The Party

To say he was excited would have been an understatement. He had been waiting for this day for a long time, and now that it was here, he couldn't be happier. Spike was a dragon, yet one far less temperamental than many of his kind were known to be. Since the moment of his birth, he had spent his life, not around others of his kind, but among ponies. Unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies were more familiar to him than any other fire-breathers. But even so, there were some things that both types of creature knew was a cause for celebration, and this was most definitely one of them. For this was the day of Spike's eighteenth Birthday, his passage into adulthood.

Being the youngest from among his collection of closest friends, he'd been known as the "baby" of the group, even during his teen years. But after today, that would all change. Right now he was standing in the room that he'd been living in ever since his move to Ponyville so many years ago. Much had changed in those years, and he and his friends had experienced many adventures together, but, as he looked himself in the mirror, he knew better than any that time stood still for nopony. He had grown far more into the shape that most ponies would think of when they heard the word "dragon". His body, tail and neck had become longer and more serpentine. His legs and arms, upon which he had to stand on all four thanks to his greater size, were sleek yet muscular. Although, much to his chagrin, he'd never managed to grow the wings that most dragons were known for.

But no matter, as he looked at his reflection, he gave a smile, knowing that he was now truly grown. Granted, he'd been told long ago that he may never reach the massive sizes of other dragons, thanks in no small part to the magic that had helped to birth him, but even so, he still towered over many of the ponies he knew. With his long neck reared up, he was easily twice the height of his friends, and stretched out he was several times longer. Although the nickname of "baby" was still thrown around from time to time, his recent growth spurt had put quite an end to it's use. Chuckling to himself, he glanced over to his shoulder to the sounds of several ponies downstairs.

Being a Birthday, there was, of course, one pony that was going to be here, bouncing around as though this was the most exciting thing ever. Though, to her credit, even Spike would agree with Pinkie's sentiment on a day like today. So, taking a deep breath, he began moving down the stairs, which were thankfully still wide enough to accommodate him in spite of his larger-than-pony size. With every step he took down, the sounds became louder and louder. Once at the bottom, he smiled as he looked upon the sight. The library had not changed much in all the years he and Twilight had lived here, but it was looking very different from it's usual appearance.

Balloons and streamers and banners of every colour of the rainbow was strewn about the place, in that hectic-yet-endearing manner that only Pinkie Pie could pull off. And speaking of whom, there she was, bouncing around as usual, chatting with Fluttershy, who was remaining silent as her friend kept speaking, yet still showing she enjoyed hearing her words. By the snack food table was Rainbow Dash, getting into yet another contest with Applejack as the two mares tried to stuff more food in their mouths than the other. Then his eyes came over to Rarity, who was talking to Twilight about something, though what, he could not say. Although Spike was happy with what this day meant for him, just seeing all his friends be here in one place was gift enough for him.

However, this relatively serene moment was interrupted by a loud screaming sound as Pinkie finally noticed Spike had arrived. The others all turned to see him, including Rainbow and Applejack, even though their cheeks were stuffed with food. Before Spike could say anything, Pinkie zipped towards him and grabbed his left foreleg before starting to pull on it.

"The Birthday boy is here! Let's get this party started!"

Spike chuckled at her enthusiasm, and looked on with some bemusement as she kept pulling at him to no avail. Being so much larger and heavier, he could have been pulled all day and not move an inch. But, just to indulge her, Spike began walking forward with Pinkie beside him as the other mares moved away from what they were doing before. Spike had known many Birthday parties since his move to Ponyville, and thanks largely to Pinkie, many of them had been bigger and more extravogent than the last. For this one though, he'd asked that it just be kept to him and the six of them. Pinkie was understanding, if a little disappointed, but nevertheless, she'd still done well here.

The evening went about as well as pretty much every other Birthday he'd had so far. The food, as provided by Applejack, was delicious, Pinkie's music, as loaned to her from her friend, local DJ Vinyl Scratch, was fun to listen to, and, of course, there were a few presents here and there. As a result of an incident many years ago, Spike had requested that gifts be kept to a minimum, but even so, his friends just couldn't help themselves sometimes. Twilight's present, a book as usual, was at least something he was interested in. A tome of all the knowledge the ponies had gathered about dragons, which Spike knew he would enjoy.

"Thanks, Twi."

Twilight responded to that with a smile.

"No problem. Nothing less for my lifelong number one assistant."

Spike chuckled at that. There were quite a few nicknames he'd been given over the years, but he knew he'd never get tired of that one. As for the other mares, he saw them move closer, and Rainbow was the first to speak.

"So, big guy, how's it feel to be a full-blown dragon now?"

The newly-adult drake pondered that for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.

"Honestly. Not that different. Maybe something will come up, but not right now it seems."

Rainbow nodded to that, just before Rarity chimed in herself.

"Well, I must say it's strange to think of you as an adult now. All these years, and little Spikey-Wikey has grown into quite the gentledrake."

Spike blushed a little at that. Although it had been many years since he first met her, Spike's still-lingering crush on Rarity had never let go of him. Though nothing official had ever really happened between them, not even in all the years they'd known each other, they still remained close. As childish as it might have sounded, especially coming from one as old as him, he still had a fondness for that little pet name she had for him, even though it did have a tendency to elicit a few smirks and giggles from others. And speaking of which, that's exactly what Applejack was doing right now, right before she spoke.

"Well, congrats, Spike. Took a few years, but y'all are finally there."

The drake nodded in appreciation of her gesture, and would have probably replied to it, but was once again interrupted by a sudden and very loud outburst from Pinkie.

"Group hug for the Birthday boy!"

Spike's eyes widened with that as Pinkie jumped forward and wrapped her forelegs around his chest as far as they would go, which wasn't very far given the difference in size between the two. The dragon had never really been one for overly-affectionate hugs like this in the more recent years of his life, but didn't really do anything to douse the pink mare's enthusiasm. He looked up from her, perhaps hoping one of the others would pry her off him, but instead, he saw all of his friends gain a sudden mischievous smirk on their faces, even the usually quiet and demure Fluttershy. He knew what was coming, but did nothing but groan with irritation all the same when all five of the other mares joined in with Pinkie, pretty much surrounding him in this group hug of theirs.

The dragon just had to put up with it for now. True, he knew most of them were hugging him as a joke, but he knew they meant no harm in it. Eventually, after letting out a snort, he begrudgingly returned the hug, his forelegs just about long enough to reach around and embrace the group of mares. He didn't know how long they'd want to keep him here like this, though knowing some of them as he did, it would probably be a while. As he counted the moments they kept this up, something began to take centre stage in his attention. There was a smell in the air. It was something he'd smelled many times before, but he'd never really thought about it. Now though, it was as if his mind was demanding that he treat it as important.

With every passing moment, something started to happen in his mind. it was as if it was becoming harder to think. The only thought that occupied his head right now was Twilight and the others, and how they were with him. The hug he was returning to them, which until this point had been fairly lacklustre, began to hold them tighter. Most of them just assumed it was him getting back at them for their teasing of him, but Twilight could feel that something was wrong. Looking up, she saw with more than a little concern that Spike's eyes were different. They looked, for lack of a better word, more like a dragon, fierce and almost predatory. She looked on as his head moved down towards the group, moving along the tops of their heads in a motion that could only be described as nuzzling.

It was here when the other girls began to notice what was going on along with Twilight. Most of them looked somewhat concerned, even more so when their dragon friend let out a low growling, a sound which sounded almost like the purring of a cat. Twilight and Rainbow looked at each other and it soon became apparent that their friend's hold on them was growing tighter. Becoming quite uncomfortable, Twilight tried to reach him.

"Spike?"

But there was no response, only more of the same growling. But even so, Twilight continued.

"Spike!"

With the distress in her voice very clear, this time her words managed to get a reaction, as Spike's eyes blinked a few times as he shook his head. After a few moments, he looked down at them, his eyes back to normal once more. But, when he saw them, at the distressed look on their faces, an expression of fear and horror crept onto his own. He let them go immediately, leading to a couple of the mares buckling onto all four knees. Spike looked at them as he slowly backed away, looking at the clear discomfort all of them were showing. However, Twilight had kept her eyes on him the whole time, still concerned as to what had just happened. Spike turned his head to face her, his expression almost begging her for an explanation. As he opened his mouth, he fumbled his words, until eventually, he spoke the only question that mattered right now.

"Twilight...what did I just do?"

What Happened?

As she looked upon the large collection of tomes and dusty old books before her, Twilight couldn't help but feel terrible about having to do this. Her surroundings were not where anypony would expect to find her, all alone right in the middle of the grand entrance hall of the old castle in the Everfree Forest. But she knew she needed to come here, and also knew that what she was about to do might change everything between her friends. But even so, keeping quiet would probably just make things worse.

She placed a hoof upon one of the books on the table before her, one filled with many details about dragons and what ponies knew of them. It was her gift to Spike for his Birthday, but after recent events, she knew he wasn't in much of a mood to do any reading right now. What he'd done with all of them at that party, and the strange way he was behaving, had taken all of them off-guard. In all the years Twilight had known him, Spike had only ever behaved in such a way once. It was back during the days when she and he were still relative newcomers to Ponyville, and his dragon instincts had kicked in, ironically on another Birthday.

He'd experienced a massive growth-spurt, brought on by excessive greed, an inherent trait of his kind. Had it not been for Rarity's involvement, he'd have most likely continued his rampage, which everypony knew would only have ended badly. It was a dark day for the small dragon, and it was not one he enjoyed having to be reminded of. But, in his mind, that's probably what he thought was happening. Twilight did not relish having to be the one to tell him the truth, at least not yet. Indeed, there were others that needed to be told what was going on first.

Speaking of whom, her concentration was then diverted to the large doors leading into the chamber, which were now creaking open. She looked away from her books and towards the doors as her friends made their way inside. They all seemed concerned, which Twilight knew they had every right to be, given the circumstances. Although, Fluttershy was more worried than all of them, given where this meeting was taking place. She'd never felt fully comfortable here, nor could Twilight blame her for that.

Once all six of the mares had gathered in the middle of the room, Applejack spoke first.

"So then...I'm guessin this is about Spike?"

Twilight said nothing, but nodded her head to confirm the question. The mares all looked at each other with mixed expressions. It was understandable that they'd be worried, given that they now had a fully-grown dragon to deal with. Fluttershy, clearly with some distress, spoke afterwards.

"Why isn't he here too? Doesn't he want to know what happened?"

Twilight looked down at the ground, her face showing great discomfort.

"I don't think he's really in the mood for talking about this right now. After the party, he just locked himself in his room. Besides, this isn't exactly going to make him feel better."

After a brief, yet uncomfortable silence, Rainbow spoke next.

"So what's up? Why'd he go all growly and stuff?"

The young alicorn gained a look of embarrassment upon her face, a look which made it clear to the others that she wasn't going to be giving any good news. She turned away from them and placed her hoof upon the collection of books once more.

"I sent word to Princess Celestia about what happened. She wrote back and said she had a theory, but that I should consult someone more knowledgeable about dragons first. So, I went to Zecora."

The other mares all nodded in agreement over that decision. Zecora the zebra had, despite her secluded life, always seemed very aware of a number of magical creatures and their habits. Dragons especially were something she seemed to have an innate understanding of, given that it was her advice that had helped during Spike's previous dragon growth. Despite this, the group saw the worried look on Twilight's face, which either meant that she hadn't learned anything, or that she had, but that it wasn't something they were going to enjoy hearing. From the way she turned and looked at them, it was clear that it was the latter they were dealing with.

"She told me that what's happened is perfectly natural for a dragon his age, but..."

She opened her mouth, trying hard to get out the words. It's like pulling off a band-aid, she told herself. Just be done with it and it'll be over. But, such things were easier said than done, and it took several attempts before Twilight mustered up the sheer willpower to tell her friends the truth.

"Spike's coming-of-age has awoken a latent instinct in him. When the six of us were with him, physically holding him, the instinct kicked in and his mind briefly surrendered to it. Luckily, I was able to talk him out of it before anything happened."

The group was clearly confused by all this, as evidenced by their glances towards each other. Twilight briefly cursed herself for having to beat around the bush like this. But the truth was so much of a shock that even she had a hard time coping with it right now. But, she knew she had to tell them, as Rarity stepped forward with a curious look upon her face.

"Before anything happened? What do you mean, Twilight? What instincts are we talking about, exactly?"

Twilight took a few deep breaths before finally coming out with it.

"Spike has...imprinted on us."

That seemed to do little to alleviate their confusion, a fact made clear as Applejack stepped forward alongside Rarity and spoke.

"Imprinted? Ya mean like Winoa did when me an mah family got her?"

Before Twilight could reply to that, Rainbow chimed in.

"Is that it? Does that mean we'll have Spike following us around like some lost puppy or something?"

Twilight groaned at that.

"No!"

The other looked at her, somewhat taken aback by this uncharacteristically aggressive response. Twilight cleared her throat and composed herself after that, slightly embarrassed by her behaviour.

"I mean, no. It doesn't mean that."

"Then what does it mean, Twilight?"

The sound of that second, yet very familiar voice, took all six of them by surprise. Their heads all snapped up to a spot where the wall adjacent to the door met the ceiling. There was a large hole there, caused by the many centuries of neglect this castle had suffered. But, through the hole, was a very upset-looking dragon. Spike had arrived at the castle, much to the shock of all the mares. He glared at them, Twilight especially, as he crept into the hole, his sharp claws digging into the wall as he climbed down. The mares watched him intently as he reached the floor and began to make his way towards them. Twilight, gulping, spoke first.

"Spike? But...how did you know I was here?"

The young dragon gave a short, dry chuckle at that before replying.

"Twilight, I've been your assistant for most of my life. If the day ever comes when you go somewhere and I DON'T know about it, worry."

The alicorn looked away rather sheepishly after that. She had to admit that it was unlikely that they were ever going to keep him in the dark about this, no matter how much she might have wanted to. Still, what was done was done, and now she had to explain herself. So, she looked on as Spike finally arrived at the group, with Fluttershy and Pinkie stepping aside to make room for him.

"Spike...please know that I didn't want to do this behind your back. I just...you were so upset about what you did that I..."

But she didn't have a chance to finish, as Spike raised his hand, causing her to stop.

"Twilight, it's fine. I understand. A little annoyed, perhaps...but I understand."

As Twilight looked upon his face, at the way it seemed to clam down, she knew he wasn't just saying that to make her feel better, which was a great relief to her. Still, she saw that he was still giving her a rather expectant look, making it clear that he wished to know exactly what she was going to say to the others before he arrived. And, looking at her other friends, she knew they too were waiting for an answer. So, steeling herself, Twilight looked her oldest friend right in the eye, and gave him the answer he wanted.

"Spike. What happened at the party was that your instincts kicked in, and you subconsciously marked us...as your mates."

It was as if all of time stopped. Her friends, Spike especially, seemed to freeze, as if they were suddenly statues. It was, in fairness, the same reaction Twilight had upon her face when Zecora had told her this herself. In time though, movement came back to their faces, but none more so than Spike's. His face morphed to one of confusion, as he began turning away from Twilight. She looked on as he began pacing up and down, occasionally scratching his head, trying desperately to make sense of what he'd just been told.

Likewise, the other mares were looking at her, perhaps hoping that this was all some prank, a joke at their expense. But, one look at her face, and the utter seriousness upon it, made it clear that this was no jest. She spoke the truth, but it was a truth none of them expected, or even knew how to handle. They looked to each other, each one hoping the other could offer some advice, some words that could led them aid. But none came. This almost unbearable silence was only interrupted when Spike finally rejoined the group, his expression focused on Twilight.

"Mates?"

She nodded in response to that, and Spike fumbled his words for a few moments before speaking again.

"Yes, but...mates? As in plural? All of you?"

That particular question made Twilight just as uncomfortable as Spike was, if not more so. But nevertheless, she still nodded. The young dragon said nothing, but looked at all the mares standing beside him. They were all trying their best to avoid looking at him, sharing the sheer embarrassment and shock that he was experiencing right now. This was the first time anything of this nature had ever been discussed with Spike, even in all the years the two of them had been living together, and now it seemed that it was going to be far more awkward and uncomfortable than she thought.

Spike meanwhile just stood there, shaking his head.

"This...this is just some bad dream, right?"

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the arrival of yet another familiar voice.

"I'm sorry, Spike, but this is no dream."

All seven of them turned their heads to see where the voice was coming from, the great doors. Their eyes all widened with shock as they saw that there, standing just as serenely and elegantly as ever, was Princess Celestia herself. All of the mares, save for Twilight, instinctively bowed their heads in reverence for the Princess. Twilight would have liked to speak to her long-time mentor about this, but before she could say anything, she watched with concern as Spike began marching towards her. Celestia did nothing as the young dragon stopped just a few feet away, his expression both of fear and anger.

"What do you know of this?"

Celestia, ignoring the rather forward way Spike had spoken to her, looked him in the eye before speaking.

"You know the compulsion that lies at the heart of your people, Spike. Greed. An insatiable desire. Most of the time, it manifests itself in the form of their well-known need for treasure. But, when they come of age, just as you have, there is another desire."

Spike looked at her, oblivious to the concerned looks the other mares had on their faces as they listened intently to the Princess.

"That desire, as you've now discovered, is for mates. Like with treasure, dragons would not be satisfied with just one. And so, like others of your kind, you have, however unintentionally, chosen Twilight and the others as your own."

The young drake narrowed his eyes at her.

"Did you know this would happen?"

Celestia looked from him, to Twilight, before looking back at Spike, before giving a short nod.

"I suspected. I had hoped that, having been separated from your kind, this instinct might not have surfaced. But I was wrong."

The young dragon looked at her, still probably hoping that this was all some dream he'd wake up from. But the serious look on her face made it obvious to him that every word she'd just spoken was the truth. Having all this happen was bad enough, but to know that there were those who knew it was coming, but never told him, just made him feel worse about it. His expression changed from one moment to the next. Confusion. Anger. Fear. The mares there were concerned as to what would happened next, and so were rather relieved when Spike simply spoke out again.

"I...I'll just ignore it. Like I did when I was a kid. If I can ignore the need for gold and jewels, I can ignore this."

Celestia looked at the young drake, his face filled with determination, before letting out a long sigh.

"I wish it were that easy, Spike. I truly do. But casting off something like this is nigh impossible. We're talking about a basic biological need of your people. It would be like trying to force yourself to stop breathing."

Spike's expression became more and more frustrated, and at this point even Celestia was worried about what he might do next. Everypony around him was telling him that this was something he could not change about himself, but Spike was not known for being the kind of guy who would just take this sort of thing lying down. He turned around and looked at the concerned faces of all his friends, especially Twilight, who stepped towards him. Spike frowned deeply before looking at Celestia once more.

"No! I won't do it! I refuse to do this to them!"

He began moving past her, just before Celestia's head snapped towards him, her expression also somewhat angry.

"Spike! This is something you will have to try and deal with. You cannot simply run away from this!"

Spike stopped and, in a move that shocked everypony there, brought his face within an inch of Celestia, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Watch me!"

Before Twilight or the others could react, Spike charged forward and towards the entrance door. The mares looked on as he burst through them and ran out into the dense Everfree Forest. Twilight ran next to her mentor before spreading her wings, ready to fly after him. But, before she could, a white hoof from Celestia barred her path. Twilight looked up at her to see the Princess simply shake her head in a grave matter. Although no words passed between them, Twilight knew that she was being advised to leave him, at least for the time being. He needed to come to terms with this on his own, even though Twilight would have wanted nothing better than to help him. So, as she looked on, with Spike no longer visible to her sight, she sighed.

"Oh Spike...what are we going to do?"

The Plan

While it would have indeed been easier for her to fly to her destination, Twilight was, in truth, not willing to rush things. Though this did makes things more strenuous as she took each step up the steep and rocky path, it gave her time to think, time to work out in her mind as to how exactly this would go. It had been a few days since Spike ran off, and he had not returned to the library, which, as one might expect, had been cause for concern. So, here she was, on a path she had walked many years ago, and had not thought she would ever have to come back to.

For today, Twilight was walking up the large and imposing mountain that stood near Ponyville, just beyond the Everfree Forest. The last time she had come here was during her first year in Ponyville. A massive dragon had taken up residence in a cave near the summit, and Princess Celestia had tasked her with seeing to the beast's removal. It was no easy task, but thanks to Fluttershy, they had succeeded. And here she was again, once more attempting to coax a dragon from this place. But this time, the dragon in question was one of her oldest and dearest friends.

A sudden cawing sound diverted her attention, and her head turned to the right, just in time to see a magnificent orange bird fly right past her. This was a phoenix, a magical creature famed for it's ability to rise from the ashes after death. This one though was no random passer by, but Spike's very own pet, rescued from others of his kind many years ago, when he was still a baby dragon. It was a great risk to save it as he had done, but the rewards were worth it, and now this bird had remained a faithful companion to him ever since. Twilight looked on as the phoenix fluttered over a nearby rock before landing upon it, it's bright yellow eyes staring at her.

"Peewee...you're sure you saw him come this way?"

The phoenix gave a nod before cawing, and spread it's wings to take flight once more. Twilight began to pick up the pace and followed the bird, though she did not have to travel long. For she had finally come upon the entrance to the cave at the top of the mountain. It was just as large and imposing as she remembered, leading her to gulp at the sight of it. Looking up, she saw Peewee hovering overhead, and she gave a smile and a nod to him, letting him know he could leave her side. After another caw, the bird flew off, and Twilight kept her eyes on him until he was too far in the skies to be seen.

Turning back to the cave, she took a deep breath before marching inside. It was dark within, but one glow from her horn soon brought enough light for her to see. Although it had been many years since she last came here, her eyes still widened with awe when she looked upon that which was here even last time. A massive pile of treasure, gathered by the cave's previous occupant. But, thanks to Fluttershy's rather forward talking down, that massive dragon had not even bothered to take it's treasure with it. Gold, silver, and gems of every variety were here, all sparkling in the purple light of Twilight's magic.

It was a brilliant sight, but she was here for a reason, and began looking about. There was no sign of her friend, so she decided to call out.

"Spike?"

But there was no answer. As she scoured the cave, trying to see if he was perhaps hiding from her, a sudden loud noise caught her attention. Her head snapped to the left as she saw that some of the piled of gold had been blown away by a large and powerful snort. Squinting her eyes, she saw that there was a purple, scaly muzzle sticking out from the treasure. She had found him, though now she had the unenviable task of trying to convince him to come back. Walking over to where his muzzle was sticking out, Twilight got onto all four knees before speaking.

"Spike...it's me."

For a moment, there was no movement on the part of the young drake, and Twilight gained a concerned look on her face. Eventually though, she saw that he was pushing his head forward, as more gold coins moved out of the way, making his mouth visible. With that, he finally spoke to her.

"Go away."

There was no aggression or bitterness in his voice, but the tone of somepony who was just tired with everything that was going on right now, which was not something Twilight could blame him for. Still, she knew she couldn't just leave like he wanted, and she had come here for a reason. So, sighing, she spoke up again.

"Spike...why are you here? What are you doing to yourself?"

A brief grimace appeared on Spike's mouth before he spoke.

"You know dragons. We're obsessed with gold and jewels. I knew this treasure was still here, so I thought...maybe I'd get that old obsession back in me, give my instincts a reason to ignore...other things."

Twilight opened her mouth, almost aghast at what her oldest friend had just said to her. For as long as she'd known him, Spike had always been fighting against the urges that his kind were known for. Their aggression, their lust for treasure, and everything else that came with it. All of that stemmed with the brief exposure he'd had with others of his kind, not to mention that one day when his greed forced him to grow in his youth. Those were dark days for him, and memories he'd often sought to escape. To find him here, exposing himself to this sort of thing on purpose, just for the sake of her and the others, it was a shock to say the least. Part of her felt gratitude that he was willing to go through this on her behalf, but a much larger part of her couldn't help but feel bad about what he was putting himself through.

"Spike, don't do this to yourself. You can't get rid of one compulsion by burying it with another."

Although most of his face was still covered in treasure, Twilight knew him well enough to know that he was probably frowning at her right now. His tone of voice as he spoke pretty much confirmed that.

"I have to do something. It's like Celestia said, this isn't something that's going to go away. Better I obsess over treasure than be forced to treat my best friends like..."

The grimace returned to his face as his words became almost pained.

"...like some hoarded bed-warmers."

Twilight looked away, her expression one of great discomfort. To see her friend in this situation, forced to face a part of himself he never knew was there, and hated to have, was difficult. For many years, Spike had struggled to overcome every base instinct his dragon nature had put in front of them, and in most cases, he'd triumphed. But here, both of them knew that this was something entrenched far deeper in his nature than some magpie-like desire for shiny objects. It was clear from the way he was behaving that what his instinct were now demanding of him might actually damage the friendships he valued so much. Truth be told, it was a fear that Twilight herself now felt. Even so, her eyes darted back to Spike's muzzle as he spoke again.

"And if that doesn't work? If my...libido isn't satisfied...I'll just find somepony else."

Upon hearing that, Twilight gained a look of clear disapproval as she frowned at her friend.

"You mean just go out and pick up some random, anonymous mare you don't even know? I taught you better than that."

Those words clearly hit home for Spike as he finally showed greater movement, his head and neck rising up out of the treasure, with gold coins dropping off him by the second. They scatted all over the floor as the young drake's neck stretched up, bringing him taller than Twilight, who kept her eyes on him. Spike then looked down at her, his face bearing just as much of a frown as hers, before speaking.

"You're right. You did teach me better. You taught me to fight against my dragon nature ever since I was an infant. And that's exactly what I plan to. It's not right that you and Rainbow and Rarity and all the others be reduced to...to what my instinct want you to be."

He looked away from her, his face filled with anger, though whether that anger was directed at her, or even himself, Twilight could not say. All she knew was that his voice was tinted with sheer bitterness at this point.

"I will fight against this forever if I have to."

Twilight looked up at him, at his expression, heard the way he spoke, and she knew he was not lying. She knew he could be stubborn, but also knew that he meant what he said. His friendships were so important to him that it would not have surprised Twilight in the slightest if he was willing to just hide away in this cave for the rest of his life just so he could avoid having his instincts kick in again. Right now, Spike was utterly ashamed of who and what he was, and that was not something Twilight had ever wanted for him, not even now with everything that was going on with him.

And that is when she considered saying something to him that she knew was not going to make his situation any easier. In truth it was an idea that had been forming in her mind for some time, not just during the long trek up the mountain, but in the days since he left. Although, looking at him now, she knew she was most likely about to kick a massive hornet's nest by even suggesting it. But as bad as her next words might be, the thought of losing one of her dearest friends was even worse to her. So, taking a deep breath, she spoke.

"Spike? Have you considered...maybe...going ahead with it?"

The effect of those words was immediate, as Spike's head snapped in her direction.

"WHAT?!"

His expression was that of a person who had just been slapped in the face. Twilight looked away from him, her own face going red with embarrassment, but looked towards him again as he began to rise up completely from the pile of treasure. He shook himself to get off every last gold piece before taking a few steps towards her, and Twilight had to fight the urge to just back up away from him. The young dragon, still visibly shocked by what she'd just said to him, brought his face within a few inches of her, trying to see if there was any lie or trick going on here. But when he knew Twilight well enough to know that she wouldn't just lie about something this important, so he spoke again.

"I...you...we...have you lost your mind?!"

Already, Twilight was regretting her words, but even so, she sighed before looking her friend in the eye.

"No Spike. I meant what I said."

The dragon opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped before any words got out. Twilight observed him as he began sniffing the air for a few moments, before he looked down at her with some annoyance.

"You brought them with you, didn't you?"

Twilight looked at him with surprise, an expression which gave Spike licence to explain himself.

"After everything that's happened recently, I know their scent when I smell it."

The young alicorn knew Spike long enough to know that there was no getting around this. Sighing once again, she turned around to face the cave entrance, before bringing her hoof to her mouth and blowing a very loud whistle. She and Spike looked on as, sure enough, their friends began to poke their heads into the cave's entrance before walking in fully. Rainbow came first, followed shortly by Applejack, then Pinkie, Rarity, with Fluttershy coming in afterwards. Given what happened the last time she was here, nopony blamed Fluttershy for wanting to be here yet again. However, they were not the only ones to arrive, as Spike's expression became one of surprise when he saw that, bringing up the rear, was Celestia herself.

That expression changed back into one of annoyance as the mares all arrived next to Twilight, their faces all bearing rather concerned looks as they looked to their friend before looking to Spike. There was a long and uncomfortable silence between them, with nopony knowing or even wanting to speak fist. Eventually though, Celestia took it upon herself to address the young dragon first.

"Spike...I wanted to apologise."

The dragon raised an eyebrow at that, prompting Celestia to explain.

"I kept this information from you and Twilight because I hoped that it was for the best. I was wrong, and learning of it this way has caused you and her a great deal of distress. For that, I am sorry."

Spike looked at her in silence for a while, and the other mares all looked on nervously at the two of them, perhaps worried what might happened if this apology wasn't going to make anything better for him. To their relief however, Spike let out a long sigh before looking up at Celestia, his expression no longer bearing the anger it had the last time he saw her. He gave a simple nod, a sign that he had accepted her apology, and Celestia smiled at that. With that matter finally settled, Celestia glanced down at Twilight, giving her a nod of her own. Twilight nodded back, knowing what now needed to be said, before turning her attention to Spike yet again.

"Spike...I know this isn't what you wanted, or any of us for that matter, but I think...we should at least the consider the possibility of...accepting this instinct of yours."

The silence that followed that was, as one might expect, greatly uncomfortable. Spike looked at Twilight before looking over to the faces of the other five mares. If there was any deception there, he couldn't see it. Although, as he'd expected, Fluttershy was reacting to the whole situation by covering her face with her long mane. Ever since he learned what was happening to him, he'd been struggling to get rid of this instinct by any means possible, but to hear of his friends actually suggesting that he embrace it was not what he'd ever expected. To have his friends suddenly become mates like this was a strange thought, and his discomfort over it was clear. The other mares said nothing, not wanting to rush him, and soon, he turned from Twilight to address the others directly.

"And you? You're all fine with this?"

The mares all looked at each other before, with some trepidation, Rarity spoke first.

"Well...I don't think "fine" is the right word, darling. But, like Twilight said, you're our friend. And we don't want you to just hide yourself away like this."

The drake looked at them, seeing their faces bear just as much discomfort and confusion over this situation as he did. He looked away from them, not wanting to look them in the eye.

"Do you know what you're suggesting? My dragon nature wants you as my mates. MATES! Do you understand that? A dragon and ponies together. What if...what if children come about because of this? What would they be? How would your families, or the rest of Ponyville, react to this?"

He faced them once more, his eyes almost ablaze.

"What about your LIVES?!"

It was in this moment that all of them truly understood why Spike was fighting against this part of his nature. It wasn't just that he was ashamed of what his instincts were demanding of him, although that was certainly a big part of it. No, they knew now that what truly concerned him was a fear that, if they went ahead with this, he would, for all intents and purposes, ruin their lives. He would consider himself a blight on their relationships to everypony else. Seeing him this way, all those terrible thoughts running through his head, convincing himself he was a monster because of this, it was too much for them, and Rainbow Dash stepped forward and spoke.

"Spike...you're not going to end our lives because of this. We might not have ever thought about doing this, but...if it helps you...I guess we can at least consider it."

Spike turned away from them upon hearing that. He knew his friends meant well, and he had no doubt that they'd be willing to do this for him, if for no other reason than to keep one of their friends from living a life of miserable solitude. But even so, he still thought of himself pretty badly because of what his urges were expecting him to do. And that spread to everypony else, as all of them were experiencing great discomfort at this whole thing. Celestia, during all of this, had observed the mares and Spike closely, trying to think of how to alleviate this situation. In this silence though, a thought came to her.

"If the girls have some hesitancy, and you're experiencing the same at the thought of being with them...then why don't we start things slow?"

All of them looked at her with a look of confusion, which gave Celestia cause to elaborate.

"Spike's mind has chosen the six of you as his life partners. If you are all willing to be with him in this capacity, then perhaps it might aid your transition into this relationship to spend some time with him. If he were to go to each of you, maybe for a few days, and just get used to being that close to one another, it might help."

The group all looked at each other, and their expressions made it very clear what they were thinking. Celestia's idea had merit at the very least. if Spike were to suddenly be inserted into their regular lives like this as their partner, it would be a pretty jarring experience. But, if they took time to get used to him being around them like that, it may alleviate some of the difficulty of adjusting to this new status quo of theirs, at least a little. Although none of them said anything, they all turned to Celestia and gave a short nod, letting her know that this was a plan they would accept. Spike though, was looking at each of them in turn before speaking.

"If that's the plan, then...who do I go to first?"

There was silence in the group, but only briefly, as Applejack took a step forward.

"Y'all can come live with me first, Spike. Most of the orchard's been harvested for this year, so my next few days are pretty clear."

Spike looked at her, at the willingness in her expression, before bowing his head slightly.

"Alright then. And...thank you."

Applejack nodded back, complete with a tip of her trademark stetson hat, before turning to the rest of the group. This might not have been their ideal situation, but it was the one that had been dealt to them. Now came the task of trying to adjust, which all of them knew was going to be difficult at the very least. So, with their plan now established. Celestia gestured to the cave entrance, and the group began to make their way out of it and back to Ponyville. Spike let out a sigh, privately thanking his stars that he had friends in his life that were willing to help him in this, admittedly, embarrassing situation. But, as they made their way out of the cave, the group's attention was diverted to Rarity, who gained a look of realization upon her face as she darted back into the cave. The rest of the group all looked at each other with confusion for a few moments before she re-emerged, carrying a massive diamond over her head with her magic.

"I missed my chance with this little beauty last time I was here, and I was NOT prepared to make that mistake again!"

They all looked at her, somewhat amused that such a thing was on her mind even after everything else that had happened. But, even so, it did lead to one very important thing, as Spike threw back his head and let out a loud laugh. It was an infectious one at that, as the other mares all joined him. In this moment, all of them agreed on one thing, which Spike made it a point to voice:

"I needed that."

An Apple a Day

His steps were slow and hesitant, but even so, he did not stop. Spike was doing his best to try and make sense of everything that had happened to him in the last few days. The fact that his entry into adulthood had been marked with such a momentous change in him was bad enough, but the fact that it was forcing him to look at his closest friends in such a different way was, to say the least, not something he ever thought he would have to cope with. The only thing stranger than that was the fact that not only did they not shy away from him upon learning of this, but that they had actually agreed to help him through it.

And that was why he was here now. Making his way to the home of Applejack. That her and all the others were willing to do this, to be with him in the most intimate way a person can be with another, it made him speechless. The only comfort he could take in all of this was that nothing was expected of them yet, and that thankfully, his instincts hadn't kicked in again like they did at the party. Looking up at the ground, he gave a somewhat contented sigh as he finally saw his destination. Sweet Apple Acres. This place looked good at any time of the year, but now, after Applejack and her family had finished harvesting, it's massive green fields, all covered in trees, were truly a sight.

Still, he knew he couldn't enjoy the scenery just yet, and he had an important job to do. He was to spend the next few days here, helping both himself and Applejack to get used to being around each other. He didn't know if this plan of Celestia's would work, but if there was even a tiny hope that it would make things easier for his friends, he knew he had no choice but to go along with it. Taking a deep breath, he made his way towards the family home of the Apples. Being the size he was, it would have taken very little effort to just break the door down with his fist, so, like many other things, he had to restrain his strength as he knocked.

It didn't take long for there to be an answer, but when the door opened, it was not Applejack that answered, but her brother. Spike looked upon Big Mac and noticed very quickly that the older stallion had a rather angry look upon his face. Being as close to her family as she was, it was clear that Applejack had probably told them what was going on. Mac knew why Spike was here and what was going on, and that made the young dragon quite nervous. True, at his age he was larger than this stallion, but he knew from experience how strong the latter was. The two had never openly compared their strength to each other, and Spike was in no hurry to make such a comparison now.

Before either of them could speak though, there was a sound from behind Mac. A clearing of somepony's throat. The red stallion turned around and looked upon his sister standing there, as did Spike. Applejack gave her brother a gesture with her head, giving him permission to leave. The stallion gave one last glance at Spike before letting out a long sigh and nodding to his sister. Spike stood aside as Mac made his way past him, before turning to look at Applejack again. She gave him a smile, albeit a very small one, and waved him in with her hoof. The young dragon entered, closing the door behind him, and the two made their way to the kitchen.

Once there, they sat on opposite sides of the breakfast table and just started staring at each other. The only sound that could be heard was that of the nearby clock going "tick-tock". It was quickly becoming unbearably silent, but thankfully, that silence was broken by Applejack.

"So..."

Spike cleared his throat before replying to that.

"So..."

Then, much to Spike's annoyance, the silence came back. Thankfully, he'd suddenly thought of something to say.

"I...I notice Applebloom isn't here. She with Scoot and Sweetie?"

Applejack shook her head at that.

"Nope. She's down at the market. It's her turn to work the apple stall today."

Spike nodded at that, shortly before twiddling his thumbs. Applejack seemed to be just as uncomfortable with this whole scenario as he was, and raised both hoofs to the sides of her head. If she had fingers like he did, Spike had not doubt that she'd be trying to rub her temples right now. He looked down at the table, trying to avoid her gaze, before speaking.

"Maybe...this was a bad idea."

He began to get up and move away from the table, but was stopped by a sudden slamming sound as Applejack brought her hoof down on the table. One look at her rather angry expression gave Spike more than enough incentive to sit himself back down, which he did. Then again, he'd known Applejack long enough to know that when she agreed to something, she was going to stick to it. The earth pony looked at him and knew just from one glance that this wasn't going to be an easy time. So, rather than just sitting here uncomfortably for who knew how many days, she did the only thing that came to mind.

"Spike...we need to try an talk bout this."

The young dragon kept his eyes off hers as best he could, but even so, he knew she was right. As much as he wanted to just go back to that cave and bury his head in a desperate bid to make this whole situation go away, he knew it wasn't happening. So, he finally looked her right in the eye.

"Applejack...I'm sorry."

The mare tilted her head in confusion, prompting Spike to explain himself.

"It's obvious this will cause problems for you. Your family alone is clearly taking this badly. And...I just never wanted this for you."

Applejack looked at him intently before narrowing her eyes at him.

"Spike...listen to me. I may have given up mah element a long time ago, but honesty is still important to me. More than that, it's what I always told mahself I'd look for in a partner. So I need y'all to be honest with me now."

The young dragon looked at her, curious as to what exactly she was going to ask of him.

"Y'all say you don't want this. But is that the truth?"

Spike's expression became a mixture of shock and anger, and he was clearly offended by the idea that this was something he wanted to happen to him and his friends. Before he could give an answer, which would have undoubtedly been a rather aggressive one, Applejack raised a hoof, silencing him before he spoke, and giving her a chance to explain herself.

"I know y'all wish this hadn't happened. So do I. But ask yerself this. Y'all have known me an the others fer years now. I know y'all used to crush on Rarity somethin fierce. But what about the rest of us? Can you look me in the eye and say that there's never been a day, not even one moment, where you never thought about you an me? Or you an Fluttershy? Or you an...any of us?"

The dragon opened his mouth, ready to give the obvious response, that he'd never thought of any of them in that way before. But when he tried to get the words out, he suddenly found that he couldn't. The way this mare was looking at him, with those eyes that always knew a lie when they saw one, seemed to look right into him. His mind looked back over the years he's lived in Ponyville, and, more importantly, at the moments he spent with her and the others. He'd grown close to each of them over these past eighteen years and, in all honesty, there had indeed been moments, albeit brief ones, where he had truly considered wanting to be more than friends with them. And even though such thoughts had long since passed for him, it would still have been a lie to say that they had never occurred at all.

So, with Applejack's eyes still locked onto him, Spike found he could not look at her, and turned away from her gaze. Seeing this, Applejack let out a sigh.

"Ah thought so. I ain't judgin ya, but that want of yers is there, and y'all need to admit that, to yerself if nothin else."

He wanted to deny it as much as possible, but the last thing he needed right now was to make this situation worse by adding lies on top of everything else. He exhaled deeply, wondering once again how this whole mess could have begun, before looking his friend in the eye again.

"I'm...I'm sorry."

Applejack stared at him for a moment and saw the genuine remorse he felt right now. Slowly, a small smile crept back onto her face.

"Hey...it's fine, Spike. Still, this does make me pretty unusual as far as Apples go."

Spike looked away again upon hearing that. Over the years he'd heard plenty of Applejack and their family, and one of the most important things to them was tradition. For as long as their family had been around, it had always been the same thing, that their partners in life were ponies, and earth ponies at that. Then, in comes Spike to break that tradition. He knew how important family was to Applejack, and knowing that he was going to cause this much of a wrench in her relations wasn't making him feel any better. He'd have probably continued wallowing in that rather depressing thought, had it not been for a sudden warm feeling on his hand. Looking down, he saw that Applejack had leaned forward and placed a hoof upon his hand, and was looking at him with a warm smile.

"Now then, don't y'all go and get down like that. If y'all are gonna be mah mate, ah can't have ya mopin around."

Rather surprised by the earth pony's sudden energy, Spike looked on as she took her hoof off, hopped off her chair and then walked around the table to stand right next to him.

"We've got a few days together, so we might as well make the best of it. There are some chores to do, and the day's wastin already."

The young dragon looked at her with a raised eyebrow, still clearly taken aback by this sudden turnaround in her behaviour.

"You mean...you've accepted this? You and me? Just like that."

The earth pony gave a brief chuckle and nodded.

"Something you gotta know about us Apples, Spike. Family and young un's are important to all of us. Thanks to you, I'll probably have both soon enough. Besides, Apples are pretty brief when it comes to courtin, so don't be too surprised about me being okay with this already."

Applejack then looked off into the distance and looked rather nostalgic for a moment.

"I can still remember back when Granny was still kickin, always goin on about how I should settle down and raise a family of mah own. Don't think this is what she had in mind though."

In this one moment, both of them joined each other in a moment of laughter, relieving both of them of the stress that had painted this entire exchange so far. Once they were done though, Spike simply nodded at her. Whatever issues that Applejack was going to experience from all this, she'd either put it behind her already or was going to want to deal with it in her own time, without dragging Spike into it. Either way, he was certainly a lot happier that she wasn't going to let herself or him get down from all this. So, Spike suddenly found himself being pushed by his friend towards the front door of her house, just before she picked up a nearby shovel in her mouth and shoved in into his hands.

"Well? Time don't stand still fer nopony. An there's new apple seedlins than need plantin."

Spike, feeling somewhat relieved that there didn't seem to be any bad blood from her about this, smiled at her before nodding.

"Sure thing..."

His expression then became one of appreciation as he looked at her, with Applejack herself having now become silent, and was also looking at him just as intently, waiting for him to finish what he needed to say. And when he did, her smile became one of genuine affection for the young drake who would soon become so much more to her than just a friend.

"...and...thank you."

The mare nodded back at him before starting to turn away. However, as Spike began to move away towards the orchards to do his work, a thought occurred to him as he looked down at the shovel in his hand, and he looked back to Applejack.

"Say, Applejack? Am I going to be expected to do a lot of this sort of thing once we've...er...you know?"

Applejack stared at him for a few moments before looking away briefly, her face that of a person clearly pondering something. Eventually though, her face broke into an uncharacteristically mischievous smile as she looked back to her soon-to-be mate.

"Eyup."

At the End of the Rainbow

Despite Spike's reservations about the strange situation he'd found himself in, he had to admit that things had been progressing far better than he was expecting. Though things had started out pretty awkwardly at Applejack's home, the time the two had spent together had proved to do a lot for them. Though both would admit that the idea of them being together that way would be unusual, they were now far less apprehensive to the notion. Even Applejack's family had ended up warming up to the idea, or, in Big Mac's case, at least tolerated it.

But, as the plan dictated, the time eventually came for the two to part ways for the time being. Spike had said his goodbyes and had then moved onto the next mare he was due to spend time with. This time, it was Ponyville's Chief Weather Mare, Rainbow Dash. Although he knew that there were many stallions who had desired her over the years, it was clear that most had always been turned down, having not lived up to her her standards. In that regard, Spike considered himself fortunate that this whole scenario had granted him the opportunity to be with such an unattainable mare.

However, that sense of fortune had quickly disappeared once he'd actually started spending time with her. For it was at this moment that, contrary to just lazing about as he suspected Rainbow might want, he was instead running as far as his four legs would take him across a large open field on the outskirts of Ponyville. Panting all the way, he looked over to his left to see his current racing partner, Rainbow herself. Being a wingless dragon, Spike naturally couldn't fly, so Rainbow too had taken to racing him on the ground, with her wings bound to her body by a strand of black tape.

Sadly for Spike, she was no pushover even without her famed flying ability, and it was taking every ounce of strength in his body to keep up his current speed. The cyan-coloured pegasus beside him glanced in his direction with one of her trademark smirks.

"Come on, drake! If you're gonna be with me, you gotta prove you can keep up!"

And that was a statement he knew she would hold him to. This race had already gone on for a while but, to Spike's utter joy, he saw that the finish line was in sight, a red flag planted in the ground some distance away. Mustering up all the strength he had left, he made for it as best he could. Closer and closer it approached, and for one, brief moment, he thought he might actually win this. But, just inches before he passed the flag, a rainbow-coloured blur zipped past him. Rainbow had won. Grinding to a halt, Spike finally had a chance to catch his breath after all that. Through his continued panting, he looked up at his future mate and saw that smirk still on her face, looking as though she hadn't even broken a sweat. The young dragon only just managed to get his words out in-between his gasps for air.

"You...were holding...back...weren't you?"

The pegsus nodded before chuckling out loud.

"Yeah. But don't feel too bad. You did better than most. Though I must say you don't look like you're used to this sort of thing."

Having finally caught his breath, Spike returned the chuckle.

"Being Twilight's assistant for as long as I have, I've spent most of my time around libraries, not racetracks. Seriously, between this and working on AJ's farm, I might not even have any energy left for...er...other mate-related stuff."

Rainbow laughed at that, followed swiftly by Spike and for a moment, they completely forgot about the rather awkward situation they both knew they were here for. It wasn't as if Spike disliked Rainbow or anything, far from it. But aside of a few moments during his early years, which Applejack had pointed out to him, he never thought of her in a romantic sense. To him, she was always just that mare that you hung out with, had a fun time with. Perhaps not to the same extremes as Pinkie perhaps, but still more fun than most. Now though, both knew that they would have to become far more than just friends, and once their laughter had died down, it was replaced by an awkward silence that Spike had been growing used to recently.

This time though, he was ready for it, and finally got back onto all fours and gestured to her with his head, indicating that he was ready to go back. Nodding back at him, she started walking alongside him. Unlike pegasi and alicorns, dragons could not walk on clouds, so staying up in Rainbow's cloud-house for a few days was out of the question. Instead, he'd erected a suitably-sized tend directly beneath where her house usually floated. Soon enough, it came within view, and the two sat next to it moments later. After a second silence had fallen, it was interrupted by a sudden sound of discomfort from Rainbow as Spike looked up to see that she was rubbing her shoulder with one hoof. Seeing his somewhat confused expression, Rainbow tried putting on her usual nonchalant front.

"It's nothing. Just a muscle I pulled during the race. No problem."

Spike raised an eyebrow at that.

"A pulled muscle? You?"

Rainbow looked more than a little embarrassed at that, as her reputation for athleticism was one that she tried very hard to maintain. Though, if that race was any indication, it was a wonder she struggled to make anypony think any differently. Still, she looked away from him after he'd said that.

"Don't be too shocked. I'm not exactly in the prime of youth like when we first met. Stuff like this isn't as easy as it used to be."

That much he understood. After all, it had been the better part of two decades since he'd first met Rainbow and the other girls. It was still a strange thought to him, that so much time had passed since their first meeting. If he'd have gone back and told his younger self what he'd eventually be expected do to with those mares, said younger self would probably pass out from laughter. Still, he gave a nod to Rainbow, letting her know that at least acknowledged her discomfort. However, the then noticed that she was gaining an uncharacteristic blush on her face as she tried keeping her gaze off him. When she spoke, that expression soon became clear.

"Well...maybe you could...you know...make it better?"

Spike tilted his head in confusion over that, leading to Rainbow, clearly frustrated at having to explain herself further, to speak again.

"It's just that I heard that you were pretty good at...um...back-rubs?"

His confusion vanished in an instant at that point, replaced instead by a look of shock upon his face. The blush, the way she kept avoiding his eyes, it all made sense to him now. But even so, for her to ask something like that of him was pretty forward, even by Rainbow's standards.

"A back-rub? What...what makes you think I even...?"

But before he could finish that sentence, Rainbow chuckled and spoke.

"AJ told me."

That just made the young dragon even more confused.

"Applejack? But when did I...oh."

One look at the expression of understanding on Spike's face gave Rainbow all the evidence she needed to know that he'd just remembered exactly what she was talking about. It was years ago, back when he was still very young, but there was a brief period when he'd sworn an oath of fealty to Applejack, offering her any service she wanted of him. Though she clearly wanted nothing of the sort, that hadn't stopped him from trying to press the matter, including the offer of a back-rub. If memory served him, Applejack seemed to enjoy it, and if she'd told Rainbow about it then perhaps he was better than he thought. But, even in spite of this knowledge, there was one other point he felt he needed to bring up.

"But I thought you hated having people touch you? Isn't that why you're always turning Rarity down when she offers to take you to the spa?"

That comment sent a shiver down Rainbow's spine at the mere mention of the spa. Though he himself had never been to averse to going to a place like that, and was even something most of their friends enjoyed, Rainbow was pretty well known for actively avoiding that kind of activity. Still, she at least acknowledged his point.

"I do. But, you and I are going to be mates soon. That means that both of us are going to have to get used to being touched by the other."

This time it was Spike's turn to blush, though thankfully his purple colouring made it harder to notice than Rainbow's. Looking to her now, she had said that with a rather mischievous look on her face. She knew that implication would have embarrassed him a little, so he tried his best not to get too worked up over it. Instead, he simply let out a sigh and got up, before moving over to her. Rainbow kept her eyes on him as he moved behind her before sitting down. Looking ahead, Rainbow said nothing as she began to feel Spike's two scaly hands reached up and land on her shoulders. Rainbow took a deep breath and exhaled, which served as a signal for Spike to start.

Rainbow had to admit, this wasn't so bad. His movements, starting with a simply rub of her shoulders, made it clear that he wasn't used to doing this sort of thing, but he was trying to help her, and that was the important thing. As he moved further down her back, and having sworn he just heard make a soft moaning sound, his mind turned to their whole situation. His face became rather thoughtful as he considered that it was probably for the best to try and talk to Rainbow about all this.

"Um...Rainbow?"

To Spike's slight annoyance, Rainbow was rather occupied by the unexpectedly pleasant feeling of having her back massaged by her future mate, so all she could offer was a slight grunt to show that she'd at least heard him.

"Well...I was wondering what your thoughts were...about you and me that is."

It was only after that when Rainbow finally opened her eyes and turned her head around as far as it could, and the two looked at each other for a few moments before, to Spike's surprise, Rainbow gave a smile.

"Well, I've been thinking about that. Truth be told, I think it'll be interesting."

That was not an answer the young drake had been expecting, and he responded to that with a look of confusion. Seeing that expression on his face, Rainbow chuckled a bit before explaining.

"Think about it. Most mares will go through life settling down with a nice stallion, maybe a Griffon or Zebra if they like the exotic sort. But me? I get a dragon! How awesome is that?!"

Spike looked up and out at the distance, looking somewhat bemused by Rainbow's answer. But when he thought about it, her reasoning made a somewhat odd sense. After all, he himself had thought many times how a pony being with a dragon would be a strange thing. As far as he was aware, it would be the first time such a thing had ever happened. That would make Rainbow, as well as all the rest of the girls, stand out far more than they already did, which was saying a lot. The idea of having a life partner who stood out from the crowd was something he knew would have appealed to Rainbow a great deal, even if it was someone she'd known since he was pretty much an infant.

This was, naturally, a great relief to him. He'd been worried this whole time that Rainbow might reject the idea of being with him any any kind of romantic way. To find that she was not only accepting by also somewhat enthusiastic about it, was quite a load off his mind. And speaking of unburdening, Rainbow seemed to be feeling much better thanks to the efforts of Spike's hands on her back, as evidenced by her exhaling in a manner that let him know that her aches and pains had vanished.

"Not bad, Spike. Not bad at all."

She got up onto all fours and took a few steps forward before unfurling her wings, flapping them a few times and then smiling, showing that her pain from before was indeed gone.

"I'll have to remember to ask you to do that again some time."

Spike coughed a little at that, his blush from before threatening to return. It was an expression Rainbow had not missed, and chuckled to herself a little before looking at him. When Spike looked at her now, it seemed as though she was deep in thought over something, but that expression became another smile as she stepped towards him.

"Well then, shall we get back to our exercises?"

Under normal circumstances, Spike might have tried to refuse to do so, having already been fairly exhausted from their previous race. But, having known Rainbow for as long as he had, he knew that attempting to get out of this would have been a pointless endeavour. Instead, he simply nodded, smiled and gave a small chuckle, letting her know that he had resigned himself to pretty much whatever she planned for him. That was an arrangement Rainbow seemed fairly happy with, as her expression of triumph could testify. So, as he got up onto all fours once more, Spike addressed her.

"Well then. Let's get to it, Honey."

Those words stopped Rainbow in her tracks as she stared at him for a few moments, half-shocked by what he'd just said to her. For a brief moment, Spike was worried he might have just made a serious blunder. Instead, he looked on in surprised as Rainbow's face morphed into a more amorous one, complete with a smile, as she took a few steps closer to him, bringing her mouth up to his right ear, and bringing her voice down to a whisper.

"For the record...don't ever call me that."

A Rare Thing

Things between Spike and Rainbow Dash had run fairly smoothly, and certainly far better than what the young dragon had been expecting. Though, as one might expect, the mare had pretty much run him ragged with all the activities he'd put him through. It was rare that he did so, but Spike silently thanked that he'd been a dragon, for it was clear that no stallion could have kept up with her anywhere near as much as he did. Thankfully, even Rainbow could see when she was pushing too hard, so their final day together had been marked by a relative lack of activity, instead just relaxing in each other's company.

When all was said and done, they'd parted ways afterwards and it was then time for Spike to move onto the next of his friends. In many ways, this was the visit he'd been dreading most of all, for this time it was the home of Ponyville's resident fashionista, Rarity, that he was due to visit. While he had no doubt that, had he been younger, the chance to spend a few days with her would have been a dream come true. Now though, knowing what the two would inevitably have to do, all he felt at this point was worry.

At this present moment though, he was not with Rarity, though the two had certainly greeted one another, but rather her younger sister, Sweetie Belle. The two were in the kitchen of Rarity's home, enjoying a spot of lunch together. Rarity meanwhile had pretty much confined herself to her room, saying she had work that needed doing. Whether that was true or not, Spike couldn't say, but regardless, the last thing he wanted was to make this situation any more difficult by pressing the matter. Instead, he just got on with his food, a small bowl containing a few choice gemstones.

"Any idea what she's working on?"

Sweetie shook her head, showing she had no more idea than him. The young unicorn had grown into a fine mare in the years since Spike had first met her. In fact, if you were to put the two of them together, a stranger wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Sweetie and Rarity, save of course for the former's distinct pink and light-purple mane, not to mention her cutie mark, that of a musical note. Spike pondered at that for a moment, thinking of just how happy Sweetie and the other crusaders had been when they finally earned their respective marks, with Sweetie's being for her beautiful singing voice.

Much like Spike, she was here visiting Rarity, as she'd long ago moved into her own home elsewhere in Ponyville. It was something Spike silently cursed himself for, that he'd intruded on this moment between the two sisters. Still, he knew that he and Rarity couldn't avoid this, so it was best to just accept it. Sweetie though noticed the somewhat troubled look on the young drake's face and cleared her throat, gaining his attention.

"So...you and my sister?"

Spike looked away from her gaze before nodding, confirming what she already knew. To his surprise, the young unicorn simply giggled at that, earning her a somewhat irritated look from Spike.

"Sorry. It's just that it seems so weird to me. I remember back when you kept following her around like a puppy. Now you're finally with her...sort of."

The dragon chuckled, though it was rather empty. If Sweetie had only known exactly what he and the six mares had gone through when they first found out about this, she might not have found it amusing in the slightest. Still, he bore no ill will against her personally. At the very least she seemed to be taking this news far better than a certain older Apple sibling he could think of. He'd always been friends with Sweetie, now he was faced with the fact that, very soon, she'd more-or-less be his sister-in-law. One of several in-laws he'd soon be getting in fact. Even so, that was a matter for another time, right now though, his thoughts were occupied with his future mate, whom he now suspected was actively avoiding him.

"Do...do you think Rarity's alright?"

Before Sweetie could answer, both of them heard a sudden, and loud, familiar voice from upstairs, prompting both of them to look up at the ceiling as they listened to it.

"OH WOE! OH WOE IS MEHEHEEEEE!!!"

The two glanced down at each other before Sweetie shrugged her shoulders.

"Eh...she doesn't seem any worse than usual."

In spite of himself, Spike couldn't help but chuckle at that. Rarity's occasional bouts of over-dramatic behaviour, while somewhat irritating to others, had always been something that he'd found oddly endearing about her. Nevertheless, he felt that he should at least try and find out what was going on. So, pushing his bowl away, he got up from the table and made his way out of the kitchen, with Sweetie giving him a knowing nod before he left. As he made his way upstairs, he felt that it was probably not a good idea to just barge into her room like this, but, as he'd come to accept, if one of his mates was in distress in some way, it was going to be expected of him to at least attempt to find out what was wrong.

So, once he reached the door to her room, he raised a hand and turned the knob. Peeking inside, he saw that Rarity wasn't kidding when she said she had a lot of work to do. There were unfinished dresses strewn about all over the place, bits of cloth hanging in every direction, and at the centre of it all was Rarity herself. Just one look at her told Spike everything he needed to know. She was at her desk, her head practically buried in her design sheets, and her mane was bearing a few loose strands of hair, a clear sign of when she was stressed about something. Sighing, he entered the room completely, though the sound of the door creaking open was enough to alert her of his presence.

"Oh! Spike! I was...er...just making a few finishing touches. No need to concern yourself."

The smile she gave when she she said that might have fooled some ponies, but not him. He'd been around her and the other mares long enough to know a forced smile when he saw one. It was something that had been on his mind for some time now, her declaration of work. Sweetie had no knowledge of what kinds of project she might have been working on, and Rarity was notorious for letting ponies know when she had a big order. But this, so many unfinished works, was quite unlike her. And Spike was no mere child anymore. He was able to put the pieces together quickly enough, and the rather worried look Rarity gave him as she saw this thoughtful expression gave him enough proof that he was on the right track.

"Rarity...have you been avoiding me?"

The white unicorn gained a look of being offended, but it was one that Spike knew she'd practised for many years. Nevertheless, he waited for her response.

"Of course not, Spike. Why...I've just had a lot to do...and I...er..."

Her facade was falling, and far quicker than Spike had expected. This was not something he held against her though. He knew that this was a difficult situation the seven of them had found themselves in. While some, like Rainbow, had accepted this with no issue, he knew the same would not hold true for all of them. Rarity was clearly having a hard time coming to terms with this, and while he wasn't about to start denouncing her for that, the fact that she didn't seem to want to be upfront with him about it was rather irksome.

"Rarity...we need to talk about this. I know this isn't ideal, but..."

The unicorn then turned her gaze to him fully, and Spike was rather taken aback by her expression, that of mild anger.

"Oh, it's not ideal, is it? Do you really think that, Spike?"

Spike narrowed his eyes a little at that.

"What are you saying exactly?"

Rarity snorted a little.

"Oh, I'm sure you were shocked like the rest of us when you found out about your little "hoarding problem". But I'm also sure that you got over it pretty quickly. I mean, what male wouldn't want to find himself being able to have six mares all to himself, including the mare of his dream to boot?"

The words she was speaking were cutting deep into Spike with every passing moment. He knew deep down that she was frustrated at this whole situation and needed to vent it out, and he knew that, had their positions been reversed, he'd have likely been just as upset about all this. But even so, this was Rarity, and there was a very important reason why hearing those words from her specifically made this little exchange all the worse. But, he just stood there, taking in every word, as though he felt he had little choice. Stood there and carried on listening to this angry mare that his dragon nature had chosen as a mate.

"I bet you secretly smile to yourself when you think we're not looking, don't you? You finally get Rarity, the mare you've been wanting ever since you..."

But for Spike, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. So, to Rarity's shock, she saw the drake rear up onto his hind legs, making his greater size much more apparent, and gazing upon the look of anger in his eyes and he bellowed out his response to all this.

"I GAVE UP ON YOU!!!"

Those words seemed to bring both of their worlds into utter silence. Rarity looked at the dragon, who was once so small she could have carried him around like a pet. Now, he had grown, perhaps not as large as other adult dragons, but still big enough to be far more intimidating than any pony could ever hope to be. He stood there, now back onto all fours, letting out several snorts of hot air from his nostrils. It took a few moments, but Spike's face morphed into one of sadness as he turned his face away from her, looking down at the ground.

"I...gave up on you. For my first few years in Ponyville, you were the only thing I'd ever truly wanted. You were beautiful, refined, generous, and everything a young dragon like me could have desired."

Rarity looked upon him as he conjured up those memories, those far-off days when Spike was utterly obsessed with her. She knew them well, but had never once considered that he himself would ever look back on those days with the bitterness he was now showing. But regardless, she did not stop listening to him.

"As the days and years passed on, it became clear to me that you just weren't interested. When I was a kid I felt that maybe it was my age, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that you and I were never destined to be anything other than friends."

In all his time living in Ponyville, friendship was something that he had been taught was to be cherished and respected above all else. Not once had he ever considered that it was also something to be dreaded. But it happened, on the day he'd finally chosen to walk away from his pursuit of this white unicorn. His face changed into one of anger, though whether at himself or her, Rarity could not tell. That anger faded however as he turned to look at her for the first time since his tirade began.

"I've tried so hard to forget those childish feelings I had for you back then. I wanted for us to be friends, to not have to follow you around like some lovesick fool. But it seems my instincts had other plans for me, opening up old wounds by doing so. And so, here I am, having to try and get together with a mare I'd long ago accepted that I couldn't be with."

Looking down at the floor, his voice was now utterly devoid of anger, or grief, or any semblance of emotion that Rarity could hear.

"If I could have been born a pony, and not a dragon, I would have done so. But I am what I am, and now you're stuck with my problem. I'm...so sorry, Rarity."

The fashionista stared at him for the longest time, trying her best to work through everything that had just been said to her. Rarity had known Spike for almost his whole life, and she liked to think she knew him well on a personal level. Now it seems that there was much she'd just never understood. The fact that he'd actively stopped trying to pursue her was a surprise, as she'd never even noticed. But now that he said that was the case, it became as clear as day to her. The way he no longer jumped at the chance to aid her in her shop, the way he'd stopped making those loving eyes at her like he used to, it was all coming into place.

It was here that she felt more than a little ashamed at herself. She'd allowed her frustrations at this whole situation to cause her to lash out at Spike, one of her nearest and dearest friends. Knowing him as she did, she knew he wouldn't hold it against her, and she also knew that what had happened was something beyond his control. Saying the things she'd said, now knowing just how much he'd tried to distance himself from his past infatuation of her, was, to say the least, not a feeling she enjoyed in the slightest. She gazed upon the young dragon, and knew that now more than ever, she would have to change the way she thought about him. Not as her "little Spikey-Wikey", but as an adult and, as their situation demanded, a mate.

Spike meanwhile was just wallowing in all this. After his visits to Applejack and Rainbow, he'd hoped that maybe things would have run smoothly with all his other friends. That was clearly not the case, so he found himself rather taken aback when he noticed a pristine, white hoof suddenly placed over his claw. Looking up, he saw Rarity looking at him, her face bearing a warm smile.

"Spike...I'm sorry for never really considering how you were feeling about all this. It was selfish of me, and I apologize."

The young dragon opened his mouth, perhaps about to tell her that she needn't apologize for anything. But Rarity was already one step ahead of him, and placed a hoof to his lips, stopping him from speaking.

"No. You've said what you needed to, and now so must I. For as long as I've known you, you've been a dear friend. Perhaps I never realised just how much you felt towards me over the years, or how difficult my...lack of attention was. I suppose it just never occurred to me to ever think of you in that way. Thinking like that has clearly led to this difficulty we find ourselves in."

Spike looked away from her and back towards the ground. He then felt a hoof under his chin as his gaze was drawn to Rarity once more.

"But when I think about you now, I realise that you are, and perhaps have always been, a person I could learn to be happy with."

The drake raised an eyebrow at that, as though thinking she might just be saying such things just to make him feel better. But one look in her eyes made it clear to him that this was no lie on her part.

"You're one of the bravest souls I know, always there to help others. There's a reason the ponies of the Crystal Empire still sing your praises after all. But more importantly, you've always been there for me. Whenever I needed help, or was in trouble, you were there to help however you could. There are few who have that kind of selflessness, and I consider myself a very fortunate mare that you are one of them."

It was here that Spike's expression finally started to become a smile after all this time. Rarity's own smile widened at the sight of it and she moved her head forward, gently nuzzling the side of Spike's. It was a feeling that, in his youth, he'd have given his own right hand to experience. The two stayed like this for some time, the bitterness and anger they'd felt before now long gone. With Spike's eyes now closed as he enjoyed this moment with his future mate, he heard her speak once more.

"Maybe things between you, me and the others will be fine. Or maybe it won't. All I know is that I can't think of anypony else I'd rather have by my side."

As juvenile as it might have been to say, this was, for all intents and purposes, a dream come true for the young drake. He was with the mare he'd once loved so much. And though he'd spent many years trying to put such feelings behind him, and still some resentment at his dragon nature for putting him back afterwards, right now, he didn't care. All he knew was that maybe, just maybe, things between the two of them might be just as happy as he'd always hoped it would. However, his attention was then diverted to Rarity once more, as a look appeared on her face that Spike knew well. It was a look she only ever got when an idea had struck her.

Spike looked on as Rarity's horn began to glow, as she used her magic to open a nearby set of drawers. The young dragon craned his neck to see what was happening, and his eyes widened with shock as he saw what now emerged. There, floating from the open drawer, was a ruby in the shape of a heart, at the centre of a golden necklace. His eyes were fixed on it as it floated towards Rarity, fixing itself around her neck. When it was on her completely, she looked up at Spike once more with a warm smile.

He knew that piece of jewelery well. He had given it to her long ago, back during his crush years. It was meant as a gift for him, but he had given it to Rarity instead. She'd meant more to him than that one jewel, no matter how valuable it was, and she'd taken to wearing it often afterwards out of appreciation. And then, on the worst day of his life, it had been that jewel that had helped him to remember who he really was, and it was thanks to Rarity that he had come back to them. But right now, he was simply surprised, as his next words testified.

"You...kept it? Even after all this time?"

Rarity smiled and nodded.

"This was a very special gift from a dear and valued friend. Nothing in this world could have parted it from me."

It had been along time since such a thing had happened, but Spike suddenly gained a coltish grin, complete with a bright blush, upon his face. Rarity gave a brief giggle at the somewhat amusing sight as she leaned forward and gave him a rather affectionate nuzzle against his head. This moment would, to his younger self, have been heaven, but sadly, the peace of the moment was disturbed a little by the creaking sound of the door opening. The two pulled away from each other to see that it was none other than Sweetie Belle, who was now nervously poking her head inside.

"Is everypony okay?"

The two looked at each other for a few moments, right into each other's eyes, before turning back to face Sweetie, as Rarity spoke up first.

"Oh, we're fine, Sweetie. No need to concern yourself. Isn't that right, Spikey-Wikey?"

Spike chuckled at hearing his old nickname, before looking down at his future mate once more.

"Indeed it is...Rarity-Warity."

Unfortunately, the white unicorn merely raised an eyebrow at him upon hearing that, leading to Spike giving himself a nervous chuckle.

"Okay...maybe the nicknames need a bit of work."

Party of Two

Even when compared to all the rest of what had been happening between him and his friends, Spike had to admit that his visit to Rarity was perhaps the most uncomfortable moment yet. He had never intended for things to get as bad as they had done, nor had he ever wanted to cause her any alarm or stress as he had. Thankfully for both of them, they'd managed to work past it and did what they could to enjoy their time together for a few days. In that time, he was often reminded of why he'd once been so obsessed with her as a child, and in time even she couldn't help but smile when she looked at him.

But, as with all these visits so far, it had eventually come to an end, and it was time for him to move onto his next friend. This time it was Ponyville's resident party planner, Pinkie Pie. The bubbly pink earth pony was, perhaps, the one friend Spike understood the least. Having grown up with Twilight for most of his life, he too had developed a mind that generally appreciated order and logic, so a mare like Pinkie was often hard to grasp. During his early years in Ponyville, she'd often been completely random or hectic in her words and her actions, though unlike a person like Discord, there had never been any maliciousness to it.

Even so, her behaviour could be somewhat overbearing at times, at least back when he first knew her. Thankfully, she'd calmed down a great deal in the subsequent years of his time in this town, so it was unlikely that he'd have much to worry about by being with her for such a long time. So, having left Carousel Boutique, he made his way down to Sugar Cube Corner, which had been in business ever since he arrived in Ponyville all those years ago. Opening the door, he entered, which was at times difficult because of his larger-than-pony size, and he looked around. There, standing at the desk, was a young unicorn mare with a bright orange mane, who smiled at Spike once he entered.

"Hey there, Spike! Long time no see!"

Spike smiled at the mare.

"Good to see you too, Pumpkin."

Pumpkin Cake, and her brother, Pound, had been born just a couple of years after Spike and Twilight moved here. It was still strange to see them all grown up, but then again, the same could be said of Spike himself in the eyes of his friends. Still, he was here for a reason and knew what to ask of her.

"Pinkie here?"

Pumpkin nodded.

"Yeah. My brother and my folks are away for a few days on a long-term delivery, so Pinkie doesn't have as much to do today. She's upstairs if you want her."

Spike nodded in appreciation over that. Unlike Rarity, it seemed that Pinkie wouldn't have anything else going on right now, which was a plus as far as he was concerned. So, he made his way upstairs to Pinkie's apartment which, as it always was, was adorned with a number of different party treats, including her trademark balloons, streamers, and a few banners. To his surprise, there was a new banner just above the entrance of the stairwell which read "Hello Spike!" in big bright colours. He took a moment to chuckle at that, now thinking he was foolish not to expect Pinkie of all ponies to do something like this.

And speaking of whom, the mare in question now came into view once he was fully on the top floor. The pink earth pony bore a massive smile on her face as she rushed towards the young drake.

"Hiya, Spike!"

Spike smiled at her.

"Hello to you too, Pinkie. That place look great. But you really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble."

Pinkie suddenly looked quite shocked at that statement as she gave one of her familiar gasps at Spike's words.

"But of course I'd go to all this trouble! You've been feeling so down in the dumps because of this and I just wanted to turn that frown..."

Before Spike could stop her, she reached forward, grabbed the corners of his mouth, and pulled them up so he was forced to smile.

"...upside down!"

Only once she'd finished saying that did she let go of Spike, whose mouth then dropped down into it's normal position. Raising a claw, he rubbed his cheek, which was now sore from having been pulled like that. He did not begrudge Pinkie for being this way. Quite the contrary, he actually appreciated her a great deal for this. For as long as he'd known her, Pinkie's goal in life had been one thing and one thing only, to make others happy. If somepony was feeling down, she'd be there for them. It was a trait Spike couldn't help but admire, and he afforded himself a chuckle, the sound of which led to Pinkie smiling even wider, which Spike didn't think was even possible.

"That's the spirit! Now come on! I baked a cake and everything!"

Spike looked on as Pinkie grabbed onto one of his arms and started dragging him further into her apartment. Though, much like his Birthday party a few days ago, she was nowhere near strong enough to actually pull him, so his movements were more a case of him indulging her than anything. Once they were in the middle of her room though, he looked down at the cake she mentioned. To her credit, it looked delicious, but then , he knew it would be. The Cakes wouldn't have hired her as a worker in their shop for all these years if she didn't know how to bake a good cake. It was covered in bright pink icing and, as Spike could see, had icing in the shape of her and his heads on top, both of which were smiling.

It was an endearing sight, to say the least, but even so, he looked to his future mate with a somewhat serious expression.

"Pinkie, you DO know what you and I are expected to do, right?"

Pinkie gave a snort and rolled her eyes at that.

"Well duh! It means we get to be bed buddies!"

Spike looked at her with a raised eyebrow and more than a little disbelief over her choice of words.

"Well...I've never heard anypony call it that before."

To his surprise, Pinkie gave a brief giggle before placing one hoof on his shoulder.

"Relax, Spike, I know what you mean. I was here eleven months before the Cake twins were born, and these walls are pretty much paper-thin when it comes to sound."

That was not a statement he ever thought he'd hear from her, but regardless, it achieved the expected effect, as his face became tinted with a blush on his cheeks. It was a sight Pinkie couldn't help but giggle at, much to Spike's annoyance. When her laughter eventually died down, which was a fair amount of time, she let out a sight and looked at him, her expression now one of curiosity.

"Think you'll be ready for it?"

One didn't need to be a genius to figure out what Pinkie was referring to, but even so, it was still a topic that made Spike nervous to discuss. The thought of having to do such a thing to any of his closest friends was surreal enough, but the fact that he was expected to do it to all six was something else entirely. The actual act of it though, as one might expect, was something Spike had been trying hard not to think about too much. Even so, he knew he'd eventually have to discuss it, and Pinkie's prompt just now meant that this was probably as good a time as any.

"Well...obviously I thought about this sort of thing when I was growing up. But I never had the chance to...er...act on it. I'm sure I'll be ready when the time comes, but...I'll be honest, I probably won't have any idea what I'm doing."

It wasn't something that anypony would feel comfortable admitting to, but there it was. He'd spent such a long time dwelling on just how much this change in him would affect his relationships that he'd completely neglected the very obvious fact that he'd never once had intimate relations with anypony. That thought now took centre stage in his mind, and he began to worry about his first time with his future mates. He was distracted from such thoughts however by the feeling of Pinkie tapping on his claw with her hoof, gaining his attention. As usual, there was a smile upon her face, but it was not the massively happy one most were used to seeing on her, but rather a more understanding one.

"Don't you worry, Spike. Auntie Pinkie will tell you everything you need to know."

Under normal circumstances, Spike might be inclined to tell Pinkie that her use of the term "Auntie" to describe herself was getting a bit old, to say nothing of how awkward it made their current predicament. But instead, he was focused on what she'd just said to him, and his face changed into one of surprise.

"Oh! So you've...?"

Pinkie looked at him and nodded, and rather enthusiastically at that. It was only now that Spike suddenly realised just how little he knew about the kinds of things Pinkie got up to. His other friends he knew for certain had never been involved with another pony before, for one reason or another, so he was more than a little surprised to not only find out that Pinkie had crossed that line previously, but even more surprisingly, that she'd actually managed to keep quiet about something for once. He was certain that, had such a thing occurred, she'd be bouncing around telling all her friends about it, much to the chagrin of the stallion in question. And speaking of whom, it was now Spike's turn to be curious.

"Um...if I may ask, who...?"

The pink earth pony looked off, a somewhat nostalgic look in her eyes.

"Oh, it was ages ago. An old party-planning rival of mine. Haven't seen him in years though."

There was a part of him that wanted to enquire further, as well as trying to rack his brain to think about who Pinkie might have been referring to. Unfortunately for him, Pinkie took hold of his arm and began dragging him away, which he once more indulged her with by moving of his own accord.

"Now then, I'm no expert or anything, but I can teach you a few pointers, if you're interested We don't need to do anything physical yet, just so you know. Just me telling you what works. You okay with that?"

Spike considered that for a moment. Though it would have been a lie to say that he wasn't just a little bit jealous that he wasn't going to be Pinkie's first, he was actually quite grateful that there was going to be somepony around to tell him about this sort of thing. Truth be told, he'd have most likely gone off to the library to find out some book on the subject, and he knew deep down that Twilight would probably keep him there and subject him to some kind of biology lecture to bring him up to speed, which was not something he was keen on experiencing. Hearing it from somepony who had actual hooves-on experience was quite a boon for him.

"Yes. And thank you. Faust knows I'd probably just look stupid otherwise."

Pinkie smiled back at him, happy that he'd accepted her offer of help. Spike could, for the first time in a while, breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that, at the very least, this one part of the whole experience wasn't going to be something he was going to have to walk in blind about. But, his sense of relief dwindled somewhat as he looked to Pinkie, who was now running a hoof through her mane and looking thoughtful about something. After a few brief moments of silence, she looked him in the eye and spoke.

"Spike? How would you feel if, when we have our first time together, I wore my mane straight?"

For reasons he would never understand, the young dragon suddenly felt a very cold chill crawl up his spine when he heard those words.

Always the Shy Ones

Spike's time with Pinkie Pie had been an experience to say the least. The bubbly earth pony had, to his surprise been far more comfortable with this entire arrangement than he would have expected of her. That's not to say he did not appreciate such a thing, quite the opposite in fact, but it did make for quite a visit. Her advice on matters of intimacy, though coming from a mare who had only experienced it once, would undoubtedly be helpful to him, and he was truly grateful to her for it. But, though they would like nothing more than to spend more time with each other, they knew that Spike had to move on.

And so he did, for the time had now come for him to visit the fifth of the mares, Fluttershy. Spike knew that this one was going to be difficult, though not in the same way that it had been with Rarity. The young dragon was fully aware that the timid pegasus had held a large fear of dragons for most of her life, so he was aware that the prospect of becoming a mate to one would have been a daunting challenge. Granted, Fluttershy had overcome such fears several times in the past, and knowing Spike as she did meant that she was far more comfortable with him than any full-sized drake, but even so, this change in their relationship was going to be quite the hurdle.

For the moment though, Spike had other things on his mind. For he was currently sitting in Fluttershy's home, a quaint little cottage between Ponyville and the Everfree Forest. As Fluttershy was one to do, she had provided a pleasant cup of tea to her visiting guest, and Spike, never one to refuse such a courtesy, had accepted it graciously. However, he would have enjoyed this serene moment far more if it wasn't for the involvement of a certain little rabbit, who was, at this very moment, pounding away at Spike's foot in a vain attempt to cause the drake some discomfort. Spike though was merely irritated by the small creature's actions, and Fluttershy just looked at it with shock when she finally noticed.

"Angel the Third! You be nice and leave our guest alone this instant!"

The small animal ignored it's owners pleas and simply kept kicking the young dragon, that latter now chuckling to himself.

"It's fine, Fluttershy. She's not bothering me, honest."

But the pegasus merely shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Spike. But I can't allow such rude behaviour."

Floating back down to the ground, Fluttershy approached the rabbit and picked her up by the scruff of her neck with her mouth, moving her far away, all while the creature kept glaring at Spike, who had to stifle the need to laugh over how amusing such a glance was to him. Once Fluttershy had put the rabbit away in it's bed and satisfied it with a nearby carrot, she returned to her future mate, who then spoke to her.

"I see she has her Grandfather's temperament."

Fluttershy gave a small giggle before looking away from him with a somewhat nostalgic look on her face. The original Angel was far from being the most pleasant animal to know, as Spike knew from the many times he'd been asked to look after him. But, if there was one thing that little guy had going for him, it was that he truly cared for Fluttershy, and that was one thing Spike could never dislike him for. Still, he felt it was probably for the best to turn the matter back to the reason he was here in the first place.

"Fluttershy? How are you coping? About us, I mean?"

The pegasus' face threatened to turn into a bright shade of red, and so she turned away from him quickly before the blush fully emerged. In all the years Spike had known her, Fluttershy had always managed to get worked up over matters that most ponies would never be bothered with. To her credit, she'd managed to become far more used to such things over the last two decades, but from her reaction, it was clear that there would be some things she'd never be able to stop feeling shy about.

"Um...well...I was a little scared about it at first. I mean...I've never really...you know..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but then, she didn't need to. Spike understood fully what she was trying to say. In truth, it didn't surprise him to learn that she had never been involved with anypony that way, though he'd never say that to her. Even after so many years had passed since their first meeting, Fluttershy had never completely managed to get over her insecurities when it came to interacting with others. Oh sure, she was fine with her friends, but getting to be her friend in the first place was always the biggest challenge. There were times when it honestly seemed like even Rainbow's pet tortoise, Tank, had an easier time coming out of it's shell than Fluttershy.

But what had surprised Spike was that, even in spite of her own insecurities, Fluttershy never seemed to attract the attention of many stallions. While there may have been those who had tried courting her, most just left her alone, perhaps because of her famously shy personality, and even the ones who did try usually gave up when there came no response when they knocked at her door. That in particular had always struck Spike as odd, as he was always of the opinion that she was the kind of mare that should have entire lines of stallions waiting to try their hoof at winning her affections.

Spike couldn't help but feel that, much like with Rainbow, he had managed to gain for himself what most would never have. Although, during his younger years, he'd only had eyes for Rarity, even back then he couldn't deny that Fluttershy was actually quite beautiful. There was, after all, a very good reason she'd been chosen as a fashion model all those years ago. The way her bright pink mane flowed in the wind. those sparkling eyes of hers, even the way she moved, so utterly without sound. She was grace personified, though with that came a delicacy that meant he knew full well that he'd have to be careful around her, even knowing as he did that she'd had more than her fair share of trials over the years.

His thoughts turned to how she might have viewed him and the relationship that their circumstances had placed upon them. He'd never considered how she might have felt about relationships, or even if she'd ever thought about it at all. So, given their situation, he knew it was probably best if he at least ask.

"What kind of stallion would you have wanted, if this thing between you, me and the others hadn't happened?"

The pegasus finally turned back to face him upon hearing that, though her face was no less crimson.

"Well...I, er...don't really know."

Spike nodded at that, If it wasn't something she'd given any thought to, he wasn't about to press the matter. Although, now that he'd started thinking about it, one thought in particular became ever more prevalent in his mind.

"Well, regardless of what you or the others might have wanted, it seems I've what you've been given. Can't imagine what the rest of town might think about this. I can just hear them now, talking about relations like this, maybe even discussing foals and stuff."

The idea that the residents of Ponyville might in some way look down on him and the others because of this mess they'd found themselves in was, to say the least, not a thought he wanted to consider. He considered many of them his friends, and he knew that most would be understanding, but even so, the possibility was always there. To his surprise though, Fluttershy was having a different reaction to his remark. Her face no longer had the bright blush it had previously, and her ears had perked up, with her now looking rather interested in what he was saying.

"Um...foals?"

It wasn't something Spike had really thought about much until now, but he knew that with this being an issue of mates, that offspring were undoubtedly going to be a possibility of his future life. He looked away from her, his face somewhat uncomfortable. Becoming a mate to the six mares was a difficult thing to accept, but the prospect that each of them would be saddled with some kind of half-pony children as a result of the union was something else altogether. But nevertheless, he answered Fluttershy's question, even in spite of that thought causing him some difficulty.

"Yes. That is, if it's even possible for us. I don't know if they'll be ponies, dragons or something in-between, but..."

To his utter surprise though, Spike was unable to finish his sentence, as he looked on to see Fluttershy using her wings to leap into mid-air, her face now fully exposed from behind her long mane, and bearing a look of sheer glee.

"Baby dragons!"

Before Spike could react further, he was taken aback by the pegasus darting towards him, so much so that he had to resist the urge to take a step backwards. He looked down at her, with her eyes seemingly even larger than before, and full of that sparkle she was known for having when she got excited about something.

"Oh! How many do you think we could have? What would they eat? What kinds of names should we give them? What do we call them if they're half of both?"

The young dragon looked on, somewhat bemused by this sudden turnabout in Fluttershy's behaviour, with the latter listing off a number of questions that her now-excitedly curious mind was coming up with. This was, admittedly, the exact opposite of how he thought she'd react to all this. His mind had conjured up images of her burying her face in the sofa out of sheer embarrassment at the mere mention of procreation. But here she was, perhaps truly happy at the prospect. Though, to be fair, he probably should have guessed that she might have reacted this way. After all, when he first came to town, his first meeting with her had been marked with a similar behaviour.

Plus, Fluttershy was famed far and wide for her affection and ability when it came to taking care of others, and not just animals. She had proved equally capable of caring for young children, as her experiences with Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in their youth could testify. He could already picture in his mind what she was probably thinking right now, of her cradling a tiny foal in her hooves. It was a thought that gave him a brief moment of warmth to think of. After all, if there was one mare he knew who fit the typical image of a caring, nurturing mother, it would most definitely have been Fluttershy.

But, even though Spike was rather happy that this subject hadn't caused the more dour reaction he'd expected, one thought kept gnawing away at him, and he couldn't help but voice his concerns to his future mate.

"Fluttershy, I'm happy that you're getting excited about this. But are you sure you're ready? Parenthood is a big responsibility. I don't even know if I'm ready for it myself."

The mare's expression became a more thoughtful one, though only for a moment, as her face then changed to a warm and affectionate smile.

"I know I am. I don't know if ponies and dragons are even capable of having children, but I know I'll be ready for it if they can, and so will the others."

Spike smiled at that. There had been numerous times during this whole thing when his friends had been made to feel down because they had been chosen by his instincts to be his mates. For there to be a moment, even if it was just this one, where there was actually joy caused by this predicament, it was something that gave the young drake more than a little relief. However, that moment faded somewhat when he saw that Fluttershy's expression changed to a more concerned look, as she looked up at Spike, seemingly worried about something.

"But...what you said earlier...about ponies maybe not being okay with this. Do you think that...our kids, if we have them...might not be welcome? What if other ponies make fun of them?"

The dragon frowned at that.

"The children will have a dragon for a father. Those other ponies wouldn't DARE say a word against them."

The look on his face was one that, in her youth, would have utterly terrified Fluttershy, Instead, it caused her to look upon him in a more thoughtful manner. As she pondered this situation, and the idea of him and her together as mates, a new thought came to her mind. It was an idea that led to her smiling warmly at him once more, which was an expression that softened Spike's own face as he heard her speak.

"I think I know the answer to your question, about what kind of stallion I'd have wanted."

Spike raised his eyebrow at that, clearly curious as to what answer she was going to give. Fluttershy took that as permission enough and explained herself.

"I think...I'd want somepony who'd make me feel safe. One who would look out for me, and any family we'd raise. Somepony who would make me feel that there's nothing in the world for me to fear...because he'd be there for me."

The drake looked down at her as she said that, his past feelings of worry starting to erode away. The yellow pegasus looked up at him from her state of thoughtfulness, her expression now a deeply affectionate one, though tinted with a slight blush.

"Um...could you please...hold me?"

To say that Spike was surprised by that request would have been a great understatement. But regardless, he knew why she'd asked it of him. She needed to know if he could provided that feeling she wanted. So, with her still flying in front of him in mid-air, Spike raised both arms and carefully embraced her, holding her close to him. As a dragon, he knew that his strength meant that he would need to take great care in these situations, but he'd learned long ago how to do so. And so, the two of them remained together, with Fluttershy's head leaning against his chest, hearing his heartbeat, his arms still wrapped around her. Spike took solace in this warm moment between the two, and smiled once he heard her soft and gentle whisper.

"Yes...this is what I wanted."

Home Again

It was already late when he'd left Fluttershy's cottage, the timid pegasus having waved him goodbye rather enthusiastically. His visit to her had given him a lot to think about, but as much as he wanted to continue such a pleasant stay, he knew that there was one more person he needed to be with right now. The last of the six mares his dragon side had chosen as his mates. And it just so happened to be the mare he'd known since the day he was born, Twilight. As difficult as some of these meetings might have been, he knew that none would be more awkward than the one with whom he considered his oldest and closest friend.

He walked down the path he'd walked so often since he first moved to Ponyville before he finally saw it. The Ponyville Library. Or, to be more precise, the second Ponyville Library, for this one was actually a recreation of the old tree that had once stood here. Spike remembered that day as though it were yesterday, when the tyrant known as Tirek had demolished his and Twilight's old home as if it were nothing, leaving it as a smouldering ruin. It had been a heartbreaking moment for both of them, but thankfully, their friends had managed to help them through it.

But, with Twilight being a Princess and all, that destruction had not been permanent. For it was mere days after it's obliteration that the young Princess had commissioned the construction of a new library on the same spot, crafted magically to be a perfect mirror image of the old tree, down to the tiniest branch. True, she might have been granted a shiny new palace on the outskirts of Ponyville to stay in, but Spike knew she was always going to be more at home here than in some castle, and so was he. So, the two of them had moved back here once it was rebuilt, and here they have stayed ever since.

Taking a deep breath, Spike approached the front door and turned the knob. Sure enough, it was unlocked. Twilight never locked it when she knew he was coming, and today was not going to be an exception. With the door open, Spike peered inside to see his friend, Twilight herself, reading one of her many books at a nearby desk. The creaking of the door had alerted her to his presence, and her head snapped in his direction. But, rather than looking awkward or uncomfortable about the encounter, she merely smiled at him. And it was a genuine smile, not one forced to try and put him at ease, which Spike appreciated.

So, closing the door behind him, he made his way towards her before sitting on the floor beside her desk. The two friends stared at each other for the longest time before Twilight broke the silence.

"So...how did your visits go?"

Spike smiled at that. In truth, his stays over at the other mares' homes had progresses better than he would have ever dared hope. The prospect of becoming mates with the five of them no longer gave him the same sense of dread it once had, and he was actually able to smile truly about the whole matter.

"It was...nice."

The young Princess returned his smile when she heard that. However, the drake's smile faded somewhat when he looked at her and spoke.

"And you? How are you coping with all this?"

Twilight's expression became one of discomfort, and she turned away from him. Spike didn't want to press the matter, so he patiently waited for her to say what she needed to. After taking in a deep breath, she spoke.

"I...got word...from home."

Spike own face became an uncomfortable one as he nodded at her words. He knew exactly what must have happened now. Twilight would have informed her parents, as well as Shining Armour and Cadence, about this whole mess. Looking at her now, she saw that her expression had softened somewhat, and he was ale to guess from that what must have transpired. There would have been shock certainly, and her mother especially probably would have feinted from hearing about it. But the look on Twilight's face made it clear that they must have largely accepted it, though he knew that his next meeting with Shining was going to be a hazardous one at best.

"Well...we all knew this wasn't going to be easy."

To his surprise, Twilight actually chucked at that, and he looked at her to see that she was now smiling once more. Seeing the confused look on his face, she explained herself.

"I've been doing some reading on what we know about dragons and, to be honest, I think we've ended up far better off than we could have been."

Spike raised an eyebrow at that.

"How do you figure?"

Twilight looked away from him and Spike saw that her horn had begun to glow. Looking in the direction she was staring at, he saw that she was using her magic to levitate a book down from one of the shelves. His eyes widened with surprise when he saw that it was none other than the book he had been given for his recent Birthday. That thought did cause a pang of guilt in him however, as that was the day this whole situation had begun. Nevertheless, he steeled himself for whatever Twilight was going to say to him. Opening up the book in front of her, she placed her hoof upon a particular passage before speaking.

"From what pony scholars have learned about dragons, it seems that their mating instincts are supposed to be far stronger than what we've seen of yours so far. It seems that Celestia might have been right, that being raised by ponies might have dulled those instincts a little, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to shake yourself out of that primal trance of yours back then."

At the very least, Spike was able to take solace in that. The knowledge that his upbringing by ponies had affected these instincts he'd been fighting against, even if it was only a small amount, was a good bit of news for him. He then looked on as Twilight carried.

"And even choosing only six mates is showing considerable restraint. Most dragons accumulate mates in the dozens. There were rumours that one male even managed to get a hundred females at one point."

Spike's eyes threatened to pop out of his head while his jaw was practically on the ground upon hearing that.

"A...a hun...a hundred?!"

Twilight nodded at that, clearly just as uncomfortable with the notion as he was. Spike meanwhile was admitting to himself that, as strange a statement as it might have been, that six mares were more than enough for him. Though that thought did lead to another, one that he chose to voice.

"Even if I was remotely interested in getting that many mates, which I'm not, where would I even get that many?"

He looked on as Twilight started to look rather embarrassed about something, though only when she spoke did he understand why.

"Well...I hear Pinkie sent letters to her three sisters asking if they'd like to...er...join in."

Spike's face suddenly lost all of it's colour as he buried his face in his hands out of sheer embarrassment.

"Oh Faust, she didn't!"

He'd have likely stayed this way for as long as possible if it wasn't for the sudden feeling of Twilight placing her hoof upon one of his claws. Peeking out from behind, he looked at her giving him a warm and affectionate smile.

"Don't worry. They wrote back soon after and declined the offer. I hear they're already taken after all."

The young dragon let out a massive sigh of relief upon hearing that, and Twilight couldn't help but giggle at the sight of him like that. Although somewhat irritated at her reaction, in truth he was just happy to be home again. He'd almost never been away from Twilight since the day he was hatched, and even then he was never away for as long as he had been recently. In the relief of the moment, he joined her in affording himself a brief chuckle, to which Twilight smiled. The two knew each other probably better than anypony. But, although neither would say so out loud, they knew that this presented an issue. The whole point of them arranging visits between Spike and his six chosen mates was to get them used to being around him. But Twilight was already used to being near him every day, so that presented the issue of what the two of them would do in each other's company.

A thought then occurred to Twilight and she looked at Spike.

"Spike...have you thought about what might happen once you...you know? Ponies and dragons have never been known to get together this way, so I was wondering if you'd given any thought to afterwards."

The dragon looked at her thoughtfully. Truth be told, not a single moment had gone by since this all happened when he hadn't been thinking about this matter. In his mind, the only major issue was how such a union would affect his friendships with the six of them. Thankfully, that matter had been laid to rest for the time being, as it seemed that none of his friends were going to feel any less towards him because of this. However, as he thought back to the visits he'd had with the other five mares, one issue in particular became ever more prevalent in his mind.

"Well...Fluttershy was wondering about the possibility of...foals."

Twilight's ears perked up at that and she looked at him with an expression of understanding. It had only taken that one statement for her to grasp what he was asking of her, though Spike nevertheless carried on.

"I told her I wasn't sure if it was possible for dragons and ponies to have children together."

As Spike looked at Twilight's face, at her increasingly thoughtful expression, at the way her eyes occasionally darted left and right, his own face became more stern.

"You've heard of such a thing, haven't you?"

Twilight looked somewhat ashamed that she hadn't addressed this matter with him sooner, but regardless, she nodded her head in confirmation of his question. Spike looked at her expectantly, a clear sign that he wanted her to tell him as much as she knew on the subject, though it was obvious to anypony with eyes that she wasn't going to enjoy saying what she was about to. So, turning back to the large book on dragons, she cleared her throat and began to speak.

"Tell me. What do you know about the Thestrals?"

Spike raised an eyebrow at that, clearly confused by her question. The Thestrals, more commonly known as "bat-ponies", were not a race that most talked about that often, and with good reason, given how reclusive they were. In the rare instances they were seen in public, they were mostly shown to be among the Night Guard, part of Princess Luna's personal entourage. Spike still remembered the moon Princess' first public appearance, when a pair of Thestrals had served as her chariot-pullers. They were an intimidating sight, to be sure, and had made quite an impression because of it. But regardless, he shrugged his shoulders at Twilight's question.

"Sorry, but I don't know much about them apart from them being in Luna's guard."

Twilight nodded at that, her expression showing that she had been expecting that answer, before looking to the book once more.

"There is a tale of a pony and dragon uniting, though it is one largely considered fictitious by most pony scholars. The legend tells of a dragon who was cast out from his tribe for being different from the rest, kind and noble."

Spike looked away from her for a moment upon hearing that. Legend it might have been, but he knew from his own experiences that there was truth to those words. In the rare instances where he had met others of his kind, they had all been aggressive and outright disrespectful towards others, even those of their own race. When he had been among them, the traits he'd gained from his upbringing among ponies made him stand out like a sore thumb. If this legendary dragon also had such un-dragon-like qualities, then there was no doubt in Spike's mind that he would have been just as much of an outcast among dragons as he was. Looking back to his friend, Spike listened as she carried on.

"Without a home of his own, the dragon wandered the world until he came upon Equestria, and on his first night in this land, he met a pegasus mare, and was awe-struck by her beauty."

The young dragon briefly chuckled at that. It reminded him of his own arrival in Ponyville, and how he'd fallen in love with Rarity the first time he saw her. More and more, Spike was beginning to identify with this story that Twilight kept on reading aloud.

"Though startled by the great beast, the mare soon befriended him, and in time, the two fell in love. They wedded in secret, and from that union was born a child. Neither pony, nor dragon, it was named a Thestral."

This was, to Spike at least, a fascinating story, if only because there had been so very few times in his life when he'd been made aware of the stories of his race. However, there was one part of the story that he couldn't help but feel curious about, and so he cleared his throat to gain Twilight's attention before speaking.

"This pegasus, the mare that wed the dragon. What does the book say about her?"

Twilight shrugged her shoulders.

"Very little, I'm afraid. The legend goes back many centuries, and like I said, most history experts consider it pure myth. All the legend tells about her was that her coat was a brilliant white, and that this led her to be described as "a child of moonlight" by those who told the legend over the years."

Spike raised his eyebrow at that, his curiosity piqued even further.

"Moonlight? As in...?"

He didn't finish his question, but he didn't need to. For it seemed that Twilight, now giving him a knowing nod, apparently had the same thought.

"I know what you're thinking, Spike. But Princess Luna has never confirmed or denied that the mare in the legend was of her blood or that she's related to the Thestrals. Then again, it's probably because most ponies have never heard this story to be able to ask her. The Thestrals however have long maintained that their people can trace their lineage back to Luna. Whether this story is true or false...I can't say."

True or not, it was something that gave Spike a great deal to think about. He knew that, in all likelihood, this was probably just a myth, a story conjured up by that race to explain their origins, like many societies have over the years. But even so, he knew that most myths had at least some basis in truth, and there was one truth in particular that he kept thinking of. That being that there was indeed a chance that ponies and dragons could have children. To say that he'd never wanted any kids would have been a lie, but even so, the reality of it was rather overwhelming for him. He'd have most likely become lost in that dark pit he'd dug for himself ever since this situation began, had it not been for the sudden appearance of a familiar purple hoof now being gently placed over his claw. Looking up, he saw Twilight giving him a warm smile.

"Spike...please listen to what I have to say."

As requested, the dragon sat up and gave his old friend his absolute attention.

"I don't know what dragons and ponies are or aren't capable of doing together, but regardless of what happens...I just want you to know that I'm here for you."

Spike tilted his head, showing that he was, at least, a little unsure of where this had come from all of a sudden. Twilight let out a sigh before explaining.

"I've...I've known you for a very long time. Since the day you hatched, you've been with me. You were the only person throughout most of my life, save for Princess Celestia and my brother, that I could honestly have called a friend. And even when we moved to Ponyville, you were by my side all the time, supporting me as best you could. When trouble came, there you were to help."

These were, needless to say words that brought forth many nostalgic memories for Spike. Memories of his upbringing, of how as a child he was taught how to read and write by Twilight, who herself was still just a young student under Celestia. Memories of his first day in Ponyville, and accepting it as his new home. Memories of all the fun and adventures they'd had since coming here. It was, despite it's up and down, a good life. And one that he knew deep down would not have been anywhere near as good had Twilight not been there with him. So, his expression now softening, he kept on listening to her.

"Though we are not of the same blood, I consider you part of my family, and have done for a very long time. Whatever comes our way because of this, whatever changes because of this new relationship, just know that, like any family, I love you, Spike..."

Every word she'd said to him was as if she had reached into his chest and tugged on his very heart. He could feel his eyes welling up with every passing moment. Had he spoken in response to this, his voice would have most likely been wobbling a great deal. In fact, he wanted to speak to her in return, to tell her that she meant just as much to him as he did to her. But, before he could do anything, he was stopped as Twilight moved forward and began nuzzling the side of his head affectionately. Although taken aback, it did not take long before he lost himself in that one comforting moment, and closed his eyes before returning the motion. With the two together like this, Twilight spoke her final words to him.

"...and I always will."

The First Night

As he paced up and down in the main chamber of the Ponyville Library, Spike kept telling himself the same thing over and over. It'll be fine, things will work out, they won't leave you, and many more phrases his mind was conjuring up to help him at getting over the nerves he was experiencing. He had been with all of them at this point, they had got used to having him around, and by being that near each other they had done what they could to alleviate their concerns at the prospect of being together in a more permanent way. But even so, Spike still couldn't help but feel those occasional thoughts of doubt, that maybe something bad would come along at the last minute.

While he was pacing, Twilight was nearby, watching as her oldest friend was deep in thought over the matter. She had to do her best to stifle a chuckle at the sheer irony of this situation. In years gone by, she herself would often work herself up over matters she felt might end up being the end of the world, and Spike back then had been the one to try and snap her out of it. Now, their positions were reversed, with him being the one on the verge of a mental breakdown over his situation. Granted, this situation was far more than some mere test from Celestia, but even so, she knew those feelings well.

"Spike...it'll be alright."

The words of his alicorn friend seemed to help, though only a little, as Spike's expression softened by the barest of margins. He opened his mouth, ready to give thanks for the calming comment, when all of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. Spike stopped his pacing for the first time this evening as his neck snapped in the door's direction. He seemed to be frozen in place, as though his nerves over all this had robbed his ability to move or speak. Twilight shook her head at the sight of him like this before making her way towards the door. Once there she raised a hoof, turned the knob and opened the door, revealing the ones that both knew would be on the other side.

Spike, having managed to shake himself out of the trace-like state from the shock of the knocking, now looked on as Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Applejack all made their way inside the library. When Twilight closed the door behind them, the six mares all stood side-by-side, looking upon the drake. The silence in this one moment was, needless to say, incredibly uncomfortable, as the mares occasionally glanced at each other, all while Spike was having a hard time even looking any of them in the eye at all. After what seemed like an age of silence, Rainbow spoke first.

"Well...I guess this is it."

And that, in truth, was the real reason for this awkwardness. While all of them had, to one degree or another, accepted this massive change to their relationship, the fact of the matter was that the time had now finally arrived for what they all knew was going to happen between them and their young dragon friend. Spike looked at each of them in-turn, wondering how this had all come about. He was no less resentful of his dragon nature for having forced him and his friends into this situation, but even so, he now knew deep in his heart that, if such a thing had to happen, he could not think of any mares he would have wanted by his side than these six.

That was a thought that calmed him down a great deal, and he exhaled loudly, catching their attention. All six of the mares looked to him as he spoke.

"We may not have asked for this, but even so, I just wanted to say...thank you, for being willing to go through with this with me."

It took a few moments, but all of them showed their appreciation for his words by way of a warm smile, which he promptly returned. It was then that Twilight moved forward and stood beside Spike, looking up at him, and him down at her, with a look on her face that made it clear that they were here for him. He smiled even wider at that, wondering to himself how he would have ever been so fortunate as to have mares as special as these in his life. However, that calm and peaceful moment was spoiled somewhat as Pinkie Pie spoke up next.

"So how do we do this?"

As usual with Pinkie, it was a pretty direct and awkward statement, but it was one that was worth thinking about. Spike knew that she wasn't asking about the actual technique involved, as his visit to her home made it clear that she was more knowledgeable on the subject than the other five, but perhaps she was instead asking about who should go first or what order it would be done. Granted, this was a scenario in which Spike had virtually no idea on how best to answer. After all, the only people in the world who would have been in his shoes were other dragons, but he was loathe to ever consider asking them for advice. Instead, he was saved from having to potentially say something foolish, as Twilight gained his attention by gently placing a hoof onto his hand.

"I'll go first."

Spike looked down at her with a surprised expression. He knew that, like the other five, Twilight had long ago agreed to be his mate, but for her to just jump in the deep end like this and go first wasn't something he'd been expecting, as was something he was sure to voice to her.

"Twilight...are you sure?"

The young Princess nodded her head at that, still smiling.

"Yeah. And I'm sure the others will figure out who'll go afterwards, and so on."

One look at the nodding heads of the other mares made it clear that Twilight spoke the truth in that matter. So, letting out another sigh, Spike nodded at her, letting her know that he accepted her offer in this. Twilight turned to look at her friends, all of whom were giving her encouraging looks, which she returned with another smile. It was here that Twilight began to make her way upstairs, no doubt to go to the main bedroom to prepare. However, before she took more than three steps upwards, a thought came to Spike, and he raised a claw.

"Wait!"

Twilight stopped in her tracks and looked back to him with a look of confusion on her face, as did the others. Spike was clearly looking nervous about something, and his repeated attempts to clear his throat made that all the more evident. However, when he finally spoke, their confusion vanished.

"I just need to know. Are any of you...in heat?"

That one question was, as one might expect, not one they thought would be asked of them, and under normal circumstances they might have been somewhat offended at being asked such a thing by a male. But, this was their mate they were talking about, and they knew exactly why such a question needed to be asked. After all, while everypony knew what could happen during a mating, and what could result from it eleven months afterwards, in heat it was a guarantee. All of the mares, Twilight included, looked to each other, perhaps just as curious as Spike as to who would answer, if any.

And sure enough, somepony did, as a yellow hoof was slowly raised upwards. Spike and all the other mares looked to the pegasus, their expressions one of surprise.

"Fluttershy?"

The mare, who had been avoiding their gaze during all this, looked up at them and nodded.

"It started a few days ago...just after you left my cottage."

They all looked at her, not saying a word. Their expressions had changed to ones of understanding, and Applejack walked over to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder, which Fluttershy seemed to appreciate. Spike thought was very thoughtful of this. He always knew such a thing had a chance of happening when this day finally arrived, but now it had actually happened. As such, he felt compelled to at least ask the question.

"Fluttershy...if you like, we can wait until after..."

But he was cut off by Fluttershy herself, who raised a hoof and shook her head.

"No. I...I want this."

That was, as one might expect, a surprise statement for all of them. But Spike, having been with her just a few days ago, knew exactly why she was still willing to go through with it. The possibility of what could be born from this was, as ever, present in his mind, and he couldn't help but feel somewhat uneasy about it. But, he remembered back to what Twilight had told him before, that how they would all be there for each other during whatever trials this union between them would bring. Sighing, he looked up at his pegasus mate and gave her a warm smile, which she promptly returned.

His attention was then diverted to Twilight once more, who nudged him in the side. The two smiled at each other and resumed their walk upstairs. The other mares looked on as they moved further away from them. This whole situation seemed so surreal to them, but even so, they had decided a while back that it was not one they would leave, even if they could. And so, the last the five mares saw of Spike and Twilight was them moving into the door leading into the main bedroom, with Twilight closing the door behind her.

Once inside, the two stared at each other for the longest time, interrupted only by Spike nervously glancing towards the bed at the other end of the room. Twilight knew from looking at him that he was probably wracked with nerves over this. In truth, she too was nervous, as this would be a first for her as well as him. But even so, after the many trials she'd been through in her life, she knew that something like this was not going to get the better of her. So, she reached out and placed her hoof upon his claw, gaining his absolute attention.

With an affectionate smile upon her face, Twilight began to lead him towards the bed, his claw still held by her hoof. They moved slowly, but soon enough reached the bed. Spike knew what was to happen next, but like before, it was as if he'd suddenly frozen in place. Stifling yet another giggle at seeing him like this, Twilight calmed his nerves by moving forward, gently nuzzling the side of his head with hers. He relaxed a great deal with this motion, and looked upon her. He knew that, from this moment forward, she would no longer just be a friend to him, or even his closest friend. She would be more than he ever thought she would be.

Twilight knew deep down that the young dragon would probably never make the first move in this scenario, so she elected to do so herself. As Spike watched, she began to assume the traditional position for mares waiting to be mated, as she lifted both of her front hooves and placed them upon the bed, her back now towards Spike. Her hind quarters were lifted up a little and slowly, she moved her tail to the side, presenting herself to him. Spike couldn't help but gulp at the sight of her like this. He obviously knew that this was all natural, but even so, actually experiencing it was something else altogether. His eyes then drifted to Twilight's head, as she turned her neck around as far as she could, her expression that of affection.

"It's okay. Take your time. We have all the time in the world."

Even with her seeming calm at all this, Spike couldn't help but voice a concern.

"I...I don't want to hurt you."

To that, Twilight simply smiled once again.

"You won't."

As nervous as he might have been, that was all the permission he needed. There would be no going back from this, but he'd accepted long ago that this was going to happen. And so, taking a deep breath, he began to move towards the first of his mates.

....................

And so, the deed was done. As one would probably expect after such a night, Spike was utterly exhausted. They say such things become easier after your first time, but at this point he really couldn't tell how well he'd performed. The tips Pinkie gave him during his stay with her might have helped, but even so, he would have to wait until the next morning to really find out. And speaking of which, he looked down and a smile crept back onto his face. If someone were to describe this scene upon looking at it, they would cite the many classic images of a dragon, it's long body wrapped around it's precious treasure horde. Except, in this case, the treasure was six sleeping mares.

After their "activities" with Spike, every one of them was feeling too tired to make their way home, so it was suggested that they all stay here for the night. As the library had only ever had two beds, there had been some debate as to who would sleep where. It had taken, strangely enough, the words of Pinkie Pie to suggest that maybe they all just sleep together. "One big slumber party" she'd called it, and the others actually seemed pretty willing to do so. But then again, given that their relationship had suddenly become much closer, perhaps it wasn't too surprising. And so, here they were, all seven nestled warmly against one another, with Spike's bulk being what now held them together. The young dragon was still wide awake though, and now passed the time by watching over his sleeping mates. Although he'd first been aghast at being told what was required of him, he knew know that he wouldn't have traded this moment for all the world.

Their relationship to each other had, at last, been consummated. They were his, just as much as he was theirs. And while most dragons in the world would brag from here to the Crystal Empire about having as many mates as possible, that was only in the sense that they viewed them as trophies. Spike knew better. To him, these mares, that were now so still and silent, save for the gentle breathing in their sleep, were far more important to him than any treasure could ever be. Other dragons might have mocked him for such sentiments, as indeed might some ponies, but it didn't matter to him. All he knew was that, in this one moment, he could not have been happier.

But this was only the beginning, and he knew that. After what had transpired between them, he knew for certain that Fluttershy at least would be with foal by the morning, assuming she wasn't already. Parenthood would be a challenge, that much he knew, but so was being a mate. The latter challenge was something Spike had been preparing himself for ever since this whole thing had begun. And after tonight, he knew in his heart that he was fully devoted to these mares. He would be there for them, both in body and in soul, and whatever problems might emerge because of this, he knew that he would do everything in his power to shield them from them.

As he pondered that, he glanced over the mares, a smile creeping over his face once more. Ever so gently, he moved his long neck forward, his head gently nuzzling each of them as they slept. This arrangement between the seven of them may well have started out as a nightmare for him, but now, he knew that it was mot definitely a dream.

"Maybe...maybe this won't be so bad after all."

Author's Notes:

And so we come at last to the final chapter of "The Drake and the Mares". I just want to say thank you to all the people who've been giving such positive feedback for this fic.

However, I'd like to go over a few things about this fic. Firstly, yes, I do intend to carry on this story in the future with a sequel fic. It's won't be written straight away though, as I plan on getting on with a few other fics I have planned for now.

Secondly, the question I'm sure many of you are wondering right now is why I chose Fluttershy at the end like this. Well, I knew as I was writing the various chapters that I wanted at least one of the main six to be carrying Spike's foal by the end of it, but as for who, that was difficult to choose. I went through a number of possibilities during my drafts, from Twilight (because of her close relationship to him), Rarity (because of his canonical crush), even Pinkie Pie (because of her experience with raising kids). Ultimately I went with Fluttershy because I knew from her chapter that she was the one most into the idea of having kids with Spike, so it just made sense to me to have her be the one at the end.

Finally, if there are those among you who are in any way disappointed because you were expecting/hoping this fic to end with some kind of outright sex scene, then I apologize. I went back and forth with myself on the issue of whether or not to put one in, but I decided against it in the end because I wanted the story to be more about Spike's relationship to the mares, rather than him being physically intimate with them. So for those who were wanting that kind of scene, I'm sorry.