Spike opened the large double doors of the Everfree House, the scent of fresh pine and jasmine invading his nostrils the moment he stepped inside. He coughed a few times and attempted to clear his throat, eventually settling down enough to catch his breath. He closed his eyes and wiped away a few tears that had formed from his unplanned coughing fit.

“Looks like I’ll have to tell Blur that she put too much of that extract in her incense candles again,” said a feminine voice. Spike cracked open an eye and met the gaze of a young unicorn mare, probably only a few years older than he was. She had soft, teal eyes, a coat of gray, and a long two-tone mane of white and blue.

Spike chuckled. “Heh, I guess I just wasn’t expecting it. Incense and I have never got along too well. Dragons have strong noses...”

She gave a nod of agreement. “I’ve gotten used to it myself, but I was the same way for the longest time.”

The two shared a quiet laugh as Spike and the mare made their way through the lobby room. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve had the chance of meeting each other yet.”

“Sure we have,” the mare replied.

Spike quirked an eyebrow. “Really?”

She just laughed.

Spike chuckled, his cheeks turning the faintest pink. “Oh wow, now I’m embarrassed. I’m usually pretty good with faces… um… what’s your name?”

The pony moved a bit to show her cutie mark. It was a deep blue heart with an arrow piercing through it. “Well, my clients all know me as Lovestruck, but...”

Spike was momentarily blinded by a burst of green flame. When he opened his eyes, he was greeted by a familiar face.

A smile parted his lips. “Wisp?”

“Aw, you did remember me.” She closed the distance between them, flitted her wings so she was eye level with him, and gave him a quick nuzzle. As she pulled back, her smile fell a little. “Sorry, I tend to forget that non-changelings can’t sense when a changeling’s in disguise.” She was engulfed in flames once more, taking on the form of Lovestruck again. “Lovestruck is the name of the persona I made for myself years back when I wanted to be in disguise for an extended period of time.” She winked at him and flicked her mane a little. “She’s a total flirt.”

“Wonder where she got it from,” Spike said with a laugh.

‘Lovestruck’ pouted. “Aww, Spike, don’t be so mean. I can’t change who I am… well, actually, I could, but you know what I mean.” She turned around and slowly, with deliberate sway in her hips, made her way down the hall. “Colea told me to come and wait for you. She wants you to head down to the cafeteria where everyone else is meeting.” Her tail flagged from side to side, just enough to hold Spike’s attention as they walked.

“Right… cafeteria...” Spike replied distractedly.

Wisp turned around quickly, catching him staring. She smirked as he averted his gaze, and let out an amused laugh as he became interested in a random landscape painting hanging on the wall beside him.

She giggled as he mumbled an apology. “I’m going to like having you around, Spike.”

“Um… thanks,” he murmured, cheeks now beet red with embarrassment.

The two made their way down the hall, passing by the kitchen and some of the suites. They made their way through another set of double doors and entered a large, open room with several tables set up. Spike looked to the far corner, noticing a large group sitting there. The group probably consisted of close to sixty individuals, he thought as he sized up its members. Most of them were changelings, but he spotted a few ponies, a tom-griffon, two donkeys, and a diamond dog amongst the crowd as well.

Wisp reverted to her natural form and made her way towards the group. Much to Spike’s embarrassment, the group had turned its attention to him as soon as he had walked through the door. While most of them seemed curious more than anything, a few amongst the group gave him worried looks. Silence followed as he attempted to give them a winning smile.

“Um… hello…?” Spike said, waving a hand to the group.

“Ah, Spike, good to see you.”

Spike looked down to see Colea walking towards him. She had a welcoming smile on her face and a mug of coffee floating beside her in a green magical aura. “Help yourself to some coffee if you want. There’s a few things on the table over there if you’re hungry at all.”

Spike shook his head. “No, thanks, Colea. I already ate this morning. Thanks for the offer, though.”

Colea nodded, and turned her attention to the group. “Everyone, this is our newest member of the family: Spike of Ponyville. He’s going to be in charge of most of our security around here, so do your best to help him feel welcome.”

There were a few clops of hooves and claps of paws as Spike gave another small wave.

“You’re from Ponyville? I think I’ve heard of you,” said the diamond dog, who, to Spike’s surprise, was female. She was probably the first female diamond dog he had ever seen if his memory served him correctly.

Her fur was a golden color, and her slitted pupil eyes were a vibrant green. She wore a buttoned up vest of dark red and black. The fur on the top of her head was long enough that she had apparently done it up in a ponytail, which ran down just past her shoulder blades.

He blinked a few times as she continued to study him. “Uh, really?”

“Mmhm, you helped save a pony from my cousin’s pack a few years ago,” she answered. “Made them lose a lot of gems, too...”

Spike wasn’t sure if she was upset or not; gauging a diamond dog’s emotions by voice alone was hard, considering they always sounded like they were growling.

Finally, his memories caught up to him. He recalled that day from quite a few years back. He had been helping Rarity dig up gems. It had ended with Rarity somehow talking the diamond dogs into handing over a generous amount of gemstones from their mine. To this day he never got an explanation on how she managed that. “Oh, y-yeah, I remember that. Um… listen I—”

“You did a good thing back then, helping Rover get his head out of his ass,” The canine continued with a toothy grin. “He always had some twisted idea that his pack could do whatever it pleased because of the huge gem mine they had.”

“Spike, this is Roxie,” Colea said with a nod to the canine. “She’s our head bartender. You two will be working closely together most nights. Roxie’s been with us ever since we opened up. If you have any questions when I’m not around, she’s probably your best bet for getting the right answers.”

Spike relaxed and gave the diamond dog a smile. “Good to meet you, Roxie.”

Roxie just nodded and gave a grunt of acknowledgement.

“Now that we got introductions out of the way for now, let’s get down to business.” She turned to a changeling. “Fade, anything new for us?”

The changeling—also female—had a sleek figure, and long wings, longer than the length of her body. Her dorsal frill was a bright aquamarine color, and ran down past her neckline and tapered off around her shoulder blades. Her eyes also seemed a bit larger than those belonging to any of the other changelings he had met so far.

“Well, as most of you know, the Grand Galloping Gala is coming up in about a month. Miss Rarity is just about done with Blur’s dress, and she’ll be finished with yours, Colea, in about another week. That’s her best guess, at least. She’s been really busy with orders, but she says she will get them done on time.” Fade tapped her chin in thought, then added. “Oh, yeah, she would like it if you both could stop over at the boutique and give her your thoughts on them before she does the finishing touches.”

“As expected of Rarity,” Colea said with a smile. “She’s nothing if not passionate about her work.”

“Understatement of the year,” Spike laughed. “Her client-base isn’t growing by the day for no reason.”

“Very true,” Colea agreed before continuing. “Now… I’m sure most of you have heard about our incident with a returning problematic ‘client’, Sweet Tea.” Colea’s tone had become serious, her smile gone now. “While the situation was resolved without much trouble, I just want to remind all of you working the suites that you are, under no obligation, required to do everything that your client tells you to do.” She waved a hoof. “Obviously a little role play, bondage, or dirty talk is expected on occasion—depending on the client—but if you are at all uncomfortable with the situation, or feel you are in danger, do not hesitate to inform the client, or more importantly, us.”

“About Sweet Tea,” piped up a changeling, male this time.

“Yes, Raxis?”

“We aren’t going to allow him back again, are we?” Raxis asked.

“No, and I’ll be adding him to our blacklist. If any of you spot him on our property, or anyone else on the blacklist, inform me, Spike, or anyone else nearby as soon as possible.”

Spike noticed many in the group briefly turn to look at him, likely sizing him up and making their own judgements on his abilities working security.

“So, are there any further questions?” Colea waited for a few moments, and after satisfied with the lack of questions, continued on. “Alright, last item on the agenda: relations with Ponyville.” Her tone brightened up noticeably. “I’m happy to report that, while we’re avoiding any major advertising or fundraising due to the nature of our main business, Aloe and Lotus have given us a generous donation of their scented and massage oils, and are considering giving our employees a small discount if they visit.”

There were murmurs of approval among the group mixed with surprised comments.

“As such,” Colea continued. “I’d suggest that we, in turn, give the spa sisters a discount on any services they request from us, including any purchases from our tea and coffee shop.”

“You have a tea and coffee shop?” Spike asked.

“And an adult novelty shop,” added a voice in the crowd that sounded like Wisp’s.

“I… see...” Spike murmured to himself, shaking his head and letting out a soft chuckle.

Colea turned her attention to Spike. “Yes, we have a tea and coffee shop. Blur and Ebon grow a small variety of tea plants in our garden behind the manor, and we harvest seasonal teas from the Everfree Forest when possible. Coffee beans are imported from a supplier I’m friends with in the Capricorn Tropics archipelago. It’s a bit expensive, though, so we don’t buy more than a crate or two every few months. It’s some of the best coffee you’ll find on this side of the Serpent Ocean, though. I guarantee it. We’ve had orders for our coffee from places like Canterlot and Manehattan. We’ve even had an order from the Crystal Empire on occasion.”

“Wow...” Spike was still trying to take in all the information he was receiving. To think that a group of changelings could be doing so well for themselves...

Colea had resumed talking to the group once more. “Aside from Ponyville’s day spa, though, we don’t have much for sponsorship or support. This is understandable, of course, but I’m thinking we need to push our alternative services more. Any suggestions?”

Spike noticed a hoof slowly raise up in the back, which was connected to a rather meek-looking Blur.

“Yes, Blur?”

“Um… I believe that… by making ourselves more public that we might make a better imaging for our community. Th-that is what I believe, at least.”

Colea grinned. “That’s not a bad idea, actually. Maybe we just need to involve ourselves more with the local populace. There’s tons of festivals we could get involved with, after all.” She lifted up a checklist with her magic, and made a note. “Anything else?”

There was a general shaking of heads from the group. She didn’t seem disheartened by this, however, instead just nodded and smiled. “Right. Well, we have a half hour before we’re open for business. Get something to eat from the table if you haven’t already, otherwise, you’re all dismissed.” She paused for a moment before her eyes lit up. “Oh, Double Take and Cobbler, you’re both on for making the main course for dinner tonight.”

Spike quirked an eyebrow at the mentioning of the second name. He followed the gaze of a few in the group, and his eyes rested on a blond-maned mare with a coat somewhere between orange and brown. The gears in his mind began turning, and his eyes lit up in recognition.

Isn’t she related to Applejack?

“Seriously? Again?” sighed a changeling who bore similar traits to that of Fade, though she had vibrant green wings and eyes unlike most of the others in the room.

“Double, you did it to yourself when you signed up for kitchen-duty this month,” said Cobbler matter of factly. A small smile worked across her lips as she added. “Besides, everyone here knows you’re our best cook.”

Double Take grumbled something unintelligible to the mare. Cobbler smirked and gave Double Take a light nudge with a hoof, then she whispered something to her that made the changeling smile.

“Alright, that wraps up the meeting for today. I’ll be with Spike here if anyone needs to speak to me.”

As the group dispersed, Colea made her way towards Spike. “I hope you aren’t overwhelmed. You’ll get to know everyone real quick, I promise.” She took a swig of her coffee before continuing. “So, any questions from you in particular?”

“I didn’t expect anyone but changelings here, to be honest.”

That got a chuckle from Colea. “Yeah, you’re not the first to say that. Roxie was actually our first non-changeling employee, but about three months after we were officially open, we started getting pony applicants along with changelings.” She smirked as Spike nodded. “Like I said, you’ll get the chance to meet everyone in due time. We’re a close knit group here, despite our size. Heck, a few of our employees here are in a relationship or married to each other.”

“Seriously? Isn’t that… going against some rules on fraternization or something?” Spike asked carefully. “I mean, I don’t have any problem with it, but…”

The changeling waved a hoof dismissively. “Equestrian companies and services might look down on it, but I say that as long as it doesn’t hinder their ability to work and keep the atmosphere friendly and welcoming here, go for it. Besides, it helps us changelings, since we thrive on love.”

“Good point,” Spike agreed. “So… what’s on the agenda?”

“Follow me,” Colea replied, turning towards the exit doors. “I’m going to show you the main areas you’ll be patrolling.”

Spike followed Colea as she exited the cafeteria, taking a sharp left and walking down a flight of stairs.

Spike was surprised when she paused at a door and held out a hoof in front of him. “We’re going to be entering the Everfree Bar. I’m only going to warn you once: this bar is Roxie’s turf. I’m in charge of the building, but Roxie is like my business partner. What happens down here is her call, so as long as it doesn’t violate any rules set by the Everfree House itself.” Her tone was stern yet unaggressive. “You seem like a smart guy, so I’m sure you’ll figure it all out. Just remember, if you have any questions about something down there, talk to Roxie.” She smiled as she finished. “She may look intimidating, but she’s a really nice dog once you get to know her.”

Spike frowned. “Have you had lots of problems down here?”

Colea waved her right hoof a little. “Well… yes and no. We’re technically not a part of Equestria, but the Everfree Forest, so…”

The drake nodded. “Yeah, what is the deal with that, anyway?”

“Heh, I suppose I should clarify that for you, shouldn’t I?” Colea took in a breath. “Several hundred years ago, back when Canterlot had just been built, Celestia declared that the Everfree Forest was not under Equestrian law. Seeing as Equestria encompasses the entire forest, that essentially made it landlocked bit of land that was free from governmental rule.”

“Oh, that must have gone well for Celestia,” Spike said with a snort.

Colea laughed. “Hardly. Fugitives would hide out in the woods, and Poison Joke nectar refining increased, and there was a huge spike in the black market for several centuries.”

“Really?” Spike frowned. “What happened?”

“About two hundred years ago, Celestia made an amendment to her decree and stated that Equestria still had responsibility in maintaining the well-being of the forest, and that Equestria was entitled to the task of removing any elements from it that were believed to be a threat to the country’s overall safety.” Colea gave a shrug. “Suffice to say, crime rates dropped shortly after and the Everfree Forest remained ever-free.”

“Yet Equestria still has some form of control over the forest,” Spike grumbled.

Colea smiled. “Not necessarily. So as long as we don’t declare war on Equestria or try to burn down the woods or attack the wildlife, we’re fine. In fact, we can ask for assistance in matters from Equestria’s law enforcement, should we feel that our establishment is in danger of becoming a target of aggressive acts. That or when we have some problematic customers.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Still sounds like Canterlot has a hold over the place.”

“Not a fan of the Royal Family?” Colea ventured.

“I… have my reservations about them. Luna and Cadance are alright, though.”

Colea held up a hoof and nodded. “I won’t pry. I would be lying if I said that Luna and Cadance don’t hold some degree of popularity among Equestria’s changeling population. Though, that may be my biased opinion and not actual fact.” She turned towards the doors and opened them. “Come on, we got a lot of ground to cover.”

The sound of slow, smoky jazz music coming from a nearby phonograph filled the air as the two walked through the doors. The lighting was dim, but not so dark that Spike had to strain his eyes to see. He scanned the spacious room, eyes falling immediately upon the bar counter, which covered the whole wall to his right. On the opposite side of the bar room was a small stage, big enough for a typical band to fit in with a little room to spare. There were small tables and chairs between either side of the room, a single aisle cutting through to create a path from one end of the room to the other.

“We’re getting a billiard table next week from a friend of mine in Chicacolt, and depending on how things go with that, we might buy a second one. We’ll be throwing them in the corners over there.” Colea nodded to an empty space near the bar counter. “There’s more than enough room down here, even for a guy your size.”

Spike whistled in admiration of the room. “Nice job here. Whoever you contracted to build this place pulled out all the stops.”

“Oh, we didn’t have a contractor work on this. We built this place ourselves.” The hint of pride in Colea’s voice didn’t go unnoticed by Spike.

Spike grinned. “I’ve heard rumors about changeling architecture. They say the Blackstone Palace in Hive City is older than the Shaedrohurn Ruins, and those ruins are already several thousand years old.”

Colea chuckled quietly. “Well, some of those rumors are a bit of a stretch. The current Blackstone Palace is about two thousand years old. It was rebuilt after the last major battle between the dragons and changelings occurred.” She headed towards the bar as she continued. “The original Blackstone Palace was built before Equestria was founded. Estimates put the old palace’s age somewhere around three to six thousand years ago.”

“Still impressive,” Spike added. “You don’t find architecture like that anymore.”

“Well, as much as I appreciate your respect for our species’ building skills, this isn’t exactly a palace. Just a good, solid building with lots of rooms and a foundation that will hold for centuries, the World Soul willing.”

Colea stopped at the bar counter and gestured to the empty room surrounding them. “Normally this place will have a few customers on any given night. We’ve been getting some regulars as of late, and I’m suspecting within a few months that we will be able to have it full on weekends.” She tapped the bar counter with a hoof as she continued. “This is where you can usually find Roxie. Again, if you have questions, don’t be shy about asking her.”

“What about rowdy customers?” Spike asked. “I never really got to talk to you about your procedures here, but from what I saw yesterday, I take it you’re not the kind to mess around.” He smiled a little. “Not that I blame you. Some individuals require you to flex your muscles a bit to get a point across.”

Colea nodded in agreement. “For the most part, if you can avoid getting physical with the customers, do it. Less messes to clean up, less hurt feelings, and it makes us look better. However, if you do need to get physical… well, try to restrain them and remove them before anything else.”

Spike gave a nod. “Understood.”

“If for some reason they become uncooperative and slip out of your grip… or if they threaten you with a weapon… you have the right to defend yourself. If you suspect someone has a concealed weapon, don’t approach them alone. Find one of our staff and confront the client together. Numbers help, remember that.”

“Got it… by the way, am I the only one working as a security staff here?”

“Well… technically, yes. The thing about our staff is that they’re rather flexible. Wisp does patrols through here once in awhile, and Colm isn’t a stranger to keeping things calm here.”

“Colm?”

“The tom-griffon at the meeting. He’s been with us a few months. Good kid, bit of an aloof one, though. From what I understand he served as a guard for the King of the Altus Province in the Griffon Kingdom. Kind of surprising, seeing as he’s probably around the same age as you.”

Spike stashed away that tidbit of information. “Alright, so it sounds like I’ll be working with pretty much everyone, huh?”

“That’s more accurate. We have positions, yes, but we all work together, too. If someone needs help, and you can provide that help, go for it.”

“Sounds like you all are more of a community than a business.”

Colea’s smile widened. “We like to think that, too. We help each other. If everyone’s content, our business runs smoothly, and things go better for everyone.”

“That’s a good philosophy to stand by.”

Colea continued to run him through the layout of the bar and some procedures: areas that had the best vantage points for monitoring the area while not drawing attention to yourself, what to do if a fight breaks out, location of fire extinguishers and the nearest exit in the case of a fire, and so forth.

Twenty minutes later and the two were once more on the move, this time heading towards the botanical gardens.

“I’m sure you can imagine that this place is a popular location for couples to sneak off to if they want some alone time,” Colea explained as they passed under an archway covered in ivy. “In the past we’ve chosen discretion over intervening. As long as they aren’t causing problems for those who are visiting the gardens, they’re free to do what they want.”

Spike sniffed the air. “Is that vanilla?”

Colea gave a nod. “Good nose. While the garden was made as a place for our customers to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature, it is also where we grow much of our own herbs and aphrodisiacs.”

“Aphrodisiacs?” Spike echoed. “That stuff is legit?”

“You’d be surprised. Jasmine, rose plants, ginger, and a whole bunch of other plants can be made into oils for intimate massages. Though, if you really wanted to know more about them, you should ask Ebon. She’s our aphrodisiac guru.”

“You said she was the one who grows tea with Blur, right?”

“Yes. She’s the one with a green hoof around here. Blur’s learned a lot from her, but Ebon is a master at gardening. That and massages,” Colea smirked. “I’ve been told that Miss Zecora from Sweet Apple Acres has even managed to learn a thing or two from Ebon.”

“Huh…” Spike said with mild surprise. The idea of a changeling that knew more about plants than Zecora did was a hard one to wrap his mind around.

They continued through the garden, Colea explaining the typical routes that worked best for patrolling the area. Spike had to admit, he didn’t expect such a beautiful place to be this close to the Everfree Forest. While it was definitely smaller than the grand hedge mazes of Canterlot Castle, it still was a sight to behold. What it lacked in area it made up for in scenery and floral arrangement. It even had a fountain with a two marble statues: a pair of female deer dancing around each other. Water trickled out from the antlers upon their heads.

When Spike had commented that only does from the reindeer species—which the two particular deer did not appear to be—had antlers, Colea had replied that the sculptor she had commissioned was set on making them that way.

“It’s based on some eon-old myth about the Everfree Forest, from what I understood,” Colea said with a wave of her hoof. “Everfree Forest is older than recorded history, though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a grain of truth to those statues’ appearances.”

“Did they give the statue a name?” Spike asked curiously.

“In fact, they did,” Colea replied. “I believe it was ‘Fire and Life’. Something odd, but it fits.” She shook her head. “Anyway, let’s continue, shall we?”

Another hour later and the two had reached the front lobby of the bordello. “Well, any questions so far?”

Spike shrugged. “Nothing major. I’m sure I’ll catch on to everything soon enough.”

Colea nodded. “Good attitude. Now, for today, you’ll be shadowing Colm during his shift. He’s not technically Security staff, but, like I said, we help each other.”

As if on cue, a figure walked into the lobby. Spike recognized the feathered figure of the tom-griffon from earlier.

“Colm?”

The griffon nodded, his face schooled into a neutral expression.

“Um...” The griffon’s silence was a little off-putting for Spike. He held out a claw, extending it in greeting. “I’m Spike. Glad to meet you.”

Colm looked to the scaled appendage, then back to the dragon. He took it in his talons and shook in once. “Likewise.”

“Colm, like I mentioned earlier today, you’ll be having Spike shadow you and Double Take on your routes. If there’s anything in particular that you think he should know, feel free to tell him.” Colea looked to the clock. “Well, we’ll probably have some customers trickling in within the next hour or two.” She turned and walked towards the front desk of the lobby. “I’ll talk to you later, Spike.”

Spike bade Colea farewell and followed Colm down the hall. While he hadn’t seen many griffons in his lifetime, Spike had never come across a griffon that shared Colm’s coloration. His head was covered in ashen gray feathers, and his beak was a coal black color. A crest of white tipped feathers ran from the crown of his head to his neckline where his black fur began. His yellow eyes were both fierce and beautiful in a way that only a noble species like the griffons were capable of.

Within minutes they had reached what Colea dubbed the suites: rooms reserved for services of the more intimate kind. There were about fifty of them all together, and ranged in size from just big enough to fit a bed and nightstand to as large as one of the royal guest chambers in Canterlot.

One of them even had a jacuzzi if he remembered right.

“So… Colm, what do you do here aside from security work?”

“Cooking. Bartending.”

Spike frowned a little. A griffon of few words, it would seem. “Really? You bartend?”

“Yes. Thursdays and Fridays. Sometimes Saturdays when Roxie’s taking a break.”

“Cool,” Spike laughed. “Maybe you can give me some suggestions for drinks. I’ve never been much for the bar scene, personally.”

Colm gave no reply.

“Um… Colea said you’re from the Griffon Kingdom. The Altus province, right?”

“Yes. I was born there.”

“Oh, heh, makes sense. How is it in Altus?”

Colm paused, tilting his head upwards. A far-off look crossed his eyes before he frowned. “Cold, but not too cold. A short growing season in the north, mild winters in the south. Lots of grasslands for hunting hardy game. There is no other place like it in the world.”

“You hunted?” Spike asked, a faint hint of trepidation in his words.

“Yes, mostly rabbits and smaller animals,” Colm replied. “We griffons are omnivores, like dragons, but… less so. We need meat in our diet. Dragons can substitute meat for certain foods along with minerals.”

“Of course,” Spike replied with a nod. “I… well, it’s just that I’ve been raised around ponies. I have never eaten meat.”

Colm grunted, then continued down the hall. “Remember, we serve more than ponies here. Many species have different cultures. Some are more easily offended about things than others.”

Spike nodded as he continued to follow the griffon, taking note of how Colm reacted when Spike brought up the Griffon Kingdom and hunting. While he wasn’t sure, Spike suspected that Colm held those two things close to his heart by the way he had spoken with such certainty about them.

He tried studying Colm’s body language, fearing that he may have agitated the griffon. Colm’s tail wasn’t flicking from side to side, nor were his shoulder muscles taut as he moved. Still, Spike had a feeling that he might have crossed a line with the tom-griffon.

This guy’s tougher to read than Discord on poker night...

“So… Colm, Colea told me you were a guard for the King of the Altus province.”

“Correct.”

“Any good stories to tell?”

Colm gave a grunt.

“So… yes? No?”

“Perhaps.”

Spike resisted the urge to groan. Maybe the guy was just having a bad day. Maybe he was testing Spike.

Or maybe Spike was just being dealt a bad hand by fate and had to deal with a stick-in-the-mud griffon for the next couple of hours...

Canterlot. Capital city of Equestria. The Jewel of the Harmony Mountains. The Apex of Equestria (barring Cloudsdale). The Solar Citadel. The Moon’s Loft.

Canterlot was known by many names and titles, but one thing Twilight Sparkle had learned in her time serving as a princess was that it was not an easy-going city. At least for her.

“They want to have approval to do what?”

The messenger pony shuffled her hooves nervously before Twilight. “Th-they wish to erect a statue of Clover the Clever… on the very top of the mountain… your Majesty.”

“They are aware that the peak of Mount Canterlot has only about ten feet of solid ground to place anything on, correct? Besides, I think the peak is being used as a nesting ground for eagles.” Twilight shook her head and set the letter aside. “No, I’m sorry, but I cannot approve this. As much as I admire Clover the Clever’s accomplishments, I doubt even she would have approved of a statue on the top of a mountain that few ponies would be able to visit.” She gave the messenger a small smile. “I appreciate you bringing this to my attention, though. Thank you.”

The pony bowed and made her way out of the throne room.

Twilight’s ears perked up at the sound of gentle laughter. She turned to her side to see Celestia looking to her, an amused grin on her lips. “What?”

“I daresay you’ve been wanting to find something to annoy the aristocrats of Canterlot for quite some time. You look pleased with yourself.”

“A statue on top of a mountain is ridiculous. They should have expected me to say no,” Twilight replied with an annoyed huff. “Honestly...”

A guard walked through the double doors, clicking his hooves together once and clearing his throat. The two alicorns turned their attention to him as he spoke. “Your Majesties, Second Lieutenant Captain of the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash, is here to speak with you.”

Twilight’s frown vanished instantly, replaced with a grin. “Send her in, please.”

The stallion saluted and left the room. The doors opened, and through it walked none other than the brash pegasus mare that Twilight Sparkle had befriended all those years ago.

“Rainbow Dash, I wasn’t expecting you this early,” Twilight said as she hopped down from her throne. She met Rainbow Dash halfway down the carpeted path and gave her a friendly hug. “On leave again?”

“Yeah, Spitfire more or less forced me. She said I’m making everypony look bad at camp.” Rainbow Dash slumped a bit. “I have three weeks off! Three!” She snorted in annoyance. “What am I supposed to do for three weeks?”

“Might I make a suggestion?” came the voice of Celestia.

“Oh, hi Princess Celestia,” Rainbow flushed a bit, bowing quickly. “Sorry, I was—”

“It’s quite alright, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said reassuringly. “As for your time off, I believe most ponies take a break from work and relax.” The hint of teasing in her voice didn’t go unnoticed.

“Haha, very funny,” Rainbow deadpanned. “Y’know, Princess, there’s always an open seat on our rosters for trainees. I think you could stand to get out and flex those wings a bit. Maybe work off a few pounds on that royal tush of yours.” She smirked a bit as Celestia raised an eyebrow.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight admonished as she cast an apologetic look to her former mentor. “That is Princess Celestia you are talk—”

Celestia’s laughter cut Twilight. The Sun Princess got up from her throne and made her way towards the two, stopping as she stood before Rainbow Dash. They shared a brief embrace before Celestia spoke to the pegasus. “Only you would crack jokes about my figure.” She sighed and shook her head. “It’s good to see you, Rainbow Dash. What brings you here?”

“I figured I’d let Twilight know if she’s got any free time that I’d be happy to have lunch with her. You know, catch up and stuff. I was going to head down to Ponyville tomorrow, so… yeah.” She scratched her neck a bit and looked to the side. “Also, y’know I wasn’t serious about your figure. Pretty sure you’re the envy of all supermodels every—”

“Moving on,” Celestia said with a laugh. “Twilight? What do you think?”

“Oh, well…” Twilight looked to her hooves. “I-I think I have a few appointments this afternoon still, and—”

“And I believe that I can cover those times for you.”

“Huh?” Twilight turned to look at Celestia. “Oh… no… no, Celestia, please, you don’t need to—”

“But I wish to,” Celestia interrupted gently. “Go on. I’ll be able to deal with the relentless hordes of lobbyists for a few hours…” Her smile grew a little. “That is, unless you wish for me to have lunch with Rainbow Dash instead and leave you here alone.” She tapped a hoof to her chin. “I do believe the Builders Union of Canterlot is supposed to stop by today in regards to a complaint about the cobblestones from the Cobblestone Makers Union being too large.”

Twilight’s eyes shrunk to pinpricks. The Builder’s Union of Canterlot… no… no she was not going to sit through another hour-long nightmare like that twice in one month!

“Oh, actually… that’s very kind of you, Celestia. I do have a lot of catching up to do with Rainbow Dash, after all...” Twilight cleared her throat and turned to Rainbow Dash. “There’s a great restaurant down the road that we can go to.”

As Twilight made her way towards the exit, Rainbow Dash exchanged a knowing smile with Celestia, who in turn winked and suppressed a laugh. After giving the alicorn a nod of thanks, Rainbow Dash followed her friend out the doors.

“My Lady...with all due respect, I don’t believe there’s a meeting with the Builders Union of Canterlot for another three weeks.”

“Oh, I’m quite aware,” Celestia said with a chuckle.

“So,” Twilight said between bites of spinach and daisy. “How was the tour? I didn’t get to read much about it in the papers.” She slumped a little. “I wish I could have been there myself. Y-you know that, Rainbow. It’s just that things get—”

“Hey, Twi, it’s alright, okay? The letters I get from you now and again are good enough.” Rainbow Dash patted Twilight’s hoof consolingly, then grinned. “As for the tour, it was pretty cool! We just finished up in Whinnyapolis two days ago.” She laughed. “I think my favorite part is the kids, though.”

“The kids?”

Rainbow nodded. “The fans, I mean. I love flying, but getting to wow the little rugrats? That’s the best part of every performance: getting to talk with the younger fans. It kind of reminds me of when I was a filly, you know?”

“Aww, Rainbow, that’s cute!” Twilight said with genuine sincerity in her voice.

“H-hey, no need to go and spread that around, okay?” Rainbow coughed into a hoof and looked around. “Y-yeah, though, I’m getting to like the kids at the shows. The fan-mail is always great, too.”

Twilight giggled. “I have to admit, I’m a little jealous.”

“Oh come on, Twilight. You’ve shown me that huge art collection of yours at least, what, five times already? I know you get drawings from foals all the time.”

Twilight flushed in the cheeks. “Okay, okay, yes, I do. That’s always the best part of sorting the mail. We have some real artists-in-the-making in Equestria. Some of them are even poets. You wouldn’t believe how many cute little poems I get from foals.” She sighed and added. “I think some of them are trying to flirt with me. It’s… kind of adorable.”

“Uh oh, sounds like competition,” Rainbow laughed.

“Oh hush, I have to hear about your love letters in perfume all the time,” Twilight said with a roll of her eyes. She then added softly, “Though… I guess I got a little jealous when you first told me about those letters of yours, too… so… yeah…”

Rainbow’s eyes lit up. “Oh, speaking of mail, I saw Scootaloo the other day. She was dropping off some important packages for Soarin the other day. I think they were training weights or something.” Rainbow smirked. “I didn’t get a chance to speak with her for very long, but she’s packed on quite a bit of muscle. She’s not as fast as me, but she’s got endurance to spare. She’s flying around Equestria with heavy saddlebags almost all day.”

Twilight looked up at the mention of Scootaloo. “Really? I haven’t spoken to the Crusaders in a long time...” She slumped a bit. “I haven’t spoken to quite a few friends in a long time, actually...”

Rainbow’s ears flattened a bit. “Still nothing from Spike, huh?”

“Nothing,” Twilight replied with a shake of her head. “I’ve tried sending him letter through magic, but I think he put up a mental block on my magic. It… all the letters I send to him just end up getting sent right back a second later. Celestia tries sending stuff to him, and those get sent back, too. I… I want to ask Luna to help, but… I don’t want things to become strained between them as well. She’s the only pony he still talks to in Canterlot as far as I know.”

Rainbow’s mood dropped a bit at the sight of her friend. She still never got the full details on what had happened three years ago, but she knew that it ended with Spike more or less storming out of Canterlot with only a few things in a suitcase, an argument between him and Celestia of all ponies, and very distraught Twilight Sparkle. As far as Rainbow knew, the argument had stemmed from a few things. Disagreements on social issues, namely. Spike had been a major advocate for opening up the borders to changeling refugees. Twilight had not. There may have also been an issue about dragon-pony political relations, but she never found out or bothered to ask.

That had been the straw to break the camel’s back, though. She had tried asking Twilight for more details on it, if only to help her friend get that weight off her chest. To this day, Twilight never revealed much more about it.

“I’ll make sure to check in and see how he’s doing when I visit the girls, okay?” Rainbow said softly, the usual cocky tone missing in her words.

“I...” Twilight nodded once, her eyes looking to her salad. “Thanks, Rainbow Dash. Just… if you can, would you tell him that I… tell him that I worry about him? A-and that I miss him?”

“I’ll be sure to talk to him. You shouldn’t worry so much, though, Twi. He’s a big boy now. He can take care of himself,” Rainbow laughed quietly. “Besides, Scoots, Bonbon, and Lyra are living with him. I’m sure they’re all looking out for each other.”

“I guess...” Twilight nibbled on a piece of daisy as she stared off into the distance, eyes gazing over the roofs of Canterlot’s many buildings. “Sometimes… sometimes I wonder if it was best for me to move back here. With everything that happened after Spike and I—.”

“Hey,” Rainbow began, voice cutting her off. Twilight’s ears twitched a little at the sound of her tone. Rainbow Dash’s gentle, comforting tone made Twilight look up. Rainbow was smiling a little “None of that. You’re an awesome princess, you’ve helped cement some real alliances with countries that Equestria hasn’t spoken to in forever, and you’ve helped keep the country safe.”

“Not to mention I’ve created a major fracture in the trust between Equestria’s government and the changelings...” Twilight grumbled. “Cadance was right. I was being too harsh on them...”

The pegasus gave a grunt of agreement, “Okay, so maybe you were a little tough on the refugees. Still… you were looking out for Equestria’s best interests.”

Twilight frowned. “Yeah? Tell that to the changelings living in Equestria now who feel like they’re being segregated and oppressed every single day...” Her ears folded down. “I was just… I didn’t want another repeat of Canterlot.”

“Nopony would want that, Twi. Well, except for Chrysalis and the changeling radicals… but you heard those speeches that some of the changelings gave. They’re grateful that Equestria gave them a place to live, even if it was a really slow process.”

Twilight said nothing in reply to that. Instead she forked in another mouthful and chewed slowly.

“Twilight, come on. You’re not a bad pony. I mean, everything worked out in the end, right?” Rainbow leaned forward a little and looked to Twilight, hoping for some kind of positive reaction from her friend. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re an awesome friend, and I trust you one hundred twenty percent with taking care of Equestria.” She winked as Twilight’s cheeks reddened a bit. “Don’t ever forget that.”

The alicorn set down her fork and looked to Rainbow Dash. She took in a slow breath, and her eyes closed as she exhaled. When she finally spoke, her voice just above a whisper, and her eyes starting to water up, “I-I just want Spike to talk to me again.” Twilight slumped in her seat and sighed deeply. “Even… even just a letter once a month… s-something… anything. From what Luna told me, he went and formed a new fire connection with Luna and Cadance a few months ago. That… that takes a deep level of trust, Rainbow, and some serious intertwining of magic. I just… it hurts, Rainbow.”

Rainbow Dash frowned as she tried to rein in her emotions. So much for trying to make Twilight’s break a happy one.

Rainbow knew that Spike had justification behind his actions, but it didn’t mean she was happy with the current situation between him and Twilight. The alicorn had never been shy about showing how much she cared for Spike when she was little, but nopony would have suspected how much his absence in her life over the past couple of years would affect her.

“Your Majesty...?”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash turned to the guard approaching the table. When Twilight spoke, it was hard not to hear the weariness in her voice. “Yes?”

“Forgive my interruption, your Majesty, but I was asked to retrieve you. The Canterlot University says they’ve created a new mass-teleportation spell and would like your approval on it as soon as possible.”

Twilight nodded to the stallion. “Thank you, Azure Skye.” She turned to Rainbow Dash, giving a sad smile. “Duty calls...”

“I’ll be sure to stop by again, okay?” Rainbow said, giving Twilight her most reassuring smile. “I promise.”

“Sure,” Twilight replied, doing her best to return the smile. “Who knows? I might even be able to take a bit of time off and visit you girls in Ponyville. I’d like to check up on Snails and see how things are going at the library under his management, too.”

Rainbow waggled her eyebrows at her alicorn friend. “Careful, Twilight. Your paperwork might find out you’re having an affair with those books.”

Twilight snorted in laughter. “Well, at least a book knows how to keep me company on a cold, late night.”

Rainbow chuckled as they got up from the table. They shared another hug and gave promises to see each other again soon.

“Thank you, Dash,” Twilight whispered. “I needed this; having a chance to just relax a little. Just having you around to talk to helps… ” Then she added, just barely loud enough for Rainbow to hear. “I missed you.”

Rainbow sighed softly as she leaned into Twilight a little, “I miss you all the time, too.” As she pulled Twilight a little closer, she added, “And I’m always happy to lend you an ear, Twilight. I know you’d do the same for me.”

Twilight hummed softly as they shared a brief nuzzle. When they pulled apart from each other, Twilight’s cheeks were rosy once more. “Um… tell the girls that I’ll be in town within a week or so, okay?” Twilight asked. “And… if you see Spike or Scootaloo…?”

“Will do, Twi.” Rainbow gave her a friendly bump on the shoulder with a hoof. “I’ll try and talk to Spike for you, okay? I know he’s stubborn, but even just getting a chance to speak with him would help, I think. Anyway, you need to go continue kicking some political tail for us.”

“I’ll do my best,” Twilight giggled, bidding Rainbow a final farewell with a wave of her hoof. With that, she unfurled her wings and took to the air with her two pegasus guards following close behind. Rainbow swore she caught Twilight glance behind once or twice as she made her way back to the castle, but it could have just been her imagination.

Rainbow stood there for a moment, watching as her friend became a distant dot of lavender making its way towards the castle.

Still an egghead. Glad to see you’re still the mare I know, Twilight.

Rainbow smiled as she dug into her saddlebags for some bits to lay down for her meal. She blinked when she noticed two separate piles had been laid down on the table, paying for their respective bills and providing a sufficient tip to the waiter.

She… darn it, how did she do that?

Spike looked at the clock hanging on the break room wall. Another ten minutes and his first day of work would officially be done. He sighed while running a claw over his spines.

While Colm was far from a conversationalist, it seemed like the tom-griffon had opened up to Spike a little by the end of their patrol. He even offered to show Spike the proper way to make a Manehattan cocktail.

Spike had come to realize two things within the past couple of hours. First among them: He knew next to nothing about changelings and their social norms, unlike what he previously thought. He had spent a great deal of time reading about their culture, but books could only do so much. Colea had told him not to worry about that, and to give it time.

The second thing he had come to realize was the fact that he had a lot of places to memorize for patrolling. Apparently, along with the bordello and the property surrounding it, the staff sometimes went out on patrols through the Everfree Forest itself. Like Colea had said, while most stayed out of the forest, it wasn’t entirely unlikely that some less-than-legal activity was going on within that tangled mess of trees and darkness. Therefore, in exchange for services from the Equestria’s law enforcement, the Everfree House reported any suspicious activity within the forest.

While he didn’t like the idea of going into those woods, he knew most things within it would likely leave him alone, barring a hydra or an overly-confident manticore. That or an Ursa Major or Minor, but those were few and far between.

Few creatures aside from other dragons had scales as strong as his, after all. It took a great deal of force to actually pierce them, and by that time most creatures would be getting a faceful of dragon flames as a reward for trying to attack him.

The door to the break room opened. Spike turned to the entrance, only to be greeted by the mare he had recognized earlier in the crowd. She was wearing thick-rimmed glasses, and held a newspaper in her teeth. He gave her a small smile and nodded. She nodded in return as she walked up to the icebox and pulled out a pitcher of apple juice.

“So… Apple Cobbler, huh?”

The mare paused from pouring herself a glass, giving Spike a nod. “That’s me.”

Spike grinned. “You don’t recognize me, do you?”

Apple Cobbler nodded. “You used to live at the Golden Oaks Library with Twilight Sparkle.”

Spike resisted the urge to frown. Of course she’d remember him through Twilight. “Heh, yeah, that was me.”

She balanced her newspaper on her back while picking up her glass of juice in her teeth. “Almost done for the day, aren’t you?”

“Yep. Colea wants me to come in later tomorrow, that way I can adjust to the second shift work.”

Cobbler nodded as she sat down and unfolded her paper. “Mm. It’s good we’re finally getting a stable staff member for security.” She sipped from her glass. “Though, I wasn’t expecting you to take up the job.”

Spike quirked an eyebrow. “Why not?”

Cobbler shrugged. “You don’t seem like a rough and tough kind of guy.” She must have noticed his cheeks flush a bit, and she continued before he could speak. “You seem good enough, though. Just not rough and tough.”

“I...” Spike blinked. “Is that a bad thing?”

Cobbler shrugged. “Maybe? That’s for Colea and Roxie to decide. I’m just an investor.”

“Investor?”

Cobbler looked up from the newspaper. “Yes. You know… give money to a company, hope that company gains a profit, get a portion of the profit?”

“I know what you mean, I… guess I’m just surprised.”

Cobbler frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know… aren’t you related to the Apples?”

Cobbler set her paper down on the table and gave Spike a weak glare. “What are you saying?”

“N-nothing, I just… I don’t know, I thought you’d be in the business of apples, that’s all.” He waved a claw quickly and gave her an apologetic grin. “Sorry, I’m just… I only know a few of your relatives.”

Apple Cobbler relaxed a bit, sighing deeply. “No, no… it’s just… I’m what some would call the black sheep of my family. Especially on my mother’s side. I get a bit defensive about stuff like that.”

“I take it your mother’s an Apple?”

“Yes. My father was born in Manehattan. He owns a grocery store. He met my mother there, and they moved out to Fillydelphia to start a farm after dating for a few years and then marrying.” She waved a hoof and rolled her eyes. “They were hoping I’d take on the farm when I got older, but much to their dismay, I’m not a farmer.”

Spike pointed to her cutie mark. “You’re apparently gifted with snacks, though.”

She shrugged, though a faint smile formed on her lips. “I got this back when I was visiting Ponyville, believe it or not. Granny Smith is my great-aunt. She taught me how to bake. It’s fun, and it doesn’t require me to sweat and buck apples all day.”

“Wow, those are words I thought I’d never hear from an Apple mare.” He cleared his throat as she raised an eyebrow. “I-I mean… well… you know...”

She shrugged, and picked up her newspaper. “My parents and I never really saw eye to eye. I still talk to them, but… I guess they were hoping for me to be something that I just don’t want to be.” She turned a page. “I moved to Ponyville because great-aunt Granny Smith has always been an understanding mare. A little absent-minded about things, but still caring and understanding.”

“So… what brings you to the Everfree House, then? Aside from being an investor?”

“I cook,” Cobbler answered without looking up from the paper. “I do a lot of the bookkeeping here, too. I worked as a secretary for Barnyard Bargains’ Fillydelphia branch before moving to Ponyville.” She glanced up at Spike, not a hint of jest in her voice as she spoke. “I’m good with numbers.”

“Heh,” Spike laughed. “I take it you and Applejack are quite opposites then, huh?”

Cobbler frowned. “Applejack’s a talented businessmare, and while she may not look it, she’s good at statistics.” She shuffled the paper a bit, hiding her face once more. “Big Macintosh is just a better recordkeeper.”

“I meant no offense. I just never took her to be much of a fan of mathematics, that’s all.”

“Understandable. AJ’s always been more about the outdoors and working the land, anyway.” Cobbler’s voice grew quiet. “I was kind of jealous of her growing up.”

“Really?”

Cobbler blinked, as though snapping out of a trance. “Y-yeah, but… um, we got over that.”

Spike knew when not to pry. “I’m glad to hear that. Applejack’s a great friend.”

The mare nodded in agreement as she continued to read.

Spike got up from his spot at the table. “Uh… well, I had better get going. Colea said she had some things to take home.”

“Mhm. Likely information packets,” Cobbler replied.

Spike smiled a little. “Later, Apple Cobbler.”

“Later,” the mare replied.

Spike made his way to the front lobby where he found Colea looking over some papers behind her desk. She glanced up at the sound of his footfalls, and smiled a little. “Everything go well today? Not too much to take in, right?”

While Spike may have been imagining it, it sounded like there was a touch of nervousness in Colea’s words. Her eyes didn’t leave his, but he swore he saw her smile waver a little.

“Heh, well, it’s a big place...” Spike began. “Still, I’m sure I can handle it.”

Colea’s shoulders relaxed visibly. “Good, that’s what I was hoping to hear… so… how was everything with Colm?”

Spike chuckled a little. “He’s not much for talking, is he?”

The changeling’s smile faltered. “No… he’s not the most social of griffons. Still, he’s a trustworthy employee, and a hard worker.”

“Oh, good, so it’s not just me then,” Spike laughed. “I thought he had some sort of grudge against dragons.”

“Oh, no, no, not at all.” Colea straightened up a bit. “The Everfree House doesn’t tolerate discrimination, and is open to anyone with an open mind and an open heart.” She grinned. “We earn our love here, Spike. Keep that in mind.”

“I will.” Spike gave her a thumbs-up.

“Good. Oh! Before I forget, here.” Colea pulled up a bag from behind her desk. “Quick question, do you own a film projector player at home?”

“Uh… wait, yeah, we do! My marefriend just purchased one recently.”

“Oh?” Colea’s smile was genuine, but there was a tiny hint of teasing in her tone. “So there’s a special somepony, huh?”

“Er… yeah. We’ve been living together for about two years with another couple in Ponyville,” Spike replied.

Colea grinned. “That’s wonderful to hear. I’m glad someone like you has someone that cares for you that way.”

Spike scratched his neck and grinned. “Eheh… thanks. She’s… really special to me.”

“No need to be embarrassed, Spike,” Colea said reassuringly. “Anyway, take this with you, then as well. It’s yours to keep.” She slipped a film reel into the bag.

“What is the film about?”

Colea just waved a hoof. “It’s just an educational film about changelings. Nothing too important, but it might help you adjust to the workplace a little easier. Watch it on your own free time.”

“That sounds pretty important to me,” Spike added. “Anyway, what time do you want me in tomorrow?”

“Stop by at three in the afternoon. Double Take typically runs the later patrols, so she can help run you through things.”

“Alright then. Anything else?”

“Well,” Colea’s smile fell a bit. “I know you’re still new here, but… you’re welcome to stay for dinner.”

“O-oh!” Spike blinked. “Oh, I wish I knew you were making dinner.” He chuckled a bit. “I would love to stay, but my marefriend is in charge of dinner tonight, and I think it’s spinach lasagna. I… would probably get in trouble with her if I missed—”

Colea raised a hoof and nodded. “Completely understandable. You’re always welcome to invite her over if you wish, too. We usually have more than enough leftovers anyway.”

“I’ll definitely remember that, then.” Spike gave a final nod and headed out the door. “Later, Colea.”

“Take care, Spike!”

As the dragon left through the front doors, Colea’s smile returned.

“I like him,” said a voice. Colea looked to her side to see Wisp walk out of the shadows cast by the late afternoon sun. She stretched a bit and sighed, “Too bad he’s already taken.”

Colea chuckled. “Like that’s ever stopped you before.”

Wisp frowned, walking up to the desk and standing up against it, front hooves resting on Colea’s work space. “Hey, I may flirt, but I won’t let it go any further than that unless Spike says otherwise.” She lifted her nose into the air, feigning indignation. “Though I would like to meet his marefriend: make sure she’s not some annoying mare who’s using him.”

“Oh, and you wouldn’t use him?”

“Please, Colea. Me using someone is never a one-sided thing.”

“I still say this could have used hot sauce...”

“Oh for Celestia’s sake, Lyra, we have hot sauce in the pantry if you’re so fixed on the idea,” Bonbon huffed, then turned to the pegasus across from her. “Scootaloo, this lasagna is wonderful. I think you really outdid yourself this time, and some ponies simply don’t know good food when it’s sitting in front of them.’

Scootaloo flushed in the cheeks and sunk into her chair a little. “Thanks… I-I got some pointers from Mrs. Cake...”

“Mm, remind me to thank her as well, then,” Spike said between mouthfuls. “It’s amazing!”

“So,” Lyra began turning to Spike. “I heard you say that you got a film from the Everfree House.” She grinned. “It’s changeling pornagraphy, isn’t it?”

Bonbon coughed several times before reaching for her glass of juice and chugging it down. After she stopped coughing and cleared her throat, she glared weakly at Lyra, who in turn was intent on keeping her gaze on Spike.

“I’m game,” Scootaloo said with a laugh. “Always wondered what they looked like under the tail, anyway.”

“Um… I don’t think it’s that kind of film...” Spike frowned. “At least I hope it isn’t...”

“Really? Oh, come on, Spike. You can’t tell me you’re not at least a little curious about what they look like,” Lyra said with a grin. “I know I am.”

Spike’s thoughts drifted to images of Wisp sashaying in front of him, putting a deliberate amount of flicking in her tail’s movements.

“Eh, not really...”

“Well, if it’s not pornagraphy, then what kind of film did they give you?”

“Changelings: Not Just Skin Deep...” Spike read aloud.

“Hmmm… eh, not the most original of titles,” Scootaloo commented.

“It almost sounds like a cheesy porn film...”

“Lyra, please,” Bonbon sighed.

“What? A mare can dream, can’t she?”

The four had set up the movie projector in the den and placed a white bedsheet on the wall. A few little adjustments and some careful placement of the film reel later, and they started up the film and sat on the couch.

The film opened with the typical countdown from three to zero, and some rather upbeat woodwind music was heard. The title of the film was displayed in bold lettering, followed by ‘an Everfree House Production’. The scene opened to a very familiar field of flowers by a stream with...

“Is that… Fluttershy’s cottage?” Scootaloo asked.

Spike blinked. “Damn, I think so. Huh...”

The camera panned around the peaceful scenery, only to stop as a changeling walked onto the screen.

“Hello, my dear friends! I am most happy to meet you!” the changeling gave a small bow, her large dorsal fin flopping to the side as she did so.

“Oh, isn’t she adorable?” Bonbon said quietly.

Spike laughed. “That’s Blur. I met her when I first stopped by there. She’s a really nice changeling. She kind of reminds me of Fluttershy.”

“I am Blur, and if you are unable to recognize, I am a changeling!”

“Oh, just a sidenote, Blur’s still learning Equinic,” Spike added. “Just in case you were wondering about her way of talking. She might be reading lines, though.”

“Now, you may be asking yourself, ‘Blur, what would a changeling be? You do not look like much of a pony to me!’,” Blur giggled a little. “That is most true! Changelings are from a place known as ‘The Badlands’. The Badlands are dry, hot, and often very...” She paused, her eyes scanning over something beyond the camera. “...inhospitable! Yes, inhospitable!” She beamed a little as she continued. “However, because of the benevolence of Equestria, we have been allowed safety inside Equestria’s most welcoming lands!”

Spike let out a derisive snort. “Benevolence my foot.”

“Spike, hush,” said Scootaloo.

“Some of you may know of changelings,” Blur’s frown dropped a little. “Sadly, there are less than pleasant impressions about our kind. Let me be the first to inform you that, just like ponies, not all changelings are alike!” She spread out her forelegs, her smile returning fully. “Most changelings are wonderful individuals. We have our own culture, just like you! Most important of all, though, we are capable of making friends, just like anyone else!”

At that point, another individual walked onto the screen. This time all four of the viewers shared a look of surprise as the newcomer looked to the camera.

Although… they didn’t actually look to the camera, but more towards a particular clump of grass and nervously pawed the ground. She did smile a little though as she glanced over to Blur.

“This is my friend, Fluttershy! She is a pony from Ponyville, and a truly kind soul!”

“Oh… thank you, Blur. That’s very kind of you to—”

The screen suddenly went blank. Spike groaned. “Damn thing probably got off kilter. Give me a second and I’ll have it—”

“—you have nothing to be ashamed of, darling. You’ve taken the form, and made it even more alluring,” an all-too-familiar voice cut through the silence as the film started up once more.

“Really?” asked another voice.

Spike turned around to face the screen, coming face to face with the image of none other than Prince Blueblood. “I… well, while changelings are theoretically unlimited in forms to take… it’s hard to switch sex. I-I mean, I’ve done it a few times, sure, but to really get an accurate copy of a male is… difficult. For me, at least.”

“I can imagine why, too,” replied the feminine voice off-screen. “It must be difficult adding the extra luggage.”

Scootaloo looked over the couch to face Spike. “That can’t be her, can it?”

Spike just shook his head, unsure what to make of what they were watching.

Scootaloo turned back to the screen. The camera was now panning over ‘Blueblood’s’ body, catching the finer details of his physique. “My word, and you say you’re only an amateur at changing your sex? Darling, you’ve done well here.”

Blueblood looked to the ground. “You’re too kind, Miss Rarity.”

“Ah ah… remember?”

Blueblood blinked, then flushed in the cheeks. “F-forgive me… Madam… Rarity...”

Bonbon looked over the couch. “I think we should cut the film, Spike.”

“What?” Lyra asked in clear disbelief. “Are you kidding?” She pointed to the screen with a hoof. “Look, don’t get me wrong, I love Rarity like any of my friends, but come on! This is something nopony else has probably seen.”

“Are you saying we should blackmail Rarity, Lyra?” Bonbon whispered harshly. “Because if you are...”

“No, nononono. I’m saying that this is likely some hot action with Rarity. Look, Bonbon, even you can’t lie: that mare has got it going on big time.”

Bonbon slumped back into her seat, her cheeks reddening a little. “I… well… still, we shouldn’t...”

Scootaloo coughed. “I… wouldn’t be against continuing.”

Lyra glanced over to Spike. “Well, big guy? You were head-over-heels for her not too long ago, right?”

Spike blushed in the face as he watched the screen. The camera was stationary once more, and sure enough, Rarity’s slim, white-coated figure made its way onto the screen… along with a tight-fitting black outfit and a small black mask covering her eyes.

Spike’s eyes widened as he noticed an object floating beside her. Oh sweet Luna, is she… carrying a riding crop in her magic?

“Now then...” Rarity said as she slowly began circling the transformed changeling. “Miss Double Take—erm, forgive me, I meant to say, Prince Blueblood...” Well, that answered one of Spike’s questions. “...what do you have to say for yourself?”

Double Take-transformed-into-Prince Blueblood schooled ‘her’ features into an ashamed frown. “Madam Rarity… I am sorry for being such an utter brute all those years back at the Grand Galloping Gala. You… you were nothing but a true beauty, and I was nothing but a fool.”

Rarity nodded. “A decent start. Although… that’s only the beginning, my dear prince.”

Rarity flicked the crop at Blueblood’s rump, earning a yelp of surprise from the ‘stallion’. “Yah!”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t hit too hard, did I?” Rarity asked, the stern air surrounding her dissipating in an instant. “Oh, this was foolish. I’m sorry, Double Take, forgive me for asking you to—”

“Rarity, it’s alright. You just startled me, that’s all...”

“O-oh, well, ahem...” Rarity visibly relaxed. “J-just to review… safety word?”

“Ruby.”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, and please do speak if you feel uncomfortable. You… say you’ve never done this sort of thing before?”

Blueblood shook his head. “Never, but… I trust you, Miss Rarity.” A smile crossed the changeling-turned-pony’s face. “You’ve been nothing but kind to us. You’ve trusted us moving into town. I think I can afford to give you that same degree of trust.”

“Well, it was nice enough of you to give me a discount… and drop that surcharge for sex-changing transformation.” Rarity fidgeted a bit. “To be honest, I’ve never gotten many opportunities to try something like this out...”

Blueblood smirked. “Well, my lady, tonight’s your lucky night, then...”

Rarity giggled. “Oh, somepony’s just asking for a punishment...”

The sound of knocking caused the four to jump from their spots. Spike turned to the front entrance, then to the three mares. “Hold on, I’ll go see who it is.” He turned down the volume a tad and made his way towards the entrance to their home.

Spike reached the front door and opened it, only to hold back a scream in his throat as he looked at who was before him.

“R-Rarity?”

Sure enough, his long-time friend and former crush was standing before him. She fluttered her eyelashes a few times before her lips broke into a genuine smile. “Good evening, Spikey. I wanted to drop off some sewing supplies for Bonbon to borrow. She mentioned doing some simple repair work on an old dress of hers, but she didn’t have the right tools for the job, so to speak.” Rarity lifted up a small bag before Spike. “I thought she might appreciate borrowing some of my own supplies for the job.”

“Oh,” Spike’s grin couldn’t have been more forced. “I’ll… be sure to give her the sewing supplies when I get the chance.”

“I could just give them to her right now, actually,” Rarity said with a wave of her hoof, “I wanted to give her some tips as well with the dress. I would be happy to repair it myself, but she seemed determined to do it on her own.”

“Haha, well, that’s Bonbon for you. Always going the extra mile. Um… yeah, I’m sure Bonbon has a moment to come and talk to you, Rarity.”

Not a second later, the sound of hooves clicking on the tiled flooring reached his ears. He turned around to see Bonbon, cheeks bright red and her eyes unfocused, staring beyond the unicorn before her.

“Bonbon? Darling, are you alright?”

Bonbon blinked twice, then her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red before speaking. “O-oh, right, sorry… heh. I was just thinking about your gorgeous...” Her eyes fell on the basket with Rarity’s sewing supplies in it. “...sewing tools! Yes, your… sewing tools are in such pristine condition.”

“Ah. I don’t know if ‘gorgeous’ is the appropriate word, Bonbon. My designs are gorgeous… but my sewing supplies?”

Bonbon waved a hoof and chuckled. “I suppose, heh.”

“Well, if you don’t mind, I’d be happy to have a look at it and give you a few pointers.” Rarity took a few steps further into the house, only to be stopped by Bonbon.

“Oh, no, that’s fine, Rarity. Y-you’ve already done more than enough for me tonight...” Spike didn’t miss the hidden meaning to her words.

A small part of him wished that he had paused the film instead of letting it continue.

“Now you… lick… hooves, Blueblood...”

Spike’s body went rigid, and he swore he heard Bonbon let out a squeak. Rarity’s ears twitched, and she frowned. A moment later, her eyes widened and a smile crossed her lips. “Oh, were you all watching a movie?”

“Y-yes,” Bonbon replied with a straight face. “I believe it’s almost over though.”

“Yep, nearly over.” Spike nodded in agreement.

“Oh? What movie were you all watching?”

Spike gave the only answer he could think of. “Uhhh...”

“We watched Dances with Timberwolves!” Bonbon answered quickly. “Not that good, honestly.”

Rarity pouted. “Truly? What a shame, I was hoping to catch it at the theater one of these coming weekends with Sweetie Belle. The cinema always shows classics on Saturdays, and I remember seeing it listed in the show times.” She sighed deeply. “Sweetie Belle was going to stop by for a few days during a break between tours, and we wanted to catch it.”

Bonbon blinked. “Oh, well, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. It… it just didn’t sit well with me.”

“That and Lyra kept ruining everything with all her talking,” Spike added.

Rarity laughed quietly. “She’s always quite the chatterbox during movies, isn’t she?”

“Ah! Y-yes, Madam, harder!”

The sound of leather meeting skin made Spike wince. He cleared his throat loudly and spoke. “Well, I better see if the girls need more popcorn. Be right back.”

Spike all but sprinted into the living room, nearly tackling the projector as he fumbled for the off switch. The film cut off suddenly, being replaced with a blank screen.

“Hey, what gives?” Lyra grumbled. “We were getting to the good part!”

“Rarity is in the other room!” Spike whispered loudly.

Both mares shared wide-eyed looks with the drake, then glanced into the kitchen.

“Seriously?” Scootaloo whispered.

“Yes, I lied and said we’re watching Dances with Timberwolves.” Spike looked over his shoulder, fearing that Rarity was going to be standing behind him. “Bonbon and I lied and said it was bad.”

“What?!” Lyra hissed. “That movie is amazing!”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo piped in. “The acting was phenomenal! Not to mention it was a pioneer for multi-species movies, and it revived the frontier adventure genre!”

“I know, I know! I cried several times when I watched it, trust me, I know,” Spike said quickly. “Look, just don’t say anything to Rarity about what you just saw, alright?”

Bonbon walked back into the living room, sighing deeply as she sat back on the couch. “Alright, she’s gone. That was too close.” She glanced over at Spike. “So, what was with this film going from educational to… to that?” She pointed a hoof to the blank screen. “Did your work just prank you or something?”

Spike gave her a clueless look and shrugged. “I swear I have no idea what happened with that film. For all I know somepony spliced the two films and somehow got it mixed up in the rest.” He took the film out of the projector and frowned. “I’ll be having a talk with Colea about this tomorrow. I’m positive it was an honest mistake.”

“I would hope so,” Bonbon harrumphed. “What if there had been foals in the room?”

Spike could only shake his head. Yes, a talk with Colea was definitely in due order.

The following day Spike had stopped by the Everfree House early to explain what had happened with the film. He had learned two very important things that day. Firstly, Colea was scary when she was angry. Luckily her anger wasn’t directed towards him. Secondly, should Colea and Bonbon ever meet, they would likely be the best of friends in no time.

“I can’t believe this!” Colea growled as she looked at the film. “What if there had been foals in the room while you were playing this?”

Spike could only nod and sigh. “I’m just glad there were only adults present.”

Colea’s grimace grew more intense as she shook her head. “I’m am truly sorry about this, Spike. I promise that what happened wasn’t intentional, at least from my end.” She made got up from her stool and made her way around the desk. “I’m going to have a long talk with Double Take about proper use of company property when I have a chance.”

“I believe I’m patrolling with her tonight, right?”

“Yes, and she had better give me an explanation before that time so that she can give you an apology as well.” Colea turned to face Spike fully. “I hope this doesn’t give you a bad image of us… well, at least not any worse of an image than you might already have of our business.”

Spike waved a claw and chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, Colea. Water under the bridge. Besides, I got a chuckle or two out of it. No harm done.”

Colea quirked an eyebrow, a small grin forming on her lips as she turned towards a hall nearby. She looked relieved, Spike thought. With a wave of her hoof, she gestured for Spike to follow.

“I appreciate that, Spike. Still, I’ll be having a few words with Double Take. It’s unprofessional, and making copies of those films isn’t cheap.”

Spike chose not to comment any further on the matter, noticing the grim expression Colea now had on her face.

Note to self: don’t tamper with company possessions. He thought to himself as they entered the cafeteria. A small group of ponies and changelings sat at a table, talking while enjoying their meals. All the noise stopped, however, as the door closed behind Spike and Colea. It was like someone had cast a mute spell on the room. The group turned to the door, sensing the now palpable waves of emotion coming off of Colea.

One of the ponies, a stallion with a blue coat and a dark blue mane, chanced to speak. “Um… hey, Colea? What’s—?”

“Double Take!” Colea shouted out, causing Spike to jump in surprise. “Get over here! Now!”

A blur of black and green was in front of Colea within seconds, a nervous smile on her lips. “What’s up, Colea?”

Spike recognized Double Take instantly from the meeting the other day. She was remarkably different from Wisp, Blur, and Colea, though he recalled another changeling sharing similar features to her.

Spike’s musings were cut off as Colea spoke. “Do you mind explaining why Spike found some confidential footage from a session of yours on one of our Cultural Introductory films?”

If changelings were incapable of turning pale, Double Take had come as close as physically possible to doing so. Her face went from black to a dark grey—subtle, but noticeable—and her eyes, if possible, widened. She turned to Spike and laughed weakly, “O-oh… so… you found that?”

Colea’s grimace deepened. “Yes, he did. He played it in front of his housemates, too.”

Double Take gave Spike and Colea a sheepish grin. “Um… sorry about that.”

Spike decided to be merciful and just waved it off. “It’s alright. If it means anything, I didn’t see most of it.”

“Really?” She perked up at that. “Oh, good, because I really don’t think I did as well as I could have done with my impersonation of Blue—”

“As it stands,” Colea cut her off with a glare. “The replacement for that film will be coming out of your next paycheck.”

“B-but… aw, come on, Colea! She requested I film it!”

“Then you should have asked for a blank film reel,” Colea countered. “As it stands, you’re going to be paying for the copy. You’ll also make sure that a good copy is sent to the client, free of charge. Am I clear?”

“Crystal, ma’am,” Double Take replied with a nod.

“Good. Now, Spike here will be shadowing you as you run the late-shift patrol throughout the house. Be sure to answer any questions he might have, let him know the ins and outs of what we do during the later hours of the day.” Colea leaned forward a bit, her shorter stature forcing her to look up at Double Take a little. “You’re on thin ice, missy. Another incident like that and you’re scrubbing the latrines for a week.”

Double Take gave a nervous grin. “S-sure thing, Colea. Whatever you say. I didn’t think it would happen, honest. I promise it won’t ever happen again!”

Colea’s stern gaze softened a bit, and she sighed. “Alright, then. Just… think before you act next time, alright? You’re a good kid, Double Take, but you can get yourself into major problems sometimes…”

Double Take was now blushing lightly. She gave a quick nod. “R-right. I’ll try harder next time.”

“I know you will,” Colea smiled despite herself. She turned to Spike and nodded once. “Alright, Spike. I’ll see you later. If you have any questions, ask Double Take or anyone else working here, okay?”

“Sure thing,” Spike replied, giving her a thumbs-up.

Colea made her way out the door, leaving Double Take and Spike standing there while several of the staff still in the cafeteria watched them.

“So...you didn’t think I did that bad?”

“Huh?” Spike quirked an eyebrow at Double Take’s question. Only after he noticed the light tinge of green in her cheeks did he catch on to what she was talking about. “O-oh! Well, I never met Prince Blueblood personally, but… you got his image down rather well.”

“Miss Rarity said I was good, but I think she was being nice… I…” She blinked, then clapped both hooves over her mouth. “Please don’t tell anyone I just said that was Miss Rarity in the film—gah, I said it again!” She shot a panicked look over to her co-workers, who had continued with their dinner and no longer paid them any attention.

Spike chuckled, “If it helps you at all, Double Take, I’m rather good friends with Rarity.”

That didn’t seem help her at all, for her eyes widened and she let out a squeaky gasp. “Y-you are? Oh no, I am soooo sorrysorrysorry! I didn’t do anything to her that she wasn’t uncomfortable with, I swear! Please don’t—”

How the heck did she get put in patrol work here? Spike thought to himself. He placed a gentle claw on her back and spoke softly. “Double Take. It’s fine. I’m not angry at you.”

“Y-you aren’t?” Double Take asked, peeking out from behind her hooves. “Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

“Promise?”

Spike rolled his eyes, but gave a nod. “I promise.”

That seemed to perk Double Take up a bit. She stood up to her full height and grinned. “Well, Spike, I’m looking forward to working with you tonight, then! Um… any questions before we start patrol?”

Spike shook his head. “Nothing at the moment.”

Double Take beamed. “Alrighty, then! Just follow me, then!”

Spike did just that. She was practically skipping ahead of him, humming softly to herself as they made their way down a corridor leading to the front of the Everfree House. Despite him being a rather respectable drake, he couldn’t help but admire her frame now that he got a good look at her. Her body was slender and lithe, and her eyes were noticeably larger than Colea’s, though still small enough that they didn’t detract from the rest of her features. Her wings were probably her most notable feature, though. While most of the changelings he had seen had wings about the size of most pegasi, Double Take’s wings were easily twice as long as the rest of the changelings’ wings.

“Um… I hope this doesn’t come off as sounding rude, but how come you’re so different from the rest of the changelings here?” Spike ventured, hoping he didn’t just cross some line with his question.

Luckily, Double Take only blinked for a second as she took in his inquiry, then grinned. “Oh! That’s because I’m what most would call a ‘scout’ class changeling.”

“Scout? You mean like… camping, nature hikes, and stuff?”

“Nope,” Double Take replied with a shake of her head. “There are four major classes, or… um…subspecies wouldn’t be a good term, but… well, maybe it would, but anyway, changelings are kind of like ponies. You have your earth ponies, your unicorns, and your pegasi. All three are different, but have a lot of similarities too.”-

“Ohhh, so you mean there are different kinds of changelings, huh?” Spike smiled. “I never remember reading about that.”

“Yeah, but like I said, I’m a ‘scout’ class changeling. Changelings like myself were responsible for searching for food sources and keeping a lookout for dangers to hives ages ago.”

“You make it sound like that’s not the case these days,” Spike said, curiosity clear in his tone.

“Well, these days a changeling can do whatever job they want. Queen Chrysalis more or less did away with predetermined duties in changeling civilization about… two thousand years ago, I think?” She paused for a moment in thought before continuing. “Aside from scouts, there are also drones, like Colea, soldiers, like Wisp, and nurturers, like Blur.”

Spike hummed in thought, “That explains why Blur had the large dorsal frill… is that normal for nurturers?”

“Yep!” Double Take answered. “But yeah, to answer your original question, I’m a scout changeling. We tend to have longer wings to help us fly faster and farther, slender bodies to help us move quickly, and large eyes to help us see things better and from farther away.”

The drake grinned. “I bet that’s pretty helpful when you’re working security, huh?”

“Eh, security work is only a part-time thing. You’re our first full-time guy, so you’ll definitely be better than me at it in no time at all.” She continued onward. “Speaking of which, we should be doing just that, heheh.”

Spike found himself liking Double Take more and more by the minute. She reminded him a bit of Pinkie Pie… mixed in with a bit of the same kind of nervousness Fluttershy often had.

“So,” Double Take said, snapping him out of his thoughts. “What about you, Spike? I have to admit, I never saw many dragons back home in the Changeling Nation. Anything special about you… well, I mean, aside from the fact that you are you, which is already special, but I mean… um…” She coughed into a hoof. “Sorry, I tend to talk a lot, in case you didn’t notice.”

“Nah, it’s fine. I’m happy to have someone to talk to about being a dragon. Most ponies I know just kind of take it for granted.” Spike gave her a toothy grin. “As for me, well, I can breathe fire. It’s green for some reason. Never really tried figuring that out, but it’s been that way my whole life. I also have these beauties right here.” He flexed the two wings that had been folded at his sides. He spread them out a bit as he continued. “Still not quite used to flying with them, but I can get from point A to point B if I need to with them. It does help to have a pegasus marefriend, though.”

“Oh?” the changeling cocked her head to the side and smiled. “You have a special somepony, huh?”

“Heh, yeah. She’s awesome. Well… we’re sort of in a relationship. Nothing too serious, but we still care a lot for each other.” Spike shrugged. “We’ve got a mutual understanding with each other. It’s working well for us.”

“I guess that’s what matters most. You should bring her out here some time, I’m sure she’d have a good… er, I mean, you two should totally have a date here and—well, I-I mean… this is a nice place to enjoy a romantic night out.” Double Take cleared her throat and faced forward. Spike could hear her berating herself under her breath as she pushed through the entrance of the Everfree House.

The smell of fresh growth and wildflowers filled Spike’s nostrils. He breathed in deep and exhaled slowly. “I love this time of year.”

“You need to meet Ebon, then.” Double Take smiled. “She’s our local green-hoof around here.”

Spike chuckled. “Everyone keeps telling me I need to meet this ‘Ebon’, but I have yet to see her myself.”

“Not too surprising,” Double Take commented with a sigh. “She’s a bit… reclusive. She likes her peace and quiet, but she’s never above saying hello to a new face.” The changeling lifted into the air, her wings buzzing noisily as she drifted ahead. “Come on, she’s this way. Just around the back of the house.”

Spike followed Double Take as she lead him around the house. Though, calling it a house was a severe understatement. Even though he had been here three times now, he still never got a full look at the sheer scale of the building. It was a solid two stories high, and he could see two of the Apple family’s barns easily fitting within its interior. The style of the building was similar to that of the old gothic houses in some of the older towns in Equestria, like Hoofington or Trottingham. There was a welcoming look to it, though. The shingles were a clay red hue, and the house itself was a tan, sandstone color. Flags flapping in the wind were positioned on two of the house’s towers, and there was a wind compass with a pegasus on the center tower.

All in all, Spike enjoyed the older style it held. It was easy to see that the house was made fairly recently, but the old-style charm was still there. A historical architect would have a field day looking over the house.

“Huh, I guess it’s true what they say: changelings are some of the best architects in the civilized world,” Spike said aloud.

Double Take looked over her shoulder to Spike and smiled proudly. “Miss Colea’s not an architect by trade, but she knew enough about building to get a floor plan set up. After the planning was finished Colea went and hired some changelings living in Manehattan, and we had the place finished within a month.”

“Wow, that’s a short period of time for such a huge building.” Spike shook his head in mild disbelief. “How did you all get it put together so quickly?”

“Teamwork, duh,” Double Take giggled.

Spike rolled his eyes and smirked. “Fine, fine, keep your trade secrets to yourself.” He continued onward as Double Take let out another peal of laughter. “So, do all of you live here?”

“Not all of us, but most of us do. Doctor Lepid lives in Ponyville, but he works here. Apple Cobbler and I have an apartment in Ponyville as well…” She tapped her chin in thought, wings buzzing as she hovered in the air. “I… don’t think anyone else that I know lives outside the house. Well, no, wait, Noteworthy does have a place, too. He goes there when he needs to focus on his music.”

“Noteworthy… I feel like I’ve heard that name before…” Spike thought aloud.

“He’s actually a local in Ponyville, though you probably guessed that much. He’s one of our local musicians, and he works at the bar on our busy nights if he’s not performing,” Double Take explained. “Usually, though, he’s playing his guitar down in the bar on the weekends.”

Well, it seems Spike knew less of the residents in Ponyville that he had thought. “I look forward to meeting him. Not much of a guitarist myself, but I can sing a little.”

Double Take let out a gasp, her wings buzzing faster as she closed the distance between them. “Really?!” Her eyes were practically shining with excitement. “Because we’ve been looking for someone to perform acts on weekdays, and we’re hoping to draw in some local talent to help strengthen ties between Ponyville and the bordello! Oh, oh, what can you sing?”

“I…” Spike took an unconscious step back as her grin grew. “Lots of stuff, I guess. My… friends sing a lot, and I kind of learned how to by being around them all the time. I mean, I’m not a professional—”

“That’s okay!” Double Take said, now rising and falling as she hovered while her hooves clopped together. “Ohhhh, this will be so great! I need to tell Colea and Roxie as soon as I get a chance!”

“Whoa, whoa, I never said anything about performing any gigs!” Spike laughed.

Double Take was buzzing around Spike happily, only to come to an abrupt halt as he said those words. She blinked several times, then looked down to Spike. “O-oh, heheh...right, you didn’t, did you?” She gave a nervous cough and settled back down onto the ground. “Well, if you do decide to do any stage performances here, you just have to talk to Roxie and Colea.” She tapped the tips of her hooves together and whispered. “Though, we are a little desperate for shows right now…”

“I’ll give it some thought. I could… wait…” Spike’s eyes widened, and idea coming to mind. He grinned and laughed. “I know the perfect way to get some real entertainment here.”

Double Take frowned a little. “We don’t allow erotic performances on the stage,” Then, as an afterthought, she added, “...usually… well, no, we do, but we try to avoid making them a regular thing.”

“Oh, no, I was thinking… you see, I have a good friend who’s gaining quite a name in the music business.” Spike couldn’t keep the hint of pride out his voice. “She’s still got a ways to go, but she’s really talented. I’ll see if I can get in touch with her. I’m sure she’d be happy to do some shows here.”

“Well, do let her know that we’re looking for someone to do a few gigs here. Even one night would be wonderful.” Double Take grinned as she flitted onward. “Just be sure to let her know the basics of our business first. We don’t want to surprise anyone too much.”

“Will do,” Spike replied with a nod. “So, how much further until we find this Ebon?”

“Oh, she’s—” Double Take paused abruptly in mid-air, her wings continuing to keep her aloft.

Spike almost bumped into her, stopping just short of doing so. He gave Double Take a concerned look. “Um, everything okay?”

She gave no response. Spike frowned and walked forward to face her directly. She was facing forward, but her gaze wasn’t focused on anything in particular. She opened and closed her mouth a few times.

“D-Double Take?” Spike said hesitantly.

The changeling’s eyes came back into focus, and then she blinked a few times. She looked to Spike, her eyes widening as she gasped softly. “O-oh, I am so sorry! You must have been worried for a minute there!” She grinned a little and laughed sheepishly. “I was just picking up a message from Ebon, actually.”

“Wait… what?” Spike asked, clearly confused. “I don’t follow you…”

“Telepathy,” Double Take began. “We changelings have a certain degree of it with each other. It’s mostly a voluntary thing, but we all like to keep in touch with each other in the house. If something’s happening on one end of the building it provides a quick way for us to reach each other.”

Spike’s eyes widened. “Wow, really?”

Double Take nodded. “Yep, though it takes a lot of focus to get a particular thought or message from one of us to another. We all recognize each other’s auras, so we’re pretty good at nailing down who gets what messages.”

“Huh,” Spike said as he sat down before her. “So… what did Ebon tell you?”

“Oh, right!” Double Take flushed a bit in the cheeks. “Sorry, heheh. Um, she said that Colea told her to tell me that there’s three ponies at the front lobby asking for you.”

Spike frowned. “Three? Did they give their names?”

“Yeah, actually. Two of them live with you, apparently. Um… what did she say their names were…?” She tapped her chin in thought.

Spike hazarded a guess. “Lyra and Bonbon?”

“Yeah!” Double Take nodded quickly with a smile. “Um… the other is… well, we weren’t expecting somepony like her to show up…”

That didn’t sound good, “Who would that be?” Spike asked, worry laced in his words.

Double Take fidgeted a bit with her front hooves, then spoke. “She seemed like she really wanted to talk to you.”

“Was her name Scootaloo?” Spike asked hopefully. Sure, she wasn’t a celebrity or particularly famous pony, but she had set a Ponyville record for the most wing push-ups during an Iron Pony competition a few years back.

“No,” Double Take answered. “She’s really famous, though.”

Well, so much for that. “Who is it, then?”

Double Take shook her head slowly. “I don’t know why she’s here, asking for you in particular. You… you don’t have any issues regarding the Wonderbolts, do you?”

Spike’s stomach tightened a bit. “Rainbow Dash?”

“Y-yeah… her.” Double Take stopped flying, landing on the ground softly. “She’s like...one of the best among the Wonderbolts right now, right?”

“Some would argue otherwise, but that’s the popular opinion. I’d definitely agree with that,” Spike replied. “She’s here to see me?”

Double Take nodded. “I wouldn’t be too worried about it, but the message Ebon sent made her seem… really unnerved. That’s not like Ebon at all to be bothered by something like this.”

Spike sighed deeply. “I suppose I should have expected something like this to happen sooner or later…” He ran a hand over his face, stopping to pinch the bridge of his snout. “Well… I suppose I shouldn’t keep them waiting, huh?”

The changeling frowned. “Is everything alright, Spike?”

“Hopefully,” he replied. “I’ll explain it all afterwards. No doubt Colea is going to be expecting some answers.”

Spike mentally cursed his luck. Not even a week into the job and already he was dealing with this kind of stuff? He had expected Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Fluttershy to find out sooner or later. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were knowledgeable about all current events in Ponyville, so news of his new job would inevitably reach those two. Applejack would no doubt find out from Rarity or Pinkie during one of the days that the girls in town would meet. Fluttershy would likely have found out from Rarity as well during one of their spa visits, though it seems that she already had a friend in Blur, so he wasn’t too worried about her thoughts on his place of employment…

Still, Rainbow Dash had been one of the last ponies he expected out of the group to learn of his job. Why she was here… well, he had several ideas, and the fact that Lyra and Bonbon were here as well could mean a multitude of things.

The two made their way back to the front of the Everfree House, the nervous tightening in Spike’s stomach worsening as they did so.

Author's Notes:

Took long enough, eh? Anyway, here you all go. Thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did writing it. More will be on the way, of course!

I'd also like to thank the illustrious Burraku_Pansa for the help he gave me while I wrote this!