Secrets Behind The Letters

by FamousLastWords

Chapters

• Genesis (Prologue)
• Fragile Figures
• Blindside
• The Ascent
• The Best You Can't Be
• Ready For Repair
• The Hardest Part 1

Genesis (Prologue)

A lone pony was running at breakneck speed through the winding corridors of the Canterlot Royal Palace.

"Excuse me! Move! Urgent message for the Princess!" he yelled while running by, and sometimes stumbling over everypony in his way.

Only moments earlier he was simply doing his duty as a member of the royal guard - guarding the palace doors and checking in who wished to gain entrance. A simple yet important job to be sure.

It was a rather relaxing morning, and seemed to be turning into a very pleasant day. However, the mood took a drastic turn when the palace mail-carrier arrived, having a frantic look on her face.

"Sir! I have an urgent message from the Crystal Empire! It was sent from her highness, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza herself! I have instructions to make sure this get's delivered to Princess Celestia immediately." Her face grew more and more distraught as she spoke. "I'm not sure what it's about, but it seems to be serious."

"Thank you, ma'am. I'll bring this to her highness right away."

So here he was, charging through the castle like a madpony. Although unaware of what the letter said, he knew it was something important. He could only pray it wasn't anything too terrible. Either way, he was about to find out, as he was about to reach the throne room.

* * * * * *

Her coffee was cold this morning. Everypony hates cold coffee, the Sun-Goddess herself included.

'Oh, this is going to be a bad day.' The unpleasantly tempered beverage slithered down Celestia's throat, leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

"Thank you for bringing me my coffee," Celestia said to her server girl, mustering up the biggest fake smile she could. "It's very much...appreciated." The server respectfully bowed and left.

"Now, let's get down to the business for today." Celestia sat atop her throne, ready to sort through all the ordinance proposals, party invitations and fanmail that had flooded her palace. She looked begrudgingly at the mountain of paperwork in front of her. "Hopefully today won't be to terribly eventful."

"PRINCESS!"

...So much for that notion. "Yes Flash, what is it?"

"Urgent news from the Crystal Empire! I didn't read the letter so I'm not sure what the news is though. But it came from Princess Mi Amore Cadenza herself!" Droplets of sweat were still running down his muzzle.

"It's odd she would send a high priority message via letter like this. She usually visits face to face when she needs to talk to me." Celstia thought to herself for a moment. "Very good, Flash. Bring me the letter please."

"Yes ma'am." She took the letter from his hoof, the rough condition of the letter making her apprehensive. However, she opened it and began to read.

"Princess, Equestria is in danger! I don't know how, but Sombra and his forces have returned! He has even greater numbers than before with him! They're moving in on my kingdom at an alarming rate. Shining Armor has taken some of our troops to set up barricades and defenses around the area, but that will only buy us time. We need help immediately. We're hopelessly outnumbered, and there's nothing we can do. Please help!

Everypony could hear the sound of the letter hitting the ground.

'How is this possible? He was banished forever! And if his forces are as numerous as Cadence said, we don't have nearly enough soldiers to combat an invasion...' Celestia's thoughts were racing, trying to figure out the best course of action.

"Ma'am? Is everything alright?" Flash noticed the worried look on her face.

Celestia looked up. "Equestria is in danger. King Sombra has returned, a colossal invasion force at his side. They are en route to attack the Crystal Empire even as we speak."

His heart began to race. "Wh..what are we going to do? We don't have anywhere near enough soldiers to face this kind of battle."

"I know." Celestia's eyes fell to the floor. "We're going to have to take drastic measures. I need you to send word out to all the cities and towns requesting volunteers for the army. Meanwhile, I'm going to go to the Crystal Empire to help, and learn about what we are dealing with."

"But Princess! Can't you just get rid of Sombra like before? Your the most powerful being in existence."

"Even my power has it's limits, Flash. And I don't want to take any chances. Please, carry out what I told you, as quickly as possible. I'm going to inform Luna of what has happened."

"Yes, Ma'am!" He said, giving a quick salute. "I'll begin immediately."

"Thank you." Celestia gave a quick sigh while walking towards Luna's room.

'I can't believe this is happening.' Celestia's mind began to race again. 'The last thing I wanted to do was get my innocent civilians involved. But what choice is there. We need all the help we can get. So many lives are at stake!' Tears started to form around her eyes. 'We had no time to prepare for this. I'm not sure how we're going to manage, even if we get volunteers. Maybe Luna can help me strategize, or formulate some sort of plan. And maybe things aren't as bad as Cadence led on. Maybe I will be able to handle this by myself.' She started to feel a bit better about the situation, but still felt a dark gloom overshadowing her. She knew something bad was on the verge of happening.

"I knew this was going to be a bad day."

Fragile Figures

Sleep.

For some the land of peaceful slumber is a rare and precious luxury. For others, a lifestyle choice.

The latter was the case with Spike. Escaping reality, and spending time within the land of dreams was one of his favourite pastimes.

* * * * * * * * *

"Spike! A..Are you sure we should be doing this? What if somepony finds out?" The sweat rolling down Rarity's forehead complimented the racing drum beat in her chest. "Our friends might not approve, or they might turn against us, or..."

"Relax. It will be okay, I promise." Hoof in claw, eye to eye, they moved closer to each other on Rarity's bed. "I love you, and I want to show just how much."

"Alright. You win, Spikey." Mane flipped back and eyes fixed in place, her demeanor transformed from nervous, to purely seductive. "Make me feel loved."

* * * * * * * * *

"Oh yea, babe. You got it, mmm..." *Snore*

Twilight sat beside Spikes basket, watching him enjoy what seemed to be a very pleasant

dream. Her original intention was to wake him so they could begin the days' chores and errands, but he was just so adorable, curled up and talking in his sleep. She didn't have the heart to disrupt this precious moment!

"Oh yea. Just come a bit closer..." Spike then grabbed Twilight's head with both claws and pulled her down to where their lips met.

Cute moment over.

*WHACK!*

"AAH! What happened?!" Spike tumbled out of his basket, sporting a very painful looking hoof mark on his cheek. "Ouch! What'd you have to wake me up like that for? I was having the best dream..." His face was the picture of contentment at the recollection of his 'exciting' night experience.

"I could tell. Blech!" Twilight's face contorted as she wiped her lips off. "Just keep your claws to yourself next time, alright Romeo?"

"Oh, he he. Sorry, Twi." Spike gave a sheepish grin at the realization of his subconscious actions.

"It's alright, Spike. It was just a little...awkward." She playfully nudged his arm, not wanting him to be too embarrassed. "Anyway, who were you dreaming about, if I may ask? Wait, don't tell me, I already know. Rarity, right?" She gave him a playfully suspicious smile, and his blush gave away the answer.

"Yea..." A dreamy sigh escaped his lips.

She had known about his crush on Rarity for awhile, and it was adorable, but she almost felt sorry for the young dragon. He's had this crush for so long, and Rarity has never even remotely reciprocated the feelings. At least not that she's ever noticed.

Spike suddenly snapped out of his love-introduced trance. "Speaking of Rarity, can I go to the Carousel Boutique today? Rarity said she could use some help with a few orders today."

"Well, I don't know... We've got a lot to do today." His pleading eyes went straight to her heart. "Oh, alright. But you have to finish your chores first. Deal?"

"Yes, ma'am!" He gave a quick salute, and he was off.

Twilight could only chuckle at her adoptive baby brother. "Oh, Spike. You never change."

* * * * * * * * *

Those chores were done in record time.

Spike dashed out of his library home, on his way to Rarity's. "Bye, Twilight! I'll be home later," he shouted at the unicorn behind him."

"Alrighty, have fun! But don't bother Rarity for too long!"

* * * * * * * * *

Spike stood outside the Carousel Boutique, getting mentally prepared to face his dream mare. 'Alright Spike, you can do this. Just be cool.' Heart rate quickening he pushed open the front door to the shop.

"Uhh, Rarity? It's Spike!" Scanning the room, he quickly spotted the white unicorn across the room, levitating and tossing various fabrics around.

"Too dark..." She threw one piece of cloth to the side and grabbed another. "No, no, no, too light. Let's see...., No! Too average! Oh, I'll simply NEVER find the right material for this project. Woe is me!" Rarity fell back on her conveniently located sofa, throwing her hoof to her forehead.

Spike couldn't help but laugh at Rarity's overboard dramatics. "It's alright, Rarity. I'm sure you'll figure it out. You are the best seamstress in all of Equestria after all."

Rarity's head cocked to attention upon hearing Spike's voice and immediately jumped of the couch with enthusiasm to greet the young dragon.

"Oh, Spike, darling! Terribly sorry I didn't notice you sooner, I was just so distressed about my latest project. It's for a very importatnt client, and the deadline is coming up, and I can't seem to get the look for it right. It's been so stressful!"

"Aww, Rarity. I'm sorry. Well, I'll help you with whatever you need. Just say the word!" Spike gave her the best, most confident smile he had.

Rarity pulled him into a suffocating, yet affectionate, embrace."Oh, Darling! Aren't you just the sweetest thing! You're wonderful!"

"D..Don't mention it," Spike mumbled out, a goofy smile plastered on his face.

Rarity levitated a mass of various fabrics and equipment over to where they were sitting. Spike suddenly felt his confidence turn miniscule at the sight of the seemingly impossible task he had just volunteered for.

"Alright, Spike! Let's get started, shall we?"

* * * * * * * * *

After hours of turmoil and anguish, the monumental job was complete. Spike had to question how Rarity was able to deal with stuff like that every day!

He and Rarity were now sitting in the dining room, enjoying a cup of tea. It was nice, just being with her. His heart was speeding up by just looking at her. That gorgeous purple mane, styled to perfection. Her beautiful blue eyes, her serene white coat. Everything about her was perfect.

Rarity gave him an awkward look, reminding him that he'd been staring at her for awhile now. It was time to break the awkward silence.

'Alright Spike, you can do this. Just be cool, and be yourself...'

"So, Rarity?"

"Yes Spike? What is it, dear?"

Spike searched his entire mental database for something reasonably intelligent to say. "Do you like... toast?"

*INSERT MENTAL FACEPALM HERE*

"He-he, Oh Spikey-Wikey, you're so cute sometimes with the things you say."

Spike's cheeks burned at his conversational fail.

"As a matter of fact, I do enjoy toast! It's a most enjoyable breakfast food." Rarity was trying her best to ease Spike's apparent embarrassment. "Anywho, on a different, non-food related topic, how have you been? I've had so much going on recently it seems I never get to see any of my friends anymore."

Albeit a tad disappointed at being friendzoned, the purple drake was just grateful the conversation had moved forward from its disastrous start. "I've been alright. Same old, same old. Helping Twilight with the chores and running errands and so forth. Nothing too exciting."

"Oh, well it's wonderful that your such a generous helper to Twilight. It's very sweet that you use your time for her."

Spike let out a sigh that dripped with disappointment. " Yea, it's alright... I guess."

"You guess?"

"Well, don't get me wrong, I love Twilight. Helping her with things around the house is actually really important to me. But..." A deep breath engulfed his lungs. " I wanna do something different! I want a little change in my life. I wanna get out more. Do you get what I'm saying?" Spike's eyes immediately traveled to the floor, a tad embarrassed by his sudden outburst. "Sorry, I didn't mean to unload all that on you."

"Oh Spikey, I understand exactly what you mean." Spike could hear sadness, and a hint of longing in her voice.

"You do?"

"Well, yes. I've been wanting to get out for awhile, also. To try something new, to get away from this town!" Her eyes started getting a distant look as her mind wandered.

"But I thought you liked it here with us." Spike's voice was quivering. He tried to mask the upset he felt at Rarity's sentiment, but failed even further as a few tear droplets formed in his eyes.

Rarity's heart dropped, and she reached over and wrapped Spike in a quick and tender hug. "Oh sweetie, don't get me wrong. I love all of the friends I've made, and the life I have here , and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But I just feel so.. trapped, sometimes." She used her spoon to stir her tea around, lost in thought once again.

Spike thought to himself,  before arriving at a wonderful idea. 'Here's your opportunity. It's now or never, Spike!'

"You know, Rarity. Maybe we should both get away from this place, at least for a little while." Spike gulped down his nervousness. "I think we should plan a trip together, just the two of us, to escape for a couple days."

Rarity dropped the spoon she was levitating, and looked up at him, a surprised look on her face. Spike was filled with anticipation, and a sense of dread.

"Oh, Spike. That sounds like a-"

*KNOCK! KNOCK!*

"Oh, will you excuse me for a moment while I get the door?" She walked out of the dining room, leaving a crestfallen dragon in her wake.

"Fail... And that was the perfect moment, too!" It was all Spike could do to sigh, and wait for Rarity to come back. If fate would turn in his favor, maybe he could get another chance to bring his trip idea back into the conversation.

No sooner was he practicing his conversation tactics, that the mare in question came running back into the room. But something was wrong. She had a rather worried look on her face, and it was making Spike concerned.

"Is something wrong? Who was at the door?"

"That was a messenger from town  hall. Everypony in Ponyville is being summoned to Town Square immediately. Apparently, the mayor has an announcement to make of extreme importance!"

"Do you know what it's about?" Spike asked, walking with Rarity towards the front door and opening it for her.

"No, they didn't say. But it must be urgent to call the entire town to a meeting on such short notice like this. I'm really worried, Spike. What if something terrible has happened?!"

Spike took one of Rarity's hoofs in his claws and gave it a comforting stroke. "Don't worry, it will be okay. I promise. But we better hurry before they start."

"Oh Spike, I do so hope that you're right."

Blindside

The town square was filled to the brim with the town's residents. It seemed all of ponyville must have received the message about the Mayor's special announcement. The populace's usually warm and content air was absent, however.

Spike's stomach was tying itself in knots. The general feeling of uneasiness in the crowd was making him nervous. The heaviness in the air and they grey skies above only increased the tension.

As he and Rarity made their way through the crowd, whispering and speculations from the towns' residents filled their ears.

"This better be important! I had to close my shop early for this!"

" I heard a dragon has staked its territory near town! I'd bet my best horseshoe this meeting has something to do with that."

" A DRAGON! Oh, we're all going to die. I knew it, I just knew it."

" Oh, please. There's no dragon. This probably has to do with a new ordinance or something of that nature."

" It must be an important ordinance to justify an emergency town meeting like this."

Spike could feel raindrops begin to fall upon his scales. The inclement weather seemed to perfectly compliment the ominous uncertainty that was quickly spreading around them. Of course, always prepared, Rarity levitated an umbrella out of her saddlebag to shield them from the rain.

" Thanks, Rarity! I..." Spike quickly glanced around and noticed how almost all of the stallions were holding the umbrellas for the mares. He had to act likewise. " I can hold the umbrella for you, Rarity!" Spike immediately reached up and snatched the item in question.

" Oh, well, thank you, Spike. Your such a gentlecolt, er, gentledrake." He was so cute when trying to impress her, and she always admired his efforts. However, in this instance, his height, or lack thereof, had forced her to kneel down to his level to get under the umbrella, which was more than a little uncomfortable to say the least.

"Uh, darling? Maybe it would be easier if I held the umbrella for us." Her back made a rather loud crack as she stood back up, gently levitating the umbrella away from the slightly disheartened dragon. " However, I certainly appreciate your thoughtfulness. It is most becoming."

'Yes! Bonus points for Spike!' He was victorious, and he was proud of himself. "No problem, Rarity! It's my pleasure."

"Spike! Rarity!" Rainbow Dash was flying right towards the duo at top speed.

"Oh, hey Rainb- AHH!" Spike couldn't finish his sentence before he and Rarity were leveled by the rainbow-maned pegasus. "Ugh! The pain!"

" Ha-ha! Sorry, guys!" Rainbow snorted, trying to hold back laughter. " I thought I could stop in time. Guess not. You alright?" She helped her friends up off the ground and tried to reestablish the umbrella for them. By this point, however, the two of them were rather soaked, much to the dismay of a certain white unicorn.

" Yes dear, we're fine." It took an obscene amount of her self-control to refrain from sending a few more, colorful words in Rainbow's direction. One look at her now rain and dirt soaked coat and mane sent a shudder down her back. "Couldn't the weather patrol have picked a more favorable time for a rainstorm?" Her glare could slice through steel.

"Sorry guys, but we were due for some rain today. Besides, how am I supposed to know when the mayor is gonna schedule some random outdoor get-together like this. So not my fault. But don't worry, it shouldn't last too long, I think."

Rarity sighed in defeat, deciding not to argue the issue any further. "Anywho, Rainbow, do you have any idea as to what this whole situation is about? I haven't the slightest idea, and neither does anyone else it seems." She gestured towards all the ponies around them, still gossiping amongst themselves as to what was going on.

"Nope! Sorry. Although, I did see a few guards come into town earlier today, and they looked like they were from Canterlot, what with the armor and stuff they had on." Rainbow twisted her face into a pensive expression, appearing deep in thought. "Ha! I bet the mayor is in on some political scandal with the Princesses, and something went wrong and now she's in trouble! That would be so awesomely epic!"

"Yes, well, I highly doubt that, Rainbow Dash. I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why we have members of the Royal Guard visiting."

"Like...?" Rainbow was not convinced.

"Uh, well, I don't know! Maybe there's a criminal loose and they're passing through on a search. Or maybe it's something good! Perhaps Celestia herself is going to be paying us a visit and this is a meeting for her."

" Sure, whatever you say, Rarity. A political heist still sounds better to me."

The white mare just rolled her eyes in retaliation. " Of course it does."

" And just what is THAT supposed to mean?"

Spike was to the point plugging his ears, just to drown out their annoying argument. "Guys! Enough! I can't take it anymore."

The two stunned mares looked at him, surprised by the sudden outburst.

" Look, we're gonna find out what this is all about soon anyway, so there's no point in arguing about it. Geesh!"

" I apologize, Spike. You are quite right. No sense in arguing over such trivial matters. Wouldn't you agree, Rainbow Dash?"

" Pfft, I still think-" A quick kick in the side from Rarity finished that thought for her. " Yea, of course. Sorry, Spike." She gave her aggressor a vengeful look whilst rubbing her side.

" It's cool. I think the atmosphere is just getting to us all." Spike quickly glanced around himself. Between the weather and the general anxiousness of everypony, it was a negative atmosphere indeed.

After a bit more scounting, Spike spotted a particular purple unicorn in the crowd, looking very lost and awkward at that. "Hey, Twilight! Over here!"

The unicorn in question looked up with a very relieved smile on her face, and immediately ran over to join her friends.

" Hey guys! I'm so glad I finally found you. This whole town meeting situation is really weird. I'm pretty worried."

Twilight's appearance gave away just how stressed out she was. From the way she kept biting her lip, to her disheveled mane, it was blatantly obvious she was upset.

" Don't worry, Twi. It's gonna be okay," Spike said, giving his sister a quick affectionate hug.

" Thank you, Spike." Twilight warmly returned the hug before turning her attention to her two other friends that were present. " Hi, Rarity. Hi, Rainbow. How are you two doing? I'm so busy all the time it seems I never get to hang out as much as I want to anymore."

" It's alright, Twilight. Don't sweat it." Rainbow said, giving  Twilight a playful punch on the shoulder. " I've been busy, too, what with work and sleeping and stuff. I know how you feel." Her face suddenly contorted, as if she was trying to remember something, and changed just as quickly into a face of dawning comprehension. " Sorry! Gotta dash, guys! I just remembered something I have to do, like, now!" And in the blink of an eye, she was gone, leaving naught but a few blue feathers where she had just been standing.

" Umm, okay then. Moving on. Did you two have fun today?" Twilight shifted her attention to Rarity and Spike, making sure to send a discreet wink in the young dragon's direction, making his face redden almost instantaneously.

" Why yes, darling! We had a positively splendid day, before this whole mess happened that is. Spike is such a wonderful little helper, as I'm sure you already know. It's so sweet he uses what little free time he has just to help me with my work." Rarity gave him an adoring smile, making him blush even further than he already was.

" Aww, don't mention it. Helping my friends is my number one priority, after all!" Spike said, chin held high.

' Uh-huh. Sure, Spike. Whatever you say,' Twilight thought, chuckling to herself at her younger brothers' grandiose display. " Yep, that's Spike for you. Always looking for ways to help others. He's definitely grown up a lot." She was sure she would come to regret padding his ego like this, but it couldn't hurt too much to help in his romantic endeavors. He deserves it.

" Oh, you are quite right, dear. My Spikey-Wikey certainly has grown into a fine young dragon," she said while pinching his cheeks affectionately.

Spike was now beaming with a practically visible aura of pride at the compliments that he was receiving from Rarity.

" In fact, Spike and I were actually discussing some plans to possibly get away for a short while, just to take a quick break from all the stress we've been under recently." Rarity turned toward the young drake, giving him a sweet smile.

' Yay! She hasn't forgotten! Redemption is at hand! ' Spike's thoughts were fluttering now.

Rarity continued, a sly smile creeping across her lips. "And, I personally was thinking that-"

"ATTENTION EVERYPONY! MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!" Mayor Mare had finally appeared on the podium that was set in the center of the square, speaking via loud phone.

"Strike number two," Spike sighed to himself. He was beginning to come to terms with the idea that fate must have a personal vendetta against him.

"Ooh, finally. Looks like it's time to receive an explanation for all this," Rarity stated rather impatiently.

The three friends turned their attention to the Mayor. Along with the rest of the crowd, they were awaiting the apparently urgent news about to be announced.

Spike suddenly felt a strong and intense sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was the atmosphere of all the ponies around, but either way, something was wrong.

* * * * * * * * * *

After the Mayor had the full attention of everypony in the crowd, she began. " Citizens of Ponyville! I'm aware you all are wondering why this emergency meeting has been called. Well, I'm afraid there is very distressing news I have to share. Equestria is in imminent danger!"

Spike's stomach did a backflip. All around he heard gasps and whispers from the crowd. He turned his head to see Rarity and Twilight who were standing to his left. They both appeared to be experiencing a similar state of disbelief, mouths agape and and faces turning pale.

The Mayor continued. "Earlier today I was given a letter by the royal guard, commissioned by Celestia herself, to be read immediately, so I shall now read it to you." She took a moment to clear and throat and collect herself before beginning. "It says:

Dear citizens,

Equestria is in a critical state of danger. King Sombra has returned. While the details of how this happened are still being looked into, it is clear this is a far greater threat than we have seen before, and greater than we are currently prepared for. His power is great, and he brings with him a massive army.

Although it is regrettable, we of the royal guard, protectors of Celestia and Equestria, beseech help and assistance in this fight. Any and all capable volunteers are needed. If your circumstances allow, and you wish to join in protecting our home, please report to the guard being stationed in your area for further instructions.

We understand that the times ahead may be frightening, but now is the time for us all to stand together against this threat. It's the time to protect our home.

- Canterlot Royal Guard

   Captain Sky Racer

Shock.

That was the only appropriate term to describe the feelings and thoughts of everypony in present as the letter was read.

"Clearly, you all can see we have a very serious situation on our hooves." She was obviously exerting herself to keep a confident appearance, but the cracking voice and trembling knees gave away how frightened the town's leader actually was. "I will do my best to make sure all of you stay protected during the times ahead, so please don't panic. And, if any are interested in volunteering for the war as the letter mentioned, please report to City Hall. A member of the Royal Guard will be stationed there for the next 2 days. It will break my heart to see any of my citizens do something as dangerous as take up arms, it is a personal decision for everypony."

Murmurs, cries and worry ensued throughout the crowd, despite the mayor's reassurance.

Spike turned back to his friends. Twilight had a relatively calm look about her, which wasn't too surprising considering the enemies she has faced in the past. Rarity, however, was very upset. Tears were falling freely and she kept pacing back and forth. Put frankly, she looked like a nervous wreck. She hadn't even noticed she dropped her umbrella and was getting soaked by the rain. It was too much for Spike to see.

"Rarity!" Spike ran up to her and gripped her in a tight embrace, ushering her to come to her senses. He softly took her face in his two hands and pulled her gently down so they could meet eye-to-eye. "Look, everything is gonna' be alright. It will be okay. I promise." He formed a gentle smile, and brought his face slightly closer to hers, never breaking eye contact. "I'll do everything I can to make sure it's okay. You'll be safe."

Rarity put a hoof to his cheek, and gently pulled away from his hold. "Oh, Spike. Thank you so much, dear." She wiped a tear from her eye, looking affectionately at the young dragon. "But, it's not me I'm worried about. It's my family, and my friends. Sweetie Belle, my parents, the Cakes and their children, Cheerilee... all the ones that can't defend themselves. They are the ones I'm worried about, Spike. I don't know what to do!"

Spike just looked at his feet. He didn't know how to respond. Rarity and the other elements of harmony had proven multiple times they can handle themselves against danger, but what about all the others? This seemed to be a much bigger threat than before. Who was going to protect all of them?

"I... I don't know, Rarity. I don't know how to help all of them! I just... I want to, but I can't!" Tears started brimming in Spike's eyes.

"Don't worry, Spike. It's alright," Twilight said, overhearing their conversation. "You heard what the mayor said. They are getting volunteers from all over Equestria to help fight and protect us. And I'm sure Celestia and Luna are doing everything in their power to help, also. Nopony expects you to protect everypony, Spike."

"But I WANT to help everypony! I just, I feel so powerless to help my friends. I mean there are so many ponies I care about, so many friends I've made, I have to protect them. I have to do something! But, I... I don't know how!" Spike plopped to the ground, resting his head on his knees. The rain had finally let up, but the ground was still wet and muddy. Getting dirty, however, was the least of his worries at the moment.

Twilight looked over to Rarity. She was giving Spike a sympathetic, and very comforting look. It almost seemed Rarity had a deeper connection to Spike then she let out on the surface. Whether romance was a factor or not, they really did seem to care a lot about each other. It was kind of sweet almost, the idea of her two friends together.

Looking back at Spike, she noticed just how upset he looked. The somber facial expression, tears running down his cheeks- it was heartbraking. "I promise, it will be okay Spike. We'll think of something. Everypony will be safe." She gave her little brother a quick hug before turning the conversation towards Rarity.

"Alright. We need to figure something out with this whole thing. Something isn't right. I mean, why didn't Celestia contact us about this for help? She always does! It doesn't make any sense." Twilight's brain went into maximum overdrive trying to contemplate the situation at hand that she was faced with. "I just don't get it! Erg! I mean, what if the Princess herself is in trouble? Or what if this whole thing if far worse than we have imagined, and we're all doomed and-"

"Darling, relax!" Rarity put a hoof over the purple unicorn's mouth to cease her panic induced rambling. "We don't know what's going on, or why Celestia hasn't contacted us yet. But panicking won't get us anywhere, now will it?"

"Yes, your right, Rarity. I'm just a little worried and stressed right now, for obvious reasons. I hate not knowing what's going on." She let out an exasperated sigh. "I guess I'll just have to be content with being patient."

"Yes, very good, dear. It's not easy for me, either. But it is very important for us to stay calm. If not for ourselves, for the sake of others who look to us for strength."

"I understand. Thanks, Rarity. I can't believe I'm getting advice on how to stay calm from the drama queen herself." She chuckled and gave her a friend a quick smile before shifting back to a look of deep thought. "Anyhow, I think we need to discuss this situation and make plan about what to do from here. If you could, find the other girls and meet at the library in two hours for an emergency group meeting. We shall discuss the situation in further detail there."

"Alright, sounds like a delightful idea, Twilight. I'll see you in two hours then." She gave Twilight her best attempt at a cheerful smile and gave the still depressed Spike an affectionate nuzzle before walking off to round up the rest of the group.

"Okay, Spike. You ready to head back home?" Twilight looked down at the little dragon, still sitting on the ground in an apparent state of deep thought. "You've had a long day, and it seems like we're gonna have a long night, too."

"Uhh, yea. I guess so. But, hey, if you wanna head over there now, I'll catch up in just a bit." He uncurled his body from his position on the ground and stood up. "I just have something I want to do first while I'm here in town. I'll be right behind you, though."

She gave him a quizzical look, but decided not to question him. "Oh, okay, Spike. Just don't take too long, alright? I don't want to have to come looking for you later. I've had enough stress for one day." She left Spike where he was standing and started walking back home.

"Alrighty. See you in a bit, Twi."

Spike looked around himself, standing in the middle of the town square. Most of the crowd had dissipated, returning to their homes or opening their businesses up again after the days' interruption. However, the air of fear and unrest was still there in a suffocating quantities. It was on the face of everypony he saw, friends and strangers alike. It was unsettling to see, and he couldn't bear it.

'I have to do something. I have to help somehow.' Spike started thinking to himself, getting more and more upset with every thought. 'I can't let everypony suffer like this and just stand by. I have to help, somehow!'

Spike clenched his fists, a determined smile spreading across his face. He was going to protect his friends, no matter what the cost may be. He ran as quickly as he could over to city hall.

He knew what he had to do.

The Ascent

Meanwhile in the Crystal Empire…

“Shining, Cadence! It’s wonderful to see you.” Celestia gallantly stepped into the meeting room where the white unicorn and his wife, Miamore Cadenza, were waiting for her.

“You too, Princess,” Shining Armour said, bowing respectfully while his wife quickly hugged the princess, throwing traditional royal greeting procedure out the window. “Too bad this meeting couldn’t be under better circumstances. Like, non-life-threatening circumstances.”

“Unfortunately, you are correct. Now, there’s no time to spare, so let’s get started. What have you discovered about our enemy?”

“Not a lot, given our limited number of trained scouts and soldiers,” Cadence spoke up, an upset tonality in her voice. “But what we have discovered is… unsettling.”

“What else is new? Tell me, please.”

Shining stepped toward Celestia and levitated a piece of paper over to where they were standing, and held it so they could both read it. “Alright, here is the most current report of information I have. Our early estimations were correct. Sombra has a very large army with him from what we could see, and what we’ve heard from nearby towns. We’re looking at somewhere in the vicinity of ten-thousand soldiers in his army.”

“Ten-thousand? I agree that’s a rather large number, but it should be manageable with the armies throughout Equestria combined. And with my sister and I, and even the Elements of Harmony to help-“

“That won’t work,” Cadence interrupted.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we shared the same optimism as you,” Cadence shot a worried glance at her husband, “until a few of our scouts got in a skirmish with a few of the, uh, creatures that make up his army.”

“They are physically powerful, extremely fast and agile,” Shining stated. “However, that’s not what worries me. What’s most disturbing is that these creatures seem to be completely impervious to magic of any kind.”

Celestia broke an immediate cold sweat, her eyes loosing focus on the report she was viewing.

“That is, disturbing to hear. And it definitely makes things more complicated. So, Shining, I assume you attempted to attack these creatures with magic, to no avail?” Celestia’s brain was running in circles at this point, trying to figure things out.

“Yes, multiple times. Our magic almost seemed to bounce off of them, like they’re protected by a force-field or something.”

“Do you know what generates their magical resistance? A spell of their own perhaps? Other than dragons, I’ve never heard of creatures being immune to magic.”

“Well, that’s another thing,” Cadence cut in. “These a-aren’t normal creatures.”

“What do you mean?”

Shining Armour and Cadence looked at each other and nodded. “It would be easier to show you,” Shining said, beckoning their guest to follow him out the door. “We recovered the bodies of one of the creatures we killed. It’s in the research lab.”

Celestia was led down a series of corridors and passages until they arrived at the desired location. The door in front of her had a rather large ‘DO NOT ENTER’ sign fixed to it.

“Until we know more about these creatures we’re dealing with, we are taking every precaution,” Shining said, before unlocking the door.

“I-I’ll stay out here,” Cadence whimpered, gingerly backing away from the door. “I don’t like being around that thing more than necessary.”

“Alright, love. We’ll be out in just a minute, I promise.” Shining pushed the door open slowly, allowing Celestia and him entrance.

The room was dominated by a grotesque stench, making Celestia sick to her stomach.

“I apologise, ma’am. I should have warned you. The body is decaying rapidly, and we didn’t initiate any post-mordem preservation techniques, because we didn’t want to risk doing any further damage or contamination to the body.”

Celestia was led over to the body, where it was lying on an examination table in the middle of the room. It’s appearance was that of an earth-pony, above-average in size with a muscular build. Charcoal in color and a wispy black mane. Decay and rotten flesh occupied large portions of its face and legs, giving an eerily disgusting look to the creature.

Celestia’s stomach did a flip at what she saw next. “So, I, um, take it that slightly more, violent, methods were required to deal with this creature?” She was staring directly at the gruesome gash leading from its neck to the center of its chest. Dried blood was caked all around the massive wound, and the severed arteries and rotting muscle tissue were easily visible.

“Unfortunately, yes, your highness. Without being able to use magic, physical damage was the only means by which we could deal with them.”

“I understand. This may seem far-fetched,  but have you  attempted speaking with them? Maybe they’d be willing to listen to reason? I don’t want to resort to killing like this until we’ve exhausted our other options.”

“That’s the thing, they don’t talk. They don’t show any emotion whatsoever, for that matter. They just attack, viciously, as if on instinct. It’s like they have no soul. They’re like some kind of mindless shell. Until you’ve actually seen them alive, it’s hard to understand.”

“I see. Well, what I do understand is that what we’re dealing with is very dangerous.” Celestia began walking toward the exit door, her stomach telling her she had seen enough of the grotesque abomination.

Outside the room, Cadence was patiently waiting for them. “So, what do you think?”

“I think we’ve got a serious situation on our hooves, but I think we can handle it. But it’s going to be at a very high cost I’m afraid. “ Celestia brought back to mind the numbers they were facing, and the grotesque images she had just seen. Not to mention dealing with Sombra himself. “They’ll be very high, indeed. I’m going to return to the palace and inform my sister and our army generals of what you showed me. This is definitely going to put a stamp on our current strategy.”

“Understood, ma’am.”  Shining Armour saluted quickly to Celestia. “I’ll continue to work on learning more about the enemy. If nothing else, perhaps we can find some weakness they possess. That could make the battles we have that much easier.”

“Very good. Now, both of you, please be careful and stay safe.” Celestia was looking at them as a mother would to her children, worry evident on her face. “Let me know if you need anything. That’s an order.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Shining and Cadence replied in unison.

Celestia began walking toward the castle doors to return to the chariot waiting for her. Her visit may have been brief, but she was able to obtain much information. Albeit, the information was unsettling at best.

‘Alright, what do we know? These creatures are emotionless shells of violence, very powerful, and immune to magic. Let’s not forget that part.’ Her mind was racing, processing the information it had received, trying to devise a plan of action.

‘We’ll have to make sure that all of the soldiers, even the volunteers I requested, are outfitted with a weapon. I also need to make sure to take a total count of our numbers once the volunteer signups are through. So much work to do…’

Celestia climbed into the chariot, tripping on the steps.

“You okay, your majesty?” Said one of her guards, assisting her the rest of the way.

“Yes, thank you. My mind was, elsewhere.” Celestia sat down in her seat and resumed her thoughts.

‘I suppose it won’t do any good to get overly worked up over this. We’ll just take it one step at a time.’ Her mind flashed once more to the disturbing sight she just witnessed. She could she the hazed eyes, the decaying innards, the gruesomeness of its severed neck… Chills erupted down her spine.

This was the enemy she needed to protect her country from. This was what they were fighting against. This was what was threatening all of Equestria.

She was afraid.

The Best You Can't Be

Name:

Age:

Town/City of Residence:

Race:

Skills:

Spike was sitting alone in his room, looking intently at the personal information sheet the recruiter at town hall had given him. The questions seemed easy enough. Simple, straightforward and understandable.

“Let’s see here. Um, I guess I can just put ‘Spike’ here on the first line…” The dragon hesitated for a moment as a troubling thought came to him. “But what do I put for my last name? I could put ‘Sparkle’, but that won’t necessarily strike fear into my enemies hearts,” he chuckled to himself. “Pfft, yea, watch out for the Sparkle! Eh, oh well. It’ll have to do. Twilight’s pretty much my family, so it makes sense I guess.”

Content with his progress so far, he quickly moved on to the next question.

“Alright, age. Ugh, this could be tricky.” Although it had been several years since Spike and Twilight had moved to Ponyville, and he was now in his later teens, he was still a baby by dragon standards, and he still had a very young appearance.

“Well, I’ll just be honest and put seventeen. If they don’t believe me, I’ll just show them my hatch certificate.” Spike quickly jotted down his age and moved on to the next part.

“Current town/city of residence? Ha, that’s easy. Ponyville. Okey-dokey, what’s next? Race…hmm. I suppose I could just put dragon, but I wonder if they want me to be specific with what breed of dragon I am. Oh geez, I don’t even KNOW what type of dragon I am! Twilight could probably help me with this, but I don’t really feel like explaining everything to her right now. Anyway, we’ll just put ‘dragon’ for now."

Spike looked over the paper quickly. Everything seemed to be in order so far. Just one last area to fill out.

“Skills. Oh, where do I even begin? Cooking, dancing, piano playing, cleaining…” Spikes appearance went from that of elation to crestfallen as he realized one very important factor. “None of my skills would really be useful for fighting in the Royal Guard though.’ Spike threw the quill he was writing with back on the desk, and slumped down in his chair, snorting a cloud of smoke from his nostrils in annoyance.

‘I’m sure there’s some talent that I have that could be useful,’ Spike thought. ‘I’ve stood up to Timberwolves before, and Diamond Dogs too. I guess I can put ‘bravery’ on here.’ Spike quickly jotted it down and resumed his thought process. ‘Well, being a dragon, I have exceptionally tough skin, so I’ll put ‘toughness’ on here, too. That sounds impressive! Oh, how did I forget?! I can breathe fire! That’s bound to be useful somehow.’ The young dragon finished writing the rest of his skills, and quickly rolled the piece of paper up after one last look-over.

‘Now, to find a place to hide this. Don’t want Twilight finding it before I have a chance to explain everything. A-ha!’ Noticing his bed, the dragon quickly tucked the paper away under his pillow for safe keeping.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Twilight, or that he was afraid to tell her what he was planning to do, but it was that he knew it wouldn’t be easy for her to take. Although he had grown older and was fairly self-sufficient at this point, she was still very protective of him, and cared a lot for him. Telling her he volunteered to fight in the unavoidable war that was approaching, it would hurt her. A lot.

“Maybe I shouldn’t even do this,” Spike thought aloud. “I mean, I’m not exactly fighter material, and it’s not like I’d actually be much use, and…” His mind suddenly brought up images of the town meeting. Rarity’s face- her mouth was suck hanging open, her eyes frozen in place. She was scared. Same with Twilight. Not much ever seemed to frighten them, but this did. The two ponies he cared the most about in the entire world were threatened by this evil. Choice was irrelevant.

“I have to do this. I have to protect them, at all costs.” A jolt of confident determination, a sense of purpose was surging through him.

‘…But how am I gonna tell Twilight? Ugh, I guess I’ll just tell her tomorrow after I get the info on where and when I’ll be going first. Then she at least won’t be able to keep me from going.’

Spike walked out of the room and headed downstairs to get something to eat before retiring to his basket for the night.

Twilight was sitting in the living room at her reading desk pouring intently over some book. Hopefully she was deep enough in her studies not to notice him. He didn’t exactly feel like talking too much at the moment.

His suspicions were correct, and he was able to get to the kitchen unnoticed. He quickly made himself a daisy sandwich and grabbed a glass of water before starting to head back to his room.

Walking back through the living room, he quickly glanced again at Twilight, who hadn’t moved an inch. Upon a quick inspection, he noticed something- she was asleep. Apparently, she had fallen asleep during her study session, which also signified he had been up in their room thinking about things a lot longer than he thought.

He just stood there for a moment watching her, his best friend- his family. She looked so worn out, but so peaceful, lying there slumped over on one of her books. His heart melted at the sight, and his resolve strengthened. He knew what he was fighting for.

Spike set down his food and drink on an end table and grabbed a blanket from the couch. He brought it over to the passed out unicorn and draped it over her huddled body, causing her to stir ever so lightly.

“Oh, Spike. I must hav-“ her sentence was interrupted by a rather loud yawn, “erm, sorry. I must have fallen asleep. It’s just since Celestia sent that letter about the enemy’s magic immunity and such, I’ve been trying to find different strategies to use.” The bags under her bloodshot eyes clearly evidenced the intensity of her studies.

“I’m sorry I woke you up, Twi. Are you gonna come up to bed?” Spike asked, noticing the exhausted body language Twilight was displaying.

“Uh, I will in a little bit. I have a bit more reading on defensive tactical measures I want to read up on.”

“Oh, well alright.” Spike resumed his way up the stairs with his food. He quickly realized there was something he needed to tell Twilight.

“Hey, Twilight?”

“Yes, Spike?” The purple unicorn looked up from her book, giving a tired smile toward the dragon.

“I just wanted to say that I love you. I’m not sure I say it that often.” The purple drake gave his sister a sincere smile.

“Oh, Spike. I love you, too.” Twilight got up from her chair and walked over to the dragon, giving him an affectionate nuzzle. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to tell me. Your actions show me that every day with how much you do for me.”

“Well, I wanted to actually tell you. Anyway, I’ll see you in a bit, or in the morning if I fall asleep before you come up. G’nite, Twi.” Spike gave her a quick smile before resuming his trek up the stairs to the bedroom.

“Oh, Spike. I’m not sure what I’d ever do without you.” Twilight smiled to herself one last time before returning to her studies for the night.

Up in the bedroom, Spike was lying in his basket, curled up, beginning his descent into sleep. One thought prevailed in his mind however. ‘I’m gonna miss you so much, Twilight.’

Ready For Repair

Spike cracked open his eyelids, then buried his face back in the darkness of his blanket as his eyes met the sunlight that was streaming through the window. The warm rays were nudging him out of bed, and as inviting as his basket was, it was time to face the day.

A symphony of cracks and pops emanated from his joints as he dragged himself from underneath the covers. A deep yawn and a muscle stretch later, he decided his body was finally awake.

Briefly taking stock of his surroundings, he noticed Twilight fast asleep on her bed. She was curled up tightly, completely tucked under her blanket, leaving just her head exposed.

He just stared at the adorable scene before him for a moment, a smile forming across his lips. He quietly placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, causing her to stir slightly, yet remain enraptured in sleep.

With a final glance, Spike gingerly took the volunteer information sheet from underneath his pillow, and tiptoed down the stairs.

He stepped into the kitchen and poured a bowl of cereal. It was going to be a busy day with a lot to do, and none of it was going to be easy.

‘Alright, what’s on the schedule for today?’ He was trying to organize his day’s plans in his head. ‘Let me see… First, I’ve gotta take the information application thingie to the recruiter at town hall, and receive my assignment on what to do next. That’s the simple part…’ He stirred his food around the bowl, his gaze locked on nothing in particular. ‘Then I’m going to have to talk to Twilight about all this. That’s not going to end well.’ He gulped down the last of his breakfast, and dropped his head onto his arms. ‘And after that, I’m going to have to confront Rarity about all this! Why does life have to be so complicated?’ Hurting Twilight, leaving Rarity? Accepting the reality of the situation was becoming far more difficult than he had imagined.

‘Well, I’m sure Twilight will come around, eventually. And, I mean, Rarity will definitely understand… I hope. Maybe she’ll be impressed! Mares love the whole soldier thing, right?’ He knew he was scratching the bottom of the barrel to cheer himself up, but it did succeed in lifting his spirits to an extent.

He got onto his feet, and took in the sight of the folded up piece of paper in his hand. The paper that was going to change everything. “It’s for the best.” With that final statement, he quickly left his home and made his way to Town Hall.

* * * * * *

“Can I help you, son?” A large, brown earth pony clad in armor looked down at Spike. If the young dragon didn’t already feel nervous, he did now.

“Y-Yes, sir! I’m here to turn in my volunteer information sheet, and I believe you are the one I need to deliver it to?” His legs wanted to buckle from under him, but he stood as still and confidently as he could.

The guards’ eyes scrutinized every inch of the young dragon. He jotted his eyes over the sheet, getting the gist of its contents. “Okay, uh, Spike, is it?”

“Yes sir, Spike is my name.”

“It says here that you are seventeen years of age. Forgive me, but I’m finding it hard to believe you’re of legal age to fight.” His suspicious gaze cut right into the young dragon.

“Well, the information is correct. I am seventeen. Dragons age slower physically than ponies, so I appear to be young, but I promise I’m old enough to fight.” His heart pace was beginning to slow down as he found a niche of real confidence.

“Alright. That’s good enough for me.” He neatly folded the sheet of paper and placed it in a box on the ground next to him. “We need all the help we can get at the moment, so if you say you can fight, I’m not going to stop you.”

“Thank you, sir. It’s very important to me.” Images of Twilight and Rarity jumped into his mind’s eye. “I want to do my part to protect the ones I love.”

“Well, I definitely respect that. I just hope you’re ready for what you’re going to face out there. It’s not all ‘glory and honor’ like some think.”

“Well, whether I’m ready for it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that my home and my family are in danger.” His unshaking tone left no room for doubts about determination.

“Spoken like a true soldier. Keep that confidence. Trust me, you’re going to need it.” The large stallion pulled a blank sheet of paper and a quill from his saddlebag, and quickly scribbled something down on it. “Okay,” he said, giving the paper to Spike. “Here are you’re next instructions. You’re assigned to meet at the training camp located in Canterlot. There, you’ll receive your equipment and a brief crash course in training. It starts in three days, and you must be there. Understood?”

“Yes, sir! Understood.”

“Very good. Now, I suggest you get back home and take care of any business you need to. Most likely, you won’t be coming back for a long while.”

“I understand. Thank you.” Spike took one last glance at his instructions, and quickly made his exit.

The crisp, clear day that waited outside was a stark contrast to the brooding sense of sadness that was threatening to take over. The guard’s last words kept replaying over and over in his head, and it really drove the seriousness of the situation home.

‘I won’t be coming home… for a long time.’ He rolled the words around in his mind. This was real. It wasn’t a game, and it wasn’t pretend. It was real. There was imminent danger, and he had just jumped head first into the battle.

He dragged in a lengthy breath of air, and took in his surroundings. Ponies were just going about their everyday business: setting up stalls to sell whichever product they had, talking amongst themselves about whatever new gossip was floating around, and simply enjoying the day. It was as if everyone was trying to simply ignore the danger. They were pretending it didn’t exist, just so life could go back to normal.

For all intents and purposes, it was a nice way to live for many ponies- ignore the evil and enjoy the good. But Spike didn’t have the luxury of blissful ignorance. For him, the threat was all too real, and he was meeting it, face-to-face. It was an inescapable truth, and there was no turning back now.

‘I’m not coming back for a long while… A long while.’ Those three words made him sick, and a floodgate of tears opened. He fought to overpower the surge of emotions flowing through him, but there was nothing he could do against them.

He quickly dashed off to find somewhere quiet, somewhere secluded, where he could simply think things over and gather his thoughts. There was a lot to think about and very little time to do so.

* * * * * * *

The park proved to be an excellent locale for thinking. It was fairly early in the day, so few ponies were around, and the natural environment of plants and trees provided a sense of peace.

“Alright, Spike, you’ve gotta keep it together.” He cleared his throat, trying to regain some of his lost confidence. He had been pacing back and forth underneath the same oak tree since his arrival, attempting to clear his head. “We just need to approach this problem one step at a time. First things first, you have to explain things to Twilight!” His stomach tied itself in a knot. “I just need to figure out exactly how to do that. I mean, what do I say? ‘Hi, Twilight! Guess what? I signed up with the royal guard, and I’m going to fight in the war, and I won’t be coming back ‘til Celestia knows when! Isn’t it exciting!’?”  He plopped onto the ground and sunk his head onto his knees. There was no easy way to go about this. “Ugh, I’m just going to have to tell her, serious and straight forward. That’ll be the easiest way, for both of us.”

His mind drifted, playing out all the possible reactions he would receive from the purple mare. Would she cry? Would she be proud of him? Would she get angry and turn into ‘psycho’ Twilight? What if she didn’t even care? There were so many outcomes, and none of them really had a happy ending. And that was just the beginning.

Leaving Rarity was going to be possibly the hardest thing he had ever done. Even thinking about it was making him sick. How would he explain this to her? “Ah! Why is life so complicated?!”  He buried his face in his palms, tears streaming down his face. This heartache was too much all at once.

Several minutes passed before the tears began to run dry. “Okay, Spike. That’s enough! No more self-pity!” He stood up on his feet, wiping away the remaining tears that were staining his cheeks. “You’re not a kid anymore, and you’ve got a job to do. Protect Twilight, Rarity, and everyone else. It’s time to face this beast, and first things first…” he took a large breath of air, finally calming his emotions, “Twilight has to know.”

Without a second thought, he walked with purpose off to his home. Before anything else, he had to tell Twilight. He needed her help, and she deserved to hear the truth from him.

This was going to be the greatest challenge he had ever faced.

The Hardest Part 1

Spike stood outside the library he had called home since he and Twilight moved to Ponyville so many years ago. Now that he knew he was leaving, it seemed like just a few days.

Opening the front door never seemed so difficult. And considering the conversation that was awaiting him on the other side, it was going to be even harder.

‘Enough! I can’t keep hiding from my problems. It’s time.’ Spike closed his eyes, steeling himself as he walked through the oaken door that served as the only barrier between him, and the dreaded event that was about to take place.

As he stepped into the living area of the Library, his eyes immediately darted about in search of his caretaker. He suddenly heard a crash come from the kitchen.

“Twilight? Is that you?” Spike hustled to the kitchen to investigate the cause of the noise. Upon arriving, he saw Twilight picking some pots up off the floor that she had apparently dropped. “You okay, Twi?” Spike quickly knelt to down to help clean up the mess of pots and pans, earning a grateful smile from the purple mare.

“Yes, I’m okay. Just a little clumsy.” She gave a sheepish grin as Spike offered his claw to help her return to her hooves. “I was attempting to get a pan from the shelf without using magic… and it didn’t work out so well.”

Spike chuckled at the idea of Twilight’s incompetence with her hooves. “Twilight, you need to be more careful. Without magic, you’re kinda hopeless.”

“Well, for your information, I was just trying to make us some lunch. I had hoped to have it ready before you got back home. I didn’t know when you were coming back though. Why didn’t you leave a note?” She shot a stern look at the young dragon.

Spike gently rubbed the back of his head, feeling somewhat guilty. “Sorry, Twilight. I, umm, just had some stuff to take care of. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“It’s fine, Spike.” She let out a sigh. “There’s just a lot going on right now, and I’m a little on edge about everything!” Twilight gently nuzzled Spike’s head, and started walking toward the living room. “Just let me know next time, please. If I lost you, there’d be nobody around to keep me sane throughout this ordeal!” She gently chuckled to herself.

Spike took in a deep breath, and followed Twilight to the living room. He felt a stray tear trickling down his cheek. ‘No, Spike! You have to keep it together!’

Twilight trotted over to the couch, and took a seat, beckoning Spike to come sit next to her. On his arrival, she let out the dreaded question. “So, Spike, what were you up to today? Whatever it was took you half the day, so it must have been important!” She put on a sweet smile, looking over to him.

Spike gulped down his fear, and tried to put on his best confident face. “Well, Twilight, about that. I was actually over at-“

“Spike, wait! Hold that thought! I have to tell you something first!” The unicorn thrust a hoof over his mouth, halting his attempt at speaking, much to his relief.

He gently removed the hoof from his mouth. “Umm, okay. What’s up, Twilight?”

“I was able to perfect the shield spell today! I can now safely put a barrier over the entire town if we need! I’m also working on finding jobs for the other girls as well.” Twilight was now sporting an elated smile. “Celestia said we need to protect the city, and that’s what we’re going to do!”

“Oh, well that’s great, Twilight! I know you can keep everyone safe.” He dropped his gaze to his feet.

“Thank you, Spike. I appreciate your confidence. But I’m gonna need your help, too. There’s going to be a lot of work that we need to do to prepare for a possible invasion, and you’re my primary organizer!”

“Um, Twilight?” Spike whispered.

“We’ll have to organize patrol groups, ration food, set up defenses around the town… There’s a lot that needs done!”

“… I can’t.”

“Spike…” She gingerly placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, you can help. Don’t think for a second that you’re not useful.”

“No. I seriously mean I can’t help you, Twilight.” It was taking all his strength to hold back his tears.

“What? Why not, Spike?” She gave him a concerned look.

“Because… Because I’m not gonna be with you.”

“Of course you will be with me. This is your home! I… I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Spike stood up from his seat, and turned his back towards Twilight. She didn’t need to see the tears flowing down his face. “No, I won’t be. I’m a recruit in the Royal Guard now. I volunteered to fight.” He kept his gaze locked on the floor, trying his best to steel his emotions.

Twilight’s thought processes stalled for a split second as she tried to process what he had just said. He volunteered to fight? This had to be a joke. “Spike, this isn’t funny!” She stood and walked in front of the young dragon. “There are a lot of good ponies putting their lives on the line to fight to protect us. That’s not something you should joke about!”

Spike lifted his head to make eye contact with the only family he ever had. His eyes were streaming. “It’s not a joke, Twilight! I leave in three days, and I have no idea when I’m coming back!”

Twilight felt like a ton of bricks hit her in the chest. There was no doubt he was telling the truth. He never cried, but he was now. She tried her best, to say something, anything, but words weren’t forming in her head.

Spike stood there, never breaking eye contact with Twilight. He didn’t know what she was going to say, how she would react. His heart was pounding out of his chest. His resolve had all but depleted.

After what seemed like an eternity of Twilight standing motionless in front of him, she was finally able to respond. It was worse than he had ever imagined.

Tears flooded the unicorns’ eyes, and her sobs echoed throughout the room. Her head hung down, and she collapsed onto the ground in a fit of sadness. No words were necessary to say how she felt. Her huddled body and tear soaked face were enough.

And Spike couldn’t bear it.

He dropped to his knees, and wrapped his claws around her neck. He immediately felt her hooves wrap around his body, and he was pulled into a tight embrace. That’s when all the emotions he had pent up released. He let himself cry into her mane, while her tears formed a waterfall down his scales.

He had never realized it before, but this was the first time him and Twilight were going to be separated like this. Throughout the past they had always stuck together, as friends and family. The thought of leaving was excruciating.

After several minutes of their tearful embrace, Twilight was finally able to speak again. “Come on, Spike. Let’s sit on the couch. We have a lot to talk about.” She gently removed her hooves from around him, and climbed onto the couch, bidding him to do the same.

“Twi… I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you before. I – I just didn’t know how!” Spike turned to her with a guilt-ridden expression.

“Spike, it’s okay, alright? It’s okay…” She was fighting hard herself to hold back her tears. There had been enough crying for the moment. “Just, please, I have to know something.”

“What?”

“Why? What made you want to do this? Please, tell me.” Her lip was quivering, threatening to give way to more sobs.

“Because… because of you. Because of Rarity. You two are my closest friends, and I love you.”

She quickly pulled him into her chest and rested her head on his. “I love you too, Spike. And I know Rarity does, also. But… but why can’t you stay here? Why do you want to leave?”

“Because, I wanted to be able to protect you for a change. My whole life, you’ve been fighting to protect everyone. You’ve saved me so many times, when I couldn’t do anything to help. Now, I can help protect you. I want to, Twilight. You’re my family.” He tilted his head back and gave a small smile to the unicorn holding him.

“But, Spike… it’s so dangerous! I- I don’t want to lose you.” She buried her muzzle into his shoulder.

“You won’t, Twi. I promise. But, it’s time for me to defend the ones I love.”

“Spike, you don’t have to do this. It’s not too late! I can reach Celestia, or talk to my brother or something and get you out of it!”

“Twilight, I have to do this. Choice isn’t part of the equation. I want to do this, Twilight. Besides, the guard pony at town hall said they desperately needed volunteers. They need me.”

Twilight knew there was no arguing with Spike once he made his mind up. “Spike, I understand. But please, do you understand how hard this is going to be on me?  On Rarity? Have you talked to her yet?”

Rarity. That was going to be another mountain to climb. “N-No, I haven’t yet. I’m not even sure how I can bring this up to her!”

Twilight let out a sigh. “You’re her best friend, Spike. She needs to know, and she needs to hear it from you. She cares about you a lot. Do you know that?”

“Yea, I think so.” Spike’s mind instantly flashed to the past few years as he and Rarity had grown closer together. He went from being her sewing assistant, to her trusted friend who could come over any time to talk about anything. They really were best friends, and maybe could be even more someday. “I care for her too, Twi. I’m so afraid of hurting her.” Spike’s eyes fell to the ground as his mind wandered to how things would play out.

“Spike, this is serious, and I wish I could say it was going to be easy. But it’s not. I can’t even describe how much I’m going to miss you when you’re gone, and I imagine it will be just as painful for Rarity.” She could feel his body start to shiver. “If you want, I can come with you to help explain.”

That was an inviting prospect. But no, this was his battle, and his alone. “Thanks, Twilight. But, I have to do this myself. It’s what Rarity deserves.” Spike unraveled himself from Twilight’s grasp, and hopped off the couch.

“Hey Twilight? Can I ask you something?” He turned around to face her.

“Of course, Spike. What is it?”

“Will you ever be able to forgive me? For leaving?”

“Spike… my baby dragon, my closest friend is standing up to protect me. I hate the idea, and I will miss you more than you could possibly imagine…. But I couldn’t be more proud.” She gave him a heartfelt smile, earning one in return.

“Thanks, Twilight. Thanks for understanding. But,” he turned towards the front door, “I have to go talk to Rarity right away. We’ve got a lot to discuss.”

“I understand, Spike. Now, get going. Uh, what’s that cliché line she always uses, ‘You must never keep a lady waiting!’?”

Spike chuckled to himself. He quickly hugged Twilight, and gingerly walked over to the door. Talking with Twilight was more emotional and painful than he could have imagined, but at least she understood.

‘How will I be able to explain this to Rarity?’ He opened the front door and made his way into the afternoon sunlight. ‘I- I don’t want to leave her…’ He felt his heart jump in his chest as her presence entered his mind. His best friend, his trusted confidant… ‘I think I love her.’

With painful thoughts racking his brain, he slowly made his way to the Carousel Boutique. ‘Why is life so hard?!’