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."