The Legend of Spike: Legacy

by DiabloGuapo

First published 14th of May, 2014

Twenty years after the marriage of Spike and Rarity, Equestria is threatened by an old enemy.

Part four of "the Legend of Spike Series."

It has been twenty years since Spike married Rarity and Equestria is on the brink of war. While Equestria prepares to defend itself, Spike falls into another growth spurt induced sleep. As he slumbers, the children of the Mane Six are threatened by an old foe.

Negotiations

Celestia's sun blazed in the sky over an encampment stationed in the Badlands southeast of Appleloosa. There was an uneasy tension lingering in the air as the troops comprised of ponies and buffalo watched from their tents and posts as their “guests” made their way through the camp towards the command tent. An armed escort of Pegasi and Unicorn soldiers led the group of visitors. The visitors were three large, bipedal creatures with bull heads; minotaurs. Each one of them stood at least eight feet tall, towering over the ponies and nearly matching the buffalo in size. The minotaur in the center was gray in color and was covered in scars. An ornate nose ring dangled from his muzzle and his horns were carved with intricate designs.

The escort party stopped before the large tent that stood atop of a hill overlooking the camp. More Royal Guards stood at attention in front of the tent's entrance, a purple Pegasus stallion standing directly before the others. He wore purple armor, indicating that he was the Captain of the Guard. On his flank was a cutie mark of a white, six-pointed star on a black shield. His hard gaze fell upon the three minotaurs that stood behind the escort team and his blue eyes narrowed more.

“Sir, Chieftain Thickskull has arrived for the negotiation summit with the Princess,” one of the soldiers leading the minotaurs reported as he saluted.

“Very well, you're dismissed,” the Captain told his subordinate without taking his eyes off the Minotaur Chieftain that was smiling down at him with an arrogant look upon his bovine face. “Wait here as I announce your arrival to Her Highness.”

“Well, hurry it up. I haven't got all day to waste time with peons such as yourself, you know,” Thickskull haughtily demanded. The Captain's brow furrowed in anger at the insult and thought about retorting. However, he held his tongue and simply turned to enter the tent. Thickskull tapped his hoof impatiently and crossed his bulky arms as he waited outside. He could hear the sounds of the soldier talking coming through the tent. He also heard a more feminine voice respond back to him and the Pegasus returned a moment later.

“Her Highness will see you now.”

“Well, it's about time,” Thickskull huffed as he made his way past the Captain, roughly brushing him aside as he entered the tent. The purple Pegasus stumbled a bit, but quickly regained his balance and glowered at the snickering minotaurs that followed the Chieftain. When Thickskull and his posse entered the tent, their arrogant smirks faded into frustrated scowls when they saw a lavender Alicorn sitting on a cushion before them. She had an indigo mane that had a pink stripe running through it, violet eyes, and a cutie mark of a magenta star burst surrounded by white stars.

“Welcome, Chieftain Thickskull. I have been expecting you,” the Princess addressed the minotaur leader.

“What is this!?” Thickskull indignantly shouted, surprising the Alicorn slightly.

“What do you mean, Chieftain?” the Princess calmly asked.

“I was supposed to be meeting with the Princess. Who is this mare before me and where is that coward, Celestia?” Thickskull yelled. The lavender Alicorn's face displayed her unamused reaction to the minotaur's insulting statement. “Is she so afraid to face me that she sends her maid to do her deals for her?”

This comment got the other two minotaurs snickering. The Princess frowned and slightly groaned in annoyance. An orange Pegasus stallion to her right stepped forward to face the laughing minotaurs.

“You will mind your tone in front of a Princess of Equestria,” he barked at the disrespectful brutes. They stopped laughing and snorted at the pony that dared to tell them what to do. “This is Princess Twilight Sparkle, and you will show her respect.”

“And who are you, little pony?” Thickskull then bent down to glare the stallion eye to eye. Both males locked eyes and starred menacingly at one another. “I don't remember ask you a thing.”

“He's Flash Sentry, Prince Consort and my husband.” Thickskull looked up to see that Twilight Sparkle had rose from her cushion and was also glaring at him. Thickskull looked from the Alicorn to Flash Sentry, back to her, and then scoffed. “Now, if you don't mind, please have a seat and then we can begin.”

Thickskull and the other minotaurs reluctantly sat on the cushions that were prepared for them and Twilight did the same. Between them was a map of Equestria that laid upon a table. The map clearly detailed the territories and lands of the ponies and the buffalo. To the southeast lied the Badlands, where the minotaur and other creatures hailed from.

“Chieftain Thickskull,” Twilight Sparkle addressed the lead minotaur in an authoritative voice. “Ever since you took command of the United Minotaur Tribes, your forces have raided the lands of the buffalo tribes and the pony settlements in southern Equestria. At first, we thought that these were nothing more than bandits, but that's not the case is it?”

Thickskull didn't say anything, but instead smugly smiled as though he was proud of his actions. Twilight then continued, “No, you're planning something more, aren't you. Not only are you stealing supplies from the buffalo and ponies, you're also taking over their lands. Our scouts have also discovered minotaur warriors advancing on the borders of Equestria. You're planning on invasion, aren't you?”

These were no more than rhetorical questions. Of course she knew Thickskull planned on invading Equestria. Twilight had invited him to the camp to confirm what she already knew. Better to hear it from the source himself. She was also hoping to be able to dissuade him current course of action. The minotaur leader made no more effort to contain his intentions and started to laugh at the Alicorn.

“My, aren't you the smart little pony?” the gray minotaur mocked. “Yes. We are invading. If you're so set on following the proper procedures of conducting warfare, consider this my declaration of war.”

“Chieftain Thickskull, surely we can come to a peaceful solution,” Twilight tried to reason with him.

“A peaceful solution? Oh, of course!” he said in a cheery attitude. Twilight and Flash's heads raised along with their optimism, but then said optimism was crushed by what he said next. “You and the other Princesses can bow to me along with rest of your kingdom and we can avoid any more conflict.”

“You're being unrealistic,” Twilight dryly stated.

“Am I? Those 'bandits' were just a test to see how strong your forces are. The buffalo tribes are too scattered to resist us and your ponies are weak. I'm surprised that your kind managed to subjugate the cattle and the donkeys. Maybe you were able do it because they are stupid like the sheep and goats.”

“We do not subjugate other species!” Twilight declared, her temper being roused. “We live in harmony with the other species and we all work towards a mutually beneficial future.”

“Ha! So you claim. It doesn't matter what you say; history is written by the victors. Soon, you'll see us as your benevolent dictators just as they see you.”

“Look. I invited you here to try to discuss...” Twilight started to say, but the minotaur cut her off.

“Yes, yes, yes. The negotiation. Here's what I want. I want Equestria's fertile lands; its green grass, open fields, and vast wealth of treasure.”

“Like I said, we can work together towards our mutual benefit,” Twilight again tried to reason with him.

“And that's how you make slaves out of other races. You offer them a share of the resources and then they are indebted to you. You will ask us for more and more favors, constantly reminding us how much we owe you. I will not be indebted to a pony!” Thickskull rose to his hooves, causing the guards surrounding the princess and prince to immediately moved to their side, ready to defend them. “I will take what I want and your ponies are too weak to stop me!”

“You do realize that there are other types of ponies in Equestria.” Twilight could see Thickskull's folly. The southern region of Equestria was home to mostly Earth Ponies, which meant the Chieftain had no experience in engaging the other types of ponies in combat. “You may be physically stronger than the Earth Ponies, but Unicorns have magic, and the Pegasi have air superiority.”

“Bah! Your Unicorns and their silly spells are useless in close combat and the Pegasi will still have to get close to us in order to fight us. All of your fancy tricks amount to nothing compare to our raw power.” To emphasis his point, the boastful minotaur flexed his rippling muscles.

“Thickskull, I implore you to reconsider,” Princess Twilight pleaded in serious tone, hoping beyond hope to stop the minotaur's foolishness.

“No. By the end of this war, I will make your and the other princesses' horns into a crown and you will be my slave,” declared Thickskull. Twilight Sparkle looked upon the minotaur for a moment and then sighed with disappointment.

“So be it,” she said with resignation and then called to the Captain outside. “Captain Evening Star.”

The purple Pegasus from before entered with his soldiers and said as they saluted, “Yes, Your Highness?”

“Have your soldiers see Chieftain Thickskull and his entourage out of the camp.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” He then turned to his comrades and ordered, “You heard her, show them the way out!”

“Yes, sir!” They said in unison and then one of them said to the three minotaurs, “Please follow us.”

After they had left, Twilight turned to the remaining guards and politely asked, “Would you mind leaving us?”

They saluted and left the Alicorn alone with the two remaining Pegasi. After they had left, Twilight slouched a bit as she sat on her cushion while exhaling, exhausted from the meeting.

“Permission to speak freely, Your Highnesses,” Evening Star requested.

“Sweetie, I sent the guards out so we could,” Twilight said to him with a raised eyebrow. “Besides, you don't have to refer to us as 'Your Highnesses.' You're a prince as well and our son.”

“Protocol, Your Highness,” Evening Star reminded her. She rolled her eyes and Flash Sentry chuckled.

“Your Uncle Shining Armor wasn't as strict as you are when he was the Captain of the Royal Guard.”

“Permission to speak freely, Your Highnesses,” Evening Star requested again.

“Yes, you can speak freely,” Flash Sentry laughed.

“Thickskull has no idea what he's getting himself into,” Evening Star commented, relaxing a bit out of his rigid military attitude.

“Unfortunately,” Twilight agreed, disheartened by the results of the negotiations. “His pride is going to get a lot of his own troops hurt. With how stubborn they are, I don't know how we can avoid bloodshed.”

“He doesn't understand that Unicorn soldiers are trained in offensive magic and the Pegasi control the weather in Equestria,” Flash Sentry added. “All it would take is a tornado or a strategically placed storm and his army would suffer heavy loses.”

“Yes, but Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and I were hoping it wouldn't come to that. Now, I don't see another option but war.” Twilight then rubbed her temples with her hooves to try and alleviate her forming headache. She moaned in frustration and exasperation before turning to her son. “Evening Star, find your brother and tell him I need him to send a letter to Princess Celestia.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” he saluted, snapping back into his strict military behavior.

“That boy takes himself way too seriously,” Flash commented to his wife as they watched their son leave the tent. They weren't the only one who thought so. Their daughter, Midnight, would often say it whenever he came home to visit. However, they supposed they shouldn't complain that he took his responsibilities seriously and they knew he had he had a good reason. He was the youngest Captain of the Guard in recent history, being even younger than Shining Armor was when he was given the position. He knew what the other guards would say; that he was a spoiled prince who only got the job because of who he was related to. He was determined to prove them wrong. He wanted to show everypony that he was worthy of his position and that he was his own pony. He didn't need his connections to be great.

Evening Star approached another tent that wasn't too far away from his parents'. Like the other tent, it had guard ponies standing outside, though the resident inside needed no protection. The guards saluted as their Captain walked up to the tent and opened the flap. As soon as he opened the tent, he was greeted by the sound of something crunching. He saw his brother lying on the ground with a large bowl gems at his side. A purple clawed hand grabbed a few a popped them into a maw filled with diamond crushing fangs. Green reptilian eyes looked from the bowl of gems to the entrance of the tent to see the Pegasus that had entered.

“Hey there, little brother,” a deep voice greeted Evening Star. It belonged to a dragon with purple scales and green, curved spines running down his back. His green, leathery wings were furled against his side and his body was slightly bigger than an Alicorn's, even bigger than Princess Celestia's impressive size. His long tail and neck were curled in order to fit in the tent. If he stretched out to his full length, he would be thirty feet long and his wingspan would be almost eighty feet from wingtip to wingtip.

“Your Highness, Princess Twilight has requested that you send a letter to Canterlot explaining the result of the negotiations with the Minotaur Chieftain.”

“It's good to see you too, Evening Star,” the dragon muttered teasingly as he grabbed another clawful of gems. Evening Star noticed the large stack of empty bowls beside the dragon. “Let me guess, it didn't go so well.”

“Chieftain Thickskull has officially declared war, yes,” Evening Star reported.

“You know you don't have to be so formal around me.”

“Protocol, Your Highness,” Evening Star stated, which the dragon parroted at the same time.

“Yes, I know. You could at least call me 'brother' or 'Spike” once in awhile.”

“Not while on duty, Your Highness.”

“Yeah, if you had it your way, you'd always been on duty,” Spike muttered. “Would it kill you to at least smile?”

“Maybe, Your Highness,” Evening Star responded before leaving with the slightest of grins on his face. Spike smiled as the Pegasus left. It wasn't the smile he was hoping for, but he would take what he could get.

“That boy takes himself way too seriously.” After eating another clawful of gems, he grabbed a quill and a sheet of parchment and started to write a letter to Princess Celestia explaining the situation. After finishing writing the letter, he rolled it up and breathed a green flame, which consumed the letter and carried it on a magical breeze that headed to the capital of Equestria.

As Evening Star headed back to report to his parents, he thought about his elder brother. Well, half-brother anyway. Evening Star's mother had hatched Spike's egg when she was just a filly as part of an entrance exam to enter Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. What she didn't know at the time was that the egg was a dud and that she was supposed to fail. The test was an aptitude test to gauge the level of magical ability of potential students and secretly to help Celestia find the pony destined to become bearer of the Element of Magic. Due to a sudden surge of raw magic from the then little Unicorn filly, Celestia discovered Twilight Sparkle and took her in as her personal protege. Also, Twilight's little outburst caused the lifeless egg to form a perfectly developed baby dragon out of her own magical essence and the egg hatched to reveal Spike. The baby dragon imprinted on Twilight and she raised the him from that day onward, eventually coming to realize that the dragon was more than just a friend or an assistant, but a son she had created from her own life force.

When Twilight Sparkle had married Flash Sentry, Spike was already grown and had just got married himself. He had married Rarity, a unicorn whom he had a crush on from the moment he laid eyes on her, and they had been blissfully married for twenty years now. She was also the bearer of the Element of Generosity and one of Twilight Sparkle's best friends. Though Spike and Rarity were the first of their circle of friends to get married, Twilight and Flash were the first couple to have a child. Evening Star was born nineteen years ago and he had his father's eyes and mane, not to mention that he was a Pegasus like him as well. His purple coat was obviously inherited from his mother and it was the same shade of purple as Spike.

The relationship between the two wasn't always the best. Evening Star was resentful that everypony compared him to his heroic parents and their friends and held him up to the same expectations. Yet at the same time, they would mock him and say that he was just riding on their coat tails. Spike tried to comfort his little brother, explaining to him that he also faces discrimination for being a dragon and being married to a pony.

“Just because you're a prince, that doesn't mean you'll get any special treatment from us,” a young recruit of the Royal Guard sneered as he and his cohorts stood over the soldier-in-training that was lying on the barracks' floor.

“I'm not asking for special treatment,” Evening Star murmured as he wiped the blood from his snout.

“Don't try to deny it,” another stallion said to him. “We've seen the way you strut about the place.”

“It's call discipline,” Evening Star countered. “You know, something we're supposed to maintain while on duty.”

This earned the colt a kick to the ribs. “You think you're better than us!? You're not. At home, you may be a prince. To us, you're just another pony and we're going to make sure you remember it.”

“Are you now?” a cold voice growled from behind the gang of recruits. They turned and their hearts nearly stopped when they saw the Dragon Prince of Equestria standing behind them, his green eyes narrowed into razor blades and black smoke rising from his nostrils. “How can you possibly have time for that when you're about to start your double shifts?”

“Your Highness!” a recruit exclaimed when he saw the dragon.

“B-but we just got off of our shifts,” another nervously told Spike.

“Really? Hm, well then you're going have a long day,” Spike told them, not caring in the slightest about their ordeal. “Now get out of here.”

The recruits made themselves scarce and Spike offered a claw to help Evening Star off the floor. The Pegasus ignored the outstretched claw and rose to his hooves. He headed towards the door while saying darkly, “I didn't need your help, Your Highness.”

“Where are you going?” Spike asked in concern as his brother walked away.

“To start my double shift, Your Highness.” He turned to look back over his shoulder. “As you assigned to us.”

“Evening Star, you know what I meant by that.”

“And you know what they'll think of it.”

“It doesn't matter what they think. They're being punished for their behavior.”

“They're a part of my squad. Their punishment will be my own.”

“Look, if you're concerned that they'll retaliate...”

“I can't let them think that I'm better than them!” Evening Star shouted as he spun around to yell at Spike, losing his cool. “Now they'll think I can't do anything without my lizard of a half-brother holding my hoof!”

Evening Star then immediately felt regret for what he just said. Though Spike didn't say anything or show any emotion on his face, he could see the hurt in his eyes. It was an insult to call a dragon a lizard and he hated for his baby brother to call him his “half-brother.” He almost always referred to him as his brother. To hear him call him his half-brother somehow gave the impression that their relationship meant less to him. Evening Star said no more and left the barracks feeling ashamed of himself. Though they later reconciled, it would always hurt them both to remember that day.

Evening Star reentered his parents tent and they looked up from their plans. He saluted and said, “Your Highnesses, I have delivered the message to Prince Spike and he is already writing the message to Princess Celestia.”

“Thank you, Evening Star,” Flash Sentry said to his son.

“There is also something else.” Both parents looked up at him expectantly. “He's eating again.”

Twilight and Flash looked to each other with slightly concerned looks, knowing that the time had come again.

Hunger

Spike headed to Twilight's tent while holding a bowl of gems in his left front leg. Every so often, he would use his long forked tongue to snatch up a couple jewels from the bowl and snack on them. Since it was awkward to walk with only three of his four legs and it threw him off balance, he compensated by using his wings like a bat would to pull himself along. The reason why he simply didn't just walk on his hind legs was that his large size wouldn't allow for a prolong use of a bipedal posture. He could sit or stand on two legs, but he could walk for too long before toppling over. At least now he walked on four legs like the rest of his pony friends and family. That, and he still had hands which were better at picking up and holding things with than hooves.

Spike bent down and entered the tent. When he saw Twilight, Flash Sentry, and Evening Star waiting for him, he asked, “Is there a problem?”

“No, nothing serious,” Twilight answered while shaking her head. She then noticed the bowl in her eldest son's grip. “So, I see Evening Star was right when he said you were gorging yourself on food again.”

This caused him to look down at the nearly empty bowl of gems. “What, this? This is just a snack.” Without him even realizing it, his tongue shot out and ate the last emerald and ruby that was in the now empty bowl. Seeing this, Twilight sighed.

“I'll go and make sure the troops are ready for the battle,” Flash Sentry said, showing himself out. He could tell this was going to be another “family conversation.” Even though he was technically the dragon's stepfather, he certainly didn't feel like it. Spike was only a few years younger than he was and he was almost an adult by Equestrian law by the time Flash had started dating his mother. Spike was even married before he had proposed to Twilight. So when he married the Alicorn, he didn't know how to treat the purple dragon. It was once, and only once, that he ever tried to act like a father towards Spike. It didn't end well. He had taken Spike on a hiking trip in hopes to bond with his new stepson. Every time he would try to be sentimental or call him “son,” he was met with an awkward look from the dragon. They ended up spending the rest of the trip in silence, trying to avoid eye contact. They later decided just to treat each other as friends and leave the parenting to Twilight.

“How many bowls have you already eaten today?” she asked, already knowing the likely answer.

“Not many,” Spike answered while swallowing the remains of the last of the gems. A thoughtful look came across his face as he tried to recall the exact amount he had eaten. “I think about...” He then realized that he had eaten nearly a dozen that day and what that meant. “Oh.”

“'Oh' is correct,” Twilight responded. “It looks like it's time for another growth spurt.”

“Can't it wait?” Spike asked, mainly to his own growing body.

“Spike, you already know the answer to that,” Twilight reminded him.

“But there's so much going on this coming up week. I'm needed.”

“Yes, I know and I understand,” she said sympathetically. “But you know what will happen if you don't take care of it now.”

“Your Highness, might I point out that if you get it down now, you may be done before you missing anything?” Evening Star said, trying to be helpful.

“I guess,” Spike muttered dishearteningly. Twilight walked up to her son that was much bigger than she was and affectionately nuzzled against his drooped head.

“Come on, Spike. I'll fly back with you,” she told him in a gently tone as she raised his head with a hoof. With a halfhearted smile, Spike nuzzled her back and left the tent. As she followed him out of the tent, she turned back to Evening Star and said, “Tell your father that I'm headed back home and I'll see him later.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” he saluted before leaving to report to Flash Sentry.

Outside, Spike looked towards the northwest, back to Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle walked up next to him and they looked at each other as they spread their wings. With a mighty down thrust of his wings, Spike launched himself into the air and flew away with his mother flying beside him. Spike had grown wings twenty years ago while he was on a quest to save an island from maniacal tyrant. While there, he had met an ancient gold dragon named Aurum who took Spike under his wing and made him his apprentice. He taught Spike how to master his developing abilities, including teaching him how to master dragon magic, breathe ice, and how to tap into his limitless draconic strength. Spike had grown so much after his adventure and Twilight couldn't be prouder of him. Spike's new wings and his new found magical abilities actually gave the two more opportunities to bond. She loved spending time with him by flying or practicing new spells.

When Evening Star was born, he was excited because he was now no longer the “little guy.” Sure, he had grown bigger than his friends, but they would always remember the chubby little dragon that would use to ride on Twilight's back when they first arrived in Ponyville all those years ago. When Spike and Evening Star's little sister Midnight was born, Spike was even more excited. Not only would he be able to help teach his little brother how to fly, but he could also help teach his little sister magic. Though Spike had to admit, he had once been secretly jealous of his younger siblings. Though their mother had created him from her own magic and life force and raised him all of his life, she had actually given birth to the two. He felt that because of this that she couldn't have loved him as much as she did her natural born offspring. Though he knew it wasn't true, he felt the gnawing thought eating away at the back of his mind whisper, “Now that she has real children, she no longer needs a stand in.” Twilight had astutely realized what Spike must have been thinking by the look in his eyes and reassured him that his fears were nonsensical. More importantly, she made sure that he knew that he was really her son and that she couldn't possibility loved him any more than she already did.

As they flew through the sky, Twilight looked down at the Macintosh Hills below them. The rocky terrain separated the Badlands from the southern desert and was a physical boundary line of the Kingdom of Equestria. It wasn't long before they were headed over the plains of the buffalo and the settlement of Appleloosa. To the north, she could see Canterlot Mountain in the distance. On it rested the capital city and the Royal Palace. Between the plains and the mountain was a vast and untamed forest known as the Everfree. Many strange beasts and eldritch creature dwelt within the depths of that forest. Also within it was the ancient castle that the two senior Alicorn Princesses, Celestia and Luna, once inhabited. Beneath it was the Tree of Harmony, which was the source of all harmony in Equestria and also was the source of the Elements of Harmony. Twilight Sparkle and her friends, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, represented the Elements and were the ones chosen to wield their power to save Equestria many times. Twilight Sparkle's element was Magic, or more accurately, the Magic of Friendship.

As they crossed over the forest, Spike and Twilight spotted the ancient castle below them. Just on the other side of the forest was home; Ponyville. It was a quite small town that rested in a valley just south of Canterlot. Many of the homes were thatched roofed cottages and the ponies could be described as “charmingly rustic.” One of the signature landmarks of the town was Sweet Apple Acres that was owned and operated by Applejack and the rest of the Apple Family. A newer, but unmistakable landmark, was the castle that rested within a crystal tree that rose up over the smaller buildings. Its style and size made it stand out from the rest of the town. The castle itself was purple and the tree's trunk was blue crystal. The roof and balconies were gold and a large, star-shaped crystal adorned the top of the castle. This was Twilight's castle and it is where she lives with Flash Sentry and their children. It is also where the bearers of the Elements of Harmony would sit in council with one another.

Though Spike was family and a member of the council, he had moved out the castle a long time ago. He now lived in a round building that was shades of pink, purple, and blue. Its multiple layers were trimmed with gold and lace designs. The top was shaped like a carousel, complete with figures of horses on the pillars. Appropriately enough, this building was named Carousel Boutique. Over the years, renovations had to be done to make the abode larger to accommodate the increasing size of the dragon.

“I guess I'll see you later,” Spike called over to Twilight as she landed on the balcony of her castle. She looked up to him as he hovered in the air over the balcony.

“Don't worry, Spike. Maybe it'll only be for a few days,” she suggested the hopeful notion. He snorted slightly at the idea and then few towards his own home. After watching him leave, Twilight turned and entered the crystalline palace.

Inside Carousel Boutique, a mare named Rarity was busy sewing fabrics together, consumed in her work. She was a Unicorn of many talents and responsibilities. She had become one of if not the top name in the fashion industry, and that was before her marriage to Prince Spike had greatly increased the demand for her dresses and clothing. Even before that, she was the bearer of the Element of Generosity and one of the heroes of Equestria. Unlike Twilight Sparkle, she wasn't shy about being a princess and loved the spotlight, very much like their mutual friend, Rainbow Dash.

After sewing the fabric, Rarity levitated it with her light blue magic and placed it on a mannequin. She went to grab some trimmings, but she stopped to look at herself in the mirror. For a mare in her mid-forties, she still looked better than mares half her age. Her pristine white coat still shone with a flawless luster, she didn't have any wrinkles or crow's feet around her eyes, her figure was still jaw dropping, and she still made stallions run into light poles from watching her walk down the street and not were they were going. Her cutie mark of three, baby blue diamonds still sparkled as though as they were still real gemstones. There was only one thing that showed her age. She had a large streak of silvery-white hair running through her meticulously styled violet mane and tail. She looked at this “flaw” in her reflection and sighed regretfully. She was envious that Twilight still looked like she was in her prime. Though the Alicorn's looks had matured, she seemed to age as a slightly slower rate that her friends. They accredited this to Alicorn magic. Though she and her sister-in-law, Princess Cadence, were not immortal like Celestia and Luna, they would probably live little longer than the average pony.

A whistle could be heard coming from the kitchen, and Rarity gave a delighted cry of surprise as she was reminded that it was lunch time. She stopped fretting over her mane and ran to the other room. Once in the kitchen, she took the steaming kettle off the stove and pulled a few dishes from the cabinet. She hummed merrily to herself as she prepared a cucumber sandwich and a cup of tea. She placed her lunch down on the dinning room table and went back to grab her copy of the Ponyville Express from the kitchen counter. As she sat down in her chair, she unfolded the newspaper as she prepared to eat. She squinted at the tiny print of the newspaper and then let out an exasperated sigh. She placed the paper back on the table and headed back to her workroom. On the table were her red framed glasses. She picked them up her with magic and headed back to the dinning room.

I hate getting old, she thought disgruntled as she put on the glasses in order to read the paper; the only other thing that showed her age. Unbeknownst to her, she wasn't alone in the boutique. When she was distracted by the whistle of her teapot, she didn't hear that the bell over the front door had rung as it opened. A creature was carefully sneaking up behind her as she made her way back to the table. The clip clop of her hooves drowned out the sound of its long, sharp claws quietly clicking against the floor. As she walked, her tail swung side to side and the thing creeping up behind her grinned, baring its sharp fangs. As she pulled out her chair to sit down again, the creature open its maw and-

“Wahaha!” Rarity cried out in surprise. She quickly spun around to see the cheeky grin on her husband's face. Her face flushed red with embarrassment and annoyance. She rolled up the newspaper with her magic and bopped Spike on the head with it, causing him yelp in pretend pain. “Spike, how many times have I told you not to do that in public!?”

“Oh, but you love it,” he teased, causing her face to go from cherry red to a maroon. Whether it was from embarrassment or anger, he couldn't tell. “Besides, we're not in public. We're in the house.”

“The ground floor of which is a store opened to the public and it is during business hours,” she reminded him with a huff. She set down the rolled up newspaper and then smiled at her husband. They started to chuckle and they embraced each other, ending it with a passionate kiss. “I'm glad you're home, darling. I assume then Twilight successfully managed to convince the minotaurs to cease hostilities towards Equestria and the buffalo tribes.”

“Unfortunately, no,” Spike told her, his smile fading. “They declared war against us.”

“Oh dear. I was hoping it wouldn't come to that.”

“Well, you know how minotaurs can be. They don't call it being bull headed for nothing.”

“I suppose so, but what are you doing back so soon? Aren't you needed there? Oh, but that doesn't matter now, doesn't it? What does matter is that you're home and you'll be here for our little girl's birthday.” Mentioning their daughter's upcoming birthday, Rarity's blue eyes sparkled with beaming joy. It only made Spike's heart pang with guilt. “I was about to sit down for lunch. Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, about that...” Spike started to say, not looking forward to the upcoming conversation. Rarity looked at Spike expectantly, but then noticed the troubled looked on his scaly face and became concerned. “I'm about to go through another growth spurt.”

“You're not serious, are you?” she asked worryingly. When she saw him look at his feet and rubbed the back of his head, she knew the answer. “You're serious. Oh Spike, it's our daughter's birthday next week.”

“I know, I know,” he told her, slightly frustrated, not at her but at his own physiology. He rubbed the sides of his head with his claws and exhaled as he tried to think. “Look, maybe I can stay awake until after the party.”

“Spike, precious scales, you know that's not an option. Remember the other growth spurt?”

Again, he sighed and said, “Yes, I do.”

“I suppose a trip to Fluttershy's is in order.” Rarity then had an unpleasant memory pop up in her head and she involuntary shuddered. Spike knew what she was thinking, but he couldn't blame her.

“I guess, you're right,” he responded. After Rarity had finished her lunch, they headed out the boutique to Fluttershy's cottage on the edge of the Everfree Forest. When they arrived, they were greeted by the yellow Pegasus with a light pink mane and cutie mark of three butterflies.

“Hello Rarity. Hello Spike,” Fluttershy sweetly greeted in her demure voice.

“Good afternoon, Fluttershy,” Rarity returned the greeting.

“Hey, Fluttershy. How's Big Mac and Posey?” Spike inquired.

“Oh, Big Mac's building a birdhouse for a new family of birds and Posey tending her garden,” Fluttershy answered. “What can I do for you today?”

“Fluttershy, Spike's going through another growth spurt,” Rarity explained.

“Oh,” Fluttershy said understandingly and then realized what all that was implied. “Oh my, and so close to Amethyst's birthday too.”

“Yeah, don't remind me,” Spike grumbled.

“Hush now,” Rarity mildly scolded him. “Maybe you'll only sleep for a few days. The first time you only slept for two days.”

“Yeah, but we all know that I'll sleep for exponentially longer each time.”

“I'll go and get what you need,” Fluttershy meekly said as she ran off, knowing where this was headed.

“Spike, please. I doubt you're at the 'hundred year long nap stage.' This is only your second time,” Rarity reminded her sulking husband. “And I'm certain you won't even reach the point where you'll sleep for more than a month this century.”

“Yeah, but...” Spike started to retort.

“But nothing. You're worrying too much about it. Even if you do sleep through her birthday, I'm sure Amethyst will understand,” Rarity tried to reassure the sulking dragon.

“Once again, I guess you're right,” Spike conceded. At that moment, Fluttershy, along with a large, red, Earth Pony stallion with orange hair and a cutie mark of a green apple, returned. The stallion was carrying a barrel on his back, which he placed on the ground before Spike.

“Thank you, Big Mac,” Fluttershy sweetly thanked the stallion.

“Eeyup,” he said in his usual laid back voice.

“Say 'hello' to Posey for us,” Rarity said to him as he went back to his work.

“Eeyup.” Spike looked in the barrel to see that it was filled with fish. Spike opened his jaws and dove right in.

“Ugh, you could at least use your claws,” Rarity complained while rolling her eyes at the nauseating sight of her husband devouring the flesh of an animal.

It was something they had discovered during Spike's first growth spurt. All of Spike's youth, he had only eaten gems and the vegetarian food that ponies eat. When he was in his early twenties, he started to stuff his face with anything he could fit into his mouth but nothing seemed to sate the hunger, very much like he was right now. No pony could figure out why he couldn't stop eating, not even Twilight Sparkle. Then their friend, Fluttershy, suggested that he was eating in order to hibernate or to grow like some of the many animals that she cared for did. Twilight had already come to that conclusion, but what was stumping her was why couldn't Spike's appetite be satisfied. Fluttershy then pointed out to everypony the nature of Spike's teeth. While they were very strong and could crush gemstones, especially the molars in the back, the front teeth were very long and sharp; not the type of teeth for crushing, but for ripping and tearing. She also reminded them of why she feared dragons, Spike being the only exception. Dragons could and did eat ponies. In fact, dragons were omnivores in the purest sense. Vegetable, mineral, and animal were all on the menu.

Fluttershy had a solution that made the others feel queasy. She brought Spike a plate of fish. As a caretaker for all sorts of animals, she had to prepare all sorts of meals, even for carnivorous animals like bears and otters. Though she would never harm something like a pig or a chicken, she did feed worms and fish to the other animals. Like the others, Spike was unsure when the tenderhearted Pegasus placed the fish before him. He looked down at the lifeless eyes of the fish starring up at him, almost as though they were judging him. He grimaced, but then picked up the plate to sniff the fish. The scent entered his nostrils and something within him clicked. His pupils narrowed into vertical slits and his tongue shot out off mouth, lapped up the fish, and started to chew without him realizing it. It startled him and he nearly spat out the fish, but then the flavor hit him. He moaned appreciatively and his eyes nearly rolled back in delight. The taste then reminded him of something. Back when he and Twilight had just moved into Ponyville, Applejack and Pinkie Pie had accidentally made a batch of muffins that had given half of the town food poisoning. One of the ingredients of these “baked bads” was worms and Spike had been the only one who actually enjoyed the muffins. From the day that Fluttershy gave Spike the fish to eat and onward, Spike would occasionally treat himself with a fish or two and vowed to only eat them in large quantities when it was time for another growth spurt. Understandably, most of his friends didn't stick around to watch whenever he ate meat.

After finishing the barrel, Spike patted his filled stomach and was about to unleash a mighty belch, but the disapproving look he received from Rarity as a warning forced him to hold it in. Then he felt it. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was certainly there and it would steadily grow. He was getting tired.

“Thank you again, Fluttershy,” Spike said.

“You're welcome. I'm always glad to help a friend,” she told the couple while smiling. She waved goodbye and they returned to Carousel Boutique. Rarity noticed that Spike was being quiet while they walked. There was another problem with Spike's growth spurt. Not only did he have to stuff himself and sleep for a long period of time, but he had to be secluded until he woke up.

“Look, I know you don't like it, but you have to do it,” she told him. “After all, you were the one that came up with the idea and we all agreed.”

After Spike had awoken the first time from his sleep caused by a growth spurt, his draconic instincts had taken over. He hoarded his treasure together, including Rarity and Amethyst, and would snarl threateningly at anypony that came near Carousel Boutique. It took them an hour to calm him down and bring him back to his senses. Thankfully, no one was hurt and Amethyst was too young to remember being held prisoner by her own father. Afterward, Spike flew off and hid in the Everfree Forest in shame of what he did. Again, it took everypony to calm him down and eventually Rarity was able to convince him that no one was angry with him and that everything was going to be alright. The next week, he took his hoard of gems and gold and hid it in a secret location where he would from then go to whenever he would have another growth spurt.

“Look, if it bothers you so much, just tell me where your 'lair' is located and I'll come to see if you're awake when her birthday comes,” Rarity suggested.

“You know I can't tell anypony where it is. Someone might come to check on me and I might not be able to stop myself from hurting them,” he reminded her. This led to another awkward silence. They both knew he was right. To change the subject, Spike said, “Twilight's home as well.”

“Oh? Well, I'll be sure to pay her a visit,” Rarity responded. “I'm sure she'll head to Canterlot soon. I'd imagine she and the other princesses have a lot to discuss. She'll probably inform Amethyst of your situation as well.”

“I didn't realize she was in Canterlot.”

“Yes, she went to visit Midnight at school. They'll both come down for the birthday before the weekend.”

“You know what that means,” Spike said with a mischievous smile on his face as they reached the front door of their home. “We have the house to ourselves and I can spare a few minutes.”

“Oh, you are incorrigible,” Rarity laughed. She opened the door and they walked in. She paused when she saw her reflected in the mirror again. Seeing the white stripe in her mane, she turned her head side to side and played with it with a hoof, pouting fretfully. “Maybe I should dye it.”

“I like it,” he said to try to cheer her up.

“It looks exactly how it did when I was possessed by the Nightmare Forces and became Nightmare Rarity,” she whined.

“Do you want to hear a secret?” he whispered in her ear as he stood behind her and wrapped his fore legs around her neck. “I thought you looked sexy like that.”

“Is that so?” she asked as she raised an eyebrow and looked back at him with half lidded eyes and a coy smile. “Maybe I should dye my coat black instead.”

“It looked good on you,” he told her, still smiling mischievously.

She turn around, wrapped her hooves around his long neck, and whispered one delightful word into his green ear frill, “Bedroom.”