank you”

Spike moved his left arm under her body to bring her closer to him. A gesture that surprised Twilight, but she quickly got comfortable again.

“If you need something, just tell me. Ok?” He said while yawning.

“Ok, don’t worry”

Spike fell asleep after a while, but Twilight stayed awake, waiting to experiment the reactions of her mind.

And after a while, they appeared. Twilight felt very comfortable, but in a different way she would normally experiment. She felt relaxed, as if she had just had a SPA session. She felt a strange warmth, like she was rounded by some bonfires heating her body, neither much nor too little. And finally, though this time she was only wrapped by one arm, she felt safe and protected.

Twilight couldn’t help but sigh and let her emotions take over her.

“I feel so safe when being with you” Whispered Twilight, rubbing her face against the dragon’s chest and then opening her eyes when she realized she said that instead of thinking it, but to her luck, Spike was already deeply asleep.

Twilight took some time to contemplate Spike. Definitely, it was difficult to see the dragon who used to ride on her back. He was now bigger and stronger than her. His green Spikes, which used to have round tips, had now sharp edges towards his tail. His round face had spread to the front, giving him a more reptilian look. His little forearms had become forepaws, making it difficult to walk on two legs. Besides, all his body had acquired a visible musculature, though nothing spectacular.

Twilight didn’t know a lot about draconian appearance standards, but right now, she was sure her assistant was becoming a very handsome dragon.

“But, does this mean I… I’m really in love with Spike?" Wondered Twilight when she felt her heart was pounding with a strange sensation. She felt happy.

Days kept passing. The sun and the moon continued their dance. Twilight kept deepening in her difficult task of understanding her feelings. She concluded that keeping beating around the bush would only bring her problems, for all she managed to do when she thought about it, was to convince herself more and more about what was happening in her head and her heart. So she tried to ignore her feelings and carry on, as if nothing was happening, with the hope they would eventually die.

Far from helping her, it only made things get worse. Because in the moment Spike smiled to her, made her a compliment or gave her any gesture of affection, Twilight’s defenses would break and her feelings for him would return stronger than before. The sorceress had no choice but to accept that, actually, she had fallen for her assistant.

“But I can’t! It’s… It’s unethical, immoral… It’s… It’s unprofessional!” Twilight tried to think.

There were more reasons to resist her feelings. He was still a minor (in and out of dragons’ standards). He was her best friend forever. He was practically her family, to the point she literally had made him be born with a spell not even Celestia had been able to decipher. This last part created a lot of conflict in Twilight. How could she be in love with the creature she herself brought to the world?

“Isn’t this an incest? How the hell do I call this? What if he thinks I’m a crazy sick unicorn?” She lamented.

“Besides, how can I stand a chance to win over his heart when he’d been in love and not with anypony, but Rarity? One of the most beautiful ponies in all of Equestria. When she enters a place, everypony remain drooling when they see her. The only reason they look at me is because of my title of nobility” She said while looking at herself in the mirror, making the terrible mistake of feeling ugly, and worse, comparing herself to her friend.

“What would happen if he rejects me? How would our lives carry on after that? That would be very awkward. Things would never be the same again. Would he move to another place and leave me alone...” Twilight's heart cringed at the thought of the consequences.

“No… He promised we would always be together, no matter what” She reminded herself, putting a hoof on her chest.

Twilight had to find a solution to the issue, and soon, or the matter would end up end her mental sanity.

Then came Fluttershy’s birthday and the gang met at her home. There were all The Guardians of Harmony, including Rainbow Dash and her boyfriend Light Strike. There were also Big Mac, the CMC, Zecora and obviously, Spike. As well as several Swift Relief’s coworkers.

“Your attention, please. I have to make an important announcement to you” Spoke Fluttershy’s husband.

“First of all, I want to thank everypony for coming and being with us in this special occasion. I’d like everypony to applaud Spike for preparing this delicious food. Thank you very much”

Spike shrugged when he received everypony’s praise.

“Let’s also thank our special organizer: Pinkie Pie, who also gave us all the decoration and the snacks. I swear I’m going to pay you”

“Not at all. You don’t have to”

“Yes, well… We’ll see about that. A round of applause please!” He said, accompanied by everypony else immediately.

“Very well, now the reason for this interruption is my wife and I have a very important announcement to make you”

Fluttershy walked over to her husband with a smile that mingled pride and shyness.

“My husband and I… Are expecting a baby” Fluttershy revealed shyly.

Everypony got shocked at the revelation and got muted.

“YYYYAAAAAYYYY! CONGRATULATIONS!” shouted Pinkie, who ran to hug the couple.

“Holy flying jumping beans and cupcakes! This is the best day ever! I’d never been so excited! Well, except when I inherited Sugar Cube Corner…”

One by one, the rest of the guests gave their congratulations to the couple. Twilight remained behind them while seeing the look of absolute happiness on Fluttershy’s face.

Is that the true happiness of love? The happiness of being loved?... Will I be able to be loved? Will Spike and I share love and happiness like that? Thought Twilight, waiting for her turn to congratulate the happy couple.

Shortly after, Pinkie put calmer music so the lovers could dance together. Light ended up dragging up a not very convinced Rainbow to the dance floor, but she soon started surrendering surrender to the dance. There was also Rarity, who was dancing with Big Mac, and several guests who were invited by Swift.

Twilight was about to ask Spike to dance with her when Applejack appeared.

I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO IMITATE APPLEJACK’S WAY TO TALK. SHE’LL TALK NORMALLY HERE, SO PLEASE DON’T BITCH ABOUT IT

“Hey, Spike! Would you like to dance with me?” Asked the cowgirl.

“Madame, it will be my pleasure” Answered Spike with a gesture of reverence, offering her his arm to guide the earth pony.

“Come on, simpleton! Just dance!” she said with the exact reaction that Spike had expected.

“Why do you want to dance? You’re not too much into these things” Asked Spike, for they were already on the dance floor.

“A boy asked me out the other day and wanted to take me to that snob restaurant that was opened, in which there was a dance floor. I would have refused, but Granny Smith insisted that I accepted. I haven’t danced to this kind of music since our hosts’ wedding” Explained Applejack.

“Why couldn’t you practice with Big Mac?”

“He has two left legs” She said, turning to see where he and Rarity were dancing, just in time to see him fall to the ground.

“Yeah, I see”

“And Applebloom is a worse dancer than me… But don’t think I’m using you!”

“Calm down, it’s ok. I’m enjoying this evening” He said with a sincere smile.

“You know what? Me too. Thanks, Spike.”

Twilight was seeing her assistant and friend dance, smile and enjoy the afternoon and each other’s company. She started feeling a strange sensation she had never experimented. She felt as if her bowels were boiling. Her forehead had wrinkled and her eyes had sharpened. And there was an increasing and irrational desire of violence in her mind that was asking her to kill someone.

“Is everything alright, Twilight Sparkle?” Asked a familiar voice.

“Zecora?! Yes, everything is alright. Why shouldn’t it be?” She feigned insanity, being afraid of being discovered by the zebra.

THE RHYMES ARE ORIGINALLY IN SPANISH AND ZECORA WILL SPEAK NORMALLY IN THIS FIC

“Frowning is something you usually do, but breaking a glass of punch with your magic is something I don’t usually see”

Twilight looked at the glass she was using a few moments ago, compressed by her magic.

“Oh my goodness. I’ll have to tell Fluttershy the glass tableware I gave her now has one less piece.” She said, trying to divert the conversation.

“Don’t think I accuse you of ignoring my question, but is there something you’re hiding from me?” Asked Zecora again and coming closer to Twilight with a suspicious look.

“N… No. It’s only I was thinking about some delayed projects I have for the Princess”

Zecora stopped using the suspicious look and smiled honestly while putting her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.

“If there’s something that needs to escape your chest, don’t hesitate to share it with me” She said, expressing sympathy.

“Thank you, Zecora. I’m fine. I’m serious” said Twilight, returning Zecora’s smile.

Eventually, the guests started to say goodbye until it was Twilight’s and Spike’s turn to come back home. Twilight teleported them to the library.

“So, Fluttershy is going to have a baby. Do you think it will be a unicorn or a Pegasus?”

“I don’t know, but I wonder what will be like to be so happy. Having someone to share everything with, until the love they feel for each other ends up having the form of a baby” Whispered Twilight.

“Hehhh… Twi, are you ok?” Spike asked very confused.

“Uh? Ah yes, sorry! I got a little distracted. Yes, it’s wonderful Rainbow has found a coltfriend” She said while laughing nervously and going to her bedroom.

“But I…” Twilight closed her bedroom’s door.

“I never said anything about Rainbow” Spike concluded, very perplexed.

Twilight took off her dress and threw it to the floor to collapse on her bed.

I can’t continue like this. Not only is this eating my brain up. Today it made me feel jealous of one of my best friends! I have to put an end to this once and for all… Tomorrow… Tomorrow I will confess my feelings. Tomorrow I’ll tell Spike I’m in love with him Twilight said to herself with determination.

“May Celestia and Luna give me strength to seek my happiness” She said while falling asleep.

The rest of the night, Twilight dreamt about her lovely future next to her beloved assistant.

Author's Notes:

Don't forget to tell me if I made a mistake. I hope you've enjoyed it. That's what makes me keep translating the fic.

Complications

Twilight sighed, feeling the sea breeze caress her body and shake her mane. She was standing on top on a cliff and contemplating a heavenly view of a clear sea that reflected the moon and the stars like it was a giant disco globe.

The breeze was blowing a cold wind that made Twilight lean on her husband’s body, who soon put her under his arm.

“What are you thinking?” He asked.

“About how fortunate I am to have you as my husband and we can enjoy a moment like this” She answered, rubbing her body against the scales of his neck.

“And to think that not even 6 months ago, I wouldn’t have imagined even in a million years we would come to this”

“It’s my fault. I was so busy trying to find my 'special pony' that I never stopped to consider maybe I didn’t have to go look for them anywhere, because they had always had been by my side”

“It must have been you never realized the love of your life would be a dragon and not a pony. I don’t blame you for that” He responded comprehensive while moving his head to rub his face against hers, in one of those displays of pony affection.

“Thank you, Spike” She said, getting lost in her husband’s eyes.

“We should come back to the hotel. It’s getting cold”

“I can think of a way to warm us” Spike replied with a mischievous smile.

“I like how that sounds” Answered Twilight while blinking sensually.

They began to kiss with a growing passion. Spike grabbed Twilight by her shoulders and pushed her against the ground, positioning above her. Twilight never minded if Spike took the lead. He was firm and strong, but also gentle and caring, always worried the experience was as pleasant to her as to him. It was one of the many things that drove her crazy.

“We really should come back to the hotel” Said Twilight difficulty between their kisses.

“Aren’t you interested in experimenting outdoors?” He answered, separating their mouths to form a mischievous grin.

“Mmmm? And what experiment do you think about?”

“One called… THE BREAKFAST!” Yelled Spike in a tone that shattered all the sensuality of the situation.

“What?”

“Twilight, the breakfast is ready!”

“What? Who?” Asked Twilight, confused when she noticed Spike’s voice was heard as if there was a wall between them.

She blinked several times until her vision blurred completely, remaining a black emptiness. Moments later, her vision returned and she found herself in her bedroom.

“Twilight, did you hear me? It’s time to wake up” Said Spike while entering Twilight’s bedroom and he found her on her bed while she was looking at the ceiling with exorbitant eyes.

“Twi, are you ok?”

“Huh? Yeh… Yes, I am. It’s just… Never mind. I’m soon coming down” She answered, not turning to see him.

Spike nodded and let the unicorn alone.

“A dream… Nothing but a dream” Lamented Twilight while hugging her pillow.

“But… A dream that will soon come true!” She said with determination.

She jumped from her bed and went to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, combed her mane as best as she could, in addition to her fur.

“Should I makeup a little? No. I never use makeup. If I now do, Spike will notice there’s something wrong and maybe it will make me look desperate”

When she thought she had groomed enough, she mentally prepared herself mentally for what was going to happen. She knew Spike could possibly not love her back and that scared her a lot. Not losing wasn’t an option. She had to show him how much she loved him and how happy they could be together. She had to prove him she didn’t see him as her little dragon assistant, but the mature, smart and noble dragon he had become and she had fallen in love with.

“Well… Here we go”

“Good morning, my sleeping beauty. Look at who just came back” Said Spike while pointing to the bar table, where stood Peewee.

“Hey, you little friend! You had us worried”

Next to her, on the table, Twilight found a bowl with cooked pumpkins covered with butter and cheese, accompanied by cucumber and pineapple juice. The same Spike was using to accompany the gems he was devouring one by one.

Twilight was waiting anxiously for the time of his confession. She stayed on her chair, waiting for Spike to finish with the dishes.

“Ready. Do you have any activities for today, Twilight?”

“Well… Not exactly, though there is something I want to talk to you about”

“Really? About what?” he asked innocently.

“Well…” Twilight felt the nervousness and anxiety take over her when she realized the time had come for the great confession that could change her future and her assistant’s. She inhaled deeply.

“Spike, you yourself said we’ve always been together. Since the day you were born, there hasn’t been a day I didn’t thought of you. Together we have lived everything and have shared everything. From wonderful and unforgettable moments, to near-death experiences” Twilight was sure her cheeks were getting colored red when she saw how the dragon and the phoenix were looking at her attentively.

“You’ve been always there when I needed you. When I was alone, you were there to keep me company. When I was sad, you were there to cheer me. When I gave up, you gave me strength to go on. Without truly realizing I got more dependent on you than you ever on me… My point is that… I don’t know…”

“Twilight, have you finished?” Spike abruptly interrupted her.

“What?” Twilight asked confused as if her brain was a train that had just derailed.

“It’s getting late and last night I promised Applejack I’d help her today with an order about collecting a lot of apples for Tuesday to one of her best customers in Trotenhein. And as her workers don’t work on Sundays, she asked me to help her harvest and advance the request, or else tomorrow they’ll be killing each other to have time to complete the order”

“Applejack? I mean… You and Applejack together?” Asked Twilight.

“Well yes, right? That’s what teamwork is all about. I’m sure Applebloom and Big Machintosh will be there too” He said, not noticing his companion’s look.

“Whatever. What did you want to tell me?”

Twilight remained silent. Her head was showing her the memories of the last night when Spike and Applejack were dancing while smiling and enjoying each other’s company. Consequently, the feelings that vision had awakened in her started to return.

“Twilight, are you there?”

“Huh? Ye… yes, it’s nothing” She excused herself, coming back to reality.

“Well… Then I think I’m leaving. I’ll see you later” He said while going to the door, only to feel a strong grip hold his tail, stopping his progress.

“No” Twilight said firmly.

“No? Why not, Twi?” The dragon asked confused when he noticed the force that had stopped him was Twilight’s telekinesis.

“Because…” Twilight hadn’t prepared herself for something like this, and the jealousy going around in her head certainly did not help either.

“Because we have some work to do”

“Really? What work?”

“We have to… get ready for a special session of astronomical research tonight!”

“Then what’s the problem? I’ll be back in time for that. We aren’t going to harvest all the apples today. Applejack only said we would harvest only a few so they wouldn’t be so busy tomorrow” Spike answered relaxed.

Twilight felt a stab of panic when she saw their chances of keeping the dragon at home were running out, as well as another stab of jealousy when she heard him speak his friend’s name.

“You’re right! What a fool I am. But it wasn’t actually that. I wanted us to go to Ponyville Lake to… make a census of the new population of toads!” She said nervously.

“But… The toads won’t reproduce until the next two months, Twi. Besides you hate toads… And in any case isn’t it Fluttershy’s task?”

“Well yes, but I wanted to try to make new researches. I didn’t remember the mating season of the toads wasn’t until the next two months, heheh”

“Well, then… I now remember. I wanted to reorganize the library” She said more like a proposal than as an assertion.

“You mean how we did it last weekend” Said a Spike who was starting to piss off.

Twilight was drowning in her nerves. She didn’t know what to invent. Spike walked up to her while frowning and seeing her accusingly.

“Twilight, are you trying to invent excuses so I can’t go to Sweet Apple Acres?”

“N… No, of course not!” She protested.

Peewee had cornered himself when he felt the tension that had been formed in the air.

“Well, I’m sorry, but that’s what it seems to me”

“Well it’s not. We actually had a lot of work to do, but I don’t remember what it was” She said, turning around to not face him.

“And why not? What’s the problem?” He said, this time kind of annoyed when he saw how she was avoiding him.

“There’s no problem but a lazy dragon who doesn’t let me concentrate, because he’s more interested in going to have fun with his cowgirl friend instead of helping his lifelong companion” She cruelly shouted.

“Very well, IT’S OVER! I don’t know what’s happening to you this morning, but keep Applejack out of this. And exactly who are you calling lazy?” Said Spike, very furiously.

Twilight felt as if all her fighting spirit had been drained when she saw she had crossed the line.

“The dragon who has broken his back for all his life by working for you and just for you! I have the right to do whatever I want, even if it’s Sunday. Just so you know I’m not going there to play, but work”

“I…I…”

Twilight was retreating before Spike’s advance, with a face that was increasingly getting disfigured because of the shame and sadness, but the dragon didn’t notice it.

“And for your information, the ‘cowgirl’ at least never forgets to give me some shows of gratitude! From compliments to gifts. With you instead, I’m supposed to consider myself lucky if you thank me. And you know what else? I don’t have to listen to you if you don’t even appreciate what I do for you anyway. I’m going to Sweet Apple Acres, you like it or not.

Spike turned around, slamming the door behind him. Twilight said nothing; she didn’t even try to stop him by any means. She felt an intense pain in her heart and felt all her strength migrate from her body. She collapsed on the ground and buried her face in her front legs while weeping uncontrollably.

After a moment she felt something stroking her neck. When she looked up, her vision blurred by her tears, she saw Peewee looking at her with concern. Twilight tightly hugged the phoenix, who didn’t resist, though he let out a moan of pain because of that strong grip.

“Oh Peewee! It could not have gone worse! Now he hates me!” She kept crying.

When Spike arrived at the farm, he had an angry expression and smoke coming from his nostrils for some reason. The apple family decided it was best not to ask.

Spike was hitting the apple trees with a single fist, making them shake and drop all their apples. He made the apples fall down, Applebloom and Applejack collected them and Big Mac carried them with the wheelbarrow back to the farm where they would package them then.

Why did she act that way?

“Ehh… Spike?”

Why didn’t she want me to go here and why was she inventing all those excuses?

“Spike, you should stop, buddy”

Why did she call me lazy? She has never talked to me like that!

“Spike, enough!” Shouted Applejack, finally pulling the dragon from his trance.

“What, who, how? Why?” He asked while looking at his friend.

Firstly because you’re working too fast. Look around. You’re bucking apples much faster than we can pick them up. And secondly because we’re not supposed to do all the work, we’re just furthering a bit, remember? At this pace, you won’t leave anything tomorrow for my employees.

“What are you talking about?” Asked Spike.

“Spike, it’s going to be 13:00 o'clock” Applejack corrected “And you’ve already harvested half of the apple trees by yourself. Did Twilight give you double chocolate ration this morning or what?”

“No, that’s not what happened” He answered with embers coming from his mouth.

Applejack then knew something wrong had happened that morning.

“Applebloom, finish to collect the apples now, will you?!”

“Why do I have to do this by myself? What are you and Spike going to do?” Complained the filly.

Applebloom was now almost as tall as her sister. And just like her, she had an athletic body, polished by her daily hard work. She had finally gotten her cutiemark, which to no one’s surprise, it was a red apple, but it was heart-shaped.

“I have to talk with Spike about something important. In return I’ll do all your work tomorrow, except wash the dishes”

“Ok!”

Applejack turned around and told Spike to follow her to a more secluded place in the garden where they could talk alone.

“What is that so important thing we’re going to talk about?”

“You tell me. What exactly happened this morning before you came here?”

Spike turned his head to prevent Applejack from seeing him.

“Don’t tell me it’s nothing. You rarely, if not never, are in a bad mood. Something wrong has happened”

“Don’t get offended, but it’s none of your business” He responded defensively.

Spike felt how Applejack covered his left hand with one of her hooves.

“It's my business because you and Twilight are part of my best friends and if something is wrong, I want to know how I can help you. Please Spike, tell me what happened” She said softly with a sincere smile.

Spike smiled and sighed with resignation.

“You’re bad at telling lies, but very good at people telling you their secrets, Applejack. Did you know that? Ok, Twilight and I… We have had an argument this morning”

“About what?” She asked confused. Applejack couldn’t remember the last time the dragon and the sorceress had an argument.

“I don’t know. We were having breakfast and when I told her I would come here to help you, things got strange. She started to invent we had a lot of tasks to do like she didn’t want me to come here”

“Why would Twilight want you not to come to Sweet Apple Acres?”

“I don’t know. I asked her why she was making up excuses and… she called me lazy and you a ‘cowgirl’ in a derogatory tone. So I shouted at her and I left”

Applejack was perplexed. Twilight was the kind of pony who never, EVER used derogatory terminology. What could have made her say something like that, especially to Spike?

“Did that come out of the blue? Do you have any idea why she got like that?”

“No, I don’t. Though now that I think about it… Twilight has been acting weirdly lately” Said Spike confused.

“What do you mean?”

"Well… Lately she strives more so that we spend more time together, most of the time asking me to help her or simply stay with her to take notes when she makes an experiment or research."

“Anything else?”

“When we’re eating… Especially when we’re having dinner, Twilight always remains silent and avoids looking at me. But the weirdest thing is she turns to see me when I I'm not watching, but when I look at her, she turns away”

Applejack was listening to him while carefully constructing the puzzle of the situation.

“Any other thing? How exactly was her reaction this morning when you told her you would come to the farm?”

“Actually… She seemed more bothered by the fact I was going to be with you and not with her than by anything else. Can you think of any explanation?”

Applejack kept reasoning for a moment until a smile appeared on her face. She put her hoof on Spike’s shoulder with a wave of emotional support.

“Spike, you and Twilight have been together for all your lives and it’s obvious she has always loved you. And in the last years you’ve changed a lot. You’ve become bigger, stronger, independent, and though I’m the one to tell you, very handsome” She said emphasizing the last part while poking him with her elbow and winking.

“Though to me and the girls, you’ll always be our little Spikey Wikey” She said while putting a loving tone in the last part and rubbing Spike’s forehead like a baby’s.

“What does that have to do with all of this?” He asked while taking away her hoof on his forehead.

“I think in the recent months, Twilight has changed her way to see you and instead of seeing you as her little assistant, she now sees and loves you a different way as she’d always done”

“I don’t think I follow, Applejack”

“Well, there are things that never change” Applejack sighed, still recognizing the old and little Spike speaking.

“I’m saying that maybe… Maybe… The love Twi has always had for you has now become… ANOTHER kind of love” She said while moving her leg so could connect the cables.

Spike processed the conversation a moment before his eyes widened enough to scare Applejack.

“Do you mean she may have fallen for me?” He said while smiling from ear to ear.

“Well yes. I think so” She said nervously. Why so happy?

“M… M… Me? W… Well it’s… You see, I…”

Applejack raised an eyebrow to see how Spike had turned redder than her cutiemark and more nervous than a sheep before being shaved.

“Spike… Are you…?”

They looked at each other for what seemed an eternity, as if they tried to read each other’s minds.

“It’s… It’s a long story” He knew he couldn’t lie to Applejack. He was a better liar than her, but he would never lie to one of her best friends.

“APPLEJACK, SPIKE! Come and eat, lunch is ready!” Applebloom shouted from afar.

“Right away we go!” The cowgirl said while shaking her leg.

She looked at her dragon friend, who was playing nervously with his hands with an expression that was showing more emotions than he could count.

“Would you like to tell me something about that story of yours after lunch, sugar cube?”

“Ok” He answered.

Twilight was walking crestfallen without paying attention where she was going. She had no particular direction. She only wanted to walk as if that let her escape her sorrow. She was looking at the ground with her eyes half open, irritated for crying so much.

She knew Spike wouldn’t come back to eat, so after eating something at the nearest restaurant she had gone for a walk errantly through the village, not wanting to go home, for if she met the dragon again, she would have no idea what to tell him.

“It’s all my fault. How did I let this happen?” She lamented.

In her dreams she had prepared more than 4 ways to handle the situation, either Spike reciprocated her feelings or not, but she had never prepared for something like this. A situation when her jealousy would take over her and it would cause a terrible misunderstanding between them.

“But the worst thing isn’t you’ve ruined your confession, but you now have less reasons than ever to complete it”

Their little great argument had revealed many things. Spike had made her know how insensitive, ungrateful and oppressive she was before his eyes.

“And he’s right! How could I be so stupid?! Why would Spike… Why would any thinking being in the Earth love the one who enslaves them?!”

To this point, the neurotic part of her personality had taken full possession of her mind, not only dramatizing in the worst way possible the current situation, but also showing her many Twilight’s memories when Twilight appeared as the bad one.

“I… I’ve never done anything for him. Nothing really worthwhile. Year after year, I’d give him a useless book for his birthday. At least if you had given him some gems, he would have liked it, Twilight! When he used to be in love with Rarity, all I did was to take away his hope and stop his efforts. And yet you had the insolence to think you were trying to help him!”

She kept walking while punishing herself and sinking in her misery.

“But Spike said… He said I was the most important pony in his life. He said I was his greatest treasure. Does that mean I still have a chance?... Ugh! Why does love have to be so complicated?” She yelled furiously while shaking her head many times, just to end up nail the horn on the tree.

Twilight put her hooves on the trunk of the tree to be able to free her trapped horn. After a while she finally managed to free herself, but the strength of her legs threw her back making her fall on her back and hitting her horn with a rock on the ground.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!” Yelled Twilight, thrashing around while covering her horn with her hooves.

She stood up and saw the rock, kicking it with contempt toward the woods.

“Can this day get any worse?!” She yelled very angry.

Twilight took a moment to breathe. The sun was setting on the horizon, which was out of Twilight’s sight because of a big quantity of trees and vegetation around her.

“Wait… Where is this flora from?”

Twilight looked around and realized where she had ended up.

“I’m in the Everfree forest… I must have entered here without noticing it while I was walking errantly. What part am I in? I don’t remember this place”

She tried to focus her magic and teleport herself home, but she only got a strong and stabbing pain directly into her brain.

“I… I can’t use magic!” She shouted in panic.

“Calm down, Twi. You’ve been in this forest a thousand times. You don’t have magic, a big problem, but I only must orient myself a bit and I’ll get out of here before nightfall. Yes, there’s no reason to be afraid” She nervously said while walking in the same direction that, according to her, she had been taking when she arrived there.

But she suddenly heard noises in the bushes that were nearby and felt uncomfortably observed.

“On reflection…” She said while moving back slowly until she managed to see a couple of red eyes in the shadows.

Without hesitation she turned around and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. From the bushes came a manticore whose wings and scorpion tail had a black color and brown fur.

Twilight’s size allowed her to move easier in the flora, but she had no idea where she was running and her legs and lungs weren’t used to so much physical activity and could not long endure the persecution.

“Come on, work! Teleportation, pyrokinesis, telekinesis, anything! But do something, stupid horn!”

Twilight suddenly stumbled onto the ground rolling several times before stopping in front of her predator. A few feet away, an intense green pillar of fire appeared forming a wall between the two creatures. A purple figure jumped where some moments ago the fire had been, with their claws extended and the spines of her back erected.

“Touch one of her hairs and I swear I’ll kill you!” Growled Spike.

The manticore also growled and ran towards Spike. Spike tried to burn the monster, but it dodged the fireball and reached Spike with a resounding blow that sent him flying several meters.

“SPIKE!” Shouted Twilight when she saw helplessly what was happening.

Spike got up just in time to stop with his claw the manticore's paw, followed by the other. Spike may have gotten very strong, but he wasn’t at his opponent’s level. But he had something his enemy didn’t: knowledge of martial arts.

He let the manticore win the strength competition and when it lost its balance, Spike pulled it with all his strength against a tree. Before it could get up, Spike threw more fire into his enemy. The manticore thrashed around for a moment, but managed to charge against Spike, knocking him down. It tried to catch his whole head in its mouth, but Spike stopped it with both of his claws. But before he could throw more fire in the mouth of his enemy, its stinger made its way through its mane and dug it into Spike's left shoulder.

Spike screamed in pain, releasing the monster's jaw, which nailed its teeth on his other shoulder.

Twilight was seeing the manticore shake Spike as if it wanted to rip his arm before throwing him like a piece of rotten meat. Twilight was horrified with cascades of tears in her eyes. She had to do something or ultimately her love story would end before starting. She looked for objects such as rocks and branches and began desperately to throw them against the manticore.

“Stay away from him, you horrible monster!”

Annoyed, the manticore pounced on its original dam. Twilight barely managed to dodge its paw with a jump, but it had managed to cut off the tip of her tail.

Twilight stared at the predator, ready to dodge another attack. But then Spike jumped on the back of the monster and took its stinger with his claws and nailed it right on his enemy’s neck. The manticore couldn’t even scream. It shuddered for a moment while its eyes were getting painted red and a green liquid escaped its ears and eyes. Finally the beast collapsed on the ground, stiff and dead.

“I said I’d kill you if you dared to touch her” Whispered Spike.

“Spike” Shouted Twilight while running towards her savior and overflowing with tears of relief.

“Thank Celestia you’re ok! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Forgive me! Please forgive me for being so insensitive, selfish and stupid! If I hadn’t been so rude this morning, this would have never happened” She begged while crying.

The dragon hugged her.

“Twilight, don’t cry. That was only a misunderstanding. That happens to everyone. I’m fine, really”

“How can you say that? It’s not strawberry jam what flows from the wounds on your cheek and your shoulder, Spike!”

“But I am ok, Twilight. It doesn’t hurt at all… In fact… I feel nothing at all” he said while realizing something was indeed wrong.

He looked at his hands before his face, not being able to feel they were there. He started to feel his strength disappear and a big dream and disorientation fill everything.

“Spike?”

Spike slowly let himself fall to the ground, feeling progressively more distant from this world.

“Spike, Spike, you have to stay awake! We have to go to a hospital!” Twilight shouted while trying to make the dragon get up.

“Twi… Light” Spike muttered weakly.

“Spike, please, you have to resist” She begged.

“Twi… I…” He couldn’t finish as he closed his eyes.

“No… No! SPIKE! Wake up, please! Please, don’t do this to me, Spike! Stay with me!”

But Spike wouldn’t wake up and what was worse, was his body was losing its body heat and his breathing was becoming longer.

“Spike, I beg you! Don’t do this to me! You promised it! You promised we would always be together! You promised you would never leave me alone!” Twilight was tearing up as if there was no tomorrow.

Her assistant, her guardian and her great love was dying in front of her and there was nothing she could do to prevent it.

“No, it can’t end like this. I won’t let it end like this!” She yelled with determination.

She gathered every fiber of her body's energy and concentrated it on her dejected horn.

“Please, please work!”

Finally her body shone and a moment later, a purple magical sphere enveloped them, disappearing from the forest.

Author's Notes:

I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, but I have bad news for you. This week and the next one I have to study as if my life depends on it.

Secrets

Spike was plunged into darkness. He didn’t see, feel or hear anything. He couldn’t even know how much time he had been in that place. All he could remember was his battle with the manticore and having had Twilight in his arms before the world faded from his eyes.

“I hope she is ok” It was all he could think about.

But if he wanted to find out, he had to exit there. He had to come back to real world, to Equestria, to Ponyville. But how could he find the way if he didn’t even know where he was?

Time passed and things hadn’t changed. However he now could hear strange noises in the distance that sometimes seemed voices, though he could never understand any words. He started to recover his body’s sensitivity, but he couldn’t know where he was or where he was going yet. Until finally one day, a light shone his world. He slowly opened his eyes. It was time to return to reality.

He was gradually adapting to light until one more time he noticed some colors around him, though he couldn’t distinguish any forms. He noticed he was lying on his back, in a blue room. On one side there was an orange shape with purple spots and on the other side there was a white shape with lavender spots.

“Has he woken up?... HE’S WOKEN UP!” Shouted Scootaloo.

“Spike, thank Celestia you’re ok!” He recognized Sweetie Belle’s melodious voice.

Spike felt a strong grip around his neck, as well was an assault of multiple kisses on his face.

“Oh Spike, you brave fool, we’ve been so worried! It was horrible when they gave us the news! Never do something that imprudent or crazy again! What would we do if you died” Sweetie Belle shouted in a dramatic and hysterical way, clearly inherited from her older sister as she continued her assault of kisses.

“If you don’t stop strangling him, we’re going to find out!” Scootaloo yelled and pulled her from Spike.

“Oops, I’m sorry Spike! I didn’t mean to!” She apologized very embarrassed.

“Come on, get out of the bed and let him be born again in peace” Scootaloo insisted.

Spike recovered from his shock and waited until he was able to clearly distinguish both the ponies. Scootaloo was definitely a young Rainbow Dash, except for the colors and she flew on wheels. Her cutiemark was a wheel with a trail of fire. Sweetie Belle was as beautiful as her big sister. She had been letting her mane grow to let a lock of hair on both sides of her face. Her cutiemark was a lavender eighth note.

“Hey girls, how are you?” Asked Spike.

“Much better now that you’ve woken up” Sweetie instantly answered.

“Yes, we were beginning to think you’d be like that forever. You’ve been sleeping for five months” Scootaloo said very seriously.

“FIVE MONTHS?”

“Pff, hahahahah! Nah! It's been five days only”

“Scootaloo, leave him alone. The poor dragon has been through a lot” Sweetie Belle scolded her friend.

“Hey, calm down. It was just a joke! Spike doesn’t mind, right Spike? Some already feared the worst, but I knew our favorite dragon wouldn’t be defeated by a little bit of manticore venom. Twilight said you tore it apart. Great!”

Spike’s mind was put on alert when he heard that name.

“Twilight… Where’s Twilight?” he asked very worried.

“Calm down, Spike. She’s fine. But we had to take her out of here. She wouldn’t leave the room just to be here at all times. After two days without sleeping, and without counting the night you entered here. We had to convince her so she would come back home to rest a little. The rest of us have been taking turns to take care of you” Sweetie explained.

“Yes. And if you think this diva has made a show, you didn’t see how Rarity got when she arrived here”

“Hahah, yes, I can imagine it” He ironically said.

“Scootaloo, let’s not waste more time. Go find Twlight”

“Oh sure! I’m coming back. She can hardly wait to see you” She said when exiting the room.

Spike and Sweetie were left alone in what soon became an awkward silence.

“Then… I heard you won the Equestrian Idol contest” Spike said, wanting to take a conversation.

“Yes, I did! Did you hear it?”

“Of course I did. Actually, it was Twilight who was watching the program, but I instantly noticed your voice and I came to see you. You were fabulous”

“N…No, I was lucky. There were other ponies who deserved to win more than me. Besides, the dress Rarity made for me helped a lot” Sweetie said while looking away from the dragon.

“Nonsense. You have a wonderful voice. It would have been a crime if you hadn’t won” Spike kept praising her.

Sweetie felt how the beating of her heart grew stronger and her cheeks were getting painted red.

“You're very kind, Spike. Would you like me to sing something as we wait?” She asked in a tone that was extremely shy for her.

“Yes, I would. Sing that song you won the contest with. What’s its name?”

“’I will always love you’ by Whitney Houston”

Sweetie took air to start singing the song, but in that moment a purple magical sphere appeared in the room. When it disappeared, they saw how Twilight and Scootaloo had appeared.

Spike looked at Twilight, who was looking at him with a big smile and a cheerful expression. But Spike couldn’t smile back when he saw the bags of her eyelids. She was wearing makeup to hide her exhaustion and both her mane as her fur looked somewhat neglected.

When she noticed the way Spike was looking at her, Twilight lowered her head without knowing what to say. Sweetie Belle turned her head from side while seeing their reactions and trying to understand what was happening.

Shouldn’t they already be in each other’s arms and exchanging sentences like ‘I’m happy to see you’ or something like that? The young unicorn thought.

“Well, I’m sure you have a lot to talk about. Sweetie Belle and I will bring Rarity here, who also wanted us to tell her when you woke up” Scootaloo said while pulling her friend out of the room.

Spike said goodbye to them both and thanked them again. Then he looked at Twilight again.

Twilight raised her head to face him. She wasn’t smiling anymore. She looked sad and miserable. She sighed and recovered her smile while getting closer to Spike’s bed. She climbed onto the bed and sat down next to him.

“Tw… Twilight?”

She smiled, extended her arms around him and hugged him, being careful not to hurt him. After all, he was still bandaged on his abdomen and his neck to minimize his mobility on the areas his bones had been hurt in battle.

“I’m very happy to see you, Spike. I’m glad you’ve finally woken up” She said while putting her face behind his shoulder with the proximity of their embrace.

Though Spike was still confused, he returned the hug.

“I'm glad to see you're safe. But why do you look like that, Twi? It seems you haven’t slept well in days”

“That’s because I haven’t. The first two days I was here with you. I only left to eat. The girls finally convinced me to go home… But I could only think about you. The last 2 nights I did nothing but have nightmares about what happened in the forest” Twilight whispered full of sorrow.

“Twilight, are you crying?”

“I’m sorry Spike. I’m so sorry. You could have died because of me. The things I told you… I don’t know what took over me. If I hadn’t said those things, this would have never happened” She said between audible sobs.

“Don’t cry, Twilight. I’m fine now. It’s over, it doesn’t matter. You’re my… You’re my friend. I did what I had to” He said, trying to soothe her.

“No, Spike. It does matter!” She broke the embrace and looked at his eyes.

“It was all my fault. You wouldn’t have had to fight that monster in the first place if I hadn’t been so stupid to not realize I had entered the forest. If I had been able to escape… If I had been able to use magic… Don’t you understand? You were going to die! And I was going to have to be there and see you die! And I would have never forgiven myself knowing I was the one who caused your death”

“And I would have died with a smile knowing I was able to save you” He serenely revealed.

Twilight fell silent and stared at him in disbelief and amazement.

“I told you during the hurricane. Of all the jewels of my treasure, you are the most precious, Twilight. I would do anything for you. Of course, I wouldn’t like to do something like that ever again, but I’d do it a thousand times. I’m still a dragon and nothing or anyone who’s so fool to try to take one of my treasures from me will remain unpunished” He said while rubbing her face with his left claw and wiping her tears.

“Thank you, Spike. Thank you so much”

Twilight smiled at him tenderly and got closer by resting her forehead on his shoulder, letting herself be hugged. She savored the sensations she had been missing so much and she had only been able to find in her dragon’s arms. Her mind had been cleared of all doubt. She was totally and madly in love with Spike. He was everything she could ask for, what she deserved and what she needed. And it was time to make him know.

“Spike, there’s something important I have to tell you. In fact… It’s the reason I was so weird that morning… You see, I… ”

“SPIKE!” An unmistakable shouted while opening the door of the room, almost breaking it.

The fashionista came in, ran to the bed, climbed onto it, pulled Twilight out of it as if she was an object and hugged Spike tightly.

“MY SPIKEY WIKEY! My brave warrior! My immeasurable treasure! My beautiful baby! Thank Celestia and Luna you’ve regained consciousness!” She shouted in a exaggeratedly dramatic way, even for Rarity’s standards, as she shook the dragon from side to side and kissed him multiple times on his cheeks.

“Oh ,my dear Spikey, I’m so proud of you and mad at you! How dare you do something so brave and reckless and then have us all worried about you?! Promise me you won’t do something like that again”

“Rarity, you’re hurting him!” Shouted Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo from the door.

“Oh Spike, I’m sorry! Do you need anything? Shall I bring you some water, gems, ice cream?”

Spike took a moment to breathe. He finally regained his composure and looked at the white unicorn, who was looking at him with great concern, as if she was ready to go to the end of the world just to give him a whim.

“No, Rarity. You being here is more than enough. Don’t cry or your makeup will drain”

“Welcome, Spike” She said while hugging him, this time with delicacy and tenderness.

“It feels good to be back”

Twilight was looking at them with a melancholic smile. Unlike Applejack, Twilight felt no kind of jealousy when seeing Spike with Rarity that way. She knew very well that the dragon had left those hopes long ago. A little after the event Spike lost his mind when he confronted with the dangers of his blood, Rarity finally understood how much the dragon really loved her.

Like everyone in Ponyville, Rarity was always aware of the dragon’s feelings for her, but she saw them more like the tender crush a child had on an older woman. But that day, she had understood how wrong she was. Rarity had learned to love Spike too, but the love she felt for him would never be the same love he had for her. And so came the day she had no other choice but to break his heart by telling him they couldn’t be together. Spike had been depressed for days, but eventually he got over it and neither he nor Rarity let that destroy their wonderful friendship.

“Oh Twilight, I’m sorry I didn’t see you when I entered”

“It’s ok, Rarity. It’s nothing. I was very worried too”

Later, that same day Spike received visits from the rest of his friends, as well as Snips, Snails and Pipsqueak.

Finally there were only in the room he and Twilight.

“Aren’t you going to leave, Twilight?”

“Nope! Swift Relief told us you’ve been having some sleeping problems. So I’ll stay here to look after you or whatever you need” She happily revealed.

“Where are you going to sleep?”

“Don’t you see any other bed in this room or do you?” She said while smiling sarcastically.

Spike understood and sighed while moving to a side of the bed to give Twilight some room.

“Twilight, how did they heal me? I know in this hospital there must be some kind of antidote for the manticore’s poison. But as far as I know, that works only with ponies, so it means it wouldn’t work with me too” Spike asked very serious as Twilight got comfortable next to him.

“Yes, you’re right… I managed to bring us to this hospital by using a teleportation spell. But your body would reject the antidote. The doctors didn’t know what to do and there was no way to ask for the princesses’ help. So we went in search of the only one who could perhaps help you”

“Zecora” Spike muttered guessing the answer.

“Exactly. I, Swift and two guards of the hospital ventured into the woods in search of Zecora, who soon made a broth of ‘I-don’t-know-how-many’ herbs and powders They had been giving you that juice the last 2 days intravenously”

“I’ll have to thank them the next time I see them”

They talked for a while before falling asleep. But after another while something awakened Twilight. She heavily opened her eyes and noticed how she had rolled over in her dreams, being facing away from him. The cause of her awakening was Spike’s arms, which had surrounded her armpits and brought her close to his body. Twilight was a little confused, but she quickly supposed the dragon was just looking for a heat source in that cold night. But before she could come back to her dream, she felt Spike’s legs surrounding her waist. Now she was confused.

“Is he having a dream in which he’s riding me?” She asked intrigued.

All her doubts had been cleared when she felt how Spike was starting moving his hips from back to front and rubbing the bottom of his abdomen against her back.

Twilight felt all the blood of her body focus on her face in an instant.

Oh my goodness, he is… He’s riding me! She realized while getting stiffer than Rarity’s mannequins.

Twilight didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She knew despite his young age for dragons’ standards, Spike was already a teenager for ponies’ standards and it was obvious he was more than interested in sexuality. In fact, one of the reasons Twilight had ordered to build another bedroom for Spike, was because of the many times that in one of her nightly trips to the bathroom, Twilight would find the dragon having built a tent under his blanket.

However, this was something completely different. Twilight had to stop it. But how? Waking him up and humiliating him? She thought about a spell that could let her escape their embrace. After a while, her horn glowed and Twilight passed through the arms that held her firmly as if she was a ghost.

Already out of the bed, she turned to see the dragon, who was still moving his body, even when there was nothing there. Twilight sighed with relief. After that a question invaded her mind.

“Who is he dreaming about?”

She decided it was best to leave. She would visit him again the next day and would thought about a good excuse to justify her escape. But then she heard something that made every neuron in his brain had a short circuit.

“Twilight… Twilight…”

Twilight laboriously turned to see the dragon who was talking in his sleep.

Is he… Is he thinking about me? Is it me who he’s fantasizing about? Is he thinking that… That… He’s making love to me? Twilight’s brain had never produced so much endorphin in a moment.

YES, YES, YES! He loves me! He loves me so much that he’s fantasizing about me! I… I… I have to make sure of this!

Twilight disappeared in a purple magical sphere and reappeared in the library’s lobby. She used her horn to light her way and ran straight to Spike’s bedroom.

She had to be sure Spike was fantasizing about her that night because of how important it was for her and him and not just because of the effects of his imagination. She couldn’t risk spoiling it again. She entered Spike’s bedroom and looked for his diary, which Twilight knew it was under the mattress. She raised the diary in front of her face, where she stopped for a moment.

FOREVER! Pinkie’s voice shouted in her mind.

“Just a quick read. Something that helps me know how Spike feels for me”

Twilight opened the diary on a relatively new date, in which he’d written about his day in Sweet Apple Acres and how Applebloom had become almost as sexy as her sister. Twilight snorted and cursed her luck for opening the diary on that page.

The next entry was about a day in the town hall and about Elora, who he worked with and he described her as intelligent and organized. Twilight continued flipping through the diary while looking for a quote that was about her. But before she could find something, she lost herself in the information that was falling over her like a waterfall.

Spike had written about his daily activities, his adventures, works and ideas; but especially about his fantasies. He had written A LOT of fantasies with a great number of mares from Ponyville, which were about from the most romantic scenarios to the most erotic ones. In one, he’d described a romantic study session about the wonders of love with Mrs. Cheerlie. In another one, he’d written about spending an afternoon in the SPA and receiving a ‘very special’ service from the twins Lotus and Aloe; a triple date with the CMC in a fancy restaurant in Canterlot. A first level lesson about love rituals and lust with his favorite zebra… But none in which Spike had written about Twilight. She started flipping through the pages in reverse and eventually she found some quotes in which he’d written about his friends. A singular fantasy where he and Pinkie were sailing down a vanilla river on a raft made of chocolate. Another one where he and Rainbow were celebrating Rainbow’s admission to the Wonderbolts, allowing them both to
use for the first time her new uniform in a very passionate night with the dragon. And of course, there was more than one quote dedicated to Rarity.

Twilight didn’t feel with the right to judge Spike. All those years of unsuccessful attempts to get a marefriend had ended up in irremediable periods of sexual frustration and she knew very well what it was like to be limited to only fantasies, which she had written on her diary, as well as Spike. Her feelings for the dragon hadn’t changed at all. In fact, she was rather surprised by his imagination and how he could get so exceptionally romantic, as well as creative. There was certainly more than one thing she’d like to experiment once they were dating, but…

“Why am I not in any part of his diary” That made her feel sad.

“Does he think I’m not pretty?”

She laterally collapsed on the bed and saw a book next to the bed. She sighed exhausted, but before giving up and start her journey to the world of dreams, something caught her eye. On the bookshelf there was a purple notebook, which looked as worn out as the oldest book of the library. She took it and opened it.

It was another diary, but very, very old. The first pages had nothing but scribbles that had been blurred and faded by time. When she started to flip through, she could notice the evolution of his writing, but it was still very unreadable, until she finally managed to find some texts she could read, though they still had many syntax and semantic mistakes.

A smile appeared on Twilight’s lips when she understood what the diary was about. It was Spike’s first diary. The one he used when Princess Celestia was personally taking care of him before she left Spike in Twilight’s care. On Spike’s diary, he innocently referred to Celestia as her mother and described his happy days next to her and how he often had to be in the care of other ponies in the castle when her mother had to ‘go to work’.

Then Twilight got serious when she found the quote she was looking for: one who was about her. She translated the text as best as she could.

Mommy says she can’t take care of me anymore and someone else is going to do it. We went to a part of the house I had never been in. She introduced me to a pony. Her name is Twilight. She has a horn like mommy, but she has no wings. She’s purple and she’s very beautiful. Mommy says I’m going to live with her now.

Twilight kept reading all the quotes of the diary carefully. It was soon easy for Twilight to come to the conclusion that she had been Spike’s first love. At first he had written things like ‘Twilight is smart’, ‘Twilight is pretty’ ’I like being with Twilight’.

But as she continued reading, his writing progressively got better and more complex. ‘Twilight is the most beautiful pony I know’ ‘Twilight is very intelligent’ ’When we grow up, we will get married and will live in a castle like this’. Tears began to escape Twilight’s eyes when she saw the innocent dreams of that baby dragon who had apparently developed feelings for her, much before he had any idea of what those feelings really meant. It was a diary dedicated to her, to both of them and no one else.

Before she could notice it, the diary was over and she didn’t even reach the part where they moved to Ponyville. Twilight hugged the diary, emotionally touched. But her happiness faded after a moment.

“That was back then, but now?”

She needed the latest information. She looked at the bookshelf again, where she saw there was another book, this one was red. Without hesitation she took it. Her eyes shone when she saw it was a continuation of the first diary. It seemed it had been some time since the end of the first diary. Spike was now using a more complex vocabulary and writing. And especially, it seemed he already understood the feelings he had for Twilight.

Spike’s feelings hadn’t changed. He still considered her wonderful. However, he didn’t praise her in the same innocent way he used before. Spike continually questioned his feelings, which he now considered them taboo. He expressed his doubts about whether it was right to feel that way for her or not. His fears about the consequences his confession might bring him. His shame of being unable to tell her how he felt.

Twilight quickly started to feel ashamed she had been the cause to provoke such an emotional turmoil to the poor dragon. She was flipping through the diary, only finding more and more quotes that were about how much he treasured her and how much conflict there was because of that. She finally arrived at the last entry in the diary, which was written in Fluttershy’s birthday.

Fluttershy’s party has been wonderful. She looked beautiful. Not as much as Twilight, but, who could? Fluttershy has revealed us she’s going to be a mother. When I saw her and her husband so happy, so united, all I can think about is how much I would like Twilight and me to have a relationship like that. But it’s only a dream inside a dream, for I’m not brave enough to tell her how much I really love her.

Oh Twilight, my beautiful Twilight! If only you knew. If only you could listen to my heart’s chant that sings for you and just for you. But I’m afraid. Afraid that revealing my secret will only take me away from you. Afraid that you think I’m a sick and perverted dragon for being in love with a creature that’s not even my kind. Afraid to lose you, that you send me away from the house and I can never see you again.

In that case I wouldn’t blame you. You'd have every right to do it, for I know it’s very likely that it’s wrong to feel that way for you. But you know? I just can’t help it. If only you could see yourself as I do. If you understood how beautiful, smart and wonderful you really are… Maybe you would understand.

You would understand I love you. I love you so much that it hurts…

Twilight closed the book. She couldn’t read anymore.

“No, Spike… I could never hate you… I could never be angry with you. Not over something so wonderful like this” She said, trying to contain her tears while hugging the diary tightly.

“How didn’t I realize before? How? There must have been signals, signals I ignored and I wasn’t willing to see. All this time… How awful, I'm a monster” She blamed herself.

“A couple of months have almost costed me my mental sanity, but you’ve had to deal with this all your life. But not anymore. Not anymore!”

“Don’t fear, Spike. Starting tomorrow we won’t have to feel alone or distant from each other ever again!”

She teleported herself back to the hospital straight to the dragon’s bedroom, who was sleeping peacefully while lying on his back on his bed. She got closer to him and checked if both the mattress and the blankets were dry. Then she climbed onto the bed, cuddled against him and planted a kiss on his cheek. Twilight smiled when she noticed how the dragon smiled between his dreams as if he could feel her love. She almost rested her body on his, resting her head on the base of his neck, making him hug her with her telekinesis.

“You'll see, Spike. Starting tomorrow we’re beginning a new life... Together”

Author's Notes:

It seems I have already finished my studies. The next week the final exams will start. Post your reviews and don't forget to tell me if I made a mistake so I can correct it.

How I Love You

Twilight woke up, feeling a nice and familiar sensation flowing through her mane. She opened her eyes to face Spike, who was smiling while stroking her mane.

“Good morning, sleepyhead. Did you sleep well?”

“More than you can imagine” She said, stretching herself to give him a great kiss on his cheek, which caused Spike to exalt a bit.

“What was that for?”

“What? Do I need a reason to give you a kiss, or didn’t you like it?” She playfully answered.

“I’d never say that” he answered the same way.

Someone knocked the door and Twilight quickly got out of the bed. Then entered the nurse named Red Heart.

“Good morning, Spike. Oh! Good morning, Twilight. I haven’t seen you enter. I have good news for you, Spike. Today we’re giving you the medical discharge. We only have to make a final blood test and take off those bandages”

“This is good news, right Spike?” Twilight asked.

“No doubt. I want the sun to hit me in my face” He joked.

“Well, I’ll come and see you in a couple of hours so we can go home”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to breakfast and prepare a thing or two”

Twilight went to her bedroom in search of some very specific books she kept in the nightstand, next to her bed. Inside, there were several books Princess Celestia had personally sent to her after receiving Twilight’s letters about the incident about Spike’s greed and his travel to ‘Find his roots’. Twilight didn’t know where the princess had gotten those books from, but how good she had them at hoof. They had taught her about dragons, the physical changes in their growth, their territorial habits, several ways to teach them to deal with their greed and even the specific way that certain species managed to use high level magic. But today, Twilight wouldn’t check any of that. Today she had doubts about a very specific matter she had to discover as soon as possible.

Before starting her read, she heard a loud knock on the door. Twilight exited to see who it was, finding Pinkie Pie, who had a big smile from ear to ear and had her known party cannon.

“Pinkie, what are you doing here... What are we celebrating?”

“Duh! Spike is going to leave the hospital. I only have a couple of hours to prepare everything before he gets out of the hospital. But don’t worry. I’ve already sent invitations to all our friends”

Twilight cursed herself for not anticipating this.

“Emm… Pinkie, do you think you could move Spike’s party to Sugar Cube Corner? There are some things I have to do”

“Well I could, though I’d been thinking it would be best to make it at your home, but as you wish. I’ll have to ask Derpy to help me with the new invitations so all the guests can know the party will be moved. See you, Twilight!”

Twilight sighed with relief and returned to her room. In no way she would afford to begin to study with the party beast hanging around in house. Not when her subject of study included physical and sexual development of dragons, draconian anatomy; and last, but not least, ‘The very varied and unorthodox mating ritual of dragons’.

Twilight couldn’t understand why the princess had sent that last book to her and until now, not even Spike had opened it, probably because they didn’t even remember they had it. But since she had woken up a question appeared in Twilight’s mind.

It was brutally obvious Spike wanted the complete package and she would have to give it to him sooner or later if they really were going to date each other, not that she didn’t look forward to it. But the question was: Would it be possible? Would their bodies be compatible? Would it be… Safe?

A part of her told her it was stupid to dig into the matter. It was Spike she was talking about and she knew he would never, ever do anything to hurt her, but the question about if their different physiognomies of their bodies could interfere or risk somehow the health of both of them during the sexual act that Spike and she herself were so eager to consummate, had been planted deep in her mind and she couldn’t get rid of it until, as always, she investigated the matter.

“Remember all of this is for Spike. I’m sure you won’t find anything to worry about. It is the most natural process of multicellular organisms and us being part of the most evolved creatures in the world, we’ll surely find something to fix any obstacle the books may reveal”

She opened the first book and started reading.

Several hours later, she heard a pecking on the door of her bedroom. Though it wasn’t very loud, it made Twilight jump because of the shock.

“A pecking?” She wondered, hiding her books under the bed and going to the door.

“Peewee? What’s happening?” She asked, finding the phoenix pecking insistently on the door, next to Owlicious.

Owlicious extended its wing to point to the main door, where someone was knocking it. Twilight tried to calm down and went to the door, receiving confused stares from her pets when they noticed her red cheeks.

“Oh my goodness, at last Twilight!” Said an angry Spike at the entrance of the library, next to rarity, who was covering them both with an umbrella.

“We thought you wouldn’t be at home. Is everything ok?” Rarity asked with certain concern.

“Yeh… Yes, it’s all ok. I’m sorry. I was busy with several things and I lost my sense of time”

“Are you sure? Your cheeks are all red” Spike said.

“It’s because of an experiment I was making earlier! It should disappear any time”

Spike and Rarity entered the library, being welcomed by the pets that were flying around Spike before standing on his shoulders.

“I’m glad to see you too, guys. I'm going to lie down for a while. The doctor said that the first hours after recovering my motion would cause me dizziness” Spike said, going to his bedroom.

When he closed the door, rarity got closer to Twilight to whisper to her.

“Pinkie has planned Spike’s party at seven o’clock in Sugar Cube Corner. Make sure you arrive early, but if the poor dragon doesn’t feel good, inform us and we’ll cancel everything”

“Ok. Thank you very much for bringing him home, Rarity”

“What were you doing that could be more important than our dear Spikey Wikey?”

“I… I’ve already said it. A special experiment for the princess” She answered a bit nervous.

“Haven’t you told her what happened to Spike?” Rarity asked while raising an eyebrow.

“Well, no. Not actually. Besides the doctors said he would be ok, so I didn’t want her to worry about this”

“Well it doesn’t matter anymore. I’ll see you at the party”

Twilight went to Spike’s bedroom to see him. The dragon had fallen asleep. She smiled and decided to let him rest, because Pinkie surely wouldn’t do it just to celebrate he had left the hospital.

“Do I have to go too?” He asked listless.

“Yes, Spike. You’ve already been locked up for too many days. You have to go out to take some fresh air” She answered.

“Besides you won’t even have to walk there. I’ll take us both with a teleporting spell” She said, being proud of her magic.

“Another reason to not go with you if I don’t have to look after you on the way to Boutique”

“Oh come on, Spike! Please, please?” She said while putting a puppy face, knowing well Spike couldn’t resist her charm. By Celestia! She felt so well both knowing how irresistible she was to the dragon and guilty for taking advantage of it.

“It’s ok, Twilight” The dragon sighed.

“Thank you!” She said, smiling and hugging his left arm.

A lavender light beam and they appeared in their destiny.

“Eh… Twilight, why are we in front of Sugar Cube Corner?”

“I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you we would stay here first. Come on, it’ll be quick” She encouraged him.

Spike was more like confused than convinced. He passed through the door Twilight opened for him.

Three, two, one…

The door opened and Spike was assaulted by a wall of confetti and streamers at the same time a lot of voices yelled: ‘SURPRISE!’ from inside.

Spike sighed, finding himself in the situation he had already expected. He entered the establishment followed by Twilight, to be received by the pink pony and then he started saying hello to all his friends one by one. There was music, games, sweets and drinks. And though according to Pinkie Pie, the party only had his friends, there were a lot of mares and stallions Spike didn’t even know, but that didn’t bothered him. He was at a party in his honor and he was willing to seize it.

“Enjoying the party, Spike?” Asked Pinkie.

“Yes, thank you. Could you please tell Vinyl to lower the music volume? My head is starting to hurt”

“Don’t worry, I will”

“In fact Spike, I think we should come back home. After all you’ve just left the hospital and I don’t want you to make much effort” Said Twilight’s worried voice.

“You may be right, Twilight. But Spike isn’t a pony after all and after what happened to him, I’d say he’s surprisingly lucid. We took so long to give him the antidote that a pony would have spent the rest of their life in a coma” Swift Relief said, who was sitting on the other side of the table, next to Fluttershy.

“He’s right, Twilight. I feel ok. Let’s stay here for more time. You were the one who didn’t want me to stay at home”

The music stopped.

“Well ladies and gentlemen, my turn is over. It’s been my pleasure to attend you this night and I hope you’ve enjoyed the show. I leave you with the talented winner of Equestrian Idol: Sweetie Belle!” Vinyl said into the microphone, receiving a farewell ovation, followed by another one when the young diva went on stage.

“Thanks, thanks and good night to everypony. Well, this song may not be the most appropriate one for this kind of party, but they told me to give you a great show and that’s what I’ll do. It’s called ‘Fly Me To The Moon’”

The song started and after that, Sweetie started to sing.

“Oh, oh! I love this song. Honey, let’s dance!” Fluttershy said with a sudden outburst of excitement, pushing her husband to the dance floor.

“Ok, ok, calm down. Just don’t push me”

The couple walked away, leaving Spike and Twilight alone. The dragon said goodbye to them. The unicorn sadly saw them dancing.

“Twi, are you ok?” He asked when noticing his friend’s expression.

“Yes, I am” She answered sadly.

However, Spike could notice Twilight’s gaze upon the dance floor. She really wanted to go there and dance a little.

“Would you like to dance?”

Twilight’s drooping ears suddenly raised and her eyes widened because of the surprise.

“Dance… I mean, with me?” She asked.

“No, with Snips” He sarcastically said “Yes twilight, with me. That’s why I asked you”

Twilight looked at him in silence for a moment before smiling.

“I would be delighted” Twilight said, barely holding the joy that filled her.

Spike stood before her and extended his arm gallantly for Twilight, as if they were in a formal dance.

He walked to the dance floor with Twilight holding his arm. Spike saw Applejack, who winked at him as a sign of courage. Spike just smiled at her.

“Go dance with her, sugar cube” Applejack whispered.

Spike and Twilight arrived at the dance floor, where several couples had reunited to dance to th beautiful song Sweetie Belle was singing. Without giving him time, Twilight made him stand up on his hind legs, taking his right claw to her waist and uniting her hoof with his left claw.

“Shall we dance?” She proposed.

“Let’s dance” He answered.

Spike was wondering if that was a dream and he was actually still in the hospital. He was dancing with the mare of his dreams, accompanied by one of the most beautiful songs ever and sung by the best singer of her age. The only thing that could make the night more perfect would be to tell her how he felt for her.

The song was over, but soon a new one sounded and the couple decided to stay a couple of songs more. To Twilight, Equestria and the entire world had been reduced to that song and the dragon she was dancing with. Spike would often look at Applejack, who responded with moral support gestures. He really wanted to talk with her after this and talk about this matter, telling her the secrets of his heart as a great friend that had done very well to his soul. But for now the only thing that mattered was the unicorn in his arms.

Some songs after, the music stopped and the couples finally separated, including Spike and Twilight.

Spike yawned when they arrived at their table.

“Have you gotten tired?”

“No, but I want to sleep. Check the hour. It’s getting too late”

“Yes, I think it’s time to come back home. Besides a lot of guests are now leaving”

Spike and Twilight stood up to say goodbye to their friends and then they left the establishment.

“Spike, do you… Do you mind if we return home on hoof?”

“Why?”

“Because… This is a beautiful night”

Spike looked up to the sky. Indeed, the moon and the stars were shining with a singular intensity.

“You’re right. It would be foolish to waste a night like this”

They walked through the streets in Ponyville side by side. The silence made the always cheerful village atmosphere nearly unrecognizable. But for this occasion, it was something very enjoyable for them both.

“This has changed a lot since we arrived here, hasn’t it?” Twilight broke the silence.

“Yes, more schools, more local trades, more houses… I remember you used to make a drama if I arrived at home after sunset when I went out to have fun” He said with a smile Twilight gave back.

“Yes, this proves not only the town has changed. We have changed too. You’re no longer the baby dragon who used to walk through the town on my back”

“And you’re no longer that asocial pony whose idea of having fun was to be alone surrounded by books”

“Haha, yeah, I remember it. But you’re wrong, Spike. Actually I was never alone” She corrected him, resting her body on his.

“I always had you by my side” She whispered softly.

Spike stopped and turned to see the unicorn.

“You’re right” He said, resuming his walk, separating from her.

Twilight understood the only way would be an open confession, instead of forcing the dragon’s confession. After all he deserved it.

After a while they arrived at home.

“It seems Peewee and Owlicious aren’t here” Spike said.

Well, that will make things easier Twilight thought.

“Well Twilight. I’m going to sleep” Said Spike while yawning.

“Spike, wait” She stood in front of him.

“I have something… Very, very important to tell you. And I beg you to please wait until I finish so you can say anything, is it ok?”

Spike noticed it was actually something very important, for Twilight looked very nervous and distressed.

“Yes, Twilight. As you wish”

Twilight took a deep breath, it was now or never.

“Spike, you said many things have changed since we moved to Ponyville. You were right and you are one of those things. You’re no longer a child. Not only have you become bigger and stronger, but also smarter and more independent. Those are things I’m very proud of”

Spike blushed a little because of Twilight’s praises.

“The day the Princess left you in my care… I didn’t even know what to think. There was a time I was afraid I couldn’t do it, but not even one day I’ve regretted it. I’m sorry if I ever gave you a different impression and I’m even sorrier if I’ve never been able to prove how grateful I am because of all you do for me”

Spike began to notice the extreme seriousness and sincerity with which Twilight was talking.

“You have always worked untiringly in order to help me. No matter how tired, achy or reluctant. You would always stay with me to help me with my studies and labors, even when they were just whims of mine or things I could perfectly have done by myself. I’m sorry I’ve treated you so many times as a slave, Spike… And I regret even more being many times an insensitive brute who couldn’t appreciate all you were doing for me”

Twilight paused, rubbing her eyes with her right hoof to prevent the tears on her eyes from escaping.

“But… But not only that. You did more… You always did and you’ve done more. When I was afraid, you would give me courage. When I was sad, you’d find a way to make me happy. Whenever I gave up, you’d give me strength to keep trying. Whereas other ponies would call me a weirdo, a nerd, strange… You would call me smart, special, unique…”

Twilight paused again, this time not being able to hold a couple of tears that escaped her eyes while she was looking at the floor.

“Twilight, what are you getting at?” Spike asked very shocked because of her friend.

“I’m getting at… I’ve been spending many years fearing that my search for a special pony to share my life with wouldn’t get anywhere. And I’ve come to realize that indeed it won’t get anywhere… Because I don’t need to do any search. Everything I’ve been looking for in that special pony, I’ve had it always in front of me… In you, Spike. You are everything I’ve been looking for, now and always”

She finally raised her eyes to the dragon.

“I love you, Spike. Not as a friend, not as a brother, not as my assistant, but as the one I’ve opened the gates of my heart for” She said while looking at him with the most sincere smile Spike had ever seen on Twilight’s face.

Twilight waited patiently for Spike’s response. The dragon was looking at her with his eyes wide open. His jaw was moving up and down with erratic and jerky movements, but the only thing that escaped his mouth was small exhalations of his breath. Twilight’s smile became funny. She knew the dragon’s brain had to be overloaded with the biggest amount of endorphin he had produced in his short life.

She slowly walked to the dragon, though he wanted to move back, he was unable to make his body work and only managed to sit down.

“Spike… Do you love me?” Twilight asked when she was face to face with Spike.

Spike finally closed his mouth, as well as his eyes by tightening his eyelids and held his breath for a moment. Twilight was waiting patiently, knowing which the answer would be. Spike released the air from his lungs and opened his eyes slowly.

“I… I love you, Twilight. More than anything or anyone in Equestria and this world” Spike finally said.

He got rid of his fear and stood up, looking straight at the unicorn.

“I… I love you, Twilight! I’ve loved you since I have memory and… And I’ve always been afraid to tell you. But no more! Every day by your side is a privilege and a torment because I’m so close and yet so far from you. I know it’s bad because I’m a dragon and you a unicorn and you are like my big sister… But I can’t help it! I…”

Twilight silenced Spike by covering his mouth with her hoof. Spike noticed Twilight was spilling tears of happiness.

“You only had to say yes, but I thank you. You don’t know how happy I am for you saying those so beautiful things about me” She said while withdrawing her hoof.

“Twilight, do you really…?”

“Yes, Spike. And like you, I was confused and afraid, but not anymore. I don’t care if it’s right or bad. I don’t care what the law can say. I don’t even care what the other ponies may think, our friends or even the princesses. I love you, Spike and I won’t spend any other day away from that reality” Twilight assured him with total sincerity and determination.

Despite his best efforts, Spike couldn’t help breaking into tears.

“You have no idea… You have no idea how many times I’ve dreamt of this moment. In fact… It’s hard for me to believe this isn’t a dream”

“I know. I know you’ve suffered a lot hiding your feelings for me” She said, trying to comfort him.

“You know?” The dragon asked confused.

“Yes, Spike. I know it very well”

“But… How?”

“I read your diary” She answered as if it was obvious.

“YOU… WHAT?!”

A second later, the very romantic atmosphere was destroyed as if someone had detonated it with ten thousand sticks of dynamite.

Oops, maybe I shouldn’t have said that Twilight thought.

“You read my diary! How could you have done that, Twilight? All my secrets… Oh mighty Izanagi, my SECRETS! Twilight, you can’t tell the girls the things I wrote about them. They’ll hate me forever! Please, I’ll do whatever you…”

Twilight silenced the hysterical dragon again.

“Spike, calm down please. I would never tell anyone anything I saw on your diary. But I actually was referring to your OTHER diary… You know, the one on which you write about me… About us” She said, routing the conversation as subtly as possible, though she couldn’t help making an awkward smile.

If moments ago Spike was pale, he was now transparent with a face that said: ‘swallow me, Earth’.

“Twilight, I… I… You must think I’m sickening” He said embarrassed.

“No Spike, I don’t. I’m the one who’s embarrassed and who should apologize. I should never have read that diary, but I was afraid you couldn’t feel for me what I feel for you and I wanted to investigate a little to know if at least I had a little chance. But when I started reading those so wonderful things you had written about me, I simply couldn’t stop reading”

“Wonderful?” He asked confused.

Of course, the fear he felt had him thinking only in the morbid part of what he had written on the diary.

“’Regardless of how tiring or difficult it may be, all the effort to help Twilight master a new spell is worth it to see her lovely smile and beautiful eyes. Those eyes that, after the victory, shine with an array of colors that dance like Luna’s nocturnal auroras and shine more brightly than Celestia’s sun itself’ No one ever had said something that beautiful about me, Spike. Besides I never imagined you had a poet inside you” She said, comforting the dragon by rubbing his left cheek with her hoof.

“It’s easy when my muse is someone like you. What am I saying? There’s no one like you” He corrected himself.

“There’s no one like you either, Spike. That’s why I want you to know that since this day, you and only you are the owner of my heart”

Twilight got closer to Spike and lovingly embraced him, rubbing her face against his neck.

Spike hugged her back tremblingly, wrapping Twilight with moderate strength.

“I still can’t believe this is happening” He whispered faltering.

“Well… If it’s a fantasy, we’d better seize it before we wake up” Twilight said seductively.

She moved away from Spike enough to see him face to face. She blinked a few times before bringing her face close to his, smiling all the way. She closed her eyes at a distance where she could feel the dragon’s breath against her face, but after a moment of delay, she opened them to see what was happening.

She smiled when seeing the dragon’s expression, who seemed to be perplexed by an equation of differential calculus he had no idea where to start. Twilight then led one of her hooves behind Spike’s head.

“It’s no time to get shy, Spike” Twilight said while grabbing Spike by his neck for the meeting of their lips.

Spike’s eyes widened more than ever when he realized one of his greatest dreams had come true: he was kissing Twilight. He remained paralyzed because of the shock a moment before returning the kiss. Because of their lack of experience, the rubbing of their lips was a little awkward. But neither of them could imagine it a better way.

Twilight had never thought seriously what it would be like to kiss a dragon, but if she had known how it felt, she would have added it to her ‘Things to do before dying’ list many years ago. Spike’s lips were firm. She could notice each scale that covered his lips, but unlike the ones that covered the rest of his body, these were especially flexible and their cover had a strange feeling like velvet. Besides there was a strange taste in the kiss Twilight couldn’t explain. Mineral Lemonade? Sangria? Daisy? Was it the taste from the jewelry sediments on Spike’s fangs? She had no idea, but for the first time in her life, Twilight didn’t give a buck about what or how something was happening. She only wanted to live it and enjoy it.

Spike felt like someone had opened the Paradise gates. The softness, warmth and sweetness of Twilight’s lips and mouth were just as he had dreamt, only indescribably better.

After what seemed an eternity, they finally broke the kiss, breathing deeply and looking at each other’s eyes without knowing well what to say. Twilight got closer to Spike and kissed him again, who kissed her back with gusto and after magic moments they separated again without stopping smiling.

“Never be far from me, Spike” Twilight whispered, hugging the dragon, who didn’t take long to hug her back.

“Not in this life, Twi”

“Since this day, I promise you'll never have to feel alone and distant. And if there exists a way I can help you or whatever you need to tell me, I beg you not to hesitate to ask me”

“Thank you, Twilight. You can tell me whatever you want too”

They stared at each other in silence for a moment before approaching their faces waiting for another kiss, but then they were interrupted by the clock chime, indicating it was eleven o’clock.

“Wow, it’s too late” Said Spike.

“I guess time does fly when you share it with someone you love” Twilight joked.

“We’d better go sleep” Spike said.

They climbed the stairs while laughing. Spike opened the door of his bedroom, but he stopped at the entrance when he noticed Twilight had followed him.

“Twilight, what are you doing?” The dragon asked confused.

“I’m going to sleep”

“Your bedroom is there”

“I know. What does that have to do with this?”

“Weh… Well” Spike didn’t know what to answer.

Twilight smiled at him and put one of her hooves on his shoulder.

“What did I just tell you, Spike? I won’t let you feel alone again. Even less now that we’ve revealed what we feel for each other”

“But Twilight, I…”

“Don’t worry about the diary anymore. I’m not bothered or offended. In fact I can’t wait for us to experiment in real life more than some of the things you wrote about us” Twilight said while blushing a little. However, Spike had gotten redder than a cherry.

“Buh… But in due time, of course! This night I just want to be with you”

“It… It’s ok. I’m sorry, I’m making a lot of drama” Spike apologized, scratching his head.

“It’s fine, Spike. After all, this is new territory for us”

They got into the bed and Twilight soon cuddled against him like the first time during the hurricane. Spike was quick to wrap her in his arms, letting her use his chest as a pillow.

“I love it when you hug me this way. It makes me feel so safe that I wish I could stay like this for all my life” Twilight whispered.

Spike simply kissed her on her forehead under her horn and started his task of stroking her mane.

“Good night, Twilight”

“Good night, Spike” Twilight said, falling asleep a little after, knowing she didn’t only sleep between the arms of the dragon, but HER dragon. With the same idea in his mind, Spike fell asleep, praying to Celestia and ancestors that when he awakened the next day, that wasn’t just another dream.

Author's Notes:

If you wonder why I'm so fast, it's just I love translating this story and I love how you love it. Don't forget to post your reviews. You are the ones who make me keep doing this.

Now And Forever

Spike woke up with a yawn, feeling his blankets strangely heavy and warm. He moved his head, finding Twilight sleeping placidly on his body with a small smile racing her face. Spike smiled from ear to ear and craned his neck to plant a kiss on Twilight’s horn, deeply inhaling her aroma.

It wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t a dream!

And he was right. Not only had he declared his love for Twilight, but she had corresponded him completely and they’d had their first kiss. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was. Twilight, the most wonderful and beautiful pony in Equestria and the world was in love with him. The morning looked brighter than ever. And speaking of morning, it was time for him to prepare the breakfast.

He released Twilight from his arms and started his task of getting out of the bed without awakening her, but after a few movements, Twilight’s forelegs wrapped him hard and pulled him back to his place.

“Where and without permission?” She asked playfully as she cuddled against his body again.

“I was going to make the breakfast”

“Forget about it. I need you here more”

“It’s not only that, Twi. Also remember we have to open the library in a while”

“No pony comes here until one or two hours after the opening hour, Spike. Please, just a little while more” She said, begging him with sad eyes.

“It’s not fair. You know I can’t say no to you” The dragon said resigned.

Twilight smiled at him and gave him a kiss on his cheek before lying down again. So they remained for a while in silence, just enjoying each other’s company until twilight finally broke the silence.

“Spike… What’s going to happen now?” She whispered without turning to see him.

Not only did the question catch him by surprise, but the serious tone Twilight had worried him a bit.

“Well… It’s getting late, so we should go wash our teeth and then go have breakfast”

“I’m referring to us, Spike. What are we now?” This time she looked at him.

Spike kept looking at the unicorn in his arms, confused without knowing what to say. And it hurt him not knowing what to say, for Twilight’s face of affliction told him she needed desperately an answer.

“I… I don’t understand, Twilight”

“I mean what this relationship we have is” Twilight’s neurotic side had taken over her. How could he blame her? The love they had for each other was something so forbidden in so many different levels that Spike had had a considerable amount of nightmares throughout his life about scenarios where things would get horribly bad, even when Twilight returned his feelings.

Fear hadn’t been gone even now that their relationship had become something real. But in no way he would let anything or anyone separate them. He had promised her, but right now he had an afflicted and nervous Twilight to comfort.

“Actually, being your number one assistant is a title I’ve always liked. Other than that, Twilight, I really don’t understand why our relationship must have a name” he said with a smile to express his confidence.

“But… Precisely that’s why we must know what kind of relation is the one we now have, Spike. Because it’s not the same anymore. We’re now in love with each other, we’ve declared our love and we’ve kissed. That complicates things even more, doesn’t it?”

“No, Twilight. It’s complicated only if you want to see it” He said while stroking her face with his right claw.

“As far as I know, I’m madly and irremediably in love with you. You’ve told me you’re in love with me and we both want to always be together. That’s all I always dreamt and it fills me with more happiness than I ever felt. What else do need to know?”

Twilight was looking at him lost between joy and confusion without knowing what to say.

“Buh… But Spike, we…” She stammered, looking away from him, but Spike gently guided her face back to him with his claw.

“Twilight, do you love me?”

“Of course I do!” She answered, almost offended by the question.

“And I love you too. I feel happy just for being with you. I love each of your defects and virtues. I would gladly sacrifice my life in order to save yours. That’s love, Twilight. And if you feel the same for me, can’t it be that simple? Do we really need a more specific name than that one?”

Twilight looked at the dragon surprised and after a moment of silence she sighed in resignation, then smiled widely and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

“When did my little Spikey become a so wise dragon?” She asked, cuddling against him again.

“I learned from the best one”

“Thank you, Spike. You’re right, it doesn’t matter what name what we have has; as long as we feel the same and are there for each other”

Twilight sighed delighted by the embrace and Spike’s affection. That was another of the many reasons Spike was with no doubt the perfect partner for her: he complemented her. He’d always been better than her at all what required emotional intelligence, always better at methods to fight stress, always rational in times of crisis where she lost her mind. He was strong where she was weak and vice versa. Suddenly a noise pulled Twilight out of her thoughts.

“Sorry, that was my stomach” Spike said embarrassed.

“Haha. It’s ok, Spike. I’m getting hungry too. Could you please make the breakfast?”

“Whatever you ask for, my queen”

Spike went to the bathroom next to his bedroom as Twilight went to hers. Later, after brushing her mane and washing her face, she went to the kitchen, where Spike was already making the breakfast.

“Hot cakes?”

“With maple syrup and covered with cherry blossoms, your favorites”

He handed her plate to Twilight whereas on his, his hot cakes were covered with rubies.

“Did you think about who we’re going to tell first?” Spike asked abruptly.

“T…Tell?” Twilight answered nervously.

“Yes, tell. We’re not going to keep secret this forever”

“I do know that, but I didn’t think we’d talk about that matter so fast”

“Well… If you don’t feel comfortable, we can keep secret what we feel for some time”

“N… No, you’re right. I think we should first tell the girls. I know they will understand and will support us in everything” Twilight said, taking more confidence in the matter.

“How strange, I thought you would first want to tell your parents or your brother and your sister-in-law”

“Maybe I should, but we’d better leave it for later”

“Very well, and what about the princesses?”

Twilight looked at Spike’ eyes in silence for an instant.

“Nah!” They said at the same time and then laughed a bit.

“We’d better leave them to the last”

“It’s the same I was thinking about”

“Who do you think we should tell first?”

“Applejack. No doubt”

“Really?” Twilight asked while raising an eyebrow.

“I thought you would like to tell Rarity first. I myself thought it would be best to tell her first”

“Me too. But it’ll be easier to start with Applejack, since she already knows about this”

“Does she know?” Twilight asked between confused and shocked.

“Well, what she doesn’t know is that we’re now partners. But she knoes everything about how I feel for you. The day we argued, I went to Sweet Apple Acres… Well, we were working in the orchard and she noticed something was wrong. We started talking, one thing led to another and I ended up telling her how I was madly in love with you”

“I… I see. Applejack has always been good when it comes to emotional support, hasn’t she?”

“No doubt. After that, I think that indeed Rarity would be the next one to inform. Then Fluttershy and Swift and finally Pinkie. We could send a letter to Rainbow or something”

“No. She would surely get offended if we told her that way. We could wait until she visits us. After all, her holidays are starting the next week”

“Sounds good to me. Let’s just hope she decides to spend her holidays at home instead of going anywhere else with her coltfriend”

They laughed a bit and continued with their breakfast. Spike washed the dishes as always and then they both exited home to go to Sweet Apple Acres. Peewee and Owlicious would be able to perfectly attend the library. Besides they’d already memorized all the usual costumers, so there was nothing to worry about.

The happy couple arrived at the farm, where they could see the family plow the fields for the next harvest.

“Good morning, Apple family!” Spike shouted, drawing all the members’ attention.

“Good morning, Spike and Twilight” Said Applejack.

“Good morning, guys” Applebloom said too.

Big Mac only nodded while Granny Smith was still snoring on her rocking chair.

“What brings you here so early, guys?”

“We wanted to speak with you for a moment if you’re not very busy” Said Twilight.

“Sure, what is it about?”

“Can we go to a more private place?” Spike said nervously.

“Oh…” Said Applejack, understanding where the conversation was going.

“Big Mac, ten minutes. Ok?”

“Eyup!”

Moments later, they all entered Apple family’s house.

“DID YOU ALREADY TELL HER YOU LOVE HER?” Asked Applejack as soon as she closed the door behind her guests.

“Well, that was easy” Said an ironic Spike while looking at Twilight.

“And what did you answer him?”

“I… I… I…” Twilight babbled.

“She said yes” Spike answered calmly.

Applejack covered her mouth with both of her hooves an instant before running to her friends and surrounding them both by the neck with her forelegs in a tight hug.

“Oh my… I’m so happy for you two! When will be the wedding?”

“What?! Spike and Twilight yelled at the same time”

“You’re going to do the things well, aren’t you? Will it be something big or something small? Will you marry here or in Canterlot? Did you think how many children you’re going to have?”

Spike had gotten redder than Big Mac as Twilight was pure and vilely shocked.

“HAHAHAHA! If only you could see your faces, they’re priceless!” Applejack laughed out loud.

“Just kidding, guys. I’ve known you for years. I already imagined you’d be the kind of couple who would like to take things easy”

“Yeh… Yes… Then, are you ok with our relationship?” Spike asked, for Twilight was still too stunned.

“Why wouldn’t I, Spike? Because until a couple of days I’d always seen you as brothers? Because you’re different species? We no longer live in the Stone Age and besides there are ‘Relationships’ that are more strange here in Ponyville. Like that guy and his fascination for fruit jelly. But you, I just have to look at your eyes and I can almost taste the love you have for one another”

“Thank you, Applejack. I knew we could count on you” Spike said while hugging her.

“For what you want, beau. I had already told you Twilight was crazy about you”

“Did you know too?” Asked Twilight, finally recovering the ability to talk.

“Well, I wasn’t sure. But it was easy for me to guess it when Spike told me you’d been behaving weird. I have to say at the beginning it was difficult for me to assimilate the matter, but the more I dug into the matter, the more I realized you were made for each other. I’m glad you both feel the same and are together”

“Thank you, Applejack. It means a lot to us” Twilight said while hugging her friend.

“Anything for you, sweethearts. And if anypony dares to disrespect you, just tell me and the poor devil won’t be able to sit in a week”

“We’ll consider it” Spike said.

They exited the house and walked back to the town through the grove, saying goodbye to the rest of the Apple family, except Granny Smith, who was still sleeping.

“What were you talking about, sister?”

“Just things between friends. Very transcendental news”

“Really? What news?”

“I’ll tell you when you grow up” She joked.

“Applejack” Her little sister complained.

Later in Carrousel Boutique.

“Are you saying that you… and you…? Oh, it’s so poignant!” Rarity yelled overjoyed after almost a minute of silence exchanging glances with her two friends after the revelation.

“This is wonderful! This is lovely! Like a fairy tale! The best friends for life discover their feelings have transcended beyond friendship and now their love has blossomed. How romantic!” She shouted almost in her own world.

“Then… I guess you’re ok with this, aren’t you?” Twilight asked.

“Ok with this? It’s simply divine!” The fashionista almost screamed in ecstasy.

“Spike, the most courteous, polite, sensitive, friendly and gentlemanly dragon ever has finally found his true love. Love next to none other than Twilight Sparkle. One of the most wonderful ponies ever in Equestria. Noble, smart, upright, responsible and nothing less than the mighty holder of the element of Magic. You are both without a doubt made for one another”

“Then we can have your support, right?” Said Spike.

“My support, my bless and whatever you want! Besides…” Rarity fell silent, carefully watching the new couple in front of her.

“Oh! IDEEAAA!” You haven’t had your first date, have you?

“N… No. We wanted to wait for something like that until we told you and the rest of the girls”

“Perfect! I’ll make an outfit for you both so you can use it on your first date. For you, Twilight, I’ll make a beautiful red dress and it’ll have columns of gilded sequins that will make it shine just like the love you have inside. And for you Spike, I’ll make you a coat… Not a trench coat… Not a frock-coat! Yes, that’s it. I’ll make it dark blue with black borders. You will look very handsome and dashing. I’m sure” She said as she started to draw sketches on her desktop pictures.

“Rarity, you don’t have to do anything for us” Twilight said, trying to stop the designer.

“Conversely, Twilight! I have to, want to and I must do it. Two of my best friends in the world have discovered love and I’m going to give them all my support”

“Thanks, Rarity” Spike said, getting close to the unicorn, willing to hug her.

“Anything for my Spikey Wikey” She said, extending her forelegs for him and giving him a kiss on his cheek in the process.

They separated after a while and then Rarity and Twilight embraced too.

“Congratulations for you again. You’re both very fortunate”

“Thank you, Rarity”

“Have you told anyone else?”

“Just Applejack. We’ll after tell Fluttershy and probably Zecora too”

“And Pinkie?”

“We decided to tell her at the end. You know, because of the fear that when she finds out, she’ll make a party that will alert half the kingdom” Said Spike, remembering what it had been like when she knew that Fluttershy and Swift relief had gotten engaged.

“Haha, yes, I understand. Well, would you like to stay for lunch?”

“No, thank you. We must come back to the library and make sure Peewee and Owlicious have everything under control. Besides, my students are going to come at two o’clock, so we have to eat before that” Answered Twilight as she and Spike went to the door.

“Alright. I’ll inform you when your outfits are ready” She said goodbye to her friends at the threshold of the door.

Rarity turned around to keep working on the sketches of her friends’ outfits, when she heard hoofsteps.

“Sweetie Belle? How long have you been here?” Rarity asked, surprised to see her sister exit the arch that was connected to the kitchen.

“Dih… Did you listen to all our conversation?” She asked, rather confused at the possibility her sister committed a so reprehensible act as spying on private conversations of other ponies.

“Tell me, Rarity. Why did you reject Spike when he told you he was in love with you?” Sweetie Belle asked in a low voice while looking at the floor.

“What do you mean?” Rarity asked, confused by her sister’s question.

“Why did you reject Spike? I’ve always wanted to know it” She said in the same tone, still not raising her head.

“Well…”

Rarity sighed heavily, with a melancholy smile.

“Spike has always been a very courteous and helpful dragon. He was very attentive and always knew how to make a nice compliment and make me feel good. Of course I always knew he liked me, but I thought it was only a stage of his age he would eventually get over. But even if I had known I was wrong, I doubt that would have changed things. I myself learned how to love Spike, but I knew I could never love him the same way as he loved me. And I had no other choice but break his heart”

“But I am very happy he’s forgiven me and we’re still best friends” She said, getting rid of her melancholy to make a smile filled with pure joy.

“You liar…” Sweetie Belle whispered.

“Excuse me, what did you say, Sweetie?” Rarity asked politely.

“YOU LIAR! You never loved him!” Shouted Sweetie Belle.

Rarity held on to her the drawing board to prevent herself fall because of the sudden change of mood of her sister.

“He was always willing to do anything for you! He spent each and every one of his free time working for you! And like it was nothing, you gave him false hopes and turned him into a slave. You never really cared for his feelings!”

Rarity’s surprise turned into anger at getting offended by her sister’s accusations.

“Those are lies! I never abused Spike’s feelings for my own benefit” She defended herself.

“And you have the nerve to deny it! What about all the countless times you used him as a miner worker so he would dig gems for you? Or those countless hours you had him here charging and hauling your sewing stuff and helping you with YOUR work? Or when you put him to charge your entire luggage from here to the train station when you made a trip? And what else to say about the precious gemstone you stole from him by using your charms? Face it, Rarity! You’ve done nothing but enslave Spike since the day he arrived at Ponyville!”

Rarity remained stunned for a moment before regaining speech.

“That… Those… Those are lies! I never forced Spike to do any of those things. He was always the one who insisted on helping me and I always, ALWAYS made sure to reward him for his efforts and his valuable acts of generosity. And may I know why do you now care so much about Spike and why all these calumnies?”

“Because you always had him eating out of your hoof and never let him divert the light to anywhere! YOU NEVER LET HIM HAVE TIME FOR ME!”

Then an overwhelming epiphany hit rarity like a lightning.

“And now it’s worse because I’ve lost him forever!” She said, breaking into tears.

“Sweetie Belle… Why… Why did you not tell me about this?” Rarity asked, feeling horribly bad because of her little sister misfortune.

“I hate you, Rarity! I hate you! You and Twilight! I hate you both!” She yelled, turning around to run with all her strength.

“Sweetie Belle, wait!” Shouted Rarity, trying to follow her sister, but stumbling over one of the cloths that were lying on the floor.

She stood up, aching by the blow, seeing only the half open door and her sister running in the distance.

“Sweetie Belle, I’m so sorry” Rarity whispered.

Later that same day.

“Well, I think I’m now going to work. Good luck with the children, Twilight” Spike said happily.

“Spike, wait!” The unicorn shouted, running to her partner just before he opened the front door.

“Yes, what’s wrong?”

Twilight got closer to him and with a quick movement she rose to give him a kiss, which the dragon soon returned.

“Have a nice day at work… Honey” She said, blushing and with some shyness.

“I’ll be thinking about you… My love” He said, kissing her on the cheek before leaving.

Spike opened the door and dedicated a last smile to her marefriend before leaving. Twilight turned around and began to kicking and screaming like a fifteen year old filly.

“How have I been able to live so long without this? How didn’t I realize before that I had something so wonderful in front of me?” She wondered. She went to her table, where there were several photos.

Now it was easy for her to see the evidences the love that Spike had always felt for her. She saw a photo in which she and Spike were celebrating Spike’s third birthday, when they used to live in Canterlot and instantly, her mind made her remember that day…

ºEPIC FLASHBACK TIMEº WOOOOO!

They were in the palace gardens, in the area where exotic animals were. There were Twilight, Spike and Princess Celestia. Next to them there was a table with a birthday cake and several board games on the floor, including snakes and ladders, which the dragon and the two ponies were playing.

“That makes a twelve. I have ladders” Celestia said happily.

“Princess, you cheated!” Said Twilight.

“Awwww! But you never let me win” She dramatically said.

Spike only smiled, only to be accompanied after by the ponies. After a while, they kept playing until three stallions with white armors came closer to them.

“You majesty, we regret to interrupt you, but your presence in the palace is required so you will check out the planes of the new library expansion” Spoke one of the guards.

Celestia sighed with heaviness while standing up.

“Very well, just a moment. I’m sorry, my children but duty calls. I’ll see you at dinner. Happy birthday again, my little Spike” She said gently, stroking the dragon’s head before leaving with the guards.

“Goodbye, princess” The two children yelled.

“Do you want to keep playing or shall we do another thing, Spike?” Twilight asked the dragon, who was still looking at the direction the princess and her guards.

“Spike?”

“Heh? I’m sorry, Twilight. I didn’t hear you”

“Are you worried about something? This is your birthday, cheer up!”

“It’s not I’m worried… I’d like to know why my moth…” Spike covered his mouth with both his claws before finishing that word.

“Do you know why the princess has so many guards?”

“Twilight thought the answer for an instant”

“Well… The guards are for protecting and taking care of her all the time”

“Yes, but protect her from what? Does someone want to hurt her?” Spike asked worried.

“N… No, of course not!” Twilight calmed him down.

“Look Spike, what happens is the princess is a very important pony. That’s why the guards must always take care of her so that she’ll always be ok and can… Do the important things a princess does”

Spike stared at Twilight, who was smiling uncomfortably.

“Then why don’t you have guards?” He asked innocently.

“Me?” She said between confused and surprised.

“Yes, why don’t you have guards, Twilight?”

“Well… Because I’m not as important as the princess”

“Lies!” Spike said, standing up.

“To me, you’re the most important pony in the world, Twilight”

“Wow, that’s very nice of you, Spike” The filly said.

“It’s true. And if there’s no one who protects you, then I will”

Spike took on of the forks and rose it into the air like it was a sword.

“I shall be your knight and I shall protect you forever” He said gallantly.

ºFLASHBACK ENDSº

Twilight was still looking at the photo with a nostalgic smile.

“And you always have. You’ve protected me all the time, my beloved Spike. All that and much more”

Then she heard several knocks on the door, she went there and opened it with her magic. Several foals and fillies entered the library, carrying books in her school bags.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Twilight!”

“Good afternoon, children. Are you ready for today’s lesson?”

“Yes!” The children yelled.

Later, Spike came back home, where he found her beloved reading two books simultaneously in her study room, apparently comparing notes on a notebook. Spike sidled where Twilight was, suddenly hugging her from behind, which caused the unicorn to scream.

“Surprise”

“You scared me!” Twilight scolded him.

“That was the idea. How has been your evening?”

“Very well. The children learn fast, well one more than others. And what about you?”

“Good, though some of my workmates made me questions about how happy I looked”

“My students said I looked happier than usual too”

They both laughed.

"Well, I’ll go make the dinner"

They ate, went their separate ways to brush their teeth and have a shower. Spike left the bathroom while rubbing his head with a towel. When he got rid of it, he noticed Twilight was already waiting for him on his bed, with a book between her hooves.

“You’ve taken too long in the bathroom, you know?” She said, putting her book next to her.

“I would have taken less if I had known the most beautiful unicorn in the world was waiting for me”

He went to bed and Twilight instantly threw her four legs on Spike, both of them lying on their sides and facing each other. Spike breathed heavily several times when he felt a pleasant aroma in the air.

“Are you wearing perfume?”

“It’s actually after-bathing body lotion. Do you like it?” She said while passing her hooves behind his head.

“I love it. What is it?”

“Passion fruit. You’ll know why it’s called like that” She said seductively, pulling his face to hers to kiss him.

Of course Spike soon returned the kiss. But there was something different. It wasn’t like the kisses they’d given each other the last night or that morning. This one was more… Passionate. Even aggressive. And Spike liked it a lot. Spike kept kissing her beloved until suddenly he felt a strange pressure against his fangs. Without hesitating a lot and knowing what it was, he opened his mouth to give entrance to Twilight’s, allowing their tongues dance for the first time.

For an instant, Spike was afraid his fangs could hurt Twilight, but because of the strength she was kissing him with and the battle of tongues she had started, he didn’t take long to surrender to this new and very pleasant sensation. Spike brought his hands to Twilight’s back to attract her closer to him. Then he started to run his claws down her body, caressing her back, neck and head, savoring the softness and warmth of her lover's fur. In the same way, Twilight was rubbing her hooves against her dragon’s back and wings, stroking occasionally the column of spines of his back up and down, which according to her books, had become especially soft for that moment.

The silence in the room was progressively getting overshadowed by the increasingly audible moans of pleasure of the two lovers. With a surprising move, Spike pushed Twilight so she would lie on her back. Twilight offered no resistance, except for having sustained the dragon, guiding him so he would be above her, without stopping kissing him.

Spike kept running his claws down Twilight’s body, this time rubbing his claws against her chest, her abdomen until he finally arrived at her flanks, not being able to resist the need to squeeze the soft flesh of her lover with his claw just on her cutiemark. At this, Twilight broke the kiss to emit a very audible moan of pleasure. Though the sound had been like a sweet chant to him, Spike separated from Twilight with an expression of fear when he finally realized what was happening.

They stared at each other’s eyes in silence. They were both breathing agitatedly. Spike’s scales had a more vivid pigmentation than normal. Twilight’s hair looked like she hadn’t brushed it after toweling off and they both had each other’s saliva around their lips.

“Whah… What’s the matter?... Why do you stop?” Twilight asked confused.

“It’s that… I thought that… You’d said that… That we weren’t ready. That we’d wait a little more for” twilight silenced the dragon with one of her hooves. Recently it was becoming a habit.

“I know I said we should wait” She said sensually.

“But I realized I’ve made you wait too much” She said, removing her hoof and getting closer to Spike’s face in demand for another kiss, but Spike stopped her.

“But Twilight… You don’t have to do this if you don’t want” The dragon insisted.

“Why wouldn’t I want, Spike” She answered, almost offended.

“Spike, listen… You and I know you’re the first and only couple I’ve had. You’re the one who I gave my first kiss to. And I can’t think of anyone, ANYONE better or more worthy to give my first time to… My flower. You’re the most wonderful thing that has happened to me, Spike. More than living in Ponyville, more than my friends and even more than becoming Celestia’s pupil. I love you. And I’m more than willing and disposed to… Make love with you”

Spike felt an immense joy when he heard her say that, but his fear refused to die.

“But Twilight… What if I hurt you?” Spike asked very worried.

“You won’t, trust me”

“I know. I would tear off my claws before hurting you with them. But… It’s just this is happening way too fast. Last week I wouldn’t have imagined you’d say yes to what I’ve always felt for you. And now we’re here about to make love” Spike separated from her to sit down on the bed, turning his back.

“Spike I… I’m sorry. I think I pushed you too much about all this, but I thought that after all you had written on your diary and how much I’ve made you suffer… But if you want, we can stop right now” Twilight said in a comprehensive tone, leaning over the dragon’s back.

“But I don’t want to stop… But neither do I know if it’s… ‘Right’ that we go so far” He muttered without turning to see her.

There was a moment of silence.

“I love you, Spike. More than I ever loved and I will probably love anyone else, either dragon or pony. And because of that love I’m more than ready, as I’ll always be happy to give myself to you, body and soul. And if you feel the same way, what else do we need to know?” She said, trying to give him courage.

Spike turned slowly and lost himself for a while in Twilight’s eyes. A moment of silence was broken with a sigh and a smile of the dragon.

“As always, I have to agree with you, my love”

Spike turned to meet the unicorn, kissing her and pushing her with his body, lying on her back again. After a while, Twilight broke the kiss.

“Spike… Make me yours” She asked him seductively.

“With great pleasure” He smiled mischievously.

He got closer to her, but skipped her mouth to go to her right ear, to which he gave a soft and sensual bite. He after planted a kiss on it, her cheek, and her neck and slowly went down along her body, planting kisses and licks all over her body. Twilight was simply stroking Spike’s back and exhaling moans of pleasure. Spike savored Twilight’s body, though he certainly preferred her natural aroma than the one from the lotion she had used. He then went to her right flank, straight to her cutiemark, on which he planted a kiss and then licked it in its entirety. Twilight sighed loudly with pleasure.

Finally, Spike opened Twilight’s hind legs to meet face to face with her marehood… Twilight’s smile became one because of shame when she saw how the dragon was staring at her sex so seriously and deeply.

“Doh… Don’t stay looking at me like that, silly” She said, trying to close her legs to cover her, but Spike stopped her.

“And you don’t cover yourself. Sorry, I was just thinking… I haven’t seen you down there since we used to bath together more than twelve years ago. What a bad moment for memories like that” He said, laughing a little.

He brought his face to the opening of Twilight’s flower, deeply inhaling her scent… Oh yes. THAT was Twilight’s fragrance. He blew his warm breath on it, causing Twilight to bite her lower lip as she sighed with anticipation.

“Come on, Spike… Don’t make me wait anymore!” She said, annoyed because of the wait.

“I’ve dreamt about this for years, Twilight. Let me savor it”

“Then savor it! But don’t make me… AH!”

Twilight hit her head against the bed and kicked uncontrollably when she felt Spike finally kiss her on her flower. Without giving her more time to react, Spike extended his tongue, with which he began to explore all the extension of the erogenous zone of the one who now was her marefriend.

Twilight bit her right hoof, trying not to make a fuss because of the sensations through her body. She’d pleased herself a lot of times in her life, but she had never felt something like this. Her attempts to remain silent were futile, since she was moaning and gasping increasingly harder. Spike took delight going up and down on the whole extension of Twilight’s flower, tasting the succulent love juices that came out of it. Slowly, Twilight brought her hooves to Spike’s neck and started pulling him against her body. Spike took the hint and introduced his tongue in her beloved’s body. Twilight screamed in pleasure, arching her back as she felt the fiery dragon’s tongue invade her body.

“S… Spike… Doh… Don’t… Don’t stop! Don’t stop, please!”

“Why would I want to stop? This is the most delicious thing I’ve tasted in my life” Yelled Spike, who had turned Twilight’s body into the playground of his tongue, exploring and savoring everything within its reach. Which was to say a lot, for his draconian tongue, thinner, but much longer than anypony’s, made its way to places no pony could even dream. Something that made Twilight arch her back and shake her head uncontrollably. It felt too good. Deliciously and sinfully good.

“Spike… I’m… I’m not going to take it much more”

And indeed, after a while, something like an electric shock moved from her crotch to her brain, letting her reach climax. Twilight arched her back as much as she could, at the same time she pressed Spike’s head between her hind legs with all the strength she could. A muffled cry, moments of stillness and silence, and then she collapsed on the bed. Her eyes closed, sweating, her heart beating very fast and a satisfaction smile that couldn’t be described with words.

Spike was still licking his lips, savoring his partner’s love juices. When his mouth was clean, he lay down next to her, waiting for her to recover.

“That was… Wonderful, Spike” Twilight sighed when her heart finally calmed.

“Yes, it was, my dear Twilight” He said, giving her a kiss on her cheek and embracing her.

“Are you ready for the second act?” He asked.

“Make me yours, Spike” She said lustfully.

Instantly, Spike rolled over with Twilight still in his arms, making her lie on her back and him on top of Twilight. Gently he released her to be able to assume his position. In that moment, for the first time, Twilight could see his dragonhood that, according to her books, it had come out from the scales of his crotch, which had moved to make way for the member of the sexual act.

“Is it… Is it small to you?” Suddenly asked a Spike who wasn’t so sure of himself.

“What?... Oh n… N… No! No, no, no, not at all! I’m sorry, it’s the first time I see one directly”

“I understand… Then are you ready?”

“Ac… Actually…” Twilight looked away from her lover, with a lot of shame on her face.

“What’s wrong, Twi?”

“Do you mind if I’m the one above?”

“Not at all”

In a moment, Spike was lying on his back on the bed with his member totally erect, waiting for Twilight to position astride the dragon.

“Here I go” Twilight whispered, closing her eyes and descending as slowly as she could, inviting Spike to enter her body.

Twilight released a great moan of ecstasy. Her virginity was finally escaping from her hooves and she couldn’t be happier about that. To Spike, the sensation was equally overwhelming. Her body demanded him raise his hips or take the unicorn by her waist and make her sit hard on him, but under no circumstances he would let his instincts spoil that magical and transcendental moment which he had dreamt of for years.

After what seemed an eternity, Twilight’s crotch made contact with Spike’s, making them both know the process had been completed. They had fused into one being.

Spike sighed deeply, enjoying the indescribable feeling of being inside Twilight. He looked at her beloved’s face and felt his heart compress when he saw she had tears on her eyes.

“Twilight, what’s the matter? Does it hurt? Did I hurt you? Oh Celestia, I hurt you! I’m sorry, this was a…!”

As usual, Twilight silenced the dragon, but this time not with her hoof, but with a kiss.

“Of course it hurts a little, Spike. It’s my first time… It’s inevitable. But I’m not crying because of that, I’m crying because I’m very happy”

Spike calmed down when he listened to her and soak in the atmosphere again.

“I’m happy too”

“I’m… I’m going to start moving now” Twilight said shyly.

“Go on” Spike approved.

Twilight started with small and clumsy moves, but soon the sway of her hips became more rhythmic and fast. Especially once Spike started to move his body and held Twilight by her waist with both his claws o give her more stability. The universe melted around them when they lost themselves in the sea of sensations they were now experimenting, more pleasant and grandiose than anything they ever had felt or they could have imagined.

The bed started shaking because of the strength and passion both lovers were shaking with, for no matter how indescribable the pleasure they felt was, it simply wasn’t enough. A familiar sensation started to burn their bodies. A last pulse and everything became fire. Spike suddenly sat up, imprisoning her in his arms and she released a cry of ecstasy when she felt Spike’s hot seed invade her body. Each muscle fiber of both of them tensed for what seemed an eternity so that then they both would collapse on the bed, tired as never before. With every fiber of physical energy Twilight had left, she moved her body so Spike could exit her.

So they spent long whiles in which nothing could be heard but the gasps of them both in search of air. Finally Spike was the first one to talk.

“Twilight… I love you. I love you so much”

“I love you too” She said, stretching herself to be able to kiss him.

They sighed after the kiss and cuddled to finally sleep.

“Spike… Has it been what you expected?”

“What?...” Spike asked confused.

“If it’s been like you had dreamt”

Spike laughed a little and stroke the hair of his beloved sorceress.

“No, Twilight. Of course not, it’s been infinitely better”

Twilight smiled from ear to ear, though because of her position, the dragon couldn’t see her.

“To me, It’s been too”

Spike remained awake for some moments more, recapitulating what had happened since he got up this morning.

“The first day of the rest of our lives, Twilight… And the night we’ve completely and eternally given ourselves to each other”

He lowered his head to kiss the unicorn’s body.

“Sleep well, my queen” He sighed before accompanying her to the realm of dreams.

Author's Notes:

I cried the first time I read this because of emotion. I hope you've enjoyed it.

The Royal Blessing

Sweetie Belle was in her bedroom in her parents’ house, drowning her whimpers with her head buried in her pillow.

“Why? Why did he never have time for me? Why did I have to wait for so long? Why did he have to fall in love, just when I was about to declare him my love?”

Sweetie was angry. With herself, with her sister, but especially with Twilight. That evil witch had stolen Spike’s heart from her.

“She shouldn’t even have a relationship with him. She’s like his sister, or even like his mother. It’s not right! Besides she’s of age and he isn’t. That’s illegal!” She angrily shouted.

In that moment, an idea shone in her head.

“That is… That’s illegal, right?”

Sweetie Belle jumped up from her bed and went to her desk, where she took a quill and a blank sheet. She dipped the quill in her ink pot, but stopped just before writing with the quill on the sheet, which caused a drop to seep into the paper.

“But… Is it okay if I do this?” She tried to calm.

“Spike… He looks very happy with her… With her…” Her jealousy allowed her resentment and anger to return immediately.

“But he’ll be happier when he’s with me!”

Sweetie began to write so fast that her writing was being crooked, something that normally never happened, even less for a pony with calligraphy like hers. She ended up signing it with the name of an anonymous informer. She went downstairs and sought in one of the drawers, where she found some envelopes for mail. She folded her letter to put it in the envelope and closed it. But for the letter to reach its target, Belle would need something very special. She took a veil she had in her closet for cover and left home in the middle of the night, going to her sister’s house. She opened the lock with the copy of the keys that Rarity had given her and entered the dark boutique. But the house wasn’t all asleep. Belle got surprised when she saw her sister still awake and working frenetically on a coat worthy of a king of Equestria, probably the one she’d give Spike for his first date with Twilight. Belle climbed the stairs, being careful not to draw her sister’s attention and entered Rarity’s bedroom, where she could see Opal snore on the bed.

She went to the dressing table, which she had near the window, where Sweetie knew Rarity kept an envelope with some nobility postal labels. She took one of them and pasted it on the corresponding part of her envelope. Now she could be sure it would reach its target. She went downstairs being careful, but Rarity was too immersed in her needlework to pay attention to anything else. She left the house in silence and went to the closest mailbox, where she put her letter in. She sighed because of her victory and returned home without anyone knowing what she had done.

What she’d done would probably not remove Twilight of her way forever, but at least it would give her some time or at least a last chance to get close to Spike. Sweetie Belle smiled malevolently.

Twilight felt all the warm sunbeams on her face. Though the feeling was pleasant the brightness on her eyes was very annoying and she rolled over to protect herself. Wanting to sleep a little more, she snuggled a bit, but even in the current comfort, she noticed something wasn’t there. She opened her eyes slowly to see she wasn’t in her beloved dragon’s arms anymore. In fact, he wasn’t in any part of the room.

“Spike?” She faintly asked, getting out of the bed.

“Spike, are you there?” She asked confused when she realized she was alone.

She moved her head from side to side, confused as if she was going to find him somewhere. She didn’t, but she found a note on the nightstand next to the bed.

Good morning, my queen. I hope you’ve slept well.

The ancestors know I’ve never slept better in my life

I wished to be there and see you wake up, but Rarity appeared very early, knocking the door and she wanted me to go with her to her house so I can try on the outfit she’s made for me. Yes, it seems she has finished it. I wanted to say no to her and stay with you, but something was wrong with her. Her hair was a mess, the makeup on her eyes was dripping and she had big bags under her lower eyelids. I think she worked all night long, besides her voice gave off anguish.

I’ll try to come back as soon as I can. I already warmed the water in the bathtub. I’m sure you want to take a bath.

Sincerely yours, Spike

Twilight simply smiled and kissed the note like it was Spike’s cheek.

“My dear Spike. Always wanting to make everyone around him happy”

Twilight went to the bathroom. When she looked in the mirror, she couldn’t help laughing at herself. Her hair looked a nest of rats with uneven hair strands in all directions and had evidences of what happened last night all over her body. The night Spike finally made her totally and eternally his. She sighed proud and happy for the decision she had taken. She opened the shower tap and went to bathe.

“It’s wonderful, Rarity. I love it. I’m sure only King Ragnarok has an outfit like this” Spike said happily, posing in front of the mirror in front of him.

“Do you really think so, Spike?”

“Sure! I think it’s the best male garment you’ve made”

“Thank you so much, Spike. It means a lot to me” Rarity asked, feeling the charge of her heart lighten a little.

“Rarity, is something wrong with you?” Spike asked while looking at the unicorn, who looked more than exhausted.

Rarity looked at him scared because she had been discovered, but got relaxed when she realized that would make things easier.

“Yes, Spike. And it’s not the lack of sleep”

“I know. Since I found you at the door of the library, I knew something was wrong with you and not just because the Rarity I know, in her right mind, would never have walked through the town with your mane looking like that. What’s the matter?”

Rarity looked at the dragon with eyes that were beginning to moisten.

Spike, I have something to ask you and it’s very, VERY important that you are totally and absolutely sincere. Don’t be afraid to hurt me, I must know the truth, understood?

Spike was confused. How could she ask him to do something that could hurt her? But he couldn’t refuse. It was obvious Rarity was totally serious, so he simply nodded.

“Spike, have I ever… Abused you?” Rarity asked, looking away and closing her eyes strongly like she was waiting for a slap in her face.

Spike stared at her for a moment, being unable to process the question.

“What… What do you mean?” It was all he could answer.

Rarity sighed, closing her eyes before looking at Spike again.

“Spike, you know more than anypony that there was a time when you used to do anything I asked you. Though you always played hard when it came to the reward, I always wanted you to know how much it meant to me all you were doing for me, being careful never to abuse your gentleness and your good intentions. But recently I’m not so convinced… I mean… There were times I was too upset by a deadline, when I got too much on an outfit or when I had a special request; and I got used so much to expecting a yes for an answer from you, for I don’t know if there was a time I did something like exploiting you too much or hurting your feelings” She said between sobs.

“But Rarity… I always did those things willingly. You never obligated me to do anything” He tried to calm her down.

“I know, Spike. But still, I need you to tell me the truth. Was there ever a time when I abused you? When I hurt you? When I didn’t treat you as you deserved?”

Spike didn’t dare to answer.

“Rarity, you…”

“Tell me the truth, Spike! I must know it!” She demanded him with her eyes full of tears.

Spike sighed heavily.

“There were times I remember arriving at the library totally exhausted. There were times you were so focused on your work that despite my best efforts, it seemed it only caused you more stress. But all of that didn’t matter to me, Rarity. You never obligated me to do anything. I did it willingly, because I wanted to help you, because it made me happy to see you happy and most importantly, because I was in love with you. I never got angry or thought badly of you because of any of that”

After a long while, Rarity finally smiled again.

“Actually, when you did hurt me was when you talked or fantasized about how your perfect stallion should be. Especially when you named someone specific like Blueblood or Fancy Pants. Sometimes it hurt me so much I spent days in my bedroom”

Rarity was again filled with shame and sorrow.

“Yeh… Yes, Spike. I remember it… I’ve made you suffer so many times. Will you be able to forgive me?” She begged while looking at the dragon.

Spike smiled and took her right hoof with both his claws.

“Rarity, there’s nothing to apologize for. No matter what happened, all of that is left behind. But I never reproached you anything, not even when you made me know our love wouldn’t work. You’re my best friend and I appreciate you. Nothing will ever be able to change that”

Rarity spilled tears of joy leaping into the dragon with open arms a moment later.

“Thank you. I love you too, my Spikey Wikey. I don’t know what I’d do without you”

“You’ll never have to find out, Rarity. I promise” He said, returning the hug.

They separated and Rarity took a handkerchief to wipe the tears.

“If you don’t mind, I have to come back to the library as soon as possible”

“Of course. I was wrong to make you get up so early. Twilight may be worried about you. Speaking of that, I’ll notify you when her dress is ready”

“Thank you. But first try to sleep a little, please”

“Believe me, I will”

Spike rubbed his face against hers affectionately before leaving.

“When would I imagine Spike had become such a gentleman?” Sighed Rarity.

Spike quickly arrived at the library, but he didn’t find his beloved even in the hall or the kitchen or her bedroom. Finally, Owlicious guided him to the underground laboratory, where Twilight was experimenting with several chemicals.

“Spike!” She happily shouted when she saw him.

“How good you’ve come back” She said after they rubbed their necks.

“It’s good to be back. Forgive me for having left you alone, but Rarity was really very altered” Spike apologized.

“Don’t worry, that’s how you are. You never leave or abandon anyone who needs your help. Could you help Rarity?”

“Yes it’s… It’s already ok. What about you? Are you ok?” The dragon asked suddenly, very nervous.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked confused.

“I don’t know… Are you alright? Do you feel alright?”

“Of course I do. I finally declared my love to the dragon of my dreams. We gave each other our first kiss and last night I had the most wonderful night ever when that dragon made me totally and eternally his. How can’t I be ok, Spike? Everything has been so wonderful that it’s hard for me to believe I haven’t gone crazy because of pure happiness” She said while jumping with joy.

“But Twilight…” Spike muttered, still very nervous.

Twilight’s smile disappeared when she noticed something was wrong.

“Spike, what’s wrong? Aren’t you happy? Do… Do you regret what we did last night?” She said while her ears drooped.

“No, not at all! I’m happier than ever, but… Twilight, I… I came inside you” He said emphasizing the last part.

“What will happen if you…”

Twilight finally understood what distressed the dragon.

“Oh! Ohhhh… It was THAT. Spike, I assure you that you have nothing to worry about. The fecundation of embryos with genes from different species is impossible unless there’s magical assistance or one of the two lovemaking participants is an adapted organism” Twilight said calmly.

Spike was puzzled for a moment before he could speak.

“Then… You can’t…”

“Nope. And we won’t have to worry about me getting pregnant either. You and I will always have total control about our family planning”

Spike blushed intensely.

“You’re going to want to have children, aren’t you?” Twilight asked a little uncomfortable.

“What if we talk about that after?” He said.

“Yes… I think you’re right”

“By the way, what do you have there”

Twilight turned around quickly to see her experiment where one of the substances was bubbling out of the flask.

“Oh no!”

Before she could get to the table, there was a green smoke explosion.

“Twilight” Spike yelled alarmed.

He found the unicorn covered with foam the same color as the smoke.

“Augh… How disgusting”

“Are you ok?” He asked very worried.

“Yes, I’ll be fine. But now I’ll have to have another bath”

After helping her get rid of the foam, they left the basement.

“Well, I’m going to bathe” Twilight said, climbing the stairs.

“I could…” He said, interrupting Twilight’s walk.

“I could, you know… Clean your back” He said shyly.

Twilight smiled at him.

“I’d love to”

And there they were. Twilight in the bathtub while Spike was soaping her back with such gentleness that it seemed he was cleaning an ancient relic.

“Ready” He said.

“Thank you, Spike”

“Well, if you need anything else, call me” He said, exiting the bathroom.

He started classifying the books on the shelves as usual until he heard Twilight call him again.

“Were you talking to me?”

“Yes, it’s that I wanted to have a bubble bath, but there’s no hot water. Could you warm it for me?

“Couldn’t you do it with a spell?” He said coming closer and raising an eyebrow.

“I could, but something tells me it’ll feel better if you warm it. Please?” She said, putting her sad eyes.

“I’m really going to have to learn to resist that glance of yours, one of these days” Spike sighed.

He introduced his claw in the water and closed his eyes. Just moments after, Spike touched the water with his other claw and removed the one that was already in, which was stained red.

“I think it’s ready. Check it”

Twilight got closer and introduced her right hoof.

“Perfect!”

“Well, if that’s everything…” He said, turning around, but Twilight took his left claw between her hind hooves.

“Enter with me” She said seductively, already being in the bathtub.

Spike blushed.

“Buh… But… Who will attend the library?”

“Peewee and Owlicious. If there’s a problem, we’ll exit here. Come on, nothing bad will happen” She said while poured the soap into the bathtub for bubbles to appear.

Not seeing any actual reason to not stay, Spike smiled at her and got into the bathtub after Twilight gave him room. Most of the water there was in it overflowed, but neither of them seemed to care about it. Twilight blinked alluringly in front of Spike and got her face closer to his so they could kiss. She put both her hooves on Spike’s chest and pushed him so he would sit on the bathtub. Then she lay on top of him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Better than an aromatherapy bath at the Spa” She said with a sigh.

“So this was what you had planned” Spike laughed a bit.

“What did you think, you dirty boy?” She said accusingly.

“Oh, I’m sorry! But I wasn’t the one responsible for us losing our virginity”

“But you enjoyed it a lot, didn’t you?”

They looked at each other seriously for a moment before laughing out loud. When they finished, Twilight lay on top of the dragon, rubbing her face against the base of his neck. Spike hugged her and planted a kiss between her hairs.

“I really love it when you hug me”

“I love having you in my arms” He sighed.

Twilight let herself wrap by the sensations of her body. The hot water, the soft foam, Spike’s strong arms holding her. She no longer had anything to envy of Pegasus, who slept in the sky, for she had found her own piece of paradise in her own house…

Later, this time with Spike by her side, Twilight continued with her experiments in the basement. It was Saturday, so she didn’t have to worry about her students. In addition, she had been delayed with her study program for the time Spike was in the hospital. One would think that now that they were a couple, they’d have problems to work seriously, but it was actually quite the opposite, for it seemed they had never worked with better efficiency.

Hours later, the left the basement, laughing and comparing notes from the experiments, when someone knocked the door.

“I’ll open” Spike said, smiling.

He felt his already cold blood freeze when he saw from the other side of the door nothing less than the goddess of the sun, Princess Celestia.

“Good afternoon, Spike” She said cordially.

“Good afternoon, your majesty” Spike replied stunned.

“Is Twilight here?”

“Ehh… Yes! We were making some experiments in the laboratory, but we’ve now finished” He said, regaining his composure.

“I see, may I enter?” She said, getting more serious.

“Yes, come in, please”

Twilight got both surprised and happy when she saw the princess.

“Princess Celestia, I’m glad to see you. To what do we owe your visit? You almost never come without warning”

“I know and I apologize for that. But actually I’ve come to deal with an issue of extreme seriousness”

Indeed. Spike and Twilight hadn’t seen the princess so serious since the incident of Discord.

“What is it about?” Twilight asked.

“In order to speak of this, I’ll need to talk with you alone. Spike, do you think you could leave the library for a while as we speak?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll see you later” He said, leaving the library.

“It’s been a long time since I saw you so serious, Princess. What’s wrong?”

“Twilight, my dear and most outstanding student; since the first day, you’ve been a great source of joy and pride for me. You’ve exceeded all my expectations, and even if you hadn’t saved Equestris from its sure doom in three consecutive times, I was always sure since the first day that your name would someday appear on history books”

“Wow… Thank you very much, Princess” Twilight answered, very flattered by her mentor.

“However, recently very disturbing information came to me and I’ve come to see if it’s true”

“Whah… What information?” Twilight asked nervously.

Oh my goodness! Does she know it? But how? The only ones who know this are Applejack and Rarity… It’s not possible for anypony else to know. And why would they tell the princess?

“This letter came to me” She said while appearing an envelope and giving it to Twilight with her telekinesis.

“Read it, please”

Twilight opened the envelope and extended the letter, which contained a message in italics and a little misaligned. Twilight’s mouth and eyes were progressively opening as she read the text until she finally read it all.

“Do you… Do you… Do you believe THIS is true?” Twilight asked with an indescribable mix of feelings.

“No. If I believed that what there’s there is true you would be under arrest and Spike receiving psychological help. That’s why I’ve come, Twilight. Because I cannot believe something like this is true. But if it is, I’ll have no choice but to intervene in this. Is it true or not?”

“OF COURSE NOT!” Twilight shouted offended, furious and disgusted.

Celestia wasn’t fazed by her disciple’s reaction.

“Nothing at all?”

“Well… Not… Not everything is false” Twilight sighed.

Celestia frowned very alarmed about it.

“What parts are true, Twilight Sparkle?” She asked very seriously.

For a moment, Twilight was afraid of the princess’ wrath. But then it faded. This was what she and Spike had talked about. It was the first test of their love. Together, they both had sworn they’d fight to protect it, to defend themselves and for the right to be together. And here was their first great challenge, one she couldn’t afford to lose…

“The part that tells Spike and I are a couple. We started dating two days ago. But I didn’t seduce him or anything like that, but just the opposite. I was the one who, in the last weeks, was getting in love with him when I saw the dragon he had become. I’ve been for so long looking for the stallion of my dreams, but the experience of the hurricane made me realize I was wasting my time looking for that stallion. Spike is all I’ve ver wished”

Celestia looked at Twilight surprised.

“I don’t blame you if you think I’m crazy, Princess. I couldn’t believe it either, or it should be best to say I didn’t want to believe it, but I understood it was true. Spike is chivalrous, romantic, generous, smart, responsible, honest ... He’s a great poet who speaks about me like I was a goddess. We’ve only spent two days together, but never in my life have I been so happy. I don’t care about what Mother Nature may think. I don’t care what law says. I don’t even care what YOU may think! And there’s another thing the letter says that’s true: Spike and I have had our first sexual encounter. But it wasn’t this horrible aberration the letter describes! We didn’t fornicate either or simply have sex. We made love! He made love to me! And it was wonderful, magical. I never felt more alive and happy. What I want you to understand, Princess, is that I’m not interested in the strongest earth stallion. I don’t want the fastest Pegasus in the world. I don’t want the most powerful unicorn in Equestria. I like, LOVE Spike and want to spend the rest of my life by his side, with or without your blessing!”

Twilight took a deep breath at the end of her speech. The princess looked stunned without knowing what to say for the first time in centuries. She finally sighed and came closer slowly to Twilight. Fear stalked the unicorn’s heart while awaiting the answer from her monarch, expecting the worst, especially after how she’d shouted at her. Celestia smiled and without warning, she wrapped Twilight tightly between her forelegs, pressing her against her chest.

“My little one has become an adult and has found love. I’m so happy for you two” Celestia said maternally.

Twilight’s eyes widened when hearing that.

“Do you… Are you ok with this?” She asked stunned.

“Of course, Twilight. How couldn’t I? After all, you and Spike are the closest thing I’ve ever had to son and daughter. I wouldn’t do anything that could stand between you and your happiness. In fact… Somehow I always expected something like this to happen” She said looking away ashamed for a moment.

“Did you foresee this?” Twilight asked surprised.

“I didn’t, but… Well I guess I’d better explain it to you from my perspective”

Celestia released Twilight and sat down on the ground in front of her, who did the same.

“Twilight, my dear student. Do you know that there exist powers that are more powerful than the Elements of Harmony? That there exist magic sources that are more powerful than friendship?”

“Yes, I know it very well, Princess. Powers that are so big or so unstable and erratic that they can’t be used safely or can’t be contained in a physic form like the relics that hold the power of the Elements of Harmony. Some of them are considered illegal and forbidden in most reigns because of the terrible danger they represent, either for those who use them or those they use them against” Twilight answered very serious.

“Very well. Could you tell me which the most known ones are?”

“Well, there are Bliss, Sadness, Hope, Hatred... Chaos” Twilight whispered.

“Ah yes, Chaos. Everypony in Equestria has suffered its terrible power” Celestia muttered, remembering his terrible holder.

“Which more?”

“Well, there’s the power of Wrath. Though it only was used once, but left its mark on history”

“Correct, that’s a great story. Do you remember it?”

“Well… It all started thousand years ago when the three breeds of dragons fought for land power. Quetzalcóatl, leader of the snake dragons. Leviathan, leader of the sea dragons. And finally Shenron, leader of the ‘pure’ dragons. The war lasted for several centuries until a powerful the sorcerer from the breed of the pure ones called Asura appeared. The legend says he had formed a weapon made with the wrath of the soldiers and families who had died or lost their loved ones during the war, which gave it a power without equal. He called that weapon ‘The Brahmastra’ and with it, he unified the three clans, putting himself as the King of all the dragons and the newly formed Ikaruga. Thereafter he was known as ‘Asura, the Executioner of Samsara’”

“Correct again, Twilight. A sad yet epic story. Curiously, after the death of King Asura, the Brahmastra was lost and its whereabouts was never known again. Thousands of creatures of all species have gotten lost while traveling to the ends of the earth looking for its whereabouts. But we have one last power left, right, my dear student? Don’t you remember which it is?”

Twilight thought for a moment.

“The power… The power of Love” Twilight finally concluded.

“That’s right, Twilight: Love. The one my niece and your sister in law protects: Cadence. The one that managed to defeat the Changelings when not even you and your friends could”

“But… What does that have to do with me and Spike?”

“Until now, Twilight, I haven’t been able to decipher how and why you could give Spike life that day in the academy. That egg… It had been lost for years, but you gave him life somehow!”

“What are you talking about, Princess? That we and Spike loved each other since before knowing each other? Even before he was born?” Twilight asked skeptically.

“Haha! If you say it like that it sounds very bad. But isn’t it romantic? It’s like he’d been born to love you!” Celestia answered happily.

Twilight was looking at her mentor shocked to see for the first time that side of hers.

“Well, of course I cannot assure it was the magic of Love what interfered in that day. But something is sure, Fate united you two. That’s why when I decided it wouldn’t be prudent that I kept taking care of you Spike, I couldn’t think of anyone better for that task than you. And if this has been the result of the union that was formed that day, I couldn’t be happier for you both”

“Princess Celestia…” Twilight said, getting closer to her mentor and hugging her-

“You must be strong, my little one. The path you both have chosen won’t be easy, but never hesitate you will always have my eternal blessing and support”

“Thank you, Princess” Twilight said with tears of joy.

“I guess you haven’t told your parents yet, have you?”

“N… No. In fact the only ones who know it are Rarity and Applejack… That’s why I can’t imagine who could sent that horrible letter to you” She said, recovering some of her fury when she looked the letter, now on the floor.

“Do not worry about that crap anymore. Whoever did this is someone who’s not happy about the relationship you and Spike have formed. But if they try to cause problems to you, they’ll publically have to deal with me”

“But Princess… Spike is still a minor and he and me…”

“Oh Twilight, calm yourself down. To dragon standards, Spike will be an adult when you have the age of Granny Smith” Celestia joked, but Twilight didn’t take the joke as a comic one.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, it wasn’t my intention…”

“It’s okay, Princess” Twilight interrupted her.

“I know I will not live anywhere near as long as Spike. That’s why I want to make the most of all the time we have” She smiled melancholically.

“And you will, my little one. Believe me you will” She said, rubbing her face against her cheek.

“And I will look after you two” She whispered to Twilight.

Author's Notes:

Please leave your comments saying if you've liked the chapter. Tell me if I made a mistake and I'll correct it.

The Family Blessing

“You look divine, Twilight. I’m sure Spike will be amazed when he sees you. Unless you get amazed first when you see him with the outfit I made for him” Rarity joked while Twilight was looking in the mirror with her new dress.

“It’s very beautiful, Rarity. Thank you very much again”

“You’re welcome, dear. Only the best for you two. Have you made plans yet?”

“Actually, we did. Princess Celestia arranged a meeting for me and my family so that Spike and I can tell them the news tomorrow”

“I see. It’s so kind of her. I’m really glad she took things so nicely, though I thought you’d wait to tell her in the end” Rarity said.

“Actually, that was our intention. But she found out prematurely”

“Really? And how?” rarity asked confused.

Twilight kept wondering who had been the one who wrote the horrible letter they had sent to Celestia, but in no way she would consider the possibility that Rarity or any of her friends had had something to do with that.

“We’d better leave it at that”

“As you wish, dear”

Twilight undressed and packed her new dress in a bag Rarity gave her.

“Twilight, wait please. I have something else for you” She told her before the sorceress left the boutique.

Rarity ran upstairs and returned a short time later, holding with her magic a gem Twilight knew very well.

“Take this. On behalf of Spike for you” She said, giving her the necklace that had the fire ruby Spike had given her so many years ago.

“But Rarity… This is yours” Twilight said.

“It used to be mine. Now it is yours” She replied serenely.

“But… Why?”

“Because that’s how it must be. Spike gave me this precious gem, not by pure generosity. It was his way to tell me how much I meant for him. Back then I was the owner of his heart. It’s a symbol of his love, but now the owner of his heart is you and therefore I want you to have this ruby. You were always the one who should have it. I was only taking care of it” She said, giving her the gem and pushing her hoof so Twilight couldn’t give it to her back.

Twilight looked at her reflection on the many faces of the ruby on her hooves and hugged her designer friend.

“Thank you so much, Rarity” She said, touched by her friend’s generosity.

“You have nothing to be thankful for, Twilight. Now go home, for your knight must be waiting for you”

The next noon, Twilight, Spike, Cadence, Shining Armor and Messrs. Dusk and Violet Star were sitting at a circular table in a balcony of Canterlot castle, enjoying lunch. Both Twilight and Spike were wearing the outfits Rarity had made for them.

“Isn’t it nice of Princess Celestia for having prepared this family reunion” Said Mrs. Violet as she tasted the soup.

“It’s true, though something tells me my aunt didn’t plan all this just for charity. I bet she has a surprise for us” Cadence said suspiciously.

“Please, Cadence. Do you doubt the goodwill of your own aunt?” Dusk asked.

“No, but she never does something for no reason”

“Cadence is right. There’s a special reason Princess Celestia arranged this reunion” Twilight said.

“And what is it, daughter?”

“It’s about Spike and me” She said, blushing a bit.

“Are you moving back to Canterlot?” Shining Armor joked, drinking a wine glass.

“Not exactly. Actually we wanted to inform you Spike and I have fallen in love and now we’re a couple”

Instantly, Shining comically spat his wine, soaking his father, who was sitting in front of him. Twilight’s mother looked at her and the dragon, stunned, as Cadence smiled brightly.

“You and… Haha… Hahahahaha!” Shining laughed out loud.

“Heheh… Yes, good joke, my daughter. Now seriously, tell us what news you have” Said Mr. Dusk, cleaning his face with a couple of napkins.

Twilight was going to speak again, but Spike spoke first.

“Actually, Mr. Dusk, I’m in love with your daughter. I’ve been since I have memory. And I know you have many reasons for you and your wife to doubt me in this moment, but I promise you I’m going to spend every day of my life to make her as happy as I can”

“N… Now seriously, Spike. What are you up to?”

“What you heard, mom. Spike loves me and I love him. We have very serious intentions to spend the rest of our lives together” Twilight solemnly assured, taking the dragon’s right claw with her hoof.

“Daughter, is this serious?”

“Yes, they are serious. I’ve been able to see it since we met at the entrance of the castle. The love they share is so strong it’s almost palpable” Cadence said.

“Did you already know?” Twilight asked.

“Twi, please! I am the Princess and Guardian of love. Did you think you could hide something like that from me? I can distinguish a couple of lovers since I was 3” She said, bragging of her gifts.

“And I can assure you I hadn’t seen a more intense love since mine and Shining’s. I’m very happy for you two”

“Thank you, Cadence” They both said.

“Now seriously, girls. This isn’t funny. What are you up to?” Shining interrupted, very skeptical, as if that was a bad joke.

With intentions to silence his brother and show them all she was serious, Twilight took Spike’s face between her hooves and gave him a strong kiss. When they separated, all of them but Cadence were looking at them with widened eyes, incredulous because of what they had just seen.

“It’s true” Twilight reaffirmed.

Twilight’s parents exchanged worried glances.

“Daughter, are you sure about this? Did you already think about it? What about you, Spike? We thought that when you grew up, you would go live with the other dragons, especially now that a peace treaty with their kingdom is closer than ever” Mrs. Violet said.

“Yes, mom. We’ve talked about this a lot. We agree it won’t be easy, but we will try it by all means”

They observed a minute of silence at the table.

“Well, daughter…” Mr. Dusk spoke.

“You’ve always been a very smart girl who knows exactly what she wants in her life. You achieved independence from us at an early age and you’ve faced and conquered bigger dangers than most ponies face in their life. So it’d be silly to stop you with the excuse: ‘It’s for your own good’ or ‘We know what’s best for you’”

“Dad…”

“Yes, daughter. We’ll need some time to get used to it, for we’ve always seen Spike as another son, but we never imagined he’d be our son in law. But if you both agree and this is truly what you two want and what makes you happy, of course you’ll have all our support”

“Twilight stood up and got closer to her parents to hug them. Then Twilight’s parents got closer to Spike”

“I promise you won’t regret it” Said the dragon.

“We know, son. After all we have always known you and we know the gentleman you are” Violet said.

“Just make sure you treat our daughter well”

“You can be sure of that, sir”

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it honey?” Cadence said while looking at her husband, who remained silent, still stunned.

“Have you all gone crazy” He yelled.

“How can your mate be a dragon? Are you sick in the head? You can’t form a relationship with a creature of another species” He said while looking at Twilight very upset.

“Shining, please calm down. Interspecies romances aren’t a crime. You yourself are part of one” His wife scolded him.

“This is totally different” He countered.

“Ah yes? How?”

“I’M NOT A BUCKING LIZARD!”

“Shining Armor!” His mother shouted in disappointment.

“What’s wrong with you, my son? You should be happy for your sister and your future brother”

“That… THING isn’t going to be my brother! Does Princess Celestia know about this?” He asked Twilight.

“Yes, she does. And she’s already given us her blessing. But I don’t need yours to decide who to love or who to share my life with!” Twilight answered, very upset and offended by her brother’s behavior.

Shining Armor put a face of full disgust. He turned around and trotted from there.

“Shining! Shining, come back here and apologize! His father yelled at him, but the captain of the guard ignored him”

“Shining Armor, don’t you dare to turn your back on your father!”

But the unicorn left anyway.

“What the hell is wrong with him?” Said Twilight.

Slowly, they all stared at Cadence questioning.

“Don’t look at me like that! It’s the first time I’ve seen him behave like that” Cadence defended herself.

Shining Armor asked some guards about Princess Celestia’s whereabouts and went quickly to her study room, where she was.

“Princess Celestia” He said when he entered.

“Yes, Captain. Is there anything wrong?”

“You bet, Majesty” He answered, without the due protocol reverence.

“Did you already know about Twilight and Spike’s matter?”

“Do you mean the intense and pure love they have found for each other? Yes, I did. How wonderful, right?”

“What do you mean by wonderful? It’s an abomination” The captain replied.

Celestia’s smile faded at the unicorn’s reaction and got more serious.

“Explain yourself, Captain”

“My sister is in love with a dragon, Princess. Twilight Sparkle, holder of the element of Magic, Guardian of Harmony and member of the nobility of Canterlot, is in love with a dragon”

“Mmmm… Yes, I know that. I have no perception problems, if that’s what you’re getting at, Captain… Your point is…?”

“You can’t allow a pony of her ancestry to date a scaly beast, a ‘no one’ like Spike”

Celestia stood up with a very unusual glow of anger in her eyes.

“You had better not speak that way about Spike in my presence, Captain. Spike has dedicated his life to protect and fill your sister’s life with happiness and he deserves your respect. If what worries you is that she is with someone who’s technically still part of the plebs, don’t worry. That will stop being a problem very soon” She said confidently.

“You’re not suggesting what I think you think…”

“Ah, of course I’m not suggesting it! I’m saying it. Spike will soon be part of the nobility too. How else do you expect he can marry a Lady as Twilight when the time comes?”

Shining Armor expression wasn’t lying. He was furious and disgusted by his princess’ words.

“But Princess… This is madness!”

“For being against Mother Nature? Nowadays, many species that have managed to form big and prosperous reigns are hybrid creatures that were born because of interspecies romances. Griffins, minotaurs, satyrs… And I’m sure Spike and twilight’s relationship will only be the first of many ones once the peace treaties and mutual benefit with the kingdom of Ikaruga are completed”

Shining remained silent, staring at the floor.

“Buh… But…”

“This conversation is over! Your sister has found true love, Captain. If you cannot be happy for her, at least I hope you do not interfere. Retire, I’m busy” She severely sentenced, turning her back on him.

“As you wish, Majesty” He whispered, almost spitting those words.

Celestia looked askance at the captain when he left the study room.

“Seeing is believing” She sighed.

After taking a bath, Spike went to the bedroom, where he was confused his marefriend was nowhere. A brief search allowed him to find her sitting on the balcony, overlooking the city. He came up behind her, hugging her softly.

“It’s still so beautiful, right?”

“Not as much as you, my queen”

They were in their old tower they used to live in before moving to Ponyville. Her parents had already gone home, having made clear their approval and blessing, something they both couldn’t be happier with. Now, all those who were close to the couple knew about the news but Rainbow, but there would eventually be time for her.

“Seeing is believing” The two lovers heard a soft and familiar voice from the heights.

“Princess Luna!” Twilight yelled when she saw the owner of the night descend from the heavens in front of them.

“Hello, Twilight. It’s been a long time” She said, hugging the sorceress.

“Congratulations to both of you. Celes has just given me the news”

“We thought you already found out since yesterday, but thanks for your support, Princess” Spike replied.

“Spike, please. How many times will I have to tell you you can just call me by my first name?”

“Many more than you have done it… Princess Luna” He joked.

“Tedious… No wonder Twilight is in love with you” She said, pushing him away.

“I guess this also means we can count on your support” Twilight said.

“Of course you can. How not support those who helped me reintegrate into society?”

“Thank you, Princess”

“But hey, this has to be celebrated. Come with me, I know several excellent places, north of the city where we’ll be able to dance and have fun all night long”

“Ah… Are you sure, Princess? Won’t it be a problem that Spike is underage?” Twilight asked very surprised by the new face of Moon’s guardian, who seemed to have gotten very well used to the modern society.

“Of course, Twilight! After all we would only go to a disco, a soda shop and maybe a
cake shop. I wouldn’t be so irresponsible as to take you to a dive bar or a rave” The princess calmed her.

“You’ll only have to be careful some mare may steal your dragonfriend, who has become a very handsome dragon, I must say”

“Thank you, but not even a beauty like your Majesty’s could advert my eyes from Twilight” The dragon said.

“Enough, Spike” Twilight scolded him a bit.

“Haha! Just kidding, Twi. That’s how we treat each other, right Luna?”

“Regrettably, yes” She answered comically.

“Then are you ready?”

“Of course” They both said.

Luna’s body shone briefly in a glow blue. When it faded, Luna reappeared, being Twilight’s size and having lost her wings. Her mane wasn’t waving with her magic’s power or looked like a space nebula full of stars anymore. It was like her old hairstyle when she was younger: a simple light blue color. And finally, her cutie mark was a half-moon with a star next to it.

“What? You didn’t think I go out for fun with my normal appearance, did you? I couldn’t even show my face on the street without drawing everypony’s attention. So I have fun and Celes can be reassured that if I mess up, nopony will know it was the royalty” She said while looking at Twilight.

“… You’ve changed a lot, haven’t you?” It was the only thing Twilight’s brain could process.

“Twilight isn’t one who has a lot of fun, right?” Luna asked Spike.

“Not if it involves neglecting your responsibilities”

“I don’t forget about my responsibilities. I make a necessary use of my powers to be able to enjoy my free nights and get away from my stressing Princess life when I have the choice” She excused herself.

“Whatever. Come on, Twi. Calm down. If there’s somepony in Canterlot who can guide us to a night full of fun, that’s Moonbeam”

“Moonbeam?” She asked confused.

“It’s my secret identity” Luna whispered to her dramatically.

“Oh well… Let’s have some fun!” Twilight said.

“After that Nightmare Night in Ponyville, I’d never have imagined Luna as such a soul of the party”

“Haha. Tell me about it. I myself couldn’t believe it the first time I saw her like that. And how blame her? She’s getting rid of the thousand years of boredom she spent on the Moon. But how good she has… adapted so well to the new surroundings. Now the ponies do seize their nights for many activities”

“Yes, she’s finally happy and the ponies get amazed by the nights she brings them”

Luna had become an excellent tour guide, dancer, singer and comedian. She and Spike had promised her this only happened strictly in nights like this, but the unicorn had her doubts.

Twilight and Spike got to the bed after a long night of dancing, ice cream, candies and walks. As usual, Twilight soon sought shelter between her dragon’s arms, who didn’t take long to wrap her with his body. Comfortable and warm, Twilight sighed, ready to embark into the world of dreams.

“Twilight, aren’t you worried?”

“About Shining Armor?” She asked, guessing the cause of Spike’s concern.

“Yes”

“Of course not. What can he know? Didn’t you listen how he spoke about you? He’s mad because he hasn’t realized his sister has already grown up”

“But what if it’s not only that?”

“Well it had better be because if it’s not, I’m not going to be bearing him and his xenophobia”

“But what if he’s right? What if you deserve something better? What if I’m not good enough…”

Spike, who had looked away from Twilight, felt one of her hooves press against his cheek, which made it turn his face to face Twilight, who kissed him passionately.

“You Spike are all what I’ve always dreamt about. I couldn’t ask anything more to life. And I don’t want you to allow anyone, especially my stupid brother, to make you think otherwise. Did you understand?”

Spike looked her in her eyes before smiling.

“Yes, my queen” He said, kissing her again.

“I love you. And if Shining Armor doesn’t understand, it’s his problem, not ours”

“Good night, Twilight”

“Good night, Spike”

It had already been three days since Twilight and Spike gave the news to her family. And now it was sure everypony in the town knew it, for as soon as Pinkie Pie made what is commonly known as “A super huge massive party” that everypony in the town went to. As expected, those who were close to the couple offered their words of unconditional support. But it was inevitable the couple had to deal with strange glances, discouraging comments or that they questioned their union and even those who openly disapproved of it, like Shining Armor.

But thank to the presence of Princess Luna, who had gone to the event to assure them both she and her sister approved of the relationship of the unicorn and the dragon, the protests and criticisms were kept to a minimum, letting the happy couple enjoy the night Pinkie had prepared in their honor.

Twilight was at home, writing her most recent book about her findings in astronomy as she waited for her beloved dragon’s return. She ended the page she was working on and turned the page ro work on a new one, not before dipping her quill in ink again and looking at the clock on the wall.

“Spike is taking too long…” She said, with some concern when she saw it was eight o’clock PM.

“Is he working a double shift or something like that?”

Suddenly the main entrance door opened and Spike entered the house.

“Twilight, I’ve come back”

“Where were you? You had me very worried” She scolded him before rubbing her face against his.

“I’m sorry, I had a problem with a plague, but I have it controlled” He said, smiling.

“Spike, is everything alright?” The unicorn asked a bit concerned.

“Yeh… Yes… Why wouldn’t it, Twilight?”

“I… I feel you strange”

“It must be you worked a lot all afternoon, or am I wrong?”

“Yes, maybe you’re right”

In that moment, Peewee emerged from the kitchen. When he saw Spike, he croaked aggressively and started waving his wings against him as if he was an intruder.

“Peewee, enough! What are you doing?” Twilight said.

But the phoenix kept his attack and started to scratch the dragon with his claws. Twilight had the need to immobilize the phoenix with her telekinesis and take it out through a window and then closing it. As soon as she freed him, he started to hit the window to be able to enter again.

“What’s wrong with this bird?”

“Maybe he’s trying to say you should be careful of who you share your ceiling with”

“And why would I have to do that? You would never hurt me, Spike” Twilight asked very confident.

“Are you sure, dear?” He asked maliciously.

“S… Spike, What are you doing?... You’re scaring me…” Said Twilight.

“Don’t worry, the night is very young” He said, kissing her brusquely as he held her.

Twilight then knew that something wasn’t only wrong, but TERRIBLY wrong. In that kiss there was neither love nor affection; it was something empty, rude and vulgar. He was kissing her with so much strength that it made her lips hurt. She tried to push Spike from her, but the dragon was too strong.

Spike stopped kissing her on the mouth to kiss her on her face and neck, in addition he began to use his tongue very lasciviously and unpleasantly.

“S… Spike! Spike, please, stop! This feels horrible! I feel… I don’t like it at all!” Twilight started begging.

“My dear Twilight, that just makes things funnier to me!” Spike shouted euphorically.

“Ih… Impossible! You’re not like this. Please stop this craziness!” She said, beginning to cry.

“The only crazy here is you, Twilight, for being stupid enough to believe a prehistoric demon like me could love you!” He shouted insanely.

Twilight looked incredulous at the dragon’s eyes.

“Y… You… You’re not Spike! Don’t touch me, disgusting monster!” She said, kicking desperately to break free from her attacker. She would have used magic, but she was too scared to concentrate.

Suddenly, the window broke and through it, it entered a fireball that went straight to the dragon, separating him from the unicorn. The fireball got closer to the dragon and from it, appeared a couple of bird legs with sharp claws that managed to tear his left eye. The screams of pain of the dragon filled the library.

“Damn mystical bird!”

But suddenly, the dragon felt he was floating in the air, unable to move. He managed to move the eye he had left to see a very furious Twilight look at him with her horn glowing with magic. Then the dragon strongly crashed to the floor, breaking the wood a bit.

“NO ONE-KISSES-ME-EXCEPT-THE-REAL-SPIKE” Twilight yelled, making the impostor crash increasingly harder to the floor.

Finally, when she the poor unhappy one had knocked unconscious, she freed him. But to make sure he wouldn’t cause any more problems, she casted another spell who trapped the impostor in a crystal prison. Twilight breathed deeply, finally seeing she was safe. A sigh of relief was enough for her to start crying in silence because of what had just happened and what could have happened… Peewee got closer to Twilight to try to comfort her.

“Oh, Peewee, I’m so sorry! You were trying to warn me he was an impostor” She said, hugging the bird.

Twilight knew she had no time to start crying.

“If this one is a deceiver… where’s the real Spike?... Where’s my Spike?”

Before she could surrender to fear, she heard someone was knocking the door.

“Twilight, Twilight! Are you here? Please, answer me, I’m Sweetie Belle!”

Twilight opened the door quickly, finding the young diva breathe heavily with a face full of fear and anguish.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong? Why are you so hectic?”

“I…” Belle couldn’t finish her sentence when she saw the dragon in the crystal prison.

“Don’t pay attention to it! He’s just a simple deceiver!” She said between angry with the beast and worried the girl had a wrong idea of him.

“He must be with them…” Belle muttered.

“Be with whom?” Twilight asked confused.

“Twilight, listen: I was at the lake of Ponyville and saw a group of horses drag Spike, who was wrapped in chains”

“Chains? Was he injured?” Twilight asked very worried.

“I don’t know, but he was unconscious. I wanted to go ask for help, but I knew I first had to find out where they were taking him, so I followed them until a cave close to the Everfree forest”

“We must help him, take me to that place” Twilight demanded.

“Come on; wake up, stupid prehistoric monster!” He heard someone’s voice before being hit in his face.

Spike opened his eyes with headache, so he took a while to distinguish where he was.

His body was wrapped in chains and his mouth wore a metal muzzle, probably for preventing him from exhaling fire. He was in what seemed a cavern. Next to him there were another 3 stallions. A pegasus with orange fur, brown horsehair and blue eyes; and two earth stallions, one grey and the other one white, both with black horsehair and eyes.

“What… Where am I? Who are you?”

“My name is Rufinus” The pegasus spoke, taking a step forward.

“And these two are Dust and Morning Bright. And I’m afraid you aren’t going to come back home, young one”

“Why? What’s all this? I’ve done nothing wrong!”

“Shut up, you scaly beast! Just by stepping on our land steal our food and resources you’ve done enough” The grey stallion yelled furiously.

“Dust, control your brother, will you?”

“What my friend is trying to say so inappropriately, is we belong to a secret group dedicated to safeguarding the future and prosperity of Equestria and I’m afraid you and your race are a huge stone on the road to that prosperity. A stone we must keep away from the road. And we’ll do the same with you”

“What’s happening down there?” He heard a fourth voice, one that was very familiar to Spike.

“Shining! Shining Armor, help me!” Spike began to ask for help when he recognized the unicorn who had just entered the chamber, as he struggled to break free from his chains.

“Why should I help you, filthy lizard?” Asked Shining.

Spike stood motionless when he heard his future brother in law call him like that, understanding why the unicorn was actually there.

For a long time, Spike, Princess Celestia has has attempted to carry out these stupid and very unnecessary alliances with the kingdom of your spit-fire relatives. And despite all her efforts and the support of King Ragnarok, the union of both nations has been in vain. Do you know why?

Spike shook his head.

“The biggest impediment that retains the treaty of peace and mutual benefit is opposition of their people. Ponies, reasonably afraid and distrustful of admitting the barbaric draconian beasts in their country and the dragons, too egotistical and arrogant to conceive the possibility of partnering with supposedly inferior beings like us ponies. As well as the belief both sides will be unable to live with each other in the long term. Now ask yourself what would happen if they suddenly knew about the story of a unicorn who fell for a dragon, who returned her feelings… Public opinion could change. They’d see that ponies and dragons not only can live together in harmony and peace, but they can even fall for each other. If these ideas were public, there’s no doubt the union between both reigns would be possible, and that’s something we simply can’t allow”

“Why?” Spike asked very confused.

“Why don’t you want Equestria and Ikaruga to unite? Why do you despise dragons? Why don’t you want your sister and me to be happy?” Spike demanded.

“Shut up, animal! Morning shouted, hitting Spike in his face”

“You don’t seem to understand, boy” Rufinus spoke again.

“Equestria is a kingdom that was born when ponies understood living in suspicion and contempt made no good to anyone. Equestria was founded on the ideals of tolerance, friendship and love. Do you know how Ikaruga was founded? Shenron, Leviathan and Quetzalcoatl; the three were legitimate sons of the mighty Izanagi, member of the Ancients and the one who separated the land from the oceans. As soon as he left and let his three sons be on their own, these started a war that lasted centuries, devastating the beautiful land their father had given them. And how did this war come to its end? It wasn’t because the brothers realized it was bad what they were doing, but because someone else had to subject them and their armies by brute force and force them to make peace. Do you really think Equestria may learn, need or benefit in any way from a kingdom like that? A herd of wild and barbaric beasts who know only war and abuse of power?”

“If Equestria and Ikaruga unite, Spike, it’ll be the end of our kingdom as we know it. But the princess blindly believes it’ll happen the opposite and it’ll begin a new era of prosperity and peace. We can’t afford to experiment if it’s true and open to the possibility that these beasts walk through our streets like normal citizens. Regrettably, you’ve become a crucial piece in the balance that measures if the union of both kingdoms will become a reality or not. Fortunately, you’re a piece we’ll be able to use to our advantage. It’s a shame Twilight had to become a martyr in the process” Said Shining Armor.

“What did you say?” Spike shouted.

“Think about it, Spike. If you and Twilight had a happy and perfect romance, ponies would start believing it’s possible for them and dragons to live together in harmony. But what would happen if the same dragon who said he loved a unicorn… Hurt her?”

“I’d rather lose my claws and legs before hurting Twilight”

“I know. That’s why you’re here while an impostor is blackening your name to show Twilight and all of Equestria why the beasts of you race mustn’t be allowed in this kingdom”

“Will you use your own sister as a scapegoat to achieve your purposes?”

“And to save all of Equestria. Don’t feel bad, Spike. You would never have been able to make her happy anyway. Who are you to claim her affection? What do you have to offer her in exchange? Not even your parents loved you. They abandoned you when you were just an egg and the only reason Twilight took care of you is because the princess asked her to, who in her infinite benevolence took pity on your miserable soul when Mother Nature was mistaken to let you live” Shining Armor said with contempt as a great and unexplained anger manifested within Spike.

“A good day, my sister will realize turning away from you was the best for her and her family”

“Then it was you!?” It was heard a female voice the unicorn and the dragon knew very well.

“Twilight!” Shining shouted surprised to see her sister stand behind the other stallions.

“How has she found us?” Dust whispered to his brother.

“How could you do this to us, Shining? How could you have done this to me? To your LSBFF, remember?!” She shouted like her heart broke in the process.

“Twilight, calm down, please. I know this looks bad, but…”

“Don’t treat me as a little filly, BIG BROTHER! You kidnapped my dragonfriend, you used a metamorphosis spell in… I don’t know who, and you sent him to my house to blacken Spike’s name and hurt me!”

“He would only scare you so you would see how dangerous living with a dragon is”

“He tried to rape me, Shining!”

Shining Armor sighed heavily.

“Twilight, you can’t see how serious this is, not only for you, but for all of Equestria. Dragons are dangerous, irrational and cruel. We can’t allow those creatures in our kingdom” He said solemnly.

Twilight looked at his brother completely astonished and started laughing weakly a little after.

“What’s so funny?” Asked Rufinus.

“You… You make me laugh and disgust. You say dragons are cruel and irrational, yet you’ve kidnapped a dragon who has never hurt anyone in his life, wanted to hurt me and used my suffering as a political cause in your plans... You are in no way different from those that you say they want to fight you!”

“Insolent witch!” Morning yelled, charging towards Twilight, but Shining stepped in.

“You’ve lost your mind, sister”

“No, Shining. I’ve never thought more clearly! I can’t even recognize you. You’re supposed to defend and protect the habitants in Equestria equally and obey the wishes and interests of the princesses. What do you believe they’ll think when they find out?”

“Princess Celestia is losing her credibility and ability to lead this nation. And we know Luna could never do it by herself. It would be a good moment for a new order to come”

“Yours?”

“And Cadence’s. And if it’s for the sake of the nation, then that’s what I will do”

“You’ve gone crazy!” She screamed with every intention in the world.

“Enough!”

Shining Armor shot a dark violet beam from his horn against her Twilight, but she responded with another beam of her fur’s color. The contact of both rays produced powerful blasts of energy that lit the cave.

“You’ve grown very strong, little sister” Shining said mockingly but he really was working hard in his attack.

“I won’t let you continue with this madness! I won’t let you hurt Spike!”

“Spike should be the last of your concerns. You may be the holder of the element of Magic, but without your dear friends to give you power, you’re just my little sister”

Shining’s beam strength surpassed Twilight’s, throwing her against the wall, where she crashed, making a loud sound. Already on the floor, Twilight writhed in pain while feeling his brother’s energy discharge.

“I’m sorry, but you left me no choice, little sister” He said, getting closer slowly with his horn still glowing.

“Shining Armor, please… I’m your sister” She begged, fearing her crazed brother could hurt her more.

“Don’t be afraid, Twi, this won’t hurt. It’ll only make you fall asleep. And you wake up, I’ll have erased all your memories about this and the dragon. It’ll be like this crazy youth affair of yours had never happened”

“N… No… You can’t do that!” She shouted, full of panic.

“You can’t take my memories from me! I love Spike! Please, Shining, don’t do this to me!” Twilight begged, tearing up and seized with fear trying to escape. But her brother grabbed her by her shoulders and touched her horn with his.

“It’s for your sake, Twilight. When you wake up, everything will be ok”

“No, no! Spike, Spike, I love you! No matter what happens, never doubt it! I love you with all my heart!” It was the last thing she could say before falling asleep.

Shining Armor separated from her and laid her down on the ground.

“have you erased her memories yet? So fast?” Rufinus asked.

“Of course not, it’s a very complicated spell and that beam duel has exhausted me pretty much”

“What do we do now?”

“Kill the dragon” He said.

Suddenly the four stallions got alarmed by a loud noise. The sound of steel bending. The four stallions turned to see Spike struggling to break the chains.

“He’s going to break free!” Rufinus said, flying towards Spike, but before being able to get where he was, Spike broke the chains into pieces, several of which dug into the pegasus’ body, who lost his balance falling to the floor noisily.

“Miserable!” Shouted the twins, charging towards Spike before he could take off the muzzle.

Dust lunged at Spike head-on and his brother Morning climbed onto his back to strangle him from behind. Instead of struggling with the stallion in front of him and getting rid of him, Spike raised and joined both his claws, using them as a hammer to hit with a lot of strength the back of the stallion, who crashed to the ground, clearly feeling how his ribs had broken in two. Too scared to see what had happened to his brother, Morning didn’t see how Spike was holding his forelegs, not to get rid of him, but to make sure he would remain in his place. Spike crouched and jumped with a lot of strength, hitting the ceiling, knocking him out.

He returned to the ground, letting the unconscious stallion on his back fall. He tried to take off the muzzle, but he had to use both his claws to stop the lunge of what seemed a lightsaber. Spike then realized that lightsaber was Shining Armor’s horn. Spike’s skin had been able to resist red hot metal, even magma and yet that spell was burning his claws, both his attacker and he could see the smoke and the smell of burning flesh from his claws.

“You won’t leave here alive, monster!” Shining screamed.

“You have no right to call me like that, piece of crap!” Spike replied.

Spike stretched his long tail and wrapped it around his attacker’s neck, but instead of pulling to deflect his attack, he concentrated on crush his throat.

“Let’s see what will resist more: my claws or your trachea” Spike said mockingly.

Shining Armor soon felt the strength from Spike’s tail prevent him from breathing, but he didn’t give up. He put every fiber of his energy in his attack, making the lightsaber of his horn shine more intensely. But in essence, he knew it was a battle he couldn’t win.

Shining Armor lost and gasped in choking, putting his forelegs around his neck and trying to trying to break free from the tail that was strangling him. Spike shook his burned claws for a moment before finally taking off the damn muzzle. He lifted Shining Armor with his tail, enjoying his victory and seeing how the unicorn was struggling to not choke now with the weight of his body held by the tail. Spike roared fiercely against his brother in law and though he exhaled no fire, it was enough for his brother in law to feel like he had his face in front a hot source of fire.

“Do you fear me, Shining Armor? Because I don’t fear you nor any of your coward friends” Spike evilly said.

Shining Armor looked terrified at Spike, whose eyes were shining with an unusual red glare. He knew that he was at the dragon’s absolute mercy and that in any moment he wanted, he could rip his head off or burn him alive.

“Come on… Kill me now!” Shining Armor shouted defiantly.

“I should… I should kill you in cold blood because you deserve it, but I won’t. Not only to show you you’re wrong about dragons, but also because I want you to face the punishment for your actions as it must be… But before that, I’ll make sure you can’t use this to hurt any other dragon or pony”

Spike took Shining Armor’s horn with both his claws and with a relatively big effort, he broke it in two. Shining cried in pain and then he fainted because of the shock. Finally, Spike let him fall to the ground and went where his beloved was.

“Forgive me, my queen. This time I haven’t been able to act in time” He said, crying a little.

He took his maiden in his arms and walked on his hind legs out of the cavern. After a while he heard multiple steps and lights that came from the other end. They were Sweetie Belle and a group of police ponies.

“Spike!” The pony shouted, happy to see him.

“Spike, thank Celestia you’re safe!... What happened to twilight? What happened to you? Where are those ponies? What…”

“Calm down, Sweetie Belle. I’m ok, tomorrow I’ll be fine”

“Weren’t there a group of ponies who had kidnapped you?” Said the sergeant.

“Yes, they are in the deep part of the cave, but you’ll need a medical team to get them out, two of them will have to be retained to leave” He said coldly.

“By the way, does any of you have a paper and a quill? I need to send a letter”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just give them to me if you have them, please”

“Of course, here you go”

One of the police ponies took Twilight with her magic while Spike was writing a letter on a pocket notebook.

Track the origin of this letter and please come immediately. Something terrible happened.

Spike burnt the paper sheet after separating it from the notebook and briefs moments later, Luna appeared there.

“Spike, what happened?” She said when she saw the dragon and her sister’s apprentice unconscious in that place.

“It’s a long story”

The fateful night had finally come to an end and the sun started to rise on the horizon of Equestria. Spike, with bandaged claws was waiting anxiously for his beloved unicorn to wake up, who was sleeping peacefully on the bed in her room. Spike hadn’t been able to sleep because of his concern. Luna had assured him nothing had happened to Twilight and her memories were intact, but he simply couldn’t sleep until he could see her wake up and see if she was ok.

Twilight finally began to move his body and after a big yawn, she opened her eyes.

“Twilight?…”

The unicorn blinked a few times before looking at his face.

“Spike?...” She said confused as her vision cleared.

“SPIKE!” She shouted with full consciousness and then hugged the dragon and began to cry.

“I love you, I love you! I was so scared. I thought I’d never see you again!”

“Here I am, Twlight. Please, forgive me. I could do nothing to help you”

“Don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault. It was Shining Armor… All the blame is his!” She said, rubbing her neck frantically against the dragon’s chest.

“What happened to him? How did we escape? Where is he?”

“Calm down, Twilight, calm down… Princess Luna took him and his accomplices. She used a spell to see their memories. She already knows everything. What they did to us and what they planned to do”

“My own brother… How did this happen, Spike?” She said, crying in silence against his chest.

Spike remained silent without knowing what to say. He could only hug Twilight and stroke her mane to comfort her.

“Shining Armor… He really believed he was doing the right thing. He really thought our relationship was an abomination and that I and our race were an abomination. In his desperate attempt to ‘protect’ Equestria… He didn’t mind sacrificing his own morality and family”

“Stupid… He lost his mind completely”

“Your brother…”

“He’s no longer my brother. That monster lost the right to call me sister. I don’t need him in my life… We don’t need him in OUR life”

Spike looked amazed at Twilight.

“Right?” She said, filled with determination.

“As always… I agree with you, my queen” He said, kissing her on her forehead.

“I guess you haven’t slept because of me all night, right? Sleep a little” She said calmer.

“Oh, I will” He said, leaning on his back with twilight still in his arms.

“Sweet dreams” She said, kissing him on his cheek.

“Now that I know you’re safe, it’ll be easy”

“All thanks to my brave knight” She said, snuggling on his body, intending to sleep a little more.

The nightmare was over. Their love had faced its second test and once more they had emerged victorious.

Author's Notes:

Fans of Shining Armor, deal with it. Don't forget to write your comments with your opinions about the chapter.

Words From A Mother

Shining Armor opened his eyes, feeling a sharp pain in his head from the place where his horn didn’t use to be broken. He quickly noticed he was inside a prison cell. He stood up and tried to run towards the cell bars, but he quickly stumbled and fell to the floor. When he turned his head to see what had stopped him, he realized he was chained to the wall. Shining inspected his prison more. He was in the last cell of a long corridor of some prison, probably underground because of the appearance of the walls. It didn’t look like there was anyone else in that prison except him, though it could hardly be considered the VIP area.

“Hello? Is there anyone here? What’s happening, where am I? I demand to know! Someone answer me!”

After a while of yelling, the door at the other ending of the corridor opened and entered no one less than Princess Celestia.

“Good evening, Capt… Sorry, EX-Captain” She said calmly, but with emphasis on the last part.

“What do you mean by ex-Captain, Princess?” He said fearfully, for he had a very clear idea about the possible and sure answer.

“Probably due to what you’re thinking”

“Majesty… I can explain”

“It is not necessary, Mr. Armor. Luna and I have checked your memories and your subordinates from the crime scene. Well, the ones who survived”

“What do you mean by ‘the ones who survived’?” Shining asked alarmed.

“I’m afraid Mr. Morning died in the operating room. One of his broken ribs pierced his left lung and when the doctors intervened, it was too late. He drowned in his own blood”

Shining Armor observed a minute's silence in memory of his dead soldier before talking.

“Princess, I assure you we did it for the sake of Equestria. It was never our intention to hurt anyone”

“Sure! That’s why you didn’t plan to murder Spike or sent a thug to your sister’s home, dressed like her dragonfriend” She replied sarcastically.

“Not to mention that we now know who guided the ruffians who ambushed the transport of the ambassadors of Ikaruga some months ago”

“I assure you everything has been…”

“Allow me to read your crime list, Shining Armor” Celestia said, making a document appear and clearing her throat to start reading.

“Let’s see… Overextend the use of the army staff and props. Not informing about your activities. Labor corruption. Assault with a deadly weapon. Attempted murder in the first degree to the ambassadors of Ikaruga. Attempted murder in the first degree to the dragon known as Spike. Insubordination. Conspiracy against the Royal Crown…” Celestia took a deep breath.

“Do you want me to continue?”

“Princess… I know I’ve committed questionable acts… But you have to understand, please, that everything has been to protect Equestria. You can’t really believe allying ourselves with dragons will be good for our kingdom”

“And why would I not think that? King Ragnarok has clearly shown interest like I me to form the alliance” She said.

“Sure, because we represent a great banquet for him and them!” Shining shouted.

“Shining Armor, for the Ancient’s sake, the dawn of creation ended. You’re talking about dragons like they are all living in caverns”

“Well they do!”

“Only the ones who live in Equestria. Have you ever bothered to investigate about those creatures, beyond the stories of troubadours? The dragons who live in Equestria live in solitude and anonymity because that’s what they choose. Because they are marginalized, criminals who escape their fate or simply hermits who prefer to live alone. But dragons have a kingdom after all, right? That means… I do not know. Probably they can live in society” Celestia said calmly.

“Their society was born from war”

“Were ponies different? Maybe ponies never started an armed conflict between themselves, but a relation of ‘a hoof washes the other one’ that only served to drag the three peoples’ to hatred and the verge of their destruction, it seems to me it’s nothing to brag about”

“But dragons did declare war when ponies settled in Equestria” He countered.

“And have you wondered why?”

“Equestria was founded on a land that, though distant, was still part of Ikaruga; and of course King Kiryu, who ruled the nation back then, wouldn’t give it to us for free. Especially considering he gave ponies the option to go and find another place to live in. And if you think about it, it was a war that dragons had EVERYTHING to win. After all, the army of Equestria was small and disorganized. They were very kind to give ceasefire when Luna and I finally appeared. King Kiryu was also very kind to allow Equestria to keep the territory dragons transit through to go to their ancestral mating place. By the way, very few dragons still do that nowadays. The majority of the dragons who make that trip do it do it just to keep alive the tradition of the trip itself”

Shining Armor was looking at Celestia surprised and confused.

“Dragons may not be the species with the best beginning. But are and remain one of the most evolved creatures in the world, who found the way to carry on by relying on society they together formed, when the right leader came to them: one of them. However, my parents warned me ponies couldn’t live in harmony by themselves. That is why they sent Luna and I to guide you”

Shining Armor looked at his monarch and understood he had no way out.

“What will become of me now?” He dared to ask.

“Yours is a very especial case. On the one hoof this should be sent to the courts. But let’s be realistic, with all the crimes you’ve committed and the amount of accomplices you had in the army, who are now being prosecuted, you would be lucky if you received a sentence of spending the rest of your life exiled on the Moon. But making a judgment through the courts would blacken the honor and reputation of your family, not to mention my poor and devastated niece”

“Cadence… What will happen to Cadence? Where is she?” He asked alarmed.

Celestia could clearly see the love the unicorn felt for her niece.

“She is fine. It’s a relief I decided not to involve her in this or I personally would execute you…” She said with all the seriousness of the world.

“My niece doesn’t want to see it. Anyway, as I said, prosecuting you by making a judgment and all that that implies would mark many other ponies unnecessarily. But leaving here in prison without a judgment would be very unfair. Fortunately, there’s another choice… Not so fortunately, because you aren’t going to like it” She said smiling evilly in the last part.

“What do you mean, Princess” He asked feeling very nervous.

“See, our dear dragon friends are a very proud species. When someone offends them, especially if the offended one is a dragon of the nobility, the perpetrator of the offense must be found to make them pay somehow. In your case, you tried to murder the two ambassadors who came to the castle some months ago, but they weren’t here willingly. They came on behalf of their majesty, King Ragnarok, who named them spokespersons and executors of his desires and interests here in Equestria. So as you can see, technically your offense wasn’t against the ambassadors, but the king himself” She explained calmly.

Shining Armor began to fear where the conversation was going.

“So, the king has requested authorization to dispose of you and make you pay by your offense, which according to their tradition, it’ll be an event involving the office of the perpetrator, in this case a military”

“But… Buh… But that means… I’m going to have to fight him?” He asked, fearing for his life.

“That is correct”

“You can’t allow it! He’ll kill me!”

“See the positive side; at least you will stand a chance to defend yourself”

“How am I going to defend myself if that stupid Spike broke my horn?”

“I said you would have a chance, not a very good one. But at this point I think that no longer matters”

“Princess, I beg you…”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Armor. But if I refuse the demands of King Ragnarok, I will accomplice of your offense and any hope that Equestria and Ikaruga form an alliance would be out of reach. It hurts me, but ‘it’s for protecting the future of Equestria, though it may seem cruel’”

Shining Armor felt an indescribable cold when he recognized his own sentence, which he had used with his accomplices.

“You may now enter, knights” Celestia shouted, looking at the entrance, which 3 large figures opened.

“Everything ready, your Majesty?” Said a dragon with a battle armor of the same color and a strange silver bracelet with a red gem on his left wrist. After him, entered other two dragons, one white and the other one orange. Both of them with the same armor and the same bracelet. They seemed adult dragons, but their height barely exceeded Celestia’s.

“Yes, Lieutenant, you may now…”

“What’s he doing here?” Shining Armor asked terrified.

“Lieutenant Dojin and his soldiers are here to take you to Ikaruga so you will pay for your crimes, Mr. Armor. Goodbye and thank you for your services provided to Equestria” She said, walking to the exit while Dojin and his soldiers let her pass, bowing to her when she passed.

“Oh, how fool I am! I almost forgot it” She said, returning where Shining was and making some documents and a quill appear.

“Read this and sign here, please” She said, giving him the quill so he could take it with his mouth.

“These… These are…”

“The divorce papers” She ended the sentence.

Shining Armor tore up when he saw Cadence’s signature at the end of the papers.

“It can’t be… It can’t be! This isn’t happening! No, no, no!” He screamed, falling to the floor completely hysterical and physically and mentally devastated.

Celestia looked at the devastated ex-captain wallowing on the floor and in his misery, without her showing any pity at all. He had betrayed her and many of her loved ones in too many different levels to have that that privilege. The unicorn was completely unhinged and doubting the terrible abyss into which his whole life had fallen in only one night. Celestia sighed without pitying the ex-captain at all.

“Forgive me, Princess. But we have a busy schedule to fulfill” Lieutenant Dojin said.

“I know, but I need him to sign this first”

“With all due respect, Princess, but what Mr. Armor signs or not won’t matter when my king sends him to Tartarus” He said calmly.

“… You’re right. Thinking about it, it’ll be easier to make the divorce if the spouse doesn’t live so he cannot claim anything. It is okay Lieutenant. You may take the prisoner with you. And give my regards to your King on my part when you see him” She said, leaving.

You forged this fate, Shining Armor. A tragedy. Not only because you wasted a really outstanding career, but you turned your back on your wife and a wonderful family. And however you thought you were doing the right and fair thing. But your noble dream became a twisted ambition. You thought I was betraying Equestria and wanted to endanger it for wanting to unite it to Ikaruga, but actually you were the one who became a betrayer when you didn’t mind hurting your friends and family in order to achieve your goals. Goodbye, Shining Armor. I pray that Ragnarok has mercy on you and finishes you quickly.

She teleported herself away from there, not wanting to hear Shining Armor’s cry of affliction.

Spike woke up sitting suddenly on the bed, which almost made Twilight fly out of it, for she was lying on him as usual.

“Spike, what’s happening?” She asked between worried and upset.

Spike only looked at her and hugged her without saying anything.

“Spike, what’s wrong?” She asked, now more anguished.

She noticed the dragon was sweating, his heart was beating fast and he was sobbing.

“Spike, please tell me what happened to you. Did you have a bad dream?”

“Something like that” He asked briefly.

Twilight remained silent, seeing the dragon refused to look at her.

“I was there, right?... Did something bad happen about us?”

“Yes…”

“Do you want to talk about it?” She said, rubbing her hooves against his chest to calm him down.

“It was just a dream. It’ll change nothing… Sorry for waking you up” He said, kissing her on her forehead before trying to sleep again.

“Spike, as your mate, it’s my duty to be there for you when you need help or comfort of any kind. I won’t obligate you to tell me what you saw, but if I can help you, please make me know” She said, kissing him on his cheek and leaning on one side of him.

Spike remained silent and stared at the ceiling of the bedroom, remembering what he had seen in his dream… After a while, he raised his clawbefore his face and extended his sharp claw. He inspected it as if it was a mysterious object he had never seen. Suddenly, Twilight’s hooves appeared wrapping and stroking his claw. Spike turned surprised to see his beloved staring at him warmly.

“No matter how much you grow up. No matter how strong you become. No matter how intimidating your appearance may get. I’ll still love you. Because I love you, not for what you are, but for who you are. And as long as that doesn’t change, I promise my feelings for you won’t change either. If you grow a lot for this house, we’ll move to another one. If the other ponies don’t want a dragon as a neighbor, we’ll move to a house away from the town. I chose to live by your side and I’m going to do it, no matter what it costs me”

Spike, who was touched, sobbed again a little before affectionately embracing his beautiful sorceress.

“Thank you so much, Twilight. I love you. I love you so much” He said, rubbing his face against her mane.

“And I love you too, Spike. With all my heart” She said, letting herself be loved.

Soon after they fell asleep.

Spike woke up first as usual. His beautiful sorceress was in his arms smiling. She looked so beautiful, so adorable… So fragile and helpless. Spike put his claws to his face, still suffering by the dreams of the last night. He got out of the bed and went to make the breakfast, knowing Twilight wouldn’t wake up in a while. He thought cooking would help him distract his mind, but the sound of the oil in the pan only made the images of his dreams more tangible. He knew he had to speak about that with someone, so after finishing with the breakfast, he took a blank sheet, wrote a petition for a meeting and burnt it to send it to the wisest creature he knew. Then he wrote another message to explain his absence to his beloved one and finally left home.

Spike walked through the village, which except for some business was still sleeping. He left the town until he arrived at the lake, not stopping there, but keeping walking upstream. Soon he could hear the sound of water falling from a huge waterfall flowing between the cliffs on a beautiful lagoon, which was hardly busy for any of the ponies of the town because of its distant location. But Spike from time to time, when he needed a remote place and beautiful to think. Especially to talk with his mentor and about his marefriend.

“Good morning, Spike” Princess Celestia cordially greeted, standing under the shade of a tree near the edge of the lagoon where the dragon had been waiting.

“Good morning, Princess Celestia! I’m sorry. I didn’t make you wait for too long, did I?” The dragon asked sorry, running towards the owner of the sun.

“Not at all. I lost track of time with this beautiful view”

“I see. Sorry, I thought you maybe would be too busy and would be a little late”

“To be with you, I’m never too busy, my boy” She said, getting close to him and rubbing her face affectionately against his.

“Thank you… Mom” Spike replied.

Actually, at this stage of his life, it was becoming for Spike more and more difficult to call Celestia as her mother, let alone see her as such. But he know how much it meant to the princess he called her like that, and actually it was something that didn’t bother to him. It was actually all the opposite, after all Celestia had taken care of Spike for his first years of life. A time when she neglected her royal duties to work on something she had never experienced before: motherhood. And though they both had grown up far away from each other, Celestia would always ask Spike to call her mom or mother when being alone with him, and he would always enjoy seeing the princess’ happy smile when he did it.

“What did you want to talk with me about, Spike? Are things between you and Twilight well?” She asked.

“Yes, everything is fine. What I’m worried about, is for how much time…”

“What do you mean, sugar cube?” She asked worried.

“Mother… I’m a dragon” He said, very seriously.

“Something I wouldn’t change for anything in the world, Spike. And surely nor would Twilight or any of your friends or anypony who knows you” She replied with total sincerity.

“But what will happen when I grow up? So far things have gone well, but just because I’m small. What will happen when I don’t even fit through a door? What if my instincts take over me again? What if I hurt anyone? I could never forgive myself if I ever hurt one of the girls. If I hurt Twilight… I don’t even want… I don’t even want to think about it” She said, sitting next to the shore and looking at his reflection.

Celestia got closer to Spike and sat next to him. The dragon looked at his adoptive mother, who was looking at him with a couple of eyes that were overflowing affection and support. She hugged the dragon with her forelegs and pressed him against her chest, also wrapping him with her wings.

“I’m afraid, mother” He whispered while hugging her.

“Who put those ideas in your mind, Spike” The princess asked.

Spike simply remained silent, hiding his face on her chest.

“It was Shining Armor, right?”

Spike nodded.

“Spike, the last thing you should do is to pay attention to insults and calumnies from a prejudiced and irrational pony like him” She said, somewhat annoyed when she remembered what the ex-captain was about to do to her adoptive son.

“But… He’s right about how dragons love war. About me being a danger for Twilight and the others. Actually… I enjoyed a lot fighting them. I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t care what could happen to them and I even ended up killing that stallion”

“You were just trying to defend your life and Twilight’s. You had to act and there was no time to doubt. I can’t say I’m proud for what you did, but I’m very happy you managed to escape there alive” She said, rubbing his back to calm him.

“I’ve always wondered… Why didn’t you send me away from the kingdom when I turned into a monster that birthday? I destroyed half of Ponyville. Why didn’t you send me to Ikaruga as soon as I was born? Why did you take care of me?” He asked confused, looking at Celestia.

This time, it was Celestia who got sad and embarrassed, looking away from the dragon.

“Because it was my duty, Spike. My parents sent me to this world to protect Equestria and all the ones who live in it. When you were born in this land, you became a citizen and subject of mine. And it was my duty to ensure your safety and wellbeing. Finding a couple of dragons who took care of you would be difficult, for we hadn’t made contact with Ikaruga in centuries and finding a couple of ponies who wanted to adopt a baby dragon was an even crazier idea. So I took the most logical choice: take care of that dragon by myself”

Celestia got her face closer to Spike’s and maternally kissed him on the tip of his nose, making the dragon blush.

“And to date is something I’m sure I will never regret”

“Nor will I, but… Why risk that I continued living here after what happened to me?”

“Because it was all my fault, Spike. I should have supposed something like that would happen. I should have known it and been with you to help you face it. As I should have been there when the dragon migration, your kidnapping… The fault is mine and only mine… I’ve been absent so many times when you needed me that I do not deserve to call myself your mother” She said, very sad with eyes that were starting to water.

“Don’t say that” He said.

“You’re the best mother any dragon or pony could ask for” He said, guiding her eyes to meet his with his claw and giving her a sign of affection that Celestia hadn’t received by the dragon or any other being for many time: a kiss on her cheek.

A single tear of joy went down her cheek and she hugged the dragon tightly, surrounding him with her forelegs and her neck.

“Do you remember the lesson you learnt when you sent your letter to me after you went to the migration?” She whispered to his ear.

“I told you… I had discovered that what I am doesn’t define who I am”

“Exactly. You’re a dragon, Spike. But you aren’t and you’ll never be a monster. You’re my beloved son, Twilight’s soul mate, worker in the hall town of Ponyville, Best friend of the Guardians of harmony and many more things” She said, separating a little to see his eyes.

Spike smiled at her and snuggled against her body, enjoying the touch of her soft indescribably magical coat.

“But I still have so much to learn”

“That is why you and Twilight will meet the most appropriate being to guide you and clarify all your doubts about dragons”

“Why do you make it sound like that pony isn’t you?” He asked confused.

“Because it is not me, Spike. So that you and Twilight can answer all your questions, you will receive advice from King Ragnarok himself” She said enthusiastically.

“What?!” He asked surprised.

“You see, after Armor’s matter, I saw the need to explain the situation to him and tell him about you and Twilight. He was very interested about you and offered to help you both and soothe all your worries and doubts personally, inviting you to see him at his palace. You should be excited! You and Twilight are going to meet the king himself and will do what no citizen of Equestria except me and Luna has made since the war with that nation: step on Rennes le Chateau”

Author's Notes:

I enjoyed translating this chapter a lot. Please post your comments saying if you liked the chapter and tell me if I made a mistake.

Legacy Of Fire

A stagecoach was plowing through heaven towards the frontier between Equestria and Ikaruga, pulled by three pegasi and four more around it as an escort. Inside the stagecoach there was Princess Celestia, Lady Twilight Sparkle and her dragon lover Spike.

“Nervous, Twilight?” Celestia asked her student, who didn’t take her eyes off the window.

“Of course not, just… I still can’t believe we’re going to meet the king in person and walk through the capital of his kingdom. They say the valley it was founded on was created by King Asura when he used the power of the Brahmastra to stop the war. I’m so excited! I wonder if the king will let me take a look at the library. Oh my goodness, just thinking about those giant books dragons must use makes me so excited!” She said, clapping with joy.

“Let’s hope seeing those books doesn’t give her a heart attack. It has a library, doesn’t it?” Spike joked.

“Of course. And they contain much more than war chronicles. I am sure Ragna will not mind you taking a look at them” Celestia said relaxed.

“Ragna” The lovers asked.

“That’s it. We all know that Ragnarok is a very long name. But do not call him by his nickname, unless he asks you to or authorize you, okay?” She said, winking at them both.

Later, the stagecoach ran into the path of a group of dragons with armor. Twilight and Spike attentively looked out the front window to the formidable beasts that were approaching at high speed when something incredible happened: they shrank, becoming slightly larger than the Pegasi. The stagecoach slowed down as the dragons formed a perimeter around them while one of them, surely the leader, was approaching the leader of the royal guards.

It was a black dragon with two big horns extending from behind his eyes to the front of his face and a smaller horn that sprang between his eyes to his forehead like his whole head was a big trident. Unlike the rest of the dragons, this one had no armor, except a silver bracelet with a red gem at the center he had on his left wrist. He used no armor because his own scales were formed in large plates that covered entire sections of his body like they were an armor. In addition they had pointed and sharp edges on his arms, legs and tail. In other words, his whole body was a weapon.

He and the lieutenant who was guiding the pegasi exchanged some words and a little after they continued their crossing, not before the black dragon looked at the couple inside the stagecoach with his sparkling blue eyes.

“That dragon scares me” Twilight whispered.

“Do not worry. That is Captain Agnus, warrior of confidence of the king. Ragna insisted to send him and a clawful of his best warriors to escort us as an additional protection until we arrive at the capital” Celestia said calmly.

“Why? Is there something we have to worry about?” Spike asked.

“No, but after what happened when Cornelius and Zira travelled to Equestria some months ago, Ragna insisted us not to take any risks”

“The ambassadors?” Twilight asked, not familiarized with the names.

“Correct. You surely will have the chance to know them”

A few hours of flight and the travellers could see in the distance the imperial city: Rennes le Chateau. Giant walls guarded the city, behind which stood gigantic buildings. The differences in architectural proportions with Canterlot were immense. What for the capital of Equestria was an avenue, here it couldn’t even serve for an alley. The strange thing was many buildings and houses had small entrances, too small for any adult dragon to enter and yet they did it, shrinking at the moment they entered like the dragons who were escorting them had done.

“Princess Celestia, how do they do that? In the books you sent me there was nothing about dragons being able to change their size. Especially not so many species” Twilight said confused.

“Be patient, Twilight. Don’t forget that’s why you’ve come. Leave your doubts to the king” She answered funnily by the eternal curiosity of her student.

Celestia turned her attention to her adopted son, who was looking out the window with his nose pressed to the crystal. Everything was better than he could have expected. There was commerce, arts, government buildings, including education. How is it possible he didn’t know about this?

“See? I said you and your species had more to offer than fire and brute strength” Celestia said, putting her forelegs on Spike’s shoulders.

He simply smiled at her.

They finally arrived at the majestic palace. A glorious yet intimidating building with gothic architecture surrounded by high walls, though without the excess of towers like in Canterlot. Instead this was a more practical structure with plain walls and small windows. Certainly the place was more conditioned as a fortress than a residence. The stagecoach stopped on a clearing close to the gardens, where one of the pegasi opened the doors of the stagecoach so the princess and the couple could leave it.

“Princess Celestia, it is my honor and joy to have you back” Captain Agnus said, kneeling before her.

“A pleasure to see you again, Captain. But have they not taken too many precautions because of our visit?” She said while looking at the walls of the palace, where she could see a considerable amount of dragon guards.

“After the recent events in his kingdom, King Ragnarok didn’t want to risk an incident happening during your visit” He replied calmly and then he turned his head to look behind the Princess.

“Is it them?” He asked, looking at the couple, who was leaving the stagecoach.

“That’s it. Say hello, you two”

“Lady Twilight Sparkle… Guardian of Harmony and keeper of the element of Magic” Twilight said, not very used to using her full title.

“Nice to meet you, Captain. I’m Spike… Just Spike” He said ashamed, realizing how ordinary he actually was.

Agnus looked at both the lovers, alternating his attention from one to the other like he was waiting to find something.

“Is something wrong, Captain?”

“N… No… Captain Agnus, ‘The Black Terror’. I’m sorry. I expected the ones who attracted the interest of the king to be… Different. Whatever, follow me. I’ll take you to the king”

The four entered the palace, which had obviously been constructed to house creatures much larger than any of the ones who lived inside.

The interior of the palace was decorated in a simple way, unostentatious. If it wasn’t because the few ornaments that there were, like statues, chandeliers and other, were made of pure gold or were crystal figures that weren’t made of crystal, but some gem like emerald, ruby, sapphire…

Agnus guided the group through the palace where the dragons paid special interest to the couple, who were getting looks of surprise, disbelief and amazement. Some of them exchanged words when they saw them pass, but it was difficult to know if they were saying good or bad things about them. Finally the group stopped in front of a big red and golden gate. Agnus entered alone, indicating the group to wait for the door to open. Shortly after the doors opened and they heard an unusual but beautiful chant that sang a melody similar to trumpets when an important pony entered Canterlot Court.

“Enters the Royal Chamber Princess Celestia! Ruler of Equestria, Goddess of the Sun. Accompanied by Lady Twilight Sparkle: Guardian of Harmony and keeper of the element of Magic; and Spike… The young dragon…” Agnus concluded the presentation of the new arrivals.

If the royal chamber of Canterlot was big, the one from Rennes le Chateau was massive. Easily, not only all the ponies in Canterlot would fit in there, but also all the ponies in Ponyville and maybe there would probably some space left. The place had large paintings on the side walls with images that surely represented important moments in the history of the kingdom and there was a considerable amount of gold chandeliers on the roof for illuminating the place. On the right side there was a group of dragons who were dressed in white robes and with gold necklaces and the same bracelet that that all the dragons who were able to make themselves small used. And at the ending, sitting on his throne, there was the owner of that place. Dressed in an elegant cape with white laces and gold buttons, there was a red dragon with golden eyes who was bigger than anyone in there. From his head there stretched a pronounced circular crest from which three horns sprouted to his back whose longevity evidenced his royal provenance, even without his crown. He gestured with his claw and the chorus of dragons stopped singing.

Celestia kept walking to his throne, where she gave a little bow the king returned. Twilight and Spike kneeled before him. The king stood up on two legs and walked towards them very seriously until he stopped in front of the princess.

“Welcome, Princess Celestia. It’s my pleasure to enjoy the spectacle of your beauty once more” He said kindly in a voice that indicated the king was quite young.

“The pleasure is mine, because of the honor to be the only pony by whose beauty you sigh, mighty King”

“Perhaps, but I’m sure your beauty would be noticed more if instead of a princess tiara you used a crown that matched more your beautiful eyes” He said seductively.

“I’ll think about it the day you stop making it sound like you’re doing me a favor, Ragna” She said mockingly.

Spike and Twilight got surprised… Not to mention they were scared that such contempt of flattery could do to them in that place. Their surprise got bigger when the king started laughing intensely.

“Leave us alone” He said to the other dragons when he stopped laughing.

The dragons left the chamber, curtsying before leaving. Finally Ragnarok looked at the couple face to face and smiled at them warmly.

“So it is you. Welcome, Lady and gentledragon. I am Ragnarok ‘Hellfire Blast’, king of Ikaruga. Nice to meet you”

“Nice to meet you too. It’s a great honor you’ve invited us to your wonderful palace” Twilight said.

“My pleasure, Lady. I was very surprised when Celestia talked to me about your unusual union. Actually, I thought she was teasing me. But seeing how seriously she was speaking I knew she was saying the truth. I was looking forward to meeting such a unique couple”

“We are also very excited to meet you”

“One of you seems to be more nervous than excited” He said while looking at Spike.

“I… I’m sorry, my King… I mean, King of mine, I mean…” Spike babbled.

“Calm down, boy. You’re acting like you’re on your first job interview. I look forward to knowing you thoroughly. But you are my guests, so you’ll make the questions first, for don’t forget the purpose of this visit is to allay any of your concerns about what dragons really are and the dangers and benefits that this might pose to your relationship in the future”

“Oh, oh! I have a question!” Twilight said.

“Yes, Celestia has spoken to me about your inexhaustible curiosity” She said, looking at the sorceress’ mentor.

“How do you and the other dragons manage to shrink so much? It’s obvious that when they built this palace, it was made to house giant creatures, but you and the others are so small…”

“A very good question. But before starting, we’ll have a little ‘introductory course to the history of dragons’. Celestia, if you don’t mind I’d like to guide these two by myself”

“And what do you expect me to do in the meantime?”

“Why don’t you meet with the members of the Trade Council? We’ve been working on some proposals I am sure they will interest you”

“It seems a good idea” Celestia said.

Entrusted to a guard to guide where councilors were, Twilight and Spike said goodbye to their princess and followed the king in the opposite direction. They both were a bit nervous. After all they were two strangers in a strange land next to someone who called himself ‘Hellfire Blast’.

“I’m not going to eat you, my dear guests. Stop looking at me like that” The king said, who was walking next to them.

“A thousand pardons, Majesty. It’s just that…”

“I know, I know. It’s already pretty bad to be in a strange place miles from home, but regrettably ponies have a very bad image of us dragons. That’s one of the biggest impediments Celestia and I have had to deal with to be able to unite our kingdoms, you know?” He said annoyed.

“Do you believe it’s possible for Equestria and Ikaruga to form an alliance?” Twilight asked.

“Of course. In fact, thanks to you, I’d say we’re a step closer” He said optimistic.

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve arrived” He said, stopping in front of a big door that had carved the face of a dragon with his mouth opened, showing its teeth.

“Welcome to the Chamber of the Rulers” He said, opening the door.

Inside the place there were several statues of different dragons, probably full-sculpted. The first one was a statue of a strong and imposing dragon with two big horns towards his back and an immense sword-shaped one on his nose. He had four wings on his back and behind them the symbol of his divinity: a halo with flames outwards with the form of Sun and an infinity of strange symbols in the middle.

“Here he is, Spike. The father of our kind: Izanagi. After a long journey across the universe, our beloved Ancients restarted their difficult labor to create life. After Gaia, the venerable mother of Celestia, created our beautiful world, it needed a shape. Izanagi had the important task of dividing the land and the seas, creating all the continents and islands of our beautiful world. When the rest of the Ancients finished their task, the time came to choose where they would take care of their villages” Ragnarok narrated proud while looking at the statue of his ancestor.

“Izanagi came to these lands to take care of his children by the side of his wife… With whom he got divorced before ours became a civilization and that’s why you won’t see her statue here” He said with mocking irony.

“Well, Izanagi raised his three children: Quetzalcoatl, Leviathan and Shenron equally. He taught them all his knowledge about war and told them that like the most powerful creatures in the world, their destiny would be greatness… It was never enough for any of the three” He sighed heavily, walking to the next statue, where they could see the three brothers fight fiercely.

“Quetzalcoatl, Lord of the Soil; Leviathan, Master of the Oceans and Shenron, Ruler of the Sky. They all knew they would achieve great things in their lives, but nothing so great like their father and even less with the competence of their two other brothers. Divided by pride and ambition, they corrupted the teachings of their father and guided their respective peoples to war in a dreadful conflict well known in the registers of all the civilizations in our world”

He walked to the next statue. This one was an ordinary pure dragon. His two wings and his four limbs. The only things that highlighted were the spines on his back significantly fewer in number but larger in size and two protrusions on his front shoulders like he used a sharp armor. He wore a long ceremonial cape and used a simpler version of Ragnarok’s crown.

“Even now it’s surprising it wasn’t one of the dragons the one who stopped the war, but one of their subjects: my great-grandfather, Asura: a powerful dragon sorcerer who had lost his wife during the conflict, he spent entire decades looking for a spell who gave him power to put an end the war. My grandfather used to tell me stories about the uncountable nights his father used to work tirelessly in his desperate pursuit of power… And vengeance for his wife” Ragnarok paused and then looked at Twilight, who was staring at the statue captivated by the story.

“You’re a sorceress, Twilight. Can you tell me what’s the difference between how dragons and ponies use magic?”

“Yes, my King. The magic of ponies, like every living being that uses it, comes from within, from the harmony between the body, the mind and the soul itself, according to some. But whereas the magic of ponies use their emotions as fuel, dragons use the force of the nature. They manipulate water, shoot electricity beams, they shake the ground and can release fire at will”

“Exactly. My great-grandfather knew magic would give him strength to end the war, just as he knew he would have to use a different kind of magic from his rivals’. That’s why he decided that instead of using the forces of nature, he would use living beings’: feelings. And he managed to gather the most abundant and powerful energy that had been harvested during the centuries of war: Wrath. And after several years of experimenting, he managed to materialize it into a weapon…”

“The Brahmastra” Twilight muttered.

“Correct. It was here in this same valley where my great-grandfather faced alone the three brothers and their armies. While they were fighting, he descended as a comet and let the power of Brahmastra explode from within. All opposition was crushed… My great-grandfather had become very powerful, too powerful. His strength now matched the Ancients’. A mortal turned into a god. Asura the Destroyer, Asura the Redeemer, Asura the ‘Executioner of Samsara’. And with the tyrants dead, just like the fighting spirit of their peoples, my great-grandfather unified the three clans, crowning himself as their king. That’s how Ikaruga was born”

“My King, forgive me for interrupting you”

“Yes, Twilight. What’s the matter?”

“It’s just… Why doesn’t the Brahmastra appear on this statue of King Asura?” She asked confused.

“Because the Brahmastra was inside him. My great-grandfather feared what could happen if the weapon with the power of gods fell into the wrong claws, so as soon as it was finished, he put it inside his body. Don’t ask me how because I don’t know. I think not even my grandfather Kiryu ever saw the Brahmastra directly. Maybe that’s why no one could find it after the death of my great-grandfather”

“Then didn’t his sons hide it?” Spike asked confused.

“No. Asura kept the weapon inside his body. And though it gave him the powers of a god, it also burned his body, which wasn’t made for holding so much power. At the moment of his death, his body burned with an intense light like a red sun’s and escaped into the horizon like a shooting star, leaving the throne to my grandfather, who was young: Kiryu. But in his autopsy, the forensic scientists found nothing. Some said Asura’s soul merged with the Brahmastra and reached a new level of existence, similar but different from the Ancients’. Others say it was all part of a spell that would made the weapon hide after its owner’s death so it could never be found again. Others say the Brahmastra developed its own conscience and when its owner died, he went to find a new one. Anyway, no one ever knew about it in this or another land”

Finally, the three walked to the next statue. A slender dragon with three columns of spines on his back, the ones at the center being bigger than the lateral ones.

“Our second king, my grandfather Kiryu ‘Knight of the white Moon’. That sure is a long title, isn’t it?” He joked with his guests.

“Why do dragons use titles like that, King?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know. Why do ponies name themselves with puns like ‘Twilight Sparkle’” He answered.

“… Touché” She said, smiling uncomfortably.

“My father used to say this about traditions: ‘not because they are things we’ve done for thousands of years doesn’t mean they aren’t incredibly stupid’. And that’s what this is all about, my guests. That’s why we’re here: to change things, to prove dragons and ponies can live and work together. When ponies invaded Ikaruga after a long journey, my grandfather had no choice but honor his ancestors and guide our people to war with theirs. It wasn’t until Celestia and Luna descended from the sky that the war came to its end and peace was achieved between the two kingdoms, but the scars of hatred and resentment have never healed. But the time for that to happen has finally come”

“Was that why you offered to help us?” Spike asked.

“Yes, it’s incredible it had to pass almost six thousand years for another union between a dragon and a pony to exist”

“WHAT?!” The couple asked.

“Does that mean we’re not the first pony/dragon couple in history?” Twilight asked shocked.

“Eh… Did… Didn’t you know?” Ragnarok asked confused.

“No, no one had told us anything”

“I see… Well, the thing is this: with the end of the war, one would think dragons and ponies wouldn’t want to see each other again in a long time. But the truth is that from the ashes of the conflict, there blossomed love between a dragon and a pony. That dragon was my great uncle and brother of the king: Prince Fafner. He and his secret love knew their union couldn’t have blossomed in worse conditions, so they escaped to where they wouldn’t be judged by their love”

“And what happened to them?” Twilight asked.

Ragnarok sighed heavily.

“What had to happen… Their love came to an end. She came to her senses, to call it somehow, and said to the prince it was best for them to forget about one another, but Fafner… He wasn’t willing to accept no as an answer, so he tried to change things. Needless to say he couldn’t and met a tragic fate”

“Did he die?”

“Not exactly. But he did lose his title of nobility and got exiled from Ikaruga. She returned to Equestria, where fortunately, her romance never became public domain. But in any case it was a tragic outcome”

Twilight and Spike looked at each other’s eyes worried their relation might have a similar ending.

“But don’t be afraid, my guests” He said when he saw their anxious glances.

“Your love won’t meet such an ending. You have received the blessing from your friends, family and even the princesses. And now your king too”

The couple looked at the king full of hope.

“I brought you both here because Celestia told me you have doubts and worries about what the future may bring you. Especially everything that concerns the unknown nature of dragons”

“The Princess gave us several books about dragons, but most of them are…”

“Old?”

“I was going to say obsolete, but never mind”

“Well then, I guess it’s enough history for now. Let’s go to the library so you can check all the information you want that’s current and accurate. But before that, I’ll answer the question you asked me a while ago, Lady Twilight. Yes, this palace, like all the old buildings of the city and the kingdom were built for ‘actual size’ dragons, but my grandfather noticed even the humblest houses for a family of four required a lot of raw material, so he ordered the construction of these” He said, showing the elegant gold bracelet on his left arm.

“Mahakala bracelets. Unlike most creatures that are related to magic, dragons increase the amount of magic they can project and control naturally; and as they grow up, their control and bond with their more akin magic strengthens. The bracelets basically suppress the natural manna of our body, allowing us to shrink and we save millions in natural resources, textiles, food and construction”

Spike’s eyes lit up like Christmas lights. He had to have one of those things! It would be the solution to a million of problems.

“The only problem is they’re difficult to use and even more difficult to make. And they’re not cheap either” Twilight and Spike’s smile got erased.

“But don’t worry. I gather that your growth is far from being a problem. Come on, follow me. You’ll like our library, Lady Twilight”

“Only Twilight is fine, Majesty” She said, walking next to the king very excited.

After a while of walking through the palace, the dragons and the unicorn arrived at the library, which to the naked eye was three times bigger than Canterlot’s, with books that were bigger than the king himself. Twilight ran back and forth while laughing and shouting with excitement.

“Is she… Fine?” Ragna asked, finding the fascination of the unicorn for books amazing.

“Yes, leave her. She likes books a lot” Spike said carefree.

“That’s sure. What I’m worried about is for her to over stimulate too much. But well, let’s talk” He said seriously.

“Yes, my King” He said after a pause.

They sat down facing each other in a circular table near the entrance while Twilight was very happy like a filly in a doll factory.

“I hope you know you’ve chosen a very difficult path, boy”

“I know, Sir. Though as you said, thanks to the support of Princess Celestia, our friends and family, things have gone very well”

“Except the incident that happened with the one who was going to be your brother in law” He corrected Spike.

“Yes…”

“Was it the first time you had to fight for your life?”

“Not actually… About two weeks before I had faced a manticore in the Everfree forest close to our home”

“Surprising for someone your age. Fifteen years? How did you escape there alive?”

“I climbed onto the back of the manticore and I used its stinger to pierce its skull” He said, not feeling very proud.

“Did it feel good the power in that battle? Or when you fought the ponies? Your ex-brother in law told me for a moment you had him at your mercy while you were strangling him with your tail. How did you feel?”

“I… I liked it” He admitted.

“Of course you did. The chase for power is what defines our kind. It’s no coincidence that we get larger as our greed grows. It’s so that we are ready if we have to face powerful enemies in our pursuit for wealth. Our power increases regardless of our wishes”

“But how can we… How can I prevent myself from turning into a monster? During my first birthday in Ponyville I lost my mind, my greed took over me and I almost destroyed the town” He asked very distressed.

“We’re dragons, not monsters. There’s no smart creature in the universe that’s unable to decide if the powers they’ve been born with are a blessing or a curse” He severely corrected.

“And how can we choose?” Spike asked.

“With will and purpose” He answered.

“Power without a purpose is useless and insignificant, Spike. Like everything else. You can learn all the self-control techniques you want, but without a purpose to use them for, they won’t be more useful than those banal instincts, which will take you away from your loved ones. Tell me, Spike, what do you love most in this world?”

Spike, without hesitating, looked at his beloved unicorn with her face between the pages of a book that was two times bigger than her.

“Twilight Sparkle, my King”

“What would you be willing to do in order to be forever by her side?”

“Anything” He answered without hesitation, only to get hit in his head.

“No, stupid. You’re talking with me, not your marefriend. What would you be willing to do to be with her? Remember the story of my great uncle. He was ready for anything, and see where it took him. You need to thing about something more realistic or at least possible. What are you willing to do the day the world turns its back on you?”

“I… I don’t know. So far I’ve only been afraid of what could happen the day I lose control. Afraid to lose control of my instincts again and do something I can never forgive myself for. I promised I’d never let something like that happen again and though sometimes I forget it, I always try to be aware of what I do, for fear something may escape”

“Maintaining control is important, but being always alert is very stressful and creates paranoia. Don’t worry; you’ll have time to prepare yourself for all of that during your stay here”

“Stay?”

The couple, the king and the princess were sitting in the royal dining room, waiting for dinner, accompanied by a couple of snake dragons. The male was green and had red eyes. He looked just like a king cobra, but with spines on the contour of his hood. The female was yellow and had blue eyes and two columns of the same color of small spines on her back. Having no arms, they wore their Mahakala bracelets as necklaces.

“Then you’re the ambassadors of Ikaruga. Nice to meet you” Twilight said.

“Nice to meet you too, dear. Spike had told us a lot about you” Said the ambassador Zira.

“Though he never mentioned you two were couple” Said her husband Cornelius.

“It’s because when we talked that time, we weren’t couple yet” Spike explained.

“And have you thought about it well?”

“Yes, many times. Is it so difficult to believe?”

“Not at all. In fact, we always thought these kind of relationships would happen at some time after the union of our kingdoms, but we never imagined they would happen before” Cornelius answered.

“Then we’ll stay with you for a month?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. You’ll stay at our home and everyday you’ll be able to come to the castle. We’ll teach you all the basics about our race and culture” Zira said.

“How exciting! Thank you very much”

“I’m still surprised. Did you already know Twilight and I aren’t the first dragon/pony couple, princess?” Spike asked.

Celestia immediately got silent. Her eyes widened and her white fur like alabaster turned into a ghostly pale.

“Princess?”

“I’m sorry… Forgive me. I did know it, but… I didn’t tell you because I thought it wasn’t important. It was in another time and in another place and is a sad story to remember. But yours will have a happy ending. That’s why we’ve made this journey” She said, smiling as best she could.

Twilight was going to ask her about it when she noticed she had gotten nervous, but suddenly the doors opened and entered the kitchen staff, led by the chef. They served different dishes, many of which were covered.

“Enjoy your meal!” The chef said as the servants uncovered the dishes.

“AHH!” Twilight screamed terrified, which exalted everyone there.

“Twilight, what’s wrong?” Spike asked anguished.

“King Ragnarok, your dinner… Your dinner… And Spike’s” She said while looking at the dish they had served the king.

“This is leg of lamb. And what Spike has is smoked pork loin”

“B… Buh… But…”

“Twilight, calm down. Dragons eat meat. You’ve spent half day in the library, you should know” The princess tried to calm her down.

“But they are living beings” She replied.

“So what? So are fruits and vegetables. Just because they don’t cry or complain doesn’t mean they’re not living beings” Ragnarok replied.

“Well, I suppose, but…”

“Calm down, dear. We don’t eat them for pleasure. You’ll learn we can’t maintain our good health after a certain age unless we eat meat regularly” Zira said.

“Then why do you give it to Spike” Twilight continued.

“Spike is carnivorous by nature, besides I’m sure he’s never eaten meat this way. It’ll be good for him” Cornelius said, taking another spoonful of soup.

“In fact, I’ve never eaten meat” Spike said sorrowfully.

Such was the surprise that Cornelius swallowed all his soup with the spoon, which got caught in his throat. Immediately the dragon began to hyperventilate and hit his chest with his tail.

“Cornelius, my dear! Someone help him, please!” His wife cried out anguixed.

“Get bigger, get bigger!” Ragnarok shouted.

The ambassador did it, but in his panic, he got so big that his body knocked the table, throwing all its content on its opposite side, over the visitants of Equestria.

Later, after a second dinner, Twilight and Spike said goodbye to the princess and the king and accompanied the ambassadors to their house, where they would stay: a pretty mansion on the outskirts of the city. Celestia and her guardians would spend the night in the palace. But before going to sleep, she had some business to discuss with the king.

“I can’t believe you told them that old story! They didn’t have to know about it! No one except our families knows it. Why should they know it? It wouldn’t change… Are you listening to me?” She asked even angrier than she already was when she saw the king wasn’t paying attention to her.

“Oh… I’m sorry, I didn’t think you would want me to pay attention to you considering we’ve spoken about this about twenty three times” He replied apathetic.

“There is a reason that story is a secret! Your grandfather and father took that secret to their grave and you tell it like you were a paparazzi”

“Hey, hey, hey! Like I had put it on the bulletin board of all the public schools in the city. I just told your student and her dragonfriend” He answered, standing up from his seat.

“Yes! Because you then expected them to tell me about it, to know more”

“Celestia, for the Ancients’ sake, you’re acting like a filly! I didn’t tell them that story to annoy you. Do you understand? I didn’t even mention your name! I did it so they would take into account they have chosen a difficult path. And honestly I thought YOU had already told them” He said.

Celestia tried to counter, but her words wouldn’t escape her mouth. She turned away frustrated and went to the nearest window.

“That wasn’t love, Ragna… I was young and stupid… It’s something I’d simply like to forget”

“And as you can’t forget it, you pretend it didn’t happen?”

“What do you want from me? I’m sorry! I didn’t want things to be like that…” She said, with eyes that were starting to water.

Ragnarok looked at the goddess of the Sun with pity, who he had never seen her so unstable and vulnerable.

“Celestia, I want absolutely nothing from you. Even because of something that happened before I was born. My grandfather forgave you. My father forgave you. And I frankly don’t care. It wasn’t my intention to offend you in any way when I brought back that memory” He said warmly.

“I know… I’m sorry” She said, turning her back on him again.

“My family forgave you, Celestia. When are you going to forgive yourself?”

“One of these days, I hope…" She answered quietly.

“Thank you, Ragna”

“You’re welcome, Amaterasu”

“By the way, what happened with Shining Armor?” Celestia asked, already recovered.

“Mr. Armor was more than willing to give me important classified of your army and your kingdom in return I let him live… So I cut off his tongue so he couldn’t speak anymore. When he saw negotiating wasn’t an option, well… He began to mourn as a baby” He answered mischievously.

“Though I would have liked it if he had had his horn repaired. I bet he would have offered more resistance”

“I know I’m going to regret asking, but… What happened at the end?”

“The head of a coward like him wasn’t worthy to be in my trophy room, so I gave his corpse to the medical school”

“Yes, now I know too much” Celestia said ironically.

“He also had several last words. He said that he would love his wife forever, that he regretted hurting his sister and… Ah yes! He said you were a bitch”

“Heh… It’s okay…” She said.

“And that he hated you and that your sister was an incompetent crybaby and…”

“IT IS ENOUGH!” She shouted, hitting him on the side.

“Hahaha! That’s the Celestia I like” He replied happy.

“That sure was a night to remember, don’t you think?” Spike said, sitting next to his marefriend, who was looking at the stars.

“Don’t make me remember it” She said sadly, looking down.

“Do you think I’ve offended the king?”

“No. And if you have, I’m sure he forgave us after Cornelius turned us all into a buffet”

“Hahaha… The princess’ face was priceless”

They laughed a little and then they continued to look at the stars.

“It’s a beautiful night” Twilight said.

“Yes, it is”

They were both at the garden of the mansion of the ambassadors on the outskirts of the city, lying on the grass and surrounded by exotic and strange flowers they had never seen.

“How much did you read at the library?”

“A little bit of everything. Mostly history and a little more about Mahakala bracelets. Did you know the gem they use is produced only inside active volcanoes and takes between one hundred and one hundred and twenty years to form?”

“That explains why they’re so expensive” He asked ironic.

They remained silent for a while. Twilight was lying on Spike, who was surrounding her with his left arm.

“Didn’t you worry a little when you heard that story about Prince Fafner?” Twilight asked, breaking the silence.

“Yes, a little… But not too much” He said optimistic.

“Why not?”

“Because what Ragnarok told us about it is true. The prince and whoever was his marefriend had the misfortune of falling in love amid the worst case scenario. It was them against the world. Instead, we’ve been blessed, not only with the love we feel, but also with the support of everyone around us to be able to consummate it” He answered happily.

“Yes… We are truly very fortunate”

There was another long moment of silence before Twilight broke the silence again.

“Spike… May I ask you a personal question?”

“Of course”

“Well, I… It’s something complicated” She said nervous.

“What’s wrong?” He asked more interested.

“Since I read your diary, there’s something that’s been biting my hoof”

“Well… Suffer no more, Twi. Let it out”

“If you were always in love with me… Why did you have a crush on Rarity when we arrived at Ponyville?” She asked timidly, but seriously.

Spike got surprised by the question. Definitely, it wasn’t what he was expecting.

“It… It’s ok! You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to” She said, being afraid of having offended her dragonfriend.

“No, it’s fine! It’s just I didn’t expect that question”

Spike looked away from Twilight and sighed.

“Tell me, Twilight. When did you begin to realize you loved me?”

“A little after the hurricane”

“And before thinking about me as your potential mate, in what way did you see me?”

“As… As my number one assistant… As my little brother” She answered somewhat uncomfortable.

“Very well. And how would you have reacted if someone had told you I’d be the love you had always looked for?” He asked suspiciously.

Twilight processed the question for a few moments until she understood what he wanted to say. She tried to answer but her ideas couldn’t organize and even less her lips.

“Spike, I… I wouldn’t have believed it” She answered.

“You would have choked with laughter, Twilight” Spike corrected her.

And she knew it was true. She would have qualified such an event as scientifically improbable, astronomically unlikely. She would totally and incorrigibly have been suspicious of anyone who told her Spike would be her great love without considering the slightest chance that was possible.

“I’m sorry, Spike. It was… It’s always been my fault” She said very ashamed and with drooping ears.

“You were just you. The pony I love. Before my eyes you’ve always been perfect, Twilight. You’re smart, funny, ambitious, beautiful… Too much for a simple abandoned dragon like me. And I always knew I hardly would achieve you to see me as any other thing than your little brother. That’s why when we arrived at Ponyville, I thought it would be the perfect chance to look for new chances…”

“And Rarity became a chance”

“Exactly”

“I’m so sorry, Spike. All these years you suffered in silence as I didn’t even realize it”

“Don’t beat yourself, my treasure” He said, rubbing his face with hers lovingly.

“The fault was also mine because I never told you anything. I was afraid. But none of that matters now. We’re now together and we’ll always be” he said, trying to cheer her up.

She smiled and kissed him on his lips briefly.

“I think I’ve just found another reason to love you. You’re a master at saying: ‘I forgive you’” She said, snuggling against him.

“Only because you’re so good to say: ‘forgive me’”

“I love you”

“I love you too”

They kissed gently and lovely. Now more than ever they knew no force in the world could separate them. The changes that could happen, the adversities they could face, the enemies that could emerge. But for some reason, nothing caused them fear anymore, even when they both knew there was a lot to be afraid of. But something was sure: they would face it and conquer it together.

Author's Notes:

I really hope you've enjoyed it. Please post your reviews so I can know if you've liked it. Don't forget to notify me the mistakes.

Towards Tomorrow

At the top of one of the towers of the palace of Rennes le Chateau, there was the private laboratory of the sorcerer of the Royal Court: Zen, ‘The Wise Wind’. He was in front of a table with a strange metal frame holding a circular cut glass that was flat as a mirror, just it was transparent and with two circles drawn.

Suddenly the door opened and King Ragnarok came in.

“Good evening, Majesty” The elderly sorcerer said to his king.

“Good evening, Zen. Is everything I asked you for ready?”

“Yes, come here, please. You’ll love the results. It’s fascinating” He said very excited.

“Very well, Majesty. As you well know, every dragon is related to a specific arcane magic: Fire, Earth, Wind, Water. This magnificent device allows us to know what kind of manna a dragon is related to and the total potential of its development”

He moved several levers that were on a board in front of the table and the glass began to emit a light. Then he took a sample crystal like the ones microscopes use and put it under a similar lens that was on the base of the crystal.

“This is the diagram of my manna. As you can see by the colors and symbols on the inner circle, you know I'm a wind magician. And the longevity of the protrusions on the arcane star of the outer circle say I’m a prodigy sorcerer. But let’s see what the reader shows us when we put Spike’s saliva sample you gave me”

Zen replaced the samples and when it read it, the crystal got painted random colors without showing any kind of symbol or something that could be graphed.

“It can’t read it” Ragnarok said.

“Exactly” Zen replied happily.

“Then I guess you have nothing for me”

“Oh, quite the opposite, Majesty! Since the arcane reader didn’t work, I used more rudimentary ways. Using some alchemy we can accomplish the same thing than with the reader”

He ran towards another table, where there was an outrageous chemistry equipment, worthy of a mad scientist.

“The same example. This is me” He said, pointing to a boiling container that glowed intensely white.

“The color indicates the element and the luminosity the extension of its power. Now look at what happens when we make the same experiment but with the boy”

He took another container next to the first one and poured several drops on it. Approaching the boiling point, the flask started glowing in different colors until the crystal was broken and the contents of the flask began to leak out.

“Do you see it?! It’s fascinating!”

“Zen, I know you feel like it’s your birthday, but… Could you tell me what the hell I’m seeing here?”

“I have no idea, my King! Do you know When was the last time I could enjoy the taste of uncertainty?!”

“Then do you have nothing to tell me about the boy?” He asked annoyed.

“Well well, Uncertainty is not equal to ignorance. Both tests are telling us two things. The first one is Spike isn’t related to one of the arcane magic. Maybe he’s related to two or more of them. Maybe he may be able to use some kind of different magic. The possibilities are endless! And the second point is that, without a doubt, Spike will become a very powerful dragon. Maybe as much as you, my King”

“You don’t mean… More?” He said suspicious.

“The truth is he’ll be more powerful, but I didn’t want to disrespect you. This is definitely a side effect of the unusual conditions in which Spike was born. A spell capable of creating life… I’d love to have been there and see Mrs. Lady Twilight use the power of the Gods”

“If you want to see something like that, go to a hospital and see the miracle of childbirth” He said sarcastically.

“Hahaha! Of course, of course. What power do we males have if females are the ones who bring new lives to this world? They and their uterus. Almighty uterus! Hahaha!”

Ragnarok rubbed his temple with both of his claws. He really hated his Magic ministry, but he had served his family for many years and he was unquestionably the best magician of the kingdom.

“Damn you Zen, shut up!” He silenced the sorcerer.

“Sorry”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Do you have the other thing I asked you for?”

“Yes, my King. Memory loss potion, enough for two days” He said, giving him a bottle with a magenta liquid.

“Perfect… Take it” He said, giving it back to him.

“I did expect that” He said ironically.

“What are you going to do with the boy, my King?”

“Does it matter? Either way you’re not going to remember it”

“But I’ll enjoy the knowledge some moments before losing my memories”

“I’ll do nothing with him. Not at the moment at least. I simply was curious. If he’ll get that powerful or not, we won’t know it as long as he can enjoy the peaceful life he has, which I’m afraid it won’t last long when his relationship turns him and his marefriend into a political cause so we can unite our kingdoms”

“Maybe they will become a target for conservatives and the groups who refuse the alliance with Equestria. It’ll be a great spectacle when his power shows up. Thank you, my King. Here's to the happy couple!” He said, drinking the liquid.

After a month of studying and experimenting the world of dragons, Twilight and Spike had come back come. They were readier than ever to get on with life.

As soon as they came back, Sweetie Belle came to Spike and asked him to speak privately for a while. With Twilight’s blessing, Spike accompanied Sweetie to her house and in a while they both were face to face in her room.

“Then… What did you want to talk to me about?” He started the conversation.

“Do you remember the wedding day of Shining Armor and Cadence?” She asked innocently.

“Sweetie Belle… If you’ve taken me here to speak about that… Monster, I’ll have to go” Spike said very seriously.

“N… No, it actually has nothing to do with that!” She replied both confused and terrified to lose her chance.

“It’s just that… I have something very important to confess” She said nervously.

Spike had a bad feeling about that matter from the walk to the diva’s house, and now his fears were getting bigger.

“I was… I was the one who… The one who sent the letter about Twilight to Princess Celestia!” She shouted and then hid her face between her forelegs.

Spike remained silent for a while, trying to decipher what his friend was talking about. Finally his head gave him the possible answer and a big mix of feelings, most of them negative ones, started boiling in his system.

“The letter… Do you mean the letter that said Twilight… That letter?!” He asked, entering a state of anger.

“Y… Yeh… Yes…” The diva answered with a whisper, more scared than embarrassed.

“WHY?!” He demanded.

“I was jealous! Forgive me. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t want to lose you again. I LOVE YOU!” She said, beginning to cry.

“What thing?!” He managed to say in his astonishment.

“Since the night we danced at the wedding of your… Brother and sister in law… You always helped me and the girls find our cutiemarks. You were always respectful, chivalrous, helpful… Without even realizing it, I began to fall in love with you. But you only had eyes for my sister and even when you forgot about her, I knew I’d have no chance for not being able to match her…”

Spike’s anger was fading slowly and it was being replaced by feelings of guilt and pity.

“That’s why when I discovered my talent, I knew that to win your heart, I’d have to be the best one at what I did. Just like Rarity, but I got so much into singing that I turned away from you and when I came back… You had fallen in love again! I couldn’t accept it! I worked so much to be able to be worthy of you and you only turned your back on me again…” She lamented shattered emotionally.

Spike wanted to comfort Sweetie Belle, but he couldn’t. Not only because he was upset with her, but also because she was right. She had lost him, but she really never had a chance. Not even Rarity would have had a chance. Unlike Twilight, who thought the years together had been the cause of the blossoming of their love, Spike was pleased to accept the idea he had been born to love her. And in her desperate attempt to win him, Sweetie had endangered their love.

“But you had no right to do something like that, Sweetie Belle” Spike muttered.

“Do you have any idea of what could have happened? Twilight could have lost everything: her title, her position as the princess’ student, her family, her friends, ME! Because you were jealous!” He scolded her.

“I know, I know. I’m a monster”

“Do you know what could have happened if I had lost Twilight? I’d have died! That’s what would have happened to me! You tried to separate us. You lied to us. You betrayed us. Us and your friends! You have no forgiveness!” He said, turning back to the door.

“No, Spike. Please! I’m sorry! I’ll do anything so you will forgive me! Please, don’t hate me!” She stood up, crying behind him.

She tried to take Spike’s right arm, but he pushed her away with a hard movement, making her fall to the floor.

“GET OFF ME!” He growled.

But his anger faded completely when he saw the look on the diva’s face. She was terrified.

“Sweetie Belle…” He muttered, extending his claw for her.

The diva looked away from him and she protectively covered herself with her legs, as if she waited for the dragon to hit her.

“Sweetie Belle, I’m sorry. I… That wasn’t right”

“Yes, it was. What I did was horrible. I no longer deserve your friendship or Twilight’s” She replied weakly, standing up with her forelegs.

“Though what you’ve done is bad, a gentledragon must never treat a lady like that” He said, taking the singer’s right hoof and rubbing it with his thumb.

Belle blushed and remained silent for a moment.

“Spike, I didn’t only bring you here to confess my sins. It was also to tell you that… If you really are in love with Twilight and she’s the one who makes you happy, then I wish the best for you two. I no longer want to have to feel sad or angry. I don’t like it… It feels so bad and I…”

Spike got closer to Belle and hugged her in his arms. She didn’t resist and rubbed her face against the dragon’s chest.

“Shhhh. It’s ok, Sweetie Belle, I forgive you. Anyway your letter ended up not hurting anyone and even made things easier for us to confess our love to the princess. Just promise me you will never do something so crazy for me or any other stallion you like, alright?”

“I promise. What was eating me inside is the fear you hated me and stopped being my friend when I told you this, but I couldn’t keep hiding it for myself. I want to be able to apologize to Twilight too”

“Yes, that would be nice. I’m sure she’ll understand too. But before that, why don’t you help me understand this a little better? How did you fall in love with me?”

“Well… It’s a long story” She said, moving away from him a bit.

“Luckily I have no arrival time” He said while smiling.

In the library, Twilight was preparing to write a report to the princess about some special assignments the goddess of the Sun had given her some days before. Suddenly the door burst open and entered an unmistakable azure pegasus with a multicolored mane.

“Hey Twilight, hey Spike! Is there anyone at home?” Rainbow Dash shouted energetically.

“Hello, Rainbow! It’s been a long time!” Twilight said, running where she was.

The two friends embraced strongly.

“Where have you been? I came two weeks ago and you weren’t here. And the girls wouldn’t tell me where you were” Rainbow said.

“Haven’t you found out then?”

“Is there something I should know about? Hey wait a minute…” She said, getting closer to Twilight’s face and invading her personal space.

“What’s wrong, Rainbow?” The unicorn asked nervous, stepping back while the pegasus was following her and floating very close.

“It can’t be…” She muttered, getting a little away from her with widened eyes.

“What, what do I have?” Twilight asked very worried.

“YOU HAD SEX!” Rainbow euphorically shouted with a smile from ear to ear.

“What?!... H… How d… d… do you know it?!” Twilight asked shocked.

“It is unmistakable! You have a twinkle on your eyes! Oh for Celestia’s sake, Twilight Sparkle. I can’t believe it!” She shouted, making stunts inside the library and laughing out loud.

“Tell me, tell me, tell me! Who’s the lucky one? Who did you ride to Paradise with? Who did you make the depth with? Who did you let them hit all the walls? Who put his thing in…”

“RAINBOW DASH, SILENCE!” Twilight shouted significantly angry.

Rainbow stopped dead in mid-air and descended to the floor slowly and looked at her friend, who didn’t seem happy at all with her little celebration.

“I… I’m sorry, Twilight. It’s just that… I would never have thought the reason you were on holidays was because you were with a secret stallion in his love nest. Let alone that when I saw you again, you would already have…” Rainbow felt how a strange force pasted her lips against each other.

“Let me explain something to you, Rainbow Dash! I did NOT go on holidays. I was on an important journey to discover and learn more about the species the one I’ve opened my heart for belongs to so we can enjoy our relationship better. And don’t you dare say again I ‘had sex’! Because it wasn’t that at all, do you understand? I made love with mate. VERY different. I expected somepony, who is nearly a year with someone she claims to love, to understand” Twilight said very seriously.

Twilight freed Rainbow’s lips and she moved them to get rid of the strange sensation the magic had given her.

“Ih… It’s ok, Twilight. I’m sorry. I got carried away... Just… Forgive me” She said, rubbing the back of her neck with her hoof.

“It’s fine, Rainbow. You knew nothing. I guess the girls wanted me to tell you this personally” Twilight said more relaxed.

“Tell me about it. They got very evasive when I asked them where you were and what had happened to you. Where did you go? Canterlot?”

“No… I was actually in Rennes le Chateau, capital of Ikaruga”

“Wow, really?!... But how? As far as I know, Equestria and that kingdom aren’t friends yet. What did you do to enter the city? Did you go with the princesses on a diplomatic mission?” asked astonished.

“King Ragnarok invited us”

“The… King?... Ok, ok. Who the hell is your mate, Twi?! The prime minister of Ikaruga or something like that?” Rainbow asked frustrated, for she understood nothing.

“Hahahah! Not even close”

“Do I know him?”

“You do. Actually, you’ve known him for a long time”

“Then who is it?! Big Mac? Caramel? Come on, Twi. Just tell me!” She asked desperately.

“Very well, very well. It’s Spike”

Rainbow’s expression got indescribable for a moment until her cheeks got inflated, releasing a powerful burst of laughter as the athlete threw herself to the floor on her back, laughing out loud.

“Hahahahah! Indeed yes! You and Spike moving the boat! Hahahah! Oh Twilight, what a good joke. You even put all the girls to conspire with you” She said, covering her belly with her forelegs because of her laughter.

“I’m losing my air by the laughter, Hahahah!... Where’s Spike? No wait, I know! Did he go to buy you some flowers and chocolate? Hahahahah!” She said mockingly while keeping laughing.

“Rainbow, it’s serious!” Twilight shouted very offended.

“Yeah, of course it is, Twilight. And I’m going to marry Prince Blueblood. Hahahahah! Very well girls, you can now exit. You really tricked me with this super joke. It was your idea, wasn’t it, Pinkie Pie?” She said, walking through the lobby of the library and calling her friends.

“Rainbow, there’s no one here. What I’m telling you is the pure truth” She said, already tired of it.

“Of course, Twi. Of course, and I…” She felt her lips sealed again.

“I swear to you! Make another joke, Rainbow, and you’ll obligate me to do something you’re going to regret” Twilight said with a more threatening and serious glance Rainbow had ever seen.

Twilight freed Rainbow’s lips again, who preferred to be quiet, since she couldn’t understand.

“I know it’s difficult to believe. It was for me too, but it’s the pure and total truth. I fell in love with Spike and I discovered he had always been in love with me. We became couple and… Well, as you now know, we made love. And our journey to Rennes le Chateau was for us to learn about the true nature of dragons and their culture in order to improve our relationship” She explained with the patience she had left.

“Wow… This is… Forgive me, I don’t even know what to say and think I’m… Going to end up saying another stupid thing” Rainbow babbled.

“Well it would be proper of a good friend if you said you are happy for us and that you’ll support us, just as the other girls and the princesses did”

“Well yes… But…”

Twilight noticed Rainbow didn’t seem very willing to give her her blessing.

“Twilight, I know you’re serious, but… Is this serious? I mean… Spike is a dragon” Rainbow said very uncomfortable.

“So what?”

“I mean… Have you thought about it yet?”

“Yes, Rainbow. We have and a lot. We spent a month in Ikaruga learning from other dragons and we’re very convinced our relationship can and will work” Twilight assured.

“I… I see. Then you’re serious”

“Yes, I’ve been trying to tell you this is serious all along” She said heavily.

“Don’t worry about me. My family and the princesses approve of it. If you’re worried about my physical health or Spike’s, don’t worry. Everything is better than ok”

“Y… Yes, I guess it is. After all you’ve already…” Rainbow covered her mouth before releasing another joke.

“You’ve already ‘consummated’ your love, haven’t you?”

“Yes… Several times actually” She said, blushing.

“Really?!... And I thought I knew you”

“What do you mean?” She said accusingly.

“NOTHING!... It’s just that… Of all of us, not only you’d never had a coltfriend, but I’d never seen you show any interest in the opposite sex. Though Pinkie has never had a coltfriend either, but…”

“Pinkie Pie is Pinkie Pie” She said at the same time and laughed instantly after.

Twilight guided Rainbow Dash to the kitchen and started talking while taking tea and speaking about what had happened with their lives since the last time they saw each other.

“Well yes, things between me and Light. I don’t complain, but… I don’t know. Sometimes I think I really shouldn’t date somepony of the team”

“I know what you’re talking about. I had many doubts to declare my love for Spike. I thought it would be very unprofessional and after that I could no longer ask him to help me with my studies”

“And ummm… How is he?” She asked mischievously.

“What do you mean?”

“How he is in… You know… In bed” She said, moving her eyebrows suggestively.

Twilight blushed intensely. She wanted to scold her friend for wanting to inquire into such matters, but her mind was fighting between scolding Rainbow and losing herself in the memories of her sex experiences with her beloved dragon.

“Come on, Twilight! Just between us. I’m not asking you to describe which parts of your body he rubs with his claws and which ones with his tongue. Just tell me if you like it or if he satisfies you”

“He’s… Incredible” Twilight muttered, red as a tomato while looking at the floor.

Rainbow burst out laughing, falling off her chair.

“Doh… Don’t laugh!” Twilight yelled trying to show authority, with no success.

“I… Hahahah! I’m sorry, Twi… hahahah. But your face is priceless. Ok, sorry. You had your first time with him, didn’t you?”

Twilight didn’t answer. She only smiled shyly and nodded.

“I guess it was his first time too”

“According to him, it was. And I believe him”

“Of course. I just hope you both take some kind of ‘protection’”

“We don’t need it. I can’t get pregnant unless I use magic to unite our genes. And as it’s impossible we cheat on each other, the only thing we have to worry about is to take care of our personal hygiene” She said quietly.

“I see… Wow I see you have it very clear”

“No doubt”

“Hey, but Spike is still a minor, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but nopony else knows except Princess Celestia and now you. How the hell did you know it? Because of a ‘twinkle’ on my eyes?” Twilight asked confused.

“Twinkle, to call it somehow. It’s that look Spitfire and Soarin have after a good night and I and Light the next morning. You made love recently, didn’t you?”

“Y… Yes. Last night we came back home. We were very glad to be back and happy for everything we learned and that would help us understand and face better the future tests of our relationship. I kissed Spike, he kissed me, one thing led to another one and before I noticed it, we were making love on my bed”

While she was telling her the story, Twilight had rested her cheek on her left hoof as she closed her eyes and sighed.

“Hey, hey! I’m still here!” Rainbow interrupted her friend’s regression.

“I… I’m sorry” Twilight replied.

They laughed and talked for a while before Rainbow got strangely serious.

“Hey Twilight, but… Haven’t you two thought about what will happen when you’re no longer here?” She said with considerable concern.

“Well, yes. But… That’s why we want to seize all the time we have together” She answered.

“That’s what you’re going to do as long as you’re here. But did you already think about it when you’re not here anymore?” She said.

“I don’t… I don’t understand, Rainbow”

“Twilight, you’re a unicorn and Spike is a dragon. What will he do when he doesn’t have you anymore? Get another mate? Haven’t you thought about what will happen to him without you?”

Twilight began to feel a very annoying mix of feelings when she understood what Rainbow Dash meant.

“Listen, my grandfather lost my grandmother when she died by a disease when he was just forty eight years old. Do you know what my grandfather did? He cried for her for the rest of his days, because he loved her and never forgot her. It was thirty nine years, Twilight. And he never forgot her. Spike loves you and he’s going to live many, MANY years more than us all together. What will happen if he can’t forget you? He’ll suffer for the next two thousand years. Is that what you want for him?”

“N… No, of course not. I just want him to be happy” She answered with a weak voice.

“How do you think he’ll be happy when you die?”

“Buh… But we can’t avoid that. Everyone dies sometime. It’s neither my fault nor his”

“I know, Twilight. I know. But the more he loves you, the more difficult will be for him to let you go”

“B… Buh… But… But he will recover and continue with his life eventually. I’m sure. He’ll carry on and…”

“And what will happen after that, Twilight? Will he find another one to give his love to? Do you think he’ll be able to if he loves you as much as you say? And anyway, do you really like that idea?” Rainbow asked.

“I… I…”

It was true. As much as she wanted Spike to be happy before or after their love came to its end, she didn't like the idea of any other pony or dragon taking a place in Spike’s heart as she did, at all.

“B… But… I… I don’t… He said that…” She babbled with tears in her eyes.

“Twilight, I’m not saying it’s bad that you two are together and love each other. But you have to take into account it’ll be worse for him when it comes your time to say goodbye to him forever”

Twilight moved her mouth brokenly, but the words wouldn’t escape her mouth. Her affliction was increasing per second and her eyes were already shedding tears. She finally sealed her lips and eyelids strongly while looking at the floor.

“And then what do you want me to do, Rainbow?” She asked with an almost inaudible whisper.

“How?”

“What do you want me to do?! Forget about my feelings for Spike?! Break up with him and break his heart?! Deceive myself and pretend that I don’t love him so he will forget about me?! Turn my back on the love of my life?!”

“N… No! I didn’t mean that”

“Then what did you mean?! Because that’s exactly what you said!”

“Twilight, I know it’s difficult. But the pain you’ll cause Spike if you break up with him now, it will be much lower than the pain you’ll make him feel when you leave this world, leaving him alone”

“I can’t believe it! What kind of friend are you, Rainbow Dash?! Worse than that, what kind of keeper of the element of Loyalty are you? You’re supposed to support your friends. You should be happy for us. And instead of that, you come here and tell me I should turn my back on who has brought me more happiness than I ever dreamt. You’re terrible, Rainbow!” She shouted, crying.

“Twilight, you have to calm down. This isn’t only about you. You also have to think what’s better for Spike. Losing you will destroy him, like what happened to my grandfather”

“Spike isn’t your grandfather! And I’m not going to break up with Spike just because you think he will sink into a depression when I die!”

“Twilight, you’re being selfish!” She tried to reason with her.

Instantly, Twilight’s sadness was replaced with anger. Her sight sharpened and her eyes were injected with blood, she gritted her teeth and her hair began to stir because of the huge amount of magic that began to accumulate in her body.

“How dare you?!... I should… Get out of here! Get out of my house!” She screamed, full of fury.

“Twilight, please. I’m only…” Rainbow said, stepping back suddenly and very scared of her friend, who she had never seen so angry.

“I SAID GET OUT OF HERE!”

Rainbow felt Twilight’s telekinesis and before she could yell ‘someone help me’, she involuntarily flew out of the door like she had been shot by a cannon and crashed into a near fruit stand.

“AND DON’T COME BACK! We’re no longer friends!” She said, sealing the door.

Spike arrived at home in time to prepare the dinner.

“Twilight, I’m here!” He said happily when he entered home.

“Twilight, are you there?” He asked when he heard no response.

Spike climbed the stairs, looking to find his beloved in her study room as usual, but instead he heard her voice from her bedroom. She seemed to be crying.

“Twilight?” Spike came in the bedroom alarmed that something could have happened to his sorceress.

Twilight was covered until her head with her face buried in her pillow. She raised her sight when she heard Spike enter. Spike’s heart shrank when he saw the unicorn’s face. He didn’t remember the last time he had seen her so miserable and unhappy.

“Spike… Spike, Spike!” The unicorn shouted and began to move to her dragon, who did the same and caught her before she got out of the bed.

“What happened, Twilight? Why are you crying?” He asked very anguished.

“Spike, me… You!... Us!... I’ve been so cruel and stupid!” She babbled, rubbing her face against the dragon’s chest.

“Twilight, calm down! I understand nothing you say”

“Spike… We’ve spent the last month learning all it’s necessary so our relation will be successful. But have you thought about what consequences that could have? Have you thought that maybe not everything will be happiness even though we manage to be always together?”

Spike looked at his marefriend between confused and surprised. How could she insinuate something bad might happen if they managed to be always together?

“What bad could happen if we can continue with our relationship?”

“Haven’t you thought about beyond tomorrow? What will happen in several years when we’re older, Spike? What do you see?”

Spike was very convinced that once more Twilight was in her neurotic mode and he would only have to talk to her to pull her out of that mode. So he thought for a moment his answer before starting his task of bringing his Twilight back.

“I see a beautiful unicorn mother sitting on one of the couches of her house, stroking an adorable filly between her forelegs as she sings her a lullaby. Not very far from there, a proud dragon father teaches his baby how to exhale magic fire to send messages to his princess”

Twilight couldn’t help smiling when she imagined that scene of what could become her family, but it soon faded.

“It sounds wonderful, but… What is there after that? What is there far beyond tomorrow, the day I’m not by your side anymore? What do you see in that future when I… Leave this world?”

Twilight’s concerns began to invade Spike.

“I… I try not to think about it” He said, looking away from her.

“Exactly. I’ve been so selfish. Since we started this relationship, I’ve asked you to never be far from me, but I will never be able to return such a favor to you. Because my life will end many centuries before yours” She said between sobs.

“But, Twilight? Why are we talking about this? Have you been reading those books about thanatology again?”

“No, actually… It was Rainbow Dash who made me think about this. And she’s right. When the manticore poisoned you and you were dying, I felt more fear than I’d ever felt. In that moment I felt more fear then when the tornado was chasing me in Manehattan. You were dying and I only could stand there and see you die. It was the most horrible thing in my life”

“And what does that have to do with all of this? With us?”

“What will you do when Thanatos comes to take me, Spike? Nothing, because we’re simple mortals. You’ll have to sit down and see how my life abandons me. Worse than that, you’ll have to sit down and see how my body withers, how I get weak and sickly as you remain young and healthy. Worthy of a mate by your side who can love you not only emotionally. I can’t force you to see that, Spike. I can’t…”

“What do you mean, Twilight?” Spike asked.

“We… We should… We should break up” She said, lowering her head.

“You’re right…” Spike muttered.

Twilight felt her heart being torn into pieces when she heard those words. She never thought she would hate so much to be right.

“You’ll die when I’m very young. Probably I’ll still be among the living when your bones are just dust. Many centuries without you” He muttered, stroking the mane of his beloved unicorn.

“But you know what? If I’m going to live two or three thousand years… I prefer to do it remembering the years I spent by the side of the most beautiful unicorn who has ever lived than regretting my stupidity for wasting the most incredible opportunity that I was given in life”

Twilight was breathless as she looked at Spike.

“I share your doubts, Twilight. I share your concern and especially I share your fear. And I know the day I lose you, I’ll cry as never in my life. But don’t even think for a second that I will regret spending my time with you” He said, drying her tears and rubbing her cheeks.

“But Spike… You…”

“I prefer to mourn the loss of something beautiful and that I’ll always be able to remember than spending the rest of my life wondering how far our happiness and love could have gotten” He said, getting closer to kiss her.

“But… But…”

Finally their lips met and there was silence. Twilight put her forelegs around Spike and hugged him with despair as new tears dripped down her face.

Spike ended the kiss, but Twilight soon pulled him back to kiss him again, a more passionate kiss than the first one. She loved him. She loved him so much and she needed him desperately by her side. She pulled him closer to her and leaned back on the bed, taking his body with hers. Spike began to stroke Twilight’s hair and neck, who started sighing and using her tongue between their kisses.

“Spike, I need you… Make love to me. Make love to me, please” She begged him.

“With great pleasure, my queen” He said, kissing her intensely.

The things she had wanted to say, the questions she wanted to make, her doubts and fears… All of that became distant when she let herself be wrapped by the caresses of her beloved dragon, who was caressing all her body, healing all her wounds. And like a sandcastle at the edge of a beach that was taken by the high tide, the waves of love and passion slowly took everything that distressed Twilight, leaving her with only one thing in mind: she loved Spike and wouldn’t want to spend even one of her days away from him.

Later, bathed in sweat and completely exhausted, Twilight lay stretched over the body of her lover, who as always was stroking her long mane. Once more she had found in him the wisdom she didn’t possess. While it was true that she actually would die too early compared to him, why make the wait miserable then? Why not seize the blessings they were given? Why not enjoy together the miracle of love and living?

“Spike… Never turn away from me” She whispered, falling asleep in his arms.

“Not in this life, my queen. Not in this life” He replied, giving her a kiss on her cheek.

He sighed, ready to accompany her to the realm of Morpheus, with one last thought in mind.

“We need a bigger bed” He joked.

Author's Notes:

Please post your comments. That makes me happy.

The Art Of Forgiving

Time runs when you're having fun. If that’s true, then it certainly flies when you’re in love with someone. Because from that first kiss to the confession that changed their lives, it had already passed four years. What hadn’t happened for those four years? To Twilight, a bliss of immeasurable proportions, like that one she only thought it was possible in fairy tales. Spike somehow managed daily to give her new unforgettable memories and new ways to love her. Of course, as many had warned them, not everything had been happiness. Many times they’d had to face the criticism, the intolerance and the prejudices of a society that didn’t understand what they felt for each other. It had gotten more difficult when the news of their relationship became public domain in Ikaruga.

Suffice to say that after a certain incident, the two lovers had to spend two months in a secret refuge provided by Princess Celestia while Ragnarok was hunting the members of a certain group of conservatives who had tried to kill the couple. He punished them with very, VERY meticulous public executions to make sure that any dragon who disapproved of the union of Spike and Twilight would think twice before doing anything beyond verbally expressing their opinions.

Of course not everything had been adversity either. Not only had they been given huge amounts of happiness those years. Fluttershy and Swift Relief had their first son: an orange pegasus with a brown mane and green eyes they called Neem. Pinkie Pie had won consecutively the pastry competition in Canterlot for three years. Rainbow Das was captain of the Wonderbolts since Spitfire retired to take care of her children.

But without a doubt, what no one had been able to expect was Big Macintosh marriage with, are you ready for this?... Zecora. One day the zebra had gone to Sweet Apple Acres, the big red stallion got closer to her and without much cavil he asked her out. Things turned out so incredibly natural that they got married in only eight months, which had been a blessing for the family and especially Granny Smith, who had no intention to die before her great grandchild were born, which would happen two months later.

What about Twilight? Though one never stops learning, Princess Celestia had decreed over a year ago she no longer had anything to teach Twilight, for Twilight didn’t need to. Thus, Lady Twilight, Guardian of Harmony and Keeper of the element of Magic; was now also known by her title of Master of Magic, Twilight ‘The Cosmic One’.

Though that title was worth very little to her when compared to her title of Spike's marefriend, who had followed the advice of the unicorn and had begun to study gastronomy. Yes, their life had dressed golden in those years.

But that day, Twilight had no reasons to awake full of joy…

She awakened on her bed, which in the last nights felt strangely big and cold, which wasn’t strange actually because there were no arms to harbor her or a chest or a shoulder to rest her head on. She sighed with sadness when she saw the vacuum there was on the other side of the bed. She went to her bathroom, where she preened with apathy, for there was no one there she wanted to impress. She went to the kitchen, where she started preparing her breakfast, for there was no one else to prepare it. She sat down in solitude to eat her breakfast, which was awfully tasteless. Suddenly she heard someone knocking the door and after removing the lock on the door, Pinkie Pie came in, jumping happily.

“Good morning, Twilight! I came to give you the invitations of…!” The confectioner’s joy faded out when she saw the misery of the friend she had gone to visit.

“Good morning, Pinkie” Twilight answered.

“Twilight, what’s wrong? I hadn’t seen you like that since Owlicious went to cut daisies to the next world” She said compassionately, running her foreleg over her friend’s shoulder.

“I miss him so much, Pinkie” Twilight said sadly.

“We’d never spent so much time so far away from each other. I never thought I would miss him so much”

“But he sends letters to you every day, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, he sends letters to me almost everyday, but it’s not the same. I need him here with me” She replied.

“Well Twilight, that’s not your fault. After all he didn’t leave because he didn’t love you anymore. Just the opposite, to show the world how much he loves you” Pinkie said.

“I know. I wish I knew when he’s going to be able to come back”

“You must give him time, Twilight. Distance strengthens the love for the loved one” Pinkie said poetically, which caused Twilight to stare at her amazed.

“Wow, Pinkie… That’s so profound” She whispered.

“Thank you! Don’t feel bad, Twilight. Spike will come back very soon and then we’ll have the first and best wedding between a dragon and unicorn ever! But for now, take this and don’t be late” She said, giving her a white envelope with a tape loop.

“What’s this?” Twilight asked.

“An invitation for Winoa’s birthday. Don’t be late! I’m leaving now because I have to dish out more invitations” She answered while hopping.

Twilight said goodbye and went to her study, where she sat down on a sofa, looking at the ceiling.

“Spike…”

Flash back: three months before

Spike and Twilight were enjoying a picnic in Spike’s secret place, which now was theirs, at the waterfall upstream of the lake of Ponyville. After eating their lunch, they remained there supported on each other waiting for the arrival of the sunset.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She whispered with her head resting on his shoulder.

“Let’s thank Celestia for this view”

“And many other things. Thanks to her we met”

“It seems like yesterday, don’t you think?”

“Yes, it’s incredible. When would I imagine that little dragon would be the one who would steal my heart?” She said ironic.

“When would I imagine the most fascinating unicorn ever would fall in love with me?” He answered with the same tone.

“With you and no one else”

“I have to be sure” He said, separating carefully from her to give her time to regain her balance.

Twilight looked at the dragon confused, who knelt before her and took Twilight’s right hoof with both his claws.

“Twilight, four years ago we both confessed our feelings. And though for some time we didn’t give it a name, later I asked formally you to be my marefriend, which you answered with a bliss only compared to mine”

Twilight brought her other hoof to her mouth when she realized what was going on.

“Since then and despite the adversities, I’ve had the happiest four years of my life. But I feel I can and we can be even happier together. But in order to do it I’m going to make the most selfish thing I’ve done in my life…” He said, putting his left claw in the picnic basket and pulling out a small black box.

“Twilight, I know you surely don’t have any doubt about how much I love and need you. With each passing day I love and need you more. I’ve waited four years and now that I’m of age I must ask you: would you like to be mine and just mine?...”

He slowly opened the box, revealing a gold ring with a diamond in the form of a six-pointed star.

“Twilight Sparkle, will you marry me?” He asked.

Twilight’s eyes shed tears and put a shaky yet broad smile on her face. She threw herself over the dragon, hugging him by his neck tightly and shaking him, as she yelled full of bliss.

“YES, YES, YES! Of course! Of course I’ll marry you, Spike!” She shouted, overflowing happiness.

Some days later

“I’m afraid it won’t be so easy” The ruler of Ikaruga said very seriously.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“Don’t you approve of their union, King Ragnarok?” Luna asked.

“If I didn’t support it, I wouldn’t have risked my credibility, my honor and even my crown to support you for these last years. But allowing you to get married is a different thing” He explained.

“Allowing them? Though Spike is a dragon, he’s a citizen of Equestria. Don’t get offended, but I don’t think you legally have jurisdiction in this matter, King” Luna continued.

“Wait a moment. Let him talk” Celestia intervened.

“Princess Luna and my two dear lovers. Changes never come free. And the more time something has remained constant, the bigger will be the price to pay to make it change. These years you two have had to deal with the challenges and the problems of the decision you chose when you decided to live together. I have nothing against that and you all know it. Regrettably, my conservative and proud, to not say arrogant race, doesn’t think the same. Though many have expressed their support, many have expressed their dissatisfaction. But we are a proud race. And no aristocrat of my kingdom will accept that the one who will go down in history books as the first dragon to marry a pony is a nodragon. Don’t get offended, Spike” The king explained.

“The nobility of Ikaruga will never let it be known that the dragon who makes a historic act like this is a stranger with no kind of legacy or prestige” Celestia said.

“But… What can we do? Does that mean I won’t be able to marry Twilight?” Spike asked very worried.

“Of course you will, but you’ll have to earn the right to do it”

“What do you mean?”

“The conservatives and nobles won’t allow the name of a nodragon in history books, but they won’t be able to complain if that one is a graduate knight from the Military Academy of Shinto”

“Militar academy?” The couple whispered.

“Long ago, Spike, I asked you what you would be willing to do in order to be always at your beloved’s side. Well, that time has come. You’ll become ‘Sir Spike’” He said while smiling.

End of flash back

Spike had gone to Ikaruga the next day and hadn’t stopped sending letters to Twilight almost daily, though there were times when he was absent two or three days in a row. Anyway, his absence had been more painful than Twilight could ever have imagined. But thanks to Pinkie, she felt better.

“Pinkie is right. I just have to be patient. Soon he’ll be back and then… We’ll no longer be he and me. We’ll be us”

She walked to her study room, ready to start the day.

“Good morning, sergeant. Do you bring news about our star boy?” Ragnarok asked when he saw the soldier enter his study room.

“That’s it, my King. Captain Agnus sent me here with important news” He answered.

“Haven’t you discovered which his magic is yet?”

“In fact, we have”

“And which is it? Water, earth, wind, fire?... The weather?”

“Follow me, please. It’ll be better if you see it by yourself”

Both dragons walked to the training camps of Shinto, where they saw a big group of dragons like they were surrounding a show. Inside the congregation, there was Spike using his tail for balance on one claw. There were three dragons surrounding him and floating like they were in outer space.

“Another, another!” Some spectators shouted. Mostly dragons who were between 20 and 50 years of age and Captain Agnus, who was watching the show with his arms crossed very serious.

Suddenly, one of the cadets noticed the monarch was coming closer and immediately knew what he had to do.

“FORWARD… HUT!” He yelled.

All the dragons wobbled a bit to get some room and look in the direction of the authority figures assuming their positions, except Spike and the three dragons who, until a few moments, were floating because of his powers.

“Rest” Ragnarok said while walking towards his protected one, who was rubbing his neck after he fell. But when he saw them, he stood up with a jump.

“You have… Telekinesis”

“Yes, my King. We found out yesterday by accident during a mishap in the obstacle course”

“Amazing. There are no records of any dragon who has been born with such a skill”

“That’s what Captain Agnus told me”

“Indeed. And we have to celebrate this. We should…”

“Excuse me, my King. But could we speak privately?” Agnus interrupted him.

Without much interest, Ragna followed the chaptain…

“Very well, what’s wrong?” He asked when they were alone.

“Your little protected one at nineteen faces and defeats cadets more than three times his age. Your little sociopolitical project can use naturally a kind of magic no other dragon has been born with. That same dragon is using the facilities used by our ancestors to forge their warriors, whereas he, when he finishes, will come back home to marry his marefriend… And what’s worse: you made me his master!” He shouted hysterically.

“Have you finished? Because I can’t see the reason for your dissatisfaction” He answered relaxed.

“That… Boy is stronger than any other dragon his age is! More than you and maybe even me. And telekinetic powers? I know he was raised by ponies, but how the hell are you going to explain that to the councilors when they find out?”

“You and I know that must be a side effect of the spell who brought him to the world. It’s not contagious” He said carefree.

“Your father was never so… Like you”

“I can’t see what you’re complaining about. Yes, the boy is a nodragon studying in a rich school. The best one of his class, the first one to graduate at such a young age and the only one with telekinesis. He’ll be remembered regardless of his marriage. And so will you as the illustrious warrior who taught him the exquisite art of war. Isn’t that what you wanted? Being immortalized? Besides, since our relations with Equestria were consolidated, we could send reconnaissance teams who were hiding there. They told me you had a lot of fun” He accused in the last part.

“It’s ok, I admit it. He’s a good boy. He is a bit stupid, but he can fight and learns quickly. Too quickly”

“If you consider him a threat, you’re wasting your time. He wouldn’t kill a fly”

“That’ll be a problem in his final evaluation”

“You bet”

“What do you think they will make him face?”

“The frozen stone giants from the mountains of Boreas are the hardest evaluation test. But considering his unique ability, the council will prepare a special test for him and only him”

“They will surely entrust him a suicide mission” He said.

“That shouldn’t have to worry us, for you’ll keep training him and Zen will help you so he will master his new magic”

“Why do you do this to me, Ragna?”

The months kept passing. Spike’s power and strength was growing by leaps and bounds, as well as his nostalgia and melancholy for being away from home and his beloved sorceress. He wished to finish his military training as soon as possible, become a knight and come back home, where his now fiancé was waiting for him.

Finally the day came. Spike was kneeling in a large circular chamber surrounded by the council of war of Ikaruga, where they would entrust him his task and final evaluation before graduating.

“Spike. An outsider with bad reputation who came to this sacred institution devoted to polishing the greatest warriors the world has ever seen, is in front this court, waiting to receive instructions for his final task before becoming an Ikaruga warrior” Announced the clerk of the court.

“Though many had no hope for the boy, he’s maybe the cadet with the most extraordinary record of the history of our sacred institution, for at his young age of only nineteen years, he has successfully completed all trainings” Said one of the councils.

“Though many attribute his success to his ability to move objects with his mind, his physical power and the power of your fire breath are also amazing” Another one said.

“So, are you ready for your final task, Spike?”

“Tell me what I have to do, my Lords” He said, raising his sight.

“Normally, the graduated ones receive one of six different tasks according to their abilities or species. But in your unique case, this council decided that your task would also be unique. You will travel to the ends of the continent and you will enter the ‘Jungle of Oblivion’, where you will have to seek and destroy your target”

“Tell me their name and there will remain no life in their body”

“Your objective is someone you know. We deduce that you will be glad to eliminate them. It is Chrysalis, queen of the changelings”

Spike got shocked when he heard the name of the forgotten queen, but he managed to maintain his composure.

“The… The queen of the changelings?”

“That’s it. It seems there was a putsch after her failure in Canterlot, which you surely remember well, and a little after she fled the kingdom. We managed to track her down and she took us to the Jungle of Oblivion. You will have to find and destroy her once and for all”

It’ll be my pleasure Spike thought when he remembered the suffering and humiliation his beloved Twilight, his friends and even Princess Celestia had had to suffer at the hooves of the evil witch.

“What evidence do you want to ensure my victory, councils?”

“Bring the queen’s horn and your place as knight of our court will be undeniable”

A couple of days after, Spike and Agnus were resting on the edge of a cliff after a long day without stops.

“Do you really have to write to your marefriend every nigh?” Agnus asked, after seeing his disciple burn the letter.

“Yes, I do. Twilight usually gets somewhat… Neurotic when something bothers her. She got very scared and widely expressed her dissatisfaction when I told her my final exam would be in the Jungle of Oblivion”

“And with a good reason. That is the worst place in the world after Tartarus”

“Zen told me the queen should be the least of my worries”

“And he’s right. Tartarus is the prison, but that jungle is the dump of the world. Everything that’s bad and rejected goes there to rot. There are chimeras, basilisks, ogres and fugitives of all kinds, such our famous witch who go there to hide. The council may recognize your strength, but not your courage- They sent you there because they expected you to die so that the history of graduated ones from Shinto remains without strangers”

Spike gulped when he thought what lay ahead.

“But you won’t die. Not because you’re strong, but because I trained you. You will enter there, you will crush and burn all that stands in your way, you will kill the queen and then you’ll be able to come back home to marry your dear marefriend and be her problem and not mine.

“I want that too, Master” Spike said mockingly, who had learned to get along with his curmudgeonly mentor.

“Shut up and sleep. Tomorrow we have a lot of ground to cover”

After a couple of days of travelling, finally the two dragons arrived at the frontiers of the impenetrable jungle.

“Well, from here you’re going alone, boy”

Spike nodded and left his disaster supplies kit. He couldn’t use them at this stage of the test.

“Remember we have to be back before the next full moon, so don’t be too late. And don’t die either”

“Any recommendations?”

“Don’t look her in her eyes when you’re going to kill her”

“Why?”

“Just don’t do it”

Though on its exterior the jungle looked terrifying, on its interior it was a tropical paradise. Nothing to do with the Everfree Forest. Though he had seen some unfriendly animals, the flora filled him with peace and joy. But he had no time for that. He had a final test to pass, a unicorn to marry and an unfinished business. He looked for her on the top of a cliff, where he sat down and started to meditate, remembering what Zen had taught him.

All living things have a distinctive aura according to their species. You will surely see a lot of strange and powerful auras in the jungle, but you only must pay attention to the one with many forms. Changelings’ auras are the only ones that aren’t homogeneous. That’s because unlike other creatures with means to feed ‘Spiritually’ like vampires, changelings don’t absorb the essence of the creatures whose emotions devour. They just ‘steal’ them but they don’t assimilate them. No doubt she will be camouflaged, but you'll notice an erratic pattern in her body’s manna. Then you’ll find your prey…

“I found you” Spike said when he distinguished what surely would be the queen’s aura.

Spike slid down and jumped nimbly between the rocks in his descent (he couldn’t fly yet). He moved quickly through the jungle until he was close to his target, who was near a large river. He concentrated again to search again the queen’s unique aura. He didn’t have much trouble, for it was the only creature there except the fishes. A black kappa with a green shell. Spikes had originally thought about jumping on the poor unhappy one and end her quickly, but when he saw how easy that was, he decided that in the name of his beloved, friends and princesses, he would enjoy as much as possible his revenge.

“A very unseemly appearance for a Queen, I must say” Spike said, emerging from the trees calmly behind the kappa.

The amphibian turned around quickly, looking at Spike between surprised and scared.

“Who are you calling a queen to?” She replied, stepping back.

“To you, of course, Majesty. Your ability to change your appearance may fool the wild beasts of this jungle, but not me. So, why don’t you take off that ugly dress and let me see your truly you?”

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re confusing me, dragon”

“Please, don’t deny the heritage of your people, Queen Chrysalis” Spike said, smiling evilly.

The kappa looked at him surprised for a moment and then sighed. A fluorescent green haze appeared around her and revealed the true form of the queen of the changelings.

“How do you know who I am? Why have you come to me? What do you want?” She demanded.

“Watch your tone, Majesty. I don’t bow down to you” He said almost threatening.

Chrysalis snorted a little, but accepted the dragon’s words.

“Why have you come to me?”

“Eleven years ago, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza made the worst mistake of her life by marrying an asshole who… Sorry it wasn’t that. The wedding day, occurred a terrible terrorist attack in which Canterlot had to repel an invasion of a changeling army that conquered the city, arrested the Guardians of Harmony, plus you hurt and humiliated the princess at her own home. And the responsible for all of that was you, Queen Chrysalis”

Spike was getting filled with fury when he dug into those memories, when he saw the devastated city, Princess Celestia trapped in that that disgusting green cocoon. But especially remembered how Twilight had been insulted, ridiculed and scolded by her friends, the princess and even her asshole brother when she tried to save them and reveal who that Cadence really was.

“H… How do you know that?” She asked confused.

“Because that day I was there. Don’t you remember me? I can’t blame you. You were so busy enjoying your victory the Guardians and the goddess of the Sun. Why would you bother noticing that insignificant baby dragon?”

The queen explored her memories of that fateful day.

“I see you’ve grown a lot… What have you come for?”

“Probably for what you think” He said cynically.

“Isn’t it a bit late to seek justice for something I did over a decade ago?”

“You’re right. That’s why I haven’t come here for justice. You see, I’m on an important mission to become a knight of Ikaruga and in order to do it, I’m afraid they have asked me to eliminate you. Otherwise I won’t be able to marry the mare of my dreams. But at this moment, I’d kill you just for pleasure…” He said, extending his claws and erecting his spines, getting in battle position.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear the part you say you’ll marry a pony and I’m saying: perhaps it’s less pleasurable and harder than you think” She said, getting in battle position too.

“I’m going to find out…”

He inhaled deeply and exhaled a breath of fire Chrysalis dodged by jumping sideways. She focused her magic on her horn and shot a beam of green magic that hit the dragon in the chest, throwing him back and disappearing into the foliage of ferns. However, before the queen could savor her victory, Spike calmly emerged from the undergrowth.

“Did I mention I’m not the same little harmless dragon back then?” He said, rubbing his chest.

“That was a simple warning. Leave me alone and everything will be alright”

Spike extended his right arm with his claw extended to Chrysalis, who prepared for the hit, but nothing hit her. However, she suddenly moved at high speed backwards as if a powerful force field had hit her. After a violent impact on the water, she got out of the water to take air confused and scared.

“Forgive me if I find no reasons to feel threatened” Spike mocked her.

Chrysalis insulted the dragon in a low voice and made her horn glow. The water around her quickly lifted her and formed a huge wave that lunged at Spike. The dragon turned around and ran to the trees, but to his surprise, the wave kept following him even out of the lake with the enraged queen on its cusp.

“Run, run you maggot!” The queen shouted.

Spike saw a fallen tree and jumped to fall on it. He turned around where the queen was. He raised both his claws at her and made a move like he had pulled a rope. Immediately after, Chrysalis felt again how an invisible force pulled her to where the dragon was, but a bit lower, making her crash against the tree trunk. Shortly after, she was hit by the water.

“I hope you have more to give me, my queen” Spike said, seeing the changeling cough heavily, once the waved passed.

The queen didn’t answer. She only stood up and shot another magic beam against Spike, who jumped to another tree.

“You failed!” He yelled, digging his claws into the trunk to not fall.

The queen sighed furiously and repeater her attack.

“Again!… And again!... Keep it up, we have all the day!”

After several more attempts, Chrysalis made her horn glow intensely and lifted a big rock, throwing it against the dragon. This time, instead to jump to another tree, Spike jumped to the rock and ran (literally) on it and then jumping again like it had been just a simple obstacle. As soon as he landed, he released another flare against the queen, who defended herself with a magic barrier. Spike kept the fire as long as his lungs allowed him to. When he finished, he saw the queen struggle to keep standing up as she breathed heavily and sweat dripped from her forehead.

“Tired, Queen Chrysalis?”

She didn’t answer. She turned around and flew away.

“Come back here!” He shouted, running towards her.

Unfortunately for Chrysalis, the branches in the tops of the trees were too dense for her to pass through them with her size. She could shrink herself, but she was afraid to run out of the little magic she had left and she would have to slow down to do it, a luxury she couldn’t afford now that the dragon who was haunting her had started to throw fireballs to knock her down.

Finally, the persecution led them to the trees ended: to a river. Chrysalis flew away to finally escape the dragon, but Spike raised both his arms pointing to the queen with his claws open. He closed his fists tightly and then lowered them like he had slammed a window. Again, Chrysalis was hit by a crushing impulse and fell down to the river.

She managed to get out of the water to take some air just to be hit again and returned to the water.

“That was for Twilight!” Spike yelled, who was following the queen from the riverbank.

“This is for Princess Celestia!” He shouted, hitting her again as soon as the changeling got her head out of the water.

“This is for Cadence!”

Finally, Chrysalis managed to cling to a rock that was in midstream. Instead of hitting her again, Spike pulled her to the riverbank with his powers.

Exhausted, the queen crawled on the floor desperately, trying to escape her attacker. Spike followed her slowly, savoring his victory. As well as his fight with Shining Armor, he loved the sensation of power and total control over his opponent’s life. It made him feel powerful when he saw the queen crawl weakly, trying to escape him.

“You’re not so powerful when you have no one to steal their love from, right, you witch?”

Chrysalis stopped crawling and lay still on the floor face down panting heavily. Suddenly Spike hear an almost inaudible whimper.

“What did you say?”

“P… Please…” She whispered, but it was all Spike could hear.

“What?!” He said, rolling her over on her back with his powers.

“Please, don’t hurt me! Don’t hurt me anymore! Mercy, please mercy!” The queen screamed.

Spiked looked at the queen’s eyes and realized why Agnus had warned him not to do it. What he saw made him feel like crap. The ‘evil witch’ was dying of fear. Her eyes overflowing with tears reflected all the panic, helplessness and pure horror that invaded her at that time. And all of that was because of Spike. A part of him was telling him he should stop and it wasn’t right to find pleasure in such an act. But the other part… How did that witch dare to beg for mercy after what she had done?

“After what you did you have the nerve to beg for mercy? Do you have no shame?” He said, getting closer to her with his fist ready to finish her.

“Wait, please wait! Give me just a moment and I'll explain everything to you!”

“Will you explain? Don’t buck with me! Why should I even care what you have to say?!”

“BECAUSE I’M BEGGING YOU FOR MERCY!” She yelled as loud as she could.

The cry was charged with so much despair and fear that Spike couldn’t help feeling horribly bad with himself, just for the fact of having hit the changeling.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… Speak”

She sighed with relief and breathed deeply for the story she was about to tell.

“Like Equestria, my home, Midgar, was always ruled by a son of the Ancients and fathers of our species. But unlike Celestia and Luna, who devote their lives to the service and welfare of their people, my ex-husband, King Haggard, was a selfish monster whose only interest was his own happiness, no matter how much misery he caused his subjects. Centuries and centuries neglecting his responsibilities to his kingdom and worrying only about his. The queens of Midgar were a sham. Just a King’s trophy so he could presume he owned the most beautiful changeling of the kingdom, who he would change for another one more or less every five years when he got tired of her, not before killing her personally”

“What does that have to do with Canterlot invasion?” Spike asked, not very interested in the history lesson.

“I was a daughter of a very humble family. All I wanted was to find a good mate who loved me, have a family and maybe a decent house. One really can’t ask for a lot in a so miserable kingdom like Midgar. My parents were proud of me and I was going to be the first one of my family to finish school. But oh surprise! The little one became the queen!”

In other times, Spike would have believed almost any story anyone told him. But the story he was listening to, he didn’t believe it because of naivety, but because he had learned to know when someone was lying to him. And no one could pretend the way in which Chrysalis’ soul was broken when she told him her past.

“Haggard chose me as his new queen. It wasn’t a blessing, but a sentence of death and everyone in the kingdom knows it. But I decided I wouldn’t spoil all my efforts and my parents’ sacrifice to become the disposable sex toy of that demon. So I killed him…” She said, savoring the last part evilly.

“It was easy, you know? I guess that arrogant jerk never expected his wife to stab him while he was sleeping after I put sleeping pills in his drink at dinner”

“I still don’t understand what this has to do with what happened in Canterlot”

“I became the first single queen in history. I had the power to turn Midgar into a better place. But despite the oppression and hatred there existed for their tyrant, Midgar was still a purely sexist kingdom and no one believed a single queen could guide our kingdom, especially knowing Haggard chose his wives just for their appearance. But I wouldn’t let them dethrone me so easily. So I devised a plan that would bring more wealth and prosperity than ever before in the history of our kingdom”

“Conquering the most prosperous, fertile and peaceful kingdom in the world. It wouldn’t expect full-scale invasion” Spike said.

“Yes. I infiltrated Canterlot, took Princess Cadence’s place and for weeks I fed on Shining Armor’s love to strengthen myself, preparing myself for the day of the invasion, which would be the same as the wedding’s, for everyone would be too busy to notice the danger. And you know the rest…”

“I’m not asking you to forgive me. But you must understand that despite all you think, I didn’t do it for pleasure. I was trying to get my kingdom out of its misery. It’s not my fault my kind needs to feed on other creatures’ feelings. That’s how we were made… You’re a predator too and that doesn’t make you a monster. Or does it? I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I was just trying to get my kingdom out of its misery and make sure they wouldn’t kill me just for being a widow queen”

“But you had to destroy Canterlot to save your kingdom?” Spike reproached her.

“Don’t lecture me. You said you were no longer a baby. If that’s true, you must also know that in the real world, for someone to be happy, they will have to be at the expense of someone who isn’t. I didn’t plan to destroy Canterlot. I knew Celestia and Ragnarok were friends and he wouldn’t have allowed us to conquer her kingdom, but we would have time to strengthen ourselves and come back home ready to build a better tomorrow. But my plan failed and things got worse than ever. I had to run away because the nobles wanted my head for taking them to Canterlot. I managed to escape, but my parents… I wanted to give my kingdom a glory never seen before and however I only brought it to a new level of misery… You can finish” She concluded, closing her eyes.

“Whah… What do you mean?”

“I’ve already said what I had to say… You can kill me”

“B… But… Why did you tell me all of that then?” He asked dumbfounded.

“I don’t know… I guess I wanted to make a last confession before dying. I don’t even know why I resisted you to kill me since we were at the lake. I'm more dead than alive. I mean, LOOK AT ME! I’ve spent the last eleven years hid here! Wilted, exiled and starving! To top it off now I decide to confess my sins to a dragon who’s come to kill me. I have nothing to live for” She said, breaking into tears.

Spike simply looked at the ex-queen. His spirit of fighting and his thirst for revenge were dead. He couldn’t kill her. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t anymore.

“You’re lying” He said.

“What?”

“You’re lying. If you had nothing to live for, you wouldn’t be crying” He explained to her.

“What do you mean? What am I supposed to do now? I’ve lost everything!”

“Not everything. You’re still alive”

“A life that has only known pain and tragedy”

“A very wise mare once told me: Those who are more likely to find happiness, are those who have experienced real pain” He muttered softly.

Chrysalis looked at the dragon in amazement. She was about to talk when the dragon turned his head to the jungle.

“What’s wrong?” She asked confused.

“Shhh… I heard something” He silenced her.

Suddenly, five huge dark figures emerged from the bushes. They had yellow eyes, black fur and huge fangs.

“Wargs! Run!” Spike ran, jumping across the river to evade the beasts.

But when he landed, he noticed Chrysalis hadn’t followed him. She was almost exactly where he had put her, trying in vain to stand up. One of the wargs jumped over her, ready to bite her. But just before it could reach her, Chrysalis flew across the river to be caught in the arms of the dragon.

“Are you alright?” He asked her.

“My wings are broken and my magic reserves are empty because I’ve fought a dragon who moves things with his mind and a warg has almost eaten my head. How do you think I am?!” She asked him furiously.

“There’s no time for that” Spike said, seeing the dogs cross the river.

He put the changeling on his back and climbed the nearest tree.

“Ready, they won’t be able to reach us here” He said, releasing her from his back.

But they almost fell down when the tree was shaken.

“They will if they tear down the tree”

“Not if I stop them before”

“What?... Wait!” She yelled when she saw him fall down.

Spike fell on the back of one of the wargs, also striking a bow to its head that broke its skull. Another warg tried to jump on him, but the dragon quickly stood up and hit his aggressor with his elbow, breaking its jaw. Another one tried to bite him on his left flank, but Spike managed to catch its mouth with both his claws. Not the same way with the fourth warg. Spike had to defend himself by using his left arm as a shield between its teeth and his face.

“Be careful! Another one is coming!” Chrysalis yelled from the tree.

Spike whirled, making the wargs lose their balance and falling on their faces. He quickly took one of them by its hind legs and whirled quickly, using it as a battering ram to hit the fifth and biggest one. By using its opponent’s weight, Spike kept whirling to use the beast as a hammer and crush the other warg that was on the ground.

“Just you and me” He said while looking at the big beast.

“Burn it!” Chrysalis shouted.

“That wouldn’t be fun at all!” Spike yelled, who was taken over by the rush of battle.

The beast tried to catch him with a swipe, but Spike dodged it. It tried again but the same happened. This time, the warg lunged at the dragon, who managed to block it, but he lost balance and fell to the ground.

“I understand you don’t brush your teeth, but do you know about a plant called spearmint?” Spike asked, putting his hind legs on the belly of the beast, pushing it to get rid of it.

The beast fell on its back and Spike jumped on it, hitting it several times in its face. But by shaking its huge legs, it managed to get rid of him. They were face to face again. The warg ran towards Spike again, but he extended his right claw to the warg and he moved it to his right like he had opened a window. After that, the animal was hit by a force that pushed it towards the direction where Spike had pointed to. He quickly mounted on its back and grabbed its upper jaw, pulling it to where he was. After a brief struggle, Spike managed to defeat the beast by breaking its upper jaw and ripping the top of its head off.

The beast collapsed to the ground. Still with the piece of its head in his claw, Spike raised it and roared victoriously.

“Applejack, thank you for teaching me to mount big animals… Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you” He said, extending his claws to the queen, who strongly held the branch waiting for another shock wave to make her fly. But she only felt a soft force that made her descend.

“Good” He said when he let her on the ground.

“Wah… Why did you save me?” She asked confused.

Spike wasn’t surprised by the question.

“Why did you warn me during the fight?”

“Don’t evade the question! That beast was about to eat me. You could have let me there. You should have let me there, but you didn’t! Why? Wasn’t killing me the reason you made your journey?” She asked him confused and frustrated.

He looked at her with compassion and sympathy.

“No. I came to kill an evil queen and witch, but what I found was a regretful and helpless changeling. I can’t kill you”

“But, why save me?! Why are you telling me this?! How can you... How can you offer me your forgiveness…” The queen said very angry and distressed.

“I… Don’t know. I guess it’s right? Did no one ever tell you that you should simply accept the friendliness of people?”

Chrysalis simply looked at him with contempt, grinding her teeth. The she sighed and let herself fall.

“Hey, what’s the matter?”

“What you said about the animals is true. As they possess almost no feelings, I only can feed organically. It keeps me healthy, but I have almost no magic. And I hadn’t had to use my power so much since Canterlot invassion”

“The stench of these corpses will attract other predators. We’d better leave”

“I’m too tired” She said weakly and getting surprised for what happened next.

Spike got closer to her and gently took her with his claws and held her in marriage pose.

“Wah… What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” She yelled shocked.

“I will take you to a safe place” He answered like it was obvious.

“Why should I trust you?”

“What options do you have?”

“... I hate you...” She muttered, looking away.

“I’ve been called worse”

Chrysalis woke up and found herself inside a little cave that was lit by a bonfire in which several fishes were impaled and being roasted. Across from the bonfire there was Spike.

“Do you feel better?” He asked.

“A little…” She answered dryly, leaning on her front legs.

“Are you hungry?” He said, offering her a fish. The queen took it with her strange hooves and started eating.

“Why have you done all this for me?” She asked when she was satisfied.

“Because… I want to”

“Don’t mock me!” She said, throwing him the remnants of fish she was eating.

“I imprisoned Cadence in a crypt for weeks and I almost killed Celestia. My army invaded and almost destroyed Canterlot. I arrested and humiliated all your friends. What reason in this universe could you have to help me?!”

“Everyone makes mistakes, Chrysalis. It’s what happens when you have the courage to make decisions. I haven’t forgotten what you did and I haven’t forgiven you either. No one will ever be able to forget your crimes against Equestria, but Equestria promotes the faith in change, in second chances, in forgiving, in being able to give your hand to the one who once raised their fist against you”

“But after what I did I don’t deserve your forgiveness! I don’t deserve your friendship!” She shouted while looking at his eyes.

They both remained silent for a while in which they exchanged inaudible words through their eyes.

“I know… Solitude” Spike finally said, extending his hand to her.

The queen couldn’t take it anymore. She turned around and started crying in silence. Spike got closer to her and put his claw on her shoulder. She could no longer resist the contact. She turned around, weeping uncontrollably in his arms. Spike was surprised. For some reason, he didn’t feel appropriate to return the hug and simply put his hand on her back.

“I'm sorry... I'm so sorry” She muttered in tears.

“I know” He replied.

“You’re right. Actually, since that day my life went to hell, but I still don’t want to die. Because I could lose the only thing I have left: my soul”

“You never liked your life. You should look for a new one. You can change your form, Chrysalis. You’re no longer bond to your kingdom. You can now go whenever you want. You could have the life you want”

“I could…” She said, rubbing her face against his chest to dry her tears.

“No one except my parents ever showed me such generosity. I never thought I’d know someone like you. Let alone a dragon. What’s your name?” She asked, raising her sight.

“I’m Spike”

“Spike…” She muttered.

“Your marefriend is very fortunate to have you by her side” She whispered, stroking his chest with circular movements.

“I can feel it. A pure and ephemeral love, which can grow and grow… I never saw something like this. Not even in Shining Armor. You are truly full of surprises, Spike”

“Thanks, I guess” He said, somewhat uncomfortable by the hoof rubbing of the queen.

“But what kind of name is that for a dragon?” She said, raising an eyebrow.

“I was raised by ponies”

“No wonder why you’re going to marry one. But didn’t you say you had to kill me to be able to marry her? How are you going to prove you killed me? Would you take my corpse from here to Ikaruga?”

“No. They only asked me to take your horn”

“Oh… Well then don’t worry” She said, holding her horn with both her hooves and deteached it from her head with disturbing ease.

“Take it” She said very relaxed.

“Heh… Aren’t you going to need it?” He asked, just to see how a new one emerged from her head.

“I can change my form, remember? Consider it my wedding gift” She answered calmly.

“Thank you!” The dragon shouted very happy and hugged her.

The queen almost blushed.

“You… You’re welcome. Who’s the fortunate mare? Don’t tell me it’s Cadence, please”

“No, It’s not her. It’s Twilight Sparkle. You know, the unicorn who discovered your plan”

Chrysalis looked at the dragon in disbelief before laughing out loud.

“I guess coincidences don’t exist. Oh my goodness, I haven’t laughed so hard for more than ten years. So the princess’ student. I don’t blame you”

“Tell me about it. When I become a noble, I’ll be able to go back to Equestria and marry her”

“Then you shouldn’t make her wait anymore” She stood up and walked to the exit of the cave.

The sun was already starting to settle on the horizon.

“Well then… Think about what I’ve told you, ok? And take care, Chrysalis” He said, turning around.

“Wait” She interrupted him.

“You’ve helped me a lot. As an extra reward I will give you a very special gift You will be able to kiss the royal cheek as a gesture of my appreciation” She said very haughtily, posing proudly and tilting her face to show the dragon which cheek he had to kiss.

Spike smiled because of Chrysalis’ funny gesture.

“Don’t you think it’s enough with the horn?” He asked her.

“Don’t you think you should accept the kindness of a lady?” She answered.

Spike laughed when he saw himself trapped in his own philosophy. He got closer to kiss the queen’s cheek, but when he was about to do it, she turned her face inadvertently and kissed him on his lips. Spike’s eyes widened and his breathing stopped. His instinct immediately ordered him to break the kiss, but he found no strength or will to do so. Her lips were very different from Twilight’s, as her way to kiss. She seemed to have more… Experience, for lack of a better word. The sensation on her lips was very different, for the queen had no fur on her skin, which gave the dragon a very different sensation from his unicorn. Very different and very pleasant in addition… Sooner than he would have been willing to admit, the queen ended the kiss.

“Thank you again, Spike. I wish much happiness to you and your marefriend. But if for some reason things don’t go well with your fiancé… Call me” She said, blinking seductively and leaving while moving her hips very provocatively.

Spike stood there dumbfounded and confused. But for some reason he was also happy. He licked his teeth one last time, savoring the queen’s breath, which was still in his mouth, and trying to decipher what that strange taste was, as he tried to reason what had just happened.

“Wow… An old changeling likes me” He thought.

But he had no time to worry about that. He calculated the direction where Agnus would be waiting for him and went there at full speed. He had a beautiful sorceress to marry.

Author's Notes:

Please people, post your reviews. I want to know what you think.

The Promised Day

It had never been seen such overpopulation in Canterlot. Ponies from all the kingdom had come to witness the historic event that, according to some, would mark the beginning of a new era: The brotherhood of ponies and dragons.

It finally had come. It was the wedding of the unicorn named Lady Twilight Sparkle ‘The Cosmic’ and the dragon named Sir Spike the Dragon 'the Spectral Impulse'. Ponies and a considerable number of dragons as never seen slowly gathered in the palace, hoping to get seats for the highly anticipated event.

Each and every one of the preparations for the wedding had been planned and monitored extensively by Twilight herself, who wanted her wedding to be perfect. For weeks she, her friends and all the staff of the castle worked tirelessly. Of course, to satisfy the appetite of the foreign guests, they needed chefs from their kingdom so they would prepare food for their people, which at first wasn’t easy for the chefs of Canterlot, for they didn’t want their sacred workspace had butchers in it. But at the end, Twilight found a solution to the matter.

Everything had been polished to perfection under Celestia’s supervision and approval, for to her it wasn’t only the wedding day of her son and goddaughter, but also the day the perfect political flag would rise for the project she and Ragnarok had been working on for the last years.

There were only a few hours remaining for the big moment. Twilight was in her provisional room of the palace with her mother, her sister in law and her best friend Rarity, who of course had made the dress.

“Oh, my dear. You look divine” Violet said, very proud of seeing her daughter wear her wedding dress.

As expected in Twilight, her wedding dress was relatively simple: a non-layered long skirt with violet stars adorning the edge. On both her forelegs, she wore wristbands with white roses and purple laces. On her neck, Spike’s fire ruby and on her head, purple ribbons in front of a white veil covering her hair.

“You did an excellent job, Rarity”

“Thank you, it was my pleasure” Rarity replied.

“I can barely contain the emotion. In a while I’ll be called Spike’s wife. Mrs. Sparkle”

“Aren’t you nervous?” Cadence said.

“Not at all! This day will be perfect. Spike and me finally married. What a glorious day! I can’t believe it has finally come” She said with much encouragement.

“You have attracted a huge crowd to the city. This wedding will really be a historical event” Cadence said, looking out the window.

Suddenly there was an awkward silence in the room.

“What’s happening?” Cadence asked confused when she turned around and saw how every eye was directed towards her with some concern.

“I’m fine, really” Cadence said.

“Are you sure, dear?” Violet asked.

“Yes, mom. There’s no problem” Cadence answered, who had not lost the habit of calling her in-laws mom and dad or considering Twilight as her sister, even with her divorce with Shining Armor.

“I have… I’ve already gotten over it. And if I haven’t completely, I’ve chosen a bad moment to remember it. I swear it’s all ok”

“I hope so. I don’t want one of my bridesmaids to be sad during the ceremony” Twilight said, trying to relax the atmosphere.

“Count on it, Twi. It’s like you said: today will be a perfect day” She assured her, hugging her.

At the other side of the palace, Spike was preparing for his commitment, accompanied by Cornelius, Swift Relief, his father in law: Dusk and Professor Zen. Spike was wearing a ceremonial version of his Shinto uniform: a black coat with gold buttons. On his left shoulder, a silver shoulder pad with the emblem of the academy kept in place by using a red strap that was tied to his belt gold.

“And whatever you do, never get fat. She can, but never tell her” Zen said.

“Mr. Zen, would you mind remain silent? You’re going to get my boy to get nervous” Dusk said frustrated by the chatter of the old dragon.

“Very well, if you don’t mind, I’ll be waiting outside for you to finish dressing the boy”

“Why did you choose him to be one of your best dragons?” Swift asked.

“Ragnarok wanted Spike to have two best dragons” Cornelius answered.

“I originally asked Agnus, but he refused” Spike said, accommodating for the umpteenth time the collar of his coat.

“Everything ok, Spike?” Dusk asked.

“I’m nervous and anxious. Twilight and I wanted something more intimate. Half kingdom is here”

“Can you blame them? It’s a momentous event. You and Twilight will be the first dragon/pony marriage in history. What will happen in a few hours will influence the future of both kingdoms in the centuries to come” Cornelius said.

Spike nodded and looked in the mirror, looking for the dragon he used to be years ago when he was a child and dreamt with this day, and comparing him to the dragon who was right there at the moment.

“You’ll do well, boy. I know you and Twilight will be very happy”

“Did you think the same at Shining Armor’s wedding?”

Dusk got surprised by the question, just like Swift, who also knew about the tragedy and how it devastated his wife.

“Spike, what does that mean?”

“Even now I wonder if I’m the best for Twilight. What will happen… If I’m not really…”

“That won’t happen, Spike” Cornelius interrupted him.

“Your engagement hasn’t been easy, and your marriage won’t be more merciful with you or your wife at all. But if you’ll see how everything will be worth it. Don’t be afraid to fail, because there’s no reason to believe you can fail. The ‘and they lived happy forever’ doesn’t exist. You’ll have to take care of that happiness every day. So never forget why you love her, never forget why you married her. It won’t be easy, but if you manage to do it and you truly love her, you’ll always know how much it’s worth it”

Spike remained silent while staring at the wise ambassador.

“Thank you, Cornelius”

“You’re welcome, boy”

“Excuse me, gentledragons, but it’s time to go to our positions” Zen said, poking his head into the room.

Spike took a deep breath.

“Come on, boy. The time has come” Dusk said.

The grand event hall of Canterlot was full of people. Whereas most guest were ponies, there were a considerable amount of dragons in the place. Between them there was Zira, Cornelius’ wife and her son, Damocles. Captain Agnus, who was scowling, the councilors of war and directors of Shinto, several political figures of Ikaruga and Spike’s friends he’d made in the academy. The company ladies composed by the Guardians of Harmony, Princess Luna and Cadence looked wonderful in their positions on the left side. Swift Relief, Cornelius and Zen as witnesses on the other side. Spike at the center, looking very handsome. And at the center of everything, Princess Celestia and King Ragnarok as masters of the ceremony.

The doors opened and rang the ceremonial orchestra, accompanied by a symphonic choir of dragons from Rennes le Chateau, instead of being a bird choir.

Smiling with untold joy Twilight Sparkle walked through the room, taken by her father, who accompanied her to the altar steps, giving her daughter to her future husband. Now the promised ones were facing each other.

“My dear ponies!” Celestia shouted.

“Dear brothers!” Ragnarok accompanied.

“We have gathered here today to witness the union of the unicorn named Lady Twilight Sparkle and the dragon Sir Spike, in holy marriage” Celestia said.

I suggest you play this song

“Love has many shapes and forms. Some for friends and family, others for mates and couples. Love guided Twilight to Spike’s side. Dragon or pony, that doesn’t matter. Their love is pure like water, radiant as the sun and has has transcended the barriers of the skin, race, culture and even the incredulity and criticism of those who desecrated that love. Today we’ve gathered to witness how that love will definitely unite ultimately and eternally the lives of these two individuals. Twilight Sparkle, it's time to say your vows” Celestia announced.

Twilight took a deep breath.

“Spike, my beloved Spike. Since I have memory, you’ve done nothing but bring me happiness. Over the years with your eternal devotion and unconditional friendship, you guided and helped me in all my days. You were my strength and my inspiration, my assistant, my guardian and my hero. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be the pony I am. And that’s how I realized not only did I love you, but I always had, and there’s nothing I want more in this life than loving you forever. I want to be the song you always sing, the blanket that protects you from the cold, the light that guides you in the darkness. I want to be your joy, your sadness, your drink and food. Being everything in your life. In return I ask for no wealth, I ask for no power. I only want you to love me, now and forever. Because I love you, Spike. And I just want you to love me the same way and never turn away from me”

Twilight finished and sighed. Overwhelmed by her own words, resisting the almost uncontrollable desire to mourn for happiness and jump into Spike’s arms and kiss him.

It was Ragnarok’s turn.

“We dragons were born forged in victory. From childhood we are taught to fight for the win. Fighting for our dreams, our hopes. For wealth, honor and glory. In order to achieve great feats that make our ancestors proud and ourselves. But no matter how many feats we achieve, every dragon knows there’s no bigger feat or happiness and pride that compares to the one of those who have managed to find true love”

“Kill me…” Agnus whispered to the dragon who was next to him.

“Twilight Sparkle is willing to give herself to you, body and soul, Spike. Until now, you’ve proved to be worthy of such blessing. But you must now swear that you will be worthy forever. Recite the oath” The king ordered.

“For your love and mine. For my armor and title of knight. I swear complete and selfless love to you. Complete and unfailing loyalty. And dedicating my life to make you as happy as I can. My word will speak only the truth. My strength will sustain you when you are grieving. My being will protect you when you're helpless. You can call me anytime. You can ask me anything. My life and love are and will be yours, until death do us part and until we meet again, maybe in another life or another world”

Ending his speech, Spike stood up.

“Always remember your oath, knight of Ikaruga” The king said.

“The vows have been said. The oaths have been made. It’s time for these two individuals stop being known as him and her to be known as them” Celestia said.

“The rings, please” Ragnarok said.

Swift relief got closer to Spike, pulling the engagement rings from his pocket and giving them to the groom. Very ceremoniously, Spike placed the ring on Twilight’s horn and she, with her telekinesis, placed it on his left claw.

“Twilight Sparkle, do you accept Spike as your husband in wealth and in poverty? In health and disease? To love him, supporting and never let him go?” Celestia asked.

Twilight felt she couldn’t breathe. She didn’t have to think about the answer, but she was too overwhelmed with happiness and felt a huge lump in her throat.

“I accept…” She could finally say with an almost inaudible sigh while a tear of happiness was running down her face.

“And you, Spike. Will you take Twilight as your beloved and only wife? Will you always honor your oath to be faithful, to protect her and never stop loving her?” Ragnarok said.

“And if I won’t, may the gods punish me” He answered without hesitating.

“If there exists someone who knows a reason these two shouldn’t unite, may they speak now or be silent forever” Celestia said.

“Being like that, by the power given to us, I, King Ragnarok…”

“And I, Princess Celestia, pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride”

A nanosecond after those words, Twilight jumped with her forelegs and extended them to hug Spike and kiss him passionately. He gladly replied and hugged her waist. Without delay, the congregation all stood up and clapped and shouted with joy because of the happiness of the newlyweds.

The celebration was dispersed among the gardens and the ballroom. The elegant decoration, which was a reminder of the classic era of Equestria, the delicious banquet made by the greatest chefs of both nations, the lovely music by the royal Canterlot Symphony Orchestra. It had hurt him in the soul not being able to leave those three aspects of the event to his friends, just as they had done it at Cadence’s wedding. But Ragnarok warned that cramming the tables with sweet cakes, putting games like ‘Pin the tail on the pony’ for entertainment, and of course, putting those infernal giant jukeboxes with karaoke tracks with pop songs like ‘Love is a Bloom’ would have made the dragons who came to the event made ideas about the seriousness of the engaged ones, or worse, that it was to make a mockery of the sanctity of marriage.

And though she would never say it to her friends, Twilight frankly liked much more how arrangements for her wedding had been prepared. Everything was… Perfect.

The newlyweds were in the gardens accompanied by their friends and loved ones. After the traditional first dance of the married, it was time for the part when husband and wife alternated dancing couple on each song. Spike was dancing with Princess Luna, while Twilight was dancing with King Ragnarok.

“Is that how you always imagined your wedding, Spike” Luna asked while dancing with the dragon.

“No. In my dreams there were only ponies at the wedding, but I think this is fine” He replied with his typical irony.

Luna laughed and put her fore hooves on his shoulders to dance closer to him.

“Twilight is very fortunate to have you, you know? Never let anyone convince you otherwise” She emboldened him.

“Thank you, Luna” He replied.

The song was over and they separated. Without much delay, another song began.

“Well, Twilight already has another dancing couple. Would you mind sharing this one with me too?” Luna offered him.

“I would…”

“Excuse me”

Spike and Luna turned to see the origin of the voice that had interrupted the dragon. Wearing a very elegant gothic black dress, there was a black unicorn with emerald green eyes and a straight dark turquoise mane.

“Excuse me, my Lord. Would you be so kind to share this song with me?” She asked formally.

“I… I…” Spike didn’t want to reject the offer of the mysterious maiden, but he didn’t want to leave Luna alone.

“It’s ok, Spike. I’ll go with the other guests”

Luna left and Spike got closer to her and bowed to her, who extended her left hoof so the dragon could kiss it.

“Nice to meet you, mademoiselle”

“Hive. That mademoiselle isn’t needed” She said cheerfully.

“It’s going to be difficult to me, mademoiselle Hive”

“Hahah. Your manners do justice to your reputation, my Lord. Very well. I'll settle for being able to dance by your side this song”

Spike took the unicorn by her hoof and waist, guiding her to dance to the bolero the orchestra intoned.

“Is this a special song for you, mademoiselle Hive?” He asked, not wanting to sound too intrusive.

“Now it is” She said very happy.

Luna got closer to a table where were sitting Big Macintosh and his wife Zecora, who had in her arms her daughter named Appleseed. The little one had a red mane and white fur with some gray stripes.

“Good evening, you two. Is that tenderness yours?” The princess asked.

“Eyuup!” Big Mac said happily.

“Good evening, Princess Luna” The zebra replied.

“Who’s the lady who’s dancing with Spike? Is she a Twilight’s friend?”

“I don’t know. Actually I had never seen her, but well. I’d say there are more guests the couple don’t know. Aren’t you going to dance?”

“We’d love to, but we need someone to take care of our daughter”

“Say no more. I’ll look after her. It’s a crime you can’t enjoy the dance floor this night” She said enthusiastically.

“Are you sure, Princess?”

“Of course. It’s my royal duty, after all”

“Thank you!” Big Mac said.

Zecora gave the princess the little one carefully and went with her husband.

“Hello, little one! I’m your aunt Luna!” She said, very happy to see the baby in her arms.

The little one looked at her and as she didn’t recognize the huge blue pony in front of her and started crying.

“Oh, come on, little one. Don’t cry. Aunt Luna is here” She tried to soothe her.

This had the opposite effect and she began to mourn again.

“Doh… Don’t cry. Everything is ok… Everything… Pinkie? Pinkie Pie, where are you?” She said in panic, remembering she had NO experience with babies at all.

Spike was still dancing with Hive. After all, Ravel’s Bolero was a very long piece.

“Please, stop looking at me like that, my Lord. Remember you’re now married” The unicorn joked.

“I… I’m sorry, mademoiselle. It’s just you are very familiar to me. Do we know each other?” He apologized, ashamed.

“Yes, my Lord, we do. And it breaks my heart you don’t remember me” She said, very sad.

“Would you please refresh my memory? I promise you I’ll never forget you again, mademoiselle Hive”

“It’ll be my pleasure” She answered, getting happy again.

“I’m surprise you don’t remember me. I could never forget our last meeting. After all… You tried to kill me” She said evilly, making her eyes shone with a green aura for an instant.

Spike felt a powerful shiver from the tip of his tail to his brain when he realized who that unicorn was and he stopped short.

“Keep dancing or they will notice something is wrong. And stop putting that ridiculous face” She scolded him.

“How… What the… Why are you here?” He asked brokenly.

“Why not? You practically invited me to this celebration. Besides, don’t forget I gave you a part of my body so this wedding could be celebrated” She answered very quietly.

“How did you enter here?”

“It was very easy. I dressed up as one of the waitresses, then I went to the bathroom and I became the girl you see now. How do I look?” She said, blinking seductively.

Immediately, Spike’s mind returned him to that kiss in the jungle. He swallowed.

“You look… Lovely” He said, looking away.

“Thank you” She replied, pleased with his answer.

“But honestly I prefer the real Chrysalis” He said very seriously, looking at her again.

This time, it was the queen who stopped dancing for a moment because of the surprise. After a while, they continued their dance.

“Such a gentledragon. I really hope your wife knows how fortunate she is”

Spike felt very flattered, but also more and more uncomfortable.

“Why did you actually come, Chrysalis?” He asked seriously.

“I no longer seek revenge against Celestia, Cadence or Sparkle. Do you think I’m here to get back at you and ruin your wedding?” She answered, somewhat annoyed.

“That’s not what I wanted to say. But I think it’s stupid for you to walk through half the continent just to attend this event”

“And you’re right. I didn’t come here for the free food. I came to say goodbye to the dragon who made me realize I still had a lot to live for”

“Say goodbye?” He asked confused.

“Yes, I’m going to take your advice. I’ll go to the other side of the sea to discover the land of the fairies. They say their forests are the most beautiful in the world”

“Send me a postcard when you get there” He joked. The queen simply laughed a bit.

The song finally ended and they separated.

“I think I must go. Thank you again, Spike”

“My pleasure”

“Your wife loves you so much. I’m sure you’ll be very happy together”

“Thank you. I also wish you happiness wherever you go”

Chrysalis smiled. She got closer to the dragon’s face and kissed him on his cheek. Nothing to do with the last one. This kiss was simple and affectionate. She separated from him and looked at him with longing eyes.

“Good bye, Spike. I hope we can see each other again” She said somewhat melancholy.

“It’s an appointment” He said.

The queen looked at him surprised for an instant before laughing while she kept walking.

“I’ll be waiting for it. Goodbye, my Lord” She said when she got lost in the crowd.

“May Izanagi protect you” Spike muttered.

He turned around and went to find his wife. He found her sitting at her reserved table next to Princess Luna.

“What a shame to bother you in your wedding night. I’m really sorry, Twilight” Luna apologized to her with a sleeping Appleseed in her forelegs.

“It’s ok, Luna. I only showed you how to make the little one burp”

“Are you having fun, ladies?” Spike interrupted.

“Even more now that you are here, my love” Twilight replied, standing up to kiss her husband.

“Twilight, not in front of Luna”

“She won’t mind” She assured him, locking their lips.

“Tell me, Spike. Who was the lady you were dancing with? I’d never seen her” Luna asked when the couple ended their kiss.

“Her name is Hive. I met her at the train station during one of my trips to Canterlot. Though I’m surprised she has come, for we almost never see each other” Spike explained, having prepared his lie before.

“I’d like to meet her. Where did she go?” Twilight said.

“Actually, she’s gone. She said she would go travel around the world or something, so I don’t even know if we’ll see her again. But don’t distress yourself, my life. You’re the only pony I want to think about tonight”

Twilight smiled at him, rubbing her nose with his. Luna watched them, enchanted by the romance show until something on her nose made her put a grimace.

“Ehh… Twilight?... Please, tell me you know how to change a diaper” Luna said with an awkward smile.

The night progressed like the party. Slowly the food ran out, the entertainment too and the guests slowly began to leave, saying goodbye one by one to their friends to leave.

“Where’s the carriage?... It should have been here ten minutes ago. It was supposed to be here now!” Twilight shouted in a sudden fit of anger when she saw there was finally something off-plan.

“Calm down, Twi. Calm down. The carriage was going to be here, but I called to cancel it” Her husband explained to her.

“Cancel it? But why?” She asked confused.

“Because of this” Spike said, standing up in front of her and extending his wings.

“Wow! But when…”

“A pair of weeks ago, actually. A morning, I woke up and they were this size. You were very busy planning our wedding to notice. Besides I asked Luna to cast a spell on me so you wouldn’t notice”

“But are you ready to fly?”

“Sure. Thanks to Rainbow Dash. We’ve been practicing all the mornings since then”

“Is that true, Rainbow?” She asked her husband’s accomplice.

“I plead guilty! We wanted it to be a surprise. Instead of touring the city in a boring carriage, you’ll be able to fly over it on your husband’s back” Rainbow said.

“Thank you, Dash” She said, hugging her.

Spike extended his wing on the floor so Twilight could use it as a ramp and climb on his back. Before leaving and according to the tradition, the bride took her flower bouquet and threw it to the crowd.

“MINE!” Rarity shouted, taking the flower bouquet.

“It’s not fair! You do this every wedding you go. Just marry already and let somepony else take the flower bouquet” Applejack said.

“Applejack, dear, if you want it so much, you should try harder. Let’s hope that at the wedding of Rainbow and Light Strike you have better chances” Rarity said very relaxed.

Twilight leaned against her husband’s back and hugged his neck for support.

“A little indecorous, but I like it” She joked.

“Ready?”

“Without a doubt”

Spike ran a little and then flapped his wings vigorously and they both flew. His friends and family applauded and celebrated their departure. Not very far from there, Princess Celestia was looking at them both from a palace balcony with a smile of pure joy as she dried her tears with a handkerchief.

“They grow up so fast” She whispered.

She heard footsteps and was quick to regain composure.

“The nobles have enjoyed the event a lot. I’d say this night we’ve harvested a lot of political gold” Ragnarok said.

“I’m sorry, Ragna. But now I don’t want to talk about policy”

“Yes, I understand. Could we have a drink then? Dance maybe? This is a very special night and you look divine” He said, extending his claw to her, in a tone that made him look the handsome guy of the movie.

Celestia sighed and looked at the young King with a smile.

“It’s fine, it’s fine… But only for this time” She said.

Twilight was enjoying the best view of Canterlot she had ever had. It was difficult to decide what shone more: either the night sky or the city. But they both had much more important things to think about.

“When I got up, I thought this would be a perfect day. But now I think it’s even better than perfect” She whispered, rubbing her forehead against the back of Spike's neck.

“Who says dreams don’t come true?”

“I can’t even believe there was a time when I didn’t love you as I do now. It seems so distant, like a vague memory of another life”

“I know, but the waiting was worth it” He said, taking her hooves around his neck.

“Where are you taking me? I noticed it’s not Ponyville”

“That’s the other part of the surprise”

Twilight then realized they were going to the hotel area of the city. As gently as he could, Spike descended in front of the entrance of ‘Canterlot Sunshine Paradise’, the most luxurious and expensive of all of Equestria.

“Really?” Twilight said, dismounting from her husband.

“Do you think I would joke about something like this?” He returned the question.

Twilight entered next to her husband and walked together through the luxurious lobby of the hotel, which because of the advanced time of the night was almost empty.

“Good evening, lady and gentledragon. What can I do for you two?” Said the receptionist, who was taking a coffee.

“Good evening. My wife and I have a reservation for Spike”

“Then is it you?! Lady Twilight and Lord Spike? Let me tell you it’s an honor you choose our hotel to spend your holy wedding night! You had reserved one marriage suite, but when the hotel manager watched your names, he said you could use one of the deluxe suites totally free”

“Will you let us use a deluxe suite totally free?” Twilight asked surprised.

“Yes, he said you could consider it as his wedding gift. He also told me to ask you if you wouldn’t mind having breakfast with him in the hotel buffet. He looked forward to meeting you”

“Tell him we’ll be glad to meet him. And thank him for the suite when you see him” Spike said, taking the keys of their suite.

“Of course. Have a good night and congratulations!” He said.

And there she was. Twilight Sparkle, a pony of simple tastes and humble had become for the umpteenth time a celebrity, newly married, letting her hair down and removing her makeup in the bathroom of the most luxurious and expensive hotel room in all of Equestria.

“There’s just one thing left for this day to be more than perfect” She said, smiling mischievously in the mirror.

She left the bathroom to the huge room where her husband was waiting for her on the huge king size bed, lying on his stomach with a suggestive smile.

“Oh my goodness, aren’t we eager?” She said mockingly.

“Don’t pretend you’re not” He answered, making room for her and sitting on the bed.

Twilight climbed into the bed, sitting in front of her husband, who she looked at his eyes in silence as they both smiled. Finally they approached their faces and kissed lovingly. Twilight raised her forelegs, resting them on her husband’s chest and pushing it so he would lie on his back. She was above him. When the kiss ended, they looked at each other in silence until Twilight rested her body on her husband’s.

“Can you believe this is really happening?” She asked with a whisper.

“Believing it, yes. Understanding how I’ve earned it, no”

“And why not? I’m the one who should be amazed at her luck. Thinking a dragon as extraordinary as you would fall for a nerd like me”

“The most beautiful and perfect nerd in the world, who I was born to love” He said, kissing her on her cheek.

“Do you wish to check how much I love you, my queen?” He suggested, waiting for the night to come to its so awaited natural conclusion.

“Oh yes, my handsome knight. Your queen demands you fill her with your love” She said, blinking seductively.

She took her face with his right claw and guided it to kiss her, this time a more strong and passionate way. With one of his claws, he stroked the back of her neck and behind her ears, while the other one was stroking her back and neck. The mere touch of his fingers made Twilight sigh of charm between their kisses. In her joy, Twilight remembered how several hours ago more than one of the nobles at her wedding asked her if she had thought about turning Spike into a stallion.

What nonsense! Twilight thought. If she loved Spike, it was because she accepted who he was. And though most mares in Equestria would be afraid that a pair of claws ran through their bodies to their most intimate parts, Twilight couldn’t even imagine how else she could be caressed, let alone ‘touched’.

“You have magical hands, did you know that?” Twilight sighed.

“After you, I can’t imagine being caressed by anything that doesn’t have fingers”

“I'll take that as a compliment” He answered.

He made his tail turn to curl up with hers, making them form a spiral. He stopped kissing her mouth to start his descent through her neck.

“Not this time, honey. This time I’ll start” She said, separating from him and looking at him seductively.

She descended through her husband’s body while planting kisses and caresses of her hooves. Twilight partially felt when she thought how insipid to her husband her caresses with her hooves would be compared to his strong and capable claws. Fortunately, she wouldn’t have to need her hooves too much for what she was about to do.

“Mmmm… Is it my idea or your sword looks bigger than the last time?” She said, touching the tip of her husband’s strong member, which made him slightly arch his back.

“Sword?... Don’t you think that now that we’re married, we could… I don’t know… Talk dirty?” He suggested.

“NO! What are we? A couple of drug addicts having sex in an alley?” She answered outraged.

“… It was a hypothetical question” He apologized.

“Maybe the day we end up making love when we’re drunk or something like that. Not before” She concluded.

“Very well. As for your question, I’m growing up, right? Besides we haven’t had anything since I went to Shinto”

“Don’t even make me remember that. Those days far from you were eternal. But don’t suffer anymore, my heaven. Now we’re here and I’m going to make the lost time worth waiting” She said, getting her face closer to Spike’s cock and extending her tongue to lick it from the base to the tip, which made Spike moan in pleasure.

She smiled when she saw the reaction she was causing her husband and planted a kiss on the tip of his masculinity and then began to engulf it slowly and sensually. She rubbed her tongue again against the tip and then ran it up and down until she started with her task of raising and lowering. The infamous act of suction Twilight disapproved so much (according to him), but she did it anyway, knowing how pleasant was for Spike.

“Oh Twilight… You’re more than a queen, you’re an angel” Spike sighed and extended his claws to rest them on his beloved’s neck.

She smiled glad to know she was doing a good job. She gradually increased the pressure of her lips and the swing of her head. Soon the intense gasps of the dragon and the palpitations of his cock made her know his climax was near. Twilight sucked powerfully as if trying to suck the soul of the dragon.

“Twilight… Twilight!” The dragon yelled, releasing his load in his wife’s mouth, who devoured his cock until the base, making sure not to miss a single drop of his fluids.

After eternal instants, Spike exhaled in ecstasy, enjoying his first orgasm in months thanks to the heavenly work of his wife. Twilight savored and swallowed her husband’s present and removed her mouth from his cock to clean it properly with her tongue. When she finished, she cleaned her lips with her hooves and went to the bathroom to wash her mouth, just as she did every time she did that act.

“I’ve already told you that if it disgusts you, you don’t have to do it, you know? Let alone swallow it” Spike said, catching his breath while Twilight was in the bathroom gargling.

“Nonsense. As your marefriend, it was my responsibility. But as your wife, it’s my obligation” Twilight said firmly, returning from the bathroom.

“Besides, from where do you get it disgusts me? Everypony knows you must wash your mouth after each feeding”

Spike couldn’t help smiling at Twilight’s ‘singular’ resolution.

“Well, that means I have an obligation to you. Would you like me to honor it?”

“Yes, if it’s to pass the main event” She blinked seductively.

“As you wish, my queen” He said, taking her by her armpits to climb her up to the bed and making her lie on her back to kiss her passionately.

After the kiss, he descended like she had done it: planting kisses and caresses all over her body until he encountered the stigma of her femininity. Twilight, who had watched closely observed the descent of Spike, looked away embarrassed when he reached his destination. Spike laughed a bit at his wife’s reaction. Even with all the times they have been through it, Twilight was ashamed every time she exposed herself that way before Spike. But it didn’t bother him at all. Not losing any more time, he kissed it softly, making Twilight sigh of bliss. He was surprised when he saw how wet she was. She actually had been as eager as him. Moments later, he separated from her flower and climbed again her body to assume his position.

“Ready?” He asked with his cock already rubbing against her body’s entrance.

“As I’ll ever be” She said as an invitation.

Spike moved his hips forward and Twilight sighed in ecstasy when she received it inside her. No matter how many times they did it, the first thrust always had something special that took them for a moment to their first night together. Spike also gasped when he felt the warm and tight embrace of the petals of his beloved’s flower.

“You feel much better than the other times” He muttered.

“Teh… Tell me about it. Definitely I don’t remember you being so… Big!” She replied.

“I think not only did we miss each other. Our bodies missed each other too”

“Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?” She said, raising an eyebrow.

“Your body seems to support my theory” He cynically replied as he felt the spasms of her inner labia.

“Shut up and make love to me” She whispered, kissing him passionately.

He returned the kiss and did what she had asked him to do. The movement of his hips started slowly, picking up speed slowly, accompanied by gasps and moans of pleasure from both of them. Definitely they had missed each other a lot. Spike ran his left claw under Twilight’s waist and lifted her to gain greater control of the act, as his other claw rested on the bed. In her moans, Twilight surrounded Spike with her hind legs, pinning him against her crotch like she wanted him to stay inside her permanently.

At this point, the gasps and moans had become screams of euphoria while a near indescribable heat was burning their bodies. Spike took some air, moved his hips back, almost exiting Twilight and then he moved them forward with all his strength, shaking the bed as he exploded in the most intense orgasm he had ever had. Twilight arched her back and squeezed the muscles of her crotch as much as she could as she melted in her own climax trying to milk every last drop of her husband’s hot seed.

After what seemed an eternity, Twilight collapsed on the bed, panting as if her life depended on it. Spike leaned on his elbows to avoid crushing his wife with his body and after a few moments of trying to catch his breath, he moved his hips to finally exit her.

“N… No!” She shouted desperately to stop him.

“Huh?”

“Don’t… Exit yet… I love it when we are… united this way…” She said in a barely audible volume.

Spike smiled and kissed her and kissed her gently on her lips, though this prevented them from getting the so much needed oxygen.

“As you wish, my queen” He said.

He ran both claws down her back and her waist, enveloping her in a gentle hug and then he turned on the bed with her, leaving her on top of him. They stayed a while enjoying the warmth and touch of their bodies as their members were still throbbing like they never wanted to separate.

“I think you were right… My body did miss you, just like me” Twilight muttered when she finally caught her breath.

“Hahah. In that case I should comfort you a little more, my queen” He proposed.

“No doubt. Ready for another round?” She said, standing up and resting her hooves on his chest.

“Until the body holds” He said, sitting on the bed, with her on his lap, still attached to his body.

She kissed him as he firmly grabbed her flanks with his claws so they could restart the magical swing.

The love, the passion, the passion, the pleasure… Everything was just like they had always dreamt and enjoyed. But there was something different, though they both could feel, neither of them could identify. As if the bonds that united them were stronger than ever. As if they knew that from that moment, they wouldn’t have to fear anything ever again. So they spent their holy wedding night, repeating again and again the ritual of love until their bodies were not able to resist one more round…

“What are you thinking, Twi?” Spike asked the sorceress who was on his body.

“Many things… One of them is…” She stood up to look at his eyes before answering.

“How am I going to keep my books safe if I have a lot of little dragons running through the house?” She joked.

Spike knew very well what she meant.

“I don’t know. How will I prevent the library from getting overturned with a lot of mini sorceress who never return the books to their shelves and left them everywhere?” He answered with the same tone.

Both lovers laughed at their jokes.

“I love you, Spike” She said, kissing him on his lips.

“I love you too, Twilight. More than ever and until the stars in the sky turn off”

Twilight smiled at him and rested her head again on the base of his neck. Spike enveloped her with his arms and wings, giving her a shelter like the unicorn never imagined. As for him, he needed no sheets or additional heat sources. Her soft fur against his body was more than enough for him.

Finally fell prey to sleep and fatigue. And though they both knew there would be cloudy days, for some reason, they could only think things would get better from now.

Author's Notes:

I hope you've enjoyed it. If you ask me, Twilight did forgive Rainbow Dash. Please, post your comments.

One Last Sin

After their honeymoon, Twilight and Spike returned home in Ponyville. But as the library was no longer a suitable place for a married couple, they soon built a new house on the edge of the town, not very far from Sweet Apple Acres. Just a humble two-story mansion for the young couple. Also, shortly after, the director of the Ministry of Magic of Equestria: Blade Runner, had offered Twilight a spot in the Magic School of Princess Celestia for gifted unicorns. A spot Twilight rejected, making him know she was willing to found her own magic school in Ponyville. With the support of the princess and Blade Runner, Twilight soon founded her own magic school which she decided to call "Space Odyssey".

That evening, Twilight was in her office. A spacious room with an elegant mahogany desk, two bookshelves behind her, two chairs at the front and a window on the right side where the sunlight entered. In addition to her titles, on the wall she had enlarged photographs of her wedding, her friends and some more. Suddenly someone knocked on her door and her secretary came in.

“Excuse me, director, but you have received a letter from Mrs. Rarity. She wishes to see you at her home. She says it’s very important”

“Didn’t she say about what, Marcy?”

“No, Madame. She only said it was very important”

“I see. Alright, if it’s that important, then I’ll immediately go”

“Don’t forget that at four pm your presence is required for the meeting about the budget for the expansion of the chemistry laboratories”

“Yes, thank you, Marcy” Twilight said, disappearing with a magical sphere.

Instants later, she appeared in front of Rarity’s boutique, which was closed. She surrounded the house to knock the back door that was connected to the house.

“Rarity, I’m Twilight. I received your message” She yelled while knocking the dorr.

“I’m coming now!” She heard Rarity’s voice.

She opened the door and after the appropriate salutations, she invited her to her room where she had prepared a tea with biscuits.

“Tell me, Rarity. Why did you want to see me? Is everything alright?”

Which until then had been a cheerful smile on Rarity’s lips became sour because of Twilight’s question.

“Rarity?” Twilight asked worried when she noticed the change.

“No, Twilight. Not everything is alright… Last night I broke up with my coltfriend” She said very sad.

“Oh Rarity, I’m sorry!... But what happened? You looked so happy together”

Twilight actually said that to be polite with her friend. She thought that was a new record. As far as Twilight knew, Rarity and the guy had been together for only three weeks. In fact, Twilight hadn’t even known him. She knew he was some kind of eccentric collector of carriages, but since some time, Rarity no longer bothered to introduce her mates to the girls, let alone trying to integrate them into their social circle.

“We weren’t made for each other. Or better said: he wasn’t made for me” She said melancholically.

Twilight remained silent. She actually wanted to ignore what the evil tongues said about Rarity, but it was getting more and more difficult to ignore the idea…

“Rarity, I don’t understand you. When we were young, you used to always say you wanted to marry a stallion who was rich, strong, powerful… And may they chain me to the wall if I lie, but you’ve known a lot of stallions like that. Actually… I have no idea what stops you from settling down”

“Am I really that shallow to you?” Rarity asked without any anger, feeling rather sorry for herself.

“… No, of course not. I mean you’ve been with several distinguished and wonderful gentlecolts. Such as that Lieutenant of the Royal Guard a few years ago, or the singer of Ethernal Song, or that stallion from the Trotinheim vineyards who was very cultured and generous. I don’t understand, Rarity. Why have you let them all go? What are you waiting to find?” Twilight explained.

“I… Don’t know, Twilight. I swear I don’t. I’m simply deceiving myself” She answered very anguished with tears in her eyes.

“What do you mean, Rarity?”

“Again and again I venture to look for love in the company of a new lover, but it is useless. I don’t try to find love, but to run away from it, hide from it where it can’t find me”

“What are you talking about, Rarity? I don’t understand you” Twilight said very confused and powerless.

“Is it that hard to understand, Twilight?” Rarity asked.

“It’s not that I like disparaging or playing with the feelings of my suitors. But it’s useless. As much as I try, my love is somewhere else. A forbidden love I can only escape from. It laughs at me. I despised it long ago when I should have accepted it as the blessing it was. If I had known the misery that would expect me when I denied it…!” She cried, full of sorrow.

“Rarity, I have no idea what you’re talking about! Speak clearly” Twilight interrupted her.

“It’s Spike, Twilight” She screamed, shedding tears.

The sorceress fell silent for a moment, not knowing what to say and looking at her poor friend with wide eyes.

“Whah… What do you mean, Rarity?”

“Oh, Twilight… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, but I can’t help it!” Rarity continued her crying and threw her forelegs to Twilight’s neck with intentions to hug her, but the sorceress rejected the gesture.

“Rarity, I told you to speak clearly! What is this all about?!” She demanded.

“Your husband, Twilight! I love your husband! The husband who should have been mine!” She concluded, covering her mouth with both her hooves and looking away.

Twilight was speechless while looking at her friend with in disbelief and astonishment. Astonishment that quickly was contaminated with anger.

“Whah… What the hell is that supposed to mean, rarity?!” She asked.

“Twilight, please. Don’t be angry. Spike is innocent. He isn’t to blame for anything”

“Do you think I don’t know? What I ask you is why you talk about him like he should have been your husband and not mine”

“Oh Twilight… Since I have memory, everypony has always told me that I’m pretty, that I’m smart, that I’m funny… I was always full of compliments and praises. And I always could distinguish the sincere from the sycophants and liars. The shallow and the greedy. Never in my life could I find a sincere lover. Someone who could appreciate me for who I was within myself and not only for my shell, until I knew Spike…”

Rarity levitated a handkerchief near her and dried her tears.

“Every gesture, every favor, every compliment, every task; he did everything with devotion, dedication and sincerity without ever expecting anything in return. Altruism and chivalry at its finest. And all because he loved me. Not in a superficial or materialistic way. He was actually unconditionally in love with me” She said, smiling at the ceiling, clearly remembering that time.

“And I… I… I fell in love with him too. I couldn’t believe it. I’d fallen in love with a boy who was six years younger than me. And a dragon! When could I imagine I would find my true love in a dragon?”

Twilight remained silent without knowing very well what to feel.

“But I… I was afraid. I didn’t have the courage to accept him. I couldn’t give myself to him and take the risk. I pretended it wasn’t true, that it was a love I didn’t really correspond and I ended up cutting its wings, pretending I was doing the right thing. But time passed. The years passed and even though I tried, though many suitors knocked my door, I was never able to forget him”

“Rarity…”

“I saw him grow up, I saw him mature and become a great dragon. But I was afraid… Afraid of how my parents would react, afraid of what a relationship like that could do to my reputation and my career, afraid that it wouldn’t eventually work… And when finally… When I was about to arm myself with courage and fight for him… You took him from me! At the beginning I thought it was the best and it would be easier for me to forget him and even if it wouldn’t be like that, it would be enough for me to know he was happy… But things only got worse!”

Rarity cried afflicted and in silence.

“You don’t know what it’s like to see the one you love in the arms of someone else and be happy. I had to be there and smile, suffering in silence thinking that one could… Should have been me. I should have given Spike his first kiss. I should have given him his first date. I should have taken his first time and his claw in marriage” Rarity looked at twilight with the most miserable eyes she had ever seen.

“Help me, Twilight! I beg you, help me. Tell me you forgive me. Forgive me for lying to you. Forgive me for envying you so much. Forgive me for wishing to possess the heart that was given to you. Forgive me and help me exorcise these demons so that I can continue with my life! Help me be at peace with myself. I beg you!” She begged her, almost kneeling before her.

Twilight looked at Rarity dumbfounded. Shocked. With no idea what she should say. But she did know very well what to feel and that eventually gave her the words.

“Rarity, let me say I’m sorry you have had to suffer in silence for all these years since Spike and I became a couple. I can’t imagine how difficult it had to be for you to let Spike go and see him happy in someone else’s arms. And I appreciate a lot you decided to tell me all this” She whispered very seriously.

“Oh Twilight, thank you. Thank you so much. I promise…”

“But…” Twilight severely interrupted her.

“I can’t believe… You have the nerve to say that you should be Spike’s wife. That you should have taken his first time and his first kiss. Or even say that what you feel or you felt for him is love! Love like he and I have for each other!” She yelled very annoyed.

“When I fell for Spike… It was a very difficult decision to love him. I had a lot to lose: my title, my position as a noble and as Princess Celestia’s student, you and even my family. I could have lost all my world but I decided to risk! Because my love for Spike was that strong. I never looked back and I wouldn’t have to because it was the best decision I could take in my life, though I knew it could lead me to a thousand misfortunes. But you? Do you really think you felt love? Do you think you have any idea of the meaning of that word?! If you did…”

Twilight felt a tingling in her horn and looked away as her eyes and horn lit up with magic.

“WHAT?! I’m very busy at this moment” She shouted angrily as if speaking to someone.

“D… Director, I’m sorry. It’s just we were waiting for you for the meeting, remember?” It was heard her secretary’s voice.

Instantaneous communication by psychic link. A spell patented by Twilight, of course.

“Postpone it or begin without me! I’ll go later” She answered.

“Some teachers are asking what you’ve gotten into” Marcy replied.

“Put me in contact with them”

There was a brief pause.

“Ready, Madame”

“IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS” She yelled, breaking the link after.

“Where was I? Ah yes! How do you have the nerve to call love to what you feel or felt for Spike? Do you really call that love? Of course! You loved him so much you trampled on his heart all the times he asked you to have a date with him or when he asked you to be his marefriend. You appreciated him so much you never minded daydreaming about how your prince charming should be in front of him; or worse: Talking to him about your wonderful mates with whom you weren’t even five months! Face it, Rarity. You haven’t been able to find love, not because it has stayed with Spike. IT’S BECAUSE YOU CANNOT LOVE!” She shouted angry.

“STOP! STOP, PLEASE! STOP!” Rarity cried, throwing herself to the floor and covering her ears.

When she saw her friend on the floor cry, because of her, she tried to calm down. She filled her lungs with air and tried to calm her anger. Rarity didn’t move. She kept crying disconsolate.

“Rarity… I actually don’t know what to say. I don’t why you could want my forgiveness for hiding from me you were in love with Spike if of the two of us, the only one who has ended up hurt is you. Who you should apologize to, is those stallions you gave false hopes and illusion you then took from them. And as for Spike… We both know he’ll forgive you. He did it years ago. Why wouldn’t he do it again? But I… I love you as a sister, but you’re no longer welcome in my house. And I don’t want to see you close to Spike either… MY husband” She concluded, disappearing with a magical sphere.

Rarity stayed on the floor, crying and whining for hours. When she finally couldn’t cry anymore, she stood up and picked up the dishes with her magic. On her way to the kitchen, a cup fell down, breaking into pieces.

“Oops, I’m clumsy” Rarity muttered, picking up the pieces.

She got to the sink, where she placed the dishes, just to tear up again.

“What have I done? Now not only have I lost the love of my life, but also my best friend” She lamented.

“Twilight, I’m home” Spike said happily.

Peewee was the first one to receive him.

“Hello, my friend. Where’s my wife?”

The magical bird coughed. Anyone would think Spike was crazy for talking to a bird, but they understood each other very well.

“Annoyed? Why?”

Peewee coughed a little more.

“Was she like that when she arrived? Well, at least it’s not for something you and I did” Spike joked.

“Thank you, my friend. I’ll see what’s happening and then I’ll give you dinner” Spike said, walking to the observatory of the house.

“Twilight, are you here?” He asked, poking his head inside the big room where there was a huge telescope and several models of the solar system, maps of the stars and constellations, and of course, dozens of books.

“Hello, honey” Twilight muttered, sitting on one of the couches without much enthusiasm.

“Is there anything wrong, my queen?”

“More or less”

“What is it about?”

“It’s about Rarity”

“Did you have… an argument?” He asked.

“No, we only… Spoke about things”

“What kind of things?”

Twilight looked at his husband with a sad expression.

“I’d better explain it to you”

Later, a dumbfounded Spike and a very annoyed Twilight had finished reviewing the events of the evening. The moonlight already filtered through the opening in the ceiling for the big telescope.

“Don’t you… Don’t you think you were a little rude with her?” Spike said.

“And why shouldn’t I?! After all she did to you, after how she played with your feelings. How dare she play the victim?!” She said with indignation.

“And she said all you gave me should have been hers, which she rejected even when you offered it to her hundreds of times. She never had the courage to open her mouth and tell you what she felt when she realized. She’s a hypocrite with no right to complain!”

“Twilight, you must calm down. You’re not like that” Spike said calmly.

“But Rarity… She doesn’t deserve…!”

“Rarity is my friend. She’s your friend. And though this situation doesn’t make me happier than you, we can’t leave her like that”

“And why not?”

“Because she looked for you to give the matter a solution and save your friendship, but in your anger you rejected that chance” He explained calmly.

Twilight let her husband’s words sound in her head. And though she was and probably would still be angry with her friend for more time, she knew it was true. Twi had only made things get worse.

“She brought this on herself”

“Maybe, but she’s our friend. We can’t leave her like that”

“Tell me why!” She shouted.

“You were always honest, hardworking, generous and you never asked her for anything in return. She was fool because she never realized how fortunate she was to have you by her side. And why did she reject you? Because you were neither rich nor influential nor powerful nor… Whatever. And of course, because you were a dragon. Her heart accepted you, but her superficial and materialistic mind didn’t stop protesting and…”

“Twilight, enough!” Spike yelled.

Twilight instantly fell silent while looking at her husband surprised with drooping ears. She felt offended.

“Now I have a reason to be angry with Rarity” he said, getting closer to his wife to hug her lovingly.

“This is the first time I shout at you since the incident with the manticore” He whispered at her ear.

Twilight returned the hug tightly and hid her face the in dragon's chest.

“And like that time, it’s my fault, isn’t it?”

Spike didn’t answer and simply stroked her mane.

“Let’s not turn Rarity’s sorrow into ours, my queen. This will change nothing between us. I only ask you to try to understand her. She isn’t like you or me. She was raised with ideas that sometimes it's more important what other people think than what you think of yourself. And unfortunately, she wasn’t born with a courage like yours either. Blame her for lying to us if you want, but don’t hate her for being afraid or having rejected me for those years. If she had accepted me, we would never have united this way” He explained warmly, taking her hooves with his claws.

Twilight smiled and kissed the dragon on his lips.

“Oh, honey. Each year I read more and more books, but it seems the one who gets wiser is you”

“I think you know what we must do”

“I… I don’t know if I’m ready to see her so soon” She confessed insecure.

“Very well. Then I’ll go alone”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m the cause of her suffering. Besides, we both know how melodramatic Rarity is. After your unfavorable encounter, she is able to mourn until become dehydrated” He said, walking to the door.

Twilight followed him, not very convinced.

“Twilight, if you don’t want me to go see Rarity, just tell me and I’ll stay here”

Twilight’s ears drooped and looked away.

“You know I wouldn’t do anything that could harm you” He said, rubbing her cheek with his claw.

“I know, Spike. It’s true, I’m not comfortable with you going alone to see her. But I’m not going to stop you. After all, this generosity of yours is one of the reasons I love you. So, go… I’m sure she needs you” She said, smiling.

Spike returned the smile and kissed her before leaving.

“I’ll come back soon”

Rarity was lying on her bed with a pink nightgown. She hadn’t stopped crying since Twilight left. Spike arrived at her house quickly and knocked the door. Rarity, in her distress, managed to hear the knock and stuck her head out the window.

“Spike?!” She shouted with widened eyes filled with joy.

“Rarity, I…”

“SPIKE!” The fashionista shouted happily and jumped out the window.

Spike, terrified of what might happen to her, didn’t hesitate to fly towards her, catching her before she hit the ground.

“Rarity, what’s wrong with…?” His lips couldn’t end the sentence, for the fashionista locked her lips with his.

It was a quick kiss and without much ceremony, but it lasted long enough so the dragon could feel the designer’s soft lips, as well was the scent of orange blossom and honey she always used.

“My beloved Spike! My knight, my prince in purple armor” She was delirious, embracing the dragon's neck.

“Rarity, what’s wrong with you?!” Spike shouted, already on the ground.

“Now Spike, fly. Take us far away. Take us far away where there’s no one to tell us what we do wrong and we don’t”

“What are you talking about, Rarity?”

“Come on, Spike. You know” She said, removing the stains of makeup made by her tears.

“Let’s fly together into the sunset. Into the infinite sky where we’ll find a beautiful land where we’ll be able to be together forever, as it always happens in my dreams” She said, rubbing her neck against the base of his neck.

Spike then understood what was happening.

“Rarity, this isn’t a dream. This is happening”

“What are you talking about, honey? If this wasn’t a dream, why else would you visit me right after my fight with Twilight and kiss me?” She said, getting close to his face for another kiss.

“If this was a dream, would you have those horrible stains of makeup?”

Rarity looked at her stained hooves with that blue shade, typical of the eye shadow she always used.

“Oh my goodness… Oh blessed Celestia! Spike, I’m sorry. I thought…” Her words stuck in her throat. She didn’t know what else to say.

“Rarity… Shall we come in, please?”

As Rarity hadn’t taken her keys when she jumped out the window, they both had to enter the house through the same window.

“I… I guess you know everything”

“No, I only know what Twilight told me” He answered seriously.

“Then…”

“I want your version of the story. And please, don’t hold anything back. I promise I won’t get mad with you”

Rarity took a deep breath.

“Very well, Spike… This is the story of how I fell in love with you”

A couple of hours and two tissue boxes after, Rarity had finished her story. She was still whimpering by her sorrow in the dragon’s arms with her head resting on his chest, wishing as strongly as she could to be able to stay like that forever.

“And well… That’s the story” She concluded.

“You’ve suffered so much”

“I deserved it for all the suffering I caused you”

Spike remained silent.

“Will you be able to forgive me?”

“You know I already have” He answered, kissing her on her forehead.

Rarity enjoyed the feel of the dragon’s lips just for new tears to escape her eyes.

“I was so stupid… I’ve been so stupid… You were the one, you always were. But I was too blind and scared to realize. And now in moments like this when you couldn’t be closer to me, you’re so out of my reach…”

“Rarity, don’t beat yourself. Let it go. It’s time for you to let those ideas go. It’s time for you to let me go. Love is out there, waiting for you to find it” He spoke to her sweetly.

“I’ve looked for it for a long time, Spike. It’s useless for me. Twilight is right. My actual problem is I can’t love” She lamented, very distressed.

“Don’t say that, Rarity. I’m sure Twilight didn’t mean say that. She spoke without thinking, as she always does when she flies off the handle. You know her”

“But then why have I not been able to find my special somepony?”

“Maybe it’s time for you to find it in a different place”

There was another moment of silence.

“Maybe that’s the best, but I don’t think it’s possible. Not just like that”

“Why not?”

“Because before I can carry on, I have to free myself from you, but I can’t. I’ve been your slave for years, Spike. You can’t simply tell me I’m free like that”

Spike was confused, as well as full of pity for the unicorn in his arms, who once was overflowing with self-confidence.

“And how could I free you, Rarity?” He dared to ask.

Rarity bit her lower lip and looked up at Spike.

“Giving me what I have dreamt of for all these years…”

Spike was waiting for that something patiently, with a very bad feeling. An almost certainty he wasn’t going to like what would happen.

“Spike… I beg you. Make me free. Make love to me”

Spike’s internal fire felt cold. His blood felt thick and his lungs heavy. He had never regretted so much to be right.

“Spike, please. Don’t hate me. I’m sorry. I know it was stupid. You don’t have to do it. This is my problem. You’ve suffered enough because of me” She apologized frenetically.

Spike tried to regain his speech until a third voice brought him out of his trance and Rarity of her chain of apologies.

“You should do it” Said a very well-known voice at the door of the room.

“Twilight!” Rarity shouted scared.

“This isn’t… We aren’t… Don’t be angry with Spike! It’s all my fault!”

“Enough, Rarity. I know what happens and I think you’re right” She said serenely.

“You what?” Spike asked.

“You must… Have sex with her” She said, looking away.

Spike separated from Rarity and walked towards his wife, guiding her to the door so they both could leave the room.

“Excuse us a moment” He said while looking at Rarity before closing the door.

She only babbled an ‘alright’. As soon as he closed the door, Twilight hugged him.

“I’m sorry, my love. I knew you would never betray me, but you were taking too long and I began to make ideas. Soon I was fearing the worst and I came to see what was happening. And when I used my x-ray vision and I saw you two were in Rarity’s bedroom…” Twilight said, very nervous and sad.

“Don’t be sorry. I understand you. But why the hell did you say I should have sex with her?” Spike said, breaking the embrace.

“Spike, for better or worse, Rarity has fantasized about you for at least the last decade. Don’t you understand? She chose all those stallions because there was something about them that reminded her of you. It has always been you. If you want to free her and allow her to end this chapter of her life and to carry on… You have to give her at least one taste of what she was always looking for. You must give yourself to her at least once. Then she’ll be able to be free” Twilight said.

“It’s crazy! Have you forgotten that you are the one I love? That you are my wife?” He answered, almost scolding her.

“No, and I’m honored you’re so loyal. But for Rarity’s sake, this is something you must do”

“And what about you? What about us? How… Even if you give me permission, this is infidelity”

“Do you love her more than me?”

“DON’T BE A FOOL!”

Instead of getting offended, she smiled and hugged her husband again, hiding her face in his chest.

“Then it’s not infidelity. Spike, listen to me. It’s true, you swore loyalty to me and just me. But this is something I’m allowing you to do. Something I know it won’t spoil our marriage because compared to me, it will mean nothing. You know I love you, though maybe you don’t know how big that love really is. But I love Rarity too and I want her to be happy. If you’re the only one who can give her that happiness, I’ll accept that this time… Just this time…” Her voice became brittle, until she could no longer talk.

Spike took her by her chin and made her rise her head.

“Besides… It will mean nothing to you, right?” twilight asked weakly.

Spike sighed heavily.

“Twilight… Rarity is my best friend. A friend I once was in love with. You can’t ask me to have sex with her and to mean nothing to me. But above all things you can’t ask me to betray you”

“You won’t, Spike. Please, I just want things to be like before. I want we all to be at peace and to carry on”

“How are things going to be like before after I cheat on you?!”

There was a short silence, though to both the lovers it seemed an eternity.

“I love you, Spike. And I have blind faith in you. I don’t want to lose my best friend, let alone my beloved husband. I know things will be like before because we both will find the way, just as we’ve always done in this relationship. But I won’t force you to do anything. In fact, I’ll be happier if you decide not to do it with her. But for the sake of our friendship and especially for Rarity’s future… Do what you think best”

Twilight separated from him and tenderly kissed him on his cheek.

“Goodbye, my love. I’ll be waiting for you at home” She moved away a little and her horn started shining.

“Doh… Don’t take too long” She said with a forced smile before leaving.

Spike entered the bedroom again. Rarity was waiting for him patiently on her bed with an expression of enormous anxiety and fear. Fear to be rejected, fear to be alone in her time of her biggest need, afraid that the events that had just happened and could happen could destroy her relation with her best friends. But when she saw the dragon enter again and walk to where she was, Rarity smiled and jumped into the arms of the dragon with a smile of joy.

“Spike, there’s nothing I want more than you making me yours right now. But I don’t want and I will never want to ruin your marriage or force you do something you don’t want” Rarity said, very anguished.

“My wife is the one who’s told me I should do this” Spike replied coldly.

“But what about you? What do you think?”

Spike had only had sex with his wife. She was the only one he needed and could ask for. But now, in front of that beautiful and beloved friend, that divine creature of whom he had many times dreamt of doing what she now desperately asked him to do… He wished to make love to her, but his head was protesting. He had never been self-conscious in his life.

“Spike…”

Spike closed his eyes. He got his face closer to the fashionista’s and kissed her as softly and lovingly as he could. Rarity froze for a moment before melting completely in the kiss of the dragon, who had to take her with both his claws to prevent her from falling to the floor. The both gave themselves to the storm of flavors and sensations they both had dreamt of so many times years ago. And for a brief time, there was no guilt. There were no laws. There was no fear or prejudice. Just love. The love they both felt for each other and probably would feel forever.

They separated with a trickle of saliva connecting their mouths and their eyes met. Rarity was the first one to speak.

“Spike… Take me. Please, take me and let me be free. I beg you”

Spike didn’t answer. He took her face with his claws and gave her another kiss.

Twilight was sitting on the rear balcony of her house and looking the garden and the sunset. Of the millions of questions that were in her head, she wondered if she really would have to sleep alone that night. A thing that nearly never had any importance in her mind even when, at this moment, her husband was probably making love to her best friend.

To her surprise, the door opened and her husband came in. Twilight looked at him surprised before standing up very happy to receive him, but something stopped her before getting where he was and looked away.

“I though you said this wouldn’t affect our relationship” Spike said.

“Saying it is easier than doing it, I suppose” She said, still not looking at him.

“If it makes you feel better… Nothing happened” Spike said.

Twilight raised her ears and her head with widened eyes shining with enthusiasm.

“Really?”

“Well… We kissed and caressed each other, but I couldn’t take her. I simply couldn’t” He said, looking away.

“But then… What will happen with…”

“She’s going to be ok. We talked a lot. Everything will be ok. Though we agreed to keep our distance a while and let the waters calm down. You understand” He joked.

Twilight smiled and finally got closer to her husband to hug him. They stayed like that for a while, covered by the sunlight.

“Thank you, Spike”

“I may love many ponies, Twi. I love Celestia, Luna, Zecora and our invaluable friends. But you are my only wife, my queen, my goddess. No one will taste my love as you do”

Twilight smiled touched and remained silent until she smiled blinked seductively.

“Show me, my knight. Show your queen how much you love her”

Spike smiled. He took her with his claws in a marriage pose.

“Immediately, my queen” He said, going to the bedroom.

Author's Notes:

Please, people. post your comments.

No One Said It Would Be Easy (stupid introduction)

The author wanted me to translate this. I didn't want to write it because I thought it was completely unnecessary. I suggest you skip this introduction and read the chapter.

Many things had happened for the last years. Too many, maybe. Some of them could be considered ‘unlucky’.

On one hoof, Colgate, one of the dentists of the town, was sued by one of her customers for using by accident anesthesia with the wrong expiration date, which ended up sending the pony to the hospital. A little after, she received another demand for a pair of misplaced amalgams that broke off from the molars of her customer just three weeks after the operation. Soon after, with her reputation shattered she had to move out of the town.

The mare called Bonbon died from AIDS. She apparently was infected by somepony who wasn’t her mate: Lyra. Not being able to take the treason from the one who had been her lover for the last ten years, Lyra fell into a heavy nervous breakdown that made her leave the town, leaving Bonbon, who died sad and alone. No one ever hear again of Lyra, though there are rumors that say she went to Dammerung, the land of vampires, where she joined a satanic cult.

After several months of research, a police operation was deployed in Doctor Whooves’ house. The cops discovered a meth lab in his basement. It ended up with a violent shootout where the mare Cherry Punch, costumer of the doctor and who was at the crime scene at that time, was injured in the crossfire, suffering serious injuries that sent her to a wheelchair. The stallion known as Caramel, Whooves’ accomplice, died at the scene of the crime. However, Whooves managed to escape and hid in the Everfree forest. After five days, the cops finally found him, or what there was left of him, next to a lake. They identified him because of the DNA evidence and it was reportd he had been eaten by tinderwolves.

Derpy Hooves, Whooves’ lover, turned out to be also involved in the drug business, but not as an accomplice or as a client, but as a guinea pig for his drugs. One of them was called ‘The Time Machine’, which Derpy had become addicted to. Besides it had caused her vision problems and cognitive irregularities, which until now were attributed to latent congenital factors. Derpy was interned in the Canterlot hospital for her rehabilitation and she was stripped of custody of her daughter, who was born outside marriage: Dinky. Derpy managed to complete her treatment satisfactorily, though they never managed to fix her vision problems. The struggle to regain the legal custody of her daughter continues…

Finally, Vinyl Scratch, also known as DJ Pon-3, got out of the closet to recognize that she was a lesbian and declared her love shortly after to her old classmate of the music school: Octavia. Very disgusted for the invitation to take part in such a relationship, the cellist broke the DJ’s heart wildly and she fell into a depression that ended up turning her into an alcoholic. Nowadays she resides in a support center and things look uncertain for her future.

And as they say ‘nothing of value was lost that day’. Seriously, who cares? Better said, should we care? Who the hell is that people? Let’s talk about the ones that matter, shall we?

Author's Notes:

I know this was stupid for this story. It was funny, but I think it wasn't necessary at all.

No One Said It Would Be Easy

After months and months of contemplation and supplications, Rainbow Dash finally accepted her mate's request and married Light Strike. After even more contemplations and supplications, Rainbow accepted to have her own child with the condition that her husband would be the one to take care of him (or her) so she could still be the leader of the Wonderbolts. It didn’t surprise anyone when Rainbow sent to hell the Wonderbolts to give herself completely and unconditionally to her role of mother as soon as she saw herself for the first time reflected in the eyes of her twins. They were called Sonic Boom: a blue pegasus with a blue mane of warm colors and Sonic Blast: a black pegasus with a mane of cold colors.

Applejack hadn’t gotten married yet. She said she was married with her land and things like that. Many attributed this to the loss of Granny Smith, which had strongly affected the whole family. Though some said the reason she didn’t have a mate, it was because she was a lesbian and she was afraid to get out of the closet. Stupid gossipers. Meanwhile, her brother and sister in law hadn’t decided to expand their family. Their little four year old Appleseed was the light of their lives.

Some time after the arrival of their first child, Fluttershy and Swift Relief decided to expand their family. So they now had their little Neem, who was now 7 years old and their little four year old Araucaria: a pink unicorn with a cyan mane and eyes of the same color.

Pinkie Pie… Was Pinkie Pie. And there hadn’t been a stallion who could keep up with her, which didn’t seem to discourage her at all.

As for Rarity… She was still looking for her true love. She decided to follow the advice of Twilight and Spike, she decided to stop looking for it among high society and considered humbler horizons. Besides, she didn’t start a relationship like she used to. She now took pains to sow more the bonds of a good friendship and if the choice was promising, she risked starting the romance. So in the last three years, she had only had two coltfriends. Relationships that were much more promising and sincere than any other one she had had in the past, but at the end, they didn’t go well… Or that’s what she said.

And finally, Twilight and Spike. At 26 years old, Twilight Sparkle was the most powerful sorceress of her age, proud director of her own and prestigious school of magic and especially, beloved Spike’s wife, who was an exemplary husband, a great chef and the new Ponyville’s mayor.

That night, Spike found himself sleeping while his beloved wife was by his side in silence reading several documents of her school, against her husband’s wishes, for he had told her she should sleep early.

“But I can’t sleep!” She shouted

“I have to prepare the presentation of the progress, the academic achievements and the new study programs of the school for the thirtieth or the Ministry could remove me from my office. Or worse… Close the school!”

Even with the years, Twilight was still somewhat neurotic when it came to deadlines and fulfill the expectations of those she considered important. It was one of the only things of his wife’s behavior Spike wished to stop existing, but there was something about it that made her adorable.

“You’ve been working hard the last few days with the year-end festival. You won’t work anymore until you have at least eight hours of sleep” He said firmly.

She reluctantly went to the bed with her husband, but as soon as he fell asleep, Twilight started to check her papers by using night vision with a spell. Suddenly, she felt the need to take a notebook to take some notes. She left the sheets she had on the bedside table next to the bed and slipped out of it carefully.

As soon as she took a couple of steps, she felt a huge a tug on her tail that made her scream and jump because of the shock.

“Are you going somewhere, honey?” Spike asked.

“M… My love… I’m… I’m sorry. Did I wake you up? I’m going to the bathroom, that’s all” Twilight said nervously with a fake smile.

“Shall I go with you?” He said cynically, with a smile that wasn’t fake at all.

Twilight swallowed and after thinking for a moment, she sighed and looked down.

“I’d better resist the urge”

“Perfect, come here” He said, moving the blanket so she would return to the bed.

As soon as she climbed into the bed, Spike extended his arms, hugging Twilight lovingly and kissing her on her forehead and then he performed his eternal task of stroking her mane. A mane that was much longer than before, for, and though it bothered her a little after bathing or making love, she had let it grow at her husband request, who said it made her look much more beautiful and elegant.

“Everything will be alright, my queen. Your students admire you and the teachers respect you. You carry leadership in your blood. You’ll see everything will be alright”

Twilight sighed, accepting her husband’s words and relaxed her body as she returned the embrace.

“Thank you, Spike. What would I do without you?”

“You’ll never have to find out. Come on, sleep now. Tomorrow is also an important day”

Twilight smiled blissfully when she remembered for the umpteenth time what they both were waiting for the next day. It would be the day she would go get the medical examinations of the gynecologist to know in what quality of mother she was. Based on the results, they finally would begin to have their first child. Many would think waiting three years for the first child was a very long time period for a couple of married. But Twilight had decided to wait for Spike to become a little older and more mature so they both could face a responsibility like paternity. Now with a twenty two year old Spike and the office of Ponyville’s mayor, they both felt they were ready for that new step in their relationship.

“Have you thought about a name for the baby?” She said very happy, raising her vision to see Spike.

He nodded, smiling.

“If it’s a girl, Ariadne. If it’s boy, Sephiroth”

Twilight grinned widely, resting her head again on her husband’s chest.

“Ariadne… Sephiroth…” She muttered, laughing a little after.

“Aren’t they a bit dramatic names?” She joked.

“What names were you thinking about?”

“Many actually. To begin with, if it’s a girl, I’d like Aurora or Lucero. If it’s a boy… I like Sunshine”

Suddenly, their sleep got lighter for them and they began sharing proposals of names.

“What do you think about Abraxas” He said.

“Why would I want to name my daughter like a Gnostic demon?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Does it come from that? I simply thought it sounded pretty” He explained innocently.

“Well… Yes, it does sound beautiful actually. But I like that one you said before”

“Minerva?”

“No, the other one?”

“Nirvana?”

“No, the name you said first”

“Ariadne”

“Yes, that one. Ariadne… Ari… I like it” She said while smiling.

“Well that’s how we’ll name it if it’s a girl” He said, giving her his approval with a kiss on his beloved’s horn.

“How do you think it will be?” He asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’ll have scales and a pony mane. Maybe it’ll have fur but claws and horns like a dragon. I’m satisfied if they have eyes like yours”

“I was going to exactly say the same” She said, rubbing her neck against his neck.

“Good night, my love”

“Good night, my queen”

The next morning, Spike was preparing the breakfast while Twilight was still sleeping.

“Twilight, the breakfast is ready!” He shouted at the sorceress when he finished.

“Twilight, did you hear me?” He asked when he heard no answer.

He went to their bedroom, where he found his wife sleeping.

And you wanted to spend the night awake He told himself while smiling.

“Time to wake up, Twilight. The breakfast is ready” He said, getting close to the bed.

“Come on, sleeping beauty”

Twilight only snorted without waking up at all. Spike smiled and removed her blanket to leave Twilight’s body exposed down to her hips. He smiled mischievously and moved to his wife's body, removing the hair that covered her back rubbing his nose against her body. With her shoulder and back exposed, he exhaled his warm breath along her spine, making Twilight’s fur bristle. Spike smiled and planted a tender kiss on her shoulder and then he went to the back of the neck of his beloved until reaching her left ear. At this point, Twilight had begun to sigh, delighted by the dragon’s caresses.

“Come on, my queen. You’ve slept enough”

“Do that for five more minutes and I swear I wake up” She replied playfully.

“You know I’d love to, but the food is getting cold and you have appointment with the doctor at half past eight”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she got out of the bed suddenly.

“It’s true! My medical tests!” She shouted alarmed.

“How could I forget it?! Oh thank you, my love! I’m now going to have breakfast” She said, running to the bath to groom.

The couple had breakfast quietly and then went to attend their respective responsibilities of the day.

The next weekend, Twilight got up very early to go to her visit to the doctor, for it was time for her to receive the medical tests. If everything was fine, she had already planned to have her baby that night. She was so anxious that she had bought a special attire for the occasion and as a present for Spike for their third wedding anniversary. After the breakfast, Twilight said goodbye with a kiss to her husband and went to the hospital, hoping for good news.

Spike got dressed for his work and shortly after, he left the house. On his way, the ponies greeted him amicably, as well as the few dragons who had had settled in the village. Spike smiled when he saw what his home had become: a symbol at the forefront of harmony between ponies and dragons, now that both nations had achieved the brotherhood two years ago. Both ponies and dragons had slowly started moving to the neighboring country, extending the cultural ties of the two nations. Spike finally came to the town hall, now three times bigger than it used to be when he and Twilight moved to the town, but on second thought, it wasn’t a town at all anymore.

“Good morning, mayor!” One of the ponies who was there received him.

“Good morning” He answered happily.

“Have you received the medical tests of your wife yet, sir?” Another stallion asked.

“Maybe she has. I’ll have to wait until the lunchtime or when she tells me. What happens first” He answered, joking.

It was time for Spike to come back home. As Twilight hadn’t visited him at work, he supposed it was because she had decided to prepare a surprise for him when he came back home. So as soon as it was time to go, he flew out the window of his office. Though the mansion where they both lived was a bit outside the town, it took for him very little time to get there. He unlocked the door and opened it quickly.

“Twilight my love, I’ve come back!” He shouted at the entrance, but there was no answer.

“Twilight?” He asked confused by the silence.

He walked to the main lobby. Empty. He checked the kitchen. Empty. He went out to the backyard. Empty. He went to their bedroom, the basement, the library, Twilight’s study room… Without find her anywhere. Not even Peewee was at home, though that was expected because of the season.

“Where is she?” He wondered.

More worried than hungry, he decided to look for her at her school.

“Good morning, Lord Spike. What are you doing here so late?” Said the guardian at the entrance.

“Good morning. I’m looking for my wife. Is she still here?” The dragon asked.

The unicorn at the entrance looked at him confused before answering.

“Lady Twilight… Didn’t go to work yesterday, sir. She said that today she would go for her maternity test or something like that. It was strange for some teachers she didn’t show up, but we thought it was because you would be celebrating the good news”

“I see… But I didn’t find her at home”

“Do you think something bad has happened to her?”

“No. She’s the most powerful sorceress of her age there exists…” He said seriously, but he couldn’t help being worried.

“Thank you. I’ll go find her somewhere else” He said, beginning to fly.

Spike flew to the hospital. After all it was the last place where he knew she had been.

“Good afternoon, Spike” Zecora greeted him, close to the main lobby.

“Good afternoon, Zecora. Sorry, Doctor Zecora” He added.

And he was right. The wise zebra was now the responsible for the alternative medicine department of the hospital.

“There was no need to be so formal. Could tell me why you’ve come to the hospital?” The zebra asked.

“I’m looking for my wife. She had an appointment early to receive the results of some tests. Have you seen her?”

“I’ve seen her come early, but I do not know what time she left” She answered.

“I see. Where’s the gynecology department?”

“Third door on the left. I’m leaving, for my turn is over”

“Very well, thank you. Give my regards to the Apple family”

Spike eventually found his wife’s doctor doctor.

“Come in, Lord Spike. I wasn’t waiting to see you”

“You don’t have to say that Lord, Doctor. Where’s my wife?” He asked, still worried.

“You are the one who should tell me that. She left many hours ago. I’m sorry things haven’t gone like you both expected” The doctor said, making the dragon’s concern triplicate.

“What are you talking about?! What happened? Is there anything wrong with Twilight?” Spike frantically questioned, making the doctor almost fall from his chair.

“Calm down!” The doctor shouted.

“I’m… I’m sorry” He apologized ashamed.

“Are you telling me you haven’t found out the results of your wife’s medical tests yet?”

“I haven’t even seen her all the day. She didn’t come back home and I have no idea where she is. What happened?”

The doctor sighed heavily.

“Sit down, boy. You won’t like this”

After his conversation with the doctor, Spike flew at full speed to his house as fast as his wings allowed him. However, the house was still empty. He instinctively decided to go look for his wife at her friend’s homes. In Sweet Apple Acres no one had seen her. He hadn’t stopped in Sugar Cube Corner. Rarity hadn’t seen her either. Finally he got to Fluttershy’s house and Swift Relief’s. Before he could knock the door, it opened, letting Neem exit, pursued by his little sister. They both were wearing backbags.

“Come on, dad! We’re going to… Uncle Spike, hello!” The little pegasus shouted, hugging him and followed by his sister.

“Hello, children. Where are you going in such a hurry?”

“Dad is going to take us to the slumber party at Deepsea Diver’s home. Hurry, dad!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming… Oh Spike!... I’m sorry for what has happened” He said like he was giving him condolences.

“How did you find out before me?” Spike said frustrated.

“I found out when I got home. I think Twilight came straight here after her visit to the doctor” He explained.

“And… How is she?” Spike asked.

Swift was going to answer, but Araucaria spoke first.

“Aunt Twilight began talking with mommy. She was so sad and after a while she started crying” The girl explained with a tone of sadness.

“Why is aunt Twilight so sad, uncle Spike? Did you have an argument?” Neem asked.

“No, son. She has… Received very bad news”

“About what?”

“It’s enough, children. You have a slumber party, remember? Let’s go”

With some struggle, the children started their march followed by their father.

“Twilight and Fluttershy are in the garden. Be strong, my friend. Your wife needs you” He said patting him on his shoulder.

“Thank you” Spike said, entering the house and going to the back door.

Near the door, Fluttershy came in with a tray on her back with a teapot.

“AH!” The veterinary yelled exalted when she saw the figure of the intruder in her house.

Spike used his telekinesis to prevent the teapot from falling to the floor.

“Spike, it is you. I’m sorry. I was surprised to see you”

“It was my fault for not announce my arrival properly. I didn’t mean to scare you”

Fluttershy winced and hugged the dragon.

“Oh Spike, I’m sorry for what has happened. Why did something like this have to happen to you?”

“Fluttershy, calm down. It’s neither your fault nor Twilight’s… How is she?”

“How do you think? Devastated… She has cried for several hours and… Well, I’ve been trying to comfort her. I wanted to call you or the girls, but she refused to… She blames herself for what has happened and she’s very, very afraid you don’t want to be with her anymore because…”

“I understand… This isn’t going to be funny. Could you leave us alone?”

“Of course, all the time you need”

Spike went to the courtyard, finding his wife back to the house, who was sitting on one of the chairs of the table of the veterinary’s garden. He got closer to her slowly until he was two steps away from her, where he stopped, for he didn’t really know what to tell her or what to do. A situation his wife shared, for she said nothing or made signals of seeing her husband.

Endless moments of silence passed.

“I’m… I’m sorry” Twilight whispered, shrugging.

That confused Spike.

“Why?”

“I have… I have failed you… As your wife… Or at least I will. I’ll fail you, my parents, my dynasty… Myself!” She shouted, covering her face with her hooves, tearing up.

“What kind of mare… What kind of mare am I supposed to be if I can’t bring life to this world?!” She said, full of sorrow.

“Twilight…” He tried to start his rapprochement.

“And the worse thing is… I already knew about this…” She whispered between sobs.

It took a moment for Spike to process the sentence.

“What… What do you mean?”

“I regret it, Spike. I swear I regret it with all my soul. I wanted to tell you this long ago… Since the first time we spoke about having children but… I was afraid that if you knew it, you wouldn’t want to be with me anymore”

“What are you talking about, Twilight?” Spike asked his wife, who was still back to him.

“There’s a track record of lack of fertility in my family. My great great grandmother only had a son. My grandfather had only two girls. My grandmother had only my mother… And she lost her second child. And finally my mother only had me and Shining. In fact, years later, I found out I was very fortunate to be born, for my mother had pregnancy problems” Twilight revealed shamefully, turning where Spike was, but with her eyes looking down.

Spike remained silent.

“I… I looked forward so much to having children. I wanted to make you a father and make you proud of it. I wanted to have the privilege to be a mother, to feel the happiness of bearing another life inside me. I knew that… It wouldn’t be easy because I would have to give birth to a hybrid baby and it would be very difficult for me with my family’s record. The Princesses all said they would help and support me, but now… Now…”

Twilight sat down and covered her face with her forelegs, crying in shame. It didn’t take long for her to be covered by her husband’s arms and wings, who brought her close to his chest.

“Twilight please, don’t cry” Spike whispered.

“And how do you want me not to do it? I’ll no longer be able to be a mother. I’ll no longer be able to make you a father”

“It’s only a seventy percent chance, Twilight. We can still be parents” He corrected, though he knew it wasn’t the best sentence to comfort her at that moment.

“But with a percentage like that, there’s still a big possibility I may lose my baby during pregnancy… In the unlikely event that I get pregnant. It’s no use, Spike. Now I will never be able to fulfill all of my duties as a wife… Or a mare…” She said pessimistic.

“But you’re not going to abandon me for that, right?” She muttered, begging and finally looking at the dragon.

Spike never thought it would be possible for him to see his wife look so miserable and unhappy.

“Twilight…”

“Don’t leave, Spike! Don’t abandon me, please! I’ll be a better wife, I swear!” She started begging, absolutely hysterical.

“Twilight”

“You won’t have to wake up to make the breakfast ever again! I’ll make the breakfast! I’ll make all the foods! I’ll clean the house! I’ll take care of the garden!”

“Twilight!”

“I’ll stop spending so much time stuck in books! We’ll speak as dirt as dirty as you want while we make love!”

“TWILIGHT!” The dragon shouted, derailing his wife’s train of thought.

The unicorn fell silent and stared at her husband’s eyes.

“Twilight… I’ve told you I love you and I always will all the days of my life for the last seven years. And I’ve promised you more times than I can remember that no matter what happens, I’ll never get away from you. Do you really think I’ll break that promise even for this?” He said, smiling warmly, though with a clear sadness in his eyes.

“But Spike, I…”

“We always knew this marriage wouldn’t be easy, Twilight. But I’m not going to let it sink for anything in the world, not even this. Especially when we still have possibilities”

“Po’… Possibilities?” She asked confused.

“Yes, a thirty percent probability that we can still have a child, right?” He said, positively.

With that revelation, twilight’s spirit revived.

“Yeh… Yes… Yes, it’s true. All is not lost” She said, smiling for the first time since she went to the hospital.

“Exactly, my love. Together we’ve overcome obstacles that seemed impossible. There’s no reason to think this time won’t be like that” He said, kissing her on her forehead.

“But… What if we don’t manage to do it? What if turn out to be sterile and I’m incapable of giving you a child?” She asked afflicted again.

“What about that? Will you still want to be with me?”

Spike sighed deeply.

“Twilight, do you want me not to be by your side anymore?”

“NO, OF COURSE NOT! I want to spend each and every one of the days I have left by your side!” She said, her eyes shedding tears, thinking her husband was actually considering to abandon her.

“Then stop thinking about the things you don’t want to happen!” He replied, making her stop her startup of fear.

Spike smiled again and hugged her tenderly.

“I also decided long time ago to live by your side and fight to take forward this marriage. And I’m going to do it, no matter what it costs me”

Twilight broke the hug long enough so she could rise her sight and see her husband’s eyes.

“Will you be able to be happy in a marriage without children?” She asked very seriously.

Spike remained silent for a while.

“I’ll be happy as long as you love me. I’ll be happy as long as we are together. Those two things are what I need to be happy” He answered with total serenity, stroking her face with his right claw.

She smiled and then they kissed.

That night they made love, willing to strengthen their marriage vows and their bonds of love and friendship. But also to try to defy medicine and an unfortunate family record and try to start the process of bringing a baby of their own flesh and blood to the world.

Though unfortunately for Spike, they didn’t make love many times he would have liked. After all, Twilight needed to conserve energy to cast the spell that would allow her to be fertilized by Spike’s sperm.

“Ready” She said, the magical aura that surrounded her belly fading.

“Did it work?” He asked.

“I don’t know yet. Tomorrow I’ll take a pregnancy test. Even with magic this is difficult” She revealed, sounding very insecure.

Spike noticed this and soon hugged his wife. He found a way to change the conversation.

“Your outfit was a wonderful detail” He whispered to her as he guided them both to lay on the bed laterally and facing each other.

“Did you really liked it?”

“Of course. It was sensational. And I never write on my diary a phantasy of having you as a housemaid…” He said, not being able to find a better description.

That night Twilight had surprised Spike with a French black housemaid outfit, mini-skirt, a tight corset and long white nylon stockings attached to a garter belt the same color. And of course, with a bit of ‘role playing’.

“Though honestly the best part was when I had to take off your outfit slowly” He said mischievously, which made Twilight blush.

“It… It was Cadence’s Idea. She told me you would like this. And well… I wanted to give you a gift in advance for our anniversary” She said in a shy tone she only showed when they were both together on the bed that way. It was an attitude Spike always loved.

“It was a wonderful present, Twi. Thank you” He said, kissing her on her forehead.

“It was my pleasure, Spike… Literally”

“But if this has been your gift in advance for our anniversary, what will you give me on the anniversary?” He joked.

However, Twilight took the question very seriously.

“I… I… You… What would you like?” She asked nervously.

“Hahahah! calm down, Twi. It was only a joke. You don’t have to give me anything. Good night”

“Good night”

They went to sleep entwining their bodies and waiting to receive good news the next day. There’s no need to say that first attempt to have a child didn’t work… But the couple wouldn’t give up. And after two months, their efforts were finally rewarded.

Spike was in his office while signing several papers when suddenly there was a purple light burst and the next thing he knew is he was on the floor with his wife on top of him and the papers floating everywhere.

“We did it, my love. We did it!” She shouted full of bliss, kissing him on his lips.

“What do you mean?” He asked confused when Twilight broke the kiss.

“I’M PREGNANT!” She shouted very proud and happy, with happy tears in her eyes.

“I’m pregnant and expecting your child! Our child!”

Spike took some time to register those words.

“Are you pregnant?”

Twilight didn’t answer. She only nodded frenetically. It seemed she was going to lose her head.

“IT’S WONDERFUL!” He shouted, hugging his wife and kissing her passionately on her lips.

“Very well, my love. You did it!” He yelled, leaping around his office with his wife in his arms.

“Oh my goodness… This is the happiest moment in my life…” Spike stood up and stuck his head out the nearest window.

“DID YOU LISTEN, EQUESTRIA? I’M GOING TO BE A FATHER!” He shouted as loud as he could.

Like everything important in the life of the happy couple, the news of their imminent paternity spread like a virus across the two nations. And from everywhere, they received gifts and visits of important personalities from both countries expressing their support for the couple. Spike and Twilight moved temporarily to Canterlot, where Celestia lodged them in the castle and provided them with the best doctors of Equestria. An action that King Ragnarok followed when he sent a medical team to assist the couple in everything necessary. After all, the child Twilight was bearing was neither a pony nor a dragon, but a hybrid and no one really knew what could happen during pregnancy.

Two months of pregnancy

Twilight’s belly had expanded enough to evidence her pregnancy. Spike was in his provisional house in Canterlot, waiting for his wife’s comeback. She soon entered home accompanied by her sister in law: Cadence. Twilight trotted quickly towards her husband with a happy expression. They rubbed their faces lovingly before exchanging words.

“How was it, Twi?”

“Good news… A boy!” She revealed.

Spike’s eyes widened.

“Twilight, it’s wonderful! Did you listen, Cadence?!” He shouted at the princess of love.

“Yes, Spike. I knew it. I accompanied her to the doctor, you know?” She answered amused by the dragon’s reaction.

“Why didn’t you let me go with you?” Spike asked his wife.

“I… I don’t know. I guess I was ashamed” She said, her ears drooping in sadness.

“Well it doesn’t matter. We’ll have a little boy” Spike answered, hugging Twilight.

Cadence smiled, touched by the spectacle in front of her.

“I don’t know how you do it, but it seems every time I look at you, you seem to love each other more and more” Cadence said.

“It’s easy when things like this happen to us” Twilight replied.

“And I’m sure many more wonders await” She nodded.

Three months of pregnancy

Twilight, Spike and Luna were enjoying a night meeting with tea and sweet bread. Spike had had retired temporarily to prepare more drinks, when Twilight felt something inside her belly.

“SPIKE, SPIKE! Come quickly!” The unicorn shouted.

It was heard from the kitchen how the dragon almost was killed when he tried to return to the third floor of the tower where there were his wife and the princess.

“Twilight, what’s happening?” Luna asked worried.

“Twilight, what’s happening? Are you alright?! Is there anything wrong?!” Spike yelled shocked.

“Come here, Spike. Touch my belly” She said happily.

Spike gently put his right claw on the expanded belly of his wife and recognized quickly the cause of her joy.

“He… He’s moving. Our son is moving! Luna, come closer. Touch it you too” Spike said.

The goddess of the Moon accepted the invitation and she rubbed her belly with her right hoof.

“Oh my goodness, someone is going to be a boy with a lot of strength” Luna said.

“Do you think he’s ok, Luna?” Twilight asked.

“Of course. I’m sure he’ll be a very healthy boy. Do you mind if I…?”

“Go on”

Luna got her face closer to Twilight’s belly, putting her left ear on it to be able to listen to the baby.

“Hello, little one. I’m your aunt Luna. Hurry up, we all want to see you be born so you can be with us” She muttered affectionately.

“Have you decided how will call him yet?” She asked the couple.

Spike and Twilight looked at each other full of bliss and rubbed their faces lovingly against each other.

“Yes, we have” Spike answered.

“His name will be Acruz… Our little Acruz” Twilight whispered.

The name is pronounced like this: /ah-crooth (like THink)/

Four months of pregnancy

“Then how is she, sirs?” Spike asked worried the three leaders of the medical team that exclusively attended Twilight.

“She’s resting quietly. It looks like… Everything has returned to normal” Said one of the doctors, who was a dragon.

“Should we worry?”

"For a unique case like your wife, Sir, everything is a matter of concern. Normally this kind of complications, considering how quickly and easily she recovered, are only isolated cases and aren’t taken into account. But with your wife, even for the veterans like us, we’re treading unknown territory. I wish we had a better diagnostic"

“Do you think there’s risk of her losing the baby?” He asked very anguished.

“Considering her family record, regardless of the extraordinary conditions of pregnancy?” The other unicorn said, receiving an elbow strike from his coworker.

“What?”

“Do you always have to be so cynical?” She scolded him.

“It’s fine, don’t fight. May I enter to see her?”

“Yes, of course” The dragon said.

The doctors let him come in and Spike went to the room where Twilight was resting.

“Hello, Spike” She said weakly.

“Hello, Twi. How do you feel?” He asked, trying to sound relaxed.

“Better, I guess. Though all this hustle left me a little tired”

“I see. Then sleep. Everything is fine” He said warmly, taking her right hoof with both his claws.

Twilight smiled for a moment.

“Is our baby alright?” She asked with her eyes closed.

Of course, he couldn’t scold her and make her believe everything was fine. They had been together for so much time to know when the other one was worried about something.

“Yes, he’s very fine. They say it’s all normal now. But, you know… You’re not an ordinary pregnant and the doctors are worried because they don’t know if this represents a danger for the baby or you” Spike explained as serenely as he could.

“I see” Twilight replied with drooping ears.

There was an awkward silence. Twilight covered her belly with both her hooves, her eyes watering.

“The painkillers they gave me caused me very sleepy. But I didn’t want to fall asleep. They said when I woke up I would be better, but I was afraid that if I fell asleep, when waking up I would no longer have the baby with me”

Twilight’s voice broke and Spike quickly embraced her softly.

“I was so scared…” She muttered in his chest.

“There, there. Everything will be fine. I have faith in you. Everything will be just fine”

Five and half months of pregnancy

Dragons take between a month and a month and a half to hatch their eggs depending on the species. The pregnancy period of ponies is eleven months. So no one really knew what to expect from Twilight’s pregnancy and at all times they took the highest precautions. But no one was ready for what happened that day.

From the east tower of the castle of Canterlot, loud cries were heard…

“We cannot sacrifice this miracle of nature just because things look difficult!” A doctor yelled.

“If I have to choose between my daughter and my grandson, though it hurts my soul, I choose my daughter!” Mr. Duck shouted, who was present.

“What kind of doctors are you, you bunch of useless? Did you receive your diplomas at the ‘I was asleep while seeing the embryonic process’ university? How didn’t you realize this?!” Luna shouted full of anger.

“Why are we arguing about this? There isn’t an impossible decision to make. If we don’t take the baby from her, they’re both going to die. It’s that simple” That cynical doctor said.

“You’re not taking my baby from me!” Twilight shouted.

“Twilight, my daughter, you must do it or you’ll die! Tell her something, Spike!” Violet Star begged him.

“Her condition isn’t going to get better. That’s sure” Another doctor said.

“Don’t listen to them, Twilight! I know you can do it! Spike, support her too!” Cadence shouted.

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP YOU ALL!” Spike finally intervened in the discussion.

They all fell silent, looking at the dragon.

“Get out of here. Everyone, leave us alone!” He ordered, pointing to the door.

The doctors retired, almost stumbling against each other. The in-laws and the princesses tried to speak, but Spike gave them a fulminant look that quelled their desire to talk and they turned to the door, everyone but Celestia.

“You too… Mother” The dragon said.

“Just a moment Spike, please” She said, getting closer to her student.

“Princess, please… Don’t let this happen to us. There must be something you can do… Please, I don’t want to lose my baby!” Twilight begged, who remained lying on her bed to lessen her pain.

“Twilight, my dear and beloved student. There is very little I would not do or sacrifice for you. But sadly there are things that not even I can do for you or anyone. And some of that is to interfere with the wishes of the will of universe. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for you both and your son, but this is the reality. It’s your destiny and you must accept it or it will destroy you”

“Are you asking me to accept what the doctors told me? Are you asking me to let my baby die?” Twilight asked devastated.

“I’m afraid I am. Otherwise you are going to die too”

Twilight’s ears drooped, she lowered her head and there was silence. The tension in the air was so dense that the air was stiflingly overwhelming.

“You… You… You’re a hypocrite! You’re useless!” Twilight yelled, full of anger, which surprised the princess and Spike.

“You’re worthless. I can’t count on you for anything. You said that you would help us! That you would look after us every moment and look where we are and where we’ve been! Some thugs almost buried us alive in Ponyville, my own brother was a traitor who conspired for months in front of your face and he almost killed Spike without you even knowing about it at all. And now I’m about to lose my baby and you say I must accept it because you can’t do anything. WHAT A NOVELTY!”

“Twilight, I’m sorry, but I can’t change the laws of life and death” Celestia said in her defense.

“Are you deaf too?! This isn’t only about your inability to save my son. Did you ever do a good work in your role of Spike’s ‘mother’? Where were you when he almost died by that dragon of the Everfree forest?! Where were you when he undertook his dangerous journey of self-discovery?! Where were you when he lost control and became a monster?! At least I don’t have to ask what you were doing while Spike was fighting for his life against Shining and his thugs. You were ignorant of where you were needed”

“Twilight… Please, stop” Celestia said weakly, for each question hurt her like a thorn nailed to her heart.

“Twilight, don’t talk like that” Spike tried to stop her.

“No, Spike, she has to know this! What about your role as the ruler of this kingdom? What a protector of justice you are! You sent a lot of helpless ponies so they would fight the god of chaos, who you keep in a dungeon under the castle as if you were waiting for the bastard to break free again! You were unable to realize your niece had been replaced by an impostor, EVEN when I warned you! And what did you do? You turned your back on me and scolded me, who you always had in the highest degree of esteem and confidence! And when the disaster was manifested, you were again unable to solve the problem and you sent us again to do your work. You forbid the use of black magic or experimentation, but you know it very, very well… You imprisoned your own sister in the moon for a thousand years!” Twilight shouted with all her strength.

Celestia tore up and ran faster than she had ever run in her life. She had to escape, get out of there, for she couldn’t take that torture for another second. As soon as she left, Twilight started hyperventilating and covered her belly with her hooves, for she felt strong spasms that caused her a lot of pain.

“Twilight, calm down. Breathe, breathe deeply” Spike said.

He was very worried about Celestia, but now nothing mattered more than Twilight.

“Spike… Don’t let them take him from me…” Twilight tried to speak between her gasps.

“Don’t let them take my son from me! Our son! Please, you’re the only one I can count on!” She begged, her eyes shedding tears.

“Please, I’ll do whatever you want! I’ll change each and every one of his diapers. I'll take him to school… We… We’ll name him Sephiroth like you wanted. But please, don’t let him die!”

Spike remained silent and took Twilight’s hoof between his claws. In that moment, she knew he wouldn’t support her in that decision.

“Twilight, my love, my queen, my life. We tried… No one can say we didn’t try, but the will of universe has issued its vote. We can’t be against it”

She knew very well what he meant.

“Trying is only a gentle form to name failure. I’ have failed. I have failed you, our baby and myself. Everyone”

“No, Twilight. It’s neither your fault nor Celestia’s nor anyone’s. So many wonders have happened to us that sooner or later, some disgrace would happen. I would give anything to change this situation, but I can’t. I’m not so powerful” He said, hugging her with relative strength, as Twilight cried in his chest.

They were silent for a moment.

“You asked me if I could be happy in a marriage without children. Yes, Twilight, I will be happy in a marriage without children. Because my wife is you. Because my life is you. My queen, my goddess. I can’t imagine the pain you must be suffering right now for going through this. But neither you nor anyone can do anything, Twilight. Acruz is just five and a half months old and taking him until now has physically and emotionally worn you down too much. You won’t survive… You won’t survive and neither will he. If I have to bury my son who I will never know… I will. But don’t ask me to bury you with him. Save yourself!”

There was silence again.

“Promise me this won’t affect your feelings about me. Promise me you will still be by my side. Promise me you will love me forever” Twilight whispered, rubbing her face against the dragon’s chest.

It was over. She had lost and there was nothing else she could do. She knew it and felt stupid for thinking it would end any other different way.

“I will never go anywhere. I’ll always be here for you. I’ll always be by your side to look after you, to read with you, to dance with you, to love you. To love you forever” He said, stroking her mane.

And for the first time in the day, Twilight smiled.

“It’s fine… Help me climb on my wheelchair. We have to go to the hospital”

Spike was walking through the gardens of the palace with a very specific direction. In a corner of the garden, surrounded by red roses, there was a cherry tree full of flowers. Under its branches, there was the figure of the goddess of the sun, who looked miserable and unhappy. No one had seen her so unhappy since that fateful day she sent her sister to the moon.

“Mother” Spike muttered when he got closer to the princess.

She hadn’t noticed his arrival. She turned around ashamed, hiding her uncontrollable tears.

“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with your wife?” She said weakly.

“I now can’t do anything for her. I decided to go when it was needed. What Twilight said… It wasn’t something she actually thought. She only said it because she was devastated”

“But it’s true. I’m useless… I’m a terrible ruler”

“If that was true, Equestria wouldn’t be internationally known for its great prosperity, economic and social stability, its history of art and magic and technological development. You're a great monarch, Celestia. But you’re not a warrior and that’s not your fault” He replied.

“What about the times I was absent when you needed me?” She asked, this time turning to see him.

Spike was surprised to see the princess. Never in his right mind would he have thought he would live to see Celestia look so miserable.

“Everyone thinks you’re omnipotent and almighty. But you and I know that’s not true. Those who have only seen your mask think you’re a goddess. But the truth is you’re only half way and that has nothing wrong. You do your best, you give yourself body and soul and you provide security and happiness to everyone to exhaustion. But you can’t alleviate all the pains of the world by yourself. I accepted that. You should too, because there’s nothing wrong with that and it’s part of the wonderful pony you are” He answered warmly.

Celestia wiped her tears.

“Spike, why are you being so nice to me? Why do you still call me your mother after all the times I’ve failed you?”

Spike got closer to the princess and hugged her, enveloping her with his wings too. A gesture that surprised the goddess of the sun, but she didn’t resist at all.

“Because though you’re not really my mother, you are and will always be one of the most important ponies in my life. I love you and I always will. And Twilight will love you too, though she isn’t in her best moment to prove it. You haven’t failed anyone, Celestia” He whispered to her ear.

Celestia giggled in glee and rubbed her face against the dragon’s neck.

“Isn’t it incredible? Twenty two years ago, you were a baby who was crying in my chest in stormy nights. Today you’re the wise who holds me in your arms as I tremble like a filly afraid of the dark” She said, laughing at her own irony.

Without knowing what to answer, Spike only could remain silent.

“Promise me from now you'll never call me your mother or think about me as such. But also… Never forget I have flaws like everyone else, that I can be weak and be wrong. And that you will be there to support me when I need your strength and wisdom. But especially, promise me you’ll never stop loving me for who I really am and not for who many people sees me” She said, separating from him to look at his eyes.

Spike smiled and nodded.

“I swear, but again you're wrong about something. You’re not only my friend. You’re my family. And I’ll always love you as such” He said, kissing her on her forehead, lovingly.

“Thank you, Spike. I love you too. And I thank you for all you've done for me, which is more than you can imagine. But now there’s someone else who needs you. And you had better be by her side when she wakes up”

Spike’s smile faded when he concentrated again on his other problem.

“I know. I’ll go see her. I’ll see you tomorrow”

Spike released the queen from his wings and arms and flew back to the castle. Celestia hugged herself with a warm smile on her lips.

“Thank you, Spike. Thank you so much”

The rays of the rising sun filtered through Twilight’s bedroom weakly, but they wouldn’t be enough to wake up the exhausted sorceress. At ten o’clock, Twilight finally opened her eyes, feeling an unpleasant discomfort on her belly. When she ran that part of her body with her hooves to relieve the pain, she stopped short when she felt the lump of her pregnancy had gone and in its place, she felt the texture of bandage under her hospital gown.

“Twilight?” She heard Spike’s voice, who was coming from the bathroom.

Twilight looked at her husband and a short while after when they only heard the pacemaker of the machine she was connected to, she started crying. Without thinking twice Spike approached the bed and took his wife into his arms, stroking her hair.

After what seemed an eternity, Twilight finally stopped crying and Spike laid her on the bed, though Twilight asked him to let her use his lap as a pillow. They spent another eternity like that while Spike was stroking the sorceress’ mane.

“My love?” Spike asked.

“Yes, my heaven?” She answered, still tired by her operation.

“How does it sound to you a second honeymoon for our third anniversary?” He asked.

Twilight looked at her husband surprised for an instant before answering.

“Where do you want to go?” She finally answered.

“Whenever you want”

Twilight smiled and extended her right arm, asking her husband to get his face closer to kiss him sweetly on his lips.

“Let me think” She muttered, falling asleep again a moment later.

Spike smiled and planted another kiss on his wife’s forehead.

“I’m here for you, Twilight. I’ll always take care of you. I’ll always love you” He whispered to her.

Author's Notes:

Please, people. Post your comments. Poor Twilight :(

And Despite Everything...

Spike couldn’t believe he hadn’t wondered about that before. It was something so brutally obvious. Twilight had no cousins or uncles or great uncles or anything like that. And despite being married for almost a decade, Cadence and Shining had never had a child. Now he knew why.

How didn’t he realize before? It was so obvious. The in-laws always talk sooner or later about their desires to have grandchildren. But Twilight’s parents never spoke about the matter even by mistake. Twilight had spoken about it at least ten times. The first one was the same morning of the next day when they decided to make love for the first time. The second one was on their wedding night. The third one was when they returned from their honeymoon, when they agreed they wouldn’t have children until some time passed. And the rest when they started their family expansion plans not even a year ago.

It had been two months since the fateful day they had to sacrifice their son for the sake of his mother. Despite the results of their first attempt, Twilight was willing to try it again, but the doctors forbade it. Though the emergency abortion had been successful, the doctors were convinced that a second pregnancy would have same or worse results than the first one. Besides, though they now had much more knowledge at their disposal, the doctors had encountered many difficulties during the extraction of the fetus and they feared the possibility of collateral or long-term damage the intervention might have done to the reproductive system of the unicorn. In conclusion: not only hadn’t Twilight managed to, but she would never be able to be the mother of a son of her own blood.

Twilight… My poor Twilight Spike thought.

Embarrassed and terrified of what sharing that secret could do to their relationship, she had hidden the truth from him about her family and herself. She had lied to him… And Spike could never be angry with Twilight for that. Nit when she knew how easy it was for her to dramatize things and lose her mind because of that. He still loved her and still would. Forever and ever, eternally. Just as she would love him forever…

And loving each other was all that mattered now. They were holidaying on a King Ragnarok’s private island. He had kindly offered it to them so they would spend their second honeymoon and could have a private place to recover and strengthen the bonds of their relationship. It was a little tropical island to the east of Ikaruga, away from any civilization. It was full of coconut trees and it had a huge bay on the south side surrounded by white sand, close to it, there was a humble mansion. They were both in the bay, lying on the sand and watching the sunset. Twilight was resting her body on Spike’s, hugging his right arm and using his shoulder as a pillow as he covered her with his corresponding wing. The warm rays of the sun in the company of the gentle breeze on their bodies was like the whisper of an angel inviting them to forget each and every one of their problems and enjoy that moment that somehow it promised to last an eternity.

“It’s beautiful…” Twilight muttered.

“Yes, it indeed is” Spike replied.

“How nice of Ragna to give us the keys of his private island, right?”

“Yes. This is what we needed after so much attention in the last months”

Twilight remained silent and lowered her head.

“Then it will be just you and me, huh?” She muttered.

“I would lie if I said there’s nothing more I would like to ask life” He answered, guiding her vision to meet his by using his left claw.

“But what I have is all I need to be happy, and you?” He said, looking at her eyes.

Twilight saw herself reflected in the emerald orbs of her husband for a moment before answering.

“All I need and much more” She said, smiling and then kissing him.

Twilight rubbed her tongue against her husband’s lips, asking him for access, which he gave her without thinking twice. Neither of them was fighting for the domain, they only cared to enjoy the contact and each other’s love. Spike took Twilight by her waist and rolled onto his back to lay on it with the unicorn on top of him without breaking the kiss. Twilight’s long mane fell like a waterfall, forming a veil around their faces. Spike smiled when he enjoyed his beloved’s lips and the scent of her hair caressing his face. Finally they had to separated their faces because of the lack of air and Twilight put her hair behind her ears.

“The sun has set” Spike said.

Twilight reasoned the situation briefly and giggled innocently.

“What’s so funny, Twi?” Spike asked.

“Nothing. It’s just that… I just remembered something”

“What thing, my queen?”

“Many years ago, I had a dream very, very similar to what’s happening right now” She said, turning her gaze to him.

“I thought we had already agreed some dreams come true”

“Yes, though in my dream, things were different. We were staying in a hotel and you were the one who was on top of me and kissing me”

They spent a while just eye to eye until Spike showed a mischievous smile and ran his claws through Twilight’s body from the base of her tail to the back of her ears. A caress that threw a chill through the body of the unicorn, and a smile to her lips.

“And how did that dream end, my love?” Spike asked openly.

“I’m about to find out” She answered, sharing his intentions.

They kissed with much more passion than before. Twilight surrounded Spike’s neck with her foreleg to stroke the back of his head as he surrounded her by her chest to rub her head and her back. When their lips battle became a tongue one, Spike descended his hands to her waist and eventually to his wife’s soft flanks, which he started massaging, paying special attention to the surface of her cutiemarks.

“You and your magical hands” She said after a sigh that interrupted the chain of kisses.

“You and your body that drives me crazy” He said, kissing her on her lips and then her cheek and then her neck, causing his beloved to sigh in ecstasy.

“We should come back to the mansion” Twilight said.

“Why? We are in the middle of nowhere. Do you think someone is going to spy on us?”

Twilight remained silent as she thought an answer, though Spike didn’t wait for an answer before keeping kissing her around her neck.

“Besides, we’ve never done it outdoors” He said seductively.

Twilight processed his words, remembering again that first fantasy she had had with her husband and was unable to laugh out loud.

“What’s wrong?”

“You have convinced me! Make me feel alive with the power of your love” She said, giving him a passionate kiss on his lips.

“Immediately”

Spike lifted Twilight with his powers and positioned her to sit astride in front of his face. And without wasting time, he rubbed his tongue against his wife’s femininity, who released a scream between ecstasy and surprise.

“You… You’ve never done this to me… In this po… Position” She gasped, resting her front hooves on the ground as Spike was holding her thighs for more stability.

“Does this displease you?” He asked between his licks.

“Not at all”

Spike smiled and introduced his tongue into his beloved’s body. He felt it had been an eternity since the last time he had tasted her sex. An idea Twilight shared, who was arching her back and her neck in what appeared to be a coming to the climax in record time.

“My love!... No… Not so fast!” She yelled euphoric, though Spike knew she really wanted more and more, for one of Twilight’s hooves was pushing his head, clearly asking him to work more vigorously.

A thing he didn’t hesitate to do. He used the tip of his tongue to massage intensely his wife’s reddish stigma of femininity, which ended up taking her to the maximum point of pleasure.

“Spike!” Twilight euphorically shouted at the sky, arching her back and stretching her hind legs as much as she could.

Her husband simply tasted the sweet nectar released by his wife’s orgasm flowed abundantly from her femininity.

When Twilight’s body finally relaxed, Spike held her with his powers to prevent her from falling into the sand and he took her to lie on top of him.

“Are you alright, Twi?” He asked the tired unicorn in his arms.

“I’m more than alright, my heaven” She answered between her breaths.

Suddenly she felt how the dragon stood up with her in his arms and started flying.

“I thought you said you wanted to do it outdoors”

“And that’s how it’s going to be. But maybe it’s not the best idea to do it on the sand or our sweaty bodies are going to get stained with sand”

“Hahah! Good point”

“Besides…”

Twilight suddenly felt her body be wrapped by the hug of water.

“I thought you could make two experiments at the same time” He said, looking in her eyes mischievously.

Twilight looked around, noticing how they were now in the swimming pool of the mansion.

“Making love in the pool?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“There’s more room than in the bathtub. And the water temperature is perfect”

Twilight thought for a moment before agreeing with her husband.

“Very well… It’s my turn to give you pleasure… Do you want me to dive into water or something?” She asked awkwardly, having no idea what Spike expected from her.

“Haha! Forget about that. I want to go to the main event”

“As you wish, my love” She said, kissing him on his lips.

Spike surrounded her by her back and waist, pulling her possessively against his body. Twilight, who was held by her husband, much taller than her, put one of her hooves behind her husband’s neck and put the other one between their bodies in search of her husband's masculinity. It wasn’t difficult for her to find Spike’s member, which had gotten visible before they entered the pool.

“Turn around” Spike whispered, breaking the chain of kisses and freeing her from his arms.

Twilight hesitated for an instant before doing what her husband asked her. To her surprise, she discovered they both now were on the edge of the pool, so she decided to rest herself with her hooves on the edge.

“Like that?” She shyly asked, turning back.

“Perfect. Now just relax” He said, surrounding her with his arms under her armpits and starting caressing her body gently.

Spike knew the positions in which she couldn’t see him made her “uncomfortable” and shy. That’s why he liked them so much. Twilight trembled a little when she felt her husband’s throbbing member accommodating between her flanks. But the dragon had no intentions to penetrate her yet. For now he was caressing her gently, but firmly all over her body, simultaneously with kisses and gentle bites on her neck and ears. All that service made Twilight sigh in ecstasy.

My beloved Spike… Always thinking about me before than him Twilight thought in the middle of her bliss.

But then, Twilight felt how Spike touched a very undesirable part of her body. A mark that shouldn’t be there. Having realized it, Spike immediately removed his claw, being afraid of having hurt his wife, whose ears drooped.

“Twilight?”

“Spike… You love me, right? You’re happy with me, right?... Right?” She asked with a cracking voice as her eyes were filled with tears.

Immediately, Spike spun her around to have her face to face and embraced her tenderly.

“Don’t cry, Twilight. Please, don’t cry” He said while he was stroking her mane, completely forgetting what they were doing not even twenty seconds ago.

“Of course I’m happy. I love you and you’re everything I wish for, now and forever” He whispered to her ear while the unicorn was trembling in his arms.

They spent long moments of anguish for both of them.

“I… I’m sorry…” Twilight muttered, who was resting her face on Spike’s shoulder.

“We’ve gone through this a thousand times, Twi. You have nothing to apologize for”

“No, I said it because… I killed the mood” She sadly said, looking down.

“Oh my queen…” Spike sighed, making his wife raise her sight again.

“That can be easily remedied” He said seductively.

Twilight laughed at the ease her husband faced the problems of both of them with and decided she should reward him somehow.

“Spike, if there’s something else you want to ‘experiment’ or something you want from me… You just have to ask for it. I’m all yours” She offered shyly.

Spike smiled between happy and lustful.

“Turn around” He whispered to her ear.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, but did what the dragon asked her. It was strange for her, for he wasn’t normally insistent about what position he wanted to use. She leaned on the edge of the pool again and waited for the next move of her husband. But she only heard a water movement and she kept waiting…

“What’s wrong, Spike? I thought you… AH!” Twilight yelled surprised when she felt how Spike had taken her buttocks, he had separated them and then he had planted a kiss on… Her other most private part, after her flower.

Twilight kicked like a frightened child, which caused her husband to emerge from the water.

“Twilight, what’s wrong?” He said, confused.

“Wah… What’s wrong?! You… You kissed my… Ass!” She yelled, turning to see him face to face, red like a tomato.

“That’s obvious. And then?” He said quietly.

“You mustn’t kiss me on that place!”

“Didn’t you say a moment ago I could take what I wanted?”

“Everything but that part!”

“Why not?”

Twilight choked on her words and remained without knowing well what to say.

“Well because… I poop from there!” She shouted, closing her eyes.

Spike couldn’t help laughing out loud at the ‘little eloquent’ choice of words of his wife.

“Don’t laugh! It’s true!”

“Yes, it is. So what? You pee from the other part and you have never bothered me to use my mouth there” He said cynically.

“But that’s normal! This isn’t!”

Spike stared at Twilight surprised for a moment. He had already made up his mind Twilight wouldn’t be in favor of anal sex. But he never imagined he would disapprove of it for being ‘abnormal’ instead of disgusting her, which would have been more reasonable.

“Abnormal, huh? Correct me if I’m wrong, my love. But isn’t that how many ponies and dragons named our relationship at the beginning, and in fact how some still name it?”

Twilight saw herself between a rock and a hard place.

“But… This isn’t… Urgh! This isn’t fair! You always do this” She said, turning her back on him and crossing her forelegs.

Spike got closer to her and placed his claws on her shoulders.

“Forgive me. I’m killing the mood again. If I keep doing it, your balls are going to end up blue” Twilight said in a peculiar attempt at an apology.

“It’s ok, Twi. If you don’t like the idea, we won’t do it” He said comprehensive, as always.

Twilight sighed and turned her head to see her husband.

“But do you want to try?”

“Yes, I do. But I won’t force you to do something you’re not comfortable with”

Twilight thought for a while. She had failed her husband too many times in that year. Enough failures for all her life. She couldn’t call herself his wife, let alone the owner of his love if she decided not to give him that pleasure.

“It’s fine, Spike… You… You can do whatever you want” She said, relaxing her body.

“Are you sure, Twi?”

“Yes, everything will be alright. Take me. Take me because I’m all yours” She said, taking his cheek to kiss him.

“Just relax. And if I do something you don’t like or if you want to stop, just tell me”

“All right” She said, turning around again and leaning on the edge of the pool.

Spike took her by her waist and started massaging her to help her relax. He decided to make a slower approach. He started by kissing her from the top of her spine and descended by planting kisses and caressing the unicorn’s body with his nose. Finally he reached her flanks, which he gave them some kisses and caresses. Twilight was trembling in the dragon’s claws like she was a totally helpless and virgin filly. The idea itself was driving Spike crazy.

He pushed through the buttocks of his wife by using only his mouth to reach his destination. Twilight jumped a little when she felt Spike touch her second most private part.

“Everything alright?” He asked, sticking his head out of the water to breathe.

“All… Alright” She muttered.

Spike could notice Twilight was somewhat insecure, but he had also managed to make her enjoy the stimulation so far.

“Well, warn me if you want me to stop” He said, diving into the water again.

He pushed through the buttocks of his wife again to kiss the object of his interest. Twilight wouldn’t admit it (at the moment), but she was really excited and was enjoying a lot her husband’s actions. The dragon kept kissing and caressing her rear aperture with his lips and his tongue until he finally decided it was time to put his tongue in. Twilight screamed in pleasure and kicked uncontrollably for a moment. To hell with decency and hygiene! That amazed her! But unfortunately, just when she was really getting into it, her husband stopped.

“S… Spike?” She asked, turning her head to see him.

The dragon emerged from the water with a smile from ear to ear and surrounded his wife with his arms to push her body closer to his.

“Time for the main event, my queen” He said seductively.

“Or… do you want me to go wash my mouth first?” He asked uncomfortably, fearing the answer.

To his surprise, Twilight took him by his chin and turned her head as much as she could to kiss him passionately on his lips.

“To hell with that. Make love to me”

Spike took Twilight by her waist to accommodate his member.

“Juh… Just…” Twilight interrupted.

“Yes?”

“Start slowly, ok?” She muttered shyly, turning her head again to see him.

Spike smiled and kissed her on her cheek.

“I wouldn’t want it another way. Tell me if it hurts you or something”

Twilight nodded. Prepared and positioned, Spike started moving his hips forward to be able to penetrate his wife. Twilight panted when she felt the hot member of her husband invade her body. She bit her lower lip with strength, trying to stifle her whimpers. It actually hurt her, much more than her first time so many years ago. But she was determined to go all the way. She wouldn’t allow herself to fail Spike in something like this…

Finally, Spike’s crotch made contact with Twilight’s flanks. They were one.

“You’re… Bigger… Than ever” Twilight gasped.

“It’s not me. It’s that you’re too tight” Spike corrected.

“Of… Course… Blame… Me” She continued, too overwhelmed by the pain through her body.

“Are you alright?”

“Y… Yes, just… Give me a moment, please” She gasped, trying to get used to the new sensations.

“Well, but… Don’t take too long, please” Said the dragon, who had held back too much.

Twilight took a few deep breaths and tried to relax her body. Finally she told her husband when she felt ready.

“Very well, Spike. You can move now”

Spike kissed her on her neck and very slowly he started with the swing of his hips. Twilight had to bite a hoof to stifle her whimpers. Spike noticed this but unfortunately for him, he had held back too many times and the heat and pressure inside his wife were too overwhelming to stop at that point. Even so, he did all he could to start with a slow pace that would let her get used to the sensation and go from pain to pleasure. Fortunately, after not so much time, that happened. Twilight stopped biting her hoof and her cries of pain became audible moans of pleasure, which were getting more and more audible.

“Spike… This… This… Is amazing!” The unicorn shouted in ecstasy.

“It is, Twilight!” The dragon accompanied.

Without warning, Spike ran one of his claws down Twilight Twilight’s body and started to assault the petals of her flower. If a moment ago Twilight's moans were audible, she was now delirious possessed by the pleasure, shouting so loud that her screams could surely be heard all over the island. Still euphoric, Twilight knew her husband wouldn’t take it much more. His thrusts were shaking not only her, but all the water in the pool and she could feel his member twitch like it was about to explode. One last thrust and they both screamed each other’s names in the most intense orgasm they had had in their life so far. After what seemed an eternity, Twilight collapsed on the floor on the edge of the pool with Spike hugging her from behind without exiting her.

“It’s going to be your fault… If… I get addicted to this” Twilight joked, who was gasping like she had had a heart attack a moment ago.

“It’s a fault I can live with. I guess you will now want to have a pool in our house” Spike joked.

“You bet” Twilight said, turning her head and demanding a kiss from her husband.

Without breaking the kiss, Twilight turned her body and surrounded Spike’s neck with her forelegs.

“We’re far from finishing, right?” She said, blinking seductively.

“You bet” He answered with a smile that complemented hers.

Twilight kissed her dragon passionately and by resting her hind legs on the inner walls of the pool and pushed herself and her husband, making Spike lose his balance and making them both dive into the water, never breaking the kiss that united them. They were in paradise and she would give anything to never have to leave…

Twilight opened her eyes heavily, yawning indecently.

“Good night” She heard Spike’s voice, who was lying on her belly, next to her.

“Good night” She replied, snuggling against the dragon, who soon used his wing to cover her. They were both in the bedroom where there was a huge circular bed that was extremely comfortable and had big goose feather pillows.

“Is it late?”

“It’s quarter past eleven. You surprise me. Knowing you, I thought you wouldn’t wake up until tomorrow” He joked.

“Have you been taking care of me all night long?”

“Of course. That and… Thinking about many things, especially about what the future holds”

Twilight reasoned those words for a while and feared where the conversation was going.

“About us?”

“Yes”

“About… Adoption?” She asked fearfully.

“What? No. What makes you think about that?”

“Well, I…”

“Twilight, please… Don’t think about that anymore. You won’t be able to have a son. It doesn’t worry me. It doesn’t bother me”

Spike knew very well that her guilt to her husband disturbed Twilight more than her shame for having failed herself.

“You’re still you. The pony I fell in love with. The pony I love. If the will of universe wants me to stop loving you, it will have to do something better”

“Don’t tempt fate, Spike” Twilight said, very seriously.

“What I’m trying to say is that my feelings for you aren’t going to change just because genetics turned its back on us. It’s not more pleasurable for me to know I will never have a child of my own blood with you, but that doesn’t mean the love that was going to be for him must be lost” He said, rubbing his face against his wife’s, who looked at him confused.

“All the time, all the struggle, the sacrifice and especially all the love that were going to be for my son, will now and forever be yours, Twilight. You’re the light of my life, my queen, my goddess” He concluded, kissing her on her lips lovingly.

Twilight was invaded by a great bliss that irremediably caused her a happy crying.

“Thank you, Spike. Thank you for loving me so much. Thank you for putting up with my defects. Thank you for having chosen me and just me when you could have had any pony or dragon you wanted” She said, hugging her husband.

“If it wasn’t for you, I would be a hermit and a spinster in my library, ignorant of the virtues of friendship, love and life itself. If it wasn’t for you, I would be no one”

“You’re exaggerating, Twilight”

“You know it’s true. Without you by my side, I would have burnt our house when I tried to make noodle soup. My brain would have melted because of the anxiety and the stress in one of my Celestia’s exams. Puff! I wouldn’t even have been able to find the black ink drawer if it wasn’t for you. So thank you. Thank you for being part of my life. And even more thanks for giving me the privilege to give me room in yours”

“Don’t despise yourself so much, Twilight. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t even be here” He said, wiping her tears.

“Was it that why you fell for me?” She joked.

“No. Don’t forget I didn’t know that until five years after knowing you. No, I fell in love with you since the first day I knew you. Back then I thought you were perfect. But then I realized you were more than that. You were imperfect, just like this world, like this universe. But being imperfect was also what made you so beautiful, just like this love of ours, this marriage, this life… Everything is imperfect. And that’s why it’s so beautiful” He said, looking at her eyes.

Twilight sighed touched.

“My knight with the soul of a poet” She said, kissing him on his lips.

Twilight’s fears, her anxieties, her nightmares as well as her chances to be a mother were a thing of the past. She could never have a child, but she had the dragon of her dreams, who loved what and who she was. Her greatest virtues and her worse defects. And she loved him above all things in the universe. She now knew there was nothing to fear. She knew their lives wouldn’t be perfect, but that didn’t bother her anymore, for she knew he would be there to share it with her. They wouldn’t have a son to share their lives with, but that also meant they would have more time to love each other. And she couldn’t help being happy to know it.

“I love you” She whispered, kissing him again.

“I love you too” He replied, kissing her once more.

He felt very fortunate for the life he was given. She was incalculably happy, but even so, she kept crying.

“Never… Ever get away from me, Spike” She said when she broke the kiss.

“Not in this life, Twilight” He answered, locking their lips again.

Author's Notes:

If some of you wonder if they're going to adopt, the answer is NO. Why? The author said it wasn't because he was against that idea, but because he didn't want to make the story so long. I have to say the moments with their child (or children) would have been very heartwarming. So please post your comments.

Love To Live

Twilight is 27 years – Spike is 23 years

“Then you decided you’re not going to adopt?” Applejack asked, who was visiting her friends’ house: the dragon and the sorceress.

“Correct. At first we thought about it, but it wouldn’t be the same. Especially not after we were so close to have our own son” Twilight explained.

“Besides, though it’s something sad, it also means we will have more time just for us” Spike said, surrounding his wife by her shoulders with a hug.

“Well said. Seeing the good in the bad” Applejack said.

“What about you, Applejack? Anything new in your love life?” Twilight asked, who like the rest of her friends, she was starting to worry about the lack of love life of the farmer.

“Again with that?” She asked indignantly.

“I don’t want to disrespect you…”

“I know, but I don’t want to marry or be a mother yet, got it? I’m not a fifty year old spinster, got it? I’m still young. I’m just thirty years old. I’m in the prime of life, got it? I don’t need anything, got it?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. We didn’t mean to offend you” Twilight said, shaking her hooves.

The cowgirl sighed wearily.

“It’s ok, I’m sorry. I know you had no bad intentions. It’s just I’m sick of everypony talking with me about that, or speaking bad behind my back about those rumors…”

“The ones that say you’re a lesbian?” Spike asked sarcastically.

Applejack simply stared at him like she was going to murder him.

“For your information, I’ve known a very lovely stallion who’s a farmer too” Applejack presumed.

“Really, AJ? Wonderful! What’s his name?” Twilight asked, very happy for her friend.

“He’s a stallion named Kirschwasser. Exotic, isn’t it? He owns a vineyard in Trotinheim. His great great grandfather earned the property in a gambling and the family has been working on the crops since then”

“A long story of a family of pony workers, huh? It sounds like he’s your special stallion”

“Calm down, Twi. He’s nothing but a friend. I don’t want you or the others to make crazy ideas. I have enough with Big Mac and Applebloom”

“I’m sure they do it because they want you to be happy” Twilight said.

“And for you not to be a spinster” Spike accompanied.

Twilight was going to scold him, but she was stopped by a laugh from the cowgirl.

“Don’t worry. I’m still strong, young and pretty. Trust me, ok?” She said optimistically.

Twilight is 28 years – Spike is 24 years

Though with a bit of struggle at first, Applejack ended up marrying Kirschwasser. After a year they were married, she moved to Trotinheim with her husband, leaving the farm in charge of Big Mac and Applebloom. Even so she visited them quite often.

Rarity had moved to Canterlot a year ago. She now lived there and her business had a great heyday. Rarity was still single at 31 years old. Spike was beginning to worry about the fashionista, wondering if he was the reason she hadn’t found her special somepony yet. But it didn’t depend on him. And though it did, now more than ever he was unable to do something that could hurt his wife. Rarity would have to learn to solve her love problems by herself or learn to live with them.

In any case, now there were only three Guardians of Harmony living in Ponyville: Fluttershy, Twilight and Pinkie Pie, who was still full of joy, positivity and energy… In other words, she was still crazy.

It was Nightmare Night. Spike was dressed like a centurion of the pegasus army of the era before Equestria. Twilight was wearing an outfit of an Umbran Witch. An outfit that made her look very sexy. At that moment, the mayor had an important presentation. He stood in front of the audience on the stage of the fair and started talking.

“Good night, mares and stallions, fillies and foals of all ages. You already know me. I’m Spike, mayor of this village. But on second thought, it stopped being a village before I was mayor” He joked, taking a few laughs from the audience.

“It’s my honor to be on this stage and be able to see you all again, enjoying this Nightmare Night. I beg you all dragon parents to look after your babies, for we don’t want another accident with the allegorical floats like the last year. But let’s not mortify ourselves for that and let’s receive the star of this night. She illuminates our night skies with the heavenly body her power comes from. She overwhelms us with her gentle darkness. She guides our nation with her wisdom and power. And she will eat all the children who have been naughty and haven’t given her sweets! Princess Luna! Nightmare Moon!” Spike shouted, stepping aside, giving way to an explosion of blue smoke with purple and white sparks.

From the smoke, a grim and menacing figure emerged and extended its wings with strength, revealing its true identity while singing an evil laugh.

“It’s Nightmare Moon! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!” Pinkie Pie’s voice was heard somewhere in the place followed by the screams of a group of foals who accompanied her and hurriedly ran away from the place.

The scandal of the confectioner didn’t prevent most ponies and dragons in front of the stage from receiving the owner of the night with cheers and applause.

“Good night, my subjects. Especially the youngest ones! I hope you have behaved well or I will come back home with a VERY full stomach!” She said threateningly, tucked into her character.

“She does it very well” Twilight told her husband.

“Yes. And to think the first time she came here, people didn’t even want to get close to her” Spike answered.

“Have you finished here?”

“Yes, the rest of the night is her matter. Now I’m all yours, my queen”

“Perfect. Come with me. I liked a stuffed animal at the stand of marbles and I want you to win it for me”

“Immediately” He said warmly.

The night continued wonderfully. They all feared and loved Princess Luna and her ‘alter ego’. The owner of the moon, as well as the happy couple and their friends could enjoy a wonderful night full of games, delicious food, dances and shows.

“A wonderful carnival, Mr. Mayor. Congratulations” Luna said, who was sitting next to the couple near a stand.

“Everything to celebrate the night about your power and glory as it deserves, Princess Luna” Spike said in that feignedly formal tone the princess knew so well.

“Where’s Celestia, Luna? I thought she was going to come” Twilight asked, who was hugging a relatively big stuffed animal with the form of a rabbit.

“I thought she would come with me too, but she had to attend the Nightmare Night in Canterlot” She explained.

“Let’s hope she has had fun” Spike said.

“Well, Luna, with your permission, we’re leaving” Twilight said.

“Of course. Goodbye, Spike. Goodbye, Twilight. I’ll give your regards to Celestia” Luna said goodbye to them.

Twilight climbed on Spike’s back and he started flying back home.

“Honey, you could bring me some water. I’ll go to our bedroom to take off my makeup” Twilight said once they entered the house.

“Of course, my queen” Spike said, going to the kitchen.

Twilight smiled and went upstairs with concealed hurry to prepare the surprise to her husband, but the surprised one turned out to be her when she opened the door of the bedroom and saw it had been covered with white petals. In the middle of the bed there was a tray of porcelain crockery, a gift from Cadence, with a wine bottle and two cups.

“Happy Nightmare Night, my life” Spike whispered to the surprised sorceress’ ear.

“Isn’t this a bit exaggerated? I know it’s Nightmare Night, but apart from that we are’t celebrating anything special”

“Every day I'm with you is unique and special”

She smiled when she heard those words and rubbed her face lovingly against his.

“Petals of white carnation?” She asked when she came closer to the bed.

“I thought using roses would be very cliché”

Twilight laughed a bit.

“How are you always one step ahead of me?”

“I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it up to me” He said mischievously.

“But first, how about a drink?” He said, sitting on the bed and taking the bottle.

“I’d love to” She answered, sitting in front of him.

They raised their cups. It was going to be a beautiful night to remember…

Twilight is 29 years – Spike is 25 years

Spike and Twilight were walking through the field on the outskirts of Trotinheim towards the farm where Applejack and her husband lived. The trees on the way to the farm road were very beautiful, but not as much as the white mansion at the end of it. However, the couple was surprised to see what looked like three bodyguards in front of the mansion.

“Good evening, Messrs. Can we help you?” One of the guards asked.

“Good evening. I’m Twilight Sparkle and this is my husband Spike. Is Applejack home? We’re friends of hers and we wished to give her a surprise visit” Twilight said kindly.

“I’m afraid Mrs. Applejack isn’t receiving any visits today”

“Why? Is she alright?” Twilight said with concern.

Spike looked to the right of the house where a stallion and a mare were attending a portion of the garden, apparently to plant more flowers. Since their arrival at the mansion, those ponies had been looking at them with expressions of concern.

Something is wrong Spike thought.

“We aren’t allowed to give information to anyone. Boss’ orders”

“Well… Could I at least see her through the window and give her this? It’s a present” She said, levitating a small gift box she carried in her bag.

“She can’t exit, but give us the box and we’ll gladly give it to her”

“But that’s no use. If we’re already here, what harm can it do to her to exit for a moment or that we enter?” Twilight kept complaining, trying to be reasonable.

Spike then noticed a figure peering discreetly behind the curtains of a window. An unmistakable figure with orange fur.

“Applejack, is that you?” Spike asked.

The bodyguards and Twilight looked at the window the dragon was staring at and the cowgirl instantly disappeared.

“Applejack, what’s wrong? Are you alright?” Twilight asked, running towards the window, but the bodyguards stood on their way.

“Stay away from the windows, please Mrs.”

“Very well! What is this all about? Why can’t I see my friend?” The unicorn asked frustrated.

Spike walked calmly to the entrance of the house, just to be blocked.

“Sir! We already said you can’t enter”

“I listened to you, but I’m going to enter the house and speak with my friend to make sure everything is ok” Spike said coldly.

“We can’t let you do that. Leave now or we’ll have to use the force” The bodyguards said, getting in battle position.

“I said I’m going to enter. Now stay out of the way before something bad happens to you” Spike replied, though without getting in battle position.

The bodyguards tried to attack Spike, but with a claw, he pushed them to the right with his telekinesis. The ponies who were watching the scene and the bodyguards then left without even hesitating…

After the shock, Twilight entered the house, followed by her husband.

“Applejack! AJ, where are you?!” Twilight asked while running through the house.

She stopped for a moment and casted her spell to see through walls.

“The top floor!” The unicorn shouted, climbing the stairs.

“Applejack! Applejack, open the door, please! It’s me, Twilight”

“Leave me, Twilight! There’s nothing to see here” She heard the cowgirl’s voice from inside.

“Applejack, please. I know you’re lying. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Twilight! Just leave me alone!”

“But AJ…”

“Leave me alone, please! I’m fine, I swear!” She shouted full of anguish.

“What did that asshole do to you?” Spike asked, joining the conversation.

Twilight looked at Spike surprised and she got even more surprised when she heard no answer from the cowgirl. It was evident the dragon had hit the nail.

“Applejack, answer me. Did he hurt you?” Spike asked again without any response again.

“Applejack?” Twilight asked, afraid.

Frustrated, Spike took the doorknob with his claws and forced the door to open, breaking the gearing. He entered the bedroom with determination, followed by his wife, who wasn’t so sure. On the elegant king size bed, there was a lump under the blankets.

“Applejack, please. We’re your friends. Allow us to help you” Spike said warmly.

“Whatever it is, we’ll help you. It won’t change what we think about you” Twilight accompanied.

The lump under the blanket began to move to the lower edge of the bed and stood up, slowly revealing the figure of the pony, who kept one of the blankets to cover her face.

“AJ?” Twilight asked when she saw her friend had no intentions to talk.

Spike slowly got closer to the figure of the pony and extended his right arm to her face to remove the blanket that was covering her. Both he and Twilight gasped surprised and scared by what they saw. Applejack had many bruises on her cheeks and her forehead and her right eye was swollen. Applejack sighed with shame, revealing the rest of her body. She had more bruises on her forelegs, her back and her flanks where it looked like someone had hit her with some long and thing object. A whip or maybe a kind of rod.

Twilight covered her mouth with her hooves and her eyes began shedding tears, imagining the horrors her friend had faced.

“Applejack… By Celestia…” Spike muttered.

The farmer simply looked away from the dragon ashamed. Spike got closer to her and hugged her tenderly. The cowgirl didn’t resist, but she showed no signs of affection either.

“You should have told us… But you have nothing to worry about anymore. If he hits you again, I’ll burn that asshole” He whispered to her softly and with anger because of the hate he now felt for the stallion.

Applejack hugged the dragon desperately as her eyes shed buckets of tears. Twilight climbed into the bed and hugged her friend from behind to give her all the support that was possible.

“Twi… Twilight?” Applejack asked brokenly between her tears, breaking Spike’s hug to see the unicorn.

“What, Applejack?”

“Do you remember how the press used to talk bad about you when it said you were the Guardian of Harmony who married a monster? They were wrong. The one who married a monster… Was me” She said, tearing up and embracing her friend.

“Don’t cry, AJ. Don’t cry, please. Everything will be fixed… Everything will be alright” Twilight tried to comfort her, though she herself was dying of anxiety.

“It won’t be fixed, Twi… I’m pregnant” She answered, full of sorrow.

Twilight teleported them all to a hotel. Twilight called the reception, asking them to send a medical team immediately while Spike was writing a letter to Princess Celestia to inform her about the situation…

Kirschwasser had never loved Applejack. He only married her for the economic and social benefits of being the husband of a noble and having the support of the Apple family. As for his wife, she was just a trophy. A puppet from whom he had been trying to steal her essence, her strength and her dignity. And the worst thing is it had given results to him. Applejack trembled just by hearing her husband’s name and cried when she remembered the nights when he tried to ‘mold’ her, as he used to say.

Even so, with the support of her friends, Applejack sued Kirschwasseron multiple charges. It wasn’t difficult to prove his guilt. The authorities found his collection of videos of the sessions he had hit her… Among other things. He was sentenced to ten years in prison and pay compensation to his wife. He would also have to be paying her a pension for their child's spending until he was self-sufficient.

Applejack divorced her husband and came back to Ponyville and her home in Sweet Apple Acres, where she was received by her family. Nine months after, she gave birth to a lime green foal with a red mane.

“You did it, Applejack! You did it!” Big Mac said very happy, next to the hospital bed where her little sister was lying on with her baby in her forelegs.

“Lower your voice, Mac. My son is trying to sleep” Applejack said weakly, still tired by the childbirth.

“Sorry, AJ”

“How are you going to name your little one, Applejack?” Zecora asked.

“I think I’m going to call him… Green Sunrise. Because though his father was a big bump in my life and a nightmare, this little one is the promise of a new sunrise. A new chance to be happy” She said, hugging her baby lovingly.

“I think it’s an excellent name” Big Mac approved.

“Thanks, Twi. Thanks, Spike. If it wasn’t for you two, I would still be trapped in that hell and my baby would have had to be born there too” She said to her friends, who were on the other side of the bed.

“You have nothing to thank, AJ. That’s what friends are for” Twilight answered.

“The best friends” AJ said, slamming her hoof with hers.

Twilight is 31 years – Spike is 27 years

In a boutique in Canterlot, Rarity was walking through the main work area where several designers (ponies and dragons) were weaving, cutting and spinning passionately to create the most beautiful dresses and suits of all Equestria.

“Very well, everypony. Remember these designs are for a very important event, but don’t be pressed” Said happily the administrator and owner of the place.

“Lady Rarity, you have a visit” The receptionist unicorn said.

“You know I don’t receive visits when we’re in the final phase of production for a major event, Swing”

“I thought you would accept it. It’s Lord Spike”

Rarity’s eyes widened in surprise and hesitated for a moment about what to do.

“Ummm… You’re in charge, Samalia. Keep an eye on Double D, please. He’s been neglecting the small details in his seams since his marefriend broke up with him”

“Trust me, Lady” The green dragoness said.

Rarity trotted excited to meet her friend, who was in the lobby.

“Spikey Wikey!” The fashionista said happily, but the dragon remained with a serious expression.

“Spike?”

“Could we talk in private?” He drily asked.

“Of course. Follow me. Let’s go to my office”

Once they were in, Spike sat down on one of the chairs and Rarity sat down in front of him.

“I’m sorry for my strange behavior, but I wanted to ask you…” Spike put his claw in a pocket of the jacket he was wearing, for it was winter, and he took out a postal envelope with purple embroidery and drawings of marriage laurels.

“What is this about?” He asked severely.

“What do you mean? It’s all explained inside the envelope. It’s an invitation for my wedding” The fashionista answered somewhat uncomfortable.

“Will you marry Hoity Toity?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes. Is there anything wrong with that?” She asked confused.

“In fact, there is. You don’t love him” He said firmly.

“H… How… How can you say that? This is very rude of…!”

“Keep your dramatizations and cliché sentences for someone who believes them” Spike interrupted.

Rarity was shocked. Not only had he just discovered her, but no one had ever spoken to her like that. And certainly she never thought Spike would be the one to do it.

“Why do you this to yourself, Rarity? Even worse, why do you infect others with your sorrow? What will you solve if you marry somepony you don’t love?” He asked with a more empathic tone.

“It… It was Hoity who proposed marriage to me” Rarity said weakly.

“And what solves that you say yes to him?”

“I… I… I don’t know! I’m tired. I'm tired of being alone, of living in a silent and empty house, of sleeping on a bed alone and cold with no one to be with me. And besides… I’m… I’m not so young as before” She revealed with a lot of shame.

“You’re just thirty three, Rarity” The dragon corrected her.

“Maybe, but that doesn’t change the fact I’m getting older” She replied.

Spike looked at her for a moment, thinking about what he should say.

“And what problem will this fix?” He finally answered skeptical.

Rarity didn’t know what to answer. Though she well knew the right answer: no, it wouldn’t solve her problems. The source of her problems (according to her) was sitting in front of her.

“I wouldn’t have had any problems in the first if you had chosen me!” She shouted scornfully.

Spike gasped. Did she blame him? Did she really blame him for her fruitless, if not disastrous romantic life? Did she blame him for being about to marry a pony she didn’t love?

“Do you blame me?!” He asked outraged.

“One night! ONE night is what I asked you!” She scolded him.

“You wanted me to…” Spike stopped his speech and walked to the door, opening it with all his strength.

“Unless you have something important to say to me or Rarity, I WANT YOU ALL TO GIVE US PRIVACY NOW!”

Immediately after, all the ponies and dragons who until a few moments ago had been meeting close to the door, ran at full speed out of the establishment, pushing and bumping into one another. Even the employees evacuated the boutique.

Spike thought when he calculated how soon the gossips of his visit would be known by the media. He turned around to face the white unicorn again.

“You wanted me to cheat on my wife!” He continued.

“She gave you her blessing!”

“Because she was hysterical!”

“I needed you, Spike! I needed you more than anyone in the world and you abandoned me!”

The dragon’s frustration started to mix with anger.

“I abandoned you? I abandoned you?! What about you? What’s your excuse?!” He asked with the same anger than her a moment ago.

“Wah… What do you mean?” The unicorn asked surprised and somewhat scared by the attitude change of the dragon.

“What about when I needed you? What about when I was madly in love with you?”

“Spike, that… We’ve already talked about it…”

“Yes! You rejected me because according to YOU, you didn’t feel the same way for me. And I shed my tears for you. I suffered and I was angry. I thought there would be no future after that… But you know what? At the end I accepted that and I fell in love again. I cultivated that love, got married and now I’m happier than ever. I continued with my life!”

“But I didn’t!” She replied.

“And how is that my problem?!” He yelled frustrated.

Rarity covered her mouth with her hooves and started crying. The weeping managed to appease the wrath of Spike, but not so much his sympathy.

“You’re not my sister, Rarity. You’re not my daughter. And especially you’re not my wife. Thus, you’re not my responsibility. I’ve done all I can to… Help you and allow us both to carry on comfortably after… That day. I thought we had managed to do it. I thought we would be ok and you were still single because you were really trying to find your special somepony or dragon. But this doesn’t depend on me. If you have lived alone, it’s your fault. If you haven’t managed to carry on, it’s your fault… And if you marry someone you don’t love, it will be your fault and just yours. There’s nothing I can, let alone I must do”

Spike turned around to leave. He was tired.

“How did you do it, Spike? Why could you carry on, whereas I couldn’t” Rarity asked weakly.

“Because you never got your mind and heart to agree about the decisions you made. Because you never learnt to accept your mistakes or accept the only one who’s responsible for your problems is you” He turned around.

“And because you never wanted to recognize that when you give love, you’re not more important or fortunate than the pony who’s giving their love to you” He concluded, turning around again and hearing the weeping of the afflicted unicorn.

Outside the boutique, the employees saw him pass and slowly they came back to the establishment. Not very far, Cadence was waiting for him sitting on a bench.

“Did things go that bad?” She said worried.

Spike simply sighed at the same time he was sitting next to the goddess of love.

“Not too long ago, I was madly in love with her. I would have fought for her, suffered for her, killed for her, died for her. I thought she was perfect…” He muttered, looking at the sky.

“How stupid I used to be” He sighed heavily.

“Spike!” She scolded him.

“What?”

“And… What will you do now?”

“Me?” He asked derisively.

“I’m going home with my wife” He said, standing up.

“Rarity still loves you, you know?”

“Oh, please! That’s false and you know it” He said, looking at her with suspicion.

Cadence stared at him surprised and then she looked away.

“You know she doesn’t love me. In fact… I wouldn’t be surprised that she didn’t even know the meaning of that word”

“Spike sat down again"

“Now I understand. I finally understand everything. The reason she’s still alone after so many years, despite all her success and beauty. And the reason she ‘never forgot me’”

Cadence only remained silent.

“She didn’t reject those stallions because they weren’t good for her. She isn’t single because she hasn’t been able to forget me. She never fell in love with me. She fell in love with the way I loved her. I was a stupid kid who didn’t know what that word really meant. She fell in love with my way to flatter her. With my servitude. I was an idiot willing to do anything. Every whim, every desire, every need… I did it all solicitous and fast. I never complained, I never questioned her, I never asked anything in return… That’s what she loved about me. It’s what she had always been looking for and it’s what she never found. And how could she? How obtuse, ignorant and stupid would someone have to be to want to have a relationship like that, where the wind only blows to one side? That’s why she rejected all those suitors. Because none of them was willing to flatter and worship her the way she wanted… The way I used to do it”

Both of them remained silent.

“Am I to blame for her situation, Cadence?” Spike asked.

“No” She answered, looking at the sky.

“Rarity should have known that what she did was bad for you and for her too. But like a drug, she preferred to accept the seductive pleasure your cares gave her. And though she let you go, she never stopped looking for someone who treated her like you did. Something that, like you’ve just said, would never be possible”

“And now that she feels old, she’s beginning to understand she will never find someone like that. So she’ll have enough with the prototype of the influential and wealthy stallion she loved so much when she was younger” He continued.

“She still worships that prototype, but she was convinced she could find someone wealthy who also wanted to worship her as a goddess. But under the circumstances, she’ll be satisfied with only the first thing”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s a marriage without love”

“You could still help her if you help her understand the mistake she’s made” Cadence said.

“Do you really think that will help? What about you? Couldn’t you make her fall in love with someone else?”

“My magic only influences the existing feelings. I can’t force someone to fall in love with someone else just like that” She explained.

“Then she never loved any of her suitors. Great! Besides egomaniac, she’s a seductress who played with the feeling of dozens of stallions just to see if they were good toys”

“She was looking for you. She chose them because she saw something that reminded her of you”

“That’s disturbing”

“Why are you suddenly so cruel and rude?” She asked, somewhat annoyed.

“Why are you suddenly so condescending?!” He asked, very annoyed.

Cadence was surprised to see the dragon’s reaction, but she understood he had a point and especially, he had reasons to not give a buck about the matter.

“Alright… Alright… You’re right, this isn’t your problem. It’s just that I thought that if there was someone who could help her, it would be you. But I guess it’s my responsibility… But especially hers, for she’s the only and true ruler of her destiny. Will you and Twilight go to the wedding?”

Spike looked at her for a moment. After a while, for the princess didn’t seem to take the hint, the dragon decided to talk.

“Do I really have to answer?” He said, raising an eyebrow.

“N… No. I guess you don’t” She said, finally understanding the dragon.

Spike hugged her by surprise and kissed her on her cheek.

“Farewell, Cadence. Say hello to Celestia and Luna, please”

“Of course. Say hello to twilight and the other girls” She answered, returning the gesture.

And so they left in separate ways.

Twlight is 33 years – Spike is 29 years

Rarity did marry Hoity Toity. It was huge and exuberant wedding at the palace of Canterlot, just as the fashionista had always dreamt. Somehow they looked happy. And together they had increased enormously each other’s career success. If Rarity didn’t love Hoity Toity, at least she couldn’t complain the stallion had made her very prosperous and famous, surrounded by all the luxuries she had always wanted, but was she happy? That’s what Spike and Twilight hoped. Because if not, it wasn’t their responsibility anyway.

Pinkie Pie was now the only member of the elements of Harmony who hadn’t gotten married. And it was evident she had no plans to do it. But not getting married wasn’t the same than not wanting to have a family, so she underwent a process of artificial insemination and she had two twins: Sugar Rush and Mint Bubble.

That summer, Twilight and Spike were in one of the main tourist centers of Ikaruga: the city named Hazama, which was famous for its crafts, culinary delights and because one of its beaches was one of the battlefields of the war of the Three Princes.

“If you look to your right, you can see the fangs of Leviathan!” The tour guide shouted from the cover of the second floor of the touristic steamboat the couple was in, who had come there at the invitation of Princess Luna.

The called Leviathan fangs were a series of rock formations like giant stalagmites, but instead of being circular, they had polygonal folds with edged that looked very sharp.

“It is said that using his control of the seas, Lord Leviathan created a huge tidal wave that swept his enemies, who when they impacted against the rocks, the water pressure left their bodies like wheat seed in a mill. Of all the rocks, they managed to find more than two hundred corpses who died by that wave. For a complete version of the story, don’t forget to check the local museum”

“It’s incredible, isn’t it? Celestia says I’m crazy, but sometimes I would want to have been born as a dragon or as a lycanthrope” Luna said very excited. Of course, she was wearing her dress of Moonbeam.

“Hey, Lun… Moonbeam. Weren’t we supposed to be… Well, that you were on a business trip?” twilight accusingly asked.

“I am, Twilight! I have barely learnt something about the military history of Ikaruga. And what better way to do it than visiting the same places where those battles took place? And if we can have fun in the process, much better, isn’t it? In fact I took the liberty to bring surf boards and equipment for all of us if there are good waves later” Luna said happily.

Twilight simply stared at her completely speechless.

“But you can’t surf!”

“No, but I guess it’s like cycling” She carefree said.

“In what sense is it similar to the cycling?” The unicorn asked confused.

“You don’t learn until you fall three or five times” She answered.

“Calm down, my love. These are holidays. Let's see what there is at the bar. I heard the pina coladas are delicious” Her husband tried to cheer her.

“Very well, very well. But if a crisis occurs in Equestria while we're here, I'll not carry the fault”

Later that same day, Twilight, Spike and Moonbeam were on the beach on their surfboards waiting to catch a wave, after receiving instructions from a lifeguard. Twilight, who was wearing all the possible lifesaving equipment, swallowed when she saw the huge waves hitting the water.

“Are you sure we don’t need fingers to do this?” She asked nervous.

“Come on, Twilight! You’re not going to tell me you’re afraid of water, are you?” Spike said.

“Actually, it’s a world of water!” She replied, feeling a shiver just by thinking what it would be like to fall from the tip of the wave and be crushed by it.

“Please, Twilight. Do you want me to tell my sister that her super star student couldn’t learn to surf?” She asked, hoping that would be enough to convince her.

“HAH! Twenty years ago, that trick of yours would have worked, Luna. But not this day, let alone when I may break my neck” She answered, having guessed the princess’ intentions.

“How about if we do it together?” The dragon proposed.

That was a hard proposal for Twilight to refuse.

“Come on, just one wave. I promise nothing bad will happen to you” He said, extending his claw.

In minutes, Twilight and Spike were reached by a wave. Spike stood up to take a position. Twilight did the same, but just to hug herself and comically scream in fear.

“Calm down, Twilight! It's simple physics dynamics. Now we balance our weight so that gravity prevents the water speed from making us fall”

That didn’t really help calming down his wife. Not with all the displacement forces that seemed to push her intestines to her throat and the salt breeze hitting her in the face.

“And now comes… The tube!” He said at the same time the huge wave gave rise to a majestic seawater portal.

Twilight contained her screams and let herself be amazed by the feeling of being in the heart of the wave. Too soon for her, they left the tube and a little after, Luna joined them.

“How was it, Twilight?” The princess asked, seeing the unicorn’s smile.

“Wonderful! Though I wonder how different real tubes are from an artificial one” She said, turning to see her husband.

“Did you notice it?” He said, scratching his neck.

“You had your arms and claws extended all the way, honey. And the circumference of the tube was too round to be true”

“Are you angry?”

Her answered was expressed with a kiss.

“Never with you”

Twilight is 35 years – Spike is 31 years

They were on top of the mountains far from Ponyville. On the shores of that lake where that familiar waterfall flowed. The place where so many years ago Spike had proposed marriage to Twilight. But they weren’t there with romantic purposes. Not yet at least. Actually, they were making progress in Twilight’s astral investigations.

“Very well… Elevation 75, not 79. These new models are great, though thanks to them my astronomy books will have to be reissued” She said between happy and discouraged.

“Well, at least the information will be more accurate, right?”

“Of course. All for science”

“You could also let other astronomers do the work and leave your books as they are” He proposed.

“And letting them publish their books and say: ‘hey, I proved you were wrong’? Never! If someone is going to correct me, it’ll be myself” She said proudly.

“Very well, as you with, my queen” The dragon answered.

“Can you locate for me Garuda constellation as I transcribe these notes?”

After a couple of more constellations, Spike took his baggage and set up a picnic with cupcakes for him and sandwiches for his wife. After their nice dinner, they decided to stay a while longer to just enjoy the stars.

“It’s a shame the stars don’t look like this in Ponyville. Right, Spike? It was easier to see them before all those big buildings” Twilight muttered, leaning on her husband and using his shoulder as a pillow.

“Yes, it’s true. But it doesn’t bother me. I see brighter lights every time I look in your eyes”

Twilight giggled.

“You’re always so romantic”

“Does it bother you?”

“I love it” She said rubbing her face against his neck.

“You know… It's a little cold and the shelter of your wing doesn’t seem to be enough” She began to rub her husband’s chest with circular movements of her right hoof.

“Do you think you could give me a little more heat?” She asked seductively.

“Here, you naughty?” The dragon asked eagerly.

“Why not? There’s no one else here but us and it’s been a long time since we did it outdoors. Why not do it in such a beautiful night like this and in this place so important to us?” She said seductively.

Spike smiled and kissed her softly, pushing her body to make her lie on her back on the picnic blanket.

“Listen… I noticed the water temperature is excellent”

She knew very well that was a proposal.

“Then what are we waiting for?” She said lustfully.

Twilight is 38 – Spike is 34

“Thanks for coming, Rainbow” Twilight said.

“Don’t even mention it, Twi. I was so glad you called me” The athlete replied, hugging her.

“Anyway, now that my place in the Wonderbolts is limited to office work, I don’t have a lot to do”

The place they both had decided to meet was a GYM established in Ponyville two years ago. The two friends walked through the place until they arrived at the treadmills. Rainbow dash was only carrying her bag with a thermos of water and some personal items, whereas Twilight was wearing the full equipment of sport bracelets on her hooves, an anti-sweat ribbon on her head, shorts and a lycra shirt for exercise.

“May I ask why so much enthusiasm to get fit?” Rainbow asked with a lot of curiosity, for if Twilight had some fame in sports, it was because she never practiced them regularly.

“My husband, Rainbow” She answered like it was obvious as she programmed the treadmill.

“Ehhhh… I don’t understand” The pegasus declared confused.

“I mean we’re not getting younger. Because of your age, you can’t make the most complex stunts of the Wonderbolts anymore. And I now have to use reading glasses or I have a headache after ten pages”

“But what does that have to do with us being in the GYM?”

“Just because we’re getting older doesn’t mean we must get less attractive. Spike gets old at a snail's pace. Sooner or later it will happen, but I want to keep my figure as much as I can for him. I don’t want people to see him with a fat and ugly pony”

Rainbow Dash looked at the sorceress impressed for a while before reasoning what she had heard.

“You know what? You’re right. If I neglect my appearance, any time I may see myself with wrinkles and flabby muscles. I can’t let that happen!”

“Besides, if we keep our figures, it will be easier and more satisfying for our husbands so we can still do our marital duties” Twilight accompanied.

“Duties?” Rainbow asked confused when she programmed the treadmill.

“On the bed” Twilight whispered.

“Ohhhh… Mmm, you’re right. Flying will always be my favorite exercise, but I can’t exercise the muscles of my legs and I don’t want them to get flaccid. Especially my flanks” She said, shaking them.

“Thanks to these two I managed to seduce him. What times… I remember Light used to take every opportunity to look at my flanks and every time I discovered him, he turned around and pretended that one of the flight instructors had called him. He was so shy, hahah… Whoa!” Without noticing it, Rainbow had leaned on the control panel of the treadmill, turning it on, which made her fall down.

“I’m ok” She said, standing up quickly.

“Didn’t you talk about this with the other girls?”

“I told Fluttershy, but she said she couldn’t due to her responsibilities. And as for Pinkie Pie…”

“She’s Pinkie Pie!” They laughed at the same time.

Twilight is 40 years – Spike is 36 years

“AHHHHHHH!” A dreadful scream of terror shook all the mansion.

Spike awoke from his sleep with a jump, hitting his head on the ceiling. He immediately ran to the door of the bathroom, where that scream had come from, but when he tried to enter, he discovered he was too big to walk through the door. But at least he had clear vision of his beloved and afflicted unicorn.

“Twilight, what’s happening?!”

“S… Spike… Look… Look at this! IT’S TERRIBLE!” She said, levitating the object of her affliction in front of the dragon’s eyes.

“It’s… A white hair”

“A white hair! I’m getting older. How awful!” She said, looking in the mirror, looking for more white hair with her hooves.

“I already had a few wrinkles, but so far I didn’t have any white hair… Oh my goodness, this is horrible. I’ll have to start taking vitamins for my hair. What if I start to get bald?!” She said in one of her typical panic attacks when she began to imagine the worst possibilities randomly.

Spike, who had already calmed down, turned around and with his powers he reached his Mahakala bracelet to shrink and enter the bathroom where his wife was.

“Twilight, Twilight, calm down. It’s just a white hair. You should be glad. You’re forty and you only have one white hair. I wouldn’t have believed that was possible. Sometimes you tend to be so neurotic that I was hoping you would be bald twenty years ago” He joked in the last part.

“That doesn’t make me feel better!” She replied very annoyed.

“It was just a joke, my love. Nothing is wrong. I actually have always thought you would look very exotic with white hair”

Twilight was surprised to hear that declaration and thought for a moment.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, but don’t dye your hair. I love your colors. Nature isn’t wrong” He said, stroking her mane.

“Thank you, honey… Sorry I woke you up” She apologized embarrassed.

“Don’t worry. If you want, I’ll make the breakfast” He proposed, rubbing his face against hers.

“N… No, I’ll make it. Hot cakes?”

“Perfect” he said, kissing her on her forehead.

With Twilight out of the bathroom, Spike started brushing his teeth and polishing his horns, ready for another day in his imperfect and yet beautiful life.

Twilight is 50 years – Spike is 47 years

Twilight walked to the door after hearing the ringer of her house.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!”

She opened the door, seeing a young black pegasus and with a mane of cold colors.

“Hello, Sonic Boom” The unicorn said, happy to see her godson.

The pegasus simply sighed with displeasure.

“Aunt Twilight, for the umpteenth time: I am Sonic Blast! My brother is Sonic Boom. You’ll die and you will never have learnt to differentiate us. Blue mane and red mane. It’s very easy!” he explained frustrated.

“Hahahah. Calm down, boy. I know well who you are. I’m so glad to see you, Boom” She said, giving him a hug, which the pegasus returned.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to give you this. It is an invitation to an exclusive event of the Wonderbolts Reunion. All the active and retired members of the team will meet in the training camps where where a great banquet will be organized. These tickets are only for friends and family”

“I see. Thank you very much. I suppose you gave invitations to your other aunts”

“Of course! Aunt Pinkie Pie almost choked me after I gave her hers”

“Hahah! Yes, I can imagine that. You can be sure you’ll se me and your uncle”

“I hope so. I haven’t seen you in a lot of time. The last time that strand of hair was still magenta. Now that it’s white it makes you look like a real Madame” The pegasus said mockingly.

“Shameless boy! For your information, people doesn’t stop telling me I look very young. How many mares my age do you know with curves like mine?” She shouted totally angry as the pegasus flew away at full speed, laughing out loud.

Twilight sighed, calming her anger to laugh a bit.

“Heheh. Just like his mother”

Twilight is 56 years – Spike is 52 years

Spike was in the hospital, opening his second pack of cigarettes. It was approaching noon. He and his wife had been there early. They came because Twilight had woken up with a big pain in her back and waist… Among other parts she didn’t want to mention. Swift Relief finally got closer to him with some several papers floating close to him.

“How is Twilight? What happened to her?” Spike asked.

“She’s alright. She will recover. The blow seems to have caused an inflammation in her vertebrae and muscle spasms in her lower back section” He explained, checking his papers.

“A Dr. Zecora’s balm and some pills of diclofenac will make her good as new” He said optimistically.

“But Spike…” Swift got closer to Spike like he wanted to tell him a secret.

“Twilight didn’t really get hit when she slipped in the kitchen, did she?” He asked accusingly.

“No” Spike answered, knowing it was no use to deceive his friend and doctor.

“Did you do it last night or recently?”

“Last night. Do you think that’s the cause?”

“I’m actually very sure it is”

“But how? Sex is supposed to be one of the most wonderful physical activities there are” The dragon replied.

“It’s true. A married couple who are in good health and have an active sex life can have sex until their seventies or eighties, but yours is a very special case. You’re a dragon, Spike. And your wife is a unicorn. A unicorn, who though has done an excellent job in preserving her good figure, certainly isn’t young as she used to be anymore. And you’re a dragon who is stronger than any stallion of your age. Do you see where I’m getting at?”

“If we keep doing it… Will someday crush her coccyx?”

“Not exactly. But more or less that’s the idea. I’m afraid that even with your bracelet, you’re too strong for her bones, which aren’t so young”

“Then… No more nights of passion?” Spike asked, terrified by the possible answer.

“Not necessarily, or at least not entirely. But I would suggest you avoid reaching the part of the penetration. Or you both could find a way to make you less strong with a spell or something to avoid the risk of you hurting her. It's about seeking options”

“Very well, but why do you say this to me and not her, who’s the patient?”

“Because she’s my patient and you’re my friend. And you’re her husband”

“Then you’ve just washed your hooves off” He accused.

“Of course. I don’t want to be the one to tell her the bad news”

“Thanks for nothing” He snorted, going to see his wife.

Spike entered the room where his wife was, who was looking forward to seeing him.

“What did he tell you?” She asked.

“We need to go a bit slower on our revolutions” He answered, sitting next to her.

“…Huh?” She answered very confused.

Twilight is 64 years – Spike is 60 years

It was night in the castle of Canterlot, but not any regular night. It was the night of celebration of "The Golden Dawn". That day forty years ago, Ikaruga and Equestria had finally established the long-awaited bond of brotherhood that would unite their peoples forever. There were shows, games, art, music and a lot of food, which represented the greatest of both nations.

At one table sat Spike, Swift Relief, Light Strike and also Murakumo and Durandal, two Spike’s friends from Shinto academy. They were all laughing while Durandal was telling a story about the misadventures of the three ex-cadets at the academy.

“And then Avalon ran with his arms extended like it was the day he arrived at the world!” Durandal concluded, laughing out loud.

“That was a day no one wanted to be in company of Captain Agnus” Spike accompanied, who was weeping with laughter.

“Oh, how disgusting! The tequila has come out of my nose!” Light laughed between laughter and sneezing.

“Wait, wait. I have a good one. Ehem… it’s the story when I was doing professional practices. The day I was left in charge of… The hospital morgue” Swift said dramatically.

At another table there were all the Guardians of Harmony. There was a unicorn named Cranberry Heal, invitated by Durandal.

“That stallion there… Doesn’t he remind you a little of Dr. Whooves? When we come back to Ponyville, I have to remember to go to his pharmacy for my mind pills” Pinkie Pie said.

“Ummm Pinkie… Dr. Whooves died more than forty years ago” Fluttershy said.

“Was he killed? How terrible. I never sent flowers to him. He was a nice stallion” The confectioner said anguished.

“He was a liar and a manipulator who manufactured drugs in his basement” Applejack replied.

“Then why did you mention him, decrepit old?!” Pinkie asked, switching to a furious attitude.

“It was you!”

“Hah, it’s true! How foolish of myself. Hahahah! See? That’s why I now take pills for my brain. Otherwise I lose track of what I'm talking about” She explained happily.

“And is that a novelty?” Rainbow asked Twilight with a whisper, causing the sorceress to laugh.

Suddenly, a loud laughter caught the attention of the guardians and the ambassador of Ikaruga.

“I’m… I’m sorry. I’m really sorry… It’s just that… You’re not really what I expected” Cranberry said.

“There’s no need for so much formality, Heal. You’re with your friends. Tell us a bit about you. I knew Durandal because of Spike, of course. But you?” Twilight asked.

“Well… I work as a nurse in the draconian department of the hospital of Manehattan. Durandal and his team were tracking down a criminal we thought he was hidden in the mountains near the town. They found him, but Durandal was injured during the confrontation and was sent to the hospital where we ended up knowing each other” She explained.

“Like guided by fate to meet each other” Rarity said.

“Oh my goodness! Does this mean you love each other? Are you dating?!” Pinkie asked, jumping on the circular table and getting dangerously closer to the nurse.

The other guardians still wondered how Pinkie was able to make those instantaneous movements. And the question had an answer: She was Pinkie Pie.

Cranberry wasn’t sure what to answer. She really had grown fond of the dragon. And she actually thought he was handsome… But did she love him enough to become the second pony in history to marry a dragon? She simply followed the indications from other guardians, who, behind Pinkie, were shaking their forelegs and making all sorts of signs that told her to give a negative answer.

“N… No, we aren’t”

“Ohhhh” She said disappointed, returning to her chair.

“Relax, dear. Love will come when it has to” Rarity said.

“Yes, you know a lot about that, do you?” Twilight said sarcastically.

Before rarity could answer, Fluttershy decided to change the topic.

“Listen, have any of you seen Cadence? I saw Princess Celestia a while ago among the hosts and Princess Luna hasn’t left the karaoke”

“Now that you mention it… No, I haven’t. How strange” Applejack said.

“Neither have I. Where may she be?” Twilight said.

A similar topic had appeared at the men’s table.

“Listen, have any of you seen where our king has gone?” Murakumo said, looking around.

“Well, there goes Agnus with a chicken leg in his claw. He always has fun bucking with ponies with that” Spike said.

“He must be inside or something”

At the top of one of the towers of the palace, very far from the others, two figures were watching the whole beauty of the city and the night sky.

“Since I was a child, this has always been my favorite place. From here… I feel like I can feel all the love there exists, not only in Canterlot, but in all of Equestria. It makes me feel so… I’m sorry, Excellence. I can’t describe it” The princess of love apologized with her hooves on the railing of the balcony.

“Don’t worry, Princess” The king answered.

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t visited your palace in all these years”

“The gates of Renes le Chateau are always open for you, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Just notify me with time and I will prepare a banquet in your honor to commemorate your first visit” Ragnarok said, making a gesture of lamentation.

“No, just the opposite. It’s all my fault” She quickly answered.

“Why do you say that?” He asked confused.

“I… Well, the thing is I used to read a lot of fairy tales when I was a child. They were all about princesses in danger who were prisoners of an evil dragon that was defeated by a brave knight. When we were young and my ex-husband enlisted in the Royal Guard I started having this crazy idea… This dream was about him saving me if I was captured by a dragon, but… Well, do you know what happened with my ex-husband, Excellence?” She said, looking at the prince with a melancholy look.

Ragnarok remained silent for a while before answering.

“I know he lied to you, that he conspired against the reign of Princess Celestia and Luna, that he tried to murder Spike and I know very well what happened to him at the end. I know it because I killed him”

Ragnarok had never spoken so seriously in his 553 years of existence. Cadence looked at the king shocked and somewhat frightened.

“Did you know it or not?”

“Y… Yes. Yes, I did. I asked my aunt Celestia”

“Is that why you didn’t want to meet me?”

Cadence looked away and looked at the city again.

“In those days ... My heart was a chaos. So many things had happened. The unicorn I had always been in love with since I was a child, the one I had opened the gates of my heart for, the one I thought I knew better than myself… Turned out to be a betrayer, a murderer and to top it off a xenophobic. Even so, when he died I felt very sad and for the first time in my life I felt hatred for the one who had killed. But in time I understood that was nothing less than the end Shining Armor had earned. After that I felt… fear. Fear to meet the one who had sealed his destiny. Fear that if I met that individual, it would be looking in the eyes of Lucifer” She explained ashamed and sad.

“Do you fear me, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?” He asked coldly.

Cadence felt a strong shiver in her back, but managed to maintain composure and took a deep breath before answering.

“No. No more. Now I see you’re a kind dragon. And how not notice it? You’ve done so well for the sake of your kingdom, mine and especially for my sister in law Twilight and her husband. Actually I’m very happy to meet you, Excellence. And please, feel free to call me just Cadence”

“If that’s your wish, I will, Cadence. You may also call me Ragnarok” He offered.

“I feel honored, Ragnarok. May I ask…? What about you? I mean… What do you think about me?” She said with some awkwardness, for she didn’t really know how to make her question.

Ragnarok was taken by surprise by the question. He didn’t actually think about that. Not seriously at least.

“I believe… I think about how wonderful what you represent and do must be. And it must be very pleasant to be able to feel ‘love in the air’ like you do. That’s why I don’t think you should keep lamenting the death of your ex-husband. Especially, with you being so young and beautiful” He explained without ever neglecting his courtesy.

Cadence smiled and looked at the city again.

“You know, Ragnarok? Even after the failure of my marriage, I still have that dream I know my prince charming and we live together forever. Isn’t that childish?” She asked, looking at him again.

“Not at all” He answered immediately, getting closer to where she was.

“My father used to say: Hold fast to your dreams, for without dreams, life is like a a bird with broken wings, unable to fly” He said.

Cadence looked at him surprised and felt surprisingly comfortable to be with the fearsome dragon.

“What a beautiful thought” She muttered.

“My father had a million of those. My mother said he should have been a writer instead of king”

They remained silent for a while until Ragna spoke again.

“I think we should come back down” The king proposed.

“But… We have just started to know each other. Couldn’t we stay a little longer?” Cadence said.

“If that’s what you wish, Cadence…”

Back down with the guests and the festivities, the men were still exchanging stories until someone interrupted them.

“Good night, Sirs”

“Good night, Princess Luna” They all said.

“Would you like to be with us?” Swift said.

“I’d love to, but I only came her to notify Lord Spike his wife seems to be falling asleep”

“Really?” Spike asked.

“Yes. You had better take her back home”

“Very well. I was expecting that. She worked very hard all the week. See you later, my friends. Murakumo, I’ll see you on Tuesday. Don’t forget it”

“Don’t worry. Good night, Spike”

Spike walked back to the table where he found his wife almost sleeping, Rainbow laughing uncontrollably, Rarity drinking wine as she talked with Fluttershy and the rest of them speaking of Celestia, only they knew why.

“Good night, ladies”

“Have you come for your wife, Mr. Spectral?” Rainbow asked, her breath smelled of… many things.

“Yes, my lady. May I take her home?” He said comically.

“Of course. You may take her. She’s falling asleep anyway”

One by one, Spike and Twilight said goodbye to their friends with a hug, except Rarity, who they only said goodbye to with a hoof and claw gesture. Except Cranberry, they all knew the reason of this. But no one said anything. Twilight tenderly rested her body on her husband’s arm and then they left by walking.

“I’m sorry” Twilight muttered after they both left the castle.

“Why?” Spike asked confused.

“You told me not to work so much so I could come refreshed, but I didn’t listen to you. And now you’ve had to leave early because of me” She sadly said ashamed.

“Don’t talk nonsense. It’s almost two o’clock. It’s not good for you to stay up late at…” he didn’t end the sentence.

“At my age, you meant” She ended the sentence for him.

“Twi, I…”

“I’m getting older, Spike. I know it very well. It’s no use I try to disguise it or that you pretend not to notice it. Not even all the magic in the world can prevent it. Age spells are purely cosmetic. You will be able to turn an old pony with only one day left into a ten year old child, but the next morning, Malpha’s reapers will have to come for their soul. Sooner or later I will…”

“Stop” He said, stopping their walk.

“Huh?”

“I don’t want you to talk like that. Yes, you’re old. But you’re wrong if you say I do something to not notice it. And you’re even more wrong if you think I love you less than thirty years ago when your body was… Perfect. If you’re worried about the party, forget it. Murakumo was about to start with his stupid ‘knock knock’ jokes. But the most important thing is I’ll be able to go to a party like that until I die or until Equestria and Ikaruga break their bond. But at your side I’ll be able to be… Another forty years if things go well. And of those years I plan to spend as much time as possible by your side. So don’t even think for a second I suffer or I claim something to you if choose to be with you instead of doing anything else”

Spike took a very needed deep breath. Twilight looked at him stunned until she finally smiled and rested her body on his.

“One of these days I hope to learn not to doubt myself and that I’m still worthy of your love” She sighed.

“That concern is the way you show how much you care for me, right?”

“Of course”

“Then it’s fine”

He took her chin with his claw and planted a loving kiss on her lips, which she returned gladly.

“Spike, could you take us flying home?”

“Of course. Climb aboard, my queen” he said, making him float to his back with his powers.

She held her husband’s neck and she gave him a signal so he would fly. Twilight felt she shared a paradoxical relation with the city. Whereas she withered more and more, the city seemed to become more and more beautiful.

Twilight is 76 years – Spike is 72 years

Her mane no longer shone. Her fur had lost its luster. Her eyes no longer shone like gemstones. The curves of her body had gone years ago. And however, she was beautiful to her husband. Enormously and inexplicably beautiful.

“Hydrolyzed collagen for my hair, fur and hooves. Visione for my eyes. Astragalus for my breathing. Glucosamine complex for my bones. Omega 3 for my body’s defenses and Ginko Biloba… Ginko Biloba… My love! What’s Ginko Biloba for?” The unicorn asked her husband, who was in the living room.

“Your nervous system, honey” The dragon answered.

She always left that one for the end and she always forgot what it was for.

“Maybe I should get a medicine for Alzheimer. I’m starting to forget things” She said, returning to the living room and sitting next to her husband on the sofa.

“Tomorrow we’ll go to the hospital and see what they recommend you, ok?”

“It sounds good” She said, snuggling next to him.

“The harvest of this year looks great. I want to taste those hot cakes with Zapaaple jelly you always prepare me”

“Yes. And some new recipes I want to taste”

Twilight is 80 years – Spike is 76 years

The marriages between ponies and dragons were becoming more numerous. There were more than one hundred and they were increasing. And from that union, a new race had been born. They called them Kirins. Magnificent creatures that blended the aspects of both races. The kirins that were born from mares were ponies with normal mane and fur, except they had dragon horns. Whereas their hind legs had hooves, their forelegs had dragon claws. The kirins born from dragoness eggs had the shape of a pony, but scaly skin with voluminous mane. All the kirins couls fly and exhale fire. They were the living proof of the eternal union between ponies and dragons.

“Luna!” Twilight shouted happily when she saw the ruler of the night.

“Hello, Twilight. I’m glad to see you. I haven’t come at a bad time, have I?” She asked, entering the house.

“Not at all. Come in, please. Spike has just gathered the grapes from our garden. They’re delicious!”

“Politician, writer, farmer… Hahah! You won the lottery with him, Twilight” Luna joked.

“Tell me something I don’t know” She answered, very proud.

“Where is he?”

“He’s in nursing home of Ponyville”

“Why?” Luna asked confused.

“He’s visiting Pinkie Pie”

“But what about her daughters, or her sisters?!”

“Pinkie said she didn’t want to be a burden to her family, so she wanted them to intern her there. Besides, she said she could still make the ones close to her happy. Don’t be depressed. She’s fine. Grapes?” She said, showing her a tray with delicious red seedless grapes.

“Thanks”

In the nursing home, Spike was well known. Not just by his political position, but because he visited the place at least twice a week to visit his old friend.

“Hello, Pinkie Pie” The dragon said to the withered confectioner, who was sitting close to a water source on a wheelchair.

“Hello, Mr. dragon. How do you know my name?” She asked both happy and confused.

“You’re one of my best friends, Pinkie. How wouldn’t I know your name?”

“And what’s your name, Mr. dragon?”

“I’m Spike, remember?”

“Spike… Spike… I once knew a dragon named Spike! He was a very nice and kind dragon who then became a very handsome and strong one!”

“Really? And what happened to him?” Spike asked in a curious tone.

“You should know him. He’s very famous. He was the first dragon in history to marry a pony! Do you really not know him?” Pinkie Pie said stunned.

“I’m afraid I don’t, Pinkie. Could you please tell me that story?”

“Of course!”

Pinkie Pie suffered from senile dementia. She was unable to recognize Spike, Twilight or any of her old friends or even her relatives. But she seemed to remember each and every one of her adventures when someone asked her. She would often miss the train of dialogue and she ended up changing the subject in an instant without realizing, so it was difficult to maintain a decent communication with her. Besides, she had the idea she was still young. Her daughters visited her very often, even when she had asked them not to do it too much, for she was ashamed if they saw her in that state.

“Sorry, dear. What were we talking about?”

“What would you like to talk about?”

The confectioner yawned heavily.

“I’m tired. I want to sleep. Could you please cover me with my blanket?”

“Don’t you want me to take you to your bedroom?”

“No, thanks. I like it here, where I can listen to the singing of the birds. Birds like my friend Fluttershy had”

Spike comfortably covered the pink pony with the blanket and then she yawned again.

“Thank you so much, Spike” She muttered.

“You’re welcome, Pin… Wait, did you just call me by my name?” He asked surprised.

“Of course I did, you silly. What other name would I call you with, Spike?” She asked between laughter.

“Well, you…”

“Thank you for everything, Spike. I love you so much. You have always been a great friend. Say goodbye to Twilight from me and tell my daughters that… I love them… Thank you…”

Pinkie Pie sighed of satisfaction and with that she left this world.

“Pinkie?... Pinkie Pie? Pinkie?! A doctor! A doctor, please!” Spike yelled.

At eighty two, Pinkie Pie had gone to Jerusalem. The first one to go had been Fluttershy, who died of respiratory complications. Consequences of having spent so much time with wild animals. Now there were only four Guardians of Harmony left.

Twilight is 87 years – Spike is 83 years

Warming Hearts' festivities were everywhere in Ponyville. However, two soul mates were at peace far from the festivities, just enjoying the warmth of their home and each other’s company. Though his house had been a party place earlier that day, when they received the visits from Princess Celestia and Luna, as well as Rainbow Dash, Applejack and their respective families. Even Rarity, with whom Twilight had finally reconciled after the death of her husband three years ago. But now that they all had left, Spike and Twilight were in front of the fireplace, roasting marshmallows.

“It was a wonderful night, right honey?”

“Yes, definitely. For a moment I felt like a filly again” Twilight said, resting her head on Spike’s shoulder.

“Your body may be old, Twilight. But your spirit is still young” He answered and then he ate his marshmallow.

“Twi?” he asked, turning his head to see his wife, who was sleeping peacefully.

Spike turned to see the clock and was surprised it was almost midnight. He smiled and very carefully stood and carried his wife to their bedroom.

“Now that I think about it… Cadence didn’t come to the party”

Inside the chambers of the king of Ikaruga, two figures were lying on the royal bed, which was a completely mess. The princess of love woke up when she heard how the owner of her love sighed deeply.

“How is it possible you haven’t been able to sleep after our night? What worries you, honey?” She asked, raising her head to rub her face against his head.

“Nothing, just… I’m just thinking” Ragnarok muttered, who was looking at the ceiling.

“No one thinks after making love unless they do it without love, they are cheating on someone else or they are dissatisfied” Cadence joked.

An instant after, her eyes widened and stood up, resting her hooves on her lover’s chest.

“Wait a moment!… Are you dissatisfied?!” She asked very worried.

“What? No! What makes you think that? This is the best night I’ve ever had”

Cadence sighed with relief.

“Thank Aphrodite. Well, if you aren’t dissatisfied and nothing worries you, why are you still awake?”

Ragnarok sat on the bed and took Cadence’s hooves with his claws.

“Cadence… I never told you this because it’s something you should already know well. Before you, there were many ladies who visited this bedroom and who I shared my bed with” He explained with some embarrassment.

Cadence smiled.

“I know, but I don’t care. Remember I haven’t been able to give you my first time either”

“But I can say with certainty that this night, for the first time in my life I’ve made love”

Cadence looked at him surprised for a while before laughing a bit.

“Oh honey. That’s the cheesiest thing you’ve told me since I know you”

She got her face closer to his.

“I love it” She whispered, kissing him.

“This was the best night of my life too, my heaven. Thank you” She said, ending the kiss.

“Better than your wedding night?”

“Puff! That night was a disaster. Shining Armor would have been a powerful sorcerer and the glorious captain of the Royal Guard, but he suffered from premature ejaculation”

Ragnarok looked at his lover stunned for a moment before they both burst out laughing.

“Is that why you were so worried about me being dissatisfied?”

“Yes. You don’t even imagine the amount of orgasms I had to fake when I was with Shining”

“Ouch!”

“Exactly”

“Well, don’t worry, my love. You’ll never have to fake one again when you’re with me” He presumed.

“I count on it” She said, kissing him again.

Ragna rested his body on the bed again and Cadence snuggled against him again.

“Ragna, when will we make it public?”

“Tomorrow”

“Heh… Are you sure?” She asked somewhat nervous.

“Yes. I already have made the preparations. It’s time for Ikaruga to know the face of its future queen”

He gave her another kiss and lay down to finally sleep.

Twilight is 95 years – Spike is 91 years

Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Queen Cadence and her husband King Ragnarok, as well as a huge number of friends of the only remaining guardian of Harmony had gathered to say their last goodbye to her, for the old sorceress felt that at any moment she would go to the realm of Jerusalem to meet again with her parents and her friends and wait patiently for the arrival of her husband.

One by one, the guests went to the bedroom where Twilight was lying on her deathbed. Gradually the mansion overflowing with ponies and dragons was emptied until there were only she and her beloved husband. Spike finally entered the bedroom where she was waiting for him with a warm smile. He sat down on the bed in silence and took her right hoof with both his claws. What could he say that hadn’t been said already before an endless amount of times? To his surprise, she did have something to say.

“Spike…” She muttered weakly.

“Yes, my queen?”

“I want you to promise me that when I leave, as sad as you may be, as loyal as you are towards me, as afraid as you are of what I may think or feel from the other world… Promise me you’ll seek love again. Promise me you’ll be happy again. Promise me you won’t hold back from seeking happiness in another pony or dragoness, happiness like the one you found in me“

“But Twilight… How could I…?”

“Look at Cadence, Spike. She married again, didn’t she?”

“Yes, but her first marriage ended…”

“Yes, it was a total disaster. I know it. That’s what I mean. Even with her heart broken, she looked up to the sky and found someone who decided to give her love again. And now she’s happier than ever. You can do it too. You must do it too. I don’t want my death nor my absence to cause you sorrow. Promise me, Spike. Promise me that… You’re going to be happy” She begged, almost close to tears.

“I… I… I will try…” He replied.

“Fine” She said happily.

She made her horn glow and suddenly a drawer on the other side of the bedroom opened where appeared a box Spike knew very well: it was Twilight’s jewelry box. Twilight brought it where she was. She opened it with her hooves and pulled out of the case a beautiful red ruby Spike knew very well.

“And when you find that special one that makes you happy. The one you decide to give your love to and give yourself to her in body and soul, give her this” She said, giving him the fire ruby.

Everything had been said. Everything had been expressed. And however, what couldn’t they stop the sensation there was still so much to be done? Probably because that’s how it was. There was still too much to be done, but there was no longer enough time. Twilight decided to exploit one of the small pleasures of life. One that she and her husband had learnt to enjoy over the years.

It was a song. A song Spike loved and he would gladly sing with his wife.

The song had a very special meaning now. It was like a prayer. A portrait of their lives, their love. But especially, it was a promise. A promise they would see each other again in the other world.

The song ended. They looked at each other’s eyes, happy and proud of their performance. Spike got closer to his queen and kissed her lovingly on her withered lips. It was night. Twilight was tired.

“I’m so tired, my life” She muttered weakly.

Spike slipped into the bed and carefully embraced Twilight so she could use his chest as a pillow.

“I just regret that my ears no longer work good enough to listen to your heartbeat”

“But you still feel my caresses on your mane, right?”

“Yes… Magical hands” She muttered, snuggling against his arms.

"I love you, Spike. With all my heart… And I will forever"

“I love you too, Twilight”

“Good night, Spike” She whispered, falling asleep never to wake up again.

“Goodbye, Twilight. My queen. I’ll see you again, someday”

Author's Notes:

I hope you've enjoyed this fic. I think My Little Dashie is a happy comedy with a happy ending compared to this. Please, people, post your reviews and wait for the epilogue.

Epilogue

They all had gone.

Fluttershy died a spring afternoon when she decided to take a nap on her loyal rocking chair in her backyard. But such an extraordinarily pure soul wouldn’t have to be just buried. No. The little and big creatures of the forest she had helped for all her life had a very special parting gift. Not very deep in the forest, the animals chose a weeping willow and they carved the shape of what might have been described as a mausoleum so it would become the resting place of the guardian of kindness. The mausoleum had room enough for her husband’s coffin when it was his turn to accompany her. But for now, the pegasus would have her eternal resting place among the creatures of the forest that loved her so much and she had loved so much too.

Pinkie Pie died with a smile on her lips, just how everyone remembered her. Following her wishes, Pinkie Pie was incinerated and her ashes were thrown into the sea. Something surprisingly quiet and humble for someone who has always been known for preferring the extravagant and flashy.

Applejack died an autumn night on her bed. The horror took over her son Green Sunrise and her cousin Appleseed when the little Applespice went to the living room and said: ‘Grandma is so sleepy. She doesn’t want to wake up’. After a big family reunion where only the cowgirl’s closest friends were admitted, Applejack was buried in Apple’s family cemetery, next to her big brother and her sister in law.

Rarity’s death was the topic on everyone's lips that winter. ‘The worst loss of fashion world in this century’ was said by The Canterlot Times. The price of her outfits soared. Rarity was buried in Canterlot in the zone of ‘Celebrities’, originally started as a project of her own father in law. Nothing but another present to please the ego of the members of Toity family. Even so, the guardians and Spike gathered in front of Rarity’s tomb to say their last goodbye to a sad soul that simply made the mistake of choosing pride over humility.

Rainbow Dash always said she would die with style. And the Ancients knew she had done it. Rainbow asked that after her death she would be dressed with her old uniform of the Wonderbolts. It was somewhat big for her, so they had to make some adjustments. Rainbow Dash’s body was deposited in a special metallic coffin and this one was put inside a ‘wood capsule’. That wood capsule was covered with special flammable chemicals made by Twilight, which would make fire had the colors of a Rainbow. Yes. Even in death, Rainbow Dash managed to live on the edge, giving her friends and relatives a spectacular symbolic funeral in flames.

And finally Twilight. Lady Twilight ‘The Cosmic’. The leader and the last member of the Guardians Of Harmony. The first unicorn in history to marry a dragon. The one who made possible the union between Equestria and Ikaruga. Royalty, nobility and even the common people of both kingdoms gathered in Ponyville to mourn the loss of a so famous and extraordinary unicorn. Her husband constructed for her by himself a humble, but beautiful crystal mausoleum in Ponyville cemetery. And above where the coffin was kept, there was a statue carved in silver in the form of Twilight Sparkle.

Spike spent sleepless nights before he could sleep. He felt so alone now. So devastated. So lost. His wife had made him promise he would seek happiness. But how could he do it now that nothing seemed to make sense anymore?

One day, a few weeks after Twilight’s death, Celestia and Luna invited Spike to stay in the palace. The dragon had been devastated since the death of his wife and the princesses were starting to worry about the about the possibility that the dragon would never leave his depressed state or in the worst of cases, commit suicide.

Celestia decided she would have to take action on the matter personally. So after dinner, though it seemed something improper, she invited the dragon to her bedroom to talk.

When he entered the princess’ bedroom, Spike couldn’t help laughing.

“Very well. You’re starting to recover your sense of humor” She said.

“It’s not that. I just thought how little you’ve remodeled this place in almost one hundred years since the last time I was here” The dragon replied, walking to the fireplace, which he burned with his breath and then he lay on his stomach in front of her.

Celestia walked next to Spike and lay the same way.

“How do you feel?”

Straight to the matter. She was always like that when she had an objective in her mind.

“I miss her. Her… Each and every one of those six angels. Holy Gaia. I even miss Rarity and her tendency to blame others for her shit… But especially I miss my angel. I always knew these days would come. The days I couldn’t hug her anymore. The days I would have to sleep alone on our bed. The days I… I would have to do everything alone. You warned me. Ragna, Luna, everyone warned me. But neither all the warnings nor all the knowledge would have prepared me for something like this”

Spike brought his right claw to his face to cover his eyes and broke into tears. Celestia got closer to him. She extended her forelegs to hug him protectively.

“Don’t cry, sweetheart. Please, don’t cry” She begged the dragon, who was now crying on her chest.

After a very long while, Spike finally calmed down. He separated from Celestia’s embrace, wishing to make an important question.

“How do you do it, Celestia? How do you get rid of the pain? How do you forget the sorrow and the suffering from the losses?”

She knew very well what he was talking about. Of course she knew it. In her more than six thousand years of age, she had known an infinite number of ponies who were close to her heart. Ones more than others, but eventually they all had to say goodbye to her with the promise they would meet again in Jerusalem.

“It’s very easy, Spike… I never do it” She answered with a melancholic smile.

The answer surprised Spike.

“What do you mean?” He asked confused.

“That’s what I mean, Spike. I never forget the pain”

Celestia separated from him and stared at the fire.

“How could I forget it, Spike? Why should I? If I forgot the loss, if I forgot the pain of not having them by my side… It would be an insult to those who were important to me! Don’t you understand? If I no longer lamented their death… If I stopped missing them… If their absence didn’t hurt me… It would be like saying they stopped meaning something to me! I never forget, Spike. My dear ponies. My beloved ponies. I remember them all. Each end every one of those who I gave space to in my life and my heart. But I carry on… I carry on because despite appearances, life doesn’t take away from us things. It gives us space to new thing that will come. New experiences, new friends, new illusions…”

Celestia looked at Spike, who was astonished.

“It’s never easy. It’s always difficult to say goodbye to a friend. Saying goodbye to someone you love a lot. But in cases like Twilight… It’s a completely different thing. Twilight was like a daughter to me. She was my pride, my bliss… She saved my kingdom on three separate occasions when I could never have found a way to save it. And somehow she managed to be more powerful and wiser than I can ever aspire to be. And now I won’t see her again. Not until my ponies don’t need me or wish for my help anymore. Not until I have met the expectations of the will of universe and earn my place in Jerusalem. Not until this world stops existing. What happens first”

Celestia looked down for a moment, breathing heavily. She felt her heart and lungs getting piled in her throat and she had tears in her eyes, but she know she had to continue.

“Once more I regret being useless and not being able to give you the answers you seek, Spike. But you must know I do know what it’s like to lose someone you love with all your soul…”

“A very long time ago, when Equestria was young… I fell in love with one of my ponies. He was an artist, you know? He made the elder stained glass windows of the throne room. We kept our love in secret. We had to. The clans of ponies had just united and the war against Ikaruga had left the kingdom with too much instability. We were happy for a long time, but he couldn’t stand that life style. But even after our separation I kept loving him… Oh Spike! He died and I couldn’t even go to his funeral!” She shouted, tearing up.

The dragon finally reacted. He got closer to the goddess of the sun and hugged her, but he said nothing. He only held her for that moment of misery and he let her cry as much as she wanted on his chest.

“So I know very well what it’s like to let someone go like that. Someone you think they’re as important as the air you breathe. Though those ponies go very far, we’re never alone. For example, I always have loved ones by my side who bring me happiness, such as Luna, Cadence, Ragna and of course… You… Even if we can’t see each other at all times, I know you’re all with me and that’s how I never feel alone”

They stayed there for who knows how long. Just embracing and enjoying the warmth of each other’s embrace. All that could be heard were the princess’ sobs and the deep inhalations of the dragon, who was holding her. She shed her tears without reservation. She was tired, so tired. Tired of using her mask, tired of hold her shield, tired of always having to pretend to be strong. Now thanks to Spike, for the first time in over a thousand years, she could afford the huge luxury of being weak, of being fragile, of letting her fears take over her freely. In her heart she knew she could afford that luxury because who was with her was Spike. A dragon who a long time ago had seen the pony behind that mask. A dragon who loved her for who she really was. A dragon who would never care about how she looked.

“I have never talked about this to anyone except Luna” She muttered weakly, still held by the dragon.

“I’m honored you talk to me about this” He replied.

“You shouldn’t. I’m ashamed. You come to me looking for an advice… And I’m the one who seizes the situation to give me some self-therapy and be weak to be able to face my demons. Forgive me…” She said embarrassed, looking at his eyes.

“Don’t apologize, Celestia. Though you don’t believe it, what you’ve told me has helped me a lot. You’re right. It is not a farewell, but a see you later. I still have a lot to live for and I have the fortune to have many wonderful ponies in my life. You above all of them”

He got his head close to hers and they rubbed their faces lovingly against each other’s.

“I adore you. Thank you for all you do and have done for me”

Celestia was now crying for other reasons. She felt so fragile, so vulnerable and yet so protected and safe to have Spike by her side. She felt intensely fortunate to have a friend who was with her. She was about to thank him when something interrupted his contact: The outbreak of a big lightning. The noise scared Celestia, who strongly hugged the dragon in search of refuge. A storm had approached.

“I forgot it’s storm season” Spike said.

“Yes, it is”

“I think I should go” She said, breaking the embrace.

“Spike…” She whispered, looking down at the floor.

“What, Celestia?”

“Could you… Could you please stay with me tonight?” She asked, raising her head to look at his eyes.

“Please, don’t go. I… I don’t want to be alone tonight… Please”

It wasn’t a petition, but a plea. Spike knew it. She had gotten rid of all her defenses just for him and now she looked completely vulnerable. The ruler of Equestria at that moment was a helpless soul who needed desperately someone to protect her from the darkness of night.

“Please, Spike. Just tonight” She repeated her plea when she heard no answer.

Spike knew it was something improper. It wasn’t very ethical, considering their records. And especially, it wasn’t professional due to the political position they both had in that kingdom. But there was no way the dragon would abandon his princess. Not when she needed him so much.

“Of course, Celestia. I’ll stay here as long as you want”

Moments later, Spike was lying on the royal bed on his stomach with crossed arms as the princess lay next to him with her legs folded and leaning her body on his with her head on his shoulder.

“Isn’t it incredible? Almost one hundred years ago, in a night like this, I was an unprepared mother cradling a son I hadn’t wished for who didn’t stop crying. Now I’m the child afraid of the lightning who’s crying and seeks refuge next to the one who once was a baby and now is bigger and stronger than her”

“Are you ashamed?”

“I don’t even know. Should I?”

Spike thought his answer for a moment.

“Well… You look so cute when you cry” He answered.

For the first time in the night, Celestia smiled and laughed.

“That’s why I love you so much” She said, rubbing her face against his neck.

“It was a night like this, you know? The first night we were together” She said with nostalgia.

“Really?”

“Yes. The same day you were born. I had brought a cradle for you to this bedroom, as well as baby bottles, diapers, milk gemstones and everything that could be necessary to take care of you. That night I fed you dinner and then I went to sleep with you. But then, after midnight, something woke me up. It was the scariest sound I had ever heard. A baby’s whimper. A huge tempest had come that night. The lightning awakened you and you were crying. Immediately after I casted a spell to block the external noise and I took you in my arms. You looked at my eyes… I kissed you on your forehead and I tried to calm you down, but you kept crying. You kept making that terrible noise that shot pain to my heart. I tried to feed you, give you slaps on your back to see if you burped, I changed your diaper, but you didn’t stop. The great Princess Celestia wasn’t able to stop a baby’s whimper. I covered you with a blanket next to my chest and I swung you until you stopped crying. And however, you were still looking at me like you were expecting something from me”

As Celestia shed tiny tears of happiness and nostalgia, Spike was listening to her attentively. He was touched by the sorrow and bliss of the princess.

“And then I saw it in your eyes. I saw you loved me. I saw you loved me, not for my crown, not for my title, not for my origin. You loved me for who I was and what I meant to you. And I loved it very much! I thought about singing a lullaby to you so you would sleep, but then I realized I knew none. So I decided to tell you a story, which is curious because instead of telling you a known story, I invented one right there”

“Do you remember that story?” He asked full of curiosity.

“Of course” She immediately answered.

“Could I hear it again?”

Celestia blushed a little.

“Ah… Are you sure? It’s a very cheesy story”

“Please. I want to hear it” He insisted.

“All… All right. But don’t laugh!”

“Of course” He said, rolling over to see her directly.

Celestia took a huge breath before starting.

“There was once a magical and prosperous kingdom inhabited by happy ponies, who were guided by a young princess. The princess guided her people with equity and justice. And though she was loved and respected by everypony, she actually felt so alone. Because despite the love she received from all the ponies who knew her, almost no one truly knew her. They only saw the authority and the supposed greatness of the figure who guided their nation, but they never noticed the pony under the crown, who dreamt about having a true friend. Then one day a gift from heaven came to her. It was a little angel. A little angel who had seen that everything the princess needed was a friend. Someone who loved her for who she was, regardless of what she did and represented for the rest of the world. So the little angel promised to take care of the princess and became her first friend in a very long time. And though they couldn’t always be together, the little angel always returned to her princess to give her his true friendship and moments of big happiness”

When she finished, her shining magenta eyes were full of tears. She slowly looked at the dragon next to her with a huge smile.

“And since that day, Spike, the princess no longer felt sad or alone ever again” She concluded.

Spike sat up with a serious expression. He got closer to the princess and wiped her tears with his claws and finally hugged her affectionally.

“You’re my best friend, Spike. You’re my family… You’re my angel… My beloved angel”

“And you will never be alone as long as I’m alive, my princess. Just call me and I’ll be there for you” He whispered to her ear.

It was very improper. Too much maybe, but neither of them cared about it. It only mattered their friendship and the love they had thanks to it. Spike leaned back on the bed, bringing his princess with him. He kissed her on her forehead and finally rested his head on the pillow to be able to sleep. She rubbed her face against his neck one last time before sleeping, feeling completely happy to be next to his most beloved friend. Her irreplaceable guardian angel.

Twelve years later

It was a beautiful spring day. The day before, Spike had been visited by his sister in law Cadence and her two children: Siegfried and Amaltea. They weren’t so different from the rest of the Kirins born from a pony, except for a small great detail: Siegfried and Amaltea had a unicorn’s horn and were capable of using magic.

The queen of Ikaruga and guardian of Love spent the afternoon in Spike’s house while her children were walking through the village, visiting their friends in Sweet Apple Acres and Sugar Cube Corner, among other places.

But now and how it usually was at those times, Spike was alone in his house. He was playing his piano in the living room. The song was named ‘One Last Wish’. It was a very melancholic song, even depressing. But at the same time it was very happy. It helped him remember old times. Better said, times when his house had more than one inhabitant. He could almost hear the sound of Twilight’s hooves and smell her lavender scent he liked so much… The memory itself filled him with happiness.

But he heard something. The sound of the ringer. Who could be at that time when most ponies were having lunch?

“Good afternoon, Spike. Telegram for you” The pegasus mailman said.

“Thank you” He said, taking the postal envelope.

“Have a nice day” He said, flying away in a hurry.

Spike was somewhat confused. Why would anyone send a telegram to him? A telegram that had been sent from the same Ponyville? He opened the envelope and saw a letter with a brief message that only contained the name of a restaurant, the time, the table number and finally a signature made with a kiss of emerald green lipstick.

Spike had never seen any pony or dragon use that lipstick color. That’s why it was easy for him to deduce who it belonged to.

“Is it… Is it possible?” He wondered.

After so many years, the last time he knew something about her was about ninety years ago and she had told him she would go on a journey through the world. How was it possible she returned to Ponyville after so many years? How long do changelings live?

He checked the time. The appointment was in three hours. It was more than enough time to get ready. And so he did it. He took a shower, he brushed his teeth, he ‘waxed’ his scales so they would shine. Damn! He hadn’t groomed that much since Amaltea’s baptism. He felt… nervous. Was he really going to meet ‘her’? And why did he feel so happy about it? Maybe because though it had been a very little time, she had an important episode in his life. Besides, she was the only other female he had shared a mouth-to-mouth kiss with, in addition to his late wife.

“Is it… Is it actually her?” He wondered, looking at the note like he was waiting for an answer.

Later, Spike was in the restaurant in a private balcony, waiting for the one who had sent the letter to him. The balcony had opaque glass. That is, though one could see through the window perfectly, nothing could be seen from inside the restaurant. Spike was playing with his fork, making it spin like the propeller of an electric fan with his powers.

“Was it a fake note? She has already delayed ten minutes. Or was she trying to test my interest in… This reencounter” He wondered.

He stopped playing with his fork and rubbed his temple. Had he arrived there to waste time? Suddenly the door opened. Spike’s breathe stopped as well as his heart. Slowly, through the doorway, entered calmly a black unicorn like night. She had aqua blue straight hair, dancing to the rhythm of her walk like a living waterfall. Green eyes and shiny like emeralds. She was wearing a black dress with bell sleeves and lime green embroideries.

“I’m happy to see you… My Lord” She whispered with a warm smile.

Spike remained silent, enthralled by the unicorn’s immense beauty and astonished to confirm it was really her.

“How strange. I remembered you with better manners” The unicorn joked after a moment of not having an answer.

That was enough to pull Spike out of his trance. He smiled when he recognized the queen and stood up from his chair to go to her.

“What other reaction could be expected from someone who meets an old friend they hadn’t seen in ninety years?” He replied ironically.

“My goodness. And I thought the color of the lipstick had been a very vague clue”

Spike smiled even more. When he was in front of her, the unicorn extended her right hoof so the dragon would kiss it. Spike took it and then she jumped with her forelegs and surrounded his neck to hug him tightly.

“I missed you, Spike” She muttered.

Spike was again static without knowing whether return the embrace or not.

“I’m happy to see you too, Chrysalis” He replied.

“By the way, it’s been ninety one years” She said, correcting the dragon.

“Does it matter? You haven’t gotten older at all”

Chrysalis separated slowly from his arms with a smile that was less happy than before.

“That’s what I’d like. Don’t forget this is a fake appearance. Time hasn’t been able to take my soul yet, but it has managed to wither my body”

Her body turned into a familiar lime green fire, revealing the queen’s true form. Spike didn’t really know what to wait and what he saw surprised him more for the better than for the worse. Her figure had hardly changed. She was still that tall and slender creature with thin legs, just like so many years ago. There were only little differences on her skin. If the first time he saw her she looked between late twenties, now she seemed to be the mid-forties.

“I look older, don’t I?” She joked.

“I was going to say mature”

Chrysalis laughed a bit. She was again the unicorn she was before. After all, she didn’t want the waiter to enter at any moment and saw her with her true form.

“My deepest sympathy for the death of your wife, Spike” She said very seriously.

This time Spike lost his smile.

“Thank you so much, but don’t worry about it. She has gone and we had better let her rest in peace. Years have passed. It will do no good for me to keep mourning her death” He replied.

The waiter soon entered the balcony. The old friends took a seat and ordered their dishes.

The food was delicious, but not as much as the conversation. Spike didn’t understand why or how, but it was extremely easy for him to talk with the queen. And he was really enjoying being with her. Spike talked about his political career, changes and effects in Equestria due to its union with Ikaruga and of course: his marriage.

Chrysalis talked about her journeys and the adventures she had been living across almost all the world. From the snowy mountain chains that formed Balthosna, kingdom of griffins and even the deep ocean in the underwater cities of Itacar, kingdom of mermaids. With so many journeys, she had become a writer (among other things) and she had written some very successful novels, though few of them were from the same author.

Everything was so natural and comfortable. Like two old friends enjoying a reunion they had been waiting for years.

“And what brings you back to Equestria?”

“Revenge…” She evilly whispered.

Spike, who was cutting his steak with a knife, stopped short.

“Hahahah! Calm down, Spike. Why would I seek revenge? Or rather against what or who? All the guardians rest in peace now and Ragnarok would burn me before being able to get close to Cadence. Besides, you’ve told me she had a hard time with her ex-husband. Though I think that was best for her. She’s now queen of her own kingdom and has a real man on her bed” She said cynically.

“… What do you mean?” The dragon asked. He was suddenly very interested in the new subject.

“I mean that Shining Armor might be friendly, polite and of course, handsome. He wasn’t a dream couple. He was bossy, despotic, negligent and a complete incompetent when it came to pleasing her partner in bed”

“Wait… Do you mean you and him…?”

“You haven’t thought I fed on his love just with kisses and hugs, have you? But as I said, he was a failure”

“Are you serious?”

“The poor demon had premature ejaculation”

Spike looked at the queen with widened eyes for a moment before laughing out loud, shaking the entire room with his laughter.

“Hahahahahah! Son of a bitch! You broke your wife’s heart, but considering that if she had stayed with you, you would have made her fake orgasms for her next eighty years! Losing you was the best thing that could happen to her!”

Chrysalis simply stared at the dragon astonished at his laughter.

“Oh Holy Izanagi… This is the best thing you’ve told me tonight… Haha! I wonder if Ragna knows about this” He said as he wiped his tears of laughter.

“I’m glad you’re having fun”

“Yes, well… But now be serious. Why did you come back?” He said, regaining his seriousness.

Chrysalis looked away for a moment before looking at the dragon again.

“I was looking forward to seeing… An old friend of mine. And I was hoping he still remembered me” She said with some melancholy.

“How could I forget the one who made my wedding possible?” Spike asked.

“Thank goodness. Well, after spending so much time travelling across the world, I decided it would be good to come back to Equestria and really know its culture, for the weeks I was here, all I did was to conspire and feed on Shining Armor’s love” She explained.

“And where are you going to stay?”

“Here in Ponyville, of course. I'm renting an apartment close to Everfree hills”

“Hahah! When I arrived, that was a no one’s land. Now the entire place is heritage of the nation”

“Many things have changed. So have you. And for the better I must say. Not like me”

“How… I mean, how many years does your species live?” The dragon asked.

He really knew nothing about changelings and was very intrigued about how the queen had apparently aged a couple of decades in the last ninety years.

“We live as much as we can. We don’t have a… Fixed life expectancy. Without magic, we live more or less the same as a pony in good health. But as long as we can feed on feelings, we can live for a very long time. Though besides Haggard, no changeling has lived for more than three hundred years” She explained.

“Then you’ve been feeding on the emotions of the ones who are around you?” He asked slightly alarmed.

“I didn’t steal it or I fooled anyone if it’s what you’re insinuating!” She answered outraged.

“We changelings don’t need to wash anyone’s brain to feed on them. For example, if I’m at a party or at a dance and everyone is dancing and partying, overflowing with love and happiness, there will be enough ‘love in the air’ so I can feed without hurting anyone”

“I… I see. That’s fine. Well… I’m glad you’re fine and have had so many adventures and satisfying experiences. And thank you for preparing all of this, though if I remember well, wasn’t I the one who promised you an appointment if we saw each other again?”

Chrysalis was unable to not blush a little when she heard the question. Did he remember her? Yes, he did!

“Well… Yes, it was you. But I wanted to give you a surprise for my comeback. Though now that I’m living in this city, you’ll be able to make it up to me whenever you want”

“Yes… Absolutely” He said.

They left in separate ways that night, but they met again a few days after. Spike took her to the theater to see ‘The Mormon’s Book’. A highly acclaimed musical that season. Spike and Chrysalis exited the theater while laughing out loud, just like all the audience. She said she had never laughed so much in her life.

The next weeks, Spike introduced ‘Hive’ to his circle of friends. Most of them were descendants of the Guardians of Harmony. And eventually of course, he had to introduce her to the princesses. A situation that made him more nervous than her, but fortunately, nothing bad happened. She got used to the group very well, but especially the dragon’s company. Spike got used to the queen’s company too. So much that he was even starting to forget about the fact Chrysalis had been the leader of the Changelings and she had committed multiple serious crimes against Equestria. So he started to enjoy a lot being with her. He enjoyed it so much that he was actually beginning to worry, so he sought advice about the matter…

Without him even noticing it, it had already been ten months since Chrysalis had come to Ponyville. And in the city, some began to say rumors that there existed something more than friendship between the dragon and the unicorn. Fortunately, Spike hadn’t found out, but Chrysalis had, who had been questioned by a lot of her neighbors and friends about how she had managed to seduce the most coveted dragon in Equestria. She, of course, answered they were only friends. Something that was all true and that is exactly why it hurt her so much. She had struggled to drop hints to him. Some more subtle than others, but so far nothing seemed to give results.

They both had been cultivating their friendship for months. But then it came the night their lives and relation would change forever.

It was the first night of winter Northern Lights in Ponyville. Spike had invited Chrysalis to see the dancing lights in a very special place in his heart. Special just like the changeling was now. They sat on a picnic blanket Spike had brought and waited for the spectacle to begin. As there was no one else around them, she was with her true form. And unless it wasn’t Spike’s imagination, she looked much younger than in previous meetings.

It must be she has been able to feed better thanks to all the love in Equestria air The dragon thought.

“It’s a beautiful place” Chrysalis said.

“I know. People wanted the tourist route of the alpinists to get here, but I diverted the route so no one would come here”

“Any special reason to protect this place?” She asked surprised that the dragon had that much interest in that place.

“When I was a child I used to talk with Celestia here when something bothered or worried me. And this is also where I proposed marriage to Twilight” He said with a lot of nostalgia.

“I see… I would have liked to know her. I know that she would probably have wanted to put me in a dungeon. But I never had any hard feelings to her. She did what she had to, just like me”

Spike looked at her confused for a moment. When he did, she smiled.

“Of course these days, I’m happy it happened like that”

Spike smiled a little, dispelling his fears. At that time the sky lit with the night lights of the aurora.

“There they are” He said.

He lay on his belly with the queen next to her in the same position. Slowly, very, very slowly, she rested her figure to lean on the dragon’s body. Whether he noticed it or not, he offered no resistance or complaints.

Chrysalis closed her eyes, for at that moment she was barely interested in the lights in the sky. She only wanted to enjoy the proximity of her body with the dragon’s and enjoy its warmth. Chrysalis treasured his company. She treasured moments like this that Spike prepared so they would be totally alone. She loved the feeling of fullness and peace the dragon gave her. But she desired more, much more. And she had decided to turn that night into the one when she would get more than a hug and a kiss on her cheek.

She extended her left foreleg and put her hoof on Spike’s right claw. Spike slightly deviated his eyes to the changeling next to him. She was looking down with insecurity in her eyes. After a sigh, she raised her sight to him with a melancholic glance.

“Spike… Let’s stop playing. We both know that the real reason I came back to Equestria was to be with you… Because… Because you’re special to me. More than you think. And if I’m special to you… I beg you to tell me”

‘You’re special to me’ Why had she said that? Why hadn’t she said ‘Because I love you’? Was it so hard to say? Maybe she had said that because saying the other thing would have made her look desperate. Maybe because she herself wasn’t totally sure about her feelings. Maybe because she feared rejection or scaring the dragon. In any case, she patiently waited for his reply.

Spike looked at the queen without saying anything. It was true that Spike had also come to consider the queen as someone special. Even now it didn’t stop surprising him how enjoyable being with her was. She was funny, smart, she had a lot of stories to tell and she was very attractive. Even exotic. She had slowly been becoming a valuable and dear friend. But after several months of spending time together, the dragon began to notice how his perception of the queen had been changing slowly.

Flashback

Distressed, he looked for Celestia to talk with her about the matter. How could it be possible for him to fall in love again only twelve years after the death of his beloved wife?

“What’s bothering you, sweetheart?” Celestia asked very calmly.

“Didn’t Twilight tell you not to be afraid to find love again?”

“Yes. But I never thought I would find it so soon. I feel like just yesterday I was holding Twilight in my arms. And starting a new relationship makes me feel like I was saying she no longer means anything to me” The dragon replied distressed.

“Sweetheart, of course you still care a lot about Twilight. You worrying so much about the possibility to offend or betray her even with all these years is the proof of that. You have a life, Spike and you want to live it. That is the most comprehensive thing in the world. Besides that unicorn Hive is wonderful. I’m surprised you haven’t taken her here so she can see the palace”

“She… She doesn’t like Canterlot. She says it’s all personal reasons”

“Oh, I see. Well, in any case, if you really like her, if she really has become so special to you, then you have nothing to be afraid of. And you know you’ll always have my support in whatever you want to do” The princess said warmly.

Flashback ends

“Spike?” Chrysalis asked, pulling the dragon out of his memory.

He looked in her eyes. The queen dying of anxiety and fear of being rejected. And then something awakened in Spike. A duty, a need, a wish. The duty to protect her. The need to have her by his side. The wish to discover if he could really love her. And if so, love her forever.

“I… Don’t know how special you’re to me, Chrysalis. But now I’m going to find out”

He separated from her a little to have a better angle. He looked at her lovingly and slowly got his face closer to her. When she realized what was happening, Chrysalis’ heart began to pound so hard that it seemed like her shell would break into pieces. She closed her eyes and prepared her lips for what she had expected for years.

Then it finally came. She was kissing her lost prince. Happiness and exhilaration overloaded her body in an instant. Spike had intentions to make it a simple kiss, but the changeling had more interests. With enough strength she managed to put her tongue in the mouth of her new lover and a passionate tongue battle started. Spike was surprised by the gesture, but he offered no resistance. The queen’s tongue was very different from Twilight’s. It was longer, thinner and a little rougher. But in no time he would compare who kissed better. Chrysalis threw her forelegs around the dragon and pulled him closer. She clearly had no intentions to let him go.

They were both in ecstasy. One by the wonder of what seemed to be the reencounter with love and the other one by the wonder of having finally found it. But Spike suddenly felt a little tingling in his head. It was neither painful nor annoying. Just a strange sensation in his head. He also noticed a strange green glow through his eyelids. He decided to open his eyes to see what it was.

His eyes widened when he saw it was the queen’s horn, apparently sucking more green aura from his body. Spike immediately broke the kiss and pushed the queen, almost making her hit the ground.

“What does this mean?!” He demanded, cleaning his mouth after.

Chrysalis, confused by the shock, looked at the dragon, seeing his anger and then she noticed how her horn was glowing. She covered it with both her hooves, extinguishing the glow.

“It’s… It’s not what it looks like! I can explain it!” She screamed full of panic.

“Were you feeding directly on me? Was that your plan from the beginning?! Seducing me and feeding on me to conquer Equestria, like you did with Shining?!”

“No, it’s not that at all! I swear!” She continued begging.

“How could I be so stupid?! How did I think you could be my new love?! How could I be so stupid to not realize it was just a trick?!”

“Spike, I beg you! Please, listen to me for a moment!”

“Give me a reason why I shouldn’t take your ass to the authorities right now!”

“’Friends offer each other the benefit of doubt’ Wasn’t that what your wife wrote in one of her books?” She yelled with desperation.

She was crying. She was crying buckets of sadness. She was crying afraid to have spoiled the chance to find the love of her life. Spike managed to see in her sadness. And in the truth she had said. Friends don’t jump to conclusions so hastily, no matter how bad things look. So he decided to give her a chance because he really considered her his friend. And he really wished them both to be something more.

“You had better say something good… Talk”

Chrysalis sighed deeply, relieved by her new chance.

“What happened a moment ago… It’s true. I was feeding on your love, but it wasn’t with bad intentions! For my species, feeding on other’s love is a reflex when sharing intimate contact. It's in our nature”

“It’s also part of the nature of female praying mantis to eat the head of their mates when they stop mating” Spike replied.

“I know it looks bad. Just give me a moment, please…”

Chrysalis sighed deeply and turned around for a moment before looking at the dragon again.

“Despite what you may think at this moment, I’ve been totally honest with you about all I’ve said and done since the day we met again. I’ve only told you the truth… But… I haven’t told you all of it”

“…And what haven’t you told me?” The dragon asked, still distrusting the queen.

“I didn’t tell you… I had several mates during my trips around the world. The first one of them lived in the desert of Ereclos. He was a very gentle sphinx. I didn’t love him very much, but I was sure that if I gave him a chance, what I felt for him could actually become love. But so there could actually be love, I’d have to show him who I really was because I wanted him to love me and not my character. And neither did I want my relationship to be based on a lie… When he saw the real me, he no longer wanted to know anything more about me. Then I went to Feraled where… I fell in love with a lycanthrope who was the chief of the police department of the city he lived in. But when I revealed my true identity… He got very mad! He accused me of trying to seduce him in order to wash his brain. I had to escape the city because all the police force was looking for me with the command of ‘dead or alive’”

Chrysalis stopped her story to wipe her tears.

“He had told me he loved me… And he tried to kill me” She muttered, shedding other few tears.

“Some time later, when I settled in Kokiri, I knew a fairy. He was a priest. Not that kind of priest, obviously… He accepted me… Can you believe it? At the beginning at least. We said we would find a way to carry on. But at the end my origins were more important than his promises and ended up telling me our love wouldn’t work…”

She looked down as she wiped more tears. Spike was looking at her. His anger and suspicions were totally forgotten.

“I had had my heart broken three times. And why? Because I tried to be sincere. Because I didn’t want to have a relationship based on a lie. Because I really wanted to love! But it was useless. Because all the times I revealed who I was, all the others saw was a monster… It was then that I remembered it. I remembered that dragon who gave me his forgiveness and offered me his friendship, even when that same day he tried to kill me and had all the right to do it. The only one who had told me he preferred my real appearance to any other shape I could take”

She raised her head to meet the dragon’s.

“The time we shared was very brief, Spike. But that day in the jungle… Your wedding day… It was the first time I felt the warmth of friendship from another living being besides my parents and my friends when I was a child. And the first time I felt the affection of a male one. I realized that if there was someone in this world who could love me for who I am… It was you”

“Chrysalis…”

“But you were married and I knew there was no way to pull out of your marriage, not that I wanted to. After all I had seen how your love for her was an incalculable force. Then one day I heard she had died… But I couldn’t simply come and claim your love… So I decided to seek love elsewhere but it was no use. I’ve waited for all this time because I was afraid you thought I was an opportunistic and unfeeling rat who was trying to take advantage of you. I swear this is all true. As for the matter about my horn a moment ago, that’s what all changeling couples do. Instead of feeding on other creatures’ love, they do it simultaneously with their mates. Maybe that doesn’t make much sense, but it works and the couples who truly love each other live long and healthy lives”

“And why did you feed just like that?”

“It wasn’t my intention. I thought about explaining all of this to you before… I had waited for a kiss for so long and the happiness and the pleasure were so big that I let my instincts take over me. I’m really sorry. Just… Forgive me, please”

Spike simply looked at her in silence while she was trembling in fear of being rejected. After what seemed an eternity, Spike looked up to the sky where the auroras were still dancing.

“I’ve heard enough” He interrupted her.

He got closer to the queen with an indecipherable expression. She was waiting for his answer, ready for her heart to be broken into pieces. Spike got even closer and without warning, he wrapped her with his arms.

“I forgive you, Chrysalis. I forgive you because… Because I’m in love with you” He whispered to her ear.

Chrysalis felt how her heart was thrown to the sky and raise higher than the auroras. She hugged the dragon desperately and rubbed her face against his chest and his neck.

“YES, YES, YES! I love you! I love you with all my force!” She shouted with joy, managing to make the dragon lose his balance and throw him to the floor, making him laugh.

“Hahah! My goodness, Chrysalis. Calm down, you look like a child”

“A 127 year old child who has just received the present she has been waiting for almost two decades!” She replied.

“Are you 127 years old?” The dragon asked confused.

The question managed to stop the queen’s euphoria.

“Yeh… yes. Do you have any problem with that?”

“Not at all. It’s not even noticed” He said, rubbing his cheek with his right claw.

He got his face closer to hers, but before their lips made contact, he kissed her on her cheek. Then on the base of her jaw and down her neck, giving small exhalations of his warm breath. Chrysalis sighed surprised, knowing where those caresses were going.

“Spike… Spike, wait” She said, separating his face from her body.

“What’s wrong?” He asked confused.

“I want this with every fiber of my being. But I’d prefer our first time to be in a… More private place. Do you understand?” She uncomfortably said, being afraid of upsetting her new mate.

He only smiled.

“I understand you perfectly. Besides it’s cold out here. Your house or mine?” He proposed.

“Yours is closer and I bet your bed is bigger” She answered.

A flash of green fire and then they both appeared on Spike’s bed.

“Wow. I didn’t know you could do that”

“We have more than enough time so I can show you what I can do” He said, pulling him closer to her to kiss him passionately…

Never in her life had she felt happier. Never in her life had she thought she could be so happy. She had found it. She had found happiness, fullness and especially, love. True love that had been given to her and just her. And thanks to all the love she had absorbed, all her time scars had been healed, leaving the beautiful young Spike had seen almost one hundred years ago in the royal wedding.

“I love you…” She muttered, cradled in the dragon’s arms.

“I love you too” He replied, much more tired than her.

“That was divine”

“Yes… Though I have never felt so tired after doing it”

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist it”

“Are me and my love so tasty?” He joked.

“Exquisite. And in industrial quantities. In fact, despite being so tired, I feel more powerful than ever. I feel like I could conquer Equestria by myself right now” She said with an evil grin that made the dragon’s blood freeze.

Seeing his reaction, the queen laughed out loud.

“Hahahah! Your face is priceless… Please, Spike. Why would I conquer Equestria, now that I have you?” She said, kissing him on his cheek.

“I’m going to have to get used to that kind of jokes, I guess”

“No doubt. But before that, there’s something I must do” She muttered, standing up with her hooves on his chest.

“What’s happening?”

“Shhh… Just watch. This is the secret ritual of my species”

Suddenly, Chrysalis’ horn glowed, but it wasn’t her typical green aura. This was a blue aura, much brighter and pure than he was used to seeing. Chrysalis looked at his eyes and got her face closer to his, pointing him with her horn.

“Don’t worry. This won’t hurt you… I think” She said at the time the tip of her horn made contact with his forehead.

Spike felt a strange sensation in his head that then became pleasant. Like a kind of massage. Then he heard a strong shine that forced Spike to close his eyes, accompanied by a feeling of warmth. Before he could open his eyes, he felt his lover’s lips claim his.

“It is done” She said when their lips separated.

“What was that, Chrysalis?”

“The Ritual of Vital Commitment” She said, leaning again on his figure.

“Vital?” He asked even more confused.

“Changeling marriages are much more… Complicated than most species’. When two changelings want to marry, it’s more than an emotional or legal agreement. It’s a life agreement. When they make The Ritual of Vital Commitment, the couple significantly increases their ease to absorb and feed on their mate’s love, paradoxically causing the other one almost no wear. But at the same time they lose the ability to feed on feeling from any other living being. Their mate become their source of magic and thus, life”

“And you’ve just done that with me?” He asked surprised.

“Exactly”

“But… I’m not a changeling”

“That means the only one who can benefit or suffer by this agreement will be me” She replied calmly.

Spike looked at her surprised by her confidence and thought for a while.

“What will happen to you if… I mean, what happens to changelings when they stop loving each other?”

Chrysalis' expression turned a little more serious.

“When I said the marriages of my species were complicated, I was being serious. The mate must be chosen very carefully because if they lose their love, they won’t lose their pact. When love is lost, the couple must feed on what remains. Jealousy, resentment, hatred… That or they can break up, but when they do it, they must understand they will no longer be able to feed on anyone else’s feelings. No more magic. And without magic, we’re so fragile against time like anypony. It’s like invite death to our house. That’s why Haggard never did it and changed wives all the time. It was his way to mock his people and boast the freedom he had” She explained.

“But Chrysalis, are you sure you want something like that with me?” He asked very dismayed.

“What worries you, honey? As I said, the only one who can be hurt is me”

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about!”

“Why? Didn’t you promise me a while ago to love me forever?” She asked anguished.

“You’re not taking this seriously!” He shouted.

“Of course I am!” She replied.

“Do you know what I’m giving you, Spike? Or do you think I don’t understand? When a changeling says ‘I give you my life’, it’s not a metaphor. I understand very well what I’ve just done. I understand I will now have to live from you. And that doesn’t bother me. Do you know why? Because after all, I started living the day we knew each other… Though it sounds very cheesy or stupid”

Spike looked at his mate surprised by that last assertion.

“My life has belonged to you all these years, Spike. And now I’m giving it to you formally. Please… Take care of me. And if you don’t want to, do what you want to me. Because I’m yours. Completely and eternally yours” She whispered seductively, kissing him on his cheek.

Spike sighed with resignation.

“You’re going to make me crazy, you know?”

“I assure you that if you go crazy because of me, it will be just in love”

Spike laughed at the queen’s comment. He was no longer able to distinguish whether it was a joke, irony or sarcasm. He didn’t understand his luck either. No… Luck had had nothing to do. Who had guided him to that unforgettable night? Love, of course. That powerful magic that unites the most distant ones. Yes, a really incredible force. An unpredictable power.

But he had no strength to philosophize about the matter or anything else. He was very tired.

“Besides, the spell will make you not get so tired the next time we make love” She muttered, noticing how the dragon was falling asleep.

“I will like that… Good night, Chrysalis… My angel of a thousand faces…” He whispered, falling asleep with the queen in his arms.

“Good night, Spike. My prince in purple armor” She said happily, giving him a kiss on his cheek.

Spike soon fell asleep, leaving Chrysalis watching his sleep.

“Successful, wealthy, powerful, he doesn’t snore… I can’t believe he was still single after so many years” She laughed ironically.

She looked out the window of the bedroom balcony. She slipped out of the dragon’s embrace. She opened the door slowly and went downstairs, stopping in front of the fireplace. Above the niche of the fireplace, there was a painting made by Spike. On it, it could be seen Twilight in all her glory with her ceremonial uniform as Master Sorceress of Equestria. Chrysalis looked at the picture for a moment before smiling and making a little reverence.

“You know what, Sparkle? For a long time you became the living being I hated the most after haggard. I used to dream about the day I would take revenge on you and all your loved ones. But after knowing Spike and after he made me realize my world hadn’t ended, I stopped having hard feelings for you… I never admitted it before, but I even ended up being grateful for what you had done that fateful day you prevented me from conquering Canterlot. Because though it was indirectly, it was thanks to you I could make all my dreams come true. And thanks to you, my greatest dream has finally been fulfilled… Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. Thank you so much. If it wasn’t for you, I would never have known him”

Chrysalis felt rather silly talking to a painting, but at the same time it felt like the most correct thing in the world.

“I know you must be watching all of this from Jerusalem. Don’t worry about Spike. I will take care of him so he won’t be alone or sad anymore. And though I don’t know if I’ll be able to make him as happy as you did, I assure you I’ll do my best because… Because I love him”

She gave the painting another reverence and came back to the bedroom of her beloved dragon, who was sleeping peacefully. Chrysalis climbed into the bed and after giving him a kiss on his cheek, she leaned her figure next to his and let herself be wrapped by a deep and beautiful dream.

Five months later

Chrysalis was going to Spike’s house, eager to be with her beloved and be able to enjoy the delicious dinner he had promised her for their appointment. Besides of course, the passionate night that would be after the banquet. But when she arrived at the mayor’s house, he wasn’t the one who opened the door, but the goddess of the sun, Princess Celestia. When she saw the ruler of Equestria, Chrysalis’ blood froze completely.

“Good night, Chrysalis. Spike was right. You are very punctual. Come in, please. We have a lot to talk” She said politely.

“P… princess? How did you…? Where is…?”

“Calm down, Chrysalis. I have no bad intentions and you have nothing to be afraid of. Come to the table. You surely don’t want the delicious food Spike prepared for our reunion to get cold”

Chrysalis eventually found herself sitting in the dining room table, which was decorated with several dishes.

“Actually I was surprised a bit when Spike told me you ate meat. But I suppose it was obvious. After all, for some reason you have fangs” Celestia said, as she served herself on his plate a little of everything vegetarian.

“Princess… Why are you here?” Chrysalis asked without even knowing where to start.

“To speak about your relationship with Spike, of course. If you wonder when I knew it, it was this morning actually. He told me”

“And… What else did he tell you?”

“Everything. Well, he didn’t exactly say it to me. I looked into his memories and I checked if he was under the influence of one of your spells like you did with Shining Armor” She used an accusative tone for the last sentence.

“If you think my relationship with him is an elaborated plan to conquer Equestria, I assure you that you have nothing to be afraid of. My feelings for him are all true” The changeling replied without hesitating.

“Yes, I know. And now I also know that despite what seemed to us back then, you had… Strong reasons to attack Canterlot. And I know you suffered a lot before and after that” She said with empathy.

“All of that is in the past. I’ve left the changelings. Now I belong to Spike” She answered very seriously.

“… Has Spike told you he doesn’t like you to think you belong to him?”

“Many times, actually. But I like feeling I’m all his” She joked.

“Well, I guess that’s a matter of cultures. Then, the reason for my visit is not to talk about the past. What happened in Canterlot was almost one hundred years ago. I have no hard feelings for you and I know nor does my sister. After all, you would have done a great favor to Cadence if you had stopped the wedding. What I want is for you to tell me your version of the present so I can help you both with your future”

“Then… Are you okay with me and Spike being a couple?”

“I’m not actually totally convinced about this, but, after Luna, Spike is my most beloved one. And it’s true I haven’t seen him so happy since he was with Twilight. So I would never try to take his new happiness from him”

Celestia’s cheerful expression suddenly turned cold in an instant. Even maleficent.

“But I warn you, Chrysalis. If you hurt Spike. If you hurt a single pony or dragon who lives in this kingdom, or if you give me reasons to think you plan something against Spike or Equestria, I’ll give you the honor of being the first changeling to walk on the sun. Have I spoken clearly?”

To be sincere, besides her lover, Chrysalis considered unlikely to be able to fear someone. With all the love she had absorbed, she felt as powerful as the same Ancients. A threat of a mere goddess seemed so insignificant to her now. But of course, she wasn’t so imprudent or so proud to mock or ignore a princess’ threat.

“I swear you have nothing to worry about” She replied solemnly.

“That’s what I hope. Then, why don’t we start? How was exactly your selection process? What did him that convinced you he would be your true love?” The princess asked, crossing her forelegs.

“Didn’t you just say you saw it all in Spike’s memories?”

“Yes, but I only saw things from his perspective. I want to know yours”

Chrysalis closed her eyes for a moment, remembering that day she knew the dragon in the jungle.

“He… Saved my life. He gave me his forgiveness. He put me safe while he was fighting a group of wargs… He did all of that for me, even when I was a fugitive criminal with a long list of crimes against his kingdom, his princesses and her friends… That day he… Showed me the joy of living”

“Tell me more, please” Celestia said.

Seven years later

A dragon was on his bed sleeping peacefully on his back with his changeling wife doing the same next to him. Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door and moments later, it opened, letting in three small creatures.

“Daddy, mommy!”

“Mommy, mommy!”

“Daddy, daddy!”

The three infants entered while screaming, abruptly waking up their parents, who took a while to realize what was happening.

“Children, calm down! Don’t yell so loud. You’re going to wake up all the neighbors. What are you doing now awake? It’s…”

“Two o’clock” His wife replied, who was watching the alarm clock next to the bed.

“Thank you, honey. Well, what’s wrong, children?”

“Ariadne has had a nightmare!” One of the girls said.

She was a changeling with scaly skin, wings and dragon eyes. Her superior scales were yellow and the ones on her belly were orange. She had magenta eyes, which they looked very similar to Celestia’s.

“I went to Morgana’s bedroom to not be alone, but she ended up getting afraid too. And then we went together to Sephiroth’s bedroom, but he got afraid too” Ariadne explained.

She had the same physical features than her sister’s, except for the colors. She had pink scales, pastel blue belly and green eyes.

“I wasn’t afraid! I told them to come with daddy and mommy so they would shut up” The boy complained, though he was clearly afraid.

He had white scales, grey belly and aquamarine blue eyes.

“Ok, ok. Don’t cry, my loves. Come with your mommy” Chrysalis said lovingly, attracting her children to her with her magic and wrapping them with her long forelegs to kiss each on their forehead.

Spike simply laughed at the scene. Maybe because after all she was his loving wife, but Chrysalis was the best mother he had ever known. Changelings usually lay between six and ten eggs, though most times only half survive. Chrysalis had only laid three and all of them had hatched, bringing to the world her beloved children. The first hybrids between dragon and changeling in the world.

“Can we sleep here with you?” Morgana asked.

“Yes, of course. But we should sleep now” Spike said while yawning.

“No! I’m not tired. Let’s play a game” Sephiroth said.

“No, son. It’s too late”

“Tell us a story” Ariadne said.

“A story!” The triplets shouted.

Spike sighed, knowing he had no escape.

“Alright, alright. What story do you want?”

“Tell us when Twilight grandma and her friends defeated Discord” Ariadne said.

Spike immediately looked at her wife, who didn’t seem very convinced.

“Dears, your father has told you that story thousands of times” Chrysalis tried to persuade them.

“But we like it”

“Very well, if you want it so much, go on, honey. Tell them how Twilight and her friends defeated Discord” She approved with apathy.

“All right. Well children, a long time ago, before you were even born or your mother and I met, the days that Cannan, our city, was known as Ponyville… There lived a sorcerer's apprentice unicorn. Her name was Twilight…”

The three children, who weren’t more than five years old, had fallen asleep when Spike had only told them one third of the story. Spike volunteered to take them back to their beds. A labor he returned from soon, finding his wife turning her back on him next to him on the bed.

“Why don’t you like that story?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it. I don’t like the face you make when you remember her” She answered defensively.

“I’ve told you a thousand times you don’t have to compare yourself to her. I still love her so much and I love you too. But I have never spent a moment to compare you both in any way, especially not about ‘who I love more’ or ‘who managed to make me happier’. You don’t have to compare yourself to her” He said softly, stroking her shoulder.

“I don’t compare myself to her. It’s just that… It bothers me to know I’m not the only one who occupies a so special place in your heart. I'd rather not share it with anyone. That’s all” She answered without looking at him.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing. I simply don’t like it. That’s all. Call it a whim or whatever you want to call it” She answered somewhat cranky.

“Well… You may have to share my heart and my brain, but the rest of my body is just yours” He said mischievously.

“I like how that sounds” She said, throwing her forelegs around his neck to kiss him.

She quickly managed to push him against the bed, positioning above him.

“Now?”

“You made the invitation. Now take responsibility for the consequences” She said, almost like an order.

“Yes, my angel”

And just like that, Spike began to make love to his wife.

Love. That strange and fascinating magic that made him love at unsuspected levels the same unicorn who had given life to him. That force that fixed the broken heart of a desperate queen, uniting her with an unexpected lover who managed to make her happier than ever. That power that guided a sad and lonely soul to find the joy of living and give herself in body and soul to her savior, who ironically had tried to kill her.

That magic able to unite the most distant souls and help them find redemption, comfort and consolation. But especially, happiness. Yes, love was magic. A wise and unpredictable magic.

“Yes, love is truly unpredictable” Spike muttered while he was stroking the mane of his loving and satisfied wife, who was leaning on his chest.

“Say it again” Chrysalis said.

“Love is truly unpredictable”

“Poetry” She whispered, falling asleep.

Spike kissed her on the base of her horn and got ready to accompany her to the world of dreams.

Author's Notes:

I personally think this is the best Spilight fic ever written. Please, people, post your comments.